Solstice

Longest / shortest day
Depending on hemisphere
Polar opposites

Grazing, Rime

The rime has melted
Grass glistening in the sun
Sheep may safely graze

Mild

I'm quite partial to
A pint of Abbeydale Mild
When it is on tap

Mothership Connection by Parliament

There’s something about this album that is so funky, it’s like how much more funky could this be? And the answer is none. None more funky. Seriously, this has been beamed directly from the planet Funk in the year funky five million in an Afro-future so funky it completely funks up the space-time continuum.

When Parliament went on tour to play this album live they had a huge mothership UFO complete with disco balls that would fly in and land on the stage half way through the show. That is literally how funky they were. Seriously, have a look on YouTube for Parliament summoning the mothership and prepare to get funked.

Anyway, don’t mind me. I’m just about to listen to this amazing album again.

Funk-tastic!

Maple, Fox

Fox in the hen house

As sly as sin, swift as steel

Crimson as maple

Marcus Garvey / Garvey’s Ghost by Burning Spear

Winston Rodney AKA Burning Spear recorded this album in 1975 and brought it to Chris Blackwell of Island Records for international release. However, Blackwell took the controversial decision to remix it and tone down the bass heavy dub elements for a mainstream US/European audience, much to Rodney’s dismay. I can sort of see the point - most home listeners would not have had any way of playing this back as it was meant to be heard via a massive sound system. Listening on a little transistor radio just doesn’t cut the mustard.

The original version was released 4 months later as Garvey’s Ghost and that’s the one that you should listen to, preferably on the most bass heavy system that you have. It’s a powerful experience, sung from the heart with true emotion and the music will make you want to dance.

Melancholy

A distant island
Grandmother and Sophia
Melancholy air