alsoperson

I saw the writing on the wall

A lot of people complain that the modern world isn’t as good as the one they grew up. People want simple verities that are gone and we are not bound together as a country the way we were. The proliferation of television channels and then the ability to watch anything when we want means thatContinue reading “I saw the writing on the wall”

I see a shadow and call out to try and warn him

I have mixed feelings about Madness. They started out with some really great ska tracks like One Step Beyond and Night Boat To Cairo (which were part of a ska resurgence at the turn of the 70s into the 80s). Baggy Trousers struck a chord with all children of school age when it came outContinue reading “I see a shadow and call out to try and warn him”

It Makes Me Feel Like Crying

Straightaway it is another song produced by Phil Spector and the legendary Wall of Sound, like yesterday’s entry https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/11/23/ill-give-you-three/ . Dad and I toured Italy for 16 days in 2015. I was recovering from glandular fever, him from cancer. After Venice we spent a morning in Pisa looking at the Leaning Tower and the otherContinue reading “It Makes Me Feel Like Crying”

I’ll Give You Three

No one really talks about Moonlighting anymore. It wasn’t such a big deal in the UK at the time as BBC and ITV mostly ignored overseas product (Dallas and Dynasty being big exceptions), partly due to agreements with the acting union Equity. Moonlighting was on BBC2 and starred famous (but not seen for a while)Continue reading “I’ll Give You Three”

I just knew

I like Only Fools and Horses (OFAH). Not the best sitcom ever as the British public voted it, not by any means, I mean better than Fawlty Towers or Blackadder? Hell, it’s not even John Sullivan’s best comedy – in fact it is arguable that it is his second best, but he was a veryContinue reading “I just knew”

You’ll sell the ground beneath your feet

The first of two appearance of Fish as a lead singer, this one as a solo artist. Fish had been the lead singer of Marillion and when he left the group in looked like a double your money situation. Marillion released Season’s End and Fish released Vigil In a Wilderness of Mirrors – both greatContinue reading “You’ll sell the ground beneath your feet”

Then the cowboy turned the gun on himself

One Saturday afternoon in the sixth form I was listening to the Richard Skinner show on Radio 1. They had a group called Theatre of Hate in playing tracks from their new album Westworld. “From the south on a wind in walked a cowboy The saloon was dry but his guns were well oiled SomehowContinue reading “Then the cowboy turned the gun on himself”

It’s time to make our way through the fountained squares

Only fans have heard of John Foxx. He was the lead singer on Ultravox’s first three albums, which only spawned a couple of very minor hits. He was replaced by Midge Ure and Ultravox had an extended period of success. Foxx had a couple of solo hits – Underpass and No One’s Driving, but hisContinue reading “It’s time to make our way through the fountained squares”

If I could buy my reasoning, I’d pay to lose

In Spring 1990 we had a university reunion at Dave Carter’s in the Lake District. I met Alex at a station near his house in Slough and we drove up together. It was a warm spring day, but the temperature progressively dropped the further north we went. By the time we got to Carter’s IContinue reading “If I could buy my reasoning, I’d pay to lose”

One cheap illusion can still be divine

Consider a counter-history starting in the sixteenth century. In 1588 Catholic Spain tried to conquer Protestant England – it failed, but what if it had succeeded? England is conquered by Spain and becomes an occupied country. Spanish people settle in East Anglia and Catholicism becomes the state religion. Protestantism is outlawed and heretics are burntContinue reading “One cheap illusion can still be divine”