A lot's been happening with my since the last few entries and trying to take my mind of this weeks terrible events in New York I went to tidy out my draws only to find books from my childhood and puppets that somehow made it between the bits of stuff from my so-called adult life. I say so-called cos it just seems to me to be fraud, an attempt to be something that somehow I just don't feel and with our attempts this week to help our schools kids (I'm a Governor) thru this business it's hit me hard emotionally.
Those books and puppets are staying and I'm gonna read comics to get some peace from all this mayhem.
I feel I need the peace others are trying to give them.
Wednesday, September 12, 2001
Thursday, July 20, 2000
Souled out! [Pre-blog]
A few years back in the early days of the compact disc, a series of discs was issued but seemed to disappear rapidly off the market that was most desirable
That series Big Hits and Hard To Find Classics on Motown records, did what the title suggested for once giving us a few big hits by artists poorly represented on cd and adding shed load of recordings that having appeared once on 45, only made the very hard to find compilation albums like Motown Memories or Big Hits retrospectives series all gone in todays cd world.
On July 17th the British arm of Motown put out a re-issue - well almost a full re-issue as Eddie Hollands Jamie couldn't be found from the original volume 2 - of the original three cds that made it possible for me and a few few others to expand our Motown on cd collections following on from the re-issue of the UK Motown Chartbusters sets and the Hitsville USA box sets.
As a number of these tracks were from albums friends had or were played on the radio I'm delighted to hear them anew minus any scratches and other wear.
That series Big Hits and Hard To Find Classics on Motown records, did what the title suggested for once giving us a few big hits by artists poorly represented on cd and adding shed load of recordings that having appeared once on 45, only made the very hard to find compilation albums like Motown Memories or Big Hits retrospectives series all gone in todays cd world.
As a number of these tracks were from albums friends had or were played on the radio I'm delighted to hear them anew minus any scratches and other wear.
Sunday, February 13, 2000
Trip to RAF Hendon [Pre-blog]
Today I set out early with my younger brother to visit the musuem in North London by car taking a load of slide photographs with my Minolta X9 camera and Tamron 28-70 lens with a Flashgun as it doesn't have built in flash.
I'm not much for War related stuff personally but I found the bits relating to how people lived though the First and especially the Second World War interesting such as looking how childhood was affected with gas masks, evacuation of big towns and cities and rationing of candy and reduced things to play with such as toys.
This is the V2 Rocket that caused much damage over London and South-east in the 1944/5
I'm not much for War related stuff personally but I found the bits relating to how people lived though the First and especially the Second World War interesting such as looking how childhood was affected with gas masks, evacuation of big towns and cities and rationing of candy and reduced things to play with such as toys.
Wednesday, January 6, 1999
It's time for the Honeyz (Pre-blog)
Their songs like the recent Hit 'Finally Found' and others like Love of a lifetime, Summertime and End of the Line to me showcase the talent British R&B has as well as being songs I love singing along to or listening on the commute having copied it to MiniDisc.
Saturday, December 26, 1998
Bruce Springsteen Tracks
I don't normally buy box sets as a thing not least it's not that clear if their a kind of oversized Greatest Hits collection, a rarities set or some strange mixture but this Christmas I had one that makes sense.
Bruce Springsteen's always been a big artist with me and six years ago I replaced my record and pre-recorded cassettes of his by cds helped by a three for twenty pounds offer but Bruce always wrote and recorded more than just what came out officially.
Tracks is those songs often studio recordings but a few live recorded but not released or worked part way on and just left gathered up by him and the E Street Band some of which where recorded by others like Pink Cadillac that Natalie Cole did in 1988.
They're arranged into four well sequenced cds so they flow more like a 'proper' album and come with a long sepia booklet with full lyrics.
This has been a great present that will be treasured.
Tracks is those songs often studio recordings but a few live recorded but not released or worked part way on and just left gathered up by him and the E Street Band some of which where recorded by others like Pink Cadillac that Natalie Cole did in 1988.
They're arranged into four well sequenced cds so they flow more like a 'proper' album and come with a long sepia booklet with full lyrics.
This has been a great present that will be treasured.
Thursday, October 1, 1998
Lost Ones [Pre-blog]
I've just returned from the City Centre HMV store after watching Trevor Nelson's The Click show on MTV, the satellite based R&B show on the tv that's increasingly is the main music program I watch.
Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop (That Thing) has been topping the R&B chart for a few weeks now and I bought today the album it's from, the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, listening to coming back on the bus.
That's possible cause ever since February '97 I've had MiniDiscs that give much much of the quality of cd in a smaller more convenient form and I now have a portable player so taking the disc out of the case I just slot it in the player.
I bought this on pre-recorded MiniDisc.
It came out a short while back, late August and it's taken this long to register with me as I'm not really a hip-hop fan, not that haven't bought the odd 12 inch before now but this feels different.
In the first instance it's a great mixture of soul, reggae and hip-hop with a churchy feel like traditional soul which I like.
It ties into something I'm feeling more of too that is theirs a album length skit starting from the school buzzer an class registration about the meaning of love as the students discuss this, lead by their teacher. I actually wanna be back in that situation and I sure don't feel grown up at all.
The subject Lauryn sings and raps about is just that the meaning of love, what womanhood means, self respect and sacrifice even with great fervour and passion which I feel is important and her lyrics are helping me think more about what the girl within feels.
Love this album.
Postscript: It stayed in my player for getting on for two years in heavy rotation and has been a great influence on my thinking.
Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop (That Thing) has been topping the R&B chart for a few weeks now and I bought today the album it's from, the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, listening to coming back on the bus.
That's possible cause ever since February '97 I've had MiniDiscs that give much much of the quality of cd in a smaller more convenient form and I now have a portable player so taking the disc out of the case I just slot it in the player.
I bought this on pre-recorded MiniDisc.
It came out a short while back, late August and it's taken this long to register with me as I'm not really a hip-hop fan, not that haven't bought the odd 12 inch before now but this feels different.
In the first instance it's a great mixture of soul, reggae and hip-hop with a churchy feel like traditional soul which I like.
It ties into something I'm feeling more of too that is theirs a album length skit starting from the school buzzer an class registration about the meaning of love as the students discuss this, lead by their teacher. I actually wanna be back in that situation and I sure don't feel grown up at all.
The subject Lauryn sings and raps about is just that the meaning of love, what womanhood means, self respect and sacrifice even with great fervour and passion which I feel is important and her lyrics are helping me think more about what the girl within feels.
Love this album.
Postscript: It stayed in my player for getting on for two years in heavy rotation and has been a great influence on my thinking.
Thursday, May 28, 1998
Meeting by the park [Pre-blog]
Today I'm off to Brampton Park in the Town of Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire connected with work reorganization for a meeting.
Sometimes it's all I seem to be in, meetings that is, but it's late spring so I'm taking my camera with me today and a couple of lenses to take some photographs of the park afterwards as I love strolling in them, feeling carefree. It's what I loved doing as a child and there are times when that's all I want.
The building itself also is lovely to go around.
I also got my portable Minidisc player just before I set off so I can play my discs on the commute or whenever I'm away saving lugging a big cd player around.
Sometimes it's all I seem to be in, meetings that is, but it's late spring so I'm taking my camera with me today and a couple of lenses to take some photographs of the park afterwards as I love strolling in them, feeling carefree. It's what I loved doing as a child and there are times when that's all I want.
I also got my portable Minidisc player just before I set off so I can play my discs on the commute or whenever I'm away saving lugging a big cd player around.
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