We were on a Replacement Bus Service a couple of weeks back, from Woking to Andover
I think we were on the way back from the Pogues
Anyway, I was pleased to see that Horsell common has a ‘Mars Trail’…as it’s where the Martians landed in War of the Worlds
I’m delighted that we got the result, but that was no fun at all. I hadn’t realised it, but, supporting Chelsea has,in a way, been fairly low stress for some time, in that we’ve not been in a really crucial match since 2021.
My nerves are shattered
Hard luck, Forest and Villa
⚽ #ChelseaFC #cfc
The words ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ and ‘open-top bus parade’ have appeared in the same sentence, and it wasn’t a joke.
Strange times
⚽
BBC News - Tottenham Hotspur parade: Spurs players celebrate with thousands of fans
An Englishman talking about the weather is a bit of a cliche, but I love the warm wind that’s blowing in my bit of the Shire today
Crucial Tracks over the last week - Wilson Simonal, Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra, Paul Kelly, Alaine, Tv Personalities, and Elvis, twice
These are the posts from my Crucial Tracks profile for the last few days.
23 May 2025 - What song best matches the energy of today?
“Nem Vem Que Nem Tem” by Wilson Simonal
I guess the energy of this song is laid-back and cheerful, which is the energy I aspire to.
When I’m not being laid-back and grumpy.
“Nem Vem Que Nem Tem” by Wilson Simonal on Apple Music
22 May 2025 - What song best captures your current phase of life?
“The Last Time” by Andrew Oldham Orchestra
It was between this and the Redskins' Keep On Keeping On (just for the title)
As time passes, I’m becoming aware that there are things I’m possibly not going to do again!
I prefer this version to either the Stones' original or the Verve song that nicks a bit of it
“The Last Time” by Andrew Oldham Orchestra on Apple Music
21 May 2025 - If today were a genre, what would it be? Pick a matching song.
“Bradman” by Paul Kelly
The first Test Match of the summer starts tomorrow, so for me today’s genre is cricket songs.
Somewhat regrettably, my favourite cricket song is Australian
I particularly like the line in ‘Bradman’ that ‘fortune used to hide in the palm of his hand’
“Bradman” by Paul Kelly on Apple Music
20 May 2025 - What’s a remix or cover you like more than the original?
“Hello” by Alaine
There are a number of covers I could pick. Virtually any Elvis song, for example. Although I’ve heard many of the originals and liked them, I like Elvis' versions more…but because his versions are so familiar they often don’t feel like covers, especially given singer-songwriter-ing wasn’t as much of a thing at the time.
Instead I’ve picked a song from one of my favourite micro-genres - reggae covers.
This is the Adele song, not the Lionel Ritchie. Adele’s original is marvellous, but I listen to this one more often
“Hello” by Alaine on Apple Music
19 May 2025 - What’s a song that grew on you over time?
“Part Time Punks” by Television Personalities
I saw this band a couple of hundred yards from where I’m sitting now.
I was underwhelmed. They probably weren’t angry and aggressive enough for the stroppy teenage me.
The incident of the evening was that my mate Ged got on stage. I never did the spitting thing but a lot of other punk rockers at the time did, and Ged allegedly contracted hepatitis or something
Anyway, I wasn’t fussed then, but I love this song now
“Part Time Punks” by Television Personalities on Apple Music
18 May 2025 - What’s your favorite deep cut from an album?
“Reconsider Baby (Elvis R&B Version)” by Elvis Presley
I’m a big Elvis fan, and I’ve said, when asked, that this is my favourite Elvis song. It often is.
“Reconsider Baby (Elvis R&B Version)” by Elvis Presley on Apple Music
17 May 2025 - Share a song you feel was ahead of its time.
“Mystery Train” by Elvis Presley
#TodayILearned that, although you can’t copy meetings in Outlook’s calendar within the application you can do ‘Duplicate Event’ in Outlook Web Access
Crucial Track for 20th May 2025 - "Hello" by Alaine
What’s a remix or cover you like more than the original?
There are a number of covers I could pick. Virtually any Elvis song, for example. Although I’ve heard many of the originals and liked them, I like Elvis' versions more…but because his versions are so familiar they often don’t feel like covers, especially given singer-songwriter-ing wasn’t as much of a thing at the time.
Instead I’ve picked a song from one of my favourite micro-genres - reggae covers.
This is the Adele song, not the Lionel Ritchie. Adele’s original is marvellous, but I listen to Alaine’s version more often
I heard this overnight. Coincidentally it’s the anniversary today of Henry having Anne Boleyn killed
I can never quite get my head around that the Church of England was founded by someone like him
I almost certainly spent longer looking for this today than it would have taken to re-do it. My most used powershell debugger commands. I will redo it at some stage and add in:
get-psbreakpoint | disable-psbreakpoint
…and this cmdlet what I wrote: Get-MuNonStandardVariables.ps1
Samuel Johnson said that Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral were the first essay and last perfection in architecture
Here on my way town they are only separated by Bluestone Plastics
He’s trying to curry favour so that we win Eurovision
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has given his strongest signal yet that a youth mobility scheme could form part of a new deal with the EU BBC News - Youth mobility scheme could be part of EU deal
Crucial Tracks over the last week - Come From Away, The Stranglers, Abba, Joey Ramone, The Beermats, The Pogues, 23 Skidoo, Christy Moore, Barbara and Barry, The Undertones, The Isleys, and the wonderful Mary Saenz
These are the posts from my Crucial Tracks for the last few days.
16 May 2025 - A song from a genre you didn’t think you’d like - what changed?
“Welcome To the Rock” by Joel Hatch & ‘Come From Away’ Company
The genre is ‘musicals’. A lot of West End musical music, and the shows themselves have left me cold, to be honest.
I saw Come From Away a couple of years back, with family, and really enjoyed it. The story is interesting and works well as a couple of hours in a theatre. The songs are strong, and the folk-rock vibe is a kind of music I like.
More than that…it caught me at just the right time. A couple of bits chimed with stuff that had happened in my life
“Welcome To the Rock” by Joel Hatch & ‘Come From Away’ Company on Apple Music
15 May 2025 - What’s the last song you discovered and loved instantly?
“The Visitors” by ABBA
I must have heard this before, but I hadn’t taken any notice before seeing Abba Voyage last month.
I’ve since learnt that it’s about Soviet dissidents waiting for a ‘visit’ from the KGB/GRU. I live in Salisbury, England, which adds to the song’s resonance
The Salisbury Poisonings - BBC
“The Visitors” by ABBA on Apple Music
14 May 2025 - What’s a lyric that resonates deeply with you and why?
“And If You Should See Dave…” by The Stranglers
“It would be nice to say hello
This is where your solo would go”
The Stranglers were the first band I saw, at what is now the Southampton Mayflower. I’ve hardly listened to them since the 1970s -I’ll occasionally play Nice and Sleazy, or Duchess, or their version of Walk On By. This song is about the death of their keyboard player, Dave Greenhill. I don’t knowuch about Greenhill, but the lament for the loss of a friend is something we can all relate to, sadly.
“This is where your solo would go” encapsulates the absence
“And If You Should See Dave…” by The Stranglers on Apple Music
13 May 2025 - If your life were a movie, what would its theme song be?
“What a Wonderful World” by Joey Ramone
“What a Wonderful World” by Joey Ramone on Apple Music
12 May 2025 - How do you discover new music, and what’s the latest gem you’ve found?
“Henrietta Street” by The BeerMats
It’s a mixture of the streaming service, Shazam-ing stuff, music magazines (through Libby)…and very occasionally seeing bands. This is from a band who I saw last month, who were fab
“Henrietta Street” by The BeerMats on Apple Music
11 May 2025 - What is a song that feels like home to you?
“Blue Is the Colour” by Chelsea Football Club
This feels like home both because it was the first record I had when I was a kid, and because I hear it at Home Games
“Blue Is the Colour” by Chelsea Football Club on Apple Music
10 May 2025 - What’s the first song you’d play at a party?
“Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley & The Wailers
“Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley & The Wailers on Apple Music
09 May 2025 - What song do you associate with the current season?
“Here Comes the Summer” by The Undertones
“Here Comes the Summer” by The Undertones on Apple Music
08 May 2025 - What’s your favorite love song, and why?
“A Rainy Night In Soho” by The Pogues
We used to go to see the Pogues in the ’80s, and it was lovely to go again last weekend, after 30-odd years, with our eldest
“A Rainy Night In Soho” by The Pogues on Apple Music
07 May 2025 - What’s a hidden gem or underrated song you love?
“Would She Do That for You” by Mary Saenz
“Would She Do That for You” by Mary Saenz on Apple Music
06 May 2025 - What’s a guilty pleasure song?
“Guilty (Duet With Barry Gibb)” by Barbra Streisand
“Guilty (Duet With Barry Gibb)” by Barbra Streisand on Apple Music
05 May 2025 - What’s a song you’ve had on repeat recently?
“(You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back” by Peter Tosh & Mick Jagger
"(You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back" by Peter Tosh & Mick Jagger on Apple Music
04 May 2025 - What’s a song that helps you focus or concentrate?
“Kundalini” by 23 Skidoo
“Kundalini” by 23 Skidoo on Apple Music
03 May 2025 - What’s your favorite collaboration between artists?
“Miniskirt Blues (feat. Iggy Pop)” by The Cramps
In all honesty my favourite is probably the Pogues' Fairy Tale, but it’s not December yet
“Miniskirt Blues (feat. Iggy Pop)” by The Cramps on Apple Music
02 May 2025 - Which song would you use to introduce yourself to someone new?
“Ordinary Man” by Christy Moore
“I’m an Ordinary Man, nothing special nothing grand”…. although I have seen Christy Moore a zillion times
“Ordinary Man” by Christy Moore on Apple Music
01 May 2025 - A song that tells a story
“Camouflage” by Stan Ridgway
Possibly the last I a series of hit songs with a spooky ending such as Johnny Remember Mr, Big Bad John and, obviously, Ernie
“Camouflage” by Stan Ridgway on Apple Music
30 April 2025 - What song always cheers you up?
“Train In Vain (Stand By Me)” by The Clash
Not necessarily my favourite Clash song but it always puts a spring in my step
“Train In Vain (Stand By Me)” by The Clash on Apple Music
29 April 2025 - A current mood
“Summer Breeze” by The Isley Brothers
It’s unseasonably warm in The Shire today
I enjoyed the classicly British understatement of ‘Everyone in 1945 was a bit tired’
Vincent said: “It’s easy to understand why it was mis-catalogued when it was sold … it’s a long time ago. Everyone in 1945 was a bit tired. It’s worth many, many, many, many times that.”
Harvard’s unofficial copy of Magna Carta is actually an original, experts say - The Guardian
I wrote some bullet points once on why it’s worth going to see Salisbury’s Magna Carta. I should dig that out.
Four Constable images from my longer running route.
- Milford Bridge, with a distant view of Salisbury
- Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows
- Harnham Gate
- Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishops Grounds (a few yards to the right of where I plod along,tbh)
I found this today.
We missed our connection on the way home and had to get a taxi home from Basingstoke
Crucial Track for 08 May 2025 - What’s your favorite love song, and why??"
“A Rainy Night In Soho” by The Pogues
We went to see the Cathedral last night, lit up to celebrate VE Day. These photos don’t begin to do it justice
Crucial Track for 07 May 2025 - “What’s a hidden gem or underrated song you love?"
“Would She Do That for You” by Mary Saenz
“Their eccentric sound at times was almost like if Blur’s Parklife was being played by (very talented) pirates.”
I love this description of Stick in the Wheel by Isobel O’Mahony