Records that mean the most to me Pt 2.
The Pursuit of Happiness "Beautiful White" (Chrysalis Records Album Track 1989)

It's an odd one. I'd never heard anything by the band at all, ever. But, we were put on the same bill at a rock festival in Ghent, Belgium, early in 1989. We actually played about two bands after them, so I suppose that made us bigger than them at the time. The Stone Roses were headlining, they turned up about ten minutes before playing, surrounded by a huge crowd of hangers-on and were among the most distant musicians it ever been my displeasure to meet.
Anyway, back to TPOH. I'd got changed into my stage clothes somewhat too early and had a bunch of time to kill. The festival was organised so that there were two stages next to each other at one end of the hall. One band would play on one stage whilst the next band on would soundcheck behind a curtain on the other stage. Once the changeover was complete, the curtain would open on the other stage and the audience would shuffle 20 yards to the left or right. I wandered out into the main hall to see what was happening. Not a lot, is the short answer. I think RDF were playing, or if they weren't, it was someone scarily like them. It was awful. Then, to what seemed like complete indifference from the crowd, TPOH came on stage. I only knew it was them because I had a copy of the running order in my pocket.
What were they like? Well, a lead singer with big glasses and long hair, really dorky. A female guitarist with Stevie Nicks hair. A bass player who looked as though he'd just come from Bryan Adams' band. The omens were not good. And then, they started playing.
TPOH's sound is hardly revolutionary, it's a little bit Stones, some Faces, some big chords and some obvious melodies: I wasn't really hooked. But then, they played "Beautiful White" .It's a simple little song really: it sound a bit like "Start Me Up" but with a more yearning minor chord in the main riff..It surges and builds in a wonderfully organic way. The song is about being with a woman who doesn't really care about the clothes her lover gives her: she tosses them nonchalantly to the floor, leaving her naked: "Beautiful White". And that was it. I burst into tears, it was utterly perfect.
I finally got a copy of the album it comes from ("Love Junk") about two months later, and there wasn't a day that I didn't play it for at least five years. Even now, I play it at least once a week. It's perfect. And it makes me thank god that I'm alive. I actually realise that some of you reading this will never even hear it and probably won't even care..But you know what? I don't care. It's one of the most perfect songs ever, and I'll love it till the day I die. Game over.

Oh and BTW, i'm loving this at the moment.

Banksy gets a telling off. And how.
*chuckles*

It's now a truly lovely day, i'm suitably energised after my first visit to the gym in a week (!) and i'm just updating the blog before I head off to the Tube. I'm still loading up the itunes as well..currently rocking a little bit of Johnny Moped. There's a wonderful picture of the band, playing in a feld, throwing some serious rockstar shapes, as a herd of cows look on with utter indifference. Will see if I can find it online.

Another day of huge thunderstorms yesterday...you'd think they'd learn lessons, but no. West Cross route was flooded again and the whole of shepherds bush went into gridlock. On the plus side, this morning has that wonderful ozone freshness to it. Must go to the gym, feeling a little corpulent.

Another week, another Monday afternoon. Feeling somewhat listless today, not really sure why. Off to the Barfly tonight, maybe a skinful of lager will align my skewed personality.

This site is one of the first sites I'd recommend to anyone who has any interest in music whatsoever. But, perhaps more than that, it's for those out there who integrate their musical experiences into a wider expansion of all of their horizons. Glenn, nice one. (And no, I'm not plugging it because you seem to be the only person who liked "Already")

Nice bit of Radiohead animation......

You know how much i'm obsessed with Homestar, right? Well, if you're that way inclined as well, there's a totally awesome Wiki with more links than you could ever imagine.

Been reloading all my CD's into the ipod (long story, don't ask) and i'm once again staggered by some of the stuff i'd forgotten about. Top of that list at the moment: "Terms Of Psychic Warfare" . That's what it's all about- a melodic fist wrapped in an iron glove of buzzsaw guitar brutality.

My three most-played tunes on the ipod at the moment?
1) The State I'm In - Belle & Sebastian
2) Like Glue - Sean Paul
3) Release The Bats - The Birthday Party

It's all good inside my ears at the moment.

And BTW, while I'm talking about blogger updates, was speaking to my best mate Nick last night...And he's got a blogger account set up and hasn't taken the plunge yet. Go on mate, it's even easier now. I'll link you up, as well......*points right*

Back from Holidays.
Antibes rocks. That's official.
Also, blogger seems to have had another makeover....it's a lot more intuitive now, which is aces.

Oh, also...Meg is back. Hurrah! The new site is great, sort of like...a blog-plus.
*plays Razorlight, fires up Popbitch, presses f5*

Up in the Air
Last night was pop quiz night at The Eagle back in Brighton (We came 4th). Got overly sousled, seeing as Cambpell was back from his tour of Dohar. All this meant that today's train journey was a little bit...strange. Everything seemed to be in cinemascope, widescreen images filling my eyes. It was all about the tunes and the planes. Passing Gatwick, a lovely old DC 10 freighter roared overhead, close enough to see the tread on its tyres: momentarily, a faint whiff of jet fuel rushed through the train. Tune at that moment? Wim Mertens "A Tiel Leis". Then, as we approached Clapham Junction, a BA 747 started to roll into a low G turn over Crystal Palace, sunlight glinting off its fuselage. Tune? "Barcode Bypass" by The Mull Historical Society. Then, lastly, another 747, hung suspended in the air over the Thames, framed by the towers of Battersea Power Station. Tune? Nick Drake "Hanging on a Star"