Pen Pals

I seldom write to anyone anymore. I mean really write with a pen on paper. The closest I get is addressing CDs that I sell on Discogs.  I used to send postcards to people of places I visited, but now it's Instagram videos, which in a way are more personal and effectively instant but in some ways I miss putting pen to paper.

The thing is a letter or a postcard is closer to you that digital communication , but digital communication can give an immediate closeness that paper can't. Telephone is great especially with the advent of the mobile , and then video calling  can  enable you to share even more. My eldest daughter sent my dad a video message on his eigtieth birthday because she was working and couldn't make the party. While a birthday card is nice the video message really amazed my dad.

We have so many ways to communicate, but it is nice to write every now and then, and I don;t know if that is just me being selfish. There are lots of people who generally shun technology so pen and paper is the general default mode of long distance communication. We have had the telephone for over a hundred years so that has always been relatively immediate.

So maybe the song we go for is "The Word / OM" by The Moody Blues the closing songs from "In Search of The Lost Chord" probably my favourite of their albums. Yes it's pretentious taking in sixties hippie culture references but I like it and so I will share it with your.

I've also noticed there's a Children In Need Covers album which is on the strip below , which you can buy or just chip in at the web site.

The Only Two Lou Reed Songs You Know

Still reading "David Bowie:A Life" by Dylan Jones and obviously Lou Reed features fairly heavily. I think Bowie produced his first two albums, the second of which was the very successful "Transformer" which always struck me for the male/female Reed representations on the back cover.

Lou Reed Transformed

Someone said that everybody only knows two Lou Reed songs:

• "Walk on the Wild Side" and
• "Perfect Day"

And they know the first for Herbie Flowers brilliant bassline that he got paid £30 for and managing to
get the line about "giving head" past the BBC censors, and the second for the Children in Need version that was released featuring everybody in the world.

As you know my memory is rubbish and I realised I didn't actually know many Lou Reed Songs myself despite having a lot of his albums. Apart from the two about these are the ones that I can think of (And I'm not including Velvet Underground songs which I am fine with), but I'm wondering do Lou Reed songs not stick with you ? Here's the ones I can remeber:

• "Satellite of Love"
• "I Love You Suzanne"
• "Vicious" (probably my favourite)
• "Christmas in February" (I think)

And that's about it. "Berlin" I think had a title track and "Metal Machine Music" was just Part 1 - 4 (a contractual obligation album of beeps which I was surprised RCA released.

So How many Lou Reed songs do you know. I'm going to include the back cover of  "Transformer" so now I can see some of the songs I've forgotten, and I think I know wht I forgot some of them.

Anyway it's Friday, the weekend is here, so have a great day.

Some People Have No Sense Of Humour But We Do - #54 - 2010 - Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind) - Alex Warren and Terema Wainwright

NYC

I can't believe it's five years since Alex Warren and Terema Wainwright showed up how po faced American Rhythm and Beat artists Alicia Keys and Jay Zed were when this excellent parody of New York State of Mind caused them such anguish that it kept getting taken town from Youtube. Obviously it has now stayed and wouldn't it be better to acknowledge that this is funny and not offensive. It even spawned an excellent BBC take on it featuring lots of stars WITH a sens of humour for Children in need and Goldie Lookin' Chain even produced a reply to it.

Right that's all I'm posting but you've got three great videos to watch.

Have a brilliant Thursday and go and hug somebody.

Goldie Lookin' Chain 


Children In Need: