Bowie's Blackstar

Yesterday David Bowie released Blackstar. I am not going to critique the album , but the fact that an artist can still command such awe and respect and continually turn the three chord trick on it's head often outdoing his perceived influences at their own game  is still jaw dropping.

When The Next Day came out completely unexpectedly the mainstream media wrote it off , because it was music that they actually had to take notice of . "Where Are We Now"  still amazes me , but when it was the lead single it was written of by mainstream media.

And now again Blackstar will have the same effect , it will polarise opinion , but isn't that what Bowie does? The thing is if you have any modicum intelligence you will appreciate his work or build a coherent argument against it.

Bowie Bowie Bowie

I was speaking to a guy in Bar Loco who said he's just got into Bowie , but he couldn't get past
Earthling , because it was the best thing  he had ever heard. Not your normal starting point in the Bowie canon , but this shows the amazing kaleidoscopic effect of the Bowie enigma , you could start anywhere and work in either direction remembering to be wary before Space Oddity  , though everything since has had much merit.

Even the maligned Tin Machine , "Under The God" is still a metal masterpiece , and "Little Drummer Boy" with Bing Crosby , well he's David Bowie , he can do that , and yo will enjoy it.

So go and buy Blackstar . My own favourite is still Station to Station , but put any Bowie album on the the turntable and I will listen until the needle lifts.

Have an amazing Saturday everyone.

I Love Bill's Cafe

Although this blog started out as a travel blog , well that was the idea , which acounts for about 1% of the posts , it's seldom I talk about places that I've been for there own sake , but Bill's Cafe in Old Eldon Square really does deserve talking about. I don't what first attracted me there ,maybe the simplicity of the name and I just fancied a full english breakfast. The implication of the name was a greasy spoon type , but you walk into one of the coolest places you can think of.

The people are welcoming m, there is great art in there , the menus are on vinyl records (I'd rather vinyl was played than used as a menu but what the hell) , the food is excellent , plus they have cake , coffee , and alcohol. You can get a bottle of prosecco with nibbles for about £15.

Yesterday I dropped in for a a baked potato with tuna and a San Pellegrino for dinner, and it's got to the stage where I don't have to look a the menu.

Bill's Is Great

There were a few people in and after I came in , a couple came in with a child. From one of the girls positioning she started breastfeeding her child, I assume this because she had her back to me. While she was feeding the guy cam up and took her order. The whole point of this is that nothing out of the ordinary happened , it was just totally normal, some friends of the couple came in said hi and when the child was finished and sat on a chair she was happy and well behaved.



It was just so nice to be in a place where a woman feeding her child is just an everyday occurrence.

A big up to Bill's Cafe , I love the place and you won't regret going for a coffee , drink or meal.

It's lovely and welcoming and a shining of example of how everywhere should be.

I've included Billy Bragg's Handyman Blues because the song and video make me feel as warm and loved as a visit to Bill's cafe

Have a wonderful day.

I Didn't Make A New Year's Resolution

I didn't make a New Year's Resolution . It didn't slip my mind because every year I just resolve to try and be happier and compassionate for my friends , family and people in need. The New Year is a good place to start , but really my plans involve just doing the best I can in all areas.

Some people see Christmas as a time for being nice before spending the last year acting like an unreality show judge or competitor. I will go into work today and that is going to be a topic of conversation.

There is plenty in this world to go round everyone , and working together will create even more, greed IS NOT good.

King Charles

So if you haven't made a New Year's Resolution let my vague premise be  your guide. Today will be the first day back at work for many people. Be positive , be nice ,  smile a lot , and take chocolate with you , plenty of chocolate.

I chose this King Charles song , because , well I dare you to listen , and not come away feeling happier. Smiling is good.

Have a brilliant , brilliant day.

Temptation

This morning I learned something new. I was convinced that Bryan Ferry had covered The Everly Brothers Temptation , an amazing song, but it was The Price of Love another amazing song. But it turns out that Temptation is in fact a cover of a 1933 hit for Bing Crosby, which I actually knew but the Everlys deconstruction makes it almost a different song. See what you think.

Use It

Oscar Wilde said "I can resist anything but temptation" and he is one of my heroes , a great writer , with and disgustingly treated by the law of the time , which was much the same as it is today.

Still on the Temptation as a song title we also have Heaven 17's Temptation , but my absolute favourite has got to be New Order's which gives me goosebumps and makes me just want to sink into it and surrender to the Temptation.



It doesn't get much better , so I hope that I have provided you with enough temptation , and I hope you can't resist either.

I hope your New Year is as good as my mine my totally gorgeous friends.

Here Comes The Future

Well it's here

 2016 

Another year

New goals 

New friends to meet 

New experiences To Be Had

New Starts To Be Made

New Places To Go

New Books To Read

New Hills To Climb

New Waters To Swim

Conquer You Fears

Help Others

Hug and Kiss Frequently

Love Each Other

Look Out For Each Other

These Are New Times

We will make them brilliant

Hello 2016

Pleased To Meet You

I Love You All

Welcome

The music is Al Stewart's Nostradamus , a great song about a ramshackle propheteer.

New Year's Eve Is Here

We are on the last day of the year ad it some ways it's like a software update (my phone just had one) , you go through everything , waiting , working , you reboot and nothing has changed.

Well actually things have changed. People I know seem to becoming more insular, anything new is not countenanced well . Part of this is people have families , people trying to survive modern life , people tend to go for the tried and tested paths and often I am the same. I will frequent a restaurant or pub that I know is good and drop places that maybe don't come up to my standards.

This year I have met some wonderful people and made new friends all over the world , been made redundant , had a few new jobs , write songs , hit my 1000 posts , 100K views on this blog , and have lost touch with people which is sad.

Facebook is good for keeping in touch and reconnecting with people , but I do detest the posts that imply people are selfish and don't care about others. I love seeing positivity and happiness and smiles, and in 2016 I want to see more.

Here It Comes

This year I have driven through snow , ice , rain , blinding sun almost a metaphor for life , because I've navigated that.

I have been here for people who needed support , I have had some great nights and days with wonderful friends and look forward to lots more in 2016.

Have a wonderful end of year and share a brilliant 2016 with me my friends. I chose the Fingerprintz song to finish this year because it's a theme song of mine

"I can see you want to dance too"

Is Viv Albertine Big In Russia amd Australia?

The reason I ask is that my post featuring Viv Albertine here is now my third most read post of the life of this blog. The blog has been going eight years and most posts get about 50 views. In less than a month the Viv Albertine has hit 400 , not a lot in terms of world readership , but a lot for one of my post.

Last Months Readers

In the last two weeks views from Russia and Australia have overtaken the USA as my biggest source of readers (and maybe robots) . The USA has not dropped , but Russia and Australia have increased dramatically and really I can't think of a reason. Australia possibly because it's in the correct language.

Australia is the biggest traffic source from the last month , but Russia has overtaken it in the last week.

And this has coincided with the Viv Albertine piece getting so much attention. There haven't been any comment , people don't comment on my posts for some reason , also the blog has only a couple of followers , so given that visitors must be mostly people who accidentally come across it , ithe figures look quite good.

Seriously this must be one of the most boring , uninteresting pieces I have ever written, I had intended to include some stuff about what has happened to me this year but that can wait for another time.

This year has resulted in slightly less posts than last year but it's still running at a post every two days. So I think I'll put in Al Stewart's "Roads To Moscow" to provide a little interest to this post . The album Past Present and Future is well worth aquiring.

Also I have finished the Viv Albertine book and it is absolutely brilliant , I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone , inspiring , well written , uncompromising , easy to read and thought provoking. Buy it here.