#LikeNoOther #9 Frontier Psychiatrist - The Avalanches

I can't remember when I first heard this, but I do remeber wondering what the hell was going on. "Frontier Psychiatrist" from the album "Since I Left You" by The Avalanches takes the listener into a vaguely comedic "Twin Peaks" univers mixing dialogue with samples to produc an amazing piece. I have recognised snippets from it in source songs and it is a real (and pleasant) listening experience.

When the album came out I think there were court cases about the sampling but eventually they gave up and just let The Avalanches have it. All their videos and songs are worth visiting and this is probably the most famous and recognisable.

In 2016 they followed up with "Wildflower" , more similar brilliant cut and paste dance pieces with excellent videos and the lead single was "Frankie Sinatra" which I will also include here, because The Avalanches are truly #LikeNoOther and absolute great fun, and the title of their second album is the same as the name of Wildflower my favourite Art/ Eating space in Tyneside.

Enjoy all of this.

The Art of Getting Up

This morning I really wanted to get up . During the week, I really don't want to get up, maybe because I have to to get up and go to work to effectively fund my life.

It's something that I have to do , but I don't feel it's a decision that I have made, although in reality I have made that decision.

I could choose not to work, but that would mean I probably wouldn't have the finances to actually write this post when I want to , and how I want to and wear I want to .

 It's a trade off, and I choose to do this because I see it as the best option for what I want from life. But I still don't want to get up during the week. I still I have to get up wash, shower, take loads of drugs and injections and then, generally , walk into work.

Today I had a good night's sleep, walk up , had ideas for a couple of blog posts and I actually want to get up. Why? Well there are things I really want to do and am looking forward to doing. The thing is, if you have things to look forward to you will want to get up, even if you have to do things you don't want to do. Here's a list of what I have to look forward to today followed by a W (want to do) , or N (Don't want to do). I know W and N seem odd letters to choose , but I have chosen them for obvious reasons and you now know what I mean. Here's the liset:

• Mow The Lawn (N)
• Two Blog Posts (Including this one) (W)
• Walk 11.5K steps (W)
• Go to the shops for various provision (N) but it will help me walk my steps
• Watch some catch up TV (W)
• Watch some TED Talks (W)
• Listen to another album (W)
• Change the bedding (N)
• Top up The Bird Feeders (W)
• Meet With Friends at The Wildflower Farewell Party (W)
• Phone My Dad (W)
• Take Some Photographs and maybe Instagram them (W)
• Get Song of The Salesman onto Wordpress (W)

So I have a few reasons to want to get up, and really that's what  you have to have to make you want to get up. You need to have reasons. Yes it's nice to lie in bed, but it's a very long time since I was in bed at mid day ... but that could be a reason to get up even though you actually staying in bed.

So the obvious piece for this is "Can't Get Out Of Bed" by The Charlatans, so either stay in bed, get out, do things or relax.

#LikeNoOther #8 Boops(Here To Go) - Sly and Robbie

While this does contain a lot of rhythm and melody it is a veritable soup of sound. Sly and Robbie are part of the Jamaican scene so you are expecting reggae or ska , with  dub treatment for adventure. But it's not of these. Maybe it's gumbo voodoo music, reming me in mood of Dr John's "Walk on Gilded Splinters" from "Gris-Gris".

 "Boops (Here To Go)" was a hit.

When I first heard it I liked it , but it is't anything you can pigeonhole. You can dance to it , it has a defined rhythm and it won't scare people away.

Sly and Robbie often did not stick to the reggae styling and because of that produced som memorable songs, under their own name , despite being producers for countless others.

Listening to this has reminded me of another song which will do for #9.

Sleep well.........

Two Days In

The first Saturday in Semptember and I had a wander aroung and managed to do 13K steps with some aimless wandering but still managing to run into friends and visit Wildflower for probably the last time in it's current location and Jass and Asher told of it's new and secret  location, but I know the area well if not te exact spot. I treated myself to their final pea burger of the day as we discussed the state of the economy and country.

I really need to do something about this blog to grab some more attention , as posts are only just crawling into double figures. I know a lot of people like the shares I put ion face book , but I have a feeling a lot don't click through , they like the share rather than actually read the post. Some people I know click though religiously and I thank you for that, this si the only in which I can socially engage in dialogue with people as I have become a bit of a social pariah for some reason (mainly my own laziness).

For some reason Lee Marvin's "Wanderin' Star" from "Paint Your Wagon" sprang into my mind. The film also features Clint Eastwood singing , so a more ulikely pair of songsters I really can't imagine, but it still hit number one in the charts, so you are going to get that one. It does have one of the longest intros you will hear in a single hitting a quarter of the song.

My album as I wandered was Street Legal by Bob Dylan which features a a pair of lyrical tour-de-forces (or is it tours-de-force?, I don't know, and that has probably my grammar and contruction in this sentence), but the songs that spring to mind are "Changing Of The Guard" and "No Time To Think". Other memorable songs are the single "Baby Stop Cryin'" and the take on the Miss World Theme Tune "Is Your Love In Vain". It is and album that should be in you collection , and I thing I will start an #Albumofthe Day tag to keep a track.

I was thinking I would stay up all night doing stuff but I am actually feeling tired. It is Sunday tomorrow so I have no need to do anything but we shall see. I still want to do my steps but the good news is that after two days I am 3K ahead of target , so that eases the pressure a little.

Anyway time for bed.

Less Is Not More

I think it was a line from "Frasier" when Doctor Crane said "If Less is More, Just Think How Much More More would be!!" , which is about right for most things.

I look at some of my old blog posts and they are barely fifty words, now I think I average maybe 250 , though some may even be bigger than that. This first paragraph has already hit seventy words, and I seemed to remember at school we were expected to deliver an essay in one of two hundred words. Mybe that's just my imagination twisting, maybe it was 500 or a thousand words for essays. That would give  you more space to develop the essay. One or  two hunder is hardly anything so I think maybe I made a mistake.

Anyway tonight I completed Fargo and Submarine, and I clocked up 12.5K steps on my walk after worrying I would be behind on the first day, but I am a thousand steps ahead.

I didn't see any rats today, though it was mostly an urban walk in.

I am quite tired now, and I only listened to a single album today , but it was the wonderful Penguin Eggs by Nic Jones.  It opens with Canadee-I-O possibly the most beautiful acoustic introduction that I can think of, and continues in a wonderfulk folk vein with amazing playing and singing throughout. For some reason I avaoided the song though I had heard much about it, expecting it to be standard folk fare, but it is anything but. Nic was involved in a horrific car accident disintegrating vertually evey bone in his limbs and the some but in the last few years he has reappeared on stage with his son and others.

I'll include the original and the return version of Canadee-I-O so you can marvel and this very special talent.

Oh and this post is about 320 words, so it's above my average.

Time for bed now.

New Month New Challenge

Well not quite but by the time I hit my birthday on the 1st of October when I will be in Whitby, I want to have hit 340K steps and be under 100Kg , both "easily" doable , but as I keep saying I don't do regimented stuff. Today I have reduced my insulin intake by another 10% and we will see if that works.

I had to but the lights on this morning so the days and nights are drawing in.

I have started trimming my CD collection by selling stuff I'm unlikely to play again online. This will include stuff that I've bought and then decided it wasn't as good as I thought , or just to support gigging bands. People shouldn;t have to play for free. My Discogs shop is here. I was going to sell on Amazon but they won't allow you to sell CDs, maybe they just have too many sellers.

Anyway I am going to set off for work now, with an increased daily step target which I may just aim for permanently, because essentially it's the walking that has enabled me to reduce my insulin intake.

So I'm just going to include one of my favourite somngs with "Walkin'" in the title, "Walking To New Orleans" by Fats Domino, and I can't believe I've not ever mentioned Fats Domino in this blog before as he is one of my (admittedly many) favourite artists. I will definitely rectify that this month. For today I found a great live version at Superbowl WX in New Orleans.

It's Friday , go and enjoy yourself.

Shattered .. But Still Listening In

I am shattered and want to go to bed. I've hit 350K steps this month and weighed myself this morning and clocked it at 100.2 Kg. While I'm supposed to be 70 Kg for my height and build , that is never going to happen but was wondering if I could get get under sixteen stone (I remember getting down to sixteen stone three pounds in the early nineties and various peopel telling I would hit a brick wall and wouldn't get any further. Some people really don't like you doing anything good for yourself , mainly so they can continue to denigrate you. Well I hit that brick wall and I am sure that pleased a lot of people.

The consultant at my last Diabetic Review was of the same ilk with "well you are still overweight" and "you shouldn't have reduced your insulin", though the guy who weighed me , took my blood and checked my readings was very positive . Today I saw my GP and she was amazingly positive and complimentary and came out with some more sufggestions to help me. She is a shining example of what makes the NHS brilliant, and going to see her always makes me feel positive. She suggested I get involved with Newcastle CAN which I will sign up for when I've published this.

Oh 100.2 Kg is about 15 stone 12 lb , so that was a pleasant surprise, so I am going in the right direction.

Over that last two days I have walked throuh and skirted Leazes Park and both days I have seen a rat! I don't ofte see them , but it could hav been worse it could have been a Tory or a UKIPPER .

So the albums I have listened to obver the last couple of days have been:

• The Yes Album: Prog Rock with prentetions lyrics but some amazing music and playing . From the opening block riffs of "Yours Is No Disgrace" through live take of "The Clap" to the nine minutes of the three piece "Starship Trooper" finishing up with annother staccatto riff taking us into the finale of "Perpetual Change" . The copy I have contains some out takes but great to revisit one of my favourites from my teens.
• Genesis Live: Five songs which originally came out as a budget album, but still sounds great to day , including their take on Day of the Triffids "Return of the Giant Hogweed" and culminating on side two with the emotional "Musical Box" and the vicious "The Knife"
• Bob Dylan - Sheter From a Hard Rain: A very rickety live album featuring Joan Baez and I really ony bought it because it had "Deportees" on, though the whole album is a treat for me, sounding semi amateurish but brilliant.

 Anyway I will leave you with "Deportees" by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, a song that I am working on my own arrangement of, which I may soundcloud soon. So enjoy this and tomorrow is September where I have to hit 11.5K steps a day because there are only 30 days in the month.

There's a video of some nice rats below.

Sleep well my friends.