I was driving around today when Cat Stevens came on the radio.
The song was "[Remember the days of the] Old School Yard"
I've never cared much for it and was again reminded of one of the truly dreadful lyrics in popular song -

"When we had simplicity
And we had warm toast for tea"

Ouch!!

This is from the same person who wrote

"Taking time to check the dial

And the Lillywhite
I never knew her name
But she'll be passing my way sometime again.

I raise my hand and touch the wheel
Of change
Taking time to check the dial

Thank the Lillywhite
I never knew her name
But she'll be passing my way sometime again.
But she'll be passing my way sometime again."

Now, I accept that sometimes lyrics can seem at best simple and at worst down right bad, but sometimes a little insight can transform an apparently average lyric into something more substantial. The lyric to Lillywhite is a good example of a lyric that can be elevated by a little background info from the writer but, no amount of insight is going to save "When we had simplicity And we had warm toast for tea" - It's just bad.

So we get to the point of the post.

There have to be other examples of otherwise respected lyricists who have strayed from the path into the equivalent of rhyming 'simplicity' with '..toast for tea'. Or conversely, an otherwise average lyricist who managed to surpass themselves and transcend the ordinary.

Anyone?

Here's famed car insurance sales man Iggy Pop giving the finger to the crowd after accepting his place in the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. Where do you start? Good luck to him making ads to bring in a few quid but don't give me this tired old Rawk n raallll routine after accepting the dubious award in the first place.

Hey all - just noticed that's how long I've been hanging round these here parts. Just wanted to say thanks for the laughs, the recommendations, the stern words, the friendly ones, the chance to have a virtual noggin and a natter about this, that and The Auteurs.

Peace and Love

Oh - and as usual...

(Stay - Station to Station - David Bowie - what were you expecting?)

I caught myself today screaming at an inanimate object that wasn't functioning as it should and shouting "Why can't things just work!"

I then realised that I have started to do this over the last year or so, whereas previously I would have just kicked it or walked away.

Am I showing the early symptoms of "miserable old gittism"?

Or is it an natural process of ageing? I am only 44.

Please let me know.

Apparently Micheal Jackson's estate have negotiated a ten album deal for 133 million pounds. The value could increase by 33M pounds if certain conditions are met(Source NME.com).
In the face of current record business conditions am I the only person who thinks that this is almost as bad business as the USA sub prime mortgage business that lead us to where we are now financially?
Maybe I'm seriously underestimating the selling power of the late Mr Jackson. I won't be buying shars in this one.

or is it really, really, really slow? I have a 2 year old iMac with additional memory plugged into a reasonable broadband connection but everything on the site is slow to load, slow to respond, slow, slow, slow. It's been this way for a while, it's getting worse and I don't think it's my Mac. Fraser?

Mourinho and the Diamonds
The Dion Dublinners
Lady Gazza
Any others?

Died at the week-end, ace bassist with hall and oates and all round good egg.

There are, no doubt, some absolute turds lurking in the back catalogue of the Rolling Stones. I must admit I am not 100% qualified to give my opinion having never listened to the legendarily ropey Dirty Work from 1986 (other than the carbon copy cover of “Harlem Shuffle”). However, it is unlikely that many of the massive have plundered such depths of sonic misery, so I suspect I am not alone..

So for my money you’d be hard pushed to find a tune within their extensive portfolio more awful than 1991 single “Highwire”. This embarrassing piece of nonsense was tagged onto their live album, “Flashpoint”, and was their commentary on the Gulf war. Now the Stones have never been the most gifted of wordsmiths but provided they churn out the standard rock clichés the words can go largely unnoticed. On this occasion, however, they chose to tackle politics in so ham-fisted a fashion as to make Culture Club’s, “War Song”, sound like an edition of The Today Programme by comparison.

Sample lyric: “Its Just a business, You can pay us in crude, You’ll love these toys, Just go play out your feuds”.. This wouldn’t be quite so bad if the music offered something new, but the lazy recycling of the (already recycled) riff from “Start Me Up” only adds to the insult….

Anyway, I’m intrigued to hear whether the massive can do any worse?

According to Wikipedia, Lesley Duncan died last Friday.

I have just taken out a new 3 year subscription to The Word - don't begrudge it a bit, love your work, etc etc- but I have noticed in the past that every time I have renewed my sub that the next edition of the mag has an offer of a free CD or somesuch for people "starting out" with the magazine. I'm not Midlake fan ( current offer) but where's the love for long time supporters of the magazine?!

Apparently Fabio Capello wants David Beckham to be a part of England's World Cup entourage even though his injury means he can't be one of the 23-man playing squad. He will bring to the party his influence, experience, what-have-you.
He's going as Bez.
I'm all for it.
All manner of congregations of people gathered in a common cause - pop groups, offices, football teams, whatever - need their Bez. It's an oft-derided but much under-estimated role.

Jedward not really any good after all. Cancel the Word cover illustrator for the May edition.

http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/817612-jedward-axed-by-record-label-son...

For me it was Sounds and I have it say it was for the colour posters which stayed up on my bedroom wall for years even after I left home. Also I liked "(insert rock star) in the Talk-In".

NME - yep especially in the early 70's smart-arse days.

MM - sorry, old jazzers etc etc

Also, this was in New Zealand where the mags arrived 3 months after UK publication, about the time the albums got released anyway!

The Duckworth Lewis Method have been commissioned to write a new Irish national anthem. Here it is.