Here's the thing:I'm formulating these words on a night shift, and publishing later from home. If I still feel grumpy enough. Which I probably will.
What it comes down to, in this occasional blog of mine, is the feeling that one must never underestimate a small percentage of the travelling public's ability to be a liability to themselves and anybody within a 100 yard radius. You may have surmised from this statement that I work for the much maligned London Underground- in which case give yourself a cigar (but please don't smoke it down here).
So- I work for London Underground. Don't judge me. You don't really know me.
Besides, if you're reading this, you most likely have impeccable taste and are pretty well bound to be a decent sort.
Take for instance the other night, when I had occasion to hit the pre-recorded 'Flash photography is not allowed…' button five times, then make a live announcement, then actually leave the office to berate the person/s responsible, as none of the above prevented the aforesaid miscreants from carrying out their image gathering activities.
When I told the person chiefly (un)concerned that flash photography is not allowed on the Underground, they aked 'Why?' in their best three year old voice.
'Because it's not allowed.'
'Whyyyyy…..???' Came the response.
'Just DON'T DO IT!' I replied, and stormed back into my office.
In an attempt to be fair, I will give the person involved a little clue as to why flash photography is not allowed.
We have big moving things (that's physically moving, not emotionally so) called trains, which are driven by human beings (AKA 'Train Operators').Human beings (AKA Train Operators), in the general course of things, have eyes. These tend to interact in various ways with light.
To understand the possible effect of your actions, go out for a drive, and take a full facial flash picture of yourself as you do*, remembering not to blink as you do so.You may find this less than conducive to road safety. You may feel an instinctive urge to hit the brake as you have just temporarily blinded yourself.
If a Train Operator instinctively hits the brake because they are temporarily unable to see their correct stopping mark- remember, going through signals at red is not only frowned on, it's downright dangerous- the potential for injury is vast. Thanks to your narcissistic tendencies.
You are not alone in your foolhardiness though.In my time working for the Underground I've personally encountered (apart from the pretty much blameless people listed here, such as four Person Under Train scenarios, people having fits, an elderly gentleman having an angina attack, people passing out through heat or medical conditions, someone twisting their ankle, someone gashing their shins and passing out as a result, assisting the victim of a sex crime, a tenant having been attacked with a baseball bat, victims of pickpocketing and dozens of people leaving their wallets / mobile phones / laptops on the train etc) the following:
People sitting with their legs dangling over the edge of the platform, with the next train a minute away.
A parent dragging their child along a crowded platform on their 'wheelie heels', presumably for fun.
People skateboarding on the platform.
People kicking a football to each other on the platform.
People walking across the track to get to the opposite platform.
People riding bikes along the platform.
Kids riding scooters along the platforms accompanied by their parents.
A parent who didn't like being advised that her two young children would be better not to sit unsteadily on their bikes on the platform, but rather stand beside them, holding them- for their own safety (i.e. not dying by falling onto the track.
People who suddenly shove their partner / friend towards, and subsequently grab their partner back from, the platform edge as the train comes in- presumably (again) for fun. Variations include lifting their partner bodily and making out they're going to drop them onto the track in front of the train. Oh ha ha. My ribs.
People who think it's funny to suddenly put their hand out in front of the train as it reaches them on the platform.
A person defiantly smoking on a train, because of whom someone else pulls the Passenger Emergency Alarm.
Parents letting their kids hang upside down from the safety rails / straps on trains.
Parents letting their kids pull the Passenger Emergency Alarm on the train.
People walking through moving trains via the interconnecting doors. Yes- it IS dangerous. Grow up and stop doing it- unless your life is in danger.
People too drunk to get home of their own volition because they can't handle their drink- including a fifteen year old girl, and a posh Surbitonite who told me to 'Fuck off'. Who the police later took away.
People abusing Station Staff for no other reason than that their life obviously sucks and they have no friends and it's everybody else's fault but their own.
People urinating in public areas on Stations. Even those with available toilet facilities. A girl urinating on a platform bench / in a Station bicycle area / in the mid circulating area of Baker Street Station / in an underpass, at a bus stop etc.
People vomiting on platforms.
A girl exposing her breasts.
A man exposing.. himself.
People falling down stairs drunk and injuring themselves.
People having rushed out with no breakfast, who then promptly faint on packed trains during the morning peak.
People falling onto the tracks drunk. And surviving.
People being racist.
People being abusive.
Fist fights.
Hair pulling name calling face scratching loud screaming floor rolling head rocking 'You don't even KNOW my sister' mocking schoolgirl fights.
Assaults both physical and verbal on Station Staff.
'Druggie' behaviour- you know- 'You'll die in a rain of fire.' kind of crap.
Wino behaviour- you know, like punching a female member of staff.
Beer being poured over staff members.
Fellow members of Staff being deeply upset by the effects of terrorism.
Somebody operating the Passenger Emergency Alarm on a train because they'd left their unconcerned adult friend behind on the platform.
Colleagues passing away.
Parents letting their young children stand on the seats of moving trains.
People putting their empty drinks bottle down on the stairs down to the platform.
People sitting / laying in the middle of busy sets of stairs.
A woman getting upset with Staff because she'd given her Oystercard to her three year old to play with, who'd promptly 'posted it' irretrievably into an immovable piece of equipment.
People dropping slippery sandwich fillings, liquids, broken glass etc. etc. onto the platform and walking off without moving it out of harm's way or reporting it.
Someone coughing in my face without putting their hand in front of their mouth.
Dealing with unattended items on platforms and trains- and evacuating Stations.
Kids throwing stones at moving trains, shattering windows.
People standing the wrong side of the yellow line as the train approaches.
People pushing in front of other people to get on a near empty train.
People not stepping aside to let other people get off the train.
People eating vomitously smelly food on trains.
People leaning out over the track as the train approaches.
Graffitti 'artists'.
People doubling through ticket gates.
People jumping over ticket gates.
People crawling through the luggage gate straps.
People with crappy music playing out over their crappy mobile phones. Or through tinny earphones.
People allowing their dog to crap on the platform.
A toy train left by a child- on an out of town section of track.
People who upon my answering of their question say; 'Wouldn't it be better to do such and such?', the answer to which will always be 'yes', even if they will subsequently be going the wrong way. For a very long time.
Torrents of bad language.
Threats.
Spitting.
Littering.
Gum on seats.
The witless. The self important. The humourless. The aggressive. The arrogant. The vague. The misguided. The thoughtless. The careless. The gormless. The pointless. The soulless. The downright rude.
The woman who failed her suicide attempt.
The headless body of the man who didn't.
The distraught Train Operators...
But it's not all doom and gloom. I get to go home sometimes.
And there are a lot perfectly decent folk out there- some of whom actually make going to work a pleasure.
*For purposes of illustrating a point only. Do not really do this. I mean it
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Thursday, 26 June 2008
El Zee
As an exercise (to keep myself awake on a night shift), I thought I'd compose a song / poem using song titles by a well known rock band. I know I should have stopped earlier (some might say before I wrote it), but the challenge was there, to include every last title (well, those according to Wikipedia). This may mean something to you...
El Zee
Ten Years Gone and I’m sitting on this Night Flight
I start to
Ramble On to Friends who do not know me.
How Many More Times will I be Going to California?
Drinking Tea for One up in the Ozone Baby?
For Your Life to me is What Is and What Should Never Be
I Can't Quit You Baby, but Your Time Is Gonna Come
You know You Shook Me, when you said Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
The Good Times Bad Times Rock And Roll me; Baby Come On Home
I’ve been Dazed and Confused by your Communication Breakdown
Since I've Been Loving You That's the Way it falls.
I'm Gonna Crawl Out on the Tiles and say 'Thank You'.
But Hey Hey What Can I Do? The Song Remains the Same in all
Bring It On Home my Living Loving Maid
I’ve got a Whole Lotta Love for you this Celebration Day
In My Time of Dying I’ll send you All My Love
Me and Black Dog- Over the Hills and Far Away
I will be The Rover on that last Stairway to Heaven
In Houses of the Holy I won’t be Trampled Under Foot
I’m no Fool In The Rain, I will hold No Quarter
‘til I, on that Black Mountain Side, my Four Sticks put
In The Light I’ll see The Ocean, sing The Rain Song Down By The Seaside
My Dancing Days are over though it’s Nobody's Fault But Mine.
Then In the Evening I’ll sing The Wanton Song with pride
And with my Black Country Woman, my Heartbreaker, entwine.
And When the Levee Breaks We're Gonna Groove with Darlene
Remember Bonzo's Montreux and eat Candy Store Rock
Poor Tom he got Sick Again on Custard Pie and Tangerine Hot Dog
Trying to Boogie With Stu who danced the Misty Mountain Hop
On a South Bound Saurez flight, Hots On for Nowhere
Wearing And Tearing out his Carouselambra soul
Walter's Walk brought him to the Royal Orleans in Kashmir
Watching Achilles Last Stand by the Gallows Pole
Once in White Summer the Bron-Y-Aur Stomp was raging
Hats Off to (Roy) Harper, who an Immigrant Song was singing
While Moby Dick with Ahab fought The Battle of Evermore
Aboard The Crunge, D’yer Maker bound, the salty spray a’stinging.
Once more, when Travelling Riverside Blues and greens abound
Jones turning pages and gazing at the plants along the shore
And basking in such bonhomie
Thinks the Lemon Song sounds sweeter than before.
El Zee
Ten Years Gone and I’m sitting on this Night Flight
I start to
Ramble On to Friends who do not know me.
How Many More Times will I be Going to California?
Drinking Tea for One up in the Ozone Baby?
For Your Life to me is What Is and What Should Never Be
I Can't Quit You Baby, but Your Time Is Gonna Come
You know You Shook Me, when you said Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
The Good Times Bad Times Rock And Roll me; Baby Come On Home
I’ve been Dazed and Confused by your Communication Breakdown
Since I've Been Loving You That's the Way it falls.
I'm Gonna Crawl Out on the Tiles and say 'Thank You'.
But Hey Hey What Can I Do? The Song Remains the Same in all
Bring It On Home my Living Loving Maid
I’ve got a Whole Lotta Love for you this Celebration Day
In My Time of Dying I’ll send you All My Love
Me and Black Dog- Over the Hills and Far Away
I will be The Rover on that last Stairway to Heaven
In Houses of the Holy I won’t be Trampled Under Foot
I’m no Fool In The Rain, I will hold No Quarter
‘til I, on that Black Mountain Side, my Four Sticks put
In The Light I’ll see The Ocean, sing The Rain Song Down By The Seaside
My Dancing Days are over though it’s Nobody's Fault But Mine.
Then In the Evening I’ll sing The Wanton Song with pride
And with my Black Country Woman, my Heartbreaker, entwine.
And When the Levee Breaks We're Gonna Groove with Darlene
Remember Bonzo's Montreux and eat Candy Store Rock
Poor Tom he got Sick Again on Custard Pie and Tangerine Hot Dog
Trying to Boogie With Stu who danced the Misty Mountain Hop
On a South Bound Saurez flight, Hots On for Nowhere
Wearing And Tearing out his Carouselambra soul
Walter's Walk brought him to the Royal Orleans in Kashmir
Watching Achilles Last Stand by the Gallows Pole
Once in White Summer the Bron-Y-Aur Stomp was raging
Hats Off to (Roy) Harper, who an Immigrant Song was singing
While Moby Dick with Ahab fought The Battle of Evermore
Aboard The Crunge, D’yer Maker bound, the salty spray a’stinging.
Once more, when Travelling Riverside Blues and greens abound
Jones turning pages and gazing at the plants along the shore
And basking in such bonhomie
Thinks the Lemon Song sounds sweeter than before.
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Returning from the void
Can't believe how quickly the sands of time flow these days; my thoughts here being inspired by three friends from the past having got in touch recently, and the realisation that apart from being a few pounds (OK, stones) above my healthy body weight, I now have three adults for children.
NB: 'Adults For Children' is not to be taken out of context here. The phrase has a slightly seedy connotation, and conjures images of rooms full of depraved men holding shadowy, furtive meetings, which is most definitely not what I wished to convey to my readership. Nor do I ever wish to see the day that this phrase becomes emblazoned on a placard.
No- I merely- in a clumsy way I admit- wished to share that my children, fine people all, now have the power to vote, drive and legally drink in pubs. Of course, being a responsible father, I have strongly discouraged them from doing all three at once.
I feel dreadfully guilty that it has taken me around seven months to respond to David's comments (under the Gypsy Jazz heading), and realise now that this thing called blogging carries with it certain responsibilities.
Courtesy toward those who have taken the time and effort to read and actively respond to my musings / ramblings being paramount.
I will do my best to keep regular checks / entries going. Apologies to David.
I have actually been keeping a kind of blog going- in my Moleskine, which I use when I'm sitting outside breathing the freshest air one can expect in the Fitzrovia / Regents Park area of London. It helps to declutter my mind. The downside? Reading back through it and realising how much I don't remember.
Gingko Biloba may be the answer. If only I can remember to take it...
NB: 'Adults For Children' is not to be taken out of context here. The phrase has a slightly seedy connotation, and conjures images of rooms full of depraved men holding shadowy, furtive meetings, which is most definitely not what I wished to convey to my readership. Nor do I ever wish to see the day that this phrase becomes emblazoned on a placard.
No- I merely- in a clumsy way I admit- wished to share that my children, fine people all, now have the power to vote, drive and legally drink in pubs. Of course, being a responsible father, I have strongly discouraged them from doing all three at once.
I feel dreadfully guilty that it has taken me around seven months to respond to David's comments (under the Gypsy Jazz heading), and realise now that this thing called blogging carries with it certain responsibilities.
Courtesy toward those who have taken the time and effort to read and actively respond to my musings / ramblings being paramount.
I will do my best to keep regular checks / entries going. Apologies to David.
I have actually been keeping a kind of blog going- in my Moleskine, which I use when I'm sitting outside breathing the freshest air one can expect in the Fitzrovia / Regents Park area of London. It helps to declutter my mind. The downside? Reading back through it and realising how much I don't remember.
Gingko Biloba may be the answer. If only I can remember to take it...
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Dad
I'd like to share that today is the fourth anniversary of my Dad's passing. A great Husband, Dad and Grandad, greatly missed.
Gypsy Jazz
Of course, it was bound to happen.
I don't know about you, but when it comes to making lists, I often omit one of the first things I should have noted down.
For example, my Jazz list in my previous post. I forgot to note 'Gypsy Jazz'.
That is to say the kind of Jazz played by Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt during their tenures with 'The Hot Club Of Paris' back in the 1930s.
This form of music, I'm happy to say, is still alive and vibrant, the torch being more than competently carried aloft by such skilled contemporary artists as Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo DeBarre, Florin Niculescu, Luc Sylvain, Fapy Lafertain, Romane and many others.
Thanks to the marvels of modern technology (i.e. 'YouTube'), you don't have to take my word for how good this music can be. Please go along and check it out, or better still, support live Gypsy Jazz whenever you get a chance- venues for which are a bit thin on the ground in the UK, but they are there nonetheless.
The energy and technical skill is generally pretty stunning.
In fact, that's the start of 'Things you really should do before the next recession / ice age' or some other jaunty, uplifting title.
This will be a list in no particular order of things I think everybody should do / experience if they haven't already.
1 Go and see live Gypsy Jazz.
2 Go and see 'The National Theatre Of Brent' live on stage.
3 Listen to 'I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue' on the radio.
4 Watch 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' and 'The Big Lebowski' at the cinema- or on DVD- then check out the rest of the Coen Brothers' canon.
5 Go to the Lake District (in the North of England). Actually, don't- it'll get too crowded...
6 Read Phillip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy.
7 Get up on stage and have a go at some kind of live performance- or write something for other people to perform..
8 Go to 'The Globe Theatre' in London and see some Shakespeare.
9 In fact support any live performance that takes your fancy- it may well all disappear under a cloud of legislation one day.
10 Watch 'Monty Python's Life Of Brian'.
More to follow- suggestions appreciated.
While you're here, you might be interested in viewing the list of theatre productions I've seen- which seems to be a paltry amount...
Twelfth Night (1970) RSC, (Adwych)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1971) ?
Decameron ‘73 (1973) (Roundhouse)
From Moses To Mao (1974) Le Grand Magic Circus (Roundhouse)
(A play about the depression in Canada in the 1930s) (1977?) ? (Young Vic)
Once In A Lifetime (1979) RSC (Aldwych)
Not In Front Of The Audience (1982) Not The Nine O'Clock News Live (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1987) National Theatre Of Brent (NTOB) (Tricycle)
Button Moon (1991?) ! (Beck Theatre, Hayes)
Animal Crackers (1998) Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester (Barbican) Three times...
Mr Puntilla And His Man Matti (1998) Right Size (Albery)
Love Upon The Throne (1998) NTOB, (Comedy)
Beauty And The Beast (1998?) (Dominion)
The Man Who Came To Dinner (1998) Steppenwolf Theatre Of Chicago (Barbican)
The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe (1999) RSC (Sadler’s Wells)
The Messiah (2000) NTOB, (Bush)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (2000) Steppenwolf Theatre... (Barbican)
Excentricus (2000) Cirque Eloize (Sadler’s Wells)
The Wonder Of Sex (2001) NTOB, (Lyttelton, National Theatre) Twice.
Blue Man Group (2007) (New London Theatre Drury Lane)
Pantos I have personally been in (amateur productions, of course):
Sinbad
Aladdin
Jack And Jill Beyond The Hill (which I wrote)
Jack And The Bean Stalk
Humpty Dumpty
Plus several musical revues- and many gigs with various bands.
Not good enough to give up the day job, sadly...
I don't know about you, but when it comes to making lists, I often omit one of the first things I should have noted down.
For example, my Jazz list in my previous post. I forgot to note 'Gypsy Jazz'.
That is to say the kind of Jazz played by Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt during their tenures with 'The Hot Club Of Paris' back in the 1930s.
This form of music, I'm happy to say, is still alive and vibrant, the torch being more than competently carried aloft by such skilled contemporary artists as Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo DeBarre, Florin Niculescu, Luc Sylvain, Fapy Lafertain, Romane and many others.
Thanks to the marvels of modern technology (i.e. 'YouTube'), you don't have to take my word for how good this music can be. Please go along and check it out, or better still, support live Gypsy Jazz whenever you get a chance- venues for which are a bit thin on the ground in the UK, but they are there nonetheless.
The energy and technical skill is generally pretty stunning.
In fact, that's the start of 'Things you really should do before the next recession / ice age' or some other jaunty, uplifting title.
This will be a list in no particular order of things I think everybody should do / experience if they haven't already.
1 Go and see live Gypsy Jazz.
2 Go and see 'The National Theatre Of Brent' live on stage.
3 Listen to 'I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue' on the radio.
4 Watch 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' and 'The Big Lebowski' at the cinema- or on DVD- then check out the rest of the Coen Brothers' canon.
5 Go to the Lake District (in the North of England). Actually, don't- it'll get too crowded...
6 Read Phillip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy.
7 Get up on stage and have a go at some kind of live performance- or write something for other people to perform..
8 Go to 'The Globe Theatre' in London and see some Shakespeare.
9 In fact support any live performance that takes your fancy- it may well all disappear under a cloud of legislation one day.
10 Watch 'Monty Python's Life Of Brian'.
More to follow- suggestions appreciated.
While you're here, you might be interested in viewing the list of theatre productions I've seen- which seems to be a paltry amount...
Twelfth Night (1970) RSC, (Adwych)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1971) ?
Decameron ‘73 (1973) (Roundhouse)
From Moses To Mao (1974) Le Grand Magic Circus (Roundhouse)
(A play about the depression in Canada in the 1930s) (1977?) ? (Young Vic)
Once In A Lifetime (1979) RSC (Aldwych)
Not In Front Of The Audience (1982) Not The Nine O'Clock News Live (Theatre Royal Drury Lane)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1987) National Theatre Of Brent (NTOB) (Tricycle)
Button Moon (1991?) ! (Beck Theatre, Hayes)
Animal Crackers (1998) Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester (Barbican) Three times...
Mr Puntilla And His Man Matti (1998) Right Size (Albery)
Love Upon The Throne (1998) NTOB, (Comedy)
Beauty And The Beast (1998?) (Dominion)
The Man Who Came To Dinner (1998) Steppenwolf Theatre Of Chicago (Barbican)
The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe (1999) RSC (Sadler’s Wells)
The Messiah (2000) NTOB, (Bush)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (2000) Steppenwolf Theatre... (Barbican)
Excentricus (2000) Cirque Eloize (Sadler’s Wells)
The Wonder Of Sex (2001) NTOB, (Lyttelton, National Theatre) Twice.
Blue Man Group (2007) (New London Theatre Drury Lane)
Pantos I have personally been in (amateur productions, of course):
Sinbad
Aladdin
Jack And Jill Beyond The Hill (which I wrote)
Jack And The Bean Stalk
Humpty Dumpty
Plus several musical revues- and many gigs with various bands.
Not good enough to give up the day job, sadly...
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Offline...
I start this entry with a touch of frustration- my internet provider currently has problems in my area (‘HA’ postcode- which isn’t as funny as it sounds). Consequently, I’m writing this offline, and rather pessimistically expect there to be a problem uploading it.
If you are reading this, I was probably wrong...*
Because of the delay, and my advanced years, I’m now trying to remember the gist of what this post was supposed to be about.
I think I mentioned about not finding it terribly easy to write on a personal level in the public domain. So, with that thought in mind, and with your indulgence, I’ll gabble on about things I find interesting.
I don’t know how your memory is (I feel a bit understimulated in my current job, which I’m sure is having an entropic effect on my few remaining grey cells), but it sometimes seems I can remember stuff from the 60s and 70s better than I can remember stuff from within the last few days.
People accuse you in this situation (unfairly I feel) of not being interested, and therefore not listening and taking things in to begin with.
In my case, I tend to be rather tied up in my own head thinking about what I could be creating musically or lyrically, what I could or should be doing, e.g. when can I spend quality time with the woman I Love, have I devoted enough time to being with my kids, when should I take Mum out to lunch and and what do I need to order from iTunes or Amazon..? You know- the important things.
I get sidetracked easily, too... but hey, I just realised that I AM writing personally, so all I can say here is ‘watch this space’- I may surprise you and myself yet.
Things I like to do:
√ Collect Music, Films, Books and TV programmes. Of course, I like to watch / listen and read them.
√ Be where there are big skies, bigs seas, big hills, big lakes and fresh air, strolling with my Beloved.
√ Meet up with my kids.
√ Eat good food.
√ Drink red wine.
√ Be in good company.
√ Create music / jam with fellow muso types.
√ Make people happy.
√ Share.
√ Care.
√ Laugh.
√ Hopefully occasionally change a person's outlook on the world in a positive way.
A lot of this you’ll already know from my profile.
Things I don’t like doing...?
X Indulging in small talk about things I'm not really interested in. I don't think I'll be headhunted by The Samaritans any day soon...
X Having to remember things and list them...
X Driving in cities with naff one way systems.
X Dealing with people who are drunk in a bad way- when I happen to be sober.
X Listening to people who constantly complain and don't do anything positive to help remedy the thing they're complaining about.
Actually, going on to things I don’t like generally, I’d have to include:
X 'Reality' television, or any kind of programme that sets out to embarrass and belittle people or show them in a bad light (documentaries about dictators not included).
X Tabloid journalism.
X Religious fundamentalism in ANY religion.
X Political correctness taken to the nth degree. Of course we shouldn't treat someone crappily because they're different from us- but for heaven's sake, let's not lose our perspective (or indeed sense of humour) here.
X Wishy washy admin staff and procedures and general corporate ineptitude (if there is by some long shot a General Corporate-Ineptitude reading this, I apologise profusely for the misunderstanding).
X Celebrity culture- e.g. the media believing it's of interest to everybody what Britney Spears or Posh are up to at any given moment. And celebrities who apparently start from humble beginnings then have to have their mix of sparkling and still Evian water served at exactly 12 degrees centigrade (probably having their grapes peeled too) and who then turn up late for gigs and snub their fans before and after.
√ Actually, credit where it's due- Tom Cruise seems to devote a lot of time to his fans before premieres (if his recent outings in Leicester Square are anything to go by. Good on him and others like him I say).
X Singers who 'growl' at the beginning of a line because they mistakenly believe it makes them sound soulful.
X Singers who are actually better dancers than they are singers (Fred and Gene excepted)- and who are not particularly good at dancing. Stop making records! Stop! Now!
Saying that, I don't like it when people get too snobby about music. Jazz (of which I like most branches) is one of those divisive areas. I used to like the Crusaders back in the 70s (pre Street Life), and one disparaging remark someone I was speaking to about them made was that they were 'just a bunch of technicians'. Also, I used to go and see a great live band called Morrissey Mullen back in the late 70s / early 80s, and one wag (or perhaps another word beginning with 'w') on the door at the 100 Club (I think it was), responded to my remark about supporting live jazz with the denigratory remark: 'if you can call it that' referring to whether it could truly be classed as Jazz. All I knew was that everybody always seemed to have a damn good time when they played. Unless the point was that people weren't meant to enjoy Jazz..? Nah.
Actually, Jazz covers such a big area: Trad, Bebop, Modern, Fusion, Ragtime, Dixie, Swing, Jazz, Acid, Big Band, Latin, New Orleans, Cool, Modal, Hard Bop, Funk, Free and probably a few I've not thought of. Someone once made the sweeping statement that they don't like Jazz. I feel they probably hadn't really listened, or perhaps couldn't get to grips with one particular form and therefore wrote the rest off. Truth to tell, his tastes were a bit too 'Pop' for my liking.
If I said I liked Classical music, I'd be telling the truth generally, but I can't honestly say I like Strauss waltzes, or could comfortably sit though a Stockhausen concert without wanting to die. Having said that, Stockhausen is still alive and will in fact be 80 next year and is possibly a jolly nice chap, so Happy 80th Birthday for next year Mr S.
Moving on...
I'm not a big fan of the kind of Country music that has a plodding beat and seems a bit insubstantial, lyric wise. Seemed very popular in Great Britain some years back at the Wembley Country festival. I do like Country Rock, Bluegrass and some New Country. And wasn't 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' a great film with a terrific soundtrack? Yes indeed.
Folk- yes, there's some fine Folk music around. Of course, that can be another arena of snobbery- just ask Bob Dylan about Newport- but it's nice to see young artists still supporting this style of music. I particularly like Kate Rusby- a wonderful voice.
Opera- it's mainly Puccini I like, but Cantleoube, Catalani, Bizet, Verdi et al have created some moving pieces. On the vocal front, Gregorian chants I like.
I like early Windham Hill music, which gave rise to the New Age category- but there's too much blandness within that genre for my liking.
Rock- well, I guess I've listed a lot of that in my profile.
Blues- of course. From any period of time- except possibly The Renaissance.
Pop- BIG arena. Yes some, no others. 60s and some 70s mainly good, 80s 90s 00s mainly not, in my humble opinion.
I'll have to try and make some 'favourites' listing, which will give me something to think about.
For now, possibly having bored you into submission, I'd just like to hop onto the book and film side of things to advise those of you that haven't yet read 'Northern Lights' by Phillip Pullman to do so ASAP, as the film 'The Golden Compass', which name is derived from the American title of the aforementioned book, is released in early December.
I read this and the rest of the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy a few years back, and they are truly great books.
Also, keep an eye out for the remastered 'Bladerunner (The Final Cut)' at the cinema, which should be stunning.
A final thing I don't like:
X Being a grumpy old git.
*If you aren’t reading this- it’s probably because I forgot to post it...
If you are reading this, I was probably wrong...*
Because of the delay, and my advanced years, I’m now trying to remember the gist of what this post was supposed to be about.
I think I mentioned about not finding it terribly easy to write on a personal level in the public domain. So, with that thought in mind, and with your indulgence, I’ll gabble on about things I find interesting.
I don’t know how your memory is (I feel a bit understimulated in my current job, which I’m sure is having an entropic effect on my few remaining grey cells), but it sometimes seems I can remember stuff from the 60s and 70s better than I can remember stuff from within the last few days.
People accuse you in this situation (unfairly I feel) of not being interested, and therefore not listening and taking things in to begin with.
In my case, I tend to be rather tied up in my own head thinking about what I could be creating musically or lyrically, what I could or should be doing, e.g. when can I spend quality time with the woman I Love, have I devoted enough time to being with my kids, when should I take Mum out to lunch and and what do I need to order from iTunes or Amazon..? You know- the important things.
I get sidetracked easily, too... but hey, I just realised that I AM writing personally, so all I can say here is ‘watch this space’- I may surprise you and myself yet.
Things I like to do:
√ Collect Music, Films, Books and TV programmes. Of course, I like to watch / listen and read them.
√ Be where there are big skies, bigs seas, big hills, big lakes and fresh air, strolling with my Beloved.
√ Meet up with my kids.
√ Eat good food.
√ Drink red wine.
√ Be in good company.
√ Create music / jam with fellow muso types.
√ Make people happy.
√ Share.
√ Care.
√ Laugh.
√ Hopefully occasionally change a person's outlook on the world in a positive way.
A lot of this you’ll already know from my profile.
Things I don’t like doing...?
X Indulging in small talk about things I'm not really interested in. I don't think I'll be headhunted by The Samaritans any day soon...
X Having to remember things and list them...
X Driving in cities with naff one way systems.
X Dealing with people who are drunk in a bad way- when I happen to be sober.
X Listening to people who constantly complain and don't do anything positive to help remedy the thing they're complaining about.
Actually, going on to things I don’t like generally, I’d have to include:
X 'Reality' television, or any kind of programme that sets out to embarrass and belittle people or show them in a bad light (documentaries about dictators not included).
X Tabloid journalism.
X Religious fundamentalism in ANY religion.
X Political correctness taken to the nth degree. Of course we shouldn't treat someone crappily because they're different from us- but for heaven's sake, let's not lose our perspective (or indeed sense of humour) here.
X Wishy washy admin staff and procedures and general corporate ineptitude (if there is by some long shot a General Corporate-Ineptitude reading this, I apologise profusely for the misunderstanding).
X Celebrity culture- e.g. the media believing it's of interest to everybody what Britney Spears or Posh are up to at any given moment. And celebrities who apparently start from humble beginnings then have to have their mix of sparkling and still Evian water served at exactly 12 degrees centigrade (probably having their grapes peeled too) and who then turn up late for gigs and snub their fans before and after.
√ Actually, credit where it's due- Tom Cruise seems to devote a lot of time to his fans before premieres (if his recent outings in Leicester Square are anything to go by. Good on him and others like him I say).
X Singers who 'growl' at the beginning of a line because they mistakenly believe it makes them sound soulful.
X Singers who are actually better dancers than they are singers (Fred and Gene excepted)- and who are not particularly good at dancing. Stop making records! Stop! Now!
Saying that, I don't like it when people get too snobby about music. Jazz (of which I like most branches) is one of those divisive areas. I used to like the Crusaders back in the 70s (pre Street Life), and one disparaging remark someone I was speaking to about them made was that they were 'just a bunch of technicians'. Also, I used to go and see a great live band called Morrissey Mullen back in the late 70s / early 80s, and one wag (or perhaps another word beginning with 'w') on the door at the 100 Club (I think it was), responded to my remark about supporting live jazz with the denigratory remark: 'if you can call it that' referring to whether it could truly be classed as Jazz. All I knew was that everybody always seemed to have a damn good time when they played. Unless the point was that people weren't meant to enjoy Jazz..? Nah.
Actually, Jazz covers such a big area: Trad, Bebop, Modern, Fusion, Ragtime, Dixie, Swing, Jazz, Acid, Big Band, Latin, New Orleans, Cool, Modal, Hard Bop, Funk, Free and probably a few I've not thought of. Someone once made the sweeping statement that they don't like Jazz. I feel they probably hadn't really listened, or perhaps couldn't get to grips with one particular form and therefore wrote the rest off. Truth to tell, his tastes were a bit too 'Pop' for my liking.
If I said I liked Classical music, I'd be telling the truth generally, but I can't honestly say I like Strauss waltzes, or could comfortably sit though a Stockhausen concert without wanting to die. Having said that, Stockhausen is still alive and will in fact be 80 next year and is possibly a jolly nice chap, so Happy 80th Birthday for next year Mr S.
Moving on...
I'm not a big fan of the kind of Country music that has a plodding beat and seems a bit insubstantial, lyric wise. Seemed very popular in Great Britain some years back at the Wembley Country festival. I do like Country Rock, Bluegrass and some New Country. And wasn't 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' a great film with a terrific soundtrack? Yes indeed.
Folk- yes, there's some fine Folk music around. Of course, that can be another arena of snobbery- just ask Bob Dylan about Newport- but it's nice to see young artists still supporting this style of music. I particularly like Kate Rusby- a wonderful voice.
Opera- it's mainly Puccini I like, but Cantleoube, Catalani, Bizet, Verdi et al have created some moving pieces. On the vocal front, Gregorian chants I like.
I like early Windham Hill music, which gave rise to the New Age category- but there's too much blandness within that genre for my liking.
Rock- well, I guess I've listed a lot of that in my profile.
Blues- of course. From any period of time- except possibly The Renaissance.
Pop- BIG arena. Yes some, no others. 60s and some 70s mainly good, 80s 90s 00s mainly not, in my humble opinion.
I'll have to try and make some 'favourites' listing, which will give me something to think about.
For now, possibly having bored you into submission, I'd just like to hop onto the book and film side of things to advise those of you that haven't yet read 'Northern Lights' by Phillip Pullman to do so ASAP, as the film 'The Golden Compass', which name is derived from the American title of the aforementioned book, is released in early December.
I read this and the rest of the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy a few years back, and they are truly great books.
Also, keep an eye out for the remastered 'Bladerunner (The Final Cut)' at the cinema, which should be stunning.
A final thing I don't like:
X Being a grumpy old git.
*If you aren’t reading this- it’s probably because I forgot to post it...
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