This and that whilst sipping a fine malt.
Way back in the days of bus services, long summers and local rumours, village shops with news stands the length of one wall, recreation grounds with wardens chasing you off the grass, where even the smallest village had a library, news filtered to us through the NME or Rolling Stone that a new release was… Continue reading Rejoice!
The Election Bit It feels like it hasn’t stopped raining since the beginning of October and still it goes on. The sky weeps for the state of the UK. I could say that words fail me,but they don’t. I am angry but measured. Those of us on the left are being encouraged to engage with… Continue reading Music to lift your soul
... we were half a million strong. Three weddings in two days left us pretty much depleted. We managed the stresses and strains and paced our bodies and got through. Much to our relief and the grateful delight of three happy brides. C&P goes from strength to strength and we are having fun. After a… Continue reading By the time I got to WOMAD…
Hanging in our kitchen are these words. Something to cling on to as the world outside goes to hell in a handcart. And we love all of the arts in our house - well, most anyway. (Sorry, I don’t get opera.) Also, Mrs. Monkey and I have very different tastes in music. Albeit that… Continue reading Worth it for great art
2019, the significant anniversary year of so much. Auspicious things happened in years ending in 9. For instance, we will commemorate the great Depression of 1929 with our own depression after the end of March. All hell broke loose in 1939. “1984” was published in 1949. 1969 - wow, what a year. Led Zeppelin, Woodstock… Continue reading Auspicious Number 9s Part One
Who said the words that have stuck in your head throughout your life ? I was 8, I think, when a school inspector crept up to my desk, accompanied by a self-important teacher, and stared at my drawing of a puffin. I had practiced my puffins and I could draw them from memory, no problem.… Continue reading Who said what …
I’ve never considered that I might have an addictive nature. I don’t do drugs. I drink in moderation and even my sweet tooth can be tamed. But the hardest Jones I am finding to kick, since the damn thing was developed, is the need to check 24 hour news. I’m a current affairs junky and… Continue reading Aargh, leave me alone !!
In November 1974 I was wrapping up my pencils at Edge Hill College in Ormskirk and thinking about heading home from the autumn term. Licking my fingers and flicking through my copy of the NME I was beside myself with excitement when I saw that Little Feat were coming to Manchester in January. Little Feat… Continue reading Who are we seeing again ?
Some years ago I was whiling away the time with one of my favourite indulgences, scanning the Internet Archive live music lists for artists I’d never heard of and just dipping in. Actually, it is still one of my favourite ways of finding new music. No algorithm is going to tell me what I’d like.… Continue reading Alejandro Escovedo – true gent
Now here's an album that serves up an adventure. At times dark and complex and at others trippy and spaced. A feast of dark chocolate coated turkish delight. A box of surprises. The first track begins at a frenetic pace, rattling in challenging your attention, and then comes in the vocal. A voice of purity… Continue reading We need to talk about Gaye.
singlemaltmonkey 