Today I'm happy about......

[Gary the Enfield]

And on the subject of publicly crap but secretly admired bands I reckon T Rex are right up there - Toptastic.

Publicly crap? Secretly admired? Marc Bolan was years ahead of his time. I was 11 when he died, it's only as I became an adult that I began to understand his absolute brilliance.

I don't like Marc Bolan (tiny teeth) but his influence on the Pop/rock genre can't be denied. Jeepster is a great song.

Absolute brilliance, though Bruce? No more than The Sweet or Roy Wood in terms of knocking out glitter ball rock for me.

[Bruce Rioja]

So was he a great influence or did he simply knock out glitter ball rock? Are you honestly claiming that he was no better than Gary Glitter? Fair enough.

Anyway, today I had to drop someone off in town so nipped on the fish market at around 16:30. Crikey - it was chaotic! I bought a mahoosive salmon, which they filleted for me (and I've subsequently divided 12 LARGE portions for the freezer) and the guy threw in 2 x 250g bags of frozen king prawns for a tenner!!!!! Then from the stall facing I've bought three pieces of plaice. I didn't know that plaice grew quite so big. I've had to fold each of them over to get them into freezer bags. Five Quid! Oh, and then a half a dozen duck eggs. £2.

[bobo the clown]

I read a big, deep biog of Bowie and the first few chapters referred to the facyt that he & Bolan were great rivals in the London music 'scene' of the mid 1960's and they were both utterly determined to make it. More devoted to making it nbig than what music got them there.

Initially it seemed that Bolan would be the more likely to achieve this. They were both ubiquitous in the clubs and would do simply anything to get seen, to be 'where it was at'.

Bolan did make it bigger, quicker, but .... notwithstanding Bolan's early passing .... it's pretty clear Bowie made the longer lasting impact. Bolan ran out of steam and by the time he died he was flailing about a bit.

Notheless, a talented pop artist who's star shone brightly for a few years.

[Bruce Rioja]

Ah, but he loses points for the utterly dreadful Tin Machine

[bobo the clown]

Ah, but he loses points for the utterly dreadful Tin Machine

Oh yes. In fact several of his re-incarnations didn't work, but ... overall .... no question who made the bigger impact.

[Gary the Enfield]

Ah, but he loses points for the utterly dreadful Tin Machine

You do me a disservice, sir. I never mentioned Gary Glitter. And where Bolan innovated, many copied and improved.

[Prufrock]

I wasn't around for either, but for seemingly everyone my age Bowie is the cool guy to like. Meh. I like his 'image' and whatnot but I can't listen to his music, just not for me. T-Rex on the other hand, I love.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Tell you what. List your top five bands and I'll do the same. We may not be that far apart.

Bet we are.

here goes (1 through to joint-5)

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band
Velvet Underground
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Faust
Ivor Cutler / John Cooper-Clarke

(PS nice try Bish )

[Gary the Enfield]

Tell you what. List your top five bands and I'll do the same. We may not be that far apart.

Bet we are.

here goes (1 through to joint-5)

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band
Velvet Underground
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Faust
Ivor Cutler / John Cooper-Clarke

(PS nice try Bish )

We're in the rock playground, but I'm on the swings and you're on the roundabout.

Pink Floyd
The Wildhearts
Whitesnake
Deep Purple
The Answer

These are current favourites and the ones I reach for when solace is required. Apart from Velvet Underground and Hendrix I have heard little to nothing of the others and always associated John Cooper Clarke with contemporary poetry.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

...and always associated John Cooper Clarke with contemporary poetry.

He does poetry, but, like Linton Kwesi Johnson, his early stuff is set to music.
Ivor Cutler doesn't always chime in some people's minds with music either.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

We're in the rock playground, but I'm on the swings and you're on the roundabout.

Pink Floyd - everything pre Dark Side is ace, especially Ummagumma, and I have them all. All post-Dark Side including Dark Side is not to my taste
The Wildhearts never heard anything by them
Whitesnake heard of them, but hard pressed to know any particular song
Deep Purple Oh dear, Smoke on the water fire in the sky *see below
The Answer same as Wildhearts

*Deep Purple were, when I was a young teenager and just getting into music, one of my seminal influences. But, like some of the others I grew out of them. Here is a list of bands, all of whose albums I bought in the space of a few days back in 1971, and they are split into those I never listen to (at all) anymore, those I drag out now and then, and those I listen to regularly (and which are now on CD in my collection)

(never)
Wishbone Ash
the Strawbs
Deep Purple
Black Sabbath
Emerson Lake & Palmer

(sometimes)
King Crimson
Pink Floyd

(regularly)
Jethro Tull
Led Zeppelin
Kraftwerk
Neil Young

[Gary the Enfield]

We're in the rock playground, but I'm on the swings and you're on the roundabout.

Pink Floyd - everything pre Dark Side is ace, especially Ummagumma, and I have them all. All post-Dark Side including Dark Side is not to my taste
The Wildhearts never heard anything by them
Whitesnake heard of them, but hard pressed to know any particular song
Deep Purple Oh dear, Smoke on the water fire in the sky *see below
The Answer same as Wildhearts

*Deep Purple were, when I was a young teenager and just getting into music, one of my seminal influences. But, like some of the others I grew out of them. Here is a list of bands, all of whose albums I bought in the space of a few days back in 1971, and they are split into those I never listen to (at all) anymore, those I drag out now and then, and those I listen to regularly (and which are now on CD in my collection)

Wishbone Ash -Don't know much
the Strawbs - Diotto
Deep Purple - Not just the Mark II line up. I like all the incarnations and was at Knebworth in '85 for the reunioun concert.
Black Sabbath - Love Sabbath and Ozzy but not top 5
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Like some
King Crimson - Some
Pink Floyd - As stated. Although my first album was The Wall and I worked back from there. Anything post 1980 I don't like. Wish you were here is my favorite album.
Jethro Tull - Have seen them live about 15 times. The voice is shot now, though. Musically still brilliant
Led Zeppelin - YesKraftwerk -
German electropop. Nah
Neil Young

- His voice drives me insane (not in a good way) I switch the station over when he comes on. Turgid.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

2 things.

One) Kraftwerk 1971 is not the same of 1980s Kraftwerk Man/Machine etc., so no not electropop
Two) put your preconceptions behind you and listen to Cortez the Killer from Zuma. The guitar is [words fail]

[David Lee's Hair]

Get a room!!


Anyway Comet liquidation got my self a brilliant Waring professional toastie maker cheap...

[bobo the clown]

Free
Supertramp
Tull
Hendrix
Floyd


Almost getting in, but not quite ... Zepplin, Family, Ian Drury, Wishbone Ash, Doobie Brothers (without Michael McDonald), Clapton, Steely Dan, Cat Stevens .... in fact, bloody hundreds.


Yes, my life has stood still.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Get a room!!

We've got one thanks, it's called "Today I'm Happy about...."

Anyway Comet liquidation got my self a brilliant Waring professional toastie maker cheap...

Congratulations. Get a loaf.

[bobo the clown]

Anyway Comet liquidation got my self a brilliant Waring professional toastie maker cheap...

Vulture !!

[Lord Kangana]

WTF is a "professional" toastie maker?

[thebish]

WTF is a "professional" toastie maker?

it's what professionals use to make toasties...

[Lord Kangana]

Well I can tell you for definite that he's a complete amateur.