This exercise and nutrition program has strengthened our marriage!
Start exercising again, and resorted to using one of those online products, which in this case was a book/cd/dvd package called the Great Shape Up Program. It is designed to be done with your partner, as this is the way its founders have been working out for most of their relationship it seems. That is Dan and Jen Polimino. Read more…
The Summer Has Arrived
It seems that summer arrived in Essex yesterday, well done sun. I spent the afternoon outside and got too much sun. So typical of me. By 5pm I tried to carry on with some work but only succeeded in passing out on the bed instead. I was close to being heat exhasuted I think!
One of the great things about working for myself from home is that I can just drop everything and enjoy the sunshine when I want. I think that this year I may actually appreciate out summer. The day before yesterday I took my son to the park late in the day after I finished work and it was boiling. I was wearing jeans and quickly regretted it. But it suddenly dawned on me that tens of thousands of commuters were at that time sitting, or standing, on hot sweaty trains travelling back from London. I was strolling to the park to play football with my son before playing on the climbing frames. Now that is a better life indeed!
Soon I will get the BBQ out of the garage and fire it up. But got 2 children’s parties this weekend, so it may have to wait until Monday afternoon.
The First Pink Floyd Song I Ever Heard – Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Here is Dave Gilmore playing Shine on You Crazy Diamond at the Syd Barrett concert in 2008. This was the first Pink Floyd song I ever heard. At least the first one I actually chose to listen to. I had probably heard Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) on the radio a few times.
When I was you, between 11 and 13 ish I listened to pop music. I know that I owned some Madonna records, Whitney Houston, and some others, possibly Mel and Kim. I also had the “Now That’s What I Call Music” tapes (and LP’s) and the “Hits” ones too. There were some good songs back then. However, at some point I was introduced to my mate Max. This was when I was about 13 I think, possibly 3rd year at secondary school. Would have been about 1987 I guess. He lent me a tape which had Wish You Were Here on one side and possibly The Final Cut on the the other side. Then again, it may have been a short tape. But I remember the moment today very vividly.
I owned an Ingersol hifi at the time, which is still alive, just about, although now living in my loft. It had a record player, tape deck and radio clock. This was the best, as I could set tapes to wake me up in the morning instead of listening to the radio. Even to this day I do not like to wake up to the radio, unless it is Radio 4. Where was I?
Oh yeah, so it was after school, and I put the tape in the stereo. And pressed play. It was interesting. The introduction to Shine On You Crazy Diamond is just instrumental for about 3 minutes. I heard that the chord played at the beginning is still the longest continuous A chord ever recorded. A strange record for a strange band. Anyway, I was enjoying the music, thinking it was a pleasant change from the pop music I listened to before. Then Roger Waters started singing. OMG! What an awful noise. I was embarrased, and worried my brother would have heard it, so quickly switched it off. That was the end of Pink Floyd for me.
But something made me put it back on later, with the volume turned down a little. And it quickly grew on me. In a short while I was hooked. I listened to Pink Floyd pretty intensively for a good part of the next decade, really until I left Uni when I was 23. Here is a recent version.
According to the blurb on YouTube this is from Earl’s Court, London in October of 1994.
Sandy Denny Wild Mountain Thyme
This is what is great about the Internet, and especially YouTube. I have a few Fairport Convention albums and some Sandy Denny too, but I had never heard of this song before. At least, I do not remember it. It is a recording from a nice crackly LP. Wonderful little bass line, plus the outstanding Sandy singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PhdiSTh7U0&NR=1
Who Knows Where The Time Goes – Fairport Convention
This is another of those classic English folk songs. It managed to paint a picture in my head of the perfect English countryside whenever I hear it. But at the same time it tells the sad story of the passing of time, good days gone, things closing to an end. Music like poetry.
Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving
But how can they know it’s time for them to go?
Before the winter fire, I will still be dreaming
I have no thought of time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?
Sad, deserted shore, your fickle friends are leaving
Ah, but then you know it’s time for them to go
But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving
I do not count the time
For who knows where the time goes?
Who knows where the time goes?
And I am not alone while my love is near me
I know it will be so until it’s time to go
So come the storms of winter and then the birds in spring again
I have no fear of time
For who knows how my love grows?
And who knows where the time goes?
Fairport Convention – Crazy Man Michael
Another wonderful piece by Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny singing. This is from the album Liege and Lief. I have listened to this album hundreds of times over the last 20 plus years, but never stopped to wonder what the title of the album refers to. Liege is a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord. Lief is to do something gladly. So there you go.
Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny – Fotheringay
This is possibly the best Fairport Convention song from the Sandy Denny period. But it is hard to say, as there were so many good ones. The subtle guitar and beautiful voice make this music almost enchanting. Whenever I hear it I have a sudden urge to go and seek some rural idyll in the UK that no doubt no longer, or never did, exist. Enjoy!
Sandy Denny Sings Fhir A Bhata
This is a classic and beautiful song sung by Sandy Denny. Just the music, no video. Added by a Sandy Denny fan. I think that this song really shows how wonderful her voice was. I am no expert when it comes to singing, but I recognise her voice as being the finest I have ever heard in folk music, if not in any genre.
Fairport Convention, Robert Plant – The Battle Of Evermore
I wanted to post Robert Plant and Fairport Convention at Cropedy in 1986, but he owner of the video does not allow embedding. Here is another concert with Robert Plant. Sandy Denny sung in the original Led Zep song. She was the only woman to ever sing on a Led Zep album, and they made a fair few. I think those rockers usually saved the women for other things. Got a fair few old LP’s collecting dust somewhere. While in YouTube this little gem was linked up as a recommended / similar video. It is nice to see them playing together, but it is certainly no match for Sandy Denny and Led Zep from way back when.
OK, Blog Updated
So I just updated this old blog. I felt that it was time for a new look to try to revive it a little. So here it is. Recently I have been listening to old music on YouTube and posting the videos to Facebook. I have decided that as this is such an enjoyable past-time that I will now instead do video blogs here. That is the main reason why I decided to update the blog, to allow this.