"And I wish you'd stop saying "I introduced you to the SPGB" like it was a good thing."

Nothing funnier than an in-joke . . . you had to be there:

#SPGB #ExMembers

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 10)

Day 10 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate JD Thank you for nominating me MR

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

In three week period in the Summer of '85, I bought this album, Prefab Sprout's 'Steve McQueen' and Colourbox's self-titled album. I knew my musical onions back then.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 9)

Day 9 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate SW Thank you for nominating me MR

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

Roddy Frame was only about 17 when he wrote the songs for this debut album . . .  bastard.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 8)

Day 8 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate JM Thank you for nominating me MR

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

In an alternative universe, Colourbox is one of the biggest bands in the world.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 7)

Day 7 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate ET Thank you for nominating me MR.

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

Bought one lunchtime in Our Price, and back to school (late) to look at the sleeve notes during a Maths lesson with Mr. Goodwin.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 6)

Day 6 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate AY Thank you for nominating me MR

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

Listened to this again recently. It really, REALLY holds up. At times in '87 and '88 I listened to some really bad music - not really my fault, it was a fallow period for pop music - but thankfully I would occasionally listen to some good stuff back in the day. A perfect marriage of melodic music and barbwire lyrics.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 5)

Day 5 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate PC Thank you for nominating me MR . . .

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

Total bullshit, of course. My early love for Shalamar meant that I didn't fall into that snot-nosed trap of sneering at dance music as not relevant, not deep and not, quite simply. fucking wonderful.

It also helped that Jody Watley was drop dead fucking gorgeous.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 4)

Day 4 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate MF Thank you for nominating me MR . . .

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

Total bullshit, of course. Quite simply, this compilation album opened my eyes and ears to left of centre music that never get near Saturday morning kids TV in a million and a half years. Bought on vinyl for a knock down price in Watford Market many, many years ago.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 3)

Day 3 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate JL Thank you for nominating me MR . . . 

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

Total bullshit, of course.  I think I loved Heartland a bit too much when I was a kid. I'm guessing I was about 14 or 15 when this came out, and I probably did think the revolution was just one catchy three minute single away.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 2)

Day 2 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate RW Thank you for nominating me MR . . . 

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

Total bullshit, of course. What hides behind what is possibly the crappiest album cover in the history of music is an absolutely wonderful compilation, and if you don't fall in love with The Byrds after listening to it, someone supply me with your name and address and I will forward on your death certificate. (Poor taste in times like these? Of course.)

Bought it on cassette in Hemel back in 88 or 89, and I played it to death when I first went to University. So many great tracks on there that I refuse to single any of them out. Being an old geezer, I can't remember if I bought this or Johnny Rogan's book on The Byrds, 'Timeless Flight' (bought in a bookshop on my one trip to Aylesbury) first. It must have been this compilation.

Check it out, blogging bots.

The shit I post on Facebook . . . musical edition (Day 1)

Day 1 of my task, to choose 10 albums that greatly influenced my taste in music. One album per day for ten consecutive days. No explanations, no reviews, just album covers. Every day I will ask someone else to do the same... today I nominate JC Thank you for nominating me MR . . . 

"No explanations, no reviews, just album covers . .  ."

What total bullshit. Of course, I can't stop myself from explaining, ranting and reviewing in the comments:

• "Of course they will all be from when I was 12 or 13. Such a fucking cliche."
• " I was a bit young for this when it first came out, and I only found it after buying Luxury Gap. I'm sure I bought both cassettes within days of each other in '83. (Got the badges as well, of course. ;-) ) I love Luxury Gap as well, but this was the album of theirs that I played again and again and again. Listened to it again just a couple of days ago, and there's only one track that stops it from being an absolutely perfect album."
• "Just noticed I'm being a total hypocrite in the comments section by going into extensive detail about why I love the album listed. Total wanker. Oh, well." (Some self-awareness, thank christ.)

I'm caught in a time loop, people . . .

Tried to explain the wonders of childhood Toast Toppers to the family in lockdown, and they just weren't buying it. It appears my descriptive powers are not as shit hot as I first thought. It didn't help that I also fell on my arse trying to describe a top cooker grill to them . . . 'You mean, it's like a broiler?' No, it's not a bastard broiler.

In exasperation, I dove into the internet, hoping to find a half decent pic of Toast Toppers in all its  last century glory but all I found was a thread from 2013 on Urban75 where people were shitting all over Toast Toppers. And, yep, I was in the middle of said thread, trying to defend the wonders of Toast Toppers. I'm living in a fucking time loop, people. No wonder I'm coping better than most with this lockdown repetition b/s.

Some of the better quotes from that 2013 thread. (I've removed the user-names, to ensure that the guilty are protected despite their snacking sins.):

• "It's a shame each variety looks like puke on toast.”
• “they look like a tramps vomit and taste like hells own armpit.”
• “Truly vile shit in a tin - even back in the day when they were the pinnacle of modernity."

And this particular contribution won the internet that day:

• "This is probably the most incisive class analysis thread on Urban. Love = working class Hate = middle class No fucking idea what you're talking about = ruling class."

"I'm out of quavers . . ."

Gauntlet thrown down . . .

and challenge accepted.

Cheeky bugger. I've been spewing out the occasional shite meme for ages now. I'm not some Johnny Come Lately when it comes to hackneyed political in-jokes. Here's one I did eons ago, and it was only 14 months after everyone else had stopped using and abusing that meme. 14 months, people, 14 months . . .  that's on the ball politicking for the SPGB.

Marxist-Wertherism

Don't mind me. Just need to put this somewhere, and this is as good a place as any. 

I'm still on my one man mission to popularize the SPGB-Werther's Originals joke meme. I'm trying  . . .  very trying.

'Oh, save me . . . why don't you save me.'

All the more surprising because I previously had the album on cassette, and I don't remember the track being that bad. I must have blocked the momentary blandness from the musical memory bank  . . . alongside that Julia Fordham album I once bought in a moment of weakness.

You have been warned. I think it's the production.

Spotify told me to do it . . .

Do I mean it? At 1.40 am in the morning, I do. Ask me in eight hours time and I might have changed my mind again.

A Late Night Wonder

Day 10 of the 10 day movie challenge. Post an image, no explanation, from 10 movies that had an impact on you. 10 days, 10 films, 0 explanations.

"What do you call that?"

Day 9 of the 10 day movie challenge. Post an image, no explanation, from 10 movies that had an impact on you. 10 days, 10 films, 0 explanations.

Perfect

Day 8 of the 10 day movie challenge. Post an image, no explanation, from 10 movies that had an impact on you. 10 days, 10 films, 0 explanations.