'73

Today's musical offering is a no nonsense glam rock workout from Def Leppard that needs precious little by way of introduction. Suffice it to say it's very route one in as much as it wears its influences shamelessly on (and indeed in) its sleeve: this record is essentially a three & a bit minute homage to the sound that defined the period 1971-1974; if you don't like Slade, or Gary Glitter, or Mott the Hoople, or Sweet, or even Marc Bolan then, one, we can't be friends and, two, you'll hate this. As you'd expect it comes in an artistically battered picture sleeve on regular black vinyl and a rather sexy blue counterpart. Also, for lovers of Dymo Tape, the official video is a must watch. 

Def Leppard - Just Like '73 (2024)

Nothing is too much trouble

Between 1971 and 1987 Messrs Barker & Corbett made 93 episodes of The Two Ronnies spanning twelve series. They absolutely dominated Saturday night TV, pulling viewing figures most weeks around 18.5 million - quite staggering. Yet for most of the populus their prolific partnership seems to have been distilled down into one sketch they recorded in 1976. Yep, you know the one.

But they were so much more. Take the Sweet Shop for instance. Admittedly it runs along similar lines but this time with the shopkeeper/customer roles reversed. It's one of my all time favourites.

The Two Ronnies - Sweet Shop (1980)

I wanna tell you a story

I love songs that tell stories; granted they tend to be very linear, but I don't have a problem with that. A story told in three minutes, with a couple of verses and a chorus, is brevity writ large. Ron Sexsmith is a master of the art form. Michael and his Dad from Long Player Late Bloomer is the tale of a father and his son coming to terms with the death of their wife & mother whilst at the same time not having a pot to piss in. I often say this about truly great songwriters (and Sexsmith truly is), but if I could write a song half as good as - fill in the gaps - I would die a happy man.

Ron Sexsmith - Michael and his Dad (2011)

Another beautiful story is recanted here by Neil Sedaka on his early 70s Emergence album. A young boy yearns to fly (don't all young boys yearn to fly?) and then many years later, when tucking in his own kids at bedtime, remembers that feeling. Sedaka released it as a single but, alas, it was a flop. There's probably a metaphor in there somewhere.

Neil Sedaka - Superbird (1971)

Where's the regular guy?

I've just read Bukowski's Post Office. Not sure why it's never appeared on my radar before, but I'm so glad my friend and psychogeographer Richard pointed me in the direction of this cult classic from 1971. He also said we should have a mini book club style meeting (just the two of us) and critique it over a beer. Sounds like a plan, I said. 

August has been a busy literary month. Bukowski was the third book I've read this month. And now I've got my head in a terrific short story compilation - all Nottingham authors. And then I really must get stuck into Orbital - the current official Book Club selection; our next meeting is fast approaching. What's everyone else reading, I wonder? 

 ★

Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)

Beautiful

Pelé. The greatest player of all time. And that's not up for debate. His CVs ran to two words: 'Footballer. Humanitarian'. The beautiful game - a phrase he may or may not have coined - described the sport he'd loved from a young boy to the day he died. And he was a beautiful man. He fought tirelessly for the poor in his native Brazil and when he stood on the world stage as part of the UN, always with a smile on his face, people listened.

In a playing career that spanned three decades (he started professionally with Santos in 1956 and bowed out in 1977 whilst with the New York Cosmos) he scored over 1200 goals, including 92 for his country between 1957 & 1971.

Famously, on 19 November 1969 the player born Edson Arantes do Nascimento found the back of the net for the 1,000th time during a league game at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

★

However, here's a sure fire goal (seemingly) you won't see in Pelé's stats; thanks to a truly miraculous save from England's Gordon Banks in the Mexico 70 World Cup. This was my first World Cup and, like millions of others around the world, glued to their TV sets, I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Cue David Coleman...

Pelé (1940-2022)