tag:chriscarry.com,2005:/blogs/blog?p=3Blog2023-08-06T11:58:04+01:00Chris Carryfalsetag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/72527282023-08-06T11:58:04+01:002023-10-16T15:56:37+01:00It's 2023, time for another album of my nonsense...<p>So, 2023 and another new album. After I had released 'The Jellyfish Doodles' I had a few songs left over plus some other fully realised instrumental tracks that didn't have any lyrics. As I started to review those particular musical bits and pieces, as what often happens, I started writing new songs again. I've never, luckily for me, maybe not for the listeners, had a problem composing music or writing lyrics, at times it just pours out of me and it can be hard to keep up - hence all the odd's n sods's I have hanging around.</p><p>For 'Mystery' (which was originally called 'The Mystery Of The Trees'' - as a nod to the artist Declan Comerfords' studies on that same subject ) the title track was one of those unfinished pieces of music that I luckily rediscovered when looking through the archive. The music was composed and recorded many years ago but (modestly) it has a lovey melody (it actually has a <i>few </i>melodies going on in there) and the new lyrics came to me as I was browsing through the artists on-line catalog and saw the tree paintings. I bought one, the cover of this album, and was subsequently gifted one for my 60th birthday by Declan. With 60 trees on the canvas :). </p><p>I've had some very humbling and positive feedback from several people outside of my FB friends (and, let's face it, FB friends are not generally an 'audience'', they're your friends! You hope they say nice things about your art, but very few of them would consider their little bald mate as an <i>artist.</i> And that's ok. I don't write for any audience, I just do it for, <i>me</i>.</p><p>It's a legacy thing I think? What will be left of me when I'm gone? There'll be an awful lot of physical music and instruments to find homes for, maybe a few pictures of me, not many though, so I guess, at some psychological level, I'm leaving a trail of musical breadcrumbs behind so that I can be remembered for maybe a generation or two. </p><p>As for 2023 itself, Amanda and I continue our journey, we're 17 years down the road at this point, and that road has often been difficult to say the least. You're a fighter kiddo. </p><p>I alo hit the big 6-0 this year in May, and although I wasn't filled with any existential dread about the milestone it does make you reflect that the journey is coming to an end. For my 60th birthday I took a week off work (yeah I did!) and I went to 3 Springsteen concerts in 7 days (that makes it 52 shows now). I 'allowed' (no option) a party in my name to happen on the big day itself (I'd have been happy enough watching the football that evening on my own) but the wonderful Amanda organised a 'surprise' celebration attended by all my family (and Justin Evans who's as good as family) and it was lovely. I'm not too enthusiastic about celebrating myself, I'm actively anti-social in many ways, I'm sure there's a 'scale' somewhere with my name on it, but I was grateful that this get together in my name happened. And Amanda orchestrated some cars and rememberence's from friends near and far.</p><p>In 2022 my friend Pat (Cusack) celebrated his big milestone and it was wonderful to see him receive the appreciation and kudos from his friends from over the years. It was a struggle for me to physically go to Clare (I have such a hard time being in a room with too many people) but again I am so glad I did. It was a great occasion and wonderful to see so many of the 'old' faces. Such a good bunch of people, but then, they're Pat's mates, why wouldn't they be. </p><p>I still miss Bowie. It's been 7 years and I often ponder just what he'd have done in that time? He was never less than interesting. Prince is also gone 7 years. I feel he had probably done all he was ever really going to do musically. He wrote SO many songs over his time on this planet that I think he exhausted every genre available to him.However, still, he left us way too soon. And Stu Eccles, sigh. </p><p>Sinead O'Connors' recent passing has manifested a sense of national grief. Such a sad loss of another great artist. A troubled soul, I felt she often polarised a lot of people with her strong opinions, and she was skilled at prompting a response. She was right in so many ways, long before the rest of us copped on. I think sometimes there was a tendency for the message to get lost, for example, the continual adopting of new religious alignments (Sinead in priests clothing, rasta Sinead, muslim Sinead etc), and bold pronunciations are rarely ever welcomed by the general population, particularly if there's a sense of provocation. There's a huge amount of retrospective virtue signalling recognition going on at the moment, it happens when famous people pass, some of it white washing (not in any racial sense - funny how you have to put disclaimers lie that into context these days) the actual facts that Sinead was a complex woman who tested many bboundaries. She was a human being and all that goes with it. Its hard to start the on the road to adult life with the childhood she had. I saw her once in concert, an it was a revelation for me. I bought the audio book of her autobiography when it was released a few years ago. I suggest people read/listen to that first before they make any glib glorifications. But could she poke the bear! She will always be a legend, certainly in Ireland, and for good reason. It is gut wrenching to know the things she went through, particularly the tragic loss of a child. You don't come back from that. The human body might, but the soul never will. RIP Sinead. </p><p>Everton have continued to be the bane of my life for the past two years (or, 30 years). I really shouldn't care any more. Football has become completely amoral and beyond greed, and it's not about the sport, it's all about money, cultural sports washing, gambling companies etc and at some point I'm going to have to walk away. There's nothing (in football) more reprehensible than watching soccer players kissing ''the badge'. I don't begrudge (hmm? maybe I do?) players making a good living an setting themselves up for life. But when middle range players are now regularly ‘sold’ for £100m, then the world has gone crazy, and there are supporters of these clubs who can't put food on the table. Our society is breaking down year after year, and getting further apart on the ends of the scale. Young adults hopped up on drugs with little or no future roaming the streets in gangs with what appears to be very little consequences for some awful behaviour. Who's to blame? I have opinions however the global political system is not going to help anyone except itself and its protagonists. OK, 'nuff said.</p><p>I have to say I've enjoyed watching the World Cup ladies football, it's still got an open and honest attitude. But no doubt that will change when it too becomes all about the money.</p><p>I'm going to be a grandad early next year and it is a very emotional feeling (all good!). It seems like yesterday since Ben himself was born and now he's going to be a Dad himself. I can't dwell too long on that or I'll just be a puddle on the floor :D. He has his own journey now. When we had him I was 26, and an immature young man (as I had been a very immature boy). That middle of the night coming home after his birth from the hospital in Drogheda, I had to pull the car over in Slane village, and I don't mind admitting it, I bawled my eyes out for half an hour. Just the thoughts about the enormity of this new responsibility and worries if I would be able to look after him. It passes and we get aligned with life as he will too. </p><p>Ok! Going to go and torture myself by looking for an illegal stream to watch EFC vs Sporting in preseason friendly. Masochist. (edit - we won 1-0! There's a surprise).</p><p>Hopefully there'll be more music in 2023 and I aways aspire to get better on each release around the technical aspects of the production stuff. The songs will always be there</p><p>best wishes</p><p>Chris</p><p>Aug 2023</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/72296362023-06-20T21:26:23+01:002023-06-20T21:26:23+01:00Blog stuff...June update! <p>It's been a while. It's actually been a long time since I spoke to myself via the medium of my blog spot!. So, whats new Chris? Well, we lost a few more people, amongst them the following who meant something to me at one time or another - Raquel Welch, Tina Turner (sounds unreal adding her name here), Christine McVie (again, wtf, I was a big fan), Cynthia Weil (you won't realise it, but you'll know lots of her work), Ryuichi Sakamoto, Hugh Hudson, Bert Bacharach, Tom Verlaine, Jeff Beck, Melinda Dillon and undoubtedly a few I may have forgotten. May their god bless them wherever they are now. Life is unrepentant and relentless. Lead with love and do no harm. </p><p>I turned the big 6-0 in May, so yeah, THAT happened and to be fair, any existential crisis about the landmark passed and I had a great birthday week. For a start, the karmic forces of the universe were in play when it was announced that Springsteen was going to be doing three shows in Dublin the week of my birthday. You couldn't make it up. If anyone had asked me about what would I like to do to celebrate my momentous landmark occasion, quick as a whip, I'd have said I'd like to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. The fact that he was in Ireland THAT week, is coincidence enough, and <i>then </i>I got to see him three times!! Concerts 50, 51 and 52. I've been very lucky. On the day of my birthday my wonderful Amanda had organised all my family to come over to the house (plus Justin Evans who's like family anyway) and we had a lovely evening. I don't do social occasions or celebrations that have anything to do with me, indeed, there's a rumour that I may not even turn up for my own funeral. Ha, you'll have to catch me first. </p><p>Later in May my beloved Everton retained their place in the top flight of English football, undeservedly I feel, but credit to the manager Sean Dyche for getting us out of trouble. It was a ridiculously tense and anxious week waiting for the last game of the season to decide if Everton would be relegated to a lower division for the first time in 69 years. Lots of relief and a celebration (Zerosecco and cigars) but all tempered with a sense that we shouldn't have been in that position. Nothing as entitled as football fans eh? I suspect right now, a full year away, we'll likely be down there again next season.</p><p>Alex and I ventured to Goodison Park (and Merseyside) in March and were delighted to be present when Everton had a rare home win against Brentford. We were interviewed for local tv before the game! It's a l-o-n-g drive back across North Wales to the boat home when you lose, so this was a happy return. I brought Alex to where I am from originally, where I lived, where I went to school and where I played as a child. </p><p>I always go back to Lowton when I go to England. I left there when I was twelve (on my birthday in 1975) and I often wonder just how different things might have turned out if my parents had stayed there. It's 17.1km from my old front door to Goodison. Anfield is 18km. I had to be a Blue, simple as. To get from L4 to Lowton takes 35 mins. I often forget thats how close we were from Liverpool city. I don't remember us going to the city much as a kid, if we did head west it was to the beaches of Ainsdale and North Wales or the lights in Blackpool during the season. A drive to picturesque Rivington was also a familiar Sunday spin. There are some beautiful parts of Lancashire, and I think in general when we think of England we tend not to think of the beauty of its countryside and, in the north west, its lovely people. Haven't done it in years but the drive north from Liverpool to the Lake District is just wonderful, and “the Kendall freeway's fast” (thanks Macca)</p><p>Ok, time to go and catch up with some tv or as I'm currently working through it AGAIN, the brilliant ‘Peep Show’ comedy (with David Mitchel and Robert Webb). It's just great and this is at least the third time I'm rewatching the whole series. Currently on S05. Wonderful stuff that you often have to watch from between your fingers. </p><p>At lunch everyday I watch about 25 minutes of <i>something</i>, just to clear my head and then go back to work. A whole episode of Peep Show (or any US sitcom, I just finished Brooklyn 99) fit the timing perfectly. </p><p>Thinking of starting a podcast for my own amusement, there wouldn't much interest in it but I think its a way of building a legacy of some sort? My grandkids (IF they ever arrive) might only get to hear their grandads voice from the songs or maybe, a podcast. </p><p>Until the next time!</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/69866582022-06-04T14:36:56+01:002022-06-04T14:36:56+01:00The Jellyfish Doodles is here...<p>There's enough info and context about the new album on it's own web page on this site. I won't bore you with repetition or any further guilding of the lily. </p>
<p>Luckily my expectations are very low when it comes to the question will anyone actually hear this music? Then I tell myself "Hey? Gobshite? You don't do this for anyone else except <em>yourself,</em> and you do it it's because you HAVE to". The inside voice is generally correct. </p>
<p>It would be nice to think that somewhere someone in time might go "Hmm? Monkey Aviator Spaceman Dead Man In A Car sounds like a catchy title, wonder what thats all about then?". But my expectations are low a<em>nnnd</em> will remain so. </p>
<p>Theres a nice sense of self when you can be creative and when a lot of hard work finally materialises in front of you and maybe you're able to say yourself, huh, that's not bad. I don't think anyone purposefully goes out to make 'bad' art.</p>
<p>I'm sure there are many great unheard songs or paintings that remain sitting on easels or home walls, or on computers that will never get the attention they deserve. In this world you really have to be aggressive with yourself to push the visibility factor around your artwork. It's thankless and because our society has lost sight of the value of art it's become wall paper, background noise etc.It has little value. If art does get attention, then it's gone from sight in the blink of a web page refresh. It's a bit troubling to think where will the art come from in 20 years. Will folks still be listening to the (great) music of the 60's, 70;s, 80's and still queuing to see the Mona Lisa? Who knows. </p>
<p>It's sad in many ways, there's a generation or two of us who will never forget the anticipation around acquiring for example, a new record. I think it's an experience a couple of generations have sadly missed on.</p>
<p>But then I'm old, and a man out of time...</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/67934202021-11-01T10:26:49+00:002021-11-01T10:37:51+00:00Oh! Hello there, what's up?...<p>It's been quite some time since I took the keyboard out of mothballs and plugged that sucker into the laptop. This is just a quick note to the universe to say that I'm going to be releasing an updated 'redux' version of my 2010 album 'Blue Eyed Boys' shortly. </p>
<p>When I made that record, as with the vast majority of my earlier work, it was poorly recorded. I didn't know what I was (or wasn't) doing. This re-release, and remaster, addresses quite a lot of the difficulties I had back then. Most prominently, having spent a couple of weeks away in Italy with a prodigious group of real musicians, I discovered the Mac and Garageband. It was a revelation. I had been using a Boss BR1600 to record my first 3 albums and it was an unwieldy beast. Perfect for knock off demo's, burning straight to CD, but not great for making anything that would be released commercially. However, it didn't stop me doing that. </p>
<p>I came home from Italy, bought a Mini Mac and started using this new methodology. I subsequently upgraded both the Mac (to a 17" Mac Pro - which I still use) and went from Garageband to the professional version of that software, Logic Pro X. The next album, 'Life And Everything In Between' was the first output in the new musical regime. </p>
<p>Anyways, more to come, when I actually press the upload button at some point soon. 'Blue Eyed Boys' contains some fine songs (modestly) and included some of my first more experimental efforts ('Set The Twilight Gleaming' and "Jagged Edge'). There's autographical songs, the title track is a nod to the various mothers in my life, and 'Said Hello To New York' is a verbatim reflection on my time in NYC as a young man, leaving home for the first time. </p>
<p>I'll put some words up when I get around to it as I generally do when releasing an album. I always like to understand what the artist was thinking about and get a view on the lyrics and what they mean. Anorak. Completely. </p>
<p>bye for now</p>
<p>Chris</p>
<p>Home, 1st Nov '21</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464792019-11-14T00:00:00+00:002020-11-25T14:17:16+00:00Lift off!! Doesn't Play Well With Others is READY to roll....<p><span style="color:#000000;">After much deliberation around the final mixes I have settled on the track listing and soon Doesn't Play Well With Others will be inflicted on an unsuspecting world. It is without doubt my best album to date. It kicks ass in several places (particularly the title track) and I'm very happy with it. I think. Kinda. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">More news to follow....</span></p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464782019-09-24T01:00:00+01:002020-11-25T14:18:41+00:00New album, new update...<p>Track list has been picked and final mixes going through quality control (Amanda). They may change again, who knows! It's been a journey but I'm very happy with the new songs. There's a few I didn't include which I'll probably put up on Soundcloud at some stage. </p>
<p>I'm adding a new version of an old favourite tune, 'Pretty Monster'. The original was REALLY badly recorded and it deserved better. New drums, new vocal, new guitar, saxophones and a steady production. If you liked the original, you'll love this version. </p>
<p>Anyways! More anon.</p>
<p>Confirmed tracks are;</p>
<p>01) We Live In The Flicker</p>
<p>02) The World Is Falling Down</p>
<p>03) All For You</p>
<p>04) Doesn't Play Well With Others</p>
<p>05) Disintegration</p>
<p>06) Sweetheart</p>
<p>07) Say Goodbye To The Last Girl</p>
<p>08) Star Gazing Lonesome Man</p>
<p>09) Hide</p>
<p>10) Believe</p>
<p>Bonus Track</p>
<p>11) Pretty Monster (2019)</p>
<p> </p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464772019-08-18T01:00:00+01:002020-11-25T14:23:34+00:00New album, slower than anticipated...but it's getting there...<p>About 2 months ago I was relatively confident that I'd have the new record out lickety spit. Not to be. Real life events kinda took over. Then there's been a heavy work cycle for the past 2 months so music hasn't been the numero uno priority. </p>
<p>Anyways! I'm down to find mixes and track selection - at the moment it's all abut what won't be on the record. Then there's the occasional distraction of writing songs when I sit down to mix! Ah, it's an occupational hazard, as long as it's something good :).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>More updates nearer the time...</p>
<p>Chris</p>
<p>Home 18th Aug 19</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464762019-03-13T00:00:00+00:002022-06-04T13:40:03+01:00Everton...<p>I was born in Warrington, at the time it was part of Lancashire eventually moving borders to become part of Cheshire in the late '70's. On the banks of the Mersey Warrington is 20 miles east of Liverpool and 20 miles west of Manchester. Right bang in the middle. Eventually the family moved to Lowton which again is almost equidistant from the two larger metropolis's of Scousers and Mancs. I went to primary and secondary school in Newton-Le-Willows (home to Rick Astley!) which is part of the borough of St Helens in Merseyside. Given these locations you can extrapolate the influence of soccer in the area and of course the four major clubs - Manchesters United and City, Liverpool and of course Everton. </p>
<p>When I was born Everton won the league. I don't remember too much about that of course, but given The Beatles were also Number One ("From Me To You') maybe it was a glimpse of my eventual destiny. From 1964 - 1970 the other League Champions were Liverpool/United/Liverpool/United/City/Leeds/Everton. An indication (Leeds aside) that the Northwest was a true football stronghold. Add in 5 appearances in FA Cup Finals during that time also.</p>
<p>In 1970 when I was 7 Everton won the league again. I can distinctly remember one summer evening walking home from a kick about at a local pitch telling my young self that it was time to pick a team. I had friends that were Liverpool, United and City fans. I decided I was going to be a Blue. Actually, I was going to be a Blue because the final choice was between City and Everton. </p>
<p>To seal the deal I was on holidays in Ireland and my folks left me and my siblings with our grandmother and they went off for a weekend. When they came home they had brought me back a football kit. It was actually navy blue, but close enough. </p>
<p>19th April 1975. Everton vs Sheffield United. My first game at Goodison Park. My Dad and a mad Blue neighbour John Carroll headed off to L4. Everton went 2-0 up, goals by Gary Jones and David Smallman. My idol Bob Latchford played that day. But, in a turn of events that has become more than a common occurrence for Evertonians, Sheffield fought back and won 2-3. Set the tone for the rest of footballing life. Tony Currie played for Sheffield that day, and he was one of the most wonderfully gifted footballers I ever saw. </p>
<p>My love of all things Everton continued to grow, from my first ever pin up, Joe Royle, the dynamic duo of Bob Latchford & Duncan McKenzie, Mick Lyons, Dave Watson through to Duncan Ferguson. I've been able to tell Howard Kendall "thank you" for the wonderful years in the mid to late 80's when either Everton or Liverpool were Champions or cup winners. I was at the first ever all Merseyside Final, the League Cup in 1984 and I was at the next all Merseyside final the 1989 FA Cup Final (the 'Hillsborough' final). </p>
<p>Its been an almost 50 year journey. Dreadful lows (although no relegations, just!) and a few significant highs. There's a saying that you're born an Evertonian, it's in your blood. You're picked, you're anointed. I'm too sure about any of that, all I CAN tell you is that it's certainly character building. There's only two points of reference that I have carried with me throughout my life, one is Bowie the other is Everton.</p>
<p>I'll hardly be changing allegiances anytime soon. I've had to stand by and watch Liverpools domination of Europe in the 70's and 80's. See United take the mantle through the 90's and 00's. In more recent times, watching City become a dominant force. I always say, if there are two queues for anything and I'm in one of them, join the <span style="text-decoration:underline"><em>other</em></span> one.</p>
<p>Nil Satis Nisi Optimum baby. Never be satisfied by nothing but the best. That's rang hollow for nearly three decades. Maybe I'll see a last hurrah from the Toffee's in my lifetime yet. I won't be holding my breath.</p>
<p> </p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464752019-03-06T00:00:00+00:002022-06-04T13:36:42+01:00Kate...<p>One of the first conversations I ever had with Amanda was about books and when we kind of touched on music (and I got my Bruce/Bowie/Beatles worship credentials out of the way, she was very patient) we found a reasonably unique common ground - we both loved Kate Bush. </p>
<p>For someone who was a teenager (about 15) when Kate hit big with 'Wuthering Heights' it was impossible not to notice and appreciate Ms Bush at that time. She was a revelation and indeed, KB was still a teenager herself. I certainly didn't expect Amanda to name check KB as one of her favourites. At that time (circa 2004) KB hadn't released an album in something like 11 or 12 years. I was pleasantly surprised by this dark horse, and we had a nice, relatively brief chat about KB, and she immediately went up in my estimation.</p>
<p>I posted an interview on this site (somewhere!) from 2010 and after mentioning some of the concerts I'd been to I was asked was there anyone that I'd still like to see that I hadn't already. It took me a nano-second to say "Kate Bush, end of". </p>
<p>In 2014 Amanda had a milestone birthday and I was looking for a significant birthday present. I was in luck. One morning in Spring I received an email from the KB official fan site. I was a long standing member of the fan club and the mail was telling my unbelieving eyes that Kate was going to be playing a series of concerts in London. The mail confirmed that I would have the opportunity to buy pre sale tickets before general availability. If you don't know anything about the mercurial artiste that she is, at that time Kate Bush hadn't played a live concert (of her own) since 1979. THIRTY FIVE years. Her album releases since the late '90's would require the redefinition of the word sporadic. This announcement was officially a BIG deal. A really, <em>really</em> big deal.</p>
<p>I went online the day of the ticket sales and secured two tickets for centre stage in the eighth row. They weren't cheap but not only was this a dream situation for me, it was for Amanda too. Probably even moreso. We flew over to London from Ireland, and on the night we were close to pinching ourselves as we queued to go in. It was SO exciting, so unreal, and, given the general bon homie of everyone in the queue, it was a lovely 'people' event. There was a wonderful ambience, everyone was smiling, good vibrations abounded.</p>
<p>When we got inside I could barely stop myself from cracking up (emotionally). This was the same venue that David Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust in 1973. That plays big in my wheel house. I've been a Bowie fanatic since I was 10. I walked up to the stage and put my hand on it. It was truly emotional for me (DB was still with the Earth at that time), and now I was about to see Kate Bush on the very same stage? Was this some class of cosmic joke? (KB is supposedly have attended that very same '73 Bowie show)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I started looking for our seats in the eighth row i.e. 'H'. Hmm? Something wasn't right? As I approached I counted eight rows but as we reached the row it was marked 'N'? Turns out, to accommodate a larger stage area, they had removed the first six rows. We were in the second row, centre stage. We couldn't believe it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was arguably one of the greatest spectacles I have ever seen. It was joyous. Even more so because I was sharing the moment with Amanda, and I KNEW how much this meant to her. It meant a lot to me too of course, but so did meeting Springsteen, seeing Bowie live so many times, meeting Lou Reed, John Hiatt, Elvis Costello etc. I've had so much elation at meeting my heroes. This was Amanda's first time in the room with her idol. I felt that I'd done something good for someone. The concert was simply amazing. Indescribable - elements of concert, theatre, puppetry, fantasy and magic, just fricken' awesome. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The whole room was filled with love and when KB walked on stage the noise and emotion that greeted her was nothing short of a massive melt down of 3,500 hearts. It was on a different level. Imagine finding out Santa Claus was real and you were invited to the Elves Workshop with a few close friends (everyone in that room that night was a friend). KB has always seemed to be an immensely sound and grounded woman. It's the Irish blood of course :) (her Mum, Hannah was from Waterford). </p>
<p> </p>
<p>We sat in absolute awe of this wonderful artiste and could see every eyelash. It's not that we were looking with a critical eye, it was that we wanted to take in every atom of this woman. I'd been listening to her music for over three decades - The Dreaming is still one of my favourite records of all time. Kate Bush is one of the few 'no argument here' choices for car journeys.We l-o-v-e her. We were in the same room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So from a casual conversation in 2004 (we only knew each other as colleagues at that time) to 2014 when she had been the centre of my world for nearly a decade, to 2018 when Amanda was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. She's still the centre of my world, our life continues to be soundtracked by Kate Bush. Her music and her attitude is a constant inspiration, to me as a songwriter, but in a huge way to Amanda as a healing balm and a source of significant comfort and distraction. We'll get Amanda fixed soon, she has no option, Kate and I will not accept any other result.</p>
<p>Kate Bush. You're owed a big big heartfelt thank you. So, thank you madam. </p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464742018-09-10T01:00:00+01:002022-06-04T13:41:55+01:00Under the influence of The Force...George Lucas<p>It was around summer of 2000 and I was in Glasgow on business for Microsoft (doing a supplier audit on Danka). After my business had been concluded I had arrived back at Prestwick Airport to get my flight home. I spotted a WH Smiths and went in to get some sweets for the kids.</p>
<p>As I walked in to the shop (big wide open entrance) I glanced across to my left towards the queue at the tills. I stopped cold in my tracks. I did an almost comedic double take. Standing in the queue was George Lucas. I was like a deer caught in the headlights. Nobody else seemed to be paying him any attention whatsoever.</p>
<p>George looked at me. I looked at George. He knew he'd been spotted. I was rooted to the spot. Then, meeting my eyes, George looked directly at me and slowly, holding my gaze, shook his head. Christ Jesus, the dude was trying to use The Force on me!! "Move on my friend, you didn't see me". I smiled over and nodded my head to say "ok sir, I will not bring any attention to you but I saw you!". He nodded back and I walked on into the shop. I glanced back and George had moved a customer closer to the till and his back was now towards me. </p>
<p>Oddly, if he hadn't been trying to attract attention to himself, he was wearing a light beige 'safari' suit. Below the knee shorts and a no-sleeve jacket. This was Glasgow. You'd kinda think anyone wearing that ensemble would stick out like a sore Jedi. After a few minutes I left the shop to see could I catch George in a 1:1 situation but he'd gone. I looked everywhere. The Force was indeed with him that day but although I'd loved to have shaken his hand I KNOW George Lucas was sitting in his business class seat, delightedly pondering how his Jedi Mind Trick had cloaked his identity and could he use it to maybe get another whiskey from the Cabin Attendant. </p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464732017-02-10T00:00:00+00:002022-06-04T14:14:27+01:00Stuart Peter Eccles. It's been a year. Miss ya my friend...<p>If 2016 hadn't been bad enough up until then (losing Bowie AND Prince), on my birthday in May I sadly and awfully discovered that a friend of mine had passed away. </p>
<p>The great English gentleman, Stuart Eccles esquire. In my low humour at that time post Bowie, I had eschewed all social media etc. I detached myself from most contact as I retreated into my head (for context there's more about my Bowie history elsewhere on this site). But Stu, the so'n'so hadn't pinged me on my birthday like he usually did. </p>
<p>I sent a mail, that wasn't responded to, to wind him up that he hadn't sent a card, and found out, horribly realising on my selfish day of celebration, by slowly taking in some of the Facebook posts, that Stu was gone. Had been for many weeks, and I simply hadn't known. </p>
<p>I felt so embarrassed that I hadn't been in touch with him. The last time we'd been in contact was a few days after Bowies passing, commiserating etc. He knew how hard that hit me. I told him I was gonna just bury my head but I'd catch up with him again soon. Then Prince happened (again, more on this site). Then other serious family stuff was going on and I didn't get back in touch in the time before his passing. Male friendships are like that. The next time we'd connect it would always be like it had been five minutes ago. But it wasn't to be. I never got to Rowardennan, although the invites were many. </p>
<p>He never stopped with the (affectionally given and received) Paddy Irishman jokes. "But Stu..." I'd tell him "..I'm from Warrington..". Ah sure, that didn't make any difference :). </p>
<p>Stu and I had become friends through the old "Luckytown' online Springsteen forum in the late '90s and the early days of the internet. His generosity was endless. Every now and then packages of CD's would just arrive in the post - Bruce out-takes, concerts etc. When I was reading the tributes from his many many friends, this was not an isolated occurrence. Stu was generous with everyone. He loved the New Jersey rocker Joe D'Urso and had become friends with Joe over the years. Joe posted a lovely tribute to Stu on his Facebook page. Indeed, there were, and still are, many wonderful words about Stu from his online family. </p>
<p>His Dad Derek had passed several years ago, and Stu ever the dutiful son, took Dereks ashes up to Scotland to spread them there Loch side. Typical of Stu he dressed up for the occasion with a set of bagpipes, an approximation of a Tam O'Shanter and the pic is on his Facebook page. It still makes me smile. I helped Stu round up some commerative Irish stamps for Derek one time, I was only too glad to do something in return. </p>
<p>He always called me "Cashan" (my surname, Carry) and was wonderfully funny. We exchanged mails and birthday/Christmas cards for over 17 years. </p>
<p>Stu had always kept all of his friends amused with his detailing of the trials and tribulations around his engagement with the NHS in the UK. He'd always complained of headaches and pains as he described his journey through the medical system, in a "crikey, you'll never believe what they told me today old chum" set of online updates while doctors tried to figure out what, if anything, was wrong with him. </p>
<p>But Stu did have something wrong and he passed away at home on Feb 10th 2016, from a brain aneurysm or haemorrhage. It deeply saddens me still that he was on his own that day. He deserved to go out surrounded by the warmth, love and karma that his friends would surely have given. But then I think, maybe Derek was getting impatient, and Stu just couldn't wait. </p>
<p>So! Sir, thinking of you today. I shall raise a glass of some description to ya somewhere along the way. You are missed. </p>
<p>Chris</p>
<p>@home Feb 10th 2017</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464722017-01-07T00:00:00+00:002017-01-07T09:27:03+00:00New album! - see under "Music" page...
<p>Whatcha looking for here? Go to the Music page. Didn't you read the title? Seriously. Do I have to everything for ya?...c'mon now!</p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464712016-04-30T01:00:00+01:002021-11-01T10:58:12+00:00Purple pain...<p>It's April and I've just been able to finish off a blog note I started in January about Bowie, but now, again, I find myself back in front of a screen trying to put some sense into the world that might help me compartmentalise how difficult I've found the passing of Prince. To think we've lost DB and Prince within the same year is incredulous, within four months of each other is just totally incomprehensible.</p>
<p>I wasn't a casual Prince fan. I was a hard core nut. I was (literally) in the fan club. I'd seen him play live over half a dozen times even specially travelling to the UK to see him play. </p>
<p>Being such a music nut there are many artists that I live and breath. Bowie, Bruce, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Kate Bush and the Beatles, but not forgetting Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Paul Simon, Stevie Ray Vaughan, XTC, Roy Orbison and not forgetting The Stones, Prince was right up there. I have all his albums, even the unfashionable ones.</p>
<p>I had spent the day in A&E (7 hours) and as a result my back was ridiculously sore, I was stressed and then I tuned onto the 7pm news. I had to stop the car. Prince. Dead? I was only listening to the new album THAT morning? What? Whaaat? <em>No</em>.<em>No.No</em>.</p>
<p>On Monday of that same week I had acquired an 8 CD set of unreleased Prince music (yip, a bootleg) and had been working through that. On Wednesday I was searching Discogs.com to add a couple of vinyl versions of albums of his that I didn't have ('Batman' and 'Lovesexy'), they were in my "cart' but I didn't buy then because I was going to look at anything else I may had overlooked, 'when I get a few minutes tomorrow'. Tomorrow never comes. Monday started with a reinvigoration and new investigation of his music and by Thursday evening it was calamity.</p>
<p>Sometimes it does indeed snow in April. Like yesterday for example. It's ironic how that relatively unusual weather event happened when it did. Co-incidence of course (or was it?), but a timely and desperately sad one. "All good things they say, never last".</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Prince, first impressions</strong></p>
<p>Good god, I hated the sight of him. I read the music press from an early age (late 70's onwards NME subscriber!) so I probably knew a bit about him a couple of years before he hit public consciousness with the 1999 and Purple Rain albums. I saw the 'Dirty Mind' cover, read a bit about him and instantly disliked what I saw.</p>
<p>Disgraced DJ Jonathan King had a music show on tv around the time that '1999' was released. He'd just concluded an interview with (idol alert) Lou Reed and having been given short thrift by Lou in his general "I hate journalists" adversarial mode, King, miffed at being found out by the razor sharp Reed, concluded the interview by saying something along the lines of "..and now to someone infinitely more talented than Lou Reed, this is Prince..." and played the video for 'Little Red Corvette'. I was genuinely incensed about the comment that i felt badly disparaged one of my hero's. I took to an even deeper dislike of Prince after that.</p>
<p>Purple Rain came and went, I wasn't impressed. What the <em>what</em>, Prince even had the temerity of keeping Bruce and 'Dancing In The Dark' off the top of the singles charts! Damn that guy! He won an award (a Brit, or a forerunner of those awards) and when he flounced up to the stage with his huge bodyguard in tow, high heels and blouse, took the award, said nothing, and flounced back to his seat, I thought, <em>dick</em>.</p>
<p>Sitting with a friend of mine, Robbie Byrne, in his room listening to music one evening he took 'Around The World In A Day' off the shelf. "You <em>have</em> to listen to this, the guy is a genius" was Roberto's assessment of the situation. I duly protested, relating the J.King/Reed/Prince anecdote. Begrudgingly I took a loan of the record. I've never looked back and I can honestly say I have every album the guy ever released. The hard to get ones, the internet only releases, 12" singles, CD singles, extended remixes etc etc. I have live album bootlegs, after show club gigs plus a plethora of songs, outtakes, demo's, videos etc that were leaked on bootleg over the years. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>My first Prince concert - New York City August 3rd 1986</strong></p>
<p>I fled Kells to New York in late March of 1986. While I was there, Prince released 'Parade'. Two shows were announced for Madison Square Gardens and I was lucky to get a ticket for the second night. I was up in the nosebleeds at the back, but I was in 'the room'. Now, seeing Prince play a concert in NYC is a <em>wee</em> bit different from seeing him play Cork for example. For a start, I was the ONLY white guy in the section where I was sitting. I had relatively long fair hair then and wore a fedora hat (yeah, this from the man who called Prince a dick). I kinda stuck out.</p>
<p>From my personal experience at that time NYC was not a racially harmonised city. It probably still isn't. However as with a lot of Irish people going to the US in the '80s racism wasn't a particular issue for us. We simply didn't have much of a multi racial/cultural society in Ireland back then, so it was very rare that anything related to a racially driven incident appeared in the media nationally, let alone in the boondocks where I lived. In my own case, and in my consciousness I was just a guy in the crowd same as anyone else.</p>
<p>If you don't know the BEST line Prince ever wrote about racism I'm going to share it with you now (I still use it whenever the issue needs addressing); </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><em>"...Cut you? Cut me? BOTH the blood is red..geddit??"</em></strong> (lyric is from "Race' off the 'Come' album)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At one stage in the show he led the crowd in a rap that seemed to turn a few heads towards me, the solitary honky. It was from 'The Roof Is On Fire' by Rock Master Scott and the Dynamic Three and seemed to be a black anthem of sorts. It goes like this; "..<em>the roof is on fire...we don't need no water...let the muthaf*cker burn...burn muthaf*cker burn!</em>". </p>
<p>O-kayyyyy. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyways. He played keyboards for the majority of the show, I don't remember him even playing guitar until the encore. An hour into the show ('Love Bizarre') Prince holla'd "New York! (crowd roars) New York! (crowd roars louder) We're gonna rock all night!!" (crowd goes apeshit bat crazy). The song ends. Prince steps up to the mike and says "goodnight New York, I love you" (crowd, in unison, look at their watches. What the? An <em>hour</em>?). He plays "Sometimes It Snows In April" at the piano and leaves the stage.</p>
<p>He walks back on stage, on his own, with a guitar, for the first time that night, the lights change colour, you know the one, and he delivers a 'Purple Rain' that to this day I still can't accurately describe it in a way that would do it justice. Transcendent <em>maybe</em>?</p>
<p>So he played for less than an hour and 20-ish minutes. I'd have sat there all night. </p>
<p>'Kiss' wasn't played, which was a huge hit at the time, and I wished it had been included. I only found out while writing this article that at the previous nights show he did 4 more songs in the encore which included 'Kiss' and 'Whole Lotta Shaking Going On'!</p>
<p>Grrrrr. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Prince - Lovesexy Tour 1988 Wembley Arena London August 3rd 1988</strong> </p>
<p>I was working in GE in Wembley London and Prince announced a string of shows at the local Arena (about a 12k seater capacity). Myself and 3 lads from work, Jeff, Keith and Chris (Goodwin) headed off to the show. We took our excellent seats, row 20 from the stage which was set up 'in the round' i.e. in the middle of the arena. As the arena filled up the row of seats in front of us remained empty.</p>
<p>During the first song ('Erotic City'), in the darkness, a bunch of people occupied their seats and not quietly or without fuss. One of the party was a complete vision from the back. Black satin bomber jacket, the tightest black leggings imaginable (unheard of in the '80s, not like today) and the longest black hair which (from my view behind) was swept back from the face every few minutes.</p>
<p>The lads all looked down the line at me and there were a few nudge nudge wink wink faces made. I didn't really pass that much remark as I was focused purely on the stage and anyone interrupting my connection to the action is generally ignored or given a withering glance. However it was hard not to physically register what looked like <em>a vision</em> of loveliness directly in front of me.</p>
<p>After a few songs more one of the lads tugged at my elbow and nodded to my right as in "bloody hell mate, look who it is?". It was 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood' (or at least it was Holly Johnston, Paul Rutherford and their friends). Ah! ok, so now I could kind of understand the getting-to seats-when-the-lights-go-down situation, but they were also very irritating in that they still displayed a contradictory 'look at me, look at me, I love how much I can talk and how loud I can be' behaviour. </p>
<p>At the first intermission, the lights went up. As the group in front began to sit down '<em>The Vision</em>' turned around to us and smiled at me in a nice way, like you do when you're out at a show to the people around you. </p>
<p>It was Pete Burns, HE from the group 'Dead Or Alive'. Sadly, very much dead now. Yup, collective intake of breath from the four of us and a quick conversation started about the football or some other such macho-esque topic. Funnily enough I think Pete eventually went full transgender so fair play to him, he certainly had 4 straight guys in the palm of his hand that night (and <em>yes</em>, that's <em>meant</em> to be funny...).</p>
<p>Prince did a blues jam, 'Blues In C' (aka 'If I Had a Harem') where he sat at the edge of the stage and played an unbelievable guitar solo, and a side of Prince we'd never really ever seen before. Prince as a Delta bluesman? Wow. He also did a cover version of 'Just My Imagination' that night, again, totally <em>class</em>.</p>
<p>He finished the show with 'Alphabet Street'. This was the song where he, and Kat, would jump aboard a Thunderbird car that was attached to the periphery of the stage by a mechanical arm and they would then 'drive' around the stage as they waved their goodbyes. On this night they jumped aboard the "white rad rod" (maybe a '56 or '57, it was, however, seemingly, absurd, ;) ) and disappeared from view. Possibly to Tennessee. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Prince - Rainbow Children Tour- Point Depot October 10th 2002</strong></p>
<p>Let me tell you about Pat Cusack. The most important thing to know is that Pat and I are of a distinctly similar build. We may be intellectual giants (<em>cough!</em>) but we're Prince sized. Two of the whitest, and in fairness, least funky looking brothers from another other mother you'd be likely to meet. Although we've never spoken of it (the omertà of the unfunky white man) I'm sure Pat suffers the same lack of co-ordination (disco-ordination?) when it comes to physically moving ones body in time to a back beat.</p>
<p>We'd actually been colleagues and friends for a couple of years before we realised we shared a common love for the wee Purple Genius. Like what often happens when I talk to someone and they share that they're a "fan" of a certain artist that I like, I have to do a subtle interrogation to find out just <em>how much</em> they know and like that person or group. It's a thing that music fanatics who border on severe-OCD-collector-Vinyl-is-god syndrome do (Justin Evans? I hope you recognise who else I'm talking about here?). </p>
<p>I remember the great Irish musician/songwriter Peter Fitzpatrick (Circuit3 - check 'them' out!) with whom I also shared an employer once, doing it to me. He dropped Peter Blakes name into a casual conversation, when I mentioned I loved the Beatles, and I could see the inner smile of recognising one of your own in his eyes, when I immediately asked him if he (Blake) still had that striking white beard. I passed that test, the same way Pat passed my initial subtle quizzing. The dude knew his purple stuff. </p>
<p>Prince was great that night. Mixed set, Rainbow Children isn't one of Princes best albums, but we were in 'the room' and Cusack and I resisted the temptation to laugh at the others moves. After all it would have been the equivalent of a Mexican stand off. Or Mexican dance off if you will. You could call it double indemnity. But I know in my heart that Pat can dance like a mad man. Like me. In the dark.When no-ones watching. And Prince is on the stereo. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Prince - What Kevin said</strong></p>
<p>The seeds of understanding Prince's 'oddness' were sown by the, at that time, very funny when in the flesh, film director Kevin Smith. Smith had started a college tour of "An Audience With" to accompany showings of his films or just to meet the kids who went to see his independent movies ("I made Clerks for $27,000 on a visa card" etc).</p>
<p>Now, I have loved listening to Kevin for nearly 2 decades, I have DVD's, comics, scripts, posters all tagged by the man. But since he started to smoke weed non fricking stop his films are less...less...well...less good. They're awful. I'd love to see the guy hit one out of the park again. But I don't think it'll happen until, firstly he stops smoking that sh*te and secondly becomes aware and confident about what he COULD do, if he put a clear mind to it.</p>
<p>Kev says smoking makes him uber productive. It might do, but it doesn't mean the equation of quantity to <em>quality</em> remains relative in those circumstances. The evidence speaks for itself, but he's ignoring it. Oh Kevin. </p>
<p>He's such a self deprecator to the point that he doesn't make excuses for how bad some of his recent films are or the over extended reliance on either dick jokes (and worse) or gross out scenarios in his movies. Ok 20 years ago those dick jokes were <em>very</em> funny, but man, I'm 52, I left that stuff behind a long, long time ago. Heck I was already passed that point twenty years ago. But Smith was a very funny, ordinary, self deprecating and loveable guy. His 'Audience With' shows were very funny and indeed, very human. He's from New Jersey, immediate brownie points from me, and he once said he'd take a bullet for Bruce Springsteen. How could I <em>not</em> like the guy?</p>
<p>Grace you raised a good son, Seth Rogen, you bloody ruined him. I sadly no longer feel part of Smiths audience demographic. But I will defend the honour of 'Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back', 'Dogma' and 'Clerks II' in front of and to anyone. </p>
<p>I've meandered. Go straight to Youtube and Google/Bing 'Kevin Smith and Prince' and you can see Kev Smith relay one of the funniest stories you'll ever hear, and one which as a Prince fan himself Smith tells with remarkable candour and directness. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Prince - Where we fell out</strong></p>
<p>Prince was one of the pioneers of using the internet to distribute music to fans without the use of a record company. For a fee, you could join the NPG online community and have access to buy rare or unreleased recordings directly from Prince. I did. I bought downloads of unreleased albums, special fan only videos, new web only tracks etc. </p>
<p>Anything that was up on-line I probably bought over the space of a couple of months. One day the web site disappeared. It never came back. Not only that, but all the music and video downloads those of us who had spent our hard earned wedge on were no longer even playable. The technical widgets in the software we use to download licensed music were simply revoked by Prince.</p>
<p>This was and still is in my opinion robbery. There were utter nonsense cryptic comments made about how basically we were lucky to have this treasure trove for the time we had it but 'Prince has now moved on'. Then he started suing anyone who put his picture up on the internet, including loyal fan sites or even random users who might have innocently been playing a Prince song in the background while they recorded a home video with their kids. I loved the man but jaysus he could be an utter tool sometimes.</p>
<p>Amanda and I travelled to London in 2007 to attend evening 19 of the '21 Nights' tour (September 16th). Oh man, <em>what a show</em>, You had to be there. If you have seen the video of Prince playing the Superbowl Half-Time show, THAT was the same year, same band, same stage etc. Awesome. If you haven't seen that video, go straight to Youtube while flagellating yourself with a rose bush. The London shows just left you wanting more.</p>
<p>It was announced that on June 16th 2008 Prince was going to play Croke Park. I decided i was going to go all guns on tickets. I bought seats at the side of the stage. They were a horrendous price. Seriously expensive, particularly when money was tight, but this was Prince. They sold 55,000 tickets. Two weeks before the show Prince pulled the plug. No significantly clear explanation given as to why, it just appeared to be a random decision made on a whim. Rumoured, was that Prince had expected to sell more than 55,000 tickets two weeks before the show. He didn't understand the walk up on the night or buy the tickets the day before mentality that a lot of Irish music fans have. It was disappointing and symptomatic of a guy who appeared to have lost touch with reality or stopped caring about his fan base. </p>
<p>So, coupled with the robbery from the web site and then the cancellation, I said "enough", I'm voting with my feet on this. When the Malahide Castle gig was announced I stubbornly entrenched those same feet in the deepest of emotional concrete and did not buy a ticket. I had to fend off the "you got your ticket right?" and " sure I'll see you in Malahide next week" comments from all and sundry, with a flat "nope, I'm not going". </p>
<p>I still listen to Prince all the time. I play his songs on the guitar. Like Bowie, we've been lucky to have shared some of his timeline in history. Unlike the guys in Mozart or Beethovens time, the legacy of Prince's (and Bowie's) music as they played and presented it themselves will be with the earth forever, for future generations to admire. I suspect they will be more than a bit envious of the fact that we were here when we were. </p>
<p>I shall miss Prince everyday. </p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464702016-01-11T00:00:00+00:002022-06-04T13:43:54+01:00Low...<p>When I was 10 I bought my first album. It was 'Hunky Dory' by David Bowie. This was typical of a mindset, which has endured, in that I stubbornly rarely ever conform to any general consensus, but particularly when it comes to music. I take a salmon like approach. I'd rather walk alone. If I don't discover something <span style="text-decoration:underline">myself</span>, then it's not worth listening to. It doesn't mean I'm right of course. </p>
<p>For example, a mate, lets call him Robbie Byrne once of Navan parish, told me that Prince was a <em>genius</em> upon the release of "Around The World In A Day". This worm wasn't for turning. Of course I end up being an absolute Prince fanatic. Have everything he's ever released (plus a lot of what he hasn't released), have traveled abroad to see him play live etc. Godammit I was even part of the NPG fan club and accessed a bunch of on line content (at a price) that was subsequently taken off line by Prince, and the licenses rescinded. I lost a lot of love for Prince at that time. 'Mugged' springs to mind. Having bought <em>expensive</em> ring side seats for the proposed gig in Croke Park a few years ago and then have it cancelled because they had "only" sold 65,000 tickets, moved me further away from the Prince camp (Editors Note; this blog entry was written on Jan 11th and thus before Prince's passing)</p>
<p>I digress. When I bought "Hunky Dory" everyone <em>else</em> was buying "Ziggy Stardust" and participating in the accompanying mania. My sister, Angela, joined the official Bowie Fan Club. It cost 30p in 1972 and you got a membership card, a (pre-printed) welcome letter from David, and a silk sticker.</p>
<p>I joined the "Geordie" fan club instead. Yes, who, you may very well ask. History will at least show that the lead singer of this obscure band went on to front AC/DC (Brian Johnson) and maybe I was prescient in my critical evaluation of his star appeal. All because of you baby, all because of you (go Google that).</p>
<p>Springsteen. Gerry Mee and I saw the video of him singing "Rosalita" from the '78 Darkness tour (the Phoenix Arizona show) on The Old Grey Whistle Test. Stunning. We discussed it the next day at school. Although I went back to my Bowie and Lou Reed albums Gerry went out and bought "Darkness On The Edge Of Town"). Bruce was at least registered with me. He was on the radar but, heck I had too much to do with pouring all my musical love (and money) into buying Bowie, Lou, Iggy, Kraftwerk, Talking Heads etc.</p>
<p>THEN in 1979 when "The River" was released I heard two Cunninghams, not related either to me or each other, going on about the song of the same name. It was seemingly up there with Paul Simons (and Garfunkel, let his place in history be noted) "Sound of Silence" and "The Boxer" because 'The River' was a source of real life perspective particularly the poignancy of the pregnancy storyline. For me this was a "right on" conversation from two Charismatics participants. Springsteen was taken off the radar with haste and deigned not to reappear until mid 1980 when I bought "The Wild, The Innocent" (the album where "Rosalita" could be found, followed by "Nebraska" and another love affair was started. I do though distinctly remember hearing "Sherry Darling" from that album on the radio one day and nearly getting drawn back in. </p>
<p>It was the same with Neil Young. Everyone spoke of him in reverential tones. The music teacher in St Pats (a lovely lady who we were horrible to as a class - I got a <span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>minus</strong></span> 3 in an exam once) used to play "Heart Of Gold" and "After The Goldrush". He sounded like a whiny hippy to me. I never engaged because, in a nutshell, I was too immature to appreciate this fine art because it didn't make a big "bang" sound. We were allowed bring a record into class to demonstrate the use of multiple musical instruments in a song. I brought in the live version of "Panic In Detroit" off the "David Live" album, because there were individual guitar, bass, sax and drum solos :).</p>
<p>When Young flipped the bird at Geffen Records in the 80's I respected what he did and went out and bought one of his truly excellent records ("This Notes For You"). How do I <em>know</em> it's one of his excellent records? Because I then went and bought them all dummy!! Can't you see where this is going?</p>
<p>Tom Waits. The piano had indeed been drinking. Aah jaysus, what's going on there? Francis Ford Coppolla (who I wrote to, looking for a job, care of Zoetrope Studios, San Francisco, USA back in 1983) released his movie "One From The Heart". I'd never cried at a movie before and this film did indeed become one TO the heart. To my mind it's the greatest soundtrack album of all time. Up on the bus to Dublin in about 1983, found it in Golden Discs on Talbot Street. Yawn, yes, I do now own all of Tom Waits albums. Sitting second row, center stage in a big tent in the Phoenix Park a few years ago was one of my greatest concert experiences of my life (Blog to follow at some stage).</p>
<p>I'm still digressing. I can digress with the very best of them.</p>
<p>As a child of Irish parents and in an Anglo/Irish Lancashire household roughly located between Liverpool and Manchester, my Mum and Dads record collection, like many immigrants from Ireland, consisted of Joe Dolan and the Drifters, Eileen Reid and The Cadettes and Big Tom and the Mainliners. There was a Noel V Ginnity comedy album (he grew up with my Dad in Kells) and I can remember a Jim Reeves album "Bimbo". But that was it.</p>
<p>I think there was possibly a quiet concern that the young lad was buying records by the (then PR spun) orange haired, bi-sexual bloke who wore dresses ("Mum? What's a buy sexual?"). I did try explaining what the Japanese Kabuki costumes were though. When I was in my teens. Gary Glitter was ok though, at least he made sense...cartoon pop, as catchy as hell, but inoffensive...oh boy.</p>
<p>So, back to "Hunky Dory". With Bowie it was never about the image (ok, on some level it must have been a factor, although I know I was very irritated with that "<em>cockerney accent, hello moy auld plaam</em>" voice he'd put on occasionally. He often looked weird too. No eyebrows. Ah, I'll just play "Queen Bitch" again. Oh yeah.</p>
<p>So how did I find 'Hunky Dory'? In '73 one of my friends brought us around to his house to listen to the new Bowie single, "Starman". It was <em>ok</em> to my ears, but as they liked it (agh!) I asked him to play the <em>B-Side</em> (ask your parents). It was a cover version of a Chuck Berry song "'Round and 'Round". This had a totally different effect on me. It's STILL one of the best performances on record by DB and The Spiders From Mars. The flag went up.</p>
<p>There had been an advert on tv at the time for a publication called the "Encyclopedia of Rock". Two years ago I was able to get a lithograph of the first cover of this magazine which had been reprinted for the "David Bowie Is" event. There's an image of Elvis and Bowie on the cover - the old handing over to the new King Rock.</p>
<p>The tv advert showed snippets of Elvis, Dylan, Beatles, Stones and Bowie. They used a live snip of Bowie in concert but I didnt know what song it was, only that it <em>r-o-c-k-e-d</em>. After swimming in Leigh baths on the following Saturday morning I went into the Redifusion TV/record shop on Leigh main street and skimmed the small selection of Bowie albums trying to figure out what song it was I'd heard? I eventually settled on deciding it was a song called "Changes". So I bought HK.</p>
<p>I think it cost £2 6s. I brought it home and dropped the needle on "Changes". It <em>wasn't</em> the song I'd heard on the t.v. (a few decades later I think the song I heard was either a few seconds of the 2nd part of "Width of a Circle" or a bit of "White Light White Heat"). Irrespective, the die was cast and I quickly became symbiotic with the bloke.</p>
<p>My 10 year old brain tried to comprehend the songs on that record, (indeed I'm STILL trying to get my head around them) but I did as best my limited intelligence, vocabulary and sensibilities could with 'Eight Line Poem', 'Quicksand' or 'Bewley Brothers'. For full disclosure, I wasn't a particularly "cool" kid and the next records I bought (after Roxy Musics "Street Life") were by Gary Glitter and the Glitter Band, and "The Monster Mash". </p>
<p>As contrary as I was to public opinion I didn't buy my next Bowie album until the following year. Refusing to follow the lead of my friends who raved about "Ziggy" and then "Aladdin Sane" (although I sneakingly loved "Jean Genie" (or as The Sweet called it, "Blockbuster"!) my next Bowie record was 'Diamond Dogs' in '74. Then 'David Live'. </p>
<p>It's with abject embarrassment that I put several teenage girlfriends through the Bowie ringer. When they walked away shaking their heads about my continual rabbitting on about all things David, I figured they felt they just couldn't compete for my affections with my idol. I know it had absolutely nothing to do with me being a gobshite. When the next live album, "Stage" was released in 1978, I was thrilled beyond explanation to hear Bowie SPEAK! on these albums. "Thank you very much indeed". Cue faint.</p>
<p>So. Where are we now? The moment you know, you know, you know. One of the saddest weeks of my life. On Nov 26th I got up at 5am to order the new album, Blackstar, on black and on clear vinyl (one of 5000 limited edition copies). I simply can't bring myself to listen to the album. As soon as I heard the news at 7am on Monday the 11th I <em>immediately</em> realized the significance of what the record meant. It was a goodbye.</p>
<p>Maybe if I <em>don't</em> listen to it, there's not going to be a goodbye?</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464692016-01-02T00:00:00+00:002022-06-04T15:45:06+01:00Jan 2016 - No.1<p>...current bedside reading list and most recent musical purchases (presents)...</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Books</span></p>
<ul> <li>Ride a White Swan (The Lives and Death of Marc Bolan) - Lesley Ann Jones</li> <li>Reckless - Chrissie Hynde</li> <li>A Different Road - Bob Latchford</li> <li>Travelling to Work;The Diaries 1988 - 98 (Vol 3) - Michael Palin</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Music</span></p>
<ul> <li>Tusk (Deluxe Box Set) - Fleetwood Mac (2 x vinyl/Remastered album on CD/ Live concert/ Studio Outakes)</li> <li>The River; 40th Anniversary Box Set - Bruce</li> <li>Alone In The Universe - Jeff Lynne</li> <li>Bluenote Cafe (Vinyl box set) - Neil Young</li> <li>1 - The Beatles (Blu Ray edition)</li>
</ul>
<p>coming soon... Blackstar - Bowie</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464682014-07-13T01:00:00+01:002022-06-04T15:51:28+01:001,2,3,4...And then there were none...<p>The last of <em>da brudders</em>, Tommy Ramone has exited stage left. Having lost Joey and Johnny to the big c, and Dee Dee to his own nefarious devices and almost wilful descent to oblivion, all sadly very prematurely, Tommy outlasted them all. He was 65.</p>
<p>Initially he took over percussion duties on joining the band (from the syncopationally challenged Joey, the original drummer) but also played some white hot guitar on the albums as well. Eventually Tommy relinquished the drumming hot seat to Marky, but he remained closely connected to the band.</p>
<p>I gave a deserved call out to The Ramones in my song "Nobody Plays Rock 'N' Roll Songs Anymore". The group that launched a million T-Shirts were unquestionably one of the most influential bands of all time. They never had "hits" or mass adoration during their time except from a relatively small group of folks "in the know". But I dare anyone to put on "Rockaway Beach" and not let your foot tap along or your head nod involuntarily. </p>
<p>Like their music The Ramones kept their foot to the floor, lived fast and died too young.</p>
<p>"<em>Where are the da brudders, they're all gone</em></p>
<p><em>Just when we need them the most</em></p>
<p><em>I wanna hear them call out 1,2,3,4</em></p>
<p><em>Now they're all black leather ghosts"</em></p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464672013-10-27T01:00:00+01:002022-06-04T13:50:17+01:00Lou Reed....<p>I am filled with sadness at the passing of Lou Reed. When I was a teenager I had probably four true musical loves - Bowie, The Beatles, Marc Bolan and Lou Reed. The first Reed album I bought was (like for many) "Transformer" (which for some of you too young to know, was produced by Bowie, and his guitar player Mick Ronson played piano and did the arrangements - think of the song "Perfect Day" for Ronson's level of contribution). </p>
<p>I hadn't <em>a clue</em> what the lyrics on that record were about as a 13-15 year old (and probably just as well!), all I knew was that I loved that record. It spoke of strange people (very) and even stranger places. When I was 16 I had two people on my wall - Bowie and Reed. The more I caught up on Reeds' catalog of albums and learned more about the Velvet Underground it shaped my appreciation for music that wasn't the stuff you heard on the radio. Same with Iggy Pop another recipient of largesse by Bowie that put him on many a persons radar, mine included. </p>
<p>There was a great quote attributed to Brian Eno that "The Velvet Underground's first album only sold a few thousand copies, but everyone who bought one formed a band.". Probably not entirely true as the record sold about 50,000 copies in its first couple of years but it appealed to a <em>certain type</em> of listener (me!), it was left of centre, it was noisy, it had it's roots in Andy Warhols' art/multi-media rock and roll circus. I'm not going to type out Reed's life story and musical transition here, go check out a Wiki somewhere. But it's a truly <em>fascinating</em> story. </p>
<p>I picked up "Rock And Roll Heart" in the market in Navan back in about 1977, "Street Hassle" (and I didn't know this at the time) featured a brief monologue by Springsteen (I didn't even have ANY Springsteen records at this time). His first solo record "Lou Reed" I bought on Trimgate Street in Navan from a Hare Krishna!! The guy was selling a bunch of records from a big leather satchel from over his shoulder. I think it cost me £3. </p>
<p>In 1986-88 I was living in New York. One afternoon in the Village I saw a flyer from Tower records that Lou Reed would be signing copies of his then new album "Mistrial". I scoured, quite literally, Manhattan for a copy of the sheet music of "Walk On The Wild Side" and finally through sheer perseverance I eventually found a copy. I was thrilled with myself. In advance of the signing I also bought an new copy of "Berlin" on vynl and two rare singles "My Love Is Chemical" and "September Song".</p>
<p>I queued up outside Tower Records and finally found myself in front of Lou. I handed my camera to the store guy and had my picture taken and Lou happily signed my wares (I also had "Mistrial" with me as I'd bought it when it was released.</p>
<p>Cloud 9. Lou was my first starstruck experience of a musical legend. When he heard my accent he recounted his gig in Croke Park supporting U2, we had a chat about Ireland, and he was <em>sound</em>. </p>
<p>Fast forward to the last show of his I attended (The Ecstasy Tour). It was in The Olympia theatre in Dublin and by the luck of the ticketing gods I was front row and centre stage. I had a great time, savouring every song.</p>
<p>After the show I went to the exit door and with a bunch of other folks waited for Reed to come out which he duly did and he signed lots of stuff for people. He looked up and spotted me. He dipped his head and looked out from over the rim of his obligatory sun glasses and said "hey! I remember you? You were in the front row right? You were having a blast, thank you for enjoying the show so much, it means a lot"...oh boy.</p>
<p>I have every album that Reed and The Velvets ever released. I was only playing "<em>Another VU</em>" yesterday. I am just gutted to think Lou has left us. You think these musician guys are going to be around for ever. Well, he WILL be but, you know what I mean. </p>
<p>So, tonight I go to bed with a heavy heart and I'm sure I'll be listening to some old records over the next couple of days (in fact only a couple of weeks ago I put about 16gb of Reed's music on a memory card which I have in the car). You'll probably hear some weird and wonderful stuff about Lou over the next few days, he WAS unique and a one time deal. He gave many journalists a very hard time and never minced his words. Renowned as contrary, surly and aggressive. I never saw that side of him on my two encounters. But the music will always speak for itself. Off the top of my head if you want any references to check out, start with one of the "Greatest Hits" volumes out there. Transformer, Berlin, New Sensations, New York are all great records too. </p>
<p>Goodnight Lou....</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464662013-08-25T01:00:00+01:002014-07-09T13:58:41+01:00Number one in a series of great drummers - Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight I give you...
<p><span style="color:#ccffff"><strong>CLEM BURKE</strong></span> - I've been lucky enough to see Clem play in the Eurythmics tour band plus of course in his main claim to fame, Blondie. The guy is an <em>exceptional</em> drummer.</p>
<p>If you're looking for a brushes and light sticks, then Clem is not the guy for you. His forte is foot to the floor crash bang wallop, but in a listener friendly rhythmical heartbeat delivery. </p>
<p>The only evidence I need to give you is let your ears drift towards one of the most perfect pop singles of our time, "Dreaming" by Blondie. In fact, you can take virtually any Blondie single as an example. Those songs would not sound <em>just</em> as good with anyone else behind the kit. </p>
<p>Mr Burke sir, you are simply a legend, and I thank you for many,many air drumming moments over the past 35 years.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/394857/b91e592d3b56a899965b5259fc5dcbc2317da3a5/original/clem-burke.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAweDMyMiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="322" width="500" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>From Wikipedia below...</p>
<p><strong>Clement "Clem" Burke</strong><span style="line-height:19px"> </span><span style="color:#000000"><span style="line-height:19px">(born November 24, 1955) is an </span><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" title="United States" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" data-imported="1">American</a><span style="line-height:19px"> </span><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" title="Musician" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musician" data-imported="1">musician</a><span style="line-height:19px"> who is the </span><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" title="Drummer" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drummer" data-imported="1">drummer</a><span style="line-height:19px"> for the </span><a class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" title="Band (music)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_(music)" data-imported="1">band</a><span style="line-height:19px"> </span><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" title="Blondie (band)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondie_(band)" data-imported="1">Blondie</a><span style="line-height:19px">. Recruited by </span><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" title="Chris Stein" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Stein" data-imported="1">Chris Stein</a><span style="line-height:19px"> and </span><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;" title="Debbie Harry" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Harry" data-imported="1">Debbie Harry</a><span style="line-height:19px"> when they were first forming Blondie. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">During the 1980s and 1990s, when Blondie was disbanded, Burke played drums for <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="The Romantics" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Romantics" data-imported="1">The Romantics</a> (for whom Burke was the regular drummer<sup>[<em><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" data-imported="1"><span title="The text near this tag may need clarification or removal of jargon. (November 2011)">clarification needed</span></a></em>]</sup> between 1990 and 2004), <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Pete Townshend" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Townshend" data-imported="1">Pete Townshend</a>, <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Bob Dylan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan" data-imported="1">Bob Dylan</a>, <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Eurythmics" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurythmics" data-imported="1">Eurythmics</a>, <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="The Tourists" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tourists" data-imported="1">The Tourists</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Dramarama (band)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramarama_(band)" data-imported="1">Dramarama</a>, <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="The Fleshtones" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fleshtones" data-imported="1">The Fleshtones</a>, <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Iggy Pop" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggy_Pop" data-imported="1">Iggy Pop</a>, and <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Joan Jett" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Jett" data-imported="1">Joan Jett</a>, amongst others. He went on to record with the line-up of Chequered Past in 1983 with <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Sex Pistols" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Pistols" data-imported="1">Sex Pistols</a> guitarist <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Steve Jones (musician)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jones_(musician)" data-imported="1">Steve Jones</a>, former Blondie bandmate <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Nigel Harrison" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Harrison" data-imported="1">Nigel Harrison</a>, musician <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Tony Sales" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Sales" data-imported="1">Tony Sales</a> and singer/actor <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Michael Des Barres" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Des_Barres" data-imported="1">Michael Des Barres</a>.<sup><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clem_Burke#cite_note-2" data-imported="1">[2]</a></sup><sup><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clem_Burke#cite_note-3" data-imported="1">[3]</a></sup></p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In the late 1980s, he stood in as drummer for The <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Ramones" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramones" data-imported="1">Ramones</a> (under the name "Elvis Ramone") for two gigs, on August 28, 1987, in <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Providence, Rhode Island" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence,_Rhode_Island" data-imported="1">Providence, Rhode Island</a>, and August 29, 1987, in <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Trenton, New Jersey" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trenton,_New_Jersey" data-imported="1">Trenton, New Jersey</a>, after the sudden departure of <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Richie Ramone" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richie_Ramone" data-imported="1">Richie Ramone</a>.<sup><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clem_Burke#cite_note-film-4" data-imported="1">[4]</a></sup> On October 8, 2004, he once again played under the name "Elvis Ramone", when he joined <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Tommy Ramone" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Ramone" data-imported="1">Tommy Ramone</a>, <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="C. J. Ramone" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._J._Ramone" data-imported="1">C. J. Ramone</a>, and <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Daniel Rey" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Rey" data-imported="1">Daniel Rey</a> in the "Ramones Beat Down On Cancer" concert. He has recorded and played live with <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Wanda Jackson" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_Jackson" data-imported="1">Wanda Jackson</a> and <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Nancy Sinatra" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Sinatra" data-imported="1">Nancy Sinatra</a>. Burke also played on <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="The Go-Go's" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Go-Go%27s" data-imported="1">The Go-Go's</a> member <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Kathy Valentine" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Valentine" data-imported="1">Kathy Valentine</a>'s solo release, <em>Light Years</em> in 2005. He was inducted in the <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame" data-imported="1">Rock and Roll Hall of Fame</a> in 2006.<sup><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clem_Burke#cite_note-bday-5" data-imported="1">[5]</a></sup></p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He now is a member of Slinky Vagabond with <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Earl Slick" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Slick" data-imported="1">Earl Slick</a>, <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Glen Matlock" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Matlock" data-imported="1">Glen Matlock</a>, and Keanan Duffty. Slinky Vagabond played their debut concert at the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash in May 2007.<sup><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clem_Burke#cite_note-bday-5" data-imported="1">[5]</a></sup> He is also currently a member of Magic Christian (Dirty Water Records), along with former <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Flamin' Groovies" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamin%27_Groovies" data-imported="1">Flamin' Groovies</a> guitarist Cyril Jordan (on guitar) and <a class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Plimsouls" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plimsouls" data-imported="1">Plimsouls</a> lead guitarist Eddie Munoz (on bass).</p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As of November, 2010, he plays drums with The <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Hugh Cornwell" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Cornwell" data-imported="1">Hugh Cornwell</a> Band.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In July 2011, it was announced that he is to receive an honorary doctorate from the <a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="University of Gloucestershire" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Gloucestershire" data-imported="1">University of Gloucestershire</a>, due to his drumming project<sup><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clem_Burke#cite_note-6" data-imported="1">[6]</a></sup> that analyses the physical and psychological effects of drumming.<sup><a style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clem_Burke#cite_note-7" data-imported="1">[7]</a></sup></p>
<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In April 2013, Burke appeared on the <a class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: #0b0080; background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;" title="Little Steven" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Steven" data-imported="1">Little Steven</a> song "All I Needed Was You" along with Scott Kempner, Barry Goldberg, Gregg Sutton and Tom Jr Morgan on the Carla Olson album <em>Have Harmony, Will Travel</em>.</p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464652013-06-09T01:00:00+01:002022-06-04T15:44:33+01:00On the way.....<p>New album is coming on really well. Have too many songs (again) and I'm preparing some of my song stash for the next (next) album which at the moment is called "Onion".</p>
<p>Spent a lot of time this weekend mixing, which is a learning experience to say the least! Parametric equalisation and the like means lots of reading and YouTube tutorials.</p>
<p>i'm going to remix the first 3 albums in the coming weeks. Now that I know more about what I should have been doing I want to go back and re-do the songs again and apply some sonic finesse. I like the songs a lot but they're not been done any service whatsoever by poor production techniques. But like Phoenixses they shall rise from the ashes.</p>
<p>For "Sunflower" the track listing (so far!) is shaping up to be;</p>
<p>1. As The Sunflower Turns It's Face Towards The Sun</p>
<p>2. Pretty Monster</p>
<p>3. Tower Of Strength</p>
<p>4. Glam Man</p>
<p>5. Howl</p>
<p>6. Little Pink Girl (In A Black And White World)</p>
<p>7. Disco Mesopotamia</p>
<p>8. Anxious</p>
<p>9. Green Blue Red</p>
<p>10. The Man Who Went Away</p>
<p>11. Going For A Drive</p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464642013-05-01T01:00:00+01:002013-05-01T13:45:48+01:00May 1st - Randomness
<p>Blog Thing....</p>
<p>- Last week I wrote what *I* think is a really good song. It's called "Green, Blue, Red". <em>Wowsa</em> (modestly). Wrote the tune this day last week after dropping my kids home. Listening to Pink Floyd The Wall in the car. Came in, sat down, picked up the guitar, turned on my Mac and hey presto 10 mins later all guitar guide parts where done and dusted. I made a voice memo to myself in the car describing what the lyrics would be about. Picked up my big book of song after the guitar bits and the lyrics flowed. Recorded it last Friday and mixed on Sat and Sunday. I like it a lot. It's a weird one. About schizophrenia (I think!). Two versions in the can, one with the freaky child voices (me on vocal speed dial) or not. It was one of those songs were I felt I was actually being an <em>artist.</em> A nice feeling...</p>
<p>- Alex is in Finland for 12 days. He' staking part in a six part documentary for RTE on the school system here and there. So now two of my most favourite people in the world are in Finland. Bruce plays two nights in Helsinki this week</p>
<p>- I have a substantial beard ("just like Howard Hughes...without the money..." (reference the song mentioned above)</p>
<p>- I upgraded my record player (Vinyl for all you youngsters out there)</p>
<p>- I <em>finally</em> upgraded my phone - iPhone 5</p>
<p>- I bought "The Next Day" by Bowie on Vinyl (wonderful experience to open a new Bowie record again)</p>
<p>- I'm going to London in 3 weeks to see the David Bowie Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum</p>
<p>- Eric Clapton 9th May O2 Dublin </p>
<p>- Chris Difford got married (again) - congratulations boyo</p>
<p>- I like my friends</p>
<p>- Everton play Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday</p>
<p>- I finished watching Season 1 of "Lilyhammer"</p>
<p>- Songs on the next album? "Howl" / As The Sunflower Turns It's Face Toward The Sun" / Little Pink Girl In A Black And White World / Tower Of Strength / Pretty Monster / "Green, Blue, Red" / Paranoid Schizophrenic Blues / Taking A Ride/ ...and about 20 more to finish off and choose 4 or 5 more from...might have to leave "Country Girl" off the album...Michelle Nolan, you know why :D</p>
<p>- I'm probably writing this to put off doing Tesco Online...but then we have to eat...</p>
<p>- I'm 50 in < two weeks....ah feck....</p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464632013-01-20T00:00:00+00:002022-06-04T13:47:06+01:00#2 in a series....Bowie and I<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">I was a musical kid of the late 60's and early 70's. It's hard to describe how much impact music has had on my life. When I was 10 I joined the David Cassidy Fan Club. Yes, sadly you read that correctly. More on that a bit further down. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">I can still remember the news on the black and white tv showing The Beatles playing on the roof of Abby Rd. I was 5 or 6 years old at the time. When I was 9- 10 myself and a couple of my friends used to hold "concerts" for the local kids where we'd mime to the records of the day. We'd even go as far as putting on motorcycle helmets to mime along with Gary Glitters "I'm The Leader Of The Gang". Our "guitars" were tennis rackets, buckets for drums etc. It cost a sixpence to join our audience and watch our, probably horrific/hysterically embarrassing performance.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">The other lads were older than I was by a couple of years each. I was looking to spend my split of the money on either a new 45rpm vynl single or sweets but I think the band broke up over the assignation of our earnings being spent on fireworks which they bought for themselves and I wasn't old enough for.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">One of these older lads had a copy of Ziggy Stardust. He also had "Starman" on single with a version of Chuck Berry's "Round And Round" on the B-Side. I was semi hooked at this amazing rock and roll tune and Bowie entered my radar big time.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">Around that time there was ad advert for a weekly magazine called I think the History Of Rock. They had a very brief shot of Bowie singing something that really grooved which I thought, incorrectly, was the song "Changes" (but turns out to have been a clip of Bowie doing Lou Reeds "White Light White Heat". Hooked a little bit more now. With my confirmation money I went out and bought "Hunky Dory" because, duh me, I thought the song "Changes" was the track I was trying to get from the advert!</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">Given my age I was very interested in the bubble gum pop of the day (Glitter, Suzi Quatro, 10cc, T.Rex etc). But having said that my ear was always drawn to the more arty stuff. My first single was Roxy Music's "Streetlife", still a huge favourite to this day. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">Of course the impact "Top Of The Pops" had on anyone who ever either picked up a hairbrush microphone or air guitar is beyond measurement. It was the holy grail of tv viewing. The great the good and the often bad every week. That and the announcement of the new record single charts at Tuesday lunchtime was the other unmissable event. Technology had progressed during a short few years and most of us pre teens had access to someone who had a small transistor radio. We'd all be crowded around the chart announcements hearing where our favourite songs had placed that week and hearing what was new. Although looking back a lot of the sexual politics of the day went way over our heads. Bowie's ambiguous androgyny, men wearing pastel satin, mascara, feather boa's etc meant nothing to us. The furthest it went was trying to figure out if the bass player in Mud was a girl (<span style="text-decoration:underline">he</span> wasn't) and was the lead vocal on "Donna" by 10cc sung by another girl? It wasn't either (that was Lol Cremes brilliant falsetto). It was an innocent time in so many ways. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">So. David Cassidy. He was a less feminine pin up compared to the girls other favourite, Donny Osmond, and star of tv's The Partridge Family. So, how come David Cassidy? One afternoon my sister Angela announced SHE was joining the Bowie fan club. You sent off 0.35p postal order and received a type written bio of DB, a typed welcome letter, a lyric sheet and a badge. In a fit of pique that she had joined <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline">MY</span></strong> stars fan club, I decided to immediately turn the tables so I joined HER favourite star's fan club. Oh. Yeah. Didn't think that through did I :)</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">After realising the error of my ways when I received a "personalised" letter from young Mr Cassidy, I took evasive action, and immediately went out and joined the "Geordie" fan club (a north eastern rock n roll group led by the eventual AC DC front man Brian Johnson). They had a great stompy single called "All Because Of You". That love affair didn't last long. Still listen to that song though, it's on my iPod.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">But my love affair with Bowie endured. It went a lot deeper than the image etc I, like a lot of people, kept hearing new sounds, new styles, new links to different music and art through Bowie - Lou Reed and the Velvets, Iggy Pop, Kraftwerk, Dylan, Kubrick, Warhol, Oshima, Roeg etc. When we're about 15 or 16 our teenage impulses tend to over amplify certain things around us and for me I took solace from teenage angst in music. I became a sponge and a lot of that focus was given to all things Bowie. I still have my Bowie scrapbooks with articles from magazines as varied as The Radio Times, Smash Hits (before it stank!) the NME, Record Mirror etc. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">My favourite Bowie records are the ones that stood out from everything else at that time - Low, Hunky Dory, Stationtostation, Heroes, Diamond Dogs etc. I've continued to be a huge fan. I've seen him live 9 times and that includes the Olympia Theatre in Dublin which remains one of my best memories ever given the intimate nature of that venue. I have his autograph, one on the cover of the "Santa Monica 72" live album which I won on the Bowie fan web site and one on a piece of poster art I bought - a limited edition of Ziggy 2000 signed by DB. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">So. January 8th 2013 and the announcement of a new Bowie single and pending album due in March. Given the amount of years away in seclusion (and I think spending time with his per teen daughter Alexandra was a prime driver in this withdrawal from the public view) this news and re-emergence was such a lift and welcome bit of news to me. It made me feel...happy. </span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)">I stood beside his son Duncan in a Munich department store a few years ago ( his film "Moon" was showing at the Munich film festival). I deliberated about asking him how his Dad was. But, decided against it. I figured it'd be a bit too rude to be asking about his auld fella, and that he must have been fed up of that question, given he was finding his own way in the world. It was nice to see him though and looking so well and a normal sort of bloke, given he'd once been Zowie Bowie a little angelic blonde kid in my scrapbook. </span></p>
<p>Bowie will be recognised as one of histories great artists and an influence on so many people. It's been a marvellous journey. The only points of reference in my life that have lasted over 40 years are Bowie and Everton. It's that ingrained. </p>
<p>Thanks DB </p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464622013-01-04T00:00:00+00:002013-01-04T07:36:09+00:00Happy New Year y'all....plus *news*!
<p>Wishing you all a very Happy New Year for 2013</p>
<p><strong>Coming April 2013</strong> - <em>"..As The Sunflower Turns It's Face To The Sun</em>" - the <strong><span style="color:#339966">*</span>new<span style="color:#339966">*</span></strong> album from Chris Carry</p>
<p><img src="http://www.chriscarry.com/img/Sunflower_Cover.PNG" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="544" width="577" /></p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464612012-12-02T00:00:00+00:002012-12-02T11:44:56+00:00"Life" is live on iTunes...
<p>You can find a link to my new album on iTunes here...</p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/life-everything-in-between/id582625393" data-imported="1">https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/life-everything-in-between/id582625393</a></p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464602012-11-23T00:00:00+00:002012-11-24T09:03:34+00:00#1 in a list of many - my favourite singers (Dusty)
<p>It's really difficult to define who is a "great" singer and who isn't. A lot of what we like is very much a personal choice that reflects either our perception of the artist or the vocal styling that they use that serves as a delivery mechanism for the song they sing. For example I love Tom Waits' voice. Would it potentially cause a small child to have nightmares? You bet. <em><span style="text-decoration:underline">I</span></em> often have nightmares after listening to Mr W.</p>
<p>Bob Dylan is another conundrum. Is he a "great" singer? Hell yes. There's several dozen songs you could point towards and lay claim to that sobriquet. The counter argument is Dylan <em>technically</em> a great singer? Don't know and do I care? Not really. What would a technically "great" singer sound like singing "Highway 61"? Well, he wouldn't sound like Dylan that's for sure. So for definition of my favourite singers I'm going to point towards a few folks who would be considered technically great, but also bring heart and soul to what they sings. Hey, maybe<em> THAT'S</em> the sign of a great singer</p>
<p>Dusty Springfield - if I was to go back in time and meet my teen self (Bowie mad, Talking Heads, Lou Reed <em>always </em>looking and veering towards the arty sonically challenging sounds) and I told me that in 30 odd years time you'll be eulogising Dusty Springfield I'd have wept over my imported Kraftwerk albums. I wouldn't have believed the bit about the internet being invented either.</p>
<p>However. Here I am with the benefit of adult appreciation. It doesn't make my earlier musical passions any less important to me. When you're a kid anything that you don't find and claim as your own is largely irrelevant and certainly not cool. My Mum loved Elvis. We had that Elvis 40 Greatest playing non stop when we were kids. I banished Elvis from my life after I turned 14. For whatever illogical reasoning I used, I would have been mortified to own up to liking Elvis. Three weeks ago I bought the 4 CD special edition of the '69 Comeback Special by the same man. That was probably the 10th or 12th Elvis album I've acquired over time. He wasn't called The King for nothing you know.</p>
<p>Dusty Springfield was up there in that type of musical category. She was square. Uncool. She had BIG hair. She wore pantsuits. She twirled her hands when she sang. In those days I wouldn't have been able to distinguish Dusty from Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw, Clodagh Rodgers, Petula Clark, Anita Harris etc etc.</p>
<p>I was in Seattle about 8 years ago and one evening I went into a record shop up near the Microsoft campus. They had a marvellous selection of all types of music and a huge second hand section. I spotted the CD "Dusty In Memphis" and somewhere in my subconscious I remembered Elvis Costello (who was always cool) mentioned it somewhere in album notes he'd written. I decided he'd written something positive and as it was only $7 2nd hand I bought it. It was the only music I had in my hired car for that week and I fell completely in love with Dusty Springfield.</p>
<p>As it turns out the CD I bought was an extended version of the original album and had 14 extra tracks not just the 11 released on the original. I finally remembered that Costello had actually written new liner notes for the albums re-release a couple years earlier. There was pedigree here. This record was a class act.</p>
<p>Now, I know poor Dusty had passed away back in the '90's and I could remember her recordings with the Pet Shop Boys et cetera. I distinctly remember her presenting a music award to ELO for "Grope Of The Year" (sic) which raised a laugh on the night. But at that time I didn't "get" why she had been invited back into the bosom of the music industry. Guys my age and slightly older had discovered the wealth of musical legacy that she had created and coolness bedamned, wanted to acknowledge her contribution. I dread to think this may have never happened and she would have been lost to another generation. Neil Tennant I salute you. Seriously.</p>
<p>I didn't know either that Dusty had a tumultuous private life before she succumbed to breast cancer. Her Sapphic leanings weren't that well know at the time, and this seems to have caused her significant worry, concern et c. It's sad that folks who were "different", certainly back in the '60s and 70's, led such closeted lives regarding their natural tendencies and went to such lengths to portray a public persona often so at odds with the truth. I'm glad that these days no one really gives a sh*te about that side of a persons nature and there's more acceptance and understanding of difference on our crazy planet. Fair play where it's due, the gay community had long taken Ms Springfield to their hearts and deserve much credit for keeping her memory alive. They recognized a real diva when they saw one.</p>
<p>Back to Dusty. She is a singer without comparison. EVERY record collection should have at least a greatest hits collection if not the aforementioned "Dusty In Memphis" in it. It remains one of my Top Ten Albums of all time. Go check her out. Yes, the music may sound dated sometimes,<span style="text-decoration:underline"> but</span> the voice remains an incredibly valuable piece of our musical heritage. No one should have been able to sing so well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464592012-10-28T01:00:00+01:002012-10-28T15:40:44+00:00Sunday.......
<p>A day for football, roast pork, hurricanes and Halloween taxi. My old beach neighbourhood of Belle Harbour in NY being evacuated. Things looking dodgy. New Jersey shore also under the weather wielded cosh.</p>
<p>Saturday was work on new song "Tower of Strength". It's coming along nicely, and is a paradoxical juxtaposition. So put that in your pipe and smoke it! Have another lovely little number brewing called "Goin' For A Ride". It's a real chilled folkie tune and I'm in the process of just playing it on twhe acoustic and letting it breath and grow. Looking forward to recording it soon, it's going to be a good song. </p>
<p>Efficient enough on the piano now to play Bowie's "Lady Stardust". Played Velvet Undergrounds "Femme Fatale" for ages too. Loved that song since I first heard it on the "Live At Max's Kansas City" vynl back in the late 70's.</p>
<p>i often get asked who my favourite singers are? The two finest singers I've ever heard are unquestionably Roy Orbison and Dusty Springfield. There are some of the finest songs ever made in their collective portfolios. Although The Big O got to record some great songs in the "modern age" e.g. With the Travelling Willbury's and songs by U2, Costello etc, and Dusty with the Pet Shop Boys, both he and Dusty put out some really polyester cabaret tunes in their time. But when they did a gem it remained a diamond. The whole "Dusty in Memphis" album is one of my favourite all time records. "Crying", "Its Over" "In Dreams", and "Only The Lonely" are just heart wrenching classic Orbison songs. All timeless. </p>
<p>As for the football? I'm gonna have to stop watching. My heart cannae take it!!!! Happy with the draw. Suarez? Karma.......</p>
<p> </p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464582012-10-23T01:00:00+01:002020-01-22T17:10:53+00:00New songs en route from brain to pen to guitar or piano....
<p>...haven't had much time for creativity recently with work and all...but..managed to scribble down some new chords and words over the last couple of weeks when I should have been sleeping..."Odd Socks", "Going For A Ride", "The Girl On His Arm", "One Way Sign", "Sweethearts Of The Second Row", "Shadows Dancing In The Fog", "Susan", "Standing On The Shoreline Of A Thousand Waves". "Discland", "See You Next Tuesday", "Drowning Or Waving", "Born Again Christopher", "Song For Ann"....some will see the light of day at some stage...maybe...</p>
<p>Still waiting, fully finished, for release into the wild world from the Carry archives are "Howl", "Pretty Monster", "Sarah, Don't Be Sad" (new version) "...And The Sunflower Turns It's Face Towards The Sun" and "Anxious". Anything else shall remain buried in concrete...or at least custard....</p>
<p>The Joe Bonamassa guitar is being repaired by the good folks in Waltons (we had a neck break incident - didnt "we" Alex?). Luckily it broke <em>exactly</em> where the previous repair was done, so covered by warranty (phew!).</p>
<p>Finally (for tonight), the second remix of Daniel Carney's song "Men With Broken Hearts" is well under way. Spent last night on my return from Galway putting down de bass mon.</p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464572012-10-14T01:00:00+01:002012-10-14T13:52:33+01:00Mixing up a storm....
<p>...spent most of the day doing mixes for a very talented young Kells man, more on that again soon...</p>
Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464562012-10-12T01:00:00+01:002022-06-04T13:51:23+01:00Ouch!....<p>L-O-N-G day...busy worker bee today...but able to get off the phone and concentrate on getting stuff done, with the help of the background musical support of the great Chris Difford ("Cashmere If You Can"), Bowie's unreleased "Toy" album (which I also have on vinyl - all offers please in brown envelope to my address), Ringo Starr's "Blast From The Past" and Prefab Sprouts "Swoon". Add a bit of Brian Eno's "Another Day", Tom Waits' "Bad To Me", John Hiatts "Mudslide Hymns.." and you'll have an idea of what my toe was tapping along to.</p>
<p>As for the football? Ireland just pulled a goal back against Germany to make it a respectable 1-6 (I jest of course about the respectability.) Huge gulf in class and Ireland given a pertinent lesson in how to play the game...England stuttering to a respectable (there's that word again) win against San Marino. The stuttering coming from the way the ball was attempted to be continually walked into the net. A couple of shots from outside the box wouldnt have gone amiss. Good result though ("it's not been great really" - Andy Townsend). Baines had a solid game.</p>
<p> </p>Chris Carrytag:chriscarry.com,2005:Post/61464552012-10-11T01:00:00+01:002012-10-11T11:17:49+01:00Today is Thurs Oct 11th...
<p>.....background music for the day (in between phone calls) was the best of Doris Day (I kid you not!) and Doug Paisleys' "Constant Companion" album...postman brought me the "Ziggy Stardust -40th Anniversary" 180gm vynl with a DVD of new mixes...yesterday he brought me Neil Youngs new book "Waging Heavy Peace" and Ken Scotts' "Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust" and "Zen, And The Art of Mixing" by MixerMan, oh yes, and a new copy of John Prine's 1971 debut album on CD which is a <em><strong>classic</strong></em>.....that's a heck of a nice postman...</p>
<p>My current bedside read is Barney Hoskins' "Trampled Underfoot" about Led Zep, and I'm also watching Season 4 of "My Name Is Earl" on iPad before I close out the evening with a Kevin Smith podcast...</p>
Chris Carry