Futtocks

I heard 'Strapped for Cash' by Fountains of Wayne on the radio this afternoon. Lovely song, and I have now downloaded it from Amazon.

If memory does't fail me, I believe the theme tune to the BBC's 'Horizon' is a track from the eponymous album by Tonto's Expanding Head Band.

It was someone playing me 'Don't look around'* that got me into Mountain, followed by Leslie West's appearance on a documentary (followed by an album) called 'Night of the Guitar'. In the latter recording, West did 'Theme from an imaginary Western', which also blew my mind. *a song that's a bit like having a building dropped on you from a great height. But in a good way...

BVSC* is an excellent album, as is the Wim Wenders documentary made about the recordings. Also, check out the live performances of the BVSC, available as a free download from CrozFM. *The title inspired Half Man half Biscuit's album, 'Cammell Laird Social Club', trivia fans...

I did a little record-buying on Saturday: Ry Cooder - Boomer's Story Candi Staton - Who's hurting now? Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree Betsy Cook - The Girl who ate herself Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Doll by Doll's third (eponymous) album. Good, passionate stuff from Jackie Leven and the boys.

I've just had another site, similar to Big O, recommended to me. Check out Croz FM for some tasty free downloads. Enjoy.

This Friday's freebie offerings from Big O Sam And Dave - Stockholm 1967 Betty Davis - France 1976 Stevie Wonder - London 1974 Miles Davis - Tokyo 1975 Weather Report - Vienna 1971 Bob Dylan - Clean Cuts Joe McPhee - Albert Ayler Tribute 2008 Deborah Harry - The Ultimate Blonde Led Zeppelin - One Night Stand In Paris Led Zeppelin - The Dancing Avocado Elton John - Tokyo 1971 Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Norway 2007 Wolf Eyes with Anthony Braxton - Quebec 2005 The Who - Amsterdam 1969 Neil Young - Nagoya 1976 Rolling Stones - Live'R Than You'll Ever Be Jam - Dortmund 1980

Not entirely relaxing, after all - the lyrics from the song 'Tattoo'. Her new name was tattooed to her wrist It was longer than the old one Sealed in the silence with a fist This night will be a cold one Centuries live in her eyes Destiny laughs over jack-booted thighs "Work makes us free" says the sign Nothing leaves here alive Tattoo She steps out of line to the left And her father to the right One sides a cold, clean death The other is an endless night Gold from a grandmother's tooth Mountains of jewelry and toys Piled in the corners, mailed across the borders Presents for the girls and boys Presents for the girls and boys Tattoo And it gets darker every night Spread-eagled out among the stars, she says "Somewhere in this tunnel lives a light Still my beating heart I have never known a man What man will want me now? Am I still alive, somehow? If I can survive, somehow Tattooed?" Soldiers from the other side Liberated them at dawn Gave her water, gave her life She still had all her clothes on She lived until she died Empty as the autumn leaves that fly Surgeons took the mark But they could not take it far It was written on her heart Written on her empty heart Tattooed

A much more relaxed mood, now: Janis Ian - Breaking Silence Pink Martini - Sympathique

The Angels - two Minute Warning. Riffy.

Did you see 'Something for the Weekend' on Sunday? Seasick Steve meets Tim Lovejoy and Emma Bunton. Talk about a strange combination... check your BBC iPlayer.

TRLers interested in the more traditional areas of music should enjoy this Friday's evening schedule on BBC4, as follows:

Like Sam & Dave? This is an excellent DVD of them.

I'm staying with my sister and we decided, after days of slobby, post-Christmas Royle Family impressions, to go to Whitby for Fish & Chips. Head over the main bridge to the South (Abbey) side and take the first left and the shop's on your right. Small but interesting - very little mainstream stuff. As for the purchases and their genres, Archie Roach is an Aboriginal singer-songwriter (check out 'Summer of my Life' if you want your heart broken), Mavis Staples' album is a collection of protest songs, sung by one of the greatest voices in Soul and Holger Czukay was the nuttiest regular member of Krautrock titans Can.

In a record shop in Whitby today, I got: Mavis Staples - Have a little Faith Archie Roach - Looking for Butterboy Holger Czukay - Time and Tide

I've been given Herbie Hancock's 'River' album. Joni Mitchell songs, interpretated by HH, with the help of, among others, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Norah Jones and Joni herself. First two songs rather good, BTW, with Tina Turner stepping out of her usual persona to relax and stretch out with 'Edith and the Kingpin'. I'll report back when I get my head round the rest of it.

Kinky Friedman - Sold American DJ QBert - Wave Twisters Van der Graaf Generator - Trisector

Tomoyasu Hotei - Scorpio Rising. Guitary.

Latest stuff from http://www.bigozine2.com/ Jaco Pastorius - From Paris To New York (feat. Jimmy Page) Grateful Dead with John Fogerty and Neil Young - Dead Moon Rising Elton John - Christmas Party 1974 Jane Birkin - Aung San Suu Kyi Jack Bruce - Jack Bruce meets the BBC Big Band Hossein Alizadeh & Madjid Khaladj - In The Netherlands Ilham Al Madfai - Cafe Khuttar Kronos Quartet & Alim Qasimov Ensemble - Ramadan Nights Jeff Beck & Stanley Clarke - Japan 1978 Don Cherry - Frankfurt 1968 Chris Stamey - A Stamey Christmas Blood, Sweat & Tears - Bottom Line 1977 Brian Eno - Music For Glitterbug Van Der Graaf Generator - The Killer Lives Police - Melbourne 1981 Led Zeppelin - Orlando 1971 Slow Music* - Largo 2006 *Improvised stuff, featuring the likes of Peter Buck, Robert Fripp & Hector Zazou

Oh God, days to go 'til Christmas, and that X Factor bint's karaoke 'Hollerlujah' is already boiling my p!ss.

This week's freebies from http://www.bigozine2.com/ are pretty damn good. Grateful Dead - So Many Roads Outtakes Jimi Hendrix - Complete KPFA Radio Special Vol 5 Led Zeppelin - Long Beach 1975 Jack Bruce And Friends - Fillmore East 1970 Lou Reed - Los Angeles 1976 Jimi Hendrix - Complete KPFA Radio Special Vol 4 Led Zeppelin - Uniondale 1975 Joni Mitchell - Paris 1972 Wings - Venus And Mars Outtakes Eric Clapton - Buddy Holly Tribute Patti Smith - Stockholm 1976 Eric Clapton - Orchestra Night 1990 Ornette Coleman - New York 2006 Stooges - New Orleans 2003 Susheela Raman - France 2007 Peter Tosh - Equal Rights Demos

Mofro - Blackwater. Earthy, funky stuff. Bebo Gonzales - Cuban Dance Party. Exactly what the title suggests.

A four-volume Jimi Hendrixtravaganza available as a free download from Big O

Ry Cooder - Chavez Ravine. The best tracks on this album are up there with his all-time finest moments.