Futtocks

Mike Campbell is one my all-time favourite guitarists. But, from a little on-line research, it looks like the CD mix of the album is yet another victim of the 'loudness wars'.

Havne't heard that yet - any good?

Phil Manzanera - Guitarissimo. A compilation of the best tracks from his first four solo albums. A pretty dazzling array of guest artists, and a superb cover version of 'Tomorrow never knows' too.

It is. The whole album is a great overview of that style of music.

Go to the work toilets with something solid in your pocket, like a potato. Every few seconds, drop it into the (clean) bowl, fish it out and repeat at irregular intervals for about half an hour*, groaning and gasping as you do so. Then whip the door open fast, to see how many of them are clustered round the door. *also works if you hook a hosepipe to the one of the taps and apparently urinate non-stop for 10 minutes.

The latest edition of the free music magazine Tone Audio is now available. PDF DOWNLOAD LINK

I assume you own a copy of the legendary 'Nuggets' compilation? If not, do so - great stuff.

Slightly more sedate chez Futtocks - Scallops and little cubes of Iberico ham, fried in olive oil and finished with lemon butter. The whole lot tipped over a potato & caramelised onion rosti. Bottle of Viognier. Life is good when you've just been paid.

World's hottest chilli contest leaves two in hospital From the article: "One participant, Curie Kim was so ill after sampling the "Kismot Killer" that she had to be taken by ambulance to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary TWICE in a matter of hours."

Andy Summers & Robert Fripp - Bewitched Gil Scott-Heron - Reflections Grace Jones - Living my Life Various Artists - Sound of St Louis (Soul compilation)

Rob Wasserman & Friends (Lou Reed, Victoria Williams, Bob Weir, etc.) - Live at the Beacon Theatre And 'Snag', some lo-fi oddness from R.Stevie Moore, downloaded via his website.

It's just you.

I've had an email from Osgrow, with their Hallowe'en Hamper. Contents: 4 Pairs of Frightening Frogs Legs 1 x Peppermint Ant Lolly 1 x Scary Scorpion Vodka Lolly (vodka flavoring) 1 x Tequila Worm Lolly(tequila flavoring) 5 x Slippery Snails with Garlic Butter 1 Pack of Thai Green Curry Crickets 5 x Loathsome Locusts

Bloke with too much time on his hands makes working trumpet - out of wood! Colour me impressed.

So far: The Grid - good, but not as special as the last time I had it (a couple of years ago). Castelfelder - deep and dark, very nice indeed. Gulfi - refreshing and citrus-y, with a slightly honeyed aftertaste. Zuccardi Caladoc - the pick of the bunch so far. Definitely buying more of this one. Grillo - interesting, different, delicious. The Long Lunch - a decent red, but nothing outstanding.

From the 2nd-hand shop on Saturday, all in remarkably good condition: Curtis Mayfield - Back to the World Gil Scott-Heron - Moving Target Mink DeVille - Return to Magenta Paul Simon - Still Crazy after all these Years

I own the DVD of the entire gig, 'Total Balalaika Show'. The above is probably the highlight, but there's plenty of other great songs on there too.

, incorporating the Russian national anthem, Handel's 'Hallelujah' chorus and Cossack dancers.Top that.

My commute, although long, is (apart from the first bit) against the the main flow, travelling out from London to work. Nice empty carriages, plenty of room to spread out with the newspaper or book - luxury!

It looks like walking. They make the same body movements as walking. They even call it walking. But it results in forward movement that is so slow, it is often counteracted by the effects of continental drift.

The KLF Manual - get your own #1 chart hit!

In the past South African winemakers were guilty of over-oaking their wines to the point of undrinkability. But some of the ones I've tried recently have been very good - the grape variety they tend to do especially well is Chenin Blanc.

That first one - The Grid - is one I've ordered before. If it's anything like the last lot I had, that is one MASSIVE red. Unbelievable body and aroma to it.

Right, I've just bunged off an order to Virgin Wines. This month, I will mostly be sampling unusual grape varieties, plus a couple of established favourites. 4 bottles of: The Grid Reserve 2009 (Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Mourvedre) One bottle each of: Castelfeder Klassische Linie DOC 2007 (Lagrein) Familia Zuccardi Textual 2007 (Tannat) Gulfi 2007 (Carjcanti) Familia Zuccardi Innovacion 2008 (Caladoc) Rocha Rosa Vinho Regional Alentejano 2007 (Trincadeira) Ca'di Ponti Sicilia 2010 (Grillo) The Long Lunch 2010 (6 Grape Blend) Araldica d'Aria 2010 (Muscat sec)

Beers from last night. Innis & Gunn 'Rum Cask' Oak Aged beer. Like the regular stuff, you wouldn't want too much of this at a time, but this new version is very fine indeed. Limited edition, apparently, so grab some while you can. Brewdog 5am Saint. Clean, very hoppy taste. Nice, and not as alarmingly strong as many Brewdog beers. Adnams Southwold Bitter. Ho hum. Okay, but nothing exceptional. Theakston's Old Peculier. Is there any truly civilised being that doesn't know the joys of this one? Not the mad, magic stuff of the pre-takeover days, but still marvellous.