Friday Night Miscellany

Have you ever wondered what Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds might sound like if a bunch of bedroom electro-geeks got their hands on it? Wonder no more..............

For anyone planning on getting all apoplectic, I wouldn't bother. They don't mean no harm..............

The power went out tonight, just as I was walking up the road to the house. The big giveaway was seeing the lights in Iceland and Lidl go out simultaneously. Some bloke in an Iron Maiden T-shirt came breenging towards me further up the road and informed me that "the whole area is out", as if all contact with the outside world had been lost. The poor sod is probably still hiding in the bushes outside the Firhill Complex, waiting for law and order to be restored.................

I wasn't long in when the lady from upstairs, along with her daughter, came down and asked about the power failure. I let slip that my phone was working, so she asked to come in and use mine to contact her husband. I suspect hers probably was working, it's just that she maybe thought it wouldn't be due to the outage. Anyway, there's me handing over my pre-historic handset, worrying about the mess my house was in, feeling awkward...........

The phone rang out on the number they had called, but about ten minutes later, I was fielding a call from the husband, explaining what had happened. All too eventful if you ask me..............

It was all a bit of a fucker to be honest, I couldn't wash the dishes or wash any clothing, so I decided to lie on the couch and wait for them to switch the power back on. Seemed to be the thing to do.............

I ought to do it more often........................

A Fine Yarn

Two sources of joy today.

1.

Stumbled over this article today at lunchtime. Thank God I did, or I might just have 'Gone Postal' in the afternoon. As it was, I had a right good laugh and approached the afternoons turgid grind with a smile on my face. In the article, Aussie speedway rider Dave Gifford tells the story of his travels with a mad compatriot of Lithuanian descent called Rim Malskaitis. Speedway back then, as it is now for Kiwi's and Aussies was about learning the ropes at home, then venturing over to Britain or Europe where the team contracts and prize money were. Particularly galling in that the sport was probably invented by Aussies. Nonetheless, Dave & Rim set off on the ocean waves to find fame and fortune. It never quite happened for them, but what Gifford conveys so beautifully is the sense of adventure and mischief in his travels with Rim. Anyway, enjoy the article, you don't need to know the first thing about speedway to appreciate it..............

2.

It's not often I read a blog post that has me silently mouthing all the way through "Yes!, Yes!, Yes!" This is one of them. Clairwil at her toppermost form.

Cheers!

Glen Campbell - Guess I'm Dumb

Not a huge Glen Campbell fan, but he certainly knew how to pick his songwriters. Probably best known for his Jimmy Webb collaborations, but this Brian Wilson song was passed his way sometime in 1965 as a 'Thankyou' for filling in on the road for the reclusive Beach Boys genius. It's widely known that Lennon & McCartney offloaded their spare songs in the early sixties on 2nd division Brit-Beat talent, and whilst Brian Wilson could be equally generous with his material, the best was usually kept for his own use. 'Guess I'm Dumb' however was a great song, well arranged and performed wonderfully by Campbell. It should have been bigger than it was. In many ways, this was Wilson starting off on his Pet Sounds trip and it was maybe an early indication that he wasn't going to be able to take everyone on the journey with him like he had when he took the trip to the beach some years before. .

(Sorry, all links are Wikipedia. It's late, I'm tired and it's all pervasive. Sue Me Jack!)

Surfs Up!

Apparently this was roughly around about the time Brian Wilson lost the plot and decided to go and live on another planet, in a constellation known to him and him alone. It seems the trauma of having to explain the lyrics of Van Dyke Parks and the weird new music he was making to the rest of the Beach Boys was taking it's toll. Still, lovely stuff at the old Joanna.........