Random Play by Graham Reid

Had to read this, if only for the title.

As for your rugby memories, its an odd boy who doesn't like sport.

...not that there's anything wrong with that.
(fade out: "He's an odd fellow and he's OK...")

I'm in the middle of reading a lovely book called Black Swan Green by a guy called David Mitchell. I was thinking how much my PAS cohorts would enjoy it, but how could I tell them about it, when there isn't a thread about books? And then I read this, and knew that people who could articulate their childhood memories so beautifully, like you do, Graham, and people who appreciate such writing as you do, would appreciate a book written about the year 1982 in the voice of a 13 year old boy. Epic, as our hero Jason would say.

Stevenson was a classic definition of someone fronting up to have his ass kicked. Both sides wanted Eisenhower, whoever got him was basically guaranteed to win, the guy was a massive war hero. Adlai was a smart guy, and might have done OK against anyone else, but he took him on, took the hit, and that was the end of him.

Kyle,

Yeah, and he fronted twice, and was prepared to have another go in 1960.

Apparently the US president depicted in Dr Strangelove was based on Stevenson.

Meanwhile....here's the Canyons of Your Mind:

Finest guitar solo ever, until perhaps Dr Hooks' Cover of the Rolling Stone...

Finest guitar solo ever, until perhaps Dr Hooks' Cover of the Rolling Stone...

I was going to say "dems fighting words", but then the guy walked out with the mask on. And belched near the end. I pre-concede. Pure class.

As for your rugby memories, its an odd boy who doesn't like sport.

Hey, I've always liked watching it, never wanted to play it. Exact opposite with soccer - can't stand watching it, but it's a lot of fun to play.

“You shall not press down upon the brow of labour this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Love that. You'd think he was talking about something really deep.

"its an odd boy who doesn't like sport"

it is a more odd one who plays two games every saturday for over 15 years before finally quitting. I felt the same about cricket too actually: played two games every saturday in summer for school and club (more than competent bowler -- bored witless by fielding in the hot sun or sitting waiting to bat [i was a 50+ or out for 3]) and I got out of that only a season or two short of my 15th year.

didn't day i didn't like sport, just that i didn't like playing it.

many thanks for the bonzo clip.
apropos of nothing here's why punk had to happen (stick around, after about the 4th minute it actually gets worse) . . .
the bad news is that after this screened on The Old Grey Whistle Test there was such a demand for the album that PolyGram (or whoever) had to stop production of every other album and turn the pressing plant over the churning out this album just to meet demand.
just sad.

its an odd boy who doesn't like sport

I guess I was happily odd then

Re the Youtube clip....it never fails to bemuse me when I talk to an older Dutch person here how often Focus is raised as a favourite band. Scary. Similarly older Germans seem to opt for Barclay James Harvest. And we all thought they were listening to Kraftwerk.....

Just in case anyone didn't get it, the "odd boy who doesn't like sport" line is from another Bonzo song.

I gave up sport when I started high school, for a combination of reasons: (a) teenage rebellion (b) I was involved in Scouts and had discovered tramping and (c) I was very very very bad at it.

Just in case anyone didn't get it, the "odd boy who doesn't like sport" line is from another Bonzo song.

I assumed it was something like that but the Neil Innes and co are almost as obscure as Barclay James Harvest in 2008, Rob....talking of which, I see that the Rutles has had a welcome remastered reissue. I want.

apropos of nothing here's why punk had to happen (stick around, after about the 4th minute it actually gets worse) . . .

My god. I thought you were overstating it at first. It was just like four guys went away and wrote separate pieces of music for their instruments in 4:4, and then started playing at the same time.

But then the guy started singing what sounded like the female lead vocals from Phantom of the Opera.

And then the yodelling. There should be warnings before that. I need to listen to Jethro Tull or Led Zeppelin or something to reclaim the era.

I see that the Rutles has had a welcome remastered reissue. I want.

Ahh, yes.

They were bigger than Rod.

I liked most of the Ray Davies show last night. I did feel sorry for Ray trying to muster singalongs from the reluctant audience from the get-go. It was a bit painful when the audience was still pretty quiet (the odd pocket excepted) by the end of the first set. They warmed up by the end (All Day & All of the Night, Lola) though, in anticipation for You Really Got Me & Waterloo Sunset, neither of which materialised.

There was a bit of grumbling behind me about that when it the house lights came on, but really, you can't expect an artist to sing the same songs every single show of his life. I thought the balance between new and old songs was about right.

And Simon Le Bon & associates in the private balcony looked to be having a great time, though not quite as good as the young fellow, row two, dead centre.

I've just read your new interview on elsewhere, Graham. Thanks for that!

I'm sure Davies is a bit tired of some of the same ol's, but shit, not playing Waterloo Sunset is a bit like the Queen saying 'Oh, sod trooping the colours this year'...

Re Focus: argh! Yodelling, scatting, one of those long-thumbnail-guitarist-douchey-guys, *and* the drummer who thinks he's Gene Krupa! I hurt.

(Weirdly, though, it kind of made me want to listen to the Doobie Brothers. What does this mean?)

I saw Ray Davies on his storytelling tour some years ago in Houston. He was really engaging. He also played 'Waterloo Sunset'. I feel privileged.

These are recordings of US election campaigns and convention speeches, discussions on presidential power and the role of Congress, and the speeches by the actual people from Grover Cleveland in 1892 to John F Kennedy with pitstops for FDR, Harry Truman, Eisenhower and so on. I find it compelling.

Seems these were termed "public address" speeches and recordings were taken so the candidates message could be widely distributed to potential voters. Electronic amplifier systems were adopted early by politicians for their larger rallies and the technology is hence called a PA system. Wonder if publicaddress.net relates to the original meaning or the derivative.

I'm sure Davies is a bit tired of some of the same ol's, but shit, not playing Waterloo Sunset is a bit like the Queen saying 'Oh, sod trooping the colours this year'...

Ha, when I was younger (much) I was persuaded to go and see Procul Harum at the Auckland Town Hall. They didn't play "Whiter Shade Of Pale".

Seriously....

I love those old speeches. Let us hope that someone, somewhere is saving all the podcasts that are getting produced at present. Sure a lot of them are terrible vanity pieces but they are still a good indication of what people/culture were like in the 00z.

I'm sure Davies is a bit tired of some of the same ol's, but shit, not playing Waterloo Sunset is a bit like the Queen saying 'Oh, sod trooping the colours this year'...

I have it on good authority that he was indeed intending to come back for a second encore - of 3 songs, including YRGM & WS - but the Civic turned the house lights on when they shouldn't have.

Great show, though.

I saw the roadies tuning the guitars side stage after the first encore, and nobody rushing on to dismantle the set, so had thought he was intending coming back.

Bah!

Couldn't the bloody lights have been turned back off again?

Stevenson was a classic definition of someone fronting up to have his ass kicked.

Didn't he later get to indulge in some ass-kickery of his own when confronting the Rooski delegate to the UN over missiles in Cuba?
Perhaps I'm just channeling Roger Donaldson's "Thirteen Days" movie but I think old Adlai did finally manage to get his day in the sun.

This discussion thread is waaay out of my depths. I'm so very confused.

So I'm just gonna reserve the right to quote this line in class sometime (out of context of course):

"I wasn't a very good hooker (the puniest kid in the team)"

Those CDs sound really cool, as do some of the records.