Robbie or Take That

Beatles or the Stones, Oasis or Blur, Spandau or Duran Duran, Robbie or Take That or Robbie and Take That. Rock battles, pop battles, tabloid news, a national debate. A nation cared for a week or two and life was better for the banter.

Will he wont he......Modern questions morphed by commercialism, fiendship or friendship or just growing older.

"We're putting the bad back together" Jake or was it Elwood said for charity, well now there is thousand and one reasons that one bif one has dollar, euro, signs ringing round them as if singing a tune The Charity of us.

Robbie or take that ....We can have both.

Saw Doctors

N19 - a road story hewn from a homely strain.

Celtic rock may have had more famous exponents, but for me the crack or craic of Celtic Rock fell upon the Saw Dooctors although thankfully not falling through.

Classic tunes brought smiles as lyrics could be heard and heartily chanted, early albums boomed large whilst later albums may not quite have such charm, but I like them too much to admit and I take it back and cross my heart and hope to die.

I bought several T-shirts to go along with the albums, compilations and cuddly toys if they had sold them too.

A fan

Kylie

Growing old can be a challenge as brain cells, confuse not just names, but birthdays, anniversaries and probably how much money a beer used to cost. But back in the day when pop was dominated by a threesome who talked of a Brit Motown, but never quite made it to shorten Motor to Mo, althouhgh it was probably a case of shortening Scooter to Scoo in global significane and still never made it.

But through the factory production came Kylie. A disposable poppet riding fame of a soap without attitude but plenty of accent.

And then in a matter of years, she traded polo necks for low cut, and rara skirts were redesigned to shorts that tested stiching and to lycra that came with a warning about parental guidance. And became an icon.....known by a first name. Poppet was a pop icon.

Still going strong, too.

Estropa

Straddling the divide between rock, rap and flamenco; and somehow coming out with something worthy of purchase, I give you Estropa.


A fusion that warmed the cockles of mi corazon.


A going native of the foreigner abroad, where musical pleasure was forsaken for fitting in and applauding the local talent. Complimenting mildly as the locals enthused of what can nastily be described by clinking keys randomly and froightening a cat to vocalise enthusiastically. But it changed to musical pleasure while also fitting in.

Estropa were and are damn good.

Several Hit wonders

Joan Armatrading was good, but is not exactly going to raise an eyebrow by the youth of today. Elkie Brooks aswell.

They were not maufactured, they had not been crafted, but grafted at their craft.

They had hits, several hits, and critical acclaim of albums, back when albums were black and shined and turned at 33 and a third. And today's youth may have a hard job in the pop quiz, songs that graced homes some thirty years ago as a soundtrack to a time are trapped in that time.

Somehow as wrinkles played across a face as fingers played across a guitar, faces were lost to the TV world and then lost to the radio world.

Still at one home they play on.

The First Record

How embarrasing, a confession, a shame. I hear them now calling out "Shame on You".


It was at school a second had "45", it was Rod Stewart and he was sailing. How I could now wish that it was London calling to a faraway town, but it was sailing b/w'd Stone Cold Sober. It s funny how I knew the B-side asreliogiously as the a side back then.

The first legit "45" bought from Woolworths, in a land that time still had a Woolworths. A Woolworths that had not thrown a history down the pan of a global recession and that "45" was Darts' "Come Back my love".

And the "33" Elvis Greatest Hits. Was I looking for trouble?

And the "78 rpm" was a never used setting on the radiogram. Radiogram indeed. How quaint I am?

For all my never mind the teenage swagger grown old to the arthritic swing of a sister, I still am proud to know the words and sing badly out of tune to a "Love coming back to stay".

From declaring Hello this was Joanie was good and paying the price, to Mull of Kintyre and saying it was damn fine, when others were worrying about their safety pinned ear. I called YMCA a guture number one hit when it was only top forty. I will walk back and forth across the Rock'n'roll tracks.

Lena - Eurovision Winner - Que sera, que sorpresa

In a mock english voice that was from somewhere between cockney and the USA, via Germanzy with a smile,with a tune that chirruped away with an Indie stamp. It was too good to be true, keeping it unreal . It was Lena with a lack of underam hair a la Nena, but underarm tattoo a la Lena.

She was German, representing Germany, a Germany famed for its singing aas in singiing with the aid of a trumpet, tuba, accordion and a very large beer in hand. Here she re-wrote the Book, even if not exactly the song which had a foreign stamp. Against the odds, she topped Greater Euro land, in a contest that we may mock, but we watch, we criticise and enjoy. Eurovision 2010 watched and won via Satellite.

So it was good for the under-dog, good against the Bloque vote. It wad good.

Although for you oficionados, not as good as a Bee.