As promised...

I promised a cracking Chris Spedding song in the last post and I wasn’t kidding.

Those awfully nice people at Amazon gave me some credit for free downloads for spending lots of money with them at Christmas so, after my 9-year old made me download some Black Eyed Peas, I got this little gem. Although it’s from 1978 I first heard it when brother Ray included a scratchy vinyl rip on a 70s CD he made for me a few years back. I’ve considered posting that version several times but getting this shiny digital version clinched it.

Chris Spedding - Silver Bullet (1978)

The storm is breaking

Because I enjoyed Planet Mondos recent Roxy Music post and I haven’t got any ideas of my own at the moment and I love a song that starts with a great clap of thunder and I’ve been meaning to post this for some time here’s the 12-inch version of Slave To Love.

Bryan Ferry - Slave To Love (12-inch Version) (1985)

P.S. I’ve got a great Chris Spedding song I might post later today or maybe at the weekend or maybe never.

Mick Green (22 February 1944 - 11 January 2010)

A national treasure died on Monday 11th January 2010 and I only found out because of my morbid habit of occasionally checking recent deaths on Wikipedia. I’m talking about Mick Green who has influenced countless guitar players for over 40 years. I wrote about The Pirates here about 18-months ago. The only thing I can add to that post is when they played at our college they were ‘old’, this being at the height of punk, but now 65 seems way too young to die.

The Pirates – Going Back Home

Horrorshow

Today’s post is inspired by Adam from the brilliant Fades In Slowly blog. He’s just posted two Punishment of Luxury Peel sessions which I highly recommend. I’ve had some tracks from their Laughing Academy LP on file for some time but haven’t posted them because they didn’t sound right to me. In fact it was ripping this LP that convinced me I needed to dump the USB turntable and buy a decent Hi-Fi one like I used to have. When this happens you can expect new and improved rips of some old favourites. Until then enjoy an OK-ish rip of British Baboon. The song has nothing to do with A Clockwork Orange but from the moment I first heard it the image it conjured was Malcolm McDowell in his Droog outfit.

Punishment of Luxury – British Baboon (1979)

I wish I could take the credit for this

Couldn’t resist posting this picture of a Roman snowman someone built just round the corner from my house. The sun wasn’t in the ideal place when I took it but hopefully you can make it out. It's worth taking a closer look at this picture because it's quite detailed.

Cosy

Enough talk of snow and freezing temperatures. It’s the weekend. Why not open a bottle of wine, put on some romantic music and cosy up in front of an open fire? That’s what Mrs Mick and I will be doing. Except we haven’t got an open fire and we’ll have to keep chasing the ‘Micklets’ (TM Davy H) upstairs but you get the idea.

The Temprees - Dedicated To The One I Love

Main Ingredient - Just Don't Want To Be Lonely

Brr..

Here are two pictures I took from my doorstep at about 6a.m. this morning. One was taken with flash and one without although they’ve both been enhanced slightly. It hasn’t stopped snowing since and Mrs Mick says it’s the most snow she’s seen since she moved south of the border.

Two things that have happened today:
1. I attempted to drive to work this morning but had to give up when my car got stuck after about 200 yards.
2. Mrs Mick has just sent me out in a blizzard because she was out of wine.

It’s all right for all you tough northerners but us soft southern jessies aren’t used to this at all.

Freeez - Southern Freeze