teenage dreams, so hard to beat

Famous radio presenter John Peel has died. Born John Robert Ravenscroft he worked in radio in the USA then in the mid 60's he returned to join the likes of the brilliant Kenny Everett in the heady days of pirate radio. He then joined the BBC and was influential in shaping UK musical tastes and as a knockon effect UK musical output, for a few generations and was a reminder of the days when radio presenters had some knowledge and love of music and played the music they liked or thought that they or the listeners might like.

To look and listen to a Peel playlist is to be extended and see possibilities. Other than some community broadcasters these radio days are gone. Long gone.

Peel has always said his favourite single, and one of the best, of all time was “Teenage Kicks” by The Undertones. I agree.

Peel had said he wanted a line from Teenage Kicks on his headstone : "teenage dreams, so hard to beat"

Another Peel quote I agree with: "...I never really thought Oasis were much good to be honest...."

Amazingly Peel was in Dallas the day JFK was shot and at the site 45 minutes later then also at the press conference when they hauled in Lee Harvey Oswald.

Another BBC DJ Andy Kershaw, who might know, has placed him above Lennon & McCartney as the most important figure in the fifty year history of British rockmusic.

UPDATE: Limited time.The perfect single. Sublime guitar pop. MP3 of "Teenage Kicks" here. Instructions. PLAY LOUD.

dylan backs howard - twice not thrice

1 tune not lyrics:
“.. but if my songs were just about the words, then what was Duanne Eddy, the great rock and roll guitarist, doing recording an album full of instrumental melodies of my songs? Musicians have always known that my songs were about more than just words, but most people are not musicians.”

2 white picket fence:
"I was fantasising about a nine-to-five existence, a house on a tree-lined block with a white picket fence, pink roses in the backyard.

i'm fit, i'm fightin' fit, but i'm not fit to fight - just yet

In order to protect my psychy, what diminished remnants there was of it after the exercise of universal suffurage on 9/10, i have watched no tv or radio or newspaper current affairs, for seven days or more. I begun to become a somewhat better person or at least a not so grumpy one. I cooked, I read, I oddjobbed, I read, I listened to greatness, hell i even went out and saw The Fabulous Topp Twins. Then at the precise time to the week when I realised that Labor was another 3 years in the wilderness I was struck down by the scrofulous barcoo rot. No matter what I did it stuck to me with the tenacity of a long forgotten tithe to the AoG church. The bug took me down to the gates of the underworld for a few days. I fought it off - it was only one of Satans minor bovver boys anyway.

Slowly I fixed small things around the estate that had needed a hand for a while. I spoke to neighbours, took out and then bought back in the myriad of garbage bins we keep garaged here. I encouraged the wisteria to clime over the toppermost of the highest part of the pergolla.

Tonight I was uplifted further, my faith in ordinary Australians revived, my joy in music rekindled when I watch the ABC Doco: Damn Right I'm A Cowboy - more over at Amandas page about a group of community radio drifting dreaming darlins and daddies of the cowtunes, mixing western swing with crooning and tex mex with irish and pushing it out in an aural version of a progressive barn dance. I wished I was there. Lips so warm and tender ....My Rose My Rose of San Antone....


After making sure the outside speakers set under the eaves are actually working i pilgrimaged out to Bunnings and obtained a medium priced 4 burner BBQ with hood and spacial warming /roasting shelf in an attempt to both project myself as an outdoors type (singing the Lemonheads "I lied about being the outdoors type") and to "take my mind off things" and to allow for a better BBQ experience. This Better BBQ experience involves trying to replicate various smoked, baked, sauced spare pork and beef ribs that I tasted going around USA. The best from memory were from around Denver Colorardo.

Now i need to get the sauces right, the type of meat right, cooking times and methods right and I will be over the 2004 elections and on the road to recovery.

I now call on Little Anthony and the Imperials over at SPICEBLOG Can you direct me to good information on rib cookin that can be used on an a ausssie style BBQ from Bunnings.

ready for election night

Now the years have passed and memories come and go
He hears that voice that rocked him gently so
A calm will descend and there's peace at the end of the darkest night
Sometimes I cry, sometimes I fly like a bird.

Now the years have passed and memories come and go
He hears that voice that rocked him gently so
Well, the rain's gonna fall and the wind may blow in the darkest night
Sometimes I cry, sometimes I fly like a bird.

A calm will descend and there's peace at the end of the darkest night
Sometimes I cry, sometimes I fly like a bird

....Boz Scaggs