Suddenly, as the music reached a climax, one of the dancers careered into the fire, releasing a million sparks up into the air – nothing to protect him except the magic of the fire. Up and up they went, rising high on the thermal column pushing up into the darkness, mingling as they ascended, as…Read more Nightfires
Track
Dragonfly
Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, it's early summer. A time when our gardens are full of insects, creeping across the lawns, buzzing through the air, pollinating the plants. And the most spectacular of all is the big, brightly-coloured dragonfly. The Welsh poet, W. H. Davies, was so impressed by a specimen of Odinata anisoptera that…Read more Dragonfly
The Price of Love
The Price of Love was written by Don and Phil Everly (The Everly Brothers), and released as a single in 1965. It reached no. 2 on the official UK pop chart. There have been several other versions of the song, too - notably, one by Bryan Ferry included on his 1976 album, Let's Stick Together.…Read more The Price of Love
Olivia Ruth
Could this be Olivia's Shop? Let me introduce you to Olivia Ruth. She has a shop that sells everything you'll ever need. Or so Brendan Perkins tells us. https://open.spotify.com/track/2z5dCwXmkbhenm5YAA1sZB?si=7299d11393094792 A track from Brendan Perkins new album, Stories from the Old Church Lane. Now, the name Brendan Perkins is new to me. But, apparently, his latest…Read more Olivia Ruth
Harm / Terms
Out of curiosity, I looked up the difference between the terms "Actual Bodily Harm" and "Grievous Bodily Harm". 'Grievous' implies injuries that are severely detrimental to the victim's health; 'actual' is the same, but less severe. I think I'd want more guidance than that if I was the judge in an assault case. Listening to…Read more Harm / Terms
The Man Who Can’t Be Moved
Going back to the corner where I first saw you.Gonna camp in my sleeping bag, I'm not gonna move. Danny O'Donoghue, Mark Sheehan It's a bit late for Valentine's Day, but this is one of the most romantic songs ever written. The Man Who Can't Be Moved is a single released by the Irish pop-rock…Read more The Man Who Can’t Be Moved
Bridge Over Troubled Water
I've been in a rather sentimental mood for the last few days. It's the time of year, I suppose. For the elder members of society, it's a time to reminisce about Christmas Past. And for crotchety old duffers like me, it's when we cry "Humbug!" at an over-commercialised Christmas Present and try not to think…Read more Bridge Over Troubled Water
Deerand
How long can a hot-air balloon stay aloft? Deerand is a Persian term that means 'duration' (of instrument's tones). It is also the title of the latest album from Quartet Diminished. https://open.spotify.com/album/4elRzwcxhHDW5swyjtlrsy?si=HdJ7yhWxTDG0nOqe0EN8pQ Quartet Diminished's latest album, released to Spotify 15th November 2024 According to Spotify, the band was formed in 2013, and it can't have…Read more Deerand
Galactic Acid
Galactic Acid is a curious title for the recently released album by the acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, Mike Dawes. Does it refer to acids out in the galaxy? (Formic acid, acetic acid, carbonic acid and amino acids have all been detected out in space.) Or is it an acid derived from the sugar, galactose, in the…Read more Galactic Acid
Oath Breaker
It's been a while since I used the track-of-the-week tag. I guess that's because there have been plenty of albums worthy of a spell in the spotlight here, and no one track has stood out above the rest. But, today, I'm going to feature a band called Alo̱r that, as far as I can see,…Read more Oath Breaker
Crotchety Man 