London is a big city. A really big city. The population of Greater London is currently estimated to be about 8.6 million, only slightly less than New York. Crotchety Man was brought up in the suburbs of England's capital city and it will always have special memories for me. London, though, can be a lonely place…Read more Baker Street
Guillemots
Guillemots are a bit of a mystery. They are undoubtedly my favourite band of all time but it's hard to say why. Let's do some research, see what we can find out, and try to throw some light on the band and their music. First of all, they are named after a seabird. Guillemot: /ˈɡiləˌmät/ noun…Read more Guillemots
Road to Nowhere
The weather forecast for tomorrow and the next few days is lousy here, but there's not a cloud in the sky this morning so let's make the most of it. How about a drive through the glorious English countryside? We don't have to go anywhere in particular. We'll just point the car in a random direction and drive.…Read more Road to Nowhere
R.S.V.P.
One sunny summer's day around 1980, while browsing through the albums in my local record shop, I came across a striking and unusual cover. In the centre there was a large black and white photograph of a diver in mid flight, arms spread wide. This was surrounded by a wide silver grey border with the words The Monochrome Set above…Read more R.S.V.P.
Reflektor
The older I get the harder it is to find new music that stands out. It's like prime numbers; there are infinitely many of them, but they get harder to find the further you go. Just once in a while, though, mathematicians find a new prime and sometimes, in my wanderings through the soundscape, I stumble…Read more Reflektor
Flowers in the Window
It's Spring here in England. A time for the grass to grow, the flowers to blossom and the birds to build their nests. Right on cue, a pair of blue tits has taken possession of the nesting box on our garage wall. Like them, Mrs Crotchety and I are making a new home for ourselves and I…Read more Flowers in the Window
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2
Every two years since 1978 the BBC has staged a Young Musician of the Year competition. I watched the final in 1982. One of the finalists was an 18 year old pianist. I liked her. Well, of course I liked her, she was a young woman with poise and confidence, and she was about to play my…Read more Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2
Crazy Man Michael
One sunny Spring morning Mrs Crotchety and I decided to drive over to Melton Mowbray and explore our nearest market town. There's a very pretty area by the church but it's not a particularly attractive place on the whole. It's mainly known for pork pies (Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe is famous) and Stilton cheese. There was also a well-documented episode in 1837 in…Read more Crazy Man Michael
Satanic Majesties
For some of you what I'm about to say will be heresy, so sit down and take a deep breath before reading on. The Rolling Stones only made one album worth listening to: Their Satanic Majesties Request. Well, that and their very first compilation album, Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass), which only a few…Read more Satanic Majesties
The Queen of Elfland
Somewhere in the backwoods of Alaska there's a singer/songwriter/guitarist who makes beautiful music and gives it away. Why? Because we already have enough 'stuff'; what we lack is 'human connection'. So, rather than burn CDs and ship them thousands of kilometres across the globe, he makes his songs available (for free) on his website. His name is Kray…Read more The Queen of Elfland
Crotchety Man 