This time, for my Track Of The Week, I'm going to do something a bit different. Instead of focusing on a specific recording I'm going to explore about a dozen different versions of the same song: The House of the Rising Sun. The link is to a Spotify playlist containing recordings from 1941 to 2001…Read more The Rising Sun
1960s
The Beatles
First I want to make it clear that The Beatles isn't one of my favourite bands. They made some terrific singles in the sixties but, overall, I think they have always been overrated. That said, they were the best pop band around in the mid-sixties and She Loves You was the song that prompted me to take…Read more The Beatles
40,000 Headmen
If you look up the definition of 'headman' you will find it means 'chief' but I think Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi were thinking of the primitive headhunters of colonial Africa when they wrote 40,000 Headmen. Being confronted by 40,000 wise old tribal chiefs would be bad enough but an army of savage warriors bent on adding your…Read more 40,000 Headmen
Born Under A Bad Sign
There was a documentary about Ginger Baker on the TV a few days ago. The programme is part of the BBC's Imagine series and it's available on BBC iPlayer until 7th August if you want to watch it. (I don't think the iPlayer service is available outside the UK, though.) Ginger Baker will be 76 next month.…Read more Born Under A Bad Sign
Space Oddity
For my track of the week I'm offering a song you all know. You've heard it on the radio, on the TV, in films, and in pubs, restaurants and shops. It's ingrained in our collective consciousness like our national anthems or your favourite hymn. Most people like it, some adore it, few hate it. It's David Bowie's Space…Read more Space Oddity
Stop This Train
I'm sure you remember a train journey like this... It was bright and sunny when you boarded the train but dark clouds rolled in and now it has started to rain. All you can see in the window is a few orange streetlights outside and the reflection of the seats and the passengers inside the carriage. It feels as…Read more Stop This Train
Scarborough Fair
For my next track of the week I'm going to Scarborough Fair. It's a journey of around 150 miles from where I live now to the seaside town of Scarborough on the north east coast of England. I'll have to travel back in time, too, because the fair hasn't been held since 1788, but that's OK; time…Read more Scarborough Fair
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
Lay Lady Lay
A lot of complex, challenging music has featured on this blog recently so I'm going to choose a nice simple song as my track of the week: Bob Dylan's Lay Lady Lay. (There should be commas in there really but it's usually written without the punctuation and I'll stick with that convention.) The first time I…Read more Lay Lady Lay
Crotchety Man 