I shall be away from the temptations of the blogging machine this weekend so, this week, the Crotchety notes will be published in advance of the usual Sunday date and may be somewhat staccato. ----- For my Track of the Week I've chosen Magic by Bruce Springsteen. There's no particular reason for this; it just struck…Read more Magic
2000s
Light Flight …
I have always felt that the five members of Pentangle were pulled together by a mysterious force. It must have been some kind of benign sorcery to be capable of making such a sublime creation. Perhaps somewhere in a small town in England a macabre ritual took place. Welcome, sisters, to the White Witch (Tewkesbury) Temple of…Read more Light Flight …
The Seldom Seen Kid
The five members of Elbow played their first gig together in 1990 at the Corner Pin pub in Ramsbottom, a market town on the northern edge of Greater Manchester. At the time they were called Mr Soft (or just Soft); it wasn't until 1997 that they changed the name of the band to Elbow ("the loveliest word in the English language"). That year they signed to…Read more The Seldom Seen Kid
Wicked Soul
Wickedness, Lesson 3 - Seduction Seduction is a game. It has rules, like chess. And, like chess, you're more likely to win if you have studied the game and developed your technique. The key thing is to judge the pace. If you dither too much you will be beaten by the clock; if you are too eager you will…Read more Wicked Soul
Into the Night
Life is mostly mundane. We all have our daily routines: the school run, walking the dog, watching the latest episode of our favourite soap opera. Of course, every day is different in small ways, too: a new crossing lady today, the Labrador with the dark chocolate eyes has lost his ball, the TV soap has been postponed to…Read more Into the Night
This Is The Life
Until recently Crotchety Man's living room contained a TV, a video recorder and a conventional Teac Hi-Fi system consisting of an amplifier, a digital radio tuner, a CD player and a pair of speakers. The TV was a basic model but it had a good picture. The Hi-Fi system wasn't that expensive but its KEF Q-Series…Read more This Is The Life
This Is The Last Time
Keane released their first album, Hopes and Fears in 2004. It's a collection of strangely captivating songs, more pop than rock. Superficially, there's nothing much to lift them from the mediocrity of the mass music market and yet they soothe like an Indian head massage, seep through your skull and infiltrate the mind. This is the Last Time is probably the best known…Read more This Is The Last Time
Fine and Dandy
Back in June 1994 Crotchety Man and some friends bundled into a couple of cars and travelled down to the small West Country town of Upton-upon-Severn for the annual jazz festival. It was a warm and sunny day, perfect for a day out, and we were in good spirits. I remember very little of the bands…Read more Fine and Dandy
Tokyo
Sophie was a confident young woman now looking for friendship, romance, love. She had come to this restaurant a few times before. It had an Alice In Wonderland theme, which appealed to her sense of fun and Sophie always felt comfortable here. Tonight, though, as she walked past the sign saying "private function" and made her way down the steps to the basement, she was…Read more Tokyo
Bob Dylan
When it comes to Bob Dylan, Crotchety Man came late to the party. He had raved about House of the Rising Sun (by the Animals), adored Blowin' In The Wind (by Peter, Paul and Mary) and swooned over Mr. Tambourine Man (by the Byrds). He was moved by The Times They Are A-Changin', With God on Our Side and Just Like a…Read more Bob Dylan
Crotchety Man 