Thank you for dropping in at the Crotchety Man blog. ... We are currently experiencing a very high number of visitors. ... All of our customer service agents are busy right now. ... The answers to most of the questions you might have can be found on our website. ... Your visit is important to…Read more Breathing
Burning Shed
Solstein
Viking sunstone 'Solstein' is the Norwegian for 'sunstone', a birefringent form of calcite. It may have been used by the Vikings for navigation in mediaeval times, although that idea is still little more than speculation, as this article on the Wikipedia wiki explains. "It permits the observer to follow the azimuth of the sun, far…Read more Solstein
3-Headed Prog
Cerberus, the three-headed hellhound of Hades. For prog lovers and three-headed dog lovers, I present a trio of prog rock albums by bands new to the Crotchety ears. The first is vintage Italian prog from 1973. The album is called Arbeit Macht Frei and you won't be surprised to know that it takes as its…Read more 3-Headed Prog
Out of the Mist
The original line-up of Renaissance was: Keith Relf (guitar, vocals), Jim McCarty (drums, vocals), Louis Cennamo (bass), John Hawken (piano) and Keith's sister, Jane Relf (vocals). The band was formed in the Spring of 1969 and just a year later it was falling apart. Through various personnel changes, the band quickly morphed into a second…Read more Out of the Mist
Once Again
Once more unto the breach, dear friends! The advertisers are bombarding us with Christmas offers. That's allowed in this house now that bonfire night has come and gone. But, this year, I have a secret weapon to counter the assault. You see, I installed an ad-blocker in my Web browser recently, and it's doing a…Read more Once Again
Polytown
Mrs. Crotchety has gone on her annual trip to her health spa. Her man is going to visit Polytown. She has a four-hour drive; my journey will last only a few seconds courtesy of the Spotify app. The lady's destination is a genteel seaside resort in the picturesque county of Devon; it is not as…Read more Polytown
Bite the Bullet
To adjust to unpleasant circumstances. e.g. "The severe drought is forcing everybody to bite the bullet and use less water." dictionary.com A few days ago, a drought was declared in half of England. Crotchety County falls within the drought area and this part of the English midlands has sizzled to 30+ degrees C. Our once…Read more Bite the Bullet
In Disequilibrium
"Well, it's all topsy-turvy", sings Peter Hammill as his second collaboration with Isildurs Bane starts to swing. "Everything's turned upside-down", he continues as In Disequilibrium, part 1 kicks off their latest album. It's the first section of a three-part title track, and it sets us up nicely for 45 minutes of good, old-fashioned symphonic prog…Read more In Disequilibrium
Marscape
Marscape is, effectively, a prequel to the early Brand X albums. It's the Robin Lumley and Jack Lancaster input to Unorthodox Behaviour and Moroccan Roll. If you pay attention, you can hear all four permanent members of the 1970s line-up of Brand X in this Marscape; some of the tunes were carried over to the…Read more Marscape
Pymlico
A house in Pimlico, London Today, Crotchety Man has followed the sign at the Burning Shed, and headed in the direction of Pymlico. We have agreed to meet there on 20th May to celebrate the release of that band's seventh album, Supermassive. In the meantime, I have been mugging up on both the Pymlico band…Read more Pymlico
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