❤️❤️❤️ The three tunes here all came through on the airwaves at Crotchety HQ very recently. Each one acquired a green heart 'like' on my Spotify account. Let's start with a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song from a concert that they recorded at the very end of 1969. The Lee Shore was first released…Read more Three Recent Likes
folk
Gordon Lightfoot
Performing at Canada's 150th birthday celebration, 2017 The Crotchety household was saddened this week to hear that Gordon Lightfoot has died. The missus and I often listened to his 1981 compilation album, The Best of Gordon Lightfoot, in the early days of our relationship. For us, the Lightfoot name brings back memories of feelgood days…Read more Gordon Lightfoot
Old Friends
And New Acquaintances My recent Spotify Release Radar playlists have yielded a glut of riches. So, this week, I'm offering around 45 minutes of music covering a range of styles, spread over two playlists. Old Friends The Old Friends collection features artists that have appeared in these pages before: the Canadian acoustic guitarist, Calum Graham…Read more Old Friends
The Book of Secrets
Magpie Murders Not so much a blog post, more a placeholder again this week. The bug that laid me low last time has left me with a lingering lethargy and a backlog of tasks to finish. But let's not despair. In a recent mailing, I uncovered a secret. In fact, a whole book of secrets,…Read more The Book of Secrets
Alan Mearns
I first came across the name Mearns in my late twenties. Quite out of the blue, I received an email from one Pete Mearns that read simply, "Fancy a game of Dippy?", and gave details of his Diplomacy fanzine. Puzzled, I scratched my head for a connection and, eventually, it dawned on me that I…Read more Alan Mearns
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
3-Piece Suite
Mid-winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Short days. Too cold to go out much. So let's pass the time curled up on the sofa and listen to some music. Here's a short playlist taken from my latest Spotify Release Radar. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2aZ3sl0wRJB4Y3N7BxzeUf?si=b43206d7e12d4c90 The first piece looks forward to the month ahead. It probably won't be any warmer…Read more 3-Piece Suite
Running
Back in the dim, distant days of my youth, the school made us play rugby in the autumn, cricket in the summer, and go on cross-country runs in the winter term. Now, the Crotchety Lad was a bit of a swot and not very sporty at all. Distance running, in particular, I hated. It would…Read more Running
Shingles
The Milky Way above a shingle beach in Suffolk The word 'shingle' has many meanings. It could denote a roof tile or small pebbles on a beach. Several places have 'Shingle' in their names: Shingle Cove (in Antarctica) and Shingle Street (a community and conservation group in Suffolk, UK), for example. And, in the plural,…Read more Shingles
Light is Dim
Hommage aux Frères Pigeon Spöket i KöketÅkervinda Today I'm offering a collaboration between a folk big band and a choral quartet. The instrumentalists call themselves Spöket i Köket, which is Swedish for Ghost in the Kitchen. (Literally, the spook in the cookhouse.) If you think of a 50s dance band playing traditional folk tunes, you'll…Read more Light is Dim
Crotchety Man 