Crotchety Man was always small in stature. He came from small stock. Even his surname is thought to have come from the French for 'low'. (The Norman Conqueror throws a long shadow in these parts.) Small he was, but not stunted - more pigmy than masai, more hobbit than dwarf, everything in proportion. Inside that…Read more Blowin’ Free
Track of the Week
Making Plans for Nigel
At the end of the seventies Crotchety Man was writing software for the new ironworks being built for British Steel at Redcar on the north east coast of England. The music charts were a strange mix of pop and punk, either anodyne mush or raw, abrasive sounds that grated like a pumice stone rubbed over…Read more Making Plans for Nigel
Weeping Willow
A few days ago the Crotchety ears were tuned to their favourite radio station. The brain between the ears was only half listening when an unfamiliar but rather pleasant song came on. It turned out to be something called Weeping Willow by The Verve. That reminded me that I'd heard a few Verve songs in…Read more Weeping Willow
Zamzama
The third track on my Release Radar playlist this week was called Zamzama, which is obviously a made-up word and gives no clue to its musical style. It's by Avi Avital, Omer Avital, Yonathan Avishai and Itamar Doari, names which suggest foreign influences but which throw no further light on what might be in store…Read more Zamzama
I Promise
Radiohead have always had many influences. A band that tips its hat to Pink Floyd, Siouxie and the Banshees, The Smiths, Miles Davis, Aphex Twin, krautrock bands and 20th century classical music (among others) is bound to have developed a somewhat idiosyncratic style. And they are always experimenting. That gives their album catalogue something of a…Read more I Promise
Hall of Fame
Delving blindfold into the laundry basket of titles earmarked for Track of the Week today the hand of fate picked out Hall of Fame by The Script. Sometimes choosing a song is the difficult bit; this time it's what to write. You see, there's not much to say about this single except that it's a straightforward…Read more Hall of Fame
Doctor Who
The First Doctor has been characterised as a crotchety old man but he was so much more, displaying childish delight, great charm, enormous warmth and a wonderful sense of mischief during his many adventures through time and space. - A quote from the BBC website It seems my secret identity has been revealed. Yes, Crotchety Man…Read more Doctor Who
Walk On Gilded Splinters
In 1968 the Broadway musical Hair opened in London's West End. It caused quite a stir in the British news media. It was praised for its songs and production but there was some vehement criticism, too, mainly for the 20 second scene in which the actors stood naked on the stage. Hair was a story about…Read more Walk On Gilded Splinters
Autopsy
It's almost exactly 50 years since Fairport Convention gave their first performance at St. Michael's Church Hall, Golders Green, London on 27th May 1967. To commemorate that occasion the band called their recent half studio, half live album, 50:50@50. The album was released earlier this year and the band is on tour in the UK right now. Crotchety Man discovered too…Read more Autopsy
Magic
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
Crotchety Man 