Showing posts with label Primal Scream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Primal Scream. Show all posts

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Primal Scream - Loaded

OLD PA'S WEDNESDAY CLUB

TAIPEI

How Tall is that Tower Max?

PRIMAL SCREAM - Loaded - Live (1991) 

I was on my way to Taipei to assist Saudia Airlines Cargo Department, to cut over to an Automated System. There was a welcome stop over in Bangkok so I could get a few alcoholic refreshments as Saudia was a dry flight. I probably had about a two hour connection time to Taipei. Enough for a few. It was then a short flight to Taiwan.

I was going to be met at Taipei Airport and taken to my Hotel. I, as always asked them to get me a cheap Hotel so that I could save money and have more to spend on local entertainment.

I waited for over an hour and nobody turned up, so I decided to get a bus to the Centre of Town and then get a taxi to the Hotel. It was proving to be very difficult as nobody seemed to speak English. However, I eventually arrived at the Hotel. I was shown to my room down a corridor in dim red lights. Very tasteful I thought.

I immediately phoned down for some beer and a few minutes later there was a knock at the door. An older woman was there with a very young and beautiful girl wearing a Suzy Wong dress. It took me a few moments to realise that I was being offered this beautiful girl. I declined the offer and decided to drink my beer and watch a bit of local TV. I nearly fell off my beer, when I found out that all the channels were heavy duty Porno. It seemed to cater for the whole spectrum of tastes. Gay Boys in Bondage, Busty Bimbos in Heat etc. etc.

It then donned on me, Red dimmed light Corridor!. The Porno TV!. I was given a room in a Brothel.

Later I went down to a club which was underneath the Hotel. It was my first experience of Karaoke. I sat at a table and before long I had several beautiful girls sitting with me and before I knew it I had a crate of beer and I was sharing it with my new friends. We were having a great old laugh!

After sometime it hit me, how much was this costing?. I got the bill and it was very, very expensive. What the hell, I paid for the beer I may as well drink it and retire to my room when it was finished.

I woke up the next morning with a raging hangover, I was fully clothed and lying across the bed. It then dawned on me where I had been but I had no recollection of what had happened. I fully expected to have lost a kidney or even worse, my wallet missing (well I am a Scotsman). But thankfully all was intact.

I made my way to the office feeling like death, thinking I had a lucky escape. Another valuable lesson learned. Another drink too many!

Don't get loaded when you are abroad and alone.

To be Continued.....

 

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

TUNE DOCTOR'S FOOTY SPECIAL

I don't know about you but I'm really enjoying the World Cup but what about Football songs...they're tragic aren't they? Or are they? Here's a selection.....that are more Lionel Messi than Colin Hendry! 

Do you have any favourite football tracks?....it's ok you can admit it, let us know!!




Flycasual:-
Primal Scream/Irvine Welsh - 'The Big Man and The Scream Team Meet the Barmy Army Uptown' (1996)

It's so nice that Scotland are not in World Cup, the idea of having to go through the guaranteed 270 minutes of agony the group games have to offer is far too gruelling for my constitution. It's only after they have been unceremoniously dumped out of the tournament in heroic failure, that you start to relax and enjoy the footballing spectacle!

It was Euro 1996, Scoltand were in it and more importantly I would get to experience my first taste of a classic clash with the Auld Enemy, as England were in the same group. Leading up to the big day, my English girlfriend at the time and I would wind each other up to the point where it would end up in a heated argument about our respective nations, despite her being a big fan of Mel Gibson's exploits. She'd play '3 Lions' and England's 30 years of supposed hurt and I had this Scud missile of a record to take it out from Primal Scream, a superb Rock/Dub number with author Irvine Welsh's rant over it (when the guitars come in around 03:00...wow). The big day came with the inevitable big match nerves so it was a bit of a boozy affair to say the least. Predictably England took the lead but soon after Scotland found a way back in and were awarded a penalty, this was the moment!!! Then it all went to shit, in a helicopter high above Wembley stadium, Uri bloody Geller moved the ball and Gary Mcallister missed the spot kick, a sickener. From the resulting goal kick, Gazza went on to score 'that goal', flicking the ball over Colin Hendry's massive heed to net an incredible goal, one which I still haven't recovered from to this very day. Disgusted, I just ran out the house and headed to our local park to escape the banter from my girlfriend, only to be found by an eventual search party, crashed out in a drunken heap, draped in my Rampant Lion flag.

Sfw:-
Frankie Valli - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Can't Take My Eyes Off You? - Football? What's the link? Back in 1993, the BBC used this song when promoting the Welsh Football teams during the qualifying rounds for the 1994 World Cup. It quickly became the unofficial anthem of the Welsh Football Supporters. 

We thought we had it all! Old heads (Ian Rush, Neville Southall) and young talent in the form of Ryan Giggs and Gary Speed. We were second in the group and it all came down to the final match where Wales had to play Romania in Cardiff.  It was 1-1 at 63 minutes when Wales were awarded a Penalty, but Paul Bodin (Who? I know) smashed the ball against the cross bar.  Romania ended up winning 2-1 and qualified! I still remember it!

Wales have only qualified for one major tournament  - The World Cup in Sweden 1958, when coincidently a young Brazilian called 'Pele' knocked them out! 

In 2011, Stereophonics singer Kelly Jones sang an acoustic version of the song in tribute to the former Wales Manager Gary Speed who sadly committed suicide.


Shell Hunter:-
Fat Les - Vindaloo (1998)



What are football songs all about? To me, they've got to be something that gets the crowd all riled up and something they'll enjoy singing along to. Forget all the soppy crap, it's got to be straight to the point! Vindaloo has it, synonymous to the stereotypical English lad..."I want to hottest thing on the menu, get me a Vindaloo!!" Its got the crowd pleasing factor, easy lyrics and sounds fantastic when shouted at the top of your lungs in a pub full of drunken revellers(especially if England did win). Sadly I think this style of song was the last of it's kind in quality and will always be up there with New Order and The Lightning Seeds. There are some great characters in the video, my favourites being the pissed tart and the weirdo with the bald wig that walks like Mick Jagger!

Old Pa's Corner :-
Rod Stewart - Ole Ola! (1978)


If it was a quiz question I would definitely remember the year 1978, It was World Cup year and Scotland had already won the World Cup, well according to the manager Ally McLeod that is.

I was at a wedding in Inverness and me along with another 100 or so celebrating fans gathered round a small TV for Scotland's first game. Rod Stewart's Ole Ola! was playing loud. It was Fiesta time, whiskey time!. A time to celebrate this great Scottish world class, all conqueing team. (Scotland were 40 to 1 on to win this game with some bookies, unbelievable odds).

There was no regard to the break up of the wedding, amongst the tears and the  'how could you spoil Morag's big day', and  'it will never last'.

Fourteen minutes into the game, Jo Jordon is through on his own, GOAL !  Scotland 1 Peru 0, we are on our way. World Champions! Scotland! it tasted good!

Eighty Minutes later the score read, Scotland 1 Peru 3, a certain 'Cubillas' spoiled the party, it was his fault the wedding was a disaster. It was his fault Scotland lost, whiskey time. It was his fault I had a raging hangover the next day.

The dream was over before it had began. Three weeks later a Nation's confidence was brought to it's knees and has never fully recovered.  Not even  Proud Edward's army  had achieved that. We thought we were invincible, a small Nation that could compete with the Big Boys. Sadly we now know our place.  (Thank God for Andy Murray and Robbie Burns and Scotch Whiskey)
The Dream is well and truly over for the last 34 years

Come on England! Ole Ola! I hope you don't suffer the same fate. Nobody deserves that, not even an England supporter.


Arrivederci it's one on one!! Check out more Tune Doctor Special Operations here....

Sunday, 7 April 2013

TRACKS OF THE WEEK - 07/04/13 - John Grant, Black Books, Farewell JR, Primal Scream, Low

Kim Jung Un, you're getting on our Pyongyang's! Relax! Just everybody meet up and sort it with a karaoke showdown with these 5 love missiles.




Shell Hunter:-
Primal Scream - 'It's Alright, It's OK' (2013)



I couldn't believe it, yesterday I drove home after a horrid day at work and the sun was shining! I could feel the heat in the car and even though I was trying desperately not to drift onto the rummblestrips (a hazard often fought against when driving home after getting up at 03:45 am) I was smiling! This song is what you would get if summer was bottled and what you would find in the dictionary as a description of Primal Scream: A feel good beat, gospel choir backing and sing a long lyrics! Perfect for the 90's indie revival we seem to be having!

London Scouser:-
Black Books - 'Favorite Place' (2013


Despite the Arctic conditions we seem to be having this week I was actually happy to be blown away. I stumbled across this Texan 5 piece band and their Aquarena EP. Since then I've probably listened to the 4 tracks about 10 times each. They are all winners and it was difficult to choose 1 and disappoint the other 3 !! I chose this track because it instantly hooked me, and like a good book I couldn't put it down. The chorus of 'I couldn't breathe, you're exceptional' sticks in my mind for hours afterwards (in a good way !!) I almost forgot to mention the excellent video that accompanies the song, all I can say is that it must have taken a long time to make. They have been favourably compared to a few bands, amongst them Arcade Fire, which I definitely get, but also for me they sound like Embrace, especially on the track 'For All The People'. I for one was a huge fan of Embrace so I can't complain at that. They will be over this side of the pond in May supporting The Flaming Lips. I definitely don't want to miss them, that's how much they've impressed me.

Old Pa's Corner:-
Low - Plastic Cup (2013)


 

This is the first track on Low's new album The Invisible Way (2013) it is typical Low, a slow understated burner which will creep up on you and pounce. I have been listening to the album this week quite a lot and it is worth the effort.  The album is being described as 'Heartbreaking beautiful music'  Spot on, I agree

The album was produced by Jeff Tweedy and recorded at Wilco's studio too.

SFW:-
Farewell JR - Night Wolves

Great atmospheric track by, (fans of Larry Hagman), Farewell JR, which features on their recently released, Health EP. It's still a bit cold to lie down on the floor to stare at the stars, but I'd do it anyway for this.  Would be great on a soundtrack. Perfection.

Flycasual:-
John Grant - 'Black Belt' (2013)



I had the pleasure of listening to John Grant's album, 'Pale Green Ghosts', whilst painting my son's room last week, I hate DIY but when I finished before the album ended, I desperately tried to find something else to paint. The man who played with Midlake and gave us the Rock/Folk ballad about the woman who made me the man I am today, 'Sigourney Weaver' (I'm an Aliens fan), has made an incredible electronic album. It's as if the best bits of Rufus Wainwright, LCD Soundsytem and Vangelis have all been put into a musical blender and produced a tasty disco biscuit of a record. It's a collection of heartfelt songs of love, loss and personal tragedy beautifully sung with wit and humour. including some very memorable lines, which, at times, had me saying 'ooof' while shaking my head to the visually descriptive lyrics. The brilliant 'Black Belt' is one of my tracks of the year from, hands down, my favourite album of the year so far.

John Grant's website


Checkout previous Tracks of the week here
Listen & Subscribe to our 2013 Tracks of the Week Spotify Playlist

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