Tag Archives: pop culture

St. Andrew’s Day Playlist

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In the past I’ve posted playlists for St. David’s Day (obviously, home nation and that) and St. Patrick’s Day.  About time I posted something for my Celtic brothers up north.

The following list is not meant to be exhaustive, rather it showcases a number of bands/musicians who hail from Scotland.  In some cases, there’s just one band member who fits the bill – for example, Garbage (supervixen vocalist Shirley Manson being Scottish).  But there’s some connection to Scotland that means the artist is on the playlist.

  1. Nazareth – “Hair of the Dog”
  2. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – “Faith Healer”
  3. The Average White Band – “Pick Up The Pieces”
  4. The Skids – “Into The Valley”
  5. The Jesus and Mary Chain – “April Skies”
  6. Primal Scream – “Jailbird”
  7. Alestorm – “Flower of Scotland”
  8. The Exploited – “Attack”
  9. The Proclaimers – “Born Innocent”
  10. Big Country – “In a Big Country”
  11. The Vaselines – “Molly’s Lips”
  12. Garbage – “Only Happy When it Rains”
  13. Eurythmics – “Here Comes The Rain Again”
  14. Mogwai – “San Pedro”
  15. The Rezillos – “Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight”
  16. Simple Minds – “Promised You a Miracle”
  17. Lulu – “The Man with the Golden Gun”
  18. Stiltskin – “Inside”
  19. Stealers Wheel – “Stuck in the Middle with You”
  20. Ultravox – “Vienna”
  21. Sean Connery – “in My Life”

There are a few other bands in my collection that probably could have made the list, like The Sweet for example (singer Brian Connolly was born in Glasgow).  But you won’t find any Wet Wet Wet, Travis or Texas anywhere near my record collection.

Yes, you did read number 21 correctly.

Should Rod Stewart be on the list…?

R.I.P. David Bowie

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Bowie

David Bowie

08.01.1947 – 10.01.2016

Unbelievable that my second blog post of 2016 is another in tribute to a musical hero who is no longer with us.

The recent passing of David Bowie caught us all off guard; I for one thought it was some cruel internet prank at first.  Not so – a quick trawl of the internet confirmed the sad news.

Back around 1990, my uncle let me borrow a bunch of records from his collection – an absolute buzz for a music obsessive like me.  There were records by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, The Stranglers, Devo and more.  I saw a copy of “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”, and asked if I could borrow that too.  He kindly agreed and I made off with my temporary haul.

Right from the start, listening to the “Ziggy Stardust” album was something revolutionary.  I knew I was hearing something special.

The reason I’d wanted to become more acquainted with Bowie’s work was the high regard some of my other favourite bands held him in, mostly due to his friendship and support of Iggy Pop.  I was already a massive Stooges fan.

From “Ziggy Stardust” I continued exploring David Bowie’s considerable catalogue.  Some songs were instants classics, some challenged me.  All of it was worthwhile taking the time to investigate: classics from “Hunky Dory” and “Low” being favourites.  All of those songs inspired me, and gave insight into how many artists of different genres had been inspired by his work.

In fact, the greatest legacy that Bowie’s work has left, for me at least, was that constant pioneering exploration.  I was encouraged to expand my musical horizons and accompany Bowie on journeys into different sonic territories.  It’s thanks to that spirit that I have the wide ranging taste in music that I have today.

Thank you, David Bowie, for taking us on your adventures in sound.  I will continue to admire and study your legacy for years to come.

Bizarre Magazine Playlist

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The most recent issue of that misfit of British publications, Bizarre magazine, was sadly the last.

Over the years, Bizarre magazine featured articles that astounded, amazed, and entertained as it explored the fringes of popular culture.  Sometimes gross, sometimes weird, always entertaining – each issue offered content that would never be published elsewhere. Biz

Amongst the counter culture oddness and thought provoking investigations, I found many an interesting film to track down in their review pages.

Bizarre also covered many musicians/bands that strayed from the familiar paths.  Whether in the regular monthly review section or in the excellent “Bizarre Albums” features, I found a few favourites and some new treasures.

This playlist is comprised of just some of the bands featured in the magazine over the years, in some form or other.  As a sort of tribute (hell, I’ve even got the first issue lurking around in the garage…).

Bizarre Magazine Playlist

  1. Christopher Lee – “The Impossible Dream (The Quest)”
  2. Fantomas – “One Step Beyond”
  3. The Moog Cookbook – “Basket Case”
  4. Mr Bungle – “Chemical Marriage”
  5. Jean Jacques Perry – “E.V.A.”
  6. Lord Sitar – “I Can See For Miles”
  7. Alice In Chains – “Heaven Beside You”
  8. Yma Sumac – “Malambo #1”
  9. Spike Jones – “Power House”
  10. Hanna-Barbera – “Tra La La Song (Banana Splits Theme)”
  11. Christopher Lee – “Act V: Starlight”
  12. Zombina and the Skeletones – “Punk Rock Vampires Destroy!”
  13. Electric Eel Shock – “Goodbye Peach”
  14. Ween – “Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)”
  15. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Stagger Lee”

There are tons more bands I could add to this list.  Many more covered by the magazine can be found in the catacombs of my iPod.  But this will do nicely for now.

Thanks and goodbye Bizarre magazine.  In particular for the wonder of Christopher Lee’s albums; not to mention Zombina and the Skeletones and Electric Eel Shock – two of the best live bands I’ve ever seen!