A lot of vinyl played this week. Here are the top 5 songs from the last seven days:
Here are five more tunes that stood out from my listening over the last week. Enjoy!
Presenting a new feature at the Virtual Hot Tub, my Songs of the Week. Each week, I will pick five songs that I’ve enjoyed listening to over the last seven days, and share them here for your enjoyment.
Now I listen to probably hundreds of songs in any one week, so choosing just five won’t be easy. Each track will have stood out for some reason or other – perhaps it was poignant, perhaps relating to something going on in my life. Most likely it will just be a proper banging tune that I’ve loved.
This is intended to be a regular weekly feature, but we’ll see how that goes. It’s not easy running this Virtual Hot Tub, you know.
Here’s the five for week ending 03/07/2016:
There you go – five killer tracks. No explanations necessary. Unless the multitudes of readers want to know why songs are chosen, then I’ll reconsider.
For now – keep rockin’.
Forget using your super smart, internet enabled portable phone as a means of playing music. And forget iPods, too – sadly the swines at Apple have decided to sacrifice their master product, in order to concentrate on their vile mutant phone. My mate Greeny has a much better music playing machine than any of those.
Greeny has a jukebox.
The jukebox is named Florence. After Florence and the Machine, as she’s a machine, obviously. Florence stands proudly in the corner of the lounge, neither dominating the room or sitting back like a wall flower. But Florence has presence: when the lights are on and the tunes are spinning, you will be drawn magnetically to this wondrous device.
He’s been collecting 7 inch singles since he were a lad, has Greeny. Now Florence is a treasure trove packed full of delightful vinyl gems. There’s a wild variety of musical genres in Florence, spanning the decades. She’s regularly re-stocked and/or has the records switched out and replaced with others, keeping the music selection fresh and entrancing.
Florence holds around 84 records. Don’t forget that there’s a song on side A and B, so that’s a generous amount of music to enjoy.
It’s a lot of fun gathering around the jukebox in Greeny’s front room, with a few beers and spinning some records. I would love one of my own, one day – though they cost a few hundred quid, so it’s unlikely. I’m collecting a few cool 7 inch singles just in case, though…
Here’s a list of the records that are currently stocked inside Florence. Remember Greeny has to rotate the records, as he has far more than this! Which songs would you choose to play?
And if you’re interested, this jukebox is a Rowe AMI RI-3.
The tracks:
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
Queen’s Head, Mold
Friday 8th April 2016
Got a record collection? Want to spin those discs on a nice turntable for an appreciative bunch of vinyl enthusiasts? The Bring Your Own Vinyl Night is for you!
Held monthly in the Queen’s Head pub in Mold, North Wales, this event goes from strength to strength. The idea is simple: each participant gets 15 minutes to play whatever records they want. That’s vinyl only; no CDs, MP3s, cassettes or whatever else. Just have a beer and enjoy the music.
My pal Adam was back on the decks tonight, and was the first of our crew to step up. He played a great set of songs from movies, that went something like this:
A special prize if you can name the films these songs are from! A great set from Adam, I think one of his strongest. In particular, I thought “Sleepwalk” was an exceptional track.
Then it was my turn:
Suicidal Tendencies – Possessed to Skate
Regular readers will know the story of my Suicidal records. Here’s a quick recap. Going back to the height of my skateboarding days in 1988 (or thereabouts), my friend Kelvin Bedford gave me the album “Join the Army” by Suicidal Tendencies. A few years later, as a broke student, I sold that album and another ST record to my mate Graham. Now fast forward to the recent past, and although I had the CDs, I was kicking myself for not having the vinyl anymore. They were easy enough to buy off Discogs. However, sadly Kel had passed away a couple of years ago, so I thought it would be great to have the copy he originally gave me back. I contacted Graham, and he gave me the records for free. What a gentleman! I bought him a beer or two as a thank you.
Not so brief that recap, but now you have the background. I wanted to play a track off the classic “Join the Army” record, as it was back in my collection, and this had to be it. Many fun memories of my old skateboarding days always come flooding back with this fast paced punk rock/metal hybrid. And I still listen to it when I skate nowadays (which isn’t often enough). “Possessed to Skate”. RAD.
Iggy & The Stooges – Gimme Danger
The next song is a favourite I was introduced to in my university days. I was already a fan of the early Stooges albums, but hadn’t heard “Raw Power”. It’s a superb record, full of barely restrained energy and chaos. “Gimme Danger” is a the second song on the album, lulling the listener in to a false sense of comfort after lead track “Search and Destroy” decimates your speakers. “Gimme Danger” still has an air of menace, however – a sense that anything can, and will, go wrong. Decadent and beautiful, a masterpiece.
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
And so on to Chris Isaak. I have the “Wicked Game” album on CD, so I can regularly bask in the warmth of Isaak’s voice and imagine desert roads, truck stops, motels and neon lights. This version is on a 7″ single that Greeny gave me for Christmas, and I’m so glad I have it. Timeless Americana that always carries a hint of David Lynch, thanks to the song being included in “Wild at Heart”. I usually drunkenly sing along to this at 2am. I’ve also attempted “Wicked Game” at Karaoke a couple of times; I think I got away with it.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Sexy Mexican Maid
One of my favourite RHCP songs ever, you can find this sensual little number on the fantastic “Mother’s Milk” record. It’s a slow funky groove that deserves to be heard more often, from one of their greatest albums. “Sexy Mexican Maid” shows the Chili Peppers exploring their sound and developing towards “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”, whilst still happy to languish with their sexually charged lyrics.
So last up was Ben the Swede, who recently moved house and now had access to his full vinyl collection. The theme was bass, of different types:
And there you have it: another great night with some great songs and some very cool people.There were some killer tracks from PIL, Perrey & Kingsley, Elvis Costello and more. You can see the full playlist on the Halcyon Dreams blog here.
Thanks all – looking forward to the next Vinyl Night!
You can listen to this Bring Your Own Vinyl Night (and previous ones, too) on the Mixcloud page here.
The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.
Thanks Graham!
RIP Kelvin Bedford
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
Queen’s Head, Mold
Friday 26th February 2016
Welcome back to the Queen’s Head in Mold, North Wales! Get yourself a pint and make yourself comfortable, ‘cos you know what time it is. That’s right, it’s Bring Your Own Vinyl Night again!
Remember the rules: there’s a fifteen minute slot for each person; play whatever you like, so long as it’s vinyl.
Only Greeny and myself made it this time – Adam and Ben the Swede were both unavailable. No theme for my set this time, just a few songs I really had a yearning to play…
Ennio Morricone – The Ecstasy of Gold
This song is of course from the soundtrack for the classic Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. My version came from an album called “This is Ennio Morricone”. You don’t need me to tell you how great that film is. And Morricone’s soundtrack is stylish and ground breaking. In particular, this track (which plays while Eli Wallach’s character runs frenziedly through a Civil War graveyard) is sheer class. It builds magnificently and captivates the listener. A bit over the top, I admit, as the first song in my set – but never let it be said that Platinum Al doesn’t do drama.
Ramones – Surfin’ Bird
If I was going to recommend a Ramones album for a novice to start their education of NYC’s finest, I’d go for “Rocket to Russia”. I thought that this frenetic cover of the Trashmen’s surf rock gem would be a suitable place to go, after the majesty of the last track. I love the Ramones and this song was a ton of fun to play.
Soundgarden – Fresh Tendrils
This song, from the simply fantastic “Superunknown” album, is probably my favourite Soundgarden song ever. And I’m a bit of a Soundgarden nerd – I’ve collected tons of their stuff. Rather than play a more obvious, well known song, I decided to go with my top tune. “Fresh Tendrils” has an epic, classic rock sound that I love. No idea what Chris is singing about, however. The version I played was from the “Spoonman” 12″ single (on clear vinyl!).
Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues
Originally I was going to play a Stooges song, but then I remembered that 26th February was Johnny Cash’s birthday. So I decided to play a song by the Man in Black. “Folsom Prison Blues” is a legendary track, one of Cash’s best. And I’ve already stated how big a hero this guy was to me. The album this came from – “Original Golden Hits Volume 1” – was my Gran’s. After she passed away, it was given to me. I’d heard a lot from bands I was into how Cash was an inspiration, so I checked the record out. I loved it, and my Johnny Cash fandom was born. The first Cash record I heard, but not the last!
That’s my list for the night. There were may great songs played through out the evening, though. Budgie! Hawkwind! Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy! Anthrax! Check the link below for the complete list.
Wax is back – get spinning those tracks! Thanks for a great night!
I’d also like to thank my old mate Graham, who turned up with a couple of Suicidal Tendencies records for me. You see, I’d sold these two exact albums to Graham some twenty years ago, when I was a broke student. Although I could’ve tracked the records down on eBay, I decided to message Graham and see if he’d sell them back to me (if he still had them). The reason being that one album, the awesome “Join the Army”, had been given to me when I was 15 by my friend Kelvin Bedford, who I used to skateboard with every day. Sadly, Kel passed away a couple of years ago. So it was cool to get that actual copy back in my record collection, as a nice memory. It even had the same plastic protective sheet over the album – and the selotape strip I patched up the inner sleeve with many, many years ago! Graham gave me both records for free – so I bought him a pint or two. Thank you!
The Halcyon Dreams blogspot is here.
The Halcyon Dreams mixcloud page is here.
The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
Queen’s Head, Mold
Friday 22nd January 2016
The first Bring Your Own Vinyl Night of 2016 brought out fantastic tunes old and new. Regardless of genre, all were welcome to spin their records for the enjoyment of the gathered vinyl enthusiasts.
Held in the Queen’s Head pub in Mold, North Wales, the idea is simple. Each participant gets a fifteen minute slot to play whatever they like, so long as it’s on vinyl. No other format permitted.
Again my selection for this evening had a theme, though a sad one. Inspired by the loss of many musical heroes recently, my songs were selected as a tribute to some of those musicians who had passed away.
My old mucker Adam was first up from our gang. He’d got to the pub early and had some food, which I’m told was very good. Here’s his set:
Five great songs, awesome set. Some of the other punters had a go, then it was my turn on the wheels of steel.
Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
Taken from the first Stone Temple Pilots record, “Core”, this song is my favourite track on the album. “Plush” is a big, epic song that always reminded me of Led Zeppelin. A great track to start the set off, though as it’s over five minutes long it meant that my set would be three songs rather than the usual four. No problem. Played in memory of STP singer Scott Weiland who died in December 2015.
Motorhead – Killed by Death
At the last Bring Your Own Vinyl Night, I played “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead as drummer Phil Taylor had passed away. Sadly Lemmy, Motorhead main man and all round rock legend, was to follow on 28th December 2015. After “Ace of Spades”, the next best Motorhead tune is “Killed By Death”, so I gave this classic a spin. Taken from the best of compilation “No Remorse”, which I bought when I was 16 as it had both of the aforementioned tracks on it. Every home should have one!
David Bowie – Heroes
And finally a Bowie song, to remember this great artist. I chose “Heroes” as it’s my favourite Bowie song, grand and optimistic with a tinge of melancholy. Truly magnificent. The track I played was the single edit, taken from the “Best of Bowie” album, which I picked up a couple of years ago in a charity shop. There were several songs I could have picked from several albums I own, all brilliant tunes. 
After three songs I was running out of time for my fifteen minute slot and decided to call it quits. I had the Eagles “Take It Easy” in reserve, to commemorate the passing of Glen Frey, but I was running out of time. Plus Bowie’s “Heroes” was a perfect track to end on.
So Ben the Swede took to the stage after me, armed with just three records. He’s moving house, you see ( a real house, not a cardboard box) – and most of his stuff is in storage at the moment. Despite limited resources, Ben dropped a set of bangers.
A nice mix there, from Megadeth to Elton John!
There you have it – another night of great tunes and good company at the Queen’s Head. I even had a few requests for songs from the audience, though couldn’t oblige as that’s not what vinyl night is all about! Thanks to everyone concerned.
Hope to see you there next time!
The Halcyon Dreams blogspot is here.
The Halcyon Dreams mixcloud page is here.
The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.
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.
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
Queen’s Head, Mold
Friday 4th December 2015
Unlike the last event, I didn’t have a theme for Bring Your Own Vinyl Night this time around. Just some tunes I fancied playing. I hadn’t even decided exactly what they would be till the show was on.
For anyone still uninitiated, the night is hosted in the Queen’s Head pub in Mold, North Wales. There are two turntables and each participant gets to play 15 minutes of whatever music they want, vinyl only.
I had myself a couple of beers and rattled out this selection:
Motorhead – Ace of Spades
When you buy your first Motorhead album, you know you’ve entered the world of grown up music. Big, nasty unapologetic rocking grown up music. A song that never gets old, I was introduced to “Ace of Spades” when the band performed it on the classic “University Challenge” episode of The Young Ones. It’s just a non-stop, joyous racket that simply will not stop or slow down for anyone. Absolute perfection. I played this in memory of drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor, who sadly passed away recently.
The Vapors – Turning Japanese
A New Wave/Punk Rock classic, I was donated the brilliant “Turning Japanese” by a friend. Thank you, Simon. It was supposed to be part of a tribute set that I’m still working on. It was going to be hard to follow up the adrenaline rush of the previous song, The Vapors pulled it off here though. A great power pop song that kept the pace of the set nicely.
Dinosaur Jr. – Freak Scene
A slight fast forward to the late 1980’s for this next track. The first track on Dinosaur Jr.’s album “Bug”, this track nicely covers the appeal of early American alternative rock. Born out of punk and hardcore, with one foot in old Black Sabbath and one in jangly pop; Dinosaur Jr. constantly delight. Reminds me of my skateboarding youth.
Beastie Boys – Sabotage
I couldn’t decide which track to play last, so I let the audience choose the album. The Beastie Boys “Ill Communication” won hands down, and I chose “Sabotage” as the track to play. Another unrelenting monster of a song, “Sabotage” has a funky groove delivered with a rocking style. Again, a song I never tire of. Plus the Spike Jonze video, with it’s 70’s cop show homage, is a work of genius. It’s been over twenty years and I still want to dress up and play Sabotage Cops for a day.
My buddy Adam strode up to the decks next, and delivered another fine set. It went something like this:
Four top songs from Adam there, the Queen track was a load of fun and had me doing my world renowned Freddie Mercury impression. It was nice to hear a modern song on vinyl too, with the Ronson/Mars number.
Great night, great songs – well done all on another fine evening’s entertainment. I’m currently stumped what to play next time. I’ll work on it.
The Halcyon Dreams blog is here, where you can find listed (very helpfully) all of the songs played on the night.
The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
Queen’s Head, Mold
Friday 2nd October 2015
For this month’s Bring Your Own Vinyl Night, I decided to have a theme for my set. Although it was only early in the month of October, I decided to opt for a Halloween theme. My music choices would have a horror element, or something dark and macabre.
If you’re not familiar with vinyl night, here’s the basic outline:
Adam was first up tonight, his set list went as follows:
Then it was my turn…
Bobby “Boris” PIckett and the Crypt-Kickers – Monster Mash
What better way to start than with this ghoulish classic? I found this album a few months ago in a charity shop, and couldn’t believe my luck. It was only a couple of quid, and worth the investment even though I don’t usually spend more than a pound! This is of course the sixties gem that sound checks various monsters, with Pickett impersonating Karloff (and Lugosi too). It’s great fun and essential for any Halloween party!
The Damned – Nasty
The first time I ever heard the Damned was when “Eloise” got to number 3 in the charts. The second time was this fast paced, tongue in cheek ode to horror movies, on the brilliant Young Ones horror spoof episode “Nasty”. The Damned appear and play this song in the Young Ones’ kitchen. I was hooked straight away, saved up some money and bought an album with both tracks on it. Given the exposure this song had, it constantly amazes me that “Nasty” was relegated to a B-side and hardly ever shows up on Damned compilation albums. I’ve seen the band live more times than any other, but only saw this song performed for the first time a few weeks ago! Anyway, the Damned are another essential for a Halloween theme. Still a great song.
Danzig – Sistinas
Although not a horror related song as such, I couldn’t resist the chance to play something by the Dark Lord of rock himself, Danzig. Instead of a more obvious bone rattling heavy rock number, I chose this incredible ballad that was hidden away on Danzig III: How the Gods Kill. Glenn shows off his great vocal abilities here on a song that is more Roy Orbison than Black Sabbath. Appropriately dark and wind swept, this is a morose beauty of a song.
The Misfits – Vampira
To be honest, I was spoiled for choices for a horror theme, there are tons of songs I could’ve played. Despite risking a Glenn Danzig overdose, I just had to spin a Misfits song. This band took the horror punk template established by the Damned, the Ramones and the Cramps and ran with it, off into a creepy cemetery populated by every 1950’s B-movie monster ever. “Walk Among Us” is one of my favourite albums ever, and this short sharp song dedicated to proto Goth babe Vampira is one of their best.
So there you have it – another triumphant evening for Bring Your Own Vinyl Night. There were old songs, new songs, obscure and obvious songs. There’s always something to make you go away and research another band, that’s the beauty of these nights. My personal favourite was hearing “Gut Feeling” by Devo! Already looking forward to the next one. A theme? We’ll see…
The Halcyon Dreams blog is here, where you can find listed (very helpfully) all of the songs played on the night.
The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.
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