with great expectations i change all my clothes

hey there

just one of them kind of (partially) opportunistic posts to showcase my washing machine, look you see, taking the chance of doing so whilst remaining being able to do so. my exploits and adventures in this genre, loosely defined as washing machines in the plural, tends to generate some interest, so why not. admittedly, the more popular ones have been when one is busted and i have failed miserably to mend it, but here we are. 

recently, then, and in the recent past rather than the imminent future (at the least, at time of composition), i went ahead and did one of them "deep clean / service" things on the washing machine. these are what one calls "off the shelf" items, what clean your machine and make sure it runs as it should. broadly speaking, or if you like accurately, there are two types of such, a powder one and a liquid one. my experience suggests that it is the former, if that is the right way of identifying the power one, which works best. 

it is so that running one of these kits, or sets, gives a rare instance of my washing machine generating more visible bubbles than usual. normally the exceptional efficiency of the device prevents too much of this, but when free of actual clothing, off it goes. 

certainly, it is absolutely true that all here (except the text, because i have not worked out how to do that here) will be presented in the greater good and glory of Commodore 64 mode. and why not. 

the advice, or guidance, is to run one of these "deep clean" or "service" things once every 30 washes. do i do so? yes. well, maybe. perhaps. no. every intention i have is certainly, or most decidedly, to do so. but a requirement of such is for me to remember to pick up one of the sets. yes, preferably the power variation. also, i have a habit, or proclivity, to wait until such a purchase opportunity is presented at a most agreeable, reduced commanded fee. or i buy them on special offer, if you like. knocking 50p or even as far north as £1 off of the price is a good way to secure my business. 

how about a nice bit of animated gif thing stuff (in Commodore 64 mode, as per the above) of the machine in action? sure. i think this may well be the first instance of such on my relatively new phone. up to now it appears to make these things a lot faster, with a somewhat higher framerate, or whatever the right term is. probably due to loads more ram, microchips or what have you shoved into it. 

perhaps the bubbles i promised, or at the very least suggested, are not quite so visible as my introduction to all of this suggested, but they are there. kind of. look at the sloshing, anyway. or don't, this is a matter really for you to determine.

generally i am not inclined to give free product promotions (except of course Marlboro, and David Bowie recordings), but still. the most comprehensive and complete way in which i can describe this washing machine is as it being the best f*****g washing machine what i have ever f*****g had in the entire sorry f*****g history of my existence. i am no sure the manufacturer of this device, being lg, would care to use that as a direct quote of endorsement, but they are welcome to if so. 

maybe i should give the specific details of this machine, but to do so strikes me as being likely a redundant matter. although my memory sways towards being best defined as an unreliable narrator, i am quite sure this washing machine is now well north of ten years old. rather like me, then, it is likely to be obsolete, and potentially more effort than it is worth to obtain. 

a quite remarkable aspect of this machine, or if you will device, is that it has proven to be a loyal, reliable servant on both sides of the equator, despite water quality and detergent availability variations. not many things in this world can make such a claim. actually they probably can, but i am unable to think of them momentarily. lots, probably. issues only come with trying to use anything electrical at first within the United States and then anywhere else, what with their infamous lower voltage capabilities. 

on being asked, coerced or in some way forced to name a favourite aspect of the washing machine, then it would be the lovely different tones it makes as one selects different functions. very early on i was able to work out that one could play a distinct and perfectly serviceable version of Cavatina off of The Deer Hunter on it. just the first part, true, and not so much the complex parts later on in this piece of music, but still. 

for the more semantic or pedantic, or just those wanting a significantly less music based response to the question of the qualities of a washing machine, indeed. yes, this machine has always provided a superb, arguably superior, level of service in washing any garment (or towel) that i have cared to challenge it with. in essence, the machine has done all which has ever been asked of it, and met all real or imagined contractual obligations in doing what it is supposed to. 

due to an act of folly, or simple miscalculation if you were to be kind, the above animated gif thing is indeed presented the wrong way round, rotated as it is some 90 degrees (if i have that right, it has been a while since i gone done maths) anticlockwise, or left. those of you wishing to view it the right way around can, i am sure, work it out. my guess was that if i filmed it the wrong way around i could rotate it later; as it turns out no. 

it might well be (and this is highly likely) that my days of using this washing machine are numbered. that would be a different tale for another day. but, on the basis of this being so, all the more reason to celebrate it now, as and when i am able to. 

no, there is not a great deal particularly more for me to add. but i have taken another picture and already added it here, so i might as well just waffle on some more. 

could it be said that i am enthusiastic and passionate about washing machines? if asked i would say no, probably not, and yet should one take as evidence all what is written above, the answer seems to be yes. maybe it would be best to say that i have a healthy appreciation for the benefits these devices bring to everyday life. 

right, well, anyway, thanks for taking the time to read all of this (or most of it) and observe whatever images took your fancy. 

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elvis is English and climbs the hills

hello there

a bit of an indulgence post, then, look you see, because why not. this is, or was, my blog, after all. 

for fun, then, or to show off, an incomplete look at what i think is a complete set of the variations of the single release of the song The Buddha Of Suburbia by, and yes it is (or was) quite rare for me to write stuff about him, David Bowie. this single was taken from the album of the same name, and in ostensible terms only was intended as the theme for the (brilliant) television series of the same name. 

except, no, it is not complete. i don't, or didn't, have the 7" vinyl single variation. call me, or accuse me of being, not a proper fan if you wish, but as partial defence i think that the 2 CD singles and cassette single versions mean that at the least i have a passing interest. 

so far as i am aware this particular single "peaked at" (or reached) 35 in the UK singles chart. which means it counts as top forty single by Bowie, should the subject ever come up on Pointless again, despite the fact that the album it comes from is bewilderingly not classified (officially) as a Bowie album. quite strange. it is a brilliant song, and perhaps the lack of success in the charts comes to not heavily marketing it, or just that the Bowie renaissance was not yet in full swing. 

controversy also dogged the single, and made it a bit difficult to get it on the radio, or the video aired. the single features a wonderful line, "can't tell the bullsh!t from the lies", which alas is not radio friendly. also, this was the time (early 90s) of the great purge of media in the USA, and so the video could not be shown there (unedited at least) because Bowie is seen (whisper it) smoking a cigarette in some scenes. 

yes, by the way, i did eventually get around to watching the series for which this song, and the album entire, were produced. even if not all that much of the music got used. and what a brilliant show it is too, well worth tracking down. something of an odyssey, if you like. for fans or enthusiasts of such, it is episode three (of the four) which was laced, should i recall right, with nudies. 

what took me rather by surprise on the cassette version of the single is the font used for the much loved name of David Bowie. it is, as some of you will not require me to point out, not the font used for the album or single, but rather the one (and styling) from Black Tie White Noise. yes, that album came out in the same year (and is classified as a "proper" Bowie album), but no, so far as i am aware, no other connection. in fact i thought the records were released by two different labels. 

tracklistings for the singles? well, probably rather look at the wikipedia page for it, as the various variations in the "mixes" of the titular track are just too much of a headache for me to try and rewrite. but know that all variations and versions are most splendid. 

each variation of the single includes, as a b-side, Dead Against It very much in the version that is on the album. well, it sounds so to me, but i am no expert in nuances and slight differences. and what a stunning song that is, too. well, it was always good on the album, but here, in a sort of quasi or partial state of isolation, it is allowed to stand and flow as a song in its own right. i can only tell you so often, this is an album you should hear if you have not already. 

of course an image of Bowie (himself) appears on the single, on the reverse cover or inside booklet, or whatever the correct term is. this is the same image from the back of the album, to be sure. and i really do love the picture. everything about it suggests something pensive, or patience, like he is sat there waiting for everyone to work out this album. 

not that it really needs much working out. if his cue was to produce music for a television adaptation of a book it is known that he admired, what evolved was something that i remain fairly confident in saying was a heavily "autobiographical" work, as in it is an album which he exposes more of his thoughts and frame of mind in an overt manner. essentially all art is autobiographical to a degree, i suppose (i never was all that clever), but how much is layered and how much is in your face ch-ch-ch-changes. well, yes, also, the album to be most this until, of course, Blackstar. 

alas, or sadly, my inept photography skills prevent me from providing you with a decent, clear image of the "special edition" version of the CD single. one that has just two tracks rather than four, but is resplendent with some fine holographic hologram stuff on the disc surface. i can promise or assure you that it does look quite class. 

is it worth your time hunting down any or all of the variations of the single of The Buddha Of Suburbia? well, yes, no, maybe. should you get worried about people not believing you are a "proper fan" then sure. but, in truth, getting just the album makes more sense. going on the general prices on the great car boot sale site of the internet, usually one (1) version of the single costs north of 50% of the cost of just getting the album. and it is pretty much the same music. 

my thanks, always and forever, for reading. or just looking at the pictures.

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gaga ooh la la unga unga cookie cookie

hello

i do indeed "get" the pressures our (so-called) pop stars are under these days. first the internet made them bereft of record sales, for so few of us still actually buy music. and then all this new, fancy plague came along, look you see, meaning that they cannot earn coins of money off of gigs and that. 

making cash where you can, then, is where it's at. i really don't have a problem with artists licensing their vibes for adverts, for being "cool" and not a "sell out" to "the man" does not pay whatever bills pop stars might have, such as mortgages and of course [text obscured on legal advice] which isn't tax deductible as normally that's a cash only business. also, of course, selling the rights to use music to them computer space invader game things. famously it is so that Aerosmith were reported to have made more money off of their songs by letting them be used in games than they ever did from actual record sales. which is nice, and sidesteps the fact that most (but certainly not all) of Aerosmith albums were complete sh!t that you would only buy if it was that or a Sammy Hagar one instead. 

not all forms of pop stars bringing home the bucks, or bacon, make immediate sense, though. by all means crack on with what works, but every now and then, an endorsement or commercial venture fails to register anything at all when considering how it might have come to be. 

such as, since you were so kind to ask (in a tacit way), the above, and the below. which are Lady Gaga endorsed, or inspire, Oreo "cookies", with cookies i believe being that word what Americans use when they actually mean biscuits, for them have some other culinary dish which they call biscuits by mistake. 

make no mistake, i quite like Lady Gaga. a frequent frustration of mine is just how one of her tunes in particular, Bad Romance, could and should be one of the greatest pop songs of all time, if only it were not for the ludicrous over-production, exemplified by the unnecessary and distracting "gaa gaaa ooooh la la" dubbed all over it for no apparent reason. nothing much of Ms (or Lady) Gaga said that she had a natural affinity for any sort of biscuits ("cookies"), though. but we do live in a world where any number of sporting teams (or franchises) feel obliged to have "official mortgage broker partners" and similar. whatever pays the gig. 

did Lady Gaga endorsing, or "inspiring", these cookies compel me to purchase them? goodness me, no, in no way or form, leaving aside shape. partially it was an impulse purchase, but mostly (and this is not entirely separate) it was due to or down to them being on "special". 

yes, i am trying to work out which aspect of the cookies (since that seems to be the word) were inspired or endorsed by Lady Gaga. or both. my eyes may well be untrained, or simply failing me, but they do all seem appear to be just standard, regular Oreo things, if somewhat smaller than usual. although this is probably down to that "shrinkonomics" thing. where they sell you less for the same price, or however that all works. many things i am, an economist is not one. 

pretty much taste like regular Oreo biscuits or cookies (whatever) do, at least i think so. in truth it had been a fair while since i last had some, and i don't rightly know what i recall of such. bland, certainly, of course. growing up in the 80s, and seeing all these exotic brands in American shows and films, really set us up for a fall when we finally got to try them. in no way was i expecting, or prepared for, American sweets ("candy") or biscuits ("cookies") to be so banal and bland as they turned out to be. 

will i be purchasing any more of these? no. so far as i am aware the "special" on them is now at an end, or otherwise has ceased, and besides there are only so many Oreo things what i need. 

oh, there you go. on the packet it says "this is a design inspired by" and then a word you cannot read, due to the hideous font selected. i suspect it might be Chromosome X  or whatever she called her most recent album. that one what has a really good song on it, Rain, with her off of the tele, Ariana Grande i think. bangin' pop tune, that. no, i did not buy it. oh, just done a google thing and it is called Chromatica, if that is what that is supposed to say in the above. price has dropped too, maybe i shall pick it up.

quite like one of the songs off of the new McCartney (Paul) album too. but not to the tune of the £13 they are asking for the disc. also, they appear to have released 24 different versions of the record, so i am unsure what one to get to get the one song. no, so far as i am aware, McCartney (Paul) has not endorsed or inspired a biscuit, but he is obviously a Rich Tea man. i would speculate that if you called in at John it would have been hobnobs, and a cup of tea at George's would have come with custard creams. undoubtedly Ringo is into something continental, like Nice or other such sh!t infused with coconut and other ingredients most people do not like. 

there we have it, then. the future of pop music appears to be biscuits. and why not. role on the day that Ed Sheridan (or whatever) endorses biscuits, so i know what type to never, ever buy again. he will probably go for the same ones what Ringo does, anyhow. 

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a message to love

heya

right, so, lovely. today, being the date of publication (and not necessarily the day on which you read it, look you see), is the one called Valentine's Day. a day set aside, or demarcated, for celebrations or other such declarations of love, affection and what have you. make what you will of such a date being placed as central to the middle of a month what the Romans created to simply place all unlucky things in life in. 

this strikes me as an ideal time to look at one of the more dominant, if not major, news stories of the year so far, with the year of course being the year 2021. which was supposed to be so much better than 2020. no, i am not speaking (or rather writing) of the great plague which threatens to kill us all, the fallout from all of that "Brexit" business, the surge in armed insurrection by Scottish nationalists, the continued devaluation of the singles chart, attempts at another counter-revolutionary war in America or any other such matter. rather, the more pressing concern of how a group of people wish to wander around London, culling (which is to say killing) parakeets. 

before addressing the complex question of whether or not we should allow armed bird haters to wander around London sporadically killing anything they consider to be a parakeet (answer = no), it is important to establish how, when, and for what reason so many parakeets embraced London as their home. it is so that this is, really, the only aspect of the story which interested me. 

of the various theories put forward, easily the best is that Jimi Hendrix, in the late 60s (he would have had a hard time doing it in the 70s), released a mating pair of parakeets in London. this was some sort of symbolic gesture, a message to love, if you will, the type of which he was a renowned exponent of. all parakeets in London can in some way trace their provenance (or heritage) back to this pair. except, of course, that their numbers were swelled when, in the 80s, a robbery at the home of George Michael went wrong, his (apparently massive) private aviary was left open, and further parakeets spread their love across London. 

it is the world i wish to live in, truly and really, where these aspects of rock mythology exist. sadly, or alas, there are many who seek to simply debunk this theory, such as this article right here. whilst not denying the two incidents happened, there is a keenness to deny it is this alone which is responsible. well, ignore such. just because the world of music is boring and dull now, in the present day, does not mean it was always so. let the proliferation of parakeets in London be yet more reasons we remember the legacy of Jimi and George. 

yet still this question remains. it is a question which one would naturally presume was considered yet never spoken of, but it has been vocalised. that question is, as mentioned earlier, of whether or not we should let those upset or "offended" by the presence of parakeets go around and "cull" them, which of course is a polite and sensibility safe way of saying kill them. 

no, of course we should not. whereas i am no crusader or champion of the planet (nothing lasts forever), even i, a relic from a time gone by, has learned from our folly. humans remain the only known species to have roamed this planet that kill for reasons other than necessity. despite the well documented chaos, disruption and damage caused by this - eliminating species, eroding ecosystems - for some reason we remain inclined to seek ways to do it still. 

presumably a lot of the will to seek to "cull" parakeets stems from the fact that it is a predominantly London (innit) issue, affecting Londoners. they do appear to exist in an isolationist way from the remainder of the nation, a nation they can often scant accept being part of. had it been people in Burnley, or Cardiff, or Uttoxeter or similar wishing to "cull" parakeets, they would have been up in arms down there in London, doing them fancy marches they are keen on, declaring it barbaric. and yet, because it affects London, it is somehow "different", and we "don't understand", and so they should be allowed to do as they please. 

may parakeets fly free, or whatever they do, for many years to come. people who for some reason do not like them need to learn, and hopefully accept, that not everything in life always goes how you want it to, and such is not always cause for drama or distress. 

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posh trolley

hello there

fans of images of trolleys (trollies) in places where they are not usually intended to be can be merry, then, as that is precisely what this post concerns. it may well be that this is the first such post of this nature for the year (2021), look you see, but also sorry if this is the second. 

whereas i get to see a good many trollies (trolleys), and for that matter singular shoes, haplessly abandoned on my travels, now not so much. my suspicion is that the great and good invisible war on the new plague is being taken a bit more seriously now, and so people are not wandering around as much as they once would have. also, as scrap yards are presumably momentarily closed, bewilderingly seen as a form of non-essential business, one really would have no need to collect a free trolley (or two) from a retailer, as one would not have anywhere to exchange it for (no questions asked) cash. 

but, happily, luckily or even fortuitously (presuming you like such things) i did indeed spot a trolley or two (as in two) in a less standard than you would expect setting of late. and yes, of course, pictures.

two of them, then. quite interestingly, and i appreciate that you can ascertain this from the crystal like clarity of the greater good of the Commodore 64 mode image, from two different retailers. yes, there is a non-Commodore 64 mode image below, but no the names are not too much clearer. from what i can recall, one was off of Tesco and one was off of some shop called Wilko, that i think i have passed a branch or chapter or two of but have not as such as yet been a patron. 

anyway, locale for these trolleys (trollies). a limited space car park adjacent to a rather posh, fancy looking, clearly intended for the affluent and the aspiration driven market set of apartments, converted from some large form of building originally purposed for some economic concern or other. nothing at all of the (splendid looking) living quarters suggested that they were designed for the kind of person who would usually spend their time acquiring vast numbers of shopping trollies (trolleys), only to store them at home for no apparent reason. 

location for all of this? of course i cannot give too many specifics. but a sort of overtly southern south aspect of the northern regions of Yorkshire, i suppose. one of those sorts of provincial, rural villages in Yorkshire (and there are many) where the residents give every sense of not liking "outsiders", looking upon such with disdain from their position of superiority. and why not. 

surely, yes, it is a little discomforting and unsettling to innocently visit a place and have the residents immediately take a dislike to you. but, that is human nature. or, maybe, that is how we have crafted human nature to be. invariably that is how it must be. take, for instance, the "smart phone" you may well have. an incredible device, giving anyone who owns one access to virtually all known knowledge, providing the means to access absolutely any form of art ever created or see any part of the world. mostly, though, we use them just to send images of cats to people, or to announce that we shall sh!t in the face of anyone who disagrees with our views, no matter how outlandish they are. 

do i keep a stock (or store) of trolleys (trollies), either at home or at some other location? not really. yes, i think i have taken part custodianship of one or two in the past, but probably returned them. i have just never felt qualified to be a full part of the economic cycle which sees many take the trollies (trolleys) generously offered for free by retailers and proceed to sell them to scrap merchants. thus far this business model appears to have worked without my presence, and long may it continue to do so. 

just as soon as the invisible war on the new plague has been won, i believe, is the answer to when we can expect to see an impressive proliferation of shopping trolleys (trollies) being sporadically abandoned around our green and (mostly) pleasant land. if that is not enough motivation to keep fighting the fight until victory is secured, well then i am at a loss to speculate as what might be. 

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my republic for a horse

barr na maidine duit, le bheith cinnte

today (being the date of publication) is, more or less (provisionally, so to speak) the 38th anniversary of a presumed crime which continues to baffle. was it a crime actually done, and if so, to what end, and how did it fail so spectacularly. yes, oh yes. indeed, this is about, or concerns, Shergar, look you see, and the kidnapping of this horse. 

i very much doubt that anyone what does a google to learn of Shergar would get my simple blog returned as a result. but, on the off chance this is so, or you are randomly here and curious, i can give a brief history. well, first i would suggest you read a proper article, but since we are here now, fine. 

whilst appreciating that different people can (and do) apply different criteria and come to a very different answer, and also that i am no expert, there is general, if not profligate, consensus that Shergar was the greatest racecourse ever to grace the planet. erudite, fast, sleek, beautiful and a winner. a horse that made a substantial amount of money for everyone but turf accountants (bookies), and this was very much worth a lot of money. 

one can, then, at a very superficial level, understand why the idea of "kidnapping" Shergar and demanding an awful lot of money in ransom for safe return would seem like a good one. it patently isn't, of course, after one has taken a moment to consider the immediate complexities of doing so. but, so the reports and stories go, this did not stop persons who remain officially unknown from doing so. 

just what, exactly (more or less), happened? no one is entirely sure. if like me you read a lot then you are aware of the concept of an "unreliable narrator". this is what the story of Shergar has, in abundance. if we remove the one theory of it all being an elaborate insurance scam (the horse was worth more alive than dead, even across all thirty five owners), and further disregard the more fanciful,the  one compelling and generally accepted as what happened story is that the horse was kidnapped by the IRA. 

for what reason would the IRA do such a thing? well, pretty much has been laid out above, not really to rally people to their cause of Irish unification, or even to get people to hate the British, but rather it was all done in furtherance of seeking coins of money. 

how do i put this all so very sensitively and delicately, so as not to seek to upset the sensibilities or moral fibre of anyone all that fragile they get upset at the mention of virtually anything which deviates from their blinkered view? tricky. a common trend across independently armed, quasi military groups enthusiastic about attaining ideals not generally voted for (whether you see them as terrorists or freedom fighters is up to you) is that they do not think to add a financial management section to their merry gang of devout believers. which is to say that usually they are not too good with fiscal control.

around the time of the Shergar kidnapping, the IRA were running up costs of around £5 million a year. this was in the days before it became trendy for Americans to remember their Irish ancestry and throw money at them, so sources of income were tight. with very few legitimate means of bringing in money available, and only so much to be made off of smuggling dodgy fags, other avenues were explored. like kidnapping. some attempts at kidnapping actual people didn't go too well, which is presumably when they thought that nothing could go wrong with kidnapping a horse. a thoroughbred, strong, big, heavy, not easy to keep calm horse. 

being fair, it's not like the IRA just gave up because of a lack of funding. other organisations certainly did. the end of apartheid in South Africa, for instance, had less to do with Bono, Sting, Jim Kerr and whoever "demanding" it, more to do with the white minority government running out of money. on a bigger scale, the Soviet Union collapsed financially, and not via America "winning" the Cold War. also, the HR department of the IRA is to be credited with not allowing any cost cutting measures which would affect, for want of a better word, staff. groups such as al-qaeda and isis have, to a degree, clocked that you can keep the weekly wage bill very low down if you use suicide bombers rather than blowing up cars and churches and what have you. 

presumably it was meant to all go down along the lines of IRA snatch the horse, IRA call the owners, IRA demand money, owners immediately pay, horse back. except, it didn't. Shergar had (technically has) 35 different owners, all with a (relatively) equal share. there was no one person to speak to with a demand, not even a more senior one. by the way, that's 35 owners in 35 different parts of the world. all before the days of an internet, or mobile phone, or any such easy way to reach out and contact someone. what agreement was reached between some owners was that there was no f*****g way they were paying, for it was just opening up a business of kidnapping other horses if they did so. 

so, what happened? no one is sure. an IRA "supergrass" (who, it should be noted, was paid for any information handed over) claims that yes, it was the IRA what did it, the ones who did it "miscalculated" how easy (or not) it would be to look after a kidnapped thoroughbred racehorse, they lost control of the poor animal and eventually they shot it, placing the remains in places unknown. essentially, then, the world lost a great racehorse, the IRA ran up extra costs, and no one came off any better at all. the insurance money (eventually) paid out to Shergar's owners was substantial, but insignificant compared to potential earnings from future races and of course putting him out to stud. 

no, not sure what (if any) point there is to this post. which makes it more or less the same as all the others. i just noticed the anniversary on this date, and thought, well, why not. perhaps someone shall have found it interesting or, more likely, i may have added myself to yet another hitlist. 

a bheith ar fheabhas lena chéile !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

judgement of jim

heya

a fairly recent television thing brought to mind that which is, look you see, unlikely. which would be an aspect of Bullseye (real or imagined) what i had not ever mentioned here before. that would be the instance, or incident, in which His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen used his stature and status in the world to solve a major murder case. 

some background, then. no, actually, it is rather much more better to say to recap. as has been explored on this blog before, frequently, prior to his ascendancy to (or acceptance of) the role of pope, it was so that His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen used Bullseye as a platform, or conduit, or if indeed you prefer pulpit, to administer various teachings and lessons. 

these lessons, which as mentioned earlier (just right there above) were teachings for us to learn from, were always focused on achieving a plateau of a harmonious existence; to create a world where aspects of peace, tranquility, splendour, having thousands of pounds in cash randomly in your suit pocket and love and merged, converged and blended into one universal ideal. it was excellent, and of tremendous benefit to the world. proof of this is measured in by just how much gone to sh!t the world has since he ceased doing the job. went f****d it has, to be sure. 

on a superficial level, or at face value even, it might seem that solving crimes, in particular heinous ones such as murder, or twats like Phil Collins and later Boris Gardner blocking Frankie Goes To Hollywood from being number one in the charts, would be part of such a remit. not so. in his wisdom, it was that His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen believed Bullseye should only advocate how life would be, and not seek to punish those who made choice which defied his vision. 

but, and of course there is a but, otherwise the story would end here, one exception was made. much of this has been documented in the recent, generally well received series off of ITV here in the UK, called The Pembrokeshire Murders. regrettably the title is a bit of a spoiler, but still, here is a link to their show. well worth watching, even if only for a reminder of how great Keith Allen was in the 80s, when he was a versatile, talented actor as well as being a gobby opinionated sh!tbag, before ditching the talent aspects (briefly) to concentrate on being a gobby opinionated sh!tbag and raising children who appear to lack his natural flair or talent but do indeed excel at being gobby opinionated sh!tbags, even outstripping him in some instances. yes, especially her. but that is another story. 

right, where was i? oh yes, that time His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen used his immense gifts, and his cathedral of Bullseye, to help the coppers work out who done the murders. so yes, also spoilers shall flow for the remainder of this post. although yes, the culprit was brought to book. had his collar felt, or however you would word it. an American would say something like "his ass got busted", i suppose, and i think in Japan criminals are supposed to kill themselves in some sort of peculiar ceremonial way rather than have the shame of being caught. 

generally, and actually, His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen had a fondness for each and every part of the British Isles, except of course Hartlepool, blemished as the place is with an unnecessary and heavy handed approach to propping up their economy with trivial traffic and parking fines. he was, it is believed, or rather i assume, particularly fond of Pembrokeshire, mostly because of how lovely and delightful it sounded when spoken with his distinct, discerning accent. 

it was the thought of this (presumably) lovely place being blemished by crime, of being tainted by the falling of the blood of innocents in defiance of nature, which prompted His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen to act. and act swiftly he did, breaking the vow of making Bullseye a place of learning not punishment for it was the only way to achieve harmony. 

you were, i believe, rather fairly warned about spoilers above. these now come below, with the rest of this post. and, in particular, in this all too brief video clip below. believe me, i have no wish to showcase or give air to this or any criminal, but it is important to note how he did not respect, if not directly disrespect, His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen.

at that point above, in the presence of His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen, if there was any hope of redemption or salvation for this chap, then he would have broken down there and then, confessed all, and pleaded for mercy. but no, he carried on as if he had not done the murders. shocking that someone should have fallen so far from grace that not even in the face of His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen would they repent. 

quite a lot of what followed then, was a real version of that ludicrous, false and patently ridiculous urban legend surrounding Phil Collins and the song In The Air Tonight. to briefly recap it, a story is that he wrote it about a murder he witnessed, he investigated the murder, found who did it, invited him to a gig, and as he performed the song had the spotlight shine on him, at which point the police swooped in and arrested him. instead of, you know, going to the police, reporting that you saw a murder, giving them a description of who done it, and handing over to them all investigations so that they might arrest him without having to arrange a concert to do it. 

sure, yes, in the TV series (or dramatisation) of it, they do depict it that his appearance on Bullseye was just incidental and co-incidental, and how it led to his capture was a partially lucky fluke occurrence. but, also, at the front of each episode (all three) there is a disclaimer, stating that certain events had been altered for "dramatic" purposes. this i am assuming is absolute confirmation His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen arranged the whole thing so as to catch the criminal, but requested no attention be drawn to this so as not to blemish the temple of universal ideals what he had forged Bullseye to be. 

one rather surprising aspect is, of course, that this was all done via a British (as in proper) television show, and not an American one. everything we know (and see) of American media gives every suggestion that this would be a perfectly natural and unsurprising thing for them to have done. i can only imagine it is because of the huge amounts of commercial breaks they have, and the amount of time they have to dedicate to audiences whooping and laughing and applauding, that there is just nowhere near enough time available to solve a crime during a standard television episode of whatever it is they watch on the tele over there. 

let me conclude by pointing out, again, no major crime (that i can think of) has been solved via television since His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen took the pope gig. whilst i have every confidence in our constabulary to crack on and do so regardless, i am sure they appreciated what he did in this instance, and look upon it fondly. it would be fitting if every police station in the land had a framed image of His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen on display, as a reminder that it is all worthwhile. 

unfortunately, and with regret, i am not at all sure too many more references to Bullseye, or for that matter His Holiness, His Excellency Jim Bowen, shall appear here. a key (pivotal) reason for this would be that the channel what shows Bullseye have shoved the broadcasts all the way out to 11pm at night, thinking for some reason showing things with Bradley Walsh in them for 16 hours of each day would be quite class. he is all right, mind, but no. 

be excellent to each other (except murderers)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

not as bad as i feared

howdy pop pickers

indeed, another vibes related post, and for good measure one pertaining to David Bowie once more, look you see. and why not. 

the halfway stage of the possibly needless, arguably excessive "Brilliant Live Adventure" series of concert recordings of David Bowie from the second half of the 90s is here, then. and it comes in the form, as the title more or less indicates, of one that i was decidedly least looking forward to. 

volume three, then, is LiveAndWell.Com, a sort of rehash or expanded variation of a previously released recording. no, i never had the original, as it was an "exclusive" for members of the fan club, or BowieNet, at the time, and i don't think it was possible or practical to either join or purchase it where i was in the world at that stage. sure, it (in an original variation) had been widely bootlegged since, but no, i had not had a proper copy. this was not something i considered to be a gap in my collection.

why the lack of interest, or little sense of loss of missing out? pretty much the setlist. it was, and still is in this "Brilliant Live Adventure" variation, dominated by Earthling and the more esoteric, jazz odyssey moments of 1.Outside. things that were, to be blunt, apparently amusing to do for Bowie, but ultimately very boring. just how boring? Michael Eavis described the Earthling era as boring. yes, i do mean that one, the Michael Eavis out of Glastonbury. if the man who willingly booked Coldplay six (6) times to play at his concerts, as well as the personifying dullness of Mr Kim Kardassian (or whatever) and Ed Sheringham (or whatever) calls you "boring", you know your satnav has let you down. 

but yes, of course i bought it. there is a will, or wish, to "complete" this six disc set, and a sense of obligation to purchase nearly all the things what they put out with his name on, whatever they are. in this instance there was some gratification in that i was clearly and measurably far from alone in not being confident about the release. usually, due to the inane, making no sense decision to make these things all "limited edition", the volumes have been declared "sold out" within a couple of days of them being available on the website. not so LiveAndWell.Com, as you could still order it a good two or three weeks after it was made available. considering the fact that there is a hefty percentage of people just buying these to re-sell on the great car boot sale of the internet (at an inflated price), well, if even the opportunistic profiteers are having second thoughts about it, there's another warning. 

my copy, perhaps inevitably, arrived in the post a good deal faster, or sooner if that is more correct, after the time they sent it than the other two did. cheers for that, do make sure i get the least interesting one as soon as possible. with a groan and a sigh, then, i eventually got around to playing it on the day that it landed, pretty much resigned to the idea that it would probably just get played once, then sit on a shelf. 

some further, even more initial concerns were that it was so of being that not even the Bowie Estate was particularly interested in this. i mean, the font used for his name on the cover is sh!t, and the picture of Bowie on the cover is, so far as any picture of him could be, also sh!t. all on top of a sh!t dominated setlist. to avoid any allegation of sidestepping it, yes, even by his legendary sense of humour standards, i get that it was called this originally, but releasing something called 'Live And Well' so close to the fifth anniversary of his death also felt rather uncomfortable. 

as it turns, or turned, out, this third volume of Brilliant Live Adventures by David Bowie is not quite as bad as i had come to fear, expect or accept. steady on there, no, it is not "brilliant" or great overall, but it is not quite so a sh!t experience as the fear of anticipation suggested. enough, at the least, for it to get played a couple more times (maybe) before it is retired to the shelf, likely never to be played again. 

highlights? what makes it all seem not too sh!t is the performance of three of the first four tracks. the renditions of I'm Afraid Of Americans, The Heart's Filthy Lesson and Hallo Spaceboy were (or are) most impressive, and left me with a distinct sense that i had not blindly and completely jettisoned just south of £20 all in to become a custodian of this recording. with respect to the latter mentioned, with delight i say that Hallo Spaceboy is once more the proper version and not the Pet Shop Boys fiddle about variation. here it is even better than the two (2) versions we got on the previous release, and they were smart, like. 

going non non-linear (for people who like that sort of thing), i had also assumed that much of any version of LiveAndWell.Com had been rehashed for this "free" disc, Earthling In The City, i had picked up at some point. when i say "free", as it happens i had to pay a significant chunk for an imported off of America copy of the magazine that it came "free" with. GQ, no less, what he also done a concert for, and of course someone who is or was employed by GQ has since shown their appreciation with an absolute hatchet job of a Bowie book, done the moment he was dead and so could not sue. back on point, no it isn't, but more on that later. 

in sticking with positives from the recording, Battle For Britain (The Letter) sounds a good deal better than how i remember it off of the Earthling album, but no, not quite enough for me to break a vow and put that album back in the stereo. a, or one, possible and plausible reason for it sounding better is the cheeky use of the piano bit from Time which appears on the end. maybe just done to tease the fans in attendance that one of the better known (and more loved) songs off of Bowie could get played, but was not going to be. the unexpected inclusion of Little Wonder (again, more detail later) turned out to be fun, and the "rave" variation of V-2 Schneider, recorded or performed under the guise of the 'Tao Jones Index', actually works very well indeed. 

that, taking it as a given my maths is correct, is six (6) of the twelve (advertised as 11) songs on the disc which i found to be ranging from good to most agreeable. you may well like the other six, they could indeed be songs off of Bowie you think are quite class. also, you could be swayed by his personal affinity for one of them, expressed prior to the performance. not me, though. 

just another slight diversion, then. unlike the previous two 'Brilliant Live Adventures' releases, some semblance of effort has gone into packaging, as one gets a genuine, bona fide, high quality printed booklet with this one. of interest is the preface to it, a from the time of initial BowieNet / Fan Club release message from David, saying how much he enjoyed it all. the remainder of the booklet is comments submitted from fans who were at one show or another, and they are lovely to read. 

yes, the dick disc. there is no way to describe it other than that, really. he, as in Bowie, really, really, really seems to have been quite taken and amused by the overty priapic logo he managed to make from the lower case initials of his stage name. add to this the massive "sex" earring he showcased wearing, and the various instances of "David Bowie sex noises" he took to adding to records (Telling Lies comes to mind, so to speak), and he was unequivocal about what he considered quite class at the time, and why not, get it and enjoy it whilst you can. 

dull moments, then. if it is really so, as rumoured and reported, that Bowie had planned on 1.Outside being a Tin Machine project, then i totes get why Hunt and Tony f****d off out of it. overall the whole thing is, and i seem to remember Bowie acknowledging this, just too much of it. sure, there are some inspired and great moments on the record. but, it is the less so moments which seemed to make it on to the set for gigs. David introducing The Motel as being his favourite does not, with all the will in the world, make it any better or any less monotonous. the same goes for I'm Deranged and The Voyeur (as it is shortened to), they just serve to make a numb headache. 

quite a poor thing was how sloppy the promotion, or advertising, of this release was. above is the given track information from the official Estate website (link here for you). except, the disc itself turns out to be somewhat different. for a start, as mentioned before, there are twelve tracks. no, not a hidden one, it is just that Little Wonder is indeed on it, despite not being listed. also, for some reason, they made a big deal of the provenance of the recordings. whereas the website gives a clear indication of where and when Hearts Filthy Lesson was recorded, on the CD itself it declares that they are "not sure" exactly where it was recorded. oh. never mind, it's good anyhow. 

leaving aside the reluctance i and many others had (initially) to purchase this, it does indeed appear to be now marked as "sold out". meaning all of this in any "review" to persuade sense is rather pointless. unless, of course, you have a big a train set of a budget enough to purchase at an inflated price off of sellers on the net, or are happy to give the "streaming" version a spin. 

how it compares to the "free" disc that was, is, Earthling In The City, then. and my apologies for what it turns out is a quite poor, blurry picture, but not too sorry as evidently i could not be bothered to go and get another, more better or clearer image. 

only one "duplicate", then, the dreary, dull and monotonous Pallas Athena off of Black Tie White Noise is the same performance on both discs. considering very little of that album ever made it on to the stage in live performances, it is somewhat disenchanting that this one made it more frequently. what can i say, i guess Bowie really, really liked it. 

where too next, then, for the 'Brilliant Live Adventures' series? good question. it was spoken that it is planned for two releases from 1995 (done), two from 1997 (one down) and then two from 1999. i had kind of hoped that the second from 97 would be an official release of the widely bootlegged Night In Loreley, which features both a great performance and a more fan friendly selection of songs. but, that was recorded in 1996, so i am not sure. considering he arranged the gig purely to record it for a release that eventually did not happen, surely the London Astoria gig will be one of the 1999 ones, maybe even including an official DVD of it, to replace the not bad bootleg DVD of it. one never knows what they might do, though. it would be nice to say "but it's fun to find out", but.........

unsure as ever, is how i find myself, in respect of whether all of this has been of any interest or use to anyone out there. a half brilliant live adventure, then. this could have been, and was expected to be, a great deal worse than it actually is. well, anyhow, anyway, thanks for taking the time to read, or just have a look at the pictures. 

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

exchange

hello there

at some stage, i would speculate, just about each and every one of us did, when we were younger (as opposed to when we are older, look you see), wonder or ponder on what might we become. yes, indeed, this is something i most certainly did. be it within the confines of a formal "careers guidance" meeting at school, or conversations with friends, or just momentarily filling up some time alone, i did consider what i may well be, what i might become. 

i doubt very much that any dreams, ambitions, designs, ideas or aspirations had in this regard differ too radically from many. at times i gave consideration to such professions (or vocations) as standard, generic and usual as pilot, astronaut, writer, teacher,  someone what gets paid very well to effectively drive great distances whilst listening to quality music, nightclub owner, director, naval officer or some other predominantly oceanic based career dominated by men who like being with men, corporate finance, rock star or better manager, fashion critic or perhaps even a feared gangland crime boss. yes, fortune has meant that i have had dalliances with most of them, as things turned out. 

now, what with the site of the end in sight (cue something like the first few lines of It's A Sin off of Pet Shop Boys, or similar), i am acutely aware, if that is the right use of at least one of those words, i should have set ambitions somewhere rather different. giving time again, knowing what i know, then all thoughts of the above, all energy, effort and focus, would exclusively have been on becoming a monkey what sits in a scientists laboratory smoking all day. 

with social media being what it is today, mostly a tetchy kettle of those itching to get upset and wail on the slightest provocation or invitation, undoubtedly this sentiment shall be misinterpreted, so as to feed some plight unrelated. no, i am not endorsing, advocating or supporting that thing where science types take monkeys (apparently monkies is wrong) and make them smoke, far from it. but, since it is a thing, one cannot realistically stop or prevent me from yearning, or longing, to be one of them. 

for the sake of provenance, or clarity, the images here (and indeed a slight moment of video) are all taken off of a video what i found over at the archive website. my understanding that all stored there is stuff what is free, or bereft, of all that copyright stuff which the internet has an exceptional track record for respecting. so, no, it is not like i have a huge personal stash of material relating to scientists what have created a career out of making monkeys smoke.

the practice, or art, of doing this does indeed strike me as rather cruel, possibly barbaric and certainly rather distressing to see. undoubtedly there is some sort of scientific information or knowledge extracted from doing this which is of vague benefit to someone somewhere, but i very much doubt that any monkey what is doing it (or has done it) was consulted or asked if they would care to do so. more likely it was the case that assumed, tacit consent was given. 

rather all the more reason, then, to let some of us partially educated, aware of the "risks" and of our own free will, elect or select to do this apparently most important thing. i mean, yes, you would get all of that usual noise, saying "but smoking kills, you can't let people do it", but unless that is coming from some kind of (as in specifically) immortal, shall never die non-smoker, it's academic and relative. besides, every time someone announces some wild, ambitious and ludicrous chance to go to some other planet, like Mars, mostly, there are always thousands of volunteers, knowing even that it means no return and a likely uncomfortable demise. of all living things on this planet, it does seem that it is only humans what engage in things which they are aware may well result in their death. this has somehow made us the dominant, if not superior, species on earth. go figure. 

do i really need to spell out why, now, this is the career objective i should have had all along? very well, fine. going on all that i can see, or otherwise ascertain (but not discern), one gets all of their basic needs and requirements met for them, with the only expectation being that they, in return or if you like exchange for this, just sit there and smoke all day. at the great risk of simply stating the obvious, this does strike me as a simple, easy and fuss free way of spending away all of whatever time one is given to indulge on this planet. 

exactly how outlandish, unreasonable, preposterous or silly is thing want and wish of mine? actually, when all is considered, not very much at all. there are many, many people what forge a career from doing them "clinical tests", where they are subjected to medicines and what have you, in exchange for coins of money. most recently, of course, we have seen a huge surge in this career choice, what with people volunteering themselves to be experimented on with an assortment of weapons for the invisible war against the new plague. and it's not like i would have high salary demands. so long as they gave me stuff to eat and a place to sleep, well, keep the cigarettes coming then, i shall crack on. 

how likely will it be, mindful of how many measured years of my life have passed and the constrictions, or limitations, of so short a time left, that i could change career to become a monkey what sits in a lab and smokes all day? extremely unlikely. in the first instance, they do not appear to advertise for people to do this job. believe me, i have looked, and had there been an advert for such an opportunity then i would have applied. further, or also, they probably would want someone that was not a smoker in the first instance, so as to monitor and document all what happens with smoking in respect of the human, or monkey, body. 

speaking of which, why is it, exactly, that no one has had a really good look at those people who pursue career aims that involve them being one of the scientists which just makes a monkey smoke all day? usually they only do all of them "psychological analysis" things of people what have done something wrong or illegal, measured against societal norms or prevailing laws. surely it would be worth trying to get an understanding of a young mind what declares it wishes to make a monkey smoke, and then the owner of said mind dedicates their academic and professional career to achieving this? 

a fairly obvious question presents itself from the above. the answer to it is no. well, that is if the question is would i not have been happy, or content, to be the scientist what makes the monkey smoke. doing so does not seem at all satisfactory, and rather cruel as outlined above. also, as a scientist, you are probably expected not to smoke, so it's not like you could sit and have one, keeping the monkey company as he (or indeed she, for i believe monkey smoking is equal opportunity) gets on with it. 

one thing i am not too clear on, exactly, is what all these notes being made are for. i mean, what is it they are studying, or observing, as they make monkeys smoke? presumably it is whatever damage is being done, and yet one could not tell that from an external look. my best guess, then, is that he is jotting down if the monkey enjoyed a particular cigarette or not. maybe he gets together with other scientists what have monkeys that they also make smoke, and they compare notes, discussing the different tastes and interests which monkeys have. 

possibly (or perhaps) it is so that in conclusion, here i should be placing a form of inspirational message. you know, something along the lines of "follow your dreams", "reach for a dream", "have the courage to set targets and go for goal" or similar. do, by all means, feel free to take any such sentiment which strikes you as relevant away with you, then.

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

improbability drive

howdy pop pickers

well, this is curious. believe me, i had no intention, look you see, of starting off the second month of this year precisely as i did the first. which is making extensive reference to what is (probably) the greatest work of art what the twentieth century produced, or as it is called for short Tommy by The Who. 

presently, and at the time of writing, it would be fair to say that i own (or am the custodian of) several copies of Tommy in its original album format. off memory (i cannot recall many things with too much precision no more), at least two variations of "regular" CD, one which preserves it as a two disc affair and one as a single, some form of "special edition" CD that came with a "live bootleg" of the whole thing, and i think two copies of it on vinyl. also, Daltrey's (fairly) recent "Orchestral" version of it. and some DVDs, videos and what have you. 

quite by chance, a chance presented itself to take ownership (be custodian sense) of another variation of the work that is Tommy on an entirely different format. so, i took the chance. 

yes, in the greater good and glory of Commodore 64 mode, there is the version of Tommy what The Who did with both the London Symphony Orchestra and star guests. on, as many of you will have no need for me to define or explain, the 8 Track format. 

as far as i am aware, indeed concerned, this is the first time that i have ever owned (or been designated the protectorate of) any vibes in this somewhat, or rather, different format. how splendid that it should be so that it's a particularly fine recording what i have for a first then. also, in all likelihood, this is the last instance of me taking ownership of vibes, or anything, in this format. 

just what is, or was (is, as it still seems to be around), 8 Track? well, i could do a google and give you an extensive, proper answer. but, you could do that. let me trust memory and experience, then. which is going to be interesting, as such is very limited indeed. 

my basic, rudimentary understanding (as in guess) was or is that 8 Track was or is the "stepping stone" between reel to reel tape and them what we now know as conventional tapes. i am unsure that they were ever all that popular here in the UK, and i generally associate the format with our friends in America. 

i base the above purely on only ever knowing one (1) person what had an 8 Track here in the UK, although there might have been a second. but, the only friend i can remember having one and actually having it play whilst i was in their presence was the illustrious Norman B@st@ard. this was not a particularly good experience of it, either, as he had attempted to record some new stuff on an old 8 Track tape, unsuccessfully. either the tape was damaged, or it was a flaw in the format, but it seemed to cut and chop between parts of different songs as it played. also we might have pressed a "random" button if it had such a feature, or twatted it one so it was indeed broken. 

how did i come to take ownership of this complete set of Tommy as performed by The Who, the LSO (and that is just to save me typing out London Symphony Orchestra, also saving you valuable time in reading London Symphony Orchestra again and again. oh) and some special friends? a complete surprise act of random kindness, explained a bit more after another image for all of you who might for one reason or another be interested in this. 

no, i am not particularly what one would call "social". it is not really difficult to be not, for as someone close stresses, really everyone hates me, can see through my mask, despite me, etc. quite reassuring how often i get told this, in case i forget. but, leaving that aside, i do "keep a hand" in one or two social things, so as to ward off concern. whilst i am not going to give you the details, in such a forum one person was having a rough day, and wished to do a random act of kindness, offering these to anyone what might be interested in them, free, and they would pay postage too. very generous indeed, i took them up on it, and of course offered to pay something and cover postage. they were having none of it. 

and so here we are. lovely stuff. 

from what i can work out, or gather (ascertain, perhaps) there is a most curious effort going on to try and revive this format. unless it was all one grand and "practical" joke where i missed the punchline, for Christmas 2020 one could purchase a Dolly Parton Christmas Album on 8 Track. it strikes me as there is little more in the world which could be quite so quintessentially American as this, which may well be why i associate the format with our friends in the good ole' US of A. yee ha, etc. 

shall it be so that i ever, you know, actually play these tapes? if, of course, "tapes" is the correct way to refer to an 8 Track. my understanding is that yes, it is so, for in the above picture you can clearly see the tape itself, housed in the cartridge. going on from that clarification, at this point no, it seems unlikely that i will be able to check them out by means of playing them.

once i (gratefully) received the 8 Track tapes, i did indeed take to the greatest and most best known of car boot sales of the internet to inspect what was available in respect of players. we speak, of course, of a technology which was rendered obsolete somewhere north of 40 years ago, meaning that i went for a look with little optimism. some speculative reading and the odd glance revealed that the market dictates a valuation degrees north of £50 for an 8 Track player which might work. also, it might not. to put a sort of kind of fiscal sense context to that, for between £10 and £20 i could get this Tommy variation in a compact disc or vinyl record format and just play it. or, indeed, for £0, just "borrow" it off of the internet, as i believe one can do. 

when i posted news of my procurement of this Tommy set on one of the social media things (yes, maybe i am more active than i mentioned before), some comments came in. one spoke of fond memories of the format, another commented how hideous the sound is off of them. this neither shrinks nor expands my existing understanding of the format, but it does solidify the stance which says i probably would not be wise to spend significant coins of money on a player just to see what might happen. or hear, i suppose. 

anything more i can tell you on the actual recordings? for some reason i thought it was done as a kind of charity thing, but i have checked and no, done purely because they could. guest starts (artistes, if you prefer) include Rod Stewart (who was supposed to do the whole thing alone but did not), Ringo Starr, Steve Winwood, Richard Harris (yes, that one) and some others. i am almost certain that i have indeed heard this particular variation of Tommy, and that i have not (prior to this set) retained a copy of it probably speaks of what i thought of it. 

my thanks, once more, then, to the random generosity of a random internet stranger for these 8 Track tapes now forming part of my collection of stuff off of The Who. sit here, they shall, looking kind of cool and interesting. 

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!