MFW MUSIC WEEK – the week that thinks it’s a fortnight. Our writers have thoroughly enjoyed it and luckily so have many of our readers. We have had some fantastic comments from all you lovely posters and covered so much of the musical spectrum it’s incredible. So, I guess the first thing to say is Thank You.
From a personal viewpoint, I have learned a lot. I had no idea anyone but me had ever heard (of) Man or Sam Apple Pie. Or that others rated the Rich Kids or The Faces as much as I do. I did not realise how good Echo & the Bunnymen actually were but thanks to Gary G I do now.
I didn’t previously understand that our very own MFW writer James Finbow was the wittiest man in Britain but after reading his *Wagner* comment he definitely is. Uncontested award winner. Sir, you put Mr Wilde to shame.
Equally, I didn’t appreciate that Rockin’ Robin has ostensibly much more cred than me.
We also attracted a couple of comments surrounding the wearing of high-heeled black leather thigh boots. I think I’ll leave the denouement to Stewart, Robin and Anita. It’s nothing to do with me.
Just about everybody who contributed admitted they had missed out on other bands they could have mentioned but there are quite justifiably editorial word restrictions, of course. My extras would have included Aztec Camera, Slayer, the Yachts, Ocean Colour Scene, Blondie, The Misfits, the MC5 and The Deviants.
I also should briefly consider some wonderful singles I still enjoy listening to occasionally: Summer in the City, 2-4-6-8 Motorway, Hit me with your Rhythm Stick, the Boys of Summer, Oliver’s Army and California Dreamin’. Even In Dulce Jubilo at Christmas.
I’ve never particularly been into anything goth or emo but I have to say the Welcome to the Black Parade album by My Chemical Romance is up there with the best.
The strange thing with our Music Week has been the missing persons. No real mention of Bob Dylan, although a certain Robert Zimmerperson did rear his politically correct head at one point courtesy of Mick.
Barely a sniff of Bruce Springsteen (who I like very much), nor any of those North American hair-rock bands (REO Speedwagon, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush, etc). No nods to Motown, a brief and justified acknowledgement of Northern Soul from Craig and absolutely nobody speaks of anything constructed after 2005. Which kind of tells its own story.
Quite a few of us seem to like the Roses, Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Led Zep. They would appear to be the common denominators.
When it comes to the Classics (okay mixed in with a bit of Beatles and Floyd thanks to Stewart) I think several of us subconsciously appreciate classical music more than we often publicly acknowledge. I know I do anyway.
This author played in a comedic punk band called The Bedsores in 1977 when all the members still had long hair, including me. We were useless, non-musicians in extremis apart from guitarist Dave and folded rather quickly. Although we got a few laughs along the way, which is was what it was all about for us. Remembering the words to She Was Only a Hot Dog Vendor (But She Meant Burger Roll to Me) and Mice Punk (we were naughty boys lyrically) was difficult enough, let alone singing them. Four gigs? Maybe five. London couldn’t cope with us.
It’s been interesting to discover that a few of our readers and writers have been in bands too. I’ve always thought football and music go hand-in-hand down the road and our little diversion here on MFW has served to prove it.
Growing up on the edge of East London in the 1960s there were the oft-mentioned three ways out of the reality of your situation: box, become a pro footballer or join a band. Lack of ability stuffed me on all three counts, so I had to get some form of education instead and take it from there. That’s why John Lennon’s Working Class Hero means so much to me. Even the UEA tolerated me. And, to a degree (ha!), I tolerated them with the exception of the vice-Chancellor. We despised each other didn’t we Vic?
So, a wonderful fortnight comes to an end – I think several of us are as happy reading and writing about music as we are football.
Now it’s back to the proper stuff and it looks like we’ve signed our first ever Argentinian. Different juices are starting to flow.
Looking forward to next season I can only leave you wonderful people with this: Good Times Bad Times.
May I congratulate MFW writers for your, not too narrow minded musical tastes. You know, I always think you can tell a persons age simply by asking them about their fav. bands and tracks, or, in your cases, reading about them. But with you lot that’s been very difficult. Well done for that. My personal choices? Nobody cares but here goes. The Stones, The Who, Them and The Pretty Things.
Girls? Dusty & Sandie Shaw.
Tracks? Dazed & Confused, House Of The Rising Sun and Rosalyn. (Pretty Things.)
You now know, to within a couple of years, how old I am!
We do care John! …. and very good choices 🙂
The Pretty Things was such an ironic name – check out their mugshots if you don’t believe me!
Thanks for the kind words which I am sure we all appreciate.
It has been a good series. Sadly for me music and football seemed to be poles apart, although I loved both, my football friends had little interest in music and vice versa, I suppose looking at the songs used as terrace chants back in the day gives an inkling of this. Apart from a bit of my sister’s Motown and Reggae, music meant little to me until the opening bars of Pretty Vacant came on TOTP. At that stage football had delivered a lot, two Wembley finals, two promotions and lots of great entertainment and drama. Maybe 1978 was the turning point, the year with no England or Cruyff at the World Cup and an FA Cup that was like the 1993 Grand National, this year football started to take a back seat and music mattered more and maybe it was the 90s before both could be enjoyed by all again. Both shaped the person I became. Where football and music link is that we can compare bands with clubs, The football scene is like early 80s music with a few EMIrates types dominating and the more interesting acts struggling for air time. Norwich remind me of the Smiths coming from an unexpected source with a number 1 in the mid 80s albeit the slightly less publicised but more prestigious album chart, more success in the early 90s but they failed to build on that however they are still respected. Ipswich could be Lieutenant Pigeon they have the star on their shirt of a number 1 back in the 70s but how are they remembered?
Yes the intro to Pretty Vacant is still stunning to this day!
I’d never thought about matching bands to clubs but I certainly get where you’re coming from. I guess I would think of NCFC as some kind of Uriah Heep – 50 per cent belters and 50 per cent bummers on every album/season.
I agree with you on 1p5wich – very appropriate. Or maybe the Wombles? They were kind of Binmen too.
Thanks for your comment.
Red face time: better own up to my own error before someone else spots it.
Emi Buendia is of course NOT the first Argentinian to wear the yellow and green.
But I’m going to be fair to myself here: I blinked at the wrong time so missed Becchio’s input and I completely forgot that Jonas Gutierrez played three or four times for us when he obviously wasn’t properly fit. It’s good to know he is now doing well – the last time I heard, anyway.
Hi Martin
Yes it was a great REVELATION over the last 2 weeks to see how people music changes over the years.
PRETTY THINGS still touring in the USA last norfolk show 2006 Swaffham for a wedding
MAN well we know now at least 3 people still knows their music and enjoy listening to them
My band for city would be Status Quo they have great days and some not so great you never know what you will get(never be the same since M Parfitt died)
Transfers in
A Goalie so far 2 loans mentioned possibly 3
EMI a Argie/Spainish winger scores a few just hope he gets more of a chance than Canos did
Striker the biggest conundrum only one mentioned but it seems he will stay in Germany, Spurs have an 18 year old score for fun in their u23 last season try for a loan nothing to lose.
Transfers out
Naismith either play him or give him a free transfer he is wanted back in Edinburgh
Martin please give him a free there will be clubs that want his experience
Jarvis any pet lover wouldn’t put their animals through what Jarvis has had to endure surely if he retired his or the clubs insurance would pay him off
Oliveria he proved last season it was all about me, me, me if not selected he sulked many sides that were interested would have been put off by his attitude, might break even on this but he must go
Possible Transfers out
Pinto £5m
Klose £5m
Franke £1.5m
Murphy £7m
Maddison £25m
Mcgovern £0 free transfer
I was disappointed with the comments in the EDP from last week by the young player released by city to Rangers at the time Farke gave him a great report and wished him all the best in his future career to come out and say city don’t know what they are misding now makes me think he wasn’t showing his full potential at city, and saying city signed an Irish lad to play in his position only goes to prove that if he was doing the job city wouldn’t need to find a replacement.
Brilliant series about music, and (as usual) expertly summed up Martin. What diverse tastes we have/had, but, like football, if everybody liked the same thing, wouldn’t it be boring!
Only 8 weeks to the big kick-off; wonder what we can do in the meantime??
O T B C
Keep your eyes peeled on MFW this evening John … we have just the thing 😉
Even I’m in the dark on this one so am very much looking forward to it!
Thanks Alex – first off I liked Pictures of Matchstick Men, Down the Dustpipe and Paper Plane but rather looked down on Quo thereafter, who were never for me.
I am a “pet” lover (our dogs tend to do a little bit of bit of work as well) but I agree that to get rid of Naismith, Martin, Jarvis, McGovern and Wildschut would be a result. But how can we achieve that? Who can afford them? Or in at least two cases who would want them?
There is an excellent recent article by Michael Bailey on the Archant website which sums up my views better than I could myself. It’s well worth a read. It suggests another dead season is coming down the track unless we are very lucky and is incredibly well reasoned.
Great round-up, Martin.
Since we’re drawing down the curtain on this, perhaps I can propose two slightly off-the-beaten-track (and very different) show closers. One of the best – certainly the funniest – I saw on stage was “Showstopper” by Richard Stilgoe and Peter Skellern. Findable on YouTube, I’m sure.
The most stunning is the ‘Liebestod’ (love-death), Isolde’s dying aria that finishes Wagner’s Tristan & Isolde. At the end of it the curtain falls; if it’s sung well, there’s a very long pause before anyone is composed enough to think of applauding. Worth the 5-hour build-up…
Thanks to everyone.
Stew: I’ll see your Stilgoe and Skellern and raise it with a Two Ronnies special when they were in character as Big Jim Jehosophat and Fatbelly Jones. Upcat Polecat is unbeatable. Very available on YouTube. Go on, you know you want to – please do.
PS I actually like some Peter Skellern material. A very interesting guy.
Will do!
Enjoyed Upcat Polecat. Here’s the link to Showstopper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-wleXtgSWM