My No1 all time Album

I have made the decision on the greatest album I ever owned and it was no easy feat. In the end, it was between six and to pick one I revisited them in full.

Signing Off – UB4O

The Specials – The Specials

One Step Beyond –Madness

Outlandos d'Amour – The Police

Uprising - Bob Marley and the Wailers

True Democracy – Steel Pulse

It was great to listen to all the above music again I just wish I could have listen to them old style on vinyl. Old style would also see me lying on my bed blasting my chosen music off the walls until that banging at the door “Turn it down”. Maybe sitting on the wall outside my house window open, broadcasting to the world and my street. Out of the six it was great to listen to Outlandos’s d’Amour by The Police, it had been a while since I sat back and listened to the full album and reminded myself why I liked it.

 

So which one … Drum roll … Signing Off by UB40

 

A strange pick seeing it was the most overtly political album I ever listen to or owned. However, it hit a cord with me. I was one of Thatcher’s unemployed and had been politicize by her and the policies of the Tory party. Although by this time under the influence of the sound of reggae and ska, I felt something was missing and this was the band to bridge the gap.

 

The fact they were British, multiracial, and the lyrics on line with how I was feeling I feel they were my missing link at a time of the rise of the racist National Front and right wing politics. Coming from a multicultural area of Cardiff where black and white played together it was great to see a group playing music I liked were colour meant nothing. They appeared just has Two Tone had peaked another powerful movement in multiracial Britain.

Signing Off was an immediate success, reaching number 2 on the UK albums chart, and made UB40 the most popular reggae band in Britain. The first single ‘Food for Thought’ was a double A-side offering along with ‘King’ but it was ‘Food for Thought’ at got most of the airplay. It reached number 4 in the charts.

 

The album was full of politically concerned lyrics and widespread concerns about high unemployment, the policies of Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher, among the youth and adults feeding into the world of music. The cover artwork front and back struck a cord with the unemployed has it was a replica of the UB40 unemployment benefit attendance card from which the band took their name.

 

Considered by many fans and music critics to be UB40's best album, I can still remember listen to it for the first time featuring a mix of reggae and dub.

1. Tyler - written about the young black American Gary Tyler, who at the age of 17 was convicted by an all-white judge and jury of murdering a 13-year-old white boy, despite serious irregularities in the prosecution case and the lack of a murder weapon ever being found. UB40 intended "Tyler" to be their first single in the United States.
2. King - was about the late Martin Luther King, Jr., questioning the lost direction of the deceased leader's followers and the state of mourning of a nation after his death.
3. 12 Bar - Instrumentals track.
4. Burden of Shame - recounted the misdeeds performed in the name of British Imperialism.
5. Adella - Instrumentals track
6. I Think It's Going to Rain Today - song written by Randy Newman.
7. Food for Thought - was an attempt to publicise and condemn the famine in north Africa, comparing it with the Western over-indulgent celebration of Christmas, nearly five years before Band Aid brought the subject to widespread attention.
8. 25% - allegedly titled after the increase in wages demanded by the unions in the late 1970s to reflect a "living wage
9. Little by Little - highlighted the growing inequality between the rich and the poor.
10. 10 - Signing Off - Instrumentals track

The three tracks below came on a 12” single that came with the album

• Madam Medusa - was a vivid description of Margaret Thatcher's rise to power depicted in a grotesque style, featuring some of the band's most impassioned and bitter lyrics.
• Strange Fruit - song written by Lewis Allan
• Reefer Madness - Instrumentals track

Albums were limited by space back then and sometime the cassette tape would have extra tracks. That was the case with ‘Signing Off’ the three tracks that came on the 12" single were all on the cassette tape.

Sideways look at a week in Politics

Alex Salmond and the Scottish National Party are preparing for government has he predicts he will win a majority of seats across the UK. He will announce this week that he plans to stand in every seat for the upcoming election excluding Scotland.

Katie Hopkins promise to leave the country if Miliband is the next Prime Minster has seen a rush of new members to the Labour Party.

 

Cameron launches searing personal attack on is Labour rival's plans to 'crawl up Downing Street on the coat-tails of the SNP'. Wait a minute! Did not our leader Cameron do the same with the Liberals?

 

Ukip leader Nigel Farage vows to make St George's Day a bank holiday. He would also like a fag and beer bank holiday on his birthday.

 

After a tense few days, white smoke was seen coming out of Nick Clegg’s chimney singling the end of the Liberals conclave to pick Clegg’s Amazons wants list.

 

At the bookies, Nigel Farage is favourite to be egged on the official opening of the Election.

Rumours are that the Sun will drop its support for the Tory party and announce their support for the Greens.

 

Pride Cymru may not enjoy the London politics’ establishment but they cannot wait to give control to Edinburgh.

Paxman the winner????

Did you watch the live debate that wasn’t a live debate because it was not the head-to-head debate we all wanted, well those of us who were interested. Did we learn much? Not really, but I personally believe we learnt more about Ed Miliband than David Cameron.

Cameron was up first with Jeremy Paxman and was on the defensive with questions on food banks. He was asked how many they were five years ago at the start of his government and looked very uncomfortable trying to give the standard reply he has been giving for years. For someone who says he cares he has yet to visit a food bank. Although he did manage to make a secret visit to one without press coverage or see any of the food bank users.

Another two major questions involved emigration and zero hour contracts. He squirmed has he was reminded of is promise before the last election on net migration. He sprouted some figures but he could not lie he failed on his pre-election promise. Pushed on zero hour contracts he admitted he couldn’t live on one but I doubt he would ever be in that position. Of course, during these last five years, this kind of contract as flourished but he had figures at hand to dispel anything of the kind.

Paxman when personal on Miliband, asking whether he was “tough enough” to be prime minister – and whether he was a “north London geek’’ and on his brother who he beat to the leadership of the Labour party. He also doubted whether he could be taken seriously on the international stage and suggesting if he was to go into a meeting with the Russian leader it would be over in two minutes with Miliband laying on the floor.

Both were asked about reducing the deficit and how they would fund it. Paxman asked Cameron where the £12 billion in welfare cuts is going to come from. However, he didn’t say were the axe would fall. Paxman pushed Miliband on how much borrowing he was planning more than the Tories. Outside the protected departments Heath and Education, he planned to reduce spending.

At the end Paxman dropped in an ‘Are you alright Ed’ has the camera panned away. I can’t remember him asking the same of Cameron. A bit patronising I thought.

The Q&A session with the audience members moderated by Sky's Kay Burley was the weakest part of the debate. When politicians are asked, questions by members of the general public they become ultra-cautious and start to waffle on a bit. I thought Miliband got the toughest ride again with the personal stuff about brother and his so-called weakness. The media and press have been running this boring line since he became leader of the Labour party.

It started with Red Ed then he became weak, a geek and awkward. Do we really need a kind of a song and dance Prime Minster, a performer, because if we do the lets pick someone via an X-Factor show? I just want someone who can do the job.

Snap poll suggested Cameron win this round but not by much while social media like Twitter during the show edged in favour of Miliband.

The Late Late Show with James Corden - Review

While wifey was all about soap opera watching I took time out to watch the latest addition to American late night talk show dynasty, Brit James Corden’s Late Late Show.

I am a fan of Corden and he has always been a great guest on talk shows and funny hosting Sky TVs ‘A League of their Own’. Therefore, I was looking forward to having a look at this new offering, as I was a huge fan of his predecessor Craig Ferguson.

From early reviews and social media outlets the Brit did well and the American audience seemed to like the more British style of talk show akin to the Graham Norton Show. House band is not a British thing and the desk an American tradition in USA talk shows. I was disappointed to see Corden plop himself behind one but thankfully it was soon discarded.

He set the bar high with his first show with the guests and pre-record cameos full of A-listers with the likes of Meryl Streep, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay Leno and many more. Hollywood royalty were sit down guests Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis. He came out from behind the desk for the interview with Kunis and Hanks on what looked like a computer chair. It a big thing in America to bring out your guest at the same time it was widely remarked about on social media and in the many reviews.

Kunis was her normal cute self all baby talk and did Corden get conformation that she and fiancé Ashton Kutcher are married. Hanks was on top form later launching himself into a quick change sketch with Corden where they rapidly changed outfits and props to depict scenes from his many films.

I thing he cracked it but we will have to see what happens on the night the guests are not so A-list that will tell if a made this talk show his own.

One Unusual Job

You come home from a trip to the Job Centre and announce to your wife that you have a job. With much relief to the wife who is hoping to see an end to endless money worries.

“What’s the job?” your wife excitably asks.

“A kind of a secret shopper” the reply.

“You have to check prices and the like,” she asks. “My job description is check on quality, cleanliness, and safety”

Asking about the wages I replied “Not bad but there are likely to be a lot of perks with this job.”

The wife then asked what your job title would be. “Quality control tester” was the quick reply.

Most wives would be happy for their husbands to be back in employment but somehow not this job. A brothel in Germany is looking for someone to check the quality of its ladies to make sure value for money was on offer. In Germany, prostitution is legal and so are brothels some of which are as big as a medium size hotel.

The job advertisement claims to want someone with a university degree, preferably a degree in business, experience of brothels, and a full health certificate. So practical experience in brothels would be an advantage with the ad suggesting a customer with many years’ experience. It’s not clear if you are supposed to try out the 120 sex workers working out of the brothel but how can you check there quality of work if you don’t.

I’m sure I will not be applying has I don’t have a degree, and I know the wife would rather I was unemployed than take this job.

Going to be one hell of an Election

Looks more and more likely we are going to end up with another coalition government and you can bet the minor parties are writing up their bucket lists. Like all the pundits, I will predict a hung parliament.

All the leaders of these minor parties have their lists in hand ready to push into the letterbox of Ed Miliband and David Cameron the day after the election. They will all be asking for something and it worries me. Why have an election manifesto if you can’t bring it forward unless you can get an agreement with your coalition partners. I personally am not a fan of coalition politics and watering down your beliefs for a leg up to power.

From the horse-trading at will inevitably happen we could end up with the largest unable to form a government, likely to be the Tories. They could try a muddle along but without a majority, they would find it difficult to govern so what would happen then. Will the loser get a chance to form a government or back to the polls?

The majority of the smaller parties likely to win seats would find themselves more comfortable in bed with Labour than the Tories who have little support other than UKIP and the Unionist parties from Northern Ireland. The Liberal’s would pimp themselves out to anybody for a few government jobs so swing both ways. The Green Party who are hoping to win a few seats are talking about joining forces with the SNP and Plaid Cymru to forge a dream team alliance with Labour if there was a hung parliament.

They hope the dream team could have their way with the Labour leader then use their power to dictate terms to a minority Labour administration. All three want to see the end of Trident, which is due for an upgrade at a huge cost just has Russia is rearming but not to worry we can trust the Russians. SNP and Plaid Cymru would want more money for Scotland and Wales and they would possibly want a referendum on Independence, we know the Scots would like another go after defeat last time and of course government jobs. Maybe they could take it in turns being Deputy Prime Minister. Besides getting rid for Trident, I think the Greens want to take us back to the horse and cart way of life.

Nobody want’s Nigel, Mr Farage leader of UKIP not even the Tories who are his only hope of wheeling any kind of power but would the Tories reserves ‘The Liberal Democrats’ be happy. David Cameron and his Tories are short on allies even throwing a bone to his coalition sidekick Nick Clegg. Nick is in line for the biggest kicking in politics since god knows when. The way he jumped into bed with Cameron not only upset the general file members of his party but the many students who voted for him on the promise of an end to tuition fees.

Cameron will need to get over 326 seats to win an outright majority or as near as possible because his friend could come up light. Last time around the Tories, were 20 light of the winning post and needed Nick Clegg and his MPs. The Liberals won 58 seats last time out but the forecasts this time is that they could see their tally drop to less than 20, a Liberal massacre.

Dissolution of Parliament is at the end of the month is the official green light to kick off electioneering. What we are seeing now is the starters before the main meal followed by the afters. After the count if there is a hung Parliament, the horse-trading could take days. Last time it was a tedious three days and the news media in a frenzy

It all makes for an interesting election results night and what about that end of poll prediction. I believe it will be ‘to close to call’ so it will be a long night for the interested.

TV Review - The Royals

It could be the Windsor's

I must have been really bored last night because while searching my favourite iffy internet streaming site I spied the new TV show ‘The Royals’ which is yet to premier on this side of the pond, I was intrigued

 

Since that dress many moons ago I have been a bit of a Liz Hurley fan and from the press releases, I knew she was playing the Queen so I thought I would show my support and I wish I hadn’t bothered. One thing for sure Americans should stick to making gangster and cop shows that they do superbly more often than not and stay away from royalty.

Back to the Royals it was bad, possibly the worst TV show I have ever watched once because I can guarantee I will not be watching episode two. Trashy TV at its best something the E! channel can do with gusto, for Christ sake, they have given the world the ‘Kardashians’ the American royal family.

The story line is basically, states of undress, drugs, drunkenness, and a lot of bed action and you could care less about the characters and I didn’t care. In this opening episode, the royal family of England are thrown into disarray when the heir to the throne is killed in a military accident. I cried with happiness for the actor playing the dead prince he is out of this piece of rubbish he could well get away without putting it on his CV.

 

The new heir to the top job Prince Liam is knocking off commoner Ophelia, the daughter of the royal family's security chief who also happens to live in the palace. Princess Eleanor beds her new bodyguard Jasper who drugged her and being a loyal subject films the encounter. He then proceeds to blackmail her for more sexual favours. Why I asked myself! she would probably drop her knickers if you were to mumble the national anthem.

What the Footman saw

The aforementioned Liz Hurley as Queen Helena's is all cleavage and I don’t think King Simon is seeing much action between the sheets, he always looks miserable. I can’t see her going short in that department. Good old Simon is so disillusioned he’s become a republican and is contemplating asking Parliament to call a referendum to vote on the future of the monarchy.

 

King Simon’s brother, Cyrus is far from impressed, along with the rest of the family. Cyrus is a lecherous piece of work who has well as trying to knock off the king likes to relax with a maid or two who under his orders must dress in short dresses and stockings. He has two dim-witted ginger daughters who like to party.

I have had a taste and really hated it so I have decided it will never be seen in my house ever again. The only plus side it's so awful it's funny. Some out there will love it because there is a market for trashy TV and possibly some will actually believe it’s like the real royals.

 

Favourite quote … An aide tells Queen Helena: “Sir Elton John would like to pop round and say hello”. Hurley witheringly replies: ”Pop round and say hello? You give someone a title and they treat the place like it’s a Starbucks.”

Princess Eleanor hit the Front page

Pans People warmly remembered

Pans People

Watched some old Top of the Pops stuff on YouTube and I felt a twitch in the trousers department, oh Pans People, teenage memories come flooding back.

The highlight of my Thursday night was the Pans People dancing troupe on Top of the Pops. It was on before the watershed so escaped my mother’s Mary Whitehouse attitude to rude TV. Another bit of a history lesson for the MTV generation. Before pop videos shows like Top of the Pops had a dance troupe, employed has filler for those artists who couldn’t appear on the show.

Whatever song they dance to the male of the species didn’t care what they were wearing or the lack was what most were hoping to see. Besides wearing, some freaky stuff like space suits, monster outfits it was those skimpier costumes that got the blood boiling.

Pan’s People were top of the tree and legendary dance goddesses of the 1960s and ‘70s, the older generation my not have liked the music much but Pans People caught their eye. Those before or after never got my devotion like the Pans crew. They were there at my turning from a young lad without a real care in the world but a growing interest in girls.

I had a favourite, although Babs with her long blonde hair and those boobs was reputed to be the ultimate fantasy, Sue Menhenick, was my favourite joining the troupe in 1974, and was an instant hit with this 14-year-old. It was difficult to lust in a room full of your family but I can tell you, I was drooling. Although they were regarded a tad risky for TV in 1970s in particular by the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association. Things when up a level in the 1980s when Pans People were retired and Legs and Co took over.

Lucky for me Sue had joined the new group and with more flesh on show and raunchier dance routines and new rivals in the shape of Hot Gossip, it was the BBC v ITV. Legs and Co on the BBC took on the challenge but were far more subdued but that left more to the imagination. Hot Gossip were more dancing porn and were noted for the risqué nature of their costumes and the dance routines.

Time was running out for these kind of dancing groups, killed off by video. If a group couldn’t make a show, the record company started to supply a video. Fans expected to see videos and with MTV dominate in the market more and more artist were making them. Dance troupes on our screen like the for mentioned found themselves redundant with the video obviously the future.

Legs and Co

However, time may have loosened its grip on the Mary Whitehouse attitude but I had since moved on from fantasising about the unattainable. However, I will always have those memories of Pans People.

Hot Gossip

Mother's Day not for me

I have never been a big fan of Mother’s Day or Father’s Day if the truth be told but now my mum is no longer with us I hate the day even more.

All I have now are memories, which are painful no matter how happy I felt at the time. Mum was never a fan but she would expect your card and a present she would virtually pick herself by handing out instructions. Secretly I think she would have been gutted if we did not acknowledged the day is long has we laid off the ‘Love you mum’ stuff.

She was easily pleased with a box of chocolates and a card but no flowers. Mum did not mind flowers in their natural environment but you could never walk into the house with a bunch and lay them down on the table, Mum would hit the roof. If dad had some flowers for the cemetery you would have to quickly run out the back yard and plop them into a bucket. Plastic were ok inside the house but I got the feeling sometimes she was not too happy with them either.

Forgive me if I have put a downer on the day for anyone but if you have a mother in brace her and hold her tight because one day like me you will only have memories.

I will be voting come May

I will be nailing my colours to the Labour party in the upcoming May general election.

 

I have always voted Labour but was momentary seduced by the gang of four (Social Democrats) during the crazy time around Militant tendency and there attempt to take over the party. In the end, I chickened out when it came to put my x on the ballot paper. I have always voted but for one local election and feel strongly if you have a vote use it just don’t throw it away.

 

I now vote via post, how easy is that? I can’t see why people who find it tiresome to go to a polling station don’t in brace this method of voting. I strongly believe it is time to make voting compulsory.

My problem with this election is that while I vote for my party odds on there will be a coalition and if Labour are the biggest party will have to do deals with other parties. Not my kind of politics horse-trading. Rumour has it that when the Scottish Nationalist destroy Labour in Scotland they will rush down to Parliament to join Labour in some kind of coalition beneficial to them. If I were Ed Miliband, I would shut the door in the face because they will ask for the impossible banking on the lust for whoever is to be Prime Minister. It will be the same for all the smaller parties they will all want to demand some kind of price for their support.

 

So why bother with a manifesto? There will be no guarantees manifestos can be for filled with the horse-trading that will be taking place if there is a hung parliament.

 

Someone we all know who just loves a coalition is the leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg. Where would he be if he weren’t a junior partner in a Tory government? Probably in a better position than he finds himself with his party in freefall. However, besides alienating a large part of his party and the voters who were not best pleased with the Liberals getting into bed with the Tories. He bagged a job for himself and a few for some others.

Pies glorious pies

All hail my new hero Martin Tarbuck. No, he has not won a medal for bravery, save a little old woman or rescued a cat from up a tree, he as published a book called Life of Pies.

My hero has noshed is way around the UK in search of the best British Pie and after two years and an estimated 315 pies he believes he has found the winner, a meat and potato pie out of Greens bakery, Barrow, Cumbria at a cost of £1.15. I cannot see me ever tasting this pie but I would love to have a go. I did google it on the off chance they had some kind of online delivery option but no luck there. The pie scored 61 points on his self-devised pie rating system.

Although many may not agree with his choice as in the world of pies it is each to their own it was encouraging to see him rate Cardiff’s Clarks Pie top meat pie. I think every pie eater is looking for the holy grail of the pie world. I believe I have found mine in the Clarks Pie but unlike Mr Tarbuck, I have not searched the country to find the one, my holy grail. Is there a pie out there somewhere that could top the Clarkies? You know, I would love to find out.

There is a book about his journey and of course, I will soon be reading it with envious eyes. Life of Pies - is available online and in good book shops for £9.99.

Life of Pies website

Battle of the Lori Quaids

Stone v Beckinsale

Watching the film ‘Total Recall’ last night it got me wondering which of the Lori Quaid I like the best, well fancied really. You know the character I am talking about the baddie wife. In the original corner, we have Sharon Stone and in the opposite corner, we have Kate Beckinsale in the remake.

 

To be honest I am a bigger fan of the original movie with less gadgetry because the blue screen material can sometimes spoil a film. CGI stuff is ok but sometimes you miss the wires and other little anomalies you see in older movies.

 

Both play wives of what we are lead to believe is an ordinary Joe but they are only keeping an eye on their respective husbands for the evil boss of the film. I think we all know what happens in the film. After a trip to ‘Rekall Inc.’ everyone and there monkeys uncle, try to kill our hero Douglas Quaid including the respective wives. The big difference between the two films is that Beckinsale gets much more film time.

 

No one would argue against the fact that Beckinsale is stunning—she's damn near flawless in my book. On the other hand, her Total Recall predecessor is one of the sexiest women ever to grace the silver screen. Who can forget a simple cross of her legs in 1992, Sharon Stone solidified herself as a bona fide Hollywood sex symbol.

 

So whom do we go with? Who's a sexier Lori Quaid? Is it the pristine Brit or the blonde bombshell? This one was close, but I the end it was ...

 

My winner: Kate Beckinsale

Best twist endings in movies … The Mist

I watched the film ‘The Mist’ this morning thanks to YouTube. It has been a while since I last saw the film and I’m not sure if it as had a run-out on terrestrial TV to date even although it was released in 2007.

Before you read on you have been warned there will be a massive spoiler at the end of this blog post, it’s in the post-heading folks. For those interested there is a link to the full film on YouTube, free to watch at the end of this post.

I thought the film is great plenty of suspense, which I like, with unknown horror, which I also like. A freak storm batters a small American backwoods town, which we find out later, is something to do with the army. It unleashes a thick mist and within are bloodthirsty creatures. A small band of citizens holed up in a supermarket were they fight for their lives from the creatures and from within the group

The twist at the end was a real tearjerker. After a small group manage to breakout of the supermarket, they drive off into the mist. They finally lose all hope of salvation as their car runs out of petrol, while the otherworldly beasties can be heard all around them in the distance. Reaching for his gun, the adults in the small group no what is going to happen next.

He sadly dispatches his fellow survivors, including his young son before turning the gun on himself. However, there is no bullet left for him. Bereft with a mixture of guilt and pain he steps outside the car to offer himself to the creatures. Has he screams hoping to attract a quick death we see the mist clearing and lights in the distance, then a tank and soldiers follow by truckloads of survivors. If only he had waited for a few more minutes.

http://youtu.be/NgWY1_ck_RU