Down by the Jetty

I took a walk by the river earlier; it was a lovely afternoon (it still is at the time of writing this). On my travels I met a couple of (disillusioned) Canadians who had spotted my maple leaf pin on my lapel (the one you see above - taken a couple of weeks ago when the weather wasn't quite so clement). They asked if I had citizenship, I said no - but I always side with the bullied, not the bully: Canada, Ukraine, Mexico, Panama, Greenland et al (I've never owned so many pins). All three of us bemoaned Trump and couldn't believe how in the space of less than 100 days he's fucked up the world. They looked tired - I said they'll never be the 51st state. "Over my dead body" one of them said as we parted ways. "Solidarity!" I shouted back. Trump is a cunt, that's for sure, but I can't dwell on matters 5,000+ miles away right now. I have stuff going on much nearer to home that needs my undivided attention (see below).

Anyway, as Alyson often reminds herself whenever she gets bogged down in the weeds "This is a music blog, so where's the music?" Are We There Yet started life as a music blog but often strays from the straight and narrow, but today, and in true Alyson style, I'll remind anyone who's not aware that Doctor Feelgood released their seminal debut album, Down by the Jetty, fifty years ago - January 1975 to be precise. It changed the world; in a good way, unlike Trump. This is Roxette...

Doctor Feelgood - Roxette (1975)

 

As some of you may know I went into hospital last Friday for a procedure connected with my recent surgery. For various reasons it didn't happen but has been rescheduled for this Wednesday (I'm being admitted tomorrow). I'll see you back here in a few days, hopefully.

Maniaco Guitariste

John Wilkinson (b.12.7.47)

It's Wilko Johnson's birthday this week; something of a miracle seeing as how he stared pancreatic cancer in the eye in 2012 and told it to f*ck right off. His doctors had given him less than a year - shows what they know.

Johnson will forever be known as the manic guitarist in Doctor Feelgood, but they kicked him out of his own the band in 1977. Since then he's been the manic guitarist in Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders and Ian Dury's Blockheads. Now he's just a manic guitarist, period.

Here he is in a superb bit of footage from French TV in August 1976. In it he reminds me of a tethered dog in an overgrown front garden who, try as he might, can get no further than the garden gate; 'cos if he ever did...he'd have your hand off. Nothing's so sure.

Doctor Feelgood - Going Back Home

Milk & Alcohol

We walked into town last Thursday. It was a beautiful evening so we took the scenic route along the towpath. I say scenic; walking down the steps from London Road leading to the canal, the first thing we saw was a plethora of discarded Tennents tins and an empty milk carton. Anyhoo, you'd think that would be the perfect excuse to shoehorn some Doctor Feelgood into the mix wouldn't you? Maybe, but what with Oil City Confidential and everyone looking for the source of the Thames Delta, I thought I'd go off on a slight tangent.

Wilko Johnson is on record saying that Mick Green of The Pirates was the reason he picked up a guitar. To the point that Wilko would play their singles at 33 rpm just to 'work out what was going on in there.' Sadly, Mick passed away earlier this year. Here's a taster of just how good he was. It's also testament to the fact that, when it comes to playing the guitar, less is more.