49 not out

Forty-nine is a funny number. You can see why, can't you? Well, it's odd for a start; all odd numbers are funny. And it's not quite 50. It'd like to be 50, a half century, a bullseye. It just didn't quite make it. I'll be interested to see how many 49s we get in November's Photo Challenge.

I mention it because this year marks the 49th anniversary of the release of Elvis Costello's debut album My Aim is True. And because the artist formerly known as Declan MacManus isn't keen on significant birthdays he's strongarmed his record company into going early and unleashing on the record buying public an all singing all dancing edition of this rather splendid platter, complete with countless versions, outtakes and demos (many previously unheard), and enough reading matter and associated photographs to keep you going till Christmas. In fact, why don't I let the man himself tell you all about it...

Back in 2022, not long after Covid, when I resurrected Vinyl Night - listening to albums in full - we put Costello's tour de force through its paces and it got a terrific reaction; igniting all sorts of memories. The fact that we cranked it up to 11 didn't do any harm either. I've thought recently about bringing Vinyl Night back and, if I do, this is definitely coming back out to play. 

Andy Burnham cometh

Burnel v Burnham

In 1978 when the Stranglers were labouring away in the studio recording what would become their Black and White album, J.J. Burnel - the band's bass player and resident motorbikin'/ Karate expert - stayed on in the studio while the rest of the band went for a well deserved pint and started recording a few more tunes he'd been holding back. These Can influenced tracks started life on a budget beatbox whereupon Burnel would layer more instruments and before you know it he'd got an album's worth. The resulting long player Euroman Cometh saw the light of day the following year where it reached the dizzy heights of #40 in the album charts. Still, not bad for a collection of dirges and drones knocked up on a basic drum machine. It's got a charm all its own (something that can't always be said about the erratic character that made it). Do the European, in particular, whilst not only very much on point (thank you, Andy Burnham) has, I think, stood the test of time remarkably well.

J.J. Burnel - Do the European (1979)

Blonde on the Tracks

I'm sure many of you of in this esteemed parish will be aware that Robyn Hitchcock has a new album out at the moment. It's called The Confuser and is available, I assume, in all good record stores (and maybe some that don't quite cut the mustard). The album's title is a direct reference to the ongoing doppelgänger thing that he and Nick Lowe have got going on - they are, apparently, forever being mistaken for one another (oh, the weight we grey haired men of a certain age carry around with us); anyway, Nick Lowe's third album in his Brentford Trilogy was called The Convincer and Hitchcock's partner, Emma Swift, has dubbed her other half The Confuser. Geddit? 

Swift herself is no slouch either. Her critically acclaimed 2020 album Blonde on the Tracks containing eight choice Bob Dylan cuts is really rather good. 

Emma Swift - Simple Twist of Fate (2020) [no prizes for spotting the polka dots!]

Back of the net!

Remember those 'Focus On...' Q&As they'd get 70s footballers to do in Shoot magazine? (I guess you have to be of a certain vintage.) In the course of these mild interrogations we'd learn that nothing excites their palette more than eating steak and chips whilst listening to a bit of Tom Jones on the stereogram. Period kitsch? Yes, but so much more than that. They're mini time capsules that shine a light into a world that's sadly long gone. Someone who understand this - probably even better than me - is my very good friend Steve.

NAME

Steve 'Brasso' Brassington

PLACE OF BIRTH

Coventry 

HEIGHT

6 ft.

WEIGHT

15 stone 

MARRIED

Yes, to Jackie 

CHILDREN

Two - Shane & Faye 

CAR

Austin Ambassador Y reg. 

FAVOURITE PLAYER

Tommy Hutchison. Followed by Stan Bowles and Alan Hudson 

FAVOURITE CLUB

Blackpool

MOSRT MEMORABLE GAME

Inter v AC Milan at the San Siro in 1997 - I've never experienced anything quite like it. 

FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED

Canada 

FAVOURITE FOOD

Chicken Madras

MISCELLANEOUS LIKES

Spending the afternoon in a proper pub talking about 70s music and 70s football. That’ll do me!

DISLIKES

The disappearance of characters and lack of spontaneity in the modern game 

FAVOURITE TV SHOW

Slow Horses  

FAVOURITE FILM

MC5 - A True Testimonial 

FAVOURITE GROUP/ARTIST

Can’t name one, and could change on any given day, but will go with three today: MC5, Love, and the Cramps

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MEET?

Gary Oldman. And Muhammad Ali (that’s compulsory, right?)

King Eric

It matters not a jot if you're red or blue, United or City, Oasis or Blur. Or, indeed, none of the above. Like I say, that's not what this is all about. Please indulge me: if you can spare 57 seconds out of your busy schedule then I urge, nay, beseech you to listen to this Liam Gallagher story about Eric Cantona - you'll be thanking me later. Upon getting Oasis back together Noel Gallagher said he'd forgotten just how funny his brother was. So had I.