Song of the Week #277

Hi everyone. Thanks for tuning in for another weekly episode full of music, cycling, music and the odd rant.

Ian Hunter & The Rant Band - Comfortable (2012) - http://youtu.be/CvrPqF6lqEU

Given that I'm on holidays this week Zoë took the opportunity to spend some time with me. She did well; taking me to see "Ender's Game" at the movies and getting a new phone organised as well as a few bits of Christmas shopping. "Ender's Game" was a pretty good film. I'll come out and say that I enjoyed it more than either of the two recent Star Trek films. The only real issue I had was Ben Kingsley's attempt at a New Zealand accent. It wasn't dreadful but it was far from convincing. Surely there are a few good NZ actors who could've been cast in the role. Regardless, the film was excellent and as soon as I can get the book away from Zoë I'll read it.

The Vietnam War - Heavy On My Mind (2011) - http://youtu.be/s1YhPc62t0o

Interestingly, Zoë has chosen a phone running the Windows operating system. I'll report back when we've spent some time with it but it looks pretty good to me. And the price was right compared to the cash swallowing iPhone or Android options.

Also as a result of not having to go to work I thought I'd have a crack at cycling further than I ever have in a week (Mon-Sun). I managed 351 km earlier in the year so I thought that aiming at 400 km would be fair. Luckily I had a few friends who rode with me or I think I may have gone insane! Heartfelt thanks to Andre, Kieran, Shell and AB for their company and also understanding when I couldn't go quite as fast as I might have liked to. Also thanks to Alison, Shelley, Liam and Zoë for meeting me at various coffee shops to keep me going! I rode past 13,000 km for the year this morning and I have 49 km to go to reach the 400 km for the week. I'll knock that off tomorrow I think and then cruise towards the end of the year. No Dom, I will NOT be shooting for 14,000 km. Not this year anyway.

Cosmo Jarvis- Spinning Around (2011) - http://youtu.be/H9etyOv2HiM

It's that time where every website and probably radio station start churning out lists of their "best albums of 2013". I won't do that. The Desert Island Disc series that I did earlier on has more than enough good music to keep anyone going all summer (or winter if you're a foreigner). There's too many to choose from anyway. I'm pretty partial to the new Stryper CD though. It rocks a lot harder than I'd dared to hope for. Less bubblegum, more attitude.

Stryper - Sticks & Stones (2013) - http://youtu.be/px2ki2yZrY8

I do wonder about audiences at live gigs though. It's time that they left their mobile phones at home. As I type I've got Def Leppard's "Viva Hysteria" DVD playing in the background. I'm at home too so the sub-woofer is getting a workout! But the audience (filmed in Las Vegas) are seriously comatose. This is a great band giving it absolutely everything on stage and the crowd are just standing there nodding. I'm old and admit that at concerts I like to stand near the soundboard and watch but there's usually at least a few energetic souls up the front. Certainly when I saw The Living End, King Cannons or Live Evil this year that was the case. And H's mate Louis went OFF when we saw Bob Mould.

Bob Mould - Steam of Hercules (live KEXP)(2013)- http://youtu.be/OWv6OwgqB-E

That'll do for this week. I've got some Midnight Oil songs I need to dust off on the guitar. I'm also going to throw the World Wide Woozle laptop out the window. Seriously, it'd be quicker to send this via carrier pigeon. Watch this space.

Jim Steinman - Rock 'n' Roll Dreams Come True - http://youtu.be/TR53uAzkF6A

DJ Rob

"It feels so good, it ought to be illegal,
I got my vaccination from a phonograph needle,
I'll never grow up and I'll never grow old,
Blame it on the love of rock 'n' roll" - Bon Jovi "Blame It On The Love of Rock 'n' Roll" (1992)