World Wide Woozle episode #516

Hello enormous listening world,

Last week I wrote about rebels, what that might mean and a few songs related to the topic. Well of course as soon as I hit the send button, I thought of heaps more. So, without commentary, get a load of these...

Tom Morello - World Wide Rebel Songs - https://youtu.be/Hv0qQZ1qnis

The Clash - Career Opportunities (live) - https://youtu.be/MsE5NAAU39k

This week has been interesting. I decided to put my university study on hold for a semester. My work is busy (and awesome), I'm doing a course in mental health and trying to keep my cycling and fitness going as well as simply living. I think something had to give and a VERY average mark helped me make the final decision. I'll revisit how I feel about the whole thing in a few months but I can assure you that I feel no remorse so it must be the right thing to do at this point. Not quitting, just pausing.

WASP - School Daze (live 1984) - https://youtu.be/vBoF4MJJh-Y

Today I took delivery of a vinyl re-issue of Armoured Angel's 1989 demo release, Wings of Death. The original release was only on cassette although there was a limited overseas pressing I believe. Anyway, it's very cool to have what to me is a very influential recording on a shiny red platter. I'm sure my neighbours enjoyed it all afternoon.

Armoured Angel - Armoured Angel - https://youtu.be/A64Q8CPN6rw 

Haim are an American pop-rock band made up of three sisters. I've not listened to them before but a new release prompted me to check out quite a few of their other songs. If you're a Sheryl Crow fan then you're going to like this. Also, if NPR's Tiny Desk concerts are something you enjoy then you can check the band out doing their thing live right here.

Haim - The Steps - https://youtu.be/J2O_xa8cems

I returned to my dalliances with goth rock this week. Johnny Cash pointed me in that direction and soon enough I was immersed in the Sisters of Mercy back catalogue. As is always the case, something else shiny distracted me and well, here we are with the Finnish band, The 69 Eyes. This sounds a lot like the Sisters but it's cool....

The 69 Eyes - Jerusalem - https://youtu.be/zsSEhqrhIM4

Green Day are one of those bands that seem to polarise punk rock fans. You either think what they do is pretty cool or you think they are major label, stadium playing sellouts. I'm in the former category; they rock and they have a lot of fun. From the days when, in the 90s, their album Dookie made them more popular than they could probably have imagined, through their American Idiot rock opera and a bunch of other excellent albums they have continued writing catchy songs with often biting lyrics. I've chosen this particular clip on purpose. It's early on in their career (their first go on French TV) and highlights their ability to sound great in a sterile TV studio. Their harmonies are on point and Billie Joe is playing the guitar he got as a kid. Seriously, this is just a great performance.

Green Day - Basket Case (live 1994) - https://youtu.be/oOyaY46RorI

Debbie Harry from Blondie (I probably didn't have to tell anyone which band she is from) turned 75 this week. Blondie were always a bit of an anomaly to me. A band that came up through the punk scene but also found a place in the more mainstream music. In my opinion, this is a result of great songwriting, musicianship and Debbie's charisma fronting the band. 

Blondie - Union City Blue - https://youtu.be/Hvqgb1D6Opw

If you like War of The Worlds, Dungeons and Dragons, Pink Floyd, Dr Who, loud guitars and a bit of weirdness then Ayreon is for you. The band is more of a project that includes a wide range of well known people to produce what I'd describe as epic musical journeys. Seriously, there's something for everyone here. Ayreon's upcoming album features Tom Baker (Dr Who) as the narrator as well as boasting appearances from Joe Satriani and many others. I'm very much looking forward to Transitus being released in September. 

Ayreon - Everybody Dies (live) - https://youtu.be/9AAXtUdM7xE

People have been saying mean things about The Spice Girls this week. It's easy to forget that their music was a lot of fun.

The Spice Girls - Stop - https://youtu.be/5JD6ejmlpa8

We'll finish this week with a classic slab of indie pop/rock from Garbage. I've never managed to get into much of the band's other recorded works but it's probably time to revisit that. Oh, and if you've never heard Shirley Manson speak in her normal accent click here.

Garbage - Paranoid (live) - https://youtu.be/-mlriMIGIOk

And on that note; I'm out of here. Be nice to others, even when they're not being nice to you. Or at least be silent!

Rob

"He ate his own weight in coal
And excreted diamonds everyday..", CNR, Weird Al Yankovic, 2011.