World Wide Woozle episode #561

Welcome back groovers.

It's been wet and windy here this week and that pretty much sucks for me. I want to be outside as much as possible when I'm not at work. Summer may actually arrive soon but who can tell.

The Cult - Rain - https://youtu.be/RD5b_0QB0wI

I've got some footage of me playing and singing from the other weekend. If you'd like to check it out please let me know. I'm not a huge fan of watching myself on film or listening to myself sing but I can assure you it could've been so much worse. I've reflected on what I did and have come to the conclusion that I enjoyed myself (both the rehearsal and the performance bit) so I'll seek out opportunities to do it again. I've got a playlist of songs that I'm thinking about covering and there are also some new originals in the works. If you're in Canberra and want to book me to do a short set in your lounge room then I'm game if you are. You just never know if it's going to be folk music, punk rock or something in the middle...

Pete Seeger - Which Side Are You On? - https://youtu.be/1XKMwWZVpPE

Dropkick Murphys -- Which Side Are You On? - https://youtu.be/SKWfnO7fhQM

As many of you know, I'm getting ready to sell my apartment. The only thing that seems to be getting in the way is getting a tradesperson to actually turn up. I could cope (a bit) if they were late, but being left hanging for days is really starting to wear thin. I also had to have a stern word to myself when it comes to decluttering and cleaning. I got rid of a whole lot of stuff and then remembered that I'd probably need some of it again in the future. It was pretty funny in the end.

Cold Chisel - You've Got Nothing I Want - https://youtu.be/-BiJKq7ynms

I put my Christmas tree up the other day. I waited for December as this is apparently the right thing to do. It's a little thing that was gifted to me last year when a good friend found out that I didn't have one. Christmas has been a challenging time of year for me for the last few years. I spent a couple by myself because I was anti-social as a result of not being very well. This year I've made some plans to keep busy and catch up with some close friends. Hopefully this time next year there will be a lot more travel options open to all of us.

Kris Kristofferson - This Old Road - https://youtu.be/sU_tjb0MceY

Spotify put their prices up recently and I got annoyed. Then they released their yearly statistics and apparently I've listened to that service for close to 835 hours. And that, of course, doesn't include any of my music listening on CD, LP or cassette! You may not get a shock to find out that I listen to AC/DC more than 99% of the population!

AC/DC -  Fling Thing / Rocker (live, Glasgow, 1978) - https://youtu.be/ASJy3c4ACiU

I like the new Billy Bragg album. As I mentioned last time, I wasn't that enthusiastic when it arrived but it's grown on me for sure. I'm sure quite a few people would love to hear Billy put out an album reminiscent of his first couple where he bashed out folk tinged protest songs with punk energy. You can still get that if you see him live but understanding that your favourite artists grow up as well is a good thing (except the Stones who are still singing Satisfaction well after turning forty ha ha). This album combines Bragg's obvious political and social points of view with music that straddles boundaries between country, folk and Americana. There's nods to the blue eyed soul that many English artists grew up listening to as well. It's a bit of a slow burn but it's worth it.

Billy Bragg - Freedom Doesn't Come For Free - https://youtu.be/pxdk5UBVlX8

For some reason, a Billy Connolly story popped into my head this week. I won't try to tell it but it involves him and moving from being a welder to being a musician. He mentioned the singer, Big Mama Thornton so I went looking to see what he was talking about. What a voice!

Big Mama Thornton - You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog (live) - https://youtu.be/JvbSXVc451Q

I think I've written enough this time around. Keep on rockin' in the free world.

The Woozle

"I don't think on why I'm here or where it hurts

I'm just lucky to have the work
Sunday morning I'm too tired to go to church
But I thank God for the work..."

Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free, 2015