World Wide Woozle episode #579

Hi everyone and thanks for your patience as I know this episode is a little late.

I started writing this stuff in 2008 because I like sharing good music but also exploring how it makes people feel. I know that for me, for a very long time, I've been able to disappear into a song, an album or a concert and feel good. Books are a bit like that for me as well but in a slightly different way. I remember having a cassette of the Beach Boys Greatest Hits in the early 80s. An awesome afternoon for me was being allowed to borrow the small Hitachi radio cassette player and listen to it in my room, or even on the big stereo in the lounge. Often I'd talk into an old light fitting, pretending it was a microphone and I was introducing the songs. Today we have so many options of how and where to listen to music and, whilst I despair that many people never listen to a whole album, I make the most of the opportunities. Before we go on, here's the Beach Boys song that I love the most. I'm not saying that their other songs aren't great because they are. This one just gets me every time. It's not the lyrics as much as the whole sound and especially the first big drum beat with the great reverb.

The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice - https://youtu.be/dmcNbsLCpBQ

I'd never listened to the next band until about three days ago. Whilst they are quite well known, they're not what I thought they were going to be, It's no secret that I like some fairly heavy music but I like to understand the vocals too. Amon Amarth seems to have found a way to have the guttural, growling vocal delivery of death metal but in a way that is intelligible. I certainly didn't need a lyric sheet for this one. I've since listened to most of their back catalogue and whilst I'm thrilled to find something new to me that's really cool, I'm a bit sad that I didn't try them earlier. Extra points for anyone who knows what the band's name is without using a search engine.

Amon Amarth - Find A Way Or Make One - https://youtu.be/Je3EcJhxUP8

I like to hear people making music for fun. Not necessarily celebrities and stars, just regular people like me! I heard this the other day and as a result checked out a whole lot of videos from the same group. It's really great for making me smile and you might too. If you don't then perhaps loosen up and smell the roses.

Colt Clark and The Quarantine Kids - Band On The Run - https://youtu.be/zw2bYFkydEY

Bryan Adams has re-recorded and released an album of his classic tracks. This is one of my favourite songs of his and I think the new film clip shows, again, someone enjoying themselves. The song is 24 years old, time flies! White sneakers are back in fashion though it seems....

Bryan Adams with Mel C - When You're Gone (2022) - https://youtu.be/wB4fLBULvdE

My birthday is in April. This year my son Angus told me that he'd ordered me something but it might take a while to come. It came last week. It was so late that he was beginning to think it might be a hoax! It's the "ReWiggled" album on double vinyl. One album is coloured red and blue whilst the other is yellow and purple. If you know, you know. It's a fabulous gift and my new neighbours will enjoy it next week for sure!

The Wiggles - Pub Feed - https://youtu.be/x0CGComnvCY

Polish Club - Apples and Bananas - https://youtu.be/JQCR9BvnLZo

Do you know what a hurdy gurdy is? Neither did I other than it was a musical instrument that Donovan sang about. After watching the next clip I spent far too long finding out and it was pretty cool really. The hurdy gurdy comes in after about a minute so don't skip to the end!

Bardcore - Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden cover) - https://youtu.be/tpn62QBlHZc

Finally, The Lemonheads. I wrote about this years ago but I doubt anyone will remember. I was in Impact Records (RIP) here in Canberra. I was looking for something new and in the old days you either heard it on the radio, got a bodgy cassette copy from a friend or took a chance at the record store. Well I spotted the next album in the "alternative" section, liked the cover and took it home. It was so cool. The acoustic guitars mixed with the electric to produce a bit of a jangle, fun and poignant lyrics and no-one I knew was into the band or had even heard of them. A few months later they covered a Simon and Garfunkel song, everyone loved them and I was slightly miffed! My copy of the album is the first version, without that cover version. I saw them live the same year at the ANU Refectory and they sucked. The album, It's A Shame About Ray, was recently re-released with extra tracks and it really took me back to a happy time in my life. Music does that.

The Lemonheads - Confetti - https://youtu.be/46hfIVG1LCE

The Lemonheads - Bit Part - https://youtu.be/fECK5XLwlso

That'll do for another week / episode. Thanks for coming back.

The Woozle.

"The databank knows my number
Says I gotta pay 'cause I made the grade last year..."

AC/DC, Who Made Who, 1986.