World Wide Woozle episode #597

Kia Ora, I'm back from holidays.

New Zealand was awesome. Getting there and getting back wasn't quite so fab. From the flight out to Wellington being cancelled as we were physically boarding to the closure of Sydney Airport when I was on the way home, the journey threw up a few challenges! Nonetheless, the rest of the trip was superb.

Jenny Morris - Aotearoa - https://youtu.be/j33Tlh5QnQo

Most importantly, I got to spend time with my family who live in Aotearoa. I hadn't been there since 2012 and it was three and six years respectively since I'd seen my Mum and my Brother in person. That's a long time. It was so special to hang out with my niece and nephew and to get to meet their dog, Tiny.

The Mutton Birds - Wellington - https://youtu.be/SiN0HsEI9TA

My brother and I had tickets to see Billy Bragg for a gig in February 2020 and you can all guess what happened to that show. It was postponed for three years! So getting along to see him play was always going to be special. And when I realised that my sister-in-law and her parents were coming too for the first night, well, that blew me away. Night one was Billy playing songs spanning his whole career and it didn't disappoint. Night two was stuff from his first three records (Life's A Riot with Spy vs Spy, Brewing Up With Billy Bragg and Talking With The Taxman About Poetry). Standing in an audience, most of whom knew every single lyric, was an uplifting experience. I've never been in a crowd quite so enthusiastic. Naturally, merchandise was purchased (I'd been saving for three years after all). Whilst I hope to get to see Billy tour again, seeing him belt out so many early classics, accompanied only by his guitar, will be OK as a full stop for me.

Billy Bragg - Levi Stubbs' Tears - https://youtu.be/PhmCKkRae7o

Billy did mention that a new compilation of sorts was in the works but that he was having trouble finding a particular live track. Cue The Woozle who has the song on tape and also found a rip of it on an internet archive (that is from my tape anyway). The Bragg office was happy to get my email so let's hope it makes the record. As my brother said, that's my "fifteen fame filled minutes...".

Billy Bragg - King Tide and the Sunny Day Flood - https://youtu.be/lWPZeQzN_Ws

As a kid (I spent the second half of primary school in NZ) I was fascinated by Somes Island which is in the middle of Wellington Harbour. At the time it was a quarantine station for animals so you couldn't go there. Well, it's not playing that role now and visitors are welcome. I will admit that I was dreading the twenty-five minute ferry ride to get there because I can get seasick in the bath. Thankfully that didn't happen on the day. My brother, nephew and I headed over to the island (now known by its Māori name of Matiu) and it was well worth the journey. We got to spend a couple of hours walking around bush tracks, pretending to be experts on seabirds, looking for tuataras and inspecting the old quarantine station. It turned out that Matiu Island was also used as an internment camp in WWI and WWII. The views of Wellington and surrounds from the middle of the harbour are spectacular with houses dotted all through the hills. The lack of flat ground in Wellington just means that they've managed to build houses in the most amazing places!

Dave Baxter - Whispers - https://youtu.be/lKzKRiB09FY

I got home very late on Tuesday night and was back at work on Wednesday. It's now Friday evening and to be totally honest, I need a rest. I've been back on my bike and that was sublime but today I had to have what is now a regular blood test and they took enough to start a small blood bank! I know that I'll be just fine come tomorrow but I reckon I'll leave it here for this episode and head off to the land of nod. 

Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting (The Vampire Song) - https://youtu.be/VbJmWCuMiEM

Before I finish; watch this space as I'm due to be playing a solo set at a rather groovy gig that's coming up on March 18th. I'll share more later but I'm very excited to say that my mate Todd will be joining me on a few songs.

Pō mārie,

The Woozle

"Well you know I have a love

A love for everyone I know
And you know I have a drive
To live I won't let go..."

Bonnie "Prince" Billy, I See A Darkness, 1999.

World Wide Woozle episode #596

Hi everyone,

Nothing but tunes this week. I've had a lot of time on the bike to think about these...2000km so far this year. "Sweet as Donny!"

The percussion in the introduction to this song always makes me stop and take notice. I also remember picking out the initial chords (they are very simple) before I had an electric guitar and being quite impressed with myself! It's one of those songs that is overplayed on commercial radio but that has zero effect on me these days.

Lou Gramm - Midnight Blue - https://youtu.be/v4G_0A8Cdkw

The next track was a big hit but at a time before I was really paying much attention. I walked to work listening to a podcast about Australian music in the 70s. This song came up in the conversation as one that producer Mark Opitz was especially happy with. I particularly like a couple of things about the track. The first is the keyboard sound at the start. It's got a chime type sound that just appeals to me and gives the song almost the feeling that it's in a church. The other thing is the juxtaposition between the delicate lyrics and the voice belting them out. It could've ended up being a sledgehammer bashing flowers but it works so well.

Cold Chisel - Choir Girl - https://youtu.be/xgFxK3acQVg

Nightwish are a very popular band who straddle the line between heavy metal and being ultra attractive to emo kids. Personally I think they are a lot of fun and they add some interesting twists to the genre that they sit in. The use of instruments such as small pipes adds a lot of depth. They also aren't a band with a lead guitarist who has to have a big solo in every song. To be honest, it's mostly rhythm work thus leaving room for other cool stuff to happen.

Nightwish - Phantom of the Opera - https://youtu.be/tL25rbnvM4o

Ozzy Osbourne has sadly announced that he can no longer tour. His body won't cope. He can still sing though so it will be interesting to see what he comes up with. If you've seen him live or even just footage from a concert you'll see what he puts his body through. A serious back injury just hasn't recovered after four years despite a myriad of treatments. When I bought my first CD player in 1989 I chose two CDs to go along with it. One of them was Ozzy's live album, Tribute. It's still a great album and of course showcases his legendary guitarist, Randy Rhoads.The opening riff from the next track is the first real heavy metal thing I learned to play on the guitar.

Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (live, 1981) - https://youtu.be/hIh2FH8DYQ0

Just over a year ago I was out to dinner with a group of friends and they asked me to come prepared with a song for them. At the time I had been feeling a bit despondent about life in general but this group had helped pick me up and keep me going. I definitely spent far too long choosing a song but in the end this is the one I had a go at. I could never do Glen's voice or guitar playing justice but it's such a beautiful song on many levels. I think I'll play it when I play in public again.

Glen Campbell - A Better Place - https://youtu.be/YzrugsDTKpw

You get two Don Walker songs in this episode. Bing introduced me to this tune and we played it live a few times. There's a lovely version by Missy Higgins too if you want to search it out. But I like the rough edges of Don's voice and the sound of the brushes on the drums.

Don Walker - The Way You Are Tonight - https://youtu.be/XD5F5MVRm94

Finally, The Boss. I was listening to the latest Bob Dylan album this week and somehow ended up back at Bruce's Nebraska album. That pointed me to one of his live compilation albums and this cool track. I'm a huge fan of the original and this is a lot of fun.

Bruce Springsteen - Stayin' Alive - https://youtu.be/4n1GT-VjjVs

Rock on everyone,

The Woozle.

"And the road becomes my bride

I have stripped of all but pride
So in her I do confide
And she keeps me satisfied
Gives me all I need..."

Metallica, Wherever I May Roam, 1991.

World Wide Woozle episode #595

G'day Groovers, let's get on with it.

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to go to Geelong with my mates Toddo and Too Tall. We were there for the Cadel Evans ride and for a weekend away. Toddo and I got the 125km ride done despite the heat and the hills. There are a couple of very, very steep climbs right at the end of the course and I'm pleased to say that all my training did indeed pay off. I rode them with (relative) ease although I may have tried a bit hard going up Challambra and I almost had a spew at the top. It's a great event and, apart from one doofus who kept running red lights and a recumbent rider who wanted to service his bike in the middle of the road, it was tops.

Iron Maiden - Blood Brothers - https://youtu.be/7KV56kwxiHg

Too Tall and I got to go and have dinner with my Dad and his partner, Denise, and that really was the icing on the cake for a weekend away. Geelong is about 9 hours in the car each way (including stops) and that certainly adds up. We'll do the event again but maybe not next year. Our next ride is in Mudgee. If you're a cyclist and you haven't done the Mudgee Classic then you are missing out.

The Living End - Roll On - https://youtu.be/c_-q-KodhAI

Angus started a new job this week. Dads are meant to be proud of their kids and I certainly am. Angus, sadly, couldn't keep going fulltime as a remedial massage therapist due to an injury he has to manage. He could've dropped his bundle and thought, "woe is me", but that's not how he operates. He started as an apprentice electrician today. Hopefully he can come and install a heater in my bathroom before winter ha ha! Seriously though, Angus is such a hard worker and an impressive young man.

Zoe reports that she's been in training to qualify to drive the cars that the Ambulance Service has (she can already drive the actual ambulances of course). She'll soon be spotted travelling, at speed, around London in a wider range of vehicles!

I've been looking for holiday options for later in the year. I need to postpone my UK trip until 2024 and I really can't wait that long to take a decent break. I'm not really a tourist; it doesn't interest me that much. I need something active to do and if I see some cool stuff on the side then that'll work. At the moment I'm looking at a combined yoga and hiking retreat but if you know of anything similar that includes a decent level of physical activity (and NO CAMPING) then yell out. I'm open to suggestions! I'd prefer that it was on this side of the world too.

My goal of trying to listen to new music most days is working out pretty well. I can combine it with my weights/yoga/pilates routine or even making dinner. It also means that the TV stays turned off and that's a good thing.

Black Flag - TV Party - https://youtu.be/psUOyXGacL0

Many of you will have read that Elton John's concerts in Auckland, New Zealand were cancelled due to the very serious flooding. I do think that evacuating a concert venue about twenty minutes before the main act is about to start and after the support (Adele) has played in the wet just shows poor management. Realistically the show should never have even started. My heart goes out to everyone that missed out but we need to remember that people have died and been made homeless in these floods.

Elton John - I'm Still Standing - https://youtu.be/ZHwVBirqD2s

Green Day have released an anniversary version of their album, Nimrod. You get the remastered album, another disc of demo versions and a third CD of live tracks. The Grouch is from this album and is one of my favourite tracks from the band. It's a bit funny, a bit sad and I treat it as a cautionary tale. There's a language warning on this one. 

Green Day - The Grouch - https://youtu.be/0xKI8s0Zn3w

Many years ago I saw The Poor as the support act for AC/DC. At the time their drummer was a relative of Malcolm and Angus. Their debut long player, Who Cares (1994), is a really good Aussie hard rock album. Sadly, the band didn't really do too much straight after that. They have, however, been back together for a few years releasing a couple of records and playing shows. I've maintained an interest but whilst I've enjoyed their more recent output I always felt that it was missing something. Until now. The Poor have a new single out and an album coming too. And this single really rocks. Even if you find the lyrics a little cliched it's hard to imagine this song not going down well at a gig. I have my fingers crossed that the mojo infecting this tune carries itself through the entire album.

The Poor - Lover - https://thepooroz.bandcamp.com/track/lover

Sticking with Australian music for a moment, Sydney heavy metallers Temtris have a new single out and an album to be released in March. Personally I do get a little annoyed with months and months of pre-release messages but that's marketing I suppose. The single showcases this band so well. I saw them live, with DJ DJ, when they supported Geoff Tate in Sydney a couple of years ago. Genevieve's voice really stood out that day and I must say that it's so strong on this single. Quite often I hear metal bands and they play well, have the art of recording downpat but either their lyrics are dreadful or the vocals are decidedly average. Temtris may just have hit on the entire package here; this rocks! 

Temtris - Khaos Divine - https://youtu.be/9EtD_gKm3jY

In the olden days, the album cover was very important. Often it gave us an insight into what we might expect from the music on the record. This approach to purchasing music certainly meant that I ended up with albums that I may not have otherwise bought. Band names matter too and trying to stand out from the crowd as well as pushing an image is a challenge. So, yesterday when I saw the next band's name I just had to listen. It really could've been anything.

Lolita Pop - Tarzan On A Big Red Scooter - https://youtu.be/dXmoivYdWNg

With a little bit of bloody mindedness I have managed to hit the 1500km mark for my January cycling total. It's been a long time since I put that many kilometres in my legs and I feel pretty strong at the moment. I built up over November and December and also added some longer rides into the mix. I can assure you that without the weights/yoga/pilates session that I do three times a week that I might not have got there. I found that particularly useful during the weeks that I did the 130km and 150km epics. The other upside is that I've had to work hard on my diet. You simply can't be riding about 350km a week and not fueling your body.

I think that's enough for this episode. Don't forget to smile; people will wonder what you're up to!

The Woozle.

"There'll be a change in the weather and a change in the scene.

I'm gonna start wearing leather and change my routine.

I'll wear dark glasses, maybe a toupee,

I'll get down and boogie and become risque...

Nobody wants you when you just play guitar.

There'll be some changes made tomorrow."

Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler, There'll Be Some Changes Made, 1990.