Guess who has ten days off in a row?? Yep, that's right, me, your faithful correspondent and dealer of musical madness! So stow your tray tables, ignore the safety card in the seat pocket and pay attention!
Of course, I'd planned to spend these few days riding my bicycle or doing a multi-day walk but this stupid back injury has put paid to that. I'll be at home for most of the time doing everything that the physio told me to do. The outlook is good. The bulging discs and osteoarthritis in my spine are NOT what has caused this issue. So apparently we can fix it; and fix it I will. I'm up to walking about 5km, gently, on flat ground and that has taken the load off mentally I can assure you. The annoying thing is that I really don't enjoy sitting down for any length of time. Anyway, I've got some great albums to listen to, an XBOX game to try, books to read and a new song to work on. It could be much, much worse.
As I mentioned last time, I didn't get to go and see The Mark of Cain and, quite frankly, this was very upsetting. I've seen them a few times now over the years including in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and here in Canberra. Thankfully one of my friends was able to use my ticket so it didn't go to waste. TMOC have released a remastered, two LP version of their Henry Rollins produced album Ill At Ease. At the same time the six tracks recorded live at the Livid Festival in Brisbane in '96 were also put on vinyl (and yes, onto streaming services). I'd planned to pony up my hard earned dollars at the show to get these and maybe even be lucky enough to get them signed but it wasn't to be. Thankfully, Landspeed Records here in Canberra had them in stock and put them aside until I could shuffle into the store. To my surprise they were the same price as on the band's website and that's super cool. They're a Christmas present to myself so will remain under the tree for another twenty four hours!
I hope you've all been enjoying my alternative Christmas playlist (it's here). After tomorrow I'll update it as no-one needs those songs after the 25th!
AC/LeeC - Dirty Deeds Around the Christmas Tree - https://youtu.be/bM10A86drpI
Melbourne's Between You & Me were on JJJ Like a Version recently and did a fabulously energetic version of a song that we all know from Shrek. So many covers are "slow it down and make it sad" but not this ripper. If I could dance at the moment then this would be on the playlist...
Between You & Me - All Star - https://youtu.be/lrxbcsWQYKk
Regular purchasers of music from overseas will no doubt understand my pain everytime I look at shipping costs. I discovered this week that eBay now has its own shipping system from the USA at least. I'd been unwilling to order a heavy box set because the shipping was nearly US$100. With the new eBay system it was down to US$25. Awesome. And it arrived in just over a week! I don't need the whole thing though as I was completing a collection so if anyone out there wants Metallica live VHS cassettes then yell out.
Metallica - The Unforgiven (live 1992) - https://youtu.be/Q6dGQ_FmjxE?si=kfze0ADYwS7xWzvk&t=59
A while ago I finished the audiobook version of Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou's book about their time in silverchair. Great story and sad too. Spotify limits how many hours of audiobook listening you get in an hour even if you pay for a premium membership and I think that sucks. Now I'm onto the autobiography written and narrated by Judas Priest singer Rob Halford. My favourite bit so far is one of their early managers who rigged a phone in an elevator so that he could make free national and international calls! Judas Priest are one of the biggest metal bands in the world and their story, and Rob's is worth a read/listen. I hadn't realised the dramas they have with their first two albums being owned by another record company. The first one especially always sounded a bit weak to me and Rob Halford relates that the band were unhappy with the production (and marketing) as well. It looks like there is a newly remastered version and I'll be able to report back when it arrives. Meanwhile, this is one of the tracks that hooked me on the band many years ago.
Judas Priest - Metal Gods (live 1982) - https://youtu.be/I9PjOhz3FSM
Yesterday I watched an extended interview with Jason Isbell (it's here if you're interested). He covers a wide range of topics and I'm always interested to hear what he says about his songs and the writing process. And he refers to Taylor Swift as a genius. Cool.
Taylor Swift - Better Man (live/acoustic 2018) - https://youtu.be/ypNKMtcfQ9U
Jason Isbell - Death Wish (live/acoustic 2023) - https://youtu.be/bnm7Of5Bn8w
I did get a good laugh from one reader last time who remarked that they'd never heard any of the bands I'd played. A few of them were new to me too. There's so much great new music out there if you can just convince the YouTube/Spotify algorithms to show it to you or indeed if you're fortunate enough to have a decent local record store to look in. I did get an email from a list I subscribe to of what they thought were 2023's best albums. I have since unsubscribed as it was a dreadful, dreadful list. Let's finish with something new and cool. Well at least I think it's groovy. If you like beautiful harmonies and acoustic guitars then this might make your 2024 playlist.
The Weeping Willows - Singing The Blues - https://youtu.be/2x9eiziIPjY
Merry Christmas,
The Woozle
"Snoopy was certain that this was the end
When the Baron cried out, "Merry Christmas my friend..."
The Royal Guardsmen, Snoopy's Christmas vs The Red Baron, 1965.
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