Politics is hotting up

A damp end to the week as we make our way out of this month and next weeks "Polish and Grime Commissioners" elections here and across neighbouring Cheshire so needless to say there's a lot of "letters to the editor" signed the candidate or his supporters to talk with at least going beyond remit in pushing for change of the law when the role really about policing and priorities in any one area.

If you have good nose you no doubt have smelt a General Election in the offing and so nationally there's much setting out of policies and jostling for position on various things such as defence.

Few of us can argue against the proposition that from an international standpoint the world is a more dangerous place than 2013 with events in Crimea a year later being in many respects the precursor to those in Ukraine in 2022.

Equally China has put itself in an economically dominant position - how much of your everyday life uses things from there? -  and is using that as a lever to minimize opposition to ill treatment of minorities in political China, frequent attempts to threaten to invade Taiwan against the wishes of that countries people and own the lions share of world in demand minerals. 

Then there are the conflicts in the middle east, Israel vs its Arab neighbours, plus the Palestinians, the jostling for position in the islamic world between Saudi Arabia and Iran and so on.

And all three are becoming intermeshed, China supplies drones to Iran and Russia, Both support North Korea.

When as we all did, we rejoiced when the Berlin Wall came down the stock response of UK Governments of both main parties to reduce the numbers in the Armed Services, the numbers of aircraft, vessels and tanks and so on impacting noticeably on our ability to protect our interests.

These measures need to be reversed over time which means spending rather more than we have and putting more when it comes to direct involvement in NATO to protect the flank from attempts to invade or destablize eastern Europe and work in concert with Australia, Canada and the United States to keep China in check 

These issues are what in the next nine or so months we'll hear more that

Smoking and Vaping - Just say no!

It's gone through the House of Commons with some controversy, new measures that would see fifteen year olds no longer able to get old enough to smoke as year on year the age limits would rise so no one would be able start smoking.

Presently you have to be eighteen in the UK to buy cigarettes although there is no legal age limit for smoking them which itself was raised from 16 some years ago.

The problem area as I can see is really more around storeholders knowing with that straight off who they can sell too as trading standards could prosecute as it is harder by appearance age and age based ID is not common place although the idea of a smoke free generation  isn't something I disagree with.

Indeed I can remember quite vividly at fifteen being told by the oldest girl of our form and a prefect upon being found hanging out with the school smokers, that if she found me smoking, she'd have no quarms about spanking me as she wasn't prepared to let me get addicted and ruin my health.

In the same bill bill are measures to reduce the marketing of Vapes, especially single use ones to teens with bright packaging and sweet flavours where we have a major addiction problem with children desperate to get out of lessons for their Vape and already some serious incidents of childrens health being ruined.

Vaping appears to have a number of long term issues as more research is showing even if it may play a part in getting existing smokers off cigarettes.

We really do need to act on this.

A Super Audio cd round up.

 I haven't done many classic music super audio cd round ups as the numbers of titles issued of interest every quarter is small as only a handful of labels issue recordings and some of those that do like Chandos don't issue every title in that form although they play on both regular and Super audio cd players.

This cd in their Nielsen cycle, Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra are joined by the flautist Adam Walker in a program that combines the Flute Concerto, the Third Symphony, and the tone poem Pan and Syrinx. 

It was an Easter present.

Work began on the Third Symphony in 1910, some seven years after he had completed his second symphony 'The Four Temperaments', and the work was premiered in Copenhagen in 1912. In his album note, Paul Griffiths describes the work's eventual title, 'Sinfonia espansiva' as a fifth temperament - Joviality. In the second movement, uniquely in his symphonic output, Nielsen calls for (wordless) voices - solo soprano and baritone. 

This was also the first of his symphonies to be commercially released on record.

Composed in 1926, the Flute Concerto is a late work, and demonstrates Nielsen's stylistic evolution towards the new modernism. 

The soloist engages in repeated interactions with other instruments within the orchestra, most notably the clarinet and the bass trombone. Pan and Syrinx dates from 1918, and is based on the ancient legend which tells how the amorous god Pan invented the pan flute whilst pursuing the nymph Syrinx

This is a most useful addition to my small amount of Nielsen works on super audio cd.

This interesting compilation of less popular items by Tchaikovsky performed by the BBC Scottish Orchestra conducted by Alpesh Chauhan came out in 2023 which is useful although I have a good number of discs of Tchaikovsky's orchestral compositions. 

Now 12" 80's -1982

This week we're starting with a double entry in the Now 12" 80's which is different from the two previous issues in that they've decided there so many great 12" mixes that were issued in 1982 they needed two volumes!

Volume One was issued on January 17th 2024.

Disc one showcases some of the bands who were at the forefront of this culture shift, including Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Visage – all having fantastic years with their albums ‘Rio’, ‘Diamond’ and ‘The Anvil’ respectively, plus huge tracks from The Human League with ‘Mirror Man’, Japan with ‘Life In Tokyo’, Gary Numan’s ‘Music For Chameleons’ and ‘Pale Shelter’ from Tears For Fears, all in their extended and remixed versions. 

CD2 presents the best of 82 Disco-Pop from Carly Simon with her Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards produced hit ‘Why’, plus Electro from Rockers Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin with ‘Walking On Sunshine’, and George Clinton’s ‘Loopzilla’. Culture Club had a fantastic year in 1982 with the release of their debut album ‘Kissing To Be Clever’ from which ‘I’m Afraid Of Me’ was the second single, and Bananarama enjoyed early success with their hit single ‘Shy Boy’. This disc closes with Pop classics from The Belle Stars with ‘The Clapping Song’, and the number 1 ‘My Camera Never Lies’ from Bucks Fizz. 

Disco, Funk and Soul lead the way on CD3, featuring massive floor-fillers from Shalamar with ‘A Night To Remember’, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ from The Boys Town Gang and an extended remix of ‘Do You Wanna Funk’ from Patrick Cowley feat. Sylvester, plus the smash ‘Just An Illusion’ from Imagination in its 12” version. Latin-tinged Pop from Modern Romance, Funk and Soul infuences from Spandau Ballet, Daryl Hall & John Oates with the extended club mix of ‘I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)’, and the Pure Pop of Haircut 100 complete this disc.

The fourth CD rounds off this volume with Alternative/Rock favourites from New Order, the Associates, Siouxsie & the Banshees and the Cure before moving on to synth driven hits from Simple Minds with the German 12" remix of New Gold Dream, A Flock Of Seagulls Wishing I Had a Photograph Of You, a personal favourite before finishing with Trio and Visage.

It wasn't long before the shape of the Second Volume was announced and on April 12th this much anticipated set was released.

Disc 1 begins with the unforgettable classic ‘Young Guns (Go for It!)’ from Wham!, followed by the ‘Night Version’ of ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’ from Duran Duran’s smash album ‘Rio’. Essential 12” versions from Spandau Ballet and Haircut 100 come next, before brilliant and enhancing 12” mixes of ‘Torch’ from Soft Cell, ‘Night Train’ from Visage and Japan’s ‘European Son’, plus unmissable tracks from Talk Talk, Simple Minds and Heaven 17 bring this first disc to a close.

CD2 begins with timeless Pop from Madness with ‘Our House’, and ‘The Telephone Always Rings’ from Fun Boy Three, before British Pop-Reggae from UB40 with ‘So Here I Am’ and Musical Youth with ‘Youth Of Today’. Funk favourites from Junior and Shakatak feature next, plus innovative style fusions from Monsoon and David Christie…and as if to emphasise how stylistically diverse the charts of 1982 were, Disc 2 closes with the number 1 Euro Disco 12” of ‘Seven Tears’ from the Goombay Dance Band.

CD3 kicks off with the 80s Disco of ‘Get Down On It’ from Kool & The Gang, leading to floor-fillers from Shalamar with ‘There It Is’ and ‘Love Come Down’ from Evelyn "Champagne" King. The Associates and Thomas Dolby head up a run of lesser-compiled Synth-Pop hits from Classix Nouveaux, Blue Zoo, The Mood, Blancmange and Visage… with Simple Minds’ second appearance ‘Glittering Prize’ to conclude the disc.

The final CD is all about 1982’s polished pop and leads with the Jazz Mix of ‘Poison Arrow’ from ABC, and fan favourites from Haircut 100 and Culture Club with ‘Nobody's Fool’ and ‘White Boy’. 12” gems from Bananarama with Fun Boy Three, Bow Wow Wow and Altered Images follow next. 1982 would see ‘Maneater’ become a global smash for Daryl Hall & John Oates – here as it’s 12” remix, and see the release of ‘War Child’ as the last new Blondie single for 17 years. China Crisis debut ‘African And White’ is included in a closing run that features second tracks on this collection from Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, and Soft Cell who get the final word with the aptly titled ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’ in its sumptuous 12” version.

1982 was an amazing year for music, specifically British music and these two volumes do full justice to it in its twelve inch form.