A Christmas gift for you…

19/12/2009 — 1 Comment

Phil Spector-A Christmas Gift For You_FrontI don’t know what to think about the “Christmas music” discussions that take place at this time of the year!

Whats your favourite Christmas song? A common question, usually answered with reference to The Pogues & Kirsty McColl, Wham or Slade. That list could go on and on and on but you would hate me for it!

I can’t think of a good Christmas hit from the last ten years, i think its safe to say that they don’t make them like they used to! Thats why i am here to tell you that this record – A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector – is the best Christmas recording EVER!

Aside from Phil being a bit of a lunatic who ‘probably’ shot someone in the face, he certainly knew how to make a hit record. Kind of like a retro Simon Cowell with better hair and a love for guns, (yes, i said BETTER hair) but with a little less free time on his hands these days!

Interestingly enough this collection of classic songs reminds me of guns, shiny suits and little italian gangsters. If i close my eyes while listening to ‘Christmas (Baby please come home) i can almost see Pesci & DeNiro attacking me!! Movie fans will know that a couple of the tracks on this record appear in Goodfellas and possibly in Mean Streets (id need to check that one) but yes, Martin Scorcese knows how to put a good song in a film!

So there you have it! A record from 1963, given the ‘wall of sound’ treatment by Phil Spector is the only Christmas music you need, get it now!

p.s. This album originally flopped when released in 1963, on the day that JFK was murdered! Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, another poster boy for sanity, says it is his favourite album of all time!

In music
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A light dust of snow & a suspect package……

18/12/2009 — 1 Comment

The very light dust of snow that was on the ground this morning didn’t ruin my day, as it seemed to be doing for many across the water, if you believe the news reports of course! A few inches of snow & Britain grinds to a halt, news reporters in hats & scarfs, standing in fields talking about school closures blah blah blah

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The bozo’s who left a “suspect package” near the tracks at Botanic Station in Belfast this morning? They messed up my plans for the day, idiots indeed!

In photography
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From the Laser files Pt 2

18/12/2009 — 1 Comment

2
©navyblur 2009

In church, God, photography
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More from the Market……

17/12/2009 — 1 Comment

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Iv added a few more to Flickr, here

In me, photography
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No more ‘Christian music’

17/12/2009 — 10 Comments

brokenrecordI have threatened this a few times over the last year!

On 26th October i said this;

“For the foreseeable future i will not go to “Christian Concerts/events.” (to be followed up with “no more Christian music” which will explain more) I will NOT be involving myself in any promotion of  ANY “Christian Concerts” (unless met by a certain criteria, also explained later)”

And here, is my rather late explanation….

Firstly, the ‘certain criteria’ is so complex that it is best you just don’t ask me to do anything ‘Christian concert’ related. That’s the safest option!

Attendance at such events? Well, here’s the thing………..

I have decided, for now, to say nothing else on this issue. In the same way that i have occasionally shaved off my beard or stopped drinking coffee indefinitely without proper explanation, well i have reasons and its best to leave it at that…………….you get the idea? Abstaining from coffee or shaving my beard generally causes less people to get their knickers in a twist though!

Its time to put that gubbins to bed, i hope! I mean, i don’t want to end up sounding like a broken record!

No more Christian music is just about concerts/events, some of you will be glad to know i am still listening to ‘some’ music that falls under the category of “Christian.” I may elaborate in the future…………

p.s. “The Guilty think all talk is of themselves.” Geoffrey Chaucer

update: i realise a lot of the rabble above will not make sense to a lot of you, sorry about that! Its done now though, and il post a nice picture soon to make up for it!

In God, music
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