That's Why I'm Here

The only good thing about these last few weeks of madness is due to the fact that I now have an mp3 copy of James Taylor's live concert bootlegs & I can mellow out in my classic car & sing along.

Among the Minging Middens

Oops before that last post, I should have apologised for lack of active posts of late. Personal circumstances & car crash & too much time to update Twitter/Facebook presence.

One thing that is cheering me up at this difficult time of year is the sight of gardens full of sunflowers erect & sturdy among the berries, before the onslaught of yet another harsh winter

Remodelling the 60s

How did we get from White Bicycles & love & peace to I, Me, Mine?

What happened to the sharing & caring? I want to get 'back to the garden' & climb up a ladder & read a note that tells me to 'breathe'...........smile at each other & get together right now!

Boo! Audioboos: Soundmapping the Counter culture Revolution in Your Head

Note: the revolution will not be televised, but it will be streamed

Trekking through the inner recesses of my mind without the aid of a map or a sherpa armed only with a canvas bag of pinhead oatmeal & a block of black crowdie & warm thoughts of ready- made audioboos

National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland

I got dragged out to Oran Mor to catch nyjos, but I was expecting great things as 'the Herald' & the happy highlanders gave them such a good review.

The last time they covered material by British jazz legends Kenny Wheeler & by way of South Africa, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath.

Last night apart from their own stuff, they covered songs by Julian Arguelles (ex Loose Tubes), now resident in East Lothian.

Such a great concert as Julian was playing with the nyjos & he is working closely with them.

As you know from these posts, I have a passion for British jazz & I am concerned that much of it will never make it to cd.

The nyjos are keeping this flame alive & this reader is going to dig out those rare albums of the period & get groovy.

Gumbies or Crocs

Another visit from the happy highland campers in their camper van. We used to compare armfuls of the latest psychedelic vinyl & now we compare illnesses, medication & whether it is more correct to call our footware gumbies or crocs?

What Animal Are You

Or how I learned to live without fear of the bomb by joining the Circulating Library & learning to cook pinhead oatmeal

Great Scots

This is the first of an ongoing trilogy in 4 parts giving a very personal account of what we contribute to the world, that robs us of our birthright, our freedom & our oil..

I am going to try & keep it in the 20th century, but perhaps not as I will start with John Muir.

As a nation we are quick to put ourselves down. Hopefully this list will rectify that situation. Here we go: oops if I offend anyone: good

• john muir
• ivor cutler
• jack bruce
• jimmy reid (rip)
• ron geesin
• bert jansch
• robin williamson
• mike heron
• dick gaughan
• bill shankly
• jock stein
• irvine welsh
• kenny dalglish
• joe jordan
• dennis law
• momus
• alex ferguson
• sean maloney
• bill mclaren
• john beattie
• 
  
• 
  

Books

Listening to Bill Callahan while reading the Scottish Review of books & drinking java puts you in a strange mood for the whole day.

Korean Horror

Discovering some very strange films in this genre. Last night I watched 'The Wig' & even with the English subtitles, I struggled keeping up with the story.

However, it was very artistic & I am sure the plot will not get in the way of this gorgeous film.

Late Summer gentle walk in light drizzle

The Saltings is an under rated, local space for living & enjoying. The path is flat & the views get better by the day. The light can also lift your spirits.

More people are discovering this little half an hour walk than can boost both your mental & physical health.

Watching 'Laramie' in Tehran

For some reason as I was drifting along on the hammock catching the dying rays of rare sunshine & listening to Current 93 on the zenplayer, I began thinking back to tea & toast & eggs in a Tehran hotel room in 1973 & I distinctly recollect 'Laramie' on the black & white tv.

End of Summer (what summer?)Playlist

• Threshold Houseboys Choir
• Jonsi
• Riceboy Sleeps
• Bjork & Dirty Projectors
• Ducktails
• Dolphins Into the Future
• Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat

Over the Rainbow

Sorry about lack of recent posts: a combination of personal tragedies & new laptop.

I do endeavour to keep tweeting & updating facebook pages

See the World Through the Eyes of a Child

What wonder when we were children and our life knew no limits. Woodland, forests & farms seem to stretch forever with no borders. The countryside around me was limitless & small streams held large trout under little rocks & you could easily catch them with your bare hands.

I always wanted to see what was over the horizon or on top of the next hill or at the edge of the forest. This curiosity has thankfully stayed with me.

However once you get older, the boundaries creep in, you see the forest as a dark dangerous place, you see the realities of life, you see the limits.

Om Kolthoum

Now that I have a 20 cd box set of Om Kolthoum do I value it more than those dodgy audio tapes purchased in Buraidah under the counter with the added danger of loss of life for listening to music.

The Saudi Wahabi version of the Taliban were very powerful in the area I worked in & I could not even wear short sleeve shirts in the 50 degree heat.

The elephant in the room

Am I the only one who does not see the elephant in the room or the emperors new clothes? I just don’t get Mumford & Sons.

People whose opinion I respect keep telling me how great they are & how much I would like them.

I have tried listening to them many times, but I can only suggest they are mildly interesting.

Leah Gordon

I am deeply impressed by the voodoo/haiti images by Leah Gordon & I wish to investigate further. I thank the ‘Wire’ magazine for exposing me to these images.

Car Boot Contents

1 pink rucksack

2 pairs of walking boots (muddy)

1 purple goretex jacket

1 crucifix

Pair of black shoes

1 greek wooden block calendar

Steering fluid

Water

Far too many empty shopping bags for recycling

I am reminded of the boot of my Toyota Cressida during Gulf War One & my emergency escape kit.

Pomegranates

Eating mangos while grooving to the superb 60s Persian compilation ‘Pomegranates’ takes me right back to Iran at a slightly later period, in the early 70s, when it was still under the grip of the Shah.

After travelling through Yugoslavia & Turkey, I was astonished at the sheer modernity of Tehran. It just shows what you can do with oil wealth, even although you are involved in horrendous wars, pay attention Scotland!

It was odd getting stoned on the bus to Meshed, no I don’t mean stoned like that, but having missiles thrown at the bus, should have been a signpost of the religious intolerances to come. Being mindful that this is not what is present in the Koran.