What are you listening to right now?

[Otis Westinghouse]

Haven't played it as much as you, for sure, but do think it's very impressive. A lot of it is classic Madness, but the whole hangs together really well. I don't actually know any of their earlier ones, only the hits, but this is surely their best long player effort. One song sounds like 'Embarrassment' with the keyboard part swapped round a little, and seems symbolic of it being Madness doing what they do best, but keeping it fresh. The 'concept' of celebrating modern, multi-cultural London comes out well too.

I've been playing this loads:


I never bought it at the time, just enjoyed hearing songs off it, but now I appreciate it in full. Stuffed with magnificent tunes and epic Crazy Horse inspired guitar work. Great stuff.

[Jackson Monk]

Grand Prix is indeed a classic. I love Teenage Fanclub. Saw them at Reading a few years back and they excellent.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Got it in a 2 CDs for £3 box in Fopp. The other one is 'Songs From Northern Britain'. It isn't getting a look-in as I just reach for the above each time.

[Bad Ambassador]

Well, you'd better sort that out as 'Songs From Northern Britain' is even better.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Really? Didn't seem that way straight off, but will check it out properly. Any other essential TF LPs to own, or are these THE ONES?

[Jackson Monk]

Grand Prix is easily the most accessible and immediate of their albums which is probably why it hit you quicker. SFNB is also fantastic though

However, Bandwagonesque from 1991 is my favourite TF record and an essential purchase. An underrated gem of a record which is classic nineties without sounding dated.....if that makes sense.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Yes, like a lot of classic music - of its time and immortal. ALways loved that name. Will clearly have to get it.

[Who Shot Sam?]

This is an absolutely lovely album. Catherine Ireton - oh la la I think I'm in love.

[Jack of All Parades]

My daughter would concur- picked it up for her birthday as she is such a fan of Belle & Sebastion- she adores this record. For myself, it is hard to believe that is has been over 17 years since Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey released "Mavericks". I now have their recently released "Here & Now"-beautifully crafted songs with exquisite close harmonies. I hope I do not have to wait another 17 years for yet another record. Nice memories of the DBs.

[Jackson Monk]

Yep, I'm quite liking God Help the Girl as well.

Quite enjoying this as well.

[so lacklustre]

If you like quirky singer songwriter with humerous lyrics and a rough edge then you'll find this brilliant.

[Jack of All Parades]

Jackson, I have not had the chance to buy the Glenn Tilbrook-unfortunately he gets so little air play, not even on local student radio and there are too few stores left that even stock a CD-but I will keep looking for it. Have managed to get a copy of the last Chris Difford effort "The Last Temptation of Chris"-enjoy his gentle self-lacerations regarding the mess he has made of his life and what it feels like to grow older as the moment begins to pass you by. Saw him with Tilbrook last year in a little town in Northeastern CT at an old deco theatre. He can be an endearing performer-hope he has paid off his debts.

[Jackson Monk]

Long standing EC board members will know that I have been a big Squeeze and Tilbrook/Difford fan for many years. I loved the 1st 2 Tilbrook albums and was very much looking forward to the first GT album with his own band.

Truth be told, I was just a little disappointed with the Fluffers album. It has it's moments but it falls way short of even the weakest Squeeze album. IMHO it just seems to lack an edge...the kind of lyrical edge that Chris Difford always brought to Squeeze. I never truly appreciated how important quality lyricists are. I focused instead on GT's melodic musical skills far more and was just a little disrespectful of the positive impact Difford had on Squeeze's finest moments.

Listening to GT's latest effort, I can see how badly he needs to get back to working with Chris. In reality, most lyric writers would struggle if their work was compared to someone like Chris Difford. GT is no different and his failings are magnified as a consequence. Without CD, Glenn's songs are just a little too 'twee'...a little bit MOR

[Jack of All Parades]

Thank you for the re=heads up on the Tilbrook- will not rush to purchase it. You hit it right on the head with Difford and the value of a good lyricist. Difford is fortunate he has Boo Hewerdine to work with now-he gives him that legg up melodicly-just like Francis Dunnery did for his previous album "I Didn't Get Where I Am".

[Otis Westinghouse]

On Spotify. Nearly all his work is there, inc. vol 1 of the Archives, all 125 songs of it. Pretty good as it retails for c. £100. Zuma is absent, for some odd reason. There are soooo many of them, you'd never play them all if you bought them, so Spotify is perfect here.

Reviews of the Archives were glowing, whereas FitR just got slated. If you love the Young sound, it's still going to sound exciting, and a few tracks in there are already some glorious moments. Reviews are useless if you're a dyed in the wool fan. They basically shout 'nothing new, boring!', whereas for a fan that's good news! This got slated for sloppy lyrics, and too much focus on his car (a '52 classic he's made electric, or something). Biut he's still righteous and rocking. Check out my gig comments...

[BlueChair]

Got this on vinyl a few days before the official release date (thanks, Criminal Records!)

Best. Album Cover. Ever.

Oh yeah, and the album's pretty great too.

[Jackson Monk]

bet it's not as good as Summerteeth.

[Jack of All Parades]

Otis, I thought I was the only one that actually purchased "Fork in the Road"- it has not stayed consistently on my cd player- but I dig it out every week or so. I like the blog off the cuff feeling-I cannot say I am turned on to all the car songs- but you are right when he is engaged he still rocks- there are two songs to me that are keepers- "Light a Candle" and "Off the Road". As to The Archives- do not have blue ray equipment so I cannot purchase the set Neil recommends. In looking at the contents on the CD version- I have a lot of the early material-have been content to pick up the Archive Live recordings from the late sixties and early seventies that he has been releasing piece meal-hard to believe it has been that long since I saw him in the Fillmore East. They are duplicated in the entire Archive set. Recommend going that route. As to the new Wilco-interesting reversion from "Yankee Foxtrot"- looking forward to seeing them locally in a few weeks along with Conor Oberst.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Wow, you were at that Filmore East gig? Must have been brill. I only have Massey Hall from the live recordings, but love it enormously.

Just listening to the Archives 1 on Spotify and am amazed to find an early previously unreleased track (presumably from '63 or close to it) by The Squires, with Neil singing, called 'I Wonder', which is an early version of the magnificent 'Don't Cry No Tears Round Me', so some 10 years before it got officially released. Would love to get the blu-ray version if I a) had the equipment and b) could live with shelling out £160+ for it! Only having Massey Hall means I wouldn't be as disappointed as others. Maybe the price will come down in a few months...

[Jack of All Parades]

Yes, it was my first "real concert" as a newly freed teenager allowed to take the train into NYC cemented a life long love for Neil-something that started for me with select Buffalo Springfield songs from a friend's collection and the occasional radio air play. I would also add that if you have "Decade" you have real Archive material- maybe there will be issuance over time of single discs from The Archive collection. One can only hope.

[invisible Pole]

IMHO, Bruce's only truly great album in the last 20 years.

[bambooneedle]

This is how I would rank them:

1. The Ghost Of Tom Joad
2. Lucky Town/ Magic (tie)
3. Devils & Dust/ The Rising (tie)
4. Seeger Sessions
5. Human Touch
6. Working On A Dream

[Jackson Monk]

I'd go

1.The Rising
2. Devils & Dust
3. Magic
4. The Ghost of Tom Joad
5. Human Touch
6. Working On A Dream
7. Lucky Town

I haven't got (or heard) the Seeger Sessions

[Jack of All Parades]

Picked up the other day at the local Borders a copy of the 2 lp CD "Howlin' Wolf" and "Moanin' In The Moonlight" on Chess by Howlin' Wolf for all of $5.00. Have not had it off the cd player since then. Had forgotten how magnetic these songs and vocals can be- this is the motherlode that launched a thousand British bands. This man's voice is scary good and the myriad emotions he can conjure with it is astounding.

[mood swung]

a shuffle of the London Calling, Rancid's new one, Blood & Chocolate, Sublime's Greatest hits, Linda Rondstadt's Living in the USA & Jack Johnson's In Between Dreams. It sounds kinda like the way my husband cooks. Have I mentioned the vanilla yogurt eggs?