I first heard this record round my cousin Paul’s house in Ipswich after it was released in 1985. Paul was a townie and a casual, unlike me and my brothers who where from a rural village in Essex. Never as well dressed, we were as unlikely to wear electric blue cords or Fila tracksuit tops… Continue reading 19, Paul Hardcastle
Category: USA
Ninety quid for an England shirt?
As a boy I always wanted an England shirt, I don’t remember precisely when I started wanting one but it was probably during the Espana ’82 campaign, the year that Paul Mariner and Trevor Brooking were in the squad. It was white with a broad blue and red stripe across the shoulders, it had the… Continue reading Ninety quid for an England shirt?
STS 134, last mission for Endeavour
I remember watching the Space Shuttle launch shortly before my tenth birthday, at a small school in the Essex countryside. The sun was shining outside as we gazed in amazement at the school television, it had buttons on the front and 3 channels. It was soon after we had a visit from an American basketball… Continue reading STS 134, last mission for Endeavour
“Our boys in action!” Woop Woop!
As the tabloids scream with excitement, “Our boys launch submarine missile attack on Gaddafi”, an important question has to asked. Where is this latest spark of genius going? We could do what we did in Iraq the first time around in the early nineties. Make a lot of noise with tanks and planes then leave… Continue reading “Our boys in action!” Woop Woop!
Soldiers in my hotel? No chance
I can’t help but pick up on the latest tabloid hysteria, what with millions of examples left strewn across London on a daily basis. It is rubbish, which probably says a lot more about the people who read the stuff and cast it aside for someone else to pick up, before and after work. Anyway,… Continue reading Soldiers in my hotel? No chance
Hilary or Barack, the air of failure
All my favourite writers are American, as is most of the music I listen too, in fact it’s difficult to think of a culture outside of our own that has given my life so much pleasure. I re-read Steinbeck’s work over and over in the same way that I’ll be listening to Sonic Youth in… Continue reading Hilary or Barack, the air of failure
Bully, Larry Clark (2002)
After only managing half of Wolf Creek last week I wasn’t in the mood for being upset by yet more violence. As it happens, along with sex and drugs, violence is one of this films underpinning themes. So I just sighed and got on with cringing at those realistic sounds of people punching each other… Continue reading Bully, Larry Clark (2002)
Religion in politics
“Today, millions of Americans are saddened by the death of Terri Schiavo. The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in favour of life.” – President George W Bush. Fine words coming from a man… Continue reading Religion in politics
Hurricane Katrina
This week Hurricane Katrina exposed the obvious shortfalls in American society, demonstrating in the most dramatic manner how rampant capitalism stumbles so easily into an apocalyptic despair, and how like anywhere else in the world it’s the poor that suffer most. I’m amazed to see those people who even before the hurricane had nothing, pulling… Continue reading Hurricane Katrina
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
I’ve been listening to the quality sound of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas recently. Some of these tracks have to be amongst the best recordings ever made and it must have been fantastic to have been around when this stuff was released. The optimism involved in the way these records sound is almost overwhelming, as… Continue reading Martha Reeves and the Vandellas