Monday 24 January 2011

News, Views and Music Issue 88 (Intro)




January 24:

Well here we are again, ain’t been round since you know when – last issue in fact. To fill you in on our latest news – we’re now cruising past 4000 hits (as of this morning we were on 4119) and our Beatle Sims are still doing well (George Harrison is now a proper five-star celebrity, the highest you can achieve! Well, he was anyway, of course, but now he is all over again – viva 2011 Beatlemania!) We have, however, had a surprising bit of negative feedback from our last few postings on other sites which has surprised me – is our site really so hard to navigate? (It can’t be that bad or you wouldn’t be reading this now!) And is it really so bad for such a low budget site (readers get their reviews for free after all – not for us the big advertising budgets of lesser sites that are all surface and no substance!) Keep sending in your comments to us – good and bad, it all gets noted, although there honestly isn’t anything I can do to make the site more navigatable – and let us know what you think. Do our postings make you feel so high you touch the sky? Or is our writer just Thick As A Brick?! In the meantime, there’s a nice lot of news this week so let’s move on...

                                                             

Beach Boys News: There’s a new semi-official DVD out about Brian Wilson out this month, titled ‘Songwriter 1962-69’ and analysing Brian’s magnificent pop creations from the band’s ‘Capitol’ era. Brian himself isn’t speaking in the doc but an impressive number of his friends and colleagues are, including fellow band members David Marks (who got the push in 1964) and Bruce Johnston (who became Brian’s tour replacement in 1965 and has stayed with the band intermittently thereafter). Backing musicians Carol Kaye and Hal Blaine, who played on all the band’s recordings from 1965-68, are in there somewhere too and always make for good interviewees. The DVD also promises a great deal of unseen home movie footage and rarely seen TV clips – although whether its the usual shots from Leonard Bernstein’s show and the band’s tour of Europe in 1968 or something rarer I’m not yet sure. More news if and when.   

CSN News: Alas the Rick-Rubin produced CSN album, which has been talked about since 2009 and discussed at length on these pages, doesn’t look like it’s going to happen now. The facts are still unclear but it looks as if CSN have got tired waiting for Rubin to finish his other projects – including working with Kid Rock who are OK but hardly in the trio’s league you have to say and Metallica, who are laughable – and have decided to walk out of the project. Alas it looks as if 2000’s ‘Looking Forward’ will remain the last time CSN/Y will be together in the studio at the time of writing and that’s such a loss not just to fans but to music lovers at large. The archive 1974 Wembley Stadium concert recording is still being planned for release, however, so all might not be lost for CSN fans in 2011, though the loss of the Rubin project – for which the band signed a much-needed seven-figure sum of money – is a huge blow for a band that’s been without a major label deal for 17 years now. For goodness sake, if the Spice Girls can get a recording contract with no hassle, surely the world’s greatest band can too?!

Human League News: The band’s first album for nine years, titled ‘Credo’, is finally out next month – only the 10th studio release of the band’s 32-year career! Personally I really liked the poorly-received ‘Secrets’ of 2001 – or bits of it at least - so I‘m willing to take the uniformly bad reviews for this new album with a pinch of salt. More news when the record is finally out.

Monkees News: An extended version of Eric Lefcowitzs good but ridiculously short biography The Monkees has just been released, now titled Monkee Buisness: The Revolutionary Made-For-TV Band. The original, which ended with the 1980s three-way reunion, has been expanded to take the story up to the present day (not that a lot has happened with the band since 1997 to be honest) and gone into greater detail than before. A good introduction to Monkees newbies, but personally if youre a Monkeephile Id recommend any of Andrew Sandovals books on the band. 

Oasis News: Beady Eye, Liam Gallaghers new band with fellow latter-day band members Gem Archer and Andy Bell, are due to release their new album Different Gear, Still Speeding in February. This will be the first release by any of the band since their split in the Summer of 2009, although rumours are that Noel Gallagher has been sitting on his first solo album for a while (but wanted to take time off to look after his new-born child and doesnt want to compete directly with Liams band). Beady Eye already have a single available to download from their website, as mentioned here a few issues back, Bring The Light, backed by a cover of World Of Twists song Sons Of The Stage.

Rolling Stones News: Theres been an unusual Rolling Stones reunion last month, with three members of the band from different eras uniting in a benefit concert for Londons 100 Club where members of the band and several others played in their early 1960s beginnings. Dick Taylor (one of the founding Stones who left to join The Pretty Things in 1962), Mick Taylor (guitarist with the band between 1969 and 1974) and his replacement Ronnie Wood (guitarist 1976-present) joined forces to raise money to keep the club open. Owners say that a recent hike in rent means that the club which had been running under its present name since 1964, which must surely be some sort of record will have to either charge double the current amount to get in or close for good. The target to raise is £500,000 and £150,000 has been made so far.

The Who News: We mentioned on these pages a while back that a planned deluxe re-issue of Quadrophenia had been cancelled well, its back on the schedules for release this Summer to coincide with a new tour of the rock opera by the two-man Who, last performed complete in 1996. Which comes as surprising news to us, seeing as theyd all but announced their split the last time the band were on our news page! More news if and when...

Neil Young News: We dont often plug other publications on these pages, but the Feb 2011 issue of Mojo has a rather interesting Neil Young issue this month, with various artists discussing his best work including AAA members David Crosby, Nils Lofgren and Paul McCartney (two of which think Old Man is Neils greatest song, interestingly!) Nils also writes an interesting article on meeting the Neilster, although as ever the cover CD made up of covers of Neils worst-album-of-the-70s Harvest by people Ive never heard of plus I Cant Let Go writer Chip Taylor is mind-numbingly awful. Apologies for the late posting my copy of the magazine went missing and/or is heavily delayed by the snow so Ive only just managed to buy a new copy! STOP PRESS: owing to the idiosyncrasies of the postal department this Winter I have just received my subscription copy of Mojo and now have an issue going spare if any like-minded Neil Young wants a copy? Just email me your address (to pattin82@yahoo.co.uk) and Ill email it to you in return for a comment on our forum or two...

                                   




ANNIVERSARIES: Happy birthday to the following AAA superstars (January 19-25th): Janis Joplin, who would have turned 68 on January 19th and Eric Stewart (guitarist, keyboardist and engineer with 10cc 1972-83, 1992 and 1995) who turns 66 on January 22nd. Anniversaries of events include: The Beatles are offered $30 million to reform by promoter Bill Seregant – a ridiculous amount for a one-off gig at the time and one that Lennon and McCartney at least seriously considered before saying no (January 19th 1976); The Beatles’ first proper American LP ‘Meet The Beatles’ is released, combining tracks from the first two UK releases (January 20th 1964); George Harrison becomes the second Beatle to get hitched, marrying Patti Boyd at Epsom Registry Office after a courtship involving filming on ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (January 21st 1965); John Lennon’s first posthumous single – the unfinished ‘Nobody Told Me’ – hits the American charts (January 21st 1984); Those bad boys The Rolling Stones are at it again – this time getting into trouble for refusing to join the other guests at the finale of ‘Sunday Night At The London Palladium’ (January 22nd 1967); Brian Epstein officially becomes The Beatles’ manager after signing a contract to that effect, surprisingly late after meeting him 18 months earlier (January 24th 1962); Brian Wilson divorces first wife Marilyn after 15 years – the pair met at an early Beach Boys gig when Brian accidentally knocked hot chocolate down her dress and she goes on to be the Beach Boys’ greatest muse during the 1960s, inspiring many songs (January 24th 1979) and finally, JohnandYoko celebrate the start of a new decade in style, declaring 1970 to be ‘year one’ and shaving off their hair for charity (January 25th 1970).     

News, Views and Music Issue 88: Home Towns In Song




Lindisfarne’s song about their home town ‘doon the Tyne’ set me thinking – how many other AAA bands have written about their home town – or adopted home town – in song? Now, this is a pretty big subject and takes in all corners of the globe (though no prizes for guessing that the UK and USA dominate the list as we have it here) so I’ll bet I’ve missed some AAA songs out along the way – let me know on the forum if you can think of any. For now, though, here, in order, of popularity is this week’s top five of the most mentioned home towns in AAA music (and I’ll be dead impressed if you guess which city/town/region/state comes first – I didn’t see that coming!):

5) London (four mentions): Homeland of The Kinks and The Rolling Stones, although surprisingly perhaps only the former have mentioned it in song. ‘Waterloo Sunset’ is the track that everybody knows, an eerie atmospheric ballad about two lovers that – as Ray admitted on the Imagine documentary over Christmas – was a private song he nearly didn’t release because he didn’t think anybody else would relate to it (the actual inspiration comes from a childhood illness that saw Ray in hospital, with a large window looking out onto the bridge his only companion for several days). There are two other Kinks-related song dedicated to London – ‘Muswell Hillbillies’ a countryish account of the district where the Davies brothers grew up (the band even appear in their local Muswell Hill pub on the cover) and ‘London Song’, Ray’s eccentric rock song about what it means to be a Londoner, born in the ‘cold, dark, mysterious place’ ‘between the four bells’ which can be heard in two very different arrangements on his live album ‘The Storyteller’. Paul McCartney and Wings, meanwhile, dedicate both a song and an album to ‘London Town’ (where ‘silver rain was falling down’) – something that must have come as a bit of a shock to his record company, as the album was recorded for the most part on two boats in the Bahamas!

4) California (four mentions): Homeland of The Beach Boys, who have of course mentioned it several times in song. ‘California Girls’ is the most famous, a song full of tribute to how the local girls are the prettiest anywhere in the world and a cover of close friends The Mamas and The Papas’ ‘California Dreamin’ is just as well known if not in this version (look out for the Beach Boys comp ‘Summer Dreams’ if you don’t already own it). However, a mention too for the band’s last great paen to their homeland – the three-part ‘California Saga’ from the album named, erm, ‘Holland’ of all things, which is dedicated to the multi-century history of the American state and how it was formed ‘from the beaks of eagles’ (or something like that – Mike Love’s monologue in the middle section usually puts me to sleep!) Finally, Brian Wilson has returned at last to the ‘California’ theme for his last album of original material ‘That Lucky Old Sun’ with a moving ‘Southern California’ ending his most autobiographical album to date with an emotional tale of getting back to your roots.

3) New York (four mentions): The adopted homeland of Simon and Garfunkel, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, among others. The latter pair even made an album called ‘Sometime In New York City’, but for the purposes of this review we’re sticking to just the songs. ‘Midsummer New York’ is a little-heard Yoko rocker about the town she moved to in her late teens, long before she met Lennon, and is filled with a raw edgyness and angst that works well with the retro backing. Simon and Garfunkel, meanwhile, made two songs about their nearest home town as well as two famous concerts in Central Park, announced as a ‘neighbourhood concert’ by the singers on stage. ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’ is Paul Simon alone, tying up the loose ends on the final S+G album ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and wondering where his partner has gone (he’s actually filming for the movie ‘Catch 22’), bemoaning the fact he has no one to relate to and is now ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’ (before you ask, Art is ‘Tom’ in the song – the pseudonym Garfunkel used in the pair’s earliest days as ‘Tom and Jerry’). Art solo, meanwhile, covered the Gallagher and Lyle song ‘A Heart In New York’ (on the album ‘Scissors Cut’ , 1981), a song of awe about the narrator’s surroundings on his first visit to the city. For a different view of New York, see 10cc’s pairing Godley and Creme lampooning what they see as the falseness and artificiality of the place on ‘An Englishman In New York’, where a tourist is badly out of his depth in a world of kitsch and people trying to pinch his money. I’m still waiting for a reply to this song spoofing 10cc’s home town: ‘An American in Stockport’! And remember, those ‘I Love NY’ t-shirts you keep saying are really worn by AAA fans declaring their love for Neil Young!

2) Liverpool (four mentions): Home town to the Beatles, obviously, as well as The Searchers, with mentions in song by three separate Beatles plus a song by our old friends Lindisfarne about the town they christened their ‘second favourite’ after Newcastle! The obvious Beatles song is, of course, ‘Penny Lane’, a typical McCartney song that might have a story in there somewhere but probably doesn’t, all held together with a wonderfully nostalgic tune that keeps walking it’s owner straight back to the starting point. John Lennon, meanwhile added Liverpool to his song for Yoko ‘You Are Here’ from the ‘Mind Games’ album, with the lovely line about how far the pair have come ‘From Liverpool to Tokyo – what a way to go!’ Ringo, meanwhile, is downright grumpy on his song ‘The Other Side Of Liverpool’ from 2010’s ‘Y Not?’, putting the backs of the people of his home town up yet again with the line ‘Liverpool is cold and damp – the only way out of there, drums, guitar and amp’ (I live near Liverpool and the animosity towards Ringo’s last two albums in the shops for his comments – where I was actually growled at by one shop assistant for daring to buy this album – is huge and fierce still). Lindisfarne’s mournful ‘100 Miles To Liverpool’ from their otherwise disastrous ‘Dance Your Life Away’ album, meanwhile, finds a tired and bored band embarking on a bus for their latest gig – only to meet with two Scouse long-term fans along the way and feeling inspired all over again. Aah.

1) Los Angeles (five mentions): Surprisingly Los Angeles (or L.A. as its most commonly referred to in song) wins by a nose – even though none of the AAA bands actually come from there! First up is The Beach Boys’ ‘LA Light Album’ (where light refers to ‘the awareness and presence of God, here in this world, as an ongoing, loving reality’ according to the sleeve-notes in case you were wondering!) Next is Art Garfunkel’s second song of Americana balladry ’99 Miles From L.A.’ (from our AAA classic album ‘Breakaway’ 1975), with the narrator desperate to get home. The Grateful Dead, meanwhile – the closest to an AAA band from LA although in truth they’re scattered from all over the place – went for the eerie ‘West L.A. Fadeaway’ on their 1987 ‘comeback’ ‘In The Dark’, with Jerry Garcia’s narrator looking for his hotel room and realising they all look the same. 10cc have plumped for hilarity again, sending up a town, on ‘L.A. Inflatable’ (from the album ‘Look, Hear’) where nothing is as it seems and everything is false. Finally, ending this list is Neil Young’s song from ‘Time Fades Away’, simply titled ‘L.A.’, which has veers from being eerie to being the sweetest song on a troubled album – ‘don’t you wish that you could be here too?’ indeed.

Towns and cities just bubbling under include: Paris (The Grateful Dead visit it, Stephen Stills spends midnight there and 10cc the whole of ‘eun nuit’) Mexico (Jefferson Airplane enjoy the ‘smoke’ during a drugs raid and Beach Boy Dennis Wilson names a breezy instrumental after the country), Cambridge (various Pink Floyd songs about Grantchester Meadows and Fat Old Suns), Kansas (as in Beatles cover ‘Kansas City’ and Cat Stevens’ Kanasas City Nightmare’), Amsterdam/ Holland (The Beach Boys name an album after the former and Jack The Lad a song after the latter), Tokyo (10cc sing it’s praises and Denny Laine the bad luck there when colleague Paul McCartney suffers a drugs bust there), there’s three visits to Hollywood with The Byrds (when Mae Jean goes to visit, whoever she may be), The Monkees (who simply name a song ‘Hollywood’ for no good reason) and 10cc (who are there ‘somewhere’!) and finally, how we could go without mentioning Cleveland just once? (The sheer hatred of the place from various Jefferson Starship songs – and as the possible inspiration for The Kinks’ ‘Welcome To Sleazy Town’ – makes me determined never to set foot there!)

Well, that’s it for another issue – wherever you live, wherever you’re reading this, we’ll see you next time!

A NOW COMPLETE List Of Top Five/Top Ten/TOP TWENTY  Entries 2008-2019
1) Chronic Fatigue songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/news-views-and-music-issue-1-top-five.html

2) Songs For The Face Of Bo
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-2-top-five.html

3) Credit Crunch Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-3-top-five.html

4) Songs For The Autumn
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-4-top-five.html

5) National Wombat Week
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-top-five-national.html

6) AAA Box Sets
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-6-top-five.html

7) Virus Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-7-top-five.html

8) Worst AAA-Related DVDs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issu-8-top-five.html

9) Self-Punctuating Superstar Classics
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html

10) Ways To Know You Have Turned Into A Collector
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html

11) Political Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-issue-11-top-five.html

12) Totally Bonkers Concept Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-top-five-totally.html

13) Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/top-five-issue-13-40-years-of-beatles.html

14) Still Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-14-top-five.html

15) AAA Existential Questions
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-15-top-five.html

16) Releases Of The Year 2008
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-16-top-five.html

17) Top AAA Xmas Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-17-top-five.html

18) Notable AAA Gigs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/news-views-and-music-issue-19-top-five.html

19) All things '20' related for our 20th issue
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-20-aaa-songs.html

20) Romantic odes for Valentine's Day
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-22-top-five.html

21) Hollies B sides
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-23-top-five.html

22) 'Other' BBC Session Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-24-top-five.html

23) Beach Boys Rarities Still Not Available On CD
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-25-top-five.html

24) Songs John, Paul and George wrote for Ringo's solo albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-26-top-five.html

25) 5 of the Best Rock 'n' Roll Tracks From The Pre-Beatles Era
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-27-top-five.html

26) AAA Autobiographies
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-28-top-five.html

27) Rolling Stones B-sides
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-29-top-five.html

28) Beatles B-Sides
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-30-top-five.html

29) The lllloooonnngggeesssttt AAA songs of all time
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-31-top-five.html

30) Kinks B-Sides
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-32-top-five.html

31) Abandoned CSNY projects 'wasted on the way'
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-33-top-five.html

32) Best AAA Rarities and Outtakes Sets
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/news-views-and-music-issue-34-top-five.html

33) News We've Missed While We've Been Away
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-35-top-five.html

34) Birthday Songs for our 1st Anniversary
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html

35) Brightest Album Covers
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html

36) Biggest Recorded Arguments
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-38-top-five.html

37) Songs About Superheroes
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-39-top-five.html

38) AAA TV Networks That Should Exist
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-40-top-five.html

39) AAA Woodtsock Moments
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-41-top-five.html

40) Top Moments Of The Past Year As Voted For By Readers
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-42-top-five.html

41) Music Segues
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-43-top-five.html

42) AAA Foreign Language Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-44-top-five.html

43) 'Other' Groups In Need Of Re-Mastering
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/news-views-and-music-issue-45-top-five.html

44) The Kinks Preservation Rock Opera - Was It Really About The Forthcoming UK General Election?
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-46-top-five.html

45) Mono and Stereo Mixes - Biggest Differences
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-47-top-five.html

46) Weirdest Things To Do When A Band Member Leaves
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/nerws-views-and-music-issue-48-top-five.html

47) Video Clips Exclusive To Youtube (#1)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-49-top-five.html

48) Top AAA Releases Of 2009
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/news-views-and-music-issue-50-top-five.html

49) Songs About Trains
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-51-top-five.html

50) Songs about Winter
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-52-top-five.html

51) Songs about astrology plus horoscopes for selected AAA members
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-53-top-five.html

52) The Worst Five Groups Ever!
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-54-top-five.html

53) The Most Over-Rated AAA Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-56-top-five.html

54) Top AAA Rarities Exclusive To EPs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-57-top-five.html

55) Random Recent Purchases (#1)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/news-views-and-music-issue-58-top-five.html

56) AAA Party Political Slogans
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-60-top-five.html

57) Songs To Celebrate 'Rock Sunday'
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five_21.html

58) Strange But True (?) AAA Ghost Stories
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five.html

59) AAA Artists In Song
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-63-top-five.html

60) Songs About Dogs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-65-top-five.html

61) Sunshiney Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-67-top-five.html

62) The AAA Staff Play Their Own Version Of Monoploy/Mornington Crescent!
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-68-top-forty.html

63) What 'Other' British Invasion DVDs We'd Like To See
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-69-top-five.html

64) What We Want To Place In Our AAA Time Capsule
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-70-top-five.html

65) AAA Conspiracy Theroies
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-72-top-ten.html

66) Weirdest Things To Do Before - And After - Becoming A Star
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-top-ten-aaa-stars.html

67) Songs To Tweet To
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-74-top-five.html

68) Greatest Ever AAA Solos
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-75-top-ten.html

69) John Lennon Musical Tributes
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-77-top-five.html

70) Songs For Halloween
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-78-top-five.html

71) Earliest Examples Of Psychedelia
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-79-top-five.html

72) Purely Instrumental Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-81-top-five.html

73) AAA Utopias

74) AAA Imaginary Bands
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-82-top-five.html

75) Unexpected AAA Cover Versions
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-83-top-five.html

76) Top Releases of 2010
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-84-top-five.html

77) Songs About Snow
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-85-top-five.html

78) Predictions For 2011
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_01_02_archive.html

79) AAA Fugitives

80) AAA Home Towns
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-88-home.html

81) The Biggest Non-Musical Influences On The 1960s
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-89-top-five.html

82) AAA Groups Covering Other AAA Groups
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-90-top.html

83) Strange Censorship Decisions
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-91-top-ten.html

84) AAA Albums Still Unreleased on CD
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-92-top-five.html

85) Random Recent Purchases (#2)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/news-views-and-music-issue-93-top-ten.html

86) Top AAA Music Videos
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-94-top-ten.html

87) 30 Day Facebook Music Challenge
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-95-top.html

88) AAA Documentaries
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-top-five-aaa.html

89) Unfinished and 'Lost' AAA Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-97-top-ten.html

90) Strangest AAA Album Covers
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/newsa-views-and-music-issue-98-top-ten.html

91) AAA Performers Live From Mars (!)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-99-top-ten.html

92) Songs Including The Number '100' for our 100th Issue
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-100-top-five.html

93) Most Songs Recorded In A Single Day
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-101-top-five.html

94) Most Revealing AAA Interviews
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-102-top-five.html

95) Top 10 Pre-Fame Recordings
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-103-top-ten.html

96) The Shortest And Longest AAA Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-104-top-ten.html


97) The AAA Allstars Ultimate Band Line-Up
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-105-top.html

98) Top Songs About Sports
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-106-top-ten.html

99) AAA Conversations With God
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-107-top-ten.html

100) AAA Managers: The Good, The Bad and the Financially Ugly
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-108-top-ten.html

101) Unexpected AAA Cameos
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-109-top-ten.html

102) AAA Words You can Type Into A Caluclator
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-110-top-five.html

103) AAA Court Cases
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-111-top-five.html

104) Postmodern Songs About Songwriting
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-112-top-five.html

105) Biggest Stylistic Leaps Between Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-113-top-ten.html

106) 20 Reasons Why Cameron Should Go!
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-114-top.html

107) The AAA Pun-Filled Cookbook
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-115-top-five.html

108) Classic Debut Releases
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-116-top-five.html

109) Five Uses Of Bird Sound Effects
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-118-top-five.html

110) AAA Classic Youtube Clips Part #1
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-119-top.html

111) Part #2
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-120-top.html

112) Part #3
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-121-top.html

113) AAA Facts You Might Not Know
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-122-top-ten.html

114) The 20 Rarest AAA Records
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-123-top.html

115) AAA Instrumental Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_04_archive.html

116) Musical Tarot
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/news-views-and-music-issue-125-top-23-i.html

117) Christmas Carols
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_18_archive.html

118) Top AAA Releases Of 2011
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_25_archive.html

119) AAA Bands In The Beano/The Dandy
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-128-top-five.html

120) Top 20 Guitarists #1
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-129-top-ten.html

121) #2
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_15_archive.html

122) 'Shorty' Nomination Award Questionairre
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_22_archive.html

123) Top Best-Selling AAA Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_29_archive.html

124) AAA Songs Featuring Bagpipes

125) A (Hopefully) Complete List Of AAA Musicians On Twitter
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_19_archive.html

126) Beatles Albums That Might Have Been 1970-74 and 1980
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_26_archive.html

127) DVD/Computer Games We've Just Invented
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_11_archive.html

128) The AAA Albums With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_18_archive.html

129) The AAA Singles With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_25_archive.html

130) Lyric Competition (Questions)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_15_archive.html

131) Top Crooning Classics
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_22_archive.html

132) Funeral Songs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/news-views-and-music-issue-142-top-five.html

133) AAA Songs For When Your Phone Is On Hold
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-143-top-five.html

134) Random Recent Purchases (#3)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-144-top-five.html

135) Lyric Competition (Answers)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-146-top.html http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-145-top-five.html

136) Bee Gees Songs/AAA Goes Disco!
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-147-top-five.html

137) The Best AAA Sleevenotes (And Worst)
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-148-top-ten.html

138) A Short Precise Of The Years 1962-70
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-149-top-eight.html

139) More Wacky AAA-Related Films And Their Soundtracks
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/top-five-for-news-views-and-music-150.html

140) AAA Appearances On Desert Island Discs
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/top-eight-aaa-desert-island-discs.html

141) Songs Exclusive To Live Albums
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/news-views-and-music-issue-153-top-10.html

142) More AAA Songs About Armageddon
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/aaa-armageddon-songsalbums-top-5-for.html

What difference does a name make? Arguably not much if you’re already a collector of a certain group, for whom the names on the album sleeves just...

This week’s top ten honours the humble motor car. The death trap on wheels, the metaphor for freedom, the put-down of capitalism, a source of...

This week we’re going to have a look at the 10 AAA singles that spent the most weeks at number on the American chart ‘Billboard’ – and it makes for...

Following on from last issue’s study of the American Billboard charts, here’s a look at which AAA albums spent the most weeks on the chart. The...

There are many dying arts in our modern world: incorruptible politicians, faith that things are going to get better and the ability to make decent...

This week we’ve decided to dedicate our top ten to those unsung heroes of music, the session musicians, whose playing often brings AAA artists (and...

Naturally we hold our AAA bands in high esteem in these articles: after all, without their good taste, intelligence and humanity we’d have nothing to...

What do you do when you’ve left a multi-million selling band and yet you still feel the pull of the road and the tours and the playing to audiences...

‘The ATOS Song’ (You’re Not Fit To Live)’ (Mini-Review) Dear readers, we don’t often feature reviews of singles over albums or musicians who aren’t...

In honour of this week’s review of an album released to cash in on a movie soundtrack (only one of these songs actually appears in ‘Easy Rider’...and...

Hic! Everyone raise a glass to the rock stars of the past and to this week’s feature...songs about alcolholic beverages! Yes that’s right, everything...

154) The human singing voice carries with it a vast array of emotions, thoughts that cannot be expressed in any other way except opening the lungs and...

Everyone has a spiritual home, even if they don’t actually live there. Mine is in a windy, rainy city where the weather is always awful but the...

Having a family does funny things to some musicians, as we’ve already seen in this week’s review (surely the only AAA album actually written around...

Some artists just have no idea what their best work really is. One thing that amazes me as a collector is how consistently excellent many of the...

159) A (Not That) Short Guide To The 15 Best Non-AAA Bands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/a-not-that-short-guide-to-15-of-best.html%20%0d160

160) The Greatest AAA Drum Solos (Or Near Solos!) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-greatest-aaa-drum-solos-or-near.html%20%0d161

161) AAA Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame Acceptance Speeches http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/aaa-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame.html%20%0d162

162) AAA Re-Recordings Of Past Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/aaa-re-recordings-of-past-songs-news.html%20%0d163

163) A Coalition Christmas (A Fairy Tale) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-coalition-christmas-news-views-and.html%20%0d164

164) AAA Songs About Islands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/aaa-songs-about-islands-news-views-and.html%20%0d165

165) The AAA Review Of The Year 2012 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2012-news-views.html



166) The Best AAA Concerts I Attended
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-best-aaa-concerts-i-attended-news.html

167) Tributes To The 10 AAA Stars Who Died The Youngest http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/tributes-to-10-aaa-stars-who-died.html



168) The First 10 AAA Songs Listed Alphabetically
http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-first-10-aaa-songs-if-listed.html


171) The 10 Best Songs From The Psychedelia Box-Sets ‘Nuggets’ and ‘Nuggets Two’ http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-best-of-two-nuggets-psychedelia.html%20%0d172

172) The 20 Most Common Girl’s Names In AAA Song Titles (With Definitions) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/girls-names-in-aaa-song-titles-from.html 








180) First Recordings By Future AAA Stars http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/first-





185) A Tribute To Storm Thorgerson Via The Five AAA Bands He Worked With http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-tribute-to-hipgnosis-via-five-aaa.html



188) Surprise! Celebrating 300 Album Reviews With The Biggest 'Surprises' Of The Past Five Years Of Alan's Album Archives! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/celebrating-300-album-reviews-10.html


190) Comparatively Obscure First Compositions By AAA Stars http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/comparatively-obscure-debut.html



193) Evolution Of A Band: Comparing First Lyric With Last Lyric: http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/evolution-of-band-comparing-1st-lyric.html







200) The Monkees In Relation To Postmodernism (University Dissertation) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/university-dissertation-monkees-in.html


202) Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain': Was It About One Of The AAA Crew? http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/carly-simons-youre-so-vain-was-it-about.html















217) AAA 'Christmas Presents' we'd most like to have next year http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/aaa-christmas-presents-wed-most-like-to.html




221) Dr Who and the AAA (Five Musical Links) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/dr-who-and-five-musical-links-to-alans.html

222) Five Random Recent Purchases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/five-random-recent-purchases-news-views.html

223) AAA Grammy Nominees http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/aaa-grammy-nominees-top-twelve-news.html

224) Ten AAA songs that are better heard unedited and in full http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/ten-aaa-songs-that-are-better-unedited.html

225) The shortest gaps between AAA albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-shortest-gaps-between-aaa-albums.html

226) The longest gaps between AAA albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-longest-gaps-between-aaa-albums.html

227) Top ten AAA drummers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-ten-aaa-drummers-news-views-and.html

228) Top Ten AAA Singles (In Terms of 'A' and 'B' Sides) http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/top-ten-aaa-singles-and-b-sides-news.html

229) The Stories Behind Six AAA Logos http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-stories-behind-six-aaa-logos.html

230) AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!! The Best Ten AAA Screams http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-best-aaa-screams-top-ten-news-views.html

231) An AAA Pack Of Horses http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-songs-about-horses-top-ten-news.html

232) AAA Granamas - Sorry, Anagrams! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-anagrams-news-views-and-music-issue.html

233) AAA Surnames and Their Meanings http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-surnames-and-their-meanings-news.html

234) 20 Erroneous AAA Album Titles http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/twenty-erroneous-aaa-album-titles-news.html

235) The Best AAA Orchestral Arrangements http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/fifteen-great-aaa-string-parts-news.html

236) Top 30 Hilariously Misheard Album Titles/Lyrics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/top-thirty-hilariously-misheard-aaa.html

237) Ten controversial AAA sackings - and whether they were right http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/ten-controversial-aaa-sackings-news.html

238) A Critique On Critiquing - In Response To Brian Wilson http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-critique-on-critiquing-in-response-to.html

239) The Ten MusicianS Who've Played On The Most AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-ten-musicians-whove-played-on-most.html

240) Thoughts on #CameronMustGo http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/thoughts-on-cameronmustgo.html

241) Random Recent Purchases (Kinks/Grateful Dead/Nils Lofgren/Rolling Stones/Hollies) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/six-random-recent-purchases-kinksg.html 

242) AAA Christmas Number Ones http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/aaa-christmas-number-ones.html 

243) AAA Review Of The Year 2014 (Top Releases/Re-issues/Documentaries/DVDs/Books/Songs/ Articles  plus worst releases of the year) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/aaa-review-of-year-2014.html

244) Me/CFS Awareness Week 2015 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/mecfs-awareness-week-at-alans-album.html

245) Why The Tory 2015 Victory Seems A Little...Suspicious http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/why-tory-victory-seems-deeply.html

246) A Plea For Peace and Tolerance After The Attacks on Paris - and Syria http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/a-plea-for-peace-and-toleration.html

247) AAA Review Of The Year 2015 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2015.html

248) The Fifty Most Read AAA Articles (as of December 31st 2015) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/the-fifty-most-read-aaa-posts-2008-2015.html

249) The Revised AAA Crossword! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2016_07_10_archive.html


251) Half-A-Dozen Berries Plus One (An AAA Tribute To Chuck Berry) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/an-aaa-covers-tribute-to-chuck-berry.html

252) Guest Post: ‘The Skids – Joy’ (1981) by Kenny Brown  https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/guest-post-skids-joy-1981.html


254) Guest Post: ‘Supertramp – Some Things Never Change’ by Kenny Brown https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/06/guest-review-supertramp-some-things.html

255) AAA Review Of The Year 2018 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2018.html

256) AAA Review Of The Year 2019 plus Review Of The Decade 2010-2019 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-alans-album-archives-review-of-year.html



257) Tiermaker https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2019/06/alans-album-archives-on-tiermaker.html

258) #Coronastock https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2020/04/coronastock.html

259) #Coronadocstock https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronadocstock.html