Category: Music

Live 8…was OK

I would love to say it was great so keeping the message that was endlessly played throughout yesterdays concert (Live 8. G8. Be great.) but it wasn’t. Like the original Live Aid no doubt in a few years time people will look back and say it was amazing but for me it’s all about what happens over the coming week. Already it looks like debt relief for the poorest nations has been secured and that aid will be doubled. The third key measure is fair trade. The amount of money the US and Europe (in particular) subsidise their local producers is amazing. They also force developing nations to open up their markets while at the same time ensuring their own are protected. This has to stop.

Key for me also is the government in Africa. Many countries which are poor also have a concentration of wealth and armies fighting over small strips of land which leads to questions of “why should I donate”. I’m not sure how this should be solved – I definitely don’t support the idea of regime change where the west takes over the running of some of the worst countries. Maybe a half way house is required where aid,debt relief and trade rules are introduced only if key UN advisor’s placed in each African country can see that the money is being used wisely and that the poor really are getting the help they need. But to think that all countries in Africa are like this is naive – I was surprised at the amount of calls that yesterday was an ego trip for most taking part and it will make no difference. Even if this turns out to be true and not one thing will change surely people have got to try in the hope that their efforts, particularly in Edinburgh, will make a difference.

Finally – concert highlights – Coldplay & Richard Ashcroft even though their timing was way off, Madonna proving she’s still got it even in her 60’s, Travis who actually got the whole crowding moving, The Killers who were robbed and got to play only one track, Velvet Revolver…rooooooooooock and Robbie – Come On!! Lowlights – Elton, Dido, Mariah Carey – fuck off with your mike stand requests and Pink Floyd – yawn. Over 60 and don’t we all know it.

All in all an OK concert – hopefully by Friday we can say it was great.

X&Y

Listening to the new Coldplay album over the last couple of days – yes a download but I’ll be picking up the CD tomorrow. Nothing ground breaking, more of the same and definitely doesn’t grab me in the same way as the last two albums. Herald review nailed it when they described it as a refinement of ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’ and that it grinds out the tics and what was left of their originality. However by the end of the summer once Live 8 and the summer festivals are over no doubt this will be the years biggest sellers and the album hailed as a classic – not by me it won’t.

Rated

Finally I have achieved one of my long term goals. It’s not one of those vitally important life changing ones, but it brought a smile none the less. All 3501 songs in my iTunes library have now been rated and listened to at least once. Joy. The advantages this brings……mmm. Well, the playlists will be fully functional and at least I’m able to listen to all my top rated music. The radio playlist will also work 100% with all my music. And that’s it. Thank you for listening.

Playlist meme

From d2r, select whole music library and list the next random ten tracks that are automatically selected by your music app.

Mine are (thanks to the grammer Nazi):

Whatever Happened To Corey Haim – The Thrills
Johnny Come Lately – Catatonia
Don’t You Want Me Felix – Felix
The Drugs Don’t Work – The Verve
Shes The One – Robbie Williams
Flowers In The Window – Travis
Escape – Muse
…Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
I can’t give it up – Artful Dodger
Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones
With Or Without You – U2

Band Aid

Watched the documentary last night and finally came to the conclusion that I should have made ages ago – the quality of the song is irrelevant. It’s all about the money. It doesn’t matter who sings, how it’s arranged or whether the rap should have been included (although thankfully Justin from Darkness didn’t get to sing Bono’s line as what I heard last night was awful). We need to buy it and we need to contribute what we can and hope that one day the politicians will one day make a sensible decision and write off third world debt which I know is over simplistic but the millions that will be raised will not even dent the problems in Africa.

The original Band Aid was my first ever record purchase…20 years ago. To mark this anniversary I made it my first purchase from iTunes Music store…and then bought the Band Aid 20 version.

John Peel

peelShocked and saddened at the news that John Peel passed away on holiday yesterday. I’ve never been an avid fan that listened to all his shows but the ones that I did catch, mostly while revising during the Uni years, were great. He always struck me as a man with integrity and a real passion for his job. He will be missed.