Wonderstuff and nonsense

Funny how I seem to be the only person I know who loves The Wonderstuff, people I ask seem indifferent and invariably none plussed. It's not just a Birmingham thing, though that's a part of it, still I seem to be going back to them more and more. To me they still sound fresh and vital and thrilling and clever and cool. Mission Drive from their Never Loved Elvis album does it for me every time; such a surging whoosh trippy folk happy fuck you little monster confessional to cherish. I love the out of phase guitars and the shearing electro-folk violin, Miles Hunt so bruised and bleeding in that sneering bugger you anyway style he made his own. Didn't he, doesn't he, or perhaps it's all just in my head and mine alone? Answers on an e-post-it please. On a similar theme of fandomania I'm just finishing some lists; soon my top 20 movies, records and psychiatric hosptitals will be available for all to see. I don't know whether people read such things, I do but I'm hardly Terry the Typical? Anyway, the compiling was fun yet fraught with indecision and re- evaluation as it should be and I'm still working on the definitive article. It'll take a bit longer to be sure I'm sure. Men do lists so that's a relief. My girl tells me I am very much in keeping with my stereotype. My mother named me Alan because it was popular at the time, so I became a show off, all be it a part time one which is another story and I'm too tired to tell you. On a different tack I wanted to thank Tim from Whisperin and Hollerin [thanks Tim] www.whisperinandhollerin.com for writing a very fine retrospective review of the GONE album [1998] which I've just added to the site. Not having listened to it for ages, as you don't, I was suitably chuffed. 'GONE' is still available via the site but only just as I'm down to the last box of 25 and those dear old folk at Shadrack and Duxbury are unlikely to reissue it in it's current guise. Not until they recover the missing postage money... apparently. Which brings me on to Billy Liar...again and again and again, for which make no apologies, VPx