OK Go On Then If You Must…

My Top 5 Albums of 2006

NUMBER 1 is by Luke Haines-‘Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop’
I’ve always liked… loved even … Haines work; it kind of soothes, invigorates, intrigues, inspires and always leaves you with something to think about. This new album is right up there with ‘How I Learned to Love the Boot Boys’ which is one of my favourite albums of all time. It’s always seemed criminal to me that he’s so apparently undervalued…whatever that means.’ Off My Rocker’ is smothered in 70’s references; it sounds like burnt umber, sullen and brutal. Gary Glitters guilt trip-up gets a pasting in ‘Bad Reputation’, there’s a killer on the terraces at ‘Leeds United’ and the hilarious retro idiocy of ‘Heritage Rock’ is just perfect… cause it’s a middle age rampage now and don’t you forget it. I know exactly what he means. Get hold of a copy. It’s brilliant and it’s enthralling.

NUMBER 2 is by Helene-‘Routines’
The Helene brand is close to my heart and I once had the honour of touring with her [she fronts a band of the same name] and is a sweet and gifted singer songwriter. She reminds me of Nico. I seem to listen to this record when I’m lost for words and looking out of the window. It’s a very moving graceful and understated record…oh and The Sun love it too, but don’t let that put you off. Like astral planeing with butterflies.

NUMBER 3 is by Ray Davies-‘Other Peoples Lives’
Ray is the godfather of singer song writing and fronted the finest group that ever was ever, everyone knows that and this is his first solo album. I didn’t plan on getting it but I’m glad I did. It sounds a bit over produced compared to Kinks records…like someone’s actually bothered mixing it. Luckily it’s not over polished…that would have been awful. The songs are little battles of will from a bruised and battered soul…the usual predicaments are evident, nosey neighbours, suburban window twitchers, questions of mortality and godless ness. I must try and see him before one of us dies. He has such wisdom and poise and stature and he’s not afraid to fail and he’s not afraid to live. You could say he’s a hero of mine and so could I....

NUMBER 4 is Baby Bird-‘Between My Ears There’s Nothing but Music’
I have most of the Baby Bird back catalogue, not that I’ve searched high and low for it you understand. I just stumbled on a load in Amoeba Records in San Francisco a few years ago, dead cheap, and it’s gone from there. That and I wish I’d written ‘You’re Gorgeous’…who doesn’t? .Suppose I’m a bit of a sucker for low fidelity diy hibernatory types. ‘Between My Ears’ is not his best work. There’s only one really great song on the record, but oh what a wonderful song it is. It’s called ‘Too Much’ and it’s enough….it’s too much. It really is. I met him once at Glastonbury years ago…the year the stage manager nearly twatted him.

NUMBER 5 is Shack-At The Corner of Miles and Gill
Shack was the recreational soundtrack to our recording earlier in the year, when we downed tools we listened to them. Joe Floss- Hard our producer had been working with them and was mixing a session of theirs in-between recording whatever we were recording. ‘Cup of Tea’ was the stand out track and I still love it to bits with it’s More Than a Feeling chorus and a psychedelic guitar riff lifted from the first LOVE album….probably. It sort of floats and rises and surges and jangles and contains more scouse magic that the entire Beatles back catalogue. [No it doesn’t matter if it’s out of tune Craig really you’re just a bloody perfectionist]. Know what I mean Jen? If you’re reading this I hope you’re feeling better, VPx