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SDE’s Self-Isolation Playlist #2

By Paul Sinclair

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119

Let music help you through…

Rediscover some great music in your collection as we all stay indoors to protect ourselves and others. This time around as well as music, there’s some suggestions as to what you might watch, too. Stay safe, everyone…

The Allman Brothers Band / Brothers and Sisters (SACD)

I’m not a massive Allman Brothers Band fan to be honest, but this album is great. I have the 4CD super deluxe from 2013 somewhere but closer to hand was the MoFi SACD which I picked up in Berlin a few years back when I was doing my SDE Berlin Diary trip. It’s all great, but of course ‘Jessica’ always makes me smile given that for a long time I only knew it as the ‘theme from Top Gear’!

Tori Amos / The Beekeeper (CD+DVD deluxe)

I’m a big fan of Tori Amos, but she’s released so many albums and some of them are rather long, such as 2005’s The Beekeeper which contains 19 songs! It’s a pity because there’s so much great music on this record but you do have to persevere to get to it (the running time is 79 mins). Highlights include ‘Sweet the Sting’, ‘Jamaica Inn’, ‘General Joy’, ‘Mother Revolution’ and ‘Witness’ (although ‘The Power of Orange Knickers’, which is a duet with Damien Rice, deserves a mention).  There is nothing bad at all on this album, it’s just that you really can have too much of a good thing. Epic in the US put together a very nice deluxe edition which actually includes a 20th track (Garlands) on the included DVD. The package even comes with ‘The Beekeeper Mix’ a little packet of wildflower seeds for your garden. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Spotify!

Public Service Broadcasting / The Race For Space (CD)

This passed me by on release in 2015, but came to my attention last year with all the celebrations around the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Inspiring and moving in equal measure, it perfectly fuses actual audio from the 1960s (including JFK speeches and Houston control centre activity etc.) with beats, driving guitar rock, funky horns and some EDM-style synths. ‘Fire In The Cockpit’ mournfully remembers the disaster of Apollo 1 (where all three crew members perished in a cabin fire during a launch rehearsal) and ‘Go!’ (the undoubted highlight) is a joyous celebration of the moment of ‘powered descent’ resulting in Neil Armstrong taking the historical step onto the lunar surface.

Robert Palmer / Ridin’ High (CD)

In 1992 Robert Palmer showed everyone how you really do an ‘orchestral’ album. Brilliantly arranged by Clare Fischer (who had worked with Prince, of course), Ridin’ High combines well known classics (‘Love Me Or Leave Me’, ‘Witchcraft’ and ‘Goody Goody’) with a few excellent Palmer originals, including the wonderful ‘Aeroplane’. I have great memories of seeing him do this at the Royal Albert Hall in winter 1992. Terrible loss when he died little over ten years later.

What to watch:

Looking for something decent to watch, here’s a few things I’d recommend

Mindhorn – (BBC iPlayer)

An extremely silly but very funny film starring Julian Barratt (of The Mighty Boosh fame) with some sterling support from Steve Coogan and Simon Farnaby (Horrible Histories). The plot revolves around a 1980s fictional detective called Bruce Mindhorn who has the power to literally ‘see’ the truth with his cybernetic eye. 25 years later washed up actor Richard Thorncroft is called back into action to play Mindhorn when an escaped lunatic wanted for murder will only cooperate with the police if he can speak to Mindhorn. I said it was silly. This trailer will give you a feel for what to expect (spot the cameo from Kenneth Branagh).

OJ: Made in America (BBC iPlayer)

Ezra Edelman’s outstanding 2016 documentary won an Academy Award and runs for over 9 hours (across five 90 minute episodes). A stunning piece of work that traces rise and fall of O.J. Simpson set framed against a narrative of modern America and Los Angeles. I’ve watched the whole thing before, but very tempted to watch it all again, such is the quality on offer. Part 1 is up on iPlayer right now with the subsequent episodes to follow.

Mindhunter (Netflix)

Brilliant series set in the 1970s which sees FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench around as they teach other cops about criminal psychology and criminal profiling. There are two series so far with many episodes directed by David Fincher, to give you an idea of the quality on offer. Annoyingly the third series is currently on hold due to Fincher’s commitments elsewhere.

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119 Comments

119 thoughts on “SDE’s Self-Isolation Playlist #2”

  1. Ryk…yeah had no idea about the live bonus tracks until I played the disc…14 songs but listed as 17 tracks, must be an early pressing…and Glenn, are the PSB mixes of Mope on a CD single or download?? I do have the CD single of The Bad Touch with the 2 zebras on the cover…finished the audio of Blur’s 21 box, awesome, now playing the video counterparts…I did play the DVD of the Best Of Blur package, awesome…also this obscure album by local NY artist Deni Bonet called Bigger Is Always Better…she played with Robyn Hitchcock quite a bit & was in a doc movie with him…anyhoo, I first saw her when she opened for Midnight Oil on their tiny intimate NYC shows in 1997 at the Mercury Lounge & she blew me away…saw her as much as possible until she got married & moved away, to London I think…

  2. My isolation playlist:

    – Alphaville – forever young super deluxe:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GeM_htAhZEE&list=OLAK5uy_liZELTUe0ZCUOQz1pflrh6CMY7kc9tJeY&index=2&t=0s

    – Pet Shop boys – alternative:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RZqJDdMd-kU&list=OLAK5uy_nslmRcwIatbCjZkTtCxmDa-4J3PkszNww

    – enigma – MCMXC A. D. :
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NUrMi3qnSsc&list=OLAK5uy_mw-Q_oDbWSZn8vPrdQ8JyoeN0hB_D3MAk&index=2&t=0s

    – Moby – everything is wrong:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1GybMq2ClsU&list=OLAK5uy_nOVbx-p612XgJdUWd221EhwZ_ttaGVkAM&index=2&t=0s

    – kent – då som nu för altid:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntus9f-r_Do&list=OLAK5uy_l1mAP_PEgQIxxV5RqG-XJ6pU9x3G6WSE8&index=2&t=0s

    – Madonna – ghosttown:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pEcp2HlFBwE

    – Tears for fears – mad world:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QOTB9Qx_1ZE

    – the Beatles: eleanor rigby:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wbxTlxuECJA

    – Robyn – dancing on my own:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WMth6xZlVJU

    – Eric Carmen – all by myself:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h0KdR8bKHNQ

    1. Love the IT Crowd. I just looked for the DVD boxset at home and also found Game On. I completely forgot about Game On. I haven’t watched it for 15 years! It’s now on my watch list for this week. With the IT Crowd too.

  4. The Beekeeper is one of the most undervalued records in Tori’s catalog; easily Top 5 among my fave Tori albums(after those first two, Choirgirl and Scarlet’s Walk).

  6. Don’t think it’s streaming anywhere, but I’d recommend Operation Good Guys if you can find the 3-series box. Series 1 is hilarious, S2 had its moments but S3 suggests it should’ve stopped after S2.
    The other faux pas was the addition of muted canned laughter from S2 which just does not work with a mockumentary.

  7. Ah, I went to Robert Palmer’s Ridin’ High concert at the RAH as well. A great show at a superb location.

    I do remember that there were quite a few walkouts, as Robert didn’t appear to be revisiting his back catalogue for the show. More fool them – after the terrific main set of American songbook standards, RP dipped into his classics for the encores.

  9. Excellent suggestion Michael,
    Just excellent.

    Night Night is a hilarious bbc series that contains some of the best belly laughs and darkest humour I’ve watched in years. Series one is up there with the best, and yes you all know what I mean by that! Plus it has the single best prog rock in a comedy sitcom moment that I’ve ever seen. Ever.

    Available throughout the uk via bbc iPlayer.

  10. Today I had a chance to listen to:

    The National – Live on 3 August 2018 in Chicago, IL
    The New Pornographers – Challengers
    Johnny Marr – Call the Commet
    The Boxer Rebellion – Ocean by Ocean
    Mirrors – Lights and Offerings

    I hope everyone had a good Saturday and is managing to stay safe and well.

  13. I’m listening to my collection in artist alphabetical order…middle of the B’s…so yesterday, I finished off my Blank & Jones so80s series, went backwards and heard Volume 1, then Blondie’s No Exit (hadn’t heard that in years & had no idea there were 3 live unlisted bonus tracks at the end) with a CD maxi of Maria with 3 remixes & album track…then Deborah Harry’s Def Dumb & Blonde (have a rare promo with a 3D lenticular sleeve), love that record & enjoy it more than No Exit to be honest…then um, the Bloodhound Gang…I should feel guilty but I don’t, they are so juvenile but funny & have a great fun sound AND I don’t know of any other group who sampled FGTH on TWO of their albums…on Hooray For Boobies, they sample Relax on the song Mope (along with Falco’s Rock Me Amadeus & The Bad Touch is very PSB)…and on previous album One Fierce Beer Coaster they sample the jungle rain birds intro of WTTPD on final goofy cut Reflections Of Remoh…anyhoo, back on track, now I’m up to Canadian alt-country act Blue Rodeo, their album on Rounder, Palace Of Gold, great stuff, very Jayhawks or early Wilco…after Blue Rodeo, will get to my Blur/Gorillaz/GBQ/Damon Albarn collection…

    2. Larry,

      Lucky you! My version of No Exit does not come with the bonus live tracks (I played it through to be sure). Luckily I have the deluxe Blondie 4(o) Ever set which included the Live at CBGB 1977 DVD.

  14. With no satisfactory one available yet, any suggestions for songs to sing whilst washing my hands?

    My (arguably strange) thoughts:
    Wings, Mull of kintyre. From “far have I travelled…
    Rick wakeman, guinnevere
    Monty, Always look on the bright side of life
    Your thoughts?

  15. So Paul — based on your recommendation I have just finished watching MindHorn. Have to say I quite enjoyed it (and laughed out loud a few times). Thank you!

    Now watching Stewart Copeland – Guitar, Bass, Drums…

    2. Ha, yes I have just finished Mindhorn too. Does Steve Coogan ever play a character that isn’t a dick? Simon Farnaby was good too. Talking of which anyone who has a spare day should watch “Detectorists” it is utterly beautiful.
      Just finished the third series of Ozark and as my kids might say”oh my effing G”. Epic doesn’t do it justice.

        1. Farnaby also cowrote the incredible Paddington 2 film with Mighty Boosh director Paul King.

          May I just recommend it to anyone and everyone – an inventive, artful and hilarious film about kindness and belonging that is just as much for grown-ups as for littl’ns.

          You don’t need to see the first film beforehand, which almost serves as a fun and worthy prequel to this masterpiece. It has strong echoes of Chaplin and French comedies like Amelie, is filled with wonder and wit, and will provide a bright little light in these times of fear and doubt.

          It could be my film of the decade.

          1. I agree, Paddington 2 is absolutely amazing. Hugh Grant is incredible, as are all the cast, really.

        1. I think Chris must be thinking of the Philip Green type character he plays in ‘Greed’ who is a bit of a dick. I found it funny and a bit over the top but Coogan play the character brilliantly.

  16. Been enjoying Box Selection – Hot Chocolate and their RAK albums. Some fabulous albums in there.

    And belatey started on go-betweens volume 2. Know the al ums well, but it’s such a gorgeous treasure trove

  18. I’m so jealous you saw Robert Palmer on the Riding High tour!
    This is my favourite Palmer LP. At the time I bought the VHS video of this album (with a few bonus tracks compared to the album).
    Can’t wait for a CD+DVD reissue.

  19. The Monochrome Set – Little Noises 5 x CD set in a wallet. All their albums from 1990-95. The quintessential English clean guitar pop band with added textures as they had up to three guitars and a keybaord player on some of these. A sheer delight.

  20. Podcast recommendation thank you

    a big thank you to whoever among us recommended I am the eggpod. I’ve only started to listen and already I know it’s great. I dig it.

  21. Over the years I have have bought the CD version of my vinyl collection and archived the album. Though some I still kept with me as they were too precious never to play again (The Queen is Dead, Technique).
    I’ve now dug them back out and have been giving them a deep clean (topical term). Oh how I missed Talking Heads Remain In Light, the second Suicide album and the super bass of In Dub by Renegade Soundwave.
    Oh Mindhorn is so brilliant, watch that then Alpha Papa the superb Alan Partridge film.

  22. Hello,, I just listened to – smashing pumpkins – adore. I remember the album as very Electronic when it was released 1998. Now it seems very understated and melancholic. I can purchased The super deluxe edition when it was released and hope for an super deluxe edition of machina. Best regards hans

  23. One of my major reasons of visiting SDE on a daily basis is to (re-)discover artists. My appreciation of Kate Bush and Tori Amos is highly influenced by Paul. David Bowie, The Waterboys and The Cure are also artists/bands I started (re-)listening to, and like, after mentions on this site. And many others. It doesn’t always work of course, as I’m more a fan of 60s and 70s music. Electronic music, for instance, like Pet Shop Boys remains soulless and uninteresting to me, although I’ve tried. I don’t think I own any music of artists who started this century.

    A few listening tips:
    Love – Forever Changes & Da Capo
    Little Feat – anything really
    The Waterboys – anything too, of course Fisherman’s Blues, but also love An Appointment with Mr.Yeats
    Creedence Clearwater Revival

  24. Some kind soul on SDE mentioned late last year that the Bruce Springsteen’s Winterland concerts from December 1978 were being released via Bruce’s web shop live.brucespringsteen.net , so I bought them. They arrived some time in January and both cd sets have been looking at me ever since. I started to play them yesterday, and so far so brilliant.

    The notes on the website give a good guide to the recordings: https://www.nugs.net/12-20-2019-bruce-december.html

    I’ve never been a mad Springsteen fan, despite enjoying plenty of his music, and really enjoyed his autobiography.

    The link with two of the E Street band recording the Bat Out Of Hell album with Todd Rundgren makes for an interesting read; especially with Rundgren making the album as a Springsteen pastiche: recorhttps://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8006795/todd-rundgren-meat-loaf-bat-out-of-hell-bruce-springsteen

    Reference the post on the Welcome To The Pleasuredome take off of The Steve Miller Band’s Macho City, I’ve recently read in the Prince book by Duane Tudahl, the story of Prince ringing up Journey’s Jonathan Cain, to request he didn’t sue for Purple Rain’s chord structures being similar to Journey’s song Faithfully.

  26. Back catalogue Night Friday
    Neil Young Silver and Gold.
    It was a grower when purchased in 2000 just gets better and better. Simply one of those records he could have made any time in the last 50 years.
    Richard Hawley Truelove’s Gutter.
    Is it better than Coles Corner, never can decide. Brilliant album, one of the few albums I believe is better on CD and seems more complete.It is not the sound quality, i just think spread over 4 sides of vinyl you don’t get the depth and the brilliance as it becomes a little disjointed.
    The Clash Sandinista!
    Did the debut change my life at 14. Probably not, did I use it as an excuse to follow and see live music, Sure did. Was London Calling all in appeared to be at the time. Yes, indeed for me looking back when I was 16.
    Did Sandinista! Open my ears to music, yes it did and today this it sill amazes me. Even all these years later, people still think it is rubbish and 2 long. To me Sandinista! was the beginning of a new age for UK Music. At the time it was considered non UK centric with its variety of reggae, rap, rock, rockabilly, jazz, soul, funk and punk.
    Was Combat Rock a condensed version and would it have ever been recorded without 6 sides of Sandinista, for me probably not!
    Looking back, Sandinista! was my game changer to open my ears to all types of music.

    1. Hey, Tony.
      As a life-long Elton fan, I know every one of his albums almost too well (at least up to Songs from the West Coast.) Having bought mostly singles as a child, it took a while to notice that most of the B-sides were not on the LPs. Aside from Beatles 45s, that was not as common on US singles as it was in the UK. The very concept of the “B-side” probably became clear to me because of his 70’s singles. It probably made me a little mad (angry) when those great songs weren’t on the albums (when I started to get them, usually at thrift shops and tag sales.) Thanks to Elton, I started paying more attention and eventually felt frustration when a B-side was merely an album cut. I’m totally a B-side guy. And in the SDE age, that’s a great thing to be. I think Sir Elton the record collector is also cognizant of this, too.
      Having said all that, Elton has so many killer B’s that I had to compile my own set to CD. Past Masters did a very thorough job (with songs already actually released, not demos) from the beginning up to 1975, but inexplicably, there was no follow up collection. Many of his remastered CDs had excellent bonus tracks but they skipped that idea with quite a few 80s albums, so a few great songs are still not on CD to this day. If the regular albums start feeling a little too familiar, make up a playlist of the bonus tracks and B’s if you’re able to. It’s like having six or seven “new” EJ albums.
      If you can find them, check out “Tortured” “Hey Papa Legba” “Take Me Down To The Ocean” “Conquer The Sun” and “White Man Danger” from the 80-82 period, for starters. (“Lovesick” is on the remaster of “A Single Man” – a great one. It would have helped the album.
      Somebody really needs to round these tunes up and get ’em out there before we get another deluxe greatest hits thingy.

      1. @Spiral, exactly the same journey with Elton as you and agree we need a Rare Masters 2 at the very least. So annoying the songs you mention from the eighties are not available physically on CD. Never understood why some of the remastered eighties albums have no bonus tracks.

  28. Currently lying in bed and looking out the window while listening to All Things Must Pass. Such a brilliant album. Haven’t listened to it in years.

  29. Last nights playlist:
    Handel – Messiah (The English Concert/Pinner) on Achiv Produktion
    Wings – Red Rose Speedway
    Wings – London Town (tweaked the treble a bit on the 93 remaster and it sounded great. Been waiting for the archive so long already that its time to start spinning and appreciating what we have got, especially under the current circumstances)
    Leonard Cohen – You Want it Darker

    What I am watching:
    BBC – This Country
    Netflix – Ozark
    Netflix – Better Call Saul
    Netflix – Tiger King
    Amazon Purchase – The Walking Dead series 10

  30. The playlist for my afternoon jogs the last two days were:

    The Other Two – The Other Two & You
    The Golden Filter – Autonomy

    Looking forward to listening to a lot more music these next two days now that the weekend is here.

    Stay safe, everyone!

  31. I own about 3500 cd’s, 450 vinyls and 200 dvd/blu-ray’s. Now i had the time to listen them, but i much rather enjoy the silence and read music books and magazines!

    2. Really really want to see This is Pop but I dont have Sky Arts, Netflix or any of those types of services… Wish the BBC would sort themselves out and give it an airing…

  33. Mark Kermode’s Exorcist doc “The Fear of God” is on iPlayer in “the Festival Cut” which contains interviews not in the original TV or VHS/DVD Blu ray versions (which are apparently all different cuts).

    Spoilers abound, but they have every key person involved giving candid interviews.

    2. Saw that a few months ago it was excellent. I saw Mark Kermode’s tearful review of Mamma Mia: Here we go again on YouTube and thought I would check out his Exorcist documentary. It is very, very good.

  34. When I work on my PC, to help concentration, I sometimes prefer music with little to no lyrics as soundtrack. In the last couple of days, this included:
    – Layo & Bushwacka! “Low Life” (CD, 1999), classic breakbeat and downtempo.
    – Underworld “Barking Instrumental” (rare official promo CDr, 2010), a must have!
    – Blank & Jones “@WhatWeDoAtNight” (2xCD, 2017), brilliant electro/house.
    – Blank & Jones “@WhatWeDoAtNight 2” (2xCD, 2020), almost as good as the first volume.
    – Pet Shop Boys “Hotspot Instrumental” (CD, 2020), very enjoyable.

    And during leisure time, I have been actively listening to:
    – JB Dunckel [ex-Air] “H+” (red LP, 2018), a great album!
    – JB Dunckel “Summer (Original Soundtrack)” (clear LP, 2015), a beautiful soundtrack.
    – David Bowie “Is It Any Wonder” (CD, 2020), just received… not impressed.
    – Underworld “Drift Series 1 Sampler Edition” (2x yellow LPs, 2019), to conclude on last week’s marathon listen to the massive box set, my favorite 2019 release!
    – Jakszyk, Fripp And Collins “A Scarcity Of Miracles (A King Crimson ProjeKct)” (LP, 2011), a masterpiece that gets better after each listen.

  35. If anyone fancies an interesting and very strong new indie album, try 925 by the band Sorry, very impressive. It even includes a cheeky Tears for Fears reference.

  36. My playlist today:
    The Singers Unlimited – Eventide
    Lou Rawls – All Things in Time
    Elton John – Elton John
    Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection
    Shalamar – Friends
    Jaye P. Morgan – S/T
    Luther Vandross – Never Too Much
    Naked Eyes – S/T
    Tears For Fears – Songs From the Big Chair

  37. Ah timing! Not that anyone cares but we were forced to move house and have been searching for 3 months ir a new ine that meets our needs. Imagine having to do that during this craziness. Do you open a closet to see how big? Touch anything? Cant get gloves here (Phoenix area) at all. What a headache. Found a house, close in a month. Already packed my 12000 LPs. 10000 CDs are next. At my age this is the LAST MOVE

    Word on the street is the virus does not like hot and dry, which we have in abundance. So well done us. In the meantime decided to revisit the full catalog of Bill Nelson, Roxy Music, Danielle Dax and Paul Desmond. The wild west is taking the virus in a pretty cavalier manor. My family is cleaning everything. Glad I no longer live in NYC. All my friends there are in full panic mode. Be safe. Stay clean. Keep sane.

  38. Man, this is interesting stuff.

    Playing here, from disc:
    Volume 5 of the Pebbles garage rock series
    Hawkwind, “Warrior At The Edge Of Time”, the Steven Wilson version
    The Band, ‘Brown Album’, 2019 remaster
    The DVD from Prince’s 1999 deluxe box

    But the last couple of weeks, or so, has yielded a near-stunning amount of great new material on streaming services, mostly as precursors to upcoming full-length releases: Pretenders, Chuck Prophet, Jason Isbell, Joshua Redman, Car Seat Headrest, Lucinda Williams, Pelle Lindstrom with Downliners Sect, and more.

    Then the Dylan tune appeared last night at midnight, a release that must surely be ranked among his most head-scratching. How can this be such a long, dull example of second-class half-drunk poetry and be so compelling at the same time? Somewhere, the master is pouring another blast of whiskey with his own name on the bottle (which is also pretty hard to wrap your gray matter around) and muttering, “That ought to keep them busy for a while.”

    The real downside, though, is that we can’t walk into our local and shout our mouths off about these tunes, abd dangle the bartender’s tip on his or her effort to find some of this music on the house subscription and let it rip. Long as I don’t touch anybody, I can still jump in my truck roll down the window and turn it up, but what’s the point when the name of the street you love to cruise has just been changed to Dystopia Lane?

    Ah, sorry, sorry… The records in the basement have never seemed more valuable than now. Sounds like most people here feel the same.

    Thanks for the pick-us-up, Captain Paul.

    1. “Long, dull example of second-class half-drunk poetry?” HA! – It’s a masterpiece. Obviously some folks don’t understand Dylan.

  39. Hi there, I posted this one about two weeks ago when I first started work from home.
    I wasn’t sure where to post this message at the time and I think it just got buried.
    Its a reach out to all the great music lovers who read SDE, share their thoughts, critiques and wishes for more super deluxe editions. I love this site and reading it all.
    Reason for this message is to share my love for music in all genres, formats etc.
    In these times of Covid-19 where we must self isolate its great to know we all have fantastic music collections that we can listen to, appreciate and cherish.
    We used to call these Desert Island Discs, now its Covid-19 Self Isolation Discs!
    I just wanted to share with you my favourite Top 25 Deluxe Editions that I am listening to this week while I work from home here in Melbourne Australia.
    These are not necessarily in any order.
    These are my views only but I’m putting this out there to generate some feedback, critique, discussion and maybe others want to share their Top 25’s also. Lets have some fun !
    Stay safe, stay connected and enjoy listening my SDE friends! Thanks for a wonderful website where we can share with like minded friends!
    1. The Beatles – The Beatles & Esher Demos (White Album) deluxe
    2. Deep Purple – Made In Japan 9 LP
    3. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
    4. David Bowie – Station To Station (the Big Box)
    5. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (Immersion)
    6. Keith Richards – Talk Is Cheap
    7. Rolling Stones – Some Girls
    8. U2 – Achtung Baby (Uber Deluxe)
    9. REM – Automatic For The People
    10. Pink Floyd – The Later Years
    11. John Lennon – Imagine
    12. Wings – Wings Over America (Archive Box)
    13. The Beatles – Abbey Road
    14. The Beatles – Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
    15. Queen – News Of The Word (40th)
    16. Roxy Music -Roxy Music
    17. Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon (Immersion)
    18. Bob Dylan – 1965-66 – The Best Of The Cutting Edge -Bootleg Series Vol 12
    19. Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street
    20. Eric Clapton – Derek & The Dominoes – Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs
    21. Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
    22. Bob Marley – Exodus (40th)
    23. Fleetwood Mac – Tusk
    24. Supertramp – Breakfast In America
    25. Garbage – Version 2.0
    Cheers !

  40. I recorded the OJ doc on DVR a couple years back, watched all 9 hours of it and decided to keep it to watch again someday instead of deleting it as I normally do after watching something. Highly recommended.

    In the US, Dish satellite TV has free Showtime through April 3rd. They have New Order’s Decades and Duran Duran’s There’s Something You Should Know documentaries airing and available to stream. Both worth watching. Links to info:
    https://www.sho.com/titles/3473824/new-order-decades
    https://www.sho.com/titles/3475029/duran-duran-theres-something-you-should-know

    Some of the CDs I have been listening to on lockdown over the past several weeks:
    The new Morrissey CD
    Simple Minds Street Fighting Years 2CD
    Electronic debut 2CD (which needs a proper reissue)
    Pet Shop Boys Behaviour 2CD
    Erasure Chorus 3CD
    Prince Parade CD
    Housemartins London 0 Hull 4 2CD
    INXS The Swing CD
    The Jam Sound of the Jam CD
    Big Audio Dynamite This is BAD 2CD
    Generation X debut 2CD
    (Oingo) Boingo Boingo CD
    Richard Butler self-titled CD
    UB40 Present Arms 3CD
    R.E.M. New Adventures in Hi-Fi CD
    Rufus Wainwright Want Two CD
    Book of Love The Best of CD
    …

    Stay safe and sane everyone!

  41. Westworld is fantastic, all 3 seasons.
    The Righteous Gemstones is ridiculously hilarious.
    The Outsider is well done and super creepy.
    All on HBO of course…

  42. In all seriousness, if anyone is stressed and / or having trouble sleeping I can highly recommend:

    1, Brian Eno “Lux”
    2, David Sylvian “Approaching Silence”

    I can honestly say I have listened to these albums at least once a week for months. Also on YouTube , Moby has done a long ambient piece, imaginatively titled “Long Ambient 1” which is also really good for aiding sleep.

    1. I’d add Jon Hopkins “Asleep Versions” EP, Max Richter’s “Sleep” and his four album Retrspective on Deutsche Grammaphone to your list for distressing. I love Lux.

      I do have a USB stick of this type of music for just such occasions as these. Also includes Niks Frahm and his labelmates at Erased Tapes – a really good label to explore.

      Which brings me to 1+1=X, which was a RSD release a couple years back, but a more affordable version came later. Its a great project of Erased Tapes artists collaborating together over a triple album of material. For vinyl fans the entire project was analogue only – so a real rarity. It comes with MP3 and WAV codes, though, so you don’t need record decks and valve amps to experience it!

      A more upbeat but similar project was Peter Gabriels’ Real World Recording Weeks from the 90s which brought lots of world music artists to his studio to collaborate. It produced three discs over about ten years:

      A Week in The Real World vol.1
      A Week or Two In The Real World
      Big Blue Ball

      The last one was created long after the event. But each week also produced artist albums such as Afro Celt Sound System, The Homles Brothers Jubilation or Arcane that have lively collaborations. Jubilation has a really lively African and Southern USA jam of Will The Circle Be Unbroken that really lifts the spirits. Its well worth exploring the whole catalogue created around those three weeks.

  43. As I’m still ill, to cheer me up listened to In Search of Space by Hawkwind.

    Watched Life On Mars both series back to back. Still as amazing now as it was 14 years ago. Now watching Top of the Pops 1989, some utter shit in that year glad I gave up on “modern music” at the end of 1987.

    1. So did I mate as I posted a couple as weeks ago, Johnny hates jazz and curiosity, maybe fine young cannibals where the last bastion’s of good 80s tunes for me,can anybody think of others?

      1. 1987 – I bought The Curiosity LP, along with Joshua Tree and The Hard line According To (sadly needs to be expanded), Prince Sign LP (he went off the boil from 1988 onwards for me) and Thomas Lang’s Scallywag Jaz (I must dig that out again when I get my collection out of storage)

        Scallywag Jaz was and still is a bloody good album. If you haven’t listened to it please do. Smoky light night jazz. Awesome, and expanded by Cherry Red in 2017.

        1. I had a few Thomas Lang (real name Tom Jones!) CDs, but one seems to have gone walkabout, probably loaned out and never returned. Ironically, The Lost Letter Z is the missing item. Bought the reissue of Scallywag Jaz when that was released and it’s a great reissue.

          Speaking of which, jazz is what I’ve been listening to recently, mostly contemporary British stuff. I like the way the artists all intermingle and appear on each other’s releases.

  45. What a great idea for a thread,Paul! (I immediately had to go and listen to Jessica!) Also agree about Aeroplane being wonderful of course. (Although if memory serves, the version on Don’t Explain is 0.2 per cent better…). And I love The Race For Space (and Every Valley too). All this extra watching and listening time feels like a gift. Current playlist:
    LISTENING
    Living in the Plastic Age – Buggles
    Beat Poetry For Survivalists – Luke Haines & Peter Buck
    Top Secret – Secret Service (“Early 80s Swedish synth pop” sounded too good to resist – thanks Poptones!)
    WATCHING
    Year of the Rabbit (I wish they’d make some more Toast of London…)
    Better Call Saul
    The Persuaders (I’m going through a bit of an ITC phase)

  46. I’m currently in Orlando where everything has shut down and I’m left to spend a lot of time in a hotel room. Virgin has cancelled my flight back to the UK on Sunday so now I’ll be going to JFK which I’m not looking forward to.

    With all this time on my hand, I’ve not only been listening to CD’s but watching a few music documentaries. The last two were The Beatles ‘Eight Days A Week’ which at the end gave a glimpse of how the Apple rooftop concert will look when released in full in September.

    The other is the Dave Clark Five documentary. Dave Clark may get a bad rap because he hasn’t released any of their original albums on CD but he was the only 60’s artist who was ahead of the game by owning his own recordings. Paul McCartney even comments on the documentary that he has never owned his recordings like Dave Clark.

  47. The last few years I’ve been listened to podcasts, mostly at bedtime as I have trouble getting to sleep. They have really been helpful the past couple of weeks. There are tons on The Beatles and I throughly recommend ‘I am the eggpod’. If you like 80s music checkout ‘Permanent Record’ podcast.
    Paul have you considered doing a podcast? Perhaps edit together the audio from some of your interviews.

  48. I’ve been revisitng my CD/LP/7″/12″ collection the past two weeks.
    Yesterday, I listened mostly ambient albums like Arthur Russell’s compilation First Thought Best Thought which includes his instrumentals work recorded at The Kitchen in NY in 1975. Arthur Russell was truly a genius musician and an icon of the 70s/80s scene in NY (sadly he died of Aids in 1992).
    This led me to the Disques du Crépuscule 1981 compilation “The Fruit of the Original Sin – A collection of after hours preoccupations, news from home, deserted islands, Scotland, Manchester, brave America and Belgium comprising forgotten dreams, wasted Blood, tyranny and more tiranny”. Long title but this is a great arty compilation with Arthur Russell, Durutti Column, Richard Jobson, etc. and belgian band Marine (reminiscent of Mark Stewart’s Pop Group) with their song Animal in my Head.
    Another fine compilation : Top Secret by now forgotten swedish band Secret Service. A collection of synth-pop / disco-pop tracks. Secret Service had a few hit singles in Europe in the early 80s (mainly Oh Susie and Flash in the Night). Then I turned to dutch band Time Bandits and their 12″ single I’m specialized in you. Good day.

    1. I couldn’t help but smile at your mention of Arthur Russell. He truly is one of the most singularly unique artists that I have had the pleasure of hearing. I was hooked instantly upon hearing the first few strands of his effects-laden cello and mournful, beautiful voice.

      Take care,

      Travis

      1. You too. Thanks Travis.

        In 2015, Arthur Russell’s friend Peter Gordon organized a world tour playing Instrumentals with Peter Zummo, Rhys Chatham, Ernie Brooks and other musicians. I saw them in Paris and it was great to hear Arthur Russell’s music played live by such great musicians. Ernie Brooks played bass with the Modern Lovers (Jonathan Richman) and the Necessaries (a band fronted by Arthur Russell who sings). They made two albums produced by Bob Blank, a kind of power pop in the vein of the DBs. I just looked for the Big Sky (their debut LP) in my collection and started playing it on my turntable. I hadn’t play it for almost 5 years.

  49. I think Race for Space was the best album of the last decade. I recorded the late night prom on my TV hard drive last summer, and watch it frequently – it include the Koralev (spelling?) b side between Go and Tomorrow.
    They were intending to physically release either the Proms or Natural History shows of Race for Space at some point, but I haven’t had any mail from the band recently.

  50. What a pleasant surprise seeing The Beekeeper on your list. I’m a MASSIVE Tori fan. The title-track and Garlands are easily on my top 10 Tori songs.

      1. Different strokes for different folks, I guess – I could never get past the feeling that Tori really REALLY wanted to be Kate Bush (at least with that first album – was never tempted to investigate further).

        Had the same problem with Tracy Chapman and Joan Armatrading.

          1. I met her backstage in 2014, after one of the three gigs I was able attend during the Unrepentent Geraldines Tour (another brilliant album). She was so kind and warm.

            I love how her setlists vary a great deal from night to night. I must have heard more than 30 different songs between those three shows. Amazing.

          2. We were lucky to hear Silent All These Years at RAH because I noticed it was far from a regular in her setlist (this was the last tour).

          2. @John McCann:

            Nor did Joan Armatrading. So maybe…just maybe, it’s safe to presume that Steven wanted to fill in Tracy Chapman for Tori Amos and Joan Armatrading for Kate Bush in his comparison…

  51. My “Hurting” box arrived from Universal music yesterday morning, only took 6 days from day of ordering so that’s a good few days there. I also still haven’t listened to the remix disc from the last Bowie box. One thing at a time eh?

    As for watching, “The Revenant”, “Into the wild” & “Interiors” . I also have the Twin Peaks boxset & “Fire Walk with me” to watch.

    The best thing about this is if someone mentions something you might have long forgotten & it sparks an interest!!

      1. If this thing goes on for a few more weeks, I might have to. I haven’t seen it for more than 20 years so if it is bad, I can’t remember.

  52. Mark Kermode actually gave Mindhorn a good review, which can be high praise indeed. I quite enjoyed it as it’s my sort of humour. Reminded me a bit of The Comic Strip’s ‘Detectives On The Edge Of A Nervous Breakdown ‘

  53. I agree Paul. The OJ documentary was an incredible and moving piece of work. In my view it eclipses anything I’ve seen about the trial.

    Particularly the first two episodes, which among other things drew a stark picture of racial attitudes and attitudes about sexuality in America.

    1. I’m full of admiration for the filmmaker and he really deserved that Oscar. Apparently the rules were changed afterwards so no long-form documentary series can win an Oscar like this did, again.

    2. I hadn’t realised that. Gosh. The long format has led to some of the best documentaries I’ve ever watched. The civil war and Vietnam spring to my mind.
      And the OJ documentary was an emotional and sad journey. Or better yet it was a number of very sad journeys into American darkness.

      The oscars have really set their throne Canute-like into the sand these days.

      Stay relevant

  54. I’ll give the beekeeper another listen after all these years. Unfortunately IMO the album was far too long and therefore difficult to digest all in one go. Was also at the time when cd singles were on the decline and some of these tracks would otherwise have been on one or two cd singles if tori had released any
    Still will give it another go ….

    1. You’ve hit the nail on the head David. It should have been a 12 or 13 track album. It’s funny how your brain just can’t digest a 19-track album of new music. It’s like you need a beginning, a middle and an end and you are being given a beginning, four middles and an end!!

      1. It’s funny because so many of my favorite songs from her have been B-sides, EP cuts (like “Take to the Sky”) and remixes not on the albums but I wouldn’t have really wanted them on the actual albums as they flow so well without them. Not sure if she needs an editor or to look into doing more Special Editions with bonus tracks but, yeah, starting noticing on “Boys for Pele” that as much as I was enjoying the songs, I was just getting tired of listening to the album (that and many of the songs felt unfinished). One of the reasons “Girls From the Choirgirl Hotel” its still my favorite album of hers, great songs and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.

        And agree on what a great live performer she is. I find I actually like her better solo than with a band.

        1. I agree Erik, From The Choirgirl Hotel is excellent. The first two songs, Spark and Cruel are brilliant.

          I always liked that Tori Amos didn’t deny the Kate Bush link, and rather smartly acknowledged how brilliant Kate Bush is.

  55. Put three Blu-rays of “The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings” in your player. IMO it blows Brothers & Sisters away and as you already know, Brothers & Sisters is a great album. It made me an Allman Brothers fan. The musicianship is insanely good. It is probably one of my 10 favorite albums of all time.

  56. Today I re-discovered Def Leppard’s Slang, Free Tons of Sobs, Hawkwind Warrior on the Edge Of Time, The Kinks Preservation Acts 1 & 2.

    Particularly loved the Kinks, these two albums are ripe for vinyl re-issue my originals still sound great though.

    Cheers Paul and everyone who contributes
    Stay happy, safe and well

  57. This has become my first “must return to” thread.

    Lots of great musical ideas for me, most old, a few new.

    MY QUEST.
    To find more fans of a classic, an overlooked classic album. One that easily deserves a superdeluxe treatment. And one that I think will have a great deal of unreleased stuff of quality.
    What is it? What is this album I talk about?

    It is The Capeman by Paul Simon. Paul’s neglected child, his most misunderstood work with criticisms that include “too much swearing”.
    A superb album, show and even a concept album, it takes us on a sad and inevitable journey through racial attitudes in 1950s America.
    I know of one other fan, my mate Jimmy who introduced me to it. Ta jimmy.
    To slightly misquote.
    Is there anybody else’s out there?

    1. I fully agree. All his albums deserve a SDE. The Graceland SDE was rather weak in audio content. His movie soundtrack album One Trick Pony is forty years old. Ideal time to release an SDE with the film in which Paul Simon himself plays the leading role. That record was also considered weak at the time. My first record I bought and I still love it.

  58. I know this may be is not in the spirit of rediscovering classic stuff lurking a the bottom of the cd drawer but I’m really enjoying Dua Lipa’s catchy new Future Nostalgia album that is riddled with 80s sounds ….

  60. I’m also giving a big thumbs-up recommendation for “Mindhunter”. It’s like a 2o hour version of Fincher’s “Zodiac”, which is one of my favorite movies of the new century.

    Also pulled out the SDE of “Gish” by Smashing Pumpkins. I got into them well after this album was originally released, so I don’t have a big connection to it. But it’s interesting to go back and listen to the seeds of what they would become. (Get it? Pumpkins? SEEDS? That’s quality stuff right there. And I’m giving it to you for free.)

  61. I have so much music I rarely have the time to sit down & properly listen to all this enforced “Me time” is almost a luxury. Anyway, I’ve been listening to:

    1, Foals “What went down” . I knew it was good but not REALLY good. Been playing it on heavy rotation for 2 days now.
    2, The Libertines ” Up the Bracket” . They definitely had something special going on back then.
    3 The remix disc of Manic Street Preachers”Forever Delayed” compilation.
    4, Sigor Ros ” Inni”. The live album. I Love this group, so much going on, so many great tunes & atmospherics. Shame I haven’t got a bloody clue what they’re singing about. I’m thinking of having a day next week purely for Sigor Ros actually.

    Stay safe everyone & keep washing them there hands!!

  62. The OJ doc is good ……but The People Vs OJ is one of the best dramas of the last decade.
    The stellar cast were to a man and a woman magnificent …….knowing the ending spoilt it not one bit.

    If we are talking television , The Americans is the best drama in many years and if you like your Twin Peaks style oddity , The Leftovers is a must.

  63. Respectfully disagree on the uniform quality of The Beekeeper. Both ‘Ireland’ and ‘Cars & Guitars’ are hot contenders for the very worst songs of Tori Amos’s career.

  64. Went through Krfatwerks Back Catalogue, which was joyous (apart from Techno Pop) and now listening to The Associates singles collection on CD. I really need a copy of Sulk on vinyl, any one have any idea if the 2014 remasters are any good?

    1. I just bought myself a vinyl copy of Electric Cafe as I realised I must have (stupidly) got rid of my original by mistake when I slimmed down my vinyl collection. I keep all my other Kraftwerk originals.
      I had just finished reading the new Book on Kraftwerk (Future Music from Germany) which prompted me to listen to their albums again. While Electric Cafe is a low point (and even worse in its Techno Pop form) I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

  65. For something slightly different, can I recommend Tim Burgess’ Twitter Listening Parties? Simple enough concept – at a designated time, a chosen record is played and people associated with the album tweet along with insight into the recording, the band etc.

    I’ve listened to couple so far (Ride’s Going Blank Again with Andy Bell & Loz Colbert, Charlatan’s debut) and, despite being initially sceptical, they actually work well despite being a little chaotic; really interesting and you get a real sense of community as other listeners share their thoughts.

    There’s loads more coming up including Flaming Lips, The Fall, Prefab Sprout, Mogwai, Orange Juice, Cocteau Twins, Cornershop.

    Follow Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) on Twitter if interested.

  66. Listening to lots of Pet Shop Boys older albums, Bowie’s Earthling all on LP and a BRILLIANT Best of James Bond – 50 Years – 50 Tracks on 2CD – This includes the instrumental track ‘The Laser Beam’ from that famous Goldfinger scene – John Barry at his BEST!

    Plus only yesterday i received the new Morrissey LP + Baxter Dury ‘The Night Chancers’ which is a fantastic record

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