As a result of the birthday party yesterday and its associated muddy head (I admit full responsibility for the causes…I just won’t admit it too loudly), I completely forgot to write down the tracks I played on George today, but it was more or less my best of the year and it’s covered below.

I apologized for the noisy Kraftwerk track for anyone with a hangover and got the text of the day from a guy who had a massive hangover but said he had taken two pills and gone to work and wanted me to turn it up….didn’t ask what pills….

So, instead, a few records I’m liking right now:

The Futureheads- lovely noisy punchy latter day retro punk from the north of England. Partly produced by The Gang of 4′s Andy Gill, it’s like the album The Jam forgot to make, or Paul Weller decided he didn’t want to make anymore (it’s a little sad that the only good Paul Weller album of the last ten years is his Back to Mine thingy)…great car music-by myself-everyone else tells me to take it off

The latest Fabric album matches one of the UK’s most interesting DJs (I won’t say best as he’s so bloody all over the place which is part of the charm), Andy Weatherall, with the world’s best mix series, bar none. Heading off on a lightish techy slant, this is a fairly accessible mix for Andy, served up with a generous helping over his reknown dry humour. And it includes the glorious “Dexter” from Villalobos in it’s Two Lone Swordsman mix, and the only Joy Division cover I’ve ever heard that even comes close to working. Best described as charming and loveable.

Pete Heller’s “Timewarp” is a bit of a return to form from a pioneer lost in the big rooms of recent, in an Ibadan / Jerome Sydenham & Dennis Ferrer style (before Defected fuck it up as they seeem to with everything they touch…). And there is a new Roach Motel due too……soon please….

I was lucky enough to scam a copy of the LCD Soundsystem album, out in January, and it’s as good as I hoped..maybe a little better, irreverent, punky, funky, dirty, rough, and just fun.

Completely entranced by the Henrik Schwarz track “Chicago” on Germany’s Moodmusic , a long grinding deep houser that sounds like the sort of record that Kenny Dixon used to make and maybe should make again.

I’ve had the Larry Levan mix of Steve Arrington‘s “Summertime Lovin’” , on Salsoul, for god knows how long and it didn’t ever really click until the other day. An ace new Slave record, because that’s what it sounds like to me….kool

Finally, (actually there are more but it’s late and I’ve got a hell of a day tomorrow) Starship 727 is a wicked 3 track old school (as in Chicago house) ep from Italy’s Mario Pierro that recycles as only the Italians can. Guess I’m a sucker for anything with a a 303 in it. The ongoing acid revival is something that I’m really enjoying.

And, after all these years I have taught myself to touch type……

My god….

I’m unable to put in words the horror that I feel looking at the death and devastation after the Tsunami in South Asia. It makes a person, sitting in a comfortable and secure living room in central Auckland, with satellite news, feel so absolutely impotent, helpless and insignificant. It puts everything in perspective, it really does…

And the west’s reaction to date has been nothing less than appalling…the US’s initial offer of US$35 million sits next to its hourly expenditure (excluding Iraq)of over $50 million on its military.

Hundreds of millions of dollars would need to be delivered by international governments within days to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, a spokesman said. The United Nations said that US$80m (£41.5m) had been pledged, although donors would need to raise more than four times that amount to cope.

says The Independent today

The US government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars in recent times causing great misery and death in its strategic maneuvering around the world but seems unable to find the money to alleviate pain, money that wouldn’t cause a blip on it’s military economy.

And Bush is on holiday again.

Then there is this…

Obscene and inexcusable.

Happy birthday to this fella today:

Bloody awful picture (where do they find these bloody things) but I’ve known the old bugger now for some 30 years and he’s one of the most decent loyal people you could hope to meet

And happy birthday to James Pinker, who I first met at a Suburban Reptiles gig at VUSA in 1977, another close and good buddy (he had pink hair at the time but that’s another story). Big party yesterday which has left me with another stonking headache (see above).

Ain’t nothing like an old friend..I’m allowed to get a little over sentimental at Christmas

Extended Play on George 221204

Quincy Jones-There’s a Train Leaving-A&M-1976
Supremes-I’m Gonna let my Heart do the Walking-Motown-1976
Dazzle-You Dazzle Me-De-Lite-1979
Donald Byrd-Love has come around-Elektra-1981
Hamilton Bohannon-Wake Up (Neroli re-edit)-Slam Jam-2004
Alexander O’Neal-Whats Missing (remix)-Tabu-1985
MC Shan-The Bridge-Cold Chillin’-1987
Hot RS-Slow Blow-Slam Jam-2004
Tilt-Arcade Funk-DETT-1984
Fatback -Girls on my Mind-Cotillion-1984
Change-A Lovers Holiday-WEA-1980
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles-Soulful Shack-Tamla-1967
Musique-In the Bush (FK Mix)-Prelude-1978
Jean Carne-What’s on Your Mind-Philadelphia Int-1979
Duane & Co-JB Piano Trax-Trax-1987
Jamie Principal-Cold World-DJ International-1987
Innocence-I’ll be There (MAW 12” mix)-Cooltempo-1992
Mondee Oliver-Stay Close (Larry Heard Fingers club vocal)-Gherkin-1989
Hardhouse-Check This Out-Easy St-1988
Heaven 17-Lets all Make a Bomb-Virgin-1981
The Reese Project-Direct Me (Underground Resistance Mix)-Giant-1981
Soulwax-E Talking (Nite mix)-Pias-2005
DK7-Slipstream-Output-2004
Tyree Cooper -Acid Over (Matey mix)-DJ International-1988
Chaka Khan-Krush Groove-Warner Bros-1985
Cajmere feat Dajae-I Need You-Cajual-2004
SIN-So Sad (Abe Duque mix)-Sin-2004
Rhythim is Rhythim-It is what It Is-Transmat-1988
Adamski-The N-R-G Symphony in F Minor-MCA-1990
Wham-Everything She Wants (12” mix)-Epic-1984

I always feel rather sorry for large groups at Asian restaurants who politely sit there consuming their own individual meals rather than sharing and partaking in all the available flavours. Actually thats not true….sorrow is the last emotion I feel, rather pity and an overwhelming desire to scream “what the fuck are you doing…get a life”. I mean, why bother? Surely someone has the balls to take over or politely explain the seemingly obvious fact that food in most Asian restaurants is made to be shared. Obviously not. The sight of half a dozen girls on a hen night each with their own rogan josh is just plain sad.

Sorry…pet niggle

Who the hell would want to be a music critic, especially one who writes those 50 word reviews for the local rags like Real Groove (which actually has its moments and is worthy, especially in an era where the rock mag has largely become redundant with the rise of the electronic media), or Rip It Up (which hasn’t had an issue worthy of the ink used since Murray Cammick left and is rather self important, bloated and sad these days I’m afraid). I should know, I used to churn them out in days gone bye for Murray, and some of what I wrote is simply embarrassing…the 200 hundred words by 9am for an album you’ve never heard before syndrome…a record that some poor bastard spent a year of blood and toil making….as Lou Reed says “you spend a year and a half making an album and some arsehole gives you a b+”

And in the grand tradition of embarrassing reviews, both the above magazines gave Brian Wilson’s Smile fairly luke warn reviews. Including one from a reviewer that I would have thought better of….but, hey, everyone has an opinion and they’re entitled to it. Including me. And my opinion is that they’re wrong. And they are. Beyond question.

And just to nail that point home, Brian Wilson astounded and mesmerised 3000 odd people on Sunday night past at the Aotea Centre here in Auckland. Russell Bailey actually nailed it pretty well in the NZ Herald and I’m loathe to try and better his review.

Suffice to say that Brigid, who has always looked strangely at my Brian Wilson fixation, and was less than convinced by the rocky ending to the first half, is a new born convert. Smile is everything it was always supposed to be and something more. I hate the way the word genius is so loosely applied, but with Brian, the tragic genius is unquestioned.

Mike Love can trek around the world recycling surf hits endlessly (and providing Mojo with odd “I’m a good guy…really….” interviews that just dig his hole a little deeper) and suing people like poor old rather talentless, Al Jardine- Brian left him behind decades ago. I loved the accoustic bracket at the beginning, and the way he dug out lesser known early tracks (“Wendy” & “Forever”…bliss), and when he ended with a bracket of hits, it was because wanted to, unlike Love’s oldies crew trading on the Beach Boys name, it wasn’t the reason we were all there.

Fucking genius.

The first is from one arguably one of the most talented rappers to ever pass through the West: The D.O.C. Before a car accident destroyed his vocal chords and ended what would have been a career that could have made Snoop seem like a little doggy dogg, D.O.C. was THE Man. Powerful voice, untouchable flow, and just a presence on the mic that towered over the entire NWA posse. “The D.O.C. and the Doctor,” was my first introduction to him and it remains my favorite song by him even though he’s had bigger hits (“Funky Enough”). It’s just how ill the song opens – the thrash guitar, the convo b/t him and Dre, and the explosive: “I’m the diggy-diggy-Doc-ya’ll” which is only outdone by the opening to the 2nd verse: “When I hear a BASS drum/I gotta get dumb.”

So says Oliver Wang on soul sides. I’m a massive fan of the D.O.C., and the album remains an almost lost hip-hop classic. But Wang is wrong to dismiss the hip house version of “Portrait” as cheesy. I assume he’s refering to one of the CJ Macintosh remixes, which came on two uk 12″s, one of which is mentioned here. There were two separate CJs…the red sleeved one already mentioned, and a blue sleeved one with a hip hop and a tougher house mix. I have a real soft spot for the CJ (& Dave Dorrell) mixes of tthe late eighties. There was a rolling charm to many of them and at their best (Roxanne Shante’s “Live on Stage” & The D.O.C. mixes) he added something without belitting the original….something rare with UK mixes of US hip hop of the era (as Eric B & Rakim found out). In particular the remix of “Boops’ leaves the original in the dust.

I’ve also just rediscovered CJ & Einstein’s electric scratchfest, “The Tables are Turning” on Simon Harris’s label, Music Of Life. Hard as hell to find but worth grabbing if it turns up, as one did the other day in the cheapie bins at Real Groovy (where all the best records are).