Elektronische - ART IMITATES

His generals looked at him in horrified silence...

Link to the You Tube video. From the EBN.EX Dub-plate - 'Dark edges of the dance floor'

That there football... (Part 3)

And so, another World Cup has been and gone. Was it the best ever? No, most probably not. That honour still goes to Mexico 70. With Spain 82 & Germany 06 perhaps running them close. However, it was certainly enjoyable, with the prima donnas ousted early enough for new heroes to be welcomed and championed.

England's performance was encouraging enough, Brazil regained some composure after the horrors of the last tournament (despite Neymar's histrionics), Germany's departure made for a little more jeopardy in the latter stages, France glided to victory, Croatia gave everything but came up short, Spain's pre-comp suicide most probably did not have much impact and Ronaldo's vanity still irked enough to detract from his sublime technique. Cavani looked a much better player than I've previously given him credit for and Japan proved shrewd tacticians despite themselves.

There weren't any real downsides, the stadia looked great, the promised violence just didn't kick off and the hosts weren't the no hopers they had been portrayed as. As for Australia, the hype and hoopla back home was always going to be impossible to live up to. The notion that Australia were shoe-in's to escape their group showed a lack of perspective of the world game that will continue to limit the national team's progress in major tournaments. They are still Championship challengers in a Premiership world. The major problem in Australian football is highlighted at junior and club level, where physicality is praised over finesse. It is all very well promoting a Dutch footballing model and imposing 4-3-3 on junior sides but until coaches, clubs and committees recognise that the world of football is ever evolving, they will continually be 20 years behind the world game.

That there football... (Part 2)

Well, all good things etc...

The reality of the situation is that we were lucky to make it as far as we did. We aren't really one of the best four teams in the world. Gareth Southgate isn't quite the tactical genius he was 24 hours ago (not that I'm being critical, he completely surpassed most expectations - especially mine). And yet, the England team performed way above expectations and more importantly behaved impeccably. I know that might seem an odd thing to be so immensely proud of but...

It was about time that a group of obscenely highly paid sportsman fulfilled the other key part of the bargain, which is to be genuine role models and not just roll around on the floor models!

Thank you.

In the meantime though, it is worth remembering the following...

I was looking for a job and then I found a job... #5

You wait for a few aeons for a job to come along and then 3 come along at once...

1. Dream role, mentally stimulating. Short term.
2. Longer term, eyes closed but pleasant enough.
3. Lifer but as dull as...

What to do, what to do.

I think we all know the answer!

That there football...

Once every four years and it is time to... get the Panini album, pull the England shirt out from the box in the loft, ignore the fact that you've been slagging them off for the last 3 years and 11 months, become an expert on the current form of the Saudi keeper and become very conversant with random time zones and inhospitable waking hours.

But now the fun bit is over and we have to start to brace ourselves for the knockout stages and the anguish that 90/120 minutes +/- penalties can bring.

It is wonderful but also so agonising....

Slow moving

I just popped back in to see how things were looking and there still seems to be a rather healthy appetite for the various different memories, moments and meanderings described here. I'm conscious that I've been ridiculously slow in posting anything new. I blame football, life & the weather.

However, look out for the following over the coming weeks.

• More bands that I wished I'd been in.
• More albums no self respecting gentleman or lady should own.
• Book of the week
• Film of the month
• How to make a million overnight
• The best way to rob a hedge fund
• MP's we have loved (in a series of 3)
• MP's we despise (in a series of 50)
• More strings of desire
• The five best parties ever
• The truth about David Icke
• Britain's favourite boxers
• Salad Cream v HP Sauce
• And a message from our sponsors

...Perhaps

Insights from a Modernlife II

A new style, fashion, music and arts blog is due to be launched within the next couple of weeks. And whilst the prospect might fill you with a dread bordering on pathological, fear not. The writers behind the blog are persons of impeccable taste and style. They know the difference between an edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unravelling and a zone of altered rock, especially volcanic glass, at the edge of a rock mass.

There will be articles on some of the stand out designers, influencers, style connoisseurs and fashion houses. From the finest accessories to the coolest of cheap cheats that will keep the opposition guessing and the spectators admiring. The soundtrack to a Modernlife will also be covered, with album reviews (classics & new releases). Occasional film reviews too as well as news snapshots and all the what-to-dos. 

Be seeing you! 

Insights from a Modernlife

Poll results - What colour is Sunday?

Results in...

A split decision between Blue & Yellow.

Thank you for voting!

Albums no self-respecting gentlemen should own #2 - U2 'The Joshua Tree'

A more lumpen collection of pompous music is quite hard to find. Camouflaged under faux 'rock' stylings, the limited lyrical and musical imagination of Paul Hewson, David Evans, Larry Mullen & Adam Clayton has long been held up as some kind of classic. The arguments in support of this are very lightweight but nevertheless it is still common currency. But with the exception of the first three tracks (Where the streets have no name, I still haven't found what I'm looking for, With or without you) most fans and critics alike would be hard pressed to name any other 'tracks'.

The reason for that is simple, they aren't any good. Most vaguely decent albums of any era can easily muster as many if not more standout tracks - The Joshua Tree simply does not stand the test of time. It is music for students, management graduates and footballers. An album that is devoid of any emotional depth, lyrical sidesteps or political substance (on either a micro or macro level), the only saving grace (and boy am I clutching at straws) is some of Steve Lillywhite's production. The aspects of which are too dull to convey.

U2's rise to prominence is still a thing of genuine mystery. The real pretenders to the post-punk/psychedelic/straight rock world were Liverpool's 2nd best band of the 80's Echo & the Bunnymen (the first being The Teardrop Explodes, who were genuinely psychedelically enhanced and prepared to challenge the normsoc rock that bumped along in the lower reaches of the charts). The Bunnymen looked and sounded the part with Messrs McCulloch, Seargent, De Freitas & Pattinson creating a cohesive and dynamic sound that out stripped the Dublin wannabes easily in the early/mid years. If New Order were Champions League contenders, The Bunnymen were upper reaches of the Premiership then U2 were strictly div 2. (NB On this ranking, The 'mighty' Fall were runaway winner of the World Club Championship).

There is much to detest about The Joshua Tree but the thing that tops it off is the 'iconic' cover... Da boyz all standing nicely huddled in... a... wait for it... desert.... where Gram Parsons' alcohol engorged body was torched and the... Grateful Dead peddled super strength Acid - How very rock 'n roll! They could have only topped it by standing round Jim Morrisons grave in Pere Lachaise or doing an accapella version of Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis' final resting place.

Anyway, enough of this.

There are only two types of music - good & bad. The Joshua Tree fits firmly into one of these types and you know exactly which one.

Mark E Smith RIP

Mark Edward Smith (5 March 1957 – 24 January 2018)

'If it's me and yer granny on bongoes, it's still The Fall'