How different would music have turned out without this track?

Kraftwerk -‘Trans Europe Express.’

I know this might be heresy, but I’m starting to wonder if Kraftwerk might actually have been more important than the Sex Pistols…Don’t get me wrong, the Pistols changed a hell of a lot in the music industry, but to listen to Kraftwerk is like seeing a prediction for the next thirty years of music. Without this song…imagine how post-punk, hiphop, pretty much anything from the dance scene from Aphex Twin to trance would have turned out so differently. Like an omelette without eggs…

Perhaps Public Image Ltd. were ultimately more important than the Sex Pistols? Discuss. I don’t know how much of an influence Kraftwerk had on PIL, but I think they must have seeped through in some way.

P.I.L. -‘Death Disco.’

BTW…(final thought before stumbling off to bed)…is this 80s cheese or a seminal track?

Ultravox -‘Vienna.’

Countdown to Christmas Post #9

Well, y’know, it’s been at least a week since I posted any Fall stuff here (!), so this is a special Saturday post.

The first track here was first heard on their second John Peel session, broadcast on December 6, 1978 (thirty years ago!!). ‘No Xmas For John Quays’ is a somewhat amusing gag (for goodness sake, say it out aloud), and the track was later recorded for their debut LP, Live At The Witch Trials. I present both versions for you here.

Fast forward, umm sixteen years, and yours truly is glued to John Peel, taping the shows when possible (and often struggling to stay awake until it’s over). The Christmas shows that year were great (why did I not keep them intact?!?!), and the Fall’s eighteenth Peel session, broadcast on December 17, 1994 contained covers of both ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing.’

In December 2003 they released a four track EP entitled ‘We Wish You A Protein Christmas.’ I always wanted to buy it, but as it was usually retailing for about a fiver, it seemed a lot for a new single. Now of course, I kick myself. Ah well…

The Fall -‘No Christmas For John Quays (Peel session 1978).’ mp3

The Fall -‘No Christmas For John Quays.’ mp3

The Fall -‘Jingle Bell Rock (Peel session 1994).’ mp3

The Fall -‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Peel session 1994).’ mp3

The Fall -‘(We Wish You) A Protein Christmas.’ mp3

Enjoy your weekend!

P.S. There are obviously loads of blogs out there doing Christmas related stuff, two of my favourites are I Correct Myself, I Mean All The Time and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. The latter is also written by Steve who writes my favourite mp3 blog of all, Teenage Kicks
. The I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday blog has been highlighted in the Guardian. Congratulations, Steve!

Countdown to Christmas Post #9

I was kinda surprised when putting this post together to discover that a) I hadn’t actually posted this last year during the big Christmas-fest I had and b) that whilst I had mentioned Elastica’s name on the site I had never posted any Elastica on the blog in what is nearly two and a half years of existence. For shame, for shame…

Anyway, these tracks were recorded for a John Peel session in December 1994. I did actually manage to tape these off the radio, though these mp3s have come to me by other, ah, means…er, anyway two ‘carols’ from Elastica:

Elastica -‘All For Gloria (Peel session).’ mp3

Elastica -‘I Wanna Be A King Of Orient Aah (Peel session).’ mp3

More tomorrow, folks…

Countdown to Christmas Post #8

There is an argument that this evening’s track, the opening one on Low’s Christmas LP, is the best Christmas track to appear over the last ten years.

I haven’t been blown away by Low’s latest single ‘Santa’s Coming Over’ though I like the b-side ‘The Coming Of Jah.’ Mormons from Minnesota covering reggae? Don’t knock it…

Low -‘Just Like Christmas.’ mp3

And, I know I posted this last year, but what the hell…

Aberdeen City -‘Just Like Christmas (Low cover).’ mp3

Countdown to Christmas Post #7

OK, I have to admit I had barely heard of this record until last year, when one reader wrote in to ask if I had it. Investigating it, I cannot believe this band slipped through the net.

I didn’t have the track, I eventually tracked it down and I post it here for you:

Basement 5 -‘Last White Christmas.’ mp3

basement 5 on Wiki/myspace

Countdown to Christmas Post #6

The Wedding Present are no stranger to doing Christmas songs, and they have just released a rather ace Christmas song called ‘Jolly Holly Wood.’ It’s rather fab, IMHO: GO AND BUY IT!

Back in 1992, as has been well documented, the Weddoes recorded and released a 7″ a month. The a-side featured one of their original songs and a cover version on the b-side. For that final release, they covered Elton John’s ‘Step Into Christmas.’

The Wedding Present -‘No Christmas.’

The Wedding Present -‘Step Into Christmas.’

Countdown to Christmas Post #5

[The end of term cannot come fast enough…I love teaching but whoever came up with the idea of marking St. Andrew’s Day by getting the kids to wear football strips needs dealing with. Hyper all bloody day.]

…Sorry, just one of my occasional moans about teaching.

Anyway, you’re here for music not my insights into the state of education, really, aren’t you?

Ron Sexsmith -‘Something To Hold Onto (At Christmas).’ mp3

Be good. x