1969: Harry Bipthday Trebor 27 November

Hilarious 10 year old humour.


Rob has the symmetrical joy of turning 44 today. I can find pleasure in many numerical patterns, but the simplicity of double digits is always pleasing.


I want to live to 99.


After that it is triple digits, and that is a bit creepy.


Anyway let's get into it, some years since my last post. Is there anybody out there?


In recent years, Rob has become a big fan of "the boss". I kinda missed it all- apart from the " born in the USA" stuff from 1984, which was ever present for the latter part of that year. I was a youthful 16/17; Rob a baby faced 14.


So, in a fraternal spirit of birthday wishes, here is a very early track from Springsteen- happily from 1969; weirdly a big white boys rhythym and blues wig out; but still . . . Not too bad.


Steel Mill-Jeannie i want to thank you (Live)







It is always a bit grim when the end arrives for a such an influential artist as Lou Reed. It nearly inspired me to start the blog again at that time; but it seemed too bleak to use death as a motivator for anything really. Like many, it meant a week or two of reflective (and instructive) listening to the Velvets and Lou. (Oddly, growing up in Dunedin, I was a bit late to knowing much about them, despite the fact that I found out later many of the flying nun bands I loved then cited the velvet underground as a key influence - the so called "thousand bands" launched by the Velvets. Strangely- for me at least- Nico - a very unpleasant woman according to Germaine Greer, among others, (see my comment at the bottom of this article) played at the very first orientation of my university time in 1986- And I missed her, not knowing the significance.)

This is another track from 1969 . . . patience people - so far they are both long songs with long intro's. So very 1969.

Velvet underground- Sister Ray (Live)





Ok. I know Elvis has already appeared in this blog, so this will only be an oblique reference, but one in keeping with the 1969 theme. In 1984, the marvellous and disturbing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released their first single- a cover of the magnificent Elvis track from 1969 "In the Ghetto". In keeping with the wonderful and unsettling from Nick, here is a beautiful track from the macabre, hilarious, and quite wonderful "murder ballads" album from 1996, featuring the magnificent PJ Harvey.



Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (featuring PJ Harvey) - Henry Lee






And finally, from Vol.9, here is- frankly a bit of a shocker, but Rob seems to like a bike.


Billy Sans- Bicycle Morning






Happy birthday brother, and may there be many more. Let's eat weetbix at Wembley one day.