Showing posts with label Nigel Blackwell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nigel Blackwell. Show all posts

Saturday 6 March 2021

Hair Like Gareth Ainsworth Blues

 Gareth Ainsworth is one of the most noticeable EFL managers because of his hair. He is also an absolutely wonderful person , a great manager loved my his team and fans and is a great and entertaining TV pundit as well. I chose the title because it made me think of "Hair Like Brian May Blues" by Half Man Half Biscuit and the title could definitely be a Nigel Blackwell song.

Gareth Ainsworth - Rock Star Manager

Gareth Ainsworth's team Wycombe Wanderers were promoted to the championship for the first time in their history, but despite their passion and entertaining football they are bottom of the league looking favourites for relegation. However Gareth won't fear for his job because of what he has done for the club. There are clubs with more money and resources languishing in League One and Two . Wycombe are sensible enough to realise that continuity can benefit the club.

Chris Wilder - Sheffield Steel

Sheffield United in the Premiership are in a similar position, but with a great guy , Chris Wilder , in charge. They overachieved last season, challenging for a European place, but this season looks like likely relegation. Their fans and the club will keep Chris Wilder because he brought them up from League One without spending a fortune and again he is a great speaker and obviously a good manager. Too many times clubs just cut  their manager off and go for someone off the England second rate mangers like West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United.

So you know what the song is that I am going to share , but as I write this I am listening to and original album series box featuring five Paul Butterfield albums , which is rather excellent.


Wednesday 20 February 2019

Sing Hosanna, the Jazz Snobs are all going home


After giving up on "Second Coming " by The Stone Roses ("Love Spreads" is ok), I picked out "Some Call It Godcore" by Half Man Half Biscuit. My first thought was hey I've had this for so long and never listened to it, I don't know any of the songs, so wrong for someone who considers himself a Half Man Half Biscuit fan.

The opener "Sensitive Outsider" is excellent and seemed vaguely familiar , but I felt the over emphasised Jews / Jaws Harp detracted from the song though it does eventually fade. "Fretwork Homework" confirmed I had never listened to the album (Shame on Me, but I did buy it) and it is an excellent second song.

The "Faithlift" hit me, I thought I know this, so darkly funny and a brilliant refrain, in keeping with the vaguely religious parody cover and name, and yes I did know it and memories started to resurface. "Even Me With Steel Hearts" love to see a dog on the pitch, and yes I definitely know this wonderful album, it's just buried deeper that most others. Anyway you will know that the title of this post comes from the excellent "Faithlift" funny and barbed like most of Nigel's writing.

When you hear "(Seen by me mates coming out of a) Styx Gig" there is no doubt that this, while not a top division Half Man Half Biscuit album it's still excellent and better than The Stone Roses "Second Coming" though that's a bit Chalk and Baking Powder, the chalk does have lasting substance.

The finale monologue of "Tour Jacket (With eEtachable Sleeves)" is absolute top knotch Biscuitry, and in fact the album is (like all their stuff) brilliant and it is top disvision , maybe mid table Premiership sort of Watford or Leicester City, it cantains more than a few diamonds.

So that's my opinion of "Some Call It Godcore", well worth an extended revisit if you haven't listened to it recently.


Saturday 15 September 2018

Get Yer Bloody Lawn Mowed


My lawn does need mowing but it is looking lush and healthy at the moment and I think I will be overdoing it if I try it today, so I will let it continue to be lush. The title is inspired by the title of the latest Half Man Half Biscuit album " No-one Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fvckin' Hedge Cut", the title is starred out on Amazon and I've replaced the "U" with a "V" so hopefully people won't be too offended. The thing is starring things out doesn't hide anything really, people what F**k and Bu**er mean given the context, and it's unlikely the second word will be Butler, Bugker or Butter.

Anyway more of my thoughts on the album, it's much like most of their albums, ie excellent and the instrumentation, playing and productions seems much improved, possibly to the detriment of the lyrics, which are incredibly important in the effect of Half Man Half Biscuit songs sponting the references , connections, ambiguities and hilarities and Shakespearean class word play in there, although Nigel Blackwell may not thank me for that comparison, though him and John Cooper Clarke should be Poet Laureate at some point, two of our greatest populist wordsmiths.

I've chosen "Every Time A Bell Rings" which contains a refrain of the album title, checks in with David Bowie in the first line, takes swipes at Artisan stuff and wannabe cyclist and "It's A Wonderful Life". It's this sort of song that makes them an absolute joy to listen to.

Yes there is darkness in there but it's a sort of loveable darkness, and they are still one of my favourite bands and always will be.