A Lark Ascending

I first got an ear for the Singers Unlimited in the earl 80s when I'd hear them regularly on after midnight radio - the harmonies really affected me (you know how strangely music can affect you in those midnight hours). But not enough to overcome my silly prejudices - thought I might be buying something too MOR. Overcame those prejudices a few years back and bought: 7 CDS of their MPS recordings (minus the Xmas disc). I love that box!

I don't think brick and mortar would taste very good, but to each his own. gregmo It's not eating it that's the problem. The problem comes a few hours later.

Can you download the groceries? And if so, do the food products taste as good? Or should I stick to brick and mortar?

João Gilberto - Aquarela do Brasil (off Amoroso) It has two amazing melodies that would make distinct songs by themselves. Together... Great version by Jobim on 'Stone Flower' too.

I'm just sticking up for the Singers Unlimited. From a different world to hipster jazzdom, but if you take them on their own terms, delicious.

Nice memories. I remember whizzing down to New Cross from Woodford in Essex after school in the 60s ( we had lessons on Saturday mornings! ), hopefully escaping without paying the tube fare, and getting half an hour in Chris Wellard's before going on to watch my local team, Millwall. The considerable challenge was getting back to school by 6 pm to avoid dire consequences and avoiding the football thugs nicking my LPs and beating me up, with even direr consequences. As a Millwall fan, weren't you doing the beating up?

Yes, that would work. If you do decide to investigate the Hatfield/National Health records, make sure you go for the recent Esoteric remasters - much, much better than the earlier CD versions that are very flat and quite muddy. And the Caravan's are available in remasters from Decca from about 4 years ago. Again, very good sounds with lots of extra stuff, some of it very good indeed.

I love the harmonies and strange chord changes in the Singers Unlimited. They do some lovely Beatles arrangements but don't replace the Beatles versions for me. Don't give a bugger about who's the best.

One of the nice things about it is that it takes itself less seriously than the better known Prog-rock of the time - there's a sort of Lewis Carroll/Edward Lear feel to it. Yet the instrumental playing is as skilled as anything in the genre. It's a very English approach - eggheadism on the one hand; and then embarrassment about appearing too clever that results in the silliness.

I went to Trent polytechnic in the late 1980s - was that shop there then? Not that I'd have gone in - I spent almost all my time at Selectadisc. I went to Nottingham last summer, and was shocked to see it had shut down. Yes, but it was up on Canning Circus, on the way to 'The Park'. On Alfreton Road heading towards Hyson Green. It relocated into an indoor alley in the late 90s but I can't imagine its still there.

That was my first prog rock album, summer of '71! I liked it a lot, but their immediately previous album called If I Could Do It All Over Again I liked even more. Thanks for the tip! I put on my list for my next Amoeba run. I agree too! Add 'Waterloo Lily' (which has a different but still excellent keyboard player) and you have the three great Caravan records. Be prepared for whimsy, adolescent double-entendres, wonderful tunes, marvellous extended instrumental passages and some very inventive electric bass playing. You can listen to these records just following the bass. After which you'll need the two Hatfield and the North albums and the first two National Health albums!

Decoy was great! Didn't get there often but when I did... Also Eric Rose's 'Music Inn' in Nottingham - more at the Stan Kenton/big band end of things but you could chance on things you'd never find in the main shops.

Who's done some pretty interesting work on his own! Seen him a few times over the years - I prefer him on baritone. Remember a particularly fine gig with Byron Wallen in Bath, I think. Last time I saw him he was in the World Saxophone Quartet.

Tony Kofi's a Nottingham lad.

The anxiety of missing things you have not heard is clearly widespread enough for the record companies (and smaller band based operations) to tap into. Think of how in recent years we've had made available recordings of every concert a band or performer has made on a particular tour. I've probably got more live CDs of the '72-74 King Crimson than I really need. But a dozen shows from the 1995 tour? I'm not sure what is to be gained for the ordinary listener from going through all of those. And how many times would you do it? But there's clearly a demand. Fear of missing something you've not heard?

Heimat was amazing! Loved that Thin Lizzy doc!

You're no doubt right. I just wish that we in the English speaking world could just show a bit of respect and make the effort to watch the originals with subtitles when they are already superb. The UK version of Wallander was completely surplus to requirements.

I can't get past the image of him in Cheltenham in the early 2000s with three young guys in baseball caps - looked like Donald Duck and his nephews.

First two parts (/10) of a superb Danish detective/political mystery, 'The Killing', shown on BBC 4 last night: Wonderful, brooding atmosphere and nice and slow moving. Add subtitles into the equation and I'm not surprised to read: With Bruce Willis and J Lo, no doubt. Pathetic. http://www.suite101.com/content/the-killing-danish-crime-drama-comes-to-bbc-four-a335346 BBC4 seems to have struck gold bringing in these crime dramas from mainland Europe, probably playing off the appetite for Scandinavian crime novels here. Hope they continue it. Just finished going through all of those on rented DVD. One or two creaked (the one about the ageing hippies reuniting a rock band was very silly) - but overall I really enjoyed them. And, as you say, the Whately/Fox relationship, really does work.

One of these, perhaps? Edit: Just played the latter - no Jobim there but other Brazilian composers. So it can't be that one.

Preferably instead of Kate and Wills. Careful. Isn't daddy your landlord?

That's exactly as I picture you!

I know! And nothing wrong with that!

Caught the last half. Not a big Baker fan. Sonny Stitt next week! Now on JRR which is shaping up nicely. Enjoyed the Bebop Presservation Society track especially so far. Edit: Really enjoyable programme from start (Bessie Smith) to finish (a thrilling Joe Zawinul track with the WDR Big Band...I blow hot and cold over Zawinul but 'Brown Street' was just wonderful).

Brought back memories to me too - I loved Supercar, Fireball XL5 and Stingray. By the time of Thunderbirds I was a 'sophisticated' 11 year old who treated it with a sneer, suitable only for my younger brothers and sister.