So what makes me tick? Well, check out the following lists of my favourite...
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CD's and records |
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Online music |
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Guitar solos |
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Books |
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Films |
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Quotes |
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Pubs |
And of course, no website would be complete without a Links page...and this one is no exception. You can find a list of my favourite websites by clicking here.
A baker's dozen of the CD's and records which, in no particular order, are spending the most time in my stereo these days. As usual, quite a varied mix - some fairly new material plus a few old favourites. Plenty of good guitar work in amongst this lot, which isn't too much of a suprise.
| 1 | Saving Jane - "Girl Netx Door" | Still a favourite after a good many months. This band was an accidental discovery for me, but I'm glad I found them - kind of like Speedway, but with a more American edge. |
| 2 | The Cadillac Joe Band - "You Need A Big Organ To Play The Blues" | Good blues music, top notch Hammond organ and smoking guitar - what more can you ask for? |
| 3 | Johhny A - "Get Inside" | I saw this guy supporting Joe Satriani at a gig in Newcastle, and was just blown away by his musicality and technical proficiency. Jazzy, but laden with other influences |
| 4 | Ian Dury & The Blockheads - "Mr Love Pants" | The final album by the late, great Ian Dury |
| 5 | Anastacia - "Anastacia" | Her heaviest-sounding album to date, and one that I keep going back to. What a voice! |
| 6 | Joyce Cooling - "This Girl's Got To Play" | A very talented guitarist - the acceptable face of 'smooth jazz' |
| 7 | Anais Mitchell - "Hymns For The Exiled". | Slightly folky, slightly quirky voice - imagine Tori Amos with acoustic guitar intead of piano and you're heading in the right direction. |
| 8 | Sam Brown - "Reboot" | A more recent album from the singer who made her name with "Stop!" |
| 9 | Kasey Chambers - "Barricades and Brickwalls" | Kasey's second album - I'm really into her stuff at the moment |
| 10 | Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Through The Years" | An excellent compilation which serves as a reminder as to just how many great songs these guys have done over the years |
| 11 | Faith No More - "This Is It" | A good compilation from the band that did Nu-Metal years before Nu-Metal (if you see what I mean) |
| 12 | Natascha Sohl - "Strange Fascination" | Not too sure how to categorise this one. Intelligent pop, perhaps? If you like Natalie Imbruglia, then you'll probably like Natascha Sohl |
| 13 | Adult Net - "The Honey Tangle" | A band from the late 80s that deserved to be better-known. Good, jangly guitar-based stuff - a bit like a British version of The Bangles |
As well as that varied selection of more contemporary CD's, I tend to get through quite a bit of classical and baroque music (especially Albinoni, J.S. Bach and Vivaldi).
One of the best things about having a broadband connection to the Internet is that it opens up so many opportinities for listening to online music. Live365 is my online radio of choice. They have channels dedicated to all sorts of styles, so you're bound to find something that floats your boat. These are my current favourites:
| 1 | Surf  |
Since my favourite surf rock station (Kilgore's Snack Stand) disappeared, this has become my source of all things surfy. |
| 2 | In Dark Faith Eternal |
I've never really considered myself to be a goth, but I'm really enjoying this station, which focuses on the ethereal and darkwave end of the genre. |
| 3 | Guitar Central |
Well, there had to be a guitar-oriented station in this list somewhere. Guitar Central plays all the axe-meisters you've heard of (Satch, Vai, et al) plus a few you may not have heard of. |
| 4 | Hammond Organ Plus |
I like the sound of the Hammond Organ, and this station plays a variety of music featuring that instrument - generally jazzy or bluesy, but some there are some other styles to be found as well. |
| 5 | Soft Jazz Espresso |
Soft jazz music sometimes gets looked down on as "elevator music", but the genre does produce some good music. This station is a good place to find it. |
| 6 | Country Girls Only |
My current favourite New Country station, which features female singers exclusively. |
| 7 | Midnight Special Blues |
I listen to a few blues stations, but this one is my current favourite. |
| 8 | On The Rocks |
Classic rock. As simple as that. |
| 9 | Fusion Groovin' |
To quote the station's strapline: "The power of rock, the finesse of jazz, the soul of funk". |
| 10 | Electric Blues Radio |
Another blues station. This one does exactly what it says on the tin. |
How many hours have been spent discussing the subject of the all-time top 10 guitar solos? I don't claim that this list necessarily contains the best, just my 10 favourites...
| 1 | John Albini - "Heartbeat of the World" | Never heard of it? Then check out Lee Aaron's eponymous album from 1987 |
| 2 | Jan Cyrka - "In the End" | Bit of a cheat here, because I'm including this as a whole instrumental piece, rather then just for a lead guitar break. But, hey, this is my list so I can do what I like |
| 3 | Larry Carlton - "Bubble Shuffle" | I could have chosen just about anything by this guy, but this one wins it by a nose |
| 4 | Gordon Giltrap - "Lucifer's Cage" | Another cheat, because I'm including this as a whole piece - superb unaccompanied acoustic guitar |
| 5 | Phil Hilborne - "Virginia Avenue" | A blinding guest appearance on Geoff Whitehorn's second album |
| 6 | Blues Saraceno - "Friday's Walk" | A great example of this guitarist's playing |
| 7 | Mike Oldfield - "Moonlight Shadow" | One long solo, or two solos back to back? Doesn't really matter - superb stuff however you classify it |
| 8 | Frank Gambale - "Blues For Hollywood" | Not as bluesy as the title suggests - this is a textbook example of how to structure a solo |
| 9 | Frank Hannon - "We're No Good Together" | Frank (or is it Tommy Skeoch?) really lets rip on this rock'n'roll solo from Tesla's first album, "Mechanical Resonance" |
| 10 | Paul Gilbert - "Rock & Roll Over" | One of rock's finest shredders doing what he does best |
A mix of fiction and non-fiction, serious and humourous.
| 1 | Bill Bryson - "Neither Here Nor There" | Bill Bryson, at his comic best, on a journey around Europe |
| 2 | Robert Harris - "Enigma" | A gripping tale of the code-breakers working at Bletchley Park during World War II. This was made into a movie, but like so many book-to-movie adaptations, the printed version is still the best |
| 3 | Mark Wallington - "500 Mile Walkies" | One man and his dog on a walk around the south-west coast of England |
| 4 | Jasper Fforde - "The Eyre Affair" | The first of the series of books featuring literary detective Thursday Next. Highly readable, but too surreal to be able to give a decent one-line synopsis here. |
| 5 | Douglas Coupland - "Microserfs" | If you haven't worked in the IT industry this is probably just another book, but if you do know what the IT industry's like on the inside... |
| 6 | Nick Hornby - "High Fidelity" | The relationship angst of a man and his record collection |
| 7 | Graham Swift - "Last Orders" | The story of a group of friends travelling to scatter the ashes of an old friend. This was made into a film which thankfully did justice to the original book - helped by a superb cast (Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, David Hemmings, Tom Courtenay and Ray Winstone) |
| 8 | Scott Adams - "The Dilbert Principle" | "A cubicle's eye view of bosses, meetings, management fads and other workplace afflictions" |
| 9 | Joseph O'Connor - "The Irish Male at Home and Aboad" | A collection of newspaper columns, magazine artices and more from this Irish author |
| 10 | Paul Theroux - "The Old Patagonian Express" | A journey from Boston to Patagonia by train |
I enjoy a good movie, and these are the films I do find myself coming back to:
| 1 | "Fandango" | A 'coming of age' movie with a few great comedy moments, and one of the best soundtracks you'll ever come across |
| 2 | "The Italian Job" | All together now..."You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" |
| 3 | "Pulp Fiction" | I had to have a Tarantino movie in here, and it was a close-run thing between this one and one of the Kill Bills. |
| 4 | "American Grafitti" | American teenagers spending one last night cruising the strip before heading out into the wider world - George Lucas' best film?. |
| 5 | "Let It Ride" | Richard Dreyfus stars as a gambler having a very good day at the races. |
| 6 | "Get Carter" | A classic British gangster flick set in Newcastle (didn't you know that used to be my home town?). |
| 7 | "The Hill" | Sidney Lumet's powerful drama, set in a WW2 military prison in the Libyan desert. |
| 8 | "Charly" | The superb big-screen adaptation of the Daniel Keyes short story 'Flowers for Algernon', featuring a well-deserved Oscar-winning performance by Cliff Robertson. |
| 9 | "Rear Window" | There have been a few versions of this over the years, but the Hitchcock version starring James Stewart is the business so far as I'm concerned. |
| 10 | "Midnight Run" | Robert De Niro stars as a bounty hunter bringing back a wanted mafia informant (all to the backdrop of a fantastic blues soundtrack). |
| 11 | "This Is Spinal Tap" | Where else could I put this, other than at the end of a list that goes up to eleven? |
There's always somebody who's got something to say. Here are five people and their words of wisdom:
| 1 | Groucho Marx | "There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of your fellow man." |
| 2 | Alexander Pope | "Some people never learn anything because they understand everything too quickly" |
| 3 | P.J. O'Rourke | "There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes 380SL convertible" |
| 4 | Dave Barry | "No human emotion is more powerful than the grim determination of an airline passenger attempting to shove an inappropriate object into the overhead baggage compartment" |
| 5 | George Santayana | "The cry was for vacant freedom and indeterminate progress: Vorwarts! Avanti! Onwards! Full Speed Ahead!, without asking whether directly before you was not a bottomless pit" |
Well, you've got to have a hobby. My top 10 places around the country, in no particular order:
| 1 | The Swan Inn, Ingham, Norfolk |
My favourite pub, ever. Built in the 14th Century, and chock full of real character, superb beer and great food. Fantastic open fire in the bar during the colder months. They even do B&B in a converted stable block next door. |
| 2 | The World's End, Royal Mile, Edinburgh |
This place has won awards, and you can see why. Good beer and food, all served by some of the friendliest staff I've ever met in a city pub. |
| 3 | The Drunken Duck, Barngates, Ambleside |
Situated in my favourite part of the Lake District, this pub has it all. Great beer, superb food, and gorgeous scenery. |
| 4 | The Bow Bar, Victoria Street, Edinburgh |
My favourite place for real ale in Scotland's capital. Well kept beer, and a great atmosphere. Great place to go and watch a rugby match on TV on a Saturday afternoon |
| 5 | The Queen's Head, Glanton, Northumberland |
My local - need I say more. |
| 6 | The White Swan & Cuckoo, Wapping, London E1 |
I used to go here regularly for a pie and a pint at lunchtime, when I was in that part of the world. |
| 7 | The Shakespeare Tavern, Saddler Street, Durham City |
Old pub, steeped in character. I was introduced to this place my mate Dan, who said that I had to give him a mention here. And I just have. |
| 8 | Mr Thomas's Chop House , Cross Street, Manchester |
One of Manchester's oldest pubs, right in the city centre. |
| 9 | The Compleat Angler, Norwich, Norfolk |
Of all the bits of Norwich that I've seen, I think this is my favourite. Just next to the river, not too far from the railway station. |
| 10 | Free Trade Inn, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne |
Classic Newcastle pub, untouched by the Chrome-and-Glass brigade of bar renovators, and all the better for it. |