Starstruck in the supermarket...

The things I will always miss about Morrisons at Morton Park will be its ideal location for spotting Middlesbrough footballers and staff. Situated just a few miles from the Rockcliffe training ground, it's in a prime location for players to pop in for Lucozade or Andrex when training's over. The players and staff I've seen at Morton Park in the last couple of years are:

Jonathan Greening: On his way to a players meet-up for a pre-season friendly a couple of years back, he was served in front of me. After informing the girl who served him who he was, she said: 'I never knew......was he fit?'. He went to WBA soon after, probably to escape the lacklustre brain-cells of teenage girls in the North East.

Chris Riggott: He was browsing in the store with his girlfriend while out of the side with either a (if I remember correctly) toe or an ankle injury. He never hobbled once when I was watching (spying on) him. Lying bugger.

Michael Reiziger: I remember seeing him from a distance so not being able to see what he was buying. It was probably a vegetable for him to model himself on, as while he played for the Boro, he resembled nothing else.

Keith Lamb (Chief Executive): He was served on the checkout in front of me last week. He buys the Daily Mail. I forgive him for this due to his affiliation with MFC.

Chris Moseley (Physio): I turned around on my till today to see the physio (who is often the one we see run out and treat players on the pitch) walk past in all his Boro kit. I nearly fainted.


So there you have it. Morrisons: the haven of the rich and famous....and Chris Moseley.

I was starstruck anyway.

Thoughts on Razorlight...

I thought with the new album coming out, now was a perfect time for me to share some of my musings (exceptional word) on Razorlight. I got a little sucked into the hype about their new LP and looked forward to hearing 'the best guitar album since Definitely Maybe'. However while I'm not sure about that claim from Q magazine, the new album has reminded me how much I love this band and it also made me revisit their amazing debut, 'Up All Night'.

Now that to me, ladies and gents, is the best straight-up rock n roll album I own. It is a pure modern classic with tunes and tales that I still obsess over. It also holds some sentimentality for me too, as it reminds of several different things:

1. Shutt's house a couple of years back
Before I really figured the band out (that happened a few months later), I used to go round to Shutts to tonk him and others (usually everyone bar Pattinson, he's a nightmare to beat) at PES.

There was a period when all he used to play was Up All Night and it sort of lodged in my head. He always used to play it fairly quietly to incase his folks were off to sleep and I remember sitting watching the likes of Welshy and Shutt battle it out while the likes of Don't Go Back To Dalston and Fall, Fall, Fall were whispering out of his CD/alarm-clock thingy.

2. My girlfriend
Well, first of all Ana bought me the album but there's more to it than that. I think I wouldn't be wrong in thinking it was the first album me and her grew to love together (Silent Alarm was another one, but that was a few months later). It also reminds me of A because she loves Rip It Up. Which is good, as it is a fucking tune.

3. December '04
Getting the album off her also linked into a bigger event. She had also bought me tickets to see the band support the Manics at Nottingham Arena. It was a great gig and I think it was seeing Razorlight there (I stupidly missed them when they played my university 'before they were famous') that really got me into the band. They were electrifying, playing like it was their gig not the Manics'. It was after that I listened to Up All Night more and realised how brilliant the songs were.

When I want to hear a perfect album (the perfect length, flawless songs, brilliant performance), I often put Up All Night on. It's an album that sounds equally brilliant whether played full blast or down low. That's one thing I realise when I listen to it in my room at night now. The loose, spontaneous feel of it makes it rather good to chill out to as well as rock out to.

The words, the attitude and the music for me make Up All Night the perfect rock n roll album. If, when I'm old and grey, listening to the new Razorlight album brings back as many cool memories as their first album did, I'd be a happy, old and grey man.

Mini-Blunts and Bradfield...

There's something I just can't manage to get over at the moment. Well two things really: Paolo Nutini and James Morrison (not the footballer).

The Great British public made a terrible mistake last year when they made a former squaddie with no discernable musical class one of the most successful artists of 2005, as they fell in love with his boring, schmaltzy, insipid songs about seeing people on trains. Reviews also showed him to be particularly arrogant and irritated by his fame and his fans, with very little enthusiasm shown for all he had achieved at live gigs. I'm of course talking about husky voiced housewives' favourite, James Blunt.

So, imagine my sheer horror when I realise that, although Blunt has disappeared for now, our wonderful public are at it again! Messrs Morrison (not the footballer) and Nutini have just left nursery, but have been jumped upon to fill the gaping, MOR/AOR/crap void left by Blunty.

Take the new singles for instance. Listen to them one after another and then please give me a clue as to which singer is which. Both husky-voiced, both soaked in the horror of an electric organ lifted from some 70's soft rock/smoky jazz LP and both singing lyrics so obvious that it sounds like they were really taking the piss when they wrote them.

...and how they must be laughing now. The British public are falling for the sensitive, MOR trick again while record company execs are sat about laughing their heads off while counting their money. I'd rather have the days of Steps and A1 back instead of this shite.

Well played boys and girls.

In other happier news, the legend that is JDB is apparently at number 6 in the Midweek Singles Chart with 'That's No Way To Tell A Lie'. Although this sounds super-impressive, usually singles sales drop off in the second half of the week but he's pretty much got a top 20 placing.

Not bad considering I've had to be eagle-eyed to spot promo that he's done on BBC Online, The Herald site, Channel 4's Album Chart Show and others. The other good news is that his performance on TOTP on Sunday could well save the show! I imagine anyone who hears the song will automatically start making petitions demanding the show stays on air so we can watch more of JDB in the future.

Either that or the pure apathy and disinterest I feel from everyone I've tried to talk to about James' solo stuff will just continue.

Should be used to it by now. Although the Manics have a massively devoted fanbase (hence the decent single placing prediction), I am yet to actually meet another obsessive in my daily life. Because of this, for the past 8 years or so, talking to people about the music I love usually concludes with a 'oh that's nice' or 'uh huh'. The only place I get to chat to people about them is on a forum which more than once those close to me have probably derided as 'sad'.

Oh well, the rest of you don't know what you're missing out on :) .

Superman Myspace, the big final and anti-Big Phil...

Yooooooo,

My happiness is unbridled today as my Myspace page has taken on a wonderful Superman Returns design! It's brilliant! I'm so happy! Yeah!

Also, I am also happy as I'm looking forward to the World Cup Final on Sunday. Throughout the tournament I've enjoyed watching the ups and downs of the Azzurri, from the awful dive which brought their penalty winner against the Aussies to the wonderful goal from the same man, Grosso, which broke the deadlock in the semi. They've always been entertaining and always been worth watching, I hope they show their class on Sunday. My heart is with Pirlo, Cannavaro, Gattuso etc.

I've also admired the resolve of the French recently. In my blog a few weeks back I mentioned a good reason to watch the World Cup was to laugh at the French. They've turned things around brilliantly, defend well and look dangerous on the break. Ribery, Zidane and Henry, despite playing a different role to the one he works in at Arsenal, all have looked brilliant recently.

I can't wait for what should be a great final.

I'm also happy that Phil Scolari didn't get the England job. He seems to instil an essence of cheating into his players. He encourages them to pressurise the referee, to dive and to use dirty tactics to get one other their opposition. England were the better team in their game and France (and the ref of the semi) showed them for the divers and cheats they are. The greatest shame is that Ronaldo in particular is a gifted footballer, he doesn't need to cheat or dive to get the better of a marker. This is what Scolari has done to his side's talent.

My Dream 'Arcadium', Bye Jimmy, Yo Poggy and my Italian love affair...

My day was brightened today by a fascinating discovery. Double albums by your favourite artists are an ideal chance for you to cut the crap and from 30 tracks....make your perfect album. My first attempt at this was on Stadium Arcadiums 28-track opus and here's the tracklisting I came up with:

1. Desecration Smile
2. Snow (Hey Oh)
3. Charlie
4. Especially in Michigan
5. Hard to Concentrate
6. Animal Bar
7. Readymade
8. Strip My Mind
9. Slow Cheetah
10. Wet Sand
11. Hey
12. We Believe
13. Death of a Martian

Any connoisseur of Arcadium will probably give a big pat on the back for this list..or call me a nerd. This to me is the best album you can make from the double. It's made of the finest, most inventive tracks on the LP that show some adventure and imagination by the band. The only slight flaw in it is the lack of funky madness. However this list makes a mature album which I think if it was released would have surprised and impressed new and old followers to the band.

Geeky rant over.

Just a quick word as well to say bye to Jimmy but also to show how impressed I am by Pogatetz. Not only has he come back for pre-season a week early, he is gagging to get playing football for the club and be on the teamsheet for the 1st game of the season. I love the attitude and passion of that man.

Also, as you could tell from my list of reasons to watch the World Cup, I love Italy. So imagine my delight when I walk in from work yesterday to watch them score the two winning goals in the semi-final. Cannavaro and Pirlo remain strong contenders for player of the tournament too. I hope we get a France v Italy final, as it has potential to be a classic with Totti, Zidane, Henry, Pirlo, Cannavaro, Ribery etc.

Let's keep the fingers crossed for tonight.

Muse album verdict!

Yo yo,

I was looking to pass comment today on the new Muse album, which I recieved rather gratefully from Play.com a few days early of the release date. However, as I feel that just a short comment cannot sum up the genius of this album, I need to write a track-by-track analysis of it. Enjoy!

1. Take A Bow
When songs sound like they're building up to something and don't it's usually an anti-climax. However this one swells up without really going anyway and still sounds complete. 'You will burn in hell for your sins!' style lyrics also add to this beast. You'd say it's the best opening track to a Muse album ever, if they hadn't put New Born at the start of Origin of Symmetry.

2. Starlight
Pop perfection. Catchy piano riff, big chorus, jaunty tune. A Muse tune the milkman can whistle. Future no.1.

3. Supermassive Black Hole
Probably their coolest song ever?! Danceable, catchy, sexy, dangerous, amazing.

4. Map of the Problematique
Another hip-shaker, but more Muse-sounding than SBH. That means big synths, big guitars, themes of love and death. Rocks my world, great drumming!

5. Soldier's Poem
First lull in quality really. Acoustic, doesn't go anywhere but features delightfully Mercury-esque backing vocals. However you'd skip it if it was longer than 2 minutes.

6. Invincible
They popped a couple of tunes in the vein of this weird 'self motivational' type on the last album. They were the poorer songs (i'm thinking mainly Blackout and Butterflies And Hurricanes). This one's good though, 'TOGETHER WE'RE INVINCIBLE!'. OK, maybe it's a little cheesy.

7. Assassin
System of a Down with riffing combined with another big groove! It rocks my socks, it will rock your socks. It's fucking cool.

8. Exo-Politics
Could be a single I think. When the chorus comes in you think oh that's good, but then it steps up another gear into 'anthem' territory! People might not think of highly of this as me but who cares, it's about alien invasions and politics! PARTY!

9. City of Delusion
A bit of flamenco here, a little bit of trumpet there. This is Queen's 'Innuendo' turned up to 11 with less campness. The chorus is really emotive, which is amazing considering I have no idea what it's about. Also features a wonderful bit where the vocal melody doubles up with the orchestra and guitar line. EPIC!

10. Hoodoo
Like Soldier's Poem, it's quiet song. This means it's a bit dull. Gets loud in the middle but still not won me over yet. Features a nice tremelo 'wobble' on the guitar. Unfortunately, no one normal cares about that.

11. Knights of Cydonia
The best song title of the year by far. It's also ironic to note that while the band have produced their coolest, sexiest song ever on this LP, they've also recorded their most ludicrous, unashamedly geeky song too. It even features horse noises at the start simply because, as Matt told Edith Bowman on C4, "they thought it would be funny". It's an amazing Morricone-inflected tune which riffs out from start to finish. It also hits new highs in OTT-ness with a multitracked Matt Bellamy screaming "No one's going to take me alive!!!!!!!". BRILLIANT.

So yeah, it's not a 10/10 cos there's a couple of stinkers. However, when it rocks, it fucking rocks like Hell. It's unbelievably brilliant and probably up their with Origin of Symmetry as an example of their class as a band.

I love it.