I’m listening to Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961) on Spotify at the moment. I own this album on vinyl and so I haven’t listened to it in years. It is really rather good. Garland’s voice is still strong and the song selection is fabulous. She recounts a story about a newspaper article that describes her so: “She’s not plump, she’s not chubby, she’s fat.” – I guess the Daily Mail was around then too.

Talking of Spotify reminds me of The Gadget Show and Gail Porter’s recent stint on the show while Suzi Perry was unwell. Gail and Jason did a comparison between Spotify and iTunes but that is besides my point which is that I can’t tell you how fantastic it was to see a bald, large, unapologetic woman fronting a TV show. I admire how Gail has dealt with her alopecia areata.

I thought this recent post over at Sociological Images about Facebook’s neutral avatar was really interesting. It is a man and so not neutral and goes in the face of Facebook’s demographic. The leaflet that has just come through our door (only eight days after the day I thought we were supposed to get one) called Important Information About Swine Flu has two images of people: a man sneezing on the front cover and an avatar type image of a man inside. I don’t think it would have occurred to me that there was something iffy about that before.

The follow up post is interesting too.

Awesome! Feminists have just been told by a feminist to lighten up. Her exact words are “Chill out everyone, it was a bit of fun!”. Bingo! Julie, get lost.

Amber Benson does “The Macarena” (as promised after 85 reviews of Death’s Daughter were added to Amazon).

What class.

I just want to take you out and get you drunk so I can have my wicked way with you
I’m just being honest cause I know the other guys are thinking just the same way too
And I’m not gonna lie and say that I will take you out to dance there’s just no chance cause I don’t even like the same music you do
I just wanna have my wicked way with you
So don’t you fight it cause I know you’re gonna like it
Show me some skin I might bite it
I wanna have my wicked way with you

Thanks Ben for a song that is obviously amusing and sweet and not at all offensive.

Top tracks

Top albums

THE RULES:

1. Post your list of the seven best albums, the seven bloggers you will tag, a copy of these rules, and a link back to this page.
2. Each person tagged will put a URL to their Blogger Album Project post along with a list of the seven best albums in the comment section HERE at Hill’s Country. Enough already!
3. Feel free to post the “I Contributed to the Blogger Album Project” Award Graphic on your sidebar (even though I couldn’t find it), along with a link back to this page.
4. Post a link back to the blogger who tagged you.

Selecting seven albums was really hard, except for the Sugarcubes and Dusty Springfield, I could have chosen more than one album by the other artists.

1. The Beatles – Revolver – not even “Yellow Submarine” can ruin this album
2. Aimee Mann – Bachelor No 2 – “Save Me”, “Red Vines”, Ghost World”, “How Am I Different?” – exceptional songs and “Save Me” is the song that introduced me to Aimee’s work
3. Nina Nastasia – The Blackened Air – Nina’s albums are all exceptional but this seems to be the most perfect – she is a superb musician and performer – I don’t know why she isn’t feted as much as the usual suspects
4. Dusty Springfield – In Memphis – Dusty was a singles artist until this fabulous album – the standout for me is a glorious interpretation of “Breakfast in Bed” -
5. Kate Bush – The Dreaming – it was hard to choose between The Kick Inside, The Dreaming, Hounds of Love and Aerial but I settled on The Dreaming because it was the first Kate Bush album that I bought as opposed to listening to my sister’s copies – I pored over the lyrics and dutifully played it loud as requested on the inner sleeve and loved its eccentricity
6. Tarnation – Mirador – this was hard too – it was either this or Paula Frazer’s Indoor Universe but I chose this because of “Little Black Egg”, one of the most catchiest songs ever
7. The Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good – I can’t remember the last time I listened to this because we have it on vinyl only but I choose it because it represents my realisation that I could listen to unusual and strange music and enjoy it – Bjork and Kate Bush are similar in that they both make weird and eccentric music that is popular (though they do polarise popular opinion)

(oh man, I had to miss out Carole King’s Tapestry – sometimes million sellers are that for a positive reason – people enjoying classic songs by a classic songwriter with had warmth, depth and no sign of blandness)

I am unable to tag seven people so if you read this you are tagged.

Girls grow up faster than boys do
Girls grow up faster than boys

Girls grow up faster than boys do
So, baby, I’m old enough for you
Once you used to date my big sister
Now, baby, she’s too old for you

Won’t you take a look at me now
You’ll be surprised at what you see now
I’m everything a girl should be now
36-21-35

I don’t really know where to start but any analysis of the words ought to leave a skeezy taste in your mouth.

However, what really gets me is that this is a Goffin and K…, thank goodness, not King but a Goffin and Keeler song. Gerry Goffin is a lyricist and so he is responsible for these words and those of “He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)”. I understand the background to “He Hit Me” but to translate the complexity of a troubled relationship into a three minute pop song is sometimes beyond the scope of talented wordsmiths like Goffin. I do rather wish he hadn’t bothered trying.

Anyhow, Keeler co-wrote the theme to the charming Bewitched starring the equally charming Elizabeth Montgomery.

PS On the other hand:

I can recall the time
When I wasn’t ashamed
To reach out to a friend
And now I think I’ve got
A lot more than
A skipping rope to lend

The Flying Lizards – Money (1979)

“Angie Baby” – what a great video by morrismovies

A feminist classic. Is she really wearing a macramé halter-neck bra thingy? The audience seems unenthused or are they just awestruck? Her hair is nice. And those guitar doodles are ace.

Kate Bush, Phil Collins, Pete Townshend, Midge Ure and…

At 3.29 you can see why she is bit more covered up at the Secret Policeman’s Third Ball…

From the Prince’s Trust Rock Gala (1982)