Elvis Aaron Presley zou op 8 januari 2010 zijn 75ste verjaardag hebben gevierd. Daarom komt BBC Radio 2 gedurende twee weken met speciale programma’s. Zijn muziek, films, het merk en zijn persoonlijke leven worden behandeld. De presentatoren zijn onder andere Jerry Hall, Rob Brydon en Suzi Quatro.

Eerste week

Van zaterdag 26 december tot en met vrijdag 1 januari zijn er vier speciale programma’s gepland. Op Tweede Kerstdag presenteert Jerry Hall “Gospel According To The King”. Hoe belangrijk en invloedrijk was gospel muziek in Elvis leven? In deze aflevering zit archief materiaal van Sun Records oprichter Sam Phillips, die de beroemde “million-dollar quartet” sessies op 4 December 1956 opnam.  Elvis zong toen gospel liedjes met Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins en Johnny Cash. Jerry Hall:

“Although Elvis was The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, his roots were the gospel music that he had grown up listening to while still a small boy when his momma took him to the Baptist churches in rural Tennessee.”

In de tweedelige radio serie “Elvis – Movie King or Celluloid Sellout?”  wordt op 28 en 29 december de Hollywood carriere van Elvis onderzocht en bekijkt Paul Morley welk effect zijn film carrière, hij maakte er 33, op zijn reputatie heeft gehad.

In het uur voor het tweede deel wordt op 29 december onder de titel “Elvis and Dewy – Red, Hot and Blue” het verhaal verteld van een pionieer onder de disk jockeys, Dewey Phillips, die een invloed heeft gehad op de vroege carrière van Elvis. In juli 1954 was hij het die voor het eerst een LP van Elvis op de radio speelde in zijn show “Red, Hot and Blue”.

De eerste week wordt op vrijdag 1 januari afgesloten met een kort programma waar zijn fans aan het woord komen, “Don’t Start Me Talking About Elvis”. Deze uitzending, uit augustus 2007, geeft een goed beeld van hoe gewone levens veranderd zijn door Elvis.

Tweede week

World Of Elvis – The Las Vegas Years met Rob Brydon op 2 januari.

Elvis – The Brand op 4 en 5 januari.

Elvis – When The King Met The President op 5 januari.

Graceland met Suzi Quatro op 7 januari.

The Elvis Trail een 6-delige serie die start op 8 januari.

Bron: BBC persbericht

Another tune to crush leaves to. enjoy.

I feel like I need to rant.  I’m probably going to upset some people, but if I do, I will take the kicking.  If I can dish it out, I can take it in return.

What is it about entertainers who feel the need to “push the envelope”?  Especially when historically, pushing the envelope seems to be all about sex?

Is this about Adam Lambert?  Only in part.  Is it about Adam Lambert being gay?  Not at all.  What is it about?  I guess, in a nut shell, it’s about sexually charged “entertainment” on television.

Adam wasn’t the first entertainer to cause controversy.  Remember Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction?  How about Madonna sharing an open mouthed kiss with Christian Aguilera and Britney Spears?  Then there was Sinead O’Connor and her attack against the Catholic Church (ok, this one was sexual, but political).  How many people remember the controversy that Jim Morrison of the Doors caused when he not so mistakenly sang the original lyrics to “Light My Fire” after agreeing not to? (which ok, wasn’t sex related but drug related, but maybe still sex related because the line in the song referred to a girl).

Maybe you will see me as an old fogey or something, or simply to conservative, but over the top sex, drugs and political messages do not belong on National Television where the younger citizens can see it, and perhaps be influenced by it.

I have to agree with TV Critic Jack Gould, back in 1965 when he commented about Elvis Presley’s gyrating.  “It isn’t about censorship, which solves nothing.  It’s about common sense.”

Really, I couldn’t agree more.

I didn’t watch the AMA award show.  Why?  Frankly because, although I love music, I have become increasingly tired of watching senseless over-indulgence in the name of entertainment.

I’m not a big fan of Adam Lambert, I don’t like his style of music.  But if I were, and I went to one of his concerts, I might have been shocked by a similar act, but ok, I paid for a ticked so I get what I pay for.  But to know that so many younger children saw that performance on television frankly makes me ill.

The other people I mentioned?  I feel the same way, except for maybe the one about The Doors, but maybe back then I would have felt the same.

The problem is this.  I have enough trouble trying to teach my child that sexually based entertainment isn’t an accurate portrayal of sex as it is.  I don’t need some entertainer, citing free speech, showing their breast, gyrating like a loon, endorsing drugs, or depicting sexual material, especially when it’s so “alternative lifestyle” like bondage fueled performances.  Frankly, I would hate the dreaded question from my pre-teen (which I no longer have by the way, she is grown) of, daddy why is that woman kissing that woman, or that man kissing that man, or even why is that guy leading that guy around on a leash like a dog?

These types of things are inappropriate to the general public.  You want to do it in one of your concerts, fine.  Go right ahead.  At least then I have a choice of paying to see it.  When I’m watching a live performance on television, I don’t have a choice of seeing it and if you’re an entertainer, pay attention.  I don’t want to see crap like that.  Many people don’t.  Many people do, but it shouldn’t be forced on me, or my chosen lifestyle.  If I can’t force you to stop participating in drug fueled sexual parties, then I shouldn’t be forced to participate in them.  Get it?

Come on people.  Try waking up a little.  How far are we going to go with this?  Are we going to keep pushing the envelope so much that sex becomes nothing but a thoughtless act?  Or drugs to become acceptable?  Or political gestures of any kind common place?

That’s not entertainment, it’s destruction.  Destruction of common sense, morality, decency, and general entertainment.

Maybe it’s time there was a little censorship.  I don’t normally agree with censorship, but I think if people can’t have the decency to act appropriate in situations like this, something must be done.

And you know what really ticks me off?  If I was an entertainer, and I stood up after my performance on National Television, and started preaching about Christ, and Sin, I would have been run out of town.  But it’s ok to act like a deranged sexual deviant, or attack religion, or endorse things that are illegal.

Does that make sense?  Not to me.

So I guess I will close with this.  If you are an entertainer, keep your kinks to the appropriate venue and to the society in general, wake up and stop supporting those who refuse.

~ Kev

You may be surprised at the scope of this week’s topic because when it comes to Elvis Presley, well nearly everyone’s got an opinion. The iconic nature of Elvis Presley in music and popular culture, has often made him a subject of, or a benchmark, in numerous songs. We launched the show with CALLING ELVIS by Dire Straits. Written by Mark Knopler and released in 1991, the song is about an Elvis fan that can’t believe that Elvis Presley is dead. Based on some of the bizarre ’sightings’ over the years, I fear he is not alone.

A song from one of my favourite films followed: Public Enemy’s groundbreaking FIGHT THE POWER from the soundtrack of DO THE RIGHT THING, directed by Spike Lee in 1989. Like the film, the song broke at a crucial period in America’s struggle with race. Unabashedly political, FIGHT THE POWER was confrontational in the way that great rock has always been. It attacks a whole roster of American icons including Elvis and John Wayne in what amounts to a virtual flag burning. Because who better embodies the American ideal than the King? The song goes so far as to call Elvis racist. I don’t agree with that. But what I do know from the National Archives is that in 1970 Elvis wrote a six-page letter to Richard Nixon asking him to make him a ‘Federal Agent-At-Large’ in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. And amongst the gifts that Elvis presented to the then President was a Colt-45 pistol. So what do we make of all this? Maybe only that, like a lot of his countrymen, Elvis was a misguided patriot who defended the nation’s order – an order from which blacks, in particular, had been routinely barred. The irony, of course, is that Elvis was the first artist to successfully blend black and white music: country music and the blues. And didn’t he do it well?

It was time for a change of tone: The very whimsical and wonderful Kirsty McColl’s with THERE’S A GUY WORKS DOWN THE CHIP SHOP SWEARS HE’S ELVIS. The song made an appearance on the FAMOUS PEOPLE show, but definitely deserved another spin. We followed with Richard Thompson’s FROM GALWAY TO GRACELAND.

Robbie Williams’ ADVERTISING SPACE is a song not only about Elvis but, also, about the price of fame.  Emmylou Harris followed with BOY FROM TUPELO. In case you weren’t aware Elvis was born in Tupelo Mississipi on January 8, 1935. And then it was the great Roy Orbison with HOUND DOG MAN.

Living Colour funked it up with their critique of the tabloids. The song  ELVIS IS DEAD ups the ante with an appearance by Little Richard. Check it out.

We dived into the second hour of the program with Ann Margret singing the title song of the film BYE BYE BIRDIE. Based on the stage musical of the same name, the story was inspired by Elvis Presley being drafted into the US Army in 1957. Jesse Pearson played the role of teen idol Conrad Birdie, whose character’s name is a wordplay on another singer of the era, Conway Twitty.  The film is credited with making Ann-Margret a superstar during the mid-1960s, leading to her appearing with Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas in 1964.

A couple of great songs were suggested to me by BayFM’s very own Cowboy Sweetheart, Carrie D. First up, Bap Kennedy with GLADYS & VERNON about Elvis’s parents and the night that Elvis was born. And then it was the great Waylon Jennings with the very entertaining NOBODY KNOWS.

I absolutely adore BLACK VELVET by Allanah Myles and have played that before. But, hey, when a song’s as good as this one it deserves a replay!

U2’s song ELVIS ATE AMERICA illustrates the many personas of Elvis, both good and bad. And then it was the romantically delusional Scouting For Girls with ELVIS ISN’T DEAD: ”Elvis isn’t dead ’cause I heard him on the radio….. and you’re coming back to me.”  Yeah, sure guys.

Time to get serious: First up, Kate Bush with her hit song about Elvis – KING OF THE MOUNTAIN. And then, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds transported us into a disturbing world with their song about the night that Elvis was born. Elvis was a twin but his brother was still-born. The song is TUPELO from the album THE FIRSTBORN IS DEAD. Here’s the totally mesmerising clip:

John Fogarty likens Elvis to the BIG TRAIN (FROM MEMPHIS). Neil Young reminded us that it’s “better to burn out than to fade away “, with his song MY, MY, HEY HEY.

Another of my faves followed: Cowboy Junkies with BLUE MOON REVISITED, otherwise known as SONG FOR ELVIS. And then it was Paul Simon’s song about travelling to Elvis Presley’s home, GRACELAND, with the Everly Brothers helping out on vocals. Don’t have a clip with the Everlys in it, but you can’t do much better than this concert performance of the song in Zimbabwe. Enjoy.

There was time for a little more mjusic dedicated to Elvis before signing off and what better than ELVIS HAS JUST LEFT THE BUILDING by the one and only Frank Zappa. And, of course, I had to play some of the King himself so we went out with BURNIN’ LOVE. Here’s what all the fuss is about:

Next week’s show will be dedicated to the patron saint of Theme Park, Roy Orbison, who died 21 years ago this December 6. So songs by Roy Orbison, The Travelling Wilburys, duets with Roy and covers of Roy Orbison songs. Anything connected to Roy Orbison qualifies. Personally I can’t wait!

Here’s this week’s playlist:

If it was up to me there would be a law stating hence “  No Christmas wreaths, lights, santas, reindeer, elfs,mrs santas, candy canes,mangers with or without the Baby Jesus***see Talledega Nights, sleighs, partridges in pear trees, and Dale Ehrnhardt X-Mas decorated number 8 cars ( those south of Camden NJ ), or any Christmas decorations of any color or shape are  not allowed to be displayed before 2 weeks prior to Christamas Day.   But the world has changed , and retailers and big box companies own this magnificent Holiday the way Herod owned his Kingdom so I’m preaching to the Yuletide choir!   But I think it SUX a Big Candy Cane to put up anything too early, never mind before THANKSGIVING..   What say yee of pissed off Faith ?

From the Associated Press

By DAVID BAUDER (AP) – 1 hour ago

NEW YORK — ABC’s “Good Morning America” is saying “no thanks” to Adam Lambert.

The morning show canceled the glam rocker’s scheduled performance on Wednesday’s show because of Lambert’s racy appearance on the “American Music Awards” on Sunday night.

“Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning,” ABC News said Tuesday in a statement.

“Obviously, I respect their decision — they gotta do what they gotta do,” Lambert said Tuesday in an interview with Ryan Seacrest. “It’s too bad, I think there were a lot of fans who were excited to come see me.

“They probably had a lot of pressure coming at them from certain people who weren’t happy about it.”

While singing his new song “For Your Entertainment” at the awards program, Lambert kissed a male keyboardist, fondled a dancer and had another dancer briefly stuff his face in Lambert’s crotch. It prompted many complaints to ABC.

But CBS quickly announced Tuesday that Lambert would appear on “The Early Show” Wednesday morning both to perform and discuss the reaction to Sunday’s appearance.

The “Good Morning America” cancellation was first reported on TVNewser and Hollywood Life Web sites.

What is there left for me to do in this life?
Did I achieve what I had set in my sights?
Am I a happy man or is this sinkin’ sand?
Was it all worth it?

Due premesse:
1. Mi scuso con i lettori (ma soprattutto con le lettrici), ma si finisce sempre a parlare di lui;
2. il post che state per leggere parla della copertina del numero di dicembre di Rolling Stone Italia. Solo ed esclusivamente della copertina. Non so come siano gli articoli all’interno, ma per il discorso che voglio fare è irrilevante. Il post parlerà della copertina e della copertina soltanto, del modo in cui può essere fruita come testo autonomo e la lettura che ne consegue.

Ok. Un saluto ai tre lettori rimasti, venite pure qui davanti che c’è posto.

Non ricordo di preciso da quando Rolling Stone Italia si sia messa a distribuire il titolo di “rockstar dell’anno”. L’anno scorso era toccato a Roberto Saviano. Ho ancora il numero nello scaffale dietro di me in ufficio. Non perché ci tenga particolarmente, solo che non mi ricordo mai di buttarlo. Comunque, allora quella scelta mi era sembrata stridente. E continua a sembrarmi stridente oggi, solo che ora so anche spiegarmi le ragioni.
Nel mezzo, c’è stata la lettura del saggio di David Foster Wallace E unibus pluram (EUP). Contenuto in Considera l’aragosta, EUP è un saggio che parla del rapporto tra la televisione e gli scrittori americani contemporanei, nel quale Wallace sostiene che il post-modernismo, con il suo ricorso all’ironia disincantata nel descrivere il mondo, abbia dato vita a una generazione di autori che non dicono più nulla “sul serio”. L’argomento è ripreso da Wu Ming 1 nel memorandum sul New Italian Epic, nel quale non a caso si cita più volte Saviano. Il perché spero sia chiaro a chiunque abbia un minimo di familiarità con la sua attività di scrittore (ma anche con i suoi due spettacoli televisivi con Fabio Fazio): Saviano è quanto di più lontana da una sensibilità post-moderna e disincantata ci possa essere. Tanto che a volte anche io trovo quasi straniante questo mio coetaneo che nemmeno per un secondo sembra mai cedere alla tentazione di fare la battuta, minimizzare, accennare un commento cinico.
Al contrario, Rolling Stone Italia è un tempio dell’approccio cazzarone. Nello stesso numero, per dire, si annuncia “l’incredibile faccia a faccia fra Elvis Costello + Nick Jonas (sì proprio lui, quello dei tre fratellini verginelli!)”.
Insomma, una copertina con la faccia di Saviano e sotto la scritta “rockstar” stride come unghie sulla lavagna, perché preleva di peso una persona da dove si trova e la cala più o meno nel contesto in cui amano collocarlo i suoi detrattori: “uno che fa spettacolo”.
Magari le intenzioni erano buone, ma il risultato mi lascia, ancora oggi, perplesso.

E oggi tocca a Silvio Berlusconi.
Metto la foto qui sotto per comodità.

Ecco. L’immagine è opera di Shepard Farey, quello del poster “Change” per Obama.
Berlusconi è raffigurato con una specie di ghigno sul volto mentre strappa in due una bandiera italiana sulla quale è scritto il suo nome, sullo sfondo di un’altra bandiera italiana.
Non solo quale fosse di preciso l’intento dell’artista, né quale sia stata la richiesta di Rolling Stone Italia, ma trovo che l’effetto finale dell’immagine sia quello che si legge in questo articolo del Giornale:

Il rock è provocazione. Non guarda in faccia a nessuno. Entra nei sancta sanctorum e puzza di blasfemo. Non rispetta la nobiltà, la storia, le tradizione. È un talento barbaro, che i custodi del passato faticano a riconoscere. Ribalta i canoni. Il rock è costretto a mostrarsi giovane anche a 70 anni. Quando il Cav entra nel club esclusivo della politica estera lascia fuori i cappelli a cilindro della vecchia diplomazia. È il cucù, le corna (rock, molto hard rock), i kapò, voce alta, scacco alla regina e tutta la geopolitica della pacca sulle spalle. Il rock avvicina, cancella le distanze, alto e basso non si distinguono più. Il motto è: «Hi fratello».

“Distruggere” è un gesto che associamo alla cultura rock. E ha un valore positivo perché, in quella moderna epopea che è “la storia del rock” intesa come fenomeno socioculturale, il rock svolge un ruolo positivo, di rottura di consuetudini e di liberazione. “Elvis ha liberato i nostri corpi e Dylan le nostre menti” diceva John Lennon. Al rock associamo blue jeans, liberazione sessuale, assenza di formalismi, istintività. In parte per innegabili motivi storici, in parte perché sono collegamenti che ci siamo abituati a fare negli anni.
Ha gioco facile la stampa di Berlusconi a usare questa copertina per glorificare quegli aspetti della figura pubblica del PresDelCons che a me fanno rimpiangere il pentapartito e Tribuna Politica. Ha gioco facile perché quella copertina (che sopravviverà molto più a lungo di qualsiasi articolo la commenti all’interno del giornale) sembra proprio, per il contesto, per quello che c’è scritto, perché nasce già per essere un’icona pop (suppongo che a breve avere una propria foto manipolata da Farey diventerà come farsi ritrarre da Raffaello) e per essere letta all’interno del sistema di valori del “pop” e del post-moderno.
Ora, non credo spetti a Rolling Stone Italia fare da baluardo contro Berlusconi. Rolling Stone Italia è una rivista che opera in un regime di mercato ed è liberissima di fare le copertine che ritiene porteranno più lettori la cui attenzione vendere ai propri inserzionisti. E le polemiche, si sa, fanno vendere.
Però, ecco, secondo me questa copertina è così goffa nell’essere un omaggio all’immagine pubblica che il PresDelCons vuol dare di sé che a me sembra più un omaggio spudorato. Esattamente il tipo di ossequio verso un potente e verso il suo culto della personalità che vorrei non vedere mai mai mai.

Mon Voyage

(For Elvis, Edith Piaf, and All Whom Paris and New York Have Swallowed Whole)   

11-23-09                         by Mark Nielsen

Some days I feel about as important as a single telephone pole–

That one! There. See it?

Covered in kudzu vines,

Just one in a string of a thousand

across flat, hot, desolate Mississippi.

How important is it to fix a broken bicycle spoke?

Does a lynchpin ever know it is the lynchpin?

Who ever said that by doing something I love,

and doing it well,

The world would come running to hear it?

The world does not need me.

In fact, the world never knows what it needs.

Until it finds it.

At which point it immediately spoils it.

And the journey to glory

Est un voyage court à nulle part.

And as for talent:

Are you listening to these words,

Or just watching the way my hair falls across my forehead?

What profiteth it for a man

to talk real purty?

Or for a woman to belt out a sad song for her father?

Or for a child set adrift to paint a starry night?

The ruts in this road are deep, though.

It will take more strength than I have

On my own, in these arthritic hands,

To turn right up ahead when we see the road home.

(That is, if I’m not asleep at the wheel when it comes).

On the other hand,

at least I can’t turn around, either.

So take the wheel, St. Therese.

Where are we going?

75. Geburtstag von Elvis Presley

From Eonline.com:

“Singularly distasteful.”

The Parents Television Council on Adam Lambert’s American Music Awards leash demonstration? Close. The Sept. 16, 1956, New York Times on Elvis Presley’ship-censored Ed Sullivan performance.

If our outrage over rock stars is nothing new, then neither are our rock stars. From Elvis’ pelvis on down, they are nothing if not dedicated to sex, more sex, the next new single, which is probably about sex, and ticking off people who prefer their s-e-x to be not so explicit, thankyouverymuch.

Criticizing Lambert for what he did, smooched and pawed at the AMAs is like criticizing that Paula Deen lady on the Food Network because she made something with butter: It’s what they do.

And the other night, Lambert did his job very well.

It should be left to music critics and Ellen DeGeneres to judge whether Lambert’s vocals and song selection were spot on. But any doubt the performance was off the mark should have been erased with every angry word from the PTC, every angry phone call to ABC (1,500-plus and counting, per reports), and, above all, the network’s censored AMAs broadcast for tender West Coast audiences too young to see Jennifer Lopez fall down and go boom, much less witness “another dancer simulat[e] oral sex on Lambert.” (Thanks again, PTC! You always put it just right!)

Together, Lambert’s offenses are nothing less than the work of a rock star in his tight-pants prime. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to work the townfolk into a huff only weeks after the nation re-lost its innocence to the Gossip Girl threesome?

It could be argued that Elvis, rarely painted as a social progressive, would not approve of Lambert’s act. But it could be pointed out that the King had no problem singing about the inmates’ various couplings in ”Jailhouse Rock.”

t could be argued that Lambert hoodwinked his American Idol fans into thinking he was as harmless as a Danny Gokey R&B ballad. But it could be pointed out that if you didn’t know Lambert was playing nice in order to play, and possibly win, the game, then you weren’t paying attention. At all. (And also your Rolling Stone subscription lapsed.)

Lambert wasn’t straying from who he was; he was being who he is. He wasn’t dishonoring the stage; he was honoring music’s shock-and-awe tradition. (According to Lambert, he was getting more blowback for it because he was a gyrating guy, and not a writhing Madonna, but he was probably more in the crosshairs because he was a gyrating guy on free TV, and not a writhing Madonna on cable.)

Ultimately, Lambert was doing what he was supposed to do, and, if it was displeasing that a child somewhere saw him do it in prime time, then somebody’s bedtime needs to be moved up. (The show-closing number didn’t air until almost 11 p.m. ET/PT.)

“All hail freedom of expression and artistic integrity,” Lambert tweeted Monday.

And, the certified rock star could’ve added, ”the satisfaction of a job done right.”

In the ongoing journey of cleaning out my computer files…some classics for your viewing pleasure.

Janis Joplin. Would kill to have that voice.

Jean Seberg. Would kill to have stared in the film “Breathless.”

Jim Morrison. Would kill to have been alive to have seen him perform live. That would be a great story.

Jimi Hendrix. Another performance I would love to have seen in person. Oh, and that jacket…I need to find one like it ASAP.

Priscilla Presley. My mum was in Germany shortly after Priscilla and Elvis hooked up and always had wished that she had gone earlier (maybe it would have been her…that would mean I could have been Elvis’ kid). I love these old pictures of her. The hair, the make-up…perfection.

And last, but most certainly not least…TERENCE STAMP. I found this picture in a Vogue coffee table book about what they had going on in their mag in the ’60s. I feel in love with that page it was on (opposite an amazing picture of Julie Christie…another beauty). He reminds me a bit of Serge Pizzorno from Kasabian.

Went out looking for Halloween wild art and found a church that was hosting a trunk or treat. They also had a little BBQ and games for people, including Obama and Elvis, to play. Here Obama, left, tosses a roll of toilet paper wrapped in hot pink duct tape into a toilet while Elvis stands quietly to the side waiting his (her) turn.

Just as there are classy and classless ways to refer to a person’s passing (i.e. “kicked the bucket” vs. “dearly departed”), there are classy vs. classless ways to use the deceased’s images in your advertising.

Directv decision makers, grab your pens and start writing, cause you obviously have a lot to learn.

Have you seen the new Sirius XM Radio spot? The deceased Elvis Presley and Richard Pryor appear alongside Michael Jordan and Howard Stern in the commercial. Looks like a recipe for disaster, right? So wrong.

The spot is clear in its inention to praise all of the above men for their contributions in their work – each being a game-changer in their area of entertainment.

When you do it right, the fans take notice in a good way. Not the shitstorm you’re in the asshole of over there at Directv.

Bravo, Sirius.  Shame, DirecTV.

I never knew, or even thought that anyone could draw this big.

www.jimdenevan.com

Source: Vincent Laforet Blog

Dr. Tongue never had it so good

Much like Hypnotic’s 3-d  album cover, the music of Muck and the Mires comes straight at you. Kim Fowley’s production is sharp and thin – he usually just throws the songs out there without fanfare (“Cocoa Beach” does get a roll of surf). When the songs are strong enough, like the garage crunch of “Crush on Me” and the killer opening track “Doreen”, it appears to be a marriage made in heaven. But when it doesn’t, it exposes a song like “Hang All over Me” for what it is; a pedestrian pop rocker that disappears from memory almost immediately. But that’s the beauty of an album of short pop songs – mental floss is three minutes away, and there are far more hits than misses.

Many bands ape The Beatles, but these guys cleverly went all the way back to Hamburg (and if “Hamburg Time” doesn’t get your mop top shimmying, there’s something wrong with you). But they don’t stop there – “Wipeout” is embedded in “Cocoa Beach”, “Do It All Over Again” subtly buries the theme from The Munsters in its melody, and “Treat Me Right” sounds like a teenaged Dave Edmunds grave-robbing Scotty Moore-era Elvis. The title track should be the theme song for a revival of Where the Action Is. I don’t think this is the best Muck album, but Fowley has captured a rawer, live sound, accentuated by deeper, raspier vocals from Evan Shore.

So what the hell, this isn’t rocket science. Do you wanna have fun or not? Pop this in and turn it up before that hot chick who wants to dance leaves the party. 

(This review is published in Bucketfull of Brains #73, available now. So what are you waiting for? Go to Bucketfull of Brains and get your copy.)

Visit Muck and the Mires at their  website and on MySpace

Saturday started with a session at Laguna Park 2, fairly quiet as everyone seemed to have hangovers, but we still managed to have a good time.

The main part of the day was taken up by our Fun Day at the Club Olympus Pool Bar, in aid of Live Arico Animal Protection, an animal sanctuary based here in Tenerife. We started at 3.00pm with the Walk on Water Balls and had loads of kids running around on the water.

Special mentions go to Elise and Letisha, our Tinkerbells, who were brilliant and finally got the hang of it. Also Alfie and Louie, you were both excellent, you wore the team out!

Darcy Face Painting

We also had April doing face painting, we have never seen so many butterflies in one place, you all looked fantastic. Thank you to April for donating her services!!

The evening party started at 7.00pm with Elvis – no he is NOT dead!! – kicking off the proceedings, absolutely brilliant, thoroughly abusing the audience and they loved it! He was followed by the superb Suzie Q, who did covers of Duffy, Jackson and many more and got the audience singing and dancing, great session that had to be cut short as Suzie had another club to go to. Book early to avoid disappointment with this act!

Our next act was Charlie Karlsen, who won Tenerife’s Got Talent in 2008, as well as Young Talents of Tenerife 2009. Absolutely sensational, the crowd loved him and he sang for ages! Charlie has got to be one of the nicest young entertainers on the island, we all wish him further good luck, as if he needed it, for his bright future.

The last act on was Rod Stewart, he is a regular at Club Olympus and well loved! He was fantastic and had everyone up and dancing all over the place!

We had various karaoke singers, with special thanks to Barbara and Martin and their hilarious rendition of Victoria Wood favourite the Ballad of Barry and Freda – Let’s Do It.

We managed to raise over €300,00 during the day and have a brilliant time as well.  With special thanks for donating prizes to El Molino Blanco, Trike Tours, Maxicat Catamaran,Pearly Grey Resort, The Card Shop, Cafe 5, Ticket Box and Mel at Olympus Pool Bar.

This was the first Charity Event we have held and it will certainly not be the last!

I dag bakade vi lussekatter. Regnet öste ner utanför och det kändes inte särskilt juligt även om Elvis gjorde allt han kunde ute i vardagsrummet. Grått, grått och blött. Annat var det i somras – vissa dagar iallafall. Kommer ni ihåg?