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Probably my favourite Beatles album. And a pretty groovy cover to boot. Love that period ‘rubber’ font!

Whilst this is the sixth Beatles album, it’s only the second to not feature any covers. And the strength of the all original set is superb. Arguably not just their best yet, but one of their best ever.

I’ve read that the title itself is a playful variant on the ‘plastic soul’, i.e. fake/inauthentic soul, a term McCartney used about their own Little Richard inspired B-side, I’m Down. and when you consider that their previous waxing was Help! (both out in ‘65), the quantum leaps in both breadth and depth are striking.

One of the things The Beatles went on to become so well known for, with the help of producer George Martin, was their deep dive into the use of the studio itself, and the production, as a further aspect of creativity. And in tandem, the development of the album as an artistic package and statement, as opposed to merely what the term album denotes, a collection of songs.*

Rubber Soul was written and recorded after the US summer tour in which their performance at Shea Stadium both set new attendance records, and helped push them across several thresholds. Meeting such folk as Dylan and Presley, getting deeper into pot and LSD, and further exposure to contemporary Afro-American popular music, all conspired to enhance, expand and enrich their creative aspirations.

Rather bizarrely, to my mind, it was EMI policy at the time to alter the US albums, which in this case meant removing four tracks! The UK/European release comprised:

Side One
Drive My Car
Norwegian Wood
You Won’t See Me
Nowhere Man
Think For Yourself
The Word

Side Two
What Goes On
Girl
I’m Looking Through You
In My Life
Wait
If I Needed Someone 
Run For Your Life

The entirety of what was originally side one is terrific. The first four tracks in particular being properly stellar. Think For Yourself is a bit of a dip, but The Word, a pre-emotive ‘Summer-of-Love-bomb’ picks things up again.

Side two kicks of with one of Ringo’s best turns on lead vocals, and two very strong Lennon numbers, in Girl and the humbly sublime In My Life (you gotta dig GM’s fake harpsichord solo!). If I Needed Someone is yet more proof that George Harrison’s best writing occurred whilst he was a Beatle.

The album ends with Run Four Life, which is very like Think For Yourself, in both tempo and feel. speaking of feel, not only has the overall sound become more complex, nuanced and personal, it’s also several shades darker, with anger and alienation entering the frame, where before it was mostly happy go lucky boy meets girl romance.

And on a sartorial footnote… I’m very tempted by this!

Not sure what the source for the above alternate cover type image is. But it’s interesting to see a variant. considering how goofily dressed they sometime got later on, they’re looking pretty cool and fab, in a slightly beatnik hipster type way, here.

* Back in the days before record covers with artwork and info became a thing, shorter playing 78s were stored in what resembled what are now the inner sleeves, albeit in heavier card stock. And collections of multiple discs would actually literally make up an album, akin to a photo album.

Sweet Potato & Spinach Curry

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• thumb-sized piece ginger, grated

• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste (check the label to make sure it’s vegetarian/ vegan)

• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

• 500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

• 400ml can coconut milk

• 200g bag spinach

• 1 lime, juiced

• cooked rice, to serve (optional)

• dry roasted peanuts, to serve (optional)

METHOD

• Melt 1 tbsp coconut oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and soften 1 chopped onion for 5 mins. Add 2 grated garlic cloves and a grated thumb-sized piece of ginger, and cook for 1 min until fragrant.

• Stir in 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste, 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter and 500g sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks, then add 400ml coconut milk and 200ml water.

• Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 mins or until the sweet potato is soft.

• Stir through 200g spinach and the juice of 1 lime, and season well. Serve with cooked rice, and if you want some crunch, sprinkle over a few dry roasted peanuts

• Santana – Live at the Fillmore, ‘68
• Santana – Santana, 1969
• Santana – Abraxas, 1970
• Santana – III, 1971
• Santana – Caravanserai, 1972
• Santana, & Buddy Miles – Live!, 1972
• Santana – Welcome, 1973
• Santana – Lotus, 1974
• Santana & Alice Coltrane – Illuminations, 1974
• Santana – Borbelatta, 1974
• Santana – Amigos, 1976
• Santana – The Swing of Delight, 1980
• Santana – Divine Light, 2001
• Santana – All That I Am, 2005
• Shankar, Ravi – Edition, ????
• Shankar, Ravi – Music of India, ????
• Shankar, Ravi – album, year?
• Shankar, Ravi – album, year?
• Silk Sonic – An Evening With…, 2021
• Silver, Horace – Six Pieces of Silver, 1956
• Silver, Horace – Finger Poppin’, 1959
• Silver, Horace – Blowin’ The Blues Away, 1959
• Silver, Horace – The Tokyo Blues, 1962
• Silver, Horace – Song For My Father, 1963
• Silver, Horace – Cape Verdean Blues, 1965
• Silver, Horace – In Pursuit of the 27th Man, 1973
• Simon, Paul – The Paul Simon Songbook, 1965
• Simple Minds – Once Upon A Time, 1985
• Sinatra, Frank – Album, (year)
• Sinatra, Frank – Album, (year)
• Sinatra, Frank – Album, (year)
• Sly & the Family Stone – Stand, 1969
• Sly & the Family Stone – There’s A Riot Goin’ On, 1971
• Sly & the Family Stone – Fresh, 1973

• Smith, Jimmy – 5 Original Albums, 2018
  • Jimmy Smith – The Champ, 1956
  • Jimmy Smith – House Party, 1958
  • Jimmy Smith – Plays Fats Waller, 1962
  • Jimmy Smith – Live at Club Baby Grand, Vol 1, 1956
  • Jimmy Smith – Live at Club Baby Grand, Vol 2, 1956
• Smith, Jimmy – The Classic Verve Albums Collection, 2019
  • Jimmy Smith – Bashin’, The Unpredictable… , 1962
  • Jimmy Smith – Hobo Flats, 1963
  • Jimmy Smith – Any Number Can Win, 1963
  • Jimmy Smith & Kenny Burrell – Blue Bash, 1963
  • Jimmy Smith – Live at the Village Gate, 1965
  • Jimmy Smith – The Cat, 1964
  • Jimmy Smith – Who’s Afraid of VW, 1964
  • Jimmy Smith – Christmas, ‘64

• Smith, Jimmy – Root Down, 1972
• Smith, Jimmy – Back at the Chicken Shack, 1960

• Soft Machine – Third, 1970
• Soft Machine – Fourth, 1971
• Soft Machine – Fifth, 1972
• Soft Machine – Six, 1973
• Soft Machine – Seven, 1973
• Sons of Champlin, The – Loosen Up Naturally, 1969
• Sons of Champlin, The – The Sons, 1969
• Sons of Champlin, The – Follow Your Heart, 1971
• Sons of Champlin, The – Welcome To The Dance, 1973
• Sons of Champlin, The – The Sons Of Champlin, 1975
• Sons of Champlin, The – A Circle Filled With Love, 1976
• Sons of Champlin, The – Loving Is Why, 1977
• Soundgarden – Louder Than Love, 1989
• Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger, 1991
• Soundgarden – Superunknown, 1994
• Springsteen, Bruce – Greetings From Asbury Park, 1973
• Springsteen, Bruce – Wild, Innocent, E-Street Shuffle, 1973
• Springsteen, Bruce – Born To Run, Special Edition, 1975
• Springsteen, Bruce – Darkness On The Edge of Town, 1978
• Springsteen, Bruce – The Ghost of Tom Joad, 1995
• Status Quo – Piledriver , 1972
• Status Quo – Hello!, 1973
• Status Quo – Quo, 1974
• Status Quo – On The Level, 1975
• Status Quo – Blue For You, 1976

• Steely Dan – Can’t Buy A thrill, 1972
• Steely Dan – Countdown To Ecstasy, 1973
• Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic, 1974
• Steely Dan – Katy Lied, 1976
• Steely Dan – Royal Scam, 1976
• Steely Dan – Aja, 1977
• Steely Dan – Gaucho, 1980
• Steely Dan – Two Against Nature, 2000
• Stereo MCs – Connected, 1992
• Stereolab – Switched On, 1991
• Stereolab – The Groop Played…, 1993
• Stereolab – Mars Audiac Quintet, 1994
• Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup, 1996
• Stereolab – Dots & Loops, 1997
• Stereolab – Aluminium Tunes, 1998
• Stereolab – Cobra & Phases, 1999
• Stereolab – Oscillons From The…, 1999
• Stereolab – First of the Microbe Hunters, 2000
• Stereolab – Instant 0 …, 2003
• Stereolab – Fab Four Suture, 2006
• Stereolab – Sound Dust, 2001
• Stereolab – Margerine Eclipse, 2004
• Sting – Dream of the Blue Turtles, 1985
• Sting – Nothing Like The Sun, 1987
• Sting – The Soul Cages, 1991
• Sting – Ten Summoner’s Tales, 1993
• Sting – Mercury Falling, 1996
• Stitt, Sonny – My Mother’s Eyes, 1963
• Stooges, The – The Stooges, 1969
• Stooges, The – Funhouse, 1970
• Stooges, The – Raw Power, 1973

• Sun Ra – Heliocentric Worlds, Vol 1, 1965
• Sun Ra – Heliocentric Worlds, Vol 2, 1965
• Sun Ra – Secrets of The Sun, 1965
• Sun Ra – Nothing Is, 1970
• Sun Ra – Space Is The Place, 1972
• Sun Ra – Four Classic Albums, plus Bonus Singles, 2012 [comp.]
  • Jazz by Sun Ra, 1956
  • Supersonic Jazz, 1956
  • Jazz in Silhouette, 1959
  • The Futuristic Sounds Of…, 1962
  • Singles
• Sun Ra – To Those of Earth and Other Planets [comp.], 2015
• Sun Ra – Timeless Classic Albums [comp.], 2017
  • Medicine For A Nightmare, 2009 [Singles, comp.]
  • Jazz In Silhouette, 1959
  • Angels &Demons at Play, 1960
  • The Nubians of Plutonia, 1959
  • Batman & Robin, 1966
• Sun Ra – The Singles, 1952-1991, 2022 [comp.]

• Sylvers, The – Sylvers II, 1973
• Sylvers, The – Sylvers III, 1974
• Sylvers, The – Showcase, 1975
• Sylvers, The – New Horizon, 1977
• Szabo, Gabo – Dreams, 1968
• Szabo, Gabo – Bacchanal, 1968
• Szabo, Gabo – 1969, 1969
• Szabo, Gabo – Mizrab, 1972
• Szabo, Gabo – Faces, 1977

• Hancock, Herbie – Takin’ Off, 1962
• Hancock, Herbie – My Point Of View, 1964
• Hancock, Herbie – Inventions & Dimension, 1964
• Hancock, Herbie – Empyrean Isles, 1964
• Hancock, Herbie – Maiden Voyage, 1965
• Hancock, Herbie – Speak Like A Child, 1968
• Hancock, Herbie – The Prisoner, 1969
• Hancock, Herbie – Fat Albert Rotunda. , 1969
• Hancock, Herbie – Mwandishi, 1971
• Hancock, Herbie – Crossings, 1972
• Hancock, Herbie – Sextant, 1973
• Hancock, Herbie – Headhunters, 1973
• Hancock, Herbie – Thrust, 1974
• Hancock, Herbie – Man-Child, 1975
• Hancock, Herbie – Secrets, 1976
• Hancock, Herbie – Sunlight, 1978
• Haynes, Roy – Senyah, 1972
• Headhunters, The – Straight From The Gate, 1977
• Hedges, Michael – Breakfast In The Field, 1981
• Hedges, Michael – Aerial Boundaries, 1984
• Hedges, Michael – Tap Root, 1990
• Henderson, Joe – The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions (Mosaic Box), 2021
  • Page One
  • Our Thing
  • Inner Urge
  • Mode For Joe
  • In & Out
  • W. Kenny Dorham – Una Mas
  • W. Kenny Dorham – Trompetta Toccata

• Hendrix, Jimi – Album, Are You Experienced? 1967
• Hendrix, Jimi – Axis: Bold As Love, 1967
• Hendrix, Jimi – Electric Ladyland, 1968
• High Llamas, The – Santa Barbara, 1992
• High Llamas, The – Gideon Gaye, 1994
• High Llamas, The – Hawaii, 1996
• High Llamas, The – Cold & Bouncy, 1998
• High Llamas, The – Snowbug, 1999
• High Llamas, The – Buzzle Bee, 2000
• High Llamas, The – Beet, Maize, Corn, 2003
• High Llamas, The – Can Cladders, 2007
• Holmes, Richard ‘Groove’ – Bowl of Soul
• Holmes, Richard ‘Groove’ – The Classic Albums Collection:
  • ‘Groove’, w Ben Webster, Les McCann
  • Groovin’ w Jug
  • Somethin’ Special
  • After Hours
  • Tell It Like It Tis
  • Book of Blues, Vol. I
  • Soul Message
  • Living Soul
• Holmes, Richard ‘Groove’ – New Groove
• Holmes, Richard ‘Groove’ – American Pie
• Holmes, Richard ‘Groove’ – Night Glider
• Holmes, Richard ‘Groove’ – Onsaya Joy
• Holmes, Richard ‘Groove’ – Six Million Dollar Man

• Bacharach, Burt – Reach Out, 1967
• Bacharach, Burt – The Look of Love (Comp.), 2001
• Baker, Chet – Grey December, 1953
• Baker, Chet – & Strings, 1954
• Baker, Chet – Sings, 1956
• Baker, Chet – Cools Out, 1956
• Baker, Chet – Playboys, 1956
• Baker, Chet – Sextet, 1957
• Baker, Chet – Big Band, 1957
• Baker, Chet – Embraceable You, 1957
• Baker, Chet – It Could Happen To You, 1958
• Baker, Chet – Introduces Johnny Pace, 1958
• Baker, Chet – 50 Italian Strings, 1959
• Baker, Chet – Chet Is Back, 1962
• Baker, Chet – Baby Breeze, 1964
• Baker, Chet – Albert’s House, 1969
• Baker, Chet – Bread, Butter & Champagne (Let’s Get Lost OST), 1989
• Baker, Chet – The Best of Chet Baker Sings (Comp.), 1989
• Baker, Chet – The Pacific Jazz Years (Boxed Set), 1994
• Baker, Chet – A Grand Encounter, 2004
• Baker, Chet – The Complete Dick Twardzick Sessions, 2004
• Baker, Chet – Italian Movies (Comp.), 2013
• Banana, Milton – Milton Banana Trio, 196?
• Banana, Milton – Rhythm & Sound of the Bossa Nova, 1963
• Banana, Milton – Tipo Exportacao, 1978
• Banana, Milton – Aos Amigos Tom, etc (Comp.), 1989
• Band, The – Music Big Pink, 1968
• Band, The – The Band, 1969
• Barry, John – Ipcress Files, The, 1965
• Barry, John – Themeology, 1997
• Bartz, Gary – Music is My Sanctuary, 1977
• Baxter, Tom – Skybound, 2007
• Beach Boys, The – Pet Sounds, 1966
• Beastie Boys, The – Paul’s Boutique, 1989
• Beastie Boys, The – Check Your Head, 1992
• Beastie Boys, The – Ill Communication, 1994
• Beastie Boys, The – The In Sound From Way Out, (Comp.) 1996
• Beastie Boys, The – Hello Nasty, 1998

• Beatles, The – With, 1963
• Beatles, The – A Hard Days Night, 1964
• Beatles, The – Help, 1965
• Beatles, The – Rubber Soul, 1965
• Beatles, The – Revolver, 1966
• Beatles, The – Sgt Pepper’s, 1967
• Beatles, The – The White Album, 1968
• Beatles, The – Abbey Road, 1969
• Beatles, The – Let It Be, 1970
• Beck – Mellow Gold, 1994
• Beck – Odelay, 1996
• Beck – Mutations, 1998
• Beck – Midnite Vultures, 1999
• Beck – Sea Change, 2002
• Beck – The Information, 2006
• Beck – Morning Phase, 2014
• Beefheart, Captain – Safe as Milk, 1967
• Beefheart, Captain – Strictly Personal, 1968

• Beefheart, Captain – Trout Mask Replica, 1969
• Beefheart, Captain – Lick My Decals Off, 1970
• Beefheart, Captain – Mirror Man, 1971
• Beefheart, Captain – Clear Spot, 1972
• Beefheart, Captain – Unconditionally Guaranteed, 1974
• Beefheart, Captain – Bluejeans & Moonbeams, 1974
• Beefheart, Captain – Shiny Beast, 1978
• Beefheart, Captain – Shiny Beast, 1978
• Beefheart, Captain – Doc at the Radar Station, 1978
• Beefheart, Captain – Ice Cream For Crow, 1978
• Beefheart, Captain – Sun Zoom Spark (Boxed Set), 2014
• Big Star – # 1 Record, 1972
• Big Star – Radio City, 1974
• Black Heat – Black Heat, 1972
• Benson, George – It’s Uptown, 1966
• Benson, George – The Other Side of Abbey Road, 1970
• Benson, George – Beyond The Blue Horizon, 1971
• Benson, George – White Rabbit, 1972
• Benson, George – Good King Bad, 1976
• Benson, George – Breezin’, 1976
• Benson, George – In Flight, 1977
• Benson, George – Space, 1978
• Berry, Chuck – The Roots of (Comp.), 2001
• Big Star – # 1 Record, 1972
• Black Sabbath – Paranoid, 1970
• Blakey, Art – The Jazz Messengers, 1956
• Blakey, Art – Moanin’, 1959
• Blakey, Art – Big Beat, 1960
• Blakey, Art – A Jazz Message, 1964
• Blakey, Art – Eight Classic Albums, 2012
• Holiday For Skins, Vol. 1, 1958
• Holiday For Skins, Vol. 2, 1958
• Moanin’ 1959
• Roots & Herbs, 1961
• A Night In Tunisia, 1960
• Mosaic, 1961
• Art Blakey!!!!! Jazz Messengers!!!!!, 1961
• The Witch Doctor, 1961
• Blakey, Art – The Complete Blue Note Collection, Part 1, 1957-1960, 2015
• Horace Silver & The Jazz Messengers, 1954
• A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1, 1956
• A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2, 1956
• At the Café Bohemia, Vol. 1, 1955
• At the Café Bohemia, Vol. 1, 1955
• Orgy in Rhythm, Vol. 1, 1957
• Orgy in Rhythm, Vol. 2, 1957

• Blakey, Art – The Complete Blue Note Collection, Part 2, 1957-1960, 2015
• Ritual, 1957
• & The Jazz Messengers, 1959
• Holiday For Skins, Vol. 1, 1958
• Holiday For Skins, Vol. 2, 1958
• At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 1, 1959
• At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vol. 2, 1959
• On View at the Five Spot Café, 1959
• A Night In Tunisia, 1960
• Bland, Bobby – Two Steps From The Blues, 1961
• Blegvad, Peter – Just Woke Up, 1996
• Blue Brazil – Various, 1994
• Blue Brazil 2 – Various, 1997
• Blue Brazil 3 – Various, 2000
• Blue Break Beats – Various (Comp.), 1992
• Bobo, Willie – Finest Hour (Comp.), 2003
• Bon Jovi – One Wild Night, 2001
• Bossa Nova, etc vol. 3 – Various, 2001
• Bossa Nova, etc vol. 4 – Various, 2001
• Bossa Nova, etc vol. 5 – Various, 2001

• Bowden, Chris – Time Capsule, 1996
• Bowie, David – David Bowie, 1967
• Bowie, David – David Bowie [sometimes Space Oddity?], 1969
• Bowie, David – The Man Who Sold The World, 1970
• Bowie, David – Hunky Dory, 1971
• Bowie, David – Ziggy Stardust, 1972
• Bowie, David – Young Americans, 1975
• Brand New Heavies – Trunk Funk (comp), 1999
• Brand X – Unorthodox Behaviour, 1976
• Brand X – Moroccan Roll, 1977
• Brasil, Victor Assis – Trajeto, 1967
• Brazilian Beats – Various, 2007
• Brazilian Funk Experience, The – Various, 2006
• British Hustle – Various, 2003
• Brooks, Roy – Beat, 1962
• Brooks, Roy – The Free Slave, 1972
• Brown, Clifford – Four Classic Albums (Comp.), 2008
• Brown, James – Live at the Apollo, 1962
• Brown, James – Sex Machine, 1970
• Brown, James – The Payback, 1973
• Brown, James – Hell, 1974
• Brown, James – In The Jungle Groove (Comp.), 1986
• Brown, James – Funky People, 1986
• Brown, James – Make It Funky (Comp.), 1996
• Brown, James – Greatest Hits (Comp.), 2001

• Brubeck, Dave – Time Out, 1959
• Brubeck, Dave – The Riddle, 1960
• Brubeck, Dave – Time Further Out, 1961
• Brubeck, Dave – Countdown, 1961
• Brubeck, Dave – Time In, 1965
• Brubeck, Dave – Time In Outer Space, 1962
• Brubeck, Dave – at Carnegie Hall, 1963
• Brubeck, Dave – The Great Concerts (Comp.), 1988
• Brubeck, Dave – Real Gone vol I (Comp.)
  • Jazz at Oberlin, 1953
  • Brubeck Time, 1955
  • Brubeck Plays Brubeck, 1956
  • Jazz Impress’ of USA, 1956
  • Plays & Plays & Plays, 1957
  • Digs Disney, 1957
  • Time Out, 1959
  • Jazz Impress’ of Eurasia, 1958
• Brubeck, Dave – Real Gone vol II (Comp.)
  • Trio (w Cal Tjader), 1952
  • Jazz at The College of The Pacific, 1953
  • Southern Scene, 1960
  • The Riddle, 1960
  • Brubeck & Rushing, 1960
  • Near Myth, 1961
  • Gone With The Wind, 1959
  • A La Mode, 1960
• Brunswick, The Best of – Comp, 2002
• Buckley, Jeff – Grace, 1994
• Buckley, Jeff – Mystery White Boy, 2000
• Buckley, Jeff – Live at L’Olympia, 2001
• Buckley, Jeff – Live at Sin-É, 1993/2003
• Buena Vista Social Club, The – The Buena Vista Social Club, 1997
• Bunyan, Vashti – Just Another Diamond Day, 1970
• Byrd, Donald – Off To The Races, 1959
• Byrd, Donald – Royal Flush, 1961
• Byrd, Donald – A New Perspective, 1964
• Byrd, Donald – Slow Drag, 1967
• Byrd, Donald – Blackbyrd, 1972
• Byrd, Donald – Places & Spaces, 1976
• Byrne, David – Feelings, 1997

An X-rated entry (snigger) for ye blogge. Here we have a two-fer, put out by Ace Records: Cold Shot and Snatch & The Poontangs, both being Johnny Otis albums, albeit released under different names. And, rather unusually, both kick off with (different) versions of the same song, the superbly hilarious ‘Signifying Monkey’.

Cold Shot (1968) is a very bloozy affair, featuring Johnny’s famous guitarist son, Shuggie Otis, and singer Delmar ‘Mighty Mouth’ Evans. And, apart from the initial ‘Sig’ Monkey (Part 1)’ business, is fairly work safe or family friendly.

Snatch & The Poontangs (1969), however, is a completely different matter altogether! A talented artist, as well as musician, Johnny O’ did the R. Crumb rip-off cover cartoon. And he may also have painted the inner gatefold, which depicts late ‘60s Freak Brothers-esque urban rioting.

On the delightfully earthy Snatch, after the even filthier ‘Sig’ Monkey (Part 2)’, we also get such treats as the rather wonderful ‘Pissed Off Cowboy’. I scoured the web for lyrics for some of these smuttier gems. Alas, to no avail. So I may do the world a favour, and put the texts online, as best I can, at some point soon (time allowing!).

Taking the two albums together, they cover a whole range of blues styles and sounds, from the Bo Diddley beat of ‘Hey Shine’ to the lyrical conceit of ‘the dozens’, in which humorous insults (the ‘dirty dozens’!) are traded. And there’s also the fabulous tradition of bigging up one’s badass self, as exemplified here by ‘Two-Time Slim’, ‘The Great Stack-a-Lee’, and ‘Big Jon Jeeter’.

Anyway, these two albums sit very well together. And are augmented by a couple of bonus tracks. Great stuff!

Teresa and I are staying in Cardiff for a few days, visiting with relatives. Tonight, ‘Garden’ Noam Chomsky came up, at one point, in a family conversation.

I interviewed him, many, many moons back. ‘Twas a disaster, in all honesty! Here’s a far better interview, from The New Yorker online.

It’s fascinating for so many reasons: in how it illustrates Chomsky’s intelligent and articulate nature/character; how and why (and this was something I’d wanted to get at in my interview with him), even at his advanced age, he bothers to sign petitions, take part in protests, etc; his concise and eloquent summation of where things are at.

It’s interesting for me, as over the years I’ve often allowed my lazy nihilistic side to dominate. It’s very invigorating – yea! even life affirming – to hear someone of Chomsky’s international standing put things I hold to be true so pithily. Here’s a favourite example from the NY piece:

‘… [S]ince roughly 1980, since the neoliberal regression began, there has been a significant decline in the partially functioning democracy that existed before.’ Those are my italics. As so often, Chomsky nails it perfectly.

This is a reminder to me that I really ought to read his more of his books on all this stuff. Not too long after seeing a doc’ on him called Manufacturing Consent (also the name of one of his books), when I was around about 18 years old, I bought a ‘collected works’ paperback by him, from what was the Heffer’s Bookshop, in Cambridge. But, truth be told, I’ve hardly read it!

What Chomsky says in the New Yorker piece on ‘cancel culture’ is equally to the point! But, intriguingly, what lead me here, and to making this post at all, was not the mere mention of someone I find inspiring and interesting (Chomsky!). But the attention-grabbing headlines quoting him effectively saying that Trump is/was worse than the usual bogeymen (Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, etc.).

Out of context that sounds totally insane. But, once unpacked, it actually begins to make sense. Trump’s unbounded egotism, in service, primarily, to himself, but secondarily – and crucially – to his ‘class’, or his enablers (the fiscal elite), is, very literally, what Chomsky describes as ‘an existential threat’ to the very future not of any particular portion of humankind, but all of humanity!

And, whilst Noam’s view – internationalist though it always is, is also almost always notably Ameri-centric – the current political chaos in the UK is evolving along Trump-esque lines, with the Tories, thus far at any rate, drifting further and further right, ever deeper into that awful neoliberal regression.

If, like me, you find Noam Chomsky a fascinating and inspiring person, you might enjoy this link, to an illustrated ‘life in photos’, by the New Scientist.

It’s Sunday evening, and I’m hoping I can watch the last part of the Northern Ireland snooker tournament. Mark Allen, the home favourite, vs. China’s Zhou Yuelong.

In the run up to the snooker, there were adverts for several other sporting events. Including some indoor cycling. What struck me most was that ol’ chestnut… Good God, jocks are dull!

Mind, what does that matter? The real excitement in sports is all about the action; the physical side, the doing, more than the telling.

And besides, there are the pundits – some of them former players, whose long experience finally yields insight and knowledge, if not outright charisma – to supply the verbal excitement.

And then we‘re ‘treated’ to adverts, including Coldplay teaming with DHL… Eh!? What the absolute feck!? I love music, and I can really enjoy some sports, on occasion. But I generally find the two are very ill-matched, at least in terms of my tastes, when it comes to TV sports.

I much prefer the more old-fashioned approach: a nice bit of theme music, that one learns to associate with the sport, like the Pot Black theme, and that’s that. Aside from that it ought to be just snooker and commentary.

I was looking for a comical photo of an old duffer in ridiculous under-armpit high-rise trousers. I failed in that enterprise! But I did re-discover old town, whose modern take on old fashioned classics in clothing I really dig.

Perusing their ‘Small Trades’ gallery then lead to learning about Irving Penn’s book of photographs of the same name, which old town acknowledge as a major influence. And from Penn we get to his wife, the ‘first supermodel’ Lisa Fonssagrive. And via her to photographer Fernand Fonssagrive!

The young Irv Penn, and his beautiful wife. Looking like the leads in a Hitchcock movie!

Fernand had a thing for patterned shadows falling over beautiful women. A thing I most definitely share!

Nuttily enough, this all started with me wanting to find some pictures of furry chaps. By which I don’t mean hairy blokes, but those crazy cowboy over-trousers. Ah, the labyrinthine ways of the interweb!