tonygoodson

Keith Moon

I was sitting at a food court table this morning, 55 Collins St, and prior to the record store opening, there was a The Who DVD concert video playing through the window, which caught my eye.  Watching Keith Moon is hypnotic, something about the guy, the way he plays the drums, his exuberance.  He died aged 32!!  Holy Shit, that’s young.

Things I like

I thought I’d do a recap on things I like right now, instead of the slight blogging bias towards whinging, complaining and ranting! It’s easy to write about the things I like, I just look out across my table/desk and see what’s lying around and closest to me;

Podcasts – I’m loving listening to Adam Carolla, Fighting Talk, Danny Baker, Sportsweek, 606 Football Phone-in, TWiT, Jonathan Ross, Desert Island Discs, and where has Christian O’Connell gone?

Audio Books – WoW!  Audible audio books, the two I’ve listened to recently are fantastic, The Outliers read by Malcolm Gladwell, and A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson, which I’m certainly getting my money’s worth on that audio book!

iPhone – Yes, easy to use, this is my first phone which gives me web and email access, some of the apps, audio books, maps,  access to everything

Keyboard – 15 bucks for a Microsoft keyboard.  Excellent.

Sansa Clip – My portable, cycling, walking, on the train, mp3 podcast player.  Excellent.

My Job – Loving the job.  Not easy on some days, but it’s something I can really get my teeth into.

Piano – My 6 year old son has cleaned me out of every simple piano duet I know, in less than 2 months.  Playing piano duets with your kids, a dream come true!

Using old stuff – I’ve resurrected my old Samsung LCD screen, it’s nearly 9 years old but going strong, as a second screen for my netbook.

Cheapo Copy Aftershave – The alcohol works a treat inside my shoes!!

And finally, Ergonomic Cycling HandleBar Grips!!  I can’t explain how much better my riding position is, being able to rest the palms of my hands on these grips.

“When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don’t feel so bad!!”

I Hate iTunes Part 1

iPhone great.  iTunes shit.  Or at least that’s how iTunes seems to have been designed, to make the great iPhone experience miserable. I’ve started using a new laptop.  It’s not unreasonable is it Mr Jobs to at some point to replace my old laptop with new laptop, Steve?

So why is it such a miserable experience filled with fear, trying to then connect my iPhone to iTunes on a new laptop?  Why did I live in fear for weeks, with connecting my iPhone to a new laptop and risk losing all my data?  Why does iTunes run so pathetically slow on XP?

Why do the messages on iTunes tell me you’re going to lose everything.  So here was my biggest fear.  My iPhone is synched with Google Contacts.  If a new iTunes which has no contacts, then wipes my contacts on my iPhone, won’t that then synch with Google and wipe all my contacts in Gmail?  No one could tell me the answer and I couldn’t seem to find out much by googleing it.  The best I could do was back up my contacts from Gmail, and hope for the best.  I can’t remember which bits I clicked in iTunes, but everything seemed ok with my contacts and they were safe and sound on both my iPhone and Gmail.

However!!  Half my apps stopped working.  The icons remained on the iPhone but just as each app was loading, it stopped working.  This gave me hope, because it seemed that the software was all there on the iPhone, and it just need something to tell it to work again….iTunes!

I think what I should have done before anything else on a new laptop with iTunes, is to click on “Store” and then “Authorize Computer”.  But nobody tells you that when you connect your iPhone to your new laptop with iTunes.  I must have synched before I authorized the laptop, and hence lost some of my apps, let alone all the music and audiobooks, which I was expecting anyway.

So why Mr Steve Jobs, does iTunes not take a lead from the iPhone?  Surely, I want to keep what’s on my iPhone, and not have it destroyed by iTunes.  You’ll learn your lesson soon Steve, because unless you change your ways, Google and others will kick your ass with mobiles that don’t need an intermediary such as iTunes, and will update direct from the Internet or mobile network.  I knew what I was taking on with an iPhone and iTunes, but I think the timing is good, to sit and wait for 2 years to see what Apple comes up with and what Google will compete with.  If Android/Nexus improves over the next 2 years, I’ll switch.

Why do Apple fan boys put up with this, and it hardly encourages me to “Get a Mac”.  The iPhone in isolation and when kept away from iTunes is fantastic, but I’m sick of Steve telling me how I want my music and podcasts to be stored, and what’s the obsession with album covers?  If I wanted album covers I’d go buy the vinyl!!

Dr Who’s perfect music choice

WoW!  I was listening to David Tennant’s (Dr Who) music choice on Desert Island Discs, and it almost perfectly matches my own choice, such that anything David Tennant recommends or additionally listens to I’d give a go.  I’m sure there are music sites and Amazon where I can find accurate recommendations, but I’ve never found one as close as Dr Who!

I’ve always loved Desert Island Discs. It’s one of the longest running radio programmes in the UK.  A simple format, a celebrity guest is alone on a desert island, what 8 pieces of music would they take with them, which one would they choose, which luxury item would they choose, which book to go along with The Bible and The Complete Works of Shakespeare.

It’s really moving when someone David Tennant gets it with your own musical choice.

The Proclaimers – Love ‘em

Elvis Costello – Not my absolute favourite but mostly love

The Housemartins – Love ‘em

Deacon Blue – I’ll take Dr Who’s word for it

Eddie Izzard – Love Him

Kaiser Chiefs – Don’t know that well but I’m now listening

Tim Minchin – Great song

Billy Bragg – Like Elvis Costello, like most of his stuff

Oh and Kirsty Young is fantastic as the host, and I found her in Room 101.  A Desert Island Discs interview with Michael Caine last week threw up something I thought only I knew…that the song My Way by Frank Sinatra, though written by Paul Anka, is in fact Comme D’Habitude by Claude François.

Actually, what are my Desert Island Disc 8 songs;

Father and Son – Cat Stevens

The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding – Elton John

Living Years – Mike and The Mechanics

Paradise by the Dashboard – Meatloaf

Lying Eyes – The Eagles

The Promised Land – Bruce Springsteen

Over the Rainbow – Eva Cassidy

2009 Purchases of the year!

Just got a Sansa Clip+ 4GB mp3 player via eBay, and it set me thinking what my favourite purchases of 2009 are.  I’m not a big consumer of goods, not a big shopper, brick or online, so there’s not much to choose from.  I tend to choose well, and hence my goods last a long time, if I use them!

1. Hush Puppies – Zinc classic formal shoes

You wouldn’t think there would be a pair of formal shoes I’d actually look forward to wearing.  Given that I’m on my feet, training groups a lot, I thought I’d treat myself and spend a bit more. Well worth it.  Comfortable, “Extra Wide”, “Bounce Technology”.

2. Apple iPhone 3GS

So, I claim I’m not a typical consumer!  Well I am with this one.  Never fallen for the Apple hype, but I have to say, the iPhone is fantastic.  Easy to use, beautiful usability, great as a phone, and of course the Apps.

pUniverse – See the stars as you move around the night sky, find the planets.

AlarmT Lite – Alarm Clock which enables me to wake to my MP3s

Games – FreeCell, Sudoku, Action Blox, Touch4, Labyrinth 3D, Racer Free

tramTracker and Metlink for Melbourne transport

Getting Things Done – Notes, Google Apps (inc Gmail), Guitar Tuner, Laptop Cafe, Evernote, Note Taker (finger write), iThoughts (MindMaps)

3. Sansa Clip+ MP3 player

See, I don’t fall for the Apple hype.  I’m sure iPods are fantastic, but are they value for money?  I reckon the Sansa Clip+ is the best player, depending on how you use an MP3 player.  It’s small and it clips on!  If you cycle, walk around a lot, and go on public transport, it fantastic.  Also the Clip+ has more sound options than the Clip.  Volume/Equalizer adjustments, Audio Book options for double play speed, and micro SD slot for an extra 16GB.

4. Audible Audio Books

I’ve been an Audible user since 2006 for the Ricky Gervais podcasts, but only recently started listening to audio books.  My first book was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was a bit dire as a book, but I persisted, and Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers read by Malcolm Gladwell, is unbelievably good.  Just listened to some other Ricky Gervais podcasts and more to come.  I was crying with laughter.  And currently listening to Scott Adams’ (Dilbert) God’s Debris.

Just one product I wouldn’t buy again, the Dell Mini Netbook, on the Vodafone plan.  The keyboard is too small to enjoy using and they’ve moved the apostrophe ‘ key and made the right hand shift key smaller, which makes it a pain in the arse to try typing with.  It’s still a good data plan, but would I buy this netbook again?  I don’t think so.  I’ve seen better netbook keyboards.

Which MP3 Player?

What gets me blogging again after a few months?  Dropping my current MP3 player in the toilet!!  Looks like the player isn’t working, wonder why!!  Bizarrely, I received an email on Friday, promoting a product which dries out wet electronic devices that have been dropped in water, Bheestie Bag.  Leave the wet electronic device in the Bheestie Bag, and the bag dries out the device, hopefully making the device work again.

Meanwhile, I’m wondering what new mp3 player to buy to replace my Sansa e260 4GB player.  I’ve enjoyed having this player, with just one main issue, it doesn’t play Audible books with the V1 firmware.  I don’t use the player for video or to show off photos, just for podcasts and music, so I’ve “borrowed” my wife’s Sansa 2GB Clip which I think is just what I need for my travelling and cycling, something which is very light and clips on, and perhaps the 4GB version.  Here in Australia, there’s a pricing gap for mp3 players.  There are the cheapo sub $80 players,but they don’t always play all mp3s, and then there’s the range of Apple iPods, but they’re priced near $200.  I would have thought the $100 to $130 range is perfect, but there’s very few players in that range, Sansa, iRiver, Samsung?  Maybe the Australian market consists of, Cheapo, iPod and mobile phones, but that’s not what I want.

I do have an iPhone, but it’s too heavy for running, cycling, travel, and I’d rather not carry a mobile phone too near my body, and it’s an extra task to keep switching the iPhone on and off to flight mode.  So it’s a Sansa 4GB Clip unless anyone recommends better. 

Oh and I’m tempted to try out an audio book from Audible, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus

I just saw a mid 60s clip of the Rolling Stones, on TV, and I was wondering about Brian Jones and the Rolling Stones, when did he join, when did he die.  And his last formal appearance was in the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, a film the Stones wouldn’t release for 28 years until ‘96.

It’s an amazing film, really well shot with modern camera angles and production, you wouldn’t believe it’s 60s which usually has too many and too long close-ups.  And it has John Lennon with Mick, The Who, Jethro Tull, Eric Clapton, all doing excellent performances, including The Stones, who I’m not a big fan of, but they’re really good in this, even though they didn’t think so.

And as for Brian Jones, well, I don’t see the rest of the group acknowledging him on stage, but wouldn’t you be pissed off if another band member had run off with your girlfriend of 2 years!!

And does Mick Jagger have tattoos because he certainly does in part 6 of the YouTube clips.  Are they temporary for the film, because if not, that would be quite a shocking thing for the 60s, but very David Beckham nowadays!

I take it all back.  I thought the filming looked familiar. The Beatles did it first with All You Need is Love, and look, there’s Mick Jagger in the audience in ‘67.

The Song remains the Same?

Another one of those engaging song lists by a famous music person. In this case David Crosby (Crosby Stills Nash and Young), Playlist: David Crosby.

One of the chosen songs is by Graham Nash (Hollies and from Salford/Manchester), Cold Rain

Wait a second, don't I know you?
Haven't I seen you somewhere before?
You seem to be like someone I knew
Yes, he lived here but he left
When he thought that there was more

The tone of the song is uncannily like Oasis’s Masterplan.  So is there a link between the songs?  Manchester/Graham Nash/Salford/Lowry/Noel Gallagher.  Is there some kind of Manchester Lowry sound that I’ve never come across?

Definitive Cover Versions of songs

Wanna burn a few hours?  Then read this What are your definitive cover versions? by Alan McGee (founder of Creation Records (Oasis etc)), and then in a separate Tab on your browser, check out some of the recommended songs from the 300+ comments, on YouTube.  Hours of fun and nostalgia.

My favourite one from the comments, bizarrely is Candi Staton singing Stand By Your Man, with an amazing bass hook.

The thing about cover versions is you may know the original song, so it gives you a chance to compare with the original and hear how the song is constructed (or deconstructed!).

So what are my favourite covers?  Mmmm, need to think.  Off the top of my head….

La Vie en Rose – Grace Jones

Perfect Day – Various (with Lou Reed)

Over the Rainbow – Eva Cassidy

My Way – Sid  Vicious

Stand by Me – John Lennon

Hi Ho Silver Lining - Slade

Ting Tings for Pop Connoisseurs

Being old, there's very little music I take to nowadays and being old, I'm a bit slow on anything new, but I tell you, just read about the Ting Tings in the Guardian, and watched them on YouTube.  Excellent.

It's like the first time you saw Debbie Harry and Blondie (or Wendy James and Transvision Vamp).  The music is incredibly derived from every other song you've ever heard.  Very Very catchy.  I haven't bought or downloaded an album for years, but I could listen to this trash time and time again.

And this one as well, Shut Up and Let Me Go