Dog Man Star

It seems strange to review an album when it is already over 14 years old. Yes, really. God, I'm old. But something is compelling me to do it.

It is generally impossible to say that anything is a 'favourite'. The concept simply doesn't and shouldn't exist. But you have to have stock answers. So when someone asks me my favourite band, I say That Petrol Emotion, (and to a large extent, the stats bear this out), when I'm asked by favourite film I would usually say The Wrath of Khan, or latterly, The Big Lebowski.

But what about favourite album? I've never really had an answer. There are obviously many, many candidates. From Rubber Soul all the way to the first Arctic Monkeys album, stopping off at Hunky Dory, Meat is Murder, The Queen is Dead, Rid Of Me, The Bends, Ok Computer (and many more) on the way. The trouble is, that no matter how much I love them all, none of them are the perfect album. Despite all the myriad of high points, there is always a track you'd skip, a moment that irks. Surely your favourite album should be devoid of these? That is why I always find myself coming back to Dog Man Star. It is, quite simply, perfect. ( and yes, the first Suede album is great too. But it's not to the same level overall.)

Let's set up some basic comments so I don't repeat myself endlessly. The singing, guitar playing and lyrics are consistently excellent throughout. I'm not going to go on about Anderson/Butler and how sad it was they split when they did (and how they weren't quite as good when they got back together), I'm not going to make Morrissey/Marr comparisons. I just want to try and explain why I like it. I might learn something.

There is a simple fact. While all my other CD's are ripped and in the attic. Dog Man Star sits in the CD player next to my bed for those magical moments when I can lie in the dark and just listen.

"Introducing the Band" – 2:39

There was a time when albums were put together with a purpose, some sort of linear intent running end to end. Something akin to Sgt. Pepper or Ziggy. Not just "the latest 10 songs we've recorded". The first track on Dog Man Star, short and sonically quite strange, Introducing The Bands sets out this purpose. This isn't something you've heard before.

"We Are the Pigs" – 4:19

Built as a single, with a great chorus, the triumphal wailing of the end and the decidedly eerie footnote of the children singing "we all watch them burn", this is a stirring start to the album proper. If you ever need to hear how a great guitarist can create a pop gem, then Bernard Butler does it here. A great riff and even better solo, layers of great guitars. This is what Johnny Marr was in the 80's. And there's horns. The best bit is definitely the build up to the last chorus with "But deceit can't save you so..."

"Heroine" – 3:22

Dischord, clang. More layered guitars. Here we are with something that could have been a single (but wasn't). These were the days when you didn't release all the songs off your album as singles unless you were Michael Jackson.

"The Wild Ones" – 4:50

Just when you think you've got a handle on what is to come, it all comes down a notch. All the deep reverb in the world wouldn't get my voice even close to this. I think some music magazine type would use the the word 'luxuriant' sometime soon. Here come the strings. Its just lovely, so it is. This was a single, and with good reason.

"Daddy's Speeding" – 5:22

We've opened up with the more accessible songs, the singles (or potential ones). This is when this starts to go from a really good album to a great one. And this is when it gets better to listen to in the dark. A more paired-down, less guitar-driven song, just simple piano and an effects-laden chug - reflecting the sombre mood herein. This is what Bowie used to do. Obviously, we're not happy unless we get a wee bit of cacophony action at the end. You're not going to dance to this. But trust me, you really shouldn't be dancing to anything at your age.

"The Power" – 4:31

Just when you were thinking you hadn't heard much acoustic guitar. Brett Anderson has a great ability to great some really great harmonies with himself. A very simple song this, a great chorus with, yes OK, more luxuriant strings action. Again, memories of Bowie, maybe around Man Who Sold The World. There is no doubt that Suede own Bowie albums. No shame in that. Same great la-la-la-ing to finish. It's as David would have wished.

"New Generation" – 4:37

After dropping down in mood for a bit, we're back in single territory again (albeit a very slightly less successful one). Probably the simplest song on the album (certainly the verse) and we're back to the backcloth of the winding riff. But when the chorus hits, oh yes, let's get singing along. But it sounds bad coz it's really high and we drop and octave in embarrassment. More horns. Altogether now "Oh but when she is calling here in my head...". Make sure you get the "Oh" really loud. Nice solo to finish.

"This Hollywood Life" – 3:50

For a very long time this was my favourite song on the album. Why? Turn it up loud (before it starts) and just let the guitar kick into your head ( and is that Bowie on sax ). Definitely the 'rockiest' song on the album. Another stunning chorus. There was a time when I drove to work listening to this album endlessly. I had to stop. Singing the loud/high bit of the end of this song was doing me a damage. I was a risk of simultaneously ripping my vocal chords and passing out. Splitting the song in half is a proper tennis racquet of a guitar solo. And then you go for it. Go for it, I said... "Come take this Hollywood life". Ouch. It was worth it.

"The 2 Of Us" – 5:45

That's it folks. The fun is over. Stop rocking. Stop even vaguely being cheery. Sit back, gets the lights out and well, luxuriate. Stripped back, piano. Great singing. And there it is again, a the big finish, the triumphal ending. It almost sounds hopeful, happy, but it remains sad, laconic. Small piano, fade out. "sickeningly pretty" - brilliant.

"Black or Blue" – 3:48

In the same stripped back piano territory, the vocals remain class (and very high!) but we'll throw in some strings. In any other album this would stand out. But you know what's coming next...

"The Asphalt World" – 9:25

It is genuinely difficult to describe how much I love this song. I like guitars, I like loud, I like 'up'. This song is very sad, depressing even, but is beautiful at the same time. I can't deny it. If you get me drunk enough, I'll cry when this is on. It is just such a complete sound experience (careful now, that's quite a lot wanky). Everything works. The wandering guitar is stunning, a bit of hammond but, above all, its the harmonies in the vocals that makes my spine tingle. Similar to "I Will" by Radiohead, there is something about the harmonies in this song. A music scholar would be able to tell me what it is I like. But OK, let's go back to the guitar. The solo is just great. And then you get to this song's greatest trick, the prog-rocky quiet bit, the slow, slow build up and the Whoomp! as it all crashes back in again and you get another great solo. Mamma Mia! ( no, not that one). "Cos that's where I go, and that's what I do". Lie down in the dark and listen to this. Please.

"Still Life" – 5:23

Imagine that The Beatles had got a grip of Paul and said he wasn't putting "Your Majesty" on the end of Abbey Road but instead they had all settled for something else almost as good as the "Golden Slumbers" medley bit. This album could easily have ended with The Asphalt World (it has that big long track end of album thing) but throwing this in at the end is just showing off. It starts off so simply and builds up into a quite beautiful ballad, although again, don't be fooled by how lovely it all sounds, the lyrics fight back again.

Why did I do this review? Well, more than anything I got to sit and listen to the album end to end (something I rarely do with my random approach) but it also gave me the chance to try and work out what I like it as much as I do. I can tell you why. Listen to this track and wait for the bit as it builds up to the first chorus, the crescendo rising to the vocal peak and bit orchestra hit. That's what I love because the music drags you up with it. This album does that a lot. You can have all the depressing subject matter you like, the sounds alone make you happy.

I've just listened to the whole thing again. It is my favourite album. What a great Friday night. Right then, back onto random.

Local Author Eats (again)

Taken with Stu's crappy phone.

Publishing Mogul Out To Lunch

Meanwhile in 1886...

As with all great butterflies, it doesn't take much to send me off onto another flower. Wasn't feeling too peaky last week, so the slightest suggestion from my Dad/Auntie that I should do some family tree digging had me off and running on a little bit of genealogy. And, I have to say, it was rather good fun.

I started by trotting off down the line of the Liddell men and discovered that my general lack of DIY prowess would have been generally frowned upon by a long line of largely blacksmiths. This lead to my favourite revelation of all. It had long been a source of some vagueness around where my middle name 'McFarlane' came from. I knew that it was shared by my Dad and my great-grandad Jock. He lost a leg in WWI while serving as a Bombardier with the Royal Field Artillery. Looking at his medal record, he left the war on or before 7/7/1915. He died not long before I was born, so I didn't get a chance to bounce on his knee (singular). Anyway, beyond that I didn't know where McFarlane came from.

So I was delighted to discover that my Great-Great Grandad, Robert Liddell married my Great-Great-Grandmother, Euphemia McFarlane in 1886. So I am, at least in part, named after a woman called Euphemia. Which is nice.

Much still do, I've made it as far back as my Great-Great-Great-Great Grandad, James Liddell, although I'm not exactly sure when he was born yet, some time around 1790 seems likely.

Oh, I did most of this on the Scotland's People website. Don't think for a minute that I actually left the groove on the sofa.

Apparently It's Nearly Xmas

Going to start doing the occasional micro-photo-blog like what we did on the Sucata Run. I'll stop when it reveals that I do little of interest.

For those of you lucky enough never to set foot in Livingston, this is what Xmas looks like in the shiny new shopping centre.

LazyWebSpammers

A while ago, I remember getting a vague sense of misplaced pride when my popular but largely uninteresting website LazyWebTools was blocked by WebSense in work. It felt like it had arrived, been recognised by the world.

But now some bandits are trying to grab traffic by spamming it on their dodgy sites. Now, I know how much traffic the site gets and there isn't really that much to steal, but still they try. Do this search and you'll see the crappy sites that are spamming with my site. Don't visit them. Swines.

But if you do the search, you will see the lovely people at McAfee report that: "We tested this site and didn't find any significant problems". So, that's nice.

The 'Web Ripple'

I've spent some idle time recently tinkering with various Web 2.0 sites like Facebook, Twitter etc. As my reader may have noticed, my Facebook status is now driven from Twitter and it all ends up here on this blog.

In addion, if I make a prediction on HubDub, it becomes a Tweet and goes to Facebook, Twitter and this blog. So, I'm going to call that a "Web Ripple" (dunno if this exists as a web thing yet), one action on one site that flows into many others. Similarly, if I update my location on BrightKite, it ends up in the same 3 places.

Therefore, my record ripple is 4. Can anyone beat 4?

So, let's have a button that does that...

As my reader will be aware, whether at home or on the move, I almost always listen to music using random/shuffle mode. I have oft to referred to this herein as the 'randomiser'. It's just a natural extension of the mix-tape : that changes each time you put it on. But this has some drawbacks.

I'm going to ignore discussions of how actually un-random this usually is and rather concentrate on new features that I would like the makers of media and MP3 players to add.

Ooh-Ooh Play The Next Track Of That Album
It goes like this. The randomiser plays "I Want the One I Can't Have" by The Smiths and you know the next track is "What She Said" and you really want to hear that but you know the randomiser is about to play a dull B.52's album track off Mesopotamia. So, let's have a button that does that...

Nice, Just Play All That Album Now
But just "What She Said" isn't enough, you have the taste now and you know it goes "That Joke Isn't Funny Any More" following by "How Soon Is Now". What you really want now is just to play the rest of the album. So, let's have a button that does that...

Oh Yes, Stick With Them
Maybe you're just in the mood for The Smiths now. Would be good to say "stick with this artist" and play random tracks by them. So, let's have a button that does that...

Thumbs Up
On the basis that there is no true randomness in any of this then I'd like to be able to tune the selection based on weighted choices. Now, I really could go to town on this algorithm. But maybe that would be giving away some really nice IP for something I'll never build. Anwyay, this button is fairly obvious, you're enjoying this track now and perhaps tied to mood, location, time of day it could build up a picture of what you like to listen to when and where. But in its simplest form, it would mean "Play more of them". So, let's have a button that does that...

Thumbs Down
As above, but opposite. So, let's have a button that does that...

Never, ever play that song again
One of the major drawbaks of a random trawl through your entire collection is you will inevitably and frequently alight on tracks that are guff album filler. These should be stricken from the record by being able to say never play that again. So, let's have a button that does that...

Right then, I'll give you until next Christmas. Go!

I'm not expecting for much, my last attempt to subliminally influence the direction of technology via an unread blog didn't really work that well.

A Word from our Sponsor

I would like to take a few moments to suggest you check out the most excellent NewsBiscuit book, Isle of Wight To Get Ceefax. If you're not familiar with NewsBiscuit it is a UK focused satirical website (much in the style The Onion). This book contains the best from the site and is a perfect gift for Xmas in that coffee table book style.

The book itself is really well produced and looks great. I know this because I received my complimentary copy today. It is hardback with colour and images and... "Hang on", I hear you interrupt, "your complimentary copy? How so?" "Oh", I reply, "Didn't I mention that I had a story in it?" "No you didn't", you continue, astonished, "Did you get paid?" "I will receive some recompense, yes." "But won't that make you a professional satirical writer?" "Well, I rather suppose it does."

But seriously, it is genuinely funny, despite my very short and heavily abridged contribution. I encourage you all to check it out.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Two steps forward, three steps back. I'd made some progress on TerraExitus. Not much, but enough to give me a feel for where I was going. And there's the problem. I passed a few chunks by Stuart and we both arrived at a pretty similar conclusion. It was a bit too hard to read. I know what I was trying to do, but Stuart put it best:

"I still wonder if attempting to deliberately create an artificial authorial voice with your second novel is altogether wise."

He has a point. I think I'd need to be far better than I am to pull off what I was trying to do. I need to have a think. Do I try to pull it off? Do I stick with the first person at all? I have so little time to work on this now, I'll never finish it with too big a false start. I need to think...

The Invisibles

Cracking day at Edinburgh Zoo, almost too much light, lovely day. And, amazingly, many of the animals we hardly ever see made an appearance.


Pallas Cat


Giant Anteater


Maned Wolf

And some of the more usually visible animals were looking fine too:







I'll link these up to hi-res downloads on MorgueFile when I get them uploaded (Morguefile servers are being upgraded at the mo')

1001 Reasons to Be Depressed

I was in the bookshop* yesterday and saw a book called something like "1001 Places to See Before You Die". A very nice picture book, full of interesting locations. There are many of it's type.

It struck me that, if you're not careful, it could be quite a depressing thing. Clearly, I'm not going to see all the places contained within, so I may have to consider my life a failure already. I admit that renaming the book "If you see 10% of these then your life hasn't been a complete waste" or "Just look at the pictures, it's as good as being there" might not sell as well but it would stop the book pulling you up short in the shop and thinking "How many days have I spent in Livingston?"

Although, flicking through the book, I was buoyed by two things, I had been to some of the places and some of the places I hadn't been to were really very dull, methinks they had stretched it a bit to get to 1001.

So, I might still buy the book, albeit I can't find the exact one I saw online. I didn't use my own 'top tip' - take a photo of the book in the shop and then find it online.

* a bookshop! In Livingston! Hurrah! It wasn't busy...