And what should have been there

1. Hot Love by T.Rex
because this made a 10-year old boy fall in love with music.

2. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You by Elvis Presley
because Elvis is the greatest male vocalist ever.

3. Different Drum by Linda Ronstadt
because Linda is the greatest female vocalist ever

4. Saturday Night by the Blue Nile
because the Blue Nile are one of music’s best kept secrets, this song is magnificent and their rendition of it at Derby’s Assembly Rooms is probably the most moving live performance I have ever seen.

5. Man in the Corner Shop by the Jam
because Weller is THE MAN

6. In the Garden by Van Morrison
because there are few better examples of songs where the words, the music and the performace just gel together so brilliantly.

7. You Could be Happy by Snow Patrol
because I can’t think of any better "lost love" song. When I hear the "somehow everything I own smells of you" lyric my crusty old heart just melts.

8. Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House
because Neil Finn is so good that he just had to be somewhere on this list.

9. Cole’s Corner by Richard Hawley
because I keep promising friends that I’ll refund the money if they buy the album (of the same name) and don’t like it – haven’t spent a penny!

10. Everybody Needs A Healer by Brian Houston
because when a fan emailed Janice Long calling Brian the third Belfast genius after George Best and Van Morrison, I found myself agreeing. Nobody has stated our need for Christ so perfectly.

And I’ve run out of tracks without fitting in Johnny Cash, Dylan, Springsteen, Tori Amos, China Crisis, Bowie or the Beatles – oh the joys of music!

Justcoffeforme

iPOD Challenge Number 1

The Chef’s Challenge was a very simple one, and I quote "those who have mp3 players, set them on random or shuffle, and make a list of the first 10 songs that appear. No censoring now"

Being blessed with a 35 year old record collection, I was ready to very quickly embrace the challenge. Then I started to think about it. First, I am a lazy MP3 owner. Still enjoying vinyl and even cassettes, I have not got quite around to filling up my machine, so I’m not terribly sure that it reflects who I am.

Second, and more important, while music can form a terrific bridge between people (I had to spend half an hour with a virtual stranger the other day and the potentially draining small talk became very easy when we discovered a mutual love of Paul Weller) it can also be an intensely personal thing.

Music can be the new sharp shirt that you cannot wait to show to your friends but it can also be the favourite red underpants that you would hesitate to even let your wife see you in. Music can be the treasured picture of your family on the living room wall, but it can equally be the more than slightly embarassing picture of you in your best mullet that you skillfully removed from the "favourite memories" photo album several years ago but would never dream of throwing out.

But always being one for a challenge, I took out the machine, pressed random play and waited with trepidation ….

Track 1: U2 – Pride (in the Name of Love)
Not a bad start at all. Is there any singer in the world that can split an audience as much as Bono? Personally, I love the Guy. He might be an idiot sometimes but he knows his scripture and loves the Lord. And this is a brilliant song. It also brings a smile to my face because it reminds me of a story my mate Ray used to tell (who cares if its actually true) about our football manager who yelled from the sidelines "come on lads show a bit of Pride"  and in the next breath as we lost the ball stupidly turned to the coach and said "in the name of ****"
PS: Excellent U2 trivia courtesy of the Word magazine – the digital sign in the airport on the front cover of "All that you can’t leave behind"  says J33-3, i.e. Jeremiah Ch 33 V 3 "Call to me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not".

Track 2: Level 42 – Tracie
Level 42 were one of those bands that everybody occasionally liked but rarely adored in the 1980s. They made some very good records, this isn’t one of them. I think it came from a compilation album.

Track 3: Prefab Sprout – All Boys Believe Anything
I love this band especially Paddy McAloon’s voice. This is from Jordan: The Comeback, which is one of the truly great albums of the last 20 years.

Track 4: George Michael – Too Funky
Not sure where this came from. Don’t even like it. George Michael and Robbie Williams are two artists that when I decide I can’t stand them they produce something pretty brilliant, and if I think I might quite like them, they produce something like this. ‘Nuff said.

Track 5: Oasis – Live Forever
I smiled for the length of this record. My 12 year-old son put this on. He adores Oasis. One of the happiest nights of my life was taking him to see them at the Odyssey last Christmas. I spent most of the night watching his face.

Track 6: Lloyd Cole & the Commotions – From the Hip
Brilliant, brilliant band and songwriter and this is a simply wonderful song. It’s from their Best of Compilation, which I thoroughly recommend.

Track 7: Bob Dylan – Just Like A Woman
One of my school friends got me into Dylan in the late 70s by lending me "Desire" which I absolutely adored (still do). In fact along with "Blood in the Tracks"", Desire remains my favourite Dylan album. This 1966 Track however, from  "Blonde on Blonde", would be one of my all time favourite Dylan songs.

Track 8: Will Powers – Kissing With Confidence
Trivia time: Will Powers was (and is) Lynn Goldsmith, once Bruce Springsteen’s official photographer and (it is said) was encouraged by the Boss to release her music. This track got to number 3 in the Charts and it’s still rather great actually. The uncredited guest singer was none other than the wonderful Ms Carly Simon.

Track 9: Paul McCartney – My Brave Face
This isn’t a great track but I love Paul McCartney. He’s one of my all-time favourite songwriters. Come on, how could the man who wrote "Yesterday", "Let it Be", "Hey Jude", "Maybe I’m Amazed" and "Let me Roll It" not be forgiven for "Ebony & Ivory"?

Track 10: Lighthouse Family – High
For a brief while in the 90s, the Lighthouse Family were a great band. "Lifted", "Ocean Drive" and this song are still wonderful tracks.

And there we have it. Next time, what should have been there …..

Justcoffeeforme

Johnny Cash

Found this quotation from Johnny Cash in the Open House Festival programme. I think it’s great.

I love songs about horses, railroads, land, judgment day, family, hard times, whiskey, courtship, marriage, adultery, separation, murder, war, prison, rambling, damnation, home, salvation,. death, pride, humour, piety, rebellion, patriotism, larceny, determination, tragedy, rowdiness, heartbreak and love and mother. And God.

The Very Excellent Brian Houston

Whilst Bible Study is the main reason we all meet together, naturally enough the conversation often covers other things of great importance to men: football, music, football, films, football, rugby, football – that sort of thing.

Now it’s very difficult to get much agreement about football when you have Celtic & Rangers fans, Man Utd & Liverpool fans, Linfield & Crusaders fans all sharing a sausage, so, apart from our glorious Ulster & Ireland rugby teams, music tends to be the thing that most often helps us find some pre-Bible study common ground.

It’s great fun recommending music to your pals. In fact, it’s great fun recommending music to anybody, so here goes.

In my view, there were two absolutely outstanding albums released in 2005 – “Cole’s Corner”, by Richard Hawley, and “Jesus & Justice”, by Brian Houston. The first album has been seized upon and lauded by virtually all of the most respected critics (made The Word’s Top 10 Albums of 2005 etc) so let’s concentrate on young Houston. Well, he’s a folk singer in the Springsteen/Forbert mould, he’s about the age of the breakfast squad (or most of us!), he’s a Christian and he’s from East Belfast, which should make me biased, but then again he might be a Glenman, which evens things up a bit.

I first heard Brian when local radio began playing “Jesus Again” over 10 years ago. Then a few years ago I was browsing in a record shop when I found his album “In the Words of Dr Luke”. In the sleeve notes the album was described by the great Steve Stockman (author, preacher etc) as a worship album for people who hate worship albums. With a compliment like this, and the artist himself name-checking Springsteen, Dylan & Van, I took the album to the counter pronto. It was an excellent album lifted by one track, “Give me Faith”, the words of which could have been written for any male Christian (and possibly were).

After trying and liking a couple of other albums, I bought “Jesus & Justice” with a certain sense of anticipation. However, I could never have predicted the lyrical power and musical quality that I would find within the grooves (OK – so it was a CD but what’s a little poetic licence amongst friends?). Honestly, this album can be compared to Tunnel of Love, No Guru, No Method, No Teacher, Blood on the Tracks – you name it. Just listen to “How Beautiful You Are”, “Wear My Ring” and the majestic “Everybody Needs a Healer” and see for yourself. I guarantee dear reader, you will not be disappointed. I have played it constantly for the last several months and simply never cease to be moved, uplifted and inspired by this record.

Brian’s new album “Sugar Queen” is out in the next couple of months and already on pre-order from this household. In the meantime, check out Brian’s website and find out a bit more about the man described by Bob Harris as “the very excellent Brian Houston”.

posted by justcoffeeforme