Collazo Hurrah

Patrice Collazo has been linked to a move to Gloucester and I would certainly welcome back the nuggety French prop. We need his type. Indeed we do. I suppose Collazo represents ‘what went wrong’ to a certain extent. The club’s inability to hang on to him and Delport and Mercier has cost us dear and says more about the coffers at Kingsholm than any deficiencies in Melville’s coaching style. His return would speak volumes about a potential reversal in fortunes next season. We need plenty of other signings of a similar quality to douse my fears.

I feel a bit guilty not including Power, Corruption and Lies (1985) by New Order in my Top Five albums list yesterday. I’ve been playing it to death in my car taking me back to an era when it was rarely off my old Sony turntable. It possesses a particular sound that resonates through all the tracks, a confident electronic groove that indicates a band that has found its collective feet and knows the kind of music it needs to make. It sounds fabulous. That flowery cover was great too.

If I was extending my Top Five albums into a Top Ten I’d also include along with the New Order opus:

Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey (1975) – Pastoral roots reggae that mixes a sense of history, a sense of political injustice with some stunning arrangements. A beautiful record.

Blur’s Blur (1997) – The self-titled fifth Blur album recorded in Iceland and its sparse soundscapes reflect this. Graham Coxon’s finest hour – the guitar on this album is thrilling in its creativity. Blur grew up with this album.

The Go-Betweens’ Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express (1986) – Much like Pavement or Blur, I could have chosen one of three or four albums but Liberty Belle hits all the right spots. Ten compelling songs. Apology Accepted could well be the band’s most beautiful four and half minutes.

The Beatles’ Revolver (1966) – Hit me for six at the age of thirteen and a quarter of a century later I’d be hard-pressed to think of a more spectacular collection of pop songs.