Wednesday, October 31, 2007

A Friendly Intervention


Blimey. Tickets for the 2008 Green Man Festival are available. I’m very tempted but shall keep my powder dry until the new year when I shall start lobbying S and persuade him that his threatened festival retirement might be too early. Part of me wants to apply for tickets to Glastonbury next year, not for the commercial Razorlight nonsense that dominates the main stage but for all the smaller venues where nuggets might lurk lurkily.

The fellow who puts the Yo! into Yorkshire, M, has heralded a new favourite album. I was hurt and worried when he suggested that this recording had replaced in his affections the varied long players released by the young prince of music, Sufjan Stevens, but we’ve talked it through. I now have a copy of Poses by Rufus Wainwright and, out of loyalty to Stevens, I’ve tried very hard to dislike it but have failed abysmally. After three or four listens, I have grown to admire the textured songwriting skills of Wainwright and I am greatly enjoying some very beautiful numbers. I publicly express my gratitude. As a symbolic act to remind myself who is still number one chez Cole, I did listen to the second half of Illinoise this evening while I let my evening meal, heavy in carbohydrates, settle.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Coleser

I'm glad you are enjoying Poses after all the hype I gave it. Its good to introduce you to something after all the stuff you've given me. I've just purchased "Release the Stars", Wainwright's latest offering and it is again bloody fantastic stuff. I will ensure you listen to it very shortly.

I know you were interested in the amount of times Wainwright's tracks had featured on the 'most played list' on my iPod and thought the following info would be of interest given your leanings in this regard:

Top 25 Most Played Songs:

R Wainwright - 8 out of top 9, with 12 entries in all. (I only had the 1 album of his until yesterday).
Midlake - 6 entries
Richard Hawley - 3 entries
Young Knives - 2 entries
Kings of Leon - 1 entry
Silversun Pickups - 1 entry

In terms of tracks on my iPod per artist, S Stevens remains king you'll be pleased to hear and his work remains close to my heart. He just beats R Adams, although he may take over given imminent of another album. My top 10 list follows:

S Stevens - 135 tracks
R Adams - 124 tracks
P Weller - 90 tracks
American Music Club - 84 tracks
Eels - 70 tracks
The Who - 63 tracks
J Martyn - 52 tracks
Van Morrison - 47 tracks
Kings of Leon - 36 tracks
Tom Waits - 25 tracks

Rather miffed that I've missed out on tickets for Ryan Adams at York Grand Opera House next Tuesday, but have snagged a couple of tickets for R Hawley in February.

M

Cole said...

A jaw-dropping and fine piece of research, comrade. I need to know more of these Youthful Knives you write of. I do feel sadddened that no Sufjan tracks appear in your most-played collection. His presense at the head of your 'most tracks' list is a mere smokescreen; you and I both know that your Sufjan Christmas box-set is affecting your figures here.

Enjoy Hawley.