Gary Larson makes me smile.
regards
Titus
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
When I was growing up in the late 60s/early 70s
the second world war was just ancient history to me
no more significant than the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
They'd just exchanged a chariot for a Spitfire.
Everything was great! It was the age of science.
Hey, they put a man on the moon (would you believe?)
The TV show 'How' taught me how things worked:
Tomorrow's world showed me how things would work in the future:
They neglected to tell me the world is a shithole.
regards
Titus
On March 2nd Trump said the US campaign had been projected to last
four to five weeks but could “go far longer than that”.
The "excursion" to Iran is costing the US taxpayer around $1 billion par day.
Photosensitive Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon plans to ask lawmakers
for some $200 billion in supplemental funds to pay for the operations.
You do the math!
regards
Titus
My best wishes to the beleaguered people of Hawaii.
"The worst flooding to hit Hawaii in two decades
has swept homes off their foundations, floated cars out of driveways
and left floors, walls and counters covered in thick, reddish volcanic mud.
Authorities said hundreds of homes had been damaged,
along with some schools and a hospital.
On Monday, new downpours set off a fresh round of flooding
on Oahu’s south side while residents on the island’s North Shore
cleaned up and assessed the destruction from last week’s torrents.
No deaths have been reported, but more than 230 people had to be rescued."
As far as I know Trump has said nothing about the flooding.
I thought it was supposed to be "America first"?
Is Hawaii not American enough?
regards
Titus
"The U.S. government will pay a French energy firm nearly $1 billion
to cancel its plans to build a pair of wind farms off the East Coast,
the Trump administration announced Monday in its latest move to stymie offshore wind.
The French firm TotalEnergies will forfeit its leases for projects
off the coasts of New York and North Carolina, with the United States
paying $928 million to reimburse what the company initially spent on the leases.
Under the deal, TotalEnergies will reinvest that money into oil and gas projects,
including a liquefied natural gas export facility in Texas."
Many wars and world issues are linked to resources, especially fossil fuels.
Wind turbines and other renewables will help solve more than just environmental concerns.
This isn't a popular idea with those who profit from the current system.
Trump says "windmills" are ugly.
They're not windmills, you orange dickhead, they don't mill anything.
Here's a beautiful oil refinery:
Trump is worried about the impact on birds.
Trump has frequently claimed that China manufactures wind turbines
but does not use them domestically.
Not in the top ten, due to it's small population, is Norway.
"Norway generates over 98% of its electricity from renewable sources,
primarily hydropower, making it a global leader in clean energy.
With a system built on abundant water resources, hydro
contributes around 89–90% of production, while wind power accounts for nearly 9–10%.
Fossil fuels, mainly gas, contribute less than 1%."
They are no angels being major fossil fuel exporters
but I guess they can get by without access to the strait of Hormuz?
regards
Titus
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Richard Thompson
West End Cultural Centre
Winnipeg, MB
July 16th 2000
Not the full show but a very nice FM broadcast.
regards
Titus
01 DJ intro
02 Bathsheba Smiles
03 I Feel So Good
04 The Ghost of You Walks
05 If You Don't Want Me
06 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
07 Turning of the Tide
08 Shoot Out the Lights
09 God Loves a Drunk
10 I Misunderstood
11 Dimming of the Day
12 Valerie
13 DJ outro
Tritonus
Nachtmusik - WDR Radio
Germany
March 24th 1977
Remastered FM broadcast.
This recording features a choir and a proper pipe organ!
Really good keyboard driven prog half way between ELP and Rick Wakeman.
Big Carl Palmer-esque drum solo on the last track from Arthur Weiss.
I've read that Arthur moved to the US and continued playing
but I can't find anything further about him.
Wiki says he was only with Tritonus in 2015
which is incorrect as he played on their 1977 live album.
That was only released in 2015 hence the confusion.
Good article/interview with keyboardist Peter K, Seiler here
regards
Titus
01 Between the Universes
02 Escape and No Way Out
03 Mars Detection
04 The Day Awakes
05 The Day Works
06 Far in the Sky
Beat Club
Episode 56
June 27th 1970
Reposted from September 2024
Some sections on David Peel in this episode who's album 'The Pope Smokes Dope'
was produced by John Lennon making it a collector's item for Lennon/Beatles fans.
Peel has connections to Kevin Michael 'GG' Allin (born Jesus Christ Allin)
who is/was...er...shall we say interesting?
Worth a wiki.
regards
Titus
Van der Graaf Generator - Whatever Would Robert Have Said?
Brinsley Schwarz - Ebury Down
Santana - Jingo-Lo-Ba/Incident at Neshabur
Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime/Mighty Man
Family - The Weaver's Answer
Monday, 23 March 2026
Hawklords
Guildhall
Portsmouth, UK
October 14th 1978
Remastered audience recording.
Not great sound quality.
Probably one for hard core fans only.
I saw Hawkwind a couple of times on the 78 'Hawklords' tour.
I think the temporary name change was a legal thing
concerning an ongoing dispute with Nik Turner.
They leant heavily on the new album which pissed me off at the time.
Now, of course, it seems like an Uncle Bob Calvert classic.
They had ultra violet lights which made it look
as if you were covered in bits of fluff/lint.
The effect became a staple of discos by the early 80s
but this was my first exposure to it.
I remember wondering why the fuck my black T shirt was covered white specks
and attempting to brush/pick them off.
Then looking around to see loads of other people doing exactly the same thing.
Hawkwind always had a trick up their sleeve.
regards
Titus
Disc 1
01 Automaton/25 Years
02 High Rise
03 Death Trap
04 The Age of the Micro Man
05 Spirit of the Age
06 Urban Guerrilla
07 Sonic Attack/improv
08 Flying Doctor
09 Steppenwolf
Disc 2
01 Psi Power
02 Brainstorm
03 Free Fall
04 Robot
05 Uncle Sam's on Mars/Iron Dream
06 Silver Machine
07 Master of the Universe
Sunday, 22 March 2026
Porcupine Tree
Phantasmagoria
Wheaton, MD
May 26th 1999
Another show from the PTree archives.
It's a reasonable quality audience recording
albeit with distant chatters audible in the quieter moments.
I'm not that into Porcupine Tree but, as I've said before, I've got loads of their stuff.
This interesting venue is no longer a going concern.
The Tree were opening for Gong.
regards
Titus
01 Even Less
02 Piano Lessons
03 Waiting
04 Up the Downstair
05 Don't Hate Me
06 Signify
07 Voyage 34
08 Tinto Brass
09 Sky Moves Sideways
10 Radioactive Toy
Saturday, 21 March 2026
The Long and the Short and the Tall (1961)
Reposted from September 2021
Now with multiple optional subtitles. Other languages are available on request.
An old favourite based on a 1959 play with the same name by Willis Hall.
It is an early example of a war film that has sympathies with the enemy
as opposed to the usual gung-ho propaganda stuff.
A young David McCallum is part of the cast.
He shot to fame as Illya Kuryakin in The Man from U.N.C.L.E
and, of course, for his role in Colditz.
We can forgive him for Sapphire & Steel.
regards
Titus
Warning: Parental Advisory (2002)
Reposted from October 2024
OK, it's a bit tacky but interesting in a way.
A made-for-TV dramatization of the efforts to clamp down on "porn rock".
Frank Zappa, Dee Snider and John Denver testified at the congressional hearings.
Worth a watch.
Sorry I couldn't find good quality English subtitles for this one.
Translating back from other languages amplifies the "Chinese whispers" effect.
e.g. When Dee sings "We're not gonna take it"
you end up with something like "This is intolerable" which is, erm, intolerable.
regards
Titus
Friday, 20 March 2026
Naomi Klein
No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies (1999)
The debut effort by Canadian author Naomi Klein.
A well researched condemnation of the corporate entities
who stain the modern world with their corruption and greed.
We should be more concerned about the treatment of the people
who actually make the products we all buy.
This book will further your understanding of how it all works.
Nike manufacture zero products.
Let that fully sink in for a moment.
All their overpriced goods are franchised out to wherever the cheapest labour can be found.
These contracts are then sub-let to other people
...and so on until the actual production is so far removed from Nike
they are able to throw their hands up in "we had no idea" horror
whenever an unsafe factory burns down or child/slave labour is exposed.
regards
Titus
Frank Zappa
The Palladium
New York City
October 31st 1981 (late show)
Borrowed from the, rather expensive, box-set.
A treat for those eking out an existence on a modest pension.
regards
Titus
Disc 1
01 Black Napkins
02 "A Historical Event"
03 Montana
04 Easy Meat
05 Society Pages
06 I'm A Beautiful Guy
07 Beauty Knows No Pain
08 Charlie's Enormous Mouth
09 Fine Girl
10 Teen-age Wind
11 Harder Than Your Husband
12 Bamboozled By Love
13 Sinister Footwear II
14 Stevie's Spanking
15 Commercial Break
Disc 2
01 Cocaine Decisions
02 Nig Biz
03 Doreen
04 Goblin Girl
05 The Black Page #2
06 Tryin' To Grow A Chin
07 Strictly Genteel
08 The Torture Never Stops
09 "The Real Show Keeps Going"
10 Joe's Garage
11 Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?
12 The Illinois Enema Bandit
13 "The Halloween Tradition"
14 King Kong
15 Auld Lang Syne
Beat Club
Episode 69
July 24th 1971
Some brilliant stuff here from Beat Club's excursion to the USA.
It seems very poignant as a contrast/mirror(?) to present times.
Wish I had English subtitles for all the Beat Club episodes.
The music is great too.
James Gang probably take first prize.
(Just for Jim Fox's drumming!)
regards
Titus
Mick Abrahams Band - Greyhound Bus/Why Do You Do Me This Way?
Caravan - Golf Girl
Osibisa - Phallus C
Grease Band - Let it Be Gone
Etcetera - Raga, Lady, Blue/Thursday Morning Sunrise
James Gang - Walk Away
Thursday, 19 March 2026
Roger Waters
Madison Square Garden
New York City
September 12th 2006
Remastered audience recording.
Nick Mason sits in for the second set.
regards
Titus
Disc 1
01 In the Flesh
02 Mother
03 Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
04 Shine On You Crazy Diamond
05 Have a Cigar
06 Wish You Were Here
07 Southampton Dock
08 The Fletcher Memorial Home
09 Perfect Sense parts 1 & 2
10 Leaving Beirut
11 Sheep
Disc 2
01 Speak to Me/Breathe
02 On the Run
03 Time/Breathe (reprise)
04 The Great Gig in the Sky
05 Money
06 Us and Them
07 Any Colour You Like
08 Brain Damage/Eclipse
09 band intros
The Happiest Days of Our Lives
Another Brick in the Wall (part 2)
10 Vera
Bring the Boys Back Home
11 Comfortably Numb
Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Santana/Pat Metheny Group
The Bottom Line
New York City 1978
Remastered FM.
A King Biscuit Flower Hour broadcast.
First aired on December 17th 1978.
regards
Titus
Santana
October 16th 1978
01 Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
02 Dance Sister Dance (Baila Mi Hermana)
03 Europa
04 Open Invitation
Pat Metheny Group
September 26th 1978
05 Phase Dance
06 April Joy
07 Lone Jack
Roy Buchanan
American Axe Tracks
Volume One - In The Beginning
1957-64
Reposted from September 2024
A remastered overview of Roy Buchanan's early recorded output.
He started his professional career aged 15 in Johnny Otis's rhythm and blues revue.
From home recordings to his first pro slot on 'My Babe'
and onto other tracks which featured his guitar playing.
Sound quality varies, as you can imagine,
but overall it's well worth a listen if you are interested in Roy.
There is more info on the inner CD cover.
regards
Titus
01 Instrumental Blues
02 Nine Pound Hammer
03 Country Instrumental
04 My Babe
05 Crossties
06 Lulu
07 Loretta
08 Buttercup
09 Roys Guitar Boogie
10 After Hours
11 Whiskers
12 Lovin Bug
13 Further on Up the Road
14 Ruby Baby
15 Mule Train Stomp
16 Pretty Please
17 Hot Toddy
18 Twin Exhaust
19 Twin Exhaust (alt. take)
20 Twist medley
21 Potato Peeler
22 The Jam part 1
23 Route 66
24 Daddy Daddy
25 Country Boogie
26 Instrumental Blues
27 Mary Lou
28 The Shuffle
29 Braggin'
30 Trophy Run
31 I Found You
Tuesday, 17 March 2026
Family
Transmissions - (1969-73)
Remastered radio and TV broadcasts.
A compilation I threw together.
regards
Titus
Playhouse Theatre
London, UK
July 28th 1969
John Peel - Top Gear - BBC Radio 1
broadcast: August 3rd 1969.
01 Drowned in Wine
02 Wheels
03 No Mule's Fool
04 The Cat and the Rat
Beat Club German TV
broadcast: June 7th 1970
05 The Weaver's Answer
Olympic studios - London, UK
Rock en Stock - French TV
broadcast: January 15th 1972
06 A Song For Me
07 In My Own Time
08 Children
09 A Song For Me (reprise)
BBC Studios
London, UK
Bob Harris show
broadcast: October 23rd 1972
10 Coronation
11 Burlesque
12 Ready to Go
13 Dark Eyes
BBC Television Centre
London, UK
Full House TV show
February 10th 1973
14 Top Of The Hill
On January 21st Trump said:
“We’ve never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them.
You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that.
And they did – they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
and on March 7th:
"We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”
Comforting to know we are surplus to requirements
and the USA has everything under control.
regards
Titus
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