sweet drumroll for those embittered big ideas....

Earworms of the Week

Life's all about ups and downs, isn't it?

UP: I got to leave work at half-past two on a Friday afternoon
DOWN: I left because I had an appointment with the physio, who found my case "fascinating", gave me an extra half hour on the house (so 90 minutes in total) so he could poke needles deep into my calf and waggle them about, causing intense pain for me but thrills for him as he got to look at the interesting way my muscles responded.  The net result? A referral to a knee specialist for an MRI or somesuch to see what's going on in there.  Apparently I have a very unusual musculature in my calves, with the bulk of the muscle on the inside rather than the outside of my leg.  Go figure, huh? (yes, the muscles are all still under the skin, thanks smart arse).

Anyhow.  It's the weekend now, huh?  It's been a while since I did my earworms, so without further ado....

“Save Your Kisses For Me” – Brotherhood of Man

Disappointingly, but perhaps inevitably, this has now been stuck in my head for the best part of two weeks and is showing no signs of bogging off just yet. BTW, is this the worst "reveal" in musical history?  Rubbish twist.

Theme from the Professionals

Well, I had hoped that this hardy perennial would shift Brotherhood of Man.  Well, not quite, but it's a brilliant tune nonetheless.  Was it the propellerheads who did a version of this in the 90s?  Barely needed to touch it.  Did I dream that?  Who covered it?

“Pure” – The Lightning Seeds

I quite like the Lightning Seeds.  I'm not sure if I actually own any.... [checks]...oh, apparently I do.  Well, anyhow.  Good band.  One of those ones that's done loads more stuff that you really like than you initially remembered.  This isn't my favourite of his, I don't think but it's pretty damn good.  Just the right side of saccharine, like most of his songs.  The tune to "Life of Riley" will always be the soundtrack to Match of the Day's Goal of the Month section for me.

“We All Stand Together” – Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus

I never owned a record player of my own, but I have very clear memories of my dad buying me and my brothers the 7" singles of Band Aid and this song one day when we were out shopping.  Not McCartney's greatest moment, perhaps, but it remains a nice little ditty.  It's much better (and has stood up much better over time) than other novelty records you might mention.

“I Owe You Nothing” – Bros

It seems ridiculous to think of it now, but I had a violent hatred of Bros.  Totally disproportionate to any musical crimes they might have committed, but I simply loathed everything about them.  And then, as if to punish me for that, twenty years later this drops into my head.  Innocuous, that's probably the most insulting thing I can think of to say about them now.  Much worse was to follow, of course... and the tidal wave of shite in their wake is showing no signs of stopping either.  Not that they started that wave, either, I should probably add.  Maybe I should be old enough to be calmly indifferent to all this kind of stuff by now.  These things - all things - must pass.  Good luck with your acting career, by the way Luke/Matt/Dave/whatever you were called and whichever one is now the actor.

“California Uber Alles” – Dead Kennedys

Tune.  Cast iron, copper-bottomed tune. Brilliant song.

"The Times they are a-changing" - Bob Dylan
 "Sign o'the Times" - Prince

 I must have had a "times" thing going on in my head today.  Either that or a passing obsession with abbreviations and/or slightly odd punctuation in song titles.  The Dylan song is a corker.  I've never really been one for Prince, to be honest, but it's the little popping bass bit in the chorus (ba-bowbowbow) that I can't seem to shift at the moment.

"Tender" - Blur

Currently my favourite Blur song.  It's that verse about "the ghost I love the most".  Hiding from the sun, waiting for the night to come... gets me every time.  Also, of course, a trigger for one of my all time favourite Glastonbury moments.  Magnificent record.. and in putting the link to that Glastonbury performance up, I've just watched it all again.  Beautiful moment.

“Bats in the Attic” – King Creosote and Jon Hopkins

This is a an album that just seems to keep on getting better and better with every listen.  I missed it when it was released last year, and only picked it up when I got a free ticket from Abi and Jason to go and watch them performing in Nottingham.  I was spellbound by the gig, and I just adore the record.  This song in particular is practically perfect.  I love the lyrical subject matter, the instrumentation that burbles in the background, and above all I love Kenny's gentle Scottish brogue as he sings.  Lovely song.

And that, my friends, is that.  I'm going to hobble my way to the fridge to get myself a beer, and then I may go and carry out a few more contracts in my burgeoning career as an assassin in Skyrim....

Have a great weekend, y'all.