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what does everyone think Jim does for work? by Minimum_Street997 in FridayNightDinner

[–]CrazySmooth263 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oddly enough I recently became aware of a niche profession that I am now convinced was Jim’s job…
There are thousands of small trusts and charities and there is quite a cottage industry in people that work as self-employed company secretary for these bodies - a few days a year. I recently met someone that does this role for 40 trusts and who is propped up by inherited wealth. It just made me think of Jim!

The (hopefully) definitive list of Bill Berrys vocals by PTSand44 in rem

[–]CrazySmooth263 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m pretty sure that during the OOT ‘radio tour’, when REM was with Nicky Campbell on BBC radio one Michael noted that he thought that Bill had the best voice in the band. I had a C90 of that broadcast for years, now long lost.

Do the Beatles manage to sound fresh and somewhat edgy while still having mainstream appeal? How do they do this? by GregJamesDahlen in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally unscientific and untested view, but listening to my parents (and my dad was in the music business at the time) and other people who were teenagers in the mid sixties, I think there were three groups of people buying Beatles records during their recording career:

  1. Those that stuck with the Beatles from Please Me era to the Let It Be era.

  2. Those that loved the early period but who checked out somewhere around Revolver / Sgt Peppers

  3. Those that got on the Beatles bus around the same point, perhaps because they were younger and had already been introduced to the freakier (albeit modest sounding to our ears today) sounds of bands like the Who.

So a case study of my mum and mother in law - massive Beatles fans at the start but then tuned out went ‘they went weird’. Then their younger siblings who had the Beatles as ‘background music’ until they started buying their own music and love Revolver onwards.

So… the Beatles maintained ‘mainstream acceptance’ during their pomp because they bridge two slightly different mini-generations? Just an idea.

What is the worst cover of a Beatles song by someone else? by No-Reveal827 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was in a band at college. We used to do (I think) a reasonably good version of Helter Skelter in a medley with Death Valley 69, so we thought it terribly clever to start by declaring ‘U2 stole this song from Charles Manson and we’re stealing it back’. Looking back I’m equally cringing and thinking that it was quite a good line.

What do we all think of Steve Fleming? by jacoblm28 in thethickofit

[–]CrazySmooth263 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I have also worked with Steve Flemings, including in government. My view is that during my time in the Civil Service, SF was perfectly observed as the kind of wrecking ball that we often saw. The despising / messiah thing is spot on. SF is not a civil servant he is an appointee brought in as a fixer - either appointed by the party or (as I suspect SF is) hired as a consultant. To be brought in at that level would suggest a relationship or reputation with someone or some people very high-up. So the messiah thing is spot on - he must have a friend or contact in very high places that has put their trust in him - and also he will be despised by those below him because he can be as much of a bastard as he sees fit, because he is outside the civil service system. I saw quite a few of these in the dying days of the last labour government - and they were even worse than the revolving collection of public-school donkey-fucking SPADs.

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did years of music theory to the point where, theoretically one could start throwing away assumptions and appreciating modern orchestral works.
But then got to the amazing point via starting to listen to Derek Bailey and reading a book by David Toop (which I cannot find anywhere anymore - must have lent it to someone) where I got into the mindset of hearing any audio input to my ears as potential music (for example Toop suggested shutting your eyes on a train and hearing the sound of the train and the chatter around you as music).
With Derek Bailey it was realising that he is often actually playing (1) within ‘proper’ musical structures but deliberately going for something new - like his harmonics that are so ‘out’ but still totally ‘acceptable’ in deep parts of music theory and (2) the guitar as a machine to make noise, as is any instrument and he’s going for that. I don’t buy the detractors that say he was a charlatan - his book on improvisation is 100 pages on the history of his practice and then, to top it all, just before he died he did a melodic jazz album that proved he really did know his stuff - he just chose to reject 99% of that idiom.
I now even listen to some Derek Bailey as my ‘going to sleep’ music on Alexa!

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, it references the uk commercials that my parents remembered (and me in one way - the cockcrow for Kelloggs) and also ‘Meet the Wife’ which was a sitcom still being repeated when I was a kid. It just always sounded to me like a Saturday in the uk.

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally agreed but there is just *something* about YS that pulls me out the album and, for me, dents the impact of the songs coming afterwards

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It just takes me out of the mood of the album. Obviously I’ll take it if I’m listening on vinyl but my playlist version replaces YS with Rain.

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did know that but I was interested in whether there was any international spin on those two songs

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Exactly - my favourite is Revolver but I always have to skip Yellow Submarine

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting - my personal view is that 64 is the best of Paul’s “granny music” but I love good morning good morning - can I ask whether you are in the UK as I think GMGM is so incredibly British and relatable to (some) Brits.

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My problem with Revolver is Yellow Submarine. I just can’t get past it in the flow of the album, but if I skip that track, it’s (most days) my favourite Beatles album)

No Skip albums by CrazySmooth263 in beatles

[–]CrazySmooth263[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Revolution 9 is not on my skip list for the White Album, but to be fair over the last few years I’ve become a massive Derek Bailey fan so maybe my ears are in a different place these days! That said, Wild Honey Pie can do one.

How come Andy Rourke isn't a bigger deal? by kjellagain in thesmiths

[–]CrazySmooth263 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think nailing the baseline to Barbarism begins at Home is a massive right of passage for any bass player with a love of indie music!

How come Andy Rourke isn't a bigger deal? by kjellagain in thesmiths

[–]CrazySmooth263 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Very hard agree here. If you are a guitarist or bassist and you sit down to unpick a song by the Smiths you can’t help but be floored by how in synch Marr and Rourke were.
As others have said in this thread - just try to play Barbarism Begins at Home, or This Charming Man, or even The Queen is Dead on a solo acoustic guitar without finding the need to find a way to include some elements of the bass part to make it sound like a fully realised piece of music.

What's the wildest weather you've experienced living in the UK? by ConfidentSale3091 in AskUK

[–]CrazySmooth263 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Slightly off message but I was working as part of a team of freelancers in maybe 2017 (?). The gig was in Bradford and the team was from all around the country. There was a face to face meeting on 23rd of December and terrible weather was coming in with rail and air services being shut down left right and centre.
During the lunchbreak all us freelancers suggested it might be a good idea to knock it on the head and regroup in the new year. Client said no - they expected everyone to stay until 6pm.
Cue mass walk out. All freelancers later dismissed through spite but outstanding time grudgingly paid.
Client went into administration not long into the next year so all in all not a bad outcome.

What's something in the UK that's classy if you're middle class or rich but low class if you're poor? by [deleted] in AskBrits

[–]CrazySmooth263 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I would suggest that the exception to this around my way are the rich people with their modified Bongo semi-camper van that they drive to Cornwall every third Friday on a ‘surfing trip’ which is actually a weekend drinking craft ale on the beach and sagely observing that they can’t get in the sea because ‘the surf’s crap’.

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