Snapshots #198: A Top Ten Favourite Songs

Is it that time already? Time for the answers to yesterday's Snapshots. And as the link was Favourite Songs, above is an image from my favourite film as a teenager, Back To The Future.

Most of these are oldies. Well, they're oldies where I come from...

10. He is in debt to Mr. Simon.

He's owing Paul.

Owen Paul - My Favourite Waste Of Time

9. A Shaky Oh and a golfing saint.

Oh Julie + St. Andrews...

Julie Andrews - My Favourite Things

8. Matt Lucas on the drums.

Matt Lucas was George Dawes.

Dawes - All Your Favourite Bands

7. Sell-out cynic.

Anagram!

The Style Council - Our Favourite Shop

6. Arachnids get mixed up.

Unmix "arachnids get" and you get...

The Cardigans - My Favourite Game

5. Spare parts.

The Replacements - Favourite Thing

4. Early British cars.

Specifically these, the Armstrong Siddeley...

The Siddeleys - My Favourite Wet Wednesday Afternoon

3. Sounds like a gloating angel.

Cheryl Ladd was an Angel (for Charlie). Gloating is crowing.

Sheryl Crow - My Favourite Mistake

2. You're fired!

Says Sir Alan Sugar.

Sugar - Your Favourite Thing

1. Bob Century.

A bob is a type of haircut. A century = 100.

Get Back to Snapshots in the Future... next Saturday, to be precise. Great Scott!

Saturday Snapshots #134 - The Answers

One of Alyson's former neighbours (above) joins us to introduce this week's answers. Glad to see you all Gillan this week's quiz your best shot...



10. Don't be afraid of what comes after the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the Seventh Wonder of the Ancient World.

Eighth Wonder - I'm Not Scared

Written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys (which is bleedingly obvious after about 5 seconds), so it's cooler than you remember.

Eighth must be one of the hardest words to spell in the whole of the English language. See also broccoli. And I'm an English teacher.

9. Old man with Saint on French pavements.

Gary Oldman.

Roger Moore was The Saint.

Gary Moore - Parisienne Walkways

8. Equal to the nannies you might find above... the answer is plain to see.

The nannies you might find in Paris would be au pairs.

The Au Pairs - It's Obvious

7. More exciting than the first evangelist tripping me up.

Wilder than Matthew, the first evangelist.

Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

6. Pulled pork forever!

My favourite clue this month.

Longpigs - On & On

(I think that's Richard Hawley right at the back.)

5. Hannibal's mother looks back on happier times.

Hannibal Lector was played by Anthony Hopkins.

Mary is the mother of god. Well, my mother, anyway.

Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days

If you're being picky and pointing out that Mary doesn't have an s on her surname like Anthony, I can only refer you to Half Man Half Biscuit...

If you’re going to quote from the Book of Revelation

Don’t keep calling it the Book of Revelations

There’s no “s”, it’s the Book of Revelation

As revealed to St John the Divine

See also Mary Hopkin

She must despair

Half Man Half Biscuit - Shit Arm, Bad Tattoo

4. Makes suits for Tim Booth, come sunshine or storm.

Tim Booth gets his suits from a James tailor, obviously.

James Taylor - Fire & Rain

(I think that photo was taken during his porn movie days. Not that I've ever seen a porn movie.)

3. Writing this blog... with a debt to Macca.

Writing this blog is my favourite waste of time.

I'm owing Paul.

(Alyson thought this was an answer two weeks ago. A bizarre coincidence, because I'd already compiled this post when she suggested it. I almost said "come back in a couple of weeks".)

2. Trump. Putin. Johnson. Spaniel.

A Cocker Spaniel?

As for the other guys...

Jarvis Cocker - Running The World

Still wish this had made it to the Christmas Number One.

1. Monks can't afford to take the bus... and it's starting to rain.

One of the greatest records ever made, by brothers who have to walk.



I hope you'll join me for more take-your-mind-off-it-all nonsense next Saturday. As they say: Amy Pond in a storm.

My Top Ten Favourite Songs

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...

These are a few of my favourite songs.

Don't get carried away... they're only songs with 'favourite' (or favorite if you're American) in the title...


10. Sheryl Crow - My Favourite Mistake

More appreciation should be give to Ms. Crow. Great voice, good songs. Gets a bit to close to the camera in the video.

9. Owen Paul - My Favourite Waste Of Time

80s one hit wonder (he was set to be the next big thing but it never happened). Watch the link above for his timeless "live" performance from BBC Pebble Mill.

8. Liz Phair - Favourite

Liz Phair gets up to no good in her favourite underwear.

Lads: Liz is the sort of girl your mother warned you about.

7. Haircut 100 - Favourite Shirts

Did I mention I met Nick Heyward once? Did I mention he was a thoroughly decent bloke? Did I?

Great 80s brass section on this.

6. Shrag - New Favourites

Sadly, Shrag called it a day late last month, citing poverty and "old age" among their reasons. They leave an impressive legacy for those of us who cared.

5. The Lemonheads - Favourite T

It never looked as good on you as it looks on me.

Sadly, only a ropey live version is available on youtube, but it's recorded at the same venue where I saw Evan and co. a few years earlier so extra points for that. 

4. Harry Nilsson - Mr. Richland's Favourite Song

Harry posits a future where the Beatles are forgotten lounge bar performers...

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "to speak of other things"
Like a fallen star who works in a bar where Yesterday is king
The fans will stay for an hour or so, they still remember his fame
But the time has come the Walrus said, to call your fans by name

Is it better to burn out than fade away? Ironically, Harry Nilsson managed to do both.

3. Arab Strap - My Favourite Muse

It's hard to believe that a song which begins, "I pulled the ex last, and it felt weird to feel her up again" can actually get any better... yet this does, in that grubby, confessional, TMI way the Arab Strap boys specialise in.

And she brought the drinks all night, 
But that's okay, now she's got a job.
Her generosity - my curse. 
She even let me keep her purse.

2. The Wedding Present - My Favourite Dress

In which David Gedge goes all Julie Andrews on us...

Uneaten meals
A lonely star
A welcome ride in a neighbour's car
A long walk home
The pouring rain
I fell asleep when you never came
Some rare delight in Manchester town
It took six hours before you let me down
To see it all in a drunken kiss
A stranger's hand on my favourite dress

1. The Cardigans - My Favourite Game

A hugely infectious riff and some very dangerous driving from Nina Persson - one of their very best.



Oh, very well. Go on, then. Sigh.

Which is your favourite?