Monday 30 September 2024
Kris
Sunday 29 September 2024
Snapshots #363: A Top Ten Songs Featuring Cities That Have Changed Their Names
It's Prince, of course, because he knew a thing or two about changing his name.
Here then are Ten Songs Featuring Towns Or Cities That Changed Their Names. Yep, another snappily titled Top Ten. Sadly I had to leave out the town of Fugging in Austria, which up until 2021 was known by a slightly different name...
One of the reasons they changed the name was that people kept nicking the sign.
10. Switched off the TV.
He abandoned his Television after only two albums (not counting the 1992 "let's-get-the-band- back-together-for-dollars comeback record").
It's now called Volgograd. What did Stalin do wrong?
9. Tangled up cello? Solve its mystery!
"Cello... Solve its" was an anagram.
Elvis Costello - New Amsterdam
So good, they named it once.
8. Ron Moody, Martin Jarvis, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Ben Whishaw.
Four actors who have played the part of Uriah Heep in David Copperfield.
As well as being a city in England, Salisbury was also the original name of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.
7. Swears he never had any matches.
He did not start the fire!
Now Saint Petersburg. I would also have allowed...
Billy Joel - Goodnight, Saigon
...although a gentleman below also had that answer.
6. Found in red and yellow swill. I am simply not going looking for it!
...red and yellow swill I am simply...
Andy Williams - The Peking Theme (So Little Time)
Peking, of course, is now Beijing. I'm still waiting for them to change the name of our local Chinese restaurant.
5. Changed, to protect the innocent.
A rather apt band, and clue, given today's theme...
4. A diamond in the rough.
That was the name of his second album. John isn't an easy man to come up with clues for...
...and it's Ho Chi Minh City these days.
3. Rich studs.
Mumbai, if you please.
2. Awake, but not taking part.
Surely the most un-Cerys picture of Cerys on the internet. The 90s have a lot to answer for.
1. Try to unravel Betty's thigh enigma.
"Betty's thigh enigma" was an anagram, you say? No way!
They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Only one choice for Number One this week...
Saturday 28 September 2024
Saturday Snapshots #363
Looks like it's going to be rather a Messi Saturday. Perhaps you can help by tidying up the clues below and working out the link between this week's songs...
10. Switched off the TV.
9. Tangled up cello? Solve its mystery!
8. Ron Moody, Martin Jarvis, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Ben Whishaw.
7. Swears he never had any matches.
6. Found in red and yellow swill. I am simply not going looking for it!
5. Changed, to protect the innocent.
4. A diamond in the rough.
3. Rich studs.
2. Awake, but not taking part.
1. Try to unravel Betty's thigh enigma.
Friday 27 September 2024
Listening Post #4: Father
Wednesday 25 September 2024
Listening Post #3: Jesse
Tuesday 24 September 2024
Namesakes #104: The Firm
Monday 23 September 2024
Listening Post #2: Getting The Band Back Together Again
Sunday 22 September 2024
Snapshots #362: A Top Ten Songs Named After Different Styles Of Poetry
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? No? Fair enough.
Shall I give you the answers to yesterday's Snapshots instead? Here are ten types of poetry, immortalised in song...
10. What the last ugly duckling in the alphabet became.
Billy Corgan's other band is...
9. Stop listening to that George Michael album!
Faith!? No more!
8. Telling Goldman Sachs to "get stuffed" (but not quite so polite).
FU, GS!
The Fugs - The National Haiku Contest
7. Not to be confused with a monkey.
Or even a Monkee. To avoid confusion, he changed his name from David Jones...
6. Girls magazine: Ight, Ine, En...
Jackie was the magazine. The next number in that sequence would be Leven.
Jackie Leven - Elegy For Johnny Cash
5. Embarrassed monarch.
4. Found down the back of a Boise Armchair.
"Boise Armchair" was an anagram for Jon Bon Jovi's (former?) best mate...
Richie Sambora - Ballad Of Youth
3. Good for your urinary tract.
Cranberries - Ode To My Family
2. Spock joins the Chicken Company. (Not Joni!)
Leonard Cohen - Villanelle For Our Time
1. Found aboard a river vessel.
A river vessel.
The Verve - Sonnet
Saturday 21 September 2024
Saturday Snapshots #362
10. What the last ugly duckling in the alphabet became.
9. Stop listening to that George Michael album!
8. Telling Goldman Sachs to "get stuffed" (but not quite so polite).
7. Not to be confused with a monkey.
6. Girls magazine: Ight, Ine, En...
5. Embarrassed monarch.
4. Found down the back of a Boise Armchair.
3. Good for your urinary tract.
2. Spock joins the Chicken Company. (Not Joni!)
1. Found aboard a river vessel.
Answers tomorrow morning... though I'm sure you'll get them first.