Mid-Life Crisis Songs #132: Fifty Four

Today I will be dining on squashed tomatoes and stew.

Followed by a dessert of bread and butter in the gutter.

Yum.

Here are some songs.

The Ethiopians - Engine 54

Jill Jackson - 1954

Dana & Gene - Dario, Can You Get Me Into Studio 54?

Wayne Hancock - Highway 54

Toots & The Maytals - 54-46 Was My Number

Chic - Le Freak

On the day I was born, Harry Nilsson was at Number One. Not with this song, sadly...

Mid-Life Crisis Songs #94: The Youngest Person In The Room

Last Tuesday, I was randomly scrolling through my inbox when I noticed an email from the website of Scottish singer-songwriter Jill Jackson. It seemed Jill would be performing live in the nearby village of Penistone the following evening, and tickets were still available... at a very affordable amount.

An aside... it's pronounced Pennis-ton, to rhyme with Dennis. So you can stop sniggering at the back.

Now I've never seen anyone play Penistone before, but this seemed like too good an opportunity to miss, particularly as it was Half Term week and I wouldn't have to be up at 6.30 the following morning. So I bought myself a ticket.

 

Wednesday was a busy day and I almost forgot all about the gig, but I remembered just in time to turn up at the Cubley Hall Hotel at 7.45. When I walked in, I found myself in a crowd of about 30 other people, and I was clearly the youngest person in the room. The guy who was running the gig seemed rather surprised to see me there, and I wondered if I'd stumbled into a private party.

"Is your name on my list?"

"I don't know... I've got a ticket..." I showed him the confirmation of my phone.

"Oh, right... what are you doing here then?"

"I've come to see Jill Jackson."

"Oh, good, good... how did you find out about it?"

"I got an email last night..."

"From me?"

"I don't think so. It was from Jill's website..."

It was a very confusing conversation, but in the end he found me a seat. It turned out I'd stumbled into a warm-up gig for a much bigger show Jill was playing the following evening, and she'd stopped off here on her way down to Birmingham as she was old friends with the guy on the door. But even though she was only playing to a crowd no bigger than a family barbecue (her description), she still gave it her all. Almost two hours of wonderful singing and witty storytelling, plus decent support from Kirk McElhinney, in the perfect venue. Everyone in the audience was there for the music, rather than drinking and socialising with the music as almost-forgotten aside. And so I chalked up my third gig of the year... with another three still to come. I've had to start a new scrap book! It's very exciting.

Oh, and for the record, I wasn't really the youngest person in the room. At only 44, I'm sorry, Ms. Jackson, but you're still just a lassie...

And here's the title track from Jill's latest album, based on the letters her grandfather sent home when he was a soldier in WWII...

Guest Post Monday: Top Ten Zero Songs

Unable to cope with a Zero edition of the Hot 100 myself, I put the idea out to tender.

First to jump at the opportunity was Charity Chic, who spend a large part of his working week compiling the excellent Top Ten below. He didn't supply a Zero band though, so I chose Remy Zero, who once recorded the theme tune to young-Superman-based TV show Smallville.

Remy Zero - Save Me

I'm running this Guest Post today - rather than on Thursday - because it leads it nicely into the final edition of the Hot 100 tomorrow. Join me then for the full countdown.

In the meantime, take it away, Charity Chic...

Top 10 - Zero Songs

By way of appreciation for Rol’s epic Hot 100 series, I give you a Top 10 of Zero Songs...

10 - The BoomtownRats - Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)

Taken from “the difficult third album “ 1979’s The Fine Art of Surfacing, it pre-dates Band Aid, meaning that St Bob was slightly less annoying than he later became.

(Actually, I love that album. - Rol.)

9 - TV 21 - This isZero

TV21 were a post punk band from Edinburgh. Named after a Gerry Anderson comic. Another impressive piece of trivia is that guitarist Ally Palmer is responsible for  curating the Scottish football magazine Nutmeg. I suspect Rol will be aware of the first trivia reference but totally oblivious to the second.

(How right you are. - Rol.)

8 - Bob Dylan - LoveMinus Zero/No Limit

One of the lesser known songs off his 1965 album Bringing it All Back Home.

Described as a hallucinatory allegiance, a poetic turn that exposes the paradoxes of love 

As you would expect, swiftly name checked by The Swede.

7 - Sonny Boy Williamson II - Nine Below Zero

Yes, there were two. The original was John Lee Curtis with number two who is featured here being Alex Miller or Aleck Ford. All very confusing.

(Yeah, you lost me. I'm going to ask George to explain that sentence to me. - Rol.)

Nine Below Zero is also the name of an English Blues band who formed in 1977 and who I saw play on a couple of occasions at Strathclyde Students Union.

6- Isobel Campbell -Below Zero

A lovely song from the album There Is No Other, the first solo album for 14 years from the former Belle and Sebastian chanteuse and Mark Lanegan collaborator. A welcome return.

5 - Yeah Yeah Yeahs -Zero

The opening track from It’s Blitz the third album by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from 2010.

It was also the first single from the album.

4 - Jill Jackson -Back to Zero

The title track from the 2011 debut solo album by Paisley lass and former Speedway frontwoman Jill Jackson, an artist who I know that Rol has a bit of a soft spot for.

(Indeed. - Rol.)

3 - Public Enemy  - She Watches Channel Zero ?!

A splendid racket and a splendid diatribe by Public Enemy from their seminal album It takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. As topical now as it was on its release in 1988.

In the words of Chuck D...

I don't think I can handle

She goes channel to channel

Cold lookin' for that hero

She watch channel zero

2 - Joan Armatrading  - Down to Zero

A seriously underrated artist . A track from her eponymous 3rd album from 1976 which also contains the brilliant Love and Affection. The compilation album Track Record is an ideal introduction to her work.

1 - Elvis Costello -Less Than Zero 

No shocks, no surprises. None of the others come close.

I suspect that from the get go most of you would have had this down as the number one

The 1977 debut single from the debut album My Aim is True which introduced the world to the prodigious talent that is Elvis Costello.

Thanks for taking up the baton, CC. You get no argument from me on any of those, especially not the worthy (and only!) Number One.

Of course, that's not to stop anyone else coming up with a second list of Zero Songs, if they think they've got 'em. The doors are always open...

My Top 18 Albums of 2018 #1

Here it is then, the full countdown... and a very worthy Number One.

Enjoy your New Year's Eve. Here's my youtube playlist of my albums of the year to play at your party.

18. Kate Nash - Yesterday Was Forever

17. Gretchen Peters - Dancing With The Beast

16. Death Cab For Cutie - Thank You For Today

15. The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist

14. Alejandro Escovedo - The Crossing

13. Eels - The Deconstruction

12. Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real

11. Jack White - Boarding House Reach

10. Jill Jackson - Are We There Yet?

9. The Decemberists - I'll Be Your Girl

8. Amy Rigby - The Old Guys

7. Ezra Furman - Transangelic Exodus

6. Father John Misty - God's Favourite Customer

5. Half Man Half Biscuit - No One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin' Hedge Cut

4. John Grant - Love Is Magic

3. Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton John

2. Will Hoge - My American Dream

1. John Prine - Tree of Forgiveness

Back when we need him the most - warm, witty and wise. The living legend - long may he reign!

More here.



If you're going out celebrating tonight, take care and have a good one. If, like me, you'll be asleep long before the clock strikes in the new year... enjoy that too.

Thanks for reading this dribble throughout 2018. See you in 2019.

My Top 18 Albums of 2018 #10

10. Jill Jackson - Are We There Yet?

Honest human stories... including a couple that reduced me to a blubbering wreck. Music to make you feel.

More here.



Next... the best record Morrissey didn't release this year.

2018 Contenders: Are We There Yet?

Scottish singer-songwriter Jill Jackson is something of a new discovery for me, but her latest album Are We There Yet? already stands out as one of my favourite records of the year. Although originating from Paisley, Jill's spent a fair bit of time in Nashville and it appears to have activated her Americana storytelling gene, most notably on this nostalgic tale of family holidays in the 80s... long car journeys listening to Buddy Holly on the tape deck...



Elsewhere, she switches effortlessly across genres to take on Imelda May at her own game with some delightful swing/jazz tracks such as this...



And then there's 1954... a love song about her late grandparents that has had me weeping in the car on more than one occasion (though it's hard to explain why - perhaps not for the obvious reason). Whatever, it's beautiful.