Emergency Questions #5: Take My Advice

William S. Burroughs & Bill Laswell - Words of Advice for Young People 

Another query I stole from Richard Herring's book Emergency Questions, with the hope of hearing your answers...

What's the best advice you've ever received and ignored?

Sometimes I wonder about this. Chances are though, if you ignore some advice and end up regretting it, you'll probably edit your memories to forget you were ever given that advice in the first place. Well, that's how my memory works, anyway.

Colin Clary - I Only Give You Bad Advice Because I Love You

Tom Cochrane - Friendly Advice

William Pears - Sound Advice

My parents would have loved me to go to university after my A Levels, but I was determined I wanted to go work in radio for no money instead*. My parents never pushed me though... they let me make my own mistakes and find my way back. Possibly this came from my brother who left school to pursue an accountancy course, hated it, quit, got a milk round, saved up, bought himself a digger and went on to become a very successful builder. Maybe they thought I would follow a similar path. 

(*Literally: for the first couple of years, I did not get paid.)

Chicago - Bad Advice

Roy Acuff - Advice To Joe

Jefferson Airplane - Great Society: Free Advice

I didn't, but I did eventually end up going back to university while I was working nights at the radio station, thereby having my cake and eating it. Because as well as wanting to be a DJ, I also wanted to be a writer. Somebody probably should have given me some advice about that as well.

The Silver Jews - Advice To The Graduate

Freeze Frame - Seeking Professional Advice

The Knack - (The Man From The) Marriage Guidance And Advice Bureau (that's a Namesake Knack)

It might have been better had someone advised me to go away to university rather than staying in my hometown... socially, at least, it might have made more well-adjusted human being... but on the other hand, I did finish uni without any student debt, and there's not many people who can say that.

Tears For Fears - Advice For The Young At Heart

Tijuana Panthers - Advice

Robert Smith - Very Good Advice

Did anyone ever advice me not to start writing a blog? God, I bet you wish they had...   

What's the best advice you've ever received and ignored?

Namesakes #73: The Knack

Have you got The Knack? 

I can't say I've ever had it... but these guys had it in spades...

THE KNACK #1

British beat group originally known as The Londoners (guess where they were from?) who kicked off their career in 1965 with the song below. Apparently they "spent most of their time in Germany". So much for that London. 

Guitarist Paul Gurvitz later formed The Gun with his brother, "Classic" Adrian.

THE KNACK #2

Meanwhile, over on the other side of the pond, 1965 also saw a bunch of Hollywood High school students band together as The InMates, before changing their name to The Knack in time to release the song below (and a few others) in '67 and '68. 

Lead singer Michael Chain would also enjoy the thrills of a solo career, including a country song called Let's Go Chase Some Women.

THE KNACK #3

Dutch funk-rockers from 1975 consisting of Sjaak Witjes, Piet van Tongeren, Jacky van Tongeren, Ronnie Meyjes, and Dennis Whitbread. One of those gentlemen doesn't sound particularly Dutch.

This, however, sounds like a top tune...

THE KNACK #4

You'll all be familiar with these guys, the LA band who brought us the worldwide power-pop hit My Sharona... but you may be unfamiliar with the way they were treated by the Evil Cognoscenti that tries to dictate what it's cool to like and what we should all steer clear of. What's amusing (or frustrating) with hindsight is the list of crimes The Knack were castigated for in the early 80s, including...

1) Having an album cover that copied / referenced an early Beatles album cover. (I'd be surprised if you don't have a record which does similar in your collection.)

2) Having a "retro" sound that took cues from the British Invasion bands of the 60s. (How many bands have built successful careers on that since then?)

3) "The object of some of the Knack's songs were teenaged girls..." (Erm... hello? Pop music? Anyone?)

4) Best of all, critics claimed "the band was imposing inadequate memories of the 1960s on those who didn't know better."

Oh, well, in that case... 

No wonder the purists wanted to "Knuke The Knack". (See what they did there?)

Jesus.

Sometimes I just want to stop writing about music altogether when I come up against such narrow-minded, elitist bullshit...

Which ones make you want to knick knack paddy whack, give the dog a bone? And which ones are ready for the knacker's yard?

Saturday Snapshots #31 - The Answers

Cheer up, sleepy Jean - it's time for this week's answers.

I think we can all agree that Rigid Digit takes the prize this week, claiming 4 and a half points early on. Charity Chic got 2 and half. C got 2. Lynchie took the last point. Alyson and Chris snoozed and losed.

Let's stop monkeeing about and get on with the solutions...


10. Wife-swapping Bowie song exercises with a hula hoop.

The Swinging Blue Jeans - Hippy Hippy Shake

9. Get Michael Caine's mini - it's about to topple over! The police have lost their magic.

Michael Caine was Carter (Get Carter). If his car was about to topple over, it would be a Car-lean. The Police sung Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. Lose the magic and...

Carlene Carter - Every Little Thing

8. Woody Allen's train track leads us to Reservoir Dogs.

This one you should have got just from the picture.

Woody Allen had a film called Sleeper which is also part of a train track. Reservoir Dogs featured Nice Guy Eddie.

Sleeper - Nice Guy Eddie

7. Jogging naked in a Lancashire town.

Johnny Preston - Running Bear

6. Chill and smile. This Scottish copper has a hairy inside.

Bobby Mc-Fur-In. Get it?

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry, Be Happy

5. Stereophonic or astronomer? Breathe easy.

Kelly Jones is in the Stereophonics. If he was an astronomer...

Air - Kelly Watch The Stars

4. The scarlet woman of Troy finds a Stones' girl child.

Helen Reddy - Angie Baby

One of the spookiest records ever made.

3. Nicky gets manic as Big John escapes the shaft.

Nicky Wire from the Manics. Big John was a miner who got trapped underground saving lives.

Wire - Outdoor Miner

2. Mariah's lost me. My love is a tramp's bottom.

Mariah without me (I) is just Marah.

Marah - My Heart Is The Bums On The Streets

1. Stone or Osbourne? What comes first? It's a gift.

Sharon + A (the first letter). If you've got a gift, you've got the knack.



Have yourself a Pleasant Valley Sunday... I'll see you next week.