Tag Archives: United Kingdom

In a Big Country

Well, happy Friday, friends! Another week has gone by so quickly… how does that happen when we are still so restricted and isolated? Surely, time should be dragging! If you’ve been following along here in the last few weeks, you might have noticed I have a bit of a thing going on with the 1980s.Continue reading “In a Big Country”

Prisencolinensinainciusol

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know I’m really into cycling. I poked around trails on a hybrid bike for years, but two years ago at age 59, I bought a road bike and have never looked back. During the cold winters in my city of Winnipeg, Canada, I ride on aContinue reading “Prisencolinensinainciusol”

Papa Don’t Take No Mess

I think I need more funk and soul in my life! Last evening while puttering with dinner — one of the few times I’ve made it lately (or rather, reheated it, if I’m honest!) — I was trying to find an online radio station to listen to. I landed on BBC 6 Music, and duringContinue reading “Papa Don’t Take No Mess”

Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)

In 2017, Iranian filmmaker and refugee Majid Adin won a contest to produce, along with co-director Stephen McNally of London, England, a video for Elton John’s hit song, “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time).” The competition, called The Cut, called on filmmakers to compete to produce videos for threeContinue reading “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)”

It’s My Life

Three years after forming in 1981, the English band Talk Talk released a song that was one of the biggest hits in their repertoire, “It’s My Life,” the title track of their second album. Music videos had become a significant part of music marketing in the early 1980s. I remember this single being accompanied byContinue reading “It’s My Life”

Space Oddity

During my morning routine from around 7:00 to 9:00 (Central time in Canada), I like to have a random, unknown music mix playing. But among the radio stations I listen to online, mainly KEXP Seattle and BBC 6 Music, there isn’t usually anything on that appeals to me for that time of day. The MorningContinue reading “Space Oddity”

Black Water Falls

I first heard the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania band The War on Drugs on CBC late-night radio in around 2017, and bought the album A Deeper Understanding, released that year. Since then, I’ve also heard them on KEXP Seattle and purchased one song from an earlier issue, Lost in the Dream (2014). The singer, Adam Granduciel, whoContinue reading “Black Water Falls”

Denmark

I’ve mentioned my UK cousins before (please see my January 18, 2020 post on Elbow’s “This Blue World”). While visiting the families in 2011, we took a road trip of northern England and southern Scotland. One day, we took in the opening day of the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe (the largest arts festival in theContinue reading “Denmark”