skankdelvar

Welcome Sticky

That's even better. Tip o' the hat to you, Sir.

If you're in a position to change the thread title may I recommend you change it to Across The Himalayas With Rod And Gun

@Rikkers Struggling to find the relevant ad(s) in the BC marketplace. Was this an on-forum deal?

Sorry to hear about your experience. Drop a PM to the Mods and let them know about this for future reference.

I'm sure you still are. Skizzer: Well, hello. Sit down here and make yourself comfortable.

My Favourite Prog Band #23 - Baroness Hale on Barclay James Harvest As the first female President of The Supreme Court people often come up to me and say "Baroness Hale, your wisdom, your modesty and your trademark insect brooches are an inspiration to us all. But which is your favourite prog band?" Goodness me! It's so difficult to make a choice from such a wide and flourishing genre. Does The Pink Floyd still count as a prog band? I asked the Attorney General about this. In his characteristically fruity tones he demurred from the proposition, arguing that the Floyd had proceeded in an unbroken direction straight from psychedelic pop through sui generis neo-atonalism to meat and potatoes Classic Rock. So, not The Pink Floyd, even though I must have played Dark Side Of The Moon at least five or six times since it came out. Genesis? Well, early on but not later, obviously. Yes? Certainly. Van Der Graaf Generator? Indubitably, though to my mind VDG's early commercial success in Italy contaminates the notion of absolute progressivism. In the end I reclined upon the judgement of that simple girl who rose from obscurity to become the venerated Focus (another one, ha ha!) of so many ordinary peoples' admiration, i.e. me when I was young. I would have to ask myself 'Who did I like when I was a tousle-haired, dope-smoking bit of alright?' and answer came there 'Barclay James Harvest' Ah, Barclay James Harvest: the wild, shirtless vocals of John Lees, the bong-rattling bass of Les Holroyd, the plangent mellotron of Woolly Woolllstenholme and the competent drum work of Mel Pritchard. It may shock my admirers to learn that at the tender age of 26 and prompted by a flatmate's purchase of BJH's second album Once Again I hitchhiked in June 1971 to see the band at the Clitheroe Festival where - despite the obviously insanitary nature of my fellow attendees - I was transported to a fairy land of blissful awareness by the delicate filigree of sounds emanating from the stage. It was during this concert that - as if by magic - a voice suddenly thundered in my ears "Give up the drugs, Brenda! Devote yourself more assiduously to your legal career and be the shield that the little people need!" So that's why Barclay James Harvest is my favourite prog band. I liked their music and still do. But they set me on the path to being who I am today and that's what's really important, isn't it?

Outstanding work, Sir.

Hello! I'm Dr Fu Manchu the evil criminal genius and occasional player of the bass-guitar. Many people have asked me: "Dr Fu Manchu, how do you play bass given that you affect one exceptionally long fingernail, itself encased in a precious metal sleeve inlaid with the richest jewels of all Cathay?' The answer is very simple. I keep the other three fingernails short and work on my stretching exercises. After years of dedicated practice I can now cover seven frets between my index and ring fingers, a feat at one time matched only by my old enemy and nemesis Commissioner Sir Denis Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard, his accomplishment being now moot since I pitched Sir Denis from the gondola of my command Airship to a screaming death impaled upon the pointy bit at the top of St Paul's Cathedral. If you want to know how to grow an unfeasibly long fingernail and still play bass just go to my online shop and buy my book 'Increase Your Stretch in 28 Days Or Your Money Back' by Dr Fu Manchu (includes DVD and nail buffer) only £19.99 including shipping. Crazy Deal! Buy before midnight 31/12/2019 and I'll throw in a vial of forensically untraceable scorpion venom!

Selah.

Welcome, Smirfy. Hope you enjoy it here

One of the good 'uns. We shall never see his like again.

Ah, Tom Lethbridge; a good man and a champion dowser. It was a privilege to have known him. Gone beyond, now, of course.

As long as you follow a great circle route. you'll always be getting closer to somebody else's Jazz. Keep on going and eventually you'll be getting closer to your own Jazzes again. Here's how:

Countryside fact: Whatever direction you choose to walk you''ll be getting closer to a Jazz bass.

The forum has a chequered history of engagement with famous bassists and musical instrument industry luminaries. A few of them manage to stick around in a low profile way but we've seen most of the fückers off, thank God.

Wishing everyone here a very Happy Christmas and grand 2020.

Full version 8 disc region 2 DVD available from Amazon for (WTF!) £59.00. Or £57.00 off eBay. Then again, PBS in the USA has it on their website to stream for free but one would need a crafty VPN to spoof their region control.

PS: Country was big In Australia at one time (it may still be) and spawned the Australian Country sub-genre. Big in Canada too.

I take your point, though it depends which country you're talking about. The principle musical roots of country music are to be found in Scotland and Ireland*, two countries where - er - country music is considerably more popular than in England or Wales, and where the fiddling tradition is still thriving. Even the religious lyrical aspects to be found in some corners of country music are founded in those beliefs and practises transported to the New World by English, Welsh and Scots dissenters. It is true, as you say, that there has long been a cultural difference between the UK and the USA. That said, the UK seems at various times to have have taken eagerly to consuming and performing Ragtime, Swing, Blues, Soul and RnB, musical forms which incorporate even more different cultural touchstones. Which is what makes it so difficult to understand why Country music is even less popular among regular punters than Jazz. My take: prompted by vague memories of saccharine 'Countrypolitan' tunes and schlock like DIVORCE many people can't get out of the habit of laughing at country music and at fans who they perceive to be lachrymose plebs. Not true, of course, and things are changing thanks to alt-Country and the traditionalist revival. * Combined with stuff from Central Europe, Mexico and Africa, obvs

Oh, I know that, Dave. You cannot reasonably be held responsible for decisions made by an entirely separate part of the far-flung empire. But then again, there are no other ex-BBC staffers in this thread and I'm not a reasonable man. So, basically, the abject failure of country music to establish itself in the UK is all your fault and you can send my compo to the usual address.

To be fair, it was your lot (the Beeb) who each year would carry a week of Country music from Wembley (or somewhere), the high point of which would be when they sack-barrowed Slim Whitman on stage to shrieks of joy from denim-clad, tattooed geriatrics with long, greasy hair and droopy moustaches and that was just the women. I know the BBC probably meant well but in presenting a very narrow range of artists which appealed to a set-in-their-ways audience they set back The Cause by decades. As we used to say, what's got 67 legs, 85 eyes and an oxygen tank? The front row at a Willie Nelson concert.

If this is the case then it would explain why I've been watching it and yelling at the screen about every 10 minutes. Even the Missus (for whom Country is just ... OK) said 'This isn't one of Ken's best, is it?' I was having a crafty snout at the back door this morning (it's where I do my best thinking) and musing to myself: 'That Ken Burns Country Music documentary isn't really about the music. They should have called it The Lives of Country Music's Biggest Stars'. If those godawful bastards at the Beeb have edited it down I may have to take steps. Never forget these are the same people who inflicted Boxcar Willie on us for years and called it country. (Edit) Confirmed: 8 x 120 min episodes cut down to 9 x 50 min episodes