James Brown

Whether you like his music or not - he has changed the way we listen to rock and pop music including, without a doubt, music you do like - be it Indie, Rock, Hip Hop, Soul, Funk and so on.He is the most sampled artist in popular music today.

To use an example I do know about...many years ago at a time when Flea was considering leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the way the lead singer Anthony Kiedis changed his mind was to say something like "...I'm going to be the James Brown of the 90's..." on this Flea stayed.

As I say he changed pop music forever - and his music came from genuine suffering and feel.

A great is gone.

Just to confuse you...

a black swan, not on the Shroppie but seen on a Boxing Day walk near the village where I grew up (somewhere between Tarvin and Huxley).

It's the Winter Soltice today so it's a good a time as any to wish both of my readers/viewers a very

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Chester looks great at this time of year - so here's a clichéd photo...

I see lots of local rock bands playing the same old stuff again and again (yawn). These were good though, ageing cover band with a naff name they may be....but they played like it was there last night on Earth - which is how music should be played.

Called "Disturbin' the peace" and they rocked!

It's foggy all over the UK, not just on the canal!

Red is Dead....

(Red diesel for boaters that is - not the Communist variety judging by some colourful jumpers appearing in certain parts of the southern hemisphere)...token bit of politics there!

To be honest - I always feel a bit guilty about any diesel I use, as a sandle-wearing, guardian-reading liberal, (insert your own stereotype) environmentalist and in my heart of hearts will be much happier when I'm paying much more tax on Green (bio) deisel.

So that's just me then...?

Any tips on bio-fuel heating anyone? - I do mostly burn logs in my stove but wondered about charcoal or wood chip (now that power-stations are supposed to be going over to this)...

Whoops - that almost turned into a proper "blog" just then....I will revert back to using this site as basically a photo album with the occasional rant....I deal with far to much politics in my day job, not to mention having occasional psudo-interlectual conversations in the pub.

Surely pubs should be about drunkenness, frivolity and debauchery not "conversation"?

Discuss.