Everything will be all right tonight. Everything will be all right tonight. Or so I keep telling myself, as Ulster prepare to turn and face the strain of Leinster at the RDS. Let’s hope that Ulster can put Big Brother under pressure. It’s simple, really: all we have to do is win. But hope, boys, is a cheap thing, cheap thing: we are the dead.
While Ulster have lost Stockdale to injury, one South Effrican is back for us.
But one of Them has apparently recovered from yet another head injury.
Give me steel, give me steel, give me pulsars unreal
In other news – newsman wept (with joy) as he told me – a familiar face is returning to Cardiff.
Someone’s back in town the chips are down
I just cut and blackout
I’m under Mulvihill’s influence and my honour’s at stake
Today is David Bowie’s birthday, in case anyone was wondering.
Onna telly this week
Friday 8th January
| Glasgow v Edinburgh | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Leinster v Ulster | 19:35 | TG4 / Premier Sports 1 |
| Bath v Wasps | 19:45 | BT Sport 2 |
| Sale v Worcester | 20:00 | BT Sport Extra |
Saturday 9th January
| Zebre v Treviso | 13:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Newcastle v Gloucester | 14:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Griquas v Cheetahs | 14:30 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Exeter v Bristol | 16:30 | BT Sport 2 |
| Western Province v Sharks | 17:00 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Dragons v Ospreys | 17:15 | S4C / Premier Sports 1 |
| Cardiff v Scarlets | 19:35 | S4C / Premier Sports 1 |
| Connacht v Munster | 19:35 | TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
Sunday 10th January
| Harlequins v London Irish | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 16th January
| Glasgow v Edinburgh | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Nige on Countryfile!
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Was he giving the sheep a row or telling the veg he wanted a proper gap down the middle of the rows?
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…..this yere is proper vegetable rugby -if you want to mess around playing something less earthy, go and join the tomatoes……………………………….
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He’s just starting farming Herefords. :-)
As they were trying to convince a large cow to go into a pen, Adam asked him if Martin Johnson had ever given him so much trouble. “Oh yes,” replied Nige, “But I just sent him off. You can’t do that with a cow.”
He looked very happy.
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Apropos of absolutely nothing, I watched the 2007 World Cup Final last night whilst browsing for stuff. Supersport here are showing replays of Lions Tours, World Cups etc in the absence of live rugby. The match was actually a lot tighter than I remember it being and it was only really late in the second half that the Boks took control. What stood out for me most though, was that the Bok props were being quoted by the commentary team as saying that Matt ‘Two Sides’ Stevens was the most difficult guy to scrum against that they had faced that year. Make of that what you will!
Just to illustrate how good an all-rounder he is, have a look at this:
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And just to prove he’s indeed no one-trick pony, here’s our hero on X-Factor. I really had no idea they did a sleb thing on there:
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“Was he giving the sheep a row..?”
‘Ewe’s it! Ewes it!’
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And oi! BB!! Have you been a-tampering with my youtube algorithms? This just turned up, for some reason…
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Iks – I’ve seen a couple of that guy’s videos. Don’t particularly like him to be honest and didn’t think much of his list. The number 1 is pretty obvious and the Genesis one is one of their best, but the others were all wrong!
Anyway, we all know that you’re a secret prog fan so that would have come up in your YouTube recs simply because of all the prog you watch and don’t admit to….
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Pfft.
I was however in a chat the other day with my hero Krister Linder where he mentioned the great influence Simon Posford and ‘Are You Shpongled?’ by Shpongle had on his musical tastes and direction.
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And here’s my Top 10 prog albums (using the same criteria – one album per band) but in no particular order:
Genesis – Selling England By The Pound
Yes – Close To The Edge
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Camel – A Nod And A Wink
Jethro Tull – Heavy Horses
Marillion – Marbles (Extended)
Dream Theater – Octavarium
Spock’s Beard – V
Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here
Rush – Moving Pictures
You see? A FAR better list….
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*Ahem, cough, splutter* Here goes… There are some great songs on Heavy Horses. I liked especially Moths(?), Acres Wild and the title track.
On heard bits and pieces of some of the other albums e.g. in the sixth form common room or at mates’ houses, so can’t comment really.
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What are Shpongle like, BB?
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Dunno. Never heard of them. I shall investigate and report back after work.
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Ta, I’d like that. I see there is some stuff on youtube, but I’d like to wait and hear what you think (serious) before getting my own ears dirty (joke).
I already see they have ‘interesting’ proggy-ish song titles like ‘Around The World In A Tea Daze’ *groan*.
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Only know the Floyd and Rush albums, but pretty sure I’ll know songs from the others. My prognostication is that I’m not a prog rocker. My knowledge of Genesis is that Phil Collins used to be their drummer, so based on his solo stuff I never listened to them. Had a couple of Jethro Tull tapes back in the day, mind!
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Interesting article on Prog in the New Yorker from a couple of years ago:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/19/the-persistence-of-prog-rock
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Deebs – Genesis didn’t sound anything like Phil Collins’ solo stuff for most of their career. Post Gabriel the two albums they did before Steve Hackett left, A Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering are more ‘pastoral’ for want of a better phrase. Even And Then There Were Three and Duke (after Hackett left) are pretty good. Abacab is decent, Genesis has ‘Mama’ on it (but also has Illegal Alien, which has to be one of the worst songs they’ve done). Their biggest seller was Invisible Touch which has horrible 80s production on it (where’s Sag when you need him) and pretty rubbish songs.
I’ll have a look at that article in a bit.
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Thanks BB, I grew up (grew older, as Mrs Deebee would say – I’ve never grown up) in the 80s so missed prog at it’s height. I know most of the bands and have listened to a fair amount of the music at different times, but never been a devotee (except to Pink Floyd, who transcend pigeonholing to the genre or any other). I had a copy of Rush’s 21-12 years ago and really enjoyed it though, so there must be an inner prog lurking there somewhere.
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All self respecting prog guitarists go on to marry Toyah and create youtube videos like this
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I played one of my finest innings in a match against Broad Chalke CC in about 1994, maybe 1995. Robert Fripp and Toyah lived in the village at the time. The cricket club had a vicar in its XI.
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Ith a mythery, oh ith a mythtery, to me OT.
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Good article Deebs, helps brink our very own Tarkus the Librarian into clearer focus.
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Wouldn’t mind going to one of their dinner parties though.
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What a pass from TT to allow Vakatawa a stroll in!
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OT – at least you didn’t put up the one they did of Enter Sandman…..
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Classic! Gives me a great excuse to show this one again:
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Thanks for the article Deebs. I agree with some of what he said and not others. Had to laugh at the Radiohead bit – one of the Greenwoods was interviewed (in Prog magazine no less) and said that although they weren’t ‘Prog’ they did consider themselves ‘progressive’. Anyway, listen to OK Computer and tell me you can’t hear the Floyd influences in that album. Also, being American he missed the early 80s New Wave Of British Prog (NWOBP) which was led by Marillion and included Pallas, Pendragon, IQ among others.
The main thing that pisses me off is this insistence by (some) critics that only the style of music that THEY think is relevant is what we should be listening to. I was 13/14 at the time of the punk explosion and I loved a lot of the punk stuff. But I also liked proggy stuff (I was just starting to get into Floyd), rocky stuff (AC/DC and others) and even pop like ABBA. I realise that a shepherd’s son going to a rural school in the Scottish Borders maybe isn’t their intended audience but those sort of reviews in papers like the NME just turned me off them, and possibly didn’t lead me to discovering the types of music they did promote).
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BB, I generally take critics with a pinch of salt because they have their own likes, dislikes and pretentions (usually lots of those) that sway their views. I guess as you say you may not have been their intended audience. I grew up with a fairly cosmopolitan musical influence, with a good combination of mainstream US, UK and SA pop and rock, but also as I grew up, I became very interested in the evolution of music and so went on a journey for a few years to the roots of metal and heavy rock and all the way back to the Blues of 20s to 50s American South – fascinating stuff. At the same time, I had mates very much into the ‘Indie’ sound of the time, so listened to a lot of stuff from the Clash to Joy Division, the Cure, Smiths etc. I’ve broadened my musical meanderings to include the Motown sound and proper R&B to – close your eyes Thauma – country music and almost everything in-between. Would happily listen to a CD (wotever, kids!) of Robert Johnson, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Joy Division, Clash, Gary Moore, Bob Marley, Depeche Mode, Marvin Gaye, Barry White, AC/DC, Doors, Janis, Johnny Cash etc etc. About the only musical type I just can’t get my head around is rap/hip hop with one or two exceptions. OK, Mary J Blige, so one.
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King Crimson?
Wishbone Ash?
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Are both bands, yes….
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I’ve got very catholic musical taste. I’ve got all the Pope’s records.
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@bb
There’s a very pointed reason I didn’t do Enter Sandman.
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Deebee, I like YoungstaCPT. This clip features Aneesa’s, the place we got our Gatsby’s from in Wynberg:
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Slade – King Crimson are a band I admire rather than really like. I can tell that they’re all top notch musicians, I just wish they would remember a tune every now and again.
Not a huge fan of Wishbone Ash (although I do have Argus – CJ’s favourite album if I recall).
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Oh Jebus.
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Decision tree for whether it’s a prog album:
Is it shit?
– no. End.
– Yes. Move on to next question.
Is it really grating overproduced bullshit rock that never ends?
– no. End.
– yes. Probably prog.
Radiohead are probably prog.
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TomP, somebody has to like that stuff. Probably an age thing, but I simply can’t get into it, at any level, from the choons to the dress ‘code’, the need to point your fingers in all directions etc etc. Just not my scene.
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there’s some decent rap & hip hop out there, although I’m less familiar with much new stuff.
A lot of dross though. Especially the piles of gangsta rap crap
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Deebee don’t do rap
He’s had some lunch and needs to have a nap
He’d prefer his wine to be on tap
And don’t give him no cheap crap
Or he’ll hurl into your lap
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Refit got me into RTJ. Thanks Refit.
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Thaum – think Chimpie’s post warrants a down vote button please.
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You didn’t even hear the singing & accompaniment to it. I was pointing my fingers like a pro
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I’ll get onto the next verses of the Deebee Rap this evening.
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Chimpie – this you?
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Or maybe this is Chimpie.
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Bit too stabby for me Chimpie and some homophobic slurs at the end. You want a word with yourself.
Suddenly the cheese on toast makes sense though.
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Looks like Harry Enfield’s Scottish love child; the inevitable result of a cocktail of Irn Bru, Lorne sausage, deep fried Mars bar and Tamazipam.
Grim.
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