"this is what they want!"

just a quick one today because the weather is too nice to be indoors. i was lucky enough to get one of these recently. if you didn't get one don't worry because lexx (over at the djhistory forum) was kind enough to upload the mixes for all to enjoy. if you're aware of mark seven you'll know what to expect (if you're not you're in for a treat). loads of records you've never heard before, great mixing and...no tracklist (but that's half the fun). the trainspotters over at djhistory are trying to fill in the gaps, why not help them?

part 1

part 2

part 3

"...and the sun is shining"

now that's not the sort of post-it note you want to see first thing in the morning is it? it was attached to a cheque mrs s had left me. the other month she gave me a cheque and i didn't cash it straight away. so this month i'm under strict instructions to cash it a.s.a.p.

so what's new? apart from that ace raving '89 book i can tell you blogland is a poorer place. i haven't posted for ages (until the other day) and had a look at all the links on the right of this page. loads of people have chucked it in, so i deleted them and added a few new ones. more to come as and when i stumble across them. some of them had run their course and explained why they were stopping, but others had just stopped for no apparent reason. i suppose they could just be lazy bastards like me and might return, who knows?

i must admit i'm starting to like this new, shorter, format of cdwd because it means i can post more regularly. from time to time i may slip back to my old self but let's see how it goes. i've got the next post worked out in my head but it'll probably change. i want to base it on what happened that day or has happened that week...oh bollocks here we go again...i'll just do whatever comes into my head. i've got loads to talk about so keep 'em peeled.

it pissed down today (where i live and work) but eventually it cleared up just as i finished. the sun came out and i went into town and picked up some bargain records in the second hand shop. i bought some beers, watched some telly and then wrote this. so it turned out alright in the end.

"a picture can tell a thousand words"

i was lucky enough to blag one of these this week. an absolutely fantastic book of photos and recollections of raving in 1989. to a northern lad like me it at first seemed "a bit london" but you soon forget and it takes you right back. in reality it doesn't matter where these photos were taken, anyone into that scene at the time can relate to them. ponytails, dungarees and massive mobile phones...they're all here. happy days! available from the djhistory website and i think it'll be in the shops too. £20 well spent. if you pre-order on the djhistory site you'll get a mix cd as well.

while you're there check out the disco files book. i can't tell you how ace this book is. a snapshot of disco as it happened. £20 as well. so that's forty quid, but what the hell? stay in this weekend and enjoy something that'll last a lot longer than a gram of charlie.

"what have i, what have i, what have i done to deserve this?"

jesus fuck! we're all doomed if you believe any of the news recently. gloom, gloom and more gloom. job losses, debt, the taliban getting stronger and you know who has the big c. ffs don't watch the telly, it'll ruin your weekend. to top it all phonica believe we want to spunk £30 on a range of t-shirts it's just got in. phew, don't they know we're all skint? alright calm down, sit on the ground with your head between your legs and breathe deeply. is it working? no didn't think so. one of my old p.e. teachers used to say this to us when we got a stitch after a cross country run. mr french was his name and he used to wear the tightest trackie bottoms and drive a mk1 ford xr2. wonder what he's doing now? probably not reading the hottest blog around...and neither are you! ha, ha. just realised how stupid laughter looks in print. doh! so where was i...? ah yes, did you watch the brits last night? i watched the start and dipped in and out through the night. u2 were ordinary, i'm not "feeling" the new single. it could be any rock song by any rock band. duffy's voice makes my shit itch. take that were miming, and as for those two fellas off gavin and stacey...fuck right off the pair of you! i love their show, but presenters they are not. lifetime achievement award went to pet shop boys. i love psb. always have, always will. end of.

i post irregularly but somehow i end up getting nice people to send me music. probably a combination of my boyish charm and good looks. ha, ha. doh, done it again. honestly though, i will only review stuff i like and it just happens that electric minds are releasing the afrobutt album "wonderbutt" next week. i listened to it with mrs s in the room and some of her comments were priceless. "this is going out music", "...it's a bit formulaic" and "ooh, i like this one". well, what does she know? i'll tell you what i know. this is chock full of tunes that are funky and will get girls dancing. as we all know that is the first rule of dj'ing. highlights for me are "kali dreams", "torro de butt", "the taste", "disco mudma" and "wunderbutt". all in all a great package and did i mention steve kotey is behind it? well you know what to do. available from most of the rekiad stores on the right hand side of my page or the electric minds site (and no, i'm not on commission). check out sound files in the afrobutt link above.

"i like that...turn it up."

whoa! control yourselves! it's true! loud e has an edits compilation coming out on cd on the 23rd january. those lovely people over at electric minds have given me a sneak preview and i love it! for those not familiar with loud e i'd better explain. a few years back i was looking for i-f's "mixed in the hague" cd. also available on the cbs site were some mix cds by loud e. a quick google of his name informed me about some dutch fella who took the best parts from dodgy disco records and edited them together to make "new" disco records. i was quite naughty and managed to find his mix cds on another blog site. needless to say i've been hooked ever since. he's had some vinyl releases recently and i've enjoyed most of them (especially the objects of desire records, "palaza break" on bigbear and "robolove" on ambassadors reception). this cd is in the same vein. after a few listens my favourites are "time machine", "oceans of loud", "blacksoul" and "granada nights". the whole album is some sort of crazy disco shit that could have been played 30 years ago but still sounds ace today. if you click on the ambassadors reception link (above) you'll be able to sample what goes on in the head of loud e. you can also head over here to check out sound files of all the tracks. most of the usual suspects are all over this (idjuts, faze action), so don't say i didn't tell you so. it'll be available from most of the better record stores (check the "buy records here" section on the right of this page).

anyway, let me tell you about my week. it was bloody freezing and i was working outside! i had a little cold beforehand but it got worse as the week went on. i think it's gone now but next time i'll wear the long johns that mrs s bought me from primark (honestly). it was hard getting back into "work" mode after being off for xmas. i used to work in retail and only got xmas day off so to have ten days off is a bonus (hurrah!). i still haven't sorted my end of year chart yet but i'm sure it'll turn up sooner or later.

"life moves pretty fast. if you don't stop and take a look around once in a while...you might miss it."

i thought i'd make one of my ma's cats the star of this post. his name is chaplin and he's as quiet as a mouse (which helps, as he likes them). i went home for xmas to see my ma, her ma, her dad and stepmum, and also found time to spend new year with some pals i hadn't seen in ages. being a silly sausage for many years has meant i've lost contact with loads of people. well, in 2009 that's all gonna change. i'm gonna clock up some miles this year and knock on a few doors. life is too short etc, etc.

i suppose i should be giving you lot my end of year chart. it isn't compiled yet, so give me a few days. i definitely have a number one, but the rest of the top 5 or top 10 is undecided. lots of hot tunes were released, but i didn't buy many new tracks. in case you're worried i'm ill i did buy a shed load of second hand vinyl and cds (but your concern is appreciated). what will 2009 bring us? not sure yet, but hopefully many more tunes from people who are talented and don't feel the need to follow trends. keep on keepin' on i say. i don't know if i can keep up the rigid style of my postings, so i'll just wing it as i go along. is that okay? nice one, thanks for looking in.

"can't take the smell, can't take the noise..."

has that been two weeks already? i was going to do something last week but the mum of mrs s came to stay. pipe down at the back, it wasn't all that bad. she's alright actually and i think she appreciates that i'm myself when she's around. i burp, fart and swear in her company and she doesn't seem to mind. mrs s, however, is mortified by my behaviour. ah well, that's life. i cooked a few meals during her stay (i do ALL the cooking at smackhead towers, and i ain't bad either. yes i can do roast potatoes and make my own bread). on saturday night we went out for dinner to a little place mrs s had been to a few weeks earlier with her pals.

http://www.barley-mow.com/

the place was criminally empty, a result of the recent economic downturn according to the manager. what a shame. great food (i had duck) and some great real ales on draught (london pride and black sheep...mmmmmmm). anyway, if you're ever in the area drop in. i might make my eating out recommendations a regular part of cdwd, and then you too can have a gut as big as mine! talking of economic slowdowns, i hope all your jobs are safe. these are worrying times. i work in the construction industry and a few weeks ago we were scratching our arses. luckily this week a load of stuff has come through from our contract work. so fingers crossed, happy days.

the u.s. elections are finally over, thank god! i could never see why the british media thought it so important to give me eleven months of election coverage. i'm interested in the result but not the bullshit that precedes it. i'd love to say the best man won but only history will tell. the poor bastard inherits two wars and a fucking huge economy in trouble.