Day 200. TCB. (19/7/13)

You know that list that I was never going todo again under any circumstance?

Yeah, here it is.

Day 200 so obviously - 200 more moments of wonder that you honestly, genuinely, really need in your life, whether you know it or not.

Enjoy. Because there is NO WAY THAT I AM EVER doing this again.

Marlena Shaw 'California Soul' - sun gone out? Two and a half minutes of this string soaked slice of soul will turn October to August again

The Black Eyed Peas ' my humps' ....no sorry, that's clearly a lie. Wash your mind out with the first thirty seconds of the Pistols' 'Pretty Vacant' - more beautiful than the entire works of Mozart combined

McAlmont & Butler 'Yes' - you've left Suede, what do you do? You go big, you go souly and you bring in the incredible Dusty Springfield vocals of the wonderful David McAlmont. Yes indeed.

The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. The whole damn album. As the world around them went all psychedelic and flower powered, The Kinks retreated to a version of the genteel English countryside that probably never existed and they certainly hadn't known. Killed their career stone dead. Genius such as this is worth sacrifice.

Jim O'Rourke 'Prelude to 110 or 220/Women Of The World' - okay, the titles pretentious, the song isn't. An acoustic guitar, what sounds like a xylophone/glockenspiel and 9 minutes of a simple message "Women of the world take over, 'cause if you don't the world will come to an end and it won't take long' lovely gentle song, lovely gentle sentiment.

 'Guitar Man' - Elvis made it a story of a guitarist looking for fame, made it a prime slice of Rock'n'Roll, gave it the attitude that only Elvis could give it

whereas The Jesus & Mary Chain turned it into a threat.

Which is nothing compared to their own 'In A Hole' - a wall of thoroughly terrifying noise. Find the clip from Whistle Test on YouTube. THAT is what bands shoud look/act like.

Isaac Hayes' version of 'By The Time I Get To Phoenix' - yes, you know the song but you don't know it until you've heard Ike push it for 19 minutes. The first 10 is just Hayes 'rapping' (in the old school meaning) about what love did to this dude over a single repetitive bass note. Its spellbindingly brilliant. And now he's remembered for being 'Chef from South Park'. Disgraceful.

The High Llamas 'Checking In, Checking Out' like Steely Dan playing Beach Boys songs on banjos. In a good way. It's here because its on the Gideon Gaye album which me and J were listening to all the time when J was pregnant with Tom.

The Breeders 'Cannonball' - one of the greatest intros ever, huge when we lived in Leeds, hell of a bass line, mystifying lyrics. Altogether now "I'm the last splash"

 "Woah - woah, woah-woah, woah -woah." That's the start of Orange Juce's 'Felicity' and it sounds a hell of a  lot better than it reads

 Before they turned all stadium and wanted to be U2 and lost it completely, Simple Minds made great moments of Euro Dance like 'The American', all warped keyboards, pounding drums and brilliantly unintelligible lyrics. "What do you know about this world anyway?"

Dr John once told Spiritualized's Jason Pierce that the terrifyingly dark, drug infused 'Cop Shoot Cop' from the brilliant 'Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space' sounded like music that he hadn't heard for 40 years. Jason never thought to ask what else sounded like this masterpiece so we'll never know.

 The Five Thirty were Britpop a couple of years too early. Apart from having the greatest band name ever they put out a decent LP but a stunning EP - Supernova. The title track is bloody good but 'Something's Got To Give' is truly wonderful.

Do you want a great garage band song about a friend's death? One that sounds really uplifting? One that asks which song we'll hear as we go? 'The '59 Sound' by The Gaslight Anthem. Smart.

 "Unemployment's rising in the Chigley end of town" - there's only one band that could envisage socialist revolution in fictional villages from 60s children's telly. Obviously it's Half Man Half Biscuit. Obviously it's 'The Trumpton Riots' - "Someone get a message through to Captain Snort that they'd better start assembling the boys from the fort and keep Mrs Honeyman right out of sight ' cause there's gonna be a riot down in Trumpton tonight"

 John Grant's first solo album was all acoustic guitars and pianos and 70s soft rock courtesy of the boys from the wonderful Midlake. His second brought out his electric tendencies. 'Pale Green Ghosts' starts with the title track, all pulsing synths and odd percussion. Then the voice comes in and it's a hell of a voice. John Grant is bloody great.

 What do you mean you don't know who Midlake are? What you need is 'Roscoe' the first track from their gorgeous 'Trials of Van Occupanther' album. It's The Band meets Fleetwood Mac and I owe Barry and Caroline for getting me into it. 

 So 70s soft rock as a theme then? The Carpenters 'Superstar' (which Ive only just found out was a cover anyway) but not their version; Sonic Youth's early 90s cover finds the desperation at the heart of the tune. I would pay good money to hear Sonic Youth cover ABBA's Greatest Hits.

Summerhill. 80s no hit wonders. Did a version of 'Wild Horses' that's obviously better than SuBo's. the best track on their album was the lovely, poppy 'Don't Let It Die'....which I always tie in with.....

 'Southern Cross' by 'The Snakes Of Shake' Glasgow 1984, jangly guitars and pianos. It may have been shown on The Tube a lot or it may just be that I watched that episode on VHS a lot.

Scottish and unknown? James King & The Lone Wolves 'Fly Away'. 1985, Whistle Test, 'owes a bit' to The Byrds 'Feel A Whole Lot Better' but dead smart just the same. In fairness and for balance next up should be

The Byrds 'Feel A Whole Lot Better' - Gene Clark was brilliant. This is how one jangles.

And back to mid 80s Scotland then. Bourgie Bourgie's epically romantic, cello driven, twin guitar drama 'Breaking Point'. Paul Quinn's Scott Walker-esque vocals could make the phone book sound heartbreaking.

And he did it again on his and Edwyn Collins' lovely version of The Velvet Underground's 'Pale Blue Eyes'. There's a video from a TV show, they play it live, Edwyn takes the guitar solo and, as he ends it, leans back with his arms spread. It's the coolest moment that you'll ever see.

My iPod DOES contain stuff that wasn't recorded in the 80s. Honest. Just not much. I'm going to do something that people don't generally do now, I'm going to defend David Bowie's much maligned 'band' Tin Machine. And not even the first album, I'm defending the second, the one people really hate but 'Goodbye Mr Ed could fit onto any Bowie album of the last 35 years. Which makes it pretty bloody good when you think about it.

I don't fully get the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but Maps is smart and 'Zero' is fantastic dance pop with a Chemical Brothers edge.

Of course the secret of the Chemicals is that they're not really a dance act, they're a psych band. You want proof? Their collaboration with Mercury Rev, 'The Private Psychedelic Reel' - it's not just a title you know.

Which means that I need to throw in some actual Mercury Rev. Anything off Deserter's Songs would be obvious and brilliant but lets go back further. 'Empire State (Son House In Excelcis)' - it's got a lovely flute part. Anybody could handle the flute part. The rest of the song just goes 'somewhere else' though. Fantastic start to an album. Stall set out there lads.

'Girl A, Girl B, Boy C' by My Life Story. Imagine The Divine Comedy with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in then lob a few kitchen sinks on top and you're getting close to how ludicrously over the top this is.

Which makes it odd that I'd then choose The Divine Comedy's most stripped back track; 'A Lady of a Certain Age' is the story of an old woman of the upper classes desperately striving to hold onto her youth and is ridiculously touching.

Key words - ridiculous, ludicrous, over the top. Sigue Sigue Sputnik. 'Love Missile F1-11'. Stupidly great, genuinely ahead of its time and the sound of the 6 months before I met J. Everything's in the future.

 "He's in love with Rock'n'Roll woaah, he's in love with getting stoned woaah, he's in love with Janie Jones woah" THATs an intro. Thank you The Clash.

 And finally something from THIS century. Bright Eyes' 'Road To Joy' nicks copiously from Beethoven's Ode To Joy, gives the album its title, provides a state of the nation address ("when you're asked to fight a war that's over nothing it's best to join the side that's gonna win") and gives a damn fine mission statement for Rock'n'Roll " I couldve been a famous singer if i had someone else's voice but failure's always sounded better, lets fuck it up boys, make some noise" and they do.

But sometimes you need that 'someone else's voice' - a bit of comfort, some warmth in a cold, damp world. Brook Benton, 'A Rainy Night In Georgia' will give you that.

Right, I've hit on the Atlantic Soul label. Might stay here for a bit. (Obv I'm doing this from my iPod, you didn't think it was off the top of my head did you?) Eddie Floyd's 'Knock On Wood' is clearly brilliant and has The MGs all over it. Steve Cropper just played the chords for 'Midnight Hour' backwards and came up with another classic. It's easy when you're brilliant.

'Memphis Soul Stew' - King Curtis gets away with the most obvious lisp this side of Toyah by creating a song about creating songs. Funky as hell.

 Okay, not Atlantic soul, Northern Soul. My generation came to this stuff second hand through the bands we were already listening to. The Jam gave us Curtis Mayfield's glorious call to arms 'Move On Up' (which means his version always sounds slower than I expect)

Soft Cell knew their stuff. Not only turning Gloria Jones' 'Tainted Love' into a worldwide number 1 (might have helped if they hadn't put another cover on the B side, could have made some money) but also giving us a fine cover of...

 Judy Street's imperious 'What?'

 No Springsteen yet? 'Lost In The Flood' from the first album, character driven, slightly odd, halfway through the band explode.

 Sat in a church, recording onto on microphone, with Blue Moon Revisited (song for Elvis) Cowboy Junkies invented modern day Americana.

I argue about this a lot but 'The Suburbs' is Arcade Fire's best album and 'Month Of May' is the best thing on it.

Even when I didn't like Led Zeppelin I still like 'Immigrant Song' - genius riff.

Is it unfashionable to admit to liking U2 nowadays? Don't care, 'A Day Without Me' is still a fantastic slice of early 80s post punk. I first heard this in a house in Newquay, the same day that I first heard:

 'Here Comes The Summer' by The Undertones. They weren't just about Teenage Kicks and 'My Perfect Cousin' you know. When they came out with....

The Love Parade, they showed they understood the 60s as much as they did 'punk rock'

 So we're in Belfast now? Right, Van Morrison then. Astral Weeks. All of it. The whole damn thing. You can't separate it. He was 21, working with musicians he'd never met, they jammed the whole album. It didn't chart in England. Which tells you everything you need to know about the English charts.

It's the usual story, you go blank because there are too many songs to choose from then get to the end and instantly think of another 20 that should've gone in but as I write I'm watching Arctic Monkeys doing 'Cornerstone' live at Glastonbury, it's a little gem that you don't necessarily think of when you think of them, delicate and witty, everything that they do well.

 I could just randomise my iPod and pick the next 150 songs that pop up and swear blind that they're all great but they might not be in all honesty. They might just be okay. Pulp, 'Last Day Of The Miners' Strike' isn't just okay though, it's actually so good that it made me buy a greatest hits album just to get that song. (What? You can download singe tracks for 79p? Doh)

The Original Mirrors. The great lost 80s Liverpool band. 'Dancing With The Rebels' great woh-woh-wohs. Kim Wilde stole their sound big style for Kids In America. You may not regard this as a good thing, I assure you that it is.

Talking Heads 'Life During Wartime' - its sense of paranoia may be (allegedly) cocaine inspired. Whatever, it's dark and edgy and scared

If I ever do start up a new band there are two conditions; 1. I get to call it Pointy Birds. 2. We cover 'Love Train' by The O Jays just because its bloody great and happy as hell.

It probably wasn't the same time but I always connect the above with Alice Cooper's 'Elected'. 'Billion Dollar Babies' is one HELL of an album.

Brian Wilson's solo career hasn't provided the kind of highs that he managed in The Beach Boys but then nobody ever manages to recapture the work that they did in their twenties. 'Love and Mercy' though? 'Love and Mercy' is a fine song and a hell of a sentiment.

The Inspiral Carpets 'Saturn 5' only has one verse and they use it three times but it's so damn good that they get away with it.

It was The Ramones that came up with the lyric "Third verse same as the first" but the Violent Femmes used it brilliantly on 'Prove My Love' - that first Violent Femmes album is a blinding slice of early 80s 'College Rock' (the second is even better)

Oh, yes. I'm onto early 80s College Rock. The Long Ryders. 'I Had A Dream' - the video starts with a Cuban heeled boot pounding out a rhythm on a wooden floor as a Rickenbacker chimes a gorgeously 60s riff and it just gets better from there. Right at this very second THAT is the song I wish I'd written most in the world ever.

Green On Red - 'Thats What Dreams Are Made For' - prime slice of Neil Young country rock.

You know who does Neil Young country rock brilliantly? Ian McNabb ex Icicle Works. His solo career has lasted way longer than the band did, Head Like A Rock was recorded with Young's backing band, Crazy Horse and contains the autobiography in song 'Fire Inside My Soul'. Macca believe in the beauty of Rock'n'Roll.

You know who does Neil Young best though? Neil Young (obv) 'Cortez The Killer' sums him up perfectly, lyrical, melodic and wonderful guitar lines.

Do you know what's ridiculous? I've only just discovered Van Morrison's 'His Band & The Street Choir' TODAY. I always knew 'Domino' but the whole album is just as smart. Missed that one somehow.

 An early 70s songwriter that the entire world managed to miss? Bill Fay. Returned last year with the 'Life Is People' album. He touches on religion, life, nature. You can have 'There Is A Valley', 'Never Ending Happening' or 'Cosmic Concerto'. They're all beautiful. I think the word I'm looking for is bucolic.

While on a singer songwriter tip; I haven't put a lot of Dylan in here. I should do a full thing on Dylan at some point but for the moment, 'Lily, Rosemary and The Jack of Hearts' - a wonderful, swirling phantasmagoria of a cowboy story.

Do you know what's the greatest start to a song ever? "Oh, the towering feeling just to know, somehow, you are near" Vic Damone. 'The Street Where You Live' from 'My Fair Lady' - it's just massive

And if we're going to talk musicals; 'Somewhere' from 'West Side Story'. But Tom Waits' version. The way he growls the song lets you know that he's trying to convince himself that he can have a better life. (Sidebar; you want to hear Tom's version of 'The Dwarves' Work Song' from Snow White. You know, 'Hi-Ho'? Terrifying.)

Aztec Camera 'Killermont Street' - distance, regret, a sense of place and a longing for home that comes close to The Beatles' 'In My Life'. I think you know that I don't make Beatles related claims lightly.

I heard a DJ today claim that The Saturdays' new single is 'an absolutely insane song'. I take it he's never heard 'Trout Mask Replica' by 'Captain Beefheart'. Start with 'The Dust Blows Forward, The Dust Blows Back' it's practically a song, you'll be safe with it

Talking Heads 'Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place) is basically just lovely.

Bowie - I hardly ever mention Bowie, do I? 'Lodger' is heavily underrated. 'Fantastic Voyage' is as good as anything on it. I rarely know what Dave 'means' but 'I'll never say anything nice again, how can I' is a ridiculously affecting and effective lyric.

I bought a CD player in 1986 purely because The Bible's brilliant 'Eureka' album had 2 extra tracks on it but it was 'Graceland' from their first album that got me into them. "When I die, will you build the Taj Mahal? Wear black every day of your life? I doubt it." Wasted love.

 And wasted love, sadness, loss and longing always brings me back to The Blue Nile. 'Stay' from the first album is an impeccable piece of pleading. "Stay. I will understand you."

"Cath, woh-oh, it takes a lot to make me laugh, woh-oh, you led me up the garden path, woh-oh, it takes a lot to make me laugh" may not be the greatest piece of lyric writing ever. So why is The Bluebells' 'Cath' so bloody great? It's not the sparkling guitars and acoustics, wonderful as they are, it's not the production. It must be the line "you spoiled my day for the rest of the night" which just works.

Look, history hasn't been kind to China Crisis. They're kind of seen as part of the 'cheesy' 80s with easily lampooned, stylised vocals. Forget that attitude, for a while there they were a great little pop band. 'Black Man Ray' and 'King In A Catholic Style' are sumptuous and odd.

I'm giving you more Weller. Style Council Weller. 'A Man of Great Promise' tumbles in on a peal of church bells and spends two minutes telling the story of the loss of one of the early members of The Jam.

And more Weller again? 'A Solid Bond In Your Heart' was nearly the last Jam single and talks about togetherness and the link between band and fan "I am fuelled by the idea that this world was made to share"

There will never be a point in my life that I won't love the beginning of Buffalo Springfield's 'For What It's Worth' - I've loved it for nearly thirty years and have literally just noticed the second guitar in the intro. Aren't headphones brilliant? All this listen to stuff in mono on vinyl stance because that's how the artist wanted it? Bollocks. It's all they had to use, they wanted you to hear every single second the way they heard it in the studio, no crackles and scratches.

Have I mentioned yet how bloody great Donovan is? Yes, he's an old hippie and he'll always manage to claim that he invented everything before everybody else but sometimes he actually has a point. Anytime I'm on the tube in that there London I get very excited about passing through Goodge Street station just because I love 'Sunny Goodge Street' so much.

And while we're talking slightly psychedelic characters - the very, very great Robyn Hitchcock;  a man who treasures early Pink Floyd and late Beatles and Bob Dylan and everything that we hold to be good and true. His band The Soft Boys didn't make it in the 70s, so they got back together in the 90s to not make it again. 'Mr Kennedy' is a sublime road trip. In every sense of the word.

So I'll go back to the roots with a bit of what we in the industry refer to as 'Da Floyd, La' but the real world knows as Pink Floyd. I'm having 'A Pillow of Clouds' 'cause my mate Si told me it was great and he was right.

You know when R.E.M got old and nobody was listening anymore and they ended up splitting up and it all ended in a whimper rather than a bang? Well they were still making damn fine music 'Mr Richards' off the Accelerate album is all the proof that you need on this.

'Everything, Everything' 'Django, Django' all those modern art Mancunian bands. All want to be the Beta Band. They're not. Nothing they do will ever match 'Dry The Rain' but then very little that the Beta Band themselves did matched 'Dry The Rain' - remember High Fidelity?  It's the song John Cusack plays to prove he can sell music. We've all been there. When I grow up I want to be John Cusack. I'm fairly sure that J wants me to be John Cusack as well.

Have I ever mentioned that British Sea Power's 'It Ended On An Oily Stage' used to be our Matty's favourite song when he was, like really little? Well it was. "He found God in a parking lot and you did not."

Do you want to predict your own demise? Do you want to relate how tough your life is? List all your troubles? And make it sound unremittingly cheerful? Don't bother trying, Hank Williams beat you to it 60 years ago with 'I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive'

A. In fairness, I've just come back downstairs to find the letter 'A' typed. I didn't type it but it gave me 'Endless Art' by A House (worst band name ever) which is just a list of famous artists, writers, musicians, poets and their dates of birth and death and is fantastic. "Johann Strauss, Richard Strauss, Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse. All dead but still alive"

 The Human League's second album 'Travelogue' is, in all honesty, not for me but it does contain their second, re-recorded, version of 'Being Boiled' which may not be as good as the original no budget lo-fi version but sounds absolutely massive.

OMD - lets drop the initials and give them their full name shall we? Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. 'Stanlow' - a love song to an oil refinery on the Wirral.

I've just had a discussion with J about The Monkees because I was listening to 'Listen To The Band' (following the instruction basically). She thought it was rubbish. She is wrong. (She also thinks that 'Porpoise Song' is rubbish. Also wrong) 'Listen To The Band is equally brilliant whether it's in The Monkees brass driven pop version or Michael Nesmith's countrified version.

Also Mike Nesmith. 'Different Drum' "you'll live a lot longer if you live without me" the perfect letting go song

 Anything off 'Tapestry' by Carole King; a writer who decided it was time for her to sing her songs.

There's a fine film called Grace Of Her Heart which is a transparently disguised take on Carole King's life story. Matt Dillon plays a bloke who isn't Brian Wilson, honest to God. Dinosaur Jr gave them a fantastic slice of shrink Beach Boys pop called 'Take A Run at the Sun' - all harmonies and surf guitars, nothing like their usual material....

 ....which is better represented by 'The Wagon' or 'Start Choppin' or 'Feel The Pain' -"I feel the pain of everyone and then I feel nothing" then there's lots of guitars. Dinosaur Jr were better than Nirvana. This is a fact.

Well if we're doing vaguely grungy Americana bands then I'm going to throw in Buffalo Tom's late night loneliness in the shape of 'Taillights Fade'. I may have already used this. I don't care, I'm using it again.

To go back to 'Grace of Her Heart' for a moment, Elvis Costello got to write with the godlike genius of Burt Bacharach. The result is the blissfully heartbroken 'God Give Me Strength'

You may be able to pick out the moments that I wrote this by the songs that suddenly spring out of nowhere. In that context; scoff at it all you like but Rod Stewart's 'Sailing' is genuinely a bloody good song.

But P.P.Arnold's version of 'First Cut Is The Deepest' is immeasurably superior

As is the original Crazy Horse take on Danny Whitten's 'I Don't Want To Talk About It.' - a proper, drug added loss of love.

A Rod Stewart based aside (yes, I am watching the Rid Stewart documentary) - his single 'Young Turks' was called that because Candi Staton had cornered the market on the original title with her fabulous 'Young Hearts (Run Free)' - genuinely one of the greatest songs of all time

 'This is a public service announcement. With guitars.' The Clash could do very little wrong. 'Know Your Rights' is very right.

 Look, it's not about drugs okay? It is not about drugs. The Byrds' '8 Miles High' isn't  about drugs; it's their impression of landing in London for the first time. And the guitar isn't simulating a drug related high, it's trying to sound like John Coltrane's saxophone. Which you can't do. But it's not about drugs.

Jefferson Airplane's 'White Rabbit' though? Oh yeah, drugs all over that one.

The 60s. It all comes back to the 60s but that's because it's the decade that invented everything worth knowing.  The Youngbloods' 'Get Together' has all the love filled sentiment you could want with a drug soaked delivery that you couldn't avoid even if you wanted.

 And the 60s knew how to start a song. The Creation's 'Making Time' clangs into view to prove the fact.

 There were Scouse Psychedelic bands you know - Wimple Winch's 'Rumble on Mersey Square South' is a little heard mind bending gem

 Ah but the Americans did it brilliantly as well. The First Edition's 'Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In' is as Psych as it gets, from it's title, all the way down. Nobody could deny that. Except their singer, Kenny Rogers, who was convinced it was a country tune. Yes, THAT Kenny Rogers, 'Coward of The County' 'Ruby, Don't take your Love To Town' Kenny Rogers. In a Psych band. 

 I generally don't have problems with Arctic Monkeys but I need to raise one complaint; on their last tour, the one to support 'Suck It and See' they didn't play 'Thats Where You're Wrong' - best track on the album, a Bunnymen/Roses hybrid that would be the pinnacle of most bands' careers. They left it out. Tactical error that one lads, sort it out for October please.

See? That was a recent track wasn't it? I can do recent when the mood takes me so obviously I'm going back to the early 80s again; The Beat get better with time, their singles weren't necessarily as 'ska' as they seemed at the time so they don't sound stuck in a time slot. 'Too Nice To Talk To' sums up the fear of approaching somebody you find attractive. Hey! It's my teenage years.

As is, very obviously, The Smiths' 'How Soon Is Now?' Which sums up my Saturday nights from 1983-85 with one of the best guitar parts of all time, a swamped out Bo Diddley beat. I know that it's an obvious choice but it doesn't make it any less sodding brilliant

 I didn't really 'do" Mod at the time to my eternal shame. I was too hung up on the New Romantic movement but even then I acknowledged how great 'My World' and 'Time For Action' by Secret Affair were; pure pop with a great attitude

I should probably put some stuff in by my actual, real late teenage years heroes shouldn't I? At some point I'll need to do something bigger on The Bunnymen, Teardrops and Wah (unless I've done something between now [day193] and when you read this [somewhere post day 200]) for now though; Wah changed their name with every release, they were Wah! Heat to start, ended as The Mighty Wah! due to John Peel and in between they had briefly been Shambeko, Say Wah! Story Of The Blues though? For Story Of The Blues they were J.F. Wah! It stands for Just Fucking Wah! The BBC didn't know that. You want a song of support? A song that will pick you up when you think that everything is over? When the world says that you're nothing and you've got nothing? Nobody will provide a better example than Pete Wylie did with this.

Except for the fact that he did it again with 'Heart As Big As Liverpool' - it's the National Anthem of Liverpool now but it's not about Liverpool, it's about somebody and it doesn't matter who that somebody is because it's about how it feels to feel this much about that somebody. "And if somebody wants to point the finger I'll take the blame, I'll take the blame" and the backing vocals reassure you "I'll do the same". And the important bit! The refrain, the repeated, endlessly echoing, gigantically defiant, eternally hopeful "I am not alone" You are not alone.

And before ' Heart As...' was the national anthem it was 'Up Here In The North Of England' by the Icicle Works. "We used to pull the ships in now we're going down, look at the state we're in" - a song from a darker time sung with defiance. It was us against the world and we weren't going to let the world win. "The Southerners don't like us, who can blame them? Seems we're always in the spotlight."

 The Teardrop Explodes' 'Culture Bunker' though? No defiance, no politics just a dream pop representation of the artistic side of the back biting in Liverpool's music scene. 'Wilder' is one of the greatest albums of the last 33 years, trust me on this one

And the last of the axis? Ian McCulloch with Candleland, the magic, myth and beauty of a mysterious place that he only realised years later was actually Liverpool

 How bloody great were Blondie? It's a rhetorical question obviously, Blondie were exceptionally bloody great and were, lets not forget, a band. It wasn't just Debbie Harry though she is one of the greatest pop stars in the history of mankind and 'Union City Blue' is perfection.

 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) Sly & The Family Stone. Funky as hell. That is all.

Nearly forgot this one. 'Feel Flows' by The Beach Boys. It's not exactly one of their best known songs, kind of from after they were famous but as good as basically anything ever. If you've ever seen Cameron Crowe's wonderful 'Almost Famous' then you've heard it and not noticed

You'd have definitely noticed 'Tiny Dancer' by Elton John though. Major sequence in the film. Everybody loves 'Tiny Dancer' now but hardly anybody had listened to it go before the film put it in front of us. A girl that I worked with in Leeds told me to listen to it about ten years before I actually did.  Wish I had, I could have been smug about it then.

 "I was talking to Chuck in his Ghenghis Khan suit and his wizard's hat" - the great thing about Lou Reed is that he probably was talking to this exact individual. That's from 'Wild Child' and I bow to Mr Simon George on his love of that one.

And if you're talking about Lou then you have to talk about his partner/nemesis John Cale. Cale made a fantastic album in the early 80s (I know, even with artists from the late 60s I'm talking about what they did in the early 80s but that's when I discovered them so what you going to do?) called 'Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense' - it's the Latin motto on the front of the passport and it (apparently) means 'evil be to he who thinks it'. In Cale's hands it's a slice of vicious funk.

Bauhaus 'Lagartija Nick' (note, check spelling) Better than Smells Like Teen Spirit. Fact.

 Although their true masterpiece is the lengthy goth dub of 'Bela Lugosi's Dead'

There is a tale, possibly apocryphal, that the first that Nick Lowe knew about his song '(What's so Funny 'bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?' being used in the film 'The Bodyguard' was when the first Million dollar cheque arrived on the mat. True or not, this  brilliant slice of Beat Pop with the fantastic sentiment deserves every single cent.

Look, I'm going to defend Dolly Parton (again) okay? Her own, original version of 'I Will Always Love You' is a thoughtful, considered, subtle piece reflecting on letting people go. Perfectly nuanced and beautifully delivered. 

Subtlety? Nuance? No need for them in 'Search and Destroy'  by The Stooges, just the greatest guitar sound of all time, everything playing louder than everything else and the opening claim that "I'm a street walking cheetah with a head (heart?) full of napalm"

Sometimes all you need is to feel good. Despite all it's claims of "weeping and a wailing", 'Longshot Kick De Bucket' by The Pioneers will do the job every time.

There's something in early ska/bluebeat that sounds slightly unearthly, the interior rhythms pulling each other in odd directions, instruments that you can't quite place, voices used as percussion; The Skatalites 'Guns of Navarone' is all this and more to the extent that you worry about its ability to reach the end of the record

Ditto Prince Buster's 'Al Capone', 'leant on' by The Specials for Gangsters.

 Still on the feeling good tip; Springsteen. 'Rosalita' - the first mad flush of young love. If this song doesn't quicken your pulse then you've probably died.

 The Soundtrack Of Our Lives became Noel Gallagher's favourite band ever for about 5 minutes at one point and gave one of the greatest gigs that I've ever seen. '21st Century Rip Off' sums up their Stones based rock rather well on the whole

The Comsat Angels. Way ahead of their time. 'Independence Day' is one of the greatest indie singles of the early 80s

As is the closely named 'Remembrance Day' by B-Movie. Made number 61 in the charts which is a travesty.  Get to Spotify now. Trust me.

And while you're there? The Weather Prophets, 'Almost Prayed'. If you want to define what the 80s actually sounded like (ie not all that Madonna, leg warmers, deely boppers version) then listen to this.

Or The Cult's 'She Sells Sanctuary' - that'll do the job as well.

Or The Cocteau Twins' sumptuous 'Pearly Dewdrops Drops' in fairness.

A little light relief? Billy Bragg rewrote Route 66 as 'A-13, Trunk Road To The Sea' - proof, if any were needed, that English place names are nowhere near as romantic as American ones.

For some reason my CD copy of 'A House Is Not A Motel' by Love (the band that Jim Morrison wanted to be in) fades out in the middle of the closing guitar freak out while the original vinyl copy cuts dead as though someone had simply turned the tape off. Either way - one of the greatest songs of the 60s

I wish there were new songs that moved me in the way that all the above (and below) do but in fairness look at the charts. Everything's instant, you can get anything you want NOW so nothing gets treasured, nothing lasts. 'Heartbreak Hotel' is sixty bloody years old and still sounds sodding incredible because it's one man singing into one microphone with a bass, a guitar, a piano, some drums and a hell of a lot of echo. It's human and it feels like there's one chance to get this down and one chance only so it's important. That's why Elvis changed the world.

For exactly the same reason the version of 'Folsom Prison Blues' that Johnny Cash recorded live at Folsom Prison is vital. From the claim that 'I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die' being cheered to the rafters by actual honest to god killers to a guitar solo that stings, this rocks like The Clash.

The Clash themselves though? 'Stay Free' the best love song to the mates that you have when you're growing up that's ever  been written. No chorus, doesn't need one.

It's all guitars though isn't it? Yeah, what of it? Guitars are f***ing great. Hendrix. 'Are You Experienced?' "Not necessarily stoned but beautiful" - sounds like nothing that came before and very little that's come since. Jesus, when did people stop inventing?

Jesus. "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine" - Patti Smith takes Van Morrison's 'Them' B-Side 'Gloria' and gives punk a brand new literacy to play with before it's even started.

Ah, something new. Something from the last two years. Jonathan Wilson's 'Gentle Spirit' just sounds like it's from 1975. Beautiful album, 'Can We Really Party Today?' comes highly recommended.

You'd think that as a Springsteen fan I'd have noticed that he pops up on 'Street Hassle' Lou Reed's sensitive paen to prostitutes, dealers, users and the ethics and practicalities of disposing of an OD'd girlfriend. Mr Simon George - are you aware that you have some Boss in your collection?

 And Lou's old sparring partner again. You know that fantastic arrangement that Jeff Buckley did of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'? Yeah, it's got quite a similarity to John Cale's version.

Oh yeah, that's right, I was working my way toward The Thirteenth Floor Elevators for Mr George to lessen the shock of suddenly owning some Bruce. 'You're Gonna Miss Me' - 60s garage in Excelsis. You're welcome.

And the reason that the Elevators link to the Boss? Julian Cope (obviously) and the track 'American Life' from the incredible 'Peggy Suicide' album. 'Sometimes I write a new song and I'm looking for approval, does it sound like the Elevators or does it sound more like the Boss?' I hate to argue with the Archdrude but it's okay to like both.

And while we're on Copey and Peggy Suicide; the primal rush of 'Hanging Out and Hung Up On The Line' "Well the blues they had a baby and the bastard couldn't sing". Julian Cope, the very same.

 And since I've hit the Liverpool scene of the late 70s/early 80s again; The Bunnymen and The Teardrops had this joint manager. He went on to burn a million quid but before he did he gave us (as part of the KLF) the imperious 'What Time Is Love?' In all its amazing varieties.

 I'm trying to avoid the obvious but London Calling just came on the radio. Seriously, how good do you want something to be?

Sometimes you forget how good a song is until your iPod throws it up on Shuffle. Sometimes you didn't pay it enough attention in the first place. Sometimes an artist has so much material that they put some stuff away because it doesn't quite fit and they never quite get back to it. Springsteen's put out six albums' worth of this stuff over the last decade. 'Gave It A Name' sprang up today, it sounds like it's a fairly late period track. I could check up on this but don't want to; it sounded splendid enough as it was, why alter the moment.

Ben Folds is pretty damn smart and what you really need in your life is 'Song For The Dumped' - go for the version on the box set, it's much nastier. "Give me my money back you bitch" is the nicest thing on it.

Remember Gene? They were nearly huge in Britpop, they were nearly the next Smiths but then they weren't. Doesn't matter, 'Olympian' is a magnificent song. "I'm flattered that you thought I'd make a good reward"

And if we're talking about doomed grandeur then we're always going back to The Wild Swans. There wasn't a first album as such, not when there should have been anyway, there was a night supporting The Bunnymen, there were Peel sessions and there was The Iron Bed in all it's glorious, frantic beauty. I didn't hear this for over twenty years, when it was finally released I wasn't disappointed. "Another wonderful moment" it claimed in the face of all evidence. It was. Wonderful that is.

Greatest one hit wonder of all time? The Lotus Eaters' 'First Picture Of You'. This is what summer sounds like and always will be

The Waterboys put out an album called 'Dream Harder' which is a mission statement for Rock'n'Roll if I ever heard one. It starts with a bang, a fanfare, screaming guitars, the fiddle band is in the past "I've burned my bridges, I'm free at last, all my chains are in the past, The New Life starts here." And if you want a romantic notion, how about "the world is a miracle and so are you"?

And as album openers go, there aren't many that do the job better than the shout of "My Name's Wylie and this is The Mighty Wah' at the start of 'Never Loved As A Child' from the accurately titled 'Songs Of Strength And Heartbreak'

Back before Ryan Adams went solo and meandered on and off the beaten track and fell off stages whilst possibly under the influence of something or other he was leader of the thoroughly alt-county 'Whiskeytown' and capable of having little gems like 'Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight' ignored by the world at large.

 Acoustic Balladeers with a sensitive streak? Chiming electric guitars? Songs of heartbreak? "What will I miss? Her cruelty, her unfaithfulness" Part Company by the very, very great Go Betweens.

 Believe it or not, Japan weren't always all wistful and arty with an oriental Roxy undertow. When they started they looked like a glam rock band who wanted to be The New York Dolls playing funk reggae. Honest. Listen to 'Suburban Berlin' if you don't believe me.

Ah, but the Dolls themselves? Trashy, amateurish, bratty, snotty. Incredible. Nowadays 'Personality Crisis' turns up on Whistle Test complications as though they've forgotten that Whispering Bob turned to camera at the end of their first appearance and sneered 'mock rock'. Wrong Bob. Wrong.

Which takes us via a cover of the above that they did for the 'Velvet Goldmine' film to Teenage Fanclub, a band that never disappoint; 'About You' from the 'Grand Prix' album sums up their oeuvre rather well - guitars, harmonies, classic pop. A sonic cathedral of sound one might say.

When The Undertones split with Feargal going first solo then Government employed music tsar, the rest reformed, got an American in to sing, discovered their swampy blues dance side and put out the mighty 'Abandon' as That Petrol Emotion. Feargal got the number one singles, the lads got the spirit.

Another lead singer of an iconic 70s/80s group gone (eventually) solo, Terry Hall's Laugh album ended with a perfect rendition of Todd Rundgren's only hit 'I Saw The Light'. Gorgeous pop.

 I almost forgot The Three O'Clock. Apart from having a great name and being part of the Paisley Underground movement (Bangles, Dream Syndicate, Long Ryders, REM on their days off) they could do quirky 60s pop like 'Jet Fighter'. Prince loved them so much that he signed them to his Paisley Park label so that he could produce them. And promptly ruined them altogether.

But I'll forgive Prince pretty much bloody anything. 'Paisley Park' the single was great but I'm going for the much ignored and utterly excellent 'Mountains'. In a sane world it would've been number one for a year. It wasn't.

Pulp's Scott Walker produced 'Bad Cover Version' was a fine single which nobody bought. You want it for itself but more than that you want it for its B-Side, Nick Cave's oddly touching waltz time version of 'Disco 2000'. Honestly.

To return to The Three O'Clock again for a second; their first album was entitled 16 Tambourines which gave Liverpool's 16 Tambourines their name (either that or it was one hell of a coincidence). They had this song, 'Take The Money and Run' which was smart and never released. They regrouped as The Tambourines and put out a damn fine single called 'You're So Beautiful' in that early 90s, slightly baggy psychedelic style. Nobody bought it.

While I'm in the region of the letter T can I just say that Tears For Fears' 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' is genuinely one of my favourite records of all time and will always remain so. There will never be a moment when hearing this song will fail to make me happy. The moment when the bridge bursts in? "There's a room where the lights won't find you, holding hands as the walls come tumbling down"? Gorgeous. Everything in this song is just right. And don't get me started on Broken/Head Over Heels/Broken.

And if we're talking about two songs that pretend that they're either one piece or three different songs at the same time? Bowie. 'Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing' from Diamond Dogs. Brilliantly arch.

And while we're talking Bowie ( and lets face it, I could stay here for a while) 'Everyone Says Hi" from Heathen. Late period Bowie. A love song to his son, a sequel to Kooks off Hunky Dory. Touching and human. Oh yeah, his son? Directed Moon and Source Code. Not done badly for himself once he stopped being called Zowie and decided Duncan was a better name.

And if I'm going for late period Bowie that reflects his earlier stuff ( as the new album does so well) 'Bring Me The Disco King' from Reality goes all loose, Aladdin Sane style piano. Hypnotic dark jazz.

Similar title, different act; The Wonder Stuff and 'Who Wants To Be The Disco King?' There was a bit there where the Stuffies were as good as it got. Time for the Grebo revival?

World Party, they were as good as it got for a short while as well and history seems to have forgotten how bloody good they were. Just to be obtuse I'm going with a B Side. 'World Groove (Do The Mind Guerilla) a bit Sly, a bit Stonesy, a bit Prince-y, a bit Beatlesy. Karl Wallinger knew where it was at; "God's gonna love you 'cos God's pretty funky"  - wrote 'Shes The One', Robbie Williams covered it, Karl probably never needs to work again.

 Tom has just asked me why I never made him listen to The Beach boys. I'm sure I did. Anyway his next job is Dennis Wilson. Pacific Ocean Blue. The very brilliant 'River Song' with its piano and massed voices.

Which has nothing to do with Nick Drake's 'River Man' other than the water based title and sheer genius. This rolls gently and speaks of wisdom with a bewitching voice. Nick Drake could do very little wrong.

Do you know what the single greatest sound ever put on a record is? It's the keyboard swell at the beginning of New Order's 'Procession' a lovely minor thing that floats around before Hooky's bass kicks in. Genuinely one of the most important records that I've ever bought. I could define myself with this single, this is my old bedroom, this is what it sounded like, felt like, smelt like. I know what I mean.

Or it may be the utterly bizarre noise that Neil Young wrangles from his guitar on 'Eldorado'. Neil sings about a bullfighter, 'his hair as red as blood' then makes his guitar explode.

But in the same year he was capable of the loving tenderness at the heart of 'Harvest Moon' and its Everley Brothers indebted title track; love in your older years, the sweetness in the line "because I'm still in love with you on this harvest moon", the gentle surprise at still being with, still being in love with, the same person. He was bloody younger than I am.

Neutral Milk Hotel are barely known but may well be one of the most influential acts of the last twenty years, you'll hear echoes of their work all over the material of infinitely lesser acts. Start with 'King Of Carrot Flowers Part One' from 'In The Aeroplane Over The Sea'

While I'm talking acoustic acts who build songs into anthems; Martin Stephenson and The Daintees wondrous 'There Comes A Time'. 

 Two birds, one stone. The Manic Street Preachers covering The The's 'This Is The Day' as their 'new single' contribution to their greatest hits collection. Possibly the most 'me' cover version ever.

Unless you count The Bunnymen and The Teardrops both using the Cope/McCulloch composed 'Read It In Books' as being a cover of some kind. Tonight I'm going for the Teardrops version off the Kilimanjaro album but tomorrow I might change my mind. Sod it, there's 4 versions, 2 per band, go for all of them.

When I was like 17/18 I absolutely adored 'A Kiss In The Dreamhouse' by Siouxsie an the Banshees. I still do. You can't stop loving the albums you loved at 18. 'Slowdive' was the single from this that was nowhere near as big as it should have been. I think I worked out last year what it's actually about but I'm not saying.

 Wednesday night now, day 198, 10.15pm, Billy Bragg talking about political participation and pop music on The Culture Show. Introduced by a 20 odd years ago Billy singing the line "the majority by their silence will pay for Days like these" - anybody want to tell me that that isn't the most pertinent political line of 2013

And now it's John Cooper Clarke. Evidently Chickentown. 'The bloody train is bloody late, you bloody wait you bloody wait, you're bloody lost and bloody found, stuck in fucking chicken town'. Manchester. Late 70s early 80s. That's how Johnny Clarke felt.

There was talk of Weller quoting Shelley (Percy Byshe that is) and talk of Shelley being the original Modfather and specific reference to The Mask Of Anarchy and the line 'Rise Up Like Lions After Slumber in Unvanquishable Number' - I first found that quote on the inner cover of The Jam's Sound Affects album then rediscovered it in the final line of 'Lions After Slumber' the fractured electro pop proto white rap number at the heart of Scritti Politti's magnificent debut, 'Songs To Remember'. Scritti before the airbrushing and the Arif Mardin production (gorgeous as that was) and the Lady Di haircut on Top Of The Pops were a truly wonderful beast and ridiculously ahead of their time.

I don't put enough Smiths in these lists. London. Two minutes and three seconds on leaving home, on running away, putting the past behind you, brilliantly resurrected by Johnny Marr on his current tour as a psychedelicised scream of anger and resignation. "You left your girlfriend on the platform with this really ragged notion that you'd meet her but she knows that when he goes he really goes" Moz knew how to sum up a situation with a pithy comment back then. Now? Not so much.

 Ten to go and I've jut realised that there are no Small Faces in here. Jesus that's a fail,  could fill the last ten with just Marriott and the lads. 'All or Nothing' - simple riff, easy Hammond organ, great vocals, real bollocks and one of the greatest break down and build up sections in the history of music.

I know that I've raised this issue already but before 'Don't You Forget About Me' turned Simple Minds into stadium rock they were far more interesting, inventive and vital. 'I Travel' is a storm of glacial synths and pounding beats describing European journeys rather than American heartlands. Dance music currently wishes it was this good

  There are days that I wish that I'd been born earlier, 1949 perhaps, so that I'd have been old enough to discover the greats fresh as they first appeared. Then I remember that The Pale Fountains first album came out when I was 20 and that'll do for me. I genuinely believe that 'Pacific Street' is every inch as good as Love's 'Forever Changes'. 'Reach' ushers it in on a softly strummed guitar and mumbled vocal before exploding into sunshine and trumpets "in the morning when you rise be sure to know your destiny 'cause it's all worthwhile"

 And then they followed it up with '.....From Across The Kitchen Table' where 'Bruised Arcade made the statement that 'the sun is in my eyes' sound like the worst thing that had ever happened to anybody. Harder, rockier, more guitars, still glorious.

 One of the greatest gigs that I ever saw was a Radio 1 Sound City show at the L2. Flaming Lips supporting Mercury Rev. The Rev were touring their current album 'Deserters Songs'. They started with 'Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp' the fastest, hardest, most upbeat song on the album. How are you supposed to follow that? Simple, do everything else even faster. They did.

As support, The Lips had just embarked on the journey that would make their live shows the most riotous dayglo entertainment spectacle on this or many other planets. Here they had fake blood covering frontman Wayne Coyne, Boxing Nun glove puppets and cameras on microphones. For their encore they announced that they would play the greatest song ever written, projected a clip of Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz uttering one syllable, clipped and looped it and used that sound and vision as the percussion track for a unique version of 'Over The Rainbow'

 Five to go then, better make these impressive really, wouldn't want to go out with a whimper. But first; Cross That Bridge by The Coloured Pencils. There are about three people on the planet that remember that song - The Coloured Pencils were a Liverpool three piece in the mid 80s, we knew them we watched them a few times, they supported us once, this song had jerky, funky Orange Juice-esque guitars and a shouty, catchy chorus. Obviously you can't get it so you're going to have to trust me on this.

B sides can be classics sometimes. 'Medicine Jack' comes from The Waterboys' imperial phase, from their 'This Is The Sea' days. It's a pounding soul stomper, all piano riffs and squealing saxes and sounds like the moment that they were in; on the edge of stadium sized superstardom, veering toward the U2 level of the rock stratosphere. They took one look at that level of success and decided that it was better to sod off to Ireland, drink Guinness and play banjoes and fiddles. Sometimes when you have a choice between stardom and fun you should go for fun.  (I'm throwing in the brilliant unreleased Beverley Penn again at this point. I know for a fact that I've already used it but I love it)

One last Springsteen before the end. 'The Promise' - one of those unreleased songs that he kept hidden for years, slow, stately, broken; a song for the disappointed and lonely, a summing up of every theme that he'd used so far and every theme that he would investigate from that point on.

 And to finish. Two obvious songs. The two greatest achievements in the history of music. No questions, no arguments, this is fact. These two songs tower over everything else that anybody else has ever achieved or ever will. These two songs are the peak of the art of 20th century popular music.

And they are;

The Beach Boys. 'Good Vibrations' - six months, multiple studios, the cream of LA's session men at his disposal; Brian Wilson crafted a song recorded in slices, segments of melody that were never conjoined until the studio became the main instrument. The unearthly sound of the Theremin wailing above envy thing else, a new type of pop music, a sound that only existed in one man's head, the three minutes that define the genius of Brian Wilson.

And

The Beatles. Obviously. 'Strawberry Field's Forever.' One song, two different versions, both unbelievable, John Lennon unable to choose, he liked the beginning of one, the end of the other. What to do? Stick them together. The problem? Different keys, different tempos. The solution? George Martin. The melding together of two pieces that had no right to co-exist, one a standard (if you could ever call The Beatles 'standard' at anything) rock take, the other orchestral with coverings of backwards sound, stinging guitar, odd keyboards and Ringo's utterly phenomenal drumming  gave rock music something that it had never heard and a level of creativity that it hasn't approached since. It was the beginning of 1967. It was released as a single rather than held for the album that would become Sgt Pepper's..... as EMI needed another hit from the motops.  It was less than four years since 'She Loves You' and The Beatles had just changed absolutely everything. Oh, and the B side was Penny Lane and it didn't get to number one because the public bought that Humperdinck bloke's single.


Which proves two things;

The Beatles are the greatest band the world has ever seen, to the extent that the world sometimes needed to catch up with them

And

You need somebody pointing out the things that are worthwhile.

You're welcome.