First Past The Post........errrr....First Of The Posts

"I was hoping to be found alive
In an ocean of lies and a pool of tears."
-Spin Drifting by The Style Council


It is with two bent and crooked fingers that I begin. I have always wanted to have a blog but my reluctance to "type" and almost certain feeling that nary a soul would bother to read my blatherings have kept me silent. At the urgings of friends and family, I have decided to stick a tepid toe into the water.

The format will be pretty open-ended, mostly about music, but sometimes other topics like sports, movies, or even my daily annoyances.

The blog moniker comes from a song called Spin Drifting by the Paul Weller-led Style Council from 1985. So, we'll start there.

Weller is a long-time favourite of mine, going back to the late 1970s with the Jam. He broke them up at the height of their popularity in the U.K. ( they had a couple of minor chart singles here in Canada, but here and in the States they were virtual unknowns) and boldly changed course. Where the Jam had been guitar driven mods like the Small Faces or the Who, with Style Council he indulged in his love of Northern Soul, Jazz, and Continental Europe. Their recorded material is hindered somewhat by the dated 1980s production, but the songs are top rate and, for me, the best era of Mr. Weller's long and still illustrious career. At some point in the future, I will do posts about the Jam and also delve into some of his solo work.

One feature I will use often is that I will put together a sort of "Best Of" for each artist I discuss here at the end of each post. It will be about 80 minutes long to fit onto a standard CD. I will not include mp3s of the songs as I wish to steer clear of the RIAA or any other people who could make my life miserable. So, here is the Best Of The Style Council:

1. Speak Like A Child
2. Party Chambers
3. Headstart For Happiness
4. Long Hot Summer
5. The Paris Match
6. A Solid Bond In Your Heart
7. My Ever Changing Moods
8. You're The Best Thing
9. Here's One That Got Away
10. The Big Boss Groove
11. Shout To The Top
12. The Piccadilly Trail
13. Walls Come Tumbling Down
14. Spin Drifting
15. Come To Milton Keynes
16. A Man Of Great Promise
17. Down In The Seine
18. The Lodgers (or She Was Only A Shopkeeper's Daughter)
19. Life At The Top People's Health Farm (Um & Argh Mix)
20. How She Threw It All Away