h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

you have to admit that anyone with 'sphere' as a middle name demands respect even if it does take approximately 127 listenings to (finally) get 'Off Minor'. Hello by the way.

Hello to you too, Nameless One! Although I have to say that it's probably better to be nameless than to be called Sphere. Yes, I quite like TSM's stuff, including Off Minor. But mostly, I just couldn't resist the pun.

PS: don't remain Nameless. The Nameless Ones tend to be regarded as a bit unbalanced as they tend to generate stuff like this: A962156 (now top billing at the Last Bus Shelter).

sorry about the bushisms I'm just finding my way around this thing and I think my brain is becoming warm mushy goo, kind of Angel Delight pate. I didn't know how to become named (hidden behind a button marked preferences-well I ask you)but I've nicknamed up now and may just pass for a native in a weak light. I may even get round to autobiographicality soon. I was that masked man, but no more,
Peter, or the researcher formerly known as 219198

An apt choice: 'Raindogs' just has to be my favourite album of all time. Tom Waits is a unique and distinctive voice, but I'm glad you recognise it.

Good bloke! I agree with you wholeheartedly that Raindogs os qwuite possibly the best Waits album, although I am very partial to the extreme tangents of his music, from Nighthawks at The Diner all the way over to Mule Variations.

PS Blood Money and Alice were marvellous!

Aha! a point of contact at long last!

I think Bloody Money is a fantastic album as well. Although some swine has made off with my copy of it (probably the same swine who mysteriously put a Max Bygraves album on my CD shelf).

When people think of Waits they tend to think of the rusty-bolts-in-a-bucket crooner that we all know and love. I quite like his earlier stuff though, particularly Blue Valentine. Good for chilling out to. And I think we could all do with a bit of that, couldn't we?

All I can say is that Come On Up To The House from Mule Variations has possibly the most delightful lyrics have ever heard! Coney Island Baby from Blood Money is a beauty of a love song though!

Agreed. I don't have Mule Variations. I think I will order it from Amazon.

The best Waits lyric?

When you're East of East St. Louis
And the wind is making speeches
And the rain sounds like a round of applause...

Pure poetry.

Yeah, but....

I've got a bad liver,
and a broken heart.
Yeah I drunk me a river,
Since you tore me apart.

Wowzer.

Seeing as we're having a sing-along:

It's such a saaad old feeling
The hills are soft and green
It's memories that I'm stealing
But you're innocent when you dream, when you dream...

(All together now......)

The real 'Coney Island' is sung by Van Morrison. Anyone who wishes to argue with me is indeed welcome but I won't wouldn't bother.

I think there's been quite enough arguing around here recently. I've not heard the Van Morrison version. Which album is it on?

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You've sold it to me. Are you on commission or something?

One thing I've notice about his later lyrics is that they are a lot more direct and less impressionistic. Is this because he's given up the drink?

He's been sober a few years now I think. It would be great if he were to get back on the sauce one last time and come on a bloody tour.

Van Morrison s Coney Island describes a drive through Northrern Ireland going to Coney Island.'On and on and the craik was good'the last line is the clincher though. I used to play it all the time when I shared a flat with a nigerian girl in barons court.