GETTING BACK TO NORMAL…SLOWLY

Things haven’t quite been what they should be round these parts in recent weeks.   There have been daily posts, but just about all of them, with the exception of some guest offerings, have come from a big box of things that have been written and readied for use on occasions when time has been pressing.

The eagle-eyed among you might have noticed something was amiss from my failure to go into the comments section and look to identify and credit as many as I can rather than having them attributed anonymously.  I think there were around three weeks worth that I went through just last night.

I’ve also not been anywhere near any of the brilliant blogs listed in the links section either to the right or at the foot of your screen, depending on whether you are using a laptop/Mac/PC or hand-held device.  Again, I’m looking to rectify things over the coming days, but kind of like that huge IT failure from Microsoft just last week, things might take a bit longer than  hoped.

I won’t go into any details as to why it’s come to this, suffice to say I’ve been far too easily distracted by some things going on with people who are close to me, while there’s also the fact that my recovery to full health isn’t proving to be along the most smooth of roads, albeit everything is relatively minor.  I’m just not used to having to take pills and measure blood pressure levels on a daily basis!  Getting old and into my pensionable years is not without its issues.

I’ve been dragged out of my stupor somewhat by a fellow blogger, who asked if I’d be up for writing a guest posting.  It took me quite a few days to get round to pulling it together, but I finally managed yesterday, and afterwards I immediately followed up with making the adjustments in the TVV comments section.  I’ll make reference again to said guest posting as when the time is right…..

In the meantime, thanks for sticking by this place when the quality on offer has occasionally slipped below acceptable standards.   

mp3: The Fall – Return

From the album Code: Selfish, with a co-writing credit for bassist Steve Hanley.   There was also a magnificent Peel Session version, initially broadcast on 15 February 1992, some five weeks ahead of the studio version.

mp3: The Fall – Return (Peel Session)

Not everyone who is a fan of The Fall is actually a fan of this song.  Steve Pringle, the author of the indispensable ‘You Must Get Them All : The Fall On Record’ (Route Publishing, 2022) is largely positive about the direction the band took on the album with some comments about its songs embracing contemporary indie-dance,  but he is quite scathing about Return:-

…..the guitar and keyboard churn away aimlessly and Smith sounds disengaged at times….the repeated refrain of ‘Baby Baby Baby come back to me’ eventually becomes tiresome.

Funnily enough, it’s the way MES sounds – as if he’s taking the piss out of the lyrics of most love songs – that makes it one I’ve long been very fond of.

JC