Listening to: Hawkwind - Silver Machine

Greetings from Waterworld UK.
Today I shall be making my first trip of the year to West Wales. Naturally I'm looking forward to this - 'tis my first such excursion since this one, and long overdue. However, the monsoon situation that has beseiged Cruel Britannia these past few months adds an element of trepidation to the prospect of travelling anywhere. Especially anywhere near a river.
Thus, I have packed an eye-catching outfit that will look flattering for the cameras whilst I'm being airlifted from the Sonic Chariot by helicopter. I've had a matching carry-case made, bespoke-style, for SBBQ2. Preparation is the key, pop-kids. Preparation and co-ordination.
Anyhoo, I'm just hoping that the Weathergods might allow at least one non-rain day over the weekend. I'm not asking for al fresco dining or sunbathing or anything ridiculous like that - maybe just an easing-up on the general ferocity of the downpour might be nice. That and being able to dry my Sonic Kaghoul on the washing-line overnight.
Bon Voyage my people, will report back.

Essential. The Case for the Prosecution, in a nutshell. That the USA isn't a hot-bed of seething civil unrest completely amazes me...

Listening to: Prince - Chelsea Rogers

Greetings my people. Firstly, I must clear something up: I've had several enquiries as to what I was referring when I stated in my last entry (below) that China is
"... a good 50 years or so behind in this department..." Human Rights abuses or attitudes to smoking? you ask.
I could've been clearer I guess, but of course I meant both....and you can throw animal rights in there too. Mind you, on balance 50 years starts to look a bit questionable... maybe a century would be closer. Hope this helps.

So, what else? Well, today the new Prince album is what else, and it's free.
Or it is to anyone in the UK who buys the Sunday edition of that popular middle-England right-wing comic for discerning Royal-Watchers, The Mail.
Yes pop-kids, in the words of the mighty Mark Twain, there's no such thing as a free lunch. However, I can confirm that once the moral panic has subsided and said paper purchased, you can sit back and listen to the Nu-Prince release whilst learning how working women/immigrants/single-mothers/Guardian readers are picking away at the very fabric of our green and pleasant land.

So, the tiniest pop-maverick has decided to give his Planet Earth album away as a freebie, causing widespread condemnation amongst retailers complaining that the move devalues music, blah blah. Whilst Virgin have stuck to their guns on the non-stocking of the paper in their stores today, HMV has executed a swift U-turn and their stores will be piled high with copies of the Mail on Sunday.

My own take on this is simply that Prince's songs are his to do with as he pleases, and if he wants to give 'em away then so what? Ultimately it's his loss, if anyone's. Record companies and retailers alike should begin getting used to stuff like this. It's more than likely the future.
However, 'Give-Away' might be a bit misleading here, as he's apparently recieved a cool half-million (and that's £ not $) upfront from the newspaper in question, plus a further 750k for marketing and distributing the CD. So it's not exactly what you'd call a dictionary definition of generosity.
My main surprise is that he chose The Mail on Sunday at all. The obvious, right-on choice would have to be The Observer. Problem is, it's crap. There's a pretty decent music-themed monthly supplement, but I can only guess that the timing wasn't right for this release, coming as it does at the end of each month. Even the Sunday Times would've been a better choice - it's Culture magazine pisses all over the Sunday competition, and is the sole reason I buy it.
In the end though, money talks and we can only conclude that The Mail came up with best offer.

Amidst the furore this move has ignited, nobody seemed to ask the question 'Well, how good will this album be?' I mean, Prince can bang out albums like Ford produce Mondeos when he wants to. Double or triple LP? No problem.
Much as I've personally grown to value creative prolific-ness (or -osity, I can't be arsed looking it up) for it's own sake, it can obviously result in a wildly swerving scale where quality is concerned. Picasso springs to mind here, as does Seinfeld. Or The Clash. Or Johnny Vegas.

So it was with this attitude this morning that I despatched one of my staff to purchase today's Mail on Sunday. Have to say, after one listen, the contents are better than I thought they might be. I was expecting a collection of tarted-up out-takes from the purple vaults, but no, it's way above that. No barriers broken or envelopes pushed mind, but hey, it's free (Hooray!)...to Mail-readers (Booo!)
Current stand-out track is Chelsea Rogers, 5:41 of the kind of groove-orientated Sly Stone informed funk that Prince has been a master of since the decade-before-last. Tight horns, chanted vox, Studio 54 bassline. Yes please. Also liking the shortest track, (2:21) All the Midnights in the World, a piano ballad that puts me in mind of Todd Rundgren circa Something/Anything?, one of the greatest records ever made.

In fact, Todd Rundgren is the artist who Prince most frequently puts me in mind of. Apart from anything else, the manner in which both could/can genré-switch at the drop of a hat like no-one since The Beatles is a major defining characteristic of either artiste.
But I digress. Enjoy Music-lovers, enjoy.