World snooker final. Kyren Wilson vs Jak Jones. Jones finished the first session 7-0 down but managed to hang on to eventually lose 18-14. Loads of errors but very dramatic. Great entertainment!

This was my favourite part of the Tommy film, because I was a big Clapton fan as a teenager. Only the 1970s could have given birth to a film like this, and only Ken Russell could have directed it.

4. Tommy [May 1969]

I have long held this album to be a masterpiece, but I do have ambivalent feelings about it. First of all - to call it a classic would be an understatement; it's a landmark in the history of popular music. I don't think Townshend's achievement here can be overstated. He came up with a idea of huge scope and ambition, conceptually and musically, and it works. It's worth noting here that Entwistle contributes a couple of songs as well. One of the tunes is a Sonny Boy Williamson cover (The Hawker) that conveniently fits the theme perfectly. But this is Pete's brainchild.

The quasi-orchestral format, with recurring musical motifs and themes, the way it's paced, the light and shade, the tension and release - it all works really well. It's all played, arranged and produced really nicely. Townshend makes a lot of use of his own voice, which I like. He plays some fantastic acoustic guitar on this record as well.

But - I think it's overlong, and that's probably why I've only ever played it four or five times. I really appreciate it for what it is, and its place in 20th century popular culture. But it sags a bit here and there, especially during Underture and I think that's why I've only rarely had the necessary attention span for it. Also - I have to say, taken as a rock album, it doesn't have that many really powerful, memorable songs. Yes, Pinball Wizard is brilliant and timeless, I'm Free and the "See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You" part of We're Not Gonna Take It is anthemic as well but really, while the rest of it works in context, we're a bit low on powerful rock bangers.

Even so, if this album had never existed, I'm pretty sure 2112 wouldn't have either. I can hear future echoes of Rush in a lot of the material here. Before and After from the first album definitely borrows from Go to the Mirror! and I can hear Red Barchetta in one of the tunes as well.

I may be retired, but today was still a Bank Holiday so it was time to ride to make the most of it. The fact that I've got seven nights away from home in the rest of May also means I have to get out whilst I can. The legs weren't really that interested but the ears weren't listening.

Nice to be out on a genuinely warm day too, the rainfall radar was showing a few showers out over the Peak District but I wasn't going out that far. I don't know why the legs were moaning either as I did the same ride as a couple of weeks back and averaged 1.3 mph quicker whilst outputting less power. Just shows the difference switching the Gravel bike from knobbly wide tyres to narrow(er) slicks makes. The windspeed and direction made some difference though.

It was bloody busy out there, I've never known so much traffic parked up on Clodhall lane and I do ride that way most Bank Holidays. Plenty of boy racers out and about too. Twats. Still not hitting those 40+ mile midweek rides though yet, just another 33 miles today, must get the decent road bikes sorted out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11344788451

I hadn't planned to go cycling today because the forecast for the afternoon was for rain. But when I checked again at lunchtime, the threat of precipitation had been withdrawn.

Ironically, my first thought was disappointment. Because despite all my complaining about rainy weather this last few months, I'd planned to spend an idle bank holiday indoors. But clearly, having bemoaned the absence of suitable cycling conditions so many times, the only decent thing to do was to go out and ride a bike.



I thought I'd do at least 40 miles. A light wind was coming from the east. I did the eastbound route as far as Narrow Lane, then I came back a different way through Wymeswold and Rempstone, then Diseworth. I took a bit of a detour into East Leake as well, hoping to navigate from there to Sutton Bonington, but I missed a turn and was back on the usual road back from Rempstone within a couple of miles.

I listened to LBC. Then a Donny Hathaway compilation. Then The Who's Tommy.

It was actually warm and sunny out there. I forgot to bring a bidon out of the house with me, but I bought a bottle of Lucozade at the petrol station at Burton on the Wolds.

Back on 44.10, glad to have got the May tally up to 113 already.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11346594858

Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on May 06, 2024, 07:04:39 PMNot so much stiff competition in the Giro though.

We're not in week 3 yet

Not so much stiff competition in the Giro though.

It was a weird one, with a logical conclusion. But still, Pogi is trying t prove himself a bit too much. Last time he did that he lost the TdF.

Hmmm, that was supposed to be a boring sprint stage. The first half was, then after the first intermediate sprint the sprinters took off together in a break which caused big splits in the chasing peloton.

It all came back together again. Pogi and G picked up bonus seconds in the second intermediate sprint, then when Mikkel Honoré took off with 3k to go, Pogi went off in pursuit and G had to follow. They dropped Honoré and were then caught with about 250m to go and a regular sprint finish happened, bonkers.

Hope tomorrow's boring sprint stage is a dull!

About 90 seconds

Wordle 1,052 4/6

⬜⬜⬜🟩🟩
🟩⬜⬜🟩🟩
🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩