Wordle 1,059 4/6*

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About half an hour!

If they get beaten on the last day, Forest will stay up with 29 points.

Who's Next [August 1971]

Although I'd known about Townshend's abandoned (or long-postponed) Lifehouse project for a long time, I didn't realise until I did a bit of background reading that this album had been salvaged from it. It doesn't feel like a concept album, still less a rock opera. Although it flows nicely, it comes across as a collection of songs in the usual manner.

Glyn Johns was brought in to produce it and I think he does a brilliant job, mostly - Daltrey's vocals have a bit of reverb and sound full, powerful and clear. Townshend's trademark powerchords sound great, plenty of attack and gain but musical at the same time. Everything sounds powerful and lush.

Interestingly on Baba O'Riley and Bargain Pete's guitar is a little bit subdued in the mix, it sounds a little bit atmospheric and distant and this works really well to bring the bass and drums to the fore.

I really liked all the tunes on here but the classics are the standouts for sure - Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes - and the brilliant Won't Get Fooled Again where Pete's crashing power chords are much more prominent, emphasising the inherent astringent anger of the song.

If the album has a weak spot, perhaps it's Entwistle's My Wife. It's a spirited ditty that the big man sings himself, but really it's crying out for two things - for Daltrey to sing it instead, and for Pete's guitar to be a bit louder and more in-yer-face. They really could have squeezed more juice out of it.

Here and there the synth parts on the album sound very dated.

I was really interested to hear The Song Is Over, which has a pleasing '80s stadium rock feel to it - definitely ahead of its time.

Surely the most distinctive element of the whole album is the long, hypnotic, repeating intro to Baba O'Riley. It sounds like a sequencer but apparently it's a late '60s Lowrey "home electronic organ" with some sort of auto-note-repeating function built in, hooked up to a synth. Years ago on his Saturday morning show on 5 Live, Danny Baker interviewed Glyn Johns, who described how Pete had recorded it as a demo at his home studio. Glyn was so impressed with it that he didn't attempt to redo it, he just transferred the demo recording to 16-track tape and that's what you hear on the record.

I think it's a good thing that the band put out a relatively straightforward album in the time-honoured format, rather than another concept album. It's a strong selection of powerful, melodic and in some cases brilliant songs, with subtly contrasting styles and plenty of light and shade.

I also listened to some of the bonus tracks that come with the CD edition. There's a live cut called Water that's very good - it's remarkably reminiscent of Led Zeppelin - but the most notable thing is that Townshend is right in the zone, he plays some really tasty blues lead guitar as well as bringing it with the usual crisp power chordage. Jimmy Page would have been proud, and Daltrey clearly tries to channel Robert Plant at one point. Great stuff.

Rain was forecast for the afternoon but it was a lovely morning, so - clothed once again in minimal cycling gear - I set off at about 1000, with the intention of doing about 35.

I was going to do about 17 miles of the usual eastbound route then come back the same way, but before I got to the junction at Zouch I took a left through Long Whatton, toward Diseworth. I had the idea of going into Loughborough, which I haven't done for a long time.

Before long though I realised I was actually going in the opposite direction of Loughborough, but I decided to keep going, just in the spirit of maintaining momentum.

At Diseworth I took a right turn I hadn't taken before, signposted to the airport. Nice little road, nothing special and less than a mile later I was on the A453, running south of the airport. I'd only done 13 miles by this time so I was struggling to think what to do to make up the miles I wanted. I probably should just have kept on going rather than take the left near Zouch.

I took the road down past Breedon, then went north toward Melbourne, then took the road to Ticknall from there - which I haven't done for at least a year. I chickened out of Bastard Hill and came home via Hartshorne, Woodville, Ashby.

Really a lovely ride over the first half. I spoiled it over the second half by giving myself too much hill climbing to do.

I listened to The Who's Who's Next.

Back on 37.04. I didn't get rained on and in fact hours after I returned home, still no sign of rain. Just warm sunshine. Annoying, as if I'd know I'd have done a fondo. But at the moment next weekend looks clear.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11393253252

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on May 11, 2024, 12:10:20 PM

Quote from: Matt2112 on May 11, 2024, 12:04:35 PMSlightly annoyed seeing all the spectacular pictures taken barely two miles from my village of last night's Aurora Borealis.

From the field I viewed it from I could see only a silver, ghostly glow emanating from Bootes - none of the other colours of the spectrum. 

Maybe I'll have more luck tonight.

My neighbour went to Loch Lomond last night to escape light pollution to an extent. He said most of it appeared just as a wavy glow, but his iPhone photos on night mode display all the colours. Wish I knew how to post them here, they are excellent.

Posted here

From Loch Lomond, as forwarded to me by Picnic, taken by his neighbour.

Wordle 1,058 5/6*

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Interesting one, 6 or 7 mins.

Another one for the list:

https://vaxopedia.org/2024/05/08/the-observations-and-thoughts-of-vinay-prasad-raise-major-concerns/

There's a thin, patchy layer of high-altitude broken cloud over NW Leics at the moment. Can't see anything with the naked eye. Might try a phone photo in a bit.

Back 25 mins later, or less.

Quote from: Thenop on May 06, 2024, 11:04:45 AMOK just one then..

I enjoy Dan's channel but in truth, he's a bit light on the science .. it's pretty simple common sense debunking / fun-poking. That said, he has more than half a million subscribers now so he must be raking in the cash. Fair play to him.

My favourite tin-foiler debunking channel was CoolHardLogic - he did delve into the science a bit and made really professional videos with nice graphics. Very funny, as well. Unfortunately he seems to have retired a couple of years ago. This is a chemtrail debunk, really worth a watch.

Got this pic last night, from NW Leics. The phone sensor has made it look a lot more obvious than it was to the naked eye, but it's nice to have a record.

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on May 11, 2024, 12:10:20 PMMy neighbour went to Loch Lomond last night to escape light pollution to an extent. He said most of it appeared just as a wavy glow, but his iPhone photos on night mode display all the colours. Wish I knew how to post them here, they are excellent.

Email a couple to me if you like, I'll sort it out. Let me know and I'll PM you an email address.

I went outside but couldn't see much. Too much light pollution to the north I think. I did take a couple of pics myself and you can see the effect, but it's very faint.

In other news - I must say I find it distasteful that Israel have been allowed to take part, in the present circumstances. Classic Israeli selfish disregard for other people of course, considering the trouble they've caused. Hopefully the crowd will make their feelings known.

Quote from: Thenop on February 29, 2024, 06:34:38 PMRight, the Dutch entry is known, and it's either hilarious or horrendous. Meaning he will either get 0 points or takes them all.

It'll be 0 points, I'm afraid. The Dutch entrant has been sent home.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68993726

Doesn't look like the sort of person to intimidate people. Odd one.