I've been thinking about Caress of Steel recently. It's an album that divides opinion among Rush fans. In my own view, it's the first brilliant Rush album.

I don't think it's aged terribly well and it's not one of the very best records. But it's a big step forward from Fly By Night, which I see as being a sort of sharper, more refined sequel to the first album.

Caress of Steel is where we first see the trademark grace and drama.

I'm not fond of the John Mitchell version of It Bites myself.

Was going to reply that the band is done now but apparently there was talk of a new album coming out this year.

In late 2020, Mitchell began dropping mentions of new It Bites work, including a Facebook comment on 13 December 2020 that "we're doing an It Bites album (communication permitting). We may be some time."[33] This was followed in June 2021 by an article in Prog magazine issue 120, in which Dalton blamed the mid-decade foundering of the Mitchell-era band on "a basic lack of continuity. It was stop-start, stop-start." In the same article, Mitchell stated that work on the new album was continuing (with a line-up of Mitchell, Beck and Dalton) and that a record contract had been signed, with a view to releasing the new album at the start of 2022.[34]

From : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Bites

More a sort of lightweight-Genesis pop-prog band, I'd say. But most of their stuff sounds pretty dated now.

Once Around The World is their masterpiece.

Wordle 270 X/6

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First failure.

Surprised to see that 1990 Strat with a highly figured maple neck. The Mail piece says it was used on the 'Big Money' video - if it was, it's had a neck swap since then; that one had a rosewood fingerboard.

Nice cycling weather was promised so I booked the afternoon off. A light wind was blowing from the south-east and the sun was supposed to shine most of the day. I wanted to do about 80 to get the 2022 distance score into four figures and the eastbound route was the obvious choice. 40 miles would take me just beyond Buckminster, to the border with Lincolnshire.

I was a little tired when I woke up this morning because I'd had a minor work incident to deal with at 0400, and although it only took 15 minutes, I didn't sleep properly after that.

Nonetheless - I set off at about 11:20, undeterred. Very pleasant out there although actually the sun went in a few times. But conditions were consistently bright.



I'd brought a cheese & onion pasty, a croissant, a white chocolate cookie, banana-flavoured milk and some toffees with me but I stopped and bought more at the deli at Waltham, after about 34 miles. A flapjack (which I didn't touch in the end) and a cornish pasty (which I ate at a nearby bench). And a can of pop.

Was slightly nervous on the way back after 5pm because I was on call and I didn't get back until 7:15pm, but I didn't get a call.

I started a new audiobook, a Philip K Dick novel called The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch which I've never read before. Written in 1965, but set in 2016, when mankind has colonised several of the other planets and moons in the solar system.

I find Philip Dick a bit of a mixed bag. I read The Man In The High Castle in the late 80s and was blown away by it, one of the best books I've ever read. Some of his short stories are pure genius.

This one though, although extraordinarily imaginative hadn't really grabbed me by the first three chapters. I must say though the guy who narrates the audiobook gives a terrific acting performance when voicing the various different characters - he really gives them each a distinctive personality.

Still a bit of light at 6:45 this evening and since the last few miles are mostly well lit (through Thringstone and Coalville), I made do with my little strappy blinker and didn't bother getting the proper front light out.

Back on 80.36 miles, 283 this month and 1001 this year. Nothing new or adventurous, but a really nice run out nonetheless.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6829660021

Oh yes, I loved that album back in the day.

My most recent earworm is Take The A Train, though it has left the platform now.

I'd love to get the ATWAS Les Paul. Actually not, on its own terms, a desirable instrument. From one of Gibson's less illustrious periods. But what a thing to have.

Just skimmed the first article but I think there are a couple of mistakes. I think he bought the 355 in 1977, not 1976. I don't believe he played the Les Paul on the Hemispheres tour, I think it was deprecated for live work before the AFTK tour. And it wasn't made in 1970.

He had two Les Pauls in the '70s, one Cherry Sunburst and the other Tobacco Sunburst. The Mail has a photo of the Cherry Sunburst one. Looks like the ATWAS one isn't for sale, or perhaps he's already moved it on.

I can sort of understand it, I don't think it was a bizarre request really. On balance it wasn't a good idea but it would have meant a fairer fixture.

Anyway Chelsea have withdrawn their request now. The thought occurred to me that they could have sold all the tickets they wanted if they'd channeled all the proceeds into a charity, so why don't they do that?

Wordle 269 4/6

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Late start today! Average performance.

I understand your aversion very well but so far we've avoided making it personal and stuck to the arguments. I'm sure we can continue in that vein.

Just thinking aloud here really but back in 2003, there was a special opt-in section on T-N-M-S, created because arguments about the Iraq war had become so bitter and heated that it was thought better to insulate the general membership from them. We could do that again here if necessary.

That turned out mostly being me versus two or three people who were all in favour of the war and it was pretty unpleasant.

BTW back on topic, happy to see that Chris Smith is on 5 Live after midnight again, in a shortened version of his 'Midnight Medic' slot.

Quote from: David L on March 14, 2022, 07:17:55 PMNo. You made a statement and I said it was incorrect. 

Yes, exactly. But it probably wasn't incorrect.

Quotehttps://www.news24.com/health24/medical/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/covid-19-now-less-deadly-than-flu-in-the-uk-analysis-shows-20220314

Might be a different story in other countries but seems to be the case in England.

.. and in the second paragraph

This is due to high immunity levels, mostly obtained through vaccination, as well as Omicron's 'milder' nature.

I watched the first three - I think I'd like it a lot if I hadn't read the book, but since I know what happens I'm probably not going to persist with it.

Quote from: David L on March 14, 2022, 04:10:30 PMThe first point is that although you suspect that now covid is "only less lethal because so many people have been double and triple-jabbed", that's not the case. There are other acknowledged reasons for it causing fewer deaths.

That's not quite logical; it may be inherently milder than Delta but we can't say that it is inherently less lethal than flu, which is the proposition I addressed.

https://rollingstones.com/tour

A 60th Anniversary tour, of sorts. Many years ago Keith stated that the Stones could continue without Ronnie if necessary, but not without all of himself, Mick and Charlie. I'm sad that that's come to nothing when put to the test.

Anyway if you fancy going, they're playing Liverpool (Anfield Stadium) on 9th June and Hyde Park on the 25th of June and 3rd of July.