22 Dreams

Why do I love Paul Weller so much?? Well here's but one stirling example.. Performing Broken Stones Broken Stones performed on the Jools Holland show in 1995. The song appears on 1995's Stanley Road , perhaps the album that is most indicative of Weller at the apogee of his powers (although the man has hit many peaks with great albums scattered throughout 30 years of record-making). Weller's Broken Stones is up there with any of his finest songs. This is classic songwriting that mixes toe-tappin' soul with Otis Redding vocal stylings. Weller looks great, plays the piano great, sings great, is utterly fluid and in the groove with his music. Great hair, great jacket, fantastic cravat!! You're the prince, Paul!

Last weekend I had a friend of a friend ask me to send him information of all the supplements I take to help control my type 2 diabetes; he’d been given a rundown of my golden report card from our mutual friend. Instead of emailing you, Wayne, I’m blogging this episode (as I’d had in mind to for some months now), so hello to you! First things first, diet and exercise are the key determinants to maintaining satisfactory blood sugar levels. Your unswerving determination in maintaining a regular diet and exercise plan is crucial to reversing diabetes and to preserve your overall long-term health. You must remain resolute and steadfast at all times. You don’t have to be conscious of your condition as something that takes over your every waking hour, instead you keep your background awareness locked in to the pursuit of diabetes management at all times. This will guide you to the right foods, the right exercise, the right supplements, etc. Diet: "The closer you are to nature the better...

Showtime hang a guitar on my shoulder check the vacant drooling faces around the room another heartbreak battle and I'm only getting older Jesus help me when I say I'll give this all up pretty soon Daytime time to fight the morning's headache gulp an aspirin bang together one more song inspiration cauterised by years of useless heartache every shallow night's reaction sounding twisted up and wrong these last years years gone down to the showtime... - by Don Walker from the song 'Showtime' from the Cold Chisel album Breakfast at Sweetwearts 1979. It's been a busy fortnight for me just passed. Much live theatre, live music and a couple of live performances over the past week. Tonight being Sunday is my first night in since the week before last when I was dogsitting, and I'm now feeling the wearying effects of not having enough rest or sleep. Drama School have executed a brilliant season of graduate plays carrying the theme "Sex Art War". Roy ...

Doreen in the nude, as performed by Al Ward on 21 September 2008 at the Balmain Rowers Club Balmain. The song is co-written by Al Ward himself and Lee Williams. The song was recorded in 1979 by Al's band, the Hokum Ensemble, then featuring Alan Meadows, my brother-in-law, on lead vocal. I don't have a copy of this song in it's original 1979 incantation. I'm awaiting digitisation of the vinyl EP they recorded and released back then, during the wonderful Balmain-year of 1979 and I look so forward to hearing Alan Meadows singing 'Doreen in the Nude' again from that EP. He performs the song with a delightful comic theatricality, full of little adlibs. The soundtrack is replete with kazoos, mandolins, washboards. In short it has that classic, authentic jug'blues sound. I believe Doreen in the Nude, written by Al Ward & Lee Williams, to be one of the greatest Australian songs ever written, post-European settlement. That may not be overtly evident here. I suspe...