Tuning In, Tuning Out

 Tuning in seventies style generally took three forms, the portable radio, something with with it built in such as a radiogram or music centre or a seperate unit you attached to a Hifi of which is is one Tandy aka Radio Shack sold that did just what you needed.

It had VHF stereo for which a red coloured indicator came on if you tuned in a stereo station and Medium Wave (marked as AM) which had stations that weren't otherwise available although they didn't sound too good like Radio 1 for Pop Music.

Today there are different ways of "tuning" in such as internet radio stations, podcasts and streaming which is quite popular.

Streaming allows people to hear individual pieces of music or whole collections stored on line that you curate either for free with adverts and some restrictions of for a monthly or yearly subscription which in some ways is a virtual record or cd library when we paid so much for a weekly loan in the past and potentially the quality can be better.

Recently there has been some noise that a big player Spotify has improved the quality of its premium offer to something that potentially a bit better than standard cd but not as high as some specialist companies.

If your market is mainly people on the go, things like a persons data allowance comes into play on mobile phone contracts and in any event this tends to eat more battery current when the background may not that quiet.

All reproduce has compromises and perhaps this works best for their target audience rather than audiophiles with very quiet often treated rooms  and very fast home fibre internet?

The 500th post

 

Somehow it can seem to escape you but this modest blog marks its 500th post today when other things are in the news but we'll escape the heavyweight political stuff and concentrate more on what this blog was about.

In some respects it's less a material things blog looking more about things that affect and influence me rather than just a post about things, it came about through Tumblr before that went crazy when many of us noticed others...like us.

That of course changed as 2018 became 2019 as much as last year Misterpoll ceased to be a thing taking with it hundreds of posts in and around school uniform specifically boys uniform which was unfortunate.

Our forum continues to go from strength to strength even if peaks and throughs in absolute posting  bring in new people with things about what being a adult little boy means to them and how childhood pasts influence it in setting that keeps the focus on just that experience.

We've been forunate to have little drama, just some strong personal opinions about socks and short trouser lengths although there's no reason adult little girls couldn't join perhaps starting threads more suited to them.

We've looked at fashion, toys we look at events such as halloween and christmas on here as I experience and enjoy them and that's likely to continue as that's both satisfying and helps promote discussion around them, what makes them the things we enjoy.

Here's to next 250 posts.

nn

A pile of Mud...

Music was one of our social currencies back in the day, exchanging likes and tidbits of information in an era devoid of internet, music television and mbile phones.

There were artists you were definately fans of, having posters, fan club memberships albums and singles of apart from seeing your heroes live on stage  which for me was The Rollers, Sweet and the Wombles and there were others you may of liked singles by but weren't your main thing.

 The Carlshalton, Surrey group Mud, originally a rock and roll revival act was one of those having been picked as a means of Rak Records owner and employer of a song writing team of having hits and you could say they went for the ride.

Those chart hits from Crazy, Tiger Feet, The Cat Crept In, Rocket, Oh Boy, Secrets That You Keep and Moonshine Sally were records I did like, fitting in as a cross between Glam Rock with a lead vocalist who could "do" Elvis well.

The Xmas hit Lonely This Christmas remains a favourite seasonal song of mine as while on the one hand its a tongue in cheek Elvis inpersonation, it does touch the very real issue of feeling alone at Christmas were everybody else isn't and that's all you see.

Two albums were issued but here that schism between their act and their chart hits shows because especially with Mud Rock, it's mainly a live album of rock and roll covers with only one full hit, Rocket, which isn't what a fan of the singles would of expected.

Mud Rock Vol: II is more of a fake live album with just odd really live track and the rest overdubbed with crowd noise but is a much easier listen for being better recorded and this did have a couple of full hits on it.

This was a "contractual obligation release" as after one day signing to Rak they signed to another record company Private Stock, home of the seen to take off Blondie and David Soul so Most of Mud Rock II actually was finished by December 1974 although it was a Spring 1975 release that didn't trouble the charts much.

I wouldn't say they were particulary worth seeking out unless you're a completest while that "Let's Have a Party-The Best Of Mud is compilation on cd of this era of the group.

Part of the reason for going to Private Stock records was they wanted more input into their songs and the arrangements  but those albums have been very hard to find so I did get this 2004 double compliation of singles and album tracks instead some years ago with singles and album tracks instead.

This does feature actual hits, not played as much as they might on oldies radio shows such as L L L Lucy, Show Me You're A Woman and Use Your Imagination plus the B side to Beating About The Bush, Under The Moon Of Love  was covered by Showaddywaddy reaching #1 in 1976 but the tide was turning from most of the glam rock era artists seeing sales drop and contracts end and Mud were no exception unfortunately however good this later material was.

If you just want the Rak era hits on vinyl, beyond the original singles I'd suggest Mud's Greatest Hits from late 1975 used as a good copy will dound great given it was mastered and cut at Abbey Road studios.

The space creator

"Say what?" "Making plans for Crimbo already???"

One thing about this part of year is we have the build up to Harvest Festival, Halloween, Guy Fawkes night and yes Christmas and that last one always had a bit of preparation beyond lists from the days you'd be encourage to sort through things to go.

Somethings may be more a bit worn, some might of been grown out of, some might just be the limits on the total amount of space in say your toy box, shelves and all that when you were younger.

Well this week I was doing that, from the odd book I bought which ultimately didn't really do very much for me duplicates where I may of auditioning different copies of certain albums for how they sound (some do sound markedly different) and even the odd one that proved to be a total misstep.

This does create space for any and all upcoming Crimbo presents and as it happened they were donated to a leading Cancer Charity so they can benefit from selling them.

Billy Joel's Greatest Hits revisited

Suprisingly the last and only time we mentioned Billy Joel was February 2024 and that was to note after a long hiatus from recording anything he'd issued a new single.

Billy Joel and me go back a long way late 1977/1978 actually in that period Elton John was off the charts, he snucked in and grabbed my attention.

Suffice to say I bought whole albums by him, all currently on cd or hybrid super audio cds but no records but way back - well around this time 1985 - I was enjoying You're Only Human (Second Wind) which was the lead off single for a compilation of his called Greatest Hits Volumes 1-2 issued around that time on record and tape.

The main strength of that compilation was having the original edited singles versions all in chronological order that really showed how great he was at writing and performing songs and these songs are amongst my most favourite of all time.

Songs like, Piano Man, Moving Out, Only The Good Die Young,My Life, It's Still only Rock and Roll To Me, Allentown and Tell Her About It take me back to people and places and on August 22nd this was reissued on record.

Thus I bought it for the pleasure of just plunking the stylus down and enjoying the times and memories in the way I was used to back then.

It was the quietiest pressing I've had in a good while do for just £26 was a bargain.

Taking a step back to be the best you can

Cooler week this week which helps with me normally bein a bit on the warm side and also when it comes to getting things I like in from the shops like ice creams and lollies.

Everybody is a bit different, some more extrovert, others not, some go headstrong into things while others are more cautious, being fearful, some struggle taking things in.

Credits: eggs doodz

What may not phaze you, may well do that to another, perhaps getting a little emotional so we all exhibit differences and none are necessarily wrong or right but what matters is we try to understand each other, listen, showing support.

It's never wrong to care.

Updates for the toolbox

It's been a hot week so feeling a bit rundown here but we've been doing a few things like reducing some of legacy bits and bobs connected to the hifi which needed bits and things unscrewing.

I doing do much around that (or d.y.i) cos of my hand issues but sometimes you might need to so I did get a new set of screwdrivers.

This have relatively short handles that can help in fiddly spaces, tilting tops and a magnetizer which isn't something I'm likely to need as getting anything magnet around tape or record devices is the last thing you need but if you've taken anything apart and had screws land anywhere or not sit where they're not meant to you'll appreciate.

They are very well made with a mixture of popular sized flat and cross-head fits.

They'll prove useful over the years.