Hey, Hey We're the Monkees

Listening to Arcade Fire's "Ocean of Noise" thanks to The Daily G (he's on the other channel but he's a good egg none the less). A great song. I have had the CD "Neon Bible" since it was issued.

I know I'm a numb skull but I suffer from 2nd CD syndrome. It's usually the band's problem not the listener's; but in my case it's really does cause me angst. I so loved Arcade Fire's "Funeral"; it knocked my socks off. In the car, max volume ( the missus at home) and I'm super man. So when I bought "Neon Bible", I couldn't play it for fear that they'd let me down. Steely Dan, Billy Joel, Elton John, Roxy Music, The LA's, The Coral, The Bees, The Streets and far too many more to mention have all suffered reduced sales because of the "Coidan droop".

I believe I know how it started. It was with the Beatles and "With the Beatles". I had wet my pants listening to the "Please,Please Me" LP. Listened to the radio under the bed clothes as the Mystic Merseys conquered the world. The second album was such a disappointment. It was only because a school mate rated Gerry and the Pacemakers that I launched a staunch defence of the blasted thing.

Of course the Loquacious Liverpudlians came up trumps next with "A Hard Day's Night" and from then on in those Mop Head  Minstrels of Merseyside could do no wrong until John got wiped out by a Japanese tsunami.

Now what I was thinking of writing about before the G got to me was this week's "Later with Jools". Why is that programme on so late? They must know that a large part of their audience are the cocoa and Horlicks brigade and 11 pm is way past our bed time.

Maybe they figure it's the first of many nocturnal pees that triggers our viewing. Certainly their guest list caters to our failings. Duane Eddy let down us dodderies by forgetting that he was in concert with Jarvis Coker, even though Jarvis was in the studio with him!

Neil Diamond was featured this week. I got confused and thought they were wheeling on Neil "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen"  Sedaka. Both Neils have been with me since I was a teenager. I remember NS's "Calender Girl" and ND's "Sweet Caroline" from college days. So it was with some disappointment that ND wasn't NS and a disappointment that ND couldn't remember the Paul McCartney songs on the CD he was plugging on the programme even though an equally ancient PM was across the studio floor from him.

However... Neil D sang "I'm a Believer". I don't care if I'm shot down in flames, strung and trussed up like a turkey but...I think the Monkees are fab...I await the brick bats. He sang it so slowly. Initially I was impatient." Get a move on."I mouthed "Give it the Micky  Dolenz treatment", I hollered, but do you know, it was great the way he sang it.

I've tickets for Arcade Fire in December at the O2. I'm also off to see Roxy Music in February at the same venue. The tickets for RM are twice the price of  those for AF. I put that down to the cost of  life insurance. Well, Brian Ferry and the rest are getting on!