asides Blog

One line thoughts of the day.

If “Farage” is the name given to the liquid you find at the bottom of the bin, then “Sepp Blatter” is a medical condition caused by eating too much of the wrong kind of rhubarb.

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

This very moving and personal blog post on acceptance and grieving by Reading-based musician John Mitchell is wel worth reading.

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

There are some questions for which “Ziltoid the Omniscient” is the only possible answer. Because bonkers prog-metal sci-fi concept album about the daydreams of a bored barista.

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

Marillion’s big hit single “Kayleigh” was released 30 years ago today. Where has all the time gone?

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

The Easter Egg represents the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, the weapon used to defeat the deadly Bunny. We make forms of both of these in chocolate, which we then ritually destroy.

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

There have been suggestions that the BBC continues Top Gear by regenerating Jeremy Clarkson in the manner of Dr Who. There were also suggestions that the next Dr Who be a woman. But if you cross those streams you end up with Top Gear presented by Katie Hopkins….

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Tim Hall | 4 Comments

The trouble with music journalism is there are still too many writers who lack the self-awareness to realise that what they think is a universally-acknowledged truth is actually far closer to the linguistic equivalent of a dog urinating to mark its territory.

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

45 years ago today, on Friday 13th Feburary 1970, Black Sabbath released their eponymous debut album. Just like King Crimson’s “In The Court of the Crimson King” a few months earlier, it was an album that sounded quite unlike anything that had come before, and launched a whole new genre of music. Has any album remotely as groundbreaking as those two been released in the past decade?

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

Kiss’ “The Elder” is not regarded as one of their finest albums. But although even the band themselves consider it a failure, they should be applauded for at least attempting something outside their comfort zone. Far too many bands don’t; they find a successful formula and stick with it. Experiments don’t always work, but you wonder what a band like Iron Maiden might achieve had they ever attempted something radically different.

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off

Tommy Vance’s last recorded words were “If you really want to liven up a shepherd’s pie, just add one Oxo cube while browning the mince”. And so, as Rock and Metal fans, we do this in memory of him.

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Tim Hall | Comments Off