Knight of Swords

Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick. The original sleeve folded out into a fictitious local newspaper (basically a pisstake of crappy local journalism).

I don't think it really matters anymore. He's gone from power, whether he's alive or not is of little consequence to the general situation in the Middle-East. I think the main question is still why our government is so eager to help the Americans make money. If we were going into Iraq on our own terms, I could understand it, but I really despise being part of a nation whose government is willing to risk the lives of it's own citizens for the benefit of another country's prosperity.

Realpolitik is something I'm quite fond of and I can understand the reasons for America going in (just so I don't come across as a trendy, student, SSP voter type), but the reasons for Britain going in are in no way beneficial to us.

Someone mentioned the Glasgow slums song. From what I remember (I don't remember all the words), we had a big long version when we were playing the old firm.

In yer glesga slums, in yer glesga slums

Yae look in the gutter for somethin tae eat

Yae find a died rat and yae think it's a treat

In yer glesga slums, in yer glesga slums

Yae shop in [don't remember the name of the shop] for something tae wear

Yer brother's a junkie, yer weans are in care

In yer glesga slums, in yer glesga slums

Yer maw's on the game and yer dad's in the nick

Yae can't get a job coz yer so fuckin thick

Think there's another verse too.

Sometimes used to sing "We hate Rangers more than you" when we went to Pittodrie.

There was a Scotland game I heard about where the fans were singing "We hate Jimmy Hill" etc. Dickie Davis, hearing this as was walking by, gave a big thumbs up to the crowd, who in turn started singing "Dickie Davis, yer a wanker."

I'm not a drummer so I don't know for definite, but when I've heard drummers talking about this kind of thing before, the general concensus is to buy a new cymbal.

I've only played one cheap Yamaha bass, when I was at school. It was head and shoulders above the other basses the school had (I think they were maybe Marlin and Aria basses). The Aria basses weren't actually too bad.

I saw Goldie Lookin' Chain once - they had 9 people.

Fuckin safe spa.

Funniest thing I've ever seen. Everyone should go and see the GLC. It's obviously not the best musical performance you'll ever watch, but anyone that doesn't enjoy a GLC gig has no sense of fun.

Your a wee ray of sunshine today!!!

I probably shouldn't post in threads about bands I don't like, because I tend to sound like a tosser.

The singer's accent put me off before I even heard them play. That's probably a bit presumptuous on my behalf, so I was glad to hear they were messy and tuneless as well.

Would you recommend the Squier over a similarly priced Yamaha?

I haven't heard it and I think it's shit.

I don't really care now. If Clarke had won, the Tories would have won the next election. I think they're going to sit it out now and whoever the next Tory leader is, he won't be the next Tory Prime Minister.

we have to uphold our standards

When it suits us to.

Do you think they'll execute him??

I don't really know, but I'm guessing they will.

I don't think he did anything wrong. I also don't think he did anything right. Measuring other people's actions by our own standards has caused a lot more death than Saddam ever managed.

I used to work at the Clydesdale Bank's call centre and I remember a girl getting sacked for something similar. Customers would phone in with their problem, we would do whatever we had to do and at the end of the call, we'd ask if they wanted a personal loan. Someone had phoned in to ask that her husband's account be closed as he had just died. The girl asked if the woman wanted a personal loan to cover funeral expenses.

There's a lot of bastards in the world, why pick on him?

I don't think fairness really comes into this trial. If there's no way to prove what he's done and he gets found guilty, then that would be unjust (legally as opposed to morally), but everyone knows he's guilty, so nobody really needs it proved to them.

Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill

What did you make of this album? I've got everything they've ever made (including a live album from the early 90s that I've only ever seen in the shops once). I don't listen to this album very much, but I don't think I've given it enough of a chance to really let the songs sink in.

I wasn't too convinced about that album. Some of it sounds very like the Beatles and there's one track that was a very strong Bloc Party rip off. However, I've only heard it once and a lot of people have told me it gets better with every listen.

I don't know why anyone cares what gets to number 1. The whole thing is aimed at twelve year old girls.

I listen to rock more than anything else (what's usually described as prog rock (I'm including fusion in here)).

Most genres seem to come about because a record company decides what the new image is and signs a few bands who sound the same, to be the new "thing" (hence, you don't get emo fans going to a funk gig etc). For me, that's far too restrictive. Rock seems to have just appeared as a collective name for a bunch of bands in the 60s/ 70s who were obviously popular, but weren't pop bands (weren't really into making singles etc). From there, it can include anything from Steve Hillage to Steeleye Span or from Yes to Black Sabbath. In essence, the bands created the genre as opposed to the genre creating the bands.

I also think the level of thought, creativity and musicianship that went into rock music was far greater than anything before or since (except for jazz (although I find a lot of jazz too anally retentive) and classical music, which again is extremely diverse, but I prefer the sound of a band to an orchestra on most occasions).

I think Yamaha are easily the most under priced instruments being made. Every Yahama I've ever played has rivalled instruments that sell for a few of hundred quid more than the Yamaha.

Still a bit dubious about Squiers. Some of them start off quite well, but after six months or so, they're falling to bits.

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That's all anyone should ever use. I get pissed off with pedals because I see far too many people jumping on twenty seven different things during a song, but they haven't actually learned how to play the guitar.

Billy Cobham.

If the bottle off your face was by neds or something (as opposed to an accident), you can claim from the criminal injury compensation thing. I got glassed a few weeks ago and my mum found out something about it. I don't actually have any details, but worth checking the police website. If you have to pay for the dentist, I'm assuming you pay up front and get the money refunded.

It doesn't matter whether we worry or not. There's bound to be something (whether it's Bird Flu or something else) because it's the kind of thing that happens from time to time (a bit like the way there's going to be another mass extinction at some point). However, we won't know about it till it hits us.

Someone said MRSA is blown out of proportion. I don't agree in the slightest. Something which basically occurs in such large numbers because hospitals are so clatty is definitely worth going on and on about. However, it is part of a succession of British governments' continual aim to annihilate the NHS.