Sunday, 22 April 2018
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Golden Valley
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Golden Valley: A delightful walk with Ida this morning, up & out by 9am and over to the Ashridge Estate. Golden Valley has an old track way from the c...
Golden Valley
A delightful walk with Ida this morning, up & out by 9am and over to the Ashridge Estate. Golden Valley has an old track way from the college, once a very grand residence of the Dukes of Bridgewater, around part of the estate.
It takes in an ornate bridge where once the ladies of the household would have taken carriage rides along this track.
Not a particularly long walk but just good to be out in the good weather.
It takes in an ornate bridge where once the ladies of the household would have taken carriage rides along this track.
Not a particularly long walk but just good to be out in the good weather.
Sunday, 15 April 2018
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Album review: Firepower by Judas Priest
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Album review: Firepower by Judas Priest: The third of the holy trinity of new albums has now arrived at Chez Morgan and been thoroughly played. I had the new Magnum album in Januar...
Album review: Firepower by Judas Priest
The third of the holy trinity of new albums has now arrived at Chez Morgan and been thoroughly played. I had the new Magnum album in January and the latest from Saxon in February leaving Judas Priest until March. It's their eighteenth studio album, recorded in Derbyshire. All the tracks were written by Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford and Richie Faulkner, the producers were Tom Allom and Andy Sneap, more of him later.
The title track opens proceedings and what a brilliant opener it is. It sets the bar very high for the rest of the album, it's fast, it's loud and it's great!
Second up is 'Lightening Strike,' I love the almost bouncy guitar riff that starts this song, with a very singable chorus and good guitar solo it was a great choice as the first single from the album.
'Evil never dies' is slower than the first two, not a bad idea as you need to catch your breath! The versatile Andy Sneap's production and engineering on this album is second to none. He's becoming quite a force in metal circles, he was ( and probably still is) guitarist and writer with the band Hell (brilliant band, something a little different as well), he's also produced the last three Saxon albums and now due to the illness (Parkinsons) of Glenn Tipton who has had to retire from gigging, he 's guitarist with Judas Priest! How does he fit so much in!?
'Never the heroes' is track four and seems to be about the fact that youth gets sacrificed, as usual, on the altar of war, an ode to World War One maybe? It's a melancholy song, mid paced but very good.
'Necromancer' follows and sounds like quite alot of other JP tracks so this one lost me abit. It tells story of evil and bringing dead back to live etc, it fairly rattles along.
'Children of the sun' is an interesting track, it has a quiet guitar riff with Rob Halfords vocal over the top of it.
'Guardians' is a short instrumental, just keyboards start the track then the guitars join in. It's bit of a waste of time really, it goes straight into:
'Rising from Ruins' the third longest on this album at 5.23 minutes. Rob Halford gives it a very clear crisp vocal, of course all the vocals from Rob are at a lower register these days as he just can't get those high notes he used to, even rock stars get old! Another mid paced track, straight forward, very JP and very good.
'Flame Thrower' is faster and opens with a blinding guitar riff before the drums kick in, it another one that rattles along.
'Spectre' is a more thoughtful track. Both guitarists have a go on this one as there's sort of a guitar duel, its very melodic and quite fast. A good solid JP song.
'Traitors Gate' is the second longest track at 5.43 minutes and is a brilliant track, the Traitors Gate mentioned is of course the one at the Tower of London, the lyric tells suitably about torture etc that goes on therein.
'No surrender' is undoubtedly my favourite track and also the shortest on the album at 2.54 minutes. It's got a simple chorus and is a rip roaring heavy metal track and has within it a restrained guitar solo that fits well in this song.
'Lone Wolf' is another one with a quiet start that soon opens out to a classic metal riff, great stuff !
Finally we have 'Sea of Red' which has a slow build but as this is the longest track on the album at 5.52 minutes there's no need to rush. It's a great end to a great JP album, they seem to be having a run of getting better and better, whether we'll get a tour this year is debatable. They are booked for one festival in the UK only and presently on a tour of the US, I think they need to remember their home fans, the ones who started them off and get some dates for the old country ! However 'Firepower' is a brilliant album and sits nicely with the many Judas Priest classics.
The title track opens proceedings and what a brilliant opener it is. It sets the bar very high for the rest of the album, it's fast, it's loud and it's great!
Second up is 'Lightening Strike,' I love the almost bouncy guitar riff that starts this song, with a very singable chorus and good guitar solo it was a great choice as the first single from the album.
'Evil never dies' is slower than the first two, not a bad idea as you need to catch your breath! The versatile Andy Sneap's production and engineering on this album is second to none. He's becoming quite a force in metal circles, he was ( and probably still is) guitarist and writer with the band Hell (brilliant band, something a little different as well), he's also produced the last three Saxon albums and now due to the illness (Parkinsons) of Glenn Tipton who has had to retire from gigging, he 's guitarist with Judas Priest! How does he fit so much in!?
'Never the heroes' is track four and seems to be about the fact that youth gets sacrificed, as usual, on the altar of war, an ode to World War One maybe? It's a melancholy song, mid paced but very good.
'Necromancer' follows and sounds like quite alot of other JP tracks so this one lost me abit. It tells story of evil and bringing dead back to live etc, it fairly rattles along.
'Children of the sun' is an interesting track, it has a quiet guitar riff with Rob Halfords vocal over the top of it.
'Guardians' is a short instrumental, just keyboards start the track then the guitars join in. It's bit of a waste of time really, it goes straight into:
'Rising from Ruins' the third longest on this album at 5.23 minutes. Rob Halford gives it a very clear crisp vocal, of course all the vocals from Rob are at a lower register these days as he just can't get those high notes he used to, even rock stars get old! Another mid paced track, straight forward, very JP and very good.
'Flame Thrower' is faster and opens with a blinding guitar riff before the drums kick in, it another one that rattles along.
'Spectre' is a more thoughtful track. Both guitarists have a go on this one as there's sort of a guitar duel, its very melodic and quite fast. A good solid JP song.
'Traitors Gate' is the second longest track at 5.43 minutes and is a brilliant track, the Traitors Gate mentioned is of course the one at the Tower of London, the lyric tells suitably about torture etc that goes on therein.
'No surrender' is undoubtedly my favourite track and also the shortest on the album at 2.54 minutes. It's got a simple chorus and is a rip roaring heavy metal track and has within it a restrained guitar solo that fits well in this song.
'Lone Wolf' is another one with a quiet start that soon opens out to a classic metal riff, great stuff !
Finally we have 'Sea of Red' which has a slow build but as this is the longest track on the album at 5.52 minutes there's no need to rush. It's a great end to a great JP album, they seem to be having a run of getting better and better, whether we'll get a tour this year is debatable. They are booked for one festival in the UK only and presently on a tour of the US, I think they need to remember their home fans, the ones who started them off and get some dates for the old country ! However 'Firepower' is a brilliant album and sits nicely with the many Judas Priest classics.
Saturday, 14 April 2018
An idiots guide to an Idiot: The Epica gig
An idiots guide to an Idiot: The Epica gig: Wow! What a fantastic gig Kevin & I went to at the Kentish Town Forum. We made our way up there by train and were settled in the Bull &...
The Epica gig
Wow! What a fantastic gig Kevin & I went to at the Kentish Town Forum. We made our way up there by train and were settled in the Bull & Gate pub a good while before the gig to enjoy a couple of well earned pints (believe me our the past couple of weeks I've earned them!). Young's Bitter was one of the few beers ready to drink and very nice it was too. I also tried the Hop Pale Ale which was lovely. A very citrusy flavour and ,yes Alec, yet another refreshing golden ale! The Bull & Gate is a old Victorian pub & alot bigger than you'd think when you walk in. there's an upstairs full of sofa's that we found too late to bother about. Definitely the sort of pub you could meet in and settle for the evening.
Not so tonight though as the Forum beckoned, and as its more or less next door we didn't have far to walk.
The Kentish Town Forum was built in 1934 as an Art deco cinema. Alot of the decoration still harks to that era & you can see the photo I took of the huge chandelier of that period. It became the London Forum for Irish dancing and then the Town and Country Club and now the Kentish Town Forum, its a grade II listed building and has the capacity of 2300 people. No seats downstairs and bench seating in the balcony, its a really good venue.
Three bands on the gig list tonight all of a similar vein that is a bit progy abit rocky and all with female vocalists.
'Oceans of Slumber' were first up, and have come all the way from Houston. Not bad but for me typical support fodder although Kevin liked them more than I did. What I mean is that they were trying their best for their half an hour or so set, it must be hard enough being the first band on knowing that everyone wants you to do your stuff then bugger off so we're abit nearer the main event. I guess the best way to sum them up for me is that I won't be buying their CD......or will I!?
Second support definitely better as far as I was concerned. Called 'Myrkur' they hail from Denmark so we had alot of fierce Viking like drum banging and the singer Amalie Bruun gave as a Viking poem set to drums as their finale, sounds crap but was very good. I enjoyed them far more that the first band and yes, I could well purchase a CD from them. Strangely our opinions were reversed over this band and the first support!
A very mixed bag of music was played inbetween the bands everything from Gary Numan to AC/DC, Buddha alone know who chose it!! A very good mix of ages in the audience tonight as Epica were only formed in 2002 so obviously have attracted alot of young things to their rallying cry..............including Kevin & I of course ( don't laugh!). They hail from the Netherlands and fronted by Simone Simon who's vocals are sublime. She has a real operatic voice that transcends both rock and prog genre's. I suppose you'd call them symphonic rock (or metal?) I haven't been to a gig like this before but it was truly a great experience. There as a nice link between the band & punters as well, the bands English of course impeccable. The keyboardist Coen Jannssen had his keys on wheels to push around behind the drums and later on appeared with a keyboard on a sort of mounting so he could carry them around the stage. I think it's something the late great Keith Emerson would have approved of.
The music just knocked your socks off. Powerful, beautiful, soulful, it resonates on so many levels and Simone's voice, just a joy to hear. Loud as well! My ears don't usually ring after a gig but tonight they did! Well they finished as they have to these days on their curfew time ( no bad thing, I've missed the end of many a gig because they've run on & we have trains to catch!)and off we went. A brilliant gig & I'd see Epica again without fail.
Here's the set lists followed by a few piccys.
Oceans of Slumber
Not so tonight though as the Forum beckoned, and as its more or less next door we didn't have far to walk.
The Kentish Town Forum was built in 1934 as an Art deco cinema. Alot of the decoration still harks to that era & you can see the photo I took of the huge chandelier of that period. It became the London Forum for Irish dancing and then the Town and Country Club and now the Kentish Town Forum, its a grade II listed building and has the capacity of 2300 people. No seats downstairs and bench seating in the balcony, its a really good venue.
Three bands on the gig list tonight all of a similar vein that is a bit progy abit rocky and all with female vocalists.
'Oceans of Slumber' were first up, and have come all the way from Houston. Not bad but for me typical support fodder although Kevin liked them more than I did. What I mean is that they were trying their best for their half an hour or so set, it must be hard enough being the first band on knowing that everyone wants you to do your stuff then bugger off so we're abit nearer the main event. I guess the best way to sum them up for me is that I won't be buying their CD......or will I!?
Second support definitely better as far as I was concerned. Called 'Myrkur' they hail from Denmark so we had alot of fierce Viking like drum banging and the singer Amalie Bruun gave as a Viking poem set to drums as their finale, sounds crap but was very good. I enjoyed them far more that the first band and yes, I could well purchase a CD from them. Strangely our opinions were reversed over this band and the first support!
A very mixed bag of music was played inbetween the bands everything from Gary Numan to AC/DC, Buddha alone know who chose it!! A very good mix of ages in the audience tonight as Epica were only formed in 2002 so obviously have attracted alot of young things to their rallying cry..............including Kevin & I of course ( don't laugh!). They hail from the Netherlands and fronted by Simone Simon who's vocals are sublime. She has a real operatic voice that transcends both rock and prog genre's. I suppose you'd call them symphonic rock (or metal?) I haven't been to a gig like this before but it was truly a great experience. There as a nice link between the band & punters as well, the bands English of course impeccable. The keyboardist Coen Jannssen had his keys on wheels to push around behind the drums and later on appeared with a keyboard on a sort of mounting so he could carry them around the stage. I think it's something the late great Keith Emerson would have approved of.
The music just knocked your socks off. Powerful, beautiful, soulful, it resonates on so many levels and Simone's voice, just a joy to hear. Loud as well! My ears don't usually ring after a gig but tonight they did! Well they finished as they have to these days on their curfew time ( no bad thing, I've missed the end of many a gig because they've run on & we have trains to catch!)and off we went. A brilliant gig & I'd see Epica again without fail.
Here's the set lists followed by a few piccys.
Oceans of Slumber
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- Myrkur
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- Epica
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-
-
-
-
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- Encore:
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-
Oceans of Slumber
Myrkur
Epica
Art Deco Chandelier in the Forum
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Monday, 9 April 2018
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Kentish things
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Kentish things: Very pleasant day pottering round Dymchurch with Tara, Kas & of course Ida. Found an excellent tea room that served gluten free cakes s...
Kentish things
Very pleasant day pottering round Dymchurch with Tara, Kas & of course Ida. Found an excellent tea room that served gluten free cakes so we stopped off for tea and cake. Back to the ranch and another stroll along the beach, something we've not really done together since Stan & Kas moved to Kent. Another feast cooked by Kas this evening and then we settled down to watch a film, after trawling through lots on NowTV we plumped for the 1977 Mel Brookes classic 'High Anxiety.' It's a brilliant film!
It's been a real tonic being with our friends down here after recent weeks trauma, it's nice to walk on the beach with Ida as well, for her a new experience.
Sunday I went round to the shingle and lakes that lead to the sound mirrors, they were the precursor of radar being very big concrete dishes that funnelled in the sound. They were supposed to have been pretty good and able to track aircraft from some thirty miles, then radar took over and was found to be more accurate. The two dishes and the sound 'wall' (pictured) are now listed buildings, you can't get right up to them now as they have had to be protected from vandals, once a year there's an open day with guides to explain about what they are all about etc. haven't done that yet but hope to one of these years. Had a lovely curry in Lydd on Sunday night, there was fifteen of us! A great end to our jaunt down here, looking forward to coming down again.
Sunday I went round to the shingle and lakes that lead to the sound mirrors, they were the precursor of radar being very big concrete dishes that funnelled in the sound. They were supposed to have been pretty good and able to track aircraft from some thirty miles, then radar took over and was found to be more accurate. The two dishes and the sound 'wall' (pictured) are now listed buildings, you can't get right up to them now as they have had to be protected from vandals, once a year there's an open day with guides to explain about what they are all about etc. haven't done that yet but hope to one of these years. Had a lovely curry in Lydd on Sunday night, there was fifteen of us! A great end to our jaunt down here, looking forward to coming down again.
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| Largest sound mirror. |
Friday, 6 April 2018
An idiots guide to an Idiot: A beach walk & Trumps syrup.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: A beach walk & Trumps syrup.: Down with our buddies in Kent again for a few days much needed R&R. Ida's first trip to the seaside and we were curious to see what...
A beach walk & Trumps syrup.
Down with our buddies in Kent again for a few days much needed R&R. Ida's first trip to the seaside and we were curious to see what she thought of the sea as she pretty well tiptoes around any puddles on walks!
Paul & Pat were already at Kas & Stans when we arrived, good to see them too, Kas as ever cooked up a veritable feast. A great evening had by us all, the famous Barney from Paul's Plovers Blog, (it's very interesting and well written blog if you're interested, follow this link to read it: http://ploversblog.blogspot.co.uk ) met Ida for the first time & they got on very well.
Next day we had bit of a walk along the beach with Kas as well. It's all shingle down here so the walking can be quite tough, Ida was quite at ease with the sea as well which was bit of a surprise, we ended up doing a fair old walk. Couldn't believe what Tara spotted on the beach, only Donald Trump's syrup ( you know! syrup of fig = wig!), now we know where he gets them from, just a bit of dying required and he's good to go!
Stan took me for a very interesting walk round Lydd next day. It's a World War One themed walk which notes the homes of soldiers who were killed and some of those who returned. It includes a nursing sister, Rosa Jones, who was awarded the 1914 Star. She must have been involved very early on as this was for troops who were in theatre (mostly, but not exclusively, the British Expeditionary Force) between 4th August to 8th November 1914.
Poplars House was the home of William John Marshall who joined the Royal Navy in 1906 and served all through the war up until 1927 reaching the rank of Petty Officer.
The church has two of the original grave markers from graves in France replaced by stone headstones by the Commonwealth Wargraves Commission. They are to:
G2991 Company Sergeant Major William Chesterman of 8th Bn The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment).He was aged 28 when he was killed on 30th April 1916, son of Daisy Chesterman from Lydd.He is buried in Draoutre Cemetery in Belgium.
33254 Private Henry George Balchin 7th Bn The Yorkshire Regiment, better known as The Green Howards. He was only 19 when he was killed on 13th November 1917 son of George and Matilda Balchin of 1Kimburn Villas, Lydd. He is buried in Poelcapelle British Cemetery.
Finished our walk and returned to Stans for a cuppa. A very interesting walk.
Paul & Pat were already at Kas & Stans when we arrived, good to see them too, Kas as ever cooked up a veritable feast. A great evening had by us all, the famous Barney from Paul's Plovers Blog, (it's very interesting and well written blog if you're interested, follow this link to read it: http://ploversblog.blogspot.co.uk ) met Ida for the first time & they got on very well.
Next day we had bit of a walk along the beach with Kas as well. It's all shingle down here so the walking can be quite tough, Ida was quite at ease with the sea as well which was bit of a surprise, we ended up doing a fair old walk. Couldn't believe what Tara spotted on the beach, only Donald Trump's syrup ( you know! syrup of fig = wig!), now we know where he gets them from, just a bit of dying required and he's good to go!
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| Trumps syrup! |
Stan took me for a very interesting walk round Lydd next day. It's a World War One themed walk which notes the homes of soldiers who were killed and some of those who returned. It includes a nursing sister, Rosa Jones, who was awarded the 1914 Star. She must have been involved very early on as this was for troops who were in theatre (mostly, but not exclusively, the British Expeditionary Force) between 4th August to 8th November 1914.
Poplars House was the home of William John Marshall who joined the Royal Navy in 1906 and served all through the war up until 1927 reaching the rank of Petty Officer.
The church has two of the original grave markers from graves in France replaced by stone headstones by the Commonwealth Wargraves Commission. They are to:
G2991 Company Sergeant Major William Chesterman of 8th Bn The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment).He was aged 28 when he was killed on 30th April 1916, son of Daisy Chesterman from Lydd.He is buried in Draoutre Cemetery in Belgium.
33254 Private Henry George Balchin 7th Bn The Yorkshire Regiment, better known as The Green Howards. He was only 19 when he was killed on 13th November 1917 son of George and Matilda Balchin of 1Kimburn Villas, Lydd. He is buried in Poelcapelle British Cemetery.
Finished our walk and returned to Stans for a cuppa. A very interesting walk.
Saturday, 31 March 2018
An idiots guide to an Idiot: March 1918.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: March 1918.: Another one of my periodic looks at what my Grandfathers were doing 100 years ago via regimental war dairies. G2104 L/Cpl Alfred Gower ...
Friday, 30 March 2018
March 1918.
Another one of my periodic looks at what my Grandfathers were doing 100 years ago via regimental war dairies.
G2104 L/Cpl Alfred Gower 2nd Bn, The Middlesex Regiment, (my Mum's Dad) had been invalided out of the army in March 1918 and awarded the Silver War Badge, a badge to wear on civvies so he could prove he'd 'done his bit.'
Documents available today state he was invalided out due to 'illness.' Though what this was is not specified, this is strange as he actually told me he'd been invalided out because of a wound. A bullet entered his left wrist and exited through his left elbow! His battalion noted on the Silver War Badge record states the 6th, not the 2nd. The 6/Middlesex was a training battalion, one theory is that he could have been retraining after being wounded and then succumbed to illness, Spanish Flu even which killed millions and could have laid him very low. It's a question I'll never get an answer to .
D1901 Pte William Morgan 1st (Kings) Dragoon Guards.
My Dad's Dad of course has a complicated story. In August 1917 his regiment was ordered back to India, the North West Passage in Afghanistan infact to quell an uprising but my Grandad did not go with them. He too had been wounded and could have been convalescing or it could have been that he'd signed on for 9 years with the colours and these were up ( he joined in 1908 though I thought war time would have negated 9 years with the colours & 5 with the reserve) . Another question I'll never have satisfactorily answered, whatever the case he was compulsorily transferred to the 15th Bn The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. From the cavalry to the infantry seems a very strange move, surely his nine years of horsemanship could have been better used! In November 1917 his battalion part of the 13th Brigade, 5th Division was ordered to the Italian front (along with five other British divisions and seven French) as an Austo-German attack had pushed the Italians back some eighty miles only stopping at the River Piave. Conditions were considerably better than on the Western Front and considerably quieter, the three battalions of Royal Warwick's in Italy from November 1917 to March 1918 only suffered six killed in action between them. The regimental war diary for this period has not been digitised yet so I have been unable to view it and gleaned this information from the excellent book 'Birmingham Pals' by Terry Carter. The battalion had been raised as the 2nd Birmingham Pals in 1914
though by the time my Grandad joined them there was very few of the original Pals left. They had started to be trained in mountain warfare but then sent to the plains of the River Piave on the front line.
No doubt they would have stayed on the Italian front but for Operation Michel launched by the Germans on the Western front on 21st March 1918, a huge assault that pushed and pushed the British back to were they'd started in 1914. The divisions on Italy were rushed back on trains though this took some six days, the battalion arrived back on the Western front with the rest of the 5th Division on 7th April 1918. More of that later!
G2104 L/Cpl Alfred Gower 2nd Bn, The Middlesex Regiment, (my Mum's Dad) had been invalided out of the army in March 1918 and awarded the Silver War Badge, a badge to wear on civvies so he could prove he'd 'done his bit.'
Documents available today state he was invalided out due to 'illness.' Though what this was is not specified, this is strange as he actually told me he'd been invalided out because of a wound. A bullet entered his left wrist and exited through his left elbow! His battalion noted on the Silver War Badge record states the 6th, not the 2nd. The 6/Middlesex was a training battalion, one theory is that he could have been retraining after being wounded and then succumbed to illness, Spanish Flu even which killed millions and could have laid him very low. It's a question I'll never get an answer to .
D1901 Pte William Morgan 1st (Kings) Dragoon Guards.
My Dad's Dad of course has a complicated story. In August 1917 his regiment was ordered back to India, the North West Passage in Afghanistan infact to quell an uprising but my Grandad did not go with them. He too had been wounded and could have been convalescing or it could have been that he'd signed on for 9 years with the colours and these were up ( he joined in 1908 though I thought war time would have negated 9 years with the colours & 5 with the reserve) . Another question I'll never have satisfactorily answered, whatever the case he was compulsorily transferred to the 15th Bn The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. From the cavalry to the infantry seems a very strange move, surely his nine years of horsemanship could have been better used! In November 1917 his battalion part of the 13th Brigade, 5th Division was ordered to the Italian front (along with five other British divisions and seven French) as an Austo-German attack had pushed the Italians back some eighty miles only stopping at the River Piave. Conditions were considerably better than on the Western Front and considerably quieter, the three battalions of Royal Warwick's in Italy from November 1917 to March 1918 only suffered six killed in action between them. The regimental war diary for this period has not been digitised yet so I have been unable to view it and gleaned this information from the excellent book 'Birmingham Pals' by Terry Carter. The battalion had been raised as the 2nd Birmingham Pals in 1914
No doubt they would have stayed on the Italian front but for Operation Michel launched by the Germans on the Western front on 21st March 1918, a huge assault that pushed and pushed the British back to were they'd started in 1914. The divisions on Italy were rushed back on trains though this took some six days, the battalion arrived back on the Western front with the rest of the 5th Division on 7th April 1918. More of that later!
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