A Quick One

I decided to do two things with The Who's albums:

• Not go on and on about each song, because I have transferred all the songs from every Who album anyway…
• Include a little story connected with the album. And you can post your stories in the comments section.

I get crazy with two songs from this album, because by listening to them I had the most romantic experience of recent years…
“So Sad About Us” and “A Quick One”. It’s all over now and it really hurts when I listen to them, especially “So Sad About Us”. The opening notes are like two hard slaps on my face. I usually change the song, that’s how much it hurts. It is though, my favourite song of the album and the video from Maximum R’n’B, with Keith being so gorgeous, is one my favourite Who videos.

What's your story?

LISTEN TO IT: on the way to work is one idea, or on the way back is even better, especially when on "Quick One" they sing "We'll soon be home" I think I do every single day. Oh, who am I kidding? I can listen to it all the time...

Magic

I went to the Cast and Crew premiere of Harry Potter today.
I was a guest from one of my good friends and I really enjoyed the film and the atmosphere. I know, I know, I'm a grown up, but with Harry's books and films I feel like a kid again!

I can't say anything because the film is not out yet, just one thing:
Go see it!

Back to the real world, I'm working all week long and unfortunately I won't be able to watch In The Attic live, hopefully there will be a loop, so there you go. Grrrrrr!

And tomorrow I'll post my Quick One thingy, I can't tonight I'm too excited and a bit knackered from the HP experience...

Happy Halloween and
Have a good week!
M

Is it 1 or 2 am I'm confused...

Just a quick goodnight before my beauty sleep, because tomorrow it's a very special day and I need to look good.
Blogging keeps me awake, but it's so much fun...

Adieu to yeu, and yeu, and yeu :-)

Thank God for life's little pleasures...

How do you mend a broken heart?
Me, by listening to a lot of good music, eating my favourite food, having a drink with a good friend, watching my favourite comedy, having a fantastic conversation with my sister back home and... by blogging!

I was a bit sad today, bit confused, bit gobsmacked by someone's behaviour and a bit fed up of having to stretch for the unreacheable, untill... I came home turned on my laptop, said hello to my boys (this is a picture of my desktop) and went online to see people visiting my blog and sending me comments.
Thank you all so much, you cheered me up! :-)

I'm amazed of this new medium of communication. Having people, which I never knew existed from the other side of the globe, taking a look into my soul, my world and mind. Bit scary sometimes, I know, but I hope that people use it for good causes. I haven't seen any scary or troll-ish comments yet, you're all very kind.

And I promise you I'll keep my blog interesting, with more posts about my albums (A Quick One coming v. soon, as soon as I find a way not to tire you with my aaaas and oooos) and in the following ten days, juicy news and gossip from two major events:
- a premiere ('nuff said)
- a parade

HAPPY 28TH OF OCTOBER TO ALL GREEKS (Greek National Holiday for WWII)
ΖΗΤΩ Η ΕΛΛΑΣ!

Pass it on!
xoxoxo

54 Hits Of The 60s

One of the few compilation CDs from the 60s that I have.

I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I grew up listening to this kind of music, my mother and father were champions in Rock'N'Roll dancing back in our hometown in Greece, during the 60s and our record collection was full of originals.

Unfortunately a flood in my sister's garage has destroyed most of them (that reminds me of a Friends episode) and now I try to make my own collection.

Although this triple CD has zillions of songs (well, 54) I chose to transfer the following three:

Vicky Carr: IT MUST BE HIM - First heard that song in Moonstruck and I wanted to find it. It took me a few years, but finally I found it last year! Kept me company through a harsh winter...

Jan & Dean: SURF CITY - Any Beach Boyish sound is good to me, takes me to California and sea and sun. Loving the harmonies too!

PJ Proby: SOMEWHERE - A classic song. This version is a bit too much for me, I think I prefer the Bobby Darrin one (or even better the short segment by Keith in The Kids Are Alright!) but it still is a grandiose song.

In the next couple of days, ladies and gentlemen, I will present you with the first Who album on the list. I will try not to exaggerate with exclamation marks, although it will be tough! There, I did it again.

Watch this space...

Kimono's off!

Quick post before I go to bed.

A great show from Rachel tonight, In The Attic, in pyjamas.
She invited a new group called The Vibrants, who played two very good songs.

Mikey and Rachel, as always were great, hearing "Without Your Love" again made me so happy...

Then the mysterious Bernard, who, according to other bloggers must have been Pete's son Joseph, played on the guitar and I got goosebumps! Will this family ever stop to amaze me?

Simon Townshend's songs, "Until Tomorrow" and "Time Is A Healer" were magnificent! Simon's got such an amazing voice. Every time I hear him singing I feel soooo good...

Pete did not sing, but he shared some really funny stories from his childhood and also about Mama Kaas and Keith Moon. People who know me, know how crazy I am about Keith, and just listening to Pete talking about him just made my day!!! I was glued, I didn't even breathe...

Off to bed now, although not sleepy at all. Very early wake up call tomorrow, bliaaaaah.
Can't wait for next week's show with special guest star, none other than Mr Roger Daltrey!!!!
Rachel's blog will be flooded!

Good night all...

Ready for the pyjama party In The Attic...

Went shopping today, especially for Rachel's show tomorrow...
I found this gorgeous kimono and I'm very happy!!!! Can't wait for the show!!!











SEE YOU TOMORROW!

My cat and my thoughts

This is my cat Koukou. She is 15 years old. The photo was taken at our summer house in the greek island of Spetses.
Koukou had a rough winter, because she had a tumor under her mouth, but after succesful surgery she is her old sweet, cheeky and fat self.

She loves the sun, ham and fish, but last summer I found out that she takes a bit from me as the following picture will show.


One day I went into my bedroom to see this.
I didn't set up this. I had my Who t-shirt (one of many!) on my bed and I found my cat sleeping so sweetly on it.
This site was just too good to miss, so I took a picture to show the world.

Koukou lives with my mother in Greece, and mom tells me that she is eating as much as always (too much!) and her hair has grown back-we had to shave her for the operation and she looked like a lion!

I miss her, but my mom puts her on the phone (!!!!) and I call her name and I can hear her purring.
She is a very intelligent creature.

Well, she's got to be, since she likes The Who!


I just want to say a few words for all the people in Florida.
I have been to your state and I think it's gorgeous. It reminded me of a very rich Greece!
I'd like to let you know that I'm praying for you, I know what it means facing nature's wrath. I've been through a terrible earthquake in Greece, that made me realise life is way too short and we must enjoy every second. Two weeks later I came to London to fulfil my dream.

So, keep strong, be safe, pray and think of the better days that are coming.

God Bless.

I (Really) Had Enough

Today, was crap, crap, crappity crap.

Not only I had to work on a Sunday, but also there were no trains to central London, so I was late for work and got lectured (yawn, bliah, zzzz, bdddd) and then I had the nastiest and most scary customer in my career. He even took my name to report me, when I didn't do anything wrong but following my company's policies.
I hate when that happens.

On my break I put "I Had Enough" from Who Are You and Simon Townshend's "Save Me From Me" so loud on my MP3, people were looking at me in a funny way

Then it took me two hours to get back, but I went out with my friend Angela (the one who's painted The Mod Couple) and got pissed. Got home again and decided to blog until I drop which is quite soon.

And tomorrow... back to work... All together now "Well, it's a bitter-sweet symphony, that's liiife"

Nighty - night.

20th Century Masters: Brenda Lee & Bo Diddley

There you go... two albums for the price of one blog

BRENDA LEE:

SWEET NOTHIN'S - Sexy man at the beginning whispers into Brenda's ears sweet nothin's. Well, it just reminds me of a similar situation (blush). Her voice is so jazzy and suggestive. Great song

ALL ALONE AM I: or in Greek MH TON ROTAS TON OURANO. (Don't Ask The Sky) This is actually written by a famous Greek composer, Manos Hadjidakis. It's a beautiful song, I was looking for it when I heard it on a Greek show back in 1997. "All alone am I ever since your goodbye, all alone with just the beat of my heart." After sweet nothin's it's sweet f...k all isn't it?

LISTEN TO IT: While being very much in love.

BO DIDDLEY:

ROADRUNNER - I had to have it. I can imagine Keith, all dressed in ginger, doing his best, pulling his faces, smashing the bass pedal, getting the job. The Bo Diddley version is not bad either, lol

LISTEN TO IT: I love listening to music while I'm driving and this is one of the best tunes to accompany your journey.

Morning All

It's a Sunday and I have to work...(agrrrrrr)
So, just a quick word as I drink my coffe and before I get ready.

I woke up with Foy's voice in my head singing "I'm One". Beats the stupid alarm tid-tid-tid-tid!

It's great to see people posting on my blog, thank you all so very much.
Wait until I start talking about Who albums... It will be difficult not to repeat myself with "amazing", "spectacular", "breathtaking". I love their music so much, it drives me nuts.
I suppose the first one will be A Quick One? I haven't checked yet.

I will continue with more albums later today, maybe if it's quite at work I'll do it from there and pray I don't get caught...

For those of you lucky enough not to be working on a Sunday, enjoy it.
For us who do have to work, well, it's only a day and it will pass.

Take care.

The Mod Couple

What can I say about this painting?
First of all I didn't paint it. I wish I could paint like that.
This was done by a friend of mine, to symbolise an ideal situation for me.
It's the 60's and Keith Moon and me are riding on his scooter for a night out in the centre of London. I'm going to sit somewhere near the stage and watch Keith playing with The Who. Or, we're just going out to have a good time together.

That would be... if I could travel back in time!

My friend researched a lot to capture the colours and atmosphere of the era. The scooter's mirrors are based on Ace's scooter in Quadrophenia. My clothes are from advertisements of the 60's.

I gave her lots of Keith's pictures and I think she's done a brilliant job.

The painting has been hanging on my wall for two years, but every time I look at it, I find another interesting detail.

Please notice that the only record that the music store is selling is by The Who, and the Flamingo Jazz club at the back.

And, I've never asked her: The K M on the scooter, do they mean Keith Moon, or Keith and Marietta?

The Beatles 1967-1970 (The Blue Album)

The second installment of Beatles greatest hits.

This is where the boys had changed their style from "Yeah, yeah, yeah I love you, you love me and we're happy together" to more serious stuff.

Was it the influence from the summer of love and India? Probably.

But, the songs were still great and memorable, still chilling and hair-raising.

From this album I chose to transfer to my MP3 player the following songs:

1. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER - On my visit to Liverpool a couple of years ago, I went to Strawberry Fields orphanage. The place is like a shrine to the Beatles now and here's a picture of the gate

(God that was a bit hard to do, Blogger would put the pic at the top of the post and I had to drag it and everytime I wanted to write something it changed the font. Come on, guys, make it easier!!!)

2. PENNY LANE: Another Liverpool reference and here's another pic (here I go again)

The song is just Beatles to me. It speaks to my heart so much. Was I Liverpudlian in my previous life?

3. SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND - I love this song, it's so uplifting and I love the movie, it's so Psychedelic. And the end where Paul sings "I don't really want to stop the show" and introduces Billy Shears... It's just breathtaking. Live8 version was cool too. I was at work but I wouldn't miss the beginning for the world. So I sneaked into the ladies and put my radio on. Can you imagine someone dancing in a cublcle? Ridiculous... I had to pretend I used the bathroom, so I washed my hands afterwards... Ha ha ha.

4. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS - Now, here's Billy Shears, erm, I mean Ringo singing. His voice is so unique. Who said he's out of key? Oh, I think it was Ringo. Well, he's not. Lovely song.

5. LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Amazing bass from Paul and vocals from John. I don't care about the drug innuendos and references and all that stuff. I just listen to the music.

6. A DAY IN THE LIFE - This has to be my favourite Beatles song. From start to finish the music and the lyrics blow me away. John's voice is beyond the beyond (sorry, Pete, for borrowing your expression for The Beatles). I think I listen to this song every day on my way to work and still can't get enough of it.

7. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE - Sorry, not one of my favourites, but still a good song. Whenever I hear it though it reminds me of Keith Moon on the satellite broadcast, playing drums along Ringo. He is soooo cute. And what an honour for him to be playing with The Beatles on such a big event.

8. HELLO GOODBYE - My mother always tells me that that was the song blasting on the radios in London all the time we were there, back in 1967. I am so jealous of her remembering that amazing time.

9. MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR - Another favourite. Does anyone know if they have released the film in any kind, shape or form?

10. HEY JUDE - The perfect ending to all concerts? Well, Paul McCartney thinks so...

But for me it has a different meaning.

When I was a little girl I had scoliosis. By the time I was 15 it was quite serious. I had to have surgery and in Greece the doctors would say to my mom that the only way to do it is by removing a...few spine bones. My mom almost had a heart attack when she heard that, so she wrote to all the hospitals in Europe. One of them was in London and the reply was a leaflet with the lyrics "Take a Sad song and make it Better" at the cover. The S was a curved spine and the B's straight line was a straight spine. They explained that the operation would not involve removing anything but they have to put a stainless steel column on my back. Anyway, that hospital had a waiting list of three to four years, but I had the operation in Lyon, France (oui,oui) that same year and it was very successful. I'm strong as an ox now but I still have to be careful with my back.

All together now: "Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, Heeey Juuude"

Listen to it: again any time of the day, just relax and think of England...

Phewww, that was a long post!

Can you see the happy me? Can ya? Can ya?

Simon Townshend and a very happy girl...

On Tuesday October the 18th in The Bedford at Balham, Rachel Fuller gave a concert with special guests including Pete Townshend and his brilliant little brother, Simon, Foy Vance and Michael Cuthbert.

The show was amazing! All the performers were unique, all the songs fabulous. Really good music, the kind I love.
I could not believe my luck for being there.
I saw my beloved Pete performing, something that I have been yearning for the past year and seven months, since I saw The Who at the RAH, and he was breathtaking.
Favourite Pete moment: Greyhound Girl and of course the finale, with all of the performers singing I'm One. I was flying!

At some point during the evening, Simon was standing behind me.
I did a double-take!
I had just seen him performing, and I had watched him on Rachel's show In The Attic and I really loved his songs (well, it looks talent runs in the family.)
So, I snatched the opportunity and I asked Simon to take a picture with me. Happy, happy, happy!

Next morning I was late for work, but I didn't care.
All day I was thinking and trying to re-live the magic of the previous night. Thank God for Rachel's show on Who TV. She had Pete and Simon as guests, Pete doing "Greyhound Girl" one more time (for me??? lol) and Simon singing a fantastic song "Girl In New York". Once more, my jaw dropped!
At the end she showed the finale of the Bedford concert. W-O-W!

The show will be on loop for this weekend, I don't know how many times I'll watch it.
I would highly recommend it.
GO TO WHO TV NOW!

The Beatles 1962-1966 (The Red Album)

I can't remember when was the first time I listened to The Beatles. It must have been in my mother's womb, since I was born right in the middle of Beatlemania and the next year we came to London for a year. The Beatles were everywhere!
So everything was fed into my subconscious...
I won't repeat the adjectives that other people had said millions of times: "amazing","fabulous","incredible" and so on. We know these are true.
I'll just say one thing:
I absolutely love them. Their songs make my mind travel back to a place and time where I always wanted to exist. Well, I kind of did, but only as a baby.

From this album I chose the following songs:

1. LOVE ME DO - lovely, sweet, happy, John's harmonica: one of the best known intros ever!
2. PLEASE PLEASE ME - oh, yeah, like I please you...
3. SHE LOVES YOU - with a song like that, you know, you should be glad
4. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND - I have the happiest memories of my first year in London with this
5. ALL MY LOVING - even the Gypsy Kings have covered it (oh good Lord!)
6. A HARD DAY'S NIGHT - after a Hard Day's work this is the best song to listen when you walk out your office's door
7. I FEEL FINE - I can't describe what the feedback at the beginning does to me...
8. TICKET TO RIDE - sad at the beginning, but I love the "my baby don't care" at the end
9. WE CAN WORK IT OUT - Yes! The most optimistic song...
10. DAY TRIPPER - I had a long distance call the other day and my 13 year-old nephew was playing me the intro on the guitar. I was shouting to him "Don't stop!"
11. NOWHERE MAN - I love this song in the Sgt Pepper movie
12. IN MY LIFE - what lyrics!
13. PAPERBACK WRITER - I'm always singing it when I go to WHSmith's, lol
14. ELEANOR RIGBY - just sends chills down my spine

I highly recommend that you get these songs, (if you've lived in another planet for the past 43 years and you don't have them).

These people knew how to make sounds that mattered, lyrics that stick to the mind, songs that will stay fresh forever!

Listen to it: everywhere, any day, all day, and all of the night. Can't put a limit on The Beatles...

I just love it...

Here's an old picture of me in Manhattan in 1993. Isn't it amazing that I'm standing right in front of TOMMY poster for the Broadway production? I didn't see that until recently...

I am staying up just to improve my blog... I know it's addictive!
Tomorrow I will post my next two albums from my MP3 player. I can only say they start with numbers, something like 1962. 'Nuff said!

Just a little moan though, for the Blogmeister: you have a few languages with which blogs can be written... What about...Greek? After all Greece was the place that gave birth to Civilization, culture, literature, theatre. And it's called the alphabet: Alpha - Beta.
Just a suggestion for the future.

Thank you all for visiting
and have a good night.

See ya
xxx

And Album No 1 is...

(Reach Up For The) Sunrise by Duran Duran


Yes, yes I know, it's a single. But it's the first thing on my MP3 player (because of the parenthesis on the title) and it reminds me when I went to see Duran Duran in concert last year at Wembley.

It was a great concert, they were really good.
I took my mother with me, to experience what it means to go to a Wembley concert in London. She loved it!

I was never a huuuuge fan, but I'm OK listening to them. I always loved The Reflex, and New Moon On Monday (a lovely less-known song with a nice video) but I never bought any of their albums.

I bought the song because it's happy, uplifting and it speaks about the Sun, for which I have a thing.

This year DD gave a concert in Greece and my sister told me they were amazing.

Listen to it: Just at the crack of dawn, doing a salute to the Sun, or
in a car, driving fast on a motorway...

Hurrah! I'm blogging!!!

Hello all...

I am so happy to at last creating my blog.

I used to have a Homepage at AOL but this seems easier and more fun to have so many fellow bloggers...

I've been thinking about it for some time, ever since I read The Boy Who Heard Music by Pete Townshend and of course the ultimate blog of all, Rachel Fuller's!!!

Since my friends and family always told me that I write so well, I said, well, why not.
So here it is.

I will mainly discuss music here. I will take an Album on my MP3 player, as they appear alphabetically, and say a few words about the songs in it, the memories, the feelings...
And I will also make some suggestions.

Do you like the idea?

I might post a couple of my poems as well. Most of them are in Greek, but I will try to translate (be very flexible please!)

That's it for now, I will post a few photos as well, my CD drive crashed yesterday, but I will fix it soon.

See ya all