Moi j'aurais bien aimé un peu plus de tendresse

I haven't much to report from this weekend really. Went shopping and picked up a few more CDs to add to the 2005 list:



The Ramones 'The Chysalis Years' - a triple CD and an absolute bargain at £5. Inspired by this post and the fact that I have a Ramones t-shirt and know the words to Psycho Therapy thanks to Skid Row.



Embrace 'Fireworks (singles 1997-2002)' - this will no doubt make Lord Bargain chuckle, as I have held forth long and loud many times about how I think Danny MacNamara honks like a sealion. I blame Chris Martin. Also £5.



Next Brel - a compilation of various cover versions of Jacques Brel songs, by people like Dusty Springfield, The Divine Comedy and Scott Walker (and a brilliant, completely mental version of "Next" by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band). Brel is kind of hard to describe - he was a a sort of Gallic Bob Dylan, I suppose - but the passion and humour with which he sang his songs is spectacular, and from what I can make out of them, the lyrics are cutting, sad, funny and always splendidly evocative. Superb. You should give him a try. Brel's rough-hewn voice sounds a million miles away from Scott Walker's honeyed bass baritone, to be honest, but that's how I first found him. Scott Walker did a number of covers of Brel songs - most famously "Jackie" (which was later covered by Marc Almond) . It's hard to imagine someone, Brian McFadden say, walking out of a boyband and stepping straight into songs about existentialism and death, via a period of hiding in a monastery. That's what Scott Walker did though in 1967 when he left the Walker Brothers. He's hardly been prolific, and his last album was 'Tilt' in 1995, although I hear he has a record contract and might put something out later this year, which would be amazing. Anyway, I'm rambling. That one was also £5 (god bless you FOPP)



Rufus Wainwright 'Want One' - very highly rated and I've been meaning to pick this up for a while now. On first listen I had 2 thoughts: firstly that he reminds me a little bit of Billy Joel (which is a good thing) and secondly that I didn't know that it was him who sang "I Don't Know What It Is". This one cost me £10.



All in all £25 reasonably well spent, I thought. Not exactly thrifty, but not too extravagant.



What else happened in my not-very-eventful weekend?



hm.



Oh yes. We had a dinner party for some friends, during which C. managed to nearly slice her finger off in a food blender (we patched it up as best we could and carried on cooking - possibly to the mild consternation of our guests, as her apron was now covered with blood....)



Anything else?



hmmm.



Ah. We bought a kitchen, but I can't really bring myself to tell you about that tonight. Or possibly ever. It's not a very interesting story.



Nah. Nothing to see here. Move along.