in my mind my dreams are real...

>>>>> ST's ALPHABETICON - O <<<<<

Previously in the Alphabeticon: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, singles, N

OK. Another thin looking letter this week, so this shouldn't take long.... You know the drill, right? The alphabeticon is a deeply anal list, I know, but it does not represent the long and the short of my record collection. This is only a spin through one particular set of shelves that sit in my study, gathering dust. I have other records in all sorts of places, and some records that aren't records at all and never have been that sit on my hard drive. This is a partial list; a look into my musical world through a glass darkly.

Well, I like doing it anyway.

328. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
329. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
330. Oasis – Be Here Now

I imagine that almost every man about my age in this country owns these three albums. Like everyone else, I was blown away by Oasis when they first appeared on the scene. They've never been big or clever, but they have always been really, really good at doing the basics well. They weren't much to look at, but they gave great interviews, the Gallagher brothers just oozed cool and Liam was (and to some extent remains) one of the greatest vocalists in rock. Yeah, the lyrics are uniformly dreadful, but somehow Liam's sneer lifts this workaday band into something really special. They had some songs too: Live Forever, Rock and Roll Star, Cigarettes and Alcohol, Shakermaker, Some Might Say, Whatever, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger.... they were brilliant, and it seemed as though everyone in the country couldn't wait for their next album. When it came out, "Be Here Now" broke all sales records. I think it took me about two plays to realise that the Emperor wasn't wearing any clothes. It was awful... "All Around the World" is typical: a sub-Beatles dirge that is at least four minutes too long. The golden run of songwriting form that had sustained Noel this far had suddenly run dry in a blizzard of cocaine, celebrity wives and hangers on. The magic was gone and they've never got it back since... a fact that has not stopped them remaining one of the biggest draws as a live act in the country. I've seen them a couple of times: once at Knebworth, at the apogee of their fame and popularity, when I thought they were pretty good. I saw them again, against my better judgement at Glastonbury in about 2004 and they were awful. Their profile remains amazingly high, but for me they've been finished as a band for at least a decade.

331. Roy Orbison – All Time Greatest Hits

A friend of mine once told me a story: apparently she had a boyfriend who wanted to make their first time together really special. He cooked her a lovely meal and served her some delicious wine. As the special moment approached, he began to strip off and handed her a rose whilst singing "You Got It" by Roy Orbison. Sadly, this beautiful romantic scene was rather ruined when my friend was unable to stop laughing as this poor man exposed his body and his soul to her. Performance anxiety inevitably followed....... and since she told me that story, I've never quite been able to listen to Roy Orbison in the same way again.

332. Beth Orton –Trailer Park

She took a while to grow on me, but I love this record and I love her voice.

"Running down the central reservation
In last night's red dress
And I can still smell you on my fingers
And taste you on my breath"

That's such a dirty, sexy lyric.

333. The Orb – U.F.Orb

I'm not a massive fan to be honest, but once in a while this album hits the spot. Turn it on and drift away. I know it isn't on this album, but there was a time at my University that "Little Fluffy Clouds" was the most vital song ever recorded. I wasn't sure about that then, and I'm less sure now. Still, perhaps I should give this another go.

334. Okkervil River – The Stage Names

Mike put the song "Our Life Is Not A Movie or a Maybe" onto my shuffleathon disc, and I loved it so much that I had to go out and buy the album. It's good too.

Missing somewhere in iTunes: Outkast, The Ocean Blue, Ocean Colour Scene (!), Offspring, Ohio Players, OK Go, One World Orchestra, The Only Ones, Orbital....

so... speaking of shuffleathons.....

Shuffleathon 2007 Update

Here's the thing: we've now got a few people without CDs who have been patiently hanging on for a while: Sarah, Martin, Graham, Spins, Wombat, E, JamieS. That's not fair. If you guys haven't got your CDs by the start of January, I'll send you each a CD myself. On the other hand, if you have received your CD, can you let me know and get on with reviewing it?

I'm also waiting for reviews from Hen, Monogodo, LB, Ben, Dragon, JoeInVegas and Mike TD. Any chance of you guys getting those done? I know you're probably busy, but someone did sweat over making that CD for you, and I'm sure they're dying to know what you thought of it....

Can we get this finished yet?

Pretty please?

Shuffler	Posted	Received
1. Tina	yes	review
2. Sarah	yes
3. Cody Bones	yes	review
4. Mark	yes	review
5. Michael	yes	review
6. Hen	yes	yes
7. Cat	yes	review
8. bedshaped	yes	review
9. Pynchon	yes	review
10. J	yes	review
11. The Great Grape Ape	yes	review
12. Ian	yes	review
13. Martin
14. Monogodo	yes	yes
15. Threelight	yes	review
16. Paul	yes	review
17. Charlie	yes	review
18. LB	yes	review
19. Katyola	yes	review
20. Lisa	yes	review
21. Graham	yes?
22. Del	yes	review
23. Spins	yes
24. Ben	yes	review
25. Dragon	yes	yes
26. Adem	yes	review
27. Mike	yes	review
28. JoeInVegas	yes	yes
29. Wombat	yes
30. Max Bob	yes	review
31. Stevious	yes	review
32. Asta	yes	review
33. Alan	yes	review
34. Russ L	yes	review
35. E.	yes
36. Mike T-D	yes	yes
37. JamieS	yes
38. Briskate	yes	review
38. Me	yes	review

From an original idea by lovely YokoSpungeon....

Oh, and Earworms of the Year 2007 votes please....