Mmmm, I just tuned into WOXY and it's playing "Give the Jew Girl Toys." This is a good thing.

Thanks Tom!

Raq -- There's a great mashup of that song with Trio's "Da da da" available here: [link]

There's a BBC documentary on "Fairytale of New York":

The Story of Fairytale of New York

8pm, BBC3

While the fight to bring those responsible for Kirsty MacColl's untimely death continues (see www.justiceforkirsty.org), her collaboration with the Pogues is the subject of this fine documentary. The Christmas song for people who don't like Christmas songs, Fairytale of New York may now suffer from over-play but it's still a cracker, one replete with the bitterness of soured love and curdled affection. Which, when you think about it, is what Christmas is all about. Plus, it's the only context in which shouting "cheap lousy faggot" at one's beloved is acceptable. Christina Rossetti and Cliff Richard, take a seat.

What songs give you an unadulterated happy? I'm cranky and trying to be less so, and I think it might be fun to put together a WOO! playlist sometime in the future.

What songs give you an unadulterated happy?

Certain hard rock songs give me a stiffie.

"Search and Destroy" - Stooges
"Turn on the News" - Husker Du
"I Got Your Number" - Undertones

Then there are the glorious pop songs, which is a different joy.

"Heavenly Pop Hit" - The Chills
"Don't Worry Baby" - Beach Boys
"What You Do To Me" - Teenage Fanclub
"Ain't That Enough" - Teenage Fanclub
"It Won't Be Wrong" - Byrds

Also uptempo soul hits:

"The Love You Save" - Jackson 5
"25 Miles" - Edwin Starr
"I Don't Need No Doctor" - Ray Charles

"Rebel Rebel" and "Suffragette City" - David Bowie
"Plasticine" - Placebo
"Dead!" - MCR
"Disco 2000" - Pulp
"Why Can't I Be You" - The Cure
"The Last of the Famous International Playboys" - Morrissey (I have been known to listen to this song on repeat for an hour at a time.)
"Nobody Likes You When You're Dead" - Zombina and the Skellytones

Oh, and add "Dare" by The Gorillaz to my list.

"Emily" - Adam Green
"Rasputin" - Boiled in Lead
"Divine Hammer" - the Breeders
"Sing Out" - Cats Laughing
"Fly With the High" - Curve (I know, I know, but really.)
"Death of Glory" - the Clash
"Laugh, love, fuck" - the Coup
"Iron woman" - Devin Davis
"Right around the corner" - Detroit Cobras
"My best Friend" - Hello Saferide
"Thick as Thieves" - the Jam
"When I See That Girl Of Mine" - The Kinks
"The Laws Have Changed" - the New Pornographers
"I like a boy in uniform (school uniform)" - the Pipettes
"Don't Stop the Music" - Robyn
"Don't go away" - the Runaways
"0-60" - Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves

And possibly the entire new TV on the Radio cd. I didn't even dare to think about Motown/Stax.

Jon, thanks!

Hi, folks. Long time, no post. Trial's finally over & I'm starting to dig out from all the other stuff that piled up. May even get some unpacking done with two long weekends coming up. Woo and hoo.

Just read through the backlog of posts & saw Tina's request for harmonica solos. I just sent "Mellow Down Easy" to Buffistarawk. It was the first Little Walter tune I heard & remains a favorite. The comp I heard it on is available at bargain prices. It's a great record, a steal at any price short of a Velvets' acetate. If I finally get my turntable up & running I can send more of it.

As for Christgau, don't start me to talkin'... (that's a little Sonny Boy Williamson reference, to continue the harmonica theme.) Seriously, no time to pontificate, which I'm sure will please at least some of you, but I wanted to post the links to the intros to seventies and eighties Consumer Guides. The essays include decade overviews as well as explanations of his criteria which I find interesting and useful. (The latter because he's pretty self-aware and -reflective. He addresses a lot of the misgivings he and others have about his enterprise, but doesn't let them stop him from getting on with the task.) I'd also like to note that 1970 was the big year for A+ records with 6, & that 5 of them are in the top 13 of his top 40 for the decade. Oddly, his top album from 1971, Miles Davis's Jack Johnson (he puts them in order in the book; they go in alphabetical order within the grade on the website) isn't on the list even though There's a Riot Goin' and Every Picture Tells a Story are. (I assume that since all of the Ray Charles compilation that was second or third on his 1971 list predates the seventies that's why it wasn't on the seventies' top 40.) Anyway, time for some Xmas shopping. I hope to be less of a stranger in the coming year.