Golf: OFF (other interests)

First topic message reminder :

With winter well and truly set in, temp greens a plenty and the thermometer hitting the negatives, it seems as good a time as any to get an off topic interests thread on the go.

I shall kick off by sharing a couple of books i have on the go.

Currently engrossed in Ian Rankin's latest offering: 'Standing in another mans grave'.
Have it on loan from the G'pa-in-law and not far from the end. Of particular interest to me is the locations the plot unfolds in. Predominantly outside Edinburgh for a change and is set up north. Even a brief encounter with my away golf club, on route to a little dolphin watching.

Also working my way (a little more slowly) through Italo Calvino's 'If on a winters night a traveller'. I am very fond of his 'Invisible cities' which i discovered when researching a little about Venice a few years ago. This offering has a much more disrupted flow, a tale within a tale, leading to many brief encounters of other tales...quite bizarre really, and puts me in mind of borges short stories in 'labyrinths' and the like. Pretty intriguing stuff, though sometimes difficult topic up after a few days ...you feel like you need to re-read to keep up.

I really struggle to listen to any Beatles albums in its entirety but I can say that they did at least 20 songs that I really love and I doubt there is anyone else (bar maybe Paul Weller taking in the Jam, Style Council and solo stuff) who has done that.
And Something and Here Comes the Sun are easily in my top 5 songs of all time, maybe even one and two depending on my mood.
But Id still happily punch Macca in the chops.

Not denying he is a bit annoying, not as annoying as Ringo. But he is getting on a bit now...even Ray Davies had a stinker at the Olympics closing ceremony.

Love Me Do was cutting edge at the time! At least as good as You Really Got Me, which was the Kinks first hit - and I love the Kinks.

No excuse for Yellow Submarine.

Difference between Ray Davies and McCartney?
Davies was shot, and Macca should be (or at least stop applying that awful blue/black rinse).

I find the Beatles entire body of work extraordinary -- and loved "Revolver" as much as "Rubber Soul". But given the immense overplaying of the band I can see why some people simply don't want to listen to them anymore. They are hard to escape.

I don't like the Beatles and think McCartney is a complete knob cheese.

I love some of the Stones songs but find Jagger irritating.

Either way Dylan dwarfs them both.

As for other interests, I'm still in training for the Portsmouth Marathon but with less than two weeks to go it's all fine tuning (patching up) now.

Now this is what I call an "off day" from the golf...
Took a drive up over the Golden Gate Bridge, turned around, came back over then drove down Highway 1 to Santa Cruz.
Now sitting out in the sunshine in front of the hotel Casablanca with a cold beer, garlic prawns and overlooking the pier, beach and a big collection of beach volleyball courts (alas only one them is currently in use by hot totty)

As for the Beatles/McCartney, I'm fairly neutral, can't deny their influence. When you consider some of their stuff is now half a century old and it's still playable/coverable too. I just can't imagine McCartney doing Cobain tho

Is that just running round Fratton Park drumming up sponsorship contributions for PFC, Hibbz? You should be fit anyway . . . . . . .

Not freezing temps with occasional flurries, JAS? Sorry to hear that . . . .

Blimey - I had the Beatles vs Stones vs Who vs Kinks debate and argument at school in the 1960's.

It is a generational thing and I suspect the only people on this board who would fully understand the massive impact they all had, but especially the Beatles, are aged the same as me, about 60. The Beatles were just very very different - yes S_R I know that they are old hat now, but at the time they were a shining beacon in a very grey British pop scene that was dominated by Cliff Richard, the Shadows, Lonnie Donegan and crooners such as Ronnie Hilton etc etc etc.

The American scene of Buddy Holly, Elvis, Chuck Berry et al had been grabbed by our older brothers and sisters, the Beatles were ours! We loved the fact the the Stones were hated and feared by our parents, the fact that Keith Moon would smash up his drum kit and end up playing with just a high hat, or the stories about him driving a bentley into the swimming pool. Unfortunately, the brilliant wordsmithing of Ray Davies was probably lost on my generation, we were a bit too young to fully understand the subtle undertones, but we fully understand and appreciate them now.

For all of their stilted lyrics, Lennon and McCartney did start the singer/songwriter revolution, before them, all performers had songs written for them and if that change had not happened, It is quite possible that Bob Dylan, CSNY, the Eagles, ELO and even Paul Weller may have evolved very differently.

Dislike the Beatles or all '60's music if you want, even request that aged pop stars hang up their plectrums, but do not underestimate what they did for the 1960's generation who were born in the early 50's!

Well said shanker! And my parents hated The Beatles too!
They also opened the window on American artists that were otherwise almost unknown, to white Americans as well to us British school childers.

Seems only yesterday, mods and rockers on sea fronts up and down the country, Mars bars in strange places in Wittering mansions, fings ain't wot they used to be!!

Just listened to a very fine radio feature on the Pretty Things . . . . .

What younger people do not understand Kwini, is the fact that music from all over the world is so instantly available now, to the point that it has become, in the most part, homogenous pap!

If you have to wait and suffer the runaway train, there was an old lady and 2 or 3 others too mundane to mention, before you hear the opening harmonica bars of Love me do! Then you really do appreciate that something different is happening. Failing that, you had to have your ear glued to the 'tranny' that would fade in and out of Luxembourg. Even going down to the record shop on a Saturday morning and listening to a record or two in the booths with a couple of mates was a treat and the only way to really hear the newest releases for a long time.

Tony Newley!! Now he was a shining light who lived far too bright.

shanker, although I'm not your generation I completely follow you. I also think that some of the happenings Lennon did with Yoko were pretty groundbreaking at the time (albeit might look utterly ridicolous today) - things just cementing his immortality. Dunno if Bono is aiming for a similar legacy, but if he's serious he ought to get himself shot very soon.

Shanks, Really can't stand Dylan or Lennon/McCartney but still really like Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Stones, Kinks, Faces etc.
I don't underestimate the influence the Beatles had in a drab era but I just don't like 'em.

Well said Shanker. Wasn't it Love me do which catapulted the Beatles to famedom? Still love that song. Didn't like their flower power era music though.

Later on came Queen of course. Their music will stand the test of time.

What have they got today ... hip hop.

I find Led Zep and Floyd and the like to be largely self indulgent twaddle. But again in the body of work there is always a bit of something that will appeal to me.
Im the same with Dylan, Ive actually tried hard to like his stuff but find the majority of it painful but also think Like a Rolling Stone and Knockin on Heavens Door are brilliant. But Im guessing those are the songs that his fans call commercial and mainstream.
Never got the Stones, cant think of a single song of theirs I enjoy listening to but Im not really a "rock" person. And Jagger is an even bigger choob than Macca. Used to drink in a pub in Wimbledon that Keith Richards frequented about 20 years ago, he looked about a 100 then mind you not suprising with the life he has led.

All down to taste Diggers, if we all liked the same it would be boring. Dylan is one of the worst singers ever though. Makes Mark E Smith sound like Pavarotti.

You can discover some interesting stuff going on a You Tube (to coin a dreadful XFactor phrase) "journey".

gaelgowfer wrote:Well said Shanker. Wasn't it Love me do which catapulted the Beatles to famedom? Still love that song. Didn't like their flower power era music though.

Later on came Queen of course. Their music will stand the test of time.

What have they got today ... hip hop.

I don't think a middle aged housewife is really the demographic for modern music though Gael do you?

Some Rolling Stones stuff is really good, and quite bluesy as well. Gimme Shelter is one of my favourite songs ever, though i do have lots of favourite songs. Most bands have some cracking songs though. Though i have a very wide music taste. And nothing wrong with Hip Hop..if we are talking about proper hip hop. Not the rubbish RnB style music in the charts constantly. NWA - straight outta compton is good, though not everyones cuppa tea. Cypress Hill have some good tracks. Also Tribe called quest.. I love music!

R and B (the dreadful Beyonce type warbling, or male equivalent) is inexcusable dirge.
There is a place for most music, but not that. Who buys that rubbish?

Super, The annoying thing about popular RnB ( since when did RnB become Rythem and Bass instead of Rythem and Blues) is that sometimes it can be good. Jay-z/Kanye/and Beyonce have done some good songs, but so many just produce radio friendly unit shifters that just do not seem to have any thought put in them. And the songs with Guetta doing a dance track are just pretty poor. At least Calvin Harris does a dance track well on an Rnb style song.

I dont mind a bit of R&B, for instance Justin Timberlake has done some really good stuff. R&B is the same as everything, plenty of good stuff and even the chart stuff has plenty of catchy tunes.

As an 18 year old in 1966 my LP collection contained albumns by.
Geno Washinton, Sam and Dave, The Clancy Bros, Dylan, Four Tops, Byrds, Jonny Mathis, Lovin Spoonful The Corries etc.
Fairly ecclectic taste but the strange thing is that I have NEVER owned a Beatles record.

I like quite a lot of the recent stuff to. Especially Adelle and Emelee Sandy.
Probably spelled the last two wrong so lost all credibility!!

The first album I ever bought was a double EP - Magical Mystery Tour! Cost 9/6. (That's 9 shillings and sixpence or 47.5 new pence to our younger members)

Lol this has almost become the music room thread now
So we all have our different tastes and quirks when it comes to music listening but....do we have any performers on the board? I'd love to play guitar but I just can't seem to even come close, I'm not even a 28 handicapper with a guitar. I've got no qualms whatsoever about getting up on a karaoke evening and belting out a good tune or 2 (still badly...but loudly!!)

I play guitar (pretty poorly) just took delivery of a beautiful new Fender Telecaster, as much a piece of art as a fantastic guitar, much easier to play than my hollow body jazz guitar thanks to a narrower and thinner neck. Neighbours don't like it though.

super_realist wrote:I play guitar (pretty poorly) just took delivery of a beautiful new Fender Telecaster, as much a piece of art as a fantastic guitar, much easier to play than my hollow body jazz guitar thanks to a narrower and thinner neck. Neighbours don't like it though.

Why a Tele and not a Strat?

I had a lovely Les Paul at one stage, and a Strat. The difference in weight was astonishing, as was the natural "tone". However with modern digital effects pedals, it didn't matter much when amplified.

Tele's are just as versatile, play nice, have a warmer sound with the neck pick up and look so nice. Shouln't matter, but if you like the look of something, you put more effort into it I believe.

Never liked Strats much.

I didn't like the Strat that much. I only bought it because it had been fitted with a Floyd Rose wang bar (Tremolo) and I was experimenting with those.

Strats were thought of as being a bit more versatile because they had a five way selector switch (for the 3 pickups) but you could also park the switch between selections and get some interesting out of phase pick effects. Like I say, with digital effects it's doesn't matter. I can make my Les Paul sound just like a Tele playing through a Vox AC30.. and I don't own a Vox AC30.

My tele has a four way selector switch and an S1 switch in the volume control which converts both pickups to parallel, so 8 settings instead of four, with my tube amp with 16 effects and two channel it's pretty awesome sounding, even in a crap player like me.


Diggers,

I would add the following to Paul Weller who have a pretty long and decent back catalogue in music.

Bernard Sumner (Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, Bad Lieutenant)
Johnny Marr (The Smiths, The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse, The Cribs)
Morrissey (The Smiths, Morrissey)
Terry Hall (The Specials, Fun Boy Three, The Colour Field)
Guru (Gang Staar, Guru's Jazzmatazz)
for a nostalgic element i'd also add Madness too, many a good under-rated album that not many know about.

super_realist wrote:Shanks, Really can't stand Dylan or Lennon/McCartney but still really like Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Stones, Kinks, Faces etc.
I don't underestimate the influence the Beatles had in a drab era but I just don't like 'em.

S_R I just can't believe that you feel the 60's was a drab era - even though you didn't live through it!

Not only on the music front, but in every other aspect of daily life, the 60's were full of colour, promise and affluence. Drab! Rubbish, I stay out of most arguments on this board, but in this case you are just plain wrong! You are of course entitled to your opinions on the music of the day, but you cannot really believe a decade drab, when it saw the ascent of Biba, Mary Quant, David Bailey, Habitat, Jimi Hendrix, flower power, the Doors, JFK, Woodstock or closer to home The Isle of Wight festival - all as colourful and interesting as you could possibly want.

On the other hand, I am ashamed to say that in the late 60's I was often seen with a very cheap acoustic guitar in hand, manfully trying to copy Dylan, Donovan, Simon et al. was I good?

Shankers, What I mean about being drab is that it was drab before the Beatles led revolution came along music wise. Hard to argue with that, especially in the UK where the likes of Max Bygraves and Des O Conner were probably topping the "hit parade" prior to their arrival on the scene.

I respect what the Beatles have done in music and for music, but by and large I'm not a fan of much of their music, certainly compared to the others that I mention.
Nowadays though, McCartney should do us all a favour and retire, he is a has-been and hasn't done anything credible for decades, just another politicising idiot musician like Bono who exists purely to annoy people.

Would actually have thought The Beatles lit up what had been the drab fifties in a country still recovering from the war and governed by geriatrics from two or three generations previous.

When Love Me Do came out, even though it was only a minor "hit", it seemed the music and cultural landscape changed, the Billy Cotton Band Show replaced by Ready Steady Go almost overnight! And in 1963 the Swinging Sixties ratchetted into high gear. Thank goodness.

Even Scotland was represented, albeit a little later, by Donovan and Lulu!!

OK - I misinterpreted your words. Yes, the 50's were drab and grey in the extreme. Mind you, food rationing was still in force then.

Mac you should go retro and have a read of Carl Sagans Cosmos plus Dr Bronowskis Ascent of Man.Incredible considering when they were put together.
Your lad will love Monaco.

For those that are interested I completed the Portsmouth Coastal Marathon (aka the mud wallow) in a time of 3hrs, 51mins and 23secs. Well chuffed with myself all things considered.

Next up the Richmond Park Marathon!

Congrat's Hibbz, That's pretty sporty. Certainly much better, relatively speaking, than PFC's efforts recently. Wonder how they route the course - the sea front from Eastney to Old Portsmouth would be scenic in summer, not so much in December . . . .

Good luck at Richmond Park - site of my first ever foray with golf clubs in hand.

Kwini, we started at the Pyramid Centre in Southsea (I don't know the area but I'd hazard a guess it was built after you moved) along the coast in parts on the beach to Hayling Island to the end of the Billy Line (means nothing to me but might to you) and then back again.



PS if someone that knows how wants to hide this image then feel free I've no idea how.

Makes me feel quite homesick - thanks!! Disappointed you didn't get to do a lap of Fratton Park.

golf off, skiing on. this winter is time to introduce the kids to the sport. although the whacky weather in scotland at the moment isn't making it easy to plan a couple of days at glenshee/ 'gorm/ lecht. might have to resort to the snow dome at braehead.

Same as 3putt... off to Oesterreich for me soon, hoping the weather and snow will co-operate.

Otherwise, outdoors golf has been off for me for a while, but sadly the indoors golf was very much on these holidays. Santa made a big mistake this time round by bringing me this stuff...

Spoiler:

Sad, I know...