Oh yesterday came suddenly (Paul Ramone)

There is something very reassuring about being surrounded by familiar objects. I speak of my record collection, of course.

 

It's a rainy old day throughout the length and breadth of Nu Zild and I'm at home in Abbey Road Two with some old friends - John Paul George and Ringo to name a few.

 

The Wings Over America live triple album (remember them?) seemed to pick itself. I'm up to side four. Side three featured acoustic versions of some Beatle favourites: I've Just Seen A Face, Blackbird and Yesterday. Side four is classic Wings.

 

I love live albums - especially triples - tons of room to wig out and throw in surprises like the rare live outing of Go Now. Buying a triple album was always a treat anyway. Three albums, six sides, in the one package!! Woh daddy.

 

My top triple live albums (no doubles or CDs allowed!)

• The Concert For Bangla Desh
• Wings Over America
• Yessongs
• Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends - Ladies and Gentlemen: Emerson Lake & Palmer
• Woodstock
• No Nukes - The MUSE Concerts For A Non-nuclear Future

The thing with the Wings' triple is that Macca's genius gets the proper treatment. So many great songs over those six sides - even allowing for the generosity that resulted in Denny Laine getting a few spots centre stage.

 

My favourite moments - the one two punch of Silly Love Songs and Beware My Love on side five with Paul playing some stonking bass guitar. Silly... is not one of my favourite Macca moments generally, but this version rocks with some great brass behind the bass and a really nice harmony section.

Next post - that brilliant No Nukes triple. What a line up!

Introducing A.R.T.

It's been a while since my last confession. The time has largely been spent readjusting to life in New Zealand and getting A.R.T. sorted.

A.R.T. stands for Abbey Road Two (I rejected Abbey Road South early on for obvious reasons). It's my music centre: a place to store all my records, C.D.s, videos, tapes, 45s, music books, D.V.D.s, posters and my guitar. It's somewhere I will be able to use as an office as well. And it's all mine!!!

When we bought the property in Otane there was a state of the art stable for horses, 12 acres of land, a lovely house and a three bay shed with work room attached. Most of that fulfilled Jacky's dreams, but there was no area for all my stuff.

There was however a huge double garage that was all lined and ready for a conversion programme. So that's what we've been doing.

A.R.T. is still a work in progress. The builder (Cliff) has removed the garage door, put in a sliding door and windows, removed some interior walls and put in other walls so that the laundry and toilet area is separate. He's gib stopped the walls and now I have to redecorate.

All my stuff has been unpacked and is sitting in a pile in the middle of the room so that I can paint.

It feels great to have my vinyl now in my purpose built space. It's always been in cupboard areas away from sight. First record played was Frank Zappa's 200 Motels which I brought home from the UK via the UAE.

The next few entries will focus on the A.R.T. progress and my rediscoveries in the collection.