In It's Own Good Time

I got a bit carried away with today's selection.

I was keen to create another long-form piece, three to four tracks, each around the twenty-minute mark. I ended up with a short list of eight, couldn't whittle them down any further, so I used them.

A single, eight-song selection would have clocked in at nearly three hours, so instead I've sequenced the tracks into two separate 'phases', each coming in at 83-84 minutes.

The music  spans the last five decades, though mostly comes from the 21st century. There are two 'oldies'. Tangerine Dream were properly introduced to me through listening to The Orb in the 1990s. Green Desert was recorded in 1973 but not finished and released until 1986, as part of the vinyl box set In The Beginning...

I read about Les Rallizes Dénudés first, in Julian Cope's absorbing and essential Japrocksampler, and were one of many such bands that I actively tracked down after finishing the book. There are relatively few official Les Rallizes Dénudés releases, and tons of unofficial ones. Enter The Mirror usually clocks in at around ten minutes, but the version here comes in at double that.

The Arch Drude himself follows suit, having put out what seems like dozens of albums , particularly the Rite series, featuring extended jams and/or streams of consciousness. Last year, Julian returned with I Dream The Cosmos Atavistic.

Likewise, Moby has been putting out music like this ever since he put out a 33-minute ambient version of 1994 single Hymn. His Long Ambients/LA series is exactly as the title describes. It may send you to sleep, but then that was Moby's intention all along.

A surprise addition in 2003 was Paddy McAloon's album I Trawl The Megahertz, not least the 22-minute opening song. If you've not heard it, I won't spoil things with a description. Suffice to say it's a radical - and beautiful - departure from his work as Prefab Sprout. When the album was reissued in 2019, it was rebranded as Prefab Sprout, but this is a one-of-a-kind record from a one-of-a-kind artist.

Dungen were recommended to me by my friend John, Swedish prog/psych rock for the modern age. Today's featured song is Midsommarbongen, which you can translate without too much trouble as 'The Midsummer Bong' which probably tells you all you need to know about what the music sounds like.

The first track on Phase 1 and the last track on Phase 2 are courtesy of Richard Norris, who has released 20-minute ambient pieces on a monthly basis for years now, transforming it into an art form.

Spring - Alban Eilir is from Richard's 2023 edition of his Music For Healing series. It not only felt like a timely inclusion, but also features some beautiful trumpet floating throughout. Land by Deep Earth Network is so fresh that it came out in March. An "earth inspired sonic journey" created by Danny Hammond, mastered by Richard and featuring shack- and field-recordings and spoken word, including those inspiring today's post title.

Phase 1

1) Spring - Alban Eilir: Richard Norris (2023)

2) Green Desert: Tangerine Dream (1973)

3) LA3: Moby (2016)

4) I Trawl The Megahertz: Paddy McAloon (2003)

Phase 2

1) Enter The Mirror (Mars Studio Version 2): Les Rallizes Dénudés (1980)

2) Psalm Zero: Julian Cope (2025)

3) Midsommarbongen: Dungen (2001)

4) Land 1: Deep Earth Network (2026)

1986: Green Desert: A2

2003: I Trawl The Megahertz: A4

2005: Dungen 1999-2001: B3

2012: Mars Studio 1980: B1

2016: Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep.: A3

2023: Music For Healing: Equinox 3: A1

2025: I Dream The Cosmos Atavistic: B2

2026: Land: B4

In It's Own Good Time (Phase 1) (1:24:01) (GD) (M)

In It's Own Good Time (Phase 2) (1:23:37) (GD) (M)

If that's not enough and you want to fill your boots/mind/day with more of the same, take your pick!

Chic Thug Stuttered Through A Stereo Dream (August 2021)

Conchoidal Fracture (January 2022)

Monoliths (May 2023)

Sendimentary Sedentary (October 2023)

Urban Head Musics (July 2021) / More Urban Head Musics (February 2022)

Kaleidoscopic Mind

2000 got off to a pretty good start, gig-wise, with not one but two pairs of free tickets, courtesy of my local newspaper. The first of these * was Moby at The Anson Rooms, Bristol University Student Union's sizeable venue in the heart of upmarket Clifton.

Back then, it didn't occur to me that my luck in sending in my details to the Evening Post - I don't recall that there was even a question to answer, to make it 'competitive' - and 'winning' on both occasions may have had anything to do with an underselling gig.

Moby's star was on the rise once more and after playing Glastonbury that summer, the chances of seeing him perform live in such an intimate UK venue again were nil. There was a catch, though: the free tickets included a 'meet and greet' with Moby before the show.

I went to The Anson Rooms with my friend Dave. We were both working together at the time, and were both fans of the album Play well before it became a global phenomenon. Dave was always up for a gig or club night and so we got there early to meet the man himself.

I honestly don't know who was most awkward, myself and Dave, or Moby. There were a fair few of us in a small room, variously sat at tables or standing, and we could see Moby making his way round, until he finally sat with Dave and I.

I hadn't really given the 'meet and greet' a lot of thought, so I was not there with questions ready to pull out and talking to artists pre- or post-show is not something I've actively sought, before or after.

So there we were, exchanging a few slightly uncomfortable niceties, which trying to show how pleased we were to be there and see the show, when I suddenly blurted out,

"I've seen you once before, at The Fleece & Firkin, when you toured the Animal Rights album. It was brilliant."

Now that was all true but, as history has continued to demonstrate, it's probably the one Moby we don't talk about. After the commercial success of the club-oriented 1995 album Everything Is Wrong, Moby's follow up Animal Rights was pretty much a full-on metal album and pretty much a full-on failure in terms of sales. 

Whilst hopes for Play in 1999 were modest at best, it was at least a return to the electronic mindset that had previously proved fruitful and no doubt the imminent concert was going to (excuse the pun) play to those strengths.

So, being reminded of the Animal Rights album by a bumbling Bristolian and worse, getting the impression that said tour was the standard by which he would be judged was probably the last thing that Moby wanted to hear prior to going on stage. He thanked us both for coming, even though he must also have known we'd got free tickets, and went to the next table. 

Suffice to say, Moby smashed it that evening. There are probably those who came to the gig on the strength of Porcelain or Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? and expecting some lovely if melancholic dance music that was easy on the beats (and the knees).

And whilst there were moments like that, including the intro tape of My Weakness and the mid-set placement of Everloving, both downtempo moments from Play, the set as a whole hit pretty hard, even the relatively gentle singles Natural Blues and Run On sounding considerably beefed up in a live setting.

As for the dancefloor diaphragm shakers, plenty of evidence throughout the night: Machete, Go, Next Is The E, Ah Ah, Bring Back My Happiness, Bodyrock and Feeling So Reel had the audience's adrenalin pumping and Moby was matching it, bounce for bounce, frequently climbing or standing on kit and jumping off (though no stage divimg, that I recall).

The evening ended with set closing staple, Thousand, evey single one of those thousand BPMs rinsing out any angst or worry about the earlier encounter with the raving lunatic on stage. 

The only downside was that neither Dave nor I had thought to book the following day off work. 'Light duties' and ringing ears are pretty much all I can remember about Thursday 3rd February 2000...

The running order for Moby's show in Bristol that night hasn't been published online so for today's Dubhed selection, I created a composite of setllists from Moby's concerts in Vienna (Jan 2000), Darmstadt (Feb 2000) and Glastonbury (Jun 2000) as they are all very similar.

As the selection runs to a whopping 18 tracks, I've opted for single, radio and video edits for many, the occasional (short) remix and then album versions for the rest. All of which means that this gig facsimile comes in at just under 63 minutes, considerably less than the concert itself which I think ran for nearly two hours.

The gig tickets is also a fake, courtesy of the Ticket Generator app. I don't know that I actually received a physical ticket for either of my Evening Post freebies; it's possible that I was just a name on a list at the door. 

1) My Weakness (Album Version) (1999)

2) Machete (Album Version) (1999)

3) Find My Baby (Video Version) (1999)

4) Porcelain (US Video Version) (2000)

5) Go ('I Like To Score' Version) (1998)

6) James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version) (Single Version) (Cover of John Barry & Orchestra) (1997)

7) Next Is The E (Cool World Mix ft. Nicole Zaray) (1993)

8) Everloving (Album Version) (1999)

9) Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? (Single Version ft. The Shining Light Gospel Choir) (1999)

10) Ah-Ah (Album Version) (1992)

11) Bring Back My Happiness (Album Version ft. Rozz Morehead & Saundra Williams) (1995)

12) Natural Blues (Single Version ft. Vera Hall) (2000)

13) The Sky Is Broken (Album Version) (1999)

14) Bodyrock (Video Intro / Album Version ft. Nikki D) (1999)

15) Honey (Remix Edit By DJ Fafu ft. Kelis) (2000)

16) Run On (Video Version) (1999)

17) Feeling So Real (7" Edit ft. Kochie Banton, Myim Rose & Nicole Zaray) (1994)

18) Thousand (Single Version) (1993)

1992: The Story So Far: 10

1993: I Feel It / Thousand EP: 18

1993: Next Is The E EP: 7

1994: Feeling So Real EP: 17

1995: Everything Is Wrong: 11

1997: James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-Version) EP: 6

1998: I Like To Score: 5

1999: Play: 1, 2, 8, 13, 14

1999: Run On EP: 16

1999: Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? EP: 9

2000: Natural Blues EP: 12

2000: Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? / Honey EP: 15

2001: Play: The DVD: 3, 4, 14

Kaleidoscopic Mind (1:02:45) (GD) (M)

* The second was The The a couple of months later, which I thought I'd previously covered but haven't. One for a future Dubhed selection...

Dave Dreaming (For Dave S.)

Celebrating my friend Dave Scantlebury, 11th December 1957 to 20th January 2009.

We shared a birthday and a voracious, genre-defying appetite for music. We knew each other for less than a decade and a half, worked together for less, but those times were crammed full of music swaps, nights out and the occasional gig. Today's selection barely scratches the surface, yet also sums up what connected us.

Dave would have turned 69 on 11th December this year, and I'm sure he would still have been the life of the party, still doing 100-mile charity bike rides and still enthusiastically waving his latest music purchase at me, wanting to know if I'd heard it too.

I wish I'd seen Dave more often, had more days and nights out together, I wish he was still around to share music with. He still inspires.

69 Police is a rather on-the-nose reference to the age that Dave would have reached in 2026, and it's also a nod to the fact that we were both huge fans of David Holmes, pre- and post- his move into big budget Hollywood soundtracks. 

I first heard Bow Down To The Exit Sign via a CD-R rip that Dave gave me, although I bought my own legitimate copy on CD soon after. 69 Police is a joy and we were both particularly taken with Kieran Hebden's remix, then in that transitory period between leaving Fridge and finding his own audience as Four Tet.

Needless to say, we were also obsessed with everything that Andrew Weatherall did, musically speaking. Two Lone Swordsmen was perhaps very niche and bit too much for those that wanted him to repeat Screamadelica ad nauseum. That was never going to happen and we both loved these increasingly harder edged excursions into electro. 2000 album Tiny Reminders (another 'preview' rip from Dave before I got my own CD) is arguably the perfect distillation of this and one we got very excited about when it was released. 

Spiritualized was arguably a group that I liked but really grew to love through our friendship as Dave would wax lyrical in the pub over the genius of Jason Pierce. Amazing Grace in 2003 - and another 'try before you buy' gift from Dave - was an astonishing reaction to the increasingly expansive, densely orchestrated, out there albums that had been built up through the 1990s, a scuzzy, abrasive, quick-and-dirty sounding album that still followed the Spiritualized blueprint to brilliant effect.

A memorable gig that Dave and I went to in 2000 was at Fiddlers, the site of a former prison (c. 1740) in a suburb south of central Bristol. Touring their collaborative album Stop The Panic were electronic wunderkind Luke Vibert and legendary pedal steel guitar player B.J. Cole. It was as brilliant a show as it was a joy just to see the expression on their faces, especially B.J.'s, when they realised how much the audience were enjoying it.

Not only that, but the support was a set from Mike Paradinas, better known to us for his association with Aphex Twin and recordings under a plethora of aliases, most notably µ-Ziq. So, a pick from each to commemorate a great night out.

Dave selected Mott The Hoople and Culture to be played at the service celebrating his life, delivered by journalist, news presenter and interfaith minister Susan Osman. I shared the entire list in my post from 2022 and featured Two Sevens Clash by the latter, which reappears today, albeit an alternative version from a John Peel session in 1983.

Although I didn't explicitly mark Dave's passing in 2024, instead posting a 'chart history' selection from 20th January 1974, the latter also featured Mott The Hoople. I am taking this as a sign that following a two-year cycle in 2022 and 2024, Mott The Hoople had to appear again in 2026 and therefore they are also included in this selection. 

Dave and I were both at the Massive Attack gig at Bristol Harbourside in August 2004 and - you guessed it - massive fans, whilst we previously got to have an awkward exchange with Moby in February 2000 as part of the pre-show prize for my winning a pair tickets for his University of Bristol concert, courtesy of local newspaper, the Evening Post.

Dave also switched me on to DJ mix CDs, particularly the Essential Mix, Late Night Tales and Fabric series, the latter boasting an especially fine set from mutual favourites, Glasgow duo Slam. Their dub of Seventeen by Ladytron was a standout selection and I've included the full length version here.

The last gig that Dave and I went to was billed as a Green Gartside solo set, which in fact turned out to be a full band Scritti Politti gig in the intimate surround of the Arnolfini arts centre on Bristol's harbourside. It was an unforgettable experience and the few of us there, including Mrs. K and a couple of friends, knew we had witnessed something special. I had no idea that this would be the final time that I would see live music with Dave, yet it was perfect in every way.

The selection ends inevitably with another act that we both loved, and another album that Dave loaned me. We were both hooked on The Future Sound Of London and when they released The Isness as Amorphous Androgynous in 2002, it was just next-level greatness.

Even the packaging was sublime, what I can only described a Chinese puzzle box-inspired CD flip box that required some thought and effort to unlock the 'secret' drawer to reveal the shiny disc within. No CD-R preview this time, Dave lent me the precious artefact so that I could enjoy the full immersive experience.

I love The Isness and, when I finally managed to get my own copy of the limited edition CD, it became the soundtrack to my and Mrs. K's summer, shared nights sat on the somewhat precarious rooftop terrace of our home at the time, glugging red wine and enjoying the journey from sunset to warm summer night. Admittedly, occasionally interrupted by the sound and light of a police helicopter chasing down the latest car jacker, but otherwise as blissful as you could imagine.

So many happy memories, either directly with or indirectly because of Dave. He was universally loved by everyone that I knew, which I guess is evident by how his presence remains with me, to this day.

Cheers, Dave, and thanks for everything.

1) 69 Police (Kieran's Remix By Kieran Hebden): David Holmes ft. Sean Gullette (2000)

2) Death To All Culture Snitches: Two Lone Swordsmen (2000)

3) She Kissed Me (It Felt Like A Hit): Spiritualized (2003)

4) Roy Castle: µ-Ziq (1995)

5) Hipalong Hop: Luke Vibert & B.J. Cole ft. Mexeena Carlos (2000)

6) Thunderbuck Ram: Mott The Hoople (1970)

7) Two Sevens Clash (John Peel Session): Culture (1983)

8) Daydreaming (Instrumental): Massive Attack (1990)

9) Seventeen (Slam Dub): Ladytron (2002)

10) Porcelain (Torsten Stenzel's Edited Remix): Moby (2000)

11) Robin Hood (Album Version): Scritti Politti (2006)

12) Go Tell It To The Trees Egghead: Amorphous Androgynous (2002)

1970: Mad Shadows: 6

1987: The Peel Sessions EP: 7

1990: Daydreaming EP: 8

1995: Trance Europe Express 3: 4

2000: Porcelain EP: 10

2000: 69 Police EP: 1

2000: Stop The Panic: 5

2000: Tiny Reminders: 2

2002: Seventeen EP: 9

2002: The Isness: 12

2003: Amazing Grace: 3

2006: White Bread Black Beer: 11

Dave Dreaming (For Dave S.) (58:36) (GD) (M)

Decayed II: 2003

Side 2 of an imaginary mixtape, documenting each year of the 2000s.

2003 saw the USA invade Iraq and, by year end, capture Saddam Hussein. The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere, with the tragic loss of seven astronauts. Iconic aircraft Concorde made it's final flight. Someone cheated on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? And Jemini, the UK's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, came last with nil points.

Much as I'm drawn to the musical underdog, I'll manage your disappointment by saying now that Jemini do not appear in today's pick of dozen songs from 2003. Instead, it's the usual eclectic mix of hits and misses and hopefully a few surprises.

Kicking off with an unexpected partnership, The Chemical Brothers returned with one of two new singles for a 'best of' compilation, featuring The Flaming Lips. Wayne Coyne is on fine form on The Golden Path, narrating a tale of the afterlife that is propelled along on a sea of beats in a very pleasing way. 

Another nostalgia fest is 70s 80s by Nightmares On Wax, rapper LSK aka Leigh Kenny recounting childhood memories of Doc Martens, racism, riots, Crackerjack and Jim'll Fix It. It was nearly a decade later before the horror of the latter was exposed via Operation Yewtree.

Electric Six seemed to come out of nowhere with a crazy video and a crazy song that was strangely compelling. I bought the remix single as I was a fan of Stuart Price aka Jacques Lu Cont aka Les Rythmes Digitales aka The Thin White Duke (the other one). Actually, the best remix on the CD turned out to be by Finnish trio Kilogram aka Mikko Viljakainen, Timo Kaukolampi and Tuomo Ilmari Puranen. Danger! High Voltage is a great song, in any variation.

The two big hitters of the year for me were Crazy In Love by Beyoncé, featuring her paramour and future husband Jay-Z and built upon the brilliant sample of Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So) by Chi-Lites. Still Beyoncé's defining moment, in my opinion.

The other was OutKast, who effectively released two solo albums as one with Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Hey Ya! came from the latter, Andre 3000 creating an unforgettable tune (and video) that put everything else that he (and Big Boi) did in the shade.

Back to ingenious use of samples and David Holmes was also in on the act with his new combo The Free Association. Holmes had previously included Johnny Jones & The King Casuals' cover of the Hendrix classic Purple Haze in his excellent Come Get It I Got It mix. Here, the sampled riff underpins Everybody Knows, vocalists Petra Jean Phillipson and Sean Reveron swapping exchanges over the top.

Speaking of covers, Canadian DJ/producer Tiga recorded a cover of Hot In Herre by Nelly which was initially released by !K7 Records in 2002 as part of their DJ-Kicks series. It was picked up the following year by Skint Records, home of Fatboy Slim and Lo-Fidelity Allstars, for release in the UK with remixes by Richard X and Radio Slave. The original is still the best, featuring a guest spot from Jake Shears, who managed a higher UK chart position later the same year with his band Scissor Sisters. More of them next time.

18 was Moby's follow up to the ubiquitous Play album and, whilst there was a similar licensing frenzy to get his music into commercials everywhere, the music and the album as a whole didn't quite have the same impact, despite some impressive guest stars.

Jam For The Ladies wasn't officially released as a single in the UK, although it was readily available on 12" and CD from your friendly neighbourhood record shop. I went for the latter, not least because Moby brought along Princess Superstar to join Angie Stone and MC Lyte from the original album version. Angie was sadly lost to us in March this year.

Another friendship that bore fruit was Beth Gibbons and Paul Webb, the latter recording as Rustin Man. They'd known each other for a decade, when Beth wanted to be vocalist with Webb and Talk Talk bandmate Lee Harris' project .O.Rang. The rise of Portishead meant that Beth only got to record a little with .O.Rang, but when the former went on hiatus, an opportunity presented for Beth and Paul to record again, delivered the stunning album Out Of Season.

On a related indie tip, Turin Brakes enjoyed a Top 5 hit with Pain Killer, which prompted me to catch up with them and their second album, Ether Song. Lyrically, the imagery of cycling in the rain and catching a cold shouldn't be as uplifting as it is, but the song is an absolute joy.

As is Soldier Girl by The Polyphonic Spree, headed by Tim DeLaughter and a seemingly literal cast of thousands (later including Annie Clark aka St. Vincent). Soldier Girl is presented here in its radio edit/single form, and is essentially a two-and-a-half minute chorus, Brilliant stuff.

Closing with the future retro sound of Danish dynamic duo The Raveonettes, namely Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo. Fantastic names all round. I love them and That Great Love Sound is as good a calling card as any for what The Raveonettes are about. That Great Love Sound first charted in August 2003 and was released the following year with brand new remixes by the man of the moment, Jacknife Lee. Incredibly, the single performed worse the second time around, failing to reach the Top 40. Proof perhaps that The Raveonettes got it right the first time...

And that's it for another year and another weekend. 

What will next week have in store? Well... three #1s, one #100 (!), several 1980s and 1990s artists making an unexpected return, plus plenty of fresh young faces. Oh, and lots of lovely guitar riffs.

1) The Golden Path (Edit): The Chemical Brothers ft. The Flaming Lips

2) Danger! High Voltage (Kilogram Remix): Electric Six

3) 70s 80s (Radio Edit): Nightmares On Wax ft. LSK

4) Crazy In Love (Album Version): Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z

5) Everybody Knows (Album Version): The Free Association

6) Hot In Herre (Radio Edit) (Cover of Nelly) : Tiga ft. Jake Shears

7) Jam For The Ladies (Radio Mix): Moby ft. Princess Superstar, Angie Stone & MC Lyte

8) Hey Ya! (Radio Mix / Club Mix): OutKast

9) Pain Killer (Album Version): Turin Brakes

10) Tom The Model (Album Version): Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man

11) Soldier Girl (Radio Edit): The Polyphonic Spree

12) That Great Love Sound (Album Version): The Raveonettes

12th January 2003: Fire (#2): 2

23rd February 2003: Ether Song (#5): 9

2nd March 2003: Mind Elevation (#76): 3

9th March 2003: Out Of Season (#70): 10

6th April 2003: David Holmes Presents The Free Association (#74): 5

6th July 2003: Dangerously In Love (#1): 4

20th July 2003: The Beginning Stages Of... The Polyphonic Spree (#26): 11

27th July 2003: 18 (# n/a): 7

24th August 2003: Chain Gang Of Love (#34): 12

31st August 2003: Hot In Herre EP (#46): 6

21st September 2003: Singles 93-03 (#17): 1

8th February 2004: Speakerboxxx / The Love Below (#3): 8 *

Side Two (45:12) (GD) (M)

* Hey Ya! was a new entry at #6 in the UK singles chart the week of 16th November 2003. It then spent all but one week of the next four months in the Top 20, peaking at #3 on 8th February 2004.

If you enjoyed this, you may also wish to check out my previous selections for 1983 and 1993.

Decayed I: 2000

Side 1 of a faux FX Super Ferric C90 cassette, properly kicking off a new series of mixtapes that never were, and a follow on from my previous runs through the 1980s and 1990s.

There was a thirty five year gap between Decade and its sequel, Decadance (sic). A mere eight months' wait this time!

The 2000s was a significant decade for me: I became a house owner, a husband, a father; I changed jobs; I got a home computer (with dial up internet!); I went to more comedy gigs than music gigs; I finally went to Japan with Mrs. K, and we had an unforgettable month there.

I also listened to music, lots of music, but even that was changing. Whereas the move from the 1980s to the 1990s had seen a shift from vinyl to CDs, as the 2000s progressed, there was a further shift from CDs to MP3s.

Entering the decade, I was still making mixtapes, though that shifted quickly to CD-Rs as soon as Casa K had a computer and printer set up at home. Times were changing, and I was trying to keep up.

I was no longer keeping up with Top Of The Pops or the UK charts, though. The former had pretty much lost me in the previous decade, with the predominance of bland bands that were visually and aurally uninteresting. 

Likewise, the stupid marketing of the early 2000s saw a smaller number of songs spread across an increasing number of formats. The chances of getting a decent, value-for-money EP were a thing of the past and instead, completists would be forced to buy the two or three CD singles, possibly a DVD and/or a 12" vinyl, to get a mere 5 or 6 songs.

First week promos and multi-buy deals meant that the chances of singles getting to #1 in the UK were pretty good; staying at #1 (or even remaining in the Top 10) by week two less so. According to Iffypedia, there were 274 UK #1 singles in the 2000s, 11 of those by Westshite, which illustrates better than anything how bad things were.

And yet... despite my expectation that this series would highlight a yawning chasm between music I enjoyed and chart success, I've been surprised by the consistent hits across this series. Starting with today's selection, there are a fair number of songs that either didn't chart or failed to crack the Top 30, but there are more Top 5s than I was expecting, too.

Enough of my yakking, let's get into things with the year 2000.

Last Sunday's Decayed Prelude revealed a number of artists that failed to make the cut for any of the ten upcoming selections. Likewise, many in the next five weeks will make just one appearance, including today's opening act, Primal Scream.

When I 'reviewed' their XTRMNTR album for the back page of an A5 DIY comic zine that I was selling in Forbidden Planet for 50p, it amounted to one word: FLLR. My opinion hasn't significantly shifted in the quarter century since: it's a good (imaginary) compilation of mixes and B-sides, but didn't and doesn't hang together for me as a proper album.  

Much as I love Kill All Hippies with it's samples of Linda Manz from Dennis Hopper's 1980 film Out Of The Blue and one of the filthiest basslines ever, it didn't (excuse the pun) scream 'single!" to me. Yet it was, I bought it, and it got to #24.

All Saints were also enjoying continuing success by association with a film, albeit a contemporary release. I revisit the soundtrack to The Beach more often than the film itself, due to the spot-on choice of artists. 

I wasn't a fan of All Saints, but I was a sucker for William Orbit's bleeps and bloops and on Pure Shores, it was a perfect pairing. The record buying public agreed, and it scored All Saints their fourth UK #1.

Other Top 5 hits include Kids by Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue, a pop song so good that they both included it on their albums released that year. The single was held off the top spot by U2 (Beautiful Day), though both were supplanted by Steps and the Baha Men the following week.

Porcelain was about the 500th single from Moby's mega-successful Play (an achievement in itself, given that there are only 18 songs on the album). The single peaked at #5, the most successful of the Play singles released here. 

Moloko are the third and final Top 5 contender this time, with the sublime The Time Is Now and my personal favourite of everything that Róisín Murphy and Mark Brydon wrote and recorded together. You've got Melanie C and Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes to thank for keeping this cracker off the top spot, as they released Never Be The Same Again the same week. Prophetic words, as Westshite had evicted them a week later.

Apart from Primal Scream, other Top 30 artists featured here include Black Box Recorder and Finley Quaye, whilst The Dandy Warhols just missed out on the Top 40 this time around with Bohemian Like You. However, they returned with a vengeance (and the same song) the following year, thanks to its use in a Vodafone advert.

Given that I ditched Groovejet by Spiller and Sophie Ellis-Bextor from my 2000 shortlist, the inclusion of obscure Australian electronic act Gerling may be a surprise. What was a surprise to me was that their single Enter Spacecapsule actually made it to #33. I picked it up on spec from the bargain bin at Replay Records in Bristol at the time and immediately fell in love with it. I had a similar reaction to the Mekon single guest starring 80s legend Roxanne Shanté. Bring it on!

Likewise with the lush combo of strings and beats, courtesy of ex-Voodoo Queen, Anjali. Lazy Lagoon was one of the very first MP3s I downloaded (for free) from the Wiiija Records website in 2000. Took bloody ages thanks to my ultra slow dial-up internet connection, though it was worth it. The single failed to chart - I bought the CD single a while later, dirt cheap - but it and the eponymous debut album that homes it, comes highly recommended.

Shocking to think now that Lovely Head, the debut single by Goldfrapp, also failed to chart back in the day. I've pretty much lost track of what Alison Goldfrapp is up to these days, though her work with Will Gregory still has the power to thrill and this song in particular had it all from the start. Excellent whistling, too.

As with the previous series, the info nerd in me has insisted on including info at the end, listing each single's peak (UK) chart placing and date, and the relevant album it sprung from (or EP if it was a standalone single).

Sunday, as it must, will take a long, hard look at 2001. Space odyssey or space oddity? I'll leave you to decide.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the next 45 minutes of sounds from 2000!

And, if you want even more nostalgia, I've reactivated the previous selections for 1980 and 1990.

1) Kill All Hippies (Brendan Lynch Edit): Primal Scream ft. Linda Manz

2) Pure Shores (The Beach Life Mix By William Orbit): All Saints

3) Kids (Album Version): Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue

4) Porcelain (Single Version): Moby

5) Enter Spacecapsule (Radio Disko Remix): Gerling

6) Lazy Lagoon (Album Version): Anjali

7) The Facts Of Life (Radio Edit): Black Box Recorder

8) Lovely Head (Album Version): Goldfrapp

9) The Time Is Now (Edit): Moloko

10) Spiritualized (Album Version): Finley Quaye

11) What's Going On? (Edit): Mekon ft. Roxanne Shanté

12) Bohemian Like You (Album Version): The Dandy Warhols

20th February 2000: Saints & Sinners / The Beach (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (#1): 2

26th March 2000: XTRMNTR (#24): 1

26th March 2000: Things To Make And Do (#2): 9

16th April 2000: The Facts Of Life (#20): 7

5th June 2000: Felt Mountain (# n/a): 8 *

18th June 2000: Play (#5): 4

25th June 2000: Enter Spacecapsule EP (#33): 5

3rd September 2000: Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia (#42): 12 **

17th September 2000: Vanguard (#26): 10

17th September 2000: Relax With Mekon (#43): 11

15th October 2000: Sing When You're Winning / Light Years (#2): 3

22nd October 2000: Anjali (# n/a): 6

Side One (45:31) (GD) (M)

* Lovely Head had a second bite of the (black) cherry when it was re-released as a double A-side with Pilots (On A Star), peaking at #68 the week of 11th November 2001.

** Likewise, a re-release of Bohemian Like You rocketed the single to #5 in the week of 4th November 2001.

Ha Ha Hallowe'en

A spooky selection today, in a nod to Hallowe'en, whether you will ready for the hordes of Trick or Treaters, or battening down the hatches and pretending you're not in when the doorbell rings.

Inevitably, lots of Halloween-referencing songs to choose from, though dig a little deeper into some of the lyrics and you may be surprised by what you find. I've also lobbed in a few pumpkins, though they're not necessarily seasonal tunes.

I had to include some music by John Carpenter, though rather than go for the obvious with the main theme of 1978's defining moment Halloween, I've instead picked an extract from the 2018 'sequel', which Carpenter scored for director David Gordon Green. 

1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins was a classic slice of nostalgic rock until Moby got his hands on it and transformed it into a spine-tingling horrorshow. 1979 was a ripe year for horror films, with Alien, Phantasm, The Driller Killer, The Amityville Horror, The Brood, Nosferatu The Vampyre, and a(nother) remake of Dracula.

The Prisoner by Tears For Fears is the penultimate song on their debut album The Hurting and a re-recorded version of an old B-side. It gave me the chills when I listened to it as a young lad, though it was - and remains - one of the best things they've ever done.

The Basement Jaxx remix of Trick Me by Kelis is arguably far too upbeat for inclusion in this selection, but I like the jarring juxtaposition with Siouxsie & The Banshees before and Phoebe Bridgers afterwards.

And, having recently discovered EMF's unexpected but strangely compelling cover of Bauhaus' classic Bela Lugosi's Dead, it was a shoo in for this selection.

And who better to start and end proceedings than Misfits? 

1) Halloween: Misfits (1981)

2) Halloween Parade: Lou Reed (1989)

3) Halloween: Ash (1997)

4) Laurie Sees The Shape: John Carpenter (2018)

5) 1979 (Moby Mix): The Smashing Pumpkins (1996)

6) Pumpkin (Reincarnated): Tricky ft. Lucia (2023)

7) Halloween: The Gaslight Anthem (2014)

8) Pumpkin Head Xscapes: The Fall (1992)

9) Halloween: Japan (1979)

10) Halloween: Kirsty MacColl (1991)

11) Halloween: Sonic Youth (1986)

12) The Prisoner (Album Version): Tears For Fears (1983)

13) Halloween: Dead Kennedys (1982)

14) Halloween (Album Version): Siouxsie & The Banshees (1981)

15) Trick Me (Jaxxbackclash Rerub) (Remix By Basement Jaxx): Kelis (2004)

16) Halloween: Phoebe Bridgers (2020)

17) Bela Lugosi's Dead (Cover of Bauhaus): EMF (2025)

18) Halloween II: Misfits (1981)

1979: Quiet Life: 9

1981: Halloween EP: 1, 18

1981: Juju: 14

1982: Plastic Surgery Disasters: 13

1983: The Hurting: 12

1986: Flower / Halloween EP: 11

1989: New York: 2

1991: Electric Landlady: 10

1992: Ed's Babe EP: 8

1996: 1979 EP: 5

1997: A Life Less Ordinary EP: 3

2004: Trick Me EP: 15

2014: Get Hurt (Deluxe Edition): 7

2018: Halloween OST: 4

2020: Punisher: 16

2023: Maxinquaye (Reincarnated): 6

2025: Bela Lugosi's Dead EP: 17

Ha Ha Hallowe'en (1:06:08) (GD) (M)

If that's not frightening enough for you, then I've refreshed my #SpookyTunesSeason selections, originally posted on Bluesky this time last year. Follow the link for Volume One and Volume Two. 

Critical Maas

An hour of Timo Maas' turn of the century remixes to get your pulse racing.

When I think of dance music in the early 2000s, Timo Maas was everywhere, but seemed to be particularly appealing to guitar noiseniks looking to get a piece of club action. Case in point: Muse, Placebo and Garbage. 

Timo also gave the magic touch to electronic music stalwarts Depeche Mode, Moby, and Rick Simmons and Steve Jones, recording here as Lustral but also known for their releases as The Space Brothers and Chakra.

Topping and tailing the selection from the poppier end of the spectrum, Jamiroquai and Kelis, both songs that were okay(ish) in their original form, but really come alive when put through the Maas mixer.

And I couldn't resist including this photo, taken in Gloucester covered market last month and possibly the saddest looking use of a vacant stall that I've seen. A critical mess, if you will.

1) Feels Just Like It Should (Timo Maas Mix): Jamiroquai (2005)

2) Enjoy The Silence (Timo Maas Extended Remix): Depeche Mode (2004)

3) Sunburn (Timo Maas' Sunstroke Remix): Muse (2000)

4) Special K (Timo Maas Remix): Placebo (2001)

5) We Are All Made Of Stars (Timo Maas Dub Mix): Moby (2002)

6) Everytime (Timo Maas Vocal Mix): Lustral ft. Tracy Ackerman (1999)

7) Breaking Up The Girl (Timo Maas Remix): Garbage (2002)

8) Young, Fresh & New (Timo Maas Remix) (Full Vocal): Kelis (2001)

Critical Maas (1:03:28) (GD) (M)

Thirty Five Years, Eight Songs, One Bald Alien

Moby has a new single out, a collaboration with two Brits: producer Goddard. and singer Lovelle.

Stereo is a frentic blast of drum 'n' bass, coming in at under two and a half minutes, with minimal lyrics and a video to match, Goddard. conspicuous by his absence and seemingly replaced by a ripped dancer in shades and sprayed on vest.

All in all, it sounds like a spruced out outtake from 1995, when Moby first dabbled with drum 'n' bass. I'm guessing that there will be a slew of remixes incoming that may get the pulse racing a little more, but this one left me rather cold.

However, it did inspire me to take a leap back, five years at a time, through Moby's back catalogue, landing with his infamous single, Go. First released in 1990, it was a global smash the following year when Moby was prompted to add the Twin Peaks theme tune sample.

Musically, it's been up and down in those three and a half decades, likewise the videos. But when it's good, it's very, very good.

1) Stereo: Moby & Goddard. ft. Lovelle (2025)

2) Power Is Taken: Moby ft. D.H. Peligro (2020)

3) Almost Home: Moby ft. Damien Jurado (2015)

4) Wait For Me: Moby (2010)

5) Spiders: Moby (2005)

6) Natural Blues: Moby (video ft. Christina Ricci) (2000)

7) Into The Blue: Moby ft. Mimi Goese (1995)

8) Go: Moby (1991)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue, Gene

Remembering Gene Hackman, 30th January 1930 to 26th February 2025.

Ernie Goggins at 27 Leggies posted Too Many RIPs on Thursday, noting the recent losses of Jerry Butler, Gwen McCrae, Ken Parker, Bill Fay and Roberta Flack (with Rick Buckler from The Jam also noted). "This has got to stop", pleaded Ernie.

Sadly, later the same day, news emerged that Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and one of the family dogs had all been discovered dead at the home on the Old Sunset Trail in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. 

I will add some words to this post at a later date, as there is a greater understanding of the tragic circumstances that led to this discovery, and to reflect on the impact of Gene's immense and varied acting career.

In the meantime, in time-honoured knee jerk tradition, I've responded by collating an hour-long Dubhed selection, all song titles drawn from Gene's film and TV career. With over 100 credits, there were no shortage of quality contenders, but I think the final 14 hit the spot.

No apologies for tracks 11 and 14, which shoehorn in the film via the subtitle, they were too good to ignore. Likewise, who will argue that the opening song drops the definite article when it's Joni Mitchell?

Farewell, Gene and Betsy.

1) Conversation: Joni Mitchell (1970)

2) Route 66 (Single Version) (Cover of Nat King Cole & The King Cole Trio): Depeche Mode (1987)

3) Bonnie And Clyde (Cover of Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot): Mick Harvey ft. Anita Lane (1995)

4) Misunderstood (Album Version): Leila ft. Donna Paul (1998)

5) Two Of A Kind: Superstar (1998)

6) The Mexican (Short Version): Jellybean ft. Jenny Haan (1987)

7) Downhill Racer (Kenny Dope Remix): Everything But The Girl (2004)

8) The Quick & The Dead: Ladyhawke (2012)

9) Twilight (Album Version): Hifi Sean & David McAlmont (2025)

10) Superman (Album Version) (Cover of The Clique): R.E.M. (1986)

11) Wish You Were Here... (Postcards From The Edge) (Remix By Ashley Beedle): The Aloof (1996)

12) Another Woman (Album Version): Moby ft. Barbara Lynn (2000)

13) Crimson Tide: Destroyer (2020)

14) Plug Me In (The French Connection) (Remix By Rick Phylip-Jones): Scarlet Fantastic (1987)

Blue, Gene (1:01:08) (KF) (Mega)