themaninblack

I think I need to steer clear of my record collection, I was listening to his album The Madcap Laughs at the weekend. Oh well in for a penny, in for a pound *slides out the Max Bygraves record from its sleeve with a sly grin* I wonder, I just wonder..... GET OUT YER BEEFHEARTS, HE'S ON MY LIST....

Very strange. Last night, while watching Saxondale on TV, I started to strum on my electric guitar. Towards the end of the jam, I tried out a song on 'The Madcap Laughs' called 'Here I go'. I hadn't played the guitar in months..... Staying on the Barrett theme, I played a few tracks from his 'Barrett' album whilst doing some ironing. I hadn't played that album in months..... Then today, I was at work and this thought came into my head that someone famous had died, and I immediately went to the BBC News website. Lo and behold.... The first album I ever bought was 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn'.... When I started playing guitar, I instinctively sought to learn the chords of his songs... He was one of my heroes

I didn't think that it was that bad a tournament. There were some great goals. The Best World Cup is always the one when you're 6-10 anyway (in my case 1982). I must admit that 2006 does bear some relation to Italia '90. They'll have to change the rules a touch. Try and up the pace a bit. Too many stoppages for non-existant injuries etc, etc. I think the media are a bit down because England were shite. They all thought that is was going to be the one. Turned out to be the same as before. It comes to pass when the Germans are the exciting team....

The best World Cup finals match in 20 years. Surely the Italians will win the World Cup... A match to restore anyone's faith in the beautiful game!

It's high time we buried the myth of Dutch football. They were good in the 70s, but now they're just a so-so team of players, who foul and cheat with the best of them. Its the same with Brazil, all this cooing over them, like they were going to reproduce their 1974 magic, and they clearly wont. The Dutch are like any other European team...

I don't want to boast or nothing, but I am They're Dead Y'Know! As you'll see below, Mr G is in themaninblack top 50... John Freeman's next...I can feel it!

I think this World Cup has been good so far: the football has been great (esp. Argentina) and the supporters have been great, including the English. But the media have been apalling, right through from the tabloids to the broadsheets and television. There's nothing wrong with supporting your country, with hope as well as expectation. But it's the snide comments, paricularly from the commentators that has been off-putting. Take Tyldesley for example. He commentated on the Czech Rep vs Ghana game (great match BTW), and he was very good: his voice was on a lower register than for England games and imparted the occasion with a studied impariality (as you would). But when it comes to England games, he chucks any sense of proportion out of the window and witters on hysterically. The best TV commentators are Steve Wilson (BBC) and John Champion (ITV) who are both ranked third in the running by their channels. And don't get me started on the pundits....

It's all starting to dribble away from him. Even the NME have turned their backs on him. He's a druggie bum, left in the gutter, while that arch parasite Kate Moss saunters off with a fat new contract and dropped drugs charges....

I've gone for Dino. The deaths this year have trickled with remarkable consistency. One a month....

Not many left of the Beatles and entourage is there? Lennon - dead Harrison - dead Epstein - dead Preston - dead Mal Evans - dead Derek Taylor - dead etc, etc...

I tell you what, it wont be Norman Wisdom! I saw him on Central News today and he looks good enough for a while yet. The Gand Old Man of British Comedy...

Peter Bryant, producer of Doctor Who in the 1960s has died after a long illness Peter Bryant 300 up!

Apparently, he only knew on Friday that he was going to die! I've heard of people being given 6 months to live, but 5 DAYS!!! Bet that was a tough moment for his Doc...

....and so Stanley Kunitz rides to the rescue...

It was a brain haemorrage wasn't it? Sometimes you have to say that footballers get Parkinsons, Alzheimers, and other brain/head afflications through football but as Jesper was so small, I can't recall him heading that many balls He had Ron Atkinson as manager, that's enough to do anyones head in that would!

Phew! you had me going there for a second...

Hey, I'm intelligent (in a general sort of 'no use to anyone' way, but you didn't say wise) & lazy, but I still work. Well I have a job, it's not quite the same thing. Although when I'm at work I always feel I drop a few dozen IQ points on entering the building and vice versa, so that makes me stupid too, meaning I'm an integral part of the current economic system by my reckoning. I am at work at the moment though, so who knows? I did see a Sir Bobby Robson interview on Sky last night, and he looked and sounded fine, just a bit forgetful, so no change there. There, that bit was relevant, even if it contained no news of any worth at all. I saw that interview, he didn't look well at all. it's in the eyes. A fair bet for 07....

What a miss....Like Ronnie Rosenthal with the goal at his mercy....

It's a lull, but as sure as God made little apples, there will be a glut of deaths. I could do with a few on my DDP and the list below... Watch this space...

Forever Changes - one of the greatest albums ever made... ...great cover too!

Denis Donaldson, the former Sinn Fein leader cum British spy, found shot dead in Co. Donegal The Secret Agent Considering the circumstances, this was inevitable...

How many of them are left now? They're starting to get ticked off the register at a fair lick these days...

Humphrey the Downing Street Cat has died... Humphrey the cat

Yeah, where is our periodical pun fest! Who is the leader anyway?

Good call, I'm always slightly surprised he's still alive!