The eighty-third album: #83 Love - Da Capo

Away from songs, I go back into psychedelic rock.And while it's big in places (especially in one example I'll get back to), a song like Orange Skies has that while still keeping itself contained and personal as well. It sounds out there, but can still connect. This goes through all of them, with songs that don't feel as out there, but move in interesting direction without quite constraining their sound. The variation in songs, on the other hand, is shown in the single 7Is 7, which switches to something more like proto punk instead, sticking to the standard instruments and sounds and considerably upping the speed. It immediately brings the energy back in the album, even if it might not be a perfect fit.

The other half is its own thing. It's not the first song to have a half to itself, but it's still a rarity for the day and here stands as a nearly twenty minute show off piece for the band. There's some interesting performances here, I suppose, but on the whole it's less integrated and less interesting to listen to. It doesn't provide anything new and really feels like the weaker half of the album

The sixty-seventh TV show: #606 The Blue Planet

For our sake, we included Blue Planet II in this watch - might as well, right? - and as that finished tonight, I'm checking it off today.

There's something amazing about nature documentaries, especially when done right, especially when the behaviour is new to you. Blue Planet works well with this, as the sea life it documents is so much more alien to us. Whether you go deep underwater, in places where people have not been seen before, or stick to the rock pools that rely on the flow of tides, there's so much weird life there is.

This is, of course, partially down to it being a great place for life to develop and diversify, which shows here. There are sea animals that are more intelligent and show quite different behaviour, while others are recognisable, simple, but also show where else it can lead. And it feels like a lot is discovered even as these documentaries were being made, showing how much more complex this life is than we think.

At the same time, it shows how fragile the environment can be and how important it is to be careful and try to protect our oceans in the same way that we want to protect the rest of the planet. It's scary, sad, and you can only hope it is something we can turn around.

The three hundred and twentieth song: Life on Mars? - David Bowie

Through all of this list so far, as well as the commentary after his recent death, David Bowie has been building up for me, and this feels like one of the songs that defines why. It's him, but it's a different sound, confident in the way it sounds unlike other songs to some extent. It's a bit alien, as intended, and it works here.

The three hundred and twenty-first song: Bang a Gong (Get It On) - T.Rex

The chorus of this is probably the most famous part, and all of it confirms how rock has moved on - we've entered the era of glam rock, and that stands out. It sounds darker, more aggressive than Life on Mars, while featuring some blues as well. It's a heavy sound, that ends up in your face, while taking some extravagant stylings in there.

The three hundred and twenty-second song: Blackwater Side - Anne Briggs

In the mean time, folk still has its shot and shows it can have a far greater impact with how little it does. With minimal accompaniment, Anne Briggs evokes a mood and sound that stands out and reaches deep into you, telling you a story and setting a mood. Simple, understated but beautiful.

The three hundred and twenty-third song: I Don’t Want to Talk About It - Crazy Horse

We combine what was listed before into a folk rock song that feels like it contains some sadness and despair, a longing mood that becomes impossible to shake. There is not a lot of happiness in it here and while it seems at its core a love song, there's more to it here than that.

The three hundred and twenty-fourth song: A Case of You - Joni Mitchell

While Anne Briggs went for plain folk, Joni Mitchell's song here feels like it has a bit more polish to it. Perhaps because she wrote it for herself, she added some more body and made it more personal. It's an incredibly lovely song, one that resonates and sounds sweet, delivering the right tone.

The three hundred and twenty-fifth song: Crayon Angels - Judee Sill

More folk, with Judee's lovely voice - really standing out even amongst others here - singing lyrics that are compex and powerful, difficult to break through and fully understand even now. There's a feeling of escape that hasn't arrived yet and that she struggles with - and possibly one that didn't come for her, considering her tragic end.

The three hundred and twenty-sixth song: Famous Blue Raincoat - Leonard Cohen

After some strong female representation, very welcome in the list (and with another coming up next), we move to Leonard Cohen's folk. The second of his two songs of the list, here's a song that doesn't really reach a crescendo, the guitar being amplified by a women's voice in the background that possibly emphasizes the singer's connection to the woman in the love triangle. There's a sadness of loss in here, but also an encouragement to take care of her. It feels like it's pointing towards reaching that state of sad detachment that shines through.

The three hundred and twenty-seventh song: Chalte Chalte - Lata Mangeshkar

One of the most recorded artists (a record currenctly held by her sister), Lata Mangeshkar has mostly had a career in Bollywood films, singing the songs that are mimed by the artists on screen. This gives us an insight in Indian music here, a different sound that I feel we see parodied more than that we see legitimate examples of it. For that reason, I do need to get more acquainted with this type of music, as for parts of it, this did feel a bit off putting. It sounds lovely though, and Mangeshkar's voice in particular is lovely, really shining through as a highlight.

The three hundred and twenty-eighth song: Maggie May - Rod Stewart

We might have put the breaks in this year in the wrong place - after a lot of folk and related songs, here we have a straight up rock song, the first to feature Rod Stewart's vocals. It's a protest rock type of love song - the sentiment is there, but the relationship is unconventional and odd, looking back on somethign that isn't quite right, but that still feels right. There are some blues stylings in here as well, the drums dropping out in places to leave a lot more room for a more whimsical mandolin. On the whole it's a good, lovely sound.

The eighty-second album: #82 Moby Grape - Moby Grape

Take the Beatles' harmony - still a touchstone for me - and add heavier guitars to it. Moby Grape isn't a household name anymore, in part to a number of legal difficulties, but there is a definite feel listening to the start of this album that they fall effortlessly in the ranks of their contemporaries, with peppy and blues songs that are similar to what we heard elsewhere. I think it's difficult to discover an exact voice in here still, but there's something between the voices, slower speed and use of guitars that makes feel it's there - I just need to go through more albums. What's still clear is that they are accomplished - the song writing is good, it's performed well, it all sounds good andworks for me. There didn't seem to be any really weak songs.

The sixty-sixth TV show: #16 The Good Old Days

In contrast to the previous few shows, here is one where we genuinely struggled to see the point to keep watching - so we didn't. The Good Old Days harkens back to the old days of musichall entertainment, replicating that for a TV audience while everyone is dressed in period costume and gets excited about these old acts.

Sadly, it's a real mix on whether or not it hits, and most of the time it doesn't. I don't care much for the songs and a lot of the humour just isn't funny. There were some good acts, but it's too few and far between to be enjoyable. This type of entertainment ended decades ago, replaced by TV, and while there is a lot of theatre entertainment that does work well, this just isn't and doesn't. It's harkening back to the good old days - but those aren't my days.

The eighty-first album: #81 Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk

I've mostly been exposed to Captain Beefheart from Peter's earlier listening to and reading about Trout Mask Replica, a later album of his with some odd elements in its production. Based on the name, too, I'm expecting some psychedelic sounds, or at least ones that stand out and will be weird.

Instead, so far this is more blues rock, with some odd details added, but some weird changes sneak in and the songs make more use of contrast. Dropout Boogie has a hardrock vibe, but drops in these really light moment. I'm not sure where it's meant to lead, but it brings in these sudden surprises. These are the songs that stand out from beyond the blues ballads though, which don't seem as impressive. Sure, they are competently done, but I can't say it feels that much better. It veers between, in a way that shows some progress in the music, but is mixed in how well it actually works.

The sixty-fifth TV show: #100 Green Acres

Yeah, this was a pretty quick watch. Green Acres doesn't sound like it's a very inspiring show: a succesful lawyer moves from New York to a farming village to become a farmer himself and drags his socialite wife along, even though it's not her scene and she's not happy there. They have to adjust to live on the farm - one that clearly needs a lot of work.

It's incredibly silly, though, with a bunch of great sight gags and excellent execution of some of the standard gags. The characters themselves are interesting - sketched with more depth than you'd expect. Soon, however, the show starts to show its true face. The show adds a lot of meta elements - at one point, for example, the characters comment directly on the credits that show up on screen, while another shows a subtitled conversation between a pig and a horse. The subtitles continue into the next scene, until one of the characters calls it out so they stop.

It's a delight to watch the show, excellently executed (including by the editors) but also feeling ahead of its time. It's a show we want to continue watching, because it's just that good.

The sixty-fourth TV show: #717 Bleak House

I'm effectively a year or two away from reading the novel, but in the man time I've seen this adaptation from Bleak House. I'm sure it's edited in what it covers (including, I understand, an added character to make scenes flow better), but what feels more noticeable is that the show speeds up its storytelling compared to, say, Brideshead or Pride and Prejudice. It feels more like a modern show in that end, rather than imitating the pace of what's expected from these older shows. It works to keep the show a bit more interesting and accessible. A comment on us, perhaps, but it's more considered in what it does and how it does it. It still keeps time for the significant moment, just doesn't linger where it isn't needed.

The performances stand out here. There are some of the greats here that clearly dominate, where you would expect the performers too: Charles Dance allows those around him to shine, but stands out, as do Gillian Anderson and Denis Lawson. It's impressive that the real lead of the story, Anna Maxwell Martin, holds up against that. While her character is sweet and smaller, she holds up against these personalities and comes across really well, without overwhelming either. She's great to watch and enjoy during the show and anchors it well.

There are some great emotional highs in here, moments that work well - often earned from its biuld up and followed up with better. Again, it doesn't linger on it too long, and jumps off to the next step after that, showing the consequences and ripples. It's great editing, which is something we've seen works from other shows... ones that aren't as historical. It's a quality production, exceeding others in the genre that didn't always work for me.

The fourty-fifth book: #44 Humpry Clinker - Tobias Smullett

Another epistolary here, although here it's satirical for sure. We have five writers, each writing to someone else, with all five traveling around the UK to different places in aid of the health of the uncle. We explore these characters through each other's and their own eyes. There's an exploration of society at the time, with a number of different viewpoints from the different characters.

The story is quite good and has some interesting moments while also telling its story quite well. It does struggle to stay focuse din place - or perhaps it's better to say I struggled with its focus sometimes - which led to some moments where I lost parts of what was going on, but for the most part it worked well and became an entertaining work.

The eightieth album: #80 Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again

Before I started listening to this album, I was expecting a collection of country songs. THe presences of Stephen Stills and Neil Young shows this isn't the case and instead we get rock. There's a heavier bass line here than what I've been getting from the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young supergroup, which makes this sound even harder - and different from what I expected.

There's still quite a bit of folk rock in here and the music moves to country (where are the boundaries, right?), but what strikes me most is how the sound changes more than I'd expect. Just as the different genres are still spinning off at this point, here the album seems to fill several voices and niches, with decent success. While others experimented - the Beatles, for example, had distinct sounds too - it is rare that we get this variety of songs.