Rough Guide to the Music of Basingstoke

[Dominic]

Sorry about that Howard. I didn't actually think of it as pinching 'bulbous polyrhthyms'; it was more of paying homage to your unique influence. How about 'polybulbous rhythyms'?

I'm sure I wasn't the only one to recognise the Hommage a Howard.

But if you need an alternative, how about 'polybous bulrhythms'?

[That Was Jonathan E. Then]

I'm also pleased to note that as usual the Rough Guide release is stuffed with 79:59 minutes of music, plus the "extra CD rom track, with a map of the key venues and a brief tour of the high street on a Sunday morning" — and apparently "maps of Basingstoke Roundabouts," not mentioned in Colin's review but Phil Stanton is obviously very proud of that feature and had to bring it to our attention. The music is from a wide variety of local acts covering almost every imaginable style of music in a sort of joyous stylistically impure melange that none the less holds together well and makes one feel as though, well, as though one had been born in Basingstoke. Perhaps not such a good thing then, but I am certainly agog with waiting for the forthcoming Rough Guide to Aldershot, which rumour has it is equally stunning with an exciting and daring emphasis on martial music from throughout the ages. In contrast, the Putumayo release has only one short track, an anodyne ambient recording of a radiator heating a flat on a Thursday morning. However, the Putumayo release does include many pages of calculations (performed I believe by Can'tSleepClownsWillGetMe) and diagrams of the carbon footprint of the radiator. It's obvious which one is the better deal, although I expect that Can'tSleepClownsWillGetMe may find some nerdish way to defy the obvious with abstruse and complicated calculations.

[CantSleepClownsWillGetMe]

Sorry I couldn't oblige Jonathan. As you will see from the detailed graph below I've been busy reading.

[That Was Jonathan E. Then]

Isn't that graph sideways? Back to front? Upside down? I don't know — there's just something not quite right feeling about it! It seems to need flipping in someway.

[That Was Jonathan E. Then]

But nice fingernail polish!

[Ian M]

Radiator heating a flat? Good god, man, that is one of Scotland's finest sons, the legendary Jimmy Shand, a native of Auchtermuchty, pioneer of world music in Scotland, and of course the radiator you refer to is the indigenous instrument known as the accordion.
Hmph

[Tonie]

Gordon, thanks for a brilliant 1 april album announcement. Best one of the day, in my books. I wish an African "world" label would release such an album (with that very cover photo). It would make a nice topsy-turvy experience of things. Interesting, too, that the Rough Guides spokesman had to sign up and emphasise it being a "spoof". Maybe they had some inquiries about where to purchase such a gem of an album?

[Gordon Neill]

Thanks Tonie, and everyone else who had a wee chuckle. I feel I should point out that the artwork was by June the Clowns. That gave it all a certain credibility, but I just couldn't resist descending quickly into laughing at my own jokes. I have resolved to do better next year.

[Quintin]

This is an April Fool's Day spoof. Someone has cleverly added "Basing" to the CD cover, as you'll see when "The Rough Guide to the music of Stoke" is released next week. The advance press kit reveals that it focuses on the wider influence of the Potteries on contemporay music, and includes the Jefferson Airplane ("If You Feel Like China Breaking"), Nick Lowe ("I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass"), and Pink Floyd ("Saucer Full of Secrets"), plus the original recording of "Little Brown Jug"

[CantSleepClownsWillGetMe]

Quintin sussed -

Someone has cleverly added "Basing" to the CD cover, as you'll see when "The Rough Guide to the music of Stoke" is released next week.

Oh rats ... we've been rumbled!

:)

[Dominic]

Since its release, The Rough Guide to Cumbria has been confusing the Colombian dance crowd.

And there have been complaints that The Rough Guide to Rye is Cheb-less.

There was a famous meeting in 1987 to find a way to promote music from the Stow area. They decided to market it as Wold Music. Much bark chewing ensued.

[Dayna]

Did it help their headaches?