Hi all, happy new year (let's hope)

little bit of politics...
Anyone hear Tony Benn on the BBC Today programme the other day? He was great, he
basically ignored the questions and just kept repeating the contact details for
the Gaza appeal that the BBC are refusing to air.
Go Tony!

my birthday is Jan 21st so I get loads of cd's and dvd's this time of year..
Here's this years bumper crop.

CD's
Sonny Boy Williamson - The Essential Recordings
#1 natch, murdered 1948, not the name stealing usurper #2 of the 50's - 60's.
Such a joyful sound - He's basically only got 1 lick but it's a great one...9/10

Stones - 12x5 (remastered)
sounded better in mono to be honest...7/10

Stones - Decembers Children (and Everybodys) Remastered
Better material than 12x5, still prefer the original mono sound tho 8/10

Ramones - 1st 4 studio albums, remastered with bonus tracks
Brilliant of course...Remastering is done well, improved sound. The Leave Home
bonus tracks is a complete gig in LA 1976, their 1st gig on the west coast. The
crowd is enthusiastic at the start and delerious by the end...the sound of
history being made.
All 4 10/10

Abdel Ali Slimani - Mraya
Basically a Jah Wobble album feauturing vocalist and percussionist Abdel.
Not the best Wob but some good grooves. 6/10

Where Africa Meets the Orient - Noor Shimaal
like an acoustic minimalist 3 Mustaphas 3...not surprising as it's a side
project of Mustaphas percussionist Salah Dawson Miller 8/10

Roots of Reggae - Various Artists
3 disc box set. Live recordings from the 1993 reggae sunfest in Jamaica.
Deep dub grooves overlaid with largely incomprehensible toasting...has it's
moments 5/10

NOT RECIEVED YET
Chinese Dub - Jah Wobble
Trad Chinese musicians get wobbled

Cabaret Voltaire - Live at the Lyceum
Recorded 1981 on cassette.


DVD's
Legends of Bottleneck Blues Guitar - Various artists
Includes 2 stunning performances by Son House, which get 10/10.
The rest 7/10

Return to the Batcave
Adam West and Burt Ward ham it up reminiscing and re enacting the making of the
60's show 7/10

The Outer Limits
Complete Series 1 and 2 from the 60's. 49 b&w episodes on 13 discs, some naff
but many gems... e.g. talking alien rocks, what more do you want? How about
talking alien rocks that mutate into lobster like creatures and take over your
brain? Or the alien that's lived in a box in a woman's bedroom for 20 years? Or
this, (from the DVD booklet) ' ..a drifter wanders into an ominous mansion
looking for help following a road accident. Confirming his unsettling suspicions
are the houses eccentric occupants: a shady finacier and his shrewish wife, a
faded silent movie queen, and a sad wispy young woman. Oh yes, let us not forget
the pulsating alien brain in the attic...' 9/10

Ramones - It's Alive 1974 - 1996
5 hours of live performances
drool, slobber 10/10



Benjamin Horrendous

visit my website
http://www.benjaminhorrendous.co.uk