You still believe in me - The Beach Boys

Surfer girl - The Beach Boys

Sloop John B - The Beach Boys

Surfin' USA - The Beach Boys

Surfin' Safari -The Beach Boys #Estiu

Com visitants regulars al blog deuen saber, a l'estiu intento baixar el ritme de l'internet, blogejant poc i contestant menys, i de passo he aprofitat els ultims estius per escriure unes series d'apunts fascinants sobre els tres millors grups/cantants de l'historia. Si algú encara no sap qui son, es pot visitar estiu 2009, estiu 2010, o estiu 2011 per llegir-los! Pos, aquest mes d'agost farem el mateix, però sense escriure gaire - unes quantes cançons dels Beach Boys, un dels millors grups que mai han sortit de les EEUU. Sense repetir les que ja han sortit pel bloc.

Happy summer!

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As regular long-term visitors will know, I usually slow things down, blog-wise, over the summer - blogging only occasionally, and answering comments even less. At the same time, during the last three summers I've writtern fascinating series on three of the greatest groups/singers to have ever performed, as can be re-read here - 2009, 2010, or 2011 ! This August will be no different. But this time without the words - take it as (a) the music speaks for itself, or (b) too lazy/busy to do it.

So here's the 4th best thing since sliced bread, The Beach Boys!!

(without repeating tracks which have already been on the blog)

Happy Summer, and Bon Estiu :)

Bet you look good on the dancefloor #Olympics_1992_2012

20 years ago ...

And now ...

Arctic Monkeys - London Olympic Games 2012 from Arctic Monkeys France on Vimeo.

Stay with me - The Faces #Franco_a_Tortosa_encara

Ara m'he adonat que, amb tants altres rotllos al cap, ja han passat 7 mesos de l'any i encara no he dit res sobre el monument de Franco que tenim a Tortosa. Imperdonable! En fi, poca cosa nova puc afegir als meus arguments, els quals he expressat diverses vegades aqui al bloc (fem clik); només m'augmenta la sopresa en veure que any rere any, ningu (dels que poden) mou fitxa per eliminar aquesta vergonya. Si algu encara pensa que Franco no va ser tan "dur" com altres dictadors, recomanem aquest llibre.

Sembla que de moment, Franco es queda entre natros (mentre a Madrid els alemans han vingut per retirar les seves vergonyes).

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Wow, just realised that we're already half-way through the year and I still haven't said anything about Franco's monument which is still in place, 37 years after his death! 37 years of democracy and we still have to suffer the shame of a monument to this dictator and the suffering and hardship he imposed on Catalonia and Spain. I have little to add to my earlier posts in the subject, which can be read by clicking here. And if anyone still doubts what Franco meant, I recommend reading this book.

So, while the German govt. eliminates Fascist symbols in Madrid, who's gonna come here to help us regain our dignity ----

Survival - Muse #Olympics

D'aqui uns dies començaran els Jocs Olimpics de Londres, probablement passats per aigua! Tres setmanes de sofa i televisio! I comença aquest divendres. Normalment no miro mai la ceremonia d'inauguració ja que no li veig el sentit - fins que tenia 25 anys tampoc sabia que en feien! Llavors va ser quan em van obligar a mirar la de Barcelona! Però potser la de Londres, ho miraré, ja que el director de l'espectacle és Danny Boyle - director de pel·lis com Trainspotting o Slumdog Millionaire.

Normalment aquestes ceremonies demostren alguna cosa de la cultura del pais, i per aixo espero un bon dosi de bona música.

Per cert Muse han fet la cançó oficial dels Jocs, i aquí està. Survival.

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Just a few days now until the grey rain-drenched Olympics of London! Three weeks of sofa + TV await! This Friday is the opening ceremony - normally I never watch them as I don't really see the point. In fact, until the age of 25 I didn't even realise they had one, but then with Barcelona '92 I was "forced" to see it. Anyway, this year I may make another exception as apparently the show's director will be none other than Danny Boyle - film director of classics like Trainspotting or Slumdog Millionaire.

These ceremonies usually try to show something of the host country's culture, so I'm expecting to see a good dose of decent pop music :)

By the way, the official Olympic song is Survival by Muse, and here it is.

Why not your baby - Dillard & Clark #TheBestMusic

Sempre arribo una mica tard ultimament però tampoc és excusa per deixar passar temes tristos com la mort de Doug Dillard el 16 de maig. Doug formava part dels The Dillards, juntament amb altres membres de la familia, i van fer molt per apropar la musica tradicional de "bluegrass" al public dels 60 de la musica pop/rock. Jo li vaig descobrir en aquest LP que va gravar juntament amb Gene Clark, un altre dels meus heroes, un dels components claus dels The Byrds. Tinc més coses dels Byrds i dels Dillards, però aquest LP té una cosa especial, i ha aconseguit entrar en el meu All Time Top Ten. Bé, aquesta va per tu Doug, gràcies per tot.

(PD; el video que algu ha posat al Youtube no té es a vore amb la cançó però trobo que queda molt be!).

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Better late than never, so here's a small homage for Doug Dillard who passed away on May the 16th. Doug was a member of The Dillards, who did a lot to bring bluegrass back to popularity in the 60s, and he made this amazing album with Gene Clark, another of my faves. I've got plenty of stuff by the Dillards, and by Gene's band, The Byrds, but this LP beats them all and has earned a well-deserved spot in my All Time Top Ten. Doug, wherever you may be, thanks for the music!

(PS; video that someone has made, has nothing to do with the song - but I think it hits the nail on the head! Cool!).

Why not your baby - by Dillard and Clark (1969).

David Espinos a San Sebastian !

Avui el super-music tortosi, David Espinos, toca al Festival de Jazz de San Sebastian! Aqui podem veure'l (a la dreta) tocant uns blues amb Ivan Rojas.

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Today, Tortosa musician David Espinos, is playing at the internationally acclaimed San Sebastian Jazz Festival. Let's go David!

Here, with Ivan Rojas playing some blues (David is the one on the right).

And, David with Somewhere over the rainbow.

Labelled with love - Squeeze #Cosesquenoacabodentendre

Hi ha moltes coses que no entenc. Bé, és una manera de parlar, ja que normalment si que els entenc, però no voldria .... en fi, entre tot el que no entenc, oblidem de lo gros i anem als detalls que veig cada dia de la vida en els meus viatges cap a la feina i escola.

OK, gent que aparca els seus cotxes malament mentre porten els xiquets a l’escola. No veuen que, encara que ells pensen que « només són 2 minuts », realment si ocupes els passos de vianants i les voreres, estàs posant en perill els altres xiquets que també volen arribar a l’escola. Tampoc entenc com la policia no fa res. La tolerància està molt bé sempre que no es converteix en un perill pels demés, que hem aparcat a 4 minuts de l’escola per no molestar. Gggrr!! 

 

Per creuar la via del tren, (per exemple d’anar al meu barri fins l’escola) tenim una passarel·la que costa 3 minuts en creuar. Si, és un pal. Però la mateixa gent que m’estan insistint que he de pagar per anar a un gimnàs, són els que no usen el pont i passen pels forats de les tanques per creuar la via a peu. Ja sé que no hi ha gaire perill a Tortosa, ja que arriben 3 trens i mig, però trobo que és un mal exemple pels petits, i una oportunitat perduda de estirar les cames. Gggrrr!

Separant els barri de la Raval i la zona d’esports detras dels centres comercials, hi ha la via del tren i un canal. També hi ha una passarel·la per passar-los. L’ajuntament, amb els NOSTRES diners, ha posat tanques molt noves i boniques per evitar que la gent pugui creuar per baix o arribar fins el canal. Pos, la gent els trenquen, i la ajuntament torna a posar-les – amb els NOSTRES diners. Total, alguns que usen aquest camí ràpid, igualment van a fer esport! Ggrrr!!

Per que alguna gent deixa que els seus gossos facin les seves necessitats a les voreres, al voltant de l’escola, i no ho netejen, ni l’ajuntament fa res? Gggrrrr!

Uf, aquí s’acaba el sermó!

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Things that bug me. Well, actually many things bug me, but today we’re gonna forget the Big Picture and look at those little details I see every day on my way to work or the school run which never fail to bemuse, bewilder, or even bug, me.

Those folks who park there cars illegally while dropping kids off. Yeah, “it’s only two minutes”, but those two minutes you’re spending blocking the pavement or zebra crossing are the two minutes which put the other kids at risk. Kids who have parked maybe in the mega-big car park just a 4-minute walk away. And the police say or do nothing. Aaagghh!

The railway separates my part of town to the neighbourhood with our school and my work-place, but luckily there is a footbridge which takes 3 minutes to cross. What I don’t get are the folk who always insist to me on the importance of going (paying) to a gym and doing sport, but sneak through gaps in the fences and cross the lines directly to save their weary legs a full 3-minute walk. Mmmmm!

A bit further down town, the railway, and a canal, separate one neighbourhood from the area with sports installations and commercial centres. Again, there’s a footbridge. The local council, with OUR money, have put up some cool new fences to stop people crossing the lines or getting down to the canal. Well, now folk rip the fences down to cross the lines, saving the 3-minute marathon (very often on their way to do sport). And the council spend more or MY money to fix it and .... Aaarrgghh!

Dog-owners who let their dogs “do their business” on the pavements, especially around the school, and don’t clean it up. Snif.

And here endeth the rant.

40 - Albert i la Banda dels 13 #Estació_Benifallet

 Continuant amb un dels nostres objectius de l’estiu – sentir bona música en família. No és fàcil trobar actuacions que ens agraden i que siguen en horari relativament “family-friendly”, amb dos xiquets de 7 i 8 anys, i que siguen en llocs xulos i còmodes (res d’estar embotit en un bar). Però ja hem tingut una altra alegria. La setmana passada vam vore el concert de jazz, i aquest divendres passat vam poder vore, per fi, Albert i La Banda dels13 en directe. Va ser a l’antigua estació de Benifallet, ara convertit en un bar-restaurant-hostal al mig del bosc, tocant la Via Verda, i sovint de nit a l’estiu fan una mica de música a l’aire lliure en una terrassa la mar de xula. Dic “per fi” perquè fa temps que intentàvem coincidir en la banda, i ja ho hem aconseguit! I ha valgut la pena – el lloc mereix un 10, i la música i els musics també. Una bona barreja de pop, soul, rock n roll, i bon humor! Ideal per qualsevol festa! Aquest divendres va ser la versió acústica del grup, tal com actuen en aquest clip que hem trobat.

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One of our summer objectives (for UK readers; summer means sun, heat, and plenty of outdoor activities!) is seeing some decent music with the kids. In summer there are many outdoor shows, festivals, and concerts, and now the kids are growing up – 7 and 8 years-old –it’s time we got out and enjoyed ourselves together as a family. Two weeks ago was jazz week. And last week, a beautiful outdoor midnight performance by Albert i la Banda dels 13. An old disused railway line, through the forest and mountains, has been converted into a cycle and walk-way and some of the old stations, into bars-hostels-restaurants. Such as this one at Benifallet. So miles away from civilization, we lounged back under cooling breeze through the pine trees, beer in hand, to hear this amazing midnight concert .....

Jazz

Ja hem pogut disfrutar del fantastic festival de jazz que tenim a Tortosa aquests dies. Dimecres a la nit, a l'aire lliure, al barri vell, a fora del bar dels Amics dels Castells, van escoltar unes meravelloses versions d'algunes cançons classiques de jazz, gracies al grup Laia Porta i el Dan Posen Trio. 

Va començar tard, i va acabar tard, però, i aixi no vam poder aguantar fins el final, però una de les peces que van cantar va ser aquesta The Way You Look Tonight escrita per Kern i Fields per a la pel·licula Swing Time, 1936. I aqui la teniu. Potser Fred és un millor ballarin que cantant, però a mi m'encanten les seves pel·lis ...i tot seguit, un clip del grup en questió, Laia Porta i el Dan Posen Trio. Don't miss it!!

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This week is Jazz Festival Week in Tortosa, and on Wednesday night we finally managed to get round to checking out a concert. A free open-air one, in a square in the old part of town with a fine bar providing (not free) drinks and snacks. A great time was had by all, as we were treated to a treasure chest of classic songs by the likes of Gerswhin, Porter, Bacharach ...by Catalan jazz group, Laia Porta and the Dan Posen Trio.  One of these gems was The Way You Look Tonight (Kern/Fields), from the Fred and Ginger film, Swing Time. Maybe he dances better than he sings, but I just love his movies, so here's Fred ..., swiftly followed by the group themselves, Laia and the boys. Don't miss it!

And here's Laia and the Dan Posen Trio, themselves,

Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins #Whatever_happened_to...

Avui estrenem una nova sèrie d’apunts, anomenada “Que els va passar als ....?”. No per parlar de grups o cantants que han desaparegut del tot, sinó dels que han desaparegut de la meva vida. Aquells que en un moment donat, han sonat molt en la meva vida, però després els he perdut de la vista – potser encara toquen, però ja no m’arriben, o potser pels canvis en la meva vida ja no m’arriben, o potser s’han marxat a l’espai en un ovni.

En fi, als 1983-84, els Thompson Twins estaven molt presents en la meva vida, bàsicament gràcies al LP Into The Gap. Per llavors ja havien reduït el grup fins al line-up classic, de Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie, i Joe Leeway. D’aquest LP, gairebé totes les cançons eren bones – en aquell moment! Després encara aguantarien a la cresta de l’ona un parell d’anys més, amb algun altre èxit, i tocant al Live Aid al 85. Al 86, Joe Leeway va deixar el grup i ja cada any es sentien menys i tenien menys èxit. I des de llavors ja no sabia res més...

Segons internet, Bailey i Currie van tenir una relació i família i es van mudar a Nova Zealanda, arribant a casar-se (91), i després divorciar-se (2003). Al 92 aquests dos van plegar el grup, i van començar un altre que es deia Babble, amb un parell de LPs durant els 90. Des de llavors Tom Bailey ha continuat treballant com productor o fent banda sonores i Alannah Currie va deixar la musica per començar una nova època d’artista de vidre.

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A new series of posts kicks off today, entitled “Whatever happened to ...?”. Not necessarily those singers or groups who have disappeared completely off the radar, but rather those who have disappeared from MY radar. Maybe they still sing, maybe they don’t, but I’m referring to those artists who at some point in my life have meant something to me, but then either through their or my fault, I’ve lost track of them.

Back in’83/84, the Thompson Twins were a great band, for me, with the LP Into The Gap being chockablock full of instant electro-pop hits. A this point in their career they had finally settled on the reduced line-up of the band, Joe Leeway, Alannah Currie, and Tom Bailey – remember those hair cuts?! For a couple of years they kept churning out hits and even played at Live Aid, but after that they became less and less successful as the 80s went on, and finally dropped out of my life.

So here’s where internet searches kick in. Joe Leeway left the band in 86 but the other two continued  as the Thompson Twins until 92 before calling it a day, and forming another group called Babble which had a couple of (unheard of for me) albums in the 90s. In their private lives they got together too, had a baby, got married, moved to New Zealand, and eventually split up in 2003. Tom Bailey has continued working in the music business, producing and writing soundtracks (to what?), whereas Alannah left to set up a glass-art workshop.

New Song - Howard Jones

Quan vaig començar el bloc fa 3 anys, escrivia tot sempre en un document Word, per poder revisar el llenguatge i continguts. I per poder tenir el text guardat.

Ultimament escric tot sobre la marxa i ho penjo sense miraments, mals vicis! I si l'ordenador et fa una mala passada ... pos, acabeu de perdre un text molt interessant sobre Howard Jones que no penso tornar a teclejar avui!

Sempre queda la musica ....

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When first starting out with this blog, 3 years back, everything was carefully written out first in a separate Word document so as to be able to check on errors and content, and to have a back-up copy saved. Of course, over time, always rushing, bad habits creep in , and recently I write and post directly without a look back on some of the waffle I'm churning out. Thanks to the whim of the computer, then, you have just lost the chance of reading a fascinating post on Howard Jones which I've spent some time on only to see it fade away....

there'll always be the music though!.

High School Confidential #Inutil

Avui estrenem una nova serie d'apunts anomenada "L'objecte més inutil que he comprat mai". Primer lloc va per això de la foto. Comprada a la primavera del 1997, crec que m'he posat damunt 1 cop en tot aquest temps. A banda de no tenir temps mai de gitar-me de dia, seria de bojos gitar-me al sol, i si m'he de descansar de veritat fent una migdiada a la sombra, pos, que tal un llit de veritat?!

En fi, tampoc l'ha usat mai ningu de la casa, i ara només serveix per deixar tovalloles o roba damunt mentre ens mullen a la basseta.

La musica, totalment no-relacionada amb aquest escrit, és del Gran Jerry Lee Lewis!

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Starting a new series of posts today, entitled "The most useless object I ever wasted my hard-earned dough on". Presently sitting at number one in the list is this little beauty you can see in the photo. Bought in the spring of 1997, I have only ever laid down on it once, for 10 minutes. I mean, get a life! Who has time to lie down outside in the daytime anyway? Not me. Nor would I want to lie in the sun. And if I do have the odd well-deserved post-lunch nap, in the shade, well, what's wrong with a good old-fashioned bed?!

Anyway, in 15 years no one has used it and it now sits there, cracked and faded by the sun, a sorry sight which only serves for us to dump towels and clothes on while we jump in our  4 x 4 metre irrigation pool for a cooling dip.

Song, nothing to do with all this, by the great Jerry Lee Lewis!

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Sinatra #Sant_Joan

Si esteu llegint això en català, és més que probable que ja sabeu de que va Sant Joan. Però si voleu practicar l’anglès, o saber que explico als meus seguidors internacionals (tots dos), podeu continuar ....

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Tomorrow, the 24th June, is Saint John’s Day – a national holiday here in Catalonia. Just who John was or what cool deeds he did, I do not know, but it’s not relevant to today’s post anyway. Today, the 23^rd, then is Saint John’s Eve, and tonight is Big Party Time in Catalonia. Everyone gathers together, families, friends, drunken teens, for one of the best hair-letting-down celebrations of the Catalan calendar. Plenty of food, nice cakes, and drink to start things off. Once night falls, the party kicks off – with one of its main features being a haphazardly letting off of fireworks by anyone who can work a lighter. All those rules we were taught in England are completely ignored – you know, keep them in a closed tin; only adults can buy and light them; never hold in your hand as you light them; don't throw them; do not go back to a failed one; don’t set them off near buildings, or throw them under parked cars or in rubbish bins; don’t keep them in your pocket or throw handfuls of ‘em on a bonfire etc. Anyway as the drinks keep flowing, the bigger and better become the improvised firework displays. Reminiscent of Vietnam around 1970. Many people finish the celebrations off in hospital. Bonfires are lit and jumped over, for “good luck” – only “good” if your drunken judgement allows you to clear the fire! Many people, or villages, organise dances and the party goes on all night till dawn. This is often finished off by a sobering dawn dip in the sea. A great time is had by all!!

The Catalans believe this night coincides with the shortest one of the night, the magical Mid Summer’s Night. My O-level Geography teacher said that that was on the 21^st, but we won’t quibble. However you look at it, summer starts here and now!! It does coincide with schools breaking up for their 2 and a half month holiday and many kids use the bonfire to get rid of their school books!

Anyway, as I prepare the compulsory Summer Party 2012 CD, this is one track I’ll be including ....

Wouldn't it be nice .... #England

OK, aixi que tornem a estar al mig del futbol. Que podem dir? Fa dos anys ja vaig invertir prou temps parlant d'Anglaterra i les seves probablitats de guanyar el Mundial, unes prediccions que van quedar en un no res. Si feu clik aqui, també vereu tot un seguit de grans cançons relacionades amb el futbol anglès. Aquest any ho agafarem en més calma, i deixarem l'euforia per si passem del grup avui ...

una mostra de la euforia controlada, és la bandera que vam comprar de rebaixes un cop eliminat del Mundial, per 10 peniques (12 centims).

La cançó, avui provarem algun truc diferent, a vore si aquest link funciona, serà Wouldn't it be nice, orginal dels Beach Boys, però aqui cantada per Saint Etienne.

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Wow, just as one football competition finishes, so another one starts. I've been a bit slow of the blocks to comment on the Euro Championships, though, given all the (undeserved) praise and blog-space I gave England at the last World Cup. Click here for embarrassing predictions and football-related songs.

This year, we'll take a more subdued outlook on it - at least till we get past the group stage tonight.

This restrained excitement is embodied by our flag, bought in an Asda sale for 10 pence after England got knocked out of the last World Cup.

Today's song? Forgetting YouTube for a day, we're gonna try this idea and see if this link works. If it does, you'll soon be enjoying Saint Etienne's take on Wouldn't it be nice....

Don't stop me now - Queen #Jubilee_Elephants

Aquests dies a Anglaterra s’està celebrant els 60 anys com a Reina de la reina Elizabeth II. Diuen les enquestes que un 88% de la població està a favor de la monarquia, i que aquest % no varia massa quan es mira a Gal•les, Irlanda del Nort, i Escocia – les altres parts del RU. Tampoc varia massa quan mirem els votants de esquerra/dreta. En fi, sembla que la gran majoria dels britànics està a favor de la monarquia, i no està continuament qüestionada com el Rei d’Espanya. Podem esbrinar els motius ... personalment, aquí em considero republicà, però quan estic a Anglaterra, em considero un “no-m’importa-ni-si-ni-no” persona. Encara que entenc la teoria que ningú ha de néixer per liderar en una democràcia, donat que els reis i regnes no lideren res, tampoc m’importa gaire. De fet, comparant la reina amb els presidents triats democracticament com George Bush o Berlusconi, començo a entendre l’estima en vers la reina.

La familia real britànica ha tingut els seus alts i baixos, però en general, la població té l’imatgen d’ells com el punt estable de les seves vides. Canviem de politics, surten escandols de corrupció, passem pels booms i crisi, però sempre tenim la reina com a punt de referència. Sempre està present quan passa qualsevol desgracia, o quan tornen els morts de les guerres inutiles que ens preparen els politics. El Rei espanyol no té el mateix paper, i més bé passa desaparegut davant dels problemes del país – per bé o per mal!

També crec que sortim guanyant economicament. Per molt que ens costa, és veritat que tot el “show” de la familia real aporta molts de turistes i diners, molts més dels diners que els hem de pagar.

L’ultima diferencia que veig, ja ho he tocat abans – aquí és evident que els catalans no volen ni estimen al rei d’EspaÑa, mentre sembla que la majoria d’escocesos, fins i tot si aconsegueixen l’independència, voldrien que la Reina continui sent Reina de Escocia. Normal si mirem l’historia ....

Interessant.

Aquests dies si mireu alguna cosa de la televisió anglesa, vereu molts d’actes amb molts d’actes pel public (concerts gratis!), i a quasi tots el pobles estan montant festes pel carrer i treient les banderes – ja que no guanyarem al futbol, almenys gaudeixen uns dies amb aquestes celebracions.

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These days back in the UK they are having a jolly good time celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. According to what I’ve read, and my own personal experience, the vast majority (over 80%) of folk agree with the idea of a monarchy and love the Queen. Meanwhile here in Catalonia/Spain, the Royal Family is less popular than ever – and that’s saying something! Here’s Brian’s analysis of the differences – why I’m a republican here, but a don’t-really-mind kind of person when back in England.

OK, so it sounds stupid to have someone “leading” your country just because of their birth rights – but as it’s not really leading, just a figurehead ... and comparing the Queen with democractically elected Presidents like Berlusconi, ehm!

I suppose the principal difference is that the Queen and UK Royal Family have always been there, through thick and thin, turning up in their Rolls Royces to offer words of comfort or support, whereas the Spanish royal family was basically booted out under the short-lived republic before being brought back to replace Franco! To top that, there is no love lost in Catalonia for anything Spanish, much less a “foreign” royal family.

Whereas the UK Queen gets cheered wherever she goes, the Spanish King wouldn’t really dare show his face in public over here without some very careful crowd control.

The Spanish King seems to get a fair wage from the tax-payers, just like Lizzie – with the difference being that millions of tourists flood to London to leave their hard-earned dollars and yen, whereas the Spanish haven’t set up a “business” like this.

So, anyway, UK blog readers, enjoy your holidays and street parties (in the rain). Whether it be for the Queen or for any other reason, there’s nothing wrong with a good party!

Somethin' Else - Eddie Cochran #Observations_Tortosa

Ja porto tants anys aqui a Tortosa que fins i tot crec que se m'està canviant l'ADN. Però de vegades tinc visitants (ooohh, I see visitors!) i em comenten les coses que a ells els xoquen, per bé o per mal, venint d'Anglaterra. Ultimament m'han nombrat 3 o 4 ...

1. Les voreres - a qui va triar les rajoles d'en terra, li haurien de penjar del monument de Franco! En serio, relliscosos a no pugui més, fins i tot quan no plou. Quan plou, són un "death-trap".

2. Aparcar - sempre sorpren veure com els cotxes es toquen entre ells al moment d'intentar aparcar, i com els conductors aconsegueixen entrar 4 m de cotxe en un espai de 3,50m. Per no parlar dels llocs poc-correctes, tal de la vorera, a les puntes dels carrers, damunt de passos de vianants ... he de continuar?

3. Cafés - el temps i calma que la gent pren quan estan (estem!) fent un cafe, tranquilament deixant passar el temps, xarrant o llegint el diari, i l'amo del bar/cafe no et fot fora.

4. Que la gent sembla vestir segons el calendari i no el termometre - per que, per example, quan venen al juliol i fa 30 graus la gent va vestit lleuger, pero si venen al maig i fa 30 graus la gent va en jaqueta, mocador, botes .....

Com va sent habitual, la cançó no té res a vore amb l'apunt. Eddie Cochran, amb Somethin' Else del 1959.

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After living so many years in Tortosa (Catalonia) it even feels like my Yorkshire DNA is being watered down as I live breathe and feel like a local. However, from time to time we get English visitors who comment to us on things which catch their eyes as being "different", for better or for worse. Just had some said visitors and a brief summary would be:

1. Pavements. Who chose these dastardly slippery pavement tiles in Tortosa needs stringing up! Seriously, whether wet or dry, they are a death trap. In the UK, the council would have been sued out of existence by now!

2. Parking. Always amusing to see how cars shunt into each other when parking and no one seems to care. The only way to get a 4 m object into a 3.50 m gap, I suppose. Less amusing is how folks park on street corners, pavements, zebra crossings and so on ....

3. Cafes. The time and patience people calmly take to gently sip their morning coffees, chatting away, reading the paper. People spend ages sat in the cafes, and the owner shows no sign of "moving them on"!

4. The fact that local residents seem to dress following the calendar rather than the thermometer. That is, why do they dress all summery and beach-like when it's 30º in July, but wear jackets, boots, and scarfs when it's 30º in May? A mystery.

As usual, today's song has nothing to do with all this. Sit back and enjoy it (or simply "enjoy" without the pronoun if you are a teenager).