The Weight with the Staple Singer is awful, Eric Clapton spanks Robbie Robertson on 'Further on up the Road' and Van Morrison does not show up every other guest performer…if you are the mayor of Opposite City.

Can I get my grandma back please?

You obviously don't know much about Crispian Mills

This photo could only be improved by the addition of sad clown make-up.

Does it matter? There's nothing that can't be expressed in an emoticon. ;()>X

Luke Kelly singing Rocky Road to Dublin is one of the greatest vocal performances ever recorded. Brilliant, beautiful song. When he arrives in Liverpool and realises that he was happier on the road than when he reached his destination, its an exhausted and sorrowful moment, yet in the next verse he's raging and…

Go! Move! Shift!

I don't see how you can hate from outside of the club. You can't even get in! Ahahahahahahaha!

Tango and Cash. Yes.

Agreed. With a 20 year anniversary coming up, I am (possibly fruitlessly) anticipating Criterion editions of both those classics. I like Demolition Man and Judge Dredd a hell of a lot more than I like most of the Rambo movies.

'Dignity' from greatest hits 3. Could have been one of his all time classics, but apparently they couldn't find an arrangement that worked when they were recording it for Oh Mercy. A mush of lyrics and images but some of them are great

His Fairport Convention songbook is staggering. Farewell, Farewell, A Tale in the Hard Time are real classics, and nobody has adapted British/Irish folk forms so successfully as on Tam Lin or Sir Patrick Spens.

Giro was a kind of slip that those receiving welfare in the UK would bring to the Post Office on an appointed day to exchange for cash. This system was phased out as the Post Office was systematically drawn back around the turn of the century. A bit of  welfare state history for you there.

Giro was a kind of slip that those receiving welfare in the UK would bring to the Post Office on an appointed day to exchange for cash. This system was phased out as the Post Office was systematically drawn back around the turn of the century. A bit of  welfare state history for you there.

I had to watch the film twice to get a lot of this, and yet there are still some points that I missed. Completely missed significance of the lighter and am now very happy that it's been pointed out.

Senna is magnificent. I was completely taken aback at how good it was. I think it will pick up best documentary at the Baftas, but I am glad to see it nominated in the best British film category.

I wouldn't describe myself as much of a feminist, but the lyrical content of House of Balloons is seriously misogynistic. I haven't heard this yet, but it doesn't sound like much of a departure.

The Bellnd

And to think I had been saving 'The first casualty of war is innocence". Oh well, I'm sure there'll be a Charlie Sheen story along shortly

1> Nice article on a great year. Have been aiming to check out Richard Hell for a couple of years, but will definitely do so today.
2> Kick Inside is an amazing piece of work and never gets enough praise. Yes: very much looking forward to reading the Kate Bush piece. She has a new album out this year and I hope it is…