George W - On a dark night with a loaded sock!!!
I was 13 years old when Punk Rock happened in 1976!! This opened eyes to the world of 'Alternative' music; From The Ruts and the Clash into Reggae and Dub, from Dub into Techno via Blues, Soul, Jazz and Funk (rare groove).....Check my heroes...Joe Strummer, John Lydon, Malcolm Owen, JOHNNY CASH!! Clement Seymour 'Coxone' Dodd, LLOYD COXONE; Founder and spiritual guidance of THE MIGHTY SIR COXONE OUTERNATIONAL SOUNDSYSTEM and all the Coxone crew of the 80's; Blacka Dread, Bikey, Harlesden, Levi Roots, General Dan and many others to numerous to mention - Love and Respect... Jah Shaka, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo, Jackie Mittoo, Scientist, Keith Hudson, Leroy Hutson (See CURTIS MAYFIELD and the IMPRESSIONS), Lincoln 'Sugar' Minott, Misty In Roots (See 'im? See 'im down there? Top hero JOHN PEEL? His first MIR session in the summer of '79 was a revelation - I can almost feel it now!) JAMES BROWN. DENNIS BROWN. Lightning Hopkins, A Guy Called Gerald, Phil and Paul Hartnoll (Orbital), Carl Cox, Carl Craig. Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins and Derrick May - The originators. Curtis Mayfield; A man whose sweet voice and message of love could pull at heartstings. God bless you my friend. Kid606, Venetian Snares, Aphex Twin, Hardfloor, FRANK ZAPPA...I could go on and on...How long have ya got?
Citizen Kane. The Third Man. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid - 'You look like you could use a cup of my special Java..'. Alien (1) - The original and best; Bladerunner. The Cube. Goodfellas - The greatest movie of all time!!! The 51st State; 'Drugs are very good Mr McIlroy, DRUGS ARE OUR MATES'. Human Traffic. Sexy Beast. Love Honour and Obey. Oh Brother Where Art Thou? Snatch.
ARE YOU JOKING? I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR TV BEING FAR TOO CREATIVE (?) AND HAVING FAR TOO MUCH MUSIC TO LISTEN TO AND BOOKS TO READ....I WOULDN'T GIVE A TV HOUSEROOM NOR THE LICENCE THAT IT REQUIRES...
Any Franz Kafka, especially 'The Trial' (I wake up most mornings and feel I AM JOSEF K!!) 'Metamorphosis'; George Orwell - '1984' seems to become a more likely scenario every day - The constant surveillance, the crackdown on any dissent, the manipulation of news and just who the fuck are we at war with this week anyway?; Michael Moorcock, Alistair Reynolds, Piers Anthony especially the 'Incarnations of Immortality' series, Algis Budrys...William Blake - Poetry and Art. Buddhism - Christmas Humphries, DT and Beatrice Suzuki, Rhys Davies, Alan Watts.
**JOHN PEEL** Take all the Music you have ever heard. This is but a dip of a toe in an Ocean of Music JOHN PEEL WAS THE GEEZER WHO WOULD RUN UP BEHIND YOU AND PUSH YOU IN!! AND YES, THE WATER IS FINE!! Bless you John - Where else would I have heard Mieskuoro Huutajat; The Finnish Shouting Choir? 20 geezers, shouting, in Finnish? Check their version of 'The Star Spangled Banner!!!!