Not hugely impressed that you can't order these tales in any other way than by their original posting date. I shall work with this.

Here is my latest tale : Response to Ricky 'don't blame me for slow over rates' Ponting.
Unknown "~Harrison~" Content - 16 years, 15 days ago

Ricky Ponting, Australian Cricket Captain said today (11th November, 2008, following the debacle surrounding the Fourth Test in India) : "I do like to consult with bowlers whether it be between bowlers or whether it be a couple of overs in or whatever, but that might be 30 seconds in an over, that doesn't equate to nine overs down," he said.

"Nine overs is 35 minutes play, that's a lot of time lost, so we have to look at every possible way we can to ensure we don't get to an unacceptable level.

"Nine overs to me is totally unacceptable. So there's a lesson in it for everyone."

Hmm, sorry to question your mathematics there, Ricky, but if you need to waste 30 seconds EVERY over in a day, given that you are asked to bowl 90 of them, it equates to 45 minutes out of a days' play. So, if you're not pulling bowlers aside after wickets, drinks breaks, etc, the 35 minutes' worth of wasted time is quite conceivably RIGHT THERE.

In the 80's, the Windies could bowl the required overs with 4 pace bowlers, and Joel Garner pushing off the sightscreen. There's no need to micro-manage millionaire professionals in their field of expertise. The selectors, including yourself, chose them to represent their country, so have some faith in them. You don't send messengers out to the batsmen every time there's a bowling change, so develop a plan and stick to it.
Unknown "~Harrison~" Content - 16 years, 2 months, 12 days ago

The Cosmos Rocks - Part 1

This album is due to be released worldwide tomorrow, but, thanks to some eager staffers at a local CD shop, I managed to get my first spin of a new bunch of Queen tunes in 13 years just after lunchtime on Friday. And I’ve been flogging it since; a long driving weekend meant I could put my foot down and listen along. Sleeve notes and the like can always wait – it’s a CD, not a DVD (hang on, it’s both). I wanted to hear what the collaboration sounded like.

Not completely un-familiar, I have to say, though I’ve begun to grow accustomed to Rodgers’ contribution over the top of that familiar fireplace-guitar. And the opening track is a stomper. It’s rock by-the-numbers, a call-to-arms, that’s followed by a more bluesy “Time To Shine”, with Rodgers’ melismas showing up even the most energetic vibrato efforts of the latest bunch of Idols. “Some Things That Glitter”, another (unfortunately) forgettable blues number, pushed back a few tracks, with “Through the Night” getting hidden between the singles, towards the albums coda.

Unknown "~Harrison~" Content - 16 years, 2 months, 12 days ago

The Cosmos Rocks - Part 2

In case you’d forgotten who you were listening to, “Still Burnin’” throws in the all-too familiar ‘stomp stomp clap’ in the bridge, just as the song breaks down, threatening to lose momentum. Perhaps this song was designed and written to segue into “We Will Rock You” live, a lyrical and musical indication of their roots.

Queen have always been masters of the anthem, and both “Small” and “We Believe” fit the bill very well. For mine, the former is an album stand-out, with the power ballad ratcheting up in the choruses for what I would imagine to be a rousing live singalong. This part of the song reappears at the end of the album, as a nice little bookend.

“Warboys” is a possible single to come, though again featuring a few twee rhymes, seemingly for the sake of it (though the final song on the album shows how few are still willing to stray from ‘twist and shout’ as a line partner for ‘out’). But it stomps along in the choruses, harmony-maestro May bringing out the Queen sound though he and Taylor only make up two of the familiar voices.

This trio of songs being pretty much what I'd hoped to hear from this album, and is where I inevitably turn my attention to (with "C-Lebrity" and "Say It's Not True").

Unknown "~Harrison~" Content - 16 years, 2 months, 12 days ago

The Cosmos Rocks - Part 3

Next comes a song that sounds like a Travelling Wilbury’s out-take, “Call Me”. It goes along adequately, but sounds like it’s there really just to make up the numbers. I’m sure that Roger Taylor wrote “Voodoo”, the entire intro sounding like an old one of his that few who would have heard : “The Also Rans”, with the rest of the song meandering along.

For some reason, the first two singles are buried at the end of the album; “C-lebrity” more than 38 minutes through. And it’s a stormer! It’s already been played live to rapturous audiences and it’s really the standout track of the whole album, lyrically and musically. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like anything on the radio – the commercial problem with the whole album. Clever lyrics like the ones featured in this song, will probably fly right over the heads of the casual listener – if there are any non-converts that get to hear it.


Unknown "~Harrison~" Content - 16 years, 2 months, 12 days ago