Hurrah For Home Made Preserves!

The Dukes of Stratosphear - What In The World??...

Correct me if I'm wrong - no, second thoughts, I'm too bone idle to research these things properly so I know I will be wrong, there's no need to tell me - we have Nick Nicely to thank for everything. Or blame, depending on your viewpoint.

Mr Nicely equals "Hilly Fields". Hang on, I need to take a moment here, I'm beginning to go woozy with enthusiasm.nrrrrrrrrrrrrr......."Hilly Fields" is up there, and I mean right up there with the best of the mind mangling psych numbers. It was released in the Eighties. Don't let anybody tell you that decade was all about power ballads and big hair. LIES. There is always a rich seam of entertaining musical dementia to be followed and so it was in the Eighties. Now is no different. In fact, I think the problem now is that there are too many nutters with access to a cdr burner and myspace.

So - "Hilly Fields". Heard by XTC, who instantly formed a side band called The Dukes Of Stratosphear. Dukes ended up selling more records than XTC - woops! - but then the whole psych pop thing fed back into XTC and we got "Skylarking" in 1986, which is a great, great, great album. I'm leaving it up to one of you to tell us all how fantastic "English Settlement" and "Mummer" are, I get bored of listening to myself droning on.

Oh yes. Aforementioned Dukes were also clocked by The Flaming Lips, which resulted in them sharpening up the pop hooks and turning out "Hit To Death". All children should learn "Frogs" at an early age. The Lips are nowhere near as good nowadays, but there you go. Last thing I heard sounded like Toto with a theremin.

And in conclusion, I'd just like to say thank you to Mr Nicely and to remind you all that you will get tummy ache if you put too much marmalade on your toast.
Where am I?


Buy - Nick Nicely - Psychotropia
Buy - The Dukes of Stratosphear - Chips From The Chocolate Fireball
Buy - Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management
Buy - Me a drink...
Visit - The Dukes of Stratosphear
Visit - Nick Nicely
Visit - XTC

Medium Asleep