Listen with Jonathan: AC/DC - High Voltage (International Release)

Released 1976

Track listing

1.	"It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)"	5:01
2.	"Rock 'n' Roll Singer"	5:04
3.	"The Jack"	5:52
4.	"Live Wire"	5:50

5.	"T.N.T."	3:34
6.	"Can I Sit Next to You Girl" (A. Young, M. Young)	4:12
7.	"Little Lover"	5:37
8.	"She's Got Balls"	4:51
9.	"High Voltage"	4:03

This album is another debut album. It is actually a combination of two Australian albums, High Voltage and TNT. Most of the tracks come from the latter album. The sound that would define AC/DC is clearly evident. The bluesy, ballsy rock n roll is very much to the fore. Bon Scott's vocals and Angus Young's guitar are outstanding. The album is not perfect but it is strong enough. The opening track is a cracker and is followed up by Rock N Roll Singer and The Jack. The album then becomes something of a rollercoaster. Live Wire is not great but TNT is brilliant. Can I Sit Next To You Girl is a bit if a filler but Little Lover is a bluesy highlight. She's Got Balls is typical of a lot of AC/DC songs but the album finishes off with a classic, High Voltage.

The album features bagpipes which for a rock album is a bit of a novelty. It is well worth a listen and some wannabe stars should listen to the opening number to see what it takes to get anywhere in the music business. Many years later The Four Horsemen would match this number with Nobody Said It Was Easy and Rockin Is My Business.  Choosing a track is difficult one. I am a fan of AC/DC but not a huge one. I could pick any one of half a dozen. If you like rock music this is a good introduction.

Track recommendation: It's A Long Way To The Top

Listen with Jonathan:- ABC - The Lexicon of Love

Released 1982. Version listened to 1998 remaster.
Track listing

1. "Show Me" – 4:02
2. "Poison Arrow" – 3:24
3. "Many Happy Returns" – 3:56
4. "Tears Are Not Enough" – 3:31
5. "Valentine's Day" – 3:42
6. "The Look of Love" (Part One) – 3:26
7. "Date Stamp" – 3:51
8. "All of My Heart" – 5:12
9. "4 Ever 2 Gether" – 5:30 [co-written by Anne Dudley]
10. "The Look of Love" (Part Four) – 1:02
11. "Theme from Man Trap" – 4:19*

Frequently debut albums are tricky things. Usually one of three things happen. You are lauded as the next best thing and you then hit the tricky second album (e.g. Rage Against The Machine). Alternatively it is a flop and you disappear into oblivion or it has some success but turns out to be the best thing you ever did. Rarely do bands have hit album after hit album. ABC came in towards the end of the New Romantics and at the start of electronic music. 

The thing that sets this album apart is that it doesn't really feel like it is either. ABC hailed from Sheffield along with bands like Human League and Heaven 17. The album opens strongly and the musical quality oozes from every pore. For me, a closet bassist ( I taught myself how to play bass as an intellectual exercise once), it is the bass lines which stand out. If to this you add the vocals of Martin Fry and the orchestration of Anne Dudley you have a work of immense quality. Anne Dudley can also be seen in Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra. The four singles - Poison Arrow, Tears Are Not Enough, The Look of Love (Part One) and All of My Heart are packed with quality. For me Tears is the weakest of the bunch. That being said I once met somebody who played on the demo version which can be found on the 2004 version of the album. 

There isn't really a weak track on this album the combination of Fry, Dudley and the bassline make this an outstanding debut. My personal favourite is the Theme from Man Trap which is a reworking of Poison Arrow on piano and vocals.

Track recommendation: Theme from Man Trap

Listen with Jonathan: Out of order:- Voulez Vous and SuperTrouper by ABBA

Over the Christmas break I was round at my in laws and my mother in law had the above two albums so I thought it would be stupid to overlook this gift horse and so I listened to both albums back to back.

These are among the later albums issued by the band. Their musical style has by now been well established and gone are the experimental tracks and the forays into genres other than pop. The sound and the layering of the vocals is obvious but the fractures between the band are there lyrically.


Voulez-Vous? (1997 remastered edition)

This album is crammed full of hits records. There are no less than 6 singles present. We start with a classic opener with As Good As New and then follow up with three classics (Voulez Vous, I Have A Dream and Angel Eyes). You feel safe at this stage feeling that you know what you are going to get. Then we have a hybrid track. The King Has Lost His Crown has hints of disco, punk and rock music and is an interesting listen. Then we have the next single, Does Your Mother Know? This song is predominantly delivered by Bjorn. He should stick to writing and guitar, he is no vocalist. The album then offers up a slightly Country & Western track with If It Wasn't For The Nights. This downward slope leads to utter schmaltz in the form of Chiquitita and sheer awfulness with Lovers (Live a Little Longer). The album closes with Kisses of Fire, Summer Night City and Love Light.

After a strong start this album loses its way somewhat. Albums rarely contain all cracking tracks and so that is not a fair criticism to level here. It is an album of two halves and the second is not as strong as the first.  It is worth a listen nevertheless.

Track recommendation: Voulez-Vous?

SuperTrouper (1997 remastered edition)

This album is not nearly as strong as Voulez-Vous? I loathe and detest the title track which opens the session. I am not sure why I dislike it so much but I always have. The second track is simply a classic. The Winner Takes It All is breathtaking in terms of sound and lyrics. According to Bjorn and Agnetha it was one of the hardest songs to sing given the backdrop in their personal life. We then have On & On & ON which for me is just new romantic rubbish. ABBA were never New Romantics. Andante, Andante is actually quite good and it might have been interesting if they had left it as an instrumental. Then we have an track which appears to be about multiple personality disorder and seems to have a Jean-Michel Jarre feel to it. The next single we come across is Happy New Year. I can imagine Julie Andrews singing this. I need to make it clear that that is not a recommendation. Our Last Summer is insipid and The Piper is not much better.

Lay All Your Love On Me is another ABBA classic. The rest of the album with the exception of Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (originally released on a compilation album) is tedious.

It is not their greatest album and the band appears to be on the wane somewhat.

Track recommendation: The Winner Takes It All

I may revisit the other ABBA albums later but I feel the need to listen to something else.

Cover versions

This first post will look at cover versions which become more famous than the original. This phenomenon can be down to time. If the version of the song you first hear is not the original then you are more likely to see it as the definitive version. Over the coming months we will come across many of these songs.  Other reasons for a song becoming seen as the definitive version are:-

1. The original singer says that the new version is the definitive version (e.g Leonard Cohen on Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah)
2. Time. The original song is from a long time ago and was a one hit wonder long forgotten (OK that's two reasons in one)
3. The cover version is just better than the original
4. The original artist is a little known band

The first cover version is I Love Rock N Roll by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts. The original version was by British group Arrows. Having recently heard it for the first time recently it isn't actually a bad version of the song. Arrows weren't a big band as I recall. They were managed by the former manager of The Who. I don't even remember this one charting but have a listen and see what you think.

Arrows - I Love Rock and Roll

In 1981 came the version I heard first.  Joan Jett's version had some balls to it and was a hit all over the world. For most people this is the definitive version of the song. Jett had been part of the band The Runaways before leaving to form her own band. 

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Love Rock and Roll

However despite this being the best version other bands couldn't leave it alone and British boyband 5ive and then the greatest crime of all Britney Spears. I will not dignify either of these versions by giving them airtime.

Heavy metal bands are particularly good at cover versions. Many of them started as cover bands. But more importantly they do something different with the song. They cover each others songs but they are particularly good when covering mainstream hits.  This time we are going to look at Die Die My Darling by Misfits. Misfits are a shock/horror American punk band. Their lead singer was Glenn Danzig who inspired Metallica and indeed Metallica have covered several of their songs. Danzig is in my opinion one of the best metal singers of the last twenty years and can be relied on to do different things.  Danzig left Misfits and formed his own band and released some of his best music.  This is a classic track by Misfits.

Misfits - Die Die My Darling

As mentioned previously Metallica have covered many Misfits tracks and this one is no exception. As with I Love Rock and Roll I hadn't actually heard the original until researching this post. However, I was at least aware of it. Metallica released their version on their covers album Garage Inc. For most bands a covers album is a sign of an impending demise. Metallica are not most bands and have been putting out covers for many years as B sides.  This is a strong addition to their cannon. Metallica add power to the aggression and horror of the original. Unlike I Love Rock And Roll I would not necessarily say that this is the definitive version but it is a very strong contender.

Metallica - Die Die My Darling

Kerrang then put out two cds, High Voltage and Higher Voltage. These featured new acts covering classics. Aiden who are possibly more from Misfits school than Metallica put out their version which also appears on the Rain In Hell EP. It is actually quite a tame version of the song but is probably as a result quite an accessible version of the track.

Aiden - Die Die my Darling

The most recent version of the song is by a band called Caliban. It is possibly the most aggressive version of the bunch. Unfortunately for me that means it misses something. I am not a fan of the vocal style of the band  but I leave it up to you to decide which is the best version.

Caliban - Die Die My Darling

More covers in the coming weeks

The listening experiment 2: ABBA - Waterloo

This is ABBAs second album. It kicks off with the title track. This song made ABBA huge as it was the one which won Eurovision.  However, unlike Ring Ring the tracks following the opener are different. Sitting In The Palmtree which follows has a reggae beat underlying it. At times the vocal style of the band is at odds with the beat but unlike with Ring Ring the contrast doesn’t great and it is an understated little number.

Next we have King Kong Song which has more of a glam rock undertone which is in keeping with the times.  This is followed by Hasta Manana. This is one of the singles from the album. It has a very Eurovision feel and I didn’t recognise the song until I heard the chorus. The song is very much of its time and has that ABBA feel to it. It is a well crafted song. My Mama Said has a rhythm which would come to be associated with disco in the following years.

Dance (While The Music Still Goes On) is another track which would only have come out of the 1970s and is another pop song. This is followed by the third of the singles which was released, Honey Honey. This is a bit of an ABBA classic. From the pop we move back to glam rock with Watch Out. The problem with this song for me is that it isn’t sure what it wants to be. One moment it is glam rock then pop. It would have been stronger if it had stuck to the glam path.

Then we have What About Livingstone. It is unclear whether this is about the town in Lothian, the Scottish explorer or if it is indeed about anything at all.  Next we have a ballad, Gonna Sing You My Love Song. It is pure ABBA but is still not particularly strong. Last we have Suzy Hang A-Round. It has a feel of something from the 1960s possibly The Mamas & The Papas.

Overall it is a much better album than Ring Ring. It didn’t do too well in the charts and only the title track made any real impact on the UK charts. That being said it is much more obvious to see where the band are starting to go. What they needed to do was define their style and decide what sort of music they wanted to do. This album shows the breadth of musical influence but is still not the finished article.

Track recommendation: Waterloo

Listening to albums 1: Ring Ring by ABBA

Well the experiment has to start somewhere and the letter A is as good a place as any. The first band in my Itunes library is ABBA. Many of my friends will be alarmed to hear this as I am something of a metalhead. However, as I have grown older and my senses of appreciation have developed I certainly understand better what made their music better than just about everybody else. It is also clear to see why ABBA became one of the few Eurovision winners to achieve very much success.

Ring Ring was the album before they became known as ABBA and the one before their Eurovision success. The first track is the title track. Unfortunately for the album goes downhill from hereon in. Ring Ring is a good track and you can see why it became a hit. Apart from Benny & Bjorn the track is co written by Neil Sedaka and on listening to it you can see where his style of writing comes through. However, the tracks from that moment on were bland and there was nothing that would lead you to the conclusion that this group would become one of the biggest on the planet and who would launch a thousand tribute acts.

The final track Rock N Roll Band is alright but no more than that. So having been disappointed by this album I returned to ABBA Gold which is their greatest hits album. My recommendation would be to stick to the Greatest Hits as you will not be disappointed by it. Ring Ring is a fairly weak album and for me I would not recommend it.

Track recommendation: Ring Ring

Listening to music and cover versions

As many of you know I like my music (or at least what I think of as music anyway). I am intrigued by cover versions and also I have lost the habit of listening to whole albums in one go. I used to do this all the time when I was younger. I remember sitting down and listening to my albums be it at my house or at a friend's house. We used to share music, make compilation tapes and recommend music to people.

I have discovered in recent years that many more people I was at school with shared my tastes in music (well some of them!!). Over the coming months I will be listening to albums and investigating cover versions.

What makes a good cover version? Are there songs you just shouldn't cover? Do some musicians do cover versions better than others? I will also be looking at covers of the music of bands and musicians to see why some are covered and some aren't.

With the listening project I will be going through my collection and also listening to 'classic' albums to see what all the fuss is about and to broaden peoples musical horizons. For the record the last album I listened to all the way through was The Weight of Your Love by Editors.

Travels with Dinno update

After literally one request I have found the time to update the blog. When last I wrote we had just visited the place where my rugby journey really started, Huddersfield RUFC.

The following week we started our Yorkshire Cup campaign against Castleford. In previous years I have come up against them with Huddersfield and they have been competent but nothing special. This match was something of a rout. By half time we were 27-0 up. The curse of the kicker had struck again. Three tries from forwards and two by the backs gave us a solid position. The second half saw three more tries but we allowed Cas to get a try on the board. Again two tries from our backs and one form the pack. Final score 42-7.

For the next two Sundays the family and I were in Culdaff in Donegal. We missed a defeat to Wath.

Next up were Grimsby. Again we were at home and as usual the food was excellent. The rugby was also excellent. This was a team I had never come up against before. The game started well with Dinno going to tries up. Then Grimsby hit three tries in return. Dinno pulled it out of  the bag with two more tries. Final score 22-15.

The next week was Yorkshire cup. Yet again we were at home. Doncaster were at this stage one of only two teams to beat us this season. This is also something of a local derby. This was a tightly fought encounter. Tries from Alan, Jake, Angus(3) and Smirnoff helped us to a 32-24 victory. However, our lack of a kicker is becoming an issue. This could have been much more comfortable if we had a strong consistent kicker.

The following week Tom was out in the middle of Sherwood Forest on his DofE. The final score was 15-15.

Last week we went to another new ground for us, Paviors. It was a beautiful ground hidden in the forest. The food and hospitality was excellent. The match started badly for Dinno and by the end of the first period we were 22-0 down. Paviors found a weakness and ruthlessly exploited it. If their kicking game had been better they might have put the game out of sight. In the second period our increasingly multinational team kicked up a gear. Tries from Smirnoff, Dick (2), Ronan and Angus along with 5 conversions saw the situation change. Despite two tries from Paviors the final score was 35-34. The difference was the kicking. Four out of our five tries were under the posts. Silky hit four from four. Paviors scored more tries but we were more efficient. It was an excellent game of rugby. The after match was marred slightly by a parent from our opposition but the president of the club was a pleasure to speak to.

Today Dinno got a lesson in rugby. The lesson was support your runners, don't give away silly penalties and learn from your mistakes. Also don't miss tackles. Selby comprehensively punished mistakes and despite two tries from Dick and Angus we were well beaten. 34-10

Travels with Dinno: Huddersfield – A Sort of Homecoming

A glorious autumnal day greeted our journey north. We were travelling back to where our rugby experience began – Huddersfield RUFC at Lockwood Park. I took the decision to leave Huddersfield, the town, nearly two years ago and I don’t regret it for one instant. I do, however, miss the friendship and camaraderie of my fellow travellers at the club. We shared, joy and agony, ecstasy and heartbreak. It was the best of times it was the worst of times. Leaving HRUFC was emotional fo me as a coach and a parent. Tom missed his friends but moved on and is still working his way into the Dinno experience. He feels a lot more out of place than I do as Huddersfield is all he ever knew.

We arrived early so that we could catch up with some old friends and get the feel of the place into our bones again. It is a breathtakingly beautiful ground nestled in the hills of Huddersfield with the Penistone line crossing overhead on the viaduct. The weather added to the beauty of the place. The rushing waters of the River Colne were an assault on the senses which few grounds I have visited have been able to capture.

We watched the u9s for a bit and chatted with their coach who was Tom’s first coach. Thirty plus players have joined his ranks this season and he has the luxury of putting out three teams. We then went over to watch the u15s who Tom trained with occasionally. Their rugby was stunning and they destroyed Driffield. Their weakness, if they have one, is that they are a bit cocky and can tend to coast. Then we watched one of Tom’s school friends and playing pals from u7s referee an u11s game.

We went for some food and I am pleased to say that the bacon sandwiches have improved since we left and as I understand it plans are afoot to improve the facilities further in coming months. Slowly the players, coaches and parents of our old club started to appear. There were lots of handshakes, smiles and hugs. But, despite all this bonhomie, I felt a little unsure of where to be and so I sat alone, an island unto myself lost in my thoughts and memories.

The boy started the match at No 8 and for the first ten minutes Huddersfield held back Dinno. Dinno built on a platform laid by their pack and it was a matter of time before an opportunity would present itself. The match was played over three periods. By the end of the first period Dinnington were 17-0 up. Huddersfield didn’t know what hit them and even if they did they didn’t appear to be able to counteract it. Their star players in the backs couldn’t do anything to stop the flow of the Dinnington pack who were aggressive in the tackle, the ruck and at set pieces.

The second period continued in much the same vane and ended 4 tries to 1. Huddersfield have the players who given the space and the ball can do damage. Whenever they made a mistake the ball was handed to the Dinno pack. Some words about this group of players. There are two full packs available to Dinnington. They can select any 8 of these and put them in any formation in the pack and they will dominate. They are far from the finished article and can dominate opponents for years to come if they choose to.

The final period saw Huddersfield grab another try but Dinnington pile on further pressure. The final score was 58-12 to Dinnington. If we had had a better kicker the margin would have been greater. The Huddersfield coach remarked that we have an outstanding side and that he has not seen forward play like that for years. After it was all over we retired to the bar to swap stories and to catch up. They are due to visit us in February . They tend to start slowly and then find consistency later on. It was heartbreaking for me to watch my old team be demolished like that.  The Dinnington coaches and parents enjoyed the day and hopefully it will be the first of many visits.

Next up Castleford in the cup.

A sporting update - Travels with Dinno

Well apologies to regular readers for not updating sooner but I have a life you know. Since my last post on my rugby tour of Britain The Dinno Express has marched on. First up we visited Sheffield. This was always going to be a tense affair and not just because it is always something of a derby match. Last season the first team of Sheffield had the edge on Dinnington overall but in the 'second' team Dinnington had the upper hand. This suggests that whilst Sheffield may have better players (and more of them) but that we had better depth.

The extra edge this season was that three of our former players were in the team for Sheffield. I have no intention of going over well trodden ground as to the whys and wherefores behind it all. We arrived at Abbeydale Park indecently early according to the boy but this meant that I could get a hot chocolate and a bacon sandwich without much of a queue. The bacon sandwiches have improved albeit slightly.

The weather was bright and fine and the conditions looked as though a good game would be in prospect. The game was to be played in three 20 minute sections. This was due to a shortage of numbers on our side I believe.

For the first ten minutes the match was a good solid arm wrestle. There were mistakes made on both sides. Dinno were strong at the scrum and at the ruck and in the tackle. Then a Sheffield player was injured and this seemed to disrupt our mojo. Sheffield ran in two tries which were both down to a weakness in defence. Then the iceman scored a try but again we went to sleep and Sheffield went in 19-5 up. Our former players had varied games and one hadn't learned how to keep his mouth shut.

The second period started and the forwards dominated again then in the last ten minutes Sheffield ran in two tries. Score 31-5.

Then the third period started with our remaining players coming on. Our pack dominated and it was noticeable that Sheffield started to feed back first team players back in. Dinno then won a scrummage against the head. The ball was worked out to the Chessie boys. Dick got the ball in his own 22 and then ran the ball in for a try. With his 200m speed there was only one outcome. Another strong drive from Dinno earned a penalty and Jacob crashed in from inside the 10m.

Dinno won another scrum. The boy, who was playing no8, picked the ball up at the back and then proceeded to run and drive for 10 metres. Following several phases of play the ball was again worked out to Dick who had his brother Alex in support. Arguably Alex was in the better position but Dick managed to get over. His brother was livid and complained that Dick was not a team player. Much to the amusement of all the parents and in particular his dad. The forwards continued to dominate and two more tries from Jacob followed. With conversions from Brendan on 3 of the 5 tries in this period the final score was 31-36. This interpretation of history has been disputed but then you know what they say 'History is written by the winners'. Quote of the day was from Barney who summarised our day as 'Our wankers are better than their wankers'.

The following week we were visited at Lodge Lane by Scunthorpe. The first half was not very pretty and Scunthorpe snatched a try to lead 0-5. After half time things livened up a bit. We got a try through either Angus/Alex. 5-5.  Then after a mortuary pass by our backs (it was so bad it bypassed the ambulance) Scunthorpe ran in an interception. As ever our forwards dominated and created chances. Angus finished with two tries on the day with one from new kid on the block Alex to leave a final score of Dinno 19 - 12 Scunthorpe.

Season so far is Played 3 won 2 drawn 0 Lost 1.

Next up we have an emotional return to where our rugby journey started. Huddersfield.

It's September so it must be the rugby season again. Travels with Dinno - Doncaster

On a glorious sunny day in September we trooped off to Doncaster. This was a minor miracle as a few hours before my car had broken down. This is a new ground for me and I was impressed with the stadium and grounds and let's get right to it the bacon sandwiches were good as was the hot chocolate. But as these blogs are loosely based on rugby I suppose we had better talk about the day's events.

Throughout the summer and the pre-season the lads have been showing promise after the somewhat strained end to the season. In training the lads are focussed and are showing a willingness to move the ball around and to work as a team. The forwards in particular have impressed. There was a diverse set of views about what people thought was going to happen but my thought was always that this season was always going to be more about rebuilding and if we could show the pre-season form we stood a good chance.

For the first fifteen minutes of the match it was something of a wrestling match with lots of mistakes. The scrum was excellent and we were driving Doncaster backwards. We nearly scored but the try was held up. Neither side was showing any signs of dominance. Dinno continued their dominance and from a ruck the ball came out to one of the Chessie boys, Richard and he passed out to Harry who ran in a try which Jacob then converted. The team was showing strong tackling going forward and was winning a lot of ball and had Doncaster under control. Unfortunately it didn't last and a missed pass in midfield let Donny in and then some poor tackling let them in for a second.

The team worked themselves back in and moved the ball around and the ball worked itself out to Evan on the wing who ran in a try. At half time it was Doncaster 14-12 Dinnington.

The second half of the game started with a number of changes but in a similar manner to the first half. Another missed tackle and Donny ran into score. We struck back with a debut try by Jack which was converted by Brendan. 19-19. Doncaster then ran in two more tries in the corner due to missed tackles. Despite a 'sin binning' the team was good going forward and made chances. Following a penalty Jacob ran in a try which left Doncaster wondering what had hit them. But yet again our tackling let us down and Doncaster put the tie out of reach. Final score Doncaster 38-26 Dinnington.

There were a lot of positives to build on from this performance as the last time these teams met Doncaster demolished us. There is work to do. But a good positive day.

Are folk groups acolytes of the Dark Lord?

I would like to start this post by clarifying exactly what I mean by folk groups. I am not referring to folk musicians who are professionals. I am, however, referring to music groups who play in church.  I am also throwing into this pit of despond choirs. Church choirs span a huge spectrum of ability and talent. These range from the virtually professional choirs through to those where they are the only people in the parish community who would do it but don’t really have the vocal ability to do the job.

I can hear some of you reaching for your keyboards with steam coming from your ears. You are probably saying something along the lines of ‘Stop downplaying the importance of these people. They contribute greatly to the spiritual life of the community’.

I do not deny the faith or otherwise of these people merely their musical talent. Those of you who read these pages  occasionally will know that I am Catholic with Buddhist tendencies. Within the Catholic church folk groups and parish choirs really started to appear in the 1970s. My sister played in one. Billy Connolly used to refer to the people who played as ‘having Czechoslovakian guitars’.  When I lived in Huddersfield there was one Mass I dreaded going to. It was the Sunday evening Mass known locally as the ‘happy clappy’. We were always led to believe that the folk groups and choirs were there to aid the liturgical process and lead the singing. This particular folk group seemed to think that this involved the following:-

1       1.      Playing songs that weren’t in the hymnal

2       2.      Playing songs that were in the hymnal but to tunes that nobody else knew

3       3.      Generally taking over proceedings to the extent that not even the priest joined in

They acted like they were a rock band on stage the only thing missing from the performance were shouts “Huddersfield you’ve been a fantastic audience and we’ll see you soon!!” These groups blithely assume that people wish to worship in the way that they dictate.

In the same parish there was a director of music who spent a great deal of time and energy creating a choir which aided the liturgy. Within the Catholic church though there is a current trend to sing everything. I am sure they would sing the newsletter if they thought anybody would listen. This gets away from the beauty of what is the ‘Low Mass’.

I am not now , never have been and in all likelihood, never will be a happy clappy type. I don’t like being told that I should clap during prayer. I like simplicity. The other problem with choirs and folk groups is that they discourage universality. If you have the misfortune to stumble upon a Mass in a church which you have never visited before you probably won’t know what the hell is going on if you get one of these groups.

In an episode of the television series Babylon 5 called ‘And The Rock Cried No Hiding Place’ a group of religious leaders meet together on the station. A Pentecostal leader delivers the line ‘Make a joyful noise to the Lord’. One of his contemporaries retorts ‘I’ve heard you sing. It is anything but joyful’.

If you are going to join a choir it should at least be a basic standard that you can carry a note. If you can then fine because as the group develops a place will be found for your voice. The church where I grew up applied this principle. They had a very good musician leading the group who over time took the group and developed them and that development has continued. Whilst it was not of the calibre of the group in Huddersfield at least it is better than what we have in my current parish which is an excellent organist and half a dozen people with weak voices. In addition they are not conifdent singers which adds to the pain.

When done well these groups can add to the spiritual experience of the community but too often they are more caught up in proclaiming ‘Look at me’ and turning people off. One of the nicest Masses I have attended recently was in my old hometown. I arrived and picked up a hymnal and was told ‘You won’t need that it’s too early for singing’.

Travels with Dinno end of season festival

About a year ago my son and I made our first visit to Dinnington RUFC at the invitation of the head coach for Tom's age group. It was the festival and Tom was made to feel welcome by those he met. A year on and there have been many ups and downs along the way. Today was the festival. The first problem was arriving unfeasibly early and the depth of my mistake can be felt in two ways. One my face has rather caught the sun. However, like many people of a goth background I do not feel the need to show flesh  and so I was well covered up (thank God for that I hear many of you cry).

I loitered around viewing the stalls and eating the copious food that was on offer throughout the morning. I'm waiting for the botulism to kick in as open air cooking tends to not be the most inspired way to cook.

Whilst waiting for our match to start I watched a team of Under 12s from Wymondham who were presumably on tour. The first match I saw was against Dinnington who I had watched earlier and who had played well. Wymondham took them apart.  Wymondham then appeared to struggle against Sheffield. Last up for them was Sandal. I am no great fan of Sandal. They appear to have a win at all costs mentality and this on occasion descends to bending rules past the point of breaking in order to do it. The first half was a tight affair with both sides playing expansive running rugby. They moved the ball from one flank to the other. Neither side could break the other down. Half time score was 0-0.

In the second half Wymondham had to go uphill. This did not stop them and they managed to get over in the right hand corner. After about another ten minutes they started a move on the right flank and then by force of numbers and by moving the ball they drove over in the middle of the pitch. Final score 14-0.

Then we were treated to Dinnington u11s beating Sheffield 35-0.

Then came the u13s game against Scunthorpe. Through the season our results against them had been mixed. This was always going to be a tight game. The first half saw a lot of effort by both sides with Dinno's forwards stealing ball and making yards. The problem was that the ball wasn't really getting to the backs to do any damage. Half time score 0-0.

In the second half some changes were made in Dinno's team. The pack lacked some of its power from the first half and the backs didn't quite have the ability to break Scunthorpe down. Scunthorpe only got two chances in the whole match. Unfortunately for us they took them. Final score Dinno 0 - 12 Scunthorpe.

There is a lot of promise within the team and the future looks good if the progress that has been made thus far is continued.

Travels with Dinno Update - Wath, Doncaster and Moortown

Well here is the latest fix for all my readers. The reason for the delay is that I was waiting for some information to come through. That is my story and I'm sticking to it.

Since my last post there has been lots of rugby, lots of nonsense (mainly off field) and lots of positive steps forward in rugby terms despite the results.

On our travels with Dinno we recently visited Wath Upon Dearne. My father in law described it as the last place God made. Other less kind commentators have described it as the arse end of creation.  The snow by the roadside on the way in looked like industrial waste which had spread across the land in some industrial accident. The  sat nav guided us to Moor Road. Unfortunately the location was on the other side of a wall and a two lane highway.

We arrived safely. This is in spite of having to stop and talk to some suspicious looking locals. My advice is when seeking guidance to rugby clubs is only stop somebody who is wearing  walking gear such as Regatta, Berghaus etc. This people will proportionately be more likely to be rugby folk and so be able to help you.

The weather was pleasantly warm after the recent weeks. There was a breeze but for the first time in months we were able to dispense with the winter gear. The clubhouse though small served excellent bacon sandwiches and had an excellent vending machine which served quality coffee and hot chocolate.

We then trooped off onto the rugby pitch and were treated to an excellent game of rugby. Both sides moved the ball around. Both sides had periods where they threatened scores. The team in the first half were ahead but there was no coherence in the forwards. At the changeover a new forward line up came on and was more structured and effective. The forwards not only won the game but they also determined the size of the score as most of the points were scored by forwards. Final score Wath 20 – Dinno 36

Home v Doncaster

Another bright spring day beckoned only the force ten gale seemed likely to affect things. The prior week had seen a clear the air meeting of the parents and the coaching staff. Balance having been restored to the force and having partaken of a bacon roll and a hot chocolate ( maybe I am addicted to this delightful combination)we moved out onto the pitch.

The game did not start well. Through a combination of poor tackling, high winds and Doncaster’s fast back line they went four tries to nil up. Dinno then woke up and brought the score back to 22 – 17. The problem the team had was that a team with players such as Doncaster possess you can’t allow them that sort of lead. Despite Dinno playing well Doncaster added  another try and conversion 29 – 17. Dinno managed to get over for another try and conversion. 29 – 24.

There were positives from the performance. The team continues to bond better. With a better judgment they might well have brought the score back level at least with a scrum move.

The future whilst being uncertain looks bright if the team continues to progress in this manner. Next up for the Dinno treatment is Moortown.

Home v Moortown

When I arrived today the weather was delightfully spring like. I had dispensed with a coat altogether. But that is the kind of life I lead on the edge. I went into the clubhouse to see a stressed looking Val dealing with a parent from the opposition whose little darling did not have a gumshield. The mother seemed intent on trying every gumshield in the place and I feared for her ability to escape the clubhouse intact. 

Having had my regular nourishment (bacon roll and hot chocolate) I ventured out into the 'warmth' (only a force 5 gale today). I went round to the top edge of the field and waited for the match to start. Beforehand having come up against Moortown I was relatively upbeat and confident that a win was on the cards. Unfortunately somebody had merged Moortown with Yarnbury. Moortown were not great but Yarnbury usually were. As with last week's match the opposition went 22-0 up including a 60 metre interception try. The lads then woke up and started to drag things back. The set pieces were better and by half time the score was 22-12 to Moortown.

After half time Jake came on and ran in a try - 22-17. Unfortunately 'Moortown' had worked out how to deal with him. They then ran in a number of tries. Final score 17-41.

The result does not flatter Moortown. There were positive signs in development terms. There is now just a Festival match against Scunthorpe in a couple of weeks.

During the close season I will be working on some other posts and also a team management tool.

Forking hell that's a bad idea

Well that got your attention. So, now that I have you in my evil grasp I will tell you a tale that will leave a chill in your soul. Well, alright cold hands, ears, noses and other assorted extremities which are the lot of the travelling rugby parent.

Today the mighty Dinno were scheduled to play Dronfield. But before we could have all the excitement that rugby brings we had a job today. I arrived pitchfork in hand (well boot) and I went in search of a baying mob to join. This turned out to be a not particularly well coordinated mob and Pete Morley and I decided that as fine upstanding British workers, who had been asked to come and fork the pitches to remove stones, we would survey the job first from the comfort of the clubhouse with hot bacon sandwiches and drinks. After a few minutes of surveying we set out and found some like minded simpletons and started prodding the ground with the forks.

Very quickly we decided that this was a thank less task and went over to the pitches where the actual rugby was taking place.

Dronfield came out on to the pitch with a couple of players who looked a little big. You know the type tall, lanky and with long flowing locks. So needless to say during the game they were dealt with.

The match was refereed by Mark. It was a spirited effort and he tried his best to encourage equally but he did miss some more obvious penalties - accidental offside, knock ons etc.

The match started badly for Dinno when a pass was intercepted from just inside their own half and Dronfield ran in a try and a conversion followed 0-7. Dinno have been working on a new team structure for the last couple of weeks. It paid dividends. Yet again Luke and Rupert and Jacob took apart Dronfield. At half time it was 27- 7.

The team were moving the ball about and the result was never in doubt. The egos had gone from the team. One player who was brought back on midway through the second half opted to directly replace a player and play at flanker rather than move his team mate who was playing in his normal position. Work needs to continue on decision making and judgment on the pitch but the signs are good.

The final score was 53-12 to Dinno. Our only scheduled game this season is against Moortown. But no doubt something will come up between now and then.

As a footnote. Whilst the turnout was good for the forking session. The job needs to be done with more appropriate equipment like a JCB for example.

Interesting Times

The title of this post is supposed to come from a Chinese curse. The curse goes "May you live in  times".

The rugby club has been subject to some interesting times in recent weeks. Things started with a match against Scunthorpe. Readers will recall that we played them away a couple of months ago. We beat them after a tight run start. The 'development team' started well but were not able to hold them. The first XV were able to turn things round. The match ended 29-51 to Scunthorpe but tempers were frayed on all sides that day and a lot of things were said.

The next week we played West Park Leeds in the Yorkshire Cup semi final. It was a very close match and either side could have gone through. In one sense the bounce of a ball and a missed tackle decided it. Some decisions taken were the wrong ones but players learn by making them. In a thrilling encounter the match ended 3-5 to West Park.

Once again there were ructions afterwards and this is not the place toconsider them. A lot of things were said and there has been fallout since.

Last weekend, the team went to the frozen north to play Morley. The coaches had decided to mix the players up. This proved to be a wise move. The team which went out in the first half won the half 33-0. With two tries a piece from Luke and Rupert and a fifth try with conversions from Brendan and Will it was a dominant display from the forwards. 

In the second half the team was changed and Tom played at number 8. The team won 34-0 in teh second half. Overall score 67-0 (after a few recounts). The forwards were strong but the backs dominated the scoring with three tries from Harry and two from Jacob (I think). One of the tries was created by the pack. At a scrum Tom held the ball in at the back and then Sam at scrum half passed the ball out and then the ball was run in from about half way.

The lads left the pitch smiling. The development players were getting advice from the first teamers and together they delivered a stunning, solid performance.

Travels with Dinno - At home versus Sheffield

Hello again as we take our latest steps on the mighty journey around Britain with Dinnington Rugby Club. Last weekend the club sent half the team off to Old Brodleians in Hipperholme (near Halifax for the geographically challenged). This was the first XV. They beat their opponents in snowy conditions at least 32-5. I don't have any details of scorers etc.

Meanwhile, back in sunny Dinno, the development team took on local rivals Sheffield. Regular readers will recall, and if you can't the details are in this blog and you clearly haven't been paying attention, that the development team have played Sheffield twice this season and had a draw and a win under their belts. After an early shock try from Sheffield the development forwards kicked into overdrive.

The development pack have always been strong but sometimes can be off the pace. Not last Sunday. They were winning scrums and rucks and were driving and controlling the game. Sheffield had an injured player who couldn't scrum but got stuck in at everything else. Within minutes Travis built on excellent work by Josh and Ronan and just dived across the line to score the first try.

Dinno scored again before half time thanks to Will (apologies if it wasn't and I'm sure somebody will let me know if that's wrong). After half time the team kicked on. The team broke forward and the ball came out to Richard (aka Ches) and he started to run laterally. The air was blue around head coach Dave but it all worked out in the end and he scored the try.

I used to coach rugby for a couple of seasons (u10-u12) and so had to be a little bit restrained when watching the boy play and do well. A ruck formed in the middle of the pack and then all of a sudden Tom appeared from the back of the pack about 20-30m out. He broke one tackle and pushed off another and then broke clear and headed for the line. He was almost caught but given the conditions he chose to dive in and score just by the posts. This was converted. The score was 17 - 5. Sheffield got another back.

Then James S got the ball on the wing. The thing he needs to do is back himself. Once he believes he can do it he will be fine. He burst down the wing and fended off a couple of tackles and then burst into the clear. He then crossed the line and ran round under the posts. His dad was swearing at this and the swearing got worse when James missed his conversion. Final score 27 - 10.

The team as a whole performed excellently. There is a truism in rugby that forwards win you games and backs decide by how many. On this occasion the forwards did both. Afterwards in the bar coach Kev made it clear that the team as a whole was a credit to the Dinnington badge and that they should not feel inferior to anybody.

As ever the food was excellent.

Next week there may be a game against Sandal. So see you soon.

Rugby - It's only a game

This is an offshoot of my Travels with Dinno strand. Last weekend Dinno took on Old Brodleians. This is a team I know well having come up against them a number of times over the years. For the record the result was a loss for Dinno 19 - 31. The first team were up 14 - 5 at half time I think. In the second half the development team with the boy at stand off came on and were blitzed by the aggressive pack play of Brods. This was something I had mentioned to the coaches before the game.

The development team were simply not able to get the ball moving and on the occasions when passes were made they were not taken.  The reason that I am not adding this post to the Travels With Dinno slot is that it has taken me a week to calm down enough to write this post. If I had written it last weekend I would have been less than complimentary to a lot of people. In particular I don't like criticising coaches because I have done it myself.

These are two u13s sides. It is not the deciding match of the Rugby World Cup. In the scheme of things it does not matter. So I would be grateful if there are any readers out there who can explain why it is acceptable for a kid to be left in tears because  his coach and team mates blame him personally for the defeat.

My lad is an intelligent and sensitive lad who loves his rugby. He plays that way as well and always has. It is equally frustrating and brilliant. He and most of the development team were pulled off as Brods took control. The boy had tried passing to people but every time he did they dropped the ball so he took the decision to try and drive things himself by running the ball. Unfortunately what had worked against Scunthorpe didn't work against Brods.

The boy has played stand off half a dozen times and is still learning the role. He needs support and encouragement not to be taken to one side by a coach and being told it was his fault for not passing the ball. Perhaps if the coaches trained the development players better at catching the ball for a while. The development team that went out that day was not the one that has done so well this season.

It also does not speak well of the welcoming nature of the club that your team mates then pile and in blame you as well. I have been made to feel very welcome since coming back down south. My lad has not settled and his fellow players have not really made him feel very welcome some of the time. At times he feels like an outcast.

If you are a coach of junior or mini rugby I urge you to try and encourage your players. Be aware that not everybody is happy and doesn't feel part of things. Also don't make statements that are not then backed up because you end up with a situation that players don't believe you.

So to those people who may have wondered where I had gone this is my explanation. To those who helped the boy and got in touch with me a huge thank you. You know who you are.

Rant over and hopefully normal service will be resumed soon with the boy back and enjoying his rugby.

The festive season and Travels with Dinno 2013: Scunthorpe

Well greetings from the Costa del Worksop. The weather in these last few weeks since my last post has been a balmy barely getting into single figures and the heatwave is set to continue into the weekend.

My daily sojourns to work in Sutton In Ashfield, cultural hub of Nottinghamshire, have been interrupted by rain, floods, vanilla drivers[1], the festive season, a lethal dose of flu and work.  I survived the festive season by entering that state of my being known as ‘grumpy old bastard’.

Despite my illness I cooked and entertained over two weekends and also survived the annual visit to the in laws and the reactions to various seasonal offerings.

Due to the weather rugby finished early and due to the illness the planned visit to the club on Boxing Day was shelved.

Last weekend I revisited a place I have not been for probably 13 years. The club’s first fixture of 2013 was in ‘sunny Scunny’. Well if we are being strictly accurate ‘misty, cold Scunthorpe’.  I used to visit the place a couple of times each year when my sister was in Irish dancing tournaments every weekend. I have always visited it either in the dark or on a train and so this visit was a new experience, actually visiting for something I enjoyed. My previous visit was for business purposes. I attended a business conference where the person delivering it said that ‘If your friends don’t support your business get rid of them and get some new ones.’ Shortly after this revelatory conference I decided where they could stick the business.

In this life you will encounter many people a few of whom will become friends. Of these, a handful will become true friends who may not always agree with you but will be there for you. I decided that these people were more important to me than wealth, which was by no means guaranteed.

Anyway back to the rugby. The journey up the motorways was relatively uneventful, apart from the police car at the entry to the M180 and the unmarked police car a few miles further on which had pulled over a motorist. The weather drifted from beautiful sunshine right through to full blown mirk.

Scunthorpe have a nice little set up. The clubhouse is well maintained and the pitches had held up well in the weather. I was missing the staff and bell around my neck. The gentle banter of the Dinno parents was a joy as I announced that I was recovering from flu.

The match started with the development team. The boy was at fly half again. The game started at a fast pace and quickly Dinno started to dominate with strong passing and driving runs. We soon went 7-0 up with a try from Olly and a conversion from Will (I think). The referee was praised because he clearly explained his decisions to the players even if those decisions left the spectating parents somewhat baffled at times. The development team maintained their style of play but were unable to make another breakthrough and Scunthorpe despite their pack appearing to tire early on managed to get the ball out to their backs who had plenty in the tank.

The development team lack the devastating pace of some of the first XV and so could not catch their opposition. That being said they played rugby in the right way. At half time the score was 15-7 to Scunthorpe. In the second half the first XV turned things around and the score finished 38-20 to Dinno. 

Normally I would go into detail about scorers etc but I didn’t keep a track of what was happening. I would also normally comment on the refreshments available at the club but due to the delicate state of my constitution I didn’t sample the delights on offer, maybe next time.

The weekly awards went to Kieran, Jake, Ben and, much to my surprise, the boy. He seems to have taken to the position of fly half and he at least went home happy. I remarked to the coach before I knew this that he had come off and for the first time had had no complaints[2].

The boy is starting to settle within the team and is starting to enjoy his rugby more. He now has a rowing machine to train on and is at least thinking about his fitness.

Weather permitting this weekend we are against Old Brods a blast from the Huddersfield days. They like to grind out the results through the pack and if you don’t try and blast down the middle and use width you should beat them.

See you beside a rugby pitch soon.

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[1] Drivers who are physically incapable of driving at any speed other than 40mph

[2] The boy has a tendency to overanalyse his performance and that of his teams and be a bit hypercritical. We are trying to get him to lighten up a bit but he is a teenager and so there is little danger of that.