Travels with Dinno

Following the defeat of Old Brods at the end of the last episode our next opponents were Nottingham Corsairs.  It was a comprehensive drubbing. It was almost as if they had forgotten how to play rugby. Judgment was lacking and no matter what the lads did they just couldn't match the rugby played by Nottingham.

The following week the lads went to Sandal for the Yorkshire Cup semi final. The day felt slightly odd but when it came to the game yet again judgment and luck seemed to desert the team. The forwards played out of their skins and were comfortably controlling the set pieces. At one try to nil down the backs tried a kick through but unfortunately the bounce of the ball didn't favour them. This put an idea in the minds of the players and they tried it again. This time a decision didn't go in their favour and Sandal got away with it again.

In the second half the forwards spent ten minutes camped on the Sandal line and through unselfishness missed the chance to put a try over. Ultimately Sandal came out 15 - 0 winners and went on to win the trophy. It was a game that we could have won and on another day would have done.

Next up Harrogate. I can't actually remember the score on this one.

Next Mansfield and a win in spite of some dodgy refereeing. I saw something unique in this game - a referee penalising one of his own officials. Despite that we won 36-27. Tries by Tom Woods, Trav, George and Angus helped the starting 15 dominate the opposition.

Last up was a 'tournament' featuring Paviors and Dronfield. Dinnington won but the day was bad tempered and the development team played well but didn't get the rewards that their play deserved.

The squad is still a work in progress and some tweaks are needed for next season. There may be one more to come this season.

AC/DC - The Brian Johnson years

As part of the process of listening to albums I have been listening to the albums following Brian Johnson joining AC/DC. What did I learn by doing this you ask? I learned that I preferred Bon Scott. There is nothing wrong with Brian Johnson's vocals but overall I preferred Bon's voice. Lyrically Bon always had a mischievous grin and a slightly darker edge and I like that in my music.  Brian Johnson is more from the 'Carry On' school of lyric writing.

The tragedy is that Back in Black which I have previously reviewed is actually very much in the Bon Scott vein and so it shows that he can produce that sort of music. The first album after Back in Black was For Those About To Rock. The title track is rightly a classic. My favourite track on the album is Inject The Venom. The problem the album has is that it has to try and live up to its predecessor. Unfortunately it isn't as good by some distance. There are still hints of the Bon Scott era. Evil Walks could easily have been from that period.

Next we have the album Flick of the Switch. I don't know what it was but the spark was definitely not here on this one. I struggled to find a track and if pushed would go for Badlands but the album just didn't work for me.

Fly on the Wall comes next and is slightly better. Shake Your Foundations and Sink The Pink are now classics but even so the album is not a classic. I recall at the time that during this period the band didn't seem to quite be hitting the right note.

The next original studio album is 1988's Blow Up Your Video. The opening tracks set a good standard. Heatseeker and That's The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll are great tracks. The problem is that the rest of the album isn't great.

The Razor's Edge feels like a better album. Yes all the Johnson era stuff is there. Thunderstruck is a great opener. The title track is full of menace. It is not perfect by any means. I first heard the album at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham whilst waiting to hear Queensryche and Lynch Mob in concert. It managed to keep the fans happy.

Next we have Ballbreaker and Stiff Upper Lip neither of which are great albums. The most recent album is Black Ice and it is a better album.

My recommendation go and put on Back In Black.

Travels with Dinno - New Year Update

Regular viewers will have noticed, and some have in fact commented, on the fact that I have not put up recent details of how the rugby has gone since the New Year. The year started with a  home match against Southwell. Up until half time it was a fairly even game Despite tries from George and Angus Southwell led 12-17. In the second half we put our foot on the pedal and responded with three unanswered tries. Final score 29-17.

Next we were visited by Sheffield the first xv played Sheffield first and the developing team played their equivalents The firsts lost more because they allowed Sheffield a big lead and it then became a problem to claw it back. The developing team beat their opposition by dominating the play.

Then we had a comedy trip to West Park Leeds. The food and drink on offer was excellent as were the facilities. The problem was the weather. We took the game to West Park in awful conditions. At half time we were 12-10 up. Then the comedy started. It took the boy 5 minutes to get out of his subsuit and trackie bottoms and by the time he came on the referee had abandoned the game. No further score.

I was absent for the game against Doncaster Knights which by all accounts was a close game. A narrow loss was recorded.

Then Huddersfield came visiting. The boy was captain and played his heart out but was then substituted. It was an even match until this point but then Huddersfield took over and went 10-0 up. The score was pulled back to 10-10 and we could have had the lead but for a poor kick. Then due to the changes, the weird playing time we lost another try. Final score 10-17. Huddersfield were simply more effective and wanted it far more than we did.

Last up we have had another double header. The developing team played Dronfield. It was actually a fairly even game and the team only lost due to two breakaway tries by their opponents. The boy returned to centre and played a blinding game. Final score 12-24

The first 15 played Old Brods and very pleasingly annihilated them. It was a strong team performance. The pack creating the positions and by and large converting them.

AC/DC - Back In Black

Released 1980
Track listing

1.	"Hells Bells"	5:10
2.	"Shoot to Thrill"	5:17
3.	"What Do You Do for Money Honey"	3:33
4.	"Given the Dog a Bone"	3:30
5.	"Let Me Put My Love Into You"	4:16

6.	"Back in Black"	4:14
7.	"You Shook Me All Night Long"	3:30
8.	"Have a Drink on Me"	3:57
9.	"Shake a Leg"	4:06
10.	"Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution"	4:15

This is without doubt the greatest AC/DC album of all time in terms of sales alone. Musically I think its predecessor is better but it is a close run thing. Against the backdrop of the loss of Bon Scott and the arrival of Brian Johnson. The album nearly didn't get made at all. The album opens ominously with Hells Bells which has become a classic of the band's live show. The track is also featured in the soundtrack to the Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. Next we have Shoot To Thrill which is another classic and has made it into film in Iron Man 2. What Do YOu Do For Money Honey is typical AC/DC fare. Given The Dog A Bone is the weakest track on the album for me. Then we have another cheeky innuendo laden song which would become the trademark of the Brian Johnson era. Let Me Put My Love Into You is yet again classic AC/DC. Then we get a set of the most famous guitar chords in history as we move into the title track. This is a genuine classic track. Then we have another saucy little number. You Shook Me All Night Long is a track about a night spent with a beautiful woman. The video which I saw on television which features the glamour model Corinne Russell was set in and around Huddersfield. We then have another couple of tracks in Have  A Drink On Me and Shake A Leg. To wind down at the end we have an unsung classic. Rock N Roll Ain't Noise Pollution is an anthemic track which certainly states my opinion on the music.

Recommended track - You Shook Me All Night Long

You Shook Me All Night Long

(c) Jonathan Kirton

AC/DC - Highway To Hell

Released 1979

Track listing

1.	"Highway to Hell"	3:29
2.	"Girls Got Rhythm"	3:24
3.	"Walk All Over You"	5:11
4.	"Touch Too Much"	4:28
5.	"Beating Around the Bush"	3:57

6.	"Shot Down in Flames"	3:23
7.	"Get It Hot"	2:35
8.	"If You Want Blood (You've Got It)"	4:38
9.	"Love Hungry Man"	4:18
10.	"Night Prowler"	6:18

This album will undoubtedly go down as a classic rock album. It is the last album of the Bon Scott era and is in my opinion the best of the lot. The track listing is littered with tracks which have become classic AC/DC let alone classic rock/metal tracks. The album opens with the title track. From opening chords it grabs you and you are drawn along on the journey towards 'party time'.  The tempo picks up with the next track. Girls Got Rhythm just makes you want to get up and move. You then change down a gear with Walk All Over You. Then we have what is for me the best track on the album. Touch Too Much. It has a bluesy feel and the lyrics help convey the scene. "It was one of those nights when you turn out the lights and everything comes into view". This song oozes sex. It is then followed by the weakest track on the album. Beating Around The Bush is not a particularly great song. But then you get another classic with Shot Down In Flames. They keep the temperature theme going with Get It Hot. Then along comes another classic. If You Want Blood (You've Got It). This is a high octane track. We then move into Love Hungry Man. But the album finishes off with a track which caused controversy in America (but what doesn't). If this had been Mick Jagger and Keith Richards singing people would have said that this was fantastic. The song does have a feel of Midnight Rambler by The Rolling Stones.

This is a well put together album and is rightly a classic and don't shout it too loudly is arguably as good as the album that followed it and which is the 3rd bestselling album in history. How good could this line up have become is an unanswerable question but this album is a fitting epitaph to a great singer.

Recommended track - Touch Too Much

(c) Jonathan Kirton

AC/DC Powerage

Released 1978
Track listing

1.	"Rock 'n' Roll Damnation"	3:06
2.	"Gimme a Bullet"	3:20
3.	"Down Payment Blues"	5:40
4.	"Gone Shootin'"	5:22
5.	"Riff Raff"	5:14
6.	"Sin City"	4:45
7.	"Up to My Neck in You"	4:12
8.	"What's Next to the Moon"	3:42
9.	"Cold Hearted Man"	3:32
10.	"Kicked in the Teeth"	3:58

This album is caught between a rock and a hard place. Historically it sits between Let There Be Rock and Highway To Hell. arguably the two best albums of the Bon Scott era. It is not a bad album and is typical AC/DC in terms of musical style and content.  Unfortunately it is not as good as its predecessor or its successor. The album gets off to a good start with Rock N Roll Damnation. We then have Gimme A Bullet, Down Payment Blues and Gone Shootin. None of these are bad tracks they just aren't that memorable. Down Payment Blues is a song about people who are struggling in life and is very relevant in today's climate.

We then have another classic with Riff Raff. This isn't a song about a character from Rocky Horror. The rest of the album kind of merges into one and none of the tracks are particularly memorable.

Recommended track:- Rock N Roll Damnation

(c) Jonathan Kirton

AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

Released 1977

Track listing

1. Go Down
2. Dog Eat Dog
3. Let There Be Rock
4. Bad Boy Boogie
5. Problem Child
6. Overdose
7. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To be
8. Whole Lotta Rosie

This album is a real joy to listen to. From the very first track the class is apparent. Go Down is a belter and gets things off to a rockin start. Dog eat Dog is OK but not a patch on the Adam & The Ants track of the same name.  Then we have the anthemic Let There Be Rock. The thing I like about rock and metal is the fact is that the use of language in the lyrics and the scope of referencing is better. The song refers to the roots of rock n roll - a combination of Schmaltz and the blues. Tchaikovsky even gets a shout in reference to Chuck Berry's Roll Over Beethoven. I have also long held the opinion that classical music has had a great influence on rock music. This song is a classic and there have been several covers but my personal favourite is by Bristol thrash metal outfit, Onslaught, on there album In Search of Sanity. Next up we have Bad Boy Boogie which just keeps the tempo going. Problem Child is featured again for some reason. Overdose is a song about having too much of one person. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be is classic AC/DC. The album ends with another anthem. Whole Lotta Rosie is about a one night stand with a well endowed woman from Tasmania. It has inspired cover versions. Guns N Roses famously used to perform it live. It has also been covered by W.A.S.P and Bullet For My Valentine.

This album is a classic and is a clear precursor to the great albums which were to come.

Track recommendation: Whole Lotta Rosie

AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Released 1976

Track listing

1. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
2. Love at First Feel
3. Big Balls
4. Rocker
5. Problem Child
6. There's Gonna Be Some Rockin
7. Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round To Be  A Millionaire)
8. Ride On
9. Squealer

This album probably qualifies as the tricky second album. The style, sound and feel is all there but it isn't quite as good as the first album or subsequent albums. That being said there is enough there for the fans. The opener is a classic. AC/DC never felt afraid to confront the nastier or seamier side of life and this song is a perfect example. Love At First Feel is not a great track but is followed by one of those 'Carry On' moments that AC/DC do so well. Big Balls on the face of the lyrics is about somebody who likes throwing parties but scratch not very far at the surface and you find that double entendre is alive and well. Rocker is a fairly ordinary track and Problem Child is alright . The album continues with There's Gonna Be Some Rockin and Ain't No Fun. Then we have possibly the best track on the album, Ride On. It is a slow, bluesy number and just oozes class. Last up we have Squealer.

Overall the album is not great but shows hints of what is to come. 

Track recommendation: Ride On