Monday 17 February 2014

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

(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