Electric Feel

Electric Feel

Now and again, not that often mind you, you hear a new song on the radio , that really grabs hold of you, demands to be listened to and forever after lodges in your conscience for ever more. As my late mother used to say about favourite songs of hers,’ it does something to my soul’
That’s what good songs, music does to you. Gives you the greatest natural high you can imagine and the feelings to go to the very depths of ones being.
Ok maybe it just affects those of us who were born with an un- breakable connection to the power and spirit of music who feel this way. However I think most humans have some connection to music which at various times will manifest it.

Getting back to those songs that leap out of the radio at you. I was about 4 when I heard the Beatles sing, She Loves You on the Radio. I credit that as being my first clear memory of being on this planet. From that moment on I somehow realised that music would have a big and important place in my life.
We didn’t have a TV in our house until 1979, and in hindsight a blessing in disguise. So at home the ‘wireless was forever on. I can recall a hot Sunday afternoon around 1971. It was mid summer and for some reason we were making hay. Unusual as it was the Sabbath day, but the weather must have been a little broken so if Sunday was good then one had to, as they say’’ make hay while the sun shines’
BBC Radio 1 back then had a requests programme hosted by Anne nightingale on Sunday afternoons. Layla by Derek and The Domino’s was played almost every week.
God, what a song and the intro being the real killer sound that ensnared you. Add to that Clapton’s passionate vocals, and for me it was my next,’ one of those songs’.

Onward to 1979, I was sitting in our old fashioned cow byre, milking a cow by hand. She was swishing me with her manure cover tail adding some, organic make –up to my face as was par for such a course. If I was thirsty I squirted some raw milk into my mouth direct from the teat. I always had a little transistor radio on in the byre, for my own and the animal’s entertainment. It was also propagated that cows gave more milk when music was being played. Suddenly and without warning I heard Gangsters by The Specials. Another of those, grab you’ songs. That got me into the band and the whole Two Tone movement that was in vogue at the time, which in turn led to an appreciation and love for reggae music.

And it happened again only this past August, while on holiday on A chill Island, Co Mayo. At night time I happened to be listening to the Irish Language Radio station, Radio Na Gaeltacht. From 9.00pm until midnight they play a lot of alternative and indie music. I kept hearing two songs being played a lot back to back. Now as the presenter speaks in Irish, which I understand a lot of, I could never make out the name of the band nor the songs. Later I learned that one was Love is Noise, by The Verve, but still no luck with the other song.
A few weeks later I heard it on the car radio, and caught the title, Electric Feel, or was it Electric Eel.
So this where the internet really comes in useful. Next morning, I googled Electric eel. No, nothing there. Tried the other One, Electric Feel. And it turned a video for the song by the band MGMT, on You Tube. Excellent, love the vocals, the musical arrangement, from this American band.
Must buy the album. On to Amazon and located the album Oracle Spectular, with the song, Electric Feel on it. Made the purchase, and had it in the post a few days later. And the whole album is fantastic. These guys are one of the bands of the present. They were tipped as ones to watch by Rolling Stone Magazine.
Find out for yourself. Look for them on You Tube and you won’t be disappointed.

The Olympics

The Irish Challange.

Ah yes, here we are into the second week of the Olympic Games in China. No Gold medals as yet for the Irish team, and not a sniff of a pro Tibeten protest. Whats the world coming to?

No big drug scandels as yet, altough one feels that if there was a major postive test of a medal winner, it would probably be hushed up. The Chinese would see to that.Now they wouldn't want anything to spoil their party, or their efforts at staging the most impressive ever games.

It was bad enough that there was that issue with the young girl singer at the opening cermoney who was only miming to the voice of an older girl, but who had crooked teeth, and thus wouldn't represent what is good about the country.

It's no suprise that Shane McGowan wasn't invited to sing at the event.



So anyway from early morning, miday to late in the evening it's a constant fest of sport and the olympics. You get to see sports that you wouldn't normally see on TV, like shooting.Ireland had a a representative in that event, but as usual he didn't do so well. Not sure where he finished but it was close to last I'm sure. There you also have it, some expert in the studio on shooting, explaining why our guy didn't do better.

Anfd God knows we should be better at shooting, as we have plenty of practise at it in this country.However, perhaps we are better at hiiting human targets rather than the circular boards that them games uses.

Now fair play to the boxers, they look like being our best hope of a medal. Again another thing we are good at, fighting. We do plenty of it. Fighting and shooting.

But leaving all joking aside we do have a good record in the sport, from Jack Doyle, Barry McGuigen, Michael Carruth who won an Olympic gold back in the 90's. In the present day there is Bernard Dunne who can bet the best in the world. The young lads in China are progressing and should bring home a medal of some colour, and not forgetting Jimmy Magee's great ringside commentry's

Ah but it's the athletics which seems to be our achilles heel,pardon the pun. Now ok one guy today, Hessian lived up to his claim of being the fastest man in Ireland and won his heat, I think it was in the 400 meters, but the runners competiting yesterday really bottled it I think two of them came in last, failing to even equal their PB records. Complaints about being tired and heavy legged were nput foreward. Earlier to bed might help in that department.

Even the great Sonia O Sullivan had one Olympics too far in 2004, and managed to come in last in her race. It's just something we do well at the Olympics on the athletics track is coming in last. Some of our athletes have it down to a fine art.

But is it not all about the joy of entering, having made it there, the spirit of them games etc. After all Ireland is a small country, dosen't have the facilities or the funding that our best sports people need to be competative on the world stage.In a nation of couch potatoes thats no real suprise.