Easy Listening

The inabilty to drink, cope with hangovers and needing an increasing amount of make-up to achieve the 'natural look' are undoubtedly signs of the onset of middle-age.

However, perhaps most alarming is my growing love for easy listening* music.

We were practically raised on Neil Diamond in our house and I've always been partial to a bit of Bacharach & David, but my longing for proper singers singing proper songs is getting stronger. I do still like MC5 and The Stooges as much as the next man, but more and more I want something soothing to listen to.

The new Lee Hazlewood album was released today and I've been looking forward to it for weeks (this picture is not the latest album, but him 'back in the day'). It contains a new version of Some Velvet Morning which is one of my favourite ever songs.

So I went to HMV at lunchtime, but couldn't find it anywhere. I even braved going to the Country section, but couldn't find him there. (Johnny Cash is still located there as I found out the last time I bought one of his albums - it didn't feel right having him in the same section as Billy Ray Cyrus and Garth Brooks and I worried that people might think that I liked that sort of Country music).

I also searched the New Releases where I spoted a new Neil Diamond Best Of, which I momentarily cooed over but if there is one thing I don't need its Neil Diamond albums.

So I was thwarted in my quest, which almost brought on 'easy-listening rage'.

* I'm not sure easy listening is the right term - it always has slightly derogatory connotations like muzak or Mike Flowers Pop, but this isn't what I mean. I think I just mean good old fashion songs.