STi-Frenchie

Set out to take the kids to school and get to work the other morning and found out very quickly that driving downhill on sheet ice, about an inch thick, even at 5km/hour is scary as hell - careful with those brakes Eugene! Mind you, wasn't only scoobies which were having a lot of grief, just about every other make was in deep doodoo. Eventually got to work two hours later in time to jump on a bus to get me to the train station as I was Paris-bound for a couple of days (work).

Paris... and straight into Virgin Megastore where, along with my other purchases, I picked up an old Jam album which I had on vinyl years ago and which has now been digitally remastered on CD.

All Mod Cons - and absolute STONKER of an album and possibly one of the best albums I ever bought. Nice to see it back in the collection.

Sign of a truly great lyric is that it stands the test of time - how 'bout this from A-Bomb in Wardour Street:

"Rape and murder throughout the land,
and they tell you that you're still a free man.
If this is freedom I don't understand
'cause it seems like madness to me."

Class !

And the brilliant "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight"

The distant echo -
of faraway voices boarding faraway trains
To take them home to
the ones that they love and who love them forever
The glazed, dirty steps - repeat my own and reflect my thoughts
Cold and uninviting, partially naked
Except for toffee wrapers and this morning's paper
Mr. Jones got run down
Headlines of death and sorrow - they tell of tomorrow
Madmen on the rampage
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight
I fumble for change - and pull out the Queen
Smiling, beguiling
I put in the money and pull out a plum
Behind me
Whispers in the shadows - gruff blazing voices
Hating, waiting
"Hey boy" they shout - "have you got any money?"
And I said - "I've a little money and a take away curry,
I'm on my way home to my wife.
She'll be lining up the cutlery,
You know she's expecting me
Polishing the glasses and pulling out the cork"
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight

I first felt a fist, and then a kick
I could now smell their breath
They smelt of pubs and Wormwood Scrubs
And too many right wing meetings
My life swam around me
It took a look and drowned me in its own existence
The smell of brown leather
It blended in with the weather
It filled my eyes, ears, nose and mouth
It blocked all my senses
Couldn't see, hear, speak any longer
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight
I said I was down in the tube station at midnight

The last thing that I saw
As I lay there on the floor
Was "Jesus Saves" painted by an atheist nutter
And a British Rail poster read "Have an Awayday - a cheap holiday -
Do it today!"
I glanced back on my life
And thought about my wife
'Cause they took the keys - and she'll think it's me
And I'm down in the tube station at midnight
The wine will be flat and the curry's gone cold
I'm down in the tube station at midnight
Don't want to go down in a tube station at midnight

All Mod Cons still sounds as fresh today as it ever did and every track on it stands on it's own.

Question - what albums do you have which still sound as good as when they were first released?