Nine Feet Underground

For the second day in a row, I awake to the sound of rain on my window.  Today is different, though, for two reasons.  It's my birthday for starters.  In addition it took me ages to get to sleep last night because of the infection, which was so uncomfortable that it took two paracetamol and two ibuprofen before I eventually surrendered to sleep. The first person to wish me 'Happy Birthday' in person was the first carer of the day. After she left I got showered and dressed before calling the GP surgery. Phone was answered almost immediately, which was a nice surprise, and I arranged a call from my GP for later in in the morning, all before 8:30am! Breakfast of porridge and fruit devoured, morning carers arrive as I'm drinking my coffee and surprise me with an unexpected birthday card (so much better than an unexpected item in the bagging area).  Whilst they are still here my GP calls and tells me she's already sent a prescription for antibiotics off to B...

New Order have always had a way with the melancholic dance song, somehow managing to mix euphoric dance tunes with melancholic lyrics as shown on their most recent album 'Music Complete'.  Even without the glorious rumbling basslines of Peter Hook the album does mark a return to form that is far better than might be expected.  A high spot of the album is the track 'Tutti Frutti' which epitomises the dancefloor tristesse.  The lyrics hint at coming to terms with getting older - "I feel like I'm a setting sun" - and perhaps mid-life crisis, whilst at the same time being a hymn to a partner though even that hymn is tainted by some level of dependency - "I'm under your command". The video seems to take theme of getting older to a another level, capturing a sadness that goes well beyond the lyrics and really rams home a message of someone coming to terms with their self-image compared to how they are seen by others.   Perhaps all ...