Andrij – our man pulling pints in the Gay Traitor, wants to bend your ear ……………………………..and his Gran really was Alice Cooper y’know

All this talking is only bravado..

The 1980s were to music what George bush is to middle eastern foreign policy, and I dont mean shock and awe I am talking in many cases a unmitigated disaster .There have been very few times when I have heard a song on the radio and stopped what I was doing to just sit and listen, I can even remember what I was doing at the time, some remember what they were doing when they heard Kennedy , Elvis and Curtis had died with me it was the first time I heard ‘Tinsel Town In the Rain’ by the Blue Nile.

Paul Buchanans lyric is so simple and yet so stunningly brilliant. To me it was like nothing I had heard before, little did I know then that 20 years later there would have only been 4 studio albums, Walk across the roof tops (1983), Hats (1989), Peace at last (1996) and High (2005), each of them, as you would expect due to the time period between them are completely individual. Buchanans voice and the attention to detail in the production of the albums are a common thread coupled with the ordinary subjects of the songs.

When listening to a Blue Nile album you get the feeling Paul Buchanan records and puts them out just to satisfy his natural instincts to communicate his feelings through song rather than any record labels need to shift units. The first album ‘Walk across the rooftops’ had big critical acclaim and has some famous fans in music, the album consists of just seven songs and the three stands out songs on the album in my humble opinion are TITR, Easter parade and heat wave.

The second Blue Nile album ‘Hats’ is there most synthesizer based album of the quartet. And again there treatment of the simple and the ordinary subjects is the beauty of the album, the opening track over the hillside, is about a man who no matter how hard he works the bills and life itself are a struggle but it will not always be this way is the singers refrain, the blue Nile treat all love affairs in the same way its the little things in a relationship that are the big things, the soulful Lets go out tonight this is truly one of Paul Buchanans finest vocal performances so much so the Great Isaac Hayes covered the song (if you have a copy please can I have one).

The third album Peace at last has been described as the blue Nile most acoustic album from the opening track its clear it is quite different from the other two previous albums, this first track featured in a TV commercial and I am offering a big 3 points pop pickers if you can tell me what it advertised. Highlights from the album are Tomorrow Morning, sentimental man and family life.

The fourth and most recent album, High is arguably Paul Buchanans best work it draws heavy from his life experiences, there is more of feeling of alienation about the album a dip into some sad and tormented lives and in true blue Nile style they have hook line from a sign outside a church please do not throw confetti

Waiting to see the blue Nile live is like waiting for hayleys comet to pass, I was lucky enough in 2006 to catch them in Manchester, it was two hours of perfection, I had to take along a reluctant guest and after the gig they were converts its really easy to do when you can buy the entire back catalogue for about twenty quid.

Whats the purpose of QUIMS if not to recommend our favourite tracks from an artist for fellow members to try out, you might decide what a complete load of toss that was and then again if you are introduced to just one new song then its all been worth while

Tinsel town in the rain (1983)
Easter parade (1983)
Heat wave (1983)
Lets go tonight (1989)
Saturday night (1989)
Tomorrow Morning (1996)
Sentimental Man (1996)
High (2005)
Soul Boy (2005)

Video clip YOU TUBE. Flags and fences

Alice cooper was my gran