No. No. No. No Nooooooooo.

No. I can't accept this, I have to have my ears removed for the duration of the rest of time, or at least until Christmas is over.

The X Factor finalists are to sing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, which is the most beautiful song in the world and does not need 21st Centuryised by some everyone-else-soundalike. That is the biggest travesty I have ever heard of. And I haven't heard it yet, I pray for some miracle that I never do and continue to be able to listen to the best version untaintedly.

And that's another thing. The Jeff Buckley version is not the definitive version, it is not the best. John Cale's version is the best; he has a beautiful voice, he sings it to perfection. Jeff Buckley's version is very similar, just slower and not as well sung, not as poignant and just simply not as good. Just because John Cale wasn't one of the most beautiful people ever to have lived and didn't tragically drown at a very young age, doesn't mean that he didn't do the song infinitely better.

So no. I'm not happy with the choice for X Factor. I hate the existence of the X Factor, it's drivelly cruel TV that produces another drivelly singer or four that are exactly the same as everyone else in the dirgey charts and this is the final insult.

And I continue to be extremely unhappy that everyone mistakenly claims Jeff Buckley's version to be anything like as good as John Cale's, let alone better.

By the way, yes you have heard it, John Cale's version is the one in Shrek. It's also the second song here.

Current cessation

Normal service may be resumed sometime.





No meaning, just the two best songs in the world

My tunes

There are certain songs that I can hear again and again and they always make me smile, or sigh, depending on the song. I've been formulating a list in my head, it changes constantly, but I shall try to remember the songs that really have meant a lot to me...

Hallelujah by John Cale.
This is just lovely. I think I heard it for the first time when I saw Shrek, it's relatively new to me. I simply can't listen to it enough, once I finally got hold of "I'm Your Fan". If it wasn't good enough, my children respond to it like some sort of magic - they stop whatever they are doing (particularly good if what they are doing is having a tantrum) and gaze in awe at the speakers. They both now attempt to sing along, which is cute if entirely inaccurate. When I played them the Jeff Buckley cover, they looked in astonishment, then gazed on in semi-awe.

When You Grow by Bernard Butler
While I'm on the subject of the children, this song calmed me manys a time when I was pregnant, I simply couldn't listen to it enough. I will always think fondly of it because of that.

Always on my Mind by the Pet Shop Boys
This was the first 7" single I bought for myself. I loved it, I played it to death, I still love it. It was Christmas #1 in 1987 and it stayed there right until a couple of days before my 13th birthday, where it was knocked off by Belinda Carlisle with Heaven is a Place on Earth. Grr.

Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground
I'm not sure when I first heard this, sometime between meeting their biggest fan and marrying him. It's just a perfect song.

The Mighty Quinn by Manfred Mann
Friends of ours used to run a 60s night in a club owned by another friend, and every single week they'd play this, I'd think "that's a fantastic song" and ask Ryan what it was called. Every week. Eventually, after many weeks of annoying poor Ryan, it penetrated my brain and I managed to buy it. This is just one of those songs that every time I hear it I think, that's a fantastic song...

Days of Pearly Spencer by David McWilliams
I have no idea when I first heard this, I just hear it every so often and think "wow".

Altogether Now by The Farm
I loved this. If it played on the radio before I went to school, it was a good day. If it was possible to wear out a CD single with overplay, I did it to this. Despite the fact that The Farm weren't very good and were utterly appalling live, I still love this, I like the subject, I like the tune, I like it.

Broken Heart by Spiritualized
I'm not entirely sure why I bought the Abbey Road EP by Spiritualized, but as it had the live version of Broken Heart on it, I am so very glad I did. What a beautiful song and what a wonderful introduction to a wonderful band.

Everybody Hurts by REM
Yes, I know, it's a cliche. But I listened to this every time I was sad, every time I needed a good cry, when I was in my late teens. When we saw REM live at Loch Lomond, the crowd all swayed together and sang this as it got dark, it was lovely. On the day of the London bombings, Jeremy Vine read out all the confirmed fatalities and then played this, it was a very poignant moment.


I'm sure there must be more recent ones, but for now I must stop because I need my sleep.