I’ve done the Great North 10k in Gateshead twice before. The first time was in 2016, which was the first and (hopefully!) last time I ever came dead last in a race. That was a special day, strangely. Last year was better for me, but Geth was running it with a broken toe, which wasn’t ideal.
Today was a fairly good race for both of us – it was a hot day, so no overall PBs, but we both got course PBs – mine by about five minutes, so I’m pretty pleased with that. I find the Great North 10k to be quite a pleasant race, as the bulk of it is an out-and-back section where I’m always too preoccupied with looking out for people I know running the other way to dwell too much on my own discomfort, and the views of the Tyne bridges are very pretty. The ninth kilometre, meanwhile, goes through a nice bit of park – there’s a short steep hill at the end of that section that everybody makes a really big deal out of (it’s nicknamed the ‘Slog on the Tyne’, but it only takes a minute or so to jog up it, and it’s really not that hard), and then the last kilometre is a nice flat run into Gateshead Stadium and round the track.
I don’t know if I’ll do it for a fourth time next year, but definitely at some point.
Day 88 takes us to Now! #88, which came out on 21st July 2014.
This is how the world looked in July 2014. The Wetherspoons cider festival was one of my summer highlights for a few years – I’ve not partaken in a while. Too much going on in July these days! That beetroot cider remains the most interesting one I’ve ever tasted.
Let’s see what would have been blasting on the Wetherspoons sound system that summer.
Track 1: Ella Henderson – Ghost
The tune on the chorus is very atmospheric, but unfortunately the verses are very dull.
Track 2: Ed Sheeran – Sing
Nice epic track – really like this one.
Track 3: Sam Smith – Stay With Me
Saccharine ballad. It’s very highly lauded but it’s not my kind of thing.
Track 4: George Ezra – Budapest
Interesting style, good tune – great track.
Track 5: Mr Probz – Waves [Robin Schulz Remix]
This is the kind of summer chillout I can get behind. Great, melancholy tune.
Track 6: Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea – Problem
Very danceable pop track with some awesome trumpet instrumentals – really like this.
Track 7: Rita Ora – I Will Never Let You Down
It’s got a good beat, but I find the tune irritating.
Track 8: Coldplay – A Sky Full Of Stars
Extremely grating – nothing redeeming here.
Track 9: Aloe Blacc – The Man
I do like the interpolation of Elton John’s Your Song on the chorus, but the verse is a bit bland.
Track 10: Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake – Love Never Felt So Good
Posthumous Michael Jackson release, cobbled together from a 1983 demo track and with Justin Timberlake drafted in to add extra vocals. Obviously, I love that ’80s sound.
Track 11: will.i.am and Cody Wise – It’s My Birthday
I really like this one – it’s actually replaced 50 Cent’s In Da Club as the song that gets stuck in my head on my actual birthday.
Track 12: Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX – Fancy
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Iggy Azalea on track 6.
The song is pretty dull, but the Clueless-homage video is quite fun.
Track 13: Chris Brown, Lil’ Wayne and Tyga – Loyal
I quite like the electro hook, but the rap is fairly boring.
Track 14: Clean Bandit and Sharna Bass – Extraordinary
Too slow for my liking, and the tune is pretty forgettable.
Track 15: Jess Glynne – Right Here
Very bland, irritating song.
Track 16: Ella Eyre – If I Go
There’s a bit too much going on with this track, and I don’t find the tune very interesting.
Track 17: MKTO – Classic
Good solid pop track – it’s a bit cheesy, but I quite like it.
Track 18: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Don’t Stop
Another good bit of pop-rock from 5 Seconds Of Summer. Happily chair-dancing here.
Track 19: Little Mix – Salute
I can’t stand this song. For some reason it still constantly ends up in my head four years later! I would pay good money to be able to forget about this one.
Track 20: Rixton – Me And My Broken Heart
I love the tune on this one – nice and epic.
Track 21: The Vamps and Demi Lovato – Somebody To You
Some highly irritating chanting throughout, and the tune’s pretty uninspired.
Track 22: Idina Menzel – Let It Go
The big musical number from Frozen. Awesomely epic, great to attempt at karaoke (not that I ever go anywhere near karaoke these days).
Track 23: Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne – Rather Be
Double repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Clean Bandit on track 14 and Jess Glynne on track 15.
The vocals are a little irritating, but the instrumentals are immense.
Track 24: Kiesza – Hideaway
Great beat, great tune. Big fan of this one.
Track 25: Oliver Heldens and Becky Hill – Gecko (Overdrive)
This one’s a generic dance track with some very irritating instrumental lines.
Track 26: Sigma – Nobody To Love
I quite like that piano at the start, but the vocals annoy me.
Track 27: Calvin Harris – Summer
Probably my favourite summer-themed dance track of the decade. The tune is gorgeous and it builds beautifully.
Track 28: Secondcity – I Wanna Feel
I do like the ’90s-influenced trend that was big in dance music around this time, and it works nicely here, but I find the tune very repetitive.
Track 29: Klingande – Jubel
Interesting track, and I always appreciate a bit of saxophone.
Track 30: Faul & Wad Ad and Pnau – Changes
This track’s got some incredibly annoying kiddie vocals throughout, but it does also have saxophone, so I don’t know whether I like it or not.
Track 31: Fuse ODG and Sean Paul – Dangerous Love
This was another track to which we did a really good routine at my Zumba class in Southampton. I have a real soft spot for this one.
Track 32: DJ Fresh, TC and Little Nikki – Make U Bounce
I like the videogame-esque instrumentals at the start, and the track’s got a good beat, but there’s a bit too much going on.
Track 33: Shift K3Y – Touch
Boring tune, and I find the theme pretty awkward.
Track 34: MK and Alana – Always [Route 94 Remix]
I don’t like this tune at all – there’s something that sounds slightly offkey about it, and the vocals jar unpleasantly with the backing track.
Track 35: Tiësto and Matthew Koma – Wasted
Irritating theme, irritating tune.
Track 36: John Martin – Anywhere For You
Another boring song.
Track 37: Cash Cash and Bebe Rexha – Take Me Home
I like the ’80s-tinged synth on the backing track, but the vocals are super annoying.
Track 38: Matrix & Futurebound and Tanya Lacey – Don’t Look Back
The tune is fairly dull, but again I quite like some of the lines on the backing track.
Track 39: Jason Derulo and Snoop Dogg – Wiggle
I like the atmosphere on this one, but the theme is super creepy.
Track 40: DJ Cassidy, Robin Thicke and Jessie J – Calling All Hearts
Great ’70s-tinged disco sound on this one!
Track 41: Neon Jungle – Welcome To The Jungle
Another awesome atmosphere – great stuff.
Track 42: Sia – Chandelier
Gorgeous, epic track. It’s a little overplayed these days, but the vocals are just wonderful.
Track 43: The Vamps – Last Night
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had the Vamps on track 21.
The tune’s a bit generic, but I quite like the pop-rock style.
Track 44: Tove Lo and Hippie Sabotage – Stay High
Too slow for me, and I find the tune boring.
Track 45: Paloma Faith – Only Love Can Hurt Like This
I find this ballad a bit overblown and irritating.
This is another cider that I picked up at Sainsbury’s recently.
Henney’s Dry Cider.
It’s another cider that is just as dry as the bottle suggests. It’s got a slightly cheesy taste that reminds me of West Country real ciders, but there’s still something very smooth about it. Probably a bit too dry to become a regular in my fridge, though.
Day 87 equals Now! #87, which came out on 7th April 2014.
This is how the world looked in April 2014…on a slightly overcast day in Salisbury. That hoodie, along with most of my hoodie collection, is far too big for me now and has been relegated to the pyjama drawer.
Into the mid-’10s already! 2014 was my last full year living in Southampton. Let’s see what the chart sounded like.
Track 1: Pharrell Williams – Happy
It’s a bit cheesy, but it’s very joyful and danceable, so I quite like it.
Track 2: Route 94 and Jess Glynne – My Love
Annoying tune, generic track. Not keen on this one.
Track 3: Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull – I’m A Freak
Good beat, but the tune’s pretty uninspired, and the chorus is really irritating.
Track 4: Avicii – Hey Brother
Another of Avicii’s EDM-bluegrass crossovers. Quite like this track.
Track 5: Katy Perry and Juicy J – Dark Horse
Great atmosphere, and it’s got an okay tune.
Track 6: Sam Smith – Money On My Mind
I find this tune pretty irritating, and I’ve never been a fan of Sam Smith’s falsetto vocals.
Track 7: Little Mix – Word Up!
Pointless cover of the Cameo classic, released as the official Sport Relief single for 2014. While the cover is pointless, the video is great – highlights include Chris Barrie reprising his role from The Brittas Empire and Melanie C showing she can still do those Spice Girl cartwheels.
Track 8: 5 Seconds Of Summer – She Looks So Perfect
Great bit of pop-rock – really like this tune!
Track 9: Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
Irritating overblown ballad, not a fan.
Track 10: Pixie Lott – Nasty
Great beat, good big band feel – very danceable.
Track 11: One Direction – Story Of My Life
Boring, slow, cheesy, and too acoustic-y for me. Everything I dislike.
Track 12: Gary Barlow – Let Me Go
Okay beat, but the tune is dull.
Track 13: Alesso and OneRepublic – If I Lose Myself
Generic tune – nothing exciting going on here.
Track 14: Gorgon City and MNEK – Ready For Your Love
Another very uninspired track, with a dance beat that’s the same as every other dance beat from this decade.
Track 15: The Vamps – Wild Heart
Too cheesy for me, but it’s got quite a good rhythm.
Track 16: Lady Gaga and R Kelly – Do What U Want
The atmosphere’s okay, but again the tune’s not very interesting.
Track 17: Elyar Fox – Do It All Over Again
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
It’s an okay pop song with a good beat, but it’s pretty forgettable.
Track 18: Katy B – Crying For No Reason
This one’s a bit depressing, but the tune is quite pretty.
Track 19: John Legend – All Of Me
It’s very saccharine, but parts of the tune are absolutely beautiful, so I quite like it.
Track 20: A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera – Say Something
Another boring, mood-killing ballad.
Track 21: Ellie Goulding – How Long Will I Love You
And yet another one.
Track 22: Sam Bailey – Skyscraper
The 2013 X Factor winner, this year doing a pointless cover of a Demi Lovato song. Nothing interesting here.
Track 23: The Chainsmokers – #Selfie
That title is going to look so dated in decades to come. Mind you, I don’t think anyone makes pop music with the thought that it’s going to be listened to in the future anymore – it’s all a bit disposable these days. Anyway, this is interspersed throughout with the most annoying spoken word sample ever, which I think is meant to be the point, but it doesn’t make it in any way pleasant to listen to.
Track 24: Pitbull and Kesha – Timber
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Pitbull on track 3.
At my Zumba class in Southampton, we used to do a really fun, high energy, line dance-inspired routine to this, which I absolutely loved. As such, I’ve got a soft spot for this song.
Track 25: DVBBS, Borgeous and Tinie Tempah – Tsunami (Jump)
Great rhythm – happily nodding along right now.
Track 26: Calvin Harris, Alesso and Hurts – Under Control
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Alesso on track 13.
This is another one with a very unmemorable tune.
Track 27: Martin Garrix and Jay Hardway – Wizard
The hook’s okay, but everything that surrounds it is off – it could have created quite a good atmosphere if the track weren’t so messy.
Track 28: Tiësto – Red Lights
Depressingly generic tune.
Track 29: Duke Dumont and Jax Jones – I Got U
I like the steel drums, but otherwise it’s fairly boring.
Track 30: Bastille – Of The Night
Track completely made up of interpolations of Snap’s Rhythm Is A Dancer and Corona’s The Rhythm Of The Night, so I guess it’s sort of a cover. I love both tracks so I don’t mind – this compilation has had so many boring forgettable tunes on that it’s a relief to hear a tune I like, even if it’s not original.
Track 31: Example – Kids Again
I like the backing track, but again I’m just not enthused by the tune.
Track 32: Little Mix – Move
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Little Mix on track 7.
This one’s a nice solid bit of pop – good stuff.
Track 33: Neon Jungle – Braveheart
Good solid pop tune – this one’s quite danceable.
Track 34: DJ Fresh, Jay Fay and Ms Dynamite – Dibby Dibby Sound
Bit of a Zumba theme to this playlist, because this is one that we danced to in a Zumba class I was attending in Newcastle last year. I really need to go back to dance class – I fell out of the habit during the move and am a bit too busy at the moment. Maybe in the autumn.
Anyway, this one’s a bit repetitive to listen to, but it’s got a good beat.
Track 35: Tujamo, Plastik Funk and Sneakbo – Dr Who!
I’m a bit surprised I ignored this one when it was in the charts, because I’m always looking for daft vaguely Doctor Who-related songs to add to that Doctor Who playlist I’m going to create at some point in the future.
It’s a bit tuneless, but it’s got a good beat. It’d be nice if the lyrics were slightly more relevant to the title.
Track 36: Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne – Thank You
I find the rap a bit awkward. Good rhythm, though, and the sample of Alicia Myers’ 1981 hit I Wanna Thank You is awesome.
Track 37: Fuse ODG – Million Pound Girl (Badder Than Bad)
Great atmosphere, good tune. Really like this one.
Track 38: John Newman – Out Of My Head
Too slow for me, and the tune’s pretty depressing.
Track 39: Sub Focus – Turn Back Time
Bit of ’90s-tinged dance – great atmosphere.
Track 40: Matrix & Futurebound and Max Marshall – Control
Good beat, but this is another forgettable tune.
Track 41: Foxes – Let Go For Tonight
I like that piano at the start, and the chorus is epic.
Track 42: Paloma Faith – Can’t Rely On You
Interesting tune, good beat. Not a bad track.
Track 43: Le Youth and Dominique Young Unique – Dance With Me
Great beat, and it’s got a welcome ’80s tinge. Love the No Scrubs interpolation too. Good stuff.
Track 44: London Grammar – Hey Now
I quite like the backing track, but the tune’s boring and it’s too slow.
Track 45: Vance Joy – Riptide
Endearingly daft lyrics, feelgood tune. Big fan of this.
Like the rest of the UK, we’ve been enjoying glorious weather here in Newcastle for the past fortnight. Last weekend, we were able to make the most of it; as I mentioned previously, we were celebrating Geth’s birthday a couple of weeks late, and so on Saturday we went into town for some shopping and food, interspersed with a visit to our favourite beer garden seeing as how it was so nice.
View of the bridges of the Tyne from the Free Trade Inn beer garden.
We were fairly lucky to get a space in the Free Trade Inn beer garden – it was a hot Saturday afternoon, which is a rarity, and so the people of Newcastle were out in force in the centre of town – but we did manage it, and Geth immediately made a start on the bar snacks.
Geth with beer and some kind of pasty/samosa/thing? I wasn’t really paying attention.
I’m not quite sure what’s going on with the light in these pictures – I blame the sun. Clearly my smartphone camera has become accustomed to British weather and can’t cope with bright light!
Enjoying the heat! Also very pleased with the way my new Punk Masters T-shirt matches my tattoo.
We’d got all our shopping done fairly efficiently, so we were able to enjoy a good few hours in the sun before our restaurant booking.
I actually like plastic glasses, even if they’re not very solid to hold – they feel like summer to me!
We then headed to Uno’s Trattoria, one of our favourite Italian restaurants in Newcastle, which Geth had selected for his birthday meal.
Geth had been looking forward to that pork belly for weeks.
The reason Geth chose Uno’s Trattoria is that, for the last year or so, they’ve had pork belly on the menu, which is one of his favourite foods. Apparently most Italian restaurants don’t cook meat dishes properly (being a vegetarian I’m generally unaware of these things), but this restaurant must be an exception, as the pork belly went down very well.
Just looks like meat to me, but I’m informed it was very special meat!
I, meanwhile, went for my favourite Italian restaurant treat of pizza:
That rocket and parmesan topping was immense.
We also had dessert – we both went for the white chocolate cheesecake – but we were so keen to get stuck into it that I forgot to take a picture.
A lovely day out overall. Happily the weather has continued, and it looks like it’ll be similar this weekend – so we’ll need to take it carefully when running the Great North 10k on Sunday!
Day 86 means Now! #86, which brings us to 18th November 2013.
This is the way the world looked in November 2013 (actually December). I call this look ‘goth squeezes into too-small clothes and goes to a wedding’. Not a style highlight. Mum looks nice though!
On with the party season hits!
Track 1: Katy Perry – Roar
It’s nice and feelgood, but I find the tune a bit irritating and the theme too cheesy.
Track 2: OneRepublic – Counting Stars
Gorgeous tune, wonderful rhythm. Love this one.
Track 3: Jason Derulo and 2 Chainz – Talk Dirty
It’s very danceable, with a great beat. The trumpets are awesome too.
Track 4: Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
This one is really irritating and a bit depressing.
Track 5: Avicii – Wake Me Up
The first of Avicii’s EDM-bluegrass crossovers. Great stuff.
Track 6: Storm Queen – Look Right Through [MK Vocal Edit]
Boring dance track, very forgettable tune.
Track 7: Martin Garrix – Animals
This dance tune, on the other hand, is great! Love the hook.
Track 8: Ellie Goulding – Burn
One of my favourites from this decade – it’s a stunning tune, and the atmosphere is beautiful.
Track 9: Drake and Majid Jordan – Hold On, We’re Going Home
Quite like the tune on this – there’s something a bit ’80s retro about it. The video is apparently also set in 1985, although I have to say I never noticed that when watching it at the time!
Track 10: James Arthur – You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You
Moving decades, there’s a slight mid-century tinge to the intro of this rock-edged track. The theme’s awful, but I quite like the song.
Track 11: Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?
A very welcome bit of rock in this pop/EDM/hip-hop dominated decade. Good stuff.
Track 12: Lorde – Royals
I like the theme, but I’m not hugely keen on the tune, and it’s a bit slow for me.
Track 13: Foxes – Youth
Good atmosphere, but the tune’s really boring.
Track 14: Lady Gaga – Applause
Great track – I love the edge on this. Another epic atmosphere.
Track 15: Bruno Mars – Gorilla
Again, there’s a great atmosphere on this, but it’s a little slow for me.
Track 16: One Direction – Best Song Ever
Horribly cheesy theme, generic tune.
Track 17: Jessie J – It’s My Party
Not a cover of the Lesley Gore song, despite the name. It’s got a good beat, but the tune’s very uninspired.
Track 18: The Vamps – Can We Dance
It’s a bit of a generic pop-rock track, but I quite like it.
Track 19: Lawson – Juliet
Good atmosphere and slight reggae tinge! Great to hear an actual interesting track from Lawson.
Track 20: The Wanted – Show Me Love (America)
Saccharine ballad, dull tune, though the chorus is okay.
Track 21: James Blunt – Bonfire Heart
Too acoustic-y for me, and the tune’s not very exciting.
Track 22: Lily Allen – Somewhere Only We Know
Melancholy piano cover of the Keane song, released to soundtrack the John Lewis Christmas advert for 2013. As I mentioned when reviewing the Keane version on Now! #57, I actually prefer it to the original.
It’s perfectly danceable, but there’s not much of a tune.
Track 24: Calvin Harris and Ayah Marar – Thinking About You
Boring beat, boring tune. Very generic track.
Track 25: Avicii – You Make Me
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Avicii on track 5.
This one’s got some interesting instrumentals, but the tune on the vocals is a bit irritating.
Track 26: DJ Fresh, Diplo and Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake
Great beat – I really like this one.
Track 27: Klangkarussell and Will Heard – Sonnentanz (Sun Don’t Shine)
I find this kind of summer chillout electro really depressing.
Track 28: Lana Del Rey and Cedric Gervais – Summertime Sadness
Stunning tune, lovely melancholy theme. Big fan of this.
Track 29: will.i.am and Leah McFall – Bang Bang
Awesome jazz-inspired track, released for the soundtrack of The Great Gatsby. Really like this one.
Track 30: Ben Pearce – What I Might Do
There’s nothing exciting going on here – it’s very forgettable.
Track 31: Chase & Status and Moko – Count On Me
Very ’90s-tinged, which I appreciate, but the tune’s pretty bland.
Track 32: Tinie Tempah and John Martin – Children Of The Sun
I find the tune on the chorus a bit irritating, but the rap is good.
Track 33: Sean Paul – Other Side Of Love
Nice tune – quite like this one.
Track 34: Conor Maynard – R U Crazy
Great rhythm – happily nodding along here.
Track 35: Naughty Boy and Emeli Sandé – Lifted
Good beat, but the tune is boring.
Track 36: Rizzle Kicks – Lost Generation
Nice eerie atmosphere – good track.
Track 37: Ray Foxx and Rachel K Collier – Boom Boom (Heartbeat)
Nice tune, and the beat’s great once it gets going.
Track 38: John Newman – Cheating
Some interesting instrumentals going on here.
Track 39: Eliza Doolittle – Big When I Was Little
This one is insanely annoying – I actively dislike both the theme and the vocals.
Track 40: The Saturdays – Disco Love
Awesome classic pop feel, and great 20th century retro references throughout, with a highly recommended video to match! I remember actually being quite spooked by the accuracy of the 1999 scene in the video, as the hair and makeup is so well done it gave me flashbacks.
Track 41: Wilkinson – Afterglow
I find this tune pretty bland and repetitive.
Track 42: Showtek, We Are Loud and Sonny Wilson – Booyah
Another one that’s pretty unmemorable.
Track 43: Dizzee Rascal and will.i.am – Something Really Bad
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had will.i.am on track 29.
Some interesting lines going on here – quite like this track.
Track 44: Ylvis – The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)
Each of the phone boxes is very well preserved, so clearly Leeds city council have put some work into these ones.
The four phone boxes are all in good condition – no smashed windows or graffiti here.
They frame the restaurant building very nicely!
Handy if you’re eating at the restaurant, need to make a phone call, and are so much of a 20th century throwback that you don’t have a mobile (I salute your dedication if so!)
Join us again next week for more Leeds phone boxes.
Day 85 takes us to Now! #85, which was released on 22nd July 2013.
This is how the world looked in July 2013. Geth and I were on a trip up to Edinburgh when one of those rare-for-Scotland 30°C days arrived, and the one thing I’d not packed was a swimsuit, so all I could do on this beach trip was paddle. Since then, I’ve packed one every time I’ve gone away during the summer, just in case.
I believe this was a good year for summer hits. Let’s see if I’m remembering correctly.
Track 1: Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers – Get Lucky
Great feelgood funk track – love this tune.
Track 2: Robin Thicke, TI and Pharrell Williams – Blurred Lines
Repeated artist alert! We’ve only just had Pharrell Williams on track 1.
This track…urgh. Infamously and rightly banned by the University of Edinburgh student union, among various other music-playing organisations, because the lyrics are really rapey and gross. The sad thing is that it would be a really great track if it weren’t for the lyrics, ’cause the tune is great and it’s really danceable.
Track 3: Passenger – Let Her Go
Gorgeous, introspective tune – really like this one.
Track 4: Justin Timberlake – Mirrors
Nice epic atmosphere, great track.
Track 5: Naughty Boy and Sam Smith – La La La
The theme is slightly irritating, but overall it’s an interesting song, which is unusual for an era where most things are really samey.
Track 6: Icona Pop and Charli XCX – I Love It
Great chant-along track – I’ve always really liked this one!
Track 7: John Newman – Love Me Again
Another song that I really like. The instrumentals are great.
Track 8: Jason Derulo – The Other Side
Forgettable tune, but the chorus is nice and epic.
Track 9: Pink and Lily Allen – True Love
I find this one a bit cheesy and annoying.
Track 10: Taylor Swift – 22
Good solid pop track – very danceable.
Track 11: The Wanted – Walks Like Rihanna
Every time I run the Great North Run, I find that because it’s the biggest race in the UK and the biggest half marathon in the world – nearly 60,000 runners these days – there’s no shortage of characters to keep me entertained (and believe me, you need that when running along miles and miles of identical-looking motorway). One guy runs the race with a portable karaoke machine, and last year, when I encountered him, he was doing this song – except he’d changed the lyrics to ‘I can’t sing, I can’t dance, but who cares, I run like Mo Farah‘. It’s possible you had to be there, but I found it hilarious, and it really got me through the rest of the race. Thanks for that, portable karaoke guy!
Anyway, it’s another solid pop song.
Track 12: Bruno Mars – Treasure
Bruno Mars still doing his 1980 pastiches – today he’s aping Michael Jackson. Good stuff.
Track 13: Olly Murs – Dear Darlin’
This one’s a bit of a dull ballad, so I’m not keen.
Track 14: Demi Lovato – Heart Attack
Great song with an awesome epic chorus. Love it.
Track 15: Selena Gomez – Come And Get It
Great tune – love the rhythm on this one.
Track 16: PJ & Duncan – Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble
’90s classic, back in the charts to raise money for Childline. It actually got to number one this time round, probably because Ant & Dec had promised to perform it on Saturday Night Takeaway. It’s still as enjoyably daft as it was in 1994.
Track 17: Iggy Azalea – Bounce
Good beat, but there’s not enough melody for me.
Track 18: Fuse ODG – Antenna
Love the rhythm on this one – very danceable.
Track 19: Nelly – Hey Porsche
The theme really irritates me, and the tune’s very uninspired.
Track 20: Paramore – Still Into You
Great tune, though the theme is a bit cheesy.
Track 21: Imagine Dragons – Radioactive
I was talking about this one yesterday when reviewing the identically-titled Rita Ora song. On the whole it’s a bit dull, but it’s got a great chorus.
Track 22: Gabz – Lighters (The One)
Cringeworthy kiddie vocals, appallingly cheesy theme. Just awful.
Track 23: Rudimental and Ella Eyre – Waiting All Night
Great beat, okay tune, but it’s pretty repetitive.
Track 24: Jessie J, Big Sean and Dizzee Rascal – Wild
Bland tune on the verses, but the chorus is okay.
Track 25: Duke Dumont and A*M*E – Need U (100%)
I find the vocals really irritating on this one.
Track 26: will.i.am and Justin Bieber – #thatPOWER
Very generic electro lines, boring tune.
Track 27: David Guetta, Ne-Yo and Akon – Play Hard
Great rhythm, great bassline, great Better Off Alone sample. Annoying video, but you can’t have everything.
Track 28: Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding – I Need Your Love
I’ve always found the tune on this one very irritating.
Track 29: Pitbull and Christina Aguilera – Feel This Moment
Annoying, repetitive track, but the Take On Me interpolation is quite fun.
Track 30: Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash and John Martin – Reload
Boring dance track, very forgettable tune.
Track 31: Armin van Buuren and Trevor Guthrie – This Is What It Feels Like
Fairly bland dance song with an annoying chorus.
Track 32: Chase & Status and Louis Mattrs – Lost And Not Found
Nice atmosphere, but the vocals are really dull.
Track 33: Chris Malinchak – So Good To Me
Another boring tune, one of those ‘summer chillout’ tracks that were all the rage at the time.
Track 34: Disclosure and Eliza Doolittle – You And Me
Dull and forgettable.
Track 35: Breach – Jack
Very little melody in this – just drum machine, spoken word and fairly tuneless bassline – but at least it’s something different.
Track 36: Wiley, Angel and Tinchy Stryder – Lights On
Bland tune, but at least this one’s actually got a tune. Very forgettable though.
Track 37: Dizzee Rascal and Robbie Williams – Goin’ Crazy
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Dizzee Rascal on track 24.
Interesting rhythm, but again the tune’s very uninspired.
Track 38: Psy – Gentleman
Follow-up to Gangnam Style that obviously wasn’t anywhere near as memorable as the original.
Track 39: The 1975 – Chocolate
Love this tune – great instrumentals, great lyrics.
Track 40: Union J – Carry You
Saccharine and bland.
Track 41: The Saturdays – Gentleman
A slightly more standard song about a ‘gentleman‘ than Psy’s attempt above. It’s actually quite edgy for the Saturdays, and I like the retro references in the lyrics. Good stuff.
Track 42: Charlie Brown – On My Way
Slow ballad, not my thing.
Track 43: Tom Odell – Another Love
Lovely piano at the start, and it’s got a nice atmosphere – quite like this tune.
Track 44: Michael Bublé – It’s A Beautiful Day
Nice and upbeat, but the song’s a bit too cheesy for me.
As I’ve mentioned previously, in the last few weeks of trying to get to my Slimming World target, I tried doing a few SP days. Since getting to target, I’ve stuck with this habit the day before weigh-in, because I’m still getting to grips with maintaining and the summer has always been my most difficult time SW-wise – there are lots of special events like holidays and festivals going on, afternoons in beer gardens, and cravings for ice cream.
As such, I’ve settled into a pattern of having all-day breakfast for tea on a Wednesday night, because it doesn’t require cheese, which means I can use my Healthy Extra A for milk to go with my bran flakes, which are my additional Healthy Extra B choice on an SP day.
All-day breakfast. Nice and light for pre-weigh-in night – well, it is compared to the huge bowls of pasta I usually eat!
If Geth’s eating with me, he often helps out with cooking this one, because he really likes cooking sausages or thinks he’s better at it or something. You start by frying sausages (I use Linda McCartney regular vegetarian sausages* but obviously if you’re a meat-eater you can use low-syn pork ones) in Fry Light, turning every few minutes. After about ten minutes, you add sliced mushrooms to the pan, and then when everything’s got about five minutes left to cook, you add the halved tomatoes. Finally, while the fried food is finishing up, scramble some plain beaten eggs in a non-stick pan. Dish up and serve with a sprinkling of ground black pepper.
Ratio-wise for SP, I try and match the combined volume of tomatoes and mushrooms to the total volume of eggs in order to stick to the rules. The sausages are synned rather than ‘S’ or ‘P’ so they don’t count towards either half of the plate.
*I have to use regular Linda McCartney sausages (half a syn each) rather than the rosemary and red onion ones I normally have (which are free), because on SP days you can’t have any free food that’s not ‘S’ or ‘P’. This seems a bit counterproductive to me, but them’s the rules. There aren’t any veggie sausages in either the Quorn or Linda McCartney lines that have enough protein to be classed as ‘P’ foods, more’s the pity – Quorn mince and chicken style pieces are both ‘P’, but not the sausages. Hopefully this will change at some point.
Day 84 equals Now! #84, which came out on 25th March 2013.
This is how the world looked in March 2013 – to be precise, how it looked on Six Nations finale night. My unlucky Scotland jersey, as usual, did nothing to prevent Scotland getting the wooden spoon, but what made up for it was being with about six Welsh people on the night that Wales stole the championship from right under England’s nose, hence the giant Welsh flag that we pinned to the wall. You can imagine how well this went down in a Southampton pub.
Let’s see what the hits were that spring.
Track 1: One Direction – One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)
Pointless cover mash-up of Blondie’s One Way Or Another and the Undertones’ Teenage Kicks. This was the Comic Relief single for 2013, so I guess charity fundraising is the excuse for ruining both of these classic songs.
Track 2: will.i.am and Britney Spears – Scream And Shout
I really like this danceable track, especially the well-done callback to Gimme More.
Track 3: Taylor Swift – I Knew You Were Trouble
I quite like this tune, and it’s got a good atmosphere.
Track 4: Pink and Nate Ruess – Just Give Me A Reason
Great song – love the way the duet works here.
Track 5: Rihanna – Diamonds
Another pretty tune. Very nice.
Track 6: Bastille – Pompeii
Epic and anthemic – love this one.
Track 7: James Arthur – Impossible
The annual inclusion of the most recent X Factor winner, this year doing a pointless cover of Shontelle’s Impossible, which was not a great song to begin with.
Track 8: Olly Murs and Flo Rida – Troublemaker
I quite like this jaunty track – it’s got a great singalong chorus.
Track 9: Bruno Mars – Locked Out Of Heaven
This is from my favourite Bruno Mars era, when he started doing all these pastiches of artists that were big circa 1980. This song sounds like it should have been released by the Police.
Track 10: Kesha – Die Young
Nice beat, but the tune’s pretty forgettable.
Track 11: Bridgit Mendler – Ready Or Not
Irritating vocals, boring tune, and the chorus has a poorly-done interpolation of the Delfonics ’60s song (which was already done much better by the Fugees). Nothing impressive here.
Track 12: Little Mix – DNA
Great epic atmosphere, but the tune’s a bit weak.
Track 13: The Saturdays and Sean Paul – What About Us
Another bland, forgettable song.
Track 14: Girls Aloud – Something New
Love this one! Girls Aloud sort of came to a natural finish at the end of the ’00s, and so this special tenth anniversary track is really the only thing they’ve done as a group this decade. Better one cracker than lots of poor tracks, though, and this song is great.
Track 15: Nicole Scherzinger – Boomerang
Good rhythm, but this is another uninspired tune.
Track 16: Disclosure and Sam Smith – Latch
I appreciate that it’s a bit different from most stuff that was in the charts at the time, but it’s not my kind of thing – the tune is generic and I’m not into this kind of chillout/trance stuff.
Track 17: Rita Ora – Radioactive
I usually get this one confused with the identically-titled Imagine Dragons song that came out around the same time. This one’s probably my less-preferred (though there’s not much in it – the Imagine Dragons song is pretty dull too), because the tune’s very bland, but it does have a good electro backing track.
Track 18: Alicia Keys – Girl On Fire
I quite like the instrumentals, but the tune on the vocals annoys me.
Track 19: Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
Boring ballad off the Twilight soundtrack, but at least she doesn’t sound quite as horribly off-key as she does in Jar Of Hearts.
Track 20: Emeli Sandé – Clown
I find the theme a bit awkward, and it’s too slow for me.
Track 21: Gabrielle Aplin – The Power Of Love
This was one of the first of the big ‘Christmas advert’ hits that have been a feature of Christmas music this decade. Take a classic song, record a slow, melancholy, piano-based cover with female vocals, slap it over the top of an expensive John Lewis Christmas advert, debut the advert during an X Factor ad break in early November, job done. Christmas classic guaranteed.
Of course, this was already a Christmas classic, and has been ever since Frankie Goes To Hollywood released the original in 1984. Gabrielle Aplin’s version is very pretty, but it doesn’t have the pure emotional power of the Frankie version – Holly Johnson’s performance of the second verse is capable of moving me to tears when I’m in the right place, and Aplin just can’t compare. Still, it is enjoyable, even if July is really not when I want to be hearing Christmas songs.
Track 22: Avicii and Nicky Romero – I Could Be The One
I love this dance track – obviously it’s got a great beat, but there’s also something very wistful about the vocals. I actually can’t think of anyone who was better than Avicii (RIP) at emotion-inducing EDM.
Track 23: Bingo Players and Far East Movement – Get Up (Rattle)
Daft tune, but it’s a good head-nodder.
Track 24: Pitbull and TJR – Don’t Stop The Party
Messy and irritating.
Track 25: Calvin Harris and Tinie Tempah – Drinking From The Bottle
Good beat, and I really like Tinie Tempah’s rap on this one.
Track 26: Dizzee Rascal – Bassline Junkie
Daft theme, but I find it very funny. Good stuff.
Track 27: Wiley, Chipmunk and Dayo Olatunji – Reload
Boring tune, and there’s too much going on with the track.
Track 28: Rudimental, John Newman and Alex Clare – Not Giving In
Slow and dull intro, and the tune’s very irritating.
Track 29: Conor Maynard and Wiley – Animal
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Wiley on track 27.
The rap’s very bland, as is the tune, and the whole thing’s just a bit repetitive.
Track 30: Disclosure and AlunaGeorge – White Noise
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Disclosure on track 16.
This one takes ages to get going. The electro hook’s okay, but the vocals are super bland.
Track 31: Devlin and Diane Birch – Rewind
Another very forgettable song. Also, part of the melody on the chorus rips off Heart’s Alone, which has been an irritating theme in recent Now! compilations.
Track 32: Lawson – Standing In The Dark
A little more upbeat than previous Lawson tracks, but it’s still a very bland, saccharine song.
Track 33: Biffy Clyro – Black Chandelier
I saw Biffy Clyro once. It was the worst gig I’ve ever been to. Not because of Biffy Clyro, I hasten to add – they were fine to listen to, although the heavier stuff they were playing as the second support band in 2003 wasn’t really my thing. The main act was Linkin Park, who were okay (and I am glad I got to see them given sad future events), but the SECC in Glasgow had done this thing (I don’t know if it was by band request or what) where they barriered off a huge semicircle around the stage and only let about fifteen people into it, leaving the remaining hundreds of gig-goers to squash uncomfortably round the outside of the barrier and completely ruining the atmosphere. The only person onstage who seemed to be on the audience’s side was Ian Watkins of Lostprophets, the main support band, and I don’t really want to give him credit seeing as how he turned out to be a sex offender.
Anyway, I never went back to the SECC again. Barrowlands all the way if it was a Glasgow gig, even if I did lose a lot of brain cells and earrings over the years through being booted in the head by crowdsurfers.
I think what I’m trying to say is that this song’s a lot more interesting than the stuff Biffy were doing back in 2003. I quite like the vocal hook at the start, and the chorus is great.
Track 34: Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)
There’s a nice atmospheric chant-along bit on this one – quite like the track.
Track 35: McFly – Love Is Easy
Twee and irritating. I should note that Geth appreciated the It’s A Wonderful Life sample though.
Track 36: Ben Howard – Only Love
I find this tune pretty annoying.
Track 37: The Lumineers – Ho Hey
It’s a bit twee, but it’s quite a nice, jaunty song.
Track 38: One Direction – Little Things
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had One Direction on track 1.
This one is an irritating saccharine ballad with an irritating black and white video where One Direction sit around and play acoustic guitars in an attempt to look like serious musicians. The song was apparently written by Ed Sheeran, which will surprise no one.
It was also number one on Geth’s and my wedding day, which is far from ideal.
Track 39: Pink – Try
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Pink on track 4.
This one is a gorgeous tune though – really like it.
Track 40: Gabrielle Aplin – Please Don’t Say You Love Me
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Gabrielle Aplin on track 21.
The only thing this song achieves is proving that she should have been a one-hit wonder. Dull and uninspired.
Track 41: Fleetwood Mac – Everywhere
1987 classic, back in the charts due to a mobile phone advert. Not complaining here at all – I’m very partial to Fleetwood Mac, and this is one of my favourites.
Track 42: Ellie Goulding – Explosions
Not keen on that choral bit at the start, and on the whole it’s too slow for me and I don’t find the tune interesting enough.
Track 43: The Justice Collective – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Charity cover of the ’60s classic to raise funds for Hillsborough victims’ charities, and the Christmas number one for 2012. Some good voice-spotting to be done here.
