It Must Have Been Because, Because, Because...

Ian McCulloch's got a few hidden gems in his solo back catalogue- this song Proud To Fall being one. There's nothing particularly clever, experimental or far out going on, just a guitar pop song with all the correct structure- verse, chorus, middle eight, etc, home in time for tea- and lyrically it's very Mac. It's just one of those songs that'll improve your day a little bit.

Proud To Fall

The picture shows a linocut by Claude Flight of ships in Liverpool dock being painted blue, silver and pink during the First World War in order to protect them from German U-Boats. These ships were known as Dazzle Ships (later, much later, an album by OMD). I went for a walk the other Saturday and passed Sale library (we still have a library, and it opens all day on Saturday). Wandering in and having a mooch about a book (actually the catalogue from an exhibition) called British Prints From The Machine Age, 1914-39 caught my eye. It's full of linocuts by a group of artists who founded Vorticism, the first forward thinking, modernist British art movement of the 20th century. The prints are brilliant, stunning and fresh, capturing modern life in early-to-mid 20th century Britain- speed,  movement, sport, leisure, machines, vehicles, people. A lot of them are pretty abstract, the sort of thing we take for granted as design now.

I was leafing through the book at the kitchen table on Sunday. 'Is that a library book?' daughter E.T. asked. 'Yep, due back soon too, I might renew it', I replied. I turned to the front page and the borrowing stamp sheet- 'I think I'm the only person who's ever taken it out' I said. E.T. asked what the title was. 'British Prints From The Machine Age, 1914-39' I said.  'That's why you're the only the person who's ever taken it out' she muttered.

I like to feel I have taught her well the art of the sarcastic response. And now she uses it against me.