Overlooked In The Rush

I'm on the train to Edinburgh from London. It's all very pleasant. Nice weather, great views and plenty of leg room. I have, however, been watching the service staff on the train. They have been systemised out of the equation, so that the customer is actually semi in the way of them getting their job done. That includes setting up the cups for the next passenger. By sitting in the seat, you're actually getting in the way of them preparing the table for the next person who'll be sitting in the seat. In effect, they have a permanent mindset of completing the next task. So handing out a breakfast is the first step in taking it away, which is the first step in setting up for the next person. And on we go. It makes for a very unrelaxing environment, where everyone is walking around preparing for Peterborough, York, Darlington or wherever. There's a brief respite at Berwick once all is cleared away as they can't visibly get ready for anyone else. Although ...

I've just been listening to the Jam's All Mod Cons. No specific reason - I just came upon it in my CD shelf and thought I'd put it on. I still like the album and in particular the opening track which sets the group's stall out pretty impressively in less than two minutes. In 1978, I had a lot of time for the Jam. They struck me as three guys who knew where they wanted to go and were going to do it under their own terms rather than following the prevailing punk trends. I sort of went off them once Paul Weller got bored with being a new wave star and started really pleasing himself, but for three years, they sailed a pretty honest line between authenticity and pop success. That's not what I wanted to write about the Jam. It struck me that here was a group who were very aware of their influences but were also on a real creative high. They put out three singles a year and in four years released five albums. You could argue about quality control but for a Jam f...

I've just been reading the Mojo Review of that Devo compilation from the pre 1977 era. I was never the biggest Devo fan but I bought their first four singles and enjoyed the sense of dislocation they created. You couldn't exactly say that they made an enjoyable sound, but their ideas were original and their tone and rhythm set them apart. This is all by the by, as it was the question of De-evolution that got me thinking. Remember this was the 1970s when Devo were complaining of over consumerism and a drift towards cultural and generational stupidity. Have we improved since then? I was at the supermarket today and noticed a young woman leaning on her trolley whilst her mum talked to her. The girl had no eyes and ears for her mother - her smartphone was clasped in her hand and she was diligently checking it for any news since her last check thirty seconds ago. It got me thinking that any animal instinct is to watch what's in front of you, first and foremost. If you do...