So much sport.
So much music.
Time to multi-task.
Although not as dramatic as the Ashes tests, Wishbone Ash’s 1974 album There’s The Rub is a corker. Perhaps their last truly complete LP and my second favourite. Perfect for watching Australia clean up England in the first two tests. (Don’t mention the third.)
The eccentric British troubadour-poet has forged a long and highly respected career doing his very own thing, on and off the pitch. The 1977 LP When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease is an engrossing Harper opus with the LP having the bonus feature of carrying the Rules Of Cricket on the back cover. Handy for adjudicating stumpings or similar contentious matters.
Being a tennis player of some repute (mostly a reputation for being consistently mediocre) Wimbledon is a must. The young aspirants, despeate veterans and those in between entertain between rain showers and rants. The latter is your correspondent, of course. Railing against the miserable out-of-touch networks who will televise a ho-hum singles match over a gripping doubles encounter every time. Don’t they realise most people who play tennis play doubles?
No idea what this 1980 Chris Rea LP is like. I’ve had it forty years and it is about that long since I’ve listened to it. Tennis has survived numerous culls by virtue of its excellent ‘Where’s Wally’ cover.
When it’s lashing down at Lords or wet at Wimbledon there are always the pushbikes. I have no idea of how the tours work, but it is curiously mesmerising watching this school of colourful pedal-fish thrash up and down mountains. And this 2003 soundtrack is unbeatable.
Now where’s my Coonawarra Shiraz sports drink?
vinylconnection.com.au 
There’s the Rub is one of my top 20 albums, especially FUBB! And Chris Rea is a classy pop-blues songwriter who really can play his guitar.
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Great seeing more love for There’s The Rub, Richard! Yes, I particularly liked Rea’s Shamrock Diaries, though he does tend rather to the pop end of the spectrum, as you note.
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I love the Tour. I’m struggling for sleep at the moment.
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Great idea for a post, u could probably do a Part Two here. Love the Ash and the Kraftwerk, must check out Chris Rea. I know the title track of ‘Cricketeer’ as I have it on one of those MOJO magazine CDs. It’s a beauty.
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I’ve never seen that cover for There’s the Rub – I love that Harper song though. Feels like NZ has gone through a purple patch but many of the key players are at the end of their careers now.
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Well Brendan Macallum is still making his mark in the UK!
Is there another cover for Wishbone Ash’s ‘There’s the Rub”?
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I’ve just never seen it before. I like Argus, so maybe I should check it out sometime.
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Good idea. I think it is a worthy pair with Argus.
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Oh you’re back then.
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Try to contain your excitement, Joe.
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I’m doing my best Bruce. Sadly I don’t know any good music about rugby, just LPs of awful X-rated rugby songs from the 60’s and 70’s. Shudders!
For footie there’s Wedding Present ‘George Best’ and the Duckworth Lewis Method for cricket too – Neil Hannon from Divine Comedy, I think you’d like that one.
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I would also recommend DLM’s two albums. Great cricketing lyrics mixed with fantastic pop music. The Nightwatchman is, I feel, the best track on there.
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I hadn’t realised there was a second one, Cheers.
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I remember the shop I worked in in the 70s had those “R Rated” Rugby song LPs. Repulsive covers containing repulsive songs. Though I’m guessing about the latter as I never had the balls to play one in the shop. (Tee Hee)
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Hey Bruce, I feel it’s been a while I saw a post from you pop up – nice you’re back! 🙂
You picked a fun topic. Chris Rea. There’s a name I haven’t heard for quite some time. I feel in the 80s and early ’90s, he enjoyed good visibility, including in Germany, where I vividly remember hearing his songs on the radio. They were mostly in the pop and pop rock area. Chris is a pretty kickass guitarist, and I’m not sure he ever got the recognition he deserved as a musician.
Kraftwerk. Of course, you had to! 🙂 Well, I’m happy to report that even I know that song!
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You come back with a post that has my gears turning and grinding.
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Keep pedalling, CB!
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An interesting angle. The only album I can think of at the top of my head is “Sports” by Huey Lewis, which I don’t think I ever owned! – Marty
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Wasn’t that set in a pool room? That works! Now, how to find some live snooker on TV… 🙂
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No Croquet Club? And there’s that Nirvana cover, for the Naked Swimming Babies Races.
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Fortunately the absence of both those riveting sporting fixtures from free-to-air television means that they won’t make it to Vinyl Connection “T-Vinyl” series. Please send complaints to the usual address.
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Sturgill Simpson “Cuttin’ Grass?” And don’t tell me you’ve never been glued to your set during the pure Olympian athleticism of Synchronized Lawnmowing finals!!
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Wouldn’t miss it, Robert! And in addtion to Sturgill, what about Richard Thompson?
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Nice!
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