The Friday Music Shuffle (4th July 2025)

Good day, friends, and welcome to my weekly music shuffle.

Every Friday my music machine is set free and it chooses ten tracks from my collection. For no obvious reason, I then share what it’s chosen with my loyal reader.

Do, please, join the ‘fun’ and click on the song title to listen and, if you are so inclined, sing along.

I hope you find something you like.

1. All Alone by Dennis Wilson. In 1977, the Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis made perhaps the greatest solo album of any of the band members, the wonderful Pacific Ocean Blue. This lovely song, featuring his weather-worn voice, appeared on later pressings, but was destined for his ill-fated follow-up album Bambu. What a tune.
2. Storyline Fever by Purple Mountains. Essentially, the ‘band’ is former Silver Jews main man David Berman, who committed suicide barely a month after the release of the Purple Mountains album in 2019. So good and yet so sad.
3. Black Diamond by Kiss. I own one Kiss album, the eponymously titled Kiss released in 1974. Kiss always underproduced in my view, but a decent rock track which, I understand, took on a whole new dimension when played live. Mad long ending.
4. Boom Boom Mancini by Warren Zevon. Back to 1987 for a great joint from the Sentimental Hygiene long player, all about the great boxer Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini.
5. Frantic by Ennio Morricone. This is fantastic, the soundtrack to Roman Polanski’s 1988 movie called, believe it or not, Frantic.
6. You Love Us by Manic Street Preachers. Incredibly, this came out in 1992, first appearing on the Generation Terrorists LP. Brilliant.
7. Unapologetic Bitch by Madonna. From Madge’s excellent 2015 album Rebel Heart. Great stuff.
8. No More Lonely Nights by The Airborne Toxic Event. Simply gorgeous cover of the Macca tune, taken from the excellent compilation album The Art Of McCartney.
9. NowIcaresomemore by Parcels. Oh man, this is so good, from 2021’s outstanding Day/Night.
10. Betty Called Me by Gordon Lightfoot. And finally back to 1976 for some classic Gord.

This week’s Desert Island Disc is NowIcaresomemore by Parcels. You really should check them out!

Have a good week till next week.