Initialized band names

• M.F.S.B. Mother-fucking Sons of Bitches.
• J.A.L.N. Band. Just Another Lonely Night.
• N.K.O.T.B.S.B. An amalgamation of New Kids On The Block and Back Street Boys. Sounds absolutely ghastly.

A River Runs Through It

A visit to Stourhead recently made me wonder whether that Stour was the same Stour as the one that runs through Shipston-on-Stour, and so another list was born. Towns and villages with a river in their name. It's not the same Stour at all, by they way.

• Alde
• Aldeburgh
• Arrow (Wales)
• Staunton-on-Arrow
• Avon (Warwickshire, tributary of the Severn)
  • Stratford-upon-Avon
  • Welford-on-Avon
  • Bidford-on-Avon
  • Newbold on Avon
• Avon (Bristol)
  • Avonmouth
  • Bradford-on-Avon
• Cocker
  • Cockermouth (where the Cocker runs into the Derwent)
• Dart
  • Dartmouth
• Dyfi
  • Aberdyfi
• Eden
  • Crosby-on-Eden
• Fal
  • Falmouth
• Humber
  • Barton-upon-Humber
• Kent
  • Kendal (originally Kent Dale)
• Plym
  • Plymouth
• Severn
  • Frampton-on-Severn
  • Oldbury-on-Severn
  • Upton-upon-Severn
  • Stourport-on-Severn (that one's doing my head in)
• Stour (> Avon > Severn)
  • Shipstone-on-Stour
  • Preston on Stour
  • Atherstone on Stour
• Stour (a different one that runs down to Christchurch where it meets another Avon, which has Netheravon and Upavon on it)
  • Milton-on-Stour
• Tavy
  • Tavistock (originally Tavy's Dock)
• Tees
  • Thornaby-on-Tees
  • Hurworth-on-Tees
  • Stockton-on-Tees
  • Middleton-in-Teesdale (I'll allow that)
  • Forest-in-Teesdale
• Teign
  • Teignmouth
• Thames
  • Kingston upon Thames
  • Sunbury-on-Thames
  • Walton-on-Thames
  • Staines-upon-Thames (really?)
  • Richmond upon Thames
  • Henley-on-Thames
  • Purley-on-Thames
  • Whitchurch-on-Thames
  • Dorchester-on-Thames
  • Sandford-on-Thames
  • Lechlade-on-Thames
• Trent
  • Burton upon Trent
  • Walton-on-Trent
  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Newark-on-Trent
  • Carlton-on-Trent
• Tyne
  • Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Langley-on-Tyne
• Wye
  • Ross-on-Wye
  • Staunton-on-Wye
• Wyre
  • St Michael's-on-Wyre

Five-star albums from the iPodyssey

1. Abbey Road: The Beatles
2. All Mod Cons: The Jam
3. Alright Jack: The Home Service
4. All The Way From Tuam: The Saw Doctors
5. Automatic For The People: R.E.M.
6. Avalon Sunset: Van Morrison
7. Back and Fourth: Lindisfarne
8. Bat Out Of Hell: Meat Loaf
9. The Beatles (White Album): The Beatles
10. Best of: Chuck Berry
11. Best of: Rod Stewart
12. Best of: Sandy Denny
13. Best of: Talking Heads
14. The Best Of Dahler Mendi Volume 2: Dahler Mendi
15. Big Hits: Rolling Stones
16. Blonde On Blonde: Bob Dylan
17. Blood On The Tracks: Bob Dylan
18. Blue: Joni Mitchell
19. Bob Till You Drop: Ry Cooder
20. Born To Run: Bruce Springsteen
21. Breakfast In America: Supertramp
22. Bringing It All Back Home: Bob Dylan
23. Burlesque: Bellowhead
24. Can’t Stand The Rezillos: The Rezillos
25. Change Everything: Del Amitri
26. The Collection: The Dubliners
27. Court And Spark: Joni Mitchell
28. Communique: Dire Straits
29. Daring Adventures: Richard Thompson
30. Darkness On The Edge Of Town: Bruce Springsteen
31. The Definitive: Simon & Garfunkel
32. Desire: Bob Dylan
33. Different Class: Pulp
34. Down By The Jetty: Dr Feelgood
35. Enlightenment: Van Morrison
36. The Essential Collection: Elvis Presley
37. Fest Noz de Bretagne: Various Artists
38. Fleetwood Mac: Fleetwood Mac
39. Flesh & Blood: Roxy Music
40. Fog On The Tyne: Lindisfarne
41. Folk Heritage II: Various Artists
42. Freedom And Rain: June Tabor and the Oysterband
43. Full House: Fairport Convention
44. Glass Houses: Billy Joel
45. Gold: Abba
46. Graceland: Paul Simon
47. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.: Bruce Springsteen
48. Hand Of Kindness: Richard Thompson
49. Hark! The Village Wait: Steeleye Span
50. The Harrow & The Harvest: Gillian Welch
51. Harvest: Neil Young
52. Hedonism: Bellowhead
53. Hejira: Joni Mitchell
54. Henry The Human Fly: Richard Thompson
55. Highway 61 Revisited: Bob Dylan
56. The Hissing Of Summer Lawns: Joni Mitchell
57. Hold Back The Night: Graham Parker & The Rumour
58. Holy Bandits: The Oysterband
59. Hotel California: The Eagles
60. Hounds Of Love: Kate Bush
61. I Am: Earth, Wind & Fire
62. If I Should Fall From Grace With God: The Pogues
63. I Love My Ocarina: The Chuckerbutty Ocarina Quartet
64. The Incomparable: Ella Fitzgerald
65. In Spite Of Ourselves: John Prine
66. Inventaire 1970-1993: Tri Yann
67. Irish Heartbeat: Van Morrison
68. IV: Led Zeppelin
69. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight: Richard & Linda Thompson
70. Jailbreak: Thin Lizzy
71. Jenni Scott’s Mix-CD
72. The Kick Inside: Kate Bush
73. Larkrise To Candleford: The Albion Band
74. Legend: Bob Marley
75. Let England Shake: P.J. Harvey
76. Let’s Stick Together: Brian Ferry
77. Liege & Lief: Fairport Convention
78. Light Years: E.L.O.
79. Live & Dangerous: Thin Lizzy
80. London Calling: The Clash
81. Making Movies: Dire Straits
82. Matachin: Bellowhead
83. Modern Lovers: Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
84. Moondance: Van Morrison
85. The Mountain: Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band
86. Never Mind The Bollocks: The Sex Pistols
87. Nevermind: Nirvana
88. The News: Lindisfarne
89. Nicely Out Of Tune: Lindisfarne
90. No Roses: Shirley Collins & The Albion Country Band
91. Oh Brother Where Art Thou? OST: Various Artists
92. The Old Straight Track: Jack The Lad
93. Parallel Lines: Blondie
94. A Parcel of Steeleye: Steeleye Span
95. Physical Graffiti: Led Zeppelin
96. Piano Man: Billy Joel
97. Please To See The King: Steeleye Span
98. Pour Down Like Silver: Richard & Linda Thompson
99. The Prospect Before Us: The Albion Dance Band
100. Ragged Kingdom: June Tabor & The Oysterband
101. Reasons To Be Cheerful: The Best Of: Ian Dury
102. Revolver: The Beatles
103. Rise Up Like The Sun: The Albion Band
104. The River: Bruce Springsteen
105. Rubber Soul: The Beatles
106. Same Oul’ Town: The Saw Doctors
107. Saturday Night Fever OST: Various Artists
108. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels: Dexys Midnight Runners
109. The Seeger Sessions: Bruce Springsteen
110. Setting Sons: The Jam
111. Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: The Beatles
112. Shoot Out The Lights: Richard Thompson
113. Sir Henry At Rawlinson End: Vivian Stanshall
114. The Shouting End Of Life: The Oysterband
115. Smiddyburn: Dave Swarbrick
116. Songs For Swingin’ Lovers: Frank Sinatra
117. Songs In The Key Of Life: Stevie Wonder
118. Soul Decade: The Sixties: Various Artists
119. Sounds Affects: The Jam
120. Sounds Of The Seventies (Time Life): Various Artists
121. Squeezing Out Sparks: Graham Parker & The Rumour
122. Street Legal: Bob Dylan
123. The Stranger: Billy Joel
124. Street Life: Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music
125. Swarbrick 1: Dave Swarbrick
126. Swarbrick 2: Dave Swarbrick
127. Talking Book: Stevie Wonder
128. Then And Now: The Who
129. This Is The Story: The Proclaimers
130. Thriller: Michael Jackson
131. Too-Rye-Ay: Dexys Midnight Runners
132. Trawler: The Oysterband
133. Tubular Bells: Mike Oldfield
134. Tupelo Honey: Van Morrison
135. Tusk: Fleetwood Mac
136. Unhalfbricking: Fairport Convention
137. The Very Best Of: 10CC
138. The Very Best Of: Elton John
139. The Very Best Of: Elvis Presley
140. The Very Best Of: Jake Thackray
141. Waking Hours: Del Amitri
142. War Of The Worlds: Jeff Wayne
143. We'll Keep A Welcome: Bryn Terfel
144. What We Did On Our Holidays: Fairport Convention
145. Woodface: Crowded House
146. Yours Truly, Angry Mob: The Kaiser Chiefs
147. You Win Again: Hank Williams
148. 20 Golden Greats: Buddy Holly

One-star albums from the iPodyssey - about to be deleted

1. All About Eve: All About Eve
2. Audibly Nice: Pneumatic & Sloth
3. The Bairns: Rachel Unthank & The Winterset
4. Banba: Clannad
5. The Best of Traditional Irish Dance Music: Various Artists
6. Eddi Reader: Eddi Reader
7. The Eighties Mix: Various Artists
8. Equinoxe: Jean-Michel Jarre
9. Everytime We Touch: Cascada
10. Foxtrot: Genesis
11. Genesis: Genesis
12. Giants Of Rock: Various Artists
13. Hello I Must Be Going: Phil Collins
14. High School Musical OST: Various Artists
15. High School Musical 2 OST: Various Artists
16. In Blue: The Corrs
17. Live In The City Of Light: Simple Minds
18. Out Of Control: Girls Aloud
19. Red Book: Texas
20. Rock Ballads 2: Various Artists
21. Rock Ballads 3: Various Artists
22. Songs Jigs Reels: The Kilfenora and Glenside Ceilidh Bands
23. Suede: Suede
24. Tangled Up: Girls Aloud
25. Three: The Sugababes
26. Up All Night: One Direction

Imperative band names

Daisy came up with this. What bands or artists have names that are imperatives?

• Be Good Tanyas
• Blur
• Bomb The Bass
• Bridge
• Cast
• Change
• Chuck Berry
• Club Nouveau
• Coldplay
• DeBarge
• Double
• Exile
• Fine Young Cannibals
• Go West
• Harry Nilsson
• Imagine Dragons
• Iron Maiden
• Jack The Lad (rude)
• Josh White
• Ken Boothe (one for our Scottish readers)
• Kid Creole
• Knit Your Own Yoghurt
• Level 42
• Mark Knopfler
• Muse
• Nick Drake
• Panic At The Disco
• Pilot
• Pogue Mahone
• Pulp
• Scissor Sisters (gruesome image)
• Spike Jones
• Spin Doctors
• Split Enz
• Squeeze
• Sting
• Swing Out Sister
• Take That
• Thunder
• Will To Power
• Wire

There must be 50 ways to say goodbye in a song

• Adios - Linda Ronstadt
• Bye Bye - Mariah Carey
• Farewell, Farewell - Fairport Convention
• Just Go Away - Blondie
• Sayonara - The Pogues

The Eyes Have It

Eyes - the window to the soul. Also the window to the blues, the rock 'n' roll, and maybe even the rap. Songs about eyes. No cheating and searching on Spotify - I will know.

Brown
• Brown Eyes: Fleetwood Mac
• Brown-Eyed Girl: Van Morrison
• A Pair Of Brown Eyes: The Pogues
Blue
• Blue Eyes: Elton John
Red
• Ole Red-Eyes Is Back: The Beautiful South

Dance Craze Songs

A list of songs with an associated dance craze. Ideally the song lyrics should explain how to do the dance.

• Agadoo: Black Lace. The fourth worst song ever?
• The Bump: Kenny. Ludicrous seventies dance.
• Do The Funky Chicken: Rufus Thomas.
• The Chicken Song: Spitting Image.
• (Do Do Do) The Funky Gibbon: The Goodies.
• Macarena: Los Del Rio.
• Oops Upside Your Head: The GAP band. Sitting on the floor, rowing - what was all that about?
• (Do The) Push & Pull: Rufus Thomas.
• The Resurrection Shuffle: Ashton, Gardner, and Dyke.
• Superman: Black Lace.
• The Time Warp: Rocky Horror Show.
• The Twist: Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, and later covered by Chubby Checker.

Disqualified:

• Land Of 1000 Dances: Just About Everybody. Too general.

Eponymous Tracks

Not albums, oh no. That would be too easy. What we want here are tracks with exactly the same name as their performer.

• Hi Tension: Hi Tension
• M.E.T.H.O.D. Man: Method Man. Or is that cheating?
• Talk Talk: Talk Talk
• They Might Be Giants: They Might Be Giants

I got my first real six-string...

As any fule kno, the guitar is the world's finest instrument when it comes to rockin' and, indeed, rollin'. No surprise then that songsmiths in need of inspiration look down at their Martin/Gibson/Fender and think: "Hey! I'll slip in a few lines about this here guitar!". And so another list is born.

Here is the playlist on Spotify

Some highlights:

Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams. I got my first real six-string/ Bought it from the five-and-dime/ Played it till my fingers bled/ It was the summer of '69.

Guitar Man - several different songs of the same name by Elvis, Bread, and J. J. Cale

Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen. Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk.

This Old Guitar - Neil Young

Sound of the Suburbs - The Members. Johnny's upstairs in his bedroom sitting in the dark/ Annoying the neighbours with his punk rock electric guitar.

The Wood and the Wire - Fairport Convention. In a high-street window it winked and beckoned/ Turned his head in a single second/ First month's wage, heart's desire/ Under the spell of the wood and wire.

Thanks to the taxi drivers and radio stations of Kaliningrad for inspiration. Good to know that Bon Jovi are still rocking Russia.