Ramble on ...

1977

You want me to ramble on a bit ... ?

1977 was a big year for me, gearing up for exams and stuff at school. I packed in my paper round. Yes, I was still slogging away in all weathers mainly cos all my money went on jeans, tshirts and albums. A big year because everything started going "tit's up" at home with parents because I was listening to "the devil's music" and going out more. Peeler was still my biggest influence, we went through everything together. Jake was driving, got a car, left home and we didn't see much of him that year. Scottie was getting serious but I wasn't ... he wanted to work on an oil rig and have 5 kids when we grew up ... I knew it wasn't going anywhere ...

Looking back I'm kinda proud that I was into great music early on. I was growing up in a really exciting period of time for music. I was just at the right age for NWOBHM and after getting into progressive rock, hard rock, metal and classic melodious rock/metal nothing else will do! I can't stand most pop music, it's drivel that just goes right over my head. At the time I also hated everything about the punk scene with a vengeance (but now I like and appreciate the music of The Sex Pistols, but that's mostly down to the dry wit of Mr. John Lydon. I now appreciate his English patriotism (oh yes!) and sense of humour which is misunderstood, bless him! Johnny Rotten you are a star and I now have Never Mind the Bollocks in my record collection! Annoyingly, a song did stick in my head "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads but you have to do the ska movements to it. I digress ...

My music has got me through lots of stuff in the past ... it's a constant with me, a passion. I really got into Thin Lizzy, still one of my bestest bands ever, I was lucky to see Phil Lynott several times in later life (more on that later). I started hanging around with Skip and his mate Manny. Actually, I'd known Skip for years (family friends) but only just found out we shared the music. Manny was really into music, going to record fairs all over the country with his Dad. He was a big collector. In 1977 we were all 15

I got:

Rush - Farewell to Kings

AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

Pink Floyd - Animals

Motorhead - Motorhead

Judas Priest - Sin After Sin

Scorpions - Taken by Force

Fleetwood Mac - Roumers
Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation
 

I listened to Foreigner, Neil Young, Status Quo, Queen, Rod Stewart
and Pink Floyd's progressive rock album Animals a lot

On the telly in 1977

I watched ..... The Sweeney, The Good Life, Starsky & Hutch, Hawaii Five-0, Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test, Tiswas, Star Trek, Fawlty Towers, The Goodies, Magic Roundabout, Doctor Who, Rentaghost, Man About The House, George and Mildred, Carry On movies, Are You Being Served and The Benny Hill Show

It was 1977 and I was aged 15 !!