Rocket engines burning fuel so fast, up into the night sky, they blast (Black Sabbath)

Wie geht's?

Reading Geezer Butler's autobiography (Into The Void) reminded me again of that 10,000 hours idea.

Malcolm Gladwell theory was that world class expertise was gained, to a large extent, by practising for a total of at least 10,000 hours.   

Geezer is of course the bassist/lyricist in Black Sabbath - who provided my soundtrack to teenage-hood in 1970 and 1971 via their second and third albums (Paranoid, Master Of Reality).

He tells of how, pre fame and pre their first album, the band (called Earth in those times) performed marathon sets in Hamburg at The Star-Club (one of The Beatles' venues from their Hamburg days during their own 10,000 hours).

Geezer says they 'blossomed in Hamburg' while doing seven 45 minute sets every day. That means playing music for about five and a half hours every day. If you do that enough times you rack up a lot of practice.

With that experience and all the gigging they were doing in the late sixties, the members of Earth accrued those 10,000 hours.

Those 10,000 hours also equate to approximately the first eight years for full time teachers. My first two schools (from 1983 to 1990) were my equivalent years of practising my craft.

By 2023 I have accrued nearly 50,000 hours of teaching, leading, managing, coaching, advising in a variety of contexts.

Phew. No wonder I'm a bit tired.

Love and peace - Wozza

Take the trip, eat the cake, buy the vinyl.

Wie geht's?

Before leaving for work this morning I told Jacky that I was expecting a couple of packages today.

She knows that means records and she knows (because she told me) that I buy records on-line when I'm stressed. Actually, her words were - when you're stressed you buy records. I think that's a direct quote.

Stressed = buy records.

It's a tricky one, because I buy vinyl when I'm not stressed as well.

So, not stressed = buy records.

In this instance though, she's spot on.

It's practice exam time at school, my Office Administrator is on leave, which means I need to scan exam scripts back to teachers for marking, which is okay if the scanner is working.

Yesterday it wasn't. 

There's always a work around. It's just stressful sometimes going through the search for one that works.

So, looking forward to those records!

Love and peace - Wozza

Champions!

Wie geht's?

The FIFA Women's World Cup has reached its conclusion and football was definitely the winner on the day.

I love world cups, and the women's 2023 version was no exception. The twists and turns of tournament football are like no other.

This one has seen the rest of the world catch up to and surpass the acknowledged and deserved champions of women's football - The United States of America. It wasn't so much their worst world cup ever - it was more that many other countries - Spain (crowned world champions above), England, Sweden, Australia and others now have the talent, the desire, the skills, and the strategic nous to compete with them.

Many of my colleagues have told me how much they've loved watching these games - people who wouldn't normally watch sport, let alone football. They've been won over by the general lack of histrionics in the women's game, the drama, and the brilliant individual skills on display.

Only four more years until the next one. It'll be a doozie!

Love and peace - Wozza.

Time out (The Dave Brubeck Quartet)

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

My energy reserves have been depleted this week thanks to a full on weekend moving my record collection into a safer location, away from the late winter sun's tentacles reaching through the window and overheating sections of vinyl.

Not once, but twice.

We weren't happy with the first move on Saturday because a couch didn't fit properly so, on Sunday, we moved all the records again and a variety of couches so that everything was aesthetically pleasing.

Thanks to that, come Monday morning I struggled to get into the groove. 

Aches and pains have persisted during the week. Good exercise obviously, right?

Love and peace - Wozza

Golden years whop whop whop (David Bowie)

Wie geht's?

I'm not really a podcast guy. Listening to a lengthy programme of people talking doesn't usually float my boat.

I'll make exceptions for anything Bob Mortimer is involved in because he's ridiculously funny, and now I've started working through The Album Years podcast.

Each episode is just about the length of my commute so I've done two a day this week.

It's from Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness. If you've read my previous post you know who Steven Wilson is. His friend and fellow musician Tim Bowness make up No-Man (I warmly recommend Wild Opera).

The podcast has our unlikely heroes (a.k.a. self confessed music nerds) discussing some key, non rock canon, albums of each chosen year. It's funny and perceptive and wildly opinionated and I'm loving it.

User guide

Key words: zeitgeist; sonics; interesting; beautiful; linear; canon; no-risk disc.  

I'd suggest you adopt my linear method and start at episode 1, but you can also leap into any year you fancy. Each episode is stand alone.

Steven is the fast talker on the left channel, Tim is on the right.

Bye bye.

Love and peace - Wozza

 

This trip is necessary (Voyage 34 - Steven Wilson)

Wie geht's?

This week, I'm really enjoying reading Steven Wilson's autobiography - Limited Edition Of One.

Haven't heard of Steven Wilson? That's okay - he is a multi-talented musician who works mainly in musical sub-genres away from the mainstream. I've collected all of his records since 1993's Up The Downstair (he works within many musical contexts - this one is from a band he leads called Porcupine Tree).

Although he's ten years younger than me, and he grew up in Hemel Hempstead rather than Auckland, his was a similar home to mine, and we share similar interests and sensibilities. He calls himself a music nerd (see his podcast - The Album Years) who loves lists and has eclectic music tastes.

Having two parents who loved each other, one younger brother who he maintains a distant relationship with, and a father who was an electronics genius: I can relate! Like Nick Hornby, he's another long lost brother.

Anyway, in one chapter Steven describes his favourite record shops (like I did in my last post). One shop he loves was owned by two brothers who were quirky music snobs and it was terrifying buying music from them. Steven loves that, but we differ a tad here as you will know if you have read that last post.

One anonymous reader left me a comment saying it was a fair but brutal summation and I've been reflecting on that comment. I wasn't being fair, and it was brutal.

I may have done the owner a bit of a disservice. He isn't actually as weird as I stated. I think he genuinely loves music and he's no weirder than other music nerds like me and Steven. 

I'm not sure why I said he was obnoxious to deal with either. That wasn't fair and it was lazy on my part.

When buying records from him, it was a bit like Steven describes when visiting These Records in London. It was uncomfortable dealing with someone with an air of music snob elitism.

He always gave me the impression that I was an unworthy recipient of his albums. I guess that's what added to the weird aspect of visiting his shop.

One day, while I was humming and harring over a NZ pressing of an album on Apple Records that he was wanting $50 for he said - you might as well buy it now, you'll regret it and be back later. And he was right, damn it, so I bought it!

Love and peace - Wozza

I am lost within this half-world, it hardly seems to matter now (Genesis)

Wie geht's?

Bit disappointed that the Music Exchange second hand record shop has closed down in Hastings. I drove past it a few days ago and there is a huge 'For Lease' sign in the shop window.

It wasn't great by any stretch of the imagination - records were overpriced and not in great condition generally, the presentation of the bins was lousy and shambolic, the decor was grim, and the owner was slightly weird and obnoxious. 

But it was a record shop in Hastings - a last port of call if I was desperate for some specific record and I couldn't find it anywhere else. And believe me - it would have to be VERY desperate.

It was the sort of place you'd leave and feel the need to take a shower.

I heard today that the owner had retired and his stock bought by a guy who was intending to eventually open a shop in Waipukarau of all places - 15 minutes down the road.

So, as long as they get someone decent to look after the stock, and the shop is clean, maybe, just maybe, not all is lost. Might give Tony in Waipawa a shake up.

He's a lovely guy but there's no EFTPOS at Passisonate About Vinyl, he is also pricey, and his stock is all over the place - hard to find what you're looking for most of the time, and his opening hours are bizarre.

But he has records and it's fun to browse through his quirky shop.

My Top Five (second hand record shops near me):

1. Real Groovy Records (Auckland)
2. Vinyl Countdown (New Plymouth)
3. Tron Records (Hamilton)
4. Slow Boat Records (Wellington)
5. Electric City Music (Napier)/ Passionate About Vinyl (Waipawa)

Love and peace - Wozza