Catherine Wheel - Happy Days is 20

Twenty years. That's a long time. And twenty years ago today, we got an amazingly solid album from Catherine Wheel called Happy Days. I say amazingly solid because it contains so many great songs. It's a treat from front-to-back.

Saw these guys on tour back then and got my first (and only?) backstage pass. Cool night. I would certainly love more music from either Catherine Wheel or singer Rob Dickinson.

Take a journey back to those hard rockin' days with some of the stand-out tracks on an album of stand-out tracks. Some of their fans may not have liked the shift from a more shoegaze sound to a more American alternative sound, but I liked it.

"God Inside My Head"

The big single, "Waydown"

"Little Muscle"

"Empty Head"

"Shocking"

"Judy Staring at the Sun" with backing vocals from Tanya Donelly. On the album version, all verses are sung by Rob.

"Fizzy Love"

Five-by-Five: a peek into my musical psyche

I love music. I love discovering new music. I love listening to tunes that make me feel a bit better about the world, that make me sit up or stand a little taller, that bring me joy, that make me escape. Here are five tunes that answer to that description.

The Hold Steady have so many incredible tunes. And they're every bit as amazing live as you'd expect. I absolutely love the horn parts on "Two Handed Handshake". A somewhat hidden tune on 2008's Stay Positive.

Goose with "Black Gloves" from their 2006 album Bring It On. Damn, that riff just gets me moving.

It was only a few months ago that I posted the song "Crank" by Catherine Wheel. I promised that I'd post the Rob Dickinson acoustic version and I guess now's the time.

Alice Cooper "Clones (We're All)" from 1980's Flush the Fashion

The Jam. I had a really hard time picking one tune, but I went for "Town Called Malice" from their 1982 release The Gift. I guess that means that I'll put up more Jam in the future. Strawberry or Blueberry maybe.

Five by Five: A fistful of brilliance

Aren't there just some songs that you would give 100 stars to, if you could? They make your heart swell when you hear them, they make you grin uncontrollably, they bring amazing memories, they give you shivers. That is the magic of music.

Stars "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" brings a tear to my eye. I still remember the first time I heard this song. I was captivated from the first note. Amazing! So what if I've posted it before. "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in."*

Hüsker Dü "I Apologize" I can barely believe that I've never posted this song before. Just incredible.

OMD "If You Leave" I got a vinyl 45 of this song when I went to the première of Pretty In Pink. Yeah, you got somethin' to say about that?!?

Oasis "Morning Glory" is just an outstanding song. And so much fun to play live. From the school of "play the song, then play it again" song writing. Classic.

"Crank" by Catherine Wheel. Just because it's awesome. Someday I'll probably post a Rob Dickinson solo acoustic version.

*Quote from American Beauty