Thursday 12 July 2001

We're on holiday in Bruichladdich, a place well known to whisky drinkers the world over. Basically it's about twenty houses and a distillery: a commonsense ratio I think. This morning I borrowed a computer at local newspaper the Ileach's office in Bowmore (yes there's a famous distillery there too) to reply to some urgent emails.

Last night I was rummaging through the pile of old records in the house where we're staying and found ABBA's Super Trouper. Like most of their albums, it has its awful moments, but the good bits really are frighteningly good, and proof positive that you can still pack an emotional punch with inept banal lyrics, as long as you get the music right. I wish they'd woken up to drum machines earlier though, as their drum parts are always simple, and on a straightforward disco thump like 'Lay All Your Love on Me' the poor guy just isn't solid enough. I'm sure some remixer has done something about it by now. 

But listening to it does give me just a tinge of regret at ending up a keyboard player, as sitting at the 88s (or 63s or less if it's a harpsichord) is not a musical activity that on the whole lends itself to instant emotional impact. I do retain a measure of jealousy of my colleagues who sing or play more expressive instruments. This of course explains my extreme delight at getting to play the harmonica.