Stegzy's Music Project

A commentary on Stegzy's album collection

All Asimov and No Fresh Air – Half Man Half Biscuit [#673]

2025 brought many good things. For some. Not everyone. For me it brought a 6 month retagging headache which I only managed to correct in May 2026 during a bought of illness. But for others, the four lads who shook the Wirral released another corker of social observations and nods that only locals might get.

We last saw HMHB in the 400s (though regular and more astute readers might have noticed that I’ve miscounted. I’ll sort this out) with their Four Lads Who Shook The Wirral (1998) album, Asimov certainly shows progression and maturity in comparison. Maybe its age, like a fine wine (or whine), but every HMHB release is sharper, wittier and more vicious about poncey middle class affectations. Every new album brings a song that just defines the album – this case Falmouth Electrics (thanks Barry).

It’s been in my collection for about 6 months…I really haven’t had the time to absorb all of the lyrical treasures but HMHB has yet again, launched a masterpiece onto the world where 98% of the population will be blissfully unaware of the magic they’ve not heard.

Falmouth Electrics – Half Man Half Biscuit

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It’ll End in Tears – This Mortal Coil [#644]

Gloomy collaborative music by Evo Watts’ music project This Mortal Coil.

Like Mike Oldfield’s Islands this was also part of a x for £xx deal at the Virgin Megastore in Liverpool (now Claus Ohlson). I mourn the passing of record shops and their x for £xx deals, this is not an offer the likes of Amazon, iTunes and their ilk seem to foster. I was drawn to This Mortal Coil and their 1984 album It’ll End in Tears via the 4AD Uncut Compilation CD and David Lynch’s Lost Highway in which the band’s cover of Tim Buckley’s Song of the Siren featured and marked the beginning of me being a little more adventurous with my music choices. However I only became aware of them following the rerelease of the album in the nineties.

Of course, this was in the nineties so music downloading hadn’t really taken off in the UK due to the crapness of internet connectivity but it quickly became a prized item in my music library. Especially as it made me feel that I appeared cultured and with it to my Guardian reading, coffee table book owning friends at the time.

Hipster? moi? Nah my trousers are not corduroy and I don’t own a penny farthing.

Apologies for the break in posts last week, I’m still rebuilding my music library following an IT issue with my iMac, and have just returned from a holiday in Dorset so posts will be a little sporadic for a few weeks. However, please do not feel I’ve abandoned this project or stopped writing, I haven’t. Keep an eye out on my other blog, the Compostual Existentialist over the next few weeks for details of my recent holiday.

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