AOTM has been especially difficult for me this month. As you know I listen to at least one new album a day. This practice has grown to include one classical album also. Originally, this coveted title was set to go to The Eagles’ masterwork One of These Nights. Then it was set to go to Clearlight’s debut, Clearlight. The latter was on account of Doug Lubahn, the group’s bassist having sadly passed away this month. Lubahn was the bassist on three of the Doors’ studio albums, hence is quite close to my heart.
But following Clearlight down the Doors rabbit hole, my father recommended Country Joe & The Fish. Naturally I exhibited taut revulsion at being told to do anything. One is prone to believe their music taste is superior to others’, are they not? I relented and listened to Love Machine, which set a very agreeable tone. Then I went and listened to the whole thing. Now I am not swift to admit that I am wrong, but boy was I wrong.
The “CJ Fish” album was the sixth to be issued by Vanguard Records in 1970, and was the last to feature new material from the group as the only subsequent album was the historical retrospective “Life And Times of Country Joe & The Fish”, issued the following year, by which time the band had broken up and Joe McDonald had embarked on a solo career. ACE Records
The first track which took me was Mara. This is a masterful combination of Doorsian rhythm with a fresh and original melody and lyric. I have yet to happen upon anyone who masters the lyrical form better the The Doors’ Jim Morrison. In fact I have several books of his poetry in my library. But these were not bad.
The overall timbre is interesting, being both joyful and sobering at the same time. Some bright spots in the material are “Hey Bobby,” “She’s a Bird,” and “Hang On,” which are delightfully Country Joe. AllMusic
The Baby Song was another standout. Of course in the current climate crisis, the lyrics “Come with me, we shall make a baby” is not the greatest advise. But this impending doom is the subject for a later blog post. Notice how the solo near the end of this track resembles a baby’s tantrum.
[The songs] are uniformly professional, varying from the gentle piano-led jazzy ‘Mara’ and ‘She’s A Bird’ with its dreamy guitar soundscape midway through to ‘Rockin’ Round The World’ which is much more upbeat and funky, as you would expect. ACE Records
Silver and Gold is my third highlight. Psychedelic rock at it’s finest. absolutely mind blowing.
The Love Machine is the runaway hit of this album of course. This is also the closest to the Doors sound of the whole album. This smooth pop psychedelia masterpiece is impossible not to groove to. It builds and builds, adding layers as it goes culminating in a measure of blissfully bewildering music. I am so deeply impressed.
The album lands on a melancholic note with Return of Sweet Lorraine and Hand of Man. The former is a magnificent example of how to vent one’s ire correctly. The latter is a corny country track which exudes bizarre pseudo populist positivity.
Overall, this album can be condensed into a Nick Drake & The Doors hybrid. The composition of each song is balanced and beautiful, with enough room for me to be able to wrap my minds around it. This bluesy, psychedelic pop meld is a testament to the masterful production of Tom Wilson, who had by this time produced Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel. This album epitomises 1967 Los Angeles. This is where the Doors originated, of course. Some harsher critics say this is not their best work but I think C.J. Fish is pristine. I dare you to prove me wrong.
I’ve become a big fan of the Walking Englishman blog. The way that Mike writes is both entertaining and informative as well as providing some really stellar walks. It is after one of these walks that Phil and I discovered the Old Spot Inn. For this post, I shall focus on the restaurant, but details of the walk we undertook can be found here:
The first striking thing about the Old Spot is the free carpark next to it. When we undertook our last walk in Kendal last month, the carpark cost almost ten whole pounds. You can imagine our relief. Dursley council, falling under Stroud district council, is visibly wealthy so I was not entirely surprised at our parking savings.
Having just walked upwards of 12 km, we were rather ravenous. Our first course was the mediterranean sharing board which comprised of halloumi, mozzarella, salami, prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes in olive oil and roasted peppers. Of course some of these products are doubtless store bought but this did not detract from their flavour. The halloumi in particular was unlike any I had tasted before. Any combination of these lent itself to a cornucopia of deliciousness.
This cheesy bacon feast was a simple fare but undeniably delicious. The meat was high quality and not too oily which is a relief. The wedges were exemplary and perfectly cooked. I don’t care for coleslaw, being a person of sensibility, so I cannot provide advices on that sort of thing.
Phil (M’colleague) chose the Steak and Ale pie, made with Old Ric ale. Again, not wanting to develop an impressive gut before the age of 76, I have decided to avoid beer as a concept. The fact that it tastes almost universally ghastly to me is very helpful in my dietary ambitions. But observe the pastry on this pie. It was home made and a real knockout. Notice how it is hand crimped, this was most surprising to me as such attention to detail is rare. The mash and onion gravy were also breathtaking.
My own meal was the trio of Old Spot sausages with mashed potato and rich caramelised onion gravy. My only complaint was that the gravy was not plentiful enough! One would think this were not filling but they would be quite wrong. Combining the home made sausages with the beautiful mash and peas made for an enormously rewarding trio. I was so very pleased with my meal choice.
Overall, this 1776 pub is one of the gems of England and I recommend it to anyone in the area. This is the sort of place that leaves you feeling warm and satisfied, and in this current climate we need all the comfort we can get.
This week I had the opportunity to go to Bolton for reasons I am not at liberty to discuss unless you ask me nicely. I was advised to visit a very special sandwich place a few miles from my destination. You’ll be aware that I am not one to settle for a sub-standard value ready meal. Lunch is a sacred time in my home. Lunch is equally revered when I am not at home. Consequently, the discovery of the Sandwich Specialist came as quite a shock.
The following photographs will not evoke awe and passion in the viewer, they are merely two slices of bread with a filling, after all. However, the experience is a great part of Sandwich Specialist’s wonder.
The first thing which threw me about this place was the price of food. I was able to get a giant bap, known as a ‘bin lid’ – you read me correctly – for fewer than £5 English pounds. Now, to a Northerner, this is actually expensive. I was told by one person that a full English with two cups of tea cost just as much. Shocking, I know.
My colleague went for a Spicy Meatball Baguette. As I said, it is difficult to make a sandwich look appetising. However, making something so easy to fashion taste delicious is difficult and Sandwich Specialists knocked it out of the park. My colleague was particularly impressed by the layered texture of the meatballs and the delicacy of the spices therein.
But, my friends, this was the show stopper of the day. The bin lid bap was the size of my head. And if you have spent any amount of time reading this blog, you will know that my head is rather enormous. I ordered a sausage, bacon and cheddar bin lid. This is my usual fare from Phillpotts in Birmingham but this time was different. Personally, I have never eaten such a monstrously sized concoction but was most impressed. The way everything meshed so beautifully, the spices within the sausages, the thick cut bacon and the local cheddar. It was heaven in a bin lid.
Honestly I did not think a local sandwich bar would bowl me over thus but this place really was outstanding. I recommend it to those of you in the area for whatever amount of time. This is true to form local excellence and we need more of it in this world.
All right, let’s talk about the Prinsenhof. This translates as ‘Court of the Prince’. It was built in the Middle Ages originally intended to be a monastery. Later it served as the home of William the Silent, a prominent figure in Dutch Politics. William of Orange, as he is more commonly known, was the “main leader of the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years’ War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1581.” (Wikipedia)
Interestingly, William of Orange was murdered in this building. The bullet holes from the murder itself are still visible in a wall near one of the galleries. The museum has deemed it fit to project silhouettes onto the wall of exactly how the murder happened. I found this improper and moribund but I suppose I am not in tune with the more morose elements of Dutch culture.
I must apologise for the picture quality. I had foolishly forgotten to charge my telephone the night before visiting Delft and had to use an iPhone to take the photographs. These were indeed the last days of Sodom.
The above painting is titled “Man Reading a Letter to a Woman”. It is one if Pieter De Hooch’s finest works, completed between 1670-1674. A true highlight of his later works. De Hooch is considered one of the prominent painters of the Dutch Golden Age. His mastery of light depiction inspired countless contemporaries to follow in his stead. Observe for example, in this painting, how the lady to whom the man is reading is the main focus. Not only is she the focus of the man’s attention, she is also the centre piece of the painting. The paintings on the wall and the mantlepiece are out of focus but her and the wonderful velveteen frock shines with deep resplendence. The light from the high window highlights the woman who is staring somewhat incredulously at the reader. I was most impressed by the vivacity of the fabric in her garb but also by the care with which the light falling on the tiles was displayed.
Now that you have read my own musings, what do you think about this piece; “Woman Lacing Her Bodice Beside a Cradle” by the same painter, painted a decade earlier in 1660?
The de Hooch exhibition was most rewarding for me. I learned something about what Louise would term “Good Best Art” and improved myself marginally in the process. I recommend Delft as a city and for its magnificent museum as well as the central square, which can be seen below.
After being inspired by the Pieter de Hooch exhibition at the Prisenhof museum, the gang and I took lunch at Stads Koffyhuis (which is as fun to pronounce as it is to write). This place is situated on one of Delft’s more picturesque canals. We were granted the finest table with a view of the canal. Koffyhuis is renown for its award winning sandwiches, having won best sandwich in Holland for several non-consecutive years.
Firstly let me tell you about this cup of coffee. The Delft Leut, containing hot milk, strong espresso and milk foam, served in a tall glass. We had caramel on the top of ours. I cannot really describe the wonderful mesh of flavour which hit us. The smoothness of the coffee blended beautifully (in terms of flavour and visually) which pleased us so much we had to have another one each!
I ordered the Flipse, which won best sandwich in the Netherlands for 2017. It was made of a gilded corn roll, covered with a spread of pickle and Amsterdam onions and mustard mayonnaise. These were topped by a warm beef pastrami with melted cheddar cheese, white cabbage and dried tomatoes. This was just a joy. A truly exceptional sandwich bursting with flavour from each element. A truly symphonic blend.
Louise in her ancient wisdom opted for the Farmer’s Salad which contained pickle, cucumber, red onion, dried tomatoes and pecans as well as something called “Aunt Door” chicken. I had a mouthful of Louise’s fried chicken and was impressed. As the Grand Dame herself would say, this meal was most satisfactory.
So impressed were we three travellers that we ordered a fourth meal for the table which we shared. This was the winner of 2nd best vegetarian sandwich in the Netherlands. The Take Time consisted of a dark brown Gildekorn bulb richly topped with Boeren Gouda cheese. This cheese in combination with apple syrup, spicy mustard, arugula, fresh figs and walnuts makes this sandwich a real treat. Personally, I did not care for the apple but overall I was impressed by Koffeehuis’ ingenuity.
Overall, This restaurant did blow us away. The attentiveness of the staff paired with the quality of the ingredients and inventive chefs made for a winning combination. I recommend this place to anyone in the general area, or those in the country as a whole.
