A modest proposal

[Benicio Del Toffo]

Fellas,

Another damn fine monthly update. I was thinking (I know, it's dangerous), I always enjoy reading the Charts section to see how successful fellow diggers have been in finding all those things I want but can never find, but lately I've been noticing that certain miscreants are really slacking in terms of their contributions. Some of them have even disabled their sections - disgrace.

So, maybe there should be some form of league system whereby the slackers are relegated or at least those guests who have made a genuine effort to provide charts fairly regularly are installed as regular/standing contributors?

The Vulture hierarchy as it stands is not working and is not reflective of the meritocracy that should exist in this vinyl Utopia. At what point does a 'guest' become a 'regular'? Whose back must be scratched to earn this elevation to the upper reaches of Vulturedom?

I move that Wayne and John S etc be promoted to regular contributors and that evil Buni-boiler be relegated for crimes against punctuality!!

Or something.

God, I fucking hate being back at work.

[sermad]

Hahha yeah I've been meaning to fix my chart for a year now. I'll do it soon. promise.

[Blighty]

'tis true. There's only a few who do monthly charts now and ex regulars such as Towny, The Viscount don't seem to get to the site much let alone contibute a chart. It would be good to see that section overhauled. Wayne should certainly enter the mainstream hardcore charter section. And he, Lee, Chris and Sie should all be given hearty handshakes for giving me er...us the opportunity to steal er....share their knowledge.

[teddyrosso]

Well, just as long as John Stapelton is updating his charts ...

[wayne]

Gosh (blush etc). Props definitely go to the regulars like Lee, Sie, Chris etc, and to the likes of John S, Vinylism et al in the guest section. Between them, they've cost/saved me a fortune on records I'd have otherwise not purchased...and not having much else (apart from quite a lot of somewhat dubious opinions) to put back, I hope the charts are kind of my contribution to the VV thang...

Not sure I'd want to be tied to it every month, though: dunno how Lee, Chris & Sie manage it, frankly. That said, I'd like to see some of the regulars whupped back into regularity, especially Sermad, Ed and Formigo (come on, how am I to know what Romanian prog LPs and 80s disco cuts to pick up, or how to play the monthly James-Spotting game...).

Think the pressure to find ten worthwhile LPs a month is quite a lot, though - it assumes you come home with a good 'un every 3 days, without fail - so maybe we could be just as happy with 5 too. Guess it's to do with the cost of webspace, but it's a shame old charts are deleted after a while, too: be nice if they could archived somewhere (maybe in the 'weird' section) or something...

Sterling efforts all round, though. John S looks highly likely to be costing me a 'Psychedelic Psoul' reish at some point this month, and Chris has shown me what 'Golden Trumpets' looks like...so uhm, actually, my bank's just phoned to say maybe more charts isn't such a good idea after all...

[Benicio Del Toffo]

Mate,

Change that avatar. I'm sure whoever that is was sought in connection with a spate of brutal attacks on old ladies in the Basford area of Nottingham sometime around 1980.

Anyway, was just in Rob's and I noticed in his 50p section just near the Rock LPs (you need your back to the rock/new wave section) he had a Gunther Kallman LP called something like Once Upon A Lifetime. Recorded in 1969, production by Ingman, Vickers, Paramor, Ebbinghouse etc. Featuring Galveston, Wichita Lineman, Aquarius etc (the usual 1969 line-up). Not my kind of thing, but maybe yours. So, left it near the back of the box (as is traditional in Rob's), if you're going in there, maybe you want to grab it.

[wayne]

Quote[/b] (Benicio Del Toffo @ Aug. 31 2004,15:25)]Mate,

Change that avatar. I'm sure whoever that is was sought in connection with a spate of brutal attacks on old ladies in the Basford area of Nottingham sometime around 1980.

Anyway, was just in Rob's and I noticed in his 50p section just near the Rock LPs (you need your back to the rock/new wave section) he had a Gunther Kallman LP called something like Once Upon A Lifetime. Recorded in 1969, production by Ingman, Vickers, Paramor, Ebbinghouse etc. Featuring Galveston, Wichita Lineman, Aquarius etc (the usual 1969 line-up). Not my kind of thing, but maybe yours. So, left it near the back of the box (as is traditional in Rob's), if you're going in there, maybe you want to grab it.

Well, I think he's got an alibi, having been long deceased by 1980, but you never know round Basford... Tried changing the avatar, but the one I wanted to use doesn't work (too small) so Ubu-creatin', pistol totin', bike-ridin' Mr Jarry's a stopgap till I find another or revert to the old one.

As for the Gunter Kallmann LP, definitely got a couple of nice bits on it if you like the softpop/lounge thing, but nothing you'd call funky or beat-related. I think it was in a chart a month or two back... Not been in Rob's for a couple of weeks -probably missed all sorts, or maybe nothing whatsoever. How's his tidying up/organising drive getting on?

Seemed to have stalled a bit (piles were moving around the shop rather than been dealt with) last time I went in.

[Benicio Del Toffo]

I think the word is 'regression'.

I'd imagine the council will be popping in within a month. It's kind of funny, but dangerous really. I brushed past a pile of stuff and literally glanced it with my heel and a vinyl landslide took out the bloke behind me, which left Rob apologising profusely and trying to rectify the mess. He knows he's liable should anyone get hurt and he should sort it out, Nottingham institution or no.

[chrisvulture]

Quote[/b] (Benicio Del Toffo @ Sep. 01 2004,10:32)]lately I've been noticing that certain miscreants are really slacking in terms of their contributions. Some of them have even disabled their sections - disgrace.

be most assured that serial offenders will be dealt with most severely in future...

But a special 'badge of honour' has to go to LDJB for his continuing contributions...mostly to my wants list...

[formigo]

Oo-er!

(This is where we need a smiley loosening the collar of his T-shirt and looking uncomfortable).

This kind of talk is always a sure-fire way to generate a chart from me!

I'll try to step up my game to bi-monthly at least... I assure my slackness isn't generated by lack of interest or enthusiasm - I enjoy writing these suckers - but time is not so abundant as it once was (when I was doing them regularly - way back in 2001/2002 - I was working a 20-hour week with no other commitments). And beyond that I have a certain background level of laziness that must be overcome before I do pretty much anything.

In theory it should be easier for me to do them now that I have my own digital camera at least... I have the pictures for the next one already!



Here's (herrs? Ha, ha, oof) a James-spotting task to tide you over... "the Dutch one where he's dressed in clogs and noddy hat and also standing like a proverbial noddy"... I've only spied this one once, ever, so it could be a challenge.