The Who - Tommy

When I first started listening to The Who, circa 1974, Tommy and Quadrophenia were their most revered albums. When I finally got to hear Quadrophenia, about 15 years ago, I thought it was rubbish, and, having got round to listening to the original Tommy for the first time, this was pretty disappointing as well. A lot of the time this is all the things The Who at their best weren't - pretentious, flabby and rambling. I've seen the Ken Russell film several times, and the versions of some of the songs on the soundtrack are better than the original - notably Tina Turner's demented "Acid Queen".

Heifervescent - Pondlife Fiasco

Well-crafted collection of melodic but jangly songs by Andy Doran. The darker songs are the best, especially the Hitchcock-esqe (Robyn not Alfred) opening and closing tracks, "When The Stars Fall From Grace" and "And The Pondlife Flourished". The happier songs - "Kaliedoscope" and "It's Coming Together" - are a bit less convincing, at least to me. But that's probably because I'm a miserable sod.

Bartok - String Quartet No 2

I listened to this again the other day and I still didn't warm to it. Is it really me? The only thing which seemed to have any spark was the fast second movement, and that seemed too disjointed.

Radiohead - In Rainbows

I finally got round to listening to this, some three years after it was released. It's excellent, especially on the second listen, and I expect I will get to like it more and more. "Nude", especially, is a wonderful song. One but/cavil - there isn't anything to surprise or shock, nothing that made me think "F***ing hell!" And, with Radiohead, I don't think there ever will be. But still worth listening to.