It was great to see the four members of Swedish superpop group Abba reunited at the Stockholm premiere of the movie version of Mamma Mia. Still looking good although Bjorn and Benny have said they will NEVER reform. "We will never appear on stage again," says Ulvaeus. "There is simply no motivation to re-group. Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were. Young, exuburent, full of energy and ambition. I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin were a cover band now because they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit the nail on the head." Well said sir and here is one of their greatest songs and thank you for the music Abba....  

Bill Haley and The Rockets' classic "Rock Around The Clock" topped the charts this day in 1955.  The song is credited as the first rock song to do so, and the flood they could not stop started right after with Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis, Fats Domino, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbinson, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion, Ricky Nelson, Smokey Robinson, The Beatles,  The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Eric Clapton, The Band, Otis Redding, Van Morrison, Jefferson Airplane, The Dead, Creedance Clearwater Revival, The Who, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Led Zepplin,  Frank Zappa, Allman Brothers, Neil Young, ABBA, Van Morrison Tin Lizzy, David Bowie, Lou Reed, The Ramones, The Talking Heads, Blondie, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Neville Brothers, DEVO, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, AC/DC, REM, The Pogues, U2, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nirvana, The Killers, White Stripes, and Pat Boone just to name a few. 

Rock n' Roll has been the soundtrack of many of our lives.  It is somewhat disconcerting to watch bands I recall starting out have their 20th reunion tour, and the Woodstock audience went grey (if they kept their hair) some time ago.  I often stare in horror at young co-workers who have never heard "Lola", who think Sherryl Crowe wrote "The First Cut is The Deepest" and who call 80's music oldies.  Rock is a form of popular music that has abandoned the notion "I Hope I Die Before I Get Old" some time ago.  Or at least those of us north of forty have rejected that line, although I am sure there are some twenty-somethings who have at least embraced the idea "Hope You Die Before I Get Old."  Bill Haley may look to some teenagers now as somebody's old Uncle who lingered too long at the buffet table before grabbing a microphone at a cousin's wedding in black and white prehistoric times.  But count it out for me Bill "One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock ROCK!!"   Hit that guitar riff, and with the aid of a few cocktails and lax nursing home security I'll be out on the dance floor.  If we can no longer use rock to rebel asagainst our parents, let us use it to rebel against our kids!!!           

The schools in Northern Ireland are just about breaking up for the summer holidays and I thought this song was appropriate!  Great song from a real trooper...and I'm sure all teenagers appreciate the words!

It's odd when a topic keeps coming up on successive days here on ATW but such has been the case with what I call "militant homosexuality" this past few days. I always try not to be too po-faced on these matters and so....

My absolute favourite song of 2008 is called "American Gangster Time" by Elvis Costello. Listen to it here. It's a brillant combination of sharp as barbed wire lyrics "She's wishes he was mute and not just dumb" and growling "Attraction-ish" backing wall of sound. The keyboards are superb and the song builds to a rockin' finish with Elvis in fine form. It's the last 60 seconds where it all becomes sublime - hard as nails sound that you don't get anywhere else echoing back to the golden years of "Armed Forces" and you just KNOW Elvis enjoyed recording this. Like many songs, it takes repeated plays to appreciate it fully but I think it's the best thing he has done in decades - as is the album "Momofuku" from which it hails.

He is the sharpest thorn upon parade.....