It doesn’t take a genius... or Dostoevsky!

On the day of the US election it seems fitting to add another album cover tribute to my collection... I’m hoping with all my heart that the world will be rid of the current resident of the White House with all due haste. I realise we may have some days to go until all the postal ballots have been counted, and I hope that we won’t see any violence or bloodshed in the meantime. These are nervous hours for the world, as if times weren’t anxious enough.

Here in England we’re a couple of days away from another lockdown, although in my Tier 3 neck of the woods I don’t think it’s going to make much difference to my daily life. It will, of course, make a lot of difference to the daily incomes and viability of local independent businesses, and to the beleaguered arts and cultural sectors. But it’s absolutely the right thing to do on public health grounds. I’m angry at the prime minister and the cabinet for not having done it weeks ago when the scientific and medical evidence was there for all to see. We could’ve saved lives, time, money, and NHS resources. We could’ve helped parents, schools and employers by ensuring that at least some of the lockdown took place when schools were closed for half-term and more parents were on leave.  But, I guess you knew that’s what I’d say...

Anyway... back to the album cover. Today’s tribute is to Iggy Pop’s classic 1977 album ‘The Idiot’, which was recorded in cahoots with David Bowie during their infamous Berlin period which also yielded Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’ and Bowie’s ‘Low’, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Lodger’ albums. The original album cover photo was shot by Andrew Kent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Idiot_(album)#/media/File:Iggy_Pop_-_The_Idiot.png In my recreation, I’ve blended a self-portrait with a quick snap that I took on my phone during a hailstorm this morning!

Here’s a great track from the album itself... in memory of pre-Covid times... ‘Nightclubbing’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3OaMZojJRg

And I’m going to link to an extra song today, with the US election very much in mind. The band Drive-By Truckers have become one of the most politically aware rock bands in the USA over the last few years. Their albums ‘American Band’ (2016) and ‘The Unraveling’ (2020) are impassioned dispatches from the frontline of Trump’s USA. And now, just 8 months on from the latter album, they’ve put out a new ‘lockdown’ album called ‘The New OK’. The title track, written by the band’s Patterson Hood, is well worth a listen. The song refers to recent events in Portland, Oregon and the video was shot there too. Only Patterson appears in it, as the other band members were locked down elsewhere in the country... This ones for Kendall www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR8ec75oPrA

“It’s a battle for the very soul of the USA. It’s the New OK.”

Good luck, US Blippers, the whole world is watching, and holding our collective breath.