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James Cooke

@dodgydiscs.bsky.social

270 followers 260 following 920 posts

Pop crazed youngster, books, TV & film, cooking, hiking guy et al. OK piano player. Reviews unheard Smash Hits reviewed albums - Su Pollard to Motörhead. Semi-binning Twitter where my previous guise was ‘Dodgy Discs’. No politics, No DMs please

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James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 1d

Why CDs are better than streaming. A paid for subscription still greys out 6 of the 31 songs on this soundtrack meaning it’s incomplete. Answer: Get the CD! #cdsrule

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 1d

Jools Holland & His Millionaires - Jools Holland & His Millionaires. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. Don’t think Pet Shop Boys were ever invited to Hootenanny many times? 🤔 Good Squeeze + Boogie pop but would be much better if it was JH & ‘insert guest vocalist’ instead 6/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 2d

So sorry and sad to hear this. Enjoyed our interactions on here and Twitter.

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 2d

Good evening. As days grow colder & shorter, it was time to dust off my microphone & pull together my 4th eclectic & non obvious tunes music show. Just over an hour of variety awaits you covering 1965 - 2008.

Enjoy!

www.mixcloud.com/james-cooke9...

DJ Redvers Magpie Island Show 4

Eclectic mix including Grace Jones, Donovan, The Damned, Weekend, Supergrass, Joe Jackson, Sensational Alex Harvey Band and more!

www.mixcloud.com

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 2d

Beggar & Co - Monument. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. Aside from ‘Somebody Help Me Out’, ‘Break It Up’ isn’t bad but it’s a bit soul pop by numbers. A pleasant listen but inessential. 6/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 2d

Chas Jankel - Chasanova. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. Veering more towards Squeeze than the Blockheads in musical style. There’s a smattering of reggae &, as mentioned, apart from the excellent ‘109’ there’s ’Questionnaire’ providing some flair. 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 3d

Do love the soup season. Red Pepper Soup was finished off yesterday. The addition of yogurt & particularly adding finely chopped courgettes was a bit leftfield but it worked. Aubergine Soup is next, which I’m sceptical about but if you don’t try… #souper

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 4d

Lovely. Which Sparks record?

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 4d

Just turned the misfit home grown green & half red tomatoes into salsa. Where’s my Doritos?

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 4d

10cc - Ten Out Of 10. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. Just 5cc by this time but the 80s hadn’t arrived yet for them. Still stuck in late 70s ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ mode. Melodically faultless & production is lush but I couldn’t pick out a stand out song tbh. #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 4d

Choon

Dano Loves Music @danolovesmusic.bsky.social · 5d

“Chase” by Giorgio Moroder was a UK #33 hit in 1979. ⭐️⭐️1/2 #vinylcommunity #70s #giorgiomoroder #EveryHitSongEver

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 4d

Did you like ‘Jordan: The Comeback’? That’s my favourite album of theirs.

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 5d

Halloween 🎃 seems to be taken very seriously in a flat nearby where we live!

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 5d

Durutti Column - LC. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. To be reminded of John Martyn from the early 70s is no bad thing. Echoey guitars & piano & gentle, misty atmospherics. Shame the vocals are too low in the mix to make it rise above fine. 6.5/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 6d

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 6d

Boney M - Boonoonoonoos. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. Undeniably catchy diverse disco pop. A myriad of topics & musical styles. Top tracks: ‘Road To Agadir’, ‘We Kill The World’ & ‘Breakaway’. Simplistic yes but also impressively written & performed 7.5/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 7d

Modern Romance - Adventures In Clubland. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. I’ve a soft spot for their ToTP party vibe but staggered they managed 2 separate top 10s with ‘..Moosey’ & ‘..Salsa’; pretty much the same tune. Really dig track 2 unironically. 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 8d

AC/DC - For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) Dec 81. UK Peak: 3 Essentially repeating the same trick as ‘Back In Black’. The title track would’ve fitted perfectly on the last LP. The others don’t quite hit the mark but still pack a rocky punch. 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 8d

It’s The Human League on the Christmas issue of Smash Hits (10-24 Dec 1981). Quite interested in the Chas Jankel LP but have heard nothing else. I hope Lil Wayne found his pal #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 9d

Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft - Gold Und Liebe. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. I’d agree with the review. Some good ideas rhythmically & from a synth point of view but the monotonous nature of the tracks makes this drag over the 35 minutes. #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 10d

New Order - Movement. Nov 81. UK Peak: 30. A distinctive style on display with an opening track which indicates promise but not a varied album particularly overall. One song blended into another. In fact, I was a bit bored by the end. 6/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 11d

Hendon Central to Stoke Newington with my good friend Tim. A drink in the Boogaloo, lunch in Kampai! & a Guinness in the Auld Shillelagh to finish #capitalring

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 11d

Love this track. Fond memories of 1st year at Leicester Uni. I bought the cassette single of ‘Drive’

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 11d

Kool & The Gang - Something Special. Nov 81. UK Peak: 10. The one with ‘Steppin’ Out’ & ‘Get Down On It’ & you get a variation of those tunes throughout. Not that that’s a bad thing. ‘Pass It On’ is a nice smooch. Formulaicly pleasant 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 12d

The Stranglers - La Folie. Nov 81. UK Peak: 11. The one with ‘Golden Brown’. Probably described overall as bright, even poppy yet retaining a leftfield edge. However, ‘La Folie’ sounds like it was recorded in a blissed out Parisian fug. I love it. 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews