Managed to get to work - despite more than usual chaos at Waterloo. Adds to the general grumpiness of a Monday morning. I listened to some Joy Division - singles 1977-80 - on the train. Most people will know this band better than me - but they certainly deserve their reputation on these first listenings. They seem to be on a line which runs from Television to Sonic Youth. I think the JD guitarist mostly plays a SG? He gets some great timbre/harmony combinations - very imaginative. I suppose that might be the link I hear - rock solid drums and bass plus adventurous chording.

I dragged myself out of bed yesterday to watch The History of Self on BBC2 - effort more than rewarded. Whoever put this programme together is really into the subject with some excellent contacts. It seems that a tactical approach that Clinton used to win the 1996 election - was taken over lock stock and barrel by Blair and New Labour. While it worked in those specific American circumstances, it has not been a brilliant success in the UK - in fact in my view, part of the reason that New Labour has a reputation for being manipulative and inconsistent is that the "focus group" approach makes them so. The programme spelled this out very clearly and as such I surprised that the BBC under their new NewLab luvvie Gavin Davies had the bottle to put it out. Yvonne once sat next to Gav at a social event - she hates his guts.

About fifteen years ago I did a fair amount of that kind of stuff - using public money. It was the only time I have ever been taken to see the Neville Bros on official business - also Cedar Walton but to be honest I was too wrecked to appreciate him. Strange days.

I should also just mention the Prince triple CD which came out in the mid 1990s. I bought it a few months ago at a service station on the M40 for �10.00. I really do think its a masterpiece - the combination of what the songs are about - a genuine insight into his personality and situation; plus the range of styles that he realises so well - Philly soul, rap etc. I thought I wouldnt now ever feel that way about a record - when I was younger certain singer songwriters would obsess me - partly because of the personality that they projected through their music. But Prince seems to have pulled off that trick.