Hello – just a quick note to reassure people that we haven’t gone back to the bad old days of no updates. My situation is as follows – I’ve been on a long, complicated work project which finishes tomorrow. Then on Tuesday I’m going into hospital to have my gall bladder taken out – if all goes well I’ll be out on Tuesday night and will be recuperating for a week or two. At some point during that I’ll start updating Popular regularly again!
(The next entry is actually half written – if I manage to finish it I’ll put that up, as it offers a bit more discursive meat than poor LeAnn.)
Meanwhile, this is an excellent opportunity to go check out the masses of new recent posts on Marcello and Lena’s Then Play Long blog, which has surged back into activity with some superb writing on the LPs of 1989.
See you all soon! Tom.
Hope all goes well with the op!
I second that emotion!
Likewise all the best for your time in hospital. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
Oh, and seconded on the advice to go immediately to TPL, which is on another glorious run.
The entry on Like a Prayer is spectacular.
Is that the same Then Play Long blog that purports to be a historical analysis but then deletes all references to artists the writers don’t approve of and would rather not exist? No thanks then, I’ve got some pubic hairs I’d rather burn off with a lighter.
Oh good luck, Tom, with op.
And yes, I concur that the recent flurry of updates to TPL are of a particularly high standard – which is saying something.
All the best, Tom. Sounds nasty, hope all goes smoothly. Muchly looking forward to more Popular.
Best of luck!
Thanks so much for posting this Tom – it certainly reassured me. Popular’s been on a great run recently, bringing back so many bittersweet memories of my 15 year old self, and when I don’t see updates for a while, I am the kind of person who worries something unspeakably terrible must have happened. Seriously, though, and most importantly, fingers crossed the op goes to plan and hope you get better soon.
I hope it all goes well, Tom. Popular has been in fine fettle recently, and I certainly hope the same applies to your physical self soon as well.
Hope the op goes well. Looking forward to future entries.
Hey, best of luck, Tom.
Hope it’s gone well and wishing a speedy recovery.
Thanks all! I’m back from hospital – it went absolutely fine, and (even allowing for the codeine playing a part) I feel less wiped out and uncomfortable than I’d expected. We’ll see how the next few days are.
I also delivered the work project to deadline on Monday so the good ship Popular will be out of dock pretty quickly I’d hope.
Hurrah!
Great news Tom. Delighted all went well.
Get well soon, Tom.
Get well soon.
Gute Besserung!
Excellent news and many thanks for the TPL big-up. I don’t really say much around here anymore – no great reason for this except that so many of the number ones now seem to be taken from number one albums that we’ll be writing about, and as for the other ones I’m afraid it’s a touch of the old ennui at work here.
TPL kind of works like London buses – nothing for a month, then twelve come at once! So a bit of a rest is in order again (mainly owing to other commitments and the fact that it’s currently flipping hot) but keep the faith, as they used to say up in the clubs of the North West. Lena’s writing the next entry and it’s a bonus (not in the Wiki/OCC list) album.
Oh, and DNFTT, obviously.
Especially hot, I gather, if you are on one of said (new) London buses, which seem to have been designed without openable windows or much thought given to cooling.
I was reading the OP a couple of lines faster than my brain was so I read “all goes well I’ll be out on Tuesday night” and thought “that seems a bit soon after to be going to the pub…”. Glad to hear you are well even if not quite that well!