Heroes

It's been a week of contrasting surprises from two of my musical heroes.

On Tuesday, my drive to work was considerably happier than the usual gloom when I discovered that David Bowie had not just recorded new material, but released a new track earlier that morning.

I have been smitten with Bowie since he appeared on Top of the Pops singing Starman with the Spiders from Mars.  What grabbed me was a combination of his hair, his clothes and the fact that he had his arm around the lead guitarist .  And the bassist had dyed grey sideburns down to his shoulders.  How could a young man fail to be impressed?

Since he had a heart attack in the early noughties he's been keeping his head down in New York.  I'd reconciled myself to the fact that his recorded output was probably over.  It wouldn't have surprised me if this week's surprise announcement had been of a different sort and accompanied by obituaries.

But he's back.  The first track from the new album is wonderfully melancholy and I can't wait for the album in March.  Welcome back, old chap, I've missed you.

On Wednesday my 'Bowie is Alive!' joy was negated by an announcement that Wilko Johnson, former Dr. Feelgood guitarist, has terminal cancer.

Wilko is one of music's great characters.  He's funny, intelligent and has a stare that can burn woodwork.  I saw him and his band at the Lexington in Islington last year and I'm ashamed to say I was too in awe of him to say hello in the bar before he went on.

Wilko's guitar style has to be unique.  It's difficult to believe at times that one man can can play both rhythm and lead guitar at the same time.  And if that's not enough he still has the energy to scuttle across the stage whilst burning woodwork at 20 paces.

The announcement of his cancer makes no pretence that Wilko is going to come through this.  I will try to see him again if he tours, as he plans some 'farewell' gigs in the UK.  I'm sure he's not going to read this, but in case he does, I'd like to thank him for the great deal of pleasure he's given me since the 70s.  I'd also ask him to concentrate on himself and those he loves over the coming months.

Resolutions

So, another year has raced by, taking me inexorably closer to a lonely, painful death and an eternity of nothingness.

I must apologise.  I always feel a bit gloomy at this time of year.  The nights are dark, it's cold outside and I've got to go back to work tomorrow.  It's also the time when I review the resolutions I set last year and realise that, yet again, I have failed miserably.

The problem I have is that, firstly, I always resolve the same things (get fit, eat more healthily, etc.), secondly, they're always as boring as hell and lastly, they're definitely not what a management consultant would call 'SMART' (if you're not familiar with management objective setting, SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound).

So I'm going to have a fresh look at my resolutions for 2013.  I'm not going to bore you with them all but as an example, 'get fit' has become 'play squash once a week plus 30 minutes exercise (running, cycling) at the weekend'.  'Eat more healthily' becomes 'only eat crisps with two meals a day (except at weekends)'.

I also have a long list of resolutions to implement at work.  I'm definitely not going to outline these here as my colleagues and other stakeholders (sorry, I'm getting a bit carried away with this management-speak) may read this blog.  Let me just say that mind-mapping is the way forward and revenge is a dish best served cold.

2012 wasn't bad for me and hopefully 2013 will be great.  I hope you and yours have a wonderful, happy and healthy 2013 and if there's anything I can do to help you achieve that, let me know.  I'd be glad to help.