Living in a box. Living in a cardboard box.

So, having been rubbish last Friday and forgotten to post telling you what was in The Box, this week I am all ready with my post and raring to go.

Except for some reason, today, my web host has decided not to let me ftp in. I open the connection, it gets closed by some pernicious remote host. Perhaps it is the heavenly host - which would be pretty remote - attempting to save me from myself by preventing me posting mp3s illegally.

Anyway, it's annoying. I'll be letting you know what's in The Box just as soon as I find a way round this problem.

One. Step. Beyond!

On Fridays this year, we ask...

( What's in the Box? )

In The Box this week we have:

Now That's What I Call Music 3 - Various Artists

When rummaging through dusty boxes of tapes in charity shops I'm always delighted to uncover a Now That's What I Call Music X. There's something utterly delightful about time-based compilations (the other good example that I've encountered being the 1990s Shine indie compilations); they perfectly preserve a musical snapshot of a particular month.

Looking down the tracklist for NTWICM3 there are some usual-suspect 80s choons. I Want To Break Free, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, It's Raining Men, yeah, yeah, we know.

To me, the interesting part is the songs that were big enough to make it onto the compilation, but then were soon after consigned to the dustbin of history. Names I don't know at all come up on the list. Anyone heard of The Art Company ? They're on here doing Susannah, which the crowd present at the recording seem to know but I've never heard before. Then there's the bizarre Thompson Twins' song about knowing what it means to work hard on machines. And the obligatory euro-pop entry comes from Propaganda (who?) with Doctor Mabuse.

I was tempted to post one of these, but have instead gone for a track I barely know by a very well-known band. It's one of those which makes you think "eh ? can see why it isn't one of the better known efforts" then suddenly whips out a refrain and outro that are instantly familiar. I must have heard it years and years ago, and not thought of it since, but there it was hidden away in the dustier corners of my hindbrain.

Madness - One Better Day

It used to be fashionable to lay down port for your children. I'd recommend laying down some current music compilations - they'll probably be happy, even if you think today's music is rubbish.

[Poll #1173207]