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A song by Elvis Voe’s Fitful Head Apologies to Mark Knopfler, who said in an interview: “I will always cross the street, to a window of guitars”, but who, as far as I know, has not used the phrase in a song. Yet.” In the window of guitars You can see the price of dreams …

There will always be a fire burning in our house, no matter what the Scottish Government says… Back to some audioletter action, some thoughts on solid fuel, illustrated with tunes by Laura Veirs, Talking Heads, Regina Spektor, AC/DC and many more if you listen to the Mixcloud version here: https://www.mixcloud.com/tom-morton2/lets-coorie-in-beside-the-heat-pump-beatcrofting-with-tom-morton/ Full playlist (and link to…

The strange obsession of Hamilton Severiano Driver Having the surname Driver in the small Ayrshire town of Troon, home to nine golf courses, one an Open Championship venue, had always been an issue. When teachers at the local secondary school, Marr College, found out his middle name was Severiano, they would chuckle, snort or dismiss…

Memories, strange platonic romances and some truly stupendous guitar playing Not so much an illustrated essay this week as a few emotional songs and some words about them. The full playlist is at the end. You can listen to this show on Mixcloud here: https://www.mixcloud.com/tom-morton2/the-beatcroft-antisocial-tunes-fae-troon-volume-one/ There’s a Spotify playlist at the end too. I’ve known…

New Celeste’s On the Line is a 1979 masterpiece. Now remastered and rereleased You can read the essay below while listening to the Spotify playlist (it’s at the end) or listen to me reading the whole thing, with the listed tracks played at occasionally relevant points, on Mixcloud here. https://www.mixcloud.com/tom-morton2/scotlands-great-lost-album-new-celeste-and-a-1979-treasure-remastered/ New Celeste — Johnny An…

A matter of inflation… Four in the morning, and boat anxiety strikes. The wind has risen after a day calm enough for me to unpack and inflate my Ukrainian dinghy, henceforth known as The City of Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipro for short. She – let’s be traditionally distaff – was made in a factory there, presumably within…

Searching for the perfect backpack Listen to me reading the essay, complete with all the tracks, on Mixcloud here: https://www.mixcloud.com/tom-morton2/beatcroft-social-musical-essay-the-redemption-of-a-rucksack/ If you just want the Spotify playlist without speech, that’s at the end. Lloyd Cole — My Bag It was a bad idea to dump the Millican backpack, the one the company called, for whimsical…

Elvis Voe And His Fitful Head Available on Spotify here: At a party  in Partick She said it was time to  go  I asked her to come with me She said no Had the keys in my pocket I decided to drive Three sheets to the windscreen  Unwanted dead or alive That was when I…

Fear used to stalk me after sunset. Things change, though. And strike a light, spring is around the corner Listen to the entire ‘audio essay’, complete with the songs and me reading the text below, by clicking here https://www.mixcloud.com/tom-morton2/beatcrofting-in-the-darkbut-with-light-on-the-way/ The darkness comprehendeth it not… James King and the Lonewolves — My Queen Has Lost Her…

Two hours of Zetlandic (and Zetland-approved) music, plus a meditation: Here Come The Pacifist Vikings, by Elvis Voe and His Fitful Head And so, for another year…it begins! Up Helly Aa season has erupted via the Scalloway Fire Festival and of course the gigantic Lerwick affair, but there is so much more to go. Sunday…