Colin’s Godson – Match.com

Half Man Half Biscuit once had an idea that they would listen to lots of Abba and then write an album that would be produced by Luke Haines.

Everyone agreed that it was a genuinely superb idea and they approached Luke who immediately agreed to get involved.

Some people thought it was a joke, but everyone that was participating in the sessions swore blind that it wasn’t.

They were serious.

They were very serious.

A month went by, and then another, followed by yet another and before they knew it a whole year had slipped by, but that was okay because as they all emerged blinking from the darkness of the studio where they had been ensconced for so long they had with them a master tape that was filled with songs that they felt captured something that they considered no one had ever done before.

For a couple of days they sat on it while they all discussed what they should do with the songs.

Should they release it themselves?

If they did then it would have to be a limited run as financially that was all they could afford.

Or to reach the audience it deserved they could look to the major labels and see if any of them wanted to put their weight behind it.

The arguments for one or the other raged late into the night and then they came to the conclusion that the material was so strong that the more people that would hear it the better and ultimately concluded that the latter was the best option.

So to this end they hired a venue and invited all the major labels to attend for a listening party.

On the day they sat and watched the reactions of the fat cats as they puffed on cigars and listened to the mastered album from start to finish.

This singular piece of genius, this wholly original work of artistic expression blasted out and begged for something to be said.

Slowly one man stood up and turned towards the band.

They all looked at him as he ran his eyes around the room, licked his lips and then said ‘Is this Colin’s Godson? Sounds like them.’

All the fat cats nodded.

An awkward silence filled the room until it was broken when Luke Haines said ‘Who the fuck are Colin’s Godson?’ 

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Luke Haines - 9 1/2 Psychedelic Meditations on British Wrestling of the 1970s & early '80s

For people of a certain age* Saturday afternoon wrestling has nothing to do with the steroid heavy star spangled million dollar franchise that the world now considers to be the norm.
Instead wrestling is the key to the past. It's the ticket for the nostalgia train.
A single mention of Kendo Nagasaki, Big Daddy or Giant Haystacks is all that it takes for the rose tinted memories to come flooding back.
Saturday afternoons spent watching men - who wouldn't look out of place in your local pub - dramatically, and comically, throwing each other about dressed in what appeared to be swimming trunks was what it was all about.
Come Monday morning at school and the bouts of the weekend would be the talk of the playground.
Mick McManus was the anti hero who we loved to boo and hiss at. Oh what we would do to him given five minutes in an alley.
Catweazle was a bit of a joke, but we secretly loved him to, and what the hell was Gorgeous George all about?
Now in 2011 we have Luke Haines magically providing a concept album geared around those times, and when I slip it on it's like wrapping myself in childhood memories.
Every wrestler of note is lovingly woven into the story, and every single nuanced moment of this album appears to be designed to ease you into a time and place that no longer exists.
Through music time travel is indeed possible.
Forget the nostalgic compilations that proliferate supermarket shelves. Here is the real key to recapturing the past, and very cleverly it's also an album that's equally at home in the present to.
In writing this Luke Haines has created yet another work of genius and it's about time that the critical acclaim he garners is translated to public acclaim.
I would urge everyone to buy this and wallow in its working class grace.
Now where's my swimming trunks and dressing gown as I think I'm going to have to listen to it again.
* My age.