Neil Finn

Can it be true that when Paul McCartney was once asked what it felt like to be the world's greatest living songwriter, he replied "I'm not, Neil Finn is" or words to that effect? Fact or fiction, there is no denying that Neil is one of the very best songwriters of his generation. I have followed his career on and off since I first heard "I Got You" an early Split Enz recording from 1980 which received a lot of radio airplay in the UK and was an international hit.

Since then, there has been Crowded House, some solo albums, The Finn Brothers and now Crowded House again. Notwithstanding Neil's re-invention with a very dodgy moustache, the latest Crowded House album "Intriguer"contains some gems. There may be nothing to rival "Don't Dream It's Over" or "Weather With You" but there are not many of his contemporaries writing songs as strong as "Amsterdam" or "Falling Dove." For anyone in any doubt about Neil's enormous contribution to popular music, here are a few reminders. The first is the aforementioned classic "Don't Dream It's Over", followed by the lesser known "Won't Give In", an excellent inspirational song dealing with Neil's family problems which was recorded with his brother Tim.

Americano?

We must indeed be leading a sheltered life in Singapore. We have just spent a couple of weeks in Melbourne and surrounds enjoying the colder weather, a change in pace and a selection of nightlife. Within the space of of a few hundred yards, we enjoyed the full throttle rock bands of The Esplanade in St. Kilda and the ambience of a kitsch piano bar where we left the proprietor punching the air as his keyboard man performed The Four Seasons' December '63 (Oh What A Night). Elsewhere, on the car radio, on the TV and booming out of shop fronts was...We No Speak Americano.!

It was only when we got back to Singapore that I realized the "creators" of this very catchy tune are a couple of Aussies known as Yolando Be Cool. Now a worldwide No.1 including the U.K., I was wondering why it was so familiar. Of course, it is a heavily sampled version of an old 1950's Italian song by Renato Carosone. I first encountered this song in one of my favourite movies directed by the late Anthony Minghella, "The Talented Mr. Ripley" where Jude Law and Matt Damon performed "Tu Vuo' Fa L'Americano" in a memorable scene in an Italian jazz club. Whilst I am sure there are many Italian jazz purists unimpressed by this new version becoming a worldwide hit, I think there will also be lots of listeners feeling compelled to investigate the origins of the song and open up new horizons. Isn't it just great that an old Italian jazz song is now so familar all over the world thanks to a young Australian duo? Even if it does become irritating after a while....

Me vs Paul the Octopus

So..it has come to this. The World Cup Final is just hours away and here I am pitting my wits against an octopus. You may recall my suggestion in an earlier post of the possibility of Dutch success, based on nothing more than the following of a colour pattern. It's hardly clairvoyance but no more ridiculous than the idea that a two year old octopus could successfully predict results of important football matches....Except that it seems his track record is quite good; in fact, it is extraordinary.

Paul, who lives in a tank at a Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany is presented with two boxes containing food, each marked with the flag of a national football team in an upcoming match. Apparently, he chose the box with the flag of the winning team in several of Germany's six Euro 2008 matches, and in all seven of their matches in the 2010 World Cup including Germany's third place playoff win over Uruguay yesterday. He even predicted correctly that Germany would lose to Serbia in the qualifying round.

With a 100% success rate in the World Cup to date, Paul has now dipped into the box with the Spanish flag on it. I should be concerned but I'm sticking with the Dutch. Whatever happens, the World Cup will have a new name on it. The Spanish have never progressed further than the quarter finals and the Dutch, although reaching the final in 1974 and 1978, lost each time.

Which brings me to the real reason for this post. In those 1978 finals, apart from Argentina who defeated Holland 3-1 in the final, only one team managed to beat the Dutch. The decisive goal by Scotland's Archie Gemmill in a memorable 3-2 victory was one of the classic all time World Cup goals. Sadly, it was not quite enough to keep Scotland in the tournament. Archie can, however, be proud that it is the only known piece of World Cup action to form the backdrop to a sex scene in a major hit movie. You can see the goal below. In yet another You Tube video, Archie can be seen talking about his embarrassment the first time he saw that scene in "Trainspotting"!