Friday 10 April 2015

What we're listening to this week. Tom Waits Closing Time.




Sometimes an Album is worth it just for one tracks, this one is worth it for the them all - 'Ol 55', 'Hope that I don't fall in love with you', 'Rosie' and 'Martha' stand out.

Recorded in 1973, it's the debut Album that propelled Tom Waits having been playing Monday nights since 1970 at The Troubadour in LA whilst working as a club doorman (!) when he was spotted for Asylum Records. 

He'd be playing largely, Bob Dylan covers. He was 24.

It was recorded over 10 days and has since become legendary. Really beautiful record, it's reminiscent of whiskey and smoke filled rooms, piano led jazz like the cover art by Carl Shenkel.

And if you like this, you'll also like his 'Franks Wild Years' although everyone seems to have a copy of 'Swordfish Thrombones'. We did. Here you go - 


"Well I hope that I don't fall in love with you..."

Tuesday 7 April 2015

Look what Facebook have done with What's App. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.




Facebook was very criticised for its acquisition of 'What's App' by many, us included, at such a high price. 22 billion usd for a start up that was generating 10 million in revenue in 2014!!

It didn't seem to make sense. But does it now? Does it ever.

With 700 million monthly users sending 10 billion messages a day, that's impressive enough. What'sApp should have a billion monthly users by year end.

But hey presto, they're now about to launch the idea that makes complete sense of it all - voice calling.

Over Windows Phone and IOS it's already in testing over mobile (unlike say Skype or Viber). Now that is going to disrupt telcos despite that carriers may benefit from the revenue to provide data to What's App - it'll never have the voice call margins.

So this is now becoming a new type of voice carrier and moving quickly. It means it should have a huge customer take up.

Brilliant, brilliant idea to sell voice into the What's App customer base. Brilliant acquisition therefore by Facebook.

We never doubted it.