Day: February 13, 2022

Was 2001 the best year for music?

  • 2001 was the best year for music, with releases including Daft Punk’s album ‘Discovery’, Bjork’s ‘Vespertine’ and Jay-Z’s ‘The Blueprint’
  • 1998 and 1999 were the second and third best years respectively
  • 2012, 2000 and 1971 also feature in the list

2001 was the best year for music, new research has revealed.

The study by Convertr.org analysed the top 250 albums on AlbumOfTheYear.org and found that 2001 produced the highest number of albums appearing in the top 250, according to the public.  

Ten top 250 entries were produced in 2001, including hits like Daft Punk’s second studio album ‘Discovery’, Jay-Z’s ‘The Blueprint’, Bjork’s ‘Vespertine’, The Strokes’ ‘Is This It’ and System of a Down’s ‘Toxicity’.

The albums released that year averaged out a score of 87.9 out of 100 on AlbumOfTheYear.org.

Daft Punk’s ‘Discovery’ is regarded as one of the most influential albums of all time, with the futuristic and fresh sounds still being enjoyed and even sampled to this day.

1998 was the second-best year for music according to the rankings, with nine top 250 titles produced.

Notable albums include Lauryn Hill’s debut entry ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’, Massive Attack’s ‘Mezzanine’ and Tori Amos’ ‘From The Choirgirl Hotel’ with all of the 1998 releases averaging a score of 87.2.

‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ was Lauryn Hill’s only studio album and debuted at number one in Billboard’s Top 200 in its release week, where it then went on to sell more than 20 million copies.

The third-best year for music was 1999, with eight titles featuring in the top 250.

These entries include Fiona Apple’s ‘When the Pawn…’, Mos Def’s ‘Black on Both Sides’, Pharoahe Monch’s ‘Internal Affairs’, and The Roots’ ‘Things Fall Apart’. Mos Def’s ‘Black on Both Sides’ was the American rapper’s debut album and featured the likes of Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and Talib Kweli. Five months after its release, the album was certified Gold after selling more than 500,000 copies.

The best year for music, by Convertr.org

RANKYEAR
12001
21998
31999
41997
52012
62000
71995
81994
91971
101969

2012 comes in fifth place in the list, with notable releases including Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D City’, Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel ORANGE’, Swans’ ‘The Seer’ and Beach House’s ‘Bloom’.

In sixth place is 2000, with albums such as Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’, Outkast’s ‘Stankonia’ and The Avalanches’ ‘Since I Left You’.

1971 sits in ninth place with releases including Led Zeppelin’s ‘Led Zeppelin IV’, David Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’ and Leonard Cohen’s ‘Songs of Love and Hate’. (Don’t forget Jethro Tull’s Aqualung – Ed!)

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson from Convertr.org said: “With the sound of music constantly evolving, it’s interesting to see how timeless many albums are, with listeners today still enjoying tracks from decades past.

“From this list, hip-hop seems to be a standout genre, with many hip-hop albums featuring in the top 250. While this data shows the early 2000s and late 90s was a great time for music lovers, the quality of the 60s and 70s should not be doubted in the modern-day either.”

Convertr.org offers free online file conversion for audio, video and image files, with many formats supported.

It’s got to be an age thing – after much deliberation 1970 comes out is tops for me (Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, Led Zeppelin III, Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water … I could go on and on and on …! – Ed.

GRUBS UP at Morrisons!

Feed the family for a tenner this Half Term

– Includes two adult meals, two kids’ meals and four drinks – 

– Offers customers up to £13 in savings –

– Deal running now and all through February half term –

Morrisons has launched a ‘Feed the Family’ offer for just £10 in its cafés nationwide.

It includes two adult mains, two kids’ mains and four drinks and means savvy parents can save up to £13 compared to the usual cost of the meals. 

The deal is available now and will be running throughout February half term to help families stretch their budgets and dine out together. 

Adults can choose from a range of café favourites including hand-battered fish and chips, lasagne, jacket potatoes and burgers as well as drinks such as soft drinks or coffee. For the kids, the offer includes smaller portions of chicken nuggets or macaroni cheese along with drinks such as Tropicana or milk. Children will also receive a piece of fruit and a snack alongside their main meals. 

Loved-up couples can also get a Valentine’s biscuit and coffee deal for £2.50 in the cafés and our new BREW coffee bars. 

Ali Lyons, Head of Cafés at Morrisons, says: “This great offer comes at a time when our customers really need it. For the price of one main at a high-street restaurant, you can feed your whole family of four. 

“We’re also running it throughout the February half term to help families stretch their budgets.”

Morrisons Feed the Family offer is available in all our 406 cafés nationwide until Sunday 27th February and the offer will be automatically applied on paying.

For more information visit: https://my.morrisons.com/blog/food/new-cafe-menu/ 

Valentine’s Hair Inspiration

Mark McCarthy, owner of local salon MARKDAVID, on Valentine’s date night hairstyles and how to create them at home:

HOLLYWOOD WAVES – for romantic dinners out what better hairstyle than big, voluminous, Hollywood waves.

This is a fantastic and very popular hair choice for those who want to make an effort on their date nights, where they can come into the salon to receive a bouncy blow-dry or pin curls to help achieve the look.

I always like creating this look with pin curls to achieve curls with maximum bounce and volume. I also love pairing this style with a deep side parting, which as well as adding further volume and height to the style, also adds to the glamour of the look.

Before blow-drying and then styling with curling tong and pinning into place, I always mist some volumising spray to give the hair added volume and lift and finish with a hairspray to give the curls hold and a light shine.


CRIMPS – crimped hair and loose waves have made a major comeback for 2022 and for Valentine’s this is a great way to style your hair and experiment with a look out with the ordinary hair ups and curls.

Hair crimping instantly gives the hair drama and volume and is the perfect look if you want to make a lasting impression! If your hair is naturally straight, this is a great way to add texture and to update your hairstyle for date night.

Always use a heat defence spray prior to crimping your hair and once complete, finish by spritizing some texture spray through the finished look for further texture and hold for a more edgy look.

If you prefer a polished appearance, a shine spray, which will give your waves softness and a beautiful shine. If you don’t have crimpers on hand, sleep overnight with braids to create a similar look!


LOW SLEEK BUN – If you prefer a hair up, a topknot or low sleek bun are perfect choices for Valentine’s and look incredibly elegant and chic.

Decide on your bun style and ensure to use a hair serum such to sleek your hair off of the face and get rid of any frizz and flyaways before creating the bun. I love teaming a low with a bun to give the look added drama.

Firstly create your ponytail at the name of the neck and then create your braid (take your serum again and distribute a small amount through your mid lengths and ends before creating your braid for manageability and shine).

Once the braid is complete, gently pull at some sections of the braid to give it volume and then wrap it around the base of your ponytail to create your bun.

Can You Dig It? Lemmings 30th Anniversary documentary streaming from tomorrow

A new documentary that shines a light on the iconic video game Lemmings will premiere for free on YouTube tomorrow (Monday, February 14th) at 12pm and subsequently be available for free on-demand, following on from its gala screening at Dundee Contemporary Arts theatre in December.

WATCH THE FULL FILM: https://youtu.be/RbAVNKdk9gA 

Lemmings, which celebrated it’s 30th birthday in 2021, is part of the Britsoft establishment. Originally developed by DMA Design in Dundee (which went on to create the Grand Theft Auto franchise), it was first published for the Commodore Amiga by Liverpool-based Psygnosis on February 14th 1991 and has made its way to many other platforms since, including Sony’s PlayStation and, most recently, mobile.

The documentary, Lemmings: Can You Dig It?, was filmed remotely during the pandemic and celebrates this icon of Scottish and UK games culture by speaking to the people behind its original success, while investigating its legacy in gameplay and taking a look at how it inspired some of the world’s biggest games franchises ever since.

Among the DMA team members, games industry execs, media and superfans featured in the documentary are:- Adrian Powell (original Lemmings cover artist), Alyson Conway (sculpture artist), Brian ‘Biscuit’ Watson, (ex-DMA), Chris Scullion (journalist), Chris van der Kuyl (Chroma Ventures & Kingsway Club alumni), Eli Mouawad (streamer), Enrique Hervas (Exient), Gary Penn (ex-DMA & journalist, now Denki), Gary Timmons (ex-DMA), Gary Whitta (screen writer & journalist), Ian Hetherington (ex-Psygnosis), Jake Montanarini (Norwich University of the Arts), James Roadley-Battin (Exient), Kish Hirani (BAME In Games, ex-PlayStation), Larry Bundy Jr (TV presenter, YouTuber), Mike Dailly (ex-DMA), Nia Wearn (Deep Silver), Nick Gorse (Coventry University), Paul Farley (ex-DMA), Peter Molyneux (games industry legend, 22 Cans), Robin Gray (Gayming Magazine), Russell Kay (ex-DMA), Ryan Locke (Abertay University), Silvio Micalef (Exient), Steve Hammond (ex-DMA), Tim Wright (ex-DMA), Trista Bytes (superfan, YouTuber) and more.

The film was commissioned by Lemmings publisher Exient and is directed by leading video game film producer Richard Wilcox of That Video Company.

WATCH THE FULL FILM: https://youtu.be/RbAVNKdk9gA 

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be making Lemmings: Can You Dig It? available on general release,” said Jamie Wotton, Creative Marketing Manager at Exient.

“It has been an absolute joy to watch the Lemmings story unfold through hundreds of hours of interview footage with the original DMA Design development team, video game industry execs and fans.

“The film celebrates everything that made the original game so special, including the city of Dundee in which it was made. And it celebrates the important place these little critters still have in popular culture.” 

Exient is an independent publisher of games on mobile devices based in the UK and Malta, committed to bringing world renowned IP to the free-to-play mobile space. Our unique, self-funded approach makes us both a great place to work and a great company to partner with.

For more information, visit https://www.exient.com

Healthy Tip – Love your heart this Valentine’s

Valentine’s Day is almost here! If you’re thinking of going for the easy option with a trip to the pub this February 14th, the love of your life may be a little downhearted.

Make a promise to think about your heart this Valentine’s Day with just a few healthier choices that can also be romantic too. Here are a few tips from us:

Massage

  • A relaxing spa day or couples massage is always a romantic option for Valentine’s Day. Massage has shown to improve blood flow and has shown promise as an adjunctive treatment for prehypertension and hypertension. Not to mention massage has shown to reduce stress levels and improve quality of life.

A Cheeky Dance

  • Dancing with someone special on your arm is sure to get your heart pumping, whether it’s a disco down at your local club or a spontaneous TikTok in the living room. A good boogie lifts your mood, makes you smile and gets the cheeks flushed. So, dim down the lights, set the tone and get your groove on.

Weekend Away

  • February is officially the last of the winter months so get out there and make the most of the fresh crisp air. Many parts of the UK have a frosty dusting on the rolling hills of the beautiful British countryside. Strap up your hiking boots, grab your partner’s hand and take your hearts to new heights.

Serve Oysters

  • Oysters have a historical reputation for being eaten in romantic situations. Though scientific evidence cannot prove eating them will improve your sex drive, it is known that oysters contain all 9 essential amino acids; they’re rich in protein, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.

The love of your life might be priceless to you, but remember your heart is priceless too.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/

Beware romance fraud this Valentine’s

POLICE are urging you to look out for friends and family this Valentine’s Day to help them stay safe from romance fraud.

Criminals go to great lengths to use fake profiles in an attempt to build seemingly genuine relationships, before appealing to your compassionate side to ask for money.

Your friend or family member may be involved in a romance scam if they express very strong emotions and commitment to someone they have only just met.

Another sign may be if they have sent, or are planning to send, money to someone they have not met face-to-face.

If you think someone you know has fallen for a romance scam they should contact their bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud.

Prime Minister: “Levelling Up is our mission and we’re getting on with the job of delivering it”

Johnson attempts to deflect attention from the Downing Street parties scandal – and he’s heading to Edinburgh

Next week the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, will get out of Westminster to see how the government is delivering on the people’s priorities across the country.

Taking the message directly to people on the ground, he will emphasise that under his new No10 operation there will be a laser-focus on levelling up, clearing the covid backlogs and improving living standards across the UK.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I’m getting out of London this week and taking a simple message with me – this government is getting on with the job of uniting and levelling up the country.

“Access to good healthcare, a good education, skilled work, reliable transport – none of this should depend on where you live. We’re changing the rules of the game to put fairness back at the heart of the system and focusing on the priorities that really matter to people. This is our mission and we’re getting on with delivering it.”

Starting the week in Scotland, he will visit a manufacturing site to meet with some of their 800 highly skilled workers and discuss how they’re using advanced technology to revolutionise their manufacturing processes.

He will also see some of the projects contributing to the UK’s world leading research and development sector, which were funded under the UK and Scottish Government’s 2018 Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Deal.

As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, the government committed to increase domestic public investment in R&D by at least 40% outside of the Greater South East.

Recognising the importance of supporting young people into the workplace and delivering his vision of a high skill, high wage, high productivity economy, the Prime Minister will also use the trip to meet with apprentices who are developing a range of skills from Cyber to mechanical and electrical engineering.

Following the publication of the electives recovery plan earlier this week, the Prime Minister will travel to the North West (of England – Ed.) to see how an oncology centre is tackling the covid backlogs by using technology and developing new ways of working.

The recovery plan sets out how the NHS will address unprecedented waiting lists caused by the pandemic, while redesigning how services are delivered to improve care for the long term. It includes more community diagnostic centres, surgical hubs and ways to give patients greater control over their own health and care, rapidly increasing capacity while reducing wait times.

Regular paracetamol use ‘linked to raised blood pressure’

Long-term paracetamol use could increase the risk of heart disease and strokes in people with high blood pressure, a study suggests.

Patients who have a long-term prescription for the painkiller, usually used for the treatment of chronic pain, should opt for the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time, researchers say.

The University of Edinburgh study, published in the scientific journal Circulation, is the first large randomised clinical trial to address this question and complements earlier work in observational studies.

Paracetamol was often suggested as a safer alternative to another class of painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are known to increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

Professor David Webb, Principal Investigator and Chair of Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We would recommend that clinicians start with a low dose of paracetamol, and increase the dose in stages, going no higher than needed to control pain.

“Given the substantial rises in blood pressure seen in some of our patients, there may be a benefit for clinicians to keep a closer eye on blood pressure in people with high blood pressure who newly start paracetamol for chronic pain.”

In the latest study, 110 patients with a history of high blood pressure were prescribed one gram of paracetamol four times a day – a routinely prescribed dose in patients with chronic pain – or a matched placebo for two weeks. All patients received both treatments, with the order randomised and blinded.

Those prescribed paracetamol saw a significant increase in their blood pressure, compared with those taking the placebo.

This rise was similar to that seen with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , and might be expected to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke by around 20 per cent, experts say.

The research team says the findings should lead to a review of long-term paracetamol prescriptions to patients – particularly those with high blood pressure, or those at particular risk of heart disease or stroke.

Professor James Dear, Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This study clearly shows that paracetamol – the world’s most used drug – increases blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.

“Doctors and patients together should consider the risks versus the benefits of long-term paracetamol prescription, especially in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Dr Iain MacIntyre, Lead Investigator and Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology and Nephrology at NHS Lothian, added: “This is not about short-term use of paracetamol for headaches or fever, which is, of course, fine – but it does indicate a newly discovered risk for people who take it regularly over the longer term, usually for chronic pain.”