Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song

Posts Tagged The Ghost

Archive

May 2, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Nightwatchman Clicks His Flashlight: On Jon McLeary’s Double Century of Ghost Posts

Well, he’s a cricket fan, so he’ll enjoy the mention of a “double century” – but one thing I learned a while back is that you have to pick your moments and celebrate your own milestones in this writing-online caper. You have to turn up. And turn up. And turn up again. And if you […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Art, Band, Blog, Bob Dylan, Bruno Lawrence, Chris Knox, Cricket, Family, Films, Ghost, Ghost posts, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Heart, Jon Mcleary, Manslaughter, Movies, Music, Novel, On Jon McLeary’s Double Century of Ghost Posts, Painting, Peter McLeavey, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Nightwatchman Clicks His Flashlight, The Nightwatchman Clicks His Flashlight: On Jon McLeary’s Double Century of Ghost Posts, The Spines, War Stories, Wellington, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

May 1, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 205 Stop the World

I think it took me over ten years to write this song. I know I started on the verses in 1980 after the demise of Negative Theatre. I’d read an interview with Steely Dan where they talked about mu major chords and I played the A, E, A, D, C#m, D, A, E, A pattern […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged #205, A Snakelike Life, Art, Castaneda, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Holloway Rd, Holloway Road, Jon Mcleary, Music, Negative Theatre, Painting, Song, Songwriting, Spines, Steely Dan, Stop The World, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 205 Stop the World, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 205, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

April 16, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 203 Visions of JoHannah

“But Mona Lisa must have had the highway blues You can tell by the way she smiles” Bob Dylan I’ve said it before – It’s hard to talk about the act of painting without appearing pretentious
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 203, Art, Bob Dylan, Face, Facebook, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Hannah, Hannah Fraser, JoHannah, Jon Mcleary, Music, Oil, Painting, Paintings, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 203 Visions of JoHannah, The Spines, Visions of JoHannah, War Stories, War Stories # 203, War Stories by Jon McLeary, War Stories by Jon McLeary # 203, Wgtn, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

April 11, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 202 The Spicks and the Specks

They weren’t actually steel caps but they looked like they were Originally they were tramping boots I got at an op shop I wore them for the two years I was working with urethanes and fiberglass on the Hobbit So they were covered with different coloured substances, dripped over a long period At the end […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Art, Feet, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jon Mcleary, Music, Painting, Shoes, Socks, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 202 The Spicks and the Specks, The Hobbit, The Spicks and the Specks, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 202, War Stories by Jon McLeary, War Stories by Jon McLeary # 202, Wellington, Wgtn, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

April 3, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 201 Tora Tora Tora 2018

The big highlights were all musical ones for me this year. We played first up in the late afternoon sun. Tim and I had travelled over together, talking old times and catching up. We have all this history. He had been the drummer that replaced Caroline in the earliest days of the band and then […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 201, 2018), Art, Easter, ep.201, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Music, Painting, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 10 Halo, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 20 Idiot Sun/Flying Nun, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 201, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 201 Tora Tora Tora 2018, The Spines, Tim, Tora, Tora Tora, Tora Tora Tora, Tora Tora Tora 2018, War Stories, War Stories # 201, Wellington, Wgtn, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

March 27, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 200 The Last Cigarette In The World

I watch another boat in the harbour sail out Sitting on my own in the bay By the time you get to China on that slow ship I’ll have bitten all my nails and crumbled into the carpet   You had no clear idea of what you’re looking for You only knew you couldn’t stay […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 200, Cigarettes, Death, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Ghost Story, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Hawker St, Jon Mcleary, Lyric, Music, Oriental Bay, Rock'n'Roll Suicide, Smoke, Smoking, Song, Songwriting, Spines, Suicide, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLearThe Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLearyThe Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 200, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 200 The Last Cigarette In The World, The Last Cigarette In The World, Two Hundred, War Stories, War Stories # 200, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Weekly Column, Wellington, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron, Ziggy Stardust ·

Archive

January 15, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 194 Lucy in the Sky

“It’s very strong and there are two of them on there. I’d only take it in quarters if I were you but you will have a good Easter” He looked down to the tiny rectangle of paper in his hand then put it away carefully. Ron was going to a three-day festival and he hadn’t […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Art, Drugs, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jon Mcleary, Lucy In The Sky, Music, Painting, Poem, Prose Poem, Ron, Short Story, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity # 194, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 194, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 194 Lucy in the Sky, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 194, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Wgtn, Writing ·

Archive

January 1, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 193 Sixty/Thirty

I was thinking back to myself and what I was like at a certain stage in my life – as you do. Wondering – would I even like that person I was then or would he be able to see himself in me. Take when I was thirty… 1988 A young dad – his kids […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged (1934-2015), 1988, 30, 60, Art, Arts, Family, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Jon Mcleary, Magazine, Music, Painting, Sixty, Sixty/Thirty, Spines, The Brain, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 193, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 193 Sixty/Thirty, The Spines, Thirty, War Stories, War Stories # 193, Wellington, Wgtn, Writing ·

Archive

December 4, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 189 Holloway Road

We rented it for a start – a small house on Holloway Road and a piece of history. Old George, who lived a few houses down and whose father had famously lived well past a hundred, told me that Winston McCarthy had grown up in our house and it had also been a shop at […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged #189, Angus, Aro Valley, Art, Cricket, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Holloway Rd, Holloway Road, Home, House, Jon, Jon Mcleary, McLeary, Michelle, Music, Painting, Spines, Te Aro, The Brain, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 189, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 189 Holloway Road, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 189, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Wigan Street, Writing ·

Archive

November 27, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 188 Go To New York

Whatever I write Won’t necessarily make any sense I wouldn’t lie to you And I didn’t make it last week For whatever reason No one really noticed and I couldn’t explain There wasn’t anyone else there to blame Since then we travelled south and back And had our little adventures I found myself playing the […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged # 188, Art, Canterbury, Christchurch, Epidural, Ghost Stories, Gig, Go To New York, Guest Post, Hannah, Health, Island, Jon, Jon Mcleary, Les, Lyttelton, Malky, Music, Painting, Phantom Billstickers, SI, South, South Island, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 188, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 188 Go To New York, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Wgtn, Writing, Wunderbar ·

Archive

November 13, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 187 The Things That Stay (Bloodmonster Part Two)

I think like most songwriters – I have my favourites amongst my own songs. In my case they are the ones I feel will still be around after my band and I have shuffled off. They tend to be the songs that other people take to their hearts – almost like I’m out of the […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Bloodmonster, Bloodmonster Part Two, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Hannah, Hannah Fraser, Jon, Jon Mcleary, Les, Les Knight, Malky, Riki Gooch, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 187, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 187 The Things That Stay, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 187 The Things That Stay (Bloodmonster Part Two), The Spines, The Things That Stay, War Stories, War Stories # 176, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Wgtn ·

Archive

October 30, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 185 It Hurts to Laugh and Hurts to Cry Three

Pick up the crazy pen and walk – isn’t that what they teach you at hospital school? I’ve used it as an excuse a few times before now Why dont you write me? There was the blood episode. I was allowed some thin gruel to drink and I was leaning over supping it.
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Blood, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Hospital, It Hurts To Laugh and Hurts To Cry, It Hurts To Laugh and Hurts To Cry Three, Jon Mcleary, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 185, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 185 It Hurts to Laugh and Hurts to Cry Three, War Stories, War Stories # 185, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Wgtn ·
← Older posts

Popular

  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • Going Back To Lou Reed: Time To Revisit His Strange, Wonderful, Weird Catalogue
  • Revisiting Live at Knebworth (1990)
  • The Beast: Revisiting John Bonham’s Glory
  • Try Three: # 1 – Roots, Reggae, Soul
  • Neil Peart Was The World’s Most Overrated Drummer
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 11 – Lindsey Buckingham
  • What A Good Score! – #17: Dead Man Walking by Various Artists

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Blog Book Book Review Chat Compilation DJ Drums DVD DVD Review EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Poetry Record Records Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2022 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press