The final Valley of the Cnuties

Another eighth and final episode of something today following yesterday's last episode of Pete and Bob. Today, it's the last episode of Valley of the Cnuties. It began last July with some little creatures setting off on a boat, heading for a new land and a new life. Since then we've seen dreams of a loved one, some house building, a reunion of loved ones, some babies born, kids rebelling against their parents' dancing ways by standing still. We've seen a kidnapping, we've seen an escape, and the problems trauma like that can create. Now, we've reached the end of our story. Will there be a happy ending? Click here to find out.

I've received a few emails asking what the songs used in the Cnuties series were, so here's a list.

Episode 1 featured a song called Pleasure Cruise by George Formby. He was big star in the UK from the thirties until his death in 1961. If you like this song, you'll like most of his other music cos it's similarly splendid.

The song in episode 2 is Dream by The Pied Pipers. I've not heard any of their other music, sadly, but this song is divine.

Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran is in episode 3. It still amazes me that he was only 21 years old when he died, and how many great songs he'd already written by that point. I mean, most artists would find it difficult to write four genuine classics in their lifetime, but that Eddie did that (with the aforementioned song, Somethin' Else, C'mon Everybody and Three Steps To Heaven) at such an early age amazes me. God only knows what he'd have been capable of had he lived longer.

Episode 4 features one of my favourite Beach Boys songs, We're Together Again. For some reason this song didn't make it onto their 1968 album Friends, and, I believe, only got officially released for the first time as an extra track on that album's CD re-issue in 1990. How that happened to one of their most beautiful songs I'll never know. It's also on the wonderful compilation Classics selected by Brian Wilson, which should be your first port of call should you want a Beach Boys compilation, cos, as the title suggests, it was selected by the great man himself and focuses on his more sumptuous work rather than the surfin' 'n' cars songs that most Beach Boys collections favour.

Episode 5 uses Die Roboter by Kraftwerk, episode 6 uses Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal, and episode 7 uses ...Baby One More Time by Britney Spears and Tourette's by Nirvana.

And the final episode that you've either just watched or are about to watch, uses a gorgeous song by Richard Hawley called You Don't Miss Your Water (Till Your River Runs Dry) from his 2003 album Lowedges. He seems to have finally begun to get the praise he deserves with his latest album Coles Corner, but I'm not sure it's as good as Lowedges or its predecessor Late Night Final.

So there you have it, Cnuties is over. It's always feels weird when I finish something like that or Pete and Bob, something that has been present in my life for such a long time. It's almost of feeling of numbness. I still expect some kind of joy or relief when I get to the end of something like this, but it never happens.

Anyway, that's it from me on the creative front for a few weeks. This last month or so has been the most productive time (FFF-wise) I can remember. New stuff a couple of times every week. So I'm off to relax for a bit, clear my head, watch some live baseball, look at some art, see some friends, go to the cinema, and - because I'm intruiged after seeing the fantastic Harold & Kumar film - I'm gonna try some White Castle burgers for myself. Yes, I'm off to the United States. New York, New York and Chapel Hill, North Carolina to be precise. I have virtually no plan of action for my time there, I'm the poetic leaf in the wind; so if there's anything you think I should see or do, let me know in the comments if you'd be so kind. Thank you.