Classic Albums: Hats by The Blue Nile

An unavoidable hiatus since we looked at the late, great Harry Nilsson. Sorry about that, I've been rather busy! Today we go back to the mid-1980s...

In May 1984, The Blue Nile released their First album, A Walk Across The Rooftops.
It was originally created as a commission for top-end hi-fi firm Linn. They wanted a demonstration record containing a good range of dynamics and with clear and shimmering production. The band produced an L.P. which was so good that Linn formed a record label and paid for the album to be released. Rooftops was not a big seller, but was very well reviewed and quickly gained fans of the stature of Peter Gabriel, Rickie-Lee Jones and Annie Lennox. Today it stands up as a classic album in its own right.

I was unaware of this album until Hats was released in 1989. This, their second album was a fair seller, though not a hit by any means, but it got even better reviews than the debut. As soon as I read the five-star reviews of Hats, I bought it, and the earlier work. I've never regretted that decision.

All the songs on this album need to be experienced on a good pair of headphones to really appreciate them.

A Walk Across the Rooftops

The opening track fades in slowly from nowhere with ethereal drones and synthesized machine noises. Drums, stabbing strings and a throbbing bass riff introduce a delightful song. From the point-of-view of a love-struck man prowling around a city's roofs in the middle of the night. Just before dawn is the feeling that you get from the track. Soon the world will wake up to the new day.

Tinseltown in the Rain

A scratchy, funky bass and guitar rhythm backed with a distant piano introduce a pacy song which the writer's tribute to (I'm guessing here) nights spent out with friends and lovers in Glasgow. Whooping synthesized horn sounds punctuate the story and lush strings erupt at the choruses. The scratchy guitar breaks out into a frenetic rhythm solo in the middle-eight. When singing "do I love you? Yes, I love you", Paul Buchanan's voice erupts with passion and joy.

From Rags to Riches

A percussive opening; like a gamelan orchestra. Soon deep bass and soothing synth pads take their place among a complex weaving arrangement which includes simple, reverb-laden drums. The song seems to describe the journey of a young man leaving home for the first time to make his way in the world, wondering whether his life will be a success. The breathless sounds and urgent parping horns seem to say that life will present challenges but that the journey is worthwhile.

Stay

One of my favourite Blue Nile songs. A sequenced synthesizer riff over metronomic drums drives the song quickly onward, but what could seem mechanical is undercut by beautiful piano and guitar work bringing a humanity to the piece. As with most Blue Nile songs you hear more layers to the production each time you listen.

Easter Parade

Taking its title from the old film, this is a gorgeous, elegaic song featuring mainly piano, but with occasional, subtle stabs of punctuating synth sounds. Beats me what the lyrics are about. The final verse ("In hallways and railway stations. Radio across the morning air. A crowd of people everywhere") gives me the impression that this is about a big news event. The death of Kennedy or John Lennon? But neither of those were at Easter. Well, it's a mystery to me, but a fantastically, beautiful song nonetheless. The Blue Nile revisited this song in a track on their 1990 single Headlights on the Parade. That new version of Easter Parade featured Rickie Lee Jones singing alongside Paul Buchanan. It's even better than this version!

Heatwave

More synthesized mechanical noises here, though at times they sound like the sounds of the countryside: shepherds whistle, woodsmen cut wood, farm machinery. More gamelan-type percussion undercuts a serene, laid-back evocation of a summer scene. A simple acoustic guitar figure picks out a counter-melody during the chorus. Again, this is deceptively simple, but packed-full of details all the way through (for the first time in 20 years I've just picked out a harp panning its way through the track!).

Automobile Noise

A big bass drum introduces this track. But the percussion soon becomes complex. Various metallic noises (one suspects from car parts) punctuate the whole of this track, along with barely discernible tyre sounds, rain and thunderstorms, providing the backing for the chiming music and lyrics which talk of the constant movement of traffic. The noise calms towards the end of the track though and you get the impression of the traffic lessening, perhaps as night draws on, bringing us full circle back to the start of the album.

All songs written by Paul Buchanan.

Robert Bell - Bass, Synthesizer.
Paul Buchanan - Vocals, Guitar, Synthesizer.
Paul Joseph Moore - Keyboards, Synthesizer.
Calum Malcolm - Keyboards, Vocals.
Nigel Thomas - Drums.

Produced by The Blue Nile.
Engineer: Calum Malcolm.

Recorded at Castlesound Studio, East Lothian, 1982-1984.

Classic Albums: Nilsson Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson

The second album really is a true classic. It wasn't a huge seller and was only really known in the UK for Nilsson's one big hit, but it's a record that I grew up with and sounds as fresh to me today as it was when it was put down 36 years ago. It's Nilsson Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson:

When I was a nipper this was one of Mum's favourite albums so I heard it a lot without really appreciating it. Then when I hit my teenage years, when you'd think I'd be rejecting the sort of music that my parents liked, I rediscovered this album and came to wear it out with repeated plays.

For me Harry Nilsson has one of the most perfect male singing voices. There's a purity and power there which are reminiscent of Karen Carpenter - another artist who has never been fashionable, but deserves huge credit for the sheer quality of her voice.

The track-list below is from the original album. The modern CD edition has some excellent extra tracks, mostly demo versions which show how the songs came to be. Great to hear, but they're not part of the classic album.

Gotta Get Up (Nilsson)

A staccato piano leads into a rollicking song complete with horns and accordion. Harry sings a simple song about being late for a meeting because of a night spent on the tiles. Probably not an uncommon occurrence in his life - he spent most of his time partying with John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and the other rock and roll tearaways of the 1970s.

Driving Along (Nilsson)

This one does show its age a bit. A flower-power driving song.

Early In The Morning (Hickman/Jordan/Bartley)

A superb blues. Just Harry's fantastic voice which he accompanies with a deceptively simple blues riff on an organ.

The Moonbeam Song (Nilsson)

Sleepy song with multi-layered Nilsson backing vocals. Simply gorgeous. And a lovely bass part played by the bass-player's bass-player, Herbie Flowers.

Down (Nilsson)

Here Harry backs himself on piano on a rocking number which slowly gathers pace to finish side one (of the vinyl album!) with a blast of Memphis horns and early Chris Spedding guitar.

Without You (Ham/Evans)

Harry's biggest hit, written by the Badfinger songwriting team and covered by all and sundry, but no-one else has ever done it justice. Hugely moving, it's the ultimate break-up song. Probably considered schmaltzy nowadays, but just listen to those harmonies. Despite being his best-known song, it's probably not the best showcase for his voice as he does seem to be straining at the emotional climax.

Coconut (Nilsson)

A one-chord (C7, I think), calypso-style novelty song which is nevertheless catchy and unforgettable. You'll hear this in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and it was covered by the Muppets. On Harry's BBC TV special in the early 1970s he (and his musicians) performed this dressed as gorillas...

Let The Good Times Roll (Lee)

The piano intro recalls Down from earlier on, but this is a barrel-house singalong. Again, the Nilsson BBC show is worth seeing for the version of this song, performed by multiple clones of Harry and featuring a segue from Cathy's Clown and Walk Right Back. Brilliant! Fantastic! The man was a genius.

Jump Into The Fire (Nilsson)

Kicking off with funky Herbie Flowers bass riff and with guitar backing from John Uribe, Chris Spedding and Beatles alumnus Klaus Voorman, this is a psychedelic wig-out which just begs to be turned up to 11, especially during the Jim Gordon drum solo. Sounds like it should be the last track on the album, but no, that's left for...

I'll Never Leave You (Nilsson)

The most beautiful, yet complex song in the collection. A gorgeous song about Harry missing his lover, this is the showcase for his voice which Without You misses out on. Undercut by strings which are, in turn, shimmering and threatening and with a bizarre key change around 3 minutes which shouldn't work, but somehow does.

And that's the end. Now it's time to flip the record back over and star again from the beginning...

Produced by Richard Perry
Recorded at Trident Studios, London. June 1971.

Classic Albums: High Land, Hard Rain by Aztec Camera

A new, bi-weekly series in which I take a look at my favourite albums from my collection. To start with, one of my early favourites:

High Land, Hard Rain by Aztec Camera (1983)

I can remember the exact circumstances of buying the original vinyl LP as if it were yesterday, rather than 24 years ago. I'd heard Oblivious on the radio and fallen in love with it, so one lunchtime I wandered up Egham High Street, away from Strodes College (where I was studying for my 'A' levels) and went into Woolworths looking for the single. I didn't find it, but I did manage to come away with the album.

Aztec Camera: what a gloriously silly name, in that innocently pretentious way that the post-punk bands of the era had. But the music was anything but pretentious. It was glorious, jangly, full of life and optimism: even the sad songs. The guy who wrote these must have lived long and hard. But in fact Roddy Frame was just 19 when this was released and some of his songs were written a couple of years previously.

At the time I didn't read the music press, so I had no knowledge of Orange Juice or Joseph K or any of those other bands from the vibrant Scottish scene of the time. To be honest, I still haven't! And I'm sure if I had heard of them, I'd have felt some sort of obligation to prefer the more political bands, but it was Roddy's simple songs about love, loss, hope and happiness which touched something in me which hasn't let go in all this time.

It only hit me recently while listening to all the tracks properly, for the first time in about 10 years, that High Land, Hard Rain could be a concept album; it seems to me that the songs chart a single relationship over a period of months. Maybe I'm wrong, but let's have a listen to the tracks and see what we make of them.

Oblivious

This is the "she doesn't know I exist" song. I'm sure you've all been there - I know I have. A light, summery pop song about unrequited love. Some lovely female backing vocals and a cracking acoustic guitar solo. How does a 17 year old write something so fabulous?

The Boy Wonders

The couple finally meet and a gift is enough to win the heart of the girl. A tingly guitar riff over soft apache drums leads into a simple 2-chord verse that springs into life at the chorus. An introduction here to some of Frame's great lyrics: "We threw our hands up high, we nearly touched the sky. We clicked our heels and spat and swore we'd never let it die".

Walk Out To Winter

A great jazzy song about a maturing relationship. The young affair has lasted the summer and now they know it's serious. This song was the biggest hit from the album and deservedly so, though this is one of the songs on which the production sounds like it may have dated, especially on the electronic drum sounds. But it's saved by another great guitar solo.

The Bugle Sounds Again

My favourite song on the album and probably a contender for one of my favourite songs ever. I haven't got the faintest idea what it's about, but it's got one of the cleverest lyrics you will hear. Somehow it expresses something about an unbreakable relationship and it's achingly beautiful for that. Again, an old-fashioned fetless bass sound nearly lets it down, but I could forgive this song anything.

We Could Send Letters

My second favourite song on the album. Again, that somewhat naff-sounding fetless bass, which hasn't aged well, but it's another arrangement which saves the song. A slow guitar-based start and a melancholy atmosphere. The song's about a relationship which seems to be on the verge of collapsing due to an enforced separation, but it builds into a triumphant climax and a feeling of hope that the relationship can be saved.

Pillar To Post

An up-tempo happy-sounding pop number which belies the lyric, which seems to be telling of the imminent break-up of the relationship. A triumph of hope over reality.

Release

Starting off as a slow ballad and picks up pace as it goes along. The 2nd verse becomes jazzy; rhythm guitar and bass-driven before a Hammond organ drives it relentlessly to a frenetic finish. A song that tells of how he has had to let the love of his life go.

Lost Outside The Tunnel

A song about loneliness. An atmospheric mourning for what has been and what could have been. A song that everyone can relate to. Awash with reverb and a spooky synth sound in the background. This is a late-night bedsit sort of song.

Back On Board

A beautiful song, led by a clean electric guitar and Hammond organ. The boy and his girl are back together. Words said have been forgiven. And in the Scottish winter there is a clean start to the relationship and a determination to make things work this time around. The final chorus with the soulful female backing vocals is definitely a highlight of this album.

Down The Dip

This is where the original album finishes. The CD release includes 3 extra tracks, from the Oblivious EP, but Down The Dip is the pefect ending to this record. So I'm going to stop here. A short song, just Roddy and his acoustic guitar looking forward to whatever it is that will happen from this point on. Riding the rollercoaster of relationships, not knowing what is around the corner, but hanging on and enoying the ride.


And that's it. Of all the albums I own (which is more than a few!) I think this is one that is irreplaceable to me. Thanks, Roddy, for the years of enjoyment.


All songs written and arranged by Roddy Frame.
Vocals, guitar, harmonica - Roddy Frame.
Bass - Campbell Owens.
Organ, piano - Bernie Clarke.
Dums, percussion - Dave Ruffy.
Produced by John Brand and Bernie Clarke.
Engineered by John Brand.