I've loved the Penguin Café Orchestra since I 'discovered' their 2nd album on CD in about 1987 or '88. Poor Simon Jeffes, founder and leader of the PCO, died 12 years ago this month, at the ridiculously young age of 48.
I just missed a 'reunion' concert at the South Bank a couple of days ago. Damn!
So, in lieu of that, I've dug up some of their bits on YouTube. Mostly from a BBC show they recorded in 1989.
If you've never heard of them, I would describe them as an avant-garde, classical, minimalist, pop, folk ensemble, with a sense of humour. Some of their music is reminiscent of Steve Reich, or Michael Nyman, but with added warmth and humanity. Some of it is like a hoedown in a barn full of drunk trombonists.
That should make you listen.
You'll have heard Perpetuum Mobile and Telephone and Rubber Band and other tunes as they've been on countless adverts, or backing tracks for nature documentaries.
PCO are by turns melancholy and joyous and I will love their music forever. Please treasure them.
Perpetuum Mobile - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvbCV6E0Wro
Music For A Found Harmonium - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJg1NNyke2E
Air A Danser - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU8IziD08t4
Salty Bean Fumble - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfYdWPTLX-0&feature=channel (sheer genius from 1:25)
Paul's Dance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeZGXMeTKzw&feature=channel
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Friday, 20 February 2009
Meme and My iPod
Here's a good game that we can all join in with, if you like.
Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line, or two, from the 1st 25 songs no matter how embarrassing/obscure. You can skip any instrumentals. If you see "____" below, then that bit is the title.
Step 3: Readers of the blog try and identify as many songs/artists as possible in the comments.
Step 4: Strike through once someone guesses both the artist and the track correctly.
Step 5: For those who are guessing, looking up the lyrics is CHEATING.
Step 6: If you like the game post your own.
Edit: OK - it's very tricky! So along with each lyric is a clue to the artist. I will allow people to use Google to cheat from Friday 6th March.
Here we go. Eyes down for a full house...
1. "I met this guy and he looked like he might have been a hat-check clerk at an ice rink. Which, in fact, he turned out to be." by Lou Reed's bird.
2."A friend in need's a friend indeed. A friend with weed is better." Pure Morning by Placebo.
3. "I've been worried, man. Worried all day long." by a delta-blues 9-string guitarist.
4."Sometimes you're better off dead. There's a gun in your hand and it's pointed at your head." West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys.
5."Wednesday. It's suppository time again. Ain't it grand?" Cakewalk On Easy Street by Spock's Beard.
6. "Didn't mean to leave you hanging on. I didn't mean to leave you all alone." by an alt-rock band from Mesa, Arizona.
7. "I say this was no game of chicken. You were aiming for your best friend." by Chuck E.'s lady friend.
8. "Give it time. It takes time. It'll all come together." by a Radiohead sibling.
9. "I wake up in the morning just to work all through the day. That sun gets so hot that you can sweat your strength away." by Les Freres de Plage.
10. "Why __ __ dry? Why the empty eye?" by a large building in Rome.
11. "__, __. Somewhere, Someone. It's 2 o'clock in the morning and I just can't sleep." by the artist formerly known as a squiggle.
12. "'Tain't no big thing to wait for the bell to ring. 'Tain't no big thing, the toll of the bell." by Eno's old chums.
13. "__ __ __ __ __. All the world loves people in love. Don't Forget it." by Mr McAloon's band.
14."I looked across an empty land. I knew the pathway like the back of my hand." Somewhere Only We Know by Keane
15."Got out of bed, wasn't feeling too good, with my wallet and my passport and a new pair of shoes." Illegal Alien by Genesis.
16. "My heart was breaking 'til you started making me feel like a natural man." by the same band as number 9.
17. "You know I'm __ __ __ __ y'all, and that's a fact, y'all. And if you try to take what's mine I take it back y'all - it's like that." by Joseph Simmons, Daryl McDaniels and Jason Mizell.
18. "Well, early in the mornin' 'til late at night, I got a poison headache, but I feel all right." The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
19. "Wooaahhh. Baby, you can walk, you can talk, just like me." This one will stop making sense.
20. "Working from seven to eleven every night really makes life a drag. I don't think that's right." Not by an iron airship.
21. "First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect, your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect." Recorded long after guitarist Henri Padovani had left the group.
22. "Hell above and heaven below. All the trees are gone." Oh, I thought you said 'time waits' for no man.
23. "I'll need tonight to sit and think about this. Think what to do. I'll take some strength to banish hollow sorrow." Kevin Rowland's mob.
24."Alone in a bar-room a young girl is sitting and smiliing at nothing at all and she stares now and then at the eyes of the men in the mirror that hangs on the wall." Rita Coolidge's ex Somebody Nobody Knows by Kris Kristofferson.
25."Uhhh! Don't you like the way I move when you see me? Don't you like the things that I say?'" Something Better Change by The Stranglers.
Blimey. They're difficult! Some them I'd forgotten. Some belong to MLYW, so I'd never heard them before. I'll be amazed if people manage to get ten of these without the help of Google...
Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line, or two, from the 1st 25 songs no matter how embarrassing/obscure. You can skip any instrumentals. If you see "____" below, then that bit is the title.
Step 3: Readers of the blog try and identify as many songs/artists as possible in the comments.
Step 4: Strike through once someone guesses both the artist and the track correctly.
Step 5: For those who are guessing, looking up the lyrics is CHEATING.
Step 6: If you like the game post your own.
Edit: OK - it's very tricky! So along with each lyric is a clue to the artist. I will allow people to use Google to cheat from Friday 6th March.
Here we go. Eyes down for a full house...
1. "I met this guy and he looked like he might have been a hat-check clerk at an ice rink. Which, in fact, he turned out to be." by Lou Reed's bird.
2.
3. "I've been worried, man. Worried all day long." by a delta-blues 9-string guitarist.
4.
5.
6. "Didn't mean to leave you hanging on. I didn't mean to leave you all alone." by an alt-rock band from Mesa, Arizona.
7. "I say this was no game of chicken. You were aiming for your best friend." by Chuck E.'s lady friend.
8. "Give it time. It takes time. It'll all come together." by a Radiohead sibling.
9. "I wake up in the morning just to work all through the day. That sun gets so hot that you can sweat your strength away." by Les Freres de Plage.
10. "Why __ __ dry? Why the empty eye?" by a large building in Rome.
11. "__, __. Somewhere, Someone. It's 2 o'clock in the morning and I just can't sleep." by the artist formerly known as a squiggle.
12. "'Tain't no big thing to wait for the bell to ring. 'Tain't no big thing, the toll of the bell." by Eno's old chums.
13. "__ __ __ __ __. All the world loves people in love. Don't Forget it." by Mr McAloon's band.
14.
15.
16. "My heart was breaking 'til you started making me feel like a natural man." by the same band as number 9.
17. "You know I'm __ __ __ __ y'all, and that's a fact, y'all. And if you try to take what's mine I take it back y'all - it's like that." by Joseph Simmons, Daryl McDaniels and Jason Mizell.
18. "Well, early in the mornin' 'til late at night, I got a poison headache, but I feel all right." The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
19. "Wooaahhh. Baby, you can walk, you can talk, just like me." This one will stop making sense.
20. "Working from seven to eleven every night really makes life a drag. I don't think that's right." Not by an iron airship.
21. "First to fall over when the atmosphere is less than perfect, your sensibilities are shaken by the slightest defect." Recorded long after guitarist Henri Padovani had left the group.
22. "Hell above and heaven below. All the trees are gone." Oh, I thought you said 'time waits' for no man.
23. "I'll need tonight to sit and think about this. Think what to do. I'll take some strength to banish hollow sorrow." Kevin Rowland's mob.
24.
25.
Blimey. They're difficult! Some them I'd forgotten. Some belong to MLYW, so I'd never heard them before. I'll be amazed if people manage to get ten of these without the help of Google...
Friday, 7 December 2007
In Rainbows? In Clover!
When was the last time you bought a record on vinyl? I'm assuming you're not a hard-core turntableist or something!
Radiohead's In Rainbows box set arrived at my office today. 12 inches of musical goodness. The already mega-downloaded original album on both CD and two 45rpm heavywewight vinyl records, plus a lyrics booklet (so that's what Thom's singing about!) and big book of artwork.
The whole package is very well put together and, I'm guessing, will become very collectible, as the In Rainbows store shuts its online doors on Monday 10th December.
But the big bonus is the CD of extra tracks. I've only had time to have a cursory listen, while pretending to be working, but the bonus music fits in well with the main album. In fact, it's more stripped back and back-to-basics than the previously-released work, giving it an immediacy that the rest of In Rainbows lacked.
[Don't get me wrong, I think that it's fantastic, but it took 2 or 3 listens to really start appreciating.]
Go Slowly is track 3, but it's the first real standout. Up On The Ladder is the first of two guitar-led tracks, but the 2nd, Bangers And Mash, is a frantic, frenetic, riff-based number that probably comes as close to 'funky' as Radiohead will ever get! There's a real taste of the bands early Talking Heads influence in this track. I'm guessing this will be a favourite at next year's gigs.
Top music from the Oxford boys. Keep it up lads!
Radiohead's In Rainbows box set arrived at my office today. 12 inches of musical goodness. The already mega-downloaded original album on both CD and two 45rpm heavywewight vinyl records, plus a lyrics booklet (so that's what Thom's singing about!) and big book of artwork.
The whole package is very well put together and, I'm guessing, will become very collectible, as the In Rainbows store shuts its online doors on Monday 10th December.
But the big bonus is the CD of extra tracks. I've only had time to have a cursory listen, while pretending to be working, but the bonus music fits in well with the main album. In fact, it's more stripped back and back-to-basics than the previously-released work, giving it an immediacy that the rest of In Rainbows lacked.
[Don't get me wrong, I think that it's fantastic, but it took 2 or 3 listens to really start appreciating.]
Go Slowly is track 3, but it's the first real standout. Up On The Ladder is the first of two guitar-led tracks, but the 2nd, Bangers And Mash, is a frantic, frenetic, riff-based number that probably comes as close to 'funky' as Radiohead will ever get! There's a real taste of the bands early Talking Heads influence in this track. I'm guessing this will be a favourite at next year's gigs.
Top music from the Oxford boys. Keep it up lads!
Saturday, 8 September 2007
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.
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.
Friday, 7 September 2007
PhotoHunt: Music
Zip over to his website to have a listen...
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
Number Ones: Part 5 - The Noughties
As I'm forty-one years old in 2 days (you can see my Amazon Wishlist if you want to buy me a pressie!) I thought I'd take a look back at the songs which were number one in the UK chart each year on my birthday.
Today it's the turn of the 2000's. Or the Noughties. Or whatever you call them. I don't think we've reached a consenus on what to call this decade yet, have we?
The defining feature of this decade is that, in the main, we've had more and more songs reaching number one as the average stay at the top shrinks down to only one or two weeks. Though this trend seems to have reversed very recently. Somehow, the fact that downloads are counted in the chart seems to mean we're getting songs at number one for 5 or 6 weeks at a time again.
I've got a horrible feeling that all these songs will either be awful, or I won't recognise them. Let's see what's in store...
2000: Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)"
August 20 for 1 week
Hooray! A song I know. And like. Yes indeedy. One of the few that would stand a chance of getting me on the dancefloor sober.
2001: Five - "Let's Dance"
August 19 for 2 weeks
Nope. Sorry. Drawn a blank on this one. Which at least is preferable to Bob The Builder who was number one two weeks after my birthday.
2002: Sugababes - "Round Round"
August 18 for 1 week
Errr... Well, I've heard of the group, at least, but the song escapes me.
2003: Blu Cantrell feat. Sean Paul - "Breathe"
August 3 for 4 weeks
Crikey! I've never even heard of "Blu Cantrell". Blu? Is that a real name? Is it related to Blu-Tac in any way?
2004: Natasha Bedingfield - "These Words"
August 22 for 2 weeks
"These Words" presumably being "bugger off and leave us alone, Natasha".
2005: McFly - "I'll Be OK"
August 21 for 1 week
You won't be OK for long if you keep singing your pretend rock/punk pop rubbish at me.
2006: Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean - "Hips Don't Lie"
July 30 for 4 weeks
Shakira. Sexy lady. But a bit thick. No, hips don't lie. Because hips can't speak. Duh!
2007 : Kanye West - "Stronger"
August 19 for 1 week so far
He's been all over the TV and radio in the past couple of weeks to get his first UK number one. And he's done it. Well done Kanye. I still haven't heard the song myself. And it's going to stay that way!
Today it's the turn of the 2000's. Or the Noughties. Or whatever you call them. I don't think we've reached a consenus on what to call this decade yet, have we?
The defining feature of this decade is that, in the main, we've had more and more songs reaching number one as the average stay at the top shrinks down to only one or two weeks. Though this trend seems to have reversed very recently. Somehow, the fact that downloads are counted in the chart seems to mean we're getting songs at number one for 5 or 6 weeks at a time again.
I've got a horrible feeling that all these songs will either be awful, or I won't recognise them. Let's see what's in store...
2000: Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)"
August 20 for 1 week
Hooray! A song I know. And like. Yes indeedy. One of the few that would stand a chance of getting me on the dancefloor sober.
2001: Five - "Let's Dance"
August 19 for 2 weeks
Nope. Sorry. Drawn a blank on this one. Which at least is preferable to Bob The Builder who was number one two weeks after my birthday.
2002: Sugababes - "Round Round"
August 18 for 1 week
Errr... Well, I've heard of the group, at least, but the song escapes me.
2003: Blu Cantrell feat. Sean Paul - "Breathe"
August 3 for 4 weeks
Crikey! I've never even heard of "Blu Cantrell". Blu? Is that a real name? Is it related to Blu-Tac in any way?
2004: Natasha Bedingfield - "These Words"
August 22 for 2 weeks
"These Words" presumably being "bugger off and leave us alone, Natasha".
2005: McFly - "I'll Be OK"
August 21 for 1 week
You won't be OK for long if you keep singing your pretend rock/punk pop rubbish at me.
2006: Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean - "Hips Don't Lie"
July 30 for 4 weeks
Shakira. Sexy lady. But a bit thick. No, hips don't lie. Because hips can't speak. Duh!
2007 : Kanye West - "Stronger"
August 19 for 1 week so far
He's been all over the TV and radio in the past couple of weeks to get his first UK number one. And he's done it. Well done Kanye. I still haven't heard the song myself. And it's going to stay that way!
Tuesday, 21 August 2007
Number Ones: Part 4 - The Nineties
As I'm forty-one years old in a few days (you can see my Amazon Wishlist if you want to buy me a pressie!) I thought I'd take a look back at the songs which were number one in the UK chart each year on my birthday.
Today it's the turn of the 1990's.
This is the decade when, I'm afraid, the singles chart became more or less irrelevant. I've been wracking my memory to recall the last single I bought. it was either "The Race" by Yello or "Headlights On The Parade" by the Blue Nile. And I think they were both in around 1989 or 1990. Since then it's been albums all the way for me. And mostly on CD. I still haven't got around to buying downloads. I think I prefer to have a real "thing" to own, rather than an intangible set of bits and bytes sitting around on my hard-drive.
Right - let's see what the decade had to offer. What tasty morsels did the British music industry serve me up on my birthdays?
1990: Bombalurina with Timmy Mallett - "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
August 19 for 3 weeks
Argh! No!
1991: Bryan Adams - "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"
July 7 for 16 weeks
Crikey. That's just as bad.
1992: Snap! - "Rhythm is a Dancer"
August 2 for 6 weeks
Oh, for heaven's sake...
1993: Culture Beat - "Mr Vain"
August 22 for 4 weeks
What? What? Am I going to go the whole decade without a decent song at No.1 on my birthday...?
1994: Wet Wet Wet - "Love Is All Around"
May 29 for 15 weeks
Flipping 'eck. It gets worse!
1995: Blur - "Country House"
August 20 for 2 weeks
Phew! Finally. OK, it's not one of their best, but those lovable pretend cockneys from the posh bit of Essex at least won the "Britpop battle for number one" and stopped those naughty Northern monkeys from Oasis from being no.1 on my birthday.
1996: Spice Girls - "Wannabe"
July 21 for 7 weeks
Now, stop it. A brief respite and now you're off again. I can't believe I actually thought that Posh was the sexy one back then...
1997: Will Smith - "Men in Black"
August 10 for 4 weeks
The Fresh Prince gets totally fresh on some alien butt. Loses musical credibility in the process (if he ever had any... Yeah, "Summertime" was great).
1998: Boyzone - "No Matter What"
August 9 for 3 weeks
Boyzone. Please, please just stop it. Stop it now!
1999: Geri Halliwell - "Mi Chico Latino"
August 22 for 1 week
Right - that's it. Hang on. Which song was this? The only Geri solo number I remember is the one where she was very lithe and toned and rolling around in a speedboat. There might have been dwarves chasing her... Then again, that might just have been my sordid fantasy. Ah, poor Geri. Rubbish songs, but she was quite sexy for a couple of months, until she got too thin.
Is that it? The 1990's are over? Thank heavens. Will the new decade bring any decent new music?
Today it's the turn of the 1990's.
This is the decade when, I'm afraid, the singles chart became more or less irrelevant. I've been wracking my memory to recall the last single I bought. it was either "The Race" by Yello or "Headlights On The Parade" by the Blue Nile. And I think they were both in around 1989 or 1990. Since then it's been albums all the way for me. And mostly on CD. I still haven't got around to buying downloads. I think I prefer to have a real "thing" to own, rather than an intangible set of bits and bytes sitting around on my hard-drive.
Right - let's see what the decade had to offer. What tasty morsels did the British music industry serve me up on my birthdays?
1990: Bombalurina with Timmy Mallett - "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
August 19 for 3 weeks
Argh! No!
1991: Bryan Adams - "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"
July 7 for 16 weeks
Crikey. That's just as bad.
1992: Snap! - "Rhythm is a Dancer"
August 2 for 6 weeks
Oh, for heaven's sake...
1993: Culture Beat - "Mr Vain"
August 22 for 4 weeks
What? What? Am I going to go the whole decade without a decent song at No.1 on my birthday...?
1994: Wet Wet Wet - "Love Is All Around"
May 29 for 15 weeks
Flipping 'eck. It gets worse!
1995: Blur - "Country House"
August 20 for 2 weeks
Phew! Finally. OK, it's not one of their best, but those lovable pretend cockneys from the posh bit of Essex at least won the "Britpop battle for number one" and stopped those naughty Northern monkeys from Oasis from being no.1 on my birthday.
1996: Spice Girls - "Wannabe"
July 21 for 7 weeks
Now, stop it. A brief respite and now you're off again. I can't believe I actually thought that Posh was the sexy one back then...
1997: Will Smith - "Men in Black"
August 10 for 4 weeks
The Fresh Prince gets totally fresh on some alien butt. Loses musical credibility in the process (if he ever had any... Yeah, "Summertime" was great).
1998: Boyzone - "No Matter What"
August 9 for 3 weeks
Boyzone. Please, please just stop it. Stop it now!
1999: Geri Halliwell - "Mi Chico Latino"
August 22 for 1 week
Right - that's it. Hang on. Which song was this? The only Geri solo number I remember is the one where she was very lithe and toned and rolling around in a speedboat. There might have been dwarves chasing her... Then again, that might just have been my sordid fantasy. Ah, poor Geri. Rubbish songs, but she was quite sexy for a couple of months, until she got too thin.
Is that it? The 1990's are over? Thank heavens. Will the new decade bring any decent new music?
Monday, 20 August 2007
Number Ones: Part 3 - The Eighties
As I'm forty-one years old in a few days (you can see my Amazon Wishlist if you want to buy me a pressie!) I thought I'd take a look back at the songs which were number one in the UK chart each year on my birthday.
Today it's the turn of the 1980's. For me, this was the decade of the biggest changes in my life. At the start, I was in school; by the end of it I was going out with the woman who was to be my first wife.
In the 1980's I discovered music properly, went to university, got chucked out of university, met the first real love of my life, tried auditioning for drama school, got my first full-time job (night-cashier at a petrol station - I was sacked, eventually, for being late too often), and embarked on my current career.
This was the decade that defined me as a person. And, you know, I think I did OK. If I had to go back and talk to my younger self, I think I'd have one or two notes for the silly sod, but mostly I'd be telling him that it would all work out and to carry on enjoying himself and learning as much as he could about people and the world.
If I were to write a dictionary, under "Nostalgia" it would read "See: The 1980's".
1980: David Bowie - "Ashes To Ashes"
August 19 for 2 weeks
Fantastic. We kick off with a bona fide, five star, 24-carat classic. From Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, the entire album is a work of genius. David Bowie is a national institution (why hasn't he been knighted?) and I would forgive him anything - even Tin Machine and having tea with MLYW.
1981: Shakin' Stevens - "Green Door"
July 28 for 4 weeks
Oh, good grief! Read what I wrote about David Bowie and then imagine the exact opposite.
1982: Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express - "Come on Eileen"
August 3 for 4 weeks
It's taken over 20 years, but I think I'm finally sick of this record. But for those 20 years, this really was a fantastic party song. The slow build up to the final chorus - just enough time to grab some breath before launching yourself into mad, arms-and-legs-everywhere dancing - was a masterstroke. Kevin Rowland is another national institution, for that voice alone.
1983: KC and the Sunshine Band - "Give It Up"
August 9 for 3 weeks
Ironically, the original band had split up in 1981. They really had given it up.
1984: George Michael - "Careless Whisper"
August 14 for 3 weeks
George Michael? One hit wonder. Does anyone know what became of him?
1985: Madonna - "Into the Groove"
July 30 for 4 weeks
Madonna? One hit wonder. Does anyone know what became of her?
1986: Boris Gardiner - "I Want To Wake Up With You"
August 19 for 3 weeks
This song just about rings a bell, but I don't remember it being anything special. At the time my then girlfriend (the lovely Eve) had just returned to the USA, breaking my heart ever so slightly. OK, I confess, I was moping and miserable for about 2 years and I'm sure my friends got sick and tired of me mooching around glumly making plans to run over to San Francisco and whisk her off her feet, but never actually doing anything about it. To their credit, none of them actually said "well why don't you piss off and do it then" but I'm sure they all thought it!
1987: Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
August 11 for 2 weeks
Is it pronounced "Cider" or "Shadeah"? The latter, I would imagine. I've never liked Michael Jackson, even before the Christ complex and the Chris Langham-alike accusations, so this single has completely evaded my memory banks.
1988: Yazz and the Plastic Population - "The Only Way Is Up"
July 31 for 5 weeks
This was a big hit when I started working for Intourist. I remember it well as we went to the pub on the Friday of my first week in their (now defunct) Regent Street office and we saw Yazz herself, presumably refreshing herself after popping into the BBC just up the road. No sign of her plastic population though.
1989: Jive Bunny & the Mastermixers - "Swing The Mood"
July 30 for 5 weeks
Oh, Good Lord. This was the 2nd of 3 number ones for the annoying animated-rabbit/person-in-a-furry-suit in 1989. Who the hell bought these records? I didn't know back then and I still don't know now. The same people who got Mr Blobby or Bob the Builder to the top of the charts, I suppose. The same idiots who got Joe Dolce to pip Ultravox to the pinnacle. Damn! When I was doing my acting course recently we were asked to recall some event which made us angry - an exercise I was unable to complete as I don't really do big emotions; peeved, vexed, annoyed - those I can do. But not 'angry'. If only I'd remembered bloody Jive Bunny at that moment. You'd have seen some sodding acting then, I can tell you!
Today it's the turn of the 1980's. For me, this was the decade of the biggest changes in my life. At the start, I was in school; by the end of it I was going out with the woman who was to be my first wife.
In the 1980's I discovered music properly, went to university, got chucked out of university, met the first real love of my life, tried auditioning for drama school, got my first full-time job (night-cashier at a petrol station - I was sacked, eventually, for being late too often), and embarked on my current career.
This was the decade that defined me as a person. And, you know, I think I did OK. If I had to go back and talk to my younger self, I think I'd have one or two notes for the silly sod, but mostly I'd be telling him that it would all work out and to carry on enjoying himself and learning as much as he could about people and the world.
If I were to write a dictionary, under "Nostalgia" it would read "See: The 1980's".
1980: David Bowie - "Ashes To Ashes"
August 19 for 2 weeks
Fantastic. We kick off with a bona fide, five star, 24-carat classic. From Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, the entire album is a work of genius. David Bowie is a national institution (why hasn't he been knighted?) and I would forgive him anything - even Tin Machine and having tea with MLYW.
1981: Shakin' Stevens - "Green Door"
July 28 for 4 weeks
Oh, good grief! Read what I wrote about David Bowie and then imagine the exact opposite.
1982: Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express - "Come on Eileen"
August 3 for 4 weeks
It's taken over 20 years, but I think I'm finally sick of this record. But for those 20 years, this really was a fantastic party song. The slow build up to the final chorus - just enough time to grab some breath before launching yourself into mad, arms-and-legs-everywhere dancing - was a masterstroke. Kevin Rowland is another national institution, for that voice alone.
1983: KC and the Sunshine Band - "Give It Up"
August 9 for 3 weeks
Ironically, the original band had split up in 1981. They really had given it up.
1984: George Michael - "Careless Whisper"
August 14 for 3 weeks
George Michael? One hit wonder. Does anyone know what became of him?
1985: Madonna - "Into the Groove"
July 30 for 4 weeks
Madonna? One hit wonder. Does anyone know what became of her?
1986: Boris Gardiner - "I Want To Wake Up With You"
August 19 for 3 weeks
This song just about rings a bell, but I don't remember it being anything special. At the time my then girlfriend (the lovely Eve) had just returned to the USA, breaking my heart ever so slightly. OK, I confess, I was moping and miserable for about 2 years and I'm sure my friends got sick and tired of me mooching around glumly making plans to run over to San Francisco and whisk her off her feet, but never actually doing anything about it. To their credit, none of them actually said "well why don't you piss off and do it then" but I'm sure they all thought it!
1987: Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
August 11 for 2 weeks
Is it pronounced "Cider" or "Shadeah"? The latter, I would imagine. I've never liked Michael Jackson, even before the Christ complex and the Chris Langham-alike accusations, so this single has completely evaded my memory banks.
1988: Yazz and the Plastic Population - "The Only Way Is Up"
July 31 for 5 weeks
This was a big hit when I started working for Intourist. I remember it well as we went to the pub on the Friday of my first week in their (now defunct) Regent Street office and we saw Yazz herself, presumably refreshing herself after popping into the BBC just up the road. No sign of her plastic population though.
1989: Jive Bunny & the Mastermixers - "Swing The Mood"
July 30 for 5 weeks
Oh, Good Lord. This was the 2nd of 3 number ones for the annoying animated-rabbit/person-in-a-furry-suit in 1989. Who the hell bought these records? I didn't know back then and I still don't know now. The same people who got Mr Blobby or Bob the Builder to the top of the charts, I suppose. The same idiots who got Joe Dolce to pip Ultravox to the pinnacle. Damn! When I was doing my acting course recently we were asked to recall some event which made us angry - an exercise I was unable to complete as I don't really do big emotions; peeved, vexed, annoyed - those I can do. But not 'angry'. If only I'd remembered bloody Jive Bunny at that moment. You'd have seen some sodding acting then, I can tell you!
Sunday, 19 August 2007
Number Ones: Part 2 - The Seventies
As I'm forty-one years old in a few days (you can see my Amazon Wishlist if you want to buy me a pressie!) I thought I'd take a look back at the songs which were number one in the UK chart each year on my birthday.
Today it's the turn of the 1970's.
1970: Elvis Presley - "The Wonder of You (Live)"
July 28 for 6 weeks.
Seven years before he died, Elvis was starting to shake off the doldrums of the mid to late 1960s and was entering the Vegas years when he started to revive his credibility. This is one of the most powerful songs of his late era.
1971: Diana Ross - "I'm Still Waiting"
August 17 for 4 weeks.
I can't for the life of me remember how this one goes. I'm afraid Miss Ross has never been a favourite of mine. I'm sure she'd be gutted to know that I spent my fifth birthday totally oblivious to her.
1972: Alice Cooper - "School's Out!"
August 8 for 3 weeks.
This single would become an anthem to a generation of us kids on the last day of the school year. On that occasion we'd sing this as we tore out of the school gates. The other two end-of-terms were greeted with the "no more rulers, no more books" chant which was also incorporated into this song.
1973: Donny Osmond - "Young love"
August 21 for 4 weeks.
I was, I am ashamed to say, a bit of a Donny Osmond fan when I was seven years old. I even had a t-shirt with the toothy Osmond fizzog imprinted thereon. I still wake up in a cold sweat even now.
1974: The Three Degrees - "When Will I See You Again"
August 13 for 2 weeks.
Famously Prince Charles' favourite "pop group". A nice enough song I suppose, though a bit syrupy. Sheila Ferguson, lead singer (or the first degree, I suppose) was the entertainment at a company function I attended a couple of years ago. She was rubbish!
1975: The Stylistics - "I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)"
August 16 for 3 weeks.
Another song title that I don't recognise. Sorry Stylistics.
1976: Elton John & Kiki Dee - "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
July 24 for 6 weeks.
Ah! Elton and Kiki flirting all through the video (though they weren't called that then) to this record. Would they get together, we thought. Strangely, they never did marry...
1977: Brotherhood of Man - "Angelo"
August 20 for 1 week.
A song which was a complete rip-off (or "fond homage" if the writers' lawyers are reading) of ABBA's Fernando. Oddly, I remember the Barron Knights' spoof of this better than the original. Altogether now: "Long ago, outside a chip shop in Walthamstow..."
1978: The Commodores - "Three Times A Lady"
August 19 for 5 weeks.
This was the song that was played at the end of school and youth-club discos for the next 5 or 6 years. As a hormonally unbalanced teenager the entire evening was spent trying to pluck up the courage to ask the girl you fancied to dance with you to this.
1979: The Boomtown Rats - "I Don't Like Mondays"
July 28 for 4 weeks.
A brilliant song, even before Live Aid came along. I remember learning to DJ when I was in the Reggae Soc at university. For some reason this single used to fit in very well alongside the dub, ska and Smiley Culture records we played.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Number Ones: Part 1 - The Sixties
As I'm forty-one years old in a few days (you can see my Amazon Wishlist if you want to buy me a pressie!) I thought I'd take a look back at the songs which were number one in the UK chart each year on my birthday.
Today I start with the 1960's.
1966: The Beatles - "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby"
August 18 for 4 weeks
They ruled the charts for the whole decade, but they were only ever number one on my birthday once. Eleanor Rigby is a marvellous song. Short and redolent of lost lives with those mournful, stabbing cellos throughout. Yellow Submarine is a silly, sing-a-long for kids. Only The Beatles could have a hit with a kids song and remain cool and relevant, and only they could get away with such a sublime combination of styles on a double A-side. It wouldn't happen today.
1967: Scott McKenzie - "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)"
August 9 for 4 weeks
Here's a hit which sums up the state of the world at the time. If you watch a documentary about the 1967 'Summer of Love' you can almost guarantee that this song will be featured in the soundtrack.
1968: Crazy World of Arthur Brown - "Fire"
August 14 for 1 week Now, Arthur really was a bit crazy! Set himself alight several times performing this number. Not sure what he's up to now, though I know he did sing one of the tracks on the Alan Parson's Project debut, "Tales of Mystery and Imagination".
1969: Rolling Stones - "Honky Tonk Women"
July 23 for 5 weeks
This song has one of the great drumbeat intros. A lazy, laid-back, loping figure which totally gives away Charlie Watt's jazz roots. And it's got a cow-bell in it, yet it's still good to listen to. Mick Taylor changed the arrangement from country to blues and Keith Richards "borrowed" an open-G tuning from Ry Cooder to come up with the distinctive riff. A top song, though many involved with the Stones don't like it.
Today I start with the 1960's.
1966: The Beatles - "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby"
August 18 for 4 weeks
They ruled the charts for the whole decade, but they were only ever number one on my birthday once. Eleanor Rigby is a marvellous song. Short and redolent of lost lives with those mournful, stabbing cellos throughout. Yellow Submarine is a silly, sing-a-long for kids. Only The Beatles could have a hit with a kids song and remain cool and relevant, and only they could get away with such a sublime combination of styles on a double A-side. It wouldn't happen today.
1967: Scott McKenzie - "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)"
August 9 for 4 weeks
Here's a hit which sums up the state of the world at the time. If you watch a documentary about the 1967 'Summer of Love' you can almost guarantee that this song will be featured in the soundtrack.
1968: Crazy World of Arthur Brown - "Fire"
August 14 for 1 week Now, Arthur really was a bit crazy! Set himself alight several times performing this number. Not sure what he's up to now, though I know he did sing one of the tracks on the Alan Parson's Project debut, "Tales of Mystery and Imagination".
1969: Rolling Stones - "Honky Tonk Women"
July 23 for 5 weeks
This song has one of the great drumbeat intros. A lazy, laid-back, loping figure which totally gives away Charlie Watt's jazz roots. And it's got a cow-bell in it, yet it's still good to listen to. Mick Taylor changed the arrangement from country to blues and Keith Richards "borrowed" an open-G tuning from Ry Cooder to come up with the distinctive riff. A top song, though many involved with the Stones don't like it.
Monday, 9 July 2007
Well I'll be Burgered.
While we're on the subject of old people, I went along to Twickenham stadium to see Genesis last night, with a handful of chums.Sadly, Genesis haven't persuaded Peter Gabriel or Steve Hackett to join the reunion: Gabriel's off around Europe playing all his old songs and giving his long-term fans what they want, while Hackett's (sadly) finding it hard to get arrested these days.
Unfortunately, the Genesis crowd seemed largely made up of people who know the band primarly through Phil Collins and the band's more syrupy ballads from Invisible Touch and We Can't Dance.
Now, I may be grouchy about this, but I'm happy to sit there and listen while the band play their more 'poppy' songs. After all, everyone's paid their money and each group of supporters should be allowed to hear their favourite tracks.
But what I found really annoying was the pair of fools sat in front of us, who decided that every time Genesis played a song they didn't recognise, they would stand up, forcing the entire row to stand, shuffle off slowly (but talking loudly) to replenish their alcohol and nicotine levels. Fifteen minutes later, they were back; having fucked up "Afterglow" for us, here they were to shuffle along, gurning and giggling inanely to ruin "Ripples".
Why you would pay £60 for tickets to a gig, then watch/listen to less than half the set, preferring instead to spend over the odds on watered down fizzy pop...?
Muppets!
But on the whole, the concert was good. From where we were sitting, the sound tended to be a bit muddy during the loud, bombastic, old, epic numbers (the ones our gang like), but not too much to spoil things.Highlights for me were "Mama" - very crisp and a genuinely disturbing turn from 'cuddly' Phil Collins - and the slightly overlong (but superbly arranged) drum duet with the segue into "Los Endos" - surely this should have been the final piece of the entire show? As it was, the show seemed to end on a bit of an anti-climax with "The Carpet Crawlers" - a great song, but I felt that we were too far from the stage to be part of the emotion of the piece.
[I can't help recalling a small-scale Genesis gig at Southampton's Rose(?) Theatre some 15 years ago - "Carpet Crawlers" then was a superb highlight. Big stadia just kill off a real connection to the music, I think.]
I'd just like to pause a moment here to talk about the catering. Martin queued up to get us all some food - we all ordered the same thing, to make it easier: four cheeseburgers. When we started to eat it, I discovered that my burger had no meat in it. Just a bun filled with shredded lettuce, onion and sauce. A burger-free burger. Cheek! Anyway, Martin kindly shared his meaty feast with me, and I (even more generously) let him have half of the empty burger in return. But really! If you're in the business of selling burgers to the public, surely you should appreciate which one of the four key ingredients you could leave out without disappointing the paying punter!
And finally, a moan about South-West Trains. Heading into London from Twickeham would have been no problem. There were about 8 trains an hour - even at 11pm on Sunday. But heading west...! No way mate. Only 4 trains an hour, 2 of which were of no use to the majority of people. Approximately 2,000 people queuing to try to take the westbound train. We left the stadium around 10.30pm. The 10 minute walk to the station took 30 minutes because of poor signage and stewarding to the stadium exits and the huge crowds heading towards the station. Then an hour long queue to get down onto the platform. I finally got on a train at 23:55.
I also managed to get separated from my compadres in the melee, so they arrived back at the car in Staines about 20 minutes before I did. I eventuallygot home (thanks Andy!) around 1am, but Lord knows when the others got back. Andy had another hour's drive down to Southampton and the others were zooming round the M25 to Kent, so they probably got in around 2am too...
It's all very well telling people to take public transport to these events - but maybe someone needs to consider getting the train companies to put on additional services. Or maybe the train companies need to wake up to the fact that Sunday is no longer the 'day of rest' that it used to be and that the same timetables should be used all week long?
Wednesday, 6 September 2006
A Tale of Two Gigs
Half-Moon Unplugged
Off we went to the Half Moon in Putney on Monday night. We were there to see Mike Halliwell and his band - friends of my lovely young wife. Overall an excellent night. It was an acoustic/unplugged night, so there were about 9 bands/artistes of varying styles and calibres.
The room at the Half-Moon is a decent size, probably holds 150 standing and the crowd of about 50 or so were all quiet and respectful to the acts.
Mike Halliwell (along with Matt on bass, Adam on drums and roadie Nick) was very good indeed. They guys try to gig once or twice a month, at least, and they're well worth catching. If you're going to Cameron and Kirsty's wedding next Sunday (and why wouldn't you be?) then you'll hear them.
Another standout act included The Ballinsky Project. A guitar/cello duo. Nathan Ball, the guitarist and singer has a voice reminiscent of Cat Stephens' (that's a good thing, by the way) and their songs were beautiful, yet complex. Thoroughly recommended. I've ordered their CD.
Also worth hearing was Rami. This Bob Dylan/Art Garfunkel lookalike sings with a deep American drawl (think Leon Redbone - I think) but is actually English. Which made me think he was a trifle pretentious for a moment - but after listening to his songs I was converted. An excellent guitarist and an adventurous and amusing lyricist. His last song mixed Dylan with Beck and was a marvellous concoction.
Nizlopi
The next night we went to see Nizlopi at Koko (formerly the Palace Ballroom) in Camden. This was a different kettle of fish and reminded me why I generally don't like going to 'bigger' gigs.
Let's start with the band as that's the most positive. You'll probably have heard of Nizlopi from The JCB Song which was a number 1 single just before Christmas 2005 and also did the rounds via viral emails for a while previously. Their album Half These Songs Are About You is excellent. Agood mixture of folk, rock and gentle hip-hop styles. Of course, a multi-instrumental album is difficult to reproduce when you are a duo (guitar and double-bass), but they opened the show with a real bang. John (bass) is a superb human-beatbox and so the fast, inventive, excellent bass-playing on the first couple of songs was backed by a really good rhythm. And so were the next two tracks, and the next, and the next.
In fact (and this is my main grumble about the music) ALL the tracks they played, bar one, were re-invented as banging hip-hop tunes. Nothing wrong with ringing the changes and rearranging a few tracks - and the new twist worked really well on, say, six or seven of them, at the most. But applying this template to everything was a mistake. A far better choice would have been to employ a drummer who could take a seat for alternate tracks, or for the 2nd half of the set.
[And, while we're moaning about the hip-hop theme... Let me just say that I do really like hip-hop and I don't believe that there's any shame in middle-class white boys playing and writing it. But... When you're a middle-class lad from Leamington Spa (as Luke from Nizlopi is) there's no real excuse to be talking like you're from the 'Hood in Compton or something. Perhaps this was some sort of Ali G style spoof. But if it was, it didn't work. The well-dressed, nicely-spoken black guy standing in front of me told his friend, "blimey! That bloke talks just like my nephew".]
So... The music. Enjoyable-ish. But the whole night was spoiled by:
1. The appalling acoustics in the venue - come on guys, you've just spent a fortune on new decor, a new bar, new marketing, a relaunch. Couldn't you have spent some money on making sure the sound wasn't so muddy and dirty that it was impossible to hear the lyrics or the between-song banter?
2. The fatuous behaviour of the punters - I'm still at a loss to understand why someone would spend decent money to go to see a band and then spend all their time talking and larking about with their mates instead. That would be OK if they did it somewhere at the back of the hall near the bar, but no, they feel the need to disturb the rest of us. And it's not just a few isolated groups. At times it felt like 1/3 of the audience were more interested in their conversations than in the band they'd paid to see. Twats!
Off we went to the Half Moon in Putney on Monday night. We were there to see Mike Halliwell and his band - friends of my lovely young wife. Overall an excellent night. It was an acoustic/unplugged night, so there were about 9 bands/artistes of varying styles and calibres.
The room at the Half-Moon is a decent size, probably holds 150 standing and the crowd of about 50 or so were all quiet and respectful to the acts.
Mike Halliwell (along with Matt on bass, Adam on drums and roadie Nick) was very good indeed. They guys try to gig once or twice a month, at least, and they're well worth catching. If you're going to Cameron and Kirsty's wedding next Sunday (and why wouldn't you be?) then you'll hear them.
Another standout act included The Ballinsky Project. A guitar/cello duo. Nathan Ball, the guitarist and singer has a voice reminiscent of Cat Stephens' (that's a good thing, by the way) and their songs were beautiful, yet complex. Thoroughly recommended. I've ordered their CD.
Also worth hearing was Rami. This Bob Dylan/Art Garfunkel lookalike sings with a deep American drawl (think Leon Redbone - I think) but is actually English. Which made me think he was a trifle pretentious for a moment - but after listening to his songs I was converted. An excellent guitarist and an adventurous and amusing lyricist. His last song mixed Dylan with Beck and was a marvellous concoction.
Nizlopi
The next night we went to see Nizlopi at Koko (formerly the Palace Ballroom) in Camden. This was a different kettle of fish and reminded me why I generally don't like going to 'bigger' gigs.
Let's start with the band as that's the most positive. You'll probably have heard of Nizlopi from The JCB Song which was a number 1 single just before Christmas 2005 and also did the rounds via viral emails for a while previously. Their album Half These Songs Are About You is excellent. Agood mixture of folk, rock and gentle hip-hop styles. Of course, a multi-instrumental album is difficult to reproduce when you are a duo (guitar and double-bass), but they opened the show with a real bang. John (bass) is a superb human-beatbox and so the fast, inventive, excellent bass-playing on the first couple of songs was backed by a really good rhythm. And so were the next two tracks, and the next, and the next.
In fact (and this is my main grumble about the music) ALL the tracks they played, bar one, were re-invented as banging hip-hop tunes. Nothing wrong with ringing the changes and rearranging a few tracks - and the new twist worked really well on, say, six or seven of them, at the most. But applying this template to everything was a mistake. A far better choice would have been to employ a drummer who could take a seat for alternate tracks, or for the 2nd half of the set.
[And, while we're moaning about the hip-hop theme... Let me just say that I do really like hip-hop and I don't believe that there's any shame in middle-class white boys playing and writing it. But... When you're a middle-class lad from Leamington Spa (as Luke from Nizlopi is) there's no real excuse to be talking like you're from the 'Hood in Compton or something. Perhaps this was some sort of Ali G style spoof. But if it was, it didn't work. The well-dressed, nicely-spoken black guy standing in front of me told his friend, "blimey! That bloke talks just like my nephew".]
So... The music. Enjoyable-ish. But the whole night was spoiled by:
1. The appalling acoustics in the venue - come on guys, you've just spent a fortune on new decor, a new bar, new marketing, a relaunch. Couldn't you have spent some money on making sure the sound wasn't so muddy and dirty that it was impossible to hear the lyrics or the between-song banter?
2. The fatuous behaviour of the punters - I'm still at a loss to understand why someone would spend decent money to go to see a band and then spend all their time talking and larking about with their mates instead. That would be OK if they did it somewhere at the back of the hall near the bar, but no, they feel the need to disturb the rest of us. And it's not just a few isolated groups. At times it felt like 1/3 of the audience were more interested in their conversations than in the band they'd paid to see. Twats!
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