Neil Young & Crazy Horse ‘Toast’ - amazing how much quality shit old Shakey has maturing in his vaults. Much of this belatedly released 2001 album inhabits the same cranked out world of ‘Ragged Glory’, (well, mebbes a little softer in places) and that’s alright by me. In fact, it’s a fabulous, fractuous 51 minutes with no weak spots. Good on ya, Neil;
Deep Purple ‘Turning To Crime’ - I was a bit hasty in dissing this covers album when it came out last year. Hearing it again reveals its joys. In fact, I dug it muchly second time around, even if I won’t rush to play it again. Old men having fun (them and me) is all;
Little Feat ‘Dixie Chicken’ - drawn back to this after hearing Purple’s heavy take on the title track (cf. above). Needless to say, the original wins, and the rest of this remains a mighty fine listen. In fact, it’s amazing how fresh and undated this half century old music still sounds;
Elbow ‘Elbowrooms’ - fun revamps of old tracks recorded in lockdown for the Elbow faithful but, dare I suggest, entertaining for others too;
Various ‘V’ - long deleted double LP sampler of Virgin’s early years with, in hindsight, very few clunkers. Hey, even Mike Oldfield’s ‘Don Alfonso’ boasts Kevin Ayers on, let’s say, brittle percussion. I hadn’t played this in decades and found myself loving it anew. I feel a detailed Unsung review in my water;
Snow Patrol ‘Fallen Empires’ - big sounds from these ever uncool darlings of the charity shop CD racks (I paid 10p. Yes, really). But y’know, this is actually a decent listen in its electro-U2 kinda way. I’ll get me coat;
Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia ‘Pure Fantasy’ - Barbara’s sad demise earlier this week prompted me to dig out this, one of the first CDs I ever bought back in the mid-80s. It does sound time-locked in that era but my, it’s drum tight in its rhythmic precision and bite. As much a tribute to the great Jon Hiseman as his awesomely talented wife, methinks;
Beethoven: Symphonies 1 & 3 (COE/Nezet-Seguin) - all that I’ve had time to play so far of Nezet-Seguin’s new Beethoven cycle seems a little underwhelming on first hearing. I’ll listen further and update accordingly;
Beethoven: Cello Sonata no.5 (Staier/Dieltiens) - vibrant new recording on copies of period instruments;
Bach: various organ and harpsichord works (Karl Richter) - there are as many different approaches to Bach’s wondrous keyboard oeuvre as there are instruments on which to play it, but Richter’s strongly teutonic approach always floors me;
Schubert: Impromptu in B flat, D935 no.3 (Wilhelm Backhaus) - ancient Decca recording of a reading far from purist in approach but still in synch with Schubert’s sublime muse.
Salutations, dudes
Dave x
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