This week’s vibes:
Julian Cope ‘England Expectorates’ - a thoroughly entertaining, now typically low-fi release featuring some of the Drude’s catchiest ditties - and best singing - in decades. Some glorious references to English culture good and bad (Tizer, cobs, Betfred, Owen Jones…yo!) enhance the heart and humour on show. I don’t like all of it (‘Boris Good-Enough’ and ‘Lard Ass Of The Year’ are weak, and there are several shitty edits and fades) but overall there’s far more to dig than diss. And you know that any record that dives you straight into ‘Mother Sky’ is going to put a grin on your face;
Nirvana ‘Incesticide’ - a much more coherent and satisfying album than its bitty sources might indicate. In fact, I’d take this over the patchier ‘Nevermind’ any day;
Magazine ‘Real Life’ - some records just don’t sound their age, do they? I can’t believe I bought this 44 years ago;
David Bowie ‘Aladdin Sane’ - which ploughs a similar, Cabaret-esque furrow to the last named in places. The mood is deranged and decadent, the music quite wonderful;
Black Sabbath ‘Paranoid’ - the only fully enjoyable Sabs LP for me;
Captain Beefheart ‘Bluejeans & Moonbeams’ - despite the career nadir this is generally held out to be, I’ve always rather liked this album. Don didn’t have to play the weirdo every time and here he proved how well he could deliver a “straight” rock LP. I’m not ashamed to admit that I play this more often than ‘Trout Mask Replica’;
National Health ‘Of Queues & Cures’ - the greatest ever Canterbury Scene album without any Sinclair cousins on it. IMHO of course;
Mal Waldron ‘The Call’ - Waldron’s sole e-piano date was an immense fusion headfuck of two vast, side-long jams. I reviewed this for Unsung yonks ago and still sound by those naive words;
AMM III ‘It Was An Ordinary Enough Day In Pueblo, Colorado’ - AMM’s last brush with a major (ish) label brought one of their most approachable albums. Keith Rowe’s metallic guitar really cans the mood here;
Schubert: Symphony no.9 ‘Great’ (VPO/Kertesz) - a fulfilling, refreshingly direct approach to Schubert’s symphonic peak;
Beethoven: Symphony no.7 (Malmo SO/Trevino) - I’d rather hear a good orchestra play their hearts out than a great one just going through the motions. The MSO achieves the former admirably here. I love the way the fiery final movement starts straight after the third without a breath;
Buxtehude: Suite in F, BuxWV 238 (Lars Ulrik Mortensen) - perfect Sunday morning baroquery;
Everyone is irresistible
Dave x
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