Good morning. Here are the weekly results from the FS jury:
The Smile ‘A Light For Attracting Attention’ - it’s obvious that this is going to sound like Radiohead, and so it does, but there’s an indefinable something that makes it distinctive and new;
Caravan ‘For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night’ - evergreen Canterbury classic featuring Pye Hastings’ melodic muse at its venerable apex;
The Lurkers ‘Fulham Fallout’ and ‘God’s Lonely Men’ - in a sad phase of nostalgia I’ve been digging out some of my teenage punk LPs. Hearing these again, I’m struck by the fun and primal energy of the debut, and how much better it has endured than the weak second album where Howard Wall’s flat vocals stick so rigidly to Pete Stride’s weak barre chord progressions. ‘Fulham Fallout’ has some great pop tunes and no filler; ‘God’s Lonely Men’ is just filler. To think I traded in three Zep albums to acquire it. I was young and daft;
Status Quo ‘Quo’ & ‘Blue For You’ - from the ‘72-‘76 period when the Frantic Four could do no wrong come these ever-rockin’ gems;
Led Zeppelin ‘Physical Graffiti’ - the moment in ‘Black Country Woman’ when Bonzo brings his snare drum into play is as powerful as anything I know. The man was - and is - a god;
Jimi Hendrix Experience ‘Are You Experienced?’ - not necessarily stoned, but… beautiful;
U-Roy ‘Natty Rebel’ - another teenage memory trip, this time to the long hot summer of ‘76, y’know;
Elton John ‘Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy’ - sublime autobiographical concept LP, as fine as anything the man has ever made. One of the best albums of 1975, alongside
Mike Oldfield ‘Ommadawn’ - this has worn a little less well than ‘Hergest Ridge’ in my affections but remains the best showcase of Oldfield’s stellar guitar playing. The 2010 remix is awful, though;
Mike Oldfield ‘Incantations’ - overlong, but with good bits;
Ramones ‘It’s Alive’ - I’m not sure of how genuinely live this is. What I am sure is that it’s all the Ramones I’ll ever need - and I mean that positively;
The Beatles ‘Revolver’ - most of my life I’ve thought this a near-perfect album; only ‘Yellow Submarine’ got in the way. Now I’m less sure. Macca’s songs sound too saccharine now and ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’ is too vocally forced. Lennon and Harrison remain fab though and even Paul redeems himself with his awesomely out there guitar solo on ‘Taxman’. Ringo just rocks, as he always did;
Miles Davis ‘In A Silent Way’ - incredible to consider what the musicians on this record went on to achieve. Reads like a who’s who of fusion, and still sounds great across both of its seamless sides;
Haydn: Symphony no.73 (ASMF/Marriner) - Sir Neville Marriner may not be the first name to spring to mind when great conductors are considered but he always made records that seemed pretty definitive, at least where the classical symphonic repertoire is concerned. This is a good example. Not a signature work by any means, I came away from this wondering why I don’t know it better. Now I want to hear other interpretations but I doubt they’ll move me more;
Walton: Symphony no.2 (BBC Nat Orch Wales/Otaka) - convincing live recording of what I’d previously considered a rather dull symphony. I was wrong. Worth picking up this month’s BBC Music mag to hear this;
Beethoven: Symphony no.8 (Malmo SO/Trevino) - another strong, spirited performance from what is one of the best Beethoven cycles I’ve heard in many years;
Beethoven: Symphonies 2 & 5 (Orch Wiener Akademie/Haselbock) - these are pretty good too; rhythmically incisive though the strings sound a bit thin at times;
Mehul: Symphony no.1 (Academie fur Alte Musik Berlin/Forck) - attractive work by a French contemporary of Beethoven, displaying more of Schubert’s early style than Ludwig’s;
Dvorak: Symphony no.9 ‘From the New World’ (LPO/Macal) - 40 year old CFP cheapie that has stood the test of time. Excitement and refinement in near-ideal accord;
Buxtehude: La capricciosa in G (Las Ulrik Mortensen) - music to drift to.
Enjoy your week, all.
Dave x
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