The Kinks ‘At The BBC’ (selections) - this box is an embarrassment of riches to any Kinks fan, full of great takes on great and lesser known Kink classics, live stuff, and revealing interview snippets;
Dr Feelgood ‘Down At The Jetty’ - well, I had to spin this again after this week’s sad news. Was there ever a more original and distinctive English guitarist than Wilko Johnson? And what a band he had back then;
Julian Cope ‘World Shut Your Mouth’ - the Drude’s baroque pop solo debut is still up there with his finest albums forty years on;
Marillion ‘An Hour Before It’s Dark’ - that this marvellous band remains a cult - albeit a large one - is beyond me. You’ll never hear them on Later, and that’s not to that programme’s credit. This is a fabulous, distinctive, entertaining album, superbly performed and great sounding. Yet you’ll struggle to find it on any mag’s best of 2022 lists (short of Prog, maybe). Eff’em all. Trust me, this is modern rock music at its finest;
Neil Young & Crazy Horse ‘World Record’ - no, not an homage to VdGG’s classic 1976 LP (now wouldn’t THAT be something) but a typically ramshackle Americana session extravagantly spread across two short CDs at double album price. He’s made better albums;
Killing Joke ‘Revelations’ - truly horrible and mesmerising. No-one else sounds like this;
Porcupine Tree ‘Closure/Continuation’ - another band you won’t hear on Later;
OM ‘With Dom Um Romao’ - OM’s third album was a collaboration with Weather Report’s one-time percussionist, sounding much like that venerable fusion group but without keyboards. Most agreeable, methinks;
Schubert: String Quintet in C (Melos Quartett/Rostropovich) - decent take of one of the most sublime chamber works of all time;
Beethoven: Diabelli Variations (Mitsuko Ushida) - a critically acclaimed reading, and justifiably so;
Gluck: Iphigénie et Auride Overture/Mozart: Piano Concerto no.25 (w.Barenboim)/Haydn: Symphony no.95/Beethoven: Symphony no.5 (all Philharmonia/Klemperer) - a reminder that the Philharmonia of the 50s and early 60s was at least the equal of any of the world’s greatest orchestras, especially when Karajan or Klemperer was in charge. And Klemperer’s 1955 Beethoven Fifth sounds pretty damn definitive to these ears.
And that’s me for another week. Good vibes to all
Dave x
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