You have not been paying attention:
Fairport Convention ‘Unhalfbricking’ - that these young bucks released three near perfect albums, suffered a horrific road crash that totalled their original drummer (plus Richard Thompson’s girlfriend) and created their own genre within one remarkable year is the stuff of legend. This, the second of that sequence but their third album proper, still thrills me to the bone. Sandy, I love you. And Richard: if Tom Verlaine hadn’t (sadly) left this mortal coil, you could have validly sued him for aping your sound in ‘A Sailor’s Life’ (I’m kidding, but no fan of both artists could fail to recognise the similarity). I haven’t even mentioned the second theme of Sandy’s ‘Autopsy’ (“Come lend your time to me…”) which literally makes me weep. Oh, wharra band;
Radiohead ‘Hail To The Thief’ - what I suppose must now be regarded as Radiohead’s middle period yields me more pleasure than it did first time around, especially this album which successfully blends their rock and left field elements into a thoroughly cohesive whole. Did they ever make a finer 45 than ‘There There’? Well, yes they did, but still…;
Sassafras ‘Wheelin and Dealin’ - lost in the pre-punk melee of mediocrity were a bunch of decent bands that the reference books forgot. Sassafras were one of them, and their second album (of just three) is their best legacy: seven fine rocking originals and a take on ‘Ohio’ that threatens to outdo the CSNY original in sheer feel. Man possibly excepted, I struggle to think of a finer Welsh band;
Marillion ‘An Hour Before It’s Dark’ - I’d deliberately not listened to this since last year for fear I’d grow tired of its magnificence. What a joy it was to play it again this week. Doubters be assured: this is intelligent, inventive rock music with real heart and maturity;
Magazine ‘Secondhand Daylight’ - it’s commonplace for critics to place ‘The Correct Use Of Soap’ as Magazine’s artistic apex, but I’ve always preferred their sophomore effort for its proggy elements and uniquely ethereal sound. They never matched the intensity of ‘Cut Out Shapes’ or ‘Back To Nature’, to name but two of this near-perfect album’s masterpieces. And no bassist ever made a better case for a flange pedal than Barry Adamson here;
Keith Jarrett ‘Fort Yawuh’ - Jarrett’s so-called American Quartet made some excellent records for Impulse! and ECM. This 1973 date captures them at their - often manic - best;
Keith Jarrett ‘No End’ - where a master pianist picks up an electric guitar and records his muse on a cassette recorder, only to be released in two CDs thirty years later. This should be shit. That it isn’t is down to the man’s creativity and limitless imagination. It does pall in places but hey, could you do better? Think Jerry Garcia in private and you might get a hint. Jarrett’s no Jerry but he brushes that guru enough to pick up more than a flash of his style. Worth more than a curious sample, honestly;
Wednesday night upstairs at The Lounge, Lerwick - I’ve regularly holidayed in Shetland for over thirty years and the traditional musicians - usually with just fiddles, accordion and upright piano - never fail to impress me. This week they were particularly cooking. Hey, this ain’t rock’n’roll, but you can really feel the groove when these dudes take flight;
Sibelius: Symphonies 3 & 7 (Halle/Elder) - Elder’s live Sibelius cycle is a little patchy but when it’s good - as here - it’s excellent. In fact, I’ve yet to hear a finer Third than this.
We’re up in the air
We’re down on the ground.
Happy vibes to all
Dave x
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