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Unsung Forum » Soundtracks To Our Lives w/e 24/10/20 |
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Fitter Stoke 2611 posts |
Oct 25, 2020, 00:07
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Another week closer to death partially tempered by a varied array of music, to whit: Heavy Jelly ‘I Keep Singing That Same Old Song’ - I’d love to lay claim to having an orig 45 of this staggering record but alas, I’ve only my battered ‘Nice Enough To Eat’ LP version, which still rocks despite the amount of abuse it’s suffered since I bought it in ‘76. I too keep singing the same old song but, believe me, this 1969 Guy Stevens’ produced one-off is one of the seven wonders of rock and roll (and don’t ask me to name the other six, Lauren). For me the greatest individual track Island ever released, and that’s saying something; Bruce Springsteen ‘Letter To You’ - formulaic Boss but none the worse for that (providing you’re a fan of course); if this 20th studio effort sounds more Dylanesque in places than he has done for decades, that’s probably because three of the songs predate his first LP! Needless to say, the mighty E Street Band (back on board for the first time in six years) provide sterling support. This enlivened an otherwise tedious Friday; Grateful Dead ‘Europe ‘72’ - rock’s first single artist triple live album (or was it?) features mostly songs never recorded in studio, some of which (‘He’s Gone’, ‘China Cat Sunflower’, ‘Jack Straw’, Ramble on Rose’) are as good as anything the Dead ever did. This is up there with ‘Live/Dead’ for me; Led Zeppelin ‘III’ - hadn’t played this for years. These days it’s the less epic tracks that resonate most: Friends, Tangerine, That’s The Way and Hats Off To (Roy) Harper in particular. I’ve now a mind to compile an acoustic Zep playlist for personal pleasure. That’ll leave ‘Presence’ (my fave Zep LP) pretty redundant, but hey ho; Black Flag ‘Nervous Breakdown’ & ‘Six Pack’ EPs - raw, primitive, seminal Californian punk at its primeval best. Like all great punk EPs, each plays shorter than the average single; Alice Cooper ‘Killer’ - their best album. The look and sound of the band at this time (including the subtle string arrangements) prefigured Bowie’s Ziggy phase without a doubt. The title track is truly magnificent: Furnier never sang better and the band interaction is from another planet. But the rest of the record cooks too. Check out ‘Desperado’ for example. How could anyone else dare write a song with that title after this; The Who ‘Live At Leeds’ - great as the expanded edition is, the original six track LP is the version to cherish: fifty years on, it still rocks like a rabid Staffy. Play My Generation then Magic Bus at full volume and die happy; Foo Fighters ‘One By One’ - however derivative Grohl may seem after the above, he’s keeping the hard rock flag flying high with this fine band; John Martyn ‘One World’ - nice guy John’s eighth LP was probably his last wholly satisfying full length release. Stunningly well recorded too; Earth, Wind & Fire S/T and ‘The Need Of Love’ - the first two albums from Maurice White’s soul megaband-in-waiting let loose a much freer and naturally funky sound than their better known stuff. Think prime War with hints of Sly and B,S & T and you’re there; Kevin Coyne & Dagmar Krause ‘Babble’ - easy listening, not. As lyrically harrowing as ‘Berlin’ but with a closer to home (Corrie?) feel, this is one of those albums to play once every ten years then try to forget, not because it’s bad (it’s great) but because it’s potential mindfuck. Coyne used to be an institutional nurse and boy, does it show; The Jones Girls ‘Get As Much Love As You Can’ - cool and classy Philly soul from ‘81; The Glitter Band ‘Hey!’ - never let it be said that I’m frightened to admit to gaps in taste, but hey (no pun intended), I happen to like the very distinctive sound this band made, the vile nonceries of any former associates notwithstanding. It’s too easy to forget the string of fine hit singles they scored on their own, some of which regale this first LP from 1974. Glam was innovative beyond the obvious Bolan and Ziggy base, not that you’d know it from the recent Sky Arts doc that mentioned neither Glitter (understandably) or Elton (unforgivably). Barely more than a cursory mention of Slade as well, despite Noddy’s commentary. Who compiles these things? Jethro Tull ‘50 For 50’ - this 3CD box is good value and a good one-stop-shop for the uninitiated, even if it can’t fail to exhibit Tull’s gradual artistic decline after the late 70s. With many of its tracks set out chronologically, few may get as far as the patchy third disc, thus missing out on Locomotive Breath which is cynically placed at the very end of the set; Soft Machine ‘Peel Sessions’ - sadly, the first disc of my 1990 Strange Fruit set has succumbed to CD rot and is unplayable (bye bye Moon In June:-(), but I’m still able to play the belting version of ‘As If’ which epitomises the best of the Softs’ jazz side. Phil Howard’s drumming is amazing; Aztec Camera ‘Love’ - Roddy Frame’s closest brush with world domination is dated with trebley 80s production values but chockfull of fine songs nonetheless. Jazz and classical shit following in second post. Oh, must I keep remembering? It’s time I closed the door... Dave W x
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Fitter Stoke 2611 posts |
Oct 25, 2020, 00:08
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The jazz and classical shit: Lol Coxhill ‘Ear Of Beholder’ - what happens when you give a liberally minded English improviser with a sense of humour free range in an early 70s studio (and on the street in places), this is an undisciplined, yet highly entertaining listen - the extremely un-PC final track excepted; Pat Metheny Group ‘The Road To You’ - The PMG’s second live album is a livelier affair than their first (check out ‘Third Wind’) though nowhere near as well recorded; Buddy Rich ‘Strike It Rich’ - fab Verve comp of Buddy’s mid-50s small group combos. The tracks featuring Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison on trumpet are particularly cool; Paul Desmond ‘Glad To Be Unhappy’ - lounge jazz par excellence. Desmond is my all-time musician of any genre. Also features the mighty Jim Hall on guitar; Gary Burton & Steve Swallow ‘Hotel Hello’ - one of those great early ECM titles I keep coming back to, but more upbeat than most. Burton’s clean vibes merge especially well with Swallow’s lyrical electric bass. Great electric piano on the title track too; Kenny Burrell ‘Midnight Blue’ - as idiomatic of a classic Blue Note session as it’s possible to imagine. Nice... Paul Bley ‘With Gary Peacock’ - very early ECM LP featuring recordings from as far back as ‘63 showcases Bley’s rarely heard swinging technique, compromised by a wildly out of tune piano. I’m reminded of Mrs Mills in places; Diana Krall ‘Live At Paris’ - this does things for me I’d best keep to myself but... just check out her rendition of Joni’s ‘A Case Of You’; Dexter Gordon ‘Settin’ the Pace’ (selections) - groovy Proper box set of a superb tenor sax player at his peak in the mid-40s; Dave Brubeck Quartet ‘Brubeck and Rushing’ - one-off collaboration with Jimmy Rushing which is too sheerly entertaining for meaningful criticism. This is just... fun; Miles Davis ‘Cookin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet’ - Miles’ technique was more assured in the Prestige days before hard drugs took hold. Okay, the real innovation was yet to come, but here is as good a place as any to hear just how good a trumpeter he was; Miles Davis ‘Bitches Brew’ - as influential as this is, I think its followers (including the sidemen on this very album) did the fusion thing better afterwards. It just sounds dated to me. I dig Miles - muchly - but for me better records under his name came before and after this; Steve Lacy with Don Cherry ‘Evidence’ - on which the young Don C out-Miles’s his greatest influence with aplomb. Lacy is also well on form, notably on Monk’s ‘Let’s Cool One’, which throws in a mean drum solo from Billy Higgins for good measure; Maynard Ferguson ‘Alive & Well In London’ - the nearest my dear old dad ever got to buying a rock album, this ‘71 release features some great big band arrangements of contemporary pop tunes by Keith Mansfield and Kenny Wheeler. Needless to say, subtlety is rare with Maynard but my, THIS is trumpet technique! Elgar: Organ Sonata (John Scott) - big, big work played for all it’s worth on the great St Paul’s Cathedral organ. Scott was a superb player who died prematurely; William Mathias: Organ Music (John Scott) more Scott St Paul’s magic, this time of the music of one of Wales’ finest composers; Haydn: Piano Trio Hob.XV:10 & and Schubert: Piano Trio no.2 (Stern/Istomin/Rose) - two absorbing E flat trios immaculately rendered by three great 20th century US musicians; Mozart: Concerto in F for 3 pianos & orch, K 242 (Kocsis/Rankl/Schiff/Hungarian State O/Janos Ferencsik) - a delightfully twee yet tuneful early concerto played with poise and charm; Mozart: Sonata for bassoon & cello, K 292 (Klaus Thunemann & Stephen Orton) - another of my sad ‘play the right K on the right day’ choices revealed this obscure chamber delight. I’ll probably never play it again but it was a pleasant enough way to see off ten semi-locked down minutes; Dvorak: Symphony no.8 (Philadelphia/Wolfgang Sawallisch) - typically thick sounding Philadelphia recording but a fine, if slightly over-Germanic, interpretation by an underrated conductor; Strauss: Metamorphosen (BPO/ Karajan) - the second of Karajan’s three recordings of this heartfelt masterpiece really shows off the rich, burnished glow of the Berlin strings; Veress: String Trio & Bartok: Piano Quintet (Nicolas Alstaedt etc) - Gramophone’s Chamber album of the year is a justified winner, combining an early (and unusually Brahmsian) piece by Bartok with a little known string trio by his pupil. Enjoyable as the quintet is, it’s the later work that is the most individual and packs the greater emotional punch, especially in this idiomatic performance. Serialism without tears, and worth a punt for the curious; Bruckner: Motets (Choir of St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh/Duncan Ferguson) - lovely choral music deserving of greater recognition, especially when rendered as exquisitely as here; Ravel: Sheherazade (Suzanne Danco/OSR/Ernest Ansermet) - this soprano and conductor are as right for this music as anyone could wish. This is the earlier and best of the two recordings they made of this Klingsor-worded song cycle; Suzanne Danco: Opera and oratorio arias - from Decca’s new box of her complete recitals (as is the last named), it’s enlightening to hear some familiar (and less so) extracts as a collection. Danco’s vibrato-rich soprano won’t appeal to all but I think she was without peer in French language repertoire like Faure, Honegger, Ravel and Debussy. Her Mozart was pretty respectable too; Mahler: Symphony no.7 (Chicago SO/Solti) - no longueurs in this typically thrusting Solti recording, but this lacks the subtlety that Haitink provided in this work; Weber: Der Freischuetz Overture & Beethoven: Symphony no.6 (Concertgebouw/Willem Mengelberg) - crumbly old recordings by a controversial Dutch conductor with a highly personal style. Not for everyday listening but, wow! Beethoven: Piano Sonatas nos.4 & 21 ‘Waldstein’ (Daniel Barenboim) - powerful playing from Barenboim’s second (1984) cycle. I wonder what his imminent fifth (!) set will sound like; Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand (Cortot/Paris Cons/Munch) - another 78-era recording by a French master pianist. How anyone could play this with two hands - let alone one - is beyond me!
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1001realapes 2387 posts |
Oct 25, 2020, 04:43
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David Bowie - st 1967 (Mono from DE) The Incredible String Band - Changing Horses Andrew Leigh - Magician Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Grow Fins (disc 1) Shocking Blue - Singles A's & B's Vol. 2 Mariska Veres and Shocking Quintet - Shocking You Mercyful Fate - st EP Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath The Grateful Dead - st (MONO) Jethro Tull - Stormwatch DE Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao Mayhem - Daemon Mortiis - The Unraveling Mind Thom Yorke - Suspiria (disc 2) Arlo Guthrie - st Sun Ra - Strange Celestial Road ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES in the dark - st V.A. - AM Gold 1970
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garerama 1111 posts |
Oct 25, 2020, 08:36
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American Music Club - Engine / California / United Kingdom David Bowie - Low / "Heroes" Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day Gene Clark - White Light / No Other The Clash - S/t / Give 'Em Enough Rope Cold Sun - Dark Shadows Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Rattlesnakes / Easy Pieces John Coltrane - Blue Train / A Love Supreme Julian Cope - Skellington 3 / Self Civil War Dope - The Dee Dee Ramone Story / Semi-Legal On The Edge Of Culture Echo & The Bunnymen - Porcupine / Ocean Rain Flux - Uncarved Block Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto Grateful Dead - Anthem Of The Sun (1971 remix) / Aoxomoxoa (original mix) / Live Dead / Europe '72 Peter Hammill - Fool's Mate / Nadir's Big Chance Human League - Dare Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures / Peel Sessions The Roches - S/t Wayne Shorter - Juju / Speak No Evil / The Soothsayer / The All Seeing Eye / Footprints Live! Silver Apples - S/t / Contact Talk Talk - Laughing Stock Tangerine Dream - Phaedra / Ricochet The 13th Floor Elevators - Psychedelic Sounds Of ... (mono/ stereo) Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground & Nico / White Light White Heat XTC - 25 O'Clock (Dukes Of Stratosphear) / Apple Venus
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jb lamptoast-morsley 2447 posts |
Oct 25, 2020, 13:05
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Fitter Stoke wrote: Soft Machine ‘Peel Sessions’ - sadly, the first disc of my 1990 Strange Fruit set has succumbed to CD rot and is unplayable (bye bye Moon In June:-(), but I’m still able to play the belting version of ‘As If’ which epitomises the best of the Softs’ jazz side. Phil Howard’s drumming is amazing; Dunno if anyone else does this, but whenever I have a cd that is unplayable, I find that one can still rip it to the computer and burn off another copy
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jb lamptoast-morsley 2447 posts |
Oct 25, 2020, 13:21
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Been listening to a fair bit of Dope. Semi Legal and the environmental studies album and EP. Particularly liked Joe Absolom from the former and Yamaha ride from the latter. Up there with some of his finer output. The latter being delightfully jaunty and reggae infused. The former, bard-like. Also been listening to that TPS album that Mongo recommended which was a nice slab of synth and that live album of Coil from ATP. Elsewhere: Herbie Hancock - Sextet and Headhunters several times. The former gaining most favour from the fusion flavours Help album - 95. a Who's who of britpop at the time I suppose. Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind & The light is leaving us. That delightfully oddball David Tibet! The Underground scene comprising Coil, this lot and Nurse with wound (for some reason you have to put these 3 together - probably due to shared memberships) are now established on my radar. They do seem obsessed with Christ. Also whilst searching for Coil output on Youtube, I refamiliarised myself with Matthew Collings Hello Culture episode on nihilism which included a segment with coil.
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flashbackcaruso 1056 posts |
Oct 25, 2020, 14:40
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Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs Yo La Tengo - Fade Yo La Tengo - Stuff Like That There Yo La Tengo - There's A Riot Going On Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection Elton John - 17-11-70 Elton John - A Very Special Collection (1970 Japan comp) Elton John - BBC Sessions 1969-1970 Scott Walker - Scott 3 Scott Walker - Sings Songs From His TV Series Scott Walker - Live On Air 1968-1969 Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark - Architecture & Morality Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark - Dazzle Ships Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark - Dazzle Ships Live Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark - Navigation: The OMD B-Sides Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark - Peel Sessions 1978-1983 (went looking for the OMitD (geddit?) 1983 version of 'Bunker Soldiers' on YouTube and found the the original broadcasts of all these sessions in excellent sound quality complete with Peel's links. This is the way I'll listen to this album from now on). Leslie Duncan - Sing Children Sing Bee Gees - Life In A Tin Can Bee Gees - Mr Natural Bee Gees - Main Course Bee Gees - Children Of The World Bee Gees etc. - Saturday Night Fever Bee Gees - Spirits Having Flown Bee Gees - Living Eyes XTC - Skylarking XTC - Oranges & Lemons XTC - Nonsuch Flying Saucer Attack - Heartbeat/Complete
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Monganaut 2375 posts |
Oct 25, 2020, 18:49
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jb lamptoast-morsley wrote: Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind & The light is leaving us. That delightfully oddball David Tibet! The Underground scene comprising Coil, this lot and Nurse with wound (for some reason you have to put these 3 together - probably due to shared memberships) are now established on my radar. They do seem obsessed with Christ. Also whilst searching for Coil output on Youtube, I refamiliarised myself with Matthew Collings Hello Culture episode on nihilism which included a segment with coil. Now yer semi hooked, you'll probably enjoy the England's Hidden Reverse book by David Keenan. Lots of background info on all three groups, and lots more besides. Fascinating read on England's esoteric underground. Don't try and buy it (unless you've a copy already of coarse) even the recentish (2016/17?) repress seems to demand stupid money. There is a free PDF here that works (I downloaded it to to test it.).... https://kupdf.net/download/england39s-hidden-reverse_597cf6addc0d60c8172bb183_pdf
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Monganaut 2375 posts |
Edited Oct 25, 2020, 19:19
Oct 25, 2020, 19:19
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The Missus and myself have just returned from a pleasant autumnal ramble at NT owned Dudmaston Woods in Shropshire. Though the late-ish Indian Summer we had has played havoc with me body clock, and where I usually embrace all things Autumnal (it's my fav season usually) I feel a little cheated this year at it getting dark so flipping early. Anyhoo, not much this week. Craven Faults - Live Works This is an outstanding slab of arpeggiated and washes Berlin School style electronics. New record 'Enclosures' out Nov 27 chill lovers! https://cravenfaults.bandcamp.com/ Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar I love this, Holywood and Mechanical Animals, they metally elctro glam sound he has fer these trilogy of albums really floats my boat. Psychedelic Furs - Made Of Rain Really enjoying the latest PF album, top rock album, not a duffer on it. https://thepsychedelicfurs.bandcamp.com/album/made-of-rain John Foxx - The Garden 2CD Become a bit obsessed with this record over the last few weeks. I hated it on release back in the 80's as it wasn't Metamatic Mk II ( stupidly I think I gave my vinyl copy away in disgust a few weeks after purchase I was so unimpressed). Now there's time and distance between the two records I can appreciate the difference in sound and approach, and even spot the Metamatic leftovers/reworks slipped into the album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US1WrdE_tEI&list=PLijPiy4xM0hejB5uX3A1PbJb2dTQ6UbDO Dope/Cope - Semi Legal on the Edge of Culture, Floored Genius 1, Floored Genius II, Autogeddon, Saint Julian. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love (Demos) Pretty much fully formed versions of the album in demo form. Nice to hear though, as it's prob my fav Peej album. Weirdly got stuck in a time tunnel vortex this week and binge watched all those 'Shoestring' episodes on youtube. Remember enjoying it as a kid, and tbh it hasn't aged as bad as some detective shows of the same era. Lots of views of Bristol (well mostly Clifton area) and Somerset environs. Most episodes are small stories. It's a nice antidote to the overplayed violence and explosions, or serial killer plots of the modern ilk. Have a safe week and keep well Y'all!
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keith a 9573 posts |
Oct 26, 2020, 13:39
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Ma – Devendra Banhart I wasn't keen on his last one but this is rather lovely and has been getting a lot of plays here. World Shut Your Mouth – Julian Cope Semi-Legal On The Edge Of Culture – Dope I celebrated the Arch Drude's birthday last week by listening to his fabulous debut solo LP. Head Hang Low is one of my favourite ever tracks, but this week Strasbourg, An Elegant Chaos and The Lunatic & Fire Pistol were the ones that really did it for me. File under 'Flawed Masterpiece!' Egypt Station - Paul McCartney I've been playing this 2018 Macca album a lot of late. I'm not that familiar with a lot of his post-Wings stuff so I'm not in a position to say whether, as some say, it's his best in a long time but it is very enjoyable indeed! Cum On Feel The Hitz – Slade As a fan of their big rivals, I had an on-off, love/hate relationship with these fella's! Nonetheless I love some of theirs, especially Coz I Love You and the under-rated In For A Penny. Funny how some records still get played nowadays but others seem to get forgotten about and Take Me Bak 'Ome definitely fits into that latter category. It got to number one for god's sake but you just never hear it these days. Also... Roisin Machine – Roisin Murphy Red – Black Uhuru Gold Record – Bill Callahan La Vita Nuova (EP) – Christine & the Queens I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep - Ghostpoet Fall To Pieces – Tricky 10:20 - Wire
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