Alice Cooper ‘Goes To Hell’ - Vince’s second solo effort from 1976 was a pale shadow of his first, let alone group classics like ‘Killer’, but it has its moments, not least ‘Go To Hell’ which almost compares to anything in his vast legacy IMHO;
Pink Floyd ‘The Endless River’ - musical tofu with no seasoning. A tedious and tuneless insult to the Pink Floyd name, and 53 minutes I’ll never get back;
Mogwai ‘As The Love Continues’ - showing the aforesaid how to do (mostly) instrumental music that matters. And how. This is as excellent as anything Mogwai has ever done;
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe S/T - this appeals to me now more than it did on its release a mental 32 years ago. In fact, it’s better than anything released under the Yes name this century;
Robert Wyatt ‘Rock Bottom’ - which seems to yield new delights every time I play it. The most unique, if not perfect, album I’ve ever heard;
Steven Wilson ‘The Future Bites’ - pure pop for now people - as Stiff once said about Nick Lowe;
Alan Price ‘Between Yesterday and Today’ - very much of its time, but there are some very fine compositions in what was something of an MOR/pop concept album based upon working class oppression. I think this resonates more with me now than it did when my dear father bought the LP back in 1974. I get it now, Dad;
Man ‘Maximum Darkness’ - Man were always better live than in the studio, as this intense concert recording royally exemplifies;
Slade ‘Slayed’ - the best album Kiss never made;
Catherine Wheel ‘Crank’ and ‘Balloon’ CD EPs - reminding me what a fine and unsung band this was. Shoegazing without yawns;
Opeth ‘Deliverance’ - super-heavy Swedish prog thrash from true masters of the art. My face assumes no manner if weird contortions listening to this;
Nazareth ‘2XS’ - forgotten early 80s effort by Dunfermline’s finest, standing up surprisingly well;
Egberto Gismonti ‘Sol Do Meio Dia’ - indefinable blend of Iberian and jazz musics making a real impression on this listener;
Egberto Gismonti ‘Danca das Cabecas’ - ditto;
Haydn: String Quartet Op.50 no.4 (Aeolian Quartet) - civilised, if a little characterless, rendering of one of my favourite Haydn utterances. The finale is delightful;
Suk: Four Pieces for Violin & Piano, Op.17 (Josef Suk & Jan Panenka) - short works full of variety of mood, masterfully played by the composer’s grandson and his compatriot;
Brahms: Symphony no.3 (Budapest Fest Orch/Ivan Fischer) - this rendition has grown on me over the last couple of weeks, especially the second movement which really sings in this fine new recording;
Schubert: Rosamunde Overture (VPO/Riccardo Muti) and Beethoven: Symphony no.5 (Philadelphia Orch/Riccardo Muti) - straight but musical performances of two early romantic masterpieces;
Mendelssohn: The Hebrides (LSO/Sir John Eliot Gardiner)
Ditto (Concertgebouw/Bernard Haitink) - one of these conductors underplays the lyricism and beauty of this genius musical painting and plays the dramatic middle section at a speed that makes it seem like it’s from a different work. The other directs it with all the tenderness and drama that Mendelssohn intended. I’ll leave you guessing which one is which.
Love your lives, all - and all within them. Don’t let them go.
Dave x
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