One more Saturday night:
The Smiths ‘The Queen Is Dead’ - for sadly obvious reasons, I couldn’t help but focus upon Andy Rourke’s bass lines when spinning this again. It’s too easy to take for granted just how inventive and essential he was to the band’s sound;
Nick Lowe ‘Jesus Of Cool’ - at all stages of his long career, Basher has delivered the goods. His first solo album is of its time but still as fresh as a daisy. He’s always had a way with a tune and an ascorbic turn of phrase. I dig his mood, both then and now;
Yes ‘Mirror To The Sky’ - following the immense letdown that was ‘The Quest’, I’d pretty much given up on what’s left of Yes as a viable act. A sly stream of their new album has, however, been a pleasant surprise: the title track being their best long-format song since 1977’s ‘Awaken’. This gets close to the Yes spirit and sound even if they’re little more than a tribute band these days;
Graham Nash ‘Now’ - no new directions here - well, the guy’s 81: whadya expect - but he’s still got what he always has had - except David Crosby, of course;
Metallica ‘72 Seasons’ - ain’t no words to describe this, other than it rocks like a female hound, if you catch my drift;
Ultravox ‘Systems Of Romance’ - John Foxx’s Ultravox swansong still sounds sophisticated and original. Why they never broke big under his leadership will always puzzle me;
Aztec Camera ‘Knife’ - most of Roddy’s 80s albums suffer from over-production (as do so many others’) but the quality of his songs still shine through. He has a unique gift for melody;
The Teardrop Explodes ‘Kilimanjaro’ (orig mix) - as anticipation for the Teardrops’ box set reaches fever pitch (we aren’t all professional reviewers, alas), I’ve had to re-thrill to this. Timeless;
Klaus Schulze ‘Cyborg’ - four continents of transcendental synthesised sound, moving at suitably glacial pace;
Streetwalkers ‘Downtown Flyers’ - funkier and rockier than Family, and blessed with even more emotive vocals than Roger Chapman had demonstrated in his earlier band. Features a pre-Maiden Nicko on drums;
Robert Plant ‘Pictures At Eleven’ - Percy’s solo debut was a good one, distinctively un-Zep enough (‘Slow Dancer’ excepted) to make its own mark but with enough clout to keep his faithful happy. I’ve always loved Robbie Blunt’s restrained technique on Plant’s early albums;
Can ‘Ege Bamyasi’ - possibly the most user friendly (i.e. undemanding) album of Can’s classic period and, as with most of their output, quite timeless in its infectious appeal;
Art Ensemble of Chicago ‘Nice Guys’ - improvisation rarely gets this approachable. The AEC had a knack of keeping one listening in wonder of what’s coming next;
Haydn: String Quartets Op.9 no.1, Op.54 no.1 & Op.103 (Buchberger Quartet) - random dips into the ultra cheap Brilliant Classics’ Haydn Edition: these are really very good, though recorded within a slightly over resonant acoustic;
Haydn: 6 String Quartets, Op.76 (Doric String Quartet) - there’s a near-ideal compromise of sensitivity and musicality here in Haydn’s best loved series of quartets. The Dorics have the ability to look beyond the notes in the score to reveal all sides of Haydn’s muse. I have yet to hear a finer rendition of Op.76 than this;
Haydn: 2 String Quartets, Op.77 (Smithson Quartet) - straight laced, tasteful performances from this 35 year old CD. Aren’t charity shops good;
Haydn: Missa in hororem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae (Christ Church Cathedral Oxford Choir/AAM/Simon Preston) - hard to fault such lovely music as well performed as here;
Sibelius: Finlandia/Mozart: Flute & Harp Concerto/Tchaikovsky: Symphony no.5 (all BPO/Herbert von Karajan) - some of the records from Karajan’s second EMI stint seem to have a particular intensity. This Tchaikovsky Fifth from 1971 is quite unlike his other recordings of the work: quite a performance of extremes, and fascinatingly so. And his Finlandia from 1976 really packs a punch. A pre-fame James Galway shines in the Mozart;
Mozart: Symphony no.41 ‘Jupiter’ (Staatskapelle Dresden/Sir Colin Davis) - another charity shop find: old school “big band” Mozart played just right.
I can’t stay long.
Enjoy the sunshine and enjoy your sounds, dear friends
Dave x
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