It’s time to get your skates on:
Jim Capaldi ‘Whale Meat Again’, ‘The Contender’ and ‘Sweet Smell of Success’ - variable but enjoyable albums by Traffic’s second most talented member. If that sounds sniffy, I mean no disrespect: Jim had a fine voice, lyrical distinction, and great taste in musical accompanists. The end result was albums that were never short of quality. He’s missed;
Nils Lofgren ‘Time Fades Away’ & ‘Wonderland’ - two newly reissued early 80s albums, the earlier being decent power pop, the latter grittier and rockier. Glad to have both on CD at last;
Big Big Train ‘The Likes Of Us’ - it’s good to know that tuneful, beautifully rendered rock like this is still being made. That it could have been made fifty years ago is beside the point: class is timeless;
Montrose S/T - what seems cliched as owt these days must’ve been a breath of fresh air back in 1973. Compared with many of its contemporaries, this was pretty fucking heavy…
Saxon ‘Call To Arms’ … but this is heavier. Jeez, is this HARD. Check out that amazing riff on ‘Hammer of the Gods’. And it’s not even the best riff on the album! I don’t care how uncool metal may be when it rocks this hard;
Kiss ‘Hotter Than Hell’ - great songs but, unlike Montrose, sub-par engineering sapped much of the band’s energy. Those tracks re-recorded for ‘Alive!’ sounded so much better;
Steven Wilson ‘Grace For Drowning’ - I can sense more than a little influence from all those remixed Crimson albums in SW’s second solo effort which, although too long, makes for a engrossing listen;
Gary Wright ‘The Dream Weaver’ - it’s too easy to diss a record like this for being too light on the ear or too undemanding but, believe me, this is one class platter. Rock and roll doesn’t always have to shake my spine to hit my pleasure spots (but hey, that fucking Saxon album…);
Richard & Linda Thompson ‘First Light’ - I’m of the opinion that R&L were at their best in their earliest and last albums. The ones in the middle - specifically this one - are a bit ordinary. Lacklustre production doesn’t help. But who am I to sniff at talent like theirs;
David Sylvian ‘Blemish’ - I admire this album more with each passing year, its quiet abstraction and close miked vocal providing the perfect accompaniment for my domestic solitude (that sodding Saxon album notwithstanding):
David Sylvian ‘When We Return You Won’t Recognise Us’ - total improvisation this time, as out there as this music can possibly get, yet still subtly satisfying… Saxon memories aside (OK, I think I’ve made my point);
Don Byas ‘Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944-1946’ (Discs 1 & 2) - I love sax, me;
Haydn: 3 String Quartets, Op.54 (Festetics Quartet) - a delve back into my favourite Haydn box, every one of these twelve delightful movements rendered precisely to my taste. Sigh;
Birtwistle: String Quartet ‘The Tree Of Strings’ (Arditti Quartet) - one of Birtwistle’s most accessible scores, not that it isn’t still one weird half an hour. I can’t imagine it ever being played better than this;
Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture & Symphony no.5 (Cologne RSO/Rafael Kubelik) - straight down the middle performances of two Mendelssohn masterpieces;
Beethoven: Symphony no.1 (Concertgebouw/David Zinman) - 2010 live recording, swift and sure;
Beethoven: Leonore 3 Overture (Dorati)/Mozart: Symphony no.41 (Abbado)/Holst: The Planets (Previn) - I fancied a LSO night on Monday and played these CDs covering 1960 through to 1980. I was well happy with them all;
Bach: French Suites (Edward Aldwell) - I love to hear Bach played on a modern piano, particularly without the vocal obligati of a certain great Canadian advocate;
Mozart: Piano Concerto no.20 (Rudolf Serkin/Col SO/George Szell) - a great performance with conductor and soloist in perfect accord, looking not just at the notes but behind them.
And that's another week over.
Take care out there, friends.
Dave x
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