Released as a companion piece to 'Living in the Material World', the excellent documentary film by Martin Scorsese, this CD offers ten demos and early takes by George Harrison.
When a well documented hoard of recordings was discovered at Friar Park, Harrison's mansion, by his widow Olivia, the task of sorting through them and preparing them for release fell into the capable hands of Giles Martin, son of legendary producer, George. And a great job he has made of what is hoped will be a series of releases.
It is very interesting to hear some of these recordings before they were over produced on the officially released albums. The set kicks off with a version of 'My Sweet Lord' featuring Harrison on acoustic guitar backed by Klaus Voorman on bass and Ringo on drums. The following 'Run of the Mill' features George alone and is in my opinion far superior to the version that appeared on George's first album 'All Things Must Pass'.
I have in my collection a bootleg entitled 'Beware of ABKCO' which also features stripped down demos of many of George's early songs recorded at his home. I love this album as it is just George, occasionally augmented by one or two other musicians, trying out these new songs on acoustic guitar. In between the songs George can be heard coughing, clearing his throat or commenting upon the songs - for example mentioning that he hasn't completed all of the words. Listening to it is like having George playing in my living room. It is that intimate!
Hearing the songs in this format makes one realise just how good they actually are and it brings to mind the two totally different versions of 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' that exist. The version we all know from the White Album and the acoustic demo eventually released on the 'Anthology' set. It is like hearing two totally different songs, each one wonderful in its own right.
This latest set is similar but most of the songs have reached the later stage of being recorded in the studio rather that in George's home. Among the songs included is a nice version of Dylan's 'Mama, You've Been On My Mind' and The Everly Brothers 'Let it be me' apparently recorded immediately after Harrison had seen The Everlys at their Royal Albert Hall reunion concert in 1983.
This is a nice album and a lovely reminder of what a great songwriter and performing artist George was. I look forward to more if this material being issued in the future.
I am currently listening to the album 'Young Man in America' by Anais Mitchell the Vermont born singer songwriter who gained something of a cult following with her previous release, the folk-opera, 'Hadestown'.
First, I will get out of the way the subject of her voice which is fairly unique but to my ears falls somewhere between Joanna Newsom and Laura Viers with shades of Rickie Lee Jones. I admit that her voice will not be to everyone's taste BUT I implore you to stick with it. Believe me when I say that this album is something quite special. Despite the almost child like quality of the voice, the songs deal with real life issues in ways that could not be less whimsical or sentimental.
The music is subtle, the accompaniment tasteful and the words are thought provoking and compelling. Themes recur throughout the songs particularly references to the mother as a shelterer and the father as a shepherd. The relationship between parents and children features heavily throughout and the track 'Shepherd' is actually based upon a novel written as a young man by her own father, Don Mitchell. a picture of whom appears on the album cover.
Credit should go to producer and bassist Todd Sickafoose and the collected musicians who perform on this album. Each listen reveals something fresh whether it be the subtly chiming bells on the title track, the open trumpet backed by spiky electric guitar on 'You Are Forgiven', or the sublime mandolin on 'Dyin' Day'. On such a strong album it's impossible to name stand out tracks but if forced I'll stick my neck out and suggest the title track and the album closer, 'Ships'.
Musically the closest comparison I can make is the aforementioned Laura Viers especially on 'Dyin' Day' which reminds me of Viers circa 'Carbon Glacier'. However, forget comparisons. Anais Mitchell has come up with a unique and wonderful album. I am not yet familiar with her earlier work but I will be delving into her back catalogue very soon. Also my sources tell me that next month she will be performing live in the intimate setting of The Cluny 2 just outside Newcastle upon Tyne. I intend to be there.
On 11th May I blogged on the subject of hearing the first song released from the forthcoming album 'Americana' by Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Despite my initial apathy towards an album of American folk classics, upon hearing the track 'Oh Susanna', I was suitably impressed and looking forward to the release date early in June.
I have carefully avoided listening to other tracks from the album that have been trickling out via the internet since my original post. It was my decision to wait for the album release and reserve judgement until then, however my curiosity got the better of me and I have the given the album closer 'God Save The Queen' a listen.Young's decision to include this song has caused a certain amount of controversy being our national anthem performed by a Canadian who has lived in the USA for most of his life.
I am as patriotic as the next Englishman but I have never particularly liked our anthem as a song. Frankly it doesn't move me or stir my patriotic juices. (I find 'Land of Hope and Glory' more stirring and 'Jerusalem' more moving). I am not offended or insulted by it being performed by a Canadian and a bunch of American rockers but I was intrigued to hear how they would approach it.
Well the track begins with Young playing the melody on grungy electric guitar over a ponderous (and monotonous) drum beat. Briefly a choir comes in before Young begins singing the familiar words. About half way through, the choir take over singing the melody and so it continues until thankfully the song ends.
In my opinion, it is dreadful!
This is something I have listened to once and never wish to hear again. I ended my last blog on this subject by saying roll on 5th June (the album release date) but after hearing this tosh, I return to my original apathy about the whole project. Roll on the first album of original songs from the reunited Neil Young & Crazy Horse, which I hear is scheduled for later this year.
I am not a conspiracy theorist or anything (although I happen to think that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone), however I was told recently that the British government have been messing with our weather. This would certainly explain some of the strange (even for Britain) weather we have experienced this year. The warmest, driest March that anyone can remember followed by the wettest, coldest April and May since the 17th century. What's going on?
So why would anyone want to control our weather patterns? Perhaps to eradicate drought and famine in regions affected by such things? Not according to my sources - who shall remain nameless. No, the reason given for such shenanigans is to ensure that Britain basks in glorious weather during the forthcoming Olympics.
"Total tosh", I hear some of you say and normally I would agree. However when I visited Beijing last year, my English speaking guide told me that during the Beijing Olympics four years ago, the Chinese government did exactly that. And apparently it worked!
The idea involved shooting specially designed rockets and artillery shells into the clouds and this is something the Chinese have been working on since 1958 - not I hasten to add to ensure good clear weather for the Olympics but as a means of producing rain for farmers, staving off drought and clearing air pollution.
Rather than ramble on further here, I prefer to provide a few links to websites found during a rudimentary search on Google. Have a read and make up your own mind.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8587725.stm
http://www.naturalnews.com/030998_weather_control_Abu_Dhabi.html
http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1207.cfm
I am now looking forward to the London Olympics purely so that I can get out and enjoy the sunshine.
This is a hefty package and does not come cheap. Thankfully someone cared enough about me to do a deal with Santa one Christmas. A flip top box contains a total of 52 albums spread over 70 discs. In other words the complete released output of Miles Davis on the Columbia label spanning the years 1949-1985.
And that's a lot of great music!
Additionally the box also contains a previously unreleased DVD of a 1967 European tour by the Miles Davis Quintet featuring Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams. Also a 250 page hardback book containing a short biography and notes and track lists of all of the albums included in the set.
So what about the quality of the box contents?
Well, the quality of the music is undeniable, after all, this is Miles Davis. The albums have all been remastered and many include bonus tracks that were not available on the original release. As there is a fair amount of live material included, there is inevitably some repetition of tracks, but as this is jazz and Miles never played a song the same way twice, it is interesting to compare different versions. Each album also comes in it's own mini replica cardboard LP sleeve. They look very nice but if I have a slight criticism of the package, it is in the quality of the album sleeves. They are not as robust nor as big as the recent mono box releases by The Beatles or Bob Dylan. Nevertheless this is a wonderful set and if you are a fan of Miles Davis and don't already own most of his Columbia albums, then this set is worth being good for. Who knows, in return, Santa might be good to you.
Incidentally, if you should be seeking a really good biography of Miles, I can highly recommend 'Miles Davis The Definitive Biography' by the late Ian Carr. As Carr was himself a jazz trumpeter, he knows his subject and this book is a fascinating and informative read.
First published by Harper Collins in 1998, it is to the best of my knowledge still available.
This book has been in my collection for about a year now so it's time I made my feelings known.
I suspect you know this already but just in case you don't, John French was the drummer with Captain Beefheart's Magic Band between 1966 and 1972 and again between 1976 and 1980. Drumbo was the nickname bestowed upon him by Beefheart during the recording sessions for the infamous 'Trout Mask Replica' album and this 864 page book is the fascinating story of what happened during his time with the band.
Because of the sheer size of this book, reading it has been something of a labour of love and I am grateful that French has broken it up into relatively short chapters, so it is a book which can be dipped in and out of - hence the time it has taken me to read so far. I should add that I am not yet finished but have made it far enough to have formed an opinion. And that opinion is very favourable. Writing this work must surely have been a labour of love for French and I understand that there were times when he almost gave up, wondering if he was wasting his time and should perhaps be doing something more productive. I'm pleased he persevered!
My problem with books of this type dealing with events that occurred over 40 years ago, is how much we can rely on the memory of the author. French overcomes this problem by incorporating contemporaneous interviews with other band members and other people who were there at the time. Occasionally this will lead to slight disagreements about the finer details but curiously this only adds to the charm and authenticity of the book. Throughout French writes in a conversational style and he includes a wealth of humorous anecdotes. It is clear that he never found Beefheart himself easy to work with and there are numerous occasions where he was verbally or even physically abused by the controversial band leader, even to the point of being thrown down stairs at the culmination of the Trout Mask sessions. Nevertheless French appears to deal with his subject in a fair manner.
I should say that this is not a biography of French, nor of Beefheart. For the latter, I would suggest the very fine book 'Captain Beefheart' by Mike Barnes (Quartet Books). Fans of Beefheart will find that French does not cover the period 1972 to 1974 simply because he was not there at the time. One very enlightening part of the book comes in a section at the end in which French comments on each track from every official Beefheart album on which he appeared. Obviously this excludes 'Unconditionally Guaranteed' and 'Bluejeans & Moonbeams'. His thoughts on these works are never less than fascinating and they have shed a fresh light on the music which has certainly enhanced my enjoyment.
If you are interested in the work of Captain Beefheart, I would recommend this book which is still available and is published in hardback by Proper Music Publishing Limited.
One of the most unpredictable and dramatic English Premier League seasons ended shortly before 5.00 pm on Sunday afternoon. What a season it was!
Who would have thought that Manchester United would beat Arsenal 8-2 or that United themselves would get hammered in their own back yard by their 'noisy neighbours' Manchester City? Who would have thought that Newcastle United would on the final day of the season, have a chance of finishing third, but eventually finish a commendable fifth? And who would have thought that the two Manchester clubs would finish level on points after each of them in turn had held a significant points lead? Who would have thought at 4.50 pm that United would have their 20th championship snatched from them with only seconds to spare? As I said, what a season it was. It's why the English Premiership remains, if not technically the best in the world, then surely the most exciting. Roll on next season!
In the wake of all that excitement I learn that Liverpool have parted company with their manager and talisman, 'king' Kenny Dalglish. And quite right too I say!
The reasons for his dismissal are no doubt the fact that Liverpool finished outside the top six (they finished 8th) and worse still they finished four points behind neighbours and rivals, Everton. True, they won one trophy and reached another cup final but in modern day football for a club like Liverpool, that is not sufficient.
Personally I feel that the departure of Dalglish should have occurred much earlier in the season and have had nothing to do with their results on the pitch. I refer to his total mishandling of what has become known as 'the Luis Suarez affair'. Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra back in October last year. He was subsequently fined and banned for eight matches. Despite the fact that an independent report found that Suarez gave unreliable evidence and 'damaged the image of English football around the world', Dalglish stood by his player and even appeared in front of TV cameras wearing a tee shirt in support of the Uruguayan. He then compounded the situation in a post match interview after Suarez had refused to shake the hand of Evra. Thankfully Dalglish apologised the following day for not conducting himself in a way befitting a Liverpool manager. Too little too late! In my opinion it was then that the axe should have fallen.
There is no doubting the love and passion that Dalglish has for his club nor that the fans idolise him. However there is no place for sentiment in the running of a football club and the club now have to look elsewhere for a replacement. I for one will not mourn the fall of 'the king'.
Following a very enjoyable walk with friends yesterday in the Northumberland country side, we convened in a Newcastle pub for a natter and a few pints of good ale. Among the many subjects that came up for discussion was a recent TV programme about the thrills, spills and dangers of motor racing in years gone by. This led me to raise the topic of a board game that I had owned as a child. It was called Formula 1 and was manufactured by Waddingtons.
The game differed from others at the time because the dice did not determine how far or fast the plastic racing cars moved around the track. Instead the player determined their own speed but made decisions whether to take the bends and corners at the suggested speeds or to take a risk and exceed these. If the speeds were exceeded the dice were then rolled to establish the penalty in brake or tyre wear. The speeds and wear and tear were controlled on a cardboard dashboard for each vehicle. Excessive wear meant a visit to the pits where the dials were reset to zero.
As a kid I loved the game but until yesterday I had never met anyone else who had owned one. To my surprise I found that three of my friends had owned a set and loved it. It seems that the game is no longer manufactured and board games generally have given way to computer games. My own two sons used to claim that board games were so called because you got bored playing them! A quick internet search revealed that there are collectors out there prepared to bid for such games on ebay and similar sites. I am almost tempted to make a bid myself and get the lads round for a chance to recapture our childhood.
I don't know what it is about UK TV at the moment but we seem to be in a sad state. Unless you're a fan of soap operas, period dramas, so called reality TV, makeover programmes, cookery or antiques, there is little to entertain you regardless of how super-duper your state of the art HD plasma-screen box might be.
I mean, let's face it, Eastenders is bloody miserable, Corrie hasn't been the same since Stan Ogden snuffed it and how many TV chefs do we need for Pete's sake? Even the current series of The Apprentice seems disappointing somehow. I don't know if it is becoming repetitive or if the current contenders are a pale imitation of their predecessors (come back Stuart Baggs - all is forgiven). All in all, it's a sad state of affairs.
A few years ago I turned to the American HBO dramas such as 'The West Wing', 'The Sopranos' and in my opinion the best of all, 'The Wire'. Possibly the best drama ever to appear on the small screen. Now, I am turning my attention to Scandinavia.
I first became acquainted with Scandinavian crime drama when a work colleague (thanks Linda) recommended and then loaned me 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson. I devoured that as well as the other books in the 'Millennium' trilogy but as we all know, Larsson died and therefore there is no more good Scandinavian drama. Or so I thought until I discovered the work of Norwegian writer, Jo Nesbo. I have spent the last few months working my way through his Harry Hole novels and I can wholeheartedly recommend them. The violence in some of the books may not be to everyone's taste but they are well written and cracking stories. If you are more familiar with the books of Ian Rankin, then I would cautiously suggest that Harry Hole is a Norwegian equivalent of John Rebus. A great detective but a rather flawed human being.
So what you might ask has this to do with TV?
Well, Scandinavian drama is now invading our TV screens courtesy of the BBC. 'Wallender' set the tone but was followed by the superb Danish drama 'The Killing'. Featuring the quirky female detective Sarah Lund, the first series rapidly became compulsive viewing. A second series followed and a third is on its way. Next to grace our screens was a Danish political drama 'Borgen'. All I can say is, more please!
The current offering, this time a joint Swedish/Danish production called 'The Bridge', is now nearing its climax on BBC4. Featuring Saga Noren a socially inept female detective, it is certainly giving the others a run for their money. What sets all of these series apart from the rather dull fare we are usually served, are the slow moving but compulsive story lines, intelligent scripts, atmospheric settings and brilliant, interesting characters. I strongly recommend that you catch these whenever you can. They offer a genuine alternative to falling asleep in front of 'The Voice'.
I even feel that I'm starting to understand bits of Danish. What I don't understand is why British writers and producers can't come up with something as good.
News of the reunion between Neil Young and Crazy Horse was received with a degree of excitement in the White Room, however the revelation that the subsequent album 'Americana' would feature American folk classics such as 'Oh Susanna', 'This Land is Your Land', 'She'll be Coming Round the Mountain' and 'Clementine' made my heart sink somewhat. OK they may well be nice songs, but hardly suited to the clattering, feedback-drenched grunge that we would normally expect from 'The Horse'. I decided I would reserve judgement until I had heard the album but I was not anticipating rushing out to buy it when it is eventually released on June 5th.
Today it came to my attention that 'Oh Susanna' had been released as the first single and was now available to hear online. Curiosity drove me to check it out. It begins with Young's trademark Gibson Les Paul picking out seemingly random notes with the distortion turned to high. Drummer Ralph Molina joins in with a few rolls and fills but no discernible rhythm. This continues for about 50 seconds until eventually they seem to find a groove. It is almost as if the band haven't played together for 16 years (they haven't) and are struggling to get to know each other again. Almost a full minute has passed before we hear the band chanting the song title and then Young's distinctive voice telling us he 'had a dream the other night'.
The verses as written around 1847 by Stephen Foster are still there but appear to be sung in random order. As for the melody, it is hard to relate to the original, or any other version I have heard. This is Neil Young & Crazy Horse treating us to their own unique interpretation. I am not sure what Stephen Foster would have made of this and folk purists might be somewhat put out, but if this track is anything to go by, fans of Neil Young should have no cause for concern. The Horse are back!
Roll on June 5th!
A couple of friends alerted me last week to The Alabama Shakes, a newish band hailing from Athens, Alabama. Luckily I caught them that night on a recording of 'Later...With Jools'. I say newish because the four piece outfit have just released their debut album 'Boys & Girls' but Brittany Howard (vocals, guitar), Zac Cockrell (bass), Steve Johnson (drums) and Heath Fogg (guitar) have actually been performing together since 2009.
I have now listened to the album a few times and I can't recall the last time I was so impressed with a debut album. They are clearly a very tight unit but what sets them apart is undoubtedly the voice of 22 year old Brittany Howard. Veering between the blues shout of Janis Joplin and the soulfulness of Aretha Franklin there are also shades of Amy Winehouse, Tina Turner and Etta James. For such a young person, Brittany clearly has conviction in her voice. When on the album opener 'Hold On', she sings 'Bless my heart, bless my soul. Didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old', you really believe her.
Until November last year she was working as a postwoman but then the band began to catch the attention of some of the big names in the business, Robert Plant and Jack White to name but two. Her letter delivering days were over and the band appear to be destined for great things as the album is now sitting high in the charts.
I am certainly enjoying the album and after their performance on 'Later', I can't wait to catch them live.
Walking has long been something of a passion for me, either with friends or alone. It's hard to think of a more effective way to clear the head, blow away the cobwebs, think through a problem or just enjoy sunshine and good scenery. Thankfully in the north east of England we are blessed with great scenery (if not always sunshine) and some of it is within easy walking distance of where I live.
A walk I had arranged with friends for tomorrow had to be postponed until next week, so as the sun was shining today, I pulled on my walking shoes and headed towards the coast. I soon found myself on the historic North Shields Fish Quay and took the riverside route towards Tynemouth. The notorious Black Midden rocks were well exposed at low tide and several men searched among them for stranded shell fish.
I arrived in Tynemouth just as dark storm clouds began to gather but they added to the drama of the photographs of the castle, priory and beach. The north east weather had struck again but luckily I was near a shelter and the heavy shower lasted no more than ten minutes.
The view across Tynemouth Long Sands either south towards the castle and priory or north towards Cullercoats, must be one of the best in the whole region and I never tire of it. It changes constantly with the light and the weather. The picturesque village of Cullercoats was my final stop of the day and once again I took in a favourite view. No wonder this area was the haunt of artists such as Winslow Homer, John Falconar Slater and Robert Jobling.
The weather was turning once more so I headed towards home feeling far better for my excursion. I must have been walking at a cracking pace if this speed sign is anything to go by.
The holiday weekend was made special by a surprise visit from youngest son (Paul) who is now living and working in Wolverhampton so this was the first time we had seen each other since December 2011. Additionally, elder son (Shaun) and his lovely girlfriend Rachel moved into their new apartment. Getting together for a few beers on Friday night with Shaun & Paul was about the best start to a weekend I could have wished for. Shame we can't do it more often, but I guess that's what makes such occasions so special.
The weekend was then marred by a 24 hour stomach bug (nothing to do with the Friday night beers I hasten to add) and some disappointing football results.
Things picked up again with lunch and a chat at Shaun's new place before I drove Paul to Newcastle Central Station and we once again said our goodbyes before he headed back towards the midlands.
Having just received a cheque for my published piece in 'Living Spain' magazine (see 24th March 2012), I am now spurred on to do more writing, so intend to crack on with a couple of ideas over the coming week as well as trying to find markets for some other completed work.
