On Monday night I attended the global launch of the Ridley Scott produced movie 'Springsteen & I'. Essentially the film is made up of a series of clips of Springsteen fans documenting their thoughts about the artist and what he means to their lives. These clips are interspersed with a variety of live shots of The Boss from various stages of his career and many have not been shown publicly before now.
Whilst the live performances were mainly very good, watching these strangers reveal their innermost feelings about their hero, was occasionally an uncomfortable experience. On the other hand, it was also incredibly funny and I found myself veering between cringing and laughing out loud.
I don't wish to give too much away but perhaps the most cringeworthy moment occurred when an American mom revealed that she used to show her young child a framed photo of Bruce and say, "Daddy!". Goodness only knows what psychological damage she has done to the poor innocent child. Yeuk!
Conversely, the moment when Bruce invites 'Philadelphia Elvis' (Nick Ferraro) onto the stage to perform 'All Shook Up' is amazingly funny. Midway through the number 'Elvis' calls for Bruce to do a guitar solo but then realises that 'All Shook Up' doesn't have a guitar solo. The E Street band quickly bail him out by deftly switching to 'Blue Suede Shoes'. It is an hilarious sequence.
Not all people featured in the movie are Bruce fans however. Witness the long suffering husband who accompanies his wife to Springsteen concerts. When asked if he has a message for Bruce, he replies, 'Could you just make the shows a little shorter?' Needless to say, he doesn't get his wish.
The film itself lasted a mere seventy five minutes and I found my opinions to be rather mixed but the film was then followed by some glorious footage from last year's Hard Rock Calling at London's Hyde Park. About six or seven songs were shown of the band entertaining a rain soaked audience (I know, cos I was there) until Bruce and special guest Sir Paul McCartney were ushered from the stage.
This sequence was duly followed by an epilogue to the main film in which six of the main characters featured are brought together and get to meet their hero. There is much hugging and swapping of anecdotes and one gets the opinion that Bruce has brought something special into the lives of these people and he is just a good guy after all. Which is, I suppose, the purpose of the whole venture. The epilogue rounds the whole thing off nicely and I left feeling that it had all been very entertaining. There is, as you would expect, some terrific music. Also there are heart warming moments and plenty of laughs to counteract the times when you really will want to cringe.
Go see it if you get the chance.
The Sage at Gateshead is annually the venue for the SummerTyne Americana Festival. From a vantage point on the south shore of the Tyne between the iconic Tyne and Millennium Bridges, one can enjoy basking in the afternoon sunshine whilst being entertained by an assortment of Americana acts. And it is all for free!
Of course there are some 'big name' acts who play inside the venue and charge for the privilege. This year they included Martha Wainwright, Willy Mason, Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys, The Heritage Blues Orchestra and Mud Morganfield. However, on this occasion I decided to restrict myself to the free music and was particularly delighted that the late Sunday afternoon act was Tom Russell, an artist I have paid to see more than once.
To be honest there was not much sunshine to speak of though it was a pleasant enough afternoon. Musically, I was distinctly underwhelmed by the acts until second from last came David Wax Museum who gave a very spirited and quite enjoyable performance. Then Tom Russell and guitarist Thad Beckman took to the stage. To see Tom, one wouldn't know that this was a summer's afternoon as he was well wrapped in a dark long sleeved sweater, scarf and of course his trademark stetson hat and dark shades. Perhaps he had been warned about the biting winds that can whip up the River Tyne even on summer days.
I have not heard his latest album 'Aztec-Jazz', so I was unfamiliar with a couple of numbers but thankfully he delivered two of my personal favourites, 'Blue Wing' and 'Tonight We Ride'. Introducing each number with humorous anecdotes, Tom had the crowd captivated from the start and his set ended all too soon.
After the set, we wandered across the Tyne via the Millenium Bridge into Newcastle to a bar called Brew Dog. Playing there were a group of five young ladies who call themselves Rainbow Girls. Some of my friends had seen them play at the SummerTyne Festival the previous day and were well impressed.
Crowded into a corner at the end of the bar, the girls managed to give an energetic performance, constantly swapping an array of instruments that included guitar, mandolin, banjo, electric bass, washboard, keyboards and harmonica.
The more their set went on the more I warmed to their music and their enthusiasm for what they clearly enjoyed doing.
They have a current album, 'The Sound of Light' and I will be ordering my copy soon.
Tonight I'm off to the local cinema to see the global launch of the Ridley Scott movie, 'Springsteen & I'. No doubt I will be reporting my views on that in due course.
If you are interested in The Beatles, then I suspect you will be interested in the forthcoming book by Mark Lewisohn. It is to be spread over three rather large volumes and as I have previously reported, the first volume is due out this October.
Thanks to a friend (cheers John), I have learned about an interview conducted with Lewisohn by Ken Michaels. This is now available to hear in ten parts on the following website.
http://www.kenmichaelsradio.com/
Among the subjects covered are:
- The firing of Pete Best
- The Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership
- Controversy regarding certain songs
- George Harrison's frustrations
- The biggest reason for The Beatles breakup.
I can heartily recommend this interview as Lewisohn reveals some fascinating insights, though he is obviously careful not to give away too much of what is included in the book.
Give it a listen and see what you think.
Our most recent walk took place in blistering temperatures but the opportunity to walk in the fabulous Lake District of north west England in glorious sunshine was too good an opportunity to miss.
Beginning within the village of Threlkeld on the eastern edge of the northern lakes, we began our journey westward with some magnificent views ahead of us.
The sunshine may have made for superb views but the heat brought its own problems and plans to ascend Latrigg for the fine views across Derwentwater and Lake Bassenthwaite were shelved.
The path leading to the summit of Latrigg had no shade so it was a safer option for us to remain in Brundholme Woods clustered around the foot of the fell.
Nevertheless there were still beautiful scenes to enjoy.
Like those around the Blencathra Centre.
Lunch was enjoyed at a shady spot by the cool clear waters of the River Greta.....
......where we were joined by a friend who also needed to cool down.
Then we pressed on, enjoying more wonderful scenery including.......
.......another view of the bare summit of Latrigg.
We passed quickly through the lakeland town of Keswick and then headed west towards our final destination, taking in some more nice views along the way.
At a shade under ten miles, our walk was shorter than our usual ventures but under the circumstances, it was sensible not to exert ourselves too much. So we ended with a refreshing and well deserved drink outside the Royal Oak in Braithwaite where we all agreed that it had been a fabulous day.
There seems to be little time for indoor activities (including blog writing) as I take advantage of the first prolonged spell of warm (nay, hot) sunshine we have had here in the north east of England for some considerable time.
So as I enjoy my early morning coffee before venturing outdoors, I hastily write to let you know that I am still alive and well. Thanks to the wonders of having most of my music collection available to play through my Samsung mobile phone, I can still play my music while I am out and about and yes, I am still enjoying the album 'Field of Reeds' by These New Puritans.
On that subject, I must add that I was contacted recently by someone who suggested that I might like The Microphones, and in particular their album 'The Glow Part 2'. I was told that there was a resemblance to the music contained within 'Field of Reeds'.
The Microphones were an indie band fronted by Washington based singer/musician Phil Elvrum. In 2004, Elvrum changed the name of the band to Mount Eerie and they have operated under that name ever since, though from what I can gather, they appear to have been fairly inactive since 2007.
'The Glow Part 2' was released in 2001 and was hailed at the time by music critics for the exceptional songwriting and the quality of the production. Occasionally the music is soft and gentle but at other times it is densely layered with a variety of sounds and percussive effects. The album passed me by at the time (I had never heard of The Microphones nor Mount Eerie), but thanks to the contact I have obtained the deluxe version of the album.
I agree that there are strong resemblances to the sounds contained on 'Field of Reeds', particularly in the vocals. And somehow listening to both these albums fits perfectly with the weather we are enjoying at the moment. I'm off walking in the beautiful English Lake District National Park tomorrow, so long may this weather continue.
See you next time.
Somewhat belatedly I offer my sincere congratulations to Andy Murray on becoming the first British player to win the men's singles championship at Wimbledon in 77 years. Thanks to Murray, the taboo has ended and the pressure that may have hindered previous challengers such as Tim Henman, has been lifted.
However, before the dust had even settled upon the bone dry centre court, David Cameron announced that he could think of no greater nominee to receive a knighthood.
WHAT??
Murray won a handful of tennis matches against lesser opponents to reach the final and yes, he did beat the world's number one to achieve the title but at the end of the day, he won a tennis match. Yet the man who runs our country can think of no one who deserves a knighthood more.
OK Mr Prime Minister, if we must stay on a sports theme, how about making Virginia Wade a Dame? She won Wimbledon way back in 1977. Or how about Ryan Giggs who has won 22 major trophies in a career spanning 23 years, yet in 2007 only received a piddling OBE?
Not that I am an advocate of sports personalities (and I use that term quite loosely), receiving major honours for their sporting exploits. We seem to have moved into an era where this has become the norm (think Sir Chris Hoy or Sir Bradley Wiggins) when someone wins a major competition these days. I do not wish to devalue their exploits nor the amount of work they put into their achievements. Yet, by such awards, are we not devaluing the more deserving recipients? What about those who have devoted their lives to charitable or other notable works? Or those who have performed truly heroic deeds on the field of battle or in the course of their difficult and dangerous jobs?
Surely there must be more deserving people than the winner of a tennis tournament? Yet our Prime Minister is unable to think of one. Perhaps this lack of imagination explains why the country is in a bit of a mess at the moment.
This Californian duo apparently came up with their name while still at high school so let's forgive them for choosing Foxygen. What they were thinking of with the title of their latest album, I shudder to think. The best I can say about the album title is that it harks back to The Kinks' 'We Are The Village Green Preservation Society', and curiously, so does some of the music.
Some critics have condemned the band as a clone of the Rolling Stones, and while I can see similarities especially the Jagger vocal mannerisms adopted on the title track, the music extends beyond the limits of 1960's R&B. Indeed this album is almost an aural version of painting by numbers.
The very opening notes conjure up memories of The Beatles ('Hello Goodbye') but then they mix in elements of mid to late 1960's Kinks. Fancy a wash of Velvet Underground? Then 'No Destruction' fits the bill, yet when Sam France sings the words 'the door of consciousness isn't open any more', he morphs into the sneering 'Blonde on Blonde' era Dylan. Why I swear the song even has that thin wild mercury sounding organ and ends with a blast of Dylanesque harmonica.
Hey guys let's have a little splash of 'Under My Thumb' followed by a deft line from 'Suspicious Minds' OK, no problem and how about a delicate shade of Prince for good measure? It's all there in song number three, 'On Blue Mountain'.
'San Francisco' features a catchy pop melody that could have appeared on any of The Kinks late 60's offerings. France sings 'I left my love in San Francisco' and is answered by the female love interest, 'That's OK, I was born in LA'. More lovely melodies occur in 'Shuggie' which goes through a number of tempo changes and features more Lou Reed and a brief soul funk section. This is followed by 'Oh Yeah' which is how a collaboration between Prince, Mick Jagger and John Lennon might have sounded. I also detect a good helping of Lennon plastered across the dream sequence of album closer, 'Oh No 2'. When France chants 'Oh No', it could almost be 'Ono'.
The title track somehow manages to span three decades with doses of late 50's rock'n'roll, mid 60's R&B and a touch of 70's punk. Then it ends with a psychedelic sequence. It's frantic, wild and wonderful stuff.
It's a lot of fun listening to this album trying to identify the various influences and dare I say homages. However, there is a lot more to this wonderfully produced album (by Richard Swift) than merely paying homage to the masters of the past. In truth, this is a damn fine album in it's own right. One that has already been added to the ever growing list entitled, 'Best of 2013'
As another birthday slips by, I realise that we are once again midway through the year. So it seems a good time to quickly mention the albums that have most impressed me so far in 2013.
I have of course previously mentioned some of the best, such as:
- Pere Ubu - Lady From Shanghai
- Richard Thompson - Electric
- Villagers - {Awayland}
- Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing
- Steve Earle - The Low Highway
- Hiss Golden Messenger - Haw
- These New Puritans - Field of Reeds
- Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer - Child Ballads
Others that are contenders include 'Til Your River Runs Dry' by Eric Burdon who remains in very fine voice. Also a great return to form by David Bowie with 'The Next Day', 'Push the Sky Away' by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and the second album from Mount Moriah entitled 'Miracle Temple'.
I am also currently listening to 'Southeastern' by Jason Isbell and 'Once I Was an Eagle' by Laura Marling and I have little doubt that they will feature in my final decision at the end of the year.
All in all it has been a great year so far. And there are still another six months to go!
