So we come to my favourite three albums of 2014 which I shall as usual reveal in reverse order.
Cue drum roll.
At number 3. 'They Want My Soul' by Spoon
I have been a fan of this band since their 2007 album 'Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga' and while this latest release offers nothing new in terms of a musical progression since then, it is sonically far superior to 2010's 'Transference'. The lack of musical progress to me is not necessarily such a bad thing, particularly when the band are doing what they do best. In case you aren't familiar with their work, they do really catchy rocking tunes on a sublime aural landscape created in this instance with help from renowned co-producers Joe Chiccarelli and Dave Fridmann. If something works as well as this, why change?
Why indeed!
At number 2. 'Lateness of Dancers' by Hiss Golden Messenger
They made it as far as number 6 in my selections for 2013 which considering that the album 'Haw' is every bit as good as 'Lateness of Dancers', demonstrates that the quality this year has not been quite as high as last. In my opinion of course.
This is a wonderful album though and if you don't believe me, read here what I wrote about it in September, or better still, get the album and play it.
1. 'Lost in the Dream' by The War On Drugs
I recorded my initial thoughts on this album in March. Read them here.
Rather surprisingly I find that my own choice for best album of 2014 is also featuring very heavily in most other 'Best Album' selections in the music press. Maybe I'm not so out of touch after all.
It's a great album, so I suggest you drop everything and go to listen to it now.
Whatever you do, have a very happy and healthy new year.
Well I hope all of you had a very merry Christmas. I'm just catching my breath after all of the festivities and while everyone else seems to be at the sales, I at last have time to sit and ponder on the best new album releases of 2014.
I have to say, for my money it hasn't been a year of outstanding album releases. For a start there were a few disappointments which included a lacklustre album from Bruce Springsteen with the ironic title 'High Hopes'. Neil Young released not one but two albums but neither quite hit the heights of his best work. 'A Letter Home' featured some fine cover versions but was recorded in such a lo-fi way as to drastically reduce any enjoyment one might have had of listening to it. The other, 'Storytone' did feature Young's original material but sadly fell well short of what we have come to expect from him. The fact that we were presented with two versions of each song, one performed solo and the other performed in front of an orchestra or band, did little to alleviate the disappointment with the material.
Goat were a band I had high hopes for after their 2012 debut 'World Music'. Despite plaudits from a number of critics, I found the follow-up, 'Communion' to be just more of the same. I was also disappointed with '... And Star Power' from Foxygen who had impressed me greatly with last year's 'We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic'. Shame, but that gets the disappointments out of the way so we can move onto the good stuff.
The early part of the year saw the release of 'English Oceans' by the Drive-By Truckers. As I asked at the time, have they ever released a duff record? OK this may not be quite up there with their finest work but it is good to see Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley equally sharing the songwriting credits again. For some time it looked as though it might make it into my top slot.
The album 'Benji' by Mark Kozelek who operates under the moniker Sun Kil Moon was another early contender. Pitchfork were even daring enough to declare it one of the best albums of the decade so far. Heavy praise indeed! The subject matter of the album tends to be mortality so there are a few deaths to deal with but there is humour in there also. All in all it is a very fine album though fans of Sun Kil Moon don't need me to tell them that.
I was impressed with the return to form of Jack Bruce with his album 'Silver Rails' on which he was supported by several family members and friends. It was almost as if Jack was saying his goodbye and although he sounded strong on the album itself I
watched a documentary about the making of the album and I thought he looked vary frail. Of course as we now know, he did not have long left with us which makes this album all the more poignant.
Another elder statesman, Leonard Cohen also returned with another fine album 'Popular Problems'. Full of bluesy themes and witty lyrics, the album carries on from where 'Old Ideas' left off which isn't a bad thing.
Two British bands that are forging quite a reputation in the melodic jazz style are the Neil Cowley Trio and Gogo Penguin, Their respective 2014 albums, 'Touch & Flee' and 'V2.0' were very much on my playlist in a year when I have been absorbing myself in an awful lot of jazz music both old and new. Of course Ginger Baker also produced a very jazz influenced album this year with 'Why'.
I have already commented on the releases from Lucinda Williams, Jack White, Jolie Holland, Royal Blood, Robert Plant, Pere Ubu, Opeth, Ryan Adams and Anais Mitchell. Clicking any of these links will take you to my original thoughts.
They are all very enjoyable albums but you may be surprised to hear that none have made it into my own personal top 3 this year.
To find out what has, I suggest you check back here in the next few days.
Another very sad death in the music business is Joe Cocker who has succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 70.
I confess that I have never owned an album by him but was obviously familiar with a good deal of his music especially from the early years. I recognise that he had a unique voice and was a rare talent.
Could he possibly have been responsible for the best ever cover of a Beatles tune ('With a Little Help From My Friends'). A question I intend to ponder later this evening when I meet friends for a pre-Christmas drink or two. We'll raise a glass to him.
RIP Joe.
The fairy-lit and decorated tree stands in the living room and supermarkets are beginning to clear their shelves to make room for Easter eggs which means it must be time to look back at the best albums of 2014. Beginning as usual with the best re-releases and box sets.
The most excitement this year seems to have been generated by the release of Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series Volume 11.
In other words 'The Basement Tapes'.
Understandable I guess when one considers the significance of those recordings. Without those informal sessions I doubt there would have been any 'Music From Big Pink'
nor any of the genre which we now call 'Americana'. So, pretty important then. But what of the actual musical content of the set itself?
Well to satisfy the Dylan fans, it simply had to be a complete release of all the tracks available including alternate takes, demos and false starts. But therein lies the problem for me because the truth is that most of that stuff is not very good. Nevertheless it is an historic document and most of those who were prepared to fork out about £100 appear to have been well pleased. Personally I have found it more enjoyable to create a playlist of my favourite pieces, and let's be honest, there are some truly great songs there, but each to his own.
Other box sets this year have included the Small Faces excellent 'Here Comes The Nice' which I wrote about here. Of course this release has been made even more poignant by the recent death of Ian McLagan.
Also Led Zeppelin have released remastered and expanded versions of their first five albums, Wilco have released a collection of rarities entitled 'Alpha Mike Foxtrot' and Crosby Stills Nash & Young have also brought us a 4 CD set of live recordings from their 1974 stadium tour. Another fine box set came from the occasionally overlooked Mike Bloomfield. 'From His Head To His Heart To His Hands' is a mixed bag of material from throughout Bloomfield's career including a dozen previously unreleased tracks. It has all been nicely compiled by his friend and frequent collaborator, Al Kooper.
All very nice indeed.
However I suspect that they will all pale into insignificance when I eventually get to hear Volume 2 of 'The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records'. I have repeatedly been drawn back to the wonders of Volume 1 which was released last year, and the second volume covering the period 1928 to 1932 promises to be even more wonderful, featuring the recordings of Charley Patton and my own personal favourites, Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas. I can't wait to hear it in it's entirety (800 tracks)
I'm now turning my attention to the best of the new releases of 2014. Check back soon to see if you agree with my selections.
In June I commented on a strange street sign I encountered on the banks of the River Tyne in South Shields. I set about doing some research into the origins of the name Comical Corner but alas without much success.
While walking in that area again the other day, I noticed that an information sign has been erected nearby. This provides a couple of old pictures of the area including this one dating from around 1920. It also suggests that the name derives from the awkward or 'comical' river currents which could cause havoc for sailing ships negotiating this first bend in the Tyne.
So now we know.
I have no idea why but for some time I have been drawn to the idea of undertaking the pilgrimage walk known variously as the Camino de Santiago, St James's Path or merely The Way. Santiago de Compostela is of course the capital of the Spanish autonomous region of Galicia and is said to be the site of the remains of St James who it is believed was the first Apostle of Christ to be martyred.
The earliest records of pilgrimages to the shrine of St James date from the 9th century and the route became particularly popular during the middle ages. It is therefore safe to say that literally tens of thousands of people have trodden those well worn paths through the years.
In more modern times, the walk has been popularised by several writers, artists and filmmakers who have recorded their own accounts of their own personal journeys or indeed those of others. These include Paulo Coelho who wrote the novel 'The Pilgrimage' based upon his own experiences of the walk. More recently Emilio Estevez wrote and directed a film entitled 'The Way' in which his father Martin Sheen played the part of a man whose son died in the very early stages of the walk and who felt compelled to complete the walk carrying his sons ashes. Having watched the film recently I found myself very moved by it and the compulsion to complete the walk myself was resurrected.
As I said at the beginning of this post, I have no idea why.
Which raises an interesting question as to why anyone takes on such a challenge. The walk can be completed in various ways and from various starting points but as the Spanish consider the Pyrenees to be the true starting point. it is traditional to begin at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees or at Roncesvalles on the Spanish side. The distance from there to Santiago is about 800 Km.
It is no stroll in the park!
So why do people take on such a gruelling challenge? Some do so as a true pilgrimage, for spiritual reasons. For others it is more of a physical challenge while to the majority it seems to be something of a journey of discovery. What is discovered invariably has more to do with themselves rather than the sights and sounds they encounter on their journey. I saw an interesting explanation which suggests that the early parts of the walk test the physical abilities of the walker, the flatter, more boring middle section tests the walker mentally and the eventual journey into Santiago is the part which finally reveals the true character of the traveller.
Besides the numerous books that have been written on the subject of el camino (the name simply means the walk in Spanish) a number of people also have online blogs or have uploaded short films of their experiences. Many dwell on the more pleasant aspects of the walk taking in beautiful scenery in perfect weather but my favourite (of those I have watched) was produced by an Australian named Mark. It certainly shows the good, the bad and the ugly side of completing the walk but is a fascinating film for anyone who has an interest in this subject (and if you have read this far, I assume you have).
The film is 1 hour 15 minutes long and you can watch it by clicking here.
All of this has resurrected my own desire to complete the walk one day; so it is now on my ever-growing 'bucket list'.
After a busy but very good day of music related events yesterday, I returned home late in pretty good spirits only to learn the sad news of the death of Ian McLagan at the age of 69.
What did Ian mean to me personally? Well, back in my teenage years, I recall loving the sound of the Hammond organ. A friend of mine was very much into that sound, particularly the more jazz related players such as Ray Charles, Georgie Fame and Roy Phillips of The Peddlers. However I tended to veer more to the pop / rock side of things and I remember playing to death the second Small Faces album (the first on the Immediate label - released on Columbia in the USA with a different track list under the title, 'There Are But Four Small Faces').
That one album for me best demonstrates the skill of McLagan not just on Hammond organ but on a range of keyboard instruments. His Hammond B3 (which he named Betsy) added such colour to some of those songs that one wonders whether they would have been so great without Mac's embellishments. Personally I doubt it. On the recently released Small Faces box set 'Here Come The Nice' there are several, stripped down early versions of some of those tracks and through these one can truly appreciate just what a brilliant musician McLagan was.
Of course McLagan also went on to play alongside Rod Stewart and Ronnie Lane in the Faces and continued to add his masterful touches to their repertoire.
I understand that there had been plans for a full Faces reunion in the near future. That will never happen now but at least McLagan is reunited with his old mates Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott.
So long 'Mac' and thanks for all that great music.
Last week I read an interesting review of the book 'Different Every Time' by Marcus O'Dair. The review appeared in The Guardian newspaper and if you have been paying attention you will know that the subject of the book is Robert Wyatt.
You can read the review yourself by clicking here.
It is worth a read but you will notice that in the first paragraph, Wyatt is referred to as a National Treasure. Now I am a massive fan of Robert Wyatt and warts and all, I love him to bits, but on seeing him described as a national treasure, my immediate reaction was - "Is he?"
And that got me thinking. What exactly is a national treasure and how does someone become one? It strikes me that the term is being used more and more within the UK and my own definition was probably along the lines of "someone who the nation have taken to their hearts". So I suppose the Queen must obviously be a national treasure as indeed was her old mum. I suspect that veteran actresses such as the Dames Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren and Judi Dench have been referred to as national treasures as has Sir Cliff Richard (though one wonders whether that might change in the future). Aside from being showbiz personalities, there's no connection to the aforementioned and I could be wrong, but weren't Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris referred to as national treasures?
Others that spring to mind include David Beckham and Johnny Wilkinson from the world of sport and the Monty Python Team and The Goons from the world of comedy. You can of course start your own list now.
A little bit of research revealed that back in 2008, The Independent newspaper ran a feature on 50 National Treasures. You may or may not be surprised to learn that among the 50 were Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Amy Winehouse and Sid Vicious.
I suppose that if they feature in the list, then so too should Robert Wyatt, - which is where we came in.
Happy listing.
When I last saw Pere Ubu at the Sage, Gateshead last April, I reported that during the show David Thomas removed one of his boots and adjusted his sock, something I had never before witnessed at a music gig. Well, I returned to the same venue last night to see them promote and perform the latest album 'Carnival of Souls' and was stunned to see Thomas once more remove his boot. This time however, the sock came off as well and he then proceeded to use the sock to mop up some red wine he had spilt on the stage. The wine stained sock was then tossed onto the stage and remained there for the remainder of the set.
Well this was a Pere Ubu gig. What did I expect?
They took to the stage without any preamble, warning or introduction and Thomas seated centre stage regaled us for a few minutes with random stories including how Nico smoked 50 to 60 cigarettes a day and would often hit on people for £10 to buy more cigarettes. Thomas reckoned it would go on on booze or drugs. And so the stories went on. So far not a note had been played.
The music started without warning and continued for twenty minutes when Thomas called a halt and the band left the stage. We had just witnessed Pere Ubu being their own support act.
I have owned the latest album since it was released in August. Once again they have maintained the high standards that have been constantly set during their 40 year and 15 album career. Has any other band been quite as consistent? Answers on a postcard please. Yet there were only about 200 of us in Hall Two of the Sage. A travesty or what?
They may be an acquired taste but I believe that everyone should make the effort to acquire that taste. Perhaps it is the eccentric nature of Thomas and the band that detracts from the music itself. Certainly during live gigs, a central part of the performance involves the rhetoric of the seemingly world-weary Thomas. At one point last night he pointed to the discarded sock and said "I had to use my sock to mop up some wine, the zipper on my boot is broken and it flaps about." He then looked down at his legs and torso and said, "And I'm covered in food stains." Then after a slight pause, he peered out into the audience and growled "But I'm a fucking legend."
And he's right!
Last night the band were missing bassist Michele Temple but guitarist Keith Moline covered the absence well. Also added to the line-up since their last visit, is clarinetist Daryll Boon who added some wonderfully creepy touches as he does on the album itself. During 'The Road Trip of Bipasha Ahmed' from the previous album, 'Lady From Shanghai', Thomas sang into the mouthpiece of an old black, bakelite telephone, Who knows why?
Two highlights from the current album were 'Carnival' in which Thomas reveals the male psyche and just what goes on inside his head. Not a pretty sight. The ballad 'Irene' combines words from 'Goodnight Irene' and 'I Put a Spell on You' over a chord progression reminiscent of the start of The Beatles' 'Sun King'. It might just be the loveliest song ever done by Pere Ubu. The old curmudgeon does have a heart after all.
On this occasion they did return for an encore. To finish they played something called 'Buy More Merchandise' It is not the weather for T-shirts and I have all the albums, so I did not take the advice.
My own advice is get the album. It may be destined to be a classic.
It hasn't taken me long to make my way through the 465 pages of this book and I am very pleased that I made the effort. I have been a fan of Wyatt since his days with Soft Machine and I regard his 1974 album 'Rock Bottom' as one of the greatest albums of all time. Yet being a fan of a person's music does not necessarily make for an interesting read when it comes to biographies. However I recall a 2001 BBC4 documentary 'Free Will And Testament' which delved into the real story of Robert Wyatt. I watched the film again recently on YouTube and felt compelled to also read this book.
The title of course comes from the the opening line of the brilliant 'Sea Song' which opens 'Rock Bottom'. It is fitting because with each subsequent album, Wyatt has produced something different from what has come before. He is clearly an artist who is prepared to take chances and not comply with the expectations of the record buying public. Perhaps that explains why sales of his records have never been in the major league, but credit to him for sticking to his own principles.
The book gives a great insight into the writing and recording of all of his recordings (under his own name, or supporting other artists) but it gives so much more than that as Wyatt is and was a fascinating character in his own right. Consequently among other things we get details of his political activities (he was for many years a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain), and his relationships with others, most notably his wife Alfreda (Alfie) Benge.
Alfie is indeed central to the story and has often single-handedly kept Wyatt going, acting not only as wife but as a business manager, album cover designer and writer of beguiling lyrics. Of course she has also been the muse and inspiration for many of Wyatt's greatest songs. Fans of Wyatt certainly owe her a debt of gratitude.
One of the most striking things gleaned from reading the book, is how self deprecating Wyatt is about his own ability as a writer, singer and musician. Indeed it has taken many other very talented musicians to encourage and bring the best out of him. These include Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and David Gilmour, plus numerous others from many fields of music. Also, the actress Julie Christie played a significant part in the lives of Robert and Alfie.
For me however, the single most striking thing is the way that Wyatt responded to the terrible accident in 1973 that left him paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. One must remember that this incident happened not too long after Wyatt had been unceremoniously booted out of his own band, Soft Machine and he had ended his next venture, Matching Mole. He was very much in a state of flux, unsure about whether his future lay as a singer or a drummer. The accident effectively made the decision for him as he was left unable to operate the foot pedals necessary for a career in drumming. Wyatt referred to the accident as "an incidental detour" and he described his new situation as being "fantastically liberating". He realised that he couldn't be all the things he was trying to be and his mind became more focused on what he could become.
As fans of his music, we can only be grateful that he survived the fall and took the route that he did.
If you are a fan of Robert Wyatt or just want to read an interesting story of someone overcoming all kinds of adversity, I thoroughly recommend this book. Oh and have a nice bottle of wine and all of Wyatt's albums close at hand. You will find it a great journey.
I last saw Robert Plant performing live 12 years ago at Newcastle City Hall but was unable to see him at the Sage in 2005. I made sure therefore that I secured my ticket in plenty of time for his appearance on Tuesday evening at the Newcastle Academy.
It is not my favourite venue to be fair. Originally the New Westgate Picture House (opened in 1927), the building subsequently became the Majestic Ballroom and later a bingo hall. It was eventually converted into a music venue in 2005 but in my experience I have never been entirely satisfied with the sound there, perhaps something to do with the acoustics of the building. Having said that, I could find no fault with the sound on Tuesday. Plant's sound crew seem to have got it spot on though it could have been just a touch louder.
Visually too, the crew did a great job with stage lighting effects. That is what I could see of them. It strikes me that I am either shrinking with age (when I last checked I was 5' 8"" tall) or people are becoming much taller. I suspect in reality it is a bit of both. Anyway the result is that I spent a couple of hours on tip-toes trying to peer between the taller people in front of me. That was when I wasn't moving out of the way to allow people to go backwards and forwards between the bars and the toilets. Such are the joys of standing only venues. Perhaps I should in future confine myself to seated halls or at least some of the many smaller standing venues of which we are blessed with many in this area.
Of course, the problem was also of my own making. Meeting with friends for a pre-show pint or two, we elected to remain in the nearby Bodega pub until just before showtime. Consequently we were unable to fight our way through the 2000 strong crowd to get closer to the stage. Those that had chosen to arrive early and claim prime spots deserved their better view.
At exactly 9.15, Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters took to the stage and launched into 'Friends', the first of six numbers written or covered by Led Zeppelin. That was the first surprise for me as having not bothered to check any of the tour setlists, I was expecting much more from his latest album, 'Lullaby.... and the Ceaseless Roar'. Plant may not be able to attain the higher registers that made him famous, but the older songs are adjusted to suit his range and he makes a terrific job of all of the numbers. Of course he is also ably supported by some excellent musicians. Highlights for me included 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' featuring some great acoustic guitar from Liverpudlian Liam 'Skin' Tyson and the wonderful 'What Is and What Should Never Be'. The Led Zeppelin songs are given a new dimension through the electronic wizardry of keyboards man John Baggott and the ritti of Juldeh Camarah. And of course there is Justin Adams on guitar.
To acknowledge the fact that they were performing in the home town of The Animals, the medley of 'Just Want to Make Love to You / Whole Lotta Love /Mona' was preceded by a snatch of 'House of the Rising Sun'. It was much appreciated by the audience. After an encore of 'Rock and Roll' the band took their bows and left the stage.
Despite my self inflicted limited view, I have to say it was a splendid night.
In April this year I mentioned the fact that the Castle Keep and Black Gate in Newcastle were being renovated and I hoped to visit once the work had been completed. Well. I eventually found the time to do just that when I accompanied a group of friends (and friends of friends) to this historic site yesterday.
I have of course walked around and past these wonderful buildings on many occasions but I am slightly ashamed to admit that I have never previously been inside.
Rather than give you a history of the site here, I will instead refer you to the excellent website http://www.castlekeep-newcastle.org.uk/
My visit was fascinating for all sorts of reasons but not least for the views across the city and the Tyne from the top of the keep.
For example, this view looks down river and takes in the Tyne Bridge, the Sage Gateshead and the Millenium Bridge.
This one shows the Black Gate in the foreground with St Nicholas' Cathedral behind it. Also in the distance on the left, St James Park the home of Newcastle United can be seen.
You can tell from this picture that we were braving the cold but the views made it all worthwhile.
This photo shows the swing bridge on the left and the Robert Stephenson designed high-level bridge on the right.
Finally here is an unusual view of a favourite watering-hole of mine. The Bridge Hotel where I have spent many a fine evening drinking beer and talking rubbish.
Further to my post a couple of days ago on the subject of Robert Wyatt's album 'Rock Bottom' I omitted to mention that all of Wyatt's albums are currently being reissued by Domino. There will also be a double album consisting of one disc of tracks from Wyatt's entire career to date and a second disc of collaborations and guest appearances on works by other artists. The thirty track album will be titled 'Different Every Time' which also just happens to be the title of an authorised biography of Wyatt written by Marcus O'Dair.
I intend to grab copies of the album and the book and will no doubt be reporting on each in due course.
Watch this space.
Reading recently that twins Jack and George Barnett of These New Puritans regarded Robert Wyatt's 1974 album 'Rock Bottom', as one of their favourites I nodded my agreement with their choice, yet realised that it was an album I liked very much but had not actually heard for goodness knows how long. I quickly scanned my CDs to find my copy but could not lay my hands on it. Nothing unusual there as I have quite a few CDs and I have never gotten round to sorting them into alphabetical order. Fortunately I do keep a computer database of all my music (see, I can be organised when I wish to be) but checking that revealed that I did not appear to have a copy.
Shock, horror!
I recall having a vinyl copy of the album and can only assume that when my albums went to the great vinyl graveyard in the sky (what a great place that must be), I somehow never replaced that one on CD. A travesty I know but thankfully I have now rectified the situation and have managed to listen to it two or three times in between working my way through Dylan's 'Complete Basement Tapes'.
And what a great album it is.
One must remember that this album was recorded very soon after Wyatt's terrible fall from a third floor window in June 1973, an accident that left him paralysed from the waist down and subsequently confined to a wheelchair. Despite this, the intensity of the songs does not, as many assume, originate from the accident as they had already been composed by that time.
In those six songs, Wyatt covers traditional sounding themes as well as the more free-form jazz that he was known for with The Soft Machine. He is accompanied by Fred Frith on viola, Mike Oldfield on guitar and a host of others including the wonderful Ivor Cutler on concertina, harmonium and deadpan spoken words. Incidentally the album was produced by Pink Floyd's Nick Mason.
From their own music, I can understand the likes of These New Puritans being influenced by this 40 year old album, and as Jack and George Barnett were not born until August 1988, I can only assume that the influence originates with the music collection of their parents. However they happened to discover 'Rock Bottom' I am thankful that they did and thought fit to broadcast this fact. Without that, my music collection would have been sadly lacking.
Having fallen for some of the wonderful Chinese music I heard while on my travels in China a few years ago, I was drawn to a concert held the other day in the King's Hall, Newcastle. This featured Jie Xu who plays the two-stringed bowed instrument that I have always referred to as a Chinese violin but which I now learn is actually called an erhu. With him was Olivia Yan-Hua Lu who is an exponent of the pipa which is a four-stringed lute-like instrument.
Their performance featured traditional and more recently composed pieces which included 'The Ditty of Mount Yimeng', 'Beautiful Myth' and 'Dance of the Yi People'. A particular delight for me was a piece called 'Butterfly Lovers' which I fell in love with while in China and which I selected as a soundtrack to a photograph slide show I prepared. Consequently as I sat in the beautiful hall listening to that music, I was transported back to some of the wonderful scenes I had witnessed.
Of course it also reminded me of some of the music I heard and musicians I saw while on my travels.
Such as these two erhu players I encountered close to a bridge crossing the Yangtse River near Stone Drum Village.
And this group who entertained us in Lijiang with a selection of Chinese traditional instruments including erhus and pipas.
Many of them had begun playing as children and a couple were now in their 80's.
Wonderful stuff.
Here is a link to a performance of the 'Butterfly Lovers Concerto'.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOuPpyuqcOE
It's been some time since my last visit to the Cluny but I returned on Wednesday evening for a special treat. I last saw Dave Alvin with his band The Guilty Ones just over two years ago but since then he has been reunited with older brother Phil following what Dave describes as his brother dying in Spain and being brought back to life by his nurse, Maria. They both realised that life's too short, patched up their differences and here they were performing in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd, including ourselves.
I didn't take note of all the songs they performed but their reunion has driven them back to their roots. Consequently they focused on their current album of Big Bill Broonzy songs, 'Common Ground'. Among them were 'Key to the Highway', 'I Feel So Good' and 'Stuff They Call Money'. They were also happy to delve back into their own shared recording career as from their days with The Blasters, they gave us 'Marie Marie' and 'One Bad Stud'.
For the most part Phil took centre stage strumming his acoustic guitar or blowing a mean harmonica, while Dave in his trademark stetson hat played those great guitar licks which appear quite effortless to him. They were of course superbly supported by Dave's band, Chris Miller on guitar, Lou Whitney on bass and the terrific Lisa Pankratz on drums.
It was a phenomenal set but a great joy for me to see Phil looking and sounding so strong. Particularly on James Brown's first hit from 1956, 'Please Please Please' on which his voice was absolutely awesome. Another highlight was 'Johnny Ace is Dead' and it seemed only fitting that from Dave's 'Eleven Eleven' album, they should do 'What's Up With Your Brother'.
It was a rocking, stomping evening and personally I can't wait for their next visit.
It is always a joy to get a new album by Anais Mitchell. With the recently released 'Xoa' she really gets back to basics for this is just Anais with her acoustic guitar and her unusual voice. Oh and of course her wonderful songs.
Having given birth to a daughter Ramona last year, Mitchell hooked up again with Nashville producer Gary Paczosa who also produced her collaboration with Jefferson Hamer ('Child Ballads'} and they worked through a number of songs both old and new. The album includes selections from the wonderful 'Hadestown' which can be heard for the first time on record with Mitchell's voice to the fore. There are also of course a few tracks from 'Young Man In America' and a couple which go back even further to 'The Brightness (2007)' and 'Hymns for the Exiled (2004)'.
Having seen Mitchell doing a live solo show in February this year, I am familiar with many of these arrangements so the album holds few surprises for me - though there are of course a handful of brand new songs to enjoy. Nevertheless this is a lovely album to listen to. Mitchell is a great songwriter and hearing her songs unadorned by other voices and instruments allows such songs to be heard without distractions .There is also a very intimate feel to the whole thing, the producer allowing the sound of fingers squeaking on guitar strings to remain. Listening to the album is a little like having the singer in the same room with you.
I am of course looking forward to hearing Mitchell's next album of totally new material and I would love to see her reacquainted with producer Todd Sickafoose who did such a great job on 'Young Man In America'. Meanwhile I will continue to enjoy this album which incidentally is named after the way Mitchell signs off her correspondence. Kisses, hugs, Anais (xoa).
It has been a very strange afternoon.
I recently heard the very sad news about the death of true music legend Jack Bruce and as I was at the computer I felt compelled to write of my sadness in this blog. Having done so I browsed the web to try to find a little more information and was faced with a site suggesting that the reports of his death were in fact a hoax. Sick though that is, I hoped that it was indeed the case.
I quickly deleted my original posting.
Now more and more sites are posting the news of his passing and his family have posted a message on his own website. It would appear that Jack is no longer with us.
The word legend is used all too frequently these days but in my view Jack deserves the epithet. He was a wonderful songwriter, singer and musician and he has left a legacy of superb songs behind. Why, even this blog was named in honour of one of his great compositions.
The song 'We're Going Wrong' has a relatively simple chord progression but listen to Jack play it on piano and you realise what a wonderful song it is.
Beautiful.
Click here to hear it.
Rest in Peace Jack and thank you for all of your wonderful music.
Since being swept away by the beauty of These New Puritans' 'Field of Reeds' last year, I have been eagerly awaiting some kind of follow-up album. For the time being, this has come in the form of a live performance of that same album performed at the Barbican, London in April this year. I may have been unable to attend that show but the next best thing is to have the subsequent album 'Expanded' which was released earlier this week.
It is named as such because the basic line-up was enhanced by a 35 piece band and orchestra to recreate the sounds which were painstakingly created in the studio. The results consequently are very similar to the original album and it is perhaps only when the audience applause punctuates the performance, that I remember that I am listening to the live version and not the original.
I may be biased but I think the whole thing works wonderfully well. It is difficult to define but I feel that this is the way the whole thing should have been done in the first place. The piercing brass or sweeping strings may be replicating those studio sounds but were the sounds in the studio not emulating brass and strings? This, I feel was how the album was meant to be and I hope that I get the opportunity one day to see and hear them play this album live in this expanded format.
I should add that as a bonus 'Expanded' also includes two pieces ('Three Thousand' and 'We Want War') from their 2010 album, 'Hidden'. Then, to end is a brand new song called 'Spitting Stars'. A taste of things to come perhaps?
The album is an aural triumph and personally I can't wait to hear what they do come up with next.
As a postscript, I see that These New Puritans have recently revealed their own favourite albums. Among them are 'Vespertine' by Björk, two Captain Beefheart albums ('Doc at the Radar Station' and 'Lick My Decals Off, Baby'), 'Sketches of Spain' by Miles Davis and 'Rock Bottom' by Robert Wyatt. No major surprises there I feel.
More surprisingly perhaps, the list also includes 'Pacific Ocean Blue' by Dennis Wilson and 'Down By The Jetty' by Dr. Feelgood. An interesting collection!
I first became acquainted with the author David Mitchell through his strange but fascinating novel, 'Cloud Atlas'. I say strange because at the time it was unlike any novel I had ever read, consisting of seven separate stories set in vastly different time periods, but which all connected in some way. The fact that the reader might just be getting absorbed in one of the stories only for it to end, quite literally in mid sentence, only added to the uniqueness of the book. Of course each story was subsequently later picked up from the precise point it ended. It was an unusual writing technique but one I found to be very successful.
This idea of having parts of a novel interlink with other parts is something that Mitchell extends into his other works also. For example characters that appeared in 'Cloud Atlas' re-emerged in a different time in 'Black Swan Green' and so it is with this latest work.
'The Bone Clocks' is also a work which spans different generations (though not quite to the extent of 'Cloud Atlas'). Beginning in 1984, the story eventually takes us through to the future of 2035. Each part is narrated by a different character who may or may not have appeared earlier in the book. One such character is Hugo Lamb who originally appeared in 'Black Swan Green'. The writer Crispin Hershey had earlier appeared in 'number9dream' and so it goes on. Where Mitchell demonstrates real skill is the way in which his style of writing changes depending upon the character acting as narrator in each part. It is a very clever technique and combined with his great descriptive powers and brilliantly inventive imagination, shows Mitchell to be a first class writer. It is little wonder that all of his books now receive such great critical acclaim and are invariably included in short-lists for various literary prizes.
I will not give anything away about the plot of the book. At 600 pages it is quite involved anyway, but never once during reading it did my interest wane. In fact, I feel certain that like 'Cloud Atlas' it is a book I will read more than once and that I may then discover things I missed during my first reading.
I am loathe to recommend the works of David Mitchell to others. I did so unreservedly with 'Cloud Atlas' to friends and work colleagues with very mixed results. Some loved it while others hated it. There did not appear to be any middle ground.
All I will say is that if you love and appreciate great writing and a compelling storyline, then give it a go.
The hardback is available now, published by Sceptre.
Världens Band are a group of fifteen musicians representing seven countries spread across three continents. Having come together in Sweden, they shared their knowledge, skill and enthusiasm for their native traditional music and they have now blended that into a wonderful eclectic mix that is infectious and loads of fun.
I caught them first at a free concert at King's Hall which forms part of Newcastle University (two of the members are graduates). Here we were treated to a selection of their repertoire which included Swedish folk song, Indian classical music, a Senegalese piece sung in no fewer than three languages, and a medley that featured elements of traditional Saphardic song, Arabic folk-pop and Spanish Flamenco.
Besides the more standard acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass guitar and drums (2 sets) the band also utilise fiddles, mandolas, clarinets, flutes, Galician pipes, melodeon, African Kora and Indian mridangam and ganjira. And what a wonderful sound they create.
So much so that I willingly paid to see them perform a more complete set two days later at the Sage, Gateshead.
In this setting, the talent and energy of the band was even more impressive and the audience, most of whom had never seen the band before, were won over very quickly. It is difficult not to be as their brand of music certainly gets you moving. If it doesn't, check for a pulse!
The setlist was very similar this time round but I felt that certain individuals were given more scope to shine through. Among them were the 26 year old Senegalese Kora player Abdou Cissokho, and the Tunisian singer/dancer Navah Elbaz. From Sweden, Anna Malmstrom demonstrated what a fine clarinet player she is and birthday boy David Foley from Scotland was superb on flute. I should also pay tribute to the trio in the background who provide the wonderful rhythm for the band. They are drummers/percussionists Tobias Karlehag and Mischa Grind plus bass guitarist/vocalist Adam Grauman.
Yet mentioning those seems to do a disservice to the other band members. Arvid Rask not only plays a mean mandolin but he appears to act as an unofficial group leader - and does a wonderful job. David Gray clearly loves what he is doing as he dances aound with his accordion and French pipes and recorder player, Cassandre Balbar eventually took centre stage during the closing medley of the beautiful 'Farewell to Govan/Superfly'.
From Southern India Charu Hartharan adds her own vocals and percussion to many of the pieces including what begins as a Swedish folk song. Then of course there are the beautiful Swedish fiddle players, Anna Moller and Thea Aslund and finally the local lad returned, guitarist Matthew Jones.
While watching this band perform, one can easily forget the troubles that are going on in various parts of the world where nations, tribes and ethnic groups are in conflict with one another. On the stage are a group of young people who demonstrate how diverse cultures can come together in total harmony. In so doing, they bring joy to those who see and hear them perform. I did not see anyone leave the venue without a smile on their face.
I wish this band every success in their future careers.
Here is a link to their website which features some of their music.
