Like many people I found myself quite excited by the news last week that Kate Bush is to 'tour' for the first time in 35 years. You will notice the use of the word 'tour' in that last sentence though how a few weeks of concerts in the Hammersmith Apollo can be construed as a tour is beyond me. Nevertheless it was, as I said, cause for some excitement for myself and it would appear, total hysteria for the rest of the world.
I confess that I suspected the worst. That is that tickets would be -
a) almost impossible to obtain and
b) priced beyond the means of mere mortals like myself.
Initial postings during the week suggested that tickets would be available FROM £49.
Not too bad I thought.
But that was until this morning when I visited the ticket sales websites and discovered the true situation. Despite the fact that a further seven dates have now been added to the original fifteen, it was impossible to obtain any tickets, unless I was prepared to pay in the region of £500 for one. There was even one site that proudly declared that two tickets were available as long as I was prepared to shell out £1100 each! Also, do not forget that Kate is not visiting us in our towns or cities, but anyone outside of London will have to pay to travel and possibly to stay in the city for the privilege of seeing her. Judging by the comments I have read online this week, that includes people travelling from all over the world.
Please don't get me wrong, I do not blame Kate Bush for this situation. I have been a fan since she burst onto the scene with 'Wuthering Heights' in 1978 and I eagerly await each of her album releases. Like many, I have watched her career develop and I now regard her as a fine, mature, singer, songwriter and musician. With such a wonderful body of work behind her, I can fully understand there being such a clamour for tickets, particularly since she has not 'toured' since 1979.
Nor do I blame the promoters who, let's be honest, will be getting what they can get for these tickets. They charge exorbitant prices simply because they can. They are not stupid people and they will have been scouring the websites during this past week, assessing just how much demand there would be for the tickets. The price of the seats would therefore reflect that demand.
So at the end of the day, it is our fault. If we are prepared to pay such ludicrous amounts to attend a concert lasting a couple of hours, then we get what we deserve. It is sad though that there will be hundreds or thousands of true fans who quite simply cannot afford those prices and will miss out. Like me, they will have to content themselves with a copy of the Kate Bush Live at Hammersmith Apollo DVD when it is released in time for Christmas.
As for me, I am a little disappointed but not totally surprised. There are plenty of other wonderful acts to see for a fraction of the cost and I will content myself with those. I would appreciate however if someone would just answer one question for me.
Just when exactly did the world go totally mad?
Back in December 2012 I was compelled to voice my feelings concerning the argument that was raging about the alleged poor quality of digital music files when compared to their analogue counterparts on vinyl. In that post I also made reference to the forthcoming gadget developed by Neil Young, which he claims allows music to be stored and listened to in portable form yet which retains the quality of the original recordings. His device is the Pono and it is undergoing a very successful kickstarter campaign as I write.
Over a year later the debates continue.
So this week, I did something that I have not done for over twenty years. No not THAT!!
I took myself off to one of my local music stores (what we used to refer to as a record shop) and I actually bought a brand spanking new album on 180 gram vinyl and in Audiophile quality no less.
I have to say that it was quite a liberating experience and it brought back loads of memories of how I would buy albums and lovingly carry them home under my arm, unable to resist the temptation to take them out of the carrier bag on the bus journey home and study every detail of the cover. Of course it also gave one the opportunity to show it off to other passengers, as if to proudly say "Look what I've got!" I have to say that this week I resisted that temptation and I was safely home before the selected album came out of the carrier bag.
Nevertheless I must confess that it was a pleasure to once again hold something tangible in my hands rather than the crappy jewel cases that the majority of CD's have been packed in and of course the downloaded files which consist of - well, nothing really. So far so good.
Next up, came the tricky business of taking the album out of the sleeve. Oh how the memories flooded back of how this is not quite as straightforward as it seems. Eventually however, the inner sleeve came free and my much practised hands slid the vinyl out with fingers balancing the reassuringly thick vinyl, ensuring that only the label and the edge of the disc were touched. It was shiny and black and looked quite beautiful and of course there was that distinctive smell of new vinyl. Surely there's nothing else quite like it.
But, the purpose of the whole expedition was to test whether in reality, vinyl sounded better than CD's or MP3 files. So, the album I chose to purchase was 'For Your Pleasure', the second album by Roxy Music and one which I have previously owned on vinyl and which I now possess on CD and in MP3 format.
The turntable was hooked up to my usual music system, the disc carefully placed over the centre spindle and the stylus allowed to slowly descend onto the the outer groove of side one.
'Do The Strand' began.
The whole ritual was quite satisfying but at the same time I could not help but think what a palaver it was compared to just switching on my music player and via the remote control, very quickly finding the album or songs I wished to play from the comfort of my sofa.
But what about the sound I hear you ask.
Well I have to say that it gives me absolutely no satisfaction whatsoever to report that I could hear no perceptible difference in the quality of sound in any of the three formats. In fact, if I'm totally honest I actually preferred the crystal clear sound of the non vinyl versions. Just in case the album was to blame, I also checked the vinyl EP's that were included within my recently received Small Faces box set. The difference in my view was even more marked. The CD versions won hands down though that might have been something to do with the coloured vinyl, a gimmick I could never really get away with anyway.
Where, I wondered, was this famous warmth that I am supposed to have been missing all these years? Where was the 95% of sound Neil Young claims I have been losing by listening to compressed music files? Could such claims merely be cunning marketing ploys to get us to buy our record collections all over again? Surely not! The record industry would never be so cunning, would they?
As I pondered this, the tricky business of manoeuvring the disc and inner sleeve into the album cover was completed and I sat down to listen to my CD version of 'For Your Pleasure'. No hassle, no clicks or pops. Just absolutely wonderful music.
Anybody out there want to buy a Roxy Music album, played only once?
When I wrote a recent post on the latest album from the Drive-By Truckers, I bemoaned the fact that there had been a dearth of good albums released so far this year. How ironic then, that it was through a tweet from lead Trucker Patterson Hood, that I came to learn of this album from The War On Drugs.
Formed in Philadelphia in 2005, they released their first album 'Waggonwheel Blues', three years later. This was the only album to feature Kurt Vile who left to pursue a successful solo career while the band followed up their debut with the critically acclaimed 'Slave Ambient' in 2011.
It would appear that the road to this third album was strewn with many pitfalls. First, main man Adam Granduciel split with his girlfriend, leaving him alone with a bunch of songs which he then set about recording as demos. Things did not go smoothly. Take for example my favourite track on the album, the rocking yet hypnotic 'An Ocean in Between the Waves'. Granduciel describes creating a beautiful, haunting song but found that when recorded as a band, they moved further and further away from his original creation. Months of frustration went by until, only two weeks before the tapes were to be handed over to the record company, Granduciel scrapped the recording and went back to the demo. Keeping only the drums from the recording, he re crafted the song himself and the result is totally wonderful. As indeed is most of the remainder of the album.
If you are not familiar with the sound of this band then imagine something featuring swirling, ambient keyboards and metronomic drumming combined with the kind of duelling guitars I associate with the likes of Wishbone Ash or The Allman Brothers or Tom Petty or even the aforementioned Drive-By Truckers. Clearly Granduciel has been listening to his 1980's albums for inspiration and not just for the ambient electronic textures that litter the album. 'Burning' would fit quite nicely on any Springsteen album while the album closer 'In Reverse' sounds to me like one of Dylan's better 1980's releases.
This is an album of contrasts. Take for example the galloping bouncy rhythm of track two, 'Red Eyes' which still manages to introduce a more brooding atmosphere through use of bass clarinet such as that played by Bennie Maupin on 'Bitches Brew' or more recently featured in 'The Shrine/An Argument' by Fleet Foxes. Then the plodding despondency of 'Suffering' is suddenly broken by some sublime piano chords before the explosion of heavy reverb guitar which could well have been played by Nels Cline of Wilco. The whole thing is hauntingly beautiful and with each listen it reveals something new to me.
Perhaps it is the shortage of other good new music presently, that allows me to repeatedly listen to this album. Whatever the reason, I am being rewarded each time. Great stuff and a band to watch out for in future.
My patience has been sorely tested as I ordered this item back in November last year. Finally it arrived, after a 17 week wait!
Still, some things are worth waiting for.
Restricted to 3000 copies signed by surviving Small Faces, Kenney Jones and Ian 'Mac' McLagan, this heavyweight box contains 75 remastered songs spread across four CD's, three rare EP's on coloured vinyl, an Olympic Studios rare 7" acetate replica disc, a 64 page lyric book, a 72 page hardbacked book and a host of extra goodies such as a facsimile press kit for 'Ogden's Nut Gone Flake', postcards, posters and some Gered Mankowitz fine art prints.
The extra bits and pieces are all very nice but it's really all about the music, so how does that measure up? Well I happen to think that the Small Faces were one of the most underrated bands in the 1960's and I don't just mean for the quality of their singles. Which was why I ordered this set in the first place. Included within the CD tracks are both sides of every single released worldwide by Immediate Records between 1967 and 1969. On top of that we get a host of unreleased material, studio outtakes, live tracks and early and alternate versions of many numbers. Among the live tracks are some from a concert the lads performed at Newcastle City Hall on 18 November 1968. I wasn't there so this recording will compensate me for missing it.
The sound quality of the recorded tracks is superb, wonderfully enhancing every single note that went into each recording. Of course the same cannot be said for the live recordings but the quality is still pretty good bearing in mind that the recording was made in 1968. Discs 2 & 3 contain a variety of outtakes and alternate versions which of course include a number of false starts which perhaps will not bear repeated listens. Nevertheless it is interesting to hear the lads working on these numbers and unencumbered by vocals, the backing tracks enable the listener to discover just what good musicians these four lads were.
While still with Decca, the band were already becoming a little more progressive with singles such as 'All Or Nothing' and 'My Mind's Eye'. On the Immediate label however, they really came of age and their singles became more than mere 'pop' songs.
It may have been a long wait but now this package is in my possession, I have no complaints whatsoever.
I usually try hard to support any local music venues and we are blessed in this area as there are several thriving venues. However a genuine opportunity has arisen to invest in The Globe which is situated on the western edge of Newcastle.
The plan is to refurbish and re-open this former public house as a venue for jazz and other forms of music that are outside of the mainstream. To achieve that aim, funds are being raised through the sale of membership shares. To date almost £80,000 has been raised towards a target of £125,500 so hopefully the plans will be realised.
Feel free to read more about it here.
I have put my money where my mouth is.
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Yesterday early evening as I was making my way towards a music lesson at the Sage, I was struck by the view from the Millennium Bridge, as indeed were a number of 'proper' photographers with their expensive looking tripod mounted cameras. Undeterred, I took out my mobile phone and captured this picture for posterity.
Pausing to take in the scene, I reflected upon how much it has changed in the past 20 years or so. Considering that some of my ancestors lived and worked in the slums and chemical works that dominated the Gateshead banks of the Tyne in the mid 19th century, I wondered what they would make of it all. In fact my destination, the Sage, was built upon the very site where they spent the majority of their adult lives. This picture of the Gateshead Cement Works on South Shore Road dates from about 1850.
I was lost in thought about past times for a few minutes until I remembered my purpose for being in that place. As L. P. Hartley wrote (in 'The Go-Between'), "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."
I find it unbelievable and inexcusable that in almost 2 years of writing this blog, I have only made reference to Miles Davis on one previous occasion. I shall rectify that immediately.
This is the latest addition to the coffee table.
I must confess that when I spotted it on one of my regular visits to The Sage in Gateshead, I
initially hesitated in making a purchase. Did I really need another book about Miles Davis?
Well The Sage had kindly reduced the price way below what even Amazon were asking, so the decision was effectively made for me.
The credit card was handed over, and the book was in the bag. Job done!
The book was published in 2012 and as the title suggests, is a chronological history of the life and career of Miles. With significant contributions from a host of well known musicians such as Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter, writers and critics including, Ashley Kahn, Francis Davis, Garth Cartwright and Robin D G Kelley, plus promoters and fans such as George Wein and Bill Cosby, the book contains a wealth of information and fascinating insights.
Then of course, there are the photographs, with many coming through the lens of William "PoPsie" Randolph who captured Miles and his band members at various times including many candid shots taken at studio recording sessions.
I confess that I have not seen most of these photos before, and find them fascinating.
Other photographic contributions come from Francis Wolff, Lynn Goldsmith, William Gottlieb and Bob Willoughby.
All in all, it is a great collection and already it has driven me back to listen once again to the the wonderful back catalogue of the legend that was Miles Davis.
Currently on the hi-fi - 'Birth of the Cool'.
Lovely.
Continuing my travels through China.
The town of Xizhou in Yunnan Province lies on the shore of the Er Hai Lake, not far from the city of Bali. Because of it's fine location, until 1949 it was a major commercial centre and for a period was even a major fortress and the site of the temporary palace of the King of Nanzhao.
The most prominent feature of this town is the housing which is a very typical Bai design known as Sanfang Yizhaobi. Basically this involves building around a central courtyard. In most instances three of the four sides would have all of the windows facing in towards the courtyard and the fourth side would be a blank, white painted wall to reflect light back into the other three buildings.
In the past, all of the buildings surrounding a courtyard might have been occupied by one important family but nowadays they are more likely to be occupied by three or even four families.
The courtyards were put to good use, growing plants and herbs, preparing meals, socialising with neighbours or just hanging laundry out to dry.
Other houses were built in the Sihe Wutianjing style which involved four buildings around a central large communal courtyard with a smaller private courtyard in each corner.
The photo on the left shows the windowless outer walls and an entrance to one of the smaller courtyards.
Besides serving as an entrance to the main building, these smaller courtyards were also useful for storing a wide range of items.
There are almost 90 of these buildings in Xizhou town and it was a delight to explore them and meet the residents. The Bai ethnic group of people are thought to have lived in this region for thousands of years.
The main street of the town was an odd mixture of traditional buildings outside of which people sold handmade ornaments and jewellery and an assortment of more modern fashion items.
The street led us towards the market place and clearly we were not alone in heading to market. These chickens were taking the lazy way but I am not sure what fate awaited them when they arrived.
The market itself was fascinating and I only wish that the photographs could also convey some of the sounds and smells that we experienced. (not all of them pleasant, but interesting nonetheless).
After browsing around the market, it was time for us to move on. Yet more wonders awaited us in and around the wonderful city of Dali.
I usually find that my visits to London have a specific purpose, for example to attend a concert or a show, leaving little time to do any of the other touristy things. So, on this occasion we decided that we would spend our few days in the capital going just wherever the mood took us. Naturally we were never too far from one of the major sights.
Like the London Eye.
Or Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament where I resisted the temptation to pop in and tell David Cameron exactly what I thought of his leadership.
Fortunately the nearby Westminster Abbey always has a calming effect on me.
A guided walk around the Bloomsbury District brought out many literary references and of course the name of Charles Dickens cropped up as we began the walk in Doughty Street where the great man lived (at number 48) between 1837 and 1839. It therefore seemed appropriate to also visit the Old Curiosity Shop.
In London one is never short of fine hostelries at which to take some refreshment and we decided to remain with the historical theme and only visit those that had a significant history. These included The Punch Tavern and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street.
The latter was of particular interest having hosted Dickens, Yeats, Tennyson, Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle and many others during it's history. The smell of the open fires that warmed each of the small, dark rooms was welcoming and took me back to my own childhood. Central heating may be cleaner and more efficient but it lacks the character of a real fire.
In High Holborn we just had to visit the Cittie of Yorke and of course my own perennial favourite, the Princess Louise in which I almost feel the ghosts of Ewen MacColl, Alan Lomax and Bert Lloyd who were regulars at the folk club there during the 1960's.
Sadly there was no time to sample the ales at the Black Friar.
Culture awaited in the form of the National Gallery where we were initially a little over-awed by the size of the place and the number of great works of art. It would have been all too easy to become distracted but luckily we had a plan and pretty much stuck to it.
Despite spending almost a full day there it would have been impossible to see everything but we were able to spend time and study each of the paintings we had listed as 'essential'. Wow!
My next visit to London will be early in May and is for a very specific purpose. More on that nearer the time.
