My Favourite Albums of 2015

Having earlier listed some of my favourite albums of the year, it is now time to reveal my own personal top three.

At number 3 spot is 'Hand. Cannot. Erase' by Steven Wilson a double concept album that deals with the 2006 discovery of the body of 38 year old Joyce Carol Vincent. It is a shocking and heartbreaking story, but Wilson deals with the subject of Vincent's life in a sensitive way and the songs are by turns, dramatic and spellbindingly beautiful. The contrasts between the light and dark aspects of the story are brilliantly recreated through Wilson's compositions making this album one of his strongest yet. 
I am very much looking forward to seeing live performances of this material when Wilson visits these part next month.

My second favourite album of the year is 'Primrose Green' by Ryley Walker. As I said when I originally wrote about this album in May, it is impossible to hear the album without thinking of John Martyn, Bert Jansch, Van Morrison and Tim Buckley - yet Walker proves through his songwriting, guitar playing and singing that he is a major talent in his own right. Also credit must go to the wonderful musicians who ably support him on this album. 
I am also looking forward to seeing him perform live accompanied by renowned bassist Danny Thompson, in February next year.

Finally we come to my absolute favourite album of the year. And no, I have not been influenced by the fact that the Unthanks just happen to come from my part of the world - the north east of England. The majestic album 'Mount the Air' just happens to be, in my opinion, the best thing I have listened to this year. I was also fortunate enough to see them perform live on two occasions and those experiences confirmed my view that the Unthanks are a major talent and will very soon gain the kind of recognition they so thoroughly deserve. 
The title song is itself worth the price of the album. Based upon a traditional piece which in 1958 found it's way into the Dorset Book of Folk Songs, the band have cleverly introduced elements of Miles Davis' 1958 album 'Sketches of Spain' and produced a piece of music which at 10 minutes in length, still feels too short.
For your enjoyment, here is a link to that very track. Enjoy!
'Mount The Air'

Some Of The Best Albums of 2015

I should confess that this year I feel I have listened to less "new" music than in any recent year I can recall. The reasons for this are I suspect, twofold. 

First I have been quite deeply immersed in my fairly large collection of old jazz and blues recordings and absorbing this wonderful music has taken up quite a large portion of the time I have available to listen to music. I mean, why have the stuff if you don't listen to it?

The second reason is that this year there have been fewer new albums that have appealed to me or which have been recommended by friends. In the past few years, I have made some terrific new discoveries and have as a result delved into the back catalogues of artists like Anais Mitchell, These New Puritans, The War On Drugs and Steven Wilson. Not so this year I'm afraid, so consequently I have played it fairly safe when listening to new releases and have stuck with acts that I have tried and tested in the past and who invariably come up with the goods.

As a result, I can hardly call the following selection "The Best of 2015". Instead I shall just say that these are among the finest newly released albums I have listened to this year. Of course I also acknowledge that there will have been some wonderful releases that I have missed and hopefully will catch up with at a later date. I am still annoyed with myself for omitting the superb Blake Mills album 'Heigh-Ho' from my list last year, but I did not discover it until early in 2015.

So, for what it's worth, here are some of the best 2015 releases I have listened to.

Villagers - 'Darling Arithmetic' first written about here.
Calexico - 'Edge of the Sun'  written about here.
Sufjan Stevens - 'Carrie & Lowell'
The Decemberists - 'What a Terrible World, What a Wonderful World'. My comments from January can be read here.
Blitzen Trapper - 'All Across This Land' . Read all about it here.
Wilco - 'Star Wars'. Click here for my views on that one.
Sun Kil Moon - 'Universal Themes'.  You know what to do - here.
Jason Isbell - 'Something More Than Free'. Click here to read about that one.

They are all very fine albums which I am sure I will continue to listen to for months and perhaps years to come. However there are three which I have not listed but which I regard as the absolute best of my listening experiences in 2015.
Try to curb your curiosity. They will appear in my next post.

Box Sets #22 Louis Armstrong - The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings

Believe it or not, it took me all of six decades to come to appreciate the genius of Louis Armstrong. Growing up, I regularly saw him on TV acting the fool for the white folks who of course dominated the screen. The only "coloureds" we saw (and I use language which was considered acceptable in those days) were usually good natured, but not very bright servants of white American families. Then of course we in Britain had 'The Black & White Minstrel Show'. Yeuk! 

Armstrong was of course playing a stereotypical part. He was above all a showman and he knew exactly what he was doing. Having come from a very poor New Orleans background, he had learned at an early age to do whatever it took to get his music heard. However it left me cold and as a consequence I missed out on the great music he had made. My own views were confirmed when I read that Miles Davis, the ultimate angry young black man, abhorred the grinning 'Uncle Tom' character adopted by Armstrong to appease white audiences.

However, I later read a comment Davis made about the playing of Louis Armstrong. It is worth reproducing in full here:
"You can't play nothing on modern trumpet that doesn't come from him, not even modern shit. I can't even remember a time when he sounded bad playing the trumpet. Never. Not even one time. He had great feeling up on his playing and he always played on the beat. I just loved the way he played and sang".

If Armstrong impressed Miles Davis, then maybe it was time for me to reappraise my view of Satchmo.

People who are far more knowledgeable about jazz music than me, told me that I could do no better than to hear the 1920's recordings that have become known simply as the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens. I didn't need too much persuasion as I had already become infatuated with 1920's and 1930's blues and I was already familiar with Bessie Smith's 1925 Columbia recordings that featured a 23 year old Louis Armstrong on cornet.

The problem was in what format to get hold of the Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. Since their original release as sides of 78 RPM discs, they have been in circulation in numerous formats but not always particularly well presented - and in some cases even at the incorrect speed or with incorrect titles. Most reviews indicated that the definitive collection was 'The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings' released on Columbia Legacy in 2000. However new copies of this 4 CD package are expensive (currently just under £100 on Amazon).

I was delighted therefore to discover a pristine copy in a local charity shop priced at under £15. And what an absolute gem it is.

A card slipcase houses a very good quality book which contains the four CD's inside the front and back covers. The book itself is a joy with some great contemporary photographs of New Orleans and Chicago (where the recordings were made). There are also commentaries on the musical content of all four discs as well as information on the musicians involved.  

For me, the most interesting feature of these recordings is that this music is not typical of what Armstrong was playing at that time. He was then a member of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra who were appearing in Chicago nightclubs playing show tunes and other popular songs of the time. It was only because Okeh Records had recognised the demand for black music through the incredible success of Mamie Smith's 'Crazy Blues', that they began issuing what were termed "race recordings". In other words music produced by black singers and musicians for a predominantly black audience. As an up and coming black musician, Armstrong was contracted with Okeh to produce such recordings.

So, the music we hear on these four discs are what Armstrong and his colleagues produced in just 22 days spread between November 1925 and May 1929. Had it not been for this segregation of black artists to produce purely Negro music, the sessions we now refer to as the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens, would never have taken place. These musicians were put together purely to make records, not for live public performances. A sobering thought! 

Another interesting fact is that the music played harked back to the type of New Orleans jazz that had been popular about 10 years earlier. Things had moved on somewhat in the musical taste of the jazz listening public, yet despite this, Armstrong succeeded in setting a benchmark for the future of jazz. Indeed it has been claimed on numerous occasions that this body of work changed the field of jazz music forever. It is no exaggeration to say that the music included in this package has influenced everything that has happened since.

Not only does this set contain the complete recordings of the actual Hot Five and Hot Seven, but also all Armstrong related combo recordings that were released by Okeh, plus bonus tracks under the name of Lil's Hot Shots (Lil Hardin being the pianist with the Hot Five and also at that time, Armstrong's wife). Finally there are also recordings under the name of clarinetist Johnny Dodds that were made with Armstrong in April 1927 and which became the prototype for the Hot Seven recordings that would take place only two weeks later. 

A pretty comprehensive package, I think you will agree.

Bruges

During this past week, I made my first visit to the north west Belgian city of Bruges.

Courtesy of P&O Ferries from Hull to Zeebrugge, we were than transferred within thirty minutes to the southern edge of the city and the pleasant park that houses the Minnewater Lake - a name which translates into English as the Lake of Love. This is actually an artificial lake which was created in medieval times to help with flood control.







Earlier this year I visited the Begjinhof in Amsterdam, a secluded inner court that had once been a beguinage. Unlike the Amsterdam Begjinhof which is located in the city centre, the Bruges version is situated in a more tranquil area on the edge of Minnewater Park.Originally it was the home of Beguines, a group of pious women who had not actually taken religious vows, but since 1927 it has served as a Benedictine convent. 






The impressive white gateway to the complex was constructed in 1776 and inside there are attractive white painted houses, some of which date from the 16th century.


I was already becoming impressed by the architecture as we walked towards the city centre. There appeared to be impressive sights wherever we turned and in whichever direction we looked.



Exploring the maze of cobbled streets was a delight but occasionally we were distracted from the attractive buildings by the signs and the window displays.

Decisions had to be made. Should we buy chocolate or beer?

After all, Belgium is renowned for both.









Like Amsterdam, Bruges is famous for its canals and is often referred to as the Venice of the North.












Strolling alongside the canals provided countless opportunities for photographs - even for a mere snap-taker like me. We were pleased to be blessed with lovely weather, sunshine and clear blue skies, but they presented their own problems when taking photos because of the very strong shadows cast by the buildings and trees. Nevertheless, we were grateful to be seeing the city in such a wonderful light.






The main market square is home at this time of year to traditional Christmas market stalls and an ice skating rink. However, my attention was drawn more to the beautiful and varied buildings on the perimeter of the square.













There are of course many ways to explore this fine city with some opting for the horse drawn carriages that operated out of the market square. Consequently the sound of hooves clattering on cobbles became a regular sound as we strolled through the streets. The other pervasive sound was that of church bells which all added to the festive atmosphere.










As you can probably tell, I was very impressed by this city and I hope to visit again perhaps at a different time of year when no doubt I will see things in a different light but hopefully it will be just as enjoyable.

The Unthanks at Hexham Abbey

In my last post I spoke of purchasing two vinyl records as a callow 17 year old while working at a country hotel during school holidays. Those records were bought in the historic Northumbrian market town of Hexham which nestles in the Tyne Valley 25 miles west of Newcastle. On that occasion I recall visiting Hexham Abbey which stands on a site that has been a place of worship since the 7th century, though the current building dates from about 1170. I recall being particularly struck by the atmosphere of the place, especially down in the candlelit 7th century Saxon crypt. The experience made an impression on me and Hexham is a town I have returned to fairly frequently ever since, rarely missing an opportunity to revisit the abbey.

I returned last night on a very wild, stormy night and seated on a pew adjacent to the ancient stone steps leading down into the crypt, the sound of the wind outside only added to the atmosphere. It was a perfect setting and no doubt this was one of the reasons why the venue was chosen to host part of the Unthanks 10th anniversary tour. After all, they are Northumbrian girls and know the location very well.

I attended one of two candlelit shows performed by the full 10 piece band last night and whereas the show I attended in Newcastle City Hall in February had focused on the current album, 'Mount The Air', this anniversary show spanned the band's full career. 

It began with just sisters Rachel and Becky on stage singing older material such as Cyril Tawney's 'On a Monday Morning' and 'I Wish I Wish' from 'The Bairns' album. Gradually they were joined on stage by the other band members and the first hint of the latest album came in the form of a stripped down performance of the title track. It was a beautiful rendition but all too short.

We were then taken through more of their repertoire which included wonderful covers of King Crimson's 'Starless' and Elvis Costello's poignant 'Shipbuilding'. From the current album they performed 'Madam' and 'Flutter' before ending their main set with a complete version of the wonderful 'Mount The Air'. Finally as an encore they performed the north-east press-gang ballad, 'Here's the Tender Coming' which had been the title track of their third album in 2009. Throughout the whole performance, the flickering candles and clever use of lighting added to the unique atmosphere of the place.

As we left to brave the elements outside, I reflected that as well as singing beautiful harmonies, the sisters had entertained us with some rather fine Northumbrian clog dancing. I was immediately reminded of the last gig I attended when I witnessed Nils Lofgren and Greg Varlotta tap dancing during 'I Came To Dance'.

I wondered, could I be setting something of a trend here?

I'm next scheduled to see Steven Wilson in January. I'm not expecting him to don clogs or tap shoes, but you never know do you?

 

Full Circle After 47 Years

In the summer of 1968 I took a holiday job at a country hotel before returning to school to commence my A-level studies. It was a memorable time for all kinds of reasons, most of which I shan't go into here. However the weekly wage packets and frequent tips enabled me to purchase my first long playing records with my own hard earned cash (as opposed to pocket money from my parents). 

The two albums I chose to buy on one of my days off were 'Mr Fantasy' by Traffic which had been around for about six months and a brand new release by the Moody Blues called 'In Search of the Lost Chord'. I recall being impressed enough to even submit a review of the latter to my school magazine. Both were regularly on my record player over the following months and years and they remain firm favourites of mine. 

Of course the time eventually came when both records were replaced by the new shiny silver objects that we came to know as CD's. And I still have both CD's though my copy of 'Mr Fantasy' was upgraded a few years ago to an issue that contained both the UK stereo album and the US mono version. (They are different). 




I do occasionally wonder what led me to actually purchase those two albums when there was so much competition for my hard earned cash. I was familiar with the Traffic singles 'Paper Sun' and 'Hole in My Shoe' but had heard nothing from this debut album. As for the Moody Blues, I had heard 'Go Now' and 'Nights in White Satin' and that was it. I was hardly a fan. So I now wonder how much I was influenced by the distinctive cover art work of Chris Wood and John Benton Harris (Traffic) and the striking painting of Philip Travers that adorns the front cover of the Moody Blues' release. I will never know.

I only mention this because while browsing through some vinyl in a local charity shop recently I came across that very same Travers painting and despite having a personal rule that I won't buy any vinyl that I already own on CD, I was compelled to stop and examine the album more closely. It was only then that I discovered that it was an original mono pressing in surprisingly good condition considering it is now 47 years old. And the price was a snip.

I'm sure you don't need to be told that the album is now nestling among the rest of my growing vinyl collection. Forty seven years may have gone by but I am still getting a thrill out of finding and playing this stuff. Some things never change it seems.

Remembering "Mack" McCormick

I was saddened to learn about the death on 18 November, of Robert McCormick, better known simply as "Mack". 

As a musicologist, folklorist and historian, McCormick was probably best known for his work tracking down the true story of blues legend Robert Johnson. Through his dedicated field research during which he interviewed literally hundreds of people, he eventually, in 1972, traced Johnson's two half sisters and subsequently obtained the first photographs of Johnson himself. His plan was always to write a book about Johnson but he became bogged down by the wealth of material he had gathered, and filled with self doubts fuelled by his own manic depression, the book was never completed. However, the 1991 documentary film 'The Search for Robert Johnson' was partially based upon McCormick's research.

"Mack" was also instrumental in bringing the music of many other blues performers into the public eye. These included Mance Lipscomb and Lightnin' Hopkins, whose career McCormick revived in 1959. He also spent many years tracking down the story of the Texan singer Henry Thomas who had a short recording career in the late 1920's and who clearly influenced bands like Canned Heat in the 1960's. When a collection of Henry Thomas songs was eventually released on Herwin Records, McCormick wrote a 10,000 word essay to accompany the disc.

I was particularly struck by work that McCormick carried out tracing the true identities of Elvie Thomas and Geeshie Wiley who recorded for Paramount Records in the early 1930's. They had always been shrouded in mystery as having released only six recordings, they simply disappeared from public view. The journalist John Jeremiah Sullivan published a piece last year in the New York Times in which he claimed to have spoken with McCormick and somehow obtained transcripts of two interviews "Mack" conducted with L.V. Thomas in 1961. At that time Thomas was in her 70's but it would appear that she and 1930's recording artist Elvie Thomas were one and the same. During the interviews, she was also able to shed further light on the identity of Geeshie Wiley.

These are only a couple of examples of data that McCormick accumulated in his adult life. Indeed the mass of information he had stored became something of a millstone around his neck as it was simply too great for him to organise, analyse and draft into a form that could be published. In fact he himself often referred to all the data as the "monster" and found himself frequently flitting between unfinished projects. What he needed was a partner who could put his work into a form suitable for publication. He did at one time work with the English blues writer Paul Oliver but the two had a falling out and since then much of McCormick's laborious work has lain untouched. 

I understand that it has now passed into the hands of his daughter Susannah who has declared that something will be done with the material but it is not yet clear what. 

I can only hope that in the not too distant future McCormick's work does come into the public domain and we can share in all the wonderful stories that he unearthed. Without his work, many of the so-called blues legends who have become household names, would be forgotten or completely unknown. I believe we owe him a debt of gratitude.

RIP Mack

Nils Lofgren at Whitley Bay Playhouse

Although I've seen him on two or three occasions as part of the E-Street Band, I had never seen Nils Lofgren in his own right, so I was looking forward to catching him at Whitley Bay Playhouse last night. Nevertheless I almost missed the start of the show as the ticket showed special guest Greg Varlotta who I assumed was the support act. Fortunately my pal had seen Nils earlier in the year and was more tuned in to the fact that Varlotta was not the support but that he accompanied Lofgren through his set. Thankfully we finished our pints in a nearby bar and made it to our seats in time for the start at 8.00 PM prompt.

Two hours later as the pair thanked us and left the stage, I had joined everyone else who was on their feet to applaud a consummate, professional musician.

The set began with Lofgren on harp but it was not too long before he had switched to a Fender electric guitar with a trademark long scarf trailing from the headstock. Thereafter he switched between acoustic guitars taking us through a variety of songs that were a fair representation of his 47 year career. These included three songs from his early days with Grin who he informed us had supported Jimi Hendrix on Lofgren's 19th birthday. From then on, his career path has been fascinating and working with the likes of Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen must have been a fantastic musical education for him. And believe me, it shows.

The stage had rather minimal lighting and Lofgren was wearing a brimmed hat pulled down to his eyes so it was difficult to discern his expressions. This plus the signs warning against the practice made photography impossible I'm afraid - so no photos on this occasion.

The fine music which included personal favourites, 'Walkin' Nerve', 'Rusty Gun', 'Keith Don't Go', 'Believe' and of course 'No Mercy', was interspersed with some amusing chatter from Lofgren. An early joke told us of a teenage boy who announced to his mother that when he grew up he wanted to be a rock musician. Her reply was "Son, you can't do both". Another was a story of African drums but for me the most interesting anecdote of the evening was how he got the gig playing with Neil Young on the album 'After the Goldrush'. Young and David Briggs suggested that Lofgren should play piano and the fact that he wasn't a pianist didn't deter them. After all, Lofgren had played accordion since he was 5 years old.

While working on the song 'Southern Man', Lofgren remained during a lunch break with drummer Ralph Molina to practice his piano part. He introduced some of his old polka rhythms into the arrangement which Young and Briggs liked so much that they remained. Have a listen yourself. You may never hear the song in the same way again.

There is no doubt that the whole audience was delighted when during 'I Came To Dance', Varlotta left his keyboard and began a tap dancing routine, soon to be joined by Lofgren, tap dancing while playing his guitar. It was a great moment and I never thought that I would live to say that tap dancing was the highlight of a show. It just goes to show that life is full of surprises. I should at this juncture make special mention of Varlotta himself who provided wonderful accompaniment to Lofgren on keyboard, guitar and trumpet. Clearly he is a great musician in his own right.

After ending the main set with 'No Mercy', the pair returned to encore with Neil Young's 'Rockin' in the Free World'. It went out to the people who were killed or injured while going about their normal business at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris last Friday. It was a fitting anthem particularly as the song begins with the line "There's colors on the street, red, white and blue". I don't think there was anyone in the audience last night who was not yelling out that famous chorus. And I suspect that a few like me had a tear in their eye.

The night ended with the crowd pleaser, 'Shine Silently', then to rapturous applause the pair left the stage. Lofgren may have forgotten at one point that he was in Whitley Bay and referred to us as Scarborough. However he was soon put right on that score and after such a wonderful performance, how could we not forgive him for such a faux pas? 

I have no idea why I have left it so long to see a Lofgren show but I'm delighted I have now seen one. And I'm so pleased that I never missed a second of it.

RIP Allen Toussaint

I read of the sad passing of Allen Toussaint a couple of days ago and have thought how best to offer my own little tribute to his talents from within my own music collection.


So, here is Jess Roden with 'Trouble in Mind' a track which featured on his 1974 solo album and which was produced and arranged by Toussaint who also plays piano on the track.

'Trouble in Mind'

Also a live performance by Little Feat of the Allen Toussaint composition, 'On Your Way Down'.

'On Your Way Down'


Enjoy and remember a musical genius.

Peter Green & Fleetwood Mac - Show-Biz Blues

Having taken a temporary break from listening exclusively to Bob Dylan ('The Cutting Edge'), Drive-By Truckers ('It's Great to Be Alive') and Pere Ubu (Elitism for the People'), I have delved into some old Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green era) material. Perhaps it was because I had been immersed in the way Dylan's songs developed in the course of various studio takes, that I was particularly drawn to a Peter Green song entitled 'Show Biz Blues'. This track went through numerous changes before  appearing on the often overlooked 1969 album 'Then Play On' which was the first to feature Danny Kirwan and the last to feature Green himself.

Much has been made of Green's state of mind in the lead up to his departure from what had become a very successful band. People usually quote the melancholy lyrics of 'Man of the World' or the nightmare surrealism of 'The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)' to illustrate how Green was feeling at this time. They are of course absolutely correct to do so, yet I feel that 'Show Biz Blues' demonstrates just as clearly how confused and disillusioned he had become.

The recording sessions for the song took place in early to mid 1969 and listening to early versions, it is clear that it went through various changes before it's final appearance on the album released in September that year. For example, the song originally bore the title 'Do You Give a Damn For Me' which appears in two different versions on the companion compilation albums 'The Vaudeville Years of Fleetwood Mac' and 'Show-Biz Blues - Fleetwood Mac 1968- 1970'. By take 12 which features on the latter, the song had changed little but in the third verse, Green sang "If I needed anybody, I would take you home with me, ...... I don't need nobody, I don't need anybody but old me".

Do You Give A Damn For Me - Fleetwood Mac

Significantly the tempo had slowed slightly by the next version which was recorded in June 1969 and the lyrics had also altered to "... I don't need nobody, I don't need anybody 'cept Him and me". To add further significance to this alteration, the song title had also changed to 'Him and Me'. As Green himself admits, he had found God and went from being fiercely independent to acknowledging that he needed someone or something in his life. However in 1969, being into God wasn't considered especially hip so for the final version the title was changed yet again to 'Show-biz Blues' and the mood of the song was lifted by the addition of percussion in the form of tambourine and handclaps. By 1970, God had also been replaced in Green's life by LSD. His use of the drug may have ultimately led to Green's breakdown and departure from the group, but thankfully, after a period of illness, he did emerge to tell the tale.

Here is the final album version:
Show Biz Blues - Fleetwood Mac

Listening to it again after all these years, I am struck not only by what a great song it is  but also that it features some terrific slide guitar playing from Green, incorporating elements of Skip James and Bukka White among others. 

One sad postscript to the story of this song, concerns Rory Gallagher who himself recorded a version in 1994 for a Peter Green tribute album, 'Rattlesnake Guitar'. The words in this version are changed significantly but in the final verse Gallagher sings "Tell me anybody, do you really give a damn for me. I'll tell you a story, ..... my soul is killing me".

Showbiz Blues - Rory Gallagher

Sadly these words were to prove prophetic as by the following June, Gallagher was dead.

Box Sets #21 Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 - The Best of The Cutting Edge 1965-1966

Yet another box set. Don't they come thick and fast at this time of year?

I first reported on this set in all of it's versions last month, so if you wish to read it or refresh your memory, you can do so here.

As I indicated then, I opted for the set entitled 'The Best of The Cutting Edge'  which came on three LP records plus two CD's. Housed in a very sturdy slipcase box, each of the albums has been pressed on 180g vinyl and each is contained within a nice thick card cover in a retro style that puts me in mind of the kind of covers old 78 RPM records used to come in. Not only that, but there is also a card, not paper, inner sleeve. A nice touch I feel.

And of course there is a book which in this edition is a 12" x 12" softback running to 56 pages. And a very fine thing it is if I'm honest. In fact it was one of the main reasons for me plumping for the vinyl version, to have a book of a decent size that I could actually read without the aid of a magnifying glass. 

The least impressive part of the set are the two CD's which are in ordinary card sleeves but as they will mainly be used in the car, that is a very minor quibble.

Obviously I'm aware that having gone for the lower priced set, I was set to miss out on a lot of music that is included in the 'Deluxe Edition'. However those nice people at a certain well known online retailers that shall remain nameless, provide a service that enables a purchaser to download a copy of their item. On the day of release, I duly set about downloading my copy, only to discover that I was provided with the full Deluxe Edition! All 6 CD's (111 tracks) of it!

So enough of the packaging and downloads. What of the quality of the music? Well, all I can say is that this is exactly what made me a fan of Bob Dylan in the first place. Did anyone ever produce a better body of work in such a short space of time? And what we have here allows us to experience first hand how those wonderful 1965/66 recordings evolved in the studio to eventually become the trio of albums 'Bringing It All Back Home', 'Highway 61 Revisited' and 'Blonde on Blonde'. Albums that were all recorded within a 14 month period. Incredible!

For the purpose of this post, I intend to focus on the vinyl version - a mere 36 tracks, as absorbing and analysing the larger collection will take considerably longer but is something I feel I may return to in the fullness of time. Personally I believe that the vinyl albums provide one with a more pleasurable listening experience. Why? Well simply because there is far less repetition. I mentioned that there were 36 tracks spread across the three discs and these represent 33 different songs. Only 'Like a Rolling Stone', 'Desolation Row' and 'Highway 61 Revisited' are repeated and in vastly different arrangements. Compare that with four versions of 'On The Road Again' or 'It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry' or even 20 versions of 'Like a Rolling Stone' that appear on the Deluxe Edition, and you can possibly imagine that this might jar after a while.

OK everything included here may not be absolutely top class, but it is not meant to be. Let's not forget that this collection is part of the Bootleg Series. We are dealing here with rehearsals, demos and alternate takes that were considered to be not good enough for the officially released albums or were still very much works in progress. So on side 6 of the vinyl we hear an unusual fourth take of 'Just Like a Woman' taken at a much faster pace than the sedate released version. Even producer Bob Johnson comments "That's one hell of a beat". He doesn't sound convinced and one can understand why Dylan soon reverted to the slower tempo. Also some of the tracks come to a sudden and abrupt ending which can take one unawares upon first hearing. There are also short throw-away snippets of songs such as 'You Don't Have to Do That'. But none of these things ultimately detract from the listening experience. Simply because much of the content is absolutely brilliant and we are witnessing first hand a genius at work - warts and all. We hear Dylan creating and refining his words and melodies, making adjustments to the tempos or the way the words fit within the framework of the songs. There are changes that will surprise people who are familiar with these songs but the whole experience is absolutely fascinating and always entertaining.

In my view we should just be bloody grateful to Bob for allowing us to witness this act of creation. 

Box Sets #20 Drive-By Truckers - It's Great To Be Alive

I don't believe that the Drive-By Truckers have ever made a bad album - and in their almost 20 year history, they have made a few (10 studio records plus three previous live albums). I would even go a step further and offer the thought that they have never even produced a bad song. Indeed Patterson Hood confesses in the excellent liner notes that accompany this set, that "we have always considered ourselves first and foremost, a songwriter's band and always said that 'song is king' should be the basis of all artistic decisions".

If proof was needed, these 35 songs recorded over three nights at the Fillmore, San Francisco last November, span the entire career of the band and demonstrate what an awesome outfit they are. I was lucky enough to witness them live in a very small venue a good few years ago and they blew us all away. Sadly I doubt I will ever witness them again in that kind of environment but I would jump at the chance to see them again regardless of the venue. Meanwhile I will have to content myself with this excellent set.

The songs truly do span the whole career of the Truckers, indeed some predate the formation of the band, when college roommates Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley began playing music together and formed a band called Adam's House Cat. Album opener 'Lookout Mountain' may have appeared on the 2004 album 'The Dirty South' but the song was originally created in 1990 and 'Runaway Train' dates from 1987.

This album has also given the band members the opportunity of revisiting some of their songs and changing aspects with which they may have been unhappy. For example, Hood claims that he couldn't stand the way his voice sounded on 'Ronnie and Neil' (from 'Southern Rock Opera'). He is now happy to have a version out in the public domain that doesn't make him cringe. Other songs have simply evolved over time having been performed live on so many occasions. The album also gave them the opportunity to hear what some of the songs would sound like with the addition of some soulful horns (sax, trumpet and trombone). Well, I can tell you, they sound great.

I opted for the 3 CD set and can report that it is a very nice package. I suppose it is not technically a box set as it comes in a four part folded digisleeve with each section housing a CD or the informative 22 page booklet. I should add that there is also an alternative 2 disc version for those more casual fans who don't wish to splash out on or sit through the full 35 tracks.


Whatever your choice, you surely won't be disappointed. 

The Rugby World Cup - A Triumph

I felt compelled to comment on the Rugby World Cup by first congratulating the world champions New Zealand who must surely be the greatest rugby team we have ever seen.
Sure the first 40 minutes of the final was hardly a classic but the way Australia came back into the game after the kiwis had extended their lead with a great try early in the second half, showed what a great side the wallabies are, but also brought out the very best in the eventual and deserved champions.

And what a great competition it has been overall.

Credit has to go to all of the teams, officials, organisers and fans for providing an absolutely wonderful spectacle; a one which I hope will encourage youngsters throughout the world to take up this wonderful sport, either as players or fans. 

There were so many highlights in the competition that it is difficult to select a favourite, but if pushed, I have to go for the wonderful and unexpected match between Japan and South Africa in the group stages. What a match, what a supreme and brave effort by Japan and what a result.

As a lifelong fan of football (soccer), I have to admit that the game I love could benefit hugely from adopting some of the aspects of rugby that make it such a great sport. Why is it that a rugby player can take a crunching tackle and just get up and get on with the game, while a footballer gets a slight tap and goes down as if poleaxed and rolls around in agony? Why is it that footballers feign injury so much and why are football referees decisions not accepted with the same grace as in rugby? Also, it is a pleasure and a relief to see so few bad refereeing decisions made in rugby compared to football,where quite frankly, the standard is abysmal. The technology is there to help ensure that decisions are correct, so why isn't it used more in football?

My view is that frankly there is simply too much money in top class football and as a result, the game is being ruined. The rugby world cup has demonstrated that with great organisation, dedication and wonderful sportsmanship, the world can be entertained without the need for cheating or gamesmanship. 

If the football world is not careful, I can see true fans leaving in droves and switching their allegiance to rugby. And not just in the southern hemisphere.

Personally I would not blame them. In fact, I may even join them.

Box Sets #19 Pere Ubu - Elitism For The People

It might not have sold well upon its release in 1975, but I rate Pere Ubu's debut album 'The Modern Dance' as one of the best of all time. There, I've said it!

Sure it may be not to everyone's taste but I defy anyone to find an album that is as daring in it's originality and that sounds as fresh and adventurous now as it did back then. And then of course, there was the follow up, 'Dub Housing' which was released only 10 months later yet sounds like a totally different band. However the adjectives I used to describe it's predecessor could just as accurately be utilised to describe this.

Oh, and let's not forget the singles that were released on the Hearthan/Hearpen label particularly the non-album singles 'Final Solution' and the double A-side '30 Seconds Over Tokyo' / 'Heart of Darkness'. All absolutely brilliant stuff.

So to have all of this and more newly remastered in 192khz / 24 bit sound quality was an opportunity not to be missed.

The box set 'Elitism for the People 1975-1978' consists of four 180g LP records housed in a sturdy square box. Each of the aforementioned albums has an LP to themselves while the third disc brings together all of the single A & B sides released during that 3 year period. Of course it has all been done before with the 1996 CD package 'Datapanik in the Year Zero' which included material up to 1982. However the 1996 package did not include the 1977 live set from New York which is included here as LP 4. Nor did the 1996 release have such a wonderful fresh sound which was my main reason for going for this particular set. Despite being familiar with these albums, I am now hearing things that were never evident previously.

Not that the set is flawless by any means. The live album was recorded over thirty years ago on a cassette and subsequently does not match the other material in terms of sound quality. Nor does it even feature the full concert performed at Max's Kansas City all those years ago. On that night the band performed two sets and only the second is included here. To obtain the full concert one has to download it from the Hearpen website and pay $10 for the privilege. Would it have been too much to ask to have the full concert included, even if it meant running to five albums instead of four? Or at very least a download code for the concert could have been included in the set. Still, these are relatively small criticisms. The fact is that the quality of the the other material makes this purchase worthwhile.

I am informed that the set is limited to 1000 copies though I confess that it is not numbered so I could well be mistaken. However I have no regrets about splashing out to hear this material in such superb quality.

As a postscript I should perhaps give some explanation as to whether the early singles were released on the Hearthan or Hearpen label. This appears to cause confusion and argument even among fans of Pere Ubu. So here it is directly from the Hearpen Records website:

"David Thomas made Hearpen records in 1975 to put out Pere Ubu records. The name derives from an Anglo-Saxon word for harp. The 'p' is a transliteration of the Anglo-Saxon thorn, a character that was pronounced th. Hearthan (pronounced hay-are-than) gradually gave way to Hearpen (pronounced hay-are-pen) as the label's name. The logo got designed on a day it was Hearthan. A rule evolved that written the name is Hearpen while when integrated into a design it becomes Hearthan. Hearpen is the favored pronunciation in all cases. Confusion was the foundation on which our business grew."

Clear?

'Elitism for the People 1975-1978'  is released on Fire Records and may or may not be limited to 1000 copies. Grab yours while you can.

It's Great To Be Alive

Yesterday we were treated to summer-like weather but with the added bonus of dramatic clouds and autumn colours. 

Stunning!

On days like this, it really is great to be alive.














And speaking of 'It's Great to Be Alive' the live album of that name by the Drive-By Truckers is due to arrive in less than two weeks. 

Can't wait!

Meanwhile, there are paths to walk and views to be enjoyed.

Världens Band at Gateshead Old Town Hall

It was exactly one year ago to the day that I last saw this band at Sage Gateshead. This year, in a gig promoted by Sage, the venue had switched to the nearby Gateshead Old Town Hall.

If you are unfamiliar with Världens Band then may I suggest you read the words I wrote last year. 
http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/varldens-band-at-kings-hall-newcastle.html

As you will see, I was mightily impressed and wasted little time in securing tickets to see them again supporting their brand new album 'Transglobal Roots Fusion' - a title that very accurately describes their philosophy and their music.

Aside from the change of venue and the absence of singer Navah Elbaz, very little had changed. The band are still a wonderful collection of musicians from across the globe, who entertain not just with their infectious brand of world music, but also with their example of how cultures and nations can exist in harmony. It is a message that we could all learn from, particularly world leaders and nationalistic or religious fanatics who put their own desire for power over any concern for world peace. 

Because of their diversity, the band members are rarely able to get together to write new material or even to rehearse, so it is testimony to their skill as performers that they are able to put on a show of this quality.

I have also heard good things about their album which is not due for release for a couple of weeks, Thankfully copies were available at the venue and I was very pleased to be able to support this fine young band by purchasing one; which they dutifully signed for me.

The date coincided (as it did last year) with the birthday of Scottish flautist David Foley. I'm already looking forward to hopefully getting together with him and his friends next year to celebrate another one.