There are two recent albums currently occupying almost all of my available listening time.
One of these is the much anticipated follow up to the excellent '[Awayland]' by Villagers.
For this outing, Conor O'Brien has dispensed with the superb musicians that ably supported him on [Awayland]' and it's predecessor 'Becoming a Jackal', so one might expect to be hearing a stripped down acoustic collection of songs. Wrong!
While this album may not include all of the musical embellishments that were present on the previous albums, O'Brien does a pretty fine job of supporting himself on guitar, bass, piano, organ and drums. Yes, he plays and sings everything on this rather wonderful record and unfettered by the responsibility of directing other musicians, he has produced a collection of songs that are confessional and intensely personal. Take for example the words that open the album, "It took a little time to get where I wanted, it took a little time to get free. It took a little time to be honest. It took a little time to be me."
These lines set the tone for what follows as O'Brien addresses his demons and takes on the bigots who are critical of his homosexuality. It is a sublime, emotional record and is as musically beautiful as anything I have heard this year including 'Carrie & Lowell' by Sufjan Stevens an album that follows a similar confessional path.
I have little doubt that this album will feature prominently in my end of year "best of" collection.
Oh and I did mention that there were two albums currently occupying my time. To find out what the other is, you will need to check back in a few days.
On Friday I set off in glorious spring sunshine on a 240 mile round trip to Cottingham (just outside Hull). The purpose of my visit was to see my new grandson in the flesh for the first time. Welcome Hendrix Iain Thomas Graham.
It is curious to think that five days ago he existed only in his mother's womb, yet now he is dominating our every thought. Last night I went to sleep thinking about him and when I woke, he was still in my thoughts. Of course I am biased, but I think he's just gorgeous.
My partner Maureen posted a photo of him on Facebook earlier in the week and she has since been inundated with "likes". He may be only five days old but already he is more popular than us.
On our return journey, we paused for a little while at the nearby village of Bishop Burton. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Burton
I had passed through on my last visit to see my son Paul and was struck by what a picturesque village it is.
Judge for yourself with these few photos.
Last July I wrote of a walk I completed on a scorching hot day in the Yorkshire Dales. On that occasion we ended our walk in the village of Hawes and on route we passed Semer Water where I learned of the legend of Simmerdale.
http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Semer%20Water
For my first lengthy walk (over 10 miles) of 2015, I returned to the same area. The weather was dry, bright and sunny but fortunately not as hot as last year as there was plenty of climbing involved.
However it is always worth climbing when good views are to be had.
After all the climbing and stops to admire the wonderful scenery, we eventually descended into the pretty village of Bainbridge situated near the confluence of the River Bain (England's shortest river no less) and the River Ure.
There I gained my first sight of a working Archimedes Screw.
A local custom in Bainbridge is the sounding of an ancient horn which was once used to guide foresters and travellers safely to the village from the surrounding Wensleydale forests. The horn is still located at the Rose and Crown public house and is sounded every night at 10 pm between September and February. It was there that we convened after our exertions to enjoy some well deserved refreshment.
I posted a couple of weeks ago about the imminent release of a new album from Jesse Malin, someone who I have enjoyed listening to and watching on numerous occasions in the past. Well, I have now been listening to the album for a week or so.
This is Malin's first studio album for five years, so why the long wait? Well, according to Malin himself, “This record was written through a time of personal battles and struggles—sometimes at home, sometimes traveling the road—finding ways to celebrate the moment and find something real in what some might call dead end and disposable times.” In the record, he seeks to encompass all that has gone before in his musical career, beginning when he was little more than a 12 or 13 year old kid with Heart Attack and then becoming lead singer with glam-rock outfit, D Generation.
Malin has lived in New York all his life (he hails from Flushing, Queens) and he knows the city inside out. Clearly he yearns for the city that once existed but perhaps is no longer there. I suspect it's the city of the Ramones or the New York Dolls or of CBGB's. All now gone of course.
His feelings are perhaps best encapsulated in the track 'Oh Sheena' which surely addresses the Sheena who was a punk rocker in Joey Ramone's song which brought Sheena Queen of the Jungle into the modern world of the 1970's. Here Malin brings her into the twenty first century where her years of teenage rebellion are far behind her.
I am enjoying the album yet, like Malin's feelings of New York, I detect that something is not the same as it once was. The album has a wonderful intimate sound to it, almost as though Malin is there in a smallish room with you, something I have experienced on many occasions. He appears to enjoy the intimate contact. Why else would he climb off a small stage to sit cross legged on the floor in the centre of the audience and regale us with Neil Young's 'Helpless'? Yet, something is missing and I suspect it's the fact that these songs of New York, in my mind at least, do not quite measure up to what he has delivered before.
There is nothing that quite matches 'Mona Lisa' or 'Wendy' or 'Brooklyn' or 'Queen of the Underworld', or a host of other great songs I could list from his back catalogue. I am sure that Malin has achieved what he set out to do with this album. However for me. it doesn't quite hit the heights of some of his past work. Maybe that's more to do with the fact that I have only visited New York once. Maybe I am unable to relate to the New York that he is pining for. If so, that's my failing, not his.
While listening to a bunch of stuff with my music player on 'shuffle' I came across the song 'Losing Game' by Sandy Denny, a track I couldn't recall hearing previously. This might be because it is buried away at the back end of a 19 CD box set collection of the complete works of Sandy Denny issued a couple of years ago.
With a little bit of research I discovered that the song was written by Australian singer/songwriter Richard Clapton (not Eric Clapton as one misinformed website claims) and it was originally recorded during the 'North Star Grassman & The Ravens' 1971 recording sessions. However it would not be completed until April 1976. (A version was issued on the re-mastered edition of the album in 2005).
The musicians involved in the final sessions were John 'Rabbit' Bundrick on keyboards, Jerry Donahue and Trevor Lucas on guitars, Pat Donaldson on bass, Dave Mattacks on drums, Dick Cuthell on trumpet and Alan Skidmore on saxophone. An illustrious line-up I think you will agree.
However what made me stop in my tracks while listening to this previously unissued version, was the distinctive voice of the backing singer. Sure enough a little more research revealed this to be none other than Jess Roden, a singer who I believe to be the best ever British male vocalist. You may wish to argue that point but surely no one can doubt that he is the most underrated.
Now the shuffle facility has been switched off and I am revelling once again in the back catalogue of Jess Roden solo and with The Alan Bown!, Bronco, the Butts Band and the Humans. What a voice!
In my view Roden is one of the few artists that I could easily spend a lifetime listening to and would never grow weary of. Who are the others? Hmmm, an interesting question and perhaps a theme for a future post.
Meanwhile, who are yours?
I'm here in Spain where I hoped to find some warm sunshine. However it seems I left it behind in England. Oh well, "asi es la vida" as they say here in Spain.
After a rather bracing walk in a chilly wind, I went in search of some warming comfort food.
One item on the menu certainly caught my eye. It was Crumbs the Pastor. Surely a misprint or bad translation I thought. However Migas de Pastor turns out to be a popular Spanish dish made from leftover bread with a variety of other ingredients depending upon the region of Spain. Mine happened to come with fried egg, chorizo, pork ribs, bacon, garlic, onion, peppers and even a few black grapes.
And the name migas does literally translate to crumbs, so the menu was correct. I'm not quite sure where the pastor comes into it though.
Following the DJ debut of Colin Meloy, front man of the Decemberists on Good Friday, the Easter festivities continue on BBC Radio 6 Music this evening (Easter Monday) with a full program presented by the Unthanks.
Having raided the BBC archives for live sessions and concerts, the band will be presenting music from among others, Antony & The Johnsons, Portishead, Robert Wyatt and the Watersons. They have also delved into their own music collection so we can expect to hear stuff from Louis Armstrong, Eliza Carthy and PJ Harvey. There will also be a re-broadcast of 'Soup Songs' a documentary on the unconventional life and career of Robert Wyatt.
The Program beginning at 7.00 PM (BST) and lasting two hours sounds totally wonderful. The thing is I am abroad at the moment so may not be able to catch it.
Mental note made to self to hear it on catch up once I return to the UK.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/306BFVp9NpyqTJ6cz06mLqv/easter-monday-with-the-unthanks
Oh I should also add that the show will be followed by a repeat broadcast of a live session the Unthanks recorded for the BBC in February this year.
What can I say?
Cynthia played a significant part in the story of the greatest band of all time. And despite how she may have been treated by some individuals she always seems to my mind to have maintained a great deal of dignity.
I'm very sad to have heard of her passing after a battle with cancer. She was 75.
RIP Cynthia.
