So the "odious little toad" Sepp Blatter has won an unprecedented fifth term as President of FIFA, I now suspect that there will be a major split in the echelons of world football.
While Blatter may have the support of Asia, Africa and part of Central America, the opposition of Europe, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada may mean that the future of the World Cup is in jeopardy. Either those football confederations will leave FIFA or Blatter will ensure that they suffer some form of recrimination for their disloyalty. I suspect he is not a man to forgive or forget.
The shame of it is that if Blatter truly cared about football rather than his own egotistical vanity, he would have stood down before this latest farcical election.
Sadly it seems that we now face another few years of scandal and corruption. Certainly not a good thing for our beautiful game.
Last year I was recommended 'All Kinds of You' the debut album by Chicago born singer-songwriter Ryley Walker. I found it interesting but a little too derivative of a handful of 1960's/1970's artists to hold my attention for too long. I challenge you to find a single review of Walker's work that does not draw comparisons with Bert Jansch, John Martyn, Tim Buckley or Pentangle. It's a shame as Walker clearly has a great deal of talent himself.
This year the recommendations for his follow up album, 'Primrose Green' have been even more vociferous. I took the plunge and once again the aforementioned names sprang to mind immediately with the addition of Van Morrison, particularly on 'Summer Dress' in which Walker adopts some of the vocal mannerisms of Morrison as well as utilising similar jazzy arrangements and a host of excellent supporting musicians. (Judging by photos of Walker, he has even adopted Morrison's 1970's hairstyle).
Opening track 'Primrose Green' and 'Love Can Be Cruel' are pure Pentangle complete with a Jansch like vocal and double bass so reminiscent of Danny Thompson's work with that group and with Tim Buckley, as to be uncanny. Listen to 'Sweet Satisfaction' and I dare you not to think of John Martyn. 'The High Road' sounds like solo Bert Jansch with the added string arrangements of Robert Kirby. There can be no doubt that Walker wears his influences on his sleeve and in so doing may be making a rod for his own back. Listeners of my generation simply cannot fail to draw comparisons to those great artists of the past.
Yet, I have found myself thoroughly enjoying this album on its own merits as the songs are strong and the performances are superb. As I have stated earlier, Walker has a great talent himself and will no doubt attract an audience who are not familiar with the work of his predecessors and will accept him as a great artist in his own right. And if it eventually leads that audience to listen to the works of Jansch, Martyn et al, then all well and good.
I looked set to miss this gig on Monday evening as I had other plans but when a friend offered me a free ticket, my plans were swiftly changed. My friend was also on a freebie as he is writing a review of the gig for a local blog, so I will leave the hard work to him and as always just record here my own feelings about the night.
I have now lost count of the number of times I have seen Malin perform live. See, there are advantages in keeping a blog as it helps one to keep track of such things. The last time I witnessed him at this particular venue must have been way back in 2004 as his DVD 'Star Smile Strong' featured a handful of songs recorded here.
Nothing much has changed for Malin with the passing of time. He still favours the shaggy black hair and leather jackets and his songs are still delivered in that distinctive nasal whine rich in the nuances of his native New York City. Beneath a cloth cap worn with the peak turned to the side, he looks considerably younger than his 47 years.
Kicking off with 'Addicted' from the new album followed by old favourite 'Wendy', I thought we were in for a good cross section of his career output. Unfortunately (for me) the focus was more Joey Ramone than Springsteen or Ryan Adams. I thought that punk died 35 years ago but here it was, alive though not very well in Newcastle upon Tyne. Joey Ramone whose birthday it would have been on 19 May, was mentioned several times and by tribute Malin did a cover of the Ramones 'Do You Remember Rock n Roll Radio?'
It appears that Malin also fancies himself as something of a raconteur as we were regaled with several quite lengthy in-between-song raps. Unfortunately (again for me) apart from a couple of humorous anecdotes, they were too long and added little to the evening. As expected Malin continues to enjoy the close interaction with his audience and once again joined us all in a mass sit-down as he gave us a rendition of the latest album torch song 'Bar Life'.
There were plenty crowded round the small stage who were clearly lapping up everything Malin offered and I wondered if the antipathy was all mine. Yet glancing round I noticed that the crowd appeared to be thinning as the evening progressed and by the time of the final song, Lou Reed's 'Sally Can't Dance', the place was half empty.
This number had been preceded by one of Malin's older (and better) songs, 'Brooklyn'. Pleased as I was to hear it played again, it only served to highlight (for me) just how much better his old material was.
I don't wish to sound ungrateful for the free ticket but perhaps I should have stuck to my original plans.
Yeah I know I'm a little late off the mark but when I discovered early yesterday morning that B.B King had passed away, I was heading off for a full day walking in the Cheviots.
What can I say other than the very bloody obvious, "The thrill is gone".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fk2prKnYnI
RIP
My first acquaintance with Roxy Music came ironically not through their music but via an article that appeared in the NME on 1 July 1972. I had just celebrated my 21st birthday the previous day and was no doubt nursing a hangover and listening to an album on my very first stereo record player whilst leafing through the pages of the British music paper that I then purchased weekly. The article was entitled 'Roxy Music: The Answer to a Maiden's Prayer, or Anyone Else's' and it waxed lyrical about this dynamic new band and their debut album that had been released two weeks previously. The article described this strange art rock that blended elements of 1950's rock'n'roll with futuristic synth and mellotron sounds. I was so intrigued by what I read that I took myself off to a local record store armed with a birthday record token and purchased the album after only hearing one track - 'Ladytron'.
I loved the album and went on to buy the non-album single 'Virginia Plain' released the following month. Ditto with the following single 'Pyjamarama' and the second album 'For Your Pleasure' in March 1973. Oh and I also saw Roxy Music live a couple of times during that period.
I have written before of my love for artists who are prepared to push the boundaries of their art and Roxy Music certainly did that. How many other popular artists at that time would dare to release tracks such as 'In Every Dream Home a Heartache', 'For Your Pleasure' or 'The Bogus Man'? As we all know, Brian Eno departed and the band went on to create another couple of fine albums including arguably their best, 'Stranded', but gradually to my ears they became a little too polished and mainstream and my interest waned. I then ceased buying their albums and I never saw them perform live again.
Last week however I came across 'The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982' at a ridiculously low price and was compelled to purchase it. I have no regrets. Not only do I have those classic early albums transferred from original masters to replicate the sound of the original vinyl albums but I also now have the opportunity to re-evaluate their later output which I have to confess contained some pretty fine songs and superb production. All eight studio albums are included in nice mini replica gatefold sleeves. Additionally there are two bonus CD's containing singles, B-sides and alternate mixes. Consequently 'Virginia Plain' is included on one of the bonus CD's and NOT on the first album as it was on the original CD version. This is how it should be - at least here in the UK. (The track was included on the US version of that album). The package is quite nice - if you are familiar with the Bob Dylan Original Mono Recordings from a few years back, then you will find this package identical in size and quality. Sadly no book though, so the only information is that which is included on the replica sleeves.
I am currently reliving those early experiences of hearing Roxy Music and discovering anew just what a fine band they were and what a great lyricist Bryan Ferry was and is. It is almost like being 21 again.
Don't mock. I did say 'almost'.
I have recently been getting to grips with the sophomore album by the Alabama Shakes. Would it live up to the promise of that great debut I wondered?
Well it does - and more but only up to a point.
In this album they take the soul and R&B influences that won them so many fans with their debut but they add elements of jazz, funk, Southern rock and punk. The shift in direction is clearly signalled from the opening notes of the album played on bass and vibraphone.
Obviously one of the major assets of the band on 'Boys & Girls' was the soulful voice of Brittany Howard and on this album I love the way her voice almost wheezes into life at the start of 'Don't Wanna Fight Anymore', However this band is not just about the vocal ability of Ms Howard as the tasteful backing and instrumental passages of 'Gimme All Your Love' demonstrate. Indeed this one track with its various twists and turns, is almost worth the price of the album alone. Unfortunately its brilliance only serves to demonstrate the weakness of a few songs that follow it particularly 'Guess Who' and the track called 'The Greatest' (it isn't). Thereafter in my view the album never really recovers it's momentum. If I owned it on vinyl I could visualise myself playing side one to death but rarely bothering to flip it over.
Nevertheless I admire the fact that they have been brave enough to make changes and in so doing the Alabama Shakes may well win a legion of new followers, hopefully without losing their existing ones. If so, it will be a smart move indeed.
It would be remiss of me not to write a few words on this lovely box set released a couple of months ago.
Personally I believe that the Pretty Things are one of the most underrated bands to have emerged in the 1960's. While people continue to wax lyrical about the Stones, the Kinks and the Who, the Pretty Things rarely get a mention. Of course they suffered initially through being compared to the Rolling Stones no doubt because both bands favoured a repertoire based on American R&B and of course in Dick Taylor, they had a bass player who had played in both bands. Also the Stones broke the US market while the Pretty Things, for whatever reason, never quite managed that.
However, consider this for a moment. When putting together his 'Pin Ups' album of favourite cover songs, David Bowie included not one but two songs by the Pretty Things ('Rosalyn' and 'Don't Bring Me Down'). Also I have heard it said by those fortunate enough to have seen both the Pretty Things and the Stones live back in those early years, that the Pretties blew the Stones off the stage. Even Dave Gilmour has stated that the Pretty Things made the Stones look tame.
Moving forward to the late 1960's when all and sundry were trying to match the psychedelic mastery of 'Sgt Pepper', the Stones only managed the rather derivative 'Their Satanic Majesties Request'. The Pretty Things however came up with the masterful 'S.F. Sorrow', not only a great album but also the first concept album, preceding 'Tommy' by a full year.
Unfortunately as with many of their contemporaries, a mixture of bad luck and bad behaviour prevented them from achieving the commercial success they clearly deserved. However, despite various splits and break-ups, the band are now back together and are belatedly receiving some credit for their back catalogue of wonderful recordings.
I happened to catch them live on a small stage at Hyde Park a few years ago and they were quite sensational.
This 50th anniversary box set contains an illustrated 100 page hard backed book, two documentary DVD's, a 10" replica acetate of 'Defecting Grey', 'Turn my Head' plus two unreleased tracks, two CD's containing 45 rarities, a family tree and a brand new art print by Phil May. Oh and of course there are 11 remastered studio albums including bonus tracks. To get a better idea of the contents, watch Phil May and Dick Taylor unboxing the package here.
I should at this stage confess that I do not yet own this box set myself. When it was released with a price tag of £125 I was sorely tempted but I already own all of the remastered albums included within the set. I now see that on Amazon, it is going for twice the original price. An opportunity missed perhaps?
Yet, I also see that it is still available at the original price from this site.
Consequently I may still be tempted! Watch this space!
I recently wrote that there were two current albums taking up most of my available listening time. One is 'Darling Arithmetic' by Villagers and the other is 'Edge of the Sun', the eighth album from Tucson based band, Calexico.
In the twenty years since Joey Burns and John Convertino departed from Howe Gelb's Giant Sand, they have been pretty consistent with their brand of dusty, southern alt-country Americana. As the band name suggests, their music is rooted somewhere between California and Mexico and besides great songs, past albums have featured a healthy dose of mariachi trumpets, guitars and percussion. In some respects, 'Edge of the Sun' is no different, yet it also delivers more, taking us farther afield into previously unexplored territory, blurring the lines between the musical genres as they go.
To deliver this they have hooked up with a host of singers to ably support Burns in the performance of these fine songs. Those of you who recall the great EP 'In The Reins' featuring Calexico and Iron & Wine, will love 'Bullets and Rocks' which features the voice and guitar of Sam Beam. Elsewhere Amparo Sánchez shares the vocal spotlight with Burns on 'Cumbia de Donde' and Neko Case harmonises on 'Tapping on the Line'.
For me one of the finest vocal performances on the album comes from Mexican singer Carla Morrison on 'Moon Never Rises' one of a number of really strong songs. Another highlight is the brooding 'Miles From the Sea' in which the central character dreams of swimming in the ocean despite living in the hot desert many miles away from the coast. Another guest vocalist, Guatemalan Gaby Moreno lends her own soulful voice to this particular track.
Some critics may claim that with this record, Calexico have veered too far from their roots but personally I feel that despite the diversity of the songs, the whole thing hangs together remarkably well. It is certainly one of the finest albums I have heard this year and I currently rate it along with the best that Calexico have offered to date. And that's high praise indeed.
