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.
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.
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.
There was never any doubt that the eighth studio album from Blitzen Trapper would enter my collection. I have followed their career avidly since their debut album in 2003 and have previously documented my thoughts that they improve with each album - no easy matter when you are prolific enough to release eight albums in twelve years.
The announcement from the band concerning 'All Across This Land' stated "We really hope you guys enjoy this one - we think it's our best yet". Quite a bold statement, but would the album live up to that proclamation I wondered?
Well, it is certainly very different from the previous release 'VII' which experimentally combined elements of futuristic hip-hop with the more usual country-rock fare. I loved it and said as much in these very pages. http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/blitzen-trapper-vii.html
The process of improving with each album continued, in my opinion at least.
'All Across This Land' is by contrast a much more straight forward country rock album in fact at times it veers almost into 'indie-rock' territory such as on 'Mystery and Wonder'. Nowhere do we hear the fusion of rock and old-timey backwoods music that was evident on tracks such as 'Texaco' (from 'Blitzen Trapper'), or 'Dirty Pearls' (from 'Field Rexx') or 'Country Caravan' (from 'Wild Mountain Nation')
Nor do we get the mix of futuristic electronics and post-punk rock that was present on tracks like 'Cunning Revolution' or 'Cracker Went Down' (from 'Blitzen Trapper') or 'Love I Exclaim' (from Field Rexx') or indeed 'Wild Mountain Nation' from the album of the same name.
There are no really gorgeous melodies such as '40 Stripes (from 'Field Rexx') or 'Not Your Lover' (from 'Furr') or 'Futures and Folly' (from 'Wild Mountain Nation') or even 'Below the Hurricane' (from 'Destroyer of the Void).
Eric Earley is a wonderful storytelling songwriter as was evident from 'Black River Killer' or 'Furr' (both from the album 'Furr') or 'The Man Who Would Speak True' (from 'Destroyer of the Void) but on this latest album the lyrics are more simplistic and consequently in my view, less interesting. Perhaps 'Cadillac Road' and the album closer 'Across The River' come closest but the fact that Earley's vocals are occasionally a little submerged in the mix does not make it easy to become immersed in the stories.
Even on more recent releases such as 'American Goldwing', Blitzen Trapper continued to push boundaries but it is just possible that the only thing the new release will push is the patience of the loyal following who yearn for some of that spiky brilliance that was all to evident on earlier albums. Earley has said of the new work that for inspiration he delved back into what influenced them to become musicians in the first place and he cites REM, the Replacements and Pavement. Perhaps he should have just delved into his own back catalogue. Possibly the change to a rockier sound has been made to beef up the live performances but on the evidence of last year's free download album 'Live in Portland', the band need no additional help in that area. They are a great live act.
With 'All Across This Land' Blitzen Trapper have become more mainstream and in so doing may well attract more commercial success. However for me, some of that early magic has gone. There are many bands around who do this kind of material just as well if not better. What set Blitzen Trapper apart, was that edginess that is sadly lacking here. 'All Across This Land' is an enjoyable album for sure, but less interesting than their previous offerings. If the band have now left that adventurous spirit behind them, then they have still left a wonderful body of work for which I will always be grateful. Personally however, I hope that there is more to come.
I have just discovered that I suffer from a condition known as CDO.
It's the same as OCD but everything is in alphabetical order. Just as it should be.
It has taken me a while to get my hands on this item but here it is...
It was way back in 1969 when I heard John Peel play a track called 'Born on the Wrong Side of Time' from the eponymous debut album by Taste. It wasn't long before that album and the January 1970 follow up, 'On The Boards' were in my record collection and I have remained a fan of Rory Gallagher ever since.
This box set 'I'll Remember' brings together those two albums expanded with numerous alternate versions but the point of me purchasing this package when I already own the two aforementioned albums, lies in the content of discs 3 & 4.
The final disc mixes up rare early Belfast recordings with some live material from Woburn Abbey in 1968 where Gallagher was so overwhelmed by their reception, he thanked the crowd no fewer than sixteen times. This concert also marked the end of the first Taste line-up.
The cream of this package however is probably disc 3 which features all live material from 1970. Two concerts from London and Stockholm are included and this is where Taste - and Gallagher in particular - really shine. Hearing how he switches between jazz and blues influences, it is easy to see why the Rolling Stones seriously considered Gallagher as a replacement for Mick Taylor in 1974. Incidentally the Stockholm concert includes a scintillating version of 'Sinner Boy' a song which would appear on Gallagher's first solo album a year later. Despite the undoubted quality of the performance at this concert, it was only one week later that Melody Maker would suggest that the band were close to splitting. They weren't too far from the truth.
It seems criminal that Taste only existed for three years and only produced two studio albums and that at the time they were usually in the shadow of Cream and Jimi Hendrix. On the evidence of these recordings, they were easily on a par with both of those fine acts.
It may have taken a while but the wait for this set has been well worthwhile. Four great discs, entertaining and informative liner notes and great photos and all for a little over £30.
Still feeling despondent at England being dumped out of their own Rugby World Cup, I turned to Netflix to watch this documentary about Rolling Stone guitarist, Keith Richards.
And it was well worth watching as Richards reflects on his life as he spends time in the studio working on his new album and travels to old haunts in the USA including the legendary Chess Studios at 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago. In so doing, Richards reveals a side to his personality that most of us were probably unaware of. The film also features some great shots of him working in the studio with the Stones and messing about with Tom Waits. And there is a great scene where he stands up to Chuck Berry - and lives to tell the tale.
Oh and of course there is some great music to enjoy.
While watching it I was struck upon hearing again of that fateful 1961 meeting between Jagger and Richards at Dartford railway station. They were drawn together because Mick was carrying two albums (Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry) under his arm. My thoughts were that if this had occurred in the days of CD's or digital music files, the Rolling Stones would never have existed.
Another reason to be grateful to vinyl perhaps?
Here is a link to a trailer for the documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHh24Y9LrY0
On receiving the news that a Streetwalkers box set was about to be released, I experienced that initial tingle of anticipation that has become so familiar in recent years.
Then, I recalled that I had felt similar excitement upon hearing of the release of the box set featuring the forerunners to Streetwalkers, namely Family.
My experience on that occasion was of course recorded in these pages and you can if you wish, read it again here.
One of my disappointments with the Family box set was the fact that none of the excellent BBC sessions had been included. I certainly can' t level the same complaint against 'I'm Walking, Complete Streetwalkers 1974-77' as one of the fifteen CD's included in the set, does feature all of Streetwalkers BBC recordings.
Also included in the set are the five official albums released by Streetwalkers between 1974 and 1977, a 92 page coffee table book, two replica singles with unique B-sides and a certificate signed by Roger Chapman and Bob Tench. Oh, and there are no fewer than eight discs of live material including the one containing the BBC recordings. And this, I think, is where my criticism of this package lies.
Don't get me wrong, Streetwalkers were a terrific live act, in fact it could be claimed that they never quite created the same magic in the studio as they did live. It was therefore unfortunate that the official live album they chose to issue at the time was a rather lacklustre affair that did not feature them at their best.
For this package the live discs feature the CD's entitled 'Rip It Up at The Rainbow' and 'Rip It Up at De Montfort' two sets that were recorded on consecutive nights in February 1977 in London and Leicester. They were issued separately a couple of years ago and though they are fine recordings demonstrating the band at their best, the two setlists are almost identical. Then, we have another two CD's ('Vicious But Live') of live material from February and March 1977 which of course feature pretty much the same material again. And then yet another disc of live performances from the UK tour of 1977 and yes you guessed, more of the same material.
The final three live discs are brought together under the heading 'Walkers Put The Boot In' and feature previously unreleased bootleg recordings of three 1976 concerts in Charlton, Lincoln and Toronto. With a few exceptions, the sets feature pretty much the same material as those from 1977.
So, it all leaves me feeling rather underwhelmed and wondering where the market is for such a package. Surely fans of Streetwalkers must have all of the officially released albums and I suspect that like me will also have the Rainbow and De Montfort Hall sets. Additionally I suspect that also like me they will already own the two sets that Streetwalkers recorded at Rockpalast in 1975 and 1977 which are not included in this package.
I have therefore decided that I certainly won't be forking out £125 for this even though it is a limited edition (1500 copies) and despite the lure of the live BBC recordings. On this occasion, I will be keeping my hands firmly in my pockets.
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!
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.
