Well I hope all of you had a very merry Christmas. I'm just catching my breath after all of the festivities and while everyone else seems to be at the sales, I at last have time to sit and ponder on the best new album releases of 2014.
I have to say, for my money it hasn't been a year of outstanding album releases. For a start there were a few disappointments which included a lacklustre album from Bruce Springsteen with the ironic title 'High Hopes'. Neil Young released not one but two albums but neither quite hit the heights of his best work. 'A Letter Home' featured some fine cover versions but was recorded in such a lo-fi way as to drastically reduce any enjoyment one might have had of listening to it. The other, 'Storytone' did feature Young's original material but sadly fell well short of what we have come to expect from him. The fact that we were presented with two versions of each song, one performed solo and the other performed in front of an orchestra or band, did little to alleviate the disappointment with the material.
Goat were a band I had high hopes for after their 2012 debut 'World Music'. Despite plaudits from a number of critics, I found the follow-up, 'Communion' to be just more of the same. I was also disappointed with '... And Star Power' from Foxygen who had impressed me greatly with last year's 'We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic'. Shame, but that gets the disappointments out of the way so we can move onto the good stuff.
The early part of the year saw the release of 'English Oceans' by the Drive-By Truckers. As I asked at the time, have they ever released a duff record? OK this may not be quite up there with their finest work but it is good to see Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley equally sharing the songwriting credits again. For some time it looked as though it might make it into my top slot.
The album 'Benji' by Mark Kozelek who operates under the moniker Sun Kil Moon was another early contender. Pitchfork were even daring enough to declare it one of the best albums of the decade so far. Heavy praise indeed! The subject matter of the album tends to be mortality so there are a few deaths to deal with but there is humour in there also. All in all it is a very fine album though fans of Sun Kil Moon don't need me to tell them that.
I was impressed with the return to form of Jack Bruce with his album 'Silver Rails' on which he was supported by several family members and friends. It was almost as if Jack was saying his goodbye and although he sounded strong on the album itself I watched a documentary about the making of the album and I thought he looked vary frail. Of course as we now know, he did not have long left with us which makes this album all the more poignant.
Another elder statesman, Leonard Cohen also returned with another fine album 'Popular Problems'. Full of bluesy themes and witty lyrics, the album carries on from where 'Old Ideas' left off which isn't a bad thing.
Two British bands that are forging quite a reputation in the melodic jazz style are the Neil Cowley Trio and Gogo Penguin, Their respective 2014 albums, 'Touch & Flee' and 'V2.0' were very much on my playlist in a year when I have been absorbing myself in an awful lot of jazz music both old and new. Of course Ginger Baker also produced a very jazz influenced album this year with 'Why'.
I have already commented on the releases from Lucinda Williams, Jack White, Jolie Holland, Royal Blood, Robert Plant, Pere Ubu, Opeth, Ryan Adams and Anais Mitchell. Clicking any of these links will take you to my original thoughts.
They are all very enjoyable albums but you may be surprised to hear that none have made it into my own personal top 3 this year.
To find out what has, I suggest you check back here in the next few days.
Showing posts with label Bruce Springsteen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bruce Springsteen. Show all posts
Monday, 29 December 2014
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Springsteen & I - Funny, Cheesy but Entertaining.
On Monday night I attended the global launch of the Ridley Scott produced movie 'Springsteen & I'. Essentially the film is made up of a series of clips of Springsteen fans documenting their thoughts about the artist and what he means to their lives. These clips are interspersed with a variety of live shots of The Boss from various stages of his career and many have not been shown publicly before now.
Whilst the live performances were mainly very good, watching these strangers reveal their innermost feelings about their hero, was occasionally an uncomfortable experience. On the other hand, it was also incredibly funny and I found myself veering between cringing and laughing out loud.
I don't wish to give too much away but perhaps the most cringeworthy moment occurred when an American mom revealed that she used to show her young child a framed photo of Bruce and say, "Daddy!". Goodness only knows what psychological damage she has done to the poor innocent child. Yeuk!
Conversely, the moment when Bruce invites 'Philadelphia Elvis' (Nick Ferraro) onto the stage to perform 'All Shook Up' is amazingly funny. Midway through the number 'Elvis' calls for Bruce to do a guitar solo but then realises that 'All Shook Up' doesn't have a guitar solo. The E Street band quickly bail him out by deftly switching to 'Blue Suede Shoes'. It is an hilarious sequence.
Not all people featured in the movie are Bruce fans however. Witness the long suffering husband who accompanies his wife to Springsteen concerts. When asked if he has a message for Bruce, he replies, 'Could you just make the shows a little shorter?' Needless to say, he doesn't get his wish.
The film itself lasted a mere seventy five minutes and I found my opinions to be rather mixed but the film was then followed by some glorious footage from last year's Hard Rock Calling at London's Hyde Park. About six or seven songs were shown of the band entertaining a rain soaked audience (I know, cos I was there) until Bruce and special guest Sir Paul McCartney were ushered from the stage.
This sequence was duly followed by an epilogue to the main film in which six of the main characters featured are brought together and get to meet their hero. There is much hugging and swapping of anecdotes and one gets the opinion that Bruce has brought something special into the lives of these people and he is just a good guy after all. Which is, I suppose, the purpose of the whole venture. The epilogue rounds the whole thing off nicely and I left feeling that it had all been very entertaining. There is, as you would expect, some terrific music. Also there are heart warming moments and plenty of laughs to counteract the times when you really will want to cringe.
Go see it if you get the chance.
Whilst the live performances were mainly very good, watching these strangers reveal their innermost feelings about their hero, was occasionally an uncomfortable experience. On the other hand, it was also incredibly funny and I found myself veering between cringing and laughing out loud.
I don't wish to give too much away but perhaps the most cringeworthy moment occurred when an American mom revealed that she used to show her young child a framed photo of Bruce and say, "Daddy!". Goodness only knows what psychological damage she has done to the poor innocent child. Yeuk!
Conversely, the moment when Bruce invites 'Philadelphia Elvis' (Nick Ferraro) onto the stage to perform 'All Shook Up' is amazingly funny. Midway through the number 'Elvis' calls for Bruce to do a guitar solo but then realises that 'All Shook Up' doesn't have a guitar solo. The E Street band quickly bail him out by deftly switching to 'Blue Suede Shoes'. It is an hilarious sequence.
Not all people featured in the movie are Bruce fans however. Witness the long suffering husband who accompanies his wife to Springsteen concerts. When asked if he has a message for Bruce, he replies, 'Could you just make the shows a little shorter?' Needless to say, he doesn't get his wish.
The film itself lasted a mere seventy five minutes and I found my opinions to be rather mixed but the film was then followed by some glorious footage from last year's Hard Rock Calling at London's Hyde Park. About six or seven songs were shown of the band entertaining a rain soaked audience (I know, cos I was there) until Bruce and special guest Sir Paul McCartney were ushered from the stage.
This sequence was duly followed by an epilogue to the main film in which six of the main characters featured are brought together and get to meet their hero. There is much hugging and swapping of anecdotes and one gets the opinion that Bruce has brought something special into the lives of these people and he is just a good guy after all. Which is, I suppose, the purpose of the whole venture. The epilogue rounds the whole thing off nicely and I left feeling that it had all been very entertaining. There is, as you would expect, some terrific music. Also there are heart warming moments and plenty of laughs to counteract the times when you really will want to cringe.
Go see it if you get the chance.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Hard Rock Calling - Hyde Park 2012
At the weekend I attended my third Hard Rock Calling festival in London's Hyde Park. The atrocious weather we have experienced this summer meant that expectations for the weekend weather were not high and I attended prepared for every eventuality. At least the event did go ahead which was no mean feat considering the number of events that have already been cancelled this year.
My plan this year was to skip a number of the support acts and take the opportunity to view the Rolling Stones 50 exhibition which began on Saturday at Somerset House on The Strand. Documenting the 50 years since The Stones hit the stage at the Marquee Club on 12th July 1962, this exhibition of over 70 photographs covers the entire career of this iconic band. And a wonderful collection it is too. If you happen to be in London before 27th August, I would recommend you pay a visit. The East Wing Gallery is open from 10.00 - 18.00 every day and entrance is free.
The inevitable hard back book to celebrate this anniversary is also on sale there at a penny short of 30 quid (that's English pounds). I must say I was tempted but it was an expensive weekend, the White Room budget was stretched and as I was heading straight to Hyde Park after the visit, it would have meant lugging a heavy volume around the festival site. So I settled instead for the lighter and slimmer catalogue at a reasonable £10.
While waiting in the queue to purchase the book, an American guy in front who seemed to be buying every single item on sale, commented that he had never heard of the band but assumed that they were doing quite well. The sales person didn't know how to react and I have to assume he was joking yet part of me wonders as I have always been of the opinion that Americans don't do irony. Oh well.
After a pleasant couple of pints in The Wellington (only to dodge the rain you understand), it was then on the tube towards Hyde Park.
I arrived in time to catch the last 20 minutes of a set by Dawes on one of the smaller stages. I won't name the sponsor as I'm not here to provide free advertising and anyway the drink tastes like crap. The band were very good indeed and well received by the crowd.
Back at the main stage, John Fogerty got his set underway. I've never been much of a fan of Creedence Clearwater Revival for some reason but I really enjoyed his set. At one point he was joined on stage by The Boss and together they did Status Quo's 'Rockin' All Over The World'.
At 19.30 Bruce and The E-Street Band came onto the stage and began their set. Having seen them at this same festival three years ago and again at Sunderland Stadium of Light a couple of weeks back, I knew what to expect. At least three hours of non stop great music. Of course there were some surprises thrown in such as Bruce playing a song requested by a Spanish guy who seems to have followed the band round all of Europe always requesting the same song. The song in question was 'Take 'em as they come' and the guy was ecstatic. It was a special moment. John Fogerty joined the band for 'Promised Land' and at the end of the set Sir Paul McCartney was introduced and with Bruce performed a fine rendition of 'I Saw Her Standing There' followed by 'Twist and Shout'. Of course we all know by now what happened next as Westminster City Council saw fit to pull the plug because they had passed the curfew. Shame on them! Perhaps they should put more effort into ensuring they have a good public transport system as our journey back to the hotel was a nightmare due to problems on the Central Line.
Feeling refreshed on Sunday and after a visit to Camden market (of which more next time), I returned to Hyde Park in plenty of time to catch Alison Krauss & The Union Station. Having stayed dry and fairly sunny throughout Sunday, the mud of the previous day had dried or at least been covered by a fresh layer of wood chippings. At least it meant we could sit down occasionally instead of having to stand non stop for five hours. The set by the band was superb featuring some very fine musicianship from Jerry Douglas on dobro and the wonderful Dan Tyminski who took his share of the vocals while Alison Krauss supported on fiddle.
After a break, Paul Simon came onto the stage and began with a selection of numbers from his solo years. He was soon joined on stage by Jimmy Cliff who did an exuberant short set and eventually Ladyship Black Mambazo bounded onto the stage to a very enthusiastic welcome from the crowd. Supported by many of the original musicians plus Hugh Masekela, Simon delivered the complete 'Graceland' album to an ecstatic crowd.
It seemed impossible to follow that yet a visibly moved Paul Simon returned alone with his acoustic guitar and silenced the crowd with a gorgeous version of 'Sounds of Silence'.
After another couple of numbers backed by the full band, they all took their bows and like the Chinese lanterns set off behind the stage, we drifted off into the night.
My plan this year was to skip a number of the support acts and take the opportunity to view the Rolling Stones 50 exhibition which began on Saturday at Somerset House on The Strand. Documenting the 50 years since The Stones hit the stage at the Marquee Club on 12th July 1962, this exhibition of over 70 photographs covers the entire career of this iconic band. And a wonderful collection it is too. If you happen to be in London before 27th August, I would recommend you pay a visit. The East Wing Gallery is open from 10.00 - 18.00 every day and entrance is free.
The inevitable hard back book to celebrate this anniversary is also on sale there at a penny short of 30 quid (that's English pounds). I must say I was tempted but it was an expensive weekend, the White Room budget was stretched and as I was heading straight to Hyde Park after the visit, it would have meant lugging a heavy volume around the festival site. So I settled instead for the lighter and slimmer catalogue at a reasonable £10.
While waiting in the queue to purchase the book, an American guy in front who seemed to be buying every single item on sale, commented that he had never heard of the band but assumed that they were doing quite well. The sales person didn't know how to react and I have to assume he was joking yet part of me wonders as I have always been of the opinion that Americans don't do irony. Oh well.
After a pleasant couple of pints in The Wellington (only to dodge the rain you understand), it was then on the tube towards Hyde Park.
I arrived in time to catch the last 20 minutes of a set by Dawes on one of the smaller stages. I won't name the sponsor as I'm not here to provide free advertising and anyway the drink tastes like crap. The band were very good indeed and well received by the crowd.
Back at the main stage, John Fogerty got his set underway. I've never been much of a fan of Creedence Clearwater Revival for some reason but I really enjoyed his set. At one point he was joined on stage by The Boss and together they did Status Quo's 'Rockin' All Over The World'.
At 19.30 Bruce and The E-Street Band came onto the stage and began their set. Having seen them at this same festival three years ago and again at Sunderland Stadium of Light a couple of weeks back, I knew what to expect. At least three hours of non stop great music. Of course there were some surprises thrown in such as Bruce playing a song requested by a Spanish guy who seems to have followed the band round all of Europe always requesting the same song. The song in question was 'Take 'em as they come' and the guy was ecstatic. It was a special moment. John Fogerty joined the band for 'Promised Land' and at the end of the set Sir Paul McCartney was introduced and with Bruce performed a fine rendition of 'I Saw Her Standing There' followed by 'Twist and Shout'. Of course we all know by now what happened next as Westminster City Council saw fit to pull the plug because they had passed the curfew. Shame on them! Perhaps they should put more effort into ensuring they have a good public transport system as our journey back to the hotel was a nightmare due to problems on the Central Line.
Feeling refreshed on Sunday and after a visit to Camden market (of which more next time), I returned to Hyde Park in plenty of time to catch Alison Krauss & The Union Station. Having stayed dry and fairly sunny throughout Sunday, the mud of the previous day had dried or at least been covered by a fresh layer of wood chippings. At least it meant we could sit down occasionally instead of having to stand non stop for five hours. The set by the band was superb featuring some very fine musicianship from Jerry Douglas on dobro and the wonderful Dan Tyminski who took his share of the vocals while Alison Krauss supported on fiddle.
After a break, Paul Simon came onto the stage and began with a selection of numbers from his solo years. He was soon joined on stage by Jimmy Cliff who did an exuberant short set and eventually Ladyship Black Mambazo bounded onto the stage to a very enthusiastic welcome from the crowd. Supported by many of the original musicians plus Hugh Masekela, Simon delivered the complete 'Graceland' album to an ecstatic crowd.
It seemed impossible to follow that yet a visibly moved Paul Simon returned alone with his acoustic guitar and silenced the crowd with a gorgeous version of 'Sounds of Silence'.
After another couple of numbers backed by the full band, they all took their bows and like the Chinese lanterns set off behind the stage, we drifted off into the night.
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