Rocket Remnants

Immaculate Deception

2012-01-31T00:25:00.002Z

Youthful japes featuring demos, soundscapes, outtakes, literary readings, groovy covers, bogus raps and even an utterance or two from the Madgeness herself.

This could well be my favourite of the Yoof's vast oeuvre; it's certainly the one I've listened to the most; consequently there is a little surface noise.
But who cares? It includes 'In to the Groovey'!
And Gordon's deadpan delivery of 'Addicted to Love' reveals the lyric as being something truly sinister - or is that just me?

Ciccone Youth - The Whitey Album (1988)

Needle Gun
G-Force
Platoon II
Macbeth
Me & Jill/Hendrix Cosby
Burnin' Up
Hi! Everybody!
Children of Satan/Third Fig
Two Cool Rock Chicks Listening to Neu
Addicted to Love
Moby-Dik
March of the Ciccone Robots
Making the Nature Scene
Tuff Titty Rap
Into the Groovey

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Eternal Youth here

Here Comes Sickness

2012-01-27T17:31:00.005Z

One of the last gigs I went to before I left London for the green green grass of my now adopted home was Sonic Youth and Mudhoney together at the Kilburn National back in 89.
And my, it was ripping!

I'd caught Mudhoney a few times: with Soundgarden (SOAS [got to be one of my all time favourite gigs]); with Nirvana (National), and with Tad (twice: once at the National, along with Nirvana, and once in Fulham); and no matter who they were up there with, they always played a blinder; never failed.

I hadn't seen Sonic Youth before; but they certainly satisfied. Big time!
As does this.

This split 7" encpsulates those times for me absolutely.
The bands in homage perform a song by each other.
Loud, dirty, gritty, in ya face rude and brash.
That was the eighties.
This is the eighties.
Here I come, diving right on top of ya.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Sonic Youth & Mudhoney - Sub Pop Singles Club #2 (1988)

Sonic Youth - Touch Me I'm Sick
Mudhoney - Halloween

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Fill ya boots here

I've got more of these if there's any takers....

The State I'm In

2012-01-24T16:08:00.003Z

The state of music blogging is all rather depressing at the moment, and I do wonder whether it would be a complete waste of time to add anything new.

Many links on this blog are now dead; although where I do give an option (Multiupload or Sharebee) Deposit Files and Wupload should still be live, and at present, all Mediafire links remain good.

If you do find something you want and there's no living link, comment and I'll upload a Mediafire link in its place.

Life's too short for me to methodically go through and replace everything, so I'm at your behest; happy to share MY music collection with anyone who wants to listen.

Pip pip. roy

Twisted Pair

2012-01-17T00:26:00.001Z

Probably the least familiar of Otway & Barrett's oeuvre, Way Bar actually features the most successful single release by the duo, the peculiarly not like them at all 'DK 50-80', a big kind of New Wave number featuring overdubs and effects, orchestrated backing singers and tons of production.
Yeah, not like them at all.

And 'New Wave' isn't the only genre visited on this album; as per their other recordings the pair refused to be limited by paradigms, and happily performed punk, country & western, pub rock, folk (although pretty twisted) and some of that Otway styled singer-songwriter thing, which probably is a genre all of its own.

What with all the genre hopping, larks, and Otway's insistence in singing lengthy emotional ballads, Otway & Barrett must have been a nightmare to market.
(I remember seeing them one time, and Barrett insisted everyone go off to the bar or "Have a game of darts, or something," as Otway introduced another slow, heartfelt number he was about to perform. O, the pathos, the pathos.)
It's said Polydor really didn't understand John Otway; believing he was going to go on and become a role model or mouthpiece for the new generation.
Willy must have found that hysterical.

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett - Way Bar (1980)

Birthday Boy
DK 50-80
Cry, Cry
21 Days
Medieval Dance
Body Talk
Baby's in the Club
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
When Love's in Bloom
Day After Day
Come Back Darling

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Have a threesome here

Horny Devil

2012-01-14T01:13:00.006Z

Straight up!
There's no irony here, surreal or otherwise.

This set of recordings captured Snakefinger in full homage mode; and for a skinny bloke from Tooting, he sure could play the blues.
Backed up by a biggish band (Vestal Virgins and others, including Eric Drew Feldman on bass), one that included a fistful of glorious horns, some gorgeously authentic rich sounds are created: blues standards never sounded so good.

Of all the versions of 'I Can't Be Satisfied' I've heard, none is better than this version, and well worth the bother (of downloading) on its own.

Despite the big band styled jazzy blues making up the majority of this album, there are a couple of numbers Snakey performs solo: 'If You Haven't Any Hay' being particularly wonderful; perfectly accompanied by the most gracefully deft playing.

The final track, the lengthy instrumental 'Stolen Moments', has a marvellous thuggish, noir quality about it, finishing everything off very nicely nicely.

So not your traditional Snakefinger, due to Snakey getting all traditional; but no matter what the genre, you can be certain: Snakefinger could only have done it well.

Snakefinger - Snakefinger's History of the Blues: Live in Europe (1984)

Natural Ball
36 22 36
Cryin For My Baby
I Can't Be Satisfied
Crosscut Saw
Every Day I Have the Blues
If You Haven't Any Hay
You Upset Me Baby
Preachin Blues
These Kind of Blues
Stolen Moments

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Get charmed here

O So Dipso

2012-01-09T22:04:00.006Z

Pitched somewhere between Beefheart and Max Wall, the voice of ex-Deviant, hack, journo and muso Mick Farren comes at ya from the very sodden, sotted depths of drunkenness.

One shouldn't readily assume songs as being autobiographical, but in this case....
Vampires Stole My Lunch Money crystallizes Farren.
It is his thisness.

Punk perhaps inspired - Farren returning to the studio in 77 - and it seems others were willing to be associated and help out.
Sonja Kristina

and Chrissie Hynde

appeared as backing singers.

Wilko Johnson lent his idiosyncrasies to a couple of numbers.

Ex-Hawkwind thumper Alan Powell thumped; ex-Fairie Andy Coloquhoun added speed.

And old buddy Larry Wallis assisted and produced.

All in all: it's a classic.
If you haven't heard it before, you're in for a treat.
I envy you.

Mick Farren - Vampires Stole My Lunch Money (1978)

Trouble Coming Every Day (Zappa)
Half Price Drinks (Farren, Wallis)
I Don't Want to Go This Way (Farren, Wallis)
I Want a Drink (Farren, Wallis)
Son of a Millionaire (Farren, Wallis)
Zombie Line (Farren, Wallis)
Bela Lugosi (Farren, Coloquhoun)
People Call You Crazy (Farren, Coloquhoun)
Fast Eddie (Farren, Coloquhoun)
Let Me In, Damn You (Farren, Wallis)
(I Know From) Self Destruction (Farren)
Drunk in the Morning (Farren, Wallis)

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Drink up here

Hairy Fairies

2012-01-07T22:58:00.002Z

The 'reforming' of Larry, Duncan, Russell, Twink and Andy in 1987, resulted in this rather nifty recording being made, and ended with a blinding performance while topping the bill at a real humdinger of a marathon all-dayer at Kentish Town's Town & Country Club.
(What an all-dayer that was...!)

On the night their set travelled back and forth through the years; singer and sound changing as they moved from one Fairies' phase to another.
Kill 'em & Eat 'em does the same thing, but with new songs: the Larry Wallis songs - making up most of the album - carry on from Kings of Oblivion; the rest pick up from where What a Bunch of Sweeties left off.

With the accumulation of five Fairies the overall sound throughout this album is solid and large.
The fact they hadn't played together as a band since around '77 made them tighter if anything, and it seemed that during the interim none of the Fairies (well, apart from Paul Rudolph) had forgotten how to be Pink.
Enjoy!

Pink Fairies - Kill 'em & Eat 'em (1987)

Broken Statue
Fear of Love
Undercover of Confusion
Waiting for the Ice Cream to Melt
Taking LSD
White Girls on Amphetamine
Seeing Double
Fool About You
Bad Attitude
I Might Be Lying

Excellent vinyl rip @320kbs
Believe in Fairies here

Cry Me Arrhythmia

2012-01-03T00:10:00.002Z

I stand by my previous comment about this album: it's not as good as their earlier e.p. releases. But listening to it this evening, the first time in what could well be four years (my, doesn't time fly?), it sounded mighty good. In places.

With the addition of some big horns, the Cardiacs first full length vinyl release A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window ended up sounding a lot more prog than punk; at times reminiscent of Genesis, ELP, and even a little like - dare I say it? - The Enid (there, said it!).
It's all done in a wonderfully dramatic manner; beautifully played, gorgeously arranged, but... what?

Did Smith adopt a different approach to this product, compared to those he'd already released?
Maybe the fact that he was now making an album, a full length L.P., required a more serious attitude, an increased studiousness: less larks.
Perhaps growing up listening to all those hyperbolically produced progressive monsters of the previous decade more than rubbed off.
The Cardiacs' sound became orderly, less spontaneous, and a lot more accessible (commercial?).

(The colour drained a little.)

Okay, so compared to their earlier releases, this may have disappointed a little when it arrived, but as I said earlier, listening to it now, it's immediately obvious that this is a very carefully conceived and meticulously crafted piece; and despite my Tynan-esque diss, this knocked spots off much of the indie and alternative product of its time, and frankly, still does.

Cardiacs - A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988)

A Little Man and a House
In a City Lining
Is This the Life
Interlude
Dive
The Icing on the World
The Breakfast Line
Victory
R.E.S.
The Whole World Window

Excellent vinyl rip @320kbs
Quicken the pulse here

Omigosh, it's the Cardiacs. Again.

2011-12-31T22:12:00.002Z

An upgrade for one of Rocket Remnants' most popular posts; all re-ripped at 320 and some tracks have even been cleaned up a little.
All can be had here, or go to the original post for individual releases.
There's also a live album here; and keep gazing, coz there's more Cardiacs on the way (if I can find it...)....

Here's the original blah:

Remember Pronk?
Well the Cardiacs were the masters.
Brash, in your face and often damn right creepy and weird, the early part of the Cardiacs' career produced some wonderful and uniquely bizarre music.
Listening to these tracks is comparable to being spiked with hallucinogens and strapped in to some crazy fairground ride; you want to get off, but at the same time you never want it to end.

So herewith a cluster of Cardiacs' e.p.s, from their early peak-period.

Initially known as Cardiac Arrest, after a couple of years of constant touring, in 1979 the band released a three-track e.p. on Tortch Records entitled A Bus for a Bus on the Bus.

Now a coveted rarity, it did nothing on release; forcing the band to rethink and rebrand.
Hence the birth of the Cardiacs: a new name, a new line-up, and a far more exciting and innovative sound.

Listening to this early recording now, there is certainly a lot to suggest where the sound could go, but it's just too reserved, and the vocals (by Peter Boker, aka Michael Pugh) lack the exuberance and dynamism they demanded and cried out for.

Tim Smith, original member and guitarist, decided to take over the vocal reigns; his brother Jim remained on bass, but the rest of the band was made up of new members: Tim Quy, percussion and synths; William Drake, keyboards; Dominic Luckman, drums; and Sarah Cutts on saxophone (Tim and Sarah soon married and Sarah took the name Smith [!]).
This was the classic line up, and the band responsible for the rest of the excellent material available here.

After a couple of very limited releases, the band formed their own label: Alphabet Business Concern, and it was this autonomy that gave them the confidence to form and mould their own distinctive noise.
Pronk was often the term banded at the Cardiacs, but that label seemed to be banded around a lot at that time, directed at any artists who didn't sit easily within the confines of a a genre category.

Their first great, now classic, release was undoubtedly the e.p. Seaside Treats.
It sounded like nothing else.
Thrash-beats, progy solos, unpredictable stops and starts, and frantic pitch and time changes that can unsettle the most ardent of avant listeners.
Just how many times can a time signature change during a single track, before it becomes a different track?

From what sounds like steam-driven instruments making music to machine-like rhythms and thrashy guitars; this was the perfect springboard for what was going to become a successful few years for the band.

With their new sound and adopted new look (kind of gothic clowns, dressed and prepared by schizophrenics), the Cardiacs became the darlings of the London underground, and were selling out the best London venues on a what seemed like monthly basis.

Their stage shows took on a theatrical flavour, and all sorts of shenanigans would go on; mainly centering around the bullying of Jim, the bass player.
Tim would pinch him, or give him a Chinese burn, and the others, often spurred-on by Sarah, (who adopted one of the most vacant and disturbing of visages I think I have ever seen a woman sport. Check her out on the Big Ship cover) would join in, until poor Jim would break down in floods of tears.
Okay, so it wasn't the Alice Cooper Show, but in its own little way, it was very dramatic and totally compelling; its alienating surrealism forcing the audience to feel somewhat awkward; voyeuristic even.

Comparable to what it must have been like to gaze down at the lunatics in Bedlam: entertaining, sure; but sometimes you have to wonder whether an audience is really the best thing for these people. Are we only encouraging them?

But the music was wonderful. Tight as you like. They never missed a beat.
Which is something when you listen to the complexities of their sound.

Even the studio recordings sound like the band are on the edge of pandemonium; but it was obviously a very well controlled and orchestrated madness.
Teetering on the edge of the abyss, but with feet nailed firmly to the floor.

Next came Big Ship, (1986) which was a real tour de force.
Fantastic production, with a grand dynamic sound, capturing the now big, rich noise they had perfected during their continued touring regime.

The track 'Tarred and Feathered', always a firm favourite with audiences, features a highly infectious chorus, reminiscent of good drinking songs.
And if one had to define the intoxicant that seems to sum up the band, it would definitely be beer.

I watched Tim Smith one night in the Marquee bar, loading-up before taking to the stage; he drank four pints in around twenty minutes!

The release of the e.p. There's Too Many Irons in the Fire, in 1987, to my mind, was the last of their best and most creative work.

I know that is a little controversial, as I do not consider their big album release, A Little Man and a House and a Whole World Window, as being any good.
The band were exhausted; they'd blown themselves out. They were double-dipping; much of their originality had passed, and the album represented a tired and burnt out band - well, at least that's the way I viewed it.

But the e.p. did manage to catch the band at the end of their fluid and highly creative run.
'Too Many Irons in the Fire' is as frantic and urgent as so many of their songs, but the highlight of the e.p. is the track 'Loosefish Scapegrace'.
With it's sinister gothic beginning it soon morphs into a choppy, paired down kind of early Genesis sound [!], then segueing into a driving punk rhythm and ending dramatically with a prog-like flourish.
They don't make 'em like that anymore!

Ah, it brings back so many memories;
all those memories of trying to dance to the Cardiacs.

I hope you enjoy these little Cardiacs' gems.

All, except Seaside Treats, are ripped from vinyl @320kbs
Seaside Treats is ripped from cassette, also @320kbs

Cardiac Arrest - A Bus for a Bus on the Bus

A Bus for a Bus on the Bus
A Cake for Bertie's Party
Food on the Wall

Cardiacs - Seaside Treats

A Little Man and a House
Hope Day
R.E.S.
To Go Off and Things

Cardiacs - Big Ship

Big Ship
Tarred and Feathered
Burn Your House Brown
Stoneage Dinosaurs
Plane Plane Against the Grain

Cardiacs - There's Too Many Irons in the Fire

There's Too Many Irons in the Fire
All Spectacular
Loosefish Scapegrace

All with art.
And they're all here

Tip Ex-Monkee

2011-12-30T18:39:00.005Z

I own this album for one reason and one reason only: 'Rio'.
At the height of punk, towards the end of a most depressing decade, a bobble hat free Michael Nesmith released this cheesy, hyperbolically arranged, over-produced lounge classic as a single.

And from that description, it should be awful, right? Ephemeral trash, dumped out with other past garbage.
But no.
It's a marvellous song. One that has its tongue so firmly wedged in its cheek it almost chokes.

The lyrics offer what seem to be the stream of consciousness of an old stoner, one who just can't make up his mind.
What with his "I think I will travel to Rio", "I probably won't fly down to Rio" and the final non-committal "But then again I just might".
Love it!
The music is so cloying in its ludicrous arrangement, it fits the sincere ambivalence perfectly.

But it was the promotional film accompanying the track that really sold it.
The perfect package, the perfect marriage: sound and vision.
And 'Rio' was essentially one of the first of its kind: a promo, or hey, video [hip!], that people actually liked and enjoyed watching, over and over again.
I still watch it now. It's still funny and still compelling.
Check it out:

After the brilliant opening the rest of the album is rather flat.
It's okay, I guess, but apart from 'Rio' Nesmith really only lets his hair down, appearing to have a good time - and not be so concerned for his seemingly damned soul (had he murdered somebody or something?) - during the last number 'The Other Room'.

So it begins brilliantly, ends well, but unfortunately the filling is rather soggy.
Hey, that sounds a bit like....

Michael Nesmith - From a Radio Engine to the Proton Wing (1977)

Rio
Casablanca Moonlight
More Than We Imagine
Navajo Trail
We Are Awake
Wisdom Has Its way
Love's First Kiss
The Other Room

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Hole thing here
For a nice copy of 'Rio' on its own @320kbs go here

Cheeta R.I.P.

2011-12-29T00:09:00.006Z

Here's the first Monkees' album in what was going to be a memoriam to Cheeta who apparently left us during Christmas.

Well he didn't.
But another Cheeta did.
There are many.

So this post then becomes a celebration of the life of the ever so long living (the longest living on record; said to be about eighty!), Tweeting (he's a big hit), art producing (he's a demon with gouache) chimp.

Cheeta.
a.k.a. Jiggs IV. Still with us.

Here's one of his lovely paintings.
It's called Water. Study in purple and turquoise #6.

Good that.
I saw some hanging once, in the National Gallery no less.
Peter Blake had put them in there, part of a pop art celebration he curated.
Cheeta's paintings were some of the best in the entire show.

Anyway.
Glad he's still with us.
LONG LIVE CHEETA!

As for The Monkees' album. It's a great listen.
Pre-X Factor, Pop Idol, and other various "talent" shows, The Monkees were the most successful and biggest selling of all manufactured bands.
Even when it was known they were phony, people still loved them.
We all love a good tune, right.

Head it was that did it for The Monkees.
Truth. It was a step too far.
Kind of rubbed the fans' noses in it.

But they were just so Beatles initially. The emulation is almost silly in places.
'Ticket to Ride', 'Day Tripper', snatches of 'Eleanor Rigby' all manifest momentarily before diving away, diverting suspicion.
But it's so obvious; they almost sound like The Rutles.
Listen to 'Let's Dance On'.
'Twist and Shout' in a beard

Of course it's the more obscure songs that are now of interest - although I'm sure they've been repackaged and resold over the years - 'Sweet Young Thing', a song that has Nesmith (the serious one) all over it, is a fantastic track: good riff, freaky lyric, psychedelic arrangement; it's easy to understand why The Shamen were attracted to it.

This version of the album comes from an 80s' produced cassette - probably produced cheaply somewhere in the Middle East - but the sound quality is very good.
Digitized at 320 it sounds very good indeed.
Why the running order has been fiddled around with I have no idea.
Probably to fit it on the tape.
Ha!
Enjoy.

The Monkees - Hey Hey We're The Monkees (Originally, 1966)

The Monkees Theme
Last Train to Clarksville
This Just Doesn't Seem to Be My Day
Let's Dance On
I'll Be True to You
Sweet Young Thing
Gonna Buy Me a Dog
Saturday's Child
I wanna Be Free
Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day
Papa Gene's Blues
Take a Giant Step

Excellent cassette rip @320kbs
Monkey around here

And before anyone comments, I know Cheeta is an ape.

Hawkish

2011-12-24T22:22:00.004Z

In homage to the spaciest of space rockers, the Sonic Attack trilogy includes six bands covering six classic Hawkwind numbers.
Originally released as three split 7" singles, together, like a serialized Dickens, they make the perfect whole.

All is mimetic, refusing to deviate from what is expected.
Mudhoney do drag the urban guerrilla up out of the basement and out into the garage, but that, really, meets all presumptions.

As a result of all the heavy riff action, throbbing bass lines and oscillations worthy of Del Dettmar himself, Bardo Pond probably come out on top, but it's all very tasty fun and bound to go down a storm once you've had enough of Bing Crosby and Band Aid.

Right, I'm off for a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine...
Merry Christmas & Appy Olidays!

Various Artists - Sonic Attack (2008)

Motorheads:

Mudhoney - Urban Guerrilla
Mugstar - Born To Go

Psychedelic Warlords:

Acid Mothers Temple and the Cosmic Inferno - Brainstorm
White Hills - Be Yourself

Lords of Light:

Kinski - Master of the Universe
Bardo Pond - Lord of Light

Excellent CDR rip of ripped vinyl @320kbs
Space out here

Up the Pinks!

2011-12-20T22:35:00.002Z

Fine retrospective of the first three Fairies' albums, plus the elusive single release 'The Snake'.

Darlings of freaks and Angels, Pink Fairies, who evolved out of the demise of The Deviants, were a massive part of the early-seventies stoner scene.
Their first two albums, Never Never Land (1971) and What a Bunch of Sweeties (1972) are both psychedelic boogie classics; iconic freak outs, peppered with acid-drenched ballads and riffs as hard as Sabbath's.

By the time the third album came around (Kings of Oblivion (1973)) the band had changed somewhat.
Larry Wallis now fronted. A different sound greeted the ears, one with a much harder edge (he would soon leave and get together with Lemmy to form Motorhead; taking 'City Kids' with him) and with a great deal more maturity.

Although I'm not entirely sure it suited them.

Pink Fairies - Flashback (1975)

The Snake
City Kids
Wargirl
Portobello Road
Heavenly Man
Do It
Pigs of Uranus
Well Well Well
Chromium Plating
I Went Up I Went Down
Say You Love Me
Street Urchin

Decent rip from cassette @320kbs
Pinkies here

MDMAzing

2011-12-17T00:09:00.002Z

Deeply eefected by the zeitgeist, The Shamen, in a manner McKenna would have highly approved of, lurched more than evolved from post-psychedelic, ragamuffin minstrels to neo-psychedelic, synth-enthused musoes; dedicating their second album to their new found joy in new found perspectives.
An anthem to E, basically.
One that was far more interesting than the more successful homage that was to follow.

Agitprop with beats.
Trippy layers and textures.
A Monkees' cover.
Samples from the right, from the wrong, from Star Trek.

Funny drug, E.
The more they indulged the more commercial they sounded.
'Ebeneezer Goode'!
They must have been off their tits!

The Shamen - In Gorbachev We Trust (1989)

Synergy
Sweet Young Thing
Raspberry Infundibulum
War Prayer
Adam Strange
Jesus Loves Amerika
Transcendental
Misinformation
Raptyouare
In Gorbachev We Trust

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Shamanic beats here

With Ease

2011-12-12T01:41:00.001Z

On their route to oblivion, the Bykers proceeded down the path made hip by Gibby and Jeff's away from the Butthole Surfers' Jackofficers' project.

The transition in sound is linear, moving from hip psychedelia to stretched out dancey electronica.

E became a big part of the mix: blissing out the edge, lushing up the production.
Gaye Bykers on Acid never sounded so progressive.

(Good for playing spot the sample.
The Osmonds, eh, who'd have thought....)

Gaye Bykers on Acid - Pernicious Nonsense (1990)

S.O.S.
Disinformation Rise & Shine
Flowered Up
Iguana Trifle
Killer Teens in New Orleans
Falling Fruit
Radiation/John Wayne Was a Fag

Delicious vinyl rip @320kbs
Tune in here

Four Stumps Good

2011-12-06T23:20:00.005Z

To complete the set, here's Stump's debut e.p. release.
Their first utterances a twisted paean to subversive oddball Wilhelm Reich: orgone in sound.

As a whole, more proggy than their later post-punk releases, but the boy is always evident in the man.

Stump - Mud on a Colon (1986)

Orgasm Way
Ice the Levant
Grab Hands
55-0-55

CD rip to mp3s
Irrigation here

Battered

2011-12-04T22:42:00.006Z

They were responsible for the most curious noise were Stump; so many notes, slithering, tumbling, writhing in an aural soup all visceral and sloppy.
Whammy guitar notes conceived at the elbow; the rhythmic flick generating the pulse of bodhrán; synergistic bass notes risen from the flurry of fingers (meanwhile, Mick Lynch is desperate not to sound too much like Julian Cope, but the band help pull it off - Stump produced music way beyond the normal parameters of 'Progressive').

I've said what I know of Stump in my previous Quirk Out & Chaos post; mentioning that they were one of my favourite live bands of the time; that they were just as tight live as any of their studio products and that their career ended rather sadly due to record company pressure and the fact that they weren't prepared to turn into The Cure or something similar.

A Fierce Pancake was the band's only LP release, and it wasn't long after its release that Stump finished, turning up as separate halves on the 1989 Ed Barton tribute album Edward Not Edward.

It was all great fun while it lasted, and this album timelessly and effortlessly evokes the period.
A Fierce Pancake was a real devil to mix apparently - one can imagine - but the end result was well worth the struggle.
It's a shame a few more weren't sold.
But I for one am ever so pleased Stump stuck to their artistic principles; personally I think they were bloody genius.

Stump - A Fierce Pancake (1988)

Living it Down
In the Green
Roll the Bodies Over
Bone
Eager Bereaver
Chaos
Alcohol
Charlton Heston
Heartache
Doctor (A Visit to the)
Boggy Home

Excellent rip from cassette @320kbs
Get Fierce here

Jazz Noise Here

2011-11-22T20:13:00.003Z

It was a stroke of pure casting genius to have Ringo Starr play Frank Zappa in the bonkers movie 200 Motels.
Since Frank's demise in 1993 others have played him, too; many others.

They've played him baroque, in tribute, rock, orchestral, straight, a capella, avant garde and jazz.
And it's the jazz genre Mar Vista Philharmonic decide on for playing Zappa.

The brainchild of Tommy Mars, the Mar Vista Philharmonic (Mar Vista being the district in L.A. where they play and record) collectively refer to themselves as 'Zappa's last touring band' (although I'm not sure they were [?]), and the 'Band from Utopia', which I presume means the band from nowhere.
(It's all puns, of course: Mar Vista Philharmonic is itself a pun (Tommy Mars, the area and the Mahavishnu Orchestra [!]); 'Band from Utopia' refers to Zappa's Man From Utopia, and if they do come from 'nowhere', then they come from Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch, which tells us 'I Come From Nowhere'.
Man, it all starts folding in on itself! Where's my medicine!?)

Seven musicians in all, MVP play some very cool jazz. There's no holding back on the chops, and even with my not very with it jazz ears I can tell these guys really know what they're doing, and they do it really well.
I'm sure Frank wouldn't have had it any other way.

The piece here was recorded in 2003, ten years after Frank's death, and was performed in tribute to their old master and muse.
A twenty-five minute mash or medley of Zappa's tunes woven together into one piece of live music.
The way familiar melodies ('Chunga's Revenge', 'Treacherous Cretins', 'Inca Roads'...) emerge from this piece of music is rather like spotting a recognisable face among a crowd of strangers; they just float out and greet you, and you immediately feel comfortable, safe; but then you lose sight of them and you become lost again (lost in music); eventually you find solace as another familiar face comes along, and hey, you immediately feel comforted, connected; but not for long....
It goes on like this for some time - well, twenty-five minutes actually, as I said earlier....
(Did you find it? My medicine?)

Anyway. It's really good. And if you like interpretations of Zappa's beautiful music, then this is well worth checking out.
Arf.

Mar Vista Philharmonic - Shut Up and Make a Jazz Noise Here (2003)
Dedicated to FZ. Recorded by BBC Radio 3, broadcast on Jazz on 3, Dec 3.

Features:
Albert Wing - Tenor Sax
Bruce Fowler - Trombone
Walt Fowler - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Kurt McGettrick - Baritone Sax, Bass Clarinette, Flute
Tommy Mars - Keyboards, Vocals
Arthur Barrow - Bass
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums

Excellent rip from cassette captured FM broadcast @320kbs
Visit Mars here

Ol' Folks Boogie

2011-11-21T00:00:00.005Z

It was while watching Martin Scorsese's take on the life of George Harrison the other night, that a right nice George tune came to mind; a song originally performed by Cilla Black and then turning up on Ringo's Rotogravure.
And as I haven't got any Cilla, thought I'd dig out the aforementioned Ringo; the only Ringo record I own.

Listening to the album now, the Harrison track, 'I'll Still Love You', really stands out.
Ringo of course brings his jovial but rather limited vocal ability to it, but it still shines.

George, poignantly, just so happens to be one of the only artists associated with Ringo who is absent on this recording; it seems to feature pretty much everybody else from the mid-seventies' rock canon; including, in no particular order: John Lennon, Paul & Linda McCartney, Randy & Michael Brecker, Harry Nilsson, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Jim Keltner, Sneaky Pete, Melissa Manchester, Klaus Voorman, Van Dyke Parkes, and many, many others.

Friends and acquaintances readily wrote for Ringo, and as well as Harrison's tune being covered, both Lennon and McCartney hand over some goods.
John Lennon's 'Cookin'', probably the next best song on the album, features Lennon on piano, the last time he'd be recorded until his Double Fantasy sessions.
Paul's song ('Pure Gold'), well, just typically Paul, really, but obviously written for Ringo to sing; and the same can be said of Clapton's very light and breezy number ('This Be Called a Song'), which even features some extremely exuberant steel drums (he must have been off the smack by then).

(I've included the writers in my track listing - someone may be interested, I guess....)

From the ashes of the Beatles, Ringo always seemed to be the guy having the most fun.
He didn't have to be 'heavy' or serious, and because he didn't have a great weight of expectation burdening him, he could do pretty much what he liked; and Ringo liked having fun; and that's what this album represents: a rich, successful man having fun with his mates.
Because of who he is, his fun is made public; but being who he is doesn't guarantee new success. This album flopped on release, and is, to my surprise, long deleted.

You wouldn't have thought Ringo albums featuring Clapton, Lennon, McCartney et al. would get deleted, would you?
Listening to it again now, after many years since I last played it, it's really not that bad.
And it does, for my money, just pass the audition.

Ringo Starr - Rotogravure (1976)

A Dose of Rock n Roll (Grossman)
Hey Baby (Cobb/Channel)
Pure Gold (McCartney)
Cryin' (Poncia/Starkey)
You Don't Know Me At All (Jordan)
Cookin' (Lennon)
I'll Still Love You (Harrison)
This Be Called a Song (Clapton)
Las Brisas (Andrews/Starkey)
Lady Gaye (Poncia/Starkey/T.Ward)
Spooky Weirdness - outro

Excellent vinyl rip @320kbs
Join the Ringo set here

Shamanic Wind-Bag

2011-11-17T22:59:00.002Z

Another artist who wooed Bowie's Meltdown audience in 2002 was Finnish accordion maestro Kimmo Pohjonen.

With his long time collaborator, sonic percussionist and electro beat wizard Sami Kuoppamaki, Pohjonen is able to far exceed the normal limitations of the draft-driven keyboard; creating textures and sounds one would more associate with Korgs and Rolands; conjuring up visions of the waste of tundra, the birch forests, the lakes, and a dark atmosphere that could only emanate from harsh northern climes.
The music just reeks of Finland.

In homage to the Meltdown's curator, the duo performed several Bowie songs as part of their set.
In this twenty-two minute captured extract two of Day-veed's songs can be heard: 'Brilliant Adventure' and 'We Prick You'; plus two original Pohjonen tunes; both very moody and both very dark.
Enjoy.
Kippis.

Kimmo Pohjonen - Live at the Meltdown Festival, 2002.
Decent rip from cassette captured FM broadcast @320kbs.
Squeezed sonics here

Organ Accumulator

2011-11-15T16:45:00.004Z

Please don't be put off by the moniker, nor by the description 'one-man band'; for the Lonesome Organist is legion, despite his solitary status.

The Lonesome Organist (Jeremy to his pals, Jeremy Jacobsen to the taxman), commonly plays two instruments at the same time; he can play up to four; combinations from organ, guitar, voice, drum kit, accordion, steel pan drum, harmonica, various percussion, and, wait for it, tap shoes.
Yes, that's right, he often plays instruments while accompanying himself with a tap dancing routine, one that creates the perfect beat and rhythm.
Very cool.
But what's the music like? I hear you ask.
Brilliant, is my reply: absolutely brilliant.
He's more than just novelty, and more than mere multi-instrumentalist.
His material is really out there - he ain't doin' 'Rosie', you know - he performs surreal pieces, some hard rock, some (kind of) post-rock, a little electronica, even; but the majority of his pieces have their boots firmly placed in blues territory; appropriate for one who hails from Chicago.

The majority of Jacobsen's recordings are available, and I encourage you to seek them out.
But here's a little taster.
Some live tracks extracted from his performance at 2002's Meltdown Festival, curated that year by David Bowie.
It's only half a dozen songs, but they do serve as a good sampler.
The set begins with 'All the Dirty Swine' and ends with 'Departing the Lonely Ship'; what the tracks are in between I'm afraid your guess is as good as mine.

Well worth checking out, this. Seventeen minutes or so that could cheer you right up.

This guy should have been massive.
Maybe The Lonesome Organist's time is still to come.

The Lonesome Organist - Live at the Meltdown Festival, 2002.
Decent rip from cassette captured FM broadcast @320kbs.
Get Lonesome here

Smashed!

2011-11-11T16:24:00.001Z

Live Pumpkins' boot; mainly their celebrated set from 1995's Reading Festival.

Already lost in their indie persona somewhat (although Corgan hadn't completely finalized his transition into Cartman at this point), Reading seemed to re-energise the band; getting back to their roots; getting down and dirty.

The best track? 'Siva' of course - haven't you been paying attention?

Other tracks come from other, mainly TV sessions.
With the first introduced by 'fan' Day-veed Boweee. Gasp!

Anyway. Enough.
The Pumpkins are dead. (Aren't they playing in Manchester tonight?)
Long live their seeds.
Smashing Pumpkins - In the Belly of the Beast (1995)

Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Jellybelly
Zero
Today
Disarm
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
Rocket
Thru the Eyes of Ruby
Siva
Cherub rock
Mayonaise
X.Y.U.
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Siva

Track 1: Taratata, French TV, 1995.
Tracks 2-13: Reading Festival, 1995.
Track 14: The White Room, UK TV, 1995.
Track 15: Peel Session, 91. (despite the CD info insisting it came from 95)

CD rip to mp3s.
Art included.
Pumpkin seeds here

Squash!

2011-11-10T18:08:00.003Z

From a time when Corgan was hirsute, and the music shined (just).

A popular boot capturing the Pumpkins at the height of their popularity.
For me it just about remains interesting: Gish is still present, and 'heavy' is still part of the agenda.
But it wouldn't last.
The Smashing Pumpkins were about to become the darlings of the indie scene; and were well on their way to becoming a successful singles band.

Pah!

Things fall apart.
The centre rarely holds.

Smashing Pumpkins - Astoria '94

Rocket
Quiet
Today
Disarm
I Am One
Hammer
Geek USA
Spaceboy
Siva
Cherub Rock
Luna
Starla
Never Let Me Down Again
Silver Fuck

CD rip to mp3s.
Artwork included.
Pumpkin heads here

Smash Hits!

2011-11-07T23:14:00.002Z

Man, I really liked Gish on its release; I still do: great album, with some great tunes.
What happened to the Smashing Pumpkins?

It didn't last long for me.
I found Siamese Twin disappointing; Mellon Collie, boring.
What happened to Billy Corgan?

Before the pretension, and whatever else, the Pumpkins recorded some fine music; nowhere more evident than their first e.p. releases.

Both recorded in 91, they capture the band brimming with energy and enthusiasm.
'Rhinoceros' reflects the sound of Gish, with its steady build into a crescendo saturated in squealing feedback; a squall also used to great effect in 'Siva' and the tremendous Burdon & Weider penned 'Girl Named Sandoz'.

I've also included the sampler release for The Aeroplane Flies High from a little later in the band's weird career; mainly for the title track (gutsy piece of grindcore), and just in case, like me, you were unwilling to pay whatever extortionate amount your local record store was forced to charge for Corgan's extended venture that resulted in, what was it, a five CD release. O yeah, and a book.
Mind you, everyone's at it now, aren't they?
Radiohead, Floyd, Beach Boys, et al. they're all bringing out these products that cost around a ton.
Maybe Corgan was a true innovator after all....

Smashing Pumpkins - Lull (1991)

Rhinoceros
Blue
Slunk
Bye June

Smashing Pumpkins - Peel Sessions (1992)

Siva
Girl Named Sandoz
Smiley

Smashing Pumpkins - The Aeroplane Flies High Sampler (1996)

The Last Song
The Aeroplane Flies High (Turns Left, Looks Right)
Transformer
Destination Unknown*

All ripped from CD to mp3s
Art included
Pumpkin stew here

*written by Dale & Terry Bozzio & Warren Cuccurullo (just in case there's any interested Zappaphiles out there).

I have a couple of rare Smashing Pumpkins' albums that I will be posting over the course of this week - so if you're keen: keep 'em peeled.

Jammin'

2011-11-06T00:05:00.001Z

Cem's the Pearl Jam fan in our 'ouse; but I do like the odd tune.
Which is why I like this: it's full of odd tunes.

Covering 'Em Selves is I guess what Pearl Jam do when they play versions of their own songs [!], but what is most interesting are the true covers that help make up this disparate collection of 'rare' live tracks.

Temple & The Dog and Neil Young maybe the more obvious artists covered, but The Who, Bob Dylan and, providing a platform for the album's best number, The Beatles, are all a little more surprising.
In fact, 'I've Got a Feeling' is really very good indeed; the added beef PJ bring to the song is very effective, and Vedder shudders marvellously all the way through.

So, all in all, quite a fun piece, with some real aural surprises.
Funny enough, I've noticed quite a lot of Pearl Jam in the Blogosphere lately, but I haven't seen this one; an essential addition, without doubt.

Pearl Jam - Covering 'Em (Selves) (1993)

CD rip to mp3s
With artwork.
Have your Jam and eat it here

Fiddle About

2011-11-02T00:22:00.003Z

Okay, I admit it.
I've always liked Nigel Kennedy.
He's bonkers isn't he.
What with his vulgar tongue, trampy apparel and love of Villa.
He's about as phony as that boil he had removed on his neck; a pressure sore caused by constantly shoving a planed and shaped lump of wood into the same tender spot. Ouch!

Like most genius types he does seem to urk some people; some bold enough to suggest he couldn't be trusted to play at The Proms.
However, on the sixth of August this year, Kennedy performed to a packed Albert Hall, playing two of Bach's solo violin pieces, and then bringing on his band for the second half to play some very cool jazz numbers.

The Bach pieces he played that night (two partitas for solo violin: No. 3 in E Major & No. 2 in D Minor), despite his masterful interpretation, are not easy listening, and way beyond the parameters of this blog. But the jazz pieces are great, and well worth a listen.

J.S. still has a small part to play, as the opening tune is a Bach mash that shows he really could swing (something Jaques Loussier has known for a long, long time. [Go here]).
The band then move away from the Kappellmeister, and go on to perform three cracking versions of Fats Waller songs.

The sound of Quintette du Hot Club de France is readily evoked; but Kennedy's outfit are cooler, and the fiddle notes are a lot easier on the ear than Grappelli's soaring, busy, busy clusters.
The guitar is checked, too, but still brilliant.
Sometimes less really is more.

All in all, this makes for the perfect accompaniment to pottering about.
I've been listening to this quite a lot lately - the result of a lot of pottering - so if, like me, you like a bit of pottering about: potter to this.
Potter on!

Nigel Kennedy & Band - Prom 31, Albert Hall, London. 6/8/11.

Das Pendel
Chat & Intros
How Can You Face Me Now?
Honeysuckle Rose
Viper's Drag

Excellent rip from DVD captured live digital Radio 3 broadcast @320kbs.
Get cool here

For I Am Every Dead Thing

2011-10-31T13:41:00.005Z

A Nocturnal

'Tis the year's midnight, and it is the day's,
Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks ;
The sun is spent, and now his flasks
Send forth light squibs, no constant rays ;
The world's whole sap is sunk ;
The general balm th' hydroptic earth hath drunk,
Whither, as to the bed's-feet, life is shrunk,
Dead and interr'd ; yet all these seem to laugh,
Compared with me, who am their epitaph.

Study me then, you who shall lovers be
At the next world, that is, at the next spring ;
For I am every dead thing,
In whom Love wrought new alchemy.
For his art did express
A quintessence even from nothingness,
From dull privations, and lean emptiness ;
He ruin'd me, and I am re-begot
Of absence, darkness, death—things which are not.

All others, from all things, draw all that's good,
Life, soul, form, spirit, whence they being have ;
I, by Love's limbec, am the grave
Of all, that's nothing. Oft a flood
Have we two wept, and so
Drown'd the whole world, us two ; oft did we grow,
To be two chaoses, when we did show
Care to aught else ; and often absences
Withdrew our souls, and made us carcasses.

But I am by her death—which word wrongs her—
Of the first nothing the elixir grown ;
Were I a man, that I were one
I needs must know ; I should prefer,
If I were any beast,
Some ends, some means ; yea plants, yea stones detest,
And love ; all, all some properties invest.
If I an ordinary nothing were,
As shadow, a light, and body must be here.

But I am none ; nor will my sun renew.
You lovers, for whose sake the lesser sun
At this time to the Goat is run
To fetch new lust, and give it you,
Enjoy your summer all,
Since she enjoys her long night's festival.
Let me prepare towards her, and let me call
This hour her vigil, and her eve, since this
Both the year's and the day's deep midnight is.

John Donne

Happy Samhain!
Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead (1979)

Bela Lugosi's Dead
Boys

Cd rip to mp3s
Mourn here

Funny Folk

2011-10-28T00:36:00.004+01:00

I first encountered Jake Thackray during his stint on BBC's That's Life!; soon usurped by Stilgoe he gained his own programme buried in a mid-week graveyard slot on BBC2; no one else I knew watched it.
It was my little secret.

I was surprised therefore, some years later, while at The Elephant Fayre in Port Eliot, when arriving at a tent to see Jake perform there were others in attendance who also seemed to know who he was.
It was 1985, I think. I did get a photo, but unfortunately it's more a picture of a speaker than of Jake Thackray. I must have had the camera on the wrong setting, which may have had something to do with that funny tasting oaty cake I'd quaffed earlier....

Thackray is often compared to a Belgian singer who I can't for the life of me remember the name of at the moment; anyway, unfair on Thackray I always thought, as I checked out the Belgian guy and he's shit.

Thackray on the other hand, is really rather good.
His delivery is fantastically bizarre (staccato spat syllables; Derek Nimmo in a strop like), his humour superb, his timing exquisite.
More of a wit than a comic, his playful use of language is loaded with guilt, love and mortality, and those ever present Catholic concerns are what make Jake's songs so listenable.
Here's what the liner notes have to say [click to read]:

(Twee or what!)

Thackray became erratic towards the end of his career, gaining a reputation for unreliability as he failed to fulfill bookings.
I feel kind of privileged to have seen him when I did; not only did he turn up, but he was very, very funny, going down a storm in that packed out big top.

My favourite? Gotta be 'Isobel'.
I'm just an old romantic bastard, I guess....

Jake Thackray - Live Performance (1971)

Family Tree
The Hole
Isobel
Miss World
Pass Milord the Rooster Juice
Remember Bethlehem
Ladies Basic Freedoms Polka
The Cactus
Lah-Di-Dah
Leopold Alcox
The Lodger
The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray
Granddad
Romance

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs

This is the original now deleted vinyl edition.
An expanded version of this concert was released in 2006 on CD.
Giggle-on here

Huffin' Mud

2011-10-18T21:55:00.007+01:00

Garage punk with a dash of psyched-out surf.
Includes profanity, mindless boogie, hyperbolic fuzz and all manner of absurdity; done in the best possible taste, of course: loud, fast and totally in ya face.

Two bands are better than one is obviously the reasoning behind split singles; and the 'Fabulous empty! Records' found the perfect marriage to prove that point.
From the days (1992) when Seattle meant something in the world of music. Just.

Mudhoney - You Stupid Asshole
Gas Huffer - Knife Manual
Gas Huffer - Firebug
Mudhoney - March to Fuzz

Excellent 12" vinyl rip @320kbs
Huff some Mud here

p.s.
Lost another post due to objections by the DMCA.
I'm not sure who the copyright of the product actually belongs to; not only is it from 1973, but it was never an official product in the first place, so I'm not really sure what the objection is?
Anyway, as a consequence, The Wailers are no longer in the building; so I hope you all managed to get a copy of that wonderful, apparently 'copyrighted' bootleg.

Don't Panic! Don't Panic!

2011-10-15T20:49:00.006+01:00

Total lack of Teutonic bands here; so to rectify, here's something representing the German contingent: my favourite from the so-called Krautrock canon.

Of all the bands to have been working out of Germany at the end of the sixties and into the seventies, Amon Duul II were the band who dragged the older decade screaming into the new.
Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother, Floyd (at their artiest) are all evident in their sound; but the zeitgeist collided, creating a new beast; one that was inspired by Hawkwind and Gong, as well as compatriots Neu!.

With its Rodney Matthews' artwork depicting invasion, the band's identity could not easily be forgotten.
Thirty years later London acquiesced - but man, those accents...!

Amon Duul II - Live in London (1973)

Archangels Thunderbird
Eye Shaking King
Soap Shop Rock
Improvisation
Syntelman's March of the Roaring Seventies
1
a) Pull Down Your Mask
b) Prayer to the Silence
c) Telephonecomplex
2
a) Restless-Transistor Child-Landing in a Ditch
b) Dehypnotized Toothpaste
c) A Short Step at the Transylvanian Brain Surgery
Race From Here to Your Ears
a) Little Tornados
b) Riding on a Cloud
c) Paralized Paradise

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
erhalten Sie hier

War to Go-Go

2011-10-09T21:32:00.004+01:00

Wartime was a project created by Henry Rollins and bass player and all-round maestro Andrew Weiss.
Initially slated, as it didn't quite meet expectations.

Go-go funk, drilling drum machine patter, extraordinary samples, much electronic whatnot, and to top it all a Grateful Dead cover, was not what those who dug Rollins necessarily wanted.
Personally, I always loved it. Perfect while driving.

Weiss plays like a testosterone charged Bootsy Collins; Rollins sounds extraordinarily camp.
Together they sound like they're having the time of their life.

It's the best thing Rollins did outside of Black Flag.

Its time has come.
Its time is now.
It's War-Time!

Wartime - Fast Food For Thought (1990)

Mindfield
Wartime
Right to Life
The Whole Truth
Franklin's Tower

Excellent cassette rip @320kbs
It's Wartime here

Duffed Up

2011-10-08T21:15:00.005+01:00

Jeff Duff is big in Australia.
He is known in Britain mainly for this album recorded back in 79.

A real hodge-podge of an album this, made up of genre subversion and genre homage, with much borrowing and intertextuality (for those with good memories, the track 'Give Me Back Me Brain' was released as a single, and did manage to penetrate the UK Top 100 for a bit).

Duff lived in London for a decade, and it obviously rubbed off.
Punk was the zeitgeist, and it suited Duff's flamboyant persona; his delivery adopted a curiously hybridized Antipodean cockney: kind of Norman Gunston meets Steve Marriott.

Described by some as the Australian Bowie - the comparison is obvious - and where Bowie drew inspiration from the Theatre of Noh, Duff was influenced by the more accessible elements of musical theatre: on occasion he allowed himself to sound more like Anthony Newley than Bowie ever dared.

For those who are interested, it features Mike Howlett on bass but not production, that was down to Duffo, and pretty damn crazy it is.
It makes you wonder while listening to this, as to whether Tim Smith (Cardiacs) had ever heard Duffo, as it's well on its way to becoming Pronk Rock.

Punk left a legacy that was soon realized, and the legion of so-called New Wave artists were inspired to forge and discover new ways of expressing themselves.
No more so than Jeff Duff.
Enjoy!

Jeff Duff - Duffo (1979)

Tower of Madness
Chelsea Cowgirls
Duff Record
Record Jerk
Guillotine Quickstep
Duffo (I'm a Genius)
Give Me Back Me Brain
(We're All) Charabancing
I'm Not Really Here
Rise in Your Levis
Duff Odyssey
Dejame Joder Tu Mente
The Final Brain

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Get Duffed up here

I'm a Sucker for a Finger Cymbal

2011-09-20T21:32:00.003+01:00

Kula Shaker weren't the only white folk looking to the East for inspiration during the nineteen-nineties.
Paul Weller - no less! - was also prone to donning a kaftan (or dhoti), sitting cross-legged and readily swapping the ax for something a little larger; something with a few more strings.
And why not?
He'd already found inspiration in Lennon and McCartney's music, so why not seek out George's muse? Why not play the sitar?

Mind you, you have to look pretty close at the liner notes to find his name; it's almost as if he wanted to be invisible....

But then it is a departure. It's a long way away from The Jam, Style Council or his solo work.
In my no doubt contentious opinion this is by far one of the better things he's done (I've never been a fan... I have no Jam or solo work, and I certainly have no Style Council [it actually pains me to write those two words]... dunno, Weller just never did it for me).

The title track, with it's electric sitar riff riding high over a psychedelic wash and downbeat drum n bassy rhythm, always brings to mind the opening credits of a light-hearted 'Summer of Love' styled movie; maybe one staring Peter Sellers....

The beats are turned up for the other mixes (mixes they maybe: to me they sound like completely different pieces), the mood changes somewhat, a much darker atmosphere is created; discordant sax's are suddenly part of the mix ('Scream Team Mix'); there's more of a dubby flavour ('Richard Fearless Mix'); and even a kind of imagine if The Beatles were still with us what would they do with something like this mix ('Adbutha-Lynch Mob Beats').

So, check this out whether you're a Weller fan or not.
If you are: you'll want this!
If you're not - like me - give it a go. It's actually really good.

Indian Vibes - Mathar (1998)

Mathar - Radio Edit
Mathar - A Genuine Scream Team Mix
Mathar - Richard Fearless Remix
Mathar - Adbutha-Lynch Mob Beats
Mathar - Extended Mix

CD rip to mp3s.
Journey East of Surrey here

Hed Shaker

2011-09-19T15:35:00.006+01:00

Blisteringly bombastic, ball-breaking set from bohemian ragga-muffin toffs Kula Shaker.

Here at their height; at their best; performing numbers for Mark Radcliffe's Radio 1 show.
Their quality was soon to be undermined, unfortunately by Mills himself, who became deeply unpopular with his peers - the intro to 'Start All Over' hints at why that was.
Crispian's then attempt at reclaiming the swastika kind of sealed it: their fall was inevitable.

Still, they had their moment.
As we all should.
Revel in it.

Kula Shaker - FM Radio 1 Session for Mark Radcliffe (1996)

Hey Dude
303
Govinda
Start All Over

Excellent rip from cassette @320kbs.
Go on and Shake here

Get It On

2011-09-08T15:57:00.006+01:00

Gong manifested itself in many forms over the decades: Planet Gong, Mother Gong, Here & Now Gong, New York Gong, Hillage's Gong (without Allen), Pierre Moerlen's Gong (without Allen or Hillage), in fact maybe it's easier to look at their history in diagrammatic form:

Gong Maison, as the diagram informs us, brought previous Gong inhabitants back together, including the original captain, Allen, and his bizarre first officer Didier Malherbe.
With those two at the helm the listener is reminded of the foundations of sound created by the original Gong; and it's the earlier material that makes up the majority of this tasty set.

Allen goes right back to his anarchic roots in a masterful performance of the Situationist inspired 'Dynamite'.
It sounds so punk, vital, dead real.
Amazing how Allen changed his persona so readily: one minute he was the bonkers king of Banana Land or Lord of the Pot Head Pixies, the next he's spitting vitriol, threatening to tear down the state.

The playing during this recording is very hot; Allen especially - who seems to have a really good time, totally wigging out - is exceptional, but he's well backed up by Keith the Bass, Graham Clark (fiddle), Shyamal Maitra (drums) and of course Didier (various wind & keys).
And despite this stripped down version of the Gong Band this is classic stuff.
This will definitely have you dancing with the pixies.

So, warm the pot.
Assume the position, and spend the next hour and ten minutes drifting away to Planet Gong.

Gong Maison - Live, Fridge, Brixton, London (5/5/91)

Fohat
Pretty Miss Titty
Om Riff
Esque Je Suis
Radio Gnome
Oh Mother
Dynamite
Kaliplege
Selene

Excellent rip from VHS @320kbs
Bang a gong here

Notes For Guns

2011-09-03T22:15:00.007+01:00

Apologies for the recent lack of activity; up to my 'nads in stuff... o, you know how it is....

However, to break from the monotony of obligation, I felt compelled to share and put this back out there, as I've been listening to little else of late.

'Back out there' as this beautiful recording was originally offered as a free download by The Guardian newspaper;
now withdrawn.

Despite its freebie origins this has readily become my favourite recording from Tinariwen's tasty canon.
I've been waiting for a decent live recording since Amassakoul; this has made the wait very worthwhile.

Gorgeously recorded, the band perform almost unplugged: the guitars are acoustic but the bass remains plugged in, adding a Jah Wobbley kind of dub tinge to the mesmerisingly rhythmic camel gait driven blues Tinariwen typify.

So if you missed it, or knew bugger all about it, grab this.
Essential.

Tinariwen - Live at Bouffes Du Nord, Paris (2011)

Asuf D Alwa
Djegh Ishilan
Imidiwan Ma Tenam
Tamiditin Tan Ufrawan
Kud Edazamin
Iswegh Attay
Takest Tamidaret
Tameyawt

Excellent recording @320kbs.
Mali masters here

Fingerlinging Good!

2011-08-11T15:29:00.002+01:00

Elliot Ingber, aka Winged Eel Fingerling, was so liked by Captain Beefheart he gave him a whole track to himself on his at the time under-rated but now much appreciated The Spotlight Kid album.

It wasn't the first time the Captain had done this, despite Ingber informing the audience of the Beefheart doc Under Review that it was - mind you he is speaking from the front seat of a stationary car; stationary in a darkened garage, I might add.

Really, two tracks from Lick My Decals Off, Baby could be said to have been given over to Bill Harkelroad (Zoot Horn Rollo), although Ingber may have had something to do with both of those pieces ('Peon' and One Red Rose That I mean'); but more of that in a moment.

Often associated with both Beefheart and Zappa, despite his credit as guitarist on the Mothers' debut Freak Out!, he became peripheral; popping up ever so occasionally, and then after some releases with other psyche bands, most notably Fraternity of Man, he appeared slightly more conspicuously as The Magic Band's Winged Eel Fingerling.
And how his hair had grown.

(Roy Estrada is real funny on this clip; bopping about like a right Geezer Butler.
Also with Art Tripp on percussion and Ingber (he's the hirsute one) playing guitar. HD quality)

Because of much claimed uncrediting a whole mythopoeia has evolved around Ingber: he played a lot more guitar than Zappa gave him credit for; he featured as second guitarist during Magic Band recordings, again uncredited (Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off, Baby); he came up with the storyboard for the gloriously absurd Lick My Decals Off, Baby commercial

and he was a brilliant blues guitarist but is completely shot away due to taking far too many drugs.

Surely not.

O yeah...

Anyway, he apparently released an album several years ago called The The The The.
Now this album is a bit of a legend to me; as I've tried since I've had a PC to track down a copy but goose chases all.

So I put my own Fingerling album together; featuring what I think are the most essential of his tracks: including 1969's 'Alley Cat', a raw blues, cut alongside Beefheart, Zappa and John French (Dream Team!), some Fraternity of Man (including Zappa's 'Oh No I Don't Believe It', predating Zappa's release (Weasels) by two years), some Juicy Groove (garage psyche) and some solo material recorded during the 70s later released on Grandmothers' albums.

(I could have included some Factory or Little Feat, but again due to lack of verification it's hard to know how involved Ingber actually was)

The order of the tracks are complementary rather than chronological.
Enjoy.

Elliot Ingber & Others - The Winged Eel Fingerling

Gingerwail
In the Morning
Alley Cat
Spread Love
I'm Gonna Booglarize you Baby
Blue Guitar
Oh No I Don't Believe It
A Bit Blue
Cat's Squirrel
Two Shy
Alice in Blunderland
We Don't Feed No Livestock Here

Track 1: Looking Up Granny's Dress, Grandmothers, 1982.
Tracks 2,6,7: Fraternity of Man, 1968.
Track 3: The Lost Episodes, Frank Zappa, 1996.
Tracks 4, 10: First Taste, Juicy Groove, 1978.
Tracks 5,11: The Spotlight Kid, Captain Beefheart, 1972.
Tracks 8,12: Grandmothers, 1980.
Track 9: Get It On, Fraternity of Man, 1969.

Ripped from various sources to 192kbs
Fingerlings here

The Knebworth Don

2011-08-06T12:04:00.005+01:00

Since my last Captain Beefheart post I've been hit with all manner of suggestions as to which Beefheart boots are worth hearing.
There are some links in the comments to the post, kindly provided by Zigzagwanderer, the best being BBC sessions, 1968, which is both good quality and a good listen (here's a direct D/L link if you can't be bothered to click your way back to the original post, but are maybe half-heartedly interested enough and will give it a listen seeing as it's just a few words back).

What I've got here came to me as a CDR, merely titled Knebworth Magic Band, 1975.
It suffers the Beefheart curse, I'm afraid, that being pretty poor quality; but this is interesting enough to put up despite its dodgy sound as it truly is a great set, and captures the more accessible Captain; the one who after Trout Mask Replica and Lick My Decals Off, Baby (his best!) suddenly became accessibly hip, producing The Spotlight Kid and Clear Spot; albums that expanded his audience somewhat.

The quality varies during the recording; I'm not sure if the taper was moving around or whether it was a particular windy day - from my own experience of The Knebworth Festival (1978) I distinctly remember sounds emanating from the PA were very prone to being blown about; of course them were the days before dynamic and drilling outdoor sound systems; them were the days when the stacks were four times the size but half the oomph.

The instrumentation comes across pretty well, and the a capella 'Orange Claw Hammer' I think is if anything enhanced by it's distance and breeze effected delivery.

I guess by looking at the line-up, this set no doubt took place in the afternoon.
Floyd were headlining, and I assume in 75, Floyd fans probably wouldn't have been that up for the Magic Band's's curious syncopations or the Captain's growling delivery (and he really does growl, the opening 'Moonlight On Vermont' sounds like he's loaded on methadrine.
Perhaps he was...).

Beefheart does indicate an odd reception at one point, suggesting the audience could at least act drunk, to at least pretend they're beatniks (can't imagine that going down too well with a 75 Floyd audience), but he backs down and reveals that he's 'only teasing'.

I couldn't find out too much about this performance, except John French (Drumbo) who was mysteriously absent from the recording of Clear Spot, was back in the band, but playing guitar, no longer drums (Guitaro?); lead slide duties were taken up by Elliot Ingber; which is another reason for posting this, as The Winged Eel Fingerling, as he was known, is someone who's going to make an appearance in my next post.

So not the best recording, but if you're hard enough, well worth a listen.
With a bit of fiddling of the bass and treble, my CDR through the hi-fi doesn't sound too bad; although it makes Cem cringe something rotten; but then women often have a problem with Beefheart.
I can't for the life of me work out why that is....

Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Live, Knebworth Festival, 1975.

Moonlight On Vermont
Abba Zabba
Orange Claw Hammer
Dali's Car
When it Blows it Stacks
My Human Gets Me Blues
Alice in Blunderland
Beatle Bones 'n' Smokin' Stones
Gimme Dat Harp Boy
Electricity
I'm Gonna Booglarize You
Sam With the Showing Scalp Flat Top
Jam
Big Eyed Beans From Venus

CD rip to mp3s
Breezy Blues here

(As the set makes no reference to Unconditionally Guaranteed or Bluejeans & Moonbeams I haven't either.
Nuff said!)

Dance With the Pixies

2011-07-29T18:43:00.007+01:00

Around Christmas 1987, while living in a house in Finchley that I shared with five others, a friend turned up with a new release by a new band.
He was very enthusiastic, and acting like an A & R man, he sat me down and told me to shut up and listen.
I acquiesced without too much complaint as he had previously introduced me to the Cardiacs, and various other hot items of the time, and this 12" had the most intriguing cover and an equally curious title.

It only took about four bars of music to know that what I was hearing was something very special indeed.
By the time the second track began to play my other housemates joined us; the sounds attracting them like rats to the music of the Pied Piper.

Nobody said a word, and as soon as it was finished, like crack we were all desperate to experience it again.

The piece was Come On Pilgrim by the Pixies.
A true masterpiece.
And something the band never equalled (although Surfer Rosa came close).

Still shocked and stunned we went on mass a few months later to The Mean Fiddler, and caught a band truly in their prime.

I realise now just how lucky I was to see them in that tiny Harlesden venue.
They were sooooooooooo hot.
We must have been a very enthusiastic audience, as the band seemed overwhelmed by the reception and response by all those, who just like me, recognised them as being something quite extraordinary.

'Fuck me,' said Kim into the mike, when she received our enthusiastic welcome; not out of exasperation, but in an imperative way; a way that truly expressed a desire to consume our love for them - and they hadn't even played a note (she always was a tease: listen to how on this recording she giggles after asking the audience 'D'y'all go to school?').

I have searched and searched for a copy of that Mean Fiddler gig, without luck (but hey, if you have a copy or know where one exists, I'd be eternally grateful for a link [not torrent]...).

But this will do for now; a very good recording broadcast by the good old BBC, post-Surfer Rosa, around the time of the release of Doolittle (an album for me that really marked the death of the Pixies); a set that retains some of their initial energy and guts.

Pixies - Live, Newcastle Poly, 1989

Into the White
Wave of Mutilation
There Goes My Gun
Monkey Gone To Heaven
Debaser
Isla Da Encanta
Bone Machine
Cactus
Gigantic
Gouge Away
Tame

Excellent rip from cassette captured FM broadcast
Pixielate here

Dirty Pillows Talk

2011-07-25T19:17:00.002+01:00

Towards the end of PJ Harvey's initial incarnation, that as a hard rocker, and due to the time: Riot Grrrl (remember that weird sobriquet?); her trio performed at the 1992 Reading Rock Festival. But despite the popularity and excellence of their performances and recordings, Harvey soon disbanded the group and began her move towards vastly different musical territories.

I believe Harvey's music was never bettered than her first recordings (Dry, Rid of Me and her Peel Sessions), and this festival performance exemplifies that absolutely.
It also includes a superb performance of one of her greatest compositions: 'Sheela-Na-Gig'; targeting misogynists everywhere.
PJ Harvey Trio - Live at Reading, 1992.

Ecstacy
O Stella
Dress
Highway 61 Revisited
Sheela-Na-Gig
Man Sized

Excellent cassette captured FM broadcast @320kbs
Embrace the yOni here

Yore Blues

2011-07-24T23:27:00.002+01:00

Call me ol' fashioned, but I was sorry to see Polly Harvey put down her guitar and slowly morph away from her original persona and become what she is now - I don't get it; neither White Chalk nor Let England Shake float my boat, and really, since Is This Desire? I have found her music trying and lacking the dynamism of her earlier material - but like I say, I'm just ol' fashioned I guess.

Harvey's initial collaboration with John Parish was really the last of the 'old school' sound.
Suggestions were certainly evident that Harvey was soon to be heading off into avant garde territory, and her work with Parish seemed to represent the point of transition.
She put her guitar down (too often), picked up a hand mike or went to the piano (admitting she couldn't play it), and even began plucking a zither and an autoharp.
Shame.

I'm no Luddite, but sometimes it seems progress isn't necessarily progressive.

Anyway. This gig recorded as part of Radio 1's Live in Soho Week, captures Harvey and Parish on top form, performing numbers from their reasonably successful Dance Hall at Louse Point album; playing some blinding gutsy blues and at times sounding rather reminiscent of the Virgin period Magic Band.
And that's no bad accolade.

PJ Harvey & John Parish - Live, London Astoria, 11/11/96.

Rope Burning Crossing
City of No Sun
Urn With Dead Flowers in a Drained Pool
Civil War Correspondent
Taut
Dance Hall at Louse Point
Un Cercle Autor Du Soleil
Losing Ground
Heela
Is That All There Is? (fades)

Excellent cassette captured FM broadcast rip @320kbs
PJ and ~~Duncan~~ John here

Prime Cuts

2011-07-23T15:10:00.005+01:00

Inspired by Henryk Górecki's Symphony No. 3, Op 36, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, Lamb's homage now serves as a lament for the composer's recent passing.

The two CD single releases collectively represent much of what the electronica duo were initially all about: wistful vocals, trip-hop beats, with a leaning towards instrumental drum and bass lite.

Part of the mid-nineties Jazz Café, hip wine bar kind of vibe, they exemplified the genre: beautiful music made by beautiful people.

Great come down sounds; if ever you feel the need or inclination.
Enjoy.

Lamb - Górecki (1997)

CD1

Górecki
Górecki instrumental
Ear Parcel
Lullaby

CD2

Górecki edit
Trans Fatty Acid (Kruder & Dorfmeister Session Mix)
Merge (Jimsters Jam Mix)

CD rip to mp3s
Liddle Lamzy here

Eel Communication

2011-07-17T17:00:00.006+01:00

This could easily fit the 'in case you missed it' category, but it's here to reiterate the point I made below.

'Fucker' is a superb track that only appeared as track 4 on this single release.
Again, I think this gorgeous little twisted ballad is one of the band's best cuts.

Not as easily missed as the Tripping Daisy number, as 'Novacaine For the Soul' is such a great tune, but for those who only buy/download albums, unless tracks like 'Fucker' turn up on B Sides & Rarities type packages then they can just pass one by.

Good to see - judging by his Glasto performance - E in a more cheery mood of late; throwing off that Unabomber look he'd adopted; choosing more of an affable eccentric type look.

Bit Ed Barton circa 88, don't you think...?

Eels - Novocaine For the Soul (1996)

Novocaine For the Soul
Guest List
My Beloved Monster (Live)
Fucker

CD rip to mp3s
Freeze the soul here

Eels at Glastonbury can be viewed here, but be quick it won't last.

Let's Go Trippin

2011-07-16T00:16:00.004+01:00

It's a funny thing, you know, the way some bands seem to bury their best material.

'Creature', a song that I believe is the greatest thing Tripping Daisy ever produced, is a prime example.
Literally sandwiched between two album tracks as part of a CD single, this glorious piece was so easily missed.

Tripping Daisy were primarily an album band; and if you bought the album (I Am an Electric Firecracker, where the other two tracks originate), why fork out for a solitary unreleased track?

However, I'm lucky, I fortunately live with a completest who back in the day would think nothing of buying half a dozen versions of single releases - she was a particular sucker for Kula Shaker & Verve releases, who both really pushed it.
Personally, I always thought it was a right scam, yet as I was to find out, the odd track, like the aforementioned, would just make your jaw drop, and you'd wonder why the hell they hadn't made more of it.

'Creature' encapsulates all that was good about the U.S. post-grunge, indie scene (TD were indie in the genre sense; they belonged to Island): a pronk-like arrangement, you know, slow bits juxtaposed with fast bits; trippy vocals; twisted lyrics and a big chorus with power chords aplenty.

As for the other tracks, 'Piranha' is typically post-grunge, and 'High' is probably the best track from the Firecracker album: a sweet little stoner ode, gorgeously worked with a suitably twisted production and lyric.

If you've not experienced Tripping Daisy before (think Ween, Porno for Pyros kind of territory), this is a great place to start; and if you know them well but have missed this; check it out; see what you think.
Best?

Tripping Daisy - Piranha (1995)

Piranha
Creature
High

CD rip to mp3s
Go tripping here

Brotherhood

2011-07-11T00:03:00.010+01:00

Here's another post inspired by the aforementioned KSAN compilation; but rather than lifting tracks from it to post, the Joplin fronted Big Brother and the Holding Company's set got me thinking that it's always the same songs; and as great and iconic as those songs are (you know, 'Piece of my Heart', 'Ball and Chain' et al.), listening to them again inspired me to dig out this recording: a little known album from the San Fransisco psyche rockers.

After their initial success, BB&THC called it a day.
Joplin went off to do her Kosmic Blues thang, and after some deliberation, a new Big Brother emerged.
With new singer Nick (The Greek) Gravenities taking over Janis' duties, the band played on; and despite the fact that Joplin apparently left the band acrimoniously - she was the star, band not good enough, unfair distribution of income, etc - she remained friendly enough to record backing vocals for this album; proving that BB&THC were more than just her backing band.

In spite of all the good vibes that pour fourth from this very upbeat and summery album, my favourite track is the obligatory slow number (I'm a lugubrious fucker): the miserable 'Heartache People'. A track that allows Gravenities to reveal his chops, helped out beautifully by fiddle master, legendary Papa John Creach.

Man, they certainly knew the right people did Big Brother.
Natch.

Big Brother and the Holding Company - Be A Brother (1970)

Keep On
Joseph's Coat
Home On the Strange
Someday
Heartache People
Sunshine Baby
Mr. Natural
Funkie Jim
I'll Change Your Flat Tyre Merle
Be a Brother

CD rip to mp3s
Gain Brotherly Love here

Homophonic Blues

2011-07-06T20:32:00.003+01:00

Years ago I was quite into tropical fish.
As well as being psychedelically mesmerizing, they were meditative, calming, friendly, and a darn sight more interesting to look at than anything on the television.

Anyway, went to score myself a fish one day; visiting a new shop in town to see what they had to offer.
I soon cast my eyes on a fine specimen: a Jack Dempsey; apparently, I found out later, named after an American boxer; so called because of the fish's aggressive behaviour and a visage that is said to resemble that of the 1920's heavyweight champion of the world (rather unfair on the fish I thought, as he was lovely; cute, even).

As the owner, a genial old dude grateful for my venturing into his new shop, filled the plastic bag containing the Jack Dempsey and six inches of water with air from an air line, he looked me straight in the eye and said, in a knowing, insightful way: 'He'll like a bit of beef heart.'
This was hard to take in straight away; my perplexity was obvious, so he went on: 'O yes, they like a bit of beef heart; all the large cichlids like a bit of beef heart'.

So I took my Jack Dempsey home, popped him in his new world, placed a speaker at each end of the tank and played through the whole of Trout Mask Replica, hoping the Jack Dempsey would appreciate this and soon settle in.

And you know what? The dude was right.
The Jack Dempsey, and all the other tank denizens, absolutely loved Beefheart!
And why not!

And if my old Jack Dempsey was still in the world of the floating I'm sure he'd really dig this: a slice of swampish blues from The Magic Band, circa '67.

Unfortunately it doesn't last very long - just over thirteen minutes - but it's really very cool indeed.

I have liberated this from a monster of a compilation called It Crawled Out From the Vaults of KSAN (1966-68). It's just so rare to have good quality live Magic Band from this period (any period in fact. Beefheart, for some reason, didn't attract bootlegging anoraks: merely opportunists.
So many Magic Band shows have I downloaded; so many have I deleted before reaching the end), I thought it was worth giving it a platform of its own; especially as it includes a glorious rendition of Howling Wolf's 'Evil', and concludes with an instrumental jam that's heading straight for Mirror Man.

This may only last thirteen minutes, but with so little of worth to choose from, the Beefheart head gets it where they can.

Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Live, Avalon Ballroom, 1967.
Extracted from It Crawled Out From the Vaults of KSAN (1966-68).

Tupelo
Old Folks Boogie
Evil
Instrumental

Quality rip @320kbs
Feed the fish here

Lazarus-Like

2011-07-04T13:49:00.009+01:00

Haven't got too much detail on this one as it came to me as a CD-R via mucker Hackenbacker.

Obscure Power Pop!
Fantastic!
And much of it is, despite the album's ridiculous sobriquet.

True, most are unknown (out of the bunch, I only managed to find two Wikipedia pages - if you consider that an act of measurement), and the collection stays way outside of the pop charts of its time, but as a compilation; a crystallization of the glam scene at its height (72-75), I think it works pretty well.

Obviously, this genre snapshot is full of the expected echoes of Slade, Sweet, Wizard, etc., but your ears are taken back even further. Psychedelic remnants abound; marks of Beatles, Stones and Monkees; mediated and moulded to fit the aural lust of the post-sixties pop generation.

Interestingly, the collection also contains fractional glimpses of its future.
Just listen to The Washington Flyers' 'Another Saturday Morning'.
Pulp, right?
(That's the band. Not a put-down.)

All in all, this is good fun. And very deleted.
Well worth a listen.
It may not be Nuggets but I bet it's able to put a smile on your face.

Like a goose from an old friend.

Various Artists - Glitter From the Litter Bin (2003)

The Spivs - Oh You Beautiful Child
Kid Dynamite - Breaking the Ice
Daddy Maxfield - Rave 'n' Rock
Jook - Alright With Me
Anthony Bygraves - Painted Lady
Washington Flyers - Another Saturday Morning
Ayshea - Farewell
Small Wonder - Ride a Black Sheep
Buster - Superstar
Renegade - My Revolution
Barry Ryan - Do That
Streakers - Turn Me Down
Jook - King Capp
Stumpy - Making Me a Superman
Paul St. John - The Flying Saucers Have Landed
Billy Hamon - Butch Things
Capt Skidlid - She Knew Him Too
Buster - Motor Machine
Starbuck - Do You Like Boys
Edwina Biglet & the Miglets - Thing

CD rip to mp3s
Pick up Litter here

Play the Devil

2011-06-26T13:51:00.004+01:00

There are several versions of this - undoubtedly the best Sabbath bootleg - out there in the world; this, I think, is the definitive version.
(There is an expanded version, but I'm sure it just incorporates tracks from Cannabis Confusion, another Sabbath boot.)
But as to its true origins... who knows?
Your guess is as good as mine.

Some versions claim to have been recorded in 1976.
Others, '75.
From the references to 'the new album' Sabotage, it must be '75; the songs are obviously unknown to the audience, yet the album was released in the summer of that year.

As for the audience, well again that's a bit of a puzzle.
Some versions claim to have been recorded in London, others in the States.

The introductory announcement has a definite English accent, but that could merely be a roadie, proving nothing.
The audience does sound American [!], if you know what I mean; but the recording quality is so good, it could well have been recorded at Hammersmith Odeon (a venue that had stunning recording facilities [even Zappa rated it!], and this boot is of a very high quality), and it is a venue that one version does credit.

So, going out on a limb, I reckon it was recorded in 1975, at Hammersmith Odeon, attended by an all American audience, with the candlestick.

I saw Sabbaff once only - The Horror! The Horror! - right towards the end of part one of their curiously quixotic career.
It was during the Never Say Die tour; Ozzy had really gone to pot, or should I say to bottle.
It was obvious to all that the band were over.
He was all over the place, while the other three mainly ignored him; Iommi looked particularly, well, embarrassed really.
All in all, a bit of a car crash of a gig.
Memorable, though.

I'd loved to have seen them around the time this was recorded.
They may not have been the most intellectual or sophisticated of bands, but they certainly knew how to entertain, they knew what the audience wanted; and as this recording reveals, they could play a real blinder: here they're really peaking.

As with so many live shows the hottest tracks are usually those that are topical.
This is a good example. 'Hole in the Sky', 'Megalomania' and 'Symptom of the Universe' are really the stand out tracks, all of which come from Sabotage (the last of the great Sabbath albums), but I do have a soft spot for Sabbath Bloody Sabbath tracks (their best album!), and the opener 'Killing Yourself to Live' is a mighty fine way to start the show.
Ozzy never sounded so - paradoxically - diabolical.

Included are some great jams that do seem genuinely spontaneous. Interesting to hear, during the second of Iommi's freak outs, proleptic emergence of 'Rock n Roll Doctor'; its familiar riff surfacing from the hyperbolic noodling in a somewhat comforting manner.
Like Satan, himself, giving you a great big huggle.

Black Sabbath - Megalomaniac Architect (1975)

Intro
Killing Yourself to Live
Hole in the Sky
Snowblind
Symptom of the Universe
War Pigs
Megalomania
Sabra Cadabra
Jam
Supernaut
Iron Man
Orchid
Jam
Black Sabbath
Spiral Architect
Embryo
Children of the Grave
Paranoid

CD rip to mp3s, from several versions, pushed up to 320kbs.
Sounds jolly good.
Blacken your soul here

Silurian Onslaught

2011-06-19T00:14:00.004+01:00

Despite Burke Shelley's reticence at being associated with heavy metal and its 'weird' bricolage, when The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal really took off, he made sure Budgie were going to be a part of it.

I first saw Budgie in 1980. They were headlining a bill entitled The Heaviest Night of the Year; supported by a very drunken Girlschool, Angel Witch and Praying Mantis - takes you back, don't it.

Man, Budgie were loud.
I was deaf for a week.
Threw up on the way home.
Great night.

I then saw them a couple of years later in Dingwalls of all places.
Yeah, right, shouldn't be allowed.
Budgie at their most hardcore in that tiny venue.
I was deaf for a fortnight.

(I hold Burke Shelley partly responsible for my now ongoing relationship with tinnitus.
Cheers, Burke!
[Wouldn't have missed a minute of it])

Seeing him work up close, it really did seem that he was going to explode before our very eyes; kind of Scanners' style; veins rising from his neck and temples with ferocious and frightening force.

(It's no coincidence that Shelley recently suffered an aneurysm.
I'm surprised his vessels lasted as long as they did.
But apparently all is well; he's all patched up, and hey, he's out gigging again.)

This recording is from the same year as my Dingwalls' encounter.
Slightly bigger venue though: the Headline spot for the opening night of 1982's Reading Rock Festival; really reflecting their influence on the new sound and interest in British metal (Iron Maiden headlined the Saturday).

They sort of reinvented themselves.
Threw off their proggy weeds and got down with the kids, and according to the reception evident here, they went down a storm.

In a way Budgie kind of went back to their roots: back to Squawk territory, and due to the demands of the genre, they became more anthemic; but still managed to bang out some great hardcore boogie.

Shelley's voice had dropped an octave or two - his voice finally broke - but he made up for it by screaming as loud as his big old Welsh tonsils would allow; but mainly this is a jam fest, and there's some very tasty lengthy instrumental sections.
And that's something Budgie as a trio totally excelled at.

Budgie - Live at Reading, 1982.

Forearm Smash
Crime Against the World
I Turned to Stone
Superstar
She Used Me Up
Panzer Division Destroyed

This has been released along with some other live Budgie recordings as part of the BBC Recording Series; this recording however, was captured when broadcast.
If I remember rightly, as part of Tommy Vance's Friday Night Rock Show on Radio 1.

Excellent rip from cassette captured FM broadcast @320kbs
Prepare to bang head here

Like Pins, Like

2011-06-15T15:59:00.006+01:00

Wales.
What does the word bring to mind?
What does it conjure up?
Moby Dick? Thar she blows? Corsets?
Well, sorry, you're dyslexic.
I mean Wales.
Wales the place; the country; the nation!

The voice, that's what comes to mind - no, not sheep, rugby and coal (as if) - no, it's music, and in particular the voice - and if you're thinking Tom Jones or Shirley Bassey, you're reading the wrong blog.

Mind you, the voice in question here also originated from Tiger Bay in Cardiff, the original stomping ground of the aforementioned diva.
But as Dame Shirley knocked 'em dead, Burke Shelley was merely gargling, waiting for his voice to break - although it never did - and waiting for his moment.

The first Budgie album turned up in 71; this, their second, an album that I feel is far more confident and dynamic than their first, is in my opinion their best.

I know they went on to write and record some real classics throughout the seventies - who could forget the monster riffed 'Breadfan'? - but they did get bogged down somewhat, lured by the ostentatious trappings of prog, and it just didn't suit them - Roger Dean covers indeed!

They were far more formidable as a hard rock blues band. Down and dirty. And very, very loud.
And that essentially is what this album is all about: some very full-on hard core blues and boogie; always riff driven, with Shelley's vocal - got to have been one of the strongest soprano voices in rock; makes Geddy Lee sound like Paul Robeson - tearing into your lug'oles.

Saw Shelley recently in a BBC documentary about British Heavy Metal.
He came across as a bit of a grump.
He despises the term Heavy Metal, and never considered his music to be part of that "weird scene".
As a "Christian" he never liked the connotations associated with the genre, and considered those who did merely to be "weirdos".

But then I'm sure Shelley was never considered weird by those who beheld him back in those early days when he played such gigs as The Swansea Working Mans' Club or Pontypridd Rugby Club; I'm sure he wasn't considered weird at all; just one of the boys. Eh, bach?

Anyway.
Great album, and still sounds good.
'Hot as a Docker's Armpit' and 'Stranded' are well worth the download on their own (forget the acoustic ballads; I'm sure they're only there to make the heavier tunes sound even heavier).
And yes, Metallica, Sabbath and even Zeppelin are all kind of in there.
For a trio from Cardiff , they did have quite an influence.
Perhaps Burke Shelley never really got the recognition he deserved; perhaps that's why he's so curmudgeonly; bitter even.

Never mind, Burke.
Some of us are still listening, and we know that Budgie were the greatest thing (O, there's the Man Band), were one of the greatest things (don't forget Gorky's, says Cem), were among the greatest bands (what about the Alarm - Fuck Off!) ever to have come out of Wales.

Just a shame they went through that whole Roger Dean thing....

Budgie - Squawk (1972)

Whiskey River
Rocking Man
Rolling Home Again
Make Me Happy
Hot as a Docker's Armpit
Drugstore Woman
Bottled
Young is a World
Stranded

CD rip to mp3s
Llwytho i lawr yma

Let Us Call Thee Devil

2011-06-06T01:38:00.005+01:00

Back from the Big Smoke.
New scene; new outlook; new genre.

And what could be more appropriate after visiting one of the most exciting cities in the world than some no nonsense, heads' down, mindless boogie!
And there's none more mindless than AC/DC.

And don't you just love 'em for it.

For me, AC/DC came to an end with Highway To Hell.
I wasn't that keen; and once Bon had gone, well... different band, right.

I still think their best was Let There Be Rock, and that's why I like this set so much, as it really showcases that album; with the real standout track being that magnum opus of headbanging delight 'Let There Be Rock' itself.

Recorded in 1977, as part of the BBC's Rock Goes To College series- it was broadcast on a Saturday evening, round about six o'clock if I remember rightly - a very enthusiastic Essex University, pre-metal audience took AC/DC to their hearts.
The band play a blinder, and all are ecstatic.

Anti Christ Devil Child!
Always cracked me up that one.
Angus was of course nothing more than the ultimate problem child; but when he threw a tantrum everyone listened and eagerly geed him on.

Unfortunately, Bon's problems were to do with his off stage antics rather than what went on in public.
But man, for an ex-roadie, he really knew how to perform.

If you're wondering what's going on during the couple of minutes of chunkity-chunkity-chunkity-chunk-chunk, well, that's when Angus does his striptease, only down to his shorts, of course, but his blazer, shirt and tie are removed in a curiously gratuitous fashion; and what with Scott strutting about, bare chested, stuck out like a cock-sure rooster, when you consider the gig was attended by a 98% male audience, you do have to wonder what exactly is going on....
It almost has something of the Greek about it.

O, and has anyone else noticed how similar Bon Scott's voice was to that of Lord Charles?
Separated at birth, I reckon.

AC/DC - Live Essex University, 1977 (BBC broadcast: Rock Goes To College)

Live Wire
Bad Boy Boogie
Whole Lotta Rosie
Rocker
Let There Be Rock

Excellent audio rip from DVD captured broadcast @320kbs
Plug in here

This post is dedicated to Polly

Polly (1997-2011)

Swann Song

2011-05-28T21:46:00.003+01:00

Steve Swann was one of the progenitors of Radical Dance Faction; providing bass sounds that along with Chris Bowsher's voice defined their ever so distinctive brew and amphetamine driven crusty reggae stylings.

During one of Bowsher's reshuffles - think Mark E Smith and his relationship with his musicians - Swann went off and started other projects; one of them being The Revolutionary Dub Warriors, who collaborated readily with our old friend Adrian Sherwood.

The result is something akin to a very well produced RDF (without Bowsher's stark utterances, of course).
Swann, as well as providing his obligatory lugubrious bass, also provides the voice; and he really is one of the most Jamaican sounding white singers you'll hear.

Unfortunately, Swann left us earlier this year; but this, along with his RDF recordings, is a good reason for him to be remembered.
Peace be upon him.

Revolutionary Dub Warriors - State of Evolution (1996)

Irie Warrior
Iration
Direct Address
Creation
Oppressor
Rough Dub
Sorrow Go
No Reservation
War Zone
Antelopean
Chi

CD rip to mp3s
Evolve here

Heads-Up!

2011-05-22T17:52:00.005+01:00

In the beginning, On U Sounds Studios turned out some very twisted and subversive noise indeed.
None more so than the early recordings of African Head Charge.

Dub?
Maybe.
But if it is dub, it was a very twisted take on a genre suffering from severe stagnation and over familiarity.

Adrian Sherwood gave it a right good kick up the backside.
And rightly so.

African Head Charge - essentially master percussionist Bonjo Noah collaborating with On U regulars - were the perfect collaborators for Sherwood; beat and rhythm was central; the perfect palette for the hip young gunslinger of a producer to apply his idiosyncratic and often hyperbolic production techniques.

Sherwood was always the extra member of the band; no matter who he worked with.

This compilation goes back to those very early days, as it's a split between the best of Drastic Season (83) and the best of Off the Beaten Track (86), the two recordings many consider to be the best albums African Head Charge produced.

The sound readily reflects the way digitization had become the new tool for producers.
Sampling, syncing, looping and sequencing had become simple. No more razor blades and sticky tape; no more analogue tape loops; no more using equipment that demanded higher maintenance than Lady Macbeth.

Byrne and Eno's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (81) has always been held responsible for so much digitized music concrete that followed in its wake; and without a doubt African Head Charge's first couple of albums do seem deeply influenced by that seminal album.

(In a way, you could say Byrne and Eno's recording pretty much influenced everything that followed; but this was the early days of digital sampling and voice sequencing, they just happened to utilise it first.
But then you could say Byrne and Eno were influenced by the music of Steve Reich... and so on and so on....
It's all derivative, right!)

By the time Off the Beaten Track was recorded, Sherwood had grown in confidence: outlandish, scary, truly psychedelic, hallucinogenic, even.

In places, this album is a lot more Edgar Varèse than it is Keith Hudson.

African Head Charge - Great Vintage (Volume 2) (1989)

Off the Beaten Track
Some Bizarre
Belinda
Language and Mentality
Throw It
Conspiring
Release the Doctor
Down Under Again
Timbuktu Express
I want Water
Bazaar
African Hedge Hog
Depth Charge
Fruit Market
Snake in the Hole

Tracks 1-8 from Off the Beaten Track
Tracks 9-15 from Drastic Season

CD rip to mp3s.
ReCharge here

'erbal Medicine

2011-05-16T21:42:00.007+01:00

I'm not sure what Dr. Alimantado is a doctor of exactly, but I'd guess it isn't horticulture.
You want to get some fertilizer on those plants, mate!
Take a tip from master herbaliser Peter Tosh; now there's a man who knew how to keep a garden.

But then, perhaps for Dr. Alimantado, Roots is really where it's at!

By 1979, the unlikely alliance between certain elements of Jamaican music and punk rock was reflected in many of the more roots' based musicians' recordings.
Darker, edgier sounds became the norm; heavier, deeper, bassier and louder became the expectation.
Artists like Alimantado met that expectation; but at the same time were able to retain common themes; many of Alimantado's lyrics are deeply spiritual; hymn-like, even; yet juxtaposed with the dub sounds, the effect is one that is far more down to earth.

This album isn't all heavy heavy monster sounds by any means, there are some lighter moments, although it never really goes rock steady; more typically Jamaican (and I don't mean that in a stereotypical way, it's just different to the U.K. or U.S. stuff: think more Culture than Aswad).
But whatever.
Crank it up, and push that bass right to the edge of the fart.
Rastafari!

Dr. Alimantado - Kings Bread (1979)

Just Because a Bit of Bread
Marcus Garvey School
Babylon Let I Go
Jah Loving Feeling
Jah Love Forever
Mama Mama
Conscious Man
Zion Steppers
Find the One
Oh This World

Vinyl rip @320kbs
The recording quality is excellent throughout, but the beginning of track 1 has unfortunately suffered a little damage, causing several seconds of sibilance and a single jump. It lasts for about 3 seconds.
And apart from the expected crackle and pop, this album sounds beautiful.

It's dub vinyl, thirty-two years old. It ain't mint.
But believe me, this album is as elusive as Jamaican sensi; and [very nearly] as good.

Highly recommended to all who love traditional Jamaican dub.
Get doctored here

Space, Man

2011-05-11T02:12:00.004+01:00

Here's another from our old friend Country Joe.

Bit of a rare one this; pretty certain it didn't get a CD release; vinyl copies seem to go for around sixty-quid.

Having dealt with his spiritualness somewhat (see previous past), and then creating an album suggesting he'd cheered himself up a bit (Goodbye Blues ('77)), Country Joe got around to making this: a far more upbeat, sort of getting back to his Fish roots sounding album.

(Don't know much about him? go get the wonderful Life and Times of Country Joe & The Fish. Essential listening!)

He's a great song writer is Country Joe: great tunes, great hooks, and even when he performs civil rights' songs, he often includes elements of humour, satire and witty self deprecation.
Okay, he can get a little sentimental at times; but he's never been a big one for pathos.
He can write a provocative lyric that makes you want to sing along; rather than one that makes you feel obliged to: 'Fixing tro Die Rag' being the perfect example.

I guess the song 'Bring Back the 60s, Man' confirms for some the stereotype that Country Joe kind of readily fits; and yes, it is romantic, indulgent; plain old hippy-shit, but you know, after you've listened to the track a few times; you realise, that maybe, just maybe, it might not be such a bad idea at all...

Country Joe McDonald - Rock and Roll Music From Planet Earth (1978)

Coyote
Bring Back the 60s, Man
Sunshine at my Window
Rock and Roll Again
Dark Ship
Y-O-U
Southern Cross
Space Patrol
U.F.O.
Get It Together

Decent cassette rip @320kbs
Return to Planet Earth here

Rondo, Rondo, Hey, Blubber Joe, coconut, Blubber Joe, Hey, Blubber Joe!

2011-05-02T22:24:00.009+01:00

While still attired in my cyber loons, thought I'd share some more Country Joe; seems apt.

Rather like others of his generation, Joe McDonald went through various diverse stages, adopting different styles, personas even, during his lengthy and ongoing career.
This album comes from what can only be considered Joe's "spiritual stage".

The opening track has a mighty sound; majestic, both in its delivery and in its slightly faux gospel style.
Track 2, 'Holy Roller', then goes on to tell, in the first person, a story of found redemption and liberty through the awakening to religion.
I'm really not sure as to how to take this song.
Firstly, the title, 'Holy Roller', hints somewhat at the derogatory; and secondly, the fact the song ends with the caveat: "God Damn", makes me suspicious of its intentions.

Irony?
Well, I like to think so.
But I guess that's what I want it to be, right?
Let's just say, there seems to be a little less sincerity attached to the lyrics than heard in some of the songs of someone like... er, Cliff Richard.

The remainder of the album reverts to a style more akin to the sound of the excellent Paris Sessions (73), and benefits enormously as a consequence.

Joe's more common themes: anti-materialism, anti-capitalism and civil rights, are risen in the better of the tracks; after all, politics always has been his thing really.

The excellent 'Save the Whale' moves away from the more obvious cliches - I guess Whale Nation was yet to be conceived - and merely reveals a tale of how things are.

In true Ancient Mariner tradition, it's a tale that has to be told, and one that allows the beholder to form their own opinion about the industrialization of something that was once sustainable.
So yeah, a world away from Jon Anderson's hideous pathos soaked whinings.

The other standout track is the one associated with the album's title: 'Oh, Jamaica'.
An upbeat summery song; light and breezy with some punchy horn sounds and a great hooky chorus.
On a casual listen that's exactly what it is; it could even be said to be a paean for Jamaica and all its associated idealism.
But on a closer listen, amongst all the longing for frivolity and hedonism comes the lines:

But I don't want to disturb your reggae fantasies
About all of the dope and coconut trees
But all the people living in cardboard shacks
You know that ain't exactly where the good life's at

So the song, although it expresses a longing for a lifestyle stereotypically associated with the Caribbean island, knows that it's an aspiration that could never be fulfilled.
To take bourgeois and idealist values to such a place is never going to work.
(Unless of course you're some stuck-up tosser who really don't give a shit - right, Rich?)

So what can one do?
Well, get out of the city; create your own idyll; preferably in a place where you're not going to be too effectively oppressive to indigenous types - a concept I not only wholeheartedly agree with, but one I have very much gone along with.
And you know what? Who needs Jamaica anyway?

Smoking home grown
Drinking home brew
Sounds like paradise with an ocean view

Country Joe McDonald - Paradise With an Ocean View (1976)

Tear Down the Walls
Holy Roller
Lost My Connection
Save the Whales
Oh, Jamaica
Lonely on the Road
The Limit
Tricks
Breakfast For Two

CD rip to mp3s
Find Paradise here

Aural Sex

2011-04-29T14:00:00.005+01:00

Another sweetie from '68.

Harvey Mandel is probably far more known for the acts he worked with (Stones, Canned Heat, Bluesbreakers) than for his own solo recordings.
And this release, his first solo effort, is reason enough to make the previous statement a sad one; coz this is one great album.

Way ahead of its time - just listen to that opening track; no way would you place it in the sixties; more like the seventies (okay, so it's not decades ahead, but I'm sure you get the gist) - it still sounds wonderfully dynamic and dead interesting.

There are certainly nods towards Hendrix, Zappa, and even to Randy California - there are parts that sound quite a lot like Kapt. Kopter; but that album was made in '72, right! See, years ahead! - but somehow, Mandel just sexes it up; creating some of the sexiest - without being sleazy or slack - guitar centred instrumentals you'll ever hear.

The way Mandel jams with the big sound - lots of lush strings and brazen brass from a James Last kind of set-up (please don't let that put you off!) - works in ways where others have tried but so readily failed.

Admittedly, some of the tracks do sound a little like TV themes ('Before Six' even sounds like a TV show!), but hey, some of those seventies' themes (I've placed him there, even if you're not accepting my rhetoric) were fucking great, right!
Just think back to Nationwide, The Money Programme, et al. (if you've no idea what I'm talking about check them out at YouTube) fantastic tunes and fantastic arrangements, but Mandel was in there first, creating sounds that would soon become iconic and true archetypes of kitsch.

So if this album, for whatever reason, has passed you by, check it out, and you'll be asking yourself the questions I always ask myself whenever I play this:
Clapton? Why the hell has nobody heard of Harvey Mandel?

Harvey Mandel - Cristo Redentor (1968)

A Wade in the Water
Lights Out
Bradley's Barn
You Can't Tell Me
Nashville 1am
Cristo Redentor
Before Six
The Lark
Snake
Long Wait

CD rip to mp3s
Get sexy here

The Spirit Moves Me

2011-04-24T23:17:00.004+01:00

I'll come clean.
I've never really been a fan of Spirit.
But I just love this album.

Retronymically titled The First Album, this version is one that was released by CBS eleven years after its original conception in '68.

Spirit, pretty much a manufactured band; made up of remnants of The Red Roosters (Randy California, Jay Ferguson & Mark Andes); Randy California's new stepfather Ed Cassidy, a drummer who'd already established himself in the fifties and early sixties jazz scene; and John Locke, another jazzer brought in for ivory tinkling, all came together to create a sound that was entirely original; not only unique in terms of what others were doing, but unique within Spirit's own canon.

Essentially this is a fusion album; borrowing heavily from each of the musician's backgrounds.
And it's the blend of soft psychedelia and jazz tropes that really makes this album shine.
Just dig the way the wonderfully ironic 'Straight Arrow' (one of my favourite tracks from this sixties' period) moves from what could almost be described as Americana to modern jazz and back again; and you've just gotta love those lyrics; they just cry out for a visual montage - I see Cameron pressing flesh, kissing babies....

Randy California, in one of his finest moments - only Kapt Kopter and perhaps the oddity Future Games: A Kahuna Dream come anywhere close to this album to my ears - maybe incredibly young during this recording - what was he, sixteen or something? - but he already had amazingly mature and adept fingers.

Channeling the spirit of Hendrix (they were band mates in the Blue Flames), he added his own idiosyncrasies to his master's technique, adapting his style more than adequately to meet, and lead, the jazz based psyche sound.

So, a great album.
Dated?
Yeah, it is rather.
But who cares.
I listen to Leadbelly and Louis Jordan, and they still blow my mind. Daddy-o!

Spirit - The First Album (1968, this version 1979)

Fresh Garbage
Uncle Jack
Mechanical World
Taurus
Girl in Your Eye
Straight Arrow
Topango Windows
Gramophone Man
Water Woman
The Great Canyon Fire in General
Elijah

Vinyl rip @320kbs.
A Little crackle & pop, but nothing offensive.
Gain Spirituality here

London Dreaming

2011-04-22T12:37:00.004+01:00

'S'funny, I dreamt of this album the other night.

I can't remember the finer detail - can you ever? - but I remember placing the needle on the first of the Eater tracks and rather than hearing the powerfully energetic sounds of teenage angst, what I heard I can only describe as being the most wonderful and beautiful poetry I have ever experienced.

I awoke bolt upright, knowing I'd heard something truly miraculous.
I desperately tried to recall.
I couldn't.
So I went back to sleep, accompanied by a feeling that something special had been lost.

I'd blown my Coleridge moment.
My dream lost.
As Burroughs described: gone, like smoke beneath a door, when the film is run backwards.

Despite my loss and disappointment, my dream did remind me of the excitement inspired by the first time I played this seminal punk collection.
As a young teenager, hearing Slaughter & The Dogs, Eater, the mighty Wire and The Buzzcocks truly blew my mind, turning me on to sounds and ideas that would go on to play an important part in the shaping of my life.
It was also the first time I was exposed to X-Ray Spex and the provocative lyrics of Poly Styrene, an artist who I still believe was one of the greatest lyricists of her and my generation.

There is an extended and quite different version of this album out there, but I thought I'd up this, the original, as this is how I, and no doubt many others remember it.
Cleverly, it not only captures the sounds of the bands who were creating the scene, but crystallizes the scene itself.
Listen out for the throw away question: 'Is Sid Vicious in tonight?'

So sit back and enjoy; sit back and reminisce; and remember those times when music meant something; when music had balls; when music had a voice and spoke for those who were often ignored; when music could - and did - change the world.

Various Artists - The Roxy London WC2 (Jan-Apr 77)

Runaway - Slaughter & The Dogs
Boston Babies - Slaughter & The Dogs
Freedom - The Unwanted
Lowdown - Wire
1 2 X U - Wire
Bored Teenagers - The Adverts
Hard Loving Man - Johnny Moped
Don't Need It - Eater
15 - Eater
Oh Bondage Up Yours - X Ray Spex
Breakdown - The Buzzcocks
Love Battery - The Buzzcocks

CD rip to mp3s
Return here

Johnny Clarke Ha Ha Ha

2011-04-17T14:07:00.006+01:00

Cem and I were very honoured yesterday to be among only twenty or so people who attended an incredibly intimate performance by John Cooper Clarke at Dylan Thomas's Boathouse in Laugharne.

Part of the Laugharne Weekend Literary Festival; this, in my humble opinion, was the gig of the festival; and John didn't (as if he could) disappoint.

The gig took place in the master bedroom, and despite there not being a bed, much jollity occurred.

I'm sure the spirit of Dylan looked on with much glee; appreciative that his once humble home, now a museum, rang out with cadenzas that I'm certain would have met with much approval.

A glass would have been raised - as many were - to the Salford bard, whose only concern was not living up to such hallowed expectation, but making sure he finished with time enough to get off and catch the footie.

Nice one, John!
And I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I share a little of that intimacy with others.
So here's eight minutes worth of a very exclusive gig, captured on my cheap and rather outdated mobile.
But hey, well worth a listen.

John Cooper Clarke - Live at Dylan's Boathouse, Laugharne, Wales, 16/4/11.

Pies
Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman
Christmas at Somebody Else's House

Captured on mobile phone as amr files; converted to mp3s @320kbs.
A little wobbly, but coherent and very listenable to.
Join the bedroom set here

Normal Service Will Be

2011-04-10T15:14:00.003+01:00

Been stuggling over the last few weeks with a very sick PC; it has now died: Peace Be Upon It.

I will be back online as soon as I am over my grief; as soon as I am able to acquaint myself with new hardware; and as soon as I can rescue - here's hoping - some data.

Catch you all soon.
Shanti. roy

Werks

2011-04-06T00:33:00.006+01:00

Two gigs bookending the career of the majestic masters Kraftwerk.

The first is a wonderful curio from the very early days.
Some say it isn't Kraftwerk at all, and in a way they're right.

Play it to someone. Ask them who it is.
I mean, Kraftwerk have a unique sound, right; unmistakable: easily identifiable.
Aural auteurs: the last thing you would expect is electric stun, fuzz guitar and violin sounds.

But it is Kraftwerk; well, I think it is; it just happens to come from a time when the outfit were in flux; a time before they found their niche; before they began making all their own instruments, and before they found the true Kraftwerk sound.

The band at this time included Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger, and as all you Kraut Rock freaks know, they're the guys who went off and created Neu!

And it's Neu! who I would have gone for if someone had played it to me and asked me who it was; coz that's what it sounds like.
And it's damn fine Neu! type noise, too.

Well worth checking out, this.
Especially if you dig stretched out sonic jams, big guitar sounds and monster riffs, all with a touch of trance and grindcore thrown in for good measure.
And it's an A+ recording - man, it sounds good!

Kraftwerk - Bremen Radio 71 (2006)

Heavy Metal Kids
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5

CD rip to mp3s. Seventy minutes. Artwork included.
Go back to Bremen here

It was four years later the classic lineup of the band went on to create Autobahn, recorded entirely using home-made instruments, and as the BBC revealed at the time, not only did the music sound as if it was being made by robots, the pictures confirmed that robots were indeed responsible for manufacturing the bizarre sounds.

Autobahn became a big hit for the band, and in the second of the two gigs, recorded in 2010, 'Autobahn' gets a good airing, and even has a new middle section, one that is fresh, drawing from recent ambient developments; breathing life into the old beast.

The whole gig works like that.
It is a real 'Greatest Hits' set, but what they do with the tunes is quite remarkable; and those tunes we're all so familiar with; well, they sound as fresh as a Tory cut. Chop!

'The Model', a song that had been taken away from Kraftwerk for me by Albini's version on Big Black's Songs About Fucking, is claimed back by the originators.
It just sounds so much better in German.

The real highlight is 'Radioactivity'.
Yeah, fresh!
Just listen to that intro and try not to tremble.

Again, excellent sound, and nearly an hour of ear-poppin', Teutonic brilliance.

Kraftwerk - Live 2010

The Man Machine
Autobahn
The Model
Radioactivity
Music Non Stop
Numbers
Computer World
The Robots
Trans Europe Express

Ripped from DVD captured broadcast @320kbs.
Go back to the future here

Frail Loops

2011-04-01T00:02:00.006+01:00

The usual suspects included in those lists of 'The Greatest Albums Ever'; you know, those who have influenced many, changed the world even, those such as: Sgt. Peppers', Pet Sounds, Trout Mask Replica, OK Computer, etc., really need to make way, as there is another contender: a lost or snobbishly ignored classic, a true avant-garde masterpiece.

In 1973, Bognor Regis, a resort often remembered for the momentous encounter between The Beatles and The Maharishi, also played host to another extraordinary event.
This unique historical happening was fortunately encapsulated; captured and reproduced for others to share and experience.
The fact that hardly anyone remembers it or even knows about it is evidence enough to prove just how important and special that event was.

Remarkable individuals gathered together; the stars merged; the planets were aligned; and those fortunate enough to have been there left the life-changing event as totally different people: something had touched them, for they had witnessed something very, very special indeed.

I wasn't there. But I have the recording. And I'd very much like to share it with you.
This will change your mood, your mind and quite possibly your life.

So who's responsible for this potentially life altering manifestation?
Well, feast your eyes and look on in awe, without prejudice, for here are the Special Ones:

I know they might not look like much, but believe me, these innocuous looking types could very well alter your whole outlook.

Now prepare yourself to have your life changed through your ears.

You will not believe the power of Green and Love's delivery of 'The Happy Wanderer'.
You will be moved, like you've never been moved before, by Ward's sincerity during his rendition of 'Danny Boy'.
You will be truly astounded by the majesty of Graham's 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.
And as for the Bognor masses belting out the chorus of 'Deep in the Heart of Texas', well, words fail me: language just can't do it justice....

Enough!

Experience this aural treasure for yourselves.
Get here
It's absolutely smashing!

Blessed are the Cheese Makers

2011-03-09T17:05:00.005Z

What with the hyperbolic drug referencing, the groaningly bad puns ('Mrs. Skinupski' indeed!), and some rather puzzling, introspective, subversive satire, one wonders what Terminal Cheesecake were really all about.

Their sound on this album is quite different from the other recordings I've posted.
It's curious in that it's the earlier of releases but it's a lot tighter and far more 'organised'.
Their output just got messier and messier - better and better, I think - whereas most get tighter and tighter.

And speaking of bands who got tighter and tighter [until they became hardly worth listening to], it's this album that inspires the trope commonly associated with Terminal Cheesecake: to be compared with the Butthole Surfers.

The guitar is certainly more central to the sound on this album, and it is grindy in that Paul Leary kind of way; but the overall sound has far more of a drone than the Surfers ever mustered, and with the bass really being the engine, the driving force of each track - rather like Jah Wobble leading those early PIL tunes - the tracks are more contained, more claustrophobic; determined entirely by bass and rhythm; much like industrial music.

At times, Pearlesque King of the Jewmost sounds more Rev Co than Butthole Surfers, with similar use of loops and sampling: mainly spoken word clips; freaky and gratuitous news reports on ritualistic murder, paranormal activity, irresponsible medical procedures, etc.

As for the title....
I haven't got a clue.
And that takes me back to my original thought.
What were Terminal Cheesecake really all about?

And just what did they think of their audience...?

Terminal Cheesecake - Pearlesque King of the Jewmost (1992)

Coils
Satan is Real
Drug
Ish Tseren
Coils: Chapter II
Messiah
Obscured
Mrs. Skinupski Speaks
Neu Seeland

CD rip to mp3s, artwork included.
Spiritual cheese here

Abbie Someone

2011-03-07T21:11:00.005Z

With a residual smattering of dub; this is the best of the live Bad Brains' albums.
Timeless stuff; and never more pertinent than now: for the youth are indeed getting restless - I blame sun spots - those who aren't plugged into Facebook or mainlining silicone, of course.

It should never work.
It certainly doesn't on paper; in theory.
A marketeer's nightmare.

But by Jove, Bad Brains not only proved that black guys could play hardcore, they mixed it up with some dub and roots' sounds; and you know what: no one went to the bar: everyone just dropped a gear: the mosh bowed down and we skanked and we swayed.

All three styles Bad Brains incorporated are included here: their faster than fast hardcore delivery (and they go even faster on this recording: the opening 'I' is spat with such rapid staccato it sounds like it's sung "in tongues"); their later metal, note warping period; and their wonderfully idiosyncratic take on dub. Excellently exemplified here with some well chosen covers.
Never has 'Day Tripper' sounded so druggie, or 'She's a Rainbow' so horny.
They also turn Dennis Brown's 'Revolution' into a true polemic; ideologically supporting their own 'The Youth are Getting Restless', a persuasive rallying cry to all.
Rastafari!

So the odd bed fellows made for the perfect marriage.
The punky reggae party continued.
Long may it do so. Long may it reign.

Bad Brains - The Youth are Getting Restless, Live at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, 1987 (1990)

I
Rock For Light
Right Brigade
House of Suffering
Day Tripper/She's a Rainbow
Coptic Times
Sacred Love
Re-Ignition
Let Me Help
The Youth are Getting Restless
Banned in D.C.
Sailin' On
Fearless Vampire Killer
At the Movies
Revolution (Dub)
Pay to Cum
Big Takeover

Excellent vinyl rip @320kbs
Get Restless here

Oily Num Nums

2011-03-06T16:34:00.006Z

Another side of dub music in the nineteen-nineties was an addition to the rather limited genre that could only have emerged from Britain.
A Special Brew; a heady mix; ever so, ever so crusty; full of the monotony of ritualistic mantra, while brimming with energy and aural satisfaction.

Skronk, someone coined it (sounds like a Nick Kent word, but I'm not sure of its derivation as it doesn't appear in the OED. Surprisingly); dub is what it is.
But filthy dub. Full of mud, blood and sweat dub.
The boom makes my windows vibrate and my fillings tingle; and if I shut my eyes I smell canvas and am hit with wafts of weed. Then some pissed dude stands on my foot and I spill my drink all down my trousers....

Less manic than their magnum opus King of all Spaceheads, but still very dark; and those strange interjections placed between the monster dub work outs are really quite disturbing - just why Dame Clara Butt turns up in the middle of things performing a turn is beyond me; maybe it's a Finnegans Wake type thing... Discuss....

Terminal Cheesecake - Gateau D'Espace (1993)

Please Be Seated
Oily Bud
Mexical
Herbal Alien Flavour
Extra Oily
Dame Clara Butt
Blatant Drug Reference

As my vinyl copy can only be considered a remix due to just too many clicks and pops I have upped the CD version.
For your delectation: CD rip to mp3s.
Grab a slice of space cake here

Piping Down the Valleys Wild

2011-03-02T17:49:00.004Z

I've been listening to some Bush Chemists recently after grabbing a copy of their wicked Light Up Your Spliff (there), and it reminded me of this little gem I had tucked away; and as I haven't put up any roots or rub-a-dub stylings for a while, here's something special to keep it bubbling.

Dubs From Zion Valley is a diplomatically split album from two of Britain's finest dub producers: Jonah Dan (Bongoman) and Dougie Wardrop (The Bush Chemists; this being his debut).

The solid sounds produced are iconic of the nineties' British dub scene: synthetic beats, trancey bass patterns, delays, decays and lots and lots of reverberation; giving the old ear-ways a thorough blasting; getting right down deep; massaging the bowel; tickling the perineum.
Rastafari!

Have a tickle on me.

Jonah Dan Meets The Bush Chemists - Dubs From Zion Valley (1994)

Jonah Dan:

Dangerous Dub
Tehilim (Psalms 30 & 47)
Meditation Rock
Zion Valley
Khanna
Selassie I Highway
Meditation Rock - Horns Version
Yom Kippur

The Bush Chemists:

Trial Dub
4 Minute Dub
Voices Dub
Rimshot Get Clap
Warrior
Playfool Dub
Roots
The Mighty Sphinx Dub
Guidance

CD rip to mp3s, artwork included.
Get down here

Yellow Finn

2011-02-25T23:20:00.005Z

Essentially, Hot Tuna were a live act - can you get anymore ostentatious than a Flying V bass? - and their recorded output verified that: the essential live Double Dose is easily their greatest album; but as studio albums go, I think this is by far the best of the bunch.

Having dispensed with their hillbilly, American outlaw, jug-band kind of sound, Kaukonen and Casady had a rethink, and before our very ears, Hot Tuna morphed effortlessly into a smart, hard-rock boogie band.

Phosphorescent Rat (1973) suggested where it was going, and by the time they arrived at Yellow Fever (1975) their sound had hardened; tightened; become heavier; with the band playing much more as a single unit rather than that loose homestead feel associated with their earlier incarnation.

Yet despite it's heavier vibe, this is a feel-good, upbeat album - I mean, just look at the artwork: no mean blues album this.

I guess to say it's typical of mid-seventies' San Francisco hard-rock would be a cop out, but with Kaukonen spanking the plank, and Casady - just dig that bass-man! - constantly dueling with him, this is archetypal, and not really typical at all.

Hot Tuna - Yellow Fever (1975)

Baby What You Want Me To Do
Hot Jelly Roll Blues
Free Rein
Sunrise Dance With the Devil
Song for the Fire Maiden
Bar Room Crystal Ball
Half/Time Saturation
Surphase Tension

Excellent rip from cassette @320kbs
Canned Tuna here

Frost Burns

2011-02-23T20:24:00.004Z

Remaining within the unplugged vein, here's a very tasty acoustic set from Jorma Kaukonen recorded back in 1978.

It wasn't until I married a Finn that I realised Jorma Kaukonen, in name at least, could only be of Finnish extraction.
I always thought the name looked odd alongside those archetypal U.S. sounding monikers, you know: Grace Slick, Jack Casady, Marty Balin, et al.
Of course in today's Wiki-wonder-world it only takes a moment to confirm that his father was 'Finnish-American', but adding to the obvious is the fact that his mother was Russian; creating a curious background for someone who did their own growing up in Washington and San Francisco.

They have a certain kind of melancholy do the people of the North, and it is so often expressed through the manner of music and song.

Now I'm not saying Jorma Kaukonen is any kind of shaman or anything like that, but he adds something to American blues that is not evident in those who are of what? Shall we say hotter blood?

His solo music is prickly, icy, cold.
But at the same time warm and deeply satisfying.

(It's a bugger this trying to write about music thing: think I'll just give up....)

But perhaps that's it!
It's all about opposites: contraries.

Hot Tuna had finished [!] and Kaukonen was between identities.
There also seems to be an audience of about ten people; adding enormously to the intimate and intense atmosphere of this recording.

The quality is so good, on occasion you can hear the glug of bourbon swishing about in the bottle as Kaukonen raises it, replenishing his larynx and his attitude.

The highlights?
Well, the Tuna songs sound particularly poignant; whether there's an extra resonance of grief attached I'm not sure, but I don't remember them sounding quite so affecting when performed by the band.
'Watch the North Wind Rise' is a particular favourite of mine, and really does sound like a calling: its got something of the wastes surrounding Valhalla about it.

But hey, it's all good, and the fact that he performs a couple of songs twice really doesn't matter. It just works. He's such a mesmerising player; his kind of blues just takes you right out of yourself.
Perfect.

Jorma Kaukonen - Old Waldorf, San Francisco: 2/4/78 (Soundboard Boot)

Come Back Baby
Trial By Fire
Another Man Done Gone
Watch the North Wind Rise
Police Dog Blues
Let Us Get Together
Seachild
Another Man Done Gone
Genesis
Water Song
Whinin' Boy Blues
Police Dog Blues
Killing Time in the Crystal City
Mann's Fate

CD rip to mp3s (68 mins)
Cool off here

Bardic Beat

2011-02-12T21:14:00.003Z

The first time I saw Roy Harper perform he was perched between two of Landseer's lions, singing 'I Hate the White Man'.
It was an anti-Windscale demo back in nineteen seventy-something or other; Trafalgar Square was heaving.

The next time I caught him was at nineteen seventy-eight's Knebworth Festival, where he played during every change over, keeping the restless, angry, hippie-styled crowd amused until the next big act.
He proceeded to get more and more wasted as the day went on.

His final appearance, which surprised even him I think by its length (Genesis were apparently waiting for absolute darkness before beginning their set; you know, just so everyone could really appreciate the lasers and the nuances of their exquisite light show), was highlighted by the inebriated bard falling, mid-song, backwards off his stool; soles to the sky: roaring with laughter.

Genesis were a bit of a disappointment after that!

This compilation samples Harper's work from the early seventies, highlighting his balladeering spirit and his slightly eccentric, rather twisted take on Englishness and the English folk tradition.
The collection therefore concentrates on his shorter songs; and I guess for a sampler that's only to be expected.

So I've played around with it a bit; adding the full thirteen minute version of Stormcock's magnificent 'Me and My Woman' - seeing as how I'm not limited by groove length - allowing Harper's mosaic-styled, genre crossing compositional technique, often adopted for his longer songs, to be heard.

I've also changed a couple of the originally selected versions of tracks; choosing live versions of 'South Africa' and 'When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease' (both from Unhinged) over the original studio takes, for no other reason other than quality (I'm sorry if that offends any purists. Get your own blog, innit).

So, if you only know Roy Harper as the bloke who sang the vocal for Floyd's 'Have a Cigar', or the geezer Led Zep dedicate what is probably their most unlistenable song to, why not check this out?

And if you know Roy Harper's music a little more intimately, this is a great compilation to accompany any wine-sodden, log-fire-hugging winter's eve; whether of Albion or Abroad.

Roy Harper - 1970-1975 (1978)

Don't You Grieve
I Hate the White Man
Tom Tiddler's Ground
Me and My Woman
Little Lady
South Africa
Forbidden Fruit
I'll See You Again
Commune
Another Day
When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease
Home (with Ian Anderson. Unique to this comp)

Immaculate Vinyl & CD rips @320kbs
Cuddle up with Roy here

And if you like this there's a ton of Harper's stuff to be had here.
Do get yourself a copy of Bullinamingvase. Essential.

MeMooreal

2011-02-07T20:45:00.006Z

I'm not going to become all hypocritical and say I am or was a big fan of Gary Moore's work: I wasn't; I'm not.
But this is truly a shit-hot beast of an album, and Moore added an awful lot to make it so.

Long before the major success of 'Parisienne Walkways' and some well selling blues albums, Gary Moore played hard-rock jazz fusion with the outfit Colosseum II; part two of drummer extraordinaire Jon Hiseman's original proggers Colosseum.

Colosseum II were far the better band; losing a lot of vocal and concentrating on hardening up a genre that was rapidly becoming far too muso for its own good.

The opening track is played completely flat-out, not quite John Abercrombie, but not far off; Moore playing some blistering notes with very quick fingers; encapsulating the fusion sound of that time; you know, kind of Alan Holdsworth (U.K.) or John Goodsall (Brand X); both artists in fact who made music comparable to Colosseum II; but with Hiseman leading from the kit, Colosseum II's sound was far more dynamic and kick-ass: they didn't noodle or pussyfoot around so much; they just got down to it.

'Desperado' is the standout track for me; it really does everything you want hard-rock jazz fusion to do.
And it does it with much gusto.

Moore's big track is 'Rivers', essential for all those who value his music.
It's a big anthemic track, the only vocal on the album - which Moore sings - and he plays a tastefully subdued legato solo at its centre.
He could certainly cut it, and he didn't need to be ostentatious.
Satriani he wasn't.
(If he was he wouldn't be on here, that's for sure!)

But it must be said, all the guitar parts and solos on this album are incredibly well constructed and well played; he really found a niche here, but he was obviously a fidget, and other things beckoned.

This is now a rare piece it seems, so I'm glad to share it; and I think it makes for a fitting tribute to the man's art.

Man, those notes!
May they live on.

Enjoy.

Colosseum II - Electric Savage (1977)

Put It This Way
All Skin and Bone
Rivers
The Scorch
Lament
Desperado
Am I
Intergalactic Strut

Immaculate vinyl rip @320kbs
Savage fusion here

Doctor's Note

2011-02-06T19:37:00.005Z

If you're on an Hawkwind trip, then what better way to end than to hear from the captain and good doctor himself.
And again, I'm flabbergasted this album is no longer available.
What's going on, Dave?

I like Dave Brock - sorry Nik - his music and ideas have given me a great deal of pleasure over the years. I've seen him live many times: in fields, venues, clubs, sheds and tents; and have spent many a pleasant moment with his music as an accompaniment.

So when this, his first solo cut, came out back in eighty-four, myself, and many a Hawkwind fan had expectant and anticipatory ears.

It met all expectations; and expanded them.

A totally home-made, self-reliant piece this, and okay, at times the odd track may sound a little like a Hawkwind demo; but the low production values and sparsity of sound really help to create an intimate atmosphere; a sense of peering and listening in to Dr. Technical working in his lab.

There is a bit of double-dipping, including the 'Assassination' thing from Church; but there's some great trancy Warrior styled jams, some interesting electronica, and even a bit of bubble-gum pop in the hooky 'Sweet Obsession'.
I say it's bubble-gum pop, in fact, thinking about it, it's probably about stalking.
Buy hey, it's got a great melody!

Along with all the epic, cosmic flights of fancy; the literary erudition and the spaced-out concepts; Dave Brock has a great sense of humour and fun, and that really shines on this album, and unlike Agents of Chaos, his next solo piece released three years later, this is very upbeat indeed.

The Orb recently got together with the wrong Dave, you know.
Patterson should have made an album with Brock.
Now that would have been interesting.

Dave Brock - Earthed to the Ground (1984)

Earthed to the Ground
Assassination
Green Finned Demon
Spirits
Sweet Obsession
Oscillations
Machine Dream
Now is the Winter of our Discontent
On the Case

Excellent vinyl rip @320kbs
Plug in here

It's Time!

2011-02-06T00:39:00.002Z

I can't believe this album is out of print; changing hands at thirty-five quid for a second hand CD version: ridiculous!
Most of Hawkwind's back catalogue is available at much reduced price; yet this, what has to be one of their finest albums, isn't.

Of all the Hawkwind albums, this has to be the most musically ambitious and progressive - in the genre sense - of their entire discography; and as an album; a singular piece of work; a whole, complete product; it could well be their masterpiece.

And the original vinyl edition cover did this when opened out fully:

And this on the other side:

Cosmic!

They did some great things with their covers did Hawkwind; my favourite has to be the blanket sized enormity of the original Space Ritual; man, how we used to pour over those things.

The band were at their peak during this period; and with two drummers and Lemmy as a rhythm section there's some pretty pounding, almost industrial rhythms accompanying many of the tracks.

(Lemmy has stated that he hated this period of working with Hawkwind, with 'fascistic drummers taking over the sound', but has also admitted that Warrior does contain some quite superb cuts.)

In fact, it's quite trancy in places, a little Neu, even; but essentially Warrior is a very heavy album, with long instrumental breaks, allowing the band to really show off their development and their chops.

To bring in Moorcock was a masterstroke.
Dave Brock knew his audience; and he was right, we were all reading Runestaff, Elric, and the brilliant Jerry Cornelius' stories.
Moorcock was the writer of space rock: the absolute literary equivalent of their music.

Poet, Bob Calvert, had become so much a part of the band's identity and sound he was sorely missed (absent: later to rejoin for Astounding Sounds), the poetry added something quite essential to their sound at the time; Moorcock was the perfect replacement, filling Calvert's role admirably; and in places sounding uncannily similar to the original Hawkwind 'Space Poet'.

The poetry nuzzles its way in between the tracks, often acting transitionally between the pieces of music.
Many of the segues on this album are so seamless, and I think so essential to the listening experience I haven't interrupted them; to have done so would would have been criminal; so some tracks are grouped together as single mp3s; but I'm sure you'll agree: many of these pieces run together like suites, and that's how they should be heard.

The album ends with the classic Hawkwind tune: Moorcock and Brock's 'Kings of Speed'; a track that somehow encapsulates all that both the writer and the band stood for during this period.
And it still sounds great.
Ear whizz to add a spring to anyone's step; a great big aural injection of energy: a mainline straight to the psyche.

Hawkwind - Warrior on the Edge of Time (1975)

Assault & Battery Part I
The Golden Void Part II
The Wizard Blew His Horn
Opa-Loka
The Demented Man
Magnu
Standing at the Edge
Spiral Galaxy 28948
Warriors
Dying Seas
Kings of Speed

Excellent vinyl rip @320kbs
Go inner space here

Windy Pops

2011-02-02T21:32:00.004Z

Awhile since some Hawks, so here's a now deleted classic that best captures some highlights from the early days of the band's ever eternal career.

The wonderful Barney Bubbles' cover sets the scene, leading and preparing the aural space cadet for a most hallucinatory super sonic journey; steered by the most outrageous bunch of lunatics who ever laid hands on the controls.

Collected from the early albums, tracks segue together seamlessly; the juxtapositions creating something new from something old.
Dave Brock was incredibly good at this; a true master of bricolage: forever remastering, recycling and repackaging.

Roadhawks was really the first example of this, but as always, well, nearly always, Brock threw in a few sweeteners; a few gems to keep his audience happy.

(In this case, wicked live versions of 'You Shouldn't Do That' and 'Silver Machine', and the 'banned by the BBC' single: 'Urban Guerilla':

"I'm an urban guerilla
I make bombs in my cellar..."

Not the best time for release as far as the establishment was concerned; the IRA were at the height of their mainland bombing campaign.)

Yes, Dr. Technical was a master of knowing how to entice the punter just enough to force them into buying music they already owned; hooked by a lustful desire for the two or three unreleased elsewhere tracks.
But hey, that's the music business, right; and I'm with Thom Yorke on this one:
'The music industry is dead!'

Long live music!

Hawkwind - Roadhawks (1975)

Hurry on Sundown
Paranoia
You Shouldn't Do That (Live)
Silver Machine (Live)
Urban Guerilla
Space is Deep
Wind of Change
The Golden Void

Decent vinyl rip @320kbs
Go outta space here

Another classic out of print Hakwind album on the way.
Watch this SPACE

Deaf Metal

2011-01-31T00:05:00.003Z

My own local haunt as a music hungry teenager was a boozer in New Barnet, Norf Lundun, called The Duke of Lancaster.
Free music every night of the week, except Wednesdays; the pub's darts team had the run of the place.

And while many of my peers were studiously revising for their O Levels, there was I, often accompanied by a dude named Rickets [!], sipping on an illegally obtained pint of Courage Director's Bitter (or 'Bad Breath' as we coined it), firmly laying down the foundation of what would manifest in years to come as intermittent bouts of mind-fucking tinnitus.

But hey, it was worth every tone, ring and hiss; as there really was nothing better than bending one's ear drums to the likes of Strasse, Silencer, Spring Offensive, 64 Spoons, Spider, and many, many more kick ass bands whose names didn't necessarily begin with the letter S.

One of them being Bleak House, a firm favourite with the 'Duke' clientele.

Hailing from St. Albans, a very metal city at the time, Bleak House didn't have far to travel; and they were always given a very warm welcome by a most enthusiastic, mainly hirsute, mainly male, beer swilling, heaving bunch of hedonists who Bacchus himself would have been honoured to have been among.

Man, Bleak House were loud.
They used to use thunderflashes!
With green smoke!
The residue of which would settle itself atop the head of your 'Bad Breath'.

Bleak House were very much riding on the new wave of British heavy metal; their old school sound was a fusion of influences: Judas Priest, Budgie and of course Sabbaff; and with two guitars, bass, drum and an oscillating soprano they encapsulated the late seventies metal sound perfectly.

The big metal bands who followed in the wake of these early pub playing pioneers owed just as much to bands like Bleak House - and there were many - as did those such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash owe to those who did the groundwork for punk.

Personally, I lost interest when acts like Iron Maiden, Diamond Head and Angelwitch turned up on the scene. All the fun seemed to go out of it; metal got serious.
And boring.

Anyway. Here's a right bit of self-indulgent nostalgia.
And who knows, it may be of interest to someone...
I said IT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO SOMEONE

Bleak House 7" (1980)

Rainbow Warrior
Isandhlwana
Inquisition

Decent 7" vinyl rip @320kbs
Ear'ole assault here

Did You Spill My Pint?

2011-01-30T13:55:00.004Z

If London had a CBGBs it wasn't The Roxy or The Marquee Club, it was Islington's Hope & Anchor (of course it had to be a pub, right), and this seminal compilation substantiates that.

It's all here to be heard: the juxtapositions reveal all.

The old guard, represented by Steve Gibbons, The Pirates, and dear old Wilko; and those who retained an older style, such as The Pleasers, Dire Straits, and to a certain extent Sean Tyla's Tyla Gang - who never sounded more like an English version of Tom Petty and The Hertbreakers - are heard alongside the new young gunslingers and upstarts: X-Ray Spex (Poly Styrene being the only woman on the album!), The Saints, Suburban Studs, The Only Ones, 999 and XTC, a band who were already years ahead; already sounding post-post-punk.

And there's Steel Pulse, the then great ambassadors of the new wave of British reggae.
To have seen them at that time in a London pub must have been something else.

There wasn't much to the Hope & Anchor back in the nineteen-seventies.
No real stage as such, just a raised area in an airless, heaving, chamber-like bar.
But the historicity of the place is immense.
And this compilation is its ossuary.

Various Artists - Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival (1978)

Wilko Johnson Band - Dr. Feelgood
The Stranglers - Straighten Out
Tyla Gang - Styrofoam
The Pirates - Don't Munchen It
Steve Gibbons Band - Speed Kills
XTC - I'm Bugged
Suburban Studs - I Hate School
Wilko Johnson Band - Billy
XTC - Science Friction
Dire Straits - Eastbound Train
Burlesque - Bizz Fizz
X-Ray Spex - Let's Submerge
999 - Crazy
The Saints - Demolition Girl
The Only Ones - Creatures of Doom
The Pirates - Gibson Martin Fender
Steel pulse - Sound Check
Roogalator - Zero Hour
Philip Rambow - Underground Romance
The Pleasers - Rock and Roll Radio
Tyla Gang - On the Streets
Steve Gibbons Band - Johnny Cool
Wilko Johnson Band - Twenty Years Behind

Cd rip to mp3s
Return to the Front Row here

True Grit

2011-01-27T22:37:00.007Z

Sean Tyla must have seriously questioned the validity of his existence when Dire Straits made it massive.
Back in the day the two bands could often be found playing side by side on the same billing; back in the day there were plenty of boozy venues crying out for solid rock acts.

Tyla Gang, as with Dire Straits, never sat easy among their contemporaries - my next post really highlights that - but were regularly lumped in with the 'new' punk movement and were often described as a pub-rock band.
In reality they were a long way away from Eddie and The Hot Rods and Kilburn and The High Roads, and they sounded nothing like 999; Tyla Gang just happened to be doing their thing at the same time; the venues just happened to be pubs.

Although, it must be said, it was the great champion of punk, John Peel, who introduced me to Sean Tyla's music; but like the best of us, Peel was never one to confine himself to a single genre, and really he had an ear and an enthusiasm for anything good.
Peace be upon him.

And it was this album, their second and last, that really caught me.
Many consider Yachtless, their debut, to be their best, but I think the second side of this album - from 'Spanish Street' onwards - is one of the finest collections of tracks from any British rock band of that time.

The songs are gritty, hard-played, and in that uniquely British way real seedy; perfectly capturing the run-down, beat sensibility which troubled so many at the end of that abysmal decade.

It suited the band to sign to an American label (Beserkley) as Tyla's muse had already taken him there. There's a sense of imaginative longing in his songs, a desire for better things; exotic things; things sensational, exciting and thrilling.
At the time, the late seventies, there seemed nothing more exotic and exciting than televisual America, and Tyla delineates it so well you'd think he was born on the West Coast; in fact he's a Yorkshireman.

But hey, forget that.
Grab this. Click on the track 'American Mother', turn it up to about seven or eight and prepare to be completely blown away.

And it still sounds good for a well played thirty-three year old cut of sickly yellow vinyl.

Tyla Gang - Moonproof (1978)

Tropical Love
Oakland Red
It's Gonna Rain
Did You Hear it on the Radio
Rodeo
Spanish Street
No Roses
American Mother
Suicide Jockey
Flashing in the Subway

Nice vinyl rip @320kbs
Join the Gang here

Frankly

2011-01-21T00:35:00.005Z

As it's my birthday I figured I'd share with you something from 'The Best'.

Despite this 2008 album's official release status, it seems to have gone beneath many's radar, especially in Britain where I believe it only existed as an import - if such things can exist in that fashion in today's technology reduced planet.

Essentially an album of fragments from seventies' shows, this, unlike some of the posthumous releases, is definitely of interest to both the casual and the hardcore Zappa fan. The fragments are extremely well selected; offering some wonderfully tasty morsels for the ears to chomp upon.
Chomp Chomp.

To open, there's a glorious piece from the Apostrophe/One Size Fits All band, where the playful stretching of words, mainly the word 'well', can be heard; all done in the spirit of jazz of course: an old joke it may be, but it always makes me chuckle.
The clowning is followed by some masterful loose keyboard playing by Duke - surely one of Zappa's most homogeneous and complimentary of collaborators (after all, they wrote 'Uncle Remus' together, right, say no more!).

After a mosaic of quite discordant instrumentals, FZ gets down to business and two of those gorgeously claustrophobic squitty solos are captured.
'Occam's Razor', lifted from a recording of 'Inca Roads', highlights Zappa's tactile playing - as much done with pedals as it is with his fingers - and it's so precise and so extraordinary it totally mesmerizes.
'Heidelberg', a solo extracted from a recording of Sheik Yerbouti's 'Yo Mama', is deep: deep, deep notes squirted straight into your head; even the pauses, the spaces, creating a deep sense of claustrophobia.

To be there, to experience what Zappa referred to as 'air sculptures' was incredible.
The notes, especially those 'deep' ones, would leave you catatonic.
When that spotlight picked out that guitar player the audience were one.
Not in a 'Radio Ga-Ga' way, but held, suspended; beheld by something truly great; beheld by something magical: sublime.
And no matter how many people were in that venue, when that guitar player played that guitar there existed in that moment merely you and him.
And that doesn't happen very often.
Well, not to me it doesn't.

'Australian Yellow Snow' is a revamped version of the Nanook songs from Apostrophe. A real hodge-podge this one: each section taking on a different genre, making it very new and fresh to the ear.

And no matter how familiar you think it's going to be, you can never assume you've heard it all before with Zappa, he always went beyond expectations; even evening shows following a matinee were considerably different.
Hence the glut of bootleg material.

But this isn't a bootleg, and you have no need to worry about the sound quality; as with all released by the ZFT, sometimes the artistic quality may not always be top notch (Trance Fusion, what was going on there?) but the sound quality always is.

Fortunately, this selection meets all criteria.

Frank Zappa - One Shot Deal (2008)

Bathtub Man
Space Boogers
Hermitage
Trudgin' Across the Tundra
Occam's Razor
Heidelberg
The Illinois Enema Bandit
Australian Yellow Snow
Rollo

CD rip to mp3s
Feel it here

Believe!

2011-01-17T02:18:00.002Z

Tom Mahler was a fictional character; the protagonist of Calvert's only published novel, Hype.
Much of this album could be understood as being a soundtrack to that novel, which is a nice twist on the familiar film related package; but then, Robert Calvert liked to twist the familiar.

In this, the first of Calvert's albums to heavily rely on electronica, his detached, staccato, sometimes machine-like, ethereal vocal brought enormous amounts of authentic feeling to these songs.

His mini-anthems - narratives inspired as much by Astounding Stories magazine as Bob Dylan - trip along to accompaniment Devo-like with its use of percussive synths and rhythmic stun-guitar.

His gorgeous couplets; sometimes funny ('We Like To be Frightened'), metaphysically freaky ('Greenfly and the Rose'), or damn-right odd ('The Luminous Dial of the Dashboard') always catch you out; and like much great poetry, every encounter seems fresh, new: alive.
He can even make a rainy afternoon in Margate seem like a cosmic experience ('Hanging Out on the Seafront').

To accompany Calvert's new direction, he needed a new wave sounding band, and he called on an old Hawkwind connection, Bethnal; a band who had toured with the Hawks back in seventy-seven, when Hawkwind began associating themselves with young punk acts.

Bethnal had been doing 'punk' since the early seventies, and by seventy-six, seventy-seven they were already well on their way to becoming a prog band, or post-punk as it became known.

By eighty-one they were perfectly primed to accompany Calvert's take on the new wave; and they do a great job; and along with slots from Michael Moorcock (12 string), Simon house (elctronica), Nik turner (sax) and Pete Pavli (cello), Calvert couldn't have asked for better musicianship.

The best comes last on this album, as it closes with one of Calvert's finest anthemic epics: 'Lord of the Hornets', one of his live highlights.
Listening to this I can still envisage him on stage, and no matter how big his audience, he always flogged his guts out; giving it everything he had; all in the name of art; in the name of rock n roll.
And we liked it.
Thanks Bob.
Amen.

Robert Calvert - Hype (1981)

Over My Head
Ambitious
It's the Same
Hanging Out on the Seafront
Sensitive
Evil Rock
We Like to be Frightened
Teen Ballard of Deano
Flight 105
The Luminous Dial of the Dashboard
Greenfly and the rose
Lord of the Hornets

Excellent cassette rip @320kbs
Catch the Hype here

Who?

2011-01-17T02:16:00.003Z

Just in case you're curious; here's what Bethnal sounded like when they were on their own back in seventy-eight.

Already firmly entrenched in the post-punk camp, their fiddle-fronted sound could only go one way.
And on this 12" the tracks reveal their destiny: prog called and they ran towards it.

Here they sound a bit like Eddie and the Hot Rods with a great deal of Who sensibility.
The title track is a well played and well produced rocker. The flip is made-up of excerpts; clips from their album Dangerous Times; seems a little desperate: I don't think they sold too well.
And although this is not a bad listen, I always felt Bethnal were one of those bands who were top musicians, had a great sound, but didn't really have too much decent material.

Until Bob came along that is.
O the Hype.

Bethnal - Don't Do It 12" (1978)

Don't Do It
Excerpts from Dangerous Times:
Who We Gonna Blame
Baba O'Reily
Out in the Street

Decent 12" vinyl rip @320kbs
Go to Bethnal here

Man a Pysgod

2011-01-15T00:26:00.002Z

Why o why o why was I not at this gig?

Here were two of Wales' finest jamming with not only a true icon of the sixties, but one heck of a blistering plank-spanker.

Now Barry Melton has never been regarded much in the guitar world, but his playing with Country Joe and The Fish (Melton's The Fish) was always incredibly bold and dynamic.
He could do a nice jingly-jangly and he could play a mighty fine boogie; but his solos, Wow! They were off the scale.
Blistering, shuddering notes that jumped right out at you, just leaping off the mix; notes so intense with vibrato and power they'd send your head reeling.
Man, he could do incredible things with that whammy-bar!

Okay, so he's slowed a little through the years, and his solo work is rather subdued compared with what he produced back in the day, but hey, he's Barry Melton, The Fish, the guy who runs towards the camera with a joint and holds it an inch away from the lens in the movie Woodstock, the guy who shouts 'no rain, no rain', the guy who often led the Fuck chant, you know: 'Give me an eff, give me a you...' etc.
And he was playing in Baglan, near Port Talbot!
Less than an hour away from my house!
And with two guitarists who could easily keep up with the Californian import.

Micky Jones and Deke Leonard: Man! nuff said.

Except, Micky Jones was rated by Zappa as one of the best guitar players out there - I saw Jones jamming one time with Jimmy Carl Black's Muffin Men, and Man, when he played Zappa, he played Zappa. Closer than anyone else I've ever heard. It's all in those nuances, right! And Jones could do it so well - and Deke Leonard: Man, one of the gutsiest rhythm players you'll ever encounter.

And the reason I wasn't at the gig: well, didn't know anything about it.
Most gigs in Wales seem to rely on word of mouth; the talking drums around here are very, very damp; the best shows one seems to come across through serendipity rather than advertising.
And to prove it: there's no one at this gig.
Okay, maybe six or seven people; or at least that's what it sounds like.

The space makes for a wonderful recording; top class, as good as many professional live recordings: a definite A+, but it does sound pitiful when Melton tries to sell the empty venue 'genuine Woodstock and Monterey picks' [£6.95 a pair].

However, the lack of bodies doesn't deter the axe wielding trio - three SGs! What more could one want!? - and they play their hearts out.
The combination of Melton's songs and the Man duo's Spunk Rock sensibilities makes a perfect blend: a cocktail for the ears.

So, enjoy this.
Nearly two hours of psychedelic bliss from three very original players.
O yes.

Barry Melton, Micky Jones & Deke Leonard - Baglan Social Club 17th July 2004.

Love
I Can't Dance
Barry Speaks
Superbird
Barry Breathes
Mojo Navigator
Picks For Sale
The Love Machine
Closer
Busted Strings
Colorado Town
S.O.S.
The Dance
Butcher's Boy

CD rip to mp3s; includes cover art.
There was a welcome in the hillside here

Stronger Than A Moose

2011-01-03T15:19:00.006Z

White Rabbits!
Oops, bit slow off the mark with that one, but there you are: life and all that....

To get the new year off to a flying start, here is something that is both original and unique; original in it's own way and unique as a product/download/whatever.
For here is Boosh music.
That being all the music from The Mighty Boosh's TV shows; and when strung together makes for one heck of a gloriously, surreal - but incredibly infectious - absurd audio montage.

Featuring all the Boosh regulars: Howard & Vince (our heroes), Bollo (a spliffed out gorilla), Nabu (a blissed out shaman),

as well as some excellent guest performances from Milkie Joe & The Coconuts, Sammy the Crab, Rudy, Bob Fossil, The Hitcher [with his solo-polo vision], The Mod Wolves and others too numerous (or far out) to name or mention.

With their tripped-out, stoner-styled humour, Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding pick up the English absurd baton (think of The Goons, Python, The Goodies, The Young Ones) and run with it.
Their music was really the highlight of each episode. Incorporating a Ween/Zappa/Devo/Beastie Boys' style, they twist funk, rap, punk, electro, folk and prog with ease; if anything, leaving the listener wanting more as few of the songs are longer than two minutes.

If you haven't experienced the Boosh for yourself, check it out on YouTube; but really, the Boosh was at its best before it engaged with the world of television: practicing absurdities on radio.
Fortunately, their radio shows are still available, and if you gravitate towards English surreal humour you've got to give them a listen.

But for now, here's their music.
Dress up and dance.
Like a wolf. Like a wolf!
Yeah.

Series 1

Mod Wolves
Ape of Death
The Shamen
The Tundra Rap
Mutants
Charlie
Electro
The Hitcher

Series 2

Yeti Magic
Searching for the New Sound
Rudy's Quest
Spider Lovin'
El Sondio Nuevo
Nanageddon
The Chosen One
The Soup Song
Love Games
Sea Funk
Isolation
Milkie Joe & The Coconuts

Series 3

Eels (A Pie & Mash Up)
I Did a Shit on Your Mum
Future Sailors
Looking Backwards
The Crimp
A Higher Place
Bouncey Bouncey
Sammy The Crab
It's What's Inside That Counts

Ripped from DVDs @320kbs
booshmusic here

Bliss.

Crackers!

2010-12-24T22:52:00.002Z

There aren't enough surprises in life anymore - but here's one for ya.

This is what I'll be listening to while unwrapping my pressies, and I'd like to share it with you, all in keeping with the spirit of peace and goodwill.

I'm not going to tell you what's on it - that's where the surprise element comes in - you'll just have to trust me on this one.
You do trust me, don't you...?

So grab yourself some fun: grab my alternative Christmas mix here
And have yourself a very merry Christmas.

I'll pop the track list in comments when I'm sober.
Enjoy!

Nadolig Llawen!

E-Lec-Tric-I-Ty

2010-12-24T01:29:00.003Z

Here's some tasty bites from the recent Electronica Concert held at London, Southbank's Queen Elizabeth Hall.

The BBC Concert Orchestra along with an electronic ensemble made up of Moogs, Korgs, Rolands, ondes Martenots and theremins performed all manner of electronica from past and present, including a truly magnificent performance of Bernard Hermann's score for the 1951 movie The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Gort is readily envisaged: pounding the city streets; the theremin, used to exhilarating effect, creating a creepy yet truly cosmic unworldliness.
Quite brilliant.

The concert was keenly MC'd by electronica enthusiast Jarvis Cocker; his preambles, some of which I have included, explain and inform much of the music played.

His discussion with composer and performer Will Gregory (Goldfrapp) is hilarious: you can hear their anoraks rubbing together.

Following the film music, is a performance of Johnny Greenwood's (Radiohead) ever so dissonant but totally compelling smear; the strings and synths really tear and shred the air and space.
Yeah, compelling.

The downbeat smear is followed by an uplifting premier performance of Will Gregory's Journeys Into the Sky, a work still in progress, not that you'd know it from what is heard: it all seems very tight, the electronica marrying-up with the orchestra in homogeneous and harmonious splendour.

The gig ends with a rousing rendition of Kraftwerk's The Model, arranged by Art of Noise founder and Oscar winning composer Anne Dudley.
You really get the sense that the musicians are having a great time, recognising that the music they are playing is one of the reasons they are performing: anyone interested in electronic music must surely fall at the feet of the Teutonic maestros.

So, if you want to get yourself a last minute Christmas present, you could do worse than go get yourself a theremin.
Imagine this: the theremin, spoons and howling dogs.
You couldn't get more Christmassy.
Dickens would just love it.

Electronica (6/10/10)

Performed by The BBC Concert Orchestra & electronic ensemble.
Directed & conducted by Charles Hazelwood.

The Day the Earth Stood Still - Bernard Hermann
smear - Johnny Greenwood
chat (Jarvis & Will)
Journeys Into the Sky - Will Gregory
The Model - Kraftwerk (arrangement: Anne Dudley)

Ripped from DVD captured radio broadcast @320kbs
Plug in here

Ooooh Weee Ooooh

2010-12-22T16:48:00.007Z

As a supplement to the electronica pieces coming up, here's a tasty little radio doc that reveals the amazing story of Leon Theremin: electronic wizard, musician, spy, and inventor of the curious instrument that adopted his name.

With a contained enthusiasm, British musician, actor and comic, Bill Bailey, unravels Theremin's biography with some excellent clips and bites, as well as utilising the help of various talking heads from the worlds of music, electronics and espionage.

O yeah, and a poet.

With his sardonic take, John Hegley performs a theremin accompanied poem in homage to the wibbly-wobbly sound generator, bringing this entertainingly informative piece to a perfect end.

Good Vibrations: The story of Leon Theremin
Narrated by Bill Bailey (30 mins)

Ripped from cassette captured broadcast @320kbs
get here

Radical Riddims

2010-12-11T22:26:00.001Z

While listening to this album earlier while ripping, it struck me as to how relevant it still is, reinforcing the feeling that Britain has returned to a state comparable to the early nineteen-eighties: what with the rioting on the streets of London, right-wing attacks on public services, radical voices coming up from the street, and of course a right royal wedding.
Quaint.
Maybe we should all take to wearing leg warmers.

This recording also takes me back to that time as I saw Linton Kwesi Johnson and The Dennis Bovell Dub Band in St. Germans at one of Lord Eliot's Elephant Fayres in what I think was eightie-three [?], but bit vague there.

It was memorable enough though, for me to know that it was without doubt the best reggae show I ever experienced - only Misty in Roots came close - Johnson's wonderfully crafted dub-styled polemic poetry juxtaposed with Bovell's masterful arrangements and the band's musicianship made for the best way possible to spend two hours in a pitch field in the middle of Cornwall.

Talk about a light in the darkness; we were like moths to a flame; hanging on every word; every beat; homogeneous: unified.

Johnson often spoke about his use of 'reggae riddims' in his poetry; a way of capturing in language the rhythms and metre of Jamaican dub music; and they do work well when read a capella; the couple of examples on here exemplify this technique perfectly; and of course it allows in a live capacity for the musicians, and the audience, to have a bit of a rest and catch their breath.

But the addition of music adds so much colour and vibrancy to Johnson's poetry; often reinforcing his message; emphasising his anger and adding enormously to his emotional expression.

But most importantly, you can dance to it.

And in a sense, this is a real 'Best Of', so to speak; easily his greatest songs are included on here, capturing his first few albums, all of which are now classics of British reggae.

So get your big boots on; and whether you're on your way to a demo or a disco this makes for the perfect accompaniment.

See kids, politics can be fun.

Linton Kwesi Johnson & The Dub Band - LKJ in Concert (1985)

Five Nights of Bleeding
Dread Beat an Blood
Intro (chat)
All Wi Doin is Defendin
It Dread Inna Inglan
Man Free
What Fi Got Rave
It Noh Funny
Forces of Victory
Independent Intavenshan
Reggae Fi Peach
Di Black Petty Booshwah
New Craas Massahkah
Reality Poem
Wat About Di Workin Class
Di Great Insohreckshan
Making History

Decent rip from cassette @ 320kbs
There is a drop on one channel for part of 'Dread Beat and Blood', but it doesn't last long and soon repairs.
This is really scarce now, it seems; I attempted to find a copy - because of the aforementioned problem (yeah, anal, I know) - but couldn't find one; so let's cherish this.
Enjoy.
Radicalise here

Macca Do

2010-12-10T19:49:00.001Z

So here's some mainstream booty for y'all.

A few tracks gathered from one of the first big get-together charitee-type-affairs, collectively titled Concerts For the People of Kampuchea.

I've only got a small sample of what was put out, but I've been careful in my selection, as a lot of what was put out wasn't that great.

All the tracks were recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon back in 1979.

Included here are two tracks from The Who: a groovy rendition of 'Sister Disco' with tasteful, bluesy, dubby outro, and a well belted out - when Daltrey could still do it - 'Behind Blue Eyes'.

Two tracks from Dave Edmunds' Rockpile, including a guest performance by Planty, who lends vocal for a pub-rock version of 'Little Sister'.

Next up, a right blistering bender from Queen [!], their epic 'Now I'm Here', and they never sounded heavier or better, and I'm not even a fan.
(I only really like 'Get Down, Make Love' and 'Killer Queen' [O yeah, and 'Flash', that one's quite good]).

This eclectic bagatelle comes to an end with the song that apparently inspired John Lennon to get off his bed, turn off the television, and go and cut an album (Double Fantasy), raising him back out of obscure privacy and making him a popular figure and recognizable icon once more.

So in a way, Wings' 'Coming Up' could be said to be responsible for Lennon's death... in a way... if you know what I mean.
;)

The Who - Sister Disco
The Who - Behind Blue Eyes
Rockpile - Crawling From the Wreckage
Rockpile (with Robert Plant) - Little Sister
Queen - Now I'm Here
Wings - Coming Up

Quality rip from cassette @320kbs.
Rock out here

Wot, No Foetus!

2010-12-10T17:47:00.002Z

Suffering another attack from the DMCA - telling me that complaints have been made to Blogger; so posts have been removed, comments lost and links deleted - I presumed it would concern those such as Primal Scream or Oasis, but no: Black Uhuru and Foetus!

So now I have no Foetus on my blog (O I do hope you all managed to grab those out of print and well deleted 12" vinyl rips), and I empathise more with those bloggers who have given up; making music available through Pirate Bay or one of the other torrent platforms (Bah!).

Still, not gonna go on about it.

(Wankers!)

Creationism

2010-12-03T15:23:00.006Z

It was twenty years ago Primal Scream recorded their seminal album Screamadelica, and it was seven days ago they performed the album in its entirety at London's Olympia Stadium.

Thankfully the world's greatest PSB outfit, the BBC, broadcast it, allowing me to catch it, rip it and share it with you.

I've even made a cover!
(Who said Humanity's dead?)

Primal Scream live as an experience depends entirely on their somewhat unpredictable front man Bobby Gillespie.
But he was on his very best behaviour - I don't think he even swore - however, that didn't prevent the BBC announcer squeezing in a warning as often as possible alerting the listener that they may be confronted with 'the strongest of language and adult themes'!

(I know.
It did seem rather paranoid.
I'm sure BBC6's demographic could handle anything Gillespie mentioned.

Cem and I worked out that what the BBC were most anxious about was the overt drug referencing; but hey, that's the songs; and one would assume we've come a long way since the BBC banned 'A Day in the Life'.

Still, best to be cautious when it's a Murdoch associated Tory government deciding as to whether 'Auntie' continues to receive its funding....)

The other striking factor about Gillespie's performance is that he sounds exactly the same: still the breathy, staccato, Scottish/American [?], speed fueled delivery; although it is a little painful hearing him get through 'Damage'; but to be fair, it's probably not a song they regularly include in their set list.

Strangely, they played around with the order of tracks, breaking the continuity the audience is so familiar with.
But this did allow for an enormoulsy upbeat ending, as the band closed with the two anthems 'Loaded' and 'Come Together', leaving the listener dizzy but undoubtedly aurally gratified.

Lots of bands are doing this now: taking to the road with their albums as set lists.
Some are even taking to the road with other band's albums as set lists; and I'm not just talking lookalikees or soundalikees.
More evidence, perhaps, that recorded music is moribund; over and done with; on a commercial level, at least.

But while these bands are still standing, they'll keep playing.
I mean, what else can they do...?

Primal Scream - Screamadelica Live, Olympia, London. 26/11/10

Movin' On Up
Slip Inside This House
Don't Fight It, Feel It
Damaged
I'm Comin' Down
Shine Like Stars
Inner Flight
Higher than the Sun
Loaded
Come Together

Ripped from DVD recorded digital broadcast @320kbs
Get Primal here

Cocaine Knights

2010-12-02T00:28:00.004Z

If you take the elements mentioned in my previous two posts:

a heap of Beatles
a dollop of Slade
a dash of Sweet
a hint of Bolan,

add just a pinch of Neil Innes,

and you arrive at Oasis.

Their Knebworth gig brought closure for me as far as the band's output was concerned.

The gig summed them up. Crystallized them.
Everything that was good about Oasis was played out in that one night.

To me they were a two album band, and their monster Knebworth gig was really an homage to those classic albums.

This is not the bootleg version of the gig. That comes from a DVD rip, and you'll be very lucky to find it at a higher rate than 128.
No, this is a recording capturing BBC Radio 1's live broadcast; ripped from cassette @320.

It is quite different to the more familiar boot; it certainly has a richer depth of sound, and of course as a 320 rip you can really crank it up.

You also get to hear why Liam apologises to his mother ('Sorry, Mam'): a little bit of banter that was omitted from the DVD - and therefore the boot - a little bit of banter that no doubt omitted a sliver from the BBC license payers' pot.
But hey, rock n roll....

My recording begins with 'Acquiesce', but on the night, they began with 'Columbia'.
I don't know why my recording excludes that opening track; either I wasn't ready to hit the record button in time - which is possible - or the BBC weren't ready - more likely - and for whatever reason that track wasn't broadcast.

So I have included it here - ripped it off from the previously mentioned boot - and it does make an interesting comparator for sound quality.

For me, Bonehead was really the driving force behind the Oasis sound; he was the engine: the one man wall of sound - think Malcolm Young (AC/DC) - a steady foundation; one strong and bold enough to withstand copious amounts of noodling that Noel built up on top of it.

Yeah, once Bonehead was out of it they were/are [?] a different band; a band that often sound like they're struggling to recreate something they once had.

But then again, aren't we all....

Oasis - Knebworth House, Stevenage. 11/8/96

Columbia*
Acquiesce
Supersonic
Hello
Some Might Say
Roll With It
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Round Our Way - Up in the sky
Cigarettes and Alcohol
Whatever - Octopus' Garden
Cast No Shadow
Wonderwall
The Masterplan
Don't Look Back in Anger
Live Forever
Champagne Supernova
I am the Walrus

*Columbia @128kbs, from 250,000 Fans Can't Be Wrong
All other tracks ripped from cassette captured live radio broadcast @320kbs

Grab a slice of history here

Sensational!

2010-11-28T02:35:00.006Z

Raised by a retro Ted and a woman infatuated with 'Elvis the Pelvis'; it was rock n roll, 'The King' and The Beatles that made up the incidental music of my early life.

The first music I discovered for myself - and it really was mine as my parents hated it - came through accessing contemporary pop.
Fortunately the pop music of the time was very, very exciting; especially to those like me, in a state of burgeoning pubescence.

Sweet and Slade - as well as Suzi Quatro, but for somewhat different reasons - were the bands who totally enthralled me.

They puzzled me: they were odd, strangely theatrical, a little scary, but they could really belt it out; and they were fantastic.

Even then, in my state of innocence, I realised that they weren't 'puffs' as the old man would have it; no, these guys were very much 'men': blokey men; there was nothing effeminate about them.
The members of Sweet and Slade were obviously blokes who dressed up, whereas Marc Bolan wasn't.
Bolan was Bolan.
Brian Connolly and Noddy Holder were very different animals.

'Brickies in drag' was a common description from the time, and in a way, it was kind of fitting; not only were they obviously blokes, but they were working class blokes.

(Slade's film, Slade in Flame - a rock film Mark Kermode (credible British critic) considers to be the best in its genre - delineates the band's working class roots effectively: shot in a naturalistic socio-realist manner, it makes for the most downbeat, Ken Loach styled rock movie you'll ever see.
The band even insisted on getting Johnny Shannon (a real life gangster turned actor who first came to attention in his role as Harry Flowers, the Mr. Big who hunts down Chas in the film Performance) to play the crooked manager, adding to the film's strong but bleak verisimilitude.)

But at the time working class men didn't wear eye liner; nor did they wear groin high, flesh hugging, silver stacked boots; something was being challenged; and it didn't have much to do with sexuality.

There has always been a tradition within the working classes to use gender play as an act of subversion.
It was there in music hall, variety and penny operas.
But the idea, the concept, has its roots in radical politics.

Members of The New Model Army would often 'drag-up' before ambushing Royalist supporters in the street. The idea being that the Cavaliers would be humiliated because it seemed they were being duffed up by women.

The Rebecca Rioters, those who tore down toll gates in nineteenth-century West Wales, were aggrieved agricultural workers who donned womens' clothes while attacking the oppressive taxation on the freedom of movement.
They also covered their faces in soot - one wonders if that was purely to disguise themselves or to add an extra humiliation to the land owners of the time: not only to be overpowered by 'women', but 'black women'.

Of course Dave Hill never blacked up - although I'm sure if he'd thought it might have shifted a few more copies of Slayed he may have done - but Slade were very quick to change their image in an attempt to gain attention.

Encouraged by the mercenary and Machiavellian managerial tactics of Chas Chandler, they moved from their psychedelic rock look (while Ambrose Slade) to a skinhead look.
Chas thought it was going to be the next big thing.
They played a few skinhead venues apparently, but as soon as Jim Lea got his violin out to fiddle along to their version of 'Martha My Dear' [!] the audience would bottle them off.
Not surprising really.
I mean, just look at Dave Hill in this pic.
Does he really look like a skinhead?

So they grew their hair long, again, changed their clothes and jumped on the glam-bandwagon.
And I for one am ever so glad they did.

(Although it must be said, my favourite album of Slade's is Play It Loud (1970), the album where they are represented as a skinhead band; but it's more of a hard rock nuggets styled album; there's certainly no ska or Oi!
And they'd thankfully dropped 'Martha My Dear' [probably brought back nasty memories...].)

Sweet came to Glam from a slightly different angle.
They'd been playing around with garage styled pop for a few years, but became lighter and lighter, ending up in bubble gum territory.
It was only after several line-up changes that the band found a sound they could actually sell, and before they knew it they were cutting edge: massive.

Not that it did them much good.
Another working class attribute they adopted was live fast and... well, you know the rest.

Slade, however, did manage to keep it together, although Noddy retired from music - concentrating on his nuts and various panel games and chat shows - stating that the business was bent: run by crooks and gangsters; begging the question: how real and autobiographical was the representation of the business shown in their movie?

Anyway, here's a couple of great shows from both of the bands' peak periods; proving that these outfits were a lot more than merely fronts for studio based products.
They could really do it.

Man, I'd hate to be an adolescent now.
Have you heard the state of pop lately?

Sweet - Berlin Blitz (recorded: 1976; release date unknown)

CD rip to mp3s.
Get Sweet here

Slade - Young Vic, London, 1975 (release date unknown)

Them Kinda Monkeys Can't Swing
The Bangin' Man
Gudbuy T' Jane
Far Far Away
Thanks For the Memory
How Does It Feel?
Just Want a Little Bit
Everyday
O.K. Yesterday Was Yesterday
Raining in my Champagne
Let the Good Times Roll
Mama Weer all Crazy Now

CD rip to mp3s
Get Slade here

Fabest!

2010-11-23T21:12:00.003Z

As mentioned in my previous Beatles' post, there's an enormous glut of material out there.
Sifting through it all is one heck of an investment, even for the most ardent of fans.

I have tentatively dipped my cyber-toe but soon withdrew; overwhelmed by mop-top sludge, poor recordings, recycled 'rarities', rubbish (not something one would readily associate with the Kings of EMI), and collections of alternate takes: often of the same track (you know the kind of thing: 'on this version John's breath is more prominent during the harmonica solo...')!
Aaaah!

I mean, I'm sure there are those out there who revel in a collection of twenty-five different takes of 'Help' or thirty versions of 'Strawberry Fields', but they're probably people who count out grains of rice into a bowl before serving, making sure everyone gets the same amount.

However.
If you're not one of those types, but like a bit of Beatles, and maybe want to hear something a little outside of the ever-so-famous canon, try this.

It truly does what it says on the tin; it gives an 'insight into The Beatles' creative process', and it does this in a most informative and entertaining way.

There are complete versions of songs on this album, all of which are alternate takes: all more interesting than the released versions.
But the best tracks in this collection are those that are made up from extracts of different takes spliced together; allowing the song's history to be revealed.

The track may start somewhere near demo or early rehearsal stage (The Beatles recorded everything [which is why they're so heavily bootlegged, of course]), but soon segues into a more developed take; eventually melting into the released version.

It sounds a bit gimmicky (which it is), but actually makes for a fascinating listen.
The creator, bootlegger, whoever, allows the listener to appreciate the song's journey; to take in the song's development and change through time.
This is best exemplified by 'Good Morning, Good Morning', which begins merely as the animal sfx track that accompanies the piece (most prominently heard at the end of the released track - this freed-up version sends my dogs berserk!), joined by an early hard rock styled-version of the song, and then segueing, seamlessly, into the finished, familiar version.

As I've already said, it is gimmicky, but it's compelling.
And despite the fact that it is a kind of documentary of sorts of the songs, it's gratifying enough to be played again and again.

The sound quality is also superb throughout.

And if you are interested in The Beatles' music, another reason to grab this is for the track 'Sour Milk Sea'.
A song I know nothing about.
It's simply beautiful.
It sounds like a George song - I think George sings it.

Definitely the most interesting and thrillingly new, to me [fuck, I'm a Chuckle Brother!], Beatles' song I have so far discovered.
I have no idea why it isn't known or why it wasn't released.

But I'm sure there's someone out there who does...

The Beatles - Men & Horses, Hoops & Garters (2001 [?] )

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
With a Little Help From My Friends
Glass Onion
And I Love Her
She Loves You
Eight Days a Week
She's a Woman
Good Morning, Good Morning
I Me Mine
Honey Pie
It's Only Love
Get Back
Sour Milk Sea
I Am the Walrus
Old Brown Shoe
Why Don't We Do It In the Road
What You're Doing
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except For Me and My Monkey
Across the Universe
Let It Be
Isn't It a Pity / Hey Jude
Her Majesty
King Lear Speech
Sour Milk Sea

CD rip to mp3s; artwork included.
Get this most essential of Beatles' boots here

Prêt à Punk

2010-11-18T21:20:00.002Z

Groovy old punk sampler from seminal French record label Skydog Records.

It's all in here to be heard; The Clash, The New York Dolls and of course: Iggy.
But there's also a smattering of blues; capturing the true gestation of punk and the live scene of the late nineteen-seventies.

Skydog were really all about the Stooges; although they did have many other interesting artists visit their stable, but essentially Iggy was where they were at.
And Iggy, at the time, was very punk indeed.

When Iggy was punk.
Remember that?
Included here is a fascinating version of the Stooges' 'Open Up and Bleed', with Iggy-styled preamble; I'm not sure if this version was released anywhere else; but I know the album that was to be titled with the same name was never released - although there's bound to be out there somewhere something those who are pragmatic and motivated enough to do such things have put together.
Bound to be.

It's funny how Sean Tyla always managed to get in on the act (he appears on this compilation both with his own band and with Ducks Deluxe), being regularly grouped, or lumped in with punk and new wave bands - The Tyla Gang were included on the classic compilation Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival (1977), along with XTC, Steel Pulse, Dr. Feelgood and, er, Dire Straits [!].

It's not that I'm down on Sean Tyla; far from it; he was truly a great songwriter and performer (I still think The Tyla Gang's Moonproof (1978) is one of the best albums of its genre from the period).
I just never got the association.
He even looked wrong: long hair and bearded, flare-wearing, obvious stoner; yet there he was, doing his rock n roll thing alongside The Stranglers and 999.

I know Peel liked them - it was his show that introduced me to the band - so maybe that made The Tyla Gang cool.

All in all, this sampler, as all samplers are, is very evocative; crystallizing the time perfectly.

Bon Appétit!

Various Artists - La Creme De Skydog (1978)

Flamin' Groovies - Jumpin' Jack Flash
Ducks Deluxe - Here Comes the Night
Tyla Gang - It's Only Rock n Roll
Titus Williams - Talkin' About You
Fantomes - I Wanna Be Your Dog
Fantomes - High School
1984 - Dirt
1984 - Flesh Kaput
Iggy and The Stooges - Open Up and Bleed

Excellent 320 vinyl rip, from a not that well pressed record.
Voila