Monthly Archives: August, 2011

BOBBY WOMACK-THE POET.

BOBBY WOMACK-THE POET. In a previous article I wrote about Bobby Womack, I mentioned how The Poet was a comeback album for him. Things had started to go wrong for him in 1976, when he was dropped by his record label United Artists. His music was no longer is popular, it had failed to keep …

Continue reading

DR JOHN-THE SUN, MOON AND HERBS.

DR JOHN-THE SUN, MOON AND HERBS. There are two reasons that I’ve decided to write about Dr John’s 1971 album The Sun, Moon and Herbs. The first reason is that in a previous article about his 1998 album Anutha Zone, an album which was to some extent, a comeback album, and welcome return to form …

Continue reading

CHAKA KHAN-CHAKA.

CHAKA KHAN-CHAKA. By the time the singer this article is about had released their debut solo album, she’s been a member of one of the most successful American funk bands Rufus, between 1973 and 1978. During that period Rufus had released six albums, of which four had been certified gold and one platinum. As if …

Continue reading

PRINCE JAMMY-UHURU IN DUB.

PRINCE JAMMY-UHURU IN DUB. Although I like to write about just about every type of music for this blog, every so often, I always like to write an article about dub reggae. Regular readers will have gathered by now, that it’s one of my favorite types of music. I’ve always love reggae, especially dub, for …

Continue reading

DAVID BOWIE-SCARY MONSTERS (AND SUPER CREEPS).

DAVID BOWIE-SCARY MONSTERS (AND SUPER CREEPS). Since I’ve been interested in music, one artist who has strived to produce some of the most innovative music during that time was David Bowie. During his career, he has constantly sought to reinvent himself, and his music. His music has evolved throughout his career, ranging from psychedelia and …

Continue reading

JOHN MARTYN-ONE WORLD.

JOHN MARTYN-ONE WORLD. Recently, when reading a music magazine, I noticed that a John Martyn tribute album has been released, with thirty artists interpreting some of John’s best known, and best loved songs. As a long standing fan of John’s music, I had a listen to some of the tracks on the album. Straight away, …

Continue reading

CHIC-C’EST CHIC.

CHIC-C’EST CHIC. Recently I was listening to an album of edits by Greg Wilson, Credit To The Edit, and one of the songs he’d created an edit of was Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah), one of the best known of Chic’s tracks. After hearing this track, it set me thinking just how hugely influential …

Continue reading

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-BORN TO RUN.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-BORN TO RUN. In this article I’m going to write about the album that was Bruce Springsteen’s breakthrough album. Born To Run took him from also-ran to major recording artist, reaching number three in the Billboard 200. It was his third album, released in August 1975, and since then, the album has sold over …

Continue reading

GRAM PARSONS-GP.

GRAM PARSONS-GP. When the album I’m going to write about was released, it was critically acclaimed, but commercially, was a failure. Gram Parsons referred to his music as Cosmic American Music, a mixture of country music and rock ‘n’ roll. GP was his debut solo album, released in January 1973. It would be the only …

Continue reading

VAN MORRISON-HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY.

VAN MORRISON-HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY. Recently in an article, I wrote about some of the great concerts I’ve been lucky enough to see over the years. After I’d published the article, I realized there was one that I’d forgotten about, Van Morrison who I saw live at the esplanade to Edinburgh Castle. I don’t know …

Continue reading

O.V. WRIGHT-INTO SOMETHING (CAN’T SHAKE LOOSE).

O.V. WRIGHT-INTO SOMETHING (CAN’T SHAKE LOOSE). Over the years, there have been some wonderful Southern soul singers, each possessing the most stunning and soulful voices. Some of these people will be familiar with, others they may not no so well. This has included familiar names like Arthur Alexander, James Carr, Percy Sledge, Sam and Dave …

Continue reading

FRAGILE STATE-VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL.

FRAGILE STATE-VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL. Live everything else, music is dictated by fashion and trends. What’s fashionable or “trendy” today, could be out of fashion next week or next month. Sometimes, genres of music stay in fashion for a while, others disappear quickly. A few years ago, one of the most fashionable and popular genres …

Continue reading

TALK TALK-SPIRIT OF EDEN.

TALK TALK-SPIRIT OF EDEN. Sometimes, an artist or group’s music changes and matures over the course of their career. This is certainly the case for the band this article is about. In their early years, their music was similar to many of the New Romantic groups popular back then. Their first two albums were very …

Continue reading

BOB DYLAN-STREET LEGAL.

BOB DYLAN-STREET LEGAL. A couple of days ago, I was thinking back to some of the great concerts I’ve seen over the past thirty years. When I set my mind to it, I was able to remember some really memorable concerts. The Blue Nile, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Terry Callier, Dr John and the artist …

Continue reading

MINNIE RIPERTON-ADVENTURES IN PARADISE.

MINNIE RIPERTON-ADVENTURES IN PARADISE. As anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis will have gathered, I love soul music. I always have, and always will. Previously I’ve written about a number of soul singers, mostly ones from the 1960s and 1970s, and today, I’m going to write about one of my all time …

Continue reading

PORTISHEAD-PORTISHEAD.

PORTISHEAD-PORTISHEAD. Recently, I’ve been writing about several different styles of music, rock, soul, reggae, dub and indie rock. Today, I’ve decided to return to a style of music I’ve about before, trip hop. Previously, I’ve written about Leftfield, Massive Attack and the group this article is about, Portishead. In my last article about Portishead, I …

Continue reading

ROXY MUSIC-FLESH AND BLOOD.

ROXY MUSIC-FLESH AND BLOOD. I was recently reading a magazine article about Roxy Music, where they were listing some of their best albums. Having read the article, I realized that one of my favorite albums Flesh and Blood, wasn’t on the article. The albums on the list were a strange mixture, even including a greatest …

Continue reading

JOE GIBBS AND THE PROFESSIONALS-AFRICAN DUB 5.

JOE GIBBS AND THE PROFESSIONALS-AFRICAN DUB 5. The other night I was listening to a number of old dub reggae albums, when I came across the album I’m going to write about today. Sometimes I don’t get much chance to listen to albums that I bought years ago, because I’m constantly listening to new stuff. …

Continue reading

COCTEAU TWINS-FOUR-CALENDAR CAFE.

COCTEAU TWINS-FOUR-CALENDAR CAFE. Since I started writing this blog, I’ve written about many Scottish bands. These have included Blue Nile, Primal Scream, The Bathers, Fortuny, Lloyd Cole and The Commotions, Love and Money and the band I’m going to write about today, the Cocteau Twins. I’ve previously written two articles about the Cocteau Twins, on …

Continue reading

THE PHILADELPHIA SOUND-SWEET SOUL MUSIC

THE PHILADELPHIA SOUND-SWEET  SOUL MUSIC. Back in the 1970s, Philadelphia produced some of the sweetest, most melodic soul of the decade. It was the latest in a long line of American cities that had produced some fantastic, memorable and hugely influential soul music. Chicago produced the sound of Chess, which produced some of the best …

Continue reading