Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
MOSTER!-WHEN YOU CUT INTO THE PRESENT.
MOSTER!-WHEN YOU CUT INTO THE PRESENT. Ever since they made their debut at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival in 2010, Norwegian supergroup Møster!’s star has been in the ascendancy. So much so, that Møster! are now regarded as one of the biggest bands in the Nordic music scene. That’s quite a feat. Especially since Norway has …
VAN MORRISON-HIS BAND AND STREET CHOIR-VINYL EDITION.
VAN MORRISON-HIS BAND AND STREET CHOIR-VINYL EDITION. When Van Morrison began work on his fourth album His Band and Street Choir, he faced the biggest challenge of his career. His last two albums, 1969s Astral Weeks and 1970s Moondance, had been stonewall classics. Following these albums up wasn’t going to be easy. It was going …
YAORCHT ROCK.
YAORCHT ROCK. Back in the seventies and eighties, AOR was at the peak of its popularity. Especially amongst the generation who had just graduated university and had entered the workplace for the first time. With their disposable income, they bought albums by Boz Scaggs, Seals and Crofts, Carly Simon, Toto, Christopher Cross, Daryl Hall and …
ORNETTE COLEMAN-BEAUTY IS A RARE THING.
ORNETTE COLEMAN-BEAUTY IS A RARE THING. George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm that “not all animals are created equal.” The same seems to be the case with musicians. Especially when it comes to obituaries. During 2015, many musicians have passed away. A few were innovators and changed music forever. Some enjoyed a string of commercially …
SLIP-DISC-DISHOOM’S LONDON BOMBAY GROOVES.
SLIP-DISC-DISHOOM’S LONDON BOMBAY GROOVES. In the wake of World War II, the British government encouraged people from all over the Commonwealth and Empire to emigrate to Britain. The War had hit Britain hard. So many people had died, that there weren’t enough people to fill shortages in the labour market. Soon, people were making their …
BLACK MOON CIRCLE-THE STORY SO FAR.
BLACK MOON CIRCLE-THE STORY SO FAR. Over the last few years, the Norwegian music scene has been thriving. Groups old and new, have been releasing some of the most innovative music in Europe. This includes everything from free jazz, progressive rock and psychedelia to space rock, experimental and avant garde music. It seems that the …
SWEETHEARTS OF THE PRISON RODEO-PIGS IN THE BULL RING [HUMANS LIKE BEASTS].
SWEETHEARTS OF THE PRISON RODEO-PIGS IN THE BULL RING [HUMANS LIKE BEASTS]. Concept album. These two words are guaranteed to divide opinion amongst music critics. That’s despite many classic albums falling into the category of concept albums. This has been the case for nearly fifty years. One of the first concept albums was The Beach …
THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE BOX SET.
THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE BOX SET. The word legend is one of the overused in music. It should be reserved for the creme de la creme of music. That would definitely include Jimi Hendrix, who achieved more in twenty-seven short years than many musical journey achieve in seventy years. Jimi Hendrix was an otherworldly musician. …
JEFF BUCKLEY-GRACE-VINYL EDITION.
JEFF BUCKLEY-GRACE-VINYL EDITION. Twenty-one years ago, Jeff Buckley released the one and only album of his career, Grace. Jeff was the son of Tim Buckley, one of the most talented singer-songwriters of his generation. Tim could’ve and should’ve enjoyed widespread commercial success and critical acclaim. Sadly, that wasn’t to be. Having released nine albums between 1966 and …
SWEET LEAF-A STONER SALUTE TO BLACK SABBATH.
SWEET LEAF-A STONER SALUTE TO BLACK SABBATH. At this time of year, the compilation market becomes even more crowded than usual. It’s polluted by compilations of third rate disco, cheesy Chicago House, seventies throwaway pop and the dreaded Christmas songs. They’re the equivalent of an oil slick, that every year, pollute the compilation market. Be …
ANTHONY PHILLIPS-PRIVATE PARTS AND PIECES I-IV.
ANTHONY PHILLIPS-PRIVATE PARTS AND PIECES I-IV. Many people think that the home studio is a new thing. That’s not the case. Musicians were recording music at home way DAWs and laptops began to play an important part in the recording process. Anthony Phillips is proof of that. Anthony Phillips started experimenting with a basic reel-to-reel …
A SALUTE TO THE THIN WHITE DUKE.
A SALUTE TO THE THIN WHITE DUKE. Over the last year, Cleopatra Records have released a series of “Tribute To” compilations. These Tribute To compilations see a new generation of up-and-coming artists homage to rock, psychedelic and pop royalty. Everyone from Pink Floyd and The Doors, through The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, to …
JON SAVAGE’S 1966: THE YEAR THE DECADE EXPLODED.
JON SAVAGE’S 1966: THE YEAR THE DECADE EXPLODED. It was the best of times, it was the worst of time. That’s the best way to describe 1966, which musical historians and cultural commentators remember as the year that transformed music. 1966 was a game-changer. Nothing would ever be the same again. Jon Savage explains why …
GIRL ZONE-VINYL EDITION.
GIRL ZONE-VINYL EDITION. Vinyl it seems, has made a Lazarus like recovery over the last few years. The sales figures for 2014 are proof of this. In Britain, sales of vinyl albums are at their highest in eighteen years. It’s a similar story in America. Sales of albums on vinyl rose by fifty-two percent. Meanwhile, …
CHVRCHES-EVERY OPEN EYE-VINYL EDITION.
CHVRCHES-EVERY OPEN EYE-VINYL EDITION. It was 10.30pm, when there was a knock at the door. The old couple from up the stairs stood there almost embarrassedly. “Could you possibly turn it down a wee bit. We’re trying to sleep?” This actually happened to Chvrches during the recording of their new album Every Open Eye which …
LOST WITHOUT YOU-THE BEST OF KENT BALLADS 2.
LOST WITHOUT YOU-THE BEST OF KENT BALLADS 2. Just over five years ago, Deep Shadows-The Best Of Kent Ballads was released to critical acclaim by Kent Soul in August 2010. Deep Shadows-The Best Of Kent Ballads featured a truly eclectic selection of ballads. That’s almost an understatement. When soul fans pressed play on Deep Shadows-The …
GEORGIE FAME HEARD THEM HERE FIRST.
GEORGIE FAME HEARD THEM HERE FIRST. Not many compilation series has enjoyed the longevity and success of Ace Records’ Heard Them Here First series. There’s a reason for this. The series allows music lovers to hear the music that influenced some of the biggest names in music. This has previously included The New York Dolls, …
SPOOKY TOOTH-THE ISLAND YEARS.
SPOOKY TOOTH-THE ISLAND YEARS. All too often, some bands don’t get the credit they deserve. That was the case with Spooky Tooth, who for a time, pioneered the use of twin keyboards. They lead the way. Soon, other bands were following in their wake. By then, the Spooky Tooth story was over. Spooky Tooth were only …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 