Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
JOHN MARTYN-SOLID AIR.
JOHN MARTYN-SOLID AIR. Previously I have written about the artist this article is about. After I’d written that article, I was listening to some of his old albums and though that I’d write another article on this artist. The problem was, which album. With this artist, he has recorded so many good albums. Having spent …
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE-FRESH.
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE-FRESH. The band this article is about, were one of the most important bands in the late 1960s’. They were a multiracial and multi-gender band, whose music was a fusion of styles, including, soul, funk, rock and psychedelic music. Their music influenced groups across these genres. The story of this band …
THE PEARLFISHERS-THE YOUNG PICKNICKERS.
THE PEARLFISHERS-THE YOUNG PICKNICKERS. Today I’m going to write about a group who have been recording and releasing music for twenty years. During the last twenty years, this Glasgow band have produced some beautiful melodic pop music, which has been influenced by groups such as the Beach Boys, Big Star and Big Star. When you …
TALK TALK-THE COLOUR OF SPRING.
TALK TALK-THE COLOUR OF SPRING. The album this article is about came out in 1986. This period was hardly a vintage time for music in the UK. Much of the music was throwaway pop music, music which was instantly forgettable. Granted there were some great bands from the UK, some that spring to mind, are …
THE BATHERS-SUNPOWDER.
THE BATHERS-SUNPOWDER. Previously, I’ve written several articles for this blog about Scottish bands, including articles on the Cocteau Twins, Primal Scream, Belle and Sebastian, John Martyn, Love and Money, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Teenage Fanclub and Bloomsday. The last band, Bloomsday, featured the lead singer of the band I’m going to write about today, …
THE SUNDAYS-READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC.
THE SUNDAYS-READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC. In this article I will write about a band formed by two people who had no musical background. They met while at university, and having graduated from university, and found themselves unemployed, decided that their future lay in music. This may seem like a strange career choice for an English …
JEFF BUCKLEY-GRACE.
JEFF BUCKLEY-GRACE. The artist this article is about, had a very famous father. In a previous article, I wrote about him. He was a successful singer-songwriter, who produced many great albums. Sadly he, like his son, died young, far too young. Both father and son, were blessed with wonderful voices, and leave behind some wonderful …
JAZZYFATNASTEES-THE ONCE AND FUTURE.
JAZZYFATNASTEES-THE ONCE AND FUTURE. Recently in an article, I mentioned that I had been spending time listening to music I hadn’t heard for a while. One of the albums I was listening to, was the one this article is about, Jazzyfatnastees debut album The Once and Future. When I was listening to the album, I …
THE LA’S-THE LA’S.
THE LA’S-THE LA’S. Usually, after signing their first record deal, bands are desperate to record their debut album and see if for sale in record shops. For them, it’s a sign that they “made it,” that they’ve “arrived.” Sometimes, this works against a band, as the initial recordings are hurried, and their debut album isn’t …
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD-DUSTY IN MEMPHIS.
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD-DUSTY IN MEMPHIS. In this article, I’m going to write about one of the best female vocalists to come out of the UK. She was dubbed the white queen of soul. Nowadays, any female vocalist with a modicum of talent is compared with this singer. These comparisons are ridiculous. Some third rate vocalist with …
AIR-MOON SAFARI.
AIR-MOON SAFARI. I spend much of my time listening to music. It seems that sometimes, there aren’t enough hours in the day to hear every album I want to listen to. As a result, sometimes I don’t get a chance to listen to albums I bought years ago. So last week, I thought I’d make …
PREFAB SPROUT-FROM LANGLEY PARK TO MEMPHIS.
PREFAB SPROUT-FROM LANGLEY PARK TO MEMPHIS. In the past, I’ve been lucky enough to see many bands and artists in concert. Some of these concerts have been brilliant, others woeful. The band that this article is about, fall into the first category. When I saw them live, they were amazing, putting on a performance full …
TERRY CALLIER-TIMEPEACE.
TERRY CALLIER-TIMEPEACE. This article is about one of the most talented and charismatic artists I have ever been fortunate to see live. When you see him in concert, you’re immediately taken with his presence on stage. There is something about him that makes him stand out from other artists. He is a deeply religious man, …
DR JOHN-ANUTHA ZONE.
DR JOHN-ANUTHA ZONE. The artist I’m going to write about today is one of the greatest live acts I have ever been privileged to witness. Twice I have been lucky enough to witness him live in concert, each time he was brilliant, producing a masterful performance. One of the concerts I was at, was when …
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-EXODUS.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-EXODUS. Although I love all types of music, one type of music I have always loved is reggae music. Ever since I was young I have reggae. Mostly it’s dub reggae I like, but I like all types of reggae. One artist who has always been a favorite of mine, is …
DUFFY-ROCKFERRY.
DUFFY-ROCKFERRY. I’m not usually the type of person that bothers much with commercial music. Most successful commercial music is the result of hype and marketing, rather than talent. This is nothing new in the music industry. Much of the success of many punk and post-punk groups was due to puff pieces and hype in the …
LEFTFIELD-LEFTISM.
LEFTFIELD-LEFTISM. In previous articles, I have often written about artists who have been pioneers, who have either produced a groundbreaking album that has had huge affect on music, artists who are pioneers and innovators, leaders not followers. This article will feature another group who are pioneers, and have been credited with being one of the …
THE BLUE NILE-PEACE AT LAST.
THE BLUE NILE-PEACE AT LAST. The group this article is about, have only released four albums since forming in 1981. They have a reputation for working slowly, and the album this article is about was released seven years after their previous album. This album saw the group change their style. Previously it was based upon …
NEW ORDER-TECHNIQUE.
NEW ORDER-TECHNIQUE. The story of the making of the album this article is about, is one of excess, hedonism, eleven crashed hire cars and four memorable months spent in Ibiza. Regardless of the carnage that took place when this album was being recorded, it was all worth while, because when the album was finished, it …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 