Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
AZTEC CAMERA-LOVE.
AZTEC CAMERA-LOVE. Back in 1988, I went to a music festival, and one of the bands that I saw that day, were Aztec Camera. I’d been invited along to this festival by a good friend of mine. The idea, was that we’d make a weekend of it. So on the Friday night, we decamped to …
BIG STAR-RADIO CITY.
BIG STAR-RADIO CITY. Quite often, when an album that becomes highly regarded and hugely influential, is released, it isn’t a huge commercial success. Even if it’s critically acclaimed, and a few music critics realize the albums importance, its release passes almost unnoticed. This album is loved by critics and a small coterie of fans, who …
SUEDE-A NEW MORNING.
SUEDE-A NEW MORNING. Sometimes towards the end of a band’s natural lifetime, they release an album that at the time, is underrated, and it’s only some time afterwards, that its quality is recognized. This is true of the band I’m going to write about today. They were formed in 1989, and by the time they …
HAROLD BUDD, SIMON RAYMONDE, ROBIN GUTHRIE AND ELIZABETH FRASER- THE MOON AND THE MELODIES.
HAROLD BUDD, SIMON RAYMONDE, ROBIN GUTHRIE AND ELIZABETH FRASER- THE MOON AND THE MELODIES. Previously, I’ve written two articles on the Cocteau Twins, one of my favorite groups. When the group split up, the various members of the band went their own ways, and started working on different projects. The member of the band that …
MARVIN GAYE-LET’S GET IT ON.
MARVIN GAYE-LET’S GET IT ON. Today I’ve decided to write about one of my favorite albums of all time. This album is one of the most beautiful albums that you’ll ever hear. There are only eight songs on the album, and it lasts just over thirty one-minutes. It’s also an album that was once described …
HORSE-GOD’S HOME MOVIE.
HORSE-GOD’S HOME MOVIE. Previously, I’ve written articles about various Scottish artists. Some many people will be familiar with, others that are new to them. Today, I’m going to write about an artist many people may not have heard about. However, she has had several hits in various European countries, released eight albums and toured with …
BON IVER-FOREVER EMMA, FOREVER AGO.
BON IVER-FOREVER EMMA, FOREVER AGO. As someone who has spent more years than I care to remember immersed in music and, as a result, reading the music press, I’ve lost count of the artists how have been hailed as the savior of music. Generally, these artists are hailed as the next Beatles, Rolling Stone or …
PRINCE JAMMY-OSBOURNE IN DUB.
PRINCE JAMMY-OSBOURNE IN DUB. Regular readers to this blog will have gathered that I’ve quite a wide musical taste, because previously, I’ve written about different types of music, everything from indie, blues and soul, to house, rock and reggae. One other type of music I’ve written about before is dub reggae, and today, I’m going …
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 …
dereksmusicblog
