Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
CULT CLASSIC: DIETER MOEBIUS-BLOTCH.
Cult Classic: Dieter Moebiuso-Blotch Nearly five years ago, Dieter Moebius who was one of the greatest and most important musicians in the history of modern German music passed away on the “20th” July 2015 after a brave and lengthy battle against cancer. He had been a cofounder of Kluster, Cluster and Harmonia which are three of the most inventive, innovative and influential bands of …
CULT CLASSIC: MARY AFI USUA-AFRICAN WOMAN.
Cult Classic: Mary Afi Usuah-African Woman. When Mary Afi Usuah released her sophomore album African Woman on Clover Music in 1978, very few people outside of Nigeria heard the album. That was despite Mary Afi Usuah having performed in front of hundreds of thousands of music fans. Mary Afi Usuah had spent thirteen years touring …
CULT CLASSIC: JODI-POPS DE VANGUARDIA.
Cult Classic: Jodi-Pops de Vanguardia. Innovator, pioneer and visionary are just three of the words that were used to describe German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. His career spanned six decades and nowadays, he’s regarded as one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century. Karlheinz Stockhausen was also one of the pioneers of …
CULT CLASSIC: POPOL VUH-MESSA DI ORFEO.
Cult Classic: Popol Vuh-Messa Di Orfeo. Popol Vuh were one of a number of groundbreaking bands who were formed in West Germany in the early seventies, and over the next three decades established a reputation for releasing innovative music that influenced the next generation of musicians. This was the case from the release of Popol …
CULT CLASSIC: BÄTTRE LYSS-TILL DEN STRANG SOM BRAST AN ATT ALDRIG SPANNA EN BAGE.
Cult Classic: Bättre Lyss-Till Den Sträng Som Brast Än Att Aldrig Spänna En Båge. When the Swedish band Bättre Lyss released their debut album Till Den Sträng Som Brast Än Att Aldrig Spänna En Båge as a private pressing on the Musiklaget label in 1975, they had no idea that five decades later this psychedelic …
CULT CLASSIC: SUNBIRDS-SUNBIRDS.
Cult Classic: Sunbirds-Sunbirds. Back in the seventies, the only German band most British people had heard of was Kraftwerk. A few more knowledgeable music lovers have heard of Can, and maybe, Neu!, Cluster or Harmonia. That however, was the extent of their knowledge of German music. That was a great shame, as Germany in the …
CULT CLASSIC: KOLLECTIV-KOLLECTIV.
Cult Classic: Kollectiv-Kollectiv. Musical history is littered with bands who only ever released one album during their career. All too often, that album fails to find the audience it deserves. This can come as a bitter blow, and sometimes, can lead to the band breaking up. By then, the rock star dream is over and the only …
CULT CLASSIC: COCTEAU TWINS-BLUE BELL KNOLL.
Cult Classic: Cocteau Twins-Blue Bell Knoll. By 1988, the Cocteau Twins’ star was in the ascendancy. They were officially, one of music’s rising stars. So it’s no surprise that major labels were starting to take an interest in the Cocteau Twins. That wasn’t surprising. The Cocteau Twins had already served their musical apprenticeship. They had already …
THE BLUE NILE-HATS-VINYL EDITION.
The Blue Nile-Hats-Vinyl Edition. Label: Confetti Records. Enigmatic, reluctant and contrarian are words that best of describe The Blue Nile. They’re the complete opposite of most bands. The Blue Nile have been described as publicity shy. That’ is an understatement. Ever since Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and Paul Joseph Moore formed the Blue Nile they’ve …
CULT CLASSIC: SANDY DENNY-LIKE AN OLD FASHIONED WALTZ.
Cult Classic: Sandy Denny-Like An Old Fashioned Waltz. Sandy Denny left Fairport Convention in December 1969, and in early 1970, decided to form a new band. The new band became Fotheringay, who released their eponymous debut album in June 1970. Critics hailed Fotheringay a masterful debut, and the album sold well upon its release. This …
CULT CLASSIC: NEU!-NEU!
Cult Classic: Neu!-Neu! There aren’t many artists who after leaving one of the most pioneering groups in musical history, end up founding another groundbreaking group. That’s what happened to Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother who had both been members of Kraftwerk, but left in 1971. After leaving Kraftwerk, the pair founded Neu! another Kratrock band. …
CULT CLASSIC: LIGHTDREAMS-ISLANDS IN SPACE.
Cult Classic: LightDreams-Islands In Space. Thirty-five years ago in 1981, the British Columbian band LightDreams, released their debut album, Islands In Space. It was a captivating, psychedelic sci-fi odyssey where LightDreams explored cosmic ideology. This was something that had fascinated and enthralled the band’s leader Paul Marcano ever since he first encountered the work and theories …
CULT CLASSIC: ASHRA-CORRELATIONS.
Cult Classic: Ashra-Correlations. When Manuel Göttsching released Inventions For Electric Guitar in 1975, this was meant to be the start of a new chapter in his career. Inventions For Electric Guitar was meant to be Manuel Göttsching’s debut solo album. Some eagle eyed record buyers weren’t so sure about that. Atop the album cover to …
CULT CLASSIC: TOM WAITS -CLOSING TIME.
Cult Classic: Tom Waits-Closing Time. It was in the summer of 1971, when Herb Cohen first saw and heard Tom Waits at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, which was one of the city’s top clubs in the city’s music scene and where many an up-and-coming singers and bands had started out before going on to greater …
CULT CLASSIC: GORDON JACKSON-THINKING BACK.
Cult Classic: Gordon Jackson-Thinking Back. Nowadays, Gordon Jackson’s 1969 lost classic Thinking Back, which has just been reissued by Sunbeam Records, is often referred to as a: “lost Traffic album.” However, that isn’t strictly true, despite Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, and Steve Winwood all play on Thinking Back. As is often the case, there’s more …
CULT CLASSIC: THE BATHERS-KELVINGROVE BABY.
Cult Classic: The Bathers-Kelvingrove Baby. The Bathers were formed in Glasgow, in 1985, by singer, songwriter and troubled troubadour Chris Thomson and released six albums between 1987 and 1999. Their fifth album was Kelvingrove Baby, which is a a minor classic, that’s one of the finest Scottish albums ever released. Sadly, Kelvingrove Baby and The …
CULT CLASSIC: LINDA PERHACS-PARALLELOGRAMS.
Cult Classic: Linda Perhacs -Parallelograms. In 1970, twenty-seven year old dental hygienist Linda Perhacs released her debut album Parallelograms. Some people wondered why it had taken Linda so long. After all, she was a musical prodigy. Linda Long was born in Mill Valley, which lies just north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in 1943. By …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 