ROXY MUSIC-FLESH AND BLOOD.
ROXY MUSIC-FLESH AND BLOOD.
By June 1980, when Roxy Music released their seventh and penultimate album, Flesh and Blood, they were reduced to a trio. Only Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera and Andy McKay remained. Phil Thompson had by now, left the band, and original members. Brian Eno and Graham Simpson had long left the band. Since then, many members had joined, and left Roxy Music. For Flesh and Blood, the lineup of Roxy Music changed again.
For Flesh and Blood, a number of session musicians were enlisted to help record what would be Roxy Music’s penultimate album. This would include Paul Carrack, who played piano and organ and Andy Newmark, who formerly, was Sly and the Family Stone’s drummer. He was joined in the rhythm section by some of the most experienced session plays. This included drummer Allan Schwartzberg, bassists Alan Spenner Neil Jason and Jason Tibbs and guitarist Neil Hubbard. They were joined by percussionist Simon Phillips when the recording sessions began at London’s Basing Street Studios and Gallery Studios. That’s where Roxy Music recorded the ten tracks that became Flesh and Blood.
For Flesh and Blood, Bryan Ferry penned Oh Yeah, Same Old Scene, Flesh and Blood, My Only Love and Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Bryan Ferry and Phil Manzanera cowrote Over You, No Strange Delight and Running Wild. The other two tracks were covers of Wilson Pickett’s In The Midnight Hour and The Byrds’ Eight Miles High. Once these tracks were recorded, Flesh and Blood was released on 23rd May 1980.
When Flesh and Blood was released, the reviews were mixed. The songs were described as a mixed bag. Some critics went as far as to suggest that Roxy Music were running out of ideas. For what had been one of the most pioneering groups of the seventies, this must have stung. However, Roxy Music had the last laugh.
On Flesh and Blood’s release, it reached number one in the UK album charts, spending a week there in June 1980, and other three weeks in August. So successful was Flesh and Blood, that it was certified platinum in October 1980. In the US, the album reached number thirty-five in the US Billboard 200. Four singles were released from the album. The first was Over You in May 1980, which reached number five in the UK singles charts. Three further singles followed, Oh Yeah, Same Old Scene and a cover version of Wilson Pickett’s In the Midnight Hour. That wasn’t the only cover version on the album. Eight Miles High, a cover version of The Byrds’ track was also included on the album. Sadly, after Flesh and Blood, which I’ll tell you about, Roxy Music would only release one further album, Avalon in May 1982.
Opening Flesh and Blood is the cover of Wilson Pickett’s In the Midnight Hour. Previously, Brian Ferry had spoken of his love of soul music, and here he pays homage to one of soul music’s great singers. Straight away, there’s a difference between the original and Roxy Music’s version. As the track slowly begins, instruments reverberate and the song’s counted in. After that things totally change, the rhythm section, saxophones and synths accompanies Bryan’s vocal. His voice is perfect for the songs, strong and clear, his phrasing careful. Behind him, the arrangement is slower than the original, and quite busy. Partly this is caused by the wall of sound that accompanies the band. It slightly distracts you from the band. It’spresent throughout the track, accompanying the main part of the arrangement. Regardless of this, it’s a cover version with a twist, where Bryan Ferry’s soulful vocal pays homage to a soul legend.
Oh Yeah was the first single taken from Flesh and Blood. It’s a song recalling memories of a summer in love, and drenched in sadness when remembering a relationship that has since ended. A piano opens the track, and plays a big part throughout the track. The tempo is slow, drums and guitars join in. Percussion plays, then Bryan Ferry sings. Sadness is apparent in his voice. Around him, a slow, full and sometimes, dramatic arrangement emerges. His voice soars, strongly, as the arrangement grows, combination of bass, drums, guitars and strings surround him. To me, both the arrangement, and the vocal are the reason for the success of the track. It’s a combination of an emotional vocal and dramatic and sympathetic arrangement.
Same Old Scene is very different from the previous track. It has a quicker tempo, and brighter sound. Percussion and drums combine with guitars as the song bursts into life, the arrangement quickly filling out. From there on it’s a full and powerful arrangement the rhythm section, guitar, keyboards and saxophone accompanying Bryan Ferry’s pessimistic vocal. During the song he sings about an old relationship that haunts him. This makes him to realize that nothing lasts forever and that he should to return to dating, what he calls the “same old scene.” Alan Spenner’s bass playing during the track is brilliant, fast, tinged in funk, as it helps drives the song along. Likewise, Andy MacKay’s saxophone drenches both Bryan’s vocal and the arrangement in a beautiful, lush, dramatic sound. Key to the song’s success are then vocal, arrangement and lyrics. Here, the lyrics have a pathos, in them and a strong narrative, painting a picture for the listener.
Flesh and Blood, sounds totally different to any of the preceding tracks. It has more in common with some of Roxy Music’s earlier music. A bass plays in the distance, gradually getting louder. It throbs slowly. Quickly, drums, guitar and synths join in. However, it’s the bass that’s most prominent, played really well. By now the arrangement is full, synths sweeping as Bryan sings above the band. His voice is stronger and louder, as if he’s trying to make himself heard over the fuller arrangement. It’s an unusual track. Gone are smoother arrangements of Oh Yeah and Same Old Scene. Replacing it, is a rockier sound, with just a little funk courtesy of the bass, as Roxy Music’s past and present collide head on.
After the change in sound on Flesh and Blood, the style changes again with My Only Love. It has more in common with Oh Yeah and Same Old Scene, and begins with keyboards playing slowly, providing an almost moody, thoughtful, even dramatic sound. Then, the bass and percussion play before Bryan sings, they too, seem to be building up a moody and dramatic sound. When he does sing, his vocal is has a thoughtful, pensive sound as he sings about being in love and the one he loves. Behind him, a piano and the rhythm section play a large part in the arrangement, the bass especially. Like on other tracks, strings and saxophone are used to good effect. Later in the track, Bryan’s vocal quickens, it soars high and he prolongs some of the notes. After that, a guitar solo plays and by now, a great arrangement is unfolding. It continues throughout the remainder of this dramatic, soulful track
Over You is a return to the smoother sound of Oh Yeah and Same Old Scene. The rhythm section and keyboards are joined by handclaps. Bryan’s vocal is quicker, higher, slight strained, as if almost overcome with emotion. Here the arrangement has a similar sound to many tracks released at this time, it’s the drum, bass and keyboard sound that does it. There’s an electronic sound and feel present. This doesn’t mean the track sounds dated. Quite the opposite, it’s far better than many from this time. Later in the track, the arrangement really grows, and towards the end, lovely piano and saxophone solos play, add the finishing touches to one of Flesh and Blood’s highlights.
The second cover version on the album is Eight Miles High, a cover of a song originally made famous by The Byrds psychedelic rock classic. Back in 1966, the song was banned from the radio because it was allegedly about drug taking. Here, Roxy Music give the track a makeover, adding a new twist to an old song. It works well, with Bryan’s vocal perfectly suited to the track. Likewise a funky bass sound is a good addition, as are the drums, which have an electronic sound. During the song a guitar reverberates, and Bryan’s voice soars and quivers, full of character. What I especially like about the song is Brian Ferry’s delivery of the lyrics. He brings the song to life. Also, the addition of the pulsating, funky bass is a masterstroke.
A dark broody electronic sound greets the listener as Rain, Rain, Rain begins. Drums then pound, keyboards play and Bryan gives a slow, pensive sounding vocal. Around him, the arrangement grows. Keyboards, guitars and rhythm section combine. Strange, atmospheric sounds enter the mix, as Bryan sings. Still, his vocal sounds thoughtful. Again, there’s an electronic sound on this track, again courtesy of drums and keyboards. In some ways, there’s almost a reggae sound in the rhythm emerging. Like other tracks, the bass playing helps drive the track along. However, the success of the track is down to more than one person, everyone contributes to what is a slow and atmospheric song.
After a hesitant, almost false start, No Strange Delight begins with pounding repetitive drums, joined by that funky sounding bass. As Bryan sings, keyboards play. His voice isn’t as high but has a richness, he leaves space in the vocal. Behind him the rhythm section drive the song along. They’re a constant, joined by guitar, keyboards and an oboe. This isn’t the usual type of instrument you’d expect on a rock album, but this is Roxy Music, expect the unexpected. As the song progresses, the arrangement builds and builds. Near the end, the sound reaches an almost chaotic climax, but thankfully, the band rescue the track just in time.
Flesh and Blood closes with Running Wild a much slower song. Just a piano accompanies Bryan. The song is perfectly suited to his voice. His vocal is slow and thoughtful, the arrangement much more subtle than on other tracks. It just meanders along beautifully. Drums set the tempo, and everyone follows their lead. What really makes the track is the addition of a piano, Andy MacKay’s saxophone Paul Carrack’s organ playing. They all play their part in creating a lovely, lush backdrop for Bryan’s vocal. Then, when the guitar solos at the end the track, it’s the perfect way to close both the track and Flesh and Blood. It seems Roxy Music kept one of the best songs until the end of the album.
Released in May 23rd 1980, Flesh and Blood was Roxy Music’s penultimate album. By then, Roxy Music had been released to a trio. Only Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera and Andy McKay remained. Bryan was the main songwriter. He wrote five tracks and cowrote three more. However, on Flesh and Blood’s release, it wasn’t to the same critical acclaim as previous albums. Instead, Flesh and Blood was perceived as a mixed bag. Some critics wondered aloud whether Roxy Music had run out of ideas. That was taking things too far.
While Flesh and Blood may not be remembered as one of Roxy Music’s classic albums, it certainly one of their most accessible. Just like Avalon, Flesh and Blood are two of their more accessible albums. This is perfect for someone wanting an introduction to Roxy Music. In the case of Flesh and Blood, many of the songs will be familiar to the newcomer to Roxy Music. After all, four singles were released from Flesh and Blood, which like many Roxy Music albums, will be released on SACD, by EMI, on 28th January 2015. Flesh and Blood was the penultimate chapter in the Roxy Music story.
Two years after the release of Flesh and Blood, Avalon released their swan-song, Avalon in May 1982. Avalon, Roxy Music’s eighth album, saw their music complete its move towards the smooth, A.O.R. sound they toyed with on Flesh and Blood. This was very different from the early days of Roxy Music.
Between 1972s Roxy Music, through 1973s For Your Pleasure and Stranded, 1974s Country Life to 1975s Siren, Roxy Music could do no wrong. They were one of the most groundbreaking groups of the early, to mid seventies. That’s no surprise, given Roxy Music featured musical pioneers like Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry, Andy Mackay and Phil Manzanera. They were responsible for the rise and rise of Roxy Music. For a ten year period, Roxy Music were one of the most successful British groups.
From 1972s Roxy Music, right through to 1982s Avalon, Roxy Music received six gold discs in Britain and two platinum discs. Ironically, Roxy Music’s most successful albums were Flesh and Blood and Avalon, which were certified platinum. Over the Atlantic, Avalon sold over a million copies, and was certified platinum. Rather than Roxy Music’s more innovative side, it seemed that the record buying public on both sides of the Atlantic, preferred the much more accessible sound of Roxy Music on Flesh and Blood and Avalon.
ROXY MUSIC-FLESH AND BLOOD.
DIRE STRAITS-DIRE STRAITS.
DIRE STRAITS-DIRE STRAITS.
In 1977, punk was at the peak of its popularity. For the last year, bands were being formed all over Britain. Suddenly, it seemed, everyone was a musician. That was all very well. However, there was a problem.
Many of these bands weren’t very good. The problem was, many of this new breed of musicians could neither sing, nor play their instrument. This wasn’t meant to matter. The DIY ethos of punk meant anyone who wanted to become a musician, could be. René Descartes, the founding father of philosophy, it seemed, was right when he said, “I think, therefore I am.” That, however, wasn’t the case.
The truth lay in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes. It summed up punk perfectly. Playing the swindlers in The Emperor’s New Clothes, were punk groups and their managers. Dawning the role of the Emperor were critics and cultural commentators. They genuinely believed that this wall of discordant sound was the future of music. What made this worse, was while these critics and cultural commentators wrote puff stories praising punk, they wrote disparaging reviews of perfectly good albums. There was a reason for this.
These albums were by punk’s “supposed” enemies. The enemies of punk were many. This included the prog-rock and rock. They were perceived as the musical establishment, and therefore, enemies of punk. It was a case of them and us. The battle-lines, it seemed, were drawn, and a battle for music’s future was about to take place. However, one of the winners were formed in 1977. They were everything that punk wasn’t, and would become one of the biggest groups of the seventies, eighties and nineties, Dire Straits.
The Dire Straits’ story began in 1977, when Mark Knopfler left his job as a journalist with the Yorkshire Post, to pursue a career in music. Next stop for Mark, was London, where he moved into his brother David’s flat.
David’s flatmate was another future member of Dire Straits, bassist John Ilsley. With the three future bandmates sharing a flat, Mark got a job teaching at Loughton College. At night, the college lecturer dawned the role of musician.
By then, Mark had formed what would become Dire Straits. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist. His brother David became rhythm guitarist and John Ilsley played bass. The final piece in the Dire Straits jigsaw, was drummer Pick Withers. With the band’s lineup in place, all they needed was a name.
Having been christened Dire Straits by a flatmate of Pick Withers or Mark Knopfler, the newly christened band started playing alongside Brewer’s Droop and Cafe Racers on the London pub circuit. This would stand them in good stead, for the tortuous tours Dire Straits would soon undertake. In the early days, the music they played an eclectic mixture of musical genres. Everything from blues, folk, jazz, rock and roots music influenced Dire Straits’ early sound. Their music was stripped down, understated and totally at odds with punk. However, within a year, Dire Straits would have the last laugh.
After establishing a reputation on the London pub circuit, Dire Straits by decided the time was right to record a demo tape. They chose five songs, including four written by Mark Knopfer, Dire Straits’ principal songwriter. He penned Sultans of Swing, Water of Love, Down to the Waterline and Wild West End, which would feature on Dire Straits’ 1978 eponymous debut album. The other track on the demo, was a David Knopfler composition Sacred Loving. These five tracks were recorded and taken to Charlie Gillett.
Charlie Gillett was a well known Radio London DJ, whose show Honky Tonk was something of a musical institution in London. Dire Straits took their demo tape to Charlie, who straight away, started playing Sultans Of Swing. This resulted in two month later, Dire Straits signing to Phonograph Records.
Recording of what became Dire Straits took place at Basing Street Studios, London, between 13th February 1978 and 5th March 1978. That’s where the nine Mark Knopfler penned songs were recorded. Mark Knofler played lead guitar and sang lead vocals. David Knofler played rhythm guitar, while drummer Pick Withers and John Ilsley provided Dire Straits’ rhythm section. Producing what became Dire Straits, was Muff Winwood. Once Dire Straits was completed, it was released seven months later on 7th July 1978.
Before the release of Dire Straits, Dire Straits set off on a fifty-five date tour. It began on 6th June 1978 at the Lafayette Club, Wolverhampton, and ended on 18th November 1978 at the College of Education in Hitchin. After that, Dire Straits embarked upon a European tour. By then, Dire Straits had released their eponymous debut album,
On the release of Dire Straits, on 7th July 1978, the album was well received by critics. That’s despite Dire Straits being the polar opposite of the post punk music that filled the charts. Critics enjoyed Mark Knopfler’s autobiographical lyrics, where humour, bitterness and irony shawn through. Having struck a chord with critics, Dire Straits proved popular with record buyers. It took some time though.
It wasn’t until Sultans Of Swing was released as a single in the spring of 1979, that Dire Straits made a commercial breakthrough. Sultans Of Swing became a staple of American radio. It reached number four in the US Billboard 100 and number eight in Britain. Water Of Love was then released as a single in some countries. By then, Dire Straits was a hugely popular album.
In America, Dire Straits reached number two in the US Billboard 200 and number five in Britain. Across the world, Dire Straits was a huge success. From Australia to France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden, reached the top ten in the album charts. Dire Straits was a glittering success.
By February 1979, Dire Straits was certified silver in Britain. Eventually, it was certified gold in November 1979 and double platinum in February 1986. Over the Atlantic, Dire Straits was certified gold in America in February 1979 and double platinum in January 1987. Elsewhere, Dire Straits was certified platinum in Australia, France Germany and New Zealand. By 1979, Dire Straits had sold over six million copies worldwide. Dire Straits had the last laugh. Quietly, this unfashionable quartet had taken the world by storm. Meanwhile, punk was but a distant memory. The former punk heroes were back to the mundane reality of everyday life. Their fifteen minutes of fames was all but over. For Dire Straits, a musical adventure was about to unfold, starting with their eponymous debut album.
Down To The Waterline opens Dire Straits. It has an almost, eerie, moody, introduction. A foghorn sounds and sets the scene for the crystalline sound of Mark Knopler’s guitar playing slowly. Then all of a sudden, the rest of Dire Straits join forces, and the arrangement bursts into life. As the rhythm section provide the heartbeat, Mark paints pictures with his autobiographical lyrics. He remembers distant teenage assignations, walking along the quayside with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, he unleashes dazzling, chiming licks. They flit in and out of the arrangement, giving the listener a tantalising taste of what’s still to come from Dire Straits.
Water Of Love has a much more understated, laid-back sound. Mark’s slide guitar takes pride of place in the in the country tinged, shuffling arrangement. It’s reminiscent of Ry Cooder, early seventies albums. Meanwhile, Mark’s wistful vocal describes the breakup of his marriage. Hurt, heartbreak and regret are omnipresent. That’s apparent from the lyric “once I had a woman I could call my own, once I had a woman now she is gone.” Mark delivers it wistfully, longing for what he had, and has lost.
Setting Me Up sees the tempo and temperature rise. Mark’s relationship has gone wrong. He’s not pleased, as he sings “you’re setting me up to put me down, you’re making me up to be your clown”. As Mark bitterly describes a relationship gone wrong, he delivers some blistering, scorching licks. David his brother proves a perfect foil. As guitarists, they’re like yin and yang. Pick and John play their part too, driving the arrangement along, before this country-tinged tale of romantic woe reaches a crescendo.
The tempo drops and Six Blade Knife takes on a melancholy, but laid-back sound. It comes courtesy of Dire Straits’ rhythm section and a sprinkling of chiming guitars. Soon, Mark’s worldweary, lived-in vocal enters. He longs for one thing, freedom. “I’d like to be free of it now-I don’t know no more.” Everyone he realises a slave to something: “a needle a wife or something you can’t see.” His longing for freedom shines through as he delivers the lyrics deliberately and emotively. However, deep down, Mark knows this is just a dream.
Crystalline guitars and the rhythm section join forces on Southbound Again. They provide a jaunty backdrop for Mark’s gravelly vocal. His vocal is tinged with frustration and melancholy, as he sings “southbound again got no money, I’ve got no place to go.” The way Mark delivers the lyrics, he’s been there and experienced the despair and hardship. This however, was before the rise and rise of Dire Straits.
Sultans Of Swing is a song full of imagery and contrasts. Inspiration for the song came from Mark seeing a jazz band play in an empty bar. The musicians were scruffy, but at the end of the set, announce that they’re the Sultans Of Swing. After seeing this scenario unfold, Mark went home and wrote the song. The lyrics fell into place and tell the story of the Sultans Of Swing. Straight away, the crystalline guitar sits above the rhythm section, which powers the arrangement along. Mark and his guitar play starring roles, as he tells the story of the Sultans Of Swing, who forever, will remain contenders. Of all the songs on Dire Straits, the cinematic delight of Sultans Of Swing is the best.
In the Gallery tells the story of Harry, a coal miner, who at nights, becomes a sculptor. Despite his undoubted talent, he’s “ignored by all the trendy boys in London and in Leeds.” This is just one, of many stories of people with Britain’s long lamented industrial heartland, were hugely talented, but were victims of circumstances, and never fulfilled their potential. That’s why, when Mark delivers the lyrics, frustration, and sometimes, anger fills his voice. His guitar chimes and glistens, while the rhythm section provide the perfect backdrop for this tale of talent scorned.
Wild West End has a much more pared back, understated, country-tinged sound. Here, Dire Straits have been influenced by Americana, country and roots music on what’s akin to another short story. Mark’s literary background shines through. His lyrics paint pictures. So much so, that it’s possible to imagine the scenes unfold before your eyes. One minute, he’s im walking down Shaftesbury Avenue, the next getting on the number nineteen bus and falling in love with the conductress-“she was a honey, pink toenails and hands dirty with money.” The result, is a kitchen sink drama, Mark Knopfler style.
Lions brings Dire Straits to a melancholy close. There’s a particular English quality to Lions. Maybe it’s the mention of “Evensong” and “flags on poles.” They’re a remnant of what England once was. However, the characters in Lions are just as relevant today, as always. Some are damaged, damaged by the ravages of alcohol, others living in hope for a “stranger in the night.” Slowly, and wistfully, Dire Straits tell these stories. Mark’s weeping guitar, and a slow, thoughtful rhythm section provide the backdrop for his weary vocal. His cerebral, perceptive lyrics are akin to social commentary set to music.
Back in 1978, when Dire Straits released their eponymous debut album, it was a welcome distraction from the remnants of punk. Punk was on its last legs. It had become a parody of what was essentially a musical paradox. What had once been hailed a musical revolution, descended into commerciality and violence. Novelty punk songs were released, and concerts descended into chaotic scenes of violence. At least Dire Straits offered a welcome alternative and distraction.
After two years of music from bands who could barely play their instruments, the release of Dire Straits in July 1978 came as a welcome release. Here were a band of talented musicians, lead by a musical wordsmith. That describes Mark Knopfler perfectly.
Mark Knopfler came from a literary background. A former journalist, who was working as a teacher when he formed Dire Straits, words were Mark’s stock in trade. He was observer of daily life, who eavesdropped on the comings and goings of ordinary people. Almost seamlessly, he translated their lives into song. Their lives come to life. You empathise and sympathise with their stories. Other times, especially during the tales of love and love lost, you share their pain and hurt. It seems real. Especially when delivered by Mark’s lived-in, worldweary vocal. Mark has the uncanny ability of being able to bring this pain and hurt to life. Partly, that’s because Mark has lived the lyrics. He’s experienced the pain and hurt. However, there’s more to Dire Straits than Mark Knopfler’s lyrics and vocals.
Apart from having the ability to write and deliver cerebral and perceptive lyrics, Mark Knopfler was one of the most talented guitarists of his generation. Mark’s guitar complimented and augmented his poignant lyrics. Aided and abetted by his brother David’s guitar, bassist John Ilsley and drummer Pick Withers, Dire Straits were a hugely talented quartet. They would dominate British music for the next seventeen years.
Right through until 1995, Dire Straits were one of the biggest British bands. Each of their six studio albums and two live album were certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum worldwide. However, Dire Straits’ most successful album was 1985s Brothers In Arms. It was certified platinum nine time over in America alone. Right through until Dire Straits split-up in 1995, they could do no wrong. For three decades this proudly unfashionable quartet ruled the musical roost. The album that started this uninterrupted run of commercial success and critical acclaim was Dire Straits, an album of autobiographical and cinematic music, from the pen of musical wordsmith Mark Knopler.
DIRE STRAITS-DIRE STRAITS.
BRIAN ENO-HERE COME THE WARM JETS.
BRIAN ENO-HERE COME THE WARM JETS.
For Brian Eno, 1973 was the year the second chapter in his career began. Brian had just left Roxy Music after touring their sophomore album, For Your Pleasure. By the end of the tour, Brian had realised the life of a rock star wasn’t for him. He found the life of a rock star tedious. The constant touring, and spending half his life either on stage, or in an anonymous hotel room, wasn’t for Brian Eno. Then there were the disagreements with Roxy Music’s flamboyant frontman, Bryan Ferry. All this meant that Brian’s time with Roxy Music was at an end. This however, was a huge decision.
Leaving Roxy Music was a brave and controversial decision for Brian Eno. Roxy Music were one of the most successful British bands of the early seventies. However, Brian Eno’s creativity was being stifled. He felt that he had much more to offer music. Having toured For Your Pleasure, a frustrated and restless Brian Eno left Roxy Music, and embarked on a solo career.
Having left Roxy Music, straight away, Brian Eno began work on his debut album Here Come The Warm Jets. It’s best described as a fusion of art rock, avant garde, experimental and glam rock. Here Come The Warm Jets was an innovative album from Brian Eno.
Freed from the shackles of Roxy Music, Brian Eno wrote six songs for what became Here Come The Warm Jets. He also cowrote four other tracks. He penned Needles in the Camel’s Eye and Cindy Tells Me with ex-Roxy music colleague, Phil Manzanera. Brian and King Crimson founder Robert Fripp cowrote Blank Frank. The other track on Here Come The Warm Jets, was Some Of Them Are Old. It was a collaboration between Brian, Paul Thompson, Busta Jones and Nick Judd. These ten tracks became Here Come The Warm Jets, which was recorded over twelve days in September 1973, at Majestic Studios, London.
When recording of Here Come The Warm Jets began at Majestic Studios, London, Brian was accompanied by the great and good of British rock. Over twelve days in September 1973 at Majestic Studios, London, Brian, and sixteen guest musicians recorded the ten tracks that became Here Come The Warm Jets.
Joining Brian Eno for recording of Here Come The Warm Jets, were some of biggest names in music and some of the top session players. This included guitarists Robert Fripp of King Crimson, Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera, Chris Spedding and Paul Rudolph. Lloyd Watson, who had opened for Roxy Music and King Crimson played slide guitar. Bassists included John Wetton of King Crimson and Family, Chris Thomas, Busta Jones and Bill MacCormick. Keyboardists included Roxy Music’s Andy MacKay, Nick Judd and Nick Kool and the Koolaids. Percussion came courtesy of Simon King, Marty Simon and Paul Thompson, who was then the Roxy Music drummer. Sweetfeed added the all important backing vocals on On Some Faraway Beach and Blank Frank. Brian produced Here Come The Warm Jets, added vocals and played guitar, synths and keyboards. Once Here Come The Warm Jets was completed later in September 1973, Brian Eno was ready to release his debut album.
On its release in January 1974, Here Come The Warm Jets was mostly well received, by critics. Reviews ranged from favourable to positive. There were some contrarian critics, namely Rolling Stone. However, since then, Here Come The Warm Jets has been reappraised by a new generation of critics. They realised that Here Come The Warm Jets was an ambitious, innovative album. As a result, Here Come The Warm Jets is now regarded as a classic album, one that shows what Brian Eno, freed from the restraints of Roxy Music was capable of. However, the record buying public didn’t seem to “get” Here Come The Warm Jets.
When Here Come The Warm Jets was released in January 1974, it only reached number twenty-six in the UK and number 151 in the US Billboard 200. This must have been a disappointment for Brian, who previously, had been part of one of the most successful British bands of the early seventies. Belatedly, however, Here Come The Warm Jets record buyers recognised the quality of music on Brian’s debut album. Here Come The Warm Jets, Brian Eno’s debut album was the album he had been longing to make.
Needle In The Camel’s Eye opens Here Come The Warm Jets. It’s a guitar driven, explosion of energy. From the get-go, a wall of joyous, melodic and hook laden music assails you. As guitars drive the arrangement along, drums pound urgently. The guitars are panned left and right. They surround and assail you. Meanwhile, Brian delivers the vocal with energy and enthusiasm. Later, as his vocal drops out, a sixties influenced guitar solo takes centre-stage. It toys with the listener, before Brian and his all-star band kick loose during the rest of this anthemic track.
Listening to The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch, it’s obvious that this track influenced David Byrne’s Talking Heads. This is the case from the moment Brian’s delivers a vampish, flamboyant vocal. He’s accompanied by chiming, funky and searing guitars, the rhythm section and harmonies. Later, a myriad of futuristic, sci-fi sounds and a piano adds to what’s an ambitious and innovative track that spawned a thousand imitators.
Urgent and dramatic describes the ominous, slightly sci-fi introduction to Baby’s On Fire. Again, Brian’s vocal is vampish. It’s as if each track is a short story, and he’s playing a starring role. As a result, he adapts his vocal to suit each song’s lyrics. Keyboards, the rhythm section and sci-fi sounds join a searing, bristling, scorching guitar solo from Robert Fripp. He steals the show, wielding his guitar like a musical wizard. This adds a healthy dose of drama to what, thanks to Robert’s guitar, and earlier, Brian’s vocal, is an epic track.
Cindy Tells Me has a vintage sound, one that brings back memories of a musical era. Think late fifties, early sixties. However, this being Brian Eno, he gives the music of the past a makeover. Stabs of piano and cooing harmonies join Brian’s vocal. It veers between wistful to ironic. Sometimes, seems to mock, even pity those he’s singing about. Above his vocal, washes of guitar are akin to musical vapour trails. They’re joined by angelic, ethereal harmonies. They prove to be the finishing touch to what’s a fusion of music’s past, present and future.
Driving Me Backwards has an almost Bowie-esque sound. However, it’s taken further than before. Brian’s impassioned, soul-baring vocal is accompanied by a piano which is bathed in effects. Meanwhile, guitars reverberate, a bass buzzes and drama abounds. The result is a track that’s moody, broody and given that it paints pictures in your mind’s eye, cinematic.
Just a lone piano and ethereal harmonies combine on On Some Faraway Beach. In the distance drums and keyboards and a searing guitar plays. As the arrangement grows, they almost overpower the piano. Almost but never quite. Instead, and like Brian’s tender vocal they compliment what’s already beautiful, dramatic arrangement.
Blank Frank is very different from the previous track. They’re polar opposites. Raw power and nihilistic describes Blank Frank. Brian delivers a snarled vocal tinged with irony and anger. Meanwhile his band play loosely and with aggression. They almost attack their instruments. Guitars growl, while keyboards and drums are pounded. Soon, the track becomes a captivating jam. However, the aggression and anger of Blank Frank might well have played a part in inspiring punk two years later.
As drums and a piano play, you wonder where what direction Brian will take Dead Finks Don’t Talk. Against a backdrop of drums and piano, Brian sounds like a preacher delivering an ironic, spoken word vocal. It soon changes, becomes a tender, thoughtful vocal. He’s accompanied by howling backing vocals. Then when they drop out, a blistering guitar solo is unleashed. It’s replaced by handclaps and Brian’s chameleon like vocal. It veers between tender, thoughtful, comedic and ironic on what’s best described as a mixture of music, theatre and comedy.
Straight away, Some Of Them Are Old has wistful, melancholy sound. Just an organ and deliberate harmonies accompanies Brian on what’s a beautiful, wistful and lysergic track.
Here Come The Warm Jets closes with the title-track. Guitars bathed in effects, accompany the driving rhythm section and keyboards. Later, they’re joined by harmonies. They’re responsible for a driving, everyman, anthem.
Just ten months after leaving Roxy Music, Brian Eno released Here Come The Warm Jets, his much anticipated debut album in January 1974. Here Come The Warm Jets was well received upon its release. Reviews ranged from favourable to critically acclaimed. Despite that, Here Come The Warm Jets only reached number twenty-six in the UK and number 151 in the US Billboard 200. This must have been a disappointment for Brian, who previously, had been part of one of the most successful British bands of the early seventies. Belatedly, however, Here Come The Warm Jets record buyers recognised the quality of music on Brian’s debut album.
Nowadays, Here Come The Warm Jets, which is best described as a fusion of art rock, avant garde, experimental and glam rock is considered one of Brian Eno’s finest albums. Belatedly, this genre defying album is considered a classic. No wonder. Here, was a bold, ambitious, innovative album. This was the album Brian Eno had been longing to make. However, as a member of Roxy Music this wasn’t possible.
No. Here Come The Warm Jets was a step too far from the music Roxy Music released. They couldn’t risk releasing an album like Here Come The Warm Jets, so early in their career. That would risk everything Roxy Music had worked towards. So, the only alternative for Brian was to leave Roxy Music, the group he co-founded. Roxy Music had just made that all important commercial breakthrough, and were the critic’s darlings. That was a lot to sacrifice. Brian Eno however, was willing to make that sacrifice. It paid off.
Between 1974 and 1983, Brian Eno could do no wrong. He was one of the most innovative musicians of his generations. This run of critically acclaimed albums continued with his sophomore album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), which was released in November 1974. While Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) wasn’t a commercial success, critical acclaim accompanied its release. That was the case from 1975s Another Green World and Discreet Music, to 1977s Before and After Science and 1978s Music For Films, which is another classic album. After that, Brian embarked upon a string of innovative albums. This includes 1982s Ambient 4: On Land, 1983s Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks and then 1983s More Music For Films. This was one of the most fruitful periods of Brian Eno’s career.
Ten years after leaving Roxy Music, Brian Eno wasn’t just enjoying a solo career. He collaborated with a wide range of artists and had reinvented himself as a successful producer. His decision to leave Roxy Music had paid off.
While Brian Eno didn’t enjoy the same commercial success as a solo artist, as he would’ve with Roxy Music, Brian Eno’s self respect was in tact. For the last ten years, Brian Eno had been making music he believed in. Much of this music was groundbreaking, innovative and influential. This includes Brian Eno’s debut solo Here Come The Warm Jets, where freed from the shackles of Roxy Music, Brian Eno embarked upon a career as a musical pioneer.
BRIAN ENO-HERE COME THE WARM JETS.
KING CRIMSON-LARK’S TONGUES IN ASPIC.
KING CRIMSON-LARK’S TONGUES IN ASPIC.
It was in October 1969, that King Crimson burst onto the scene with their debut album In The Court Of The Crimson King. A true prog rock classic, In The Court Of The Crimson King was was released to critical acclaim and commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic. In The Court Of Crimson King reached number five in the UK, and was certified gold in America, when it reached number twenty-eight. Following the success of In The Court Of The Crimson King in America, King Crimson headed on their first American tour.
On their return home from their American tour, Ian McDonald and Michael Giles left King Crimson. This was the first of numerous lineup changes in the history of King Crimson.
The next member of the band to exit stage left was Greg Lake. He was approached by Keith Emerson to join what became Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Having lost three members of the band, Robert Fripp was left as the only member of King Crimson. This presented a problem, King Crimson had an album to record.
So former members, Peter and Michael Giles returned to play bass and drums, while Keith Tippett played piano. Robert played keyboards and guitars, while session musicians augmented the band’s lineup. Without a lead singer, an unknown singer Elton John was in the running to become King Crimson’s lead singer. However, instead, Robert Fripp sang the lead vocals. This proved a winning formula.
On its release in May 1970, In The Wake Of Poseidon reached number four in the UK and number thirty-one in America. In The Wake Of Poseidon would prove to be King Crimson’s most successful album, during a five year period where King Crimson were one of the most successful prog rock bands.
From In The Court Of Crimson right through to Panegyric, King Crimson were one of the most successful prog-rock bands. Quite simply, King Crimson were prog-rock royalty. For five years, King Crimson could do no wrong. This five year period was a golden period in King Crimson’s long and illustrious career. During this period, King Crimson were a prolific band.
Following the success of In The Wake Of Poseidon, King Crimson released their third album seven months later on 3rd December 1971. Again, King Crimson’s lineup seemed to be constantly evolving.
Jazz pianist Keith Trippett and flautist and saxophonist Mel Collins returned. They were joined by drummer Andy McCulloch and Yes’ frontman Jon Anderson. Lizard, which was produced by Robert Fripp and Peter Sinfield at Command Studios, London.
Lizard was a much more jazz oriented album. Despite its undoubtable quality, Lizard stalled at a disappointing number twenty-six in the UK and number 113 in the US Billboard 200. Equally disappointing was that this lineup of King Crimson never got the opportunity to tour. Having released two albums in seven months, it was another year before King Crimson released their fourth album, Islands.
Islands marked the end of era for several reason. The first was that Islands was the last album to feature Peter Sinfield’s lyrics. This was the last album to feature what was King Crimson’s trademark fusion of progressive, symphonic sound. Again there were changes in lineup. Boz Burrell played bass and sang lead vocals, while Ian Wallace played drums and percussion. On the release of Islands, the album divided opinion.
Some critics felt that Islands didn’t match the quality of King Crimson’s three previous albums. Despite this, Islands, which was released in December 1971, reached number thirty in the UK and number seventy-six in the US Billboard 200. Then there was the controversy surrounding Ladies Of The Road. King Crimson found themselves in the midst of a controversy where they were accused of misogyny. For King Crimson this wasn’t the best way to end an era.
For their fifth album, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, the album marked the debut of the third lineup of King Crimson. Joining Robert Fripp were bassist John Wetton, ex-Yes drummer Bill Bruford, percussionist Jamie Muir and David Cross, who played violin, viola, Mellotron, electric piano and flute. This new lineup saw the band head in a new direction.
King Crimson incorporated different instruments, including percussion and African mbira. They moved away from their jazz sound, to a fusion of prog rock and experimental music on what became Larks’ Tongues In Aspic.
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic featured just six tracks. Robert Fripp, King Crimson’s founder member, wrote Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part Two and cowrote the other five tracks. David Cross, Robert Fripp, Bill Bruford and Jamie Muir cowrote Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, Part One and The Talking Drum. Robert Fripp, John Wetton and Richard Palmer James wrote Book Of Saturday and Easy Money. The trio of Robert, John and Richard collaborated with David Cross on Exiles. These six tracks became Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, which was recorded at Command Studio, London.
At Command Studio, the five members of King Crimson began recording and producing Larks’ Tongues In Aspic in January 1973. King Crimson spent January and February 1973 recording the six tracks that became Larks’ Tongues in Aspic. One Larks’ Tongues In Aspic was completed, it was released on 23rd March 1973.
On the release of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, on 23rd March 1973, it received the same critical acclaim as previous albums. Critics called Larks’ Tongues In Aspic innovative and inventive. The music was experimental and jazz tinged. Comparisons were made to Yes’ Close To The Edge. However, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic stole the show. Some critics referred to Larks’ Tongues In Aspic as the most important prog-rock album of 1973. Given the opposition, this was quite an accolade.
Despite the critical acclaim and accolades that surrounded the release of Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, it only reached number twenty in Britain. While this was an improvement on 1970s Lizards and 1971s Island, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic failed to scale the heights of 1969s In the Court of the Crimson King or 1970s In the Wake of Poseidon. This was also the case in America. In America, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic reached just number sixty-one in the US Billboard 200. However, since its release in 1973, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic has been regarded as a prog-rock classic.
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic opens with the centre-piece of the album, Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part One. It’s a fourteen minute instrumental epic. Jamie Muir contributes a lengthy, understated percussive introduction. Everything from chimes, bells, a thumb piano, mbiras, a musical saw, shakers and rattles feature. Gradually, though, the arrangement changes. Soon, urgent, sweeping, strings take centre-stage. Then the percussion is soon joined by a taste of a blistering, guitar driven driven section. It then exposed into life. Robert Fripp’s searing, scorching guitar is at the heart of everything that’s good about the arrangement. Not to be outdone, Bill Bruford powers around his drum kit and John Wetton unleashes a funky bass. By then, King Crimson are in full flight. It’s a joy to behold. Later, the arrangement does a volte face, becoming wistful and minimalist. Just a lone violin plays, its melancholy sound taking centre-stage, until later, it’s joined by a distant, cinematic backdrop. That’s the signal for King Crimson to unite, as this epic track reaches a captivating crescendo.
Book of Saturday is very different from the previous track. The arrangement is much more understated and spacious. Just a crystalline guitar and probing bass joins John’s pensive vocal, as memories come flooding back. Soon, wistful strings sweep in, adding to the sense of melancholy as John scats. Later, heartfelt harmonies add to the ethereal beauty of Book of Saturday.
Disturbing, droning, eerie, futuristic, sci-fi sounds assail you as Exiles unfolds. Soon, the arrangement bubbles and drama builds. it’s not unlike a journey to a lost planet. Just like Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part One, there’s a nod to Pink Floyd. That becomes more apparent as the arrangement becomes melodic, and the myriad of disparate sounds dissipate. A wistful violin and a probing bass joining John’s pensive vocal. Before long, melodic becomes dramatic. From there, they two unite. Melancholy strings, chiming guitars and the rhythm section join with John’s heartfelt, pensive vocal. He delivers the lyrics with emotion, bringing meaning to the lyrics, on what would become a a staple of many a King Crimson concert.
Slow, dramatic and moody, describes the arrangement to Easy Money as it marches along to the beat of Bill’s drums. It’s augmented by soaring harmonies, gongs and then, when the arrangement is stripped bare, a chiming guitar. However, it’s John’s vocal that sits amidst the dramatic, broody arrangement. It pulsates and creeps along. Stabs of keyboards, cinematic strings, sound effects unite with Robert’s scorching, rocky guitar masterclass. It’s one of Robert’s finest solos. Add to that, John’s vocal and cerebral lyrics, and it’s one of Larks’ Tongues in Aspic’s highlights.
The Talking Drum is another instrumental. Understated, atmospheric and somewhat eerie describes the arrangement. Its minimalist sound toys with you. Then slowly, it builds. Drums play in the distance, then a bass is plucked, adding to the atmospheric backdrop. Soon, a fuzzy guitar and violins join. Still, the arrangement is understated. Gradually, it grows in power. Eventually, King Crimson kick loose. By then, elements of jazz, rock and world music are uniting. Combining disparate instruments and influences, they create an innovative, genre-straddling track.
Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, Part Two closes Larks’ Tongues In Aspic. Straight away, the track has a heavier sound. It’s as if King Crimson’s driving rhythm section and searing guitars are heading in the direction of heavy metal. That’s until the track takes on a classical sound. Later, the two combine. Whistles sound, drums pound and Robert’s scorching, riffing guitar plays a leading role. King Crimson it seems, are determined to close Larks’ Tongues In Aspic on a high, and succeed in doing so, with another instrumental epic.
When King Crimson released Larks’ Tongues In Aspic in 1973, they were in the midst of a five year period where King Crimson could do no wrong. Between In The Court Of Crimson right through to Panegyric, King Crimson were one of the most successful prog-rock bands. They released seven albums. During that period, commercial success and critical acclaim were constant companions of King Crimson. As a result, King Crimson became part of prog-rock royalty.
For five years, King Crimson could do no wrong. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic was the fifth album King Crimson had released since 1969. That’s quite an achievement, considering King Crimson’s ever changing lineup. This, however, didn’t affect the quality of music.
There’s a reason for this. Robert Fripp had the uncanny knack of bringing in the right musicians. They always seemed to compliment the other members of King Crimson. This was the case on Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, King Crimson’s fifth album.
Larks’ Tongues In Aspic marked the debut of the third lineup of King Crimson. Joining Robert Fripp were bassist John Wetton, ex-Yes drummer Bill Bruford, percussionist Jamie Muir and David Cross, who played violin, viola, Mellotron, electric piano and flute. This new lineup took King Crimson in a new direction.
On Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, King Crimson incorporated different instruments, including percussion and African mbira. They moved away from their jazz sound, to a fusion of prog rock and experimental music. There was even a nod to heavy metal on a couple of tracks. This made Larks’ Tongues In Aspic another captivating and critically acclaimed album, from one of prog-rock’s leading lights.
Indeed, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic is a genre classic. It’s one of the finest prog-rock albums released during the seventies. Seamlessly, the new lineup of picked up where the previous lineup of King Crimson left off on Islands. In doing so, the new lineup of King Crimson were responsible for one of the group’s finest hours.
Of the seven albums King Crimson release during their golden period, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic was a stonewall classic. Starting with the fourteen minute, instrumental epic Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, Part One and continuing through favourites like Book of Saturday, Exiles and Easy Money, King Crimson bring their A-Game to Larks’ Tongues In Aspic. Not once do they disappoint. The two other instrumentals, The Talking Drum and Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, Part Two allow King Crimson to showcase their considerable talents. It’s a joy to behold as what’s akin to a supergroup stretch their legs, taking the listener in unexpected directions. However, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic is a compelling and breathtaking journey, with King Crimson at the top of their game during their golden period.
Following Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, King Crimson released just two more albums during this golden period. They were 1973s Starless and Bible Black and 1974s Red. Neither of these albums replicated the critical acclaim and commercial success of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic. No. Larks’ Tongues In Aspic was a landmark album, and is one of the finest albums King Crimson released during their five year golden period. During that period, musical pioneers King Crimson, could do no wrong. Proof if any was needed, is King Crimson’s fifth album Larks’ Tongues In Aspic.
KING CRIMSON-LARK’S TONGUES IN ASPIC.
TANGERINE DREAM-RUBYCON.
TANGERINE DREAM-RUBYCON.
Tangerine Dream are, without doubt, the original musical chameleons. Since forming in 1967, Tangerine Dream’s music has been constantly evolving. As a result, they can never be accused of standing still. Far from it.
During the last six decades, Tangerine Dream have flitted between musical genres as they recorded over 125 studio albums. Like musical butterflies, Tangerine Dream have toyed with psychedelia, Krautrock, the Berlin School, progressive rock, ambient, avant-garde, experimental, new age and electronica. Then as the age of electronic music unfolded, Tangerine Dream embraced drum and bass and progressive house. Still, Tangerine Dream remained relevant. That’s despite Tangerine Dream’s lineup being somewhat fluid.
When Edgar Froese founded Tangerine Dream in 1967, he was briefly joined by drummer Klaus Schulze. However, before long, Klaus left Tangerine Dream. This was a brief taste of the future.
Little did Edgar realise, that over the next forty-eight years, that another twenty-four musicians would play a part in the Tangerine Dream story. Some, however, like Klaus Schulze, would only play a walk-on part in Tangerine Dream’s story. Others, including Christopher Franke and Peter Baumann played a starring role in the rise and rise of Tangerine Dream.
Christopher Franke and Peter Baumann were part of the what is regarded as the classic lineup of Tangerine Dream. The first to join Tangerine Dream was Christopher Franke.
He joined in time to record Alpha Centauri, Tangerine Dream’s sophomore album. It was recorded in early 1971, and the spacey, atmospheric soundscape was released to critical acclaim in March 1971. Alpha Centauri was the second album in what became known as Tangerine Dream’s “Pink Years.”
Electronic Meditation.
The “Pink Years” had began a year earlier when Tangerine Dream released their debut album Electronic Meditation in June 1970. However, Electronic Meditation was recorded a year earlier in 1969.
Recording of Electronic Meditation took place in in a disused factory in Berlin, using just a two-track Revox tape recorder. The lineup of Tangerine Dream included Tangerine Dream’s founder member Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze and Conrad Schnitzle. They were joined by session musicians Jimmy Jackson and Thomas Keyserling. During October 1969, Tangerine Dream started as they meant to go on. This meant recording a genre defying album.
On Electronic Meditation, Tangerine Dream recorded what critics hailed as a genre defying album. They combined free jazz, rock, avant-garde and electronic music. These genres melted into one. The result was Electronic Meditation, an album that was well received by critics. This was the start of the “Pink Years.”
Alpha Centauri.
The followup to Electronic Meditation was Alpha Centauri. This was the album that saw Christopher Franke make his Tangerine Dream debut. He played his part in a truly groundbreaking album, Alpha Centauri.
Recording of Alpha Centauri too place in early 1971. Then in March 1971, Alpha Centauri, which is best described as a spacey, atmospheric soundscape was released to critical acclaim. It’s a timeless album, one that it’s hard to believe was recorded forty-four years ago. It has stood the ravages of time, and is a tantalising taste of what was still to come from one of music’s most innovative groups.
Zeit.
Having released the first two albums in the “Pink Years,” Tangerine Dream recorded their third album in 1972. That’s when Peter Baumann joined Tangerine Dream in 1972. He was part of the lineup of Tangerine Dream that recorded Zeit, which was a landmark album.
Zeit was the first Tangerine Dream to feature what became known as the group’s classic lineup. They recorded some of Tangerine Dream’s best music. That’s quite a statement, given how prolific Tangerine Dream were. They would record over sixty-five studio albums and a further sixty soundtracks. Then there’s countless live albums. Each album shows Tangerine Dream’s music evolving.
That was the case with Zeit. The music was slower, and much more atmospheric. It was also way innovative, and way ahead of its time. Indeed, on Zeit, Tangerine Dream pioneered the drone music that’s seen as cutting edge in 2015. Tangerine Dream always were ahead of the musical curve. So much so, that Zeit is now regarded as a timeless, Krautrock classic. This wouldn’t be Tangerine Dream’s only classic album.
Atem,
Following Zeit, the musical changelings continued to change direction. Atem, which marked the end of Tangerine Dream’s “Pink Years,” was a much more eclectic album. It veered between the slow, atmospheric tracks of previous albums, right through to much more experimental, aggressive tracks.
On Atem, Tangerine Dream made effective use of a Mellotron, experimental vocals and a myriad of percussion. This resulted in the album that saw Tangerine Dream make a commercial breakthrough in Britain.
Phaedra.
While Atem saw Tangerine Dream make a commercial breakthrough in Britain, Phaedra was a game-changer of an album. Phaedra was the first Tangerine Dream album to feature their sequencer driven sound. It was also the album that launched the Berlin School sound.
As recording of Phaedra took place during December 1973, Tangerine Dream decided to improvise on what would become the title-track. However, before long, problems started to arise. As the temperature rose in the studio, oscillators started to detune. This resulted in a marked change in the sound. This happy accident played an important part in Phaedra’s sound. Other tracks, including Movements Of A Visionary, showcased the nascent technology. This included a Moog synth. It played its part on what critics called one of the most important electronic albums in musical history.
On the release of Phaedra, on 20th February 1974, critics called the album a classic. It also struck a nerve with record buyers. Phaedra reached number fifteen in Britain and was certified gold. After five albums Tangerine Dream had struck gold. It looked like they were on their way to becoming part of rock royalty.
Rubycon.
Having made the all important breakthrough, Tangerine Dream were determined to prove that Phaedra wasn’t a one off. So, they began work on their sixth album Rubycon.
Rubycon saw Tangerine Dream pickup where they left of on Phaedra. This meant moving their Berlin School sequencer based sound forwards on Rubycon. As founders of the Berlin School, Tangerine Dream felt a responsibility to progress the sound.
Standing still wasn’t in Tangerine Dream’s nature. It never had been. That had been the case since Tangerine Dream released their 1970 debut album Electronic Meditation. Since then, Tangerine Dream had been musical changelings, moving between musical genres. Having left their “Pink Years” behind them after Atem, Phaedra saw Tangerine Dream founding the Berlin School. With this in mind, Tangerine Dream began work on Rubycon.
Rubycon was very different from previous Tangerine Dream albums. It consisted of just two lengthy tracks. Each lasted just over seventeen minutes. This meant each track filled one side of Rubycon. The two tracks, Rubycon (Part One) and Rubycon (Part Two), were written by Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke and Peter Baumann. They recorded Rubycon at Richard Branson’s The Manor Studio, in Shipton-on-Cherwell.
At The Manor Studio, the three members of Tangerine Dream began recording and producing what became Rubycon. Edgar Froese played mellotron, guitar, a VCS 3 synth and gong. Christopher Franke played a similarly eclectic collection of instruments. This included a double Moog synth, organ, prepared piano, Synthi A and gong. Peter Baumann played an organ, Synthi A, Fender Rhodes, piano and ARP 2600. With this eclectic selection of instruments at their disposal, the result was another critically acclaimed album from Tangerine Dream.
On Rubycon’s release, critics hailed it another innovative album from Tangerine Dream. Record buyers agrede. Rubycon reached number fourteen in the UK. Despite this, Rubycon didn’t sell as well as Phaedra. However, Rubycon was still commercially successful and critically acclaimed.
Rubycon (Part One) opens Rubycon. The arrangement has an eerie, haunting cinematic sound. It’s slow and spacious. Washes of synths shimmer, gentle stabs of keyboards add a sense of urgency and drama. Soon, the arrangement is beginning to sound like the soundtrack to a lost horror film. Then all of a sudden, it’s akin to an awakening, as the arrangement becomes ethereal and elegiac. As the arrangement coos, shimmers and glistens, it then takes on a futuristic, sci-fi sound. Before long, Tangerine Dream have transformed the arrangement. It stretches its legs, lazily unfolding, and allowing you a glimpse of its hidden depths. Later, it becomes dark and ominous, as it drives and pulsates along. By now, there’s a Krautrock influence. Still, however, the music has a dark, atmospheric and cinematic sound. Later, arrangement drives along. Gone is pulsating sound, but the drama remains. It’s as if Tangerine Dream are providing the soundtrack to a long forgotten film.
Washes of synths assail you as Rubycon (Part Two) unfolds. They come towards you, assailing and surrounding you. It’s as if the end is neigh. Their ominous sound is like a battalion of otherworldly creatures droning above you, just waiting to spring some unpleasant surprise. Then the music changes. It becomes ethereal and elegiac. What sounds like a choir angels sweeps down, trying soothe your fears. Before long, the music takes on an almost spiritual quality. Soon, it’s all change again. The arrangement pulsates and pumps along. What follows makes Tangerine Dream sound like the rightful Godfathers of modern electronic music. This is techno, long before the term was coined. Later, Rubycon (Part Two) in a different direction. It sounds like a cinematic soundscape, where the listener supplies the scenes to music. From there, the music on this seventeen minute epic veers between evocative and atmospheric, to moody and broody, right through to ethereal and elegant to dark and dramatic. As Rubycon (Part Two) and therefore, Rubycon draws to a close, you long to hear more from of the same from Tangerine Dream. Rubycon has been a tantalising taste of what Tangerine Dream are capable of.
Eight years after Tangerine Dream had been founded by Edgar Froese in 1967, they were one of the most innovative groups of the seventies. Rubycon was their sixth album, and is a genre-defying album featuring two epic soundscapes lasting seventeen minutes each. They see Tangerine Dream, the original musical butterflies, toying with disparate musical genres on the two soundscapes. Everything from psychedelia, Krautrock, Berlin School, progressive rock, ambient, avant-garde, experimental, new age and electronica can be heard on Rubycon, a truly captivating, innovative and timeless album. That’s not all.
Listening again to Rubycon, it’s quite unlike most of the studio albums released during 1974. Instead, Rubycon sounds like a soundtrack album, something Tangerine Dream would become famous for. They released over sixty soundtrack albums. Along with live albums, that was one of their specialities. Rubycon, Tangerine Dream’s sixth album, is a reminder of that.
Rubycon has that cinematic quality, that a good soundtrack album has. No wonder. It has everything a good soundtrack album needs. The music is variously atmospheric, eerie, evocative, haunting and spacious. Slowly, the arrangement shimmers and glistens, before becoming ethereal and elegiac. Other times, the music is dark, dramatic and ominous, before heading in the direction of a futuristic, sci-fi sound. Constantly, Tangerine Dream, musical adventurers extraordinaire, dare the listener to second guess them. It’s not worth trying. Instead, sit back, and enjoy the music. Let it was over you, and immerse yourself in its beauty and drama. Listen to, and enjoy, Rubycon’s subtleties and nuances, as slowly, and gradually they begin to unfold. However, it’s impossible to discover all of Rubycon’s delights in one listen.
No. It takes time, and several listens to discover the many delights of Rubycon, an epic, genre classic. Rubycon was, without doubt, one of Tangerine Dream’s best albums. It’s a classic of the Berlin School, and essential listening for anyone interested in either electronic music, Krautrock or prog-rock. These three genres shine through on Rubycon. So do ambient, avant-garde, free jazz, psychedelia and rock. All these genres play their part in one Tangerine Dream’s finest hours, Rubycon, which is the perfect introduction to one of the most progressive, influential and innovative bands of the past fifty years, Tangerine Dream.
TANGERINE DREAM-RUBYCON.
COCTEAU TWINS-BLUE BELL KNOLL.
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 released four solo albums and nine E.P.s since forming in 1980. Critical acclaim accompanied each released. This included the Cocteau Twins’ collaboration with Harold Budd on The Moon and The Melodies, released in 1986. The Moon and The Melodies further reinforced the Cocteau Twins’ credentials as the hottest indie band of the eighties.
Since releasing their debut album Garlands in 1982, the Cocteau Twins had been indie darlings. Garlands reached number four in the UK indie charts and was certified silver. For the Cocteau Twins, this the perfect start to their career.
The followup to Garlands, 1983s Head Over Heels reached number one in the UK indie charts and number fifty-one on the main UK charts. Just like Garlands, Head Over Heels was certified silver. It seemed the Cocteau Twins could do no wrong.
Treasure, released in 1984 then reached number two in the UK indie charts and number twenty-nine on the main UK charts. Two became three when Treasure was certified silver. With each release, the Cocteau Twins’ popularity was growing.
This continued with Victorialand in 1985. It reached number one in the UK indie charts and number ten on the main UK charts. By then, major labels were beginning to show an interest in the Grangemouth trio of Liz Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymone. So were other artists.
Among them were Harold Budd, the American avant-garde composer and poet. He collaborated with the Cocteau Twins on The Moon and The Melodies, which reached number one in the UK indie charts and number forty-six on the main UK charts. This high profile, critically acclaimed collaboration increased the Cocteau Twins’ profile.
Before long, major labels were showing an interest in the Cocteau Twins. Eventually, a deal was struck where Capitol Records would license the Cocteau Twins’ releases from 4AD in the US. This suited everyone, as the Cocteau Twins had still to make a breakthrough in the lucrative American market. With the marketing muscle of Capitol Records behind the Cocteau Twins, maybe, just maybe, their fifth album Blue Bell Knoll, would chart in America?
For the recording of Blue Bell Knoll, recording took place at September Sound, Twickenham, London. That’s where the Cocteau Twins recorded the ten tracks on Blue Bell Knoll. Each of these tracks were penned by the three members of the Cocteau Twins. They played their part in ten atmospheric, ethereal and cinematic soundscapes full of imagery.
At September Sound, the three members of the Cocteau Twins got to work. They picked up where they left off on Treasure, the Cocteau Twins’ previous album. Liz Fraser added her inimitable vocals, Robin Guthrie played guitar and Simon Raymonde added bass. Once the ten tracks were completed, Blue Bell Knoll was released on 19th September 1988.
When Blue Bell Knoll was released on 19th September 1988, it was to almost overwhelming critical acclaim. Blue Bell Knoll, was perceived as the Cocteau Twins’ finest album. Despite that, the usual contrarian critics had their knives out for Blue Bell Knoll. That was to be expected, as these critics enjoyed the controversy that came with such contrarianism. However, what mattered was sales.
Blue Bell Knoll reached number fifteen on the main UK charts and number one on the UK indie charts. This was the Cocteau Twins third number one indie album. However, things however, got even better for the Cocteau Twins. On its release in America, Blue Bell Knoll reached number 109 on the US Billboard 200 charts. The combination of Capitol Records’ marketing muscle and the Cocteau Twins’ considerable talent, the Grangemouth trio were well about to reach new heights of commercial success and critical acclaim. This started with Blue Bell Knoll.
Opening Blue Bell Knoll, is the title-track. What sounds like flourishes of harpsichord are joined by Liz’s inimitable, ethereal vocal. She delivers the vocal in what’s akin to a secret language. It is, however, heartachingly beautiful. Especially, with a subtle bass, drum and harpsichord for company. They take care never to overpower Liz’s vocal. Only when her vocal drops out, does a wall of music assail you. This includes a fuzzy and later, searing guitar. They play their part in a post punk soundscape that’s variously beautiful, dramatic and ethereal.
The drama continues on Athol-Brose. It comes courtesy of Liz’s impassioned vocal. It’s multi tracked and accompanied by a plodding drum, bass and chiming guitars. They add an element of urgency, as Liz unleashes a heartfelt, soul-baring that’s akin to a cathartic unburdening.
Deliberately Carolyn’s Fingers Robin runs his fingers down his guitar. It shimmers and glistens, before a wash of sound encircles Liz’s deliberate, soaring vocal. Soon, her vocal grows in power, as ethereal harmonies are panned right. Behind her, the arrangement is melodic and dreamy, the perfect foil to the ethereal quality of Liz’s vocal.
Slowly, the dreamy arrangement for For Phoebe Still a Baby unfolds. Before long, it envelops, and cocoons you. What follows is an innovative soundscape. The Cocteau Twins pioneered this type of music on their previous album, Victorialand. Again, Liz’s fragile, tender vocal is key to the song’s success. It has an almost vulnerable sound. Especially when it combines with her dreamy harmonies, resulting in an innovative, but timeless soundscape.
Driven guitars chime, and are drenched in reverb on The Itchy Glowbo Blow. They join drums and Liz’s cooing, floaty vocal. Together, they play their part in an elegiac, lysergic soundscape.
Cico Buff has a floaty minimalist, cinematic sound. A drum machine plays thoughtfully, and guitars chime and shimmer. They set the scene for Liz’s melancholy, tender dreamy vocal. This is easily one of her best vocals. It cascades above the arrangement, which is akin to a journey on a musical merry-go-round.
Suckling The Mender takes the cinematic sound of the previous track further. This could easily have been part of the soundtrack to a lost Wim Wenders’ movie. Indeed, if a followup to Paris Texas had been made, this would’ve been perfect. The soundscape is simplicity itself. Drums pitter patter, guitars shimmer and glisten. The final piece in the musical jigsaw is Liz’s cooing, ethereal vocal.
From the get-go, Spooning Good Singing Gum has the Cocteau Twins’ name written all over it. They combine a minimalist mixture of trembling guitars and crispy drums with Liz’s vocal. It veers between an understated, ethereal, cooing sound to powerful, impassioned and dramatic. The result is a potent, and heady brew that paints pictures and takes you places, places you’ve never been before.
As A Kissed Out Red Floatboat begins, it’s mostly business is usual. The only difference are a few sci-fi sounds that soar above the arrangement. Then when Liz’s vocal enters, her delivery is much more tradition. She’s not improvising as much. That comes later. By then she’s flitting been a traditional and her trademark style. It’s a captivating combination. Especially with the other Cocteau Twins creating a dreamy, otherworldly backdrop.
Ella Megalast Burls Forever closes Blue Bell Knoll. It has the perfect sound to close any album, especially one as good as Blue Bell Knoll. From the opening bars, Robin and Simon provide a dramatic backdrop for Liz’s vocal. It’s equally dramatic, and heartfelt. As she delivers the lyrics, it’s with equal parts emotion, hope and sincerity. This proves a beautiful conclusion to Blue Bell Knoll, the first in a golden quartet of albums from the Cocteau Twins.
For the Cocteau Twins, Blue Bell Knoll was a landmark album. It was the start of an eleven year period where they could do wrong. From Bell Knoll, through 1990s Heaven Or Las Vegas, 1993s Four-Calendar Cafe and their final album, Milk Or Kisses, released in 1997 the Cocteau Twins enjoyed commercial success and critical acclaim. Their final three albums all reached the top twenty in the UK. The most successful of these three albums was Heaven Or Las Vegas, which was certified silver in the UK. That’s not surprising, as it’s one of the Cocteau Twins’ best album. Meanwhile, the Cocteau Twins were belatedly, enjoying commercial success in America. Heaven Or Las Vegas, Four-Calendar Cafe and Milk Or Kisses all reached the top hundred in the US Billboard 200 charts. No longer were the Cocteau Twins just an indie band.
No. The Cocteau Twins were now enjoying mainstream success. It had been a longtime coming. It had taken eight years before the Cocteau Twins made their breakthrough in America with Blue Bell Knoll. Now, however, all the years of trying had paid off. For Liz, Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymone, Blue Bell Knoll was a game-changer.
Of the five studio album the Cocteau Twins had recorded, Blue Bell Knoll was their finest hour. It featured ten tracks lasting thirty-five minutes. The music on Blue Bell Knoll was variously beautiful, cinematic, dramatic, dreamy, elegiac, ethereal, lysergic and otherworldly. During Blue Bell Knoll, the Cocteau Twins music washes over you, cocooning, enveloping and sometimes, assailing you. Its otherworldly sound is akin to a journey to a lost world. On this journey, you float along, a spectator on this forgotten kingdom and its hidden secrets. Providing the backdrop are the Cocteau Twins, who provide music that’s innovative, timeless and unique.
Try as the pretenders may, no one can replicate the dream pop sound of the Cocteau Twins. They showcased this sound on Victorialand, and then perfected it on Blue Bell Knoll. Crucial to this sound was Liz Fraser’s beautiful, ethereal vocal. The Cocteau Twins’ First Lady played a huge part in the rise and rise of the Cocteau Twins. However, the Cocteau Twins weren’t a one woman band.
Far from it. Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymone provided the backdrop for Liz’s vocal on their seven studio albums. They were yin to Liz’s yang for seventeen years. Sadly, in 1997, the Cocteau Twins split-up. However, the Cocteau Twins left behind a rich, innovative and truly timeless musical legacy, including Blue Bell Knoll, which transformed the career of the Cocteau Twins.
COCTEAU TWINS-BLUE BELL KNOLL.
TARAF DE HAÏDOUKS-OF LOVERS, GAMBLERS AND PARACHUTE SKIRTS.
TARAF DE HAÏDOUKS-OF LOVERS, GAMBLERS AND PARACHUTE SKIRTS.
Twenty-five years ago, Taraf de Haïdouks made their debut. Little did anyone realise that this was the start of musical journey that would see Taraf de Haïdouks crowned “the best Gypsy band in the world.” That’s quite an accolade. However, anyone that’s seen Taraf de Haïdouks live, will agree with this.
Live, Taraf de Haïdouks seamlessly flit between heartfelt ballads to love songs, through old school dance tunes and Turkish tinged instrumentals. It’s a potent mix of musical genres. This mix of musical genres also features on Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts, Taraf de Haïdouks’ latest album, which will be released on Crammed Discs, on 26th January 2015.
Of Lovers, Gambers and Parachute Skirts sees Taraf de Haïdouks celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary. Fittingly, Taraf de Haïdouks revisit the music that’s influenced them. They also revisit their back-catalogue. However, what should be a celebration, is tinged with sadness.
Sadly, Of Lovers, Gambers and Parachute Skirts features a very different lineup of Taraf de Haïdouks. Four of the original members of Taraf de Haïdouks have passed away. The loss of Ion Manole, Neculae Neacsu, Cacurica and Ilie Iorga was a huge blow to Taraf de Haïdouks. That could’ve derailed many groups. Not Taraf de Haïdouks. They continue to tour relentlessly, and record albums.
Their latest album, Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts is Taraf de Haïdouks’ sixth solo album. To celebrate twenty-five years together, Taraf de Haïdouks have enlisted three old friends The first is vocalist Tsagoi, the son of the legendary, late Neacsu. He’s joined by Gheorghe Manole, who is following in the footsteps of his father, the late, great Ion Manole. The final guest artist is Viorica Rudareasa, who sang Taraf de Haïdouks’ iconic song Dumbala Dumb. Along with Taraf de Haïdouks, they play their part in a celebration of the music of “the best Gypsy band in the world.” Their story began back in 1990.
Taraf de Haïdouks roots are in Clejani, in Romania. That’s where they were formed twenty-five years ago, in 1990. Previously, the members of Taraf de Haïdouks had been playing at baptisms, weddings, funerals and harvests. However, during the next twenty-five years, Taraf de Haïdouks’ music was constantly changing.
The first change was when accordions found their way into the traditional bands, like Taraf de Haïdouks. This was a first. Previously, just violins and cymbalums featured. However, Taraf de Haïdouks embraced this change, and would continue to do so for the next twenty-five years.
Then the urban cabaret style started to feature heavily. Soon, Turkish melodies and rhythms influenced Taraf de Haïdouks. Later, the harmonies and structures became more complex. This suited Taraf de Haïdouks. They enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their talent. It was during this period, that instrumental music became more popular. However, Taraf de Haïdouks didn’t just jump onboard a passing bandwagon. No. They mixed the old and the new. That’s why Taraf de Haïdouks have been together twenty-five years and released eleven albums.
Having formed in 1990, Taraf de Haïdouks released their debut album in 1990. This was Musique Des Tziganes De Roumanie, which was released on Cramworld. Musique Des Tziganes De Roumanie caught the attention not just just of critics, cultural commentators and record buyers, but a film director.
Not long after releasing Musique Des Tziganes De Roumanie, Taraf de Haïdouks became stars of the sliver screen. They appeared in Tony Gatlif’s influential Latcho Drom film. This brought Taraf de Haïdouks to the attention of a much wider audience. Since then, Taraf de Haïdouks have rubbed shoulders with fashion designers and film stars. They’ve worked with fashion designer Yohji Yamamotos on Paris and Tokyo shows, and appeared alongside Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci in Sally Potter’s The Man Who Cried. Despite this, Taraf de Haïdouks live quietly in the village of Clejani, in the Valachian countryside. That’s apart from when they’re making music.
Making music is what Taraf de Haïdouks seem to do most of the time. Having released their debut album in 1991, Taraf de Haïdouks released their sophomore album in 1994. This was Honourable Brigands, Magic Horses And Evil Eye (Musique Des Tsiganes De Roumanie – Volume 2). After its release on Cramworld, Taraf de Haïdouks’ star continued to be in the ascendancy.
It seemed that word was continuing to spread about Taraf de Haïdouks. Norwegian rock star Åge Aleksandersen asked Taraf de Haïdouks to collaborate on his 1997 album, Fredløs | Dylan På Norsk. This allowed a wider audience to hear Taraf de Haïdouks’ music.
So, when they released Dumbala Dumba in 1998, it was to a much wider audience. What also helped in the rise and rise of Taraf de Haïdouks, was that they toured relentlessly. It seemed that Taraf de Haïdouks were constantly on tour. However, they still found time to record their next album.
During 2001, Taraf de Haïdouks worked on three albums. This included their fourth solo album, Band Of Gypsies. Taraf de Haïdouks also collaborated with Outlaws Of Yore on two albums Outlaws Of Yore II / Les “Haïdouks” D’Autrefois I and Outlaws Of Yore II / Les “Haïdouks” D’Autrefois II. It seemed that Taraf de Haïdouks were getting a taste of life in the recording studio. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.
Four years passed before Taraf de Haïdouks released another album. The Continuing Adventures Of Taraf De Haïdouks was released in 2005. Critical acclaim accompanied The Continuing Adventures Of Taraf De Haïdouks, which was the first of a quartet of albums Taraf de Haïdouks released for Crammed Discs.
Two years after the release of The Continuing Adventures Of Taraf De Haïdouks, came Maškaradă. This was Taraf De Haïdouks’ fifth solo album. Maškaradă was released to critical acclaim. Indeed, so good was Maškaradă that Taraf de Haïdouks were crowned “the best Gypsy band in the world.” That’s quite an accolade. So, most people thought Taraf De Haïdouks would be in a hurry to record their next studio album.
Wrong. Four years passed before Taraf De Haïdouks with Band Of Gypsies 2. No. It was the fourth collaboration of Taraf De Haïdouks’ career. However, what a collaboration Band Of Gypsies 2 was. Taraf De Haïdouks couldn’t have picked a better collaborator. Macedonia based, Koçani Orkestar, are without doubt, one of the best, and most innovative Balkan brass bands. They were yin to Taraf De Haïdouks’ yang on Band Of Gypsies 2. That’s why Band Of Gypsies 2 was one of the best collaborations of Taraf De Haïdouks’ career. However, Taraf De Haïdouks’ fans longed for another solo album. Surely, it wouldn’t be much longer?
Another four years passed before Taraf De Haïdouks announced that Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts would be released on Crammed Discs, on 26th January 2015. This will be a fitting tribute to not just Taraf De Haïdouk’s twenty-five year career, and Ion Manole, Neculae Neacsu, Cacurica and Ilie Iorga who sadly, have passed away. They all played their part in the rise and rise of Taraf De Haïdouks. Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts is a celebration of a twenty-five year musical journey, and those who played a part and made it possible. This includes the latest lineup of Taraf De Haïdouks.
Taraf De Haïdouks’ lineup of on features flautist Gheorghe Falcaru, violinists Anghel Gheorghe “Caliu,” Robert Gheorghe, Constantin Lautaru “Costica” and Paul Giuclea “Pasala. They’re joined by accordionist Marin Manole and “Marius” Marin P. Manole. Filip Simeonov plays clarinet and Ion Tanase “Ionica” plays cymbalum. Constantin Lautaru “Costica and Marin P. Manole also add lead vocals on two tracks each. With a little help from their friends, Taraf De Haïdouks recorded Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts.
On Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts, Taraf De Haïdouks fuse musical genres and influences over fourteen disparate tracks. Seamlessly, Taraf De Haïdouks flit between heartfelt ballads to love songs, through old school dance tunes and Turkish tinged instrumentals. It’s a potent mix of musical genres that’s a reminder of why Taraf De Haïdouks are called “the best Gypsy band in the world.”
That’s apparent from the opening bars of Balalau From Bucharest. Propelled along by gypsy violins, a bass and accordions, musical influences old and new combine. They’re joined by Viorica Rudareasa’s vocal. It’s the perfect addition this irresistible and joyous musical celebration. It’s the perfect way to begin celebrating twenty-five years of Taraf De Haïdouks.
There’s no let up on Moldavian Shepherds’ Dance. Again the bass, and scratchy, gypsy violins drive the arrangement along. This is the first of the instrumentals and is a tantalising taste of another side of Taraf De Haïdouks, one that’s akin to a call to dance.
Very different from the previous tracks is Cold Snowball. It features a soul-searching vocal from Constantin Lautaru “Costica. Accompanied by a wistful, dramatic arrangement, Taraf De Haïdouks’ relentlessly toys with your heartstrings.
The Fields Are Blooming follows in the footsteps of Moldavian Shepherds’ Dance. It’s best described as an explosion of joy, where Taraf De Haïdouks give thanks for a plentiful harvest.
As the tempo drops, Clejani Love Song is akin to an outpouring of emotion. As the violins, accordion and bass play, a heartachingly beautiful vocal from Marin P. Manole tugs at your heartstrings. It’s captivating, beautiful, needy and hopeful.
Manele Pomak sees Taraf De Haïdouks. Sharp stabs of violins and accordion give the track an almost cinematic sound. Then a clarinet adds a Turkish influence. By then, Taraf De Haïdouks are painting pictures with their music. You imagine Manele Pomak as the soundtrack to a thriller set in downtown Istanbul.
Bursting into life, The High Balcony In Ciolpan grabs your attention. Then the tempo slows, and the violins and accordion play deliberately. They provide the backdrop for a vocal bathed in emotion. Sadness and melancholy are ever-present, as memories come flooding back. The result is a poignant and moving track.
Where Do You Come From, Dear Lady? sees Taraf De Haïdouks up the tempo. As the bass drives the arrangement urgently along, violins sweep and accordions play. As the dramatic, urgent arrangement unfolds, a tender, thoughtful and questioning female vocal enters. She’s determined to discover Where Do You Come From, Dear Lady? before the track reaches its dramatic crescendo.
Slow, deliberate and minimalist describes the introduction to No Snow, No Rain. So does eerie, atmospheric and cinematic. Mostly, that’s down to the scratchy violin that takes centre-stage. Its accompanied by a subtle bass and accordion. For a minute, it provides a cinematic backdrop. Then its replaced a male vocal. His vocal is emotive and impassioned. He delivers each word with feeling, while an understated arrangement compliments what’s akin to a vocal masterclass.
Urgently and joyously, I’ll Tell You How It Is In The Other World bursts into life. Violins, bass and accordions urgently drive the celebratory arrangement along. They’re joined by Constantin Lautaru “Costica’s deliberate, thoughtful vocal. Meanwhile, the rest of Taraf De Haïdouks play thoughtfully. When the vocal drops out, they’re allowed to stretch their legs. After this, Constantin and the rest of Taraf De Haïdouks play with urgency, emotion and drama.
Dance Suite a la clejani is another of the instrumentals on Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts. As the bass provides the heartbeat and accordions interject. Taking centre-stage is Gheorghe Falcaru’s flute, and later, Filip Simeonov’s clarinet. Scratchy gypsy violins take charge, and with the rest of Taraf De Haïdouks drive the arrangement to a dramatic high.
Mother, My Little Mama is a heartfelt ballad with a difference. While the vocal is slow and deliberate, the arrangement races along. Propelling it along, are accordions, violins and the ever-present bass. After the vocal drops out, the rest of Taraf De Haïdouks enjoy the opportunity to showboat. It’s as if the beauty and emotion of the vocal has driven them to greater heights. What follows is proof that Taraf de Haïdouks are “the best Gypsy band in the world.”
Abruptly, and deliberately, violins set the scene for the vocal on I’ve Got A Parachute Skirt. Again, it’s an outpouring of emotion. The vocal takes centre-stage, while the urgent, dramatic, violins, bass and accordions play a supporting role. That’s until the vocal drops out. Mostly, though, it’s the vocal that plays a starring role on I’ve Got A Parachute Skirt.
Marius’ Lament closes Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts. Straight away, wistful violins join with accordions in a heart wrenching, but beautiful, melancholy, lament.
There aren’t many groups that get to celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary. This year, however, Taraf de Haïdouks celebrate twenty-five years making music. They’ve come a long way in the past twenty-five years.
In the early days, Taraf de Haïdouks played weddings, festival and baptisms. That was just a starting point. Soon, Taraf de Haïdouks’ star was in the ascendancy. They became stars of the silver screen and rubbed shoulders with fashion designer Yohji Yamamotos and film stars Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. Despite this, Taraf de Haïdouks stayed true to their roots. They never left in the village of Clejani, in the Valachian countryside. That’s apart from when they’re making music.
Over the past twenty-five years, Taraf de Haïdouks have spent a great deal of time making music. They’ve collaborated on five albums and recorded six studio albums. Taraf de Haïdouks’ latest album is Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts, which will be released on Crammed Discs, on 26th January 2015. Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts features Taraf de Haïdouks doing what they do best.
That’s seamlessly flitting between heartfelt ballads to love songs, through old school dance tunes and Turkish tinged instrumentals on Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts. It’s a captivating, potent and powerful mix of musical genres. Over the fourteen tracks on Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts, Taraf de Haïdouks take you on a musical and emotional journey. The music veers between beautiful, cinematic and dramatic, to heartfelt and irresistible and urgent. Relentlessly, Taraf de Haïdouks toy with your emotions on Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts. That’s why, by the time Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts draws to a close that your realise Taraf de Haïdouk are still “the best Gypsy band in the world.”
TARAF DE HAÏDOUKS-OF LOVERS, GAMBLERS AND PARACHUTE SKIRTS.
THE O’JAYS SHIP AHOY.
THE O’JAYS SHIP AHOY.
In August 1972, when The O’Jays’ released Back Stabbers, little did they realize how important an album it would become. Back Stabbers was certified gold, and fourteen years after The O’Jays were formed, were on their way to becoming one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful groups in the history of Philly Soul. Between 1972s Back Stabbers and 1979s Identify Yourself, The O’Jays released eight studio albums. Three were certified gold and five platinum.
Back Stabbers helped launch Gamble and Huff and their newly founded label, Philadelphia International Records as one of soul music’s premier labels. In the process, it established Gamble and Huff’s reputation as one of the most innovative, influential and pioneering production and songwriting teams. Indeed, The O’Jays followup to Back Stabbers, Ship Ahoy, released in October 1973, cemented Gamble and Huff’s reputation not just innovators and pioneers, but with a social conscience.
Ship Ahoy featured songs about slavery, racism, greed and pollution. Side-by-side on Ship Ahoy, sat love songs and songs with a social conscience. While The O’Jays may have sung sweetly about love, but they weren’t afraid to become the conscience of a nation, using their music to shame those who they thought were bringing their country to its knees, by their actions. Through the medium of music, politicians, corporate America and race, were all subjects that they dealt with in the music on Ship Ahoy, which will be rereleased on vinyl by Music On Vinyl on 26th January 2015. Before I tell you about some of the most powerful, potent and moving songs The O’Jays recorded, I’ll tell you about the background to Ship Ahoy.
By 1973, Philadelphia International Records had established its reputation as a pioneering label, who’d released critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. During 1972, Philadelphia International Records had released Billy Paul’s 360 Degrees of Billy Paul, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes’ I Miss You and The O’Jays’ Back Stabbers. Further success had come Philadelphia International Records’ way with Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes’ Black and Blue M.F.S.B’s sophomore album Love Is The Message and The Three Degrees’ eponymous album The Three Degrees. Gamble and Huff and Philadelphia International Records were on a roll by the time The O’Jays released Ship Ahoy.
Ship Ahoy featured four tracks penned by Gamble and Huff. They wrote Put Your Hands Together, Ship Ahoy and Now That We Found Love, while they cowrote the seven minute epic For The Love Of Money With Anthony Jackson. Kenny Gamble cowrote The Air That I Breathe and Don’t Call Me Brother with Bunny Sigler, who also contributed You Got Your Hooks Into Me. The songwriting team of Gene McFadden, John Whitehead and Victor Castarphen cowrote People Who Keep Tellin’ Me, which closes Ship Ahoy. Recording of Ship Ahoy took place at the familiar surroundings of Joe Tarsia’s Sigma Sound Studios.
At Philly’s Sigma Sound Studios, Gamble and Huff were joined by the classic lineup of M.F.S.B, Philadelphia International Records’ legendary house-band. This included the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section, plus bassist Anthony Jackson and guitarist Bobby “Electronic” Eli. They were joined by organist Lenny Pakula, percussionist Larry Washington, vibes virtuoso Vince Montana Jr and violinist Don Renaldo, who was part of the trademark string and horn sound that featured on many Philadelphia International Records’ recordings. Arrangers who worked on Ship Ahoy included Norman Harris, Dennis Williams, Lenny Pakula and Bobby Martin. Producing Ship Ahoy at Sigma Sound Studios were Gamble and Huff. Once Ship Ahoy was recorded, it was released in October 1973. Would Ship Ahoy match the success of 1972s Back Stabbers?
On the release of Ship Ahoy in October 1973, it surpassed the success of Back Stabbers, reaching number eleven in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts, resulting in The O’Jays first platinum disc. Put Your Hands Together was the lead single, released in November 1973. It reached number ten in the US Billboard 100 and number two in the US R&B Charts. For The Love Of Money was released in March 1974, reaching number nine in the US Billboard 100 and number three in the US R&B Charts. In the UK, three singles were released, Put Your Hands in November 1973, For The Love Of Money in March 1974 and Now That We Found Love in August 1974. Unbelievably, they all failed to chart. However, Ship Ahoy had surpassed the success of Back Stabbers, and in the process, transformed The O’Jays’ career. Why was that? That’s what I’ll tell you, when I tell you about the music on Ship Ahoy.
Put Your Hands Together opens Ship Ahoy. It’s a paean to cooperation and optimism in the face of hard times. Forty years later, The O’Jays message is just as relevant. When the track reveals its secrets, the sound is dramatic, moody and funky. The Baker, Harris, Young the rhythm section, guitars and keyboards combine drive the arrangement along. Having set the scene, Eddie Levert’s growling, vampish vocal enters. It soars passionately and emotively. Urgent harmonies sweep, sweetly and soulfully in. Meanwhile, strings dance and growl, while Earl Young’s drums and stabs of keyboards and percussion add to the drama. A funky bass and wah-wah guitar accompany The O’Jays, as they spread their message of optimism, in the face of adversity. Emotive and impassioned, filled hope and optimism The O’Jays, helped no end by M.F.S.B. create an uptempo, hook-laden track with a social message.
The title track, Ship Ahoy deals with a shameful subject, slavery. It tells the story African people being taken captive, transported on a ship as part of the slave trade. Originally, Gamble and Huff had hoped the track would be part of the soundtrack for the film Shaft In Africa, but this never happened. Complete with the sound of crashing waves and whips cracking this powerful track unfolds. They’re joined by keyboards, a slow plodding bass and a guitar, before deliberate strings enter. When Eddie’s emotive vocal enters, The O’Jays sing tight harmonies. Their voices are tinged in anger, as the drama builds and grows. Stirring, dramatic and pounding drums join strings that sweep in loud and grand. Blazing horns add to the drama and emotion. Later, guitars soar, screaming and screeching, as if empathising with the pain suffered. It’s impossible not to be moved by the lyrics, and their delivery. Like Norman Harris’ arrangement, they bring the lyrics to life. Such is the power of the music, that by the end, you feel moved, angry and upset. To be able to achieve these emotions through the power of soul music, is testament to the talent of The O’Jays and Gamble and Huff.
The Air That I Breathe has a slightly Latin sound and feel. Norman Harris’ chiming guitar, percussion, piano and rasping horns uniting. The Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section provide the heartbeat, as this anthemic, hooky song with a message unfolds. When Eddie’s vocal enters, it’s laden with emotion. Almost with disbelief he powerfully rages at the pollution around him. Still there’s a joyous sound, as M.F.S.B. and The O’Jays kick loose. His vocal soars heavenwards, his vocal tinged anger and resentment. As if spurred on, the harmonies are tighter, sweeter and more soulful. M.F.S.B. are similarly spurred on. Braying horns, Baker, Harris, Young, percussion and piano provide the backdrop for Eddie’s moving, emotive and soulful masterclass. Like Put Your Hands Together, their message is one of optimism, hoping things will improve. By the end of the track, you can only salute The O’Jays for managing to get their message across in such a deeply soulful and melodic way.
Bunny Sigler and Kenny Gamble cowrote You Got the Hooks In Me, which Bobby Martin arranged. A piano slowly and subtly plays, before Eddie’s vocal enters. It’s accompanied by Earl Young’s drums and short sharp bursts of organ. The tempo is slow, the playing subtle. Soon, the arrangement reveals is soulful secrets. Eddie’s heartfelt, heartbroken vocal soars, and soothing, soulful harmonies sweep in. They’re enveloped by melancholy horns, lush strings and Lenny Pakula’s Hammond organ. By now, The O’Jays are at their soulful best, delivering a track that’s heartbreakingly sad, where Eddie lays bare his soul, hurt and heartbreak to hear.
For the Love Of Money is another protest song, this time against materialism, that was and is, contributing to the world’s problems. During the track, Anthony Jackson contributes one of the most famous bass lines in popular music. It was played through a phaser, then bathed in echo. Since then, it’s been sampled by many hip hop artists. Originally, the track was written around the bass line. Straight away, that bass line pounds, weaving its way across the arrangement. It’s fast and funky, surrounded by crisp crashing cymbals, pounding drums, angry horns and harmonies. They yell “money” over and over. When Eddie’s vocal enters, it’s strong, angry and filled with frustration. His ire is directed at people’s “Love Of Money. Bobby Martin’s arrangement mixes elements of soul and funk masterfully. A combination of searing, soaring guitars solos, loud, angry, drums, percussion and grizzled horns accompany a vocal that’s angry, frustrated and impassioned. Like other tracks on Ship Ahoy, the lyrics, are still relevant today. Oh and that bass line sounds just as good, forty years on.
Now That We’ve Found Love is a beautiful, heartfelt love song, arranged by Norman Harris. This is what many people think of when The O’Jays are mentioned, beautiful love songs. They aren’t aware of their socially aware protest songs. Keyboards, percussion and the Baker, Harris, Young rhythm section unite, before tight, tender harmonies enter. Eddie’s vocal takes centre-stage, with a heartfelt delivery of the lyrics, which preach forgiveness. His vocal is swathed in lush strings and rasping horns. Like other tracks, the arrangement veers between lush and dramatic, as The O’Jays deliver another beautiful, heartfelt and impassioned love song. Indeed, it’s one of the most beautiful love songs The O’Jays ever recorded.
Don’t Call Me Brother is a protest song, and finds The O’Jays at their angriest and fieriest. A jazz-tinged backdrop, complete with Norman Harris’ chiming, jazz guitar, wistful horns and the lushest of strings cascades along. Dramatic bursts of Earl Young’s drums signal The O’Jays to unleash their anger. They do this is style that’s part Philly Soul, part doo wop. Close, impassioned and angry harmonies sing about the false claims of racial harmony from people who would just as soon stab you in the back. Eddie’s angry vocal rails against the hypocrisy and lies of politicians and leaders. Bobby Martin’s arrangement, like the anger and frustration, builds up, reaching a dramatic musical crescendo. Thunderous drums, blazing horns, strings and guitars unite. Then as if spent, returns to a much more gentle and melodic sound. For nearly nine minutes, The O’Jays vent their anger and frustration, passionately and peerlessly. By the end of the track, it’s impossible to not be touched and moved by their powerful, deeply moving message, where doo-wop, Philly Soul, jazz and gospel unite.
People Keep Tellin’ Me closes Ship Ahoy is People Keep Tellin’ Me. It’s an upbeat and uplifting track, arranged by Norman Harris. Strings sweep and swirl, horns rasp and growl and Baker, Harris, Young provide the track’s heartbeat. Harmonies sweep in soaring soulfully and joyously. Even the, you sense something special is unfolding. Washes of Hammond organ and Vince Montana Jr’s vibes join forces, before Eddie’s heartfelt, impassioned vocal enters. He and the other O’Jays drive each other to greater heights. M.F.S.B. are enjoying the opportunity to kick loose. Something very special has unfolded. Joyous and emotive describes this irresistible slice of Philly Soul. It features The O’Jays and M.F.S.B. at their very best, as they bookend Ship Ahoy perfectly. As the song closes, you can’t help but Put Your Hands Together for The O’Jays, as they close Ship Ahoy in a way that’s not just sweet and soulful, but uplifting, melodic and memorable.
Following up an album as critically acclaimed and commercially successful as Back Stabbers, wasn’t going to be easy for The O’Jays. However, they were no ordinary group. Even by their second album for Philadelphia International Records, The O’Jays had earned a reputation as one of Philly Soul’s great groups. By 1973, The O’Jays were seasoned performers, the group having been formed in 1957. Over the previous fifteen years, they’d refined their sound. A combination of Eddie Levert’s lead vocal and sweet, tight vocal harmonies becoming huge polished and deeply soulful. It was as if all these years of experience were coming to fruition on Back Stabbers and then Ship Ahoy. While Back Stabbers was critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Ship Ahoy surpassed its success.
During the eight tracks on Ship Ahoy, The O’Jays mixed beautiful love songs with songs filled with social comment. Ship Ahoy featured songs about slavery, racism, greed, materialism and pollution. Social comment and protest songs stood side by side, and the emotion, anger and frustration wells up in The O’Jays’ voices. They were also preaching a message of optimism and togetherness on Ship Ahoy. Many of the songs on Ship Ahoy, their messages are just as relevant forty years after the album’s release in 2013. Still people are seduced by materialism, greedy for money and willing to do anything to gain even more. Sadly, racial discrimination, like many other forms of discrimination is prevalent, and the backstabbers mentioned in Don’t Call Me Brother, are still around, still causing trouble, when they claim to be a force for good and harmony. Ship Ahoy features The O’Jays sing emotionally and passionately. Just below the surface, tension, frustration and anger is palpable, at the various problems that faced society. Then when The O’Jays sing the love songs on Ship Ahoy, we hear the side of their music most people are aware of. Their delivery of these gorgeous love songs feature the peerless combination of Eddie Levert’s vocal, laden with emotion and passion and tight, sweet and soulful harmonies. These two sides of The O’Jays’ music come to the fore on Ship Ahoy.
Forty years after the release of The O’Jays sophomore album for Philadelphia International Records, the music Ship Ahoy is just as relevant in 2013, as it was in 1973. To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of one of The O’Jays’ classic albums Ship Ahoy,which will be rereleased on vinyl by Music On Vinyl on 26th January 2015. Ship Ahoy is a stonewall Philly Soul classic, where songs filled with social comment sit side-by-side with beautiful love songs. Indeed, the platinum certified Ship Ahoy is one of the best albums ever released, and is one of several classic albums The O’Jays released between 1972 and 1979.
THE O’JAYS-SHIP AHOY.
JOHAN AGEBJORN-NOTES.
JOHAN AGEBJORN-NOTES.
In music, some artists are content to jump onto the latest bandwagon, in the search of fame and fortune. Other artists however, are musical mavericks. They’re determined not to stand still. Instead, their raison d’être is to create music that pushes musical boundaries. As a result, with each album, their music evolves and constantly changes direction. That’s the case with Gothenburg based producer, Johan Agebjörn.
Since 2006, Johan Agebjörn, has released a quartet of albums and a dozen remixes. Each of these releases are very different. Johan has refused to stand still. No. He constantly reinvent his music. Johan it seems, is a musical shapeshifter. That’s been the case since his 2006, when Johan released his debut album and began living a musical double life.
Johan, it seemed wasn’t content to embark upon a solo career. He decided to lead a double life, as a member of Italo disco group Sally Shapiro. Since then, Sally Shapiro have released seven albums, and four solo albums. However, four will become five, when Johan Agebjörn releases Notes on the Paper Bag label on February 10th 2015.
Notes, which is best described as dreamy, ethereal and melancholy, is an album of mostly instrumental soundscapes. Joining Johan on his latest ambient offering, Notes, are guest vocalists Sally Shapiro, Loney Dear and Young Galaxy. They play walk-on parts in Notes, which sees Johan Agebjörn change direction yet again.
That’s been the case throughout Johan Agebjörn’s career. Since his 2006 debut album Music With Less Electricity, he’s released everything from ambient and electro, right through to Italo disco, 8bit and classical piano music. Eclectic, it seems, is the best way to describe the Gothenburg based musical adventurer, whose career began in 2006.
It was back in 2006, that Johan Agebjörn embarked upon his musical double life. He released his debut album, Music With Less Electricity on the Swedish label Husmus Media. The same year, Johan joined forces with disco pop princess Sally Shapiro.
The two Gothenburg based musicians formed the Italo disco duo, and released their debut single Anorak Romance in 2006. Later that year, Sally Shapiro released their debut album Disco Romance. This was just the start of Johan’s musical double life.
Two years after releasing his debut solo album, Johan released his sophomore album, Mossebo. It featured vocalist Lisa Barra on five of the eleven tracks. On its release, in 2008, Mossebo was well received by critics. Johan’s music was evolving, and the critics approved. Meanwhile, Sally Shapiro had been busy.
During 2008, two volumes of remixes of Sally Shapiro tracks were released. Remix Romance Volume 1, and then Remix Romance Volume 2, saw DJs transform Sally Shapiro’s original track. This whetted record buyers appetite for Sally Shapiro’s second studio album.
Just a year later, in 2009, Sally Shapiro returned with what was essentially their sophomore album, the aptly titled, My Guilty Pleasure. After all, Johan was living a double life, flitting between his solo career and Sally Shapiro, which was his guilty pleasure. With Sally Shapiro, Italo disco was given a noughties makeover. This struck a nerve with DJs and dancers. So, in 2010, Sally Shapiro released My Guilty Pleasure-Remixes. This was the last Sally Shapiro album for three years.
During this three year period, Johan was kept busy. He released two solo albums in 2011, Casablanca Nights and The Mountain Like. Johan and Ercola collaborated on their 2011 single The Last Days Of Summer. This wasn’t Johan’s only collaboration. He also collaborated with Le Prix on the Watch The World Go By in 2011. That was the last we heard from Johan as a solo artist until now.
Sally Shapiro however, were busy. They released What Can I Do as a single in 2012. Then 2013 was a busy year for Sally Shapiro. Somewhere Else became Sally Shapiro’s third studio album. Hot on its heels came Elsewhere, an album of remixes. That’s not all. Sally Shapiro released a remix of If It Doesn’t Rain and Starman, their collaboration with Electric Youth for Elsewhere. 2013 had been another big year for Italo disco’s pop princess. However, what about Johan Agebjörn’s solo career?
Johan had been contemplating the direction his career was heading, when he was asked to do a remix for Jam & Spoon. Whilst he was doing the remix, he needed what he describes as “a cheap electric piano sound.” That’s when he first encountered the Casio MT-52, a cheap keyboard from the early eighties. It was never envisaged as being used by professional musicians. No. The Casio MT-52 was favoured mostly by amateur musicians. However, having discovered the Casio MT-52, it changed the way Johan worked.
Whereas previously Johan used without the kind of drum, bass and pad sounds on previous albums, he eschews them on Notes. Instead, he uses the Casio MT-52 extensively on Notes. The Casio MT-52 “turned out to be the perfect sound to express feelings I had inside me that I wanted to turn into music.” This resulted in a eureka moment for Johan.
Whilst recording Notes, Johan realised how much his previous recordings have been influenced by the electronic music of the eighties and nineties. That’s not surprising. It’s writ large all over his four previous albums. Not Notes though. Notes you’ll realise, is a stylistic departure from Johan Agebjörn.
The Right To Play opens Notes. It has a jaunty minimalist arrangement, one that almost skips joyously along. Later, synth strings compliment he lo-fi keyboards, before a dark bass adds an ominous backdrop. Soon, percussion and sound effects flit in, and out. They add to what’s already a captivating track, one that whets your appetite for the rest of Notes.
Spin My Head Through Times is best described as a short, cinematic soundscape. A child’s vocal is cocooned amidst a crackling, analogue sound. Meanwhile a melancholy keyboard adds to the cinematic sound.
The arrangement to The Boy Who Thought It Was A Good Idea To Cry literally bounds, carefully along. This arrangement is made up of layers of instruments and sound effects. They veer between dark and broody, to angelic and ethereal. Key to the track are the big, bold, confident keyboards. They’re aided and abetted by a bass synth, synth strings and sound effects. They’re responsible for this compelling fusion of ambient, classical and electronic music.
Malala’s Dream is another of the short soundscapes on Notes. At just over a minute long, it’s akin to the soundtrack to a new day summer day dawning.
The Leftovers features the first of the guest artists, Lonely Dear. Flourishes of keyboards and washes of ethereal synths are joined by dark, dramatic and ominous drums. They provide the backdrop to Lonely Dear’s heartfelt vocal, which sits in the middle of washes of the swirling arrangement. It has a noticeable eighties, nineties influence, where drama and emotion are omnipresent.
Ethereal and dreamy describes You Passed Through. Confident, strident keyboards, washes of synths, percussion and sound effects provide the backdrop to Young Galaxy’s vocal. It’s ethereal, needy and sensual. Literally, the arrangement cocoons and caresses her vocal. Later, the arrangement grows, matching the neediness in the vocal, which plays a starring role in this ethereal, dreamy tracks’s success.
Careful features mysterious, Italo disco, pop princess, Sally Shapiro. Johan moves through the gears, creating a bold, dramatic arrangement. Keyboards are played confidently, while washes of synths sweep in and out. Soon, drums pound and crack. Eventually, the mysterious diva makes an appearance. Her tender, fragile vocal sits back in the arrangement, sweeping in and out. This works. It adds to what sounds like a mid tempo ambient track, whose ethereal quality cocoons you.
Again, the sound of children playing opens Will They Forgive Us. Keyboards and a guitar play briskly. Washes of weeping synths add to what’s a beautiful, atmospheric soundscape. Later, drums are added, and drive this mesmeric soundscape along.
Alpha Beta Gamma features another of the guest artists, Brain Machine. Here, Johan has remixed the original track, giving it a dance-floor friendly sound. Atop the pumping 4/4 beats, sit glistening keyboards. Adding depth and a contrast is another synth. It sits below, filling out the arrangement to this driving dance track. It’s akin to an atmospheric musical journey through the Swedish countryside, aboard an SJ High-speed train.
It Was Never A Challenge To Love You has an understated introduction. It’s as if the arrangement is loathe to reveal its secrets. However, gradually, the arrangement unfolds. A bass synth, hissing hi-hats join percussion. Throughout the track, stabs of synths make their presence felt. They’re later joined by bursts of ethereal, angelic sounds. Surprises assail you, as gradually, It Was Never A Challenge To Love You reveals its secrets.
As a storm breaks, a piano plays and The Best Thing unfolds. A bold, broody bass is joined by a briskly played piano and keyboards drenched in reverb. Then there’s Sally Shapiro’s tender, dreamy vocal. It’s the perfect fit for the arrangement. They’re both suitably understated, as Sally proves to be yin to the arrangement’s yang, on one of Notes’ highlights.
On Golden Wings I Fly closes Notes. The sound of a deserted beach or desolate hillside, gives way to keyboards. As they play, you drift away. You loose yourself in this dreamy, ethereal and cinematic soundscape. Adding to the cinematic sound a sample of a child speaking. When it drops out, the cinematic sound becomes dreamy and ethereal, resulting in Notes closing on a high.
Four years after releasing his previous albums, Casablanca Nights and The Mountain Like, Johan Agebjörn returns with Notes, which will be released on the Paper Bag label on February 10th 2015. It’s the latest offering from a musical shapeshifter.
Since 2006, Johan Agebjörn, has released a quartet of solo albums. He’s also released seven albums with mysterious disco pop princess, Sally Shapiro. Each of these albums are very different. That’s what you’d expect from a musical changeling.
Throughout his career, Johan has constantly reinvented his music. He’s released he’s everything from ambient and electro, right through to Italo disco, 8bit and classical piano music. Eclectic, it seems, is the best way to describe the Gothenburg based musical chameleon. This is the case on Notes, Johan’s fifth album.
Notes is best described as cinematic, dramatic, dreamy, ethereal, melancholy and even, mesmeric. Sometimes Notes is beautiful, emotive, sensual and sultry. Other times Notes is bold and dark. Always, Johan Agebjörn’s fifth solo album, Notes, is a captivating and compelling album, that, full of surprises aplenty.
JOHAN AGEBJORN-NOTES.
SIDSEL ENDRESEN AND STIAN WESTERHUS-BONITA.
SIDSEL ENDRESEN AND STIAN WESTERHUS-BONITA.
One of the most eagerly awaited albums of 2015 is Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ sophomore album Bonita. It was released on Rune Grammofon, on 12th January 2015. Bonita was the followup to Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ debut album Didymoi Dreams. Just like Didymoi Dreams, Bonita is another album of groundbreaking, innovative music. However, while Didymoi Dreams was a live album, Bonita was recorded in the studio.
Didymoi Dreams was a recording of a concert that took place at the prestigious Nattjazz festival in Bergen, Norway. This was a meeting of musical minds. Seamlessly, two of Norway’s finest musicians, Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus, became one. Their understanding was almost telepathic. They fed off each other, driving each other to greater heights. Sidsel was yin to Stian’s yang on Didymoi Dreams. It’s no wonder that when Didymoi Dreams was released, it was to widespread critical acclaim.
On its release in August 2012, critics were won over by what was hailed as a groundbreaking album of innovative music. Critics called Didymoi Dreams one of the best Norwegian albums of 2012. Discerning music lovers agreed. They too, were won over by Didymoi Dreams. Just like the critics, they hoped that there would be a followup to Didymoi Dreams.
Little did they realise that two-and-a-half years would pass before Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus released the followup up to Didymoi Dreams. In a way, that’s not surprising. Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus are two of the hardest working Norwegian musicians. They’ve enjoyed long and illustrious careers.
Sidsel Endresen’s career as a singer-songwriter began back in the eighties. Since then, she’s established a reputation as one of the top vocal improvisers in the world. The rise and rise of Sidsel Endresen began in the early nineties.
Between 1990 and 1994, Sidsel Endresen was signed to ECM Records. During this period, she released two albums for ECM Records. So I Write was released in 1990, with Exile following in 1994. After this, Sidsel collaborated with Bugge Wesseltoft.
The collaboration between Sidsel and Bugge Wesseltoft proved fruitful. They released a trio of albums, 1994s Nightsong, 1998s Duplex Ride and 2002s Out Here In There. This resulted in two Norwegian Grammys for Sidsel and Bugge. Since then, Sidsel has been constantly, collaborating, recording and touring.
In 2003, Sidsel collaborated with Christian Wallumrød and Helge Sten on Merriwinkle. Then eight years later, in 2011, Sidsel worked on two collaborations.
The first of the collaborations was between Sidsel and Humcrush. Their critically acclaimed album Ha!,was released on Rune Grammofon in 2011. Sidsel’s other collaboration was with Bram Stadhouders and Jim Black. They released Bell Time on the Muzieklab Brabant label. A year later, Sidsel was involved in another groundbreaking collaboration.
Joining Sidsel were Jan Bang, Erik Honoré, David Sylvian and Arve Henriksen. They collaborated on the 2012 album Uncommon Deities. It’s best described as groundbreaking and genre-melting album music. It was well received by critics, and hailed as an ambitious album. However, Sidsel’s other collaboration of 2012, Didymoi Dreams received widespread critical acclaim.
Sidsel collaborated with Stian Westerhus on Didymoi Dreams. Released to widespread critical acclaim, this meeting of musical minds resulted in one of the best Norwegian albums of 2012. No wonder. Sidsel’s collaborator, Stian Westerhus, was a hugely talented musician.
Over the last few years, Stian Westerhus has established a reputation as one of Europe’s most accomplished and innovative abstract guitar players. This has been the result of a lifetime’s work. That’s how long it’s taken to hone and tame his unique sound. As a result of his dedication, Stian has been constantly in demand as a session player, mixer, recordist and producer. Then there’s three solo albums and numerous collaborations with the great and the good of Norwegian music. The story began back in 2006.
Back then, Stian was a member of Puma, who released their debut album Isolationism in 2006. Puma’s sophomore album was the brilliantly titled Discotheque Bitpunching. It was released in 2008. Then in 2010, Puma released their final album Half Nelson Courtship, which was released on Rune Grammofon. However, this wasn’t the only album Puma released.
No. In 2009, Puma and Lasse Marhaug joined forces. Their successful collaboration was Fist Full Of Knuckles. It was released to widespread critical acclaim and was seen as a union of innovators. This isn’t the only collaboration Stian’s been involved in.
A year before the release of Fist Full Of Knuckles, Stian had collaborated with Eldbjørg Raknes and saxophonist Eirik Hegda. The result was From Frozen Feet, released in 2008. The same year, Stian collaborated with Norwegian percussionist Terje Isungset on Laden With Rain. Together with his work as a session musician, this stood Stian in good stead for his solo career.
It was 2009 that Stian’s solo career began, when he released Galore. Released on The Last Record Company, a subsidiary of Rune Grammofon, Galore was mixed, recorded and produced by Stian. His 2010 sophomore solo album, Pitch Black Star Spangled was released on Rune Grammofon and saw Stian further develop his abstract guitar style. Critically acclaimed, Stian was seen as one of Norwegian music’s leading musicians. That’s why he was constantly in-demand as a guitarist, vocalist and later, a producer
This includes adding vocals to Bladed’s 2009 album Mangled Dreams. Then in 2010, Stian played on Jaga Jazzist’s One Armed Bandit album. Stian played everything from percussion, harp,effects, twelve-string guitar, baritone guitar and electric guitar. Then to round off 2010, Stian played on Maurhaug’s All Music At Once. 2010, had been, without doubt, the most productive year of Stian’s career.
2011 saw Stian play on Ulver’s War Of The Roses album. He also played harmonium, mixed and produced Nils Petter Molvær’s Baboon Moon. For Stian, this was all good experience for his solo career, which he returned to in 2012.
The Matriarch And The Wrong Kind Of Flowers was Stian’s fourth solo album. It was released in 2012 to critical acclaim. Critics hailed this genre melting album Stian’s finest album. That wasn’t the end of 2012 for Stian. Far from it.
During 2012, Stian collborated with Bol and Snah. Billed as Bol, Westerhus, Snah, they released Numb, Number. Then Stian collaborated with Norwegian jazz vocalist Sidsel Endresen on Didymoi Dreams. This was an album that pushed musical boundaries to their limits, and sometimes, and way beyond. Stian’s blistering, searing guitar licks and Sidsel’s explosive bursts of vocal were a potent partnership. Genres melted into one as Stian and Sidsel challenged musical norms. Ambitious, brave and groundbreaking describes this opus. After this, Stian decided to change direction and founded Pale Horses.
Pale Horses are an electronic rock trio, but they’re not exactly a new band. Stian, keyboardist Øystein Moen and drummer and percussionist Erland Dahlen all played together in Puma. Øystein Moen also was a member of Jaga Jazzist. Stian made a guest appearance on their 2010 album One Armed Bandit. So musically, they knew each other really well. The only difference is the type of music that Pale Horses will be playing. Puma’s music is best described as a fusion of experimental, jazz and post rock. That’s quite different to the music on Maelstrom, which without doubt, was one of the finest Norwegian albums of 2014. Given the success of Stian’s previous collaboration, then this bodes well for Bonita, his collaboration with Sidsel Endresen.
Recording of Bonita took place at Oslo Klang Studio in August 2014. It was recorded by Johnny Skalleberg. Stian mixed and produced Bonita during September 2014. Mastering took place during September 2014, by Helge Sten at the Audio Virus Lab. Once Bonita was recorded, it was ready for release on 12th January on Rune Grammofon. It had been a long time coming.
Two-and-a-half years to be precise. However, at last, one of the most eagerly awaited albums of the last six months is out, Bonita. It’s the much anticipated followup to Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ debut album Didymoi Dreams. However, was Bonita worth the wait?
Opening Bonita is the title-track, Bonita. As Sidsel delivers a vocal that veers between sultry, to urgent, dramatic and confrontational and even sensual. Meanwhile, Stian wields his guitar. Briefly, it heads in the direction of surf guitar. Soon, machine gun licks are unleashed. Amidst the sound of effects and feedback, Stian tames and transforms the guitar. This is done via pedals and effects. At one point, his guitar sounds as if it’s providing the soundtrack to a futuristic computer game. Still, Sidsel is combining drama, urgency, emotion and power, as she and Stian deliver a virtuoso performances.
Stabs of spacious, space-age sounds open Ripper Silk. Filling some of the space, is Sidsel’s enquiring, inquisitive vocal. Soon, it’s apparent she’s asked a question she shouldn’t have. Behind her, an eerie, sinister, chilling and cinematic backdrop unfolds. It’s no wonder her vocal is full of fear. She literally bristles with emotion and tension, as crashes bursts of guitar and bubbling sounds assail her. Sidsel reacts to Stian’s cinematic backdrop, delivering a powerful, emotive performance, one that’s chilling and realistic.
Baton, like Ripper Silk, has a cinematic sound. A buzzing sound moves towards you, growing in power. Strident, chiming guitars, plink and clink. They join sci-fi sounds and Sidsel’s vocal. Seamlessly, she reacts to the music that’s unfolding. That’s because Stian and Sidsel have an almost telepathic musical understanding. Her vocal’s croaky, improvised, vocal is, tinged with emotion, and urgency. Meanwhile, Stian produces a swirling soundscape. His guitar chimes, sears and blisters above the arrangement. Using effects he transforms the dry signal. It becomes what can only be described as Hendrix-esque. The addition of sci-fi sounds proves the perfect addition to a seven minute epic.
Boom Boom has an understated arrangement. This comes courtesy of washes of ethereal guitar. They provide the backdrop to Sidsel’s tender, heartfelt vocal. It’s full of emotion and has a vulnerability. Behind the vocal, swells of music rise and fall. They come courtesy of Stian’s guitar Theyre the perfect accompaniment to Sidsel, on this beautiful, ethereal and melodic track.
The arrangement to Knuckle Tattoo sweeps along, occasionally beeping and squeaking. It’s hard to believe this is the work of one man’s guitar. It is though. Mind you, that guitarist is Stian Westerhus. With his guitar and trusty effects, he’s responsible for an arrangement that compliments Sidsel’s melancholy vocal. Sometimes, the arrangement grows dark and dramatic. However, never does it overpower SIdsel’s vocal. Instead, it compliments and frames her fragile, thoughtful vocal.
White Mantilla is the centrepiece of Bonita. It’s an eight minute epic. Sidsel’s husky, atmospheric vocal becomes frail and fragile, as the arrangement grows and builds. Buzzing, chiming and sometimes, taming feedback, Stian showboats. Meanwhile, Sidsel’s vocal is akin to a cathartic outpouring of emotion and hurt. Later, Stian takes centre-stage. His backdrop becomes dark, then stops, starts, and bathes in walls of feedback. After that, it heads different directions, crackling, buzzing and paying homage to Pink Floyd, circa Dark Side Of The Moon, and Wish You Were Here. As the arrangement pulsates, it makes its way towards you. That’s when Sidsel’s tender, wistful vocal reappears. Sung against the minimalist, moody arrangement it’s spellbinding and captivating. Literally, it stops you in your tracks.
The Pink Link is a short soundscape. Thanks to Stian, his gutar and effects, it has a cinematic quality. As the arrangement buzzes, squeaks, beeps and creaks, Stian successfully tames feedback. This isn’t easy, and takes a talented guitarist. Having done this, it becomes part of a soundscape that’s best described as cinematic, experimental and futuristic.
Having tamed the tiger that’s feedback on The Pink Link, Stian successfully uses washes of reverb on Solemn Vista. This allows his chiming, crystalline guitar to trip, slowly into the distance. Accompanying it is a slow, thoughtful bass line. They provide a subtle, thoughtful, accompaniment to the ethereal beauty of Sidsel’s improvised vocal.
Blue Punch closes Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ sophomore album Bonita. A myriad or crashes, banges are joined by muted guitars and then futuristic sound effects. Meanwhile, Sidsel delivers a strutting, swaggering vocal. She feeds of Stian’s playing. As his muted, machine gun licks grow in power, and drama, so does Sidsel’s vocal. She’s determined to match him ever step of the way. The result is a grounbreaking, innovative collaboration between two generations of Norway’s top musicians.
Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus’ sophomore album, Bonita, was one of the most eagerly awaited albums of past the sixth months. It was released on Rune Grammofon, on 12th January 2015. Bonita was released two-and-a-half years after Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus released their debut album Didymoi Dreams. Just like Didymoi Dreams, Bonita is another album of groundbreaking, innovative music from two of Norway’s most adventurous and prolific artists.
Both Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus have collaborated with a wide range of artists. This has stood them in good stead. The music on Bonita is best described as ambitious, adventurous, bold, eclectic, groundbreaking and innovative. Seamlessly, two the best Norwegian musicians of their generations fuse musical genres and influences. This includes elements of ambient, avant-garde, experimental, jazz, psychedelia and rock. These genres melt into one, resulting in music that can only be described as unique.
On Bonita, Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus pickup where they left off two-and-a-half years ago on their debut album Didymoi Dreams. Somewhat belatedly, Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus two of Norway’s finest musicians, became one, yet again. They renew their almost telepathic relationship on Bonita.
It’s as if Sidsel reacts to Stian’s guitar playing. Similarly, as Sidsel improvises, her music veers between dramatic, ethereal, heartfelt, sensual and urgent. Listening intently, Stian picks up on a change of direction. Straight away, Stian reacts. His trusty guitar and effects take the listener on a musical adventure. He’s responsible for washes of blistering, dramatic ethereal, jagged, fuzzy, scorching and understated music. This is the perfect compliment for Sidsel’s vocals. Feeding off each other, they drive each other to greater heights on Bonita. That’s why Bonita manages to surpass the quality of music on Didymoi Dreams. Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus seem to be a musical marriage made in heaven.
Hopefully, Bonita won’t be the last collaboration between Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus. After all, what could be better than another collaboration between two of the most talented and successful Norwegian artists? They’re like yin and yang on Bonita. Sidsel’s vocal is the perfect accompaniment to Stian’s guitar. They bring out the best in each other, driving each other to greater musical heights. That’s apparent throughout Bonita’s nine tracks. From the opening bars of Bonita, right through to the closing notes of Blue Punch, Bonita proves an ambitious, captivating, innovative and genre defying album, from Sidsel Endresen and Stian Westerhus,who are, without doubt, two of Norwegian music’s most talented artists.
SIDSEL ENDRESEN AND STIAN WESTERHUS-BONITA.
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND-WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT.
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND-WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT.
It was in September 1967, that The Velvet Underground began recording their sophomore album White Light/White Heat. A lot had happened since The Velvet Underground released their debut album The Velvet Underground and Nico in March 1967.
The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol had decided to go their separate ways. Their relationship had been on the slide for some time. Eventually, things had deteriorated so badly that, the only option was for The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol to go their own way. This however, wasn’t the end in the changes.
Nico had also left The Velvet Underground, after the commercial failure of their debut album The Velvet Underground and Nico.
On its release, The Velvet Underground and Nico failed commercially and wasn’t well received by critics. Worse was to come. The Velvet Underground and Nico was banned in many places. That wasn’t surprising, given the moral climate. Songs about drug abuse, prostitution, sadism and masochism and sexual deviancy weren’t what America’s moral guardians wanted the American youth to hear. As a result, what would later become one of the most ambitious, gritty, influential, innovative and revolutionary albums passed most record buyers by. Maybe, The Velvet Underground’s sophomore album would fare better?
Undeterred, in September 1967, The Velvet Underground set set about recording their sophomore album, White Light/White Heat. The changes that had taken place resulted in a very different band entering Scepter Studios, New York.
The major change was the loss of Nico. She took charge of the lead vocal on three tracks on The Velvet Underground and Nico. This wasn’t the only loss. Andy Warhol had been credited as co-producer. However, with The Velvet Underground having severed all ties with Andy Warhol, Tom Scott was named as producer. He joined The Velvet Underground in Specter Studios, New York, in September 1967.
At Specter Studios, The Velvet Underground would record six tracks. Lou Reed contributed White Light/White Heat, Lady Godiva’s Operation and I Heard Her Call My Name. He also cowrote Here She Comes Now with John Cale and Sterling Morrison. The other two tracks, The Gift and Sister Ray, were credited to The Velvet Underground. These six song were recorded by the new lineup of The Velvet Underground and became White Light/White Heat.
At Specter Studios, the recording of White Light/White Heat took place during September 1967. Lou Reed took charge of lead vocals and played lead and rhythm guitar. Sterling Morrison played lead, rhythm and bass guitar. Maureen Tucker added percussion and John Cale played bass, organ, electric viola, piano and added sound effects. John also sang the lead vocal on Lady Godiva’s Operation. When the six songs were recorded, White Light/White Heat was released on 30th January 1968.
When critics heard White Light/White Heat, reviews were mixed. Many critics didn’t get White Light/White Heat. Nor did they know what to make of White Light/White Heat. They were left scratching their head. It was, after all, unlike anything else released during this period.
White Light/White Heat can be described as an avant garde cacophony of sound. This feedback driven album would prove hugely influential, and can be credited as one of the albums that gave birth to punk. However, just like The Velvet Underground and Nico, the lyrics on White Light/White Heat were controversial. Again, The Velvet Underground weren’t going to submit to establishment censorship. The Velvet Underground it seemed, were determined to do things their way. This would prove costly.
On the release of White Light/White Heat, it wasn’t a commercial success, stalling at just number 199 in the US Billboard 200 charts. Neither of the singles, White Light/White Heat, nor I Heard Her Call My Name would prove commercially successful. For The Velvet Underground, this was a huge disappointment.
Still, The Velvet Underground were awaiting their commercial breakthrough. The Velvet Underground were at a crossroads. Little did they realise that belatedly, White Light/White Heat would be regarded as a hugely influential and innovative album. That would come later. By then, The Velvet Underground would be reduced to a trio. For one member of The Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat was their swan-song. However, did they leave on a high?
White Light/White Heat opens with the title-track. It’s akin to an explosion of aggression. The Velvet Underground seem to vent their frustration and anger. A fuzzy, driving rhythm section and stabs of pounding piano accompany Lou’s drawling vocal. Meanwhile, the rest of The Velvet Underground add sweeping, punchy harmonies. John’s bass is supposedly, the musical equivalent of a speed rush. Adding to this wall of sound that assails you, are blistering, shredded guitars. They add a proto punk sound to this an innovative a fusion of musical genres, which seven years later, would play its part in the birth of punk.
Equally innovative is The Gift, which is akin to an eight minute short story. John Cale delivers an emotionless, Germanic spoken word vocal. It’s panned through the left hand speaker. Meanwhile, the muted, musical accompaniment is panned through the right hand speaker. Scorching, searing guitars drenched in feedback join the rhythm section in accompanying John as he tells the story of Waldo Jeffers, a lovelorn youth who embarks upon a long-distance, one-sided relationship. He misses her, but the feeling doesn’t seem to me mutual. She’s having the time of her life. Eventually, Waldo decides to parcel himself up, and mail himself to his girlfriend. When he’s delivered, he hears his girlfriend discussing how she slept with another man. Then when she decides to open the box, she struggles. So, she takes a sheet metal cutter and frustratedly, stabs it through the lid, and Waldo’s head. This brings to an end a captivating marriage of music and literature, that just like White Light/White Heat, showcases that The Velvet Underground were a groundbreaking group.
After the somewhat muted sound of the arrangement to The Gift, Lady Godiva’s Operation has a much clearer sound. By comparison, it almost jumps out. Searing, grizzled guitars and a fuzzy rhythm section accompany John Cale’s vocal. He delivers the lyrics about Lady Godiva having an operation recapture her youth. However, it goes wrong. John describes the story with his trademark deadpan style. Behind him, panning is used effectively. The guitars are panned left and the rhythm section right. Then John’s vocal is panned left to right. So are ad-libbed backing vocals, that dramatically bound out of the arrangement. It seems that The Velvet Underground were determined to use the available studio equipment to create what’s best described as avant-garde musical theatre.
Here She Comes Now closed side one of White Light/White Heat. It’s the shortest and most melodic song on the album. That’s despite the lyrics being mired in controversy. They’ve been interpreted differently by different people. As Lou delivers them, chiming guitars and a subtle rhythm section provide a taste of the way The Velvet Underground’s music would head on their third album The Velvet Underground.
Just like White Light/White Heat, I Heard Her Call My Name is an explosion of aggression, energy and feedback. The music is unashamedly brash. As the rhythm section and screaming, searing, guitars drive the arrangement along, Lou delivers an urgent, hopeful vocal. The rest of The Velvet Underground add sweeping harmonies. Later, the coup de grace is Lou’s atonal guitar solo. Accompanied by healthy doses of feedback, it’s one of the highlights of White Light/White Heat.
In many people’s eyes, The Velvet Underground kept the best to last on White Light/White Heat. That’s Sister Ray an eighteen minute epic, about drug use, violence and sex. With the fuzzy rhythm section and guitars bristling with aggression, a shuffling arrangement unfolds. Meanwhile, Lou delivers a sneering, half-spoken vocal. When his vocal drops out, the arrangement becomes a cacophony of sound. It’s the equivalent to an avant-garde, lo-fi wall of sound. This continues for eighteen minutes. Remarkably, this influential and innovative song was mostly improvised and recorded in just one take. It would later, go on to inspire a generation of would be musicians.
Although White Light/White Heat was neither a critically acclaimed, nor commercially successful upon its release, critics would later look at the album with fresh eyes. Only at a later date would critics appreciate just how innovative and influential an album White Light/White Heat is.
Originally, when critics heard White Light/White Heat, they weren’t impressed. As a result, the reviews are best described as mixed. Critics didn’t get White Light/White Heat. Nor did they know what to make of White Light/White Heat. They were left scratching their head. It was, after all, totally unlike anything else released during this period.
White Light/White Heat is best described as an avant garde cacophony of sound. Elements of avant-garde, experimental, proto-punk, psychedelia and rock make their presence felt on White Light/White Heat. This feedback driven album would prove hugely influential, and can be credited as one of the albums that gave birth to punk. However, just like The Velvet Underground and Nico, the lyrics on White Light/White Heat were controversial.
Lyrics about drug use and sexuality peppered White Light/White Heat. As a result, White Light/White Heat felt the wrath of the censors. In some places, White Light/White Heat was banned. After all songs about drug use, drag queens and homosexuality weren’t likely to find their way onto radio stations in 1968. America’s moral guardians made sure of this. For John Cale, this was the end of the road.
Following disagreements about The Velvet Underground’s future musical direction, John Cale left the group. This was almost inevitable.
For some time, John Cale and Lou Reed views about The Velvet Underground’s future differed. John Cale wanted The Velvet Underground to continue to innovate and create experimental music like White Light/White Heat, The Velvet Underground’s second album. Lou Reed, however, didn’t agree.
Lou Reed believed that The Velvet Underground’s music should become more pop oriented. This he felt, would broaden their appeal. No longer would they be an art rock group whose music appealed to discerning music lovers. Eventually, Lou Reed won over the rest of The Velvet Underground. For John Cale this was hugely disappointing. So, he decided the only option was to leave The Velvet Underground.
As a result, White Light/White Heat was John Cale’s Velvet Underground swan-song. John Cale left on a high. White Light/White Heat features The Velvet Underground pushing musical boundaries to their limits, and sometimes, way beyond. The result was a truly groundbreaking album, White Light/White Heat which is one of The Velvet Underground’s classic albums.
Undoubtably, The Velvet Underground an Nico, which featured the classic lineup of The Velvet Underground, was this groundbreaking group’s finest hour. White Light/White Heat comes a close second. Again, it featured The Velvet Underground pushing musical boundaries to their limits, on an album that seven years later, would play its part in the birth of punk.
Only during the punk era, did critics realise how innovative and influential The Velvet Underground’s sophomore album White Light/White Heat was. Looking at White Light/White Heat with fresh eyes, the album was well on its way to attaining the much vaunted classic status. Now, forty-seven years after The Velvet Underground released White Light/White Heat, it’s considered one of the most important, influential and innovative albums in musical history. That’s why The Velvet Underground’s sophomore album White Light/White Heat, belongs in every self respecting record collection.
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND-WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT.
STEPHANIE NICOLE-SOULOUTIONARY ONE.
STEPHANIE NICOLE-SOULOUTIONARY ONE.
Over the last fifteen years, music has been transformed beyond recognition. Everything from the way we consume music to how it’s delivered has changed. Nowadays, many people to music on the move. It’s reduced to mere background music, an incidental soundtrack to the drudgery of daily life. This soundtrack is delivered via iPods, phones and tablets. Oh how times have changed. Gone sadly, is the ritualistic side to music.
It used to be that listening to music involved sitting down in front of a hi-fi system, and immersing yourself in the music. Having spent time looking for your weekly fix of music, you returned home. That’s when the rituals began.
Having removed the vinyl from the sleeve, you placed the pristine vinyl on the turntable. Then carefully, you lowered the tonearm and placed the stylus on the vinyl. Only then did the music come out of the carefully placed speakers. As you sat down and let the music wash over you, you examined the artwork, and began to study the sleeve-notes, poring over the credits and lyrics. Then as side one drew to a close, it was a case of turning the vinyl over. This was another ritual the record buyer enjoyed. However, then came the compact disc.
The advent of the compact disc promised greater sound quality. They were sold as indestructible. You could literally disabuse them and allegedly they would work perfectly. Another advantage of the compact disc, was the first compact discs lasted seventy-four minutes. That meant longer albums. Now albums can last as much as eighty minutes. However, that’s not always a good thing.
Back in the days of vinyl, an artist was restricted by the length of the album. So, mostly, they included their best work. With the introduction of the compact disc, artists are tempted to release longer albums. Often they’re sprawling, unfocused affairs. Then there’s the album cover and sleeve-notes. What were a thing of beauty, were reproduced in miniature. For many music lovers, this was a step too far. Then came the MP3.
For many music lovers who had lived through the age of vinyl, eight-track, cassette, compact disc and mini disc, the thought of buying music as a computer file was mind boggling. After all, it wasn’t tangible. You couldn’t sit down, study the sleeve-notes and artwork they argued. Then there was the sound quality. It was lossy and didn’t compare favourably to vinyl and the compact disc. MP3s the purists argued would never replace vinyl and compact disc. How wrong they were.
Nowadays, many albums are released on MP3 only. This fits in with the new 21st Century record company model. Record companies, nowadays, are risk averse. They’re unwilling to commit to a compact disc or vinyl release, as this ties up much needed scarce resources. So, instead, many albums are released as a digital download. This allows the record company to test the waters. If the album sells well, their next album can be released on compact disc. This also works in the artist’s favour.
The cost of releasing an album is expensive. It can cost around £15,00 or $22,500 to release an album. However, the cost of a digital release is considerably less. So, this means record companies are able to release more albums digitally, than on compact disc. In effect, the digital release allows record companies to spread their risk on a larger portfolio of artists. For the music lover, it should allow them to hear a wider selection of artists, including Stephanie Nicole.
For many people, the first time they heard of Virginia born, Stephanie Nicole, was on the BBE Music compilation BamaLoveSoul Presents On Deck 2. It featured Diligence, which is the opening track on Stephanie Nicole’s debut album Souloutionary One, which will be released on BBE Music, on 26th January 2015. Souloutionary One is the long awaited new album from Stephanie Nicole.
Although Stephanie Nicole featured on BamaLoveSoul Presents On Deck 2 in 2014, she hasn’t released any new music since the spring of 2013. That’s when Stephanie release her Voices E.P. It was well received amongst the Nu-Soul community. They forecasted a bright future for the California-based singer-songwriter, whose career began in the theatre.
Just like many soul singers before her, Stephanie Nicole was a star of stage. This included a part in The Wiz. However, Stephanie has also a background in classical music.
Back home in Virginia, Stephanie worked with many celebrated composers and conductors. This resulted in Stephanie winning a number of awards, including the Festival Choir competition, which she won three years in a row 1999-2001 as a member of the Select Women’s Ensemble. This shows a very different side to the Stephanie Nicole that features on Souloutionary One
For Souloutionary One, Stephanie Nicole reunited with her cowriter and co-producer, Craig Perkins, who is better known as Classroom Craig. They collaborated on the eleven tracks that became Souloutionary One.
Souloutionary One is best described as Nu Soul with a social conscience. Many of the tracks on Souloutionary One are full of social comment. It seems that Stephanie is determined to follow in the footsteps of India Arie and Erykah Badu. In doing so, she produces music that’s variously uplifting, spiritual and stylistically, eclectic. That’s apparent throughout Souloutionary One.
Diligence opens Stephanie Nicole’s forthcoming, new album Souloutionary One. The arrangement reverberates moodily, as keyboards set the scene for Stephanie’s vocal. Straight away, her vocal is tinged with anger and frustration at the “corruption and devastation” around her. What is needed she sings is “education and emancipation.” Meanwhile, a broody bass probes it way through the arrangement and keyboards that add an element of drama. Drums provide the heartbeat, for this slice of Nu Soul with a social conscience.
There’s an almost ethereal, spiritual, sound as Replenish unfolds. Soon, the drama builds and the rhythm section and harmonies accompany Nicole. Percussion and guitars join the mix as Nicole delivers a questioning, probing, vocal. As the arrangement grows, it becomes busy. Layer upon layer of music assail you. A horn, a male vocal, percussion and ethereal harmonies all play their part, Meanwhile, Nicole asks “when will my dreams come true?”
As Cartographic College unfolds, the rhythm section, organ, keyboards and Nicole’s vocal join forces. She claps her hands as if encouraging the band along. They respond, producing an uplifting track. It’s quite unlike the previous tracks. Indeed, sometimes, the track takes on a indie sound, as Nicole becomes a musical chameleon.
From the get-go, Soulutionary One has a dubby sound. The arrangement reverberates into the distance, giving it a trippy sound. With the rhythm section and keyboard playing leading roles, Stephanie’s scatted vocal flits in and out. It washes over you. Similarly, sound effects and percussion make brief appearances, during this captivating, laid-back, soulful track.
Maha Meditation sees Stephanie change tack again. The track has Eastern influence. That’s apparent from the opening bars. Again, the arrangement has a dubby, trippy sound. That’s down to the effects deployed. As for the instruments used, they range from traditional to Eastern. This mixture of two cultures melts into one, providing a slow, atmospheric backdrop to Stephanie’s ethereal, soulful vocal.
Stephanie’s classical background shines through on Just Love Her. Ethereal harmonies sweep in, providing a contrast to Stephanie’s melancholy vocal. Wistfully, she sings “I always want, what I can’t have.” Accompanying her is an arrangement that’s understated. Just drums, piano and a guitar accompany Stephanie as elements of classical, folk, Nu-Soul and world music combine seamlessly to create one of Souloutionary One’s highlights.
Stabs and washes of keyboards join crunchy drums on Now You’re Here. They provide the backdrop for Stephanie’s vocal. It veers between tender to sassy. Meanwhile, a buzzy bass and harmonies accompany her on this heartfelt paean.
Thoughtfully, Stephanie delivers an impassioned vocal on Vow of Nevers. Accompanied by the rhythm section, keyboards and harmonies, she reflects: “what I’ve become, are the wolves that raised me.” Soon, she’s singing about “the Vow Of Nevers,” they took, and how she’s changed. “Your love has changed me forever and ever…your love gives me security.” Then the arrangement unfolds and grows. It veers between dramatic and understated, as Stephanie delivers a soul-baring, Nu-Soul vocal.
Be Strong stops you in your tracks. Straight away, it’s obvious that this is one of Stephanie Nicole’s finest tracks. This is the case from the ethereal harmonies that float above the arrangement. They give way to Stephanie’s heartfelt vocal. She’s accompanied by the rhythm section, woodblocks and Fender Rhodes. Then as the bass drives the arrangement along, it becomes jaunty. A crystalline guitar, gospel-tinged harmonies and harmonies accompany Nicole as she pleads and encourages those who are suffering to “Be Strong.”
Unaccompanied harmonies open Welcoming Change. They set the scene for Stephanie’s vocal. It’s influenced more by classic soul, than Nu-Soul. She’s accompanied by the rhythm section, organ and harmonies which are the perfect accompaniment to Stephanie. Especially, when the arrangement is stripped bare and the harmonies take on an ethereal quality.
Soulutionary Dub closes Soulutionary One. It takes the dubby sound of Soulutionary One even further. The arrangement is drenched in a wash of reverb, while instruments and Stephanies vocal flit in and out. This results in a track that’s dubby, laid-back and soulful.
Soulutionary One marks the return of Stephanie Nicole. It’s nearly two years since she released her Voices E.P. in the spring of 2013. Back then, Vouces was well received amongst the Nu-Soul community. They forecast a bright future for the California-based singer-songwriter. However, since then, Stephanie hasn’t released any further music. That will change on 26th January 2015.
That’s when Stephanie Nicole releases Soulutionary One, on BBE Music. Soulutionary One, which will be available as a digital download, will be the introduction to the California based singer-songwriter Stephanie Nicole.
Some critics believe, that Stephanie Nicole is one of Nu-Soul’s rising stars. They see Stephanie Nicole as the rightful heir to India Arie and Erykah Badu. If that’s the case, then Souloutionary One could be the first step in the journey that sees Stephanie Nicole crowned Queen of Nu-Soul. That could be the case. Stephanie Nicole isn’t lacking in talent.
On Souloutionary One, Stephanie Nicole is reunited with her cowriter and co-producer, Craig Perkins, who is better known as Classroom Craig. They collaborated on the eleven tracks that became Souloutionary One. It’s best described as Nu Soul with a social conscience.
Many of the tracks on Souloutionary One are full of social comment. Others appear to be personal, and based on Stephanie’s life and experiences. That’s why Stephanie is able to breath life, meaning and emotion into these songs. In doing so, Stephanie takes Nu-Sould as a starting point, and constantly, changes direction.
During Souloutionary One, Stephanie Nicole veers between classic soul, gospel, jazz, Nu-Soul, R&B and even rock. This results in an eclectic, but often soulful album. It seems that Stephanie is determined to follow in the footsteps of India Arie and Erykah Badu. In doing so, Stephanie Nicole produces music on Souloutionary One, that’s variously uplifting, spiritual and stylistically, eclectic.
STEPHANIE NICOLE-SOULOUTIONARY ONE.
SUPERTRAMP-CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?
SUPERTRAMP-CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?
Very few groups are overnight successes. Most groups spend years struggling, trying to make a commercial breakthrough. Then after years of trying, success comes the way of the fortunate few. That was the case for Supertramp. It took three albums, and several changes in lineup before Supertramp made a commercial breakthrough.
Supertramp’s commercial breakthrough came with Crime Of The Century, which was released in September 1974. On its release, Crime Of The Century received widespread critical acclaim. It was widely accepted that Crime Of The Century was by far, Supertramp’s finest album. That was reflected in sales. Crime Of The Century reached number four in Britain and number thirty-eight in the US Billboard 200 charts. This resulted in Crime Of The Century being certified gold in America and Britain. That, however, wasn’t the end of the commercial success.
Just over a year later, Supertramp returned with the followup to Crime Of The Century, Crisis? What Crisis?, Released in November 1975, Crisis? What Crisis? saw the rise and rise of Supertramp continue. They were now well on their way to becoming part of rock royalty.
As soon as Crime Of The Century was released, A&M Records were pushing Supertramp to record another album. However, Supertramp were touring North America. During the tour, Roger Hodgson injured his hand. This resulted in Spertramp having to to cancel the rest of the North American tour. With extra time on their hands, Supertramp decided to begin work on what would become Crisis? What Crisis?
While extra time would be welcomed by any band about to record an album, there was a problem. Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson’s principal songwriters didn’t have a vision for their fourth album. This had been the case with Supertramp’s sophomore album, Indelibly Stamped. So, when work began on what became Crisis? What Crisis?, Rick and Roger were having to think on their feet. This could prove costly.
For Crisis? What Crisis? Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, who had formed a potent songwriting partnership, penned the ten tracks on Crisis? What Crisis? These ten tracks were recorded between summer and autumn 1975, at A&M Studios, Los Angeles, Ramport Studios and Scorpio Studios, London.
When Supertramp began recording of Crisis? What Crisis?, Ken Scott returned as co-producer. Along with Supertramp, he would produced Crisis? What Crisis? Crisis? What Crisis? As the sessions began in the summer of 1975, Supertramp’s rhythm section featured Bob C. Benberg played drums and percussion, Dougie Thompson bass and Roger Hodgson vocals, guitar and keyboards. They were joined by Rick Davies on keyboards and vocals, while John Helliwell played saxophone and clarinet. By autumn 1975, Crisis? What Crisis? was completed. It would be released in September 1975.
On the release of Crisis? What Crisis? in September 1975, it wasn’t well received by critics. Some went as far as to ridicule some of the songs on Crisis? What Crisis? For Supertramp, this was a disaster. However, over the past forty years, a new generation of critics have looked at Crisis? What Crisis? with fresh and unbiased eyes. Crisis? What Crisis? it seems was a better album than the original critics would’ve had you believe. Sadly, this was too little, too late.
Having made the breakthrough with Crime Of The Century, Supertramp were determined to became part of rock royalty. Given the poor reviews of Crisis? What Crisis?, the sales didn’t match Crime Of The Century.
When Crisis? What Crisis? was released, it reached just number twenty in Britain and number forty-four in the US Billboard 200 charts. This was a disappointment, as Crime Of The Century had been certified gold in America and Britain. At least Crisis? What Crisis? was certified platinum in Canada and gold in France and Germany. While this success was welcome, Supertramp had wanted to replicate the success of Crime Of The Century. Sadly, that wasn’t to be. Why though? That’s what I’ll tell you after I’ve told you about Crisis? What Crisis?
Easy Does It opens Crisis? What Crisis? The introduction is understated. It’s not unlike a city awakening. Just a carefree lone whistle sets the scene for the vocal. It’s accompanied by an understated rhythm section, keyboards and firmly strummed guitar. Roger’s vocal is tender, hopeful and tinged with envy. Here, the lyrics could easily be about any rock star. They’re about identity and coping away from the fame and limelight. Roger seems to envy people who know who they are and where they’re going.
Just strummed, chiming guitars accompany Roger’s impassioned vocal on Sister Moonshine. Memories come flooding back, about when he was younger. He wishes things had been different. So, his imagination runs riot, singing “I wish I was a minstrel.”It’s as if he wants to escape from reality, and the drudgery of everyday. With a probing bass for company, Roger makes his escape from reality.
Ain’t Nobody But Me is the first of three songs where Rick Davies takes charge of the lead vocal. The arrangement is dark, dramatic and even gothic. Swells of organ, a dark, deliberate piano and the rhythm section accompany Rogers vocal. He delivers it abruptly. This adds to the drama. So, do the searing guitar. Then seamlessly, the rest of Supertramp add harmonies and Roger’s vocal takes on a tenderness. When it drops out, a blazing saxophone, blistering guitar, washes of organ and driving rhythm section combine. They play their part in a heartfelt paean, where elements of doo-wop, R&B, rock and soul combine seamlessly, to create one of Crisis, Not Crisis? highlights.
Straight away, A Soapbox Opera sounds as like Pink Floyd. Snatches of conversation, washes of synths and a lone, melancholy pain sets the scene for Roger’s wistful vocal. When he’s alone, he’s searching, searching for something to believe in. He’s struggling though. Meanwhile, Supertramp produce one of their trademark arrangements. Later, swathes of strings dance and ethereal harmonies sweep in, as the arrangement veers between dramatic to melodic.
Rick Davies returns on Another Man’s Woman. Again, an understated arrangement emerges from the distance. Just a jaunty piano solo makes its presence felt. It’s joined by Rick’s vocal, a chiming guitar and then, the rhythm section. As the jaunty arrangement unfolds, Rick vocal ranges from tender to a swagger. Meanwhile, searing guitars, stabs of piano and harmonies provide a backdrop during this tale of being the “other man,” and the danger it entails.
A marimba plays before the arrangement to Lady unfolds. It gives the listener a brief taste of Breakfast In America. This comes courtesy of urgent keyboards. They’re joined by the rhythm section, who add an element of drama. Roger’s vocal is impassioned, needy and urgent. Later, there’s a brief nod to Come Up and See Me, Make Me Smile, as Supertramp stretch their legs. Their arrangement provides the perfect accompaniment for Roger’s needy plea to the “Lady” in his life, as it reaches a dramatic high.
Just a Normal Day sees Rick and Roger share the lead vocal. They did this effectively on Crime Of The Century. As a lone piano takes centre-stage, the arraignment looks as if it’s about to head in the direction of jazz. It takes on a laid-back sound as the lyric “I like nothing better than sitting here with you.” The “Poor Boy” isn’t for complaining “as long as you’re right here with me.” By then, the arrangement has grown, and is shuffling along. As the rhythm section provide the heartbeat, a clarinet plays and harmonies add to the laid-back, understated, irresistible jazz-tinged sound,
There’s an element of drama to the piano and eerie synths that swirl above the arrangement to Just A Normal Day. They provide the backdrop to Roger’s pensive vocal. So do the rhythm section, keyboards and swathes of strings. They’re the perfect accompaniment to Roger’s soul-baring vocal on this beautiful, moving and thoughtful song.
Just like many of the songs on Crisis? What Crisis?, The Meaning has an understated introduction. It emerges from the distance, a sci-fi sound and urgent vocal combining. Soon, they’re joined by keyboards, woodwind and the rhythm section. By now, it’s as if Supertramp are drawing inspiration from prog-rock, jazz and the theatre of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Later, the arrangement grows in drama and an almost desperate Roger searches for “The Meaning.”
Two Of Us closes Crisis? What Crisis? An organ adds an atmospheric, dramatic backdrop before Roger’s confused vocal. He wonders “where do we go from here?” Meanwhile, an acoustic guitar, washes of organ and later, drums accompany him. Hopefully, he sings “as long as we’ve got the “Two Of Us” I’ll carry on.” However, one wonders if it’s more in hope than expectation.
Forty years ago, when Supertramp released Crisis? What Crisis? it wasn’t to the same critical acclaim as its predecessor Crime Of The Century. When Crisis? What Crisis? was released in September 1975, it wasn’t well received by critics. Some went as far as to ridicule some of the songs on Crisis? What Crisis? which some critics said, was an unfocused album. For Supertramp, this was a disaster.
Especially when Crisis? What Crisis? failed to replicate the commercial success of Crime Of The Century. Just when Supertramp looked like becoming part of rock royalty, Crisis? What Crisis? stalled at number twenty in Britain and number forty-four in the US Billboard 200 charts. This was a disappointment, as Crime Of The Century had been certified gold in America and Britain. At least Crisis? What Crisis? was certified platinum in Canada and gold in France and Germany. While this success was welcome, Supertramp had wanted to replicate the success of Crime Of The Century. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.
Critics referred to Crisis? What Crisis? as a disjointed, unfocussed album. They also felt that Supertramp had rushed the recording of Crisis? What Crisis? That was down to A&M Records.
They were desperate for Supertramp’s fourth album. So, when Roger injured his hand on their North American tour, Supertramp got to work. The only problem was Rick and Roger didn’t have a vision for the album. It was a case of using leftover songs from Crime Of The Century. At one point, Supertramp run out material. So, they stopped recording and wrote and a two new songs, including Ain’t Nobody But Me. These songs formed the basis for Crisis? What Crisis?, which has been reevaluated by critics.
Over the past forty years, a new generation of critics have looked at Crisis? What Crisis? with fresh and unbiased eyes. Crisis? What Crisis? is a better album than the original critics would’ve had you believe. There’s a reason for this. Back in 1975, a new breed of critics were making a name for themselves. They saw groups like Supertramp as music’s past. As a result, many albums didn’t receive a fair hearing. That may be the case with Crisis? What Crisis?,
While Crisis? What Crisis? may not have been one of Supertramp’s classic albums, it’s a far better album than the original reviews would have you believe. Crisis? What Crisis? is variously, beautiful, dramatic, melancholy, melodic and thoughtful. Elements of jazz, prog-rock, R&B, rock and soul can be heard over Crisis? What Crisis? ten tracks. This makes for an intriguing and underrated album. That’s why Supertramp’s fourth album, Crisis? What Crisis? is one of the hidden gems in Supertramp’s back-catalogue.
SUPERTRAMP-CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?
DJ OIL-PHANTOM.
DJ OIL-PHANTOM.
It was three years ago, that multi-instrumentalist Lionel Corsini dawned the role of DJ Oil, and released his debut album Black Notes on French label Discograph. Black Notes was well received by critics. That’s no surprise. After all, DJ Oil was an experienced artist.
Way before Lionel Corsini became DJ Oil, he was part of The Troublemakers. They released their debut E.P., Exodus, on Guidance Recordings. A year later, The Troublemakers released their debut album, Doubts and Convictions on Guidance Recordings. Three years later, The Troublemakers sophomore album was released on one of jazz’s legendary labels, Blue Note Records.
Following the release of Doubts and Convictions, The Troublemakers released two singles in 2002. They were Too Old To Die and Get Misunderstood. Then two years later, The Troublemakers made their Blue Note Records debut with Express Way.
2004 saw the release of The Troublemakers’ 2004 sophomore album, Express Way. It was well received by critics. Some critics forecast a bright future for The Troublemakers. However, Express Way was the last album The Troublemakers released.
Although The Troublemakers were no more, Lionel Corsini was still involved in music. He played an active part in Marseille’s music and party scene. Lionel also worked as producer and arranger. Then in 2012, Lionel Corsini became DJ Oil and released his debut album, Black Notes.
Three years after the release of Black Notes, DJ Oil returns with his sophomore album, Phantom, which will be released on BBE Music on 19th January 2015. Phantom is an eclectic, old school album.
There’s a reason for this. DJ Oil isn’t like many modern day producers. No. For Phantom, DJ Oil recorded the twelve tracks live. Unlike many modern producers, DJ Oil doesn’t rely on samples. No. He laid down the bass lines, beats, percussion, Moog and other synth sounds on Phantom. DJ Oil also uses a series of voices, street scenes and collaborations in the twelve tracks. These were taped during Lionel’s world travels. They, just like the songs that became Phantom, DJ Oil says “live on my computer like ghosts, waiting to get out, and some never did get out.” That’s until the 19th February 2015, when DJ Oil returns with Phantom, his sophomore album.
The moody, dramatic, old school R&B of Yes It Is opens Phantom. Drums pound, guitars quiver and shiver and DJ Oil vamps, yelps and hollers his way through the arrangement. Banks of synths join the rhythm section and a blistering, searing guitar in producing a wall of sound for DJ Oil. Against this grinding arrangement, his tender vocal flits in and out. All the time, this down and dirty, groove laden arrangement is reminiscent of Prince.
Straight away, DJ Oil gets into a groove on Drop Out. A dark, pulsating arrangement unfolds. Atop the arrangement one of DJ Oil’s Phantom vocal nuggets proves a compelling, somewhat disturbing accompaniment. Washes of haunting sounds and percussion sweep. They’re part of an angst ridden cry for help, wheres DJ Oil seems to draw inspiration from Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and classic hip hop.
Against a pulsating, moody arrangement a haunting, captivating female vocal sets the scene. It’s against this mesmeric backdrop, a vocal and broody bass combine. They grab your attention. Then later, a swaggering, jive taking vocal enters. It picks up where the equal rights activists of the sixties and seventies left off. Tinged with irony, it mocks the so called “white” establishment. This fusion of irony and social comment results in a hypnotic backdrop, and proves a powerful combination.
Against a backdrop of African drums, the arrangement to Paolo unfolds. Just like previous tracks, snippets of vocal sit atop the arrangement. Afrobeat influenced guitars chime and chirp. Sometimes, they briefly, head in the direction of surf guitar. Later, a myriad of sound effects, scratches, percussion and vocal samples flit in and out, of what’s a captivating track full of surprises aplenty.
At 120 beats per minute, Seasons has a dance-floor friendly tempo. That’s helped no end by the thunderous 4/4 drums. They’re augmented by subtle bursts of bells, percussion and sound effects. Gradually, they grow in power and the arrangement unfolds. It becomes powerful, dramatic and mesmeric. Then a sample of a scholar discussion rhythm is added. When it drops out, instruments and effects are added. Among them are a driving guitar, synths and sweeps of white noise. Later, sound effects flit in and out. At one point, there’s even a nod to Talking Heads. Mostly, though, Seasons is dance-floor friendly music with a twist, that’s bound to keep dancers on their toes.
Echoism is best described as a moody, broody, cinematic soundscape. Quite simply, it’s a six minute adventure in sound. The music is variously dramatic, eerie, gothic and spiritual. That’s quite a combination. Mind you, what do you expect when you combine elements of slow, spacey funk, downtempo and world music are combined with ethereal, sci-fi sounds? This unlikely combination results in a haunting, moody, otherworldly cinematic sound that’s Phantom’s finest hour.
Just like other tracks on Phantom, the arrangement to Beetlejuice is broody, moody, dark and dramatic. Washes of synths join drums, percussion and a vocal sample. It’s soon replaced by a swaggering rap. Then when it drops out, it’s replaced by the joyous sound of a group of female African vocalists. They add another contrast to what’s a roller coaster of eclectic sounds and influences. Each of them flit and out of the arrangement, as DJ Oil continues to spring surprises.
The cinematic Plastic Man sounds like a paranoia fuelled track. With its sinister, whispery vocal, it’s akin to the sound of someone unravelling before your eyes. Atop the arrangement sits pounding drums, washes of synths and a hypnotic holler. Soon, drums gallop along. They’ve a much sharper sound. In the distance, sci-fi synths play. They’re joined briefly, by a coke fuelled, comedic vocal sample. As the arrangement grinds along, a myriad of sounds escape from its midst. Some are disturbing, and reminiscent of a bad acid trip. It’s as if the Plastic Man has tried to open the doors of perception too far.
Le Rythme De La Vie is another Afro-influenced track. As the drums gallop along, percussion and sighs fill the gap. Meanwhile, a bass sits down in the mix, helping to provide the rhythm of life. Vocal samples flit in and out, while percussion and sound effects punctuate the track. Although slightly more minimalist than the previous track, it’s just as effective and later, eerie and dramatic.
A myriad of futuristic, sci-fi sounds bound along the arrangement to Burn It. Its hypnotic, mesmeric sounds like it belongs in a remake of Blade Runner. That’s until the vocal enters. It soon drops out, and the arrangement builds and grows. Before long, another dance-floor friendly track unfolds. While this version of Burn It is perfect for the album, it’s a track that’s ripe for a remix. In the right hands, DJ Oil could have a potential dance-floor anthem on his hands.
Crispy beats provide the backdrop to a bravado fuelled vocal on New Lord. The beats provide a minimalist backdrop to a vocal that’s equal parts bravado, drama and machismo. As the vocal drops out, the earnest vocal of the New Lord sings “God have mercy.” Meanwhile, the arrangement churns and grinds along. Later, a gospel tinged vocal replies half in earnest, half in jest “God have mercy.” Bravado it seems is omnipresent, and this isn’t one of the New Lord’s followers.
A Day closes Phantom, DJ Oil’s sophomore album. The ominous sound of pounding drums is joined by flourishes of quivering flutes. They’re joined by a tender, ethereal vocal. It’s a contrast to the drums. Soon, keyboards, percussion and a guitar enter. So do harmonies. They provide a soulful backdrop, as DJ Oil’s shows another side of his music. As this soulful side unfolds, the arrangement takes a brief diversion via jazz. Mostly, though, DJ Oil keeps this soulful, on Phantom’s finale.
Three years after the release of his debut album, Black Notes, DJ Oil returns with his sophomore album, Phantom. It will be released on 19th January 2015. Phantom features what were previously ten ghosts in the machine.
Previously, the songs on Phantom lay on DJ Oil’s computer. They were what DJ Oil describes as “ghosts, waiting to get out.” Other ghosts included the voices, street scenes and collaborations in the twelve tracks. They were taped during Lionel’s world travels. That’s where these ghosts remained, until the exorcism that was Phantom. Now these ghosts have come to life on Phantom. It’s a captivating album from the former member of The Troublemakers.
What makes Phantom such a captivating album is that, mostly, DJ Oil eschewed the use of samples. DJ Oil laid down the bass lines, beats, percussion, Moog and other synth sounds on Phantom. That’s a rarity nowadays. Most producers rely on samples. Another rarity was that the tracks on Phantom were recorded live. Again, that is unusual in modern music. So is the inclusion of what DJ Oil descries as “happy accidents.” Inadvertently, they improved Phantom. In a world where most producers will edit tracks to the nth degree, this is another rarity. It however, worked to DJ Oil’s advantage.
The “happy accidents” DJ Oil describes, play their part in the success of Phantom’s eclectic sound. Indeed, eclectic is almost an understatement. There’s everything from Afrobeat, country blues, electronic, house, jazz, psychedelia, rural French music and soul. Hip hop and trip hop play an important part in Phantom’s sound. Given such eclecticism, trying to categorise Phantom isn’t easy. However, hip hop and trip hop are two of the strongest influences. So too, is house. There’s even a couple of floor-fillers on Phantom. All this makes Phantom a captivating and eclectic album.
Given Phantom is such an eclectic album, then maybe this will be album that sees DJ Oil make his long awaited breakthrough? After all, Phantom is a musical roller coaster through genres courtesy of DJ Oil.
DJ OIL-PHANTOM.
CERRONE-CERRONE’S PARADISE.
CERRONE-CERRONE’S PARADISE.
During the disco era, it wasn’t just American labels like Salsoul, Casablanca, SAM and TK that were producing disco music. Over in Europe, producers like Giorgio Moroder, Frank Farian, Claude Francois, Don Ray and Cerrone were releasing some of the most cutting-edge dance music. One of these producers, Marc Cerrone started releasing albums in the mid-seventies, and during his career, sold over thirty-million albums. One of Marc Cerrone’s best albums, is his second solo album, the disco classic Cerrone’s Paradise, released in July 1977, and will be reissued on Because Music, on vinyl, 25th January 2015.
Marc Cerrone was neither a stranger to the music industry, nor a recording studio before he released his debut solo album Love In C Minor in 1976. Previously, he’d been a member of the Afro-rock band Kongas for three years. Having left Kongas, Marc decided to record one solo album, before bowing out of music forever. After struggling to find a record label who’d sign him, Marc decided to release Love In C Minor independently.
When by mistake, copies of Love In C Minor found there way to New York, they took the Big Apple’s discos by storm. Atlantic Records realizing the potential of the album, struck a deal to license it through their Cotillion Records subsidiary. Quickly, Love In C Minor became a hugely popular album, resulting in Atlantic desperately trying to persuade Marc to tour the US to promote the album and tour. Marc was insistent that he’d finish his second album, which would become Cerrone’s Paradise. If Cerrone’s Paradise matched the success of Love In C Minor, then Marc agreed to tour the US. The question was, would Cerrone’s Paradise prove as popular as its predecessor Love In C Minor?
While Marc Cerrone had enlisted the help of Alec R. Constansinos on his debut album Love In C Minor, Alec didn’t collaborate on Cerrone’s Paradise. The pair had fallen out due to Alec’s lack of faith in the potential success of Love In C Minor. Instead, Marc called upon Raymond Donnez, known as Don Ray. He wrote the arrangements for Cerrone’s Paradise. Joining Marc and Don, was Alain Wisniak, who cowrote the four tracks on Cerrone’s Paradise. With the songs written, Marc headed to London and the Trident Recording Studios.
At Trident studios, Marc used the same backing singers that featured on Love In C Minor. This included Madeline Bell, Sue Glover, Joy Yates, Joan Stones and Jackie Sullivan. Their backing vocals feature alongside a rhythm section that sprinkles funk among the disco, before Cerrone becomes a balladeer on Time For Love. With steel drums, synths and wah-wah guitars sitting comfortably beside percussion and strings, the four songs on Cerrone’s Paradise follow closely in the footsteps of Love In C Minor. Once Cerrone’s Paradise was completed, the album was set for release in July 1977.
Before the release of Cerrone’s Paradise, a sampler of four edited versions of the songs on the album was released to radio stations and DJs. Quickly, the music became hugely popular in both clubs and on radio.This resulted in the release reaching number six on Billboards’s Dance Music-Club Play charts. After this, Cerrone’s Paradise was released in July 1977, with the album reaching number 162 in the US Billboard 200 and number fifty-two in the US R&B Charts. Marc Cerrone then decided to release an independently funded promotional video for two tracks, Cerrone’s Paradise and Take Me. Sadly, these videos failed to ignite interest in these tracks. With that, Marc headed back to his new home in Los Angeles, where he’d start work on his next album Supernature, also known as Cerrone III. However, it’s Cerrone’s Paradise that is seen as Marc Cerrone’s classic album, and I’ll now tell you why.
Cerrone’s Paradise opens with the title track Cerrone’s Paradise, which is a sixteen minute Magnus Opus, complete with erotic sounding backing vocals. Opening with the sound of background noise and female conversations, chiming guitars, lush, cascading strings and chiming guitars combine with keyboards as the track gets underway. With strings, rhythm section and guitars driving the track along, bursts of rasping horns punctuate the track, while backing vocalists unite, contributing sweet, sultry harmonies. The strings swirl and sweep, drums pound relentlessly, while flourishes of keyboards and percussion augment the arrangement. A searing guitar solo, breathless, sensuous vocals and swathes of cascading strings, combine with the relentless pounding drums and percussion. Later they give way to erotic sounding vocals as the track reaches 126 beats per minute. For sixteen majestic minutes, a true, timeless disco classic reveals its charms, subtleties and sensuous sound.
Although Take Me has the same relentless pounding drumbeats, lush sweeping strings and sweet backing vocals, the track sees Cerrone add steel pan drums and a sprinkling of funk to the track. It has the same lovely lush sound, thanks to the strings and sensuous backing vocals. This is a much shorter track, coming in at just under six minutes. Similarly, the tempo is slower, at 119 beats per minutes. Later bursts of blazing horns are added to the disco strings, while the steel pan drums add a slight funky flavour. That’s not all. The track has lush and catchy sound which is absolutely laden with hooks aplenty.
A surprise awaits the listener on Time For Love, with the track seeing Cerrone transformed into a balladeer par excellence. With a slow, almost pedestrian tempo of just 65 beats per minute, the arrangement has a floaty, pensive sound. The verses are sung English, while the chorus in sung in French. Here, the backing vocalists unite to deliver some of their most beautiful, subtle vocals. This they do against an equally gorgeous arrangement, where slow, beautiful strings, meandering percussion and keyboards combine with the rhythm section and keyboards. Together, they play with a subtlety, resulting in a very beautiful, romantic sounding track with some lovely lyrics and that pensive, subtle arrangement.
Closing Cerrone’s Paradise is a reprise of Cerrone’s Paradise. The track gets underway with pounding drums, swirling string and bursts of punchy horns, before the backing vocalists unite to deliver some more of their almost trademark sweet vocal. They’re joined by sizzling guitars and percussion, while dramatic strings cascade and the drums drive the track along, as the song and album heads to a close. Like the Magnus Opus that was Cerrone’s Paradise, this reprisal has the same beauty and quality of the opening track, demonstrating the considerable talents of Marc Cerrone. With talent like this, it’s no wonder he sold over thirty-million albums.
Although there are just four tracks on Cerrone’s Paradise, they’re four of the finest tracks Marc Cerrone recorded. For many people, Cerrone’s Paradise was his finest hour, where he combined three delicious slices of disco music with the balladry of Time For Love. Whereas other albums recorded in the late seventies that featured synths haven’t aged well, Cerrone’s Paradise, still retains a contemporary sound, one that has an almost timeless sound. Given the timeless nature of Cerrone’s Paradise, it should’ve been a bigger commercial success in America. Instead, Cerrone’s Paradise only reached number reached number 162 in the US Billboard 200 and number fifty-two in the US R&B charts.
When Cerrone’s Paradise was released in 1977, disco was at the height of its popularity. Cerrone’s Paradise should’ve been a much bigger success. However, Cerrone’s brand of Euro Disco didn’t find favour with American DJs, dancers and record buyers. They preferred the classic American disco sound. Despite that, Cerrone’s Paradise, which will be reissued on vinyl, by Because Music, on 25th January 2015, is now perceived as one of the finest European disco albums. Indeed, Cerrone’s Paradise is regarded as Cerrone’s classic album.
CERRONE-CERRONE’S PARADISE.
PANORAM-BACKGROUND STORY.
PANORAM-BACKGROUND STORY.
Last year, Panoram released his much anticipated, debut album Everyone Is A Door. This album of laid-back, blissed out music, was released to critical acclaim. Everyone Is A Door caught the imagination of critics and music lovers alike. Everyone wondered what next for Panoram?
The answer to that is Background Story, Panoram’s sophomore album. Background Story, will be released on 9th March 2015, via Panoram’s own Wandering Eye imprint. Panoram, it seems hasn’t let the grass grown under his feet.
Far from it. Unlike many modern day musicians, Panoram doesn’t spend years making an album. No. He’s like an old school musician, whose worked quickly to complete what is a very special album, Background Story.
As the title suggests, there’s a Background Story to Panoram’s sophomore album. Panoram describes Background Story as “a meditation on the nature of memories and reality, each song digging deeper into the mind in the search for fragmentary details.” He goes on to further explain: “this process is an unpredictable journey in which we face a complex puzzle made by our own manipulations. Mood swings can make our minds questioning what we thought it was “real”. We can get easily lost among the infinite levels of reality.” From what Panoram says, Background Story is no ordinary album. Far from it. Background Story is a truly captivating album
Opening Background Story is Mind Puncture. It’s a tantalising taste of what’s to come from Panoram. Dark, dubby beats pound menacingly while washes of elegiac, spacey synths sweep in and out. Along with a myriad of sounds, they’re drenched in reverb. Meanwhile, a guitar wah-wahs, before feedback flits in and out. For just over a minute a captivating fusion of dark, dreamy and lysergic sounds unfolds.
Wistful described the the piano lead Background Story. There’s a sense of melancholia from the opening bars. As the song progresses, there’s an overwhelming sense of sadness, and a yearning for simplicity.
Straight away, Black Milk Shower takes on a cinematic, sound. It’s as if Panoram has been asked to recreate the soundtrack to Wim Wenders’ Paris Texas. Cinematic becomes sensual, when a sassy vocal sample enters. It’s accompanied by crunchy, compressed beats, washes of ethereal synths and later, a searing, blistering rocky guitar. It is slightly muted though, so as not to overpower the rest of the mix. Later, lush synth strings sweep in adding this grandiose, cinematic symphony for a new millennia.
Dead Plastic has laid-back, blessed out sound. It’s a case of sitting back, and letting the waves of music wash over you. From what sounds like waves hitting a deserted beach, keyboards add a trippy, somewhat sci-fi sound. Indeed, the ambient, trippy delights of Dead Plastic is akin to an interstellar journey to a newly discovered planet.
From the get-go, the aptly title Fog envelops you. Its slow, spacey, sci-fi sound cocoons you. You loose yourself in its many subtleties and surprises. This includes beeps and squeaks aplenty, and plodding, dubby drums. They’re aided and abetted by a myriad of sci-fi sounds and sometimes, prog rock keyboards. The result is a track that’s a Smoker’s Delight.
Hyperuranion has a much bolder, fuller sound that previous tracks on Background Story. With keyboards to the fore, driving the arrangement along washes of synths and sound effects become one. The track plays tricks with you. Amidst the lush washes of synths you wonder is that a bird cheeping? It is. This is just the latest surprise sprung by Panoram. Later, reverb is used sparingly, resulting in the arrangement shimmering and glistening into the distance, its beauty omnipresent.
As gradually, Mind Puncture takes on a rocky hue, you wonder what direction the track is heading? Is Panoram about to throw another curveball? Quite possibly. It’s always a case of expect the unexpected. That’s the case here. The track has a seventies influence. There’s a definite seventies prog-rock influence. Add to that swirls and washes of drama. They’re part and parcel of what’s sounds like the soundtrack to an art house film that’s yet to be made.
Slowly and gradually, The Persistant Image Of The Left Eye starts to reveal its hidden secrets. Synths beep and squeak, cymbals are caressed and drums help drive the arrangement along. Again, there’s a prog-rock influence in the keyboards. Having said that, elements of acid house, ambient and avant-garde make their presence, felt on what’s an intense, dramatic and compelling musical journey.
The tempo drops on There Was A Hole Here. It’s a slow atmospheric track that occasionally, features a dreamy vocal. It flits in and out of the track. Mostly, washes of ethereal, elegiac music, drenched in reverb caress you. Their dreamy, lysergic delights wash over you, transporting you to an altogether better place.
Closing Background Story is You Are Correctly Lost. Straight away, you’re enthralled by what’s best described as the lushest of interstellar ballads. It’s simplicity itself. Washes of ethereal synths and seraphic guitars play leading roles. These are no ordinary guitars though. No they’re suitably subtle, and are transformed by waves of reverb. This results in the perfect way for Panoram to close his much anticipated sophomore album, Background Story.
Featuring ten tracks, lasting just thirty-seven minutes, Background Story, Panoram’s sophomore album, is an unpredictable musical journey. No wonder. You never quite know what direction Panoram’s music is heading. It’s akin to a lysergic magical mystery tour through musical genres. Everything from ambient, avant-garde, drone pop, experimental, prog-rock and psychedelia can be heard on Background Story, on 9th March 2015, on via Panoram’s own Wandering Eye imprint. As a result, Background Story is a captivating and worthy followup to Panoram’s debut album Everyone Is A Door.
Just like Everyone Is A Door, Background Story is a highly accomplished album. It’s also a captivating exploration of memories and reality. This is what Panoram set out to do. He’s succeeded in doing so, in what’s best described as a journey into sound.
During this journey into sound, music’s past and present play leading roles. Traditional instruments and technology play their part in the sound and success of Background Story. As a result, Background Story, Panoram’s sophomore album, is cerebral, cinematic, dramatic, elegiac, ethereal, intense and lysergic. That’s not all. Background Story is a captivating and worthy successor to Panoram’s debut album Everyone Is A Door.
PANORAM-BACKGROUND STORY.
THE BATHERS-KELVINGROVE BABY.
THE BATHERS-KELVINGROVE BABY.
2015 marks the thirtieth anniversary of a Scottish musical institution, The Bathers. They were formed in Glasgow, in 1985, by singer, songwriter and troubled troubadour Chris Thomson and released six albums between 1987 and 1999. The Bathers fifth album was Kelvingrove Baby, a minor classic, that’s one of the finest Scottish albums ever released. Sadly, Kelvingrove Baby and The Bathers is a story of what might have been.
With Chris Thompson at the helm, the Glasgow based quintet could’ve, and should’ve, been one the biggest Scottish bands ever. After all, The Bathers music is articulate, beautiful, dramatic, ethereal, elegiac, emotive, languid, literate and melancholy. This is music for those that have loved, lost and survived to tell the tale. Sadly, however, The Bathers never reached the heady heights their music deserved. As a result, the six albums The Bathers released between 1987s Unusual Places To Die and 1999s Pandemonia, never reached the audience it deserved. For Chris Thomson, history was repeating itself.
The Bathers were formed in Glasgow in 1985. They formed after Chris Thomson’s previous group Friends Again split up. Initially, The Bathers were a vehicle for singer-songwriter Chris Thomson. However, in 1987, The Bathers secured their first record deal with Go! Discs Records, and released their debut album Unusual Places To Die.
Unusual Places To Die.
For their debut album Unusual Places To Die, Chris Thomson penned ten tracks. These tracks were recorded by The Bathers’ original lineup. This included bassist Sam Loup, drummer James Locke and Chris on guitar and keyboards. Joining The Bathers, were Michael Peden of The Chimes, Douglas Macintyre and James Grant of Love and Money. They played walk on parts on Unusual Places To Die, which was released later in 1987.
When Unusual Places To Die was released in 1987, it was to widespread critical acclaim. Chris Thomson’s songs seemed to strike a nerve with critics. They described the music as variously engaging, emotive and dramatic. One critic went as far to wonder whether Unusual Places To Die was the work of a genius? Despite this critical acclaim Unusual Places To Die wasn’t a commercial success. This was nothing to do with the music though.
Instead, Unusual Places To Die fell victim to the internal politics within the record company. As a result, sales of Unusual Places To Die were poor. Given the critical response to Unusual Places To Die, this was disappointing. So, it wasn’t a surprise when The Bathers switched labels for their sophomore album, Sweet Deceit.
Sweet Deceit.
After the Go Discs! internal problems sabotaged the release of Unusual Places To Die, The Bathers moved to Island Records, where the recorded Sweet Deceit.
Sweet Deceit was an epic album, featuring fifteen tracks. Chris wrote thirteen of the tracks, and cowrote the other two. He co-produced Sweet Deceit with Keith Mitchell, and the album was released in 1990.
Three years had passed since Unusual Places To Die was released. The Bathers were back, and according to critics, better than ever. Sweet Deceit was described as impressionistic, beautiful and spellbinding. One critic, quite rightly referred to the album as a mini masterpiece. However, The Bathers had been here before with Unusual Places To Die.
On Sweet Deceit’s release, lightning struck twice for The Bathers. Sales of Sweet Deceit were disappointing. Despite the critically acclaimed reviews, Sweet Deceit seemed to pass record buyers by. For The Bathers, this was a huge disappointment.
Especially when Island Records didn’t renew The Bathers’ contract. There would be another gap of three years before we heard from The Bathers again. However, Chris was still making music.
Following Sweet Deceit, Chris Thomson joined with two former members of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Stephen Irvine and Neil Clark, to create a Scottish supergroup, Bloomsday. They released just one album, Fortuny, which is now regarded as a classic Scottish album. Just like The Bathers two previous albums, Bloomsday’s debut album, Fortuny, was released to critical acclaim. Unfortunately, commercial success eluded Fortuny. However, a more fruitful period was round the corner for The Bathers.
Lagoon Blues.
After signing a record contract with a German record label Marina, the group released three albums in a four year period. In 1993, they released Lagoon Blues, their Marina debut.
Just like Sweet Deceit, Lagoon Blues was another epic album penned by Chris Thomson. It featured sixteen songs, which were the perfect showcase for Chris’ octave defying vocal. Accompanied by what was essentially The Bathers and friends, sixteen tracks were recorded at Palladium Studios, Edinburgh and mixed at Palladium Studios and Cava Studios, Glasgow. Once Lagoon Blues was completed, it was released in 1993.
On its release in 1993, critics remarked that Lagoon Blues was a more eclectic album. There were diversions into jazz-skiffle on Pissor, while the album opener Lagoon Blues showcased a string quartet. The strings would play an important part on Lagoon Blues, which was hailed as poetic, elegant, sumptuous and intense. The same critical acclaim accompanied Lagoon Blues, however, this time The Bathers’ music found a wider audience. It seemed after three albums, The Bathers’ star was in the ascendancy.
Sunpowder.
For The Bathers’ fourth album, and followup to Lagoon Blues, they returned with Sunpowder. It marked the debut of a new lineup of The Bathers.
Sunpowder marked The Bathers’ debut of drummer and percussionist Hazel Morrison, keyboardist Carlo Scattini and string players Ian White and Mark Wilson. These new additions would change The Bathers’ sound greatly. Many people refer to this as the classic lineup of The Bathers. This classic lineup, plus guest artist ex-Cocteau Twin, Liz Fraser, who features on four tracks, made its debut on Sunpowder.
For Sunpowder, Chris Thomson had written eleven new songs. They were recorded a at Palladium Studios, Edinburgh. Chris and Keith Mitchell produced Sunpowder, which was released in 1995.
When Sunpowder was released, it received the same critical acclaim as The Bathers’ three previous albums. Sunpowder was called sumptuous, sensual, dramatic and ethereal. Liz Fraser, an honorary Bather was the perfect foil to Chris, forever the troubled, tortured troubadour. The result was, what was The Bathers most successful album, Sunpowder. That however, would change with Kelvingrove Baby.
Kelvingrove Baby.
Kelvingrove Baby would be The Bathers’ Marina swan-song. They were certainly eaving the German label on a high.
Chris Thomson had written thirteen new songs for Kelvingrove Baby, which was recorded in Glasgow and Edinburgh. It was at these locations that The Bathers’ expanded lineup reconvened.
Picking up where they left off, were The Bathers’ new lineup, plus a few friends. The Bathers’ rhythm section included bassists Sam Loup, Douglas MacIntyre and Ken McHugh, drummers Hazel Morrison and James Locke, who also played percussion. Joining them in the rhythm section were guitarist Colin McIlroy. They were joined by accordionist, pianist and and organist Carlo Scattini, string players Ian White and Mark Wilson. Fermina Haze plays organ, James Grant of Love and Money plays acoustic guitar and with with Hazel Morrison and Justin Currie of Del Amitri, adds backing vocals. Chris plays acoustic guitar, piano and adds his unmistakable vocals. He produced most of Kelvingrove Baby, apart from Thrive, which was produced by James Locke. Once Kelvingrove Baby was completed, it was released in 1997.
Just like each of The Bathers’ four previous albums, Kelvingrove Baby was released to overwhelming critical acclaim. Kelvingrove Baby was hailed The Bathers’ finest hour. It seemed everything had been leading up to Kelvingrove Baby.
Opening Kelvingrove Baby, is the James Locke produced Thrive. Just a strummed acoustic guitar takes centre-stage, while subtle washes of keyboards flit in and out. They provide the backdrop for Chris Thomson’s vocal. For the first time on Kelvingrove Baby, Chris dawns the role of troubled troubadour, playing it to perfection. It’s as if he’s experience, lived through, and survived someone leaving him. His vocal is full of emotion of swells of strings sweep in. They’re the perfect accompaniment as Chris delivers the lyrics “up on the west coast waiting, I wear the rain like tears.” In doing so, Chris’ hurt and loneliness is there for all to see and hear.
Girlfriend is akin to a devotional from the pen of Chris Thomson. A piano and bass probe, while a cymbal is caresses. This sets the stage for Chris’ tender, emotive vocal. There’s almost disbelief in his voice that he’s found someone to call his own. He’s fallen head over heels, hence lyrics like “I’m the kind of guy, whose dreams rise unashamed, who will love you ’til the end, cos you’re my girlfriend.” With just a subtle, meandering piano, understated drums, washes of ethereal harmonies and crystalline guitar, Chris delivers a heartfelt devotional.
If Love Could Last Forever is the perfect showcase for The Bathers’ unique brand of cerebral, literate and poetic pop. After all, who apart from The Bathers write: “they flutter down like fireflies, tugging at your sleeves, somehow rise to shame you, bring you to your knees?” It’s a beautiful, soul-searching song about love. That’s the case from the opening bars, when an acoustic guitar is strummed, a guitar chimes and drums mark the beat. Then, longingly and hopefully, Chris, accompanied by cooing harmonies, sings “ If Love Could Last Forever, forever and a day.” Effortlessly, Chris breathes life, meaning and emotion into what’s a timeless paean.
While East Of East Delier has an understated arrangement, it allows Chris to unleash his full and impressive vocal range. Drums are caressed and a piano meanders. Meanwhile, a bass adds an element of darkness. This is reflected in the hurt, loneliness and regret in Chris’ vocal. His vocal soars above the arrangement, with frustration omnipresent at the love he once had and lost.
Accompanied by firmly strummed acoustic guitar No Risk No Glory, unfolds. A guitar chimes as fingers flit up and down the fretboard. Meanwhile, Chris’ vocal is a mixture of power, emotion and hurt. The hurt is obvious from the moment he sings “I was born to love her,” it’s a case of infatuation and unrequited love. With harmonies, an accordion and guitars for company, Chris delivers a cathartic outpouring of hurt. He wouldn’t have it any other way, singing ruefully “no risk, no glory.”
Dramatic and moody describes the dark, but sparse piano lead introduction to Once Upon A Time On The Rapenburg. If a picture tells a thousand stories, so does a piano. It sets the scene for Chris, as once again, he dawns the role of troubled troubadour. With shimmering strings and a deliberate gothic piano for company, Chris remembers the love affair that almost was.
Kelvingrove Baby is the centre-piece of Kelvingrove Baby. It’s a seven minute epic about an unnamed femme fatale from Glasgow’s West End who toyed with Chris’ affections. From just a strummed guitar and subtle piano, the arrangement builds. The piano plays a more prominent role, adding an element of drama. After ninety seconds drums pound and ethereal harmonies sweep in. They give way to Chris’ worldweary, lived-in vocal. Meanwhile, Hazel Morrison adds ethereal, elegiac harmonies. This seems to spur Chris on. Using his wide vocal range, he unleashes a needy vocal tour de force. Hopefully, he sings “someday I know, that you’ll be back…I don’t know, maybe then you can be my Kelvingrove Baby.” Behind him, the epic, ethereal and dramatic arrangement is the perfect accompaniment for what’s without doubt, The Bathers’ finest hour on Kelvingrove Baby.
Memories come flooding back to Chris on Girl From The Polders. Instantly, he’s transported back to another time and place. That’s when they first met, and where “I first kissed you.” With the rhythm section and piano providing a backdrop, Chris delivers another hopeful, needy vocal. He hopes that when summer returns, and heads back to Poolewe, his “songbird, melodious and pure,” is there.
Against a backdrop of quivering strings, Chris delivers a vocal on Lost Certainties that’s equal parts power, passion, frustration and sadness. Below the vocal and strings, the rhythm section drives the arrangement along, adding to the drama and intensity of this soul-baring refrain about a bewitching woman.
After the intensity of Lost Certainties, Dial has a much looser, laid-back sound. Chris eschews the power of the previous track, as The Bathers deliver an understated, spacious, melodic track. Hazel Morrison, James Grant and Justin Currie add harmonies that are yin to Chris’ yang, as he almost croons his way through Dial.
Orchestral strings and a pounding rhythm section set the scene for Chris’ vocal on The Fragrance Remains Insane. There’s an intensity in Chris’ lovelorn vocal, on this tale of love gone wrong. He’s struggling to come to terms with the breakup of his relationship, despite his claims “that I’m not crazy about you.”
If Chris Thomson had been born twenty years earlier, he’d have been a crooner. That’s apparent on Hellespont In A Storm, where he literally croons his way through the track. Accompanied by washes of accordion, swathes of strings, a subtle rhythm section and acoustic guitar. As Chris croons, emotion and regret are omnipresent. Especially when he sings “spread your wings, above you, the time has come to fly away, where I can’t follow.” Given this is the ultimate sacrifice, the beauty and emotion is almost overwhelming.
The piano lead Twelve, closes Kelvingrove Baby. Chris lays bare his soul, accompanied by his trusty piano. Later, swathes of lush strings sweep in. They provide the accompaniment to a telephone conversation, on this story of everlasting love.
For The Bathers, Kelvingrove Baby was a musical coming of age. It’s as if everything they’d been working towards was leading to Kelvingrove Baby. The music was variously atmospheric, cerebral, dramatic, ethereal, heartfelt, hopeful, literate, needy and sensual. It’s also tinged with pathos, regret and sadness. No wonder, given the tales of love found and lost. They’re brought to life by The Bathers’ very own troubled troubadour Chris Thompson. Along with the rest of The Bathers, they’re responsible for Kelvingrove Baby, a truly enthralling album.
On Kelvingrove Baby, the music is captivating. So much so, that you’re drawn into Kelvingrove Baby’s lush, atmospheric sound. Having captured your attention, The Bathers don’t let go. Before long, the listener has fallen in love. They fall in love with music that’s hauntingly beautiful, emotive, dramatic and pensive. Much of this is thanks to Chris Thomson’s peerless vocal performances. He plays the role of the troubled troubadour, to a tee. His worldweary, emotive, heartfelt and impassioned vocal sounds as if it’s lived the lyrics he’s singing about. Lived them not just once, but several times over. As a result, Kelvingrove Baby is akin to a snapshot into Chris Thomson’s life, and very soul. Indeed, Kelvingrove Baby sounds a very personal album from The Bathers’ troubled troubadour, Chris Thomson. Kelvingrove Baby was a career high from The Bathers. However, two years later, somehow, The Bathers managed to top Kelvingrove Baby.
Pandemonia, which was released in 1999, was The Bathers’ swan-song. Just like Kelvingrove Baby, the critically acclaimed Pandemonia, should’ve transformed The Bathers’ career. Sadly, despite oozing quality, The Bathers’ cerebral, literate and melodic brand of chamber pop failed to find the wider audience it deserved. As a result, The Bathers remained almost unknown apart from loyal band of discerning music lovers.
After Pandemonia, most people expected The Bathers to return after a couple of years with their seventh album. That wasn’t to be. Two years became three, became five, ten and fifteen. Now, sixteen years have passed since the release of Pandemonia. Throughout the last sixteen years, there have been rumours that another Bathers album is in the pipeline. With every year, that looks even more unlikely. However, maybe in the year that marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Bathers, they’ll return with their seventh album. We can only hope. After all, The Bathers have always strived to do things their way.
The Bathers are unlike most bands. They’re enigmatic, almost reclusive and publicity shy. Quite simply, The Bathers aren’t exactly your normal band. Not for them the rock “n” roll lifestyle favoured by other bands. In many ways, musical fashions and fads didn’t affect them. Their attitude was almost contrarian. Albums were recorded slowly and methodically. It was as if The Bathers were striving for perfection. On Kelvingrove Baby and Pandemonia, they almost achieved the impossible. What’s more they did it their way.
This means The Bathers aren’t willing to jump onto a musical bandwagon in pursuit of fame, fortune or starlets. Quite the opposite. It seemed to be their way or no way, in the pursuit of musical perfection. By perfection this means music that cerebral, dramatic, emotive, ethereal, literate and melodic. That describes The Bathers’ fifth album Kelvingrove Baby perfectly. Kelvingrove Baby saw The Bathers strive for perfection, and very nearly, achieve the impossible.
THE BATHERS-KELVINGROVE BABY.
BOBBY WHITLOCK-BOBBY WHITLOCK.
BOBBY WHITLOCK-BOBBY WHITLOCK.
Before embarking upon a solo career in 1971, Memphis born Bobby Whitlock, had worked with some of the biggest names in music. His career started when Bobby was just seventeen. That’s when Bobby Whitlock had signed to Stax Records. He went on to work with Albert King, Booker T. and The MGs, Sam and Dave and the Staple Singlers. Then in 1968, Bobby Whitlock joined one of rock’s supergroups, Delaney and Bonnie.
A year earlier, in 1967, Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett formed what would become one of rock’s first supergroups. Over the next five years, everyone from Dave Mason, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, King Curtis, Leon Russell,Rita Coolidge and the Allman Brothers were members of Delaney and Bonnie. In 1968, Bobby Whitlock joined Delaney and Bonnie and featured on two albums.
Home.
Bobby Whitlock made his Delaney and Bonnie debut, on their debut album Home. It was recorded during 1968 and 1969, at Stax Studios, Memphis. Accompanying Delaney and Bonnie, were the Stax house band plus a few friends. This included Bobby and Leon Russell. Once Home was completed, it was released later in 1969.
On the release of Home, it failed to chart. Delaney and Bonnie’s debut seemed to pass record buyers by. However, the reviews of Home were mostly positive, and the album would later be reissued. By then, critical acclaim and commercial success would’ve come Delaney and Bonnie’s way. This started with Delaney and Bonnie sophomore album, The Original Delaney and Bonnie and Friends (Accept No Substitute).
The Original Delaney and Bonnie and Friends (Accept No Substitute).
Released to widespread critical acclaim in July 1969, The Original Delaney and Bonnie and Friends (Accept No Substitute) saw everything from blue eyed soul, country, gospel and soul melt into one. Hailed as one of the best albums of 1969, it’s a surprise that The Original Delaney and Bonnie and Friends (Accept No Substitute) only reached number 175 on the US Billboard 200 charts. After the release of The Original Delaney and Bonnie and Friends (Accept No Substitute)., Delaney and Bonnie and Friends headed out on tour with Eric Clapton.
On Tour with Eric Clapton.
On their return from touring with Eric Clapton, Delaney and Bonnie released their live album, On Tour with Eric Clapton. It was released in March 1970, and peaked at number twenty-nine in the US Billboard 200 in April 1970. Over the Atlantic, On Tour with Eric Clapton reached number thirty-nine in Britain and was certified gold. Meanwhile, Delaney and Bonnie were working on their third album, To Bonnie from Delaney. However, by then, Bobby had joined Eric Clapton’s latest supergroup, Derek and The Dominoes.
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
When Bobby Whitlock joined Derek and The Dominoes, he never realised, that he was about to become part of musical history. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs would become a classic album.
For Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Eric Clapton wrote or cowrote nine tracks. This included Keep On Growing, Anyday, Tell The Truth and Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad with Bobby. Bobby also contributed Thorn Tree in the Garden, which closes Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Eric Clapton. These nine tracks, plus five cover versions, would become Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Eric Clapton, which was recorded in Miami.
At Criteria Studios, Miami, what can only be described as a supergroup began recording the fourteen tracks on 28th August 1970. Joining Eric and Bobby were guitarist Duane Allman, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon. This band recorded the fourteen tracks, including Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs’s centrepiece Layla, which tells of Eric Clapton’s infatuation for Patti Boyd, who was then married to George Harrison. It would become a track that will forever be synonymous with Eric Clapton. By the of 2nd October 1970, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs was completed. It would released in November 1970.
When Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs was released in November 1970, reviews were mixed. That seems strange, given Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is now regarded as a classic album. However, in 1970, some critics viewed Eric Clapton and Duane Allman’s guitar playing as macho posturing, and the love songs as lightweight. As is often the case, music critics are prone to rewrite history. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is a case in point. Still, the album sold well.
Despite the mixed reviews, and a limited promotional budget, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs managed to reach number sixteen in the US Billboard 200 charts. This resulted in Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs being certified gold. Still, Polydor viewed Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs as a commercial failure. Part of the problem was some record buyers weren’t aware of Eric Clapton’s involvement.As a result, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs was rereleased in 1972. However, there was no followup to Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Derek and The Dominoes was a one-off project. Following the demise of Derek and The Dominoes, Bobby Whitlock embarked upon his solo career.
Bobby Whitlock.
Having been a member of two supergroups, Bobby Whitlock decided to embark upon a solo career. He was determined to make the move from sideman to frontman. So Bobby got to work on what would become his eponymous debut album, Bobby Whitlock.
For what became Bobby Whitlock, Bobby wrote eight tracks and cowrote two more. Bobby cowrote Where There’s A Will with Bonnie Bramlett, and A Day Without Jesus with Don Nix. These ten tracks would become Bobby Whitlock, which was recorded at Olympic Studio’s Studio B.
Recording of Bobby Whitlock took place at Olympic Studio’s Studio B, between January and March 1971. Bobby was joined by what joined by what can only be described as an all-star band. This included Delaney and Bonnie and three members of Derek and The Dominoes. Bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jim Gordon and guitarist Eric Clapton provided an enviable rhythm section. They were joined by George Harrison on guitar. Bobby had played on George’s Magnus Opus All Things Must Pass, and was repaying the favour. Other guest artists included bassist Klaus Voormann, drummer Jim Keltner, saxophonist and trombonist Bobby Keys, trumpeter Jim Price and guitarist Jerry McGhee. As for Bobby, he played piano, organ, twelve-string guitar and acoustic guitar. Once the ten tracks were recorded, Bobby went looking for a record company for his debut album, Bobby Whitlock.
Before that, George Greif, Jimmy Miller’s manager got in touch. He wanted to become Bobby’s manager. So Bobby flew to Los Angeles to meet George and his business partner Sid Garris, at their offices on Beverley Boulevard. After a lengthy discussion, the three men headed to ABC-Dunhill Records’ headquarters. That’s where George and Sid introduced Bobby to Jay Lasker, President of ABC-Dunhill Records. Bobby played Jay his eponymous debut album. Having listened intently, Jay Lasker signed Bobby to a two album deal.
The first of these two albums, Bobby Whitlock, was released in March 1972. Bobby Whitlock’s release would’ve been earlier. However, ABC-Dunhill Records objected to some of the material. Eventually, Bobby Whitlock was released in March 1972. Reviews of Bobby Whitlock were mixed, ranging from critically acclaimed to favourable. One of the problems was, that critics kept comparing Bobby Whitlock to Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. That wasn’t fair, as Bobby Whitlock was a solo album. It just so happened that many of the same personnel featured on both albums. Despite the mixed reviews, Bobby Whitlock reached number 140 in the US Billboard 200 charts. While Bobby Whitlock didn’t reach the heights of Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Bobby’s solo career was underway.
Where There’s a Will opens Bobby Whitlock. Literally, the arrangement explodes into life, with the all-star rhythm section driving the arrangement along. It includes drummer Jim Gordon and George Harrison on rhythm guitar. They’re joined by Eric Clapton on slide guitar. Bobby delivers a gravelly, rocky vocal and adds flamboyant flourishes of keyboards. Later, Bobby Key’s adds the finishing touch, when he unleashes a blistering saxophone solo. This seems to spur Bobby and his all-star band on, as the track reaches a rocky, dramatic crescendo where elements of blues, rock and Southern Rock unite.
Song For Paula shows a very different side of Bobby Whitlock. Just an acoustic guitar, bass and piano provide the backdrop for Bobby’s vocal. It’s tender, heartfelt and has a vulnerability. As it grows in power, so does the arrangement. Jim Gordon’s drums, guitars and Bobby’s Hammond organ are joined by a piano. By then, Bobby’s vocal veers between hopeful and needy. Accompanied by backing vocals he unleashes a soul-baring vocal. Then when the backing vocals drop out, Bobby’s all-star band kick loose. They add an element of drama, and add to the emotion in this hopeful paean.
As Bobby plays Eric Clapton’s twelve-string guitar, Traffic’s Chris Wood adds a wistful flute on A Game Called Life. Meanwhile, Delaney adds bass and a confused Bobby delivers a vocal full of bewilderment. His relationship’s at an end, he’s got his “suitcase in his hand,” and he wonders why? Backing vocals flit in, strings swirl and a flute wanders across the arrangement. All the time, hurt and confusion is omnipresent in Bobby’s vocal.
As Bobby plays acoustic guitar and delivers a worldweary vocal on Country Life, Jerry McGee’s crystalline guitar and Carl Radle’s bass marches the arrangement along. Meanwhile, Delaney and Bonnie add backing vocals. All the time, Jim Keltner’s drums add the heartbeat to this laid-back slice of country music.
The gospel tinged A Day Without Jesus was penned by Bobby and Don Nix. Bobby’s vocal is akin to an outpouring of emotion and sincerity. The rhythm section create a slow, sometimes dramatic backdrop. Meanwhile, washes of Hammond organ and gospel influenced backing vocals are the perfect foil to Bobby’s heartfelt vocal.
Back in My Life Again is quite different from the two previous tracks. A driving, scrabbling rhythm section and funky, chiming guitar drive the explosive arrangement along. They’re aided and abetted by stabs of blazing horns and a Hammond organ. Atop the arrangement sits Bobby’s gravelly, joyous vocal. He turns the track into a celebration, when he sings “now that you’re Back in My Life Again.” His all-star band raise the stakes, storming their way through the track. That’s until the tempo drops and a trombone soars above the arrangement. This allows Bobby and his band to regroup, before grandstanding their way through this celebration of love.
The Scenery Has Slowly Changed sees Bobby drop the tempo again. A crystalline guitar floats above the understated arrangement. It’s joined by Bobby’s croaky vocal and Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon on guitar. This allows Bobby’s vocal to take centre-stage. It’s rueful, and full of emotion and regret, at the love he’s lost and is missing. Later, Bobby’s vocal becomes a hurt fuelled vamp, where he delivers the vocal as if he’s lived and survived them.
I’d Rather Live the Straight Life is another country-tinged track. Seamlessly, Bobby, accompanied by his all-star band, create a track that sounds as if it was recorded in Nashville, not London. Unlike the other tracks, which were produced by Bobby and Andy Johns, Bobby and Joe Zagarino produce this track. It features bassist Carl Radle and Bobby and Jerry McGee on guitar. Their guitars are at the heart of the track’s success. Bobby’s vocal is throaty and charismatic. Later, Delaney and Bonnie add backing vocals, that give the track a raucous, singalong sound. They’re the perfect foil to Bobby, on this country-tinged track.
Just acoustic guitars and percussion accompany Bobby on The Dreams of a Hobo. His vocal is thoughtful, tender and wistful. This shows another side of Bobby. It’s captivating, beautiful and dreamy.
Closing Bobby Whitlock is Back Home in England. It’s another wistful, dreamy track. Just guitars, lush strings and drums accompany Bobby’s vocal. It’s a cathartic outpouring of emotion. Especially with the swathes of strings and meandering guitars for company. They ensure that Bobby Whitlock ends on a beautiful, emotive high.
Having been a member of two supergroups, Delaney and Bonnie and Derek and The Dominoes, Bobby Whitlock decided now was the time to move from sideman, to frontman. So, he signed to ABC-Dunhill Records and released his eponymous debut album, Bobby Whitlock, in March 1972 and reached just number 140 in the US Billboard 200 charts. However, Bobby Whitlock was released to mixed reviews.
Bobby Whitlock was an album that divided the opinion of critics. Partly, this was because they compared Bobby Whitlock to Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Given it was a classic album, released by Eric Clapton, an experienced artist, this was hardly comparing like with like. The critics also compared Bobby’s voice to Eric Clapton and Delaney Bramlett. Eric and Delaney, the critics announced were better singers. That may have been the case, but Bobby’s voice brought the ten songs on Bobby Whitlock to life.
Whether it was emotion, heartache, hope, hurt, joy, melancholy, neediness or sadness, Bobby was able to bring this to a song. Sometimes, his vocal sounded lived-in, worldweary and gravelly. Seamlessly, Bobby a versatile vocalist, could switch between country, gospel, rock and Southern Rock. So could his band. They also took diversions via blues and funk on Bobby Whitlock. The result was a captivating album, Bobby Whitlock.
Although Bobby Whitlock wasn’t a huge commercial success, and divided the opinion of critics upon its release, it’s an album that falls into the category of hidden gem. Just like so many albums, Bobby Whitlock passed many record buyers by. They never heard Bobby Whitlock, or any of Bobby’s other solo albums. That’s a great shame, as Bobby Whitlock is a hugely talented artist. Sadly, most people remember Bobby Whitlock as a sideman, rather than frontman.
No wonder. As a sideman, Bobby Whitlock played with everyone from Bonnie and Delaney, Derek and The Dominoes, George Harrison, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, John Lennon and The Rolling Stones. However, between 1972 and 1976, Bobby Whitlock released a quartet of solo albums. The first of these was Bobby Whitlock, an album that’s variously beautiful, celebratory, emotive, ethereal, joyous, laid-back and rocky.
BOBBY WHITLOCK-BOBBY WHITLOCK.
CAN-FUTURE DAYS.
CAN-FUTURE DAYS.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to interview a true musical legend, Holger Czukay. He was part of Can, who were undoubtably, one of the most ambitious and innovative groups in the history of music. Their music was constantly groundbreaking. So much so, that it was always way ahead of the musical curve. As a result, Can’s music is timeless, and has influenced several generation of musicians. Especially, Can’s “golden quartet” of albums.
Can’s “golden quartet” of albums started with a stonewall classic, Tago Mago, released in February 1971. The followup to Tago Mago, was another groundbreaking, classic album.
Ege Bamyasi was released in November 1972. Just like Tago Mago, critical acclaim accompanied the release of what was called a pioneering album. However, despite Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi being recognised as two of the most important and innovative albums in musical history, Holger Czukay regards the third in the golden quartet, Future Days, as the “most influential” Can album.
This came about when I asked Holger Czukay what he regarded as Can’s best album? Straight away, Holger responded “Future Days,” which was released in August 1973. When I asked what his favourite Can album was, without hesitation Holger responded that “Future Days is my favourite Can album.” Holger spoke about Future Days almost evangelically. So much so, that he made me listen to Future Days afresh. Just like it’s two predecessors, Future Days is a classic album, but one where Can, constantly musical chameleons, reinvent themselves and their music. Can had come a long way since their early days in Cologne.
Can’s roots can be traced back to 1963. That’s when he met Conny Plank and Irmin Schmidt. Just like Holger, they were students of Karlheinz Stockhausen. The three studied under Karlheinz Stockhausen until the graduated in 1966.
Having graduated, Holger was enjoying life as a music teacher. Holger was enjoying his newfound career as an educator. He wasn’t a fan of pop or rock music. That was about to change in 1967.
That’s when Holger heard The Beatles’ I Am A Walrus in 1967, he was captivated by this psychedelic rock single. Holger describes this “as a life-changing moment…the music of the past and present came together.” At last, “here was music that made the connection between what I’d studied and I was striving towards” With the innovative use of bursts of radio and the experimental sound and structure, “I went in search of similar music.”
Soon, Holger discovered Velvet Underground, who Holger sad would later, influence Can.“Velvet Underground they were different, they were really influential” “They influenced the music I made…I remember the first time I heard Velvet Underground and where I heard it” This was “sitting in a friend’s flat looking through piles of albums. We’d study the sleeve-notes and then spread the album covers all over the floor. We scrutinised them, then immersed ourselves in the music. It was a shared experience. We listened and discussed the music. I can remember these times well.”
Inspired by what he’d heard, Holger decided to form his own band in 1968. In his new band, Holger was joined by another graudate of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Irmin Schmidt. They had spent three years studying together, so knew each other well. However, after graduating Irmin had headed to New York.
In New York, Irmin spent time with avant-garde musicians like Steve Reich, Terry Riley and La Monte Young. Soon, Irmin was aware of Andy Warhol and Velvet Underground. This inspired him to form his own band when he returned home to Cologne.
Back home, Irmin a pianist and organist formed Can with American avant garde flautist David C. Johnson and bassist Holger Czukay. Up until then, the trio had exclusively played avant-garde classical music. Now their ambitions lay beyond that. Their influences included garage, rock, psychedelia, soul and funk. So they brought onboard three new members of the group, which started life as Inner Space, and then became The Can. Eventually, they settled on Can, an acronym of communism, anarchy, nihilism
The first two new additions were guitarist Michael Karoli and drummer Jaki Liebezeit. Vocalist and New York-based sculptor Malcolm Mooney joined the band midway through 1968. By then, they were recording material for an album Prepare To Meet Thy Pnoom. Two tracks, Father Cannot Yell and “Outside My Door were already recorded. Unfortunately, record companies weren’t interested in Prepare To Meet Thy Pnoom. As a result, it wasn’t released until 1981, when it was released as Delay 1968. Undeterred, Can continued to record what became their debut album, Monster Movie.
Despite not being able to interest a record company in Prepare To Meet Thy Pnoom, Can were confident in their own ability. So Can continued recording what would become their debut album Monster Movies. That’s despite being what Holger referred to as “a poor man’s band.” They didn’t have the equipment that other groups did. What they did have was “an ambition to create innovative music.” However, before long, there was a problem.
David C. Johnson left Can at the end of 1968. He was disappointed at the change in musical direction. Little did he realise that he’d lost the chance to be part of one of the most groundbreaking band’s in musical history, Can.
Monster Movie.
Monster Movie had been recorded in Schloss Nörvenich, a 14th-century castle in North Rhine-Westphalia. Can recorded Monster Movie between 1968-69. It was the released in August 1969. This marked the debut of Can. Their career started as they meant to go on. A groundbreaking, genre-melting fusion of blues, free jazz, psychedelia, rock and world music, Monster Movies has a Velvet Underground influence. It’s as if Can have been inspired by Velvet Underground and pushed musical boundaries to their limits.
Throughout Monster Movie, Can improvised, innovated and experimented. Multilayering and editing played an important part in Monster Movie’s avant garde sound. So did spontaneous composition, which Can pioneered.
Spontaneous composition was hugely important in Can’s success. Holger remembers “that the members of Can were always ready to record. They didn’t take time to think. It was spontaneous. The music flowed through them and out of them.” Holger remembers that he was always “given the job of pressing the record button. This was a big responsibility as the fear was failing to record something we could never recreate.” In some ways, Can were an outlet for this outpouring of creativity, which gave birth to a new musical genre.
This new musical genre was dubbed Krautrock by the British music press. So not only was Monster Movie the album that launched Can’s career, but saw a new musical genre, Krautrock coined. The founding father’s of Krautrock were Can, lead by Holger Czukay. Can would soon, begin work on their sophomore album Soundtracks.
Soundtracks.
Released in 1970, Soundtracks, was Can’s sophomore album. Essentially, Soundtracks is a compilation of tracks Can wrote for the soundtracks to various films. It’s the album that marked the departure of vocalist Malcolm Mooney. Replacing him, was Japanese busker, Kenji Damo Suzuki. He features on five of the tracks, contributing percussion and vocals. The addition of Damo wasn’t the only change Can were making.
Soundtracks was a coming of age for Can. It marked a move away from the psychedelic jams of Monster Movie and a move towards their classic sound. That saw the music becoming much more experimental and avant-garde. The music took an ambient, meditative, mesmeric and thoughtful sound. This marked the beginning of what became known as Can’s classic years, when albums like Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi and Future Days were released.
Tago Mago.
The first instalment in the golden quartet was Tago Mago. This was the first album where Kenji Damo Suzuki was a permanent member of Can. He and the rest of Can spent a year in the castle in Schloss Nörvenich. It was owned by an art collector named Mr. Vohwinkel. He allowed Can to stay at Schloss Nörvenich rent free. For what Holger described as “a poor man’s band,” this was perfect.
Holger remembers Can during this year as “just jamming and seeing what took shape. Songs started as lengthy jams and improvised pieces.” This Holger remembers is “how Can always worked” After that, Holger worked his magic. He edited them and these mini masterpieces featured on Tago Mago, which was four months in the making.
For four months between November 1970 and February 1971, Can recorded what would become one of their most innovative and influential albums, Tago Mago.
A double album, it featured seven groundbreaking tracks. Tago Mago was released in February 1971. Straight away, critics realised the importance of Tago Mago. Here was a game-changer of an album. It has an intensity that other albums released in 1971 lacked. Jazzier with an experimental sound, the music is mysterious, mesmeric and multilayered. It’s innovative, with genres and influences melting into one. Nuances, subtleties and surprises reveal themselves. No wonder. Can deliver a avant garde masterclass.
This comes courtesy of jazz-tinged drumming, improvised guitar playing and showboating keyboard solos. Then there was Kenji Damo Suzuki’s unique vocal style. All this, resulted in an album that was critically acclaimed, influential and innovative.
Released to widespread critical acclaim in 1971, Tago Mago was the start of a golden period for Can. Their reputation as one of the most innovative groups of the seventies started to take shape. Can had released one of the most innovative albums, Tago Mago. Holger remembers the reaction to Tago Mago. “I knew Tago Mago was an innovative album, but I never realised just how innovative an album it would become?
On Tago Mago’s release, it was hailed as their best album yet. However, not in Holger’s opinion. “Tago Mago is a classic album, but I much prefer Future Days.” Despite Holger’s preference, several generations of musicians have been inspired by Tago Mago, a true Magnus Opus, that belongs in every record collection. So does the followup Ege Bamyasi.
Ege Bamyasi.
Can were on a roll. It seemed they could do no wrong. They released Spoon as a single in 1972. It reached number six in Germany, selling over 300,000 copies. That was helped no end, by the single being used as the theme to a German thriller Das Messer. It seemed nothing could go wrong for Can. The money the made from Spoon, allowed Can to hire disused cinema to record what became Ege Bamyasi.
Can advertised for a space to record their next album, Ege Bamyasi. Recording began in a disused cinema, which doubled as a recording studio and living space. The sessions at Inner Space Studio, in Weilerswist, near Cologne didn’t go well. Irmin Schmidt and Kenji Damo Suzuki took to playing marathon chess sessions. As a result, Can hadn’t enough material for an album. This resulted in Can having to work frantically to complete Ege Bamyasi. Despite this, Can were still short of material. So Spoon was added and Ege Bamyasi was complete.
Ege Bamyasi was a fusion of musical genres. Everything from jazz, ambient, world music, psychedelia, rock and electronica melted into one. When it was Ege Bamyasi released in November 1972, it was to the same critical acclaim as previous albums. Critics were won over by Can’s fourth album. It was perceived as a more accessible album than its predecessors. Just like Can’s previous albums, the quality of music was consistent.
Critics hailed Can as one of the few bands capable of creating consistent and pioneering albums. They were one of the most exciting bands of the early seventies. Can were continuing to innovate and influence musicians and music lovers alike. Just like its predecessor, Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi is an essential part of any self respecting record collection. Having released two consecutive classic albums and their first single, it seemed nothing could go wrong for Can.
Future Days.
Despite Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi being referred to as two of the most influential albums ever released, Holger Czukay prefers Future Days. This is the album he calls “my favourite Can album.”
Future Days, was Can’s fifth album. It was the third in Can’s golden quartet, and marked a change in direction from Can. On Future Days, Can’s music head in the direction of ambient music. The music is atmospheric, dreamy, ethereal, melancholy, expansive and full of captivating, mesmeric rhythms. It’s also pioneering and progressive, with elements of avant garde, experimental, psychedelia and rock melting into one. Rather than songs, soundscapes describes the four tracks written by Can.
Recording of Future Days took place at Inner Space Studios. Can’s rhythm section featured drummer and percussionist Jaki Liebezeit, Holger Czukay played bass and double bass and Michael Karoli added guitar and violin. Irmin Schmidt keyboards and synths. Damo Suzuki who bade his farewell on Future Days, added vocals and percussion. Once the four tracks were recorded, Future Days was released in August 1973.
On its release in August 1973, Future Days was hailed a classic by music critics. The move towards ambient music may have surprised some Can fans. However, Can were constantly determined to reinvent their music. Standing still wasn’t an option. Instead, Can wanted to move forwards musically. That’s what they did. Critics described the music on Future Days, as variously atmospheric, dreamy, ethereal, expansive and melancholy. Here was an album full of captivating, mesmeric rhythms. Future Days, you’ll realise, is also a pioneering and progressive album, were Can music moved in the direction of ambient music. This must have pleased Holger’s guru Karlheinz Stockhausen. He must have looked on proudly as Can released the third of a quartet of classic albums, Future Days.
Opening Future Days is the title-track, Future Days. Straight away, ambient and avant-garde combine. Swells of futuristic, sci-fi music unfold, combining with elements of what nowadays, is referred to as “chill out” music. The music shimmers, quivers, glistens and bubbles. Sounds flit in and out of this cinematic soundscape. They’re variously captivating, dreamy, haunting, hypnotic, mesmeric and always, understated. Resistance is impossible. You’re captivated. Hungrily, you wait to see what’s about to unfold. Surprises aplenty make flitting appearances. Some last longer, their beauty almost omnipresent. For nine minutes, instruments, and the vocal, flit in and out, of this genre-melting arrangement. It’s variously beautiful, dramatic, dreamy and ethereal, as ambient, avant-garde, Krautrock and psychedelia melt into one. The result is a track that sounds both cinematic and one that could have given birth to modern “chill out music.”
There’s an element of tension and drama as Spray unfolds. Again, the track has a cinematic sound. A bubbling, gurgling Hammond organ joins a rhythm section that combines funk, Kraurock and free jazz. It’s as of Can are jamming, feeding off each other and seeing what direction their music will head. However, it thanks to Hall makes perfect sense. The disparate genres combine to create a compelling, dramatic, dreamy and lysergic musical journey. As journeys go, it’s akin to climbing onboard the DB Netz and enjoying a journey from Cologne into the surrounding Saxony countryside.
Moonshake is the shortest track on Future Days. It lasts just under four minutes. It’s very different from the previous tracks. Can’s rhythm section is joined by bursts of subtle, chiming guitars. They provide the backdrop for Damo Suzuki’s soft, pensive vocal. When it drops out, futuristic, robotic sounds grab your attention. This results in the track taking on a sci-fi sound. Then when Damo’s vocal returns, gone is the sci-fi sound. Replacing it, is one of the most accessible, poppy songs Can produced.
Bel Air closes Future Days. It’s the centre-point of Future Days. It’s a twenty-minute epic, that’s one of Can’s finest hours. The multi-layered, ambient arrangement meanders into being. This comes courtesy of a chiming guitar, probing bass and washes of synths. Meanwhile, waves break on a beach. Soon, an ad-libbed vocal and searing rocky guitar combine. Both sit back in the mix, ensuring neither overpowers the mix. At the heart of the mix, is the rhythm section, who provide the heartbeat. They take the arrangement in the direction of Krautrock, free jazz, avant-garde, experimental and rock. Joining them, are synths and percussion, in what at one point, is a freeform jam. However, it’s more than that. Later, Bel Air heads in the direction of minimalist, ambient music. There’s even a nod to avant-garde music. From there, the music grows in power, becoming bold, confident, expansive and rocky. Can are on a roll, and become a musical powerhouse during this musical tour de force. It’s the musical equivalent to an impressionistic painting, where layer upon layer of disparate musical genres are spread upon Can’s musical canvas. These genres and influences are the equivalent of colours and hues, and play their part in an innovative and expansive musical epic.
Future Days was the third in Can’s golden quartet. Just like Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi, Future Days was hailed a classic. However, Future Days was very different from Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi. It saw Can, forever the musical chameleons, reinvent themselves and their music. This time, Can’s music moved in the direction of ambient music.
On Future Days, the music is atmospheric, dreamy, ethereal, melancholy, expansive and full of captivating, mesmeric rhythms. It’s also pioneering and progressive, with elements of avant garde, experimental, psychedelia and rock melting into one. Rather than songs, soundscapes describes the four tracks. Future Days and Bel Air showcase Can’s new sound. Bel Air was the Future Day’s epic. It lasted just over nineteen minutes, and takes you on an enthralling musical journey. That’s why critics called Future Days, a classic. However, Future Days wasn’t Can’s final classic.
That was Soon Over Babaluma. It marked the end of Can’s golden period. This was the end of a period where Can were releasing some of their most innovative and groundbreaking music. There was a change of direction on Soon Over Babaluma. Can were without a vocalist. Kenji Damo Suzuki left Can and married his German girlfriend. He then became a Jehovah’s Witness. Despite the lack of a vocalist, Can continued as a quartet. They released Soon Over Babaluma in November 1974.
When Can released Soon Over Babaluma in November 1974, it received praise from critics. With a myriad of beeps, squeaks and sci-fi sounds, Soon Over Babaluma is like musical journey into another, 21st Century dimension. A musical tapestry where layers of music are intertwined during five tracks on Soon Over Babaluma. It followed in the ambient footsteps of Future Days and brought to a close the most fruitful period of Can’s career. Following the “golden quartet,” Can didn’t go into decline. Instead, Can continued to reinvent themselves and their music. That was the story of Can’s career.
Throughout their career, Can were innovators. Although innovative is an overused word, that’s the perfect description of Can. They were an innovative and pioneering group, who weren’t afraid to push musical boundaries to their limits, and sometimes, way beyond. That’s what record buyers came to expect from musical mavericks, Can, when they released their fifth album Future Days.
On Future Days, Can’s reputation for releasing ambitious, innovative, and influential music continued. Can had just released their third consecutive classic album. It seemed Can could do no wrong. That’s why forty-two years after Can released Future Days, they’re regarded as one of the most innovative and influential bands of the past fifty years. That’s why today, and in the future, Can music will continue to influence and inspire further generations of musicians. Especially, Can’s “golden quartet” of Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi, Future Days and Soon Over Babaluma.
CAN-FUTURE DAYS.
NEIL YOUNG-STORYTONE (DELUXE EDITION VINYL).
NEIL YOUNG-STORYTONE (DELUXE EDITION VINYL).
Having left Buffalo Springfield in 1968, Neil Young decided now was the time to embark upon a solo career. So, Neil put together an all-star band to record his eponymous debut album.
It featured guitarist Ry Cooder, pianist Jack Nitzche and backing vocalist Merry Clayton. They recorded Neil Young between August and October 1969. Once Neil Young was recorded, it was released in November 1968. This was meant to be the album that launched Neil Young’s solo career. However, Neil Young was an inauspicious debut album.
When the original version of Neil Young was released, Neil wasn’t happy with the mix. There was a reason for this. Neil Young was the first album to use the Haeco-CSG encoding system. It was meant to make stereo records compatible with mono record players. Things however, didn’t go to plan. There was a side effect of the new system. The sound quality suffered.
In the case of Neil Young, his vocal was buried deep in the mix, giving the album a muddy sound. For Neil, this was not the way he envisaged his solo career beginning. Eventually, Neil bit the bullet, and decided the only solution was to remix the album.
After remixing Neil Young in the summer of ‘69, the album was rereleased later that year. Still Neil Young failed to chart. However, it was a hint of what was to come from one of music’s greatest singer-songwriters.
Since 1968s Neil Young, the Canadian maverick singer-songwriter has released another thirty-four studio albums. These albums show the many sides of Neil Young. This includes everything from blues rock, country, folk, folk rock, grunge, new wave, psychedelia, rock and rockabilly. Neil Young is the original musical chameleon. He’s never content to stand still. No. A musician who stands still, in Neil’s world, risks becoming irrelevant. That’s never going to happen. So he’s constantly changing direction and throwing musical curveballs. That was the case during 2014, when Neil Young released two very different album.The second of these albums, Storytone, was released on 3rd November 2014.
However, just a few days after Christmas 2014, on 29th December, a deluxe vinyl edition of Storytone was release. This double-album, just like the Deluxe CD version, features the two versions of Storytone. This means the solo album version of Storytone and the orchestral version. Both versions are on heavyweight vinyl. However, there’s a catch. the Deluxe Vinyl Edition of Storytone is £55 or $82. For many Neil Young fans, the price will be beyond their means. If that’s the case, other formats including CD and downloads are available. If however, you’re a purist, and prefer the warmth of vinyl, then Deluxe Vinyl Edition of Storytone is for you. It was Neil Young’s second album of 2014. The first was A Letter Home.
A Letter Home.
Neil Young has released two albums during 2014. His first album of 2014, was A Letter Home, which was released in April. It saw Neil cover twelve classic songs from Bert Jansch, Bob Dylan, Tim Hardin, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson. These cover versions were perfect for Neil. His lived-in vocal could bring new meaning to them. However, Neil Young decided to throw another curveball on A Letter Home.
The curveball was the way A Letter Home was recorded. Rather than use a traditional recording studio, Neil decided to record A Letter Home in a refurbished 1947 Voice-O-Graph vinyl recording booth at Jack White’s Third Man Records recording studio in Nashville. Relying upon obsolete electro-mechanical technology was somewhat restrictive. Neil couldn’t bring onboard Crazy Horse. No. It was just Neil and his trusty acoustic guitar. When this slimmed down, lo-fi recording was released, opinion was divided.
This wasn’t the first time a Neil Young album polarised opinion. 1974s On The Beach Landing On Water, 1981s Re-actor, 1982s Trans and 1986s Landing On Water divided opinion. History repeated itself with A Letter Home.
There was no middle ground, critics either loved or loathed A Letter Home. It was either the act of a maverick genius, or a vanity project. Opinion was divided. So, record buyers had the casting vote.
When A Letter Home was released, it reached number thirteen in the US Billboard 200 and seventeen in Britain. Record sales were one thing though. What did people think of A Letter Home?
It was only after people had heard A Letter Home that they cast their vote. Record buyers, including even the most loyal Neil Young fans were similarly divided. Some were disappointed at what could’ve been a captivating project. Others felt the lo-fi sound suited the twelve songs, and they took on new meaning.
This was the case with Bert Jansch’s Needle of Death, Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain and If You Could Read My Mind. They were tailor made for Neil’s voice. Later, Willie Nelson’s On The Road Again is given a lo-fi, old school, country makeover. A compelling take of Bruce Springsteen’s My Hometown caught the attention of some record buyers. Others, myself included, felt A Letter Home was a self-indulgent, vanity project where record buyers had been short changed. Neil Young owed record buyers an album.
Storytone.
Less than seven months later, Neil Young returns with his thirty-fifth album Storytone, which was recently released on Reprise Records. Just like A Letter Home, and countless other albums, Neil Young wanted to try something new.
For Storytone, Neil penned ten new songs. When it came to recording of Storytone, this wasn’t going to be another lo-fi album. Far from it. Instead, Neil decided to record an album that was the polar opposite of A Letter Home.
When the recording of Storytone began in April 2014, Neil and co-producer Niko Bolas, a.k.a. The Volume Dealers, had hired what seemed like a cast of thousands. There was a big band and a ninety-two piece orchestra. That’s not all. On some tracks, a choir was drafted in to record one of Neil Young’s most lavish albums. It was recorded at Capitol Studios, Sony Scoring Stage and East West Studios in Hollywood. Once Storytone was recorded, it was scheduled for release early in November 2014. Could Storytone unite critics and music lovers?
On its release, Storytone continued to divide critics. Some were won over by what was perceived as a combination of Harvest and This Notes For You, another Volume Dealers production. Other critics felt Storytone was a somewhat chaotic and messy album. Yet again, music lovers had the casting vote.
November 4th 2014, was D-Day. That’s when Storytone was released. It reached number thirty-three in the US Billboard and number twenty in Britain. On the face of it, record buyers had been won over by the maverick Mr. Young’s latest offering, Storytone. However, is that the case?
Plastic Flowers opens Storytone. It’s the first of the tracks where Neil is accompanied by an orchestra. Swathes of the lushest strings, muted horns and flourishes of harp give way to a piano, and Neil’s fragile vocal. Hurt and sadness fills his voice as memories come flooding back. Meanwhile, swells of strings sweep, adding an element of drama. Later, the strings replace Neil’s vocal, adding to the drama, emotion and beauty of this opus.
Dramatic sweeping strings and woodwind set the scene for Neil on Who’s Gonna Stand Up? It’s a stirring track filled with social comment. Neil Young becomes evangelic about the environment, turning his guns on fracking and fossil fuel. This is admirable and well meaning. Sadly, the lyrics are far from vintage Neil Young. Proof of this is “end fossil fuel, draw the line, before we build another pipeline.” Later, he sings “damn the dams, save the rivers, starve the takers and feed the givers.” These lyrics disappoint. However, not the arrangement. It makes up for Neil lyrical failings. Dramatic flourishes strings, woodwind and a choir accompany Neil’s deliberate, earnest and evangelical vocal, before reaching a dramatic, thoughtful crescendo.
I Want To Drive My Car sees the big band make their debut. Neil’s band play their way into the track. They’re loose and gradually, find their feet. Blistering guitar licks accompany Neil’s thoughtful vocal. Then, all of sudden, the big band kick loose. Braying, blazing horns kick loose. They’re joined by a Hammond organ and later, a bluesy harmonica. All the time, the bass marches the arrangement along. Meanwhile scorching guitars accompany Neil’s grizzly, lived-in vocal, on what’s the highlight of Storytone so far.
Glimmer has a wistful, dreamy arrangement. That’s down to the strings and woodwind. They play slowly, leaving space within the arrangement. Strings float above the arrangement. Before long, you forget this is a Neil Young album. That’s until his tender, melancholy vocal enters. Again, memories come flooding back. He thinks of better days, when he first met the woman he loved. Back then, their love was young. Now things are changing. “New love, brings back everything to you, all the feelings in your heart are reawakened.” As Neil delivers these lyrics, it’s as if they resonate and ring true. Especially when accompanied by a swathes of lush strings. All this makes Glimmer a truly beautiful ballad, which features a wistful heartfelt vocal from Neil Young.
Say Hello To Chicago bursts into life. With the return of the big band, it’s like a return to another musical era. Bursts of grizzled horns, rolls of drums and washes of Hammond organ join a piano and upright bass in creating a swinging arrangement. They set the scene for Neil’s vocal. As if inspired, he delivers a vocal that swings. It sits atop this glorious jazzy backdrop, that brings back memories of another musical era.
Tumbleweed has an understated, wistful sound. Just the subtlest strings and woodwind join with a flourishes of harpsichord in creating a meandering, spacious backdrop. They’re joined by a pensive, reflective Neil Young. Tenderly, he delivers his vocal. Shimmering strings or woodwind respond to his call. All the time, flourishes of harpsichord add to the ethereal beauty of a song where Neil Young’s at his tenderest and most thoughtful.
A bluesy harmonica opens Like You Used To Do, which again, is reminiscent of This Notes For You. As the bass, drums and piano create the backdrop for Neil’s weary vocal, horns bray and blaze. Then when his vocal drops out, he unleashes a bluesy harmonica. It’s the perfect replacement for Neil’s vocal, on this bluesy, jazz-tinged track.
I’m Glad I Found You is another of the tracks where a full orchestra accompanies Neil. Strings sweep, as if determined to tug at your heartstrings. In the midst of the mix, horns bray and a piano plays. When the arrangement becomes understated, this is the signal for Neil’s needy, hopeful vocal to enter. He throws himself into the song, bringing out the lyric’s beauty. Neil breathes meaning and sincerity into his lyrics. They’re some of the finest on Storytone, and far removed from the disappointing Who’s Gonna Stand Up?
Straight away, When I Watch You Sleeping has a country tinged sound. Just a lone harmonica plays. It’s soon joined by a picked guitar and weeping pedal steel. They join Neil’s vocal. He can’t believe he’s found love and happiness. Tenderly, he gives thanks. Meanwhile, swathes of strings sweep above. This orchestral backdrop and the country-tinged sound may be opposites, but opposites attract. Not just that, but the compliment each other perfectly on another beautiful ballad.
All Those Dreams closes Storytone. Keyboards, guitar and the rhythm section join a tambourine in providing the backdrop for Neil’s vocal. So does the orchestra. Strings are to the fore. They’re occasionally jaunty, dancing above the rest arrangement, which is reminiscent of Harvest or Harvest Moon. Just like these two albums, the lyrics to All Those Dreams ooze quality. They’re vintage Neil Young. They’ve a poetic and cinematic quality. So much so, that when you close your eyes, Neil’s lyrics paint pictures that unfold before your eyes. That however, isn’t the end of Storytone.
Not if you’ve bought the Deluxe Vinyl Version of Storytone. Neil Young includes another version of Storytone. This time, it’s an acoustic version. It’s very different from the original version. There’s neither an orchestra, nor a big band. Instead, it’s a much more stripped down sound. Sometimes, it’s just Neil and either his piano or guitar. This works, apart from Who’s Gonna Stand Up?, which becomes dirge like. That wasn’t Neil’s finest hour. Mostly, though the songs on Storytone work well with this stripped down approach. You tend to focus more on the lyrics, rather than the lavish arrangements. Having said that, the original version of Storytone is a joy to behold.
The songs on Storytone come alive with these lavish arrangements. Lush strings, woodwind and horns add to the emotion and potency of the songs. They take on new meaning. Much of that, is down to the strings. They’re perfect for adding emotion and drama to a song. On Storytone, Neil’s decision to work with the orchestra and big band was a masterstroke.
In the case of the tracks with the big band, this is reminiscent of This Notes For You. It was produced by The Volume Dealers, and is one of the most underrated albums in the Neil Young discography. For anyone who enjoys the tracks with the big band, then This Notes For You is well worth investigating. It shows yet another side to Neil Young, the original musical chameleon.
Over the past forty-six years, Neil Young has released thirty-five studio albums. He’s always determined to reinvent himself musically. He’s released albums of Americana, blues rock, country, folk, folk rock, grunge, new wave, psychedelia, rock and rockabilly. There’s n0 finding a winning formula, and then sticking with it. That’s not Neil’s style. The closest he came was during his dalliance with grunge. However, after that, Neil spread his wings and headed in a different direction. That’s what Neil has continued to do, and did in 2014.
During 2014, Neil Young released two albums. A Letter Home was one of the most disappointing Neil Young albums of recent years. It comes across as a self-indulgent. vanity project, from a musician who should’ve known better. That’s why A Letter Home is definitely not the starting place for a newcomer to Neil Young. The Deluxe Vinyl Edition of Storytone which was released on vinyl by Rhino, on 29th December 2014, is completely different.
Storytone marks a return to form from Neil Young. The original musical chameleon draws inspiration from previous albums like Harvest, Harvest Moon and This Notes For You. This is quite an eclectic source of inspiration. So it’s no surprise that Neil veers between melancholy and wistful, to soul-baring and soul-searching, right through to flat out hard rocking. It’s a glorious combination that comes to life on the Deluxe Vinyl Edition of Storytone. Ballads and rockers rub shoulders on Storytone, where not for the first time, Neil Young becomes the comeback King.
NEIL YOUNG-STORYTONE (DELUXE EDITION VINYL).
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 