PRINCE JAMMY-UHURU IN DUB.
PRINCE JAMMY-UHURU IN DUB.
Although I like to write about just about every type of music for this blog, every so often, I always like to write an article about dub reggae. Regular readers will have gathered by now, that it’s one of my favorite types of music. I’ve always love reggae, especially dub, for a long time. Over the years, I’ve accumulated quite a collection of dub albums, many by the giants of dub including King Tubby, Lee “Scratch Perry, Joe Gibbs and Sly and Robbie. However, one of my favorites is Prince Jammy. He might not be as well known as the aforementioned producers, but during his career, he produced a huge number of important dub albums, and in the process, worked with some of the best, and most talented musicians in Jamaica. Perviously, I’ve written about his album Osbourne In Dub, but today, I’ve chosen to write about Uhuru In Dub, which was released in 1982. It’s one of my favorite Prince Jammy albums, and saw him work with among others, Augustus Pablo, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespear. The album was recorded at Channel One Studios and King Tubby’s studios, and on the album, are ten slices of great dub music, which I’ll now tell you all about.
Uhuru In Dub opens with Eden Dub which opens with crisp drums and keyboards and a slow plodding bass, sitting at the bottom of the mix. Immediately, Prince Jammy decides to add some echo to the drums, and they reverberate. Vocal stabs interject, echoing briefly and occasionally during the track. Meanwhile, drums crash, as a guitar plays and a bass constantly plods along darkly. The sound is a mixture of melodic guitar, crisp, crashing, echoey drums and darkness provided by various powerful sound effects and the bass. Echo and delay are used to transform the sound, as the track meanders along, a multitude of effects emerging from mix. Overall, it’s an intriguing track, a mixture of darkness and light, with Prince Jammy subtly using the effects with some great reggae music emerging through your speakers.
Drums crack like a pistol as Mystic Mix begins. It’s quite a shock to your system. They’re then joined by an organ and brass section, who inject a bright, melodic sound. Before you can relax and enjoy it though, echo is used heavily, totally changing the sound. Here the bass is at the front of the mix, the playing sparse, repetitive and atmospheric. Behind it, vocals float in and out of the mix, drenched in echo. Drums play steadily and the brass section interject, playing one note repeatedly. Echo and delay are unleashed, changing the sound, but Prince Jammy doesn’t overdo things. Percussion and drums combine, effects used on them, while the bass and brass section are left alone, unaffected by effects. Together, it’s quite a contrast. With the addition of the occasional echoey, atmospheric, vocal floating in and out of the mix, Mystic Mix is a great track, full of subtleties and nuances, that gradually reveal themselves during nearly four minutes of magical dub reggae.
When His Imperial Majesty begins, it’s a very different sound to the preceding tracks. A flute, drums and keyboards play, giving the track a very different sound, almost like a track from a blaxploitation album. This is a dramatic sound, full of character, very different to what you’d expect on a dub album. It’s more what you’d expect on a soul or funk album. Then quickly, normal service is resumed. Drums and brass section enter, echo is used slightly. However, in the midst of the mix, a lovely melodic sound is trying to escape. Meanwhile, the combination of rhythm section and keyboards, takes over, producing another intriguing, melodic sound. Rhythms and melodies assert themselves, and Prince Jammy decides to unleash the effects. Echo and delay are his weapon of choice. The track meanders brightly along, with effects used sparingly, most of the time. By now a summery sounding track has evolved, and the flute returns, further lightening and brightening the sound, with echoey vocals appearing, then disappearing. Imperial Majesty is a dichotomy of a track, beginning with a combination of instruments you don’t expect to hear on a dub track. Although this didn’t last long, this contributed towards one of the best tracks on the album, one full of great rhythms and melodies, with a lovely light, bright, summery sound.
Percussion plays sharply at the start of Weeping Willow, accompanied by a brief snatch of dubby vocals. Thereafter, drums crack, echoing and reverberating, while bass and keyboards join the mix. Here, the sound is sharp, the bass throbs and pulsates, as the keyboard drops in and out the track, drums cracking sharply at the top of the mix. Effects are used more on this track, especially echo and delay. Cymbals crash, vocals join the track, then drop back out, leaving the bass as the only constant. The bass line is the highlight of the track, the playing quick and accurate. Behind it, the sound is unlike other tracks, it’s sounds very sharp, making you almost wince as the drums crack and cymbals crash. That doesn’t mean this is a bad track, quite the opposite. Instead, it’s just very different from the previous tracks, the sound a result of the use of effects and the production.
Drums roll, laden in echo, before a keyboard melodically plays at the start of Bad Girls Dub. When the drums reappear, they’re much sharper, with delay used on them. They’re accompanied by a bass and the keyboard, which quickly disappears. Those sharp drums and bass take over, and are at the forefront of the mix. Later, keyboards join back in and delay softens the drum’s sound. Like the previous track, Robbie Shakespear’s bass playing is brilliant. Here, it’s quicker, just as intricate and takes centre-stage. His partner in the rhythm section is Sly Dunbar, whose drumming is slow and spacious, in contrast. Keyboards and occasional vocals fill out the sound, as the track flows along, echo and delay being used subtly. This track was much better than the previous track. It was much more melodic, didn’t have the same sharp sound and featured a great performance from the rhythm section. Prince Jammy, meanwhile used the effects subtly.
As Tonight Is the Night begins, drums and bass combine. Straight away, I notice a similarity to a Bob Marley track, but quickly, that similarity ends. Keyboards and rhythm section combine, with echo used quite heavily. All the while, the bass is right at the front of the mix, while the rest of the arrangement is given the dub treatment by Prince Jammy. Drums are sharp and echoey, vocals floaty as they enter and disappear, but mainly it’s just the rhythm section. Occasionally, a guitar joins in briefly, but mainly it’s a multitude of sound effects laden in echo and delay with the bass sitting proudly at the front of the mix, plodding along. Percussion and drums, make their presence felt reverberating from the effects. This is the first time on the album Prince Jammy has really unleashed his box of effects, and the result is brilliant, a true slice of the finest dub reggae.
Like Bad Girls Dub, it’s a drum roll and brass section that open Firehouse Special. Very quickly, echo makes its presence felt, causing the music to reverberate. Although the music starts brightly, it then becomes sharper, and the bass plays a more prominent part in the track. Briefly, and occasionally, stabs of vocals interject, quickly disappearing. The arrangement is quite full, a mixture of melodies and rhythms, with hooks supplied by the brass section. Drums sound sharp, the bass pounds and the brass section laden with echo interject, along with the guitar. It’s a track that’s a mixture of sounds, one minute it’s bright, the next sharp and jarring, with effects used throughout. Although Prince Jammy has produced another good track, much of the credit must go to the rhythm and brass sections who play brilliantly during the track.
After a quick burst of drums, an organ plays the lead on African Culture. Prince Jammy however, turns up the effects, and drenches the lovely melodic sound in delay. Drums crisp, crack and the bass is played quickly, repetitively as they too, are subjected to delay and echo. The effect is quite brilliant. At last, Prince Jammy has decided to unleash his box of tricks, with effects having been subtly used until now. Even the vocals are laden in echo, reverberating wildly. By now, the track is much more like you’d imagine a dub track to sound like. Although the use of effects is much heavier, this doesn’t stop a lovely, catch melody from emerging. However, it’s surrounded by really loud, cracking drums, which provide quite a radical contrast. At the end of the track, I can only say well done Prince Jammy, for producing an amazing four minutes of heavy dub music.
Crisis Dub begins with drums and harmonica, providing an unusual combination to start the track. After that, the bass combines with drums, and vocals flit in, and out of, the track. Mainly it’s the rhythm section with occasional interjections from vocals, percussion and a myriad of sound effects. Here, the effects are used sparingly, as if Prince Jammy has exhausted his quota on the last track. The harmonica returns, providing a contrast and welcome diversion from the sparseness of the track which meanders slowly along. It’s the quaking bass that’s at the front of the mix, with echoey drums behind it, as the track finishes. Although its mainly the rhythm section that dominates the track, the occasional addition of the harmonica and vocals, is sufficient to produce a great sounding track.
Uhuru In Dub closes with Sound Man Style, which crashes into life with drums cracking and a keyboard accompanying it, playing a melody that sounds straight from the dancehall. Quickly, delay is used, changing the sound drastically. Then the bass throbbing, enters it’s sound as equally powerful as the arrangement which features drums cracking and pounding, bathed in echo and delay. An organ joins in, only to be subjected to delay, as are vocals that make a quick appearance. Sometimes, the arrangement is spared the effects, and then, just as you’re enjoying the sound, crash, the effects kick in again. However, this being a dub album is what you want to hear. At the end, this excellent, much more “dubby” sounding track, seems a fitting way to end the album.
Although Prince Jammy may not be the best known dub reggae producer, he produced many great albums. Uhuru In Dub is one of my favorite Prince Jammy albums. On the album, he assembled some of the best musicians in Jamaica, including and recorded the album in two of the island’s best recording studios. It’s no wonder that the album turned out so well. Of the ten tracks on the album, there are no bad tracks. This isn’t one of the heaviest dub albums you’ll ever hear. Instead, Prince Jammy has used the effects subtly, never using them so much that he destroys the music or makes a track unlistenable. He seems to find a happy medium, and on some tracks, he uses the effects sparingly. Only on African Culture and Sound Man Style, does he let loose with the effects, producing a slightly heavier dub sound. Overall, Uhuru In Dub is a really good album, one that’s well worth adding to your album collection. If you’re someone who hasn’t heard dub reggae before, or haven’t heard Prince Jammy’s music before, this is a good album to start with. Whilst researching this article, I discovered that this album is now available as part of a four disc box set, entitled Evolution of Dub Volume Six Was Prince Jammy An Astronaut? This box set, and the other five box sets, would allow you quickly put together a collection of some great dub reggae by some of the biggest names in dub reggae at a reasonable price. Standout Tracks: Eden Dub, Bad Girls Dub, African Culture and Sound Man Style.
PRINCE JAMMY-UHURU IN DUB.
DAVID BOWIE-SCARY MONSTERS (AND SUPER CREEPS).
DAVID BOWIE-SCARY MONSTERS (AND SUPER CREEPS).
Since I’ve been interested in music, one artist who has strived to produce some of the most innovative music during that time was David Bowie. During his career, he has constantly sought to reinvent himself, and his music. His music has evolved throughout his career, ranging from psychedelia and glam rock in the early days, to the creation of Ziggy Stardust on 1972 on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars. Then came The Thin White Duke, which saw him moving towards soul and funk on Diamond Dogs and Young Americans. Between 1976 and 1979 came his Berlin era, which saw him release a trio of highly acclaimed, though less commercially successful albums Low, Heroes and Lodger. After this trilogy, came the album this article is about, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). This lead to a change in Bowie’s fortunes. The album was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. It reached number one in the UK album charts, and number twelve in the Billboard Pop charts. Released in September 1980, it was certified gold one month later, in October 1980. This would be Bowie’s only album until 1983, when he released Let’s Dance, co-produced by Chic’s Niles Rogers, an album that would become one of his biggest selling albums. So after three less commercially successful albums, Bowie was back, and had released the first of two hugely successful albums. However, what made Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) such a critically acclaimed and commercially successful album?
When Bowie set about recording Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), he made several changes in the way he worked according to coproducer Tony Visconti. On this album, he had spent much more time writing the lyrics and working on melodies before he entered the studio. This was instead of having to improvise, and come up with lyrics quickly. Another change was that Bowie decided that the album wouldn’t be as experimental sounding, and instead, the sound should be much more commercial sounding. If you’ve heard the Berlin trilogy, you’ll realize that much as they’re great albums, they’re not the most commercial sounding albums. When Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) was released, the change in sound was astounding, it was an album that would appeal to a wider audience. One other change from previous albums, was Bowie’s reliance on help from musicians who were helping record the album.
Unlike previous albums, Brian Eno didn’t work with Bowie on the album. Previously, he’d collaborated with Bowie on the Berlin trilogy, and played a big part in the sound and success of these albums. Two familiar faces made a return, was Roy Bittan who played piano in Bruce Springsteen’s band, and who’d played on Station To Station, Bowie’s 1976 album. The other was Robert Fripp, who’d played guitar on Heroes, the second of the Berlin trilogy. Meanwhile, two guest artists helped record the album, Pete Townsend played guitar on Because You’re Young and Chuck Hammer, who previously, had played guitar-synth with Lou Reed, played on two tracks. One of these track was Ashes To Ashes, where his guitar-synth playing was at the heart of the track.
On the release of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), it was critically acclaimed, with critics saying it was his best album in years. When it was released, it gave Bowie his first number one album in the UK since Diamond Dogs in 1974. The album was a big success in the US, reaching number twelve in the US Pop charts, and in the process, helping to rebuild his reputation there. Since the album’s release, it’s often cited as one of Bowie most best and most accessible albums. After Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), every new Bowie album was compared with it, either being not as good, comparable with or better than his 1980 classic album. However, what is it that makes this album so good?
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) opens It’s No Game (No. 1), a track begins with various background noises and Michi Hiroto spoken word vocal in Japanese accompanied by loud screeching guitars. Bowie’s vocal is similarly loud, as he roars at the top of his voice. However, it’s the magical wall of noise created by guitars and drums that grabs your attention. Guitar solos emerge soaring, screaming and screeching, then disappear, only to reappear later. Meanwhile Bowie sings while a hugely powerful arrangement unfolds. Overall, the sound is slightly harsher than you’d expect from a Bowie album, and towards the end the track takes a slightly chaotic turn. This doesn’t detract from what is a powerful and impressive track, including a passionate vocal from Bowie, accompanied by some hugely talented musicians.
After such a powerful opening track, it’s more of the same at the start of Up the Hill Backwards. An acoustic guitar, guitars and drums combine producing a similarly powerful sound. After that, the track changes totally, it’s less powerful, but not quite subtle. Instead, Bowie’s vocal accompanied by drums and guitar. His vocal is much more subdued, almost weaker and thinner. Just as you’re getting used to this quieter part of the track, it’s all change again. Guitars soar high, chiming and screeching, as drums pound powerfully. From there until the track’s end, it’s another demonstration of power from Bowie’s band, with guitar and drums driving the track along. Impressive as the arrangement may be, Bowie’s vocal is slightly weak, but some intelligent lyrics make up for the vocal’s weakness.
The title track, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) sees Bowie adopting a mockney accent long before anyone had ever invented the term. The track begins with Robert Fripp’s magnificent, crystalline, soaring, guitar solo. His playing is outstanding throughout the track, one of the track’s highlights. Likewise, Bowie’s vocal is much better, even with the mockney accent. It’s strong and full of character. Behind him, the arrangement is dominated by guitars and drums punctuating the track. Backing vocals fill in when Bowie’s vocal drops out. The tempo is fast, the sound joyous, and the lyrics descriptive. Bowie and Visconti’s arrangement and production is perfect. This is easily the best of the first three tracks, and it’s no wonder the track was released as a single. Strangely, it only reached number twenty in the UK single’s charts.
My favorite track from the album has always been Ashes To Ashes, which sees Bowie reincarnate Major Tom from his earlier hit single Space Oddity. The song was created around the guitar-synth part played by Chuck Hammer, and feature’s one of Bowie’s best vocals on the album. It’s that guitar-synth, bass and drums that plays the familiar opening to the song. Although his voice is quite different to what it sounding like on Space Oddity, Bowie sings the lyrics perfectly. He’s like an actor going into character as he sings, delivering the lyrics with emotion and charisma. Like his vocal, the arrangement is one of the best on the album. Much of that is thanks to Chuck Hammer’s guitar-synth playing, although George Murray’s bass playing is excellent, it’s funky and spacious, while Roy Bittan’s piano playing adds to the atmospheric arrangement. Ashes To Ashes may be thirty-one years old but still sounds as good today as it did in 1980. The track has a timeless quality, thanks to the arrangement, Bowie’s vocal and the reappearance of Major Tom in the lyrics.
Fashion is another of the singles taken from the album, and seems to be the soundtrack to every fashion show since 1980. Turn on the television and there’s a fashion show on, you can bet that The Thin White Duke will be singing Fashion. It begins with a short sweeping, echoey sound, before it bursts proudly into life, a combination of guitars, drum and synth. Bowie’s voice is deep and loud, as he joins what is a fuller, funky sounding arrangement. Like other tracks, guitars play a huge part in the track. They’re loud, soaring and chiming, screaming, while drums pound with regularity in accompaniment. A synth plays during the track, adding a moderne sound to the arrangement, while a bass sits at the bottom of mix. It adds a touch of funk to the proceedings. This is track that was just was both popular on radio and clubs, and like Ashes To Ashes has a timeless quality. Much of that is down to Bowie and Visconti’s arrangement. Between them, they produced a track that back then, was in keeping with the New Wave music of the time. Whereas much of that music sounds dated, because of the instruments and new technology used on them, this retains a contemporary feel. Overall, Fashion is an outstanding track on the album, and is one of the album’s highlights.
Teenage Widlife features some of Bowie’s most cutting and personal lyrics as he cocks a snook at certain New Wave artists popular in 1980, but now long forgotten. If you listen to the track closely, you’ll hear similarities with Heroes, his 1977 hit single. The track opens with guitars playing, another melodic solo emerging. Straight away, the track sounds like Heroes. When Bowie sings, his voice has a haughty sound, laden with character, as it rises and falls, highlighting specific lyrics. Drums sit in the background, as the guitars and Bowie take centre-stage. In some ways, they almost steal the show, as the playing is so good. Backing vocal accompany and compliment his vocal, which like the previous two tracks, is excellent. By now, the arrangement has really grown, and is dominated by guitars, with drums increasingly playing a more prominent role. At the end of the track you can’t fail to be impressed by what’s a hugely melodic track, with a powerful arrangement and a great vocal and lyrics from Bowie.
Scream Like A Baby is a song about a political prisoner, and being imprisoned for your beliefs. With a song about such an important issue, comes a dramatic, almost overwhelming introduction. Straight away, drums are pounded, guitars almost growl at the start of the track. After that, Bowie gives one of most passionate vocals, as behind him, the arrangement isn’t as melodic, and hooks are scarce. It’s a very different track, that sometimes sounds nearly discordant, as drum crash and Bowie’s vocal gyrates. Even the guitar playing isn’t as good as on previous tracks. Sadly, Scream Like A Baby is a disappointing, well meaning, track, that is at odds with the rest of the album.
Thankfully, it’s a return to form from Bowie on Kingdom Come. The track has a much more melodic, pleasing sound. Guitars and drums open the track, with the guitars repetitive, layer upon layer of guitars are unleashed. Like the last track, Bowie’s vocal is strong and passionate, but unlike the last track, he doesn’t indulge in the vocal gymnastics of the previous track. However, he uses the backing vocalists well, to sing call and response. Bowie sings Tom Verlaine’s lyrics well, although they’re a fairly bleak portrayal of life, and sound more like a portrayal of the afterlife and hell. One thing that’s apparent here is the harsher sound I mentioned earlier. It’s much more noticeable here, and the track doesn’t have as polished a sound as you’d expect. Although harsh sounding, it’s a hugely passionate performance from Bowie and his band, of a track originally made famous by Television.
Pete Townsend plays guitar on Because You’reYoung and contributes towards one of the best arrangements and tracks on the album. Guitars open the track, the sound quickly growing much fuller, the tempo quickening. Bowie meanwhile, proceeds to give an outstanding performance, full of presence and character. Around him, the arrangement unfolding is highly melodic, with hooks aplenty. Chiming and driving guitars, synths and rhythm section produce a bold, dramatic and melodic sound. Here, Bowie’s lyrics are somewhat bleak as he looks back at life, remembering the hurt, dreams and scars while offering advice to another generation. Regardless of this, Because You’re Young is a great song, because of the arrangement and an impassioned performance from The Thin White Duke.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) closes with It’s No Game (No. 2). It starts brightly and melodically, a combination of guitars and rhythm section before Bowie sings. His voice is strong and clear, as he takes care with his phrasing. Guitars punctuate the track, as if indulging in call and response. Unlike It’s No Game (No. 1), this track is much more melodic, less chaotic and much more enjoyable. Later, a piano plays, adding to the track’s drama, and adding another dimension to the arrangement. Guitars chime, the bass plods along and drums are to the fore, pounding and reverberating slightly. Here, Bowie’s lyrics are political, commenting on world events, revolutions and unrest, and like other lyrics on the album, his worldview isn’t exactly positive. Instead, during the albums, he seems pessimistic, rather than optimistic. There’s a false ending on the track, and for nearly half a minute, you hear various sound effects. These seem to reflect the events portrayed during the song. Overall, it’s a good track to end the album, with Bowie in fine voice, and his band as tight and polished as ever.
I find it hard to believe that it’s thirty-one years since the release of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). It doesn’t seem that long ago, that I sat poring over the my vinyl copy of the album, as I listened to the album. By then, I was a big fan of Bowie’s music, and have remained one ever since. I’ve been meaning to do an article on his music for some time, and after hearing a couple of songs from the album on my Ipod, decided this was the time to do so. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) is still one of my favorite Bowie albums, and was very different to what he recorded immediately before this. The critically acclaimed, though not as commercially successful, Berlin trilogy preceded this album, and after that, many fans welcomed the change in sound. Although most of the tracks on the album are really good, my two favorites have always been Ashes To Ashes and Fashion, two of the singles from the album. Each has a timeless quality, and retain a contemporary sound. That can be said for much of the album which still sounds fresh and has aged well. Funnily enough, the music of many of the New Wave artists around then, hasn’t aged so well. What people didn’t realize then, was that Bowie was about to enter one of his most successful periods, and his next album Let’s Dance saw his popularity soar, and he acquired another generation of fans. However, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) was the start of his new and hugely successful period, and for many people, myself included, the album brings back really good memories. Standout Tracks: Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), Ashes To Ashes, Fashion and Because You’re Young.
DAVID BOWIE-SCARY MONSTERS (AND SUPER CREEPS).
JOHN MARTYN-ONE WORLD.
JOHN MARTYN-ONE WORLD.
Recently, when reading a music magazine, I noticed that a John Martyn tribute album has been released, with thirty artists interpreting some of John’s best known, and best loved songs. As a long standing fan of John’s music, I had a listen to some of the tracks on the album. Straight away, I noticed that there were two tracks from one of my favorite John Martyn album’s One World. This lead me to dig out my copy of One World, and have a listen to it. Immediately, this brought memories flooding back, to about twenty years ago, when I was lucky to see John in concert at a small venue in Edinburgh. Instead of the bigger venues he played, this was much more intimate, you were really close to John and the band. That night, he played some of his best known tracks, including a couple from One World. He was on great form that night, and at the interval, stood and chatted to everyone as he enjoyed a refreshment. Having seen many concerts, that was the first time I’d ever seen an artist so at ease with the fans. Usually, it’s quite the opposite. Twice I’ve been to concerts and the artist hasn’t even said a word, not evening good evening or good night. So this was really refreshing. Having listened to One World a couple of times, I thought that it was time I wrote an article about another of John Martyn’s classic albums. Previously, I’ve written a couple of articles about John, one about the brilliant Solid Air, the other about his underestimated album The Apprentice. In this article, I’ll reevaluate John’s classic album One World, released in November 1977, on Island Records.
One World was John’s first studio album since Sunday’s Child released in January 1975. The only other album he’d released was Live At Leeds in September 1975. After the release of Sunday’s Child, John decided to take a sabbatical from the music business. He decided to head to Jamaica, where he spent time with Lee Perry, the legendary reggae producer. Once he’d returned from Jamaica, he decided to record a new album. However, this album wouldn’t be like anything that preceded it.
Unlike previous albums, One World is a much more experimental sounding album. It draws its influences from reggae, folk, jazz and rock music. The tracks on the album are like a series of soundscapes, recorded in unorthodox ways, featuring a series of ambient noises. Whilst recording the album, John collaborated with Steve Winwood and legendary reggae artist Lee Perry. Both made vital contributions to the album. Some of the album was recorded outside, late at night, deep in the English countryside. This resulted is some of the ambient sounds on the album. Even the landscape contributed towards the sound on the album. One of the tracks, Small Hours, was recorded outside, late one night, and a nearby lake provided reverb naturally, as well as various ambient noises.
On the album’s release, critics loved the album. Although it was critically acclaimed, the album wasn’t a commercial success. It only reached number fifty-four in the UK album charts on its release. Since then, One World is seen as one of John’s best albums, and is regarded as a classic album. However, just how good an album is One World?
One World opens with Dealer, a track with a full sounding introduction where Moog synth, rhythm section and guitars combine, before John sings. Straight away, when John sings, his voice is different, it has a roughness, yet is clear as he sings above the arrangement. The tempo is reasonably quick as the track drives along, the synth, drums and guitars prominent in the track. Andy Newark’s drumming and Steve Winwood on synth and bass play a big part in the track’s sound. John voice meanwhile, is full of character, as he forcefully delivers the lyrics with a touch of cynicism. A combination of John’s vocal, good lyrics and a fuller sounding arrangement that flows along full of melodies and rhythms.
The title track One World, is one of my favorite songs from the album, and one of the album’s highlights. Throughout the track, there’s a sense of sadness and melancholia present. It begins with guitar, bass, drums and flute playing before John sings the lyrics. Here, his voice is very different, it has a lovely lived in sounds, he runs the words together with that slurred style he made famous. In doing so, he almost turns his voice into another instrument. Behind him, a beautiful arrangement is unfolding. An acoustic guitar and flute play. Then and a bass is plucked slowly and thoughtfully. Later, a guitar plays, reverb transforming its sound, feedback making its present felt. This leads to layers of atmospheric music that wash over you. All of this, and John’s contemplative voice combine masterfully, to produce a beautiful track. It’s one with a spiritual sound and feel, that like all good music, has a timeless quality.
Smiling Stranger is best described as an exotic, symphonic and fulsome sounding soundscape. During the track, a multitude of traditional, exotic and modern instruments are used. This ranges from tabla, saxophone, drums and a Moog synth, which was then, a new and innovative instrument. The track opens with drums, tabla, bass and Moog synth combining to produce what is an unusual, broody, yet somewhat exotic sound. It meanders menacingly along, until John sings. When he does, his voice veers between a strained reverberating sound, to a stronger, louder and growling vocal. Together with the arrangement, they combine to produce a much different sound to the melancholic sounding One World. Later, strings sweep in, giving the track a symphonic sound and feel, in contrast to the darkness accompanying it. Towards the end of the track, a saxophone rasps, adding another dimension and sound, to an already crowded and intriguing track. Unlike the previous track, the arrangement here is much fuller, almost crowded. A multitude of sounds emerge, assailing your senses, but regardless of how hard you listen, you’ll never be privy to all the subtleties and nuances hidden within this powerful, intriguing track.
John cowrote Big Muff with Lee Perry, and when you listen to, or read the lyrics they lead you to wonder aloud what exactly they’re about. I’ve always thought they were about drugs, specifically cocaine, and trying not to take them. The man upstairs in the lyrics is God, and the man downstairs, the Devil. This song is about good and evil, and temptation, specifically, trying to resist the temptation to take drugs. Lee Perry’s influence is apparent as the track begins. A bass drenched in reverb, and drums combine to produce a dub influenced sound. Then, when John’s vocal enters, it occasionally, is drenched in reverb and echo. Here, he is giving one of his best vocals on the album. His vocal is atmospheric, full of character, and for much of the time much softer and restrained. The arrangement is really good, a combination of very few instruments. It’s jus guitar, drums, bass and percussion that feature here. Together with John’s vocal, they produce an atmospheric soundscape which masterfully mixes, reggae rock and jazz. Quite simply a great track, and one of John’s favorite tracks when he played live.
Another of my favorite tracks from One World is Couldn’t Love You More. This is a track John rerecorded several times, and the version on the Classics compilation is my favorite version. It has a really dramatic, rocky sound. This version is a lovely acoustic version, with John playing the lead on his acoustic guitar. Danny Thompson accompanies him on bass, with Steve Winwood on organ. The arrangement has a lovely understated quality, which allow John’s voice and his lyrics to take centre-stage. It’s a lovely love song, with some beautiful lyrics, and is one of the finest love songs John wrote.
Certain Surprise is another much more laid back track. It begins with a lovely acoustic guitar solo, before John sings. As he sings, his voice is full of character, taking on that trademark slurred quality. Behind him, the rhythm section and a piano plays in the background, strings sweep in and out of the track, giving it a lush sound. Later, a trombone plays drenching the track in its beautiful sound. Like Couldn’t Love You More, Certain Surprise is another love song, one with some clever and romantic lyrics. Between a beautiful, subtle, arrangement, good lyrics and John’s atmospheric vocal, Certain Surprise is another lovely love song, full of melodies and hooks.
The introduction to Dancing starts way in the distance, and is a combination of drums, bass and guitar. Together, the manage to produce an impressive, fuller sound. When John sings, he sings about life with a musician, and what’s expected of him, the life he leads and how this affects his relationship. In the lyrics he reveals a sense of insecurity, as he’s scared his partner will have an affair with another man. As he sings, the arrangement moves along, the bass throbbing at the bottom of the mix, drums filling out the sound and John managing to make his guitar sound like a number of instruments. The arrangement is catchy, John’s vocal good, but the lyrics are the highlight of the song, as they give an insight into John’s life as a musician and his fears.
One World closes with Small Hours, one of the tracks that lead to John being christened the father of trip hop. Both Small Hours and Big Muff are tracks that influenced the trip hop pioneers. Small Hours was recorded outside, at night, and during the track, you can hear all sorts of ambient sounds, and the nearby lake acted as a natural reverb. Guitar and Moog synth open the track, with reverb transforming the guitars sound. Water can be heard, background noise too. Drums thud gently in the background, like a heartbeat. Birds can be heard, as waves of reverb laden guitars unfold, rippling like the water in the nearby lake. Occasionally, an organ makes an appearance. John sings, his voice soft and gentle, totally in keeping with the soundscape evolving. Mostly, it’s just John, his guitar and lashings of reverb. Sometimes, he’ll play a short solo, adding another dimension to a quiet beautiful epic track. Regardless of what he does, the result is exquisite. For nearly nine minutes, one of the most soothing, ambient sounding tracks unfolds around you, emerging with grace and beauty from your speakers. It’s totally different from any of the preceding tracks, but is a fantastic way to end a great album.
Before I listened to One World the other night, it had been a while since I last listened to it. As soon as I started listening to it, I remembered just how good an album it was. It may only have eight tracks on it, but they’re eight great tracks, crossing various genres. Jazz, reggae, rock, folk and ambient music are all present on One World. The sabbatical John took, certainly helped. He came back with new ideas, wanting to record a totally different type of album. With the help of Lee Perry and Steve Winwood, he certainly succeeded in producing a very different album to his previous ones. Although critically acclaimed on its release, it wasn’t a huge commercial success. Since then, the album has proved to be one of John’s most influential and innovative albums. Now, One World is recognised as a classic album. Both One World and Solid Air are two of John’s albums that are now seen as classics. These albums are two must have albums for anyone interested in John’s music. They show John at his best, his most creative and innovative. It you’re one of the people that have never heard his music, both One World and Solid Air are albums that are well worth buying. Should you just want a compilation of his music, Classics released on Artful Records in 2000 is the one I’d recommend. Over two discs, you’ll hear some of John’s best know and best loved music. Standout Tracks: One World, Big Muff, Couldn’t Love You More and Small Hours.
JOHN MARTYN-ONE WORLD.
CHIC-C’EST CHIC.
CHIC-C’EST CHIC.
Recently I was listening to an album of edits by Greg Wilson, Credit To The Edit, and one of the songs he’d created an edit of was Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah), one of the best known of Chic’s tracks. After hearing this track, it set me thinking just how hugely influential Chic were as a group. During the popularity of disco, Chic produced some of the biggest, most successful tracks. This includes Le Freak, Good Times, My Forbidden Lover and I Want Your Love. Later, when hip-hop emerged, their music was sampled on two of the biggest early tracks Grandmaster Flash’s Adventures On the Wheels of Steel and the Sugarhill Gang’s Rappers Delight. It wasn’t just hip-hop acts that found inspiration in Chic’s music. Blondie’s track Rapture, Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust and Daft Punk’s Around the World were all “inspired” by Chic’s music. C’est Chic was Chic’s second album, released in August 1978. The album was a huge commercial success, selling over one million copies and was certified platinum. It reached number four in the Billboard 200, and Le Freak, one of the singles from the album, sold over six million copies, making it Atlantic Records biggest selling single ever. However, who were Chic, and what does C’est Chic sound like?
Chic were formed in 1976 by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. They’d originally met in 1970, forming a rock band The Boys, and later, they became The Big Apple Band. The band played throughout the New York area, but never got a record contract, even though record companies expressed an interest in their music. By 1977, Rodgers and Edwards had formed LaBelle, and they were joined by Tony Thompson, drummer with Ecstasy, Passion and Pain. On his recommendation, Raymond Jones joined to play keyboards. All they needed now was a singer. Norma Jean Wright became the band’s singer. However, they also allowed her to work as a solo singer. Now the lineup was complete, they started recording a demo tape. Bob Clearmountain, then a young record engineer agreed to help the band record their demo tape. On the resulting tape, were two of Chic’s best known tracks Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) and Everybody Dance. Next the band started playing concerts, supporting bigger acts.
The following year, 1977, Chic released their debut the eponymous album Chic. This was, in some ways, an extension of their demo tape, with group recording some new songs. Featuring Everybody Dance and Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) Chic was released in November 1977 reaching number twelve in the US Pop charts, selling over 500,000 copies. One problem Rodgers and Edwards realized the band had was recreating their studio sound live. To solve this problem, they decided to add another female vocalist. Luci Martin, a friend of Norma Jean Wright, joined the band during early 1978.
Having just added a new vocalist to the band, they lost Norma Jean Wright. Not long after recording their debut album Chic, they recorded Wright’s debut solo album Norman Jean. To allow her to have a solo career, they’d allowed her to sign with a different record company. Legal problems meant she couldn’t continue as a member of Chic. However, before she left the band, she took part in the recording of Sister Sledge’s debut album We Are Family. Wright was released by Alfa Anderson, who sung backing vocals on Chic’s debut album.
C’est Chic, which this article is about, was released in August 1978, reaching number four in the Billboard 200. The album sold over one million copies in the US alone, and was certified platinum. This was the beginning of a rich vein of form for Chic. Their next album Risque, featured Good Times and My Forbidden Lover. Like their two previous albums, Risque was a huge commercial success, reaching number five in the US Pop charts.
It wasn’t just Chic that Rodgers and Edwards were recording, writing and producing during this time. They were also involved in writing, arranging and producing albums for Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Sheila B Devotion and Carly Simon. One other artist whose career they helped launch, was Luther Vandross. He’d previously sung on several of Chic’s albums, and Rodgers and Edwards helped launch his career as a solo artist.
In the early 1980s’, disco became hugely unpopular. In the US, there had even been organized campaigns against the music. Suddenly, Chic’s music, like that of other similar artists, was no longer receiving airplay on the radio, and sales dried up. This lead to the group disbanding in the early eighties. The four albums they released between 1980 and 1983 failed to achieve commercial success. Real People released in June 1980, only reached number thirty in the US Billboard 200. Take It Off, released in November 1981, only reached one-hundred and twenty-four and Tongue In Chic, released in November 1982, only reached one-hundred and seventy-three. Believer, released in November 1983, failed to even chart. By now, it seemed, the love affair with both Chic’s music and disco, was over.
In 1989, after the band met at a birthday party, and started playing some of Chic’s old music, they decided to have a reunion. They recorded their final album, Chic-ism , which was released in March 1992. However, although the two singles Chic Mystique and Your Love both sold well, the album failed to chart. After the release of the album, the Rodgers and Edwards, complete with a new line-up embarked upon a tour.
Today, Chic’s music continues to influence a new generation of artists, and is just as popular as ever. Sadly, Bernard Edwards died in April 1996 just aged forty-three, while on a tour of Japan. His partnership with Nile Rodgers produced some of the greatest dance music of the seventies and eighties, not just with Chic, but with many other artists, including Sister Sledge. Drummer Tony Thompson died in November 2003, aged forty-eight. Tony played a huge part in the sound of Chic, and his influence and contribution must never be underestimated. He was a hugely talented drummer, and part of one of the most famous rhythm sections in dance music. Having told you about Chic, I’ll tell you about their second album
C’est Chic opens with Chic Cheer, a track that must be good because it opens with applause. Keyboards then play a lengthy solo. Then for the first time, Bernard Edwards’ trademark bass enters, accompanied by backing vocals. Straight away, you get the feeling that really great piece of funky dance music is emerging. You’re right, rhythm section, guitar and backing vocalists combine to produce a fantastically funky and repetitive track. It’s full of hooks that worm their way deep into your brain. They’re so catchy they’re almost infectious. As the track ends, Chic are greeted by thunderous applause yet again. No wonder, Chic Cheer is an infectiously funky dance track, that gives a taste of what’s to come.
When Le Freak was released as a single, it sold over six million copies in the US alone. If a single sold that many copies it must be good? It’s not just good it’s brilliant. From the familiar opening bars when the bass and vocal combine, accompanied by handclaps, the track bursts joyously into life. Strings sweep beautifully throughout the track, Tony Thompson’s drumming is excellent and Bernard’s plays one of the best bass solos ever recorded. His playing is fast and intricate, as he slaps and plucks his bass. Alfa Anderson’s vocal is a joyous, celebratory call to dance. Later in the track, Tony Sabino’s piano playing adds the finishing touches to one of the greatest dance tracks ever recorded. Brilliant.
Lush strings and percussion open Savoir Faire, before Nile Rodgers plays the sweetest guitar solos. As the track progresses, it just keeps getting better. Bernard’s bass is subtle as he lets the strings and Nile take centre-stage. Savoir Faire is very different from the opening tracks, it just sweeps along, a beautiful combination of strings, guitar and rhythm section. Even without a vocal, the track is outstanding. This is due to one of the best guitar solos you’ll hear courtesy of Nile Rogers. It’s made all the better with addition of the strings, and is five minutes of the sweetest, lushest and most beautiful music your ears will ever hear.
Bass, drums and strings combine at the start of Happy Man. Before the vocal appears, the track sounds like several Sister Sledge tracks, including We Are Family. This isn’t a surprise as Nile and Bernard were responsible for their sound too. When the vocal enters, Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin sing backing vocals while Bernard sings lead. The lyrics are joyous, uplifting and have a feel good factor. While the vocal is sung, a great arrangement is unfolding. Strings sweep sweetly, a throbbing, metronomic bass sits at the bottom of the mix and yet another fantastic guitar solo from Nile appears. Meanwhile, Tony Thompson’s drumming provides the track’s heartbeat. Layer upon layer, of the most melodic music emerge from your speakers, as the track that sweeps and shimmers along, a combination of magnificent melodies and rhythms.
The second single released from C’est Chic was I Want Your Love. For me, this is one of the most memorable and familiar of the tracks from this era. Drums and tubular bells combine to open the track, followed by bass and a short bust of horns. When the vocal appears, Alfa and Luci combine perfectly, as Bernard starts to play another of his famous bass solos. Like on Le Freak, it’s fast and intricate, and totally peerless. A piano punctuates the track, as Alfa and Luci give one of their best vocals on the album. It’s sweet and melodic, as the arrangement just gets better. Both the horns and tubular bells then reappear, and make further appearances during the track. Strings join the track, completing the now trademark Chic sound. The addition of the strings completes the sound perfectly. By the end of the track, you can only marvel at the arrangement on this track. What makes the arrangement and track so good, is the combination of instruments, and how, and when, they used them. Here, the strings weren’t introduced to later in the track, and the horns and tubular bells used sparingly throughout the track. It’s the combination and choice of instruments and vocals that make this without doubt, one of Chic’s best ever tracks.
Chic decide to slow things down a little with At Last I Am Free. This is a much slower song about a relationship that’s gone wrong. It opens with drums slowly playing, bass and a thoughtful guitar solo. When the vocal enters, Alfa and Luci sing close harmonies, before the lead vocal. Their close harmonies are dramatic and heartfelt, laden with emotion. Here, the arrangement is very different, it’s not as full, but still has a lovely lush sound. Everyone plays slowly, guitar, piano and rhythm section, while strings sweep behind the main arrangement. Bernard’s bass playing is slow, spacious and thoughtful, and the vocals are slow, sad and emotive. Towards the end, Robert Sabino’s piano adds to the emotional and dramatic atmosphere. Although very different to most tracks on the album, this is a really good track, full of emotion due to Niles and Bernard’s arrangement, and the vocal provided by Alfa and Luci.
After a lovely slow track, Chic resume normal service with Sometimes You Win. The Rhythm section and guitar combine before the vocal enters. When it does, it’s sung like a duet with Alfa, Luci and Bernard each taking the lead. They accompanied by backing vocals. Behind them a really full, catchy arrangement emerges. It’s driven along by bass, drums, guitar and keyboards, melodic and laden with hooks. Later on, horns play, adding a new dimension to the sound. This really lifts the track, as does the backing vocals, which remind me of the Bee Gees circa Saturday Night Fever. What I like about this track is it has a “feel good” sound, and still sounds as good today, as it did in 1978. Combined with a some really tight vocals and another great arrangement, this potent combination results in another great track from Chic.
C’est Chic closes with (Funny) Bone, which joyously bursts into life, with the sound of the type of party you really want to go to, taking place. Meanwhile, drums, bass and guitar open the track, driving it along. Strings enter, sweeping quickly along, accompanied by handclaps and the occasional whistle. This is a lovely upbeat track, with Bernard’s bass playing and Tony’s drumming is at the forefront to a track which sounds like the soundtrack to a the best house party ever. However, before you know it, this fantastic funky instrumental track is over, after four magical minutes.
Since Chic released their first single and album, I’ve been a huge fan of their music. It’s music that has stood the test of time really well, and over thirty years later, sounds as good as it did back then. Chic produced several great albums, and countless brilliant singles, including some of the best dance records ever. C’est Chic is one of their finest albums, and includes two of their best know singles I Want Your Love and the six-million selling Le Freak. On the album are lush strings, sweet, tight vocals, brilliant bass lines courtesy of Bernard and some masterful guitar playing from Niles. This music was at the cutting-edge of the disco era, and remains some of the best dance music ever produced. Their music influenced a whole new generation of musicians, from hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Flash and the Sugarhill Gang to established recording artists including Blondie and Queen, and later Daft Punk and New Order. if you like Chic’s music, C’est Chic is a great album, one of their best and gives a good overview of what their music sounded like back in 1978. Standout Tracks: Le Freak, Savoir Faire, I Want Your Love and Sometimes You Win.
CHIC-C’EST CHIC.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-BORN TO RUN.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-BORN TO RUN.
In this article I’m going to write about the album that was Bruce Springsteen’s breakthrough album. Born To Run took him from also-ran to major recording artist, reaching number three in the Billboard 200. It was his third album, released in August 1975, and since then, the album has sold over six million copies. This was the first time Bruce had been given a big budget to produce an album, and it was almost make or break for him. His future as a recording artists was at stake. If the album hadn’t been a success, who knows what the future would’ve held for Bruce? Given how much was at stake, it’s no wonder that the album took fourteen months to record. The title track, Born To Run took six months to record. Bruce was looking to produce a Wall of Sound, similar to what Phil Spector had previously used, and this caused him problems during the recording session. He then decided to bring Jon Landau onboard to help with production. Together with Landau and manager Mike Appel, the trio produced the album. Little did they know then, that when the album was released, they were about to turn Bruce into a worldwide superstar after years of striving for a breakthrough.
During the recording sessions for Born To Run, Bruce made several changes to his personnel. Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg were brought in to play piano and drums respectively. Jon Landau helped with the production of the album. These weren’t the only changes Bruce made. When writing the songs, he wrote them on piano, not guitar. He also decided to use introductions to set the tone of the songs on the album. Another change he wanted to make was a Wall of Sound production, like Phil Spector had previously used. So, much had changed from his previous album, The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle. The question is, would critics and the public like Bruce’s new sound?
By the time the album was ready to be released, people were looking forward to its release after an early mix of Born To Run was released to a progressive rock radio station. Listeners liked what they heard, and quickly, word spread about Bruce’s new album. When the critics heard it, they loved it, and the album was critically acclaimed. This was a pleasant change for Bruce, as when his previous album was released, positive reviews were scarce.
Columbia, Bruce’s record company, decided to spend $250,000 promoting Born To Run. However, some of their marketing ploys didn’t auger well with Bruce, especially the use of Jon Landau’s quote “I saw rock ‘n’ roll’s future-and its name is Bruce Springsteen.’” When the album was released, it entered the Billboard 200 on the second week of its release. Eventually, it reached number three and was certified gold. Since then, the album has consistently sold well, and by 2000, had sold over six million copies. Rolling Stone magazine put the album at number eighteen in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Having told you about the album, I’ll now tell you what it sounds like.
Born To Run opens with Thunder Road, which like all the tracks on the album has a theme, that of escape. It begins with piano and harmonica playing before Bruce sings. When Bruce sings, it’s just him and the piano before the rest of the band join. This is highly effective bringing a sense of drama to the track. Then, the sound gradually fills out, drums and guitars joining the arrangement. Bruce’s voice is strong, full of frustration as he sings of escape. Behind him, the arrangement has grown, and by now, Clarence Clemons’ saxophone blows, the piano adds dramatic touches, guitars solo and drums fill out the sound. It’s a powerful arrangement and passionate vocal from Bruce, and a really good, rousing track to open the album.
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out has a really great opening, piano, saxophone and combining. The piano especially, sets the tone, while behind it, Clarence saxophone drenches it with some great saxophone playing. Straight away, it’s apparent this is one of the best songs on the album. Much of this is down to the addition of a horn section. They punctuate the track throughout, uniting masterfully, giving the track a bluesy feel. Combined with Roy Bittan’s piano playing this is a great arrangement that’s unfolding. Bruce meanwhile, produces a really powerful, almost angry vocal. He’s singing at the top of his voice, roaring almost. His band have really upped their game, Bittan’s piano playing drives the song along, while the horns add the finishing touches to a brilliant arrangement. What makes this such a great track is the arrangement, that and Bruce’s passionate vocal. After listening to the track, I was fascinated by the lyrics, and was trying to work out the meaning. I think that it’s about how, and where, the band met. Scooter is Bruce, the big man is Clarence Clemons.
Unlike the two previous tracks, Night has a frantic, hugely loud and powerful introduction. Screaming guitars, pounding drums and saxophone combine before Bruce sings. As he sings, it’s noticeable that his voice is different, it isn’t as loud or clear on this track, Still, his vocal is laden with passion, while behind him, the band produce a much fuller, louder and powerful arrangement. Clarence’s saxophone and the piano, help drive the track along dramatically. The guitars soar, screeching and screaming, while the drums thunder along in the background. Like al the songs on the album, it tells a story. Night tells of the nine to five grind of work, with the only thing keeping him going is that one night he’ll find the woman of his dreams.The lyrics have a really strong narrative, so strong you can almost picture the scenes unfolding before your eyes. Combined with a good performance from Bruce and his band, Night is an evocative, powerful track.
Backstreets is a sad song, one about loss, betray and defeat. It begins with a piano playing, the mood is quite sombre. The introduction on piano is lengthy and dramatic, and drums, chiming guitars and organ join in before Bruce sings. When he does, his voice sounds sad as he sings some really good lyrics. Like the previous track, they’ve a strong narrative, and are highly descriptive. During the song, the arrangement retains a sense of drama which Bruce’s vocal adds to. Later in the track, a really great guitar solo plays. An organ plays during the track, and it and the piano help set the dramatic scene. Overall, the arrangement is full of drama, and the sense of loss, betrayal and defeat is tangible. On the original album, this was the final track on side one. Bruce’s idea was to end each side of the album with a song about loss, betrayal and defeat. Here, he has achieved this when you listen careful to the lyrics. Personally, I think Backstreets is a hugely dramatic track, with a good arrangement and charismatic vocal from Bruce.
If I was to say that the next track took six months to record, you’d expect it to be a rock ‘n’ roll masterpiece. Well, whether Born To Run is a masterpiece or not, it’s certainly a brilliant song. Six months in the making, Born To Run begins with the familiar strains of drums, guitars and saxophones combining. After that, Bruce gives one of his most passionate vocals on the album, as he sings about escaping the tediousness of everyday life. Behind him, chiming, screaming and soaring guitars, thunderous drums and Clarence’ frantic saxophone combine to produce a potent and powerful backdrop for Bruce’s passionate vocal. Together, they produce one of the best tracks Bruce has ever recorded, proving that the six months they spent producing this track was well worth it.
She’s The One is a song about a woman who forever, will be out of touch for every man. She’s beautiful, graceful but not interested in the guy in the song. However, she’s the one for him. It’s a meandering and subtle guitar and sparse bass that open the track. They’re then joined by piano and then Brice sings. His voice is strong as he builds up the drama and tension. He leaves gaps in the vocal that the guitar fills theatrically. Gradually, the arrangement unfolds, the piano prominent in the mix, while powerful guitars and pounding drums add to the drama. Later, the saxophone blows, softening the near frantic arrangement. By now, Bruce and The E Street Band have hit their stride, really upping the tempo, and the arrangement gets much fuller, louder but wonderfully melodic. Evocative lyrics, a powerful arrangement and passionate vocal from The Boss make this a great track.
A trumpet plays, a jazzy sound emerging, before the piano joins in, playing slowly, melodically yet sombrely. Like every track on the album, the introduction to Meeting Across the River sets the song’s tone. When Bruce sings, his vocal is much quieter, calmer as he sings the lyrics which are edgy, fraught with danger. They’re instruction from a guy who is nearly desperate, to his friend. This is last chance to make some money, and if he doesn’t his girlfriend will leave him. The arrangement is perfect for the song. It starts of slowly, subtly and meanders along. A piano takes the lead, and trumpet punctuates the track with a haunting sound that matches the desperation in the lyrics. Although very different from every other track on the album, the understated arrangement perfectly suits the song’s lyrics, and Bruce’s delivery is full of character, so much so, that he brings the lyrics to life.
Jungleland is the final track on Born To Run. It’s an epic track, about loss, betrayal and defeat and has some of the best lyrics on the album. They’re so strong, that you can imagine everything happening as Bruce sings. The scenes come to life before your eyes. These lyrics have the same qualities as poetry or a short story. A violin and piano play slowly and thoughtfully, at the start of the track. This sets the scene for this pic track lasting nine and a half minutes. Slowly, the arrangement takes shape and eventually, it bursts into life. Drums, guitars and organ combine, with the guitars driving the track along now. After such a slow and quiet introduction, Bruce and the band quickly move through the gears. Guitars soar, screaming and chiming, drums pound, the piano plays behind the band and Clarence plays a stunning saxophone solo. By now, the sense of drama is increasing, driven along by the saxophone and piano, and Clarence Clemons nearly steals the show. Such is the power and emotion of his playing. When the band drop out, the piano takes the lead, accompanying Bruce who slowly and sadly sings the lyrics. As the track heads to the end, the arrangement builds back up, and heads to a dramatic climax, lead by the piano and Bruce. Quite simply, Jungleland is a stunning track of epic proportions and a perfect way to end the album.
Born To Run isn’t just the album that turned Bruce Springsteen from also-ran to superstar, it’s also one of the best albums he has ever recorded. After that, he released numerous great albums including The River and Born In the USA, but Born To Run is still one of his best albums. Although it took fourteen months to record, it was well worth the wait. Each of the nine songs on the album are of the highest quality. There are no poor songs or filler, just some great music. His songwriting on the album includes some of the best songs he has written. Every song is like a mini-drama, with a strong narrative and fascinating storyline. With the help of The E Street Band and a number of guest musicians, they succeeded in bringing these lyrics to life. When you hear the band on this album, you realize that Bruce was fortunate to have one of the best bands behind him. Clarence Clemons’ on saxophone and Roy Bittan on piano especially deserve credit. Sadly, Clarence died not long ago, and Born To Run is a poignant reminder of the big man’s considerable talents. However, the man who deserves the most credit is Bruce Springsteen. After years of trying he finally made his big breakthrough, and in the process, recorded one of the best albums of all time. Should you never have heard the album, or are unfamiliar with his music, you can now buy a box set The Collection: 1973-1984 which contains his first seven albums including Born To Run, The River and Born In the USA. It’s an inexpensive introduction to the music of Bruce Springsteen and is packed with some great music. Standout Tracks: Tenth-Avenue Freeze-Out, Born To Run, She’s The One and Jungleland.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-BORN TO RUN.
GRAM PARSONS-GP.
GRAM PARSONS-GP.
When the album I’m going to write about was released, it was critically acclaimed, but commercially, was a failure. Gram Parsons referred to his music as Cosmic American Music, a mixture of country music and rock ‘n’ roll. GP was his debut solo album, released in January 1973. It would be the only solo album released during his lifetime, the follow-up Grievous Angel being released after his death in January 1974. Although his life was tragically short, dying aged just twenty-six in September 1973, he lived a full life. During his career, he founded The International Submarine Band, was a member of The Byrds and formed The Flying Burrito Brothers. After leaving The Flying Burrito Brothers, he signed to A &M Records as a solo artist. However, when sessions for his debut solo album didn’t go well, he headed to France and lived with Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones for a short time. On his return, he met Emmylou Harris who sung vocals on his solo albums GP and Grievous Angel. Before I tell you about Gram’s debut solo album GP, I’ll tell you about his life.
Gram Parsons was born Ingram Cecil Connor III in November 1946 in Winter Haven, Florida. His mother Avis, was the daughter of a wealthy businessman, John A Snively, who made his fortune in citrus fruit. Ingram Cecil Connor, Gram’s father, was a famous and highly decorated pilot in the US Air Force. Both Gram’s parents were alcoholics, and his mother suffered from depression. Sadly, when Gram was twelve, his father committed suicide. Later, Gram’s mother remarried, Robert Parsons, and Gram took his stepfather’s surname. In July1965, Gram’s mother died of cirrhosis, caused by her heavy drinking. She died the day before Gram was due to graduate from Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida.
Whilst all these problems with his family were happening, Gram became more interested in music. He’d been interested in music since he saw an Elvis Presley concert in 1957. In his early teens, he’d formed bands, playing cover versions of rock ‘n’ roll song. Aged sixteen, he started playing folk music, and then in 1963 he formed his first professional group The Shiiohs.
The Shilohs were influenced by groups like The Kingston Trio and The Journeymen. They mostly played in coffee bars and high schools, but on several occasions, played in New York’s Greenwich Village. This included an appearance at Fred Weintraub’s club The Bitter End, in Bleecker Street. When The Shilohs split up, Gram headed to Harvard University to study theology, leaving after one semester.
After The Shilohs split up, Gram formed the International Submarine Band while at Harvard University. They were a folk group, and wee active between 1966 and 1968. the group signed a recording contract with Lee Hazlewood’s LHI Records, and recorded several singles and one album entitled Safe At Home. Since the album’s release in March 1968, it’s credited with being one of the first real country rock albums. Before the album was released in March 1968, Gram left the band in February, to become a member of The Byrds.
By 1968, Gram Parsons had been recruited as a member of The Byrds, after David Crosby and Michael Clarke had left the band at the end of 1967. Initially, Gram was hired as a pianist, but soon became their rhythm guitarist and sung vocals. However, Gram wasn’t considered a full member of the band by Columbia, the band’s record label, even though he was contributing as much as any other member. Instead, Gram and Kevin Kelley, another new member were paid a salary. Only Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman were full members when the band signed their new recording contract. Gram played on The Sweetheart of The Rodeo album released in August 1968. Whether or not Gram was a full member of the band, he like Kelley, were listed as members on the album and in press coverage. While on tour in England in the summer of 1968, Gram quit The Byrds over plans by the band to tour South Africa. He was opposed to South Africa’s apartheid policy. During that tour, Gram met and befriended Keith Richards. Richards would become a close friend, is credited with reintroducing Gram to country music.
After leaving The Byrds, Gram headed back to Los Angeles, where he and Chris Hillman formed The Flying Burrito Brothers. They recruited pedal steel player Sneaky Pete Kleinow and bassist Chris Ethridge. Having completed the group’s line up, they recorded their debut album The Gilded Palace of Sin, which was released in February 1969. Although the album wasn’t commercially successful, it was well received and is seen as one of the most important alternative country albums ever. Before they recorded their second album, the band underwent personnel changes. Chris Ethridge left due to the band’s lack of success. Chris Hillman became bass player, Bernie Leadon joined to play lead guitar and ex-Byrd Michael Clarke became the new drummer. Burrito Deluxe, released in April 1970, was the groups second album. Like it’s predecessor it wasn’t a commercial success, and to make matters worse, the critics didn’t like the album. After the failure of the second album, Gram was disillusioned, and he left the band. He and Hillman came agreed that this was for the best. During the time the band had recorded Burrito Deluxe, Gram’s drug use was much worse, he wasn’t writing as many new songs and he’d spent much of his time partying with the Rolling Stones.
Gram signed a recording contract with A & M Records in 1970, and Terry Melcher was hired to produce the sessions. So Gram moved in with Melcher and the sessions begun. However, they were unproductive and Gram headed to France where he lived for a short time with Keith Richards while the Rolling Stones were recording Exile On Main Street. On his return to America in 1971, he married girlfriend Gretchell Burrell.
After playing a one-off reunion concert with The Flying Burrito Brothers, Hillman took Gram to hear Emmylou Harris in concert. Quickly, the pair became good friends and within a year, Gram and Emmylou headed to the recording studio to have another attempt at recording Gram’s solo album. By now, he’s been signed to Reprise Records by Mo Ostin. As well as Emmylou, Gram enlisted James Burton, who previously, had played with Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley. This album became GP, and on its release in January 1973, was critically acclaimed, although it wasn’t a commercial success. The follow-up to GP was Grievous Angel, with Emmylou and James Burton playing on the album. Sadly, this album was never released during Gram’s lifetime. He died in September 1973, of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree, California, aged just twenty-six. Grievous Angel was released in January 1974, and like GP was critically acclaimed, but commercially unsuccessful. Since Gram’s death, his music has become increasingly popular, and belatedly, his music is being appreciated by a wider audience to appreciate his huge talent. Now that I’ve told you about his career, I’ll tell you about his debut solo album GP.
GP opens Still Feeling Blue, a track that has an authentic country feel. It opens with fiddles, guitars and rhythm section combining before Gram sings. A pedal steel guitar and banjo join in, giving completing an authentic country sound. The tempo is quick, Gram’s voice is strong and clear, with Emmylou Harris singing backing vocals. During the track, James Burton’s guitar playing is excellent, and Byron Berline’s playing helps drive the song along. Here, the arrangement is quite full, with Gram having assembled a really tight band for the sessions. Gram’s lyrics are really good. They’re about a woman that’s left him, and how he’s still suffering, missing her, wondering why she left him. A combination of Gram’s vocal, and strong lyrics from Gram, plus a good tight performance from the band make this a great track to open the album.
A guitar plays at the start of We’ll Sweep Out the Ashes In The Morning. Drums and fiddle accompany Gram as he sings. Here, his voice isn’t as strong as on the opening track, during parts of the track. He’s joined by Emmylou who shares the lead vocal. Her voice compliments Gram’s perfectly, and sometimes, her lilting voice soars high as she sings the lead. Behind them, the arrangement is mostly driven by guitars, with drums playing subtly behind them. The pedal steel guitar played by Al Perkins is really atmospheric, perfectly suited to the song. That, and Gram and Emmylou’s vocals are what makes this such a lovely track.
When A Song For You opens, the track has a dramatic feel and sound. Piano and guitar play, then when Gram sings, his voice sounds fragile and gentle as he sings the lyrics. The arrangement wraps round his voice like a blanket, as Emmylou accompanies him. An acoustic guitar, fiddle and pedal steel guitar accompany them. It’s a lovely understated arrangement perfect for the song. This has always been one of my favorite tracks from GP because of the arrangement. To me, it’s one of the best tracks on the album, because of great vocals and a lovely subtle arrangement.
The Streets of Baltimore begins with a pedal steel guitar playing, before Gram sings. When he does, his voice is much stronger, and behind him, a lovely arrangement is unfolding. Lead and pedal steel guitars, fiddle, piano, drums and percussion play. They all play behind Gram, never overpowering his vocal. It’s much stronger, sometime soaring high as he sings the lyrics. They’re about a man moving to the bright lights of Baltimore with his wife, only to discover she loves the bright lights of Baltimore more than she loves him. Gram sings the song really well, bringing the lyrics to life so much, you can almost imagine the story unfolding before your eyes. Although not written by Gram, it’s an evocative song, great lyrics, sung brilliantly by Gram.
After the second cover version of the album, Gram sings She, a song he cowrote with Chris Ethridge who Gram played with in The Flying Burrito Brothers. A piano and guitar play slowly and dramatically at the start of the song, then Gram sings. When he does, his voice is laden with emotion, as he sings about a talented young girl singer, growing up in the plantations the southern states, picking cotton. During the song, Gram gives one of his best vocals on GP. Behind him, a really atmospheric, subtle arrangement plays. Drums, bass, fiddle and steel guitars combine masterfully, providing the perfect soundtrack for Gram’s vocal. Quite simply, She is one of the most beautiful tracks on the album, made all the better by the subtle, atmospheric arrangement.
That’s All It Took is a track that sounds straight out of Nashville. It begins with peddle steel guitar, piano and rhythm section playing, before Gram sings about love, and falling in love. After he sings, Emmylou then sings the lead, before the pair sing together. Their voices are perfectly suited, especially for this song. Emmylou seems to bring out the best in Gram, and it’s as if he lifts his game when he sings with her. When their voices drop out, the fiddle takes the lead, then the pedal steel guitar. This is a good contrast to the vocal. Later, Gram and Emmylou rejoin as the song heads to the end. It finishes with a flourish Gram, Emmylou, guitar and drums combining.
Guitars, drum, piano and fiddle combine to produce a beautiful atmospheric and nostalgic sound at the start of The New Soft Shoe. This sound continues when Gram sings, his voice is emotive, his delivery has a heartfelt quality. Gram’s lyrics have a strong narrative, they tell a story from many years ago, one he brings to life as he sings them. As Gram sings, the band play subtly behind him, a mixture of guitar, fiddle, drums and piano. Backing vocals accompany Gram’s soft vocal throughout the song. During the song we hear a tender vocal from Gram, very different to other songs on GP. I’ve always liked this side of Gram, and the subtle arrangement highlights the tenderness of his vocal. Combined with some great lyrics, this is a really lovely, tender and nostalgic song.
When Kiss the Children begins, a fiddle plays the introduction. It’s accompanied by drums, piano and guitar, before Gram sings. As he sings, it’s immediately noticeable how much stronger his vocal is. Here, the band sing backing vocals, as they accompany him with a slice of authentic country music. Fiddles, guitars and really subtle drums provide the backdrop for Gram and his backing vocalists. This is another cover version, of a song written by Rik Grech. It’s a tale of a hard living good ole boy, who likes to drink, fight and generally be a hell-raiser. Gram and his band sing and play the song brilliantly. His vocal and the band’s performance, give it an authentic country sound.
Cry One More Time bursts into life with Gram singing and baritone saxophone playing. The use of the baritone saxophone to accompany Gram is a masterstroke, which lifts the song totally. Without them, it wouldn’t be the same song, it wouldn’t be half as good. During the track, there is some wonderful piano and guitar playing. Meanwhile, Gram produces a really strong vocal, as he sings about how everything is going wrong. His girlfriend is about to leave him, he loves her and can’t take it, so he needs another beer. On this track, the band play brilliantly, and it’s as if this spurs Gram on. He seems to lift his game to another level, to match the playing around him. Everything about the track works, Gram’s vocal, the band’s playing and the songs lyrics. This is easily, one of the best tracks on GP.
Guitar, dobro, fiddle and drums open How Much I’ve Lied, a track with a lovely country feel to it. Gram’s voice, is strong and clear as he sings about being unfaithful, and having to tell his partner about it, as he can’t continue lying to her. It’s a heartfelt, emotional song as Gram comes clean, telling his partner how he’s betrayed. Behind him the arrangement is quite subtle at times. Other times, it fills out, and become much fuller. It’s a mixture of guitars, dobro, fiddles and drums. A piano joins the arrangement, as do backing singers who accompany Gram. Here, the arrangement and Gram’s vocal do the song justice. They bring out the best in some really thoughtful, sad and emotional lyrics.
GP ends with one of the album’s best tracks Big Mouth Blues, which has one of the best arrangements on the album. The track has a really rousing, uptempo opening with guitars and drums and combining brilliantly. Then Gram sings, his voice loud at the front of the mix, keeping up with the now frantic pace. A baritone saxophone plays, punctuating the track in bursts. Some great guitar solos are played, and Gram occasionally hollers announcing their arrival. He seems to let them take centre-stage, not worrying about being upstaged. To round of this amazing arrangement, a piano plays adding the finishing touches. By the end of what’s a frantic, rousing track, you realize that you’ve heard Gram Parsons and his band at their best. Here, they sound like the best bar band you could ever dream of hearing. They’re tight, polished and professional. Big Mouth Blues is the perfect way to end what has been a tremendous album.
Gram Parson was undoubtedly a hugely talented artist. He was a vocalist, guitarist and talented songwriter. Like many other rock stars, he died far too young. He died aged twenty-six, after completing the recording for the follow up to GP, Grievous Angel. The sad thing about his music, is that it wasn’t successful during his lifetime. It was only after his death, that people recognized his talent, and started buying his albums. Critics had always recognized Gram talent, it’s just a pity the record buying public didn’t realize sooner. Now, his music is hugely popular, and GP and Grievous Angel are now afforded the status of classic albums. Whenever lists are released of the best albums Gram’s two solo albums are included. His music has been hugely influential among a new generation of alternative country artists. In some ways, Gram Parsons was the founding father of this genre, and these artists owe a debt of gratitude to him. If you’ve never heard Gram’s music, I would recommend both GP and Grievous Angel as a starting point. Both are available on one disc on Reprise Records. There are many other albums around featuring Gram’s music from the various bands he was in. One in particular is worth buying The Flying Burrito Brothers debut album The Gilded Palace of Sin. Like GP and Grievous Angel, it can be found on a disc that includes both The Gilded Palace of Sin and the follow-up Burrito Deluxe. Of the two, The Gilded Palace of Sin is a far superior album to Burrito Deluxe. Regardless of which Gram Parson album you choose, you’ll be privileged to hear some wonderful Cosmic American Music, Gram’s mixture of country music and rock ‘n’ roll. Standout Tracks: Streets of Baltimore, She, Cry One More Time and Big Mouth Blues.
GRAM PARSONS-GP.
VAN MORRISON-HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY.
VAN MORRISON-HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY.
Recently in an article, I wrote about some of the great concerts I’ve been lucky enough to see over the years. After I’d published the article, I realized there was one that I’d forgotten about, Van Morrison who I saw live at the esplanade to Edinburgh Castle. I don’t know how I managed to forget that night, because without doubt, it was one of the finest concerts I’ve ever witnessed. This set me thinking about Van Morrison’s music, which I’ve been a fan of, for over thirty years. He has produced so many memorable albums since his debut solo album Astral Weeks in 1968. Previously I’ve written about his 1999 album Back On Top, one of his best albums from the later period in his career. Today however, I’m going back to the early seventies, a time when Van was producing one great album after another to review Hard Nose The Highway released in August 1973.
When Van entered the Caledonia Studios in Fairfax, California between August and October 1972, to record material for his new album, he ended up with almost thirty completed songs. This lead Van to think about releasing a double album. At a meeting with executives from Warner Bros his record company, he asked about releasing a double album. They weren’t keen on the idea, and instead, suggested he release just a single album. Some of the songs that weren’t used for Hard Nose The Highway, found there way onto later albums, including Veedon Fleece.
In the end, eight songs from the recording sessions found their way onto Hard Nose The Highway which was released in August 1973. When the album was released, most critics loved the album. As always, there would be one lone critic who took a contrary view, but they were in the minority. Fans too, liked the album, with the album reaching number twenty-two in the UK album charts and number twenty-seven in the Billboard 200. People reading this article might think that this isn’t a particularly high chart placing. However, back then, you had to sell many more albums than you do now to get an album into the top thirty. There was also much more competition around, with many big artists were releasing memorable albums at this time. So although he’d have preferred a higher chart placing and greater sales, inwardly Van must have pleased, as this was the first album he’d produced himself. The question is, just how good an album is Hard Nose The Highway?
Hard Nose The Highway opens with Snow In San Anselmo a song that features the Oakland Symphony Orchestra singing backing vocals as the song opens. They provide backing vocals throughout the track, their voices beautiful, as they soar high in unison. During the track, Van sings about what it was like when it snowed for the first time in thirty years San Anselmo. A piano accompanies the choir at the start of the track, and when Van sings, guitar and drums accompany him. The arrangement is both understated and dramatic. At times, he’s only accompanied by drums, guitar and at other times, the choir accompany him, or the arrangement fills out, with the tempo quickening and a saxophone accompanying him. Mostly, the tempo is slow, the arrangement meandering along, with Van’s voice veering between soft and thoughtful, to a much stronger and forceful delivery. Towards the end, when the tempo quickens, drums, saxophone and the choir unite brilliantly, with the ethereal vocals and saxophone producing a beautiful sound. I’ve always loved this track, it has really evocative lyrics, and the addition of the choir was a masterstroke, that took the track to another level.
One track from the album that many people will know is Warm Love. It was the first single released from the album in April 1973. Since the album’s release this has been a song that track Van has sung many times in concert. An acoustic guitar accompanies Van as the track begins. His voice is much softer, and a flute, drums and guitar plays behind him. Later his voice strengthens, and his delivery becomes louder and clearer. This track has one of the best arrangements on the album. Although a number of instruments feature, none of them, dominate the sound. Instead, they drop in and out of the track, never overpowering Van’s vocal. Although Warm Love is by now, a very familiar track, it’s one that regardless of how often I hear it, I always enjoy.
The title track Hard Nose The Highway begins with a piano playing, and when Van sings, his voice sounds slightly different, maybe there’s hint of a mid-Atlantic accent present. It’s still clear and full of character. Regardless of that, a great track is unfolding. Much of this is down to Jef Labes piano playing, drums playing steadily and the horn section. Together they accompany Van brilliantly, playing slowly and with feeling. When Van sings, he sings about the hard times he’s suffered. This he does with passion, as if remembering the times he slogged around in his early days as a singer. Towards the end of the song, the band sing backing vocals for Van, and Van’s voice gets louder and stronger. To me, what makes this such a great track, are the lyrics, Van’s passionate vocal and a great performance from a really tight band.
Wild Children is another track with some really evocative and thoughtful lyrics. Here, the lyrics are about children growing up in the post war era around the world, and the way they were portrayed by almost American anti-heroes. These characters were portrayed by people like James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause, Rod Steiger and Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront, Tennessee Williams’ plays Streetcar Named Desire and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. This track opens with a really subtle arrangement, just piano, guitar, bass and vibes accompanying Van. He reminisces about growing up after the war, things that influenced him, what he read and films he watched. As he sings softly and thoughtfully, the band play behind him. Mostly, the tempo is slow, but midway through the track, it becomes almost like a mini jazz workout, with the guitar taking the lead. However, mostly, the track just wanders beautifully along, Van singing some of the best lyrics on the album.
It’s piano, guitar and drums that opens The Great Deception, a track that where the drums are used to good effect to create a sense of drama, highlighting parts of the lyrics. The lyrics are about certain people who are involved in rock music, who say one thing and do the complete opposite. Van’s mentions plastic revolutionaries, rock ‘n’ singers “saying power to the people, dance to the music” but having three or four Cadillacs at home, yet they still want patted on the back, and told, well done. Such hypocrisy doesn’t sit well with Van, and during the track makes his feelings clear. You can almost hear the anger and frustration in his voice. Behind him, the arrangement is perfect for the song, guitars, drums and piano playing important rolls in the track. They, and Van combine perfectly, bringing some outstanding and incredibly honest lyrics to life. I wonder what one particular singer thought of the lyrics? Did he dance to this music?
Who would ever thing that Van Morrison would ever sing a song that was originally in Sesame Street, and made famous by Kermit The Frog in The Muppet Show? Well, here, he covers Bein’ Green written by Joe Rapsoso, and in doing so, gives it a jazzy, big band arrangement. A piano plays dramatically, theatrically, as the song opens. When Van sings, he has to sing the same lyrics as Kermit. However, Van sings them much better, his version swings. Here, the song is slowed way down, strings, play and horns accompany Van. Drum, guitar and piano combine during other parts of the track. During Bein’ Green gives a fantastic jazz vocal, and behind him, his band give an outstanding performance, getting into the jazzy, big band sound.
Autumn Song is an epic ten and a half minute track where Van sings some highly evocative lyrics that brilliantly describe the scenes and moods of Autumn. The song has a gentle meandering start, as if sympathetic to changes of the season. Guitars, drums and piano play as Van sings, describing perfectly the changing of the season and how best to deal it. It’s a song with a strong narrative, so strong, you can almost close your eyes and picture the scenes unfolding. Instruments drift in and out of the track, like leaves from a tree. Unlike the seasons, there is one constant, and that is Van’s voice. As always, it’s full of character and here, has a warmth present. As the track unfolds, there are some wonderful subtle guitar solos. Likewise, Jeff Labes’ piano playing is excellent. By the end of the track, you realize that not only is this a great song, but one the most poetic descriptions of autumn that you’ll ever hear.
Hard Nose The Highway closes with Purple Heather which is a traditional song Wild Mountain Thyme which was written by Francis McPeake, and is based upon Robert Tannahill’s song The Braes of Balquhidder. The track starts slowly, piano, guitar and drums playing as Van sings. Slowly, the track builds up, and as it does, Van’s voice grows, getting louder and stronger. He sings the song really well, accompanied by a really atmospheric arrangement, complete with strings. Although based upon a folk song, Van manages to make the song work, giving it a lovely contemporary feel. Much of this is down to the piano and strings in the arrangement, as well as an emotive vocal from Van. Overall, it’s a good track to close the album.
When I started thinking about writing another article on Van Morrison, I was spoiled for choice which of his albums to write about. There are so many good ones to write about. In the end, I decided this time, I’d write about one of my favorite of his albums, Hard Nose The Highway. I’m glad I did, because it’s an album with eight great songs on it, seven of which were written by Van, the exception being Bein’ Green. His lyrics on this album are some of his best. They’re highly evocative, with strong narratives. On Hard Nose The Highway, Van had assembled a really tight band, who played brilliantly throughout the album. This was a time when Van was producing a number of great albums. For me, this was the highpoint of his career, from 1968 until 1976. During this period, he recorded some wonderful music. However, many people will have other ideas, but personally, this is when he recorded some of his critically acclaimed and best selling albums. If you’ve never heard Hard Nose The Highway, it’s a great album, one that’s a good introduction to Van’s music. Astral Weeks, Moondance, and Into the Music are some of my favorite albums between 1968 and 1979. From the 1980s until 1999, Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, Avalon Sunset, Enlightenment and Back on Top are among his best albums, and some of my own personal favorites. Anyone who buys any of these albums, will hear some of Van Morrison’s best music. Standout Tracks: Snow In San Anselmo, Hard Nose The Highway, The Great Deception and Autumn Song.
VAN MORRISON-HARD NOSE THE HIGHWAY.
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O.V. WRIGHT-INTO SOMETHING (CAN’T SHAKE LOOSE).
O.V. WRIGHT-INTO SOMETHING (CAN’T SHAKE LOOSE).
Over the years, there have been some wonderful Southern soul singers, each possessing the most stunning and soulful voices. Some of these people will be familiar with, others they may not no so well. This has included familiar names like Arthur Alexander, James Carr, Percy Sledge, Sam and Dave and Wilson Picket. Today, I’m going to write about someone who isn’t as well known, O.V. Wright, who recorded for Hi Records, the same label as Al Green, Ann Peebles and Otis Clay. O.V. Wright was blessed with one of the most distinctive, soulful voices in the history of Southern soul. During his time with Hi Records, he recorded three great albums. Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose), the album this article is about, was his first release for Hi in June 1977. It was followed in July 1978 by The Bottom Line, which I’ve previously written about. The final album he recorded for Hi was We’re Still Together released in May 1979. Tragically, that would be the last studio album O.V. recorded before his death in November 1980, of a drug overdose, aged just forty-one. His time at Hi Records, saw him work with legendary producer Willie Mitchell who produced his three albums. Mitchell brought in The Memphis Horns and The Memphis Strings to augment Wright’s sound, as well as Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes, Hi’s famous backing singers. Recorded at the Royal Recording Studios and Allied Recording Studios, these additions, and Mitchell’s production skills, brought out the best in O.V. Wright. Over a period of three years, he released three great albums, albums which are among the best Southern soul albums of the 1970s’. Now I’ll tell you just what made Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose) such a great album.
Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose) opens with the title track Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose). A piano plays dramatically before O.V. sings. His voice us hugely powerful and deeply passionate. He’s almost roaring before a great arrangement unfolds. When the arrangement unfolds, it swings beautifully along, strings, The Memphis Horns drums and guitars all accompanying O.V. At the top of the arrangement, The Memphis Horns play, with The Memphis Strings adding to what is a busy arrangement. Teenie Hodges guitar playing is excellent, he occasionally adds some crystalline solos to the arrangement, but never overdoes it. By now, O.V. really has hit his stride, and is giving a brilliant performance. That distinctive voice, one part power, to one part passion as he delivers the song brilliantly. Willie Mitchell’s arrangement is stunning, and his addition of strings and horns is a masterstroke. Overall, O.V.’s brilliant delivery, and Willie Mitchell’s production combine to make this one of the best tracks O.V. would record for Hi.
After such a passionate and powerful track, with an almost furious tempo, I Feel Love Growin’ sees the tempo drop. This allows the listener to get their breath back. Guitar and drums, open the track with the brass section announcing O.V.’s arrival. When he sings this love song, his voice is much slower, but still, that power is still present. Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes accompany O.V. here. Their voices a pleasant contrast to O.V.’s voice. Like the previous track, horns and strings are present, with the horns adding a dramatic twist, highlighting parts of the track. Between the horns and the backing singers, O.V. has the perfect accompaniment, bringing out the best in Willie Mitchell and Earl Randle’s song. During the track, guitar and drums play an important part in the track. The drums provide the track’s heartbeat, with the guitars playing subtly in the background. Although horns, strings, backing singers and band all play a huge part in the success of this track, it’s O.V.’s strong, impassioned and rasping vocal that’s the star of the track. Here, his vocal is laden with emotion, an intensity present as he sings the lyrics like he means them.
One of O.V.’s most best known songs is Precious, Precious, one of my all time favourite O.V. Wright songs, and one of the best songs released on Hi Records. From the opening bars, you’re instantly aware that something special is about to happen. For three and half minutes, O.V. gives one of the most passionate deliveries you’ll ever hear. The track opens with drums, organs and brass section, strings then joining. All this happens before O.V. sings. When he does his powerful, rasping voice delivers the song with passion and feeling, as he sings about a cheating woman who after all she’s done, is still the most important thing in his life. Behind him, the Hi team deliver the best arrangement on the album. Strings sweep in, the brass section interject, the rhythm section combine perfectly and some great guitar playing can be heard. As if that isn’t enough, Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes add backing vocals, which is the finishing touch. Willie Mitchell’s arrangement is perfect, he sprinkled his magic dust onto the track, and this resulted in a Southern soul classic. It’s melodic, full of hooks and absolutely brilliant. The best track on the album.
The Time We Have sees O.V. drop the tempo way down low, quite a change from the previous track. Here, it’s drums, guitar and strings that open the track. It’s a very different O.V. that sings, here he’s singing softly, accompanied by the lush sound of Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes, who are a perfect foil for O.V. Later, the brass section and Hammond organ play, setting a perfect atmosphere for what’s a beautiful tender love song. This results in another stunning arrangement, and yet another brilliant performance from O.V. Wright. My only quibble with this track is I wish it lasted longer, as it finishes rather suddenly at the end. Apart from that, it’s a heart breaking slice of Southern soul.
When You Gotta Have Love bursts brightly into life, it’s apparent it’s a very different track from the previous one. Out goes the sadness present in The Time We Have, in comes the much more joyous sound of You Gotta Have Love. Guitars, drum and brass section open the track, with Rhodes, Chalmers and Rhodes singing sweet backing vocals, keyboards play then O.V. sings. Here, his vocal is strong clear and thoughtful as he sings. A piano, strings and brass section join him, as the arrangement takes both a dramatic and joyous turn. This is down to O.V., The Memphis Horns and those brilliant backing singers. Together, they and the rest of the band produce another great track, which demonstrates just how talented O.V. and everyone connected with Hi Records were. Each and every one of them, contributed towards making this a great track.
Another of O.V.‘s songs many people will have heard is Trying To Live My Life Without You. Like Precious, Precious, it’s a song many people will be familiar with, but won’t be familiar with any of O.V.s other songs. It begins with the brass and rhythm sections combining, a guitar playing deep in the mix. When O.V. enters, he sings about a troubled relationship, how tried to live his life without his girlfriend, and how hard it was for him. During the track his voice is strong, soaring powerfully, as he passionately sings the lyrics with feeling. Behind him strings sweep, the brass section play, interjecting brilliantly just at the right time and the Hi house band demonstrate why they were one of the best bands in soul music. As usual, the backing singers accompany O.V., the lush and sweet sound they produce, a perfect contrast to the intensity of his rasping voice. For me, Precious, Precious was one of the best songs O.V. ever recorded during the short time he spent at Hi.
Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose) ends with a medley of three songs God Blessed Our Love, When A Man Loves A Woman and That’s How Strong My Love Is. It’s a dramatic introduction to God Blessed Our Love that greets the listener, a guitar chiming, drums playing really slowly and an organ playing. O.V. gives thanks to God for his love during the track, and behind him a piano plays with the drums slowly keeping the beat. Backing singers occasionally subtly accompany him, their voices much quieter than previously. Strings sometimes play, but mostly, the arrangement has a lovely understated quality. The best think about the track is O.V.’s vocal is passionate and spiritual, and he sings the lyrics as if they really mean something to him.
When A Man Loves A Woman is a song that’s perfect for O.V. It allows him to unleash that hugely powerful voice. Here, the arrangement has a similar understated quality, just drums, guitar, and occasionally, strings and backing vocals. An organ joins the track, and by now, the arrangement is growing and a fantastic Southern soul track is unfolding. Much of that is down to O.V.’s delivery which brings the song to life, and is laden with passion and emotion.
That’s How Strong My Love Is completes the medley, and like the other two songs, sees O.V. sing slowly and dramatically. Again, the arrangement sees drums provide the track’s heartbeat, with strings, organ guitar and backing vocals completing the line-up. Charles Hodges’ organ playing on the track adds to the emotion and drama. The interplay between O.V. and the backing vocalists is fantastic. They enter just at the right time, and their voices are perfectly suited to accompany O.V. and the song. A really slow tempo brings out the best in the song, and O.V.’s delivery is masterful. You get the feeling he’s giving his all here, a combination of power and emotion. Like the two previous tracks in the medley, this is another fantastic track, sung beautifully and passionately by one Southern soul’s greatest voices O.V. Wright.
O.V. Wright was one of the most talented Southern soul singers, and during his spell with Hi Records, he recorded three brilliant albums. That his music isn’t better known always puzzles me. He was blessed with a brilliant voice, worked with some wonderful musicians at Hi Records and had one of soul music’s legendary producers producing the three albums he recorded for Hi. Those three albums contain some great music, especially his first album for Hi Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose). Although there are only seven songs on the album, they include some brilliant tracks, including two of his best known track Precious, Precious and Trying To Live My Life Without You. Each of the tracks on the album is of the highest quality, unlike many albums, there’s no filler here. The Medley which ends the album includes one of the most passionate and emotional versions of When A Man Loves A Woman you’ll ever hear. After Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose) O.V. Wright released two further albums. The Bottom Line and We’re Still Together, both of which are also outstanding albums. During my research for this article. I discovered that the three albums O.V. recorded for Hi are available as part of a two-disc set entitled The Complete O.V. Wright On Hi Records Volume 1: In The Studio. This is a great way to hear some of the best Southern Soul music you’ll ever here. It’s well worth adding to your record collection, and I’m sure that quickly, it’ll become one of your favorite albums. Standout Tracks: Into Something (Can’t Shake Loose), Precious, Precious, The Time We Have and Trying To Live My Life Without You.
O.V. WRIGHT-INTO SOMETHING (CAN’T SHAKE LOOSE).
FRAGILE STATE-VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL.
FRAGILE STATE-VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL.
Live everything else, music is dictated by fashion and trends. What’s fashionable or “trendy” today, could be out of fashion next week or next month. Sometimes, genres of music stay in fashion for a while, others disappear quickly. A few years ago, one of the most fashionable and popular genres of music was chill-out or downtempo music. I remember buying the very first albums that appeared on record shop shelves, and watched in amazement as this became one of the most popular recent musical genres. In the beginning, small record labels and artists led the way, and some brilliant compilations and artist albums were released. Quickly, it became fashionable for record companies to release chill-out albums, so labels big and small jumped on the bandwagon. Back-catalogues were raided and a whole manner of compilations found their way into record shops. This caused a problem. Quality began to suffer, and eventually, a saturation point was reached. People became fed up with increasingly poor compilations. Even labels and compilations which previously, had led the way, started to exploit this trend, and quality nosedived. Soon, the trend for chill-out music was over. By now, the trendsetters in the music industry were looking for the trend or next big thing, most probably retro in nature. However, once the dust had settled, and people looked at the best of the releases, it became apparent that many good chill-out albums had been released. This included compilations and artist albums. One of the best artist albums was Fragile State’s Voices From The Dustbowl. In this article, I’ll tell you about that album, and what makes it such a good album.
This isn’t the first time I’ve written about Fragile State. Previously, I’ve wrote about their debut album The Facts and the Dreams, which was a beautiful album. Voices From The Dustbowl is the follow-up to The Facts and the Dreams, released by Fragile State in March 2004. Fragile State is the moniker for Ben Mynott and Neil Cowley, who wrote, arranged mixed and produced every track on the album. Unlike other similar albums, Voices From The Dustbowl features real instruments, played beautifully by a small group of musicians. That to me, is one of the things that makes this such a good album, that and some great arrangements and production. Now I’ll tell you about Voices From The Dustbowl, and why anyone who loves chill-out or downtempo music should add it to their collection.
Voices From The Dustbowl opens with Four-Four-Four, a track that has been influenced by Afro-beat. It’s a combination of Rhodes keyboard and subtle bass, with vocals influenced by Afro-beat that opens the track. It’s a a track that flows along, sound effects and spoken word vocals entering the track. Atop the track sits the vocals, whilst behind it, a fuller arrangement has emerged. A lot is going on in the arrangement, and maybe it’s not a typical downtempo track. The tempo seems quicker than it really is, but the mixture of traditional instruments, vocals and sound effects produce an intriguing, melodic track full of subtleties and nuances.
After Four-Four-Four a slower track, King For A Day sees the tempo increase slightly and a much rockier sounding track emerge. Keyboards meander, accompanied by a bass, giving no indication that things are about to change. Then, quickly, the arrangement starts to grow, becoming quite dramatic. Drums play, a guitar solos. Meanwhile, the arrangement sweeps along behind it. Like the previous track, it has a fuller arrangement. Here, it’s a combination of strings and occasionally, slow melodic keyboards. Later a lovely acoustic guitar plays, only to be replaced by space age sounding keyboards and electric guitars, as the track takes another dramatic turn. Thereafter, it flows towards the end, sweeping grandly, with guitars and drums sometimes making their presence felt. By the end of the track, you can’t fail but be impressed by this dramatic, sweeping, soundscape, where downtempo meets rock.
When New Bassa begins, it certainly grabs your attention. It’s a slightly discordant sound that opens the track. That’s the only discordant thing you’ll hear for the rest of the track. What follows is a beautiful lush track, keyboards and strings combining perfectly. A keyboard plays, at the start, it’s joined by strings which sweep in. They immediately create a lovely lush sound, that washes beautifully over you. Then, like the previous track, it takes a dramatic turn. The sound grows, more keyboards play, drums are pounded slowly, a contrast to the beauty surrounding it. Synths produce otherworldly sounds, Meanwhile the strings continue to play beautifully. Later rhythms emerge courtesy of keyboards, vocals make an appearance, drums reappear and sounds made by synths defy description. As the track ends, I’ve come to the realization that New Bassa is great track. However, there so much is going on, it becomes hard to take it all in. In the end, you end up sitting back, letting what is a beautiful lush track wash over you.
Cleo is one of the slowest tracks on the album, only seventy beats per minute. This makes it perfect for chilling out to. At the start you think it’s going to be a slow, spacious track because of the meandering start. However, when guitars, acoustic and electric bass and keyboards combine, space is it a premium. Instead a fuller sounding track, takes its place. Straight away, it’s melodic, hooks aplenty. A female vocalist sings, her voice is strong, sitting at the front of the mix. Percussion, bass drums and keyboards combine for much of the track. Guitars too, played brilliantly by Matt Coldrick. An eastern influence is present here. This is because of vocals and instruments that make a fleeting appearance. That isn’t the only influence present. Jazz, funk and downtempo all play their part here. Later in the track, the arrangement becomes much more subtle, and the arrangement is glorious. It has an understated beauty, made all the better by a much more stripped back sound. However, this doesn’t last, and the track returns to a much fuller sound. By the end of the track, I’ve become smitten by Cleo, it’s has a fantastic arrangement, features some talented musicians and sounds brilliant.
As 600 Bliss opens, straight away, it sweeps beautifully over you. Immediately you’re hooked, caught up in its lush, beautiful introduction. The tempo is slow as strings enter, sweeping lushly. Drums and keyboards combine, the keyboard playing a lovely melody. Although the drums are quite loud, and far forward in the mix, they’re slow and spacious. By now, it’s apparent this is the best track so far. What I like about it is the tempo, and combination of slow sweeping strings and melodic keyboard, against loud spacious drums. Fragile State seem to really have produced a masterpiece here, very different from the preceding tracks. This is because there isn’t so much going on during the track. Here it’s a case of less is more. Brilliant, downtempo music like it should be, slow, spacious and really chilled.
When Stolen Generation begins, it has a broody, moody sound. It makes you wonder what’s coming next. What comes next is a lovely short track. Two and a half minutes of a backdrop of lush strings with a meandering, almost melancholy keyboard accompanying it. You know the track is nearly over when there’s a reprisal of the broody, moody sound that opened the track. Although just a short track, it’s a lovely one, with a pensiveness throughout. It’s just a pity that it wasn’t a longer track.
It’s a familiar sound that opens At Last, but a sound you’ll never tire of hearing, strings and keyboards. The string sweep in like a gentle tide, while the keyboards play slowly. At Last meanders beautifully along, just now, its sound much subtle than other tracks. Sound effects can be heard, handclaps and bells ring, as the track takes an eastern twist. Dramatic, sometimes moody, it’s a powerful combination. Later, drums pound, they almost overpower the rest of the arrangement. Thankfully, they quickly disappear. When they reappear, their power suits the rest of the arrangement, but still, seem way too loud. Their presence takes the edge of an otherwise good track. If they’d either been played more subtly, or moved further back in the mix, it would’ve been much better. They seem out of character with the eastern them that is developing throughout the track. Apart from the drums, it’s a good track.
Paper Tiger starts with space age sounds emerging from your speakers. This gives the track a mysterious feel and sound, like a soundtrack for a sci-fi movie. After that, the mysterious, slightly moody sound continues with strings slowly played. A violin gives the track a classical sound. All the while, a multitude of unearthly sounds accompany the string. Even when the keyboards play, they add to the air of mystery. Although mysterious and moody sounding, the track has a captivating quality, you’re enthralled by, unable to work out what will happen next. It’s like the plot in a good book, twists and turns aplenty. You end up inventing scenarios to fit the music, always coming back to something space related. Sweeping, dramatic, intriguing are some of the words I’d use to describe this brilliant track that’s easily, one of the album’s highlights.
Drum and bass. That’s what I thought when I heard the introduction to the Overcurrent. The tempo is quick, the drums fast, accompanied by synths and cymbals. Otherworldly noise join and sweep in. Then a melody plays behind it on a keyboard, and a lovely vocal joins. It appears, disappears and reappears constantly, echoing high above the arrangement. Meanwhile, the pace of the drums is nearly frantic, and synths sweep all around, swirling in the arrangement. Behind them, the keyboards plays the same melody, the vocal reappears. Later a keyboard joins, playing the lead. It and the drums vie for your attention. Sometimes, the swooshing synths play a bigger part, and in doing so, create an eery atmosphere. As the track ends the synth sounds like a spaceship taking off, the vocal reverberates and what sounds like rain can be heard. Like the previous track, I found Overcurrent intriguing and dramatic. The addition of the synths, combined with drum and bass style beat and ethereal vocal was a masterstroke. Together they produced am excellent track, one very track from others, where drumbeats dominated the sound, and everything else vied for your attention.
A crystalline sound opens Train Time. It sounds like a choir of angels, which sweeps into being, before a female vocalist sings. Behind her, the sound starts of slowly and subtly, gradually meandering melodically along. Whistles interrupt the vocal, drums play and keyboards join the mix. By now, it’s a much busier arrangement. Much is going on as the arrangement builds. Keyboards, drums, synths producing surreal space age sounds. They’re followed by the choir, as the arrangement becomes much more understated. When the vocal reappears, she continues to sing in her own made-up language, which is a form of scatting. Towards the end, the arrangement builds back up. Keyboards, drums and strings producing a powerful sound, before the reappearance of the choir as the song ends. Like other tracks on this album, Fragile State don’t do things by half. Their arrangements are big, with a much fuller sound than similar artists. So much goes on during this majestic track. There are peaks and troughs in the arrangement, it’s dramatic yet sweeping, but sometimes has a beautiful ethereal and crystalline sound.
Voices From The Dustbowl closes with Paper Tiger which begins with beeps and sweeping synths, strings and keyboards plays as floaty space age track gradually emerges. Again, the sound is dramatic, light and shade combining masterfully. The arrangement wanders slowly along, sounds emerging gradually. They’re a mixture gentle tinkling sounds and grander bolder ones. Later, louder much bolder drums burst into life, announcing their arrival, the equivalent of musical punctuation. Mainly, there’s an understated quality to the track. That is until guitars soars, a solo suddenly emerging combining with the earlier, loud drums. Anyone who loves a powerful guitar solo will be in their element, as the guitar solo drives the track along, everything else playing second best. As the track draws to a close, the much more understated arrangement returns, and the track meanders to a close, complete with squelching and sweeping synths. Paper Tiger is a great track, one that’s almost a track of two parts. The first part is a lovely meandering, understated track, the second a powerful guitar led part, which is totally at odds with what came before. Together, they combine to produce a stunning track, to end the album.
Having spent some time listening to Voices From The Dustbowl, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to listen to it, is as one piece of music. It’s an album of peaks and troughs, where the tempo rises and falls. Each track has something different to offer, but certain things remain a constant. Throughout the album, lush strings, keyboards and dramatic, sweeping arrangements are present on each album. Sometimes, guitars and vocals are used to augment the sound, and occasionally, synths produce a multitude of otherworldly and atmospheric sounds and effects. As a downtempo album, it’s quite different from other albums. For example, it hasn’t much in common with Nightmares On Wax, Telefuzz, Fug or Nitin Sawhey, all of whom I’ve previously written about. Here, the arrangements are much fuller than on these albums. Also, here isn’t the spacey sound on this album that are present on albums like Smoker’s Delight and Car Boot Soul by Nightmares On Wax, or Sleep by Telefuzz. Having said all that, Voices From The Dustbowl is a really good album, one that regardless of how many times you listen to it, you’ll hear something new each time you hear it. It’s melodic, lush and dramatic, and during eleven songs, Fragile State will prove the perfect soundtrack for you to relax and unwind. Standout Tracks: King For A Day, 600 Bliss, Stolen Generation and Paper Tiger.
FRAGILE STATE-VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL.
TALK TALK-SPIRIT OF EDEN.
TALK TALK-SPIRIT OF EDEN.
Sometimes, an artist or group’s music changes and matures over the course of their career. This is certainly the case for the band this article is about. In their early years, their music was similar to many of the New Romantic groups popular back then. Their first two albums were very different to what would follow. After 1982’s The Party’s Over and 1984’s It’s My Life, Talk Talk released three very different albums, where their sound totally changed. It would probably be fair to say by their third album The Colour of Spring in 1986 an album I’ve previously written about, their music had matured. The follow up to that album Spirit of Eden in 1988, was a totally different album. It was recorded over a period of two years, during which time their management and record company executives weren’t allowed to hear what the music was like. When the band sent a copy of the album to EMI, their record company, they quickly came to the opinion that the album wouldn’t be a commercial success. Spirit of Eden can best be described as six beautiful, serene musical soundscapes. It’s perfect for chilling out to, and letting the multiple layers of music wash over you. On its release, critics weren’t impressed, their reviews were mainly negative. Since then, as often happens with music critics, they’ve belatedly changed their mind. Now, Spirit of Eden has been critically acclaimed, reaching minor classic status. However, the question must be asked, why didn’t they realize that in 1988? Released in September 1988, the album failed to match the success of The Colour of Spring, reaching only number nineteen in the UK album charts. That however, wouldn’t be the only problem Talk Talk had back then.
When Talk Talk entered the studio in 1987, to begin recording Spirit of Eden, they did so with a cast of sixteen musicians, a choir and a multitude of instruments. It was to be a protracted process, taking until the following year to complete. Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene had written the six songs on the album, but recording them wouldn’t be easy. During the recording sessions, many hours of improvised music was recorded. Remarkably, some of these sessions were recorded in darkness. They’d then be edited by Hollis and Friese-Greene using the studio’s digital equipment. This was a laborious process, and much of the material had to be heavily edited. After the editing process was finished, it was a masterful combination of ambient music, jazz and rock. A better description would be post-rock, and groups like Sigur Ros, Mogwai and Radiohead with their later music, would be influenced by Spirit of Eden, and the post-rock genre. However, when Talk Talk sent a cassette of the album to their record company a problem arose.
When the cassette of Spirit of Eden arrived at EMI, executives listened to the album, and quickly came to the conclusion that the album wouldn’t be a commercial success. EMI asked Mark Hollis to rerecord a track, or replace parts of the album. He quite rightly, refused to do so, unwilling to let executives dictate the album’s musical direction. Later that month, the master tapes were sent to EMI, and by then, they’d changed their mind. They decided that Talk Talk had fulfilled their contractual obligations by successfully completing the album. It was then that EMI dropped a bombshell, they decided to take up an option to extend Talk Talk’s recording contract.
Both Talk Talk and their manager Keith Aspden believed that EMI was the wrong label for the band. The dispute then centered around a letter EMI should send the band if they wished to extend the contract. It should’ve been sent to the band three months after Spirit of Eden had been completed. Talk Talk argued that the letter had been sent too late, that it should’ve been sent within three months of the album’s completion. EMI argued that the period was actually within a three month period that began once they were satisfied with the album. In court, the judgment went in favor of EMI, and the contract was extended. However, the band appealed the judgment, and in the Court of Appeal, the judgment was overturned and Talk Talk were released from their contract with EMI. They then signed to Polydor, releasing their final album Laughing Stock through their jazz imprint Verve.
Promoting Spirit of Eden wasn’t like promoting any other album. The band didn’t want to release a single from the album, but eventually, in September 1988, I Believe In You was released as a single. Another problem was the band didn’t want to tour the album, as it would’ve been impossible to recreate the music on the album live. Mark Hollis said that it wouldn’t be able to recreate the spontaneousness of the music. In retrospect, their decision not to tour was a good choice, it would’ve been impossible to recreate such a complex piece of music live, and wouldn’t have done the music credit. However, by only releasing one single, and not touring, this didn’t help the promotion of the album. As a result, it stalled at number nineteen in the UK album charts, failing to match the success of its predecessor The Colour of Spring. Another thing that didn’t help sales were critics.
Mostly, reviews of Spirit of Eden were negative. Critics didn’t seem to “get” the album, and the reviews weren’t good. However, as often happens, critics have a tendency to rewrite history. Years later, critics reevaluated Spirit of Eden. The same critics that panned the album, very belatedly scratched their heads, and realized “oh maybe we missed something.” They then decided that the album was misunderstood, and was really a minor classic. Now, Spirit of Eden is quite rightly, albeit belatedly, recognized as the fabulous album it has always been. Now I’ll tell you just what makes Spirit of Eden such a great album.
Spirit of Eden opens with The Rainbow, which has a slow, atmospheric start, a mixture of light and shade. Sounds emerge from the mix, some you recognize straight away, others you can’t quite place. One minute, the track has an ethereal, crystalline sound, the next it’s dark and broody. The track is intriguing, meandering along at a pedestrian pace. An oboe can be heard, a bassoon too. Strings are present, sound effects too. Water running, a steam train as well. Sometimes the track nearly grinds to halt, the silence is powerful. You find yourself asking, what’ll happen now? Then a guitar plays, its solo spacious, reverberating, joined by a harmonica. Suddenly, the arrangement takes a more traditional form. Mark Hollis sings, his voice fragile, accompanied by piano, guitar, harmonica and organ. His lyrics are thoughtful, complete with a tinge of cynicism. By now the arrangement has transformed into a beautiful, subtle piece of thoughtful music. Towards the end, it’s just drums, a soaring harmonica and guitar that accompany Mark. At the end of the track, The Rainbow has proved to be an intriguing, complex piece of music, influenced by jazz, rock and ambient music. However, it has an ethereal quality, with a subtle beauty, and is full of subtleties and nuances waiting to reveal themselves.
Eden sweeps majestically into being, sound slowly emerge, revealing themselves. Although their sounds are diverse, a mixture of woodwind, piano, electric bass and some that defy description, they combine perfectly, producing a moody soundscape that slowly unveils itself. The drama builds, guitar, piano and drums combining to produce a dramatic, melodic, yet sometimes discordant, near frantic soundscape. Once its reached a dramatic crescendo, Mark sings. Here the lyrics are highly literate, with a classical and spiritual feel. They’re contemplative, yet a sense of anger and frustration is present. As he sings, the arrangement becomes much more understated, with drums played slowly, plenty space between each beat, a piano playing in the background. Quickly, this changes, and the arrangement grows much fuller, almost like a mini wall of sound. This doesn’t last long, and thereafter, drums and guitar are joined by double bass. Again, the sound quickly builds up, and the song becomes like musical peaks and troughs. By now, a multitude of instruments, are contributing towards what is become a sometimes dramatic and spectacular track. Talk Talk’s decision to use sixteen musicians is paying off, and layer upon layer of sounds emerge. Some are easy to identify, some not so. Regardless of this, it’a a complex multi-textured piece of music that enthralls you. It becomes hard to drag yourself away from the music. In some ways, it’s like a book, you want to see where the plot takes you. Here, for seven and half minutes, Talk Talk take you on a startling and stunning musical journey, visiting various moods and influences. Like a child, one minute it’s happy and joyous, the next mercurial and moody.
It’s a mixture of sounds and influences that greet you when Desire begins. There are classical and spiritual influences present, the latter because of the organ playing. The tempo is slow, as the track takes an ambient turn, subtle sounds emerging beautifully. A piano and guitar play, woodwind and bass join the arrangement. Then Mark Hollis sings, his lyrics trying to explain not excuse, his behavior. He doesn’t seem at peace with himself, trying hard to fight whatever is tormenting him, obvious by the almost bleak lyrics. Like the previous track, when he sings, the arrangement starts much more subtle, then quickly, bursts into life. When it does, it’s quite a contrast and shock to the system. One minute the arrangement was a lovely tranquil, meandering one, the next guitars sole soaring and screeching, drums pounded and percussion getting in on the act. It becomes like a different track. Atop the arrangement is Mark’s vocal, passionate and powerful, in keeping with the arrangement. Desire is a dichotomy of a track. Sometimes it’s a reflective laid back soundscape, then it’s transformed into a near frenzied rock workout. As contrasts go, this is quite extreme, but the music is masterful. A thoughtful, intricate combination of jazz, rock and ambient music, which throughout its duration reveals a multitude of musical secrets and subtleties.
A cymbal softly played opens Inheritance, accompanied by a piano, slowly played. They’re joined by bass and double bass before Mark sings. When he does, his voice has a softness and fragility. Here, the lyrics read like a pean to nature and life itself, albeit one looking at its fragility, whilst we carry on as life gradually passes, ignoring what’s going on around us, sometimes proving foolhardy and regrettable. Gradually, the arrangement slowly moves along, beautiful subtle sounds escaping from the mix. Mostly, subtly is the best way to describe the track. A double bass quietly is plucked, guitars join in, drums, cymbals and percussion play, woodwind appear, and disappear. Mark’s voice becomes like an instrument, as his voice takes soars and falls, drenched in sadness and pathos. Inheritance is quite simply a beautiful track, one that tugs at your heartstrings and sets you thinking about the fleeting, temporary nature of nature, and life itself.
The most recognizable song on the album is I Believe In You, which was released as a single from Spirit of Eden. Drums and percussion open the track, chiming guitars, and a slow piano can be heard. Again, it’s an understated sound, and when Mark sings, the fragility is still present. He leaves space within his vocal, occasionally his voice soars, an ethereal quality present. Around him, the arrangement unfolds, instruments joining, then leaving the track, only to reappear later. An organ plays, adding an atmospheric sound, strings sweep in. Suddenly a lush sound has developed. The sound becomes really pleasing due to a choir singing. It then head into a discordant territory, when the choir disappear They’re replaced by a mixture of instruments. Quickly, the track gets back on track, the organ and drums joined by a lovely sweeping sound that sees the reappearance of the choir. Their addition brings new life to the track. Sometimes Mark accompanies them, mostly they’re allowed to take centre stage. By the end, a beautiful track has emerged, made all the better by the addition of the choir. They bring a beautiful crystalline and spiritual sound to the track, and are the perfect addition to complete what was already a great track.
Spirit of Eden closes with Wealth, one of the album’s highlights. It’s both a beautiful sounding track and one with great lyrics. They’re thoughtful and intelligent and an interesting take on the subject of wealth, pointing how things like freedom, love and sanity are a form of wealth. From the start, it’s apparent something special will unfold. Mark Hollis sings accompanied by piano and organ, both played slowly and thoughtfully. The tempo is kept really slow, bringing out the beauty and subtly in the song. During the track, you’re captivated by this enchanting, melancholy piece of music. A double bass and guitar play, doing so quietly, with care. Nothing is allowed to overpower Mark’s vocal which is laden with passion and feeling. Meanwhile organ and harmonium combine, guitars playing in the background briefly. By now, I’ve realised that Talk Talk have kept the best track until last. It’s a stunning track, understated, thoughtful and beautiful, and a perfect way to end the album.
Since Spirit of Eden was released in 1988, I’ve been captivated by the album. I couldn’t quite understand how so many people failed to “get” the album like I did. It seemed people didn’t understand what was an innovative album, and because of that, either wrote bad reviews or didn’t buy it. Thankfully, and eventually, people changed their minds about Spirit of Eden and it has since become a minor classic. People changed their minds about the album, and now, it’s referred to as one of the best albums of the 1980s’. I suppose it’s better late than never. Spirit of Eden is a mixture of musical styles. Rock, jazz and ambient music are the influences on the album. The jazz influence is especially important, as much of the music was improvised, then edited. It took sixteen musicians, a multitude of instruments and a choir nearly two years to complete this album. Their efforts were well worthwhile, because Spirit of Eden is a brilliant album, that has a timeless quality. Every time I listen to it, you hear something new, subtleties and nuances reveal themselves changing my perception of the album. To me, it’s an album that deserves to be in every true music lover’s collection. It’s a powerful yet tranquil piece of music, music that you can truly relax to, layer upon layer of music gently washing over you. Standout Tracks: The Rainbow, Desire, Inheritance and Wealth.
TALK TALK-SPIRIT OF EDEN.
BOB DYLAN-STREET LEGAL.
BOB DYLAN-STREET LEGAL.
A couple of days ago, I was thinking back to some of the great concerts I’ve seen over the past thirty years. When I set my mind to it, I was able to remember some really memorable concerts. The Blue Nile, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Terry Callier, Dr John and the artist this article is about, Bob Dylan. Although I’d long been a fan of Bob Dylan’s music it was the first time I’d ever seen him live. So to Glasgow I headed with a friend of mine. That night Bob put on a stunning show. He played many of his best known songs, and few lesser known ones too. By the end, everyone was happy, having witnessed a fantastic performance by one of the legends of music. However, that wasn’t the end of the night for me. On leaving the venue, my friend thought he knew the way home. I wasn’t quite so sure. Straight away, I knew he’d taken a wrong turning. Not him, he was sure he was on the right road. Wrong, after forty minutes, he realised he was lost. That night, I saw bits of Glasgow I didn’t know existed. It was more by luck than good judgement, that we found ourselves on the right road, eventually, getting home four hours later. It was thinking about that concert, that made me decide to write an article on Bob Dylan and his album Street Legal.
Street Legal was a Bob Dylan’s eighteenth studio album and was released in June 1978. It was a very different sounding album to anything he’d previously released. So much so, that it would divide the opinions of critics and fans greatly. Unlike previous albums, he decided to record the album with a huge pop and rock band backing him. Supplementing the sound, would be female backing vocalists.
Before he could record the album rehearsals would take place for a tour of Japan and Australia. So he set about putting together a band. Joining his band were Steven Soles, David Mansfield, Rob Stoner and Howie Wyeth, all former members of the Rolling Thunder Revue. Pianist Walter Davis Jr and percussionist Otis Smith completed the line-up. However, suddenly one member decided to leave the band. Drummer Howie Wyeth decided to leave, he’d been struggling with heroin addiction and decided not to go on tour. Auditions were held for a new drummer. Many tried out, but it was Denny Seiwell, who played with Wings briefly, who got the job. Now the band was complete, they’d head to rehearsals.
However, when the rehearsals began on December 30th 1977, guitarist Jessie Ed Davis was now part of the band. The backing vocalists were Katey Sagal, Franny Eisenberg and Debbie Dye Gibson. However, the line up would continue to change. In mid-January 1978, Sagal and Eisenberg were replaced by Jo Ann Harris, a professional singer and Helena Springs who was an unknown novice singer. That wasn’t the end of the changes though. Drummer Denny Seiwell and the rest of Wings were caught in possession of drugs in Sweden. When he applied for a visa for the forthcoming concerts Japan, he was denied a visa. This meant Seiwell was out, and a new drummer required. After further auditions, Ian Wallace, former King Crimson drummer got the job. By now the line up that would tour and record Street Legal was almost complete. Guitarist Billy Cross joined the line-up, as did percussionist Bobbye Hall, saxophonist Steve Douglas and keyboard player Alan Pasqua. This would be the line up that headed to Japan on tour.
When the band played in both Japan and Australia, critics and fans loved the new arrangements of Dylan’s old material. Later, a recording entitled Bob Dylan Live At Budokan would be released of the concert. During the tour, some of the band weren’t happy with the sound. This included Rob Stoner, who at the end of the tour in Australia, quit the band. This meant a new bass player was needed to record the album. Jerry Scheff replaced Stoner, and now Dylan and the band would start to record Street Legal.
Street Legal was recorded in Santa Monica, California at a recording studio and rehearsal space he called Rundown. Dylan had hired a mobile recording studio to record the sessions. It only took four days to record the nine songs on Street Legal. Because of the short time scale, everything was rushed. Getting equipment into place was done quickly, and there very few takes of each song recorded. Don DeVito the producer knew that Dylan had a tight schedule, and just had to make the best of what he had.
When Street Legal was released, to say that critics in America disliked the album, is an understatement. However, in the UK, critics took a different view. They really liked the album and gave it positive reviews. Commercially, it reached only number eleven in the US, but reached number two in the UK album charts. In the UK, it became his biggest selling studio album. Having told you about the background to Street Legal, I’ll tell you what kind of album it is, and who were right, the American or UK music critics.
Street Legal opens with Changing of the Guards. When the track begins the new sound is quite apparent. It’s quite a full sound with drums, guitar and keyboards accompanying Bob. As he sings the deeply literate lyrics which have religious themes, it’s like call and response between him and the backing vocalists. Their joyous voices are the perfect accompaniment for his voice. Quickly, the arrangement grows. His band play brilliantly their sound big, bold and really tight. This sound includes guitars, rhythm section, keyboards and is augmented by a saxophone, which drenches the arrangement. One member of the band who deserves credit is drummer Ian Wallace. Throughout the track his playing is perfect. To quote Rob Stoner he has “a beat like a cop.” What makes the track is the arrangement. It features Bob and a really tight band and the additional of the backing vocalists was a masterstroke. Without them, this wouldn’t be as good a track. A great way to start the album.
It’s a combination of electric guitar and drums played really slowly the opens New Pony. The atmosphere is moody, even before Bob sings. When he does, his voice is loud and slow. Again, he’s accompanied by backing singers. Slowly, the arrangement builds, but mostly, it’s just really slow, soaring guitars and plodding drums. It’s a powerful sound, and here, Bob sometimes is almost snarling the lyrics. Here the lyrics reference religion, with references to Lucifer, praying, ghosts and voodoo. Religion is a theme that’s a constant throughout the album, as are apocalyptic themes. Later in the track, saxophones blow, further increasing an impressive and powerful track, New Pony is very different in style to the opening track it’s just as good.
Like New Pony, No Time To Think is a slower song, one featuring lyrics which have apocalyptic themes. They portray images of society unravelling, lawlessness all around. Here, it seems Dylan was far from optimistic about the direction society was heading. An epic song begins with drums and saxophone combining, before Bob sings. Straight away, the same powerful delivery as on New Pony is present. Again, the backing singers accompany him, their voices a welcome addition. Here, Bob sings the song with passion, while behind him piano, saxophone, guitars and rhythm section play. They’re playing with the same passion as Bob, producing a fantastic rocky track, with tinges of gospel, courtesy of the backing vocalist. Alan Pasqua’s keyboard playing especially is outstanding here. Quite simply, a combination of strong, intelligent lyrics, and a great performance from Bob and his band, results in an outstanding track.
Probably the best known track on Street Legal Is Baby, Stop Crying, a track he played brilliantly the night I saw him live. From the opening dramatic bars, it’s apparent that something special is unfolding. The combination of booming drums, chiming guitars and keyboards opens that track, then Bob sings. Here, he gives one of his best vocals on the album. His voice is much clearer, it’s strong and powerful, supplemented by those fantastic backing vocalists. Their voices veer between strong and passionate to a high, soaring sound. Behind him, drummer Ian Wallace provides the track’s heartbeat, saxophones blow, guitars and keyboards play. The keyboard adds atmosphere to the track. For nearly five and half minutes, Bob Dylan and his band provide a musical masterclass, which thirty-three years on, still sounds as spectacular as it did back then. Brilliant.
When Is Your Love In Vain? begins, the tempo is slower and the sound much fuller. A trumpet accompanies guitars, rhythm section and keyboards in producing a lovely rich sound. They jam for forty-five sections before Bob sings, and when he sings, his voice doesn’t seem as powerful as on previous tracks. It’s much more subtle and augmented by backing vocalists. The band seem to be overpowering him slightly, but they’re playing is excellent. During the track they really get the chance to shine, producing one of the fullest arrangements on the album. Later in the track, Bob plays his trusty harmonica, reminding us of his roots. Overall, it’s another great performance from Bob and his band. However, the lyrics caused controversy. In them, he poses a number of questions about love. On the album’s release, this song drew accusations of sexism from one reviewer. He thought the lyrics which include “can you cook and sew, make flowers grow,” were sexist in their nature, and thus offensive. Certainly, I’m uncomfortable with them, and don’t particularly like the almost servile nature of them. For me, this takes some of the shine of an otherwise good track
It’s a very different sound at the start of Senor (Tales of Yankee Power). As the song opens, there’s a slight hesitancy about the sound. Quickly, this is rectified and what is dramatic sounding song opens up. Again, Bob’s voice is different, it’s much more powerful, and clearer. Sometimes, his voice soars, accompanied by saxophones, piano and backing vocalists. Like on other tracks, Ian Wallace’s drums help lay the foundations of the track. Wallace’s drumming is dramatic. Similarly, a guitar gets in on the drama. A careful and thoughtful solo is played several times. It too, is spectacular, like the saxophone solos. By now, you realize just how good a band Bob put together. In putting this band together, he was able to find musicians who could transform his sound, and reenergise his music. Here, they did a great job, as did producer Don DeVito. Together, they helped Bob to produce another great track, but here, Bob’s performance is really good, delivering the lyrics perfectly.
True Love Tends To Forget is another track that starts slowly, with just guitars and drums playing before Bob sings. Quickly, he’s joined by saxophone, keyboards and backing vocalists. Together, they combine to produce a slow powerful track, where he sings about regret, forgiveness and love. Although slow, his voice is a mixture of strength and clarity, and here, the band don’t overpower him. Instead, they compliment his voice, a combination of chiming guitars, atmospheric keyboards, steady and reliable drums and those masterful backing vocalists. The sound Bob and the band produce has a joyousness, and they really sound as if they’re enjoying themselves. I certainly enjoyed their performance and True Love Tends To Forget is one of the album’s highlights.
At the start of We Had Better Talk This Over there is a slight country feel to the track. This is down to the guitars, violin and mandolin accompanying the drums at the start of the track. After that, this influence continues throughout the track. Even the backing vocalists and piano adds to this influence. This isn’t a criticism, just an observation. This is good, but quite different sounding track. The guitar and piano playing especially, is really good. However, it’s Bob’s vocal augmented by the backing vocalists who steal the show. Together, the combine masterfully, bringing the lyrics about a failed relationship to life.
Street Legal ends with Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat). Percussion opens the track, then saxophone, drums and keyboards combine before Bob sings. When he sings, the backing vocalists immediately accompany him. As always, their performance is stunning, making a good track even better. Their voices soar, as Bob sings the lead. Behind him a great arrangement is unfolding, with keyboards having the biggest influence, producing a lovely retro sound. Drums steadily play, later a saxophone joins the frae. Bob meanwhile is giving a great performance, his voice loud and confident as he sings the lyrics. By now the band have really hit their stride, and this tight band seem to have reserved a standout performance for this track. The same can be said of Bob, he seems in his glory. Towards the end a guitar solo plays, it’s loud and soars high above the rest of the arrangement. That and the backing singers, bring the track to a close. At the end, you feel ecstatic having heard such a great track to close the album. It was a track of epic proportions, a brilliant, full arrangement where everyone played a part in its success.
I’ve always loved Street Legal, it’s one of my favourite Bob Dylan albums. Since the album was released, I’ve loved it, and it’s one of Bob’s albums that I’ll return to often. His idea to use this band and the backing singers was a masterstroke. It totally transformed and reenergised his music. Many people saw Bob Dylan in a new light after Street Legal. They may not have been drawn to his earlier work, but loved this album. For nine songs, you’re enthralled by Bob and this great band. However, what really made this album, was Bob’s decision to use the backing vocalists. They were the perfect accompaniment for his voice and the songs. When they sang, they helped bring the song to life. During the album, they filled gaps left by Bob, and accompanied him just at the right time. Without them, it wouldn’t be as good an album. Considering that Street Legal was recorded in just four days, it’s remarkable that the album sounds so good. Much of the credit must go to producer Don DeVito for bringing the album together, and producing such a great sounding album. There are flaws on the recording which are audible, but that doesn’t matter, because this is a great album. That critics in America disliked the album so much seems strange, because what’s not to like, great songs, a great band and backing singers and of course, Bob Dylan. Thankfully, critics in the UK realized how good an album this is. They were right, and if you’ve never heard the album, go out and buy it. Even if you’re not usually a Bob Dylan fan, Street Legal will change your mind. Standout Tracks: Changing of the Guards, New Pony, Baby, Stop Crying and Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat).
BOB DYLAN-STREET LEGAL.
MINNIE RIPERTON-ADVENTURES IN PARADISE.
MINNIE RIPERTON-ADVENTURES IN PARADISE.
As anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis will have gathered, I love soul music. I always have, and always will. Previously I’ve written about a number of soul singers, mostly ones from the 1960s and 1970s, and today, I’m going to write about one of my all time favorite female soul singers. She only released five albums during her lifetime, which tragically, was cut short aged thirty-one, when she died of cancer. Minnie Riperton however, had one of the greatest voices in soul music, possessing a vocal range that spanned five and a half octaves. When I last wrote about Minnie’s career, it was her brilliant second album Perfect Angel I reviewed. Today, I’ll write about the follow-up to Perfect Angel, Adventures In Paradise, released in May 1975. Adventures In Paradise contained one of Minnie’s greatest songs, the seminal track Inside Your Love. Before I tell you what makes this such a great album, I’ll give you some background on how the album came about.
Minnie’s second album Perfect Angel had been a huge success, gaining Minnie a gold disc in the process. Part of the success of the album was the inclusion of the beautiful song Lovin’ You. It was only released as a single when Minnie and her husband Richard Rudolph encouraged Epic to do so. They’d heard that it was being played on some MOR radio stations. Epic agreed to release the single, over a three month period, it gradually climbed to number one on the pop charts. The success of Lovin’ You really helped sales of Perfect Angel. So once Perfect Angel had ended its chart run, Epic wanted a new album. This new album would become Adventures In Paradise.
When it came to record Adventures In Paradise, the coproducer of Perfect Angel Stevie Wonder, was unavailable. He was recording Songs In the Key of Life. Instead, Stewart Levine was hired to coproduce the album. Of the ten songs on the album, Minnie and husband Richard Rudolph cowrote five themselves, and collaborated with other artists on the other five. Among the other artists collaborating with them were some highly respected musicians and songwriters. This included Leon Ware and Joe Sample of The Jazz Crusaders. Leon Ware was going through a busy and highly successful period in his career. He’d worked with Marvin Gaye on his hugely successful 1976 album I Want You. The following year Leon Ware would release one of his best know albums Musical Massage. Larry Carlton was brought in to arrange Adventures In Paradise, and in doing so, produced a gorgeous laid back soul-jazz album.
Of the ten songs on the album, probably the best know track is Inside My Love. It’s one of the most beautiful and sensual songs ever recorded. However, to ensure the lyrics weren’t misconstrued, Minnie took care to explain the song’s true meaning. Minnie made it clear that the song wasn’t about a woman asking a man to have sex with her. She made it clear that the song had a much deeper meaning. What the song is about is succeeding in achieving true and proper intimacy with a lover. This is obvious if you listen carefully to the lyrics. Sadly, when the song was released, it only reached number thirty-seven on the pop charts, because many radio stations refused to play the single because of certain lyrics. Leon Ware came to the song’s defense, claiming the lyrics were inspired by a preacher he’d heard as a child who said “let us come into the house of the Lord.” Regardless of Leon’s words, radio stations still wouldn’t play the song. Since then, Inside My Love is played on radio stations worldwide. Thankfully, times are less conservative and such examples of censorship are less prevalent.
Adventures In Paradise album’s cover features Minnie sitting next to a lion. Minnie is sitting looking beautiful and calm next to the lion. However, the photo shoot wasn’t without its own problems. One minute Minnie is sitting next to lion and all is well, the next the lion lunges towards Minnie. Thankfully, the lion’s keeper and tamer was quickly able to sedate the animal, and Minnie was unharmed.
When Adventures In Paradise was released in May 1975 the album reached number eighteen in US Billboard Pop Charts. The album was well received and reasonably successful. It’s thought to be around this time that Minnie discovered that she had breast cancer For the rest of her career, she bravely fought this terrible illness, doing so with grace and determination. Tragically, she died in 1979, aged just thirty-one. That day, soul music lost one of its greatest voices.
Adventures In Paradise opens with Baby, This Love I Have a slow track that begins with bass, drums and keyboards before Minnie sings. When she sings, her voice is quiet with a tenderness present. Sometimes she’s almost whispering some of the lyrics. Later her voice gets louder and stronger. Behind her, an arrangement complete with brass section, strings, guitar and rhythm section plays. The arrangement is perfect for the song. Although it’s quite a full arrangement, it never once overpowers Minnie’s voice. Backing singers accompany Minnie later in the song, as she demonstrates her powerful five and a half octave range. During the track Minnie sings this love song beautifully, with emotion and love. It’s a lovely track to open the album.
When you hear the opening bars of Feelin’ That the Feeling’s Good you straight away, realize that this is going to be a really good track. This is apparent from the subtle guitar solo at the start, which is then accompanied by bass and drums. Minnie sings some lovely thoughtful lyrics softly, accompanied by strings, drums playing quietly and keyboards. Her voice is tender and beautiful, and the arrangement stunning. One minute it’s understated, with strings lushly playing, the next it wanders into almost jazz funk territory, complete with funky bass, keyboards, sweeping strings and saxophone. Similarly, Minnie’s vocal changes, it quickens slightly, soars and she sings the song sweetly, with passion and feeling. Quite simply, this is great track, soulfully and beautifully sung by Minnie, with a great arrangement from Larry Carlton, a mixture of soul, jazz and funk.
A really funky bass line drums, and guitars opens When It Comes Down To It. Soon, it’s joined by Minnie. Here, her voice is quite different, she seems to be getting in on the funky vibe that’s emerging. She gives quite a dramatic performance, full of feeling, her phrasing and diction perfect. Her voice is drenched by the brass section, keyboards and guitars. Overall, it’s a brilliant arrangement courtesy of a tight band. However, Minnie is the star of the track. Although her voice is quite different from the previous two tracks, it demonstrates her versatility, and ability to sing different types of songs.
One of the most beautiful songs on Adventures In Paradise is Minnie’s Lament, a track that has a lovely, slow and meandering start. It’s just a guitar, keyboards, drums and percussion accompanying Minnie, each played gently as her voice gently soars, as she ad-libs. When she starts singing the lyrics, her voice is quiet, gentle and thoughtful, before it soars high, demonstrating the ethereal, crystalline quality of her voice. I’ve rarely heard such a slow, careful and thoughtful arrangement. It would appear that the band realize that they’re witnessing one of the most stunning vocal performances they’ll ever hear, and are taking the utmost care with their playing, not wanting to spoil what is a brilliant performance from Minnie. Minnie’s Lament is one of the most heart-achingly beautiful songs you’ll ever be fortunate enough to hear, and Minnie’s delivery of some wonderful lyrics is masterful.
How do you follow such a beautiful previous track as Minnie’s Lament? The answer is quite simple, with another one Love and Its Glory. Jazz legend Dorothy Ashby plays the harp as the track opens, accompanied by the rhythm section. An already lush and beautiful sound gets even better when Minnie sings, her voice soaring high. She uses her voice brilliantly to tell the story of a two young teenagers who long to be together despite their parents protests. In the song, the girl Maya, named after Minnie’s daughter, is forced to marry against her will. Thankfully, there’s a twist in the story when her true love rescues her at the altar. During the song, Minnie uses her voice to highlight the plight of the young couple, and in doing so, brings the story to life. Behind her the arrangement is perfect for the song. The band play their part in bringing the song to life, especially, the rhythm section, piano, horns and woodwind. Together, the band and Minnie produce a beautiful, romantic song that’s a combination sadness and happiness.
Joe Sample from The Jazz Crusaders cowrote the title track Adventures In Paradise with Minnie and her husband Richard Rudolph. Maybe Sample’s influence helped turn the song into a masterful combination of soul, jazz and funk. From the start, there is a huge funk influence apparent. This is created by bass and drums, and when keyboards play this accentuates the funk influence. Minnie’s vocal on the track is spectacular, and if you ever want to hear a singer use their full vocal range properly, this is a track you must hear. Whilst around her a jazz and funk workout is taking place, Minnie’s voice soars through her vocal range. It’s a demonstration of strength, power and control. One minute it’s high pitched and soaring high, the next it’s deep and powerful. Very few female vocalists can match Minnie’s performance. By the end of the track, you can’t help marvel at Minnie’s brilliant voice, and admire her versatility and ability to sing a wide variety of styles of music. Her performance here is peerless and stunning.
The track from Adventures In Paradise that’s best known is Inside My Love, a track that proved controversial on its release in the US. Since then, the track has become a classic, and one of the best known, best loved of Minnie’s songs. For nearly five minutes, you’ll hear one of the most sensuous, beautiful songs about succeeding in achieving true intimacy, a truly beautiful experience. Keyboards, drums, percussion accompany Minnie as she sings the introduction. She’s then joined by guitar and bass as she gives one of the most heartfelt, beautiful vocals ever recorded. It’s here when she sings those beautiful sensuous lyrics, that the versatility and strength of her voice comes into its own. Many people have covered the song, but there’s only one version for me, Minnie’s. Most of the success of the track is down to Minnie, but Larry Graham’s arrangement is perfect. At the start, it’s subtle, it grows, building up slowly, until an amazing arrangement emerges. Strings sweep and the brass section join the rest of the band, guitars chime, keyboards play slowly and dramatically. Quite simply, the arrangement is lush, beautiful and full of subtleties and nuances, that reveal themselves. Only one word can describe Minnie’s vocal and the arrangement. Sublime.
When Alone In Brewster Bay begins, it’s like the sound of coast, bringing to mind a beautiful bay somewhere quiet and picturesque. An acoustic guitar opens the track, accompanying Minnie. Her voice is strong and powerful, and she takes care with her phrasing and diction as her voice soars. During the track her delivery is breathtakingly beautiful, backed by a lovely arrangement. Although fuller in parts, there’s an understated beauty to parts of the arrangement. It’s a combination of strings, piano, drums and acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar especially at the introduction, and towards the end is highly effective and suits the track. It fills in before Minnie sings and when her vocal ends. Overall, it’s a great song, with some lovely, thoughtful lyrics, stunningly sung by Minnie.
Like Alone In Brewster Bay, it’s an acoustic guitar that opens Simple Things. This time it’s played much quicker, accompanied by keyboards and saxophone. When Minnie sings, her vocal is much quicker, than on the previous track. Again her delivery is exceptional, that mixture of power and soaring vocal. Behind her, it’s a much fuller, jazz influenced arrangement that’s emerging. Guitars, strings, keyboards and rhythm section all combine producing an arrangement that sweeps and swings along. The lyrics have a lovely happy sentiment, and Minnie sings them brilliantly. This song is melodic with hooks aplenty, and there’s something really catchy about the track. What makes this song so good, is Minnie’s vocal and another really good arrangement from Larry Graham.
Adventures In Paradise ends with Don’t Let Anyone Bring You Down. It has a dramatic start with a piano playing. When Minnie sings, her voice although strong has a sweetness, as she sings about not letting anyone bring her down. The lyrics are joyous sounding, and Minnie sounds really happy. Meanwhile the piano plays one of the main parts in the song, along with a chiming guitar, strings and rhythm section playing really slow, adding to the drama. At the end of the song Minnie sings “I hope I’ve made you feel good?” The answer to that is simple, yes. This, the final song on the album sung beautifully by Minnie, has a joyous, uplifting quality, and demonstrated just how great a vocalist she was. A great way to end the album.
Minnie Riperton has long been one of my favorite singers, not just soul singers but singers per se. She was blessed with one of the most beautiful voices in musical history, and on Adventures In Paradise uses that voice brilliantly. On each song, she makes good use of her five and a half vocal range, as she sings a mixture of songs. Here, she demonstrated her versatility as a singer tackling songs which were a mixture of soul, jazz and even tinges of funk. During each track, she sung both beautifully and brilliantly. Like many people, I cherish Minnie Riperton’s music, and love each of her albums. To me, Adventures In Paradise is a great album, and that it wasn’t more successful saddens me. Maybe if Inside Your Love had received more radio airplay, then it would have been a similar success to Lovin’ You which helped sell more copies of Perfect Angel. However, things were much more conservative back then, and radio stations more likely to indulge in censorship, if they deemed lyrics not to be suitable for the public to hear. Now that seems incredible, because you can turn the radio on in the morning or afternoon, and Inside Your Love is playing. However, there is more to Adventures In Paradise than Inside Your Love. There are nine other songs on the album, and each one is of the highest quality. If you’ve never heard this album, the good news is that it can be found along with Perfect Angel on one CD released by Stateside, so you can hear two great albums for the price of one. So the next time you’re in your record store, why not treat yourself to some great music by one of soul music’s greatest voices. Standout Tracks: Feelin’ That the Feeling’s Good, Minnie’s Lament, Inside Your Love and Don’t Let Anyone Bring You Down.
MINNIE RIPERTON-ADVENTURES IN PARADISE.
PORTISHEAD-PORTISHEAD.
PORTISHEAD-PORTISHEAD.
Recently, I’ve been writing about several different styles of music, rock, soul, reggae, dub and indie rock. Today, I’ve decided to return to a style of music I’ve about before, trip hop. Previously, I’ve written about Leftfield, Massive Attack and the group this article is about, Portishead. In my last article about Portishead, I wrote about their debut album Dummy. Today, I’ve decided to write about the follow-up to Third, entitled Portishead. Released three years after Third, Portishead was released in September 1997. Recording took place during 1996 and 1997, with the album being produced by Portishead themselves. On its release, the album was critically acclaimed, and a huge commercial success. It reached number two in the UK album charts, and number twenty-one in the US Billboard 200. Unlike their debut album, the sound on this album has quite a different sound. The sound is harsher, not quite as polished as on their debut album. However, it’s still a good album, and now, I’ll tell you about the album.
Portishead opens with Cowboys, an eerie, edgy sound, like music that builds up the atmosphere in a thriller or horror film. After that, the atmosphere momentarily brightens, relieving the tension somewhat. Again, like on Third, this the music here reminds of something from a 1960s’ French film. When the Beth Gibbons’ vocal enters, the sound is much harsher, almost brittle sounding. The sound has quickly built up, keyboards, guitar and drums. There’s almost a discordant sound and feel to the track. Behind her vocal, the drums play really slowly, keyboards produce an eerie soundscape and a crackling sound is heard throughout the track. Scratches add to the edginess, discordant guitars shriek, complete with feedback. Everything about the track combines masterfully to produce one of the edgiest, otherworldly and spine tingling pieces of music you’ll hear in a long time. Excellent.
After the previous almost sinister atmosphere of Cowboys, All Mine is a different sounding track. It has a a brighter sound, tinged with drama. Horns open the track, cutting in and out, accompanied by a drum beating slowly. Beth’s vocal is slow and thoughtful, whilst behind her, the combination of horns and drum and percussion provide the mainstay of the track. A bass plays slowly, plodding along, providing a dark, near sinister sound. When guitars join in, this further increases the drama. They soar, chiming and screaming, filling out the sound. By this point, there’s a return to the edginess of the opening track, with the sound become almost menacing and threatening in nature. Here, it’s as if Portishead are providing a soundtrack to a short film, given the dramatic, sinister overtones of this brilliant piece of music.
It’s a quiet melodic keyboard that opens Undenied. However, just as you begin to enjoy the sound, the darkness reappears. A sample joins the mix, its sound ominous, sinister even. Even when Beth sings, this sample remains. Her voice by contrast, has a sweetness, as she delivers the lyrics surrounded by plodding drum beats, crackles and that sample. In some ways it detracts from her vocal. Thankfully, it eventually disappears. Annoyingly, it returns. I’m not suggesting it spoils the track. Quite the opposite. What I think it does is detract from Beth’s vocal. You end up focusing your attention on the sample, not Beth’s lovely vocal. Overall, though, Undenied is a good track, it’s just the use of that sample is overdone, and after a while, its constant repetition becomes tedious, and loses its effectiveness.
Half Day Closing begins with a dark, broody bass playing slowly, strings providing an ominous sounding backdrop. When Beth sings, her voice is hidden by effects. This adds to the already ominous soundscape that’s building. A Moog helps increase the forbidding sound. A sound like wind blowing on an open windswept landscape, completes the sound. Like previous tracks, the sound has a disquieting, sinister feel. It’s as if Portishead are creating a film score for some low budget horror movie, and they’re doing a brilliant job in doing so. Personally, I’d love to see the movie.
An acoustic guitar plays at the start of Over, it’s slow and repetitive, space left with Geoff Barrow’s playing. Then when Beth sings, she does so against a backdrop of the guitar playing. Eventually, a mixture of spacey sounding drums, accompanied by a bass, crackles and scratches. Occasionally, when Beth’s voice drops out of the arrangement a voice appears, just shouting one word. When she rejoins the arrangement, the arrangement has headed into eerie overdrive, complete with electric guitar solo. Over is an intriguing track, one that sends shivers down your spine, yet sounds fantastic.
As Humming begins, sounds reverberate, they emerge from your speakers sounding otherworldly, reminding me of many an old sci-fi film. After a couple of minutes of otherworldly sounds assaulting your senses, the arrangement opens up. Again, it’s just drum, bass and Beth’s vocal, complete with what seems trademark crackles. This brings to mind the lovely sound of old vinyl. From there on, the track moodily meanders, sounds emerging from the mix that have a threatening, dark, sound. Much of this is courtesy of the Moog, which plays a large part on this album. Humming is an epic track, for six minutes, your senses are assailed. Your mind plays tricks on you, your subconscious goes into overdrive. You wonder what’s that noise is? Such is the power of this magnificent track.
The start of Mourning Air is a dichotomy. On one hand Beth Gibbons’ vocal is thoughtful and dramatic, her voice clear, her phrasing perfect. However, the rest of the arrangement has a slightly discordant sound. That isn’t a bad thing. It’s just very different from the vocal. Sometimes, though, it seems to jar. Later, the bass enters, and the arrangement opens out, the arrangement seems to soften somewhat. Surrounding Beth’s vocal, are a multitude of sounds, creating an atmospheric soundscape. The addition of a trombone, which plays in the background really works, although sometimes, the sound is distant. Likewise, the guitar is another good addition, brightening the sound. Mostly, in keeping with the previous track, there is a darkness present, which here, adds an air of mystery to the proceedings.
Seven Months opens with a dramatic, sweeping, almost symphonic sound. From the opening bars, to when Beth sings and the strings enter, the drama is building up. Beth’s slow, powerful vocal soars high in the arrangement, as around her, samples aplenty emerge, drums play, a crackly sound can be heard. This sweeping, dramatic soundscape has an understated beauty, which is added to when a guitar plays. It has a retro sound, like something from a sixties film noire soundtrack. One thing I love about this track, is the addition of strings. Not only do they sound great, but they help increase the drama and tension present in the track. To me, this is the best track on the album, I love the moodiness and the dark undertones.
A bass sets the moody scene at the start of Only You, a slow pensive track. It’s accompanied by samples and scratches. When Beth sings, she too, gets in on the act, delivering the lyrics thoughtfully, her voice crystalline. As she sings, it’s mainly just bass, sound effects and occasionally scratches that you hear. Samples are repeated, scratches accompanying them. Then, suddenly, things change. Out of nowhere, the arrangement grows, a hugely dramatic sound interrupts Beth’s vocal. You think the arrangement will change totally. Thankfully, it doesn’t, this is just a minor hiatus. After a few seconds, normal service is resumed, and the arrangement returns to its previous understated beauty. Until the end of the track, it’s just a subtle arrangement that meanders beautifully, a dramatic soundscape made all the better by the addition of scratches, samples and sound effects. For me, when I listen to albums like this, I’m constantly trying to spot the samples used in the track. Here I spotted two. One is taken from the soundtrack to the Peter Sellers’ film Inspector Clouseau by Ken Thorne. The other is from US hip-hop group Pharcyde’s track She Said.
Elysium is the penultimate track on the album. It begins with a guitar reverberating accompanied by a discordant sound, not unlike an old radio tuning. After that, drums slow and plodding play, accompanied by samples and a piano playing. This track is quite similar in some ways to Half Day Closing. Beth Gibbon’s vocal is full of character, she’s singing the lyrics as if she believes them. Behind her, a guitar plays. Then suddenly, as if exhausted from expending all that energy during the track, it changes totally. A beautiful piano solo emerges, accompanied by a guitar subtly played. Just as you begin to enjoy it, bang, it’s gone, and the sound changes totally, back to how it was before, mixture of Beth’s soaring vocal, scratches and sound effects, complete with a moody, dark piano playing in the background. By the end of the track, I’ve enjoyed what’s a clever mixture styles created by instruments, samples, scratches and a great vocal.
Portishead closes with Western Eyes. Like other tracks on the album, it has an atmospheric introduction, string play, producing an eerie sound. A piano plays, its sound thoughtful, as it accompanies Beth’s ethereal sounding vocal. Drums played subtly join the track, they’re very much in the background, in keeping with the thoughtful, understated arrangement. Later, a sample from Hookers and Gin played by the Sean Atkins Experience is used. It’s accompanied by the occasional scratch, as it completes what is a beautiful, subtle song, the perfect way to end this album.
Portishead was a very different album to Portishead’s debut album Dummy. Here the sound isn’t quite as polished, it is grittier and has a harsher sound. The whole album sounds like a film soundtrack to a very sinister thriller. It’s one of these albums that’s perfect to chill out to. Sit back, and let the weird and wonderful sounds and effects that can be head on the album wash over you. In doing so, Portishead will take you on a surreal journey, one that takes you on a guided tour of their world. My question is, can you dare to set out on such an adventure? Are you brave enough? I hope you are, because although very different to their debut, it’s still a great album to listen to. Standout Tracks: Seven Months, Over You, Elysium and Western Eyes.
PORTISHEAD-PORTISHEAD.
ROXY MUSIC-FLESH AND BLOOD.
ROXY MUSIC-FLESH AND BLOOD.
I was recently reading a magazine article about Roxy Music, where they were listing some of their best albums. Having read the article, I realized that one of my favorite albums Flesh and Blood, wasn’t on the article. The albums on the list were a strange mixture, even including a greatest hits album, and some of the bands solo albums. Strangely, it omitted one of Roxy Music’s most successful later albums Flesh and Blood. In this article, I’m going to redress the balance, and tell you about this album, and just what made it such a good album.
Flesh and Blood was Roxy Music’s seventh studio album, released in June 1980. By now, Roxy Music were just a three piece band, consisting of Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera and Andy McKay. Phil Thompson had by now, left the band, and original members Brian Eno and Graham Simpson had long left the band. Over the years, many members had joined, and left the band. To make Flesh and Blood, a number of session musicians were enlisted to help record it. This would include Paul Carrack, who played piano and organ.
On the album’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 this album, Roxy Music would only release one further album, Avalon in May 1982. However, like Avalon, Flesh and Blood was a really good album, and I’ll now tell you just what made it such a good album.
The first track on 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, drums, bass and guitars combine, and Bryan Ferry sings. His voice is perfect for the songs, strong and clear, his phrasing careful, as the song moves quickly along. 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 has been present throughout the track, accompanying the main part of the arrangement. Regardless of this, it’s a good cover version, complete with saxophones, synths and a really prominent bass line. However, the best thing about the track is Bryan’s soulful vocal.
One of my favorite songs from the album was Oh Yeah, 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. A 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. Overall, what makes this track is a combination of the vocal, arrangement and lyrics. Here, the lyrics have a pathos, in them and a strong narrative, painting a picture for the listener. Thirty-one years later, Same Old Scene sounds just as good as it did in 1980.
The title track, 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, in is a rockier sound, with just a little funk courtesy of the bass. By the end of the track, it has grown on me, and I’ve become accustomed to the different sound. Although I’ve always enjoyed and appreciated this track, I prefer the smoother sounding tracks that preceded it.
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 the track. The fact that this is a really slow arrangement adds to the effectiveness of the track. That, and the combination of a really tight band, augmented by some crack session musicians, contribute towards a fantastic, dramatic track.
Although it has a much quicker tempo than the previous track, Over You has much in common with it. It has a smoother style, than either Midnight Hour and Flesh and Blood. The rhythm section and keyboards open the track, punctuated by handclaps. Bryan’s vocal is quicker, higher, slight strained, but still just as good. 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, adding the finishing touches to an already great sounding track.
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, and is one of the track’s highlights. However, the success of the track is down to more than one person, everyone contributes to what is a slow and atmospheric song, sung brilliantly by Bryan Ferry.
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. I enjoyed the song until the last the last minute, where the sound became too full, and neared chaos. That slightly spoiled the song for me. Until then, it was a good track, but after that, it was never quite as good.
Flesh and Blood closes with Running Wild a much slower song, that begins with a piano playing and Bryan singing. Straight away, it’s obvious that this is a song perfectly suited to his voice. His vocal is slow and thoughtful, the arrangement much more subtle than on other tracks. Running Wild a just meanders along beautifully. Drums set the tempo, and everyone follows their lead. What really makes the track is the addition of piano, Andy MacKay’s saxophone playing and Paul Carrack’s organ playing. They all play their part in creating a lovely, lush arrangement, over which Bryan sings. Then, when the guitar solos at the end the track, this is the perfect way to close both the track and the album. It seems Roxy Music kept one of the best songs until the end of the album.
I grew up listening to Roxy Music and have always been a huge fan of their music. From their early days, right up to their final album Avalon, I’ve loved their music. Flesh and Blood, and indeed, Avalon are two of their more accessible albums, and perfect for someone wanting an introduction to their albums. Many of the songs are familiar, because four singles were released from the albums. Most of the songs on the album were written by either Bryan Ferry, or Bryan Ferry and Phil Manzanera, except the two cover versions. Nearly ever song on the album is of the highest standard, my only gripe being the end of the penultimate track No Strange Delight. Apart from that, this album features some great music, played by a really tight band, augmented by some hugely talented session musicians. Bryan Ferry’s vocals on the album are outstanding, and he delivers each song brilliantly. Likewise, the lyrics are literate and intelligent, many painting a picture, telling a story and benefiting from a strong narrative. If you’ve never heard this album, it’s well worth buying, as you’ll hear some great music from Roxy Music. Standout Tracks: Oh Yeah, Same Old Scene, My Only Love and Over You.
ROXY MUSIC-FLESH AND BLOOD.
JOE GIBBS AND THE PROFESSIONALS-AFRICAN DUB 5.
JOE GIBBS AND THE PROFESSIONALS-AFRICAN DUB 5.
The other night I was listening to a number of old dub reggae albums, when I came across the album I’m going to write about today. Sometimes I don’t get much chance to listen to albums that I bought years ago, because I’m constantly listening to new stuff. Each week, I buy numerous albums, and sometimes, by the time I’ve listened to them, and written this blog, there isn’t much time for listening to other music. However, a couple of nights ago, I managed to make some time to listen to older stuff, and one of the albums I listened to was Joe Gibbs and The Professionals 1984 album African Dub 5. For many a year, I’ve been a huge fan of Joe Gibbs’ music, and previously, I’ve written an article on his album Majestic Dub, another of his great albums. However, the sound on this album is slightly different. It sees Joe Gibbs embrace the then, new technology available. This has the effect of changing the sound somewhat, giving it a different sound to previous albums. Now, I’ll tell you just why African Dub 5 is such a great album, and how the new technology used changed his sound.
African Dub 5 was released five years after the fourth volume in the series. It had been a hugely popular and influential series of albums. So, in 1984, Joe Gibbs decided to revisit this series. He picked eight great tracks for the album, the first of which is The Day After. It’s a squelchy sounding synth that opens the track. It sounds like something that belongs on an acid house track, that’s produced by a Roland synth. A brass section play, and drums and bass combine. Delay is used slightly, as the track meanders slowly along. Each of the instruments combining melodically. The brass section especially, playing slowly and beautifully. Drums are spacious, the bass plods along. Occasionally, the synth cascades, slightly at odds with the dub sound. By now, effects are used subtly, delay and echo giving the track a spacey sound. Later, the synth is let loose, creating various strange, otherworldly sounds, with the help of Joe Gibbs’ effects. Overall, the addition of the synth gives dub another dimension, although too much use of the synth could start to grate or become tedious.
After what was a new twist on dub, by adding the synth, we’re back to a more traditional sound with Long Distance Affair. Here Joe lets loose with effects. Straight away, the track bursts into life, drums and bass combining. The track chugs along, then a heavy bass line is played and the brass section join the frae. In the distance, a vocal can just be heard. This track is a much more traditional dub track than the previous track. After a couple of minutes the effects start to make their presence felt, brilliantly distorting the sound, echo especially. During the track, it’s just drums, bass and brass section that play. However, with the addition of effects, and clever production, they produce a brilliant slice of old school dub reggae.
It’s an atmospheric near howling sound, that opens Full Moon In the Sky. Thereafter, the brass section take the lead, accompanied by the rhythm section. Straight away, effects are unleashed, and the sound is drenched in echo. This makes the sound reverberate beautifully. It seems gradually, on each track, Joe’s using the effects much more. Like the previous track, the bass is heavy, spacious and plodding. Likewise, the drums are slow and spacious, plenty space being left between each beat. For the first time on the album, a keyboard plays. It tinkles melodically, in contrast to the sharpness of the brass section. On this track, the tempo is much slower, the track meandering along slowly. The rhythm section drive the track along, with other sounds emitted courtesy of the brass section, keyboards and synth which is used more sparingly here. Towards the end, effects are really unleashed, transforming the sound totally. At one point I winced at the result, so powerful it was. Full Moon In the Sky like the previous track, is much more what a dub track should sound like, and here, it’s the rhythm section and Joe Gibbs who are responsible for producing a powerful, laid back and melodic slice of dub reggae.
When Ladies Night Out begins, drums laden with echo reverberate. They’re joined by keyboards guitar and bass. Sound effects interject repeatedly, the bass is way down in the mix throbbing, plodding away. Then, the brass section enter, delay transforms their sound too. This is a much slower track, one with a lovely spacey feel and sound. There’s no rush here, the pace is sedentary, really laid back. Vocals emerge, joining the mix, making a fleeting appearance. A synth enters, sweeping in momentarily. Percussion cracks like a pistol. Much is going on, but much of it is subjected to delay and echo, transforming and improving the sound because of Joe’s subtle use of the effects.
Slow echoey drums, the brass section, bass and keyboards combine masterfully at the start of Chapter 5, which is the slowest track on the album. To describe this track as meandering, would be an exaggeration, it isn’t even that quick. Laid back in the extreme is more like it, and that’s part of its charm. For four minutes it just plods along without a care in the world. The rhythm section set the tempo, and occasionally, the brass section and keyboards play, with a synth augmenting the sound. Joe meanwhile, is sparing in his use of effects, making sure not to distort what is a great sounding, summery and joyous track.
Bad Verdict opens with a bright modern sound. Chiming guitars, a drum roll and handclaps After that, a throbbing bass slow spacey drums and swooping synth combine. There is a real moderne sound produced by the synth. It creates a multitude of sounds, some of which sound otherworldly, others bleep and squelch bringing to mind acid house and the second summer of love. Unlike many dub tracks, this has a much brighter sound. This is thanks to guitar, synth and even the drums. By contrast, the bass and percussion provides a much darker sound. Effects are used sparingly, except towards the end, when Joe almost over does it, causing me to wince again. At the end of the track, I’ve wallowed contentedly in a track that sounds like a dub track thats been influenced by Chicago house. Obviously in 1984, Chicago house was still in its infancy, but this is what the two combined would sound like.
Where Bad Verdict left off, Military Intervention takes over. Here we see another track where Joe Gibbs decides to unleash a synth on a dub track. Again, a drum rolls opens the track. Thereafter it’s a melodic sounding track with a bass, synth, drums and keyboard combining. Here the synth squelches throughout the track, as the keyboard melodically plays, drums snap and crack and the bass booms deep in the mix. Mostly, effects aren’t unleashed, and I’d love to hear plenty delay, echo and reverb used to transform the sound. Especially to see what it would do to the synth sound. Occasionally, some delay is added, but is used sparingly. At the start of the track the synth sounds at odds with the rest of the arrangement, but after a while this sound grows on you. Although Military Intervention may be very different to most dub tracks, but I really like the sound. Joe Gibbs’ use of new technology available in 1984 allowed him to be innovative, and move dub in a new direction.
African Dub 5 closes with Campus Flash Back. It’s a much more traditional sound that opens the track, guitar, flute, drums and a loud throbbing bass. Then, everything changes, when a keyboard plays. That traditional sound is gone, as the keyboard has an electronic sound, that’s slightly tinny sounding. This is further highlighted when an organ plays, its sound totally different, much better. This however, doesn’t spoil the track, as by now, a great sounding arrangement has emerged. The rhythm section drive the track along, the bass especially, playing a huge part. Accompanying them are an organ, flute, percussion and yes that keyboard. Each drop in and out of the track, rhythms and melodies aplenty. At the end of this hugely melodic track, so impressed was I by it, that I was even willing to forgive the use of that keyboard.
One of the reasons I chose to write about African Dub 5 was because of the use of synths and new technology on it. By 1984, synths were much more common in music. Used properly, they could sound great, used badly, well it becomes a car crash of a sound. The only problem with many of the albums made at this time, is that some of them sound really dated. They haven’t stood the test of time well, and when you hear them, you can instantly date them. However, African Dub 5 has stood the test of time reasonably well. Thankfully, the synths weren’t overused, and on many tracks, the traditional dub reggae sound shines through. On a couple of tracks, including Bad Verdict, some of the sounds made by the synth are similar to those used in early Chicago house tracks. Overall though, Joe Gibbs has produced a really good album, that sees him use the then new technology to add a new twist to the dub reggae sound. This he’s done really well. Much of that is down to his use of some hugely talented musicians, and the assistance of Errol Thompson in arranging and producing the album.
If you wish to buy the album, it can be bought individually, or as part of a recently released four disc box set entitled Evolution of Dub Volume 4 Natural Selection. It features three Joe Gibbs and The Professional albums and one by Sly and Robbie. Standout Tracks: Long Distance Affair, Full Moon In the Sky, Chapter 5 and Bad Verdict.
JOE GIBBS AND THE PROFESSIONALS-AFRICAN DUB 5.
COCTEAU TWINS-FOUR-CALENDAR CAFE.
COCTEAU TWINS-FOUR-CALENDAR CAFE.
Since I started writing this blog, I’ve written about many Scottish bands. These have included Blue Nile, Primal Scream, The Bathers, Fortuny, Lloyd Cole and The Commotions, Love and Money and the band I’m going to write about today, the Cocteau Twins. I’ve previously written two articles about the Cocteau Twins, on their albums Heaven Or Las Vegas and Milk and Kisses. The album I’m going to write about today Four-Calendar Cafe, is quite different from these two other albums. There is less of an ambient feel about the album, it’s more pop oriented and Liz Fraser’s lyrics are much clearer than on previous albums. The album’s title is taken from a passage in William Least-Heat Moon’s book, Blue Highways: A Journey Into America. Released in November 1993, this was the penultimate album the Cocteau Twins would release before splitting up in 1998.
Four-Calendar Cafe begins with Know Who-You Are At Every Age. Drums and guitar open the track, the sound emerging from your speakers in waves. Mostly, the sound is quite soft and melodic, apart from the drums which have a slightly sharper sound. When Liz Fraser’s vocal enters, it is much clearer, but still has that lovely ethereal sound. Her voice is restrained, soft and seems at odds with the soundscape growing around her. As if paying homage to her beautiful voice, guitars chime, a gentleness present in Robin Guthrie’s guitar playing. Meanwhile, Simon Raymonde’s drumming is powerful, and sometimes, threatens to overpower Liz’s fragile sounding vocal. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen. Maybe it would’ve been better to move the drums further back in the mix. However, during the track, Liz’s sings beautifully, accompanied by some lovely chiming guitars. The track seems to wash over you, soothing you, massaging your soul, demonstrating the soulfulness of the Cocteau Twins music.
After such a good opening track, things get even better with Evangeline. This is down to an outstanding performance by the band on the album. As a distant guitar is heard, a drum crashes, then Liz sings. She and the band, slow things way down. Her vocal is really slow. Likewise the drums are played slowly, space aplenty between each beat. Even the guitars get in on the act, helping create a spacious ambient soundscape. Central to the track’s success, is Liz’s vocal. It’s slow and delicate, with a haunting beauty. Midway through the track, layers of guitar play, filling the sound out. A gentle atmospheric sound created by a synth accompanies the band. It’s like a gentle desert wind blowing, and its addition is a masterstroke, adding the final touch to the track. By the end, you’ve been fortunate to hear an ambient track that’s laid back, understated and melodic.
Chiming guitars play brightly, announcing the arrival of Bluebeard. The introduction sounds more populist than on previous albums, pointing to the more pop orientated direction of this album. No guitars drenched in feedback, here. That wouldn’t appeal to the “masses”. From the start, the sound is hugely melodic, just guitars and drums, with Liz’s vocal, much clearer, soaring high towards the heavens. Ethereal and spiritual describe her vocal. Beautiful too. For nearly four minutes, she gives one of her best vocals on the album. Sometimes, she’s unsure, questioning, wondering in the lyrics whether he’s the best man for her. Behind her, the rest of the band give an equally impressive performance, proving they’re the best men to accompany her. Bluebird maybe is an example of the more pop oriented direction of the album, but also demonstrates just how hugely talented a band the Cocteau Twins were.
Unlike the previous track, Theft and Wandering Around Lost doesn’t have the same bright start. Instead, it’s a slightly more subdued, almost duller sounding combination of plodding drums, broody bass and guitars that play. It’s only when Liz sings that the atmosphere lightens and brightens. Her voice is a complete contrast the what went before. Thereafter, the arrangement brightens, becomes more melodic. It’s fuller than on previous tracks, but even slower than Bluebeard. The track meanders along, Liz’s voice melodically fills out the sound with harmonies. They have a dreamy, otherworldly sound, which only Liz Fraser can create. Less pop oriented than the previous track, this is much more what I’d expect from the Cocteau Twins, a track that’s one-part lush and ethereal, the other, broody yet melodic.
Cymbals are played gently at the start of Oil of Angels. Then, straight away, a slow full arrangement opens up. It’s a combination of drums, bass and guitar, with Liz’s vocal at the front. The arrangement is dichotomy. At the start it’s partly dark, fulsome, yet quickly, the tempo increases. Bright guitars chime and jangle. All the time, the bass pulsates. Drums beat out a basic rhythm, adding occasional fills to add variety. However, what makes the track is Liz’s voice. Soaring high, gracefully and angelically, her voice is subtle yet fragile. What makes this such a stunning track is the subtlety of the arrangement, and the fragile beauty of Liz’s voice.
Similarly to Oil of Angels, Squeeze-Wax has a fuller arrangement, with a clever combination of guitars and rhythm section playing. Again, the arrangement has a duller sound at the start. Then, when Liz sings and the trademark chiming, jangling guitars play, the track brightens. Guitars reverberate, then chime. For the first time on the album, effects are unleashed, reverb used on the guitars. Used sparingly, this works well, adding a new dimension to the sound. Liz continues to brighten the sound, her ethereal voice rising and falling. Behind her a lovely dreamy, lush soundscape has developed, taking you on the most magical musical journey into the world of the Cocteau Twins. What this track demonstrates is that first appearances can be deceiving. After all, who’d have thought such a gorgeous track would emerge at the start of this track?
Percussion plays at the start of My Truth, giving the track a spacey, eery feel and sound. When Liz sings, her voice seems swathed, and has a lush, dreamy quality. Here, her voice is more beautiful than ever. It also seems so fragile. The arrangement almost has a minimalist quality, otherworldly sounds floating around, emerging from the mix. It’s ambient heaven, tranquil, spacious and floaty, like something from a mysterious sci-fi soundtrack. Quite simply My Truth is heavenly and beautiful, with a lovely fragility present throughout courtesy of Liz Fraser.
Essence begins slowly and moodily, meandering gently into life. It seems to gradually unfold, showing more of its understated beauty. Guitars chime slowly, synths produce space age sounds, they sweep into being accompanied Liz’s lovely slow thoughtful vocal. Like the rest of the arrangement, it’s really slow, full of space, with an understated quality. The track is just a combination of guitar, synths and Liz’s vocal. Swathes of guitars emerge, reverb slightly changing their sound. Synths interject and combine with the guitars. Together, they combine masterfully, producing a soothing, relaxing, ambient track.
After the lovely laid back previous track, Summerland is totally different. It’s a louder, fuller track. Gone is the understated beauty of Essence, in is a powerful mixture of guitars, bass and drums. Altogether it’s very different, but there’s one constant, Liz’s voice. Whilst Guthrie and Raymonde produce a powerful soundscape, Liz’s voice is quicker, but still has that ethereal quality. She has to sing quicker to keep up with the rest of the arrangement. Unlike the previous track, no space has been left, it’s a constant stream of jangling guitars and frantic drums. This produces am impressive, powerful sound which seems at odds with Liz’s voice. Overall, this great track shows a very different side to the band than the previous track.
Four-Calendar Cafe ends with Pur which begins with frantic pounding drums, slow chiming guitars and sweeping synths. Liz Fraser’s voice follows the lead of the guitar and synths and sings really slowly. It’s a a thoughtful, careful vocal. For a while, her voice stays within the same range. Her voice athen quickens, soaring beautifully. Likewise the arrangement gets louder and fuller. The guitars especially become much louder momentarily. By now Liz’s vocal is surrounded by a lovely arrangement, melodic yet fulsome. Since I first heard Pur, I’ve always loved it. What makes it special is the mixture of the power provided by Raymond and Guthrie and Liz’s thoughtful and beautiful vocal.
Four-Calendar Cafe is quite different to the Cocteau Twins previous album Heaven Or Las Vegas. This album was indeed more pop oriented. It seems that the band were trying to attract a wider fan-base. This they managed, because the album was a commercial success. Of the ten songs on the album, there isn’t a bad one. Each are of the highest standard, and are among the best music the band ever produced. Liz Fraser’s voice was brilliant on each of the tracks, her voice one of the most beautiful and ethereal you’ll hear. However, there was more to the Cocteau Twins than Liz Fraser. Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde played a huge part in the band’s success. Together, the three of them produced some wonderful music over an eighteen year period. Sadly, after this album, only one more Cocteau Twins album Milk and Kisses. However, for someone wanting an introduction to their music, Four-Calendar Cafe is a perfect place to start. Having said that, any of their final three albums are very listenable, and among my favorites. Standout Tracks: Know Who-You Are At Every Age, Evangeline, Squeeze-Wax and Essence.
COCTEAU TWINS-FOUR-CALENDAR CAFE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTtL74Ytp0Y&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL6A6846019BB94EC0
THE PHILADELPHIA SOUND-SWEET SOUL MUSIC
THE PHILADELPHIA SOUND-SWEET SOUL MUSIC.
Back in the 1970s, Philadelphia produced some of the sweetest, most melodic soul of the decade. It was the latest in a long line of American cities that had produced some fantastic, memorable and hugely influential soul music. Chicago produced the sound of Chess, which produced some of the best blues and soul music ever. Detroit gave us Motown, probably one of the best known of all the soul labels, that produced Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Four Tops and Smokey Robinson. Memphis was responsible for Stax, the legendary label that gave the world Otis Redding, Booker T and The MGs, Sam and Dave and Isaac Hayes. Then, in 1971 Gamble and Huff launched Philadelphia International a new record label in their home city of Philadelphia.It would produce some of the most soulful music of the decade. It featured sweeping strings, lush arrangements that were punctuated by horns, and some wonderful new musicians. Philadelphia International introduced the world to artists such as The O’Jays, McFadden and Whitehead, MFSB,The Delfonics, Billy Paul and Dee Dee Sharp Gamble. This was the beginning of a magical new musical journey, which saw the label produce hit after hit. In this article, I’ll tell you about the Philadelphia Sound, and then tell you what are the best compilations to buy.
Philadelphia International was set up by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971, in partnership with Columbia Records. Gamble and Huff were both natives of Philadelphia, growing up in the city’s south side. By 1971, they were both experienced songwriters and producers, having over many years, learnt their craft in their own city. Clive Davis, president of Columbia Records agreed to enter a partnership with the pair, investing a $75,000 advance whereby Gamble and Huff would produce fifteen singles. A further $25,000 was set aside for a smaller number of albums.
When the label released their first three singles, they were huge successes. No wonder, they were Backstabbers by The O’Jays, If You Don’t Know Me By Now by Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes and Me and Mrs Jones by Billy Paul. Such a success was almost unheard of. The only label which had such immediate success, had been Motown. Maybe Gamble and Huff could recreate the success of Motown in Philadelphia.
The success of the label was down to the sound. People loved the mixture of music which incorporated a mixture of soul, funk, smooth jazz, tinges of gospel and the best of vocal pop music. Their use of sweeping strings, lush instrumental arrangements, horn sections that soared, punctuating the sound, even a glockenspiel playing subtly in the background. For over a decade, the music was a mixture of beautiful ballads and brilliant dance tracks.
Another part of the success of the music were the producers. Gamble and Huff produced many of the tracks, but Gene McFadden and John Whitehead were another production duo. Having said that, there were many songwriters and producers who contributed towards the success of the label. People like Thom Bell, Dexter Wansell, Linda Creed and Norman Harris. However, without some brilliant musicians, the success wouldn’t have been possible. Some musicians played on many of the label’s big hits. Three important musicians were bassist Ronald Baker, guitarist Norman Harris and drummer Earl Young. Together, they’d record as The Trammps, and were the rhythm section for M.F.S.B.
It would take forever to list the artists who recorded for Philadelphia. Groups such as The Stylistics, The Salsoul Orchestra, The O’Jays, The Three Degrees, The Jones Girls and First Choice. Singers including Billy Paul, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass and Eddie Holman. All of these artists contributed to the success of the label and sound.
For over a decade, the Philadelphia Sound emerged beautifully from our speakers, providing us with some of the most memorable, melodic and beautiful soulful music. That music is as popular today, as it was back then. Compilations of the Philadelphia Sound are still being released today, and in this article, I’ll guide you through these compilations, and help you decide which are the best ones to buy.
LOVE TRAIN-THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA.
There is something for all budgets for someone wishing to buy a compilation of the Philadelphia Sound. Probably the most expensive and lavish, is a four disc box set entitled Love Train-The Sound of Philadelphia. It was released back in 2009 by Sony and includes most of the best known tracks released during the heyday of the Philadelphia Sound. It also features a comprehensive booklet featuring interviews from some of the people responsible for giving us the Philadelphia Sound.
Over four discs, you’ll hear some brilliant polished music, a mixture of soulful, dreamy ballads and some of the most danceable soul music of the 1970s’. This music features great songwriting, outstanding production and some of the most talented artists you’ll ever have the privilege of hearing. Here are my choices from this box set.
The O’Jays I Love Music begins with tom-tom drums playing, drums join in, and a vocal soars. Quickly, the song bursts into life, a mixture of bass throbbing, keyboards, sweet vocal harmonies and a trumpet playing. All this before the lead vocal. From there on, The O’Jays take you on a musical journey that demonstrates just what makes a great soul track. It’s a full arrangement, lead vocal surrounded by harmonies, short stabs from the piano punctuating the track. Horns soar brightly, drums are a constant. Later a guitar solo plays, as strings sweep in the background. So much goes on for nearly seven minutes, with everything contributing towards making a brilliant track. Here, the tempo is fast, it’s highly danceable, full of hooks, with one of the best arrangements you’ll ever hear.
My next choice is Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes Don’t Leave Me This Way, a track that has a much more subtle start, with keyboards, drums and guitar combining, slowly building the track up. When Harold enters, he’s just humming, against a backdrop of some beautiful strings. Then, when his vocal begins, it’s strong and clear, surrounded by a mixture of strings, chiming guitars, the brass section play quietly. Suddenly, the track opens out, Harold’s voice soars, the arrangement grows, The Bluenotes harmonize behind him, and quickly, the most beautiful arrangement emerges. Like the O’Jays track, it’s a full arrangement, with guitars, string and brass section among the highlights. Harold’s voice is hugely powerful, and he sings the song with passion. Meanwhile, keyboards join in, and Harold and The Bluenotes take the lead, feeding off each other. The rhythm section then take over, with Harold taking a break, towards the end of the track. Many other artists have covered this track, but be warned, Harold Melvin produces the definitive version, you only need to hear this song once to realize why.
When I was growing up, one of my favorite records was McFadden and Whitehead’s Ain’t No Stopping Us Now. It was a particular favorite of one of the DJ’s on local radio, who like me, was a great lover of the soul music coming out of Philadelphia. This was a track he played many times, and a track since then I’ve loved. McFadden and Whitehead were songwriters, producers and this became their best know track as recording artists. It begins with drums, bass and strings, and has a lovely lush introduction, with backing vocalists singing. All the time the bass is playing quickly at the bottom of the mix. When the vocal begins, it’s strong and clear, accompanied by backing singers, strings constantly sweeping, synths punctuating the sound. Part of the success of the song is the use of backing vocalists, the prominent rhythm section and those lovely lush strings. Midway through the song comes the breakdown, when they slow the song down, only to bring it back up. Later on, the brass section join in, further filling the song out. For seven glorious minutes, McFadden and Whitehead take me on a memorable trip down memory lane, with one of the most successful and joyous of the songs from that era. Quite simply the best song on the box set.
Some of the songs on the box set are lovely ballads, none more so than The Delfonics La-La Means I Love You. It’s a dramatic opening that greets the listener as drums play, then another lush arrangement begins. Drums and piano play as the vocal begins, a falsetto vocal sings the lead, with the rest of the band providing backing vocals. Here the lyrics are tender, the vocal soars, harmonies enter. Behind them, the arrangement is much more subtle, suited to the lyrics and vocal. Drums are the most prominent instrument in the arrangement. Like other tracks, the arrangement sweeps, soothingly behind the band. However, what makes the track, is The Delfonics heartfelt, moving, delivery of some beautiful, romantic lyrics.
Another ballad from the box set is Billy Paul’s You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine. It begins with a synth playing, a keyboard accompanying it, and then Billy sings. His voice is both gentle and clear, as he takes care singing the lyrics. Behind him the arrangement sees a mixture of string and a synth play. Backing singers compliment Billy’s voice, doing so really well. A guitar plays, accompanying Billy, and that trademark glockenspiel can be heard in the background. Throughout the song, Billy sings the song brilliantly, mostly gently and restrained, towards the end although his voice soars, he’s always in control of his powerful voice.
My final selection from this box set is The Stylistics’ track Stoned In Love With You, another lovely ballad. This is another of my favorite tracks from this era. It’s a rich, full sound that opens the track, piano and strings combining, before the vocal. When the vocal arrives, it’s another brilliant falsetto vocal, complete with lovely backing vocals. The arrangement is just as good as the vocal, strings, drums, percussion and brass section combining. Here, the lyrics are about love, and have a lovely sentiment. Likewise, the vocal is brilliant, a mixture of restraint and soaring vocals. Stoned In Love With You is one of the most recognizable songs of that era, due to the brilliant falsetto vocal, lovely lyrics and stunning arrangement.
Love Train-The Sound of Philadelphia may be an expensive box set, but includes the best music from that label. It features some of the best known, best loved and most successful songs from that time. It also features some songs that may not be as well known. Together, they provide a snapshot of one of the most influential soul labels of all time. Personally, I think there isn’t a bad song on the box set, and should you decide to buy the box set, you’ll hear some marvelous, melodic soul music. Standout Tracks: Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes Don’t Leave Me This Way, McFadden and Whitehead Ain’t No Stopping Us Now, Billy Paul You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine and The Stylistics Stoned In Love With You.
LOVE TRAIN-THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA.
PHILLY FREEDOM.
Recently there have been several compilations of music from Philadelphia. Two compilations have been released by Backbeats, part of Harmless Records. Both compilations were compiled by Ian Dewhirst. Philly Freedom is the first I’ll look at. There are nineteen tracks on the album, including tracks from Lou Rawls, Frantique, The Jones Girls, The Trammps and The Delfonics. This is a much cheaper compilation, and is really good value album. On the album, are a mixture of well know, and lesser known tracks. I’ll pick my four favorites from the album.
Lou Rawls’ You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine is my first choice from this compilation. It begins brightly, keyboards, drums and bass combining to produce a powerful sound. The bass is really prominent in the mix. When Lou sings his voice is strong and loud, as it soars as he delivers this lovely track. Accompanying him, is a piano that constantly, compliments his voice by highlighting certain parts of the vocal. Behind him, strings play, the rhythm section combine, backing vocalists sing. Together they complete a stunning arrangement, which together with Lou’s voice produce one of the best track’s on the album.
Another song I remember from growing up was Frantique’s Strut Your Funky Stuff, a track that was hugely popular both on radio and the dancefloor. From the opening bars, it’s apparent this a classic dancefloor hit, one that’s so catchy it’s almost infectious. It’s a female vocal, pounding drums and handclaps that open the track. The tempo is fast, repetitive, the focus on just a few instruments drums, bass, synth and brass section. Backing vocalists accompany the lead vocal, and reverb is used on the vocal. During three and half minutes, it’s impossible to keep still, all you want to do is dance. This isn’t helped by the multitude of hooks that seduce your ears, and tempt you to dance. Quite simply, Strut Your Funky Stuff is a hugely underrated track that’s one of most catchy, danceable tracks on this compilation.
The Trammps’ Where Do We Go From Here? Earlier in this article I said how important the musicians who made up The Trammps were in the Philadelphia Sound. Where Do We Go From Hear? was one of their best know tracks. It begins with that rhythm section that featured on so many hits, the brass section and strings combining. It’s a dramatic, sweeping introduction before Earl Young sings. When he sings, his voice is powerful, soaring as the rest of the band harmonize. Meanwhile, the arrangement has a lovely full sound, drums pounding at the front of the mix, while by contrast, lush strings play. Together with guitars, brass section and backing vocalists, they produce a beautiful melodic, lush sound. Earl’s vocal drives the song along, proving that he’s more than a hugely talented drummer. To me, The Trammps are one of the unsung heroes of the Philly era.
My final selection is Archie Bell and The Drells I could Dance All Night, which begins with a lovely lush introduction, a mixture of strings and brass section, with the rhythm section and guitar playing. Archie Bell’s vocal soon enters, surrounded by the arrangement. He hasn’t such a powerful voice, but still delivers the song really well. The Drells’ provide backing vocals, a piano plays, the brass section punctuate the track, as it flows along. Towards the end, Archie’s voice soars, with The Drells accompanying him, and by now the arrangement is complete, a brilliant musical melange, demonstrating just what made Philly great.
Philly Freedom is a great compilation, full of some of the best tracks that came out of Philadelphia, combined with some hidden gems. For all the album costs, it’s well worth buying if you, like me, love the music of the City of Brotherly Love. Standout Tracks: Lou Rawls’ You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine, Frantique’s Strut Your Funky Stuff, The Trammps’ Where Do We Go From Here? and Archie Bell and The Drells I could Dance All Night.
PHILLY FREEDOM.
PHILLY DISCO.
Philly Disco is another album released on Backbeats, part of Harmless Records. It shares the same compiler as Philly Freedom, Ian Dewhirst. He is someone who knows his subject and has picked twelve great tracks for this album. Some people will know all the tracks, others just a few. However, one thing they have in common is that they’re among some of the best music coming out of Philadelphia during that time. This time, I’ve picked three songs from this album to write about.
My first choice is Dee Dee Sharp Gamble’s Breaking and Entering, a track that begins with a siren sounding, drums pounding and the funkiest of bass playing. After Dee Dee hollers “stop thief,” she sings the vocal, providing a dramatic rendition of the track, punctuated by horns. All the while, that brilliant bass plays, backing singers subtly accompany Dee Dee. By now the tempo is quick, the sound a mixture of funk and soul. Sometimes, there is a similarity with some of the early Chic records. During this epic track, Dee Dee’s vocal veers between passionate and dramatic. Here, the drums sound like the forerunner to early house music. Occasionally, a piano or the brass section adds to the dramatic atmosphere that’s built up. For nearly seven minutes, you hear a great example of funk and soul combining masterfully.
Less intense is Jean Carn’s If You Want To Go Back. It’s a very different, less frantic sounding track, with a much subtler arrangement. Piano, drums and bass begin the track, before strings sweep in, as if signaling Jean’s entrance. Her vocal is quite restraint, softer, quieter. Only once does she unleash her voice, but remaining in control. Around her the arrangement features some lovely, lush strings, accompanied by a piano, drums strings and brass section. Like Jean’s vocal, the arrangement is nicely understated, and not once, does it come near to overpowering her vocal. A lovely track, well sung, with a great arrangement.
My final choice from this album is Billy Paul’s Bring the Family Back. The rhythm section and handclaps, open the track, then Billy sings. At first his voice is quieter, he seems to be giving a much more restrained performance. He seems to be in the groove, providing a lovely piece of smooth soul, that floats along, with strings playing quietly in the background. Backing vocalists accompany him, they’re a perfect foil for his voice. One of the highlights of the track is some brilliant bass playing, which has an understated quality. Overall, the combination Billy’s restrained vocal, handclaps, strings and the rhythm section provide a lovely, subtle, arrangement.
As well as the tracks I’ve mentioned here, Philly Disco features tracks from The O’Jays, M.F.S.B, Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes and a ten minute version of McFadden and The Whitehead’s Ain’t No Stopping Us Now. Like Philly Freedom, and other tracks in this series it’s full of some great music, and really good value. I’ve purchased several of the albums in the Backbeat series, and would recommend them to anyone who is interested in soul music. Considering that this album costs about the same as a latte and cupcake, I know what I’d prefer. After all, coffee lasts a few minutes, music is for life. Standout Tracks: Dee Dee Sharp Gamble Breaking and Entering, Jean Carn’s If You Want To Go Back and Billy Paul Bring the Family Back.
PHILLY DISCO.
PHILLY REGROOVED-TOM MOULTON REMIXES.
In the past few years, Harmless Records have been producing even more compilations than usual. By now, they’ve released over one-hundred compilation albums. In 2010 they released an album of Tom Moulton remixes of music on the Philly Groove label, entitled Philly Regrooved-Tom Moulton Remixes. Moulton was a legend in music, and was responsible for some of the earliest remixes. He could take a three minute track, and turn it into eight minutes of magical disco music. Almost single-handedly, Tom Moulton created ways to remix tracks long before technology was around. This was time-consuming, laborious work, but Tom is one-part obsessive, one-part perfectionist, and slowly and carefully, created some of the earliest, most successful disco tracks. So, back in 2010, Harmless released the first of two volumes of Tom Moulton Remixes. I’ll pick my two favorites from each album, and tell you, just what makes them so good.
My first choice is the Philly Groove Orchestra (featuring First Choice) and Let Us Entertain You. It has a stuttering introduction, a mixture of cymbals and a funky bass and then an orchestra playing. This contains a mixture of strings and brass section, with a guitar playing. The arrangement sweeps lushly along, sometimes the bass kicking in, funkiness personified, trumpets punctuating the sound. Later a saxophone blows, then eventually backing singers join the arrangement, and after the trumpets sounds her arrival the lead vocalist sings. Towards the end, a breakdown occurs, and it become something of a soul and funk workout. Thankfully, this works, and doesn’t spoil the track. Quite simply, it’s a lovely laid back, lush, joyous sound, with just a pinch of funk. Tom Moulton has taken the original track and transformed it, making it much better than the original. This is a difficult thing to do, often a remixer fails to do this, and spoils even the original track. Not Tom Moulton though.
My other choice from this album is Finishing Touch’s Second Best (Is Never Enough). Whereas the previous track was pretty laid back, this has a much more dramatic sound. Strings sweep in, opening the track, with drums punctuating the sound. The vocal joins in, accompanied by backing vocalists. Quickly, the sound takes a dramatic turn, the tempo quickening, bass, strings and drums combining. Drums play a large part in the track, constantly punctuating the track, highlighting parts of the vocal, sometimes filling gaps in the vocal. By now, a guitar chimes, the bass is more prominent. Throughout the track, the vocal is strong and dramatic, with backing vocalists complimenting the vocal. When the vocal drops out, strings and guitar play a bigger part, each getting a chance to shine. Occasionally, backing vocals interject. Towards the end, the vocal rejoins, with the backing vocals accompanying it. During the five minutes of the track, it’s a beautiful mixture of strings and vocals, which contribute most towards making this such a great sounding track.
Philly Regrooved-Tom Moulton Remixes features a dozen great tracks from the Philly Groove label. Unlike the previous three albums, you may not know as many of the tracks, but they’re great tracks, well worth exploring. When you listen to Tom Moulton’s remixes, you’ll find it hard to believe he created these tracks way before technology, and to do so, had to create his own ways of making such a remix possible. He lead the way for many others to follow, and even with the introduction of technology, it would be hard to produce such consistently good remixes. I would thoroughly recommend this album, as it’ll let you hear music from a label you’ve maybe not heard of before, and that music is really good. Standout Tracks: Philly Groove Orchestra (featuring First Choice) Let Us Entertain You and Finishing Touch Second Best (Is Never Enough).
PHILLY REGROOVED-TOM MOULTON REMIXES.
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PHILLY REGROOVED 2-TOM MOULTON REMIXES.
Earlier this year, Harmless Records brought out the second volume of Tom Moulton’s remixes of music from the Philly Groove label, entitled Philly Regrooved 2-Tom Moulton Remixes. This time the albums consisted of another eleven tracks from artists including Ultra High Frequency, First Choice, Terry Collins and The Quickest Way. Again, I’ll choose two of my favorite tracks from this album, and tell you what makes them so special.
My first choice is Ultra High Frequence’s Incompatible, a track that begins with guitar, drums, bass and strings. At first, the track begins slowly, but quickly bursts into life with a crescendo of drums. When the track opens out, the tempo increases, and the strings are interrupted by the brass section as the song sweeps smoothly along. After a long instrumental section the vocal begins. A male vocalist sings, accompanied by backing vocalists. By now, the track is a lovely bright slice of Philly soul, complete with strings, brass section and wonderful vocals. Drums punctuate the track, and a piano and brass section play. All inject further life into the track. A funky bass plays, getting into the act. For the remainder of the track, it’s a masterful mixture of vibrant vocals, and a joyous arrangement, full of life and packed full of even more hooks and melodies. Incompatible has absolutely everything you’d expect from in Philly track from, Philly, and so much more. It’s a six minute celebration of what made the Philly sound great.
The other track I’ve chosen is The Quickest Way’s Who Am I, a bright sounding track beginning with drums, strings and brass section. Like the previous track, drums punctuate the introduction. Where it differs, is when a guitar plays a solo, as does a piano. After a lengthy instrumental passage, the vocal appears. When he sings, his voice isn’t the strongest, but it’s got a good voice, melodic and soulful. It’s augmented by backing vocalists, who are accompanied by a piano solo and strings. Similarly to the previous track, this also sweeps along, the arrangement just as lush and sweet. Midway through the track there’s a breakdown, and drums play a solo, a guitar and keyboard enter, replacing the vocal. Now the track becomes something of a jazz funk track, and individual musicians get the opportunity to shine before the vocal reappears. When it does, it sounds slightly stronger. Behind the vocal a lovely arrangement has emerged a lovely mixture of soul, funk and jazz. Overall, it’s a track with a feelgood factor, one that’s uplifting and sweeps you along on a tide of some beautiful, catchy and melodic music.
Like the first volume of this series, the album contains another eleven examples of Tom Moulton’s skill as a remixer. On the album are songs that many people won’t have heard of, and that’s a huge shame because there are some great tracks on the album. All I can say, is that if you’re interested in either soul music, especially the music that emerged from Philly during the seventies, this is a must have. If you’re interested in the history of dance music, this album will appeal to you, as it’ll allow you to hear some of the earliest remixes, by one of the most important and influential individuals in the history of dance music. I’d certainly recommend this album to anyone, regardless of whether they’re a fan of soul or dance music, because it features some great music. Standout Tracks: Ultra High Frequence Incompatible and The Quickest Way Who Am I.
PHILLY REGROOVED 2-TOM MOULTON REMIXES.
I’ve hugely enjoyed writing this article, it was both, a trip down memory lane, listening to music I grew up listening to and loving, and a great opportunity to listen to some of my favorite music. It was difficult narrowing this article down to just five albums. There were several others I could’ve included, but thought it best just to focus on the music from two labels Philadelphia International and Philadelphia Groove. The first three albums concentrated on the music from the Philadelphia International label, the last two music from the Philadelphia Groove label. What they’ve got in common, is that they both produced some brilliant music. Personally, my favorite of the two labels is Philadelphia International. After all, they brought us The O’Jays, The Stylistic, Billy Paul, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, McFadden and Whitehead and The Jones Girls. For over a decade, these artists produced some of the best soul music of the past thirty or forty years. That music is still loved by many people, and still sounds as good today, as the day it was recorded. Similarly, Philadelphia Groove gave us some wonderful music, and that too has a timeless quality, as all good music has.
Should you want to hear some of the music you’ve read about in this article, there are albums to suit all price range. If you buy any of three albums featuring music from the Philadelphia International label, you’ll be hearing some of the greatest soul music ever. Obviously the Love Train-The Sound of Philadelphia is the most expensive, but provides most of the brilliant music that great label recorded. However, the other two albums Philly Disco and Philly Freedom are good value, and a good way to hear some of that music for very little money. Philly Regrooved-Tom Moulton Remixes and Philly Regrooved 2-Tom Moulton Remixes are both good value albums, albeit slightly more expensive than Philly Disco and Philly Freedom, but allow you to hear some great music on the Philadelphia Groove label. Regardless of which albums you buy, enjoy them, and I’m sure they won’t be the last albums you buy featuring the Philadelphia Sound.
KATE BUSH-LIONHEART.
KATE BUSH-LIONHEART.
In this article, I’m going to write about one of the most remarkable singer-songwriters of the past forty years. She was discovered aged sixteen, by Dave Gilmour from Pink Floyd. He recommended her to EMI, who promptly gave her a record contract. Aged nineteen, her first solo album The Kick Inside, was released. Some of the songs on the album, had been written when she was just thirteen. Her debut single Wuthering Heights became a number one single, spending four weeks at number one. Obviously, this is a remarkable artists. Remarkable yes, but prolific no. During a career that began in 1979, she has one released just nine albums, and at one point, there was a twelve year gap between albums. Unlike most artists, she has only toured once, in 1979. Kate Bush released her second album Lionheart, it was the follow up to her debut album The Kick Inside. Released just nine months after her debut album, it was another hugely successful album that demonstrated how hugely talented an artist she was. Before telling you about Lionheart, I’ll tell you about Kate Bush’s career so far.
Kate Bush was born Catherine Bush in July 1958, in Bexleyheath, Kent. Her father Robert, was a physician who was a talented pianist, her Irish mother Hannah, had been an Irish folk dancer. Her two brothers Paddy and John were also artistic. Paddy made musical instruments, John was a poet and photographer. Together, the family lived in a farmhouse in East Wickam. As a child, Kate attended school at St Joseph’s Convent Grammar School, and latterly a Catholic girls school in London.
It was during that time, that Kate started writing her own songs. By the time she started sending out demo tapes they included fifty of her own songs. It was through Ricky Hopper passing a demo tape to Dave Gilmour, that Kate was able to produce a more professional a much more professional demo tape. Hopper was a friend of Gilmour and the Bush family. He passed the tape to Gimour, who liked what he heard, and arranged for the new demo tape to be made. Andrew Powell, a friend of Dave Gilmour’s produced the demo tape. Powell would then go on to produce Kate’s first two album. This demo tape was sent to various record companies, but in the end, Kate signed to EMI. Ironically, Kate was signed by Terry Slater, who also signed the Sex Pistols.
For the first two years of her contract with EMI, Kate continued her studies. She spent more time at school, than she did recording her album. The rationale was that if the album failed, it would have a negative impact of Kate’s career, and she might be too young to handle this. By the time these two years were up, she’s written nearly two-hundred songs. Now it was time to record her debut album.
Before she started recording her album, Kate embarked on a tour of pubs with the KT Bush Band. Instead of using her usual band members, she used experienced session musicians. A few of these session musicians stayed with her, when she brought her usual band. Recording for what would become The Kick Inside took place in June 1975 and between July and August 1977. Before the album was released, Wuthering Heights was released as her debut single. It was a huge success, spending four weeks at number one in the UK singles charts. When The Kick Inside was released in February 1978, it reached number three in the UK album charts.
Nine months later her second album Lionheart was released. Like her debut album, it was produced by Andrew Powell, but this time, Kate was assisting with the production of the album. It was recorded in the French Riviera, the only album she’s recorded outside the UK. Kate wasn’t pleased that she’d been rushed into making the album so quickly. She felt that she needed more time to get the sound on the album correct. By now, she was having to undertake much publicity work and had to embark on a tour to publicize the new album. This resulted in her setting up companies to publish her music, and manage her career. After this, she and her family would have total control of her career. Lionheart was released in November 1978, and reached number six in the UK album charts.
When Never For Ever was released in September 1980, Kate had a new producer, Jon Kelly. Kate was coproducer, having made her production debut on her Live On Stage EP. Never For Ever had a very different sound to her two previous albums. Gone was the lush, orchestral style which accompanied her band, in was a variety of different styles, including rocky sounding tracks and the “waltz sound” of Army Dreamers. Another change was the use of synths and drum machines on the album. On its release, the album reached number one in the UK album charts. This gave Kate her first number one album, and she became the first UK female solo artist to have a number one studio album.
Two years passed before Kate released The Dreaming in September 1982. This must have seemed a while to fans, but little did they know that soon, albums would become even more infrequent. When the album was released, critics were divided by its sound. They weren’t sure about the much denser soundscapes that were on the album. Some critics loved, others weren’t so sure. Even the singles taken from the album didn’t do so well. Only Sat In Your Lap did well, and it was released over a year before the album. Other singles failed to trouble the top forty. However, the album did much better, reaching number three in the UK album charts.
Hounds of Love, Kate’s fifth album, was released in September 1985. It became Kate’s most successful album and her second number one album. Instead of incurring huge expenses by recording the album in a studio, Kate built a twenty-four track studio at her home. Her previous album The Dreaming, had taken a long time to record, and proved really expensive. The new home studio saved this expense. When the album was originally released on vinyl, the second side was devoted to The Ninth Wave, which takes it’s name from Alfred Tennyson’s poem Idyls of the King, about the reign of King Arthur. It’s one piece of music, divided into various song cycles, exploring the themes of a night of dreams and nightmares. It’s an extremely powerful and thoughtful piece of music, with sees Kate make good use of a mixture of synths, traditional instruments, her faithful piano and layer upon layer of vocals. Since its release, Hounds of Love has been considered one of the most important albums of the past thirty years.
Like her previous album, Hounds of Love, Kate’s next album The Sensual World drew inspiration from the literary world. James Joyce’s seminal book Ulysses, was an inspiration for the track The Sensual World. The Sensual World was released in October 1989, four years after her previous album. On its release, it was well received by critics, and reached number two in the UK album charts. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. Later, Kate reworked and rerecorded songs from The Sensual World for her 2011 album The Directors Cut.
Another four years passed before Kate released another album. The Red Shoes was released in November 1993. Accompanying the album, was a short film The Line, the Cross and the Curve. Reviews for the album were mixed, but this didn’t stop the album selling well. Kate explained that the album was meant to have a live feel to it. There was less of the effects used on previous albums. It reached number two in the UK album charts. On the album, Kate has helped by artists such as Prince, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. The album’s release came at a really difficult time for Kate. Her mother had died, her relationship with bass player Del Palmer had ended and Alan Murphy her favorite guitarist in the band had also died.
Kate now took a twelve year sabbatical from the music industry. During this time she spent time with her family, and bringing up son Bertie. By November 2005, she was back. Recorded between 1999 and 2005, Aerial was a double album from Kate which features a wide range of musical styles. On the album is folk, flamenco, pop, reggae, classical and Renaissance music. Like other albums, themes run through the album. Here, the second disc Sky of Honey, is one piece of music telling of the outdoor adventures of a summer’s day, from morning one day, to sunrise the next. It’s a stunning piece of music featuring nine songs. Critics loved the album, and it was critically acclaimed, being described as one of Kate’s finest albums. It reached number three in the UK album charts.
2011 saw Kate release The Director’s Cut an album where she rerecorded and reworked songs from two of her earlier albums The Sensual World and The Red Shoes. Four tracks were taken from The Sensual World and seven from The Red Shoes. In the main, the album was well received by critics. The album sold well, and reached number two in the UK album charts.
During her career Kate, Kate has collaborated with a number of artists, including her friend Peter Gabriel. She has been a huge influence on a new generation of artists, including KT Tunstall, Tori Amos and Bjork. Even though new albums by Kate are something of a rarity, she still has a huge amount of fans who love her work, and await a new album. They’ll be pleased to hear that there are rumors that a new album will be released in November 2011.
Having told you about Kate’s career so far, I’ll now tell you about her second album Lionheart. It opens with Symphony In Blue, a track that has a lush sounding introduction that’s made of Rhodes keyboard, piano, guitars and bass. When Kate sings, her voice is high, soaring way above the rest of the arrangement. She accompanies herself on piano, the bass sits way down in the mix, plodding along. Electric guitars play, drums join in, but the focus of your attention has to be Kate. Her voice is stunning, she has a great range, and during the track, her voice soars powerfully. Behind her, the arrangement is quite full, but it’s really melodic, as is her voice. Listening to the lyrics, they’re really mature for someone who was still only twenty-one. They describe the way she feels, her moods and thoughts about various subjects. Symphony In Blue is a great track to start the album, and what’s interesting is how youthful Kate’s voice sounds.
There are always numerous literary references in any Kate Bush album. Here, she references JM Barrie’s classic story Peter Pan, incidentally written not far from where I live. In Search of Peter Pan has a gentle start, played just on the piano. Kate sings unaccompanied at the start, but later percussion can be heard. The arrangement is really subtle at the start. Later, when drums and bass join the arrangement, they never overpower Kate’s vocal. It’s as if everyone is taking real care to ensure that Kate’s vocal takes centre-stage. This is only right, as her vocal is stunning. It’s also highly dramatic as her voice gets strong and louder, yet always she seems in control. Her lyrics are sensitive, telling a story about a young girl deeply unhappy at school, unhappy about her life overall. Instead, she escapes into the make believe world of Peter Pan. Not only are the lyrics really good, but Kate’s performance is stunning, one of the best on the album. However, the careful arrangement allows Kate to shine. It ensures that her voice is the most important part of the arrangement.
Three singles were released from Lionheart. The second was Wow, one of the best know tracks from the album. What sounds like strings sweeping in from the distance, opens the track. After that, a synth plays and Kate sings. Her voice is slow, atmospheric, as if she’s building up the drama. By now, the track is just meandering along beautifully, Kate’s piano and a bass playing. Then Kate unleashes that powerful voice which soars beautifully. Behind her the arrangement grows, mandolins, drums, guitars and bass combine. After that, the tracks sweeps along beautifully. You find yourself caught up in it. Occasionally, the tempo increases, but this doesn’t last long. The lyrics are about being an actor on the stage, with one of the characters struggling with his role. That’s when Kate sings “He’ll never make “the Sweeney,” a reference to a 1970s’ police drama. Wow is a wonderful track, a combination of Kate’s great voice, clever lyrics and a sympathetic arrangement.
Don’t Push Foot Your Foot On the Heartbrake has a quicker start than Wow, but gives no indication of what’s to come. Again, it’s just Kate accompanied by her piano that starts the track. She’s singing melodically, slightly quicker than previously. Then, suddenly, the track bursts into life. The contrast is amazing. From a relatively understated arrangement, it becomes nearly frantic. Drums crash, guitars play and even the piano is pounded. Meanwhile, Kate unleashes that powerful voice, and is almost screaming. As if burnt out, the band and Kate slow the song down. Then having got their breath back, they return to the fuller, frantic sound. Having said that, they produce an impressive and effective sound, during which time Kate and the band sing and play brilliantly. Although I’ve always enjoyed the song, it’s quite a contrast to previous tracks on Lionheart.
Many song on Lionheart have a strong narrative, espeacially Oh England My Lionheart. It tells the story of a pilot whose plane has been shot down, and as he heads towards the ground and his death, contemplates his homeland. Kate sings softly as she sings and plays her piano. Quickly, she’s joined by recorders playing. Harpsichords join in accompanying Kate, giving the song an old fashioned, historical sound. As she sings, she mentions things that are quintessentially English. Backing vocalists harmonize with Kate, completing the sound. Here, Kate gives a touching and heartfelt rendition of some intelligent, thoughtful lyrics. When you listen to the lyrics, and think about the story, you too, will quickly realize just what a terrible, criminal, waste of life and resources war is.
It’s a gentle meandering piano solo that opens Fullhouse, but when Kate sings, her voice is loud and strong, soaring high. Like Don’t Push Foot Your Foot On the Heartbrake, the arrangement quickly gets much fuller and louder. Kate’s joined by drums, guitars and bass, which together, combine to produce a powerful sound. Drums sometimes are pounded, guitars solos play, soaring and chiming. Here, the arrangement suits the lyrics. They talk about the thoughts that fill someones head, worming their way in, niggling and nagging away, telling them about things that aren’t happening, that aren’t real. In some ways, the arrangement replicates this, many things going on at one time, each seeking your attention. Whether this is intentional, or accidental, I don’t know, but what I know, is it’s effective.
In A Warm Room is the polar opposite of Fulhouse. The arrangement is far more subtle, the sound not as full or busy. Here, it’s just Kate and her piano. She sings the song beautifully, using her vocal range well, her piano playing just as good. Likewise, the lyrics are really good. They’re sensual, seductive, describing a woman who awaits her lover. The only problem is that she may not be around long, tiring of his familiarity. Although In A Warm Room is very different to many tracks on Lionheart, it’s simplicity is much of its appeal. It allows you to concentrate on Kate’s voice and the lyrics, both of which are equally stunning.
Like several other songs on Lionheart Kashka From Baghdad has an interesting story behind it. It tells of the story of a same-sex couple, who are cut off from their friends and family because of their relationship. Kate deals with the subject both frankly, and sympathetically. When the track opens, Kate’s accompanied by her piano, atmospheric sounds are heard in the background. Setting the scene and mood, a bass joins the arrangement. This provides a contrast to the piano. Quickly, Kate’s voice powerfully soars, joined by backing vocalists. Mostly, the arrangement is subtle, and features mandocello and panpipes, augmeting more traditional instruments. The additional of harmonies adds to the dramatic atmosphere present during the song. Both Kate’s vocals and her lyrics are excellent, her portrayal of less enlightened times both touching and sad, because of the couple’s betrayal by loved ones.
Although there are similarities between the play Arsenic and Lace, and the next Coffee Homeground, the song was actually inspired by a taxi driver who once drove Kate about. At the start, it’s almost like the music for a tango that greets you. The music is dramatic, and so is Kate’s delivery of the song. Her voice veers between a restrained style, to a dramatic soaring sound. Throughout the song, her voice is strong and clear, with Kate taking care with her phrasing. What I find remarkable about this track is that it was made using just drums and percussion, rhythm guitar, bass, synth and piano. It seems remarkable that they were able to produce such an amazing sounding track with so few instruments. Here, Kate demonstrates her versatility as a vocalist, tackling yet another style of song.
Lionheart closes with Hammer Horror and Kate paying homage to the old Hammer films that many people of Kate’s age, and even my age remember. In keeping with the films the start has a big, bold, dramatic introduction, then Kate sings gently and beautifully, accompanied by her piano. After that, things change. The arrangement gets louder, bolder as does Kate’s voice. That’s just temporarily, as she slows things down again. Thereafter, it’s a song of peaks and troughs, stops and starts. Here, the arrangement goes between a soothing sweeping sound that’s beautifully understated, to an almost overblown, much louder, fuller sound. Much of that fuller sound is created by synths, harmonium and piano, assisted by drums and guitars. This fuller sound is spectacular in nature, and a complete contrast to the much quieter, sweeping sound. Together, they create a great track, and it’s a fitting way to end a great album.
Earlier in this article, I mentioned that Kate Bush was unhappy at having to rush this album, so it could be released quickly. Personally, I think that Lionheart is a great album, featuring ten very different songs. They all have one thing in common, some wonderful lyrics, sung brilliantly by Kate. She was fortunate to have a hugely talented group of musicians working with her on this album. Each of them played a huge part in the album’s success. One thing I love about the songs, is that they’ve a strong narrative and tell an interesting story. Considering that they were written while Kate was still a teenager, that makes her achievement all the more remarkable. To me, Lionheart was a good follow-up to her debut album the Kick Inside. Since then, in the intervening thirty-two years, Kate has only produced a further seven albums. It seems a shame that she hasn’t produced many more albums, as she’s one of the finest singer-songwriters of the past forty years. However, hopefully she’ll have a new album out in November 2011. Standout Tracks: Symphony In Blue, Wow, In the Warm Room and Hammer Horror.
KATE BUSH-LIONHEART.
BOBBY WOMACK-UNDERSTANDING.
BOBBY WOMACK-UNDERSTANDING.
For over thirty years, I have loved soul music. Growing up, it was one of my favorite genres of music. Since then, it has been a life long love affair. Over the years, I’ve collected music by numerous artists, groups and on certain labels. Some of my favorites have been Bobby Bland, Esther Phillips, Al Green, Otis Clay, Marvin Gaye, OV Wright and Minnie Riperton. Among my favorite labels have been Stax, Chess, Hi and Atlantic, which together, produced some of the most important, memorable and influential soul music ever. One artist I haven’t mentioned, but who has long been a favorite, is Bobby Womack. He was one of the first soul singers I ever heard, and his music was hugely influential on me. Before the introduction of compact discs, I had every one of his albums on import. Stupidly, after replacing them with CDs, I sold them. Not a good idea. Now, they’re probably worth a lot of money, and as everyone knows, nothing produces such a lovely, warm sound as vinyl. However, I can’t turn back the clock, it’s just a lesson to us all, never sell your beloved vinyl. Anyway, when I first started listening to Bobby Womack’s music, one of his albums I always loved was Understanding, released in 1972. In this article, I’ll look back nearly forty years, at one of Bobby Womack’s greatest albums, Understanding.
Back in 1972, Bobby Womack was a successful solo artist, after many years working with either his family group The Valentinos, or as a session musician. Since 1968, he’d released three solo albums, Fly Me To the Moon in 1968, My Prescription in 1969 and Communication in 1971. His previous album Communication, was his first for his new record label United Artists. Before that, he’d been contracted to the Minit record label.
In 1972, he was due to deliver a new album to United Artists. So, in 1972, he started recording the tracks for what would become Understanding. To record his new album, he headed to the American Sound Studio in Memphis, and Muscle Shoals in Alabama. When he reached Muscle Shoals, he set about assembling some of the best session musicians of the time. This included, drummer Roger Hawkins, bass played David Hook, keyboard player Barry Beckett and guitarists Tippy Armstrong and Jimmy Johnson.
One other guest artist would contribute to the album, the maverick genius that is Sly Stone. Bobby Womack had played guitar on There’s A Riot Goin’ On. Sly and Bobby had taken to hanging out together in LA, whilst Sly was waiting to record his next album, which would be There’s A Riot Goin’ On. The pair met when after Sly had purchased a mansion in Bel Air Road, which previously belonged to John and Michelle Phillips, of the Mamas and Pappas.
It was whilst recording a Sly Stone session that Harry Hippie, one of the singles from the album, came about. Jim Ford, a singer and songwriter had happened to be at the Sly Stone session and had an idea for a song. Together, Ford and Bobby worked on the track, and eventually, Harry Hippie took shape. It was a tribute to Bobby’s brother Harry, who like in the song, lives a laid back and carefree life. Sadly, in 1973, the song became hugely poignant for Bobby when Harry was murdered by his girlfriend with whom he’d liked for five years. Harry Hippy became a huge hit for Bobby in 1973, reaching number eight on the R&B Charts. It also gave Bobby his first gold single.
When Understanding was released in 1973, it reached number seven in the Billboard R&B Charts and number forty-three in the Billboard US Pop Charts. Woman’s Gotta Have It, the first single taken from the album gave Bobby his first number one on the Billboard R&B Charts. Add to this, the later success of Harry Hippie as a single, and Bobby Womack’s career was definitely in the ascendency. 1972 certainly proved to be a good year for Bobby, further cementing his reputation as a successful solo artist.
Understanding opens with I Can Understand It, a song Bobby wrote himself. It’s also one of the best songs on the album. This is apparent from the opening bars played by the guitar, and when Bobby half-sings, half speaks the introduction. After that, the track chugs along a mixture drums, keyboards, guitars and Bobby’s brilliant vocal. For much of the song it’s a mixture of strong and raspy, soaring high, full of character. Accompanying him, are backing vocalists which are the perfect foil to his vocal. Their voices compliment his vocal beautifully. Behind him, the arrangement is full, drums drive the arrangement along, guitars scream and soar, as Bobby sometimes growls. A bass and keyboards play, the keyboard accompanying Bobby’s soaring, growling vocal. Rounding off this brilliant track are some great lyrics, where Bobby sings about a problematic relationship. They’re a mixture of serious, sadness, irony and humor. These great lyrics, combined with a brilliant performance from Bobby and his band, make this a truly brilliant track.
Woman’s Gotta Have It is a song that gave Bobby a number one single in the R&B Charts. He cowrote it with Darryl Carter and Linda Cooke Womack, daughter of the late Sam Cooke. They wrote the song to warn a man who was taking his wife for granted. Here, the track has a wonderful arrangement, one of the highlights being Mike Leech’s bass playing. The personnel used on the track includes some great musicians, including, organist Bobby Emmons, guitarist Reggie Young, Hayward Bishop on drums and percussion and Bobby Wood on piano. An organ plays at the start of the track, its sound setting the scene and atmosphere. Again, Bobby half-sings, half speaks the introduction, accompanied by Mike Leech’s bass. This plods along, dark and moody, as guitars, drums and percussion combine. Meanwhile, Bobby gives some advice about keeping a woman happy. Not only does Bobby provide a brilliant track, but marital advice is given free. His vocal is passionate, as it soars, and he veers between snarls and a much softer vocal. In the background, the arrangement surrounds Bobby, yet never overpowers his vocal. Although everyone contributes towards the track’s success, Bobby’s vocal and Mike Leech on bass, are the stars of this great track.
The next track sees Bobby cover And I Love Her, a track made famous by The Beatles, and written by Lennon and McCartney. This was on one of their earlier albums A Hard Day’s Night. Bobby’s version is slow and tender, beginning with a guitar playing, and he half-sings, half speaks the introduction. After that, he takes care with the vocal, singing it slowly, tenderness being the order of the day. Mostly he resists the temptation to let loose. Around him, the arrangement has a lushness. A guitar plays a solo, strings play and drums just keep time. It’s a lovely version of this song, with Bobby producing a beautiful, sympathetic cover version.Bobby’s voice soars at the start of Got To Get You Back, he’s protesting, saddened asking why his lover has to go. Meanwhile, slowly, the band are starting to play. Guitars, drums and keyboards join Bobby, who by now, is almost frantic. His voice is loud, he sings fast, rasping and growling powerfully with frustration. The effect is stunning, demonstrating Bobby’s talents as vocalist. The as if spent out, he slows things down. Likewise the arrangement is more subtle. Now Bobby is calmer, singing the song slower, much more restrained, though sometimes he cuts loose, screaming and snarling. Behind him, the band play really well. A combination of guitar, drums, saxophone and backing singers accompany him. Overall, Bobby’s passionate performance and a great arrangement, produce another great track.
When you hear the start of Simple Man, guitars play in the distance, a bass buzzes. Straight away, you can’t wait for the song to open out. Thankfully, it quickly does, Bobby sings, accompanying him are drums and guitar, setting the pace. In the background, that bass buzzes, a trumpet plays and a guitar solos, it screams brilliantly. By now Bobby’s found his feet, and his vocal veers between restrained then soars, snarling, screaming. Later he whoops and hollers. All the while, the arrangement is growing, keyboards filling out the sound, a glimpse of symphonic sound appears. Guitars and drums are ever present. In some ways, Simple Man sounds like a prototype for the future Blaxploitation music, that would become extremely popular. However, Simple Man was a fantastic example of music that was still to become popular.
Over the years, Bobby Womack has recorded a variety of styles of music, including a country and western album BW Goes CW. The next track, Ruby Dean has a country sound and feel. It’s totally unlike any other track on Understanding. It opens with Bobby accompanied by an acoustic guitar playing. As he sings emotionally, strings sweep behind him. When they depart, the arrangement has a much more country feel, with guitars, drums and harmonica playing. Bobby’s vocal is much more restrained, as he sings the lyrics, which are tinged with sadness, about a mother who neglects her child, and goes looking for “love” elsewhere. Although totally unlike the other tracks on the album, Bobby sings the song really well, and his more restrained performance brings out the best in the song.
A brass section plays at the start of Thing Called Love, giving the song a dramatic sound and feel. A guitar accompanies the brass section chiming brightly, as Bobby sings. His voice starts much quieter, slowly it get stronger. During the track, it’s this mixture of a quieter style, then stronger and louder. Behind him backing singers accompany him, the brass section punctuate the track, and guitar and drums complete the sound. This is one of the best arrangements on Understanding. Given Bobby’s use of such talented musicians, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. On this track, Bobby gives one of his best performances on the album. Here he’s soulful with a capital S, giving a passionate and dramatic performance.
On this album, Bobby covers two well known songs. The first was The Beatles’ And I Love Her, the other is Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed As Good). Bobby’s version is very different to Diamond’s. Of the two versions, I prefer Bobby’s, it’s got much more soul in it. He brings the song to life. It begins with guitar and piano playing. When Bobby sings, his voice is strong and clear, he sings slowly, accompanied by strings, guitar, drums and piano. By now Bobby is really injecting life into the song, transforming it. Likewise the fuller arrangement suits the song, especially the addition of strings sweeping in the background. Drums play an important part highlighting parts of the song. Overall, it’s a brilliant version of this song, and for me, Bobby’s version is the definitive version.
Harry Hippie the song that pays tribute to Bobby’s late brother Harry, closes the album. It’s as if Bobby has kept the best song until the end of the album. Not only is it the highlight of Understanding, but one of the best songs Bobby has ever recorded. When the song starts, a keyboard plays, then Bobby sings slowly, accompanied by a guitar playing. Backing singers accompany him. Bobby’s sings the song brilliantly, taking care with the lyrics, his voice is clear and strong, his phrasing perfect. Behind him, strings play, slowly, drums keep the time. However, it’s Bobby’s vocal and some heartfelt and beautiful lyrics about his brother that make the song. Since the first time I heard the song I’ve loved it, and over thirty years later, it still remains one of my favorite songs.
This isn’t the first time I’ve written about Bobby Womack, previously, I wrote about his album The Poet II. In that article, I wrote about Bobby’s career, from his days with The Valentinos, until present day. After I’d written that article, I felt that it was only fair to write another article on one of his classic albums. That’s why I’ve written this article, that and to tell more people about Bobby’s brilliant music. Understanding was one of his best albums, but during his career, he has produced many great albums. His most popular period was between 1968 and 1975. By 1976, his music had fallen out of favor. No longer was his type of music popular. For a long time, his music failed to trouble the upper reaches of the US Charts. All this changed in 1981 when he released The Poet. It provided Bobby with a number one in the Billboard R&B Charts. Its follow-up The Poet II, reached number five in the Billboard R&B Charts, as did 1985’s So Many Rivers. Since then, his music hasn’t been as popular, and he hasn’t released a studio album since 2000. However, during his career he has released over twenty studio albums, of which Understanding is one of the best. If you’ve never heard Bobby’s music and don’t know what to buy, my advice is from his early period Understanding and Communication are two great albums. They’re available on one CD on the Stateside label, part of EMI. From his later period I’d recommend The Poet and The Poet II, both of which are fantastic albums. Should you just want a compilation album, my advice would be Midnight Mover, The Bobby Womack Collection, a two disc set which features all his early music. Regardless of which you choose, you’ll hear some brilliant soul music. Standout Tracks: I Can Understand It, Woman’s Gotta Have It, Thing Called Love and Harry Hippie.
BOBBY WOMACK-UNDERSTANDING.
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THE ROLLING STONES-SOME GIRLS.
THE ROLLING STONES-SOME GIRLS.
Today I’m going to write about an album that I’d almost forgotten about, until a few weeks ago. Over the years, I’ve bought more albums than I care to remember. Some I love and listen to constantly, others are filed away, and hardly ever see the light of day again. Some Girls by the Rolling Stones falls into the latter category. I’d almost forgotten buying it many years ago, but there it was lurking lonely and unloved in my collection. It was something that happened a couple of weeks ago that made me revisit this album. My friends were away for the day, and I was helping look after their little boy until he went to nursery. Although he’s only three, he loves music, and has done since he was tiny. When he was really young, it was Primal Scream he loved, and when he heard it, he would say “turn it up, turn it up.” So his musical tastes are quite sophisticated for a little guy. Anyway, he decided he wanted music on, so he could play his “drums.” Being a multi-instrumentalist, he sometimes changes to his “guitar.” The radio was put on, and it was The Rolling Stones song Beast of Burden that was playing. This set him off, and he was sitting there, playing away to the Stones. For the duration of the song, he became a three year old guitar hero. A mini Keith Richards or Ron Wood, albeit without the bad habits. My only worry, was that he might become a bass player. Mind you Peter Hook has done not bad playing the bass. Later that evening, I decided to dig out Some Girls, and have a listen to it. This set me thinking that maybe, it was time to reevaluate the album, and see just how good the album is. Before doing that, I’ll look at the background to the album, and what was going on then, with The Rolling Stones.
Some Girls was an album that was recorded quite quickly. During two sessions between October and December 1977 and between January and March 1978, in the Pathe Marconi Studios, in Paris. This was a worrying time for the band, as Keith Richards had been arrested for possession of heroin in Toronto, Canada in early 1977. This meant he faced the possibility of being jailed for many years.
Another problem was the arrival of punk rock. Groups like The Rolling Stones were accused of being musical dinosaurs, by many of these new “musicians.” Ironically, many of the same punks had previously loved much of the Stones music, especially their music from the 1960s’ and early 1970s’. Back then, the group were like rock ‘n’ roll outlaws, during the recording of albums like Exile On Main Street. Times however, had changed, and instead, were the target of criticism and abuse from the punks. The only piece of good news for them, was that Ron Wood had now been confirmed as an official member of the band. Some Girls would be his first album as a member of the band.
It was a very different band that reconvened for the recording sessions. For the first time since the recording of Beggars Banquet in 1968, it would be just the band that would play on the album. This meant that it would just be Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman and recruit, Ron Wood. A few other musicians added saxophone, keyboards and harmonica.
Due to Keith’s problems in Canada, Mick Jagger wrote many of the songs on Some Girls. After the criticism and abuse from the punks, he felt reenergized. Instead getting involved in a verbal sparring match with them, he decided to answer their criticisms through the lyrics on the songs on the Some Girls. Obviously, this seemed a good idea, but one of the lyrics on the album provoked accusations of racism. When you hear the lyric, it’s a horrible, crude and despicable racist lyric. When Jesse Jackson criticized the lyric, Jagger tried to explain it away as a parody of racist attitudes. Another of his responses that if you couldn’t take a joke, then it was too bad. Obviously, that wasn’t the most intelligent thing to say, making a bad situation even worse.
Much of Jagger’s inspiration came from the punk and disco scenes that were emerging in London, Paris and New York. London provided punk, New York and Paris disco, Latin music and various other types of dance music. All of this, contributed towards influencing Jagger when he wrote the songs on Some Girls.
On its release, the album was well received by critics, gaining good reviews. Some critics called it their best album since Exile On Main Street in 1972. Commercially, the album was a massive success. Some Girls reached number two in the UK, and number one in the US. It became The Rolling Stones biggest selling album. In the US alone, it was certified platinum six times over. Having told you the background to the album, I’ll reevaluate the album, to ascertain how good an album it really is.
Some Girls begins with Miss You, the first single taken from the album. It reached number one in the Billboard Hot 100, and number three in the UK singles charts. Its influence is disco and blues. This is apparent from the start, which has a moody bass playing, accompanied by guitars. Later drums and a really bluesy harmonica plays. Disco provides the beat for the track, and Jagger’s vocal sits above the rest of the arrangement, and rest of the band provide near falsetto backing vocals. The rhythm section provide the tracks stars, providing the tracks heartbeat. Bill Wyman’s bass playing is brilliant, it’s slow and plodding sitting prominently in the mix. As the song progresses, Jagger’s vocal is charismatic, one minute nearly whispering, the next soaring confidently. Richards and Woods guitar playing combines perfectly, complimenting Wyman’s bass playing. Adding the finishing touch, is a saxophone which occasionally rasps, and the reentry of the bluesy harmonica. Overall, it’s a brilliant track to open the album, demonstrating that dinosaurs are indeed extinct.
When you hear the start of When the Whip Comes Down, a rocky track maybe slightly influenced by punk in parts. It starts with a mixture of drums and guitar, a retro rocky sound apparent straight away. It’s Jagger’s vocal, and backing vocals provided by the rest of the group that maybe have been influenced by punk. There’s an anger in both Jagger’s vocal and the backing vocals. The remainder of the track sees The Rolling Stones do what they do best, rock ‘n’ roll. Here, it’s a three pronged attack on guitar. Wood, Richards and Jagger combine masterfully, their guitar playing the highlight of the track. Sometimes, they combine, other times, brilliant solos can be heard. Together the band produce a powerful sound, with Jagger’s vocal almost screaming towards the end. What always amazed me about this track, was it was only ever released as the b-side to a single. Although not as good as the opening track, it’s still a really good track, with Jagger’s vocal and the guitar playing the highlights of the track.
Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) sees the Stones interpret an old soul classic. I’m sure Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong never envisaged the song they cowrote being sung and played like this. This is a song I’ve always loved, and when I first heard the track I was really unsure about this version. For me, The Temptations version was the definitive version. More recently, Terry Callier covered the track beautifully, producing a very sympathetic version. Here, the Stones version is very different. It begins with a guitar solo accompanied by drums. The sound is loud. Likewise, when Jagger sings, his voice is way too loud for the song. Sometimes he’s almost growling, totally different from the original. By now, the arrangement is much fuller, much louder, again, totally different from The Temptations original. Having said that, the guitar playing is really good, the drumming likewise. However, sometimes the guitars scream and soar, solos emerge played really well. The arrangement is really good, everyone plays brilliantly, but I’ve two problems with this version of the song. Jagger’s vocal is too loud, and unsympathetic to the song. My other problem is the original. The Temptations version is brilliant. Any other version will only ever be second best. What I will say, is that it’s an interesting interpretation of a classic song.
The song which provoked the controversy regarding racism, Some Girls is next. It’s a guitar and ultra bluesy harmonica that open the track. Jagger’s voice is much better, singing the lyrics much slower. Quickly, the arrangement gets much fuller, guitars soar, screaming, drums are pounded and Jagger’s vocal gets higher. At this point, a glorious rocky track is emerging. By now the track has slowed down, Jagger sings slowly, it’s guitar solos aplenty that emerge out of your speakers. They’ve really found their A-game, and are playing brilliantly. Then they spoil it all. That horrible odious lyrics appears. It’s a blot on the landscape and although clearly, the Stones are back in form, and were still relevant as band, by uttering that horrible racist lyric, they spoil an otherwise good track.
Lies is another track that has a quicker tempo and much fuller sound. It’s a near frantic start to the track that greets the listener. From the start, the track bursts into life, guitars and drums combining. The sound is both loud and the tempo fast. Jagger almost shouts the lyrics, as the band play. Again, Richard and Woods’ guitar playing is brilliant. Here, the band let loose, and really rock, the drums and guitars driving the song along. It’s a potent combination, with Jagger vocal loud, shouting the lyrics. In the end, it’s one of the best songs on the album, and again, demonstrates that in 1978, the Stones were far from a spent force.
Far Away Eyes, begins with a sound that’s straight out of Nashville, complete with a steel guitar almost weeping during the track. The arrangement is brilliant, has a really lovely laid back sound and feel. It’s a pedal steel guitar that plays at the start of the track, accompanied by drums played slowly and subtly. Mick Jagger’s starts off by half speaking, half singing, the lyrics, although is faux American accent jars somewhat in places. Once he starts to sing his vocal is much better. However, the highlight is the pedal steel guitar accompanying him. It’s played brilliantly by Keith, and the addition of the piano really adds the finishing touches to the arrangement. Completing the package are the lyrics. After the spoken word part, they’re really good, some of the album’s best. Together, this combination makes a really good song, one that’s very different to the rest of the album.
As I hear the start to Respectable, it’s like being back in 1978, when this song was on the radio constantly, and I even remembering buying the single. From the opening bars, the Stones head into familiar rocky territory. It’s bass and drums that open the track, then chiming guitars. Mick’s vocal is one of the best on Some Girls. It’s strong, snarling at times, loud and quick. Thereafter, the track drives along, a menacing mixture of drums, bass and the magical three pronged attack on guitar from Richards, Woods and Jagger. Their playing is the highlight of the track, some brilliant solos emerge, one particularly, reminds me of Chuck Berry, one of Keith’s heroes. Charlie Watts drumming shouldn’t be underestimated, as it plays a huge part in the success of the track. Overall, everyone plays their part in making this a brilliant track. Thirty-three years later, Respectable still sounds just as good, as back in 1978.
A familiar sound opens Before They Make Me Run, it’s that familiar chiming guitar sound. One surprise awaits though. Here, Keith takes over the lead vocal. His voice is very different to Mick’s. Although, it lacks the power and strength of Mick’s, it’s full of character, if a bit weak sounding on this track. Behind him, the band make up for this, providing a fulsome backing track, with guitars aplenty, that are loud and powerful, chiming brightly. Drums sit way forward in the mix, and combined with the guitars, provide the mainstay of the track. However, although the band play really well, Keith’s vocal lets the song down for me. Maybe if the rest of the arrangement wasn’t so loud and powerful, his voice wouldn’t sound as weak. To me, his voice is overpowered by the rest of the arrangement.
My favorite song on Some Girls has always been Beast of Burden. Much as I like Respectable, this one is even better. Here the band slow things way down, and in the process, produce one of their best tracks in forty years, at least. As the track opens, a guitar plays in the distance, then, it move forward in the mix, producing a bright melodic sound. Drums join in, they too, playing really slowly. When Mick sings, he sings slowly, getting into the lovely laid back vibe the band are creating. Sometimes, they increase the tempo and volume. Mostly, the song meanders beautifully, Charlie’s drums the tracks backdrop. Again, the stars are Keith and Ron, their guitar playing masterful. Occasionally, Mick whoops, the rest of the band sing falsetto whooping backing vocals. By the end, you realize that this was The Rolling Stones back to their best, producing a tremendous track that saw them roll back the years.
Some Girls closes with Shattered, which opens with drums and guitars and Mick’s vocal loud, sometimes, complete with exaggerated mid-Atlantic accent. During the song, he resorts to shouting the vocal. Meanwhile, Keith and Ron play some great guitar solos, drums pounding and the bass plods along. Handclaps punctuate the track, the occasional whoop completing the sound. One thing that lets the song down is the lyriscs. They’re far from the strongest on the album, and have a throwaway nature, like something you’d consign to the b-side of a single. By the end, I’ve similar feelings about Shattered than I had about Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me). Similarly, the band play really well, but it’s the vocal and the lyrics that lets the track down. For me, it’s a disappointing end to what has been a good album by the band.
This has been like a trip down memory lane listening to Some Girls. Listening to it, it took me back over thirty years, to when I first heard the album, and reminded me of things that were happening back then. One of the things that was happening back then was punk. The Rolling Stones were being labelled as dinosaurs by the punks, who were the new “angry young men” of music, much like the Stones in the early sixties. Some Girls went a long way to proving that they were still a relevant musical force. It also proved that dinosaurs were long extinct, because back then, they were far from being musical dinosaurs. On the album, are some great tracks, and many critics thought that this was their best album since Exile On Main Street in 1972. Personally, I think Exile On Main Street is a far superior album, but having said that, Some Girls was a welcome return to form from the band. What’s ironic thirty-three years on, is that millions of people remember this album, but the names of many of the punk bands will long have slipped their memory. I always am reminded of a Johnny Rotten quote which I think best describes the punk movement “ ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” Standout Tracks: Miss You, Respectable, Lies and Beast of Burden.
THE ROLLING STONES-SOME GIRLS.
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