What does it sound like?: When you think of the big AOR bands, Journey and Foreigner will always be near the top of any list. Here we have two live releases from them, one … [Read More...]
Musings on the byways of popular culture
Nights In
Van Morrison The Healing Game – Extended Edition
What does it sound like?: This 3 Disc Collection Includes the Original Album + Rare and Unreleased Sessions, All-Star Collaborations and Live Performances from The Healing Game … [Read More...]
Dave – Psychodrama
What does it sound like?: Ten weeks in and the first essential album of 2019 has arrived, I would contend. UK rap has in Dave a bona fide superstar, and Psychodrama is a … [Read More...]
Nick Waterhouse – Nick Waterhouse
What does it sound like?: According to historians Soul music died in 1976 when disco and funk took over. However, there are plenty of modern-day acts that are updating the sound … [Read More...]
Nights Out
Daylight Music Presents: Distant Voices
Venue: Union Chapel London Date: 16/03/2019 I grew up connecting songs with prison. One of my touchstone records that I wore out was Johnny Cash live at San Quentin with his … [Read More...]
Roy Harper
Venue: London Palladium Date: 16/03/2019 That was it; coming up for 44 years since I first him and more than 20 gigs later I’ve seen my last Roy Harper performance. As he told … [Read More...]
Glenn Tilbrook and Wilko Johnson
Venue: Robin 2,Bilston Date: 13/03/2019 Had been looking forward to this night for a few weeks as big fan of both Glenn and Wilko. The Robin is a venue that supports a lot of … [Read More...]
Plastic Mermaids
Venue: Lexington, London Date: 13/03/2019 Wednesday night finds us in North London at the Lexington, a 300 person capacity venue we’d not been to before, to see Plastic Mermaids. … [Read More...]
Features
Fifty Years Of In A Silent Way
Tiggerlion on In A Silent Way by Miles Davis
Fifty years ago today, Miles Davis unleashed a quiet storm. In A Silent Way is unique in the world of popular music and jazz. It calmly and clear-sightedly surrenders the old ways of acoustic instruments and small groups captured in whole takes and warmly embraces the new, the hum of electricity and the role of producer as contributory artist, cutting and splicing away. It consists of two vinyl-side long pieces that seem to float, beautiful and ethereal, only bursting with colour for a brief moment in the final third of side two. It challenges the very definition of Jazz, raising questions of authenticity and its relationship with technology and a wider Rock audience. The final product sounds as futuristic today as it did fifty years ago. It is Miles Davis reinventing modern music once again.
Legend has it that In A Silent Way, like Kind Of Blue ten years earlier, was recorded on a single day, that day being 18th February 1969. The story goes that Davis, the wizard alchemist, brought together a group of musicians and, with no clear instructions or guidance, coaxed a masterpiece out of them. The truth » Continue Reading.
Films
Cold Pursuit
Year: 2046 Director: Hans Petter Moland Every family has a film thing yes? Some shared collection of actors, genres and in-jokes that bind you all together in front of the screen … [Read More...]
A Private War
Year: 2019 Director: Matthew Heineman I can’t imagine this film will be seen by many people unaware of Marie Colvin’s story – (spoiler alert) sometimes described as a “rock star” … [Read More...]
Roma
Year: 1900 Director: Alfonso Cuaron It’s weird how films can happen now. Time was when your local cinema got Star Wars six months after you read the reviews, and three months … [Read More...]
The Favourite
Year: 2018 Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Despite having a pretty similar relationship with historical fact as some of the recent Dr Who episodes, this is a great piece of cinema - … [Read More...]
Reads
Metropolis
Author:Philip Kerr All good things come to an end, and sadly this is the final volume of the excellent Bernie Gunther series. Philip Kerr sadly passed away last Spring, and .a … [Read More...]
Another Planet
Author:Tracey Thorn Subtitled "A Teenager in Suburbia", this latest memoir covers the years from her birth to when she left home at the age of 18 for university in Hull (and a … [Read More...]
A Fabulous Creation
Author:David Hepworth David Hepworth channels Bryan Ferry for the title of his new book, coming hot on the heels of last November's 'Nothing Is Real', and dealing with, as its … [Read More...]
A Boy And His Dog At The End Of The World
Author:C.A. Fletcher My name's Griz. My childhood wasn't like yours. I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football. My parents … [Read More...]
Games
Destiny 2
Platform:Playstation Age Rating:16+ Year of Release:2017 Review:In 22 Jump Street - possibly apart from Aliens and T2 the best ever sequel - Ice Cube greets the returning cops … [Read More...]
Frankie Goes To Hollywood: The Game
Platform:C64 Age Rating:3+ Year of Release:1985 Review:It's hard to explain how flipping massive FGTH were in 1983-5 and how much they milked that cash cow. I still recall that … [Read More...]
Noticeboard
Re-Play Papworth
24/02/2019 Two hours of classic Fleetwood Mac on vinyl - Polydor Greatest Hits, Rumours and Tango In The Night. Played on a top-flight hi-fi in the Courtyard Café, Papworth … [Read More...]
Jarrod Dickenson e-tickets
09/02/2019 https://youtu.be/_uCqWky8DgM The wonderful Jarrod Dickenson is playing Oslo in London this Saturday night (9th Feb) and, due to illness, I have 2 tickets (on e-mail) … [Read More...]
Ryan Adams RAH ticket spare
02/04/2019 I have a spare for Ryan Adams at the Royal Albert Hall. Good seat, just behind the mixing desk. Face value + fees is £63.96 but I'll take £50. … [Read More...]
Re-Play Papworth
27/01/2019 Two hours of classic Aretha Franklin on vinyl with Otis and Dusty providing support. Played on a top-flight hi-fi in the Courtyard Café, Papworth … [Read More...]
The Fat John Sextet… releases its debut album after 56 years
22/02/2019 Sometimes these days I write long essays in reissue/archive CD booklets, but more often (not least because it’s easier) I get involved in the background of such … [Read More...]
Re-Play Papworth: Sunday afternoon vinyl playbacks
30/12/2018 By popular request, a double headliner this month of Michael Jackson's Off The Wall and Thriller, all played off vinyl on a £12,000 hifi. And a bit of scene-setting … [Read More...]
