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Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Pentangle: A History in Several Parts (Conclusion)

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Colin H on Pentangle 1969-73

The first half of the tale, chronicling 1967-69, with supplementary diversions on repertoire, releases and broadcasts during that period, appears here:

Pentangle: A History in Several Parts

It seems that there must be a word limit to threads, as I’ve had difficulty uploading the next installment on the original page. So here, in the comments, is Part 3 (of 4) of the tale, with similar supplementary diversions to be added.

Cosmic Mountaineering – play it loud!

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‘Mountaineer’ over at the Steve Hoffman forums has managed to find some space in between people arguing about shipping dates to debut this splendid bit of video sleight of hand, interlacing moving images of Mountain performing ‘Dreams of Milk and Honey’ at a 1970 festival with the blistering professionally recorded audio from a Fillmore closing-night performance the following year – plus some cosmic graphics to fill in the gaps, like liquid light show…. He’s done a marvellous job. I thought some AWers might like to see it. We don’t often mention Mountain round here…

Pentangle: A History in Several Parts

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Colin H on Pentangle

This may turn out to be the longest Afterword feature there has been. There may be those who falter before the end… there may be others who can’t be bothered starting… I was unexpectedly at a loose end this evening and, somehow, digging up and posting this piece for the sake of making it available to anyone who may be interested came to mind. I’ll post the first tranche (about a quarter of it) now, and the rest in instalments over the next few days.

Here’s the context: In 1999 I wrote a book about Bert Jansch. In 2006 I was commissioned by Sanctuary Records to prepare a tracklist and annotate a box set on his 1967-73 band Pentangle. I created an essay for the set by drawing from, editing and finessing a large slab of text I’d researched and drafted circa 1990-91 on the band, with a book in mind, before becoming a professional writer for a time (1994-2001, and again from 2012). Some of that early 90s material had been adapted for use in the Jansch book, but in it I covered really only the beginning and end of the band. Somewhere between that » Continue Reading.

So, farewell then, Mahavishnu… (says America)

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I’ve hesitated to start a new thread on this, as I posted a tour heads-up thread and a ‘wow – he’s back to double-neck’ thread within the past couple of months, and I fear annoying people with too much Maha… But… dammit, John McLaughlin has just played his last ever tour in America, where he made his name (relocating to New York in 1969 after a remarkable 10-year British career under the radar, but popping up in all sorts of places, traversing all sorts of scenes – a Zelig of the Swinging 60s in London) and where the Mahavishnu Orchestra burned bright and then burned out, 1971-75.

It may well be that he has played his last ever show (as opposed to tour) in America – at UCLA Royce Hall, Los Angeles, a couple of days ago. The tour was remarkable for him playing a load of Mahavishnu tunes for the first time in decades, including a full separate two-band set of the stuff with tour co-headliners Jimmy Herring’s Invisible Whip.

Here then is a glimpse of the last homage in America to the Greatest Band That Ever Was, ‘Eternity’s Breath’:

Jazz Magazine Admits: The London Modern Jazz Scene Is Finished

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Colin H on Musings on the byways of British Jazz

That got your attention, didn’t it? Rather like the Afterword (definitively described once, by Hannah, as ‘still not as good as it used to be’), the British jazz scene has FOREVER been whingeing that it’s all gone to hell. There is some unreachable, vague point at which the British jazz scene was apparently great – but that point is ALWAYS years before the date at which a given person is stating it. Maybe in the 60s it was great in the 50s; maybe in the 70s it was great in the 60s, etc. etc…

Certainly, as my recently acquired April 1957 copy of British magazine ‘Jazz News’ would have one believe, the whole thing was all over already – flee at once, jump overboard, every man for himself…

I was delighted to find this on eBay recently. The magazine ran from 1957–63, beginning as monthly and then becoming fortnightly, even trying weekly at one point. I have many 1960-63 copies but ‘50s copies are much rarer.

I thought the Afterword might enjoy this wander down memory lane, around the beginning of the pop/rock era. So here is a » Continue Reading.

The mother of all Tolkien resources: new edition out now!

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I’m a huge fan of Tolkien – if you’re not, move along, nothing to see, etc. – and of the better scholarship about him and his literary creations (the best commentators, in my view, being Tom Shippey and Verlyn Fleiger – who herself has a new anthology of essays and talks on Tolkien out very soon – and historian John Garth, plus the late great Humphrey Carpenter).

Added to the list of great Tolkien scholars are the husband and wife team Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull. Their colossal ‘JRR Tolkien Companion & Guide’, a double book set comprising ‘A Reader’s Guide’ and ‘Chronology’, was published a number of years ago and represented a mammoth achievement – a finely crafted, forensically researched book of biographical data – almost days by day in places – alongside an encyclopedia-type volume of essays on Tolkien’s works, his peers, influences, episodes in his publishing history, schools and colleges attended, academic work, etc., etc.

Well, there’s now a new edition, expanded to a three volume set – or 1.3 million words. It’s on amazon UK at £78 – that’s a huge saving on the RRP of £140.

There are great numbers of third-rate, poorly » Continue Reading.

Mystical History Tour: John McLaughlin 1959-75

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My friend Adele, one of the Wookaladies, has very kindly created a couple of slideshow promo vids for me, to do with books and music. No hard sell intended – just momentary distraction: if you’ve 4 mins to spare, here’s fragments from the first 16 years of John McLaughlin’s professional career.

Unexpected delight – John McLaughlin back on double-neck guitar!

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John McLaughlin’s farewell US tour began yesterday in Buffalo, NY. A few short cameraphone clips have appeared (mostly bits of ‘Meeting of the Spirits’) but this one’s a revelation. Though distant, JM is clearly playing a double-neck, presumably a PRS model. Prompted by the interviewer, he joked about asking the PRS luthier to make him such a thing in a recent ‘Jazz Times’ interview. I would guess that PRS had one lying around and, after the JT interview, gave the great man a call.

This is a glimpse of the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s ‘Trilogy’, clearly part of the end of night set with the JM band joined by Jimmy Herring’s band:

Cosmic Americana: sensational new Sarah McQuaid/Michael Chapman album ahoy!

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Regular Afterworders will know I’m a huge fan of singer/songwriter and celebrity Cornwall dweller Sarah McQuaid. Sarah has just announced Bandcamp pre-order options for her new album – ‘If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous’ – with legendary guitar-slinger and celebrity Yorkshire dweller Michael Chapman producing.

I didn’t care for the production on Sarah’s last album, but this one sounds like a terrific new path, from the expansive, spare, analogue sound of preview track ‘The Tug of the Moon’.

Sarah hopes to press ‘go’ on a vinyl pressing for the album (which is scheduled for February 2018 release), but needs enough pre-orders for this option to happen. I’ve just made my contribution. Hope others will too.

Here’s what Sarah and Michael have to say:

I’m delighted to announce that my fifth solo album If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous will be released on 2nd February 2018 and is now available to pre-order. Produced by guitar legend Michael Chapman (memorably described in The Guardian as “the godfather of new cosmic Americana”), the album features what I’m convinced is by far my best batch of original songs and instrumentals ever … plus another co-write with the » Continue Reading.

Old Punks

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My friend Kyle, one of two individuals who jostle for the soubriquet ‘Godfather of Punk’ in Belfast, popped round yesterday and told me he’d been at a Clash-related event the day before (an anniversary of them not playing in Belfast – yes, really). He’d bumped into a local character called Petesy Burns, who’s been a member of revived 70s Belfast punks The Outcasts in recent years. Apparently, in some kind of fall-out over T-shirt sales, Petesy’s now formed his own act called A.R.S.E. – presumably it stands for something, but who knows.

Still, it allowed me to ask the Kylemeister an obvious question: ‘So, have you seen Petesy Burns’ ARSE?’

Even better, I met another old punk associate for coffee this morning and asked him the same question – to which he could answer, ‘Yeah – and it’s pretty good.’

I must admit, this sort of thing tickles me. I can see me getting a lot of fun out of it in my coffee shop encounters with such cronies for some time…

Here’s Petesy (with beard) onstage with The Outcasts. Let’s rock!