With their first album in 24 years in June. And sounding very good if the single is anything to go by. That was unexpected. Vídeo in comments.
Blimey, Pulp are back
Bryan Ferry & Amelia Barratt
My knowledge of Mr Ferrari and Roxy Music doesn’t go much further than the hits, which I like, but the song in the comments popped up in my Spotify release radar playlist recently and after ignoring it for a while, I clicked. Blimey, I thought. What’s Byron (and Amelia Barratt) up to here? It’s rather good.
The album Loose Talk came out last week and I’ve listened to it plenty since and I like it a lot, despite my usual aversion to spoken word. Ferry/Roxy backing tracks from the vaults, some updated, with received English recital over the top. Is that selling it to you…?
Not reviewing it as I don’t have enough Roxy/Ferry/spoken word references to do it justice but thought it was worth highlighting as something very interesting for a bloke of 79/80 (not forgetting Amelia Barratt) to be releasing. Also be interested to hear what those with greater knowledge of the man and his music think.
Not sure to what extent it will stay the course for me – I really do struggle with spoken word and while the words are intriguing I’m not sure how much repeat listening they’ll stand – but for the last » Continue Reading.
The Oscars
No, not the ceremony because I can’t be bothered with that, but the films themselves. For once I’ve actually seen a few and am quite tempted to see several others.
Must admit that Anora completely passed me by but I’m keen to see it now. Wasn’t at all interested in Conclave but now I’m tempted. Also can’t wait to see A Complete Unknown (only just out here in Spain) and I’m Still Here sounds good. Emilia Perez on the other hand I don’t think I’d see it if I was paid to.
The Brutalist I like less with every passing day since I saw it. Really liked the first half and at the interval I was well primed. By the end though I was yawning and fidgeting more than I ever have before in the cinema. It goes nowhere, slowly and pompously. And Adrien Brody’s was the kind of self-consciously actorly performance I can’t be doing with. Good soundtrack though.
Outright loved A Real Pain. Funny and moving and in a blessedly short 90 minutes a whole lot deeper than the Brutalist. Kieran Kulkin a well deserved supporting actor winner even if he was obviously the leading actor…
Very » Continue Reading.
Bernie Gunther bonkers Kindle bargain
All 14 of Philip Kerr’s wonderful Bernie Gunther novels going for 3.99 of your British pounds on Kindle. I make that about 29 pence each for one of the finest series of crime novels ever written. Snap it up before they realise they’ve cocked up. You’re welcome.
Tindersticks klaxon
New album out today from a group I’ve loved for more than 30 years. It’s very good. And very happy to see them, after all this time, getting the lead review in the Guardian from Alexis Patredis. Also saves me reviewing it myself.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/sep/12/tindersticks-soft-tissue-review-abundant-with-lovely-subtle-details
And yes, Stuart Staples does maybe occasionally sound like Vic Reeves’ club singer, just to get that out of the way.
Graham Thorpe
Obituary
One of my favourite ever cricketers. What a player through a pretty dreadful time for England. Slightly horrified, for all sorts of reasons, that at 55 he was only three years older than me. RIP Thorpey.
Barry Adamson klaxon
Nice surprise this morning. Had my usual Friday look at my Spotify release radar playlist only to discover that Barry Adamson has just ‘dropped’ (sorry) his first album in 8 years, Cut to Black. Had no idea this was coming.
Already 5 listens in and it’s very very good. Much underappreciated is our Bazza, as I’m sure he doesn’t call himself, so I thought I’d do my bit to help spread the love.
Couple of songs in the comments.
Too Much Too Young bargain
The kindle version of the brand-new and much-praised 2 Tone story by Daniel Rachel is going for 99p or 99 cents, depending on geography, on Amazon. Dive in. I have.
Lilac Time klaxon
Some very good news for those partial to a bit of Lilac Time – they’re adding their mid-period albums onto streaming services. In the last couple of weeks we’ve had Looking for a Day in the Night, Lilac 6, Keep Going and now Runout Groove. Stephen Duffy, you’re spoiling us.
Bands that will, or won’t, stand the test of time…
Messrs Hepworth and Ellen broached an interesting topic in the latest Word podcast. Which bands will last, and which will fade away. Good subject I thought.
Who would have thought a decade ago that Queen (48th) and Fleetwood Mac (103rd) would seem to be down with the kids and be higher up in the most listened to artists on Spotify lists than the Beatles (128th) and Stones (179th)? Or 20 years ago that Coldplay (14th) or Arctic Monkeys (53rd wtf!?) would not only still be around but still be weirdly huge.
I’m not convinced with the H&E theory that it’s all about the ‘story’ – the Doors (nowhere to be seen) seem to be all story but does anyone still care about them? I’m not sure it’s films either. OK, Elton John (44th!) had Rocketman and Queen had Bohemian Rhapsody but Baz Lurman’s Elvis doesn’t seem to have done the same for Elvis (347th) and Oliver Stone’s The Doors arguably finished them off way back when. And while my children enjoyed Yesterday it didn’t make them start listening to the Beatles, but they love Queen and Fleetwood Mac – you could say that they’d rather Fleetwood Mac than Jack. » Continue Reading.
First record you bought
First single: King – Love & Pride (ouch)
First album: Now That’s What I Call Music 5
First individual artist album: Bryan Adams – Reckless
So, no, I didn’t start out cool. I hope some of you can do better.
Expat v Immigrant
Apologies, bit of politics. But I’ve seen a lot recently on Twatter about Brexit regrets (good). But one of the things I most hate about the current British exceptionalism/Brexit malarkey is how Brits abroad are endlessly described as expats while other foreigners are immigrants (these days generally illegal in the UK).
I’ve lived in Spain 20 years and am very definitely an immigrant, not an expat. I know there are people from all parts here so how do others feel?
FWIW Spain have treated me very fairly (as a white and middle class bloke lets be frank) both pre and post Brexit, though it hurts being a common or garden resident these days rather than a European.
Whatever Happened to the C86 Kids?
Author:Nige Tassell
I was too young for C86 but within a year or two I was a fully paid up NME/Melody Maker indie-kidder with the fringe and big jumpers to prove it. But I do remember listening to the tape at some point and thinking it was crap even then. I’ve recently listened to the playlist on Spotify and in all honesty it’s even crapper now.
But, this book is fascinating. Featuring new interviews with one or more members of all 22 bands on the original tape, focusing on that time and their lives since. As such It works as a sort of companion piece to Exit Stage Left from last year – interviews with musicians post-fame – but in the case of C86ers most of them didn’t even get famous in the first place. For many, C86 was the pinnacle.
There’s quite a lot of regret over terrible decisions taken and opportunities missed. Quite a bit of wry, self-deprecating humour. A few, though happily not too many, premature deaths. A wide range of (mostly fairly middle class) post-band careers. A few low-key reformations. A lot of ‘I still make music but just for myself now.’ Some entertaining detective » Continue Reading.
Shadow Kingdom
No way I’m brave enough to review a Dylan album. But bloody hell it’s good. Having missed the film my flabber is well and truly gasted.
Teenage Fanclub klaxon!
My beloved Fannies have a new album Nothing Lasts Forever coming September. I’m delighted. Just two years after Endless Arcade. So hopefully an end to 5/6 year gaps between albums.
Since Jerry left they’ve really upped the workload so maybe it becomes clearer what the tensions were behind him leaving.
New song is a decent enough Norman effort. Not an instant classic methinks. But all the Endless Arcade singles sounded better in the context of the album so I’m quietly confident.
Just wonderful to have them back so quickly.
Trashcan Sinatras claxon
Quite by chance I’ve just found out that everyone’s favourite under the radar janglers released a new single towards the end of last year. It’s flipping great and deserves more love. There’s a Shadow is possibly the best thing they’ve ever done.
ATM:Insomnia
Not much music or culture in this post I’m afraid.
Since I turned 45 I’ve literally forgotten how to sleep. Never very good at it before but never bothered me. Late night, early morning, bit knackered but fine.
But last 5 years it’s taken on its own personality. Dogs me through the day “no way you’re sleeping tonight” and is proved right. Tried booze, but that led to other issues. Now pills, but even near overdose numbers don’t work. Healthier attempts too. Regular to bed early to rise. No screen time of an evening. Physical activity. Pilates. Breathing activities.No nicotine. Herbal teas. All bollocks.
Three or four nights a week are basically sleep free zones. And my brain, body and career are feeling its effects. And all that late night thinking produces many darkest hours. Not to mention a thankfully sympathetic partner who often just heads for the sofa when the tossing and turning starts. When she sleeps she actually looks likes she’s enjoying it!
So any of you grizzled but wise types out there have any experience? Or things that worked. Doctors tell me pill use has to come to end. And then what?
Yours tiredly
How much spare cash do middle aged/elderly rock fans have?
More than me clearly. And space of course.
https://twitter.com/BeatlesPod/status/1590726064414011395?s=20&t=jHZVmfYf_em3NRWuRl-C9Q
The most Afterword friendly streaming platform of them all?
Anyone else heard of Filmin? I feel I have to share the good news having just watched Stephen Frears’ brilliant The Hit (Terence Stamp! John Hurt! Fernando Rey! Tim Roth in his film debut) – basically a chilly British crime film in the Get Carter mold, crossed with a road-trip across scorched and parched Spanish landscapes. I’d never heard of it but Filmin recommended it after I rewatched Sexy Beast.
Other recent watches include Michael Mann’s Thief, Misery, Black Adder, Inside Number 9, Something Wild, Peter Bogdanovich’s Targets, a Peckinpah trilogy of Convoy, Straw Dogs and The Chase, the great new Vonnegut documentary, The Guns of Navarone (!), In the Heat of the Night, An American Werewolf in London, lots of Tati, and even Spielberg’s 1941 (I’ve always wanted to see it but it turns out it’s every bit as crap as its reputation).
So, basically it’s everything I hoped streaming services would be when they started – the history of film and TV all there ready and waiting for you – rather another hugely expensive identikit Netflix or HBO production (some of which admittedly have their charms).
I’ve currently got around 150 films on the ‘Saved to watch » Continue Reading.
English cricket
What on earth has happened over the last month or so? As a veteran of the 80s and 90s and various other doldrums this is unthinkable, unimaginable stuff. (To be a grinch for a moment, ‘Bazball’ is a crap word.) But Joe Root must be playing better than any English batsman ever. And then Stokes. Anderson. Potts. Even Jack Leach. And Jonny Bairstow? Who knew? Wonderful stuff. And they were so so sh*t so recently.
Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Pop Stars
Author:Nick Duerden
An idea so simple that it’s surprising that it’s not been done before. What’s it like when you’re no longer hugely/fairly/semi famous? It’s presented as a pretty straight collection of articles/interviews with an impressive range of artists from proper superstars (Robbe Williams), indie types (Alex Kapranos, Lloyd Cole, Wayne Hussey, Shaun Ryder), oldies (Joan Armatrading, Leo Sayer), as well as teeny-pop types and plenty more.
There’s no real attempt made to find patterns or draw overarching conclusions. Some stories tell of an abrupt fall of a cliff, others a long, slow managed decline and while some have a redemptive arc, not all of them do by any means. But the author has a nice easy to read style and it’s pretty funny in places. Sad in others.
One thing is pretty clear – it’s not easy. And it can’t have been easy either to get many of these interviews and while this is thankfully far from a tabloid-style take-down or hatchet job, there’s plenty of evidence, both explicit and implicit, that a fair few of these post fame and success lives have been a struggle. There’s a lot of ‘I’m in a better place than I’ve ever been’ » Continue Reading.
Terrible blurbs of our time
Or: How to make a book sound as unappealing as possible…
The long-awaited, candid memoir from Peter Doherty, whose talent as a musician has more often been eclipsed by a Herculean appetite for selfdestruction: drugs, prison, prostitution, court, murder, death, robbery, car crashes and hospital emergencies.
Peter Doherty’s is the last of the great rock ‘n’ roll stories. As an icon, he is on par with the early Rolling Stones and Sid Vicious – bad boy and public enemy. To his devoted fans, he is a cult hero, a modern-day Rimbaud. Musically, there is no doubt he has defined the past twenty years of British rock ‘n’ roll with his sound, lyrics, lifestyle and aesthetic. Since The Libertines rose to international fame, Doherty has proved endlessly fascinating. A whirlwind of controversy and scandal has tailed him since his first spell in prison in 2003. He divides critics; for every award and accolade, there is a scathing review. All too often his talents as a songwriter and performer have been over-looked. Hard drugs, tiny gigs on the hoof, huge stadium shows, collaborations, obliterations, gangsters and groupies, Doherty has led a life of huge highs and incredible lows.
In A Likely » Continue Reading.
The joy of musical discovery
Earlier this year it was clear I was musically stuck. Spotify unwrapped told me that for the nth year in a row I’d mostly listened to Lloyd Cole, Dylan, Nick Lowe, Teenage Fanclub, Leonard Cohen et al. Now, I love them all dearly but seriously… Basically with endless choice had come paralysis.
Then came an extended period of mostly solitary forced rest, with the need for a project of some sort to distract from pain and other worries. So I thought, what about a bit of classical?
I’ve dabbled before, but in a Greatest Hits kind of way. Fair bit of Bach, bit of Mozart, bit of Vivaldi, maybe even some Purcell. But always the obvious stuff. The sheer range of composers, works, instruments, versions always felt a bit overwhelming, so back to Bandwagonesque it was.
So a couple of months ago, painkillered up and after a bit of internet research I fired up Spotify with intent. Starting with major composers and major works, then following recommendations, playlists and the internet, I disappeared down a rabbit hole from which I’m yet to emerge. Who knew what riches awaited me?! (I should perhaps have guessed…).
Truth is I haven’t felt » Continue Reading.
Downing Street 5 v ECB 3
Currently a tense battle of the resignations/firings taking place between No 10 and post-Ashes English cricket. While anyone who cares about England cricket can probably name one or two more on the books (Tom Harrison obvs, Root less so), in the long run it’s hard not to feel/hope that the politicians and advisors will run away easy winners here.
Shame about Thorpe as in the 90s he was probably my favourite cricketer. But with that Ashes batting it was just a matter of time…
Labi Siffre (just a link to an interview, he’s not dead…)
I had genuinely no clue about Labi Siffre until I read this excellent interview, other than as a vague idea of him as a one hit wonder in the 80s (I was 14 and it wasn’t really my kind of thing as I’d just discovered indie…) And having just re-listened to Something Inside for the first time in 35 years it’s heartfelt, but a little overwrought and sounds of its time.
But what a fascinating man and what a remarkable life. I’m currently listening on S****** and enjoying his 70s stuff which I had no idea existed (and I like to think of myself as a half-decent music nerd). Being simplistic Bill Withers, who I know a bit more of, seems to be the closest comparison, i.e. a soul, funk, folk, singer-songwriter and country mix from a source that probably wouldn’t have been expected in the 70s.
Anyway, just putting this here, because it’s worth a read. And while I’m sure some people may know this stuff already (in which case any favourites?) others may have the same pleasant surprise I’ve just had. And I had *no* idea he wrote It Must Be Love…
