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Happy birthday, Dennis Wilson

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December the fourth would have been Dennis Wilson´s 75th birthday. He joined The Beach Boys because the Wilson´s mother thought it was a good way of knowing his whereabouts. He wasn´t a technical drummer, but good live as he could always keep a good rockin´ rhythm going. And annoy Mike Love with his good looks, thus attracting the girls. Dennis didn´t seem to mind when he was replaced in the studio and later live as well.

In 1968 he had his first songs featured on an album by the group, most likely surprising every one (possibly including himself) with the beauty of his music. Quite a contrast to his energetic persona.

And so ee was the star of the great 1970 release Sunflower, contributing Slip On Through, the gorgeous Forever and co-writing the marvellous It´s About Time which, in a parallel universe, was a huge hit and now considered a classic. Got To Know That Woman, you say? Never liked it much. Very Dennis though…

In 1977, he released Pacific Ocean Blue, the greatest solo album made by a Beach Boy. Yes, I know. Brian´s first is really good too, but the production has aged worse than most. So » Continue Reading.

Two new McCartney songs!

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Just like that. You can find both new songs on Spotify and probably other places too, possibly even a record store (I KNOW!) at some point.

Both Home Tonight and In A Hurry sound like they could have been on Egypt Station, which is good news.*

So what do you think? Good? Bad? Something in between? Nothing at all?

* Other opinions are most likely available

The Kinks – Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire

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What does it sound like?:

Dysfunctional brothers, once making hits in their sleep, and in the late sixties/early seventies still making great music. Not that anyone cared at the time. Representing something quintessential about their country. Could be The Beach Boys, could be The Kinks.

The Kinks´ Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire now gets a fiftieth anniversary box. So yes. Nostalgia. Ray Davies once wrote a song, barely out of his teens, called Where Have All The Good Times Gone. In 1969 the good times had gone for The Kinks, at least commercially. This album failed to chart in England and peaked at 105 in the US, despite rave reviews. The previous year´s The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society had failed to chart too, but is now considered the band´s greatest effort and Ray´s masterpiece. Go figure.

Somewhere in between those two albums, the band´s US tour ban was lifted. To this day no one quite knows why they were banned in 1965. No one quite knows why the ban was suddenly lifted four years later, either.

Arthur was, and still is, a concept album (but of course, this is » Continue Reading.

Bruce 70

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Bruce Springsteen is 70 today. I’ve spent half my life being a big fan and it seems the older I get the better he becomes. More and more depth and nuances are revealed to me.

Not sure how many times I’ve seen him live, but I’m guessing roughly ten. He is, of course, impossibly good live. He’s one of those you don’t grow out of, quite the opposite.

So bring us your favourite songs and why not go for something that deserves more attention?

My choice The Missing was written for Sean Penn’s The Crossing Guard as a thank you and good luck after Penn loosely based his directorial debut The Indian Runner on Springsteen’s Nebraska song Highway Patrolman.

Happy birthday, Bruce!

Alien or Aliens?

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Alien – a slow and quiet (until it´s not) low-budget horror movie.

Aliens – a big action-filled thingy with lots of everything.

They´re both great at what they´re doing, both masterpieces in their respective genres, but completely different in all but franchise (and Sigourney Weaver).

So which one do you prefer and why?

(Yes, I´ve been listening to Smershpod again. The recent episode on Aliens is highly recommended)

Richard Thompson on Radio Ulster Klaxon

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Since The Thomp is bigger around here than The Beatles, Elvis, Aretha, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Madonna, Westlife, Beyonce, Metallica and Iron Maiden combined, I thought a small notice regarding the fact that the very same person was recently interviewed on BBC Radio Ulster by Ralph McLean could be welcome.

Fast forward to the second hour if you haven’t got the patience to hear the whole thing, even if you should, as McLean has excellent taste in music.

Enjoy!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000660w

Badly Drawn Boy

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The wife is reading Nick Hornby´s About A Boy, which reminded me of the film About A Boy, which reminded me of the soundtrack, which reminded me of Badly Drawn Boy (who of course wrote and sang the soundtrack) and how much I listened to his music around that time. He knew (knows) how to tell a relatable story and give it a bit of a twist, add to this hummable melodies and an everyday voice. Good songwriters are hard to find, but he is one. He seemed to be everywhere and I really liked his first four or five albums.

Anyone else a fan? Badly Drawn Boy is supposed to be working on a new album, which I’m looking forward to.

Here´s personal favourite Year Of The Rat, from One Plus One Is One. It comes with a nice video, too.

Life Of Bwian

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Life Of Brian is one of my favourite movies and I watch it every Easter. It just seems like a reasonable time of the year, along with Christmas, I guess, to revisit this particular blasphemy.

Anyway, here’s an article from The Guardian on the making of the movie. Enjoy!

And remember: You’re all individuals.*

* I’m not.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/16/how-we-made-monty-python-life-of-brian-michael-palin-terry-gilliam

Let´s Go (So We Can Get Back)

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Author:Jeff Tweedy

I´m not sure why I´m so surprised by how funny this book is. Jeff Tweedy did, after all, once open a song with “come on, children, you´re acting like children”. Tweedy is the singer, guitarist and songwriter of celebrated American rock band Wilco. Before that he was in Uncle Tupelo. He´s also recorded with his drumming son as Tweedy. Yes, indeed.

He´s given us this autobiography dealing with his childhood, which he writes about beautifully, addiction, which is stark and entertaining, talent for depression (another song: “do you dabble in depression?”), family and music. He´s humble and self-deprecating and very moving when he writes about his children and wife. We get some dialogues between them regarding how personal he should be about family matters. These dialogues are just as revealing as the actual chapters.

Tweedy´s description of the first time he goes to therapy with his wife is, well, not the usual. Something to do with toiletpaper. You´ll have to see for yourself.

And of course he writes about working with Mavis, touring with Dylan, and being the de facto errand boy between the two. “Bob told me to tell you”, “Mavis told me to tell you”. » Continue Reading.

Tangerine Dream – The Blue Years, the studio albums

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What does it sound like?:

Edgar Froese created a monster when he formed Tangerine Dream in West Berlin in 1967. And monster in the sense they have since put out 159 albums, not including compilations. Froese´s passing in January 2015 didn´t necessarily slow them down. Though he was, until then, the only constant member. This box set contains albums Le Parc (1985), Green Desert (1986), Underwater Sunlight (1986) and Tyger (1987). It´s a bumpy ride for the pioneers of Kosmische Musik.

In 1983 Tangerine Dream toured Eastern Europe and recorded a live album called Poland. It was to be their first album on the Jive Electro Label. Due to its blue logo, the mid-eighties is now known as the band´s blue years. Le Parc, released in May 1985, became their first studio album out of the four for the label. The title is a result of all the songs being inspired by different parks around the world. It could have been the soundtrack to anything starring Eddie Murphy and/or Kurt Russell at the time.

The second stop, Green Desert, was recorded in Berlin in 1973 and intended as promotional material for Virgin Records, a label then showing » Continue Reading.

A song you hate from an act you always loved

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Inspired by a very similar thread by @BigJimBob, this could be a terrible idea. A thread of terrible links if nothing else. The Beach Boys’ Barbara-Fe**ing-Ann was recorded for the Party album, which was a way to keep Capitol happy while Brian was in the studio working on Pet Sounds.

55 years later it’s still the idiot’s choice of their best song.

I went for the worst live version I could find, just to be on the safe side. I’m sure M**e L**e think it’s great. It was a hit, after all.

It’s not the worst song they made, but the worst hit. Yes, worse than Kokomo – which at least has Carl’s lovely, breezy voice singing ‘we’ll get there fast and then we’ll take it slow’.

So OK, bring it on!

Why don’t we do it on the roof?

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Today, January 30, it’s been 50 years since The Beatles played on the roof of their Apple office to create a proper ending to their Let It Be movie. It would take close to another year and a half before it, and the album, was released.

The lovely thing is you can see them enjoying themselves, each other and the music. They would never play together in public again.

The White Album! Radio Ulster! Our own Steven C! Remastered in even whiter!

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Ralph McLean and Steven C talk about the bloody Beatles´ bloody White Album for two bloody hours on bloody Radio bloody Ulster. Of course you want to hear it. And no cheek about “it would have been better as a single hour”.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001bt2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001bt2

Jet* another McCartney klaxon

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* I know

This Thursday, Paul McCartney – he was in The Wings, you know – will be guesting Marc Maron’s WTF Pod.

I’m hoping Maron will manage to dig deeper than the usual, by now, well known anecdotes. He’s usually good at that.

Since I’m a fan of Paul and Marc both, this is exciting.

Biggest quality gap between best and worst album

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What band have or artist has the biggest quality gap between their best and worst album?

It struck me today that The Beach Boys´ Pet Sounds is so far superior to Summer In Paradise it´s ridiculous.

Pet Sounds is pretty much a Brian Wilson solo album, Summer In Paradise is pretty much a Mike Love solo album. However, they were both released by The Beach Boys.

Can anyone else beat this? Mind you, Self Portrait and Landing On Water both sound like masterpieces next to Summer In Paradise.

I hereby officially dare you. 😉

Iron Maiden

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Venue:

Sweden Rock Festival

Date: 05/06/2018

A lot of Swedish heavy metal fans were excited when it was announced Iron Maiden would join the fun at probably the biggest Swedish music festival, Sweden Rock Festival. Four days, 35 000 people, more acts than you can count and lots and lots of hair and beer. Iron Maiden were headlining the Thursday and, well, I think I dare say no one left the concert disappointed. The tour is called The Legacy Of The Beast and it´s based on a video game/comic book featuring mascot Eddie doing whatever he´s up to. Mostly, I assume, killing people.

With no new album to promote, the six turn into a juke box of classics (Fear Of The Number Of Run To The Trooper et al) and lesser aired gems. For the nerds, obviously, the latter are the selling point. So we get Where Eagles Dare, Sign Of The Cross (H-O-L-Y shite, Batman!), The Clansman, For The Greater Good Of God and Flight Of Icarus. My only complaint when it comes to the setlist is only two songs are post 2000. And no Infinite Dreams. But I´m getting used to that.

Iron Maiden are not » Continue Reading.

Sail On: The Beach Boys Podcast

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I’ve been binging this and now I’ve plowed through all the sixteen episodes in one week. Since they only publish one a month I’ll miss the daily dose. They haven’t even reached my favourite era yet (’68-’73), which, with monthly posting, is a year or so away. They’re up to All Summer Long, one of the best early albums. Brian is just about to stop touring and get serious with Today! and Pet Sounds.

Anyway. Hosts Wyatt and Jason (both members of a tribute band) are full of love for and knowledge about the boys, I’m learning a lot, and they’re making a rainy Monday fly by.

The section where they read e-mails from listeners is also a highlight. It’s nice to hear people share how they discovered The Beach Boys and what the music means to them.

So if you’re a fan – jump in and enjoy!

https://sailon.podbean.com