Musings on the byways of popular culture
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Brit version, that it, much as I love the Byrds etc. That lovely period in the late 60s and 70s where folkies grew a rhythm section was just fab. Obviously Fairport were a huge driver of this, liberating folk solo artists and duos to make extraordinary music with a rock rhythm section whilst keeping the essence of the music. Post your favourites. (Yes, another list thread). Playlist to follow.
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I know this has come up before but what are your alternative eshops to Dodgers? I’m engaging in a bit of futile gesturing but it makes me feel better. I’m curious where you get books, clothes, tech etc.
Ta
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“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “Smiley’s People” have appeared on iPlayer. The original dramatisations with Alec Guinness. Both superb. This is a public service announcement.
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Folk legend reaches the end of the road. He did it his way.
A message from Eliza Carthy:
“Dear everyone, A month ago, Martin, at 84, was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimers Disease. While his doctor initially suggested that Dad would and should be able to tour in the Spring, and we were hoping to use the tour to say goodbye to Dad’s many fans, it now appears that this won’t be possible or advisable for his health. Dad sends his love and regrets to everyone hoping to see him one more time. Eliza will fulfil these shows, and will try to honour his legacy as much as possible. Our family thanks you for your patience and love.”
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Apparently it is Old Rock Day. So post some old rock.
My submission in the comments. Obviously there are many candidates!
Pointless genre definitional arguments welcome!
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I’ve done a little test with MM syncing my existing music library to a USB stick I can then plug into the car and it works great. The car system is a bit clunky but it works. MM obviously has a lot of functionality which I haven’t investigated, and the file names are a mess – 01, 2 etc before the song name, hyphens etc. Are there any easy ways of mass removing crap? Also I’ve got an odd one where I reunited Kirsty McCall with Kirsty MacColl by editing the album properties but whilst the tracks move the art work remains in the McCall entry with no associated tracks.
Anyway I know some here use it a lot so any user tips or handy functions would be appreciated. TIA!
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Obituary
Reports in confirm rumours that Mick Abrahams has passed away. Arguably the founder of The Mighty Tull, his vision and Ian’s were never going to last long, and I’m not of the “downhill all the way after the first album” persuasion but it’s a good piece of work all the same. I saw him guest with TMT in St. Albans some years ago and he was still belting out 70s style blues rock like a good ‘un.
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Obituary
Master guitarist, songwriter, producer and arranger, his plectrum graces some of the leanest and perfectly honed records of all time. Never played a note too many, and all in the service of the song. RIP maestro.
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Author:Martin Barre
Martin Barre’s autobiography is an enjoyable romp through his life and career brought to life by inset boxed anecdotes telling of fun on the road and in the studio. Martin starts at the beginning and we have a well-paced look at childhood, school and his early love of music which clearly prevails to this day. There’s lots about Tull of course, with an unflinchingly honest look at his contribution to, and departure from, the band. Finally he covers his subsequent session/side man work and launching and running his own band.
Reports from those who have met him always say what a nice bloke he is and that comes across here. He’s quite honest about things he didn’t like but his positive outlook prevails. There’s plenty on guitar and gear nerdery for those who like that sort of thing, and despite the universal recognition by his peers, even those who don’t seem to like anyone (looking at you Richie Blackmore), he is consistently generous in his praise of others and modest about his own achievements.
The book seems to be written by Martin himself – having heard him interviewed a few times (and indeed having interviewed him myself on » Continue Reading.
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Link below…
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Obituary
Wonderful writer. Been making me laugh in the Observer for decades. Gone at 56 which is no age. Some lovely links to her stuff in the list below.
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Someone commented in another thread to the effect that streaming is better because how many times have you bought something then never listened to it. Of course we all know that one, but many of the albums I have loved for ever didn’t immediately grab me, but the investment of £££ meant I ploughed on then the penny dropped. Had we had streaming back in 1975 I probably would not have discovered The Mighty Tull, Little Feat, John Coltrane/jazz, Dylan, country music, folk music… – in fact other than shiny pop music which rehashes very familiar ideas, most requires a bit of an investment.
Streaming goes the other way. 10 seconds of 3 tracks and an album written off. A mate recently said he didn’t like Nerina Pallot’s “Fires” and on examination it emerged he had “sampled” three tracks. managing to miss “Idaho”. Hmm.
So who might you have missed had you not persevered? Or who never clicked? The Dead still escape me despite making an effort.
The Hep would be rolling his eyes? Isn’t one of his tropes that you shouldn’t make an effrot?
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The New York Times reports there is a bio pic in production about Bruce Springsteen which focuses particularly on the period of his life when he made “Nebraska”, post – River tour and pre therapy and mega stardom. It stars Jeremy Allen White as Bruce and the Boss is actively involved in the production. Looks interesting.
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I don’t hear much about Nerina Pallot on here but she’s got a lovely run of “playing everything” videos on YouTube which I thought I’d mention. She’s great fun on F*cebook and does a beautifully written regular newsletter. I first discovered her on a BBC Live at Abbey Road and I was smitten by “Driving through Idaho” . Her albums are always top quality grown up pop. More below,..
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The documentary about The Immediate Family – Danny Korchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkle, Waddy and Steve Postell has popped up on Netflix. I loved it. Essential viewing for any fans of the West Coast/Laurel Canyon world!
Link in Comments.
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Mrs. T and I have a fancy to spend some in Northumberland this summer – everything I see of it looks looks lovely but I don’t know it at all. So, Massive, where to stay, where to go, what to see?
Thanks!
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Fabulous long form video with Mike Campbell talking about his guitars and demonstrating famous parts. What a great player and great bloke. And some gorgeous guitars.
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Obituary
Ace guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer,, Rick Derringer died yesterday. He was one of my heros from mid teens to, well, now. He had early pop success with the McCoys with Hang On Sloopy, made one of the best live albums ever with Johnny Winter And, did several tours of duty with Edgar Winter before launching a solo career with five solid albums which I bought on day of release. He was also an in demand session player, not least with Steely Dan on some classic tracks. Later on he did blues albums, reunion albums with Edgar with the White Trash as producer, guitarist on another brill live album then band member in the EW Group, got God, got Trump. Never less than 100%.
RIP Rick you were terrific.
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We all know what I mean. It seems crazy now, looking back. Thinking about especially 2020 the world turned upside down. In my diary on 12/03/20 is said “Coronavirus now getting quite worrying. Wish I wasn’t going to see Ben Watt on Saturday. Just feel like staying in”. in fact I posted here to that effect which is an interesting discussion to reread. Actually the gig was cancelled but I don’t think I’d have gone if it hadn’t been.
Until now it had been like Bird Flu or other supposed disease disaster scenarios and I didn’t really think it would amount to much, until the footage from Italy started to to appear on the news, then there was a growing sense of dread as it crept across Europe, then it arrived here, ten a period when you didn’t know anyone who had had it…then fairly soon you did, then you hardly knew anyone who hadn’t. In fact I got it late, in 2021 and it was unpleasant but dying was less likely then.
In fact I enjoyed the first lockdown. The weather was lovely and we caught up on garden jobs and sat and enjoyed the peace and quiet. We » Continue Reading.
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The dreaded holiday planning season is upon us. I find myself bereft of ideas, having decided not to disappear into rural France for a change. Any ideas for a week in late May welcome. Thinking the Med but not fixed on it. Other ideas very welcome.
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Venue:
The Stables, Wavenden
Date: 12/02/2025
To the Stables to see Nick Lowe! Or, more correctly, Nick Lowe and Los Straightjackets. Our journey there was enlivened by a tyre blowout in a pothole which was fun but we limped home and started again in Car 2 and made it in time to miss the support and have a restorative glass of wine.
The Stables is one of my favourite venues – great sound, excellent facilities, decent leg room, good views from all seats. Tonight was no exception.
Nick bounded on looking dapper as ever in patterned cream shirt, chocolate brown slacks and suede loafers. How does he continue to look so good? Avuncular as ever, he welcomed us to the evening promising lots of songs both old and new, Hurrah!
Then it went weird. I had not seen him with Los Straightjackets and they bounded on to great cheers so I was clearly in a minority, but I found the masks thing very disturbing. Why would you want your backing band to look like members of The Joker’s gang or the serial killer from a Scandi drama? We didn’t like it at all and had we realised they were » Continue Reading.
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We slightly got into this in another thread recently but this is to make it clearer…
I can’t tolerate Copilot popping up all over the place so I think it’s Adios for MS Office. I used open Office on the boy’s PC and it was fine so I know the functions I need (nothing very clever) are there. Before I go the whole hog, are there any hidden gotcha’s I need to think about? Browser wise there are plenty of options. I’m thinking more about OneDrive etc, which I already cordially detest, which can occasionally duplicate everything or delete everything.
Experiences please!
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Lyrics by AI! Very nice too.
See inside…
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We rolled in from a splendid dinner at the pub last night and I put on Coltrane’s “My favourite things” (as you do, late night with the wood burner going and something peaty in a glass *). My friend said, “Is this jazz?”. Yes, I said, this is jazz.
But it’s an interesting question. So I ask the Massive, what is jazz?
* Lidl Ben Bracken Isley since you’re asking. Sensational at cheap money.
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What does it sound like?:
This is a reissue of the 2007 album in a sumptuous set incorporating a remaster of the original album (Steve Wilson mixed albums don’t need a Steven Wilson remix, obvs), the spinoff “Nil Recurring” EP, a disk of demos, a live performance of the songs, a number of BBC and other sessions which includes tracks from other albums and finally a 5.1 surround sound Blu-ray. Also included is a well written book with many photographs and a film about the recording of the album. All you could possibly want then!
The album at the centre of this followed “Deadwing”, the PT album which heralded some much deserved success after the band completed the hard yards of global touring and making in-store appearances to an enthusiastic but frustratingly small(ish) audience though SW himself will admit that progressive music is a tiny genre of passionate fans and that’s how he likes it. Richard Barbieri notes that they were not making any money, but at least weren’t losing any. It is a concept album (naturally) inspired by the Bret Easton Ellis book “Lunar Park” and takes the perspective of the son of the narrator who lives in » Continue Reading.
