Musings on the byways of popular culture
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Mrs. T and I are sloping off to Lisbon for 5 days in mid February to celebrate my move to what the government delicately calls economic inactivity. Bring it on. Recommendations of everything good from views to cafes to restaurants, bars, galleries, venues and more very welcome. I want it all! TIA!
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I idly put a playlist together of great guitar instrumentals. As we have to have rules for these things they are:
1. Must be melodic
2. Meaningless shredding is not allowed
3. Only one piece per artist
4. All genres positively encouraged
However I have quickly realised I have major artists missing (no Bert, no John Mc, no RT) and no recent entries – are instrumentals even a thing any more?
Pitch in and I will add (if I like it…)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5NcIuc5NwObbguM9TWsYlB?si=03353bee202148af
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Discussion of films, telly etc makes me wonder how you all stream content to the TV? We have an aging smart TV but a more flexible Amazon Fire Box which is starting to suffer from missing apps (BFI, though you can get it via Prime). If I’m in bed ill or on hols I might download stuff to the tablet. You?
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Venue:
The Place, Bedford
Date: 24/11/2022
I approached this gig with slight reluctance after a superb evening watching Jeffrey Foucault at the Water Rats the previous night and Jason Isbell the previous week. It was cold and miserable and I had a distinct “why did I book this” vibe, especially after Mrs. T lit the fire. Nonetheless I sallied out to Bedford, surely the town Google Maps was invented for – does anyone know how to get around the concentric one way systems?
The Place is clearly an old industrial unit with pitted carpark and depthless puddles into which to plunge your desert boot. However things picked up immediately on entry, with the entirely volunteer staffed team providing a warm welcome and the bright, well stocked bar a restorative glass. The room is clearly a generic live space which can accommodate the local Cubs, a Christmas panto or, it turns out, a sterling evening of acoustic music.
Support is provided by Samantha Whates singing lovely songs from her “Waiting Rooms” CD which was recorded in a series of venues where people are in transit to somewhere else – station, prisons…and they are lovely. Old pal » Continue Reading.
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Ben Watt announced on Twitter that there will be a new Everything but the Girl album next spring!
Happy days. I love EBTG in all their manifestations but probably my favourite is their late period pre-dance phase. Here’s the opening track from probably my favourite album, though they are all excellent.
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Author:Robert Fripp
Perhaps it is easier to start with what this book is not. It does not provide tips or tricks to improve your guitar playing other than at a metaphysical level (more of this later). It does not teach you to play like Robert Fripp, nor does it teach any theory, scales or tasty Crimson tinged licks. It doesn’t consider the benefits of a .7mm plectrum vs a 1mm (believe me, there are books which do), nor does it debate effects pedals or how to play D. In fact for long periods it doesn’t talk about guitars at all. What, you may be wondering, is it about then?
Having read it once cover to cover then skimmed through it a second time, I’m struggling to articulate what it is about really. Probably the easiest way to explain it is to say it is a detailed exploration of Fripp’s personal philosophy of guitar playing (the eponymous Guitar Craft), some of which is quite specific (how to strike the string, when to move fingers, how to sit on a chair) and large sections are letters to his Guitar Craft students or responses to their queries. It stresses the student’s need for » Continue Reading.
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Twang on Nicky Hopkins
FROM THE COLLEGE OF ROCK N ROLL KNOWLEDGE FACEBOOK PAGE.
Nicky Hopkins is probably the most famous musician that many of you have never heard of. We are remembering him today as it was on Sept. 6, 1994 that we lost him.
Nicky Hopkins was an English pianist and organist. Hopkins recorded and performed on many notable British and American pop and rock music releases from the 1960’s through the 1990’s.
He suffered from Crohn’s disease from his youth. Poor health and ongoing surgery made it difficult for him to tour. His frail health led him to concentrate on working as a session musician instead of joining bands, although he left his mark performing with a wide variety of famous bands, including the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.
He quickly became one of London’s most in-demand session pianists and performed on many hit recordings from this period including albums and singles by the Easybeats, The Kinks, the Pretty Things, The Move and The Who.
In 1967 he joined the Jeff Beck Group, playing on the LPs “Truth” and “Beck-Ola.”
The following year, he recorded “Beggars Banquet” with The Rolling Stones, having previously worked for them on » Continue Reading.
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Gone to the great gig in the sky who have gained a terrific singer with amazing presence considering all she ever did really was stand still and sing, with the occasional smile. The carnival is over.
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Apologies, incredibly boring. I want a new screen for my PC – having got used to the nice big screen work gave me which lives on the dining room table, the poxy old one in the office looks way too small so I want to spring for a new one. Just a decent size, decent res, not needed for gaming or anything demanding. Any recommendations? It’s an old Dell Inspiration 3847 tower PC if that matters. Is screen compatibility a thing? Graphics card b*llx etc? Anyone still awake, advice welcome.
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Just listening to Joni’s “Hejira” it strikes me that “Furry sings the blues” would be immeasurably improved by the terrible harmonica playing being dropped out. In the remix, this is gone.
What other bits do you wish weren’t there?
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Happy anniversary “Argus”, 50 today. A thrilling mixture of rock, folk and a tinge of prog it was compulsory listening in our 6th form common room. It still still stands up remarkably well, especially when played loud. My crackling vinyl will be spinning with the evening gin and tonic.
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What does it sound like?:
Joe Satriani achieved a career high and simultaneous own goal with his second album, 1987’s “Surfing with the alien” which both set the template and closed the book on high energy / high technique risk guitar instrumental music. Others tried to play faster, heavier, etc but the original, much imitated, is still the greatest. Joe gave early indications that, whilst he was perfectly capable of high octane widdleage, he was smarter and broader than that. The follow-up, “Flying in a blue dream”, revealed his singing, wailing blues harp and even banjo guitar. Not just a shredder then. He filled in on lead guitar with Deep Purple for one tour, and also with Mick Jagger on a solo outing.
The other thing which sets him apart is his love for a good melody. Like Jeff Beck, he is as happy with a weeping, melodramatic instrumental ballad as the rockier stuff and his grasp of more sophisticated musical theory pushes some of these tracks into fusion territory.
The album sounds terrific given it was recorded during lockdown with most of the contributions added remotely rather than in a room, but where many home grown efforts from » Continue Reading.
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Author:Steven Wilson
It’s a funny one, this. You could summarise it as part autobiography, part SW’s philosophy on life and music as he explains in some detail that until quite recently his life was pretty much all about music until he married an old flame with children and settled into domestic bliss in his early 50s.
The first half of the book covers his early life, how he fell in love with recording and making music and sound and the path to his first commercial offerings with Porcupine Tree, initially a solo tongue in cheek effort which gained momentum and ending up playing decent sized stadiums before SW felt the need to move on from the constraints of a band into a rightly feted solo career much appreciated in our little corner of the internet. Frustratingly he doesn’t actually explain how the band got together – how come there’s a proper pop star previously with Japan on board? How did a jazz based Aussie bass player come along? Where are the on-tour anecdotes?
The second half of the book is an odd mix of lists – favourite tracks, films, singles, his own work – all with SW’s take on why » Continue Reading.
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Guitar players will today be raising a glass to Howard Dumble, designer and builder of the amplifier which carried his name for decades whose passing has been announced. You may not have heard of him, but you will have heard the luscious sounds his invention created. Based on a souped up version of 60s Fender amps, he went way beyond a sound which was already pretty darn good. Customers such as Carlos Santana, Lowell George, Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robben Ford (whose Fender was the original inspiration for the amp), David Lindley, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt et al would wait months for their amp – there were a few different designs and each one was built by hand to the specific requirements of the player. Mr. D didn’t supply shops – allegedly people applied and he decided who got one. Second hand ones very rarely appear and go for 5 or 6 figures depending on their history. I’ve never even laid eyes on one, but luckily everyone can appreciate the tremendous sound they created.
For the curious, here’s some amp porn presented by the suitably reverent editor of Guitarist mag.
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Year: 2021 Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Mmmm. I went to the new Bond with high hopes after a few friends had warmly recommended it, especially after its predecessor, Spectre, which I thought was a damp squib. I’ve found Daniel Craig to be a good Bond, tough and convincing if a little humourless. Incidentally I’m a book Bond fan and that Bond isn’t remotely humorous. Roger Moore was maybe too daft at times, but in a 2 hour film a bit of humour is a nice lightener. Anyway, to this film. Being careful to avoid spoliers, I can say that I didn’t really enjoy it. It’s very long, big, impressive, loud, complicated…but like an ELP triple album, not in a good way. Possibly an overdue correction, possibly a reflection of Craig’s age, but lothario Bond is gone, along with his wise cracking jokey twin. There is one dry quip and a pretty good visual gag. This is grim, resolute Bond. As does the audience need to be. Maybe I was in the wrong mood but I was waiting for it to end and felt a distinct lift as I realised we were in the final 5 minutes.
It has call backs » Continue Reading.
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What does it sound like?:
A buoyant and tuneful pop album! For those unfamiliar with Ayres, well I won’t blow his cover but he is a regular here and frequently espouses affection for the Beatles and all manner of similar poptastic acts. The opener, “I’m in love with my producer” is redolent with open eyed vintage rhymes, harmonies and a classic 60s pop vibe. “Garrick Bay” has a darker slightly folky vibe which is a nice contrast, showing off Ayres’ really rather good voice. “Little Jesus” sounds like the mood has shifted to the 70s with some accomplished lead guitar. This would have gone down well at the Hope and Anchor back in the day. Similarly, “Chickadee” has a tougher rock edge. “Timeless Wonder” has a great vibe, sounding urgent and hooky in the chorus. “Everything I want you to be” is a Badfinger tinged ballad straight out of 1968 with a deep reverby snare drum to add to the effect. “Theme from Mike Channel” is an instrumental, back to the early 60s with a fairground vibe bringing back the smell of the oil on the dodgers and freshly popped corn.
On a critical note, this album suffers from » Continue Reading.
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Wait.. Come back…
Rather than the crazy world of rock’n pop lists which I skim through with the “like/don’t like/not interested” filter on full, this one has a lot which hit the “must check that out” button. So I’m sharing it.
https://www.jazzwise.com/features/article/the-100-jazz-albums-that-shook-the-world
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There was a post about this a while ago but I can’t find it… but apart from this fine place, where else do you fritter away useful time on the web?
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Youngsters can probably move on…but I seem to find myself looking at the real possibility of retiring. I’m not quite sure how this has suddenly occurred to me but after years of it being somewhere in the hazy distance, there it is, like approaching the city limits sign after a long drive. Not that it’s inevitable right now – I have a permie job I generally don’t especially enjoy but from a cash flow perspective it’s handy I guess. But post holidays / post-lockdown my thoughts are turning to having more time, absorbing myself in things I want to do, and generally enjoying a bit of literal and mental freedom. But…but…I discover I have a stronger work ethic than I realised, and part of me is struggling with the idea of bailing out when I could be working. I wholeheartedly agree with the old trope about no gravestone ever said “I wish I’d spent more time at work”….but pushing the button is proving harder to do than I thought.
Any thoughts / experiences / stories welcome!
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My nice RHA TrueConnect ear buds don’t work well with my phone – which led me to wonder about the different versions of Bluetooth and how they affect audio quality and usability. Any thoughts?
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I have a number of 16mm films shot by my Dad which I’d like to restore. Any experience of getting this done here? Good service providers, do/don’ts?
ta
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Hi all, bit of shameless self promotion here. I’ve been messing about with a collection of folky/country tinged numbers for a while and here they are to brighten up what’s left of a fairly rubbish summer. Treat yourself!
Country Folk by Jonathan Roberts
https://jonathanroberts.bandcamp.com/album/country-folk
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I’ve been using the Kindle app for a few years without any problems but I do wonder if a real Kindle would be better? Apparently the screen is nicer for reading and they are lighter? Any views?
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I ask this every summer and always get great responses. Please recommend some reading:
1. History (not fictionalised)
2. Politics
3. Music
4. Page turner
5. Wild card/something else
Many thanks!
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I have been rocking an old faded Brooks Bros take on the classic Harrington with added patch pockets every summer since ages ago, but I have a mind to get a replacement as we emerge, blinking, into the sunlight. I am thinking collarless, not waisted, slim lined…just started the search for that rare thing, me buying an item of clothing which isn’t a pair of Levi’s or a tee shirt. Anyways, what jacket will you be sporting this summer? A jaunty Seersucker? College blazer? Battered Wrangler? Give me some ideas.
