What does it sound like?:

In 1968, David Bowie had been dropped by his record label, Deram, and was on the scrap heap at the age of twenty-one. Undaunted, he continued to make music in any way he could, he tried some acting, joined a mime group and became part of a ‘Folk scene’. He fell in love with dancer, Hermione Farthingale, and formed a Folk trio with John Hutchinson, developing a fondness for verbose allegorical fables. By early 1969, Farthingale left him for Norway, he appeared in a Lyons Maid ice cream commercial, was third on the bill as a mime act beneath Tyranosaurus Rex and became involved in a Beckenham Free Festival. Fortunately, for Bowie enthusiasts, he often had a tape recorder playing nearby. He made numerous demos, recorded sessions for BBC Radio and had an audition for Mercury Records captured for posterity, an audition he passed. He also starred in his own promotional film, Love You Till Tuesday.

Most Bowie watchers will be expecting part five of the ‘Five Years’ box sets, which began in 2015 before Blackstar was released. Sadly, a dispute over Tin Machine royalties is causing a delay. In the interim, Conversation Piece » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

By all accounts, Ronnie Wood has spent his career in the Ringo role, the affable chap all the others like talking to. He’s a great companion on a long tour. In the studio, he makes the clock tick by that bit quicker when the engineers are tinkering with the snare drum. He has a nice little sideline in ‘art’, painting portraits of his band mates and selling them for a pretty penny. Experts rate him as better than Dylan but that’s not saying much. He also plays guitar.

It’s difficult to be anything other than condescending when confronted with this vanity project. Ron has gathered around him a group of musicians including a fine vocalist in Imelda May and a classy pianist in Ben Waters. The album is recorded live at Wimborne’s Tivoli Theatre, eleven tracks of Chuck Berry usual and not-so-usual suspects, bar Wood’s own imaginatively entitled Tribute To Chuck Berry and a Maceo Merriweather song, Worried Life Blues, that Chuck covered for a B side. The sleeve is ‘hand painted’ by Ron himself, a copy of an image most people will instantly recognise. The deluxe box includes LP, CD and a » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

At the age of 80 (she hit that milestone last May), at a time when some of her contemporaries are losing their voices and their creative wellspring is running dry, Judy Collins has produced a late career gem.

No doubt she would maintain her voice is not what it was, and I’m sure it must have lost some of the power of years long gone, yet it still sounds absolutely gorgeous, full of richness and pitched absolutely beautifully.

This collection is a collaboration, like her last release from a couple of years ago, Everybody Knows. This time, instead of the star billing with Stephen Stills, she is collaborating with the not particularly well known Jonas Fjeld. Chatham County Line also contribute, and I understand Fjeld has been a regular collaborator with them in recent years.

He sings in quite a husky baritone. He doesn’t have the greatest range, but he he contrasts nicely with Judy and they combine together to excellent effect. Let’s face it, Judy proved she can accommodate herself to all sorts, when she pioneered singing acapella along with the songs of humpback whales many years back on Farewell To Tarwathie.

Ostensibly » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

As an ex smoker I remember Cigarettes after sex – sorry I had to get that one in. An intriguing name for a band that’s for sure. Didn’t know much about them and the reviews I read likened them to Mazzy Star. To my ears I would say more like Yo La Tengo or even Khurangbin. A woozy sound with trance like vibes but highly melodic and extremely addictive.Singer Greg Gonzalez sounds quite feminine in parts as he has a breathy voice.Opener Don’t Let me go and third track in Heavenly became instant eagworms that got multiple spins – a really lovely sounding album, the songs all seem about relationships in different stages and some odd lyrics referring to someone ‘drinking a slurpy in a peach baseball cap’. American bands seem to be the ones doing something new these days – not sure where they would be categorised but quite poppy in their melodies. Although a new release this was recorded in 2017 in Mallorca so it is hoped they may have more new material they are working on.

What does it all *mean*?

a conventional four piece of guitar, keys, bass and drums » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

The Stones continue to raid their vaults for this archive release of another show from their Bridges To Babylon world tour, with this, the follow up to the Bridges In Bremen set. Recorded on the final night of a five night residency at the huge River Plate Stadium in April 1998, the set list unsurprisingly bears many similarities to its predecessor, but as well as the old favourites such as Satisfaction, Let’s Spend The Night Together, Gimme Shelter, Miss You and It’s Only Rock n Roll, the band showcase some of their better songs from that period like Flip The Switch and Saint of Me. There’s also the traditional twosome from Keith mid-show, this time Thief In The Night and Wanna Hold You. The USP of this show though is the appearance of Bob Dylan to duet on Like A Rolling Stone, covered by the band on their 1995 Stripped album. The band really reveals their full majesty though with the closing fusillade of Sympathy for The Devil, Tumbling Dice, Honky Tonk Women, Start Me Up, Jumping Jack Flash, You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Brown Sugar. Another great show, well filmed » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

The Shelby brothers emerged from the tunnels of the First World War and proceeded to use their ingenuity and ruthless brutality to wreak havoc across the Midlands. Tommy is the brains of the family, Arthur its fists and Aunt Polly its heart. Peaky Blinders has enjoyed five successful TV seasons to date. It is shot in colour but looks black and white, mired in mud and smog. Key to its success is the Songtrack. The use of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ Red Right Hand as the theme tune is pivotal. It defines the show sonically and atmospherically. Dark, ominous, dripping with blood, an outsider arises from the shadows. All else follows its template.

In an era of Spotify, it is easy to put together a playlist of Red Right Hand soundalikes. A soundtrack, such as this, needs to offer something extra and Peaky Blinders does not disappoint. There are brief snippets of dialogue from the main characters, none of which overstay their welcome. There are pieces of the score, setting the mood and, most importantly, some exclusive songs. PJ Harvey has two tracks on the set but adds a made-for-the-show cover of » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

An oddity, this. It’s a nice little box containing two CDs of the 2009 Yes concerts in Lyon, coupled with four “new” studio tracks. This is the line up with Rick’s son Oliver Wakeman on keys and Benoit David covering for Jon Anderson plus Howe/Squire/White.

The live stuff first. The setlist is a full career review so you get “Yours is no disgrace” as well as “Owner of a lonely heart”. The band play at the level you’d expect, Oliver W is a top notch keyboard player and sounds spookily like his old man especially on piano. Steve Howe is particularly on fire, his signature guitar parts all present and correct and as ever a total virtuoso on electric and acoustic both (“Corkscrew” from his “Turbulence” solo album is a highlight for me). Annoyingly the mix leaves Chris Squire somewhat buried which is a shame as I always thought he was Yes’s secret weapon, his high neck metallic clanking driving the sound a decade before Hooky thought it was a good idea to appropriate. This sort of line up refresh stands and falls on the vocals, and it must be said Benoit David delivers » Continue Reading.