Musings on the byways of popular culture
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BBC 2 and its double are the last bastions of hope for a lot of viewers on a Saturday night who want something more than soma.
The fact that the schedule this particular Saturday night contains three and a half hours (that’s THREE AND A HALF HOURS) of sweating fat blokes throwing darts at a dart board in front a leery beery crowd of gormless monsters of both sexes fills me with despair.
Good job I have a movie lined up. How the freaking heck can the BBC justify this?
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I didn’t know this. I’m not a fan, but I like his old stuff. Perhaps he was hard up, but who cares? Sounds like he’s properly happy to be taking tea with the tillerman again.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-unlikely-return-of-cat-stevens
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Was a time when Harry Dean Stanton seemed to be in every film I saw. I’m coming to the end of Twin Peaks at the mo and he’s in that too. A fine actor. RIP.
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Venue:
JW3, Finchley, North London
Date: 14/09/2017
In 2016, aka the year of the great pop culture extinction, we lost a seemingly never ending swathe of precious talents. When David Bowie and Prince left the shock lead to impromptu and planned musical tributes of varying quality. When Leonard Norman Cohen passed in November the reaction was more of quiet respect and acceptance of a good innings, well played. Tonight’s concert in conjunction with Camden Town’s excellent Green Note venue and curated by Kathryn Williams tried to give a flavour of the wisdom, poetry, insight and, yes, humour of the man.
Interspersed by readings of his poetry, his prose and his witticisms in interviews from Mr Shale, echoing Cohen’s deep sandpaper drawl Kathryn had called in friends, collaborators and fellow Len fans to present not carbon copies of well known tunes but with arrangements that threw fresh light on old ideas.
I’ve been an admirer of Ren Harvieu’s stunning voice through appearances with Romeo Stodart at venues across the capital and early on her sultry take on ‘Chelsea Hotel’ set the high standard for tonight’s show. At the Union Chapel’s Flying Seagull benefit she and Romeo performed a dramatic version of ‘The » Continue Reading.
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I own an Aussie pressing and always was underwhelmed by cover. Are uk or American pressings just the same single sleeve ?
http://hhhhappy.com/my-life-in-the-bush-of-ghosts-set-for-vinyl-reissue-with-new-surprises/
I was listening to an episode of Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan the other day and I don’t think we’ve done that here yet.
So let’s do one now. I have decided let’s start with Gardens. Mainly because this tune came up on my Spotify Discovery and I have been playing it to death ever since. And I did not think that Einstürzende Neubauten would ever be my cup of tea.
Any other gardening tunes I should know about?
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Unbelievably brilliant work from unbelievably brilliant people over decades. If politicians could be like scientists maybe the world would be a much better place.
Way to go team Cassini, you represent the best of us.
Venue:
O2 Apollo Manchester
Date: 14/09/2017
“The most fun you will have listening to sad songs”. 27 songs packed tightly into a 2 hour set, Ryan and the Unknown Band put their foot down with the opening Do you still love me and continued at a pace with predominantly songs from the latest album, Prisoner and Cardinals era interspersed with crowd favourites,To be young and When the stars go blue (full list below). Ryan clearly enjoying himself, throwing guitar god poses in the huge clouds of dry ice (occasionally disappearing, particularly during the closing number! Roadies a bit heavy handed with the switch!). The band were tight and accomplished and T’Ben Alleman added some nice touches on keyboards. Sound quality was excellent and it was nice to come away without my ears ringing for days after!
Set List Do You Still Love Me To Be Young Gimmie Something Good This House IS Not For Sale Two Outbound Train Doomsday Prisoner Everybody Knows Dirty Rain Halloweenhead When The Stars Go Blue Anything I’d Say To You Now Breakdown Broken Anyway Cold Roses Fix It Invisible Riverside Let It Ride I Just Might Magnolia Mountain I Love You And I Don’t » Continue Reading.
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C’mon – help out a bewildered, out of touch old man.
Why are people saying this? I
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Perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me, but I seem to recall that in the not so distant past there would be a post-mortem after the Mercury Awards ceremony. Now, not a mention thus far, unless I have missed it. What, if anything does th it tell us ?
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tf3aJx7D7YA
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…should you happen to have a couple of long spoons with which to sup.
The Telegraph are offering a year’s membership of Amazon Prime, worth £79, if you take out a year’s sub for £100.
If only it was the Grauniad. But I’m putting this out there as a public service anyway.
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As I shuffle towards the start of my seventh decade, it becomes ever more apparent to me that I’m often late to the party, if indeed I ever arrive. It may be that the more happening among the Massive are already familiar with Lowkey’s work, but until I heard on the radio news at lunchtime the linked interview – topical with today’s opening of the Grenfell Inquiry – I was totally unaware of his existence.
The interview included snippets from his memorial track, and intrigued I sought it out. The video will be the first comment. See whether you can listen to the list at the end without crying. I couldn’t.
What have other AWers come to discover only belatedly?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-41268956/lowkey-a-song-for-grenfell-a-call-for-justice
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What with @bricameron having an idea for a ‘deep cuts’ band and everything, I found myself thinking about both this and the ‘death of the list thread’ comments that have been swirling around. So, without further ado let’s see how a Deep Cuts list thread gets on. I’ve actually been thinking about this since coming across this terrific Nick Cave track a week or so ago. Not only have I never really clocked how awesome this track is, I’ve played this album a couple of times without this track standing out. Boy how wrong I was.
But what actually is a ‘deep cut’ I hear you say? Well, please post away according to the literally quite arbitrary rules I have made up:
Not a single obvs. A or B. B-sides is a different beast to Deep Cuts. Not on a greatest hits. Not from the debut, most critically acclaimed, or latest albums – so to have a deep cut a minimum of three albums is required. Not otherwise picked out as a fan favourite/critical hit – so no, Stairway to Heaven is not a deep cut. Some bands have no deep cuts. Zep, HJH’s, Nirvana. The » Continue Reading.
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Usual
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K52lsD1rqtM
What does it sound like?:
As a teenager, I was quite a big fan of Robin Trower, Bridge of Sighs being a regular fixture on my turntable for a number of years. I must confess I’ve rather lost track of his work in recent years, but he’s back, aged seventy two, with this album of new material.
Opener, Land Of Plenty, gets this set off to a fine old start, with plenty of distorted wah-wah on offer, and this is continued by the bluesy What Was I Really Worth To You. Indeed the blues theme continues on a couple of seven minuters, both very well played (as you’d expect), before moving back to a more traditional straight ahead rock sound with the usual distinct Hendrix influence. There are a couple of tracks in the middle section that are a little bit run of the mill, but the album finishes as strongly as it starts with the sultry title track, again showcasing Trower’s excellent playing, which has always been what he’s all about really.
What does it all *mean*?
An impressive album for sure – if you love electric guitar playing then there’s plenty here that will float your boat, » Continue Reading.
The Invisible Shivers thread reminded me that I’ve been meaning to post this for a week or two.
I’m a big fan of Mick Green’s guitar heroics in The Pirates, with Johnny Kidd, and in The Dakotas, so when I found a solo LP in a bargain bucket for the princely sum of 99p I wasn’t going to be put off by the truly hideous cover, one that judging by the signature was painted by a relative.
But my word, the real fun was to be found on the back cover notes. The quote from a man very much out of his time is a charming mixture of prejudice, resentment, defensive machismo, and just plain confusion at the state of the world and his chosen industry.
The LP was issued in 1986, so it’s easy to guess at the bands he’s referring to.
Fret not, his time did come round again and he played with Van and Macca before shuffling off for good in 2010.
So, the question is – what’s your favourite sleeve note or dedication?
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Day off, bit bored but alphabetized the recent arrivals / just played stack. I’ll show you mine…
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Following my previous `Holy Trinity` blog I wondered who are the AWer`s `Holy Trinity` of music? These can be whoever you you like (obviously!), favourite acts, most influential, recorded your favourite song…
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It’s been (at least) twenty years since Neil Young released a wholly satisfactory album. I like Neil a lot, not in the same way I once loved Dylan but , you know, he’s like a friend, a really good friend, who messes around with you but he’s still a really good friend. And now we have “Hitchhiker”. One night in 1976 armed only with “booze, weed and cocaine” Young, producer David Briggs and friend Dean Stockwell sat down in a Malibu studio. The next morning they had an album brimming over with absolute gems, nary a false step except maybe a stoned stumble, a missed chord here and there, a few misshapen, forgotten lyrics. Most of the songs (only two “new” on here) appear on later albums (like Powderfinger without the raging guitar but amazingly all the better for it) but here we have testament to what one guy and one guitar can do: stripped-down songs, fragile yet powerful singing and most startling of all – in one take, in one night a perfect album. One day soon when my initial euphoria has calmed down somewhat I will try and post a proper review. In the meantime my question is » Continue Reading.
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I know I’m not the only Hüsker Dü fan on this board.
I was sad to read to day that drummer/songwriter/vocalist Grant Hart has died of cancer aged only 56. Grim news indeed.
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7964914/husker-du-drummer-grant-hart-obit
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The Beach Boys, The Beatles & Bob Dylan were referred to as the AW`s `The Holy Trinity` by Tahir recently.
This causes me to ask some questions, just two really.
1) Has anyone, prior to Tahir ever referred to The Beach Boys, The Beatles & Bob Dylan as the `Holy Trinity`?
2) Why do people resent acts who are obviously talented and have achieved their deserved fame and fortune? There are also many acts who once again are obviously talented but have not received their deserved fame and fortune. I can name many and so can you fellow AWers but this is not the fault of the so-called `Holy Trinity`. So why the resentment?
