Mention of Robert Quine in the guitar solos thread elsewhere reminded me of this track…..then it popped up randomly on my iPod….coincidence? I think not!
Post your favourite Quine-associated croons below….
A canny Quine…
by 12 Comments
The Afterword #47: Eight Days A Week & 12 Other Theories (FAB1)
by 14 Comments
This is the first in a regular Beatles only podcast – yeah, let’s see how soon that plan falls by the wayside – marking the most Beatle-y of months with the documentary ‘Eight Days A Week: The Touring Years’ , the remastered ‘Live at The Hollywood Bowl’ and NOT the announcement of the expected release of Paul McCartney’s ‘Flowers In The Dirt’ super deluxe box set.
We’re all sick of experts so Beatle ubernerds DFB, DoctorJ & StevenC do what they do the rest of the time anyway.
– the film : who is it for, what is it for and should be give it what for? – the album : better, longer but still unessential? – Flowers In The Dirt – Macca’s best of the 80’s and rebirth of his career?
The rambling bullshine that you’ve known for all these years – we hope we passed the audition.
http://traffic.libsyn.com/theafterwordpodcast/beatlesfilm.m4a
Dubai Stockholm New York Russia: Everyone’s talking ’bout the piano brusher
by 17 Comments
Guy from Dubai meets fellow from Old Geezer’s Meadow to discuss Rafferty, the Dan, pianos and toilet brushes.
No slice of @Hannah’s legendary Mingle Cake has ever been munched in Dubai. And there’s never been a Scandinavian Mingle, Mångle or Möngle.
So when AWer @Clive from Dubai contacted me via the Afterworders on Facebook page,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/560037587460511/
and told me he was coming to Sweden and suggested a Dubai- Stockholm Mini Mingle naturally I was keen. Wow! Now even those of us in the far-flung corners of the Afterworld might get to meet face to face!
But then I’ll confess, I started to get a little apprehensive. What on earth would a Stockholm suburbanite and someone from Dubai have to talk about?
Last Monday evening, I found myself in Hammarbysjöstad, waiting nervously in the enormous foyer of the Motel L (Motel Hell? Ominous! That was an 80s horror movie) Rather spooky! There were very few people around. The minutes passed and no one turned up. Had I been set up? Was “Clive” a sock puppet?
I went to reception and gave them “Clive’s” real name.
“I’m sorry sir. We have » Continue Reading.
Do you remember…
by 23 Comments
….the 21st night of September?
Atomic Rooster 2016: who saw that coming?
I’m amazed – and delighted – to see that there is a new incarnation of the mighty Atomic Rooster treading the boards. Founder Vincent Crane passed on in 1989 and there are some who would say that John Cann (guitar/vocal) and Paul Hammond (drums) – both also now deceased – were his definitive cohorts. Respectfully, I disagree.
I’ve always thought Pete French, vocalist on 1971 LP ‘In Hearing Of’ (the third of their five original-era albums) and on the US single version of ‘Devil’s Answer’ was by far their best vocalist – out of several (the others being Nick Graham, John Cann, Chris Farlowe, and Crane himself). Steve Bolton was the guitarist who replaced Cann in 1971, shortly after Cann had recorded the guitar parts for ‘In Hearing Off’. Bolton toured with the Pete French line-up and then, when Vince replaced French with Chris Farlowe, he (Bolton) played on the splendid ‘Made In England’ and toured with the Farlowe album, though departing before the fifth LP ‘Nice’n’Greasy’.
Some may recall Bolton from playing lead guitar on The Who’s 1989 tour and ‘Join Together’ live album, but what he’s been up to since then, I have no isea. French has done » Continue Reading.
Sharks Revival: Chris Spedding Speaks
Colin H on Sharks
Wikipedia will tell you that Sharks – formed by Andy Fraser shortly after leaving Free – spanned October 1972 to October 1974, recording three albums for Island Records: ‘First Water’ (1973); ‘Jab It in Yore Eye’ (1974); and the unreleased ‘Music Breakout’. The two constant members were Chris Spedding on guitar and Steve Parsons on vocals.
Steve and Chris created a new album as the Sharks in the mid-90s, released as ‘Like a Black Van Parked on a Dark Curve’ in 1998, but both were involved in other things at the time: Steve wheeler-dealering behind celluloid scenes, Chris sessioneering and rocking in the USA (where he lived between 1978-2006).
Released in a couple of weeks, ‘Killers of the Deep’ is the new Sharks album, featuring Chris and Steve, with 1973-74 keyboardist Nick Judd also on board for those who crave added authenticity, plus Pistols drummer Paul Cook and bassist Toshi Ogawa. They’ll be doing gigs too. This time, they mean business…
I called Chris a couple of days ago to ask about one of his 1970 British jazz connections for another project, but I thought the AW might like to hear about the new Sharks project. » Continue Reading.
Bruce’s book
by 8 Comments
Sure to be interesting.
I did like this parallel
Overwriting and repetition sometimes make it feel as though he has chosen to issue the literary equivalent of the four-CD deluxe version, complete with demos and out-takes, instead of the finished album itself.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/21/born-to-run-by-bruce-springsteen-review
“Does Anyone in the World Still Buy CDs?”
by 103 Comments
A rather patronising article, but does she have a point? Is the death of the CD that close? Has it happened already? Have I had me dinner yet?
Anarchy! The McClaren Westwood Gang
by 2 Comments
Looking for a reviewer for this upcoming documentary DVD.
National Treasure
by 4 Comments
Last night on Channel 4. It’s been heavily publicised for its strong cast, in particular a return for Robbie Coltrane, as well as its topical subject matter — that of an old school entertainer being accused of historical rape.
Personally I thought it showed promise without being an especially strong episode. It was a little self-conscious: a strange colour palette, the lighting on Andrea Riseborough, Andrea Riseborough’s performance, the are-they-speakers-or-are-they-extractor-fans? decor… And there were a couple of odd, implausible interludes. Did you really believe that he would spend the night with his fancy woman at that exact moment? Do lawyers really come rushing into your home in the early hours? These moments had me doubting the veracity of the police interview, which seemed to be made up of random, but connected personal questions. At first I’d thought, ‘Wow, this must be how they do it.’ Now, I’m not so sure.
On the plus side, Julie Walters and Coltrane were ace, I really liked the music and like I say, I thought it showed promise for the future. No more long dream monologues, though, please.
Any other thoughts?
You Know You’ve Been On The Afterword Too Long When…
…you see a plant named Hairy Spinifex and your immediate thought is: TMFTL
How about you?
http://i.imgur.com/3DNu5F3.jpg
Tour de Force
I think this song is a tour de force.
Six minutes of musical poetry with a spiky little lick, an expletive that comes like a smack in the face, and that maniacal laugh. All I could say when it finished was, “Bloody hell!”
Whack the volume up to 11 (natch), sit back, close your eyes, and see what you think.
Are there any songs which have left you with your mouth agape?
Torun Eriksen, Norwegian chanteuse
by 6 Comments
Presumably our Scandy chums know all about her, but I’ve just stumbled across Ms Eriksen, and I have to say I’m pretty smitten. She’s officially a jazz singer, but she strays into Joni Mitchell territory from time to time, and she does a nifty Wish You Were Here too.
Here’s a track from her new album. Anybody else a fan?
Marillion – F.E.A.R.
by 11 Comments
What does it sound like?:
When you see an album has a mere five tracks, and three of those clock in at between fifteen and twenty minutes in length, you know you are in serious prog territory. Welcome to Marillion’s new opus, the follow up to 2012’s Sounds That Can’t Be Made.
The epic opener El Dorado sets the tone – great lyrics and vocals from Steve Hogarth, while Steve Rothery’s guitar work has never sounded better, as the band muse with a sense of foreboding on the coming of impending storms, some natural, some man-made. Great stuff.
Living in FEAR, one of the two relatively shorter tracks along with White Paper (a rumination on the advancing of the years), has something of an earworm of a chorus, which should go down well when performed live later this year.
The Leavers is another long piece, dealing with the transient lifestyle of a band and their crew on the road. Great guitar accompanied by superb keyboards as the song progresses through its various sections.
The album closer, apart from a brief coda to The Leavers, is New Kings, which rails against capitalism, greed and the seemingly ever widening gap between » Continue Reading.
Sing Along Kids – Records featuring Children’s Choir
by 43 Comments
The most obvious example of this is probably Another Brick In The Wall Part II, featuring pupils Islington Green School. The school received a one-off payment of £1000, and no royalties. A change of copyright law in 1996 meant they were entitled to royalty payments, and they were tracked down via Friend Re-United.
Others? Was the use of Mickey Gallagher’s kids to re-record Career Opportunities an inspired piece of “art”, or just a piece of filler-fluff to pad out Sandinista? Roy Wood was helped by Miss Snob and Class 3C (or more properly the Stockland Green Bilateral School Choir) when he yearned for it to be Yule continuously. And the kids are concerned for the future of Grocer Jack in Keith West’s Excerpt From A Teenage Opera. And then there is St Winifreds School Choir – the only group to be One Hit Wonders twice (albeit, first time round they were uncredited and obviously fetured different children). First time was backing Brian and Michael’s art history song Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs. The second was every Gran’s Christmas Present in 1980 “There’s No-One Quite Like Grandma” – it took the death of a Beatle to dislodge this saccharine-infused » Continue Reading.
Parting of the waves
by 22 Comments
The lunchtime sports bulletin on 5Live reported on the spat between YaYa Toure and Man City. The reporter said it was likely that Toure may never play for the club again and that it was looking like a parting of the waves. Shouldn’t that be Parting of the ways? Shouldn’t a reporter for the BBC know better?
Devin Townsend Project `Transcendence`
by 6 Comments
What does it sound like?:
First, I`m not reviewing this because Bargepole sent me a freebie. I bought the album on Amazon for £9.99 (2xLP & CD), I call that a good deal, Barge asked for a volunteer and I err, volunteered. By the time I post this I will have listened to the album 9-10 times. This is my first review so please don`t expect the eloquence of tiggs, buffoonery yes, lots. Previously I owned one LP and one CD (a strange but excellent mix of electronica/Americana – the CD) by Devin Townsend so I ain`t no expert. (I`m now going to message Bargepole on how to post a picture of `Transcendence`.) So let`s have a bit of background on Devin; Devin Garret Townsend (born May 5, 1972) is a Canadian musician, songwriter and record producer, thanks Wiki. He`s formed bands named `Strapping Young Lad` (1997ish), hmm, that`s it because he formed the Devin Townsend Band at the same time as SYL were still active (2002). They both existed until 2007 when Devin decided he wanted a rest, for two years! Well he didn`t decide to rest for two years, that`s how long his rest lasted. Devin then » Continue Reading.
British Funkateers Kokomo Are Playing 2 Nights at the Half Moon in Putney in October
by 6 Comments
14/10/2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a-2_1A6LJI
Most of the original band: Tony O’Malley – keyboards & vocals, Frank Collins – vocals, Paddie McHugh – vocals, Neil Hubbard – guitar, Jim Mullen – guitar, Mel Collins – sax & Jody Linscott – congas. With Helena May-Harrison – vocals, Frank Tontoh – drums and Jennifer Maidman – bass.
They are also playing the next night, 15/10/2016. Should be good, although how they’ll all fit onto the Half Moon’s tiny stage will be interesting. These 2 gigs will probably sell out. The Half Moon is a bugger of a place to get to and from from my neck of the woods but I have my ticket for the 14th.
Alan Partridge’s Scissored isle
by 12 Comments
Came across this today and thought some of you might be interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzd1FSYTgyo
ATM – Backpacking in Asia – insurance advice
My daughter is off backbacking in Thailand/Vietnam/india for three to six months. She has asked me for advice re travel insurance. I haven’t travelled like this but I thought some of you may have some experience yourselves or sons/daughters. She is twenty four. Any pointers to particualr companies you have used would be great or any other pointers to help would be much appreciated. Thanks
Most persistent ear worm of all time (sorry)
at about 37.10, Bob Mortimer performs a little song about Sly Stallone. You’re welcome
https://youtu.be/8IE6-qXZptg
Tribute acts who are any good
by 90 Comments
We have a bit of a laugh about the punning names of tribute acts of famous bands, but are any of them actually worth seeing? Where many acts now barely have any of the original members, and supplement their ranks with ex-members of tribute acts it seems the wall between “real” and “tribute” is pretty permeable.
So which ones are worth a look? My submission is the tremendous Nearly Dan. No Dan fan wouldn’t love their immaculate renditions of Dan numbers (often doing live album versions rather than srudio album versions) plus Becker/Fagen solo material. They are so good Dan deniers could adopt full sneer with confidence. I did see a tremendous Free tribute a while ago called Absolutely Free who were scarily authentic sounding too.
Your suggestions? Counterfeit Stones, anyone? Bootleg Beatles?
Cured – The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys
Author:Lol Tolhurst
So, you may ask, why is a former, albeit founding member of The Cure writing now about a band he departed from some twenty seven years ago.
Well, the answer is that the title ‘Cured’ refers only partially to Tolhurst’s time in the band. It also refers, perhaps more pertinently, to his battle with and eventual triumph over his personal addictions, particularly his alcoholism.
The first part of the book, detailing his early life growing up in suburban Crawley, and his childhood friendship with Robert Smith, is very entertainingly written, capturing the spirit of those formative years. Likewise the formation of The Cure against a background of austerity and social unrest is well covered. From the usual grind of playing grotty venues with non-existent audiences to eventual global acclaim, Tolhurst gives a personal insiders view of the usual excesses and successes.
The book’s latter section, post Cure, deals with the descent into alcoholism, leading to his eventual sacking from the band at the height of their success, ironically around the time of their Disintegration album. In its own way, this part of the book is perhaps even more illuminating than the earlier chapters, detailing his long battle » Continue Reading.
Crowded House – The Encore
by 8 Comments
Crowded House are coming back to life again, for a little bit… There are two shows scheduled at Sydney Opera House in November to celebrate 30 years of CH & their induction into the Aria hall of fame. Plus all seven albums are being rereleased as 2CD deluxe sets with new vinyl versions too. This new news report is quite charming.
We don’t need no stinking badges
by 37 Comments
We may not need them now but we did once eh? No gig was complete without the purchase of an over-priced glossy programme and a badge. Doing some tidying up/clearing out I came across a little trove from gigs past – all at least 30 years old, I think.
So I took this photo. Can you name them (band/artist and tour?) And do you, reader, have any of your own that you’d like to share?
http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af344/embraman/badges.jpg
