Come all ye! I’ve got a blazing bonfire in the back, there, potatoes baking underneath, mind your hands if you try to pull one out. There’s hot drinks in the flasks over by, cold beers and assorted soft drinks in the cooler under the table, wine on the table itself. Please, dig in, make yourselves at home, grab a stick to roast some marshmallows and then tell us all – what have you been up to this last month ? and is there anything coming up we should know about ?
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thecheshirecat says
Bromyard – the last hurrah of the festival season – renowned for weather that reminds you just why you won’t be camping again this year. The festival was slung between two high points delivered at opposite ends of the weekend, by Sheffield neighbours, Martin Simpson and Fay Hield; both equally consummate and compelling. Fay’s set might not have worked for everyone as a closer, not being an on-your-feet footstomper. Instead, it was uncompromisingly trad, but delivered with such individuality, composure and sheer beauty, not least in her a capella encore. She remains my favourite female singer in the land, and this was why.
Along the way, I enjoyed much else, for which I will refer you to Retro’s review https://atthebarrier.com/2024/09/12/bromyard-folk-festival-2024-live-review/ . It’s curious to me that Bromyard makes so little use of its dance tent, with only four proper dances over the weekend, among the workshops, but plenty hit the mark. But the high point of the weekend, quite possibly of the summer, nearly didn’t happen. At one o’clock on Saturday morning, I was ready for my (air)bed, but some tunesome Morris dancers from Coventry, beckoned me to give them a song. One rousing rendition of Pleasant and Delightful later, and we were off. Under the open sky on the one remaining barmy evening, suddenly there was a mass outbreak of chorus singing. Spontaneous, unexpected, a delight. This is what I live for.
After all those festivals, I was happy to be in a different one of my natural habitats, cycling in the West Country – Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire – on what must have been the sunniest weekend of weather all summer. No music, apart from the fact that I was staying in a fourteen verse murder ballad (Bruton Town for the Sandy Denny fans out there).
I’m back in work on a phased return, two days per week and not yet in the cab. That has been good for getting grounded again, but hardly grounded from a gig point of view. Four diverse gigs in nine days, all at Stoller Hall in Manchester. There’s more than one concert space within, but all are excellent for acoustics. First off, harmonica maestro Will Pound collaborating with Delia Stevens, classical percussionist, performing ‘mainly classical and folk music’. This consisted of Vaughan Williams and much of The Planets. Bloody hell, Pound is an extraordinary musician. I can’t say it all worked, but it was adventurous and his command and control in pushing his instrument to the limits was striking. Wednesday night was Big Big Train; what a lot of love there is for this band; it is a lovely communal experience. Remarkably, unlike the last shows, they eschewed any of English Electric. It’s natural that the current band should want to highlight the current album, but they also delved way back to 2002’s Bard. Thursday night: Making Tracks, one of those collaborations throwing together eight musicians, all new to me as well as each other, from three continents, drawing on roots deep and widespread – Finnish, Kenyan, Uyghur, Syrian just as a start. The Uyghur Dutar seemed an improbable instrument –
spectacular to watch played, but quite how it has evolved requiring the performer to leap up and down the frets, I don’t know. The gig is also billed as ‘interspecies’, so we enjoyed listening to ‘sea kale gossiping’. Don’t knock it, the encore was actually a glorious eight part harmony a capella, accompanying Weddell seals from the Antarctic (not in the room, obvs). It really was quite beautiful. Finally, The Canny Band last Sunday were the usual pleasure. If pressed, my definition of folk music is that it has to be portable, something you couldn’t say of the venue’s Steinway concert grand, which Michael Biggins clearly loved playing.
The new Rheingans Sisters album has arrived, which will keep me busy for the rest of the year.
retropath2 says
Yay, Michael got to play a concert grand! He was bemoaning his reliance on korgs, when I chatted with him at Bromyard.
hubert rawlinson says
Trip down to London for the Joe Boyd and Brian Eno in conversation about Joe’s new book And The Roots of Rhythm Remain. So I very put the thick Bob Dylan book down I was reading to start this thick book and I’m still only on the third chapter. Met up with @Mike_H and adjourned to a hostelry for beer and a chat.
I shall be seeing Joe next week in Manchester at the book festival for a second listen.
Saw Dylan Moran at the local Town Hall, very well attended. The person who’d set it up said it was the fifth or sixth he’d put on, which he’d done because there was very little happening in town. I’m never sure if Moran has a script set up or just says the first thing that arrives in his head.
Enjoying David Mitchell in Ludwig, though part of me was disappointed that it wasn’t the animation from the seventies with the egg-shaped gemstone. Monday’s quizzes are back on hurrah. Oh and the French Maigret is back on Talking Pictures double hurrah
Having been introduced to the Rheingans Sisters by my friend above I received their cd and having been filling my earholes with it. It does sound like on some of the tracks they’ve taken the tune apart and rebuilt it, that’s a compliment. I hope to have a chat about it with @thecheshirecat on Sunday when I see him.
Mike_H says
Not so much recorded music listened to in September, due to my music-playing computer suddenly deciding to play dead. Went off to bed with the computer idling away doing nothing. Woke the next morning to a blank screen and a PC that wouldn’t even try to boot up. Local PC repair guy that I trust, having used him before, was in the middle of moving premises and not responding to phone messages, initially. Other local PC repair guys unenthusiastic about repairing a Chinese mini-PC. Finally got in touch with the guy I’ve used before and he fixed it this week for £150. Better than buying a new one for about £370 and he gives a 12-month guarantee on his work.
Also had to get the aircon fixed on my car, which involved some dismantling and replacement of leaking seals plus re-gassing. All done in a day collected from my home and delivered back. Another £320 spent.
Changed my energy contract from a variable tariff to a fixed one. About £10 a month less.
Anyway.
New Music heard:
Julian Lage – Speak To Me
Amaro Freitas – Y’Y
Chris Potter – Eagle’s Point
Charles Lloyd – The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (great title, eh!)
Empirical – Wonder Is The Beginning
Radiophonic Workshop – Everything You Can Imagine Is Real
Tinike Postma – Aria
Benet McLean – Green Park
Rico Rodrigues – Man From Wareika/Wareika Dub
Artie Zaitz – The Regulator
Benny Golson-Johnny Griffin Band – Rome 2007-11-10
Bobby Wellins Sextet – Homage To Caledonia
Erroll Garner – The Best Jazz
Ezra Collective – Dance, No One’s Watching
Gordon Beck Quartet and Joy Marshall – When Sunny Gets Blue: Spring ’68 Sessions
Gordon Beck Trio – Appleby Blues & Not The Last Waltz
Ill Considered – Infrared
Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition – McCabes Guitar Workshop, Santa Monica, October 1981
John Zorn – The Hermetic Organ Vol. 13-Biennale Musica Venezia
John Zorn, Barbara Hannigan – Hannigan Sings Zorn Volume Two
Kenny Burrell – Guitar Forms
Luis D’Agostino – Baladas Y Otras Canciones
NOK Cultural Ensemble – Njhyi
Nubya Garcia – Odyssey
Oliver Nelson – Taking Care Of Business
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Espen Berg – Maetrix
On TV:
Ludwig. Excellent twist on cop show tropes. The ending is an obvious pointer to another series too.
Nothing else of note.
Reading:
I re-read Mick Herron’s Slow Horses series from the beginning again.
Bits & Bobs from Private Eye. I have a bit of a backlog there.
Out And About:
A young Tomorrow’s Warriors ensemble lunchtime gig on September 1st in The Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall. Excellent standard of musicianship. Considering it was at the RAH, the piano they were given to use sounded rather ropey, I thought.
Joe Boyd & Brian Eno in conversation (promoting Joe’s new book) at Foyles Bookshop Auditorium on September 4th. Very entertaining. Met up with Hubes of this parish there and at the end we retired to a nearby hostelry for a couple of beers and a chinwag. A very pleasant chat but not very good beer, though the prices were lower than expected for that location.
Off to The Elephant Inn in North Finchley on September 15th to see trombonist Mark Nightingale and band. A good early evening’s musical entertainment and home by 10pm. Most civilised.
Back again at The Elephant a week after, on September 22nd for an out-of-sequence gig by guitarists Luis D’Agostino and Pete Oxley, with a bassist who also doubled on chromatic harmonica and the house drummer and saxophonist. A jolly good night and yet again home at a civilised hour.
Out to The Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston on the 24th for a double bill of the Kezia Abuoma Quartet (piano, trumpet, bass & drums – all original material) and the Ky Osborne Quartet (piano, guitar, bass & drums – interesting quirky takes on standards). All young up-and-coming musicians on the London jazz scene. Met up with keyboard-playing (local funk & soul bands) friend Martin there and had a good chat.
Out again to Karamel in Wood Green on the 26th, a horribly rainy traffic-jammed night, to see the Tomorrow’s Warriors Youth Ensemble (piano, guitar, tenor sax, bassoon, bass & drums – all teenagers). Bassoonist and drummer are twins and both extremely talented as were the rest of the band. Range of material from old standards (beautiful slow rendition of ‘Stardust’) to more recent stuff (Pat Metheny’s tricky ‘Song For Bilbao’). Guy on the next table was eating a very yummy-looking curry. Next time I go there I’ll try the food. Decent draught IPA and a decent selection of other drinks. Prices reasonable for the area.
The following evening (27th) I had 2 gigs to go to, an early one back at Foyles for the monthly TW+1 show from 7pm till 8:30pm and then my pals ‘Dex & Mercy’s Funk & Soul’ at The Elephant for their monthly gig at around 9:00pm. Dex & Mercy was cancelled, though as most of the band were ill. At Foyles it was the TW Youth Ensemble again, but with drummer Moses Boyd guesting on a few tunes. They played a shorter version of the same set they’d performed at Karamel the night before, but it was still worth coming out for.
Strange to hear a bassoon used in jazz. It’s sort-of in the same tonal range as a baritone sax (with some much higher notes possible too on the bassoon) but has a strangely compressed sound almost like an early electronic keyboard in tone. Had a long Zoom chat into the early hours with my pal Ben in Sheffield when I got home, with several cans of Guinness consumed.
On Sunday 29th I went to the B3 Lounge, in the basement of The Bohemia in North Finchley, to see Ed Bentley (Hammond B3), Dave Lewis (tenor sax), Sam Dunn (guitar), ?#1 (electric bass) and ?#2 (drums). Good funky stuff in a nice cosy, friendly place for just £10. Next gig there, on Sunday 13th, will be saxophonist and jazz writer Simon Spillett.
fentonsteve says
My local faves Sunday Driver use a bassoon, amongst many other curious instruments (electric sitar, for example). I missed their September gig due to my FIL having a 1:30am trip to hospital in the back of an ambulance. Having finally got to bed at 4:30am, I didn’t feel much like a late night. After three weeks in there (mostly because he caught Covid in A&E) he’s back home now.
fitterstoke says
Bassoon in jazz: see also Henry Cow, Knifeworld, Lindsay Cooper, Chloe Herington, Valve – admittedly, these could be avant-prog-jazz-modern classical rather than “jazz”…but still…
I rather like it.
duco01 says
I must confess that up until a few weeks ago, I’d never even heard of the British jazz pianist Gordon Beck (1935-2011). But then I read an interview with one of my favourite artists, Greg Foat, and he named Beck as his all-time jazz idol. Since then, I’ve listened to some Gordon Beck, and I like what I’ve heard.
Mike_H says
Superb player.
deramdaze says
Reading
Heppo’s book – Always page-turners, this one is no exception.
However, the premise that ‘older acts perform ‘cos it kinda pays well, and a whole load of people want them to do it’, though completely accurate, wears a bit thin after you’ve read essentially the same thing for the twentieth time. It’s also slightly strange that while he suggests that no one wants McCartney, say, to play any new stuff in concert (correct), he doesn’t realise that reading about McCartney’s life in 2024 is also a whole lot more dull than reading about his life in 1964!
Much better was an unpublished autobiography I came across in a local Archive.
Written by a guy born in a fishing port in grinding poverty (INSANE poverty) in 1900, it is remarkable for just how cosmopolitan the town was then compared to how it is now. Italians, Egyptians, Indians, not a racist comment in sight – despite the poor guy having to fight in BOTH wars (he is scathing about everything to do with war and the British Army in particular) – you will not have to wait long before hearing out-and-out racism in the same town today.
Just for the record, the reasons he joined up, underage, for the first one had NOTHING to do with any affinity for king and country. It was because… 1. It meant one less mouth to feed for his Mum and Dad, 2. He’d eat well, and 3. He’d get new clothes and boots, something which he hadn’t experienced in the first seventeen years of his life.
Scathing about the much-heralded artists (all from up-country and rich) of the time, too, who did nothing to assuage the poverty they must have seen at the bottom of the hill before embarking on their route back up to their easy life at the top of the hill.
He’s my new hero. The family mentioned there’s a second volume. Please, please let me see it!
Music
Best ever CD in Mojo – ‘Point Me At The Sky’ – reminiscent of one of those old See For Miles/Rubble compilations – which dovetails nicely with the exceptional Yardbirds’ one from the summer. Got some crackers second-hand… Ambrose Slade, a terrific Chess compilation of female singers (20 tracks, but you know that the only one you’ll ever hear on British radio will be ‘Rescue Me’… over and over again), The Supremes…
… and I’ve got a CD made in 2024!!!! What are the chances? Finally, got an entry in the peerless ‘That’ll Flat Git It!’ series of Rock ‘n’ Roll comps. on Bear Family. It concentrates on the Starday label from Texas, a label which was really second only to Sun. These comps. are high-end – £17/18 – but given the number of 50p jobs I gather up, I’m tempted to lump on over the next couple of years. A much better bet than all the dreary single-artist comps. that fill up these pages every week.
Sport
Weather permitting, this weekend sees match no. 34 and match no. 35 for the season. My mate’s on 44 and 45!
pencilsqueezer says
As I am fortunate to have a life in which at this moment nothing of note happens I have little to relate of interest. I did see a buzzard being mobbed by six magpies when limping to my local pharmacy for a flu jab, this probably augers some incipient misfortune but as of yet four days later nothing of note continues to be the way of things. Nevertheless.
Heard.
The Necks continue to be a bit of an obsession as does Charles Lloyd to which can be added The Giovanni Guidi Trio and The Simple Acoustic Trio. When any of the aforementioned haven’t been filling my ears I have been giving myself over to the new Jon Hopkins disc Ritual and a box set of the first five albums from The Pentangle. Add to this the ECM box set of Keith Jarrett live at the Blue Note, a sprinkling of Leonard Cohen and a mish mash of Lhasa de Sala, Cecilie Strange, Laura Veires, Loma and Miles Davis Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965 and that constitutes the bulk of September’s listening.
Read.
I thought I’d have a bash at this year’s Booker shortlist, not something I can usually be bothered to undertake, I tend to prefer the Women’s Prize offerings. I have no explanation for that I just do. So far I’ve read The Safe Keep by Yael van der Wouden and James by Percival Everett and I’m currently engaged upon Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. Orbital by Samantha Harvey is up next. I’ll stick my neck out and even without having read the complete shortlist I’ll suggest that I’d be surprised if the Percival Everett doesn’t win it this year. I must mention two non-Booker reads from September that were a joy. Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession and This Is Happiness by Niall Williams, if you want cheering up these two come highly recommended.
Seen.
I finally got around to watching This Town and found it enjoyable if slight. I’m currently enjoying Succession which is a hoot and I found The Gentlemen on Netflix diverting. Monday evenings are of course given over to quizzing via BBC2 Wales.
A.O.B.
The new speakers are settling in nicely and a new CD transport will be taking up shelf space shortly which will no doubt cause a redoubled if vain attempt to hunt down a hard copy of Fire in the Hole by Sara Isaksson and Rebecca Tornqvist. I cannot find one for love nor money. It’s not available to stream so I am bereft of it’s charms. I did track down a copy of Memoryhouse by Max Richter for a not unreasonable £5 in September which raised a smile as I’ve been looking for a copy at a sensible price for some time. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt but sometimes as in the case of Fire in the Hole it can become dashed frustrating.
retropath2 says
Would a cdr suffice, for “research purposes”?
pencilsqueezer says
It would if it was a 16bit 44.1khz copy. In which case ta muchly.
I will of course continue my fruitless search nevertheless.
retropath2 says
I have no way of telling, as mine is also a research copy. There’s one for around £30 from Sweden, incl. P&P, on Discogs.
pencilsqueezer says
Ah ok thanks anyway. I’ll continue my search then. I missed that one on Discogs. I’ll have another look although that’s a little more than I’m prepared to pay.
Tiggerlion says
I have a Fire In The Hole CD. How would I create a copy to your specifications?
pencilsqueezer says
It’s been years since I owned a laptop or computer and I’ve completely forgotten how to rip and burn discs tbh. I assume there must be a way to burn a bit perfect copy but I’m buggered if I know how. I can walk you through how to stretch and gesso a canvas or the best technique for making a lithograhic print but computer based malarkey nope. Thanks though most kind my old friend.
Tiggerlion says
Perhaps, @fentonsteve could help?
fentonsteve says
Windows Media Player is probably the easiest way to go about it.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/burn-and-rip-cds-235021d5-e1c7-8616-4efd-4f4965fe6b91
Personally, I’d go for ripping to Flac files with Exact Audio Copy.
Mike_H says
Need to download EAC, then download Ffmpeg separately and point EAC at it, to produce Flac files, IIRC. A bit of a learning curve.
Both are free and safe to use but the license conditions for Ffmpeg don’t permit it to be included with other software.
fentonsteve says
Flac comes in the EAC download. FFmpeg is only required for mp3 files.
pencilsqueezer says
A very generous mutual friend is doing me an incredible kindness. My search for this illusive disc is now concluded. A good day. A gold day.
Gary says
WATCHED
Stags – Tv mini-series. Very dark and strangely violent for something seemingly marketed as a comedy. I watched it cos it had This Country’s Charlie Cooper in it (cos I thought This Country was superb), but he only had a small part, was killed off pretty quickly and I was disappointed cos his acting was noticeably crap. But then I read this article – https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/oct/04/bbc-charlie-cooper-myth-country-review-joy-genius-kurtan – in today’s The Guardian and it got me checking out Myth Country on iPlayer which has made me laugh aloud in the first five minutes (“He’s a former print salesman. So probably reliable, I would say.”). So I’m very much looking forward to binging that over the weekend. I couldn’t find subtitles for the last episode of Stags so didn’t bother watching it.
Blink Twice and Strange Darling. Two very violent films (it’s a wonder I’m not a psychopath with all this violent input) with gallons of blood, sort of slasher films really. Revenge is a strong theme in both and both feature excellent performances from their female leads. Strange Darling is violent pretty much from the get-go and can lazily but understandably be compared to a Tarantino-esque stylee. I preferred Blink Twice, which has a more original story to tell as well as a more blatant feminist agenda (lazy but understandable review: it starts off with a sort Jordan Peele-esquey type stylee and saves the gory violence for the last quarter of the film).
Both films kept me entertained and guessing throughout.
Gary says
Just a note to say I watched all three episodes of Charlie Cooper’s Myth Country on iPlayer and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoyed This Country, The Detectorists or Gone Fishing. Very much in that vein. And The Guardian was right – it’s very hard to say whether it’s a mockumentary with a script of sorts or whether Cooper just naturally says funny things.
pencilsqueezer says
I’ve watched it too. I enjoyed it’s enthusiastic but tongue slightly in cheek vibe.
Kaisfatdad says
Great!! I found it on YT.
pencilsqueezer says
I have a copy of the book to which Charlie makes reference, Folklore Myths and Legends of Britain. I’ve had a copy for donkey’s years. I just looked it up on Abe books and discovered that copies are going for over £200! I am astonished.
thecheshirecat says
Blinkin eck. Is that the Readers Digest tome? I grew up with that.
pencilsqueezer says
The very one Cat. It’s a much desired tome it seems.
Gatz says
I think every home had a copy. Ours certainly did. Which makes me wonder why it’s so hard to find, and I’ve been looking in charity shops for years.
Freddy Steady says
If it’s the one I’m thinking about…is there a few pages or chapter about the Lambton Worm? (Spelling might not be quite right)
hubert rawlinson says
Many years ago I set myself the task of finding copies of F,M, and Legend in charity shops. Must have found about 10 copies over the years which I gave away as gifts.
Kept my copy, stunned it’s 200 quid now.
Yes it does have the Lambton Worm in it.
Gatz says
Wisht lad, had yah gob!
Rigid Digit says
Heard:
Bit late to the party, but I have gone down a Johnny Cash – American Recordings rabbithole. A fine soundtrack to autumnal days that can’t decide on a constant temperature point.
Mary Wallopers – finally got round to buying the albums – enjoyed the debut, but much prefer the second album (Irish Rock & Roll)
Seen:
2 series of The Teacher (both on Channel 5, but the first series is also on Netflix)
Enjoying Ludwig – 2 episodes in it’s striking that balance between intrigue, a bit of suspense, and gentle humour
Read:
David Hepworth has a new book out which made me realise I haven’t read the last couple.
Nothing is Real: The Beatles Were Underrated And Other Sweeping Statements About Pop about 75% done, and A Fabulous Creation next on the pile
AOB:
I admit to putting my heating on at home BEFORE 30th September (these are the rules!)
Mike_H says
Was tempted to put my heating on last week but resisted and put a jumper on instead.
I generally try to last out until November 1st, which wasn’t a problem at all last year. Not sure I’ll make it that far this year.
dai says
I used to try to last until Dec 1st before putting on my winter coat, then I moved to Canada. However I just read that we have had 160 successive days of the temperature being above 3 deg C which is apparently a record. May get down to 2 tonight though, my house is pretty energy efficient and I haven’t had the heating on since April I think. Pretty hot, wet summer and a very warm, beautifully sunny September
Rigid Digit says
Here’s a “Seen” I need to add – just stumbled across it, and will be binging those I’ve not yet seen later tonight.
Plus, I’ll forget about it by next month.
(and yes, it’s another Channel 5 job)
A series of documentaries under the banner “Maps Of Britain”
Seen so far:
Motorways
Railways
Sewers
Binging later:
Canals
Coastal Map (Shipbuilding and Docks)
London Underground
Perfect nerd TV mixing history and engineering
(just me then …)
Max the Dog says
Saw no gigs but I did go to see two NT Live screenings after Twang mentioned them on Carl’s thread about When It Happens To You.
Prima Facie with Jodie Comer and Vanya with Andrew Scott. Both magnificent, especially JC’s gut-wrenching performance. I will not forget in a hurry that scene that ends with a rain-soaked Tessa pleading with a reluctant taxi driver. Next week I’ve booked for Present Laughter again with Andrew Scott – a lighter fare I’d imagine.
On TV I went back a few years to watch Feud Seaon One on Disney+. A brilliantly realised drama of the professional and personal rivalry between Joan Crawford and Betty Davis. Jessica Lang and Susan Sarandon are excellent in the lead roles with great support from an ensemble cast. What stood out most was just how deeply unhappy and unfulfilled these people were. A re-watch of Richard Attenborough’s Chaplin recently left me with the same impression.
I eventually got around to reading properly last month. Hope to keep it up. Maggie O”Farrells Hamlet was slow but brilliant and Liz Nugent’s Strange Sally Diamond was very good but unsettling – it would make a good film or TV drama
Music – I’m enjoying the Cara Dillon album and the new one from Fontaines DC. Busy new album day yesterday ordering new ones from PSB, Bright Eyes, Orla Gartland and *cough* Coldplay.
Only other news is that after many years of not seeing any hedgehogs, not even dead ones on the road, I now have a couple of them that call into the back garden every night. Lovely.
Locust says
Read:
Quite enjoyed Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. It examines interesting subjects in an engaging way, my only problem with it was that I felt that it left a couple of holes in the story. Otherwise well written about family, friendship and betrayal, slavery and freedom, loss and love.
Then I read the third novel by Aussie author Robbie Arnott; Limberlost, which I’ve owned a while but not gotten around to. His fourth comes out now in October, which is why I finally read it. I loved his first two (especially The Rain Heron – if you haven’t read it, please do: it’s a masterpiece!) and really liked this one as well, just not quite as much. Still – I gave it 8 out of 10, so not exactly a disappointment!
The novel follows a boy growing up on an apple farm, mostly set during a summer when his older brothers have gone to war and the family struggles financially – he’s busy shooting rabbits to get enough money to buy the boat of his dreams. But the narrative also jumps around in time to his adulthood and old age, as well as memories of early childhood, slowly revealing more and more and painting a vivid and moving picture of a life of loss. Brilliantly written, as usual.
I was “tricked” into reading Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah, by which I mean that it wasn’t at all what I had been led to believe. Not awful, but often very confusing – I had to go back and reread many passages when things didn’t make sense – and it reads a bit like a so called “cinnamon bun romance”, except about friendship, in such a utopian way that it rather put me off. It deals with important subjects and parts of it are very good, but I found it to be very half-cooked and the characters felt like imaginary friends dreamed up by the author. Add to that a lot of annoying “innit” speach and terrible taste in music (Oasis, most notably) and it quickly got on my nerves. But I’ve seen plenty of people praising this novel, and I can see why, it’s just not my sort of style. Too feelgood for me!
Then I quickly read the latest novel from Swedish writer Sara Bergmark Elfgren; Ö (“”Island”), a sort of thriller about domestic abuse and sisters. It was OK, but far from her best effort.
Then read a novel by French author Lucie Rico, called Kycklingoratoriet in Swedish, and Le Chant du Poulet Sous Vide in French – none of her books seems to have been translated into English. Absurd and funny novel about consumerism, in which the vegetarian daughter of her recently deceased chicken farmer mother is compelled to keep the business going, but make herself feel better about it by writing biographies for each individual chicken she kills and sell at the market; adding them to the packaged birds. The owner of a supermarket chain convinces her to move her business to the city and hire extra writers to meet the demand of the customers desire to eat a chicken that has a name and a personality. Things soon take a bad turn…
The best book I read in September is another novel not yet translated into English, but this one’s Chilean, by Alia Trabucco Zerán. It’s original title is Lumpia, I believe (Rent Hus in Swedish, and I think it will come out in an English translation under the title “Clean” later this year) and it’s absolutely brilliant. We follow a young woman who moves to Santiago from her mother’s house in the countryside to become the maid in an upper middle class household. The novel begin with her being in jail, telling the cops she assumes is behind the mirror that she knows they want to hear about the death of the family’s daughter, but the story doesn’t start there and she wants to tell them everything from the beginning. And she does, and it’s a story that eats its way into the reader’s soul, nibbling away at it, a story of grief, loneliness and the captivity of poverty. The poetry of domestic details and repetition, the hypnotic unavoidability of actions and consequences – this is one of my favourite novels of 2024 so far.
Just before the month ended I finally started reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver after years of procrastination, and this is another top notch read, one I can tell will be a favourite of all times, even though I’m only half-way through it so far. I keep having to underline favourite passages and sentences – the language here is stunning. The narrative shifting between the mother and the four daughters is so well done, all with their own voices and views, clearly defined. I thought Demon Copperhead was wonderful, and this is much better, when she’s not hampered by having to follow the Dickens template (and as much as I love Dickens, his habit of publishing in installments didn’t help him with brevity and focus…)
And I completed my reading project of 2024 by rating all of the 37 books by P C Jersild that I read. I won’t inflict the list on you – as most of them aren’t translated into English – but I can inform you that, although I really like all but possibly five or six of them, I can clearly separate a Top Thirteen which are in a class of their own. What’s interesting (well – to me, at least) is that among those thirteen we find everything from his second book to his 36th, with a mix of early, middle and late works in between. Among them a five book winning streak – his golden age I suppose, but all of his ages are represented on the list, five of them late entries and two very early ones.
(I know you don’t care, but I find it fascinating! 😀 )
Heard:
Well, I bought a small stack of CDs in September, unfortunately I haven’t been as diligent about actually listening to them…so I can only give my opinion on a few of them (and not the Tigger six listen kind of opinion either…)
Sami artist Mari Boine has a new album out called Alva, and after three listens I can say that I really like it. Her previous album was a jazzy collaboration, this one is giving more Kate Bush vibes for some reason (no, it’s not because the first track is called “Up That Hill”), something about the production and the artistic and grown-up kind of pop with a folk/world foundation, interesting instrumentation perhaps? Think late-half Bush, a little Peter Gabriel as well perhaps.
Listen to track 2 and tell me I’m wrong…that said, she’s very much her own flavour and certainly not trying to be a Kate clone. I just hear a connection in their artistry.
Another album that I’ve heard a few times now and really enjoy is Roll It Out by The Deslondes. It’s country rock meat and potatoes, but the meat is a perfectly cooked steak and the potatoes are mashed with cream and butter. They don’t really make bad albums, do they?
I’m much more ambivalent about the new The The album; Ensoulment. Musically it’s mostly good – it pretty much sounds exactly like his other albums. Which is both a relief and a disappointment, for me. And the lyrics are a mix of unsubtle and incomprehensible, so business as usual there as well, I suppose. I don’t know, it hasn’t charmed me yet. It’s OK but rubs me the wrong way a bit.
The new album from Ray LaMontagne; Long Way Home is growing on me with each listen, but the mood of it doesn’t quite suit my own mood at the moment, so I haven’t wanted to listen to it much yet. I’m sure I’ll appreciate it more once I’m able to meet it half-way.
I didn’t get on with the latest from Jake Xerxes Fussell on first and second listen, so I’ve given it a rest for now. I’ll try again in a while.
Also haven’t been feeling in the mood to get into the new album from Nathan Bowles Trio either, on first – and so far only – listen most of it was a bit too sparse and repetitive to excite me right now. I’ve loved other sparse and repetitive music by Nathan Bowles however, so I’ll try this one again later as well. I’m very much a mood listener, so timing is everything.
Seen:
No, can’t remember much. Apart from carcrash-viewing of US election news, the Speed Puzzling World Championships (yes, they do exist…) and my usual YouTube assortment of pick’n mix, nothing of note, I think. Or it was so bad that I quickly forgot all about it.
AOB:
I’m going back to the knee clinic this week to have my injury reassessed, since my physiotherapist isn’t happy with my progress and my pain levels. I can’t decide if I want them to say that I should have surgery to sort out the problem or if I want them to shrug and say “These things take time”. I’m frustrated with not being able to function the same as before the injury happened, but I’m not keen on having to take time off from work again, and the financial slump it puts me in…
Some days I think it feels better, then four hours later I’m hobbling about in pain again. It’s just annoying.
On a brighter note, and much more important: my sister was officially declared free of cancer!
retropath2 says
That’s a lovely description of the Deslondes album. And I agree with it.
Brucefield says
Read:
Andrew Wild’s “A Mirror of Dreams: The Progressive Rock Revival 1981 To 1983”. My Neo-Prog 1983 involved a couple of Marillion gigs plus the “Market Square Heroes” 12″ and the “Script” album, the immersion in the rest of the Prog bands at The Marquee started in 1984. So kind of a precursor to me for the follow-up, covering 1984-1989 or so, which is very much my era (well, 84-85, thereafter I left the Deep South and discovered psychedelia and via the “Paisley Underground”.
That ties in neatly to the other one I started this month: Steve Wynn’s “I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True: A Memoir Of Life, Music, And The Dream Syndicate”. Again, I missed the start of the era, so am mostly learning about the bits before I got there: my music buying kicked in in 1985 and gig-going in 1986.
Listened to:
This month has been dominated by two boxes of CDs: Bob Dylan and The Band – The 1974 Live Recordings, and Grateful Dead – April 1978: Friend of The Devils. I’m working slowly through both (27 and 19 CDs respectively), but both evolve, set-list and interpretation-wise as they go.
I also had a major charity shop accident at the Oxfam Music store in Glasgow. Lots backlogged as a result of the boxes above.
Radio Paradise also continues to be a major distraction from more structured listening, and also provides a steady source of second hand CD purchases as a result: https://radioparadise.com/home
Saw:
Steve Wynn, reading from his book (see above!) and playing solo acoustic tracks to accompany it
Ryan Adams, also solo acoustic
The The
Pictish Trail, plus Luce Mawdsley, both of which were an absolute joy.
retropath2 says
Thanks to @thecheshirecat for saving me having to mention Bromyard. (I think I touched on it, anyway, last month.) And, if anyone did follow his link, any guesses as to who “my chum Dave” might be, who kept me awake all hours?
A month living inside again has been nice. Loads of telly, as ever, but I can’t remember exactly what has stood out, in a morass of dross. My enjoyment of Slow Horses has been muted by giving the books a go. Much recommended, I fear not for me, as al I can do is recall the TV version of each and every scene. either this means the programme is hugely true to the book, or that there is pretty little other nuance available in the writing. I think the latter, and, like, Rebus, great stories but, ultimately, shallow development of character.
Live I have been out twice, of the second was a whisper into October. The first was the estimable Katie Spencer, who, along with Alan Thomson, the bassist on most of John Martyn’s post Danny Thompson output, performed a set of half Martyn songs and half her own. Having seen her a couple of times before, she gets better and better, and this night was wonderful. Helped by the setting, Leamington’s Temperance, a subterranean nook with the vibes of a Victorian gentleman’s study. And fun with about sixty souls therein. The second was Fairground Attraction, whom I have already commented upon, in another thread.
Listened, as ever, to a stack of new. I say yes to rather too many requests to review music, which hinders listening availability for other music, somewhat annoyingly. Nonetheless I made time for the new Maximo Park, having been taken with Paul Smith’s voice, in his duets album with Rachel Unthank last year. I’ll confess that post punk alternative guitar music, if that’s what they are, is quite my bag, but Stream of Life, the album, has its moments and some decent enough songs, that are growing on me.
Simon Emmerson, the late Imagined Village and Afro-Celts originator, was very busy pre death. A lesser known part of his work was with and for Lush, as in the bath bomb people, purveyors of expensive bath salts. Highlands, advertorial music for their latest product is an album long selection, Highlands, which features Julie Fowlis and a whole crew of Afro-Celts. And in a very folktronic/gaelictronic way, it isn’t at all bad. This set me into exploring what else he did for them, and some Bandcamp forays, downloading a set of 70s songs redone in that style, with Eliza Carthy and Teddy Thompson amongst the contributors, and another of 80s songs and another of Beatles songs. Why did he do this? It seems that the Imagined Village 2 could not interest any record label, and so he had a chat with Lush, and they released it and fair amount of subsequent.
The new Tindersticks seemed initially fine, but with time, despite listening again, none of it sticks in the way their earlier stuff has.
The new Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage is really good, In the Dark We Grow. I see I reviewed th last here, for Bargey. Well this is even better, as good a transatlantic merging of trad folk and americana when anyone else tends to be good at only one.
Last high five of the month is for Steve Knightley’s latest, The Winter Yards. For a 70 year old, his work ethic is daft, touring Show of Hands down to their finale, starting his new band, Dream In Colours, and doing loads of festivals with them, now putting out a solo and touring that till Christmas. 12 songs, with 9 crackers and 3 also-rans that would be fine on anyone elses equivalent. Could be my favourite singer, these days.
thecheshirecat says
I have all four Fresh Handmade Sound CDs, quite lavishly packaged they were too. I bought them from the Lush shop in Manchester – the only time I visited the premises; I felt quite lost in there!
Boneshaker says
Reading –
Patrick Humphries’ new biography of the Fabs, With the Beatles, was a decent read. Not exactly groundbreaking in its analysis or revelations, but a lively chronological summation which sticks to its subject without veering too far into the private lives of the participants. I enjoyed it. I also read Mark Blake’s Dreams: the Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac this month. It doesn’t stray far from accepted facts about the band either, but acknowledges the complexity of its subject matter by taking an innovative approach. Rather than being a straight narrative, Blake covers key moments in the band’s history in an anecdotal style. It works well, and makes for a compelling read. One of the best books on the Mac, which does equal justice to all eras of the band’s history. Lastly, I read David Hepworth’s Hope I Get Old Before I Die. I thought his last couple of books had lost a bit of their customary sparkle, but this one was much more on the money, making for a quick, easy and entertaining read.
Listening –
Merce Lemon is from Pittsburgh. Her third album of slightly spooked Americana, Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild, came out recently. Lots of fuzzy guitars make it a bit of a winner for me. Standout track is this one, Backyard Lover. I’ve not heard of her before, but I like the album. A talent to watch, I suspect. Ray Lamontagne has a new album out,which is just lovely – one of his best IMHO, and I’ve already waxed lyrical about Britain’s most unsung nearly superstar Peter Bruntnell elsewhere on the Forum. Houdini and the Sucker Punch is a proper little belter. Stream it now kids, or buy a signed CD for a humble tenner from Mr Bruntnell himself.