Whoooosh! As we hurtle through 2019, let’s pause briefly to share anything good that we’ve been listening to, watching, or reading, and also if there is anything new coming up you’d like to let us all know about
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Heard – Nick Cave ‘Ghosteen’ I can’t add anything interesting to the debate [or lack of] around this record, it gets a 9.1 rating on ADM, that’s an aggregate score from around 50 reviews. Ok, that doesn’t make it so, but it’s a pretty good indicator. http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/10104/Nick-Cave-And-The-Bad-Seeds-Ghosteen.aspx
Saw – Jesca Hoop @ Leaf, Liverpool. Wonderful evening of beautiful, interesting music and stunning singing and vocal harmonies, all in a room in which you could hear a pin drop during the quiet bits. [and, I made her laugh at the merch table – so, yeah it was a good night]
Watched – The end of season 2 of Succession. Just excellent telly. The greatest show on TV right now – Boar on the floor, anyone?
Season 2 of Motherland is soooo much better than season 1.
Episode 1 [No mum left behind] which introduced new character Meg, was a belting opener and while the other episodes don’t have the same energy, they’ve all been enjoyable. I’m glad it’s back and season 3 has already been commissioned.
Read – Just finishing Straight White Male by John Niven. It actually lives up to the blurb on the cover, you know, the nonsense that other writers submit to the publisher to put on the jacket? ‘Hilarious & moving’ [I haven’t got to the moving part yet, but it is hilarious and I have no doubt I’ll be moved before the end].
AOB – I got my Nick Cave tickets for next year, so Yay! Go me!
Heard:
Richard Dawson – 2020.
An examination of the minutae of life set to a sometimes folky, sometimes proggy, sometimes indie, sometime Trumpton-ish musical backdrop
Millions Like Us – The Story Of The Mod Revival 1977-1989 boxset.
Quadrophenia’s anniversary last month got me exploring the Mod Revival, buyina new PArka and a new pair of Doctor Martens (well it made sense to me)
Read:
Did the 7 Book thing on Facebook, so was skim reading some of my favourites.
Elton’s biog is sitting waiting to be read.
Seen:
TV wise, enjoying the Dublin Murders on Beeb1
Gig wise, saw Mark Lewisohn – Hornsey Road this week – well worth a visit if you get the chance. An ideal evening for the Beatles nerd (even if he has been “advised” not to play anymore excerpts from the newly discovered tape)
AOB – Just ordered tickets for the John Lydon Q&A show next year (September) – on sale today.
What? Another month already? It just can’t be. 2019 is zipping past.
I’ll restrict myself to Seen as I don’t think I’ve read or heard anything new of great note.
On television season 2 of Succession has been even better than the first, and is well worth taking out a free trial to Now TV for if you don’t already have access. The squabbling Roy family, held together by power and money, move out into the wider world as they attempt to hold onto their media empire with outside backing. The slow burning story of the deaths on the cruise ship comes to a head in the brilliant final 2 episodes.
Live, we have been to 3 shows this month. Massanet’s Werther at the Royal Opera House was short on tunes but swung along nicely. I mention it here because it is not a particularly popular opera, and from our usual cheap seats in the roof (‘the slips’ as they are called) we spotted plenty of empty places in the stalls. In the first interval we awarded ourselves a cheeky upgrade from £12 seats to £160 seats which we would never usually afford. Conclusion – the scenery is more impressive, and in the stalls you can feel the floor vibrate from the orchestra, but it certainly isn’t worth that much extra money and we missed being able to watch the orchestra in duller moments.
For some reason Ross Noble performed a one off gig in Colchester, and was hilarious. The last time I saw him was at the London Palladium where he seemed to fall back more on prepared material, but this was his spontaneous best.
A week or so later we went to The Unthanks Bronte show at Saffron Hall. The first section was songs from the recent Lines album, followed by a selection of others. The line up was simply Rachel, Becky and Adrian (I don’t think I have ever seen them without Niopha Keegan) and the result was sparse and melancholy though beautiful.
AOB In between Ross and The Unthanks we spent a few days in Verona, with day trips to Vicenza and Venice. October is a lovely time of year for this, with fewer tourists, less heat and plenty of sun. So that was nice.
Is Ross Noble ever not hilarious?
Erratic. Some of his live shows when he improvises are a bit tiresome. Hat off to him for taking risks. Is this going to be funny? I don’t know yet, let’s see where it goes…
It’s a high wire act, but when it works he makes me laugh more than anyone except Billy Connolly. It may be because the improvisation wasn’t coming off, but that night at the Palladium he made less use of and call backs to the audience stuff. It was still very funny, but if I had taken a newcomer along I felt like I would have been saying, ‘No, you should see him when he’s really good.’
I’ve always enjoyed him most at close range or in tiny venues, and at Colchester we moved to empty front row seats after the interval. There’s an extra dimension when you can see his eyes flicker just for a fraction of a second as he works out where he’s going to take the routine next.
I have a hunch part of the reason for the less stellar night in London might have been the large apron covering the orchestra pit at the Palladium, which prevented him from getting as close to the audience as usual. I hope not, as we’re seeing him there again on the 2020 tour.
Really impressed with the Netflix series “Unbelievable”. Some great performances in this with Merritt Wever the pick of the bunch. Amazing story, highly recommended.
Finally got to see the Joker the other day. Not quite as impressed as I expected to be, but ol’ Joaquin is a shoe in for the awards season.
While writing this, I’m listening to Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings album released today called “Rose in June”. It really is delightful. Leans in the Bellowhead direction but is extremely listenable in a way that the bigger band albums were not. (Bellowhead was a live experience).
Theatre wise, I saw the Newbury Watermill Theatre production of Assassins which was superb. It’s one of Sondheim’s lesser known works about the various characters who have tried to knock off American presidents. It shouldn’t work but it really does. I believe it’s transferred to Nottingham for the next two weeks.
Thoroughly enjoying reading (listening) to the audio book of Elton John’s autobiography. Really well written by the ghost author but brilliantly read and interpreted by Taron Egerton.
Off to see Big Big Train tomorrow at the Hackney Empire.
I didn’t know Joe Biden had made an album with The Remnant Kings.
Heard:
Bought a 2019 record. The third of the year, I may yet get a Top 5 together by the end-of-year poll.
Dylan Bootleg Series 15, obviously.
Haven’t heard it yet, but bought it! Well done to the Record Industry.
Otherwise all 1969, all previously purchased, spurred on by all the anniversaries.
Thin pickings in 1970 so might as well lump on now. In January I’m going back to 1960.
Seen:
Honeyland and the Sean the Sheep film. Both excellent and (in the case of Honeyland, not Sean the Sheep) another film chalked off where the chief protagonist is a female.
We’re well Me Too in Camberwick Green.
Revisited Miss Fisher, an Australian crime drama (main role – a woman) set in the 1920s. None other than Jim/Roger McGuinn expressed his enthusiasm for this programme in a recent Mojo.
Loads of football/rugby live (i.e. I stand on a terrace in the open air), though haven’t really engaged with the World Cup.
Am I the only one who’s noticed that there’s no mud? How can you have rugby without mud? That’s not rugby, that’s basketball.
Read:
All the various Dylan/Kinks/Stooges magazine features.
But not the CSN & Y Uncut Special. Even I don’t really need that, and nor seemingly does anyone in Trumpton … 6 copies at the beginning of the month – still 6 copies on the shelf. Should have done a Doors or Zappa.
Haven’t posted for a while, so this is a bit of catch up of the last couple of months.
Read:
The man who came uptown by George Pelecanos.
Pelecanos serves up his usual, reliable combination of chewy, authentic dialogue, great sense of location and well-formed characters. He is great here at using the crime genre to explore social issues such as how the world of work can nurture a positive sense of self and how reading fiction can provide insights into how lives can be better lead. Beautiful storytelling.
Savages by Don Winslow.
In its barest terms, this novel explores what happens when a successful small business is approached by an international organisation that wants to aggressively subsume it. The small business is a trio of weed growing entrepreneurs and the covetous organisation is the Mexican drug cartel. This is a thrilling sugar rush of a book that features pared to the bone prose, tight-as-a-drum plotting and gristly action scenes.
Places in the Dark by Christopher Brookmyre
This is a murder mystery set on a space station that is in orbit around the Earth and is home to a community all geared up towards the creation of huge space ships intended to host future generations of mankind. Brookmyre explores SF staples like the morality of AI and to what extent a person is defined by their memory. But I found it a bit of a chore, with big chunks of expository dialogue and unengaging characters.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Imagine a world in which women can unleash an electrostatic charge that in some cases is strong enough to maim or kill. How would this disrupt the position of the genders in society? Visceral storytelling that is sobering and nasty and thoughtful.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
An interesting contrast to The Power. Where Alderman’s book is expansive and features perspectives from multiple characters, Atwood’s is told in the first person and is insular and suffocating. With clean, clear prose Atwood describes a horribly plausible society.
Seen
Series two of Better Things and The Good Place. Both shows and funny and smart and thoughtful.
Raw. Wonderfully queasy tale of cannibalism at a vet school. You don’t have to dig far through the viscera to find an exploration of conformity, familial expectations and the sometimes traumatic transition to adulthood. And chewing on severed fingers, obviously.
Arrival. I found this an intriguing and moving SF film, anchored by a gorgeous performance from Amy Adams.
Spiderman – Homecoming. Great fun with a winning performance from Tom Holland as the youthful Peter Parker. Michael Keaton is great as a villain whose motivation isn’t to take over the world or obliterate cities – instead he wants to make enough money to look after his family. Admittedly he makes his money by selling home-made weapons, but nobody’s perfect.
Midnight Special – For the most part, the movie plays its cards relatively close to its chest, delighting in showing and not telling. It has a scuzzy, 70s aesthetic (battered muscle cars, grotty motel rooms, a colour palette of browns and washed out blues), and is an unsettling blend of SF, horror, government conspiracy and religious fervour. A strange, interesting film.
The bake off – an oasis of calm amongst the turmoil.
Heard
Prefab Sprout – Jordan The Comeback. REM –Out of Time and Automatic for the People
Listened to these albums for the first time in a long time and it felt a lot like catching up with old friends.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen. Heart-felt and heart-breaking. What more is there to add?
Enjoyed Philip Pullman on the Adam Buxton podcast. By way of contrast, also enjoying the Gossip Mongers podcast. Puerile fun.
Read: the Left Hand of Darkness and the Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin. Why had I not read these before? Marvellous political SF.
Watched: SAN Junipero from Black Mirror. The not bleak one. Excellent. And The final season the the Good Place. I’m going to miss that.
Out of the Blue – rather odd detective movie from Carol Morley (based on a Martin Amis book, and if I’d known that I wouldn’t have watched). I don’t think I’ve worked out whether it is good or not. Anyone know what Kermode said? I need guidance.
Listened: Abbey Road. Not the extras just the remix. Marvellous. Then binging for no good reason on Juliana Hatfield, the Cure Live, Rilo Kiley and The Wedding Present. I am sure you all already have opinions on them.
Out Of The Blue is one of Kermode’s films of the year so far! I liked it as well but it is not a film for laidback watching. BTW it is only very very loosely based on that Martin Amis book.
I’ve had a similar experience with Ursula Le Guin recently. Stuff I’d been aware of years but for whatever reason I only just got round to reading, and it’s brilliant.
Weird month. Not sure what’s happened.
Heard
“Space Fusion Odyssey” by Nic Turner floated my boat big style. Also “Okie” by Vince Gill, as fine of voice as ever and picking like a beauty. It gets a bit Gawd at times but has some great songs and isn’t afraid to tackle difficult subjects. Listened to the Free remix by Bob Clearmountain, a mixing God but blimey it’s fucking awful, probably sounded great in the 80s with its huge vulgar reverbs and delays. Actually, no, I’d have hated it then too but I was never an 80s boy anyway.
Seen
Not much really. Saw Jess Phillips reading from her new book which was great – she’s exactly as you imagine. Went to Podcast Live, a day of watching politics podcasts being recorded. Yes, I did. Restrained urge to trip Rod Liddle up and avoided laying eyes on Brendan O’Neill for fear I’d reach for the nearest pins. Otherwise interesting and thought provoking. Saw “Tokyo Jane” at a small theatre in London, a musical production about the American radio operators pressed into making propaganda broadcasts to GIs in the Japanese theatre of war and the subsequent trial of Iva D’Aquino, who never actually made any broadcasts but was fitted up by the US justice system in a show trial, served 6 years in prison and was finally pardoned by Gerald Ford in the 70s. A superb powerful production, no least because I know the writer/director through a mate (her dad!) and we were in bits. Justifiably received rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Highlight of the month. Watching “World on fire” – not bad but painfully woke as BBC stuff is these days, “The Kominsky Method” on Netflix with Michael Douglas playing an aging actor turned coach, with loads of special guests and razor sharp script. Recommended. Picking at “Knightfall” about the Knights Templar but coming to the gradual realisation that it’s a load of ham. I tend to watch it over breakfast when my brain hasn’t quite fired up. Ken Burns’ “Civil War” is magnificent and sobering and to be taken gradually to really absorb it. The story of what made modern America.
Read
Sebastian Faulks “Paris Echo”. Over researched, every page is rammed with Parisian addresses, metro stops, street names…plus about 5 viewpoints running at any one time. Too much already. Enjoyed it but spent too long trying to work out who was speaking. “This Angry Island” by AA Gill. Really excellent. People hate him for various hangup related things but he’s a terrific writer and really gets under the skin of the uptight emotionally constipated British because, at heart, he is one. Chipping away at “The Chimp Paradox” which, like a lot of these books could probably be condensed into 30 pages and I don’t seem to be able to finish it but it certainly gives some insight into the crap going on in my head.
Jess Phillips is my favourite politician. A proud Brummie who speaks her mind.
@SteveT give Jay Rayner’s Out to Lunch podcast with her. It’s a terrific episode of a consistently pod.
My dad turned 93 and we had a big family feast (including visiting relatives from Spain and Italy) last weekend, which he enjoyed so much that he already started to look forward to his 94:th birthday bash the day after this one – and usually he very much dislikes celebrating getting older.
I made him a photobook, mostly pictures of his six children in different stages of growing up. I also gave him a copy of the Umberto Eco novel I wrote about in last month’s Blogger Takeover; The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, in Italian (because he is). Both gifts were big hits with dad, and the photobook inspired everybody to share old memories and we had a wonderful time together, eating and drinking and everyone leaving with a renewed sense of love for our family…we don’t get to see each other as much as we’d like, but we have a strong bond.
Read:
Besides finishing the mentioned Eco novel (wonderful from start to finish), I read Debbie Harry’s autobiography Face It. An interesting life but told in an oddly detached and slightly impersonal way. I don’t think you’re obliged to “tell all” in a memoir, but she often tells half a story; leaving out the emotions or personal thoughts about what happens, which left me feeling rather confused at times. And some parts are just very random reflections on things quite unconnected to the rest. It’s OK, but I’ve certainly read better rock memoirs.
Han Kang’s The White Book can be read in an hour, a thin volume with short texts on life and death represented by the colour white. At first I felt it was a bit pretentious, but it grew on me with its poetic prose examining and describing the death of a sister and her mother’s traumatic experience from different perspectives, repetitions from all angles.
I’m half-way through a gigantic doorstop of a tome, a biography of the Swedish poet (/singer-songwriter/entertainer) Carl Michael Bellman (1740-1795) by Carina Burman called simply Bellman. Biografin (“Bellman. The Biography”) as if to say “forget the previous ones, this is the only one you need”. And it lives up to that bold statement, being not just thorough in its research and amassing of facts, but most importantly very well written and able to make Stockholm at that time come alive in all its details – just as it does in Bellman’s poetry. As heavy as it is to lift, as hard it is to put it down once you start reading it…
I’m also half-way through the latest book by Patti Smith, Year of the Monkey. If you enjoyed M Train you’ll enjoy this one. If you’re not a fan of dreams, synchronicity, hallucinatory dialogues with inanimate objects, intellectual reflections with strangers at cafés and messages from spirits (dead or alive), perhaps it’s not your cup of tea. I’m enjoying it, but I have a sister who is a bit like Patti in some ways, so I’m used to having slightly weird conversations about oddly mundane messages from The Universe! 🙂
And after seeing constant recommendations for Clive James’s Unreliable Memoirs on this blog for years, I finally picked it up. It didn’t completely meet my – by now enormously high – expectations, but I enjoyed it enough to probably pick up the next volume.
Seen:
I’ve been too busy to see anything much, but I did watch Det Svenska Popundret (“The Swedish Pop Wonder”) – a documentary series about the rise of Swedish pop from its humble local beginnings to the enormous export success of later years. Interesting, even though I’d heard most of the stories before.
Heard:
Kacy & Clayton’s new (Jeff Tweedy-produced) album Carrying On is great. Their best yet, IMO.
And the second album of the year from Big Thief is much better than their first. Two Hands gets under my skin in a way that U.F.O.F. never quite did (even though I do like that one too). I can’t really say why, or how they are different, but they are.
Anna Ternheim’s new album A Space For Lost Time is very nice, in a grown up way which perhaps isn’t the most exciting, but pleasant and comforting to listen to.
The new album from Tinariwen is called Amadjar and is one of their best yet.
And Songs Of Our Mothers by Kefaya & Elaha Soroor is a lovely collection of traditional songs from Afghanistan sung by the winner of “Afghan Star” – their Idol-type TV talent show. Wiki informs me that after releasing a song criticizing the custom of stoning, several attempts to assassinate her and her family took place. Neither Will Young nor Kelly Clarkson has had to endure that kind of backlash (though they may at some point have been stoned…)
And the latest album from the best band in the world, Wilco’s Ode To Joy, starts with four tracks that take a few listens to appreciate fully, but then they shift gear and delivers a string of immediately lovable tracks during the rest of it. “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” is gorgeous, and it’s not alone. It may not end up as number one in my Best Of 2019 poll list, but I’m sure it’ll be in my top ten.
Cheers for the heads-up on the Kacy & Clayton album. I didn’t know they had a new one out. I really like the first two.
I haven’t heard the new Tinariwen album. As I always say about Tinariwen albums:
1. They all sound the same
2. That’s no problem at all, as they’re all good.
This month’s video voice blog beneath:
Errata
16 TONS not guns
Dog Leap Stairs
And I really must stop saying ‘really’ so much
Top tinnage.
Ta! (I have many many more stashed away in a cupboard).
The house on the right of the picture of your tins, with the steps up to the front door, reminds me of the long-gone Fire Station house that used to be on Watford High Street when I was a nipper.
At that age it was of course absolutely necessary for my siblings and myself to go up the steps, across and down again, every time we passed it while out shopping with our parents.
Yes I can see those steps would look very tempting to nip up and down. It is in fact based on the Blewcoat School in Westminster though the tin must have faded a bit. Just looking at it makes me feel like I am visiting a stately home!
Mahalia Jackson was quite a character. She child-minded Aretha Franklin when she was small but fell out with her when she went secular. She was a Gospel purist who disapproved of Aretha’s pop songs, more so than her precocious sexual behaviour resulting in two children before she was sixteen. Nevertheless, Mahalia wasn’t averse to exploiting her gift from God for monetary gain. Personal appearances were expensive and she had a Fried Chicken franchise in her name.
I listened to that all the way through without noticing a single ‘really’. I don’t think you need to worry about it.
Thanks that’s very interesting Tig. I made a message for my uncle telling him about Mahalia, amongst other things and he replied saying how much I liked Michael Jackson. Am going to enlighten him now!
WATCHED: Drowning in too much uninformed availability, as, via catch-up and Netflix, via Prime, everything is available except anything you want to see. Having said, 2 programmes giving me pleasure at present are Frayed, an aussie comedy that is both perceptive and potty, with an emphasis on potty, mouths and humour. Zomboat is a very cheaply made post apocalypse set in Brum, appealing possibly more to the indigenous of the area than to others. Makes me laugh. Hari Giji, or whatever it is, is the best of the dramas, if sometimes a little confusing. Latest Sarah Lancashire blag me a bafra vehicle, The Accident, is 2D dross.
GIGGED: Both reviewed elsewhere, making me realise, for all our similar tastes, how different our tastes are. And that’s fine.
HEARD: Continuing a late dip in the works of Frank Turner, after a confusing muddle up with Frank Carter, both heavily tattooed beardy gingers. Very much a Billy Bragg for the 21st c, not that the Barking one has yet hung up his fascist-killer. Been also hitting the back catalogue of Edwyn Collins, prompted by realising I was largely unfamiliar, as well as thinking Badbea being rather good. My Darling Clementine have brought out a neat little EP, playing a few, well, 4, of E.C.’s more country tinged numbers, with added Steve Nieve tinkling.
READ: Still haven’t finished what I was reading last month, but, between times, have been dipping into my enlarging collection of Bradt Slow Travel Guides, which seem to concentrate on those bits of the country I like visiting.
VISITED: On the way back from our holiday in the Kingdom of Fife, we had 3 nights in Windermere, and I had a revelation, as we drove from the motorway turn-off at Shap, suddenly “getting” the Lake District, it always seeming to be a busier and less attractive entry level Scotland. 4 days of rain and I love it. Beatrix Potter’s old house had me even wiping some grit from my eye.
Finally, ATE: Opheem’s is the the new 5th michelin star in Brum, and is the new home of Akhtar Islam. And it is pretentious bollix, poncy fine dining with neither enough spice or food on/in the plates. (And I like poncy fine dining.)
Know what you mean about Netflix and Prime having everything but not what you want to see.
I desperately want to see the Linda Ronstadt documentary but not available yet and its pissing me off.
Rolling Stone recently did a top 100 female singers ever. Linda wasn’t in it. Jeez.
Rolling Stone has been shite for such a long time.
I think it probably only had a few years of relevance before it started to lose the plot.
HEARD
Blut Aus Nord‘s Hallucinogen is an AOTY contender. Psychedelic black metal with chopped up choral vocals, it’s epic, melancholy and strangely beautiful. Also on an experimental metal tip, the Ukraine’s very own White Ward delivered with the noirish jazz metal of Love Exchange Failure. I discovered Kris Kemist via Don Letts’ radio show, and his Dub Kemistry album is a terrific slice of modern dub that I’m sure the dubheads here will enjoy. You know who you are.
SEEN
Have got stuck into Community, and it looks like it might fill the Parks & Rec shaped hole in my viewing. Woman At War is an Icelandic movie about a fiftysomething who leads an undercover life as Iceland’s premier ecowarrior and saboteur, and it’s brilliant, quirky without being annoying, exciting and funny.
READ
CJ Sansom’s most recent Shardlake book Tombland took up most of my reading time (well, it is 800 pages long). Good as always, if you liked the others you’ll like this. Otherwise KJ Parker’s Sixteen Ways To Defend A Walled City was very entertaining story of a quasi-medieval siege, told from the point of view of the engineer trying to defend the city. Also dipped into some more Wodehouse, which is of course perfect. No idea why it took me so long to discover this. I did probably also read some books that weren’t written by people using initials for their first names, but I can’t remember.
A full set of items I have never heard of. That’s not happened before. Hats off!
I re-read the post and I now realise I have seen Woman At War, the Icelandic film. How embarrassing. I guess it didn’t stay with me. Now I think of it, it was fairly good. 3 out of 5 I gave it. It was on at the local film society. We vote with ping pong balls. There’s a plastic box with holes.
And I refuse to believe that you haven’t heard of PG Wodehouse. I am quite the populist, you know
“I don’t believe you really like Frank Sinatra”
Heard – Lots and lots. Bought 4 Metallica CDs which I played loud when everyone was out. I found it quite cleansing and I couldn’t hear my tinnitus one bit. The new Lilac Time album is nice, but doesn’t quite hit the heights of their first few albums (what can?), the new Cigarettes After Sex album is also nice and quite similar to their first, the new Jeff Lynne’s ELO album is great and much better than the last one, the new Kanye West one is another one that’s far from his best and the new Michael Kiwanuka album is brill. As is the new boxset of live albums/Blu Rays by The Cure.
I’ve just had a first listen to Brother Ali’s new album, which I learned about by reading a hip hop blog at 3:15 this morning whilst sat in our brightly lit en suite, trying to wake myself up so that I could go back to sleep again without slipping back into the night terrors/bad dreams I was stuck in – a side effect of the cocktail of tablets I take for the nerve pain. If any of you suffer from this kind of thing and find that when you wake up from a bad dream and then shut your eyes to go back to sleep, you go straight back into the bad dream, get up, go to the bathroom, turn the light on, wash your face in cold water, wake yourself up fully, then read until you get drowsy again, go back to bed and, hey presto, the bad dreams disappear. Seriously, whoever gave me this advice deserves a medal, cos a few hours drifting in and out of the kind of dreams I have is horrible. Mmm, I digress (although I hope it helps someone out like it helped me), but it did cheer me up reading about a surprise new Brother Ali album, whilst I was sat waiting for my pulse to drop below 200. On first listen, it’s not as good as his last one, which is one of my absolute favourite albums, but his last album didn’t grab me immediately either, so I’m sure this one will grow on me too.
Seen – A few horror films – It Chapter 2 (rubbish!), Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (quite good), Crawl (very daft, but entertaining), Patient Zero (even worse than It 2) and Borley Rectory, which is an odd, part-animated/part green screen documentary/drama about the famous old haunted house. The way it has been made it could have turned out to be terrible, but it’s actually really good, and quite creepy in parts. Also watched the Swamp Thing series and the latest series of Top Boy (which I thought was the first series until I was halfway through it and realised it was just the first series on Netflix and there were two series before it), both of which were quite good.
Finally convinced my 9 year old lad and the missus to watch Disney’s most underrated film last week, The Emperor’s New Groove. It’s fab, but nobody seems to know.
And, music wise, a rare sighting of Stephen Duffy. I’ve seen him umpteen times in the past, but not since his show at the Royal Festival Hall more than 10 years ago. He’s just done a short tour of record stores, doing a few acoustic numbers, followed by a signing of his new CD (or the 12″ of Baby Impossible in my case, as I’d already ordered signed copies of his new CD & LP). I saw him at Rough Trade in Nottingham in a crowd of around 20 people (whilst Ed Sheeran plays football stadiums – no justice!). He actually started off by asking us what we wanted him to play. He teased me by playing the first line of my request, Julie Christie, before claiming to forget how it went. It was great to see him again though, and to meet him briefly afterwards. A week later I went to a talk by Stephen Morris at the Sheffield Literary Festival, where he and Jon Savage were discussing their recent books about Joy Division. He told some good stories and did a signing afterwards. If you’d have told me in 1986 that one day I’ll get to shake hands with Duffy and Morris I’d have probably passed out.
Read – hardly anything. The usual mix of magazines and comics. I really, really need to make more time to read. Or I need to stop buying books.
Hats off to you, Paul. Do you apply the six listen rule?
Well, I listen to too much new music to give everything 6 listens before deciding what I think about it. Not everything deserves 6 listens either. As you know, I’m stuck into this albums ranking project (currently have a dozen albums left to finish 2012 – a treat this evening, as Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange and NaS’s Life Is Good popped up), so I’m listening to new albums from this year alongside that, whilst compiling my 2019 list as I go along. Once I’ve listened to the 12 from 2012 I’ll be listening to 70 odd from this year again.
I’m really good now at knowing pretty quickly whether I like something, dislike something, think it’s going to grow on me or that I’m unsure and want to persevere to see if it wins me over. So throughout the year I relisten to this year’s albums several times over (the ones I haven’t decided are no good) and start narrowing it down as I go along. So by the end of the year there’ll be 20-30 albums that I know quite well and a dozen that I’ve listened to lots, as well as dozens that I’ve listened to a few times before giving up. Plus some that one listen is more than enough. Amazingly, Ringo, who usually falls in that category, and is in a two horse race with Yoko Ono for most bottom place finishes in my charts, has turned out a half decent album this year.
So, the short answer…sometimes, sometimes it takes more than 6 listens to make up my mind, sometimes less, and sometimes it takes two or three tracks!
I should say though that I’ve moved away from the concept of wanting to listen to albums loads until I know them inside out. My favourite band is The Beatles, hands down, but I pretty much never need to hear those songs again and rarely play them. In fact, I rarely play any album that I know well any more, because I’ve become much more a fan of wanting to listen to something new. If I do come across an album that I instantly love, I tend to wait a bit before listening to it again, to try to retain some of the freshness from when I first heard it, if you know what I mean.
Does this sound weird? I know I would never have thought like this 10-20-30 years ago. I just got a little bored with all my music a few years ago and wanted to try something different. It’s had a good effect on me, I think, as I’m far more open to a wider range of music now. When I listened to Channel Orange again earlier, it’s a little while since I last heard it, so whilst I have some familiarity with it now, after a dozen or so listens, they’ve been spaced out over the past few years, so I still got some of the excitement I got when I first heard it. Whereas an album like Brother Ali’s last one, where I did play it loads and loads, I’m already at the point where I don’t need to listen to it again and it takes some of the magic from it. I know what I mean anyway. Even if it does make it sound like I treat music the same way most people treat films! I watch a lot of films too, by the way…
I guess I’m not as good as you at spotting a bad ‘un or a good ‘un. For example, it took at least six listens before I appreciated the quality of this year’s Weyes Blood.
Of course, you know what you’ve done there. You’ve picked something that I had a listen to and decided I wasn’t bothered about. I’m going to have to have another listen now, aren’t I! And then if I change my mind you’ll be responsible for breaking my system. And then I’ll have to go back and have another listen to slowthai, Big Thief and JPEGMAFIA, although to be fair I have given those three a few chances already.
Oh lord! What have I done?
Fingers crossed you don’t like it.
Nah, not bothered about it. She’s done a good job, in making it sound like it’s from the era that clearly inspired her, but I’ve already got better albums than that from the actual 1970s. So there’s no need to go back and wonder what all the fuss is about slowthai once again!
SEEN:
Big skies, sandy beaches and occasional sunshine in North Norfolk for a week’s holiday. Also, plenty of visits to regional art galleries including the splendid Higgins in Bedford for their “Dreams and Nightmares” exhibition of spooky imagery culled from their very fine print collection. They have also have probably the best display of William Burge’s gothic/arts and crafts furniture outside the home of Jimmy Page who bought the “art architect’s” home many years ago. Then on to Hitchin – where local Tory philistines flogged off most of the permanent collection with the local gallery salvaging a handful of Camden Town group paintings now on show. Saffron Walden’s Fry gallery has a collection of recent acquisitions that are worth seeing alongside their usual selection of Bawden/Ravilious work.
READ:
Always believed that “follow the money” is a useful guide to the ebb and flow of politics. Jane Meyer’s “Dark Money” is a fantastic forensic journalistic account of how this has played out in America over the last 40 or so years. The squillionaire Koch brothers are at the heart of the story and the author meticulously unpicks their relentless strategy to shift their libertarian world view from the fringe to the central driving force of current US politics. For sure, there have been setbacks along the way but that just makes them – and their corporate followers – double down on their investment in countless think-tanks, educational establishments, fake grassroots organisations, media outlets all the while “funding” politicians and media figures. And finally, it’s worked – with Trump in power surrounded by a cadre of Koch “people” – think Pence, Pompeo, De Vos, McConnell alongside a host of tame lobbyists now taking up key government roles. You can’t help but think that the same is happening here – with the corridors of 55 Turton Street, home to the opaquely-funded IEA, TPA and the like emptying to take up special advisor roles in the current government and ministers well acquainted with Koch-funded groups in the US. Not sure why Labour don’t make more of this – it’s happening in plain sight.
For a bit of light relief, been dipping into Ian Penman’s excellent “It gets you home, this curving track” – featuring his collected music writing from the London Review of Books. Brilliant long form pieces on Steely Dan, Frank Sinatra, Prince and John Fahey amongst others. Then there’s Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules for Life” – hmmm…I’m trying but finding it a digressive dirge – and so far seems to me to be the wisdom and philosophy of Val Doonican’s “Walk Tall” stretched paper-thin over hundreds of tedious pages.
HEARD:
Plenty of great new and old music around – long rainy Norfolk days giving plenty of opportunities to catch up. Meandering melancholic stuff was most suitable – very much enjoyed Bill Frisell’s “Harmony” with his careful picking alongside Petra Haden’s sublime singing. Found Matthew Halsall’s “Oneness” – old stuff apparently – a little bit heavy on the hippy shop mysticism but enjoyable harping and parping going on. Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble’s “Remember me, my dear” is very much in the “Officium” mood – looking forward to seeing him later this month. More than anything been playing Peter Eldridge’s classy jazz vocals and strings set “Somewhere” – clever choice of classics and some great original songs.
Keeping it mellow – Pete Belasco releases his home produced quiet blue-eyed soulful sets every five years or so, with his latest “Strong and Able” seamlessly blending with his last. Livening things up, been enjoying the two recent releases on Blue Note from pianist Jon Batiste – good time jazziness harking back to the label’s 60s more popular output.
Also grown up jazz soul from Carmen Lundy and Alicia Olatuja – the former continuing her recent fine run of albums, the latter working through some nicely-chosen covers.
Some great older stuff around too – James Brown’s “Live at home with his bad self” is basically a re-tread of his “Sex Machine” album from 1969 with cleaned up sound and extended tracks including a monstrous nine-minute “Mother Popcorn” with Maceo blowing hard.
Couple of excellent compilations: first up, the latest in Ace’s consistently excellent “songwriters” series features the work of Teddy Randazzo – whose work spanned 50s pop, the transition of doo-wop into soul and more sophisticated 70s stuff. Initially a singer he became better known for writing hit songs and his arrangements – all big drums, full-on French horns and shimmering strings.
Then the latest in the Dave Godin “Deep Soul Treasures” series – unimpeachable taste across the usual mix of the familiar and obscurities – superb.
Finally, possibly the best thing I’ve heard in the last few months – Gaby Moreno and Van Dyke Parks’ “Spangled” – in particular this beautifully arranged version of the old Freddy Fender/Ry Cooder classic – with Jackson Browne and even Ry himself chipping in an effortless solo:
Re: the latest in the Dave Godin “Deep Soul Treasures” series.
Yeah, we’ve had to wait FIFTEEN years between volume 4 and this new one, vol. 5.
Not that I’m complaining, though. That series is a must for deep soul fans.
LIVE: Wilco (again). In a half full massive “shed” (capacity > 16,000) in Toronto. Their normal venue there, Massey Hall, is closed for a few years for refurbishment. It was the last of the “summer” season, getting well into autumn, so a challenge to play a semi outdoor show in single figure temperatures. Of course they nailed it, best live band in the world, the new stuff was much more convincing live than on the record and Nels Cline hit new heights on “Impossible Germany”, Jeff doffed his hat to him in a rare show of appreciation, also gave us some Jewish humour. I can’t be sure they are the best, of course, but I would like to see anybody who is better. Support act, Lord Huron from nearby Michigan were also excellent. Now looking forward to “Winterlude” shows in Chicago just before Christmas.
READ: Chris Difford’s autobiography (found in a charity store). Despite the somewhat happy ending, I found it a very sad read. How can one guy have so many problems? Throughout most of the book a difficult person to warm to.
WATCHED: Season 3 of Stranger Things, I think a bit more grown up than previous seasons, scarier and more violent. Not completed it yet, but an improvement on season 2 I think. alos saw Unbelievable, was excellent, but really no need to drag the story out quite so long.
Also in the cinema, Western Stars Movie (profound and moving), Joker (brilliant performance from Phoenix).
VINYL/CD: 50th anniversary stuff. Abbey Road (it’s ok) and Arthur not certain I like the new stereo mastering, haven’t heard the rest yet.
I like Squeeze, but I like Difford’s solo music even more. I was surprised how good it was, to be honest. But I’ve heard a few reviews of the book similar to yours, so I’ve decided not to bother with it, so it doesn’t put me off him.
Strange old month.
HEARD:
lots of recommendations from Afterworders – Michaela Anne with her album Desert Dove recommended by @carl. Trigger Happy – Full circle and then some by @niallb.
My own finds included Ebba Forsberg – Take my Waltz (songs of Leonard Cohen) reviewed elsewhere and my favourite this month.
Ry Cooder Santa Cruz radio broadcast – stupendous live recording of his Get Rhythm era band including Van Dyke Parks, Flaco Jimenez and Jim Keltner. This his best band bar none – OOAA but they are completely wrong.
Iggy Pop Fame. Initially disappointing and to my ears not as good as his last album. However was in Swordfish Records on Saturday – they were playing it on the shop stereo and it sounded great.
Agree with @Paul-Wad about the Lilac Tree Album not matching their earlier releases however the song Cinnamon Hills is up there with his best.
SEEN: Live I saw Alice Cooper and the Stranglers as a double bill. The Stranglers were excellent, Alice was disappointing. All bombast and none of the subtle menace of the recorded songs. It was like a heavy metal heritage act going through the motions.
On the big screen I saw Mrs Lowry and son. Two superb performances by Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall. They should win accolades but I doubt they will as the film not mainstream enough.
On the little screen we devoured 3 seasons of The Swingers and eagerly await the 4th. Totally bonkers but compellingly so. Confusing that there was only one Swinging Scene – I feel slightly hard done by. More please.
READ: Just started Middle England by Jonathan Coe. His books have the habit of letting me down but was attracted by the subject matter so will report back.
Ref the Chris Difford book – I found it interesting but as a study on mental issues it was somewhat heavy going. Interesting though he makes Bryan Ferry look like complete knob but strangely I don’t think that was his intention.
Intrigued by your review, @stevet , I sought out Ebba Forsberg and got the same album, in Swedish, ‘Ta Min Vals’ from discogs for a couple of quid. I like!
HEARD
Bit of a barren month for new music stuff quite frankly, to me anyway. Been mostly listening to podcasts for the last few weeks (Everyone Loves Guitar and Baker/Lineker’s Behind Closed Doors.)
SEEN
Finally watched all the Peaky Blinders series. Entertaining stuff, but I didn’t find it as brilliant as others have seemed to. Some of it just seemed a little overcooked in places and as great as a lot of the music in it was, for me at times it seemed just a bit too jarring and intrusive.
Watched the end season of Orange is The New Black, just to say we’d seen all of it really, a series which completely lost the plot and just relied on making some pretty sound, if obvious points about Trump’s America. The last episode was particularly odd and disappointing.
READ
Deborah “Debbie” Harry’s autobiography. An interesting story but I found it strangely uninspiring and a bit too detached, like others have said. Was a real sense of going through the motions at times, and it could have been much better.
Madness “Before We Was We.” Really enjoyed this, an in-their-own-words story of the pre-fame and first album days. This is probably my favourite period of the band so I was happy with it. I hope they do a part 2 though.