I listened to the first two Oasis albums over the last couple of days. The first was a godawful square wave noise – silence, then full noise from all instruments then silence, repeated until the end. The second album was better than I had remembered, but far from my favourite record of 1995, let alone the nineties.
The noise about their reformation leaves me a bit cold. I’d rather see Spacemen 3 mend fences and get creative together again, on stage or in the studio.
It’s unlikely to happen, but Sonic and Jason are both alive, so it could.
Who would you like to see make up and be friendly again, either (a) living or (b) dead?
* I gather Marr tweeted a picture of Farage in response to the suggestion that The Smiths follow in the Gallagher brothers footsteps.
Two fighting brothers to make up and be friendly, it must be the Davies brothers.
That would be so kinky
Both too frail
10CC
Original line-up still all with us
Recent health news makes a Jam re-union even less likely than before.
I’m on holiday. What have I missed?
Bruce Foxton may be losing his sight.
He has lost a knee, and had a new one put in. Press reports of his demise have been exaggerated. He wasnot “rushed to hospital” and has not “retired from performing”.
Expected back on stage – new knee allowing- in December
(but maybe not with Paul and Rick)
Was it ever found?
Don’t think so – he’d looked down the back of the sofa and under the fridge (the usual places). Also heard reports that he was looking for it down in a tube station (it was around midnight when it was quieter)
Clive Gregson & Christine Collister? Unlikely, mind.
Similarly, R & L T.
Well I did see them on stage together earlier this year at RT’s 75th but alas Linda can no longer sing.
Thompson appeared with Pegg, Nicol and Mattacks at Cropredy, I’d enjoy if they toured.
They were both at Joe Boyd’s book launch last night. There is a photo on https://www.facebook.com/groups/2209546417
I had a panic seeing that as I’m seeing Joe Boyd next week at Foyles and I thought I’d got the date wrong
Stealers Wheel.
*wipes tea from keyboard*
I cracked that joke yesterday!!!
I like to laugh at least once every day. Even if it is at the same joke.
A bit like Roger Waters, only that’s once a year. Whether he needs to or not.
Don & Phil Everley.
…The Icicle Works.
McNobb
Layhe
Sharrock!
That could happen if the latter isn’t in the new Oasis band. The first two have obviously played together recently.
I love the Icicle Works but McNabb’s recent knob head social media posts put me off him.
He is an idiot on line, agreed. He has made the odd comment re Sharrock recently. “Never say never.” Previously it had been no chance.
The Smiths. Oh wait, it was offered on a plate and Johnny Marr sent Mozza a photo of Nigel Farrage. Nuff said.
Actually, someone on X speculated about a Smiths reunion, prompting the Farage tweet from Marr. Since then – and my feed has been awash with the same non-story –
Morrissey has let it be known that AEG offered him and Johnny a fortune to reunite for gigs next year; apparently after a lifetime of being vehemently against the idea, he deigned to agree, but Johnny dismissed it out of hand. Morrissey ended the epistle by snarking that Johnny is content to support New Order.
This no-news story was on Radio 4 today. Is it still the silly season?
To be honest, I’d rather see the Smiths fronted by Nigel Farage than Morrissey. Although I sort of see the former more as the front man of a Fall tribute act.
Supertramp!!
I wish
Yes! I’ve seen Roger Hodgson and the gig, while good, really missed the more cynical Rick Davies songs. If they could do a night at the RAH, maybe for a deserving charity, surely that would cap off their legacy before it’s too late.
Brian and Michael
Talking Heads.
And brilliant as Paul McLoone is, it would be nice if Feargal turned up tomorrow night for a sing along with the Undertones.
Well at least TH can share a couch during an interview , so there’s a chance…
They would be top of the list but I fear that this time round, getting tickets would prove almost impossible but some new recordings would be nice.
The other day Pete Kember acknowledged the 40th anniversary of the first spacemen recordings, and sent hearty thanks to Jason, Natty, etc. So there could well be a thaw happening on the upper slopes of space mountain
Possibly, though there seems to be no love lost with Gerald Palmer, whose involvement in the band seems to be ongoing and whose relationship with Kember and Pierce suggests something similar to that between Allen Klein and the Beatles.
I seem to remember that Will Caruthers said he’d only do a reunion gig if they rebuilt the Rugby nightclub they used to play in (think it’s now luxury flats).
Hooky rejoining New Order, might be nice but seems bridges haven’t so much been burnt as firebombed to smithereens
I’d rather see hooky than NO
Pink Floyd: Rog, Dave, Nick, with a top keyboardist filling Rick’s place – Rick Wakeman, maybe?
They can perform Wish You Were Here and Animals in full, with an encore of the best from DSoTM and The Wall.
I can dream…
Failing that, Roxy Music.
That’d be my dream ticket too. Bit unlikely now that Rog has gone bonkers.
I watched yet another cringe interview with him the other day. Ahmed Alnaouq, a journalist from Gaza, says during the interview “I’m happy that my family were killed on 22nd October because what’s happening to people now is worse than death.” An extremely shocking thing to say. Does such a heartbreakingly powerful admission elicit Rog’s “empathy” (a word Rog uses in every single interview to describe his politics)? His reaction is more focused on slagging off his colleagues in the music industry who don’t speak out against Israel, he then cites a John Lennon title (How Do You Sleep?) which makes him chuckle, then he immediately (apropos of nothing, totally out of the blue, both irrelevantly and irreverently) recounts with a smile how “Brian Eno told me he ran into Gilmour in the street the other day and said he looks a bit sheepish.” He continues: “I wonder if Gilmour does ever wake up and go “My God, maybe Roger’s right and I’m wrong”? I doubt it cos he’s not that kind of animal. He’s a bit more equal than others, to quote George Orwell”. This last sentence makes him laugh again.
(above conversation at around 40:00)
That gets a ‘Not going to watch’ just from the horrible typography of the title card alone. Outlined white text? Ugh.
The poor man has got his head screwed on wrong.
All 4 members of Slade are still with us (unlike most of their contemporaries)
Dire Straits – they can do the walk of life again. Money for nothing, or money for old rope?
XTC – do they already have negotiators and PR specialists working overtime?
If the Oasis re-union runs aground, maybe a Beady Eye re-boot is on the cards?
I’d like to add Rockpile to the list. I know Dave Edmunds & Billy Bremner have now retired but surely a big wedge could coax them out. Nick Lowe is still on the release tour cycle (albeit the cycle is now ten years long!).
Elvis Costello makes peace with Bruce Thomas, The Attractions reconvene, and then EC asks them to tour the 40th Anniversary of King Of America
Do they know the songs? Wasn’t Suit of Lights the only song they all played on, the rest being the Confederates, session men extraordinaries?
That was the case live as well. I recall at least James Burton being in the band at the Albert Hall.
Aye. All is well in EC&A land, and then they’re asked to play the album they fell apart on before it was finished.
Posdibly the quicket Hello/Goodbye in Band Reunions
Well they did Blood and Chocolate after King of America. I saw that tour also, no Attractions, but a great band.
True, and it wasn’t a happy experience. Took another 8 years to get back together (for Brutal Youth)
@Rigid-Digit rumour has it that there is a release of King of America in all its realms in November. If so that will make my day as it is probably my favourite album.
It should include the live benefit gig he did in Austin that featured Roseanne Cash, John Leaventhal and La Marisoul amongst others.
Looking forward to seeing him and Steve at Vicar St in a couple of weeks
Interesting, I’ll be following that rumour.
King Of Amercia ranks as one of my favourites in the EC canon too.
Big write up on SDE
While I’m a big fan of the original, the All its Realms box looks a bit of a dog’s breakfast tbh. And at £110 from AUK, it ain’t cheap
Here’s the link
https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/elvis-costello-king-of-america-other-realms/
Hmm … v pricey for something that may just sit on a shelf.
I do like the album, but not sure I need a 2024 remaster, similarly not sure I need the rest of it (although the Demos, Outtakes & Other Realms does look interesting)
The stunning Armed Forces box set is much better value at £167.60….
Nowaysis? Mike Flowers Pops?
Maybe Lawrence could knock the novelty pop of his various Mozart incarnations on the head and reappear as Felt. Martin Duffy would be missing sadly.
Alan McGee said they would be bigger than Oasis … the Glasvegas tour must be coming soon (to a small club venue near you)
Despite Mick Fleetwood claiming the band is ‘done’, Stevie Nicks behaving like an elderly prima donna about ever working with Lindsey Buckingham again, and the death of Christine McVie, it would be nice to think the Mac might just get back together for one last hurrah. Stranger things have happened in their tortuous history.
Don’t think so. They can’t tour with only one of their singers. Stevie (for some reason) can fill arenas on her own, also Buckingham has had serious health issues, as has John McVie I believe
Stevie Nicks’ album Bella Donna is the 3rd greatest album ever by an American solo female artist. Says so on my list. (Rickie Lee Jones occupies spots 1 and 2,)
Hall & Oates.
@fentonsteve – but they can’t go for that, no can do, etc.
@fentonsteve
Hall was in. So was Oates. It was Ampersand who kiboshed the reunion
After he was replaced in Siouxsie & The Banshees by And(y), you’d have thought he’d become free to go back. But he did some early session work with Mumford Sons, and was soon promoted to become a full member.
This is an underrated comment
MSG
Oooh, armed and ready @uncle-wheaty
I didn’t know he had got back with Gary Barden.
A nice YouTube find for me.
Neil Murray guesting on bass has let himself go a bit though!
Of course, Neil Murray’s real claim to fame was playing bass on the first National Health album…
That was truly awful.
Why would you listen that more than once. No structure, endless noodling and just pointless.
He was better in Whitesnake.
He even seems to be enjoying himself in this.
Well, that’s me told…
Surely it was as a member of the Jonathan King created supergroup Gogmagog alongside Paul Di’Anno, Pete Willis, Janick Gers, and Clive Burr.
That lot would disband after 15 minutes citing musical differences and the fact they had nothing in common.
Pete Willis and Di’Anno could have written some punky NWOBHM tunes together though.
They disbanded after 1 EP citing Jonathan King as a bit of a knob
Neil Murray’s real claim to fame was being Ligger of the Year three years running in the annual Sounds (or NME or Melody Maker) poll…
Just seen in the Cherry Red September release roster, National Health is getting the remastered treatment (or a re-pressing of the remastering).
Yours for a penny under a bakers dozen of sovs
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/national-health-remastered-edition
That’s still a great song!
In reply to the video of Armed and Ready
That was an absolute treat! I don’t listen to much of the heavy rock I loved in my teens these days but One Night at Budokan still gets regular plays.
@gatz
I am now going to have to go up in the attic and find that! A couple of other favourites from back in the day that I still love are Heaven and Hell (Ronnie James Dio had a very fine set of pipes) and Sammy Hagar’s Live , Loud and Clear. Red vinyl of course!
On and On, Looking’ For Love and Desert Song (3rd album with Bonnet) are also worth a re-visit.
And this…
Monosodium Glutamate? No accounting for taste…
I loved their third album ‘Back To The Salt’.
The White Stripes.
Raxiohead.
There’s a lot of focus of artists who are still alive.
How about the Dead when Jerry , Pigpen and others were still alive and they were really exciting?
And indeed the early Jefferson Airplane with Signe Toly Anderson.
Who wouldn’t pay several shillings to see the Bonzos in their prime?
Or indeed Al Bowlly?
Personally, I’d be delighted if the Mike Flowers Pops reformed
C’mon Baby! Get those matches!
Velvets medley! Can you dig it?
To he fair to Al Bowly, his excuse for not reuniting with the Ray Noble Orchestra is better than most, as it involves the Luftwaffe rather than musical differences or arguments over songwriting credits.
Maybe the Hildegard von Bingen acapella quartet could get back together for their 950-year anniversary (“we’re gonna sing some old numbers for ya now”).
“Play O viridissima virga!”
I’d thought that Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson died in the same raid as Al Bowlly but he was killed a month earlier by the Luftwaffe.
I used to work with someone called Ken Johnson so the nickname amused me.
Curve.
*gazes longingly at poster of Toni Halliday*
It would be nice if Dave Jackson could rejoin Van der Graaf Generator: it’s never been officially explained why he left after the “Present” album. It would be great to see the classic line-up again before health issues force them to retire for good.
https://www.sofasound.com/nlmar07.htm
It seems like David was not willing to commit to keeping his calendar free for slots of possible band activity – an organisational challenge for the band, and probably due to financial necessities DJ might not have been able to stop (whatever other work he does to earn a living). Usual band stuff.
I remember reading this Sofa Sound newsletter at the time. Wasn’t particularly clear then (by design, I’m sure) and hasn’t been fully explained since, by any of the parties.
I’m sure you’re correct, btw…
Dave Stewart decides to “play jazz in the back rooms of pubs” again (which he said he did not want to do re playing in Hatfield and the North, again). Honestly, DS back in H&TN would be a sensation. Miles better than bloody Quoasis.
Oh, yes! A reformed Hatfields with Dave S would get my vote all day long.
I wouldn’t mind a spot of revamped “National Health”, either. Bill bruford would have to come out of retirement. That said, “Bruford”, “Earthworks”, and “Human Chain” are also due tor a resurgence. You and I would be there, anyway.
we’ll have to make do with the possibility this lot will come back in the meantime…
OK.
Who’s left out of Henry Cow?
Have a thumbs up!
(Air black with hats…)
All, apart from Lindsay Cooper, are apparently still mortal. Still active? Dunno.
Lindsay would be be sorely missed, but a revival of “ver Cow” is feasible.
This might interest you, then…
Some of them have also performed at various Lindsay Cooper tribute gigs over the last 10 years or so…notably in Italy and Tokyo…
T-shirt…the other side has a sock on it…
Creedence Clearwater Revival. Three out of four of them are still alive but the bad feeling between John Fogerty and Doug Clifford/Stu Cook makes the Eagles ‘Hell freezes over’ rift look like a walk in the park.
Apologies but I have to post my usual comment here and the answer is, as usual, Manfred Mann.
The Earth Band? Still big in Germany. Figures.
The Bangles!
Spangles
I think they are still touring, with the original lineup.
But no Michael…boo!
And they never come across here…boooo!
Saw the lineup with Michael in the early 2000s at SBE. An amazing show.
I saw them in the 80s, with that lineup. Just the four of them with a keyboard player adding a bit of colour. What a storming band they are… possibly one of the best I ever saw. Certainly the best vocals.
Mary, Mungo & Midge.
Er… they have ‘choones’ and ‘bangers’ that, I’m told, drop.
Fonda 500. Ah, Bod…
Where is that darned Moose?
The original Human League.
Chumbawamba; I am not that bothered whether the agit-punk-dance octet or the later folkier model.
I would like that! Though not the Tubthumping version. Before or after that would suit me.
From that time of my life when I went to gigs, the resuscitation of either Eat (circa first album) or The Moonflowers would be a similarly frenetic live treat.
Oh, yeah. I’d go to see Eat again.
Clattering, double drum, warehouse scene swamp rock, fronted by Michael Hutchence/ Jim Morrison – superb.
The Moonflowers were similarly groovetastic with a rhythm section to rival the Stone Roses.
Trimmer & Jenkins
Having seen a reconvened Radiophonic Workshop (with lightshow) play a gig at the British Library 6-7 years back, I’d love to see them perform again. They still seem to be doing the occasional recording project.
Teardrop Explodes
Magazine.
Radiohead (not that they’ve split up).
Simon & Garfunkel – before it’s too late.
It’s too late
Daft Punk.
Bit harsh on @dai there @bingo-little
chapeau, Freddy
Very good!
Going about my late 60s Atlantic label/Soul LP’s obsession – specifically, an a 1966 album called “Dream Weaver” – I’ve found a four-piece group who could reform as, to my knowledge, they are all still alive.
The Charles Lloyd Quartet.
Charles Lloyd – born 1938.
Keith Jarrett – Born 1945.
Cecil McBee – Born 1935.
John DeJohnette – Born 1942.
Keith Jarrett still around, but sadly no longer in the game these days.
Yep 3 strokes and in a home 😔
Ain’t medicine marvellous! It always used to be 3 strokes and you’re out.
Well for me if Sinead and Bobby Charles can’t make it back then of the living it would have to be The Guillemots.
Their last album Hello Land was supposed to be 1 of 4 in a year, one for each season. Fyfe Dangerfield is supremely talented or was but I think he may have gone a bit bonkers but without the cats and dogs and the executions.
Are The Feeling reforming?
Aardvark?
The correct answer is, apparently, Supergrass.
I hadn’t realised they’d split up again after their last go at reforming.
Balamory!