I know we like to be on the cutting edge of new releases on here so I just wanted to flag Maria McKee’s brilliant and slightly bonkers 1996 album Life is Sweet is now on Spotify.
I think I had this copied from the library on one side of a C90 but I see it’s 50 minutes long so that would have been awkward.
Life is Sweet. Maria McKee
Great album. I’m pretty sure a lot here will be pleased to see it reappear.
Actually I just listened to it, for the first time in maybe 20 years. I’m clearly a very different person from who I was back then – I’m not so keen any more. I still like her debut solo album, perhaps more than I used to. Funny how things change.
Unhinged Maria is my favourite Maria, and Life is Sweet is wonderfully intense. One of my favourite albums of the 90s.
Also on Amazon Music.
She was indeed unhinged at the time. When Mrs F and I saw her, she came on stage late, wired, and when someone in the audience shouted “show us yer tits” she threw her Telecaster at him and stormed off stage again.
Fantastic album, though. I’d be happy for this, and the previous one, to be released on vinly. I only bought the first one on LP.
Somebody goes to a Maria McKee gig and shouts that….?
Where can you go to get away from these fkin people?
@Moose-the-Mooche
I find the best place to avoid cretins who insist on shouting out nasty remarks at Maria McKee at her gigs is anywhere where she’s not playing live.
A drastic measure perhaps, but it’s thus far proved 100% effective.
I saw her around then and whilst there were no unfortunate audience interruptions, she had ridiculously long sleeves on her shirt which hung down over her hands which meant she was continually trying to flick them back so she could play her guitar, and also her hair was covering her face so she was continually trying to get it out of her eyes to find the microphone. Mrs. T was growling about hair clips for the whole gig.
She came on late, eyeballs on stalks, twitchy and jumpy. I think she’d been on the backstage sherbert fountain.
I saw her a Dingwalls a few years later, post-Geffen, and she was much calmer/happier.
I don’t remember where I saw her – I think that venue more or less opposite Denmark St – the Vortex?
EDIT – some Google Mapping and searching reveals it was The Astoria, in 1993. I should say that despite sleeves/hair issues she was brilliant.
The Astoria is long gone. Denmark St itself is looking croaky too. Hemmed in by Crossrail and other sundry building projects there’s only 3 or so music shops hanging on.
Shame. Saw The Stones in 2003 at the Astoria, also once spotted Jarvis Cocker cycling past there on Charing Cross Road. Miss Helter Skelter in Denmark St too, even though that has been 20 years probably
Yeah not been into the West End for years.
Absolutely Barking and brilliant. Good news.
Never heard it, seem to remember it getting pretty bad reviews at the time. I have her first eponymous solo album which is a good one, haven’t played it in decades though
Mojo raved about it, but it’s not a particularly easy listen and probably always destined to a favourite with a select few with whom it really, really clicks.
Did he? Not his usual “blues boom” material…
@fentonsteve – I’d welcome your recommendations about what to listen to next. I have only one Maria McKee album – “You Gotta Sin to Get Saved”. Is that one typical?
The eponymous Lone Justice album is fab, as is her eponymous first solo album. Diminishing returns after, IMHO.
There’s a vague parallel between the Lone Justice albums and her first two solo albums – first quite acoustic, second a bit more electric country-rock. So if you like YGSTGS, you might like the second Lone Justice album, Shelter. I really do like it, even if she hates it.
Third solo album Life Is Sweet is a bit bonkers – she can really shred – but fantastic all the same, if you can get past the wall of noise.
Diminishing returns after that, IMHO, but five really great albums isn’t a bad run for anyone.
There are also a number of great live albums on labels like Windsong, which are probably out of print. I can ‘help’ if required.
Many thanks, Dave and Steve!
All of which reminds me, Life Is Sweet was the subject of an early episode of Jim Irvin’s podcast You’re Not On The List.
MM was then guest on a later episode of YNOTL, nominating (IIRC) Billy Mackenzie.
Lots of background on the LP.