|
Post by spot51 on Apr 27, 2024 10:28:32 GMT
Right, last day, I reckon a 5 day week is civilised in terms of this kind of thing, I could go on for a month quite easily really but I think everyone needs a step change and give someone else a chance to take over with a clear window of space between one person's choices those of the next, so I'm going to call it a day after this final track. One of my favourite bands ever, and some nice people to, New Model Army have to finish the week off. I've seen this band live in loads of places, with loads of different support acts (including the levellers) and never, not once, did they fail to deliver anything other than a stirring, thundering, heartbreaking (because of the lyrics and what they sing about) yet joyous experience. I have sat and talked with Justin Sullivan (lead singer) in the back of a little pub in Poole while he was doing one of his side hustles as an acoustic folk singing troubadour with The Red Sky Coven, I've sat in an enormous auditoriums while the walls shook and the floors bounced and I was surrounded by the family (dedicated fans) all singing our hearts out… You get older, you stop following bands so religiously or so frequently, life gets in the way of the stuff you did when you were younger… But I've never forgotten these guys or stopped listening to the music. Anyway, they sing about loads of things that just click with me, so many things I can't even begin to start telling you what they all are. they are a little Luddite at heart, which is really weird for me because I'm such a technology -dependent freak and enthusiast, but there's something about them that just calls out to me… And many others as well. But this track, this track is old now, but it could have been written yesterday. The words are a lament and a lash about humanity and its inexplicable and inescapable drive to destroy itself and everything around it, and yet it's also a love song for the earth and, right at the end of the song, a faint plea, and maybe even a recognition of potential hope, even whilst recognising all the evil done against mother Earth. This band are electric, driving, insistent, irresistible, and yet they can also be poignant and resonant and they still squeeze my heart when I hear most of the songs, even when it's talking about a friend of theirs being beaten to a pulp. There's a lovely version of this track with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra but I'm going with the original, I can't ever get the sound of the harmonica on this track out of my head, when they did it with the orchestra they used other instruments and whilst it was grand and different, as far as I'm concerned, the beauty of the original song and its simplicity just can't be bettered. So to lead out this first week of mine, New Model Army with BalladThat was excellent Beasters but you'd know that would push my buttons. Never bought any NMA myself but Drew was a big fan and we'd often have them on in the car. Must sort through the mass of CDs he left behind to see if I can find any of their stuff...
|
|
|
Post by THE BEAST on Apr 27, 2024 12:11:58 GMT
Right, last day, I reckon a 5 day week is civilised in terms of this kind of thing, I could go on for a month quite easily really but I think everyone needs a step change and give someone else a chance to take over with a clear window of space between one person's choices those of the next, so I'm going to call it a day after this final track. One of my favourite bands ever, and some nice people to, New Model Army have to finish the week off. I've seen this band live in loads of places, with loads of different support acts (including the levellers) and never, not once, did they fail to deliver anything other than a stirring, thundering, heartbreaking (because of the lyrics and what they sing about) yet joyous experience. I have sat and talked with Justin Sullivan (lead singer) in the back of a little pub in Poole while he was doing one of his side hustles as an acoustic folk singing troubadour with The Red Sky Coven, I've sat in an enormous auditoriums while the walls shook and the floors bounced and I was surrounded by the family (dedicated fans) all singing our hearts out… You get older, you stop following bands so religiously or so frequently, life gets in the way of the stuff you did when you were younger… But I've never forgotten these guys or stopped listening to the music. Anyway, they sing about loads of things that just click with me, so many things I can't even begin to start telling you what they all are. they are a little Luddite at heart, which is really weird for me because I'm such a technology -dependent freak and enthusiast, but there's something about them that just calls out to me… And many others as well. But this track, this track is old now, but it could have been written yesterday. The words are a lament and a lash about humanity and its inexplicable and inescapable drive to destroy itself and everything around it, and yet it's also a love song for the earth and, right at the end of the song, a faint plea, and maybe even a recognition of potential hope, even whilst recognising all the evil done against mother Earth. This band are electric, driving, insistent, irresistible, and yet they can also be poignant and resonant and they still squeeze my heart when I hear most of the songs, even when it's talking about a friend of theirs being beaten to a pulp. There's a lovely version of this track with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra but I'm going with the original, I can't ever get the sound of the harmonica on this track out of my head, when they did it with the orchestra they used other instruments and whilst it was grand and different, as far as I'm concerned, the beauty of the original song and its simplicity just can't be bettered. So to lead out this first week of mine, New Model Army with BalladThat was excellent Beasters but you'd know that would push my buttons. Never bought any NMA myself but Drew was a big fan and we'd often have them on in the car. Must sort through the mass of CDs he left behind to see if I can find any of their stuff... yeah I did think it would resonate with you. a lot of the stuff is much heavier than this, but they do do a nice melodic piece of music every so often. You should look out those albums, you might find the lyrics on some of them to also resonate…
|
|
|
Post by dontknowcantremember on Apr 27, 2024 21:13:30 GMT
New Model Army are still a great live band. Just seen them in Leeds. Word of warning though, I've seen them probably 2 or 3 times a year since 1984, so I may be biased.
|
|
|
Post by spot51 on Apr 28, 2024 8:43:35 GMT
I liked Chris’s idea of 6 goes at this. I’m not copying him but felt the need to write an intro to explain my life and music. I’m focusing on the “pop” side here as I listen to loads of Classical music too. Probably been to as many if not more Classical concerts.
Born in the 50s and a teen in the 60s, it was always my destiny for music to be an enormous part of my life. As a performer, I was a good boy treble who got to sing the solos at school, church and music festivals. When my voice broke I became an average tenor but still love to sing. My greatest triumph was when my mate Pedro sang a song what I wrote on Radio Sheffield no less! These days I sing along to CDs in the car where only Bart can hear me. Other drivers may think i’m having a fit.
The 50s Rock & Roll explosion altered what we listened to on the old Light Programme (aka Radio 2) but Beatlemania in the 60s transformed what we heard once more. Till about ‘65 we only had the radio and an old wind up gramophone that played 78s. Then someone gave me a 6 shilling 8 pence record token (the price of a 7 inch single) and Dad was obliged to invest in a radiogram. I bought "Go Now" by the Moody Blues.
Till about then, only singles really mattered. Albums were for classical stuff and crooners like Crosby and Sinatra. Pop LPs were literally compendiums of singles and their B sides. Suddenly The Moody Blues released their Days of Future Past “concept album” and everything changed. In the late 60s the Beatles, Stones et al all recorded albums that were more than just a collection of singles.
The first albums I bought were cheap - classical stuff on the bargain Music for Pleasure label or samplers issued by CBS or Island records which introduced you to their artists. I took the plunge in 1968 and bought my first full price album "Child is Father to the Man" by Blood, Sweat and Tears (on CBS records).
Rolling Stone calls this a “seminal album” as it was the first of the Jazz/Rock genre. I just liked the tunes and played it remorselessly. I probably still have this LP somewhere in one of the boxes that were never unpacked when we moved here in 2001. I kept a few when I made the cardinal error of selling 200 vinyl albums for £200 in the late 70s. They would be worth a fortune today…
I now have several thousand CDs but in this streaming age I usually listen on Spotify before investing. The latest to arrive is the double live album by Melanie announced the week of her death but finally released on April Fool’s day 2024.
I like all types of music so Midweek Music is an exciting development for me. I’ve found my own “hidden gems” which I will share here. I can literally keep going until I am restrained…
|
|
|
Post by Mandochris on Apr 28, 2024 10:04:42 GMT
The latest to arrive is the double live album by Melanie announced the week of her death but finally released on April Fool’s day 2024. … Is this a recent live or reissue from the Candles in the Rain, Leftover Wine era? I had that live album. I did 6 because I didn't know what was the start and end protocol!
|
|
|
Post by spot51 on Apr 28, 2024 10:31:05 GMT
The latest to arrive is the double live album by Melanie announced the week of her death but finally released on April Fool’s day 2024. … Is this a recent live or reissue from the Candles in the Rain, Leftover Wine era? I had that live album. I did 6 because I didn't know what was the start and end protocol! It was a concert from 1984 with some of her hits and other stuff linky
|
|
|
Post by spot51 on Apr 28, 2024 18:29:44 GMT
The latest to arrive is the double live album by Melanie announced the week of her death but finally released on April Fool’s day 2024. … Is this a recent live or reissue from the Candles in the Rain, Leftover Wine era? I had that live album. I did 6 because I didn't know what was the start and end protocol! I drafted that a couple of weeks back. Since then (as a result of this thread) I bought Mush by Leatherface which got a blast in Devon.
|
|
|
Post by spot51 on Apr 29, 2024 8:04:46 GMT
My first track is from that first album I bought - Child is Father to the Man by BS&T. Bands had already worked with orchestras but melding a rock group with a jazz trained brass section was revolutionary. I never got to see BS&T live but did catch both Lighthouse and Chicago (Transit Authority) at our Afton Down festival.
This was the first of several BS&T albums but in my (not at all humble) opinion by far the best and that is down to one man - Blues legend Al Kooper. Kooper left the band to be replaced by vocalist David Clayton Thomas who fronted them during their brief flirtation with singles when You Made Me so Very Happy and Spinning Wheel both reached #2 in the US charts. Kooper’s voice and West Coast lead guitar sound alongside a solid rhythm section and soaring brass produced a unique album for the 60s. It still sounds great today. I chose this particular track which was aural ambrosia to a kid raised on Herman’s Hermits, Peter, Paul and Mary and Freddie and the Dreamers.
Kooper’s later work, especially the collaborations with Steve Stills and Mike Bloomfield are worth finding if you like blues guitar and keyboards stretched to their limits.
I give you Blood Sweat and Tears with “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”.
|
|
|
Post by threehundred on Apr 29, 2024 8:19:41 GMT
A few bits popped into my head having read Spot’s piece, above…. I was a decent boy treble too. I don’t know if there are any other spuds on this forum, but I was in the school choir under Eric Merriman (a true gent and amazing guy). I loved it. I’m a (or was a) half-decent tenor. My mum was an accomplished soprano (and still has a remarkable singing voice). I love most types of classical music too, but with being incredibly knowledgeable. I didn’t envisage anyone choosing any classical music on this Fred, as I didn’t think it would hold anyone’s attention. If I was to post any, it would be Dvorak’s “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka, which makes me well up every time I hear it. Do you know it, spot51 ? My rationale for making this 5 days a week was primarily that this is a Football forum… keeping the weekend free for football. Also, in the summer, things can get pretty quiet here over weekends. That said, it’s not up to me; the thread belongs to whoever’s week it is. I wouldn’t suggest more than 1 track a day though, as I think that might kill people’s enthusiasm. I hope the thread continues… I’m enjoying it!
|
|
|
Post by threehundred on Apr 29, 2024 8:40:39 GMT
My first track is from that first album I bought - Child is Father to the Man by BS&T. Bands had already worked with orchestras but melding a rock group with a jazz trained brass section was revolutionary. I never got to see BS&T live but did catch both Lighthouse and Chicago (Transit Authority) at our Afton Down festival. This was the first of several BS&T albums but in my (not at all humble) opinion by far the best and that is down to one man - Blues legend Al Kooper. Kooper left the band to be replaced by vocalist David Clayton Thomas who fronted them during their brief flirtation with singles when You Made Me so Very Happy and Spinning Wheel both reached #2 in the US charts. Kooper’s voice and West Coast lead guitar sound alongside a solid rhythm section and soaring brass produced a unique album for the 60s. It still sounds great today. I chose this particular track which was aural ambrosia to a kid raised on Herman’s Hermits, Peter, Paul and Mary and Freddie and the Dreamers. Kooper’s later work, especially the collaborations with Steve Stills and Mike Bloomfield are worth finding if you like blues guitar and keyboards stretched to their limits. I give you Blood Sweat and Tears with “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”. Awesome start to the week! That’s a big sound. I’m not familiar with Blood Sweat and Tears at all, which staggers me. Awesome musicianship.
|
|
|
Post by Mandochris on Apr 29, 2024 14:39:30 GMT
Great start Spot. Blood Sweat and Tears was popular at my school so I heard them but did not own any of their records and cassettes were not yet a thing. I knew Al Kooper later, especially with Mike Bloomfield and, of course, with Dylan. I saw him with Dylan in 1981 in Paris, but Dylan was in his God phase and it was not so good as the show in 1978, which was a total knock out (from the Live at Budokan tour). I got more into Blues Rock later through bands like the Allman Brothers and Rory Gallagher. Very nice to hear BS&T again after about 55 years!!
|
|
|
Post by spot51 on Apr 29, 2024 18:47:11 GMT
I didn’t envisage anyone choosing any classical music on this Fred, as I didn’t think it would hold anyone’s attention. If I was to post any, it would be Dvorak’s “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka, which makes me well up every time I hear it. Do you know it, spot51 ? Yes. It is a stirring piece. Classical is such a huge canon and incorporates pretty much everything beyond folk, music hall or pop since time began. Universities researching music history have been able to recreate some of the songs from Ancient Greece which do sound a bit odd TBF. Just like their strange writing, ancient societies had various ways of musical notation and we are just beginning to decode a few of them. I wouldn't stick a huge classical piece on here but there are some brilliant modern pieces which might go down well...
|
|
|
Post by spot51 on Apr 30, 2024 7:49:30 GMT
For day two I'm leaping straight into C&W. It was always there of course and you can still find a guy in a stetson picking a guitar and singing about Drinking, His lady Left, Old Blue died or his Wagon lost a Wheel or any combination of those themes.
After the pinnacle of the Summer of Love, Woodstock and Afton Down, there followed a great expansion in musical styles with Experimental bands (King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator, etc), Electric Folk from Trees, Fairports, etc) and Rock Bands in stadiums not theatres. Good music was still being created but it was now more likely to be found on LPs than in the singles charts.
One area I turned to was the Country Rock of bands like Doobie Brothers, Pure Prairie League and the fabulous Ozark Mountain Daredevils. It is but a small step from there into the musical minefield that is C&W. The genre was deeply conservative and Women knew their place! That is until the likes of Dolly and Shania stepped out into the mainstream to become global stars. Taylor Swift is the latest “Country Gal” to follow that path.
Country is a vast engine for music making and in recent decades has absorbed stuff from other genres: Funk guitar licks, Rock rhythms, Gospel choruses and much else. The song writing has changed too, with political and social issues addressed head on. When the (Dixie) Chicks criticised the USA over the Iraq War, MAGA types burned their albums in the streets. The Chicks remain “Not Ready to Make Nice” but times change and in 2021 the younger half of the Brothers Osborne came out as Gay - hardly an eyelid was raised.
I’ve selected a track from one of my favourite Country performers, Eric Church. This is from his album Mr Misunderstood. This video is of a live performance at Red Rocks, Colorado.
|
|
|
Post by Mandochris on Apr 30, 2024 15:20:07 GMT
Of course, you know I'm going to like that Spot. But actually, apart from knowing the name I know nothing about Eric Church. In reality Country & Western is not a thing. It was just a phrase invented for record stores to put records in that were vaguely country, or western, or californian ... Country is mainly from the South. Western Swing was a genre created in the 1920s by Bob Wills where he added horns and loud stuff to get enough sound into the dance halls in Texas. Then there's outlaw country, which was the stuff done by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and co. as a reaction to the soft pap that Nashville was turning out in the late 60s and they went to Austen, creating a whole new thing. Anyway, all that to say that there is a fabulous podcast called Cocaine and Rhinestones, told by Tyler Mahan Coe (son of David Allen Coe). It is a must listen if you vaguely like history, music, great singers, amazing backing musicians and the trials and tribulations of country music artists from all across the USA. I loved it and the guy goes into extraordinary detail after researching just about every book and article ever written. All that to say, good choice Spot. I have been to Red Rocks, it is an amazing natural amphitheatre full of rock history. PS Willie just turned 91. He upset the Maga crowd too recently when they found out he votes democrats. He always has but they just found out and so decided to boycott him.
|
|
|
Post by THE BEAST on Apr 30, 2024 15:44:45 GMT
nice engineering on BST spot51plus I like a lovely organ (©IM) I listen to quite a lot of stuff that could be considered "country" I guess, although I wouldn't really call it that, but you can hear the influence. for me though I have to have something a little different about it to bother listening to it, if it sounds like country and there's not a twist, I usually don't give it the time of day. I listened to this and have to say I don't think I would have listened to it if you hadn't recommended, not bad of its kind though and it's a lovely sound stage and production, I will look out some other tracks and see if he catches my attention. good work Sir, keep it up
|
|