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Post by spot51 on Jun 29, 2024 8:56:35 GMT
Thank you THE BEAST - another week, another load of music I've never heard before. Me up next. I have a theme which I'll explain tomorrow before unloading my next 5 tracks.
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Post by Furry Frank The Combat Wombat on Jun 29, 2024 9:49:29 GMT
OK, I'm sure it's probably a setup, but impressive from the lad nonetheless.
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Post by spot51 on Jun 30, 2024 9:18:28 GMT
My initial reaction when Bob Dylan won a Nobel Prize for Literature was delight but it soon became annoyance. WTF took them so long?
Nobel Prizes were introduced at the time recording/playback devices allowed whoever could afford them to “play music at home”. Gramophones, radio, tape, videos, CDs and now computers completely changed the way we access great writing and poetry.
As a former singer, words have always meant as much to me as music. I love clever lyrics. The poets of today often sing (or have others sing) their work and I can think of plenty who might be recognised like Bob was. That is my focus for my second week.
Great music stirs the soul but great words stir our minds and help us see things in a different way. I make no apology for including well known performers in this list. Two are huge international stars and the other 3 are leaders in their particular sphere but less well known beyond it.
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Post by channonite on Jun 30, 2024 19:42:29 GMT
I am sticking this in here before Spot gets going.
We watched Gossip's set at Glastonbury last night, as Coldplay were just so frigging boring. They didn't disappoint, rude, crude, over the top and just really good musicians. Beth Ditto is just so unfailingly polite and then goes out of her way to shock.
Anyway, the Beeb have put their final number up on YouTube, which surprised me for reasons that will become apparent if you watch it...
Oh, and she got my vote for giving Trump the finger at the very beginning of this number!!
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Post by Furry Frank The Combat Wombat on Jun 30, 2024 21:11:49 GMT
Haven't really watched Glasto, as it just names me sad ( that we're too old and out of touch now).. but delighted to tune in tonight and see London Gramnar are headlining the Park stage tonight... we saw them a good 10y ago at a little local festival in Croydon and thought they were smashing, so good to see they're getting some traction
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Post by spot51 on Jul 1, 2024 9:07:07 GMT
They got it in the neck for no lady headliners last year so completely overreacted this. Dua Lipa warranted the slot but Jessie Ware and that American bore last night? FFS!
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Post by threehundred on Jul 1, 2024 9:07:10 GMT
sorry people, forgot to post my last track of the week. I was so sad when he died, he was such a great voice, but he stays with me in a lot of his work with a lot of other people, screaming trees, QOTS, his work with Isobel Campbell and so many other contributions to music both on his own or as collaborations with others. He was a tragic yet majestic figure and I adore his voice… so with no further preamble I give you Mark Lanegan and the wonderful track "One Hundred Days" This is bloody fabulous!
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Post by spot51 on Jul 1, 2024 9:14:28 GMT
I wanted to include at least one (and settled on two) songs from the late 60s or early 70s when I was voraciously listening to new music and trying to make sense of it all. So many singer/songwriters were active then. I considered Joan Baez, Paul Simon, Don Mclean, James Taylor and several others - and checked out some fantastic vids before deciding.
My first was a song I first heard at a stunning concert I saw at Pompey Guildhall by Elton John, Dee Murray and Nigel Olssen. Bernie Taupin was writing most of Elton’s words since a happy chance had brought them together. Both replied to an advert asking for songwriters placed in NME by Liberty Records. Neither got the job but the muso and the wordsmith met and the rest is history.
Madman was written before it became the title track of Elton’s 3rd album. An original recording with Mick Ronson on guitar was going to appear on Tumbleweed Connection. A second version was recorded by Elton’s studio band for the Madman album and both now appear on the remastered version. The album did not sell well here but took off bigtime in the USA and the boys had arrived.
Those that know me will understand why this song resonates with me. Bernie was interviewed not long after it was released and asked if it was about Richard Nixon. He said he wished he’d thought of that. This is Bernie at his very finest.
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Post by threehundred on Jul 1, 2024 10:17:11 GMT
I wanted to include at least one (and settled on two) songs from the late 60s or early 70s when I was voraciously listening to new music and trying to make sense of it all. So many singer/songwriters were active then. I considered Joan Baez, Paul Simon, Don Mclean, James Taylor and several others - and checked out some fantastic vids before deciding. My first was a song I first heard at a stunning concert I saw at Pompey Guildhall by Elton John, Dee Murray and Nigel Olssen. Bernie Taupin was writing most of Elton’s words since a happy chance had brought them together. Both replied to an advert asking for songwriters placed in NME by Liberty Records. Neither got the job but the muso and the wordsmith met and the rest is history. Madman was written before it became the title track of Elton’s 3rd album. An original recording with Mick Ronson on guitar was going to appear on Tumbleweed Connection. A second version was recorded by Elton’s studio band for the Madman album and both now appear on the remastered version. The album did not sell well here but took off bigtime in the USA and the boys had arrived. Those that know me will understand why this song resonates with me. Bernie was interviewed not long after it was released and asked if it was about Richard Nixon. He said he wished he’d thought of that. This is Bernie at his very finest. Great choice, spot51. I’m shocked I haven’t heard this before. Love the lyrics in particular…
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Post by channonite on Jul 1, 2024 12:12:54 GMT
They got it in the neck for no lady headliners last year so completely overreacted this. Dua Lipa warranted the slot but Jessie Ware and that American bore last night? FFS! Beth Ditto was taking the mick out of both Coldplay and Jesse Ware. When she walked on the stage, she introduced herself "Hello, I'm Chris Martin" and then started singing Yellow. She was less complimentary about Jesse Ware. Gossip were much better now that they seem to have added a permanent keyboard player/guitarist. She gives the band way more depth of sound. Beth was quite openly consuming chemical stimulants throughout the set...
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Post by channonite on Jul 1, 2024 12:14:24 GMT
By the way, good start to the week spot51
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Post by threehundred on Jul 1, 2024 13:08:02 GMT
They got it in the neck for no lady headliners last year so completely overreacted this. Dua Lipa warranted the slot but Jessie Ware and that American bore last night? FFS! Beth Ditto was taking the mick out of both Coldplay and Jesse Ware. When she walked on the stage, she introduced herself "Hello, I'm Chris Martin" and then started singing Yellow. She was less complimentary about Jesse Ware. Gossip were much better now that they seem to have added a permanent keyboard player/guitarist. She gives the band way more depth of sound. Beth was quite openly consuming chemical stimulants throughout the set... Beth Ditto is pure quality
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Post by spot51 on Jul 2, 2024 6:59:53 GMT
Carole King was an established songwriter before finally getting behind the microphone herself. Born with perfect pitch she learned the piano from the age of 4. At High School she made demo records with Paul Simon and dated Neil Sedaka (his hit “O Carol” was about her). At college she met and married Gerry Goffin. Carol got pregnant so they left college and got jobs but kept writing songs in the evenings.
She was still a teenager in 1960 when their song “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by the Shirelles became the first #1 record by a black girl group. They ditched their jobs and began writing full time. In 68 they divorced and Carole moved to Laurel Canyon. She recorded with a band but was not willing to perform live. Eventually James Taylor persuaded her to record and perform her own stuff and played guitar on her first album “Writer”.
This was Carole’s “Road to Damascus” moment. The first album got good reviews and some sales but she found she really enjoyed the process. She then devoted several months to writing new material and jamming with JT and Joni Mitchell to test the songs out. She recorded them in January 71 and the next month “Tapestry” was released spawning 2 singles that both went to #1. Tapestry itself spent 15 weeks at the top of the US album charts and remained in the chart for the next 6 years.
Yes, Tapestry is one of the very best albums of all time and yes, I am selecting a track from it because back then and still today, the words mean so much. I give you - So Far Away.
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Post by threehundred on Jul 2, 2024 7:20:56 GMT
Beautiful!
My folks had Tapestry on vinyl when I was a kid (I guess most people did!).
What an album, what a track and what a fabulous way to ease myself into Tuesday.
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Post by THE BEAST on Jul 2, 2024 12:48:59 GMT
sorry people, forgot to post my last track of the week. I was so sad when he died, he was such a great voice, but he stays with me in a lot of his work with a lot of other people, screaming trees, QOTS, his work with Isobel Campbell and so many other contributions to music both on his own or as collaborations with others. He was a tragic yet majestic figure and I adore his voice… so with no further preamble I give you Mark Lanegan and the wonderful track "One Hundred Days" This is bloody fabulous! I'm glad you liked it, the man was a legend… I can't help wondering what he would have been like if he been able to stay clean. probably would have sounded so different we'd never of heard of him! He's done a lot of stuff, you really might like the stuff he did with Isobel Campbell, some of it was sublime, it was such a surprise when these 2 partnered up, everyone thought he would destroy her but actually she turned out to be the beast in the relationship and he turned out to be the pussycat… Anyway, surprising or not, the stuff they created was really interesting and they blend beautifully vocally. Just dip your toes in the waters of his records, he did quite a few, if you find a track you don't like, move on, you will find one you do or the time after.
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