Log #63 - Happy, Sad, Silly

Two brand new 6cd blog virgins this week with new entries from Gong and Tim Buckley. We've doubled down on Nick Cave, Beck's consistent showing continues, and there's a welcome return for probably the greatest live band on Earth!

~

1. Beck - Guero

2. The Felice Brothers - The Felice Brothers

3. Tim Buckley - Happy Sad

4. Gong - The Best Of

5. Nick Cave - The Lyre of Orpheus

6. Nick Cave - Abattoir Blues

~

Beck goes more pop and rap with his much loved Guero LP - probably his most similar outing to the popular jumping shaggy doggy covered Odelay.

Nick Cave's Abattoir Blues is the heavier twin to The Lyre of Orpheus. Kicking off with the almost heavy metal Get Ready for Love the album peaks with two of Cave's greatest pop songs: There She Goes My Beautiful World and Nature Boy. Taking the double album together the consistent quality of the songs across these 17 tracks represents a high point in Cave's illustrious career.

Hey, the Nature Boy track is so good, it's time to start embedding these videos to enhance playability (doesn't Cave always wear a suit well?):

Tim Buckley used to be famous but is now probably more famous for being the father of Jeff Buckley whose only proper album Grace became a modern classic. Both had angelic voices and died young - Tim aged 28 from a drug overdose, Jeff aged 30 from drowning (both narrowly avoiding the infamous 27 club). Tim Buckley started out as a singer songwriter but progressed from folk based guitar songs into more experimental jazz and rock fusion becoming influential to artists like John Martyn. This is evident on this record with the 12 minute improvisational Gypsy Woman where Buckley demonstrates his vocal range.

Tim and Jeff Buckley

Gong are an interesting band also straddling multiple genres of music including rock, prog, jazz, even punk and er um "space rock" a la Hawkwind. For a band adept at such a range of styles a Best Of compilation will never fully satisfy on account of sudden shifts in atmosphere. On grounds of continuity and context Best Ofs are best avoided except as gateways into the real albums. This compilation has a fair smattering of tracks from Gong's classic period known as the Teapot Trilogy - real albums Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg and You. Of these three my favourite (Steve Hillage inspired) album is You. Outside of this lot the more rock based and earlier Camembert Electrique is pretty good too and is represented on this compilation by a 13 second track entitled Squeezing Sponges Over Policemen's Heads! Like Frank Zappa and the Bonzo Dog Band, Gong's inherent musicianship is not taken too seriously and they will sometimes tip their hats to outright silliness.

Go directly to You, Do not pass Go, Do not collect any Best Ofs

Gong's You cover, and my own picture of Chichen Itza Temple in Mexico

Last up, but by all means not least, is many people's favourite live band, The Felice Brothers and their eponymous album (actually officially their fifth although some appear to be unavailable now so this seems to be generally accepted as their second proper album after Tonight at the Arizona). One of their go to tracks is Frankie's Gun but honestly this is just one of numerous foot stomping singalong Americana anthems you could choose to highlight their style. 

I don't know if this accompanying film of a boys' motorcycle trip has any relevance to the song or the lyrics, and it doesn't feature the band members, but it has a lovely nostalgic good time feel. Frankie's Gun was also bizarrely featured in the closing credits to an episode of the BBC comedy series Outnumbered encouraging many fans of that show to investigate this unknown band further.