Log #201 - Turn Back The Music

Starting off my next century with a right pot pourri of sounds here. We have watery ambience class from Loscil. Sea Island was the first album of his I heard. It hooked me to a greater extent than a lot of the other ambient albums I've been listening to over the last 20 weeks or so.

 Loscil - Sea Island

Ulrich Schnauss - A Long Way To Fall

The Decemberists - Picaresque

Nick Cave - The Lyre Of Orpheus

Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther
ELO - Face The Music

I'm loving this Ulrich Schnauss offering. It is simply superb at what it does... which is melodic easy listening instrumental rock. I'd describe it as a bit of a mix between Jean Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, and then even Pink Floyd or something. Maybe progressive ambience is a better description although this music isn't that ambient with its guitars and drums. The closest other artist out there (who I've only just started listening to) is probably Tycho. I think Schnauss seems to offer more content and depth though from what I've heard. The production is superb. A Long Way To Fall would sound great in the car at high speed and high volume.

I'm in two minds about Picaresque from The Decemberists. The band are no doubt supremely talented with an exceptional ear for a melody, and biting lyrics. I can't quite decide if I like lead singer Colin Meloy's folk rock articulations. It's certainly very characterful but sometimes a little overwhelming possibly at the detriment of the superb songs. A minor gripe maybe in the face of a brilliant maritime folk tale like The Mariner's Revenge Song. 

Midlake are superb. Especially the albums from their Tim Smith (the original singer) vintage years. I think they only did 3 albums with Smith. I have two of them to date, and Occupanther is the middle one. In this crowded and often middle of the road Americana genre they stand out as something special. A lot is to do with Smith's desperately sad voice, which is why I haven't warmed to them so much since he left.

Another great album from Nick Cave. This one, like its sister album Abattoir Blues, is packed full of straight ahead rock and tuneful pop - quite uncharacteristic of the Cave I know from albums like The Boatman's Call, and certainly his last few dour offerings which I played about once each before moving on.

Finally this week a dip into the distant past when, as a teenager, I collected ELO records. Face The Music was one of the second string (and earlier) albums if you like (this one from 1975). The band were finding their feet and hadn't reached the heights yet of A New World Record and Out Of The Blue. Still a good record though with some experimental instrumentals and one or two cracking singles like Strange Magic and Evil Woman. 

The music is reversible but time is not. Turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back.

I do wonder where ELO fitted in to the music landscape at the time though. Just after the heyday of prog, just before disco and punk - what did the music listening public make of their symphonic pop? Was there another band then or now that was attempting something similar? Many compared their best work to The Beatles (Strawberry Fields etc possibly) and Jeff Lynne was certainly a talented and consistent songwriter but as a schoolboy I just thought it was cool to have a band with cellos and violins and even their own conductor!?

Face The Music was the first ELO album with the classic line up of Gale, Bevan, Groucutt, Lynne, Tandy, Kaminski and McDowell. 

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Log #159 - I Sing And Play Guitar Because I'm Good

The Decemberists Picaresque

 Robert Plant Band Of Joy

Laura Marling I Speak Because I Can

Sigur Ros Tak

Zhou Yu Master of the Chinese Erhu

Felice Brothers Yonder Is The Clock

The Laura Marling album is one of my favourite "nu-folk" (bit of a silly term) albums - one that has grown on me over the years. Good songs, interesting acoustic guitar chords, and a restrained voice thankfully void of those Joni Mitchell like vocal histrionics. Possessing a depth and longevity which I have found lacking in acts Marling has been associated with (Noah And The Whale, Johnny Flynn, Mumford and Sons anyone?) I Speak Because I Can has appeared in this blog several times over the last couple of years and will appear again. It lays claim as her best album; its predecessor Alas, I Cannot Swim is due a deeper dive too.

Here's her plot on the tourist map of music...

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Log #158 - Plant Returns To His Roots

The Decemberists Picaresque

 Robert Plant Band Of Joy

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Raising Sand

Belle and Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister

Palace Brothers Palace Brothers (Days In The Wake)

Felice Brothers Yonder Is The Clock

Listening back now it is difficult to understand why Belle and Sebastian became such indie media darlings. If You're Feeling Sinister is pleasant enough acoustic whimsy which may have been fresh and original at the time (1996) but it's pretty lightweight stuff - a lightweight that is giving further airiness by simple nursery rhyme like melodies, that are echoed by trumpet on several tracks, and lead singer Stuart Murdoch's fey vocals. 

I'd pass over this much admired album for the stronger (albeit less well received) follow up, The Boy With The Arab Strap. 

More brothers this week - the Palace Bros joining the Felices. This Palace Brothers album actually being a solo acoustic guitar album pretty much from one Will Oldham, better known as Bonnie Prince Billy, plus real brothers Ned and Paul. Also slight and very short, like a few of his albums actually, but there's always quality with Oldham and I don't think I've ever heard a bad album from him: An artist of whom I could invest in many other albums, with confidence of not being disappointed. My personal favourite to date?: Lie Down In The Light.

Continuing to enjoy Picaresque. Having dipped into some other albums from the boys and girls I do conclude, as my friend told me, they all sound very different. This one shows The Decemberists' indie folk side, but I've also heard the band branch out into heavy rock, synth pop and even prog - a multi talented band. I will investigate further albums and examine whether they can really pull off these multiple styles. I suspect Picaresque will remain a favourite and probably their default sound (and I'm pleased I started here).

When listening to Robert Plant's solo music it is tempting to compare it to Led Zeppelin - a comparison Plant himself has been keen to distant himself from via ventures into different styles and collaborations with various world artists (his alternative takes on some classic Zeppelin tunes met with mixed reactions from fans). He has also reportedly been the sticking point in any attempts to reform the band, save for the famous O2 gig way back in 2007 now. However the voice is still strong and still his and particularly when playing with a rock band the comparisons are inevitable. When I hear a track I therefore find myself thinking where would this sit in the pantheon of Led Zep music? Which album would it suit, and indeed would it have been good enough to make any of the albums?

Would any Plant solo music make it on to a Led Zeppelin album?

The answer to the last question is on the whole positive. In both of the albums featured here there are songs that would have been good enough for the mighty Zep - although note that this whole premise is off the mark as both albums consist entirely of covers! Perhaps more valid to say the best performances or tracks are the equal of some Led Zeppelin tracks. 

His Band of Joy project is probably Plant's most deliberate and closest approach to past glories (save for the Page/Plant reunions in the 90s).

Band of Joy were originally formed in Birmingham in 1965 with John Bonham (and Dave Pegg, later of Fairport Convention) before disbanding in 1968 without recording any albums (two albums were released by a new version of the band, without either of their Led Zeppelin members, in the late 70s and early 80s). Then Plant himself revived the band's name again in 2010 for this album and a tour, albeit without any of his original colleagues.

The preceding country rock Raising Sand album with Alison Krauss came out in 2007 just before the fabled Zeppelin gig. Critically acclaimed it went on to pick up five Grammys including Album Of The Year for 2009.

With a preponderance of Nashville session players in Band of Joy's ranks the expectation was for a follow up (further sessions with Krauss herself were apparently on the cards but never came to pass).  There are indeed some up beat light touch R&B / country tinged tracks favoured by the mighty Zep themselves in later albums, but generally the album has an intense depth of distorted grungy guitars. There are a even a couple of covers from low-fi Minnestota rockers Low - Silver Rider is a magnificent slow burner which could have come off Neil Young's Zuma album:

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Log #157 - Another Indie Folk Rock Band - Eddy Hears The Decemberists For The First Time

Two exciting new entries this week in The Decemberists and The Felice Brothers, plus a return to two artists I tend to group together for some reason although their albums are not necessarily similar: Scott Matthews and James Morrison. Bringing up the rear we take a listen to John Legend's debut album and revisit a perennial favourite - Gram Parson's two on one solo collection GP/Grievous Angel.

The Decemberists Picaresque

 Scott Matthews Passing Stranger

Gram Parsons GP/Grievous Angel
John Legend Get Lifted

James Morrison Undisclosed

Felice Brothers Yonder Is The Clock

Very grateful for the introduction to the The Decemberists. A friend told me they were his favourite band. I asked which album was the best to get (there are 8) and he said "all of them". I don't get all of anybody these days (once in the past I would collect everything by one artist but nowadays, like reading books, there is only so much time so I try and limit myself to the best). 

Anyway after a little bit of perfunctory investigation I decided to go for the band's third album Picaresque and what a stonker it is - packed to the hilt with dramatic songs of cow punk and indie folk - a mash of Fairport Convention, The Waterboys, Belle and Sebastian, REM, Tom Waits, The Tiger Lillies and The Felice Brothers.

Hear The Decemberists at their most theatrical here:

I won't be getting all 8 but can see me investing in at least half of them.

It's a short leap from The Decemberists to the fantastic Felice Brothers. There are many similarities - lyrical story based songs, fiddles and accordions, ramshackle arrangements, and a charismatic front man with a voice of gravel. If I was pushed to highlight a difference I'd say The Felice Brothers are more roughly hewn diamonds.

Yonder Is The Clock (already their 6th as early as 2009) is another excellent album from the Felice Brothers' catalogue. There are plenty of down tempo ballads on this album but the brothers never fail to serve up a crowd pleasing stomp or two. Run Chicken Run fulfilling that role here:

Chickens get no life after death! Who knew?

Gram Parsons' two solo albums of melodic love songs and ballads are conveniently collected on this 2-CD set. Parsons almost invented country rock and the genre is amply demonstrated throughout these 20 tracks which maintain a remarkable standard throughout. For CD collectors this edition is essential for any rock fan, along with Capt. Beefheart's Spotlight Kid/Clear Spot 2-CD edition.

Great singers both, James Morrison and Scott Matthews. The former a bit more souly and the latter more rocky. Two excellent albums that I return to fairly frequently.

Lastly this week comes John Legend's 2004 debut album Get Lifted. As explained in Log #155 I was alerted to Legend through a track in the Tarrantino film Django Unchained, and purchased this record and the follow up Once Again. The latter record grew on me. This one not so much to date. It has a more gospel leaning. Neither records quite reach the peaks of the Django track Who Did That To You?

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