Log #168 - Rumours Going Down

I came late to Rumours as explained here but its charms have grown on me, particularly on the more rock orientated numbers like the excellent The Chain which is so much more than that slightly annoying bass riff used for that very annoying car programme. It was a video I caught this week on youtube of a live performance of The Chain that encouraged me to give the album another spin.

Fleetwood Mac Rumours

Neil Young Hitchhiker

Foals What Went Down

Edgar Froese Epsilon In Malaysian Pale
John Martyn Solid Air

Neil Young Rust Never Sleeps

Hitchhiker was an album by Neil Young recorded in 1976. For some reason it was not released then...

- actually the reason I believe was the record company thought the solo acoustic songs should be recorded as a band.

- indeed some like Powderfinger were later re-recorded with a band and appeared on a subsequent album (Rust Never Sleeps and others).

Anyway Hitchhhiker, like Chrome Dreams and some others, became one of those legendary lost albums of Young's - until last year when the original was released.

It is indeed a shame this album did not see the light of day for so long as, despite it having an air of demo about it, it is actually one of Young's best. There are ten excellent songs, 9 on guitar, one on piano. Eight have appeared on other albums, usually in a differing version / two are previously unreleased. I do believe it may be Young's only entirely solo album??

[By the way any Neil Young fan should check out his Archives website - this is a subscriber service but there is always a free to stream featured album available].

Excellent stuff from the Foals on this, their fourth album. It is a pretty heavy album but still demonstrates their excellent musicianship.

'What Went Down' is unbelievably aggressive, a bold return so to speak, combining a fierce pulsating drumbeat with erratic overdriven guitars that lend a real intensity.

Clash Magazine

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Log #70 - Consummate Duophonic Pop with Overlooked Triophonic Prog

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1. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand

2. Charles and Eddie - Duophonic

3. Beck - Colors

4. Can - Sacrilege 2

5. Foals - What Went Down

6. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert

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Two more charity purchases this week. One was Charles and Eddie and the other was a book actually which I'll include here as it is on music.

The Charles and Eddie album is from 1992 and I remember having it when it first came out, on cassette I think as I either remember it from my car or from my "gap year" when I was travelling in Asia and bought a bunch of cassettes down the Khao San Road. I also remember they co-hosted some M-TV program. 

Duophonic is a nice album which still sounds good today. Would I Lie To You is the famous track but there are lots of other familiar ones on here and the general standard of all the songs is high. Their keenly produced disco and soul music sounded something like Michael Jackson or the Bee Gees. Not bad for 49p. Sadly Charles is no longer with us having died as long ago as 2001. Eddie is still going as part of LA-based duo The Polyamorous Affair.

The Koln Concert from Keith Jarrett is a classic jazz piano album. It fascinates me how he has produced such beautiful music from what appears to be variations on just a couple of chords. I assume it is improvised. It certainly sounds like it. As such it sounds like music straight from the soul like it is being channeled from some higher source. Is that how all great musicians feel? You can hear him breathing and moaning over the music in places as if he is possessed.

Keith Jarrett tinkling the ivories of "The Unplayable Piano" in a most unusual way

I do wonder how much this is myth but according to this TEDtalk the genesis of this best selling jazz and solo piano album (of all time) was accidental. Apparently the piano presented to Jarrett at the concert hall was faulty - out of tune, poor of tone, and with sticky black keys! After some persuasion Jarrett decided to go ahead with the concert and by being forced to work around the limitations produced an unintended masterpiece. A clear case of less being more.

To learn more about this landmark album have a read of this excellent review here>> http://somethingelsereviews.com/2010/05/19/keith-jarrett-the-koln-concert-1975/

The book I picked up is The Train In The Night by Nick Coleman. This is right up my street as it is basically the musical recollections of a 50 something man (an idea I have had before for a book) who unfortunately is going deaf. Being 50 something I think means having lived through a certain development of music over the decades that I imagine will never be repeated again. You could say the same about life generally I guess although maybe every generation feels the same about that? Coleman's taste seems fairly similar to mine too. He writes that his first 7 records he bought were a rather impressive list as below:

Nazareth - Razamanaz

Lou Reed - Transformer

Genesis - Nursery Cryme

Yes - The Yes Album

Derek and the Dominoes - Layla

Gong - Camembert Electrique

The Rolling Stones - Goat's Head Soup

That certainly beats my first seven, admittedly from a few years later, which would have been mostly ELO followed by a bit of Rainbow and Black Sabbath.

Man walking across a field with an Andy's Records carrier bag

On the Genesis album he writes: "Nursery Cryme was a fallback position. Deploying my new stevedore's swagger, I'd bravely gone to buy Genesis's latest album, Foxtrot, at the stall on the market in town only to find that they'd sold out. Miller's were out of it, too. Not one of the three other, lesser, record shops had it either. Consternation. [Friend] Andy had been quoting passages of Foxtrot's side-long epic Supper's Ready at me for days and I had a hunch that its surreal yet baroque outlandishness would fit me like a glove. Given that Andy's [good-looking] sister Linda was also known to be a Genesis fan - [her boyfriend's local prog rock group] Hamilton Gray owed quite a lot to the fine-boned Charterhouse boys - it might have given Linda and me something to talk about at the bus stop, should such a frightening yet wholly desired event ever transpire. In the circumstances, therefore, it just had to be Genesis. And so, in the absence of Foxtrot, the group's previous record would have to do. It was cheap too: £1.69.

"I still have the thing and still love it, even though I can now only hear it properly in my head, and even then not very clearly. I hope that my own children will love it in due course, too. History says that Peter Gabriel-era Genesis were a slightly unnecessary folie amusante arising from rock's need in the late Sixties to expand its formal horizons in a way that matched its artistic ambitions and enlarged social scope. History also sneers at Genesis for being posh; for not being even slightly Mod. Well history can do what it likes. The middle-class boy writing these words was wholly transfixed at the age of thirteen by the defiant remnants of the shut-down old man who voices The Musical Box and, now that he is partially shut down himself, the boy sees no reason to pretend that pastoral English prog rock didn't have its moments of outlandish emotional clarity."

Reading this section was timely. I've been revisiting quite a lot of Genesis myself recently - in fact not so much revisiting as visiting for the first time. I do love discovering new bands! I've consequently softened my views on post Gabriel Genesis. Sampling the "in-between albums" (in between Gabriel's last 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and the fully realised 1980 pop album Duke) I've been impressed, even with Phil Collins' singing which I'd previously described as "constipated". Impressed to such an extent that I currently have ebay bids running on what I call the Genesis Mark One and a Half albums as below:

.. And Then There Were Three (the in-betweeny albums)

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The Foals Come Of Age

Foals’ moniker made perfect sense in the mid-00s. Their early singles were spindly affairs, capable of kicking out but occasionally awkward of movement. The Oxford five-piece swiftly suffered restrictive pigeonholing: “maths-rockers” never had much of a chart-busting ring to it.

So much buzz and hype – enough to drown most bands. But Foals’ debut, 2008’s Antidotes, held firm against any backlash, and 2010’s Total Life Forever successfully expanded their palette of (largely leftfield) influences. A Mercury Prize nomination was just reward.

Today, they’re less a fumbling creature finding its feet and more the tremendous elephant in the live room - truly, they've become a huge-sounding proposition. Foals were already a mainstream presence; now, they’ve made an album properly reflecting that status. Arena tours should await them.

Holy Fire’s lead tracks, Inhaler and My Number, comprise tone-setters for this slickly realised set, which focuses on instant-click compositions over consciousness-creepers. That both sound enormous may have everything to do with Alan Moulder and Flood’s production – and if not, their presence can’t have hurt.

These insights into a more traditional rock aesthetic are ultimately catalogue highs. They showcase the right manner of group maturity, embracing the core of today’s commercial rock market while retaining traces of trademark twitchiness. It’s a perverse progression: two steps backwards to leap into an unwritten future.

Late Night is a slow-burner that brilliantly erupts in its final third. Of similar design is Milk & Black Spiders, which will be a standout moment of the band’s live set when it, too, bursts with intoxicating vibrancy at its climax, strings rushing into the mix. Stepson and Moon are more delicate affairs, sequenced to impress considerably at the album’s end.

Yannis Philippakis’ lyricism could be dizzyingly cryptic before, but here he’s focusing on identifiable themes: love, friendship, distance, travel. Metaphors are less messy, the language streamlined. He sings with tenderness when necessary, and has developed a satisfyingly gruff roar, best employed on Inhaler.

Holy Fire is somewhat hamstrung by Bad Habit, a peculiar hybrid of The Temper Trap’s Sweet Disposition and Mumford & Sons. It lacks the singular spark that makes this band’s best cuts stand boldly from the crowd. Prelude, too, will likely lose the battle against the skip button.

But such quibbles are minor. The kids – which Foals were at their outset – have grown up splendidly. You might say they’ve become a true thoroughbred outfit, if such linguistic horseplay was your thing.

Courtesy Mike Diver through Creative Commons at http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/bq3q/

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Log #46 - No Change From Me

1. ELO - Out of the Blue
2. JJ Cale - Naturally
3. The Doobie Brothers - The Captain and Me
4. Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space
5. Takemitsu - Quatrain, A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
6. Foals - Total Life Forever

It's the holiday season and my musical listening has transferred temporarily from the 6-Cd magazine to my ipod and all that that entails - ie. random plays and playlists. This isn't a state of affairs to be encouraged as I do believe a good album is a tangible entity in itself and is greater than the sum of its parts. See my essay on this phenomenon here>>.

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Log #45 - Naturally

1. ELO - Out of the Blue
2. JJ Cale - Naturally
3. The Doobie Brothers - The Captain and Me
4. Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space
5. Takemitsu - Quatrain, A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
6. Foals - Total Life Forever

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Log #44 - Nu rock, Old Rock, and other Nostalgia

A bit of a sweep out of the magazine this week and what an eclectic bunch of pot pourri I've found lurking on the shelves: Plenty of nostalgia in more ways than one, some new rock, or nu rock, or post rock (I don't know what any of that means but I'm referring to The Foals), and some "modern" classical.

1. ELO - Out of the Blue
2. Simon and Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
3. UFO - Phenomenon
4. Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space
5. Takemitsu - Quatrain, A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
6. Foals - Total Life Forever

First up ELO. They were my favourite band, and this was my favourite album when I was about 14 or 15 (when I first got into music). I remember buying my first real record. It was an EP of 4 tracks from ELO. I really wanted Out of the Blue but thought buying this EP would be ample consolation and I honestly wouldn't need any more records (reminds me of the story that my sister went to her first day at school thinking that was it, for her whole school career, one day!). A few years later after probably at least 50 album purchases my mother said "I think you've got enough records now" as if music collecting is a finite thing! Here I am 30+ years later with probably a four figure album collection.

The EP was excellent - from memory it contained Can't Get It Out of My Head, Ma Ma Belle, and a couple of other older tracks but... Out of the Blue was something else. Everyone loved it, it swept the awards season, spawned numerous hit singles, and came on blue vinyl in a luxurious gatefold sleeve and a cardboard spaceship apparently (I don't remember getting one of them).

I loved the blue vinyl. It looked so slick and clean compared to the black. I loved the cover which I pored over (I noticed there were 7 tiny figures on the inside sleeve corresponding to the band members. The music was amazing - great songs (apart from The Jungle which still annoys) peaking with Mr Blue Sky which remained my favourite song for ages. I loved the reprise part which my Dad told me had been done before by the Beatles. I didn't know what he meant until I heard Day In The Life (the "got up, dragged a comb across my head" section). I was proud to be an ELO fan and thought it especially cool that they had violins and cellos (I expect this was something to do with trying to impress my parents with "proper" musicians). I did a project on them for school which concluded with the unavoidable view that with their follow up albums of Discovery and Xanadu they had almost certainly declined from their 1977 magnificence. I did really try to like Discovery for a long time but it was a bit rubbish to be honest and tracks like The Diary of Horace Wimp just tried far too hard.

Jeff Lynne today - it could be 1977

Leader Jeff Lynne is still going strong still looking and sounding the same (witness his Glastonbury set last year). Why do so few of these long haired pop stars lose their hair in their later years?

ELO - Out of the Blue - Inside gatefold

Lie la lie, lie la lie lie lie la la lie!  (The Boxer) There are so many familiar tunes and lyrics on these amazing songs from the classic Bridge Over Troubled Water album. Many people have the Greatest Hits album which contains practically all these tunes plus some more but I always prefer to hear complete albums in their original context.

I remember these songs from my childhood as it was one of the few albums my parents had, and they played it a lot. When there wasn't such a choice in those days (60s, early 70s) it stands to reason that many households would have the same records. I also think the gatekeepers of quality were more discerning and only the best stuff got through (less so now when anyone with a laptop and an internet connection can get an album out).

Playing the album again it strikes me how melancholy a lot of the music is despite the number of upbeat songs like Cecilia, and the very Beatles / Beach Boys-esque Bye Bye Love etc. Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Boxer are pretty depressing. My favourite then and now is The Only Living Boy in New York.

I haven't followed Garfunkel or Simon in their solo careers. Art had the voice, and Paul had the songs, and together, like all good groups, they were greater than the sum of the parts. I saw Paul Simon on Jools Holland recently and he still sounded excellent and Art is still touring too. I can only imagine the fees they could command for a reunion.

Cover album this week is Phenomenon from UFO. A great little spunky rock band and this album has all you need to hear really. There's the famous Doctor Doctor Pleeeaaase! and Rock Bottom but the class is in the slower tempo blues tracks like Oh My, Too Young to Know etc. Also the cover is a classic. Look closely and you can see the UFO is the hub cap from the car - a picture I recreated rather well with a saucepan lid once! I understand guitar god Michael Schenker (where is he now?) was 17 when he recorded this album with UFO. Wow.

Michael Schenker - here he is, still going

Public Service Broadcasting set samples of literally old public information films to music. It's been done before but rarely as well as this. For the full experience see some of their Youtube videos. I saw them live at a festival and they didn't have the video backdrop which was disappointing. But they were still great fun and don't take themselves too seriously. Favourite track from this album is the exciting Go!

The very geeky, the very eccentric Willgoose and Wigglesworth aka PSB

I love this Takemitsu album. It's modern minimalist discordant classical music and makes for very interesting background ambient sound. I reference this to an aquarium I bought many years ago which coincided with having this album. I remember watching the orange platies against a lush green plant background with this otherworldly music accompaniment.

The Foals are one of the classiest of modern rock bands offering to my ear something a bit different (I'd stick them at the top of that modern prog rock league which contains contemporaries Coldplay, Elbow, and Muse). They have a great singer and an interesting melodic rhythm and vibes section. Key track on this album is Spanish Sahara.

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Log #8 - The Afro Celt's Latest Album Rises Elegantly Above Off Stage Troubles

Must admit I'm still loving the Afro Celts representing a real renaissance for music I've had available for some years but have rarely played. If you had told me at the start that they would be my most played band eight weeks into my musical journal I would have been very surprised.

The new album The Source is superb revealing several new epics not fully appreciated on first play. I've had it on in the car at high volume and the level of production is astounding with the multiple instrumentation crystal clear. In particular the track Child of Wonder is pretty much unlike anything I've ever heard before with spoken Scottish dialogue breaking into hypnotic African chant. Unique and invigorating. I was surprised to hear this new album is only their sixth proper album barring a few compilations and remixes. I have also learned that due to a dispute with some ex band members The Source was recorded under controversial circumstances including the usual claims and counter claims to the band name. This may also explain why the majority of their recent live performances have been constructed almost exclusively from this album. Check the setlists of your favourite bands at the excellent www.setlists.fm Suffice to say none of this dispute behind the scenes was evident at the joyous gig recently attended and reported upon in log #7. I've just ordered the much revered Volume 1 which will mean I'll only be short of Volume 2 for a full magazine house! The track Mojave continues to inspire from Volume 5. The rival faction of ACSS are also recording a new album apparently so it will be interesting to await developments.

At the opposite end of the scale for some reason I decided to give an old Motorhead album a spin. When I was a teenager Ace of Spades was the go to album from this particular power trio but I always preferred Overkill with my favourite track No Class. It's a track where their basic riffing and aggressive lyrics really hit the spot, but other than that and a few others the album is a bit samey and the clarity very muddy - really opposite to the Afro Celts.

1. Foals - What Went Down
2. The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules
3. Motorhead - Overkill
4. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - The Last Prophet
5. ACSS - Volume 5
6. ACSS - The Source

The Foals are one of the most impressive modern rock bands operating today. They have a unique rock sound with interesting percussion and rhythms and a good clear singer (the most important part of a rock band I'd say). This is their fourth and latest album. I don't have their debut but the other three including this one are consistently strong. I don't know the tracks well enough just yet to be able to individually identify them outside of the album context - except Spanish Sahara from the 2nd album.

A reentry for the superb Whitest Boy album. One to play loud and dance around the kitchen to with its infectious bass lines. I'll be getting their only other album soon but it's strangely seems to be quite hard to get hold of at a regular CD price for some reason.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's album was one of the earliest and most famous Realworld issues back in the day when "world music" was just beginning to gain prominence in the "west". There are only four tracks of a circular hypnotic and energetic groove. Hailing from Pakistan, Khan (1948 - 1997) was a proponent of Qawwali - the devotional music of Sufism.

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