1. Crowded House - Recurring Dream
2. John Cale - Paris 1919
3. Susumu Yokota - Sakura
4. Afro Celt Sound System - Seed
5. Afro Celt Sound System - Anatomic
6. Afro Celt Sound System - The Source
It's all been about the ACSS this week with a storming gig at our local Concorde2 venue here in Brighton. About half way through (actually unusually there was no support, and two sets, with an interval) I realised that from my vantage point standing about a dozen rows back everyone in front of me was relatively short and I had one of the best views ever at a gig. Then the band thanked a school teacher at the front for bringing his class along "to their first gig". They also explained how one of their songs Release had made it on to the official Music GCSE exam syllabus. I hope the school kids appreciated that with the band's vigorous world beats and stirring melodies this was a better gig than usual - the band were really having a good time and this was infectious for the crowd who danced as one. With all those different influences and instruments (there must have been a dozen musicians on the tiny stage) it could have been a right mess but it works.
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| Take a bow - ACSS on stage, Brigton, 13/11/16 |
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| ...and jolly nice chaps happy to meet the fans afterwards! |
One final thought on bands these days. They are mostly jolly nice don't we think? They enjoy what they do and appreciate the fans. They aren't afraid to show their intellect and skill. Think of Radiohead and Coldplay, not my favourite bands but obviously educated and talented. Many years ago wasn't it all about angst and aggression? It was cool to be destructive, anti-establishment and edgy. The Rolling Stones probably started it. The attitude continued through the 70s and 80s and for a while into the early 90s too with Nirvana. But by the time Oasis came along the public had grown tired of all that rock star posturing that had been done so much better before and just thought the Gallagher brothers were prats.
I know very little about the Japanese cover artist this week – Susumo Yokota – and from a quick google search it seems very few people did. I also learn that he sadly passed away last year at the age of 54. Like the attached article says the album Sakura was a word of mouth success and I must have read about it somewhere. It is indeed a gorgeous ambient instrumental record from the Brian Eno or Aphex Twin (Selected Ambient Works series) school with Japanese flavouring and one that people always comment upon if I ever have it playing in the background. Sakura means Cherry Blossom and is also the title of an amazing classical guitar piece I used to attempt which is sadly neglected somewhat in the concert repertoire although I have heard local artist Richard Durrant play it. I couldn’t find any details on the artist behind the beautiful traditional cover art.
Sadly there were a couple more musician deaths last week – Leonard Cohen and Leon Russell. I don’t (yet) have any music by either artist although the latter particularly has been on my list since hearing him on the player in Wax Factor Records and thinking what is this cross between Dylan/Dr.John/Exile on Main Street era Stones? Cohen’s death brought forth many replays of Hallelujah covers (a song that has become slightly overplayed like Stairway to Heaven or Imagine, but is still a great song nonetheless). One of the greatest versions is by John Cale and this made me reach for his classic Paris 1919 album which doesn't contain said song but has in the past made it into those Top 100 Albums of all time lists. Just the title engenders strong emotions of time and place, in addition to the cover showing him sitting nonchalantly in front of a sunlit window in his white suit. Evocative. Great songwriting – “You’re having tea, with Grahame Greene,” delivered in his Welsh tones (most singers lose their speaking accent when singing but not Cale). Incidentally the final track on the album Antarctica Starts Here does remind me of John Lennon's Imagine.
Lastly, albeit in slot 1, we have Crowded House. I used to play this in the car a lot. It’s feel good pop music. Not much more, nothing less. Great songwriting again and 25 years earlier they could have been The Beatles.
I know very little about the Japanese cover artist this week – Susumo Yokota – and from a quick google search it seems very few people did. I also learn that he sadly passed away last year at the age of 54. Like the attached article says the album Sakura was a word of mouth success and I must have read about it somewhere. It is indeed a gorgeous ambient instrumental record from the Brian Eno or Aphex Twin (Selected Ambient Works series) school with Japanese flavouring and one that people always comment upon if I ever have it playing in the background. Sakura means Cherry Blossom and is also the title of an amazing classical guitar piece I used to attempt which is sadly neglected somewhat in the concert repertoire although I have heard local artist Richard Durrant play it. I couldn’t find any details on the artist behind the beautiful traditional cover art.
Sadly there were a couple more musician deaths last week – Leonard Cohen and Leon Russell. I don’t (yet) have any music by either artist although the latter particularly has been on my list since hearing him on the player in Wax Factor Records and thinking what is this cross between Dylan/Dr.John/Exile on Main Street era Stones? Cohen’s death brought forth many replays of Hallelujah covers (a song that has become slightly overplayed like Stairway to Heaven or Imagine, but is still a great song nonetheless). One of the greatest versions is by John Cale and this made me reach for his classic Paris 1919 album which doesn't contain said song but has in the past made it into those Top 100 Albums of all time lists. Just the title engenders strong emotions of time and place, in addition to the cover showing him sitting nonchalantly in front of a sunlit window in his white suit. Evocative. Great songwriting – “You’re having tea, with Grahame Greene,” delivered in his Welsh tones (most singers lose their speaking accent when singing but not Cale). Incidentally the final track on the album Antarctica Starts Here does remind me of John Lennon's Imagine.
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| John Cale in Paris 1919 obviously |
Lastly, albeit in slot 1, we have Crowded House. I used to play this in the car a lot. It’s feel good pop music. Not much more, nothing less. Great songwriting again and 25 years earlier they could have been The Beatles.