David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Bowie's debut as an icon.
Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills
The wider world is introduced to Janis Joplin.
The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Who would have guessed that it would be their last album???
The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
The spirit of the Ramones with added guitar solos.
Monday 23 April 2012
Record Store Day 21st April 2012
Record Store Day is an annual celebration of independent record stores that started in the USA in 2007 and took place in the UK for the first time in 2008. The event is marked by bands playing in record shops and artists issuing special (and often limited) releases chiefly on vinyl.
I attended for the first time last year, when I went to Brighton and visited record stores there. I was struck by the enthusiasm and excitement that the event generated, and decided that it was a 'must do' for my calendar this year. Last year I didn't see any of the live music related to the event, so decided that I would make sure that I did this year.
Therefore, I ditched my original plan to go to Brighton as there was only one gig taking place (Big Deal, who I would actually have liked to see) at Resident Records, but it was at 8am, and I wasn't convinced that I would have been able to fully appreciate them at such an hour! So London it was then.
I arrived at Sister Ray in Berwick Street to find a queue stretching halfway around the block. This did not inspire me with confidence. There was another shorter queue snaking the other way out of the door. This was for a signing session for Simple Minds, but as I've always found them at best intensely annoying I didn't join it.
As I was aware that live music at Rough Trade West commenced at 12.00, and I had arranged to meet a friend there at 11.30, I hot-footed it over there. When I arrived I found another queue with my friend already in it, but it was nowhere near as fearsome as the one at Sister Ray. However, it still took over half an hour before we made it through the door.
My partner Carole had decided that she wanted the Bat For Lashes one-sided 7", and the Kate Bush 10". Sadly both had sold out. I had opted for the double 10" of Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia demos, provided that it wasn't too expensive. There was one copy left, but I didn't think that I could justify the £39.99 asking price. Eventually Carole settled for a heart-shaped 12" of The Supremes' "Baby Love", and I bought Richard Hawley's "Leave Your Body Behind You" 10", and 7"s of The Bevis Frond "Hard Meat At The Midnight Court" and Elbow "McGreggor".
It was then time to track down some lunch, and also attempt to also track down Carole's vinyl requirements. We tried Intoxica and Honest Jon's on the Portobello Road, but to no avail, so we decided to head back to Rough Trade West for some live music. When we arrived Cate Le Bon was in the basement playing songs from her new album "CYRK". Cate has a wonderful voice which seemed to swoop and soar around the room. She only had her acoustic guitar for accompaniment, but you could hear a pin drop in the audience as she played.
It was decided to take the live music outside as the basement was uncomfortably hot, so we went outside to await 'Allo Darlin', who were due to play at 2.15pm. 'Allo Darlin's appointed hour came and went with no sign of the band, but Smoke Fairies who were due to follow them had already arrived, so they played first. By this time the sun had come out and it was quite warm, so Smoke Fairies performance felt for all the world like a sunny afternoon festival slot. Their music is rather ethereal with gorgeous harmonies and intricate finger-picking and slide guitar. Their delivery is very serious and nothing if not professional. It was a surprise to hear that most of the songs that they were playing were from their new EP and hadn't been played live before. It sounded as if they'd been playing them to audiences for years! Their final song was the most interesting, as at times it slipped into a riff that apart from the fact that it wasn't distorted and was finger-picked could have easily been a heavy rock riff. A very good band worthy of further investigation.
'Allo Darlin' had arrived just before Smoke Fairies commenced their set, and I overheard Elizabeth Morris commenting, I thought rather gloomily, that they would have to "play after them" (Smoke Fairies). She needn't have worried. What they may have lacked in comparison to the Smoke Fairies' finesse, they more than made up for in fun and spontaneity. They were minus their drummer and by Elizabeth's own admission were "busking". Paul Rains' unamplified acoustic guitar was all but inaudible, but other than that say sounded fine. We got "Dreaming", "The Polaroid Song", "Woody Allen" and the title song of the new album "Europe" amongst others. Elizabeth's promise that the band would play until we all went home didn't quite come to pass, but it was a reasonably lengthy set.
That was the end of the live music at Rough Trade West, but a band that I had never heard of called the Fair Ohs were playing at a shop in Islington called Flashback (of which I was also unaware) at 7pm. Well, it would be rude not to go and have a look wouldn't it? After a brief stop-off at the Old Queens Head on Essex Road for a little refreshment, we arrived at Flashback. The band were sound-checking behind the counter where there was a tiny stage with the drum kit and the bass player on it. The vocalist/guitarist was tucked behind the counter near a till. As it got nearer to 7pm the front door was closed and the shop staff passed amongst the audience handing out beers. What a great shop!!!
The band themselves had a distinctly lo-fi sound but with great musicianship. There was none of the thrashing that may have been expected. The bass playing was both fluid and powerful, whilst the guitar had some pretty impressive lead lines. Fair Ohs have a new album coming out next month which will certainly be well worth a listen. With the music over there was time to have a look around the shop (and drink another beer which was thrust into my hand!) and what a place it is! Loads of good quality second-hand vinyl but without the ludicrously inflated prices of some establishments. I bought the first Icicle Works single ("Nirvana" on the Troll Kitchen label from 1982) and vowed to return when I had more money to spend. We then headed for the Mucky Pup for a too short visit to the Flashback after party before we returned to deepest Sussex, and so ended a great Record Store Day.
Record Store Day is a great idea as it raises awareness of the existence of independent record shops. However, you don't need to wait until Record Store Day 2013 to enjoy these establishments. In these days of HMV, Amazon and Downloads they need as much support as they can get. Use them or lose them.
I attended for the first time last year, when I went to Brighton and visited record stores there. I was struck by the enthusiasm and excitement that the event generated, and decided that it was a 'must do' for my calendar this year. Last year I didn't see any of the live music related to the event, so decided that I would make sure that I did this year.
Therefore, I ditched my original plan to go to Brighton as there was only one gig taking place (Big Deal, who I would actually have liked to see) at Resident Records, but it was at 8am, and I wasn't convinced that I would have been able to fully appreciate them at such an hour! So London it was then.
I arrived at Sister Ray in Berwick Street to find a queue stretching halfway around the block. This did not inspire me with confidence. There was another shorter queue snaking the other way out of the door. This was for a signing session for Simple Minds, but as I've always found them at best intensely annoying I didn't join it.
As I was aware that live music at Rough Trade West commenced at 12.00, and I had arranged to meet a friend there at 11.30, I hot-footed it over there. When I arrived I found another queue with my friend already in it, but it was nowhere near as fearsome as the one at Sister Ray. However, it still took over half an hour before we made it through the door.
My partner Carole had decided that she wanted the Bat For Lashes one-sided 7", and the Kate Bush 10". Sadly both had sold out. I had opted for the double 10" of Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia demos, provided that it wasn't too expensive. There was one copy left, but I didn't think that I could justify the £39.99 asking price. Eventually Carole settled for a heart-shaped 12" of The Supremes' "Baby Love", and I bought Richard Hawley's "Leave Your Body Behind You" 10", and 7"s of The Bevis Frond "Hard Meat At The Midnight Court" and Elbow "McGreggor".
It was then time to track down some lunch, and also attempt to also track down Carole's vinyl requirements. We tried Intoxica and Honest Jon's on the Portobello Road, but to no avail, so we decided to head back to Rough Trade West for some live music. When we arrived Cate Le Bon was in the basement playing songs from her new album "CYRK". Cate has a wonderful voice which seemed to swoop and soar around the room. She only had her acoustic guitar for accompaniment, but you could hear a pin drop in the audience as she played.
It was decided to take the live music outside as the basement was uncomfortably hot, so we went outside to await 'Allo Darlin', who were due to play at 2.15pm. 'Allo Darlin's appointed hour came and went with no sign of the band, but Smoke Fairies who were due to follow them had already arrived, so they played first. By this time the sun had come out and it was quite warm, so Smoke Fairies performance felt for all the world like a sunny afternoon festival slot. Their music is rather ethereal with gorgeous harmonies and intricate finger-picking and slide guitar. Their delivery is very serious and nothing if not professional. It was a surprise to hear that most of the songs that they were playing were from their new EP and hadn't been played live before. It sounded as if they'd been playing them to audiences for years! Their final song was the most interesting, as at times it slipped into a riff that apart from the fact that it wasn't distorted and was finger-picked could have easily been a heavy rock riff. A very good band worthy of further investigation.
'Allo Darlin' had arrived just before Smoke Fairies commenced their set, and I overheard Elizabeth Morris commenting, I thought rather gloomily, that they would have to "play after them" (Smoke Fairies). She needn't have worried. What they may have lacked in comparison to the Smoke Fairies' finesse, they more than made up for in fun and spontaneity. They were minus their drummer and by Elizabeth's own admission were "busking". Paul Rains' unamplified acoustic guitar was all but inaudible, but other than that say sounded fine. We got "Dreaming", "The Polaroid Song", "Woody Allen" and the title song of the new album "Europe" amongst others. Elizabeth's promise that the band would play until we all went home didn't quite come to pass, but it was a reasonably lengthy set.
That was the end of the live music at Rough Trade West, but a band that I had never heard of called the Fair Ohs were playing at a shop in Islington called Flashback (of which I was also unaware) at 7pm. Well, it would be rude not to go and have a look wouldn't it? After a brief stop-off at the Old Queens Head on Essex Road for a little refreshment, we arrived at Flashback. The band were sound-checking behind the counter where there was a tiny stage with the drum kit and the bass player on it. The vocalist/guitarist was tucked behind the counter near a till. As it got nearer to 7pm the front door was closed and the shop staff passed amongst the audience handing out beers. What a great shop!!!
The band themselves had a distinctly lo-fi sound but with great musicianship. There was none of the thrashing that may have been expected. The bass playing was both fluid and powerful, whilst the guitar had some pretty impressive lead lines. Fair Ohs have a new album coming out next month which will certainly be well worth a listen. With the music over there was time to have a look around the shop (and drink another beer which was thrust into my hand!) and what a place it is! Loads of good quality second-hand vinyl but without the ludicrously inflated prices of some establishments. I bought the first Icicle Works single ("Nirvana" on the Troll Kitchen label from 1982) and vowed to return when I had more money to spend. We then headed for the Mucky Pup for a too short visit to the Flashback after party before we returned to deepest Sussex, and so ended a great Record Store Day.
Record Store Day is a great idea as it raises awareness of the existence of independent record shops. However, you don't need to wait until Record Store Day 2013 to enjoy these establishments. In these days of HMV, Amazon and Downloads they need as much support as they can get. Use them or lose them.
Friday 20 April 2012
11th April 2010 - Bad Company + The Joe Perry Project - Wembley Arena
With Aerosmith being on hiatus due (allegedly) to Steven Tyler having dramatically fallen off the wagon, Joe Perry has recorded an album ("Have Guitar Will Travel") and revived The Joe Perry Project. Perry is joined by (amongst others) original bassist David Hull and the very impressive German singer (who sounds to all the world like an American) Hagen Grohe.
On taking the stage the band immediately tear into the title track of their 1980 album "Let The Music Do The Talking", something that could very much be said to be Perry's modus operandi. The cover of "Walkin' The Dog" seems a little superfluous when Perry has so much great original music at his disposal, however a subsequent cover of Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man" shows that other people's music can be treated with a degree of imagination. The covers do seem to have been chosen imaginatively - who expected Jeremy Spencer's Fleetwood Mac song "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonite" (also covered with distinction by The Rezillos) to get an airing? However, even a support act as respected as Joe Perry only gets barely an hour to play with, and after a romp through "Train Kept A-Rollin'" and "Walk This Way" Joe and the Project are heading backstage.
The phrase "follow that!" springs to mind, but Bad Company's first London gig with Paul Rodgers on vocals for (if my memory serves me correctly) around twenty-eight years is going to take some beating, and there can't really be many more emphatic opening numbers than "Can't Get Enough". Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke both look in fine fettle, but I can't get over how goddamn old Mick Ralphs looks! He looks like a portly retired English gentleman who has treated himself to a Gibson Les Paul on which to noodle away his twilight years. Nothing wrong with his playing though - if you close your eyes it could almost be the old days.
Paul Rodgers' voice remains the impressive instrument that it always has been, and the setlist is pretty much what any Bad Co. fan would have chosen. "Seagull" is sublime and "Feel Like Makin' Love" has all the raunch of yore. During "Shooting Star" pictures of Paul Kossoff and other dead rock stars are projected onto the backdrop, making for a particularly poignant moment. The only real negative criticism is Paul Rodgers' cheerleading through the whole set. The crowd were loving the gig and there wasn't really any need for further encouragement for people to get into it. Mr Rodgers at times was just trying too hard. However, that's a minor point. A great gig, and something that they'll hopefully repeat before they're too much older!
On taking the stage the band immediately tear into the title track of their 1980 album "Let The Music Do The Talking", something that could very much be said to be Perry's modus operandi. The cover of "Walkin' The Dog" seems a little superfluous when Perry has so much great original music at his disposal, however a subsequent cover of Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man" shows that other people's music can be treated with a degree of imagination. The covers do seem to have been chosen imaginatively - who expected Jeremy Spencer's Fleetwood Mac song "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonite" (also covered with distinction by The Rezillos) to get an airing? However, even a support act as respected as Joe Perry only gets barely an hour to play with, and after a romp through "Train Kept A-Rollin'" and "Walk This Way" Joe and the Project are heading backstage.
The phrase "follow that!" springs to mind, but Bad Company's first London gig with Paul Rodgers on vocals for (if my memory serves me correctly) around twenty-eight years is going to take some beating, and there can't really be many more emphatic opening numbers than "Can't Get Enough". Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke both look in fine fettle, but I can't get over how goddamn old Mick Ralphs looks! He looks like a portly retired English gentleman who has treated himself to a Gibson Les Paul on which to noodle away his twilight years. Nothing wrong with his playing though - if you close your eyes it could almost be the old days.
Paul Rodgers' voice remains the impressive instrument that it always has been, and the setlist is pretty much what any Bad Co. fan would have chosen. "Seagull" is sublime and "Feel Like Makin' Love" has all the raunch of yore. During "Shooting Star" pictures of Paul Kossoff and other dead rock stars are projected onto the backdrop, making for a particularly poignant moment. The only real negative criticism is Paul Rodgers' cheerleading through the whole set. The crowd were loving the gig and there wasn't really any need for further encouragement for people to get into it. Mr Rodgers at times was just trying too hard. However, that's a minor point. A great gig, and something that they'll hopefully repeat before they're too much older!
9th April 1984 - The Kinks + The Truth - Leicester De Montfort Hall
The Truth were Dennis Greaves' band after Nine Below Zero split. I had seen Nine Below Zero a couple of times and enjoyed them very much, and I was pleased to discover that The Truth were worthy successors. However, apart from the fact that the personnel were different, the differences between the two bands were minimal. Doubtless this was a factor in Greaves later re-forming his former band.
Despite the fact that The Kinks were playing to a shockingly quarter empty De Montfort Hall, the sparseness of the crowd did not detract from the atmosphere. There were lots of young mods in the audience, who swarmed to the front to pogo wildly during "David Watts", and then returned to the back to stand around sulkily in their parkas and striped blazers.
The Kinks played quite a bit from their then current album "State Of Confusion", but they by no means neglected their back catalogue; "You Really Got Me", "All day And All Of The Night", "Waterloo Sunset" and "Lola" particularly standing out. However, for me the encore was a highlight: the played "I Gotta Move" which was the b-side of "All Day And All Of The Night", a childhood favourite of mine.
The band played with a great degree of tautness and energy and deserved a far bigger and more enthusiastic audience. Rumours abound that they are going to return in some shape or form, if only the Davies brothers can bring themselves to speak to each other.....
Despite the fact that The Kinks were playing to a shockingly quarter empty De Montfort Hall, the sparseness of the crowd did not detract from the atmosphere. There were lots of young mods in the audience, who swarmed to the front to pogo wildly during "David Watts", and then returned to the back to stand around sulkily in their parkas and striped blazers.
The Kinks played quite a bit from their then current album "State Of Confusion", but they by no means neglected their back catalogue; "You Really Got Me", "All day And All Of The Night", "Waterloo Sunset" and "Lola" particularly standing out. However, for me the encore was a highlight: the played "I Gotta Move" which was the b-side of "All Day And All Of The Night", a childhood favourite of mine.
The band played with a great degree of tautness and energy and deserved a far bigger and more enthusiastic audience. Rumours abound that they are going to return in some shape or form, if only the Davies brothers can bring themselves to speak to each other.....
7th April 2001 - Show Of Hands - London Royal Albert Hall
It is not the first time that Show Of Hands have sold out the Royal Albert Hall. The Devon folksters have a loyal following who seemingly are quite happy to shell out to see the band at the venerable venue. They are fine musicians (Phil Beer has previously played with the Albion band and Mike Oldfield amongst others) who produce pleasant and melodic folk music. However, I found their music ultimately rather bland. They don't have the edge of others of their ilk such as Fairport Convention for example. They're basically just too 'nice'.
However, they do stand out for providing the most toe-curlingly cringeworthy moment that I have ever witnessed at a gig: when Steve Knightley proposed to his girlfriend who was in a box towards the back of the venue. The young lady responded with a decidedly uncertain 'maybe'. Let's hope it all ended happily ever after for them.
The highlight of the gig was when they were joined by Ralph McTell who sang (what else?) "Streets Of London". All in all it the Show Of Hands experience was a reasonably pleasant one, but not one that I would necessarily want to repeat.
However, they do stand out for providing the most toe-curlingly cringeworthy moment that I have ever witnessed at a gig: when Steve Knightley proposed to his girlfriend who was in a box towards the back of the venue. The young lady responded with a decidedly uncertain 'maybe'. Let's hope it all ended happily ever after for them.
The highlight of the gig was when they were joined by Ralph McTell who sang (what else?) "Streets Of London". All in all it the Show Of Hands experience was a reasonably pleasant one, but not one that I would necessarily want to repeat.
3rd April 2003 - Johnny Marr and the Healers + Mellowdrone - London ULU-
This was a very packed and much anticipated gig, perhaps evidenced to some degree by the sight of Ian McNabb queueing for the bar. On my way back from the cloakroom I passed Johnny Marr in the corridor and was surprised by how short he is. He looks much bigger on the telly.
The Healers certainly had a very impressive line-up, including Alonza Bevan (ex of Kula Shaker) on bass and Zak (son of Ringo) Starkey on drums. They were promoting the somewhat criminally ignored Boomslang album, so there were no covers, and certainly no Smiths songs! Marr handled all of the lead vocals and made a pretty decent fist of it. It was a competent rather than a great gig, but the Healers have been playing some low-key gigs over the last few months (albeit with only Marr from the original line-up) so with luck they'll be prowling a stage near you soon.
The Healers certainly had a very impressive line-up, including Alonza Bevan (ex of Kula Shaker) on bass and Zak (son of Ringo) Starkey on drums. They were promoting the somewhat criminally ignored Boomslang album, so there were no covers, and certainly no Smiths songs! Marr handled all of the lead vocals and made a pretty decent fist of it. It was a competent rather than a great gig, but the Healers have been playing some low-key gigs over the last few months (albeit with only Marr from the original line-up) so with luck they'll be prowling a stage near you soon.
Wednesday 4 April 2012
28th March 1990 - David Bowie - London Docklands Arena
At this stage in Bowie's career, his last decent album had been what? "Let's Dance" ? Certainly there had been a couple of stinkers since: "Tonight" was sufficiently awful that it's title track had already been covered to better effect by Iggy Pop on his "The Idiot" album; and "Never Let Me Down" was an attempt to return to past conceptual splendour that simply didn't cut it - a conceit too far - and that's before we even mention Tin Machine.
So rather than have another attempt at being creative, Bowie heads out on a greatest hits tour. Nothing wrong with that per se, but this was Bowie as human jukebox - his most popular work being performed pretty much as it appeared on record, with little discernible emotional input from the artist. This was a case of giving the public what they wanted.
That isn't to say that it was a bad show as such, it just wasn't as spectacularly good as Bowie can be. He could have been accused of going through the motions and waiting for the pay cheque at the end of the night. There was a real feeling that this could be the end and that this was maybe a farewell tour. Possibly Bowie at this stage suspected that he didn't have another good album in him. Thankfully there was to be a renaissance, just not yet!
So rather than have another attempt at being creative, Bowie heads out on a greatest hits tour. Nothing wrong with that per se, but this was Bowie as human jukebox - his most popular work being performed pretty much as it appeared on record, with little discernible emotional input from the artist. This was a case of giving the public what they wanted.
That isn't to say that it was a bad show as such, it just wasn't as spectacularly good as Bowie can be. He could have been accused of going through the motions and waiting for the pay cheque at the end of the night. There was a real feeling that this could be the end and that this was maybe a farewell tour. Possibly Bowie at this stage suspected that he didn't have another good album in him. Thankfully there was to be a renaissance, just not yet!
Monday 2 April 2012
28th March 1987 - Simply Red + Terence Trent D'arby - Birmingham Odeon
I was dragged along under protest to see Simply Red. Although I thought their first album was very good, I thought that their second served no purpose other than to soundtrack yuppie dinner parties, so the prospect of seeing them live did not excite me in the slightest.
However, before they slithered onto the stage we had Terence Trent D'arby to contend with. I must confess that I'd never heard of TTD so I had no idea what to expect. What we got was a soul singer with great songs and a stage presence somewhere between James Brown and Michael Jackson. I was convinced that I was watching a major new talent, and indeed his first album "The Hardline According to Terence Trent D'arby" was very successful. I was therefore very disappointed for him when his second album "Neither Fish Nor Flesh" utterly stiffed. This album was very ambitious, didn't have many instantly accessible pop songs, and was seemingly just too difficult a listen for the people who'd bought his first album. Pity.
Perhaps if he'd aimed for being bland (not to be confused with Bobby 'Blue'Bland) he'd have sold as many truckloads of records as Simply Red. Nothing remotely challenging about them. To be fair, Mick Hucknall wrang every last drop of emotion possible out of each song, but quite frankly when the band looked as bored as they did it simply wasn't enough. The musicians looked as if they were being paid by the note and were thinking about what they were going to eat, drink, smoke or shag when they walked offstage. The audience loved it, but really listening to the album at home would probably have been a far more exciting experience. They certainly didn't appear to care that they'd just been blown offstage by Terence Trent D'arby. Probably the most boring hour-and-a-half that I've spent in a music venue, and one I won't get back either.
However, before they slithered onto the stage we had Terence Trent D'arby to contend with. I must confess that I'd never heard of TTD so I had no idea what to expect. What we got was a soul singer with great songs and a stage presence somewhere between James Brown and Michael Jackson. I was convinced that I was watching a major new talent, and indeed his first album "The Hardline According to Terence Trent D'arby" was very successful. I was therefore very disappointed for him when his second album "Neither Fish Nor Flesh" utterly stiffed. This album was very ambitious, didn't have many instantly accessible pop songs, and was seemingly just too difficult a listen for the people who'd bought his first album. Pity.
Perhaps if he'd aimed for being bland (not to be confused with Bobby 'Blue'Bland) he'd have sold as many truckloads of records as Simply Red. Nothing remotely challenging about them. To be fair, Mick Hucknall wrang every last drop of emotion possible out of each song, but quite frankly when the band looked as bored as they did it simply wasn't enough. The musicians looked as if they were being paid by the note and were thinking about what they were going to eat, drink, smoke or shag when they walked offstage. The audience loved it, but really listening to the album at home would probably have been a far more exciting experience. They certainly didn't appear to care that they'd just been blown offstage by Terence Trent D'arby. Probably the most boring hour-and-a-half that I've spent in a music venue, and one I won't get back either.
26th March 1993 - Ian McNabb - London Astoria
This was Ian's first tour since the demise of The Icicle Works. He was promoting his solo debut "Truth and Beauty" and it was a very promising start. The album itself was excellent, and Ian played with a very good full band. The Astoria may not have been sold out, but it was pretty full. Unfortunately Ian has been playing to an increasingly (to quote Spinal Tap) "selective" audience. The British music-buying public is a bit bloody rubbish at times.
Last Week's Boat Floaters
The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
Essentially the Ramones with guitar solos......what's not to like???
The Band - Music From Big Pink
The Band stepped out from Dylan's shadow and effectively invented Americana as we know it today.
The Beatles - Live at the Star Club, Hamburg 1962
This album is from a performance taped by Kingsize Taylor of Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes. It was first released in 1977 and The Beatles responded by demanding it was deleted and by suing Taylor to emphasise their point. They claimed that the performances on this album was not representative of their recorded work. This is indeed true. The recording quality is poor, but the performances are superbly raw and energetic. It is effectively a bootleg of The Beatles' live show before they became famous. It is occasionally re-released, and each time this happens The Fabs sue Taylor once again! It's a marvellous artefact. If you happen to see a copy - grab it!!!
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Couldn't Stand The Weather
It's now twenty years since SRV was killed in a helicopter crash. This album simply underlines what a grievous loss to the world of music he was.
Wire - Pink Flag
Spiky New Wave from 1977
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
It is too simple to describe this as 'fuzzy folk'. Jeff Mangum presents some of the most moving lyrics and emotionally cracked performances that I've heard for a long time. A unique talent.
Essentially the Ramones with guitar solos......what's not to like???
The Band - Music From Big Pink
The Band stepped out from Dylan's shadow and effectively invented Americana as we know it today.
The Beatles - Live at the Star Club, Hamburg 1962
This album is from a performance taped by Kingsize Taylor of Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes. It was first released in 1977 and The Beatles responded by demanding it was deleted and by suing Taylor to emphasise their point. They claimed that the performances on this album was not representative of their recorded work. This is indeed true. The recording quality is poor, but the performances are superbly raw and energetic. It is effectively a bootleg of The Beatles' live show before they became famous. It is occasionally re-released, and each time this happens The Fabs sue Taylor once again! It's a marvellous artefact. If you happen to see a copy - grab it!!!
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Couldn't Stand The Weather
It's now twenty years since SRV was killed in a helicopter crash. This album simply underlines what a grievous loss to the world of music he was.
Wire - Pink Flag
Spiky New Wave from 1977
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
It is too simple to describe this as 'fuzzy folk'. Jeff Mangum presents some of the most moving lyrics and emotionally cracked performances that I've heard for a long time. A unique talent.
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