FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Vol. V: 1996-1999

FEATURE:

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @georgiadelotz/Unsplash

Vol. V: 1996-1999

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AS I take this series of lockdown playlists…

PHOTO CREDIT: @melodyjacob1/Unsplash

to the end of the 1990s, I am looking forward to entering a different century. It has been good compiling this series, as I have got to revisit some of my favourite tracks, and it is nice to see so many diverse tracks hang together in the same playlist. If you need to release some energy, or require some tunes to get the mood lifted, I have a playlist for you. Take a listen to these U.K. hits from 1996-1999 (inclusive) and have a nice kitchen rave! We are well into lockdown at the moment and, with maybe a few more weeks of it ahead, I think we all need a musical distraction. It is quite a tense time right now so, with these tracks, take the opportunity to…

PHOTO CREDIT: @sgcreative/Unsplash

LET things loose.

FEATURE: A Groundbreaking Stage Revolution: Kate Bush’s Tour of Life

FEATURE:

 

A Groundbreaking Stage Revolution

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

Kate Bush’s Tour of Life

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BETWEEN 2nd April and 14th May, 1979…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

Kate Bush embarked on the mighty Tour of Life. I am revisiting it again (I wrote a feature last year), as this is an aspect of Bush’s career that is not discussed much. I am going to bring in a couple of articles concerning her Tour of Life but, as recently as the start of the previous decade, people were talking about this extravaganza as a one-off; would she ever get back on the stage? Of course, in 2014, she shocked everyone but announcing a residency at in London – yet again, she produced this visual feast that was so different to any other live event. Though Bush was nervous about performing again, she managed to equal the genius of her Tour of Life with 2014’s Before the Dawn. Whilst some reviews of her first big live foray were not entirely glowing, there were plenty of people who witnessed the tour who were blown away. Maybe some of the sets and concepts lacked cohesiveness and were a bit too out-there; perhaps there was a sense of style over substance at times. Bush felt, prior to the Tour of Life, that many acts were simply turning up, playing their latest album, and then leaving the stage. Her tour broke moulds and boundaries when it came to explore what a Pop concert could be.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/EMI

Sure, artists like David Bowie were combining dance, theatre and music in a very original way, but Bush went one step further. Her ambitions were big, and her performances were exhilarating. She pioneered the now-ubiquitous head microphone (as she could not hold a microphone and dance/sing at the same time) and redefined what a live show could be. Before I move on, here is some detailed information regarding the Tour of Life and where it took Kate and her crew:

“The Tour of Life, also known as the Lionheart Tour or even the Kate Bush Tour, was Kate Bush's first, and until recently only, series of live concerts. The name, 'Tour of Life', was not coined until after its completion, with all promotional material referring to it simply as the Kate Bush Tour.

Consisting of 24 performances from Bush's first two studio albums The Kick Inside and Lionheart, it was acclaimed for its incorporation of mime, magic, and readings during costume changes. The simple staging also involved rear-screen projection and the accompaniment of two male dancers. The tour was a critical and commercial success, with most dates selling out and additional shows being added due to high demand. Members of the Kate Bush Club were provided with a guaranteed ticket.

The shows featured almost all the songs from Kate Bush's two albums, divided into three 'Acts', in the following order:

Act 1

Moving

Saxophone Song

Room For The Life

Them Heavy People

The Man With The Child In His Eyes

Egypt

L'amour Looks Something Like You

Violin

The Kick Inside

Act 2

In The Warm Room

Fullhouse

Strange Phenomena

Hammer Horror

Kashka From Baghdad

Don't Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake

Act 3

Wow

Coffee Homeground

Symphony In Blue

Feel It

Kite

James And The Cold Gun

Encore

Oh England My Lionheart

Wuthering Heights

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

Tour dates

2 April 1979: Arts Centre, Poole (UK)

3 April 1979: Empire, Liverpool (UK)

4 April 1979: Hippodrome, Birmingham (UK)

5 April 1979: Hippodrome, Birmingham (UK)

6 April 1979: New Theatre, Oxford (UK)

7 April 1979: Gaumont, Southampton (UK)

9 April 1979: Hippodrom, Bristol (UK)

10 April 1979: Apollo Theatre, Manchester (UK)

11 April 1979: Apollo Theatre, Manchester (UK)

12 April 1979: Empire Theatre, Sunderland (UK)

13 April 1979: Usher Hall, Edinburgh (UK)

16 April 1979: Palladium, London (UK)

17 April 1979: Palladium, London (UK)

18 April 1979: Palladium, London (UK)

19 April 1979: Palladium, London (UK)

20 April 1979: Palladium, London (UK)

24 April 1979: Konserthuset, Stockholm (Sweden)

26 April 1979: Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen (Denmark)

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

28 April 1979: Congress Centrum, Hamburg (Germany)

29 April 1979: Theater Carré, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2 May 1979: Liederhalle, Stuttgart (Germany)

3 May 1979: Circus Krone, Munich (Germany)

6 May 1979: Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris (France)

7 May 1979: Mercatorhalle, Duisburg (Germany)

8 May 1979: Rosengarten, Mannheim (Germany)

10 May 1979: Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt (Germany)

12 May 1979: Hammersmith Odeon, London (UK)

13 May 1979: Hammersmith Odeon, London (UK)

14 May 1979: Hammersmith Odeon, London (UK)

On 24, 26, 28 and 29 April, In the Warm Room, Kite, Oh England My Lionheart, and Wuthering Heights were dropped from the set because Kate was suffering from a throat infection.

The 12 May concert had a very different setlist because this was a benefit performance 'In Aid Of Bill Duffield', featuring guest stars Steve Harley and Peter Gabriel.

'Fullhouse' was not performed on 13 and 14 May”.

I am not sure what preparation is needed for traditional live shows, but I know full well the major artists who tour arenas can spend months rehearsing and planning a show. I know there are artists who are quite-hands off when it comes to lighting, costume and every aspect of a show: Kate Bush, by contrast, was hugely involved with her first live tour, and it was a real labour of love for her. This NME article reveals Tour of Life’s scale and cost:

“Preparations for the dates, named The Tour Of Life, began in late December 1978, spending three months between January and March in intensive dance classes, choreographing the production.

With a cast of 13 dancers and musicians, plus a 40-strong behind-the-scenes crew, each show cost more than £10,000 a night to stage.

“People said I couldn’t gig, and I proved them wrong,” said Bush after gushing reviews for the tour”.

It is amazing watching video clips and the documentary about the Tour of Life; not just seeing how much effort was put in to achieve the final show, but the ecstatic reaction of the audiences. I cannot really understand any critic who gave the tour short shrift as, in 1979, the world had not realty seen a show like it – to be fair, few artists have matched the Tour of Life since then!

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

I am fascinated learning about the months before the show and how hard Bush worked to do something completely different. Her debut album, The Kick Inside, was well-received and remains this remarkable album. She also released her second album in 1978, Lionheart. This was more rushed, as her label (EMI) wanted to capitalise on her success and, as such, she could not do justice to her potential and talent in such a short space. Although Bush wrote every song on her first two albums, she did not produce them; she felt like she was more part of the machine; a spectator rather than an artist taking control and releasing an album in her own vision. The Tour of Life was a chance, not only to embark on her first tour, but to create something where she had more say and direction. Louder Sound talk about the sheer effort Bush expended realising her dream:

“But in many other respects, the tour was utterly grounded in reality. The singer spent six months beforehand working herself to the bone as she attempted to forge a brand new model of what a live show could be, then another two months doing the same as she took it around Britain and Europe. And it was hit by tragedy when lighting engineer Bill Duffield was killed in an accident after a warm-up show, his death almost bringing the whole juggernaut to a halt before it had even started.

But all that was in the future when the idea for the tour was conceived. Ironically, Bush herself was the first to admit that there was no need for her to do it. “There’s no pressure,” she said in 1979. “But I do feel that I owe people a chance to see me in the flesh. It’s the only opportunity they have without media obstruction.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: EMI

EMI were unsure what the show would involve, so the costs were reportedly split between the label and Bush herself. In return, they got an artist who threw everything into her biggest endeavour so far.

“She was very determined about how her music was presented and performed – that was pretty obvious from her first album,” says Southall. “So no one saw any reason to step in and stop it. The rock’n’roll story was that you put singles out, you put albums out, you went on Top Of The Pops, you toured. But she wasn’t prepared to do the conventional thing.”

In fact no one realised just how unconventional it would be – with its choreography, dancers, props, multiple costume changes, poetry and in-house magician, there was no precedent with which it could be compared. 

On an ever-shifting stage of which only a central ramp was the sole constant physical factor, Bush was a human conductor’s baton leading the entire show. As the scenery shifted through the opening Moving, Room For The Life and Them Heavy People, so did the costumes – and the atmosphere.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

“I saw our show as not just people on stage playing the music, but as a complete experience,” she later explained. “A lot of people would say ‘Pooah!’ but for me that’s what it was. Like a play.”

Indeed it was – or perhaps several plays in one. On Egypt, she emerged dressed as a seductive Cleopatra. On Strange Phenomena, she was a magician in top hat and tails, dancing with a pair of spacemen. Former single Hammer Horror replicated the video, with a black-clad Bush dancing with a sinister, black-masked figure behind her, while Oh England My Lionheart cast her as a World War II pilot.

Like every actor, she was surrounded by a cast of strong supporting characters. As well as dancers Stewart Avon Arnold and Gary Hurst, several songs featured magician Simon Drake, who performed his signature ‘floating cane’ trick during L’Amour Looks Something Like You. And then there was her brother, John Carder Bush, who recited his own poetry before The Kick Inside, Symphony In Blue (fused with elements of experimental composer Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie 1) and the inevitable encore, Wuthering Heights.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

But at the heart of it all was Bush, whirling and waving, reaching for the sky one moment, swooping to the floor the next. Occasionally she looked like she was concentrating on what was coming next. More often, she looked lost in the moment.

“When I perform, that’s just something that happens in me,” she later said. “It just takes over, you know. It’s like suddenly feeling that you’ve leapt into another structure, almost like another person, and you just do it”.

I have selected a few passages from that article, because it highlights a few things about Kate Bush and the Tour of Life. For one, she was not a conventional artist who was going to do things in the traditional manner. She was (and is) a passionate and ambitious artist who was not going to be defined and limited by what came before. The fact that she invested so much of her own money into the tour showed just what it meant. Performance was a release and something hugely freeing for Bush. The fact she did not do another huge run of shows like the Tour of Life until 2014 is not because she disliked the experience. The Tour of Life was exhausting and involved a lot of travel; it took huge preparation, and she was eager to get down to recording albums as the tour ended (she was talking about the possibility of another big show/tour in 1993, but it never materialised). Forty-one years since she took this incredible spectacle around Europe, people are still referencing it as a groundbreaking and landmark event. It is almost a tragedy Bush never toured again after 1979 (Before the Dawn was a residency), but I can understand her desire to record and focus more on the studio. Kate Bush is a truly unique artist, and the epic Tour of Life is a live experience…   

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during the Tour of Life in Hammersmith in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

LIKE no other.

FEATURE: The April Playlist: Vol. 3: With the Bolt Cutters in Hand…

FEATURE:

 

The April Playlist

IN THIS IMAGE: Fiona Apple/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/Ringer illustration

Vol. 3: With the Bolt Cutters in Hand…

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THIS is a big week for music…

IN THIS PHOTO: Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine)

and Fiona Apple has released one of the best albums of the last decade with Fetch the Boltcutters. Also releasing music this week are EOB, Florence + the Machine, Bon Iver, Jehnny Beth, and Bob Dylan. There are new cuts from Hayley Williams, Orlando Weeks, PINS, Car Seat Headrest, and PINS. There is something for everyone in an eclectic and busy mix! If you require some weekend inspiration, this week’s best and brightest are sure to get you in the mood. Even though we are in lockdown, the music industry is producing amazing music from each corner of the map. Although so much of 2020 is bad right now, the music being released is…

IN THIS PHOTO: EOB (Ed O’Brien)/PHOTO CREDIT: @concertfitzzz

SO strong.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Fiona Apple – Shameika

PHOTO CREDIT: Rhys Frampton for Sorbet Magazine 

Florence + the Machine - Light of Love

Molly Hammar – Alone

Bon Iver - PDLIF

PHOTO CREDIT: Anthony Byrne

Jehnny Beth – Innocence

PHOTO CREDIT: Fred Tanneau/AFP/GettyImages

Bob Dylan - I Contain Multitudes

Chromatics – Teacher

Faye Webster - In a Good Way

PHOTO CREDIT: David Munoz.

Courtney Marie Andrews - Burlap String

Kelly Clarkson – I Dare You

Kid Cudi - Leader of the Delinquents

PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsey Byrnes

Hayley Williams – Why We Ever

Jamie xx – Idontknow

Orlando Weeks - Blood Sugar

IN THIS PHOTO: Mike Skinner (The Streets)

The Streets (ft. Tame Impala) - Call My Phone Thinking I'm Doing Nothing Better

Declan McKenna - The Key to Life on Earth

PINS – Ghosting

EOB – Banksters

Lauren Jauregui – 50ft.

Car Seat Headrest – Hollywood

PHOTO CREDIT: Max Knight

Dan Croll - Grand Plan

Pottery - Hot Like Jungle

Kelly Rowland – COFFEE

Deee-Lite – Riding on Through

Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day – I Think We’re Alone Now

girl in red - midnight love

John Legend – Bigger Love

Rina Sawayama – Bad Friend

Gerry Cinnamon – Head in the Clouds

Kelsy Karter – Devil on My Shoulder

Glowie – Daughter

Hannah Grace – Wasted Love

Oh Wonder – Keep on Dancing

Twinnie – Chasing

PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Rudd Photo

Abbie Ozard – Pink Sky (Endless Summer)

FEATURE: Women at the Forefront: 2020: Another Year of Female Dominance?

FEATURE:

 

Women at the Forefront

IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling 

2020: Another Year of Female Dominance?

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ALTHOUGH this year is going to be shorter…

IN THIS PHOTO: Halsey

in terms of the number of big albums we will see, there have been some phenomenal albums already dropped. I think we will get a load of albums released in the autumn and winter and relatively few in the summer months. That said, I think this year mirrors a trend that was seen last year: the dominance of women. Look at the best albums of 2019, and so many of them are by women; from Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, to FKA twigs’ Magdalene, through to Solange’s When I Get Home, and Brittany Howard’s Jaime…it was a monumental year for women in music. There were some phenomenal albums released by men in music, but I think the most interesting and rewarding albums were made by women. Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters is out, and it is picking up five-star reviews all over the place!. It is a masterful album, and one that will define the year, I think. I am not predicting the album of 2020 already, but Apple’s new record is surely not going to be equalled year. This is what Pitchfork had to say when they reviewed Fetch the Bolt Cutters:

“She calls men out for refusing to show weakness, for treating their wives badly, for needing women to clean up their messes. Where The Idler Wheel explored a form of self-interrogation—“I’m too hard to know,” she crooned—on Fetch the Bolt Cutters, she unapologetically indicts the world around her. And she rejects its oppressive logic in every note. The very sound of Fetch the Bolt Cutters dismantles patriarchal ideas: professionalism, smoothness, competition, perfection—aesthetic standards that are tools of capitalism, used to warp our senses of self. Where someone else might erase a mistake—“Oh fuck it!” she chuckles on “On I Go”—she leaves it in. Where someone might put a bridge, she puts clatter. Where she once sang, “Hunger hurts but starving works,” here, in the devouring chorus of “Heavy Balloon,” she screams: “I spread like strawberries/I climb like peas and beans.” There is nothing top-down about the sound of Fetch the Bolt Cutters. “She wanted to start from the ground,” her guitarist David Garza told The New Yorker. “For her, the ground is rhythm.”

There’s considerable power in how Apple entertains so many of these wild, inexhaustible impulses. “Don’t you, don’t you, don’t you, don’t you shush me!” she chips back on “Under the Table.” She will not be silenced. That’s patently clear from the start of Fetch the Bolt Cutters. In gnarled breaths on its opening song—feet on the ground and mind as her might—Apple articulates exactly what she wants: “Blast the music! Bang it! Bite it! Bruise it!” It’s not pretty. It’s free”.

As I say, I know there are going to be a lot of albums released later this year, but the next few months are a little less busy and predictable.

Whilst 2020 has seen some strong albums by men – including Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush, and 3.15.20 from Childish Gambino -, it is the female-led albums that have struck hardest. Although Heavy Light by U.S. Girls has received some mixed reviews in certain corners, most reviewers heaped plenty of praise on a wonderful album. The project of Meghan Remy, U.S. Girls, many wondered how she would follow up on 2018’s masterful In a Poem Unlimited. I think Heavy Light is one of the year’s best albums, from one of the finest artists around right now. Here is what The Line of Best Fit had to say about Heavy Light:

“The closest track to the sound of the previous record comes on “And Yet It Moves/Y Se Mueve”, filled with Latin tropicália and funky percussion. It’s an album highlight on a record full of them. Across the rest, Heavy Light covers topics ranging from the personal (on “Woodstock ’99”, where Remy’s narrator compares her experience of that disastrous day with her friends) to the ‘planetary’, even on the conversational interludes - which add their own nostalgic kick. On “The Quiver To The Bomb”, the focus is on how short human history is in the grand scheme of universal expansion. There’s even some suitably cheap-sounding sci-fi synths and a dizzying vocal crescendo.

From a personal perspective, you might miss the electric-burn intensity of the lead guitars from In a Poem Unlimited, or you might miss the Iggy’s The Idiot-meets-Marc Bolan-and-Madonna-on-a-Tarantino-soundtrack vibes, but ultimately, there’s just as much to enjoy here. Heavy Light is more subdued, more restrained, and certainly more beautiful than its big sister. God knows where Remy will go from here, but you can rest assured that it won’t be boring”.

There are a few other albums that I want to highlight as defining 2020. In terms of Pop albums, there have been a couple of wonderful releases so far. I will discuss Dua Lipa soon, but Halsey’s Manic – her third studio album – won big acclaim. Whilst the lyrics are quite confessional and raw, Halsey released this stunning album that has a sense of shared experience and catharsis; there is so much variation and depth that runs through Manic. Whilst 3am is my favourite track, there are so many highlights through the record. Halsey never sticks to one sound or mood on the album, yet she has produced something cohesive and very much her own. AllMusic said this when they reviewed Manic:

“Listen closely, certain stylistic aspects assert themselves -- a fingerpicked guitar line rolls along here, there's a reggae bounce there -- and her choice of guest stars is telling. Alanis Morissette -- who is by some measures a clear precursor to Halsey -- vies with rapper Dominic Fike and Suga of K-pop sensations BTS for splashiest cameo, with each of their appearances labeled as an "interlude." The lack of concrete song titles winds up emphasizing the presence of artists who cross genres, a clear sign of how Manic's seemingly scattershot appearance disguises how Halsey designed the album to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, streamlining all these sounds so they slide onto every conceivable playlist. It's a shrewd ploy that winds up not seeming crass thanks to Halsey's affectless emo bloodletting -- she never resists an opportunity to hit her target squarely on the nose, such as the "I'm so glad I never ever had a baby with you" refrain on "You Should Be Sad" -- and the clever way Manic is sequenced. The artiest, wobbliest songs start the record, followed by her saddest and starkest ballads, so it takes a while before it settles into its comfortable groove of adolescent angst doubling as AAA crossover pop. Such distinctions would be lost on the playlists individual tracks may later call home, but assembled in this fashion as a proper album, Manic showcases Halsey at her nerviest and at her best”.

There will be more Pop magic later in the year but, with Future Nostalgia out in the world, Dua Lipa threw down the gauntlet on 27th March. There is the nostalgia of Disco and Pop – with elements of Madonna and artists like Blondie -, but there is the modernity and sharpness of today. More accomplished and complete than her debut album, Dua Lipa, in 2017, the indelibility of the songs makes Future Nostalgia one of 2020’s albums to beat. I think Pop has been dominated by women for many years now, and Dua Lipa’s blend of the 1980s and the now is an intoxicating brew that is hard to resist. Future Nostalgia will be one of the best-reviewed and popular albums come the end of this year. Not only are the tracks on Future Nostalgia memorable and hooky; Lipa also covers issues like sexism and gender. She is an artist who wants to use her platform to speak about big topics and important matters but bring in plenty of fun and fizz. This is NME’s take on the record:

“All the way through this album, the pop star is in the driving seat, both behind the scenes and in the situations she describes in the lyrics. On ‘Break My Heart’ – which she recently  described on recent Instagram Live as “my forte, dance crying” – she questions whether a new love is going to leave her nursing a broken heart again. But it’s her decision to open herself up to that possibility, making herself vulnerable but stronger for it. Then there’s last year’s stone-cold banger ‘Don’t Start Now’, a kind of counterpart to ‘New Rules’ that finds her delivering instructions to an ex: “Don’t show up/Don’t come out/Don’t start caring about me now.” It’s powerful pop perfection.

When she made this album, the musician couldn’t know just how awful a state the world would be upon it’s released. But that just makes her achieving her mission all the more important. ‘Future Nostalgia’ is a bright, bold collection of pop majesty to dance away your anxieties to… if only for a little while”.

Waxahatchee is led by Katie Crutchfield; Saint Cloud is her fifth album. Released on 27th March, I think it is the strongest album of the year so far – reviewers tend to agree. I think the very best albums of this year have not only been released by women, but there is so much range and originality. One cannot easily compare Dua Lipa with Waxahatchee, for instance, but both artists are incredible performers who have crafted stunning albums. The Independent were eager to praise Saint Cloud:

“There’s always something tempering the beauty of Waxahatchee’s music. I mean that as a compliment: on the American singer-songwriter’s fifth album, Saint Cloud, luscious melodies are undercut by a lingering unease, sentimentality by steeliness.

The glorious “Fire”, which starts with plaintive keyboard strains, might have been described as “lovely” were it sung down an octave. As it is, with Waxahatchee (real name Katie Crutchfield) stretching to the upper limits of her range, her voice sounds like a match being struck. Her lolloping delivery on “Lilacs” – “and the lilacs drank the water/ and the lilacs die/ and the lilacs drank the water/ marking the slow, slow, slow passing of time” – is Bob Dylan by way of Lucinda Williams.

Written just after Crutchfield decided to get sober, Saint Cloud offers up a sort of gradual unmasking. “You don’t worship me, you strip the illusion,” she sings on “Hell”. “Can’t Do Much”, which she wanted to be “an extremely unsentimental love song”, is funny, frank and poetic: “We will coalesce our heaven and hell, my eyes roll around like dice on the felt.” Later, she drops the poetry. “I want you, all the time.”

On “The Eye”, which sounds like the sun rising, Crutchfield professes, “I have a gift, I’ve been told, for seeing what’s there.” For singing about it, too”.

I want to mention three more albums before wrapping things up. Miss Anthropocene is the fifth studio album from Grimes and, as an artist who rarely puts a foot wrong, it is another phenomenal work. Grimes’ music is seen, by some, as quite out-there and experimental, but I think Miss Anthropocene is one of her most accessible works to date. I have always loved her work, and I feel Miss Anthropocene is pretty close to Art Angels (her fourth studio album of 2015) in terms of quality and potency. The Independent reviewed Miss Anthropocene:

“Sonically speaking, Miss Anthropocene operates much like a greatest hits record. It sees Grimes pull from many of the sounds that have made her one of pop’s most inventive artists, her voice elastic and fibrous over industrial-rock synths, acoustic guitar and bubblegum squeaks and gurgles. In its chaos is its own sense of odd cohesion.

“4ÆM” is a Benny Hill chase sequence of a track, theatrical wailing segueing into a relentlessly sped-up chorus. The thrilling and sensual “Violence” doubles as a surreal kind of orgasm, reimagining humanity and Mother Nature as a mutually punishing love affair (“You wanna make me bad, make me bad / And I like it like that, and I like it like that”).

There’s brilliance here, but it’s when the album slows down that it becomes transcendent. “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth” is a perfect storm of the slinky and the tortured, Grimes urging a lover to “weigh me down”. “You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around” is a gloomy synth-pop ballad that brings to mind Til Tuesday and Bauhaus.

New single “Delete Forever” is akin to a fresh bruise. Inspired by the death of rapper Lil Peep, along with a number of friends who have succumbed to opioid addiction, it finds Grimes’ voice cracking, her sticky vocal placed over banjo, guitar and strings. It’s a song that marks Miss Anthropocene at its most emotionally potent, and Grimes at her most human. She might consider that an insult, long having adopted the public image of a demonstratively wacky robot-girl on the arm of a madman. For her more wavering fans, however, it’ll be a blessed relief”.

Two very different albums that are competing for the best of 2020 have come from Georgia and Laura Marling. Georgia’s Seeking Thrills has some D.N.A. in common with Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia. Both albums have a sense of emotion and melancholy, but both have an abandon and strut that marries past sounds with current sounds. I think Georgia is an artist who has a very bright career ahead; she will headline festivals and is one of these musicians that we all need to watch closely.

Seeking Thrills is one of this year’s best albums because it is so thrilling, yet there is something heart-aching under the surface. The Guardian made some keen observations:

“It perfectly fits the contents of Seeking Thrills, an album that is ostensibly about hedonistic exhilaration. Over the next 12 months, British pop theoretically could come up with a more stirring evocation of losing yourself on the dancefloor than Barnes repeatedly crying “It’s the rhythm, the rhythm” at the close of 24 Hours, but you wouldn’t bank on it. Furthermore, the album seems to be modelled, at least vaguely, on the trajectory of a big night out, from the dusk-settling anticipation of opener Started Out (“Be wicked and bold now”), through the aforementioned saucer-eyed euphoria, to a becalmed comedown that’s equal parts dazed and reflective. There is a distinctly woozy, 6am quality to the electronics on Ultimate Sailor, while closer Honey Dripping Sky features wistful lyrics – “Did you want to stay? Mistakes were made – I wasn’t thinking straight” – streaked with smears of dissonant synthesiser. So far, so in keeping with a grand tradition of albums from the Chemical Brothers’ Dig Your Own Hole to Katy B’s On a Mission, that hymn the thrills of being, as 24 Hours puts it, “consumed by night”. But Seeking Thrills gradually reveals itself to be something less straightforward than that.

IN THIS PHOTO: Georgia

A lot has been made of the influence of 80s house and techno on its sound, which feels slightly inaccurate. It’s not that Barnes doesn’t know her dance music history – virtually the first thing you hear on Seeking Thrills is a bass line modelled on that of Larry Heard’s Chicago house classic Mystery of Love. And the whole album feels infected with the weird, reverb-slathered spaciness that helped make early house singles sound so jolting and alien on arrival. But Barnes is blessed with the ability to take vintage influences and absorb them so thoroughly that what seeps out sounds different from her source material, and stamped with her own character. Highlight Ray Guns is a case in point. It manages to be influenced by dub reggae while scrupulously avoiding the kind of lichés artists tend to indulge in when making music influenced by dub reggae. It achieves the cavernous, chaotic feel without using any of the standard sonic signifiers. The results are fantastic: a dense, disorientating swirl of electronic sound, a killer tune with a beat that sounds more like Missy Elliott’s Get Ur Freak On than anything that came out of Kingston’s studios in the 1970s”.

All the albums I have mentioned so far can comfortably sit in the top-ten albums of 2020 so far, and I think the remaining months of this year will see more marvellous revelations from women. Sure, male artists aren’t being hugely overshadowed, but I don’t think there was any close competition last year and, so far this year, it is the women with the bigger voices and strongest albums.

In terms of defining albums of this year, Laura Marling’s Song for Our Daughter is right near the top. Released on 10th April, the album was moved forward (from the summer) to give to fans whilst we are in lockdown. Marling is an artist who has never released an average album or anything less than divine. Having just turned thirty, one wonders whether she will ever release anything bad, as she seems to get stronger with age! The marvellous Song for Our Daughter is an album about a generation of younger women and the idea of a maternal lineage, according to Marling. The songwriting and performances throughout her seventh solo album are incredible! She is one of this generation’s best songwriters, and I think Song for Our Daughter might actually be the best album of 2020 – there is close competition between her, Dua Lipa and Waxahatchee. Among the five-star reviews that came in, The Telegraph were phenomenal glowing:

“At 30, Song For Our Daughter (Chrysalis / Partisan, ★★★★★) is her most measured and mature work, and perhaps the most accessible to those as yet unpersuaded. Marling has returned from adventures in America to settle back in London, co-producing this collection in her home studio, with long time collaborator Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon, Paul McCartney, Ryan Adams) and string arrangements by Rob Moose (Anthony and the Johnsons, Bon Iver, The National). As far as I am aware, Marling does not have a daughter. These are songs of empathy and advice for her younger self, tales of departure, abandonment, love, grief and reconciliation told at a slight distance, offering a wise, thoughtful voice in troubled times.

Marling has often been compared to Joni Mitchell, as perhaps too many female singer-songwriters have, but there is something about her cool, cerebral tone and carefully wrought poetic lines that evokes that most revered of musical role models. Marling too has a core of toughness, a fierce feminism and sense of independence that burns through the deceptively sweet timbre of her singing voice. The title track has little truck with the sexism routine in the music industry and this whole world of men: “With your clothes on the floor/ Taking advice from some old balding bore/ You’ll ask yourself did I want this at all?”

In her self-control, her skillful guitar playing, and almost arrogantly presumptive authorial boldness, Marling is determined to indicate there is another way. Even amidst the melancholy vulnerability of sonorous piano and string ballad Blow By Blow and the bittersweet regrets of Held Down and The End of the Affair, you can always sense a counterbalancing weight implying that there are things to be gained from loss, strength to be found in lessons learned. That sense of abiding self-worth lifts up the flyaway autobiographical trip Strange Girl (“I love you my strange girl, my lonely girl, my angry girl, my brave”).

The harmonies throughout, arranged and sung by Marling herself, are exquisite. It ends with a loving little ditty, For You, with a melodic flow and dainty charm worthy of classic Paul McCartney. Perhaps Songs For Our Daughter lacks some of the dark strangeness of Marling’s earlier work but it is a really fine collection of thoughtful, heartfelt, meaningful songs grappling with life’s challenges. It was not scheduled for immediate release but Marling brought it forward because, she says, “In light of the change to all our circumstances, I saw no reason to hold back on something that, at the very least, might entertain, and at its best, provide some sense of union”.

I have touched the surface of some remarkable albums, and I would urge people to check them out in full. Although we are less than months of the way through 2020, I do think the very best albums have been made by women. Not only are they superb and moving, but each album and artist is very different. I would say that this quality should translate to festival headline slots for women but, as festivals are pretty much on hold until next year, we might have to wait a while to see this materialise. There is still imbalance and gender disparity in the industry, and I wonder why it still happens considering the fact that, for the last couple/few years, the scene has been ruled by women – one can argue this assertion, but there is ample evidence to back up my point. I think the rest of this year will see women deliver the biggest albums, and I do hope this means that things start to change in the industry. Artists like Dua Liupa  have spoken about online abuse and discrimination, and I do hope there is a culture shift in music that gives women much more respect and exposure – Dua Lipa, actually, has revealed she is starting work on her third album whilst in lockdown. From sublime Folk from Laura Marling, to brilliant Pop from Halsey and Dua Lipa, to the conviction of Grimes, Georgia, and U.S. Girls, this year has seen women produce truly incredible music that is…

IN THIS PHOTO: Waxahatchee

BETTER than the rest.

FEATURE: After The Beatles… Paul McCartney’s McCartney at Fifty

FEATURE:

After The Beatles…

Paul McCartney’s McCartney at Fifty

___________

WHILST I am going to write one more…

feature about The Beatles’ Let It Be turning fifty before the day itself on 8th May, there is something to celebrate before then. It did not take long for all the solo Beatles to release albums away from the band. The Beatles announced their split in April 1970, though Ringo Starr had released Sentimental Journey the year before. When it comes to the best of the four solo albums released in 1970, perhaps Starr’s Sentimental Journey and Paul McCartney’s McCartney were overshadowed by their bandmates’ efforts. McCartney would go on to produce stronger albums after 1970, but I think McCartney is a great album. Whilst John Lennon’s John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (Dec 1970) and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass (27th November, 1970) are superior solo albums – and among the very best of the 1970s -, McCartney is a big deal. McCartney was, essentially, the one who signalled the end of The Beatles, and he recorded a lot of the album in secrecy, using home-recording equipment. I can only imagine how strange it was for the four Beatles to go their separate ways and regroup after the band split. Whereas The Beatles final-recorded album, Abbey Road, was polished, McCartney is a lot looser and more lo-fi. His wife, Linda, did contribute here and there but, largely, McCartney is the album of one man recording in a very different setting to Abbey Road Studios.

A world away from the sound of The Beatles at the very end, some critics were cold towards the album because of that. Although McCartney’s announcement to the press in April 1970 sort of shut the door on The Beatles, John Lennon made it clear he wanted to walk away from the band in 1969. The rest of the group were angry when they learned about McCartney’s solo album, and the fact that he was not going to delay its release. Let It Be arrived on 8th May, 1970 – several weeks after McCartney came out. I think McCartney has gained a lot more warmth in the years after its release, compared to the reaction in 1970. Many critics blamed McCartney for breaking up The Beatles, and the under-produced sound of the album turned many others away. I am going to mark John Lennon, and George Harrison’s debut solo albums later in the year, but it would be unfair to ignore McCartney as it turns fifty. I think Every Night, Maybe I’m Amazed, and Junk are among McCartney’s best solo cuts, and his 1970 is far from a failure. Although McCartney is a one-man effort that differs vastly from the George-Martin produced Beatles best, I like the fact the album is quite sparse and doesn’t have that gloss and layers. With Phil Spector producing Let It Be – and McCartney unhappy with a lot of what he was doing -, maybe McCartney was an attempt to produce an anti-Let It Be. In any case, the press reaction was quite hostile, and it is a shame the album was released when it was; were it held back for a few more years, maybe the reception would have been more positive.

Take McCartney away from the legacy and tangle of The Beatles and their break-up, and many more-modern reviews have seen positives in the album. This is what AllMusic had to say:

“Paul McCartney retreated from the spotlight of the Beatles by recording his first solo album at his home studio, performing nearly all of the instruments himself. Appropriately, McCartney has an endearingly ragged, homemade quality that makes even its filler -- and there is quite a bit of filler -- rather ingratiating. Only a handful of songs rank as full-fledged McCartney classics, but those songs -- the light folk-pop of "That Would Be Something," the sweet, gentle "Every Night," the ramshackle Beatles leftover "Teddy Boy," and the staggering "Maybe I'm Amazed" (not coincidentally the only rocker on the album) -- are full of all the easy melodic charm that is McCartney's trademark. The rest of the album is charmingly slight, especially if it is read as a way to bring Paul back to earth after the heights of the Beatles. At the time the throwaway nature of much of the material was a shock, but it has become charming in retrospect. Unfortunately, in retrospect it also appears as a harbinger of the nagging mediocrity that would plague McCartney's entire solo career”.

Every Paul McCartney album deserves respect, but I feel McCartney gets a bit overlooked because of the association with The Beatles’ demise. There are some weaker tracks on the album, for sure, but McCartney is a really interesting work from a man who was in a bad situation.

Maybe that sounds like a defence, but one cannot judge McCartney or blame him for wanting to release a solo album. Pitchfork had this to say when they reviewed McCartney in 2011:

“Paul played everything on the record himself, apart from some backing vocals by Linda, recording much of it at home on a four-track. No singles were released, there are several instrumentals, and it's all a bit ramshackle, the type of album that in the hands of most musicians would lend itself to introspection. And yet McCartney doesn't really tell us much about McCartney. As a songwriter, he wasn't (and still isn't, really) the confessional type. To a degree, McCartney is an actor whose medium is his songs. His love for Linda, expressed so ebulliently on "Maybe I'm Amazed", was certainly genuine, but he wrote this eventual FM-radio staple as a classic, universal love song. When presented with the opportunity to let his guard down and show us his unvarnished self, Paul McCartney never did-- even in this intimate setting, his songs remain extroverted and devoted to achieving some measure of pop accessibility.

The highlights of McCartney's later solo albums were often uptempo rock songs, or big, show-stopping tunes, but here, apart from "Maybe I'm Amazed", the peaks include two versions of the same quiet song, "Junk". The sparse vocal version features McCartney accompanying himself with acoustic guitar and a bit of bass and percussion, ticking through a nostalgic inventory of disused objects. McCartney later reprises "Junk" in a "singalong" instrumental version, with mellotron and piano joining in for a pretty waltz. I'd be surprised if Elliott Smith didn't learn something from it.

Much of the rest of the album was written and recorded off the cuff, and it shows-- McCartney plays with Latin rhythms ("The Lovely Linda"), a bit of blues ("That Would Be Something"), and some bounding, half-time country pop ("Man We Was Lonely"). "Teddy Boy" is sentimental storytelling, and closer "Kreen-Akrore" is McCartney experimenting in his weird, humorous way with oddball drum patterns and sound effects“.

Today (17th April), it is fifty years since the release of McCartney: a body of work that deserves new appreciation and dissection. It is true that Macca’s solo career has its average and less-than-brilliant moments, but I have a soft spot for McCartney. It is now, as it was in 1970: an underrated…

AND brilliant album.

FEATURE: Fast as You Can: The Return of Fiona Apple

FEATURE:

 

Fast as You Can

PHOTO CREDIT: Rick Kern/WireImage

The Return of Fiona Apple

___________

TOMORROW is going to be a great day…

PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

as Fiona Apple returns with her long-awaited album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters. The reviews will start pouring in, and many are expecting this to be among the best and finest-received albums of this year. Apple has always received huge love from critics, and it seems like her fifth studio album will be golden. It has been eight years since The Idler Wheel… and many were asking whether Apple would give us an album anytime soon. It is a great time to release new material, as many more of us are picking up albums and investigating music. Not to say Apple has a captive audience; there will be even more eyes and ears trained her way. I am not sure what the album feel will be on Fetch the Bolt Cutters, but Apple is one of the most original and intoxicating songwriters in the world. Even on her 1996 debut, Tidal, we knew Apple was something special! Apple was a teenager when that album came out, but songs such as Shadowboxer, Sleep to Dream, and Criminal are so compelling; like they have come from an artist much older and experienced. It is testament to her talent and authority that her debut is so memorable and timeless. My favourite album of hers is 1999’s When the Pawn..., which contains the tracks, Paper Bag, and Fast As You Can. If you need to know where to start with Fiona Apple, here is a guide regarding her albums. Although she releases albums rarely, when they do arrive, you get something otherworldly and peerless.

Apple is not someone who courts media attention, so it is a treat when she does provide interviews. I want to bring in a recent interview from The New Yorker. I will source a few passages that really stuck out. We learn more about Fetch the Bolt Cutter’s title origins, and how Apple reacted to fame:

 “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” is a reference to a scene in “The Fall,” the British police procedural starring Gillian Anderson as a sex-crimes investigator; Anderson’s character calls out the phrase after finding a locked door to a room where a girl has been tortured. Like all of Apple’s projects, this one was taking a long while to emerge, arriving through a slow-drip process of creative self-interrogation that has produced, over a quarter century, a narrow but deep songbook. Her albums are both profoundly personal—tracing her heartaches, her showdowns with her own fragility, and her fierce, phoenix-like recoveries—and musically audacious, growing wilder and stranger with each round. As her 2005 song “Extraordinary Machine” suggests, whereas other artists might move fast, grasping for fresh influences and achieving superficial novelty, Apple prides herself on a stickier originality, one that springs from an internal tick-tock: “I still only travel by foot, and by foot it’s a slow climb / But I’m good at being uncomfortable, so I can’t stop changing all the time.”

Apple knows the cliché about early fame—that it freezes you at the age you achieved it. Because she’d never had to toil in anonymity, and had learned her craft and made her mistakes in public, she’d been perceived, as she put it to me ruefully, as “the patron saint of mental illness, instead of as someone who creates things.” If she wanted to keep bringing new songs into the world, she needed to have thicker skin. But that had never been her gift.

It seems that Fetch the Bolt Cutters has formulated and grown through various different stages. Maybe the initial stages were sporadic and not quite as productive as Apple hoped but, soon enough, things started to come together:

Once Apple returned to Venice Beach, she finally began making headway, rerecording and rewriting songs in uneven intervals, often alone, in her former bedroom. At first, she recorded long, uncut takes of herself hitting instruments against random things; she built these files, which had names like “metal shaker,” “couch tymp,” and “bean drums,” into a “percussion orchestra,” which she used to make songs. She yowled the vocals over and over, stretching her voice into fresh shapes; like a Dogme 95 filmmaker, she rejected any digital smoothing. “She’s not afraid to let her voice be in the room and of the room,” Garza said. “Modern recording erases that.”

But Apple brightened whenever she talked about writing lyrics, speaking confidently about assonance and serendipity, about the joy of having the words “glide down the back of my throat”—as she put it, stroking her neck—when she got them exactly right. She collects words on index cards: “Angel,” “Excel,” “Intel,” “Gel.” She writes the alphabet above her drafts, searching, with puzzle-solver focus, for puns, rhymes, and accidental insights.

The new songs were full of spiky, layered wordplay. In “Rack of His,” Apple sings, like a sideshow barker, “Check out that rack of his! / Look at that row of guitar necks / Lined up like eager fillies / Outstretched like legs of Rockettes.” In the darkly funny “Kick Me Under the Table,” she tells a man at a fancy party, “I would beg to disagree / But begging disagrees with me.” As frank as her lyrics can be, they are not easily decoded as pure biography. She said, of “Rack of His,” “I started writing this song years ago about one relationship, and then, when I finished it, it was about a different relationship.”

If one listens back to Apple’s previous albums, there are striking and angry lyrics alongside vulnerability, huge intellect and beautiful sentiment. It seems that Apple, even this far into her career, still has the ability to stir the senses and catch people off guard with some pretty evocative lyrics:

Some of the new material was strikingly angry. The cathartic “For Her” builds to Apple hollering, “Good mornin’! Good mornin’ / You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in.” The song had grown out of a recording session the band held shortly after the nomination hearings of the Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh; like many women, Apple felt scalded with rage about survivors of sexual violence being disbelieved. The title track came to her later; a meditation on feeling ostracized, it jumps between lucidity and fury. Drumsticks clatter sparely over gentle Mellotron notes as Apple muses, “I’ve been thinking about when I was trying to be your friend / I thought it was, then— / But it wasn’t, it wasn’t genuine.” Then, as she sings, “Fetch the bolt cutters, I’ve been in here too long,” her voice doubles, harmonies turning into a hubbub, and there’s a sudden “meow” sound. In the final moments, dogs bark as Apple mutters, “Whatever happens, whatever happens.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Beatrice De Sea/The New York Times/Redux

Late one afternoon, Apple talked about the album’s themes. She said, of the title, “Really, what it’s about is not being afraid to speak.” Another major theme was women—specifically, her struggle to “not fall in love with the women who hate me.” She described these songs as acts of confrontation with her “shadow self,” exploring questions like “Why in the past have you been so socially blind to think that you could be friends with your ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend by getting her a gift?” At the time, she thought that she was being generous; now she recognized the impulse”.

By the time this feature goes online (16th April), there will be one or two reviews regarding Fetch the Bolt Cutters. I am looking forward to its release on 17th April, as it is one of the most anticipated albums for many years. It is wonderful to see albums put out into the world, in spite of the fact we are in lockdown and it is very strange. Whilst we have scheduled albums for the next few months, I am not sure how many artists will delay and hold things back until the autumn. I think Fetch the Bolt Cutters is a sizeable event, as it marks a return of one of the greatest songwriters of her generation. The digital release happens tomorrow (17th), and I am not sure when the physical release will arrive – keep your eyes peeled. What a joy to have back to the musical forefront…

A very special talent.

FEATURE: Kate Bush: Beautiful Phenomena: Turning the Pages of Gered Mankowitz’s WOW! and Guido Harari’s The Kate Inside

FEATURE: 

Kate Bush: Beautiful Phenomena

IN THIS PHOTO: A sample photographic extract from Gered Mankowitz’s WOW!

Turning the Pages of Gered Mankowitz’s WOW! and Guido Harari’s The Kate Inside

___________

ONE can forgive…

PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

another Kate Bush feature so close to the last one. Whilst my last feature related to her track, Breathing, turning forty, this is more of a general appreciation. Actually, that is slightly off the mark; there is a timeliness. I have written before about Kate Bush in front of the camera. I have Kate: Inside the Rainbow, which is a collection of photos and notes from her brother, John Carder Bush. That book was released in 2015, and you can buy it here. Carder Bush was interviewed about the book, and it is a fantastically personal and revealing look at a musical genius from childhood to the current time. I think it is amazing there are several photographic collections and books dedicated to Kate Bush. Clearly, there is something about her that drew photographers in and made for incredible collaborations. I – like all of Bush’s fans – have been waiting Gered Mankowitz’s book, Kate Bush: Symphony of You. It was due last year (I am not sure why the release was delayed), and it is a collection of photographs that many people have not seen:

“From the blurb: “Symphony of You is a complete celebration of Kate Bush – her music, her look, her impact, her creativity. Showcasing hundreds of Gered Mankowitz’s breathtaking photographs from the early years of Kate’s career, the majority of the images in this book have never been seen outside of the author’s own private works. The book also features essays from authors across a number of disciplines – from best-selling novelists and award-winning musicians to academics – offering their opinions on how Kate has shaped the cultural landscape. Symphony of You is a truly special collection, and a homage to a unique artist”

IN THIS PHOTO: Guido Harari (left) with Kate Bush and Lindsey Kemp/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

You can pre-order the book, and I am not sure whether the coronavirus crisis will delay the release date in September – one hopes not. Looking at the Kate Bush News website, and there has been this whisper of another possible book emerging:

“Also in the works is a new book by photographer Max Browne, no publishing date yet. He took some great photos of Kate on her 1979 tour – see examples at his site here”.

Look at Max Browne’s website here that includes some gorgeous shots of Bush as she performed on that ground-breaking 1979 tour. I would love to see a photo book, as her Tour of Life was such a visual feast; this young performer creating something magnificent on stage. I will come to a Gered Mankowitz book that I yearn to own – I think the upcoming book from him is sort of a reduced and smaller version of the one I will highlight…it will all make sense. I am writing this feature as Kate Bush, more than most artists who have ever come, manages to steal the heart when she is being photographed. The fact that there are books with images of her shows that, truly, she had this magnetic quality. Look online for images of her, and one is smitten and intrigued by the sheer range of images from 1978 through to 2011. There are two very important – and mighty expensive – volumes of photography that I wanted to highlight; it is a sense of Bush being turned into works of art.

PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

I love a normal hardback book of photographs, and Kate Bush: Symphony of You will be a real treat for fans of Kate Bush and newcomers alike. The Kate Inside is Guido Harari’s photos of Bush from 1982-1993 (that covers the release of The Dreaming (1982), Hounds of Love (1985), The Sensual World (1989), and The Red Shoes (1993). You can check out the Facebook page that gives more details about the book/project; this is something that so many fans want to possess. Not only do we get these rare and incredible photos documenting an artist who was, in the period between 1982-1993, one of the most in-demand and popular artists in the country. Go to the Wall of Sound Gallery, and one can marvel:

“The Kate Inside, Guido Harari’s lavish tribute to one of the world’s greatest music geniuses, is finally happening to ya!

As you know, Guido’s collaboration with Kate Bush spans from 1982 to 1993. During that period he was invited by Kate to shoot her official press photos for landmark albums like Hounds Of Love, The Sensual World and The Red Shoes, including a completely never-before-seen reportage on the set of Kate’s film The Line, The Cross & The Curve.

Accompanied by Guido’s own commentary, The Kate Inside is packed with over 300 photographs from his extensive Kate Bush archives. They include all of Guido’s classic images of Kate, a wealth of outtakes, contact sheets, unseen photographs and other materials (including test Polaroids and personal notes by Kate) that are showcased here for the first time.

Such an expensive project has been made possible by a crowdfunding we’ve launched from this website in September 2015. The campaign was successfully completed on March 31, 2016. Our heartfelt thanks have gone to everyone who believed in our project: their names are featured in a special "Acknowledgments" section in the book.

THE BOOK

DELUXE EDITION (copies 1-350) - 520€

REGULAR EDITION (copies 351-1500) - 120€

The Kate Inside is a limited edition book of 1500 copies worldwide. It's available both as a Deluxe Edition (copies numbered 1-350, signed by Guido Harari and Lindsay Kemp) and a Regular one (copies numbered 351-1500, signed by Guido).

The 240 pages hard-bound book measures an awesome 29x39cm (11"x15" ca) and has been printed on heavy-weight paper and bound by Grafiche Milani, the master printers in Milano who print luxurious editions for many major international publishers.

THE DELUXE EDITION

The Deluxe Edition is limited to the first 350 copies, all personally signed by both Guido and Kate’s legendary mentor Lindsay Kemp, who has also written a special foreword for the book.

Presented in a solander slip case, the Deluxe feature extra pages!

It also includes a 24x30cm (10"x11") signed/numbered fine art pigment print (unique to this edition and unavailable elsewhere) as well as a set of 8 replica Polaroids (14x18cm/5,3"x7,3", unsigned and non editioned). These are replicas of the actual Polaroids used by Guido with Kate on the 1985 and 1989 shoots and have never been seen before. They are only available as part of the Deluxe Edition”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

The book is expensive, yes, but I have been seriously considering! One can get some of the photos online, but it is not the same as seeing the image large and in a book; the physical sensation of holding these images. Between 1982-1993, Bush transformed from this artist near her peak in 1982 (on The Dreaming) to her apex, Hounds of Love; into the rather difficult 1993 – The Red Shoes did not receive as much as love as it deserves…and the film, The Line, The Cross & The Curve, received some negative feedback (in addition, Bush broke up with her long-time boyfriend, Del Palmer, and her mother died (on 14th February, 1992). Kate Bush gave plenty of interviews during the time period Harari explores in his book, but there is something about photography that tells its own story – the whole story, as it were. Great volumes like The Kate Inside can be treasured and kept; it is almost like the photographic equivalent of vinyl. Rather than streaming through tracks, vinyl offers something real and more substantial. Likewise, a book of photographs is a wonderfully rich and engrossing thing; one can leaf through the pages, look at the images and imagine the scenes and conversations around the photo. There is another equally-impressive Kate Bush photographic monument that I am keen to own. Although Guido Harari’s The Kate Inside and Gered Mankowitz’s WOW! are not brand-new, they are both available and as relevant as ever! I am not sure whether Mankowitz’s Symphony of You will feature photos from WOW!, but I will be interested to see.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

The period between 1978-1979, I think, is one of the most formative and important when we think of Kate Bush. Bush released The Kick Inside, her debut album, in 1978, and quickly followed that up with Lionheart later that year – and album that was not received as fondly. Bush then took her Tour of Life on the road in 1979. That period of less than two years was a frantic one for an artist who captured the curiosity of the world and was exploring just where her incredible passion and gift could take her. Whilst one can peruse WOW!’s photos online, the actual book itself is a work that is made with love and real commitment: 

 “WOW! Kate Bush by Gered Mankowitz features the very best work from Gered Mankowitz’s incredible 1978 / 1979 archive of Kate Bush photographs, with the majority of photographs previously unpublished. Each copy is personally signed by Gered Mankowitz.

As with all previous Ormond Yard Press volumes, it is a book on a spectacular scale: a hardcover volume housed in its own printed slipcase and measuring 24 inches high x 18 inches wide (60x45cm) when closed, 24 x 36 inches (60 x 90cm) when open, with 96 pages of photographs. The physical scale may be large, but the edition size for WOW! is reassuringly small – just 750 individually signed and numbered copies are available to collectors worldwide.

WOW! is in stock and shipping now

The final copies of WOW!  to complete the edition are in stock

Quantities are limited so if you do want one, we recommend you put your order in to avoid disappointment.

WOW! costs £ 395 (plus overseas shipping if required.)

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Why should you buy this book?

“Kate was a wonderful subject and I worked with her over several sessions throughout 1978 and into 79. She was always a delight and an inspiration to work with. I am immensely proud of the work I have done with her and will always be grateful to have been associated with such a gifted artist from the very beginning of her long and important career. I am tremendously excited to be launching WOW! and hope that it excites you too”  Gered Mankowitz

WOW! is a book on a spectacular scale: an ultra-large-format 96 page limited edition hardcover which measures 24 inches high x 18 inches wide (60x45cm) when closed. When the book is open, a double page spread measures 24 inches high by 36 inches wide (60cm x 90cm). The physical size of WOW! may be large, but the edition size is reassuringly low. Just 750 are being offered for sale worldwide.

WOW! includes approximately 250 images, and contains the very best material from Gered Mankowitz’s archive of Kate Bush photographs. The vast majority of photographs are previously unpublished. The book is housed in a handsome printed slipcase, and each copy is personally signed by Gered.

WOW! defies the normal ‘coffee table’ convention. Much larger than a traditional coffee table volume, it is slim and elegant at the same time. WOW! is housed in a beautiful custom slipcase which reproduces the front and back book cover art. All our publications seek to redefine the book as more than just a book – and as a piece of art in its own right. With this in mind, the cover of the book and slipcase have been deliberately left free of text so that nothing detracts from the power of the images.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Why is this book important?

Why is this book important? Because something revelatory happens when a photograph is presented in a very large format like this. Hidden details come to light, and the power and impact of the image are magnified exponentially. Unless you go to a gallery and see a large format print on the wall, you can’t experience this. WOW! is like an entire art gallery exhibition that you get to take home and keep forever.

Our publishing arm, Ormond Yard Press, was established to bring to life a carefully curated series of spectacular large format limited edition photography books and has an express, and quite literal aim, of bringing you the bigger picture.

Each of our books focuses on a key moment or personality in the history of popular culture, and showcases the work of a photographer at the very top of his or her profession. We wanted to give these subjects the epic treatment they deserved, in a physical scale that was missing from traditional photo book publishing. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

WOW! facts and figures

This ultra-large-format book measures a staggering 18 x 24 inches (45 x 60cm) when closed, and 36 x 24 inches (90 x 60cm) when open.

WOW! has 96 large format pages, with approximately 250 stunning black and white and colour photographs, reproduced in sizes up to 24×36 inches (60x90cm), together with an introductory essay by Gered Mankowitz, and is limited to 750 individually signed and numbered copies worldwide.

WOW! is housed in a custom protective slipcase, with front and back cover artwork showing two of Gered’s best loved photographs of Kate Bush.

An optional acrylic slide-in slide-out wall unit allows you to display WOW! on your wall”.

Whilst WOW! is another quite expensive book, it is worth owning if you are a fan of Kate Bush. I might have to choose between WOW!, and The Kate Inside when it comes to the big-money purchase, but I love how there are two works that catalogue different time periods in Kate Bush’s career. Some fans have bought WOW! - and the excitement of owning the book must be immense! Whilst we might see another Mankowitz book of Bush photographs in the autumn, there are these incredible works out in the ether already.

PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

To finish off, I want to bring in an interview The Big Issue conducted with Mankowitz in 2014, as he promoted the collection of photos that he took of Bush between 1978-1979. Mankowitz discusses the shoot for the Wuthering Heights – and a famous leotard shot -; but he talks about Bush’s magnetism and sense of allure:

“She could just look at the camera you would melt. You sense that she was really special and felt Wuthering Heights was going to be a big hit and I know that EMI was going to really get behind it. What nobody knew was how huge she would be and how important.

I had worked with a lot of people who had become incredibly successful for one reason or another – The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, who had that same charisma and presence as Kate, as did Annie Lennox and Suzi Quattro. What you recognise is talent and charisma but that doesn’t necessarily turn into longevity.

We know you’re going to move from one single, one album to the next and hope that the artist and everything in their support structure around them is going to remain intact and supportive, and that the artist will build a fan base that is solid enough to support them.

The one thing that was very clear was here was a very individual and unique special artist. There’s always terrible pressure on people especially if your first record is a huge hit. I don’t think that any of her records have been as big as Wuthering Heights but she’s big enough, talented enough and clever enough not to be overwhelmed by the success.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush captured during the Wuthering Heights shoot in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

She would appear to be completely in control of her career, and she’s managed to maintain her privacy. When she makes an appearance [in public] she’s thought about it, and considered it, and the response to it is always huge.

The one picture that in a way is inescapable is the pink leotard Wuthering Heights picture. It’s one of those pictures that become iconic and represents so much, and that doesn’t happen very often. It has a life of its own and it has energy. I think it’s a beautiful portrait of a very beautiful young woman.

There is no doubt about Kate Bush’s popularity and appeal from a photographic viewpoint. I think we often discuss Bush in terms of the music and her videos, but there are few articles shored up that spotlight photos of her and how stunning her photoshoots are. I have written a couple of articles, but as I am so enamoured of these vast works by Guido Harari and Gered Mankowitz (you can see some photos here). I wanted to talk about them and reiterate what a transfixing presence Kate Bush is when she is away from the music and giving us these iconic and memorable images. If you want a deeper understanding of Kate Bush, I would recommend The Kate Inside, and WOW! They might seem pricey – you get good value for money – but, as they are these illustrative and passionate photographic collects concerning one of music’s most original and beloved artists, I think they are…

WORTH the investment..

FEATURE: Spotlight: Jockstrap

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

Jockstrap

___________

WHEREAS there were a lot of albums…

due in the coming month or so, so much of it has been put on hold. I am looking forward to venturing back out, and I hope there is some improvement in the current situation. Whilst we wait for things to get better and go back to normal, there are some great new acts that are catching my ear. I know Jockstrap have been together for a little while, but I think they are starting to rise and produce their finest work. Listening to BBC Radio 6 Music, I have been digging Jockstrap’s new single, Acid. It has elements of Jazz and 1950s music; it is quite dreamy and sort of swoons and sweeps. It is a wonderful song, and I have been compelled to find out more. Here is some information about the duo:

“Imagine luscious Hollywood strings and soft vocals set to Latin-tinged and elegantly composed songs on a bed of sharp bright synths, metallic beats and jarring electronic noise. PC music meets Paul Simon and Nouvelle Vague. Jockstrap are the alternative pop duo based in London who offer this eclectic style of contemporary music. Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2016, forming the group a year later and releasing their debut track, 'I Want Another Affair' in December.

The pair's incredibly firm footing in classical music and jazz is evident within the writing, which combined with their love of experimental and contemporary music, creates a unique and advanced approach to the pop format. Ellery's lyrics are honest - sometimes powerful, or tender, and largely influenced by Plath and Rossetti. Her songs are structured like a jazz standard, yet they are distorted by Skye's darker, more intense instrumentation and vocal manipulation after they are fed through an analog tape recorder. Jockstrap take all the right cues from the pop world and blend them with experimental values to produce a sophisticated and exciting proposition”.

The duo’s debut single, Hayley, was released back in 2018, and they have grown in strength since then. I love their earlier work, but I think songs like Acid mark a new peak for Jockstrap. If you want to follow Jockstrap, I have put some links at the bottom of this feature. They are a fantastic act, and one that I think will go a very long way. I am not sure what their plans are for the rest of the year, but touring is obviously going to be affected. I am always looking for original sounds, and Jockstrap have that in spades. Despite the fact their name is pretty terrible, I think we will be hearing a lot more from them in the coming years. I want to bring in a couple of features before wrapping up, just to introduce them and provide some more information. Last year, they were interviewed by the BBC:

“Guildhall in London has some pretty famous former music students. Legendary cellist Jacqueline Du Pre went there as did famed trumpeter Alison Balsom, Dido and Robbie William's songwriting partner Guy Chambers.

It's also the birthplace of the uniquely-named duo Jockstrap (be careful searching it on Google).

"I like the fact that it's quite shocking," says singer and violinist Georgia Ellery, who is studying for a degree in jazz music and is one half of the band. "But it's quite anonymous.

"I don't think people really think it's me and Taylor behind it. It's just a bit of fun, really.

"Also, there was no Jockstrap on Spotify."

Ellery met electronic music student Taylor Skye a little over a year ago and began making music which defies categorisation. Mixing strings, electronic beats, samples and flutes, with a bit of French new wave thrown in for good measure, thanks to Ellery's half-whispered lyrics - delivered in the style of French wave ingénue.

"We didn't say, 'Oh we want it to sound like this or that', we just wanted to see what came out," she says. "We just had what we had in our experience, which was a lot of classical music for me, loads of electronic music and the degrees that we're studying, I guess."

"We also both like Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and James Blake quite a lot," adds Skye”

In terms of new interviews, there hasn’t been too much out recently, but there is more than enough information online about Jockstrap and their music. If you want to get to know them, there are great articles that let us into their world. It is a shame Jockstrap won’t be able to gig for a little while, but I know there will be a big demand when they back on the road. I want to quote from a DIY feature from last year where Ellery and Skye discussed their take on Jazz and how they are expanding their horizons:

"It's important to make the classical, jazz, electronic thing fun," Taylor affirms. "So often, we're surrounded by people who take it ridiculously seriously, and I think the best things are those that are heartbreaking and funny at the same time. There are so many examples…" he continues. "Connan Mockasin - he's ridiculous, but his songs are so beautiful and heartfelt."

Singular in both its sound and vision, Jockstrap is a project like few others, and it's one that gained them a hefty collaboration before even releasing a note of music under the name. The pair contributed strings to Dean Blunt's 2018 EP 'Soul On Fire', which features A$AP Rocky and Mica Levi among others, after the producer saw them at a show and got in touch via Cherish Kaya, founder of the band's label, Kaya Kaya Records.

"I think he was just wanting to work with loads of up and coming people," Taylor remembers. "We were at the top on the credits - above A$AP - cos we had the most contribution on it. Jockstrap, then A$AP"

Make sure you follow the incredible Jockstrap, as they are so bright, brilliant and original. I think they will put out an album very soon, as they have a healthy body of songs that they can put out there. Until that – and touring -, check them out on YouTube and Spotify and make them your new favourite band. You only need to hear a few notes from them to be spellbound and hypnotised. The music of Jockstrap is…

SUCH an aural treat.

_________________

Follow Jockstrap

PHOTO CREDIT: Louise Mason for DIY

Official:

https://jockstrapmusic.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jockstrapmusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jockstrapmusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6S3Z6Me30mtdm526H17v8k

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jockstrap_music/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdKYE54T3FXI_z3uOoP9TCg

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Vol. IV: 1992-1995

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @georgiadelotz/Unsplash

Vol. IV: 1992-1995

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I am enjoying putting together this series…

PHOTO CREDIT: @stuchy/Unsplash

as I get to include U.K. hits from various periods in the 1980s and 1990s. When I get to the end of the '00s, I might circle back and go to the 1970, but I am having fun compiling playlists to lift the mood. We are all in the same boat right now, and I think music is a wonderful source of strength and inspiration – and comfort too. If you need a playlist for a kitchen disco or a playlist to keep you occupied for a while, I have compiled some big tunes from 1992-1995 (inclusive) that should…

PHOTO CREDIT: Henry Be/Unsplash

MOVE your body.

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Fleetwood Mac – Tango in the Night

FEATURE:

 

Vinyl Corner

Fleetwood Mac – Tango in the Night

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I have not included Fleetwood Mac…

IN THIS PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac in 1987

too much in this feature, but I have been listening back to Tango in the Night. It is the fourteenth album from the legendary band and, when artists release that many albums, there is usually a sag and sense of decline. Released in 1987, Tango in the Night follows from 1982’s Mirage. Both are exceptional records, but I think Tango in the Night is slightly stronger. The album was reissued in 2017, and it received a lot of praise. Produced by Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut, and the album did start out as a Buckingham solo record, before turning into a Fleetwood Mac album. Tango in the Night contains some of the band’s biggest singles. Aside from the immense Big Love, Seven Wonder, Little Lies, and Everywhere can be found on this album. In fact, the one-two-three of Big Love, Seven Wonders, and Everywhere is one of the strongest opening trio of songs ever – with Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie (the band’s principal songwriters) with a song each. Although the album did have its share of complications, it has sold over fifteen-million copies! Tango in the Night took almost eighteen months to complete, and Stevie Nicks only spent about two weeks in the studio with the band – she was promoting her third solo album, Rock a Little, throughout the period.

When Nicks was in the studio, she felt flat and unmotivated. Because of Nicks’ addiction issues, she would often take a drink and a few shots and perform songs intoxicated – causing an issue for Buckingham who was producing. In fact, Buckingham recorded a few of Nicks’ vocals using a Fairlight. Fleetwood Mac were no strangers to disruption and conflict. Look at Rumours and the period from 1975-1977 (they released Tusk in 1977). I would advise people get Tango in the Night on vinyl, as it is one of the band’s best albums. Although most of the big songs are in the first half of the album, I think there is quality throughout. On the second side, we have Family Man, and Welcome to the Room... Sara – two of the best cuts from Tango in the Night. Although some critics did not show much love for Tango in the Night back in 1987, I think reviews since then have been kinder. Here is AllMusic’s assessment of a terrific album:

“Artistically and commercially, the Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham/Mick Fleetwood/Christine and John McVie edition of Fleetwood Mac had been on a roll for over a decade when Tango in the Night was released in early 1987. This would, unfortunately, be Buckingham's last album with the pop/rock supergroup -- and he definitely ended his association with the band on a creative high note. Serving as the album's main producer, Buckingham gives an edgy quality to everything from the haunting "Isn't It Midnight" to the poetic "Seven Wonders" to the dreamy "Everywhere." Though Buckingham doesn't over-produce, his thoughtful use of synthesizers is a major asset. Without question, "Family Man" and "Caroline" are among the best songs ever written by Buckingham, who consistently brings out the best in his colleagues on this superb album”.

I really love Tango in the Night, and I think the album gets overlooked when we think of the classic Fleetwood Mac releases. I think, as we have more time to listen to music, it is a perfect opportunity to revisit this classic. Pitchfork reviewed the Deluxe Edition that was released in 2017:

“Still, it’s McVie whose work is most realized by Buckingham’s impressionism. Her “Everywhere” is the best song on the record. Like “Big Love” it too is about encountering an idea too big to contain within oneself (love, again). But where “Big Love” apprehends it with icy suspicion, “Everywhere” responds with warmth, empathy, and buoyancy, describing a kind of devotion so deeply felt that it produces weightlessness in a person. Its incandescent texture is felt in almost any music that could be reasonably described as balearic. Elsewhere, “Isn’t It Midnight,” McVie’s co-write with Buckingham and her then-husband Eddy Quintela, seems an inversion of the values of “Everywhere,” a severe ’80s guitar rock song that gets consumed by a greater, more unnerving force by its chorus, as if it’s succumbing to a conspiratorial dread. “Do you remember the face of a pretty girl?” McVie sings, and Buckingham echoes her in an unfeeling monotone (“the face of a pretty girl”) while behind him synths chime in a moving constellation, UFOs pulsing in the dark.

This is the essence of Tango in the Night: something falling apart but held together by an unearthly glow. More of a mirage than Mirage, it is an immaculate study in denial (its most enduring hit revolves around McVie asking someone to tell her “sweet little lies”). It’s a form of dreaming where you could touch the petals of a flower and feel something softer than the idea of softness. In this way, Tango seems to emerge less from Buckingham’s pure will and imagination than from a question that haunts art in general: How can one make the unreal real, and the real unreal?”.

I am going to spin Tango in the Night again, as I have so much appreciation and respect for Fleetwood Mac. If you have some time on your hands, go and order Tango in the Night – or stream it – and show this huge work…

SOME big love.  

FEATURE: Optimistic: Radiohead’s Weekly Concert Series: Will Other Artists Follow Suit?

FEATURE:

 

Optimistic

PHOTO CREDIT: Gie Knaeps/Getty Images

Radiohead’s Weekly Concert Series: Will Other Artists Follow Suit?

___________

THIS year…

I am going to talk about Radiohead’s work. Kid A turns twenty later in the year, and there is always something to discuss when it comes to one of the world’s greatest-ever bands. I am going to keep this short but, pleasingly, Radiohead are gifting us with yet more musical wonder. Radiohead have already opened their Public Library to the people, and one can access endless Radiohead tracks and rarities. It is wonderful that a band who have been around for decades are still offering up treats and surprises. As we are all inside and yearning to see live music, artists are giving up gigs from their homes. It is interesting seeing these more intimate sets, so that we can get our fill of live music without leaving the house. I have been looking around, and quite a few artists are giving the public access to archived live shows. Radiohead are putting one of their gigs on their YouTube site every week. Live from a Tent in Dublin (October 2000) went up a few days ago, and this is a gig that I have not seen before. Here are more details of Radiohead’s series:

“Radiohead are set to upload a number of full concert videos to their YouTube channel in the coming weeks to keep fans entertained through isolation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The band will draw on the vast archive of live footage that forms part of the Radiohead Public Library, launched earlier this year, for the uploads. "We will be releasing one a week until either the restrictions resulting from [the] current situation are eased, or we run out of shows," reads a note shared via their Facebook page.

The first of those sets, Live From a Tent In Dublin - October 2000, will go live at 10pm BST tonight (April 9). You will be able to watch it via Radiohead's YouTube page here. The show, which took place at Dublin's Punchestown Racecourse, formed part of Radiohead's tour in support of the albums Kid A and Amnesiac, having come shortly after the release of the first of those records”.

Whilst one does not get the same rush and tangibility watching a gig online compared to being there, the pleasure of watching a legendary band absolutely blow the crowd away is more than enough to lift the energy levels and create a smile. I am not sure when Radiohead will gig again, but there is something wonderfully nostalgic about seeing one of their classic gigs. I know there are videos on YouTube of their iconic Glastonbury set in 1997, but I wonder whether a version with better video and audio will be part of the series. There are some Radiohead gigs on YouTube already, but I think we will see some real gems come to the surface. There are a few artists, as I said, who are putting out some of their gigs whilst we are in lockdown, but it will be interesting to see whether other acts follow suit. I realise there are a lot of classic gigs online, but it would be good if some major artists did a weekly series whilst we are in lockdown.

For me, I would love to see The Beatles’ early gigs streamed. I think there are a few floating around on YouTube, but a weekly Beatles gig series would be awesome. As Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour is thirty this month, having some of her gigs available on her YouTube channel would be incredible. I think Blond Ambition exists in various forms on YouTube, but a better-rendered video from one of the shows doesn’t really exist. There are other shows and sets of hers that are harder to find and, even if the videos already exist, having Madonna backing a weekly series would bring a lot of people together. We all have our dream list of other artists we’d like gig series from, and I feel it makes for a nice companion to the home-streamed gigs that we see on social media. It is a difficult time for everyone, and we are seeing gigs presented in a whole new way. Whilst we might not be able to see live gigs for another couple of months or so, there are those in lockdown (myself included) who are searching through the online archives and seeing what big gigs are available to watch. Radiohead’s new is brilliant indeed, and I feel other major artists may well try a similar endeavour for a few weeks at least – or just carry it on past lockdown. I’d also like to see some classic Oasis gigs; maybe some of Glastonbury’s archives dug up – I know there are highlights from various years available, but watching full sets would be a thrill. Even though we are in lockdown, we are being treated to so much…

GREAT live music.

FEATURE: Everything in Its Right Place: The Fine Art of Album Sequencing

FEATURE:

Everything in Its Right Place

PHOTO CREDIT: @alexiby/Unsplash

The Fine Art of Album Sequencing

___________

I may have addressed this before…

PHOTO CREDIT: @mikeferreira/Unsplash

but many people overlook the importance of getting an album’s sequencing right. I think potentially great albums have been made average because tracks are placed in the wrong order; albums that could have been a little so-so have been gifted new life because the track sequencing makes for a must-listen experience! I think someone said the golden rule for sequencing an album was to have one of the best tracks at the top – so you start strong but can still build to the best track. The strongest track, logically, should occur at the end, so that you end with a bang; arrange the rest of the songs so the top and bottom half are equally weighted and there is a nice flow. I know it is hard to achieve that, but a couple of albums have accomplished this feat. Think about Radiohead’s The Bends. We start things off with Planet Telex (strong, but not a top-three cut) and end with the standout, Street Spirit (Fade Out). The album has some brilliant tracks in the opening half (The Bends, High and Dry, and Fake Plastic Trees) and strong material in the second half (My Iron Lung, and Sulk). There is a nice balance of more emotive songs and the hard-driving numbers, so that there is not a run of same-sounding tracks. I think The Beatles achieved the same thing on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The album starts with the title track and ends with the epic A Day in the Life – that song could not have appeared anywhere else on the record as it is a titanic statement that cannot be followed! Although most of the best songs are on the first half of this album, there are some wonderful tunes on the second half. I think the band, George Martin (the producer) and team sequenced the album wonderfully.

This article from The Guardian in 2008 investigates the importance of getting the sequencing right:

“There's a story that Kirsty MacColl - who was married to producer Steve Lillywhite - sequenced The Joshua Tree for U2, and she did it in order of her favourite songs, but that's probably unusual," says Hugo Turquet, A&R man at EMI, who says that ideally albums should be sequenced like vinyl, with an imaginary two sides. "Start each with a really good track and end with a really good track. You want a strong Side B starter and strong Side B ender ... if you have those four points everything else can fit around it. You don't want two songs with the same theme next to each other. The best albums sequence themselves."

According to Turquet, bands choose tracklistings themselves - aided by their manager - although they'll usually have heard a record company voice saying "we want the strong songs first". However, he warns against "front-loading" an album with big singles - if you play all your ace cards too early, the listener might not make it to the end.

Looking at a couple of classic albums, Turquet's formula seems about right. Nirvana's Nevermind opens with Smells Like Teen Spirit. Come As You Are and Lithium appear fairly early, and the strong kidnap-song Polly ends side one. The dark, lengthy Something In The Way similarly provides an epic album closer. Blur's Parklife also opens with smash hit Girls And Boys; the Phil Daniels-sung smash Parklife appears four tracks in, while the huge, melancholy ballad This Is A Low appears just before the end (the actual closer is the one minute long organ whirl Lot 105 - another occasional theme, the novelty-track ending). 

The opener isn't always a big hit single. The Smiths' classic The Queen Is Dead opens with the rampaging title track ... but imagine it kicking off with the playful Vicar In A Tutu? The whole album just wouldn't have had the same momentum. Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order - responsible for sequencing a fair few classic albums in their time, aided by manager Rob Gretton - compares choosing an album's track listing to pacing a live set. "Build up ... slow down ... with a big finish".

There are those who say that say the concept and traditional structure of albums have been rendered obsolete in the age of streaming. If people get an album from Spotify, will they play every track in order, or merely pick at the singles? There is an argument that says albums should start very strongly and have the singles near the top. If a listener has an album that starts slow and builds up, will they be patient enough to make it to the end? Will they merely hear a few songs and discard the remainder of the album? I think there is an art to sequencing an album; there are various movements and acts that tell a story and hook the listener. I do not think the album is dead; we still invested in listening to a full album, and those who really love their music will digest a work from the opening track to the finale. Many artists put their big hit at the very start of an album, but one must be conscious of not giving away all your treasure too soon.

If all the best tracks are done with in the top half of an album, it will create a rather uneven and unsatisfying listen. It appears that album sequencing is a science that is difficult to comprehend. I don’t think it is. When an album is being made, artists will have an idea of the story and order of songs. This article talks about album sequencing in the streaming age, and it gives useful steps to create a rich and flowing album:

“From start to finish, the best albums show a good sense of dynamics, detail, and story telling. Sequencing is crucial in this process. Two soft songs in a row will play much differently than a transition from a soft song to an edgy one.

Listeners can easily skip from one song to another, so take this as your chance to convince them otherwise. Give them a reason to stick around and listen to multiple songs in a row, the way they were intended”.

There are some great articles that discuss how important getting an album’s sequence right. Bands and artists can spend months deciding which tracks go where to create the finest experience. Iconic albums like Songs in the Key of Life gets the balance just so – it is a long album, but there is never a weak patch or a run of tracks that doesn’t amaze. People debate albums that suffer from good and poor sequencing.

As a big Radiohead fan, I love Hail to the Thief, but I think there are one or two many tracks; the record starts with 2 + 2 = 5, but the album sages a little in the middle. I think U2’s Pop is an example of an album with misjudged sequencing; an album the band were fiddling around with after its release. I wonder how good the original could have been if the tracks were in a different order. Even if more people are streaming albums rather than buying them on vinyl, I feel albums are stories and bodies of work that should keep you locked in from the first song to the last. Even if there is some filler on a track, an album can still seem wonderful if those songs are put in the right place – normally, you’d expect them to go in the middle of the pack or on the second half. The album as a full body of work will always have a place, and people will always marvel over a whole story – without skipping tracks and cherry-picking the singles. Because of that, I think the sequencing is as important as the songs themselves. If every track on the album is great but the songs are ordered wrong, it creates a rather uneven and displeasing experience. Likewise, putting all the gold too far up or too far down in the running order can be a mistake. I have sourced a few articles that advise how to sequence albums just right, but there is no golden rule. I love albums in so many ways: from the cover to the completeness of it, absorbing an album is a very special thing. Whilst the sound and quality of the individual tracks is crucial, I think an album can be elevated to heavenly heights with…

PHOTO CREDIT: @jesmanfabio/Unsplash

A dream sequence.

FEATURE: Set Adrift on Memory Bliss: Nostalgia at a Time of Trouble

FEATURE:

Set Adrift on Memory Bliss

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: dawohx

Nostalgia at a Time of Trouble

___________

IT is inevitable that…

IN THIS PHOTO: Resident, Brighton/PHOTO CREDIT: @residentmusic

at a time when we are inside and unable to appreciate the here and now as urgently and physically as we’d like, many of us are regressing to better times and childhood memories. I am going to publish another feature soon that looks at compilation albums and the best year for music. Right now, I have seen a lot of posts online that relate to fond memories of the past and treasured music memories. It might sound morbid or defeatist, but I think now is a perfectly fine time to be nostalgic and look back. For me, I have missed the tangible delight of looking for albums and browsing. When things start to get back to normal, I hope to get down to Brighton and visit Resident – a fantastic record shop. Of course, I will do other things whilst in Brighton, but I very much miss record shops and leafing through all the new releases; seeing which older albums grab my fancy and, inevitably, spending too much money! Of course, I can still order from Resident online, but there is something to be said for the mingling and being among like-minded people. I do worry about record shops at the moment, and I wonder how many will be forced to close because they cannot trade and sustain themselves. Thinking of buying albums in 2020 turns my thoughts back to when I started visiting music shops to buy singles and albums.

It must have been in the early-1990s when my curiosity began, and I think one of the earliest music-buying memories I have is purchasing NOW That's What I Call Music! 24. That album was released back in 1993, and it was a compilation of the best tracks from the year – and some older ones too. With Snow’s Informer and Shaggy’s Oh Carolina, I am taken back to middle school and a very happy time. One of the hard things about now is we cannot be sociable with music. Before lockdown, most of us listened to albums alone and streamed them; how often do you see people swapping albums and chatting about new releases? Now, we have this physical distance, which casts my thoughts to school. It was a very playful and collaborative environment where tapes would be swapped; I’d often chat with a group of friends about Top of the Pops or what was going to be number-one for that week. High school intensified my passion, and the school playground was awash with conversation about music. As I started high school in 1994, it was Britpop that was all the rage. There was terrific Pop, and a wonderfully colourful musical landscape that was irresistible to impressionable and hungry children. It was during these high-school years where I started to buy a lot of music and, in a way, that was what lit my eventual path to music journalism.

Getting the bus into town and buying a single by Basement Jaxx or the latest Manic Street Preachers album was a simple joy that, now, we long for. Pre-streaming days, having an album in your hand and going home and playing it was the highlight of the week. I had a pile of C.D. singles, and I would often buy compilations and all the biggest studio albums that came out. Once or twice, I would queue early to get an album, and so much of my savings went to music. I think I grew up at the right time. Born in the 1980s; at the peak of my fervour in the 1990s, the physicality of music was what connected me to artists. This is a reason why I still buy music as much as possible and get so much pleasure from visiting record shops. Sure, the sounds and flavour of modern music is very different to what it was in the 1980s and 1990s, but record shops give me a nostalgic buzz every time I visit – even if I am buying a new album. From high-school and the schoolyard sharing and after-school bonding, music was a source of joy, comfort and education. The fact the music industry has been contracted and repurposed during a very rough period means that, for now, I am spending a lot of time going back to music I grew up around. Not only does the warm recollection of better times give me strength to move forward; I am also rediscovering music that I have not played for a while now. I used to listen to quite a bit of Club and Electronic music when I was in high school and sixth form college, and it is wonderful dipping back in.

I publish special lockdown playlists that each cover a particular timeframe in music – I cover three years per playlist -, and that is a nice way of reacquainting myself with some cherished tunes. I feel too much escapism can be a bad thing, but a lot of people are doing it right now. Whether it is a protective blanket or a way of accessing past pleasure in order to find stamina to stay upbeat right now, I am not too sure. For me, I am hoping for a bright feature when this is all done. I know, in the span of our lives, this crisis is a very small part; it will pass and, years from now, it will be a distant memory – though we will not forget what we learned and encountered in 2020. New music is providing fuel and enjoyment, but I am pining for all the great singles and albums that I enjoyed growing up. When I hear these songs, memories of school, home and life in general come back – it gives that little boost and fond nostalgia that I feel we can all do with. I think I am also listening to music more right now than I ever have; not just older stuff, but newly-released material too. We will get through the other side of this with a new appreciation of musicians, live music and albums in general. One of my first desires is to go record shopping, but I have been streaming too much, whereas I should be buying more – that will change soon enough. Whilst we adapt to a new way of life (for now), think about the albums, artists and moments that soundtracked your young life. It provides a wonderful solace and ray of sunshine. I am going to cast my mind back to school-time jams and…       

SET adrift on memory bliss.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Vol. III: 1988-1991

FEATURE:

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @georgiadelotz/Unsplash

Vol. III: 1988-1991

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THIS is the third instalment of…

PHOTO CREDIT: @johnnymcclung/Unsplash

this playlist series, and I will be splitting features between current stuff (reviews and reaction to the coronavirus) and stuff that is a bit more nostalgic. If you need a playlist to soundtrack a lockdown party/kitchen rave/a weary afternoon, I have some tunes that should fit the bill. In this playlist, I have selected some of the biggest singles from the years 1988-1991 (inclusive). This was one of the most interesting and golden periods of music and, whilst I have not included non-singles – there are some great album tracks that have been missed -, I am sure you’ll agree there is more than enough in the pack to get the spirits lifted and the energy flowing. Take a listen to this latest Lockdown Playlist, and revel in…

PHOTO CREDIT: @leecampbell/Unsplash

SOME musical comfort.

FEATURE: Second Best: Ten Brilliant Sophomore Albums

FEATURE:

Second Best

IN THIS PHOTO: Björk captured by Enver Hirsch in 1995

Ten Brilliant Sophomore Albums

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ALTHOUGH I looked at sophomore albums…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna shot by Helmut Werb in 1984

a while back, I want to revisit the subject. The second album is that tricky thing. If you have a masterful debut, it is inevitable there is pressure to follow it with an even better sophomore effort. If you start off quite weak, there is a different pressure: in order to keep people interested, that second record has to be something special! Everyone has their views regarding the best sophomore albums and what defines a true classic. Whether it is an artist who vastly improved from a weak debut, or someone who topped an amazing first effort, there are some truly wonderful second albums. I have collected together what I think are the best sophomore albums ever. Here is a rundown of some albums that are definitely…

IN THIS PHOTO: Radiohead circa 1995

NOT second best!

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Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique

Release Date: 25th July, 1989

Producers: Beastie Boys/The Dust Brothers/Mario Caldato Jr.

Label: Capitol

The Debut: Licensed to Ill (1986)

Standout Tracks: To All the Girls/Hey Ladies/Shadrach

Key Cut: Shake Your Rump

Sample Review:

“While each member has their spotlight moments—MCA’s pedal-down tour de force fast-rap exhibition in “Year and a Day,” Mike D having too much to drink at the Red Lobster on “Mike on the Mic,” and Ad-Rock’s charmingly venomous tirade against coke-snorting Hollywood faux-ingénues in “3-Minute Rule”—Paul's Boutique is where their back-and-forth patter really reached its peak. At the start of their career, they built off the tag-team style popularized by Run-DMC, but by ’89 they'd developed it to such an extent and to such manic, screwball ends that they might as well have been drawing off the Marx Brothers as well. It’s impossible to hear the vast majority of this album as anything other than a locked-tight group effort, with its overlapping lyrics and shouted three-man one-liners, and it’s maybe best displayed in the classic single “Shadrach.” After years of post-Def Jam limbo and attempts to escape out from under the weight of a fratboy parody that got out of hand, they put together a defiant, iconographic statement of purpose that combined giddy braggadocio with weeded-out soul-searching. It’s the tightest highlight on an album full of them, a quick-volleying, line-swapping 100-yard dash capped off with the most confident possible delivery of the line “They tell us what to do? Hell no!” – Pitchfork

Radiohead – The Bends

Release Date: 13th March, 1995

Producer: John Leckie

Labels: Parlophone/Capitol

The Debut: Pablo Honey (1993)

Standout Tracks: The Bends/Fake Plastic Trees/Just

Key Cut: Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Sample Review:

“Pablo Honey in no way was adequate preparation for its epic, sprawling follow-up, The Bends. Building from the sweeping, three-guitar attack that punctuated the best moments of Pablo Honey, Radiohead create a grand and forceful sound that nevertheless resonates with anguish and despair -- it's cerebral anthemic rock. Occasionally, the album displays its influences, whether it's U2, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., or the Pixies, but Radiohead turn clichés inside out, making each song sound bracingly fresh. Thom Yorke's tortured lyrics give the album a melancholy undercurrent, as does the surging, textured music. But what makes The Bends so remarkable is that it marries such ambitious, and often challenging, instrumental soundscapes to songs that are at their cores hauntingly melodic and accessible. It makes the record compelling upon first listen, but it reveals new details with each listen, and soon it becomes apparent that with The Bends, Radiohead have reinvented anthemic rock” – AllMusic

Carole King - Tapestry

Release Date: 10th February, 1971

Producer: Lou Adler

Labels: Ode/A&M

The Debut: Writer (1970)

Standout Tracks: I Feel the Earth Move/Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?/(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

Key Cut: It’s Too Late

Sample Review:

“Two of the album’s pleasantest moments are hearing Carole sing “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “Natural Woman.” She makes no effort to compete with the standard versions but instead gives each an entirely fresh and original interpretation. The next to the last song on the album is the lovely title song and Miss King performs it as a solo. For the last song. “Natural Woman,” she is joined only by her husband, Charlie Larkey, on bass. It sounds like something out of one of her songs…

Conviction and commitment are the life blood of Tapestry and are precisely what make it so fine. Of course, commitment alone means nothing; but commitment coupled with the musical talents of a genuine pop artist mean everything. To paraphrase Pauline Kael, writing about director Jean Renoir, Carole King is thoroughly involved with her music; she reaches out towards us and gives everything she has. And this generosity is so extraordinary that perhaps we can give it another name: passion.

Curtis Mayfield, in a song written at just about the same time Carole was writing “The Locomotion” put it another way: “The woman’s got soul” – Rolling Stone

Amy Winehouse – Back to Black

Release Date: 27th October, 2006

Producers: Mark Ronson/Salaam Remi

Label: Island

The Debut: Frank (2003)

Standout Tracks: Rehab/You Know I’m No Good/Love Is a Losing Game

Key Cut: Back to Black

Sample Review:

“What was particularly intriguing about the 22-year-old was how she managed to sound like a Fifties jazz club singer while singing outre lyrics about life in contemporary London. This compelling duality is continued with a deft change of backdrop on Back to Black, wherein she assumes the role of an Aretha Franklin-style soul singer complete with doo-wop backing groups while again singing of her contemporary urban experiences. It should keep popular culture students busy for the next 20 years in the way that Mick Jagger in the mid-Sixties prompted countless theses on the subliminal black person within. None the less it works - even though this area of pop culture has been mined remorselessly for the past 50 years - by dint of its clever melody lines and smart lyrics.

As if to emphasise just how wise she is, Winehouse has kept each track to around the length of a 45 (remember those?), enabling her to make her point and move on without running the risk of outstaying her welcome. So whether it's the rousing, churchy 'Rehab', in which Winehouse describes how her father tries to wean her off alcohol ('Try to make me go to rehab/ I say no, no, no'), or the serious soul of 'Love is a Losing Game', Back to Black isn't shy of betraying its debt to pop” – The Observer

The Beatles - With the Beatles

Release Date: 22 November, 1963

Producer: George Martin

Label: Paralophone

The Debut: Please Please Me (1963)

Standout Tracks: It Won’t Be Long/Don’t Bother Me/I Wanna Be Your Man

Key Cut: All My Loving

Sample Review:

“Things get more interesting on With The Beatles, particularly for audiences who feel the hi-hat should be the dominant musical instrument on all musical recordings. Only one track lasts longer than three minutes, but structurally, it would appear that the Beatles were more musical than any songwriters who had ever come before them, even when performing material that had been conceived for The Music Man. It’s hard to understand why the rock press wasn’t covering the Beatles during this stretch of their career; one can only assume that the band members’ lack of charisma and uneasy rapport made them unappealing to the mainstream media. Still, the music itself has verve—With The Beatles earns another” – The A.V. Club

Nirvana - Nevermind

Release Date: 24th September, 1991

Producer: Butch Vig

Label: DGC

The Debut: Bleach (1989)

Standout Tracks: Smells Like Teen Spirit/Breed/Something in the Way

Key Cut: Come as You Are

Sample Review:

“‘Come As You Are' has something eerie about it, while opening track (and forthcoming single) 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' has a 'Goo'ey feeling inherent in its lurching structure. At other times, the threesome lean into thrashier territory with the berserk 'Territorial Pissings' and screaming-pop of 'Breed'.

This is the natural progression from their debut LP 'Bleach', exploring different avenues. They are less specific lyrically than SY, sometimes annoyingly so, but yet they still produce these vivid moods with 'Drain You', 'Polly' and the closing, quieter 'Something In The Way'.

'Nevermind' is the big American alternative record of the autumn. But better still, it'll last well into next year” – NME

Madonna – Like a Virgin

Release Date: 12th November, 1984

Producer: Nile Rodgers

Labels: Sire/Warner Bros.

The Debut: Madonna (1983)

Standout Tracks: Angel/Like a Virgin/Dress You Are

Key Cut: Material Girl

Sample Review:

“Madonna had hits with her first album, even reaching the Top Ten twice with "Borderline" and "Lucky Star," but she didn't become a superstar, an icon, until her second album, Like a Virgin. She saw the opening for this kind of explosion and seized it, bringing in former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers in as a producer, to help her expand her sound, and then carefully constructed her image as an ironic, ferociously sexy Boy Toy; the Steven Meisel-shot cover, capturing her as a buxom bride with a Boy Toy belt buckle on the front, and dressing after a night of passion, was as key to her reinvention as the music itself. Yet, there's no discounting the best songs on the record, the moments when her grand concepts are married to music that transcends the mere classification of dance-pop. These, of course, are "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin," the two songs that made her an icon, and the two songs that remain definitive statements. They overshadow the rest of the record, not just because they are a perfect match of theme and sound, but because the rest of the album vacillates wildly in terms of quality. The other two singles, "Angel" and "Dress You Up," are excellent standard-issue dance-pop, and there are other moments that work well ("Over and Over," "Stay," the earnest cover of Rose Royce's "Love Don't Live Here"), but overall, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts -- partially because the singles are so good, but also because on the first album, she stunned with style and a certain joy. Here, the calculation is apparent, and while that's part of Madonna's essence -- even something that makes her fun -- it throws the record's balance off a little too much for it to be consistent, even if it justifiably made her a star” – AllMusic

Björk – Post 

Release Date: 13th June, 1995

Producers: Björk/Nellee Hooper/Graham Massey/Tricky/Howie B

Labels: One Little Indian/Elektra

The Debut: Debut (1993)

Standout Tracks: Army of Me/Hyperballad/It’s Oh So Quiet

Key Cut: Isobel

Sample Review:

“On Björk second solo album, Post, the ex-Sugarcube finds a bizarre and irresistible connecting point between industrial-disco, ambient-trance, and catchy synth pop. She even shoehorns in a big-band number, though few will confuse the Icelandic pixie — with her otherworldly lyrics and supernatural pipes — with Peggy Lee. Luckily, there’s a conviction to Björk’s delivery and an assurance to her hooks that make her most surreal passages as relatable as moon-June standards. Ultimately, she reinvents that tradition, constructing standards for the cyber age” – Entertainment Weekly

Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish

Release Date: 10th May, 1993

Producers: Blur/John Smith/Steve Lovell/Stephen Street

Labels: Food (U.K.)/SBK (U.S.)

The Debut: Leisure (1991)

Standout Tracks: Blue Jeans/Chemical World/Sunday Sunday

Key Cut: For Tomorrow

Sample Review:

“Further in there’s a very intriguing mix of obscurities that clearly indicate a band entering their stride as musicians, if not entirely sure of their identity: you would never in a million years pick out the reverb-heavy blues of the excellent ‘Pop Scene’ b-side ‘Garden City’ out as Blur; by the October 1993 ‘Sunday Sunday’ single their infatuation with Englishness had reached something like self-parody, with punk rock covers of ‘Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Made for Two)’ and ‘Let’s All Go Down the Strand’.

There’s none of the romance or cohesiveness of the album proper, but – on the original compositions - the songcraft is almost faultless, from the clean new wave guitars of ‘Mace’ to the weirdly successful Krautrock experiment of ‘Es Schmecht’. If the Modern Life Is Rubbish b-sides are the sound of a band coming into peak form as musicians, then Modern Life Is Rubbish is them deciding what to do with that form. Reputedly the band – after their pissiness over ‘Popscene’ – were unfazed that neither their second album nor its singles sold particular well: they knew how good it was, they knew it was only a matter of time before they hit the big time… and they were right” – Drowned in Sound

Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Release Date: 2nd February, 1994

Producers: Pavement

Label: Matador

The Debut: Slanted and Enchanted (1992)

Standout Tracks: Elevate Me Later/Gold Soundz/Range Life

Key Cut: Cut Your Hair

Sample Review:

“Pavement may still be messy, but it's a meaningful, musical messiness from the performance to the production: listen to how "Silence Kit" begins by falling into place with its layers of fuzz guitars, wah wahs, cowbells, thumping bass, and drum fills, how what initially seems random gives way into a lush Californian pop song. That's Crooked Rain a nutshell -- what initially seems chaotic has purpose, leading listeners into the bittersweet heart and impish humor at the core of the album. Many bands attempted to replicate the sound or the vibe of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, but they never came close to the quicksilver shifts in music and emotion that give this album such lasting appeal. Here, Pavement follow the heartbroken ballad "Stop Breathin'" with the wry, hooky alt-rock hit "Cut Your Hair" without missing a beat. They throw out a jazzy Dave Brubeck tribute in "5-4=Unity" as easily as they mimic the Fall and mock the Happy Mondays on "Hit the Plane Down." By drawing on so many different influences, Pavement discovered its own distinctive voice as a band on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, creating a vibrant, dynamic, emotionally resonant album that stands as a touchstone of underground rock in the '90s and one of the great albums of its decade” – AllMusic

FEATURE: A Foetus's Perspective of Nuclear Holocaust: Kate Bush’s Breathing at Forty

FEATURE:

 

A Foetus's Perspective of Nuclear Holocaust

Kate Bush’s Breathing at Forty

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THERE is never any shortage of…

Kate Bush-related things to explore and, in the coming weeks, I have a few things to tick off the list. Right now, an important song of hers is turning forty. Breathing was released on 14th April, 1980, and it is from her album, Never for Ever. Some might query why Breathing is such an important work. Bush has songs in her cannon that are more celebrated and finer – including Wuthering Heights, and Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) -, but there was this very noticeable and important growth that occurred in 1980. What propelled this shift? Well, Kate Bush is an artist who always likes to move and never likes to repeat herself. After Lionheart in 1978 – her second album -, and the Tour of Life of 1979, there was this feeling of taking a step in a new direction. Her first two albums, The Kick Inside (1978), and Lionheart, are defined by a very distinct vocal sound and musical texture. Bush’s voice, for the most part, is agile and high-pitched; she has this romantic, seductive quality, and most of her songs concerned the personal rather than the political. Sure, right from her debut album, she was writing songs that went way beyond matters of the heart. Look at The Kick Inside’s Wuthering Heights, Them Heavy People, and The Kick Inside, for instance – between the three tracks, she ticks off classic literature, spirituality/spiritual teachers, and incest. Bush has never been afraid to let her imagination roam, and her songwriting is among the most original ever committed to tape.

Whilst she was certainly unique and broad in terms of themes, her first couple of albums featured little in the way of political songs; numbers that were symphonic and raw. Whilst there is no single reason why Bush wrote Breathing, I think there was a sense of tension in the air that there was going to be nuclear destruction. I will talk about the song’s meaning and details soon but, not only did she write Breathing for Never for Ever; Army Dreamers concerns young soldiers, barely out of school, being sent to die. Whilst that song features quite high-pitched vocals (Bush imitating an Irish accent), Breathing is a completely different thing. Vocally, one can notice a slight move away from the more theatrical and gymnastic sounds of The Kick Inside , and Lionheart. Breathing features, in my view, one of Bush’s best-ever vocals. Symphonic, utterly engrossing and compelling, it is almost a transformation of the girl into a young woman. I think many people in the press considered Bush to be a bit hippy-dippy, airy-fairy; maybe a bit naïve and wide-eyed – someone who was very different to a lot of her Rock and Punk peers. Of course, this sort of patronising attitude was not the reason Bush included a song like Breathing into an album. That idea of Bush as this ingenue who was a bit out-there and not too serious…that must have hit her quite hard.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush shot by Andy Phillips in 1980

I want to source an interview from NME of 1979, where Danny Baker met Kate Bush. I think, in the years since the interview was published, Baker has distanced himself somewhat; he wanted to make the people at NME laugh and, to his credit, there is a jocularity and sense of confrontation that is refreshing – most interviews with Kate Bush were very well-mannered and samey. I want to source a few extracts from the interview – which was published on 20th October, 1979 – not very long before Breathing was recorded over a few days in early-1980:

“Asking a few more questions, I begin to realise that this isn't the kind of stuff that weekloads of Gasbags [NME letters page] are made of. I'm searching for a key probe, but with Kate Bush – well, there's not likely to be anything that will cause the 12-inch banner-headline stuff, is there now? I recall Charlie Murray's less than enthusiastic review of her Palladium shows, which were apparently crammed with lame attempts to "widen" the audience's artistic horizons – y'know, lots of people dressed as violins and carrots an' that. CSM reckons it was one of the most condescending gigs in the history of music. Kate had read the review, but she didn't break down.

Well, that certainly seems a worthwhile thing to do, all right, although it has in fact been done before. Y'see, occasionally Kate allows the poet and all-round Tyrannosaurus Rex dreamer to slip out, a sucker for Lord of the Rings. For a start I have cut about a hundred "wows" and "amazings" from her speech. She talks at length about how important she feels it is to be "creating" all the time, and when I asked her if she looked to the news for any song inspiration I got this curious answer:

"Well, whenever I see the news, it's always the same depressing things. War's hostages and people's arms hanging off with all the tendons hanging out, you know. So I tend not to watch it much. I prefer to go and see a movie or something, where it's all put much more poetically. People getting their heads blown off in slow motion, very beautifully."

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in May 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Mirrorpix

She grins broadly again. Kate is an artist through and through, seeing the world as a crazy canvas on which to skip. Her outrageous charm covers the fact that we are in the midst of a hippy uprising of the most devious sorts. I approach her on the question of being a woman in pop music once more”.

You can read the full interview, but there is a sense that Baker had little respect for Bush’s music at the time. I am not suggested this interview was what compelled Bush to ‘get serious’, but some corners of the press had a very particular impression of who she was and how deep her music was. Breathing is the lead single from her third album. Bush released Breathing as the first single from the album, which signals that she wanted to send out a big message straight away. Army Dreamers, the other big political-minded track, was released as the third single – the more commercial Babooshka was the second single from the album. Whilst there are tracks on the album that are a bit more accessible and ‘commercial’ (if that is the most fiting word) – such as The Wedding List, and Violin, I love the fact that Breathing was the first single from Never for Ever – quite a big change from Wuthering Heights (her iconic debut single) and Hammer Horror (the lead single from Lionheart). 

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush circa 1980

Breathing concerns nuclear war as seen from the perspective of a foetus. The foetus cannot hear or see the bombs, but he/she knows that their life might be terminated as his/her mother is breathing in radioactive air – “Outside/Gets inside/Through her skin/I've been out before/But this time it's much safer in”. Bush’s lyrics are always extraordinary, but the way she delivers “Breathing/Breathing my mother in/Breathing my beloved in…”, is a mix of the soothing-cum-haunting. Whilst those lines are the mantra and most devastating part of the song, there are other lines that catch my ear. “We've lost our chance/We're the first and the last, ooh/After the blast/Chips of plutonium/Are twinkling in every lung” is so evocative and striking! In terms of her vocals, I think this is the first real high point after Wuthering Heights for Bush. Her band are incredible and give her exceptional support. Breathing featured: drums: Stuart Elliott; fretless bass: John Giblin; Fender Rhodes: Max Middleton; electric guitar: Alan Murphy, Brian Bath; Prophet: Larry Fast; percussion: Morris Pert; backing vocals: Roy Harper. The backing vocal from Roy Harper is especially stirring and impactful – Bush provided her vocals to Harper’s 1980 album, The Unknown Soldier. In terms of explaining Breathing and its background, Kate Bush gave some explanations in the press. When speaking with Keyboard in 1985, she said the following: 

"'Breathing' is about human beings killing themselves. I think that people smoking is one of those tiny things that says a lot about human beings. I mean, I smoke and enjoy it, but we smoke and we know it's dangerous. Maybe there's some kind of strange subconscious desire to damage ourselves. It would seem so if you looked back through history, wouldn't it?"

Bush was worried at the time that Breathing was quite negative and heavy; that it was a bit real and might not be as popular and widely-played as previous singles like Wow (the second single from Lionheart). Rather than the foetus/embryo reflecting on the present (1980), Bush saw it more as a vision from the future; a spiritual embryo that gives warning about what could happen to the world if things continue as they are. Although Breathing only charted as high as number-sixteen in the U.K., I think the track is hugely important. Look at what is happening now and the position we are in. Whilst we are not threatened with nuclear war, it is a very scary time, and I think Breathing sounds as relevant today as it did in 1980. I want to bring in a few extracts from the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia that pertain to Breathing:

“The track includes spoken words describing the flash from a nuclear bomb. The exact words - which are missing from the artwork on the album - are: "In point of fact it is possible to tell the Difference between a small nuclear explosion and a large one by a very simple method. The calling card of a nuclear bomb is the blinding flash that is far more dazzling than any light on earth - brighter even than the sun itself - and it is by the duration of this flash that we are able to determine the size of the weapon…

After the flash a fireball can be seen to rise, sucking up under it the debris, dust and living things around the area of the explosion, and as this ascends, it soon becomes recognisable as the familiar 'mushroom cloud'. As a demonstration of the flash duration test let's try and count the number of seconds for the flash emitted by a very small bomb; then a more substantial, medium-sized bomb; and finally, one of our very powerful, 'high-yield' bombs".

“'Breathing' is a warning and plea from a future spirit to try and save mankind and his planet from irretrievable destruction. (Kate Bush Club newsletter, September 1980)”.

“From my own viewpoint that's the best thing I've ever written. It's the best thing I've ever produced. I call that my little symphony, because I think every writer, whether they admit it or not, loves the idea of writing their own symphony. The song says something real for me, whereas many of the others haven't quite got to the level that I would like them to reach, though they're trying to. Often it's because the song won't allow it, and that song allowed everything that I wanted to be done to it. That track was easy to build up. Although it had to be huge, it was just speaking - saying what had to be put on it. In many ways, I think the most exciting thing was making the backing track. The session men had their lines, they understood what the song was about, but at first there was no emotion, and that track was demanding so much emotion. It wasn't until they actually played with feeling that the whole thing took off. When we went and listened, I wanted to cry, because of what they had put into it. It was so tender. It meant a lot to me that they had put in as much as they could, because it must get hard for session guys. They get paid by the hour, and so many people don't want to hear the emotion. They want clear, perfect tuning, a 'good sound'; but often the out-of-tuneness, the uncleanliness, doesn't matter as much as the emotional content that's in there. I think that's much more important than the technicalities. (Kris Needs, 'Fire In The Bush'. Zigzag (UK), 1980)”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush circa 1980

“There was a point in people's lives when the imminent prospect of war was scaring the shit out of them, and that resulted in a lot of anti-war songs. At that time it was worthwhile. When I wrote 'Breathing' it seemed like people were sitting waiting for a nuclear bomb to go off. Nuclear power seemed like... Someone was getting set to blow us up without our consent. I felt I wanted to write a song about it. If it was something that was bothering so many people then yes, I think it was worthwhile. Songs or films or little individuals don't do anything on a big level. Big things need bigger things to change them (Richard Cook, 'My Music Sophisticated? I'd Rather You Said That Than Turdlike!'. NME (UK), October 1982)”.

I do think the pre-Hounds of Love period is very underrated. Bush was exceptional from the start, but I think Breathing, and Never for Ever marked a turning point. The video, too, in an extraordinary thing – from an artist who always put her all into her videos. When Breathing turns forty on 14th April, I do hope it gets some airplay, and more people discover the song. It is one of Kate Bush’s many gems, and I felt it only right to mark its fortieth anniversary. Listening to Breathing, it is clear that the power, relevance and beauty of the song will…  

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush photoed at the British Rock and Pop Awards on 26th February, 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: Mirrorpix

NEVER fade.

FEATURE: The April Playlist: Vol. 2: From Los Angeles to London to Kyoto…

FEATURE:

 

The April Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Bridgers

Vol. 2: From Los Angeles to London to Kyoto…

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THIS is an unusually busy week…

IN THIS IMAGE: Charli XCX/ARTWORK: Caroline Polachek

and I did not expect so many ace songs! There is a great mix from big artists and the underground alike. Not only is there new music from Charli XCX, Phoebe Bridgers, Laura Marling, and Gorillaz (ft. Peter Hook & Georgia); we have some fantastic cuts from Kojey Radical, Dua Lipa, The Strokes, Hayley Williams, and Ghostpoet. I have only just skimmed the surface: there are so many wonderful songs that span multiple genres and moods. Have a listen to the amazing playlist that is full of tunes from…

IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling

A fantastic week in music!

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Gorillaz (ft. Peter Hook & Georgia) – Aries

PHOTO CREDIT: Artists Den Entertainment/Shutterstock

Charli XCX – Forever

PHOTO CREDIT: Molly Matalon for FADER

Phoebe Bridgers - Kyoto 

Dua Lipa – Hallucinate

Chelsea Jade – Superfan

Kojey Radical - Proud of You

Alfie Templeman - Happiness in Liquid Form

PHOTO CREDIT: Adeline Mai

The Aces - Lost Angeles

PHOTO CREDIT: Tomm Roeschlein

Harkin - Dial It In

PHOTO CREDIT: Vic Frankowski

Laura Marling - Held Down

Ghostpoet – Nowhere to Hide Now

COVER PAINTING: Bird on Money by Jean-Michel Basquiat

The Strokes - Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus

PHOTO CREDIT: Hollie Fernando Photography.

Willie J Healey - True Stereo

Hazel English – Five and Dime

Remi Wolf - Woo!

Hayley Williams - My Friend

PHOTO CREDIT: @SELFESTEEM___

Self Esteem - Favourite Problem (Alternative Version / Pseudo Video)

Selena Gomez – Boyfriend

Alison Mosshart - Rise

PHOTO CREDIT: Fog Again

blink-182 - Happy Days

Toni Braxton – Do It

Washed Out - Too Late

IN THIS PHOTO: Leon Bridges

Leon Bridges (ft. John Mayer) – Inside Friend

Mabes – Stuck in the Rain

Stalking Gia – The Kindest Thing

Tash Sultana – Pretty Lady

Kid Ink – Just Chill

Pip Millett – Heavenly Mother

Joy Crookes – Anyone But Me

Hamilton Leithauser – The Garbage Men

Lennon Stella – Fear of Being Alone

Gregory Porter – Thank You

Rico Nasty – Popstar

PHOTO CREDIT: Ash Dye

Ohmme – Ghost

Charlotte OC – Falling for You

Yves Tumor – Strawberry Privilege

Gracie Abrams – I miss you, I’m sorry

Baby Taylah – Home

Fia Moon – better days

FEATURE: The Beatles’ Let It Be at Fifty: Don’t Let Me Down: The Strange Case of Let It Be… Naked

FEATURE:

 

The Beatles’ Let It Be at Fifty

Don’t Let Me Down: The Strange Case of Let It Be… Naked

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MAYBE it is a bit odd celebrating an album…

by mentioning a remake of that album. It is not often a band brings out a different version of a studio album with a different track listing and a different sound. The Beatles’ Let It Be is fifty on 8th May, and it is the final studio album of theirs to celebrate fifty years – it was the final studio album from them, but they recorded it before Abbey Road. Last year, there was a big celebration for Abbey Road; there was a remastered version of the album, and some lovely C.D. and vinyl sets. This year, as we are in lockdown, there is unlikely to be any remastered version of the album. For one, Let It Be was not produced by long-time Beatles brother, George Martin. This was a Phil Spector-produced album and, as George Martin’s son Giles is overseeing remastered Beatles releases, this is one album that he is not going to be involved with. There is a film, The Beatles: Get Back, which is a film/documentary featuring in-studio footage that was shot in early-1969 for the 1970 feature film, Let It Be. I hope there are mentions on radio and in the media, as Let It Be is a hugely important album. There is a divide between fans and the media regarding the quality and relevance of Let It Be. As a ‘final chapter’ for the band, it is not as brilliant and fitting as Abbey Road.

In terms of the song quality, there are a few gems, but not as many as Abbey Road. I think the biggest ‘controversy’ relates to the production of Phil Spector. He brought in his Wall of Sound production technique and, as such, as songs like Let It Be, and The Long and Winding Road are drenched in strings and choirs – it sounds over-produced, cloying and not a patch on George Martin’s work. Some people don’t mind, as it is only a couple of songs, and the production is not too bad elsewhere. Others wonder what it would have been like had George Martin have produced – he was persuaded to come back on Abbey Road. Technically, George Martin produced the sessions that would become Let It Be, but Phil Spector had final say over the mixes. One person who especially disliked Let It Be was Paul McCartney. In this article, we lean why Macca was not a fan:

“In the early months of 1970, The Beatles had split into two camps: those who accepted Allen Klein as the band’s new manager (John, George, and Ringo) and he who didn’t (Paul). From those two positions, we can’t see how everyone would end up happy with the new album.

As Paul worked on his first solo album and the other Beatles tried to tend to business, Spector got the nod to finish Let It Be. “Paul has been quoted as saying he didn’t want Phil Spector involved … but I personally thought it was a really good idea,” George said in Anthology.

Since many hours of raw material existed, Spector had to do his best with “Across the Universe” and (much to Paul’s chagrin) “The Long and Winding Road.” “I like what Phil did, actually,” Ringo said. “He put the music somewhere else.” John also went on the record backing Spector.

“[Spector] had always wanted to work with The Beatles, and he was given the sh–tiest load of badly recorded s–t with a lousy feeling to it ever, and he made something out of it. He did a great job.”

During interviews for the 1990s Anthology project, Paul still couldn’t stomach the Let It Be album. “I heard the Spector version again recently, and it sounded terrible,” he said. “I prefer the original sound that’s show on Anthology 3.”

Paul didn’t stop hating Let It Be. After the turn of the century, he had engineers at Abbey Road studios dig out the original tapes and take another stab at the album. This time, Paul (with the approval of George and Ringo) insisted the tapes go out as he originally intended (i.e., stripped-down)”.

This brings me to the strange-but-necessary Let It Be… Naked. In a way, the album is a way of hearing songs like Let It Be, and The Long and Winding Road in a rawer and more natural state. Whilst the album does not exactly reverse Spector’s work and sound like a George Martin-produced record, it is closer to what McCartney had in mind – even if the rest of The Beatles were not unfavourable towards Let It Be and Spector. Paul McCartney had more artistic control/leadership of The Beatles by the time of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Whilst there was more of a division by 1968’s The Beatles, when Abbey Road was being recorded, again, McCartney was almost like the band’s leader. I don’t think Let It Be… Naked was McCartney wrestling control and making ‘his’ version of the album. Tracks like The Long and Winding Road and gorgeous, and I admit that Phil Spector’s additions ruin a lot of the genius McCartney wrote. Maybe the other Beatles liked what Spector did on Let It Be – George Harrison did give approval to McCartney for Let It Be… Naked before he died -, but McCartney always felt like the album could sound better. Here is a list of the Let It Be… Naked tracks and the versions used:

"Get Back" – A remix of the take recorded on 27 January 1969 used for both the single and album; without the coda recorded on 28 January or framing dialogue from the studio and rooftop concert added to the album version.

"Dig a Pony" – A remix of the take from the rooftop concert on 30 January 1969; framing dialogue and false start removed; error in second verse (the "because" in Lennon's vocal track) digitally corrected.

"For You Blue" – A remix of the 25 January 1969 take used on the album, including Harrison's re-recorded lead vocal from 8 January 1970; framing dialogue removed.

"The Long and Winding Road" – A remix of the final take recorded on 31 January 1969, instead of the album take from 26 January. Previously unreleased.

"Two of Us" – A remix of the take recorded on 31 January 1969 used on the album; framing dialogue removed; minor error in Lennon's acoustic guitar performance digitally corrected.

"I've Got a Feeling" – A composite edit of two takes from the rooftop concert.

"One After 909" – A remix of the take from the rooftop concert; impromptu rendition of "Danny Boy" removed.

"Don't Let Me Down" – A composite edit of two takes from the rooftop concert. Previously unreleased.

"I Me Mine" – A remixed, slightly different recreation of Spector's edit (copying the chorus in the middle of the song and adding it to the end) to lengthen the track recorded on 3 January 1970; guitar overdubs and organ parts mixed in and out to make the repeated verse sound different.

"Across the Universe" – A remix of the original version recorded on 4 February 1968, played at the correct speed; sound effects, piano, maracas and backing vocals mixed out; tape echo added.

"Let It Be" – A remix of take 27A from 31 January 1969 used for George Martin's single version and Spector's album version, with edit pieces including Harrison's guitar solo from take 27B edited in”.

Whilst we look ahead to the fiftieth anniversary of Let It Be, questions remain. Is the McCartney-helmed Let It Be… Naked a better album? Is the original Let It Be all that you need? Is Let It Be… Naked a disaster?

I do think the sound and production of Let It Be is a crucial talking point. I can see why McCartney wanted to do justice to songs of his that were sugar-drenched by Phil Spector…but was there a need to take the whole album and change it?! Maybe not. In any case, I think that Let It Be… Naked is a rare case of a Beatles album being remixed and remade rather than remastered – whilst keeping the original production and tracks intact. Reviews for Let It Be… Naked ranged from lukewarm to positive. This is AllMusic’s view on the 2003 album:

“In its original form, Let It Be signaled the end of an era, closing the book on the Beatles, as well as literally and figuratively marking the end of the '60s. The 1970 release evolved from friction-filled sessions the band intended to be an organic, bare-bones return to their roots. Instead, the endless hours of tapes were eventually handed over to Phil Spector, since neither the quickly splintering Beatles nor their longtime producer George Martin wanted to sift through the voluminous results. Let It Be... Naked sets the record straight, revisiting the contentious sessions, stripping away the Spectorian orchestrations, reworking the running order, and losing all extemporaneous in-studio banter. On this version of the album, filler tracks ("Dig It," "Maggie Mae") are dropped, while the juicy B-side "Don't Let Me Down" is added. The most obvious revamping is on the songs handled heavily by Spector. Removing the orchestrations from "The Long and Winding Road" and "Across the Universe" gives Paul McCartney's vocals considerably more resonance on the former, doing the same for John Lennon's voice and guitar on the latter. This alternate take on Let It Be enhances the album's power, reclaiming the raw, unadorned quality that was meant to be its calling card from the beginning”.

Track order and production are things that not many music fans consider. I think albums can be made or broken by the tracks being in a certain order. Similarly, if the production if off or there is something missing, a potentially great album can come out sounding rather tame or cluttered. I think the stripping-down of the some of the more drenched and saccharine tracks is a blessing. In another review, Pitchfork had their take:

“The tracks that struck me most on Naked were "Let It Be" and "Across the Universe". The former because it seems very much improved with this remix; the Harrison guitar solo is new, so this is likely a different version than was released originally, and the hymnal-esque backing vocals are gorgeously placed across the aural plane in the mix. These are the kinds of changes that make Naked an interesting listen for longtime fans, and raise the question of the powers that be possibly issuing a full-length project of Beatles remixes wherein drastic changes are made to songs without the obligation of placing the project alongside the rest of their proper LPs, as if this is the way they were "meant" to be.  

That said, "Across the Universe" is the same (slowed-down) vocal and guitar from Let It Be, but with more reverb and soft sitar-like sounds. Though there's already a beautiful, lesser-known version of this track available (an elaborate George Martin-produced studio version with a background children's choir and bird chirps), this take eclipses the already beautiful original Let It Be version as the second-best performance of the song”.

This will be my penultimate piece relating to Let It Be. I think the album deserves a lot of attention when it turns fifty on 8th May. I have respect for the original, and it is sort of a shame that it will not receive the attention that other Beatles have on their fiftieth. I wanted to talk about Let It Be… Naked, as it is a fascinating release that has split a lot of people. The big question is whether the 2003 release is better and more in the spirit of The Beatles’ sound than the 1970 version. I am a bit torn, as I think Beatles albums should not really be reworked and re-released in such a different state, though I do understand why some people – Paul McCartney especially – hated some of the production. Whilst many applaud McCartney and those who worked on Let It Be… Naked for ‘undoing’ some of Spector’s work, there are others who think The Beatles’ final-released album is fine, and that we should just…

LET it be.  

FEATURE: Second Spin: The Cardigans – Gran Turismo

FEATURE:

 

Second Spin

The Cardigans – Gran Turismo

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IN this feature…

PHOTO CREDIT: Martin Bogren

I am looking back at albums that did not get the attention they deserved the first time around. Whether the album was ahead of its time, critics were unfairly comparing it to that artist’s best work, or the album was not quite as good as expected, there are these works that are being overlooked or not put into the light. In this edition, I am focusing on The Cardigans’ Gran Turismo. One reason why some critics were a little down on the album is that, when you compare it to previous albums from The Cardigans, it is a radical shift. Their previous album, 1996’s First Band on the Moon, contained the smash hit, Lovefool – one of the best singles of the 1990s. I love The Cardigans, and the fourth album from the Swedish band saw them step off of the moon and to somewhere more atmospheric. It was released on 19th October, 1998, and the band mixed darker, more electronic sounds into the palette this time around. This was a very deliberate move by the group. I guess, when you have established yourself as a Pop band with elements of the 1960s and this rather charmingly uplifting sound, there is that need to move on and try something new. Maybe people were looking for a record that contained more tracks like Lovefool. The music scene changed quite a lot since 1996.

In 1998, Massive Attack put out Mezzanine. Madonna, an artist who established her name with these upbeat Pop tracks, released the more experimental and electronic Ray of Light – The Cardigans had to move with the times and evolve. Whilst Gran Turismo is not as strong as albums like Version 2.0 (Garbage), and Celebrity Skin (Hole), it was a fine addition to an eclectic and fantastic year. I think The Cardigans (Peter Svensson - guitar, vocals; Magnus Sveningsson - bass, vocals; Bengt Lagerberg - drums, percussion; Lars-Olof Johansson - keyboards, piano; Nina Persson - lead vocals) created something very special with Gran Turismo. Who can forget the singles Erase/Rewind, and My Favourite Game?! Producer Tore Johansson manages to bring something new and exciting from the band. I have always adored Nina Perssons’s voice, and she really shines on this album. I love her vocal performances on all Cardigans albums, but there is this tougher, slightly moodier persona that comes out on Gran Turismo. I want to bring in a couple of reviews of Gran Turismo, so that you can see how critics viewed The Cardigans fourth album. Here is a review from NME from 2000:

“'Gran Turismo' endeavours to plumb the depths, to take us into seriously doleful and sonically experimental territory, yet remains inextricably moored in shallow waters. There are glimmers of true loveliness - the gentle wash of 'Explode', where a minimalist beat and synth drone evoke untold sadness; the stealthy sub-industrial clangings and aching lyrics of 'Paralyzed'.

Angular guitars edge their way in cunningly, too, providing some of the album's finest moments - notably 'My Favourite Game' and 'Do You Believe', which is possibly a cynical response to 'Lovefool': "Do you really think that love is going to save the world?/Well I don't think so". Still, it's all too rare when real emotion, rather than canned sentiment, is allowed a look-in. Hence the tinny drums and saccharine vocals of 'Marvel Hill' and the faux-gospel Celine Dion schmaltz of 'Higher'.

The Cardigans will never crumble with genuine fragility or explode with absolute wrath. Pretty songs, sure. But throw a rock to see them shatter like glass and you'll only hear the hollow thump of Perspex”.

I guess there was a sense of the band taking this radical departure from their best-known work and trying something new. Whilst the album sold incredibly well, I feel there is this slightly sense of resignation from critics – many were hoping that the band would continue down their own path. When Pitchfork assessed Gran Turismo in 2008, they remarked the following:

“I'm not ashamed to admit that the Cardigans grabbed my attention not with their spacepop hit "Lovefool," but with their deliciously sexy vocalist Nina Persson, and the way she beckoned me seductively from the video of the same name. I knew she wanted me, and her ocean- blue eyes yearned to whisper "Jag alskar dig," in my hairy ears. I played hard- to- get back in 1996, when they released First Band on the Moon, and I contine to play hard- to- get, safe in the secret knowledge that Nina fights through every day, yearning for my touch. Believe me when I tell you, Nina, absence breeds anticipation-- we must wait for the proper moment for our Scando- American vibes to be combined like a tasty black- and- white milkshake. We must wait...

Our delicious waiting is made even more appetizing by the Cardigans "new" release, Gran Turismo. The sounds I hear disturb me, though. Where the Cardigans seemed so on top of their game on Last Band, Gran Turismo gives me a Nina that seems to have grown morose from her waiting. The light, sharply- arranged and smilingly ironic attitude that saturated their previous effort has metamorphosed into a self- concerned dragging effort devoid of the featherweight happiness that the Cardigans have been notable for.

Leaning more heavily on distorted guitars and electronica tidbits, most lyrics circulate thematically around breakups and regret. Nina's vocals are fitting to the subject, but where the Cardigans' past tracks about disappointment would often initially sound like a romp through the fertile fields of first love, Gran Turismo regretably strips away this façade. Let's be clear, though-- Gran Turismo isn't a bad album, it's just a distinct downer when compared to their earlier records”.

Go stream or buy Gran Turismo, as it is a cracking record, and one that I remember buying back in 1998. I excitedly got the bus to town, and bought it from a local market that sold C.D.s. I had been a fan of the band for years, and I loved what they did on Gran Turismo. Sure, it was very different and unexpected, but the album is far stronger than the singles. I think the album sounds bigger and better now, as other artists have incorporated some of Gran Turismo’s sounds and ideas.

In the years since the album was released, it has been reappraised and reconsidered. Not only do I play the album for a bit of nostalgia; it also sounds excellent and memorable in its own right. If a band put out an album like this today, it would be held in higher esteem than Gran Turismo was back in 1998. In a feature from 2018, Louder Than War explored the album:

“Those surprised by Gran Turismo’s sharp left turn obviously had not read up on The Cardigans’ taste for change. Since forming in the early nineties at a Swedish art school, they proved impossible to pigeonhole. Lest we forget that Persson and the gang were raised on a beefy diet of black metal, before slowly discovering the jangle pop joy of The Smiths and The Stone Roses. Deep Anglophiles, they honoured the country by naming their debut album Emmerdale, allegedly because it was the most British name they could think of (although there were no guest spots for the Dingles).

Gran Turismo, then, showed natural progression and a desire to evolve. Persson channelled her alienation into aching, trembling vocals. Her voice, both volatile and velveteen, soars and sighs on the downbeat groove of Explode, while the chunky guitars and fragmented beats of Higher enable her tight rasp to truly shine. Junk of the Hearts and Marvel Hill also display the band’s mercurial talents, bringing together textural fretwork, thumping bass and programmed beats.

Gran Turismo proved to be a worldwide success, cementing The Cardigans as one of rock music’s trailblazers. However, once the world tour finally came to a close at the turn of the century, Persson wanted out. They eventually reconvened in 2003 for their greatest record, the beautiful, broken country rock of Long Gone Before Daylight, and 2005’s reliable Super Extra Gravity. However, despite sporadic gigs since, the band’s future as recording artists seems to dangle on Persson’s desire. “I have to feel 100 per cent conviction about doing another Cardigans record,” she said in an interview back in 2009, “and right now I don’t. I feel terribly guilty, yes, as I know they are waiting… It’s not my fault I’m irreplaceable, is it?” Nearly ten years later and it seems she’s yet to be truly convinced”.

It is a shame the band have not recorded another album since 2005; Nina Persson recorded a solo album, Animal Heart, in 2014, but there has been very little from her since then. I will move on soon but, before then, I want to bring in a final article that gives some to Gran Turismo. In this feature, Albumism dug deep:

“Work on Gran Turismo, The Cardigans’ fourth album, began in early-to-mid 1998 and saw Tore Johansson return to the producer’s seat to assist the band in achieving their vision for a layered, weightier sound. As the sessions began picking up speed, The Cardigans whipped up a heavy and stormy aural composite of modern rock and electronic aesthetics—a significant departure from the overall sweet-faced vibes of their initial records.

Coming in succinctly at eleven tracks, Gran Turismo possesses the breadth and grandiosity of a double album. Much of this rests on how The Cardigans build their songs. Take the chameleonic, rhythmic foundation of the effort, forged from the percussion, bass and programming skills of Lagerberg, Sveningsson and Johansson. Said foundation can form itself to whatever unique lyrical or melodic set-up the tracks call for. Whether it is the late-night, alt-pop glide of “Erase/Rewind,” the electro crawl of “Higher” or the rapid-fire rock and roll bluster of “My Favourite Game”—all the music on Gran Turismo lends itself to a cinematic gait.

Songwriting wise, Gran Turismo evinces continual involvement from the outfit’s frontwoman, Nina Persson. In the beginning on Emmerdale, the lyrics were almost evenly divided between Peter Svensson and Magnus Sveningsson. But on Life and First Band on the Moon, more writing tasks were fielded from the other three members of the group in relation to the arranging and words; notably Persson stepped up for the latter.

The Cardigans were unbothered by haughty stateside tastemakers and trekked onward with the requisite gigging to support their fourth LP. Two more amazing projects in Long Gone Before Daylight and Super Extra Gravity emerged in 2003 and 2005 respectively, before The Cardigans placed a moratorium on any further collective recording activities. Though there have been a few small reunions—including a recent 20th anniversary commemorative tour for Gran Turismo—no plans for a full-on return in the studio have materialized.

Even with their diminutive discography, each album from The Cardigans stands as inventive and immersive affairs. But, Gran Turismo was the moment when the group pivoted from the safety of expectation and set off toward the horizons of the musical unknown—its boldness has lost none of its power”.

I am going to dive back into Gran Turismo, as I have not lost my passion for it since 1998. It is an album that has depth and so many great moments. I would encourage other people to spend some time in the coming days to explore…

SUCH a fine record.

FEATURE: Behind Closed Doors: What is the Future of Grassroots Venues After Lockdown?

FEATURE:

Behind Closed Doors

PHOTO CREDIT: @jmvisuals/Unsplash

What is the Future of Grassroots Venues After Lockdown?

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EVERY day…

PHOTO CREDIT: @single_lens_reflex/Unsplash

seems to bring bad news regarding the music industry. Whilst artists in lockdown have to postpone album releases, some are moving them forward – like Dua Lipa and Laura Marling. Nearly all festivals scheduled for the summer have been postponed. It is sad to think that we might need get to see any festivals this year but, where they can be reorganised and go ahead next year, the same confidence cannot be applied to a lot of smaller artists who rely on grassroots venues. I have mentioned live venues recently, but the subject warrants repetition. Music Venue Trust is set up to protect venues and, at this hard time, ensure that as many as possible are reopened when we are out the other side of the coronavirus crisis. This announcement is on the Music Venue Trust website:

“Support Announced by UK Government

“The following is the latest information available (as of 8am Saturday 21 March) of the various measures that are being made available by Government to support Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs) in England during the COVID-19 crisis. Many of these measures are UK-wide. For national variations, please see below.

In each case, this is the best information that Music Venue Trust has been able to acquire from government at this time. We are in contact with departments across government to ensure that as soon as additional advice on how to access this support becomes available we can deliver it to GMVs, together with instructions on how to qualify for it and access it.

We will continue to update each section with full guidance when we receive it from UK and national governments.

Scottish Government have announced a package of measures to support businesses in 2020/21, please click here for info.

Welsh Government have announced a package of measures to support businesses in 2020/21, please click here for info.

Northern Ireland’s Government have announced a package of measures to support businesses in 2020/21, please click here for info.

Across all nations of the UK, Music Venue Trust will continue to work with government to ensure that the entire sector, wherever located, is able to access a full range of support so that permanent closures are averted.”.

At the moment, there is confusion what the exit strategy is for the U.K. economy as a whole, so the fate of grassroots venues might not be clarified just yet. I do worry, as nearly all small spaces at the moment are posting online that they need support. Long before the pandemic hit, so many venues struggled to survive – because of rent prices, competition from the Internet and changing tastes. There will be such an appetite for live music later in the summer. I know many larger gigs and festivals have been postponed, but I wonder what will happen when live gigs can happen again. Not only will every artist be clambering to play as soon as possible – causing a nightmare for bookers and organising the diary -, but I wonder how many smaller venues are going to reopen in a few months.

IN THIS PHOTO: Guildford’s Boileroom is one of many venues that has faced huge difficulty since the lockdown came into force in the U.K./PHOTO CREDIT: TMS

It is a testing time, and grassroot venues can only rely on public support for so long. I realise the Government are injecting as much money into the economy so that as many businesses as possible can survive at this tough time. Whilst it might mean raising taxes, it is paramount that music venues are protected and can reopen. Organisations like the Music Venue Trust are brilliant, and it is great seeing the ingenuity of artists whilst they are unable to perform. Many are releasing albums, whilst others are streaming gigs from their homes. We all want to get back out and see gigs, but we have to be patient to allow the situation to improve. I can only imagine how stressful it is for those who run and work at grassroot venues. This article from Music Business Worldwide spells out the current predicament:

“In these unprecedented times the very foundations of our industry are under grave threat so of course urgent action is needed.  Whether it is the wider supply chain, the future of both salaried and freelance workers , record stores or the live sector there can be no doubt that unless we all do something to stabilize the situation we will have a very different landscape to return to if and when things return to normal.

The Music Venue Trust is an organisation representing 670 UK music venues and as such we are uniquely placed to comment on the issues currently affecting the live music scene at a grassroots level.

PHOTO CREDIT: @everythingcaptured/Unsplash

The decision by the UK government to enforce social distancing through a ‘lockdown’ policy while fully understandable has been catastrophic for the live music sector, and hardest hit have been those grassroots venues already operating on thin margins.

Since these restrictions really started to bite three week ago, we have surveyed, audited and analysed the situation and our findings are grim.  Just 17%, equating to 114 grassroots music venues out of the 670 we represent, are currently secure for the next eight weeks.

The other 556 venues are at imminent risk of being permanently closed down.

The situation is dire, and it is now incumbent on the wider music industry to do something about it.

Many music careers start in grassroots music venues. Without them the opportunities for the industry and music fans alike to discover and engage with new talent would shrink exponentially. Developing artists nurture their fanbases here, they learn their craft in places that are often important cultural hubs for a local scene.

Put bluntly, without these venues the opportunities for artists and audiences to connect in a meaningful way at a local level will simply disappear in a lot of cases.

There is no sugar coating it, if you don’t help now there will be no going back.

We have a goal. Not 556 closures. Not 555. Not 300, or 200, or 100. None.

Please help us. Visit www.musicvenuetrust.com to find out more about what we do and how you can help”.

It is devastating to think that scores of much-loved venues will close as they have no other options. Whilst out politicians have their hands full dealing with a whole range of economic quandaries, I do hope there is a relief fund set up for venues; a kitty that means, at the very least, relatively few will close down. If we can protect the majority of grassroot venues struggling, it will mean their future is more secure than it is now without aid. When things begin to return to normal, artists will not have festivals to play; they have singles and albums due, so they need smaller venues to cut their teeth and spread the word. Now more than ever, the fate and importance of grassroot spaces needs to be recognised. I do hope that there is a plan in action from the Government, as the depletion of grassroot venues not only impacts musicians, but everyone who works and relies on the venues. There is no exact telling how many more weeks these venues will be closed, so it is paramount money is set aside to safeguard our vital spaces. In the meantime, you can support local venues by donating, buying merchandise and sharing them online – all pulling together to ensure there is a healthy live music scene when we come out the other side.

PHOTO CREDIT: @kdarmody/Unsplash

A report in Music Week yesterday (9th April), shed some more light on the situation venues are in:

“Mark Davyd has told Music Week that it would be “impossible to exaggerate” the scale of the problems facing the grassroots venues circuit as the coronavirus lockdown continues..

The Music Venue Trust (MVT) boss told us he’s adopting “guerrilla tactics” to save the 556 venues – the vast majority of the 670 venues under his organisation’s stewardship – that are currently facing closure.

Davyd was speaking to Music Week as part of a special report on the situation indie venues are in with the UK in lockdown, many staff furloughed and many, many freelancers suffering as a result of widespread venue closures.

In 2019, the MVT was faced with 96 imminent threats of venue closure. Now confronted with a vast increase, Davyd has launched the £1 million Grassroots Music Venue Crisis Fund (GMVCF), a direct appeal to the music business for help.

How can artists help this situation?

“We’re working with artists to pick venues that they strongly feel they want to save and we’re going to host a virtual online fundraisers. Frank Turner and Ferris & Sylvester have already done them. We’re negotiating with more artists to save a particular venue. Most of these venues can be saved for between £10-20,000. So, in the next eight weeks, which is the crunch period, if we could host 200 or 300 gigs online, raising money for venues to pay off the bill they have to pay, and in the meantime we run this national service, we have an ambition that not one venue will be lost in this crisis”.

Though we can see live music online, we are all looking forward to the moment when we can see gigs together at our favourite venues. We truly cannot wait…

PHOTO CREDIT: @rebeca_calavera/Unsplash

UNTIL that day comes.