FEATURE: The Same Boy You've Always Known: Jack White at Forty-Five: The Essential Playlist

FEATURE:

 

The Same Boy You've Always Known

Jack White at Forty-Five: The Essential Playlist

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I have done a few playlists lately…

IN THIS PHOTO: Jack and Meg White

but there are some big birthdays this week. We saw Ringo Starr turn eighty and Beck turn fifty earlier this week, and another musical giant, Jack White, is forty-five today (9th July). I have loved The White Stripes since I was in university, and I was sad that they broke up after Icky Thump in 2011. It is amazing to think that, in spite of Jack and Meg White releasing just six albums – which is quite a lot -, the impact they made with them is immense. The White Stripes’ eponymous debut is one of my favourite albums, and I just love how multi-talented and varied Jack White is. Since The White Stripes called time, White has played with bands The Raconteurs (who he is still with), and The Dead Weather (I am not sure what their future holds). He has also put out three excellent solo records…and let us not forget a certain record label! Third Man Records is an independent record label founded by White in Detroit, Michigan, in 2001. Third Man established its first physical location - a combination record store, performance venue, and headquarters for the label - in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2009. White has also produced for other artists (including Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose), and I hope we see many more albums and projects from the brilliant Jack White! To mark his forty-fifth birthday, I wanted to put together a playlist that unites his solo work, and the brilliant material he helped produce for The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather. Here is a salute to a musical genius and…

IN THIS PHOTO: The Dead Weather

A true innovator.

FEATURE: Single File, Double Digits: Charting the Singles of Kate Bush

FEATURE:

 

Single File, Double Digits

Charting the Singles of Kate Bush

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ONE thing that I have always found…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1980

a bit odd is why Kate Bush’s singles did not chart higher than they did! One can say that she is a unique artist whose sound was not overly-commercial but, when you consider the fact Wuthering Heights hit number one in 1978, no other single flew as high as her debut! I have mused aloud in previous features about her tracks and why they did not sell more. It is definitely nothing to do with Kate as an artist  and innovator. I realise there was a moment in her career where she did not promote as heavily but, from 1978-1985, there was a pretty stead and committed promotional cycle for her albums and tracks. Wuthering Heights definitely set a precedence, and one can argue Wuthering Heights is one of Bush’s least orthodox and strange creations. The Man with the Child in His Eyes was the second single from The Kick Inside, and it achieved the highest chart position in the U.K. – it reached number-six. I think one of the big mysteries is why America did not take her to heart! When you consider that artists similar to Kate Bush have managed to do well in America since Bush came through, it is weird that the ‘original’ was not a commercial success. This NPR article from 2011 provides some (rather faulty) explanation:

“She's too weird. During the time that Bush was putting out her best work, we made Cyndi Lauper a feminist icon and transformed Peter Gabriel from a peculiar art-rocker into a superstar with an album that featured cerebral oddball Laurie Anderson, Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour and Bush herself. There may been a limited number of "weirdo" slots available, but we certainly weren't instinctively turning them away at the door.

She’s too reclusive. That she is. After the aforementioned 1979 tour, she retired from live performance (save for the occasional one-off like the 1987 Secret Policeman’s Ball). She also started taking longer and longer between albums, until the amount of time Bush spent gestating Aerial (her last album of all-new material) was only seven years less than the amount of time she spent gestating her entire career. (She was 19 when “Wuthering Heights” came out.) But while those certainly had their impact, it again doesn’t explain why she was successful in her home country, where Aerial hit #3 and its lone single, “King Of The Mountain,” reached #4. Reclusive though she may be, it didn’t hurt her in England”.

It does take a while for a great artists to make an impact, so I could appreciate how it might have taken a while for a nation like America to latch onto Kate Bush – it took until 1985 before she got proper chart respect! Whilst The Man with the Child in His Eyes did well in the U.K., it only made the top thirty in many European nations, and less of an impact elsewhere – given the fact Wuthering Heights hit number one and was a big success in many territories, I thought the follow-up single would be as successful. If The Kick Inside’s singles were not as celebrated in Europe as they were in the U.K., Lionheart’s singles seemed to do better away from the U.K.

I think Hammer Horror – the first single from the album - is a really underrated track, and Bush definitely winning a big fanbase. Her name was all over the media and, if Lionheart was not as acclaimed and solid as The Kick Inside, I think Hammer Horror’s number forty-four chart position in the U.K. did not do the song justice! Hammer Horror did break the top thirty in Australia and Ireland, but I wonder why U.K. audiences did not give it huge support in 1978. Maybe people were expecting something like Wuthering Heights, but I think Hammer Horror is a more conventional single that would/should have resonated with the masses. Maybe changing musical tastes explain why Bush’s singles were not hitting the top-five. Wow was released in March of 1979, and it was competing against songs like The Real Thing’s Can You Feel the Force?, and Painter Man by Boney M. Wow, to me, is one of the best singles Kate Bush released, because it has all the ingredients you’d want: a catchy and memorable chorus, a brilliant central performance, and something that strays away from the bland of the mainstream. It is another case of her singles not being given the full credit they deserve. From 1978, Bush was releasing singles for specific nations, most notably Japan. Moving reached number one, and Them Heavy People hit number-three, so it seems that the Japanese were ahead of the rest of the world concerning the importance and esteem of Bush’s work!

Perhaps genres like Disco and Punk were affecting Bush’s chart prospects in 1978 and 1979 but, as she headed into the 1980s, the public were not necessarily making up for lost time. Breathing, from 1980’s Never for Ever, was another evolution that concerned nuclear war scare and a post-apocalyptic birth. Again, subject matter-wise, it was not the most commercial, but the sheer size and impressiveness of the song should have, one thought, have put it into the top ten in the U.K. – Breathing only hit sixteen here! Breathing did remain in the U.K. charts for seven weeks but, considering the likes of Madness and UB40 were in the upper echelons of the charts in April 1980, why was Bush confined to the lower rungs of the top-twenty?! Maybe a relatively lack of promotional oomph from Bush can account for lower chart positions, but there are plenty of interviews from her in 1980. In 1979, she completed a massively successful Tour of Life, so that should have added momentum in terms of exposure and wider recognition. By the time Babooshka arrived in June 1980, there was a bit of a correction. It reached the top five in the U.K. and many European nations; it got to number two in Australia. Perhaps it was a magical touch of Fairlight CMI or a time when the competition was weak, but I think singles prior to Babooshka were just as strong, so why was Babooshka one of the few tracks that reached the respectable chart position it deserved?!

It only took until September of 1980 until Bush’s music was being comparatively overlooked when Army Dreamers hit sixteen – maybe the fact it was less bracing than Babooshka or more political meant that it was not as lauded?! I know Bush’s albums were selling well, and there would not have been much concern from EMI and Bush at the time if a single did not make the top ten. I think it is a travesty some of her big songs did not reach the top spot, and it is inexplicable that many other singles languished behind some much weaker tracks (from other artists)! The Dreaming is an album that arrived in a year when bands like Roxy Music and Duran Duran were doing big business. I do not concede that Bush was away from the mainstream and her songs were on the fringes. Every year, less conventional singles climb the charts, but it was only Sat in Your Lap (the first single from The Dreaming, released in 1981) that managed to get inside the top twenty – it got as high as number-eleven. The Dreaming did not make the top forty; There Goes a Tenner, released in November 1982, was Bush's first single to miss the top seventy-five in the U.K., peaking at ninety-three. Whereas There Goes a Tenner was released in the U.K. and Ireland only, the stronger Suspended in Gaffa was put out in Europe, but the single barely troubled the top forty. The Dreaming’s Night of the Swallow was released in 1983 in Ireland only, but it failed to chart.

I can appreciate how The Dreaming pushed boundaries and had mixed success in terms of the charts, but the album did reach number-three in the U.K., so why did the singles falter?! The Dreaming is an album that needs time to bed in, but I would have thought Bush would enjoy greater chart recognition. Whereas albums previous to The Dreaming had some good singles released, maybe The Dreaming’s choice of singles was not quite right. The Kick Inside’s Wuthering Heights, and The Man with the Child in His Eyes were fantastic choices, and Bush battled against EMI who favoured James and the Cold Gun, and Them Heavy People. I do think that a fourth single could have come from Never for Ever, in the form of the excellent The Wedding List – which I feel would have hit the top ten! Look back to Lionheart, and I feel Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake would have been a success if it were a single, as it has a rocking vibe and chart appeal. Bush might have been thinking about the less obvious songs as singles but, again, Wuthering Heights reached the top of the singles charts – maybe a song that was impossible to ignore and just HAD to be a number one! The Dreaming was a case where stronger singles were pushed aside as singles. Sat in Your Lap was a great introduction, but the final three tracks on the album, All the Love, Houdini, and Get Out of My House, I feel, would have charted much higher than The Dreaming, and There Goes a Tenner.  

One of the main reasons for writing this was to sort of prepare for the thirty-fifth anniversary of Hounds of Love. I have just written about Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) and asked why it only reached number-three. Hounds of Love was Bush’s biggest-selling album and her second to hit the top spot (Never for Ever was thew first). One would have thought that, perhaps, the album’s biggest track would have reached number-one in a few nations. It hit three here, and it was a top thirty in the U.S. – seven years after Bush released her debut single, finally, she was getting some credit in the U.S. If the U.S.’s bonding with Bush marked a moment when she combined the commercial with the unique, then that should have translated to better single sales?! In each case, it is impossible to understand why the public were not more generous, but perhaps it was the popularity of Madonna’s Into the Groove that kept Bush’s majestic track off the top spot – one can understand why Into the Groove was a chart-topping single! The formidable Cloudbusting came out in October 1985, and some areas of the press were a little sniffy towards the song. With a big video that saw Donald Sutherland star, it is baffling Cloudbusting only got to twenty in the U.K.

Hounds of Love was already out at this point, so many might have preferred to hear the song on the album and did not want to buy it as a single. Hounds of Love’s title cut was released in 1986, and it barely scarped into the top twenty! It seemed that there was no pleasing the public in 1986, as the unstoppable The Big Sky did not make it into the top ten! Was it the case that, as the album was out, the song was over-familiar?! Everything considered – from accessibility, to originality and scope -, The Big Sky should have at least made it inside the top five! I think it is the best song on Hounds of Love, and the wave of affection that greeted Hounds of Love should have infused the singles and lead to some higher chart positions. Even though Bush’s singles enjoyed mixed success prior to 1986, a greatest hits package, The Whole Story was released that year. One can line up the track on that album and see a progression, but also so much variety and depth. It is angering that only Wuthering Heights made the top spot (and no other single ever would), and some tracks were denied much higher chart positions. Hounds of Love was Bush’s biggest album, and from 1989’s The Sensual World on, Bush would not see many tracks make the top ten. The Sensual World reached twelve in the U.K., whereas This Woman’s Work reached twenty-five here – it made a small dent in the U.K. These are truly excellent songs, and both were worthy of much higher chart positions! The Sensual World was another case of an album selling well and the singles not doing quite as well.

The album peaked at number-two and sold really well, so was it another incident of the wrong songs being selected? I do not think so. I think Deeper Understanding might have been a stronger single than Love and Anger (the third single reached thirty-eight in the U.K.), but the contrast between the album hitting number two and the singles not firing high confuses me! The Red Shoes is seen by many as the weakest album Bush has released and, in 1993, there had been some changes in regard production techniques and the move towards the compact disc. Bush released four singles from the album – five if you include Eat the Music, released in the U.S. only -, but none of them fared as well as they should, again considering the album itself reached number two in the U.K., reaching the top thirty in multiple nations, including the U.S. It was obvious that Bush had cachet in the 1990s, and many people connected with The Red Shoes, despite the fact that it was not as consistent an album as her earlier work. Rubberband Girl is a huge Pop song, and it boasts one of Bush’s best choruses! It only got to twelve in the U.K., and I wonder why the public did not snap it up. I guess Brtitpop was almost here, and artists like PJ Harvey and Björk were putting out these albums that differed hugely to what Kate Bush weas producing.

Even so, Moments of Pleasure is a sumptuous track that deserved better than number twenty-six here; the title song only got to twenty-one, whereas And So Is Love got to twenty-six! I guess the fact Bush appeared on Top of the Pops for the first time in eight years to promote And So Is Love might have explained why singles between then and Hounds of Love were not massive chart successes. Bush was conducting interviews and the albums were selling, but maybe a more intense promotional campaign could have set her singles higher?! King of the Mountain was a strange case of Kate Bush recouping some of the chart swing she had at the peak of her career. Given she had been away since 1993’s The Red Shoes in terms of albums, Aerial’s arrival in 2005 was a delight and surprise! The sole single from that album, King of the Mountain, reached four here, but it did not climb quite as high in other European nations. A top twenty in many nations can be judged as a success, seeing as singles are less important then (2005) than they were in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Aerial is a brilliant album, but there are few songs that stand out as natural singles. I do feel that Bush could have released Mrs. Bartolozzi, as many reviewers highlighted it as a standout on Aerial, and I think it would have charted well.

Kate Bush has always been an albums artist, so one can say that singles are a way of selling albums, so chart positions are not that important. I am pleased her albums have sold so well, and she remains one of the most revered and treasured artists ever. There has not been a greatest hits collection since The Whole Story in 1986, which might signal a reluctance from Bush to look back, or the feeling that her albums are more important and relevant than individual singles. What bugs me is the fact that, at the time, Kate Bush wanted her singles to do well, and the majority of them deserved to do better in the charts than they did. 2011’s Director’s Cut spawned a reworking of Deeper Understanding from The Sensual World, but it only got to eighty-seven in the U.K. 50 Words for Snow, also released in 2011, had one single taken from it: the excellent and underrated Wild Man was released as a download and only got to seventy-three! That was the second album released solely on Bush’s own Fish People label - and the album got to number five here. Looking back, and Kate Bush’s singles range from the otherworldly (Wuthering Heights), to the propulsive (Sat in Your Lap), to the heavens-reaching (Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), to the sensual (The Sensual World). She is an artist who provides something for everyone, and one can not accuse of being either too weird for the mainstream or lacking in commercial potential! Even her more out-there singles – such as The Dreaming – should have got higher in the charts than they did. I am not sure why her singles did not get higher, but I would urge people to listen to each of them and realise how incredible they are. I kind of hope there is a career-spanning greatest hits album put out in the next few years, as it puts fresh spotlight on her amazing singles; cuts that are much more original and stronger…

THAN what most artists can produce!

FEATURE: Spotlight: Crack Cloud

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

Crack Cloud

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THIS is a bit of a strange one…

PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins for Loud and Quiet

for my Spotlight feature, as I am not aware of Crack Cloud having a Facebook or Twitter account. I normally avoid acts that do not have that social media coverage because, at this hard time, you wonder why anyone would overlook the reach you get on these platforms. I am sure there is a particular reason why they have swerved Twitter and Facebook – or maybe I have not looked hard enough to find their accounts! I have been hearing them on the radio a lot lately, as their album, PAIN OLYMPICS, is out on 17th July. I really love their sound and, unlike so many bands, Crack Cloud have so much personality and intrigue. I will get to their upcoming album soon but, before then, I wanted to look at a couple of interviews they provided in 2018. I know Crack Cloud have been on the scene for a while but, as a lot of people have not heard of them – and the social media output is pretty slim -, I thought I would include them now. The first interview that I want to bring in is from The Guardian. In every sense, back in 2018, the band were unlike anything out there:

“Wedged on the tiny stage of Manchester venue Peer Hat, Canadian seven-piece Crack Cloud make an arresting spectacle. As well as playing conventionally, the four guitarists strum their guitars’ headstock, creating a high-pitched “ching” sound. Their furiously intense post-punk also takes in two keyboardists – one of whom is a tall, Canadian-Pakistani man with a beard, dyed blond hair and gold nail varnish who also plays a penny whistle.

Stage-front, founding member Zach Choy is their hypnotic, shirtless drummer. He has “laughing at the system” tattooed over his bellybutton and plays left-handed on a drum kit set up for a right-handed person. Why doesn’t he swap the kit around? “I have a hard time following the rules,” he says the next day, to much laughter, as the band mill around the house where they stayed after the gig, drinking coffee and dyeing their hair.

Crack Cloud are certainly unconventional: a multimedia collective of musicians, film-makers, artists and designers, made up of recovering addicts and people who work with mental health patients and people with addiction. Their influences stretch from Gang of Four and Talking Heads to Fela Kuti, Malcolm X and hip-hop. Thus far, the band have recorded two excellent EPs (on Coventry indie Tin Angel, after the label owner, Richard Guy, flew to Canada to meet them) and are recording an album that will be more informed by hip-hop, with “less post-punk tropes and more storytelling,” says Choy”.

It is clear that this is no ordinary band. Crack Cloud are more an artistic movement that happens put out music. I love the fact that they are not conventional and linear but, at the same time, they produce songs that anyone can appreciate. A lot of bands that are unique can be a little on the fringes and they do not appeal to everyone. I am hearing from so many people who love Crack Cloud and what they have been putting out the past couple of years.

I was looking back at the interview archives and following this band who have grown in confidence and ability since 2018. I think Crack Cloud have a huge future ahead of them, and they are one of these bands who will do things their own way and not conform to the mainstream. I was struck by an interview from The Quietus published last year, where drummer Zach Choy, again, spoke and showed why Crack Cloud are such an interesting and different force for music:

 “What’s most obvious about Crack Cloud, from listening to their music and from speaking to them in person, is that they are an extremely intelligent band, and one who are always looking forwards. That is not to say that they want to simply ‘move on’ from their past, but rather they feel far more comfortable expressing what they want to say about it through their art, rather than interviews. Where their terse and tight first two EPs, collected as a 2018 self-titled album, drew immediate (and to the band, tiresome) comparisons to Gang Of Four, the material that follows is a distinctly more open-hearted affair. They are currently working on an ongoing series called ‘Pain Olympics’, the first part of which was shared earlier this year in the shape of ‘The Next Fix’, followed by 'Crackin Up' two months later. 'The Next Fix' is remarkably moving and expansive, opening up the band’s sound into a gorgeous sprawl with a video that celebrates strength through community. Themes of addiction and recovery are more prevalent on the song than they ever were before, but they are very much in the hands of the band.

“The reason why we make art is that it allows us to communicate philosophically on a more profound level,” says Choy. “I’m ambivalent about the purpose of interviews like this. It’s one thing to have these to have these conversations and talk candidly, as support workers within our own community there’s a lot of candid conversation and that’s how you cope and debrief. It’s important to talk about these things, but when it’s being publicised as a means of tokenising…”

The guys are preparing to release a long-awaiting L.P., and I think they will win a lot of new fans. I was not aware of their work pre-2020, so I have been going back and seeing how they sort of started out. Looking at this 2018 interview from Loud and Quiet, and I learned that the band’s debut album was a combination of their first couple of E.P.s:

“And Crack Cloud should have their sights set high. Their self-titled debut LP is a reissue of their two bedroom EPs, ‘Crack Cloud’ and ‘Anchoring Point’, but carries the self-assuredness of a band much further down the line. True to its name, ‘Anchoring Point’ in particular is the band finding their centre; a many layered art project that sees Zach hit his mark in danceable post-punk akin to Gang of Four and early Talking Heads.

“The first EP was a bit more organic, more live off of the floor – we built it from rhythm sections and then added guitars and structured it,” Zach says. “It’s always been a studio project. It’s been a collage of sorts. ‘Anchoring Point’ was when we really started experimenting with layering and with fleshing everything out piece by piece, one at a time.”

The two EPs were never meant to be a package deal but they were both born out of an emotionally tumultuous time for the band, and together they close the door on an era that Zach and the others are happy to have relegated to the past.

“They definitely represent a chapter in our life that now we can all let go of,” says Zach.

Guitarist Jon Varley, who up until this point has been quietly rolling a cigarette and nodding along, leans around him into the conversation. “It’s definitely a jumping off point stylistically too,” he points out”.

I have listened to the music from those E.P.s, and what they are putting out now. You can hear the little improvements and changes since 2016 (when their eponymous E.P. was released) – I think that rate of progression will continue to occur. I am really excited by the prospect of PAIN OLYMPICS, as it is primed to be one of the best albums of the year. I have loved the single, Ouster Stew, and it seems like the remainder of PAIN OLYMPICS is going to be just as strong. You can pre-order the album here, but, if you need a few more details, here is some information from DIY:

“Vancouver collective Crack Cloud have finally announced that their debut album is on the way!

Following 2018’s EPs ‘Crack Cloud’ and ‘Anchoring Point’, the group’s first full length ‘PAIN OLYMPICS’ is set to land on 17th July, and to celebrate their sharing the video for punk-funk lead single ‘Ouster Stew’ as well.

 ‘PAIN OLYMPICS’ Tracklisting:

1. Post Truth (Birth of a Nation)

2. Bastard Basket

3. Something’s Gotta Give

4. The Next Fix (A Safe Space)

5. Favour Your Fortune

6. Ouster Stew

7. Tunnel Vision

8. Angel Dust (Eternal Peace)”.

Even they are a little lacking in social media platforms, their music has got out there, and it is connecting with so many people. This year has been a busy and incredible one for albums, and I feel Crack Cloud are going to add to that with something sensational. I love what they do; Crack Cloud are such…

A tremendous band.

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Follow Crack Cloud

 PHOTO CREDIT: Bibiana Reis

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/crack.cloud/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKjxFM5p_JlNvEEgMOUlnA

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/10butpS2A0V5nRIu2YDrKI

Bandcamp:

https://crackcloud.bandcamp.com/album/pain-olympics

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA

FEATURE:

 

Vinyl Corner

Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA

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WHEN I do this feature…

I do not normally feature an album that is so recent. The reason I want to include Michael Kiwanuka’s KIWANUKA is because the Mercury Prize nominations are coming later this month – and Kiwanuka’s semi-eponymous third studio album must be one of the frontrunners! Released in November last year, I would urge people to buy KIWANUKA on vinyl, as it sounds incredible! I also think KIWANUKA is one of the best albums of recent times, and it is his finest work. I loved his debut, Home Again, and he took another big leap on his sophomore album of 2016, Love & Hate. Whilst the transition from the debut to second album was more to do with confidence and a shift from ‘70s Soul to a more original and personal sound, I am not sure what it is that makes KIWANUKA so good. I think Michael Kiwanuka took another massive step, and the songwriting is phenomenal. Kiwanuka manages to mix bigger sounds with more intimate moments, and everything on KIWANUKA is so powerful and urgent. Michael Kiwanuka is only thirty-three, but he seems to emanate the wisdom and experience of someone much older. Truly, on his third album, he has hit a peak that many of his peers can only dream of! At fourteen tracks and a running time of just under an hour, there is that mixture of a great selection of songs, but the album does not last too long, so you are both satisfied and left wanting more.

In terms of the best tracks, it is hard to pick just one! I love You Ain't the Problem, and Piano Joint (This Kind of Love), but there are so many great selections! It is an album where a promising artist rises to the status of legend. I think KIWANUKA is an album that a lot of upcoming artists will look at and want to emulate. I want to bring in a few sections of an interview Kiwanuka gave to NME last year where, among other things, he discussed a growth in confidence, and defying stereotypes imposed on black artists:

 “It’s no accident that Michael Kiwanuka’s most assured album is self-titled, he explains: “A lot of this record is about how you get to an age where you feel confident in yourself and comfortable in your own skin. You’re not trying as hard to be accepted. The songs were feeling a bit more boisterous than the ones on my previous albums. I thought, ‘What’s a bold way to describe this album?’”

With ‘KIWANUKA’, though, “the penny dropped… With ‘Love & Hate’ and ‘Home Again’ [his second album, released in 2016], I always had that imposter syndrome that someone was gonna figure me out. In the process of making this album, I got so tired of that way of thinking. I thought: ‘I’ve really got to nip that in the bud.’ You miss the best thing ever because you’re not present – you’re over-thinking.”

“I’m a black man and the music I make isn’t necessarily specific to who I could be typecast as,” he says. “I was into guitar and rock’n’roll music, as well as soul, jazz and ‘70s music. People were like, ‘Your music taste is crazy!’ People thought I was this crazy weird black guy from Muswell Hill that plays guitar. They assumed I was this rich kid and that I didn’t understand anything. I was always desperate to be a bit bland. I don’t know why you would want that… Maybe you just think you’re gonna have an easier life and no-one’s gonna mention things”.

It will be exciting to see where Michael Kiwanuka heads next, as his KIWANUKA album really hit critics hard! I would be shocked if it missed out on a Mercury nomination, as it is a work of brilliance. Before wrapping things up, I will bring in a couple of huge reviews that show how critics reacted to KIWANUKA when it arrived last November. This is what AllMusic wrote when they sat down to the listen to the album:

“Born to Ugandan parents who fled during Idi Amin's reign of terror and settled in Muswell Hill, Kiwanuka has had to fight to keep his identity at the forefront of the culture; numerous record execs tried to get him to dump his birth name for one easier to market, resulting in such a crisis of self-confidence that he shelved an earlier album called Night Songs, recorded as the initial follow-up to Home Again, so he could decide if he even wanted to continue pursuing a musical vocation. This third album wears its self-titling as a badge of honor, a statement of who Michael Kiwanuka as artist and individual is. Once more produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo, this 13-song set is a brave, colorful collection that provides an exceptionally well-rounded aural portrait of Kiwanuka's massive and diverse talent.

If one had to choose a genre umbrella for this release, the term "21st century psychedelic soul" would fit better than anything else. The opening tune here, "You Ain't the Problem," carries the inspiration of Curtis Mayfield in its rave-up chorus, while "Rolling" melds sweeping soul and the reverbed guitar psychedelia of Arthur Lee and Love. "Hero," at least initially, is a haunted, acoustically driven folk ballad: "I won't change my name/No matter what they call me." It transforms from a first-person manifesto into a trippy yet direct folk-rock homage to Fred Hampton, late president of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party, who was gunned down by city police as he slept. "This Kind of Love" is perhaps the first tune to ever meld Bill Withers' folksy, funky soul to Terry Callier's singular, jazzed-up take on the genre. "Hard to Say Goodbye" is a weave of exotica-tinged, pillowy strings; Pink Floyd-esque guitar and effects atmospherics; and the sophisticated soul of Stevie Wonder circa Talking Book. Lyrically, the album reveals Kiwanuka at his most vulnerable and strident (no mean feat). The dramatic nature of his songwriting is gifted to listeners in catchy earworms, adventurous textural interludes, provocative lyrics, and through an ambitious melodic palette. As fine as Love & Hate was -- worthy of all its accolades -- Kiwanuka stands head and shoulders above it as a complex, communicative, poetic, and somet”.

To me, KIWANUKA is an album one absorbs themselves in, like the young artist wants people to return to past times when albums were enjoyed in a single sitting – hence why I wanted to put KIWANUKA into Vinyl Corner! Indeed, one gets a very different experience listening to the album in full, rather than picking a few tracks or skipping through the album. This is something The Guardian commented on in their review of KIWANUKA:

“Unusually, in these streaming-led times, Kiwanuka is a contemplative song cycle intended to be listened to in one extended sitting, which he says is “a reaction against this fast-paced, throwaway, machine-led world”. It sounds timeless and contemporary; the instrumental interludes and the stylistic and tempo shifts all hang together because of his warm, sincere vocals and fantastic songwriting. At the core is Kiwanuka’s inner battle between anxiety, self-doubt, spirituality and wisdom, which is then set against racism and rueful glances at the state of the world. Thus, killer opener You Ain’t the Problem is both an encouraging nudge to himself and a sharp put-down of attitudes towards immigration: “If you don’t belong, you’re not the problem.”

Hero compares the murder of 60s activist Fred Hampton with recent US police shootings (“on the news again, I guess they killed another”), also referenced in the insistent Rolling (“No tears for the young, a bullet if you’re wrong”). Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) and Hard to Say Goodbye are beautifully pensive and Final Days ponders nuclear apocalypse. But for all its melancholy, Kiwanuka is never downbeat. There are moments – such as the “Time is the healer” gospel choir in I’ve Been Dazed, or hopeful closer Light – when positivity bursts through with such dazzling effect you want to cheer. Kiwanuka is a bold, expansive, heartfelt, sublime album. He’s snuck in at the final whistle, but surely this is among the decade’s best”.

If you can grab a copy of KIWANUKA on vinyl then do so - or go and stream the album and spend some time listening to it. It is a sensational record, and one that I have been returning to and being uplifted by. Not only is KIWANUKA a big leap and evolution in terms of Michael Kiwanuka’s career…I think it is also…

ONE of the best of the 2010s.

FEATURE: Guess I’m Doing Fine: The Incredible Beck at Fifty: An Essential Playlist

FEATURE:

 

Guess I’m Doing Fine

PHOTO CREDIT: Rachael Wright

The Incredible Beck at Fifty: An Essential Playlist

___________

THERE are a couple of big musical birthdays…

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Kovac/Getty Images

happening next week. Ringo Starr is eighty on Tuesday (7th July), whereas Beck turns fifty the following day. I think it is impossible to distil the essence of Beck so simply, but I wanted to put out a playlist of his best songs. In terms of albums, my favourite is 2005’s Guero, but most people would either go for Odelay (1996), or Sea Change (2002). His latest album, Hyperspace, was released last year and was his fourteenth studio album. I do not think there is another artist around who has the same innovative streak as Beck. He can go from this freewheelin’ artist who splices sounds together around these fast-flowing songs, and then he can create an album that is a lot more personal and emotional. At either end of the spectrum, he sounds incredible and completely original. I hope we see many more years of Beck’s music because, as he enters his sixth decade of life, I am sure he will be flowing with inspiration. To celebrate the extraordinary Bek David Campbell turning fifty, I have compiled a playlist of tracks from one of…

THE world’s most innovative and incredible artists.

FEATURE: Present, Future, Nostalgia: What Might a Dua Lipa and Madonna Collaboration Sound Like?

FEATURE:

 

Present, Future, Nostalgia

IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa/PHOTO CREDIT: Zoey Grossman for Elle

What Might a Dua Lipa and Madonna Collaboration Sound Like?

___________

AS a bit of a distraction…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna

from a lot of heavy stuff going on in music right now, I wanted to expand on a piece of news that broke last week. It has been a pretty intense week, and venues are closer to the precipice of extinction than ever; nobody knowing whether the Government will bail them out and do what is required! Inside all of this uncertainty and anger, there was a story – or rumour – that Dua Lipa and Madonna might work together. This article explains more:

“Dua Lipa is reaching out to Madonna about a future collaboration, according to the singer's manager.

Ben Mawson of Tap Music spoke to Music Week about how Dua's latest album Future Nostalgia was heavily influenced by Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor, both of which featured songs produced by Stuart Price.

When asked by the magazine if Dua Lipa could be the next Madonna, Mawson responded: "Well it depends what you mean. She's definitely going to have a long career. She's definitely the complete pop star and obviously the album was heavily influenced by Madonna. In fact, we're about to try and get Madonna on a record. I'm going to write the email and see if she's up for a track."

Mawson continued: "Dua told me she aspired to be Madonna when I met her, when she was 17, and there was something about the way she said it that made me believe her! It was about her personality, her charisma, her competitiveness and her drive and that came across. Dua's got it all, so she's got unlimited potential."

Both Dua's Future Nostalgia and Madonna's Confessions eras were hugely successful. Confessions spawned Madonna's first UK Number 1 single for five years - and longest-reigning for 15 years - in Hung Up and produced four Top 10 singles. For Dua, Future Nostalgia topped the Official Albums Chart, generated the longest-reigning Top 10 single ever by a female artist Don't Start Now, and saw Dua become the first British female to score three Top 10 singles concurrently since 1955”.

It is interesting to consider the artists who could collaborate and what could occur! As we are still in lockdown, musicians are not really thinking much about creative hook-ups, but the potential of one of modern Pop’s biggest stars joining forces with the Queen of Pop is exciting. Madonna’s last album, Madame X, was released last year and is one of the best-reviewed or her later career. She has been popping up on Instagram and making the news for various different reasons – mainly people sticking their noses in or judging Madonna for everything she says or does. I think Dua Lipa’s new album, Future Nostalgia, is one of the year’s best, and one can hear elements of Madonna’s early career – from her debut album to True Blue in 1986. Dua Lipa recently spoke with Elle, and she talked about her album and gender equality – and the subject of where she heads next:

“Talking about the meaning behind Boys Will Be Boys, the album’s most serious track, Lipa says: ‘I often will speak up about female equality, especially in the workplace, but this song is talking about the personal experiences and growing pains of what it’s like to be a woman. I’ve spoken to my friends, and they’ve all done the same things, whether it’s holding keys between your knuckles or pretending you’re on the phone while walking alone at night.

PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Madigan Heck for GQ

We’ve all tried to avoid confrontation, or worn something we didn’t really want to wear in order to protect ourselves. We’ve all been like, Oh, I can’t bear the idea of wearing this short dress and then hopping on public transport to get to the party.’ Lipa is hopeful that she can contribute to important conversations about what kind of behaviour society is willing to accept and why. She also finds hope in the fact that some men are finally suffering the consequences of their actions. ‘It’s a massive wake-up call to people all around the world that no one is invincible and no one is untouchable,’ she says.

On the work front, she’s already starting to think about her next album – although don’t expect it to reflect too much on what’s taken place this year: ‘Hopefully we’ll be trying to resume life as normal,’ she says. ‘Once we’ve decided to move on, I don’t think we will want to be reminded too much of this time. Of course, this is a major moment in history that we will never forget, but I don’t know whether that’s going to influence where my music is going to go next. I think I’m probably just going to carry on and try to take my mind off things’”.

I am not sure whether Madonna and Dua Lipa have spoken, and how concrete the plans are. I think it opens up the possibility of a big track! Consider the impact Madonna has made in her career and what she did on Madame X. Whereas artists like Dua Lipa are inspired by Madonna’s early sound, Madonna herself is moving forward and sounding more similar to modern chart Pop and Dance.

In terms of what a song would sound like – if they did get together -, I think there will be a clash of Future Nostalgia-Dua Lipa and modern-Madonna, rather than either artist changing their course or reverting to the past. Many might want Madonna to throw back to her younger sound, but I love what she did on Madame X. I feel a duo between the two artists would provide easy and intriguing chemistry. There would be Disco beats and, maybe, a little suggestion of Madonna’s 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Lyrically, I feel a Madonna-Dua Lipa blend would be less about love and lust; there would be something more serious and heavier at work. Maybe an empowering anthem asking for change and equality? Perhaps we would hear against political ineptitude, or something that aims its anger at the governments in the U.K. and U.S. Given the talent on offer, the possibilities are endless! I do think that this possibility should become a reality, as Madonna has worked with artists over her last few albums, but none that have the same sort of quality and appeal as Dua Lipa – one has to go back to Like a Prayer in 1989 when Madonna worked with Prince to get that same sort of excitement level. If anything is to be realised, I assume it will happen when they can get into the studio together, as I am not sure a song that features them recording vocals separately would be as natural and good. Dua Lipa is moving forward and busy, and one suspects Madonna is putting together some music. Whether they would release a song as a standalone single or include it on one of their albums, I am not certain. What I do know is that two of the modern world’s biggest Pop artists unifying would create…

QUITE an explosion.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Best Album Openers

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @rocinante_11/Unsplash

Best Album Openers

___________

IN this edition of The Lockdown Playlist…

PHOTO CREDIT: @jamakassi/Unsplash

I am interested in these great album openers. I think opening an album with a real sense of purpose and immediacy is difficult and important, and if you can hook the listener with the first song, then you have done pretty good! Everyone has their own views as to which songs are the best album openers, but there are some that are undeniably classic! I cannot name all the albums that are included in the playlist, but you can do some digging and find out if you are curious. I hope that you enjoy the selection of album-opening gems, and that they give you a bit of a spark. Maybe I shall do a playlist regarding album closers but, for now, here are a group of songs that got albums off…

PHOTO CREDIT: @davidhofmann/Unsplash

TO a real flyer!

FEATURE: Don’t Pass Me By: Ringo Starr at Eighty: Saluting a Drumming Icon

FEATURE:

 

Don’t Pass Me By

IN THIS PHOTO: Ringo Starr in 1967/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Avedon

Ringo Starr at Eighty: Saluting a Drumming Icon

___________

WHEN a musician I love celebrates…

a big birthday, I am keen to throw a lot of passion their way. I have already penned a couple of Ringo Starr features, where I saluted his drumming genius and picked his ten best performances. I think there are some quarters who, rather unoriginally, think he was not even the best drummer in The Beatles, or that his work deserves to be mocked! I hope that notion has been dispelled because, not only has Starr been behind some of the finest drumming ever, but he is one of those human beings that inspires you. The fact that he is on Twitter, and sends out these messages of peace and love is infectious and, frankly, what we all need right now! Starr ()Richard Starkey) turns eighty on 7th July, and he continues to put out brilliant music – his last album, What’s My Name, was released last year. I have already published some general pieces regarding Starr’s best work, so I will not cover the same ground. I wanted to write a feature that showed what Ringo Starr means to me on a personal level. There is no doubt that Starr has influenced so many drummers, and there are so many musicians who owe him a lot. My first experience of The Beatles was listening to albums like Rubber Soul, and Revolver. Of course, I loved the music because it was The Beatles and I was struck by their incredible power and talent!

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles at Twickenham Film Studios on 9th April, 1969/PHOTO CREDIT: Bruce McBroom/Apple Corps Ltd

I had always heard about John Lennon and Paul McCartney being these songwriting titans who were responsible for some of the best music that has ever been made. I think I almost take Ringo Starr for granted when I heard those records; assuming he was not as important as John Lennon and Paul McCartney (or George Harrison). At a certain age, I really started listening out for Ringo Starr’s drums and realised just how essential they were in regards The Beatles’ brilliance. From Rain, and In My Life through to Strawberry Fields Forever, and Here Comes the Sun, it was obvious just how unbelievable his work was. I listen now and am blown away by Starr’s originality and talent. He provides these fills and beats that no other drummer would attempt. He hooks up amazingly with Paul McCartney’s bass and gives the songs of The Beatles such power and personality. The Beatles’ promotional clips are infectious, and I remember as a child seeing them and always drawing my eye to Starr, as he seemed like the coolest and funniest! There is so much to idolise when we think of Starr, but the sheer weight and brilliance of his drumming cannot be understated. I am listening to Rain whilst typing this and, to me, this is his greatest performance. I am not a musician or know the technical details, but I listen to that song and I cannot for the life of me understand how he manages to make the sounds he does – it is no wonderer Starr ranks Rain as his finest Beatles moment!

Now more than ever, I am listening to Beatles classics and I am appreciating the drumming in new ways. As a child, I was not quite aware of just how instrumental Starr’s role was and how much he contributed to each song. I also love Ringo Starr as a singer, and I think he gives so much heart to songs like Don’t Pass Me By, Boys, Yellow Submarine, and With A Little Help from My Friends. In The Beatles’ films, I think Starr provides the best acting performances (though some would say George Harrison was the best actor), and I loved his turn in A Hard Day’s Night. In short, Ringo Starr is this amazing all-rounder that, for so long, has to fight off idiots who questioned his drumming ability! There is no questioning the importance and genius of Starr, and he means a lot to me and so many music lovers. I think he warrants a lot of love and tribute as he turns eighty, and fresh appreciation. I think Starr’s drumming is so amazing, that one can debate as to which album truly defines him. I would say Rubber Soul, and Abbey Road are the best albums that showcase Starr’s range, but there are others who say Revolver is king.

I want to source from a fabulous article from Modern Drummer, where they look at Starr’s work on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour in 1967; how he really added something to The Beatles and changed the way they sounded for the better:

“There was no doubt that Ringo was listening to his influences, and that’s what came out in his playing. And this is when they, as a complete group, started changing the landscape of recording. The songs they were writing really dictated his new style of playing and what the drums did. It wasn’t solely based on the Mersey beat anymore, with that open hi-hat and driving beat, which had been the hallmark of their sound. That was the major change in Ringo’s drumming. And then you add the sonic experimentation with the drums, which was also pioneering. In the recording process they now used compression, limiting, phasing, and backward recording. And then there was the use of the tea towels on his drums. So you combine those elements and you have sounds and playing that no one had ever heard before. All of this was brand new.

For anyone who’d ever questioned Ringo’s playing before, this [period] really highlighted his or her ignorance about the value of his playing and what his contribution was to the greatest band of all time. The drums are so prominent on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour—very dominant. It was clear to me, and I believe everyone else, that it was absurd to not understand his importance.

On 1967’s “Strawberry Fields Forever”/“Penny Lane” single and the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour albums, the Beatles were doing more complicated and orchestrated music, as well as experimenting more with sound. To fit in, Ringo’s drums became part of the orchestra. The miking of his drums was different, and he started placing tea towels on his drums for a flatter sound. Not only was he keeping time, he was now creating different parts for the intro, verse, chorus, and bridge of the song—his parts changed with the mood changes in the song. On “A Day in the Life” and “Strawberry Fields,” his drums were the instrument that answered the vocals, whereas before the release of Sgt. Pepper, it was normal to hear guitar or keys doing the answering. This took the mind of a thinking drummer. When the melody changed, so did Ringo’s drum part. To change a Ringo drum part in a Beatles arrangement would be like changing the chords to the song”.

 I will wrap things up, but I think Ringo Starr turning eighty is a great excuse, not only to listen to The Beatles and his solo work, but really appreciate what an inspirational musician he is - Starr is also streaming a birthday celebration, and Paul McCartney is one of the artists who will help mark Starr’s eightieth. One does not have to listen too hard to modern music to realise that countless drummers cite Starr as pivotal; how he has managed to help transform the music scene. For the last time before his birthday, I want to tip my cap and sing the praises of one of music’s…

UNTOUCHABLE geniuses.

FEATURE: “Do You Want to Feel How it Feels?” Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)

FEATURE:

 

 

“Do You Want to Feel How it Feels?”

PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)

___________

WHEN I think about one of Kate Bush’s…

most-famous songs, there are things that baffle me. The title is one thing that is a point of contention. It was originally to be called A Deal with God, but a number of countries refused to play the song because of the word ‘God’ in the title, even though there is nothing blasphemous or disrespectful in the title or track! This article from Far Out Magazine explains more:

“Bush also revealed that while the title is more widely known as ‘Running Up That Hill’ that’s not how she thinks of it. She said, “You see, for me it is still called “Deal With God”, that was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it would not be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn’t play it, France wouldn’t play it, and Australia wouldn’t play it! Ireland wouldn’t play it, and that generally we might get it blacked purely because it had God in the title”.

It is a bit weird that the title is, now, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), when the original title worked better and is actually very positive and would not offend anyone. Released on 5th August, 1985, this iconic track is almost thirty-five, and I have never really looked inside it at all. I shall dive into the track in a bit, but I think the fact Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) – or ‘Running Up That Hill’ – did not hit the top spot is really strange!

Many people assume the single went to number-one, but it reached number-three in the U.K. To be fair, Madonna’s Into the Groove was number-one when Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) – I am going to refer to the song as such throughout – was released. The song also reached number-three in Germany, four in Ireland, and thirty in the U.S. Chart positions aren’t everything, but I wonder whether Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) would have reached the top of the charts if it was released earlier or later in 1985. The fact that Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was successful (to an extent) in the U.S. was a big push forward, as Bush’s singles and albums weren’t always well-received there before that. Also, the terrific Under the Ivy was the B-side to Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) in the U.K., and I am surprised Under the Ivy didn’t make the Hounds of Love album – the record was so strong that a song as monumental as Under the Ivy was a B-side! In terms of its birth, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was written during a summer’s evening in 1983. I was born in May 1983, and I think it is kind of cool that one of Kate Bush’s best songs were written just after/around the time I was born. I can just picture Bush sitting looking across the countryside (she moved from London to the country after 1982’s The Dreaming) and coming up with this magical and positive song.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Griffin

Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was the first song recorded for Hounds of Love, and there is a great mix of natural instrumentation and the Fairlight CMI – which was playing a much bigger role in Bush’s work, and it was hugely important during The Dreaming’s recording. Recorded between 4th November and 6th December, 1983, Stuart Elliott added his drum parts in accordance with a predetermined and pre-programmed part; Alan Murphy provided guitar, whilst Paddy Bush spliced in some balalaika, to give the song a scent and taste of the more unconventional. The music video featured Bush performing an interpretive dance with dancer Michael Hervieu. The video was directed by David Garfath. Bush and Hervieu are shown wearing grey Japanese hakama. I love the video, and it remains one of her most memorable and affecting pieces. Though I am a huge fan of Bush’s work pre-Hounds of Love, I cannot deny the importance and quality of her 1985 opus – the album celebrates thirty-five years on 16th September. When it comes to the story of Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), this article reveals more information (as Kate Bush explains the lyrics’ meaning):

“I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman, can't understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each others roles, if we could actually be in each others place for a while, I think we'd both be very surprised! [Laughs] And I think it would be lead to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either... you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know.

And I thought, "well, no, why not a deal with God!" You know, because in a way it's so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you. You see, for me it is still called "A Deal With God", that was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it wouldn't be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn't play it, France wouldn't play it, and Australia wouldn't play it! Ireland wouldn't play it, and that generally we might get it blacked purely because it had "God" in the title. Now, I couldn't believe this, this seemed completely ridiculous to me and the title was such a part of the song's entity. I just couldn't understand it. But none the less, although I was very unhappy about it, I felt unless I compromised that I was going to be cutting my own throat, you know, I'd just spent two, three years making an album and we weren't gonna get this record played on the radio, if I was stubborn. So I felt I had to be grown up about this, so we changed it to 'Running Up That Hill'. But it's always something I've regretted doing, I must say. And normally I always regret any compromises that I make. (Richard Skinner, 'Classic Albums interview: Hounds Of Love. Radio 1 (UK), aired 26 January 1992)”.

When you see polls of the best Kate Bush songs and moments, inevitably Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) appears at the top or very near. You can tell that, in this period – 1983-1985 -, Bush was at her most content and inspired. There is so much to love about Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). The composition is powerful, driving, yet it has romance and tenderness. Bush’s voice was deeper and less acrobatic on Hounds of Love (except for a few songs) than on albums like The Kick Inside, and Lionheart (both from 1978), and there is so much emotion, depth and beauty in her delivery. I think it is the lyrics, like so many of her songs, that are the most potent. That idea of lovers switching places to better understand one another had not been explored in Pop in quite the same way – I don’t think it really has since 1985! The fact that everyone from Tori Amos, First Aid Kit, and Patrick Wolf have covered the song shows how it resonates with different people through the years. Placebo famously covered the song (as Running Up That Hill) in 2003, and I can see many more artists tackling the song in years to come. Although Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is not thirty-five for a little while, I wanted to get in ahead and shine a light on one of Kate Bush’s finest moments. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is a song that is widely played to this day – perhaps in favour of many other of her songs that warrant a spin -, and you can see why it is so enduring and loved. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is a slice of genius from…

PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

ONE of the greatest songwriters in full flight.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Super Film Soundtrack Cuts

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @merrikh/Unsplash

Super Film Soundtrack Cuts

___________

I have covered quite a lot of ground…

PHOTO CREDIT: @dmjdenise/Unsplash

when putting together various Lockdown Playlists. For this edition, I wanted to delve into some of the best film soundtracks there has been, including the odd musical. I think these get overlooked when we think of the best albums ever, which is a bit odd. I am including soundtracks rather than scores, as I might do scores another day. Have a listen to the selections in the playlist below, and I am sure there are songs in there that you would not have heard before. I think the lockdown will end soon enough, as things are beginning to ease, the COVID-19 death rate is starting to come down. Until then, I will be putting out playlists that cover a broad spectrum. Enjoy this current installment that takes in tracks from some…

PHOTO CREDIT: @dmjdenise/Unsplash

SIMPLY amazing film soundtracks.

FEATURE: The July Playlist: Vol. 1: The Blood of America

FEATURE:

 

The July Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Kanye West  

Vol. 1:  The Blood of America

__________

WHEN looking at this week’s…

IN THIS PHOTO: Sufjan Stevens

rundown of new songs, there are a lot of brilliant releases. Powerful songs from Kanye West (with Travis Scott), and Sufjan Stevens have arrived; fantastic emotional cuts from Willie Nelson, and Shirley Collins, and some terrific songs from Christine and the Queens, Paul Weller, Dream Wife, Glass Animals, Kele, and Fontaines D.C. It is a packed and extraordinary week for music, and one that is – as I seem to say a lot – among the strongest of the year! If you need a mix of energy and contemplation to get your weekend going, then this Playlist is the one for you! It goes to show that, even though the music world is not able to operate as it normally does, we are still seeing songs come out that are…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dream Wife

STRONGER than ever.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

__________

PHOTO CREDIT: Paolo Pellegrin

Kanye West (ft. Travis Scott) – Wash Us in the Blood

Sufjan Stevens – America

PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times

Christine and the Queens - Eyes of a Child

Paul Weller – Village

Willie Nelson – Don’t Let the Old Man In

Glass Animals - Heat Waves

PHOTO CREDIT: Asia Werbel

Kele – Melanin

Soccer Mommy – Drive

Alfie Templeman - Obvious Guy

Martha Hill - Grilled Cheese

Ellie Goulding – Slow Grenade

SASAMI – Toxicity

Shirley Collins – Sweet Greens and Blues

NZCA Lines - For Your Love

Fontaines D.C. - Televised Mind

Dream Wife – Old Flame

Liela Moss - Watching the Wolf

PHOTO CREDIT: Alexa Viscius

Courtney Marie Andrews - How You Get Hurt

AJ Tracey, Mabel – West Ten

PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Juarez-Carr

Porridge Radio, Lala Lala – Good for You

The Lathums – All My Life

Devendra Banhart - Let's See

Idris Elba, The Knocks, Tiggs Da Author – One Fine Day

This Is the Kit – This Is What You Did

Ellie Moon - Kylie Jenner

MistaJam – When

Charlotte Clark – Disarray

Maisie Peters - Sad Girl Summer

Maia Wright – I’m Ready

Christinna O – Hot Head

Saweetie – Pretty Bitch Style

PHOTO CREDIT: Dan Harris

MarthaGunn – Caught Up & Confused

Ingrid Andress – Waste of Lime

Lydia Evangeline – Strange

PHOTO CREDIT: Rett Rogers

Nathaniel Rateliff - Time Stands

FEATURE: A Buyer’s Guide: Part Nine: Janet Jackson

FEATURE:

 

A Buyer’s Guide

Part Nine: Janet Jackson

___________

FOR this edition…

PHOTO CREDIT: Bill Lovelace/ANL/REX/Shutterstock

I am looking at the essential albums from a truly terrific artist. Janet Jackson is someone I grew up listening to, and she has put out some incredible albums. It is hard to distil them like this, but I think there are some standouts that everyone needs to investigate. I have whittled her catalogue down to the four essential albums, the underrated one, her latest album – and there is a Janet Jackson-related book that makes a useful companion. If you are a bit new to Janet Jackson or require some steering, I hope this feature provides some form of guidance! In honour of one of the music’s world’s true greats, here is an investigation of Janet Jackson’s…

GREATEST albums.

_____________

The Four Essential Albums

Control

Release Date: 4th February, 1986

Label: A&M

Producers: John McClain (exec.)/Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis/Janet Jackson/Monte Moir/Jellybean Johnson/Steve Wiese/Spencer Bernard

Standout Tracks: Nasty/What Have You Done for Me Lately/The Pleasure Principle

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Janet-Jackson-Control/master/79648

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7GWkceE5McMVfffd1RGL6Y

Review:

“Although Janet Jackson had released two records in the early '80s, they were quickly forgotten, and notably shaped by her father's considerable influence. Janet's landmark third album, 1986's Control, changed all that. On the opening title track, Jackson, with passion and grace, declares her independence, moving out of the gargantuan shadow of her brother Michael and on to the business of making her own classic pop album. The true genius of Control lies in the marriage of her extremely self-assured vocals with the emphatic beats of R&B production wizards Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The duo was already well established in the music industry, but the practically flawless Control showcased Jam and Lewis' true studio mastery. For the better part of two years, Janet remained on the pop chart, with two-thirds of the album's tracks released as singles, including the ever-quotable "Nasty," the assertive "What Have You Done for Me Lately," the frenetically danceable "When I Think of You," and the smooth, message-oriented ballad "Let's Wait Awhile." Jackson achieved long-awaited superstar status and never looked back” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Control

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

Release Date: 19th September, 1989

Label: A&M

Producers: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis/Janet Jackson/Jellybean Johnson/John McClain (exec.)

Standout Tracks: State of the World/Escapade/Black Cat

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Janet-Jackson-Janet-Jacksons-Rhythm-Nation-1814/release/6244501

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5C1LeBW1gM3ttpepzPShxc

Review:

“That some dismissive critics then thought the politics were separable from the love songs was an incorrect reading. Jackson’s further assertion of self was as personal-as-political as the era demanded, reflecting in part her relationship and eventual marriage to René Elizondo, done in secret to keep both the press and her former dadager at bay. She was fully growing into herself as a human, exploring her internal territory and reconciling it with the world outside, while pushing herself musically more than ever. “Black Cat,” which she wrote entirely herself, was the fully manifested example of this internal and external congealing. She threw down a slinky, sexy snarl over a rock guitar shred that was also wildly jiggy, making an unlikely dive-bar banger that spoke to both gang members and the wronged women who loved them. Another nod to history—topically, the bad boy lament could be traced back to Big Mama Thornton, the black blueswoman who invented rock’n’roll—Jackson was proving to the world she was as versatile as any other chart-topper of the day, and no move she made was without substance. Perhaps by presenting her self-made utopia, she also envisioned that the real-life dystopian one would recognize her not for what it wanted her to be, but for who she was” – Pitchfork

Choice Cut: Rhythm Nation

janet.

Release Date: 18th May, 1993

Label: Virgin

Producers: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis/Janet Jackson/Jellybean Johnson

Standout Tracks: You Want This/This Time/Whoops Now (hidden track)

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Janet-Janet/master/92705

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0xCewDvTw0PmnPm7K3Dbgt

Review:

“janet. was at the forefront of the increasingly popular sampling trend in the ‘90s, with one song even employing three different samples as its foundation. Some make perfect sense on a thematic as well as sonic level, like Kool & the Gang’s “Kool It (Here Comes the Fuzz)” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superwoman, Where Were You When I Needed You” on “New Agenda,” or the orchestral flourish from Diana Ross & the Supremes’ “Someday We’ll Be Together” on “If,” which otherwise seems to exist for the sole purpose of providing the impetus behind one of the greatest dance-break routines in music video history. Others, like that group’s only socially conscious tune, “Love Child,” on a song about playing hard to get, seem arbitrary and gratuitous. Of course, Janet, Jam, and Lewis didn’t have to rely on samples to effectively pay homage to Stax Records soul (a sorta-cover of Johnny Daye’s “What’ll I Do”) or label alumni the Emotions (“Because of Love”).

The mother of eclectic, genre-hopping albums by Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, and Fergie, janet. incorporates new jack swing, house, pop, rock, hip-hop, jazz, and even opera, but the album’s range of styles isn’t jarring in the least. Save for some of the more literal ones (“Wind” and “Rain” among them), the interludes serve as bridges between dance and rock, songs about racism and love” – SLANT

Choice Cut: That’s the Way Love Goes

The Velvet Rope

Release Date: 7th October, 1997

Label: Virgin

Producers: Janet Jackson/René Elizondo Jr./Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Standout Tracks: You/Got ‘til It’s Gone/Rope Burn

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Janet-The-Velvet-Rope/master/100041

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/37WYZ1tN3kn5D9hw6yfwsA

Review:

“In every conceivable way the most “adult” album of Janet’s career, The Velvet Rope is also the most naïve. Its vitality owes almost nothing to its stabs at sexual frankness. Because, truthfully, a lot of the “naughty” material doesn’t exactly seem that much more convincing than the Prozac-fuelled aphorisms of the follow-ups, nor is it more politically intriguing than her advocacy of color-blindness in Rhythm Nation. The bisexuality of her cover of Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night” never manages to convince that Miss Jackson has ever been so nasty as to even consider loosening pretty French gowns. “Rope Burn” isn’t so ribald that Janet doesn’t have to remind listeners that they’re supposed to take off her clothes first, though producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’s Chinese water torture beat does approximate sonic bondage. It’s hardly surprising that when Janet uses the word “fuck” in “What About,” she’s not talking about it happening to her. For a sex album that also seems to aim at giving fans an unparalleled glance behind the fetish mask (literally, in the concert tour performance of “You”), Janet’s probably never been more cagey.

But behind the sex is something even more compelling, because it gradually dawns on you that Janet’s use of sexuality is an evasive tactic. That it’s easier for her to sing about cybersex (on the galvanizing drum n’ bass “Empty,” one of Jam and Lewis’s very finest moments, maybe even their last excepting Jordan Knight’s “Give It to You”) and to fret about her coochie falling apart than it is to admit that it’s her psyche and soul that are in greater danger of fracturing. Soul sister to Madonna’s Erotica (which, in turn, was her most daring performance), The Velvet Rope is a richly dark masterwork that illustrates that, amid the whips and chains, there is nothing sexier than emotional nakedness” – SLANT

Choice Cut: Together Again

The Underrated Gem

Damita Jo

Release Date: 22nd March, 2004

Label: Virgin

Producers: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis/Janet Jackson/Dallas Austin/Babyface/Anders Bagge/Scott Storch/Télépopmusik/Kanye West/Avila Brothers

Standout Tracks: Damita Jo/All Nite (Don't Stop)/Just a Little While

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Janet-Damita-Jo/master/79663

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3bjgTLRtiDKO8FF36PJPAQ

Review:

“Luckily, Jackson’s new studio pals open up her insular sound, as each shows respect for the “Janet sound” and the centrality of Jam and Lewis’s cuts. Dallas Austin gives her a snappy single with the guitar-driven “Just a Little While.” Babyface guides her through a lovely trip back to his own chart-dominating days with the gentle, finger-snapping “Thinkin’ ’Bout My Ex.”

Though Kanye West fails to take Jackson past the generic with “My Baby” — the “urban” single released at the same time as the pop-leaning “Just a Little While” — he also guided “I Want You,” one of the most entertaining moments here. Coproduced with Jam and Lewis, it’s poignant, too, as Jackson seems to sympathetically describe her big brother’s innocent youth.

Jackson sings as forcefully as she can there, and she still ends up sounding like a 12-year-old boy. But her lack of vocal capacity may even be the reason she has matured as an artist while her peers have generally stalled.

Unable to wail like Whitney Houston, unwilling to strain like Madonna, Jackson has instead explored all the subtleties of the whisper, relying on her mind instead of her vocal cords. With each album, she has added depth to her persona — a woman whose pursuit of desire has given her a lifetime’s worth of clever ideas about lust and love.

What’s titillating about Damita Jo isn’t some easy flash of sexuality, but the varied soundbeds that Jackson and her producers create to house her love games, and the confidence with which she plays. Mature seduction in pop music? Now that’s a pleasant shock” – Blender

Choice Cut: I Want You

The Latest/Final Album

Unbreakable

Release Date: 2 October, 2015

Labels: Rhythm Nation/BMG

Producers: J. Cole/Dem Jointz/Missy Elliott/Janet Jackson/Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis/Thomas "Tommy McClendon" Lumpkins

Standout Tracks: Burnitup!/No Sleeep/Promise

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Janet-Unbreakable/master/892999

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2j0empM5LNVUMB5u5Quo3Y

Review:

“Yet the best thing about Unbreakable is that it proves Janet can still surprise us. Who would’ve ever envisioned her slipping on a pair of boots and cowboy-cut Wranglers to sing “Lessons Learned,” a country-tinged ballad about co-dependency? Or that she and the boys would’ve gone full Nashville and let a steel guitar cry and a little twang curl the edges of her voice on “Well Traveled” (and that the whole thing would work!)?

Then again, back in 1986, no one expected sweet, baby-faced Janet to boss up, slam the door and snarl in some dickhole’s face, “No, my first name ain’t ‘baby,’ it’s Janet, Miss Jackson if you’re nasty.” From the easygoing sound of Unbreakable, she doesn’t snap like that anymore, but we still wouldn’t recommend trying her” – SPIN

Choice Cut: Unbreakable

The Janet Jackson Book

Janet Jackson: All the Top 40 Hits

Author: Craig Halstead

Publication Date: 12th June, 2017

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Synopsis:

“The youngest of ten children, Janet Jackson was a child actress before she turned to music. She didn’t release her debut album until 1982, when she was 16. However, she had little input to her first two albums, and it wasn’t until took control of her own career in 1986 that she finally found success with the lead single of her third album, What Have You Done For Me Lately.Janet has won five Grammy Awards, eleven American Music Awards, and has seen her song Again nominated for an Academy AwardFor the purposes of this book, to qualify as a Top 40 hit, a single or album must have entered the Top 40 chart in at least one of the featured countries. The Top 40 hits are detailed chronologically, according to the date they first entered the chart in one or more of the featured countries. Each Top 40 single and album is illustrated and the catalogue numbers and release dates are detailed for the USA & UK, followed by the chart runs in each country.The main listings are followed by ‘The Almost Top 40 Albums’, which gives an honourable mention to albums that peaked between no.41-50 in one or more countries, but which failed to enter the Top 40 in any. There is also a points-based list of the Top 30 singles Top 10 albums and Top 10 music videos, plus a fascinating Trivia section, which looks at the most successful singles, albums and in music videos in each of the featured countries” – Amazon.co.uk

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Janet-Jackson-All-Top-Hits/dp/1548061530/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FZWKYUQIZ5QW&dchild=1&keywords=janet+jackson&qid=1593499064&s=books&sprefix=janet+ja%2Caps%2C126&sr=1-1

FEATURE: Second Spin: Madonna – American Life

FEATURE:

  

Second Spin

Madonna – American Life

___________

THERE are a few reasons…

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 2003

why I want to put Madonna’s American Life into Second Spin. For a start, it is an underrated album that features a few of her best tracks; given the fact that Donald Trump is U.S. President, and the album was written when George W. Bush was in power in 2002/2003, I think there are parallels regarding inept leadership and anger – American Life has political edges, but it also addresses the worthlessness of material objects (this from the Material Girl). I also think American Life sounds more relevant and better now compared to 2003. There are some big hits – including the title track, Hollywood, and Love Profusion – that are wonderful; most of the non-singles stand up strong. In a way, American Life is seen as a bit of a blip and misstep between two really strong albums. In 2000, Madonna released the wonderful Music – this came two years after, arguably, her greatest album, Ray of Light. Whilst Music did retain a lot of the Electronic flavours of Ray of Light, the two are very different albums. In terms of image, Madonna embraced her inner-cowgirl for Music, and it was another successful transformation from a music icon. Madonna would win a lot of critics back with 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor where, again, she changed directions and embraced Disco and Dance. American Life is often seen as the first Madonna album that received largely mixed reviews.

Perhaps people were not expecting Madonna to produce an album like American Life, or they thought she was insincere and unable to convince as a more political artist. Unlike Ray of Light, and Music, the singles did not fare as well, and her ninth album is a slow-burner, that’s for sure! The album is a concept album, with themes of the American Dream and materialism. These themes reject the reputation Madonna held in the 1980s, earned by songs such as her worldwide hit, Material Girl (1985). Despite the fact critics were a little cold, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI) both certified it platinum in recognition of one-million shipments in the United States and 300,000 shipments in the United Kingdom, respectively. The album became the 32nd-best-selling album of 2003 and it has sold five-million copies to date. American Life garnered two nominations at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004. I guess it just goes to show that, even when critics are not keen on an album, Madonna’s fanbase can make up for things! Some might say the fans buy and are biased, and that big sales do not equate to quality. When ranking Madonna albums, I would include it in the bottom half, but I think there is a lot to appreciate on American Life. At the time the album was recorded, Madonna was married to Guy Ritchie, and that definitely had a positive impact on her music and mood.

There is no doubt that the terrorist attacks in 2001 had a profound effect on Madonna, who questioned the American Dream and modern life. She wanted to write a record that, for the most part, reflected change and anger that was in the air. I think the image of Madonna as this political rebel and someone pointing the finger at the U.S. Government is striking, and she sounds effecting and memorable throughout the album. There is a nice balance of more charged songs and calmed love songs. Consider the first four tracks of the album, where we have the great 1-2 of American Life, and Hollywood; Love Profusion ends that run of four, and the shift in emotion and tone is palpable. The brilliant Nobody Knows Me, and Nothing Fails arrive next, and it completes a solid first half. Like many underrated albums, I think the fact the first half is so much stronger than the second maybe accounts for many of the average reviews. That said, X-Static Process, and Easy Ride are great tracks, and I even like her James Bond theme, Die Another Day. Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï wrote and produced most of the album between them – they worked together on 2000’s Music -, and I think the collaboration is brilliant. Apart from a couple of weak tracks – Intervention, and Mother and Father -, the rest of American Life is brilliant, and I wonder whether the year American Life was released affected people’s judgement, or they were just waiting for an excuse to attack Madonna.

I think a lot of critics didn’t so much dislike the songs, but they were not convinced by Madonna’s political messages and what she was trying to say through the album. This review from AllMusic is similar to what a lot of other critics have observed:

“American Life is an album performed by a vocalist who has abandoned the U.S. for the U.K. and co-produced by a French techno mastermind, recorded during a time of strife in America, and released just after the country completed a war. Given that context and given that the vocalist is arguably the biggest star in the world, the title can't help but carry some import, carry the weight of social commentary. And it follows through on that promise, sometimes explicitly and sometimes implicitly, but either way, American Life winds up as the first Madonna record with ambitions as serious as a textbook. It plays as somberly as either Like a Prayer or Ray of Light, just as it delves into an insular darkness as deep as Erotica while retaining the club savviness of the brilliant, multi-colored Music. This is an odd mixture, particularly when it's infused with a searching, dissatisfied undercurrent and a musical sensibility that is at once desperate and adventurous, pitched halfway between singer/songwriterisms and skimming of current club culture. It's pulled tight between these two extremes, particularly because the intimate guitar-based songs (and there are a lot of them, almost all beginning with just her and a guitar) are all personal meditations, with the dance songs usually functioning as vehicles for social commentary.

Even if the sparer ballads are introspective, they're treated as soundscapes by producer Mirwais, giving them an unsettling eerie quality that is mirrored by the general hollowness of the club songs. While there are some interesting sounds on these tracks, they sound bleak and hermetically sealed, separate from what's happening either in the mainstream or in the underground. Perhaps that's because she's aligned herself with such flash-in-the-pan trends as electroclash, a hipster movement that's more theoretical than musical, whose ill effects can be heard on the roundly panned James Bond theme "Die Another Day," featured toward the end of American Life. Then again, it could also be that this is the first time that Madonna has elected to rap -- frequently and frenetically -- on a record, something that logistically would fit with Mirwais' dense, house-heavy productions, but sound embarrassingly awkward coming out of her mouth. But that insular feel also comes from the smaller-scale, confessional songs, particularly because Mirwais doesn't give them depth and the songs themselves are imbalanced, never quite having a notable hook in the music or words. Even so, there's a lot that's interesting about American Life -- the half-hearted stabs at politics fall aside, and there are things bubbling in the production that are quite infectious, while the stretch from "Nobody Knows Me" to "X-Static Process" in the middle of the record can be quite moving. But, overall, American Life is better for what it promises than what it delivers, and it's better in theory than practice”.

It is a shame to see mixed and poor reviews out there for American Life, as I like the album and feel it warrants fresh investigation. In their assessment, Billboard remarked the following:

“Unlike recent collections Music and Ray of Light, the lyrical content of American Life relies less on spiritual introspection and more on woman-in-the-mirror confrontation. Here, Madonna takes a look at where she's been, where she's at, and where she hopes to go. Perhaps age, yoga, and the teachings of the Kabbalah have truly enlightened Madonna about human nature—and the reality that nobody's perfect. Musically, American Life continues where Music left off, with stuttering beats and acoustic guitar providing the bulk of the foundation. Highlights include the gorgeous lullaby "X-Static Process," which is equal parts Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens; the tear-inducing "Nothing Fails," replete with gospel choir; the electro-skewed "Mother and Father"; and the punky "Hollywood," which is this album's "Ray of Light." Consider American Life Madonna's own version of Don Miguel Ruiz's book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom”.

Do yourself a favour and stream/buy American Life, as it is a fine album that has more than a couple of standouts. Madonna is never going to win everyone all the time, and there are some that want her to keep repeating albums like Like a Prayer, and Ray of Light. American Life was a bold move and one that, for the most part, pays off! American Life is not Madonna’s strongest work, but it is definitely…

WORTHY of much more love.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard

___________

THERE are some great bands around…

that one can see being mainstay fixtures in years to come. The Welsh powerhouse Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard are definitely primed for something big! It is sad Glastonbury was cancelled this year, as I imagine the guys would have been there in some form. Maybe they will be invited to play next year, as they have a sound, tightness and power that demands festival audiences! Their upcoming The Non Stop EP (out on 10th July) is going to met with a lot of interest, as they have put some singles out and a lot of people wondered where they would head; whether we would get an E.P. or album this year. The track, Hollywood Actors, was out a couple of months back, and the song and video typify what the band is all about. The video is full of humour and originality, whilst the song has a punch and rousing sound that is very much their own. I am going to provide a link where you can buy that E.P. near the end of the feature but, before then, I wanted to bring in a few interviews; charting them from last year where they will getting a lot of buzz…to this year, when they are more established and many were hoping to see them perform live. I guess the band can put gigs on ice until next year, but it is a shame their E.P. will come into the world, and the guys won’t be able to bring it direct to the people.

In terms of introduction, this interview from The Line of Best Fit from last year sets out some backstory, and we get this insight into rather humble (and slightly ramshackle) beginnings:

 “Hailing from Barry and Cardiff, they are Tom Rees (vocals/guitar), his brother Ed on bass, Zac White (guitar) and Ethan Hurst (drums).

Rees went on to play in a local band called Howl, who one fateful night supported Cardiff mainstays The Keys, for whom Newington was drumming. “On the first tune I kicked Dave’s bass drum through, just straight away – the skin went entirely through on the first song, and the gig got cancelled because of it. Everyone was really mad, except Dave because he’s the sweetest person in the world. So that’s how we met, officially.”

Rees went on to play in another Cardiff band called Tibet, gigging in the same circles as Newington and his myriad projects. Now Buzzard drummer Ethan Hurst was also in the band, and he and Rees would write together in the day time when they should have been in college, in Hurst’s parents’ front room. But unbeknownst to Hurst, Rees was also recording whilst his bandmate slept.

“He used to be really lazy so he’d get up at one, two in the afternoon,” says Rees of Hurst. “I used to sneak in after his parents went to work at 8.30am, set up a whole drum kit, set up all the mics and stuff, track, and then set down before he woke up. Like, ‘hey man, how’s it going? I just got here’. And it worked for like, six months,” he laughs. “He’s a very very deep sleeper. I used to bring my mixing desk round, just everything. His neighbours were really liberal, freewheelin’, hippie types who were just fine with it. It was really cool”.

I found the band a few months back, and they have been getting a lot of intertest from radio stations across the country. I have found myself steering more to solo artists as opposed to bands, as I have found that there have not been many (bands) that have caught my ear. That is definitely not the case with Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard. The guys are definitely putting out something special and proprietary, and I look forward to seeing where they head through this year. I was interested in an interview from So Young Magazine and, apologies if some of the questions/answers overlap, but it is interesting to hear Tom Rees discuss the band’s start – and what they wanted to accomplish through 2019:

 “How did you find each other?

Ed on the bass is my brother, so I found him (too) long ago, myself and Ethan on the drums have played in a couple of bands together, whilst Zac on guitar was a childhood friend of Ethan’s. The thing about playing (and living) in Cardiff is that it’s so small you kind of know everyone anyway, so we all had met each other a long time ago but only took the opportunity to play together a couple of years back.

What led you to form a band? A particular happening or mutual love for a record or sound?

Me and Ethan used to record a lot in his parents house, and I was just mucking around one day after listening to ‘Spirit in the Sky’ by Norman Greenbaum, an experience that still haunts my memory to this day – I had listened to that tune innumerable times before but for some reason this time when I listened to it, it had a really deep impact on what I wanted to do musically (I had been in an indie-hole for a while) – essentially I tried ripping off that Norman Greenbaum tune and it really worked. 

Following this I started digging deep into old 70’s records I loved as a kid but had neglected in my late teens, like Todd Rundgren’sSomething / Anything and Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue, before I had been substituting them for Green Day and My Chemical Romance (forgive me Father for I have sinned). With a fresh love for the 70’s I started working on more bits, and that’s how I arrived at Double Denim Hop, our latest single.

What can we be excited for over the next 12 months?

We’re really excited to be releasing new music and playing more shows – the new single will be coming soon, and we’ve got a few festivals tricks up our sleeve”.

It is a weird time for all artists, and so many have no option but to put material out during lockdown; as they have worked on it and it was ready to go anyway. It is not the 2020 Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard envisaged, but they will still be excited that an E.P. is on its way. I do think they will make up for lost time next year and, even though they are not in action at the moment, their fanbase is growing. It is quite rare to see a Welsh act being heralded. By that, I mean the media still focuses a lot of energy on London, and it is only recently where Irish, Welsh and Scottish bands are getting more attention.

I love the Welsh music scene, and there is so much variety and vibrancy emanating from here at the moment. The band were interviewed by DIY earlier in the year, where they were asked about the scene in Cardiff, and whether there are any upcoming acts that they were being moved by:

 “You’re from Cardiff! What do you think of the music scene there at the moment?

Cardiff’s wild! We have a really great community of musicians and bands coming through at the moment, everyone seems to be towing the same “rock is kind” line as well which is great, everyone’s into helping each other succeed which is really refreshing. For such a small city we have such a wild variety of music too, from bands like Private World to the Bug Club, we pretty much cover the entire musical landscape.

Are there any other artists breaking through at the same time that you take inspiration from?

I’m a huge Katy J Pearson fan she absolutely rocks, I saw her at the Lexington the other week and her voice broke me down to a pile of dust I felt like a five year old boy it was wild. I think Private World are one of the best bands on the planet at the moment too, all their music is so clean and calculated it makes me feel born anew.

If people could take away one thing from your music, what would it be?

All I’d ever want is for people to forget about everything else that is going on and have a moment of focussed happiness. We, more than anything, want to be a great rock band, so as long as we can capture people and help them to only think about rock for a couple of minutes, I’m happy, there’s a whole lot else that doesn’t bear thinking about right now”.

I have sort of raced through their career, but I have put some links at the bottom of this feature, and I would suggest people dig their music and follow them, as this is a band that have many more years coming. The Non Stop EP arrives on 10th July, and you should definitely go and pre-order a copy. It looks set to be one of the hottest releases of this year:

“The band aired their debut single Double Denim Hop in 2018 to widespread acclaim from the likes of The Guardian - “Thin Lizzy or T-Rex in the back room of a pub, riffs and tunes intact but with an endearing slacker attitude”- who included them in their 2019 list of artists to watch out for. A BBC Radio 6 Music spin for Double Denim Hop from none other than Iggy Pop, and a session for Huw Stephens on the same station followed at the beginning of 2019. Subsequent singles Late Night City and Love Forever drew airplay from BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, Jack Saunders and Huw Stephens, and BBC Radio 6 Music. The band also landed a slot at Glastonbury courtesy of BBC Introducing.

Now comes this 10 track mini LP featuring Double Denim Hop, Late Night City and 8 other nuggets”.

I am going to follow the Welsh wonders, and their music is providing me with energy during this rather tough time. If you have not stumbled across this terrific group, then investigate them now. Their music is wonderful, and the brilliant Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard really are…

A stunning force.

________________

Follow Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard

PHOTO CREDIT: Pooneh Ghana

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/buzzardbuzzardbuzzard/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/buzzardbuzzard

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/buzzardbuzzardbuzzard/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/69ilUSFj31FA2iLHtegRwi

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjpfSd330LsE8wH_lFbjE0w

FEATURE: Independence Day: Foo Fighters’ Eponymous Debut Album at Twenty-Five

FEATURE:

 

Independence Day

Foo Fighters’ Eponymous Debut Album at Twenty-Five

___________

RATHER than cover this…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dave Grohl/PHOTO CREDIT: Gie Knaeps/Getty Images

for Vinyl Corner, I want to do a separate piece to mark the Foo Fighters’ eponymous album. It turns twenty-five on Friday (4th July), and it is an album that I overlooked for a long time. I am not a massive fan of the Foo Fighters’ more recent output, but one cannot ignore the brilliance and importance of the debut – which is, essentially, a Dave Grohl solo album. After the break-up of Nirvana – following Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994 -, it must have been a very weird and scary time for Dave Grohl – who had been part of this tight band for years. Not only did Grohl have to process the news, but he had to figure out what to do as a musician. It would have been odd joining another band so soon but, with songs in his pocket and the desire to keep moving, Grohl wrote and recorded the album himself. There is a guest spot from Greg Dulli, but Foo Fighters is, on the debut album, a pseudonym for Dave Grohl – it was only later when he added band members. Foo Fighters started out as a way of Grohl to have a bit of fun and release some of the anger and sadness felt over the death of Kurt Cobain. In a way, it was like Grohl was returning to the days before Nirvana, or when he first joined the band, as things were very stripped-back and simple.

He was starting from scratch as a solo artist and passed around cassettes to his friends of the sessions he was recording. The music caught the ear of Capitol, who he signed to, and it was only after the album came out that Grohl hired some band members so he could perform the songs live. Foo Fighters had six singles released from it, including the epic This Is a Call. It seems like the recording proves was quite hectic. Grohl and Barrett Jones produced the album in just one week in October 1994, where Grohl would record a guitar part, run to a different room and lay down bass, and do that for all the instruments required. About four songs were completed a day, and although there was a lot of energy and rush, it seemed like things were quite civil too. Grohl and Jones had this routine, and that process resulted in one of the best albums of 1995. I think there was reticence from Grohl regarding his singing voice, as he had not done a lot of vocal work with Nirvana. Many people had not heard Grohl away from the drums, so it was an eye-opening experience for a number of different reasons. About one-hundred L.P.s and cassettes were made, and it was intended to be a very low-key release. Being Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters was always going to grab attention, and you only need to listen to the urgency of the album to realise why it resonated in 1995. It still sounds fresh today, and it is amazing to see how the Foo Fighters grew from there – today, they are one of the biggest bands in the world and have headlined numerous festivals!

Twenty-five years after its release, new listeners are picking up the Foo Fighters’ debut, and I am sure it is inspiring bands to form. It is a great record, and it would have been a tragedy if the songs were just for Grohl’s amusement and never saw the light of day. Luckily, he did put out the album, and it got a lot of critical acclaim. There would have been the temptation for many to compare Foo Fighters with Nirvana and, whilst Grohl’s vocal shares similarities with Kurt Cobain, the two projects are different. Foo Fighters would follow up the eponymous debut with The Colour and the Shape in 1997 and, whilst some say that album is more successful and consistent, I have a soft spot for the debut. In this review, this is what AllMusic had to say:

“Essentially a collection of solo home recordings by Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters' eponymous debut is a modest triumph. Driven by big pop melodies and distorted guitars, Foo Fighters do strongly recall Nirvana, only with a decidedly lighter approach. If Kurt Cobain's writing occasionally recalled John Lennon, Dave Grohl's songs are reminiscent of Paul McCartney -- they're driven by large, instantly memorable melodies, whether it's the joyous outburst of "This Is a Call" or the gentle pop of "Big Me." That doesn't mean Grohl shies away from noise; toward the end of the record, he piles on several thrashers that make more sense as pure aggressive sound than as songs. Since he recorded the album by himself, they aren't as powerful as most band's primal sonic workouts, but the results are damn impressive for a solo musician. Nevertheless, they aren't as strong as his fully formed pop songs, and that's where the true heart of the album lies. Foo Fighters has a handful of punk-pop gems that show, given the right musicians and songwriters, the genre had not entirely become a cliché by the middle of the '90s”.

I have seen some anniversary articles pop up to celebrate twenty-five years of Foo Fighters, and I think it is a big anniversary! The band would have been playing festivals this year, and it would have been cool to mark that debut album with a special set. They will be back in force next year, and I am sure the Foo Fighters album will get particular consideration. I will wrap things up soon but, just before, I want to bring in an article published this time last year, that shone the spotlight on an album both huge and modest. Whilst Foo Fighters is this expansive and physical record, the fact that its release and promotion was not a big event – all the more impressive considering the fame and importance of the man who created the music! In their piece, UDiscoverMusic discussed Foo Fighters’ immense songs, and the fact the touring and promotion of the album was not this major thing:

“Filled with punk-pop anthems

Even with the deck stacked against him, Grohl delivered an exceedingly fun album, filled with punk-pop anthems and DIY sound that satiated post-grunge fans while hinting at the throbbing arena-rock that was to come. But you can’t play rock venues of any size without a band and so Grohl quickly assembled a band to take Foo Fighters on tour. Having heard about the disbanding of Seattle-based rock band Sunny Day Real Estate, Grohl drafted the group’s bass player, Nate Mendel, and drummer, William Goldsmith, as well as Nirvana touring guitarist and former Germs member, Pat Smear to complete the line-up.

Like the album release, the tour was also decidedly under the radar, with the band playing a friends loft in Seattle as their first gig. Throughout the whole album cycle, Grohl remained healthily sceptical, telling Kerrang! in 1996, “I don’t think we’re capable of being a sensation like Oasis or Alanis Morissette. Sure it has some hook and melodies, but I just don’t think it’s the kind of thing that eight million 12-year-olds are ever going to be able to palate”. Ironically enough, Grohl would go on to recruit Miss Morissette’s drummer Taylor Hawkins to join his band and go on to release eight more albums, selling over 30 million records worldwide”.

Dave Grohl couldn’t have predicted what would happen to Foo Fighters after that debut album, and how successful he would become as a frontman. Twenty-five years from that incredible and much-loved debut album, the band have conquered the world. Fans can debate as to which Foo Fighters is the best, but I don’t think there is any as important as the debut of 4th July, 1995. As it has a big anniversary coming on Friday, go and stream the album and let it do its work. It is an incredible album, and I just felt I had to mark its quarter-century. 1995 was a phenomenal year for music, so it would have been possible Foo Fighters sort of got overlooked or struggled to make an impact. As it was, it won a lot of respect, and it resonated with Dave Grohl fans and non-fans alike. To this very day, Foo Fighters…

REMAINS a classic.

FEATURE: Leave It Open: Kate Bush: A Dream Interviewee

FEATURE:

 

Leave It Open

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1993/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

Kate Bush: A Dream Interviewee

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THROUGH the course of my features…

PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Rasic/Getty Images

about Kate Bush, I have read a lot of interviews and done as much research as possible. I have never written a feature about Kate Bush as an interviewee! When reading through magazine interviews through the years and listening to ones for radio – and watching the few T.V. ones -, I am always charmed and blown away by her. Bush is someone who has been under the media microscope since her debut single, Wuthering Heights, was aired in 1977 – it was officially released in 1978, but it found its way onto the air beforehand. I am going to include some recorded interviews and share some snippets from written ones, as it is wonderful to hear her speak and radiate. Even in magazine interviews, you can feel that warmth and charm come through. Even when she is faced with more personal or challenging questions, Bush always responds with calm and professionalism. Bush is asked a lot of the same questions, and I guess that is an issue every artist faced. She does get similar questions asked, but you never get the feeling that she is bored or batting the question away. In fact, Bush is always open, and she leaves this sense of mystery lingering – you never feel like you know everything about her, even when you consider the sheer number of interviews she has been involved with!

I have heard the same thing from a lot of people: simply listening to Kate Bush speak is a nurturing and relaxing experience! She is so warm and engaging, one is helpless to resist. Whilst this feature might seem like an excuse to praise Bush and point one in the direction of her work (in part, it is!), I think we overlook the promotional cycle and how difficult it can be for artists. Many musicians are not fan of interviews and are unwilling to give a lot away. Some give the same answers to every question, and you can tell that their heart is not really in it. If anyone asked which artist would I like to review above them all, Kate Bush wins without a doubt. It is not just because I adore her music and it would be fascinating to ask her about it; there are so many stories – from those who have interviewed her – regarding her hospitality, friendliness, and rapport. One only needs to listen to a sample interview (I shall drop some in soon) to pick up on that. This all makes me wonder, like so many, whether we will ever hear her interviewed again because, unlike some artists, Bush only conducts interviews when she puts something out. The last time we hear her interviewed was 2016, when the vinyl/C.D. of Before the Dawn (Bush’s sell-out 2014 residence in London) was released.

PHOTO CREDIT: Alamy

After so many years of being interviewed, and being asked similar questions, Bush treated everyone with warmth, and she delivered something different every time. I guess one cannot get too caught up as to whether a new album will ever arrive, as part of the excitement is waiting and being surprised when you least expect it. A lot of people are desperate to hear new Kate Bush music but, oddly, I just want to hear her speak! It has been over eight years since her last album – 2011’s 50 Words for Snow – and, since then, she has re-released her back catalogue and book of lyrics (which she didn’t promote through interviews), and she has, like us all, been part of the COVID-19 pandemic. If one is new to Kate Bush or they are struggling to get to the bottom of her work, I would suggest spending some time listening to interviews with her on YouTube, or doing a search of written interviews, as Bush lets us into her world, but you also feel a little closer to this remarkable, iconic and decades-lasting artist. I am not sure why I am suddenly digging into the interview archives, but I do really love the way Bush engages with those she is interviewed by. In the first year or two of her career, she did face some rather condescending (male) interviewers, but she was also asked about her family, background, and songwriting process. I think, as the years rolled on, Bush began to become a bit wary of the press and interviews.

With every album, she needed to do some promotion, but I think she preferred being in the studio and was not always comfortable being so personal – one can understand and appreciate that! The past couple of albums – Director’s Cut and 50 Words for Snow of 2011 – were met with a blizzard of interviews - Bush letting a lot of journalists into her home and conducting radio interviews with British and North American stations. It is heartening to see that generosity coming from Bush, as one might suspect she would wind down interviews as she is so far into her career. I guess she was very proud of 50 Words for Snow (rightfully so!), and she released the album on her own label, Fish People, so wasn’t taking directions from EMI; Bush doing things her own way and less restrained and guided. I am not sure, but it was great to see her speaking to so many people even if, inevitably, the same questions came up – many revolving around the fact Stephen Fry and Elton John were on the album; others asked her about Snowed in at Wheeler Street, and whether she based that on a real place etc. I am going to quote from a few interviews, and I might jump back and forth regarding chronology. One of my favourites is when Bush was interviewed by Q Magazine in 1993 to promote The Red Shoes; the magazine ran a quote, “Booze, fags, blokes and me”, on the front cover!

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1982

Whilst the interview is not as racy as that quote implies, it is fascinating to see how different interviewers approached her, and what questions were being asked at different times. I love the Q interview, as it is a varied and great interview where Bush is asked about The Red Shoes/her work…but she also got a chance to show different sides of her personality:

“Would you make a good therapist?

"I really don't know. When I was little, I really wanted to be a psychiatrist. That's what I always said at school. I had this idea of helping people, I suppose, but I found the idea of people's inner psychology fascinating, particularly in my teens. Mind you, it's probably just as well I didn't become one. I would have driven all these people to madness. I'm better off just fiddling around in studios."

What newspapers and magazines do you read?

"I don't, really. I find them all slightly biased and angry in their own ways, and generally I prefer the radio or the television, especially where news is concerned. I know the television is biased too, but it doesn't seem as sort of characterised as the press. And magazines I don't read at all, I'm afraid. I did for a while and found them quite boring and slightly manipulative. I thought a lot of magazines were trying to -- or if not trying to, then ending up, making you feel inadequate. I didn't think a lot of healthy things were going on in them. I had friends who got magazines regularly and they were getting more and more concerned about them, more and more obsessed with the articles and the quizzes. It took me a long time to grow out of The Beano, though, so perhaps I'm just not grown up enough for magazines."

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979

Which of your old songs make you wince?

"My God, loads. Absolutely loads. Either the lyric's not thought out properly or it's just crap or the performances weren't well executed. But you have to get it in context. You were doing it at the time and it was the best you could do then. You've got to live with it. Some of those early songs, though, you think, 'What was I *thinking* about? Did *I* write that?'"

Have you got into grunge yet?

"Err, no. I like a lot of diverse music, but nothing really wild. Nothing very odd. I don't watch The Sound of Music every night or anything...But what is unexpected these days? I like classical music, but I wish I was more eloquent with it. I hear things and think, 'That's beautiful,' but don't know what it is. As you get older, you do get more into instrumental music, don't you? It's as if as you get older you don't want people telling you what they think or what you've got to think or do. Also, those great composers really knew what they were doing. A lot of contemporary art is made by people who haven't got any talent. Art made by talentless people can sometimes really work, but it's not the same as real craft."

Do you worry about getting old?

"I don't actually worry about aging, but I am at a point when I'm older than I was and there's a few things I'd like to be doing with my life. I've spent a lot of time working and I'd like to catch up. Over the next few years I'd like to take some time off".

As much as I love hearing Bush talk about her latest album and the process, when interviewers go off piste a bit and broaden their horizons, I think that is when we learn more – Bush always provides great answers and approaches every question with thought. When Kate Bush spoke with Len Brown of NME in 1989 to promote her album, The Sensual World, the two went into depth - and there is a lot we learn about Bush and her approach to her work. Many musicians might wince when they are asked about their age and getting older, but Bush’s response to passing thirty (she turned thirty a year before The Sensual World came out), is intriguing:

“Many mumbles have breathed their last since Kate Bush first arrived on our screens, flouncing about in dry ice and funeral shroud, oddly crowing 'Wuthering Heights'; obviously different and apart from any musical movement before or since. But whereas the all-conquering, universally acclaimed Hounds Of Love affair at least slotted into the-then pop world, The Sensual World is clearly even more out of step with the current piss poor post-SAW scene.

Probably because it's got a slightly ethnic feel, founded on Kate's use of Irish and Bulgarian musics and musicians in the creative process. Perhaps because she's been free from pop for so long. Maybe because she's crossed the threshold of 30?

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional image for 2011’s 50 Words for Snow/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

"God! Yes, I'm sure it's all tied in with it," she laughs. "I think it's a very important time from 28 to 32-ish, where there's some kind of turning point. Someone said in your teens you get the physical puberty and between 28 and 32 mental puberty. Let's fact it, you've got to start growing up when you're 30, it does make you feel differently, I feel very positive having gone through the last couple of years".

I want to quote from a 2011 interview Bush provided to John Doran when promoting 50 Words for Snow as it proves that, so many years after she entered music, she possessed (and still does) such grace, interest and humour! It is an interesting interview, as Doran seems detached and tired at times – nothing to do with Kate Bush -, and Bush responds really well:

“I think that if I lived outside of London, maybe in the countryside where it doesn’t turn to a mixture of slush and hazardous black ice, I might like it more. Also, I’m very tall and for whatever reason I just fall over when it’s icy, I always have done. It’s very dangerous I think.

KB: [laughs] Are you a kind of glass half empty kind of guy?

My glass used to be completely dry. Now it’s half empty but I’m working on making it half full… No, I’m joking, of course I like snow, it’s simply marvelous stuff. But obviously there’s been a great thematic shift between Aerial and this album.

KB: Yeah”.

“Yeah, ‘Misty’, which has the reference to the girl's affair with a snowman, the wet sheets, the idea of him melting in her hands and on her bed.

KB: Yeah. [massive pause] I’m sorry John, did you ask me a question? What was the question?

I asked if there was a sexual undercurrent to this record, which is ostensibly quite childlike and innocent?

KB: To that song, yeah. Yeah, because of the story that’s being told. But with the other tracks… I don’t know…

Listen, thanks very much. It was great to talk to you and I’m sorry for being half asleep at the start of the interview.

KB: That’s alright, I know what it’s like having a little lad. What’s his name?

Little John.

KB: Little John… How cute! Well, you just enjoy it, they grow up so quickly. It’s exhausting but my god… there’s nothing like it. Now you go and have a nice cup of coffee my love! Ha ha ha! Bye-bye!”.

In 2011, Bush spoke with FADER and, even though she was asked why she doesn’t give too many interviews – she said she prefers for the work to do the talking -, again, you can feel a very personal bond between Bush and the interviewer (Owen Myers); I think she makes every person who interviews her feel like they can explore and go deep:

“Your songs usually write from the point of view of a character, rather than from an autobiographical point of view. Do you feel it frustrating if people assume that your lyrics are confessional?

No. I'm really very happy if people can connect at all to anything I do. I don't really mind if people mishear lyrics or misunderstand what the story is. I think that's what you have to let go of when you send it out in the world. I'm sure with a lot of paintings, people don't understand what the painter originally meant, and I don't really think that matters. I just think if you feel something, that's really the ideal goal. If that happens, then I'm really happy”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Dent/Redferns

Although she has been asked about her lyrics and how personal they are, she is still happy to answer those questions, and she adds new perspective with every answer. The final interview I want to grab from sort of takes us up to date – it is a 2016 interview with Andy Gill of The Independent, where she discussed the Before the Dawn live album and the process of putting the stage shows together. Bush has always been asked about performing live and why she didn’t do it again after 1979 – when her Tour of Life was taken around the U.K. and Europe -, but it was interesting to hear her speak about that subject a couple of years after she completed her second huge live commitment:

“She was helped, as director, by her experience making videos and short films, an interest which effectively supplanted her interest in live performance. Despite being one of pop’s more naturally gifted and inventive stage performers, Kate had not done live shows since her initial tour in 1979, a hiatus that led to her reputation as something of a recluse.

“It wasn’t designed that way, because I really enjoyed the first set of shows we did,” she says. “The plan at the time was that I was going to do another two albums’ worth of fresh material, and then do another show. But of course, by the time I got to the end of what was The Dreaming album, it had gone off on a slight tilt, because I’d become so much more involved in the recording process. And also, every time I finish an album, I go into visual projects, and even if they’re quite short pieces, they’re still a huge amount of work to put together. So I started to veer away from the thing of being a live performing artist, to one of being a recording artist with attached visuals”.

Looking through the interviews archives not only provides an illuminating insight into one of the music world’s most interesting artists; even though Bush is a private person and does not bring her personal life into interviews too much, we get to learn a lot and explore the pages of an icon. I do hope that we get to hear and see more interviews from Kate Bush (in addition to some great music!), because I would love to know how she has adapted to the current COVID-19 situation – though I guess it has not hit Bush as hard as other people! As much as anything, discovering how Kate Bush tackles her albums and what inspires her gives impetus and guidance to fans and musicians alike. She is in her sixth decade as a recording artist and, as she turns sixty-two on 30th July, I think she will have a lot to share. Whatever happens from now going forward, I think Kate Bush’s interviews are as important and revealing as her work; like two different sides to this wonderful artists. As I have said in this feature, hearing or reading a Kate Bush interview provokes so many emotions, and it is calming in these tough times. If you have some time free, I recommend you go through the archives and learn more about Bush, her music, and, well, her as a person. Over forty years after she gave her first interview, Kate Bush is this wonderful blend of the grounded…

PHOTO CREDIT: Alamy

AND the enigmatic.

FEATURE: Plan B: The Uncertain Future of Venues, and the Human Cost Involved

FEATURE:

 

Plan B

PHOTO CREDIT: @nivtop/Unsplash 

The Uncertain Future of Venues, and the Human Cost Involved

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THESE are tense times…

PHOTO CREDIT: @overdriv3/Unsplash

and the future of many venues is under threat. There are various estimates, but some say that up to 90% of venues could be at risk of permanent closure by October if there is not a sufficient amount of money injected into the sector to ensure they can hibernate until then – otherwise the effects could be devastating for the industry. The sector needs a £46 million rescue, a roadmap to reopen, support to recover, and it seems like there is a contrast between what the Government is proposing, and what is needed in order to ensure that the live sector can survive until later this year. This article from The Evening Standard explains the Government’s recent five-step plan – and how it has been received by some:

“The CEO of the Music Venue Trust, the body representing grassroots music venues in the UK, has slammed the Government’s proposed ‘roadmap’ plan for restarting live concerts.

It comes after Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden outlined a five-step plan, which aims to get in-person performances back up and running in the nation’s theatres and music venues.

Responding to the plan, Mark Davyd, CEO of the MVT, said: “We have consistently told [the] Government that what the culture sector needs is the support to enable them to do what they do best.

 “We don’t need guidance on how to organise creative activity and connect with audiences, this is what our venues do professionally. We need the money to survive the crisis and plan our own route back to full use.”

PHOTO CREDIT: @antoinejulien/Unsplash

Mr Davyd proposed an alternative five-step plan for the sector. Read it in full below:

"Step 1: Create the sector support financial package that is immediately required so that any sort of grassroots music venue sector survives to require any more steps at all.

"Step 2: Check if you have completed Step 1. If not, keep checking until you have.

"Step 3: Get out of the way of one of the most dynamic and innovative creative industries in the world and let them get on with it.

"Step 4: Continue to receive massive social cultural and economic benefits for decades to come because you got Step 1 right.

"Step 5: Realise this doesn’t need five steps, it only needs Step 1."

The MVT has called on the Government to provide a £50m financial aid package, writing an open letter which was signed by more than 550 venues across the country.

Grassroots music venues are particularly at risk during the pandemic. No concrete date has been given by the Government as to when they will be able to welcome audiences again, and many venues are crowdfunding to survive”.

This week, there will be a lot of discussion and protestation regarding that five-step plan, and I have seen on social media so many venues setting up initiatives so that they can raise money. Things are a bit of a mess, so it is imperative that the Government react to what has been said regarding their plan, so that they can revise it and help venues stay alive. The weekend just gone would have been Glastonbury, and many of us have caught various sets of the past via the BBC iPlayer.

PHOTO CREDIT: @seththr/Unsplash

There are big plans for next year, and many of us are looking forward to festivals happening then. The problem is, if a lot of venues are forced to close, that will have an impact on festivals. New artists will not have anywhere to play, and I think, if you remove the grassroots venues, then that will make it a lot harder for underground acts to be discovered, which will have a real impact on festivals. I hope that there will be a structured recovery plan, and we can preserve as many venues as possible. A lot of people are bemoaning the fact they cannot see gigs and get together with other people. Others just what that social aspect but, in truth, how many of us consider the people who make venues run and the human cost that would come with their closure?! From administrators and managers through to cleaners, technical staff and those who work behind the bar, there is a chain of people, a family, who make the venues what they are. At the moment, these people are subsisting on furlough payment, and others are applying for Universal Credit. There is a lot of anxiety around, as they are not sure when they can return to work – if at all. Some venues have already closed, and many more are in a precarious position. It is a terrible predicament, and I do hope that things get better very soon. The public and patrons have been great regarding donating to their local venues are getting involved with the #SaveOurVenues initiative. You can do your part here, because so many venues risk having their doors closed permanently.

PHOTO CREDIT: @kylewongs/Unsplash

I do think it is the people that keep these spaces buzzing that deserve our fondest wishes and thoughts. Few of us realise how many people work at venues, even the smaller ones, and keep them going. Right now, no venue can assume they are safe and make solid plans for next year. The Government do need to put that £46 million into the sector, and that will allow venues to keep their doors closed longer, to ensure that people are safe and they are not forced to reopen soon and risk making people ill. It is a struggle between wanting to open and get artists playing again but having to follow advice and wait patiently. There are drive-in festivals happening, and some have suggested that socially-distanced gigs could take place, though there would be very few people allowed into a venue and, really, how useful would that be?! Would people even want to do that?! The reopening of record shops has been brilliant, and it has helped physical music sales rise – many feared a lot of record shops would have to close, but most have survived. Venues are not as lucky in the sense that they can provide an online service and welcome people back in with measures in place. Because of that, they require money so that they can keep their staff furloughed, and they can pay rent/other expenses until they can safely reopen. It is the people in these venues that are struggling, in addition to artists who would normally be performing at this time of year. It is a tense time, but I have optimism that there will be some good news soon. Venues are waiting on tenterhooks for some tide of positive change and, considering all that they give us, it is…

PHOTO CREDIT: @mitchy___/Unsplash

THE least they deserve.  

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Róisín Murphy - Overpowered

FEATURE:

 

Vinyl Corner

Róisín Murphy - Overpowered

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ON 5th July…

IN THIS PHOTO: Róisín Murphy in 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Damon De Backer for Enfnts Terribles

Róisín Murphy celebrates her birthday (it is random, but I just wanted to throw it in!). I am a huge fan of her work, and I have been invested since she was a member of Moloko. I think there is a difference between what she was doing with Moloko compared to her solo stuff. To me, Murphy climbed to new heights when she went solo and, on her second studio album, Overpowered, she hit a new peak! I would urge people to buy it on vinyl, as it a tremendous album that proves there is nobody like Róisín Murphy in the music world. Released on 11th October, 2007, Overpowered was a more successful follow-up to her debut, Ruby Blue – that was a pretty terrific album. I am not sure why Overpowered was not shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, as it fully warranted inclusion – that was rectified when Murphy’s third album, Hairless Toys, was nominated in 2015. Maybe the fact that there was a big gap between Overpowered and Hairless Toys meant that Murphy could craft this layered and detailed album; Overpowered, to me, is as strong as Hairless Toys, and I am glad that a lot of critics provided positive reviews when it was released. It was in 2006, when she was promoting Moloko’s greatest hits album, that she announced a second solo album was coming. Murphy signed to EMI in 2006, and Overpowered is a bigger, more Disco-influenced album that Ruby Blue. There was a bigger budget this time around, and I think Murphy sounds more confident and ambitious on her second solo album.

On future albums, Murphy would streamline regarding the number of writers she worked with, but I think a more collaborative sound works for Overpowered. Murphy definitely wanted to make a different record to her debut, and something different to what she did with Moloko. Overpowered starts incredibly with the title track and then You Know Me Better. Let Me Know and Movie Star are terrific singles, and there are wonderful deeper cuts throughout – Dear Miami and Scarlet Ribbons are songs that warrant closer inspection and are tremendous albums cuts. Overpowered has eleven tracks, and all of them last over three minutes. There is no excess at all, and the album consists these incredibly strong tracks that are allowed to breathe and roam. Murphy’s voice is electric and stunning throughout, and I think Overpowered is one of the best albums of that decade (the ‘00s). As mentioned, it would be a while until we saw a third solo record, but I think Murphy did not want to repeat herself for Hairless Toys; she is an artist who creates these unique albums and wants to make sure everything she puts out is as great as it can be. Take Her Up to Monto, released in 2016, is Murphy’s latest studio album, and she has released singles since then. I cannot wait until we get another album from her, as Murphy is in a league of her own. I have a lot of affection for Overpowered – as did many critics.

This is AllMusic’s review of a huge album:

 “Arty, cerebral, and sometimes downright kooky, Róisín Murphy zigs where other British pop singers zag. She's been one of pop's best-kept secrets since Moloko disbanded, edging her way toward a sound that isn't exactly mainstream but will give her the more widespread acclaim she deserves. For her first solo album, Ruby Blue, she collaborated with producer Matthew Herbert, who streamlined her sound into something creative but not gratingly quirky; even though "Rama Lama" ended up on So You Think You Can Dance, of all places, Ruby Blue wasn't quite a smash success. This time, Murphy teamed with Bugz in the Attic's Seiji, Groove Armada's Andy Cato, All Seeing I's Parrott & Dean, and Jimmy Douglass -- all forward-thinking producers, but with more conventionally pop sounds than Herbert's approach. Of course, by the late 2000s, even the most mainstream singles had at least a few unique production flourishes, so while Overpowered is without a doubt Murphy's most straightforward music yet, she hasn't sacrificed much to make it that way. With its sleek beats, bubbling synths, and nagging chorus, "Overpowered" closely resembles a state-of-the-art pop single, but the way Murphy sings of science and oxytocin over a heart-fluttering harp is unmistakably her. The rest of Overpowered follows suit, giving familiar sounds clever twists that will please longtime Murphy fans and win new ones. The effortless "You Know Me Better," "Let Me Know," and "Checkin' on Me" are chilly yet soulful, touching on disco, house, and '80s pop; "Movie Star" is Murphy's spin on Goldfrapp's glossy glam pop (and the only time she seems in danger of being overpowered by someone else's sound on the album).

Even though these songs are immaculately crafted, there's plenty of life -- and Murphy's personality -- in them. "Primitive"'s synths and strings flit around like mosquitoes in a swamp as she wails "I need to let you out of your cage," while "Dear Miami"'s deadpan delivery and spare beats make it possibly the frostiest song ever written about global warming. Overpowered often feels less intimate than Ruby Blue, but that's a minor quibble, especially when "Scarlet Ribbons" shows off Murphy's tender side and the outstandingly crisp, bouncy, and sassy "Footprints" and "Body Language" rank with her best songs. Aptly enough for such a pop-focused album, nearly every song on Overpowered sounds like a potential smash hit. Even if this album is a bid for the big time, it's done with such flair that it just underscores what a confident and unique artist Murphy really is”.

Overpowered still sounds fresh today, and I have been playing the album a lot lately. I am not sure what Róisín Murphy’s secret is, but she has this pull and panache that you do not get from anyone else! I think Overpowered is among her strongest work, and I think it sounds terrific on vinyl! I want to source from one more interview before wrapping things up. This is what The Guardian wrote when they tackled Murphy’s second solo album:

“But Roisin was always far closer in spirit to Bjork than Kylie. After a personal and professional split with Brydon, she chose to work with visionary art-jazz producer Matthew Herbert for her first solo album, 2005's Ruby Blue, on the kind of ambitious avant-pop hybrid that gets Bjork rapturous acclaim, but only got Murphy... well, a deal with EMI, at least, who thankfully recognised a genuine maverick when they heard one.

nspired by the Eighties proto-house of D Train, Mantronix and Gwen Guthrie, but often sounding a dead-ringer for Yazoo, early Eurythmics and rave-era dance-popsters Electribe 101, Overpowered's bubbling, sensual, and soulful glitterball gems effortlessly tap into the perennial glory of feeling lost and lonely at the disco at the end of the world. If it feels like Murphy is singing about, and to, Mark Brydon on the likes of 'You Know Me Better' and 'Movie Star', then the deep beats, lush synths and subtle horns and strings provided by male producers/co-writers including Jimmy Douglass, Groove Armada's Andy Cato and Richard X work overtime to establish Murphy as sole captain of her own swish and swoony destiny.

As closing ballad 'Scarlet Ribbons' wends its gently reggae-fied way to the sweetest of endings, you realise that you've just been dreamily immersed in the best grown-up dance-pop album since Madonna's Ray of Light. Yep - that good. I hope Ireland doesn't get too offended if Britain comes to its senses and recognises Roisin Murphy as a National Treasure”.

If you need a vinyl recommendation, then I would point you in the direction of Róisín Murphy’s incredible Overpowered. It is a masterful album from an artist who seems to get better with every new song she puts out there! I am excited to see if we will get anything more from her this year. Overpowered is this simply amazing album that reveals new emotions, colours and joys…

WITH every spin.

FEATURE: CD:OK? Can the Compact Disc Survive Post-Lockdown?

FEATURE:

CD:OK?

PHOTO CREDIT: @rocinante_11/Unsplash

Can the Compact Disc Survive Post-Lockdown?

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I am keen to tackle a few…

PHOTO CREDIT: @rocinante_11/Unsplash

music-related aspects in the context of the current COVID-19 situation. Venues are struggling at the moment and, if they were to close permanently or there was any financial hit, that could have big ramifications for the venues’ staff and the infrastructure. Many people focus on venues and festivals as places of fun and community and, whilst any detriment to the survival of venues/festivals would be a blow, we overlook the situation regarding those people who run and make venues/festivals happen and buzz. I shall cover that, as there is some doubt as to whether the live music sector can continue as it did prior to lockdown. Today, I am looking at physical music sales, and specifically the decades-lasting compact disc. I have been cheered, like so many people, to see record shops open – albeit, with social distancing and fewer customers. Even when record shops were shut, many people were ordering from their local, and getting vinyl delivered to them. I feared that many of the best record shops would not survive the current times, but it does seem that, as shops are open again, the future is rosier than we all thought. During the past few months, vinyl sales have been doing well, and it seems like there is a dedicated appetite. If it were not for online sales, it would be heart-breaking to think where record shops would be.

PHOTO CREDIT: @kxvn_lx/Unsplash

Whilst we visit our local record store, how many of us are still invested in C.D.s? I mainly buy compact discs online, but I try and pick one up when I go to a record store. I have a C.D. player in my car, and I do love the portability of the compact disc. Vinyl is great, but it does cost more and there is that issue of having to listen to a record in a fixed spot. I think the C.D. has struggled against the tide of streaming, and vinyl remains converted because of the sound quality, the tactile nature of it, and the fact that the format is more reliable and sturdier than the compact disc. I was reading an article from Music Week, when they spoke with HMV’s owner, Dough Putman. HMV is a chain that relies on the sale of compact discs, in addition to vinyl. He explained how compact discs might fare as we move forward:  

“Physical sales have bounced back to their pre-Covid market share with the reopening of stores, although retailers had already made up some of the lost ground during lockdown with online sales.

With the market moving to streaming, CD sales for the overall market were still down 47% year-on-year last week. But, based on his experience at Canadian chain Sunrise Records, Putman believes the format still has a future.

IN THIS PHOTO: Doug Putman/PHOTO CREDIT: John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator

“I always tell a story that seven years ago, when I bought Sunrise, the buyer of CDs at the time said, ‘You know, the CD has been dead for 10 years, that's what they tell me,’” said Putnam. “So I think it's one of those things where sometimes we're too quick to say, ‘iTunes is going to kill it’; then we're too quick to say, ‘streaming is going to kill it’. What we're seeing is that, in my belief, nothing really ends up killing it. People will still want to buy a physical format, whether it's a CD or vinyl, and I think they will continue to do that”.

Vinyl has suffered less during the lockdown, although Official Charts Company figures show a 32% year-on-year decline in units for the overall market last week. But the week-on-week sales increase for vinyl last week hit 28%.

“Vinyl has always performed really well for us,” said Putman. “Catalogue outperforms [the market] for HMV, so catalogue has still been really strong. CD is similar in that new releases are strong, but really catalogue drives our business. It’s the same when we look at our studios and visual suppliers: new releases are good but catalogue is HMV’s really great sweet spot”.

I feel vinyl will continue to sell, and we will see a surge in sales when social distancing is relaxed further on 4th July – and another peak when social distancing is scrapped. Online sales are helping many record shops tick over, but I always associate C.D. sales with local bands and merchandise, rather than people going to a record shop and buying one.

PHOTO CREDIT: @adamtones/Unsplash

That is a shame, as I grew up listening to compact discs, and I think they genuinely have a place. I can appreciate that, in many ways, vinyl provides a more enriching sonic experience, and there is something special about riffling through crates and flipping through records at the local record shop, whereas the experience is different when you shop for compact discs – less about diving and browsing, and more, I feel, about buying something by chance. I also feel compact discs are, perhaps, more a generational thing - maybe middle-aged or older listeners favour them; fewer younger buyers are out there -, but Bob Dylan’s new album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, hit the number-one position; it sold 34,000 units. 29,000 of these were C.D. sales - showing that, for certain artists at least, there is a huge market for C.D.s. I think physical formats are very important now, as many artists and labels criticise streaming services for the way artists are paid – and how little they generate from streaming revenues. I am not sure how much of a C.D. sale goes to an artist vs. the label when we purchase one, but many artists still have a lot of love for the compact disc and want people to buy them. Maybe we own fewer C.D. players and stereos than record players, but I would hate to see the format die! I do feel that the music-buying public will inject more money into record shops, and I do hope that there is a mix of vinyl and compact discs. Over the next few months, the music industry will open up again – maybe venues will hibernate until later in the autumn -, and the desire to own physical music will increase. I feel that, whilst compact disc sales will dip, they will continue to sell, and stores like HMV will continue to stock them. I completely get people’s love for vinyl, but I do hope that the humble and still-relevant compact disc will still be a part of everyone’s musical collection. After so many years of the C.D. shaping our lives, it would be such a shame if its life…

PHOTO CREDIT: @shunyakoide/Unsplash

ENEDED in 2020.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: The Summer Mix

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @gaspanik/Unsplash

The Summer Mix

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I may wrap up these playlists…

PHOTO CREDIT: @dariusbashar/Unsplash

as we are getting nearer to being outside and having a bit more freedom. At the moment, we have lockdown, and there are restrictions in place. Because of that, I thought it appropriate to put together a playlist that was full of big tunes. This edition is a summer mix of tracks that will match the warmer weather. It has been a roasting week, and we have seen some exceptionally high temperatures. If you need a soundtrack to go along with the weather, then I think that these tunes can do the job and can definitely…

PHOTO CREDIT: @simonrae/Unsplash

MATCH the heat outside!