FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Sad on the Dancefloor

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @acreativegangster/Unsplash

Sad on the Dancefloor

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FOR this Lockdown Playlist…

PHOTO CREDIT: @dylan_nolte/Unsplash

I have put together a selection of songs that could be considered to be ‘sad bangers’ – that they have energy and are primed for the dancefloor, but convey some form of heartbreak. It is an interesting phenomenon and, whilst some might say some of the tracks in the playlist are not sad bangers, I think there is a dichotomy and contrast that means (the songs) will give you energy, but the messages are not quite as charged as the music. In any case, these tracks, I hope, will provide a boost and ensure that your body moves. I am sure there will be something in this playlist that…

PHOTO CREDIT: @vadimpng/Unsplash

STRIKES the right note.

FEATURE: Red Shoes, a White Dress and Anything in Between: The Unique Style and Fashion of Kate Bush

FEATURE:

Red Shoes, a White Dress and Anything in Between

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979

The Unique Style and Fashion of Kate Bush

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RIGHT from the first videos I saw…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush photographed by Claude Vanheye in 1978

featuring Kate Bush, I knew she would strike me visually as much as she did musically! I am not a big fashion expert – most men aren’t -, but I wanted to talk about the unique looks of Kate Bush. It is testament to the strength and individuality of Bush that she was not led by the record label in terms of how she appeared for photos or what she was wearing for musical videos. There might have been suggestions here and there but, from the Wuthering Heights video in 1978 to the promotional images for 50 Words for Snow (released in 2011), Bush has very much called the shots. I am going to bring a few articles in that highlight the fashion of Kate Bush and, whilst I am not sure whether Bush ranks alongside the most stylish Pop artists ever (if you want to limit her music to Pop), I do find that she did not follow the herd. So many Pop artists through time have been dressed by a committee or seem to have a very limited palette and imagination. The first two videos I saw involving Kate Bush – that I saw in 1986/1987 – was Wuthering Heights, and Them Heavy People. There are two versions of Wuthering Heights: the U.K. version of the single where she wears a white dress, and the U.S. one where she is in a red dress.

Every year, Kate Bush fans gather and dance to Wuthering Heights whilst wearing red dresses and, though I prefer the British video and think fans should have adopted that, the fact that masses unite to recreate that video says as much about the striking look of the video in addition to the song. I also saw the video for Them Heavy People where Bush wears a fedora – again, my hat knowledge might be lacking -, and a purple skirt. If Wuthering Heights saw Bush as this almost-gothic, spectral figure looking ghostly, beautiful and elegant, Them Heavy People was a cooler look with a bit more edge. Just look at Bush’s videos, and her attire is as iconic as the songs; from Babooshka’s Jekyl and Hyde-like contrasts, to her robber’s outfit in There Goes a Tenner, to the jumpsuit look in The Big Sky, there was no limits to her imagination and guises! I will talk more about the Tour of Life in 1979 and her Before the Dawn residency in 2014 later, but these huge productions relied on so many different outfit changes – especially the Tour of Life! One might assume that, at the start of her career, Bush might stick with a rather simple and homely style, before changing things up as time elapsed. Even in 1978 and 1979, she could be seen in a variety of styles and clothes; from colourful jumpers and boots, through to robes, gowns and leather jackets.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in Italy in 1978

Kate Bush herself might say that this was her being natural and not wanting to repeat herself, but she definitely signalled herself out as a style icon from the start, and inspired a lot of artists since. One might also say that fellow heavyweights like Madonna was as chameleon-like and evolving, but Kate Bush has that extra spark and distinction – it is hard to put my finger on! Like rare alumni like David Bowie, Kate Bush created her own style world, and each album and single seemed to introduce a new persona and side to a true innovator. I want to introduce an article from Vogue in 2014, where we got to learn more about Bush’s ever-changing looks; how she remained distinct from her debut album through to the present day:

“Nobody is more excited about Bush's Before the Dawn concert series than fashion people. She hasn't performed live on stage since 1979, but few artists, reclusive or not, are played more often at runway shows. Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Chanel—if you've been there, you've heard the British singer-songwriter's idiosyncratic soprano voice and surreal lyrics. On the catwalks, being first is paramount, so repeat spins are rare, but DJs are willing to make an exception for Bush's songs.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Take "Wuthering Heights," the chart-topping debut single Bush wrote at 18 after she realized she shares a birthday with the novel's author, Emily Brontë—it soundtracked Thom Browne's Spring 2013 women's show and Isabel Marant's collection for Spring 2014. "I think there isn't a thing that girl didn't have," says Marant's musical director, Ariel Wizman, of Bush. "Beauty, talent, personality, spirituality, amazing singing and acting technique…no taste approximation, and a lot of what fashion is missing nowadays: a personal universe." What fashion and music are missing, Wizman seems to think: "You can win The Voice 10 times with vibratos, dramas, and makeup artists, but you will never be Kate Bush." 

Frédéric Sanchez has played Bush's songs twice, once 20 years ago for the second Marc Jacobs show (Spring 1995)—"it was a cover of 'Wuthering Heights' by the L.A. punk band White Flag," he says—and the second time for Miu Miu (Fall 2011), when he did a soundtrack of Bush songs, including "The Infant Kiss," "Breathing," "Hammer Horror," and "In Search of Peter Pan." "Without listening, you can already feel the poetic and inspiring side of her music in those titles," he says. Equal to her poetry are the pictures her words paint. Fashion is a visual business, and insiders old enough to remember her early concerts or curious enough to have sought out her videos on YouTube will be familiar with her theatrical performance style. (The shearling-lined, over-the-knee boots she wore in the 1978 picture we found weren't bad, either.) "Like David Bowie," Sanchez adds, "she belongs to a world of artists where you immediately get the 'sound and vision'".

Though Bush adopted multiple attire, I think, at its heart, her look was defined by something true to her; she never sought to dress like Pop artists of the day. There was an honest to her style but, alongside this, she threw in twists and combinations that made her videos and photoshoots so fascinating and timeless. Her 1979 Tour of Life was Bush performing tracks from her first two albums and, for each number, there was something different in terms of her appearance.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1982/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

I want to source from an article that celebrates a few of Bush’s best looks; I have selected a passage relating to the Tour of Life, and her off-stage/set style by 1985:

“The Tour of Life, in 1979, was Kate Bush’s first and only concert tour. A spectacular of the highest caliber, the show featured song, dance, mime, poetry readings and a magic show. Unprecedented in the grandeur of its production, Kate’s singular tour has become the benchmark for performing artists from Florence Welch to Björk. It also spawned the invention of the wireless microphone, which was later made famous by Britney Spears and is standard for modern pop stars. Did we mention that the show featured 17 costume changes? Across the 24-song setlist Kate becomes a magician, a butterfly, a cowboy... the list goes on. Here, at the Amsterdam show, she wears one of her many glittered leotards and a pair of very 80s leg warmers.

While Kate’s on-stage outfits were notoriously eccentric, her off-stage looks represented a more low-key, albeit equally idiosyncratic, side of the singer. In the studio, she frequently wore brightly-colored kimono tops with jeans. To and from airports, she wore oversized blazers and her beloved red knee-high boots. During interviews she was photographed in patterned jumpers -- very British. She often integrated dancewear -- leotards and satin leggings -- into her day-to-day outfits, perhaps by pairing a bodysuit and electric blue trousers with simple white trainers. Here, Kate wears her preferred bohemian-esque look: a dainty puff sleeve top with a long, patterned skirt”.

I can appreciate how Bush’s songs are often not directly about her so, in videos, she is almost being somebody different, so it is natural her outfits would be quite varied. If many of her contemporaries in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s were being inspired by the high street or what was deemed fashionable at the time, Bush’s aesthetic was more varied: from the pages of literature and genius artistic canvases, to something more homegrown and comfortable. Her videos, as I have intimated, are wildly different and one can see a vastly different-looking Kate Bush in the video for Suspended in Gaffa (1982) as, say, Eat the Music (1993). Of course, one cannot mention Bush’s visual aesthetic without referencing her natural beauty and sex appeal – something many reviewers and press sources focused on through her career. Her stunning beauty, teamed with incredible style and allied to a keen eye for the visual meant that, from the first days of her career, one could not peg and easily define Kate Bush. In this 2017 feature from the Glasgow University Magazine, it was argued how Bush was a style icon who was more forward-thinking (or backward-thinking in a way?!) than many of her musician peers:

“Nobody ever perfected the feminine as ethereal quite like Kate Bush. An influence on innumerable modern pop stars and style icons – Florence + the Machine, Bat for Lashes, Bjork and St Vincent, to name but a few, Bush is an icon of music, style, and feminism all at once. Incorporating costume wholeheartedly into her music videos and performances, she used her attire as an equal arm of her unbounded creativity as any other artistic medium. Her iconic, enormous wavy brown hair and angelic Wuthering Heights white dress cemented her place in pop culture iconography, and informed my relationship to femininity and performance more than any other artist.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

At a time when fashion tended overwhelmingly towards the forward-looking, the shiny, futuristic fabrics, the business-influenced party power-dressing, the big skirts and sleeves and hair and a vision of the future from the 50s, Bush took a softer, more nostalgic, more quietly theatrical view; borrowing from Pre-Raphaelite painting, Japanese art history and textiles, and the culture of mine and contemporary dance from which she rose, Bush’s look – like her sound – operated in its own imaginative sphere.  Her countless bodysuits and leotards spoke of a practical, dance school mentality; the idea of wearing the easiest outfits to perform in, to allow for movement, to dance and fly and fully express yourself, can be seen in the classic bodysuits and worshipping of good basics of the recently-passed American Apparel. Bush approached fashion from an artist’s sensibility and with the eye of a costume designer; her commitment was, first and foremost, to character, to performance and to creative freedom”.

Look at this article from The Guardian, and a selection of Bush’s looks are laid out. From body stockings and something free-flowing and eye-catching that pre-dated Florence and the Machine by decades; to a red-white-blue/jeans-and-boots combination, one can see why Bush has been so influential to artists looking to establish themselves in terms of style as much as the music – from Tori Amos, and Bat for Lashes, through to Grimes, and St. Vincent, so many artists we know today can trace a lot of their visual essence back to Kate Bush.

I am going to write a separate piece regarding Kate Bush and her legacy closer to her birthday on 30th July, but I have a few more articles I want to source from as, through the years, so many inches of screen and page have been shored up to emphasise the beguiling and inspiring sides of Kate Bush’s fashion. AnOther saluted Bush in 2017, and they also mentioned her individuality and how, when she could have been led by labels and trends, she was very much keen to retain her own sense of style and what felt right to her – often with extraordinary results:

“Bush’s appreciation for dramatic flair where her music was concerned spilled over into her sartorial choices, often to stunning results. Far from existing as separate entities, Bush’s musical and sartorial experimentation were in constant conversation, resulting in the creation of her very own visual universe. Her striking features paired with her pre-Raphaelite curls served as the template to an ever-shifting array of eclectic looks: she never shied away from bold colours (think blood reds and electric blues), extreme silhouettes (she frequently donned kimonos and gender-bending pantsuits), and a healthy dose of pure theatricality. It’s not hard to see why designers – from the late Alexander McQueen to Gucci – have frequently turned to Bush for inspiration over the past few decades, whether by setting their runway shows to her music or by referencing her surreally romantic ethos in their collections”.

As Hounds of Love approaches thirty-five in September, we can look at the album’s songs and see how they have fared through the years. We can also look at the videos for the singles, and see how Bush changed from the previous decade. In a decade that is not associated with great fashion and subtle clothing, Bush managed to be bold without being garish and naff. She looked positively classy and sublime in the video for Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), and her various costumes for The Big Sky were awesome – where she was a pirate one moment and she indulged in some light falconry the next (and she rocked every look!). Even when people’s hair was at its most tragic and sky-scraping, Bush managed to look dignified, cool and restrained. Which decade was her best in terms of the looks and video aesthetic? I still have a very soft spot for the 1970s myself. It was the contrast and the clashes that made Bush such an enigma – though someone who could inspire others with her accessibility and grounded nature. This article from The Telegraph talks of the (many) shades of Kate Bush:

“That was Bush all over: part Stanislavsky, part sex-kitten with an approach to make-up that was more school of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane than Bobbi Brown. And the hair - a leonine fusion of Body Shop henna and static crinkles (no John Frieda Frizz Ease back then. I know. How ever did we cope?) it was punk meets the Pre-Raphaelites. I don't think any of us had ever seen anything quite like it.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

Best of all, you could do it all yourself, sort of, at no cost. Dunk tresses into sink of something orange, twist hair into hundreds of plaits over night, smoosh a lot of blue shadow in the vicinity of your eyes and voila: Kate Bush - ish.

There were other components, but then again, too few to mention, although the ivory, floaty Cathy-dress she wore in the video for Wuthering Heights was /is a classic piece of loveliness. Great sleeves too, especially when she gets to the mimey-hand stuff part and it all goes a bit Tales of the Unexpected.

But like all the female style goddesses of that time, Bush was not put on this planet to sign lucrative deals with the mega-brands. I can't even recall whether she ever flaunted a designer bag. Probably not. That's why we loved her. That and the songs. She was, at the time, a one-off, albeit much copied, traduced and palely imitated in the three decades since her astonishing debut. Let's not forget she was 13 - 13! - when she wrote the beautiful Man With the Child in His Eyes”.

If you want a sense of the variety of looks Bush adopted through the 1970s and 1980s, this article is handy but, to me, I felt she was sporting some incredible choices in the 1990s around the time of The Red Shoes.

One can see elements of massive music style icons like David Bowie, Madonna and Deborah Harry in musicians. I think a lot of the most influential style icons – from Lady Gaga to Kylie Minogue – can trace their roots to Kate Bush. Not only has Kate Bush’s styles and fashion infiltrated musicians today, but one can see it at big festivals. Coachella founder Paul Tollett tried to book Bush to play in 2017, but many were not sure whether Bush would translate or know who she was – she only got proper recognition in the U.S. after Hounds of Love’s release, and is perhaps not as played and known there as she should be. This Vogue article underpins how Bush’s music videos rubbed off on artists who followed which, in turn, has made its voice known at festivals like Coachella:

“Tollett’s response is not only off base considering the countless acts that Bush has influenced (her dramatic sound reverberates through the music of Florence Welch and Lady Gaga, to name two major artists), but it also fails to recognize the profound influence that Bush’s iconic videos have had on modern style—and in particular, the carefree looks that flood the Coachella Valley each spring. While Bush responded to the slight by saying that she had no intention of playing the event (no surprise there, as Bush has never played in the U.S. and her recent high-profile series of shows in the U.K. were her first in 35 years), her romantic, dramatic approach to dressing would fit right in among the festival’s fashionable set.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Knowingly or not, many festival-goers have been reinterpreting Bush’s quintessential looks for years, whether through romantic, ’70s-inspired lace numbers or satiny ballerina dresses. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it would appear that the Coachella crowd would be honored to see Bush on stage. Well, there’s always next year”.

There is proof that Bush was stylish even from childhood, and it is interesting to see where that flair might have come from. She was raised in an artistic household, but one that was middle-classed and nestled in the idyllic Wickham Farm on Wickham Street in Welling, Kent. Maybe it was the music she listened to and was inspired by when growing up – David Bowie, Captain Beefheart and Elton John were all the mix -, that fused into her subconscious; perhaps it was a sense of rebellion or need to be different to her friends. I would also urge people to buy the photo book, Kate: Inside the Rainbow, from her brother John Carder Bush, as it boasts a collection of stunning photos covering Bush’s childhood to 2011; there are some stunning shots/outfits on display! Whether Bush was sporting some knee-length boots or blue spandex, there is just something completely natural and ‘her’. I will wrap this up in a minute, but from modern female Pop artists to the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community, Kate Bush has inspired and changed lives.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 2011

Her music and talent is all a part of that, but I think her incredible fashion sense – that was at once otherworldly and intimate the next – and visual element is just as important. Liz Eggleston, in 2008 explained why Kate Bush was such a fashion icon:

“Her wild auburn hair was similarly bohemian, always curly or crimped, and has remained her trademark look to this day. Her expressive, open features were enhanced with heavy eye and lip make-up, there was no following the only-emphasise-one-feature rule for our Ms. Bush! She almost defies explanation. Most men I know positively glaze over with lust if you simply mention her name, and there’s definitely a lesson to be learned about subtle seduction in your appearance. And she’s still a very hot lady, without having resorted to botox and facelifts. Personally, this year Kate Bush has emerged as my main squeeze style icon and will remain so for a long while yet”.

From those famous dresses in the Wuthering Heights videos to her Tour of Life extravaganza, all the way through to the promotional images for her last studio album, 50 Words for Snow, Kate Bush has had an enormous impact in terms of her sartorial brilliance. As we look ahead to the possibility (we hope) or another album, in terms of the promotional shots and videos, it is curious to think…

WHAT will come next.

FEATURE: The July Playlist: Vol. 3: Sleep at Night…Please Don’t Make Me Cry

FEATURE:

 

The July Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Lianne La Havas

Vol. 3: Sleep at Night…Please Don’t Make Me Cry

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FOR this week’s Playlist…

IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES/PHOTO CREDIT: @tomhaaam

there is some new music from Lianne La Havas, The Chicks, IDLES, JARV IS…, Ellie Goulding, Nubya Garcia, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Win Butler. It is another busy and eclectic week that sees Poppy Ajudha, Ed Harcourt, Julia Stone, and beabadoobee line up against one another! If you require some pep and extra step to get you into the weekend, then I think the assortment of the best tracks of the week should do the job! It is going to be a warm weekend, so get stuck in and enjoy the very best tracks from another…

IN THIS PHOTO: Ellie Goulding

EXTRAORDINARY week of releases.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Lianne La Havas – Please Don’t Make Me Cry

The Chicks – Sleep at Night

PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Gallo

IDLES - A Hymn

Ellie Goulding – Love I’m Given

Win Butler – Surrender

Poppy Ajudha - Watermelon Man (Under the Sun)

JARV IS… - Swanky Modes

Tinashe - Rascal (Superstar)

Yaeger - Catch Me If You Can

PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Pallant/Courtesy of YUNGBLUD

YUNGBLUD – Strawberry Lipstick

PHOTO CREDIT: @georgeaugusto

Hinds – Burn

Ed Harcourt - Drowning in Dreams

Grace Carter, Jacob Banks – Blame

Matt Berninger - Distant Axis

PHOTO CREDIT: Anthony Harrison

The Big Moon – Why

IN THIS PHOTO: Princess Nokia

Aluna, Princess Nokia & Jada Kingdom - Get Paid

Koffee – Lockdown

IN THIS PHOTO: Nubya Garcia

Nubya Garcia & Richie Seivwright - Source (ft. Ms MAURICE & Cassie Kinoshi)

IN THIS IMAGE: Anne-Marie

Anne-Marie (ft. Doja Cat) - To Be Young

PHOTO CREDIT: Vedrana Vukojevic

Dana Gavanski – At Last I Am Free

PHOTO CREDIT: @sub_lation

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Honey

beabadoobee – Care

PHOTO CREDIT: Brooke Ashley Barone

Julia Stone – Break

Nasty Cherry – Better Run

Troye Sivan – Easy

Whitney – Hammond Song

The Aces – 801

Helena Deland - Lylz

Gracie Abrams - Friend

IN THIS PHOTO: Rejjie Snow

Rejjie Snow, MF DOOM, Cam O’bi – Cookie Chips

Cults – Trials

Bob Mould - Forecast of Rain

FEATURE: A Buyer’s Guide: Part Eleven: Paul Simon

FEATURE:

 

A Buyer’s Guide

Part Eleven: Paul Simon

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IN this new edition…

of A Buyer’s Guide, I am featuring one of music’s greatest icons: the wonderful Paul Simon. I am including only his solo albums, but his music as part of Simon & Garfunkel is sensational, and definitely worth exploration. It is always hard to filter Paul Simon’s best albums and, whilst I have missed out a couple of classics – including The Rhythm of the Saints -, I feel I have included the best albums from one of music’s true geniuses – and a book that is a useful companion. Have a look at the list below and, if you are not over-familiar with Paul Simon, I hope this provides illuminating and a good guide. I have been listening back to his best albums whilst doing this, and it is amazing how many classics Simon penned! It just goes to show that he truly is one of…

THE greatest artists we will ever see.

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The Four Essential Albums

Paul Simon

Release Date: 24th January, 1972

Labels: Columbia/Warner Bros.

Producer: Roy Halee/Paul Simon

Standout Tracks: Duncan/Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard/Hobo’s Blue

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Paul-Simon-Paul-Simon/master/97959

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7npBPiCHjPj8PVIGPuHXep

Review:

“If any musical justification were needed for the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel, it could be found on this striking collection, Paul Simon's post-split debut. From the opening cut, "Mother and Child Reunion" (a Top Ten hit), Simon, who had snuck several subtle musical explorations into the generally conservative S&G sound, broke free, heralding the rise of reggae with an exuberant track recorded in Jamaica for a song about death. From there, it was off to Paris for a track in South American style and a rambling story of a fisherman's son, "Duncan" (which made the singles chart). But most of the album had a low-key feel, with Simon on acoustic guitar backed by only a few trusted associates (among them Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, David Spinozza, Mike Manieri, Ron Carter, and Hal Blaine, along with such guests as Stefan Grossman, Airto Moreira, and Stephane Grappelli), singing a group of informal, intimate, funny, and closely observed songs (among them the lively Top 40 hit "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"). It was miles removed from the big, stately ballad style of Bridge Over Troubled Water and signaled that Simon was a versatile songwriter as well as an expressive singer with a much broader range of musical interests than he had previously demonstrated. You didn't miss Art Garfunkel on Paul Simon, not only because Simon didn't write Garfunkel-like showcases for himself, but because the songs he did write showed off his own, more varied musical strengths” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Mother and Child Reunion

There Goes Rhymin' Simon

Release Date: 5th May, 1973

Labels: Columbia/Warner Bros.

Producers: Paul Simon/Phil Ramone/Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section/Paul Samwell-Smith/Roy Halee 

Standout Tracks: Take Me to the Mardi Gras/Something So Right/Love Me Like a Rock

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Paul-Simon-There-Goes-Rhymin-Simon/master/55686

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/52K9aSfhUfCtd0OOZBpQrX?p=449

Review:

“The second side begins with “American Tune”, which is right out of the Simon & Garfunkel playbook. It is a folk-based motif on on the American experience with references to struggle, weariness, and hard work. The song was released as a single but failed to make any ripples on the charts. “Was a Sunny Day” is a hybrid of folk and reggae with a bouncy, McCartney-esque bass line by David Hood. “Learn How to Fall” is an upbeat acoustic jazz tune with some great instrumental sections packed into its brief two minutes and 44 seconds.

“St. Judy’s Comet” is the best song on the album, a lullaby of pure musical beauty. Beckett’s electric piano and vibraphone along with subtle electric guitar overtones by Pete Carr, accent the perfect, calm melody and hypnotizing acoustic riff by Simon. The album concludes with “Loves Me Like a Rock”, a pop song with heavy Gospel influence, especially with the background vocals of The Dixie Hummingbirds. This was the second song on the album to peak at #2 and remains one of Simon’s most famous songs.

There Goes Rhymin’ Simon proved to be a bigger hit than its predecessor (ironically peaking at #2 on the album charts and gave Paul Simon the latitude to continue his mix of pop and experimentation with future albums” – Classic Rock Review

Choice Cut: Kodachrome

Hearts and Bones

Release Date: 4th November, 1983

Label: Warner Bros.

Producers: Roy Halee/Paul Simon/Russ Titelman/Lenny Waronker

Standout Tracks: Hearts and Bones/Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War/Cars Are Cars

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Paul-Simon-Hearts-And-Bones/master/55670

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6NtecJFgFqkfB9UJqZpuM4

Review:

“Hearts and Bones was a commercial disaster, the lowest-charting new studio album of Paul Simon's career. It is also his most personal collection of songs, one of his most ambitious, and one of his best. It retains a personal vision, one largely devoted to the challenges of middle-aged life, among them a renewed commitment to love; the title song was a notable testament to new romance, while "Train in the Distance" reflected on romantic discord. Elsewhere, "The Late Great Johnny Ace" was his meditation on John Lennon's murder and how it related to the mythology of pop music. Musically, Simon moved forward and backward simultaneously, taking off from the jazz fusion style of his last two albums into his old loves of doo wop and rock & roll while also incorporating current sounds with such new collaborators as dance music producer Nile Rodgers and minimalist composer Philip Glass. The result was Simon's most impressive collection in a decade and the most underrated album in his catalog” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: The Late Great Johnny Ace

Graceland

Release Date: 25th August, 1986

Label: Warner Bros.

Producer: Paul Simon

Standout Tracks: The Boy in the Bubble/Under African Skies/Homeless

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Paul-Simon-Graceland/master/55658

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7dgTCL6gWSguwfCRepvkh2

Review:

“But more than Simon's single-minded devotion to his art and Tambo's ideological politics, the experience surrounding this album is best conveyed by the musicians who made it. They were violating the boycott, too, just by participating in a dialogue with non-South African musicians, and there's a moment where Ray Phiri describes a meeting he was called to in London with African National Congress officials while touring to support the album that speaks volumes. The ANC officials told Phiri that he was violating the boycott and had to go home, and his response was that he was already a victim of apartheid, and to force him to go home would make him a victim twice. In the end, Simon's assertion that Graceland helped put an emotional, human face on black South Africans for millions of people around the world doesn't seem off the mark. This set also comes with a DVD of the concert Simon and these musicians played with South African exiles Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1987, and the joy visible on stage and in the audience certainly speaks to that.

It's easy to overstate what Graceland was. It wasn't the first world-music album, as some critics claim. But it was unique in its total, and totally natural, synthesis of musical strains that turned out to be not nearly as different from each other as its listeners might have expected, and the result resonated strongly around the world and across generations” – Pitchfork

Choice Cut: Graceland

The Underrated Gem

Still Crazy After All These Years

Release Date: 25th October, 1975

Label: Columbia

Producers: Paul Simon/Phil Ramone 

Standout Tracks: My Little Town/50 Ways to Leave Your Lover/Gone at Last

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Paul-Simon-Still-Crazy-After-All-These-Years/master/43964

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4A366gjTrYQwmRtkTezF2W

Review:

“Still Crazy after All These Years, Simon’s grim and ambitious new album, begs these and other questions as it sure-handedly paints itself into the usual corner under the familiar shadow of Bob Dylan. For inside the lush and dolorous Still Crazy, there is a lean, hungry Blood on the Tracks trying to get out. Both LPs chronicle the dissolution of a marriage, but where Dylan, with ofttimes awkward agony, makes you feel it. Simon, with more slick professionalism than is good for his subject matter, makes you think you feel it — a crucial difference. Dylan’s pragmatic, toughminded “I hear her name here and there as I go from town to town/And I’ve never gotten used to it, I’ve just learned to turn it off” walks tall with its heartbreak, while Simon’s

Paul Simon’s myths were always too pretty to be believed — they lacked the necessary mystery and danger to have size, his Moby Dick would have been a disaster — but no one has ever questioned his craftsmanship, the quality of his melodies or his seemingly inherent decency. It is difficult to imagine him “still crazy” because his pervasive intelligence has never allowed us to think him crazy in the first place. Good middleweights never are. If they were, they wouldn’t need that hotel reservation” – Rolling Stone

Choice Cut: Still Crazy After All These Years

The Latest/Final Album

In the Blue Light

Release Date: 7th September, 2018

Label: Legacy

Producers: Paul Simon/Roy Halee 

Standout Tracks: One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor/How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns/The Teacher

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Paul-Simon-In-The-Blue-Light/master/1418728

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6HgMGLjoOaj1Z1aoOnR5Ws

Review:

“The Orwellian satire Pigs, Sheep and Wolves is now jazzier. Marsalis’s woozy sax in How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns wonderfully recreates the atmosphere of the “downtown [formerly ‘local’] bar and grill”. There is often a reflective, wistful feel, but Simon’s best reworkings benefit from his age and increased experience. The 1975 song Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy is much more poignant, as he brings his septuagenarian voice to the words: “Here I am, Lord, I’m knocking on your place of business, but I have no business here.” Simon doesn’t sound at peace with the post-crash, Trump-era world at all, and the exquisite new arrangement of Love emphasises lines such as: “When evil walks the planet, love is crushed like clay.” But perhaps he can now be content with an extraordinary canon.

There are four selections from the 2000 album You’re the One, which Simon presumably feels is his most overlooked. There are no hits and nothing from Graceland. Generally, sparser arrangements allow more space for Simon’s dazzling imagery and oblique but relevant ruminations on subjects including immigration (René and Georgette …; The Teacher), domestic violence (a bluesier One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor) and the state of humanity and the planet (Questions for the Angels)” – The Guardian

Choice Cut: René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War

The Paul Simon Book

Paul Simon: The Life

Author: Robert Hilburn

Publication Date: 8th May, 2018

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

Synopsis:

“'There's no tougher a mind, no more tender a voice than Paul Simon, and there's no better man than Robert Hilburn to decipher the hardwiring of this hyperintellect...great songs can never be fully explained, but the great man on his way to find those songs surely can.' - Bono

Through such hits as "The Sound of Silence," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Still Crazy After All These Years," and "Graceland," Paul Simon has spoken to us in songs for a half-century about alienation, doubt, survival, and faith in ways that have established him as one of the most honoured and beloved songwriters in American pop music history. Yet Simon has refused to talk to potential biographers and urged those close to him to also remain silent. But Simon not only agreed to talk to biographer Robert Hilburn for what has amounted to more than sixty hours, he also encouraged his family and friends to sit down for in-depth interviews.

Paul Simon is  a revealing account of the challenges and sacrifices of artistry at the highest level. He has also lived a roller-coaster life of extreme ups and downs. We not only learn Paul's unrelenting drive to achieve artistry, but also the subsequent struggles to protect that artistry against distractions - fame, wealth, marriage, divorce, drugs, complacency, public rejection, self-doubt - that have frequently derailed pop stars and each of which he encountered. From dominating the charts with Art Garfunkel and a successful reinvention as a solo artist, to his multiple marriages and highly publicized second divorce from Carrie Fisher, this book covers all aspects of this American icon” – Waterstones

Buy: https://www.waterstones.com/book/paul-simon/robert-hilburn/9781471174179

FEATURE: Second Spin: Nelly Furtado - Whoa, Nelly!

FEATURE:

 

Second Spin

Nelly Furtado - Whoa, Nelly!

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THERE are some pretty big albums…

that will be turning twenty later this year – no less Radiohead’s Kid A! Among those albums approaching twenty, I wonder how many people will nod to Nelly Furtado’s Whoa, Nelly! It was released on 24th October (2000), and it did get some good reviews when it arrived, but there were some who were not too kind; others felt that the album had some good moments but was no more than the sum of its singles. I think a lot of people buzzed at the time, but few talked about Whoa, Nelly! years later. If you want an album that is diverse and unique, then Whoa, Nelly! is a perfect place to start. The debut album from the Canadian singer-songwriter, Whoa, Nelly! peaked at number twenty-four on the US Billboard 200 chart. It produced three international singles: I'm Like a Bird, Turn Off the Light, and ...on the Radio (Remember the Days). Whilst one cannot call Whoa, Nelly! underrated, one can definitely say that it is under-looked in regards the great albums of 2000; few rank Whoa, Nelly! with the best albums of the '00s. Nelly Furtado wrote seven of the album’s twelve tracks solo – she co-wrote the other five with Gerald Eaton and Brian West (the album’s hits and best cuts were Furtado’s alone). Although many embraced Furtado in 2000, some thought her a bit tricky to pigeonhole or a bit of an oddity.

This is what NME wrote in their review of Whoa, Nelly!

“Whether she’ll be a musical one is more tricky. Which – as it’s already on heavy rotation – makes her decision to call another song ‘Shit On The Radio (Remember The Days)’ just a little rich. Or it would be, if that song didn’t prove Nelly has just enough alternative style to give it a backbone of R&B steeliness. Meanwhile, ‘Baby Girl’ is sweeter, with fiesta horns and an electro-smooth take on Destiny’s Child’s lyrical concerns. Opener ‘Hey, Man!’ sounds like The Sundays gone Mardi Gras crazy. Lord. Allowing bonus points for successfully merging personal lyrics and shuffling beats without once evoking lazy trip-hop, she still too often confuses blandness for adult sophistication. There’s enough here, however, to suggest she could become a less irritatingly prima donna Jennifer Lopez, or an interesting, beat-driven Dido. All she need do is refine her musical syntax”.

To me, Whoa, Nelly! is an artist entering a new decade and not following what happened in the 1990s. Furtado’s debut album incorporates a number of styles, but she manages to weave them all together around her incredible voice. It is the way Furtado punctuates and elongates; how some lines flow free, whist other stutter and delay. Not only is the delivery unique, but Furtado’s language and songwriting is very much her own! There is this clash of uplifting choruses and more emotive lyrics. The singles, I'm Like a Bird, and Turn Off the Light sound incredible and get you singing along, but they are a lot deeper than that and, when you look at the lyrics, there is more than meets the eye.

Whoa, Nelly! is a very personal album to Nelly Furtado, but she can be honest and free without being too glib or overly-serious. The album has this wonderful mix of the thought-provoking and challenging with the colourful and frivolous. In their review of 2011, this is what AllMusic had to say:

“Nelly Furtado's Whoa, Nelly! is one of those albums that's designed to be a surprising, precocious debut -- the kind of record that's meant to make a listener exclaim, well, "whoa nelly" upon the first spin. From that first play, it's evident that Furtado is indeed an audacious songwriter, not at all hesitant to bare her emotions, tackle winding melodies, and bend boundaries to the point that much of the record sounds like folk-pop tinged with bossa nova and backed by a production designed for TLC. Clearly, this is a musician with big, serious ambitions, a notion that is supported not only by her naked lyrics but especially by her singing. Furtado is a restless vocalist, skitting and scatting with abandon, spitting out rapid repetitions, bending notes, and frequently indulging in melismas. This, more than anything, makes her a bit of an acquired taste, since her relentless vocalizing can obscure hooks that are nevertheless there.

Once you appreciate (or grow to understand) her quirks, Whoa, Nelly! unfolds as a rewarding, promising debut, albeit one with its flaws. True, most of those flaws arise from its naïveté: a tendency to push too hard, whether it's in piecing together genres in an attempt to create something original or lyrics that can sound a little sophomoric in their soul-searching. These don't arrive in isolated instances, either -- they're wound into the songs themselves. You either choose to be annoyed by these quirks or become charmed by them, realizing it's a first album, and savoring the talent that's apparent on much of the album. Many of her blends of pop, folk, dance, and Latin are beguiling; she has a knack for strong pop hooks (particularly on "On the Radio," "Well, Well," and "Turn Off the Light"); her lyrical imagery can be evocative; she has a sly sense of humor; and, when she doesn't get carried away, she's an inventive, endearingly eccentric vocalist. These are the things that endure after that first slightly bewildering spin of Whoa, Nelly! and those are the things that make you wonder where she goes from here”.

I still think Whoa, Nelly! sounds unusual and original, as very few artists have managed to equal the magic and impressions on Nelly Furtado’s debut! Before Nelly Furtado came onto the scene, I don’t think there were many artists doing what she was in terms of the style and sounds being incorporated. I have a lot of affection for Whoa, Nelly!, as it was an album I encountered when I was in college. I listen to tracks like Turn Off the Light, and it takes me back to time.

Although Nelly Furtado released her sixth studio album, The Ride, in 2017, I feel she flies highest on her debut. Nearly twenty years after its release, Whoa, Nelly! continues to dazzle and amaze. I do not hear many of its tracks on the radio, either. I might catch I’m Like a Bird now and then, but consider non-singles like Baby Girl, Trynna Finda Way, and Party, and there are some stunners in there. Whilst Whoa, Nelly!’s biggest hitters occur in the first half of the album – all four singles are included in the first six songs -, there is plenty to love in the second half. From the wonderful opener of Hey, Man!, to the closer that is Scared of You, Whoa, Nelly! is a beautiful album with no filler! I discovered an interesting article written two years ago that talks about the impact of Whoa, Nelly! eighteen years after its release:

“Today, pop feels less gatekept than it used to. Calling someone “pop” no longer relegates them to the realm of boy bands and J-14 magazine. Lady Gaga is pop. Mitski is pop. Even Cardi B is pop, now that hip-hop is the most popular genre in the country. But women in music are still burdened with pushing back against oversimplified media categorizations, particularly in a time where pithy headlines get more attention than whatever nuanced set of words will follow them.

Eighteen years later, Whoa, Nelly!’s subversiveness is easier to parse. Its influence has come into clearer focus, as female artists, queer artists, and genre-defying iconoclasts pummel expectations of how a popular artist should look and sound. Unlike Furtado, they have a safety net in the Wild West of the Internet that did not exist back when labels still dictated who became famous or didn’t. With her 2017 independent album The Ride, Furtado continues to be every bit as ungraspable as she was in 2000, veering away from the artist we knew on Loose, and embracing sounds as disparate as stripped-down indie rock and industrial-tinged dance music. Critics praised the effort, with Billboard going so far as to call it “the most slept-on release of 2017.” But that ability to experiment was truly honed at the turn of the century with her debut. Whoa, Nelly! may never be celebrated as the work of feminist rebellion that it is—but as Furtado expresses on the album, she wasn’t vying for our approval anyway”.

I do think Whoa, Nelly! gained a lot of applause in 2000, but there was not too much focus on it after that; or at least people do not really look back on Nelly Furtado’s debut albums as one of the best from that decade! I would encourage people to listen to the album, as it is a wonderful work from an artist who was such a breath of fresh air compared to everything else that was out there in 2000. The powerful and sensational Whoa, Nelly! is such…

A wonderful debut album.

FEATURE: After the Pandemic Is Over… What Is the Future of HMV?

FEATURE:

 

After the Pandemic Is Over…

What Is the Future of HMV?

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THIS week…

PHOTO CREDIT: Leon Neal/Getty Images

I have reacted to a couple of music news stories that broke a little while back. Now that record shops are back and operating, they are seeing their loyal customer base return. Whilst there is not the usual influx and bustle one would normally see at record shops – because of social distancing and people feeling less comfortable spending a while browsing -, it is a relief that most record shops will not have to close – and many offer an online service, which has helped sustain them at this difficult time. Though I prefer independent record shops, I grew up visiting HMV for all my music needs. I was shocked when many of their stores were forced to close last year and the fortunes of the retail giant have dwindled over the past few years. Like so many businesses, HMV have struggled during lockdown, and I was worried that there would be closures and there would be more gaps on the high street! Luckily, it seems like HMV have grown in strength, and their new owner Doug Putman has helped turn around their fortunes. I think one of the problems with HMV is that they stock a lot of DVDs, at a time when streaming is taking over. The nature of what they sell and promote has come into question. I am glad that not only is there a sense of hope for the chain, but there might be a return to London for HMV – the flagship store on Oxford Street was closed last year, and it was a massive blow:

 “HMV’s revival under new owner Doug Putman has taken a hit from the Covid-19 pandemic.

But with the entertainment chain now trading on the High Street again after the easing of lockdown measures, Putman is ready to look at new opportunities.

Last year he launched the HMV Vault store in Birmingham, the biggest music and entertainment store in Europe.

IN THIS PHOTO: HMV’s Doug Putman

However, the famous retail brand is still lacking a London flagship as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2021. The historic HMV Oxford Street branch was shuttered last year, because of the high rents and rates.

“Birmingham has been great,” said Putman. “It was definitely the best store we opened up, it’s doing phenomenally well for us. We’re always talking about more London stores because we know we're really under-indexed in London.

“The problem is the [business] rates are just crazy. I know there's a [rates] holiday until April 2021, but what happens after that? So we're very cautious. We'd love to have a flagship in London and we'd loved to have a few more smaller shops throughout London. I think we're going to look at those, and if we can get the right kind of deal you will see us open more of those stores.”

In his recent Music Week interview, Putman spoke about the need for the industry and suppliers to support the chain. While physical music sales are now back up above 20% of the overall market, CD sales have seen a sharp downturn during the pandemic because of store closures and a lighter release schedule.

Putman has expressed his belief that the format has a future.

But he also acknowledged that HMV could expand its pop culture, apparel and merchandise business. Putman’s Canadian chain Sunrise Records is active in this area, while his family business is in the toy, games and gift sector. 

PHOTO CREDIT: @okcdz/Unsplash

Putman is even considering open a separate retail brand – previous working title of Cherrybomb – to capitalise on pop culture sales.

“It's a unique time where suppliers are very aggressive on that pop culture side to do business with HMV, and also to grow their business,” he told Music Week. “So I think we should harness that and look at that. We probably do need more apparel and more of those things”.

It seems that, when it comes to the high street, it has been bad news for as long as I can remember. Although HMV is not exactly booming to the point where there will be no more store closures, it is a relief that they have been able to ride the COVID-19 tide well. I would like to see HMV back on Oxford Street, as there are so few bigger record stores in Central London, and the flagship store had a nice balance of vinyl, C.D.s, books and merchandise. I would say that the DVD side of things is a little excessive, and I think there is a chance to increase vinyl stocks and merchandise.

IN THIS PHOTO: HMV’s flagship store on Oxford Street/PHOTO CREDIT: Alys Key/PA

I know business rates and rents in Central London are insane, but I think HMV could survive post-COVID-19 because people will be keen to get out and buy music, and we are already seeing independent record shops survive and look to the future. Maybe we will not see the closed HMV stores reopen, but there is nothing to suggest that those already on the high street cannot grow larger, and there might be the opportunity for a few new stores open in cities like London, Manchester, and Birmingham. I do love independent stores, but it is a shame that chains like HMV are a rarity now – Our Price and others like them were part of my childhood that struggled as I got older. It is a strange time right now, so it would be foolhardy to say whether HMV will be okay and add new stores, but things aren’t looking too bad! Business rates will always be a barrier to real growth and success, and that is especially true right now but, looking to 2021, it would be wonderful to see more HMV stores open! Personally, I think DVDs will decline in terms of shop space, and there will be some rejigs and redesigns based on current sales and demand. In the last couple of years, there have been store closures for HMV and those who have predicted the chain’s demise and, whilst the latest news/developments do not signal a full revival and security-guaranteed explosion, it is…

PHOTO CREDIT: @jblesly/Unsplash

SOME much-needed good news.

FEATURE: Everybody’s Happier Nowadays: Is Pop Music’s Recent Move Towards the Faster and Happier Here to Stay?

FEATURE:

 

Everybody’s Happier Nowadays

PHOTO CREDIT: @hyingchou/Unsplash

Is Pop Music’s Recent Move Towards the Faster and Happier Here to Stay?

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ALTHOUGH this story broke a little while back…

PHOTO CREDIT: @kalvisuals/Unsplash

I have been thinking about modern Pop music and how it is changing. Last year, I bemoaned the relative lack of happiness in music and I asked why so many artists felt the need to be downcast and too self-absorbed when it came to their subject matter. Although there are plenty of depressive songs around at the moment, there is a split between sad bangers – songs that are sadder in terms of lyrics but have energy and a big sound – and tracks which are pretty optimistic and uplifting. This BBC article talks about the shift in tone of Pop, and what could be behind it:

“The outbreak of euphoria is as sudden as it is unexpected.

For the last few years, pop has been getting slower, as artists like Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish incorporate the leisurely cadences and rhythms of southern hip-hop and trap music into their songs.

Lyrics have taken a darker turn, too, with expressions of loneliness, fear and anxiety becoming increasingly common.

In 2017, a Californian mathematician called Natalia Komarova was so shocked by the negativity of the songs her daughter listened to, she decided to investigate.

The rise of the 'sad banger'

Using the research database AcousticBrainz - which allows you to examine musical properties like tempo, key and mood - she and her colleagues at the University of California Irvine examined half a million songs released in the UK between 1985 and 2015.

PHOTO CREDIT: @laurenkashuk/Unsplash

Music journalist Charlie Harding, who hosts the Switched On Pop podcast, agrees there's been "an important psychological change" in people's listening habits.

"During moments of great distress, music provides hope. A pop song gives us permission to access joy, even when the world is burning.

"But music is more than just escapism. It can help us imagine a different way of life. Protest anthems motivate us to keep marching in the streets even when our feet are tired. Dance songs help us blow off steam at home, especially when we can't go dancing out on the town.

"This upbeat shift happened during the great depression and during World War Two. Once again we need sounds that help us forge a path to the world we want to live in, not the one we're inhabiting today".

I guess COVID-19 has shifted music in so many ways, and I was a bit worried that most artists would respond to the pandemic in a negative and deafest way. There is, again, some of that happening, but there is this movement towards something happier. Whilst modern music cannot match the catchiness and quality of the 1980s and 1990s – in my view -, it is heartening that Pop is, slowly, starting to turn towards the more positive. One of my favourite albums of the year so far is Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure?, and it splices Disco, Pop of the 1980s and modern-day sounds to tremendous effect! It is a brilliant album where one is lifted and motivated.

There are some serious and sadder moments, but Ware is showing that you can be personal and honest without being overly-morbid or serious. I think a lot of artists are seeing what is happening around them and, while it is hard to keep a smile or feel too hopeful about the future, maybe there is a sense that putting something positive and more fun into the world is a good way to spread something more joyous. I do not think that Pop as we know it will transform, and we will see this sort of return to a golden heyday. I do feel there is going to be a shift in the balance of the sad bangers/downbeat songs and the more colourful and sunnier. Pop music is at its best when it is broad and is not completely one-directional, so I feel the increase of happier songs, alongside Pop as we know it now, will do a lot of good. Many people have avoided modern Pop because it too unhappy. Modern artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, and The 1975 have put out albums this year that are not all-positive/happier, but there is something faster and more positive when you compare it to a lot of albums released last year. Maybe I am being too simplistic, but the report regarding a slightly more optimistic Pop sound is good news. I wonder where this will lead. As we move through 2020, I think the euphoria that has been coming out the last few months will continue but, when things slowly return to normal, will artists write Pop that is more introspective and a return to what we once knew? I don’t think that will be the case. I believe there will be a continuation of the Pop sound of now. So many people, myself included, listen to Pop of our childhood to get a burst of happiness and comfort, as we listen to what is coming now and it is hard to feel motivated. As modern Pop is increasing the serotonin and upping the pace, it will definitely…

PHOTO CREDIT: @cajugos/Unsplash

KEEP people tuned to the Pop music of the here and now.

FEATURE: Moving: Kate Bush and Dance

FEATURE:

 

Moving

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

Kate Bush and Dance

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I am sort of sticking in the early years…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

when it comes to Kate Bush. My last feature concerned Lionheart and how it is vastly underrated – Bush’s second studio album was released in 1978. I have discussed Bush’s music from a variety of angles, but I have not really focused on love and use of dance. I guess I did mention it when discussing her Tour of Life and how physicality and movement really defines her best videos but, in so many ways, it is Bush’s attachment and dedicated to dancing that, in my view, really brought her music to life. Whilst dance did not feature as much in Kate Bush’s videos from, say, Aerial (2005) to the present day, I think that was not an abandonment of dance; if you listen to the albums, most of the songs are less physical than her earlier work. Before Bush recorded her debut album – but after EMI has spotted her talent and was preparing this promising star -, there was something missing from her lie. I cannot imagine that Bush’s school life provided many opportunities for interpretative dance. Bush did take Dance classes at school, but the teaching was very formal, and the relationship between Bush and her Dance teacher was not strong. Sure, Bush excelled in English classes and had her poetry published in the school magazine; she took violin lessons and had a definitely passion for music but, until she fell under the spell of Lindsay Kemp, there was this definitely hole.

As we can see on this page from the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia, it was difficult to get into dance when she left school:

“Once I'd left school I tried to get into a dance school full-time, but no one would accept me as I had no qualifications in ballet. I had almost given up the idea of using dance as an extension of my music, until I met Lindsay Kemp, and that really did change so many of my ideas. He was the first person to actually give me some lessons in movement. I realized there was so much potential with using movement in songs, and I wanted to get a basic technique in order to be able to express myself fully. Lindsay has his own style - it's more like mime - and although he studied in many ballet schools and is technically qualified as a dancer, his classes and style are much more to do with letting go what's inside and expressing that. It doesn't matter if you haven't perfect technique. (Electronics & Music Maker, 1982)”.

Graeme Thomson’s excellent biography of Kate Bush, Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush, spends some time looking at Bush’s early relationship with dancing. Lindsay Kemp’s Flowers – a re-imagining of Jean Genet’s Notre Dame Des Fleures – was a seismic moment for Kate Bush. Bush saw the production in Bloomsbury and Chalk Farm, and she was mesmerised by the power and originality of Flowers.

The fact that it was such an unusual and moving piece of theatre would have been transformative for someone whose exposure to dance prior to this experience – Bush saw Flowers in 1975 – was relatively traditional. Bush would learn and spend hours doing dance routines at her family home at Wickham Farm, where songs such as The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby would be honed and explored. Bush was inspired by Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way – the notion that mind and body are not separate creative entities, and the secret to fulfilment and realisation is being able to fuse the two -, and she referenced this important lesson in The Kick Inside’s Them Heavy People (as I mentioned in a feature earlier this year, where I discussed Bush’s love of literature and cinema). I can picture a young and hungry Bush paying 50p a session to take mime lessons with Lindsay Kemp – each session would last about three hours. I think these early experiences were pivotal when it came to Bush’s music and how she would incorporate movement and dance into her music; how she would bring the emotion from her songs and represent them in this very bold and inventive manner through her videos. I will not repeat what I said in my literature/cinema feature, but dance and mime allowed Bush the chance to free various voices and personas within herself; to dive into various characters and, in the process, become a stronger and braver individual. Bush then started taking classes in Dance at the Dance Centre in Covent Garden, where there were these drop-in classes five days a week – she did this for over a year.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

When the late Lindsay Kemp talked about him teaching Kate Bush, he explained how she was very reserved and timid to begin – hiding at the back of class -, but was encouraged to the front and, very soon, blossomed and stood out from the rest. Bush’s dancing was not great to start with but, as she was lured by the unconventional, she, fuelled by discipline and determination, grew and improved – Bush was very tough on herself, and she was eager to succeed. One of Kate Bush’s tutors, Robin Kovac, was instantly struck by Bush, and she helped the songwriter with the famous and much-imitated routine for Wuthering Heights. From as early as her debut single, Wuthering Heights, in January 1978, dance was a central part of Bush’s psyche. Many of her contemporaries were creating simple dance routines for their music videos, but very few were pushing boundaries and had this very intimate and evocative relationship with movement. My first exposure to Kate Bush was watching the video for Wuthering Heights when I was a child. The song was definitely special, but it was Bush’s routine and incredible aura that struck me hard. This article from AnOther magazine outlines how Buh’s music videos were game-changing:

“From the very beginning, Kate Bush’s career has been defined by her pioneering synthesis of music and movement. Signed to EMI at just 16, she spent two years honing her craft by enrolling in dance and mime lessons with Bowie collaborator Lindsay Kemp before releasing any music at all; on her first (and only) tour she instructed her sound technicians to develop the first ever microphone headset so she could dance and sing simultaneously, changing the possibilities of live concert performance forever.

With the sensual shiver and outstretched arms of Wuthering Heights and the elegant, expressive pas de deux of Running up that Hill, Bush’s music videos also introduced a wider public to contemporary dance. In the case of the latter video, the choreography was considered so radical that MTV were unwilling to screen it and chose to air a live performance of the song instead.

It’s also a remarkable testament to the power of dance to explore our most primordial frustrations: sex, death, desire, and most movingly here, Bush’s grief. Only two years before, her mother Hannah had passed away suddenly, and along with the recent death of her guitarist and a romantic break-up with a close collaborator, she used both album and film as a means of processing these losses — most movingly in the sequence that accompanies Lily, as Bush rests her head in the lap of a kindly looking old woman.

When discussing the Running up that Hill video, Bush noted that she saw other musicians using movement “quite trivially… haphazard images, busy, without really the serious expression, and wonderful expression, that dance can give”, countering this by dressing herself and fellow dancer Michael Harvieu in simple grey Japanese hakamas, the camera quietly following them around a spartan room lit only by moonlight”.

So many people lionise Kate Bush because of her incredible lyrics and that staggering voice but, to me, I think it is dance that really defines her – and is the reason why her music and music videos have an essence and nuance that makes them indelible and captivating. When Kate Bush started out – and her debut album arrived -, a lot of the promotional photos revolved around her a dancer.

I do not think she was overly-sexualised in those photos, but I do love the photos Bush shot with Gered Mankowitz (where she was dressed in a leotard) as, like her music, there was this fluidity and physicality that seduced and stuck in the mind. I do feel there is this very direct and entrancing correlation between dance and Bush’s music; how she almost dances her way through songs and gives her words flight. Maybe I am not explaining it well, but it is obvious than early experiences with Lindsay Kemp and dance classes deeply influenced Bush’s songwriting and music videos. There were periods where Bush sort of put dancing on the back burner – especially around the time of The Dreaming in 1982 -, but she reignited that passion for Hounds of Love. On each album, you get a new experience and style in terms of dance. Look at the video for Sat in Your Lap from The Dreaming, and it is more frenetic; Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), and The Big Sky from Hounds of Love is different to what we would see on The Sensual World (from the album of the same name), and Rubberband Girl from The Red Shoes. Whilst Bush’s 1993 film, The Cross, The Line and The Curve, was largely panned by critics, it is notable for (among other things) Bush’s routines and her marriage of movement and music.

The article from AnOther magazine that I quoted from discussed how Bush could create simple routines and blow you away because, in everything she did, that love of dance was evident:

“So too in The Cross the most powerful sequence is the most simple: Bush pirouetting slowly as if flying through outer space, singing album highlight Moments of Pleasure directly to camera with a sheet of silk billowing behind her. While her lyrics are known for their esoteric references, here the song itself is an uncharacteristically straightforward exploration of heartache and bereavement: “Just being alive / It can really hurt / And these moments given / Are a gift from time”. Whirling gently, she begins to smile, as if the sheer joy of moving her body is giving her the impetus to carry on. Despite its flaws, Bush’s belief in the therapeutic power of dance gives the film a memorable resonance, and it’s worth watching merely as a rare insight into the interior life of a fiercely private icon”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lindsay Kemp and Kate Bush in 1993’s The Line, the Cross and the Curve/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

From The Kick Inside’s opening track, Moving – dedicated to mentor Lindsay Kemp, who “crushed the lily in my soul” (in other words: he brought the fire and physicality out of a timid young woman) – to her video for King of the Mountain (where Bush evoked the spirit of Elvis Presley), the symbiotic and crucial bond between dance and music has defined Kate Bush and elevated her above everyone else. I would recommend people watch her music videos, as it is impossible to look away and not fall under her spell! I have not even mentioned her two live extravaganza: 1979’s Tour of Life, and 2014’s Before the Dawn residence (I have covered both in various features), which allowed Kate Bush the chance to give her songs almost theatrical and cinematic levels of movement and reality. It was clear from The Kick Inside’s Moving that, that early, dance was life-changing for Bush – “You give me life, please don't let me go (please don't let me go)”. Bush might not have known it, but her study and dedication to dance and mime (in 1975/1976) would not only open up something inside her, but it would…

CHANGE the music world forever.  

FEATURE: Spotlight: Holly Humberstone

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

Holly Humberstone

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FOR this round of Spotlight…

I wanted to include an artist who is one of the best new acts around. Holly Humberstone is someone I am new to, but I have been amazed by her new single, Overkill. From the rumbling drums through to Humberstone’s dreamy-yet-direct vocals, it is a great track! She has been compared to the likes of Phoebe Bridgers but, in truth, Humberstone ploughs her own furrow, and her music is very much hers. I love what she is doing, and I feel she will become one of Britain’s brightest talents and, when festivals kick back up, she will be included in the mix. Humberstone is planning on releasing an E.P. soon – and has material for a second! -, and I will come to that later. Before then, I wanted to quote from a few interviews, as it reveals more about the rising star. When she spoke with Sound Dazed earlier in the year, she discussed her earlier material, and she was asked about how she first got into music – and what Humberstone does outside of her career to keep busy:

 “When did you first get into songwriting and creating original music?

I used to have piano lessons and music lessons when I was little. My parents are quite musical, my dad loves poetry, and my mum is a really good cellist. They don’t do it professionally, but they love it and are keen on it. My sisters and I had music lessons when I was really small, and then I was just writing songs. They were just really rubbish, obviously, songs when I was really small. I just kept writing and never really stopped. Didn’t think about doing it, it just kind of happened quite naturally. I uploaded a few of the demos I did on my own to BBC Introducing, and from there, I got heard by my manager Josh. It’s all been cool from there.

When you aren’t creating music, how are you keeping busy?

I can work hard and write songs for a lot of the day, but I have to have done that to be able to just chill. I also just love chilling and not doing anything, so I love just binging Netflix shows. At the moment, I’m binging Arrested Development, which is so funny. I love cartoons, as well. So I love Adventure Time at the moment, obviously because it’s perfect, and I love Studio Ghibli films. Do you know them?”.

Tracks like Falling Asleep at the Wheel, and Deep End are brilliant songs that signal and instant and unique talent. Humberstone has been getting some airplay from BBC Radio 6 Music recently – a station I sort of use as a barometer when it comes to hot talent -, and there is a lot of excitement regarding an E.P. I think Deep End might be my favourite song of Humberstones so far, as it sounds very personal and hits you hard. Humberstone chatted with EUPHORIA. fairly recently, and she talked about that first single, and her writing process:

“Deep End” was your first ever single release. What was it about the track that made you know you wanted it to serve as an introduction to you as an artist?

Originally I’d planned to release “Falling Asleep At The Wheel” as the first single, but after writing “Deep End” towards the end of summer last year, I figured it made so much more sense to come first. “Deep End” was written about the people closest to me, my sisters, and all about our struggles with mental health, and sticking by the ones you love. I felt like “Deep End” was probably the most personal song I’d ever written, and so it made sense as my debut single. I was also getting tons of messages from people who had seen me perform it live, saying how much they related to the tune so I wanted to put it out into the world so they could connect with me and my music on a deeper level.

When something emotionally impactful happens, do you normally feel the urge to write about it instantly or do you take a bit of time to process the feeling/experience?

I find when I’m going through something, writing is a way of making sense of emotions and working through situations and clearing my head a bit, so I tend to write when I’m feeling the most. I think writing is my way of processing things, so the best and most honest songs usually come from songs I’ve written when I’ve had the urge.

Sort of following on from that, when you’re writing, do you ever think about the potential interpretations that listeners might have when they hear your songs?

Of course. I try to make my lyrics as personal as possible and include as much detail as I can, as I feel people relate more to specific things, imagery and storytelling rather than to a general event/ feeling if that makes any sense?  I think if it’s honest and I’ve put real emotions into a song, then people should hopefully be able to interpret in their own way and feel something from it themselves”.

I want to pop in some quotes from a couple of other interviews, as Humberstone has been quite active promoting her new music. It is small wonder there is so much buzz and anticipation regarding the Grantham-born artist. From her days uploading music to BBC Introducing, to performing at festivals and shows around the U.K., she has performed alongside Lewis Capaldi, and it seems like there is no stopping the rise of Holly Humberstone! Whilst Damien Rice, Lorde, Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers, HAIM and a lot of other artists have inspired Humberstone’s sound, as I said, she is very much concocting something that is hers.

It is a great time for singer-songwriters, and I do feel that the upcoming E.P. will gain a lot of huge reviews. When Humberstone was interviewed by The New Nine, the subject of her E.P. was among the questions – in addition to the challenges she has encountered and what she would say to young women coming through:

“What can we expect from your upcoming EP?

Holly: I’ve been working so hard on this EP for so long to get it right, and it’s now sounding so much like me, and sonically exactly where I want to head with my music. The songs are very special to me and I can’t wait for people to hear them. I try and make my music as personal and as honest as possible so I’m looking forward to being able to connect with people in that way.

What has been one of the biggest challenges for you in the music industry?

Holly: I'd probably say the hardest challenge I’ve faced with music so far is having a lot of self-doubt and comparing myself to others. It’s so so easy to do and I think every artist is probably guilty of it. I’ve come to realise over time that it’s really unhealthy and it actually stops me from being as creative and productive, so there’s really no point in worrying about that sort of thing!

What’s your best piece of advice for young women?

Holly: My best piece of advice would be to trust yourself and your instinct. You know yourself the best and what’s good for you and what isn’t. Don’t spend your time worrying about other people too much, just focus on you and you’ll be great!”.

In terms of the artists that you need to watch this year, Holly Humberstone should be right up there! I am not sure what the rest of 2020 holds, because she won’t be able to gig and do a lot. 2021 will be a year where she can make a charge and get that brilliant music out to the people. If you have not heard Overkill, take a listen to the song and it will become evident why so many people hold her in such high esteem. The final interview I want to source from is NME. The subject of Overkill and what comes next was put to her:

 “Tell us about the inception of ‘Overkill’?

“I wrote this single last November with two of my close friends, producer Rob Milton (Easy Life, Maisie Peters) and Benjamin Francis Leftwich. I was in a really good headspace at the time and I’d just started seeing someone, so I was really excited about everything. We wanted to write a positive song about the weird, confusing and exciting feelings that come with a new relationship. ‘Overkill’ is about wanting to tell someone about how you feel, but also not wanting to scare them off – personally, I know that sometimes I can come across as a bit full on.”

Your first EP is on its way. How did you find putting your first body of work together?

“It has definitely been a journey – both lyrically and sonically, because I have been trying to discover who I am as an artist through the music I am making. I had the first track down in 2018, and from there, I knew where I wanted to go with my music. I think that it sums me up on the whole. It feels like me, and it was really important for us to take our time and get it right.”

What is the future looking like for Holly Humberstone?

“I am already starting to work on my second EP, which I am really, really excited about now. I am always writing, and the sooner I can get back to more of a routine, the better. Hopefully I’ll be able to do some touring next year. I am really enjoying this process, and I feel so lucky to be able to create”.

The fact Holly Humberstone has so many ideas brewing and she is in this prolific vein of form bodes well for next year. I don’t think an official release date has been announced regarding her first E.P., so keep your eyes peeled on her social media channels. The music industry is packed, and it can be really tough deciding which acts you need to follow, and which ones are going to remain for years to come. I have no doubt regarding Holly Humberstone’s talent and stamina. With an amazing voice, brilliant songs and an insatiable passion, here is an artist who is very much…

PRIMED for the big stages.

______________

Follow Holly Humberstone

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/hollyhumberstone/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/hollyhumberstonemusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0xtJUctDSc7QncZAHYU26g

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nnYdIpahs41QiZ9MWp5Wx

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/holhumberstone

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Annie Lennox - Diva

FEATURE:

 

Vinyl Corner

Annie Lennox - Diva

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I have covered a lot of albums…

IN THIS PHOTO: Annie Lennox in 1992/PHOTO CREDIT: Francesco Scavullo

for Vinyl Corner, but I have not tackled Annie Lennox’s debut solo album, Diva, yet. I would recommend people grab it on vinyl if they can, as I really love Diva. I was raised around a lot of music, and I became aware of Eurythmics from a young age. Not only did the songcraft and quality of the music capture me: the stunning and peerless voice of Annie Lennox took the music beyond the realm of the ordinary. I think Diva is an album I first encountered when it came out. Diva reached number-one when it was released, and it was also a success in the U.S. It won the Album of the Year at the BRIT Awards in 1993, and you only need to listen to the opening two songs of Diva to realise why it was so successful – which I shall come to in a bit. After Eurythmics split in 1990, Annie Lennox briefly stepped away from the industry, but she did work on her debut solo album with producer Stephen Lipson in 1991. Whether you were part of a band or duo, it is strange stepping away from that and working on your own. If you are used to writing with another person, going alone is not necessarily natural and easy. Lennox penned many of Diva’s tracks alone and, whilst some critics feel the punch and extra ears of Dave Stewart would have added another layer to Diva, I think the album is terrific as it is, and it was intended to sound different to a Eurythmics album.

I often wonder if the two opening tracks from Diva are in the right place. We open with the sumptuous and gorgeous Why, before moving to Walking on Broken Glass. I feel the distinct and instant introduction of Walking on Broken Glass would have got Diva off to a flyer, but one cannot quibble too much! These two enormous singles – Why reached number five in the U.K. in March 1992; Walking on Broken Glass got to number eight in the U.K. in September 1992 -, ensure that Diva grabs you right away. The third track, Precious, was also a successful single – it made the top-thirty in June 1992. The sheer variation of Diva makes it such an interesting and utilitarian album. Whether you prefer a more stately or romantic Lennox, or edge towards rockier numbers, there is something for everyone on Diva! For anyone who felt that Eurythmics was a Dave Stewart project where Annie Lennox was merely singing the songs would have that notion dispelled on Diva. Lennox proved how amazing a songwriter she is, and that icy-yet-yearning voice enters new territories. I think there were some who were sceptical whether Lennox could go solo and cope without Dave Stewart – outlined in some of the reviews at the time -, but Diva got a lot of praise in 1992 – and it has managed to speak to critics years after its release.

In 2011, this is what AllMusic wrote:

“Those expecting Annie Lennox to come out full-guns-blazing for her solo debut, Diva, with the high energy electro-Europop-meets-American- R&B of her Eurythmics work may have to wind their pacemakers down a notch. The enigmatic vocalist who made a career toying with different notions of gender plays on the concept of fame here -- Lennox dresses up in the persona of a solitary Diva trapped by counterfeit glory. The framework offers an effective stage for Lennox's husky voice, showcasing her as much more of a chanteuse than in the past. But the music is strangely muted and understated. In fact, the album almost works best as one integrated mood piece rather than a collection of individual songs. While Lennox succeeds in carving out a personality distinct from her Eurythmics days with Diva, one can't help but crave a shot of former partner Dave Stewart's musical muscle”.

I concede that Diva is a little lopsided when it comes to arranging the hits in the order. I think the strongest moments can be found on the first side, but that is not to say the second side of Diva lacks clout and standouts – Little Bird, and Stay by Me are terrific tracks! In their review, this is what SLANT had to say:

“The first album Lennox released after the Eurythmics called it quits, Diva's relative quietude is reflective of a woman in full awareness—if not complete control—of the occasional ostentation of her emotional whims. It's musically analogous to All About Eve's ferocious Margo Channing during those rare moments when she's alone and contemplating the social consequences of her violent temper. It speaks exactly what she (Margo, Annie, every woman…) wished she could convey, but the music underneath most of the album's tracks is filled with the rumbling turbulence that betrays her best intentions.

Practically speaking, the music video for Lennox's baroque dance hit "Walking On Broken Glass" harnesses this stress to a T. Dressed in Amadeus boudoir finery (not to be confused with the Vegas headdress crowning Lennox on the album's disingenuously gaudy cover), the clip's heroine finds her flirtations ignored until she gets her paramour alone in her chambers. He mistakenly reads her interest as sexual heat and, outraged, she casts him away, banging her fist against the wall in synchronization to the song's rimshots. "Every one of us was made to suffer," she reasons. "Every one of us was made to weep." One of the most brilliant singles of the era, "Walking On Broken Glass" and its video cast a suspicious eye on the deliberate façade-maintenance of modern pop by playing up the same mixed signals that equips Diva with its power.

Elsewhere on the album, the brooding "Legend In My Living Room" seems to address the false hopes Lennox experienced early in her career from the promises of fame, fortune, and ultimately self-definition (i.e. the notion that she would find her soul in her image), while the lyrics to "Primitive" ("Wipe your tears and let the salt stains dry") almost seem to address Lennox's performance in Amos Gitai's Birth of the Golem, in which she personified the creature born of clay (another role played, another legend in her screening room).

Ultimately, the album (well, the CD version of it, anyway) lands on its soft shoes with an incongruous cover of the 1930s MGM showtune "Keep Young And Beautiful," which ends the introspection on a note of carefree self-parody. As befitting any diva, Lennox isn't above a little bit of self-deprecation, but Diva glides with a rich, feminine dignity that stands tall in pop history”.

You only need to look at Diva’s cover to realise that Lennox meant business! The image is arresting, and Lennox seems determined, but there is a note of vulnerability and wonder. All of this comes through on an amazing solo debut album. If you have not heard the album, then make sure you get a hold of it and experience something truly spectacular! I really love Annie Lennox’s solo work, and I think she made the biggest impact on her debut. There is so much treasure on Diva, and I like the deeper cuts in addition to the singles like Walking on Broken Glass. From Legend in My Living Room, to The Gift, Diva has so many exceptional songs that showcases Lennox’s writing gift – she wrote eight of the ten tracks on her own. If you need an album recommendation for the week ahead, I would definitely point you in the direction of this classic from…

ONE of the all-time musical greats.

FEATURE: Love Wears No Disguise: Madonna’s Into the Groove at Thirty-Five

FEATURE:

 

Love Wears No Disguise

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in a promotional image for Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex Features

Madonna’s Into the Groove at Thirty-Five

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IT is not often I focus on a single…

and celebrates its anniversary – normally, I will tackle a whole album instead. One reason for marking Madonna’s Into the Groove as it approaches thirty-five is that it remains one of her most underrated tracks and is one of the best tracks from 1985. On 15th July, Into the Groove turns thirty-five, and I think it still sounds pretty fresh today. There are reports out that says Pop has got faster and happier this year and, whilst it might not reach the same levels as Madonna’s best, artists like Jessie Ware are definitely being inspired by the sort of Pop and Dance sounds Madonna was putting out in the mid-’80s. Originally intended for the soundtrack of the 1985 film, Desperately Seeking Susan (where Madonna’s role was praised by many), it made its way onto the reissue of Like a Virgin (1984) outside of America. One does not really hear of it too much these days, but big stars like Madonna was recording songs for film soundtracks and there were these great non-studio album cuts flying around! She did it a lot through her career, and I wonder what an album such as Like a Virgin would have sounded like with Into the Groove in the mix to bolster it! Put out as the fourth single from Like a Virgin (released as a single outside of the U.S.), I think Madonna’s sound would take a real turn and leap by the time True Blue arrived in 1986 – not that she had abandoned frivolous and fun; there was definitely more depth in her music, which was no bad thing!

I do think that a lot of modern Pop stars are updating songs like Into the Groove for 2020. Written and produced by Madonna and her then-boyfriend Stephen Bray (a frequent collaborator), there was a bit of friction between Madonna and her friend Mark Kamins, who the song was written for. Madonna did not inform him that Into the Groove was intended for the Desperately Seeking Susan soundtrack and, whilst it did not appear there, it showed that Madonna was pretty tough and was going to do things her way! Into the Groove is one of her tracks, like Cherish (that appears on Like a Prayer), where Madonna sort of dismissed it as a bit lame or dorky. She wrote Into the Groove about a Puerto Rican man who was suiting across the way from her on a fourth-floor walk-up on Avenue B (in Manhattan). Although the two got together and the relationship did not last long, Into the Groove is more a call to the dancefloor: somewhere Madonna felt at her most liberated and happiest. Just the fact that there was this simple story behind the song is great; a sort of lust that turned into a date but, more than that, she produced a song that ranks alongside her very best works! Madonna would release more iconic songs – including Like a Prayer, and Vogue -, but it showed that she was capable of penning these infectious hits that got people dancing.

As a songwriter, I feel Madonna was a lot stronger and more individual than many of her peers – who had teams writing tracks for them – and, by 1985, her voice was growing a lot stronger and more expressive. Though Into the Groove can be seen as quite a light confection, it has an evocative nature that provokes images of New York chic and effortless cool. Into the Groove was assessed by some as Madonna’s first great single – though I have a fondness for Material Girl (the second single from Like a Virgin) -and others have called it one of the 1980s’ greatest Pop anthems. Into the Groove originally was B-side for Like a Virgin’s third single, but it was released as a single by Sire Records in the U.K. on 15th July, 1985 (though some say the release date was 23rd July in the U.K., Discogs lists it as 15th July) – such was the impact of the song, it topped the charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain; it became her first number-one song in the United Kingdom (it initially entered at four on the chart dated 27th July, 1985, becoming the highest-debuting single for any female artist in the history of the chart at that time). Rather than Into the Groove competing against Angel in the U.S., the fact it was a B-side meant that it was not eligible for the Billboard Hot 100. No matter. Into the Groove has taken on a life of its own, and Madonna herself has performed the song on tours. It appeared on the setlist to The Virgin Tour in 1985, and it  was added to the setlist of the 2008–2009 Sticky & Sweet Tour.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna captured in 1985 by Herb Ritts

It goes to show that, despite the fact she wasn’t completely in love with the song back in 1985, she values it a lot and knows how much it means to fans. To mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of Into the Groove being released in the U.K. (and countries outside of the U.S.), I wanted to give a nod to an awesome track – it’s B-side, Shoo-Bee-Doo, isn’t too bad either! Although my favourite Madonna song is Take a Bow – from 1994’s Bedtime Stories -, I think Into the Groove is one of her classics, and definitely one of the most fun tracks she ever released! Ahead of its thirty-fifth anniversary, I have been listening to the song and not only realising how impactful and important it was in Madonna’s career: Into the Groove has endured through the decades and it is inspiring songwriters and Pop sounds today! Even if you are not a fan of Madonna’s work as a whole, one cannot deny the lure, energy, and passion of…  

THE incredible Into the Groove.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Mercury Prize Nominees and Winners

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Nadine Shah is surely guaranteed to be in the shortlist of this year’s Mercury Prize nominees after her recent album, Kitchen Sink, received hugely positive reviews - Shah was previously nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2018 for her album, Holiday Destination

Mercury Prize Nominees and Winners

___________

IT is that time of the year…

PHOTO CREDIT: @leecampbell/Unsplash

when we look forward to the Mercury Prize nominations. This year is a little different to previous ones, but there is every hope that the ceremony will take place, in some form, later in the year. The official Mercury Prize website provides more details:

“We, along with BBC Music, the Prize’s broadcast partner, believe that it is important in the current crisis to continue to showcase and celebrate the achievements of British & Irish artists and musicians.

The Shortlist of 12 Hyundai Mercury Prize Albums of the Year will be revealed on Thursday 23 July.

The overall winner of the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Prize will be announced on Thursday 10 September at the Awards Show, which is being held at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. The event will celebrate the twelve shortlisted artists and their albums, with BBC Music providing live television and radio coverage of the event.

Hyundai Motor, the Mercury Prize’s title partner, will be celebrating the shortlisted artists and continuing to support innovations in British & Irish music”.

The first ceremony was held in 1992, and Primal Scream’s Screamadelica won that year. There have been some shocks and upsets through the years, and some titanic albums have walked away with the prize. In anticipation of 2020’s Mercury shortlist, here is a playlist that combines many of the Mercury Prize winners and nominees…

PHOTO CREDIT: @chrisyangchrisfilm/Unsplash

SINCE its start in 1992.

FEATURE: A Buyer’s Guide: Part Ten: Sheryl Crow

FEATURE:

A Buyer’s Guide

Part Ten: Sheryl Crow

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WHEN I was considering who should be…

in this week’s A Buyer’s Guide, I was listening to Sheryl Crow and noticing how great her albums are! I love her brilliant albums from the 1990s (and those afterwards for that matter!), and so many of the songs from them soundtracked my school days. Her last album, Threads, from last year may well be her very last. It is a shame but, since her debut in 1993, Crow has given the word some truly magnificent music. I really dig her lyrics and storytelling; her voice carries so many emotions and is instantly recognisable, and she can pen an epic chorus when she needs to! To honour one of the greatest artists of her generation, I have put together the Sheryl Crow albums that you need to own, the one that, to me, is underrated, and her latest record – in addition to a useful book that one should get a hold of. This is a tip of a cap to an artist who has given me…

SO much pleasure through the years.

_______________

The Four Essential Albums

Tuesday Night Music Club

Release Date: 3rd August, 1993

Label: A&M

Producer: Bill Bottrell

Standout Tracks: Run Baby Run/Leaving Las Vegas/What I Can Do for You

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Sheryl-Crow-Tuesday-Night-Music-Club/master/90311

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7dC6axVAeBDpRMmNtRbpwU

Review:

“Sheryl Crow earned her recording contract through hard work, gigging as a backing vocalist for everyone from Don Henley to Michael Jackson before entering the studio with Hugh Padgham to record her debut album. As it turned out, things didn't go entirely as planned. Instead of adhering to her rock & roll roots, the record was a slick set of contemporary pop, relying heavily on ballads. Upon hearing the completed album, Crow convinced A&M not to release the album, choosing to cut a new record with producer Bill Bottrell. Along with several Los Angeles-based songwriters and producers, including David Baerwald, David Ricketts, and Brian McLeod, Bottrell was part of a collective dubbed "the Tuesday Night Music Club." Every Tuesday, the group would get together, drink beer, jam, and write songs. Crow became part of the Club and, within a few months, she decided to craft her debut album around the songs and spirit of the collective. It was, for the most part, an inspired idea, since Tuesday Night Music Club has a loose, ramshackle charm that her unreleased debut lacked. At its best -- the opening quartet of "Run, Baby, Run," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Strong Enough," and "Can't Cry Anymore," plus the deceptively infectious "All I Wanna Do" -- are remarkable testaments to their collaboration, proving that roots rock can sound contemporary and have humor. That same spirit, however, also resulted in some half-finished songs, and the preponderance of those tracks make Tuesday Night Music Club better in memory than it is in practice. Still, even with the weaker moments, Crow manages to create an identity for herself -- a classic rocker at heart but with enough smarts to stay contemporary. And that's the lasting impression Tuesday Night Music Club leaves” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: All I Wanna Do

Sheryl Crow

Release Date: 24th September, 1996

Label: A&M

Producer: Sheryl Crow

Standout Tracks: A Change Would Do You Good/Home/If It Makes You Happy

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Sheryl-Crow-Sheryl-Crow/release/442516

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/49fcfLcicBYSqitKzXDJpN

Review:

“Crow’s voice sounds more assured when she’s sober. The critically-hailed singer took full-reign of the production duties, partially in response to suggestions that she was a mere puppet to her all-male Tuesday Night Music Club. As such, there’s a palpable, fear-driven ambition to the album. Her drive paid off and not only did Crow avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, but Sheryl Crow is easily her greatest achievement. The album’s lead single, the crunchy rocker “If It Makes You Happy,” was both a retort to the criticism she received as well as a fatigued reflection on two years of fame and touring (which included a stint at Woodstock ‘94, specifically referenced here). While the structure of the single is fairly straightforward, other tracks are filled with quirky, stream-of-conscious lyrics (pop-culture references abound: to Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, Ouija boards, etc.) and a collage of drum loops, organs, and layered voices. Songs like “Ordinary Morning,” with its lazy piano figures and raw blues vibe, are cushioned comfortably next to loopy tracks like “Maybe Angels” and understated folk ballads like “Home,” in which Crow recounts the emotional strains of a deteriorating marriage.

As always, Crow’s lyrics take a decidedly moralistic stance but never sound preachy. “Hard to Make a Stand” touches on abortion clinic terrorism while “Love Is a Good Thing” sees the solution to the world’s problems in the same four-letter word so many other rockers have enthusiastically endorsed over the years. Crow makes subtle references to the Beatles’ “Love Is All You Need,” but not before giving us a dose of modern reality: “Watch our children while they kill each other/With a gun they bought at Walmart discount stores.” This is certainly not the same hippie mentality of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and one can’t help but think that Crow is a tad less confident with her miracle product than, say, Lennon ever was. “These are the days when anything goes,” she sings on the buoyant “Everyday Is a Winding Road,” and the sentiment speaks for both the song’s playful optimism and the album’s sonic adventurousness. Crow has had some other great moments (“Leaving Las Vegas,” “My Favorite Mistake”), but none of her other full-length albums have been as consistent, immaculately produced or distinctly modern” – SLANT

Choice Cut: Everyday Is a Winding Road

The Globe Sessions

Release Date: 21st September, 1998

Label: A&M

Producer: Sheryl Crow

Standout Tracks: There Goes the Neighborhood/The Difficult Kind/Mississippi

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Sheryl-Crow-The-Globe-Sessions/master/130301

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/08enrSAkHTYkQwhRlKXQgB

Review:

“Since her dense, varied, postmodernist eponymous second album illustrated that Sheryl Crow was no one-album wonder, she wasn't left with as much to prove the third time around. Having created an original variation on roots rock with Sheryl Crow, she was left with the dilemma of how to remain loyal to that sound without repeating herself on her third album, The Globe Sessions. To her credit, she never plays lazy, not when she's turning out Stonesy rockers ("There Goes the Neighborhood") or when she's covering Dylan (the remarkable "Mississippi," an outtake from Time Out of Mind). However, she has decided to abandon the layered, yard-sale production and pop culture fixations that made Sheryl Crow a defining album of the mid-'90s. The Globe Sessions, instead, is the work of a craftswoman, one who knows how to balance introspective songs with pop/rockers, one who knows how to exploit her signature sound while becoming slightly more eclectic. In that sense, the album is a lot like a latter-day album from her idols, the Stones -- it finds pleasures within the craft and the signature sounds themselves. That means that there are no surprises (apart from the synthesized handclaps, of course). The Celtic homage "Riverwide" may be new, but it's not unexpected, much like how the whiplash transition in "Am I Getting Through" isn't entirely out of the blue. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, since The Globe Sessions has a strong set of songs. Since it lacks the varied sonics, humor, and flat-out weirdness of Sheryl Crow, it's never quite as compelling a listen as its predecessor, yet it is a strong record, again confirming Crow's position as one of the best roots rockers of the '90s” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: My Favorite Mistake

Feels like Home 

Release Date: 10th September, 2013

Labels: Old Green Barn/Sea Gayle Music/Warner Bros. Nashville

Producers: Sheryl Crow/Justin Niebank

Standout Tracks: Shotgun/Callin’ Me When I’m Only/Homecoming Queen

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Sheryl-Crow-Feels-Like-Home/master/600820

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5LYNsXNQUGSZlHnjw7K01s

Review:

“Sheryl Crow is nothing if not versatile: A former Michael Jackson backup singer who mixes pop, country, R&B and classic rock, she’s built a career as an outspoken singer-songwriter and a Grammy-friendly go-to collaborator. Her eighth LP digs deeper into country tradition than she’s ever gone before. The results are uneven, but never feel forced or faked. The ultimate stylistic diplomat, Crow makes every twang her own. It helps to have major Nashville songwriting firepower: Luke Laird, Brad Paisley, Shane McAnally and Chris DuBois help Crow serve a half-century’s worth of styles without sounding like a history teacher. The lushly orchestrated, tear-jerking Paisley-co-write “Waterproof Mascara” and the Loretta Lynn/Bobbie Gentry-style “Drinking” (about getting “shitfaced” on a Wednesday night, instead of rolling “a big fat one and watchin’ Nashville alone”) update vintage countrypolitan and honky-tonk sounds. “Shotgun” and “Easy” are smart, airbrushed ’00s mainstream contenders in the spirit of Miranda Lambert and country’s tough new radio sweethearts. Crow still sounds most at home on the rockers – especially the steel-laced “Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely” and the Bad Company bow “Nobody’s Business.” But this set suggests the Opry crowd might want to keep her on speed dial” – Rolling Stone

Choice Cut: Easy

The Underrated Gem

Wildflower  

Release Date: 27th September, 2005

Label: A&M

Producers: Sheryl Crow/Jeff Trott/John Shanks

Standout Tracks: Good Is Good/Lifetimes/Always on Your Side

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Sheryl-Crow-Wildflower/master/130310

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1MhK8H2ZRTgCIljAz2EzFM

Review:

“Whether she’s pondering the afterlife in ”Letter to God” or blandly wondering ”Where Has All the Love Gone,” Sheryl Crow clearly wants Wildflower to be a bit more somber and reflective than her recent, interchangeable albums. But while there’s no denying the craft in the yearning ”I Don’t Wanna Know” or the sternly devotional ”Lifetimes,” her fondness for overblown L.A.-rock clichés undercuts the intimacy she’s after; the music sounds homogenized. Crow has become like my General Electric oven: dependable, reliable, and not very exciting” – Entertainment Weekly

Choice Cut: Perfect Lie

The Latest/Final Album

Threads 

Release Date: 30th August, 2019

Label: Big Machine

Producers: Steve Jordan/Sheryl Crow/Jeff Trott

Standout Tracks: Prove You Wrong/Redemption Day/Border Lord

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Sheryl-Crow-Threads/master/1598632

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1pJGYnd7uAJe5Behy75EK1

Review:

“Someone who definitely is not shunted into a secondary role is Johnny Cash, who sings a “duet” with Crow on “Redemption Day,” a song she wrote and recorded for her second album and which he covered as part of his latter-day run with Rick Rubin. Her remake of the song is so startlingly good and haunting — with not much more than a piano backing and some striking chordal changes that render it even more melancholy — that it almost seems like gilding, or interrupting, the lily to suddenly have Cash’s voice come in from the afterworld. But his autumnally vulnerable and sweet voice and her unshakable one sound so good ‘n’ sad together that you may override any biases you harbor about grave-spanning collaborations and embrace this one as the spooky triumph it is.

No doubt Crow means it when she says this is it for her as an album artist — she’s been saying it for the couple of years that she’s been promising “Threads.” But will she stick with it, or is declaring that you’re abandoning making music in the supposedly passe album form the modern-day equivalent of going on your first “farewell” tour? “Threads” is strong enough that we should probably all agree now not to shame her if she goes back on her word” – Variety

Choice Cut: Everything Is Broken

The Sheryl Crow Book

The Words and Music of Sheryl Crow (Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection)

Author: Christopher Gable

Publication Date: 6th September, 2016

Publisher: Praeger

Synopsis:

“Offering commentary, musical analysis, and detailed interpretation of her songs' lyrics, this book examines the qualities of Sheryl Crow's music that have served to establish the artist's success and popularity. * Presents an in-depth and complete listening guide to all of Crow's songs, including B-sides and rarities * Features insightful commentary with song analysis * Includes a glossary of musical and technical terms for the non-specialist” - Abe Books

Buy: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781440831287/Words-Music-Sheryl-Crow-Praeger-1440831289/plp

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Pub/Drink-Related Tracks

FEATURE:

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @andrew_wong

Pub/Drink-Related Tracks

___________

IN the next Lockdown Playlist…

PHOTO CREDIT: @gitfo/Unsplash

I am reacting to the fact pubs are open again. Whilst we all have to be responsible and keep our distance, it is good that some sense of normality is creeping back in. I have not been out to the pub yet, but I will do in the next couple of months. In honour of the re-openings, I have put together a selection of pub/drink-related songs that are either anthemic in their nature or mention an alcoholic beverage. It may be a bit tenuous but, as the weather is warming and it is still summer, I think it fits just nicely! If you require some kick to get you through the weekend, then I think I have a set of songs that should…

PHOTO CREDIT: @fwed/Unsplash

WORK their magic!

FEATURE: Change of the Guard: A New Chapter for BBC Radio 6 Music

FEATURE:

 

Change of the Guard

IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s new Head, Samantha Moy/PHOTO CREDIT: International Radio Faces

A New Chapter for BBC Radio 6 Music

___________

THIS will be a brief article…

IMAGE CREDIT: BBC

but, as I am a huge BBC Radio 6 Music fan, I wanted to talk about a big change that has happened. When we listen to a radio station, we think about the broadcasters and the artists played, but how often do we think about those behind the scenes?! I think the success of stations like BBC Radio 6 Music relies as much on those away from the microphone as it does the on-air talent. The brilliant Paul Rodgers is the Senior Head of Commissioning at BBC Radio 6 Music, and he has helped take the station to new heights. I will talk about the importance of BBC Radio 6 Music in a bit but, this week, Samantha Moy was appointed Head at the station. This Music Week article explains more:

“Samantha Moy has been named as the new head of station for BBC Radio 6 Music.

Moy has been 6 Music’s head of content commissioning since 2018, having previously worked as the station’s network editor.

Paul Rodgers, currently senior head of commissioning for 6 Music, is leaving the BBC this summer.

Lorna Clarke, BBC controller of pop, said: “Using her wide range of experience in broadcast production, Sam will continue to evolve this exciting radio station that means so much to music lovers. ”

Moy said: “I’m privileged and honoured to be appointed to lead BBC Radio 6 Music – a radio station made for and made by music lovers. The relationship with our audience has gone from strength to strength, as our brilliant presenters, supported by our talented production teams, have provided the perfect combination of music, conversation and connection during these challenging times. I’m proud to lead this fantastically creative and inspiring team, who I know feel as passionately about 6 Music as I do.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Lauren Laverne/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

Moy started her career in radio at Kiss in London, joining independent production company Somethin’ Else to produce programmes for Radio 1, Radio 2 and the BBC World Service. She joined BBC Radio 1 in 2002 where she produced the Evening Session, Jo Whiley and the Live Lounge, The Chris Moyles Show, Greg James and Annie Mac amongst others. Moy was also an event producer at the BBC Electric Proms in 2008-9, broadcast on BBC TV and radio.

She joined 6 Music and latterly Radio 2 as executive producer, overseeing shows like Steve Lamacq, Steve Wright in the Afternoon and projects including The Peel Lecture with Charlotte Church and the Sound of Style season in collaboration with BBC 4.

In her current role, Moy’s commissions have included Stay Home Rave Safe Saturday series, The Wu-Tang Clan Radio Show, the Rose D’or and New York Festival Radio award winning Amazing Grace and the Independent Venue Week Tour. She also leads on the annual 6 Music Festival, which was held in Camden earlier this year.

Moy is a mentor for the Sandy Chalmers Women in Radio scheme and has taken part in the Women in Music series at the Southbank Centre and at the BPI.

6 Music currently has a record 2.56m weekly listeners on air.

Moy will start her new role on August 17. The 6 Music position is one of five new head of station roles responsible for the BBC’s pop music networks”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Huey Morgan/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

I think Moy’s appointment/promotion is a great move, and she will bring a lot of new impetus and strength to a station that continues to grow and inspire. I am excited to see how BBC Radio 6 Music evolves and moves as we head through 2020 and beyond. It is a challenging time to come into a new role, and I think Moy will have to make a lot of important decisions as we slowly ease out of lockdown and think about returning to near-normal. I think Moy will ensure that BBC Radio 6 Music continues its incredible trajectory regarding new listeners, and I will be interested to see whether new blood is brought into the station. Regardless of any speculation regarding alterations, I know Moy will do a phenomenal job and help bring BBC Radio 6 Music to new ears. The station has been a beacon for many of us as we continue with lockdown and cannot enjoy life as we once did. I have listened to the station more than ever during the past few months, and I have discovered strength and solace listening to an always-reliable fountain of uplift. I listen to Chris Hawkins from about 6 a.m., and I keep it tuned to Lauren Laverne, Mary Anne Hobbs/Shaun Keaveny, and Steve Lamacq; I tune in at the weekend and make sure I catch Radcliffe and Maconie in the mornings.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mark Radcliffe (front) and Stuart Maconie/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

As BBC Radio 6 Music continues to accumulate listeners and expand, many wonder whether it is an alternative station that strays away from the predictable mainstream. I think, even though BBC Radio 6 Music has built and grown in popularity, it maintains its blend of originality and the rare; in that the music played is different to other stations, and the broadcasters have kept their individual shows constant. I think a radio station can be underground and alternative and have an army of listeners. I know Samantha Moy will help get the listener figures to (new) record highs, whilst bringing in some great ideas – in addition to incredible strong leadership. It is an exciting time for BBC Radio 6 Music because I feel this pandemic has brought a lot of new listeners their way. It is hard to say what the secret ingredient is, but the musical depth and versatility is incredible – the station was accused of being too guitar-based in the early years. From presenters like Tom Robinson backing the best new artists around, to Craig Charles providing an enormously energised and brilliant show, there is so much to enjoy. All the broadcasters at the station put their everything into the shows, and the dedication and passion is addictive. I have loved listening to BBC Radio 6 Music and hearing listener emails and correspondences read out; seeing how vital the station is and what it means to them. With rising listening figures, a new Head, and a loyal family of listeners, BBC Radio 6 Music keeps getting…

IN THIS PHOTO: Mary Ann Hobbs/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

BETTER and better.

FEATURE: Definitely NOT a Hammer Horror! In Defence of Kate Bush’s Lionheart

FEATURE:

 

Definitely NOT a Hammer Horror!

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in an outtake from the Lionheart photo session/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz/PHOTO CONCEPT: John Carder Bush

In Defence of Kate Bush’s Lionheart

___________

SO many times…

I have extolled the virtues of Kate Bush’s 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside, and how it is my favourite album ever. There are a number of reasons why the album remains so captivating. Songs like Wuthering Heights, and The Man with the Child in His Eyes are classics; Bush had time and freedom to write the songs and bring everything together and, whilst the album was recorded fairly quickly, there was no sense anything was rushed – in fact, Bush wrote The Man with the Child in His Eyes in the early-Seventies! One can sympathise with Kate Bush in the wake of The Kick Inside’s release. The album was put out in February of 1978, and its first single, Wuthering Heights, was official released the month before. Because of the success of Wuthering Heights and the growing attention that came her way, Bush’s promotional schedule was insane! She was traveling all over the world; she visited Japan and Europe, and demands were coming her way – she was offered the support slot in Fleetwood Mac’s massive Rumours tour! Not only was Bush promoting her album/music on T.V., but she was speaking with the press and barely had a moment to rest. Whereas Bush’s debut album was the result of a lot of preparation and material that had been written before she entered the studio, Lionheart was a rushed album that reacted to the success of The Kick Inside. Bush had loose plans for a U.K. tour, but they were held back because of her schedule and everything else happening.

Whilst The Kick Inside was recorded in the reputable (if not glamorous) AIR Studios, London, Lionheart was recorded at Super Bear Studios, Berre-les-Alpes, France. No doubt, the mountain views and swimming pool by the studio would have made for a relaxing and inspiring setting…but recording for Lionheart ran from July to September 1978 – with gaps in that period -; The Kick Inside was released seven months before Lionheart was complete! At times, Bush was promoting The Kick Inside whilst working on material for her follow-up. The fact that both albums overlapped was always going to be a problem. Because EMI wanted a quick follow-up to The Kick Inside, the majority of the songs for Lionheart were from Bush’s pre-debut days – the only newly-written songs were Symphony in Blue, Full House, and Coffee Homeground. Most of the musicians who appeared on The Kick Inside were used for Lionheart – though Bush wanted to her own band to play on the album -, and Del Palmer featured for the first time – he played bass, and would appear on Bush’s albums from then on (and would go on to engineer her albums). As I have said before, Lionheart is a classic ‘difficult second album’, in the sense it follows a massively important debut, and Bush was faced with the unenviable task of completing an album very quickly, with the shadow of her debut very much in her sights.

There were obvious problems that mean Lionheart was never going to ignite the same way as The Kick Inside. Many of the songs on the album were similar-sounding to her work on The Kick Inside, whereas a lot of critics bemoaned the lack of evolution and change. If you release two albums in the same year, there is unlikely to be radical progress between the two. I am not sure what people were expecting, but there are impressive steps forward, even though Bush was demoing songs for Lionheart whilst she was recovering from the promotion of The Kick Inside! Symphony in Blue is one of the most mature and beautiful songs she ever recorded, whereas Wow makes for a wonderful single. I will come to the songs themselves soon but, in terms of the recording experience, she was fighting against different voices. Though Bush was not experienced enough to produce solo, she did assist Andrew Powell – who produced The Kick Inside -, but one suspects that she would have liked more control and the ability to craft the album in her own vision. EMI wanted an album that was similar to The Kick Inside, but Bush wanted one that reacted against that album. As it turned out, neither really got their way. The mix of few new songs and older ones worked up quickly resulted in quite an inorganic and incomplete experience. The luxury of the studio setting and the heat of the setting would have provided positivity, but I think the struggle regarding Bush wanting her own band and Powell/EMI preferring the same band from The Kick Inside would have affected Bush.

Her band lacked necessary studio experience, so I think the right call was made. The final overdubs and bits were added to Lionheart in September 1978, but it was clear that Bush would change the way she worked (and who she worked with) going forward. Bush was a very diplomatic and nurturing artist who gave her musicians room to interpret and experiment a bit but, whilst not a perfectionist, Bush would do multiple takes for various songs – never quite happy with what she was doing. That sort of self-criticism and demand would have been hard enough if she had sufficient time to germinate and mother song but, when faced with a tight deadline, there were clear worries. When Lionheart arrived in November 1978, there was a feeling that a lot of the songs were half-cooked or lacking the depth and fascination of The Kick Inside’s gems. Having read biographies, reviews and articles that mention Lionheart, and few have anything truly encouraging to say about the album! Indeed, Kate Bush herself has sort of dismissed the album – she sort of views The Kick Inside-The Dreaming (1982) as a time when she was still trying to find her peak; Hounds of Love was the breakthrough and truest representation of her sound and brilliance.

In their review, this is what AllMusic wrote:

“Proving that the English admired Kate Bush's work, 1978's Lionheart album managed to reach the number six spot in her homeland while failing to make a substantial impact in North America. The single "Hammer Horror" went to number 44 on the U.K. singles chart, but the remaining tracks from the album spin, leap, and pirouette with Bush's vocal dramatics, most of them dissipating into a mist rather than hovering around long enough to be memorable. Her fairytale essence wraps itself around tracks like "In Search of Peter Pan," "Kashka From Baghdad," and "Oh England My Lionheart," but unravels before any substance can be heard. "Wow" does the best job at expressing her voice as it waves and flutters through the chorus, with a melody that shimmers in a peculiar but compatible manner. Some of the tracks, such as "Coffee Homeground" or "In the Warm Room," bask in their own subtle obscurity, a trait that Bush improved upon later in her career but couldn't secure on this album. Lionheart acts as a gauge more than a complete album, as Bush is trying to see how many different ways she can sound vocally colorful, even enigmatic, rather than focus on her material's content and fluidity. Hearing Lionheart after listening to Never for Ever or The Dreaming album, it's apparent how quickly Bush had progressed both vocally and in her writing in such a short time”.

If Lionheart underperformed from a critical standpoint, one can argue that it was a success commercial. It peaked at number six in the album chart in the U.K., and it reached the top five in several nations. Wow went to fourteen in the U.K. singles chart, and Hammer Horror reached the top forty in various countries – though it only hit forty-four here. Although the public were eager to buy Lionheart and its singles, it must have been an odd experience for many, who were still hearing about The Kick Inside and were possibly not expecting a new album from Bush so soon! Despite some flaws and overly-strict expectations from EMI, I think there are positives that can be found on Lionheart. The cover photo is, in my view, one of her very best. I never really liked the cover for The Kick Inside, as Bush is sort of buried in the design; the Oriental motif seems a bit puzzling, and I thought that the intended single cover for Wuthering Heights from Gered Mankowitz – which was not used because you could see Bush’s nipples in one photo, and that image was plastered around when it shouldn’t have been and was not seen as appropriate – would have made a better album cover – one can see that image (with cropped nipples!) on the Japanese release of The Kick Inside. Gered Mankowitz did get to shoot the cover for Lionheart (from a concept by Bush’s brother, John), and I really love it!

Shot to look like a bit of a dusty-yet-magical attic, Bush is seen on a wooden toybox dressed in a lion’s costume (apart from the head). It is a wonderful shot, and it projects a sense of the mysterious, child-like and beautiful! Whereas one can link the cover of The Kick Inside to songs like Kite (the cover does feature Bush mounted on a kite), I feel one can link many of Lionheart’s songs to its cover – including In Search of Peter Pan, Wow, Oh England My Lionheart, and In the Warm Room. Some have suggested that Lionheart is the sort of out-takes album, as many of the songs included on the album were not considered/used on The Kick Inside. I think it was the case that Bush had so many songs for her debut, that she had to draw a line. Whilst Wow would have made a better lead single for Lionheart than Hammer Horror, I actually really like Hammer Horror. Of course, Bush would take to the stage in 1979 for her Tour of Life, and all the songs from Lionheart were reimagined in the most stunning manner! It might have been the case that the Tour of Life was when Lionheart’s tracks really purred and roared, but I listen to the album now and I can see many positives. Like The Kick Inside, the tracklisting is flawless. We start with the gorgeous Symphony in Blue. The Kick Inside could have led with Kite, or James and the Cold Gun, but it opened with Moving and worked up to its more electric tracks.

Symphony in Blue is one of those ‘new’ songs for Lionheart that is as sumptuous, elegant and arresting as anything on her debut. In fact, I think Symphony in Blue is a track that would have been a successful single in the U.K. – it was released in Japan and Canada -, and it is a stunning opener! In Search of Peter Pan follows, and it is a hugely underrated track. It has the same beauty as Symphony in Blue, but it takes us into a different headspace. This is how Bush described the track:

“There's a song on [Lionheart] called 'In Search Of Peter Pan' and it's sorta about childhood. And the book itself is an absolutely amazing observation on paternal attitudes and the relationships between the parents - how it's reflected on the children. And I think it's a really heavy subject, you know, how a young innocence mind can be just controlled, manipulated, and they don't necessarily want it to happen that way. And it's really just a song about that. (Lionheart promo cassette, EMI Canada, 1978)”.

Wow is perfectly placed as the third track, and it gives the album its first real energy boost. Replete with a hooky and whirling chorus, Wow is one of Bush’s most-loved tracks. Its video is cheeky and beguiling, and we are only three tracks in yet have witnessed so much diversity and quality. As much as I love The Kick Inside, I think Lionheart is more ambitious, lyrically broader and sonically diverse. I think Don’t Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake is a more successful rocker than James and the Cold Gun, and it is another track that could have made for a good single – Bush performed a brilliant routine for it for her Tour of Life.

Combining descriptions of heartache and motoring imagery, I think the song is really clever and gutsy, where Bush lets her voice fly. I can see why it would not have been suitable for an album like The Kick Inside, which is more elegiac and already had two faster, harder-flying tracks in Kite, and James and the Cold Gun. Finishing the first side on a similar sonic and soft note as the opening, we get the divisive Oh England My Lionheart. Kate Bush lauded the track when Lionheart came out, but she has, in years since, brushed the track off as being naff and embarrassing. I think the production on the track is not brilliant, and it would have been good to hear Bush’s piano higher in the mix and heard more often. This is what Bush said about the song back in 1978:

“It's really very much a song about the Old England that we all think about whenever we're away, you know, "ah, the wonderful England'' and how beautiful it is amongst all the rubbish, you know. Like the old buildings we've got, the Old English attitudes that are always around. And this sort of very heavy emphasis on nostalgia that is very strong in England. People really do it alot, you know, like "I remember the war and...'' You know it's very much a part of our attitudes to life that we live in the past. And it's really just a sort of poetical play on the, if you like, the romantic visuals of England, and the second World War... Amazing revolution that happened when it was over and peaceful everything seemed, like the green fields. And it's really just a exploration of that. (Lionheart Promo Cassette, EMI Canada, 1978)”.

I really love Oh England My Lionheart and, whilst I am not a big fan of the recorder, we get a sound of classic England and history on this track. It is a beautiful way to end Lionheart’s first side – with a sort of title track! This fascinating article goes into more depth about Oh England My Lionheart and its context:

“The title track “Oh England My Lionheart” engages with this British tradition. It is a classical song in a fair few regards. Unlike most of Bush’s music, the song is played features acoustic instruments exclusively, including Richard Harvey’s recorder and Francis Monkman’s harpsichord. If reading that you thought “huh, this sounds like a Renaissance song,” you would be correct. Bush described the song as being done “madrigally.” It’s not difficult to imagine “Oh England My Lionheart” being used in a classicist production of Twelfth Night. “Lionheart” sounds like a folk song, with its fixed structure of repeated chords, its descending melody, and its lengthy descriptions of scenery. This isn’t the first time Bush has interacted with folk music, of course. Bush often imbues antiquated styles with her own vision of strange things. With “Oh England My Lionheart” she takes the folk ballad and takes it on a tour through England, from the Thames to London Bridge to Kensington Park. Yet for its breadth, “Oh England My Lionheart” is dreary, positively crawling through its three minutes and twelve seconds. Bush is outright crooning in this song, doing little heavy lifting on lyrics like “give me one wish/and I’d be wassailing.” It’s an uncharacteristically mellow performance with an iffy production. Few songs could get over these hurdles, and “Oh England My Lionheart” is put to the test by them.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush poses in her home in September 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The production does the song a disservice, as it makes “Oh England My Lionheart” sound more conservative than it actually is. It’s easy to read the song as a nationalist ballad, but “Lionheart” is more nuanced than that. The song narrowly treads a line with its war-inflected imagery, but let’s look at exactly what Bush explores here. She’s living in a postwar England where “the air raid shelters are blooming clover.” “Dropped from my black Spitfire to my funeral barge,” Bush sings as if the country is going to land on her. Pastoral England is growing over wartime England. The country is a romantic lead here, giving solitude to those in it. “Oh England My Lionheart” is a return to Bush songs about spying on an inaccessible love. Bush cries “I don’t want to go” in the outro, desperate for her country to stay with her. Without England, there is no Kate Bush, and she knows it”.

I concede the fact that Lionheart’s second side is a little weaker that the first, as it does not contain a song as big as Wow. After the madrigal tones of Oh England My Lionheart, the vinyl flips and we get something that heralds a new direction for Kate Bush. Full House is another underrated jewel, and it is a song that sort of takes us into the mind of Kate Bush and how she was feeling at the time. As Full House was one of three new songs for Lionheart, it is a diary of a woman who was under a lot of strain and pressure.

The pre-chorus – though Bush might claim it is not autobiographical -, is quite haunting: “Imagination sets in/Then all the voices begin/Telling you things that aren't happening/But they nig and they nag/'til they're under your skin”. Bush’s voice swoons and soars, and I think Full House shows the leaps Bush made as a writer in such a short space; never willing to repeat herself and stay in the same lyrical and thematic wheelhouse. In the Warm Room has been simultaneously singled out as a highlight and miss by various sources. I agree that it is very similar to songs from The Kick Inside such as Feel It, and L'Amour Looks Something Like You, it is no way inferior. Lionheart has a nice blend of where Bush would head with Never for Ever (her third album, released in 1980) and where she came from. It might not be one of the best five tracks from Lionheart, but I adore the chorus and the sheer crystal-clear quality of Bush’s singing. Bush was asked onto the children's T.V. programme Ask Aspel, where she wanted to present In the Warm Room, but the BBC felt this song was too explicitly sexual, so she opted for Kashka from Baghdad – a song about two homosexual lovers! I do love how Bush was raising eyebrows! This is what Kate Bush remarked about In the Warm Room in an interview from 1979:

“I'm always getting accused of being a feminist. Really I do write a lot of my songs for men, actually. In fact, 'In The Warm Room' is written for men because there are so many songs for women about wonderful men that come up and chat you up when you're in the disco and I thought it would be nice to write a song for men about this amazing female. And I think that I am probably female-oriented with my songs because I'm a female and have very female emotions but I do try to aim a lot of the psychology, if you like, at men. (Personal Call, BBC Radio 1, 1979)”.

The Kick Inside sported thirteen tracks, whereas Lionheart only has ten. I that concision works in its favour, as Bush might have felt pressured to rush a few new tracks or put some songs on the album that are more B-side material. I have heard some demos from pre-1978, and there are some interesting songs that would have fitted on Lionheart – including Humming (recorded in 1973, in 2018, the track was finally released as part of the Remastered box set, on the album The Other Side 2), and Scares Me Silly (recorded as a demo, presumably in 1977). Kashka from Baghdad is a great track that includes some joanna strumentum and strumento de porco (psaltery), mandocello and pan flute. It is one of her most instrumentally adventurous and exotic tracks, and I do love the subject matter. To add some depth, I want to bring in Kate again and her interpretation (these quotes and recollections are taken from the excellent Kate Bus Encyclopaedia):

“That actually came from a very strange American Detective series that I caught a couple of years ago, and there was a musical theme that they kept putting in. And they had an old house, in this particular thing, and it was just a very moody, pretty awful serious thing. And it just inspired the idea of this old house somewhere in Canada or America with two people in it that no-one knew anything about. And being a sorta small town, everybody wanted to know what everybody what else was up to. And these particular people in this house had a very private thing happening. (Personal Call, BBC Radio 1, 1979)”.

Two of the most original and unusual tracks are reserved until the end. Coffee Homeground inspired a years-running Kate Bush fanzine, HomeGround, and it includes some wonderful synthesizer from Duncan Mackay. Bush was inspired by a taxi driver she encountered – who she described as a bit nutty -, and the song concerns someone who thinks there is belladonna in their tea and that whenever they offer them something to eat, it's got poison in it. One can look at Coffee Homeground as a companion to Full House, in the sense both songs drip with paranoia – can Coffee Homeground be seen as more personal? Bush worried about her decisions and how her career was being directed? The track is one of the weaker offerings, but I love the fact it is humorous and original; not just another love song with a simple vocal. Bush’s voice is characterful and incredible, and I think many people overlook the song unfairly. Taking us into land is the first single from the album, Hammer Horror. I think the chorus for Hammer Horror is deceptively catchy, and, again, it is a track rich with wild and strange images. As I said, it is amazing that Bush was writing such eclectic songs! I don’t think Hammer Horror would have worked on The Kick Inside, but it was another track that signalled she was always looking to venture into new territory, and we would see more experimental and less conventional songs appear on Never for Ever, and The Dreaming (1982).

IN THIS PHOTO: One of the film siren portraits made for general promotional purposes of Hammer Horror in March 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

The story of the song concerns an actor who gets thrust into the lead role of The Hunchback of Notre Dame after the original actor dies in an accident on the film set. He is guilt-ridden ends up being haunted by the ghost of the jealous original actor, who was a former friend. Borrowing from the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia, here is critical reaction concerning Hammer Horror, and some words from Kate Bush:

“On Radio 1's Round Table on October 27, 1978 the single was reviewed by DJ's John Peel ("I didn't like the album at all and I'm not too enthused with this either") and Paul Gambaccini ("It doesn't grab me immediately as The Man With The Child In His Eyes"). Record Mirror's Ronnie Gurr opined: "Kate keeps up the formula and doesn't upset the fans... sounds like Joni Mitchell popping tabs with the LSO." In NME, Tony Parsons wrote: "Ominous post ELO orchestration with the unrequited lust of a broken affair viewed as living dead love-bites-back as in classic 50's British celluloid, a real nail biter, hypnotic and disconcerting."

“The song is not about, as many think, Hammer Horror films. It is about an actor and his friend. His friend is playing the lead in a production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a part he's been reading all his life, waiting for the chance to play it. He's finally got the big break he's always wanted, and he is the star. After many rehearsals he dies accidentally, and the friend is asked to take the role over, which, because his own career is at stake, he does. The dead man comes back to haunt him because he doesn't want him to have the part, believing he's taken away the only chance he ever wanted in life. And the actor is saying, "Leave me alone, because it wasn't my fault - I have to take this part, but I'm wondering if it's the right thing to do because the ghost is not going to leave me alone and is really freaking me out. Every time I look round a corner he's there, he never disappears."

The song was inspired by seeing James Cagney playing the part of Lon Chaney playing the hunchback - he was an actor in an actor in an actor, rather like Chinese boxes, and that's what I was trying to create. (Kate Bush Club Newsletter, November 1979)”.

It is a shame that, in 1978 and now, Lionheart has not been given too much love. This review from 2013 sort of underlines how many feel about The Kick Inside’s follow-up:

“Overall, the album has its faults - a lot of them, and it's probably Kate Bush's worst album although it brings some musical highlights. It's not an annoying listen, it just fails to live up to the standard we would expect from the prodigy and sometime-genius Kate Bush is. Bush herself, too, has expressed that she felt this album was rushed through and consequently, she took over more and more of the production of her albums, marking longer gaps in between and leading up to masterpieces 'The Dreaming' and 'Hounds of Love'.

Maybe my disappointment stems from the knowledge that she would go on to do only better and better things and this is the least essential entry in her discography. Maybe, though, it also stems from the fact that there is less congruence between music and lyrics, and that most of the music is only conceived on quite an average level, except for 'Wow', 'Fullhouse' and 'Hammer Horror', two of which are on the compilation The Whole Story which is a more rewarding summary than this is an album”.

From NME in 2019, BBC America in 2014, through to this blog, to Stereogum, Lionheart is either seen as her worst album or it is in the bottom two or three. I think Lionheart is stronger than both Director’s Cut (2011), and maybe even The Red Shoes (1993); it is not far behind The Sensual World (1989) too in terms of the albums I revisit and love!

It is a pity Lionheart is viewed as the runt of the Bush litter or an album that is a disappointing follow-up to The Kick Inside. Maybe Bush herself feels Lionheart was bad and she would have preferred more time to record, but it is what it is. EMI did not help by expecting such a fast turnaround after The Kick Inside, and one wonders what Bush could have released if things worked out differently. I will admit there are weaknesses on Lionheart – two slightly weak tracks, Full House, and Coffee Homeground, is perhaps too many on a ten-track record; the production does not seem as strong as it did on The Kick Inside; Bush wasn’t given adequate time to complete an album that countered and evolved from The Kick Inside -, but there are numerous strengths: brilliant sequencing (in terms of mood, tone, and placing the slightly weaker tracks further down the order), fantastic performances from Bush and her band; a sonic and lyrical palette that is wide, colourful and rich, and several songs that rank alongside Bush’s very best – including Symphony in Blue, Wow, Oh England My Lionheart, In the Warm Room, and Kashka from Baghdad. I do think the public got a chance to see Lionheart’s tracks revealed in a stronger light for the Tour of Life, but as a studio album, Lionheart is definitely not a failure! There are prophetic and oblique lyrics that point more towards Bush’s feelings at the time (Apart from Full House, In Search of Peter Pan’s lyrics (even though they were written years before Lionheart came out) could be about her situation and struggle in 1978 – “So much crying/I no longer see a future/I've been told when I get older/That I'll understand it all/But I'm not sure if I want to”). Lionheart warrants re-evaluation because it is definitely more of a wow than it is…

A Hammer Horror!

FEATURE: The July Playlist: Vol. 2: Hetty O’Hara and a Confidential Smile

FEATURE:

 

The July Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Alanis Morissette/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Mara for Interview Magazine

Vol. 2: Hetty O’Hara and a Confidential Smile

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THIS is a big week for music…

IN THIS PHOTO: Elvis Costello

where there are singles from some of the biggest names around. Not only is there new music from Elvis Costello, but there are tracks from Rufus Wainwright, Margo Price, Katy Perry, James Blake, The Streets, and Doves. Throw into the mix Summer Walker, Wyvern Lingo, Declan McKenna, The Flaming Lips, and The Lemon Twigs, and it is one of the most eclectic weeks of 2020 so far! It is an amazing week so, if you require some energy and motivation, then you will not go far wrong with the playlist. Settle back and let the brilliant tracks of the week…

IN THIS PHOTO: Rufus Wainwright/PHOTO CREDIT: V. Tony Hauser

GET you moving!

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Elvis Costello - Hetty O’Hara Confidential

Alanis Morissette – Reckoning

Katy Perry – Smile

Rufus Wainwright – This One’s for the Ladies (THAT LUNGE!)

James Blake - Are You Even Real?

Bill Callahan - Another Song

PHOTO CREDIT: Jennifer Medina

Julianna Barwick – Safe

PHOTO CREDIT: Linda Nylind/The Guardian

The Streets (ft. IDLES) – None of Us Are Getting Out of This Alive

Summer Walker (ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR) – My Affection

Kacy Hill – Much Higher

The Flaming Lips - Dinosaurs on The Mountain

Wyvern Lingo - Don't Say It

Doves – Prisoners

PHOTO CREDIT: George Chinsee/WWD

H.E.R. – Do to Me

The Lemon Twigs – Live in Favor of Tomorrow

NZCA Lines – Opening Night

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Hahn for The Times

Declan McKenna - Daniel, You’re Still a Child

Future Islands - For Sure

PHOTO CREDIT: Jillian Sollazzo/WWD

Snoh Aalegra - DYING 4 YOUR LOVE

PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan Roensch

Kate Bollinger - Grey Skies

Easy Life – Pop Tarts

PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Rudd Photo

Abbie Ozard - TV Kween

PHOTO CREDIT: Max Knight

Dan Croll - Hit Your Limit

RAYE - Natalie Don't

Barns Courtney – Hard to Be Alone

Zara Larsson – Love Me Land

Mabes – Too Young to Love

Connie Constance - James

Nia Archives – Don’t Kid Urself

Eaves Wilder – Won’t You Be Happy

Boniface - Happy Birthday

FEATURE: Second Spin: The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan

FEATURE:

 

Second Spin

The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan

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NEXT week…

IN THIS PHOTO: The White Stripes in 2005

I am going to assess a truly underrated album: Nelly Furtado’s Whoa, Nelly! This week, I am looking at an album from a brilliant duo that did not get the same focus as albums like White Blood Cells, and Elephant. It was The White Stripes’ Jack White’s forty-fifth birthday earlier this week, and I put together a playlist that brought in his solo work, stuff with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather. He is a genius and one of the hardest-working artists of this generation. Normally in this feature, I will write about an album that was given short shrift by critics or did not get the respect it deserved when it was released. Although 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan gained some big reviews and was applauded, not many people speak about the album when they think of The White Stripes! The duo never released a bad album in their career, and Jack White’s songwriting was sharp and agile through Get Behind Me Satan. I did hear a few people grumble in 2005, as 2003’s Elephant is seen as the band’s crowning achievement. Recorded in England, the album is guitar-heavy and features some of The White Stripes’ best material. Get Behind Me Satan retains a lot of the guitar leaning, but it sounds very different! One cannot compare a track like Ball and Biscuit, and Black Math with, say, Red Rain, or Instinct Blues. The biggest difference between Elephant and Get Behind Me Satan is that the crunch and dominance of guitar has been replaced, in some part, with piano and a lighter mood.

Songs such as My Doorbell, and The Denial Twist are stompers that are more Pop in tone compared with Elephant’s Rock and Blues. I think some fans wanted the directness and anthems of Elephant and, when people asses The White Stripes’ cannon today, they sort of see Get Behind Me Satan as great, but inferior to albums such as Elephant, De Stijl, and White Blood Cells – brilliant, but nothing as memorable as Fell in Love with a Girl, Seven Nation Army, or Hotel Yorba! There are numerous reasons why I think Get Behind Me Satan is as strong as Elephant. The White Stripes always came in hard with album openers, and Blue Orchid is a mesh of ragged, tussling guitar strings and Jack White unleashing his brilliant falsetto. It is a great introduction that leads into the strange The Nurse. I love Get Behind Me Satan as it is the band’s broadest album, and I love Elephant, but I think it was a bit too simple in terms of sounds and genres. From the Garage and Rock that dominated The White Stripes’ work pre-2003, here we get marimba on The Nurse, a jaunty piano on My Doorbell, and Country sounds on Little Ghost, and White Moon. If that wasn’t enough, there is Jack White investigating a red-haired star (possibly Rita Hayworth) being hassled by an over-eager fan on Take Take Take; White exasperated at a lover who is not being more ‘willing’ – unlike every animal out there – on Instinct Blues; a rare Meg White vocal in the all-too-brief Passive Manipulation, and we get the beautiful ending of the funny-yet-touching I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet).

Get Behind Me Satan is a wonderfully varied album with no weak spots and so many different ideas working alongside one another! There are some great riffs on Get Behind Me Satan, but they don’t always come from the guitar! Rather than trade on shorter songs that pack a punch, The White Stripes’ fifth studio album, I feel, is underrated. In some ways, the duo would return (to an extent) to Elephant and earlier albums on their final record, Icky Thump, though there are elements of Get Behind Me Satan on Icky Thump. I love the fact that Get Behind Me Satan stands on its own and doesn’t really sound like any other White Stripes album. It is sad that some people ignore it, and not that many people rank it alongside the White Stripes’ best. I think Get Behind Me Satan is one of the most nuanced and rewarding albums from the duo, and one that I keep returning to. I have always loved Jack White as a songwriter, but I think he hits new heights on Get Behind Me Satan. To go from Elephant and create what he did on Get Behind Me Satan is a brave move! Jack White could have repeated that genius album, but he was more curious and ambitious than that. I think Meg White’s percussion is as brilliant as ever, and it is a shame she did not get the same vocal opportunities she did on songs (from Elephant) like In the Cold, Cold Night, and Well It's True That We Love One Another – that would be rectified, slightly, by the time Icky Thump arrived. 

The reviews for Get Behind Me Satan are largely positive. This is what AllMusic wrote in their review:

“But despite Get Behind Me Satan's hairpin turns, its inspired imagery and complicated feelings about love hold it together. Though "the ideal of truth" sounds cut-and-dried, the album is filled with ambiguities; even its title, which shortens the biblical phrase "get thee behind me Satan," has a murky meaning -- is it support, or deliverance, from Lucifer that the Stripes are asking for? There are pleading rockers, like the alternately begging and accusatory "Red Rain," and defiant ballads, like "I'm Lonely (But I'm Not That Lonely Yet)," which has a stubborn undercurrent despite its archetypal, tear-in-my-beer country melody. Even Get Behind Me Satan's happiest-sounding song, the joyfully backwoods "Little Ghost," is haunted by loving someone who might not have been there in the first place. The ghostly presence of Rita Hayworth also plays a significant part on the album, on "White Moon" and the excellent "Take, Take, Take," a sharply drawn vignette about greed and celebrity: over the course of the song, the main character goes from just being happy to hanging out with his friends in a seedy bar to demanding a lock of hair from the screen siren. As eclectic as Get Behind Me Satan is, it isn't perfect: the energy dips a little in the middle, and it's notable that "Instinct Blues," one of the more traditionally Stripes-sounding songs, is also one of the least engaging.

Though Jack and Meg still find fresh, arty reinterpretations of their classic inspirations, this time the results are exciting in a different way than their usual fare; and while the album was made in just two weeks, it takes awhile to unravel and appreciate. Get Behind Me Satan may confuse and even push away some White Stripes fans, but the more the band pushes itself, the better”.

Just over fifteen years after its release, Get Behind Me Satan sounds as fascinating and important as ever! If you have not heard the album, go stream it when you can, as The White Stripes sound completely committed and wonderful throughout. One could argue they created better albums than Get Behind Me Satan, but I do not think they ever released anything as eclectic, interesting and intoxicating! From the unusual pull of The Nurse, through to the emotional As Ugly as I Seem, The White Stripes run a gamut of situations and sounds in the pursuit of excellence. Whilst not particularly underrated or under-assessed, Get Behind Me Satan does not get talked about as fervently as other White Stripes albums, and I barely hear any of the songs from the album on the radio – occasionally Blue Orchid or My Doorbell will be spun! I think every song is a treat, and everyone needs to investigate…

AN utterly sensational album.

FEATURE: Forever in Our Lives: Prince’s Sign o’ the Times Reissue, and a Golden Vault That Keeps on Giving

FEATURE:

 

Forever in Our Lives

Prince’s Sign o’ the Times Reissue, and a Golden Vault That Keeps on Giving

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THIS might seem a bit niche…

IN THIS PHOTO: Prince in 1987/PHOTO CREDIT: REX

but I am doing a few features this week that involves smaller releases and stuff away from the bigger news. A little while ago, an announcement was made regarding Prince’s Sign o' the Times being re-released in a number of formats. This is exciting for Prince and non-fans alike, as the legend died in 2016, but we are still seeing so much ace material emerging from his vaults. Sign o' the Times was the ninth studio album by Prince. It was first released as a double album on 30th March, 1987. The album was the follow-up to Parade, and it was Prince's first album following his disbanding of The Revolution. In terms of which Prince album is the best, people can argue about this, because there are quite a few contenders! Whether you prefer Purple Rain, or fancy The Black Album, it is hard to say which album best defines the genius that is Prince. I think Sign o' the Times is a classic and very much part of a purple patch – if you’ll excuse the pun (Prince was, after all, The Purple One!). Before I go on, here are some details regarding the upcoming Sign o' the Times packages:

“Prince‘s 1987 album Sign O’ The Times will be reissued by Warner Records in September and amongst the formats are two enormous CD and vinyl super deluxe editions that offer a massive 63 previously unreleased tracks, including 45 studio ‘vault’ tracks. Read on for all the details…

Getting straight down to it, the super deluxe edition box sets comprise the following:

CD1 or LP 1- Sign O’ The Times (Remastered)

CD2 or LP 2 – Sign O’ The Times (Remastered)

CD3 or LP 3 & 4 – Singles Mixes / Edits / B-Sides (Remastered)

CD4 or LP 5 & 6 – Vault Tracks (Unreleased)

CD5 or LP 7 & 8 – Vault Tracks (Unreleased)

CD6 or LP 9 & 10 – Vault Tracks (Unreleased)

CD8 or 9 / LPs 11-13 – Live In Utrecht June 20th 1987 (Unreleased)

DVD – Live at Paisley Park December 31st 1987 (Unreleased Sign O’ The Times show ft Miles Davis)

The 45 vault tracks are full of unreleased gems including a 1979 version of ‘I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man‘, two unreleased versions of ‘Strange Relationship‘ (including a Shep Pettibone club remix!), alternate versions of ‘The Ballad of Dorothy Parker‘ and ‘Forever in My Life‘ and a fantastic amount of songs that Prince simply never issued, many of which were destined for three aborted albums conceived in 1986:  The Dream Factory, Camille and Crystal Ball. These songs include ‘Rebirth of the Flesh‘, two completely different versions of ‘Witness 4 the Prosecution‘ and ‘Wonderful Day‘ (again two versions, one of which is a 12-inch remix).

It’s an embarrassment of riches and of course as well as all this unreleased material, the super deluxe editions contain a CD (or two LPs) of all the commercially released seven-inch edits, 12-inch remixes, B-sides, dub mixes and more. Like the album itself these have all been remastered by Bernie Grundman.

The box sets also deliver an entire previously unreleased audio recording of Prince’s Sign O’ The Times tour performance in Utrecht from 20 June 1987 and a DVD (NTSC, region free) with a complete previously unreleased recording of Prince’s benefit performance at Paisley Park, 31 December 1987 (featuring Prince’s only on-stage collaboration with Miles Davis).

Both vinyl and CD boxes are presented in a 12″ x 12″ sets and come with a 120-page hardcover book featuring brand new liner notes from various parties including Lenny Kravitz (who provides a foreword), audio engineer Susan Rogers, Dave Chappelle and Minneapolis music scene commentator Andrea Swensson. There are also detailed notes on the vault tracks by Prince scholar Duane Tudahl and the book also includes previously unseen photos and Prince’s handwritten lyrics.

As well as the two big boxes, 3CD and 4LP packages offer remastered album alongside the single mixes, edits and B-sides while the album-only editions come on limited 2LP peach-coloured vinyl and 2CD. All formats except 2CD and 2LP are ONE TIME ONLY pressings. Once the initial run sells out that’s it! Once the 2LP peach vinyl is gone, it will be replaced with a black vinyl version. Fans will be well aware that the 1999 super deluxe editions are now out of print less than a year after release. The vinyl sets will come with a download code!

Additionally, a special seven-inch singles box set on peach vinyl, with some vault tracks included, is limited to 1987 units and is exclusive to the Prince store and Third Man Records.

SDE has had an exclusive preview of some of the vault tracks and discussed this reissue with vault archivist Michael Howe. Stay tuned for more coverage!

Sign O’ The Times is reissued on 25 September 2020 by Warner Music”.

That is a lot of information in there and, to be honest, I think it is a lot to take in! I am keen to get hold of one of the vinyl packages, but one reason I wanted to write this feature is to express my admiration for the vault that Prince left us.

Most artists, when they die, might see a posthumous album or two. There is always this cash-in from estates, that involves putting out older material or anything that will keep the memory alive. With Prince, I don’t think he was ever thinking about the end of his career or life. He was just so prolific and hard-working; he was recording albums but had so many other songs recorded that have never made it to the public. I am not sure how much more music is in the vault, but I can imagine there are decades more left to reveal! Some might say that it is hard to quality-control now that Prince is no longer with us. He might not have wanted the songs to be out there, but it would be a huge tragedy if all this incredible music was to be left in the vault forever. You can get some more information regarding his vault and everything that has come out in the last few years. I am always staggered when I hear music come from that vault, as it sounds like it should have been on an album! With the upcoming Sign o’ the Times releases, we will get to hear a load of new tracks that have yet to see the light of the day. It is amazing to think that the coming years will reveal regarding these rare Prince tracks! Even if you are not going to get one of the remastered editions of Sign o’ the Times, then I am sure the unreleased tracks will be available via streaming platforms; a chance for us to hear gems from the vaults from an artist who continues to amaze and stagger…

OVER four years since he left us.

FEATURE: The Beat Goes On: The Return of The Go-Go’s

FEATURE:

 

The Beat Goes On

IN THIS PHOTO: From left: Gina Schock, Jane Wiedlin, Kathy Valentine, Charlotte Caffey, and Belinda Carlisle photographed in 1982/PHOTO CREDIT: Mario E. Ruiz/ZUMAPRESS.com

The Return of The Go-Go’s

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WHEN this year started…

PHOTO CREDIT: Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images

I was not expecting that The Go-Go’s would be announcing a return! They are a band that I became aware of in the 1990s, and I was really hooked on their music. Their debut album, Beauty and the Beat, of 1981 remains a classic and their last studio album, God Bless the Go-Go's, was put out in 2001. Led by Belinda Carlisle, the incredible group - Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, and Kathy Valentine – made a big impression on my childhood. I think that The Go-Go’s have inspired so many bands since their formation, and I did wonder whether they would put another album into the world after God Bless the Go-Go's. This article from Pitchfork provides more details:

“On July 31, the Go-Go’s will release “Club Zero,” the L.A. band’s first new song since their 2001 album God Bless the Go-Go’s. According to a press release, the self-produced song was “created via email exchanges amongst bandmembers.”

The following day, on August 1, a new documentary directed by Alison Ellwood (Laurel Canyon, History of the Eagles) will air on Showtime. The Go-Go’s, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year, will provide insight into “the group’s place in music history as it focuses on their roots as a formidable contender in L.A.’s late ’70s punk scene, detailing their rise to the top as they become one of the decade’s most beloved acts as well as an unstoppable force”.

I am sometimes sceptical when it comes to band reunions or acts returning with new material after such a time out, but I think the comeback (if that is the right word?) will hit the right note. I love The Go-Go’s, and I think their energy and sound is just what we need! Not only will the single, hopefully, lead to a new album, but the documentary will provide a fascinating into the Punk scene of the late-1970s - the documentary had its world premiere on 26th January at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, but it airs on Showtime on 1st August (so some people have already seen it). I often wonder about that time period, and how bands like The Go-Go’s would have been received. It was quite a male-dominated time, and I know The Go-Go’s and Blondie would have had to fight harder than their male/male-led peers. It is testament to The Go-Go’s’ brilliant music and defiance that they were celebrated and taken to heart. I am interested seeing the documentary, as it would be interesting to hear how they started out and what sort of reaction they faced when they became popular. I also think that The Go-Go’s will be a documentary that spurs bands to get into music, and it will also show just how far and wide the influence of The Go-Go’s stretches. This udiscovermusic article explains more:

“With full access to The Go-Go’s, both past and present, this candid archive-rich documentary assesses the group’s place in music history as it focuses on their roots as a formidable contender in L.A.’s late ‘70s punk scene, detailing their rise to the top as they become one of the decade’s most beloved acts as well as an unstoppable force. It also examines the personalities and dynamics behind their rise, fall and numerous reincarnations. Until this film, there has never been a serious appraisal of and showcase for The Go-Go’s’ talents or achievements – as musicians, ground-breakers, but even more so, as survivors.

To date, The Go-Go’s have the notable distinction of being the only all-female band to write their own songs and play their own instruments on a #1 album. Formed in 1978, they were a vital part of the early Los Angeles punk scene. Following the release of their debut album in 1981, the landmark multi-platinum Beauty And The Beat, they topped the Billboard 200 chart for six consecutive weeks and received a nomination for Best New Artist at The 24th Annual Grammy Awards”.

I will keep this brief, but I just wanted to make people aware of a brilliant band (if they have not heard of them) and keep their ears and eyes open for some big releases. It is a huge welcome back to a super group that remain…

SO hugely important.