FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

FEATURE:

 

Vinyl Corner

Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

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THE title of Jane’s Addiction’s debut…

seems a bit ironic! On 23rd August, 1988, they released Nothing’s Shocking, and it definitely took people by surprise! This was the very early days of Grunge, and Hip-Hop was in a golden period. Although there were bands fairly similar to Jane’s Addiction, I don’t think any matched their songwriting brilliance and Perry Farrell’s (their lead) ability. I just about remember the huge single, Jane Says, and Nothing’s Shocking was well received by critics, even if it did not chart that well in 1988. I think, in subsequent years, the album has grown in stature and is seen as a classic. I think a brilliant album is as much about the producer as it is the artist and the songs. Warner Bros. offered Jane’s Addiction the chance to work with which producer they liked and, having selected Dave Jerden (who they knew as an engineer for David Byrne and Brian Eno’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts), they had this great producer. Jerden went through a tape of the band’s tracks and he selected nine to work up for the album. Right from the off, there was this split in the band that almost threatened to derail them. Farrell wanted a half of the band’s publishing royalties as lyricist; he also wanted a quarter of the remaining for writing the music and, whilst he was the guiding force regarding the songs, the band were rightfully horrified!

Warner Bros. called a meeting to keep the band together and, amazingly, Farrell received the cut he requested – though there was lingering tension that, to be fair, didn’t need to be there. I think Farrell would reverse his decision if he went back, but aside from this issue, the music is amazing. One does not need to be a fan or expert regarding the Rock sounds of the late-1980s to appreciate Nothing’s Shocking. The album is so accessible and instant, yet one cannot easily compare Jane’s Addiction with anyone else. The tracks are uniformly wonderful, and I think Nothing’s Shocking is one of the finest debuts of the 1980s. In their review, this is what AllMusic had to say:

 “Although Jane's Addiction's 1987 self-titled debut was an intriguing release (few alternative bands at the time had the courage to mix modern rock, prog rock, and heavy metal together), it paled in comparison to their now classic major-label release one year later, Nothing's Shocking. Produced by Dave Jerden and Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell, the album was more focused and packed more of a sonic wallop than its predecessor; the fiery performances often create an amazing sense that it could all fall apart at any second, creating a fantastic musical tension. Such tracks as "Up the Beach," "Ocean Size," and one of alt-rock's greatest anthems, "Mountain Song," contain the spaciousness created by the band's two biggest influences, Led Zeppelin and the Cure.

Elsewhere, “Ted, Just Admit It...” (about serial killer Ted Bundy) and the haunting yet gorgeous “Summertime Rolls” stretched to epic proportions, making great use of changing moods and dynamics (something most alt-rock bands of the time were oblivious to). An incredibly consistent and challenging album, other highlights included the rockers “Had a Dad” and “Pigs in Zen,” the horn-driven “Idiots Rule,” the jazz instrumental “Thank You Boys,” and the up-tempo “Standing in the Shower...Thinking.” Like most great bands, it was not a single member whose contribution was greater: Perry Farrell’s unique voice and lyrics, Dave Navarro’s guitar riffs and wailing leads, Eric Avery’s sturdy basslines, and one of rock’s greatest and most powerful drummers, Stephen Perkins. Nothing’s Shocking is a must-have for lovers of cutting-edge, influential, and timeless hard rock”.

I would urge people to buy Nothing’s Shocking on vinyl, as it is a great record and one everyone can enjoy and fall for. I will close things soon but, before then, I want to source from an article Louder Sound published in 2014:

 “Nothing’s Shocking was the most powerful rock’n’roll record since Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite For Destruction a year earlier. But what Jane’s Addiction had was a whole different trip to GN’R. There was an art-rock sensibility at the core of Nothing’s Shocking, a taste for weirdness and exotica. Their palette extended from Led Zeppelin-inspired riffing to the post-punk of Joy Division, The Cure and PiL, from goth rock to funk, dub reggae and swinging jazz.

At this time there were numerous bands exploring new forms of rock music – Pixies, Butthole Surfers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Faith No More and the bands in the nascent Seattle scene. But with Nothing’s Shocking, Jane’s Addiction would emerge as the standard-bearers in the rise of alternative rock.

As Perry Farrell said that day in 1988: “We started from the street and worked our way up. So, you get that attitude. And when it boils down to it, we don’t really care what people think. I’m doing what I like to do.” And he was ready for fame. “In the rock’n’roll field,” he said, “I pretty much have it made, because the more arrogant a person is in rock’n’roll, the more hyped they are.”

What they created on Nothing’s Shocking was rock music of startling originality and eclecticism. “I never wanted to write a song like somebody else’s song,” Farrell says. “I wanted to add something – like, let’s add salt to the caramel. You’re a scientist. You know that when you put different ingredients together, they’re combustible. So you combine rock and reggae and electronics – those are the three main ingredients I worked with on Nothing’s Shocking.”

At its core, this was a rock’n’roll record. There were echoes of Zeppelin in Mountain Song and Pigs In Zen, while Jane Says was a simple acoustic track with a 60s folk-rock feel. The reggae influence in Ted, Just Admit It… came from dub masters such as King Tubby and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. “Dub reggae,” Farrell says, “is beautiful, spiritual.” There was a hazy, psychedelic beauty to Summertime Rolls; a funk propulsion to Standing In The Shower… Thinking. And what Farrell said in 1988 – that his hero, unlikely as it seemed, was Frank Sinatra – was borne out in Thank You Boys, a tongue-in-cheek homage to the golden age of swing”.

Jane’s Addiction recorded their fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist, in 2011, and I wonder whether they will continue on. There have been line-up switches through the years – as you’d imagine! -, but I don’t think this has damaged their consistency and, at the heart, we have Perry Farrell. He is, to me, one of the most original leads in Rock history. Make sure you spend some time investigating Nothing’s Shocking, as it is…

A debut masterpiece.

FEATURE: Too Good to Be Forgotten: Tracks That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure: Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth

FEATURE:

 

Too Good to Be Forgotten: Tracks That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure

Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth

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IN future parts…

IN THIS PHOTO: Belinda Carlisle (back, right) with The Go-Go’s/PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Natkin/Getty Images

I am going to look at songs that are seen as a bit cheesy or, to a lot of people, are really not that good at all. That might sound a bit cruel but, when people say they like a song because it’s a guilty pleasure, that does not necessarily mean the song is bad and they feel embarrassed – many times, a song has not received the acclaim it should or it is a lot stronger than many give it credit for. In the case of Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven Is a Place on Earth, this is a track that divides people. In terms of what the song achieved, one cannot list it as a failure or minor hit! Heaven Is a Place on Earth is included in Carlisle’s second studio album, Heaven on Earth (1987). Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, the song hit number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 5th December, 1987, becoming Carlisle's only U.S. chart-topper, to date. I wanted to include a Belinda Carlisle song because her band, The Go-Go’s are back together and have recently put out a single. Think about the band’s 1981 debut, Beauty and the Beat, and the incredible sound! We Got the Beat is an incredible original, whilst the band did wonders with Our Lips Are Sealed - band member Jane Wiedlin wrote the song with The Specials’/Fun Boy Three’s Terry Hall.

1982’s Vacation was a great follow-up album and, whilst not as successful as the debut, the album still made an impact. Carlisle did not write or co-write many of the band’s tracks, but I think her unique and incredible voice more than compensates. The band’s third studio album, Talk Show, was released in 1984, and the band would not record another album together until God Bless the Go-Go's of 2001 – not their best album, but there were still sparks of their previous highs. Belinda Carlisle stepped out solo, and she was always the most likely of The Go-Go’s to succeed on her own terms. Belinda was released in 1986, and that debut album is incredibly strong; Mad About You, and I Feel the Magic are among her best songs. 1987’s Heaven on Earth is a more commercial album, and I think a lot of critics were unfair on the album because they were comparing what Carlisle was doing solo with her work as a member of The Go-Go’s. Her solo work does not have the same grit and rawness of the band’s material, and it is more aimed at the Pop charts. That said, and one big reason why I love Belinda Carlisle is the fact she has a big and impassioned voice that you cannot help fall for. In fact, 1989’s Runaway Horses received less passionate reviews than Heaven on Earth, despite the fact that Leave a Light On, Visions of You, and (We Want) The Same Thing are real gems!

Heaven on Earth is an underrated and classic album of the 1980s. Working with a range of writers and producers – including Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, Diane Warren and her Go-Go’s bandmate, Charlotte Caffey –, I don’t think it is a case of too many people having their own say and leaving this patchy and widely uneven album. In fact, I think the album is perfectly balanced and, with Circle in the Sand, I Feel Free, I Get Weak, and Love Never Dies in your ranks, you can’t go wrong! I think a lot of people see Belinda Carlisle as a slightly guilty pleasure and, as much as I hate that term, I wanted to focus on the massive hit, Heaven Is a Place on Earth. To me, this is one of the best hits of the 1980s, and I had a real fondness for artists of the time like Belinda Carlisle and our very own Lisa Stansfield – Carlisle was born in Los Angeles. Maybe some prefer their music with more depth, experimentation and cutting edge, but I think there was a split between Pop that could deliver substance and quality and those artists who were very sugar-sweet and generic. Consider a song like Heaven Is a Place on Earth. Some people feel that it represents the worst of the 1980s in terms of the production and the lyrical content.

From Songfacts, I have discovered some useful information about Heaven Is a Place on Earth:

“This effervescent song is about finding heaven on Earth in the form of true love. It was written by the San Francisco songwriter Rick Nowels (who wrote and produced Stevie Nicks' "I Can't Wait") and the New York-based Ellen Shipley. The initial idea came to Shipley at a Brooklyn gas station where she spotted a greeting card that said "Heaven On Earth." When she and Nowels started working on a song for Belinda Carlisle, Shipley wrote that phrase on the blackboard as an idea. Nowels wrote in the words "Is A" to make it "Heaven Is A Place On Earth."

This opens with the chorus, which sets up the song. Ellen Shipley explained in her Songfacts interview: "The chorus came first. When we had that title, 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth,' we went into a studio and we started jamming on chords and singing against it and in our process we got that chorus and everything was built around that.

So, it was like a story of why you think heaven is a place on earth: because love comes first. Because the lyrics:

Baby do you know what that's worth?

Heaven is a place on earth

They say in heaven love comes first

But we'll make heaven a place on earth

So, the whole idea is that love should come first”

I love the huge, singalong chorus, and the fact many of us can relate to the song’s themes and lyrics. Carlisle’s voice is magnetic, and she really commits to the song. There is more than enough punch and energy in the song that raise it above the level of throwaway, and for those who were keen to write off Carlisle’s solo endeavours, they need to listen back to her albums now and really give them more time. I think there are few artists who delivered as many catchy songs, and I listen to tracks like Heaven Is a Place on Earth if I need a real boost! It is a wonderful song, and I would promote it far beyond the realms of cheese from the 1980s, or a song that is only reserved for Pop fans. No matter what your musical persuasion, one can connect with this anthem. I shall leave things there, but I wanted to include Heaven Is a Place on Earth, because it has never really got as much acclaim as song from the 1980s by artists such as Madonna – whilst Carlisle was not as consistent and as famed, her best material could challenge Madonna and her close peers. Times are challenging right now, and I think feelgood music is playing a much larger role. Heaven Is a Place on Earth is as heavenly as its title suggests, and, right now, it is…

A perfect song to lift us all.

FEATURE: Slight Return: Socially Distanced Gigs, and a Chance for Change Post-COVID-19

FEATURE:

 

Slight Return

IN THIS PHOTO: Sam Fender recently played the first major socially distanced gigs in the U.K. since lockdown

Socially Distanced Gigs, and a Chance for Change Post-COVID-19

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I have put out quite a bit this weekend already…

IN THIS PHOTO: Sam Fender at the Virgin Money Unity Arena/PHOTO CREDIT: PA Images

and there is a lot going on right now! Despite the fact we are still restricted in terms of where we can go and what we can do, I like the fact that there are socially distanced gigs happening. I want to bring in an interview that NME conducted with Sam Fender soon, as he opened the first set of socially distanced gigs at Newcastle's Gosforth Park. There are signs that, if done right, socially distanced gigs can work and find a willing audience. There is this split between larger outdoor spaces where we can accommodate these types of gigs – through building special platforms and areas so that people do not come into contact with one another. On the other side, there are smaller venues, which are unable to truly open and operate as they would be vastly under-capacity and struggle to break-even. It may not be until next year until we see them resume a normal service, so people are attending outdoor gigs in the meantime. This is a slight return to normal, or at least it provides access to gigs, as opposed watching artists livestream or paying to see artists perform alone/without an audience at a venue. I will discuss a bigger question in a minute but, first, I want to quote from that NME interview with Sam Fender, as he discussed how he felt returning to live performance, and why they have the socially distanced formula cracked in the North East:

“After a heavy amount of touring, how did you find taking a pause from it all?

“I hadn’t gone a month without a gig since I was about 14. I was in a band then and I never stopped gigging, whether it was a buskers’ night or whatever; I was always trying to get myself out there and practice my craft. To not play live for the best part of five months is bizarre. I never realised how much I lean on it. When you’re creative, you lean on it for your mental health. There’s always the writing and recording side, but that communal thing of being on stage and hearing songs that you wrote when you were hungover and pure depressed as fuck being sang back to you is the most cathartic, uplifting experience.

“It’s nice to be back but I’m scared [socially distanced shows will be] like methadone for the heroin addict. If we can prove that this works and keep doing this then that’s fantastic, but if not then I’ll be waiting until April next year so it’ll be another long stint on the PlayStation.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Another shot of the Virgin Money Unity Arena/PHOTO CREDIT: PA Images

How does it feel to have opened the UK’s first set of socially distanced concerts – and in your hometown?

“I’m so proud of it. I’m proud that it’s our region that’s done it and proud that it’s the Geordies that are the trailblazers. I hope that it can keep going because people are dying for live music and I’m happy to play in whatever capacity we possibly can until this all blows over. There was only 2500 people in a space that would usually fit 20,000 and it still felt enormous because people were screaming louder than they usually would and they needed it. It’s wonderful, so I hope we can keep it going.”

How are you finding the industry’s new normal and is it making you more creative in the way you connect with your fans?

“If I’m honest, not really. I didn’t handle any of the lockdown stuff well. I went very inward and became quite pessimistic and it took its toll on my head. Now that we’re getting back in the studio and I’ve got my ducks in a row; I’m excited to get back out there. I did a little bit on TikTok, but it scares me. I got sucked into the Tiktok machine for a while; people told me you have to ‘like’ things to get the algorithm to work but I just don’t have the patience for that and I just want things to not cringe me out straight away! I find it all terrifying so I didn’t come up with anything particularly to engage with fans. I hope in 2021 we’re gigging again, because I don’t know how much longer I can sit in the house”.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Green Door Store, Brighton

Fender’s comments echo that of many other artists regarding adaption to lockdown and how they have either become more pessimistic, or they have had to perform and release music in a way they are not familiar with. It must have been a huge relief for Fender to perform again, and I do hope that other large spaces can provide a sort of mini-festival or socially distanced gig. Whilst venues won’t be able to welcome people back in this manner, there will be many hoping that, before the weather turns and we approach autumn and winter, we can squeeze in some socially distanced gigs and sort of make up for a bit of lost time. Fans are desperate to see artists perform as soon as they can and, whilst venues are eager to open their doors when it is safe and they can bring as many people in as possible, I wonder whether COVID-19 has provided some time for reflection as to the way tours are organised and how much artists actually make. I was reading an interesting article from The Guardian, as they talked with a few artists who explained how touring rarely results in profit and, actually, how this period of quiet and inactivity has been a bit of a relief! Of course, we will see artists go back on tour next year, but is this a perfect moment for labels, managers and those who look after artists to change things – rather than rush them back into tours and send them all over the world?

IN THIS PHOTO: Hannah Cohen

I think we all love gigs, as it is great to bond with an artist and share in that electricity and relationship that can only be experienced at gigs. The audience get that thrill and sense of enrichment, but what is it like for artists who are touring relentlessly? It is less to do with the number of gigs; more to do with the incredible amount of travel and how far flung they are. The title of this feature, Slight Return, was a nod to socially distanced gigs and how it is almost like normal (in some respects), but there is also that financial aspect that applies to artists’ revenue – how many are not cracking even or taking much away. I think it ties into the socially distanced gigs cropping up and how, when everyone is keen to get on the road next year, why things can’t just return to how they were. In that article from The Guardian, Hannah Cohen was one of the artists who talked about her touring experience. There was also some fascinating insight from Alexandra Denton (better known as Shura):

“This month, New York musician Hannah Cohen said what many were secretly thinking. “I don’t miss touring,” she wrote on Twitter. “I am relieved. Touring with a band is a bottomless pit of expenses, emotionally & physically exhausting and I rarely break even … I will spend this break in touring slowly chipping away at my tour debt.” Other musicians chimed in on the thread, citing non-existent profits and gruelling schedules as a significant strain on their mental health.

“It’s possible to make money over a festival season, but with touring, most people I know are really lucky if they break even,” says Alexandra Denton, better known as Shura. After she released her second album, Forevher, in August 2019, her planned promotional campaign around a run of 2020 festivals “evaporated overnight”. With paltry royalties from streaming, touring is now seen as musicians’ primary income. But from the 30 tour dates Shura performed before lockdown, she estimates her overall profit at £2,300 – after takings had been chipped away by the expense of a live band, accommodation and staging, all paid at a fixed rate. “Genuinely, if you can finish a tour and say: ‘We didn’t lose any money’, it’s a real win,” she says. “But for 30 shows, as a single-entity musician, I’m making less than anyone else working on the tour.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Shura

The one upside, she suggests, is that this conversation might finally bring change. “There needs to be a real re-examination of necessity – do we need to be doing four dates in Germany when we know we only sell 50% of tickets? And it’s drilled into you from the early stages of your career that it’s important to project success, but when people are livestreaming from their bedrooms in their pyjamas, any mystique is fully gone.” She says artists need “transparency” – an increased willingness to speak up against disappointing fees and schedules, and to challenge the returns from streaming. “Being a musician is thought of as a privilege, but we’re already losing a lot of great artists. I just hope that I’m one of the ones who make it”.

There are mixed blessing regarding gigs being suspended (or largely postponed). It does mean that many artists can recharge and, until things get back to how they were, we need to talk about tour schedules and the realities of touring for many artists. On the other hand, socially distanced gigs such as the ones Sam Fender has delivered have provided music fans with their first taste of live music in months. For smaller venues, their future is unsure, but let’s hope most of them can survive to open their doors next year. If you can get to a socially distanced gig, then make sure you do, as there is evidence to show that they work perfectly fine in larger open spaces. After things calm down and there is light at the end of the tunnel, everyone needs to go to their local venues and see as many artists as they can…but there is also a flipside on a wider level. For artists who have a packed schedule and are touring across nations and covering a vast number of miles, is that really workable, considering many are not making any money at all?! COVID-19 has reinforced just how vital live music is to us all but I hope, at a period where we can recharge and look ahead, changes come in so that artists who are feeling exhausted by touring can fall in love with live music…

PHOTO CREDIT: @joshappel/Unsplash

ONCE again.

FEATURE: Second Spin - Blur - 13

FEATURE:

Second Spin

Blur - 13

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WHEN writing this feature…

I sort of stopped and wondered why Blur called their sixth studio album, 13. I have not seen any stories relating to the origins of that title, but 13 is obviously associated with bad luck. I don’t know. Blur changed a lot as a band from their more Britpop-orientated albums of the early-mid-1990s, undergoing a revolution for their eponymous 1997 album – one that was more influenced by American guitar sounds and had a darker palette. Continuing to move forward, 13 experiments and throws so many different sounds into the mix. The band would record another album, Think Tank, in 2003, before guitarist Graham Coxon departed the band – due to addiction issues and tensions within the group. I think one can hear some splits and tenser moments on 13, and Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree do not sound as kinetic and joyous as on their best-loved albums from earlier in their career. I think it is inevitable that a hectic past decade or so (just under) would take its toll but, rather than split or repeat themselves in terms of the music, the band made some changes and pushed forward. Released on 15th March, 1999, 13 is an underrated nugget from the Blur catalogue. I fondly recall buying the album when it came out as the single, Tender, had come out the month before, and I was intrigued by this unexpected Blur sound – Gospel mixing with Pop in this epic, deeply beautiful song.

Recording between London and Reykjavík, the band pushed further away from the Britpop sound, and they parted ways with their long-time producer, Stephen Street. It was a bold and scary move and, whilst they may have seen that as essential in order to progress, Street provided such safe hands. William Orbit was brought in and, as he did wonders on Madonna’s Ray of Light the year before, maybe Blur felt he could provide them the necessary evolution from Pop/Rock to Electronic realms – consider Madonna’s Bedtime Stories of 1994, and how different Ray of Light sounds, despite the fact it came only four years on! I think critics underrate or write some of the songs on 13 off because, invariably, tensions within the group would mean less productivity and cohesive results. Certain sessions saw various members miss out and, whilst it was not as tense and divided as, say, The Beatles’ eponymous album of 1968, it was clear the bright and harmonious band before were nearing a breaking point! That does not mean that 13 is a disaster. Far from it. In fact, I think some of the band’s most revealing, stunning and timeless music can be found on this album; even a lot of the tracks that others consider filler and very strong! Damon Albarn was heavily inspired by his breakup with long-term girlfriend, Justine Frischmann, which naturally provided the songs a more introspective and emotional tinge. 13 entered the UK Albums Chart at number-one, making it Blur's fourth-consecutive studio album to reach the top spot.

There would have been people out there – including fans – who felt a stylistic change from Blur would have resulted in commercial disaster. Whilst 13 was not as successful as albums like Parklife (1994), a lot of people snapped up 13, and it helped that singles Tender, Coffee & TV, and No Distance Left to Run are absolute classics – and they are all very diverse and different songs. I think 13 gained some positive reviews and, in retrospect, Pitchfork have had some kind words to say; a few publications in 1999 gave 13 four stars. That said, a lot of people unfavourably compared 13 with Blur’s best, and others felt that, aside from the three singles, there was not a lot to recommend. I admit that 13 is not in my top-five Blur records – I would have Parklife, The Great Escape, Think Tank, Modern Life Is Rubbish, and Blur in there -, but I do really love 13! The album is nicely balanced in terms of where the singles are placed – Tender kicks things off and, at nearly eight minutes, it is a brilliantly bold way to start; Coffee & TV is track three, whilst No Distance Left to Run is track twelve. I think the order could have been shifted so No Distance Left to Run ended the album: the instrumental, Optigan 1, does and, whilst it is a chance to breathe and lighten, No Distance Left to Run would have been a more satisfying and appropriate close - they sort of did the same on Parklife by closing the album with Lot 105 instead of the sweeping This Is a Low. I feel 13 is, maybe, a bit top-heavy, but that is a small bug.

I love the best-known songs from the album. Bugman is a really great and exciting track that beautifully switches pace after Tender, and it is a perfect filler between the Tender/Coffee & TV sandwich – not that Bugman is a filler track! Swamp Song, and 1992 are brilliant tracks and, though B.L.U.R.E.M.I is a brief-but-forgettable song, it does show that the band were bringing together so many genres and styles! Mellow Song, and Caramel are the highlights of the album’s second half, but I feel Trailerpark, and Trimm Trabb are as close to filler as the album gets. Maybe there are a few rough songs that do not yield results and repeated listening desires, but at thirteen tracks – is that why it’s called 13?! -, there are more hits than misses! Graham Coxon was coming into his own as a writer and, whereas Damon Albarn was the primary lyricist for the band, Coffee & TV is Coxon’s story - he wrote the song about his struggle with alcoholism, and how he would unwind by watching television over a cup of coffee instead, and writing songs. Maybe some feel 13 is not underrated at all and received mostly positive reviews, but that is relative. I think there are a lot of mixed reviews, and very few awarded the album a four or five-star review; most were sort of middling. 13 received a nomination for the Mercury Prize, as well as for Best Album at the 2000 NME Awards, so there was this divide.

Over twenty years after its release, I think 13 should be seen in a new light, and I feel the album warrants a full listen. If some ignore the lesser tracks, I reckon they have a place, and the joy of 13 is hearing these slightly murky or misguided tracks sit alongside golden cuts. It is a very real representation of a band who still had that affinity and genius, but there were problems that afflicted their consistency. I want to bring in a couple of reviews that are quite typical regarding critics’ feelings about 13. This is what AllMusic wrote in their review from 2015:

“Blur's penitence for Brit-pop continues with the aptly named 13, which deals with star-crossed situations like personal and professional breakups with Damon Albarn's longtime girlfriend, Justine Frischmann of Elastica, and the group's longtime producer, Stephen Street. Building on Blur's un-pop experiments, the group's ambitions to expand their musical and emotional horizons result in a half-baked baker's dozen of songs, featuring some of their most creative peaks and self-indulgent valleys. Albarn has been criticized for lacking depth in his songwriting, but his ballads remain some of Blur's best moments. When Albarn and crew risk some honesty, 13 shines: on "Tender," Albarn is battered and frail, urged by a lush gospel choir to "get through it." His confiding continues on "1992," which alludes to the beginning -- and ending -- of his relationship with Frischmann. On "No Distance Left to Run," one of 13's most moving moments, Albarn addresses post-breakup ambivalence, sighing, "I hope you're with someone who makes you feel safe while you sleep."

While these songs reflect Albarn's romantic chaos, "Mellow Song," "Caramel," and "Trimm Trabb" express day-to-day desperation. Musically, the saddest songs on 13 are also the clearest, mixing electronic and acoustic elements in sleek but heartfelt harmony. However, "B.L.U.R.E.M.I." is a by-the-numbers rave-up, and the blustery "Swamp Song" and "Bugman" nick Blur's old punky glam pop style but sound misplaced here. "Trailerpark" veers in yet another direction, a too-trendy trip-hop rip-off that emphasizes the band's musical fog, proving that William Orbit's kitchen-sink production doesn't serve the songs' -- or the band's -- best interests. 13's strange, frustrating combination of expert musicianship and self-indulgence reveals the sound of a band trying to find itself. With some closer editing, this could have been the emotionally deep, sonically wide album Blur yearns to make”.

Some have upgraded their views of 13 in the years since 1999, but others have been a bit critical. I can understand some of the points: 13 is not as complete and rewarding as their best albums, and one would like to have heard a bit more positivity from the band but, considering what was happening with Albarn and the group in general, that was not realistically possible. I want to bring in this review from NME, who tackled 13 in 1999:

“Infuriating, because divested of four solid-gone clunkers '13' could pass muster as the best of Blur. Opening with the recent single sets an audacious tone. If it initially felt crass, a too-obvious assimilation of Beck's backwoods purity and Spiritualized's 'Come Together', 'Tender' grows in stature with every play. Damon has never sung so well, while Graham Coxon and his dextrous string-manipulation, rather than the gospel choir, bedrocks the song's resolution. It really is a marvel. Moreover, in light of what follows, its devotional flame starts to looks a little forlorn.

After 'MOR''s 'Boys Keep Swinging' cop on the last album, 'Bugman' heralds the return of BlurAsBowie - only this time, there's little semblance of a tune. 'Swamp Song' is pure frumpery, a lurching non-song the like of which Pavement might concoct were they: a) commissioned to compose a Cure pastiche; and b) completely pissed. Mercifully separating the two is 'Coffee & TV', a sweet, Krautrockin' distillation of Coxonlife ("Sociability/Is hard enough for me/Take me away from this big bad world and agree to marry me") that, ironically, given Graham's reputation as Blur's hitherto frustrated avant-garde conscience, is the LP's sole straightforward pop song”.

I do really like 13, and the band had moved far from their Britpop days. A few of the songs on 13 are pretty long – between five and eight minutes -, and I don’t think they were thinking much about chart positions at this point. The fact Tender was released as a single at all is pretty unexpected, seeing as it is nearly eight minutes in length – Coffee & TV, for that matter, is just under six minutes. The band were more interested in feel and depth rather than creating Pop anthems, and the brilliance and boldness of releasing singles of such length is brilliant. 13 does have its weaker spots but, as an album, it certainly has…

PLENTY of great tracks.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Grace at Twenty-Six: The Essential Jeff Buckley Playlist

FEATURE:

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Jeff Buckley in New York in 1995/PHOTO CREDIT: Merri Cyr

Grace at Twenty-Six: The Essential Jeff Buckley Playlist

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LOADS of classic albums…

are celebrating big anniversaries this year and, whilst Jeff Buckley’s Grace is twenty-six today (23rd August), I think it is an album that keeps on giving, in the way that it is inspiring artists all around the world. Buckley tragically died on 29th May, 1997 aged only thirty but, in his short life, he definitely put his name in the history books! Nobody possessed a voice like his and, twenty-three years since his death, I can detect his D.N.A. in many artists. Some people might not be aware of his recordings outside of his sole studio album, Grace, so I was keen to include more of his music here – including tracks released on the posthumous album, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk and a good selection of live tracks. If you are new to Jeff Buckley, then I hope you get something from the playlist but, even if you are already a fan, what better way to spend some time today and…

PHOTO CREDIT: Rex

MARVEL at his timeless brilliance.

FEATURE: Declare Independence: BBC Radio 6 Music and a Celebration of Independent Music

FEATURE:

 

Declare Independence

IMAGE CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

BBC Radio 6 Music and a Celebration of Independent Music

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MY favourite radio station…

IMAGE CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

is BBC Radio 6 Music, and they have been running a revised schedule for a few months now. Certain slots have been changed, and it has been a bit unusual since lockdown came in. Fortunately, the scheduled is returning to how it was prior to lockdown from next month. This is good news but, more than that, the station are celebrating independent music on 10th September. This article from Music Week explains more:

“BBC Radio 6 Music is to celebrate independent music with a special day of programming next month.

State of Independents Day – which airs on Thursday, September 10 – will also shine a light on the challenges and opportunities currently facing the independent music industry, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The independent music special was announced as it was confirmed that 6 Music will return to its pre-lockdown schedule next month.

From September 7, Chris Hawkins will revert to his usual weekday time-slot of 5am-7.30am and Lauren Laverne will present her breakfast show once again from 7.30am-10.30am, Monday-Friday. Weekdays will now feature both Mary Anne Hobbs (10.30am-1pm) and Shaun Keaveny (1pm-4pm). Steve Lamacq will continue to broadcast from 4pm-7pm.

At weekends from September 5-6, Chris Hawkins will be on air from 5am-7am, followed by Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie, from 7am-10am. Saturdays will see The Huey Show, with Huey Morgan, broadcast from 10am-1pm, with Liz Kershaw returning to her pre-lockdown timeslot of 1pm-3pm. Gilles Peterson will also be back on air from 3pm-6pm.

IN THIS PHOTO: Chris Hawkins/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

Cerys Matthews’ programme will air from 10am-1pm each Sunday. Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour returns to the previous, earlier timeslot for 2pm-4pm and Amy Lamé makes a return to Sunday afternoons on 6 Music, from 4pm-6pm. Now Playing with Tom Robinson will air from 6pm-8pm.

Later that week, 6 Music will celebrate independent artists, labels and venues with State of Independents Day right across the schedule.

Samantha Moy, newly appointed head of BBC Radio 6 Music, said: “I am immensely proud of all of the presenters and production teams at 6 Music for continuing to create brilliant programmes with the best music throughout this very challenging time. I’m very happy to say that from Monday September 7, all of our presenters will be on-air once again. The pandemic has impacted everybody in different ways and as we return to our pre-lockdown schedule, we’ll be taking the opportunity on September 10, to reflect on how Covid-19 has impacted the independent music sector and all those who work within it – from venues, to record shops, labels and artists themselves – with our State of Independents Day.”

Tracks played throughout the day on State of Independents Day, will be exclusively from independent artists and artists signed to independent labels. Highlights will include exclusive live recordings and DJ mixes performed by independent artists from their homes and studios.

In addition, Shaun Keaveny (1pm-4pm) will play out tracks performed and recorded in the BBC’s Radio Theatre by Arlo Parks, who is signed to independent label Transgressive Records. Tracks will include Parks’ 2020 single Black Dog. Keaveny will also explore how independent labels are adapting throughout the coronavirus pandemic and hear from some of the nominees and winners of the 2020 AIM Association of Independent Music Awards.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lauren Laverne/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

Lauren Laverne (7.30am-10.30am) will have a special State of Independents themed People’s Playlist, whilst her regular feature Business Time will focus on independent retailers and record shops.

Mary Anne Hobbs (10.30am-1pm) will explore how the pandemic has affected club culture, look at the concepts of socially distant and online clubbing and will hear from independent clubs, DJs and promoters from around the UK about how they have been connecting with their communities over the past months.

Steve Lamacq (4pm-7pm) will highlight some of the initiatives to support grass roots venues and the people behind them. Marc Riley (7pm-9pm) will reflect on his experience running an independent label and discuss the challenges of releasing a new record in the current climate with Henry Dartnall from the band Young Knives.

In addition, in the lead-up to State of Independents day, on September 6, Jehnny Beth will co-host Now Playing with Tom Robinson, from 5pm-8pm. This special programme, titled Live Music, We Miss You, will see Beth curate a playlist dedicated to listeners’ favourite live moments, tracks and venues. She will also be compiling a half hour mix of her own selection of tracks and the show will end with highlights of her set at the Roundhouse earlier this year at the 6 Music Festival”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Steve Lamacq/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

I love the sound of what the station are doing, and it is wonderful that a spotlight is being shone on independents through the industry. It is hard for everyone in the industry right now, but independent labels, artists and venues are having an especially tough time. At a time when we cannot go to gigs and so many fans are craving the excitement and community of live music, BBC Radio 6 Music will give us all a treat. I have sympathies for the larger labels and venues, but the independents do not get as much focus, so it will be wonderful to tune into BBC Radio Music on 10th September. As record shops are back open, they are seeing fewer customers than normal come through the door; many have in-stores that are not happening, and they have had to adapt at this very challenging time – many were relying on Internet sales when they were closed. For venues, the future is a bit uncertain. There are constant threats of closures facing venues, and it is a scary time for them. Most venues want to remain closed until social distancing is dropped, so that they can continue to operate and not put people at risk. The first portion of the Government’s £1.57 billion culture recovery package will go towards saving music venues from insolvency; a £2.25 million emergency support package is expected to benefit 150 venues across the country. 

PHOTO CREDIT: @nivtop/Unsplash

At such a tense time for independent, small venues, let’s hope that enough money is distributed so that we do not have to say goodbye to some of our most-loved spaces! The State of Independents Day will start conversations, give energy and focus to a lot of artists and venues, and it will be a rare day where we can all celebrate some terrific independent music. I am personally glad to have the regular schedule back on BBC Radio 6 Music, and it is typical of the station that they are dedicating a lot of time to highlight the importance of independent artists, venues, and labels that contribute so much to the richness of the music scene. Let’s hope that, maybe, other stations follow in their lead, as these smaller artists and venues (and labels) are so valuable and, at this time, are facing a lot of hardship and uncertainty. On 10th September, programmes across BBC Radio 6 Music are going to salute and tip their cap to the tireless work from independent labels, artists and venues. If you have some free time on 10th September, then get involved with BBC Radio 6 Music’s The State of Independents Day and…

IN THIS PHOTO: Shaun Keaveny/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

MAKE sure you tune in.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Some Awesome Classic and Modern Grunge Cuts

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Babes in Toyland/PHOTO CREDIT: Eleonora C. Collini

Some Awesome Classic and Modern Grunge Cuts

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THERE has been so much talk lately…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)

about the Battle of Britpop that took place between Blur and Oasis in 1995 – twenty-five years since Oasis’ Roll with It lost in a chart battle with Blur’s Country House. In fact, Britpop was at its peak in 1995 and, thinking about that movement, I wanted to concentrate on an American scene that sort of gave rise to Britpop: Grunge. One cannot credit Grunge entirely for the antithesis of Britpop, but I think it played its part. I love Grunge, but the more introspective, angry and darker music was contrasted by this bright, cheerier and more inclusive Britpop wave. As I have already put out a Britpop Lockdown Playlist, I want to nod to Grunge, as it is a genre that has survived and has continued in various sub-genres – it is less common than it was in the late-1980s and 1990s, but one still hears artists inspired by Grunge, for sure. Here is a collection of classic and newer Grunge tracks (and some that splice other genres into a Grunge core), that should get the weekend…

IN THIS PHOTO: 7 Year Bitch

KICKING right off!

FEATURE: A Buyer’s Guide: Part Sixteen: U2

FEATURE:

 

A Buyer’s Guide

Part Sixteen: U2

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IN this edition of A Buyer’s Guide…

PHOTO CREDIT: Olaf Heine

I am concentrating on one of the biggest Rock bands ever: the mighty and legendary U2. They are a band who have released more than a few classic albums! I have not been able to include them all here but, if you need suggestions as to where to start with the band, and which albums are worth greater exploration, I have whittled down to the essential four, one album that is underrated, in addition to their most recent record – and I have suggested a great U2 book too. It has been interesting investigating and delving into the Dublin band’s catalogue and discovering some real treats. If you require some assistance navigating your way around U2’s best work then I think that…

PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Jones

I can lend a hand.

________________

The Four Essential Albums

War

Release Date: 28th February, 1983

Label: Island

Producer: Steve Lilywhite

Standout Tracks: Seconds/Two Hearts Beat as One/40

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/U2-War/master/48830

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1Gjf9WFBefwPqt7PxGH1n2

Review:

“Opening with the ominous, fiery protest of "Sunday Bloody Sunday," War immediately announces itself as U2's most focused and hardest-rocking album to date. Blowing away the fuzzy, sonic indulgences of October with propulsive, martial rhythms and shards of guitar, War bristles with anger, despair, and above all, passion. Previously, Bono's attempts at messages came across as grandstanding, but his vision becomes remarkably clear on this record, as his anthems ("New Year's Day," "40," "Seconds") are balanced by effective, surprisingly emotional love songs ("Two Hearts Beat as One"), which are just as desperate and pleading as his protests. He performs the difficult task of making the universal sound personal, and the band helps him out by bringing the songs crashing home with muscular, forceful performances that reveal their varied, expressive textures upon repeated listens. U2 always aimed at greatness, but War was the first time they achieved it” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Sunday Blood Sunday

The Unforgettable Fire

Release Date: 1st October, 1984

Label: Island

Producers: Brian Eno/Daniel Lanois

Standout Tracks: A Sort of Homecoming/4th of July/Bad

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/U2-The-Unforgettable-Fire/master/62831

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/350KqwwAhQFNyknLHf21lS

Review:

“After their first major breakthrough with 1983's War and its anthems "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day", U2 could have easily continued to perfect the fist-pumping, flag-waving arena battle cry. Instead, they sought out producer Brian Eno, a bold choice for a band looking to parlay semi-success into something Springsteen-ian. While Eno is now seen as a go-to stadium savior (see: Coldplay's Viva La Vida), back then he was still the guy who coaxed magnificent weirdness out of David Bowie and Talking Heads, to say nothing of his own work, which ranged from prog-rock insanity to elegant wallpaper. The U2/Eno braintrust has since become one of the most out-and-out successful in rock history, but The Unforgettable Fire finds the pair-- along with frequent conspirator Daniel Lanois-- feeling each other out and testing limits. The album ebbs and flows along the spectrum between the spiky, post-punk U2 of old and the impressionistic, Eno-assisted U2 they were yearning to become” – Pitchfork

Choice Cut: Pride (In the Name of Love)

The Joshua Tree

Release Date: 6th March, 1987

Label: Island

Producers: Brian Eno/Daniel Lanois

Standout Tracks: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For/With or Without You/One Tree Hill

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/U2-The-Joshua-Tree/master/64290

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/586ZRfgsIckfcKvHVcGM4V

Review:

“Using the textured sonics of The Unforgettable Fire as a basis, U2 expanded those innovations by scaling back the songs to a personal setting and adding a grittier attack for its follow-up, The Joshua Tree. It's a move that returns them to the sweeping, anthemic rock of War, but if War was an exploding political bomb, The Joshua Tree is a journey through its aftermath, trying to find sense and hope in the desperation. That means that even the anthems -- the epic opener "Where the Streets Have No Name," the yearning "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" -- have seeds of doubt within their soaring choruses, and those fears take root throughout the album, whether it's in the mournful sliding acoustic guitars of "Running to Stand Still," the surging "One Tree Hill," or the hypnotic elegy "Mothers of the Disappeared." So it might seem a little ironic that U2 became superstars on the back of such a dark record, but their focus has never been clearer, nor has their music been catchier, than on The Joshua Tree. Unexpectedly, U2 have also tempered their textural post-punk with American influences. Not only are Bono's lyrics obsessed with America, but country and blues influences are heard throughout the record, and instead of using these as roots, they're used as ways to add texture to the music. With the uniformly excellent songs -- only the clumsy, heavy rock and portentous lyrics of "Bullet the Blue Sky" fall flat -- the result is a powerful, uncompromising record that became a hit due to its vision and its melody. Never before have U2's big messages sounded so direct and personal” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Where the Streets Have No Name

Achtung Baby

Release Date: 18th November, 1991

Label: Island

Producers: Brian Eno/Daniel Lanois

Standout Tracks: One/The Fly/Mysterious Ways

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/U2-Achtung-Baby/master/20774

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5n52kyQKeUZs5ObZJejLQd

Review:

“Achtung Baby seemed like a pivotal record in U2’s history when it was released in 1991, and it’s no less important 20 years later. But it’s wasn’t the actual songs that moved U2 forward so much as what they signaled about the band’s approach to its own fame and image. Musically, Achtung Baby is just as concerned with matters of the heart and spirit as 1987’s The Joshua Tree. And it’s as wrapped up in hero worship and aligning with rock ’n’ roll greats as 1988’s polarizing Rattle & Hum. It’s just that U2 deftly altered its style and frames of reference; out went the previous two albums’ earnestness, Bob Dylan and Beatles influences, and obsession with America, and in came irony, pan-Europeanism, and David Bowie’s Berlin period.

Strip away that context, however, and Achtung Baby sounds a like a typical U2 record—a terrific U2 record, arguably the best record U2 has ever made, but not exactly the decisive break from the band’s past it is remembered as. What Achtung Baby instead represents is U2’s last great creative gasp, evidenced by the album’s new reissue in various formats, including two multi-disc “super deluxe” and “über deluxe” editions, which compile a wealth of B-sides, remixes, and alternate tracks, as well as the entirety of Achtung Baby’s follow-up, 1993’s Zooropa” – The A.V. Club

Choice Cut: Even Better Than the Real Thing

The Underrated Gem

Pop

Release Date: 3rd March, 1997

Label: Island

Producers: Flood/Howie B/Steve Osborne

Standout Tracks: If God Will Send His Angels/Last Night on Earth/Please

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/U2-Pop/master/62553

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5mojJwWgWNJcY3odUGgQc3

Review:

“As it turns out, you won’t find much evidence of trip-hop on Pop, although sections of “Miami” and “If God Will Send His Angels” come close to that mutant strain of the genre. What you will find is a whole arsenal of sound effects, tape manipulations, distortions and treatments designed to mask the fact that U2 are still essentially a four-piece male rock band. Unlike R.E.M., U2 know that technology is ineluctably altering the sonic surface — and, perhaps, even the very meaning — of rock & roll. In that sense, their competition now is not so much R.E.M. as it is Orbital or Prodigy.

What we can say immediately is that Pop sounds absolutely magnificent. Working with Flood, who engineered Achtung Baby and co-produced Zooropa, the group has pieced together a record whose rhythms, textures and visceral guitar mayhem make for a thrilling roller-coaster ride, one whose sheer inventiveness is plainly bolstered by the heavy involvement of techno/trip-hop wizard Howie B(familiar from his work on Passengers’ Original Soundtracks I)” – Rolling Stone

Choice Cut: Discotheque

 The Latest/Final Album 

Songs of Experience

Release Date: 1st December, 2017

Labels: Interscope/Island/Universal Canada

Producers: Jacknife Lee/Ryan Tedder/Steve Lillywhite (add.)/Andy Barlow (add.)/Jolyon Thomas (add.)/Brent Kutzle (add.)/Paul Epworth (add.)/Danger Mouse (add.)/Declan Gaffney (add.)

Standout Tracks: You’re the Best Thing About Me/Red Flag Day/Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/U2-Songs-Of-Experience/master/1275631

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6S9YaGXnmRe8tWJ0e457HP?si=7LFKouMyT1ii6jkHQXdUsw

Review:

“But despite its flaws, Songs of Experience is an audibly better album than either of its predecessors. For one thing, not all its errors are overwhelming – if the Auto-Tune feels a bit jarring, the song it decorates is still pretty great. And for another, when U2 calm down and allow themselves to be themselves, the results are frequently fantastic, not least Get Out of Your Own Way, which is both utterly beautiful and feels not unlike a long, relieved exhalation of breath. Often it seems as if the moments that deal with the aforementioned brush with mortality are the most natural and enjoyable, as if concerns about their frontman’s potential demise caused everyone to stop worrying about U2’s place within the contemporary scheme of things and focus on the music. Boasting a guitar part atmospheric and understated even by the Edge’s 80s standards, the concluding 13 (There Is a Light) is delicately affecting; Landlady’s extended apology to Bono’s wife, , gently achieves precisely the kind of emotional uplift Love is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way nearly gives itself a hernia trying to attain; Lights of Home welds distorted slide guitar and a gospel-ish chorus to an entirely fantastic song. The Showman, meanwhile, is playful and authentically funny: a reflection on the contradictions and ridiculousness of the job of rock star that shows infinitely more self-awareness than Bono’s critics would give him credit for” – The Guardian

Choice Cut: Get Out of Your Own Way

The U2 Book

U2: Songs + Experience

Author: Niall Stokes

Publication Date: 4th October, 2018

Publisher: Welbeck Publishing Group

Synopsis:

“U2: Songs + Experience is the ultimate celebration of the act hailed as the greatest rock band in the world. Co-written by Brian Boyd, a leading music journalist and close associate of the band, and Niall Stokes, editor of Ireland's legendary Hot Press magazine, the book recounts the band's incredible career and analyses the songs from all of their studio albums (including Boy, The Joshua Tree and Songs of Experience).

The book discusses influences, inspiration and the origins of their immensely popular music, all accompanied by rare photographs, including many items of rock memorabilia, comprising posters, backstage passes, classic flyers and more” – Waterstones

Order: https://www.waterstones.com/book/u2-songs-experience/niall-stokes//9781787390898

FEATURE: Enter, Stage Right: Kate Bush’s Before the Dawn at Six: A Grand Spectacle I Wish I Had Seen

FEATURE:

Enter, Stage Right

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during her Before the Dawn residency in London in 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: Ken McKay/Rex Features

Kate Bush’s Before the Dawn at Six: A Grand Spectacle I Wish I Had Seen

___________

ALL of us can list various concerts…

that we have not been able to attend that we wish we could have gone to; to turn the clock back and be in the audience! For me, I would have loved to have been in New York in 1993 when Jeff Buckley was playing at the Sin-é café. Those intimate, extraordinary sets he played there were fascinating and, although I would have been ten and I live in the U.K., to have gone to one of those gigs would have been something! On a more realistic level, on 21st, March, 2014, Kate Bush announced that she would be taking to the stage – the first large live event since her 1979 show, The Tour of Life. Before the Dawn, if anything, was more of an extravaganza than The Tour of Life! I have seen breakdowns of both shows, and it seems like the ambition and scope of the 2014 residency was even wider and more eye-opening than her 1979 tour. Of course, few people would have attended both shows to compare in a realistic way, but Bush was not going to make a return to the stage – in terms of a big set; she performed live a few times post-1979 – and do something minor or familiar. I think a few people complained that there were relatively few ‘hits’ on the setlist for Before the Dawn. One of my biggest gripes is how radio stations tend only to play Bush’s singles, and we never really get to hear the album tracks!

I will bring in a couple of reviews for Before the Dawn soon but, on 26th August, 2014, Bush stepped onto the stage at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith – a venue she performed at in 1979 as part of The Tour of Life (though it was the Hammersmith Odeon then). Unlike The Tour of Life, Bush was not limited in terms of what she could include in her show. Her only tour was created after just two albums, so Bush included most of those two albums in that show, in addition to a couple of songs that would feature on her 1980 album, Never for Ever. With ten studio albums under her belt by 2014, Bush was not going to bring in material from The Kick Inside, and Lionheart, but she had a lot of options. I think everyone was desperate to see 1985’s Hounds of Love represented on the stage, and The Ninth Wave – the album’s conceptual suite – was almost written for the stage – Bush had been keen to do something with the songs in terms of a film, so I can imagine the opportunity to bring The Ninth Wave to the stage was too hard to resist!  Act One delivered a mix of hits and lesser-known songs. Lily (The Red Shoes) introduced the show in stunning fashion, before moving into Hounds of Love (Hounds of Love), Joanni (Aerial), Top of the City (The Red Shoes), Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) (Hounds of Love), and King of the Mountain (Aerial).

I do love the fact that there were a couple of tracks from The Red Shoes in the first act, as that album remains underrated, and Bush re-recorded songs from that album for 2011’s Director’s Cut. Perfectly, after that strong and comparatively straight first half of the first act, we then moved into The Ninth Wave. Some would have felt that the best way to segue would have been to have a track from Hounds of Love ending that first half, but Bush knew what she was doing! Everything that appeared on stage, as Bush said, was a dream and in the imagination of the woman/Bush. The first snippet we see is a video interlude of And Dream of Sheep – this is Bush/the heroine in the water and waiting to be rescued, whilst the following songs – Under Ice, Waking the Witch, Watching You Without Me, Jig of Life, Hello Earth, and The Morning Fog – are realised on the stage. As first acts go, few stage shows have been as ambitious and dramatic! I have a lot of love for The Tour of Life, but Bush did not have a conceptual suite like The Ninth Wave in her pocket back then, so she was threading together individual tracks in as dramatic and visually-arresting ways as possible, whereas the story of The Ninth Wave – a woman being lost at sea and willing herself to stay alive before being rescued – carries so much emotion and punch!

I will finish this feature by talking about the people who attended Before the Dawn and why I rue the day I did not get a ticket but, from 26th August to 1st October, 2014, audiences in Hammersmith were being electrified and stunned by the stage return of a musical deity! If Bush had gone out and performed a series of hits and something like that, people would have flocked and the reviews would have been tremendous. As it turned out, the audiences were in for something much more rewarding, stimulating and well-though-out! Act Two was a beautiful mirroring of the second half of Act One. This is one of the big reasons why I wanted to see Before the Dawn: Bush’s two conceptual suites, The Ninth Wave, and A Sky of Honey, realised in full on the stage! Both are very different in terms of their tone and narrative, so the music and staging for each suite was very different. Such a tonal shift could have been risky and ill-judged in lesser hands, but the relief and beauty of A Sky of Honey was the perfect comfort after the harrowing drama (and eventual relief) of The Ninth Wave. It is almost as though Bush’s heroine survived a torturous time at sea and, years down the line, she is sat at her rural home and enjoying the pleasures of nature and peace – reflecting on the past and embracing the here and now.

The ten-track Act Two - Prelude, Prologue (extended), An Architect's Dream, The Painter's Link, Sunset, Aerial Tal, Somewhere in Between (extended), Tawny Moon (performed by her son, Albert McIntosh), Nocturn (extended), and Aerial – brought in the nine tracks from A Sky of Honey as it appeared on Aerial, with the addition of Tawny Moon (a song that got its first airing and would have made for a remarkable album inclusion!). It is great that her son, Albert (Bertie) performed with his mother, and he was instrumental in urging Bush to return to the stage. When she performed an encore, she played Among Angels (50 Words for Snow), and Cloudbusting (Hounds of Love). The live album is sensational, and it also includes the track, Never Be Mine – it was recorded without an audience, for the purposes of filming.

Supported by a wonderful crew, and backed by some wonderful actors and musicians (including David Rhodes – guitar, John Giblin – bass guitar, double bass, Jon Carin – keyboards, guitar, vocals, programming, Omar Hakim – drums, and Mino Cinélu – percussion), it is no surprise that Kate Bush’s Before the Dawn sold out all of its twenty-two shows! Those from the world of music, acting and arts flocked to see the show. One suspects some went because it was the must-see musical event of the decade, whereas there was genuine passion and love from many others – including actor Gemma Arterton and musician Anna Calvi (both of whom appeared on the BBC shortly after seeing the show on one of the nights to give their reaction).

The reviews, unsurprisingly, were glowing! There was a certain weight of expectation on the shoulders of someone who had not performed in such a manner for thirty-five years. After preparing Before the Dawn for eighteen months or so, it is clear that whatever was delivered to the audiences was going to be full of craft and love. In their review, this is what The Guardian observed:

“Backed by a band of musicians capable of navigating the endless twists and turns of her songwriting – from funk to folk to pastoral prog rock - the performances of Running Up That Hill and King of the Mountain sound almost identical to their recorded versions - but letting rip during a version of Top of the City, she sounds flatly incredible.

You suspect that even if she hadn't, the audience would have lapped it up. Audibly delighted to be in the same room as her, they spend the first part of the show clapping everything she does: no gesture is too insignificant to warrant a round of applause. It would be cloying, but for the fact that Bush genuinely gives them something to cheer about.

For someone who's spent the vast majority of her career shunning the stage, she's a hugely engaging live performer, confident enough to shun the hits that made her famous in the first place: she plays nothing from her first four albums.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ken McKay/Rex Features

The staging might look excessive on paper, but onstage it works to astonishing effect, bolstering rather than overwhelming the emotional impact of the songs. The Ninth Wave is disturbing, funny and so immersive that the crowd temporarily forget to applaud everything Bush does. As each scene bleeds into another, they seem genuinely rapt: at the show's interval, people look a little stunned. A Sky of Honey is less obviously dramatic – nothing much happens over the course of its nine tracks – but the live performance underlines how beautiful the actual music is.

Already widely acclaimed as the most influential and respected British female artist of the past 40 years, shrouded in the kind of endlessly intriguing mystique that is almost impossible to conjure in an internet age, Bush theoretically had a lot to lose by returning to the stage. Clearly, given how tightly she has controlled her own career since the early 80s, she would only have bothered because she felt she had something spectacular to offer. She was right: Before The Dawn is another remarkable achievement”.

Nearly six years to the date Kate Bush stepped onto a stage familiar to her to kick-start Before the Dawn, I sort of have these pangs of regret. When the tickets went on sale, I was working, and I set off for the day and assumed that, when I had my lunch break, there would be tickets free – that was naïve, of course!

Perhaps my love for Kate Bush was not quite as strong in 2014 as it is now, but I was a super-fan back then. I have heard from a few people who attended that night – in the form of online testimony -, and everyone came away with the same sort of impression: that Before the Dawn was one of the greatest live shows they had ever witnessed. I have the live album of the show, and it is great to hear the reception the audience afforded Bush, and the incredible atmosphere. One can imagine being there with her but, unless you were fortunate enough to be in attendance on one of the nights, one lives vicariously through the album. In any case, it is clear that Bush was eager to return to the stage after so long away, even if there were nerves on her part. I want to finish with a couple of interviews Bush provided in 2016 – the live album was released that year -, where she discussed various aspects of the show. When speaking with The Independent, Bush talked about taking control of the show, her son’s involvement, and why she did not release a DVD of the show (and still has not to this date):

“It’s a measure of the dedication with which she approached the project, and of the degree of logistical control she exercised over proceedings.

“The big thing for me, and it has been from quite early on, is to retain creative control over what I’m doing,” says Bush. “If you have creative control, it’s personal. What I didn’t want to do was step into someone else’s show. Also, that was what was exciting for me, the idea of putting this big visual piece together. Though there was the most extraordinary team of people working on the show: there wasn’t a single person on that team that didn’t have very important input on what the show became.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Ken McKay/Rex Features

This includes people like novelist David Mitchell, who wrote the dialogue for some scenes, and her son, Albert McIntosh, who not only acts and sings in the show, but was crucial to its conception and realisation.

“Bertie’s input was absolutely huge on this show,” she says. “His input of ideas was very creative and intelligent, he was a large part, creatively, of the show. I would run all my ideas past him. For instance, I had this idea to have this helicopter flying over the audience, and he said, ‘Maybe it could be more abstract, maybe it should just be a light’, and I thought, ‘Oh yes, that’s so much better’, and from there we took the design further with the lighting designer.”

The shows, of course, were a huge success, and fans – especially those unable to acquire tickets – keenly awaited the release of some visual record. But sadly, there are no such plans beyond the new CD package.

“People are surprised that there’s no DVD of the show,” says Kate, “but I’d like to mention this live album that Elton John put out, 17-11-70, which was something that I loved so much. To have an album where you could imagine what the show was, I found that incredibly exciting, and in a way, this live album is almost more representative of what it was like to be at the live show”.

One of the reasons why Bush did not perform live (a lot) after 1979 is because she wanted to create albums and keep moving forward. She rarely looked back, and touring songs that she had already recorded might not have been as appealing as making new music. 2011’s Director’s Cut was a rare look back for her – Bush reworking songs that she felt could be given new light and quality, years after the originals were recorded. To bring Before the Dawn to the stage and, essentially, revisit the past through a staged show would have been something she wrestled with prior to 2014. When Bush spoke with FADER, she was asked about her relation with her older songs, and which technical achievement she ranks as her favourite:

“You really dug into the archives for your 2014 live shows. How has your relationship with your older material evolved?

Well, part of the decision to do the live shows was because it was such an interesting challenge to work with the two narrative pieces [“The Ninth Wave” and “A Sky of Honey”], rather than just doing a bunch of single tracks.

It was within such a specific context, because [the setlist] was very much put together for a live event. Through that process, the songs naturally evolved because I was working with a band, a lot of whom I never worked with before. I just chose tracks that I wanted to do, that really worked with the band, and to keep it really focused in a rhythmic way.

Although the music was always kept as the lead, I didn't want the visuals to feel separate. What I had hoped was that what had been created was an integrated piece of theater that worked with the music — that it wasn't just music that had theatrics added to it — that there was a real sense of it being something that worked as a whole.

Do you have a technical achievement that you're most proud of in your career?

I'm really proud of what we did with those live shows, because it was very ambitious and I didn't know if it would work. It was a very complex technical show that involved the most incredible team of people. The most intelligent, sensitive people. Fantastic band, actors, everybody there had something so special to bring to that show, and I think the response that we got was more than you could ever wish for. I'm so pleased that we did it.

It was a very humbling experience, really. Every night you had a completely different audience, and every night they were so warm. It really meant so much that they liked it. It was very moving, because it felt like the audience came on that journey with us, and, each night, it was a slightly different journey”.

I will leave things here, but I was keen to mark six years of Before the Dawn – slightly before the big day -, as it is a live show that still reverberates, and, naturally, people are looking ahead to see what Kate Bush’s next move will be – whether it is a studio album or, less likely, something live. Before the Dawn was a magical and once-in-a-generation live show and, regret on top of regret, I really…

WISH that I was there!

FEATURE: The August Playlist: Vol. 4: A World of Hurt and the First Class Bitch

FEATURE:

The August Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Arlo Parks/PHOTO CREDIT: Pamela Boland for Love Letters

Vol. 4: A World of Hurt and the First Class Bitch

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IN this week’s selection of new tracks…

IN THIS PHOTO: Confidence Man/PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Lambert

there are some pretty impressive and fascinating releases in the pack! We have terrific songs from Arlo Parks, Confidence Man, Deftones, London Grammar, Phoenix, Father John Misty, Astrid S, Will Butler, and The Killers. Throw into the mix Nubya Garcia, Saint Saviour, Katy Perry, Dolly Parton, Bright Eyes, Angel Olsen, and Frankie Knuckles, and there is plenty of variety in there! It is a terrific week for music, and the quality is as high as it has been all year. If you need some great tunes to get you into the weekend, then settle down with these…

IN THIS PHOTO: Nubya Garcia/PHOTO CREDIT: Fabrice Bourgelle Photography

ABSOLUTE pearls.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Arlo Parks – Hurt

PHOTO CREDIT: @w_i_l_k

Confidence Man - First Class Bitch

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Maddocks

Deftones – Ohms

PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez

Phoenix - Identical (from the Original Motion Picture, On the Rocks)

London Grammar - Baby It's You

PHOTO CREDIT: Janne Rugland

Astrid S – Marilyn Monroe

PHOTO CREDIT: Terry Tsiolis for Interview Magazine

Father John Misty – To S.

PHOTO CREDIT: Alan Knowles

Saint Saviour – Paris

Dizzee Rascal (ft. Chip) - L.L.L.L

Will Butler - Close My Eyes

PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Sharp

Erasure – Careful What I Try to Do

Katy Perry – What Makes a Woman

Alice Boman - Wake Me Up

Bright Eyes – Pan and Broom

PHOTO CREDIT: Beth Garrabrant

Taylor Swift – the lakes (bonus track)

PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Ashcroft

The Killers – Blowback

Dolly Parton – Mary, Did You Know?

PHOTO CREDIT: Maciek Kobielski for Vanity Fair

Maya Hawke - Generous Heart

Pharrell Williams (ft. JAY-Z) – Entrepreneur

PHOTO CREDIT: Kylie Coutts

Angel Olsen - Waving, Smiling

Frankie Knuckles – Carefree (I Am a Star)

Grace Gillespie – Your God’s Within

Wyvern Lingo - Brutal Lottery

Nubya Garcia – Together Is a Beautiful Place to Be

Emma Ruth Rundle, Thou – Ancestral Recall

BTS – Dynamite

The Lemon Twigs – Only a Fool

Bully – Let You

TSHA – Sister

Agnes - Fingers Crossed

PHOTO CREDIT: dmytroooo

HÆLOS – Hold On

Madison Beer – Baby

PHOTO CREDIT: Alejandro Menéndez Vega

The Mavericks - Recuerdos

FLETCHER – Feel

PHOTO CREDIT: Jace Kartye

Elizabeth Cook – Thick Georgia Woman

PHOEBE ∆X∆ – Wisdom Teeth (Pressure)

FEATURE: Inspired by Emilia Clarke’s My Life in a Mixtape… Songs That Hold a Special Place

FEATURE:

 

Inspired by Emilia Clarke’s My Life in a Mixtape…

IN THIS PHOTO: Emilia Clarke/PHOTO CREDIT: Sophia Spring

Songs That Hold a Special Place

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I was just going to put out a mixtape/playlist…

of songs from 1990-1993 (inclusive) as, to be fair, that is my favourite period in terms of Pop hits and songs that were really formative. To be honest, one or two might still make their way into this feature but, having heard actor Emilia Clarke talk about the songs that are dearest to her in My Life in a Mixtape, it really struck me! Not only are the songs awesome - The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Brandy & Monica’s The Boy Is Mine, Althea & Donna’s Uptown Top Ranking, Dionne Warwick’s Walk on By, Kings of Leon’s The Bucket, LCD Soundsystem’s Daft Punk Is Playing at My House, Billie Holiday’s Them There Eyes, and Bob Dylan’s Don't Think Twice, It's All Right were all in the mix; included also was Little Simz’s 101 FM and Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise -, but her authority and passion was clear. The actual broadcast is only available until the middle of September, so I would urge people to check it out as soon as you can! Although Emilia Clarke is only a few years younger than me, her knowledge and breadth of musical treats is more impressive than mine! I hope that a station like BBC Radio 2 or BBC Radio 6 Music snaps Clarke up, as she would put together an awesome show! I have heard similar shows on radio where well-known faces discuss their favourite music – from Ken Bruce’s Tracks of My Years on BBC Radio 2, to BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. I think we all dream of being on shows where we can talk about the music that matters most to us. Rather than include the same number of songs as Emilia Clarke had on her My Life in a Mixtape, I am going to include eight songs, and categorise each of them. I am imagining a single-sided mixtape, where we can flow between the eight tracks, yet each of them represents a different period of my life. I am going to crib a few categories from BBC Radio 2/Emilia Clarke, but I have been dipping back into songs that have made a big impact on me. At the bottom, I will include all eight tracks in a Spotify playlist but, here, are the songs that would be on my personal mixtape….

An album that I can listen to the whole way through without boredom

Paul Simon – Graceland

“This might sound odd, but I think almost every album has a track on it that I am not overly-keen on. Even my favourite albums have that one song that is not quite as great as the rest. I have a load of vinyl, but the one I grab and gravitate towards if I need to immerse myself in music is Paul Simon’s Graceland. Released in 1986, I first heard the album not long after it came out. I am a massive fan of Paul Simon, but surely nothing he recorded solo or part of Simon & Garfunkel ranks alongside Graceland?! It is a sensational piece of work and, with songs like Graceland, and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes included, it is a masterpiece! Even the less-well-known songs, such as African Skies, are ones I spin incessantly. I love this album and, during this tough time, its importance is evident. The first track on my mixtape would be a gem from this album”

An oldskool disco choice

Snap! - Rhythm Is a Dancer

“I think any school disco required a combination of the cheesier hits from the day, and one or two classics thrown in there. Back through middle and high school, there were a few discos and dances, and I also got invited to birthday parties and, inevitably, there would be music there. I am dipping early into my 1990-1993 pool, as Snap!’s Rythmn Is a Dancer is from 1992. This track reached number-one in the U.K., and it was one of those songs I fell for straight away; one that was ubiquitous when it came to discos and dances. I don’t think it has aged that badly, and it is definitely a product of the 1990s – they do not make songs like this anymore!”

PHOTO CREDIT: Mick Hutson/Redferns/Getty

The song that reminds me of school

Beastie Boys – Intergalactic

“Following on the heels of the previous song, and it is hard to distil the experience of school into a single song! In fact, the image I get when I think of mixtapes is school – one would often see them passed around by friends and couples. I could have gone with other songs that soundtracked important memories: Red Alert by Basement Jaxx was played at my high school leavers’ ball, whilst Blur and Oasis were very important, as I was in high school when the two bands were at their peak. Beastie Boys’ Intergalactic, again, is a high school track, and one that reminds me of friendship and good times. I have written about this before, but this song was played a lot after school where I would play football with friends; the stereo speakers close to the windows, as we ran around. Intergalactic is from Beastie Boys’ 1998 album, Hello Nasty, and I was a big fan of the Hip-Hop trio before that point. I think this song stands out most (from their albums) because it, well…it kicks ass harder than anything!”

My newest music discovery

Another Sky – The Cracks

“Another Sky are a band I am new to, and they just released their debut album, I Slept on the Floor. I have recommended and spotlighted a lot of artists this year, but I particular love the London four-piece, as there is something dreamy about their music that takes you away. The voice of Catrin Vincent is a big reason why Another Sky are so revered, and you can hear her really bloom and strike on songs such as The Cracks. The band have a long future ahead of them and, if you can, go and investigate their debut album”.

One of my favourite songs

Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares for Me

“Whilst my favourite song ever is Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues, I have included that before, and I wanted to look beyond that. I grew up listening to all kinds of music, and Nina Simone’s My Baby Just Cares for Me was one of the earlier songs that came into my life. I love the simplicity of the piano and the power of Simone’s voice. It is not only nostalgia that keeps bringing me back to this song. I think, were it released today, it would strike me just as hard as there is something remarkable about Nina Simone that sends you into a shiver. My Baby Just Cares for Me might not be her most-famous song, but it is my favourite of hers”

A song from my favourite album

Kate Bush – Moving (from The Kick Inside)

“I haven’t exactly kept it a secret that Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside is my favourite album ever! It is one that I holds very dear and, like so many of my most-loved records, I have been revisiting it a lot lately. My favourite song from The Kick Inside is Wuthering Heights, but most people know it very well. The opening song on the album, Moving, is one that fewer have heard, and it begins with beautiful whale song. Maybe it sounds a bit jarring on a mixtape, but I think that it slows behind Nina Simone pretty nicely! I think Kate Bush’s more minor songs are not played enough, so I would encourage people to check out her albums and really dig into them”

A song that I purchased as a single

Manic Street Preachers – You Stole the Sun from My Heart

“I am a big fan of the Manic Street Preachers, and I bought the album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, when it came out in 1998. Not ones to keep titles too short, the incredible single, You Stole the Sun from My Heart, arrived in March 1999 – the album came out in September 1998. It is strange to buy a single after you have the album, but I loved the song so much, I wanted to get the single and check out its B-side. I think the single I bought had Socialist Serenade as its B-side, and I was more than happy to have a Manics single alongside the album it came from! My peak single-buying years was during high school (1994-1999), and I think the fact that we could buy singles rather than download them made me more attached and engrossed in music; I would take a bus to buy a single because I wanted to own something and keep it! Manic Street Preachers’ You Stole the Sun from My Heart was one of my favourite singles from the ‘90s”

PHOTO CREDIT: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty

One of my earliest musical memories

The Bangles – Eternal Flame

“To end, I want to return to the (near the) very beginning: one of my earliest musical memories as a child. Music television played a big role in my childhood, and I discovered so many great artists from watching MTV and VH1. The latter was instrumental when it came to The Bangles’ Eternal Flame. I think a lot of people overlook this track when we think about the best of The Bangles, but it is a gorgeous song that stuck in my mind when I first heard it in the late-1980s. Released as a single on 17th February, 1989, I recall catching a glimpse of the video through the banisters of my family home; seeing the band on the beach singing Eternal Flame might seem a little cliché and forgettable now but, as a child, I was definitely hooked! It is rare that a video affects you as much a song, but that is definitely the case with Eternal Flame! I think it is a good way to end the mixtape and, as I look at all the songs above, it has tempted me to expand the thought and, adding a fair few other songs to the mix, I might have made a double-sided tape of my favourite tracks”

FEATURE: Frequency Modulation: The Continued Gender Imbalance on Radio Playlists

FEATURE:

Frequency Modulation

IN THIS PHOTO: British-born Grace Carter is one of the most talented and promising artists of the moment

The Continued Gender Imbalance on Radio Playlists

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ONE story that comes up every year…

that one wishes wouldn’t is radio playlists, and how few women are included. The figures are even starker when we look at producers, engineers and women behind the scenes. Maybe it is harder to easily rectify the number of women in studios are in top positions in the industry, but it is still alarming and we need to see a change there! Things are very slowly changing, and I do hope that there will be greater balance in the next few years – though that might be slightly ambitious! Something that can be corrected more quickly is the number of British women on radio playlists. I am not sure whether the figures are as bleak for international women but, as this article from The Guardian outlines, the situation is bleak for homegrown talent:

“British female musicians are dramatically underrepresented on UK radio stations, a study has found.

A survey of the top 100 songs by British acts to feature in the UK airplay chart between 1 January and 15 August this year found that only 19% were by female acts. Male artists accounted for 51%, and mixed-gender collaborations made up 30%.

The inequality was starker still behind the scenes: 80% of British songwriters on the surveyed tracks were male, 19% female and 1% non-binary. Only 3% of producers were female.

Becky Hill, whose 2019 collaboration with the male DJ Sigala was among the most played tracks in the period, said the findings reflected the challenges facing women in the music industry.

IN THIS PHOTO: Becky Hill

“Whether it is about what they look like or what they write about in their songs, or how they conduct their day-to-day lives, it would appear that women need to be more than just talented to be accepted and successful,” she said.

Female acts accounted for just 10% of the most played songs by British artists on BBC Radio 1 and on Radio 6 Music during the 12-month period. On BBC Radio 1Xtra the figure was 14.3%, on BBC Asian Network 20%, and on Radio 2 it was 40%.

In commercial radio, the Bauer Media stations Absolute Radio and Kerrang! and Global Media’s Radio X had no female acts among their top 20 most played songs by British artists. British women accounted for 15% of the top 20 on Kiss FM, 5% on Kiss Fresh, and a sector high of 30% on Bauer’s Magic FM.

Eleanor McEvoy, the chair of the Irish Music Rights Organisation, said gender disparity on radio appeared to be worsening.

“The unconscious bias towards male musicians, songwriters and performers is staggering. Looking at these figures I’m frustrated at the talent that we’re losing, the song that will be missed and the voices that we’re never going to hear,” she said.

BBC research last year found that three times as many male as female pop stars appeared on the biggest singles of 2018, and suggested female acts were losing exposure in an era heavy on collaborations”.

I have collected together various exerts from the article, but the picture painted is very worrying. There are so many brilliant British women in music and, whilst I can appreciate American female artists probably get more airplay than British artists, there is still a huge gender imbalance and bias towards men. One might say that there are fewer British women in music, but that is not the case. Just look at various music websites and magazines; check out new releases and listen to what is out there, and it is evident that there is more than enough British talent. I know radio stations have their demographics and particular musical tastes, but that is not to say they are limited by that at all. I would be interested to see what the figures are like when you factor in all female artists – one suspects there is still a massive imbalance. It is down to radio stations to nurture and promulgate brilliant artists, and so many British artists rely on the bigger stations to get their music out there. In order to break out of this continuing pattern, radio bosses need to look at the research and commit to change. From Dua Lipa, Rina Sawayama, Laura Marling, Charli XCX to Jessie Ware, some of the best albums of this year have come from British female artists. Whilst I admit that, perhaps, American female artists account for more big singles and albums than British women, there is not a massive disparity in terms of nationality, and there are ample options regarding British women.

Maybe more women behind the scenes would help push terrific British female artists to the surface. Those figures from the top of this article – “80% of British songwriters on the surveyed tracks were male, 19% female and 1% non-binary. Only 3% of producers were female” – gives one pause for thought! Again, there are so many terrific British women who are songwriters and producers, and I wonder whether there is this culture that makes it inherently hard for them to be accepted. This bias towards men is undeniable, and there is not enough being done in the industry to encourage more women into studios. I know some brilliant female producers, and they are lobbying hard for greater equality, but they say that there is either not enough support from their male peers, or women are not coming through - most likely due to the shocking statistics and, still, the studio is seen as a male domain. I know a lot of female artists self-produce and, in an age where D.I.Y. music is rife, the figures do not necessarily take this into account. If we are going to see improvement when it comes to radio playlists, there needs to be consideration for the foundations and bringing more women in to studios and changing practises. I was shocked to see how few female songwriters accounted for the most-played songs on radio. One might also argue that the research findings are about the more popular songs, and there are plenty of more underground, lesser-known female artists being played.

IN THIS PHOTO: Arlo Parks/PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Almeida 

Excuses aside, nobody can deny that women are underrepresented, and that their musical contribution is just as valuable and strong as that from the men. In fact, every year, the best music I hear is from women. So much of this musical excellent comes from Britain, and I am seeing so many hungry and talented artists put out sensational music. Let’s hope that these findings do propel movement, and it would be a shame if we were in the same position this time next year. It is such a pity that so much bright talent is not being acknowledged by radio stations. One can hear so many fantastic British women every week, but that is not translating into airplay! As music festivals are still struggling to create gender-equal bills – Glastonbury achieved it this year before they had to cancel -, one does sigh and wonder whether we will see correction in the next few years. I have the utmost respect for the brilliant radio stations in this country, and they have provided strength and company to us all during this hard time. From Grace Carter, beabadoobee (she is Filipino-born but a British citizen) and Arlo Parks to Celeste, there are so many exciting British women coming through, in addition to those established artists. The quality and choice is out there; it is a case of recognising it and committing to tackling the glaring gender imbalance. Our fantastic female artists definitely…

DESERVE a lot more than this.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Women in Country

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Maddie & Tae

Women in Country

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IN this series…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kacey Musgraves/PHOTO CREDIT: Drew Gurian/Invision/AP

I have covered a lot of areas in music; from different genres and years, it has been fun putting these together. Today, I am looking at women in Country music. I think Country is a genre that suffers from sexism, and women are having to fight against imbalance. Maybe things are slightly better than they were a couple of years back, but in terms of airplay and representation, women are still having to fight to be heard! It is such a shame so, because of that, I have compiled a playlist of the best women in Country music past and present. I hope that, on a rather unpredictable weekend, it provides you with some…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dolly Parton

ENERGY and motivation.

FEATURE: Spotlight: The Beths

FEATURE:

  

Spotlight

The Beths

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THE brilliant Auckland-formed band…

PHOTO CREDIT: Mason Fairey

The Beths are one that I think everyone should be aware of. Consisting Elizabeth Stokes, Jonathan Pearce, Benjamin Sinclair, and Tristan Deck, Stokes and Pearce met Ivan Luketina-Johnston (who departed the band in 2018) at high-school where all four – including Jonathan Pearce - attended classes at the University of Auckland. The Beths started out in 2015, and, by March 2016, they had put out their debut E.P., Warm Blood. It was a promising start for the band, and I want to push forward to the present day in terms of releases, as the brilliant album, Jump Rope Gazers, arrived in July. It is the second album from the band, and it follows the excellent Future Me Hates Me of 2018. I think Jump Rope Gazers is a step up from their debut, and it is one of 2020’s best releases. I want to bring in a review for that album soon but, before then, I wanted to quote from a couple of interviews the band have conducted – go and buy Jump Rope Gazers if you can. Actually, I just want to grab from Rough Trade, who described the album thus:

“Songwriter and lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes worked on what would become The Beths’ second LP, Jump Rope Gazers, in between these intense periods of touring. Like the group’s earlier music, the album tackles themes of anxiety and self-doubt with effervescent power pop choruses and rousing backup vocals, zeroing in on the communality and catharsis that can come from sharing stressful situations with some of your best friends. Stokes’s writing on Jump Rope Gazers grapples with the uneasy proposition of leaving everything and everyone you know behind on another continent, chasing your dreams while struggling to stay close with loved ones back home.

With songs like the rambunctious Dying To Believe and the tender, shoegazey Out of Sight, The Beths reckon with the distance that life necessarily drives between people over time. People who love each other inevitably fail each other. “I’m sorry for the way that I can’t hold conversations / They’re such a fragile thing to try to support the weight of,” Stokes sings on Dying to Believe. The best way to repair that failure, in The Beths’ view, is with abundant and unconditional love, no matter how far it has to travel. On Out of Sight, she pledges devotion to a dearly missed friend: “If your world collapses / I’ll be down in the rubble/I’d build you another,” she sings.

“It was a rough year in general, and I found myself saying the words, 'wish you were here, wish I was there,’ over and over again,” she says of the time period in which the album was written. Touring far from home, The Beths committed themselves to taking care of each other as they were trying at the same time to take care of friends living thousands of miles away. They encouraged each other to communicate whenever things got hard, and to pay forward acts of kindness whenever they could. That care and attention shines through on Jump Rope Gazers, where the quartet sounds more locked in than ever. Their most emotive and heartfelt work to date, Jump Rope Gazers stares down all the hard parts of living in communion with other people, even at a distance, while celebrating the ferocious joy that makes it all worth it - a sentiment we need now more than ever”.

Okay. I have talked about the new album a bit, but I think it is important to hear from the band a little. I will quote from a couple of interviews, because this year has been a busy one for them, and there are a lot of new eyes and ears tuning their way. I think The Beths have come a long way, and I am glad that a lot of fresh fans have come their way. I am not sure what the rest of this year holds for them, but I know they will be keen to get on the road they can and bring their music to the people. The Beths spoke with The Guardian recently, and we learn a bit about the switch from the debut, Future Me Hates Me, and their new release:

“The Beths’ first record, 2018’s Future Me Hates Me, introduced the world to a band that was all guitars and catchy melodies, with a self-effacing sentiment beneath the jangle. They went from playing national tours (which in New Zealand, Stokes says, amounts to three shows) to runs in Europe and North America, where 10 dates with no breaks became the norm. They opened for Pixies, the Breeders, Weezer and Death Cab for Cutie. Stokes was nominated for New Zealand songwriting award the Silver Scroll, twice.

But as their audience swelled, the small Auckland scene that had sheltered and supported them seemed farther and farther away.

Naturally, the disconnect made its way into Stokes’s lyrics. The Beths’ second record, Jump Rope Gazers, grapples with the pressure – both internal and external – of living up to the dream you sketched out for yourself; the shame that comes with falling for your own insecure bullshit again; and the frustration of feeling untethered to life back home.

“A lot of the album is about relationships and communication, and it just happens that communication means a different thing [now] than it did, like, 20 years ago,” Stokes says. The version of herself Stokes sketches out in her lyrics seems both grateful to have emails and texts to stay connected while she’s touring far from home, and resentful of the way those mediums can lead to miscommunication and tension. She adds a self-aware disclaimer to this thought: “I hope it’s not sounding like I’m like, ‘texting is bad for your relationships!’”

Seeing a band mature and evolve is always a great thing and, as discovered the band fairly recently, I have been listening back and comparing the music they were making a couple of years back and where they are now. One can tell and feel how good they are; everyone can connect with their music, and one is helpless to resist the energy and colour one finds on Jump Rope Gazers. It is a marvellous album, and the band are scaling new heights.

When the band spoke to Upset Magazine, Stokes and Pearce talked about how their latest album is a response to the reaction to their debut:

“It's a record they're rightly proud of too, pushing the sound of The Beths far beyond the breezy pop hooks found on 'Future Me Hates Me', and into something far more textured and nuanced. It's still unmistakably The Beths, but it possesses much more stylistic depth – peaks and valleys – which make it a much deeper listening experience.

Liz comments that the first record established the circle in which The Beths sit, and 'Jump Rope Gazers' is an opportunity to push on the boundaries of the circle, while Jonathan sees the decision to push themselves sonically as a response to how 'Future Me Hates Me' was perceived.

"I have a pretty unhealthy relationship with music criticism as a job," he says. "There are people out there who are personality music critics, and it makes me feel pretty uncomfortable. But we were aware of one piece of criticism of the first record that we thought was valid – and we're very proud of that record – but it didn't have a lot of diversity. There were a lot of fast and loud songs, crammed-in hooks, and cool guitar parts”.

I will wrap things up soon but, before I go on, I want to bring in a review of Jump Rope Gazers. The album has received some acclaim, but there are some who are a little mixed. I think Jump Rope Gazers is an album that grows and blossoms the more you listen, and, after a few spins, it really reveals its charms.

Those who were listening hard bonded with the album and saw it in its true light. In their assessment, this is what The Line of Best Fit wrote:

“Their recent tour with Death Cab For Cutie has clearly had some influence on them. The record features plenty of truly beautiful torch songs like "Out of Sight" the type that filled Death Cab’s Plans. “You Are A Beam Of Light” gives the stage over to Stokes’ vocals and an acoustic guitar, accompanied by some stunning harmonies. Here she tries to convince someone that their presence lights up her life, even if they don’t think the same. It’s a lump in the throat moment from a band that’ve only really gone all-out so far.

But they certainly haven’t forgotten how to write those big, excellent tunes filled with hooks and pithy observations. “I’m Not Getting Excited” is an assault of rollicking riffs and ripping drums, while “Don’t Go Away” features a fantastic slow head-banger of an outro. Not a single minute of Jump Rope Gazers is lacking in catchy melodies or that addictive energy.

Stokes has said that “I’m Not Getting Excited” is all about how she doesn’t want to jinx things. About the overriding impostor syndrome that seems to kick in when great moments or opportunities head her way. In truth, Stokes should knock those fears aside because The Beths have managed to create another overwhelmingly thrilling record. One in stunning communion with their debut but also distinctly its own creature”.

I have brought in a few interview and reviews because I wanted to give you an idea of who The Beths are and how they have progressed over the course of two albums. I would suggest people follow the band, as they are bound for big things, and I hope they do get to tour next year. Even though we are in lockdown, there is still fantastic music arriving, and with the likes of The Beths supplying treats like Jump Rope Gazers, it has got us through some tough times! A salute to them and, if they come to the U.K. next year, I will make sure…

I go and see them.

_____________

Follow The Beths

Official:

https://thebeths.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thebethsnz/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lizstokedstokes/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lizstokedstokes

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7DjwIxbe8kpw4pqnzAMoin

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBeths

FEATURE: Blow Away: Kate Bush’s Never for Ever: An Album of Sheer Beauty

FEATURE:

 

Blow Away

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

Kate Bush’s Never for Ever: An Album of Sheer Beauty

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MAYBE it is very limiting…

to call an album beautiful. When it comes to describing Kate Bush’s music, there are so many other words and expressions that one can use. On Never for Ever, there are songs that take your breath because they are quite heavy and epic; others that are dramatic and have an edge to them. Though I think her debut album, The Kick Inside, is her best album, Never for Ever has a big place in my heart. It is the beauty and sheer  wonder of Never for Ever that amazes me. As the album turns forty on 8th September, I am minded to talk about it, because not that many people give it a lot of love and appreciation. Many people overlook anything prior to The Dreaming of 1982. I know Bush herself feels that her albums pre-Hounds of Love were not necessarily her favourite. Maybe at the time of release she loved Never for Ever, but she rarely discussed Never for Ever later in her career. If 1978’s Lionheart was a rushed follow-up to her debut and she couldn’t really progress in such a short time, I think Never for Ever was a big step forward and a much more rounded and complete work than Lionheart. I have talked about this before, but Never for Ever was a big shift for Bush. Recorded between September 1979 and May 1980, Bush was fresh from her Tour of Life of 1979 – that tour ended on 14th May, 1979.

Producing alongside Jon Kelly (who was the engineer on her first two albums), IK can imagine the atmosphere for Never for Ever was a lot different compared to that on The Kick Inside, and Lionheart. Kelly, as a younger producer than Andrew Powell, had less experience, but I think the bond between him and Bush would have been closer, as they were very similar in terms of age. Bush had recently discovered the Fairlight CMI, which opened her mind and provided her music so many different sounds and possibilities. The album’s three singles, Breathing, Babooshka, and Army Dreamers, are classics, and they are among the rawer and more urgent tracks on the album. Breathing’s subject of nuclear war as viewed from the perspective of a foetus is an epic closing track, whilst Army Dreamers’ lighter vocal and Irish accent cannot disguise the fact that Bush is singing about young men being wasted in battle; Babooshka is about a woman with two different personalities: the housewife who has doubts about her husband’s fidelity, and this younger version of herself that is fiercer and more alluring. I love these tracks, and I can see why they were selected as singles! I feel a lot of people distil Never for Ever into these three tracks, and they ignore the enormous beauty and wonderfulness of the remaining numbers. Maybe critics were looking for something a lot different and more ‘mature’ than the songs on The Kick Inside, and Lionheart.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1980

Never for Ever has a faster and darker side, but I really adore the songs that are slower or has a different tone. The Wedding List, for instance, is more similar to Babooshka in terms of its energy, but not many people remark on this stunning song. Delius (Song of Summer), Blow Away (for Bill), and All We Ever Look For follows Babooshka, and they are fantastic and so engrossing. Some were a bit put off by Bush’s vocal sound and style on The Kick Inside, feeling it was too high-pitched or wild. On Never for Ever, we can hear her voice growing and expanding, and I think that gorgeous aspect of her voice was more accessible and diverse. Countering Ian Bairnson’s bass vocals on Delius (Song of Summer), Bush produces something almost choral and spiritual; similar in some ways to vocal performances on her previous two albums, but somehow different and more effecting. All We Ever Look For, as we discover, mixes serious subject material with a vocal that is heavenly and touching:

“One of my new songs, 'All We Ever Look For', it's not about me. It's about family relationships generally. Our parents got beaten physically. We get beaten psychologically. The last line - "All we ever look for - but we never did score".' Well, that's the way it is - you do get faced sometimes with futile situations. But the answer's not to kill yourself. You have to accept it, you have to cope with it. (Derek Jewell, 'How To Write Songs And Influence People'. Sunday Times (UK), 5 October 1980)”.

Before I look at the second side of Never for Ever, I wanted to reference an interesting thing I read in Homeground: The Kate Bush Magazine: Anthology One: Wuthering Heights to The Sensual World.  On page 593 of the hardback edition, which included a document that lists some of Bush’s songs and writes why they are explicit or controversial. In terms of disturbing morals or creating offence, one can imagine that this list came from an American church or religious body – I cannot work out whether it is a joke or not (even though the book’s authors claim it is not). The list shows that, on so many of Bush’s songs, she was discussing themes that few artists were. All We Ever Look For is, apparently, includes references to breasts, drugs, and tombs, so it should carry a warning. Babooshka relates to infidelity, whilst Army Dreamers is about death. Blow Away (for Bill) included sacrilege and death, whilst Egypt contains demons and female sexual organs. The Infant Kiss concerns paedophilia, and Violin is about satanism –not to mention the murder and revenge on The Wedding List. I am sure a lot of the songs on Never for Ever ruffled feathers in more conservative parts of the U.S. but, whether you find this attempt at judgement and censorship funny, it does show that Bush could easily blend beauty and ethereal layers into songs that are a lot deeper than most other tracks.

A lot of people overlooked the complexities and fascinating elements of a lot of Never for Ever’s tracks. On the second side, The Wedding List kicks things off with its tale of a vengeful bride. Maybe the vocals are not as beautiful as other tracks on the album, but I love the composition and how seductive it is. Even when Bush’s voice was more charged and intense, she still managed to make something about the music utterly beguiling and entrancing. The Infant Kiss, and Night Scented Stock are big examples of the impact Bush’s voice has when she is going for the heart! The latter is a short track (under a minute), that provides breath and relief before two big and moving tracks close the album – Army Dreamers, and Breathing. Again, whilst I have huge respect for the weightier (in terms of sonics) songs on Never for Ever, it is the dreamier and tender tracks that really move me. The Infant Kiss, as you would expect, is not about Bush lusting after a young boy - the story is about a governess who believes the ghost of her predecessor's dead lover is trying to possess the bodies of the children she is looking after. As Never for Ever turns forty next month, I wonder why it remains so underrated. A couple of the tracks - Blow Away, and Violin – are not overly-strong, but I just really love the album as a whole. Bush’s voice is stronger and more eclectic than on her first two albums, and I think the compositions are so rich and stunning. Never for Ever is a wonderful album that is….

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1980

A lot richer than many people give it credit for.

FEATURE: Show Me Heaven: Heavenly Recordings at Thirty

FEATURE:

 

Show Me Heaven

IMAGE CREDIT: Heavenly Recordings

Heavenly Recordings at Thirty

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I had a few half-ideas…

IN THIS PHOTO: Heavenly Recordings artist, Amber Arcades

that I wanted to write this week but, having listened to Lauren Laverne’s BBC Radio 6 Music show this morning (17th August), she mentioned how she is celebrating thirty years of Heavenly Recordings on her show today. I don’t think we give proper credit to record labels when it comes to the success and exposure of artists. Previously, I have tripped my cap to labels like Bella Union, and I think a great, ethical and passionate label can do wonders for an artist. I am less keen on the mega-rich labels that tend to represent the biggest acts: the slightly smaller labels seem more intriguing, quality-rich and impressive. To mark thirty years of the London-based label, Heavenly Recordings, I am going to end with a playlist featuring a selection of their artists past and present. Their current stable is impressive, and I think there are some future megastars waiting to come through. A great label like Heavenly can guide and care for an artist and ensure that there is that blend of artistic freedom and professional support. You can follow Heavenly Recordings on Twitter, and I think there are a lot of artists on their books that you will fall for. Before I move on, I want to grab from their About section of the website, where we learn about this magical label that, since their birth in 1990, has grown to become one of the greatest stables in music:

“On paper, Heavenly is a UK independent label founded by Jeff Barrett back in 1990, but anyone who really knows Heavenly is aware of its importance, its relevance, its deep-rooted brilliance and uncompromising naughty, chummy magic that flows throughout everything they do. The Heavenly family possess a borderline-spiritual love for music, expressed with an old-school friendliness that you just don’t tend to come across as much these days. For 28 years through an ever-changing musical landscape Heavenly have developed a sort of teflon cloak borne out of the purity of their intent and uncompromising quest for quality. Their unflinching dedication to good music and their razor-sharp ability to detect artists who can trigger specific, indefinable feelings, is second to none.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mattiel Brown of the Heavenly-signed band, Mattiel

While their hedonistic history is one of infinite musical anecdotes, one thing they’re not keen on is dwelling too much on the past. These days they’re currently representing nearly 30 of the most exciting and loveable bands and artists recording today, in a roster that’s never been better or more far-reaching. From Australia there’s the raucous sweatfest of King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard who put out not one but five albums in 2017, shimmering shoegaze by way of new Heavenly’s brand new signing Hatchie, and the bonkers and epic Confidence Man who have somehow managed to invent a whole new style of dance music.

From the US you’ve got the fast-paced guitar seduction of Night Beats, the sweet and tender sounds of Anna Burch. Then you’ve got the Welsh contingency: the inimitable Gwenno and Huw Hawkline and then the newly-signed artist and Cardiff’s answer to William Onyeabor, Boy Azooga.

Two other exciting new signings come in the shape of Dan Stock: a young man from Milton Keynes who’s like a love-child of Billy Bragg and Bruce Springsteen, and audiobooks: David Wrench and Goldmsiths fine art student Evangeline Ling on a quest to create a collection of stone cold, avant garde party bangers.

IN THIS PHOTO: Heavenly Recordings-signed band, The Orielles

Other new signings include Halifax’s finest The Orielles, Dutch pop wonder Amber Arcades and mesmerising Parisian artist Halo Maud. Elsewhere on the current roster lies the Prince of Tears himself Baxter Dury, the legendary Mark Lanegan, Liverpudlian trio Stealing Sheep, Duke Garwood, The Parrots and the new and very exciting 77:78. One more artist that the label is very excited about is Mattiel: a rather extraordinary multidisciplinary visual and audio artist from the US whose ridiculously catchy and upbeat songs are brought to you by Heavenly as a way of opening up the gateway to the summer. You can thank them for that later.

All those artists have this certain Heavenly flavour that’s as crystal clear as it is completely undefinable. It’s that certain characteristic that runs through all of Heavenly’s acts: a wild streak, a loving side, a splash of eccentricity. Heavenly continue to move through the world discovering people that speak their language and possess the unexplainable qualities necessary to be part of the ever-growing family. The family isn’t exclusive to artists – it’s open to people like you. People who have wandered lost through a festival and stumbled upon Jeff and Danny DJing to a crowd of happy dancers, people who have spent long nights holed up in The Social, people who have hopped on the train on a cold February afternoon to watch bands at the Heavenly Weekend at the Hebden Bridge Trades Club, and people who, most importantly, Believe in Magic…”.

To honour thirty years of the brilliant Heavenly Recordings, I am ending with a playlist that features their great artists from the present and past. We can all agree that the music below is…

IN THIS PHOTO: Heavenly Recordings artist, Gwenno

ABSOLUTELY divine.

FEATURE: Fake Plastic Trees and Weird Fishes: Why Some Artists Feel Strange About Tackling Other Artists’ Music – and Why a Well-Judged Cover Can Top the Original

FEATURE:

Fake Plastic Trees and Weird Fishes

IN THIS PHOTO: Lianne La Havas

Why Some Artists Feel Strange About Tackling Other Artists’ Music – and Why a Well-Judged Cover Can Top the Original

___________

EVERY week that goes by…

IN THIS PHOTO: Hayley Williams/PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsey Byrnes

reveals an interesting cover version or two. It is a shame that there is not a database of every cover version that comes out – I guess it would be impossible to maintain and keep reliable! I do love a cover version, as I think it is harder for an artist than writing an original song. If you cover a song by a well-known artist, then there is expectation and high standards. If one takes on a slightly less-well-known song, then there is a danger that few people will hear it. I am compelled to write this feature as, recently, two artists have tackled numbers by Radiohead. Hayley Williams explained her reticence after she covered Fake Plastic Trees from the band’s breakthrough second album, The Bends:

“Hayley Williams has shared a cover of Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” Williams wrote on Instagram, “Seemed sacrilegious at first until I realized that the band themselves have never once regarded what they do as precious or never-to-be-toyed with.” She continued, “They are never beholden to any one version of their expression and public affections don’t seem to sway them.” Hear Williams’ take on “Fake Plastic Trees” below.

Hayley Williams recently covered “Unison” off Björk’s album Vespertine. She released her debut solo album, Petals for Armor, earlier this year”.

I do love Williams’ approach to Fake Plastic Trees, and it is a song that has also been covered by Amanda Palmer, and Show of Hands (among others). That is not the only Radiohead song that has been given a new angle and lease of life!

One of the best songs of this year arrived from Lianne La Havas. She included Radiohead’s Weird Fishes on her recent eponymous album. In this article from Pitchfork we learn more about La Havas’ attachment and relationship to the song:

“Lianne La Havas’ 2013 tour setlist often included a cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes,” a song the British singer-songwriter/guitarist has described as one of her “favorite songs ever.” Today, she’s shared a studio version of that cover, recorded for her upcoming self-titled third album. Listen to that below.

“I had the most wonderful, nourishing experience recording that,” La Havas said in a press release, explaining that the “Weird Fishes” session informed the recording sessions for the rest of the album. “That’s where I decided: the rest of the album needs to be like this. It’s got to be my band, and I’ve got to do it in London, whenever people have time”.

Whilst some artists take on songs and do not add anything to the original, there are others that can take the song to new levels. One can appreciate the hesitation of covering a song by a beloved artist, and there is a history with that song and, unless the artist does a great job, there is that guilt that they have somehow damaged the original.

I think that is an understandable opinion, but everyone is free to cover any song they wish. I love Hayley Williams and Lianne La Havas’ Radiohead reworkings, as it is interesting learning how two very different artists share a love of the Oxford band and, when you listen to their covers, they have taken two exceptional songs in different directions! A terrific cover version not only shines a new light on a track, but it is a way of introducing an artist to new ears. If Radiohead get new support from La Havas and Williams’ fans, then that is great. I think there is a lot of pressure on artists – especially mainstream acts – to write their own material or have original songs on their records. I feel a brave or unexpected cover version can do so much for an album, and it would be interesting to see more artists look around and put some cover versions out there. In the same way classic Hip-Hop albums used samples and helped raise awareness of other genres and musicians, cover versions have that same sort of impact. There are artists who do cover versions of big artists because that song is trending or can get them a lot of focus. That might be cynical, but it does happen a lot! I will leave it there, but I was interested in Hayley Williams’ comments regarding her cover of Radiohead’s Weird Fishes, and it got me thinking about cover versions now and whether it is harder for major artists to produce covers of newer musicians. When an artist picks a wonderful song and gives it their own spin, they can create…

PHOTO CREDIT: @leecampbell/Unsplash

SOMETHING utterly beautiful.

FEATURE: “Bad Religion Run Amuck”: Is It Time to End Cancel Culture?

FEATURE:

 

“Bad Religion Run Amuck”

IN THIS PHOTO: Nick Cave/PHOTO CREDIT: David Barajas

Is It Time to End Cancel Culture?

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AMONG all the most fun and upbeat…

IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa

features I have been writing, I wanted to include some more series subjects. One phrase that many of us are familiar with is ‘cancel culture’. This is when people on the Internet and in the media call for an artist (or famous person) to be cancelled – or be wiped off the map – because of something they have said or done. There seems to be no real justification for this sort of reaction, except for the fact that this person might have offended a few people. It seems that, every month, an artist is threatened with being cancelled as, according to some, they have stepped out of line and that is that. Dua Lipa is someone who has been threatened with this a couple of times this year alone. Recently, her Greater Albania map tweet drew condemnation from many, and I remember seeing the hashtag #Canceldualipa shared widely. Earlier in the year, as this article outlines, Dua Lipa was in the firing line:

“After the Grammys, several of the attendees made their way to a strip club to celebrate. A video posted online depicted Dua Lipa making it rain on some strippers. For some reason, people got offended over this and decided to cancel Dua Lipa.

I truly do not understand what people took issue with. The most surprising part of this is that Dua Lipa was the only person canceled even though there were others with her. Is it because she’s a woman? This does not make much sense. She was even tipping the dancers. Given that this is their job and how they make money, she was actually doing a good thing. Spread the wealth, of course.

This is just the latest in a long string of people being canceled. This might also be a good contender for the dumbest reason anyone has ever been canceled.

Cancel culture speaks to bigger issues within our greater culture. Instead of just canceling people we disagree with, shouldn’t we be opening up a discussion? The entire world seems to be divided now more than ever. The UK is leaving the EU, Trump is nearing the end of the impeachment trial, and Australia is burning while the world just gazes on.

Where is the justice in simply deciding that someone is canceled? Do people not deserve a chance to defend themselves before the sentencing? Sometimes people are canceled over a picture or tweet taken out of context; should they not be given the opportunity to explain?”.

The last paragraph raises some interesting questions. In an age where social media dominates and artists are constantly under the microscope, why do we insist on calling on someone to be cancelled because they have had an opinion?! In the case of Dua Lipa, she has said and done nothing wrong, but the sort of backlash she received is damaging and shocking. Not that people asking for to be cancelled would have worked, but it does mean that other artists (and Dua Lipa) will be fearful of putting certain things online, as they might receive the same sort of treatment.

Nick Cave made the music news this week. As cancel culture continues to rumble unchecked, Cave has had his say regarding the phenomenon. This BBC article picks up the story:

“Nick Cave has said cancel culture is akin to "bad religion run amuck".

Writing on his website, the Australian rock star suggested that political correctness has an "asphyxiating effect on the creative soul of a society".

"Cancel culture" is the term for when individuals or companies face swift public backlash and boycott over statements or actions perceived by some as offensive.

It "embodies all the worst aspects that religion has to offer", said Cave.

Answering a question from a fan, in the latest of his Red Hand Files series of correspondences, the 62-year-old wrote: "As far as I can see, cancel culture is mercy's antithesis. Political correctness has grown to become the unhappiest religion in the world.

"Its once honourable attempt to reimagine our society in a more equitable way now embodies all the worst aspects that religion has to offer (and none of the beauty) - moral certainty and self-righteousness shorn even of the capacity for redemption. It has become quite literally, bad religion run amuck.

"A force that finds its meaning in the cancellation of these difficult ideas hampers the creative spirit of a society and strikes at the complex and diverse nature of its culture.

"But this is where we are. We are a culture in transition, and it may be that we are heading toward a more equal society - I don't know - but what essential values will we forfeit in the process?"

There is a line that one must draw when it comes to free speech and, obviously, some artists can go too far or make mistakes – not that even the worst tweet or remark should threaten their entire career. Today is Madonna’s birthday and, recently, she made some unwise remarks regarding COVID-19 and vaccinations. It wasn’t a smart move to suggest a vaccine is being held back, but I saw a lot of people go online to call for Madonna to be cancelled. Think about the career she had has and periods of her career where people have been on her back. If social media were around during her Like a Prayer/Erotica period, imagine how many people would have been calling for Madonna to be cancelled?! I think artists are entitled to their say, and if they do put something out there that is a little misguided, is it really down to the Internet and a small section of people to end an artist’s career? We do have this ridiculous fickleness where we are quick to celebrate an artist when they release great music but, if they dare to be themselves or act in a way that some find disagreeable, then we are down their neck and put a target on their back. Although her situation if different to that of Madonna’s and others, Cardi B has faced cancel culture.

This article from NME from earlier this month tells us more:

“The NYC rapper, who recently released the Megan Thee Stallion-featuring ‘WAP’, was speaking to ELLE when she reflected on controversial moments from her past which led to multiple attempts to ‘cancel’ her

Last year, Cardi was widely condemned after a resurfaced video showed her reveal that she used to “drug and rob” men who attempted to pay her for sex during her time working as a stripper.

“I feel like people are attacking me because they want me to feel the pressure of bullying, and they want me to give up, and they want me to say, ‘Oh, I quit music’ or ‘I’ll delete my Instagram, delete my Twitter,’ and I’m not willing to do that. No one will ever have that much power [over] me.”

She then addressed the recent allegations claiming that she had a secret Instagram account, saying she “cannot believe 73 people are trying to cancel me over a lie”.

It seems that, in 2020, the notion of cancel culture has heightened, and there seems to be this unabated trend of artists having to check everything they do and say because people will react in such a way. I know cancel culture has been around for years, but I have noticed it a lot more this year. I will move on soon, but even the biggest and most popular artists are not immune from the ruthless pulpit of social media.

IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift/PHOTO CREDIT: Beth Garrabrant

This article from The Stray discusses a time in 2016 when Swift faced cancel culture:

“This is how Taylor Swift, in her recent documentary, addresses being “cancelled” in 2016. When she explains through tears how “it just feels like it’s more than music now… it just gets loud sometimes” or recalls in a 2019 interview that the “mass public shaming” of being cancelled can translate to being told to “shut up, disappear, or… kill yourself,” it’s easy to see the very real, personal impact that cancel culture can have on an individual.

In 2020, a leaked video revealed new information about the 2016 drama and #TaylorToldTheTruth trended on Twitter, demonstrating that cancel culture is not just hurtful but often pointless, too. So why is the world of celebrity and social media so obsessed with it?

“Cancel culture” at its root refers to the concept of no longer supporting a celebrity or their work after they do something deemed unacceptable. Being brandished as “cancelled” has become the dominant catch-all insult on social media. Whilst certain behaviour certainly should result in outrage, the definition of what is deemed a cancel-worthy offence is dubious. Feuding with another popular celebrity? Entangled in a conspiracy theory? Words taken badly out of context? Uh-oh! Time to be #cancelled!”.

I think Nick Cave described cancel culture best, and the fact that there is this line between free speech and political correctness, and unforgivable morals. Most of the artists that have faced being cancelled have done nothing wrong, and who are we to delete an artist because we (a small percentage) feel they have done something disagreeable?!

IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Jackson

Again, the situation is difficult, but an artist that has been a casualty of cancel culture and, debatably, has been blacklisted is Michael Jackson. We all know the allegations that were made against him in the Leaving Neverland documentary and, since his death in 2009, Jackson has faced a few allegations. In spite of there being no substantial evidence of his alleged crimes, a lot of people asked for Jackson to be cancelled. Whilst people are streaming his music and buying his record, radio stations are barely playing his music at all – the perception the media has of his music and classic albums has radically shifted. This illuminating article discusses the difficult Jackson situation and the moral struggle many of us have faced in the aftermath:

“At the beginning of this year, Jackson’s cancellation seemed inevitable. When news broke about Leaving Neverland’s marathon of horrors, in which pedophilic grooming and sexual abuse were alleged by two men who were close to Jackson as boys, I felt put out. I was annoyed I’d have to revise my listening habits as a result of a cultural reassessment of Jackson, a mainstay of my musical rotation for decades no matter where my general taste had otherwise shifted. But all of this hand-wringing was for nothing. Deleting Jackson turned out to be easy; after watching the doc, I lost my appetite for his music completely. There was no struggle, no self-centered agonizing, no sneaking in “Remember the Time” when I didn’t think anyone was paying attention. It felt like a clean break. One day I was a person who listened to Michael Jackson. One day I was not.

People like what they like, and they’ve never had better means to access it. For many, playing a favorite song is as easy as turning on a faucet. Many young people, who make up the bulk of the respective audiences of many of the artists discussed here, don’t want to sit through scoldings about responsible consumption, or they’re specifically interested in irresponsible consumption because it’s fun and cool and celebrities aren’t real people to them and so many crimes don’t seem like that big of a deal”.

I guess there is a big difference between Michael Jackson and cancel culture and the way artists such as Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa have been attacked for such minor and baffling reasons. The threat of cancel culture is causing scars and I do worry what effect it will have across music if artists are afraid to speak or offer an opinion if they feel their career is on the line – the same goes for the music and how bold and open an artist can be through their songs. We do need to end cancel culture, and it is hugely unfair that so many artists face such scrutiny and negativity. I know some people can use free speech as a way of spreading rather dangerous opinions, and we do need some limits and barriers. It is hard to know where that line is, but I think we can all agree that anyone that spreads hate and poison is not exercising free speech; artists who have political opinions or, as Nick Cave intimated, are wrestling with “uncomfortable ideas” should not feel so uneasy or risk huge damage if they offer these opinions.

We do need to have more debate and open up the discussion regarding free speech but, more than anything, we all need to stop vilifying people who have committed no wrongs. This fascinating article from earlier this month in Medium Magazine make some brilliant points as to why we need to cancel cancel culture:

“Nowadays ‘cancel culture’ doesn’t allow people to learn and grow from their mistakes anymore. Of course, I am just referring to those who have made mistakes because they were young and uneducated, not to those who are… well, criminals.

What ‘cancel culture’ fails to consider is that right now there is a higher social awareness and progressive enlightenment on the Internet, which was not present ten years ago. Again, this does not mean that celebrities do not deserve to be called out because of their misbehaviors – and educated. However, after being presented with new and better information on what is ‘politically correct’, it is more than possible for them to realize their wrongdoings and learn from them. Nevertheless, ‘cancel culture’ seems to not take this into account.

Furthermore, it makes it harder for people to differentiate between those who are genuinely apologetic for their ignorance and want to grow from it, and those who simply do not care. In fact, the fear of being cancelled leads celebrities to being overly cautious of what they say or do. It might seem like a good thing, but it actually just means that some of them might behave in a problematic way, but will do it privately in order to avoid losing fans and commercial success. Think about it: you might be supporting someone who doesn’t deserve it, just because you are unaware of what their true mindset it.

This is a huge drawback of ‘cancel culture’, as it makes it harder to spot who actually should be cancelled”.

So many artists have been maligned and ostracised; faced with the prospect of being cancelled and attacked by so many people. It is a dangerous and poisonous climate, and I don’t think cancel culture achieves anything. The worst offenders and those who offer hatred still spreads that hate, and artists who have done nothing wrong find themselves unfairly under the microscope. If we learn nothing else from the wave of artists being threatened with cancellation it is that we sorely need…

PHOTO CREDIT: @meteorphoto/Unsplash

TO change our worst habits.

FEATURE: Second Spin: Led Zeppelin – In Through the Out Door

FEATURE:

 

Second Spin

Led Zeppelin – In Through the Out Door

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IT is inevitable that groups…

IN THIS PHOTO: Led Zeppelin in 1979

go through a period of decline, or at least they reach a peak and there is a certain expectation on their shoulders. Led Zeppelin’s six studio album, Physical Graffiti, was released in 1975, and it is debatably their very best. Until that point, the band had not really put a foot wrong. Seemingly growing and strengthening with every album, 1975 was a real peak for the legendary band. 1976’s Presence was an altogether patchier affair than Physical Graffiti, and the songwriting was less consistent. In Through the Out Door followed in 1979, and it was the final album from the band. Recorded in three weeks between November and December 1978, In Through the Out Door was released a year before the death of the group’s drummer, John Bonham. To its credit, In Through the Out Door was a massive critical success, and it reached the top of the album charts in the U.S. The band’s title is named after the struggles Led Zeppelin were experiencing. Robert Plant’s son, Karac, died in 1977, and the band took a tax evasion exile from the U.K. The band were not able to tour in Britain for two years, hence the feeling they were castaways. That title might suggest a defeatist album with the band on their final legs, but there are some fantastic songs on the album. In terms of sound and direction, frontman Robert Plant and bassist John Paul Jones exude more influence than guitarist Jimmy Page and John Bonham.

To be fair, there were definite cracks in the band during the album’s recording. Both Page and Bonham were struggling with drug addiction, and Jones and Plant were working more closely together than ever before. Because of this, the music is not defined with heavy riffs and the same sort of sounds that were present on classics like Physical Graffiti and the band’s first couple of albums. In Through the Out Door does not have as many instant hits as other Led Zeppelin albums, but I think the album is really solid and warrants more acclaim than it has received. There have been some positive reviews but, even after the album was reissued in 2015, some were a little hostile. I think In Through the Out Door has gained more respect as the years have ticked by, but it is still considered a rather disappointing finale for the band. Songs like In the Evening, and Fool in the Rain are stunning – these tracks were written by Jones, Plant, and Page, where two other songs from that first side, South Bound Saurez, and Hot Dog, were written in pairs – the former by Jones and Plant; the latter from Page and Plant. I think the first side is really strong, and In the Evening must sit alongside the most accomplished Led Zeppelin tracks! Although In Through the Out Door contains only seven tracks, most of the songs are over five minutes – the second side opens with a real epic!

Carouselambra clocks in at over ten minutes, and I love the energy of the track – and Bonham’s drumming is, as usual, brilliant! All My Love is a wonderful track. Written by Plant and Jones, there is a sensuousness and groove that is impossible to ignore. Whilst In Through the Out Door is not as memorable and impactful as other albums, I think it is still massively underrated, and a lot more than a band knowing that the end was nigh. Even with problems and drug abuse within the ranks, they managed to put together an incredible album with more than a couple of truly amazing tracks. I think In Through the Out Door requires new investigation. I did mention how there have been some great reviews, but many are quite mixed. This is what AllMusic wrote in their review:

“Marshalling their strength after the dark interlude of Presence -- a period that extended far after its 1976 release, with the band spending a year in tax exile and Robert Plant suffering another personal tragedy when his son died -- Led Zeppelin decided to push into new sonic territory on their eighth album, In Through the Out Door. A good deal of this aural adventurism derived from internal tensions within the band. Jimmy Page and John Bonham were in the throes of their own addictions, leaving Plant and John Paul Jones alone in the studio to play with the bassist's new keyboard during the day.

Jones wound up with writing credits on all but one of the seven songs -- the exception is "Hot Dog," a delightfully dirty rockabilly throwaway -- and he and Plant are wholly responsible for the cloistered, grooving "South Bound Saurez" and "All My Love," a synth-slathered ballad unlike anything in Zeppelin's catalog due not only to its keyboards but its vulnerability. What's striking about In Through the Out Door is how the Plant-Jones union points the way toward their respective solo careers, especially that of the singer's: his 1982 debut Pictures at Eleven follows through on the twilight majesty of "In the Evening" and particularly "Carouselambra," which feels like Plant and Jones stitched together every synth-funk fantasy they had into a throttling ten-minute epic. With its carnivalesque rhythms, "Fool in the Rain" also suggests the adventurousness of Plant, but it's also an effective showcase for Bonham -- it's a monster groove -- and Page, whose multi-octave solo is among his best. Elsewhere, the guitarist colors with shade and light quite effectively, but only the slow, slumbering closer "I'm Gonna Crawl" feels like his, a throwback to Zeppelin's past on an album that suggests a future that never materialized for the band”.

It is a bit unfair that In Through the Out Door did not receive the praise it deserved. In a review from 1979, this is what Rolling Stone offered:

“As you might suspect, In through the Out Door‘s best number is the one in which you can understand the least words. This is “In the Evening,” a classic Zeppelin orchestral guitar rumble halfway between “When the Levee Breaks” and “In the Light.” The only line I was able to understand was “Oh oh I need zoo love.” Judging by Plant’s convincing orgasmic moans on the rest of it, I would rather guess at the remaining lyrics.

Back when Led Zeppelin was setting the heavy-metal standard (LPs I through IV) for all time, Jimmy Page was coming up with two or three great guitar riffs on damn near every tune. A lot of them were copped from Mississippi Delta blues masters like Robert Johnson, but knowing where to steal is every great artist’s dirty little secret. Page now appears to have fallen victim to the law of diminishing returns, because “In the Evening” has the only great guitar riff on the entire album. The rest of the songs are based on John Paul Jones’ keyboard work. Though an excellent musician, Jones functions best behind Page, not in front of him”.

I will leave things there, but I want to encourage people to listen to In Through the Out Door. Whilst my favourite Led Zeppelin albums are Led Zeppelin II, and Physical Graffiti, I really like In Through the Out Door, and it is an album that has plenty to keep you hooked! It is a shame that the band broke up and things ended how they did, but I think In Through the Out Door is a final studio album. It is definitely a great album that…

SHOULDN’T be forgotten.

FEATURE: Dust Those Walkmans Off! National Album Day 2020: Celebrating the '80s

FEATURE:

 

Dust Those Walkmans Off!

IMAGE CREDIT: National Album Day

National Album Day 2020: Celebrating the '80s

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THIS year has not brought too much cheer…

IMAGE CREDIT: National Album Day

so it is a good thing that artists, despite being restricted, have released some truly incredible songs and albums! Despite the fact there has been a lot of terrific new music around, people are, more than ever, looking back. We have not been able to enjoy gigs recently, and big events like Record Store Day have faced rescheduling and movement. One day that I always look forward to each year is National Album Day. Like Record Store Day, it is a chance to think about music in a very deep and physical way. Record shops have reopened, and I am glad we can get out there and experience album-buying in a way we were unable to a few months back. National Album Day takes place on 10th October, and it is a great opportunity and excuse for people to load up on vinyl and revisit some top albums! As Music Week report, this year’s theme is one people of all ages can get behind: the magic of the 1980s!

“National Album Day is adopting a 1980s theme for its third edition, set for Saturday, October 10.

This year's event will honour the artists and music genres of the influential decade in the first in a series of campaign themes that will be rolled out annually. Billy Ocean, Blossoms, La Roux, The Psychedelic Furs and Toyah Willcox have been announced as official ambassadors, with further names to be announced in due course.

The initiative is organised jointly by record labels body the BPI and the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), and is supported across the BBC, along with AIM and other music trade associations, retailers and digital platforms.

ERA CEO Kim Bayley said: “The '80s really had it all – glamour, fun and great music. After a horrible year of lockdown and bad news, National Album Day will be celebrated by digital services and retailers alike to give everyone a real lift.”

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Sam Cooke

For many artists the album remains the ultimate expression of their creativity and the story they want to share

Geoff Taylor, BPI

Geoff Taylor, CEO of the BPI & BRIT Awards, added: “For many artists the album remains the ultimate expression of their creativity and the story they want to share. The '80s were a hugely creative time – musically and across other aspects of our pop culture, and it will be fascinating to engage in this year’s National Album Day through the lens of arguably the most influential decade in pop history.”

Special releases will include new albums, boxsets and classic reissues such as Duran Duran's Duran Duran, Paul Simon Graceland, The Stone Roses' eponymous debut LP and Smash Hits 80s.

Based on Official Charts data, 154 million albums or their equivalent were purchased, downloaded or streamed in 2019 – up 7.7% on the previous year, and even during the first six months of 2020, album equivalent sales have risen by 6.8%.

Iain McNay, chairman of Cherry Red Records, and a founding voice of National Album Day, said: “National Album Day exists to remind everyone of just how brilliant albums can be. The creativity and thought and often pure genius which is poured out by artists when making an album can easily be forgotten in our current world where the attention span is increasingly getting shorter and less focused. So National Album Day invites you to sit down, pour a glass of wine or make a cup of tea, and just listen without distraction to a favourite album... and time and time again you will hear things that you never knew were there.”

Over the past two years, National Album Day has been supported by the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Jess Glynne, Mark Ronson, Elbow, Paloma Faith, Alice Cooper, Novelist, Tom Odell, Mahalia and Orbital, and has hosted a variety of events and activations including Classic Album Sunday and Tape Notes events, in-store artist appearances, record store promotions, and a Network Rail exhibition in major cities across the UK”.

The 1980s was such a great time for music and development. The Sony Walkman was introduced in 1979, and it became a lot more prevalent in the 1980s; the first CD player, the Philips CD100, was released in August 1982. I think we take for granted technology and how easy it is to listen to music, but think about the 1980s and how exciting it would have been to have a Walkman and CD player!

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1986

I was born in 1983, but I grew up listening to a lot of music from the 1980s. Of course, big Pop icons like Madonna and Michael Jackson were key; I was also listening to a lot of chart music from that period, and even when the excitement of the 1990s arrived, the 1980s still was still in my ears! I look back fondly on the decade, and I embrace it all – from the always-divisive fashion through to the wonderful music. If you need a bit of a guide to the 1980s, then Gary Davies’ BBC Radio 2 show is worth a listen. No matter how old you are, you can appreciate a decade that gave us genius albums from the Pixies, The Smiths, Talking Heads, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Prince, Public Enemy, and De La Soul. I think we all need some positivity right now, so this year’s National Album Day will definitely provide that. Not only will it compel people of a certain age to rediscover and replay albums they loved in the 1980s; younger listeners are going to discover albums that might be new to them. No matter who you are and what your music tastes are, we can agree that the theme for this year’s National Album Day is…

IMAGE CREDIT: National Album Day

ONE of the very best.