FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Kurt Cobain at Fifty-Four: Prime Nirvana

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Kurt Cobain (left) with his Nirvana bandmates, Krist Novoselic (back) and Dave Grohl (right) in New York City on 11th January, 1992/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Lavine

Kurt Cobain at Fifty-Four: Prime Nirvana

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I have been doing a few…

birthday Lockdown Playlists lately. It is always bittersweet marking the birthday of artists who are no longer with us. Because it would have been Kurt Cobain’s fifty-fourth birthday on 20th February, I wanted to put together some of his best work together. Here is some information about the iconic Nirvana frontman:

“Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the guitarist, primary songwriter and frontman of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona, Cobain's compositions widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was often heralded as a spokesman of Generation X and is considered to be one of the most influential musicians in the history of alternative rock.

Born in Aberdeen, Washington, Cobain formed the band Nirvana with Krist Novoselic and Aaron Burckhard in 1987 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene which later became known as grunge. After signing with major label DGC Records, Nirvana found global success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from their critically acclaimed second album Nevermind (1991). Although Cobain was hailed as the voice of his generation following Nirvana's sudden success, he resented this, believing his message and artistic vision had been misinterpreted by the public. In addition to "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Cobain wrote many notable songs for Nirvana, including "About a Girl", "In Bloom", "Come as You Are", "Lithium", "Polly", "Something in the Way", "All Apologies", and "Heart-Shaped Box".

During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction and chronic health problems such as depression. He also struggled with the personal and professional pressures of fame, as well as his marriage to musician Courtney Love. In March 1994, Cobain overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol, and subsequently entered an intervention and underwent a detox program. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle at the age of 27; police concluded he had died on April 5 from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

Cobain was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with Nirvana bandmates Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, in their first year of eligibility in 2014. Rolling Stone included Cobain in its lists of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time, 100 Greatest Guitarists, and 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. He was ranked 7th by MTV in the "22 Greatest Voices in Music". In 2006, he was placed 20th by Hit Parader on their list of the "100 Greatest Metal Singers of All Time”.

To mark his birthday and give a salute to a musician who is still sorely missed, this is an assortment of prime Nirvana tracks. Maybe you will discover a couple of new tracks you have not heard. Not only was Kurt Cobain one of the greatest songwriters of his generation, but he is a hugely inspiring and important human who many looked up to – so many people still do. To honour that, this is a Lockdown Playlist packed…

WITH Nirvana gold.

FEATURE: Come Into My World: Super Eight: The Greatest Videos of Michel Gondry

FEATURE:

 

 

Come Into My World

Super Eight: The Greatest Videos of Michel Gondry

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IN this feature…

I am spotlighting one of the most innovative and stunning music video directors ever. I am looking at the sensational and hugely imaginative videos of the fifty-seven-year-old French genius, Michel Gondry. I am going to finish by bringing in his best eight music videos. Before then, I want to introduce some Wikipedia information:

“His career as a filmmaker began with creating music videos for the French rock band Oui Oui, in which he also served as a drummer. The style of his videos for Oui Oui caught the attention of music artist Björk, who asked him to direct the video for her song "Human Behaviour". The collaboration proved long-lasting, with Gondry directing a total of eight music videos for Björk.

Other artists who have collaborated with Gondry on more than one occasion include Daft Punk, The White Stripes, The Chemical Brothers, The Vines, Steriogram, Radiohead, and Beck. Gondry's video for Lucas Secon's "Lucas with the Lid Off" was nominated in the Best Music Video (short form) category at the 37th Grammy Awards, (one of two Gondry music videos nominated that year along with Sinéad O'Connor's Fire On Babylon).

Gondry has also created numerous television commercials. He pioneered the "bullet time" technique later adapted in The Matrix in the 1996 "Smarienberg" commercial for Smirnoff vodka, as well as directing a trio of inventive holiday-themed advertisements for clothing retailer Gap”.

I sort of explored music video directors in 2019; I have featured Gondry before. Rather than merely repeat myself, I wanted focus in on his very best videos - in addition to providing a little bit of interview information.

In this interview from 2004, we learn more about Gondry’s musical tastes – he also speaks about his filmmaking experiences and influences:

“Much of the world at large has been introduced to Michel Gondry via the quirky visual stylings he has instilled in music videos by the likes of Beck, Bjork, The Foo Fighters, Massive Attack, Daft Punk, Kylie Minogue, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, and others. He also has two feature length films under his belt, 2001's Human Nature and Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind, both of which have been collaborations with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.

Yet despite his visual prowess, Gondry actually has quite an interesting musical background that goes far beyond the dreamlike visages of his videos and films. His father was a jazz musician, his mother plays piano, and his grandfather invented the Clavoline, one of the earliest synthesizers. Oh yeah, Gondry himself is a rather adept drummer and formed the '80s French indie-New Wave combo Oui Oui. In fact, he still breaks out on the downbeat from time to time, although now his rhythm making has become more of a hobby. "Yeah, yeah, although I admit that a couple of years ago I tried to invent a rhythm. Which I did, but it's not very interesting," he laughs. "I was just happy to sit down [behind the drums] and invent something new”.

 Gondry's failure to create a new, life changing rhythmic interlude aside, has the director taken anything from his eclectic musical background and applied it to his filmmaking experiences? "I don't know," he says with a gleam in his eye and a sly grin on his face. "I mean it's all in me. The fact that you mentioned my parents; it must be what's in my genes. I guess it's there. I think my brother and I, when we were little kids our parents immersed us into pop culture. Duke Ellington and Serge Gainsbourg were like the heroes of our family. And I think ultimately it made us, when we got to an age when we could make a living, we could say what we remembered, only we'd kind of mesh with the culture around us. I don't know if that makes sense, but I think it helped us. Sometimes it's good that you have a background that has nothing to do with you, 'cause you create your own world. And sometimes it's good that there is nothing to conflict at this moment. But in terms of music, maybe you would see more of that in my work with music videos than film. It's more about my input in the film would be more how to shoot people in a way…when I started to do music video, I hated the music videos with people showing off or being like macho or like a pop star. I think when I try to shoot people, I try to be on an equal level with them and get that feeling of connecting. So it's more on that level in terms of my background influences”.

Because I am such a fan of Gondry’s work, I wanted to come back to his videos and highlight a director with an imagination and mind like no other! I have not ranked these seven videos in order of which I think is best. Instead, it is a spread of his best work that shows what an immense talent he is! If you like these videos, then take some time online investigating Michel Gondry’s work. Here are some exceptional examples from one…

THE greatest music video director ever.

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Kylie Minogue – Come Into My World (2002)

Lucas – Lucas with the Lid Off (1994)

Björk – Army of Me (1995)

Daft Punk – Around the World (1997)

The White Stripes – The Hardest Button to Button (2003)

Cibo Matto - Sugar Water (1996)

Radiohead – Knives Out (2001)

The Chemical Brothers – Star Guitar (2002)

FEATURE: Old Ideas: The Ways We Pigeonhole Music Lovers of a Certain Age

FEATURE:

 

 

Old Ideas

PHOTO CREDIT: @raflfc/Unsplash

The Ways We Pigeonhole Music Lovers of a Certain Age

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I was listening to Lauren Laverne’s BBC Radio 6 Music…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @tkirkgoz/Unsplash

show recently, and she had a guest on in his eighties that was invited to select songs. During the conversion, it became clear that we judge music fans of a certain age. The caller explained how, even though he was older, he enjoyed music from different years and artists. I guess, technically, older people are getting younger in terms of their tastes. What I mean is that someone in their eighties now would have grown up on newer music than the generation before - so it means a lot of the old-age clichés are redundant. I think we feel older people like easy-going music and artists like Frank Sinatra. That is true for some but, in a wider sense, why do we assume older people only listen to music from the 1940s and 1950s and do not have any consciousness of music since then?! In the same vein, we do not pigeonhole young people when it comes to their tastes. Maybe some feel that younger people only listen to BBC Radio 1 and middle-aged solely BBC Radio 2. The sort of ageism prejudice persist to this day, and it makes for interesting exploration. I do not think any artists explicitly markets their music for a specific demographic. Maybe a lot of the fresh Pop artists aim for a younger market, but even they would say that their music should not be limited in such a way. In the same way, artists who appear on radio stations with an older demographic are not limiting themselves to that age band.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Rhianna/PHOTO CREDIT: James Devaney/GC Images

It is a shame that there is still this sort of patronising attitude around. I shall explore older people and musical tastes soon. There is some rationale as to why people rigidly define older people and their tastes. Drawing from an article in The Verge from 2018, and they discussed research that revealed when our most important age is when it comes to musical exploration and admiration:

“A New York Times analysis of Spotify data has found that the songs we listen to during our teen years set our musical taste as adults.

For men, the most important period for forming musical taste is between the ages of 13 to 16. Men were, on average, aged 14 when their favorite song was released. For women, the most important period is between 11 and 14, with 13 being the most likely age for when their favorite song came out. It also found that childhood influences were stronger for women than men and the key years for shaping taste were tied to the end of puberty.

The NYT analyzed every Billboard chart-topping song released between 1960 and 2000. Citing Radiohead’s “Creep” as an example, the NYT found the song is the 164th most popular song among 38-year-old men. These men would have been around 14 years old at the time the song was released in 1993, making that selection consistent with the analysis. “Creep” isn’t even in the top 300 songs for those born 10 years earlier or 10 years later. Meanwhile, “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure was released in 1987 and is popular with women aged 41, who would have been 11 at the time of the song’s release.

PHOTO CREDIT: @kurbanova/Unsplash 

There is some very interesting data that discusses why we gravitate towards certain genres depending on our age:

“"Whereas the first musical age is about asserting independence, the next appears to be more about gaining acceptance from others."

As we settle down and middle age begins to creep in, the last musical age, as identified by the researchers, is dominated by 'sophisticated' -- such as jazz and classical -- and 'unpretentious' -- such as country, folk and blues.

Researchers write that both these dimensions are seen as "positive and relaxing" -- with 'sophisticated' indicating the complex aesthetic of high culture that could be linked to social status and perceived intellect, while 'unpretentious' echoes sentiments of family, love and loss -- emotionally direct music that speaks to the experiences most will have had by this life stage.

"As we settle into ourselves and acquire more resources to express ourselves -- career, home, family, car -- music remains an extension of this, and at this stage there are aspects of wanting to promote social status, intellect and wealth that play into the increased gravitation towards 'sophisticated' music," said Rentfrow, "as social standing is seen as a key 'life challenge' to be achieved by this point."

"At the same time, for many this life stage is frequently exhausted by work and family, and there is a requirement for relaxing, emotive music for those rare down times that reflects the other major 'life challenge' of this stage -- that of nurturing a family and maintaining long-term relationships, perhaps the hardest of all”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @vladizlo/Unsplash

Given that most of us lionise and preserve music of our teenage years and return there, there is some sense in thinking that older music fans would gravitate towards music from their youth. I think the misperception of the older person shaking their fists at new music and chiding youngster for their rubbish tastes needs to be evaluated. I think, as radio stations and the Internet exposes us all to more music and new avenues, it does mean that many older music lovers are as inquisitive and broad-minded as younger people. Stations like BBC Radio 6 Music provides an eclectic playlist. It has no business model when it comes to age and the type of listener it wants to attract. It is open to everyone and, for that reason, listening to Lauren Laverne’s show and her conversation with an older caller with cool tastes was no shock. There is definite ageism in the music industry and, to compound that, I think many radio stations are ageist regarding including certain artists. I feel we need to have more respect for older artists and older listeners. Consider how important music is regarding memory and keeping out past alive. We all, consciously or not, soundtrack various years and moments with songs. For those who suffer from fading memory, music can provide an invaluable key to unlock their past – without music, there is debate as to whether we would store so many memories. I have explored the connection between music and memory before. A lot of older music fans have a much wider passion and sense of musical knowledge than we could appreciate. Modern music offers so much choice and quality…so it is natural that listeners of all ages would open their eyes and ears to it! When it comes to older people, we need to get out of the mindset that they only love old music and have limited tastes. They are, in fact, as cool, passionate and surprising…

PHOTO CREDIT: @brett_jordan/Unsplash

AS music lovers of all ages.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: The Best of the 2010s

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The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: Kendrick Lamar/PHOTO CREDIT: Ellis Parrinder/Camara Press/Redux 

The Best of the 2010s

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I have been looking through my Lockdown Playlists…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé

and I can’t recall having done one containing the best tracks of the 2010s. Maybe I have and it has got lost but, in any case, I am doing it now. I think many overlook the last decade in terms of the range and quality of music. There was so much brilliant music released. I have compiled some of the very best tracks from the decade; proof that there was more than enough genius to be found. If you are a bit listless and need some energy and motivation, I hope that these songs help out. Here are some pearls from the 2010s that should keep you uplifted or, when the mood is slightly more down, provide some form of comfort or reflection. If you have forgotten the tracks that scored and soundtracked the 2010s, then have a listen to the playlist and you’ll discover…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Robyn

SOME real treats.

FEATURE: Room to Leave It Open: Kate Bush and the Long-Held Misconception of Perfectionism

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Room to Leave It Open

PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Aris 

Kate Bush and the Long-Held Misconception of Perfectionism

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THIS is a slightly different angle…

when it comes to a Kate Bush feature. I cannot recall whether I have explored this in depth but, through the years, there has been this label applied to Bush: the idea that she is a perfectionist, and that is why albums take so long to arrive and come together. Bush has said herself how she is not a perfectionist. One of the reasons why she recorded Director’s Cut (2011) and redid songs from The Sensual World (1989), and The Red Shoes (1993), was because she was dissatisfied with elements of those albums. Maybe it was the production sound or something lacking from the original recordings. It is interesting that people consider Bush to be a perfectionist. Her music is exceptional and hugely accomplished, but I think the reason why she does quite a few takes and spends a long time on songs is to get the sound right. That might sound like perfectionism, but I don’t think music can be seen as perfect or without flaws. Bush’s lyrics and music is unique and has so much depth, so it is only natural that she would spend a lot of time working on the music and making sure the final product is as good as it could be! If she was honest with herself, Bush would say that all of her albums could be improved or changed in some form. I want to bring in a few articles where terms of like ‘perfectionist’ have been used to describe Kate Bush.

Every time there is a delay between albums, people always feel that Bush is crafting away at every song meticulously in order to achieve that golden sound. She has said how lyrics come together pretty fast; it is the production and recording that takes the longest time. Rather than an overly-precise approach to music, I think Bush is trying to make her music as rich and interesting as possible. She has a great love of sound and how one experiences an album. As we can see from this BBC article in 2011, Bush has addressed the idea that she is a perfectionist:

“An album of reworked songs, Director's Cut, is released later this month.

The collection features material from her Sensual World and Red Shoes albums, released in 1989 and 1993 respectively.

A new version of Deeper Understanding was released as a single in April, with a video starring Robbie Coltrane, Noel Fielding and Frances Barber.

Speaking to Radio Four's Front Row arts programme, the singer denied she was a perfectionist in the recording studio.

"I don't think I am," she said. "People have said this, but I don't think I really want anything to be perfect.

"I think it's important that things are flawed," she continued”.

"That's what makes a piece of art interesting sometimes - the bit that's wrong or the mistake you've made that's led onto an idea you wouldn't have had otherwise."

Bush described her new material as "work in progress", but was unwilling to say when it might see the light of day.

"Even if I was able to talk about it now, it might completely change in a few weeks and so would no longer be relevant”.

I think Bush picked up on something interesting. Songs change all the time and, maybe, it is that constant sense of curiosity that keeps her going. She will start with an idea of a song and, as time goes on, she will notice things not working or ideas that could heighten a particular track. Rather than trying to make her music sound perfect, Bush wants to record music that is different and memorable. I wonder whether Bush will do another Director’s Cut, where she reworks other albums and gives them a new take. When The Guardian provided recommendations of Bush’s albums, they used the P-word when highlighting 1986’s greatest hits, The Whole Story:

“Ever the perfectionist, Bush is constantly rearranging her catalogue, her oeuvre ever-evolving like a living, breathing organism, and here there is Wuthering Heights with a newly recorded vocal, as well as a new song, Experiment IV, whose scary sci-fi video Bush directed (and which was subsequently banned by Top of the Pops)”.

Another article from The Guardian highlighted the 2007 track, Lyra, and noted how it was a song that came together quickly:

“A single by default, not design: it charted on downloads from the soundtrack album of The Golden Compass alone. Belying Bush’s reputation as a pernickety studio perfectionist, it apparently took 10 days to write and record. It’s not her greatest song, but its ambient synth and choral backing is luscious and enveloping”.

I think, rather than Kate Bush being a perfectionist, there is a confidence that means her music does take longer to coalesce. In an article from The Independent, a couple of interesting passages stood out:

““She was fastidious about getting things right,” recalls The Dubliners’ John Sheahan. “I remember playing the [tin] whistle. She was saying ‘this is absolutely beautiful but when you get to this note can you just slide up’. She was a real perfectionist.”

“Kate is quite secure in her own self-confidence,” Palmer told me in 2018. “But with many artists you have to make them feel loved. If you want them to do something again you’ll say, ‘oh it’s my fault’. You want to turn any comment you might have into something positive”.

Bush has said how she wants to create interesting music, hence this quest and sense of experimentation. I guess it is not a bad thing to be called a perfectionist – as Bush is often incorrectly referred to as being reclusive more -, but I think that word gets used too much to explain why albums take a long time to come out. One cannot say perfectionism is the reason why there has not been a follow-up to 2011’s 50 Words for Snow. One can argue that, were it not for Bush’s approach and confidence, we would not get the same quality. That said, were the writing and recording quicker and looser, then we might have seen more albums from her. Even though Bush kicks herself when it comes to album releases, knowing how good her music is, we wouldn’t have it…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Rex

ANY other way.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Pearl Charles

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Pearl Charles

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I know that I have been featuring a lot of women…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Cherokee Presley

in this feature lately, and I will move on to male artists soon. In fact, it is female solo artists who have been on my radar mostly. I was very keen to feature Pearl Charles as she released the sensational album, Magic Mirror, on 15th January. I will come to that album soon but, just before, I want to bring in some introduction and interviews; so that we can get a better sense of Pearl Charles and her songwriting. I think that she is going to go a long way in the music industry. Her track, Only for Tonight, is one of the finest I have heard in a long time! With great ABBA vibes and an insatiable sound, it is a song that I think more artists should follow – as it would elevate the industry and brighten the sound of modern music! Signed to Kannine Records, here is some biography regarding the brilliant Pearl Charles:

“Charles has been playing music since she was 5 years old. At 18, she formed country duo The Driftwood Singers with Christian Lee Hutson, singing and playing guitar and autoharp. At 22, she joined garage rock band The Blank Tapes as drummer. After two fun-filled years immersed in the rock and roll lifestyle, she decided it was time to pursue her own songwriting, and began developing the songs that formed 2015′s eponymous debut EP.  Drawn to poppy hooks and catchy choruses, Charles draws on what she loves about the 60s, 70s and 80s while developing her unique style as a solo artist.

In 2018, Pearl released debut album, Sleepless Dreamer, which Rough Trade described as “The best country pop we’ve heard in years” and Buzzfeed called her “A modern June Carter meets Lana Del Rey.”  With the upcoming release of the follow up, Magic Mirror, out January 15, 2021, Pearl leans into furthering her own brand of country-disco.

“As if Tom Petty were riding shotgun, Charles and band capture a certain Southern California essence” – LA TIMES

“Bursting with blues-rock and blissed-out psychedelia” – PITCHFORK”.

I have been following Charles’ music for a little while now and I think that her best is yet to come. That said, Magic Mirror is a fantastic album that showcases a huge talent and some wonderful sounds. I am eager to highlight Charles and how she started making music. When she spoke with The Forty-Five, we find out about her beginnings and musical influences:

“Tell us about how you started making music

I was four years old when my older sister started piano lessons and I begged my parents to let me take lessons too. They told me if I still wanted to when I turned five they would let me, and the rest is history! From there I got really into musical theatre and started voice and guitar lessons as well. Eventually I sort of diverted off the path of musical theatre (I got in trouble for smoking pot at a classmate’s house whose father was a famous country singer/songwriter, but that’s a long story for another time!) and went more into the world of rock’n’roll and playing in bands which I do think is where I was meant to be.

We’re getting some serious ABBA/Fleetwood Mac vibes from your music. What did you listen to growing up?

Though I definitely heard those bands when I was growing up, I didn’t actually really get into Fleetwood Mac or ABBA until I was in my 20s. My introduction to those bands were mostly just as oldies radio hits, so it wasn’t until I got more deeply into discovering and making music myself that I was able to appreciate the level of musicianship and songwriting both those bands exhibit. Growing up I listened to a lot of classic country and singer/songwriters as well as classic rock bands because that’s what my parents exposed me to. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, John Prine and Hank Williams are some of the quintessential ones that come to mind. I remember the first CD I bought for myself was Eagles Greatest Hits.

You have an incredible home in Joshua Tree, California. Many artists before you have headed to the desert to record because they feel it has a mystical energy. What has your experience been as a creative in an environment like that?

Joshua Tree is such a magical place! My first experiences going out there were with my family when they bought a really unique house (it was built by the first Native American Playboy Bunny) in the area about 13 years ago. That was the place where I first felt really drawn to revisit the classic country music my mom had shown me when I was young, some of the artists I mentioned earlier and others like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard. It was only later that I found out about the significance of Gram Parsons and felt that somehow his spirit had guided me in the right direction. There is just this peaceful, calming feeling out there, you truly feel connected to the earth and surrounded by nature, whether it’s the plants, the animals or the stars. It’s those moments where you feel so small in the world, but in the best possible way, that make Joshua Tree an artistic and spiritual Mecca”.

Even though 2021 has sort of just begun, I think that Pearl Charles’ Magic Mirror is one of the finest albums so far! It is an amazing collection of songs that everyone can appreciate. Back in November, Charles spoke with Lippy and highlighted how Magic Mirror is different from her other music:

“Tell us a little about the upcoming album... what was it you wanted to do with ‘Magic Mirror’ that you haven’t explored on previous releases?

One thing that really sticks out to me about this album compared to some of my past releases is the fact that I recorded it with my live band instead of exclusively using session musicians. On my last record I used members of Father John Misty’s band, who are all absolutely incredible players, but the process this time was much more personal. Not only had my band and I spent the last few years traveling the country and the world together playing the songs live on the road and working them out through various demos, but also because of the time we all spent together in the van where I got to share so many of the songs and artists that are so important to me and whose style and vibe I want to attempt infuse into my albums. Though we still used some session players to fill out the album, all of whom are amazing and bring their own voices to the mix, having the basis of the album be my go-to guys (and some of my absolute best friends) made it very special for me.

 How do you view the current state of country music in America? How important is it to keep young people invested in country and folk?

I think there has been some rightful backlash to the idea of country and folk in recent days for having a history of not being as inclusive as it should be, in both the telling of its history and on the industry side of things in the past and the present, which is more than completely valid. That’s part of why I think it is really important to keep people of all ages engaged and interested in these genres! In truth, all roots music comes from a mix of racial and ethnic backgrounds (black, white and beyond), and continues to be made by a diverse group of people, both historically and currently. We need to tell that story honestly and open up the industry to support and lift up the contributions of people who previously did not have their stories told or honoured in these genres.

Your upcoming album ‘Magic Mirror’ has been described as a “feel good album”. How important is it to you to make up-lifting music in these potentially dark times?

Well, as I’m talking to you we’re getting some pretty good news out here in the US, so the album almost takes on new meaning! Rather than fighting to maintain optimism as we once were, it is more cautiously celebratory perhaps. Though we still have a long way to go, we are at the dawn of a new, hopefully much brighter era. To answer your question beyond just the political implications, George Jones once said, “When you're happy you enjoy the music. When you're sad, you understand the lyrics.” I think something that is somewhat unique about my albums is that although they can come across as “feel good” on a casual listen (which don’t get me wrong, I love!), if you dig in more deeply to the lyrics sometimes there is something definitely deeper, and at times darker, lurking underneath the surface. That is the beauty of this album for me really, the fact that it can fit your mood no matter how you’re feeling. There’s a song and a vibe for every emotion and it’s kind of choose your own adventure in terms of how the listener feels like approaching and engaging with the record on any given day. Though I do love making songs you can just zoom out and bop your head along to, it’s also important to me to say something, so it’s kind of the best of both worlds!”.

Before bringing in a positive review for Magic Mirror, I want to quote a couple of other interviews. In this interview from BN1 Magazine, we get an idea of what comes next for Charles:

“Does the freedom of being a solo artist outweigh the pressures it can bring?

Though being a solo artist has its challenges, I do think as someone who has a very clear artistic vision for the music, the message and the aesthetic of my project, being able to really be in full control of executing that vision is so rewarding and well worth the extra pressure. That being said, taking care of yourself and your mental health is really important as a bandleader as well, because you can push yourself really hard trying to make the dream come alive and we have to remember to stop and take the time to take care of ourselves!

I imagine Magic Mirror was largely composed and produced during 2020 and all its complications. Did this give you any unexpected benefits? For starters, working with other people must be a challenge…

I actually wrote the album before the pandemic, so it’s been interesting to see how the record has remained relevant, and maybe even become more so, throughout such a drastic global shift. The challenges that have been presented for me have had less to do with the actual music making part this time around, since we were able to complete the record before lockdown, and more to do with the adaptation to the new way of supporting the record. Since we can’t tour or do a lot of the normal promotional things we would do, we’ve had to readjust and focus our energy on creating digital content and spreading the word online instead of through playing shows.

What’s next after the album release? Are you going to sit back until you can tour again, or are there new challenges ahead?

I have already been chipping away at a ton of new songs and hope to release some new music later this year if everything goes as planned, though I think we’ve all learned that we can’t necessarily rely on anything going as planned! I’ve also been writing songs for a side project with my boyfriend that I mentioned earlier and hopefully we’ll be able to do some recording for that as well, so I will definitely be keeping busy until we’re able to get back out on the road and tour again!”.

It must have been hard putting together and releasing an album during such a strange time. I feel that there is going to be a lot of touring and exposure post-pandemic. Magic Mirror is an optimistic album that we all need. When she spoke with Flaunt, Pearl Charles was asked about pandemic times and trying to produce great music:

“Is it harder to find creative inspiration when times are tough or does it get you through the tough times?

I think it gets you through the tough time. I hate to say that being emotionally fraught creates better music. But there’s definitely a lot of inspiration when you’re feeling down. I mean that’s how it is for me, and I think that’s true for a lot of people. It’s just a different kind of inspiration when you’re feeling happy. I don’t think it’s a tradeoff that you have to be unhappy to make good art or good music. But I think when you are feeling down, music is therapeutic whether it’s listening to it or making it and talking about how you feel—getting it off your chest. Creating something beautiful with something that has caused you pain is a way to take control and have that power over that and not let it have the power over you.

What do you hope to see in the crystal ball for Pearl Charles in 2021?

I really hope that we can get on the road because the band is really good live. I think that people are going to want to see it. I’m excited to show it to people, but if it’s just through livestreams, that’s what we’ll do. As I said, the most important thing to me is keeping everyone safe and healthy and getting through the pandemic. I know we’re going to be making new music. Having this new place in Joshua Tree, we have a studio here, and we’re actually going to be able to record ourselves. That’s going to make such a huge difference. I love making records in big fancy studios and all that, but there’s something to be said about being able to wake up in your own space and create”.

I would urge people to listen to Magic Mirror as it is a sensational album that deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. In their review, this is what The Line of Best Fit noted:

“It’s impossible to not connect the Abba-dots on kick-starter “Only For Tonight”. As the melody delivers on all fronts - ear-worm settling in for the long haul - Charles greets us by looking back upon a one night stand, lamenting she “shouldn’t have played this like a man.” By erupting like a confetti canon coming at you the moment you walk into your house, a feeling sweeps over, ready to carry the party onward.

Notably, there’s now echoes of the sun-drenched California sparkle of Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty et al - motioning to an express reach upwards for Charles and who she, as an artist, is now. No doubt, the romantic realisations within, particularly of “when I see your face it’ll be the last time I do / it’s easier to live this lie than to tell the truth” (“What I Need”) has also contributed to this new gloss - after all, when the truth feels so poignant, let it shimmer to make it more digestible.

Even on her self-titled debut EP, which dug its hands into the world of blues, there was a wish to reflect, and it feels like the steps made between then and now - the living of life, and figuring out her place in this world - has led to an evolution into a ‘70s radio-rock revival sound, featuring more swaying pedal steel and twanging clavichord en masse - with a delectable delivering of harmonies stacking where prudent.

The lack of reference to any of the issues involved in our ‘new reality’ creates the idea of a dream world, where life can once again by led without the ticking of a doomsday clock - especially following a week of (more) erupting political discourse; this glamour-tinged world of Charles’, reaches out and is telling you to ‘live in the past for a bit’ feels welcome.

While Magic Mirror's sparkling-sheen portrays the acceptance of life - Pearl Charles' diary, flinging open its pages to question long-drawn-out loves - the inclusivity means the eyes staring back from Magic Mirror flit between both yours and hers, all aided by her cool and breezy nature”.

It is still early days for Pearl Charles, though I think she has shown such promise through Magic Mirror. When things calm down regarding the pandemic, she will be able to tour and get her music out to the masses. I have been listening to Magic Mirror quite a bit lately and, during a bad time, the album has helped lift my mood. Pearl Charles’ career has been a fascinating one so far. I cannot wait to see…

WHERE it goes next.

____________

Follow Pearl Charles

PHOTO CREDIT: Dana Trippe

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PearlCharlesMusic

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/pearl_charles

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/pearlcharles/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5PWyKTCk0kzNytmI0NI2JX

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIE7RbU12LXLSfS-rfRocUw

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: The Cure – Disintegration

FEATURE:

 

 

Vinyl Corner

The Cure – Disintegration

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FOR this round of Vinyl Corner…

I am featuring a band that I have not covered much through the years. I can take or leave some of The Cure’s albums, but I acknowledge how important Disintegration is. Their eighth studio album, it was released on 2nd May, 1989 by Fiction Records. The album marked a return to the band’s more introspective Gothic Rock style the band had laid down in the early-1980s. I think Robert Smith, the band’s leader, was looking to deliver an album that was more effecting, deep and important. Smith was also experimenting more with hallucinogenic drugs during the making of Disintegration (in part due to The Cure’s burgeoning commercial success) – this had a strong influence on the production and sound of the album. I would advise people to buy the album on vinyl, as it is a terrific work that deserves to be heard by everyone. Although it can be a heavy listen, there is a lot to love and cherish. Smith was very depressed prior to the recording of Disintegration, knowing that he would be thirty in a year. He was of the opinion that masterpieces in Rock had been completed well before the band members reached such an age. Whilst Lovesong, Pictures of You, and Lullaby are more accessible songs, there are tracks on Disintegration that are a bit heavier and take longer to reveal themselves. That is what I like about Disintegration: it fuses these songs that instantly hook you; there are others which grow and bloom the more you listen to them.

Even though Smith felt the band had become stadium rock and sort of sold out when Disintegration was released, the album is often viewed as one of the best ever. It frequently appears on polls of the greatest albums of all-time. I will bring in a fairly recent interview with Robert Smith – he spoke with Rolling Stone in 2019 on the thirtieth anniversary of Disintegration. I want to introduce a couple of reviews for the album; just to show you what critics make of The Cure’s masterpiece. This is what AllMusic noted in their review:

“Expanding the latent arena rock sensibilities that peppered Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by slowing them down and stretching them to the breaking point, the Cure reached the peak of their popularity with the crawling, darkly seductive Disintegration. It's a hypnotic, mesmerizing record, comprised almost entirely of epics like the soaring, icy "Pictures of You." The handful of pop songs, like the concise and utterly charming "Love Song," don't alleviate the doom-laden atmosphere. The Cure's gloomy soundscapes have rarely sounded so alluring, however, and the songs -- from the pulsating, ominous "Fascination Street" to the eerie, string-laced "Lullaby" -- have rarely been so well-constructed and memorable. It's fitting that Disintegration was their commercial breakthrough, since, in many ways, the album is the culmination of all the musical directions the Cure were pursuing over the course of the '80s”.

The more one listens to Disintegration, the bigger the effect it has. It is a magnificent album and one, thirty-two years after its release, still makes an impression on me! I want to introduce a portion of Pitchfork’s review:

“It’s no wonder this was meaningful to a lot of teenagers: The sheer emotional grandeur of tracks like that opener, “Plainsong,” make a great match for the feeling that everything in your life is all-consumingly important, whether it’s your all-consuming sadness, joy, longing, or whatever. And yet Disintegration is not a very teenagey album. It’s not an emo whine, and it’s not a big miserablist mope, either; one of its most popular tracks, “Lovesong,” was written by Smith as a wedding present for his wife. “I will always love you,” it keeps promising—not the way you sing that in a giddy love song, but like it’s a grave, solemn, bloody commitment. It was a top 10 hit in the U.S.

This is the thing: The album has a reputation as some huge, dark, crushingly depressive experience. It’s not entirely unearned. If you want to be crushingly depressed with Disintegration, or frustrated, or self-loathing, it’ll embrace you right back. But it’ll embrace other things, too. A whole lot of this album’s appeal is that it’s comforting, practically womblike—big, warm, slow, full of beauty and melody and even joy. The trick, I think, is how well it serves as a soundtrack to that feeling that everything around you is meaningful, whether it’s beautiful or horrible or sublime: This is an album for capital-R Romantics, not sulkers. It’s muscular (like on the title track), wistful (“Pictures of You”), ghostly (“Closedown”), seething (“Fascination Street”), and yeah, morose, but what’s striking is how each of those qualities can reach really, really far into your gut. It’s not a record for the dead-inside: Get far enough into this album, and I will almost guarantee you will feel some shit”.

I think that Disintegration has grown and matured through the years, in the sense that it seems to reveal more and it sounds even more brilliant now. That may strange but, years after I first heard the album, and it does stun and move me. Robert Smith discussed the thirtieth anniversary of Disintegration with Rolling Stone:

“This year marks the 30th anniversary of Disintegration. You recently played the full album in Australia. What strikes you about those songs now?

It’s probably one of two or three albums that meant something in the broader cultural sense than just, like, “another Cure album.” It happened at a particular time, and I suppose it had the right combination of songs and it meant a lot to a lot of people. I actually wanted to do the 40th anniversary of Three Imaginary Boys instead, but I was overruled, so we did Disintegration, which is probably the wise thing to do.

When was the last time you sat down with the record?

I think when I did the remaster for Disintegration in 2010 was the first time I’d listened to the album since we’d made it. At that point I thought, “Yeah, I get now why people were drawn into it.” It’s a really nice balance of big and small in a funny way. It manages to hang together in a way that on paper it really shouldn’t. And when we played it through earlier this year, when we were rehearsing it, I kind of felt that again. I sort of remembered. I thought, “Yeah, it’s actually really cleverly put together. I kind of knew what I was doing briefly”.

Since you’re writing a new album now, did you get a new perspective on Disintegration?

At the same time we were rehearsing Disintegration, we were running through songs for the new album that we’re recording this year. I think that helped the band. It’s certainly helped me light the way. While I think [Disintegration] is a great album, and I’m never going to think, “If only I’d done this, if only I could have done that,” because that would be foolish, it helped me to see how it was constructed. So it wasn’t done in a purposeful way, but I had an overview of the whole thing in my head before we played the first note I knew how I wanted it to start and I knew what I wanted it to feel like by the time we ended. That informed the recording of the new album. So for that reason, it was a good thing to do”.

Go and buy Disintegration on vinyl, as it is a magnificent record and, debatably, the finest The Cure have ever put out. Even though Disintegration arrived at the end of the 1980s, there is no doubt that it is…

ONE of the best of the decade.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Brian Holland at Eighty: The Essential Holland-Dozier-Holland

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

 IN THIS PHOTO: Martha & The Vandellas

Brian Holland at Eighty: The Essential Holland-Dozier-Holland

___________

THIS is another birthday Lockdown Playlist…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Brian Holland

but not one concerning an artist. The legendary songwriter Brian Holland was born on 15th February, 1941. He is best known as a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland: the songwriting and production team that was responsible for much of the Motown sound and numerous hit records by artists such as Martha & The Vandellas, The Supremes (it is sad that we lost The Supremes’ Mary Wilson recently), the Four Tops, and The Isley Brothers. Holland, along with Lamont Dozier, served as the team's musical arranger and producer. He has written or co-written one-hundred-and-forty-five hits in U.S. and seventy-eight in the U.K. To mark his eightieth birthday tomorrow, here is a collection of the best of Holland–Dozier–Holland. If you are not familiar with the work of Lamont Dozier, Brian and Eddie Holland, then I hope this provides a useful guide. Happy eightieth birthday to the great Brian Holland. Here is an assortment of classic tracks that he wrote alongside his brother and Lamont Dozier. These songs made a big impact upon their release but, more than that, they will…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Holland-Dozier-Holland

STAND the test of time.

FEATURE: Hey Nineteen: Marking the Survival and Growth of BBC Radio 6 Music

FEATURE:

 

 

Hey Nineteen

IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne and Mary Anne Hobbs (the photo was taken pre-social distancing)/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC 

Marking the Survival and Growth of BBC Radio 6 Music

___________

I am a little premature…

when it comes to celebrating the nineteenth birthday of BBC Radio 6 Music - as that does not happen until 11th March. I wanted to discuss why the station continues to grow in popularity and pull in huge listening figures. It is hard to think that, as we look ahead to nineteen years of one of the best and most eclectic radio stations in the world, it was threatened with closure not that long ago! In 2010, the station was faced with closure; seen as expendable amidst, I guess, cost-cutting measures. The Guardian reflected on that event five years later:

“BBC 6 Music, home to presenters Lauren Laverne, Elbow’s Guy Garvey and Jarvis Cocker, will pass a landmark anniversary in the next few days, although it is not one likely to prompt wild celebrations on air.

It will be five years since the BBC tried to axe the fledgling digital station and replace it with a spin-off version of Radio 2.

The decision prompted a wave of unprecedented listener protest – its Facebook campaign an early demonstration of the power of social media – joined by star names such as David Bowie and Mark Ronson, and its own presenters.

After management was forced into a U-turn by the BBC Trust the fortunes of the station have blossomed. Its audience has since tripled, and in the final quarter of 2014 hit 2 million listeners a week, overtaking its long established sister station, Radio 3.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mark Radcliffe (who presents weekend breakfasts with Stuart Maconie)/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC 

Now the target is 2.5 million listeners for the station, which the BBC said five years ago had “relatively few unique listeners to BBC radio” and whose audience of 30- to 50-year-olds were well served by commercial radio.

Jeff Smith, head of music for Radio 2 and 6 Music, said 90% of its output today is not heard on any other UK station, with a mix of indie disco, edgier entries in rock’s back catalogue and championing of new artists such as US folk star Father John Misty.

If the station lacked focus in its early years when it promised an enervating mixture of archive and album tracks, it now pursues a different mantra, “celebrating the alternative spirit in popular music since the 1960s”.

Paul Rodgers, head of programmes for 6 Music, said it was an “important phrase defining what the station is about” but admitted it is a “slippery one”.

“I’m loathe to get into a musical definition of it. Which bit of the Human League is the alternative spirit? You can see I’m struggling,” he said.

Other 6 Music presenters also spoke out, including Adam Buxton and Tom Robinson. Cerys Matthews, the former lead singer of Catatonia who joined the station in 2009, recalled appearing on BBC1’s Breakfast programme to debate the closure with then BBC chief operating officer, Caroline Thomson.

“I remember saying, yes there’s a need for the BBC to lose weight but you don’t cut your little finger off, you get fit,” said Matthews. “Threatening to shut 6 Music was a ridiculous way to save money.”

But even given the scale of support, Kershaw was taken aback when the decision was reversed four months later. “In my mind it was rock’n’roll versus the suits,” she said. “And the suits always had the last word.”

Aside from being the best free marketing the station ever had, the threat of closure and its subsequent rescue gave its DJs a new-found confidence. A few years previously its then controller Lesley Douglas had looked to expand its appeal with personalities such as Russell Brand and George Lamb”.

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

It seems amazing that there was even the feintest possibility of BBC Radio 6 Music not existing. Since its scare, the listening figures continued to grow! The personality and passion of the presenters, tied with a mix of more alternative and mainstream music, ensured that they were not only safe but blossoming! This article from The Guardian of 2014 reflected on a stunning year for the station:

“Lauren Laverne has helped the BBC Radio 6 Music to its biggest-ever audience of nearly 2 million listeners.

6 Music had an average weekly audience of 1.99 million listeners in the third quarter of 2014 and extended its lead over Radio 3, according to official Rajar listening figures published on Thursday.

Laverne, the station’s mid-morning DJ, presented its most popular show with 868,000 listeners.

In a sign of the changing way people are listening to the radio, a record 27% of listening for 6 Music was online or via smartphone and tablet apps, the most of any station and more than four times the industry average of 6.4%.

The new audience figures come a week after Labour MP Tom Watson said 6 Music, which is currently available only on digital, should be given Radio 3’s valuable FM slot because it had more listeners.

6 Music has more than tripled its audience since the BBC said it would close the station in 2010, only to be given a reprieve by the BBC Trust after an unprecedented protest by listeners.

A number of its presenters all had record audiences in the last quarter, including Shaun Keaveny’s breakfast show, Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie’s afternoon programme, Marc Riley, Huey Morgan and Mary Anne Hobbs”.

 IMAGE CREDIT: BBC

In the years since BBC Radio 6 Music became secure and proved how popular and needed it was, things have got better and better. There is clear loyalty among the broadcasters and everyone at the station. There are some broadcasters who have been at the station since the first day – including Chris Hawkins -; one can tell how much the station means to them. I think the sense of family comes through. The listeners are, really, like one big family; in turn, the presenters and producers are like old friends. BBC Radio 6 Music has that warmth and sense of comfort that is drawing in new people every day. Last year, the station achieved a new high with its listening figures:

“Congratulations to BBC Radio 6 Music, who scored a record RAJAR of 2.556 million, up 1.6% year-on-year and up 2.8% on the prior quarter. Its previous record was 2.53m two years ago. The RAJAR period covers the 6 Music Festival in Camden, an event that station head Paul Rodgers correctly predicted would help ratings.

James Purnell, director of BBC Radio and Education, said: “It’s wonderful that listeners have granted BBC Radio 6 Music the top spot as the UK’s biggest digital only station by tuning in in record numbers. It’s no surprise that the station’s brilliant presenters and talented teams are proving a winning formula with their love and passion for music.”

The station’s weekday breakfast show with Lauren Laverne had it biggest audience ever with 1.3 million listeners, according to the latest RAJARs. There were also RAJAR records for Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie at weekend breakfast and Steve Lamacq on weekday afternoons. In other good news, Lamacq will be back on air on June 1 after a period of absence following medical advice”.

I am not sure whether this year will see a bit of a stall in regards the growth of the family based, but I do think that more and more people have been coming to the station, as BBC Radio 6 Music offers something truly broad and fascinating. From regular features to the recent Soundscapes for Wellbeing, the station continues to adapt and innovate. Last year, BBC Radio 6 Music appointed Samantha Moy as its head:

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

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

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

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

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

 IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s Matt Everitt and Shaun Keaveny (the photo was taken pre-social distancing)/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

From Chris Hawkins waking us all up, to Lauren Laverne picking up the baton, the station has these incredible broadcasters who wouldn’t be anywhere else! I listen right through the day on BBC Radio 6 Music and, as it gets to Shaun Keaveny from Mary Anne Hobbs, one is definitely enriched and entertained. I shall not go through all the broadcasters on the station…suffice it to say that one needs to tune in (if they have not done so far); follow the station on Twitter, Facebook; go check out their YouTube channel. During the past year, we have all faced change and restrictions that we were not expecting. Radio, more than ever, has become a portal of calm and company. So many people live alone, so tuning into BBC Radio 6 Music and hearing the dedicated roster of broadcasters keep us distracted and cared for has been a lifeline. BBC Radio 6 Music is keen to involve the listeners as much as possible, whether that is through features or opportunities where they can submit music and mixes – including Lauren Laverne’s Social Recall. Ahead of marking nineteen years of the world’s greatest radio station, I feel it can continue to build. I think that next year is going to be an especially huge one for BBC Radio 6 Music. Not only will they celebrate the big twentieth anniversary in March but, with the pandemic having passed – let’s hope! -, it will be a chance for the station to bring back its annual festival – it has not happened this year because of the pandemic.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Arlo Parks

There will be other celebrations planned but, between then and now, I feel BBC Radio 6 Music will keep on wrapping us all warm and providing an essential source of strength. From the Beastie Boys delivering a festive takeover back in December, to Arlo Parks in the chair as the station’s current Artist in Residence, there is something for everyone! I have discovered so many artists and albums through BBC Radio 6 Music, in addition to some older songs that I had forgotten about. There has been some criticism through the years that the station was too guitar-based and Indie when it came to its playlist tastes. I think they have broadened dramatically since 2002; one can tune into the station and hear everything and anything! There are no limits and boundaries when it comes to the music played on BBC Radio 6 Music. I will leave things there, but I wanted to get in first and offer thanks and appreciation to everyone at BBC Radio 6 Music who, through such a tough time, have managed to deliver shows of the highest order! As we start to see signs of improvement and normality, BBC Radio 6 Music will be there to help us to the other side. I wanted to get there ahead of anyone else when it comes to marking nineteen years of BBC Radio 6 Music because, on 11th March, there will be a lot of love pouring in. Everyone hopes that the station will be in our lives…

FOR many years and decades to come.

FEATURE: Shot Into the Killer Storm: Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside at Forty-Three: A Truly Outstanding Title Track

FEATURE:

 

 

Shot Into the Killer Storm

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz 

Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside at Forty-Three: A Truly Outstanding Title Track

___________

I have some of Kate Bush’s…

lyrics tattooed on my arms. A couple of lines are from The Kick Inside’s opening track, Moving, whilst the others are from its closing track. The Kick Inside’s exceptional title track is one I have explored before but, as the album is forty-three on 17th February, I wanted to revisit it. The lines I have tattooed from that song are “You must lose me like an arrow/Shot into the killer storm”. That visual is so powerful and beautiful. Before moving on, a little bit of detail regarding The Kick Inside, in terms of its story and why Kate Bush decided to write about the subject she did:

“The lyrics were inspired by a traditional folk song called "Lucy Wan". According to Paddy Bush, at the time of recording the song there were some experiments where actual sections from "Lucy Wan" were taken and processed and used in a very unusual way”.

“The song The Kick Inside, the title track, was inspired by a traditional folk song and it was an area that I wanted to explore because it's one that is really untouched and that is one of incest. There are so many songs about love, but they are always on such an obvious level. This song is about a brother and a sister who are in love, and the sister becomes pregnant by her brother. And because it is so taboo and unheard of, she kills herself in order to preserve her brother's name in the family. The actual song is in fact the suicide note. The sister is saying 'I'm doing it for you' and 'Don't worry, I'll come back to you someday.' (Self Portrait, 1978)

That's inspired by an old traditional song called 'Lucy Wan.' It's about a young girl and her brother who fall desperately in love. It's an incredibly taboo thing. She becomes pregnant by her brother and it's completely against all morals. She doesn't want him to be hurt, she doesn't want her family to be ashamed or disgusted, so she kills herself. The song is a suicide note. She says to her brother, 'Don't worry. I'm doing it for you.' (Jon Young, Kate Bush gets her kicks. Trouser Press, July 1978)”.

It is perhaps not surprising that, even on her debut album, Bush was drawing inspiration from such unusual sources. I think The Kick Inside is the perfect way to end her debut album, as we get this sort of haunting pause as the sister, who has written a suicide note, says that by the time you (the brother) reads it, she will be gone. I think the lyrics on the title track are among the most stirring and memorable Bush has ever written. There are passages in the song that really grab your imagination and provoke wonderful images. Even though it is not among her most romantic lyrics, I do really like the opening verse: “I've pulled down my lace and the chintz/Oh, do you know you have the face of a genius?/I'll send your love to Zeus/Oh, by the time you read this/I'll be well in touch”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty Images

One follows the story in the song and, whilst it deals with a tough subject and something quite unorthodox, there is this emotion and sadness. The impossible situation the sister is put into is heartbreaking: “No more under the quilt/To keep you warm/Your sister I was born/You must lose me like an arrow/Shot into the killer storm”. On an album overflowing with brilliant songs and richness, I think The Kick Inside is one of my favourites. Bush’s voice is so versatile and strong right through the song. She manages to convey sacrifice, pain and tenderness. Whilst the composition is quite simple, I think it is really affecting and effective. The language used throughout is like nothing like you’d expect from another songwriter: “You and me on the bobbing knee/Didn't we cry at that old mythology he'd read!/I will come home again, but not until/The sun and the moon meet on yon hill”. I want to write a few short features about various songs and aspects of The Kick Inside. I think Kate Bush’s debut album is still underrated and, forty-three years after its release, it remains startling, hugely original and wonderous! If you have not heard the album, make sure you do, as it is a magnificent piece of work. I wanted to highlight the title track, as it is a sensational thing of beauty, loss and, well…incest. Bush has always pushed boundaries with her song and, whilst The Kick Inside could have come across odd on paper, she makes it work wonderfully. It just leaves it to me to wish a happy anniversary to…

A simply wonderful album.

FEATURE: Modern Heroines: Part Thirty-One: Aldous Harding

FEATURE:

 

 

Modern Heroines

PHOTO CREDIT: Max Lester 

Part Thirty-One: Aldous Harding

___________

I am very eager to include…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Colls for Interview Magazine

Aldous Harding in this part of Modern Heroines, as she is an artist who is going to be a legend and icon of the future. Born Hannah Sian Topp, she is a New Zealand Folk singer-songwriter, based in Cardiff, Wales. I have been following Aldous Harding music since she released her eponymous debut in 2014. She then followed that with 2017’s Party. I think those first two albums are remarkable, but she really hit a high on Party. It was one of the best albums of that year; critics remarking how her mannered delivery and remarkable voice was striking. Others talked about the shifting moods and how there is this blend of raw and the more tender. That is pretty much true of her latest album: 2019’s amazing Designer. I am not sure whether Harding has plans this year for a fourth album, though there is a definite demand for her amazing music. I am going to end with a playlist of the best tracks from her three studio albums at the very end, though I want to concentrate on Designer. It is an album that is impossible to forget and ignore. If you have not heard it yet, then go and pick up a copy. I am going to draw a couple of reviews in for that album but, first, some interviews that were conducted in 2019. We learn more about the Designer album and Harding as an artist.

I want to borrow a lot from an interesting interview Under the Radar published:

“Growing up with musician parents, Harding, an animal lover, toyed with the idea of studying veterinary sciences. In her 20s, when she did decide to make music her career, she quickly revealed herself a prodigious talent with her 2014, self-titled, goth-folk debut. By the time Party, her sophomore effort was ready for release; she was signed to tastemaker label 4AD. Party received international acclaim and made several of 2017's Best Of lists and the following year won her New Zealand's prestigious Taite Music Prize. She is now in it for the long haul.

Harding is talking about starting her new tour and being nervous—New York is cold and she fears she might fall ill. "I mean if I have to sing 'Zoo Eyes' with a cold, it's not going to be so good," she says with lightness. During her last tour, she became obsessed with how the show must look. She appeared possessed by the different vocal characters her songs called out and wore impossibly pristine white ensembles throughout. "I'm a little unsure what to expect this time," she says. "I have a plan but we'll just have to see. I'm as curious as everyone else I think." As it turns out, she needn't have worried too much. She's the toast of the town when she performs in New York, and later in Washington D.C. where NPR's Bob Boilen is all praise for her.

 Harding wrote most of Designer's songs on her last tour, going straight into the studio last summer and reuniting with producer John Parish after her 100-date tour. In playing Party, it became clear to her what kind of songs might be missing from her repertoire so she willed them into being with her pen. "Damn" was the last song to be written; she knew that the album needed a "lull before the lull" (just past mid-point on the album, before a set of four heavier-themed songs) and she wanted a self-portrait of herself as an artist.

"I was pretty terrible about that song," she explains. "John was asking me every day, 'Did you manage to write a song last night? You know you did say you would have it today.' I had to keep my head down, put my hand up and say, 'John, I hear you.' And he would say, 'I know I trust you but we're two days away, now would be the time.'... I had to just sit with it and figure it out."

When she finally gave the song to Parish it was almost nine minutes long. "I knew that wasn't going to fly but I presented it to him in that way, and then we sort of made a unanimous call on which verses to remove," she says. "I can tell I was lazy, instead of saying what I was trying to say I was kind of over indulgent."

The finished song, however, is perfectly formed. A sparse piano ballad that channels Vashti Bunyan, with a lolling rhythm as if in a rowboat, on a lake with only the gentle breeze for company; it brings an enormous sense of wellbeing. It's vaunted by her poetic lyricism, as she astutely employs the image of a tambourine as a metaphor of her as music-maker. "Damn a shammy, I'd thought I'd made a tambourine," for when she presumably got it wrong and didn't have a song.

Knowing the effort she now places on her songwriting and sometimes at the expense of others she apologizes: "Sorry I was late and you didn't get your weekend." Yet she ends with a playful revelation: other times songs can come to her without any agonizing, without even trying—"Damn it, Hanny/When you jump up and down/Your chains almost sound/Like a tambourine." Harding might be guarded and at times come across as dour but Designer is warm and full of humor.

There's a general levity that pervades the whole album, pointing to an artist, growing into their craft and personal life, yet comfortable with their difficult choices. The first two songs "Fixture Picture" and title track "Designer" both reconcile choosing art over matters of the heart—"better to live with melody and have an honest time," she sings on "Fixture Picture." There is a cheekiness to "Treasure," and you wonder if she's found a new love when she purrs: "I've got my eye on you now treasure."

For three years, Harding who now resides in the UK, was part of one of Lyttelton, New Zealand's most famous pairings—inextricably tied to its folk scene's resident heartthrob Marlon Williams. He recently had a cameo in A Star Is Born, as the Roy Orbison upstart. Williams, who now resides in LA, had a hand in producing Harding's debut and has talked openly about their relationship, claiming they will "always be tied together." She sang on his last album, the duet "Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore," though when first approached, she told him to "go find someone else." In the end she did capitulate. They appear to have a loving respect for each other, but an even higher regard for their métier. The song is about their breakup”.

Designer was featured in many end-of-year lists in 2019; it has won incredible plaudits and praise. It is no surprise when you listen to it! There is something very natural and seamless when you listen to Harding, though her songs and delivery have all these different contours and layers. It is a fascinating brew! When she spoke with The Line of Best Fit, we learned more about her songwriting process and the sense of expectation that built after 2017’s Party:

“Harding’s stories are in her songs; they are weaved through their lyrics and sung through all of the voices inside of her. Not to say she literally has lots of voices inside of her, that is. Just that each song has its own and each of them is what comes out along with the words. Many of the songs on Designer, she started writing while on the road with Party. One of these, "Pilot", she added into setlists, including her show at Islington Assembly Hall in London at the tail end of 2017.

Its lyrics strongly paint the picture of time on the road, of certain ill habits Harding found herself falling into on the road to battle thoughts, which she would then get angry with herself for. Whether for having them or realizing them is left up to "Pilot", Designer’s closing track; ellipses before the next chapter. The song has references to sadness and Albert Camus; an existential, absurdist philosopher who claims that ‘he who despairs of the human condition is a coward.’

"Pilot" took 15 minutes to write. “I was having a strange series of conversations with myself,” says Harding. “I realised I was a creature of habit. ‘Pilot’ was me laying it all out and going, 'This is what I think is going on.'" Moods. Fears, anxieties, sadnesses… addictions? "I don't know if I was writing out of emotion or necessity, because I was living it. I can't be the person doing and the person watching at the same time.” It was a confession, she adds, to everyone. “This is just what it is, it’s how I am sometimes,” she further confesses. “A lot of the time”.

Since Party’s release in 2017, it’s the world who has been watching. Despite this, Harding refuses to write for anyone but herself. “My obsession at the moment is producing things that make other people feel in an interesting, listenable way." She rightfully classes this as good work. "I like the feeling of if I write something that seems interesting and John will go, 'That's a good track,' and I'll go 'Right?' Not like, 'Yeah, I'm great', but like it makes sense. Like, he sees it, right? He felt that, right? I like that feeling because everybody deserves to feel good at something."

Anyone who has seen Harding perform live has felt it, too. They’ve seen it. She inspires feelings of disarmament, catharsis, otherworldliness. “I'm an incredibly sensitive person, I think that's clear,” she says, her lips forming more words before they surface. “I'm also very strong, but as for the sensitive side, you couldn't pick a stranger thing for a shy, paranoid person to do.”

Harding lives in the moment, for the now. She has to; her world has rapidly expanded fairly quickly and expects people will continue wanting to know it all. The key is to try to not think about it so much. “You can think yourself into a corner. You can think yourself around the world,” she says knowingly. “In the end, it doesn't matter. If it matters⸺you know, people matter, love matters⸺it can't matter that much, because it wouldn't arrive and disappear the way it does and it wouldn't let us lay with it in the interim.”

Every morning after waking, Aldous Harding slips on a pair of headphones and meditates to prepare for the day ahead. Unapologetically, she allows her art to apply as much pressure as it receives; sharing, but by design”.

I am going to end up with some reviews, as I said, but there are a lot of fascinating interviews available that I could not leave alone. I genuinely believe Aldous Harding is going to be around for many years - and she is already inspiring artists. In terms of her songwriting, there are few as consistent and spellbinding as her.

Whilst her music is definitely awe-inspiring, as she explained in an interview with The Guardian, her intention was never to make music that made this huge artistic statement:

“Her recent album, Designer, also has a foot twisting gently in the realm of pop, although its catchy songs still have wrigglier, murkier lyrical roots. Take the sweet guitar-pop of The Barrel, full of puzzling phrases such as “show the ferret to the egg” and more emotional ones, such as “when you have a child, so begins the braiding/ And in that braid you stay”. Her ever-changing voice also leads the mood of the songs: gently heavenly on Weight of the Planets, sadly stern on Heaven Is Empty. On the title track, Harding sings the lyric “give up your beauty” with relish.

She has never tried to make art that’s arresting, she says. “All I ever wanted to do was to do something interesting.” But she will admit that she’s “trying to work out what’s missing in music. I’m trying to hold your focus as an unremarkable person trying to do something remarkable.”

And she’s doing this while there’s an aversion in her generation to admitting that you’re even trying, she says. Why does she think this? “Because there is so much to lose. It’s like when people go to acting school and someone will say, ‘Now, I want you to scream at the top of your lungs’ and they don’t want to. They don’t want to watch themselves fail.” Fail at what? Harding’s look lingers in my head long after I leave. “Fail at what is basically being human”.

I would urge everyone to listen to of Aldous Harding’s music, although Designer is a pretty good starting place. It is an album that still impacts me some two years or so after it came out. Unsurprisingly, critics were keen to heap praise on a remarkable album. This is what AllMusic observed:

“The New Zealand singer/songwriter's third studio effort, and her second time working with producer and frequent PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish, Designer eschews the post-last call darkness of 2017's Party for something a bit sunnier, though no less peculiar. Aldous Harding remains an enigma; she's an elusive but captivating presence who can invoke both a nervous giggle and a slack-jawed tear via her careful pairing of abstract lyrics and subtle hooks. Her off-kilter songs have something in common with the knotty confections of Welsh pop innovator Cate Le Bon, but Harding's willingness to wrap her sibylline words in such agreeable melodies gives her a bit of an advantage. Take the opening stanza of the easy-on-the-ears "Zoo Eyes," which wonders "Why? What am I doing in Dubai?/In the prime of my life/Do you love me?," or the closing verse of the spare and heartbreaking "Heaven Is Empty": "If a big cold bird tried to bring me a baby/I feel I would get on its back/kissing his neck/breathing the down/kissing the down/and whisper softly/I don't want entry/that place is empty." Both songs exude a sort of existential malaise, but also a propensity towards transference. Harding has stated in interviews that her ideas are, simply put, just ideas, and more often than not it's her inclination to simply run with them rather than search for deeper meaning. Still, there are sharp observations to be found throughout the LP's nine tracks -- "When you jump up and down your chains almost sound like a tambourine" -- and incisive examples of pop acumen -- "The Barrel" is a warm '70s pop gem that just happens to contain impenetrable lyrics and feature a mesmerizing video of a dancing Harding dressed in what looks like a nun's habit with a tube of toothpaste for a hat that eventually disappears and is replaced by a garish blue monster mask. A singular talent, Harding seems to have hit her stride on album number three, and while the darkness of previous efforts is still pervasive, Designer feels like a summer record, though it's probably best suited for dusk”.

I am going to wrap up soon but, just before I do, I want to bring in a glowing review from The Guardian:

“For anyone braced for a further explosion of oddness, the strangest thing about Designer might be how disarmingly pretty it is. The staginess of Harding’s vocals has been slightly toned down, although she is still wont to sing with a curious enunciation, as if she’s invented her own accent. The tunes are sweetly charming. The music, meanwhile, is drawn in soft, warm tones: piano, Mellotron, fingerpicked nylon-strung acoustic guitar, subtle shadings of woodwind and brass, gently pattering congas. It occasionally sounds like a lost Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter album from the immediately post-psychedelic era – there’s a faintly lysergic shimmer to the tempo shifts and pregnant pauses of the title track – and occasionally like the work of Leslie Feist. The emotional temperature seems to drop midway through, with Damn’s hushed six and a half minutes ushering in a shadowy, twilit mood that lingers to the album’s conclusion, but even then the songs are draped with graceful, inviting melodies: driven by the muffled tick-tock of an ancient-sounding drum machine playing a vaguely Latin pattern, Weight of the Planets is particularly lovely.

“The lyrics are cryptic almost to the point of impenetrability and are clearly going to keep Harding’s army of online interpreters busy for some time: relatable everyday incidents are swallowed up by bizarre imagery. If it’s hard to say what Treasure or Zoo Eyes are actually about – “I made it again to the Amazon, I’ve got to erase the same as the others” opens the former, while the latter concludes with repeated demands to know “what am I doing in Dubai?” – a distinct sense of disquiet and darkness seeps through the splintered imagery, scraping unsettlingly against the music.

She alludes to something grim and bloody in the lyrics of Treasure, completely at odds with its breezy musical setting; the honeyed vocals and beautiful harmonies of opener Fixture Picture conceal a bleak worldview: “You can’t be pure and in love.” Even if you don’t feel like spending hours trying to unpick what she’s on about, there’s something oddly compelling about the contrasts.

Making an album that’s both captivating and indecipherable is no mean feat. What seems like the work of an unbiddable artist, operating according to her own baffling internal logic, turns out to be something rather more finely wrought: the fractured and confusing weighed out against the straightforwardly appealing, the darkness balanced by airy light. It’s a strange world that Harding has created, but it’s also an inviting one”.

I am looking forward to seeing what comes next for Aldous Harding and in what direction her music travels. Although many are keen for another album from her, perhaps lockdown and these current times have not been conducive to the sort of music Harding wants to make. She is this remarkable all-round artist who has a stunning voice and can write music that captivates all the senses. In my opinion, her songs are…

AMONG the most beautiful of modern times.

FEATURE: A Buyer’s Guide: Part Forty-Two: The Beautiful South

FEATURE:

 

 

A Buyer’s Guide

Part Forty-Two: The Beautiful South

___________

FOR the next part of this feature…

I am going to select a band/artist who is still going - as I realise the past couple have concerned artists no longer in operation. The same can be said for The Beautiful South. They are one of my favourite bands ever and, in my view, they are underrated and do not get the credit they deserve. If you are a bit new to The Beautiful South then here is a bit of information:

“The Beautiful South were an English pop rock group formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Hull group The Housemartins, both of whom performed lead and backing vocals. Other members throughout the band's existence were former Housemartins roadie Sean Welch (bass), Dave Stead (drums) and Dave Rotheray (guitar). The band's original material was written by the team of Heaton and Rotheray.

After the band's first album (recorded as a quintet), they were joined by a succession of female vocalists. All of the following artists performed lead and backing vocals alongside Heaton and Hemingway – Briana Corrigan for albums two and three after appearing as a guest vocalist on one, followed by Jacqui Abbott for the fourth to seventh albums, and finally Alison Wheeler for the final three Beautiful South albums”.

In recommending The Beautiful South, I have selected four of their albums that you should get involved with; one that is underrated and warrants new inspection, in addition to their final studio album – I also list a book that makes for helpful reading. Here are the must-own albums from…

THE amazing The Beautiful South.

_____________

The Four Essential Albums

 

Welcome to the Beautiful South

Release Date: October 1989

Labels: Go! Discs/Elektra

Producers: Mike Hedges/The Beautiful South

Standout Tracks: I'll Sail This Ship Alone/You Keep It All In/Oh Blackpool

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/the-beautiful-south/welcome-to-the-beautiful-south

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/0YcVvB5MOlk3QLH5wcNpn4?si=UsJyCMsYS3OP7lpsysj4_A

Review:

“The Beautiful South's 1989 debut would be important if only to mark the partial continuance of the Housemartins' legacy. But when vocalist Paul Heaton and drummer Dave Hemmingway greeted the world with Welcome to the Beautiful South, the handshake came with a Cheshire grin. Nothing in the Beautiful South was as it seemed. Where there was jaunty, jazzy pop, crossed fingers warned of murderous lyrics. If a single featured a fluttering flute, it was filled with familial terror. "Woman in the Wall," featuring one of the year's most memorable melodies and Heaton's plaintive lead vocal, also featured lines like "He'd enjoyed the thought of killing her before" and "when the rotting flesh began to stink." But even in the album's most gruesome moments, the streak of cynical, caustic sarcasm running through it was as clear as crop circles. This fact only made Welcome's twee goodness that much more fun, for with each well-placed barb it further proved what the Housemartins had started: pop didn't have to be stupid” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Song for Whoever

Choke

Release Date: 13th November, 1990

Label: Go! Discs

Producers: Mike Hedges/The Beautiful South

Standout Tracks: My Book/Let Love Speak Up Itself/I Hate You (But You're Interesting)

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=36201&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2F8dMI1DLUSc8bOh3pj594?si=hONA8sBqTWCQ5ZVpNCSaOg

Review:

“And with that ends the template for the album, an album which seems determined to give Morrissey a run for his money. 'My Book'’s instrumental work might be refreshingly jazzy for an indie fan, but again the lyrics stand out, with “there was going to be a film but the camera person slipped”, “we've had some ugly babies but none were quite like you” and “it looks as if the nose and chin are definitely here to stay” being the highlights. The video’s worth checking out, too. 'I Think The Answer’s Yes's beautiful trumpet melodies and piano harmonies show that the band has more than one creative avenue, and their ability to compliment yet not distract from…

“I'm walking through these pastures

I'm picking up sweet fruit

I'm shaking hands with people

That previously I'd shoot”

…is a brilliant display of restraint mixed with creativity. But this album isn’t all about grumpy-old-man English sarcasm.

The Beautiful South’s only number 1 hit in the UK, and possibly the best example of Heaton’s strong storylines, 'A Little Time' tells the story of the end of a relationship, perfectly presenting feelings of anger, indecision, hate and despair, all to the background of lush keyboard and guitar arrangements, with no clichés whatsoever. Seemingly written for Briana’s voice, the pair pull off a heart-achingly emotional performance, creating the best track on the album by far, and possibly the band’s best song.

Moving away from ruined lives and relationships, 'I’ve Come For My Award' enters the world of business and dodgy-dealings. The guitar lines sound very much like they were lifted from a Smiths album, and then given some of the band’s trademark jazzy swagger, and the lyrics, as ever, are exemplary; “I took on your free enterprise and your pretty little shops; walked in with empty bags, and walked out with the lot”.

Choke was a reference to the number of bands who put out a promising debut, only to follow with an absolute disaster. Perhaps this album was titled with a degree of irony in mind; The Beautiful South’s second offering does nothing of the sort. Three tracks from this album made the band’s first best of, Carry on up the Charts, and the album itself hit number 2 in England. A must for any fan, but also a great starting point too” – Sputnikmusic

Choice Cut: A Little Time

0898 Beautiful South

Release Date: 30th March, 1992

Label: Go! Discs

Producers: Jon Kelly/The Beautiful South

Standout Tracks: We Are Each Other/36D/Bell Bottomed Tear

Buy: https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/the-beautiful-south/0898

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1I1mX0fymdB9SWCGAhLETr?si=par87RHGQmCB-0IMntP_ww

Review:

“Mr. Heaton and Dave Rotheray, the co-composer and guitarist, use songs as a format for dialogue between singers. The approach worked in the group's biggest British hit, the 1990 single "A Little Time," which featured Mr. Hemingway and Ms. Corrigan as former lovers exchanging their regrets. The finest moment on the new album may be "Bell Bottomed Tear," in which the same pair again portray vulnerable lovers. The recurring lines "There's a tear, there's a tear, not through confusion, through fear" give drama to romantic angst. The dialogue format further emphasizes the democratic mix of voices within the group, a technique Mr. Heaton learned from American rhythm-and-blues, in which men and women talk back to each other while in musical harmony.

Using Ms. Corrigan's chirpy passion, Mr. Hemingway's boyish murmur and his own torchy voice, Mr. Heaton has perfected the sort of vocal arrangements he had experimented with on the group's two previous albums. The vocalists don't sound like soul singers, but they do sing soulfully. The Beautiful South is now able to present emotional contrasts throughout the album's various pop styles, ranging from 50's dance beat to British music-hall patter.

In this nonconformist pop, old conventions are twisted into new shapes, as suggested by the album's first cut, "Old Red Eyes Is Back," a play on the title of a Frank Sinatra album from the 1960's. The group's quirky and political sensibility enables it to address emotions and nuances often oversimplified in rock. The Beautiful South succeeds by emphasizing the pop group as a collective of individual eccentricities. Its name is evocative of an idealized place; a fitting notion for a group whose music charts new territory in pop” – The New York Times

Choice Cut: Old Red Eyes Is Back

Blue Is the Colour

Release Date: 21st October, 1996

Labels: Go! Discs/Ark 21

Producer: Jon Kelly

Standout Tracks: Don't Marry Her/Blackbird on the Wire/Liars' Bar

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=36217&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/14CFxfus4QKYtVW8oQkbp2?si=fSXZLy78TZapngjHy60jCg

Review:

“"Don't marry her... f**k me." Light, dreamy pop that includes lines like this may knock the listener over. An added feature is the various ways vocal duties are shared by Jacqueline Abbot, Dave Hemingway, and Paul Heaton. Finely produced, it should be noted that the knob-twiddler here was Jon Kelly (Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Tori Amos, Kate Bush). Beautiful South reminds one of the blunt simplicity of some of the Ann Magnuson-sung Bongwater, but much more accessible. Dulcet harmonies with casual bar talk rewritten as poetry. "Have fun/And if you can't have fun/Have someone else's fun." The songs here transform spite and hurt into tuneful gems. "The whole place is pickled/The people are pickles for sure/And no one knows if they've done more here/Than they would do in a jar." Yes, yes, yes. Next time your significant other does you significant pain, just put Blue Is the Colour on for a few spins. It will be more healing than a public drunk and save you any day-after embarrassment” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)

The Underrated Gem

 

Quench

Release Date: 12th October, 1998

Label: Go! Discs

Producers: Paul Heaton/Jon Kelly

Standout Tracks: How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?/Perfect 10/The Table

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=36281&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4z0lsUMEXG9X7cT2YPzmjg?si=OYBXLS1fRxy0a9fNNgRIMQ

Review:

“In what has become a familiar pattern, Quench, the Beautiful South's sixth regular album release (not counting the singles compilation Carry on Up the Charts), entered the British charts at number one in October 1998, following the number two success of its single, "Perfect 10," while in the U.S. its release was delayed until July 1999, when it made no commercial impression at all. As usual, Paul Heaton and his comrades take a jaundiced look at the world while crooning melodically over pop, rock, and cocktail jazz tracks. The CD booklet contains only one photograph, an out-of-focus shot of a barroom, and as the album's title implies, Quench is awash in alcohol. Its most telling self-portrait may be "Look What I Found in My Beer," in which Heaton views his musical career as his salvation from alcoholism and self-loathing. "Look what I found in the mic," he sings, "An end to screwed-up drinking and a Paul I actually like." But he often uses metaphors to get across his viewpoint, notably on such songs as "The Slide," "The Table," and "Window Shopping for Blinds." Singer Jacqueline Abbott serves as his foil and expands the dramatic possibilities, especially on the album-closing "Your Father and I," in which parents tell conflicting stories about a child's conception and birth, only to conclude, "Your father and I won't tell the truth." If the Beautiful South's early work mixed biting sarcasm with pop riffs, Quench finds the group playing in less of a pop style, while Heaton's lyrics have become more bitter and self-pitying, but no less witty. Still, American recognition continues to seem unlikely for a writer who likes to make puns involving Peter Lorre and a lorry (that's a truck to us Yankees)” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Dumb

The Final Album

 

Superbi

Release Date: 15th May, 2006

Label: SonyBMG

Producer: Ian Stanley

Standout Tracks: The Rose of My Cologne/When Romance Is Dead/Bed of Nails

Buy:  https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=148012&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5AFcQ40OOmpX0pKzNb0t0o?si=_x793fggR1yFYgik44LN_Q

Review:

“Heaton has always been that most British of songwriters, and that tradition continues here, from the celebration of that famously rain sodden city of Manchester (“If rain makes Britain great, then Manchester is greater”), or the vicious disillusionment on the duet of The Cat Loves The Mouse, those very English emotions of disappointment and melancholy are fully on display.

Best of all is the pithily accurate ballad When Romance Is Dead. Although anyone who’s just embarked on married life should probably not listen to the song, Heaton’s tale of a couple growing apart will be recognised by more than a few people – “you know when romance is dead, that deathly cold blast from his side of the bed”. It’s an excellent song, superbly sung by both Wheeler and Hemingway.

Other nice touches include the brass band on The Next Verse and the country jamboree feel of From Now On, just two examples of the revitalising effect that producer Ian Stanley (former member of Tears For Fears and producer of Tori Amos‘ finest moment Little Earthquakes) has obviously had on the album. The lovely ballad Bed Of Nails is another example of Heaton at his finest, the gorgeous melody hiding some typically clever lyrics.

Obviously, the Beautiful South are never going to be the most fashionable group in the world, and there’s a good chance that Superbi will sell to their fanbase without making any big splashes in the chart. Yet Paul Heaton and company have never been particularly bothered about being hip, and Superbi is another example of this most resolutely British of bands quietly getting on with what they do best” – MusicOMH

Choice Cut: Manchester

The Beautiful South Book

 

Last Orders at the Liars Bar: the Official Story of The Beautiful South

Author: Mike Pattenden

Publication Date: 8th April, 1999

Publisher: Orion

Synopsis:

“Since they formed in 1989, The Beautiful South have become on of the biggest selling acts in the UK. Their greatest hits album compilation was, for a while, the fastest selling release in the UK , and their album "Blue is the Colour" sold 1.5 million copies. They have also run up 17 hit singles. This book is the authorized story of The Beautiful South. Mike Pattenden, of "The Times", "Vox" and "Arena", has been granted access behind the scenes to the band themselves and their associates, both past and present, in order to tell the story of the last decade. From the early days of Norman Cook and The Housemartins, right up to the released of the new album in the autumn of of 1998; from Paul Heaton's outspoken left-wing politics with attitude to his twin obsessions of Sheffield United and Italian football; from the acrimonious split from Go! Discs to a profile of the city of Hull, its pubs, and its influence on the several members of the and who were born and bred there, "The Liar's Bar" is a definitive book about The Beautiful South” – Amazon.co.uk

Read/Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Orders-Liars-Bar-Beautiful/dp/057506739X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+beautiful+south&qid=1612163865&s=books&sr=1-1

FEATURE: Too Good to Be Forgotten: Songs That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure: M People - Moving on Up

FEATURE:

 

 

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

M People - Moving on Up

___________

PERHAPS this is a case of…

the band being a guilty pleasure rather than the song. That said, as with every song I include in this feature, I have seen M People’s Moving on Up described as a guilty pleasure. I think there are some that feel the Manchester-formed band are reserved for a certain audience and that their songs are not that great. I really like M People and, when it comes to the best song from them, I would say Moving on Up is right up there – I think that One Night in Heaven tops Moving on Up. I will get to looking at the song itself in a minute. The two songs from M People that I have just mentioned were included on their second album, Elegant Slumming. Released in 1993, the album stunned the music world by winning the Mercury Music Prize in 1994 – beating off competition from the likes of Blur, Pulp, and Primal Scream. In one of the biggest years for Britpop, an album with a more House/Soul feel went on to scoop a huge prize. Elegant Slumming is one of those albums from the ‘90s that does not get talked about too much. As a 2015 review from Sputnik Music explains, it is a pity that Elegant Slumming does not get the same attention as Britpop albums from the time:

“M People’s Elegant Slumming has no legacy. Despite spawning nothing but top 10 hits (including two US dance number ones) and going triple platinum, Elegant Slumming’s diva house doesn’t fit in with the britpop ascendancy narrative prescribed to 1993. With Blur’s Modern Life is Rubbish and Suede’s debut album setting the stage, 93 was the primer to Britpop’s formal 94 breakthrough. M People on the other hand, were too pop and too frivolous to have any serious stake in the times. It’s been quietly forgotten about and it’s only real claim to a legacy today might be that it upset Blur’s Parklife for the 1994 Mercury Music Prize.

It’s a shame because as a pop-dance album Elegant Slumming might even surpass Soul II Soul’s Club Classics Vol. One as the most solid full length the genre produced. Opening with the mighty “One Night in Heaven”, which I can only assume used to send packed clubs into bedlam, M People present their key strength in Heather Small’s powerful, distinctive vocals. She sounds amazing deliver the confident get-the-***-outs of “Movin On Up” (“Take it like a man baby if that’s what you are”) as she does calm and collected on the quiet storm “Love’s in My Soul”. Mike Pickering and Paul Herd take up their role as shadowy producers and turn in beats that bear the distinct marks of early 90’s pop-dance (were producers passing around keyboard patches or something?) but make room for live saxophone and flute solos to spice things up. Smooth R&B joint “Natural Thing” and the proto-Remedy “La Vida Loca” also guaranteed interest once the singles have been left behind.

While maybe not an essential listen, Elegant Slumming is proof positive that there was more happening in the UK in ‘93 than boys making guitar sounds. If you need a blast of early 90s diva-house but don’t want to be as obvious as C+C Music Factory or Snap!, reach for M People’s Elegant Slumming”.

Released on 13th September, 1993, Moving on Up is the second single from the album. With Heather Small providing sensational vocals, one cannot help but be hooked on such a powerful and catchy song!  Reaching number-two on the U.K. chart, there was a lot of love for the song, that is for sure! I don’t think one should consider M People or Moving on Up as a guilty pleasure. They are a terrific band, and it is impossible to listen to Moving on Up without feeling energised. The song has received some praise through the years. I want to refer to a Wikipedia article regarding the acclaim Moving on Up has garnered:

“AllMusic editor Keith Farley described the song as a "nu-disco slant" in his review of the Elegant Slumming album. Another editor, Jose F. Promis called it "electrifying".  Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that frontwoman Heather Small and the band "deftly blends state-of-the-charts club trends with a reverence for classic Motown and R&B sounds. After one spin, you'll be humming the chorus for a week, which is the mark of a true smash.” In 2017, BuzzFeed listed the song at number 63 in their list of The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90. Anderson Jones from Entertainment Weekly called it a number "that has set disco balls spinning across Europe". Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that "excitement about this uptempo winner is spreading fast and one listen should explain why.”

 John Hamilton from Idolator noted the song as "a confident pop-soul kiss-off", adding that "its funky sax and Small’s pissed-off vocals combined to create nothing short of a club classic, one that provided ample opportunity for gay and straight clubbers alike to bust a move on dancefloors across the nation."[9] Australian music channel Max placed "Moving On Up" at number 565 in their list of 1000 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2011. Music & Media wrote that "the '90s will be type-cast as the age of retro, both in rock and in dance. These people restore Funky Town as the capital of good old disco. A floor filler annex airplay hit is born!". The Network Forty called it a "perfect uptempo fun springtime" song. Newcastle Journal said the single "was one of the best releases of the year." Reading Evening Post described it as "funky". Steve Pick from St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote, "You can hear a straight line from the Stereo MC's "Connected" to this, a deep, in-the-pocket groove featuring a jazzy, funky break in the middle and, of course, subtle tenor saxophone honks. The big difference, aside from the fact that this one isn't quite as catchy, is the presence of a big-voiced disco diva whose alto tones conjure up dim memories of Donna Summer, especially on the soaring, nearly exuberant chorus." Mark-Leon Thorne from Woroni called it a "classic anthem"”.

I really love Moving on Up and feel that it has not aged through the years. Anyone can hear the song fresh and bond with it. If you have not played one of M People’s biggest hits for a while, then play it loud and…

GET the body moving.

FEATURE: Music Technology Breakthroughs: Part Nine: The Compact Disc

FEATURE:

 

 

Music Technology Breakthroughs

IN THIS PHOTO: A Philips technician gives a demonstration on how to use the new compact disc (C.D.) on 7th March, 1981 in Paris/PHOTO CREDIT: AFP/Getty Images

Part Nine: The Compact Disc

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FOR this instalment of Music Technology Breakthroughs…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @brett_jordan/Unsplash

I am turning to something that many malign and may not consider to be that great. Vinyl and cassette sales are rising at the moment, whereas it seems like the compact disc has stalled somewhat. I think that most music lovers prefer vinyl over compact disc, and there is this retro love of cassettes – many artists are putting albums out on this format still. I think that the last year was a bad one for the humble compact disc:

“The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) just released its midyear compilation of recorded music industry sales data for 2020. Although the numbers follow trends that have existed in the industry for a few years, they hit a couple of important milestones: music downloads now bring in less revenue than physical products, and CDs are all but dead.

CDs represent the most astonishing change since last year. In 1999, at the music industry’s all-time revenue peak, CDs garnered $13 billion in sales, or almost 90% of music industry revenue. As file-sharing began to take its toll on the industry and revenues fell, CDs were the main casualty. Last year CDs only brought in $614 million or 5.5% of total revenue.

CDs’ year-over-year decreases in revenue hovered around the 20% from the mid-2000s until last year. But the downturn from the first half of 2019 to the first half of 2020 was 48%; CD sales were cut almost in half over the last year. CDs brought in only $130 million during the first half of this year; that’s only 2.3% of total industry revenue. CDs are now worth less to the industry than every category of music distribution other than tiny ones like ringtones and music video downloads”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @homajob/Unsplash

I want to bring in an article that looks at the history of the compact disc and why it was such a step forward in terms of technology and convenience:

“The story of the CD started way back in 1957 with experiments involving the rudimentary video disc by the Italian Antonio Rubbiani, that stimulated an entire generation of scientists to think along the lines of digital technology.

Almost 12 years after this, Philips started work on the Audio Long Play (ALP) disc that used the laser technology and which rivaled the traditional analogue vinyl records. The ALP discs played for longer times and occupied less space than their vinyl counterparts.

Under the guidance of the technical director (audio) in Eindhoven, the Philips team tried many experiments with the digital disc technology, including the idea of quadraphonic sound that required a disc as big as 20 cm in diameter. These experiments were later abandoned.

However, in 1978, the project took off on a more serious note and Philips launched the Compact Disc Project. The aim of the Compact Disc Project was for the new format to eventually replace both the analogue video equipment and the Compact Cassette Tape. Both were popular technologies at the time, that had been in use and established for a good many years.

The name for the project (decided in 1977), Compact Disc Project, was chosen by Philips with the hope that it would bring to peoples’ minds, the Compact Cassette’s success. Philips, by then, had started paying more heed to the work done by its digital audio research department. All this research into the project led to a very interesting juncture.

Philips, having already released the commercial laser disc player in to the market, was ahead of its competitors in terms of the physical design of the compact disc. However, Philips lacked the experience of digital audio recording to develop the compact disc any further.

On the other hand, Sony, that was also working alongside to develop the Compact Disc, had exactly the opposite problem to contend with. Whereas it had over a decade of experience in developing and implementing the best digital audio circuitry, it lacked the know-how to make the actually physical CD.

As a result of these developments, in 1979, during a conference in Japan,  Philips and Sony stunned the world with the announcement that both the companies would jointly develop the Compact Disc. Thus, a new deal was forged, and the two companies worked together for the next few years.

In the year 1980, Philips and Sony, in general acceptance of certain specifications regarding the CDs, brought out the Red Book. The name was attributed to the colour of the cover of the first publication.

The Red Book contained specifications that included the size of the disc, the recording details, the sampling, and other standards, many of which remain unchanged even today.

The CDs could be played in stereo systems, had a diameter of 120mm (making it portable and smaller than the vinyl record), and could hold an immense amount of data, much more than the vinyl record or the cassette did.

The size of the CD has an interesting story to it: Philips’ idea of a 115mm CD had to be shelved because Sony insisted that the longest musical performance should fit on to the disc, which was Beethoven’s entire 9th Symphony, at 74 minutes, and the size of the CD was increased to 120mm.

Soon after, Sony and Philips parted ways and started working separately, trying to produce their own CD-drive equipment. The first commercial CD drive was released a month earlier by Sony on 1st of October 1982, making it a notable event in the history of CD development. The CDP-101 Compact Disc Player by Sony hit the market first in Japan, followed by Europe. It did not reach the shores of America until the early part of 1983.

Sony beat Philips once again for a second time when it released the first portable CD player in the year 1984. The time was ripe for commercial CDs to make a foray into the market. The first commercial CD to be pressed was Visitors by ABBA, the Swedish pop group. Soon after this, the first album, Billy Joel’s 52nd Street, followed.

In spite of the concerns of the major music labels, the popularity of CDs soared and over a thousand different singles and albums were released in the first year alone”.

Maybe it is the case the compact disc is not really as relevant now as it was but, from 1982 until today, it has been a big part of people’s lives. Compact discs are on sale and artists still release their music on this format. I guess, with digital revolution and popularity, music hardware and physical formats are going to struggle a little. We have read about the history of the compact disc. I was interested to know when it started to really take off and hit its peak. This NBC News articles provides more examination:

“The digital music revolution officially hit 30 years ago, on Oct. 1, 1982. While you may be surprised to learn that the heralds of the coming age were, in fact, the Bee Gees, it probably comes as less of a shock to learn that Sony was at the very heart of it. After years of research and an intense period of collaboration with Philips, Sony shipped the world's first CD player, the CDP-101. Music — and how we listen to it — would never be the same.

Today the CD player might be seen as something of a relic, since our smartphones, iPods and satellite radios provide seamless access to not only our entire music libraries, but to nearly every artist or track available. We can dictate any song or album to an app and have it playing in seconds, or download a new single by visiting an artist's Facebook page.

In such a world, the idea of carrying around a disc loaded with just 10 or 12 tracks and switching it out every hour sounds positively stone-age. But the MP3 and streaming media are not just the CD's replacements, but its descendants. The future of music in fact made its unofficial debut, believe it or not, in the hands of the Bee Gees.

It was on the BBC show Tomorrow's World in 1981 that the Bee Gees publicly demonstrated CD technology (and a new album, Living Eyes) for the first time. Artists were excited about the format — the prospect of a high-quality, track-separated, non-degrading medium was enticing, though many were still skeptical of digital encoding. But music industry heavies like David Bowie and renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan were quick to embrace it, and soon the likes of Dire Straits would hit a million sales and cement the CD's position as the new standard for music.

It wasn't until later in the '80s that things really took off. Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms sold a million CDs in 1985, suggesting that the format had finally hit its stride. It wasn't long before other artists were selling millions upon millions of their albums in CD format. The Discman, introduced in 1984, and the CD-ROM format, enabling computers to read the discs, further accelerated uptake.

The rest, as they say, is history. Since that time, hundreds of billions of CDs have been shipped and sold — the numbers are near-impossible to track, since the easily duplicated digital data led to an enormous increase in piracy and counterfeiting, not to mention the billions of copies and mix-CDs made by normal users.

 Music CDs peaked in 2000 with global sales estimated at around 2.5  billion. Soon (legal) digital downloads began to replace physical media for many music buyers. Though its numbers are on the decline, CDs are still produced today on the order of hundreds of millions, and it will be many years yet before the world's CD factories shut their doors.

The size and shape of the CD, as well as its capacity, portability, and versatility, have been a major factor in how music has been developed and consumed for decades. Albums were written to fill it, new formats like the DVD were made in imitation of it, and entire new trends in media resulted from it. The Compact Disc started the digital revolution for music in the '70s, and we're still feeling the effects”.

I am going to end with an article that charts the rise and fall of the compact disc. I am a big fan of the C.D. - even if some others feel it is outdated and clunky. Whilst one cannot have the same listening experience as vinyl, a compact disc offers portability and cost saving. I got my first single on compact discs in the 1990s. I really liked the fact that this was technology more reliable than the cassette in many ways – it was less difficult to damage and one, if buying an album, could skip tracks easily. It was a very big part of my music-listening life – and the compact disc remains important to me and so many other people.

The Guardian examined the fortunes of the compact disc back in 2015. They made some interesting points regarding how its success has sort of faded since the heyday:

“By the 1990s, the CD reigned supreme. As the economy boomed, annual global sales surpassed 1bn in 1992 and 2bn in 1996, and the profit margins were the stuff of dreams. The CD was cheaper than vinyl to manufacture, transport and rack in stores, while selling for up to twice as much. Even as costs fell, prices rose. “It was simple profiteering,” says Stephen Witt, whose new book How Music Got Free chronicles the industry’s vexed relationship with the MP3. “[Labels] would cut backroom deals with retailers not to let the price drop. The average price was $14 and the cost had gotten down almost to a dollar, so the rest was pure profit.”

Jon Webster bristles at this claim. “What’s fair? The public says. Supply-and-demand says. There were ignorant campaigns by the likes of the Sun and the Independent on Sunday saying that these things cost a pound to make. Well, that’s like saying a newspaper costs 3p to produce. That doesn’t include the creativity and the marketing and the money it costs to make the actual recordings.”

Whether or not the prices were justified, CDs sold in their billions and flooded the industry with cash like never before. This enabled labels to invest more heavily in new talent – Campkin suggests that Britpop might not have happened without the CD windfall – but it also funded misguided A&R frenzies, wasteful marketing and excessive pay packets. “In the 90s we were awash with profitability and became fat, to be honest,” says Webster.

PHOTO CREDIT: David Brandon Geeting

The fall of the CD, like its rise, began slowly. When file-sharing first took off with Napster in 1999 and 2000, CD sales continued to ascend, reaching an all-time peak of 2.455bn in 2000. Tech-savvy, cash-poor teenagers stopped buying them but most consumers didn’t want (or know how) to illegally download digital files on a slow dial-up connection. So the market remained steady, artificially buoyed by aggressive discounting.

It was the 2001 launch of the iPod, an aspirational premium product which made MP3s portable, that turned the tide. “Before that the MP3 was an inferior good,” Witt says. “Once you had the iPod, the CD was an inferior good. It could get cracked or lost, whereas MP3 files lasted.” Not pure, not perfect, but sound for ever.

The compact disc has proved surprisingly tenacious. It still dominates markets such as Japan, Germany and South Africa; it makes for a better Christmas present than an iTunes voucher; and it has some hardcore enthusiasts. Jeff Rougvie is even planning to set up a boutique CD label to reissue rare and out-of-print albums. “It defies conventional wisdom but so did Ryko at the time. There’s an audience.” But, insists Stephen Witt: “It’s dying. It will go obsolete like the floppy disc did. It just always takes a little more time than you’d think”.

Next year marks forty years since the commercial compact disc was released into the world. I think they will be in circulation for many years to come. It must have been hugely exciting for consumers and artists alike when the compact disc was launched. I still think there are years left in the honest and enduring compact disc. Even if other forms and technologies have taken its place, one cannot argue that, in its day, the compact disc enjoyed…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @brett_jordan/Unsplash

A magnificent regency.

FEATURE: MTV at Forty: Could the Station Be Rebooted for the Twenty-First Century?

FEATURE:

 

 

MTV at Forty

Could the Station Be Rebooted for the Twenty-First Century?

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EVEN though MTV is not forty…

until 1st August, I am going to put out a few features before then that explore music videos. Not that MTV is just about music videos but, in its earliest days, it was a vital portal for music lovers. Before then, there was not really anywhere one could see music videos from big artists of the day. Now, we almost take the form for granted - and there are countless videos on platforms like YouTube. I do think that it is sad that there was this MTV decline in the first few years of this century. I guess, after the boom of the 1980s and 1990s, there was going to be a downturn. From 1995 to 2000, MTV played 36.5% fewer music videos. There, perhaps, was less demand for the form; a certain novelty had worn off. Maybe viewers were bombarded and hooked on videos so, inevitably, that led to a lack of demand and popularity. One can discover more about MTV as, at its peak, it was a sensation! I remember discovering MTV in the early-1990s, where I saw many iconic videos there for the first time. As a fan of the charts and catching up with the trending music of the time, I felt that MTV provided a visualisation and expansion of the music I was listening to. Even though MTV launched in 1981, prior to launch, the network was first tested on 1st December, 1977, as Sight on Sound. The channel started off by airing music videos and related programming as guided by television personalities known as ‘video jockeys’ (V.J.s).

In future features, I am going to go into various periods of MTV and the development of the music video. I don’t think the necessity and importance of music videos has really changed in the four decades since MTV was launched. Maybe streaming is a more important platform but, given the fact there are far more artists now than there were in 1981, I feel that the music video is more prevalent and popular. Some might debate that MTV changed its format because the music video was less important and was not broad enough. This sort of returns to my features regarding a genuine lack of music television. One cannot realistically say that there is no need for music television. Whilst we have streaming and radio helping to promote artists, music television allows them to perform and talk about their latest release. Top of the Pops went off air in 2006. I think it is a shame that music television has become rarer. There are so many great music videos released every month; they sort of get buried on YouTube and many people miss out. Music news is divided between various websites and platforms, so it can be hard getting on top of it and keeping up with what is happening. Rather than do something nostalgic and try and reboot MTV exactly as it was in 1981, I think that a modern launch that broadens the station would be great.

There is not going to be the same giddiness there was in the early years regarding videos and their power but, rather than feature purely all the best new videos, there could be a mix of the classic and fresh. Throw into the mix so many music documentaries and older shows that could be brought to a new audience. MTV could also encourage new music shows and, with very few music shows in the U.K. and U.S., having a weekly show that is an absolute must-see would be popular. Maybe it would not be realistic to abandon the reality programmes and current schedule of MTV and go back to it purely being about music because, as the years have rolled on, technology has allowed instant access to videos, music and information that was not available back in 1981. It will be sad to think that, come August, people will mark four decades of MTV with mixed feelings. There is going to be the celebration of a channel that, for well over a decade, was hugely important and influential. There were problems, for sure. The lack of Black artists featured on the station – as in videos by Black artists – was something that was tackled and eventually rectified. I guess changing tastes and culture meant that MTV would lose its shine and uniqueness. A lot has altered since MTV declined and started to broadcast reality shows. Modern music is busy, bright and diverse and, with so many great artists, videos and developments sprouting up, I do think that a dedicated music channel is necessary. Perhaps an MTV relaunch would not need the fanfare it did on 1st August, 1981, though I do feel like it has a bigger place now than it did years ago.

I am going to finish off by bringing in an article published four years ago to mark MTV at thirty-six. Even though it became less about videos at a certain point, its legacy and cool is clear:

“MTV has tried to bring back some of their past music programming in some form or another over the last few years. ‘Unplugged’ and ‘120 Minutes’ were both revived in the early 2010s, but ended up either being relegated to specials on the MTV website. Attempts at bringing back music videos in the early hours of the morning failed. This week, it was announced that ‘Total Request Live,’ the music video countdown show that premiered in 1998 and gave rise to boy bands like The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and 98 Degrees, and bubblegum pop princesses like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, would be making a return in October.

MTV has been a pioneer in music television and cultural programming. Early on, the channel was a force in the music industry, popularizing the music video and launching the careers of many artists along the way. Though it has gotten away from the music programming it was once known for, its ability to break boundaries has continued to guide the channel’s current programming. MTV might not be the musical influencer that it once was and probably never will be again, but it will always be remembered for what it has done, no matter what comes next”.

I am eager to explore MTV more fully as we get closer to its fortieth anniversary. At a time when we are embracing music more and, in my view, music videos are still hugely relevant and important, dusting off MTV in some form and injecting it with new life and purpose seems sensible to me! By blending the old and new and tailoring the station more to the modern world – not, as I mentioned, simply doing something retro -, I think it could be a success. Given all the MTV gave and how good it was back in its day, when we celebrate its fortieth anniversary in the summer, it would be a shame to think of it…

 IMAGE CREDIT: Candy Kugel

AS an irrelevant thing of the past.

FEATURE: Groovelines: Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer

FEATURE:

 

 

Groovelines

Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer

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I was tempted to feature…

Bon Jovi’s third studio album, Slippery When Wet, in Vinyl Corner. The album turns thirty-five in August and, from that 1986-released album, I will select its best-loved track for deeper study. Livin’ on a Prayer is considered one of the biggest tracks of the 1980s. On an album that featured other big hits like You Give Love a Bad Name, and Wanted Dead or Alive, I think the New Jersey-based band were in terrific form! They never hit the same peak they did on Slippery When Wet; I wonder what it was about that album and time period. With Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child in excellent form as songwriters, we got an album with some stunning hits and deeper cuts that are realty strong too. I am going to bring in a piece of Wikipedia information about Livin’ on a Prayer and its legacy soon. It is said that Bon Jovi did not original version of the song. Lead guitarist Sambora convinced him the song was good…so they reworked it with a new bassline (recorded by Hugh McDonald), different drum fills and the use of a talk box (to include it on Slippery When Wet). It is another case of a band member seeing the potential of a song but the original sketch not being quite realised. I am glad that there was discussion and experimentation because, upon its release, Livin’ on a Prayer became a huge smash!

The song spent two weeks at number-one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart; four weeks at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number-four on the U.K. chart. A recent article came out that revealed how Jon Bon Jovi was not a fan of one of the band’s biggest hits:

“Richie Sambora called Jon Bon Jovi an "idiot" for not realizing the potential of "Livin' on a Prayer" when they wrote it.

"I remember walking out of the room with Richie," the singer told The Irish Times, "and I said, ‘Eh, it’s okay. Maybe we should just put it on a movie soundtrack.’ Richie looked at me and said, ‘You’re an idiot. It’s really good.’ I said, ‘I just don’t know where it’s going.’ But it didn’t have that boom-boom-boom bassline yet, so it sounded more like the Clash.

“That song, God bless it," he continued. "But, my God, who knew? Not us, I can assure you. It was created on a day when none of us had any ideas. We just had a conversation, and it came out of that. I’m sure happy my name’s on it!”

Released as the second single from Bon Jovi's 1986 album, Slippery When Wet, "Livin' on a Prayer" became their second consecutive No. 1 single and sold 3 million copies. The song not only bought him a house, he added, “it bought a lot of people houses.”

A year and a half ago, during a Q&A session on his Runaway to Paradise cruise, Bon Jovi said his doubts about "Livin' on a Prayer" stemmed from his belief that it "didn’t sound like anything. You know, ‘Runaway’ had eight notes, like a lot of songs on the radio at the time. Even ‘[You Give Love a] Bad Name’ was reminiscent of other songs that were on the radio. ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ didn’t sound like anything. So, I was sort of indifferent. I thought, ‘Well, it’s different, but is it a rock song? Is it us?'”.

It is a good job Sambora had a good ear and identified Livin’ on a Prayer as a promising gem! In the almost thirty-five years since its release, the track has become this anthem and fan favourite. At the time of writing this feature (3rd February), the song’s video has amassed 759,929,460 views on YouTube. In terms of its impact, Livin’ on a Prayer has been lauded and celebrated through the years:

“In 2006, online voters rated "Livin' on a Prayer" No. 1 on VH1's list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. More recently, in New Zealand, "Livin' on a Prayer" was No. 1 on the C4 music channel's show U Choose 40, on the 80's Icons list. It was also No. 1 on the "Sing-a-long Classics List". After Bon Jovi performed in New Zealand on January 28, 2008 while on their Lost Highway Tour, the song re-entered the official New Zealand RIANZ singles chart at number 24, over twenty years after the initial release.

Australian music TV channel MAX placed this song at No. 18 on their 2008 countdown "Rock Songs: Top 100". In 2009, the song returned to the charts in the UK, notably hitting the number-one spot on the UK Rock Chart.

In 2010, it was chosen in an online vote on the Grammy.com website over the group's more recent hits "Always" and "It's My Life" to be played live by the band on the 52nd Grammy Awards telecast.

In the Billboard Hot 100 Anniversary 50, "Livin' on a Prayer" was named as 46 in the All time rock songs. After the song was released for download, the song has sold 3.4 million digital copies in the US as of November 2014.

The song, including its original ending, is also playable on the music video games Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2. The song was re-worked and made available to download on November 9, 2010 for use in the Rock Band 3 music gaming platform to take advantage of PRO mode which allows use of a real guitar / bass guitar, and standard MIDI-compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to up to three-part harmony or backup vocals.

In November 2013, the song made its return to the Billboard Hot 100 at number 25, due to a viral video.

In 2017, ShortList's Dave Fawbert listed the song as containing "one of the greatest key changes in music history".

I want to look at a great article that dove deep inside Livin’ on a Prayer and discussed the relationship between the band and producer Bruce Fairbairn; how the song came together and what its lyrics mean. I am not going to include the entire Stereogum article, but there are some fascinating segments that caught my eye:

“According to Bon Jovi, the trio wrote “Livin’ On A Prayer” “on a day when none of us had any ideas.” They got to talking about all their backgrounds. Bon Jovi and Sambora had both grown up working-class in New Jersey. Bon Jovi’s high-school girlfriend had stayed with him as he tried to land a record contract. (They got married in 1989, and they’re still together now.) Desmond Child had worked as a cabdriver in New York in the ’70s, when he was dating Maria Vidal, one of the singers in his group Desmond Child & Rouge. Vidal worked in a diner, and her coworkers nicknamed her Gina because she looked like the actress Gina Lollobrigida. (Maria Vidal’s highest-charting single, 1984’s “Body Rock,” peaked at #48.)

When Child first came up with the “Livin’ On A Prayer” lyrics, the song told the story of a couple named Johnny, Child’s birth name, and Gina. Bon Jovi knew that wouldn’t work, since his name was Jon. The song had to be third-person. Child changed the guy’s name to Tommy, which is a better name anyway. (When I was six, I made one of my worst decisions ever, insisting that I wanted to go by “Tom” instead of “Tommy.” “Tommy” sounds so much cooler. Fuck.)

The band and Fairbairn kept working on “Livin’ On A Prayer,” layering on more and more ideas: The synth-drone intro, the blazing guitar leads, the whoa-whoa-whoa talkbox riff. Fairbairn and Sambora found that talkbox while digging around in Sambora’s box of guitar effects. (From what I’ve read, the talkbox — a device built on a clear plastic chord that goes from your mouth to the guitar — really hurts to use. It makes your skull vibrate and your eyes feel like they’re going to explode. I love that.) The sound that the weird machine conjures — like a giant evil robot doing the bass voice in a street-corner doo-wop group — gives the song a whole new cinematic dimension.

The finished version of “Livin’ On A Prayer” is light-years beyond that demo. The song only really works if it’s all drama, if it explodes out of the speaker. However long it took, the band turned “Livin’ On A Prayer” into a perfect engine of drama. They shaped it into a true soul-shaking cheap-seats howler.

Tommy and Gina are pure archetype. Tommy used to work on the docks, but the union’s been on strike, and he’s down on his luck. It’s tough. So tough. Tommy can’t support himself and his girl, and he can’t even express himself artistically, since he’s got his six-string in hock. Gina works the diner all day, working for her man. She dreams of running away, but when she cries in the night, Tommy whispers, “Baby, it’s OK.” And then: “Someday.” That “someday” is a mythical time when things won’t be so hard. Tommy and Gina don’t know whether this time will ever arrive, but they have to believe in it. They have to believe they’re halfway there.

PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Harbron 

Bon Jovi himself has said that “Livin’ On A Prayer” was a response to the Reagan era and the suffering that so many people were going through. Reagan certainly did everything in his power to cripple organized labor in America; maybe that’s why Tommy’s union was on strike. But the lyrical concerns of “Livin’ On A Prayer” aren’t tied to any particular moment in history. They’re elementally simple, like an early-’60s girl-group song.

The music, on the other hand, is extremely of its moment. Even more than “You Give Love A Bad Name,” “Livin’ On A Prayer” is a terrifying display of supercharged ’80s pop-metal that just goes for the car-stereo jugular. The production is so clean you could eat off of it. The synths and guitars glitter and gleam. The bassline and the simplistic drum-stomp are practically disco. Everything on the song works as a hook. The verses sound like choruses, and the choruses sound like suns exploding”.

I am not a massive fan of Bon Jovi, but I do love their Slippery When Wet album and the signature song, Livin’ on a Prayer. Whilst the album is not just about this track, I think it is so weighty and important that one cannot help but discuss and dissect it! From the dissatisfaction from Jon Bon Jovi when he was presented with the song, to the fact that the band have played it in stadiums to generations of fans ever since its release, Livin’ on a Prayer has a wonderful success story behind it! You may say you dislike the song but, once that chorus kicks in, you are helpless to resist…

SINGING along loudly.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Jazmine Sullivan

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Malike Sidibe for New York Magazine 

Jazmine Sullivan

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A lot of my Spotlight features…

concern artists who are just starting out and do not have a massive fanbase. Jazmine Sullivan has established quite a big fanbase already and, whilst she has not been in music for that many years, she has already achieved so much. That said, there are so many people who do not know about it – hence why she is in Spotlight. I am going to bring in a couple of reviews for her fourth studio album, Heaux Tales. Released in January, it is one of her most accomplished works. If you do not know about Sullivan, then here is some information from Wikipedia:

“Jazmine Marie Sullivan (born April 9, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, her debut album, Fearless, was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success. The record topped Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It spawned four singles, including "Need U Bad" and "Bust Your Windows", both of which peaked in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the former of which became Sullivan's first and only number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Sullivan followed this with her second studio album, Love Me Back, in 2010, which was received favorably by critics. After taking a three-year break, Sullivan signed with RCA Records and released her first studio album under the label, Reality Show, in 2015, and it became her second album to peak at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart”.

I am a fan of all of her work but, as Heaux Tales is new and, in my view, the best representation and strongest work from Jazmine Sullivan, then I am going to focus on that. Before I introduce some positives reviews for that album, there are a couple of interviews that caught my eye. Sullivan spoke with The Guardian recently - and we learned more about her background and music progression:

“Her first two albums, 2008’s Fearless and 2010’s Love Me Back, strongly bore this out while extending her range into disco, tango and reggae. Critical respect and 12 Grammy nominations have followed in the years since, and though household name recognition has not, several of Sullivan’s songs became R&B standards. Her 2010 single Holding You Down (Goin’ in Circles) was given a new lease of life a decade on when Megan Thee Stallion used it is the foundational sample for Circles, the opening cut from the Houston rapper’s hit 2020 album Good News.

In 2011, she announced her retirement from the music industry in a series of emotional tweets, later admitting that her confidence as an artist had crumbled to the extent that she would not accept show bookings. But since her return in 2014, Sullivan has morphed into the finest songwriter and storyteller in R&B. On 2015’s underrated masterpiece, Reality Show, her focus was on sharply constructed character studies, and this month’s Heaux Tales EP further examines sex, money and the mediated image of modern Black womanhood in Sullivan’s most confident work to date. “I want to kind of get to the root of why people do certain things,” she says. “That’s more important than the outcome. As a society, we focus on the outcome, and we label people based off that, but we don’t really know the meat of the story of why people are the way they are.”

She comes from a lineage of female creators – her grandmother was a poet and church evangelist, and her mother wrote plays (“always very Bible-based and Christian-based”) – and her childhood was spent growing up in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion, a historic museum where her father gave guided tours. It was a private and restricted upbringing: Sullivan remembers only seeing other children at school, and spending much of her time at home watching Disney and making up stories to entertain herself.

“It was an interesting process we went through as kids,” she recalls. “Where we actually lived was on the third floor, pretty much all the way up in the attic – where the slaves lived. Whenever my dad was doing tours we kind of had to retreat, and we pretty much only came down to eat. And usually the people on the tours were, you know, white people. And we had to hide and retreat up to the slave quarters!”.

I must admit that Heaux Tales is the first Jazmine Sullivan album I have truly immersed myself in. I love the combination of those spoken word portions and the fuller songs. In a way, it has a feel of a mixtape, but it more conversational and expansive. I do think that Heaux Tales is an album everyone needs to listen to. Just before getting to some reviews, I was captured by an interview from Vulture. Sullivan discussed why Heaux Tales was quite challenging to make:

“Heaux Tales was harder to make than the albums that preceded it. Sullivan’s not quite sure why. “I’m not gonna lie. I had a hard time even singing,” she says. “Creatively, things didn’t come as natural this time. It’s natural that artists will have droughts sometimes as writers, but I don’t know. I just know it was not as easy this time.” She’s also butting up against some fans’ expectations. “I read something earlier today where [a commenter] was adamant, like, ‘I’m not getting this project! I don’t know who this woman is,’ ” she says. “And I was just like, Okay, it’s not for her. That’s cool. But some other people will be able to relate to it. Everybody won’t get it.” Many R&B listeners aren’t likely to be disappointed. The album fuses the messy and the tender and the insecure the way SZA did on Ctrl four years ago and Lauryn Hill did on Miseducation. Sullivan’s voice is bigger and broader than both of theirs, capably teasing out whines with bravado. Heaux Tales is already a New York Times critic’s pick and topped NPR’s list of most anticipated 2021 albums.

I wonder aloud if this album was trickier because she’s in love now. Her early music, including and especially her breakout single, “Bust Your Windows,” made heartache her signature. Is it harder to write to that expectation when you’re happy? Sullivan’s boyfriend is a musician-writer-producer. The day we talk, he woke up early to shovel the snow in front of her house so her band could come over. “We moved fast,” she says of the relationship. “But we were probably just on the same page. We don’t mind talking things out. We know we don’t know everything, and that’s where a good relationship starts. You’re open to learning.” But make no mistake. “If I choose,” she adds, laughing, “I can write about heartaches because I could just pull from the many heartaches I’ve had in my life”.

I am keen to wrap things up but, just before, I really had to bring in some reviews. When they sat down to listen to Heaux Tales, this is what CLASH had to say:

“Utilising spoken word segments to align each chapter within the album’s framework, Jazmine aims to explore “today’s women standing in their power...” Linking together sexual openness with a frank take on materialism, ‘Heaux Tales’ bristles with independence, from the opening words of ‘Bodies’ through to those closing notes.

The peaks have an Alpine quality. ‘Pick Up Your Feelings’ is sensational, while Ari Lennox features on the wonderfully infectious ‘On It’. A record that stakes a claim to its own pasture, ‘Heaux Tales’ dares to be different, with Jazmine’s perfectionist streak balanced against occasionally raw, intimate use of sonics.

As such, Anderson .Paak’s raucous appearance on ‘Pricetags’ is offset by moments of genuine tenderness, such as closing track – and previous single - ‘Girl Like Me’, a soothing meditation on femininity that allows Jazmine’s vocal styles to pirouette against H.E.R.

The spoken word segments act as much more than mere skits, with those prose elements illuminating key thematic aspects of her work. A record whose internal structure feels both delicate and immediately engaging, ‘Heaux Tales’ thrives through its proclamation of the unexpected, with Jazmine leading her assembled cast on to fresh ground.

Ending such a lengthy wait for new material was never going to be easy, but Jazmine Sullivan makes her Everest-like task look deceptively simple. A woman speaking her truth in poetic, soulful fashion, ‘Heaux Tales’ could be her defining chapter”.

I have been listening to Heaux Tales a fair bit the past few weeks, and I can recommend it to pretty much everyone. I am looking forward to seeing where Jazmine Sullivan heads next. In their review of Heaux Tales, this is what Pitchfork observed:

“All over Heaux Tales, Sullivan contends with what can be lost and gained through sex, from a secure sense of self (“Get it together, bitch,” she tells herself on “Bodies.” “You gettin’ sloppy.”) to crazed pleasure (“I spend my last ’cause the D bomb,” she proudly admits on “Put It Down”). The colloquial bursts of specificity in these vignettes are a feat of songwriting, and the restraint a power-vocalist like Sullivan shows in her delivery is as important. Sometimes her voice is choppy and conversational, sometimes it sounds like rapping, and it’s almost always a delight to sing along to. On this album, she’s both Deena Jones and Effie White; she can be an easy-listen or an all-consuming one. From the crinkly opening run on “Put It Down,” her most powerful singing is mixed into the background, as if to render her a little less superhuman.

R&B has long offered women space to voice their sexual appetites, from the foundational dirty blues songs like Lucille Bogan’s “Shave ’Em Dry” in 1935 (“Say I fucked all night and all the night before, baby/And I feel just like I want to fuck some more”) to Adina Howard’s 1995 hit “Freak Like Me.” After six years between projects, Sullivan joins the ranks of today’s R&B and R&B-adjacent stars like Summer Walker and SZA, who have updated the genre with music that complicates desire with messy reality. Old archetypes like The Gold Digger and new ones like The Instagram Baddie begin to crumble away, leaving fuller women in their wake. Sullivan’s friend Amanda Henderson told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she was nervous to include her revelation on Heaux Tales, but has since found relief in the number of fans who have connected to it. Even in the way Sullivan’s Tiny Desk was arranged—with lush instrumental breaks, opportunities for her background singers to take the spotlight, and a guest appearance from H.E.R.—it is clear Heaux Tales is communal”.

Go and investigate one of the finest artists in music right now. I think Jazmine Sullivan has a long career ahead of her - and, when things settle down regarding the pandemic, I hope she gets to the U.K. and can do some touring here. One only needs to listen to her music for the shortest time to understand that Sullivan is…

A magnificent artist.

______________

Follow Jazmine Sullivan

Official:

https://www.jazminesullivanmusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jazminesullivan

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jsullivanmusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jazminesullivan/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7gSjFKpVmDgC2MMsnN8CYq

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/JazmineSullivan

FEATURE: It’s Me, Cathy! Will It Finally Be Kate Bush’s Time for Inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

FEATURE:

 

 

It’s Me, Cathy!

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during 2014’s Before the Dawn/PHOTO CREDIT: Ken McKay/Rex 

Will It Finally Be Kate Bush’s Time for Inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

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BACK in 2018…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during 1979’s The Tour of Life/PHOTO CREDIT: Max Browne

Kate Bush was among the nominees for inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This year, as Under the Radar Mag explain, she is in the mix again with some legends:

“Nominees for the 2021 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been announced. They include Kate Bush, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, New York Dolls, JAY-Z, Tina Turner, Devo, Carole King, Rage Against the Machine, LL Cool J., Fela Kuti, Todd Rundgren, and more. The full list is below.

To be eligible an artist needs to have released their first album or single at least 25 years ago. First time nominees include Foo Fighters (which is their first year of eligibility), JAY-Z (which is also his first year of eligibility), Mary J. Blige, Fela Kuti, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, and Dionne Warwick. Whereas Rage Against the Machine, Kate Bush, Devo, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren, New York Dolls, Carole King, and LL Cool J have been nominated in previous years.

Turner was previously inducted as a duo with Ike Turner, Carole King was previously inducted as a songwriter with Gerry Goffin, and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl was previously inducted with Nirvana.

Fans can vote for their favorite nominees at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website and have until April 30 to do so. The inductees will be revealed in May, with a live ceremony planned for the fall.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announces the Nominees for #RockHall2021 Induction - and the Fan Vote is now open. Watch the official announcement here, then head to https://t.co/9DIz8WWd6Z pic.twitter.com/tGuSzyvEYT

— Rock Hall (@rockhall) February 10, 2021

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2021 Nominees:

Mary J. Blige
Kate Bush
Devo
Foo Fighters
The Go-Go’s
Iron Maiden
JAY-Z
Chaka Khan
Carole King
Fela Kuti
LL Cool J
New York Dolls
Rage Against the Machine
Todd Rundgren
Tina Turner
Dionne Warwick”.

At the time of me writing this (11th February), Bush is quite low out of the nominees so, as it stands, would not win enough public votes for inclusion. I do hope that things change between now and April. I was shocked when she was not inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a few years back. There are some who would argue that Bush has not really defined herself as a Rock artist. Look at the fifteen names above, and one can see Dionna Warwick, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, Carole King, Chaka Khan, JAY-Z, and Mary J. Blige – can one really class them as ‘Rock’?” I think that Kate Bush’s impact and innovation since her debut album has warranted her a spot among those already inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I saw a lot of support for her on social media when the announcement was made on Wednesday. This year’s list of nominees is really strong - but I do think that Bush’s brilliance and obvious impact on other musicians should be noted and rewarded.

Of course, it is not the be-all-and-end-all being in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She has accrued many honours through her career so, if she was overlooked for a second time in four years, then that would not be too devastating. My five choices from the names above would be Kate Bush, The Go-Go’s, Tina Turner,  Chaka Khan, and Rage Against the Machine. There is still a way to go and many more votes will come in. I have written various features pertaining to Bush’s influence and how she is one of these artists who continues to shape music and resonate with a new generation. In terms of her albums, one can hear so many evolutions and sounds. I think, purely as a producer and sonic innovator, she is stronger than many artists nominated this year for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inclusion. Also, consider live shows like The Tour of Life, and Before the Dawn and how iconic they were. From the experimental nature of The Dreaming (1982), to the peerless Hounds of Love (1985), through to the double album of Aerial (2005), Bush has covered so much ground! It is not only her music that makes her a worthy name for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She is a very independent artist and has forged her own path since the start of her career. Her grounded and warm personality has made her an international treasure; there are few who would argue against Bush making it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Even though she is in the lower placings of the fifteen artists so far, with a bit of a push and drive, maybe Kate Bush can soar high…

IN the public vote.

FEATURE: The February Playlist: Vol. 2: With a Love Story, We’re Good

FEATURE:

 

 

The February Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa 

Vol. 2: With a Love Story, We’re Good

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THIS is one of those weeks…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift

where it is a bit quiet again - but there are some tracks from pretty big names. There is new music from Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, Kings of Leon, Liz Phair, Nipsey Hussle/JAZ-Z, Sia, Middle Kids, and slowthai (ft. Dominic Fike, Denzel Curry). There is also music from Cherry Glazerr, Django Django, Kelly Rowland, Biig Piig, Pale Waves, Erica Banks (ft. Travis Scott), Phife Dawg (ft. Busta Rhymes, Redman), Headie One (ft. Burna Boy), Deap Vally (ft. KT Tunstall & Peaches), MistaJam/Kelli-Leigh, Gordi/Alex Lahey, and Jacob Banks. There is something in the mix for everyone so, if you need a boost and some good music to get you into the weekend, then I think there is more than enough to do the job! Maybe things will heat up this month regarding the number of big songs coming out. That said, there are some huge names in this Playlist, so I guess one cannot complain! It is an interesting blend of new tracks, so take some time out and…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kelly Rowland

TAKE a listen.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

__________

Dua Lipa – We’re Good

Taylor Swift - Love Story (Taylor’s Version)

Liz Phair – Hey Lou

Kings of Leon – Echoing

PHOTO CREDIT: Norberto Garcia

Nipsey Hussle, JAZ-Z – What It Feels Like

slowthai (ft. Dominic Fike, Denzel Curry) – Terms

Middle Kids - Cellophane (Brain)

Sia - 1+1

Kelly Rowland – Black Magic

Django Django – Free from Gravity

PHOTO CREDIT: Walter W. Brady

Cherry Glazerr - Big Bang

Kodak Black – Every Balmain

Rita Ora x Imanbek (ft. David Guetta, Gunna) - Big

P!nk, Willow Sage Hart - Cover Me In Sunshine

Biig Piig – Cuenta Lo

GIRLI – What a Shame!

Pale Waves – Fall to Pieces

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Dee, Forgiven

Birdy – Loneliness

PHOTO CREDIT: Charlie Millar

Otzeki – Unthunk

Jacob Banks - Parade

Lizzie Reid – Company Car

PHOTO CREDIT: New Archive

Major Murphy - In the Meantime

PHOTO CREDIT: Anna Hedges

Leah Nobel - Beginning Middle End (From Netflix’s To All the Boys: Always and Forever)

Lil Mosey – Enough

Abbie Ozard - breakdowns

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Talbot

KAHLLA - Thread

Architects - Meteor

The Vaccines - High Horse (Cosy Karaoke)

Dry Cleaning – Strong Feelings

ARTWORK CREDIT: Barbora Mrazkova

Charlotte Spiral – New Light

A Winged Victory for the Sullen (ft. Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie & Dustin O'Halloran) - Total Perspective Vortex

Bea Anderson - Easy

Sharon Van Etten - On Your Way Now

PHOTO CREDIT: Nick McKinlay

Gordi, Alex Lahey - Dino's 

Deap Vally (ft. KT Tunstall & Peaches) - High Horse

Phife Dawg (ft. Busta Rhymes, Redman) - Nutshell Pt. 2

PHOTO CREDIT: Danny North

Headie One (ft. Burna Boy) - Siberia

Erica Banks (ft. Travis Scott) - Buss It

LAOISE - Healthy

MistaJam, Kelli-Leigh - Good - Extended Mix

I Am Boleyn - Just Friends

Iraina Mancini - Deep End

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Shelley

Alaina Castillo - stfu (i got u) 

FEATURE: Second Spin: Jill Scott – The Light of the Sun

FEATURE:

 

 

Second Spin

Jill Scott – The Light of the Sun

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I wanted to take a closer look…

at Jill Scott’s fourth studio album, The Light of the Sun, as it was an album recorded after Scott's four-year break from her music career and the departure from her former label, Hidden Beach Recordings. The Light of the Sun was recorded at several studios and produced primarily by Scott and JR Hutson - a songwriter and producer who had previously worked on her 2007 record, The Real Thing: Words, and Sounds Vol. 3. I think the album marked a bit of a departure, as it was more improvisational and, sonically, it trod more in  Neo-Soul territory than her previous work. Released on 21st June, 2011, I feel some people undervalued The Light of the Sun. It is an album that sounds great ten years after its release! One can approach it new and get something from it or, if you have not heard it in a while, revisit it and the music will definitely make an impact. In terms of choosing a definitive Jill Scott album, I would say her 2000 debut, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, is it. I feel The Light of the Sun is one of her more underrated efforts; it definitely warrants some new inspection. Containing great tracks like Blessed, and So in Love, it is a tremendous album that provided plenty of highlights! I wonder whether Scott will release another album as her fifth studio album, Woman, arrived in 2015 – let’s hope she does follow it up at some point, as she is an exceptional songwriter and poet.

I want to bring in a few reviews for The Light of the Sun: two that are more mixed, and one that is positive and gets to the real heart of the album. In their review, this is what Rolling Stone noted:

“It's impossible not to root for Jill Scott. The 'Illa- delphian R&B vet is a self-described "grande dame queen beast" in a genre of models, putting her often-messy personal struggles right up front. The Light of the Sun, Scott's first disc since splitting up with her (now-ex) drummer, recalls that relationship with jazzy, good-natured candor on "Quick." Elsewhere, Scott assays life back on the market in her trademark warm and inviting, if rarely thrilling, neo-soul style – from the old-school hip-hop jam "Shame," which excoriates a man who didn't want her, to the jazz poem "Womanifesto," an ode to her "strong legs that stroll off the 33 bus" and desire for "the rhythm of my space." Scott proves it's a nice place to spend time”.

It is a pity that many reviewers did not expend more words or provide a higher rating to a terrific album from Jill Scott. In a similarly brief look, The Independent were a little muted:

“Jill Scott is perhaps best known now as Precious Ramotswe in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and spends an increasing amount of time acting.

Perhaps too much time: judging by The Light Of The Sun, she's expending precious little energy on songwriting and recording, allowing her natural inclination to extemporise far too free a rein. Hardly any of the 15 tracks is developed much beyond a languid soul-jazz vamp, over which Scott asserts her right to personal fulfillment, and celebrates her position as "a grown woman, making decisions and choices, utilising everything inside of me, my soul, my heart, my mind, my voices," etc. The earlier tracks have a certain focus – "Shame" has a great shuffle-funk groove, and the Anthony Hamilton duet "So In Love" lopes coolly like a Bill Withers cut – but things soon dissolve into a sticky puddle of self-regard”.

I have a lot of time and affection for Scott’s The Light of the Sun. It is a rewarding album that has so many interesting songs. My favourite is, perhaps, the sweeping and emotional Hear My Call – though the whole album is pretty terrific. In their review, AllMusic pointed out some positivise:

“Jill Scott has been through many changes since 2007's The Real Thing: Words & Sounds, Vol. 3: a divorce, a brief but intense love affair that produced a child, acting roles in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? and Hounddog, her starring role in HBO's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and signing with Warner Bros. The Light of the Sun is a record of the rocky road to empowerment. Scott and Lee Hutson, Jr. are the album's executive producers; they also collaborate in songwriting and arrangements on numerous selections. Opener "Blessed," produced by Dre & Vidal, kicks it off in slippery, hip-hop soul style; a harp, strings, and a fluttering dubwise bassline underscore the shuffling rhythm. Scott expresses spoken and sung gratitude for and about her new baby, career, life, and support system. Poetry and song are woven with elegance in a nocturnal groove. The hit pre-release single "So in Love," produced by Kelvin Wooten, is a modern Philly soul fan's dream, with its lithe, fingerpopping bassline, shimmering drums, and seeming bliss arising between Scott and Anthony Hamilton, who turn in a grand duet performance. "Shame" (featuring Eve & the A Group), is grand, old-school funk with killer backing vocals that range from P-Funk-esque vocal choruses to doo wop with sampled classic ska as Scott raps defiantly with Eve.

One of the sleepers on the set is the stunning "La Boom Vent Suite," a sultry number produced by Scott and Hutson. It's a militant, funky soul, kiss-off tune, that declares: "I've been waiting for so long/but somebody else has been sniffing at my dress." "Hear My Call" is literally a prayer for healing; with its elegantly arranged strings, it's as heartfelt and humble as desperate need can be. There is one misstep here: "So Gone (What My Mind Says)" didn't require Paul Wall's tired, generic, boastful rapping to work. That said, the rhythm collision with human beatbox Doug E. Fresh on "All Cried Out Redux," complete with ragtime piano sample, is a novelty number that works. After the album's first third, it's all Scott, and (mostly) all sublime. The sparsely produced "Quick" (produced by Wayne Campbell) records the heartbreak in the brief relationship that produced her son. "Making You Wait" is another self-determination anthem that addresses romance, with spacious Rhodes and synth strings weaving beats together. Scott lays down the spoken word "Womanifesto" that recalls the poetry of her early career, just before the steamy, sexual "Rolling Hills" touches on jazz, blues, and late-'70s soul with effortless ease to close it. On The Light of the Sun, Scott sounds more in control than ever; her spoken and sung phrasing (now a trademark), songwriting, and production instincts are all solid. This is 21st century Philly soul at its best”.

I think that everyone should check out Jill Scott’s amazing The Light of the Sun. It is an album that sounds stronger the more you listen; maybe that accounts for some more mixed reviews back in 2011. Considering the passion and power that one can hear on the album, let’s hope that we hear a lot more music…

FROM the incredible Jill Scott!