FEATURE: Suicide Blonde: Margot Robbie and Music

FEATURE:

 

Suicide Blonde

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Margot Robbie and Music

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APART from a little bit of self-indulgence on my part…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn/PHOTO CREDIT: Warner Bros. Entertainment

there is another reason for writing about Margot Robbie. This is a music blog, though I occasionally go off-course and look at film (there is a long and rich romance between film and music; I have covered everything from film soundtracks to music’s integral importance in film before). This feature’s title is also the name of a song by the Australian band, INXS (it is the first single from their 1990 album, X). Margot Robbie was born in Australia (in Dalby, Queensland), as were INXS (they hailed from Sydney). Also, Robbie appeared in the 2016 film, Suicide Squad, as the electrifying Harley Quinn (she starred in the spin-off, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), in 2020; this will be followed by the standalone sequel, The Suicide Squad, in August). Apart from some semi-clever wordplay, I have seen many films Margot Robbie has appeared in, and she has this incredible spirit and hugely natural and arresting chameleon-like ability! I am going to come on to the music tastes of Robbie and a planned/rumoured project. I know that she works with dialect and movement coaches for her films. Robbie told Vogue in 2019 that she would particularly love to do a Brooklyn accent for a film – or that it was her favourite dialect. I think that it is only a matter of time before Robbie produces a music-heavy film or plays an artist. She has a production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, that she Tom Ackerley (her husband), Josey McNamara and Sophia Kerr founded in 2014. There will be a lot of exciting projects coming from the company. I wonder whether there are any plans for a film where music plays a very big part?

 IN THIS PHOTO: The peerless and iconic Debbie Harry of Blondie in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Mick Rock

Through her varied and exceptional career, Robbie has proven herself as one of the most versatile and skilled actors in the business (I especially like her in I, Tonya and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). She can convey this Punk spirit or something more grounded, nuanced and soulful. One of my big complaints is that there are not that many music films. Whether it is a coming-of-age story or a musical, they are not that overly-common (though there have been a few music biopics as of late). I would love to see a film set during the Punk era in 1970s New York. This would allow Robbie to affect a Brooklyn accent. I actually think that she could perfectly nail Debbie Harry, the legendary lead of Blondie. Though Harry was born in Miami, Florida, Blondie based themselves in New York. Harry turns seventy-six on 1st July, and she is one of the most inspiring and indominable figures in music history. I think that Robbie would be a perfect fit to play Debbie Harry in a film/biopic - either a Blondie film or a wider arc where Debbie Harry is key. Though Robbie is a bit taller than Harry (about an inch-and-a-half if the Internet is to be trusted), it is a not a big thing. Margot Robbie is thirty. At thirty, Blondie recorded their eponymous debut. Showing Robbie as Debbie Harry prior to that album and through the early years of the band would be interesting. Maybe adapting Harry’s memoir, Face It, would make for an intriguing and evocative project. I am just spit-balling - though I can easily see Robbie assuming the mantle of Debbie Harry and delivering an award-winning turn! Debbie Harry was in Margot Robbie’s mind when creating the look for Harley Quinn:

“Everybody has his or her own idea of what certain DC characters should look like, which is why Suicide Squad jarred so many fans. David Ayer took serious liberties with many of the characters, and it ultimately paid off. The movie went in an entirely new visual direction, while maintaining fidelity to the characters' personalities. One such villainess who looked incredibly different from her origins was none other than Harley Quinn, and as it turns out: the filmmakers based much of her look off of legendary rock star Debbie Harry. Margot Robbie elaborated:

I tried on like 100 different variations of the costume but when I saw a picture of - we found this picture of Debbie Harry - and I was like, 'That's it, that is dope.'

During a recent interview with the 2DAY FM's Rove And Sam radio show, Margot Robbie explained the intense search for Harley Quinn's Suicide Squad outfit. She says she tried on at least 100 different versions of the costume, but ultimately decided on one inspired by a photo of rock star Debbie Harry of Blondie. Once she saw that photo, she instantly knew the direction to take the costume -- although she did also reveal that the skimpiness of the costume did make her uncomfortable at times.

Taking inspiration from Debbie Harry makes sense in the long run. Much like Margot Robbie's own take on Harley Quinn, Harry had (and still has) a very punk rock aura, while still maintaining certain, distinct qualities of feminine beauty. They're both tough, but they're both also incredibly magnetic individuals”

So far, Robbie has not really appeared in a music film/biopic. I hope that it is something she is going to realise in years to come. Not only is she a great actor who one could see in a New York-set biopic/music film or a British music film set during the 1980s, say; she has a great music knowledge and really knows her onions!

In 2020, as NME reported, Robbie’s mettle was tested when she was asked about here admiration of Metal by Jimmy Fallon:

“Margot Robbie has once again shown off her love for all things metal – this time on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

The Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey star took part in the show’s ‘Know It All’ quiz section alongside Fallon. Divided into different knowledge categories, Robbie’s love of metal shone as she referenced bands including Aerosmith, KISS, Slipknot, Metallica and more.

At one point, Robbie missed the opportunity to mention AC/DC. “Oh, I should have got that one,” she joked with Fallon”.

In 2018, as another NME article outlines, Robbie said she would like to produce a music video for the innovative and extrardinary OK Go:

“Margot Robbie has revealed that she’d love to produce a music video for OK Go. Watch our video interview with Robbie above.

Speaking to NME about producing her latest film ‘Terminal’, the Oscar nominee discussed the music that she loved.

When asked which band she’d be keen to work with, Robbie replied: “Who’s the band, they always do rad video clips and they did the zero gravity plane one?” referring to OK Go’s video for ‘Upside Down’.

“I feel like they always do fun video clips that involve some sort of extreme sports or something or really bizarre, that’d be really fun!”

They are a band who create such interesting and memorable videos. I hope that collaboration takes place at some point. I can see Robbie getting more involved with the music world in some capacity. Between her love of Metal and the fact that she is no stranger to a tattoo gun (I have been on the receiving end of one a few times), I can envisage something akin to a Debbie Harry biopic or, like I said, Robbie in Brooklyn - where she gets to utilise her range and indulge in her love of music. I am not sure what Robbie’s singing voice is like. I suspect that she has the ability to adapt and take on a great singing voice very quick. If not, perhaps playing a free spirit in the U.S. during the 1960s or 1970s would be best - and there are many musi-based ideas that spring to my mind. Not to play a ‘virtual agent’, but I feel there is plenty of ammunition in the theory of a Margot Robbie-music biopic/film.

As I try to get my own music documentary about Kate Bush off of the ground (a lot of brick walls being put in the way!), I have been thinking about bringing music to film and, for several reasons, Margot Robbie came to mind. There were plans, as this 2019 article explains, for Robbie and her production company to bring a musical to the screen:

“The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Margot Robbie has signed on to produce a gay, comedy musical titled Big Gay Jamboree. She will be producing the film under her LuckyChap Entertainment company.

This won’t be Margot’s first time producing, as she has previously produced Terminal, and the Oscar-winning film I, Tonya. However, it looks like Margot’s role will only be behind the cameras, and she isn’t likely to act in the film.

Alethea Jones, who has directed award-winning films like When the Wind Changes and Lemonade Stand, is set to direct the film. Marla Mindelle and Jonathan Parks-Ramage, who both wrote The Devil’s Bitch, are linked to the project as writers.

Big Gay Jamboree will follow a woman who one day awakens on the set of a 1940s musical. She will begin to make friends while attempting to find her way back to her actual time.

The film is said to be a mixture of both The Book of Mormon and Oklahoma!, at least in tone”.

I am not sure whether that is still happening or has been held back for now. From Debbie Harry to, maybe Stevie Nicks during Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours era (a film that explores the turbulent recording of that genius album and the strained relationship between Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (and everyone else in the band) would be ace. I do not think one has made it to the big or small screen yet) to a host of fascinating characters in the music world, I hope that – when she gets a moment to breathe! – there is something in the back of Margot Robbie’s mind that has a musical connotation. LuckyChap Entertainment have a lot of irons in the fire and things brewing, so seeing Robbie produce a project of appear in a music film might be a way off! Not only would it be fascinating for me (as a big fan of hers and knowing she is a massive music-head); so many other people around the world…

WOULD love to see it come to fruition.

FEATURE: A Fair Slice: Will An Upcoming Parliamentary Report Help Reverse Revenue Disparity on Streaming Sites?

FEATURE:

 

 

A Fair Slice

PHOTO CREDIT: @sgcreative/Unsplash 

Will An Upcoming Parliamentary Report Help Reverse Revenue Disparity on Streaming Sites?

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THIS is a debate and question…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Perkins/Unsplash

that has been asked and argued for years now. I think the fact the pandemic has not only helped expose and intensify the revenue earnings of smaller/less mainstream artists and some of the biggest acts; very few artists have been able to play live and earn money that way – one of the biggest revenue streams for most artists. Streaming sites offer a way for artists to earn money until venues reopen but, as most of us know, there is this gulf between the money going to artists and the labels. Songwriters and musicians on tracks earn less than the artists themselves. What artists are earning is still shockingly low. Unless you are a huge artist who commands millions of streams with each track, the reality is that you’re probably not going to make a lot from streaming sites - if anything at all. The reality is that most artists are not expecting to earn a large amount of money. More than anything, they want to ensure that they are being paid more fairly and are not seeing potential earnings go to labels; ensure they do not get a larger slice than is necessary.  A parliamentary report is due that should help to address the inequality and issues inherent on streaming sites. I hope that it paves the way for actual change and a permanent solution to a problem that is weighting heavy on the minds of many artists. The Guardian recently published an article where they spoke to musicians and various figures in the industry to gauge their reaction to the upcoming report.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @briant_raw/Unsplash

They asked how they feel things are working right now and what changes need to be implemented:  

“Ahead of the release of a parliamentary report into the issue, notable figures from the industry have told the Guardian that music labels were perpetuating issues that need to be urgently addressed, including a system that still prioritises rights owners over artists.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Commons select committee has been examining whether the business models used by major streaming platforms are fair to songwriters and performers. From witnesses expressing fear that speaking up could harm their careers, to the boss of a major record label being described as “living in cloud cuckoo land”, the hearings have been full of testy exchanges.

Senior figures from Spotify, Apple and other streaming services have commended the virtues of streaming, and few in the world of music would dispute that the platforms saved the music industry. Music streaming in the UK now brings in more than £1bn a year in revenue. But the fact remains that artists can be paid as little as 13% of the income generated, receiving as little as £0.002 to about £0.0038 per stream on Spotify and about £0.0059 on Apple Music.

Many have been asking whether it is right that the split in streaming revenues means about 50% go to labels, 30% to streamers and the rest divided among all other interested parties”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Nadine Shah 

Nadine Shah, musician

I may have been misunderstood before: I love streaming. I stream a lot of music myself. The access we have to all kinds of music from all over the world is incredible. But I believe streaming must be fixed. The three major labels are bragging about record profits while thousands of musicians are seeing virtually nothing coming back to them. Streaming is here to stay, as it should. What then can fix it and make it better for artists? A user-centric system whereby the artists you choose to play see direct payment from your subscription fee?

Subscription fees for the likes of Spotify have stayed the same for nearly 10 years, £9.99. Increasing this fee may not be so popular during a pandemic, but it does need to go up. We need a fairer system in place. We need more transparency. I wish it was the case that all artists would realise their power and all stand together and unite and strike, but so many of us are so scared to lose favour with major labels and the streaming platforms. Surely we can find a way to make streaming work for all of us, labels, DSPs [digital streaming platforms], and artists and writers.

Ayanna Witter-Johnson, singer-songwriter, cellist and composer

As an independent, self-releasing artist, streaming platforms have been incredibly useful in enabling me to more easily reach and build a global audience. At this time, with the near total disappearance of my primary income from live performance, my streaming income has become much more important to me. During lockdown streaming has soared, but the reality is that a single stream only amounts to 0.003p, which means I would need millions of streams to earn at least the minimum wage. Unfortunately, the majority of the income from streaming doesn’t trickle down to independent artists. The lion’s share goes to the streaming platforms instead of going to the creators, who are the lifeblood of the music industry. The current split of income is unfair, dangerous and needs to change because the people who will suffer the most are ultimately music creators like me.

IN THIS PHOTO: Tom Gray 

Tom Gray, #BrokenRecord campaign and Gomez

Many performers currently receive no income from much of their streamed work. We change this by closing a loophole in UK copyright law to give an unwaivable right to equitable remuneration. The major rights holders were able to define the market on their terms without thought for balancing the rewards. This is market failure. However, songwriters and composers need the market domination of the major music groups to be directly addressed. The value of the song is suppressed. A referral to the Competition and Markets Authority would seem the correct starting point to address this.

Milk is a loss leader for supermarkets, so dairy farmers have the protection of the Groceries Code Adjudicator. Music is a lossleader for tech companies like Apple and Amazon. We need the same protection: a regulator to ensure the lawful and fair treatment of music creators. Lastly, we need a limit of 25 years on recording contracts.

Elena Segal, global senior director of music publishing at Apple Music

We believe very strongly that creators should be paid for their art and we have done that ever since 2003 when we came into this business. Artists should be paid for their work, creators should be paid for their work and it’s what we’re committed to do every single day. We’re very happy to have a discussion about what is and is not fair, because it’s not a straightforward question”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Elena Segal

Whilst the solution may not be quick or simple, the need for progress and overhaul is crucial. I don’t think it will be as easy as making a sweeping change across the broad. There will need to be discussion and dissection to ensure that everyone gets a fair cut. Labels should not earn more than artists; songwriter, backing vocalists and session musicians also deserve more. I think Nadine Shah was right when they said people should pay more for subscriptions on sites such as Spotify. At the moment, for a monthly cost of £9.99, one can have unlimited access to music and podcasts. It is great for the consumer but, at such a low cost, there is possibly not enough money being generated to ensure that every artist, musician and producer gets a decent revenue cut. Even upping the monthly price to £15 would afford greater flexibility and would not put too many people off. Even when venues do reopen, it is not going to be a quick recovery. Gigs will start tentatively and, ensuring venues can remain safe and COVID-compliant, it will take a while before there is recovery and any sense of normality. Let’s hope that this year is one where there is improvement regarding the lack of parity on streaming sites. For all the pleasure and comfort artists have brought us during the pandemic (and do through their entire careers) it is…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jusdevoyage/Unsplash

NO less than they deserve.

FEATURE: Pressed to Play: Looking Inside the 33 1/3 Series

FEATURE:

 

Pressed to Play

PHOTO CREDIT: Bloomsbury 

Looking Inside the 33 1/3 Series

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I saw someone post a tweet this week…

IMAGE COMPOSITE: Slate

that pertained to the 33 1⁄3 series. Each book in the series is written about a single album. The series title refers to the rotation speed of a vinyl L.P., ​33 1⁄3 R.P.M. It is a novel and fascinating way to bond with an album and discover more. I have written before how we do not really have classic album series where we get to dive deep into an album like we used to. It is hard to learn about an album and its backstory. I think that books where we can get a real understanding of how an album came together and its specifications helps us to bond more with that work. The 33 1⁄3 collection has grown and expanded through the years:

“Originally published by Continuum, the series was founded by editor David Barker in 2003. At the time, Continuum published books on philosophers; series editor Ally-Jane Grossan mentioned that Barker was "an obsessive music fan who thought, 'This is a really cool idea, why don't we apply this to albums'." PopMatters wrote that the range consists of "obscure classics to more usual suspects by the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones".

In 2010, Continuum was bought out by Bloomsbury Publishing, which continues to publish the series. Following a leave, Barker was replaced by Grossan in January 2013. In 2016, Daphne Brooks, Kevin Dettmar, Amanda Petrusich, and Gayle Wald assumed co-editorial duties.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bloomsbury 

Several independent books have been spun off of the series. The first, Carl Wilson's 2007 entry on Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love, was expanded for a 2014 Bloomsbury reissue with material not specifically pertaining to the Dion album and retitled Let's Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste. Joe Bonomo, at the invitation of Barker, expanded his ​33 1⁄3 proposal on Jerry Lee Lewis's Live at the Star Club, Hamburg album into a full-length book about Lewis, the album, and his career titled Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found, published by Continuum in 2009. A rejected proposal from writer Brett Milano for an entry on Game Theory's 1987 album Lolita Nation was instead expanded by Milano into a biography on the band's leader Scott Miller; that project, titled Don't All Thank Me at Once: The Lost Genius of Scott Miller was released by 125 Books in 2015.

In August 2017, Bloomsbury announced the launch of ​33 1⁄3 Global, an extension of the ​33 1⁄3 series to popular music from around the world. The first two sub-series launched were ​33 1⁄3 Brazil, edited by Jason Stanyek, and ​33 1⁄3 Japan, edited by Noriko Manabe. The first book for ​33 1⁄3 Brazil was Caetano Veloso's A Foreign Sound by Barbara Browning. The first books for ​33 1⁄3 Japan were Supercell ft. Hatsune Miku by Keisuke Yamada and Yoko Kanno's Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack by Rose Bridges”.

You can have a look to see the books already released in the series and which ones are upcoming. Rather than write a biography about an artist, one can concentrate on an album. The books differ in length, though most are at least 130 pages-long and explore the selected album in real depth. I would advise people to check out the series, as I know there are books that discuss albums that you really love. I am excited because it is the time of the year where one can submit an idea for consideration:

“Be sure to follow the submission guidelines below, and only submit if you are able to complete your manuscript within 6-12 months from acceptance. We’ll work out individual timelines for books, and some may have longer deadlines, but we’ll need an initial commitment to a fairly quick turnaround.

If you would like to submit a proposal for a 33 1/3 volume, please submit all of the following to 333submissions@gmail.com.

The deadline is May 17th, 2021 at 11:59 PM EST.

Submit the content below in one single document as either .doc, .docx or .pdf. No .rtf files will be accepted.

Important: Please use this exact format for both the subject line of your e-mail and the name of your document: Artist name, album name, your initials.

Once the submission window closes, it will take us a couple of months to sift through proposals. We will alert the authors of successful proposals through e-mail, as well as post the final list to the blog.

For a full list of albums already covered in the series, please see our published and forthcoming pages.

PHOTO CREDIT: Marcos Paulo Prado/Unsplash 

Proposal requirements:
1. 2–3 pages that describe the book.
2. A concise description of the book (up to 200 words).
3. A 5-page sample from anywhere in the book.
4. *New to this submission round*: A one-line description of the book summing up its scope and content.

5. 3 short points that emphasize the unique aspects of your proposed book.
6. A 1-page table of contents for the book with chapter titles and light annotation if desired.

7. Your professional CV/resume, including full contact details and 200 word bio.
8. A 1-page marketing plan (with comparable titles and suggestions for finding an audience).
9. The amount of time it will take you to complete your manuscript.

FAQ
Q: Do you have examples of successful pitches to share?
A: Yes, in our textbook How To Write About Music there is a chapter titled “How To Pitch a 33 1/3″ that is worth reading.

Q: I would really like some advice on which album to write on, or constructive criticism on my proposal. Can I write to you about this?
A: We’re very sorry but we just don’t have the time or resources to do that.

Q: There is already a book in the series by the same artist as the one I’m proposing, will you consider two albums by the same artist?
A: Yes. There are two albums by Radiohead, two by the Beach Boys, two by David Bowie, and two by The Rolling Stones in the series already.

Q: I submitted a proposal previously that didn’t make it. Can I re-submit?
A: This time around we’re asking that you do not re-submit proposals. However, feel free to submit one on a different album.

Q: Can I submit multiple proposals?
A: Just one proposal per person per open call, please!

Can’t wait to see what you’ve got!”.

Although it sounds like one needs to be an author and have experience of writing books in order to pitch, it is something that interests me. Some of the series is even available as audiobooks, so it is a growing product. I would be interested in doing a book about a Kate Bush album, as I am not aware of any of her albums being covered already. If I had to choose, I would write about either Never for Ever, The Dreaming or Hounds of Love. My favourite album is The Kick Inside, though a new book has not long come out about that. I am surprised that nobody has covered her albums. There is a lot to discuss regarding the albums I have mentioned - though I am not sure whether I am qualified or have the discipline to pitch in the new round of submissions. I think that everyone should check out the 33 1/3 books, as they offer a fascinating windows into great albums. At a time when most music books tend to be about artists or general subjects, focusing in on an album in such detail and passion is much-needed. I am interested to see how the series progresses and…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Bloomsbury 

WHICH albums are covered next.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Great Trip-Hop Cuts

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird in 1994 (the 1995 debut album from Tricky, Maxinquaye, is seen as a classic Trip-Hop record)/PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Double/Retna UK 

Great Trip-Hop Cuts

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BECAUSE Massive Attack’s Blue Lines…

turned thirty on 8th April, I wanted to make this Lockdown Playlist a collection of Trip-Hop cuts. That album, to many, is a Trip-Hop classic. Whether you see the album as Trip-Hop or British Hip-Hop, it is a sound and scene that produced some incredible albums. I think that Blue Lines still sound amazing after three decades – even if people at the time wondered whether that sound would endure and be remembered down the line. The early-1990s was a great time for genres like Trip-Hop, Dance and Electronica. To mark the thirtieth anniversary of Blue Lines and bring in some other terrific Trip-Hop gems, this Lockdown Playlist combines some amazing…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @krysamon/Unsplash

TRACKS from that incredible world.

FEATURE: A Buyer’s Guide: Part Fifty: Everything But the Girl

FEATURE:

 

 

A Buyer’s Guide

Part Fifty: Everything But the Girl

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FOR this A Buyer’s Guide…

I am including a duo who I was a big fan of in the 1990s (and am now). With such chemistry and incredible songs, Everything But the Girl are among my favourite acts ever. Here are some more details about them:

“Everything but the Girl (occasionally referred to as EBTG) were an English musical duo, formed in Kingston upon Hull, England in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Watt. Everything but the Girl received eight gold and two platinum album BPI Certifications in the UK, and one gold album RIAA Certification in the US. They had four top ten singles and twelve top forty singles in the UK. Their biggest hit song "Missing" charted high in several countries and reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 and spent over seven months on the UK Singles Chart thanks to an extremely popular remix by Todd Terry which later led to a Brit Award nomination for Best British Single.

The duo have also been nominated for MTV, EMA and Ivor Novello Awards and received an award from the BMI for sales of over 3 million in the UK alone.

Watt and Thorn are also a couple, though they are very private about their relationship and personal life. While their relationship started during their time at university, it was not a publicised fact that they were romantically involved, or that they had subsequently married.

They are currently inactive, and have not performed publicly since 2000. Thorn has said in interviews she dislikes performing live and will no longer sing in front of a live audience. Both Thorn and Watt have released several solo albums, but have expressed that it's unlikely that they'll record again as EBTG”.

If you need some guidance regarding the Everything But the Girl works to own, then I hope that the suggestions below are of use. I love their music, so it is a great pleasure to include a simply fabulous duo…

IN this feature.

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The Four Essential Albums

 

Eden

Release Date: 4th June, 1984

Label: Blanco y Negro

Producer: Robin Millar

Standout Tracks: Bittersweet/I Must Confess/Soft Touch

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=72503&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7kDeU3rzFCvV1fVilPRKTu?si=-MdhBCrJQ32VH1IwHIrAHQ

Review:

“The debut effort by multi-instrumentalist Ben Watt and vocalist and songwriter Tracey Thorn took the alterna-pop world by surprise in 1985. And rightfully so. Watt's lush chamber orchestra jazzscapes, full of Brazilian bossa nova structures and airy horn charts, combined with Thorn's throaty alto singing her generation's version of the torch song, was a sure attraction for fans of sophisticated pop and vocal jazz. Featuring 12 tracks, the album has deeply influenced popular song structures since that time; this is evidenced in the work of more R&B-oriented acts such as Swing Out Sister and Tuck and Patti. The set opens with "Each and Everyone," a slow samba-flavored pop song. The song comes from the broken side of love, with Thorn entreating from the heart: "You try to show me heaven but then close the door...Being kind is just a way to keep me under your thumb/And I can cry because that's something we've always done." A trumpet fills her lines and makes them glide above Watt's Latin mix. Elsewhere, the folk bossa of "Fascination" is all the architecture Thorn needs to sink deep into her protagonist's brokenness. Guitars chime and stagger one another, slipping and sliding just above the bassline, and vanish into thin air. On "I Must Confess," a riff similar to "The Girl From Ipanema" locates Thorn next to a deep ringing upright bass and Watt's glissando guitar, played Charlie Byrd-style, before Nigel Nash punctures Thorn's vocal with a velvety tenor solo. Once again, the notion of loss, memory, and the resolve of the left half of a relationship to go on, carrying regret but not remorse, is absolutely breathtaking. Thorn continually meditated on broken relationships here, and that extended tome, which echoes through every song on the record, seems to have resonated with everyone who heard it. The set closes with Watt's vocal on "Soft Touch," a folksy pop song, illustrated with guitars, a fretless bass, and piano, that sounds like something from Supertramp in their better moments -- and no, that's not a bad thing. His voice -- while not nearly as dramatic as Thorn's -- is wonderfully expressive, and his lyrics extend the feeling of Eden to its final whisper. This set proved itself to be an auspicious debut that testified to the beginning of a long and creatively rewarding partnership that has endured” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Each and Every One

Idlewild

Release Date: 29th February, 1988

Labels: Blanco y Negro/Sire

Producer: Ben Watt

Standout Tracks: Love Is Here Where I Live/These Early Days/I Always Was Your Girl

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=72558&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4zhqDQd41cAkGg7EJVezvx?si=NlYCSTAmSOuL4zi6wSgzZA

Review:

“Thorn and Watt made a couple of albums with a cocktail-jazz backup and one with strings before trying a small unit for the intimate songs of their most accessible recording. The setting is perfect for such moving compositions as "Love Is Here Where I Live" and "Apron Strings." Start here, then go on to the rest of this remarkable group's catalog” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: I Don’t Want to Talk About It

Amplified Heart

Release Date: 13th June, 1996

Labels: Atlantic/Blanco y Negro

Producers: Tracey Thorn/Ben Watt/John Coxon

Standout Tracks: Rollercoaster/I Don't Understand Anything/Disenchanted

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=72193&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6ZMxoed3JJVjSzDQ2iVeYN?si=wYcPl1qIQi67QZ24SrLawg

Review:

“The album’s first side is the stronger, with a stellar three-song opening run (“Rollercoaster,” “Troubled Mind,” and “I Don’t Understand Anything”), a charming (if slightly cloying) he-said/she-said duet (“Walking to You”), and, finally, “Get Me,” an understated love song flecked with the faintest trace of house music. But the second half’s few failings—namely the jump from the maudlin “Two Star” to the perky “We Walk the Same Line”—are more than compensated for by “Missing.”

What, 25 years later, is left to say about “Missing”? For a song that has largely been eclipsed by its most famous remix—and Todd Terry’s rework is a masterpiece—the original stands out in part for its quirks. The time-keeping cowbell is louder than you might have remembered it, and at first seems almost out of place; the first few notes of the bassline are dead ringers for the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.” Almost immediately, though, Thorn draws you into one of her typically detailed vignettes, as the song’s narrator steps off the train and stands beneath the window of a lover from years ago, long gone, maybe dead. The song’s chorus—“And I miss you/Like the deserts miss the rain”—shouldn’t work; on paper, it’s just a hair too much. But singing it, their voices twinned in close harmony, they sell it. Thorn’s voice, in particular, is the very incarnation of yearning. At regular intervals, an eerie, synthetic siren sound—a key element of the remix that gets its start in the original—drives home the hurt. In the face of such emotion, any corniness in the metaphor falls away. Of course it’s a desert, it had to have been rain—these things are elemental, fundamental, and so is the feeling the song captures” – Pitchfork

Choice Cut: Missing

Walking Wounded

Release Date: 6th May, 1996

Labels: Atlantic/Virgin

Producers: Ben Watt/Spring Heel Jack/Howie B/Todd Terry/Rob Haigh

Standout Tracks: Before Today/Single/Walking Wounded

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=72865&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/459tNoDnuv0bL9ue9pENVz?si=mt7-1iJjRTeQWwpYzVNAlg

Review:

“Expanding on those revolutionary records, Walking Wounded floats Thorn’s wan vocals over a soundscape of sputtering, hissing, and clacking beats. A clutch of eccentric rhythms turn up, from the funk rumblings of ”Single” to the ambient sway of ”Big Deal.” Watt’s sparse and spacious production lets all these sounds sparkle in air, creating a dizzying 3-D effect.

Watt also coaxes an incredible range of textures from his synthesizers — from the trampoline-bounce bass of the title track to the bedspring explosion of drums in ”Good Cop, Bad Cop.” Such sonic gymnastics comprise their own new subgenre in the U.K., called drum ‘n’ bass, a form whose celebrated ace, Spring Heel Jack, collaborated on some tracks here.

To help ground the sound, Watt and Thorn offer an array of gorgeous melodies. All undulate with a sensuality perfectly suited to Thorn’s burgundy voice. In her lilting style, Thorn recalls the sophistication of Dionne Warwick at her peak; she comes across as both haunted and aloof. By juxtaposing her woozy cadences with the brusque clatter of the beats, EBTG create a great counterpoint — the musical equivalent of manic depression

This excited sense of melancholy fleshes out the group’s pining lyrics. Every song follows a ruinous love. ”I’m eating less and drinking more,” moans Thorn in a song that recalls the aftermath of a particularly bad affair. Another love proves painful enough to reduce her to childhood, causing the singer to plaintively ask, ”Is this as grown-up as we ever get?”

Coupled with the probing and pulsing music, these torchy sentiments achieve a psychological resonance, putting EBTG way above the campiness of most neo-lounge acts. In fact, their synthesized whooshes and bleats provide modern pop’s first corollary to the weird sounds cooked up by the early ’60s’ most avant-garde lounge stylists: Esquivel and Martin Denny.

By marrying such musical leaps to their sterling pop sensibilities, Everything But The Girl provide a classic service: They offer an ideal conduit between today’s chic underground and pop fans everywhere” – Entertainment Weekly

Choice Cut: Wrong

The Underrated Gem

 

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Release Date: 25th August, 1986

Label: Blanco y Negro

Producers: Everything But the Girl/Mike Hedges

Standout Tracks: Don't Leave Me Behind/Cross My Heart/Careless

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=72204&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4VZRS2iKvzaBASmIrWl99n?si=Gnv78InIS_ut4_Z4bTYLcQ

Review:

“On their third album, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, Everything But the Girl tries another departure on their craftsmanlike ballad style, hiring a full orchestra to give a lush backing to songs usually concerned more with sexual than national politics. Their last album, Love Not Money, may have boasted a considerable social agenda, but here Tracey Thorn sings of romantic disappointment and illicit liaisons, only occasionally bowing to such favorite themes as the lure of fame ("Country Mile"), fantasies about American movie stars ("Sugar Finney," which is "for Marilyn Monroe," and has the chorus, "America is free, cheap and easy"), and fears of fascism ("Little Hitler"). Thorn's throbbing voice is well-suited to the emotional concerns of the lyrics, and Ben Watt creates attractive, string- and horn-filled backings for them. So, Everything But the Girl has found yet another way to effectively vary what would have seemed to be a limited musical style” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Come on Home

The Final Album

Temperamental

Release Date: 27th September, 1999

Labels: Atlantic/Virgin

Producers: Ben Watt/Andy Bradfield/Deep Dish/J Majik/Danny Jay

Standout Tracks: Five Fathoms/Blame/The Future of the Future (Stay Gold) (with Deep Dish)

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=72673&ev=mb

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4Geaebqk6nJC78Agw6VXG9?si=id_OLdbiSfeOIfx6M3tsaw

Review:

“Gorgeous sound washes by producer-arranger Ben Watt; self-assured yet vulnerable vocals from Tracey Thorn. House-music purists will call Everything but the Girl’s latest, ”Temperamental,” watered-down, but pop fans will appreciate the way Watt loosens house’s relentless thud. And if EBTG are broadening the appeal of an underground sound — well, that’s how music develops, isn’t it?” – Entertainment Weekly

Choice Cut: Temperamental

The Tracey Thorn Book

 

Another Planet: A Teenager in Suburbia

Author: Tracey Thorn

Publication Date: 6th February, 2020

Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd  

Synopsis:

“THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZE

'Tender, wise and funny' Sunday Express

'Beautifully observed, deadly funny' Max Porter

Before becoming an acclaimed musician and writer, Tracey Thorn was a typical teenager: bored and cynical, despairing of her aspirational parents. Her only comfort came from house parties and the female pop icons who hinted at a new kind of living.

Returning to the scene of her childhood, Thorn takes us beyond the bus shelters, the pub car parks and the weekly discos, to the parents who wanted so much for their children and the children who wanted none of it. With great wit and insight, Thorn reconsiders the Green Belt post-war dream so many artists have mocked, and yet so many artists have come from” – Waterstones

Buy: https://www.waterstones.com/book/another-planet/tracey-thorn/9781786892584

FEATURE: Spotlight: Ferris & Sylvester

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Ferris & Sylvester

___________

I don’t think I have…

featured Ferris & Sylvester in Spotlight before. I have been following the duo of Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester for a few years now. I have watched them grow and continue to put out great music. I will end with a review of their E.P. of last year, I Should Be on a Train. I think a little introduction and background is necessary. I cannot see too many recent interviews (published over the past year), so I want to draw from one that is a little older. If you are not familiar with the incredible duo, their story and rise is one that should hook you in:

“Things are going very well for London based songwriting duo Ferris & Sylvester, yet one-and-a-half years ago they hadn't even met. Back in the summer of 2017, Camden's Spiritual Bar featured a young Issy Ferris playing the weekly folk nights whilst the big-voiced Archie Sylvester headlined Saturday nights with his blues band. The two shared the same stage for six months, but never played the same night. Our story may have been very different had fate (and Raf, the venue booker) not brought them together. A hundred gigs later, Ferris & Sylvester are a force to be reckoned with. Many industry veterans are already backing them as stars of the future and 'Ones To Watch' in 2019 and beyond. And what makes for a star? Classic songs, standout voices, excellent stagecraft and drive, all of which Ferris & Sylvester have by the bucketload.

With clear references to the mid-60s sounds of Greenwich Village, the canny combination of blues, folk and indie-rock 'n' roll that emerged from their solo selves is spellbinding, sitting somewhere between the riff-driven energy of Jack White and the expansive melodies of First Aid Kit ("Alt-Simon & Garfunkel" -- The Guardian). Determined to get their music out there and with next to no budget, the duo recorded and self-produced their 'Made In Streatham' EP (Feb 2018), in the kitc­­­hen of their South London flat. Released through their own label Archtop Records, the EP has clocked up millions of streams on Spotify, risen to No.1 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter chart, No.14 on the Spotify UK Viral Top 50 and received widespread acclaim ("A masterpiece of Brit Folk" -- MOJO). BBC Radio have given Ferris & Sylvester outstanding early affirmation, most notably from Cerys Matthews on her BBC Radio 2 Blues Show and BBC Introducing. Most recently the duo have recorded a prestigious BBC Maida Vale Session, which aired nationally in January across BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music. In the press, Rolling Stone tipped them in their 'Top 10 Country Acts to Watch' list, noting "a rich and fully realised sound that leaves one pining for a full length."

Their summer was filled to the brim with choice festival slots including BST in Hyde Park with Eric Clapton, Bath Festival with Robert Plant, the main stage at Wilderness Festival with BBC Music Introducing, and a sold-out show at The Imperial Theatre at their first Reeperbahn festival. Their gig calendar surrounding summer was equally as full and impressive with performances alongside George Ezra, James Blunt, Gary Barlow, Tom Odell, Liza Anne, Anderson East, Tyler Childers and a UK tour opening for old friend Jade Bird. And all this while recording their next project at The Pool Studios with producer Michael Rendall (Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney).

With the dawn of a new year, Ferris & Sylvester are hard at work promoting latest release 'Sickness,' which introduces the sound of their new project: bigger, darker and more ambitious than before. 2019 began strongly with three sold-out showcases at Eurosonic Festival and the confirmation that they would be showcasing with the BBC at the prestigious SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The momentum has continued to build with a sold-out debut headline tour around the UK and plays on BBC Radio 1 with Huw Stephens. A second headline tour (April/May) is in the diary alongside more singles set for release in the second quarter. In short, there's a lot, lot more to come from Ferris & Sylvester”.

There is a lot of great Ferris & Sylvester music to check out. 2017’s The Yellow Line EP won some positive reviews; they released the excellent Made In Streatham E.P. in 2018. I will come to that in a minute. One reason why the music is so connective and engaging is the connection and closeness of the duo themselves. There is a harmony and understanding that goes into their work and enforces their music. This was sort of touched upon in a 2018 interview with Building Our Own Nashville:

“Yes, made it! So then how would you describe your sound to our readers?

Issy: To be honest it’s a bit of a mish of everything. I think we’ve made a genre of our own in a way.

Archie: I would say, correct me if you disagree, one thing about our music is we’re coming at it from different angles so it’s always meeting and moving.

Issy started off as quite a folky singer and I was quite a bluesy singer and songwriter and then we came together and now we’ve got something that’s somewhere in the middle, with a little rock and roll maybe.

How did you meet and become a band?

Issy: We actually met through the Spiritual Bar community. It’s a little folk/blues bar in Camden which has a family of musicians. Archie had been playing there for quite a few years and I had been playing there for several months but we hadn’t really met.

We had a mutual friend and I was doing a gig in West London and he came along and bought Archie, I think Archie was basically dragged there.

Archie: I was dragged there as a wing man actually. This is the full story. My mate dragged me out to a gig on a random Wednesday night and said “I really need you to come because I fancy this girl called Issy Ferris and I need a wing-man”.

So obviously I was a really good wing-man because I went along and then stole his bird, so he was really happy.

PHOTO CREDIT: Dan Wilberforce 

What a good story! and you’re still friends?

Issy: Yes, still friends! We all play at Spiritual Bar and that’s kind of where we grew. I wanted to be Archie’s backing singer so I joined his band.

Archie: And then kicked out the other members.

Issy: (laughing) So we started writing together and since then, we’ve kind of had our home up in Camden to rehearse and grow and develop and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind nearly two years”/

When you write songs how does the process go? Do you go in together or do you come with different ideas?

Issy: We really don’t have a formula. Sometimes we’ll sit down and we won’t have anything in mind and the two of us will work at it and something will happen. Or Archie will say “Ah I’ve got these lyrics” or “this guitar part” or I’ve written a poem and that’s all it is at the moment.

The only thing we do make sure of is that we get the song to a point where it’s sounding great on acoustic guitar and vocals before any other instrumentation or production is done. We’ve got a make shift studio at home but before we go in there we make sure that we’re really happy with it, just the two of us.

Everything has to embellish the core. You can’t put smoke and mirrors around something that you’re not happy with.

Archie: That’s what we’ve been trying to do for our recent projects. That’s not the only way to write a song, who knows in a couple of years we could become a drum and base outlet”.

I think the Made In Streatham E.P. was their first real high. Songs like Better in Yellow and London’s Blues are among their very best songs. I am going to finish with a review of their latest E.P. I wanted to pick up an interesting interview Ferris & Sylvester gave to SW Londoner, where they were asked about the influence and importance of the capital:

“While Issy Ferris comes from the Midlands and Archie Sylvester comes from the south west of England, both have been vocal about their love of where they now call home. They recorded their 2018 EP in their kitchen and named it ‘Made in Streatham’.

Archie said: “I think London feels like home to us. It’s stressful getting in and out sometimes, but when we’re at home, we feel really comfortable. We’re not there enough at the moment. It probably won’t be until 2020 that we’ll get some time to spend at home which we are looking forward to.”

Their music takes traditional American influences and gives them a British twist. Archie said: “We have a lot of American influences, but we try and make sure we’re writing songs from a British angle. It wouldn’t feel genuine writing about pick-up trucks and cowboy boots.”

Place is integral to the duo’s lyrics. Issy explained: “You write about what you know. When we started writing, south west London was our backdrop, that’s where our friends were.

“It’s where our stories have been set. As we toured more, we’ve been broadened but London has definitely been an inspiration while writing together.”

Issy said “We get quite homesick on tour. South west London is a great place to be. We live near Streatham Hill. It’s a place with lots of hustle and bustle but it really is our home.”

She lists her favourite places in south west London as the Hood restaurant, the Hamlet bar and Tooting Bec Common. She also misses the ‘lovely little fox’ that lives in their garden, although Archie disagrees vehemently.

Issy said: “This year, we’ve done two headline tours, released new music, and played 101 shows. We didn’t plan it.

“I’m a massive fan of 101 Dalmatians but there’s no correlation. We just keep a tally of the shows that we’ve done and that’s the grand total.”

Issy declared the two nights at London Bridge’s Omeara in early September as her favourite shows of the year. Issy said: “We were lucky enough to do two nights as the first sold out pretty quickly.

“Those shows were insanely special. We couldn’t believe in six months, we went from The Lexington to playing two nights at Omeara.”

They were especially pleased to have been selected for the Emerging Artist Award by Bob Harris, known for championing young acts throughout nearly 50 years in broadcasting.

Issy said: “Bob and his family have been really amazing to us. We’ve done gigs with Under The Apple Tree, the company he runs with his son to promote new Americana music.

“He’s watched our writing develop, he’s watched us go from not selling any tickets to selling 600 in London. He’s seen that progression.”

It’s hard to pin down the sound of Ferris & Sylvester, but they accept the Americana term with grace.

Archie said: “It’s difficult to define what Americana is, and it’s difficult to define what our music is. There’s blues, folk, rock and soul influences, maybe a tiny bit of country too.

“That’s generally how people define Americana music too. As songwriters, it’s very important to not pigeon hole ourselves into one specific genre, but we feel comfortable in the Americana world”.

I think that everyone should keep an eye out for Ferris & Sylvester as they have a bright future looming. Check out their social media channels to see when they are on the road next (although the image above gives you some guidance). I have been listening back to their E.P. from last year, I Should Be on a Train. At the Barrier had this to say about a remarkable work:

“Ferris & Sylvester are making some pretty significant waves.  Already lauded by such luminaries as Bob Harris, who premiered the title track from this new collection on his BBC Radio 2 Country Show, they’ve also been praised widely in the music press. In early 2020, were awarded the Emerging Artist Award at the UK Americana Awards.

The duo are Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester, and their sound is American West, via South London and takes in touches of folk, blues, pop, psychedelia and, at least on Good Man, one of the tracks on this excellent EP, Eastern influences.  They switch interestingly and effectively between up-close intimacy and in-your-face riffing and, on the evidence of I Should Be On A Train, their growing reputation is well-justified.

As noted above, the EP’s title track has already received airplay and is available as a download single or on limited edition 12-inch vinyl.  It’s a song that grows from its intimate beginnings into a full-blown power ballad with some nice guitar flourishes and lyrics that articulate the confusion of someone seeking, but for lack of courage failing, to end a relationship.  The second track, Knock You Down has a 60s feel to it. Indeed, the intro wouldn’t be out of place on a Donovan album. The song, once again, builds nicely into a riff-heavy chorus which implores the listener “not to let the system knock you down.”

Everyone is Home, a contemplation of the loneliness of COVID isolation, is probably my favourite track on the EP.  Again, it’s a song that has already had a degree of exposure and, whilst it starts by lamenting the isolation from a loved one, it does convey a message of hope  as the refrain switches from “everyone is lonely, everyone is scared” to “everyone is lonely, everyone is brave” and makes the observation that “we learned what it is to be human again.”  Powerful and reassuring messages in these confused times!

On Good Man, the duo get solidly electric, particularly during the chorus, which builds on a strong, insistent riff.  The song also incorporates an eastern feel – Indian, or is it Arabian? – in a way that recalls Richard Thompson.  The closing track is an enchanting version of With a Little Help From My Friends.  Ferris and Sylvester’s version leans more towards the Joe Cocker interpretation than towards The Beatles’ original, but essentially the sound and emphasis is all their own.   Issy, in particular, takes the opportunity to give her vocal chords a good workout and the overall effect is admirable, fresh, and utterly enjoyable.

Ferris and Sylvester’s last recorded output, the 2018 EP, Made in Streatham, made a lasting impression. It even managed to hit the number one spot on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart.  There’s something stronger than a mere impression that suggests that this new offering is also destined for big things”.

I wonder if we will see a Ferris & Sylvester album later this year. With some incredible E.P.s under their belt, many will look to see whether the duo put out an album. Of course, when things start to get back to normal, there will be a chance to see Ferris & Sylvester on the stage. I have been following them for a few years now and, with every release, they seem to get stronger and reveal new layers. Ferris & Sylvester are definitely…

ONE of my favourite acts.

_________________

Follow Ferris & Sylvester

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/FerrisandSylvester

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ferrissylvester

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ferrisandsylvestermusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1LnhhjMNydIGawXsnfNhCf?si=J5aMAnNjTR-DYJIT5M2wfw

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwh5bFthR6r-X0jQTZuFcA

FEATURE: More Room for the Life: What Could the Rest of 2021 Hold in Terms of Kate Bush Treats?

FEATURE:

 

 

More Room for the Life

PHOTO CREDIT: Colin Davey/Getty Images 

What Could the Rest of 2021 Hold in Terms of Kate Bush Treats?

___________

THIS is another case of speculation…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Rex USA

when it comes to Kate Bush-related products. It seems that every time I put a feature of this nature, there is an announcement regarding a book or something else. Completely coincidental, though I like how there are people on the same wavelength! Rather than tread over ground I have covered regarding books, it does seem like this year will deliver more in the way of Kate Bush news – if not new music then definitely people paying tribute in their own way. Her fabulous single, Sat in Your Lap, is forty in June. Whilst we have not seen many singles re-released through the years, I feel Sat in Your Lap is such an important one in terms of Bush stepping into new territory and releasing a sound that we had not heard from before. I think that the book and magazine releases may be a bit limited for the remainder of 2021. I know we are only in April yet, with few big anniversaries this year, I would be surprised if anything came out. I know there is a photobook in the pipeline that we might see later in the year. I want to go back to my point regarding a documentary and a lack of appropriate love in that respect. Again, not to rehash old rants; I do think that there is a stumbling block and myopia when it comes to commissioners and taking on a new Kate Bush documentary. I recently pitched a radio documentary intended for the BBC that is different to the T.V. documentary that was broadcast back in 2014.

Rather than take a straight and chronological approach to her music, I was going to focus on her innovation, production and style. Much in the same way David Bowie has been covered in documentaries, this was going to be a deeper look at a musical genius. I came up against a response I have received many times: there is already a documentary out there so it is unlikely the BBC will take on another. With it being costly to self-finance such a project, I do feel that we will get something in the way of a documentary (whether on radio or T.V.) this year. This is me guessing, though the volume of books and magazine features about Bush this last year leads me to think that we will see a documentary. I think that it has a timeliness. Not only would the fortieth anniversary of Sat in Your Lap allow one to explore its parent album, The Dreaming (released in 1982), but the greatest hits collection, The Whole Story, is thirty-five later in the year. I don’t think that things need to be pegged to an anniversary. Not only are there going to be new article from journalists explaining why Bush means a lot to them; artists will tackle songs from her catalogue in their own inimitable manner. Gizelle Smith recently covered Bush’s 2005 single, King of the Mountain. I have suggested that a covers album would be a good idea. Not that I can spearhead it myself, although I think there will be a few more Bush’s covers that brings her work to new people.

In  terms of what else could come, album re-releases is most likely. I have suggested that there are no big anniversaries. The Whole Story’s thirty-fifth anniversary is an important one, so I would not be shocked if there was a new version or an expended edition. The last time Bush released all of her albums in a package was back in 2018. As there has been a recent surge in interest and new evaluation of her work, one cannot write off the chance that there will be more packages. I am a hopeful fan when I predict what might arrive. Given the influx of books and magazine features about Bush this and last year, it would be unusual if there was a halt. It is exciting to think what comes next and whether we will get something in the way of an album or documentary. Nearly a decade since her last studio album, 50 Words for Snow, came out, there is this endless wave of love and fascination. It is unlikely anything new in the way of Bush music will come before the end of the year, though one can never rule it out! For hardcore fans and new converts, it is very exciting to…

 PHOTO CREDIT: EMI/Fish People

LOOK forward to see what comes next.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Friends-Themed Artists/Tracks

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: The main cast of the U.S. sitcom, Friends/PHOTO CREDIT: NBC/Getty Images 

Friends-Themed Artists/Tracks

___________

IT has been rumoured for a long time…

 PHOTO CREDIT: NBC Universal

but it looks like a Friends reunion is taking place. The long-running sitcom is a favourite for many of us, so the prospect of its six lead actors getting together again is exciting! Digital Spy reported recently that a reunion looks imminent:

“It's been over a year now since the Friends reunion was officially confirmed to be happening with all six original cast members. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent filming delays though, we hadn't heard all that much about it since.

That is until recently, when David Schwimmer appeared to hint that he'd be recording the HBO Max special with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry in April this year.

Now, Greg Grande, set designer for the beloved '90s sitcom, has offered up a clue as to where the reunion get-together is going to take place too.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday (March 31), Greg shared a photo of Monica Geller's New York City apartment set, with some of its most recognisable features – like the purple walls, the orange armchair and the turquoise kitchen – in clear view.

"Sssh! Somethings happening, deja vu... coming alive once again! ❤️ #friends #monicasapt #friendsreunion," Grande wrote as the caption”.

To celebrate the (brief) return of the iconic sitcom, this Lockdown Playlist combines songs that mention the word ‘friends’ or a band name contains that word. I hope that you enjoy the…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @gemmachuatran/Unsplash

SELECTION of tracks below.

FEATURE: Modern Heroines: Part Forty-One: Chloe x Halle

FEATURE:

 

 

Modern Heroines

Part Forty-One: Chloe x Halle

___________

I have included the amazing…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Kenneth Cappello/HIGHSNOBIOETY

Chloe x Halle on my blog before. They are an stunning duo that I feel are going to be icons of the future – there are some who say they are icons already. In their early-twenties, it might be a lot to put on their shoulders. That said, they are definite role models and have given voice and strength to say many young fans. In terms of providing a little bit of biography, here is some background:

“Chloe x Halle is an R&B duo composed of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey. At a young age, the sisters performed in minor acting roles before moving from Mableton, Georgia, to Los Angeles in 2012. The two began posting music covers to YouTube and were acknowledged by Beyoncé, who became their mentor and later signed them to her label, Parkwood Entertainment. They subsequently released the EP Sugar Symphony (2016) and the mixtape The Two of Us (2017).

The duo gained further prominence after starring in the sitcom Grown-ish (2018–present) and releasing their debut album The Kids Are Alright (2018), for which they earned two Grammy Award nominations including Best New Artist. In 2020, they released their second studio album Ungodly Hour to critical acclaim, earning them another three Grammy Award nominations. The album's lead single "Do It" became the duo's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100”.

One big oversight was that Chloe x Halle lost out at this year’s GRAMMYs. I thought they would walk away with at least one award! As Teen Vogue explained, it was quite a big snub:

“The 2021 Grammys were a historic night for many artists. But that doesn't free the Recording Academy from all criticism. And Chloe x Halle fans have a legitimate reason to be upset after Sunday night's telecast. After being snubbed from the main R&B album category, the young music duo, consisting of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey, didn't take home a single Grammy award.

Their sophomore album, Ungodly Hour, was nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album, they also scored noms for Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Wonder What She Thinks Of Me") and Best R&B Song ("Do It"). For every category there are winners and losers, but that doesn't mean people have to agree with the Recording Academy's choices, especially given how Black women are often shut out from major awards and, well, relegated to categories like “Best Progressive R&B Album” versus Pop or general categories.

There's also the fact that Chloe x Halle have uniquely adapted to an unprecedented time for live music, finding creative new ways to perform their songs at every opportunity and mastering the art of the at-home performance. They work hard and somehow they make it look not only effortless but undeniably fun. For Chloe, 22, and Halle, 20, every performance is its own visual world, and in 2020, a year that was so hard for so many, they created a whole universe”.

I am going to get to their new album, Ungodly Hour, in a minute. I want to bring in a few interviews before getting to that. It is an amazing record that marks Chloe x Halle for huge things. It is worth discovering more about the sisters and how they have progressed and why they are so important. Not only is Ungodly Hour a step forward from their debut, The Kids Are Alright; they promoted the album during the pandemic – and did so in a hugely impactful and effective! We learn more in this interview from The Guardian in September 2020:

“The release of their second album, the presciently titled Ungodly Hour, has seen the pair school the world in the art of pandemic promo. “I feel like we’ve been making the best of what we have,” says Chloe, casually evoking the cluster of visually spectacular performances and photoshoots – including an entire high-fashion ad campaign – they’ve staged from the tennis court of their family home (admittedly, having a good lockdown requires certain advantages).

Their graft has not gone unnoticed. Until recently, the sisters were primarily known as Beyoncé proteges, the pop giant having signed them to her management company in 2015 off the back of their YouTube covers of her own tracks (the duo also racked up views for versions of songs by Adele, Ariana Grande and Lorde). They appeared in the Lemonade visual album and opened for their mentor on tour, all the while producing a stream of music that, while impressive, never quite elevated them to superstar territory – until now.

Whereas their debut album, The Kids Are Alright, focused on the agony and ecstasy of mid-adolescence, Ungodly Hour sees the pair sift through their love lives, calling out cheaters, playboys and prolific booty-callers. But it’s not simply good girls versus bad boys; the album is suffused with a compelling moral ambiguity. Wonder What She Thinks of Me is told from the perspective of the “other woman”, while on the darkly comic Tipsy, the pair fantasise about murdering flaky love interests. (“It is such a shame that they went missing, they can’t find ’em now / Oh, I wonder how I accidentally put them in the ground.”) “We were pissed off writing that song!” insists Halle. “Sometimes when people mess with your heart, you’re like: ‘Dude I gotta do something about it.’” Chloe is keen to clarify that “we never would kill somebody. But I feel like if everything’s so general, the song gets boring.”

Fantasising about offing errant boyfriends is one form of catharsis, but there is also more wholesome consolation to be found on the album. “When we write these songs it’s to make ourselves feel better, so when we listen back, it continues to make us feel better,” says Chloe. “I laugh at myself because there’s been so many times when I’m feeling like I don’t have too many friends or a relationship didn’t work out, I’ll play Lonely and instantly feel better.”

Entering the music industry as teens, the pair say they were routinely patronised in the studio. “Low key and high key at the same time,” nods Chloe. “People would tell us what we were creating was too complex for the average ear. I feel like that’s so not cool to tell two young creatives who are pushing the boundaries, especially when we’re in a world where everything’s so manufactured exactly the same.”

One person who did not underestimate them was Beyoncé. “Just knowing that she appreciated how complex it was and [hearing her] go on about how beautiful something was truly meant a lot,” says Chloe. The pair still run all their work by her, although she didn’t end up having much input into Ungodly Hour. “She listened to the album and she had close to no notes, which is pretty rare because she’s such a perfectionist!” she beams”.

Ungodly Hour came out in June of last year and, in my view, it was one of the best albums of the year. I wanted to source from an interview from Billboard, where Chloe x Halle discussed working alongside Beyoncé:

“This industry can be hypercritical of young women. How have you managed evolving as artists — and people — in that environment?

Chloe: A lot of people think of us as little perfect angels that don’t have any problems, and that’s not true. We really wanted to show the imperfect side of us on this project. We have fallen in love, fallen out of love, had our hearts broken. We’re still learning to love our insecurities. That’s what this album symbolizes for us: “Will you love me at the ungodly hour?” We have to give a lot of that credit to our parents too. It’s so funny, when we were playing the songs for them, our dad almost had a heart attack...

Halle: ...because we expose ourselves in the music. A lot of the things we don’t tell our parents, it’s in the songs. When they hear them, they’re like, “Oh, this is what’s happening? OK.”

What kind of direction does Beyoncé give you?

Chloe: What’s really cool is that she gives us complete freedom. She has been in this game since she was so young, and she knows what it feels like to be able to use her voice. She doesn’t take that away from us, and she lets us create the art we want to create.

Halle: It’s freeing when you have full creative control and you don’t have to rely on anyone else. We truly feel that it is our story to tell. We don’t want anybody else to tell our story.

Chloe: We’ll just do whatever the hell we want and see if it sticks. Then we’ll go back the next day and listen to it and be like, “We really like this!”

Halle: Or, “This is shit.”

Both: “This is bad.” (Both laugh.)”.

As young Black women in the music industry, the Bailey sisters have had to face more obstacles than most artists. I think there has been a lot of discussion since the Black Lives Matter protests that we saw last year (and this). Releasing an album when the murder of George Floyd sparked so much anger and desire for change must have been emotional. The duo discussed this with GQ last August:

“There's been so much going on this year, from coronavirus to Black Lives Matter. What has it been like releasing Ungodly Hour against that backdrop?

C: It's been interesting, but we're so grateful that, through this chaotic time, we can still try to find the beauty in it. I hope that that's what we did with our album, that we brought some light into people's lives. I feel like everything happens for a reason and this truly is the “ungodly hour”. In an odd way, the time when we put it out, it's exactly when it was supposed to come.

H: Normally when we release an album or a project, we do the press tour in New York, then we go back home and do the press tour in LA. Then we normally travel all over and go to all the radio stations and do interviews there. Doing it from home has been interesting, but it's been really positive actually too. It's amazing what you can do from home, with the performances and interviews. It's wild. Maybe we've never even needed to actually meet up and stuff. We can just do it through our computer.

You have also always had so much creative control over your work. Entering the industry at such a young age, was it ever a struggle for you to get that freedom?

H: What I think we got really lucky and blessed with is our parents, who have always instilled in us that we can do anything we put our minds to. We've always had a hand in our creativity because we feel like it's our story to tell. We write and produce everything that we touch, because it's so important. I feel like that's never been something that we've had to fight for, because we've just been like, “No, this is it. This is what we're doing.” When we were ten and eight years old, our dad sat us down and taught us the basics of how to write a song. Just knowing that we have the power within has been a theme and lesson that our parents have always instilled in our brains. Collaboration has also always been exciting and interesting for us, because we're used to working with one another. That's our safe space. With my sister, I can be truthful and honest. When you're working with somebody new, you're scared to step on their toes. That's why creativity for us has always been like, “Yes, we're going to do it.”

Do you have any favourite memories from working on the album?

H: Mine would be writing the song “Baby Girl”. It was one of the first songs we wrote for Ungodly Hour and it was the day after Christmas. We decided to rent an Airbnb in Malibu right by the beach – the house was literally in the water. It was no parents allowed, just Chloe and I and our brother. We made 15 to 20 songs in that weekend, because we were just really inspired being by the water. “Baby Girl" was a really beautiful message that was really healing to me and my sister. Sometimes when you're feeling down, you need those empowering, encouraging words and that was like a conversation with ourselves throughout the whole album. After making it, I remember we just both felt like it instantly made us feel calmer and better.

C: I just feel like the whole project really embodies strength in a sonic form. I love how the themes, whether we're coming from a pretty vulnerable state, like we do in “Lonely” and “Forgive Me”, it still comes from a place of power. I'm happy that the music represents strong women in showing all of our layers in every way. It's pretty cool how my sister and I have two completely different lives and two different perspectives, because I feel like that's helped layer it not only musically, but lyrically”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Pizzello/AP Photo

I will get to some reviews for Ungodly Hour soon. It has been really interesting reading up about Chloe x Halle and bonding with a remarkable duo. What I like about an album like Ungodly Hour is how much the pair have grown and how confident they sound. They are so mature, innovative and inspiring with regards their music and how they compose themselves. In an interview with HIGHSNOBIETY, they were asked about their musical evolution:

“Let’s get into the album: In the past, your music has had an innocence about it, but this album is pretty grown.

C: You know, with anything in life, we never like to force it. Halle just turned 20. I'll be 22 in July. Naturally, the music will just grow with that. We're sharing our experiences, sharing what we're going through, whether it's heartbreak or falling in love or our insecurities — what makes us tick. People only really know us as, like, little sweet angels and all of that. And everyone is multi-layered.

“Busy Boy” is about a guy who sleeps around and sends you unsolicited late night photos of, well, a very particular body part of his. Are lines like this born from real life?

H: Absolutely. All the songs on the album are pulled from real-life experiences, real-life relationships. And for “Busy Boy,” everyone can relate to knowing this guy who is just so hot, he is just A+ everywhere. But everyone knows him as a player. They know he jumps around from girl to girl. It was funny to talk about that because in our little girl group [of friends], sometimes we do find that one dude who has tried to talk to all of us. And we laugh about it and we kiki about it.

Are you able to find time to date and have fun, and do what young people do?

H: Of course!

C: You know, we explore. We date around. We're learning as we experience life. And it helps stimulate the lyrics.

You taught yourselves how to produce, arrange, write, and record your music at a very young age, but now that there is this bigger spotlight, is it important to still create in that more organic way?

C: Absolutely. Yeah. If we didn't keep that, I don't think we would even have finished this album. We love creating at home so much. You know, [our first album] The Kids Are Alright, we created the whole thing in our living room. [For this album], we converted the garage and carpeted it up and made it into our little studio here. We always prefer home and working on our laptop and arranging all the weird harmonies together and recording each other.

We worked with so many amazing producers and songwriters on this album, but at the end of every session, we would take the stems, and we would revamp them up and really add, like, our sauce to the songs afterward so it really felt like us. But also, half the album is strictly just us and our production and writing as well. We executive produced it. That's the only way to do it. If it starts to feel forced or bad, we walk away.

When I see you two on camera and in interviews, I’m struck by how poised you both are, from such a young age. You present yourself almost perfectly. But I wonder if that ever feels like pressure? You’ve had to be really mature since before most kids ever really do.

H: It's not a persona. It's not something that we turn on and we turn off. It's just the way that our parents raised us. Sometimes, we do get compliments, like, "Oh my gosh. You guys are always so happy and positive. You guys are angels!" And, you know, that’s one side of it, of course. I know some people put us on a pedestal. And I think that what hones us in on continuing to just be positive beings and lights is the way we grew up, our parents constantly reminding us that all of these things don't matter. All of these grand things don't matter”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Campbell Addy for Teen Vogue

To finish up, I am going to pull in a couple of positive reviews for Ungodly Hour. It is an album that I loved when it came out nearly a year ago – I am still listening to it now. This is what The Line of Best Fit observed when they reviewed Ungodly Hour:

“Take, for example, the angsty “Don’t Make It Harder On Me”, which sounds like a deep-cut by The Supremes turned on its head: “Don’t make it harder on me. / Don’t make it harder on me / I told you not to love me / And now you’re growing on me”. Channelling late '60s doo-wop and contemporary urban pop, the song is as much a kiss-off as it is an unabashed love-song, with the duo sounding off on the ramifications of a potential romance against an edgy, orchestral backdrop. Make no mistake though, the sisterhood draw power from their previous heartaches, crafting anthems across the rest of the album that speak to their self-confidence, such as the empowering “Do It” (“I’m just with the crew / We ain’t out here lookin’ for boo / ‘Cause some nights be better with you…”) and the playful “Forgive Me” (“Movin’ too fast, now you caught in the middle / Try so hard to keep up, now you single / Bettin’ you’ll regret what you did just a little / Ah, ah”).

Elsewhere, the duo channel early-nineties Sade on the jazzy “Busy Boy” before trading off kisses with Swae Lee on the Mike WiLL Made-It-produced “Catch Up”, concluding this one-two punch with the confessional “Overwhelmed”, which sees Chloe and Halle ruminate on the pressures of their newly-found stardom: “Holdin’ my breath ‘til my face turns blue / Head under water / Breathe deeply, they said / I need a weekend again”. At odds with the otherwise up-tempo sound of the record, this moment of vulnerability speaks to the strength drawn by the duo in their togetherness – a theme that emerges most prominently on the album’s title track: “When you decide to love yourself / When you decide you need someone / When you don’t have to think about it / Love me at the ungodly hour”. Acting as both sultry invitation and empowered self-confession, the song is a clarion call for all those who deign to diminish the duo’s talents – talents that blaze through on Ungodly Hour with a full and unrelenting force”.

When Our Culture sat down with Ungodly Hour, they were definitely impressed with that they heard:

“Across the album, Chloe x Halle deliver lavish, confident R&B tunes that boast a winning combination of angelic vocal harmonies and frequently audacious lyrics. “Better, baby, better treat me better/ Better than those other guys who change up like the weather/ It is such a shame that they went missing, they can’t find ’em now/ Oh, I wonder how I accidentally put them in the ground,” they sing on the bouncy, infectious ‘Tipsy’, while ‘Busy Boy’ is fearless yet funny in its depiction of more mature themes, with the line “It’s four o’clock/ You sendin’ me too many pictures of your…” immediately sticking out. The album’s cover perfectly encapsulates the tone of the record – deceptively innocent on the surface, but self-empowering and playfully salacious at its core.

Ungodly Hour might not be the most original R&B album out there, but it’s so well-executed that it’s hard not to revel in its joys. It helps that the production, much of which is handled by Chloe herself, occasionally adds a bit more punch to the album’s gently unassuming qualities – small details like the finger-snaps on the Latin-inspired ‘Baby Girl’ or the pounding drums  on ‘Tipsy’. Meanwhile, the Disclosure-assisted title track packs a killer of a chorus as the duo coil effortlessly around the song’s dreamy instrumental. “When you don’t have to think about it/ Love me at the ungodly hour,” they proclaim.

While part of the album’s strength lies in the singers’ self-determination, Chloe x Halle aren’t afraid to express a softer side, particularly on the stripped-down interlude ‘Overwhelmed’ and the tender follow-up ‘Lonely’, which pulls you in to offer a warm, comforting embrace. While the album’s second half falters slightly – ‘Catch Up’ feat. Swae Lee being the record’s one big misstep – ‘Don’t Make it Harder On Me’ is a soulful late-album highlight that showcases the duo’s classic R&B influences. Nothing on Ungodly Hour is particularly new, but the way Chloe x Halle tiptoe around those superficial binaries – classy and modern, innocent and sultry, angelic and sinful – gives it a refreshing edge. And besides, they pull it off with such grace and charisma that you can’t help but succumb to its rhythm”.

I will end up with a short playlist containing the best Chloe x Halle cuts so far. Even though they are young and their career is in its infancy, they are going to go a long way and release a lot of amazing music. Role models to so many people around the world, I feel the duo are going to be icons of the future. You only need to read interviews they have conducted and listen to their music…

TO know that.

FEATURE: Second Spin: Craig David - Born to Do It

FEATURE:

 

 

Second Spin

Craig David - Born to Do It

___________

I want to include this album…

of 2000, as I remember there was this great movement of 2-Step Garage that was coming though at that time. The Garage movement in general was exciting and something I had not heard before. Craig David’s Born to Do It, to me, was one of the forerunners of that movement. It was released on 14th August, 2000 in the U.K. and later in 2001 in the U.S. Before his debut album, many people would have heard David performing vocals with Artful Dodger. I think that his debut album is a confident and appealing set of songs that marked him as a talent to watch. Craig David is forty on 1st May, and it seems strange that he released Born to Do It over twenty years ago! I really like the album, yet there have been some mixed reviews. I think the U.K. audiences bonded with the album more than the U.S. ones. That seems to be the divide in terms of critical reaction if not sales. With classics like 7 Days, Fill Me In and Rendezvous, Born to Do It is a terrific album. With David writing most of the songs together with Mark Hill (who is one half of Artful Dodger), one gets to hear an authentic voice and lyrical approach. I wonder why 2-Tone Garage sort of dissipated or whether it evolved into Grime or another genre. It was an exciting time for British music and, as such, I think Craig David should be given some respect.

I will bring in a positive review for Born to Do It but, first, this 2007 review from Rolling Stone is not entirely glowing:

“The mantle of "next big thing" has been placed heavily on the shoulders of Craig David, the twenty-year-old British soul singer whose debut album, Born to Do It, is already a massive hit around the world. But David doesn't just have the burden of making a name for himself; he's also supposed to be the one who finally introduces to U.S. shores the knotted, electro-rouged beats of two-step - a.k.a. U.K. garage, the club music of choice for Brits. The problem is, to American ears already shaped by the sonic wizardry of people like Teddy Riley and Timbaland (two big influences on two-step producers), the sound isn't quite so revolutionary. It's actually kind of familiar. What ultimately distinguishes Born to Do It from the stuff currently clogging the radio is the way it strikes a balance between traditional pop and R&B;, using modern production flash as the bridge. David's music is crammed to overflowing with acoustic guitar and prominently placed strings, layered just so over the insistent thump of beats and bass, even in the ballads. The result has more pop savvy than most contemporary American urban fare but is more authentically urban than the blue-eyed soul of MTV-friendly boy bands.

Tracks like "7 Days," "Fill Me In" (the first U.S. single) and "Can't Be Messing 'Round" have steel-plated hooks that burrow into your head and won't let go, while David ad-libs such hip-hop cliches as "Money ain't a thing" and "[I'm] getting' jiggy just for fun." Still, the slick Born to Do It is dragged down by an overabundance of ballads ranging from the kind of sappy fare that lovesick teenagers play for one another late at night over the phone ("Rendezvous," "Key to My Heart") to self-consciously risque fare like "Booty Man."

David has a creamy voice that's given texture by a palpable libidinous yearning; it's the sound of a horny boy becoming a smooth player. His vocals are layered and treated with effects on almost all the tracks, and he has the ability to flutter his voice atop stuttering beats or to race ahead of those same beats while still keeping time. Though he's undoubtedly talented, it's only on the Artful Dodger-produced U.K. club classic "Rewind" that David really makes a lasting impression. There - with his singing chopped up and edited into riffs and hooks - David is sexy, commanding and vibrant in a way that the rest of the album only sometimes achieves”.

I don’t think Born to Do It gets played that much on the radio or, when it does, it is singles like 7 Days. Dig deeper and other tracks strike you. I like Can't Be Messing 'Round, Time to Party and You Know What. Of course, Walking Away was another big hit. The album has some real gems and hidden treasures!

As Wikipedia outlines, Born to Do It has a huge legacy and was a massively important album that turned Craig David into a star:

“At the 2001 Brit Awards, the music video for the album's second single, "7 Days" was nominated for the Best Music Video award, but lost out to the music video for "Rock DJ" by Robbie Williams. Following the album's release, David was nominated for three MOBO Awards, including best newcomer and best album for Born to Do It. David was also nominated for four Brit Awards in 2001, including Best British Album. Born to Do It became the fastest-selling debut album ever by a British male solo act, a record the album still holds. The album has since been listed as the 45th fastest-selling album ever.

With the album's lead single going to number one in the UK, David (at 18 years and 334 days old), became the youngest British male to have a UK number-one single since Jimmy Osmond, and was the youngest solo artist at the time to have his debut single go to number one in the UK. This record has since been surpassed by Gareth Gates, who was 17 years and 255 days old when he debuted at number one with "Unchained Melody" in March 2002. The album would serve as a musical inspiration to producer Rodney Jerkins during his work on Brandy's third studio album, Full Moon, following a gig in London, England, months before where he was exposed to the UK garage collaborations between David and Artful Dodger”.

Before wrapping things up, I want to bring in a positive review from AllMusic. This is what they wrote when they listened to Born to Do It:

“In his 2000 debut album, Craig David merges smooth-soul crooning with a cascade of glistening keyboards, circling guitars, and sophisticated rhythms. Displaying a healthy marriage of current R&B vocal stylings and U.K. club/dance fused beats, David's music skillfully evades feeling robotic and cold, while still sounding pristine and immaculate. As an artist who is in his late teens, he conjures up a personal and revealing work that delves into both his mature sound and youthful attitude. Co-writing and co-producing with Mark Hill of the British garage act the Artful Dodger, David wraps his scorching-cool vocals around a mellow attack of keyboards and drums, while distinctly focusing on romance, relationships, and clubbing. Guitars simmer on "7 Days," a day by day account of an adventurous first week with a woman he magically encounters while in a subway. In "Can't Be Messing 'Round," the performer's razor sharp vocals heat-seek while a keyboard hammers before being covered by a high-sounding whirlpool of strings. With the dance anthem "Time to Party," drums sting and a whispering guitar is faintly heard while he optimistically sings "Friday, payday/Ready to do the things we love." The lyrics do sometimes sound underdeveloped due to David's age, and the music can occasionally lack distinctiveness, yet those two factors do not hinder the celebratory power of Born to Do It. The album features an effortless presentation of limber and carefully articulated vocal talents by the singer that seamlessly glide through the polished collage of songs”.

Actually, before finishing up, I want to borrow from a Stereogum article that was published last year to mark twenty years of Born to Do It. It makes for interesting reading. I have selected some segments that stood out to me:

“David’s breakout was intertwined with that of 2-step, a club-born lovechild of house and R&B, and a kind of fraternal twin with UK garage, which took over as the new dance trend in late ’90s Britain after the jungle and drum and bass waves had crested. David was making regional rounds as a DJ by the age of 15, and connected with a pair of local producers, Mark Hill and Pete Deveraux, who were going by the name Artful Dodger (readers may remember that name from the Streets’ “Let’s Push Things Forward”: “I make bangers not anthems/ Leave that to the Artful Dodger”). Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2001, David succinctly demystified 2-step’s inner workings. “It’s a hybrid of R&B and house-garage where you take the bass drum off the second and fourth beats of the bar,” he explained. “That gives a unique skipping feel.”

Born To Do It asserted David’s influences as being more in tune with R&B and hip-hop and the depth of personality and storytelling that one can bring to those forms. Abandoning 2-step altogether, though, would have been turning his back on the crowd that established him. A conscious decision was made to write a transitional song that would satisfy the old clubland guard but also ease into David’s broader vision. “Fill Me In” mixed controlled-burst verses, honeyed production and that fleet-footed beat, and it exceeded expectations by becoming David’s first #1 record.

David’s delivery on “Fill Me In” is impeccable, and the music’s hooks are subtle yet insistent, but the meanest feat that it pulls off is lyrical. Recounting a young lover’s house call, no time is wasted getting down to business: The suitor is summoned by phone and arrives to find his lady dressed in a long negligee already pouring glasses of red wine. Next thing you know, they’re fooling around a bit, switching on the answering machine, and hitting the hot tub. But instead of the scene reaching an obvious conclusion, the young man’s mind turns to the young woman’s parents, who, while nosy and a little controlling, are actually decent folks.

“7 Days” was David’s second consecutive #1 in the UK. He was two for two, and Born To Do It was selling by the truck load. Despite that, David looked at the American market with a grounded mindset. “Going over to America,” he explained in a 2002 episode of the British television program The South Bank Show documenting his rise to fame, “I felt, I’m gonna put down the bags of all my success in the UK and Europe, and I’m gonna approach this like I’m a newcomer who wants to show that it’s about songs, and it’s not about trying to please certain people and trying to make everyone enjoy every aspect of my music.”

David, too, liked to point out his differences as much as his similarities with American artists. “I’m influenced vocally by R&B music,” he told Billboard. “As for rap and hip-hop, it comes from the UK’s garage scene, while my production leans into different genres. Being brought up in the UK and coming from a mixed-race family, it’s hard to put my style into a category. It’s left-field music that incorporates all my flavors.” While Born To Do It went platinum here, David’s popularity wasn’t enough to bring wider attention to all of 2-step. For one, it was already losing steam in its home country, where dance genres had to quickly evolve or die out, and the popularity of “Re-Rewind” had turned out to be as much a peak as it was a breakthrough.

If you have not heard Born to Do It or listened to a bit when it came out, go and listen again and enjoy. I think that it should be played more on radio and, whilst I have seen some mixed reviews, a lot of people were positive when it came out in 2000. All these years later and it still sounds…

SO accomplished and compelling.

FEATURE: Inspired By... Part Five: Jimi Hendrix

FEATURE:

 

 

Inspired By...

Part Five: Jimi Hendrix

___________

I will broaden out my Inspired By… features…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Bent Rej

because there may be one or two artists in the playlist at the end that have appeared in other parts. Today, I am featuring the incredible Jimi Hendrix. Not only is he a genius guitar; he is one of the most influential artists ever. His legacy is huge. Before ending with a playlist of artists who have cited Hendrix as important to them, here is some biography from the Jimi Hendrix official website:

“Jimi Hendrix, born Johnny Allen Hendrix at 10:15 a.m. on November 27, 1942, at Seattle’s King County Hospital, was later renamed James Marshall by his father, James “Al” Hendrix. Young Jimmy (as he was referred to at the time) took an interest in music, drawing influence from virtually every major artist at the time, including B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Holly, and Robert Johnson. Entirely self-taught, Jimmy’s inability to read music made him concentrate even harder on the music he heard.

Al took notice of Jimmy’s interest in the guitar, recalling, “I used to have Jimmy clean up the bedroom all the time while I was gone, and when I would come home I would find a lot of broom straws around the foot of the bed. I’d say to him, `Well didn’t you sweep up the floor?’ and he’d say, `Oh yeah,’ he did. But I’d find out later that he used to be sitting at the end of the bed there and strumming the broom like he was playing a guitar.” Al found an old one-string ukulele, which he gave to Jimmy to play a huge improvement over the broom.

By the summer of 1958, Al had purchased Jimmy a five-dollar, second-hand acoustic guitar from one of his friends. Shortly thereafter, Jimmy joined his first band, The Velvetones. After a three-month stint with the group, Jimmy left to pursue his own interests. The following summer, Al purchased Jimmy his first electric guitar, a Supro Ozark 1560S; Jimi used it when he joined The Rocking Kings.

In 1961, Jimmy left home to enlist in the United States Army and in November 1962 earned the right to wear the “Screaming Eagles” patch for the paratroop division. While stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Jimmy formed The King Casuals with bassist Billy Cox. After being discharged due to an injury he received during a parachute jump, Jimmy began working as a session guitarist under the name Jimmy James. By the end of 1965, Jimmy had played with several marquee acts, including Ike and Tina Turner, Sam Cooke, the Isley Brothers, and Little Richard. Jimmy parted ways with Little Richard to form his own band, Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, shedding the role of back-line guitarist for the spotlight of lead guitar.

Throughout the latter half of 1965, and into the first part of 1966, Jimmy played the rounds of smaller venues throughout Greenwich Village, catching up with Animals’ bassist Chas Chandler during a July performance at Caf‚ Wha? Chandler was impressed with Jimmy’s performance and returned again in September 1966 to sign Hendrix to an agreement that would have him move to London to form a new band.

Switching gears from bass player to manager, Chandler’s first task was to change Hendrix’s name to “Jimi.” Featuring drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding, the newly formed Jimi Hendrix Experience quickly became the talk of London in the fall of 1966.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz/Iconic Images

The Experience’s first single, “Hey Joe,” spent ten weeks on the UK charts, topping out at spot No. 6 in early 1967. The debut single was quickly followed by the release of a full-length album Are You Experienced, a psychedelic musical compilation featuring anthems of a generation. Are You Experienced has remained one of the most popular rock albums of all time, featuring tracks like “Purple Haze,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” “Foxey Lady,” “Fire,” and “Are You Experienced?”

Although Hendrix experienced overwhelming success in Britain, it wasn’t until he returned to America in June 1967 that he ignited the crowd at the Monterey International Pop Festival with his incendiary performance of “Wild Thing.” Literally overnight, The Jimi Hendrix Experience became one of most popular and highest grossing touring acts in the world.

Hendrix followed Are You Experienced with Axis: Bold As Love. By 1968, Hendrix had taken greater control over the direction of his music; he spent considerable time working the consoles in the studio, with each turn of a knob or flick of the switch bringing clarity to his vision”.

To reflect the impact and ability of one of the finest artists that has ever lived, the playlist below is a selection of musicians who hold Hendrix dear. As you can see, he has touched and inspired a lot of other artists. I know that he will continue to influence musicians…

FOR many more generations.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Al Green at Seventy-Five

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Al Green in 1973/PHOTO CREDIT: Jimmy McDonough 

Al Green at Seventy-Five

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I have included Al Green in a playlist…

before now but, as he turns seventy-five on 13th April, I couldn’t pass up the chance to feature him once more! Before coming to a Lockdown Playlist with some of Green’s best tracks, here is some information regarding a phenomenal artist:

“Al Green was born Albert Greene on April 13, 1946, in Dansby, a small town down the road from Forrest City, Arkansas. He began performing at a young age, singing gospel music with his family as part of the Greene Brothers. Even after the Greene family moved to Michigan, the Greene Brothers continued touring on the gospel circuit.

After being kicked out of the family home for listening to the secular music of Jackie Wilson, Green started a group called the Creations, which later became Al Greene and the Soul Mates. The Soul Mates had one hit, "Back Up Train," which brought them to a successful appearance at New York City's Apollo Theater.

After the Soul Mates failed to capitalize on their one hit, the group broke up and Al Green struck out out his own. It was at this time that he decided to drop the final "e" from his last name.

In 1968, while on the road in Texas, Green opened for producer Willie Mitchell. Impressed with what he heard, Mitchell signed Green to Hi Records of Memphis, Tennessee. As he started working closely with Mitchell, Green's soft phrasing and falsetto embellishments took soul in a new direction. In 1971, Green had a popular cover of The Temptations' "I Can't Get Next to You." Mitchell also produced Green's other huge hits of the 1970s, including the number one "Let's Stay Together" and "I'm Still in Love with You." With his ballads, his gifts of long-stemmed roses to female concertgoers and his golden voice, Green became a true star.

Reverend Al Green

While on the road in 1973, Green was born again as a Christian. Despite his revived faith, Green continued touring and releasing music much as he had previously, though he did leave audience members taken aback by occasionally pausing to sermonize during performances. But Green's life changed on October 18, 1974, when Mary Woodson, a woman who had walked away from her family to be with Green, attacked him in his bathroom with a pan of boiling hot grits. Woodson then shot and killed herself in Green's Memphis home.

During the long recovery from his third-degree burns, Green devoted himself to his faith. When Green had healed, he bought a church, the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis, and began leading services there. In addition to becoming a pastor, Green turned back toward spiritual music. As Willie Mitchell didn't want to work on gospel songs, Green's 1977 album, The Belle Album, was self-produced. The new direction Green's life had taken was evident in the song "Belle," about a man torn between his love for a woman and his love for God.

Working in Two Worlds

After falling off the stage during a 1979 concert, Green chose to focus on his church and released only inspirational music. But by the late 1980s, Green was singing some of his secular hits along with his gospel music. He then branched out to duets with Annie Lennox and Lyle Lovett, and even appeared on the TV show Ally McBeal.

In 2003, Green released the album I Can't Stop, which was produced by his former collaborator, Willie Mitchell. Green also explored new musical avenues on his 2008 album Lay It Down, working with producers Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of the Roots and keyboardist James Poyser.

After turning away from the songs that had made him famous, Green has become comfortable with both his popular music and his religious vocation. In recent years, the famed musician was named on Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list”.

To mark Al Green’s upcoming seventy-fifth birthday, this Lockdown Playlist is an assortment of some of his best cuts. Whilst his latest studio album, Lay It Down, was released in 2008, let’s hope that we have not heard the last when it comes to Green releasing music. Even if that album is his final release, his incredible voice and amazing music will endure and touch people…

FOR a long time to come.

FEATURE: A Rocky Road: Kate Bush’s Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake

FEATURE:

 

 

A Rocky Road

Kate Bush’s Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake

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THIS is another Kate Bush feature…

where I am promoting and defending an underrated song. Many have seen her second studio album, Lionheart, as a bit rushed or an inferior version of The Kick Inside. I really like the album, thought here is a feeling that Bush was being hurried into a follow-up to her successful debut to capitalise on her fame and popularity. With only a few new songs written for Lionheart, Bush had to rely on some older tracks. I think Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake is one that might have been considered for The Kick Inside but, perhaps, it was seen as too Rock-orientated and hard – although James and the Cold Gun is quite a Rock-y song. In terms of a song from Lionheart, there are two officially released versions: the album version and the live version from Hammersmith Odeon, which appears on the On Stage E.P. Coming between Wow and Oh England My Lionheart on Lionheart, Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake is a nice change of gears. Some have highlighted it as one of the weaker songs on Lionheart but, with a nod to Patti Smith, I think it was a great track. The lyrics are a lot different to what we heard on The Kick Inside. That album, I think, draws more from a romantic view of love, whereas Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake is more oblique. It is a song about heartache and avoiding spinning out of control: “Emma's come down/She's stopped the light/Shining out of her eyes/Emma's been run out on/She's breaking down/In so many places/Stuck in low gear/Because of her fears/Of the skidding wheels/(The skid of her wheels she feels)/Skidding wheels/(The skid of her wheels she feels)/Spinning wheels/(Wheel-skidding feeling)/Her heart is there/But they've greased the road/Her heart is out there/But she's no control”.

Other artists have used images of vehicles and the road to describe love and pain and, whilst not her most accomplished or memorable songs, I think Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake is a song that should not be overlooked. Bush performed the song on the Leo Sayer Show on 17th November, 1978 and on the 1979 Christmas special. The song was also included in the setlist of The Tour of Life. Dreams of Orgonon had this to day about Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake:

“It’s hard to imagine The Kick Inside functioning with “Heartbrake,” which is more blatantly goofy than anything on that album. In the first verse, Bush has a mental breakdown on a motorway expressed through a series of car puns: “breaking down,” “stuck in low gear,” “fears of the skidding wheels.” It’s a vague emotional spiral, construed as a barrage of automotive verbiage. A character called Emma has been left high and dry by someone called Georgie, and responds to this loss by losing her shit on the road. Fittingly enough for this premise, “Heartbrake” is a melodically bizarre machine, moving from a tingling piano-led intro to kookiness, eventually landing on a bawdy, brass-accompanied shoutfest of a chorus (“don’t put your BLUES where your SHOES should be!”). Yet “Heartbrake” is so noisy it obscures whatever point it attempts to make. Additionally, it’s too undisciplined for its volume to even work, becoming white noise rather than grabbing attention with spectacle. The thematic dubiousness of Lionheart extends to the album’s quality, and the it suffers as a result.

In lieu of an immediate musical analogue for “Heartbrake,” let’s compare this song to a more famous piece of media centered around a person’s internal state shattering on a motorway: J. G. Ballard’s controversial novel Crash. Ballard is legendary for his interrogations of modernity: his masterpiece The Atrocity Exhibition features a piece called “Why I Want to Fuck Ronald Reagan” which literally landed him in court. He frequently positions large social structures, such as high rises, the mass media, and motorways, as analogous to the human body and symptomatic of deep-rooted entropy. This is… not terribly far from where Bush lands, at times. Sure, Bush overlooks the whole “nightmare of modernity” thing (indeed, “Heartbrake” is one of the few Bush songs to unambiguously take place in the late 20th century), but physical experience is crucial to the narrative of her music. Tuning into one’s own body to find spiritual liberation is one of the recurrent ideas in Bush’s discography so far. Whereas The Kick Inside took this freedom and operated it with unbridled optimism, Lionheart is the sobering moment in which Bush has to figure out what to do when the initial high of becoming an adult subsides. Sometimes growing up entails crashing a car. But if you’re going to do it, you might as well be romantic about it”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in Liverpool in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

There are a few Kate Bush albums that are not given as much consideration and time as others. Although there are one or two weak moments on Lionheart, I don’t think it is the failure that many (including Bush to an extent) paint it as. Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake might have worked a little better if it was after Oh England My Lionheart - so that it ended the first side with a rush. As it sits on Lionheart, it is an interesting song where we hear Bush’s voice rawer and faster than on most other songs on that album and The Kick Inside. We would hear more of this vocal style on her next album, Never for Ever, and tracks such as Babooshka and Breathing. For an album that was fairly hurried and where Bush wasn’t given sufficient time to create new direction and ideas, there are a lot of strong tracks on Lionheart that seem like an evolution and step forward. On an underrated album is this underrated song that deserves another spin. Whilst not peak Kate Bush, Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake is still…

A solid and interesting track.

FEATURE: Bang Out of Order: The Importance of Great Album Sequencing

FEATURE:

 

 

Bang Out of Order

PHOTO CREDIT: @victrola/Unsplash 

The Importance of Great Album Sequencing

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ALTHOUGH I have featured this subject…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @www_erzetich_com/Unsplash

once or twice, I think that it warrants inspection. I was listening to The Smiths’ final studio album, Strangeways Here We Come, and remembering why I loved it so much. Although I really love the album and can listen to it over and over, there is one thing wrong with it: the sequence of tracks. One might say that this is quite a big issue, as that pertains to the way the tracks are ordered. I think the strength of the album is such that, as it stands, one is invested, and you hear the quality. I am not second-guessing the band and producer Stephen Street, but I feel that the album’s best track, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, should be at the end. As it stands, the album ends with four of the weaker tracks – Unhappy Birthday, Paint a Vulgar Picture, Death at One’s Elbow an I Won’t Share You. I admit that the final track is pretty strong, though I think they could have been lifted higher in the order and Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me could have been the finale. There are other albums which I really like but I wonder whether all of the tracks are in the correct order. I think there is this formula that says one of the album’s best tracks should be at the start and you should end with the finest song – so that you build up to it and have that grand finale.

For Pop albums, you usually have a banger or big song at the top; many of the album’s singles will be in the first half and, usually, there is a bit of a drop as you go to the second half. That is not always the case. I hear so many albums that have wonderful material; I question whether the sequencing is right and whether a few tracks should have been rearranged. This might be me being picky, though every listener considers how an album flows and which tracks go where. Apologies if I repeat what I put in other features. I think that sequencing is one of the most important things when it comes to an album. So often, I hear albums that seem disconnected or top/bottom-heavy because of the way the songs are ordered. There is a theory that, in age of streaming where we often skip tracks after a few seconds, having an album begin with immediate and energetic songs hooks people in. I do feel sorry for artists who have to hold people’s attentions and, perhaps, write music that will keep their minds activated - rather than a type of song that they want to write. As we learn in this Rolling Stone article, making sure there is a low ‘skip rate’ is essential for many artists when it comes to albums:

“As a songwriter and producer, Warren “Oak” Felder’s resume encompasses hits from Nicki Minaj (“Your Love”), Usher (“Good Kisser”) and Alessia Cara (“Here”). He’s been in the industry for nearly 15 years and, until 2018, he had never heard anyone say “skip rate” in the studio.

“That word was not uttered,” Felder says. But it’s become increasingly common: “Now there are conversations we all have as songwriters — ‘yeah, we just want the skip rate of this song to be super low.'”

Skip rate indicates whether listeners make it through any 30 seconds of a song — after which a stream counts for royalty purposes — in a given playlist. And data like this, which comes from the streaming services, is quietly rewiring the album-making process, especially for young artists with commercial ambitions”.

As this insightful article explains, an album is like a story. You need to set up the premise and characters at the start; build suspense and move the story on for the middle, and then resolve with a satisfying conclusion. If an album has all the best songs at the start or finish, then that produces an uneven and disappointing listen. I think getting the start and end of an album right is paramount:

“You’ve done the hard work of actually writing the songs, now it's time order them in a way that demonstrates purpose and intent to listeners. This should be a fun, but considered process. It’s the final step before your album is mastered.

To get started, you might want to think about how people will listen to your album. Is it music for long car rides? The soundtrack to the pre-drink or after-party? A companion as you clean your apartment on a weekend afternoon? The answers to these questions can help provide a framework for your album’s sequencing. In some cases, lyrics will dictate song sequence.

Related to album sequencing, take note of the visual display of streaming. Album name, song titles, and album art are all tools that can used to bring listeners closer to your album. Ultimately, the music itself will make the biggest impact, but these seemingly small things still matter.

Like the process of creating music, there is no one way to sequence an album. But there are some useful guidelines worth considering. The first song on an album holds special significance. It should quickly set the tone for listeners and encourage them to stick around.

Aphex Twin’s 1992 landmark Selected Ambient Works 85-92 does a great job at this. Within the first second of opener “Xtal” we are introduced to the main sounds that shape the entire album: airy, dreamlike chords and drum machine patterns. The song moves along at an assured pace, slowly guiding listeners into headier atmospheres over the course of its five minute runtime. After a short ambient outro and three seconds of silence, the energy shoots right back up with the pulsing, but mysterious techno of song number two, “Tha.”

SAW was released 25 years ago, but it still works well in a streaming format. If you came across any one of it’s songs for the first time in a playlist, then checked out the album, you would be pleased to find out it delivers more of the same sound (in a good way).

On a completely different tip, Bon Iver’s 2007 debut For Emma, Forever Ago also makes a strong first impression. The campfire guitar strumming and intimate, raw recording quality of song one, “Flume,” quickly captures the isolated cabin environment where the album was was made. Once Justin Vernon’s wounded falsetto creeps in at the 20 second mark, we know we’re in for an emotional ride. The song ends with a 10 second silence, giving listeners enough time to recover, then returns to a similar sound palette (and vulnerable feeling) on song two, “Lump Sum,” albeit at a higher tempo and backed by a 4/4 beat to prevent the album from descending into an early despair.

Though the two albums described here occupy different sound worlds, they both tell listeners what to expect from from the first song, then follow through on that promise with the second song, while still demonstrating a range of material. Seems simple enough, right? On your own, listen to these songs in a reversed order, or start each album off from a song midway through—it’s hard to imagine them any other way.

 So you’ve made it to the end of your album: how do you make it a memorable moment so listeners return to it again?

Some artists use the last song on an album to slow down and reflect. After eight songs of indie-dance on Sound of Silver, released in 2007, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy brought out slow-building piano ballad “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” to examine his love-hate relationship with his city.

Others use the final act for a moment of celebration. At the end of his 2011 album “We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves,” singer-songwriter John Maus went full epic with “Believe," a soaring haze of keyboards and vocals. Like the ending of a concert, here the big hit is saved for last, leaving listeners wanting more.

Whatever you chose to do, the final song on your album should enhance the themes and moods explored in it, either by contrast, excess, or absence”.

I do think that it is hard to get the balance right so that you can keep an album flowing, have an even distribution of quality and compel all listeners. I think the sign of a truly great album is not necessarily the strength of the music but the way that it is arranged. Of course, you need to have brilliant songs, though plenty of albums have been spoiled by arranging the tracks in an odd way or not considering the running order. I do love coming back to this subject, as there are albums that I like but feel I could love I if the tracks were sequenced better (that final album from The Smiths is a perfect example!). From this article that highlights albums that lose potency when heard on C.D. to this that lists albums that are prefect from start to finish, I think sequencing is so vital when it comes to the listening experience and how it is perceived. If the order is wrong then an artist could potentially spoil the flow and quality of an album. Get things just right and even an album that is quite average can be…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Dusan Jovic/Unsplash

TAKEN it to a new level.

FEATURE: Mood Music: A Valuable Source of Uplift During Lockdown

FEATURE:

 

 

Mood Music

PHOTO CREDIT: @wearefredi/Unsplash 

A Valuable Source of Uplift During Lockdown

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ON Monday…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Zoltan Tasi/Unsplash

restrictions will be lifted so that we can do more things that we weren’t able to do. Among the restrictions being lifted is people being able to drink together outside. It has been a slog of a year or so for people living alongside the pandemic. I think one of the main sources of energy and positivity has been music. I have written about this before, but a study has come out that I had to mention. NME explains more:

“A new study has found that over a quarter of the British public listened to more music during lockdown, with many citing its benefits on their mental wellbeing.

According to data published by the BPI (British Recorded Music Industry), 28 per cent of those surveyed last November said that they played more music while isolating compared to in pre-COVID times.

Almost half (45 per cent) of those in the 16-24 age group said their listening had increased since the first coronavirus-enforced lockdown, which began in March 2020.

Everyone who took part in the survey was asked why they listened to more music throughout this period. The results found that 50 per cent said they turned to music to raise their spirits, while 42 per cent said it helped them sleep better or relax.

Almost everyone (94 per cent) reported that it lifted their mood. Meanwhile, 91 per cent said it offered them a sense of escape that allowed them to forget their personal problems.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @all_who_wander/Unsplash

There are definite therapeutic benefits from listening to music. The percentages above make me wonder whether new people are turning to music; those who used to watch T.V. or find other forms of entertainment have now found music. Maybe it is a case of people in general have listened to music more than they would normally as it is providing a benefit. Television, literature and film are also good when it comes to lifting the mood, though I think there is something about music that impacts the mind and body like nothing else. Whether it is people rediscovering childhood favourites or going on a dive for new music, it is small wonder that vinyl sales have increased, and we are seeing this rise people turning to music. Things are getting a little better by the week, although we are still a way off of things being how they were. I don’t think that it is the case people will stop listening to music or we will see those figures levelling off when we are allowed out. Sure, we will not be at home as much; socialising will be normal, and many people might be back to work. I feel music is being devoured less because it provides a distraction and more as this emotional bond. Whilst the percentage of people listening to music to lift their mood may slope a little in the coming months, I feel music and its power has left an indelible mark on many people.

There is that sense of escapism that people have warned about in the past. What I mean is that sense of nostalgia you get when listening to music you heard as a child. We can escape in that because it takes us back to a better time, perhaps. In terms of escapism now, a lot of people are turning to music because the news is so grim and the state of the world is pretty shocking. I have trouble sleeping, so it is curious to learn that so many people use music to aid better sleep. Maybe I need to look into that. I assume the music being used to improve sleep is clam and not the same music people are listening to in order to lift their mood! As we emerge from lockdown, I feel like there will be a new appreciation for musicians and music in general. People are buying more vinyl, not only to support record shops but because there is this sense of the physical that we have been missing. Whilst I was not surprised by the article that showed how music has helped people during the pandemic, I felt that it was worth mentioning in a wider sense. Whether you have a mental illness, struggle to sleep or are feeling isolated, music of all kinds can definitely make an impression. It has been a challenging and tough time for us all. I am glad that music has been a source of energy and stability for a lot of people. I know there is music therapy. Some people are told to listen to music to help with conditions such as depression. Given the research that has come out, I wonder whether more people who live with psychological disorders and sleep issues will have musical therapy introduced into their life. As things are still quite bad, music is going to be a huge part of so many of our lives for a while. Sometimes escapism can be a bad thing but, when it comes to helping us all get through this endless pandemic, I think that it…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Bruce Mars/Unsplash

IS a very good thing.

FEATURE: Groovelines: Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit

FEATURE:

 

 

Groovelines

PHOTO CREDIT: NME

Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit

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I am conscious of the fact that I…

have included quite a few male artists in this feature. I want to investigate a song by female artist next week. The reason I have selected Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit is two-fold. For one, it is a song I remember hearing for the first time as a child and being moved instantly. Another reason for spotlighting this song is because it turns thirty on 10th September - it was the lead single (and opening track) from Nirvana’s masterpiece album, Nevermind. I am going to bring in some articles that tell the story of the song and the influence it has had since its release. In terms of its popularity and its iconic music video, here are some more details:

“Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled Nevermind to the top of several albums charts at the start of 1992, an event often marked as the point where grunge entered the mainstream.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was Nirvana's biggest hit in most countries, charting high on music industry charts around the world in 1991 and 1992, including topping the charts of Belgium, France, New Zealand and Spain. The song garnered widespread critical acclaim, including topping the Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll. The song was dubbed an "anthem for apathetic kids" of Generation X, but Nirvana grew uncomfortable with the attention it brought them. In the years since Kurt Cobain's death, listeners and critics have continued to praise "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as one of the greatest songs of all time.

The music video for the song is based on the concept of a school concert which ends in chaos and riot, inspired by Jonathan Kaplan's 1979 film Over the Edge and the Ramones' film Rock 'n' Roll High School. It won two MTV Video Music Awards, which was in heavy rotation on music television. In subsequent years Amy Finnerty, formerly of MTV's programming department, claimed the video "changed the entire look of MTV" by giving the channel "a whole new generation to sell to". In 2000 the Guinness World Records named "Smells Like Teen Spirit" the "Most Played Video" on MTV Europe”.

I am going to end with an article that suggests that, perhaps, the slight polish of Smells Like Teen Spirit and the fact it has been played and heard so many times might have taken away some of edge and legacy. I think that it is a remarkable song and a moment that not only elevated Nirvana but helped put to push Grunge into the mainstream – which has its positives and negatives. In this Kerrang! article, we learn more about Smells Like Teen Spirit’s beginnings:

“Kurt Cobain said that when he sat down to pen Smells Like Teen Spirit, the track that secured Nirvana their unexpected crossover into the mainstream, he was trying to write ​“the ultimate pop song”.

Kurt​’s main influence had been The Pixies, telling Rolling Stone, ​“I connected with that band so heavily… We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.” Indeed, Krist Novoselic worried that the song was too Pixies-ish, telling Kurt, ​“People are really going to nail us for it.”

Lyrically, Teen Spirit painted an ambivalent portrait of the indie-rock revolutionaries he’d lived alongside in Olympia, its title drawing upon memories of a night of uncivil disobedience with his friend Kathleen Hanna, who fronted Bikini Kill, her insurrectionary and brilliant riot grrl band with Tobi Vail.

Kathleen later recalled that, in August of 1990, fuelled by a bottle of Canadian Club whisky, the ​“angry young feminists… decided we’d do a little public service” and graffitied the exterior of a ​‘Teen Pregnancy Centre’ which had just opened in town, and was, in fact, ​“a front for a right-wing operation telling teenage girls they’d go to hell if they had abortions”.

She wrote ​‘Fake abortion clinic, everyone’ on the walls, while Kurt added, in six-foot-high red letters, ​‘God is gay.’ Mission accomplished, they continued drinking, and ended up at Kurt’s apartment, where Kathleen scrawled lots of graffiti on his walls, including the words, ​‘Kurt smells like teen spirit [a deodorant brand].’

“Kurt called me up six months later,” she added, ​“and he said, ​‘Hey, do you remember that night? There’s a thing you wrote on my wall… it’s actually quite cool, and I want to use it.’”

Just before the recording session, Nirvana played through their songs at a nearby rehearsal space. ​“It blew me away,” Butch remembers. ​“It was the first time I heard Dave Grohl play live, and it sounded so amazing. I was floored when I heard it. I remember pacing around thinking, ​‘Oh my God, this sounds crazy intense.’”

To give Teen Spirit proper emphasis, Butch wanted to use some studio trickery, though Kurt was typically reluctant. ​“I said, ​‘Kurt, I want you to double-track the guitars and vocals, to really make this jump out of the speakers.’ He thought it was ​‘cheating’, especially with his vocals. So I had him do multiple vocal takes, and he sang them so consistently I could run them at the same time as a double track, and it really made the song sound powerful”.

On its thirtieth anniversary, Smells Like Teen Spirit will get a lot of new love and attention. I think it is still an immensely powerful song that can ignite and inspire new generations. Maybe it is over-familiar to those of us who were around then the song came out, though it is such an anthem and work of genius that means, years from now, it will be picked over and admired. Recently, Far Out Magazine published an article that explained why Kurt Cobain was never overly-keen on one of his greatest songs:

“It’s safe to say that unless you have had your head firmly placed underneath a rather large rock, then you will have some knowledge of Nirvana and their teen-angst anthem ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. It’s a song that has transcended the ideals of normal music to became, and remained, a bastion of anti-authoritarian feeling and generational discontent.

While the track remains a favourite with all who hear it, in truth, the band’s uncompromising and highly-valued lead singer Kurt Cobain never took it seriously from the start. It has since become a symbol of all the things that Cobain hated about Nirvana’s rise to prominence and unwanted fame.

For all the iconoclastic musings which surround Nirvana’s frontman Cobain and his voice, it’s strange to think that Cobain never actually wanted to step up to the mic at all. Instead, he was more than happy to blend into the background and play his guitar. In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, he confessed: “I never wanted to sing, I just wanted to play rhythm guitar—hide in the back and just play. But during those high-school years when I was playing guitar in my bedroom, I at least had the intuition that I had to write my own songs.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tony Mottram 

A few years down the road from Nirvana’s humble beginnings in the late 1980s, and into the brand new decade, one of Cobain’s songs would go on to define an entire generation and now forever live in the pantheon of great rock songs. The emergence of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ came alongside the band’s breakthrough album Nevermind and set hearts and minds ablaze.

The album and the grunge movement—largely coming out of Seattle—arrived like a slap to the face, a big wake-up call, a gut-punch, and other violent similies, to irreversibly shake the music industry up and never really let it settle back in the same way.

In truth, it picked up rock and roll and deliberately turned it on its head and shrugged as it walked away, unphased by the inconvenience. Grunge was the beginning of ‘Generation X’ and all the scenes that went with it. It was the call to arms, the plodding feet of a new youth platoon and, invariably, that platoon was accompanied by a marching band playing Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ as loudly as they possibly could.

The song was a track that broke down the barriers of rock and showed that, if done correctly, any band could traverse the snooty pop charts and achieve success without compromising their values or give away their morals for a buck or two. This was a concept Cobain struggled to handle.

Eventually though, Cobain stuttered to an understanding on Nirvana’s breadth of new followers, telling RS: “I don’t have as many judgments about them as I used to, I’ve come to terms about why they’re there and why we’re here.” However, in that same interview, he would highlight just why he held so much disdain for the song and those fans who came with it, often refusing to play it at live shows.

“Everyone has focused on that song so much,” Cobain continued. “The reason it gets a big reaction is people have seen it on MTV a million times. It’s been pounded into their brains. But I think there are so many other songs that I’ve written that are as good, if not better, than that song, like ‘Drain You.’ That’s definitely as good as ‘Teen Spirit’. I love the lyrics, and I never get tired of playing it. Maybe if it was as big as ‘Teen Spirit’, I wouldn’t like it as much”.

I am going to leave it there, but I wanted to include Smells Like Teen Spirit in this feature as it is coming up to its thirtieth anniversary. It is played quite a lot. I don’t think that dents the song’s impact. To me, it hasn’t really lost any of its importance and passion because of that exposure. A respectful salute to Smells Like Teen Spirit: a timeless and phenomenal anthem that is…

ALL grown up.

FEATURE: Love Makes the World Go Round: Madonna’s True Blue at Thirty-Five

FEATURE:

 

 

Love Makes the World Go Round

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1986/PHOTO CREDIT: Herb Ritts 

Madonna’s True Blue at Thirty-Five

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I realise that…

 Madonna’s True Blue was released in June 1986, so its thirty-fifth anniversary is not for a couple of months. On 30th June, her third album arrived on the market. I think it is a step up from her previous album, Like a Virgin. I think her sound is more mature and her writing is more interesting. Madonna’s lyrics are bolder, and she tackles some big issues. I am publishing the first thirty-fifth anniversary feature for two reasons. First, I am not aware of any plans for an anniversary release of the album. I think there are demos and other tracks that could be combined with the original studio album. The album finished recording in April so, in that sense, this is a thirty-fifth anniversary celebration that is timely. I am going to bring in a couple of reviews for the album soon but, first, it is worth exploring the album. Whereas Madonna (1983) and Like a Virgin (1984) were a little lighter in tone and had some weaker moments, I think True Blue is a more rounded album without a misstep – although each of those albums I just mentioned were 90-95% genius! By the time she started recording True Blue, Madonna was a modern-day icon. She has not quite reached the Queen of Pop status she would obtain by Like a Prayer in 1989. Having appeared in the successful film, Desperately Seeking Susan, in 1985, this was an important period for her. Producing the album alongside Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard, some of my favourite Madonna songs are on True Blue.

Papa Don’t Preach is a classic; Open Your Heart and Live to Tell show a more mature edge, whilst the exceptional La Isla Bonita introduces a Hispanic flair. Whilst there are no Pop confectionaries like Material Girl or Like a Virgin (both from Like a Virgin), there is plenty of positivity and Pop gems. It is a beautifully produced and sequence album where the songs flow and there is a nice balance in terms of quality, tone and emotion. It is a shame that there are some mixed reviews for the album, as I think it is a lot stronger than many give it credit for. Listen to True Blue without interruption and you will discover a consistent and consistently surprising record. I think that Madonna’s voice was stronger on this album. She was bringing in more layers and contours that allowed for her songwriting to expand. This was a Pop sensation hitting new heights!

In 2016, Albumism looked back at a superb Madonna album as it turned thirty. It must have been daunting for an artist like her to release an album that was quite different from her first two. This is what they had to say:

“Relative to its erotically-charged precursor Like a Virgin, True Blue tempers the sex vixen aesthetic in exchange for a more calculated focus on Madonna’s evolving songcraft. True Blue’s subject matter is not a wholesale water-down job, mind you, as its songs are still provocative and, particularly in one case, proved controversial. But the messages and tones that define the album are noticeably more substantive, less superficial. Even the Herb Ritts orchestrated cover imagery, an obvious homage to the classic Hollywood glamor and glory days of Jean Harlow, Grace Kelly, and Marilyn Monroe, among others, is emblematic of Madonna’s newfound elegance and refinement.

Showcasing a more sophisticated strain of her dance-pop disposition, True Blue offered the first inkling of her development into a more mature, multi-dimensionally adept talent, a transformation that would come to even greater fruition three years later with her creative watershed Like a Prayer. Indeed, with True Blue, Madonna aspired to be taken more seriously as an artist and squash any persistent skepticism that her success was of the ephemeral, flash-in-the-pan variety.

A year later, Madonna acknowledged that naysayers remained, insisting to Rolling Stone that “There are still those people who, no matter what I do, will always think of me as a little disco tart.” Despite her lingering critics, however, True Blue proved a career tipping point that forced many of her detractors to reevaluate her artistry and embrace a newfound respect for her undeniable contributions to the pop music landscape.

Madonna dedicated True Blue to her then-husband Sean Penn, as evidenced by the line in the album’s liner notes that reads “This is dedicated to my husband, the coolest guy in the universe.” Originally titled Live to Tell after the emotionally gripping ballad Madonna offered for Penn’s 1986 crime drama film At Close Range, but subsequently changed to True Blue prior to its release, the nine-track album was overseen by her ‘80s go-to production team of Stephen Bray and Patrick Leonard. More interestingly, and for the first time ever, Madonna co-wrote and co-produced each song featured on the album, an achievement that further signaled her creative coming of age.

Album opener and Grammy-nominated second single “Papa Don’t Preach” is arguably the most unforgettable of True Blue’s many memorable moments. From the opening intro replete with a swelling, suspense-laden string arrangement, you know that sonically speaking, this is a different kind of Madonna album, relative to the two that preceded it.

The song’s taboo subject matter is what really distinguishes the song, however, as Madonna inhabits the fraught yet forthright conscience of a teenage girl coming clean to her father about her unintended pregnancy and difficult decision to keep the baby. She implores him to avoid judging her too harshly and asks for his support, while naively rationalizing—as many teenagers are prone to do—that her partner and she “can raise a little family / Maybe we'll be all right, it's a sacrifice.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in 1986/PHOTO CREDIT: Herb Ritts  

Nearly as emotionally gripping as “Papa Don’t Preach” is the aforementioned “Live to Tell,” though the specific source of the pain and heartache Madonna examines here is never explicitly identified. A gorgeously produced ballad with prominent percussion juxtaposed with keyboard, synth, and electric guitar flourishes throughout, “Live to Tell” presents a confessional narrative that finds the song’s protagonist acknowledging and attempting to reconcile the skeletons in her closet. While Madonna perhaps intentionally shrouds the ambiguous “secret I have learned” in mystery, the surrounding context suggests a history of abuse or alienation at the hands of a man who has betrayed the central figure’s trust. Regardless of one’s interpretation, “Live to Tell” is one of the most riveting songs not just on True Blue, but across all of Madonna’s albums to date.

“Papa Don’t Preach” and “Live to Tell” aside, the bulk of True Blue is fueled by more buoyant, whimsically romantic fare. Originally written for but rejected by Cyndi Lauper, the yearning “Open Your Heart” is a straightforward love song that explores concurrent feelings of vulnerability, desire, and innocent longings for companionship.

Madonna’s eponymous 1983 debut album announced an electrifying new talent to the world. The following year, the massively successful Like a Virgin transformed Madonna into a household name across the globe. But it was True Blue that solidified her blonde ambition, cemented her worldwide superstardom, and, once and for all, extinguished any remaining doubts about her potential career longevity.

Still her highest-selling studio album of all time based on worldwide sales that exceed 25 million, True Blue is an essential component of Madonna’s prolific canon and a permanent, fondly recalled fixture of my younger days”.

I know that there will be new articles and retrospection when the album turns thirty-five at the end of June. I think that her film exposure helped regarding the confidence we hear on True Blue. In a way, she was embodying different personas and moods more effortlessly and ably. This would heighten further on Like a Prayer in 1989. That album was the first where she received mostly positive reviews. I think albums before then were getting a lot of love; there were some who were a bit more mixed - True Blue, despite its calibre, was no exception. In their review of 2003, SLANT observed the following:

“With five extremely varied hit singles, Madonna’s third album, True Blue, was a supreme archetype of ‘80s pop music. With songs like “Papa Don’t Preach,” Madonna made the transition from pop tart to consummate artist, joining the ranks of the decade’s icons like Michael Jackson and Prince. The songs were undeniably more mature than fare like “Material Girl,” dashing some critics’ assertions that she was just another flash in the pan. The striking “Live to Tell” was not only a brave first single, but a statement in and of itself. The ballad rewrote the rules of what a lead single could sound like, while at the same time, ironically, speaking volumes about Madonna’s unwavering drive for fame and mass-acceptance: “If I ran away, I’d never have the strength to go very far.” True Blue includes some of Madonna’s biggest, most influential hits (the robust “Open Your Heart” and the timeless “La Isla Bonita”), but it’s also home to some of her biggest clunkers. Like much of Like a Virgin, the title track is an authentic throwback to the girl-group-era pop that was an admitted influence on the singer, but the effect seems significantly more contrived on “Jimmy Jimmy” and the obligatory save-the-world anthem “Love Makes the World Go Round.” Time stamped with ‘80s-era keyboard and drum synths, True Blue, though chock-full of hits, is undeniably of its time”.

I was alive in 1986 but, being three, I was not aware of the attention Madonna was receiving and how exciting it must have been. I would place True Blue in my top-five favourite Madonna albums. Whilst I think Ray of Light, Bedtime Stories, Madonna and Like a Prayer are stronger, I think True Blue is a tad better than Erotica and Like a Virgin – albums that I really love. Ahead of its thirty-fifth anniversary, I wanted to explore an album that ranks alongside the best of the ‘80s. Almost thirty-five years to the day since recording ended on a huge album, I was eager to re-explore True Blue. Before ending this, I want to source from a positive review from AllMusic:

“True Blue is the album where Madonna truly became Madonna the Superstar -- the endlessly ambitious, fearlessly provocative entertainer who knew how to outrage, spark debates, get good reviews -- and make good music while she's at it. To complain that True Blue is calculated is to not get Madonna -- that's a large part of what she does, and she is exceptional at it, but she also makes fine music. What's brilliant about True Blue is that she does both here, using the music to hook in critics just as she's baiting a mass audience with such masterstrokes as "Papa Don't Preach," where she defiantly states she's keeping her baby. Her real trick here, however, is transcending her status as a dance-pop diva by consciously recalling classic girl group pop ("True Blue," "Jimmy Jimmy") to snag the critics, while deepening the dance grooves ("Open Your Heart," "Where's the Party"), touching on Latin rhythms ("La Isla Bonita"), making a plea for world peace ("Love Makes the World Go Round"), and delivering a tremendous ballad that rewrites the rules of adult contemporary crossover ("Live to Tell"). It's even harder to have the entire album play as an organic, cohesive work. Certainly, there's some calculation behind the entire thing, but what matters is the end result, one of the great dance-pop albums, a record that demonstrates Madonna's true skills as a songwriter, record-maker, provocateur, and entertainer through its wide reach, accomplishment, and sheer sense of fun”.

Go and listen back to True Blue if you have not investigated it for a while. It is an album where we can see Madonna growing and widening her lyrical and vocal possibilities. Some say that True Blue is a product of its time or sounds dated now. I would argue the opposite: the 1986-released masterwork…

STILL sounds incredible and relevant.

FEATURE: Expecting: The White Stripes' White Blood Cells at Twenty

FEATURE:

 

 

Expecting

The White Stripes' White Blood Cells at Twenty

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I am excited looking…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Third Man Records

ahead to 3rd July. That is the date The White Stripes’ White Blood Cells turns twenty. The third studio album from Jack and Meg White, it is one of the earliest albums of theirs I remembering hearing in full. In terms of direction and sound, the duo moved away from Blues-Rock and embraced Rock more. Whilst The White Stripes were never ultra-modern (which was part of their appeal), they shifted their focus to the sounds of the 1960s and 1970s. I love how eclectic and accomplished White Blood Cells is. As is fitting with the duo, the recording of the album was pretty quick:

“The band rehearsed for one week and began recording at Easley-McCain Recording, in Memphis, Tennessee in February 2001. Meg White was initially hesitant to commence immediate recording, as she thought the songs were "too new." The album was recorded in less than four days, to try to keep it "as unorganized as possible," according to Jack. The record's quick production was intentional in order to get "a real tense" feeling, as well as capture the band's energy. The record was "rushed" and a final day was saved for mixing and mastering the record; this was the first White Stripes album to be mastered in the studio. It was the first time for the band recording in a 24-track recording studio, and Jack White asked recording engineer Stuart Sikes more than once "not to make it sound too good”.

Although there the twentieth anniversary is not for a while, some exciting news broke last week that really caught my eye. Louder explain more:

“The White Stripes have announced they will be releasing a companion album to their seminal 2001 album White Blood Cells, in celebration of its 20th anniversary. Titled White Blood Cells XX, the album will host 13 previously unreleased songs as well as live recordings, and is to be released via Jack White’s Third Man Records Vault subscription service.

The release will also include an hour-long DVD containing footage of the new album’s recording process, and a booklet of rare artwork, including posters, flyers, never-before-seen photographs and extras.

Songs featured on the record include demo versions of Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, early mixes of The Union Forever, a full-band studio rendition of That’s Where It’s At, alternate takes of Fell in Love With a Girl, acoustic versions of tracks that didn’t make the original cut and more.

To get a copy of White Blood Cells XX, you can subscribe to Third Man Records up until April 30”.

It does seem like The White Stripes put out White Blood Cells twenty years ago! I think the album still sounds amazing. I will try and grab a copy of the new release, as I think that the extra material will be revealing and a real bonus! I wonder whether there will be a twentieth anniversary edition for Elephant’s twentieth in 2023.

I think Jack and Meg really hit a high on their third album. Their eponymous album of 1999 is great. De Stijl of 2000 was another step forward but, when it came to their 2001 release, they hit another gear altogether! It is no surprise that White Blood Cells received such praise. This is what Pitchfork wrote in their review:

“Indeed, many of the songs admit that the love is lost. On "The Union Forever," Jack White mourns, "It can't be love/ Because there is no love." The song is a riff on Citizen Kane, including a strange breakdown with sampled dialogue from the film. Here, the White Stripes are the most experimental they get, which is to say "not very," though the song reminds me of the ragged power of Royal Trux without the pointless artiness. Certainly, it would be nice to hear the White Stripes take this music in a new direction, but this band is all about the songs, and the songs are good enough to stand alone, sans-flashy effects and tape editing.

"The Same Boy You've Always Known" is another high point. For a ballad, it rocks harder than most bands' hard-rockers, yet it wrenches in its emotional impact. Jack White repeats certain key lines, straining his voice to impart meaning and feeling. Again, the state of the relationship in question is uncertain. The song ends uncommitted and terribly sad with, "If there's anything good about me/ I'm the only one who knows." How many bands have failed with entire albums of moroseness to only express the alienation of those two lines?

The closest thing to a dud on this record is "We're Going to Be Friends," a gentle, nostalgic ditty of innocent love and childhood. It's a little too pleasant, lacking any of the fear and confusion of those pre-double-digit years, but its softness gives the record's midpoint some time to inhale before another six exhalations of fire.

Finally, at the close of the album, Jack sits alone at the piano for "This Protector." Though its message is vague, there are implications of religion and loss: "You thought you heard a sound/ There's no one else around/ 300 people out in West Virginia/ Have no idea of all these thoughts that lie within you/ But now... now... now, now, now, NOW!" Now what? It's the floating resonance of the moment, the intensity of the feeling, that gives these words meaning.

White Blood Cells doesn't veer far from the formula of past White Stripes records; all are tense, sparse and jagged. But it's here that they've finally come into their own, where Jack and Meg White finally seem not only comfortable with the path they've chosen, but practiced, precise and able to convey the deepest sentiment in a single bound. It's hard to know at this point in the game where they'll head from here, but what matters is right now. And right now, I want to listen to this album again”.

White Blood Cells resonated back in 2001. In the years since, it has gained a huge reputation. When it comes to the accolades and honours critics have given White Blood Cells, it makes for very impressive reading:

“The album was ranked on many "best of 2001" year-end lists, including being ranked among Blender, Rolling Stone, Mojo, and Kerrang!'s top 20, NME, Pitchfork, and The Village Voice's top 10. Spin called White Blood Cells the best album of 2001. In 2003, the record was chosen as number 20 on NME's Top 100 Albums of All Time. In 2005, Spin placed it at number 57 in its list of the 100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005, while Stylus included it at number 14 in its list of the Top 50 Albums of 2000–2005. In 2006, Mojo featured it at number 28 in its list of 100 Modern Classics, 1993–2006.

As the 2000s drew to a close, White Blood Cells was included on several publications' lists of best of the decade. The A.V. Club ranked it as the number one best album of the decade in its Top 50 Albums of the 2000s list. British music magazine Uncut also ranked the record as the best album of the 2000s in its 2009 list Top 150 Albums of the 2000s. Billboard placed the record at number eleven on its Top 20 Albums of the 2000s, while Rolling Stone included it just behind the White Stripes' follow-up, Elephant, at number 20 on its Top 100 Albums of the 2000s. NME featured the album at number 19 on its Top 100 Albums of the 2000s list, and Pitchfork's Top 200 Albums of the 2000s included it as number 12. Several other music publications, including Consequence of Sound, The Daily Californian, Glide, and Under the Radar featured White Blood Cells within the top 30 greatest records of the 2000s. The record is included in both The Guardian's "1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die" and the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”.

Ahead of the twentieth anniversary of one of the best albums of the first decade of the 2000s, I would encourage people to go and seek out White Blood Cells XX. If you cannot then get the original album. Twenty years after its release and The White Stripes’ White Blood Cells remains…

A simply phenomenal album.

FEATURE: The April Playlist: Vol. 2: Kiss Me More, This Creature of Mine

FEATURE:

 

 

The April Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Doja Cat 

Vol. 2: Kiss Me More, This Creature of Mine

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THIS is a busy and big week…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Marten

for new music. There are releases from Doja Cat (ft. SZA), Billie Martin, Prince, Lou Hayter, Róisín Murphy, Tierra Whack, Miguel, Paul Weller, The Lathums, Sinead O’Brien, Demi Lovato, Holly Humberstone, Chynna, Texas, and Slayyyter. Throw into the mix London Grammar, Japanese Breakfast, Sufjan Stevens, and Years & Years and it makes for a very packed and interesting assortment! If you require some energy and motivation to get the weekend kicked off, then have a listen to the tracks below and I am sure that they will give you that push. There have been some quiet weeks this year in terms of big tracks; this week has definitely…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Paul Weller

NOT disappointed.   

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Doja Cat (ft. SZA) - Kiss Me More

Billie Marten - Creature of Mine

Prince – Welcome 2 America

Róisín Murphy – Assimilation

Taylor Swift - Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)

Tierra Whack – Link

Miguel – So I Lie

Holly Humberstone – Haunted House

PHOTO CREDIT: Wanda Martin

Sinead O’Brien – Kid Stuff

Demi Lovato – Sunset

Chynna – burnout

Texas - Mr Haze

Lou Hayter - Telephone

The Lathums – Oh My Love

Slayyyter – Cowboys

PHOTO CREDIT: Karen Cox

Rhiannon Giddens (with Francesco Turrisi) – Avalon

Japanese Breakfast - Posing in Bondage

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Waespi

London Grammar – America

Paul Weller – Shades of Blue

Sufjan Stevens - Meditation V – Convocations

Tkay Maidza - Syrup

Years & Years – Starstruck

Alice Merton – Vertigo

Lydia Ainsworth - Sparkles & Debris

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Fieber

BERWYN – 100,000,000

Sonder (ft. Jorja Smith) - Nobody But You

GRACEY, Billen Ted – Got You Covered

Renforshort - Exception

PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Leviton

Audrey Nuna – Space

PHOTO CREDIT: Oliver Vanes

India Jordan – Only Enough Said

Olivia O'Brien – Sociopath

Greta Isaac - F U

Ashe - I’m Fine

JGrrey - Down

Maya Malkin – Congratulations

Wallice - Hey Michael

Maria Kelly – Martha

Charlotte Cardin – Sad Girl

PHOTO CREDIT: Bernard Benant/Navire Argo

Tony Allen (ft. Sampa The Great) - Stumbling Down

PHOTO CREDIT: Meeno Peluce

Gwen Stefani (ft. Saweetie) - Slow Clap

FEATURE: Too Good to Be Forgotten: Songs That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure: Spice Girls - Wannabe

FEATURE:

 

 

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

Spice Girls - Wannabe

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ON 8th July…

Spice Girls’ best-known track, Wannabe, turns twenty-five. I think that it is one of the best singles of the 1990s, and it still sounds so infectious and addictive. The reason I am featuring the song is because some people feel that it is a guilty pleasure. I do not subscribe to the notion that there is such a thing, yet there are plenty who think that Wannabe is a bit naff or over-hyped. Even if the Spice Girls divides people, I think Wannabe is a song that everyone can enjoy. From its one-take video to the amazing chorus and sense of positivity that shines from every line, Wannabe is a terrific song! I want to bring in some more detail regarding the track soon. Before then, some useful Wikipedia information regarding an anthem of the 1990s:

“Wannabe" is the debut single by British girl group the Spice Girls. Written and composed by the group members in collaboration with Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album, Spice, released in November 1996. The song was written, composed, and recorded very quickly; but the result was considered lacklustre by their label, and was sent to be mixed by Dave Way. The group was not pleased with the result, and the recording was mixed again, this time by Mark "Spike" Stent.

Responding to the wave of public interest in the group, Virgin released the song as the group's debut single in June 1996, well ahead of the planned release date of the Spice album. "Wannabe" topped the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks and has received a double Platinum certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The song was released in the United States in January 1997, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. It was the group's only number-one single in that country. By the end of 1996, "Wannabe" had topped the charts in 22 nations, and by March 1997 this number had climbed to 37. "Wannabe" became the best-selling single by a girl group in the world, with 1,385,211 and 2,910,000 copies sold in United Kingdom (by 2015) and United States (by 2014), respectively, and over 7 million copies worldwide by the end of 1997. In a 2014 study, it was chosen as the most easily recognisable pop song of the last 60 years. "Wannabe" was Spotify's most-streamed 1990s song of 2020 by a female artist”.

I will move on the from the 1990s and  feature a song from another decade in the next edition – I have spent a bit of time in the 1980s and 1990s lately. I would encourage people to check out and research the story of Wannabe and the earliest days of the Spice Girls. In terms of debut singles, few have come in as spirited and catchy as Wannabe!

The catchiness of Wannabe is one reason why so many people are a bit cold towards the song. In 2016, the BBC published an article ahead of Wannabe’s twentieth anniversary and explained why it is the catchiest song ever:

“I was 4 years old when Wannabe reached number one, and my love of pop music largely stems from the three minutes that introduced us to Scary, Sporty, Baby, Ginger and Posh. Twenty years on, Wannabe and the Spice Girls still stand out from the crowd, despite the long line of copycat girl groups that followed.

“There was nothing else quite like Wannabe on the radio back in summer 1996. Rock and dance music had been dominating the airwaves and charts for quite some time by that point,” Robert Copsey, editor at the UK’s Official Charts Company tells BBC Culture. “The Spice Girls struck at just the right moment with Wannabe; a gutsy, enthusiastic and unashamed pop song we’d all been craving without even realising it.”

There’s a simple reason for Wannabe’s place in popular culture: it’s catchy as hell. According to a 2014 study by the University of Amsterdam and Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, Wannabe is actually the catchiest song of all time.

It’s instantly recognisable, with participants in the university’s project identifying it in just 2.29 seconds, partly due to Mel B’s unforgettable laugh. That’s quicker than hits by Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Elvis Presley, as well as Lady Gaga’s debut, Just Dance. So, what is it about the song that makes it so catchy?

Dr John Ashley Burgoyne and Dr Jan van Balen, who have conducted extensive research into the formula that makes a song memorable, believe Wannabe’s simplicity is integral to its success. “I would describe the song as truly relentlessly catchy,” says Burgoyne. “It’s not that it has this one hook per se. It’s quite ingeniously composed.”

“We found, much to our surprise, that writing a very surprising and unusual hook is not the recipe for long term memorability,” he continues. “Actually, the more conventional your melody in terms of the interval patterns that you use; in terms of the rhythms that you use, the easier the song is to remember over the long term. What makes Wannabe work so well is that it isn’t a difficult song to sing, it has a conventional melody that repeats itself a lot, and it’s just relentless”.

I think there will be a lot of celebration when Wannabe turns twenty-five. As this Metro article from last year details, we will see a fascinating new documentary to mark that anniversary:

“The Spice Girls will be the subject of a new documentary celebrating 25 years since the release of their iconic hit Wannabe. The world-conquering classic turns 25 (!) in 2021, and its been announced that Channel 4 will air Girl Powered: The Spice Girls next year to celebrate the occaision. Wannabe was the debut single by the Spice Girls, and ended up topping the charts in both the US and the UK, and kicking off a worldwide obsession with Posh, Baby, Ginger, Sporty and Scary that endures to this day. The new film will take viewers behind the scenes of the genesis of Britain’s greatest girlband and how they managed to carve out a niche for themselves in a musical scene that was then dominated by ‘Brit Pop’ acts like Oasis and Blur.

Channel 4 revealed in a statement that Girl Powered would be a mix of archival footage and ‘revealing interviews.’ All five girls wrote Wannabe alongside long-time collaborators Richard ‘Biff’ Stannard and Matt Rowe.

Wannabe would be the first in a record-breaking run of number one singles for the five girls. They were the first act since The Beatles to score the Christmas number one two years in a row, with Too Much and Goodbye, eventually topping the charts nine times. They are still, officially, the best-selling girl group of all time. But Girl Power couldn’t last forever. Geri Halliwell (now Horner) left the group in 1998 to kickstart a solo career of her own, and the now-foursome would release their third and final album, Forever, in 2000”.

I will wrap things up now. I can understand that not everyone likes the Spice Girls’ music, though I would defend Wannabe and can’t understand why some consider it to be a guilty pleasure. Whether you think their Girl Power brand and mission statement was a little forced and gimmicky or opened doors for women through society, one has to acknowledge that songs like Wannabe captured a mood and is still being talked about because it is so strong. If you are one of those people that has slated Wannabe and set it aside, I would compel you to…

HAVE another listen.