FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Spring-Ready Playlist (Vol. XI)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Lola Kirke/PHOTO CREDIT: Lili Peper  

An All-Female, Spring-Ready Playlist (Vol. XI)

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WITH the weekend here...                                       

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jamila Woods

it is about time to get another female-led playlist up and running! It is another great and colourful rundown that combines female artists from all around the musical landscape. Have a listen to the tracks compiled and I am sure there are a lot of artists in there that are new. It is always awesome discovering fresh talent and something you were not expecting! I am not sure when the weather is going to improve but let’s hope there is something in the way of sunshine a bit later in the weekend! In any case, slap some music on and enjoy the latest instalment of spring-ready songs from some new and promising female artists. It is a promising and eclectic time for music and, I hope, that is reflected here. Sit back and let the songs…

IN THIS PHOTO: LAUREL

DO their work.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

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Tertia May – Twenty Two

PHOTO CREDIT: Morten Rygaard

Kill J – Moon Sick

Lola Kirke – Omens

PHOTO CREDIT: Heather Hazzan for Suited

Kelly Lee Owens – Omen

Abi F Jones – Killswitch Engage

Summer Camp – Love of My Life

Jamila Woods – MUDDY

Dinah Jane – Retrograde

PHOTO CREDIT: @chrisdnm

Shunaji – Not Lookin’

Ingrid Michaelson – Missing You

Charly Bliss – Under You

Loveday – Thought It Through

CXLOE – Low Blow

girl in red – dead girl in the pool.

Gia Woods – One Big Party

LAUREL – Life Worth Living

Hannah Grace – Almost

The Motion – Sleep Talk

PHOTO CREDIT: @emi.jjasmin

Olympia – Hounds

Amy Baker – A Fine Romance

Lola Coca – Damaged Goods

PHOTO CREDIT: @bridielouphotography

Katie Graham – Boy 

Emma Stevens – Atoms

Mara Simpson – Keep You in Light 

Zuzu – How It Feels

Kita Alexander – Between You & I

FEATURE: The May Playlist: Vol. 2: Idle Bullets and Constant Craving

FEATURE:

 

The May Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna/PHOTO CREDIT: @Madonna  

Vol. 2: Idle Bullets and Constant Craving

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THIS is a week where there are not that many explosions…

 IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES/PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Melbourne

but plenty of spark. I am glad there is an IDLES track out and, alongside them, Madonna, Cat Power and Skepta have released new material. It is definitely an eclectic mixture of artists and movements and it is all that you need to get the weekend off to a kicking start. I am pumped by all of the great music coming out and, whilst some of the big players are preparing new material, there is a lot of cool stuff from those a bit further down the ladder. Have a listen to the assorted collection and I know there will be something in the pack that you’ll like. I am always amazed just how diverse the music world is and what is provided week in, week out! Let these sounds do their work and guide you through the weekend. With the weather being a bit rubbish, this is the perfect excuse to crank up the volume and…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Skepta

ESCAPE somewhere wonderful.  

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

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Skepta – Bullet from a Gun

PHOTO CREDIT: Naomi Wood

IDLES – Mercedes Marxist

Mac Demarco – On the Square

Madonna, Swae Lee - Crave

Cat Power – Horizon

Sinkane - Ya Sudan

IN THIS PHOTO: Flying Lotus

Flying Lotus (ft. Anderson .Paak) - More

Boniface - Ghosts

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Black Star Dancing 

Kylie Minogue – New York City

PHOTO CREDIT: SHOT BY PHOX

Grace Carter - Don’t Hurt Like It Used To

Skillet – Legendary

Billy Ray Cyrus – Angel in My Pocket

AURORA – The River

Carly Rae Jepsen – Too Much

Ciara – Beauty Marks

Dido – Take You Home

Jamila Woods - MILES

 

girl in red – dead girl in the pool. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Tam Topolski

Childcare – Sugarcane

Hannah Grace – Sleepwalking

PHOTO CREDIT: Jonty Herman

Roo Panes – All These Walking Thoughts

Rosie Lowe – Mango

Ari Lennox – BMO

Eliza Carthy – Lady All Skin and Bone

Luke Combs – Beer Never Broke My Heart

Rhye – Awake

Barns Courtney – You and I

Holly Herndon – Crawler

The Amazons – End of Wonder

Vince Gill – A Letter to My Mama

Blink-182 – Blame It on My Youth

FEATURE: Female Icons: Part One: Kate Bush

FEATURE:

 

 

Female Icons

PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush 

Part One: Kate Bush

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IT has been a bit of a strange week in general...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Moorhouse/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

what with one thing or another. Two British football sides, Liverpool F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C., have made the final of the Champions League after trilling and unlikely comebacks (the media have dubbed both reversals ‘miracles’ but that belies sheer determination and, worryingly, suggests God had something to do with it!). Danny Baker has just been fired by the BBC and, elsewhere, there is the usual assault of political ineptitude and anger. It is my birthday today and, whilst I should be taking things easy, I am compelled to, once more, put Kate Bush onto the page. I should really stop promising each time – I don’t know why I do it – that this will be the last time I’ll post anything Kate Bush-related for a while. I love writing about her and, in a music world where there is nobody like Bush, it is always brilliant pushing her music to new people. I am always writing about sexism and gender inequality in music and, in a year where there is no sign of improvement and more cases of festivals ignoring women, we would do well to remember all the iconic women who have pushed music to where it is now. In future instalments, I will look at everyone from Madonna and Aretha Franklin through to Joni Mitchell and Beyoncé. It is a wide remit but I wanted to start with Kate Bush because, to me, she is the epitome of the unique and ever-striking artist.

Before I talk about my experience of Bush and why her music connects so hard, one cannot accuse her of being idle and sitting on her hands. Since 2011’s 50 Words for Snow – her most-recent studio album – there has been some movement. In fact, a lot of her more recent activity has been retrospective and focused on her past. Director’s Cut, released in the same year as 50 Words for Snow, saw Bush rework some of the songs from her albums, The Sensual World and The Red Shoes. If not completely essential, that album did give Bush the chance to ‘correct’ some of the issues with songs that were recorded as digital technology was coming through. In 2014, out of nowhere, she announced a residency at Hammersmith with her show, Before the Dawn. It was only the second big live project of her career. In 1979, her only tour, Tour of Life, happened; taking her around the world, it was a masterclass in progression, ambition and theatre (watch this great documentary regarding the process). Thirty-five years later, Before the Dawn gave fans a chance to see her back on the stage, where she performed some of her best-known songs in addition to the song cycles from Hounds of Love (1985) and Aerial (2005). Last year, Bush released a book of lyrics, How to Be Invisible, and re-released/remastered her back catalogue.

Like any self-respecting Bush fan, I have snapped up as much of this remastered material as possible and revelled in the vinyl goodness of her masterful work. Whilst the last four or five years has largely been about looking back and, in a sense, fulfilling long-held demands and dreams (for fans at least), we look forward and wonder where she will head. 2011’s 50 Words for Snow was a critical success and a lot different to her earlier work. Rather than rely on tighter songs with emphasis on the voice, the songs (on 50 Words for Snow) were longer and boasted, I think, richer compositions. Alas, the new direction was a welcomed one and I feel, when new material does come, it will most likely sound similar to this rather than her earlier days’ material. So, then, when is a new album to come? With Bush, it could be anytime and arrive in any format. It is not going to be similar to Madonna and how she is parcelling-out her latest record, Madame X: lots of tweets, photos and offerings drip-fed and gradual. Bush will announce the album and then, maybe, a single will come out and that will be it until the record arrives. I have a bit of a knack for predicting when certain artists will release new albums – I got Madonna pinned with Madame X – and I have a feeling that Bush will release something in the autumn/winter (I might be wrong but it has been nearly eight years since her last studio album so one holds hope). Why rank Bush as a female icon of music?

 PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Just look at her influence and how she has impacted music since her arrival in 1978. One can draw a line from Bush to everyone from Tori Amos, Madonna; Björk, St. Vincent and Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine). All of these women have elements of Kate Bush and each are fiercely creative and powerful. Think about all the accomplishments and ‘firsts’ Bush has been responsible for. The aforementioned Tour of Life was a masterpiece that, with little bits of David Bowie added to the theatrical mix, it set a high standard of what a live performance could be. Including mime, scene changes and this immersive world, critics raved. Although she has not toured since 1979, her sole tour inspired countless artists in terms of performance scope and ambition. Bush helped invent the wireless head-microphone (used, famously, by Madonna) and her albums have broken records. Her debut single, Wuthering Heights (her only number-one), eventually made its way to the top of the charts and it meant, in 1978, Bush became the first British female to have a self-written song reach number-one. Her third album, Never for Ever, was the first number-one album by a British female artist. It is amazing to think it took until 1978 (1980 in the case of the album) for these records to be broken - but it gave impetus and inspiration to other women in the music industry. There are other reasons why Bush should be considered iconic. I listen to interviews (including gems such as this and this) she conducted through the years and you get this very warm, intelligent and compelling woman speaking so passionately. Her visual aspect and love comes out through her album covers, videos and live performances.

I have talked about Bush’s sole tour and her 2014 residency and all the brilliance she brought to the stage. Her album covers are consistently striking and original and her videos, more than anything, show what a wonderful eye she has for film, story and memorable moments. There are countless golden videos one can source but Wuthering Heights – where she wore a white dress and performed a beguiling dance (she wore a red dress for the U.S. version of the video) – stands out. The first video I saw of hers was for Them Heavy People (from, like Wuthering Heights, her debut album, The Kick Inside). The quirky and charming video beguiled my young mind. She grew more ambitious visually in-tandem with her sonic evolution. Hounds of Love’s Cloudbusting, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) and The Big Sky are all unique and utterly wonderful. I especially love The Big Sky because it is so busy and colourful (there is one moment, at 0:40/0:42, where she gives the most beautiful smile you could ever imagine!). Bush has stated, in numerous interviews, how much she loved film and T.V. She has directed some of her own videos (including The Big Sky) and has created some of the most memorable videos of the past four-or-so decades. When it came to be being captured in front of the camera, there have been countless poses and looks that have stopped the heart. Whether being photoed by the press, an associate or her brother, John Carder Bush (I suggest you get his book of photos, Kate: Inside the Rainbow; also check out Graeme Thomson’s wonderful biography, Kate Bush: Under the Ivy), you just know Bush never phoned it in: every photo was a chance to be seen in a new light and provide something amazing.

Kate Bush is a complete artist and one who has always been fiercely independent. Right from the off, she knew what she wanted and trusted her own instincts. Famously, she fought her record company to ensure Wuthering Heights was released as a single. They relented. She also battled to have The Man with the Child in His Eyes as the next single. Again, they trusted her determination. As a teenager, new to the world of professional music, one would not expect such fight and exertion from an artist regarding their single releases. One does not see much of it these days but I know there are artists out there who have taken a Bush-like approach regarding their work and ensuing they are heard – rather than the record label having too big a say and releasing a single because it is more commercial-sounding and radio-friendly. Indeed, one could detect a seriously passionate voice and soul from the off. On The Kick Inside, Bush was unafraid to talk about sex in a very bold and open way. Men, throughout her career, were never cast as villains or accused: instead, they were seen as objects of desire and, as a curious artist, Bush wanted to explore men/sex in a very personal way. She discussed menstruation (Strange Phenomena) and incest (The Kick Inside); a grown man with an innocence inside of him (The Man with the Child in His Eyes) and the power of movement and dance (Moving) – uncommon back in 1978 but one feels doors were opened and minds altered by this very brave and unique artist.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Maybe there was a feeling from some, early in her career, that the songs were not addressing themes as big as war and politics. Even though her songs of love were hugely sophisticated and, at times, risqué, she did widen her horizons by the time of 1980’s Never for Ever – standouts Breathing (about nuclear war as seen from the perspective of a fetus) and Army Dreamers (about the waste of war and how young soldiers march to their deaths) were a world away from earlier tracks about love and desire. Many people focus heavily on Bush’s sublime voice and ignore her words. Buy her lyrics book, How to Be Invisible, if you can to see just how imaginative, creative and varied her lyrics are. At a time when a lot of mainstream artists were writing about love in a very ordinary way, Bush was proving to be an exception. Right from her debut album, you just knew there was nobody like her. Consider that some of the songs on The Kick Inside were written as young as aged thirteen (or a smidge earlier than that) and it seems scary she was that accomplished that young! Everyone has their favourite Kate Bush album and, to many, that honour belongs to Hounds of Love. I can see a case for the 1985 release being at the top of the public consciousness. In terms of confidence and quality, one cannot fault a moment on the record. In the summer of 1983, Bush moved out of London, set up a home-studio and took inspiration from her surroundings.

It was a pivotal and important move after a period of time that took a lot out of her – 1982’s The Dreaming was her first sole-produced album and, given its complexities, took a while to get made; she felt burned-out at the end - and a comparative lack off critical acclaim got to her. The Dreaming is this wildly eclectic and bold album overloaded with texture; 1978’s Lionheart was a bit of a rushed affair but contains some brilliant moments; The Kick Inside, as I shall explore later, is this wondrous and timeless debut. Not every song she touched turned to gold but one can detect conviction and passion in every move. The Dreaming is often seen as too out-there (even for Kate Bush!) but contains some of her best work to that point (Houdini and Get Out of My House, especially). Never for Ever is an underrated gem whilst her post-Hounds of Love work have plenty of brilliant moments. Bush herself loved Aerial. The double-album has a very natural feel. Songs, literally, talk about nature and birdsong; there is this very open and conceptual arc that immerses the listener and is miles away from something like The Dreaming. 1993’s The Red Shoes was the last album before a twelve-year gap but, despite it being a difficult period – her mother died around the time the album was released and she split with her long-time beau, Del Palmer (who still engineers her albums); poor reviews and an ill-fated short-film, The Line, the Cross and the Curve, all contributed – there were some wonderful songs in the pack (Rubberband Girl, the opening track, is one of the most buoyant and uplifting songs she ever released).

 PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

What else to cover? I have covered the music itself and the lyrics; the wonderful videos and entrance than Bush provides. Many bemoan the amount of time it takes between albums. Consider if they were rushed or released quicker. One would not get the same quality and, as Bush has said, she writes very quickly but the actual recording takes longer. She has not performed a lot but, again, if she did that then we would not get as many albums. It is a hard balance but the sixty-year-old wants to make work at her own rate at her home-studio. She has a son, Bertie, and there is not the same pressure as there was in the first few years of her career – don’t forget that from 1978-1980 she released three albums, embarked on a worldwide tour and was constantly under the media’s gaze! I have sort of skimmed through her back catalogue but, in addition to me including an ‘essential’ list of Kate Bush songs in the playlist at the bottom, I urge people to check her music videos and, as much as they can, buy her records and experience the music in its truest, warmest form. Bush is someone who love vinyl and the tactile nature of an album. You just know that she takes every care to ensure that the finished record we receive is as good as it can be; that the sound is perfect and she has sweated blood and tears to ensure it is up to her standard.

Kate Bush is an icon because of how she has changed music and all she has achieved. Her influence is clear and ever-growing and you cannot compare anyone to her. Most legends sort of get reinterpreted by future generations but there hasn’t been anyone who has got close to updating Kate Bush or touching her quality. That is no slight to them: such is the power and brilliance of her music that it is unlikely we will ever see anyone like her again. Before getting around to my final point, I guess all I love about Kate Bush can be found in her debut album, The Kick Inside. Although she has, to an extent, distanced herself from the album (she felt it was a bit airy-fairy and not as raw/masculine as she’d like; she wanted to have more control and feels her later work is better), I think it is a phenomenal work. Not only is her voice at its most beautiful and tender; the songs are so bold and confident for a then-teenager. Anyone who can self-write every song and tackle subjects as unusual and hefty as incest; talk about love and sex in a very fresh way should be congratulated. The Kick Inside is my favourite album ever and the one I come back to time and time again. It makes me feel warmer and safer and, in a world that is becoming more unsure and tense, we need music that can provide support and escape! The fact of the matter I that all of her albums mean something different to everyone. I love Hounds of Love for my own reasons and we all have that different connection to Kate Bush.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Moorhouse/Getty

It has been a bit of a quiet spell for her – in terms of new material – but one feels it cannot be too long before an announcement of fresh material is out…don’t quote me on that as I have no super-powers at all; it is more a feeling, you know! Anyone who feels Bush is publicity-shy would do good to aquatint themselves with the interviews she gave in 2011 – for Director’s Cut and 50 Words for Snow. Most of the telephone interviews were with radio stations in North America whereas, when speaking with BBC presenters (this video shows that, where her and the BBC are concerned, there is this mutual love), most of the interviews were conducted at her home. Check out her interview with Mark Radcliffe about Director’s Cut and 50 Words for Snow. He had long-campaigned to have Bush on his show (he spoke with her, both times in 2011, as part of BBC Radio 6’s RadMac afternoon show, I believe) and speak with her and, when he first spoke with her in 2005 to promote Aerial, that long-held ambition came true! I love the interview Lauren Laverne conducted with her in 2011 (for 50 Words for Snow). She asked some truly great questions and there was a great, respectful rapport between them. Ken Bruce’s interview for Director’s Cut is also sublime. She has given BBC Radio 4’s John Wilson a couple of interviews and spoke with him about Director’s Cut and 50 Words for Snow (and in 2005, too) – again, like Radcliffe and Laverne, there is this very natural connection between them (listen to Jamie Cullum talk with her about 50 Words for Snow). Listen, also, to Matt Everitt talking with Bush about her residency, Before the Dawn, in 2016; the chat is the most-recent audio interview we have and sees her react to this monumental event (the album of the live shows was released in 2016).

 

There has been this near-eight-year gap between 50 Words for Snow and now…and we are all waiting with baited breath to see if anything will arrive this year. I have spoken to so many musicians, male and female, who count Kate Bush as an idol and follow in her footsteps. Over forty-one years since her debut album, she is still affecting artists and stunning the senses! I make no secret that one of my dreams is to interview Kate Bush. I know I would need to work for the BBC or have a bigger platform to get that opportunity and, when another album comes out, there will be a huge clamber to get Bush featured on everyone’s site/station/magazine. She commands this respect and love without having to put out an album every year. Who would want that sort of consistency if it meant a deterioration of quality?! When speaking with Matt Everitt in 2016, he asked her whether this (the live shows/album) was a full-stop. She, brilliantly, responded that it was more of a long comma. Quite. We have seen activity from her since then but nothing in the way of a new album. When she does release a new album, there will (we hope) be the slew of interviews and, whilst I will not be among the lucky asking her questions, it will be great to see what she has been up to and where her creative dial is now.

 PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

So many of us grew up around Bush’s music and hold similar memories (who among us cannot count the Wuthering Heights video as a truly landmark realisation?!). I shall leave things here – there is birthday cake to be eaten! – but it is undeniable that Kate Bush is an icon and peerless artist! At a time when we struggle to overturn gender inequality and sexist attitudes, those in power should look to artists such as Kate Bush and appreciate all they gave us. There is a new generation of female artists emerging that owe a debt to pioneers such as Kate Bush and are being denied the chance to play on big stages because of rigid and close-minded festival organisers.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/ALBUM COVER: John Carder Bush

Maybe this is an aside but I do feel like these iconic female artists have done so much and now, when female artists are king, the new generation are being held back. I wanted to start this feature to spotlight some of the iconic female artists who have given so much to music; who have inspired so many artists and continue to exert influence years down the track. Kate Bush is definitely among them and I cannot wait to see where she heads next. Knowing her and her music, there is no real telling what an album will sound like and what direction it will take us. There is no real rush but, in a world where there is so much negative music and a lack of real joy, the beauty and wonder only Kate Bush can provide…

IS sorely needed.

FEATURE: Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock: Both Sides Now

FEATURE:

 

 

Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock

PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Robinson/Getty Images  

Both Sides Now

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I do not often look at songs and their cover versions...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Joni Mitchell in 1970/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

but there is something about Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock that compelled me to investigate further! It is quite apt timing, really: Woodstock 50 (the fiftieth anniversary of the original Woodstock) is in the news and many are wondering whether it will happen at all. A lot of festivals are beset with issues and drawbacks but it seems like this one might not occur. It is a shame because, even though the line-up announced so far is not terrific, marking a truly terrific point of history is necessary. I was not alive when the original Woodstock occurred back in 1969 but that sense of coming together in a three-day festival of peace and love was very much needed. Not that Woodstock was free of any problems itself. There was a bit of violence and upset; there were problems with people sneaking in and a few blacker moments did threaten to ruin what was an otherwise wonderful celebration – including the dreadful weather. This happens at festivals now so we cannot see Woodstock as a disaster. A few big acts turned down invitations to play but we did see the likes of Joan Baez, Santana and The Who played. Despite some declined invitations and problems that arose during performances across the three-day festival, Woodstock has gone down as this iconic moment in music. It is a bit ironic that a song about the festival was written by someone who did not actually attend!

Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock was included in her 1970 album, Ladies of the Canyon, and is regarded as one of her finest songs. The story goes that Mitchell composed the song based on recollection and stories from her then-boyfriend Graham Nash. Mitchell’s manager had told her not to attend Woodstock – instead appear on The Dick Cavett Show – and, instead, the songwriter composed the track whilst watching images from Woodstock on the T.V. Mitchell felt that the fact she had been denied the chance to go/play gave her a unique angle. One can hear that sense of detachment but, as many noted, Woodstock seemed to articulate the feeling and essence of the festival better than anyone who was actually there! Not affected by the poor weather and technical blights, Mitchell penned this fantastic track from a comfortable and warm room. She was seeing all these wonderful images pour through and, clearly inspired, laced together some of her most evocative and beautiful words. In Woodstock, Mitchell told about a spiritual quest to Max Yasgur’s farm (where the festival was set); the festival was compared to the Garden of Eden. Mitchell brought in religious images and provided this grand, stunning song that definitely stays in the mind. When the army reaches Woodstock (“half a million strong”), you get a real sense of the togetherness and love that was in the air in 1969. The festival was a reaction to the Vietnam War and all of the tensions that were happening at the time.

Mitchell articulated the contrast of the war and the reaction by the American people – bombers flying in the sky; they turn to butterflies when faced with the peace and good vibes from the people. Mitchell is known for her incredible lyrics and ability to swim in the imagination. Whether something more unsettling and emotional or a song such as Woodstock; there are not many songwriters who have such an ability and variety. Mitchell would grow to dislike large festivals and what they stood for but here, on the Ladies of the Canyon track, you feel like you are at the festival. The song was the B-side to Big Yellow Taxi and, as B-sides go, there are few stronger in the music archives! I love the original and think that Mitchell’s delivery perfectly highlights key phrases and images. There is a great, wordless vocal in the chorus (in the background) and her voice rises and falls with emotion. It is a fantastic rendition but, like all inspiring songs, there have been some other renditions. Perhaps many associate Woodstock with the cover performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Around the time Mitchell’s Ladies of the Canyon was released in 1970, the Folk group released the song as the lead-off single from their album, Déjà Vu. Stephen Stills takes the vocal lead and is joined on harmony vocals by David Crosby and Graham Nash. They bring new life and insight into the song and, as I will explain in a second, the chorus reinterpretation is something that is particularly memorable. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had this stop-start instrumental in the chorus that gave it fresh nuance and delight.

My favourite interpretation of the song came from Iain Matthews’ Matthews’ Southern Comfort. The former member of Fairport Convention, again, brought something new to the classic song. It is strange to think that the band were pretty much through by the time Woodstock was recorded. Their version was released in 1970 – two great covers so soon after the original showed what an impact it had! – and was included on the U.S. version of the album, Later That Same Year. The reason the song became a hit was, when the band were due to perform a live set for the BBC in 1970, they needed an extra song. Matthews had just heard Woodstock on Ladies of the Canyon after buying it a week earlier; it was included in the set and, before long, there was huge demand. Matthews was reluctant to include it on the recently-released album from Matthews’ Southern Comfort but agreed it could be released as a single – their version of Woodstock became a huge smash! It is also said that Matthews felt a bit strange meeting Mitchell because of how he approached the song. Like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the arrangement was very different and Matthews, by his own admission, could not hit the high notes Mitchell did on the original. Mitchell confessed to preferring Matthews’ arrangement and melody. The band took the song apart and really gave it another angle.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Hippie girls at 1969’s Woodstock/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It seems strange that two covers were released in such short succession but Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s version did not resonate that hard. Many people prefer their version but it was not a huge success. Matthews’ Southern Comfort’s version reached number-one in October 1970 and remained there for two weeks. By the time the song gained U.S. plaudit in 1971, Matthews’ Southern Comfort were no more. Matthews quit the band in December 1970, claiming that the success of Woodstock had affected him. Rather than getting on with a new track, the interviews and press demands were getting too much. There was also an infamously bad soundcheck in Birmingham where Matthews left, took a train home and locked his door for a week. This all suggests a man who resented Woodstock and what it did to his life. In an interview in 2017, Matthews stated that it was an exciting time (1970) and the song is still creating opportunities for him today. That is wonderful to hear and, actually, I think I prefer the Matthews’ Southern Comfort version! I love the original and its terrific chorus vocals; the way Mitchell treats every line for passion and consideration. It is a spellbinding performance that has half of your mind at the festival as things unfold and the other with Mitchell as she watched the images come through – able to describe the essence and power of Woodstock without having to endure the crowds and the unpredictable weather!

 IN THIS IMAGE: The cover of Joni Mitchell’s album, Ladies of the Canyon (1970)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Matthews’ Southern Comfort sort of got rid of the high notes and the vocal acrobatics. Their version was straighter and relied on those sumptuous harmonies. It is a fuller rendition that is perhaps more reliant on vocals than punctuating the lyrics. All versions of Woodstock have a dreaminess and richness but I do love Iain Matthews’ take. His voice takes Joni Mitchell’s words in new directions and soothes the soul. Many purists favour the original but it is great that there are other versions out there. It is clear that the song held immense power back in 1970 and seemed to articulate a spirit that was in the air at the time. It is worth reading this paper that explores Woodstock and its creation: the background to Mitchell writing it and what messages it conveys. Indeed, Mitchell strayed away from political implications and lot of the protest song at the time. Instead, we have this Utopian vision of Woodstock. There are nods to bombers in the sky but there is this spirit of peace, masses converging to a wonderful place and everything being fine. This passage from Amy Kintner’s study seems to define what Woodstock was and stood for:

“She chose to create a musical realisation of the aura and idealism of Woodstock, and the political utopianism she achieved lies in her refusal to simply memorialise the festival or proclaim its political efficacy. The song succeeds as an evocation of a generation’s utopian impulse, and Mitchell’s musical choices propel ‘Woodstock’ beyond the facts of the event itself because the song is not about the event itself. The lyrics may conjure sentimental memories for those who attended the festival, a fact of which Mitchell was surely aware, but the music of the song promotes nostalgia of an alternate kind: nostalgia for the utopian naïveté of a hopeful generation and its political dreams…

‘Woodstock’ summons this nostalgia and breathes life into it, offering a sonic utopia in which the dreams of a hopeful generation can continue to thrive. This is ‘Woodstock’s ideological deviance, its utopian legacy: just as ‘Woodstock’ helped transform its originator from excluded fan to arbiter of utopianism, so too does it transform its listeners. Here, we can return to the designation of Mitchell’s song as existing in a liminal (or Foucault’s heterotopian) space: while the song plays, the experience of ‘Woodstock’ as a transitional boundary or marginal space becomes available to listeners. The song both can and cannot take a listener back to the summer of 1969 but, alas, no matter where ‘Woodstock’ takes you, the song is an experience that comes with all the characteristic trappings of utopia: simultaneously a ‘good-place’ and a ‘no-place’, the song sounds forth and dissipates immediately, presenting a musical utopia in which Joni Mitchell, other musicians and, indeed, perhaps even historians can dwell, if only for five peaceful minutes”.

One can talk endlessly about Mitchell’s classic and what it represents. Maybe it is nostalgia of a wonderful time or the idealisation of a festival that, in spite of all the good and glory, has problems and has not been repeated. As we try to resurrect the bones of Woodstock 50, Mitchell’s Woodstock is a sad reminder of what was and what could never be. Maybe Mitchell’s disconnection from the festival and personal view is not a wholly accurate representation of Woodstock’s reality but one cannot fault the gravitas of the song. If you prefer the original and do not fancy the cover versions, one cannot deny how influential Woodstock is and how its Utopian visions struck Mitchell’s contemporaries in 1970. It is a song that moved the people back in 1970 and, almost fifty years later, its incredible aura and wonderful images…

INSPIRE and stagger the senses.

FEATURE: Piano Man: Billy Joel at Seventy: The Ultimate Playlist

FEATURE:

 

 

Piano Man

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Billy Joel at Seventy: The Ultimate Playlist

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AS the iconic Billy Joel...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

turns seventy tomorrow, it is only right to mark that occasion and, in doing so, collate his very best and most memorable songs. I grew up around his music and it was introduced to me at a very young age. We both share a birthday so I felt I just had to do something! Whilst Joel is not releasing albums anymore, he has left the world so much brilliance and genius moments. From Cold Spring Harbour in 1971 to 2001’s Fantasies & Delusions, the Piano Man has definitely captivated and delighted fans for many years (he is, as this recent article shows, still in fine fettle!). His songs are part of the musical fabric and we all have our favourite (track) of his! Here, to honour the great man turning seventy, is a collection of his very best moments. If you are unfamiliar with Joel’s music then make sure you have a good listen. He is a legend of music who, as he enters his eighth decade of life, proves he is one of the greatest songwriters…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jesse Dittmar

WE have ever seen.

FEATURE: Sonic Proof: Volume III: Tuesday’s Children: Fantastic Artists to Watch

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Sonic Proof: Volume III

IN THIS PHOTO: Grace Carter/PHOTO CREDIT: ‪SHOT BY PHOX  

Tuesday’s Children: Fantastic Artists to Watch

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ON this current outing...

 IN THIS IMAGE: allusinlove/ART CREDIT: Michael Boucher 

I have compiled artists from all around the music globe. These are peeps who are either rising or just under the radar at the moment; some are bigger and more established. In any case, they are all fantastic and deserve a lot of respect. It is amazing how many truly brilliant artists there are away from the mainstream; the sort that is not often featured in the charts – we need to put more focus on these musicians, rather than what is commercial and obvious. Let’s hope that things do change and we get more quality coming through this/next year. This selection of artists, I believe are primed for huge things next year and will be dominating music very soon. I am sure there is loads in this playlist that will tickle your fancy so have a good listen and take in as much as possible. It is an assortment of artists who are perfect as we all make our way…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Marika Hackman/PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Gullick

BACK to work.

FEATURE: Sonic Proof: Volume II: Before the Return to Work: Fantastic Artists to Watch

FEATURE:

 

 

Sonic Proof: Volume II

IN THIS PHOTO: Another Sky/PHOTO CREDIT: Another Sky

Before the Return to Work: Fantastic Artists to Watch

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I am doing a few different segments of...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Marten/PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren McDermott

this feature because, so often, there are songs that skim me by and I do not have time to get on top of them. Among the throng today is some beautiful Folk and some tender Soul. It is wonderful mining these great artists and putting them together in a fantastic blend. These are all acts I believe need full attention and will be huge artists very soon. Earlier, I looked at some bright artists that are perfect for the Bank Holiday and, as we prepare to head back to work tomorrow, here is another batch of brilliance that should give you all the necessary sonic and emotional components you need. I think there is so much brilliance and boldness out there in music that, so often, you are overcome by it all. I am going to keep this feature going because there is so much wonderful new stuff popping up. I want to try and get as much as it down as possible! I will do another instalment tomorrow but, for now, here is a playlist to...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sons of Kemet/PHOTO CREDIT: Pierrick Guidou

GET you jumping.

FEATURE: Sonic Proof: The Bank Holiday Mix: Fantastic Artists to Watch

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Sonic Proof

IN THIS PHOTO: XamVolo/PHOTO CREDIT: XamVolo

The Bank Holiday Mix: Fantastic Artists to Watch

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BECAUSE a lot of us have another day off work...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Squid/PHOTO CREDIT: Squid

there is more time to explore music and chill out. It is always hard to know what to do when there is that day off because you are sort of in unfamiliar territory! I have been spending time relaxing but I know I have to go back to work tomorrow! That is a bummer but, with some hours left, I have been checking out some great new acts that you need to check out. Among the assembled playlist are some great Pop and Soul acts; great Rock and Indie artists and a whole assortment of sounds. It is a variegated cocktail that should keep you uplifted and interested. There are so many great acts out there that many are not aware of; some terrific songs that are bubbling in the underground. I am sure I will do a few more editions but, for today, here is a cool playlist of sounds perfect for the Bank Holiday – showcasing some of the hottest rising acts around. Have a gander at these terrific artists and let all the sensational songs…

IN THIS PHOTO: Robinson/PHOTO CREDIT: Grace Pickering

LODGE in the mind.

FEATURE: The Long and Winding Road: The Beatles’ Let It Be at Forty-Nine

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The Long and Winding Road

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

The Beatles’ Let It Be at Forty-Nine

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I think every album from The Beatles...

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles during their final photoshoot on 22nd August, 1969/PHOTO CREDIT: Ethan Russell and Monte Fresco

warrants celebration when it has a birthday. In September, Abbey Road turns fifty and it will be quite a sad occasion. Not only was it the final album the band recorded together but it was a superb way to go out. In fact, Abbey Road was released before Let It Be, of course, but you wonder why that was the case. By the time Let It Be came out on 8th May, 1970 (in the U.K.), the band had already split up and many critics were not so kind. It is understandable that a lot of the tension that was running through the group at the time would bleed into the album. Not only was there stress within the ranks – the increasing presence of Yoko Ono in the studio did not help – but you got the feeling that the band were moving in different directions. This all sounds rather bleak and you might wonder why I am including Let It Be on my site at all. Well, it is a Beatles album and that is reason enough. The fact that it was released after they broke up has a sad tinge but I think, some forty-nine years after its release (Wednesday is the official anniversary), it does get the attention it deserves. Paul McCartney famously was keen to get Let It Be… Naked out: a stripped-back and reworked album that took away a lot of Phil Spector’s production layers.

The fact George Martin had left before the album – after the rather tense experience with The Beatles in 1968 – meant that there was a lot of change regarding production. You can hear that but I think there are a lot of golden moments! The band wanted to go back to a simpler style of recording. Given their move into more complex and experimental territory; Let It Be was a chance to return to a slightly less fussy and boundary-pushing album. One can hear that throughout the record but, as things often go, there were kinks. With a new producer and some tense moments in the studio (George Harrison briefly left the band), there were some challenges to overcome. By late-1968, The Beatles had stopped touring but McCartney wanted the band to hit the road again. The fact that, since 1966, The Beatles had been recording and, often, in separate rooms meant there was a slight split and not the same brotherly bond they had in the early days. Maybe, too, live gigs would help sharpen their material and give them fresh ideas. I do like the suggestion from McCartney and do wonder what would have happened if The Beatles got back on the stage and did some gigs pre-Let It Be. One of the worst decisions was letting cameras into the band’s orbit as they were recording the album. Never a good idea with any artist, that intrusion and sense of expectation further strained an already-frayed band. The band was not keen on McCartney’s idea of touring and, whilst George Martin did offer ideas, he was not a central part of the production.

I shall mention the great songs and the reasons why Let It Be is an album to celebrate but, when the bands were rehearsing the song, the tension that was there during 1968 presented itself. Ever since their eponymous album, The Beatles were drifting apart. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were not the same unit as they were and, with a sense of fatigue creeping in, one could definitely see the band were not long for the world. Lennon was in a rather fragile emotional state and Yoko Ono’s presence in the studio caused some argument. The fact there were cameras filming a lot of these spats and icy moments did not really help the band. There is a film coming later this year I believe that shows some of that rehearsal footage and actually gives us a really deep look at Let It Be and what was happening in the band at that time. The band were quite tired and ragged when recording and rehearsing and McCartney did try to galvanise them and get some energy back in the ranks. During a rehearsal of Two of Us, there was a heated argument between McCartney and George Harrison; Harrison also was annoyed that Lennon seemed detached from the band and less focused – Harrison would leave the band after the anger and tension became too much (he would return). After The Beatles abandoned Twickenham and having their rehearsals recorded, the rest of the filming would be them in the studio getting Let It Be down.

On 30th January, 1969 The Beatles, alongside Billy Preston, took to the roof of the Apple building to perform a famous concert. It would be the last time they performed as a band and whilst it was a bit of a publicity move for the film, the band got up there and performed. The set was cut short when the police intervened by a select group of people got to see The Beatles perform a very unusual gig at a very difficult time. You could sense some sense of harmony and togetherness from the band during the songs, something that had been missing up until that point. Whilst The Beatles were not completely rejuvenated after that gig, you sensed that it was needed and a reminder that they were together and they were incredible. During the recording sessions, countless songs were played – many would find their way onto the band’s last-recorded album, Abbey Road. I often wonder why Get Back was not chosen as the opening track for Let It Be but it actually works really well as a swansong. It is a classic McCartney track and one of the most famous in The Beatles’ cannon. In the opening half, there is the beautiful Two of Us: led by McCartney, one can attribute some of the lyrics to the changing relationship between he and Lennon (“You and me, chasing papers/getting nowehere…”).

  IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles during their final photoshoot (in Tilehurst Park) on 22nd August, 1969/PHOTO CREDIT: Ethan Russell and Monte Fresco

Across the Universe is a gorgeous and underrated Lennon song (covered by artists such as Rufus Wainwright) and I Me Mine is actually one of Harrison’s best songs of the period – he would better himself on Here Comes the Sun and Something on Abbey Road, mind. Dig It and Maggie Mae are not essential but they are interesting tracks in their own right. What I also get from Let It Be is a sense of conversation and playfulness that had been absent from previous albums. There are little jokes and spoken word bits that give Let It Be a live feeling and sense of fun. Although the band was not entirely happy throughout, they still managed to turn out some of their best material. Let It Be is a sensational McCartney track and, again, one of the best he ever wrote. Written about his mother, there are visions of her coming to Macca in his sleep and letting him know everything will be okay. I think it should have ended the first side (Maggie Mae does) but it is, in my view, the best track on the album. I’ve Got a Feeling and One After 909 open the second half with aplomb. Although neither track is the best the band came up with the latter, especially, held fond memories for McCartney. Lennon wrote it when he was seventeen and it seemed like this was a special track for both of them. The Long and Winding Road is another McCartney emotion-drainer that is beautiful, sweeping and hugely memorable.

McCartney wanted the track to be quite spare but Phil Spector modified it and, as such, there is a bit too much happening on a song that works best when stripped back. One of the reasons McCartney was eager to put Let It Be… Naked out was so he could finally have The Long and Winding Road in its natural state – he also changed the track order as well so that the album flowed a bit better. For You Blue is another Harrison effort and, at the end, we have the terrific Get Back. There are some weaker moments on Let It Be but, when it really hits fifth gear, the effect is mesmerising. One would forgive The Beatles for splitting at that point but there was a feeling that they had another album in them. Knowing that the end was in sight, they recorded Abbey Road and recaptured their earlier genius. Let It Be is a fascinating album that is more associated with its weaknesses and strains than the actual material. I like the fact there are loose edges and there are some sublime moments of Beatles brilliance. It is a patchy album in places but one that deserves its place. Although some critics in 1970 were a bit cold, there has been ample retrospective acclaim. AllMusic had this to say:

“Although most of the album, then, has a live-in-the-studio feel, the main problem was that the material wasn't uniformly strong, and that the Beatles themselves were in fairly lousy moods due to inter-group tension. All that said, the album is on the whole underrated, even discounting the fact that a sub-standard Beatles record is better than almost any other group's best work. McCartney in particular offers several gems: the gospelish "Let It Be," which has some of his best lyrics; "Get Back," one of his hardest rockers; and the melodic "The Long and Winding Road," ruined by Spector's heavy-handed overdubs (the superior string-less, choir-less version was finally released on Anthology Vol. 3). The folky "Two of Us," with John and Paul harmonizing together, was also a highlight. Most of the rest of the material, by contrast, was going through the motions to some degree, although there are some good moments of straight hard rock in "I've Got a Feeling" and "Dig a Pony." As flawed and bumpy as it is, it's an album well worth having, as when the Beatles were in top form here, they were as good as ever”.

Sputnikmusic provided their thoughts:

“The highlight of Let It Be is its moving center piece, the title track. The track is introduced by Lennon in a high pitched voice saying "That was 'Can You Dig It' by Georgie Wood, and now we'd like to do 'Hark The Angels Come'," before the melancholy cadences of the piano of the main verse welcome in Paul's voice. Soon the piano is met by drums and Spector's trademark orchestral production with some light brass before it bursts into George Harrison's beautifully uplifting guitar work. McCartney's lyrics perfectly complement the somber instrumentation, weaving strong Catholic imagery with the bubbling spirit of hope ingrained in the times. "Let It Be" reaches its moving peak at the final verse when Paul sings "And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light, that shines on me/shine until tomorrow, let it be/I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me/speaking words of wisdom, let it be”.

Maybe Let It Be looks better naked but I have a lot of respect for the 1969 version. The band would continue on for Abbey Road but it was clear a lot of the spirit and air was out of the tyres. The best moments on Let It Be – the title track and Get Back among them – are more McCartney-led than anything: Lennon was still a powerhouse but would produce finer work on Abbey Road. When it turns forty-nine on Wednesday, it will be a bittersweet day. On the one hand, marking any Beatles album is great; there are some terrific songs to be found. On the other hand, one feels there is a lot of disconnection and a feeling that things were coming to an end. There is a film coming soon where Peter Jackson gets to grips with all the footage from that time and tries to piece together the story of The Beatles during Let It Be. I have always loved Let It Be and, whether you prefer it dressed up or naked, it is a record that…

POSESSES moments of pure brilliance.

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: T. Rex – Electric Warrior

FEATURE:

 

 

Vinyl Corner

ARTWORK CREDIT: Hipgnosis/ORIGINAL PHOTO: Kieron ‘Spud’ Murphy

T. Rex – Electric Warrior

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THERE are few albums that have been part of my life...

 IN THIS PHOTO: T. Rex (circa 1971)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

as long as T. Rex’s Electric Warrior. I found T. Rex from a very early age and recall hearing the big hits from the band. Led by the charismatic Marc Bolan, I was inflamed and thrilled by the swaggering Glam-Rock tracks such as Metal Guru and Get It On. I am not sure exactly when T. Rex came into my orbit but I recall playing songs from them on a cassette player me and my friends used to listen to. Before long, the tracks were being chanted gleefully by me and my pals and it was great connecting with these bold and brilliant songs. There are albums that sort of win you over through time and there are others that grab you instantly. Electric Warrior is definitely in that second camp. The second album from T. Rex, this signalled a turn from a more Folk-orientated sound to a full embrace of Glam-Rock. Many might say that they heard a lot of music from Marc Bolan before 1971; the band used to be called Tyrannosaurus Rex: T. Rex was a fairly recent incarnation but, yes, Bolan had been on the scene for a little while. One can argue who pioneered and pushed Glam-Rock to the masses. Certainly, David Bowie would make a big impact around the same sort of time as Electric Warrior with Hunky Dory but, to me, I think about Glam-Rock and T. Rex springs instantly to mind!

Not only did Electric Warrior receive a lot of critical praise but it inspired legions of musicians. Paul Weller claims it is one of his favourite records; John Parish is a big fan of the album whilst songs such as Jeepster have been used in films – Quentin Tarantino used the song in 2007’s Death Proof. The eleven tracks on Electric Warrior are fantastically evocative, fresh and colourful. There is plenty of emotion and tenderer moments but there is ample spark and dance to be discovered. The album kicks off with the terrific Mambo Sun. Bolan has rarely sounded as chilled, cool and snaking as he does on this song. One gets a little touch of The Beatles with some of the guitar work and the lyrics are evocative and trippy. Cosmic Dancer – which one might recognise from Billy Elliot – sees the Glam star describing himself as this eternal dancer; dancing from the womb and into the tomb – a series of wonderfully rich and striking images that definitely get into the bones. The sheer sway, romance and beauty of the song makes it an album highlight. Jeepster is that big hit that I recall from childhood. Whereas the opening two tracks have a relative calm and do not have a huge amount of stomp, Jeepster is a more fired and frantic affair. I am not sure what a ‘jeepster’ is but, as Bolan professes his love and adoration of the subject, you figure it must be a good thing!

The chorus is among the most memorable T. Rex ever produced and I love the guitar work throughout the track – played by Marc Bolan. With production by Tony Visconti and Mickey Finn, Steve Currie and Bill Legend supporting Bolan (alongside some additional musicians), Electric Warrior has so many different textures and flavours. Lean Woman Blues, as the title suggests, is more in the Blues key and is actually one of the most interesting tracks from the album. You might think of T. Rex and assume everything was glitter, Glam and sex. In fact, on albums like Electric Warrior, there are a lot of different twists and turns. Lean Woman Blues is a fantastic example of Bolan’s eclectic songwriting nature; a track that allows him to take his voice in different directions. The album is perfectly programmed and sequenced so, by the end of that track (and the first side) you have been treated to a couple of big hits and a few slightly smaller numbers; each making their mark and providing something unique. If you get Electric Warrior on vinyl then make sure you see what I mean regarding tracklisting. The needle comes up on the first side and, when you put the needle down for the second side, the first track off the mark is Get It On. Maybe this is the definitive and best-known T. Rex track. It is raw, passionate and tough; full of great riffs, confident vocals and memorable lines.

When I was growing up around T. Rex, this was one of the tracks that were constantly on my mind. I would discover Ride a White Swan, Hot Love and Metal Guru later but, right from the off, Get It On was bouncing around my young mind. Although Bowie was already around and shaping up to be one of the most innovative musicians of his time, it is hard to ignore the fact that he incorporated a bit of T. Rex into his work. Maybe that is just me estimating and taking swings but I can definitely hear flecks of T. Rex in Bowie. Planet Queen and Girl calm things down a bit after the explosive Get It On and then, with some similar riffs, The Motivator gets the energy levels back up. Life’s a Gas is a grooving, stunning and underrated gem that boasts some of Marc Bolan’s vocal work. Rip Off ends Electric Warrior with so much heat, yowls and energy that you sort of want it to keep going. Again, if you think of tracklisting, it is the perfect way to end the album. Reviews back in 1971 were positive and, since then, critics have been keen to have their say. Electric Warrior definitely helped bring Glam-Rock to the mainstream and inspired so many other artists. T. Rex, in 1971, were on the cusp of taking over the world.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

In a retrospective review, Pitchfork talk about the sheer fun on Electric Warrior and how rich the record is:

“For those hunting down the singles, Electric Warrior does contain the immortal "Bang a Gong (Get it On)", but that's neither the only nor the best reason to pick it up. What makes this record so enduring is its almost accidental emotional depth: When T.Rex is kicking out the jams, they sound like they're having the most gleeful, absurd good time ever committed to wax. There's nothing so glorious in rock and roll as hearing Bolan croon, "Just like a car, you're pleasing to behold/ I'll call you Jaguar if I may be so bold," over his namesake boogie.

The most significant aspect of Electric Warrior isn't its arena rock confidence; it's that Bolan allows his grinning mask to slip. With the incomparable aid of producer Tony Visconti, Bolan sketches a vast, empty room, where, after the party's over, he resides alone, wide-eyed and desperate. On ballads like "Cosmic Dancer", "Monolith" and "Girl", he speaks in the same gibberish as elsewhere, but he's clearly haunted-- by what we can't say. But the gaping, searing question mark that comes at the conclusion of the album-- guitar feedback paired with a string section, holding a shivering and very ambivalent cluster of notes-- is just one of many clues that there's more to Electric Warrior than its surface lets on. This is not simply a man who plays party songs because he wants to: This is a man who plays party songs to fend off darkness”.

 

MusicOMH had an interesting angle when reviewing Electric Warrior back in 2012:

“Perhaps the key to the album’s apparent lack of age-spots is Marc Bolan’s subdued, hip-shot, sex-crazed vocal delivery, or producer Tony Visconti’s sterile, carefully constructed sound field with its pristine snare drums, psychedelic guitar flourishes, and the occasional saccharine string run or choir-like background vocals. But central to the album’s greatness is the iconic nature of its imagery and the simple manifesto implied by its title: Bolan, silhouetted in yellow on the album’s cover, wields his guitar like a weapon, perched defiantly in front of an outsized guitar amp like a maniac with his twitchy finger testing the limits of the trigger’s resistance. The whole album feels like it’s ready to blow at any point, and it’s mesmerizing to lie between the speakers while Bolan and company maintain the madcap machismo of their rock ‘n’ roll high-wire act”.

I have a love for so many albums but Electric Warrior is a very special one indeed. Maybe it is the sheer confidence and raw energy that runs throughout that captures me. Of course, at such a young age, I was not too aware of all the sex and sweat that was flying from the speakers – probably just as well I guess! I listen to Electric Warrior now and it still sounds completely thrilling and new.

I pick up new aspects and certain songs reveal fresh layers. It was Electric Warrior that got me interested in Glam and artists like Mud, The Sweet and Slade. When celebrating Electric Warrior’s fortieth back in 2011, Westword highlighted its importance regarding the explosion of Glam and what defines the album:

“There were other acts that had a part in glam's birth too -- mainly David Bowie, who's Ziggy Stardust persona was being developed into an concept album and a film (not to mention his preceding 1971 release, Hunky Dory, which moved in this direction as well). Plus, Mott the Hoople's 1972 record All The Young Dudes contained the anthemic hit by the same name, but it too was the work of Bowie, who salvaged the almost broken-up group by writing the title track and producing the full-length.

But what Electric Warrior had within was something more apparent. It had sex inside of it. The whole record, all eleven tracks, were sexy. Its lusty ooze dripped from every bass tremor, every wiggly, Chuck Berry-harkening guitar riff, every gyrating drum beat, and of course, every breath Marc Bolan could produce. In America, the album (and T. Rex's) success was only seen through "Get It On" -- known stateside as "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" to avoid being confused with "Get It On" by Chase. But T. Rex's version, which only reached number ten on the American Billboard singles charts, was far from the best part of Electric Warrior”.

A year after Electric Warrior seduced the world, T. Rex introduced The Slider. With Visconti back on board as producer, hits such as Telegram Sam and Metal Guru made it a huge hit for fans and critics. It seemed, during 1971 and 1972, T. Rex could do no wrong! It would be a couple more years before there was a decline in quality but, in terms of spearheading Glam-Rock and providing this exhilarating and primal sound, T. Rex were innovators and pioneers that captured the public consciousness and inspired their peers. I love Electric Warrior because it seemed like the start of something wonderful and new. It was the album where Bolan and his band switched from acoustic sounds and turned the electricity all the way to eleven! Still completely engrossing and extraordinary almost forty-eight years after its release, Electric Warrior is a true work of genius. We do not really have Glam-Rock now so it seems sad that new generations are missing out on this album. I hope people do pick it up and discover some of the finest and most original songs of the 1970s. There is nobody quite like Marc Bolan, that is for sure! I love how he can transform from the slithering love God to someone with a tender heart and deep soul. Many people associate Bolan with sex and assume there are no other sides to him: Electric Warrior disproves that and possesses so many different emotions and wonderful stories. From the sheer majesty of Cosmic Dancer to the primitive voltage of Get It On, there is so much packed into Electric Warrior. If you have a few pennies and time spare, go order Electric Warrior and discover this colourful, wild; wonderful, striking and…

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/T. Rex

TIMELESS album.

FEATURE: The Pop Queen’s Start, a Promising New Compilation…and a Lot of Hair! 1983: A Rather Colourful and Interesting Year for Music

FEATURE:

 

 

The Pop Queen’s Start, a Promising New Compilation…and a Lot of Hair!

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna photoed in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Deborah Feingold  

1983: A Rather Colourful and Interesting Year for Music

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I would not normally write about 1983...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Spandau Ballet photographed by Michael Putland in London, May 1983

in terms of its music but, as I am another year older on Thursday, it has got me thinking back to the year I was born. In terms of musical events, there were a few things happening then. From the controversial – David Crosby was sentenced to time in jail for drugs and weapons possessions – to the cool – C.D.s went on sale in the U.S. on 2nd March -; there was some big stuff happening in 1983. It was in 1983 when Michael Jackson’s Thriller hit the number-one spot on (26th February); it would remain there for thirty-seven non-consecutive weeks and would go on to become one of the best-selling albums in history. Luckily, there were some events of 1983 that are best left unremembered! It was a year when New Romantic bands like Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran came along and reigned. The day I was born, 9th May, saw Spandau Ballet’s True get to the top of the singles charts. Considering Jacko was starting his regency and there was a lot of different stuff bubbling in music, it was quite an interesting year! One can argue that, in Pop terms, things were pretty great back then. There were some naff New Romantic bits happening but it was a new movement that sort of evolved from Punk. It would not hook everyone in but a lot of the music was actually pretty decent.

As I never back off of a chance to mention Kate Bush; 1983 was a year when big changes informed her best work. She had moved from London and set up a home studio in the countryside. After The Dreaming was released in 1982, she put on weight and was feeling the strain of critical disinterest. There were some great reviews but, after that album was released, there was a tough period that called for reaction. In 1983, she had moved and started putting together motions that would materialise in 1985’s Hounds of Love. If one music treasure was continuing her progress, another was just beginning: Madonna released her debut in 1983. The eponymous album was busy with bounce and juvenile glee and, whilst she would later dismiss the album as being too fluffy and insignificant, it was a fantastic debut. On 27th July, 1983, Madonna’s debut was launched and with it songs such as Borderline and Lucky Star. She would go on to release bolder and more confident albums but there were few artists who sounded like Madonna in 1983. Other great Pop coming out in the year included Culture Club. They released their second album, Colour by Numbers, in October and it spawned the huge hit single, Karma Chameleon. The single came out in September and, to date, it is the thirty-eighth biggest-selling U.K. single ever. It is an infectious burst of Pop and has one of the catchiest choruses ever!

One can bemoan a lack of spark and colour in modern music but, look back to 1983, and there is ample energy and memorability. If we hear an early track from Culture Club or Madonna on the radio, it brings back great memories (for those old enough) and instantly hooks you in. On 14th April, David Bowie released the album, Let’s Dance. It would become Bowie's biggest commercial success, with over ten-million copies sold worldwide. It was one of the last big Bowie albums of that time and he would struggle to find a similarly-popular album in his arsenal for over a decade. Other big albums of 1983 included R.E.M.’s Murmur and Paul Simon’s Hearts and Bones; Tom Waits gave us Swordfishtrombones and there were releases from U2 (War), Talking Heads (Speaking in Tongues); Yes (90125) and Yazoo (You and Me Both). There were a lot of great albums released in 1983 and I do not think the year gets the credit it deserves. Tears for Fears, Sonic Youth and Roxy Music were kicking; so too were Elton John, The B-52’s and Stevie Nicks. There were a lot of great and varied sounds forming and it wasn’t just about the New Romantic Movements and great Pop from the likes of Madonna. Bon Jovi, Bronski Beat; The Flaming Lips and Del Amitiri were formed in 1983. Conversely, The Carpenters, Sly and the Family Stone and The Who disbanded – although we know they are Gang of Four (who also ‘split’ in 1983) are still together.

New Order’s Blue Monday and Prince’s 1999 were big singles that did sterling business in 1983 and, thinking about the range and quality of the year, it makes me think it is a time for music that many overlook and do not take too seriously. So much of the music I was raised on as a child came out in 1983. Included are Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl and Elton John’s I’m Still Standing. One of the most exciting beginnings, sadly, that started in 1983 was the compilation album, Now That’s What I Call Music! Actually, it is not that tragic at all: the first instalment arrived on 28th November and featured hits from the likes of Phil Collins, Heaven 17 and The Cure. I am a huge fan of the compilation series and have followed it for years. I was too young, obviously, to remember the first edition but the first I bought was Now That’s What I Call Music! 24 in the 1990s. I have always gravitated towards the series and think it is a great way of collating all the best music from the year. It is strange looking back some thirty-six years and seeing the music world I was born into. Although the first contemporary sounds I remember were from about 1987, I look back at 1983 as hugely important. If one thinks of 1980s music as a bit rubbish, they’d do well to look back on certain years and realise there was a lot more brilliance out there than they recall.

The fact Madonna released her debut and there was this really interesting time for Pop appeals to me. Some truly big albums arrived and it was a rich period for music in general. Maybe 1983 does not rival 1989 in terms of its genius but it has been good looking back and discovering all the terrific stuff that arrived the year I was born. I know it might be a bit pretentious and self-serving to mark my birthday with this glance back but, actually, how many people look back at their birth year and dig deeper into the music that was around then? In a wider sense, seeing what was happening in the world when you were born is pretty interested. I tend to listen to more music from the late-1980s and 1990s but I kind of neglect the earlier parts of the 1980s. It is fortunate the horrors of Spandau Ballet passed me by but there was a lot of really great music then. I feel it is important knowing what was happening in music the year we were born and the fact I have done so this year sort of relates to the music I listen back to. I am listening back to older songs a lot and wondering whether there was a particular sound/sensation that captured my young mind. Although I was too young to recall the first time I heard the great albums and songs from 1983, I have spent a lifetime listening back and understanding what was making the charts and selling loads all that time ago. It is amazing, really, and makes me a little less worried about hitting thirty-six. Although, as I say, there were bigger and brighter years of the 1980s…as it happens, 1983 was a pretty damn good year…

FEATURE: Tous Les Mélomanes Bienvenus: Why a Music-Themed Salon Would Be a Great Space for All Music Lovers

FEATURE:

 

 

Tous Les Mélomanes Bienvenus

IMAGE CREDIT: Alex Scholar 

Why a Music-Themed Salon Would Be a Great Space for All Music Lovers

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THE reason why I have used French in the title...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @sevcovic23/Unsplash

of this piece is because, when we think of a salon, we might have images of literary figures and intellectuals from times past. Maybe ‘salon’ is not the right word for this proposal: perhaps calling it a café or venue would be closer to the mark. I have written pieces around music cafés and whether we have anything like this in 2019. I would still like to kick something like this off because there are very few spaces music lovers can go and connect. We have record shops where we can bond and find like-minded souls but, largely, there is very little interaction between those who love great sounds. With more and more coffee shops springing up, isn’t it time to utilise the endless chains of faceless coffee places and actually give them purpose?! I do not get a lot of time to socialise but, when I go out at the weekends, I often head for coffee shops. It is fine being there but you do not get great music and the atmosphere is not great for the most part. One gets a nice mix of people but I often sit in there, read a bit and then leave after half an hour or so. I do look around London and, apart from live venues, there is nothing really that is catered for those who want to listen to music, chill with their similarly-orientated peers and discover something new.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @estherdr/Unsplash

Maybe it would not be as intimidating and, frankly, pretentious as a salon but there are people who want to go somewhere you can listen to some great music and grab a brew whilst you’re at it. I think we are becoming less sociable as people and spend a lot of time online. Imagine a shop/space where there is music being played. I have been thinking about what I want in life and I think, more than anything, there is a desire to bond with people who think the same as me. I think a salon/café where people could go and converse – or just listen to music – would be great. I like the idea of making it a place to listen to music and buy. I love the cassette vending machines they have in some parts of the world. One could buy a classic album on cassette in a very cool way. There could also be a music-themed tuck shop where you could buy some merchandise and cool music memorabilia. The centrepiece would be record players and cassette/C.D. players where you could take a record/album/single from the racks/shelves and play it. One might say that the noise and clash of sounds would be offputting but there would be noise limitations and ways of blocking sound so that patrons are not disturbed. One could put an album on the record player and spin it; a few people could gather around and listen or one could take a cassette player and listen to an album in private.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I also like the idea of putting music magazines, both classic and modern, in addition to music books – whether biographies or other themes. If you want to broaden your mind and read about a certain artist/time of music, you could grab some literature, sit back and have your privacy. If you want to be more expressive and conversational then there would be great album to play and you can discover some new sounds. Of course, there would be technology among the older kit. A screen section would allow people to play music videos and people would be able to play what they want. In terms of décor, it would be less French and intellectual: the inside would be more like a U.S. record store or something with a bit of nostalgia. Maybe it would be 1990s-themed/looking but, throughout, there would be a clash of the modern and vintage. I do find a lot of people get hooked on modern music and do not spend looking back. We all need to be a bit broader and balanced and this venture – whatever it would be called and wherever it would start – would be a cool space where many different people could interact and discover cool stuff. From classic albums and concert films through to music memorabilia, rare vinyl; retro vending machines and live-streamed radio stations.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @natanaelvieir/Unsplash

You walk through any city and there are plenty of bars and cafés. I know they are profitable and respond to market forces but there is not a lot of variety on the street. One has to go to very particular areas if they want to discover something unique and unexpected. I love the idea of walking into a building and seeing classic videos playing or a chance to learn more about music. Perhaps this steps on my pitches regarding music bars and cafés but I do not like solely staying on the Internet and getting all of my music from there. It makes sense that, if one wants to chill out and get a bit of sonic nourishment at the same time, a business like this would take off. Perhaps I am a dreamer but I think there would be profit in it. There would be drinks and snacks, for sure, but nothing too heavy – the food and drink side of things would not take over and be the main focus-point. I feel all music fans miss out on interaction and we do lean largely on streaming sites and the Internet. Buying albums is quite expensive so having somewhere you could play them and not have to pay would be great. The way the business would make money is split between food/drink sales and an actual shop that sells a lot of great products; from T-shirts and rare memorabilia through to posters, cassettes and other assorted goodies.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @seemisamuel/Unsplash

It sounds like, from what I am saying, this is going to be like moving back in time and clinging onto the past. That is one side of things but there is a big nod to the new and upcoming. Maybe there would be little in-store gigs like you get from record shops. There would be live radio and streaming facilities and a mixture of albums one could buy. I look around pubs and coffee places and there is not a lot of interaction between strangers. That is a natural thing – how many of us break from the pack and take that chance? – but, if you know you have something in common with others, wouldn’t you do something about it? Having this modern-day salon would help bringing artists and music fans together; give this comfortable yet open area where we could share music tastes and memories; buy some cool older music and look at what is upcoming and fresh. I would like all of that and there are many others who share my sentiments. With venues closing and instability prevalent on the high-street, there are inherent risks opening a business that relies on passing trade and people refuting the lure of the Internet. Because this business – I really should give it a name! – offers something you cannot get from the Internet (that connection and some awesome products that would be more expensive online); I feel there are legs and the chance for expansion. It seems like a cosy little idea but, I dunno, it is somewhere I would love to go and see in town! Others would come in and, before long, something unusual and much-needed would get word-of-mouth spreading and trending. The only problem is, like other similar pieces I have written, is what…

 IMAGE CREDIT: Nick Taylor

TO call the blooming thing!

FEATURE: Infrequency Leads to a New Wave? Gender Balance on Mainstream Radio: The Need for a Retuning

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Infrequency Leads to a New Wave?

IN THIS PHOTO: Annie Nightingale was the first female presenter on BBC Radio 1 (she joined in 1970); she is the station’s longest-running presenter/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Gender Balance on Mainstream Radio: The Need for a Retuning

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THIS is another of these subjects that...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rangel/Unsplash

I have broached before but, as the situation is still apparent, it has motivated me to revisit older arguments! I listen to radio every day and it is an invaluable source of entertainment and music. At a time when there is so much music out there and it is impossible to get on top of everything, I feel like radio is a saviour and vital tool. There is nothing to suggest that, decades from now, we will get rid of radio. New acts rely on stations to spread the word and get their music to new people. That is great and I love the fact that radio holds such a precious place in our hearts. It is not only the artists who feature on radio that we tune in for. More and more, many of us are tuning in for the presenters. I have written a lot about stations such as BBC Radio 6 Music and how it seems to be the last real place one can hear eclectic music and true quality. That might be a subjective statement but there is something in it. Look at stations like BBC Radio 1 and 2 and there is not the same scope and majesty as you get with its sister. One big reason why I listen to the station daily is its incredible D.J.s who provide that awesome music and entertainment. One thing bothers me when I look at the line-up and that of other stations: the lack of women being given shows.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @BBC6Music

Apologies if I am covering old ground but we have no time for disclaimers and backstory. I write about gender inequality in radio because, like so many other areas of music, there seems to be little improvement. I am a huge fan of BBC Radio 6 Music and few out there champion the station more than me. There is no fault their way but look at the current roster and there has been little change over the past decade. With only two women in daytime slots during the week (Lauren Laverne at breakfast and Mary Anne Hobbs right after) there is a raft of men who make up the ranks. On weekends, there is Cerys Matthews and they have Liz Kershaw; Gemma Cairney and Amy Lamé present on the station but, for the most part, it is the men who make up the majority of shows. The fact that there is a gap and need for something to be done makes me a bit angry. There are those who say that, so long as the line-up is popular, then why change things? I would argue that, even on the best radio stations, there are cracks and that need for change. There are great occasional presenters like Jon Hilcock and Tom Ravenscroft who are waiting; fantastic female D.J.s like Georgie Rogers who warrants her own show. When BBC Radio 2 announced its line-up change last year and reordered things so that three of its biggest daytimes lots went to women – Zoe Ball at breakfast; Sara Cox and Jo Whiley taking us through the afternoon and evening – I was happy.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jo Whiley presents weekday evenings on BBC Radio 2/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

Some have contested the switches and claim that BBC Radio 2 was bowing to pressure. I think, when you have fantastic women on your station, there is a time when you have to wake up and realise that they deserve equal footing. The best radio comes when you blend voices and have a diversity of personalities. If you have a station that is predominantly make-driven then you do not get that! Think of pioneers like Annie Nightingale – still going strong – and the fantastic D.J.s on stations such as BBC Radio 6 Music – Lauren Laverne and Mary Anne Hobbs are two of the finest talents they have. BBC Radio 1 has Dotty and Annie Mac but, again, there is a heavy leaning towards male D.J.s – even BBC Radio 2, despite its changes, is still largely housing men. Things are better when you look at independent stations and Internet radio but think of the more popular and widespread stations and can we say that what we have now is great? I mean, there is sensational music coming to the people and I know there are a lot of women who would kill to have their own shows. Either they are on weekends or a late slot or they are working at smaller stations and feel that they will never get a shot in the mainstream. Like festivals and the lack of female headliners, there are those that things are fine now and why alter that?

 ART CREDIT: Toni Demuro

This argument has always frustrated me as it suggests people think women are not good enough to headline festivals or they are not as popular as the men. The same can be said of radio. If a presenter has a fanbase and has been with a station for years then why shift them?! In order for radio to improve and inspire, there needs to be new blood. Ironically, whereas there is ageism in music as a whole, on some radio stations, there is a reliance on middle-aged presenters; very few younger D.J.s are given the opportunity to shine and have their own shows. Maybe things are slowly moving in the right direction but why does it take so long for real progression to happen? So many of the biggest radio stations stick with who they have and do not understand how many great women there who would provide something special, unique and hugely popular. When I started writing this blog in 2011, I came across this article, written by Miranda Sawyer (who presents on BBC Radio 6 Music), regarding the state of radio in 2011:

“So why did this year's Sony Radio Academy awards make me, and many others, so cross? "The year of the lad", it was deemed, with TalkSport winning station of the year, 5 Live's Fighting Talk bagging a gold and Absolute's celeb-jocks Ronnie Wood and Frank Skinner also winning big. Host Chris Evans displayed his familiar "chivalry" (can any woman feel comfortable when a man bangs on about how much he fancies her, to her face, in front of an audience?). Jenni Murray and Annie Nightingale won special awards: well deserved, but outside regular categories. And lots of great women got up on stage: Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Kirsty Wark, Mariella Frostrup, Moira Stuart. Unfortunately, they were there to hand over gongs, to men.

PHOTO CREDIT: @jonathanvez/Unsplash 

'When I first approached Radio 1 about being a DJ [in the late 1960s], it was an all-male enclave. I asked why that was and was told, in all seriousness: "DJs are husband substitutes." Things have changed considerably since then. Hopefully, in the future everyone with talent and dedication to music broadcasting will get a chance to give it a go' Annie Nightingale, DJ, Radio 1, Thursday evenings”.

A new organisation, Sound Women, was launched that reacted to the imbalance in radio and the desire to change things:

“Sound Women will soft-launch at annual industry conference the Radio festival this week. We've made a promotional film and have a website. More importantly, Skillset, the skills council for the creative industries, has gathered together existing research on women in UK radio into a report, which we're also launching on Tuesday; and we've set up a mentoring scheme for women in radio, to be run by the BBC. On our to-do list is creating a network of contacts, so that employers and conference organisers in radio can easily track down brilliant females; funding more targeted research; and possibly, eventually, an annual glitzy do.

'I've got the best job in the world! The Today programme has a healthy mix of men and women behind the scenes, but when you listen, you don't always hear that. Today recognises that as a problem. Sound Women is clearly an organisation that is trying to help work through such dilemmas' Sarah Montague, presenter, Radio 4's Today programme”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Johnny Vaughan is part of a largely-male line-up on Radio x/PHOTO CREDIT: Radio X

That was nearly eight years ago and, whilst some big stations have promoted women to big slots, there is still a problem. Whereas more women are producing mainstream shows, there is still an absence of presenters on the front-line. All the stations I have mentioned have not really altered things since then; the number of women working at these stations is pretty poor. Maybe it would be unrealistic to say every station would employ a fifty-fifty split but we are not even close in many cases! Those who feel that ratio would be pandering and extreme need to realise that there are so many women who are fantastic presenters; they are not being given an opening and fee that doors will always be closed. Away from the BBC, stations like Absolute and Virgin have a real problem regarding the number of women at their station. Perhaps the biggest culprit of gender imbalance is at Radio X. Aside from its crappy name, the station is dominated by men. Look at their website and how they publicise the station: a line-up of white, middle-aged men who are playing Indie and Rock with very little else. The fact that, in 2019, there is a station so proud of its male hegemony is quite appalling. Last year, the launch of an all-female radio station, JACK, gave me some hope. You can read about it here…but it has come to the point where women have had to set up their own station.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @_imkiran/Unsplash

I understand there are schemes and bodies that are providing courses on production and presenting for young women who want to be on the radio in years to come. Internet radio provides an indiscriminate platform where anyone can have their voice heard but will all these great new stations with fantastic women on them give the mainstream stations pause for thought?! Some stations are worse offenders than others but I do wonder whether those with a great gender imbalance need to pledge greater commitment to putting women on air. A big reason I am writing this new piece is because I have heard from a lot of female presenters on smaller stations – and those who work occasionally on bigger stations – who say that they really want to move to a mainstream station but feel like they (the stations) are inflexible and rigid when it comes to hiring. The change at BBC Radio 2 is a welcome wave that, hopefully, will be taken on-board by other large stations. Maybe it is just me but I tend to find the most appealing and strong voices on radio are women. It is unfortunate that change is happening slowly but I do hope there is a day when we will see more gender equality on the airwaves. This is just me being frustrated but I am seeing all the fantastic work by women in radio and wonder whether there are any truly progressive leaps being made.

 IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I am hearing too many male voices in the big slots still and, without compromising or declining in quality, many stations could afford to promote women or bring fresh talent in. It is all very well saying that change will come in years but why do we have to wait that long?! Even my favourite radio station has some stale edges that could be revitalised and cured by bringing in fresh talent – quite a few very promising female D.J.s that deserve greater exposure. I can understand those who feel that there is a risk when you change line-ups and make big alterations but I feel it is a move many stations need to make. If we want to encourage more women into radio (which we do) either as producers, researchers or on-air talent, then there needs to be greater consciousness from those at the top. Aside from blatantly sexist stations like Radio X, there are small movements happening in the right direction. That is all well and good but how long will it be until these actions translate into something meaningful and equal? If we want to make radio as rich and strong as it can be then there needs to be more women brought in, in front of and behind the microphone. I listen to many stations and there is definite room for improvement and revitalisation. There are so many fantastic female news presenters, producers and D.J.s that are waiting to come through and want to shine. Let’s hope that, sooner rather than later, radio stations listen and we…

IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s morning host, Mary Anne Hobbs/PHOTO CREDIT: Jessica van der Weert 

VALUE how important female voices are.

FEATURE: Early Intimacy, Then Screams Louder Than Explosions: The Beatles’ Life on Stage

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Early Intimacy, Then Screams Louder Than Explosions

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles took the stage for the last time ever on 29th August, 1966, marking the end of their final tour/PHOTO CREDIT: Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images 

The Beatles’ Life on Stage  

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EVEN though there is nothing in the news right now...

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

regarding The Beatles and live gigs, there are a couple of new releases that show the band on stage during the peak of their career. There is one, Blackpool, ABC Theatre, 19th July 1964 & 1st August 1965, that is a cracker and another, Australia, Festival Hall, Melbourne, 17th June 1964, that is worth snapping up. It is rare we get Beatles-related live albums coming up and, aside from The Beatles: Live at the Hollywood Bowl, there has not been much from the vaults. I applaud every Beatles album that comes out, whether it is B-sides or something remastered. Any opportunity that we can get for ‘new’ Beatles material is golden. This year, there will be a fiftieth anniversary release of Abbey Road. I suspect that is going to happen and, as it has been the case with other big albums of their turning fifty, I cannot wait to see what comes about; maybe Giles Martin (son of the late Beatles producer, Sir George Martin) will engineer something. That is all great but we often forget about The Beatles as a touring band. They pretty much stopped touring when they went into the studio to record Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and many forget The Beatles at their gigging peak. One can understand why they stopped touring. They got to a point where fans were screaming so loud they could not hear themselves play.

To have that admiration, on the one hand, must have been thrilling and beyond anything the human mind can comprehend! On the other hand, there is that problem with what the gig becomes: four men on stage who are playing music but damned if anyone can hear what it is! The sheer hysteria and noise generated by fans turned Beatles gigs into something chaotic, frightening and delirious. One can only imagine, too, the relief The Beatles felt when they retreated into the studio and knew they did not have to endure touring again. This might all sound bleak and weird but I actually think the albums of The Beatles’ tours/gigs are among the most powerful records you can imagine. I have just purchased the album of them playing Blackpool (see above). There is footage on YouTube – despite claims on websites that there is no filmed evidence of the gig – and you can tell how much the lads loved being on stage. Perhaps the new releases that have come out (of them in Blackpool and Melbourne at their height) is a little more controlled and less hysterical than some of the gigs they played after that point. They did not have the emptiness of a stadium or the expanse of screaming faces drowning out their words. Listen to songs on their live albums and you can get a real sense of these brothers being in a natural environment.

I love how John Lennon switches between sarcastic and funny; the way Paul McCartney shyly interjects and the way he and George Harrison harmonise. Ringo Starr on his trusty kit is sometimes afforded a vocal lead and plays the roughish, cheeky chap who is self-deprecating and cool! We often listen to The Beatles and get a sense of who they are as writers – it is when they are on stage and afforded some time to breathe that we can really get an understanding of the men behind the microphones. Maybe those big stadium gigs and the bedlam that greeted them in the U.S. was more about spectacle: there is something quite intimate about some of the smaller gigs they performed in 1964 and 1965. There is much to love about Beatles gigs but, invariably, the pressure and problems associated with fame made them reconsider their future. This article from Ultimate Classic Rock details when the final nail was struck:

“For many musicians, playing live is the best part of the job — but touring, on the other hand, is a necessary evil. These days, veteran bands take all sorts of smart, unorthodox measures to mitigate the worst parts of life on the road, but even at their peak, the Beatles often found the experience a painful slog. On Aug. 21, 1966, they decided to do something about it: quit as soon as possible.

As Paul McCartney later reflected in the Beatles Anthology book, there had been rumblings among the band members about getting off the road for some time, particularly from George Harrison and John Lennon, but he'd always maintained that they needed to keep performing live; in his words, "I'd been trying to say, 'Ah, touring's good and it keeps us sharp. We need touring, and musicians need to play. Keep music live.'"

PHOTO CREDIT: Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images 

The tide turned on Aug. 20, when the band's performance at Crosley Field in Cincinnati had to be called off due to rain — the first and last time, according to Beatles lore, that the band ever failed to take the stage when it was supposed to. In his own recollection of the aborted gig, Harrison pinned the blame on poor planning at the venue, which compounded an already dangerous situation.

"Cincinnati was an open-air venue, and they had a bandstand in the center of the ballpark, with a canvas top on it. It was really bad weather, pouring with rain, and when [Beatles assistant Mal Evans] got there to set up the equipment, he said, 'Where's the electricity power feed?' And the fella said, 'What do you mean, electricity? I thought they played guitars.' He didn't even know we played electric guitars," Harrison recalled later. "It was so wet that we couldn't play. They'd brought in the electricity, but the stage was soaking and we would have been electrocuted, so we canceled — the only gig we ever missed".

From their early days playing at The Cavern Club in 1961 through to their final rooftop gig in 1969, they definitely went through a lot. Even those wild and packed-out gigs in the U.S. are thrilling to watch. To me, the finest Beatles shows are those where you get to see the boys talk; a more revealing insight into who they were and how they interacted with the audience.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The press and fans greet The Beatles as they arrive in Washington, U.S.A. in 1964/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

There are some video clips online and it is infectious and warming seeing the band smile and performing their big hits. Even though they had rattled out the same songs time and time again, they gave the songs new life and loved every minute. If you can snap up The Beatles’ live show in Blackpool (two shows, technically, on a variety slot) then do so. There is a lovely bit where Lennon banters with the audience and takes a dig at one of the band’s songs. Starr mocks his technical abilities when he is asked to sing and there are wonderful moments when the guys are enraptured in the performance and lost in the moment. Rolling Stone, in this article, celebrated fifty years since The Beatles’ final live performance with a top-ten. They include some cool shows from 1964 but, right near the start of their career in 1963, they included a gig from Sweden:

“The show was broadcast on Swedish National Radio, so the extant sound is impeccable, with lots of chunky, efficacious distortion from the guitar amps. This was the first concert they’d given outside of England after reaching stardom. They yelp over the start of “Money,” trying to force Lennon to get a further rung up in his vocal intensity. He gets there. They’re impeccably tight on the cover of Smoky Robinson and the Miracles’ “You Really Got a Hold on Me,” and the closing “Twist and Shout” gives its famous studio counterpart a push. This is a band discovering just how powerful they could be, even after knowing they were damn powerful. But it’s like they’re realizing they’re better than they knew they were, and it’s not like they lacked for confidence. That is one glorious hell of a sound”.

To have been a fan then and to have witnessed these early shows must have been something truly spellbinding. When the band was playing the songs fresh and they had not become so worn and over-familiar, you could sense the fun. It is a shame things changed and the sheer demand wore them down. When they played their final gig in Candlestick Park in 1966, it seemed like they have reached a natural end as performers. Rolling Stone tells the story:

““Following the harrowing ordeal, no one was particularly thrilled about having to hit the road again for a U.S. tour the following month. “We’re going to have a couple of weeks to recuperate before we go and get beaten up by the Americans,” George Harrison cracked with more than a touch of resentment. The off-the-cuff joke turned to a horrifying reality when a supposedly anti-religious statement made my John Lennon ignited a firestorm among Bible-toting zealots south of the Mason-Dixon line. They torched Beatles albums, boycotted songs and unleashed a torrent of death threats. Fresh bullet holes on the fuselage of the band’s plane cleared up any doubts: They were in harm’s way.

In 1966 the road was getting pretty boring,” Ringo Starr recalled in the Beatles Anthology documentary. “It was coming to the end for me. Nobody was listening at the shows. That was OK at the beginning, but we were playing really bad.” Perched in the back on his drum kit, he was reduced to following the three wiggling backsides at the front of the stage just to determine where they were in the song.

At least the audience couldn’t hear how ragged they had become – not that they would have cared. “The sound at our concerts was always bad. We would be joking with each other on stage just to keep ourselves amused,” remembered Harrison in the Anthology. Lennon took particular delight in making vaguely obscene alterations to their song lyrics (“I Wanna Hold Your Gland”), knowing full well that no one had any clue what he was saying. “It was just a sort of a freak show,” he later said. “The Beatles were the show, and the music had nothing to do with it”.

In a way, the rooftop gig they performed in 1969 was them stripping away all the plans, hordes of people and physical danger: just the guys jamming and giving this final hurray. In many ways, The Beatles touring life was split into two. The first half (1961-1964) seemed to bare more fruit and there was this real sense that the band were engaged in every moment. As they grew and gigs became more charged through 1965 and 1966, it sort of marked a turn. In any case, the story of The Beatles on the road is like no other band in history. I grew up around The Beatles and was introduced to their music as a child. It was thrilling listening to their music and I especially love their early output (1962-1965).

You get one side of the songs when you hear them on the record but I love the sound of their live performances. The thrill of seeing the early days when the guys rocked the crowds and were lost in the music…that is one of the great joys of life. I have seen some of the early footage of them at The Cavern Club and a few gigs they did in the U.K. The reaction of the crowd and the tightness of the performances is amazing. Even when they started blowing up in America, there was still a time when they were committed and feeding off of the buzz. If there are two sides to their life on the road, it is definitely worth buying as many of these recordings as you can.

We do not have bands like The Beatles anymore and nobody that commands the same sort of focus and excitement as them. I adore all The Beatles’ live performances and the sheer majesty of hearing these songs performed at venues. It is wonderful that a couple of their 1964/1965 performances have been released as it still shows them in love with performing and gigs. Has any other band created the same shivers and wonder when performing live? Maybe so but no other group has attracted the same level of celebration and popularity than The Beatles. Maybe they were not bigger than Jesus – a John Lennon comment that faced swift backlash – but they were something truly remarkable; the likes of which we will never see again. The band’s two surviving members, Starr and McCartney, are still active, although they are in two different places in their careers – McCartney touring the world whereas Starr has a slightly quieter life. To put on an album like (The Beatles at) Blackpool, ABC Theatre, 19th July 1964 & 1st August 1965 or Australia, Festival Hall, Melbourne, 17th June 1964 is truly awe-inspiring. If their touring life became problematic to the point of no return by 1966, investigate these earlier recordings and discover a time when The Beatles…

RULED the world!

FEATURE: “And We’ve Got to Get Ourselves Back to the Garden” Woodstock 50: Will It Happen at All?

FEATURE:

 

 

“And We’ve Got to Get Ourselves Back to the Garden”

IMAGE CREDIT: @woodstockfest  

Woodstock 50: Will It Happen at All?

__________

MAYBE quoting Joni Mitchell’s 1970 song...,

 IN THIS PHOTO: This image from 16th August, 1969 shows music fans at the original Woodstock Music and Arts Festival packed around the stage, at bottom, in Bethel/PHOTO CREDIT: Marty Lederhandler, AP

Woodstock, is not directly linked to the Woodstock festival - but those words at the very top seem appropriate. That track, from Ladies of the Canyon, is in my mind and I have been thinking of the original Woodstock festival in 1969. I sort of suspected that there would be a fiftieth anniversary for Woodstock because, as iconic moments in music go, it is right up there! The fact that it was a festival of peace and love – even though there was some distribution and incidents – was pretty radical. The calibre of artists on the bill was amazing and, although it was not all perfect, that festival has gone down in history. In fact, before I talk about the controversial and ill-fated fiftieth anniversary celebration of Woodstock, it is time for some history. This illuminating article gives details of the original festival and some of the highs and lows enjoyed:

“The Woodstock Music Festival began on August 15, 1969, as half a million people waited on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York, for the three-day music festival to start. Billed as “An Aquarian Experience: 3 Days of Peace and Music,” the epic event would later be known simply as Woodstock and become synonymous with the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Woodstock was a success, but the massive concert didn’t come off without a hitch: Last-minute venue changes, bad weather and the hordes of attendees caused major headaches”.

The festival was a bit of a new thing and nothing quite like this had been tried. In terms of the numbers expected, there was a bit of an error: soon enough, the people flooding in exceeded early estimations and caused a few problems:

“Originally, about 50,000 people were expected. But by August 13, at least that number were already camped out on location and over 100,000 tickets pre-sold.

The Woodstock audience was diverse and a reflection of the rapidly-changing times. Some were hippies who felt alienated by a society steeped in materialism”.

It is amazing to think that they could give tickets away and, think about festivals now, would we be able to run something for free? The sheer overheads and costs that a festival incurs means that they rely on ticket sales and merchandise. Some say Woodstock was a bit of a fad or something that is not as good as everyone claims. There were problems and hitches but, when you think about what America was going through at the time, having something like Woodstock was very important and necessary:

“In 1969, the country was deep into the controversial Vietnam War, a conflict that many young people vehemently opposed. It was also the era of the civil rights movement, a period of great unrest and protest. Woodstock was an opportunity for people to escape into music and spread a message of unity and peace.

Although the crowd at Woodstock experienced bad weather, muddy conditions and a lack of food, water and adequate sanitation, the overall vibe there was harmonious. Looking back, some people attribute the lack of violence to the large number of psychedelic drugs being used”.

There were incidents and tragedies at the event – one person died a drug-related death and another teen was killed by a tractor – but most of Woodstock went by without too much hassle.

Consider the size of the crowds and what could have happened, it is amazing that so much of Woodstock went by without a hitch. The performers had to battle some tricky weather conditions but the likes of Joan Baez, Santana; The Grateful Dead and The Who played. Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix were also on the bill and, in fact, Hendrix was the last performer to play. He was hampered by bad weather and his set was delayed. He didn’t get onto stage until Monday, 18th August (he was due on the night before) and it ended a remarkable, if weather-lashed, festival. Some big names declined to perform – including John Lennon and The Doors – but the bill speaks for itself. There were some truly enormous names on the line-up and there was nothing quite like it around. In many ways, there has not been a festival like Woodstock since; all the more reason there was a lot of expectations regarding Woodstock 50. Maybe we over-romanticise the original Woodstock because there were problems with the weather, technical hitches and more people turning up than expected. One can forgive Woodstock 50 for suffering similar setbacks. In USA Today, they ran an article on Friday that talked about Woodstock 50 and whether it will actually happen:

“In around 100 days, as many as 75,000 attendees and more than 75 musical acts are scheduled to be at the three-day 50th anniversary festival in Watkins Glen.

But permits have yet to be secured. Tickets have yet to go on sale. A date to begin that sale has yet to be announced after being delayed.

IN THIS PHOTO: Miley Cyrus is one of the names confirmed for Woodstock 50/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

On Monday, the festival’s financial backer exited the project. On Wednesday, its production company followed.

And the music world has been left wondering how an event 50 years in the making could be scrambling in the final months. And, as it appears to many to be unraveling, how could it possibly get back on track?

Not many answers have come from the companies who have exited the festival. And the performers on the slate — names as big as Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and Imagine Dragons — have been quiet.

But Michael Lang is confident he can make it work. The Ulster County resident, who co-founded the 1969 Music and Art Fair and is co-producing Woodstock 50, has attributed some of the planning delays to the parties who left.

Lang told the Poughkeepsie Journal, a part of the USA TODAY Network, he expects to have permits secured, and tickets either on sale or an on-sale date announced, in the next two weeks. His team of organizers is also “pretty close” to finding a new financial partner and transitioning to a new production partner. And, he said each of the performers have been paid in full and remain under contract, despite published reports stating the acts may be free to exit”.

It seems that there are going to be problems ensuring that everything is in place in time. There have been rumours of poor ticket sales and these new glitches throw into doubt the survival and reality of Woodstock 50. There have been anniversary celebrations of Woodstock – including its twenty-fifth in 1994 – and each has been beset with some sort of issue.

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The bird of peace is back #Woodstock50☮❤🎵

A post shared by Woodstock (@woodstock) on Jan 9, 2019 at 4:39am PST

One cannot expect any festival to run smoothly but Woodstock 50 has more illnesses and pains than most. Maybe the sheer scale and ambition behind it is a problem but, to me, there is a bigger problem: the quality of the line-up. Even though some huge names turned down Woodstock in 1969, they did boast some truly iconic acts. This year, Santana, Robert Plant and The Raconteurs are playing and there are some okay headliners. Not only is there a lack of female talent on the bill – I know the original Woodstock was male-heavy but we cannot use that excuse now – but there are very few female headliners. Look closely and how many truly wonderful artists are on the bill? We have Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons and The Zombies on the bill so, in terms of variety, there is a lot to choose from. There are Hip-Hop artists like Jay-Z playing and some new Pop acts. Woodstock had more Folk and Rock and it is a bit unfortunate seeing a relative lack of Folk and Acoustic on the bill. Who would you actually turn up for? Maybe Santana – as one of the artists who was on the original bill – could provide that link to 1969 but there is not a great deal of modern-day class. I wonder if the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young were approached; if Patti Smith got a call or a band such as Radiohead were called.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Lang following the announcement of the Woodstock 50 line-up at Electric Lady Studios in New York City on 19th March, 2019/PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal

A recent post on Woodstock’s Instagram account suggests that things are going ahead. As Alt Press have reported, there are no firm plans to cancel.

“Last night, Woodstock 50 took to Instagram to thank those who have continued to support the festival throughout the rumors, sharing a few positive comments while showing appreciation for the “Woodstock Nation.”

“Thank you Woodstock Nation! To the more than 100,000 of you who have responded to our situation with support and solidarity… a heartfelt ‘thank you’. Our intention holds firm. To deliver a world-class, once-in-a-lifetime festival to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock. To honor a cultural icon that changed the way we think about music and togetherness… and will do so again. We’re in this together, as reflected by your words of support”.

Who knows what the current status is, what with different reports saying different things. It seems like, if Woodstock 50 goes ahead, it will be pretty tight and there might be some compromises. I do wonder why there have been so many issues and how things have got so bad. Maybe, because Woodstock 50 is a bit of a landmark, we have heard about the same problems other festivals face…although they are never reported. I do think that the line-up itself is the biggest issue. The original Woodstock did have some stellar acts on the line-up and, whilst there is some quality this time, there is not nearly the same sort of brilliance.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Janis Joplin was one of the performers at the original Woodstock/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I do think it is a bit of a disappointing way to mark fifty years since Woodstock. One might ask who, then, would be best for the headline slots. I do think there are plenty of icons around that could fit the bill and they might have been asked already. With so many problems already affecting Woodstock 50, I hope that it manages to navigate them and survive. Any celebration of such a historic moment is great and I do feel that Woodstock deserves all the respect it gets. Maybe there were some problems and downsides but look at how it brought people together and what it did for the U.S. I hope that, at a time when Americans are being ruled by Trump, Woodstock 50 can bring them together and provide something positive. It is unclear whether the festival will go ahead and whether organisers can overcome problems regarding logistics, artists and everything else. Let’s cross our fingers but, aside from a less-than-fantastic line-up, the spirit is there. I do think it is good that we mark Woodstock and, in decades from now, we keep the ball rolling and mark the anniversaries. Maybe we will not see anyone as explosive as Hendrix at Woodstock 50 but, if everything goes according to plan – and the weather behaves itself! -, it could be a festival…

TO remember for years to come.

FEATURE: Better the Devil You Know: Has Music Given Up Its Smile and Sense of Fun?

FEATURE:

 

 

Better the Devil You Know

PHOTO CREDIT: @emcomeau/Unsplash

Has Music Given Up Its Smile and Sense of Fun?

__________

HAVING just completed an article about dementia...

and how music can aid memory, it seems ironic that I have to be a bit tough on the modern scene. I think the reason I can recall clear details from childhood is because the music that soundtracked those times. I can remember all the cool Pop from the 1980s and 1990s; the great House and Dance music that emerged through the 1990s and all the brilliance that was popping about. Maybe I am employing some romance and rose-tinted glasses but there were many songs in a major key that provoked people to get up and move! One could easily get behind the spirit that was in the air and feel invigorated. Whether it was the Britpop movement of the 1960s or the brilliant Pop of the 1960s – that our parents raised us on – one was not short of pleasure and positivity! I know I have written about this subject a few time but it seems music and the industry in general is going down a bad road. I applaud artists who write about mental illness and pain on their songs and, at a time when many still place a stigma on such subjects. Music is a very powerful way of raising awareness. There are so many artists out there but one practically has to wade through a pile of needles before they can touch a bit of hay. I like the fact musicians are going deeper and more serious but does that mean we have lost a sense of fun and uplift?

 PHOTO CREDIT: @lucassankey/Unsplash

I was reading an article the other day where an artist was promoting their album and they talked about how it was an honest account of depression, mental illness and heartbreak. Even though that is all personal and fine, it sounds completely depressing and unappetising on the page. We have come to a point where more and more artists are writing about such themes and, whilst it is good that we are not shying away from this, there is a vacuum where something a lot lighter used to be. One cannot claim, in any decade, the mainstream was great and the scene was filled with quality and genius. Even if The Beatles ruled the 1960s, there was plenty of crap. We all love 1980s icons like Madonna and Prince but there was ample cheese and crap; the 1990s has plenty to choose from but there were some tragic songs that curdled the blood! I am not sure when a massive shift happened but it was not long after we hit the year 2000. Even over the past few years, there were examples of artists having a good time and celebrating life. One would think that, as more and more artists come along, there should be plenty of major-key music to look out for. Even when some artists – mainly Pop performers – go for something fun, it can sound hollow, processed and instantly forgettable. Perhaps this is me in nostalgia territory but think about decades like the 1980s and 1990s.

Both had plenty of artists that were looking inside their souls and producing music that was sad and reflective. We had some fun music that was very empty and vague but, riding high, there were movements that had positivity at their heart. Think about Dance, House and Britpop: genres and scenes that had more than their share of rapturous anthems and big moments. One reason why I listen back to this music so often is to get that satisfaction and sense of energy. I am revisiting this topic because, week by week, there seems to be less joy around. Has music become a place where artists are more concerned with anxiety and their own lives than projecting outwards and giving the people something fired?! I do worry that artists have missed the point of music and why it remains in our hearts so long: because, under everything, there is a positive spark that can lift us when we need it. I am not suggesting more morose music is forgettable but it is unlikely we will be recalling that type of music from now in about twenty years. All the music I recall now, with few exceptions, has a lightness and tinge of colour that makes me smile. We are, as we’re told, becoming more depressed as a society and we are making mental illness more visible. That is all great and one of the things music should be doing is having these conversations and making darker subjects more accessible.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @thefakebhogra/Unsplash

If one is going through depression or split, they can hear artists talking about the same thing and feel some sense of relatability and understanding. If previous musical movements evolved into something more positive and unifying, does the fact we have no real fun in Pop and any big movements mean we are a bit doomed? What can kick-start a revival? It is clear that artists are struggling to whip up passion and anything approaching happy. Maybe one can understand this but, as I have always said, music needs to allow escapism or something good – if we need misery and sadness then we would just stay outside and not listen to music. If one needs music to give a boost then how many options are there now?! This article from Pitchfork last year that outlined a pandemic that has occurred. It seems that, in the modern age, music as a form of delight and happiness is a thing of the past:

“There are glints of FUN! here and there—Kodak Black’s “ZEZE” has some steel drums, at least, a faint memory of a probably-impounded-by-now cruise ship. Cardi B is out there, trilling her tongue and spilling over with near-cartoonish brio. And Drake continues to elevate our national glucose levels with at least one daiquiri-syrup flavored tropical hit every year; this year it’s “Mia,” his breezy collaboration with Bad Bunny.  The Dua Lipa, Diplo, and Mark Ronson house-pop confection “Electricity” is there, but barely. The song sounds precision-engineered for ubiquity—a billowing soap bubble of “never let you go”—but it peaked all the way down at No. 96…

Perhaps most ominously, some of the most life-affirming pop songs of our current era are literally about affirming the decision to be alive: Last year, Logic became a superstar with “1-800-273-8255,” a massive hit about resisting the pull of suicide that turns on the chorus “I finally wanna be alive.” In the song, the idea that being alive feels awful and unendurable  is taken as a given.

The music has followed suit. There are almost no bright synthesizers, no chirpy voices. Out of all the songs currently in the Top 30, only two are unambiguously major-key—Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” and Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower.”  Nearly everything else sounds submerged, cloudy, groggy, pained, dour. One or two outliers aside—DJ Snake is still out here DJ Snaking—it is a particularly subdued moment in pop.

Music, and Pop especially, is meant to lift us up and provide something warming at the end of a hard day, no? Why, then, are we being let down and having to embrace something darker and colder?

The armchair-cultural-anthropologist answer is the easiest one: Everything is garbage! Who wants to celebrate when the world is crumbling? It’s a seductive explanation. After all, many of us are currently grappling with the reality that the Earth will probably be partially drowned within the next four or five presidential administrations (assuming presidential administrations keep happening). Despite whatever famed optimist and Harvard cognitive scientist Steven Pinker might be peddling, most of us, no matter our politics, are united by the overwhelming sensation that Things Really Aren’t Going Great. As citizens, we are more pessimistic, more distrustful, more anxious. We are angrier. We are more fearful…

In this sense, the pop charts are just mirroring back our internal climate. Wouldn’t it make sense that we wouldn’t be clamoring for FUN! to run around screaming in our faces? When confronted with terms like “climate genocide,” who really wants to party like it’s their last night on Earth?”

Even films like Vox Lux are casting Pop artists as tragic and darker figures. Pop is not the only culprit when it comes to an upside-down smile: genres like Rap, Hip-Hop and Rock are becoming much more depressive and angry. Surely, one feels a way of helping people through depression and tough lives is to produce music that elevates rather than compresses and clouds? Pop used to be the home of great, bouncing sounds but that is less so nowadays. I know there are artists now that can write happy songs but there is almost this sense of guilt when one does arrive. Also, there are few happy songs that have the same natural energy, memorability and nuance of the classic songs from the 1960s-1990s/2000s. I know the world is paddling down a creek of shite right now but we all know that. We do not need music to tell of the fact and, although artists should be honest and tackle meaty subjects, we need some contrast! I am worried that we are in a bad situation now and there is no easy solution. Look back at all the great songs that got us pumped back in the day and realise why these songs remain with us now. Everything is not lost but I feel, the more artists embrace moodier songs and a sense of the downbeat, the less likely we are to be able…

TO return to better, happier times.

FEATURE: Time Out of Mind: Music for Dementia 2020 and a Pledge We Can All Get Behind

FEATURE:

 

 

Time Out of Mind

IN THIS  PHOTO: D.J., broadcaster and journalist Lauren Laverne (left) is the Ambassador for Music for Dementia 2020 and wants more to be done to ensure music is free for all those who suffer from dementia/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Music for Dementia 2020

Music for Dementia 2020 and a Pledge We Can All Get Behind

__________

I am going to get a bit nostalgic in this piece...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @elien_dumon/Unsplash

as I am writing about a disease that affects memory. That might sound like a loose and unrelated reason to discuss dementia but, as we know, the disease is serious and takes a lot from a person. I will mention a couple of big names who are supporting Music for Dementia 2020 and outlining why dementia is so serious; the role music plays and why it should be free for all those who suffer the disease. Before explaining the reasons behind writing this feature, it is worth noting who Music for Dementia 2020 are and what their aims are. From their website, we can see they are a brilliant organisation with a great aim:

“It is anticipated that there will be one million people living with dementia in the UK by 2021 ¹. Music is a powerful connector and has the ability to bring people together in the here and now. It can enliven, stimulate and enable people living with dementia to express themselves creatively through musical engagement.

Research has shown and lived experiences demonstrate that music has the ability to help reduce the often-distressing symptoms of dementia, such as agitation, apathy and anxiety.

Music supports people living with dementia to communicate beyond words, helping them to connect with others. It supports emotional health and wellbeing, particularly at a time when emotions can be overwhelming or difficult to process or manage. It has a valuable role to play in enhancing quality of life and supporting carers in their vital roles.

IMAGE CREDIT: The University of Queensland

Music for Dementia 2020 is a national campaign to make music available for everyone living with dementia by 2020. Led by The Utley Foundation, the campaign is a direct and positive response to the Commission report on Dementia and Music. (See section below for more information about the report).

The recommendations in the report are a call to action for all. The Utley Foundation is leading the way by creating a national taskforce of stakeholders from across the music, dementia, health, social and care sectors, from people living with dementia through to MPs, to help improve the quality of life for people living with dementia through music by making it readily available and accessible.

Click here to become a member of our taskforce

By 2020 we want to:

1. Have the support of the music, social, health, and care sectors in making music readily available for people living with dementia.

2. Create a collective understanding across society that music is a necessity for people living with dementia and they need access to it now.

When we talk about music being readily available, we are talking about the whole spectrum of music, from understanding how to create the right environments in care settings through appropriate use of the radio through to active participation in live music making, playlists, listening to performances, using music to enhance and enrich care, and music therapy. People should and need to be able to make choices about what types of musical activities are best for them. This campaign wants to make sure that choice is available to you wherever you live across the UK, and that you have access to high quality musical activities, from the best in the latest music technology to evidence based music therapy”.

pic.twitter.com/hjNHrH8lPk

— Vicky McClure (@Vicky_McClure) May 2, 2019

It seems shocking that music now is not free and available to all who live with dementia. I have no first-hand experience of dementia but my mother is a care worker and regularly is exposed to people who do live with it. Family members and friends can be forgotten instantly; cherished memories can escape and the sheer fear of not knowing your own name and where they are. We misunderstand dementia but we are aware of how serious it is and how it changes a person. Imagine going through your life normally and then, when you get to a certain age, you start forgetting stuff you used to know. There are different levels of severity but, for many, daily life can be interrupted and affected in a very serious way. I have memory problems but it scares me that, one day, I might suffer from dementia. There is no family history of it but I do worry that I will be afflicted in older age. Maybe it is irrational but it seems that, with each year, more of my precious memories start to fade. Why is it important to get music to dementia sufferers without them incurring a cost? Music, to many of us, is a way to pass time and provide some emotional release. Everyone has different reasons for listening to music but we all get something from it. If you are in a crappy mood then you can play a song that will definitely lift the mood. I guess we all take it for granted because we can access pretty much everything recorded without paying for it.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Pinterest/Katyau

Music is used as therapy and has been shown to make a real difference for those who suffer mental-health problems. Whether it is a stirring piece of music we have not heard or a much-loved favourite, music has the potential to transform people and keep them alive. Certain songs can actually give people impetus and a new lease. Whether it is a potent lyric or a particular time, there is no telling just what music can do. In dementia, there is an extra reason why music is so special. We store music in a different part of the brain to other memories so, whereas we might forget conversations or events from a few years ago, we can retain music from much further back. Organisations like Music for Dementia 2020 knows that many dementia sufferers have music stored in their mind; they might not know their loved ones and their past but there are songs in them! Music can unlock those and, with that, help aid the memory. Maybe it is ironic but music itself can unlock music memories that can, in turn, help restore memories that had been forgotten. I can think of few illnesses and diseases that are scarier than dementia. The fact that as many as one-million people might have dementia by 2021 should all give us pause for thought. Music cannot cure dementia on its own but it is clear how important it is regarding therapy and support.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Actor Vicky McClure/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I will come to my own personal reasons for supporting Music for Dementia 2020 but there is a lot of positive support in the media regarding dementia and ways to make the lives of sufferers better. Actor Vicky McClure is a big supporter and someone who knows the pains of dementia. Her series, Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure is a fantastic series and one that puts real sufferers in the spotlight. The series uses music/a choir to show how affecting it can be when people with dementia bond through music. Make sure you watch it but, as this review from The Guardian shows, we all can stand to learn a bit more and understand just how serious dementia is:

“Music, though, often remains after other things have gone. Lyrics learned long ago can be embedded too deep for the ravages of age to erase them. The power of notes and harmonies to uplift, move and connect synapses and people remains potent. With this in mind McClure and a team of musicians and neurological experts (and the BBC in conjunction with the Open University) have brought together a 20-strong group of people with different types of dementia, from McClure’s home town of Nottingham, to form a choir that will give a public performance in a 2,000-seater venue in three months’ time.

Chris, 67, has fronto-temporal dementia, which attacks the areas of the brain that control behaviour, personality and language; the bits that make us most “us”, if you like. He is becoming more outspoken and inappropriately behaved. Perhaps as part of it, he seems sunnily unconcerned by the condition. His wife, Jane, who has taken early retirement to care for him, says: “It’s like the long goodbye – every week, every month, we lose something of Chris. He’s not the person I married. I just find the whole thing so, so sad.”

The choir starts learning Stand By Me (as arranged by their choirmaster, Mark De-Lisser, for Harry and Meghan’s wedding). Betty, Chris and Mick are soloists unafraid to belt out a tune, and Julie builds up her confidence with every outing. McClure is genuinely involved in rehearsals, as well as fulfilling her role as presenter and interviewer, gently soliciting people’s stories and offering sympathy and empathy without sentimentality or strain. The programme takes the same approach. The choir members and those who look after them speak for themselves, and there are no contortions to fit anyone on to a particular path and force “a journey” on them. Everyone’s dignity remains intact and the blind cruelty of the condition is left to tell its own story, even if the harsher realities of their lives are not dwelled on”.

D.J. broadcaster and journalist Lauren Laverne is the Ambassador for Music for Dementia 2020 and has been speaking about her reasons behind supporting this wonderful drive:

“She explained, “Music should be made free for everyone living with dementia.

“I’ve seen the way music can change people’s lives. This is my industry, and this is a thing that this industry can do to help the people who created it; you know, people who grew up in the 60s, and bought records and then CDs.”

“This is a generation who paid their music taxes, and made the music industry what it is today. We’d love to see streaming services make music free for everyone living with dementia.”

DJ @laurenlaverne explains why she became an ambassador for the #M4D2020 campaign, which is calling for music to be made freely accessible to everyone living with #dementia by 2020 🎵🎤

For more music & entertainment news, head here: https://t.co/q8AqJ28JLt pic.twitter.com/QFYj3fFbjN

— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 2, 2019

Explaining her own connection with music, she said, “I can’t imagine my life without music.

“And we all instinctively know how important music is, and how beneficial it is for our wellbeing. It connects us to others, to our memories and boosts our mood.”

But Lauren explained that music can provide proven benefit to those with dementia in particular. She told us, “We know music has this deep effect on us. But there was this research, done by a parlimentary group, that showed that for 67% of people with dementia music reduces irritability and the need for medication.”

Lauren also shared that she has a personal connection to the benefits of music – revealing that it helped her dad and her family massively during his long illness, before his death last year.

“There are real, cognitive emotional health benefits to these sorts of things. And coming out of that experience with my dad, I saw how beneficial it was to him and how much it helped him to maintain his identity.”

“After he died I thought it would be a great thing to try and help other family’s benefit in that way – and it was about a week later that I was approached about this campaign. So it was good timing”.

One can only imagine how stressful it was for her family when her dad was ill; the pain of losing him but the fact music helped ease that stress and bring them all together in those precious final days cannot be understated. I wonder whether there are going to be any initiatives but, as I am writing about later, it is not all bad clinging onto the pass.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Music for Dementia 2020

We are told that nostalgia should be doled out lightly and we cannot hang onto the pass. I think, the more the mainstream grows gloomy and loses its smile, the less memorable music is. One of my fears is losing the memories that connect me with my past. The majority of the songs that are lodged in my memory are in a major key or have a cheerier tone. Were it not for the music I was exposed to at a young age, it is debatable whether I would be a music journalist and have such a passion. From a very young age, I was exposed to my mother’s vinyl collection: records from The Beatles, Steely Dan and The Faces; rarer treats from The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and, as one would expect, classics from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Kate Bush. All of this love (she had) for music rubbed off on me and informed me as a child. It seems idle and cheap to throw in romantic visions of childhood but I recall the first album I bought (maybe, worryingly, it was Now That's What I Call Music! 24) and the early songs that I was listening to. There are lots of times where music played an important role but, when I was young, I had a go-kart – my grandad constructed for me as a present; it was a pedal one and had a bar at the back where one could stand – and a friend used to be on the back with a red cassette player/boom-box. Whether it was Michael Jackson, T. Rex or The Beach Boys, these artists filled our ears and made life very sweet.

I grew up around artists as eclectic as Del Shannon, Bob Dylan and Carole King and digested every note I possibly could! The fact I can clearly remember riding that go-kart is because of music. I remember buying my first album at a local record shop on double-cassette and revelling in songs from k.d. lang, Duran Duran; Snow, Shaggy and Lenny Kravitz. I can recall where I was when listening to The Prodigy, Beastie Boys and Jamiroquai – playing football after school – and why Basement Jaxx’s Red Alert and Sixpence None the Richer’s Kiss Me played different roles in 1999 (a girl I fancied was with a friend of mine at our prom and it was a bit heartaching to see!). Coming back from family holidays, it is amazing why music from those moments remains. Maybe it was the fact I was happy during these times but the importance of the music is clear and have stayed in my mind since childhood. I do not recall memories from around those times; conversations and other scenes are gone but certain songs are with me; they open up scenes and images like a Michel Gondry mind-f*ck video. It is clear that music bonds us and is that common voice that makes our childhood so good; that scores these important times and gets lodged into a part of the brain that other memories do not. I have musical memories as old as thirty-plus-years and hope that they stay with me for decades.

So many other memories have gone and so it is thanks to music that I can vividly remember parts of my childhood. Just listening to certain songs casts my mind back to particular times and what I was doing. Take The Beautiful South’s Song for Whoever or Bob Marley’s Iron Lion Zion; The Beatles’ Rubber Soul and The Bangles’ Eternal Flame. I think of these songs and can instantly transport myself back to when they first arrived in life. It is quite emotional recalling the times but music is the common theme. When depressed, I have turned to music to keep me going and give me perspective. So many of us are stressed and anxious and conventional medicine/therapy is not always helpful. It is hard know what course of treatment works for complex individuals but there is something simple with music that reaches us all. I am touching on this later but think about joyful songs such as Deee-Lite’s Groove Is in the Heart. That 1990 anthem is not powerful enough on its own to cure depression or make someone happy but it provides a blast of infectious fun that can make a bad day good. A single song can bring a smile and, for someone with dementia, that sort of emotional response should not be taken lightly! I have only touched the surface of music and how it has impacted my lie but every individual has their own stories.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rocinante_11/Unsplash

Most of my early musical memories revolved around buying singles and physical albums. I recall getting the bus with my mates to buy singles from The Divine Comedy, Terrovision and Oasis back in the day. I loved the feel of an album and sharing it at school. A lot of people with dementia had a similar experience and now, as music is mainly digital, it is harder to get a handle on everything coming out. I applaud those who pay for music and do not stream for free but there should be expectations for those with dementia. The fact music can enrich their lives means that we should not be charging them. More than that, music can calm nerves and help recall memories; it can help loved ones seeing their relatives fade away and help with issues around mental-health and even physical injury. There is a community and sense of togetherness you get from music and, as Vicky McClure’s T.V. show proved, something as simple as a choir can make a huge impression. I know the Government has a lot on its hands right now but they should help make music free for everyone with dementia. Streaming sites like Spotify and Tidal need to do their part and realise why those with dementia can benefit hugely from free music. We are not asking for anything huge when it comes to those who suffer a horrific and frightening illness: make music free for them and help bring about improvement and positivity.

Age UK wrote about dementia and how it unlocks memories:

“The power of music, especially singing, to unlock memories and kickstart the grey matter is an increasingly key feature of dementia care. It seems to reach parts of the damaged brain in ways other forms of communication cannot.

'We tend to remain contactable as musical beings on some level right up to the very end of life,' says Professor Paul Robertson, a concert violinist and academic who has made a study of music in dementia care.

'We know that the auditory system of the brain is the first to fully function at 16 weeks, which means that you are musically receptive long before anything else. So it’s a case of first in, last out when it comes to a dementia-type breakdown of memory.'

Many music students throughout the UK, as well as more experienced musicians, now regard care home visits as part of their learning experience. As well as being enormously beneficial to those with various forms of dementia and their carers, they can also be helpful and rewarding for the musicians themselves”.

I am worried about old age and what it can bring but I know that, with support, research and awareness, there might be a cure for dementia one day. Make sure you check out Music for Dementia 2020 and help spread the word. We all seem to take music for granted because we play so much every day. There are people out there who are not so lucky and go through a lot worse than we do. A cure for dementia is not on the cards yet but, if we can harness music and make it freely available to dementia sufferers, then that is a really positive step. Music is not just sounds that we can hum to and dance along to: for many people, it can recover memories that they thought were…

LOST forever.

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Spring-Ready Playlist (Vol. X)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Izzy Bizu 

An All-Female, Spring-Ready Playlist (Vol. X)

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AS the sun is out...                                                          

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ina Wroldsen

it is a good time to celebrate the weather and the fact that the cold days, we hope, are all through. On this Bank Holiday weekend, we are all going to be out and about but, as you go, take some cool music with you. I have been looking around at the best female-led sounds of the moments and put them together in the latest Playlist. From all around the musical map, here are some gems that should give your day a bit of a boost. Take a listen to all the great material and I know there is going to be something in there for you. There are some names in the rundown that are definite stars of the future. Make sure you investigate them now and watch…

IN THIS PHOTO: Holiday Sidewinder

THEM rise.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

____________

Sage Charmaine – around

PHOTO CREDIT: Linn Emmery

Miynt – Vacations with Bond in South of France, Pt. 2

Luna Shadows – lowercase

Tacocat – Little Friend

PHOTO CREDIT: Rebecca Blissett

T. Nile – Beachfires

PHOTO CREDIT: Jakob Wandel

Royal Teeth – Rivalry

Izzy Bizu – Never with It

Kate Tempest – Firesmoke

Laura Misch – Night Drive

Sabrina Carpenter – Exhale

RVBY MY DEAR – Cycles

Molly Hammar -Words

Mabes - Gone

PHOTO CREDIT: Cara Robbins

Jackie Cohen – Chico Chico

Holiday Sidewinder – Forever / Whatever

Lucy Spraggan – Luck Stars

Bellflower – You

Ina Wroldsen – Body Parts

Hildur Höglind – Further Apart

PHOTO CREDIT: Joseph Maddon

Pearl Charles – Sweet Sunshine Wine

Tessa Violet – I Like (the idea of) You

Ashley Tisdale – True Romance

Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker – please

Georgia Meek – When You’re Sober

Ari Lennox – Up Late

FEATURE: The May Playlist: Vol. 1: When I Rise, Gimme New York and Firesmoke

FEATURE:

 

The May Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: BANKS 

Vol. 1: When I Rise, Gimme New York and Firesmoke

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THIS week has some truly bumper songs…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The National

that stand out from the crowd. Among the new music are songs from The National, BANKS; Kate Tempest, Madonna; Kylie Minogue and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The Futureheads and Izzy Bizu are in there and, in a busy and exciting week, it is hard to get your head around everything that is happening! It is a great way to kick off the weekend and, in this group of songs, is a tonne of variety, colour and memorability. Get involved with the fantastic songs assembled and I am sure there is something in there for you! I have seen few weeks where so many of the big names have come out and it is exciting seeing all this great music bubble. 2019 has already been a terrific one for music and, with the tunes out we have this week, it seems like there is….

PLENTY more to come.  

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

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BANKS - Gimme

Madonna – I Rise

Kylie Minogue – New York City

Izzy Bizu – Doorstep

The Futureheads - Jekyll

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Black Star Dancing 

Kate Tempest – Firesmoke

Cate Le Bon – The Light

Taron Egerton – Rocket Man

The National - Hairpin Turns

Iggy Azalea - Started

slowthai – Nothing Great About Britain

Of Monsters and Men – Alligator

Kitt Philippa - Human

Bastille - Joy

Vampire Weekend – How Long?

Lewis Capaldi – Hold Me While You Wait

Mini Mansions - Bad Things (That Make You Feel Good)

Sabrina Carpenter - Exhale

The Record Company - Goodbye to the Hard Life

The Flaming Lips – All for the Life of the City

Ashley Tisdale – Vibrations

Jamie Cullum – Taller

IN THIS PHOTO: Valerie Broussard/PHOTO CREDIT: Carmelo Donato

Valerie Broussard, Lindsey Stirling - Deeper

Big Thief – Orange

Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi – Brown Baby

Lucy Spraggan – Connie’s Bar

The Kooks – Got Your Number

Christina Perri – Tiny Victories

Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler – please

Tessa Violet – I Like (the idea of) You

JP Cooper, Astrid S - Sing It with Me

Stay for Good - China Bears

FEATURE: A Resurrection Down by the Waterfall: The Stone Roses’ Eponymous Debut at Thirty

FEATURE:

 

 

A Resurrection Down by the Waterfall

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/ARTWORK: John Squire

The Stone Roses’ Eponymous Debut at Thirty

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THIS might be a day late but...,

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Stone Roses in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Dilworth/Photoshot/Getty Images

with one thing or another, it is not always possible to get things out on time! I don’t think The Stone Roses would object to some well-meaning tardiness when it comes to their eponymous debut record. Released thirty years ago yesterday, it has been celebrated by fans and the press. I was five when it was released but, as explorative children often walk, it was soon in my vision. 1989 was a truly wondrous year for music and, alongside the golden age of U.S. Hip-Hop, there was some fantastic music coming from the U.K. House and Dance music was in full swing and, whilst a lot of influence was happening from Europe, there was something great blossoming in the U.K. In this country, bands like The Stone Roses were about to add their huge footprint to music. Their debut, The Stone Roses, was a bolt from the blue – and its influence is still being felt now. The band did not become an instant success when the album was released on 2nd May, 1989 but the band gained a huge following after touring more; a fixture of the Madchester and Baggy scene that was happening at the time. Although The Stone Roses had been playing together since 1983, it was their anticipated debut that broke them into the mainstream. Many claim that The Stone Roses, on their debut, invented ‘Madchester’: they definitely popularised it and made it ignite!

Although some of their peers were offering a more jangly and mellow form of Pop, The Stone Roses were channelling Dance, Rave and Psychedelia from the 1960s. Their debut album, in effect, was a mixture of the 1960s’ best and brightest with the growing and influential Rave scene of the late-1980s. If some of Ian Brown (the band’s lead) lyrics and confident vocals put some in mind of The Beatles, there was humour and arrogance that harked back to the explosion of Plunk and nodded to Mancunian heroes such as The Smiths. When supporting the album, The Stone Roses played some high-profile gigs – including playing at The Haçienda nightclub. There was a feeling by many – including the press and followers of the band – that The Stone Roses were offering something more explosive than The Smiths and something more substantial than a lot of their Manchester peers. Many have been writing about The Stone Roses on its thirtieth anniversary and I shall get to that soon. Of course, acclaim for the debut from The Stone Roses was instant and there has been a boat-load of retrospective regard. Pitchfork, when celebrating the album’s twentieth anniversary, had this to say:

“To wit, "She Bangs the Drums", "Waterfall", "Made of Stone", "(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister", and "Fool's Gold" (a later single that was appended to the original U.S. release and, unlike fellow longtime U.S. add-on "Elephant Stone", reappears on the reissue), would make stellar radio hits in any decade. Brown's vocals, guitarist John Squire's intricate fingerwork and mighty riffs, and rhythm section Mani and Reni's sly, lockstepping grooves, are a textbook case of the whole far exceeding its components. Even "Elizabeth, My Dear", a notorious monarchy smackdown set to "Scarborough Faire"'s half-millennium-old melody, was ballsy then and remains deliciously tart today.

But queen-bashing and other acts of symbolic resistance aside ("Bye Bye Badman" and Squire's abstract expressionist cover art reference the 1968 student protests that uprooted France's political and cultural establishments), The Stone Roses isn't a radical, or even particularly progressive, work: From its verse-chorus-verses, to its meticulous overdubs and careful sequencing, to its revival-- however cleverly repurposed-- of hoary old rock myths ("I don't have to sell my soul/ He's already in me"), the album is a slick production designed for maximum market penetration”.

AllMusic, in 2014, had this to offer:

“Similarly, Brown can claim "I Am the Resurrection" and lie back, as if there were no room for debate. But the key to The Stone Roses is John Squire's layers of simple, exceedingly catchy hooks and how the rhythm section of Reni and Mani always imply dance rhythms without overtly going into the disco. On "She Bangs the Drums" and "Elephant Stone," the hooks wind into the rhythm inseparably -- the '60s hooks and the rolling beats manage to convey the colorful, neo-psychedelic world of acid house. Squire's riffs are bright and catchy, recalling the British Invasion while suggesting the future with their phased, echoey effects. The Stone Roses was a two-fold revolution -- it brought dance music to an audience that was previously obsessed with droning guitars, while it revived the concept of classic pop songwriting, and the repercussions of its achievement could be heard throughout the '90s, even if the Stone Roses could never achieve this level of achievement again”.

If some critics have been dismissive of the impact regarding The Stone Roses, there is no denying the influence of the album. In fact, the album constantly features on ‘best of’ lists – suggesting it is more popular now than back in 1989! At the time, in 1989, it was a revelation and opened the eyes of artists around the world. The sheer bombast, experimentation and confidence from the band stunned and enthralled. There is evidence that future icons such as Oasis were taking note when The Stone Roses was unleashed. Look at the anthems on the album and how consistent the material is. From the opening of I Wanna Be Adored to She Bangs the Drums; Made of Stone and I Am the Resurrection, there is an overloading of quality. One of the biggest hits from The Stone Roses, Fools Gold, was added to the U.S. edition of their debut but was, perhaps, the perfect fusion of 1960s trip and pure bagginess. Later in life, in the early-1990s, I was latching onto The Stone Roses and it was sort of a gateway from the Rave scene to Britpop. One can argue there was Britpop precursor on The Stone Roses’ debut: the album is such a marvel and mixture it is almost impossible to pin down! NME, when celebrating The Stone Roses, focused on the unique lyrics and Ian Brown’s original aspect:

“But, really, the most timeless aspect of the album is the lyrics. Ian Brown gets a lot of shit for his vocal ability, but that’s like slagging off a great author for their handwriting. The important things here are the mood and the message, and the Roses singer is an underrated philosopher. Many great songs contain a meaning that’s poignant whenever and wherever they’re played because they speak to fundamental aspects of the human condition: Pulp‘s ‘Common People’, LCD Soundsystem‘s ‘All My Friends’, Bruce Springsteen‘s ‘Born To Run’. On ‘The Stone Roses’ there are 11 of them. Optimism and hope reign supreme.

Throughout ‘The Stone Roses’, Ian Brown softly delivers lyrics that combine anger at the Monarchy (“It’s curtains for you, Elizabeth my dear“) and the government (“Every member of parliament trips on glue“) with sacrilegious arrogance (“I am the resurrection and I am the light“) and the unbridled optimism of talented youth (“Sometimes I fantasise, when the streets are cold and lonely and the cars they burn below me“). These are mood-lifting and perspective-changing anthems. Best of all, from ‘She Bangs The Drums’: “The past was yours but the future’s mine“. Any young person who doesn’t have that attitude is doing it wrong”.

In a fantastic article from The Independent, they talked about the bond in the band in addition to some of the struggled they faced:

“What made it all work were the personalities of the four musicians; a Beatles-esque spatter of contradictions that drove the band to great heights and also, when rancour later set it and it all tumbled apart, set them up as a cautionary fable of British pop.

Yet the Roses, less lightning in a bottle than nitro-glycerine in a flask, were never an entirely stable entity. Early on, Reni was regarded within the ranks as the natural talent. Indeed, Squire and Brown feared constantly that he would be head-hunted by a more established band (one particular obsession was that Mick Hucknall would pinch him for Simply Red).

Anxiety was thus infused into their DNA, along with that teary upstart spirit. Before Mani had joined, eager to expand beyond their loyal but modest fanbase, Brown and Reni had gone on a graffiti rampage, spray-painting the band’s name on walls in the suburb of West Didsbury.

It was clearly, also, that 1989 was a glorious time and one in which The Stone Roses flourished. Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, as the article explains, was also smitten when The Stone Roses arrived: 

Still, it was a glorious time. A period of innocence before their fall. Later, the Roses would be locked in endless wrangles with Zomba and Evans over their lop-sided contract. And they would become bogged down in the sessions for their lugubrious 1995 second record (the apocryphal difficult second album myth made flesh). Even their initially well-regarded 2011 return eventually petered out, leaving us only with two underwhelming, aura-destroying comeback singles.

But as 1989 ambled into 1990, how bright their future must have felt. Manchester, too, was basking in a moment. The Hacienda club was ground zero for acid house. Happy Mondays, James, The Charlatans were taking up the baton. John Squire’s shaggy non-haircut was trending, baggy pants were ubiquitous. We all seemed to live in the Roses’ world and it was magnificent.

“We were into The Jam and The Smiths before that,” Noel Gallagher would recall. “We thought you had to go to college or be an art student to be in a band. When I went to see the Roses, they looked exactly the same as we did … When I heard ‘Sally Cinnamon’ for the first time, I knew what my destiny was”.

The Stone Roses’ debut album can still be heard in modern music and the impact of the album is clear. I remember it, like all great albums, opening my mind at a young age. I was instantly connected to this pioneering band and, although their sophomore album (1994’s Second Coming) did not make such a huge wave, there is no refuting the power and potency of The Stone Roses! I love all the different mood and visions throughout and, thirty years later, I am picking up new shades, strands and colours. It changed the game upon its release and has been responsible for spawning so many bands – all hoping to follow in the footsteps of The Stone Roses. Thirty years after its release, the album still sounds fresh and exhilarating. It is clear that this phenomenal album will continue to motivate and startle musicians and fans…

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

FOR decades to come!