Friday, 20 December 2024

Albums of the year 2024

Welcome to my annual blog where I list my favourite albums of the year.

My album of the year is Bill Ryder-Jones sensational lechyd Da. I was gutted his joint tour with Gruff Rhys didn't venture north of the border. I kinda regret not travelling down south or over to Ireland to see them. Both have released incredible records. 

Here are 14 albums I've enjoyed through 2024. A top 5 and then a further 11.

They include a number of albums that have been enjoyed across our household and I'm delighted that my youngest daughter Rosie is taking time to listen to albums and not just singles. I think Taylor Swift has played a big part in this. Albums by Taylor, Dua Lipa, Becky Hill (not in this list but still great), Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo (released in 2023) are played regularly in our house and cars. I'm so pleased that so many creative, talented and cool female songwriters and performers are making such brilliant music.

Hopefully Santa comes good with Gracie Abrams tickets for Rosie and I!

lechyd Da by Bill Ryder-Jones

Quite simply a masterpiece; deep, soulful, melodic, inventive and melancholic. Utterly beautiful from start to finish. Ryder-Jones is rarely in a hurry, finding riffs and melodies, singing in a gorgeous hushed whisper, bringing in strings, choirs, horns and lovely dashes of psychedelia when he needs to. Exceptional songwriting, musicianship, arrangements and production. 

This Can't Go On - official video

Sadnesss Sets Me Free by Gruff Rhys

Recorded in just 3-days, there is a gorgeous fresh feeling to this record. Rhys is as inventive as ever as he lets his imagination run wild with his lyrics. Gruff's natural sing-song voice is soothing and he finds melodies with ease.

Bad Friend - official video

Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker

Recorded to tape in Lenker's analogue studio, hidden in a forest, there is a stunning intimacy to this album. Three musical friends joined Lenker, the tape never stopped. Each song feels delicate and special.

Fool - official video

The Secret Of Us by Gracie Abrams




I discovered Gracie Abrams through my daughter Rosie who fell for her magnificent single Close To You. The hook in the bridge - I burn for you, but you don't even know my name may be my bridge of the year. I fell for it too and enjoyed sitting down with Rosie to watch YouTube videos of Gracie performing live and checking videos from her catalogue. Zoe eventually fell under Gracie's spell too.

There is a lovely authentic feel to Abrams work - visually and on record. Her songwriting is exceptional, many of her songs (like Risk) develop into fast-flowing words and melodies that seem to come effortlessly. 

God I'm jumping in the deep end
It's more fun to swim in
Heard the risk is drowning
But I'm gonna take it, I'll bend 'til I break it
You'll be my favourite mistake

This is a very strong album indeed and Gracie has just been announced for TRNSMT. Hopefully Santa comes through with tickets for Rosie and I to go and see Gracie at the Hydro in March.

Close To You - official video

Pomegranate by Tess Parks



A welcome late discovery. This is dreamy cinematic garage psychedelic guitar music that is easy to get lost in. Scuzzy and fuzzy at times, with shoegaze/psych effects at others and chiming on Crown Shy, which also introduces some lush strings. Parks sounds beautiful and cool as she sings you don't get mad at the sky as it starts to rain in the opening song Bagpipe Blues.  Tess now has 5 albums to her name, including 2 with Anton Newcombe. Fans of Brian Jonestown Massacre will love.

Running Home To Sing official video

Bubbling under

Viva Hinds by Hinds
Dreamy, trashy, thrashy, brashy garage pop with dashes of shoegaze and psychedelia, I can't wait to see them play Saint Luke's in February. I actually think the album will make even more sense after seeing them live. Do you ever find that?


Short n Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter
Wow! Super cool and sassy pop. Innuendo's galore, sugar coated choruses, enough hooks to floor Rocky, lyrics that are clever and funny, cool beats and sublime production. Impeccable pop. 


Nobody Loves You More by Kim Deal
What a pleasant surprise! The debut album by Kim Deal arrived in late November, that alone was a bit of a surprise. You would expect cracking guitar sounds (they are present - of course), but maybe not have anticipated it's strings, horns, hushed vocals and exceptional variety throughout. WARNING - Are You Mine? is a tearjeker.


The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift
A very hotly anticipated album in our house, particularly among our (now) 10-year old Rosie who considers herself a Swifty! I Can Do It With A Broken Heart is absolute pop perfection (check my blog) while Swift's songwriting is exceptional; telling tales, pouring scorn, being open and reflective, super confident one minute and full of self doubt the next. All with a lovely self effacing humour. The closing section of opening song Fortnight is sublime, the way it flows is stunning.



Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman
A late discovery via 6Music. Lenderman released this album in September, his fifth since his eponymous debut in 2019. I'm making my way through them. Lenderman is certainly prolific, he is also in the band Wednesday. Raw, stoned indie guitar sounds with a country edge, storytelling, humour and reflection are at the heart of his sound. Right up my street.

A Dream Is All We Know by The Lemon Twigs

I missed these guys at Saint Luke's and I'll really need to make sure I catch them next time they are in town. Effortlessly talented with guitars, harmonies and songwriting, the D'Addario brothers fuse 60's and 70's sounds with ease; glorious harmonies, jangling guitars, fuzzed guitars - they can do it all. Simon and Garfunkel one minute, Big Star the next.

My Golden Years - official video

Dreamers On The Run by BMX Bandits
A fresh band of Bandits have captured the melodies, arrangements and flourishes that are in Duglas T Stewart's head perfectly. Lush, emotional and soulful. The title track is a particular favourite and possibly a career high. BMX Bandits celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2025 and I look forward to seeing them in Saint Luke's in late January.

Dreamers On The Run - official audio

In Giraffe by Adventure Team 
Think early Fanclub meeting Dinosaur Jr for a jam session. Lovely guitar sounds and cool melodies that veer off on beautiful tangents at times. I really enjoyed seeing these guys play BLOC earlier in the year.


Radical Optimism by Dua Lipa
Following up the immense pop of Future Nostalgia wasn't going to be easy and Dua Lipa certainly took her time (4-years), but Radical Optimism was worth the wait, while not being (pardon the pun) radically different from the predecessor. Houdini and Training Season were ace singles, while These Walls is an album gem. Dua's Glastonbury headline set was superb - a stadium/club/dance show. Huge in scale at times, super intimate at others.

Previous albums of the year

2010 - Shadows by Teenage Fanclub, This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem, Plastic Beach by Gorillaz

2011 - Love & Lemonade by Futuristic Retro Champions, Jonny by Jonny, The Quickening by Remember Remember

2012 - One Day I'm Going To Soar by Dexys, Electric Cables by Lightships, Light of the North by Miaoux Miaoux

2013 - Big Inner by Matthew E White, Reflektor by Arcade Fire, A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart by Bill Ryder-Jones

2014 - Morning Phase by Beck, Tied To A Star by J Mascis, Stay Gold by First Aid Kit

2015 - Beyond The Silver Sea by Dr Cosmos Tape Lab, Matador by Gaz Coombes, Modern Nature by The Charlatans

2016 - Pii by Stephen Solo, Say It All With A Kiss by TeenCanteen, Here by Teenage Fanclub

2017 - Adios Senor Pussycat by Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band, How The West Was Won by Peter Perrett, Erratic Cinematic by Gerry Cinnamon

2018 - And Nothing Hurts by Spiritualized, Impossible Stuff by Carla J Easton, Babelsberg by Gruff Rhys

2019 - Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka, Purple Mountains by Purple Mountains, Pii3 by Stephen Solo

2020 - Fugitive Light & Themes of Isolation by Andrew Wasylyk, Weirdo by Carla J Easton, Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa

2021 - Endless Arcade by Teenage Fanclub, Mirror Mirror by Pearl Charles, The Umbrellas by The Umbrellas

2022 - Poster Paints by Poster Paints, 11 by SAULT, Dear Scott by Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band

2023 - The Ballad of Darren by Blur, Nothing Lasts Forever by Teenage Fanclub, Blind On a Galloping Horse by David Holmes ft. Raven Violet

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Monday, 16 December 2024

Nell Smith

On Saturday morning I fancied listening to The Flaming Lips in the shower! Too much info perhaps! I selected Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 1 and sang along, thinking that I really should get tickets to go and see them in Edinburgh in May.

Spotify algorithms kicked in and afterwards I heard a song that I had never heard before. It sounded really beautiful; haunting piano over warm chords, a vocal that was dreamy and wracked with emotion, drenched in reverb and just sounding supremely cool. I picked up my phone and discovered this was a singer called Nell Smith who had recorded and released an album, Where The Viaduct Looms, in collaboration with The Flaming Lips. The song was Into My Arms.

Nell Smith & The Flaming Lips - Into My Arms (video)

I immediately sent the song to my sister who also checked it out and sent a one word reply simply saying - gorgeous. I didn't get a chance to listen to the album that day, but returned to it on Sunday morning and decided to find out who Nell Smith was and how this collaboration came about. The album completely passed me by at the time. This kind of thing can happen with The Flaming Lips who are pretty prolific and some of their releases can fly under the radar.

My heart broke as I scrolled down and read 'Nell was a singer songwriter based in Fernie, BC. She was tragically killed in a car accident on October 6 2024.'

I was moved to tears as Nell's music played and I learned that she was only 17.  

FUCK!

I learned that Nell had fallen for The Flaming Lips and ended up meeting the band. Wayne became friends with Nell and her family, eventually suggesting she record some Nick Cave songs, as she had never heard his music, so had no pre-conceived ideas as to how to sing the songs.

Nell Smith & The Flaming Lips - The Ship Song (video)

Where The Viaduct Looms is the result of that recording. It's truly gorgeous and beautifully cool. A  posthumous album will be released next year. 

Please find some further information about Nell from Bella Union and her own website.

What a tragic loss. Thoughts go out to Nell's family and friends.

From Nell's website

Nell was listening to music before she was born.

Born in Leeds, UK, in 2007, Nell listened to music in utero following her mother’s plan which was to give her familiar sounds once she was born to aid her to settle more easily.

As she grew, she was attracted to music and quickly developed an interest in artists including Herman Dune, Arcade Fire, Metronomy, The Flaming Lips, David Bowie, The Fleet Foxes, and MGMT. Attending festivals with her family, Nell experienced live music from the age of 2 and grew more and more interested.

After moving to Canada in 2012, Nell gravitated towards The Flaming Lips and eventually saw them in Spokane in 2017 aged 10, bursting into tears of joy when she saw the tickets. She watched the show from the front row with her brother. 

Fast forward to 2018 and Nell was again at a Lips show, tenacious and determined, she managed to get a letter onto the tour bus and her yelling from the side of the stage prior to the show caught the attention of Wayne Coyne who came and said hi. Following Nell’s prompt, he went on the bus and found the letter.

A duet through the space bubble while Wayne sang David Bowie’s Space Oddity created a connection, and Wayne maintained contact with Nell’s parents as she learned to play guitar.

Nell started performing live at the age of 11, playing alongside established musicians and writing her own songs.

In 2020 Nell recorded an album of Nick Cave cover versions under the tutelage of Wayne Coyne.

Where the Viaduct Looms was released on November 26, 2021 on Bella Union and can be ordered here.

This work will be followed by an album release worked on in conjunction with Penelope Isles with some songs co-written with Shred Kelly.

The album is due out in Spring 2025 and sadly is a posthumous release following Nell’s untimely death in a car accident on October 6 2024.

Nell’s memory will live on through a memorial fund set up in her name. To contribute please purchase her upcoming album, donate to the fund’s Gofundme or purchase something from the shop.

From the Bella Union website

This inspiring and heartwarming story begin when Smith first met Wayne Coyne at the age of 12 at The Flaming Lips’ headline show at the Sled Island Festival, Calgary, in 2018 with her family. Nell had already attended several Lips shows and was a regular at the front of the stage, dressed in a parrot costume and screaming out the band’s songs. Coyne soon began to notice the kid in the parrot suit and sang a David Bowie cover directly to her at the show in Calgary, with Nell singing every word back.

A musical bond formed with Coyne staying in contact with Nell and her father Jude as she learned to play guitar, while their creative relationship began to flourish when she started to write her own songs.

When a planned trip to record with the band in Oklahoma had to be cancelled due to covid Coyne suggested Nell record some Nick Cave songs and email them to Oklahoma to be backed by the band. Coyne chose Nick Cave because Nell didn’t know him and wouldn’t have preconceived notions as to how to sing the songs.



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Saturday, 14 December 2024

Never Ending Mixtape part 95



Hello and welcome to my Never Ending Mixtape

I started the Never Ending Mixtape a number of years ago with the simple idea that I would just keep on adding songs in no particular order and see what I could create. The complete opposite from my youth, when I would spend many wonderful hours pondering over tracklistings for mixtapes or mix CD's!

Personally, I love sticking it on shuffle and seeing what gets played. But dig in from the start, the middle, or scroll down to the end to check the very latest additions.

My Never Ending Mixtape jumps from 4,012 songs to 4,064 with the beautifully gentle and dreamy instrumental Some Strange Rain by Cotton Jones.

Thank you so much if you are one of the 358 people following the playlist. Thanks also if you dive in now and again. As always, I hope you discover an incredible song you've never heard before, or that you rediscover an old favourite you haven't heard in some time. 

Search for Everything Flows Never Ending Mixtape on Spotify or CLICK HERE

Here are a few of the latest additions;

Recent discoveries

Look Up by The Harlem Gospel Travellers (pictured above)
Better Tomorrow by Betty Everett
Crosing Over The Bridge by Innez Foxx
Keep The Faith by Mel & Tim
The Long Walk Home by Glen Campbell with Hope Sandoval
Some Strange Rain by Cotton Jones

New releases

Spite by Billy Nomates
Elephant by jasmine.4.t
One and Only by Michael Kiwanuka
Coast by Kim Deal

Old favourites

All The Pictures On The Wall by Paul Weller
She's A Rainbow by The Rolling Stones
I Am A Rock by Paul Simon
Pish by Brian Jonestown Massacre
Make Me Believe In You by Patti Jo
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Wednesday, 11 December 2024

Euros Childs and Teenage Fanclub weekender

Usually, if I don't write a blog within a day or two of catching a live show, then the blog doesn't happen. My greatest regret is not writing a blog on Martha Reeves and the Vandellas playing BAaD back in August 2021. Not only was it an incredible show by a living legend, my sister Carla got backstage afterwards and sang with Martha! Sadly this incredible moment wasn't captured on camera and I had left after the gig so I missed it! But any time I hear Martha, I think of this. 

Anyway ... point being, this is just a short blog to belatedly document a lovely weekend of live music! Euros Childs in the tiny Hug and Pint on Friday and then Teenage Fanclub (with Euros on keys) in the gigantic Hydro on Sunday!

The Hug & Pint, on Great Western Road, is a small but beautiful bar/restaurant upstairs and basement venue downstairs that has live music on almost every night of the year. Run by 432 presents and named after an Arab Strap album, the venue promotes and hosts and eclectic melting pot of music. 


Euros Childs certainly have us an eclectic melting pot of a set on Friday night! Do you know what? This was probably my gig of the year. I was probably only aware of 2-3 songs in the set, but every song blew me away; personal and inventive lyrics, amazing melodies - sometimes loads of them in just one song, bridges, hooks, choruses, humour and a cracking band that could veer off on delicious tangents.

Stuntman opened the set, One Shoe was an early highlight, especially for one fan in front of me! At times Euros set was garage pop, other times psychedelia with a touch of electronica, while at others it was really beautiful ballads with sublime strings.

Euros is an energetic and entertaining front man, fizzing with energy, giving it 110%, total belief in his talent, his band and his songs. Everyone was captivated.

The middle of the set saw Euros and co perform a 20-minute song (I'm afraid I didn't catch the name) that continuously veered off on multiple tangents. There were mentions of orange skies and sunshine, I was spellbound and I am going to track this song down!

Spanish Dance Troupe by Euros' old band Gorkys Zyngotic Mynci was sublime, the strings, the harmonies, the melodies - just gorgeous. As an encore, Euros and co played his song Virgin Moon. This was stoned songwriting genius, a tale of Richard Branson owning the moon, what that meant, who went there ... barmy, bonkers and utterly brilliant. Melodies to die for.  

I am going to enjoy digging back into Euros extensive back catalogue over the coming months and wish I had explored it before now.

Then on Sunday night I headed back into Glasgow to see Teenage Fanclub supporting Vampire Weekend at the Hydro. I have to be honest and say that I was only going for the Fanclub. Vampire Weekend aren't really my thing. I caught them at the Barrowland when their first album came out, bought their second and then I don't think I have listened to them since. Very talented musicians, they just don't get me going.


Thankfully my brother sorted me with a pass, so I could add the Hydro to the extensive list of Glasgow venues that I have seen Teenage Fanclub play in. Not only that, my friend Lorna and I were in a box, centre stage and with access to a bar. Amazing!

Teenage Fanclub played a short set from 7.30-8pm and the vast majority of the crowd had arrived in time to see them. It was quite something to gaze out across thousands of heads to see Norman, Raymond, Dave, Euros and Francis on stage. There were no big screens, but we could still tell from our distance that Norman was beaming due to the way he moved and held his guitar.

I Can't Find My Way Home eased the band in, before they ramped it up a few notches with Start Again, About You and What You Do To Me. Raymond's wah-wah pedal sounded sensational on It's A Bad World before the vast Hydro (with top sections curtained off) was treated to the delight of a full length version of The Concept and a closing blast of Everything Flows.

The band were in good form and I look forward to finding out what they'll be up to in 2025. A run of August dates might hint at the release of a single ahead of a new album? Expect a Scottish date(s) to be announced in the near future.



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Thursday, 5 December 2024

I Am A Rock

 

I was quite moved by a recent article in The Guardian where Art Garfunkel talked of meeting up with Paul Simon for the first time in 'many years' when the duo came together for lunch. There were hugs, tears and the promise to meet up again. 'Will Paul bring his guitar? Who knows? For me, it was about wanting to make amends before it's too late.'

Simon and Garfunkel are both age 83 and their tense relationship has simmered pretty much from the off, yet they recorded 5 albums between 1964 and 1970, including Sounds of Silence (1966) and Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970).

Even post-split and barely speaking (3-times a year) the duo would still get together to perform, most famously at a free concert in Central Park in 1981. That live album is incredible, you can feel the chemistry onstage and the appreciation of the audience in their response. 

It's not been easy, there has been lots of sniping in interviews and when the duo have met up. While being inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, Garfunkel thanked Simon, calling him 'the person who most enriched my life by putting those songs through me.' Simon responded; 'Arthur and I agree about almost nothing. But it's true, I have enriched his life quite a bit!' The duo performed 3 songs and then left without speaking! Thankfully things thawed and the duo played a hugely successful tour in 2003-2004. There hasn't been too much to speak of since then.

After reading The Guardian article I thought of one of my favourite (possibly my number 1) Simon and Garfunkel song - I Am A Rock, the closing song on their Sounds of Silence album. God, they really have been a couple of rocks, stubbornly refusing to communicate with each other!

Thankfully, as both are aged 83, they have made up before it is too late.

The battered Sounds of Silence LP that I own was originally my Mums. I often think back to simpler times when owning a physical album or single was the only way to hear a song. My parents didn't have a huge collection, but The Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, Marvin and Tammi, Jose Feliciano and Sam Cooke were there. They must have had more when they were younger and got rid of them. I'll need to ask my Mum!

But back to the song!

Paul Simon wrote and recorded the song in 1965 on his debut solo album The Paul Simon Songbook. It's just Paul and his acoustic guitar. It's quite a raw recording, Simon strumming gently, finger picking, then hammering on his guitar at times, up close to the mic ... it's pretty cool. The lyrics are vivid and exceptionally open and honest.

A winters day

In a deep and dark December

I am alone

Gazing from my window to the streets below

On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow

I am a rock

I am an island

I've only just discovered The Paul Simon Songbook album and it's incredible. A couple of the songs had been released the previous year on the debut Simon and Garfunkel album Wednesday Morning 3am. All but two of the remaining song would be re-recorded by the duo, including The Sound of Silence and April Come She Will.

The following year, Simon and Garfunkel re-recorded the song. The structure and melody are the same, but this time there is a full band and the glorious Paul and Art harmonies. There is a greater urgency to the song and I've never appreciated the glorious hammond organ throughout the song.

I have my books

And my poetry to protect me

I am shielded in my armour

Hiding in my room, safe within my womb

I touch no-one and no-one touches me

I am a rock, I am an island

And a rock feels no pain

And an island never cries

So many incredible 60's songs were bang on the 3-minute mark. This is another. It's quite remarkable what you can do within that time. With I Am A Rock, Paul Simon pours his heart out to express, isolation, loneliness and emotional self-protection.

I have  no need for friendship

Friendship causes pain

It's laughter and it's loving I disdain

I am a rock

I am an island

And a rock can feel no pain

And an island never cries

Both versions of I Am A Rock are added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE 

Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton
1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells
2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond
3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell
4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot
5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon
6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras
7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans
8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland
9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave
10. Sometimes by James
11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time
12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre
13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields
14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals
15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser
16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes
17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth
18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter
19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground
20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub
21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub
23. Belfast by Orbital
24. Clouds by The Jayhawks
25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral
26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair
27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke
28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones
29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze
29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells
30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor
31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton
32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich
33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem
34. Mondo 77 by Looper
35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton
36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats
37. How High by The Charlatans
38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands
39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.
40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective
41. There She Goes by The Las
42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes
43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo
44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell
45. Revolution by The Beatles
46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys
47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays
48. American Trilogy by The Delgados
49. Loser by Beck 
50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy
51. Comedy by Shack
52. Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven
53. Freakscene by Dinosaur Jr
54. Thank You For Being You by The Pastels
55. I Think I'm In Love by Spiritualized
56. Chestnut Mare by The Byrds
57. Cannonball by The Breeders
58. Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan
59. You Make Me Weak At The Knees by Electrelane
60. Lucky by Radiohead
61. Strange Currencies by R.E.M.
61. I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell
62. Like A Ship (Without A Sail) by Pastor TL Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir
63. Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations
64. Made of Stone by The Stone Roses
65. Tonight In Belfast by Orbital, David Holmes, DJ Helen and Mike Garry
66. Anything by Adrianne Lenker
67. I Hold Something In My Hand by Bill Ryder-Jones
68. I Meant Every Word by Burnett Sisters
69. Dream Baby Dream by Suicide
70. Stove by The Lemonheads
71. Red Lady by Phil Cordell
72. Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb
73. I Can Do It With A Broken Heart by Taylor Swift
74. Turnin' My Heartbeat Up by The M.V.P.'s
75. Razzle Dazzle Rose by Camera Obscura
76. Such Great Heights by The Postal Service
77. The Rat by The Walkmen
78. My God Has A Telephone by Aaron Frazer
79. Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack
80. Sweet and Tender Romance by The McKinleys
81. Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros
82. 69 Police by David Holmes
83. Hey Lisa by David Holmes




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Monday, 2 December 2024

Nile Rodgers at the Barrowland Ballroom

I'm still basking in the afterglow of seeing Nile Rodgers and CHIC at the Barrowland Ballroom! A phrase and tantalising thought that will bring smiles to the faces of anyone fortunate enough to have been there for years to come.

My wife, friends and I snapped up tickets immediately upon release, super excited by the prospect of this legendary hit maker and his crack band playing the best venue in the world.

We were not disappointed!

What an honour it was to see a master of songwriting, arrangements, guitar playing and production up close and personal. 

I should also name Nile's current line-up of CHIC; Jerry Barnes on bass who delighted the crowd with his exceptional and energetic style, Ralph Rolle on drums - he brought the funk, Kimberly Davis and Audrey Martells on exquisite and sublime vocals, Russell Graham and Richard Hiltons on keyboards and Brandon Wright, Steve Jankowski and Ken Gioffre on horns.

These are good times

Leave your cares behind

This was 105-minutes of pure escapism, much needed from a world troubled by climate change, wars and conflict and right wing politics, with the cost of living crisis and housing emergencies impacting many.

Nile and CHIC lifted the crowd from the off with an outrageous opening medley of Le Freak, Everybody Dance and Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah). They were just getting started! Band and audience were definitely warmed up and raring to go.

More hits? Nile's got 'em!

I Want You Love was dreamy, beautiful and seductive. Kimberly Davis treated us to some truly sensational vocals afterwards, Nile looked on with a beam. What a gorgeous smile this guy has! 

With so many songs to get through, Nile and CHIC merged some together. We had I'm Coming Out and Upside Down by Diana Ross from her 1980 album Diana, written and produced by Nile and Bernard Edwards, the friends who co-founded CHIC. Two slices of impeccable pop; hooks, grooves and super cool.

More?

We then had He's The Greatest Dancer and We Are Family from the Sister Sledge album of the same name that Nile and Bernard wrote and produced in 1989. Utterly brilliant disco pop. 

What else did Nile get up to?

Oh yeah, he produced Madonna's Like A Virgin album in 1984. Nile told us how he wanted Material Girl to be the lead single as he could imagine everyone calling Madonna 'the material girl'. Madonna told him it was going to be Like A Virgin. So Nile played both! The crowd went nuts.

The year before, Nile produced a Bowie album and so we had a joyful blast through Modern Love. Nile then brought us into present times with CUFF IT by Beyonce and Get Lucky and Lose Yourself to Dance by Daft Punk. A career overview was being played out before our eyes.

Lost In Music was outstanding. Everyone in the Barrowland was lost in music, the structure, arrangement and feeling of that Sister Sledge song is utterly perfect. Notorious by Duran Duran was very popular with girls and women around me, then we had the sublime Thinking Of You - sheer perfection.

Phew, Nile and CHIC kept going, Jerry Barnes on bass was co-frontman with Nile, delighting the crowd with his facial expressions and incredible riffs. Meanwhile Kimberley and Audrey on lead vocals were absolutely exquisite. Their voices were like angels.

Drummer Ralf Rolle then led the band through an extended jam called Maximum Funkocity which was superb, great fun. There was a call and response section with the crowd, hand were in the air, hand were waved ... amazing.

My Feet Dancing, Chic Cheer/Love Like This, My Forbidden Lover was a glorious run of CHIC songs before the place went truly nuts for Bowie's Let's Dance.

We were all having a good time, so there was only one way to end it. And that was with the monumental hit Good Times, with a nice segue into Rapper's Delight. 

The Barrowland roar of appreciation was as loud as I have ever heard, so there was an encore of the full length Le Freak to send everyone home deliriously happy. What a night!




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Tuesday, 26 November 2024

Confidence Man at the Barrowland

Sugar high!
Janet Planet on the shoulders of Sugar Bones

I have no idea how many times I've attended gigs at the famous Glasgow Barrowland since I first climbed the steps to the Ballroom back in 1993, 31-years ago! I am fortunate to hold so many incredible memories of singing, dancing, sweating, bouncing and being part of a community in such a wonderful venue. In the words of the late Maxi Jazz 'this is my church'.

Over those years I've witnessed some wild nights, when the famous sprung dancefloor has been tested to the limit by 2,000 people dancing, jumping, grooving, bouncing and pogo-ing to the likes of Basement Jaxx, Underworld, LCD Soundsystem, Primal Scream, The Charlatans and Oasis.

Lately, I've found the Barrowland to be a little more chilled. A 2024 audience has seemed more content to watch, film on phones and be polite and not bump into others.

That changed on Sunday night with a joyful, euphoric and theatrical performance by Confidence Man who came to town to celebrate their new album 3AM (LA LA LA). They sure know how to host and start a party!

Confidence Man came to my attention a number of years ago as they brought their first LP, Confident Music for Confident People, out on Heavenly Recordings. I always take an interest in what Heavenly release, they have impeccable taste and a knack for picking up on cool bands.

Greg Wilson got his hands on their Out The Window single and I fell head over heels for his remix. The late great Andrew Weatherall also heard something in that song and sprinkled some magic in a remix, also taking on Bubblegum.

I meant to go and see Confidence Man at Saint Luke's a couple of years back and was gutted that I didn't go after reports indicated they had lifted the roof off the place.

Then, in late June this year, we sat down as a family to watch Glastonbury and happened to catch Confidence Man play an absolutely blinding set. I immediately checked their tour dates and bought tickets for the Barrowland.

What a night!

Confidence Man, who are fronted by the highly energetic Janet Planet and Sugar Bones with Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie on production duties, blew everyone away.

Their set was pure pop, theatre, dance, like a festival, like a club ... generating an energy from the crowd that I haven't seen in many a year. People were going crazy, the Barrowland was bouncing!

Costume changes, dance routines, cheesey poses, cheeky smiles ... I'm not going to lie, I now have a total crush on Janet Planet! And I suspect my wife has one on Sugar Bones! 

They were on it from the off with the sublime electro pop of Now U Do, bounding from one side of the stage to the other, straight into Does It Make You Feel Good? The answer, was YEAH!

Confidence Man songs are sexy, funny, cool and UPBEAT with a capital U P B E A T! All My People tells the tale of someone with a toy boy. There is a great lyric - they say there's 7 wonders but my toy boy makes it 8. And hooks galore including;

With a face like that, there's no conversation

With an ass like that, there's no hesitation

C.O.O.L Party is full of funky bass and beats with Janet Planet talking about a cool party, leading to a huge fun chorus that they literally spell out. 

We moved from pop to a real club atmosphere for BREAKBEAT, BREAK IT DOWN (ON THE BASSLINE), SICKO and the glorious Boyfriend (Repeat).

My boyfriend wants to talk

My boyfriend talks too much

The Barrowland crowd were lapping it up. Everyone was pushing to get on the dancefloor and it was JUMPING! Janet and Sugar were absolutely on it, relentless with their energy and dancing, projecting it out to the audience who responded wholeheartedly.

A closing blast of SO WHAT and Holiday was incredible. If the Scottish Government are interested in green energy then they should hook up to the Barrowland dancefloor the next time Confidence Man are back in town!

The encore was the title track of their latest album 3AM (LA LA LA) and that was it. 75-minutes of electro pop club perfection. 2 pop stars taking us on a merry dance of hooks, synths, bass and beats.

I do hope Confidence Man return to the Barrowland for a couple of nights next year. It is the perfect venue for them and they are the perfect hosts for a Barrowland party!








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Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Unfinished Monkey Business

 

Recently, while snuggled up in bed with Lemsip and a cold, I decided to revisit Ian Brown's debut solo album,Unfinished Monkey Business, for the first time in ... a long time. I'd forgotten about its charmful lofi, D.I.Y vibe and soul. It certainly helped my cold!

Self financed and produced on an 8-track studio in Brown's flat, Unfinished Monkey Business was in complete contrast to the years and hundreds of thousands of pounds (possibly as much as £1 million) spent recording The Second Coming with The Stone Roses.

The Roses ended up a complete mess in the end. Brown and Squire, who formed the band and who had first met in a sandpit in nursery, fell out publicly and bitterly. 

In a statement released on April Fools Day in 1996, there was nothing funny about Squire announcing his departure, saying it was; "the inevitable conclusion to the gradual social and musical separation that we have undergone in the past few years."

Undeterred, Brown and Main recruited, Aziz Ibrahim, a former Simply Red guitarist, to replace Squire and soldiered on for a further 6-months. Their Reading Festival performance saw long term fans leave the site in tears. What was left of The Roses was officially dissolved in October 96.

Squire was quick to move on, forming The Seahorses, an anagram for He Hates Roses (also The Roses Ashes) and beginning to rehearse with them as early as the summer of 96, while his former band were still going. 

The Seahorses disintegrated after just one album and a stand alone single, with Squire later reflecting; "I thought 'This sounds shit, we don't deserve to be in this place.' The band sounded complacent. I don't suppose it was anyone's fault. Maybe it got far too much attention for very little effort in the early stages, because of what I'd done in the past."

It's a fair and accurate reflection.

Meanwhile, Brown's name would occasionally pop up in the NME or Melody Maker news pages with one rumour stating that he was going to work as a gardener. 

However, after a short break, Brown was back writing and creating. And his material was much more interesting and inventive than Squire's post Roses work.

My Star was Brown's debut single to launch his solo career in January 1998, with lyrics about space exploration, NASA corrupters, military missions to Mars and the brilliant;

Never seeking new life, only planning war

Brown's voice is quite distorted, there has been no attempt to polish it up and the song gets better as it develops. Aziz Ibrahim on psychedelic guitar (also with a co-writing credit) is fizzing and fantastic and the I'll see you in my star hook is hammered home. I haven't listened to My Star in ages and I have to say that it has aged well, in a different way to Ian's work with The Roses. The lo-fi dreamy psychedelia charm, the lyrics, the hook ... there is just something about it.

The video was typically psychedelic, with Brown wandering round a futuristic home, eating pills and appearing in front of some Pollock artwork on a few occasions. Brown also appeared on Top of the Pops with a band including someone playing percussion on boxes of eggs. Later in the performance Ian threw some eggs at his own image.

My Star - Top of the Pops

On to the album, which opens with Intro Under The Paving Stones The Beach, all Ian's own work. Drum samples, toy guitar, the title spoken by Ian's son. It's essentially a sound collage; the beats, church bells chiming, some Indian sitar sounds, leading into the aforementioned My Star.

Brown calls upon his mate Mani for inspiration with Can't See Me. Brown found an old tape of a bass demo by Mani with a breakbeat sample (some reports indicated Reni played along with it) and asked him if he could use it. One of his old mates also inspired the lyrics, with Brown allegedly writing them after waving to Squire when he saw him across a street and John pretended he didn't see him.

Lyrics about Squire are sprinkled liberally through the album and Brown doesn't hold back. Over the cool bass groove (what other gems are hidden on old Second Coming rehearsal tapes?!) Brown sings;

The man used to fly, he used to fly easy

Now he can't see me

Earlier in the song there is the lyric he needs a dealer, as a healer, and that's not the only reference to Squire's (self admitted) fondness for cocaine at that time.

Can't See Me - video

The Roses actually played Ice Cold Cube at their infamous last stand at the Reading Festival. This version is really brashy, Aziz's guitar is murky and blurred in the background, occasionally coming to the fore. It's a dark song, not (in my opinion) of Roses quality. I feel quite sad hearing it back. 

I suggest you think again my friend, love is a circle with no end

A message given heaven sent, I've seen you cause your own descent

I always loved Sunshine and still think back fondly to seeing Ian singing it in a tent at T in the Park. Ian' voice was really on it that day. I think Sunshine is rather beautiful, on the album it's just Brown and his acoustic, beautifully and gloriously a little out of tune. 

Then we have the near 7-minute rough gem of Lions and Ian singing with the late Denise Johnson. The drums are primitive, a bass kicks in at one point then drops out, a synth appears and is turned up loud, there is guitar, all kinds of effects, things pretty much fall apart and then Johnson repeatedly sing.

There are no lions in England, there are no lions in England

There are no lions in England, no, no, no

My friend Reddy and I loved this song, released 2-years after Three Lions (Football's Coming Home). Lions is rough, raw and soulful when you're in the mood. It can also be a difficult listen to get through it all. 

Corpses In Her Mouth was the second single lifted from the album, reaching a respectable 14 in the UK charts after the high placing My Star which got to the heady heights of number 5. For me, this is one of Ian's best solo singles and it kicks off the best run of songs on the album. The beats are cool, the guitar shimmers, there is plenty of space for the vocal melody and the lyrics are kinda beautifully weird.

What Happened To Ya Part 1 is deliciously ragged. Over an acoustic groove, Brown sounds confident and assured as he reflects on the Roses and Squire

You'll walk on water if they told you they like

There's just one problem, you just missed the tide

What happened to ya? Did you change your mind?

What happened to ya? We were one of a kind

Part 2 then kicks in and immediately veers off into a different full band groove, pure Roses territory - One Love mixed with a dash of The Second Coming, with Brown whispering menacingly at the start;

They got to ya, they got to ya, OK, OK, cocaine, cocaine

Aziz Ibrahim is in stunning form on guitar as Brown repeats the chorus of part 1 as his band groove on. This is as sublime a groove as King Monkey has ever been involved with.

Nah Nah is more Brown reflections, Ibrahim riffing gently over and acoustic groove. Deep Pile Dreams is pure Ian Brown, a slow stone groove. It's all Brown; playing bass over drum beats, a simple keyboard riff and a strong vocal melody.

The closing title track is Brown jamming on a keyboard over beats.

I enjoyed Unfinished Monkey Business when it came out and I've enjoyed revisiting it all these years down the line. It's honest and pure, lofi and 


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Friday, 15 November 2024

God Only Knows

Cover version of the month #102
Betty Everett covers The Beach Boys God Only Knows


It was The Avalanches that alerted me to this cover version of God Only Knows. A couple of years ago they posted a video of them playing this impeccable 7-inch single.

Many artists have covered this truly special song; Neil Diamond, Taylor Swift, David Bowie and Glen Campbell to name four. But I'm going to focus on this gem of a version by Everett.


Recorded and produced over March & April 1966, God Only Knows was a landmark recording for The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson wasn't just pushing boundaries, he was blasting them away, bringing in 20 session musicians to play clarinet, flutes, strings, French horns, upright bass, sleigh bells ... 

For reference, The Beach Boys previous album, Beach Boys Party released in November 1965, consisted mostly of cover versions. Wilson, only 23, decided to shoot for the stars and beyond with his next recordings.

The reason Wilson was determined to reach higher than ever before was because his mind had been blown by The Beatles Rubber Soul album. Copious amounts of marijuana helped as well! Nothing was off limits, including referencing God, not only in the song, but in the title. 

You can listen to a great deal of the God Only Knows (and Pet Sounds) recording sessions online. Wilson is in his element, conducting, cajoling, energising, encouraging ... there are hours and hours to dig into.

Brian Wilson - genius at work

Remarkably, God Only Knows was released just a month after completion, as part of the momentous Pet Sounds album. In a pre-internet age, this was an album spoken of in hushed and revered tones and it wasn't exactly easy to buy for a while. It's an incredible piece of work, the songwriting, singing, harmonies, production, musicianship, arrangements ... everything is just perfect. 

Carl Wilson takes on lead vocals, delivering an exceptional performance that plays on listeners heart strings in addition to the strings on the song. God Only Knows is only 2 verses, it's only 3-minutes long ... yet it says so much, it makes you feel so much, it's an outpouring of love in a way that love had never been portrayed before in popular music - lyrically and musically.

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Well life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me?
God only knows what I'd be without you

The verses are delivered in just over a minute. Brian Wilson then takes listeners on a magic carpet ride through the clouds, coming back to the second verse, then falling to almost nothing at 2-minutes before layering everything back up again.


Betty Everett's version was released in 1975 and you can immediately see why The Avalanches fell for it ... it is very Avalanche-y! The horns, the little twists and tweaks on the melody, the dreamy quality of the production, the heavenly backing vocals and the sublime arrangement. The vocals are simply stunning, the musicanship and production is absolutely first class. It's impeccable, gorgeous.

The instrumental from 2-minutes flows and floats, before Everett and her backing singers come back in to take the song to conclusion, driving things for a wonderful 48-second outro, their voices dovetailing over the top of each other.

God only knows, what I'd be with out you
God only knows, baby
(God only knows) God only knows, (what I'd be without you)

The Beach Boys masterpiece and the sublime Betty Everett cover version of God Only Knows are added to my Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist on Spotify which also features all of the songs listed below. Search for the title or CLICK HERE

Previous covers of the month blogs

13. Hurt
39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash
64. Lola
82. Drop
87. Indian Rope Man + bonus Strawberry Fields Forever + This Wheels On Fire
92. Valerie
101. Shout!
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