Teardrop

Trust me #111
Teardrop by Massive Attack with Elizabeth Fraser

Released in 1998 as part of their Mezzanine album, Teardrop is one of many masterpieces in the Massive Attack catalogue. Quietly and confidently powerful, utterly sublime from start to finish. 

Ah... the start, a heartbeat kick-drum, a hypnotic harpsichord loop, liquid bass, piano chord and then, just after 1-minute, Elizabeth Fraser’s crystal clear voice. Ethereal. Haunting. Perfect.

Love, love is a verb

Love is a doing word

Fearless on my breath

Every time I listen to Teardrop, I find myself waiting for the song to explode. The power that Massive Attack build through restraint is incredible. Just when it finally threatens to blow, as Fraser sings you're stumbling down, everything cuts to the harpsichord, then it is only the beats before the loop returns. Wow! 

One of the things I enjoy about writing blogs like this is spending some time listening to a song a few times in a row and researching it. As I'm doing so, I very often discover something I didn't know about the band, songwriter or the song. That is definitely the case here!

Teardrop was written by Mushroom from Massive Attack and he sent a demo to Madonna, who was keen. But his band mates, 3D and Daddy G, voted against him as they favoured Fraser. It's quite a story! While it would have fitted in perfectly with Madonna's 1998 change of direction and image with the superb Ray of Light album (think Frozen), no-one on earth can sing like Liz Fraser. 

Teardrop on the fire

Fearless on my breath

You hang on every note as Fraser has a voice like no other. Angelic, yet haunting. Sheer melancholic beauty. She sings not just words, but emotions. Fraser recorded her vocals just after learning of her partner Jeff Buckley’s passing, meaning it all hits even harder. 

Check this previous blog on Buckley and Fraser's outstanding All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun.

The video (see below) for Teardrop, directed by Walter Stern is a pioneering, surreal, weirdly comforting vision of a foetus in the womb, lip-syncing to Fraser’s voice. Although after watching it back a couple of times, I found the end to be slightly unsettling. Light appears, as if the baby is moving to birth, then as the music slows, things get darker and the baby slows in time with the music. Does the baby make it?

Dreamy, mesmerising ... unique. Massive Attack pushed and broke boundaries with their music and art. 

Teardrop is 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

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From 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

84. I Am A Rock by Simon & Garfunkel

85. Kung Fu by Ash

86. Kids by MGMT

87. Slight Return by The Bluetones

88. Give Peace A Chance by John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band

89. Cut Your Hair by Pavement

90. Race for the Prize by The Flaming Lips

91. Waitin' for a Superman by The Flaming Lips

92. Acquiesce by Oasis

93. This Is Music by The Verve

94. Lone Swordsman by Daniel Avery

95. Sparky's Dream by Teenage Fanclub

96. Common People by Pulp

97. Let Our Love Grow Higher by Eula Cooper

98. Regret by New Order

99. Keep On Keepin' On by Nolan Porter

100. Sit Down by James (Live at G-Mex) by James

101. Never Lose Your Sense Of Wonder by Yeti

102. Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over by The Charlatans

103. Life Is Sweet by The Chemical Brothers 

104. How Can I Tell You (To Love Me More) by Brooke Coombe

105-107. Wigan Casino - Three Before Eight - Time Will Pass You By by Tobi Legend, Long After Tonight Is All Over by Jimmy Radcliffe, I'm On My Way by Dean Parrish

108. Cobra by Geese

109. All I Have To Do Is Dream by The Everly Brothers

110. Vapour Trail by Ride

Unfinished Sympathy

Trust me #79
Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack

Massive Attack released their majestic Unfinished Sympathy back in February 1991. The band had to take a major step to get the song out into the world though. Due to the Gulf War, the Bristol group temporaily changed their name to Massive in order to get radio play.

What a song, this is as good as it gets! The groove kicks in immediately; beats, samples, strings, percussion ... then Sharon Nelson's sublime vocals sing beautiful poetic and heartfelt lyrics.

I know that I've imagined love before

And how it could be with you

Really hurt me baby, really cut me baby

How can you have a day without a night?

You're the book that I have opened

And now I've got to know much more

Everything about this song connects. The lush orchestration and sweeping strings have a cinematic quality, aided by the accompanying video, which quickly became iconic. Shot in one continuous take, Nelson walks round downtown Los Angeles, oblivious to her surroundings as she is lost in the song, singing her heart out to portray her love and hurt to the world.

Like a soul without a mind

In a body without a heart

I'm missing every part

Nelson's vocal is at the core of the song, dripping with emotion, passion and soul.  She sounds lost, hurt beyond compare; missing every part.

Really hurt me baby, really cut me baby

How can you have a day without a night?

The strings, the voice, the beats and samples all gel to create a beautiful sonic landscape. There is a lot going on, yet the production also ensures there is plenty of space. What a beautiful and vital song.

Unfinished Sympathy is 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

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From 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

Never Ending Mixtape

Never Ending Mixtape - the first instalment 

OK, I always said I wouldn't....but I finally got Spotify. Hey, it is 2016, almost 2017!

Spotify is handy, I'll always treasure vinyl and my CD's are unlikely never to be thrown out, only taken from boxes in the loft if I go to play something on iTunes and realise I haven't exported it. Although with Spotify I don't even have to do that anymore. In fact, I haven't used iTunes since getting Spotify.

I'm enjoying making mixes. Or playlists as the kids call it in 2016.

So I thought I would start a mixtape and add to it every month, becoming a regular blog. So here is the first instalment on what may well become - The Never Ending Mixtape..... CLICK HERE TO LISTEN


Watch The Sunrise - Big Star
Starting the never ending mixtape with a song I discovered via a mixtape by The Chemical Brothers a long, long time ago in the 90's. This is beautiful.

Rock and Roll - The Velvet Underground
The Velvets are always a good and cool band to feature on any mixtape ad I am pretty sure they will feature again.

Feel so Sad (Glides and Chimes) - Spiritualized
A band that can really take you on a journey. See previous blog.

Makes Me Wanna Die - Tricky
Safe From Harm - Massive Attack
Killing Smile - Death In Vegas
Hey Lisa - David Holmes
Little Fluffy Clouds - The Orb
Tricky, Massive Attack, Death In Vegas, David Holmes and The Orb are all bands I discovered through my best mate Reddy. We had so many incredible nights in and out in our late teens discovering, listening to and talking about music. Reddy had such a cool and eclectic taste. He still does. One night we listened to Screamadelica non-stop until dawn. Reddy really feel for the Bristol scene led by Massive Attack and Tricky and The Orb's Little Fluffy Clouds is a song I can't listen to without thinking of times together. Good times.

Kathleen Sat On The Arm Of Her Favourite Chair - Hooton Tennis Club
Indie guitar bands are still alive and kicking - thank God. Two guitars, bass and drums, a sense of humour, some hooks...sublime

Feed The Tree - Belly
OK i had an indie crush on Tanya Donnelly....and still do. This is brilliant.

Shaky Ground - The Lemonheads
Nic Dalton and Tom Morgan played a HUGE part in The Lemonheads by writing some incredible songs for Evan Dando that fitted him like a glove. This is songwriting at its best for me.

Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
Just sublime, Hope Sandoval is also on the Death In Vegas track.

Reel Around The Fountain - The Smiths
Stolen Car - Beth Orion
Here's Where The Story Ends - The Sundays
The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon and Garfunkel
Bitterblue - Cat Stevens
Burned - Buffalo Springfield
Ultimate Painting - Ultimate Painting
L.S.D - The Pretty Things
Opus 40 - Mercury Rev
He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's The Pilot - Grandaddy

Girls Keith - Scoundrels, Dirty Gentlemen
Stones-y rock n roll Superb! Don't know much else about it - Spotify discovery!

Matador by Gaz Coombes

I bought some cracking new albums in January - but one in particular really stood out. Matador by Gaz Coombes. I never expected to be buying an album from Gaz Coombes in 2015 but I was blown away when I heard lead single 20/20 on 6 Music. The album features inventive Radiohead/Massive Attack style riffs, songs that swoop and soar, huge choruses, stunning production, arrangements and vocals. The cover and the song The Girl Who Fell To Earth tip more than a nod to Bowie.

I wasn't the only one to fall for Matador. My good friend Craig from the band Flash Talk was also on to it and he asked if he could write a guest blog on it. So here it is...

Guest blog by Craig Douglas

The fucking 90's!!

• A time of endless possibility.
• A time before smart phones.
• A time when you had to wear shirts ten times too big for you because they didn't make cool clothes for teenagers.
• A time when the NME seemed to bring news of a new music revolution weekly.
• A time for hero's: Blur, Oasis, Nirvana, Radiohead
• A time for pure shite: Northen Uproar, Kula Shaker and fucking Menswear!

And a time for Supergrass. Supergrass where right up my street. They where young, free they kept their teeth nice and clean and they produced some truly great pop singles over a period of 17 years:

Alright , Moving, Pumping on your Stereo, Richard III.. all classics and there is a lot more where that came from...Just like Queen or the Who though, their greatest hits collection is far superior to any of the albums they have produced.

When they split in 2010  I thought we'd sadly seen the last of one of Britain's most naturally talented frontmen and after hearing his first solo album Here comes the Bombs in 2012  which was decent at best (White Noise was a highlight), I was of the opinion that we wouldn't ever hear a great album from Gaz Coombes.

With Matador, his second solo album, Gaz Coombes has (I'm a big enough boy to admit this) proved me wrong. Opening track Buffalo switches from sparse piano led verse to a menacing chorus filled with yearning lyrics, ethereal backing vocals and thunderous drums. A compelling start which leads into one of the albums (and the artist's) highlights, 20/20 is an epic piece of songwriting with a truly soulful vocal and a melody that Brian Wilson's dad would give him a slap for.. a total journey of a record with the perfect mix of light and shade.

The English Ruse repetitive riff and rhythm is irresistible with sci-fi lyrics, a middle section out of nowhere filled with angelic voices and a guitar solo that sounds as if it's being played by a Martian in a K-HOLE! It's the audio equivalent of inter dimensional travel.

Next up is The Girl Who Fell To Earth... What a title! How has no one come up with that before?!  My first reaction was "You bastard" but it's hard to stay mad at him once you hear this song. 

      

First you cry and then you laugh, you're like a circle cut in half

 A truly beautiful three and a half minute pop song that Ray Davies or McCartney would have been proud of. 

Track 5 in my opinion should always be a belter, it's a hallowed position on any album and Mr Coombes clearly agrees. Detroit has a scuzzy swagger to it, a sort of lackadaisical menace that is intoxicating. There is a moment at the end of this track after a brief respite of the beat where Gary says "OK" and the beat kicks back in....For some reason this really floats my fucking boat and I find myself pressing repeat to listen to this wee magic moment over and over again.

As you may have gleaned.. I love this album with a passion which has been reserved for 'Arcade Fire' of late. You could put the first 5 songs on this album up against the first 5 songs of all the LP's in Q fucking magazines(monthly) 100 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME, they would stand proudly next to the best of them and tower above the majority.

The rest of the album is just as strong but I'm not going to sit here and describe the whole fucking thing to you.. I will say that the penultimate track To the Wire is seismic and the closing lyric of the title track shows a man who has faced adversity and has maintained a pleasant fuck you attitude.

   

      I'll take all the pain and the scars of war, 

       cause I've faced the beast and fight like a matador

With Matador it becomes apparent that Gaz Coombes is not only a great songwriter that should be cherished far beyond that Troll like,garbage pail kid Ed Sheeran but also a tremendous singer whose voice is the main instrument throughout this wonderful Album.

In my books Gaz can take his seat along side Damon Albarn and Thom Yorke as the only artistically relevant survivors of the last great musically creative period in rock and roll history. A time when men wore Wallabees. A time before internet porn. A time....

Come to think of it.... the 90's where shite. x 

5 for Friday 11/11/11

So I'm a little late in buying the new Ryan Adams album.


This is rather lovely...

I am loving this just now, real Massive Attack circa 'Blue Lines' vibe going on

So New Order are playing in London in December. Won't be quite the same without Hooky but they are one of my fave bands of all time. How about 10-minutes of them?

Speaking of fave bands, I do have a ticket for The Roses at Heaton Park next year. I fear the worst and dream of the best.

And I am looking forward to The Lemonheads at Oran Mor in December.

Six for Saturday, 10/09/11

As I missed my five for Friday blog yesterday, here is one extra tune for your weekend.


Enjoy
Murray


We kick start with the trippy, mellow sound of The Orb and the utterly gorgeous 'Little Fluffy Clouds'. This was a real pre and post club fave of mine back in the days I went clubbing.

We then move forward with mor deliciously beautiful vocals courtesy of Hope Sandoval and Mazzy Star. I could listen to this for hours on end.

Changing pace we go to the ever reliable Jason Pierce and Spiritualized with the floaty, trippy, multi layered 'Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space'. It develops a lullaby like quality at times, stunning.

And then we go for the monumental Massive Attack and 'Unfinished Sympathy.'

We pick it up with the loveable eccentric and ecletic Beatie Boys;

And we end with the Beastie Boys keyboard player Money Mark;

Five for Friday - Part IV

It looks like the UK is going to be covered by a blanket of rain today and for large parts of tomorrow, so here are five songs for the weekend to take your mind off the weather for a while.


Dinosaur Jr - Freak Scene
The guitar genius that is J Mascis - still sounds fresh and vital today.

Next up we have some warm guitar sounds from The Lemonheads.

And we then change the pace completely with this little number from Tricky - the vocals from Martina Topley-Bird are just dreamy gorgeousness, sublime;

Followed up with this stone cold classic from Tricky's mates in Massive Attack;

And we end this weeks 'Five for Friday' with the mellow sounds of Lou Reed and another stone cold classic 'Walk On The Wild Side';