Monday 31 December 2018

Out With The Old



All the best to all of you when it comes although the change of year will mean hee-haw when May is still in charge (well that's the theory anyway) here, the orange muppet is still in the Whitehouse and Vlad has carte blanche to do whatever the hell he likes.

Thanks to all who have stopped by here over the past 12 months. I hope that there will be more, longer and more interesting posts in 2019 but I wouldn't bet on it.


Thursday 27 December 2018

The Sound of Mu(sic)



I had contemplated posting this in the Monday Long Song slot but when I thought about it, it's not really a song. What it is, is a mix of music by the KLF put out in 2005 in a scam to make people think that Cauty and Drummond had unretired from the music business. The two jokers behind the prank were Strictly Kev (Dj Food) and Mr Trick. The full lowdown on the mix can be found here

Not a bad way to while away half an hour in the limbo land that is 27th December.

The Sound of MU(sic)

Tuesday 25 December 2018

Saturday 22 December 2018

Not Long Now


Yeah, I know this has been posted probably every festering season since I started this blog but I will not apologise for posting the Christmas song. Oh, and I have used that title before too. 

Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Friday 21 December 2018

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance






"I really miss working in a pub on the Friday before Christmas" nobody in their right mind said ever.

Always known up here amongst the unfortunates like me who had to work it as Mad Friday, the night of the amateur drinkers who know fuck all about pub etiquette or when to ask for a pint of Guinness when at the bar with a list, I'll give you a clue it's first, every fucking time, not third not fifth and certainly not last. You also get the tradesman with his apprentice in tow, or maybe the whole team  who have loused early and are now pretty well into it, having forgone lunch or any lumpy stuff whatsoever, the apprentice is now nearly comatosed, ready to vomit or both. Then there are the party goers in their stupid Santa hats or Reindeer Antlers, the ones that say to the bar staff "cheer up it's Christmas". If I had a quid for every time I heard that on a Mad Friday I would have had enough money to keep me drunk all through January when all these tossers "are aff it" and unlikely to set foot in a pub until Easter.

The hardened drinkers, the ones who know how to conduct themselves in a pub stay away from the local on this night or they all congregate in the bar that is unlikely to get any of the punters described above, there will still be a few that enter by mistake but will drink up sharpish as the atmosphere  will not be one of joy and fun.

Too much, too bah humbug?

This tune is for all the unfortunates having to do a shift tonight, when things get too much for you start humming this song and sing the immortal words "sisters, brothers we'll make it to the promised land" I will raise a glass to you from the comfort of my listening chair and remember the good times when that bar keep was me.

Also if you are out tonight and not arseholed yourself be a good sort and buy the bar person a drink, I guarantee that if you are staying in that hostelry for a while you will be noticed when you go up for your next round.

The Diamonds were a bit better last week against Arbroath, who to be honest didn't look that great for a side with 20 odd more points than Airdrie! The team had there chances but we went home disappointed with another defeat but a close one, in what was a highly entertaining game in somewhat inclement weather. Tomorrow it's the long road to Brechin to take on the team three places below us in the league but worrying with only four points fewer.

Joe Smooth feat Anthony Thomas - Promised Land

Thursday 20 December 2018

What's One More Lie?



An apt question in these troubling times.

I know absolutely nothing about this track apart from up until 2007 it hadn't been released on vinyl, when it was pressed up and given away at the 100 Club's 28th Anniversary. It will set you back upwards of £125 to get a copy now!,  this absolutely glorious piece of heart on your sleeve soul had been included in an instrumental version on the essential Kent cd GWP NYC-TCB from a couple of years previously. I think that I prefer the instrumental but then again that was the first version I heard so maybe that's why.

Milton Bennett - What's One More Lie

The Milton Bennett Band - What's One More Lie

Monday 17 December 2018

Monday's Long Song



Another bit of modern kosmiche Musik this week. Mugstar are quite adept at the chugging bass and synth propelled epic instrumentals that spring to mind when somebody mentions Space Rock and so they should be as they have been honing their craft for well over a decade now. So there were quite a few tracks to choose from to fill this Monday slot. Remember The Breathing comes from the band's last album released in 2016 on Rock Action, the label set up by Mogwai who are no strangers to wandering past the 7-8 minute mark.

Mugstar - Remember The Breathing 

Saturday 15 December 2018

The Tracks Of My Year




Right here we go, time for what some have called the most indulgent post in a year of indulgent posts and I'm not going to argue. I like lists and I like compiling lists too. I was looking back at this list from previous years and there is a definite shift  away from the what would I suppose be termed as traditional "indie" to heavier, guitar based sounds that are generally longer. but still mixed with a large dollop of dance and a couple of bits of pop thrown in for good measure. This is also the first year since 2010 that their has been no presence from The xx in any form, not even a remix of somebody else by Jamie xx, if he has been active over the past 12 months then I have not heard it. Andrew Weatherall keeps up the record as the only artist to have featured on every one of my yearly lists. Although he has been slightly less prolific than last year he has still cost me a pretty penny. He could have easily made up a quarter of this list but I have limited him to three entries. I suspect that Lord Sabre will feature more prominently over at SA's Bagging Area when he gets his arse in gear.

It was pretty apparent from the first time that I heard SX1000 back in March that it would take something really special to usurp it from being my favourite track of the year and so it proved to be not even a highly anticipated Spiritualized album or a return to best form by the Orb produced anything that could create a bigger grin or hold my attention the same. Not even continual playing on YouTube prior to actually getting my hands on the 12" could sicken me off of first single from the Lucid Dream's 4th album. Magic stuff.

1, The Lucid Dream - SX1000
2, The Orb - Soul Planet
3. Spiritualized - I'm Your Man
4. Andrew Weatherall - Making Friends With The Invader
5. Traceyanne & Danny - O'Keefe
6. Jono Ma & Dreems - A Love Trance Mission From NK to 7S
7. Public Sector Broadcasting - They Gave Me A Lamp (Plaid mix)
8. Janelle Monae - Make Me Feel
9. Primal Scream - Big Jet Plane (original Mephis recording)
10.Daniel Avery - Glitter (Jon Hopkins mix)
11.Mogwai - We're Not Done (End Titles)
12.She Drew The Gun - Wolf & Bird
13.Mien - Black Habit
14.Psychic Lemon - Exit To The Death Lane
15.Jon Hopkins - Luminous Beings
16.Mattiel - Just A Name
17.Tomorrow Syndicate - A Glitch In Time
18.Haiku Salut - Iam Who I Remind You Of
19.Rival Consoles - Persona
20.Tracey Thorn - Sister (Andrew Weatherall mix)
21.Wooden Shjips - Staring At The Sun
22.The Shacks - Follow Me
23.Karen O feat Michael Kiwanuka - Yo! Ma Saint
24.Goat - Let It Burn
25.Beak - Alle Sauvage
26.The Lucid Dream - Alone In Fear
27.Confidence Man - Out The Window (Greg Wilson and Che Wilson mix)
28.Asteroid #4 - Ghost Garden
29.Black Delta Movement - Butterfly
30.Black Doldrums - It's A Dandy Massacre
31.Carla J Easton - Vagabond
32.Marius Circus - I Feel Space (original mix)
33.Field of Dreams - Nothing Is Perfect (Weatherall mix)
34.HiFi Sean - Transparent
35.Our Girl - Our Girl
36.Comet Gain - If Not Tomorrow
37.Spiritualized - Sail On Through
38.Tracyanne & Danny - Alabama
39,Liminanas - The Gift
40.Riton and Kah Lo- Fake ID












Thursday 13 December 2018

It's Beginning to Feel a Bit Like

With all the shite going on all around, something a little festive to cheer us up. The sight of Sharin Foo always makes me feel better, especially when she was on the merch stall handing me my mugs (sigh)!

Still can't get over the year Dobies Garden Centres used this to soundtrack their Christmas ad.


Wednesday 12 December 2018

Theory of Colours



I had totally forgotten about this album until a track popped up on the iPod a few weeks ago, since then it has been on heavy rotation. Theory of Colour, the debut album from welsh producer Dauwd came out last year. I must have ripped it, filed it and then let it slip my mind. The album moves from minimal house, through more abstract pieces sand this rather lovely more mellow finisher.

Dauwd - Theory of Colours

Monday 10 December 2018

Monday's Long Song.



I still have no idea who Koolaid are but the previous album Koolaid (Global Tyranny) from 2011 was a big favourite around these parts. Earlier this year a second lp Koolaid (Holy Sunshine) came out a few months ago and it's just about as bonkers as the previous release. Take this track. Canyon which makes the supposition that the whole counter culture movement in the 60s was actually a secret C.I.A. experiment that got out of hand. See I told you bonkers.

Koolaid (Holy Sunshine) - Canyon

Sunday 9 December 2018

My Top Ten Albums of the Year



It has been a great year in my opinion for music and even more so for the album a format that we were all told had had it's day. I have bought more albums that hang together  as a piece of work over the past 12 months than for many a year. Purchasing all of these has not come without its problems also, firstly there is the cost aspect, we shall not get into the question of why some new releases can be bought on vinyl for £13 and other are upwards of 20 quid but it is becoming very costly. Secondly and more worrying is that I am running out of space and even I can no longer justify the piles cluttering up the floor to the increasing comments regarding lack of visible floor in what should be the dining room.  Recently I have bought some on cd, even when available on vinyl! but am not yet ready to go round the download only route.

It has been difficult to pick my top ten, five of them were a given but there are lots of others that would have been shooty in in previous years but didn't make the cut in 2018. Notable mentions being the Orb, Daniel Avery and Jon Hopkins. I could have easily made this a top twenty but decided to keep it to the ten. There are others that if I had bought earlier and had a chance to listen to more may have edged something out of the list, I'm thinking of Beak in particular and there are most certainly at least two that would have made the ten if I had gotten round to buying. But this is the ten as of 08th December.

10. Mattiel - Mattiel



This is a raw, retro mix of soul and 60's garage sounds which is pretty effective, My only gripe is that the vocals of Mattiel Brown can sound a bit shouty after repeated listens.



9. Tomorrow Syndicate - Future Tense



Find of the year for me. Retro futurist sounds from Glasgow. All analogue synths and sci-fi inspired dreamy pop that would not have sounded out of place in those 70s programmes about the future, that's not to say that the music is not fresh it just brings to mind that kind vision of what was to come as forseen during that decade.



8, Mien - Mien



Psych rock supergroup made up of members of The Black Angels , the Horrors and The Earlies which is as good and diverse as that would suggest.



7. Psychic Lemon - Frequency, Rhythm, Distortion



There seems to be a glut of good psych rock bands out there at the moment and Psychic Lemon with this their second album must be amongst the top of the pile. A great mixture of Kraut, Spacerock with plenty of fuzz and distortion on 5 mostly instrumental tracks. Great stuff when played loud.




6. She Drew The Gun - Revolution of The Mind



Another second album, this time from Liverpool's Louisa Roach. More scathing social commentary expertly written to a soundtrack of catchy and at times quite poppy modern psych that deserves to be heard by a lot more people. What is it about Liverpool and psychedelic sounds at the moment?



5. Tracyanne & Danny



Sublime album from Traceyanne Campell and Danny Coughlan. So many highlights on this lush mostly laid back album. If Alabama, Tracyanne's tribute to her friend and bandmate Carey Lander doesn't leave you with at least watery eyes then you are one cold hearted bastard that I never wish to meet.



4. Rival Consoles - Persona



I'm not sure that a more different album from the one above would be possible on this list. Ryan Lee West's fifth long player as Rival Consoles has been compared to the most recent release by Jon Hopkins and I can see why. However I found this flowed better and held my attention a lot more than Singularity.  There are lots of 4x4 beats and immaculate techno on show here but also a couple of sublime less frantic moments.



3. The Lucid Dream - Actualisation



In any other year this would easily have been top of the list. The Carlisle psych-rockers experiment with acid house sounds and come up with something a bit different which got them tagged as "psych traitors" a badge that they and some of us wear with pride., The album had been highly anticipated after the release of SX1000 and did not disappoint over the 6 tracks, a hybrid of dub, psych and acid house. Very much looking forward to seeing them headlining in February after their all too short support slot with Wooden Shjips at St Luke's a couple of months ago.



2. Primal Scream - Give Out But Don't Give Up (The Original Memphis Recordings)



I have debated over including this in here but I think that it is different enough from the original release to warrant it's inclusion.

When I first read that Primal Scream were releasing the original Memphis recording of GOBDGU I thought to myself "oh aye, sounds a bit like barrel scraping to me" and then I thought that it might be worth having as a companion piece to the original which I really liked at the time. It can't be that different can it.

Fuck me, I was stunned on first play, those horns, the guitars, Bobby G's singing! There is such a warmth to the tracks on these recordings. At first I thought that they were mad not to release this at the time but on reflection, there was a lot of disappointment at what was released these recordings would not have been reviewed more favourably, 1994 was not the year for something as beautiful as these songs turned out under Tom Dowd's expert supervision. Even Rocks, my least favourite Primal track up until this point is nearly bearable. Who would have thought that Gillespie was capable of singing as well as he does on this record.



1, Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt



It's Spiritualized, what more do you need to know.

If this is Spiritualized's swansong, (I hope not) then there are worse ways to bow out than this.



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 






Friday 7 December 2018

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



A bit later than usual and with a track that has been posted before, sorry. But in my defence it was nearly six years ago and it is a belter and worth another airing.

Greg Wilson is renowned for his edits and for me this along with his extended Voodoo Ray is his best. On this Wilson takes two already re-edited tracks, one a mash up of Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy and Amerie's 1Thing and the other a mash up of 1Thing and Sympathy For The Devil splices them together and creates a monster of a track which is virtually impossible not to dance to.

Last week's pitiful performance by Airdrie was enough but having to listen to JC relate how well Raith Rovers were to his mate Aldo over the phone as I was driving us all, including Walter back to Lanark was nearly too much. Let's hope that the Diamonds can do better tomorrow when they take on Dumbarton away, for the third time this season. They won the last encounter two weeks ago comfortably but the team that came out at Starks Park last week was the exact same team the performance was back to something akin to dire showings of earlier in the season, so god knows what will be on show tomorrow.

Have a good weekend people

Greg Wilson - Two Sides of Sympathy

Pete Shelley RIP



Very sad news last night. Going Steady is possible the greatest, singles collection ever.


Thursday 6 December 2018

It's That Time Of The Year Again



I wasn't sure about posting this as feelings are still quite raw regarding Scott's death but it is such a good song. I did burst out greetin' when I pulled the 7" out of the cupboard and put it on the other night.

Frightened Rabbit - It's Christmas So We'll Stop (Choir version)

Frightened Rabbit - It's Christmas So We'll Stop

Wednesday 5 December 2018

I Opened A Bar

This is a bit strange but it has inveigled it's way into my brain and refuses to leave. Sophie Hunger is a Swiss artist who now lives in Germany and whom I was blissfully unaware of until last week but since then I have heard this track quite a few times and I even bought the download, not something I regularly do.


Tuesday 4 December 2018

More Of The Genuis of Michael Head




I still haven't been able to finish that Shack ICA, every time I think that's it,  I fuck about with it some more and then it doesn't seem right. At present I am toying with the idea of doing two volumes as I don't think I'm allowed to make it a double album.

Here's Tom With The Weather was Shack's fourth album and is a rather mellow affair and the influence of Arthur Lee looms large on the album, nowhere more so than on the lovely Meant To Be with the track almost stops and the mariachi horns send it off in a totally different direction only for the track to break and return onto is original course. Not the sort of thing anybody else was doing back in 2003. The rest of the album is just as good and brother John takes the lead on three of the twelve tracks, his more gentle vocal adding a different dimension, check out Carousel for an absolutely lush love song.

Shack - Meant To Be

Monday 3 December 2018

Monday's Long Song



Today's tune is not the easiest of listens and not just due to the fact that part of it was used in the horror film 28 Days Later but it is still a gripping one and a track I return to often. I have learned that East Hastings is a rather down at heel part of Vancouver where all the trappings of poverty can be seen on the streets. I have heard comments that this track by Godspeed You Black Emperor would perfectly soundtrack a trip round the neighbourhood. Bleak is as good a description of the tune as you will get but as I said in the first sentence it is captivating. The rest of the album is great too and the further two releases I have by the Canadian band follow a similar vein but are no less worth checking out.

Godspeed You Black Emperor - East Hastings 

Friday 30 November 2018

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance




As it's St Andrew's Day I thought that a bit of Scottish Progressive House from my golden days of clubbing should be the order of the day. I have talked before about 23rd Precinct in Bath Street in Glasgow before and the folk that worked behind the counter in the shop who made Barry from Championship look like the most customer centric record shop worker, so won't go back there suffice to say, gits one and all. The two labels that the label produced that probably released records by the aforementioned gits were for a time two of the labels that I would buy as soon as I say saw the label, no need to hear the track first as they would inevitably, to steal a phrase from another Glasgow label be quality recordings.

Between 1992 and 1994, Graeme Drinnan and Mark Brown, collectively know as Sublime released four belters for the labels, the first on 23rd Precinct Recordings Ltd and the other three on Limbo. The fourth release, TGV an homage to France's excellent  high-speed intercity rail service speeds along like you would expect and would probably soundtrack a journey through the Gallic countyside perfectly, certainly worked in the dingy clubs of Scotland's best city in 1994.

Airdrie are going through a bit of an renaissance at the moment with three wins on the bounce. The change in the team over the past wee while is nothing short of remarkable and last Saturday there were shouts of ole during a particularly skilful period of play that saw the midfield string together more passes than they have achieved during the rest of the home games this season combined bringing back memories of the short-lived heady days of the Archibald era when we were being linked to Barcelona and an expectation that Airdire would be the place that Barca's up and coming players would be bloodied and their stars on the wain would finish their careers took hold of the stand, I kid you not. We were a guillable bunch once upon a time. Anyway, let's hope that the guys can sustain their winning ways away to Raith Rovers on Saturday. A game that Leo and I will be attending, as he approves of the half-time catering especially the Steak and Gravy pies (a totally different thing from the pie that you attempted to eat at the Excelsior Brian). We will meet up with JC and Walter there and I hope that on the journey back to Lanark it will be me this time telling JC that his team played well but unfortunately couldn't hold on to the 99th minute to secure a victory.

Have a good weekend people.

Sublime - TGV

Thursday 29 November 2018

Coldplay Thursday



As most of you will be aware The Sound Of Being Okay will be losing its most talented member, KT,  this week as she heads off on mat leave from the blog. KT or KC as she was know previously has regaled us with some hilarious, often quite personal and on more than one occasion extremely moving posts.

So in KC's honour  it seems appropriate that Coldplay be posted again. I realise the last time I did this I got some pelters but we really were ripping the pish out of ourselves for being the musical snobs that we are and in keeping with that I am going to post the same tune as I posted the last time as secretly if it were sung by say Ryan Adams or Jesse Malin I would be telling you it was brilliant as to be honest it's not a bad song. I still think that the first four lines are complete gash though.

All the best KT and I hope that your child sleeps as long as our second one did right from the off, the least said about the first the better.

Coldplay - Green Eyes

Wednesday 28 November 2018

Candie Payne



Candie Payne's only album to date, I Wish I Could Have Loved You More, released 11 years ago has really got under my skin recently. When I first bought it I was quite disappointed as I thought that apart from a couple of really good songs it was a bit "meh" as the cool kids and Comrade Colin back then would have said. But over repeated plays over the past month or go the subtleties of the album have really appealed. The influence of Dusty and Nancy are all over the album but it's not just a 60's pastiche, well mostly it is but it is a very good one and for me stands up to the other purveyors of that sound at that time very well.

Around the time of the release of the album I saw Payne perform at King Tuts and I have never seen anybody more nervous on stage, she was visibly shaking when she first came on but by a couple of songs in she seemed to have calmed down although she didn't set the heather on fire she was very good.

I wonder why she hasn't released anything else.

Candie Payne - In The Morning

Monday 26 November 2018

Monday's Long Song



To try to stave off the Sunday night blues last night I reached for the Pledge Music funded live release by Dexys from 2014 and headed straight for side H and This Is What She's Like. Now any of you acquainted with the vinyl version of this release will know that the sound on the  first 3 minutes or so of this side are not the best quality wise, I had three different copies of this sent to me and they all sounded the same, like an album that I had had for forty years and which had seen more than a couple of airings at parties but now I have been able to filter the noise out and just listen to what for me is the best rendition of my favourite Dexys song which always makes me regret hesitating just that little bit to long for tickets for the One Day I'm Going To Soar tour.

After listening I thought to myself that would be a great track for Monday's Long Song, such a pity that I've posted it before but I decided to check the blog to find out how long ago it had featured and to my amazement it hasn't so that sorted out today's post.

Kev?

Pete?

What Was She Like?

Dexys - This Is What She's Like 


Thursday 22 November 2018

Somebody's Always Trying



There has not been a great deal of Soul posted here since I resurrected the blog, not sure why as I am listening to as much as usual and over the next few weeks will probably immerse myself in it as I've got to Richard Searling's book, Setting The Record Straight and the final book in Stuart Gosgrove's soul Trilogy, Harlem 69 at the top of the reading list and sitting on the bedside cabinet,

Talking of one half of the Off the Ball Team, Stiff and I attended a talk by him in Motherwell library on Tuesday night where he discussed the three books with the emphasis on Harlem 69 and very entertaining it was too.

So really I should be featuring a song from 67 - 69 today but I'm not. I've got what Brian would I think term a "doozy" for you from a few years earlier. 1964 but it is at least on the Okeh label out of N.Y.C. Somebody's Always Trying lies more towards the R&B send of the soul spectrum but is nonetheless a belter, It is also pretty rare, a vg copy would set you back around £430.


Tuesday 20 November 2018

Mattiel



Back in May I posted Count Your Blessings the first single on Burger Records from Mattiel. A week or so later the single was released over here after being picked up by Heavenly and in July her debut originally released last year in the States also got a release this side of the pond and I have to tell you it's a belter. It ticks loads of boxes for me, a bit Garagey here, soulful there and with more than a smidgen of Girl Group sounds. What's not to like, not much, I do have one slight gripe Mattiel Brown's voice can come over a bit shouty when I'm not in the right mood or am on my third listen on the bounce, although I haven't once taken the album off before the end. It could be in my top ten albums of the year, although there have been so many great and extremely good albums this year it may not.

Mattiel - Just A Name

Monday 19 November 2018

Monday's Long Song



As the nights draw in and Autumn turns to Winter I always find myself rifling through the M section in the vinyl and cd shelves. I'm not sure what it is about this time of the year that lends itself to the sounds of John Martyn for me but I always find that the songs soundtrack this time of the year beautifully especially the output from 1971 to 1977.  I have posted Small Hours from the classic One World album on a few occasions but never this instrumental version before. To be honest it's not a version I play that often as I like the vocal in the track but now and again it hits the spot and is a pretty good way to ease you into the working week.

John Martyn - Small Hours (Instrumental)

Monday 12 November 2018

Monday's Long Song




These long songs on a Monday are unearthing some gems across the sites, the Swede in particular has been putting me on to things that are totally new to me. When looking out things for here I have dusted down some tracks that haven't been played for ages or I had totally forgotten about and in some cases has sent me off on some weird and wonderful listening tangents.

Today's track fall into the "hasn't been played for ages" category. When I took a punt on "These Were The Earlies" back in 2004 I was kind of perplexed at first, didn't know what to make of it, it didn't sound like anything else around at the time, It was very trippy in an late 60s British folk/psychedelic way but with modern synths but with a bit of a US West Coast vibe about it too. One of the stand out tracks was Morning Wonder. A while ago I managed to pick up a single sided 12" promo of this track which extended the album cut to double it's length, all repetition and krauty sounding synths.

The Earlies - Morning Wonder (Final Mix)

Sunday 11 November 2018

Friday 9 November 2018

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance



Australian psychedelic dance rockers Jagwar Ma have a knack of getting it spot on when they pick the producers to remix their tracks, the man that is Andrew Weatherall has produced a couple of belters, the Time and Space Machine dub sessions are excellent and the Pachanga Boys epic trippy mix of Come Save Me is essential but my favourite comes from the Every Now and Zen remixes 12" and is definitely aimed more at the dance floor than sitting stoned out of your gourd nodding along to. The original is a pretty good dance floor friendly track if you can get passed Gabriel Winterfield's vocals which for me are a weakness of the band and probably why I prefer the remixes of their stuff where the vocals are at a minimum. However, German producer and DJ Michael Mayer strips out the vocal, adds a wobbly bassline and turns the track into a minimal techno monster that build over the course of seven minutes, it reminds me somewhat of Reveal by Richard Norris' side project Circle Sky.

If I must talk about the football, I can sum up last week's performance by Airdrie with one word pish. If you need further details, the fact that the goalkeeper was the man of the match should tell you all you need to know. Tomorrow they make the long trip down to Stranraer who are two places above the Diamonds who crashed from 4th to 7th after last week's rubbish. Let's hope they can do something tomorrow but again, I wouldn't put any money on it.

Have a good weekend people.

Jagwar Ma - Give Me A Reason (Michael Mayer Does The Amoeba Remix)

Thursday 8 November 2018

Some Kind Of Wonderful




I've had an urge to watch Some Kind of Wonderful this week not sure why. I think it may have something to do with the state of the world and going back to a less scary time. It's quite a feat to be in a time that makes you hanker back to the good old days of the Cold War and Thatcher at the height of her powers. Or maybe it's just that I'm just a sad middle aged man reminiscing about my youth. Whatever the reason I watched what I think is John Hughes' best film and thoroughly enjoyed it, sure some of the acting isn't terrific, the plot is typical John Hughes and the characters are all stereotypes but it made me smile and also get as infuriated with Eric Stoltz character as much as I did way back when. It's Watts you clown, she's the one not the Wannabe but this being a John Hughes movie he get's it in the end.

As I've said previously,  simpler times.

One thing did that did stand out was that the soundtrack is not as good as I thought it was, there is a terrible remix version of The Hardest Walk, Brilliant Mind by Furniture, a rather sweet cover of Can't Help Falling In Love and the Stephen Duffy song posted below which soundtracks one of my favourite scenes in the film. I think that this song may have been written for this film as I couldn't find it anywhere other than on the soundtrack album. Apart from those the rest is pretty par for the course mid 80s sludge.




Stephen Duffy - She Loves Me


Wednesday 7 November 2018

Martin Stephenson



On Saturday night I had the great pleasure of seeing Martin Stephenson perform Gladsome, Humour and Blue in its entirety at Oran Mor. This album is probably my favourite by this much underrated artist and sound tracked my year in Aberdeen just as much as the Betty Blue soundtrack, 1000 Years of Trouble and various House 12" singles. In fact Nancy was played at least once a day for about a month.

I have never seen anybody so happy to be on stage as Stephenson and his between song banter was funny and at times informative about presenting the Dainties with one more dirge to record, when all they wanted was for Martin to come up with something a bit upbeat and poppy "like Roddy Frame". He also gave some insights into what it was like to be on the road with other bands, apparently the Bluebells were a great laugh but that Prefab Sprout were a miserable shower.

Gladsome, Humour and Blue has been re-recorded for it's thirtieth anniversary and can be purchased here. If you liked the original you will also love this re-interpretation and if you don't know the original you should buy this anyway as it is a lovely album, not the most upbeat of records but the music and lyrics are top class. The album was re-recorded at Beetroot Studios in Airdrie, a stone's throw from the football stadium and produced by Stuart MacLeod who joined the band on stage for an encore and who Stephenson tried to sell him a guitar. This recording session was not the first time that Stephenson had been to the town of my childhood, he has recorded at MacLeod's studio a few times and in 2004 released an album called Airdrie - Songs From The Industrial North which is pretty rare to get a hold of these days but is available for download at the Bandcamp page. Although today's track is on that album it did not get an airing on Saturday night but I can't grumble because the extras that we did get over and above the Daintees album were perfect for the time and place.

If you ever get the opportunity to see Martin Stephenson, don't hesitate as it is worth it just for the big stupid grin and the stories alone, the songs are a great bonus all the same.

Martin Stephenson - Mountainous Spring

Monday 5 November 2018

Monday's Long Song



This track is a few minutes shorter than my usual song in this series but it come on over the weekend and I listened to it three times on the bounce and thought that it was quite apt this week.

Now,  I'm not one for trying to tell people from other countries how to vote, I lost a lot of credibility for David Bowie prior to the Scottish Independent Referendum when he deemed to put his neb in and a few others for that matter but folks in the USA could do worse than listen to Bruce Springsteen this week, that's all I'm saying.

Land of Hope and Dreams was written by Springsteen in 1998 was performed live on the following year's E Street Band reunion and then recorded during the sessions for 2002's The Rising but not included it was subsequently rerecorded and released on Wrecking Ball in 2012, The studio version is ok, actually really good but does not pack the punch of the live one posted here, from the Live In New York City album. Most Springsteen songs when you think of it come into there own in the live environment. I really should have paid the money a couple of years ago and gone and seen him at Hampden!

Bruce Springsteen - Land of Hope and Dreams 

Friday 2 November 2018

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance


Propellerheads are probably best remembered for their collaboration with Dame Shirley Bassey, History Repeating or the cover they did of the theme to On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The duo were signed to Wall of Sound one of the leading labels lights in the "Big Beat" genre in the mid to late 90s. Take California was the second single from the boys from Bath and is my favourite. It has your typical hip-hop beats, synonymous with this scene which are actually sampled from on old soul tune, Hit or Miss by Odetta which I first heard when it was used on DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist's seminal mix cd Brainfreeze.

Well, no new manager bounce for Airdrie last week. just another incredibly poor performance in which the Diamonds eventually succumbed to the inevitable defeat on the 86th minute when Stenhousemuir scored. It was bitterly cold last Saturday with limited benefit coming from digging out the long-johns and I think my feet eventually warmed up at about 22:00 hrs. Tomorrow they play host to Forfar who are one place and two points above them in the table. I will be going more in hope than expectation and will be wearing two pairs of socks!

Have a good weekend people

Propellerheads - Take California

Thursday 1 November 2018

I've Been In Front, I've Never Given In.



I love this track so much it is an aural sedative. After listening to the pompous twat that is Michael Portillo on the Moral Maze last night, I put on They Gave Me A Lamp and almost instantly  calmed down which is strange that a song about the Miner's Strike of 1984 - 85 should do so and not make me rage even more so, especially as Portillo lest we forget due to his reinvention as a railway enthusiast and extremely bad dad dancer, was an acolyte of Thatcher and a very loyal member of the government intent in crushing not only the miners but any worker who didn't stay in line and put up with their lot.

Enough of the politics already, I hear you say.

 I think that it may be the participation of the Derbyshire trio Haiku Salut, as their latest album, There Is No Elsewhere (which is very good by the way) has a similar effect on me. Or it could be the brass or the impassioned sampled dialogue or just that it is a great song which is sadly over far to soon. There is a very good remix of They Gave Me A Lamp by Plaid which came out on RSD 18 release, People Will Always Need Coal which is also very good. O

The album that the track comes from, Every Valley, the third by Public Service Broadcasting is worth checking out, although an album thoroughly wrapped up in the coal industry in the Welsh Valleys may not sound like a great listen, it really is, it's atmospheric, moody but also has some great moments of light and optimism not least on Progress , on which Tracyanne Campbell provides the unmistakable vocal, what there is of it.  I had the good fortune to see both of those tracks being performed live at Electric Fields during one of the standout sets of the festival for me.

Public Service Broadcasting - They Gave Me A Lamp 

Wednesday 31 October 2018

Happy Birthday Boy




Max turned fifteen today! I said to him this morning, "this time next year you will be able to vote in Scottish elections" to which he responded "this time next year I can leave school" and argument I decided that was best left for another day, one that I think will include a lot of raised voices and no mutually agreed outcome. The joys!

I was going to post something that Max is listening to at the moment but it's all absolute pish. Sadly the early promise has disappeared maybe Stiff's right and he burnt himself out on good music before he was twelve. So in honour of Halloween here is a track from the first and my favourite Dream Syndicate album, The Days Of Wine And Roses.

The Dream Syndicate - Halloween

Monday 29 October 2018

Monday's Long Song



This track knocked me for six the first time I heard it as it is not what you expect from Kenny Anderson.  A song that lasts for more than ten minutes, surely not but then again King Creosote always confounds expectations.  On one level the song is typical of Anderson, those soft Perthshire vocals, repeating a few phrases over and over accompanied by piano and guitar but then there are the drums, front and centre, that kick in just over a third of the way through and then drive the song all the way until the finale.  Drums are not usually what you would associate with KC but they are effective, so much so that  eleven and a bit minutes have passed in what feels like the blink of an eye and there is nothing else for it but to go back to the start and play it again.

King Creosote - Ankle Shackles 

Friday 26 October 2018

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance




I think we shall have a bit more Guerilla this week from The Drum Club and remixed by Orbital. It is a bit Progressive House by numbers when you listen to it now but at the time this sounded just the thing, a little bit of breathy female vocal, pulsing bass line, a nagging sampled refrain and a squelchy bit. To be honest at the time we didn't need anything else to keep us entertained. Simpler times.

The Diamonds did rather well away to Montrose last week, returning home with a three nil victory. According to the match report it was a pretty solid performance and convincing victory. Let's hope they can give the same sort of performance tomorrow when Stenhousemuir come to visit, which will be the first match with new manager Ian Murray at the helm. Tonight I will be looking out the long-johns as it looks like it is going to be the first of many Baltic visits to Shybury before the end of the season.

Have a good weekend people.

Drum Club - Alchemy (Phasers On Stun mix)

Thursday 25 October 2018

Keeping It Peel



Fourteen Years!

Webbie came up with this idea eight years ago and I always find it quite an enjoyable task dipping into Ken Garner's book the Peel Sessions every year and reminding myself of all of the diverse sessions that were done for the great man's radio show, albeit a task that is tinged by sadness that Peel is no longer with us, to educate, inform and do all the hard work of finding the new bands and artists for us. There are other very good dj's out there keeping up the good work but good as they are, they ain't  Peel and I don't think there will ever be another dj that comes close, that may be nostalgia and if you can prove me wrong I will be happy but I just don't think so.

This year's session is a bit different, as it's not two or three tracks recorded at Maida Vale but a live dj set by the Scratch Perverts which I do remember hearing at the time and absolutely loving.

The Scratch Perverts - Peel Session DJ Set 26/01/1999

John Peel - The Fall

Monday 22 October 2018

Monday's Long Song



I've just finished reading Stuart Cosgrove's second part of his Soul Trilogy Memphis 68, and very good it was too even better than part one. It only reinforced the annoyance at myself that I have been feeling since L came back from Memphis regarding my fear of inter continental flying, as I have been told several times over the past week or so "you would love Memphis, Drew, you really would". I can console myself that even if I were to get over this, some have said "irrational" fear, the distinct lack of funds and my total inability to save as much as £100 means that unless I win the lottery, I will not be going. If I were to win the lottery I would be going by boat anyway.

Back to the music, finishing the book made me change the track that I had lined up for today and replace it with something that not only helped bring someone who up until the album that today's track was released was a minor figure in the Memphis Soul scene,  also shaped the direction that soul would travel in the 1970,  laid the foundations for the likes of Barry White and took soul music from the constraints of the sub 3 minute pop song, if not into the realms of the concept album, then at least the song as a long form story. A Jimmy Webb penned, Glen Campbell, Nashville staple is not the sort of thing you would associate with changing the face of soul music but that's just what happened when Isaac Hayes reinterpreted By The Time I Get To Phoenix, adding a spoken word back story to the sounds of the Bar-Kays, Hayes takes nearly nine minutes setting the scene before the track kicks in fully and then the next nine minutes are taken up with absolutely sublime soul and then it's over, wow! The album this track comes from, Hot Buttered Soul only contains 4 tracks, three of which are covers and one original composition by Hayes and Al Bell. It was a toss up whether to post By The Time I Get To Phoenix or the sublime rendition of Walk On By which also qualifies for this series clocking in at 12 minutes.

There will not be a lot to see here this week as I am at a three day meeting, in the exotic location of Heathrow bloody airport. I have put together something for Thursday though.

Isaac Hayes - By The Time I Get To Phoenix