The rewards remain timeless: challenging at times for challenging times....
James Brown • 23 February 2021
John Coltrane - Ascension
To quote Albert Ayler; "John was like a visitor to this planet. He came in peace and he left in peace; but during his time here, he kept trying to reach new levels of awareness, of peace, of spirituality. That's why I regard the music he played as spiritual music - John's way of getting closer and closer to the Creator."
Ascension soon grabs you with an almost shocking kaleidoscope of noise. A jumbled up rush hour city before or after lockdown, an intensely hurried compulsive brain going into overdrive, phrase upon phrase, note upon note; it's not unknown for the casual listener to be frightened, upset, disgusted even by what presents itself as music. It could be on a par with the premier performance of Stravinsky's Rite Of Spring in 1913, where most of the Parisian crowd lost patience completely, walked out and caused an uproar, a riot even, as history books tell it.
When I first bought it, well, let me just say it was my first introduction to a colossal seismic shift in my appreciation of jazz. An introduction to an awakening of so called 'free-jazz'. I had total respect for Coltrane's music already, having previously digested his album A Love Supreme, Blue Train and his earlier work with Miles Davis. I remember first hearing the masterpiece A Love Supreme and being taken aback by the vocal coming in on the title refrain. What 'A Love Supreme' did of course was introduce me to a colossal presence, a once heard never forgotten piece of music. It changed my appreciation of jazz forever and set me in good stead for the further exploration of the music including Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Pharaoh Sanders, Albert Ayler and Alice Coltrane herself, still all waiting to be heard at that point. What it didn't prepare me for was Ascension.
Once I remember playing it rather too loudly in my bedroom and hearing a voice saying exasperatingly, "what on earth is that?!", I replied jokingly, "it's not of this earth!" I still feel blessed that my parents did this with good humour and a willingness to listen.
It was like an exploration of an unknown wilderness, a first visit to a capital city, the first time you fall over and smash your head against the floor, a waking nightmare, a step back from the world and a giant leap into it, a visionary to learn from and continue to investigate further.
Within these walls of chaos comes shining glimpses of purity and with continued listening, reveal moments of magical elevation which might not have been heard previously. Some famous Coltrane associates ingeniously settle back into the thematic groove, dismantling it and disconnecting, giving space and and some air within its avant-garde explorations, among them Elvin Jones, Art Davis, McCoy Tyner and Freddie Hubbard.
Sometimes it's like being drawn into a freeform after hours jam session at the famous Birdland club with every player given free reign at express themselves at the same time, getting higher and higher but then always coming back to regain consciousness after the breath itself is no longer in the room.
Ascension then, is to some, a slightly annoying neighbour to the more famous A Love Supreme album released later in the same year. To others it's a close companion and represents another spiritual dimension to our busy and chaotic lives. Above all Ascension was and still is, ahead of it's time, in fact you can almost say it transcends time.
(Edition 1 of Ascension was released in 1965; and later, after the album was already officially released, Coltrane listened back to the first takes of Ascension in the studio and asked if the record could be changed and cut again using a different recording take, now known as Edition 2, this was released in 1966 with a slightly different feel.)
Coltrane's philosophy was now growing immensely, learning and gaining a truth in ones own spiritual path. This can be heard in multitudes from here on in and with the help of Alice Coltrane, both forging an influence and a higher consciousness that is still absorbed by many today.
If you haven't yet heard Ascension then I would advise anyone to play it with open ears and an even more open mind. If at first it seems too much then feel free to stop it, but then try it again later. If the second time it still creates tension then why not play Blue Train to maybe calm the nerves, followed by the masterpiece of A Love Supreme. Then once again now being in the groove, play it again and allow the album to run its course. If by the end and you've got the time then play it again, now you'll be accustomed to the rise and fall of mayhem, the subtle changes which announce the regaining of sanity. You'll maybe pick out a line of notes from one individual player that once heard will remain a key point in acknowledging of the records creative power and 'ascension' to a higher purity of presence. Now place the album in pride of place among Coltrane's work and know it's there when you need it to awaken the appreciation of a challenging creative force of nature. Another gift from John Coltrane to try and understand ourselves amidst the chaos of the world.
There are moments in each of his later albums where you can vividly sense that he was almost aware of his mortality and soon his life in this form would be taking it's last breath. Coltrane passed away at only 40 years of age in 1967.
“There is never any end,” Coltrane wrote in the 1965 liner notes for Ascension. “There are always new sounds to imagine: new feelings to get at. And always, there is a need to keep purifying these feelings and sounds so that we can really see what we’ve discovered in its pure state. So that we can see more clearly what we are. In that way, we can give to those who listen, the essence–the best of what we are. But to do that at each stage, we have to keep on cleaning the mirror.”
Another year of new releases has come to pass already, some cracking albums to cherish this year and from here on in.
Another year of new releases has come to pass already, some cracking albums to cherish this year and from here on in.
Albums of the year 1. King Creosote - I DES Kenny Anderson returns magnificently with I DES, something to a point to remind us all from whence he came all those years ago with seemingly hundreds or so songs to his name self released and otherwise and an experience beyond his years. I DES is full of heart breaking songs reflecting on a world moving much too fast and goodness knows where as he himself observes it all like a statue battered with the ravages of time his weary voice sounding as youthful as ever amidst a collective framework of haunting personal observations. I DES will rank highly in King Creosote's discography which is mighty high praise indeed. 2. Belbury Poly - The Path Never far from the turntable upon its release, a travelogue of deep speech woven and orchestrated by syncopated beats in a wonderfully Belbury Poly way. Ghost Box co founder Jim Jupp is joined here by a full band to further expand his funky, jazz and electronica vision, as refreshing as a stroll through the soundtracks of lesser travelled paths. 3. Lanterns On The Lake - Versions Of Us Highly recommend medication for anyone feeling overburdened with modern living. Hazel Wilde's haunting voice breaks in and out of the woven fabric of chiming guitars at times shimmering like an strange earthy hybrid of The Cocteau Twins mixed with Galaxie 500. Lanterns On The Lake continue to plough their own remarkable furrow, their blades shining brightly as ever. 4. Baxter Dury - I Thought I Was Better Than You Amidst the coolest of the coolest of beats Baxter Dury continues to surprise upon every release. Heart on the sleeve this time with a growing perspective on growing up, growing older, family and the will to carry on. An intoxicating mixture of laid bare emotional tonics which frequently give insight into his father Ian Dury and the relationship therein. A travelogue of poetic intensity that has the power to cleanse on each listen. 5. Peter Gabriel - i/o Only 21 years or so since his previous album Peter Gabriel once again shows that creative longevity is only as relevant to those who make it happen in the now. As successful as some of his most accessible work but no less mysterious. 6. PJ Harvey - I Inside The Old Year Dying A poetic justification of the passing of time ancient and otherwise. PJ Harvey returns with an album itself inspired by her epic poem 'Orlam' published in 2022. I Inside The Old Year Dying finds its roots deep within the Dorset countryside. Sparse, riveting and crackling with PJ Harvey's rawness and otherworldly spirit. 7. Sleaford Mods - UK Grim Speaking in truth and sidestepping expectation. The Sleaford's organic danceability is still very much here amidst a world of abrasion and in your face reality. Like keeping the bullshit detector well and truly powered up to 11 in the overburdened sewage farms where decisions are impacting the vastly widening social divide. Freedom of speech is very much alive and worth celebrating in itself. 8. Gaz Coombes - Turn The Car Around Arriving in January, Turn The Car Around refreshed the spirit after the excess of the festive period. Intricate story telling songs that weave their magic time and time again. The Supergrass frontman continues to go from strength to strength and survive on his own terms. His best album yet, intriguing, captivating with an overriding feeling as though it's a record Gaz Coombes has been wanting to make for a good while, the time has paid dividends marvellously. 9. The Coral - Sea Of Mirrors and Holy Joe's Coral Island Medicine Show Following on from their hugely successful Coral Island album in 2021 The Coral released 2 albums simultaneously this year both of which are equally deserved of attention. One a continuation of the spoken word dreamscape of their previous album Coral Island's psychedelic soundscape. The other a kaleidoscope of seasonal delight with a more than a tip of the the hat to spaghetti westerns of yore with more emphasis on the song craft we've all come to expect from their ever increasing songbook which in The Coral's vast canyon of work can both sit for now proudly and respectively in excellence. 10. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Land Of Sleeper They've done it again, living proof if it were needed that fuzz buckets of knarled metal heaviness aren't just for the swamps of America's beaten up garages but exist here in the brazen outer reaches of Newcastle's very own sweaty grime fuelled back streets. At time like twisted nightmares from the dark underbelly of Motorheadisms and Black Sabbathisms. The band continue carving out their own mythology. It's grim up North and what a pleasure that is. These pigs are definitely not for blankets! 11. Beirut - Hadsel Zach Condon here immerses himself in Hadsel a remote Norwegian Island also using the free to use local church organ which in turn inspires his melancholic musings of isolation, memory and healing. Weaving a magic throughout many songs on the album with multi layered voices, often creating their own landscape around the songs themselves; minimal, intimate with signature Beirut forlorn trumpet passages the album is a cohesive whole which bears heartfelt fruit with open arms. 12. Paul Simon - Seven Psalms Paul Simon returns after many thought after giving up touring that no more albums would come. This one as he himself explained started when the words Seven Psalms kept recurring in a dream, it's an acknowledgment to his own mortality. A quiet, intimate self portrait of death may not fill everyone with excitement or glee but it is quintessentially a Paul Simon record of old, a guitar, a voice and a song and there's absolute beauty to it's purity. Seven Psalms, proof that at 81 years, timelessness is still to be celebrated. Amen indeed. 13. Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music 14. Blur - The Ballad Of Darren 15. BC Camplight - The Last Rotation Of Earth 16. Vanishing Twin - Afternoon X 17. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin 18. The Kills - God Games 19. Julie Byrne - The Greater Wings 20. Slowdive - Everything Is Alive 21. Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd 22. Brian Jonestown Massacre - The Future Is Your Past 23. Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy 24. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World
In an age of the instant clamour for fame, the flame of old school rock and roll as we know it is being patiently and intently rekindled. "The Smell of Biscuits, on the long way home, Brunton Park, chanting up the Blues!" Well travelled but with firm roots in their hometown with bundles of references to Carlisle, from Mcvities to Carlisle Utd..... 2 years on from their well received debut album The Borderland, Hardwicke Circus are stepping it up with their new album Fly The Flag. The time in between has been, to say the least, full on, topping off a gig at at the feet of Neil Young and Bob Dylan's Hyde Park concert with a Glastonbury recommendation from Paul McCartney himself and a non stop touring schedule which would make The Commitments seem like slackers! These guys still relentlessly take the hard road to the stage, continuously honing their craft live up and down the country including many of the nation's prisons where a stonkin' live album was recorded and released. Refreshing to hear a modern band who know their music history and continue to respect their own heritage moving forward, illustrated with tracks such as ' Night Train To London' which is screaming out to be released as a 7" single! A lovely bit of ska, on the tracks from Carlisle to London Town. A tip of the hat to 'The Nutty Boys' - Night Boat To Cairo, Madness themselves would be mightily proud of such an honourable homage. 'Bang My Head' with Tom Foster's idiosyncratic lead vocal, intertwining naturally with lead Jonny and bassist Joe, brings to mind hints of what The Band did so well, carving out an irrefutable furrow of majesty, keeping everyone guessing with changing lead vocals between Levon Helm, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko and arriving back immersed in harmony. Hardwicke Circus are living proof that the old school is the best school to lay the foundations of a long career. 'Our Town'....their feet firmly steeped in Carlisle, Jonny Foster himself explains that "he is often asked why Hardwicke Circus don't move to London as many other bands do 'to get noticed', he adamantly restrains from this and explains that he is so proud of coming from Carlisle, they refuse doggedly to follow the 'in crowd' and are focussed on making it on the bands own terms! Just as The Arctic Monkeys and Sam Fender did before them, keeping it real, keeping their hometown firmly on their sleeves." Fly The Flag is a bold sax infused record with a collection of songs with at times Motown infused bass and beats weaving a rich tapestry of influences, channelling some of the spirit of Dexy's, The Band, Madness, Housemartins, Boomtown Rats, Billy Bragg, Van Morrison, Specials, Springsteen, Waterboys, Strummer, Stones and Dylan they also manage to infuse a heavy dose of classic eighties pop and pub rock of the late 70s with an ear for popular r and b music of the 60s into a cohesive whole which stands proudly out from the crowd. Eclectic as always, throw in such luminaries as Snake Davies and Earl Slick into the mix and your onto a winning formula. With principle songwriting craft from frontman Jonny Foster alongside his drumming brother Tom, Joe Hurst on bass, Lewis Bewley-Taylor on keys and Jack Pearce on sax. A formidable 5 piece and one to definitely keep your eyes peeled for and your ears open. Hardwicke finish the album off splendidly with the 1952 Roscoe Gordon classic 'No More Doggin' covered later by John Lee Hooker no less. The guys speed it up in raucous fashion and have a wail of a time with Earl Slick cutting a slice with a mean guitar solo. Jools Holland's Big Band themselves would be mightily proud of such a raucous cover! A timely reminder then from the band themselves to bare witness to what came before, Hardwicke Circus never try to cover up their influences, they proudly show them in all their glory and revel in turning the next generation onto music that needs preserving, celebrated and never forgotten. Fly The Flag is a smorgasbord of those delights that keep on giving and taking the time to really listen in a world of quick fixes pays dividends.
Albums of 2022 1. The Smile - A Light For Attracting Attention An album to get deeply lost in but feel reassuringly at home. Is it the new Radiohead album you wanted?, well no, is it as good as the best of Radiohead albums?, well yes and for any fan it surely should be up there, which is high praise indeed. A collaboration between Jonny Greenwood, Tom Skinner (Sons Of Kemet), Thom Yorke and Radiohead stalwart producer engineer extraordinaire Nigel Godrich. 'The Same' kicks off with Thom Yorkes forlorn trademark vocal, emotive correspondence continues unabated with frequent sonic onslaughts pleasing to the ear but never overloaded. Jonny's guitar woven intrinsically with entangled electronica and off kilter wonderment. "Grab it in with both hands What you know is right" sings Yorke on the albums emotional opener 'The Same' it sets the majestic tone we've become accustomed to throughout the years and thank goodness for that. 2. WEYES BLOOD - And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow An album so much of it's time yet strangely out of it, the opening track knocks you for six and leaves you wanting to wallow in it's pure beauty to share it and enable it to heal the hardest of hearts. (Walt Disney eat your hearts out! ) Your rooting for her from the outset " … Living in the wake of overwhelming changes, We've all become strangers, Even to ourselves" she sings heartbreakingly, one the best post pandemic lines sung with feeling in these turbulent times for sure. Karen Carpenter esq vocalisations, Van Dyke Parks ish lush arrangements and Brian Wilsons vision, a timelessness that speaks for generations and the moments keep coming; An album for anyone and 'everybody' who has ever felt disillusioned with the current human predicament; Love and hope with guts to carry you into the beyond and back again! 3. Yard Act - The Overload "The overload of discontent....." The album kickstarted January 2022 in glorious abandon, sweeping away the over excess of everything. It kept its northern licence for archaic poetry firmly in its cheek, crafting an independence through years on the outskirts of favour. An album that gains more power the more you listen and ends with one of the best delivered lines of the year; "It's not like there's gonna be nothing, is it? 4. Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful Spiritualized return once again in fine form, evoking the spirit of his magnum opus 1994 Ladies and Gentleman we are floating in space album at times superbly. As on his previous companion piece of an album 'And Nothing Hurt'. J. Spaceman continues to build his signature crescendos with emotional sound collages that leave you wanting more. Everyone already familiar with Spiritualized work will revel in its glorious comfort and give praise that it even exists at all. Longevity amidst adversity with aplomb. 5. MAKAYA MCCRAVEN - In These Times After reworking Gill Scott-Heron's We're New Here in fine style in 2020, and then 2021s Deciphering The Message the ever present hardworking jazz drummer, producer now gives his attention to a project seven or so years in the making. The result is worthy of the time, with his idiosyncratic beats finding wonder from the ways of old into forms of his own expressive feel. A subtle exploration of the organic that McCraven has developed impressively over the previous few years. His compositions feel like they've been around for an eternity and still manage to fuse new ground with now the already classic McCraven sound and beats. This is the record he always wanted to make and it impressively shows. 6. Wet Leg - Wet Leg If it's not fun, don't do it! The band hit the ground running last year with 2 breakthrough tracks/videos 'Chaise Longue' and 'Wet Dream' both of which resulted in career building foundation blocks for the inevitable anticipated album that came along in 2022. Their overwhelming playfullness hides a deceptive dark undercurrent that creates twists and turns through out a highly enjoyable debut. "Is your muffin buttered...." 7. Kelly Lee Owen's- LP. 8 Kelly Lee Owen's continues to experiment and mould sound layers into ambient excursions and techno transmissions which with open ears explore the inner sanctum of tranquillity. Hypnotic vocalisations blend seamlessly with almost an elusive electronic soundscape which at times creates such Vangelis via Bjork's Vespertine imagery that the album captures those special moments of natural contemplation which words alone cannot do justice, the feeling is all encompassing. 8. Ural Thomas and the Pain - Dancing Dimensions Ural Thomas continues to craft the coolest of grooves into uplifting wisdom. Having been a professional singer since the 1950's sharing the air with such luminaries as James Brown, Etta James, Otis Redding and more, the pedigree would be the envy of most. The album could of been released anytime in the last 50 years or so and that's credit to master players who have been around and instinctively know where it's at. It's just as natural as the happiness flowing as a result. 9. WORKING MEN'S CLUB - FEAR FEAR Dark Numanesq synth combine with a danceable techno twists to ....Acid house reflections amidst a utopian post punk industrial wishlist. Working men's club continue to not give a hoot what any one else is doing and forever seek something all very much their own. 10. Cate Le Bon - Pompeii Tom Waitsien off kilter clonk, deconstructed songs mixed with Nico esq atmosphere, minimal approaches with subtle darkness make for a surprisingly uplifting listen. Cate Le Bon continues to tread the path less walked and manages to find the best view. 11. Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler - For All Our Days That Tear The Heart A mournful often heart breaking descent into the glorious collaboration between two hugely talented individuals. At times on 'For all our days that tear the heart' there's a strangely unnerving atmosphere of Neil Youngs Dead Man with Laura Marlings most haunting work. A combination made in heaven you might say permeate throughout the record, Butler's delicate acoustic stylings and songcraft bring out the best in Buckley's untainted voice, it's illuminating and thought provoking depth is resolute and full of the emotional shifts, like a great original soundtrack to a beautiful unmade film. 12. Osees - A Foul Form Never one to pin down, John Dywer drops another h or two from the name and reignites the touch paper via a smorgasbord of quickfire odes, think chunks of Steve Albini produced Pixies Surfa Rosa on speed via Mitch Mitchell like percussive ferocity in all the right places, sweeping away the broken pretenders into a shattered, quivering heap. 13. Katy J Pearson - Sound Of The Morning 14. Tears For Fears - The Tipping Point 15. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Dear Scott 16. Bjork - Fossora 17. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia 18. Just Mustard - Heart Under 19. Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers 20. Arctic Monkeys - The Car 21. Sea Power - Everything Was Forever 22. Viagra Boys - Cave World 23. House Of Love - A State Of Grace 24. King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava
1. Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra - Promises An album that stands as one of the best of this year and will, given time, be viewed as one of the most important albums of any year in recent times. Time less in it's entirety, a modern masterpiece that sits comfortably alongside the great canyon of works by Davis, Coltrane, Coleman, Mingus, Sun Ra, Monk, Evans et al. Truly magical, it's 5 year conception and collaboration serves as a great and noble achievement in a world of rushed missed opportunities. It's not often a successful record stands on its own without the need for vast promotional backup, it transcends the 'music industry'. An album you give time to, gives in return, just as Davis's Kind Of Blue or Gorecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs do. A reminder to us all, here and now, to never forget to find space to slow down, reflect and wonder. This universal message seems to run deep within the simple motifs and melodious breath. A record that in today's world of quick fixes and disposable nature on first listen may even be considered shocking in it's simplicity and slow, methodical build up. Be rest assured however listen again in a different moment and then again, it will become a presence in your life and indeed be revelatory in it's vision, breadth and wisdom.
The thing about a Lucid Dream gig is that you come away from it with an inability to stop nodding your head for a week afterwards! It's a much appreciated side effect as their widening fan base knows only too well. The Lucid's new release is no exception, as an insatiable groove keeps hitting the mark throughout. Coalescence kicks off the album superbly with The Lucid Dream trademark of deep sliding bass lines gathering momentum in a compelling mix of pounding beats and synth. The track has already aired live at a legendary Hebdon Bridge gig before the global pandemic as the band were still touring their last album, Actualisation in 2019. At 10 minutes 48 seconds the track is almost too short as it transports the listener into a realm of a primeval trance. Gig goers in the know still talk enthusiastically about it and unanimously agree they did not want the track to end, absolutely no doubt, a future crowd pleaser. CHI-03 holds an almost tribal liberation within it's full throttle sampling, freeflowing and intense with an intoxicating mix of powerful chants to the fore, very much a dance for these times, a tip of the cap to late 1980's early 90's acid house and very much bang on, right now. Leave Me In The Dark pulsates with the beat, with great tearaway vocals speeding through, gaining considerable momentum with peaks and breaks with low slung bass persistently keeping it together with chilled out dub shining in the second half, leaving the fade out with discordant passages of electric guitar bringing such luminaries as The Pop Group to mind. The second side kicks off with Fight To Survive with it's bombastic Beastie Boys drum sound immediately grabbing you within a mix of New Order compulsion and Primal Scream languidity. The next track Sunrise delivers its beats with a sense of immediacy to continue the dance through into the morning light. Like an open air all nighter when the ravers become aware of their surroundings as the dawn breaks and then suddenly, a realisation of the whole collective experience lifting everyone upward into a higher state of consciousness. High and Wild perfectly encapsulates this mind bomb awakening, as it were, just as maybe a hint of birdsong is heard as the beats ease among the trees. The song breezes in with some aplomb, soothing the senses with a 12 string acoustic and wistful dreamlike vocals, with a tangled web of sounds springing to mind, from Love to Spiritualised and back again through a haze of The La's, The Byrds, The Jesus And Mary Chain and even Led Zeppelin, but altogether very much The Lucid Dream. Harking back to earlier incarnations, dreams and memory whilst hailing a new beginning. Carving out yet another vast opus which could well prove to be The Lucid's masterstroke going forward. The Deep End sits perfectly in the bands impressively growing discography. A perfect companion piece to their previous album Actualisation and yet another mysterious leap forward, who knows where this might lead the band next, wherever it is, be sure it will bold, impressive, surprising, brave and reassuringly true to themselves as The Lucid Dream continue to set their own intuitive course in a rising sea of creativity. As the second side finishes it leaves you feeling like you've been waiting for an album to take you back into the fields along motorway verges and long forgotten back roads into the pulsating rhythms of a festival rave up like a luminous road trip documenting the highs and lows of life itself whilst celebrating the existence of the journey above all. When we all come down it leaves us wanting more and what better recommendation is there than that. An album of beginnings and endings that swirl in a misty haze, lose yourself, turn the record over and dive back into The Deep End once again. Time to book those tickets! The Lucid Dream - The Deep End (Released 30th April 2021) Tracklist: 1) Coalescence 2) CHI-03 3) Leave Me In The Dark 4) Fight To Survive 5) Sunrise 6) High And Wild UPCOMING TOUR DATES 2021 (Check for confirmation first, subject to change!) OCT 15 FRI Hebden Bridge, Trades Club OCT 16 SAT Carlisle, The Brickyard OCT 29 FRI Glasgow, Stereo OCT 30 SAT Manchester, YES
I'm sure that if anyone of a certain age were to be asked what there immediate thoughts on Kate Bush were, the majority would remember Wuthering Heights... "Bad dreams in the night, They told me I was going to lose the fight, Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering, Wuthering Heights Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy I've come home, I'm so cold Let me in your window" It would be an image of Kate twirling around on Top Of The Pops most probably. With mime like hand movements, wild dancing, hypnotic eyes, irresistible to some at the time but even at that young age, we as a family sat down to watch the latest edition, eye brows were raised and on first hearing, it was as shocking as the Sex Pistols were only a year or so earlier to living room families. It was the rebellious nature of this particular time period that just hit upon the another generation of something 'the kids' could latch onto. Same thing happens again and again, from Rock n Roll to Rap. So here I am crossed legged on a rug mesmerised by the tele itself, singing along to hits like Abba's Take A Chance On Me, Mull Of Kintyre by Wings and Lovely Day by Bill Withers to then be confronted by something of a wild witch like figure with a high pitched voice singing about moorland. It's like an imperfect moment in time when the stars align and not making perfect sense at that young age it transpires to be loved and remembered wholeheartedly. It wasn't until about 7 years later that I bought The Kick Inside, was it out of nostalgia, maybe a brief young half remembered crush. Or a rush of blood to the head when the monumental Hounds Of Love was everywhere. Whatever it was it was it was worth the outlay and set me on yet another journey of wonder and joy. So how to choose just one, The Kick Inside or Hounds Of Love, both worthy, both contenders, almost like memories of first love, or a favourite holiday destination and let us be sure of this, every home surely should have at least one or the other. Since the Hounds of Love album was the first Kate Bush album I played it just gets the nod at this particular moment in time, although it could easily change back to The Kick Inside tomorrow, or Aerial, or The Sensual World or...anyway you get the idea. The track Cloudbusting was the first track I remember having a major impact on me from the album. Again it was Top Of The Pops when the now famous video with the great actor Donald Sutherland appearing in it. Hearing its heavy pulsating string refrain repeating with Kate's ethereal, gripping voice singing "I still dream of Orgonon, I wake up crying.." somehow drew me in to the whole world of Kate Bush once again. It's a great reminder particularly in this day and age of 21st century 'want it now culture', that the term popular music or pop, or in fact any genre, could become widely popular and make a huge impact intuitively and intellectually upon different generations and still be both hugely entertaining whilst still displaying high artistic merit and quality. Hounds Of Love, an album of two distinct sides if there ever was one, with side one holding big bold songs and standout singles and side two, the majestic dream sequence of The Ninth Wave concept. "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" begins the album in exuberant style, and was chosen for the lead off single to the album as Wuthering heights was on her debut. It's even comparable as both make a bold statement of Kate Bush's inner strength, especially as both were opposed by the record company executives at the time. They wanted James and the Cold Gun and Cloudbusting as the lead off singles respectively, however Kate Bush's insistence reaped dividends as both Wuthering Heights and Running Up That Hill remain two of her most commercially successful songs. In many ways the album has many similarities to The Kick Inside as both were 'beginnings' as such. Hounds of Love coming after a transitional period and the not so well received albums Lionheart, Never For Ever and The Dreaming. It was well documented that Kate Bush retreated into her own world for a while and discovered the 'Fairlight' CMI (short for Computer Musical Instrument) a digital synthesizer, sampler, and digital audio workstation which rejuvenated her songwriting whilst feeling more comfortable in her new custom built home studio. Experimenting with her voice through the fairlight started on The Dreaming album but bore real fruition with Hounds Of Love as she became more studio savvy and inspired. From initial demo takes of songs onto multi layered, experimental sound collages and programming, all of which taking nigh on a year to complete. With the track Hounds of Love itself who can forget the opening voice exclaiming... "its in the trees, its coming" .. sampled from the British 1957 horror film Night of the Demon and so begins another song displaying a filmatic quality on a visionary scale. Showing how important film was to Kate Bush as well as inspiration from literature, art and dance as always. This wide screened wonder continues as the first side runs along with rhythmic acceleration as The Big Sky reveals it's panoramic nature and connects its daydreaming song connection with Cloudbusting admirably. Mother Stands For Comfort interrupts the insatiable galloping nature inbetween, with its drama and a welcome slowing down. Its poignancy eluding to what was coming on the second side with The Ninth Wave sequence, sound effects to the fore, almost like a pre-birth sequence, like the warmth of a nest before the insecurities set in. The Ninth Wave sequence is probably one of the greatest concept album sequences in the history of the pop rock world since the second side of The Beatles - Abbey Road or Pink Floyd's - The Dark Side Of The Moon. I was quite obsessed with listening to this on headphones in the depths of night when I couldn't sleep, sometimes being quite shaken by the haunting vocals, sound collages and remember once actually having to switch it off as the nightmare sequence got just a wee bit heavy with the monster like refrain of Waking The Witch exclaiming - "You Won't Bleed" intertwined with Kate singing "Red, Red Roses" , seems laughable now when I think back but I guess I must of been feeling particularly fragile, possibly with a mixture of sleep deprivation and teenage inebriation. It's such an incredibly vivid experience which stays with you if you allow yourself to be fully immersed in its deep waters and let it sweep you away. It's in these relentless haunted nature and nurture like tales, mixed with deep rooted Celtic folklore that perhaps is the foundation that captivates Kate Bush's inspiration throughout the album. A mystical novel as such with a music pallet awash with layers of colour dripping with emotional power. As the album closes majestically with the uplifting woven reels of the Jig Of Life, into the otherworldly Hello Earth and the final Morning Fog, it's like waking from one of those dreams as the darkness disappears slowly to reveal the light as we long to sleep just to experience it all over again, realising that in fact, we were awake all along. As most of us have sleepless nights amidst the Global Pandemic and admit to the strangeness of Covid 19 dreams with a 'third wave' of the virus sweeping much of the rest of the world, then it seems entirely apt that we take some much needed comfort from Kate Bush's The Ninth Wave, and hope to God that we don't actually get one! Listen to it with headphones when you can't sleep in the early hours and sleep deeply, peacefully And Dream Of Sheep. "I'd tune into some friendly voices Talking 'bout stupid things I can't be left to my imagination Let me be weak, let me sleep and dream of sheep". Kate Bush - And Dream Of Sheep Side 1 - Hounds Of Love 1. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) 2. Hounds Of Love 3. The Big Sky 4. Mother Stands For Comfort 5. Cloudbusting Side 2 - The Ninth Wave 6. And Dream Of Sheep 7. Under Ice 8. Waking The Witch 9. Watching You Without Me 10. Jig Of Life 11. Hello Earth 12. The Morning Fog
As is often the case, most people can remember where they were when they first heard a record which made a great impact upon them. I'll always associate this album with the smell of a soldering iron. I listened to the album almost consistently for days as I experimented with my first small box amp for my first electric guitar. It had started to wobble a bit, so I opened it up and started soldering bits and pieces together which I thought had come loose. It was a strange experience being in a little outhouse which housed the washing machine and where my Mam always did the ironing. The room filled with plumes of soldering smoke on this occasion as I diligently put my nutty professor hat on. I can still always smell this album even now, as well as hear it! I first bought it on one of those 'Castle Communications' doubles which housed the album 'Mirror Man' on the reverse side of the cassette. It's a strange coincidence that I'd only just watched the absolute classic 'Paris, Texas' film a couple of weeks before and actually bought the soundtrack along with Safe As Milk not realising until many months later that Ry Cooder himself had been such an influence in the Magic Band itself in 1966/67 and was in fact cajoled into joining by Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart to formulate and be a musical director for the debut album. Ry Cooder was already playing with Taj Mahal in the Rising Sons at the time of recruitment. From the very first track Sure 'nuff 'n Yes I Do, frizzing slide guitar from Ry Cooder propels the track into a frenetic incessant blues riff and rhythm with Beefheart's vocal sounding as though he'd just come gurgling up for air from a muddy burbling swamp. A clarion call, an amalgamation of the older times of juke joints, dustbowls and Mississippi voodoo with avant garde 60's counterculture and dropout psychedelia. As his Magic Band were thus aptly named Magic, thus it be so. I remember the first 3 tracks captivating me and exciting me as easy as the wind blows as I was already well accustomed to hearing acoustic and electric blues, jazz, r and b and 60's psychedelia. The 4th track however 'Dropout Boogie' gave me an inkling that something altogether different was going on, with Beefheart's vocal getting more deeper, more off kilter, more sonorous by the minute and the so called 'dropout boogie' instrumental breaks which took me by surprise with it's cool marimba playing along with overblown distorted guitar playing the riff alongside, hypnotic and bewildering in equal measure, this in my mind was the start of my good 'Captain' adventure proper, which has stood me in good stead from then on in; either that or the soldering iron smoke was beginning to take effect as swirls of the stuff escaped in waves out of the gaps around the old cobwebbed window frame. It seems just a stones throw away from when I first left school and started a college course with a new group of mates, 3 of us out of 5 often talked about music and the student union college jukebox contained a selection of old and new, such as Simple Minds, The Beatles, The Jam, The Stranglers, Pink Floyd, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Blondie, Jackie Wilson, The Smiths, The Clash, The Who, The Bangles, The Fall, The Housemartins, The Psychedelic Furs, Ben E King, Squeeze, The Beastie Boys, U2, Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, The Cure, etc.. and was often heard pumping out tracks such as Promised You A Miracle, Strawberry Fields Forever, Start, Golden Brown, Another Brick In The Wall, April Skies, Heart Of Glass, I Get The Sweetest Feeling, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Should I Stay Or Should I Go, Kid, Pinball Wizard, Walk Like an Egyptian, There's A Ghost In My House, Happy Hour, Pretty In Pink, Stand By Me, Cool For Cats, Fight For Your Right, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Don't Give Up, Why Can't I Be You respectively...all of these I remember were popular college anthems and regularly got extended air time on the juke box mix at the time, more often than not, over a consistent murmuring hum of hormonal teenagers. However the week after my Beefheart initiation, with Safe As Milk my new favourite record, I happened to mention I was really into this band called Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. The reaction was borderline piss take. Captain who? Beef fart?? What the hell is that?? For a few weeks after whenever the time struck a chord with music downtime conversations from classes they now often finished with a lighthearted 'beef fart' exclamation upon my leaving! This attitude at that tender self conscious age got to me slightly, especially that none of them seemed to take me up on the challenge of even borrowing my tape to actually hear it. This was well before Google I might add! At the age of 16 what it did was make me even more resolute on my Captain Beefheart mission. Over the next month or so I bought Clear Spot, The Spotlight Kid and then Trout Mask Replica just to absolutely piss them all off even more, even if it was only in my own head and none of them were even aware of my personal call to arms!! I never mentioned 'Beef fart' again after that and decided it was their loss and my gain. To quote the good captain himself, "I’d never just want to do what everybody else did. I’d be contributing to the sameness of everything.” Captain Beefheart Electricity was the track on the album that apparently when the bands then record label boss of A&M in 1966 heard it he dropped the band off the label altogether, describing it as far too downbeat and too negative. Subsequently a change of label then to Buddah under the guidance of Bob Krasnow and Safe As Milk eventually got its release in 1967 with many famous musicians heralding it, including John Lennon, who said it was his favourite album of 1967. ( Being a Beatles fan and after reading this, I decided to check the album out for myself, forever thanks John!) Electricity, another mighty stand out track then amidst it's own overdriven theremin haze. Its squirming powerful mirk sees the light as Beefheart sings or even performs an exorcism, producing a vocal from somewhere deeper than night, the bones of the great Howlin' Wolf himself might still easily shiver to. "Singin' through you to me Thunderbolts caught easily Shouts the truth peacefully Electricity......" The album seems to quicken pace as Yellow Brick Road with its syncopated rhythm catapults the momentum of the album after the opening spoken studio statement knocks the listener off kilter once again. "The following tone is a reference tone, Recorded at our operating level" Always an early favourite track of mine from the album, it seemed to encompass just what Beefheart was about, something you just can't put your finger on; classic 60's garage psych rock, whimsical psychedelia, avant garde meandering, explosive raw vocals, seemingly 'off the cuff' lyrics, spaced out whilst having its feet firmly planted in earthly blues and soul all with a twisted backdrop of haunted nursery rhymes and half forgotten dreams. A journey into itself, always turning a corner to another surprise, chopping up the rhythm and regaling in Beefheart's persona changeling vocal. "Keeping on walkin' n don't look back" to the next shift... "Around the corner the wind blew back... ." and onwards it goes... This could more or less be a reflection on the album as a whole. At times pulling you in to safety then pushing you over the edge, again and again. Never letting the listener rest on their laurels and it's all the better for that. If someone were to listen to one track in isolation like the plaintive soul driven James Brown 'esq' ballad of I'm Glad for example followed by the previously mentioned mammoth of Electricity, they might struggle to comprehend they are tracks from the same album. To call the album a smorgasbord of delights might not easily rest with the sum of all its influences. But if someone were to check out the original Grown So Ugly by Robert Pete Williams released in 1961 they could harness the history of the blues going way back to Blind Lemon Jefferson, then all the way forward to The Black Keys and The White Stripes. Some true nuggets of the marvelous underground rumblings of punk can be heard in the album that can also be heard materialising in elements of The Stooges, Television years later with The Fall, Public Image Limited and The Pop Group to name but a mere few. Safe as Milk is rightly so considered to be one of Captain Beefheart's more accessible albums, along with the superb Clear Spot and The Spotlight Kid in comparison to the seminal Trout Mask Replica for example. However this accessibility doesn't dampen the downright essential nature of it all. Once you've started on the journey with Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band then likely you'll be there for the long run and Safe as Milk is as good a place to start preparing for it as any.
1988 to 1990, these were without doubt a great couple of years for music when I was a teenager. It seemed I was at the right age in the right time frame when everything seemed fresh and vital. The listening pleasure was fast and furious, soaking music up like a sponge, as albums old and new hankered for space in my shelves. It was almost like the records themselves were alive in my head continually vying for attention, there often didn't seem enough hours in the day and listening sessions would go well into the early hours. The year 1990, for instance, among some of the new albums I still remember vividly were The Pixies - Bossanova, World Party - Goodbye Jumbo, Pale Saints - The Comfort Of Madness, Happy Mondays - Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, Mazzy Star - She Hangs Brightly, Sonic Youth - Goo, The Shaman - En-Tact, Ride - Nowhere, Inspiral Carpets - Life, Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas, Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Ragged Glory, Dee-Lite - World Clique, Galaxie 500 - This is Our Music, The House of Love - The House Of Love. However one album released in that year seemed to particularly carve out a deeper vein in my subconscious and has remained ever since, The La's self titled debut. My first acquaintance with The La's was on a television program called The Chart Show, I think it was, on a Saturday morning repeat showing, (before Saint & Greavsie's inaugural lunchtime football show which afterwards signaled it was time to wake up, get ready and go 'down the town') I heard it first over a family conversation in the living room, it made me instantly shut the hell up and pay attention, turning toward the screen to a music video of alleyways and some primeval grit which stood out from the rest. It was 'There She Goes' before it had become the global commercial radio friendly smash which we hear today everywhere from Bangladesh to Birkenhead. It alerted me then that something was afoot and it was soon to kick ass. We all know 'There She Goes' is one of those instant classics, played many times everyday around the world, you may have recently heard it in the car radio recently or whilst flicking through stations whilst working from home during Lockdown. However when's the last time you really listened to it in isolation properly. Letting the power of its simple genius (ala akin to The Beatles finest moments) to once again be blown away and absorb it deep under your skin. It's a total credit to the song that it never becomes tiresome no matter how many times its heard or repeated on the radio. The album at a mere 35 minutes and 14 seconds in length, The La's irresistible nuggets don't outstay their welcome and say everything there is to say concisely and emotively. Son of A Gun at 1.55, Feelin at 1.45 in fact Timeless Melody itself only exceeds 3 minutes in length by one second! These are songs of necessity that have the feeling of just having to be sung naturally for the sake of the songwriter himself. Each Song has a way of revving you up for the magnificent closure of Looking Glass, at nearly 8 mins it draws you into a meditative and soothing state of mind, healing over the course of its simple refrains, classic homespun psychedelia at its finest. weaving a spell, it seems like its referencing the album as a whole and what has come to pass. I wasn't fortunate enough to catch the band live but I like to think the song was a great crowd pleasing final to any gig and would extend its 8 mins to however long felt right on that particular night. "Tell me where I'm going... Tell me where I'm bound... Turn the pages over Turn the world around" (Looking Glass by The La's) Imagine if you will a 22 year old Lee Mavers writing this song on his 22nd Birthday, sitting in his own space working out the chords but being in a moment of complete unawareness of his surroundings but at the same time being blissfully 'in the moment'. It's this charming innocence and honesty that partly elevates this and the whole album up a notch and provided a benchmark of an album that continues to enhance the legacy of what had come 'way before ' with Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and 'Merseybeat' and 'a bit before' with The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, Jesus and Mary Chain and The Teardrop Explodes and elevate 'guitar bands' into the mainstream ' going forward' with the likes of Oasis and 'continuing' its deep rooted influences through to the songs of Michael Head and The Coral among many more today. The album was critically acclaimed and still continues to outsell many albums released from the same era. Hard to comprehend then for many, especially in these times of constant self promotion, that a band could dismiss their very own album. As Lee Mavers explained to Stuart Maconie of the NME at the time of it's release. “I hate it, it's the worst. A pile of shit. There is not one good thing I can find to say about it. I’d say don’t buy it.” However, most of us did; afterall it was the production and overall sound of the record that the band felt aggrieved with, not the songs themselves. This is not as uncommon as we might think however; most famously on the occasion of Paul McCartney himself once giving public grievance to the production of The Long and Winding Road on Let It Be for example. It wasn't the song itself only the drafting in of Phil Spector by John Lennon to produce the track without his input and approval. Again, it was only the production of The La's album that the band felt did not stay true to their creative vision. It's certainly strange to think that 'The Long and Winding Road' ITSELF COULD BE A METAPHOR FOR EVERY SONGWRITER WHO NEVER QUITE CAPTURES THE SOUND IN THEIR HEAD ONTO THE RECORD. SO THE STORY GOES THAT LEE MAVERS HAS RE-RECORDED THE SONGS MANY TIMES OVER AND IS STILL SEARCHING FOR THAT ELUSIVE SOUND. To aptly quote Macca himself then....“I was a bit flipped out and tripped out at that time. It’s a sad song because it’s all about the unattainable; the door you never quite reach. This is the road that you never get to the end of .” (Paul McCartney talking about The Long and Winding Road) The La's seemingly achieved what every young indie band supposedly wants which is to be recognised for their music, maybe become major artists, 'without the piss or otherwise', becoming popular, making a living whilst keeping their integrity but at the same time being cool and distant ?? Creating something timeless which is remembered and enjoyed fondly forever. Immortality guaranteed as it were. To say the band achieved this with one great album would be in some way only one half of the story, as their growth took seed in the grimy clubs of North West England along seafronts and in murky recording studios as early as 1983, Lee Mavers joined in 1984 as rhythm guitarist and gradually became the principal songwriter setting an early foothold and gaining almost legendary local status before their first single release with a song called Way Out in 1987. It's no surprise then that the people in the know who had followed the band early on, eagerly waited for their debut album. It eventually arrived in 1990 of course and remains the only official album by The La's, although myths and legends still abound and surround long talked about demo's and the songs that were ready for the 'next album'. Or indeed will be. The album for me above all encapsulates the presence of a mysterious magical quality, only found in certain songs, albums and creative moments when everything just seems to be. More than 30 years ago now as I write it seems utterly telling that the years that have passed in the meantime haven't dulled the bristling energy of these songs. "The eyes are the windows to the soul", so the famous saying goes, well from the hypnotic front cover inward, it's still a true delight. It's easy to say that you can obviously trace the lineage of The La's back to The Beatles, the best of the 60's and beyond and indeed before; but in doing so maybe miss the stand alone uniqueness of the album as a whole. If you listen intently and without haste you may be able to sense the attic dust, the years of peeling wallpaper, the magic of kicking a beaten up football in a back alley, first loves and family squabbles. Under the surface of the waves, distant sea shanties from days of yore through the harbour side inns and salty clay pipe smoke. An 'Alice In Wonderland' tumble through skies of pure blue and dark hidden corners of teenage angst. All of these and more, wherever the songs happen to take you at whatever moment in time you happen to be in at the time. The La's - The La's; here's to everyone who has the heart just to embrace it and really feel it. It's maybe not everyone's cup of tea but then not every home has a teapot. Oh yeah and don't forget the apostrophe!