The Who – The Seeker.

Despite the dodgy  sound quality..this is a great clip from 1971 of The Who at their hairiest best. The Seeker is a bit of a lost Who classic in my mind. I mention it in conversation and people tend to look at me blankly, I mean they do that anyway, but more blank than usual! Anyway. It's a great track, love those sarcastic lyrics... Strangely for The Who, they all look really fit and healthy here, even Keith. Great seeing the boys doing their thing. Enjoy.

Free Interview and "Mr Big" live...

Free in Australia wayyyyyy back in the seventies, 1970 to be precise. The boys looked tired and emotional, shattered.
One of the most overlooked bands of the era,  known predominantly for the single "All Right Now", Free had a totally unique soulful sound, minimalist at times when compared to the zeppelins and deep purples of the time.

Guitarist Paul Kossoff was a master, rightly spoken of in the same breath as Peter Green, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. His playing was tight, full of feel, fire and bite, but could be beautifully mournful and understated. His use of vibrato and sustain was beyond compare, just listen to the title track from there 1970 album "Fire and Water" or the later track "Come together in the Morning" from the album "Heartbreaker". His untimely death from a heart attack at the age of 25 was a complete tragedy.

The rhythm section made up of Simon Kirke on Drums and the incredibly talented Andy Fraser on bass were like none other of the time. Kirke's playing was heavy but, again deceptively simple sounding. Fraser's bass playing was intricate, melodic and powerful, building a solid foundation for the guitar, drums and vocals with huge, resonant, fat  sounding chords. Rather than filling up the sound with unnecessary noodling he relied on feel and sustain, although he could play a mean solo when called upon, (check out the clip below).

Singer, Paul Rodger's was unique also for the time's. His voice was bluesy, coarse, gimmick free, clear and natural sounding, filled with soul power. He wasn't a screamer like say Robert Plant, and could belt it out all the same, draining emotion from the song. In the quieter moments his voice is beautifully bluesy filled with sorrow, with out being put on. He was a natural..

Their career may have been short, but what they left behind more than makes up for there lack of years. The band were a perfect fit, all four members coming together with an incredible understanding of each other musically. And, let's not forget how young they were. I think Fraser was only 16 when they recorded the first album and the rest barely 18!! Roll on...


Free..."Mr. Big" live on T.V.broadcast. 1971



Free Interviewed in Australia, 1970

Smashed Blocked promo...They don't make them like this anymore!

I had to post this. Where do you think I got the name from? I'm not that clever...The song is magnificent, the clip is so Spinal Tap it's not funny. Fake tears!! Fake crying!! So young. Pre Bolan. Looked good in the white gear I thought. My head is so spinning round...
John's Children...Smashed Blocked

Whipping Post...The Allman Brothers Band

Crazed guitar extravaganza from The Allman Brothers Band in 1970. Some hell fire cross guitar exchanges between Duane and Dickey Betts. Duanes Les Paul and Dickey's SG. seem to bounce of each other into the stratosphere. Beautiful dual lead interplay with Greg's Keys. But  why oh why have two drummers? Isn't one enough?

Duane died 29th. October 1971 aged 24 in motorcycle accident. A real loss to the guitar world. So, take it away boys, give us some of that southern rockin boogie...

Alman Brothers Band. "Whipping Post" live at the Filmore East, 1970.

The Godlike Genius of Barney Bubbles part2

Coming soon...

The Godlike Genius of Barney Bubbles...part one

"Reason's to be Cheerful the life and work of Barney Bubbles", Paul Gorman's  long overdue retrospective of designer Barney Bubbles life and huge back catalogue of design work.
Born Colin Fulcher, he blazed a trail through three decades, the 1960's, 70's and 80's with his work, for among others, Terence Conran, OZ and Friends magazine, numerous pop and rock groups and Stiff and Radar records.

He learned his trade at Technical College in Twickenham. Later he created and ran a light show at London underground nightclubs like UFO and Middle Earth. After graduating, Barney Bubbles (one of many pseudonyms)  aimed to set up a creative artist's commune in London's Portobello Road area, which at that time was a hot bed of music, politics, drugs and art. It was at this time that Barney got his start in LP (that's long player for all you kids out there) cover art and it is his association with space rockers Hawkwind (also local Ladbroke Grove/Portobello Road residents) that really kick started his career as an LP cover artist.

The covers were as much a part of the Hawkwind experience as the music, with their updated Art Deco and Art Nouveau influences, intricate die cuts and modern typography they were like nothing else at the time. Barney's masterpiece for Hawkwind was the cover design for the live album "Spaceritual"The album folded out into six panels, one side full colour the other grey green duotone.

With the onset of Punk, Barney didn't miss a beat. He cropped his long hippy locks and worked with early signings to the new STIFF label, The Damned and The Adverts, and it was with his work for STIFF records that Barney really matured and amazed as a graphic artist. (more to come)

BBC Radio 4..What would I do without you?

I know it's hard to believe, but, I don't have a television. I deny the tube! My preferred entertainment medium is the radio, albeit radio on the internet. And when it comes to radio stations, BBC Radio 4 is hard to beat. A recent visit unearthed some excellent documentaries about among other things:
Nico
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gd1t0/Femme_Fatale_The_Story_of_Nico/?from=r&id=d2722132-57ef-40d3-ad3a-0a6a9a0a7183.0

The Twilight Zone
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mk6t9/Youre_Entering_The_Twilight_Zone/?from=r&id=ead9d12f-b9c7-49f1-a510-26dd9da20735.0

Joe Meek
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007kp1c/Holloway_Dreams_The_Joe_Meek_Story_Episode_1/?from=r&id=ead9d12f-b9c7-49f1-a510-26dd9da20735.0

Fresh White Reeboks Kicking Your Ass...Is this the greatest LP name of all time?

For other ridiculous albums and covers try this link:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/09/the_dong_show.php?page=1.
The funniest thing about the cover is the guys name..Nigel!!
For more long player atrocities, go to this link...Mike Terry ouchh!
http://www.theworst.ca/albumcovers/

Monk: Straight, No Chaser

"This is a new album by Thelonius Monk, and therefore it is an important event – because everything musical that Monk does is of real imporatnce."  

Orin Keepnews, 1967.

Heavy statement for a heavy artist. Monk was a big hitter in the jazz world. An individual who ploughed his own furrow for more than three decades. He was also one of the coolest cats in the era of cool. Always dapper in some kind of interesting head gear, with his trademark pointed beard, Monk was a wizard of the piano. Looking at images of him on the internet I was struck by how, in many his hands are a blur, running up and  down the ivory keys with a fluidity that at times is breathtaking. His compositions were solid, quirky and unforgettable. "Straight no Chaser" was a relatively late piece in Monks cannon, but it ranks among my favourite of his long players. The title track is worth the price of admission alone. His body of work is huge, but for anyone curious about this "genius of modern music" as blue note titled him you could do worse than investing in a copy of this great slab of '60's jazz.
 

Underwater Moonlight

I can remember buying this album for two reasons...1. Because I thought the band name was cool and 2. Because the cover spooked me so much! I couldn't work out if they were people in masks or shop window dummies. Is that a picnic basket behind them? Why are they having a picnic on those grim and foreboding rocks? In my young mind it had the same quality as some out take from an unseen episode of Doctor Who. If the cover shitted me up, I thought the music in side had to be worth hearing, and I wasn't wrong.

I'd heard of Robyn HItchcock, and his Syd Barrett obsession, but I had no preconceived ideas about what lay inside the spine chilling cover. It's a great great album! The opening track "I Wanna Destroy You" comes on like Television, but the vocals and harmonies are transcendent.  "Kingdom of Love" with it's huge reverb is about as un late '70's as you can get. "I got the Hots" with it's strange off key crooning is pure class.The title track should've been a massive world wide hit, with it's infectious disco funk bass, clashing psych guitars and backing vocals that soar into the stratosphere! The lyrics throughout are surreal and obscure but never try hard (unlike say; Julian "I'm so weird man"Cope).

I could go on...suffice to say, it's a lost classic in terms of the mainstream which should've been massive. The Soft Boys should be a household name along side the likes of XTC.  Oh yeah... that cover still gives me the fear. Genius.

Ultra Rare Big Star Footage found...

Previously unseen footage from 1971 polished and put together by the publication Oxford American.

By Fred Mills

Go on YouTube and you can find a sampling of Big Star videos, but there's a catch: they're all either audio dubbed over still images (e.g., not actual performances), or clips of the latterday ‘90s incarnation featuring members of the Posies joining Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens. It seemed that nobody but hardcore collectors would own any real footage of the band in its heyday - if they had any at all.

That's why a palpaple shudder of delight rippled through the musical community recently when the venerable Oxford American, in the July 2008 issue, included a DVD with the third annual "Best Of The South" issue.

"Get ready to be blown away by some rare and never-before-seen clips. See Elvis warming up the mike in preparation for his greatest performance ever. See lost footage of one of the most influential rock bands in music history: Big Star. (Gathering dust on the shelf until we polished it up for this DVD, these beautiful images were shot by Big Star guitarist Chris Bell and bassist Andy Hummel.)"


Blown away is an understatement. You can see the results below, 1971 images set to the tune "Thank You Friends," from the DVD and recently posted to YouTube. All I'll add is that just to see the late Chris Bell smile semi-selfconsciously as the camera points at him, but still beautifully, is worth its weight in gold. (Purists may quibble over the fact that "Thank You Friends" was recorded long after Bell and Andy Hummel had left the band - Chilton and Stephens cut it for Sister Lovers - but as a tribute to the four men and comradeship, the lyrical and musical sentiments hold up nicely, thank you very much.) Text by Fred Mills




Talking of Big Star, from the same article, here's the Bangles doing a note perfect rendition of "September Gurls". Who said videos had to cost thousands to make?

Cries From the Midnight Circus: Ladbroke Grove 1967 - 1978

While trawling through my preferences I found this great essay by Nigel Cross on the history of Ladbroke Grove in London between the years 1967 - 1978. It accompanies a CD compilation of the same name. The area around Ladbroke Grove was a veritable boiling pot of artists, underground musicians, freaks, anarchists, writers and drug takers of all stripes from the late '60's on. Everyone from Pink Floyd to Hawkwind, the woefully underrated Quintessence to ace faces The Action either lived or played in the area. Science fiction writer Michael Moorcock, the late great graphic designer Barney Bubbles, head eccentris Sir Viv Stanshall and later Mr. Motorhead Lemmy Kilminster were all at one time residents and witnesses to the going's on.

Ladbroke grove of today is a much drearier affair...With Hoards of cattle like tourists, Hugh Grant (Ugghh!) making stupid f**king movies round the corner in Notting Hill, and not even a whiff of revolution in the air the Ladbroke Grove of yesteryear is unrecognizable when compared to the place described in Cross's Essay. Sit back, spark up a fat one and enjoy the read. Is that Mickey Farren being bundled into a police van?

Link to the essay here, and check out the rest of the Terrascope site while you're at it.

http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Features/LadbrokeGrove.htm

Daddy's Curses

This is a link to the famous, "Daddy's Curses". Bruce tries to fix the family piano (I think) and has a potty mouth breakdown! This Internet classic is not for the faint hearted. 

WARNING: To younger viewers and people with heart conditions, this link and download contains A LOT of swearing and blue language. You've been warned...gosh darn it!

Go to this link and download the mp3....
http://www.strangebeautiful.net/2007/08/24/daddys-curses/
Enjoy, A.

I Danced Myself into the Tomb

Tomorrow is the 32nd anniversary of Marc Bolan's death. While I was never fanatical about the Bolan Boogie, I think he was an interesting character and truly love some of his songs. 

A trier if ever there was one, after a brief stint as a male model, ace face half pint mod and an even briefer stint as lead guitarist with the fantastically shambolic "John's Children", the elfin Marc Feld reinvented himself as a star child hippie minstrel along with Steve Peregrin Took (was that really his name?!) in the Band Tyrannosaurus Rex (that's king of the lizard's according to my 5 year old son) singing songs with ridiculously long titles to stoned freaks at love in's, be in's, art lab's and free festivals. While he may have looked like Syd Barrett's wee brother and sang cosmic songs about trippy delicacies, he was a bit of novelty due to the fact that he only took acid once, hated it and lived a quiet suburban existence rather at odds with his image. Took, on the other hand embraced the whole drug ethos of the time, ran around Ladbroke Grove with the Deviants and eventually died after choking on a cherry stone, or so I've been told.. 

Championed by the late great John Peel, his acoustic noodling was going know where until he hooked up with incredibly handsome Mickey Finn and an electric combo, shortened the bands name to T-Rex and the rest is Glam history.

Bolan died after his girlfriend Gloria Jones (singer on the classic northern soul version of "Tainted Love") wrapped their mini, purple of course, round a tree in Barnes, London. He was not quite 30 years old. Bolan's career had flagged after the death of glam and the rise of punk, but he was making a stab at a comeback with his own T.V. show before his untimely demise. Check out the footage of a very drunk couple of old glam swingers, Bolan and Bowie on the show. David croons while Bolan, in a Tapesque moment, falls off the inches high stage riser mid song!!

The songs that come to mind when someone mentions Bolan's name are the mighty "Children of the Revolution", the sublime "Ride a White Swan" and the whistful "Cosmic Dancer". Every home should have a copy of "Electric Warrior" and for all you oldies out there here's his appearance on the Cilla Black show singing the wonderful "Life's a Gas" with said host...Keep on dancing Marc. Oh yeah, and he called his son Rolan, as in Bolan, a bit like Zowie as in Bowie...

Fast and Bulbous...the infuriating genius of Trout Mask Replica

 There's two camps when it comes to "Trout Mask Replica", It’s either a work of total genius or it’s a heap of dog dooh masquerading as an avant garde gemstone. I’m of the opinion that it’s a bit of both.I think you’ve got to look at the album as a happening, an experience rather than “a double album of late sixties music man”. You don’t sit down with the folks for dinner and put this lp on, and I say lp, as it just wouldn’t be right on cd. You need the break that turning the thing over affords you. I love a lot else about this album as much as the music itself and I think that’s the point; the story behind the making of it, the months of rehearsals locked in a cabin together, the time it took to record (a couple of sessions according to Jimmy Carl Black), the persons involved, the cover shot (my favourite LP cover of all time), the liner notes, the humour the photo’s…it’s all part of the experience. Highlight’s…Ella Guru, Dachau Blues, pachuco cadaver, Orange Claw Hammer. By the ticket take the ride, it’s up to you…bulbous but also tapered.




 

Mr Keith Moon

Here's to the late great Keith Moon who died 31!! years ago last Monday.
"So Sad About Us" anyone?...