Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence - ROBERT FRIPP.
Information is not knowledge;
knowledge is not wisdom;
wisdom is not truth;
truth is not beauty;
beauty is not love;
love is not music;
MUSIC IS THE BEST - FRANK ZAPPA.
I think we're a little happier when we have a little music in our lives - STEVE JOBS.
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe - LAO TZU.
Rock and Roll is fire, man. FIRE. - DAVID BRIGGS.
Music grips you, gets into your soul -
GEORGE MARTIN
Barclay James HarvestBaby James Harvest(Vinyl - Harvest, 1972) *** Genre: Progressive rock Places I remember: Real Groovy (Auckland) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:Delph Town Morn
Gear costume: Crazy Over You Active compensatory factors: Fourth album from Barclay James Harvest is a little time capsule from 1972. Quite possibly, my favourite year for music. Primarily, BJH's distinctiveness was built around the superb vocal combination of John Lees (guitars) and Les Holroyd (bass and keyboards); secondly by John Lees' guitar sound. The other aspect of this album that I really enjoy is the space around the instruments on songs like Crazy (Over You) and Delp Town Morn, which is also distinguished by its brass ensemble sound. On the whole, the album is somewhat patchy, with a strong first side and then some lesser material on the second. The pastoral closer, Moonwater, is either overly twee or lovely, depending on your sensibility and cynicism level. Where do they all belong? The seventies would not be complete without the periodic BJH album. Time Honoured Ghosts is next.
AttitudesAttitudes(Vinyl - Dark Horse, 1976) * AttitudesGood News(Vinyl - Dark Horse, 1977) ** Genre:Apple/Dark Horse/ Ring O Records Places I remember:Real Groovy Records (Auckland) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:Being Here With You (if you listen to this, I don't blame you if you don't, keep in mind that the first 30 seconds are one of those fake - we're about to open the door to the studio - moments so the sound is muted and distant, then the door opens and - we're into the funky studio party of the second Attitudes album).
Gear costume: Turning In Space
Active compensatory factors: Here we have a great example of session guys who know their chops but struggle for original song writing ideas and have zero charisma. What emerges is well played pleasant (some would say 'bland') songs without any real staying power. George Harrison used these guys for his Extra Texture album (one of his worst albums, if not the worst) and then added them to his Dark Horse label. He did them a solid. Apparently, Ringo plays on the title track of the second album, but who would know? All a bit silly really considering Jim Keltner is in the band. Of the two, the second album is funkier/punchier, the horns help, with more varied and with much stronger harmony vocals. All things are relative though - that debut album is dire! Where do they all belong? Sadly, Attitudes were typical of the Dark Horse adventure. Luckily, they didn't put out anything else for me to want to collect. Being a label completist can be a trial at times.
The BeatlesHelp!(Vinyl + CDs - parlophone, 1965) ***** The BeatlesHelp!(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)(Vinyl - Apple, 1965) *** The BeatlesThe Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl(Vinyl - EMI, 1977) **** The BeatlesLive At The Hollywood Bowl(CD - Apple, 2018) **** Genre: Beatles pop Places I remember: Variety of places, tracking backwards from 2018: JB HiFi (Mt Albert); Marbecks Records; Capitol Help! from Noel Forth; the various UK versions of Help! have come from Kings Recording (Abu Dhabi), The Warehouse (Hastings), and DJ Records (Otahuhu) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:I've Just Seen A Face (Macca did this during his Auckland gig recently and my smile broke world records!)
Gear costume: Highlights aplenty: Yesterday, Act Naturally, Help!, Ticket To Ride, I Need You, I could go on!
Active compensatory factors: What a year 1965 was: the fabs toured the UK, as well as the USA for a second time, and Europe;recorded two albums - Help! and Rubber Soul; Ringo found space to marry Maureen Cox; they shot the Help! movie in a variety of locations, released some non album singles, did a number of TV appearances, got their MBEs, John published another book, and generally they continued to conquer the known universe. Lazy layabouts!
I've wrapped these four albums together because together they present the studio/live distinctions, and the Help! to Rubber Soul progression. The live albums are great! Amazingly, even though they probably couldn't hear too much over the screams, the Fabs rip through their programme with gusto boys, with gusto. Turns out, when you could hear them, they were a great live band as well as everything else; take a listen to the way Ringo attacks Boys and Paul gives it plenty of welly in Long Tall Sally frinstance.
The 2018 version includes four extra tracks that the album didn't have room for and Giles Martin's take on things benefits sonically from 2018 technology that his dad didn't have in 1977, but not by much. Bravo George! However great they were live, it's to the studio they would repair to after that tour and Help! shows them transitioning from Mop Tops to studio wizards - a process that would continue later in 1965 with the Rubber Soul sessions. Help!, in its UK iteration, is a classic in any one's definition, and the US version is the best of the alternative Capitol albums (perversely and strangely, my version is on Apple) as it doesn't cherry pick other Beatle product. Instead it includes non-Beatle instrumental material from the film amongst the seven Help! tracks. Where do they all belong?Rubber Soul man, Rubber Soul.
Bryan AdamsReckless(CD - A&M Records, 1984) *** Genre: Canadian pop/rock Places I remember: From Lindsay's collection, although I had a dubbed version on cassette from Roger Marbeck during the eighties and it got a fair dollop of airplay on family trips. Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hard to go past Summer Of '69
Gear costume:Kids Wanna Rock Active compensatory factors:Weirdly, by harking back to 1969, nothing screams mid eighties more than this album featuring Summer Of '69. [Even more weirdly Adams was referencing a time when he was 10 years old! That state of not being here now is a fertile one in rock which is forever reinventing itself] In 1984 it was that big rock drum sound courtesy of Bob Clearmountain that was all over the radio. Listening to it again now is still fun but those synth sounds anchor it firmly to only one decade! And then, OMG, there's that cover! Where do they all belong? He's a Canadian rock hero, okay! Next up: we're finally back to the vinyl again for the next load of selections...and that means starting again with another Beatle classic. Wahoo!!!
Alice CooperPretties For You(CD - Warner Bros, 1970) *** Alice CooperEasy Action(CD - Warner Bros, 1970) ** Alice CooperLove It To Death(CD - Warner Bros, 1971) *** Alice CooperKiller(CD - Warner Bros, 1971) *** Genre: American pop/rock Places I remember: A Taupo record shop. Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:I'm Eighteen
Gear costume:Under My Wheels
Active compensatory factors: The first four Alice Cooper albums trace the arrival of the Coop (a.k.a. Vince Furnier) and his band from weirdo experimentalists beloved by Frank Zappa and signed to his label (Straight Records) to weirdo pop icons via I'm Eighteen (on Love It To Death). Debut album Pretties For You will appeal to Zappa/ Beefheart fans (like me). It's weird, eclectic,psychedelic music straight (ha ha) out of 1969.
Follow up, Easy Action, suffers a little from second album syndrome as the boys were a little short of material. David Briggs is well known for his association with Neil Young and no frills rock'n'roll so he's a bizarre (ha ha) choice! Third and fourth albums are like Vol 1 and 2 of the new AC; they hit their mark with a harder rockier sound but still poppy in all the right places. I'm Eighteen is an obvious standout on Love It To Death and Under My Wheels is nicely macabre.
Still, they are all something of a preamble for School's Out - where I first started taking notice back in the day via the lead track as a single. That album is also collected in this five pack, original album series which I came across recently while cruising for burgers in Taupo [not sure what it is about Taupo and Alice - coincidentally, that's also where I first bought the School's Out album way back in time]. Where do they all belong? The classic School's Out (not included above because I've written about it already. You can check it out here). Next up is Billion Dollar Babies!
Lene MarlinAnother Day(CD - EMI, 2003) **** Lene MarlinLost In A Moment(CD - EMI, 2005) **** Lene MarlinTwist The Truth(CD - EMI, 2009) **** Genre: Scandinavian pop/rock Places I remember: Various music outlets in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:What if (LIAM); Another Day (AD)
Gear costume: Everything else * because she's awesome!
Active compensatory factors: I wrote a few blogposts back when I discovered Lene Marlin,the wonderfully talented Swedish singer/songwriter, while living in the Middle East. The one that mentions my reaction to Another Day stands up. Twist The Truth got a separate post as well.
That leaves Lost In A Moment. I love the ambiguity of that title. It's a lovely mix of sophisticated pop (a more mature Playing My Game) with the introspection of Another Day (and before the starker Twist The Truth). * The remarkable thing about her records and her music is that there is not a duff song to be found anywhere. Four amazingly presented albums that are varied and display growth in her artistry. Lene never disappoints. If you haven't yet been tempted to search her out by now you really don't like music and should stop reading my blogposts right now - go and do something else more worthwhile for you! Where do they all belong? She has not released anything for the last 9 years. A real shame. We need you Lene!
ScorpionsTokyo Tapes(CD - EMI, 2001) *** Genre: German pop/rock Places I remember:King's Recording (Abu Dhabi) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles:Fly to The Rainbow (some great Hendrix inspired guitar from Ulrich Roth)
Gear costume:In Trance Active compensatory factors: Although reissued in 2oo1, this originally comes from 1978. I picked up a lot of this kind of thing in the Middle East while living there from 2009-2012. Strange, but they seemed to have a thing for hard rock/metal acts like Scorpions. Had to be aimed at the expat market, but who knows. I played this and other Scorpions albums a lot as I pootled to Al Foah each day to go to work at Ali bin Abi Taleb school. Great times and the hard rock sound of Scorpions suited the manic motoring. Makes less sense to me ten years later on an nearly autumn afternoon in Maungaturoto, I have to say. As you know, I have a thing for double live albums. Every band worth its salt produced a double live in the seventies and Scorpions, a quality rock band, were no exception. Recording a live album in Japan was also a no brainer in the seventies. Scorpions went over well, if this double live document is anything to go by. Weird. Where do they all belong? Jump forward to the 2010 version of the band and their failed bid to retire gracefully which lead to a rejuvenated Sting In The Tail.
