Can't explain (Long-View) (LP 3028)

Long-View  Mercury (CD, 14th Floor Records, 2005) ****  

Genre: Indie rock

Places I remember: I'm not sure how I ended up with this album. I can't explain.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Further

Gear costume: Can't Explain

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Long-View are an English indie rock band, or were. This was their only album and I don't know too much about them.

So, to the album. It's pretty cool - tuneful, catchy, soaring, guitar based indie rock that still sounds great many years on.

Looks like Ron McVey is the main man of the foursome. He wrote most of the songs, sings and plays guitar. The band are rounded out by a drummer/bassist and a fellow guitarist. 

All very likeable. Why didn't they kick on and become huge?

Where do they all belong? A real one-off. I wonder what happened to them. An enigmatic presence in the collection.

Like I used to do (Seldom Scene) (LP 3027)

Seldom Scene  Long Time...Seldom Scene (CD, Smithsonian Folkways Records, 2014) ****  

Genre: Bluegrass 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hickory Wind (Emmylou Harris is the guest)

Gear costume: What Am I Doing Hangin' Round (yes, The Monkees song)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: I know - I'm currently working through the L's, so what's the happs?

Sorry team, I misfiled this one, thinking the band was called Long Time...Seldom Scene. Doh. 

Never the mind. The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band albums have whetted my appetite for this most American of musical genres. So, when I saw it in the sale bins at JB Hi Fi it was a no-brainer.

Seldom Scene have been at it for many years, since 1971 in fact. They know what they are doing! Apart from the two featured songs above, there are some excellent covers on this set - songs by Dylan, John Prine, John Fogerty and of course, what would a bluegrass album be without a song by Bill Monroe?

Where do they all belong? Needs to go into its proper place in the S's.

Hey now (London Grammar) (LP 3026)

London Grammar  If You Wait (CD, Metal and Dust Records, 2013) ***  

Genre: Indie pop

Places I remember: HMV (Croydon)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Wasting My Young Years

Gear costume: Metal and Dust

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: London Grammar is a trio that are equal parts Hannah Reid's expressive vocals, multi-instrumentalist Dominic Major, and guitarist Dan Rothman. Hannah Reid is also the band's lyricist.

If You Wait is their debut album. Hannah's vocals are fantastic. She sounds a bit like a dialed down version of Florence Welch at times, which is a good thing.

The music fits, but I'm not crazy about electronica especially. No denying the power and beauty in Hannah's vocals though.

Where do they all belong? I took a punt on this while living in England and reading a positive review in Mojo Magazine. I've not felt the need to add their other albums to my collection.

In my mind (John Lodge) (LP 3024 -3025)

John Lodge Natural Avenue (Vinyl, Decca Records, 1977) ***  

John Lodge 10,000 Light Years Ago (Vinyl, Esoteric Antenna Records, 2015) ***  

Genre: Pop, rock

Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records (Caterham on the hill); Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: In My Mind (10,000 Light Years Ago)

Gear costume:  Natural Avenue

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: John Lodge is, of course, the bassist for The Moody Blues and at times part of a duo with fellow Moodie, Justin Hayward, in Blue Jays.

That description doesn't really do him credit as he's an excellent song-writer and vocalist in his own right. These are his only two solo studio albums. I'm not a completist for Moody Blues' solo efforts but I find myself buying them because I generally find them interesting and fun to listen to, so it's not a chore to buy them.

Natural Avenue was released in 1977, during the time The Moody Blues had gone into hibernation. It's a lush set of songs - very close to the Moody Blues in fact. Justin Hayward has a better vocal presence and John is more of a harmony vocalist than a lead singer, so this is a bit of a weakness in a solo setting.

It took a while for the second solo album to arrive - 38 years! The Moodies links are here still, with both Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder making an appearance on one track (Simply Magic). 

The music is a few leaps ahead of Natural Avenue, with Chris Spedding playing some great David Gilmour-esque cosmic guitar solos on the album. John's vocals are also presented better in the mix on this album, except for Lose Your Love where he sounds like latter day Dylan. The album has a really good side 1 and a disappointing side 2.

Where do they all belong? A nice guy (by all accounts) and a nice brace of solo adventures.

Alchemy (Richard Lloyd) (LP 3021 - 3023)

Richard Lloyd  Alchemy (Vinyl, Elektra Records, 1979) *****  

Richard Lloyd  Field Of Fire (2CD, Reaction Records, 1986/ 2006) ****  

Richard Lloyd  The Cover Doesn't Matter (CD, Evangeline Records, 2001) *** 

Genre: Alt rock, pop 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Number Nine (Alchemy)

Gear costume: Alchemy

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Richard Lloyd is one of the key ingredients to Television (more to come on that seminal band in due course). For me, he kind of fulfills the same role in that band as Roger Gilmour did in the Pink Floyd that also included Roger Waters. Although I don't think Tom Verlaine was as prickly a bandmate as Roger. The two were great together but I prefer Lloyd's solo work to Verlaines, as I do Gilmour's solo work to Waters.

Alchemy was Richard's first solo album and it is a doozy! Having been a big fan of Marquee Moon (Television) I snapped up this when working at Marbecks. It entranced me from the off. 

It's got slight echoes of Television thanks to two members being on this album (Lloyd and Fred 'Sonic' Smith) but it is also much poppier and snappier (shorter songs). There are no duds - so a 5-star masterclass it is.

Field Of Fire was his second solo album from 1986. His vocals aren't as brilliant on this one. This version has the initial album and his revisited version from 2006. On the original his hoarse vocal style is a bit off putting at times. They have improved somehow by 2006.

It's still recognisably Richard and there's a tough New York sensibility (he moved there from Pittsburgh in his teens) which I like. The revisited version is probably the better of the two. Those stinging guitar lines are also clearly Richard - he has a singular guitar style (unlike the vocals that sound similar to Warren Zevon at times).

The Cover Doesn't Matter sees Richard in a no-nonsense trio with a drummer and bassist. It's good, he's never going to put out anything otherwise, but it's not essential, as Alchemy is.

Where do they all belong? He'll be popping up again when we reach Matthew Sweet and then Television.

So much trouble in the world (Bob Marley) (LP 3037)

Madness  The Dangerman Sessions Volume 1 (CD, Live & Intensified Records, 2005) ****  

Genre: Pop, Ska, Reggae, Two-tone

Places I remember: The Warehouse (the sale bins)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Lola

Gear costume: So Much Trouble In the World

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Although I had no idea about this album - it was a no-brainer to buy it from a sale bin at The Warehouse about 15 years ago.

Turns out it was covers album by Madness alter ego - The Dangerman. They select songs from their past, when they did a lot of covers, and present them in a rock steady format. There was no Volume 2, in case you're wondering.

I think it's a lot of fun - it's a danger to over analyse anything Madness do, right? It was certainly a success commercially back in 2005.

Where do they all belong? It's the only album I own by them outside of a best of compilation. I think of them as a singles band, so a compilation is the best place to start. 

Willin' (Little Feat) (LP 3011 - 3020)

Little Feat  Sailin' Shoes (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1972) *****  

Little Feat  Dixie Chicken (CD, Warner Bros Records, 1973) ***** 

Little Feat  American Cutie (Vinyl, Let them eat vinyl Records, 2013) ***

Little Feat  Feats Don't Fail Me Now (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1974) ***** 

Little Feat  The Last Record Album (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1975) ***

Little Feat  Time Loves A Hero (CD, Warner Bros Records, 1977) ***

Little Feat  Waiting For Columbus (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1978) *****

Little Feat  Down On The Farm (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1979) ***

Little Feat  Hoy-Hoy! (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1981) *****

Little Feat  Let It Roll (Vinyl, Warner Bros Records, 1988) ****

Genre: Rock 

Places I remember: Second hand shop, MyMusic Taupo, Marbecks Records.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Dixie Chicken

Gear costume: Long Distance Love, Willin'

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: I love Little Feat. I love the idea of them.

Are you kidding me? A slide guitarist, a writer and singer like Lowell George; a pianist like Bill Payne; a natural funkiness and those quirky songs! Pure joy listening to the boys when they play.

Sailin' Shoes is their second album and a triumph. So many stone cold classic Little Feat songs on this album: Tripe Face Boogie; Willin'; Apolitical Blues; Cold Cold Cold and the title track.

Third album, Dixie Chicken is another 5-star classic album. More classic Little Feat songs: Fat Man in the Bathtub; Roll Um Easy; Two Trains, Juliet and the title track. Immense!

The change in personnel for this album (Roy Estrada replaced by Kenny Gradney, Paul Barrere and Sam Clayton in) helped create the signature funky Little Feat sound that Lowell was after.  As one critic said, "It all adds up to a nearly irresistible record, filled with great songwriting, sultry grooves, and virtuosic performances that never are flashy".

American Cutie is a live document from 1973 released in 2013. It was recorded at Ebbets Field, Denver, Colorado 19th July 1973 and the quality of the sound is excellent.

Although, the performances are a bit loose as the band is in transition in 1973 with those few changes in the lineup (detailed above). Nevertheless, the versions of Willin', Dixie Chicken/ Tripe Face Boogie and Fat Man in a Bathtub are terrific.

Next studio album, Feats Don't Fail Me Now, was another classic (the streak showed no sign of ending with this album). The stage is set from the off with the pure Little Feat funk of Rock and Roll Doctor. From there it's an embarrassment of riches: Oh Atlanta; Cold Cold Cold/Tripe Face Boogie; The Fan, and the title song (again).

That streak had to end somewhere - no one outside of The Beatles has been able to sustain quality over the length of their career. The Last Record Album from 1975 was stretching their resources a bit thin, but it still contained a few dynamite songs, including Long Distance Love.

Time Loves A Hero is a weird one. There are a few strong songs - Old Folks Boogie and the title track, but Lowell is largely absent from this one - leaving it to the rest of the band. His drug ordeals are well known but he was also in disagreement about what sounds the rest of the band wanted to make.

The live album, Waiting For Columbus, is the real deal. Four sides of prime Little Feat with all their greatest songs. It's recorded during 1977 gigs and shows the band could certainly rise to the occasion in concert.

My key memory of this is playing it a lot while living on my own in the Windmill Road flat while going to Teachers' College a few streets away.

It's a lot better than the other live album from 1973 that I've featured above. The band are locked in and the arrangements are perfect. Many definitive versions of their songs like Fat Man In A Bathtub and Dixie Chicken are on display. All of the Time Loves A Hero songs now sparkle!

The album proves beyond doubt that Little Feat were one of the primo live bands of their era. 

Back to the studio they went for Down On The Farm and while it's a game of two halves (side 1 is far superior to side 2) they still show they can turn it on when they have to.

Unfortunately, this album was completed after Lowell's untimely death from a heart attack. He had been distracted by recordings for his solo album, Thanks I'll Eat It Here and so wasn't too involved in Down On The Farm.

It does contain two of my favourite Little Feat songs - Six Feet Of Snow and the title track.

Hoy-Hoy! is a double compilation of various outtakes, live versions and some intriguing unreleased songs from the archives. 

I love these kinds of anthologies when they are done well and Hoy-Hoy! is a superb set that came out two years after the band broke up following Lowell's death. It's great for those who know the band well, but it also serves as an excellent introduction to the joys of Little Feat.

The AllMusic critic sums it up well - 'Hoy-Hoy! is a bit scattered, a bit incoherent, a little bewildering, and wholly delightful -- a perfect summation of a group filled with quirks, character, and funk, traits which were as much a blessing as they were a curse'.  

The remnants regrouped in 1988 for another go around with Craig Fuller, the founding member of Pure Prairie League, in effect taking the Lowell George role - as composer and lead singer. Fred Tackett also joins the group as a guitar foil for Paul Barrère. 

It's an excellent album. Their best studio album since Feats Don't Fail Me Now. The title track is again a standout, and Hate To Lose Your Lovin' kicks off the album in spectacular fashion. 

Unfortunately, they weren't able to sustain this standard post Let It Roll, so I haven't bothered with any subsequent Little Feat albums.

Where do they all belong? I'll need to add their first album to my wants list.