Every day a little sadder, A little madder, Someone get me a ladder

I have a real soft spot for progressive rock bands and therefore I'm a sucker for a prog sampler. I bought one yesterday - one of those el cheapo 'Essential Progressive Rock' CDs from the good people at Sanctuary Records. It joined my collection and nestled into the prog rock CD racks next to 'Frog Spawn' (12 lipsmacking new prog tracks) and others. Classic Rock magazine (left) invariably have prog specials and one such free CD a few years ago was 'Shine On' (12 tracks of epic ambient symphonic metal and frankly mad new prog). This is a brilliant collection of prog bands that has inspired me to buy a lot of albums by Porcupine Tree, Riverside and Mostly Autumn to name three. All three bands are worthy of further investigation and have albums freely available in NZ (although I bought most of their stuff in the UK).

Why prog? I love the noodling - usually the songs stretch out and include a lot of cosmic instrumental interplay/jamming/noodling. They're always skirting with the pretentious. They usually have lots of guitars going on (I'm not a Genesis fan - too little wig out guitar). They have a playfulness and intensity missing in other genres. They are not afraid to dip into jazz or classical or folk for melodic inspiration. And I guess I like the tag - progressive - it implies a forward movement. Unfortunately it gets a bad press because of all the reasons I love it but there are a lot of great bands out there playing prog (try to think beyond Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Genesis). Instead seek out Van Der Graaf Generator, Caravan, Barclay James Harvest, and Procol Harum of the old school and the new prog of the three bands I've listed above.

For now I'll concentrate on Mostly Autumn. Their live album - 'Storms over London Town' is a great place to start. They have a classic rock/prog feel with female vocals (a la Grace Slick's soaring, harmony style), a terrific lead guitarist and great songs. These two songs are pretty representative of their approach - nice soft melodic accoustic strum builds into classic rock out. Cool! Go ahead - search on youtube and dailymotion for other songs by them and visit their website - http://www.mostly-autumn.com/

Mostly Autumn - The Spirit of Autumn Past
Uploaded by alexandru2006. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Let's do the show right here, yeah!

Mention of C'mon in last post really dates me huh. I thought I'd backtrack my experiences with music TV this time out, having previously done music weekly newspapers and monthly magazines.

I remember C'mon dimly. It was, from my fractured memory, a show in the strange land of New Zealand 1960s where NZ artists like Mr Lee Grant, the Chicks, Ray Columbus and the Invaders, Shane, Larry Morris and Fourmyula (the featured artist of my last post) did their versions of overseas hits and their own material in grimy black n white for half an hour. It was compered by Pete Sinclair. Having seen the UK's 'Ready Steady Go' it was kind of our version of that. This somehow morphed into the 1970s Happen Inn show which I remember much more. From memory it was on a weekend (Sundays?) and when we got colour TV in NZ in the mid seventies Happen Inn was great. Again Pete Sinclair was the omnipresent compere. At the time his slick, smarmy delivery didn't really register/bother me. Looking back at old clips - he hasn't aged well. Here's a taste of what we had in the early days - remember we didn't actually have any kind of television here until the early 1960s and that was one channel, black and white, and only broadcast a few hours every evening. here's a sample - don't watch all 9 minutes of this - your brain will actually start shredding cells.



Grunt Machine was next. The names alone trace the way the shows developed don't they. Grunt Machine was our equivalent of the UK's 'Old Grey Whistle Test' - a serious music programme, it was hosted by the gravelly voiced Dr Rock (Barry Jenkins). Ready to Roll was a top 40 style show during this time as well but it was pretty much just the same music clips that cropped up every week. The Grunt Machine was late on a Friday night (I think) and featured more John Peel style eclectic acts. It was great. Radio With Pictures lasted for some time after this and continued the great work of GM. A lot of New Zealand band video clips featured as Karyn Hay was the host - she of the strong Nu Zild accent. RWP went through a number of style changes along the way and lost its alternative edge as it went but while it lasted it was ace (and I loved the distinctive Karyn Hay! She was a breath of fresh air).

Sadly all of these great idiosyncratic strongly NZ flavoured shows were killed off by MTV/ Juice 24 hour video-a-thons. Now we have three channels supplying music. My fav is 63 - suits my demographic I guess but I do miss the weekly treat that was the one off music show. Less is more!

Nature, enter me

A recent post on one of my other blogs about my interactions with nature made me think about nature songs. I use a song lyric for the titles of my posts usually and so my brain went into overdrive thinking about nature songs. One of the earliest ones I can remember is 'Nature' by a New Zealand group of my youth - The Fourmyula (yes they really spelled their name this way - surely they must have had at least one of their tongues in their collective cheeks!). It's a great song. The Muttonbirds did a great version as well but it was a bit blustery compared to the original and has slithers of nineties irony. Here are the lyrics and if you remember the song like I do you'll find yourself singing it as you go:

Through falling leaves I pick my way slowly
Talking aloud - eases my mind
Sunlight filters through - I feel my head is drifting
So full of thoughts - I thought
What am I going to do?
I need some thoughts that are new

Doo doo doo...
Dee dee dee ...
Nature - enter me

Up in a tree a bird sings so sweetly
Nature’s own voice - I hear
Rustling whistling leaves turning breeze to speech
Call to me now - ease my mind
I’ll turn something new
My mind’s laid with dew

Nature - enter me

I’ll turn something new
My mind’s laid with dew

Nature - enter me

Isn't that cool! Youtube has no clip of the 'yula doing 'Nature' so here's the Muttonbirds in all their glory (Don McGlashan is about my age - we did a university paper together in the early 80's - so he must remember the original with appropriate affection).


Shame that the original isn't on youtube. Come on - someone out there must have the clip. This is the best I could come up with instead - some clips from C'Mon of Fourmyula and a great cod-psychedelic song from the Avengers (after they'd ditched Ray Columbus!).

He got muddy water he one mojo filter

Yep I know you know that I love Mojo magazine but it really does have a terrific track record (puns intended) when it comes to fulfulling my musical needs. I'm currently reading a Mojo special on the year 1969. A fabulous year. I turned 12 in October 1969. I can remember going to a movie on my birthday and the trailer was for 'Woodstock'. Wow - I have no idea what the movie was but I sure remember that trailer!

In that month of October 1969 these landmark albums were released: Joni Mitchell "Clouds', The Kinks 'Arthur or the decline and fall of the British Empire', Led Zeppelin 'II', Free 'Free', Janis Joplin 'I Got Dem Ol' Kosmic Blues Again Mama', Grateful Dead 'Aoxomoxoa', Isaac Hayes 'Hot Buttered Soul', Frank Zappa 'Hot Rats', King Crimson 'In The Court of the Crimson King', and Pink Floyd 'Ummagumma'. I own seven of these landmarks and of the seven I listen to the Zappa and King Crimson albums the most these days. The Led Zep is pretty worn out coz I thrashed it in the seventies and I've been meaning to get it on CD so that I can avoid the scratched bits. Haven't yet though. I still listen to the other two because they still reveal things - yes - even 40 years later. The Zappa album is of course a classic - mostly instrumental, it begins with the very lyrical 'Peaches En Regalia'. At only about 3 minutes long it's a very succinct piece. Next track - 'Willie the Pimp' contains the only vocal on the album, It's by Captain Beefheart - one of my favourite singers (see earlier post on the 'Bongo Fury' album) and after he does his bit Zappa flies off with some superb guitar. 'Son of Mr Green Genes' continues the extended workout concept from 'Willie' - great ensemble playing and it sounds both sweet and weird. Somehow Zappa makes sense out of each musician playing different stuff. My favourite Zappa song ever is 'Big Swifty' and 'Son of..' reminds me a lot of 'Big Swifty' in places. 'Little Umbrellas' is largely a keyboard driven piece that provides some variety. Zappa called this album a 'movie for your ears' in the liner notes and that's surely true - especially with this track. Then it's into the spectacular 'Gumbo Variations'. At nearly 17 minutes long it's the epic of the bunch. Starts off with horns and guitar duelling, slides into a sax solo of a sort of cockeyed jazz noise persuasion, moves through a drum sax guitar interlocking jam session that is the antithesis of noodling. This is the sound of musicians going for it/ challenging the status quo and sparking off each other. Ian Underwood on sax is amazing here. After the sax bass drum section Sugarcane Harris arrives with his violin for a another series of peaks. Zappa is a fantastic guitarist and this album is known as one of his guitar heavy albums. Yet 'Gumbo Variations', the longest track, contains no flashy guitar solos! 'It Must Be A Camel' is the final piece of music on 'Hot Rats'. It contains more great horn work by Ian Underwood and great keyboards from Ian Underwood (the only Mother of Invention on display here).

It's an extraordinary album but what's even more extraordinary is that it's not even my favourite Zappa album (that would be 'Waka Jawaka/Hot Rats'. Home to 'Big Swifty' and others).

Eight arms to hold you

Here's a few more recommended texts for Christine and other students of fine music. I left you last time with the Kooks. This post highlights another 8 greats from Great Britain. This time I've included a few older things but all are post millennium and all should appeal to pop fans. So, without any dilly dally - the story continues...

The Lighthouse Family 'Whatever Gets You Through The Day'. I could not let this list forget the great voice of Tunde. I know - it's not very fashionable to love the Lighthouse Family but for me they are a great marriage of modern production/beats and voice. This one is their last unfortunately. Tunde's solo album shows how much he needs the pop nuance of Paul Tucker. Each of the songs add to a cohesive whole and it contains the stone cold classic - '(I wish I Knew How it Would Feel To be) Free/One'. I love the video of this and by the magic of youtube - here it is:






Elbow 'Cast of Thousands'. All aboard for melancholy city. I kinda think of The Doves and Elbow as being similar in many ways but for me Elbow shades it. Not sure why - maybe the singing is a little more assured and distinctive, the variey level is maybe more positive and the songs are slightly more memorable. Moody mood music. It's interesting, isn't it, how much of my preferences are grouped under the 'alternative' tag in shop displays (you remember shop displays don't you?). I don't really see how this stuff is 'alternative'. It's just good pop music.

Travis 'The Boy With No Name'. This is the first album of theirs I've enjoyed since their break through smasharama 'The Man Who...' The albums inbetween have tried to veer away from that success but without the tunes. I'm sure they didn't sit around and think - okay how do we alienate our fanbase? But in effect that's what they've done until this album. It's back to melodies and lovely acoustic guitars and warm vocals. I bought each of the intervening albums but flicked them on pretty quickly. This one is a keep and a slow grower. It's songs, I suspect, will reveal more as time and repeated listenings go by.


Turin Brakes 'Dark On Fire'. More of the same from Turin Brakes (ie see Travis above, and earlier Turin Brakes efforts). The difference this time around are some stunning songs and much more confidence in their delivery. I got the first album from my friend, Roger Marbeck, and I've not grown tired of it yet. Every once in a while I need something with some soothing otherness as my soundtrack and now both Turin Brakes albums fill that need. The other one is called 'The Optimist'.




Oasis 'Heathen Chemistry'. I couldn't make a list of great British albums of recent times without some sort of representation from Oasis. The trouble is the last couple have not set the world on fire. And truth be told neither did Heathen Chemistry. I don't actually know why because it's a great set of songs, it sounds like classic Oasis, and it contains 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out'. An undervalued, overlooked pleasure of an Oasis album.





Stereophonics 'Language.Sex.Violence.Other'. This Welsh group have had some big hits and some real turkeys but LSVO is a fantastic collection of songs that display the group in its best, most unstodgy light. The guitar playing is razor sharp and the variety is welcome. Often the 'phonics get into a meat and potatoes grind but this one has a dynamic feel to it.






Snow Patrol 'Eyes Open'. For me their best album (and I have them all). Mr Lightbody's vocals are perfect and the melancholy is balanced with wide eyed presence. Contains the classic 'Chasing Cars' that everyone knows, but each of the songs is worthy. When I lived in the UK this album was massive and, fittingly, I bought it from the local Morrisons supermarket. That just seemed appropriate really. Gary Lightbody's vocals are so warm/comfortable. It's a great package.




Teenage Fanclub 'Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds'. I'm cheating slightly with this one cos it's a compilation but I love their guitar pop. They write really infectious hooks and play well. What's not to like with that combination.