Do what you like (Ginger Baker's Airforce) (LP 298)

Ginger Baker's Airforce   Ginger Baker's Airforce (Vinyl - Polydor, 1970) ****

Genre: Jazz/rock fusion  

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

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Early In The Morning




Gear costume: Do What You Like 

Active compensatory factors: Okay. Been thinking about this album for seven long months - ever since I discovered Chaldon's Books and Records which has turned into a treasure trove of great vinyl, albeit at sometimes top end prices.

To whit, this album. 

The lovely old guy who owns the shop (a big band fan who won't listen to anything released after 1956) had it priced at £42!!

I normally hate to haggle but I made an exception in this case after seven months and a lot of other purchases, and a lot of due diligence. A lot of due diligence! Here's one example.

In the end we settled on £25 (I offered 20, he said 30, I shook my head and the rest is history) and I wasn't disappointed at all when I got it home and finally figured out how to get into the record (released unconventionally -  the gatefold cover was designed left-handed; i.e. the front cover artwork was on what traditionally would be considered the back and vice versa).

The personnel is interesting:

Ginger Baker – drums, percussion, timpani, vocals Denny Laine – guitars, vocals Rick Grech – bass guitar, violin Steve Winwood – Hammond organ, bass guitar, vocals Chris Wood – tenor saxophone, flute Graham Bond – Hammond organ, alto saxophone, vocals Harold McNair – tenor and alto saxophones, alto flute Jeanette Jacobs – vocals Remi Kabaka – drums, percussion Phil Seamen – drums, percussion

Luckily no one gets in the way and the jazz/rock fusion is unique (at least to my ears).

It's actually a radical soundscape - not Blind Faith, not Traffic, and certainly not Cream (although there is a version of Toad on side 2 but it's not too long thankfully).

The Afro-beat influence (Aiko Biaye) is present but it's not too Womad infused (I'm not a huge Womad fan) and instead blends well with the heavy duty amplification on offer. 

All up I'm well chuffed!

Where do they all belong? Apparently the second iteration of GBA is a pale imitation of this first album so this's rather a stand alone LP.

King of the world (Steely Dan) (LP 297)

Steely Dan Countdown To Ecstasy (CD - MCA, 1973) *****

Genre:  American pop/rock

Places I remember: FOPP (Covent Garden), this week, for a fiver

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: My Old School (hilarious clip from 1973 - check out the miming! the fashions! the hair styles! and a very bored Walter Becker!!)




Gear costume: Show Biz Kids, You Gold Teeth et al  

Active compensatory factors: This is one I had on a bespoke cassette for decades: I never got around to owning a proper copy. Walked into FOPP this week, saw it displayed and thought the time is right - what with CDs becoming increasingly obsolescent an' all.

My memory and love for this album was jogged a few weeks ago via a Mojo article - one of those 'Last night a record changed my life' articles by a musician. It's one of those albums.

It is an absolute classic - as are a few other Steely Dan discs. Every track on this oozes class and self-confidence. These guys knew they were on fire.

Special mention to Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitar. As this comes from when SD were an actual band (as opposed to Becker/Fagen and sundry studio session wizards), the prominence and distinctiveness of Baxter's playing is a standout feature of this set.

Where do they all belong? Sandwiched between debut Can't Buy a Thrill and third album Pretzel Logic, no difficult second album syndrome for Steely Dan!

Times we used to spend (Marine Girls) (LP 296)

Marine Girls Beach Party (Vinyl - Whaam/Cherry Red, 1981) ***

Genre: English pop/rock  

Places I remember: record stall in Greenwich Markets - 25 quid.  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: All Dressed Up




Gear costume:  In Love, Fridays 

Active compensatory factors: Reading Tracey Thorn's Bedsit Disco Queen has been a delightful experience this week. That meant, as is my wont, a search for her recorded stuff.

Shazam - a trip to Greenwich Market saw me walking away with four Everything But The Girl albums and this one - her first tentative steps in what has become, against her better judgment, a music career.

I also managed to grab a signed copy of her third book, Another Planet from Waterstones in Canary Wharf. This will be joining my signed copy of The Language of Life when I get back to Nu Zild.

There are adjectival things about Tracey that strike a chord in people: genuine; self-deprecating; charming; funny; normal. Plus she's a hell of a singer with a unique style.

The Marine Girls album is yet to see her find her voice - instead it's lo-fi indie pop which is really catchy in a Violent Femmes sort of way. Easy to see why Kurt Cobain rated them in his diary!

Needless to say, my wife wasn't won over (can't you put some nice classical music on?).

I like the naive charm on offer here but, okay, I can't see it getting much airtime compared to EBTG albums.

Where do they all belong? Early doors. She was off to Hull University and a dramatic encounter with Ben Watts next.

Release the tether (The Pineapple Thief) (LP 295)

The Pineapple Thief One Three Seven (ipod, 2002) ***

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: HMV Oxford St. - the day before it closed up shop, although I didn't know it at the time! Seven quid - bargain! 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Lay On The Tracks




Gear costume:  Incubate, Doppler, How Did We Find Our Way?

Active compensatory factors: I didn't have any expectations about this - a reissue of an album that is 17 years old, as The Pineapple Thief have, of late, been all about heavier electric guitar wig outs - which I love, of course.

If this album is anything to go by, back in the day 0f 2002 when releasing their second album, they were more of a pop band, with a great acoustic guitar based song as a starter. 

Rest of the songs have hooks aplenty. There is electric guitar but the overall feel is somehow lighter here (unlike Dissolution frinstance).

Bruce Soord is TPT's main man and his vocals are a key element bringing that floaty, lighter element here. 

It's not perfect - some stylistic inconsistency along the way and about 2 to 3 songs too long.

But, all up - even though it appears to be the forgotten runt of the litter, this is very polished pop music with no real hints of difficult second album syndrome.

Where do they all belong? High water mark for me and, already - one of my favourite Pineapple Thief albums.

Funky music sho nuff turns me on (The Temptations) (LP 294)

The Temptations All Directions (Vinyl - Tamla Motown, 1972) ***

Genre: Soul 

Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records (Caterham on the hill), last week.  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Papa Was A Rolling Stone




Gear costume:  The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)

Active compensatory factors: My eyes lit up when I spotted this at my now regular trawl through the vinyl at Chaldon Books and Records.

I had this on cassette for many years and have long been looking for a vinyl replacement. And there it was - in pristine condition!

Made a remarkable album by it's inclusion of the 11 plus minute Papa Was A Rolling Stone, it also has a great rendition of First Time Ever. 

They are also savvy enough to include a version of an Isaac Hayes song - Do Your Thing.

On the more than faintly awkward side of things it also has the whiffy Run Charlie Run (about white flight, the Temps call out 'the niggers are coming' over and over. It's as yuck as it sounds!) and a terrible group pose photo on the back sleeve.

Where do they all belong? Hey - it's the early seventies. The Temps were aiming for social relevancy currency and largely got it with Papa!