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
Johnny Hodges and The Ellington All-Stars Without DukeDuke's In Bed(Vinyl, Verve, 1957) ****
Genre: Swing Places I remember: From Graham Purdy's collection Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Conflab With Rab Gear costume:Take The "A" Train
Active compensatory factors: I got a shock when I noticed on the cover that this was recorded in 1956 and released a year later. I'd always presumed it was a much more modern recreation of the big band jazz that my dad loved. Thinking this was a kind of Ellington tribute album, I was fooled by the modern looking cover and the fresh (West) German pressing - a pristine piece of vinyl. Plus the sound is so up front and modern sounding. I was astounded! Dad must have bought this in the eighties sometime given the West German pressing stamp.
Where do they all belong? Swing music was my mum and dad's music, not mine, but I appreciate the appeal.
Pat Metheny GroupAmerican Garage(Vinyl, ECM, 1979) ****
Genre: Cool Jazz Places I remember: Marbecks Records. If by now you are thinking - sheesh - he bought a lot of records from Marbecks Records in the seventies and eighties! Well yes - I did, but you also need to remember that I worked there in my University holiday breaks during that time, and I often took my pay in records. I had a stash that I would build up each week and take home when I got 'paid'! Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Airstream
Gear costume:American Garage Active compensatory factors: Metheny is a hotshot jazz guitarist who was recording for the cool ECM label - anything on ECM has a cool cachet, and I was working in the best music store in New Zealand. Nothing sums up those late seventies, early eighties times like this album; that guitar sound is pristine.
Where do they all belong? ECM albums have their own niche in the collection - experimental, great sounding, innovative.
Genre: Jazz fusion Places I remember: Second hand store between Palmerston North and Whanganui - can't remember its name, sorry. Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Texas Ann
Gear costume:Brothers and Others Active compensatory factors:Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek reckons, 'Beck is essential listening for anyone interested in mid-'70s commercial jazz. The chops are there, but far more than that, Beck leads a band into a soul-deep blowing session with killer charts, nasty tunes, and killer vibes'. So there! Over the years, I've noticed this one in album racks and wondered about it. To be honest the weird cover image by Abdul Mati Klarwein has kind of put me off a bit in the past but I took a punt on it recently because it's a mid seventies fusion album with David Sanborn on sax and Steve Khan on guitar along with Beck. All are fine players and the music rates high on the listenability-metre as a result.
Where do they all belong? As Jurek says, it fits in the mid seventies commercial fusion genre nicely.
Genre: Jazz Places I remember: Marbecks Records (Auckland NZ) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Wise One
Gear costume:Bessie's Blues Active compensatory factors: I'm not sure Coltrane produced a more cohesive side of music than side one of Crescent: three tracks that naturally, seemlessly, flow into each other. It's challenging in parts, soothing in others. I play side one a lot. Side two is not so successful for me, mainly because Coltrane hardly appears: Lonnie's Lament has a pretty tedious bass solo, and The Drum Thing is a vehicle for Elvin Jones. Neither track I would ladel as essential Contrane. But trust me on side one: it's the real deal!
Where do they all belong? A Love Supreme was his next release. Read about my response to that one here.
Thelma HoustenAny Way You Like It(Vinyl, Motown, 1976) ***
Genre: Soul (I don't have a 'disco' section) Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records (Caterham on the hill) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Don't Leave Me This Way
Gear costume:Don't Know Why I Love You Active compensatory factors:Don't Leave Me This Way immediately takes me back to the late seventies, working Friday nights at Marbeck's Records. This was one of Roger's favourites and for good reason. The song just builds and builds into a monster; Gamble and Huff can be relied upon for quality! Sadly there isn't another track on the album that comes close. Side one has two other bright disco numbers but side two is weaker with five songs of varying quality. Thelma has a presence and a great voice but she needs the right material. Don't Leave Me This Way was perfect for her.
Where do they all belong? As noted above, I don't have a disco genre section in my collection but to me this is soul music with a killer beat - Don't leave me! Satisfy the need in me!
Genre: Rock 'n' Roll legends Places I remember: Marbecks Records Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: A Love So Beautiful
Gear costume:In The Real World, California Blue Active compensatory factors: Recorded around the time of his involvement with The Traveling Wilburys, the record includes most of the Wilburys in some form or another, including George Harrison. The ballads are what I love about this record (see Gear and Fab above). The man could wrench so much emotion out of the words. The second side isn't as strong as the first, and the last three songs are the reason this isn't a five star classic, but there is enough magic in the rest of the album to be considered flawed genius.
Where do they all belong? A month after releasing this album, Roy was dead from a heart attack. Aged only 52. As a record this became a fitting tribute to his greatness. Those pipes!!
Blue Öyster CultAgents Of Fortune(Vinyl, CBS, 1976) **** Blue Öyster CultCultÖsaurus Erectus(Vinyl, Columbia, 1980) ***
Genre: Heavy Metal Places I remember: Real Groovy (Auckland, NZ); Amoeba Records (Hollywood) Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sinful Love (featuring the immortal line: I love you like sin but I won't be your pigeon)
Gear costume:(Don't Fear) The Reaper; Revenge Of Vera Gemini; Tattoo Vampire; Debbie Denise
Active compensatory factors: Patti Smith appears on the track The Revenge Of Vera Gemini (she was dating Allen Lanier at the time), but that's only one of the highlights on this sparkling album of thinking person's metal. Of course (Don't Fear) The Reaper looms large over this album but there are other songs here that could have been as huge with repeated exposure: Sinful Love; Tattoo Vampire; This Ain't The Summer Of Love; The Revenge Of Vera Gemini; Morning Final; Debbie Denise; Tenderloin...each one has catchy hooks and great presence. Only one weak song - True Confessions, means this is a flawed classic. In truth I only boughtCultÖsaurus Erectus for the cover (Spectres and Mirrors were disappointing after Agents Of Fortune and CE is in the same vain), as it's a thing of true beauty! The album is not bad, it's produced by Martin Birch so it sounds terrific!
Where do they all belong? On reflection, I'm not sure how much Blue Öyster Cult belong in the Heavy Metal genre - too smart and too much invention, but there's no denying those guitars!
