Seven words which, taken alone, would secure Robert Plant’s place as one of the greatest blues rock singers of the 20th century. The vocal performance in the rest of the song is mercurial to say the least, but that little moment at 5:05, a capella between the hammond and the drums..
Al Stewart – The Night Of The 4th May
It may sound a little uninspired, but I’m posting this because it’s the night of the 4th May. Not the strongest of themes, but this is a really great song. Read on. Al Stewart isn’t all that well known in 2020, but he is intricately woven into the fabric of British folk-rock music, starting in… Continue reading Al Stewart – The Night Of The 4th May
Fanny – Special Care
In 1971, there weren’t many women in rock music. Janis Joplin, maybe Carole King? The Pleasure Seekers.. I honestly can’t name any more. True, there were succesful female singers and female guitarists, but what did girls do? Folk? Pop? Motown? Clearly there is nothing wrong with any of that. Some of the greatest performers and… Continue reading Fanny – Special Care
Music to grind your teeth to…
So I play a little guitar. I’m not talented, but I play a bit with some friends. When I was learning to get my fingers around a few chords, some time in the mid-90s, it was considered essential for any aspiring guitar player to get fully immersed in a particular operatic, bombastic and incredibly technical… Continue reading Music to grind your teeth to…
Bob Dylan – Isis
It’s the 5th day of May, which is coincidentally the day that Bob married Isis. Sadly, it didn’t last and old Bob rode off to a wild unknown country where he could not go wrong. The wild and impenetrable narrative in this song has been interpreted and re-interpreted a million times. It has been suggested… Continue reading Bob Dylan – Isis
Paul McCartney – Kisses On The Bottom
Ok, so in a Lennon v. McCartney argument, I have always stuck up for Paul. I know John was the ‘sarcastic one’, the darker, more intense (and arguably interesting) of the two. I know he was The Walrus, who was martyred and he will live forever (mostly because of Yoko’s determination to keep him alive).… Continue reading Paul McCartney – Kisses On The Bottom
Neil Young – The Old Laughing Lady
Recorded in 1993 for a television special (an installment of MTV’s Unplugged series), Neil Young’s Unplugged is a fairly standard offering at a time when unplugged albums were being released at a rate of one a week. Apparently, the released version is Young’s second attempt at a live set and the recordings were fraught with… Continue reading Neil Young – The Old Laughing Lady
Oxmo Puccino – S’13 6.35
A giant of French hip-hop, Oxmo Puccino is, like many of his contemporaries, a native of one of France’s many former colonies, in this case, Mali. He is also, like most of his contemporaries, a relative unknown outside France. Puccino is fêted in his home nation as an authentic French disciple of the stylish American… Continue reading Oxmo Puccino – S’13 6.35
Cast – Alright
Back in 1995, Cast reached number 13 in the charts with this, their second single in a pretty good run of chart hits. Indie guitar bands were the flavour of the day and the word Britpop was on everyone’s lips. But Cast were formed out of the mess of Liverpool’s famous flagbearers, The La’s and… Continue reading Cast – Alright
Elliott Smith Vinyl Reissues
So much has been written about Elliott Smith that I’ll keep this brief. Two of Elliott’s albums have been reissued on vinyl: XO, released in 1998 and 2000’s Figure 8 As well as standard vinyl, both albums are being released with special edition coloured discs, limited to 500 copies. If you haven’t heard either of… Continue reading Elliott Smith Vinyl Reissues