Hello there all you radio fans.
There was extremely sad news this week with Eddie Van Halen passing away at only 65 years old. The tributes from other well regarded musicians as well as a legion of fans are a clear indication of the high esteem in which Eddie was held. Many musicians believe that he was the most important guitarist in rock since Jimi Hendrix. There are twelve Van Halen studio albums to sink your teeth into and I'd recommend starting at the beginning. The band's 1978 self-titled release is nothing short of incendiary. As well as rocking hard it swings, it jives and it's a lot of fun. I remember a school friend who played the cassette non-stop in his car. I loved the energy as well as the fact that Eddie's guitar was panned hard to one side. It felt like a rock band playing inside when we were driving. RIP Eddie.
Van Halen - And The Cradle Will Rock - https://youtu.be/11mBDT5mpdw
Van Halen - Dreams - https://youtu.be/zsXCs41DkWs
In happier news, the new AC/DC single, Shot In The Dark, has now been released. With Brian, Cliff and Phil back in the band their first song since the 2014 release of Rock or Bust doesn't break any new ground but you wouldn't expect that! To me, the track is sonically very similar to 2000's Stiff Upper Lip. Brian's vocals are very strong so whatever has been done to aid his hearing has helped a lot. Of course it remains to be seen if he can sing live. Certainly when Angus and I went to see them in 2015 he was struggling and that's me being kind. If the rest of the new album is of similar quality to this single then we're in for a treat. Power Up is to be released on November 13th.
AC/DC - Shot In The Dark - https://youtu.be/xNhn1KOqq8g
I made a big effort to listen to the radio all week in an attempt to get enthused about some new music. I won't lie though, I was particularly underwhelmed and stopping myself switching over to almost anything else was a trial. Along with the inane radio announcers, there was very little that I enjoyed in the slightest. The synthesised electronic beats, similar synth sounds and low key rapping as well as singing on almost every song was rather boring. It wasn't all a waste of time though. I gained an appreciation of curated playlists and the songs I had on my USB stick that I hadn't listened to for a while. Ha! I did like this song though...the lyrics matter and the music itself grew on me.
Future Utopia Ft Dave & ES Devlin - Children of the Internet - https://youtu.be/nX7WQhlg3DM
The next tune was another one of the few from my radio listening that held my interest. Loads of cool stuff going on in this track and it reminds me quite a bit of the Buffalo Springfield song, Stop Children.
Chet Faker - Low - https://youtu.be/CGWKZCa6XYw
I was asked today if I like country music. I certainly do but not the ultra processed sickly sweet stuff sung by artists with identical accents. I like it a bit more authentic by artists like The Chicks, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash. I've been practising this song but I'm struggling with it.
Johnny Cash - Cocaine Blues (live) - https://youtu.be/W1vACkYddHI
And whilst I've played this one for you before it's a song I keep coming back to; simple, beautiful and gut wrenching.
Glen Campbell - A Better Place - https://youtu.be/JMh78jF-fMQ
Maybe the radio wasn't so bad after all. I've just remembered that this song hit me like a ton of bricks. It's the synth bass driving the beat that makes it work for me as well as the fact the overall sound isn't too far from The Preatures. There's a freshness to this track that I really enjoyed so I'll have to check out some more of Kita's work.
Kita Alexander - Can't Help Myself - https://youtu.be/er3xdPgQT-Q
I had a listen to Paul Kelly's album, Live At The Continental & The Esplanade (1996) this week. Originally I bought it on the strength of his live version of the Nick Cave song, God's Hotel (which he co-wrote with Paul Kelly). The whole record, however, is a really good snapshot of how good Kelly can be in a live situation. He plays his standards but usually with a twist and the recording is such that you can almost feel the sticky pub carpet beneath your feet.
Paul Kelly - Pouring Petrol On A Burning Man (live) - https://youtu.be/PuZj1k0htqU
Paul Kelly - To Her Door (live) - https://youtu.be/yl3qD-Zbu-Y
If Don Walker played To Her Door then I reckon he'd start it like Paul Kelly did in that live version. Sublime!
This time I'm going to finish with something a bit different. Scottish artist Gerry Rafferty, who everyone knows for Baker Street, has a lot of great music to listen to. For your enjoyment, here's a track from 1979. The drummer, bass player and keyboard player are so locked into the groove on this one that it's tight yet smooth and loose all at the same time. I'm not sure quite how to describe it...it just flows really well for me.
Gerry Rafferty - Get It Right Next Time - https://youtu.be/SuCj-_TIGdw
Rock on Brothers and Sisters,
Rob
"...I don't want no teenage queen,
I just want my M14..." Full Metal Jacket, 1987.
No comments:
Post a Comment