This has been one of my most-played albums over recent years. It's a concept album, loosely based on Do The Right Thing set in a pirate radio station in east London. Believe it or not, this works well. It's full of references to the area, and brings a tear to me milky old eye.
A few years ago, I was round the house of a mate who is a big reggae fan. He put this on. I really liked it and went to buy it on discogs. I already had it.
Chicha is the Peruvian psychedelic off-shoot of Cumbia. Dengue, Dengue, Dengue! knock out an electronic version of that.
This album moves on slightly from the thumping 'dum, dum-dum-dum' into more poly-rhythmic territory, which I find less fulfilling. I can't tell which of their records is which because their artwork (beautiful though it is) is so similar. So it's always a bit of a lucky dip.
I was just looking back to pictures of the first line-up of Dexys and remembering how fucking cool they looked. That donkey jacket, 501s and docker caps look was absolutely spot-on at the time, and pretty timeless. Whatever the opposite of that is, is what Dexys turned into: bib & brace, plimsols and neckerchiefs. Fucking state of 'em. (No wonder the first line-up quit en masse.)
I think that's why I never really gave this album much attention. Well, that and the fact that Come On Eileen was just everywhere for an awfully long time.
The sticker on the label tells me that I picked this up for a quid from a Barnardos chazzer. I reckon it was the one at the top of Kings Heath H
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Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners - Too-Rye-Ay
I was just looking back to pictures of the first line-up of Dexys and remembering how fucking cool they looked. That donkey jacket, 501s and docker caps look was absolutely spot-on at the time, and pretty timeless. Whatever the opposite of that is, is what Dexys turned into: bib & brace, plimsols and neckerchiefs. Fucking state of 'em. (No wonder the first line-up quit en masse.)
I think that's why I never really gave this album much attention. Well, that and the fact that Come On Eileen was just everywhere for an awfully long time.
The sticker on the label tells me that I picked this up for a quid from a Barnardos chazzer. I reckon it was the one at the top of Kings Heath High Street, next to Millets. That's a bargain.
Rowland's voice is fantastic on this album. He's obviously stolen a lot of stylistic-schtick (as well as a song) from Van Morrison. That's OK though.
I sat and looked at the lyrics on the inside sleeve whilst this was playing, and, considering how well I know this album, I didn't have a clue what the words were. To give credit where credit's due, they're very good.
An album so full of well-known Young songs, it's almost like playing a greatest hits album, with Crosby, Stills and Nash featuring heavily, and bringing a real alchemy to the proceedings.
I particularly like when the flugelhorn pops up occasionally. It brings to mind Steve Martin's trumpet solo in Tonight You Belong To Me in The Jerk, or the racist with the Cor Anglais in Peep Show.
Southern Man is superbly angry. Apparently, Young was vexed up when he wrote it because his wife had thrown his breakfast at him.
When we were about 13 or so, my mate and I dug Georgie Fame's Rhythm and Blues At The Flamingo out of his dad's record collection and played it to death. Fame not only covers Allison's Parchman Farm on that album, but is heavily influenced by his singing style, and his swinging-jazzy R&B.
This led me to pick up this album a few years later. It's Allison on piano/vocals plus drums and bass, recorded live.
Fun fact: The Pixies' song Allison is about Mose Allison.
Whilst Beyonce has been the subject of much recent chatter regarding her making a country album, Bobby Womack did this in 1976, a time when the expected direction for a black artist at the time was towards the disco, something I'm thankful Womack resisted. His label weren't keen, especially as he wanted to call it Step Aside, Charley Pride, Give Another N****r a Try. The label only released this when he agreed to change its title.
Truth be told, it's not his greatest album. It's not bad, and a lot of the tracks wouldn't be out of place on his other releases from around that time. Friendly Womack Sr's appearance on vocals however is a joy.
I picked this up in a charity shop in Sutton Coldfield, in mint nick.
Everything you read about Croker, talks about his jazz lineage and his earlier career path, and the previous owner of his horn, so I'm not going to.
This album came out in 2019 (it's hard to believe that's six flippin' years ago now), during a period when there was a lot of quality jazz being released. This was one of the best. Croker is a super-cool dude, who plays with other super-cool folk on this album. The incorporation of electronic and acoustic elements is never out of perfect balance, and his playing is just classy.
I had most of side two of this LP on a rough-hewn compilation tape (also containing RDF and Back To The Planet, I reckon), given to me in about 1990 by a crustie woman I knew and I played it loads.
Around the same time, I'd been lent all the Subumans LPs and had realised what I'd been missing there. We saw Citizen Fish live, a lot.
When you talk about ska-punk, people often associate it with American-style ska-punk: big bands, big brass section, super-rapid guitar upstrokes 'drink beer and skank at the party'-lyrics. I've often heard people express a strong
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Citizen Fish - Free Souls In A Trapped Environment
I had most of side two of this LP on a rough-hewn compilation tape (also containing RDF and Back To The Planet, I reckon), given to me in about 1990 by a crustie woman I knew and I played it loads.
Around the same time, I'd been lent all the Subumans LPs and had realised what I'd been missing there. We saw Citizen Fish live, a lot.
When you talk about ska-punk, people often associate it with American-style ska-punk: big bands, big brass section, super-rapid guitar upstrokes 'drink beer and skank at the party'-lyrics. I've often heard people express a strong aversion to the genre based on this.
The British tradition of ska-punk was much more stripped-back affair. Played at a less frenetic pace and leaning more into its anarcho-punk and 2 Tone heritage. This album is an excellent example of British ska-punk.
Flesh And Blood has to be the best vego-anthem ever written (closely followed by Meat Is Murder by The Smiths and Wha Me Eat by Macka B.)
We got to know Citizen Fish quite well over the next few years. I know you should never meet your heroes, but they were always delightful people.
Anyway, on a side-note, what happened to crusties? You never see one now. Has any sub-culture ever faded and died so absolutely as the crustie? They had a particular smell that you never smell anymore. Is it time for the crustie revival?
We still see crusties. But there has been lots written lately about subcultres fading out with current trends etc. But we went to a gig last Thursday and there were crusties with electro kids and all sorts.
Morrissey-Mullen - Mr. Sax And Captain Axe (Remix)/It's About Time 12"
Two competent slabs of eighties jazz-funk from Dick Morrissey and Jim Mullen, hardy perennials of the London jazz scene around that time.
If I remember correctly, the A side used to be used as the theme of the arts show on Capital Radio (Nicky Horne, was it?). The B side has vocals from Tessa Niles, who has sung BVs with just about everyone, and it's produced by her former husband, Richard Niles who was responsible for I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper and has also produced Pat Metheny. What a career?
So, we've got Herbie Hancock producing and playing synth, and Wayne Shorter on sax, and the result is a more acoustic Brazilian-fusion and less jazz-fusion than you might expect, although it does have its moments.
Airto is a percussionist of such extraordinary musicality and lightness of touch. So clever.
I count myself lucky to have seen him (and, of course, Flora - the old trouble and strife) twice; once at the Hammersmith Palais and once at Ronnie Scott's in Brum. At the former, the band were really late arriving and it was a Tuesday night or something and we had to leave before the end to catch the last District Line train home. Some mates stayed to the end and came running onto the train just before the doors closed, singing Celebration Suite - the encore. Bastards. The Ronnie Scott's gig was intimate and wonderful
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Airto - Identity
So, we've got Herbie Hancock producing and playing synth, and Wayne Shorter on sax, and the result is a more acoustic Brazilian-fusion and less jazz-fusion than you might expect, although it does have its moments.
Airto is a percussionist of such extraordinary musicality and lightness of touch. So clever.
I count myself lucky to have seen him (and, of course, Flora - the old trouble and strife) twice; once at the Hammersmith Palais and once at Ronnie Scott's in Brum. At the former, the band were really late arriving and it was a Tuesday night or something and we had to leave before the end to catch the last District Line train home. Some mates stayed to the end and came running onto the train just before the doors closed, singing Celebration Suite - the encore. Bastards. The Ronnie Scott's gig was intimate and wonderful.
I picked this album up at Mr V's in Semaphore a few years ago for $20 and haven't played it much. On tonight's playing, I've decided that it's worth committing a bit of time to getting into, so will be playing it more.
Blakey’s playing style is instantly recognisable. It kind of reminds me of those drummers in very early jazz bands, who had like two drums and a tiny cymbal.
Whilst this is clearly a band in which the drummer is the big name, there’s plenty of room left for everyone else to show off their considerable chops.
This is a Blue Note audiophile pressing. Superb quality. I have resolved to buy some more. #NowPlaying #ArtBlakey #BlueNote
On the rear of my right forearm, I have a Dr. Feelgood tattoo – you know, the face logo. Every once in a while, a middle-aged man with a British accent will come up and say, “Nice Dr Feelgood tat, mate!” or something similar. They mean an awful lot to people of a certain demographic. A colleague at work’s (now ex) husband has the same tattoo on his shoulder.
Now, Dr. Feelgood went through a lot of lineup changes, and are still touring today, and they’ve released a lot of records. None were better than this line-up and this album though.
They somehow managed to be an R&B covers (plus some originals) band who elevated that, by sounding, looking and acting like no-one else, ever, to become one of the pillars upon which punk-fucking-rock was built.
Occasionally, people who have
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Dr. Feelgood - Down By The Jetty
On the rear of my right forearm, I have a Dr. Feelgood tattoo – you know, the face logo. Every once in a while, a middle-aged man with a British accent will come up and say, “Nice Dr Feelgood tat, mate!” or something similar. They mean an awful lot to people of a certain demographic. A colleague at work’s (now ex) husband has the same tattoo on his shoulder.
Now, Dr. Feelgood went through a lot of lineup changes, and are still touring today, and they’ve released a lot of records. None were better than this line-up and this album though.
They somehow managed to be an R&B covers (plus some originals) band who elevated that, by sounding, looking and acting like no-one else, ever, to become one of the pillars upon which punk-fucking-rock was built.
Occasionally, people who have no idea who Dr. Feelgood are will ask me what that tattoo is on my arm. When I tell them they go “Oh” and leave with the impression that I’m a massive Dr Hook fan.
One of life’s occasional surprises is when someone you know, or are familiar with, or have rubbed elbows with in some way, breaks out of the muddy pond in which we’re all splashing away, and blooms into a famous lotus. I’ve never really been able to pick them beforehand.
We were all quite surprised when Jamie Hince became a big rock star. Who knew? He was just the bloke who played guitar in Blyth Power and whose new band, Scarfo, were probably worth having a look at for that reason. Next minute, he’s 50% of The Kills and is married to Kate Moss.
I mention him, because he was in the band when they made this album.
For those that don’t know, Blyth Power are a band, often labelled as folk-punk, who incorporate historic elements into their music. Difficult to describe, reall
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Blyth Power The Barman And Other Stories
One of life’s occasional surprises is when someone you know, or are familiar with, or have rubbed elbows with in some way, breaks out of the muddy pond in which we’re all splashing away, and blooms into a famous lotus. I’ve never really been able to pick them beforehand.
We were all quite surprised when Jamie Hince became a big rock star. Who knew? He was just the bloke who played guitar in Blyth Power and whose new band, Scarfo, were probably worth having a look at for that reason. Next minute, he’s 50% of The Kills and is married to Kate Moss.
I mention him, because he was in the band when they made this album.
For those that don’t know, Blyth Power are a band, often labelled as folk-punk, who incorporate historic elements into their music. Difficult to describe, really, without putting you off completely. I’d seen them dozens of times before I was struck (like a mace in the face by a medieval knight, of course) by their brilliance.
This album is as good a Blyth Power album as you will ever find.
It’s hard to describe how important Public Enemy were in 1987. If you were to listen to this album today without having heard it at the time, you’d wonder what all the fuss was about, despite it containing many pre-cursors of A Nation of Millions, their meisterwerk. At the time, though...oof! We’d never heard anything like it. I’m not sure I’d heard Blow Your Head before it was sampled on Public Enemy No. 1 either.
They played Hammersmith Odeon in November of that year, (supported by LL Cool J and Eric B & Rakim) and me and my mate Tim were there. It was well moody, but very memorable.
I still have no idea what bum rushing the show might entail.
Tinselwig
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