HAPPINESS: TEXAS - BLACK EYED BOY

Texas was an obvious choice for the theme of happiness, since their music never sounded sad. That may sound silly but is just me hedging my bets, since I'm not good at hearing lyrics. So put very sad words to very jaunty music and I assume it's a song about cute puppies, not drowning kittens. This is a long intro to saying that I had written the following a week or so ago but never got round to sending it to JC.

The onset of some much need sunshine prompted a daydream about songs for a sunny day and this came to mind. Charlene may now be a fashion show fixture but Texas did produce some lovely pop moments. And being Scottish won't harm their chance here.

The track in question is Black Eyed Boy from 1997. This is such a classic pop song, with it's Motown sound, always reminding me of a lost Supremes track from thirty years before. I was about to write that this should have been a bigger hit than it was. But my memory is faring worse than ever becuase Wiki says it got to No.5, in the charts which I don't remember at all.

This is perfect music for barbecues and family parties. Short, crisp, doesn't outstay its welcome. Like me.

CTel

Texas - Black Eyed Boy

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SADNESS: HARD TIMES

I first heard this track, while randomly playing Dylan's discog... I wouldn't want to demean this song by describing it in words, please give it a spin, thank you...

Peace, Pratik

Dylan - Hard Times

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SADNESS: ANALGESIA

I've long meant to contribute to TVV, and Acid Ted's call for bloggers while our friend JC takes an understandable break has given me the much-needed nudge. Also, the theme of the post sent me straight to a song I not only love, but use as a bit of therapy when I'm feeling low. There are times when a bright, poppy song is just what you need to feel better...but not always. Sometimes, the best antidote is calm and beautiful, with a lyric that doesn't yell at you to cheer up. Sometimes, the best song just sits next to you on the couch, puts its arm around you, and helps you relax until you're ready for a small smile on your own.

Max Eider - Analgesia

For those reading who don't know Max Eider, he was a founding member of The Jazz Butcher Conspiracy and the man responsible for most of the brilliant guitar heard on their songs. He also sang a few of them, including the insanely catchy pub anthem "D.R.I.N.K.". His solo career began in 1987 with the release of "The Best Kisser in the World" (one of the greatest, most underrated albums of the '80's, in my opinion), and continued - with long breaks between releases - through last year's release of "Disaffection", where you'll find the song I've chosen. It's an album full of soft tension, to coin an oxymoron - the lyrics are dark, introspective and intelligent, while the music is, for the most part, gentle and lovely. You can find more info about it, and all his other albums, here. In case you're wondering, that's the great June Miles-Kingston doing back-up vocals on "Analgesia".

Here's hoping the upcoming month of new songs and posts from JC's fans will bring him a small smile soon~

Dave Coverly http://www.speedbump.com/

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SADNESS: THE BELOVED

From an occasional commenter, though as yet anonymous:

When you first asked for contributions on the theme of happiness and/or sadness, my thoughts turned to The Beloved. After all, the big album that rocketed them to the attention of the club charts was 1989's album Happiness, with the big cheery dance hall hits such as The Sun Rising, Hello, and Your Love Takes Me Higher. Some may debate the lasting merits of such electronic ephemera, but to me, the voice of singer Jon Marsh was what made this material something more than dance club fluff, hitting a very compelling --even spiritually soothing--note somewhere between the more robotic vocals of early new order, and the artificially more poppy sound of early depeche mode and erasure. Not to put any of these bands down--I was a considerable fan of them all in their heyday-- but I personally believe there is a listening lpace for The Beloved among this good company.

The call, though, for songs that spoke of either happiness or sadness eventually got me thinking of a greatly under-appreciated wistful piece that has always been one of my Beloved favourites, the track "Deliver Me" from the 1996 album X. With their record label "east west" crumbling, and sorely under-promoted, this fine ambient electronic album went largely unexplored by the listening public. But the lyrics are soothing, and the voice--the VOICE!--of Mr. Marsh is un-equalled for getting me past times of trial. Hope it is for others, too--and I can recommend listening to many other tracks too, some happy, some sad, from all four official Beloved albums. The nice thing about the lyrics is that, although clearly focusing on the spiritual side of the human person facing the challenge of rising above great sadness, they are clearly not limited to a religious reading of any kind or denomination, but rather are a deeply personal reflection of a thoughtful musician.

In case anyone wonders "Where they are now?", it is rumoured (and sadly has been for almost a decade now) that a new Beloved album is in the works, with several tracks complete, and more in production. If this ever sees the light of day, and if it receives the attention it deserves, the music world is in for something of a a treat.

I have very recently bought on Ebay the reasonably rare double 12" vinyl promo release of "Deliver Me", wth four accompanying mixes, but unfortunately it has not arrived in the mail. Nonetheless, I include the original album version, along with the 12" Johnny $ remix which is available both on this release, and as a free download from www.thebeloved.com, the official band site. As well, there is a very unexpectedly fine cover version, by six-piece Christian outfit from Texas, The David Crowder band, called the "Antidromic Mix" . Some reader may have heard Miss Sarah Brightman's cover too, though I personally find this too little changed from the original arrangement to be compellingly personal, or orginal.

Cheers, and all the very best wishes and condolences to TVV, a very fine person and compelling blogger in his own right. Your reach extends far...

A Canadian Fan

The Beloved - Deliver Me (Johnny $ Remix)

The Beloved - Deliver Me

The David Crowder Band - Deliver Me (Antidromic Remix)

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HAPPINESS: I WANT TO SING THAT ROCK AND ROLL

Posting from: JW (Oak Cliff, Texas)

I can't pretend to know JC but I figure his friends all have a love music. Hence going with a song titled "I Want to Sing that Rock and Roll". It's uplifting but at the same time it talks about longing for the "glory land" and shaking the "savior's hand". A poignant song during this time of loss.

Gillian Welch - I Want To Sing That Rock and Roll

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HAPPINESS: HEADS ROLL OFF

Post from Drew:

As all music lovers and certainly one reneging git of a Lib Dem knows there are a lot of songs which can reduce people to tears and envoke the feelings of sadness and regret. Equally, we all know of songs that put us into seventh heaven either just listening to them or hearing them being dropped in a club and you know resistence is futile, you just have to dance and grin like a half wit, without being chemically induced.

There are other songs that make you think about your situation and can make you change your prespective and view on things and in turn make you a slightly better individual.

I have chosen one such song from a band I first heard of through JC and who since having given me great pleasure whether seeing them live or just sitting down and listening to them, in particular their second album of which this tune is one of the many highlights.

"While I'm alive, I'll make tiny changes to earth" not a bad way to live your life me thinks.

Frightened Rabbit - Head Rolls Off

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HAPPINESS: THE 14TH MINUTE

Posting from: Ctel

When it isn't Zingzillas, this is what my son likes. Simple uplifting melodies and a strong beat. This is music for him to stand four-square on the floor and bounce his body up and down. Or better still to clamber on to me when I'm sitting, grab me round the neck and jump up and down on my groin, my complaints of pain adding to his enjoyment.
The 14th Minute, Steve Frank - Sunday (Original Mix) by The 14th Minute

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SADNESS: ALL CATS ARE GREY

Post from Adrian:

For me, this has always summed up the 'emptiness' of loss. It has always felt slightly indulgent, like a guilty secret to be hidden away until one wants to wallow. I suppose that I was in another mental space when I first heard this (it crops up in Marc Almonds biography about his first time on E), but over the years it remains a powerful mood piece. Probably the second best track on 'Faith'.

mp3: The Cure - All Cats Are Grey

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SADNESS: DEVOTCHKA

Posting from: isinginthekitchen

When life is unbearable I am forever thankful that music is there to fall back on. Years ago it was my broken hearts and insecurity that were soothed by song. Now older, death and illness of loved ones seem to creep into my life with increasing frequency. Still, the music is there to help provide me with strength as solid as holding on to supportive friends.

Take

If you must take me

I can not go peacefully

I left someone waiting for me

I left things so terribly...

Undone

This is a beautiful song. It sounds sad. It is sad. But it makes me feel better every time I listen to it.

mp3: DeVotchKa - Undone

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SADNESS: SPELLBOUND

Sometimes when it hurts or gets too much you need something loud. And hard. A big tribal dance of a song.

You want to hear music that makes you want to spin around, whirlinglike a dervish. Around and around and around, until you rise up outof yourself.

Into a place that's good and clean and pure. Where the light doesn't hurt your eyes and the space behind them stops feeling like static ona radio, turned up too loud.

This is one of my escape routes. If I need lifting I come back to a song like this and nothing touches me.

Spellbound - Siouxsie & The Banshees

Simon

The Songs That People Sing

A big cheers to JC, and Ctel for that matter, for providing years now of bloggery and mischief.

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SADNESS: CLOUD CULT

From: Heather

so, typically artists find inspiration in the grand emotions of life - love, of course, seems to drive the creation of most music. anger is out there, too, even jealousy. so is death and loss. countless songs have been written over the years detailing all the stages of grief, unacceptance, and eventually, acceptance of this crushing and overwhelming emotion.

cloud cult, an experimental indie band from minneapolis, knows about loss firsthand. lead singer craig minowa and his wife connie minowa, who paints during performances, unexpectedly lost their two year old son in 2002. this event left them the couple (and the band) devastated. to work through his grief, craig minowa crafted a number of highly personal and heart-wrenching songs that eventually led to the creation of several albums, including the feel good ghosts (tea-partying through tornadoes). perhaps the one that strikes hardest at the heart is the ghost inside our house, which is all about the wish that once death occurs, it doesn't mean that an existence is over.

we saw a ghost inside our house or was it wishful thinking?

oh god, don't leave us by ourselves or we're bound to take up drinking

so live on, minowa sings. baby, live on.

it's a wish that anyone who has experienced loss can relate to. and this is one of the beautiful things about music - it allows us, as listeners, to bring our own experiences to the table and make them universal and unique all at the same time.

the ghost inside our house by cloud cult

go HERE to buy feel good ghosts (tea-partying through tornadoes), the album the ghost inside our house is off of.

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HAPPINESS AND SADNESS: FIRST CONTACT

From Comrade Colin of and before the first kiss:

'My little life is going too fast / You can shove death up your arse'

Many folks will think this is an unwise choice, and, perhaps, in rather poor taste given the timing. But, frankly, you'd be completely and utterly wrong. This is the best anti-death song ever written and it's a piece of music, like a certain Go-Betweens song, that JC and myself immediately bonded over. We both laughed (out loud, yes) at the dark humour and the sentiments. It was a giant V-sign to the fact we all check-out eventually, some, alas, sooner than others. Our mutual appreciation of the lyrics, and their Ivor Cutler-like delivery, signed the deal on our early-years friendship. Indeed, this was the first band JC and myself ever went to see play live together. It was also the night of our very first meeting! We'd put it off and put it off but eventually we went beyond an electronic/digital friendship to something else. It seems like forever ago now, that night in a stupidly cold January at the 13th Note in Glasgow. I remember being rather nervous and, weirdly, it felt a bit like a first date! I needn't have worried though as JC was not at all indie-precious or a pompous prick and I managed, just about, to not project my 100 MPH verbal diarrhea or music/Goffman geekdom all over him. It was a brilliant night, all round, and we've since become very good friends indeed, with music (and a shared sense of humour) at the centre of this connection. I cannot, obviously, feel his sad loss properly - I didn't know or meet his dear friend - but I do know that he knows I am at his call during this most difficult time. My first contribution to this excellent initiative from Ctel had to be this track, really, and I am sure JC will understand why. If I had not been so certain of Jim 'getting' this then I would not have pushed ahead. The very best way - in fact the only way - of dealing with the fucking shite life sometimes throws at us is a bold, dark, humour. Aye.

Dumb Instrument - Reverse the Hearse

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TODAY'S THE DAY

Sadly, today is the day of the funeral for JC's friend. There will be a reader post this afternoon. But for this morning, an update from JC: So if the truth be told I havent had much time to take it all in and probably wont until after the service on Tuesday. We're anticipating 500 folk at the funeral mass withe maybe 350 coming to the crematorium and the 'purvey' afterwards. Lots of logistical things to sort out L is delivering the eulogy at the mass while I've saying the final few words at the crematorium, but the words that came a lot easier than I ever imagined they would.

REM - Love Is All Around

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HAPPINESS: THE RAMONES

From Swiss Adam: There are a ton of songs that help me to get through bad times, and plenty that echo melancholy and the small hours when it all seems dark. But this is The Ramones. Da Brudders' 1978 song We're A Happy Family is full of squalor and urban misery- 'sitting here in Queens, eating refried beans, we ain't got no friends, our troubles never end, no Christmas cards to send, Daddy likes men, Daddy's telling lies, baby's eating flies, Mommy's on pills, baby's got the chills, selling daddy's dope' etc - but there's something about it that never fails to cheer me up. Thanks Joey, Dee Dee, Johnny and Tommy. And thanks also to The Vinyl Villain, still the number one blog and one-stop shop for all things indie and beyond.

mp3: The Ramones - We're A Happy Family

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SADNESS: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

From Moment of Zen:

Loss of a dear friend or relative is the ultimate journey. In some ways the deceased has it easier. Those of us who are left behind have to deal with the range of emotions that come with someone we care for no longer being there. The grieving process is long, painful and leads us to some truly dark places. But over time the pain fades and all that remains are the positive memories we have of our lost friend. Music can be a comforting presence to help us deal and even the saddest songs have their place.

Death Cab For Cutie's "What Sarah Said" captures the hopelessness and misery that comes with being the one watching the death of a loved one. From the hospital smells to the sounds of the machines, Ben Gibbard captures the beginnings of the loss and the sheer helpless feeling that comes with knowing that the end is here. But the line, "Love is watching someone die" is strangely comforting in knowing that at the end of the day, we were better off for having known that person and will carry their memory with us wherever we go.

mp3: Death Cab For Cutie - What Sarah Said

--------------

A reminder of what this is all about. JC wrote on Wednesday about the loss of his friend from leukaemia and that he wasn't going to post further until the end of the month. I thought just as JC has supported his friend, so we should support him by keeping this blog going. I'd therefore like anyone reading to send me some words for a post and an accompanying track on the theme of happiness or sadness. Can be a song that gets you though sd times or one that shares the joy. Please send your entries, however long or short, with the accompanying track, to acidtedblog[at]googlemail.com Thank You CTel

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HAPPINESS: SOMETHING GOOD

From Webbie at Football & Music:

You see it was a forgotten song which I was reminded of again thanks to The Vinyl Villain (and of course the Paul Haig day).

As I said, bit of a cliche but the song with it's driving rhythm and timeless sound always picks me up. I always end up singing along, loudly.

TVV was my inspiration for starting Football and Music It is a place I visit every day to rediscover other classics. And it just gets better...

As you know I have the other gig at #keepingitpeel and he's just started the Peel Session series. Where would we be without JC?!

mp3: Paul Haig - Something Good.

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CALLING ALL READERS - SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

I only just read JC's post about his best friend's death from lukaemia and that he won't be blogging until the end of this month. I've also read the comments on the post. But I thought that we could do more to show support.

I'd like anyone reading to send me a post and an accompanying track on the theme of happiness or sadness. Can be a song that gets you through sad times or one that shares the joy.

To start with, the song that I used on the day of JC's brothers' funeral: Orbital - Belfast/Wasted. A mournful yet ultimately comforting track.

Please send your entries, however long or short, with the accompanying track to acidtedblog[at]googlemail.com

Thanks for your time.

Ctel

mp3: Orbital - Belfast/Wasted

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I'M TAKING A WEE BREAK......

My best friend has been battling leukaemia for two years.

Last night he finally succumbed to this devastating illness.

I'm physically and emotionally frazzled.  I'm going to take the rest of the month off and return in early May.

In the meantime, please visit all of the blogs listed over on the side panel. Thanks for your understanding and patience.

JC aka The Vinyl Villain

THE FIRST GRAMMY NOMINATED SONG FROM DUNFERMLINE??

This is an EP by The Skids that I've been looking to post for ages.  I've long had all the songs available digitally, but was determined to wait until I got my hands back on the original vinyl before doing so.  It was only a £1 in a second-hand shop the other day - bargain!! - although it is a bit worn out and crackly nor is it the original red vinyl.


mp3 : The Skids - The Saints Are Coming
mp3 : The Skids - Of One Skin
mp3 : The Skids - Night & Day
mp3 : The Skids - Contusion

These four tracks made up the Wide Open EP, released in October 1978. It was the band's second release for Virgin Records and it reached #48 in the charts.  Four months later, band and label hit payola with the truly magnificent Into The Valley - which I made #22 in my all time favourite singles rundown back in 2008

Three of the four tracks are among my favourites the band ever recorded - I'm particularly fond of the stop-start nature of Of One Skin which shows the band were always going to be capable of being more than just another run-of-the-mill new wave guitar band.  (In case you're wondering its Contusion that leaves me a wee bit underwhelmed)

Oh and just in case you wanted to sing along, pogo and play air guitar to Of One Skin:-

Beware, little one knowledge
Inside, you seem to acknowledge

Traced the case of your family path
A maritime captain escaped the last laugh


Deep little one ponder
Sleep you seem to discover


Meandered the track of a right-angled road
Vesuvius my sheba erupted and gored


Silk little one slender
Certain part of the gender


A mother, a father, a brother, a son
A pyramid of love remembered you are the one


Beware little one knowledge
Inside do you acknowledge
 
Quite........
 
But I dont think anyone ever thought that a somg written by Stuart Adamson and Richard Jobson would one day be nominated for a Grammy....

That however, was what happened to The Saints Are Coming thanks to U2 and Green Day joining forces to record a version to raise funds for a charity linked to helping the city of New Orleans recover further after Hurricane Katrina. The choice of song came about as a result of the bands performing at a New Orleans Saints NFL match in September 2006, the first played in the city after the hurricane, some 13 months after the tragedy.

Knowing that I'd more than likely get a dmca for posting the cover, here instead is the promo:-



 
Happy Listening

TIME FLIES......

This extended version of a #13 hit from back in 1986 came up on shuffle the other day.  I had forgotten how good it is.  I was also astonished that it was 25 years old:-

mp3 : Pete Wylie - Sinful! (Tribal Mix)

This turned out to be the biigest hit single Pete Wylie ever enjoyed outside of The Story Of The Blues.  It was released on Siren Records, the third label that Wylie had been on in as many years.  He was proving as difficult to the bosses as his reputation hinted at, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that he was capable of writing big booming radio-friendly classic pop music.

The flip side of the vinyl houses the normal version of the single as well as a bit of a throwaway b-side, albeit one with a cracking title.

mp3 : Pete Wylie - Sinful!
mp3 : Pete Wylie - I Want The Moon, Mother

If I recall properly, there was a great Top Of The Pops appearance to promote the single, with dancing nuns featuring heavily.  Excuse me while I go search you tube for it:-



Every bit as brilliant as I remembered.  More so just thinking that it probably invoked complaints to the BBC switchboard!!

Happy Listening

OJ 6

Back in 2008, I put together an extended series of postings highlighting my Top 45 of 45s.  There were a number of rules that had to be followed, with the main ones being I had to have bought the single at the time of its release and that no singer or band could have more than one entry in the rundown.

Which is why, thanks to the inclusion of Felicity by Orange Juice, that the record with the catalogue number OJ 6 was disqualified from the chart:-

mp3 : Orange Juice - What Presence?!
mp3 : Orange Juice - A Place In My Heart (Dub Version)

One of the most enduring and popular OJ number, it has long featured in the solo sets played by Edwyn Collins, both pre and post his life-threatening illness.

This was so nearly a hit, reaching #47 in the singles charts back in April 1984.

Some copies of the single came with a cassette containing live tracks from a show recorded at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow:-

mp3 : Orange Juice - In A Nutshell  (live)
mp3 : Orange Juice - Simply Thrilled Honey (live)
mp3 : Orange Juice - Dying Day (live)

By this time of course, Orange Juice were just Edwyn and Zeke Manyika but the live shows were supplemented by guest musicians, some of who played on the records, including Clare Kenny whose day-time job was bassist with Amazulu.

The versions on the 12" were different:-

mp3 : Orange Juice - What Presence?! (12" Version)
mp3 : Orange Juice - A Place In My Heart (12" Dub Version)

The harmonica that kicks in at around 2mins 11 secs of the 7" of the single is nowhere to be heard on the 12". Instead you get a wee guitar solo from Edwyn......

Oh and does anyone remember this rather tongue-in-cheek ad that was put together for the parent LP??


Find more videos like this on Edwyn Collins

And after a bit of searching, I found the promo video......


Orange Juice - What Presence?!


All absolutely brilliant if you don't mind me saying.

THE SUNDAY CORRESPONDENTS

CALAMARI, PIZZA AND YUK......

Driving home after a recent function Jacques the Kipper prompted me to write a piece telling of my further misfortunes of missing gigs....... so far I’ve told of my father not letting me go to see Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel on a school night ....and of the small weedy wide-boy cockney prick who deprived me of the pleasure of seeing Graham Parker and the Rumour ... the best tale of my misfortune has yet to be told!!!

Let's return to the 11th of July 1983 when four expectant Soft Cell fans are travelling over the Forth to Coasters music venue in Edinburgh’s Tollcross area. Ian “Goodie” Goodfellow drove me, Iain Fenton and his girlfriend Lesley; in his recently purchased Hillman Hunter (the same car Iain’s brother drove me in to Dundee to see the Freeze as recounted here).

Now from experience, gigs at Coasters usually started around 10pm with doors opening at the venue at around 9pm.....we arrived at 9.30pm, climbed the stairs to hear the voice of Marc Almond drifting down towards us, puzzled we looked at each other and said “it must be Marc and the Mambas” , as on some gigs he’d supported his own headline show by playing a “warm up” with his alternate band(who featured The The’s Matt Johnson)... as we climbed closer the lyrics and accompanying music became clearer...it was Say Hello, Wave Goodbye ...and they did!!

As soon as we reached the main hall they stopped playing and disappeared of stage. We looked at each other rather angrily and said “Fuck!! It’s finished!!”

We went back out to the light of the stairwell and looked at the tickets, there were no times printed on them, no gig time and no doors opening times.

As we headed back down the stairs, dozens of gig-goers had just begun to arrive. People were starting to get very angry and shouting at anyone who looked like they worked st the venue. There certainly looked like there was going to be a riot!!!!

Being the men that we were, we allowed Lesley to plead our case for a refund to the only management looking employee she could find.  Her and others efforts succeeded as in an effort to defuse the angry mob that had gathered in the foyer, the box office window had opened and people were started getting refunds.
We got our money back, but we still felt cheated. (It’s only now, that I’ve seen that, the ticket only cost £3.50 and Marc Almond meeting fans upstairs in "The Hoochie Coochie Club" after gig, thanks to the wonderful Edinburgh Gig Archive webpage)

We took our money and went to Dario’s Italian restaurant on Lothian Road and I remember we discussed the famous urban myth of the time about Marc Almond having the contents of his stomach pumped and what was found!! I can tell you it’s not easy to eat Calamari and pizza when discussing that!!

Maybe it was that Hillman Hunter car, but having almost died in it going to Dundee, we had another hair-raising moment on the way home from Edinburgh, when Goodie drove the wrong way around a roundabout in a thick Scottish haar (fog).

Iit took 18years before I finally saw Soft Cell, after they reformed, along with JC, Jacques the Kipper and their spouses and I saw them play a very good gig at the Barrowlands Glasgow, that was only slightly spoiled by Marc Almond fawning over David Ball and pointing out that’s who it was to the audience.

The moral of the story is always check out when gigs will start even if times are not printed on the ticket

.....and never travel in a Hillman Hunter with Goodie driving......and of course never eat Italian food while bodily fluids are discussed!!!!!!!!!

Did anyone reading this get caught out at that gig all those years ago or have you suffered a similar fate??

mp3 : Soft Cell : Frustration
mp3 : Soft Cell : It's A Mug's Game (12" version)
mp3 : Soft Cell : Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (12" version)

John Greer, Sunday 10 April 2011

ONE SONG BY THE SMITHS....A SERIES FOR SATURDAYS (Part 37)

Today's words were originally provided by great friend Ctel from the constantly wonderful Acid Ted blog when he composed a guest post for TVV in May 2009:-

This is listening to John Peel.

This is a special new world.

The excitement of something new and vital when music had seemed to go downhill in the aftermath of the demise of The Jam.

This is snobbish rejection of mere ‘chart pop’.

This is the exclusivity of the ‘in’ and the ‘unknown’.

This is identifying with sensitivity whilst being at a rugby-dominated University (it was Wales after all).

This is rejecting accepted norms of masculinity.

But not a love like the adoring Smiths fans, who even then seemed to verge on the deranged in their fervour. There is admiration for Morrissey (untainted by time and events) for being prepared to assert himself in this way. I remember him playing at University and coming to the front of the stage and admiring his bravery at being prepared to face not only the adulation but the hatred of the non-believers. And the shock of seeing homophobia in the raw.

mp3 : The Smiths - This Charming Man

APRIL 2011 UPDATE FROM JC

There are off course loads of different mixes of this, the song that made The Smiths famous, all of which have been featured on TVV before. But somehow just posting the original mix seems appropriate today.

FIVE GREAT ALBUM TRACKS FOR FRIDAY (Part 18)

Today's piece was inspired by something I read in a newspaper supplement last weekend.

Graeme Thomson is one of the best writers around in the UK - a regular contributor to many of the monthly music mags as well as popping up across many newspapers.  In last Saturday's Arts Section of The Herald, he was given space to plug a forthcoming book, one that I intend to buy on its release on 15 April.

Thomson has written about Johnny Cash.  But he's done so from a perspective that is unusual and one with which I can readily identify.  He recalls that growing up, Cash was a voice he heard regularly thanks to his parents love of him.  And while it was a voice he loved, it wasn't one that he thought would ever deliver new material that would be worth listening to....until 1993 when Cash teamed up with Rick Rubin to release American Recordings.

Thomson's book is a a look at the final series of albums Johnny Cash made in the final decade of his life.  As he puts it in the article "to examine what happens when rebels don't die young but are forced to keep on living, wrestling with their demons and the very human indignities of ill health, indifference and old age."

I'm a big fan of the work Cash and Rubin delivered.  I've never quite been able to pin down why, but something Thomson wrote last Saturday nailed it:-

Although these albums play consistently with Cash's brooding image and sense of mythology - chiming neatly with the uncompromising mood of the mid-1990s' most successful genres : grunge rap and metal - they also bring the real man closer than ever before. At the time of their initial release, however, much of their impact rested on the obvious novelty of an ageing country singer covering songs by contemporary artists like Soundgarden, Danzig and Nick Cave.

Nearly eight years on since Cash's death - and over a year since the release of Ain't No Grave, the sixth and final instalment of American Recordings - it's easier to free the art from the context of its creation and see that albums for what they really are : the logical destination of Cash's long black train of music.

It all makes sense now.  It's the really early Cash and the really late Cash that I love the most.  The early stuff is raw with just the basic instruments and THAT voice.  American Recordings are much the same. 

And so here's my five personal favourites from the American Recordings set of records. And for once, I'm including tracks released as singles.....:-

mp3 : Johnny Cash - Delia's Gone (from American Recordings 1993)
mp3 : Johnny Cash - One (from American III : Solitary Man 2000)
mp3 : Johnny Cash - I See A Darkness (from American III : Solitary Man 2000)
mp3 : Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around (from American IV : The Man Comes Around 2003)
mp3 : Johnny Cash - Hurt (from American IV : The Man Comes Around 2003)

This wasn't an easy set of songs to choose. The fact that only three out of the six albums weighs a bit with me.  But these are the five songs I love more than the others.

Delia's Gone was released as a single. The 1993 version updated a version that Cash had recorded back in 1962.  The original was Cash with a band and is atypical of the sound that made him so popular in the first place.  The update was audacious as it was just Cash and his guitar  - as indeed was all of the 1993 LP - and as an opening track it made you just sit up and take notice.

By the time Unchained, the second of the series, was released in 1995, there were a number of collaborators and a backing band.  By 2000 and American III : Solitary Man, there were all sorts of folk wanting to pay homage by sharing the vocals.    And nobody did it better than Will Oldham whose stunning record of its own that was just over a year old was turned into an all-time classic. I dare anyone to listen to I See A Darkness and not hold back the tears....

The other song taken from the 2000 LP is a U2 cover.  I know not everyone who visits TVV is a fan of Bono & co, but even if they are an act that you detest with a passion, I urge you to listen to Cash's cover of One and hear how he makes it his very own.

American IV : When The Man Comes Around is in parts the very best of the entire series but in other parts contains some of the most disappointing covers -  I just can't bring myself to listen to his take on Danny Boy or We'll Meet Again.  However, the opening two songs on this LP are among the best things Johnny Cash ever recorded in his entire career.

The title track was a new song.  One that Cash freely admits he spent more time on than any other that he ever wrote.  He ended up with more than 30 pages of lyrics that he weeded out until the edited and recorded version was ready.  For a song so much about death and the end of his world, it is an incredibly upbeat and uplifting, almost spiritual tune.

Then there's his take on Hurt.  The original by Nine Inch Nails has long had folk arguing what exactly it is all about, with self-mutilation, drug abuse and self-loathing being among the suggestions.  The Cash version, helped by an astonishing promo video, left you in doubt that this was a man recording his own highly moving epitaph:-



The full version of Graeme Thomson's article can be read here

His book is released on 15 April.  It can be ordered from here.

Thanks for listening.

ISN'T THAT SOME RAP DUDE RIPPING OFF NIRVANA?

It sure is:-

mp3 : Credit To The Nation - Call It What You Want

And it is rather excellent if I may be allowed to voice my opinion.

This lot comprised Matty Hanson aka MC Fusion and two dancers known as T-Swing and Mista-G. 

Matt Hanson was a 22 years of age when this single appeared in 1993.  His approach to rap was very different to much of what was popular at the time (De La Soul excepted) in that his lyrics made clear his abhorrence of homphobia and sexism.  By utilising the riff from Smells Like Teen Spirit, he gained a wider audience for his music, but the single itself stalled at a disappointing #57.

Neverthless, he was able to gradually build-up enough of a following to ensure that the third single Teenage Sensation got into the Top 30, while debut LP Take 'Dis reached the Top 20.

After that however, just about nothing.  New material released in 1995 and 1996 met with both a poor critical response and sales and the act were dropped by One Little Indian records.  There was a tie-up with a German label in 1998 but only one single was ever released.  One of the reasons suggested for the sudden demise of Credit to The Nation was that Matty Hanson had developed a drug dependancy problem.....

There are rumours, if the wikipedia entry is to be believed, the Credit to The Nation have reformed and are planning to release new material in 2011.  While wishing them good luck, it is hard to imagine that many of their fans from the early 90s will be rushing out to buy the new stuff or go see them perform.  And I can't see the youth of today rushing to embrace a 40-year old rapper coming back on the scene after a 15-year absence...

Here's yer b-sides:-

mp3 : Credit To The Nation - Call It What You Want (remix)
mp3 : Credit To The Nation - The Lady Needs Respect

Here's the promo:-



Happy Listening

THE PEEL SESSIONS (Part 1)

The start of a series which will feature when I cant really come up with anything original to say or do. 

Loads of great acts went into the studios and recorded sessions for the John Peel Show over the years.  Indeed there are blogs out there dedicated to bring you the best of these.

Many of the acts in questions have gathered these sessions (along with others recorded for other BBC shows) and made them available as LPs or as tracks on b-sides to singles.

The Pixes in 1998 released a CD called At The BBC which brought together 15 tracks recorded for six different sessions, mostly for Peel but also for the Mark Goodier show.  Given I gave you schmatlz yesterday, I thought I'd go for raw energy today in the shape of five tracks recorded on May 3rd 1988 and broadcast to the world on the evening on 16th May 1988:-

mp3 : The Pixies - Wild Honey Pie (Peel Session)
mp3 : The Pixies - Levitate Me (Peel Session)
mp3 : The Pixies - Caribou (Peel Session)
mp3 : The Pixies - Hey (Peel Session)
mp3 : The Pixies - (In Heaven) Lady In The Radiator Song (Peel Session)

Three originals and two covers and the band sounding absolutely wonderful.  Kurt Cobain was listening very very closely.........

DISPLAYING MY SCHMALTZY SIDE

This one has to be in code, for the artist in question is notorious for having dmca notices sent out whenever an mp3 appears.

Two songs from 1989 that featured on a double-A sided single.

The first is a short track less than two minutes long.  It is a spoken-word number over a rich orchestral arrangment that I'm sure struck a chord with tens of thousands of people in Northern Ireland who were familiar with the journey described.

The second is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.  Hugely popular at weddings (it featured at my own and Mrs V's when we eventually got round to tying the knot), it was originally composed as a religious prayer.

mp3 : VM - CI
mp3 : VM - HITYL

The single only reached #76 in the UK on its release. 

I promise not to go all sentimental on you for a while.

BANISH THE MONDAY MORNING BLUES

I know some of you will find this extremely irritating, particularly if you've not long woken up and paid an early visit to my place, but I'm a bit of a sucker for this:-

mp3 : The B52's - Rock Lobster (single edit)

Originally released in late 1978, I reckon I first head this nonsensical and infectious bit of kitsch fun in the summer of the following year.  It was a very welcome diversion form all the serious new-wave and post-punk stuff I was really beginning to get my teeth into. And it betrays my love of great pop music.

The B-52's could so easily have just been a novelty act. long forgotten for all but their debut single, but such was their ability to write and record catchy, radio-friendly tunes in the years ahead that they have carved out a career that has now lasted more than 30 years.  I'm not going to stand here and argue that they are particularly special or important in the wider scheme of things, but I will make the case for them giving us some stuff that is damn near impossible to either sing along with or dance to.  Or both.

In 1986, their record label put out a 4-track EP on double-pack 7" and 12" format which brought together four of the best singles they had released between 1979 and 1983.  In addition to the afore-mentioned Rock Lobster (and the shorter edited version was made available for the first time since its original release), we had these:-

mp3 : The B52's - Planet Claire
mp3 : The B52's - Song For A Future Generation
mp3 : The B52's - Give Me Back My Man

Planet Claire was the band's second single with a piercing keyboard part to the fore backed by a guitar sound that pays homage (ie rips off!!) the theme to the Peter Gunn TV show. 

Song For A Future Generation is a track I always associate with my years at Strathclyde Students Union.  Where the big space up the stairs at Level 8 on a Saturday night was a bit more chart-orientated, the space in the Dining Room downstairs was a bit more gothic and kitsch, and this wonderful piss-take of blind dating from 1983 was as kitch as it came.

Give Me Back My Man from 1980 features a great vocal performance from Kate Pierson, who would later really come to the attention of the world thanks to her guesting on some REM smash singles.

None of the four tracks really troubled the UK charts when originally released, but the special price EP/12" single got plenty of sales in 1986 and reached #12 in the charts, which was, at the point in time, their best ever performance.

There's great bit of live footage of the band giving a blistering and energetic performance of Rock Lobster away back in 1978.  Click here to watch it.

And here's a great promo:-

I WILL NOW SELL FIVE COPIES OF THE THREE EPS BY THE BETA BAND...

From one of the funniest scenes in the film High Fidelity:-



The really frightening thing....and no-one ever believes me when I tell them this, but that's exactly what happened a few years in a small record store in Glasgow the day I bought The Three EPs by The Beta Band.

Granted the store wasn't as busy as 'Championship Vinyl' nor were any skateboarding kids trying to shop-lift.  But as the sounds of Dry The Rain came over the shop speakers, I was interested enough to ask who and what was playing and then buy a copy.  Whether the folk behind the counter had a chuckle at my expense I will never ever know....

mp3 : The Beta Band - Dry The Rain
mp3 : The Beta Band - The House Song
mp3 : The Beta Band - It's Over

The Three EPs is exactly what it says on the tin - a compilation of all the tracks that The Beta Band had recorded on EPs in 1997 and 1998 prior to their self-titled debut LP appearing in 1999. The tracks featured today are taken from  Champions Versions, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos Del Beta Bandidos respectively.

This lot were never the easiest to get into. There is a great word used to describe them in wikipedia - folktronica - which is seen as a blend of folk, electronic, rock, trip-hop and experimental jamming.  They didn't always quite hit the mark as far as I'm concerned, but every now and again there was something truly special that came out of the studio.  The three tracks featured today are reasonably typical of what they did....

Happy Listening

PS

You'll see that this week isn't a piece by any of The Sunday Correspondents.  That's because none of them, other than John Greer, has got anything over to me in recent weeks.

So....a general plea to all and sundry.  I really do need a day off from this once a week so I'm looking for volunteers to shove something over for posting on a Sunday.  The e-mail address is over on the right-hand side of the blog.

Thank You.

ONE SONG BY THE SMITHS...A SERIES FOR SATURDAYS (Part 36)

Possibly the least lauded track on The Queen Is Dead:-

mp3 : The Smiths - Never Had No One Ever

It is a bit of a strange one. It's been described as the defining, as opposed to definitive, song by The Smiths and "a stark expression of the inner sadness which bonded Morrissey and Marr to begin with" It's certainly far from the jauntiest tune that Johnny ever composed and it's up there with some of the most melancholic lyrics Moz have ever wrote. Seemingly, although it is hard to imagine given the final mix, the track was slated for having a jazz-style trumpet solo courtesy of a session musician who played with one of the BBC orchestras. But no sooner had the part been recorded when all concerned realised it just didn't sound right.

Where James Kirk just a few years previously had penned the line 'This is The Sound of Happiness' as the closer to Felicity, Moz could just have easily penned 'This Is The Sound of Loneliness' as the closer to Never Had No One Ever.

Heartbreaking stuff indeed.

Here's a live version recorded in August 1986:-

mp3 : The Smiths - Never Had No One Ever (live, Laguna Hills)

And as with last week's song in this series, the Bard of Barking has had a stab at this:-

mp3 : Billy Bragg - Never Had No One Ever

I promise that I will post something a wee bit chirpier next week.

FIVE GREAT ALBUM TRACKS FOR FRIDAY (Part 17)

Thanks for all the great suggestions last week. Part of the problem in trying to do this properly is that for most singers or bands who have had a long career, I don't own every LP that they've released - examples of this include The Cure, Elvis Costello and James - and so I've shied away from featuring anyone that I don't have everything by.

But I'm going to change tack and the series will now occasionally acts where I don't know the entire back catalogue. I thought it would be worth starting this new approach with The Velvet Underground.

Strange as it may seem, I wasn't a fan of VU back in the 80s even though I knew that so much of their sound influenced many of my favourite bands and indeed most of whom were not slow in putting out cover versions of VU songs. This was all because of my unwritten rule of thumb that I wasn't all that interested in listening to old bands, especially those from the generation before mine. It's also why I don't 'get' The Beatles or Elvis Presley - I've never really given them a try. And being a totally inconsistent sod, I shouldn't have ever given a chance to The Kinks or Johnny Cash - but I did and love them.

But I was stubborn about VU for decades. Until last year when I spent all of £3 on a CD compilation I owned nothing of theirs. And I'll whisper it....some of it is actually very good indeed!!! The great thing about looking at them today is that the band only actually released six singles during their actual existence, and so there's loads to choose from without breaking the no 45s rule that applies.

And here goes:-

mp3 : The Velvet Underground - I'm Waiting For The Man
mp3 : The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
mp3 : The Velvet Underground - Rock 'n' Roll
mp3 : The Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane
mp3 : The Velvet Underground - Venus In Furs

The 1967 debut LP Velvet Underground & Nico is the original home of both I'm Waiting For The Man and Venus In Furs. I first heard the former as a cover recorded by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark as the b-side to their 1980 single Messages. I liked the cover enough to seek out a mate who had VU records to shove the original on a tape for me. I wasn't moved enough at the time to fall in love with the song.....but at the same time I didn't have a hatred for it. It just sounded a bit dated and one-paced. It was only maybe 5 years later when I started really listening to Jonathan Richman that I realised that the sound, far from being dated was in fact timeless and still worth a listen. But I still didn't buy any of their releases.

Venus In Furs is another track folk tried to get me to listen to when I was a lot younger. It didn't do anything for me. But now that my listening tastes have matured, I can see that this is a hugely significant piece of music that has influenced so many, not least Tindersticks, a band I have long championed on TVV.

From the 1969 LP The Velvet Underground there can be no surprise that Pale Blue Eyes has made the list given my love of the cover recorded by Paul Quinn & Edwyn Collins. A cover that in my humble opinion is way superior to the original.....

Finally, from the 1970 release Loaded, you will find the tracks Rock'n'Roll and Sweet Jane.

The former is one that I have only recently fallen for. I didn't know it at all until I picked up the compilation CD...well that is not technically true, I had heard it a few times over the years at various indie-disco or club nights.....but it sort of washed over me. But hearing it loud on the headphones while sitting on the beach under gloriously clear blue skies changed everything. Shake your thang hispsters.....and play that air guitar solo!! The latter has an appalling first 17 seconds.....just ignore it and listen to Lou Reed telling you he's standing on the corner with his suitcase in his hand.......and then the remaining near four minutes and accept that it is a wonderful song that I'm ashamed took me far too long to appreciate.

But despite all that I've said above in praise of these five songs there's still too many of the VU songs, certainly on the Very Best Of....CD that still don't do it for me. But c'mon, I have softened my attitude in recent years and am prepared to acknowledge they deserve their place in the list of important bands that have recorded popular music.

Happy Listening