Recent CD Purchases

[Who Shot Sam?]

WSS: new Richard Hawley album Truelove Gutters is getting RAVE reviews. Heard him live on radio doing one, v good. Classic stuff. I await your review!

Have not heard it yet. I will be picking it up ASAP.

[Jackson Monk]

Been on a real CD drive recently. CDs have really come down in price in recent years in the UK. Makes them a little irresistable. Went on Amazon to buy a new electic kettle and came away with:

John Martyn - Inside Out, Stormbringer, The Tumbler, London Coversation and Bless the Weather.
Prefab Sprout - Let's Change the World...
Trash Can Sinatras - In the Music
Paddy McAlloon - I Trawl the Megahertz (been searching for this for years)
Sandy Denny - No More Sad Refrains (Anthology) - total bargain at £7.28!

[Otis Westinghouse]

Nice to see the John Martyn obsession developing. Inside Out is a bit weird, see what you think. BLess the Weather is one of his very best, numerous superb songs. Stormbringer is OK in parts, though Beverley's voice just doesn't stand up next to his. His cover of Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice' is sublime.

Never heard The Tumbler. Let us know.

One LP I also recommend is Sunday's Child, in particular for his completely stunning version of the trad folk song 'Spencer The Rover', about a waster who roves around in a stupor and then returns to the family fold, something John could relate to. David Hepworth cited it as his best ever performance, and I can see why.

[Jackson Monk]

I love Spencer the Rover from the Youtube performances. Sunday's Child is in the next tranche.

[Otis Westinghouse]

This one?

Totally sublime.

I take it you have Grace and Danger. If not, also for the next tranche!

[Jackson Monk]

Yeah...just magnificent. I also love this richer, accompanied version. He's clearly had a few sherberts, but it just enhances the performance imo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1XTOAcnWJY

Grace and Danger was my second John Martyn album (after Solid Air) and it is a beautiful record. The three heartbreakers in the middle stand out for me. It may nit be fashionable to say so, but Phil Collins' drums do much for the songs.

As it stands, I would rate them all 10/10 but would put One World marginally ahead of the other two. I can't recall playing a record as much since I first bought Imp Bedroom. I can give it no higher praise than that!

[Otis Westinghouse]

Wow, you're hooked! Such a shame you didn't make it to the CornEx for his last tour.

I checked out that 90s rendition of S the R, but moved to the 70s one for the higher sweeter voice, but maybe the pissed up, gruffer version there is more in tune with the amazing lyrics. Lovely arrangement.

Totally with you re Phil on G & D. My favourite ever JM song is 'Sweet Little Mystery', and the crisp and very subtle drumming are a huge part of that, beautifully played and recorded, and his backing vocals are also great on it too - the highlight of Phil's oft-maligned career!

[Who Shot Sam?]

Wasn't gonna get the Beatles remasters yet, but I stopped on my way to Red Bulls' game to let my boy take a whizz at the Starbucks and they had copies of Sgt. Pepper's and Abbey Road at the register. So I caved in and we listened to them in the car on the way to and from the match. It was interesting to hear his reaction to the songs on hearing them for the first time. The only ones he knew were "Octopus' Garden" (which I think I played for the kids when they were younger) and "Here Comes the Sun" (which he had heard in The Bee Movie, that Jerry Seinfeld animated film).

Now I'm gonna have to buy all of 'em, aren't I?

[so lacklustre]

Got three of them remasters what I didn't have on cd already - PPM, BFS & MMT

Also got the new Arctic Monkeys - Humbug, which sounds pretty good on first listen. Only went in record shop when passing to see if that new Richard Hawley was out yet, only to find them not relaeasing it until Monday week (better than Wednesday week i spose)

[Otis Westinghouse]

My son has Humbug and thinks it's really good, but I haven't checked it out yet I did tape (yes!) them at Reading plus Radiohead.

It really is bollocks that a) the Beatles mono box set is loads more than the stereo and b) the mono can only be bought in the box set. No wonder the fans are angry. I'm keen to see reviews comparing thew mono and stereo in detail, and haven't yet (guess Google can help here).

Was reading the Word article about them from two months back, as ever, very interesting perspectives, including how Neil Aspinall (Beatles childhood friend and boss of Apple Corps) has been far more interested in releasing all the specials such as Anthology and Love than getting decent remasters out. What I hadn't heard before was that these remasters were completed four years ago, so they've been waiting to get the game out first as a pretext. What's exciting for me is that there are still large numbers of Beatles songs I don't know, e.g. 'No Mercy', referred to a couple of times in this article.

Resisted temptation to buy any of them or the £200 mono set in Fopp, but did spend all of £3 on The Smiths' The World Won't Listen, which was the first thing by them I ever bought, on tape when it came out, and played to death, and although I have half of it on other CDs, it contains some gems I haven't head in years, especially the heartbreaking 'Asleep', and £5 on Kate Bush's The Whole Story. Again, have most of this already, but particularly wanted 'Wuthering Heights', following our recent visit to the Bronte's Parsonage and the two part ITV dramatisation of it!

[Jackson Monk]

Wow, you're hooked! Such a shame you didn't make it to the CornEx for his last tour.

I checked out that 90s rendition of S the R, but moved to the 70s one for the higher sweeter voice, but maybe the pissed up, gruffer version there is more in tune with the amazing lyrics. Lovely arrangement.

Totally with you re Phil on G & D. My favourite ever JM song is 'Sweet Little Mystery', and the crisp and very subtle drumming are a huge part of that, beautifully played and recorded, and his backing vocals are also great on it too - the highlight of Phil's oft-maligned career!

Completely and irretrievably hooked. I am a little distraught that I never saw him live when I had the chance. I love the Youtube clip of him singing May You Never with Kathy Mattea. Just to see them so excited at the end with what they had accomplished.

I feel so into the man at them moment. His music, his lyrics, his life, his guitar playing his musical values and his passion. Perhaps most importantly, his aura. I was thinking that he wasn't a particularly attractive man in the classic senze, but I really get why women fell fo him. He is a very sexy guy...and I am as heterosexual as they come. I think John Martyn is now up there in my top 10 artists of all time:

1. Elvis Costello
2. Bruce Springsteen
3. John Martyn
4. Paddy McAloon/Prefab Sprout
5. Beach Boys/Brian Wilson
6. Squeeze
7. Trash Can Sinatras
8. Beatles
9. Marvin Gaye
10. Roddy Frame/Aztec Camera

Bubbling under:
Marvin Gaye
Smokey Robinson
Billy Fury
Wilco
Pernice Brothers
Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis
New Pornographers/Neko Case


Ha ha. I know that I shall be reviewing this list when I'm sober!

[Jackson Monk]

Bugger it....forgot Bowie and the Smiths.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Nice declaration of love for Johnny Too Bad! No Lloyd in your list?

You've probably seen this one. A taste of what he was doing on his last tour and his semi-incomprehensible speaking voice!

[Jackson Monk]

Yep - seen that one. I think he had a bit of a warped sense of humour. Switching accents like underwear. There's another clip from the same era of him accepting an award in totally convincing cockney.

Bugger my list. Lloyd is indeed missing along with several other heroes and I think I need to do a top 50 when I'm sober!

[Otis Westinghouse]

He probably always went full on Scottish when with Scots. I think he moved from Scotland to London aged 11 or something.

Dylan not in your list?

[Jackson Monk]

Yes. He did, but in the excellent 'Some People are Crazy' biograpghy, it suggests he was just trying to take on a persona, particularly Londoner Danny Thompson. He'd wear similar clothes and adopt the same mannerisms as him. Elvis used to do this a lot...adopting thick scouse in Liverpool etc

Dylan wouldn't be on my list. I respect him enormously, but I've never felt the love. That said, I can't say I've really listened to a lot of his stuff and I only own 4 of his records. Bizarre, but true.

But I did forget the Clash and Nick Lowe. Ho, and indeed hum.

I think a thread of favourite acts would be cool. I've also fancied a thread on '50 indisposable albums' so that we can all introduce each other to some classics.

[Otis Westinghouse]

50 each (Christ!), or post until there are 50? Actualy, 50 would be easy enough.

Must check out that biog. Shame they didn't call it 'Some People Are Crrrazu'! (Isn't it mental the way he does that?)

Maybe you need some prolonged exposure to lots of Dylan to feel that love. That's how it was for me, then again I felt the love well before that.

Was wondering why Lowe wasn't on your list.

[Jackson Monk]

It's a cracker. I particularly like the story about JM waking in a hotel room to find Danny Thompson has nailed him under the carpet up to his neck.

Oops....this should be in the books thread. Sorry Mr Moderator!

[bambooneedle]

Woohoo just bought 6 of the Beatles remasters for $15Aus a pop. My local 2nd hand music shop got them from who knows where but they're brand new and they said there'll probably be more next week.

Magical Mystery Tour
A Hard Day's Night
Revolver
Abbey Road
Beatles For Sale
With The Beatles

Rarely do I feel so sure i'll be custodian of something for the rest of my days... I could carry these with me for another half century!

[Otis Westinghouse]

That convertys to £8 - a steal! I think I'll jump on a jet plane and save some money that way. Enjoy!

[Who Shot Sam?]

Sprung for a few more of the Beatles reissues -

Upgrades from older generation CDs:
White Album
Magical Mystery Tour
Let It Be

First time on CD (only ever had vinyl copies of these, and they are tucked away somewhere in my mom's garage in Seattle)
Help!
A Hard Day's Night

[Otis Westinghouse]

Surely you have this by now, WSS? Just picked it up. Was about to play it, but decided to revisit Cole's Corner first - very much at that new hifi nirvana stage where absolutely everything sounds sublime, and I had to know if that was the case here, and my god it was, it sounded phenomenally good.

So I still have this treat to come, but the reviews have been fabulous. I'd only heard one song on the radio, and was spellbound, and it was the one referred to here in this Yorkshire Post interview:

'Truelove's Gutter is the record Hawley has always dreamed of making. It includes what Hawley describes as the best song he's ever written, For Your Lover Give Some Time – a romantic apology for taking one's lover for granted, and a promise not to do it again.'

Well that's a sentiment I can relate to and I can't wait to spend many long evenings on the sofa giving some time to my lover listening to this.

WSS: I await your reflections, and the general degree of celebration on the Hawley board, assuming you've been there of late.

[so lacklustre]

Been listening to Truelove's Gutter all week. Slow, sultry gorgeousness.

[Jack of All Parades]

Look forward to hearing the new Richard Hawley- purchased this week the Monsters of Folk cd- the conglomarate consisting of Jim James, M Ward, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis- have enjoyed their individual efforts as performers and writers[though less for Oberst now as a performer having witnessed his anemic performance in my home town recently with Wilco]each one has contributed 5 songs to the effort- they harmonize well and there is interesting instrumentation from M Ward- like 3 songs by James best- "Dear God"[a concise statement of ambivalent faith], 'The Right Place"[a dialogue about love's vagaries] and "Losin Yo Head"[an argument for cutting loose] and one by Oberst "Map of the World"[another strong road song by him]-I love Jame's voice-a keening tenor that always hits me in a soft spot[I never stop playing his band My Morning Jacket's Evil Urges my favorite cd from last year along with Dylan's Tell Tale Signs and have enjoyed as well on the radio his tribute ep to George Harrison]- you can do a lot worse than listen to these guys sitting around and wood shedding.

[Who Shot Sam?]

The new Hawley album should be on its way to me. I've been steering clear of the bits and pieces that have been leaked so that I can experience it all at once.