HERBS - Long Ago 1984

Herbs will be unknown to roughly 99.99% of people reading this post - and yet here it is.

Living in New Zealand during the 70's and 80's I couldn't be divorced from the politics and protests going on at the time.

In 1979 Herbs formed, classed as a Pacific reggae band but carrying a strong political and social message through their music. Their first mini-album of 6 tracks, 'What's Be Happen?' was released in 1981 during the controversial anti-apartheid Springboks Rugby Tour and the cover featured an aerial photo of protests on Aucklands Bastion Point, scene of land occupation by the Ngāti Whātua in the late 70's .

The French had a long history of nuclear testing on Moruroa Atoll in French Polynesia which potentially affected the whole South Pacific region. Featuring multi-ethnic band members over the years - Tongans, Samoans, Cook Islanders, Maoris, Herbs was representative of peoples who were being affected by the proliferation of these tests in their own backyards.

By 1982 the anti-nuclear movement was strong and the Herbs song 'French Letter' came to be an anthem ...

"Do you know what makes the ocean glow

When unwelcome guests, are making nuclear tests"

Followed by songs on the same theme, 'No Nukes' and 'Nuclear Waste' which features on todays album, their continued crusade was obvious.

Unfortunately, despite the condemnation and protests, in 1985 things took a tragic turn. The Greenpeace ship 'Rainbow Warrior' was moored at Marsden Wharf in Auckland prior to leading a flotilla to Moruroa Atoll to protest yet another nuclear test.

Three agents of the French DGSE, the external intelligence agency, imported limpet mines which were collected by two more agents who then delivered them to a further pair of divers. These divers attached the mines to The Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985. The first mine detonated at 11.38pm and the second one ten minutes later. Unfortunately, between blasts, freelance photographer Fernando Pereira went back to get his camera equipment. He drowned in the flooding after the second blast.

Herbs continue to play with an almost ever-changing line-up, releasing their last album of new material in 1990 but they had 10 top twenty singles during their peak years. They also worked with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Taj Mahal, UB40 and George Benson. Their song 'Homegrown' was on the soundtrack to the 1994 movie 'Once Were Warriors'.

Herbs are a piece of history of a time and place. They are my memories, but worth sharing.

Long Ago - YouTube

French Letter - YouTube

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG - Déjà Vu 1970

In 1967 David Crosby 'left' the Byrds. According to David himself in the documentary 'Echo in the Canyon', "they threw me out of The Byrds because I was an asshole". Graham Nash left The Hollies and around the same time Stephen Stills' band Buffalo Springfield split up.

So it was that the three of them found themselves doing an informal performance in July 1968 and realised that they sang really well together, particularly in their amazing harmonies.

In 1969 they released their first album, eponomously titled 'Crosby, Stills & Nash'. If ever you needed proof of their harmony, 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' and 'Marrakesh Express' put any doubts to rest.

They had to beef up the band to go on tour, so after picking up a bassist and a drummer they still needed someone on keyboards. Stephen Stills at first tried to get Steve Winwood but he'd just got involved with Blind Faith. Neil Young had been with Stephen Stills in Buffalo Springfield, but it took a bit of persuading before he was brought in as a fourth named member of the group. His contract also allowed him to keep his separate career with his other band, Crazy Horse. After only one show as the newly formed Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, their second performance was at Woodstock.

"This is the second time we've ever played in front of people, man. We're scared shitless."

-Stephen Stills, Woodstock 1968-

Their first release as a four member group was today's featured album Déjà Vu. It was really a struggle from start to finish. Most of the tracks apart from 'Woodstock' were recorded in separate sessions by each member, with Neil Young doing his bits in Los Angeles and coming in with them to get the other voices put on. The album took over 6 months to record, with Stephen Stills estimating over 800 hours of studio time, but that may be a bit exaggerated.

At the same time they were all struggling with personal dramas. Stephen Stills split from his girlfriend singer/songwriter Judy Collins, Graham Nash broke up with his girlfriend singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell and David Crosby's off-again on-again hippie girlfriend Christine Hinton borrowed his VW to take her cats to the vet. One of them jumped on her lap, she lost control and had a head-on with a school bus, killing her. 

Even so, the music produced on this album is phenomenal. Stephen Stills writing/singing 'Carry On', Graham Nash writing/singing 'Teach Your Children' and 'Our House', Neil Young writing/singing 'Helpless' along with Crosby's 'Almost Cut My Hair' and the Joni Mitchell composition 'Woodstock'.

Along with that you have Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) playing guitar on 'Teach Your Children' and John Sebastian (Lovin' Spoonful) blowing the harmonica on 'Déjà vu'.

I mentioned the music documentary 'Echo in the Canyon' earlier. I'm not sure about other countries but it's on Netflix here in the U.S.

If you can find it, watch it. The narration, interviews, as well as new performances of old songs, are done by Jakob Dylan. Everybody who was anybody from the Laurel Canyon days of 1965-67 makes an appearance, either in old clips or contemporary scenes. It is a fantastic piece - I can't recommend it highly enough. Learn and hear first hand about CSNY, Mamas and Papas, Beach Boys et al.

In the meantime, soak in some early CSNY, and remember the days.

Teach Your Children - YouTube

LORDE - Melodrama 2017

I can't remember exactly when I saw/heard Lorde. I do know it was before she became well known internationally - when 'Royals' was still just bubbling in the background. I remember looking for more of her music on YouTube and coming across her video clip for 'Tennis Court'. It was, and still is, an amazing clip. She was 16, not famous, putting out music for criticism or acclaim, and she opted for a minimalistic non-singing non-lipsynching one-shot video where the only word she mouths is 'Yeah' and the only change is the lighting. I thought it was, above all else, very brave. I've linked to that clip at the end of this post. It's worth a look.

Lorde's first album, 'Pure Heroine' came out in 2013. My immediate reaction was a mix of a young Kate Bush with a smattering of the electronics of Laurie Anderson, some slight synth-pop Pet Shop Boys-ness, but then after a few more listens it really was just all Lorde. It was different. I love 'difference' in music. It's refreshing.

Seeing her live was a bit of a shock. If you found Joe Cockers gestures uncomfortable or even painful, you could get the same reaction from Lorde. Just keep in mind, she literally dances to her own tune. She wrote the words and the music so I figure she can interpret them in her own way too. 

After 'Pure Heroine' there was a four year wait for this second album, 'Melodrama'.

In between there were the odd bits and pieces. A cover of Tears For Fears 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' from the 'Catching Fire' soundtrack. A cover of Sheryl Crows 'Are You Strong Enough to Be My Man?' singing with Haim, 'All Apologies' with the surviving members of Nirvana at their 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Even doing Kanye's 'Hold My Liquor'. But nothing new until 2017. 

When 'Melodrama' came along the single used to promote it was 'Green Light'. To me, that's not the best track. It's a good track, it fits the albums concept, it works, but it's not my go-to.

The album is a progression from 'Pure Heroine' in a few ways. Production is up - it's more complex, perhaps even more electropop, certainly more personal (if that's possible). It came after a break-up with a boyfriend. Keep in mind, she was still only 20 when she wrote and recorded this, so it's young love, angst, but I'm sure to her as raw and real as it could be. 

My picks? In no particular order, 'The Louvre', 'Writer in the Dark' and 'Hard Feelings/Loveless'.

'The Louvre' has a hypnotic beat driven by the repetitious chorus lyric ..

"Megaphone to my chest

Broadcast the boom boom boom boom

And make 'em all dance to it".

'Writer in the Dark' is (IMHO) perhaps the most personal song, certainly it shows the most maturity in talking about her new-found fame and the lack of perceived support she gets from the (now) ex-boyfriend ..

"Stood on my chest and kept me down

Hated hearing my name on the lips of a crowd"

'Hard Feelings/Loveless' is a song of 2 halves. 'Hard Feelings' is about falling out of love. In amongst the lyrics though is a more down to earth line, 'I'm at Jungle City', which is a referencce to one of the five studios used to record the song. At the 4 minute mark, after some weird distorted synth there is a short cut from a Paul Simon documentary where he mentions a favourite tape. Then, as lead in to the 'Loveless' part of the song there's a sample of the Phil Collins drum solo from 'In The Air Tonight'. The words come in with a totally different style and content to the first part of the track. 'Loveless' becomes a throw away couldn't care less jingle that makes light of the pain and turns it back on itself. That's my thoughts anyway - what do I know, I'm an old codger !! I've added a link with the lyrics. Follow along.

Having said that about my 3 favourites, it's very easy just to play the album from start to finish, one track after the other and let it run it's course. It's a great listen.

I have no idea when or even if there will be a third Lorde album, or what direction it may take. Regardless, I'll be waiting.

Tennis Court - YouTube

Hard Feelings/Loveless - YouTube

THE NOTTING HILLBILLIES - Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time 1990

This is good. It feels good. It sounds good. It makes everything good. It's Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time music.

Mark Knopfler had dissolved Dire Straits in 1988 and in 1989 The Travelling Wilburys came along with their new version of a super group. Mark got a few of his cronies around him and formed The Notting Hillbillies to give himself a new musical outlet.

Not quite in the same 'super' league as the Wilburys, the Hillbillies were still class acts. Guy Fletcher had worked with Steve Harley and then Roxy Music and had been with Dire Straits for about 4 years before they disbanded. Brendan Croker had his own band, The Five O'Clock Shadows and the others band members all had their own credibility.

The tracks on the album are a great mix of covers and traditionals with a smattering of originals thrown in. Despite being a writer of renown, Mark Knopfler kept himself in check, only penning one song, 'Your Own Sweet Way' which just can't help sounding a little Dire Strait-ish .. there's no way he can keep from using his guitar to make those oh-so unique noises. Brendan Croker and Steve Philips contribute another couple of originals and there's even a Charlie Rich cover in there.

The traditional tracks give a feeling of familiarity to the album, starting with 'Railroad Worksong' ... everybody knows you're working for a dollar a day and you want your good buddy to take the hammer to the captain so at some point you get to sing along.

There's not that much to write about the Hillbillies. This was their one and only album, although they have come together again for charity shows and even did an 11 show U.K. tour in 1997.

It's a shame they didn't record more. I really like this album .. it's clean, laid-back, comfortable.

Maybe the reason they didn't do any more lies in the title. They really are 'Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time'.

Railroad Worksong - YouTube

LEON RUSSELL - Will O' the Wisp 1975

There isn't enough room on my little corner of the internet to even scratch the surface of Leon Russells contribution to music. It is vast, all-encompassing and seemingly endless.

He was 14 years old when he joined The Starlighters, playing alongside J.J. Cale in Tulsa nightclubs. Born Claude Russell Bridges he started calling himself Leon because of the fake I.D. his friend gave him so he could get into the clubs to perform.

In the 60's he was one of the most sought after session musicians around. The list of people he supported and albums he played on is way too long to list but basically included .. um .. anyone you can think of !! He was also writing songs, including Joe Cockers 'Delta Lady', George Bensons 'This Masquerade' and The Carpenters 'Superstar'. 

Add to that his work as a producer. I have an album called 'Dylan Jazz' by the Gene Norman Group, released in 1965. As the title suggests, it's interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, but with a couple of interesting twists. Jim Horn (remember that name for later) played saxaphone, Glen Campbell played guitar and Leon Russell produced it. 

Leon was part of the ensemble 'Delaney & Bonnie and Friends' during '69 and '70 - other members who came and went included George Harrison, 2 of the Allman Brothers, Dave Mason (from Traffic), Eric Clapton, Rita Coolidge and more.

1970 was also the year he was involved in the Joe Cocker tour, concert, movie and general mayhem of 'Mad Dogs & Englishmen' and he still found time to go into the studio and record his eponymous debut solo album. The album included the track 'A Song For You', often thought to be one of Leon's best and recorded by over 200 other artists.

More notable though was the list of people almost queuing up to be on the album with him. Take a deep breath .. here we go .. Klaus Voorman, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Eric Clapton, Jim Horn (remember Jim?), Steve Winwood, Delaney & Bonnie, Joe Cocker et al.

Fast forward a few years, to his sixth studio album, and we get to 'Will O' The Wisp'. The backup on this one again includes Jim Horn but also reaches way back and brings in his old friend and band-mate from when he was just 14 years old .. J.J. Cale. I bought this album for one track and then grew into the rest. The one track I loved then and love now is 'Back To The Island'. Add to that the other songs Leon has played over the years and albums .. 'Tight Rope', 'Roll Away The Stone', 'Bluebird', 'Lady Blue' and you have not only a great singer, writer, producer and musician but someone who played an integral part in the musical careers of so many other artists.

There was a great quote from Graham Reid on the website Elsewhere.co.nz .. "Leon Russell is like the Kevin Bacon of rock: there are six degrees of separation between him and anyone else. Actually, that's not true. There are about three."

To be honest I'd take it further. In many cases, there is no separation. They stand shoulder to shoulder.

Leon passed away peacefully in his sleep in 2016 aged 74.

Back to the Island - YouTube

TRAFFIC - The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys 1971

When I was 14 I was delivering newspapers and packing potatoes at the local greengrocers.

When Steve Winwood was 14 he was playing keyboards and guitar for the Spencer Davis Group. By the time he turned 16 the group released their first single and he was lead singer on their 1965 #1 hit 'Keep on Running'. Not a bad resume. 

Winwood left SDG in 1967 and along with Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason and Chris Wood they created Traffic. In the same year that they formed the group they put out 3 singles that all made the U.K. top ten. 'Paper Sun' was a Capaldi/Winwood composition, 'Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush' was the title song to a movie of the same name. The song was written and sung by all the group, and 'Hole in My Shoe' was a Dave Mason song. The other members of the group didn't like it, saying it didn't represent their style (it was very psychedelic). Despite not liking it, the song got to #2 in the charts.

Their debut album, Mr. Fantasy in 1967 didn't include any of their hit singles, but did have the brilliant song 'Dear Mr. Fantasy'. Just over 50 years later the song found a whole new audience, a whole new generation, when it was used as the opening song in the Marvel movie Avengers: Endgame. It sent shivers down my spine when it burst out in the cinema !!

The following year, 1968 they released the single 'Feelin' Alright' which didn't do ANYTHING. In fact, it wasn't until many years later that I realised Joe Cockers version was not the original. The song was one more of the few not written by Winwood/Capaldi, it was another Dave Mason composition. Winwood and Capaldi became the Lennon/McCartney - Jagger/Richards of Traffic, writing the majority of their recorded work - Winwood on music, Capaldi on lyrics.

They also released another album, self-titled 'Traffic'. Mason left the group just after that and the remaining three did a U.S. tour in late '68. Winwood and Chris Wood also played with Jimi Hendrix and were on the 'Electric Ladyland' album. Oddly, so was Dave Mason, but he wasn't credited.

In 1969 the band broke up for a while, Winwood formed Blind Faith with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech but Blind Faith also broke up after less than a year. Winwood started working on a solo record, but brought in Wood and Capaldi, which basically got Traffic back together !! Inevitably the sessions ended up with a new Traffic album, 'John Barleycorn Must Die' which was their most successful album to date. The song 'John Barleycorn' at first glance is an horrific tale of blood and murder and torture. When you look at the history of it though, it is a song about the barley crop being grown and then harvested for beer and whisky. It's based on an English folk song from around 1725. Well worth a listen, keep the lyrics in front of you to read along. The version done by Traffic has been compared to the style of Pentangle and Fairport Convention.

By 1970 ex-Blind Faith member Ric Grech joined the 3 Traffic lads, then in 1971 Jim Gordon of Derek and the Dominoes came on board along with Ghanian Rebop Kwaku Baah. That was the line-up that recorded today's feature album 'The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys'.

OK - are we ready. Here's my obligatory Bob Dylan reference !!

The title of the song and album came from an entry in Jim Capaldis notebook, written by actor Michael J. Pollard. Capaldi said:

"Pollard and I would sit around writing lyrics all day, talking about Bob Dylan and the Band, thinking up ridiculous plots for the movie. Before I left Morocco, Pollard wrote in my book 'The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys'. For me, it summed him up."

The song was never released as a single, mainly because it is almost 12 minutes long, but with the advent of 'album oriented rock' on American FM radio, it got and still gets lots of airtime.

"Don't worry too much, it'll happen to you

We were children once, playing with toys

And the thing that you're hearing is only the sound of

The low spark of high-heeled boys"

For a more complete discography there are some great compilations out there - but the more recent ones are CD based. My go-to is from 1991 - Smiling Phases. Well worth hunting out.

The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys - YouTube

BONZO DOG DOO-DAH BAND - Gorilla 1967

Eccentric is a word often used in descriptions of England and English people. It is probably best used when talking about The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

7th December 1969 - Back in my home town of Harrogate after 4 years in Australia, I was 19 years old when I got a ticket to the Harrogate Theatre and saw one of the strangest music shows I've ever encountered.

Giant papier-mâché heads, a policeman, an instrument made out of a trumpet mouthpiece, a plastic hose and a funnel. An enormous air filled phallic tube extending from the stage and bouncing over the first few rows .. and some of the most incredibly nonsensical lyrics put to music. It was magnificent !!

Having it's origins in the early 60's The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band for a while became known as The Bonzo Dog Dada Band. Vivian Stanshall gathered musicians of varying and sometimes dubious talent to come and go, changing the line-up and then changing the name back to The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. He got tired of trying to explain the 'Dada' part.

By around 1965 the group were semi-professional, playing working men's clubs around England, doing parodies and jazz based comedic songs. Acts like The Barron Knights and The Temperance Seven had paved the way for humour on the charts alongside 'pop' music so they were proving very popular. 

The New Vaudeville Band were a fictional studio group, and when their song 'Winchester Cathedral' took off they needed real people to perform live. The Bonzos were asked to do it and they declined, but when the New Vaudeville Band did make an appearance on Top of the Pops they had copied The Bonzos style and look.

Fortunately the Bonzos had already come to the attention of other musicians, specifically Paul McCartney, who asked them to perform one of their songs in The Beatles 'Magical Mystery Tour'. They got a spot as resident band on the children's TV show 'Do Not Adjust Your Set' which also starred future Monty Python members Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.

Neil Innes was now a permanent member of the group and proved to be a driving force behind some of their most memorable music.

Their first album, Gorilla, was released in 1967 and included a Stanshall/Innes composition, 'Death Cab For Cutie', a parody of teenage tragedy songs done in an 'Elvis' style. Not only was that the song they performed on 'Magical Mystery Tour' but it is also immortalized by being the name adopted by an American alternative band in 1997.

Fast forward to 1968 and the release of their most successful single 'I'm The Urban Spaceman', another song penned by Neil Innes. Partly due to their previous association with the Fab Four, the song was famously produced by Paul McCartney and Gus Dudgeon. Dudgeon is the producer of most of Elton John's most successful albums. McCartney and Dudgeon were credited on '...Spaceman' under the combined pseudonym 'Apollo C. Vermouth'.

The B-side of the single was a Stanshall song 'The Canyons of Your Mind' with the video clip featuring Neil Innes playing shockingly bad guitar and Vivian Stanshall parodying a parody of a parody !! 

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band went through more changes after their peak of 1968/69 and another name change, to the shorter Bonzo Dog Band.

Neil Innes continued on to more success in the 70s, teaming up with Monty Python for albums and on stage, notably in 'Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl'. He wrote some of the songs in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' and does the whistling in 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'.

He appeared on the series 'Rutland Weekend Television' where in one sketch he played Ron Nasty, based on John Lennon. Eric Idle played Dirk McQuickly, parodying Paul McCartney. That was the birth of what would become The Rutles. When the telemovie 'All You Need Is Cash' was made, Idle did the screenplay and Innes did all the music. (If you find it, watch it - it is brilliant.)

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band were a feature of a place and time. 

It was the 60's. It was weird. We survived.

I'm the Urban Spaceman

Canyons Of Your Mind

 

FLEETWOOD MAC - Then Play On 1969

Today (25 July 2020) the sad news came that Peter Green, founding member of Fleetwood Mac, passed away. 

Oh Well (part 1)

"I can't help about the shape I'm in

I can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin

But don't ask me what I think of you

I might not give the answer that you want me to"

Peter filled in for Eric Clapton with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers for a while and when Clapton left in '66 Peter became a full-time member, joining Mick Fleetwood and John McVie.

John Mayall gave Green, Fleetwood and McVie some free recording time and they recorded 5 songs. One of them, an instrumental was named 'Fleetwood Mac' by Green, incorporating Mick and John's names.

By early '67 Peter went off to form his own blues band along with fellow Bluesbreaker member Mick Fleetwood who Peter had known even before the Bluesbreakers when they played together in another group 'Peter B's Looners'. Along with Jeremy Spencer playing guitar they formed  "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac featuring Jeremy Spencer". John McVie waited until September '67 when he also joined them and they became the early Fleetwood Mac. 

Peter only stayed until 1970, long before the Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham days, but just around the time Christine McVie (nee Perfect) came along. Christine Perfect had previously played piano and backup on 2 of their albums, 'Mr. Wonderful' and 'Then Play On' before permanently joining the group. 

Between 1967 and 1970 though, Peter wrote and performed some of the early Fleetwood Macs most memorable songs, many released just as singles without an album backup.

It's often overlooked that Peter wrote and recorded 'Black Magic Woman' in 1968, 2 years before Santana released their version. 

The hauntingly ethereal dreamlike seascape instrumental 'Albatross' also came out in 1968. In a 1987 interview George Harrison said that 'Albatross' was the inspiration behind the Beatles track 'Sun King'.

The above-mentioned 'Oh Well (parts 1&2) came along in 1969. Part 1 lasts 2:19 and is fast paced and has a vocal track. Part 2 is a slower, classically influenced instrumental lasting for 5:39.

'Man of the World' is the only Fleetwood Mac song on the Immediate label, the label collapsed just after the songs release.

It's also quite unique. The A-side is shown as 'Man of the World' by Fleetwood Mac. The B-side is 'Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight' by Earl Vince and the Valiants. Obviously it was Fleetwood Mac having a bit of fun recording under a different name. The song was covered by Punk rockers The Rezillos in 1978.

I remember playing the B-side on the jukebox in the local transport cafe back in the day, it was one of those great "guess who this is" tracks.

Be aware, depending on when you were born, this may not be 'your' Fleetwood Mac. It may not be your parents Fleetwood Mac. It could well be the Fleetwood Mac enjoyed by your grandparents.

And still so good today. 

Oh Well part 1 - YouTube

GRATEFUL DEAD - Workingman's Dead 1970

To be perfectly honest, this album was given to me along with a few others - the cover is tattered and torn, written on and split, but the vinyl inside plays well.

I'm sure that true hardcore Dead Heads will disagree, but for the casual observer (me) 1970 was a good Grateful Dead year. It saw the release of 2 albums, this featured LP and their next studio album 'American Beauty'. They contained between them four of my favourite tracks - 'Uncle John's Band', 'Truckin'', 'Casey Jones' and 'Friend of the Devil'.

Take a pause - no more stuff that caught my eye until ..

.. I came back around to the Grateful Dead for one reason and one reason only. Bob Dylan.

I have 3 releases, 2 official, one a bit bootlegy/unofficialish. 

The dodgy one is 'Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead Live Vol 2 Unauthorised' with 14 songs from a concert in Oregon in 1987 where the Dead backed Dylan.

The first official one is live 'Dylan & The Dead' where Dylan is backed by The Dead on seven songs from various shows on the same 1987 tour.

The other official release is the Grateful Dead album 'Postcards of the Hanging' where they do 13 Dylan covers from live shows and rehearsals.

This is a very short post. I'm not into the Grateful Dead to any degree other than the few songs I mentioned. My main attraction is the stuff they did with Dylan.

I'm including this post in my reviews to acknowledge them in the part they play in Dylan history and also to see if there is anyone out there who can recommend other albums that should be included in any collection worth it's salt.

OK Dead Heads, it's your turn.

Answers on a postcard please !!

Uncle John's Band - YouTube

AMY WINEHOUSE - Frank 2003 & Back to Black 2006

*WARNING* Explicit lyrics and content

I was working on a review of Steely Dan for today's post when I realised it was the anniversary of the passing of Amy Winehouse.

It's hard to believe that in her short and spectacular career she only released these 2 studio albums. Everything else, the compilations, the live album and the box sets have all been released posthumously.

'Frank' was her debut album, with Amy getting songwriting credits on 11 of the 13 tracks. She really announced her arrival by including a no-nonsense song co-written by her and her producer Salaam Remi .. 'Fuck Me Pumps'. The album title 'Frank' was in part Amy's tribute to Frank Sinatra who she noted as one of her early influences. The LP is included in the book '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die' and was 57th on the 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century.

Then came 'Back To Black'. This time she again went with Remi but also the producer / DJ / musician Mark Ronson. The different production techniques show in the tracks each worked on. The Remi tracks like 'Me & Mr Jones' (with the unforgettable line 'what kind of fuckery is this') have a different feel to them from the Ronson songs. Ronson used backing by Sharon Jones' band The Dap-Kings and a fuller orchestration.

The end result though is a brilliant mix of soul and R&B and 60's girl group and 'wall of sound' all blended with Amy's phenominal voice, moving from styles and genres and emotions effortlessly. The album is personal, drawn from her drug use, her drinking, her weight loss and turbulent lifestyle. As of 2019 it had sold over 16,000,000 copies.

We (Tracy and me) first saw Amy in the early 2000's on a British TV show before we'd even heard any of her music. She was mesmerising, unlike anything we'd seen or heard before. A young contemporary singer with an old soul singing in a way that brought out a history of music she had never lived through but which was living inside her.

A Deluxe edition of Back to Black was released in 2007 with some live, b-side and bonus tracks. Although they were not the writers, 3 songs made popular by The Specials were on the deluxe set. 'You're Wondering Now', 'Hey Little Rich Girl' and 'Monkey Man' gave a hint to the music Amy listened to growing up. The Mark Ronson 'Valerie' was also included,  as well as Spector's 'To Know Him Is To Love Him' and Sam Cooke's 'Cupid'. Add to that Amy's own compositions such as 'Rehab', 'You Know I'm No Good', 'Love is a Losing Game' and basically every song she ever sang and all of a sudden her body of work is big enough to show how she deserves her place in music royalty, but always too small to have fully revealed the extent to which her talent could have taken her.

It was heartbreaking to watch in real time how her life started to disintigrate and her judgement fell away. It was only a matter of time and it was obvious to almost everybody.

Sadly, on July 23 2011 Amy joined the 27 Club, that tragic collection of bright lights extinguished at a too-young age. Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Cobain and then almost inevitably, Amy.

Amy Winehouse was truly one of a kind. Play everything she ever did repeatedly.

You Know I'm No Good - YouTube

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - There's a Riot Goin' On 1971

In May 1971 Marvin Gaye released a concept album using a song cycle from the perspective of a Vietnam Vet. The album was called 'What's Going On'.

In November the same year Sly Stone was due to put out 'Africa Talks to You' but in response to Marvin Gaye's question 'What's Going On' he changed the album title to 'There's A Riot Goin' On'.

I bought this album when I was in the Australian Army. I think as much as anything I was getting stuff that was slightly off centre and somewhat rebellious, just for the hell of it. Turns out though, I really got to like the music.

Classed as everything from R&B, Soul, Funk, Avant-pop, Avant-soul, it certainly isn't 'mainstream', but it is very strangely addictive.

Some tracks are laid-back, a non-aggressive almost jazz base, lulling you into a false sense of security. Then another track comes along that throws that out of the window and you get rasping vocals, howls, noises that shouldn't exist. In the middle of all that, 'Family Affair' pops up and all of a sudden you have recognition - a radio song - yes it's funk, or whatever label you think it is, but it's familiar and offers some comfort.

To add to the challenges the album can throw at you, the last track on side one is the title track 'There's a Riot Goin' On'. It's silent and is listed as 0 minutes and 0 seconds. In 1997 Sly said it had no running time because he felt there should be no riots. !!

Turn the album over and soon you're listening to '(You Caught Me) Smilin'', which, to steal a quote from Tina Turner for one of her songs ..'starts off nice .. and easy, but ends up nice .. and rough'.

There's my favourite track 'Spaced Cowboy', then another one sometimes played on the radio 'Running Away'.

The last track, 'Thank You For Talking To Me Africa' is a slower reworking of the 1969 song 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' and to my mind is an improvement on the original. 

I like this album. It's darker than some other Sly stuff, as I said, it can be challenging, but if you want to reset your mind after too much 'easy listening', sit down with Sly & the Family Stone. As a bonus, the musicians playing on this LP included Billy Preston, Ike Turner and Bobby Womack.

Family Affair - YouTube

BLONDIE - Parallel Lines 1978

When I first came to the USA in 1996 I hopped on a bus in the New Jersey town of Nutley to head in to New York. Traveling through unfamiliar streets I looked out of the window and saw the Union City post office building and in my head I immediately started singing 'Union City Blue' by Blondie.

Another CBGB's alumni, Blondie were founded by Chris Stein and the one and only Debbie Harry and rose up in the new wave / punk New York 70's.

Almost a New Jersey girl, Debbie Harry was born in Florida as Angela Trimble, but at 3 months old was adopted by a NJ family and renamed Deborah Ann Harry.

Before making her name in music, Debbie worked for a while as a go-go dancer in a disco in the aforementioned Union City, NJ. She also spent time as a Playboy Bunny.

Debbie had quite a long road to fame and fortune. Starting in the late 60's as a backup singer with The Wind in the Willows she joined The Stilletoes in 1974 where she met Chris Stein. The two of them along with a couple of others formed Angel and the Snake, then Debbie and Chris left and created Blondie.

Their first album in 1976, self-titled Blondie, had a couple of Harry/Stein compositions 'In the Flesh' and 'Rip Her To Shreds' .. both up there amongst my 'best of ..' list.

February 1978 saw the release of Plastic Letters, but the main successes from that were a cover of a 1963 doo-wop song 'Denis' (originally Denise) and a song written by the group's bass player Gary Valentine, '(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear'.

Then in September of the same year, 1978, came their 3rd album and major breakthrough, both nationally and internationally, Parallel Lines.

'Hanging on the Telephone' - 'One Way or Another' - 'Picture This' - 'Sunday Girl' and 'Heart of Glass' all came from this stand-out LP.

In 1979 I was arranging a company presentation at a trade show in Auckland, NZ. The stand next to us was promoting audio/visual equipment and played the Blondie 'Heart of Glass' music video constantly. I can't recall what I was promoting, but I remember every second of their presentation !

And the hits just kept on coming !!! 

1979 gave us 'Dreaming', 'Union City Blue' and 'One Way Or Another' from Eat to the Beat.

1980 had 4 single releases with the biggest being 'The Tide Is High'. I spoke about that song in my review of Yellowman in a previous post ...' 'The Tide is High' was recorded in 1967 by the Jamaican group The Paragons. In 1971 U-Roy toasted over the original and released his deejay version. In 1980 Blondie got hold of it and put out a commercially explosive number 1 reggae hit.'

In 1981 'Rapture' was the first #1 song in the U.S. to have rap vocals.

The list goes on.

I always had an admiration for Deborah Harry for the way she stuck by Chris Stein. They had a long relationship but never married. Blondie split up in 1982 and in 1983 when he was diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris, a rare autoimmune disease of the skin, she slowed her solo career down so she could look after him.

The band reformed in 1997 and keep going today in one form or another.

Heart of Glass - YouTube

CURE - Standing on a Beach (compilation) 1986 - Galore (compilation) 1997

To quote the title of a Cure song, one compilation album is 'Never Enough'. To cover my favourites takes at least these two albums and I'm sure I could find more quite easily.

Robert Smith is the only member of the band who has been there constantly since day one in 1976. As the voice and definitely the 'face' of the Cure he certainly has a distinctive look. He claims to have been wearing makeup since he was young and despite the black clothing and giving the appearance of goth influence he has always said it is coincidental and that "it's so pitiful when 'Goth' is still tagged onto the name of The Cure".

He didn't start out as the vocalist. As a sometimes member of Malice he was a rhythm guitarist but as the group changed names (Easy Cure, Cure) and singers, Robert realised he could do better than them and reasoned "If I can get away with that, I can be the singer. I've worked on that basis ever since."

I've never followed The Cure in terms of their development - their growth from one album to the next, the progressive addition of different instruments and sounds with focus on Spanish or 6-string bass or acoustic riffs.

I've only ever cherry-picked the songs, taking from here and there, bouncing back and forth between old and newer, never really caring who made up the rest of the band, as long as Roberts voice was there.

No technical details, no anecdotes, no long drawn out history of the band. Just listen to them. Even non-fans will know at least one or two or more of their songs ..

'Love Cats', 'Fascination Street', 'Pictures of You', 'Friday I'm in Love', 'Why Can't I Be You', 'Boys Don't Cry' and my all-time favourite and ringtone on my phone - 'Close to Me'.

Close to Me (Closest Mix) - YouTube

STATUS QUO - Rocking All Over The Years 1990 (compilation)

  

I'm old enough to remember Status Quo before they were a 'boogie shuffle' band. Back in the 60s they were putting out the same sort of pseudo psychedelic stuff that Traffic and Small Faces were doing. 'Pictures of Matchstick Men', 'Green Tambourine' etc. In fact even before they were known as Status Quo, in 1967 they covered The Blues Magoos '(We Ain't Got) Nothing Yet', recording as The Spectres.

*editors note* I may be featuring The Blues Magoos sometime soon !

The Spectres were formed in 1962 by Alan Lancaster and Francis Rossi. In 1966 they became The Traffic, then Traffic Jam, then The Status Quo. Rick Parfitt joined in '67 and in '69 they dropped the 'The' and became just Status Quo. Phew !!

Going back to the song 'Pictures of Matchstick Men' Francis Rossi said "I wrote it on the bog. I'd gone there, not for the usual reasons...but to get away from the wife and mother-in-law. I used to go into this narrow frizzing toilet and sit there for hours, until they finally went out."

Too much information Francis.

It was 1970 when they got hold of a song written by Australian Carl Groszmann, 'Down The Dustpipe'. That's when the aforementioned 'boogie shuffle' style came in.

Perhaps the song they are best known for is 'Rocking All Over The World'. 

Written by John Fogerty (of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame) and featured on Fogerty's self-titled 1975 solo album, Status Quo covered it in 1977 as the title song of their album of the same name, then released it as a single.

Status Quo were the opening act for Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985 and 'Rocking ...' was the song that set it off. Perhaps one of their strangest gigs was in 2005 when Rossi and Parfitt were in 3 episodes of the long running British soap 'Coronation Street'. They played themselves and ended up performing 'Rocking ...' as part of a fictional wedding reception.

My own personal version of Status Quo's 'Rocking All Over The World' is the attached video clip. When I was in Papua New Guinea, in Kundiawa, a street entertainer by the name of Kambra Kua used to come around playing tin cans and singing fragments of songs he'd heard roaming from town to town. He turned up outside one of the stores I was running and I offered him 2 cigarettes to take a video of him. Somehow, he'd remembered just enough of 'Rocking ...' to make it almost recognisable. Here he is in 1986. Enjoy.

JJ CALE - Special Edition (compilation) 1984

Back in the day I had a few JJ Cale albums on the shelf. 'Naturally', 'Okie' and 'Troubadour'. I was going to feature 'Naturally' as the main album, it has so many stories and so much history, but I went for a compilation instead to get more range.

Johnny Cale and the Johnny Cale Quintet had released a few singles from 1958 through '65 without causing any ripples. In 1965 he was performing at the Whiskey A Go Go where Johnny Rivers was also playing. The owner suggested he change his name so as not to be confused with either Johnny (Rivers) or John Cale from Velvet Underground. So, JJ Cale was born.

In 1966 Cale released a single, 'Slow Motion' with his composition 'After Midnight' on the b-side. Again, the record failed to make any waves. For the next few years Cale basically hit survival mode. By 1970, in his own words  "I was dirt poor, not making enough to eat and I wasn't a young man." That's when he heard that Eric Clapton had recorded 'After Midnight' on Clapton's debut album. On the strength of that, JJ was persuaded to record his own debut album, 'Naturally', to make the most of this new found fame. One reviewer described Cale's style and songs as .. "a lazy, rolling boogie that contradicted all the commercial styles of boogie, blues, and country-rock at the time."

When Cale recorded 'After Midnight' on the failed single, he did an upbeat version, which is the one Clapton heard and imitated. When it came to doing it again for this album he decided to do a slower laid back track.

On the same album he did 'Call Me the Breeze' which was covered by Lynard Skynard and his own hit 'Crazy Mama'. Both those tracks were recorded using a drum machine, as JJ said "I didn't use a real drummer because I had no money."

'Crazy Mama' made it to the US top 40, but once again, the hit track was initially buried. 'Crazy Mama' was the b-side of 'Magnolia' until a Little Rock DJ turned the record over and played the flip side till it melted.

As an insight into JJ Cale's view on fame and fortune, he was invited to perform 'Crazy Mama' on 'American Bandstand' which would have virtually assured him of a #1 hit. When he found out he wouldn't be actually playing the song, only lip-synching, he refused to appear.

'Cocaine' was a hit for JJ after it was taken from the 1976 'Troubadour' album, but it was also covered again by Eric Clapton on his 1977 album 'Slowhand'. The influence of JJ on people like Clapton and Mark Knopfler is unmistakeable, often credited and definately well documented.

He eventually did team up with Clapton when they did the 2006 album 'The Road To Escondido' together, re-recording two of JJ's songs from the 70s 'Any Way The Wind Blows' and 'Don't Cry Sister'. One review said that Clapton had learned so much from Cale that it was sometimes hard to know who was singing what and when. My favourite track from the album would have to be 'Ride the River'.

JJ passed away in 2013 aged 74 and the following year, Clapton recorded a commemorative album of JJ's music, 'The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale', enlisting an array of musicians to pay tribute. Mark Knopfler was there of course, along with JJ's wife and fellow performer Christine Lakeland. Willie Nelson, Tom Petty and some of the best backup singers and musicians completed the ensemble.

A nice touch is on the opening track 'Call Me The Breeze' from which the album gets it's name. Clapton used JJ's original spoken intro and drum machine to start the track before coming in with his take.

J.J. Cale is probably better known for covers of his songs done by others, but his own albums really should feature strongly in any collection. 

Call Me The Breeze - YouTube