Re: criminally underappreciated albums of the '90s
I know we're done with this thread, but I can't resist: Neither can I. Tsunami - Deep end The hearts tremolo and since someone mentioned Spiderland the other day I have to add Rodan - Rusty Andy
Re: No controversy here
I just pulled out my Mojo from 10/98 and Lennon is #4. I assume that this is the issue they're ta The top 10 are as follows: 10. Otis Redding 9. Sam Cooke 8. Stevie Wonder 7. Elvis 6. Marvin Gaye 5. Billie Holiday 4. John Lennon 3. Ray Charles 2. Frank 1. Aretha If Mojo has repeated themselves then consider my shoe in my mouth. Different criteria. The list you quote was compiled from votes by other singers. Mojo then gave the opportunity to its readers to vote and here is the list that they came up with. 1. John L ennon 2. Elvis Presley 3. Aretha Franklin 4. Frank Sinatra 5. Bob Dylan 6. Roy Orbison 7. Paul McCartney 8. Otis Redding 9. Robert Plant 10. Ray Charles Others that may be of interest to the list 39. Neil Young 41. Buddy Holly 45. Johnny Cash 47. Willie Nelson 55. Patsy Cline 70. Charlie Rich 72. Gram Parsons 91. Hank Williams Andy
Re: Weller's Prime
Once again Jerry is wrong! This is too easy. Like shooting MPBs on the fluff list. Scritti Politti is another fine, fine band from Leeds. They were formed in the British punk rock movement of the late 70s, And they had a small part to play in the growing amount of music being produced at the time. Many bands were forming in the late 70's who were unable to get record deals from cautious major labels. Bands such as Desperate Bicycles, Television Personalities started to produced their own singles on their own labels. Scritti Politti's first single took this one stage further. _Skank Bloc Bologna_ had a detailed breakdown of all the production costs involved in producing the record on a photocopied outer sleeve, showing how easy the whole process could be. Of course small independent labels, such as Rough Trade, Small Wonder, Zoo, Pop Aural and Postcard were also instumental in encouraging the explosion of bands in the wake of the whole punk thing. Andy Andy Benham Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel.No. 0121 414 4126
Worthington
Reading through the U.K. music press last week I came across a short album review of a band called Worthington. Sounded interesting, REM/UT being mentioned. Anybody out there in p2 land have any knowledge of this bunch. Andy n.p. Jeremy Gluck - I knew Buffalo Bill
RE: British CMA
Joonyah: There is also a Brit / Commonwealth magazine, which may be simply titled "Country Music" (I forget), that I've seen a few copies of and which always amazes me by how much it covers what *I* would consider good country as opposed to HNC industry promo, etc Country Music People. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/ Which is where I got the Brit CMA info. from. I prefer the other glossy monthly published in the U.K., Country Music International. A little less Nashville friendly I think. Other news for U.K. P2ers is that David Allan's Country show on Radio 2 is being taken over by Bob Harris next week. Bob has more of a penchant for alt- country, Americana, roots rock or whatever the hell its being called this week. Andy
British CMA
Someone, a few weeks ago was asking about the British CMA. Apologies if this has already been posted but I've been off list for several weeks experiencing this Britsh judicial system at firsthand on jury duty. So anyway here are the award winners BRITISH Male Vocalist Charlie Landsborough Female Vocalist Mary Duff Group/Duo The Haleys Rising Star Adam Couldwell Bluegrass band The Down County Boys Album _Tribute to Hank Williams_ The Rimshots/Rusti Steel The Tin Tax INTERNATIONAL Male Vocalist Vince Gill Female Vocalist Reba McEntire Group/Duo The Mavericks Rising Star Dixie Chicks Artist on an independent label Heather Myles Bluegrass band Alison Krauss Union Station Album _The Key_ Vince Gill The awards are voted by a 150 member strong electoral college comprising journalists, radio presenters, country music club organisers, promotors and musicians, all of whom have a free vote in the first ballot, and chose the winners from the resultant nominees. Andy
Re: instrumentally speaking
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 10-Mar-99 Re: instrumentally speaking by "Dave Purcell"@one.net Am I listening to the wrong stuff or am I just right in thinking a lot of this stuff is uninspired noodling suckage? Then Carl said I'd say the former, as much that could be called noodling (Phish, bores me to tears and I love Gastr, O'Rourke's _Bad Timing_ LP and so forth. If you don't like John Fahey (a pretty concise player to my ears), this stuff may not be for you. I'd also say listening to it on the wrong format as well. I've always thought that this type of music never really works well on the radio. I'm no expert but subtle changes to recurrent themes and also to recording levels aren't best suited to radio play, making the whole seem repetitive and tedious which it definitely isn't IMO of course. BTW just picked up the new Jim O'Rourke CD and I have to say it's the best record I've heard this year. Andy Benham Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel.No. 0121 414 4126
Re: Music you're dad would like
Gavin Martin dons his pipe and slippers before unearthing a few gems for the, um, older readers. Steve Earle got his first bluegrass lesson from Bill Monroe, the man who originated the keening hi-energy country sub-genre back in the 1930s. The fruits of the reformed smackhead's learning can now be heard on THE STEVE EARLE AND DEL McCOURY BAND's 'THE MOUNTAIN' (Grapevine) a new high water mark ... False construct. There's no way a person of *any* age wouldn't like great bluegrass, or this record. Most of the readers of N.M.E. have probably never heard of Steve Earle let alone Bill Monroe or bluegrass music. Whether this review will prompt any 16 year old indie kids, the vast majority of N.M.E.'s readership, to get into bluegrass is highly debatable. Andy, is this a column that the guy writes for "music older folks will like?" Is it in a rock-pop publication? Seems strange in a way. Strange indeed but probably not in the way that you think. It amazed me the album got a review at all let alone a grudgingly good one. N.M.E.'s sole aim these days seems to be to break the next big thing, hype them up and then knock them off their pedestal after their 15 minutes are up. Andy
Music you're dad would like
From this weeks N.M.E. iN MY DAD'S BAG Gavin Martin dons his pipe and slippers before unearthing a few gems for the, um, older readers. Steve Earle got his first bluegrass lesson from Bill Monroe, the man who originated the keening hi-energy country sub-genre back in the 1930s. The fruits of the reformed smackhead's learning can now be heard on THE STEVE EARLE AND DEL McCOURY BAND's 'THE MOUNTAIN' (Grapevine) a new high water mark for a music undervalued since the heyday of Monroe. Earle's education is still in capable hands, with the McCoury family's blend of fiddles, banjos and guitar chiming together at a faultless drummerless clip, and he returns the favour with songs that do justice to the form's working-class roots and lineage of longing. A cross-generational marvel. (8) Andy
Re: Grammyszzzzzzzzz....
So I get back from England, where I saw nothing about the grammies, although they had just awarded a bunch of Brits awards to musicians (?) I'd never heard of, and I find a gazillion posts about the grammies. What the hell is wrong witch you all? Does anybody take this industry crap seriously? I'm no fan of these awards either, although they do have a certain fascination, I think it's a rabbit in the headlights kind of thing. Anyway the unknown musicians you mention included Beck and Belle Sebastian. Don't know what that proves just thought I'd mention it. Andy
(Fwd) Sparklehorse in the US
For those of you bemoaning the fact that Sparklehorse never tour the US, here are some recently announced dates. Neal, there's even an L.A. date. --- Forwarded Message Follows Sparklehorse tour dates! On tour with Varnaline. 3/12 Chapel Hill, NC Cat's Cradle 3/13 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge 3/15 Birmingham, AL The Nick 3/17 Houston, TX Rudyard's 3/18 Dallas, TX Galaxy 3/19 Austin, TX Liberty Lunch (SXSW Performance) 3/24 San Diego, CACasbah 3/26 Los Angeles, CA Troubador 3/27 San Francisco, CAGreat American Music Hall 3/31 Seattle, WA Crocodile 4/1VancouverStarfish Room 4/4Boulder, CO Fox Theatre 4/9Chicago, IL Double Door 4/13 Toronto Horse Shoe 4/14 Montreal Cabaret Music Hall For all the latest on Sparklehorse visit http://hollywoodandvine.com/sparklehorse Andy n.p. Ghosts of electricity
Time flies
Another anniversary to mull over. 20 years ago yesterday Sid Vicious died of a drugs overdose. God I feel old. Andy
Re: The Beta Band
I was going to reply to this yesterday but after reading Joe Gracey's eloquent and moving tribute to Jimmy Day it just didn't seem so important. But anyway todays another day so, Don writes I'm surprised Andy or some other British P2er hasn't mentioned this band (or maybe they have, and I somehow missed it). Well, as it happens, I have a couple of times mainly in comparison to Scott 4 who I've been banging on about recently. In some ways the music is similar in style. The Beta Band, a five piece from Glasgow, are probably held in higher regard than Scott 4 by the critics in this country but then what do they know g. I just received their debut album, and it's a stunner. Titled The Three EPs (and released by Astralwerks here in the States), it collects their three British EPs onto one hard-to-describe full-length. The first E.P. is changing hands for about 50 quid, the others are still relatively easy to obtain. Imagine a blend of acoustic roots, homegrown beats, slacker funk, oddly processed vocal harmonies, obscure samples, psychedelic tomfoolery, and much, much more. And while that may sound like a dilettantish mess, it's far from it. And if that isn't confusing enough the sound is full of bongos, dub bass, Jews harp, hand claps and bird song. Hard to describe indeed. The songs cohere surprisingly well, and the album sounds rather relaxed, low-key, and subtle. The only criticism I have, and it is a minor one, is that it does become a bit self-indulgent at times, one or two tracks in danger of disappearing up their own backsides. This makes listening a bit tough, the album coming in at over 70 mins running time. The Beta Band makes the much-hyped Gomez seem awfully tame and unimaginative in comparison. The more adventurous P2ers should be all over this.--don Couldn't agree more. I have the Gomez record and it is enjoyable enough but I can't get past the notion that it is just the sum of the bands record collections. I think I read somewhere that a new Beta Band album will be released in the near future. Andy
Estrellas de Areito
In 1979 the Cuban state recording company Egrem got together 30 or so of the foremost musicians of the time, including Ruben Gonzalez and Pio Leyva, later to form part of The Afro-Cuban Allstars,to record a series of albums that were put out on the state owned Areito label. In 5 days of jamming 5 albums were produced. These albums have just been reissued on the World Circuit label as a double cd set. I know some people on the list bought into the BVSC, ACAS, Ruben Gonzalez thing a couple of years ago. To those people this set is worth searching out, it being a truly wondrous example of cuban son. Andy
Steve Earle in the U.K.
For all U.K. p2ers some dates have just been announced 20/5/99 London Royal Festival Hall 21/5/99 Coventry Warwick Arts Centre 23/5/99 Cheltenham Town Hall 24/5/99 Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 25/5/99 Glasgow Clyde Auditorium Andy
