It’s been a while since our last entry but here we are at Week 21 of the Diaries and a chance to go over another handful of so – called Greats. Some old favourites of mine and some I was hearing for the first time. How’s how it panned out….
Week 21 – 14th November 2016
The YardbirdsLondon Time
A fine place to start this week’s entry with a slice of Swinging 60’s Rhythm & Blues from London’s finest, The Yardbirds. A band which helped launch the careers of not one, not two, but three legendary guitarists in Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page.
Unfortunately though, this particular album appears to be a first for these Diaries as I could not for the life of me find any info about it to read up on it. From what I gather it’s a collection of early live recordings, singles and B-sides from between 1963-65 and was released around 2001.
Going by the songs on here I would hazard a guess and say Jimmy Page doesn’t appear anywhere here as he didn’t actually join The Yardbirds until 1966 but I stand to be corrected on that one.
As you can imagine there are several Blues covers here, notably the John Lee Hooker song “Boom Boom”, which was the first song demoed with Clapton in the band after he replaced Anthony Topham in 1963.
We also have a cover of Chuck Berry’s ‘Let It Rock” and the harmonica-driven Billy Boy Arnold song, “I Wish You Would”, which was actually the bands debut single and one which I loved on my first listen here.
For me though the standout track has to be their 1965 hit “For Your Love”, which – as I discovered for myself here – was actually written by Graham Goulding of 10CC, and some 23 years later appeared in one of my favourite films ever in “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas”.
The distinctive harpsichord intro was actually forced upon the band when session organist Brian Augen turned up to play on the track only to discover that there was no organ or even a piano on site but did manage to dig out an old two-tier harpsichord. He even commented, “Who the hell is gonna buy a pop record with a harpsichord on it?” It ended up going to No.3 in the UK and No.6 over in America.
The song also spelt the end of Clapton’s time with the band as he felt they were venturing away from the Blues and heading towards a more Pop driven sound, with him joining John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and a certain session guitarist called Jimmy Page replacing him in The Yardbirds a few months later before going on to form Led Zeppelin. The rest as they say is Rock and Roll history.
I really enjoyed listening to this album and I’d say it’s a great starting point for anyone wanting to get into The Yardbirds. A new favourite.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Listen To: For Your Love
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
Released in 1973, this is the debut album from the New York Dolls and again it’s a record from a band I was listening to for the first time here.
I’ve read a lot down the years about how these lads were a precursor to all things Glam and Punk Rock so I was eager to get cracking on this one.
Formed around 1971 the band took their name from an actual hospital for toy dolls that was opposite the mens clothing store in New York where guitarist Sylvain Sylvain worked during the day.
As well as listening to this album for the first time I was intrigued as to how the band looked and sounded live so with a quick click on a couple of YouTube videos – namely their appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test – I was treated to a performance from front man David Johansen that I can only describe as similar to that of a young Mick Jagger. Androgynous, camp, and constantly pouting into the camera whilst guitarist Johnny Thunders powers through some dirty rock and roll next to him with songs “Trash” and “Jetboy” being particular highlights.
A sign of just how polarising The Dolls were is evident by the fact that they won the awards for both Best and Worst Bands of 1973 in a poll carried out by Creem Magazine. No doubt due to the vulgarity and cross-dressing that the band used to shock conservative America.
A second album followed not long after before various issues forced the group to disband around 1975, with their manager at the time Malcolm McLaren going on to look after a certain other band called The Sex Pistols.
This was a grower on me and over time I can see myself really getting into this album and this band. It was produced by Todd Rungdren who we’ve spoken about already in these Diaries due to his solo work and also the fact that he produced Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell” album. It’s influenced the likes of Kiss, The Ramones, the aforementioned Sex Pistols, The Damned and even The Smiths. Bizarrely, I even discovered that Morrissey was once the president of the New York Dolls British Fanclub. I don’t think I can top that fact so I’ll leave it there for now. Definitely one to go back to.
Rating: ☆☆☆
Listen To: Trash
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
B.R.M.C.
The third album of this week’s entry and it’s one of my personal favourites from the turn of the century, but one that I don’t think I’ve listened to for the best part of ten years.
Released in 2001 it’s the self-titled debut from San Francisco duo Peter Hayes and Robert Been alongside English drummer Nick Jago – otherwise known as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Originally going by the name of Elements they were forced into a name change after discovering several other bands went by the same moniker. They settled on calling themselves after the Marlon Brando-led biker gang from the 1953 film “The Wild One”.
Taking influence from various UK bands such as Ride, The Verve and The Jesus And Mary Chain, the band also drew comparisons to certain US bands like The Stooges, Velvet Underground and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
I personally discovered these lads for myself after reading several interviews with Noel Gallagher waxing lyrical about them around the time of this albums release. Naturally with me being a massive Oasis fan at the time I took The Chief’s word as Gospel and endeavoured to see what all the fuss was about.
It soon became one of my favourite albums of that year and the only regret I have is that I’ve never had the opportunity to see these lads perform live. Songs like album opener “Love Burns”, the well-known single “Spread Your Love” and my pick of the bunch “Whatever Happened To My Rock And Roll?” are quite simply some of the finest rock songs of the 21st century. All fuzzy guitars, feedback and white hot noise.
Hearing this again after such a long absence it’s certainly rekindled my love of this band and this record in particular. Fantastic stuff.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Listen To: Whatever Happened To My Rock And Roll
Ravi Shankar
The Sounds Of India
Previous to listening to this particular album, the only things I knew about Ravi Shankar were that he taught George Harrison to play the sitar in the 1960’s, and also that he was Norah Jones’ dad, so I was keen to learn a bit more about someone who is probably the most famous and influential Indian musician to have ever lived.
Released in 1968 this was Ravi’s eighteenth album in a recording career spanning six decades – from his very first album in 1956, right up to his death in 2012, aged 92.
It was whilst recording one those many albums in London in the mid 1960’s that he got to know The Byrds, who in turn introduced him to their friend George Harrison who himself had recently played sitar on the The Beatles song Norwegian Wood. The pair became close friends and George became something of a musical apprentice to Ravi where the sitar was concerned.
Ravi has stated in the past that he made this album with the intention of introducing the Western listener to this particular genre of Indian classical music – otherwise known as Hindustani which has its origins in the north of the country.
This is evident by the spoken word intro by Ravi himself at the beginning of each piece of music, or ragas as they are known. Ravi instructs the listener to not expect to hear melodies which we are used to here in the West but instead explains the various tempos and rhythm patterns which accompany each piece. He also explains that although improvisation is encouraged in Hindustani it should not be compared to Jazz music, which also encourages the same.
Listening to it for the first time here, there’s no denying the genius of Ravi Shankar and his abilities as a musician. However to the untrained ear I’m afraid a lot of this sounded the same, despite Ravi offering me some pointers before each song.
I would say though that for anyone wanting to sample a bit of his work then this would be the perfect place to start. It’s also an album of great historical importance due to it opening the eyes and ears of the Western World where Indian music is concerned and for that reason alone it shouldn’t be overlooked.
I’d definitely give this another few listens if only to try and educate my musical palate further.
Rating: ☆☆☆
Listen To: Bhimpalási
David Holmes
Let’s Get Killed
If, like me the name David Holmes is new to you, then you’ll be as surprised as I was to learn that you’ll almost certainly have heard a lot of his work without actually realising it.
Nowadays Belfast-born David is a world renowned producer who specialises in TV and movie scores and soundtracks. His esteemed back catalogue includes the Oceans Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen trilogy and more recently he produced the soundtrack to TV series The Fall.
Previous to all this he was a DJ and Dance producer and this is his 1997 second album, released two years after his brilliantly named debut “This Films Crap Let’s Slash The Seats”.
For this record he took to the mean streets of New York’s underbelly armed with a tape recorder and tried to capture the sounds of life in the darker side of the city that never sleeps. He uses snippets of these recordings as intros for several tracks and you would be forgiven for thinking that this was also a soundtrack to a movie due to the various bits of dialogue you hear.
A lot of the songs have a sound similar to the Big Beat style synonymous with Fatboy Slim and to a certain extent the Chemical Brothers work during this same period and there’s even a reworking of the famous James Bond theme entitled “Radio 7” which pre dates Mark Ronsons whole sound by about a decade.
This was a really interesting listen and I’m looking forward to hearing how a lot of his other stuff sounds at a later date. Definitely one to go back to.
Rating: ☆☆☆
Listen To: Freaknik
R.E.M.
Document (R.E.M. No.5)
Here we are in Week 21 of The Diaries and I finally have a chance to give R.E.M. another listen after their debut album “Murmer” received a not-too-positive review from yours truly in our opening weeks entry.
I said back than that I hoped I’d be able to find something positive to say about this band in the future as they’re one of those artists that I’ve never really gotten into – well never let it be said that I’m not a man of my word because I absolutely loved this particular album from them.
Released in 1987, this is the bands fifth album – hence the name it’s also known as, R.E.M. No.5 – and it seen them working with producer Scott Litt for the first time. He gave them a more polished chart-friendly sound which enabled them to secure their first top ten hit with “The One I Love”, a song wrongly interpreted by most people as a love song but one that lead singer Michael Stipe said was about “Using people again and again.”
Its also the same song that uses the riff from Neil Young’s “Hey Hey My My” to great effect – the same riff that Noel Gallagher blatantly lifted and used on “Morning Glory” some years later.
Also appearing here is the Dylan-inspired “End Of The World As We Know It” with its stream of consciousness style of lyrics making it a kind of sequel to “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and incidentally if you get the chance – check out the bands version of this song on MTV Unplugged. Brilliant stuff.
Personally though the standout track I enjoyed the most was first track “Finest Worksong” as it sets the whole tone of the album and producer Scott Litt’s work is apparent from the off.
Its a lot more listenable than any of the tracks on “Murmer” (in my opinion) and it’s been said by some critics that it was the sound of a band on the move. It certainly proved successful as it was also the bands first ever platinum album. Though not their last as Scott Litt stayed with them to produce every one of their albums in the nineties. And we all know just how successful they were.
A new favourite and one I’m glad to have discovered for myself thanks to The Diaries .
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Listen To: Finest Worksong
The Go-Go’s
Beauty And The Beat
Previous to listening to this 1981 debut album, the only thing I knew about this Los Angeles four piece is that both Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin were members. The pair of them had solo success in the mid to late 80’s – Carlisle considerably so with the several hits including the hugely popular “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” whilst Wiedlin had minor success with the fantastically catchy “Rush Hour”, so with this in mind I was interested as to how this would shape up compared to their solo stuff.
Formed in 1978, The Go-Go’s started life as a Punk band but after various lineup changes veered more in the direction of New Wave/Power Pop by the time of this release. Inspired by the success of Debbie Harry and Blondie, they went on to become the first and so far only all-girl group to write and play every song on a No.1 Album on the US Billboard Charts. That album was “Beauty And The Beat”.
Having supported The Specials on their 1980 US Tour, Jane Weidlin began an affair with Specials front man Terry Hall and as a result co-wrote with him the first track on this album, “Our Lips Our Sealed”, which Terry also had a hit with when Fun Boy Three released it two years later.
This version is more upbeat than Terry’s take on it and sets the mood for how the rest of the album sounds. Full of catchy hooks and melodies with the girls harmonising to great effect and what is quite simply just an excellent guitar – pop album and great fun to listen to. If I’m honest it’s far better than I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it.
Songs like “This Town” and pick of the bunch “We Got The Beat” (which was another hit on both sides of the Atlantic) make this album yet another great little find thanks to these Diaries.
Unfortunately for The Go-Go’s they never really replicated the success of this debut record and went their own ways in 1985 after a further two albums were released to mixed reviews, and although several reunions have happened since – the most recent in July of this year to promote a forthcoming Farewell Tour – this remains the high point of their time together. Well worth a listen.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Listen To: We Got The Beat
Funkadelic
Maggot Brain
The last record of this week’s proceedings and it’s another personal favourite of mine – from July 1971, George Clinton and the gang’s third album “Maggot Brain”.
Formed by George in New Jersey in 1968 as a backing band to his doo-wop band The Parliaments, it wasn’t until they relocated to Detroit in the early part of the seventies and were inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone that they took on their now familiar and legendary sound of Psychedelic-Funk.
The albums name has several different origins. It’s been said that it was the nickname of the bands supremely talented guitarist Eddie Hazel. Another, more darker version is that it stems from George Clinton discovering the body of his brother in a rundown Chicago apartment with his skull cracked open. Think I prefer the first one don’t you?
Which brings us to the opening song of the same name. A ten minute instrumental odyssey which features one of the great guitar solos of all time from the late Eddie Hazel and legend has it, just as he was about to enter the studio to record it, George Clinton (tripping his box off on acid) asked him to, “Play like you just been told your momma has died, then found out it ain’t true.”
It’s far and way the standout track on this album, although there are some other gems on here too. The gospel infused “Can You Get To That” with its lyrics preaching about love and karma wouldn’t look out of place on Primal Scream’s Give Out But Don’t Give Up album, which I also love, and it’s actually a re-write of an old Parliaments song but where the original is a lament of a lost love, this version is more akin to Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream…” speech, asking us to live a life with principles of co-operation and sincerity.
The album ends with another ten minute freak-out with “Wars Of Armageddon” and it’s certainly one of the weirdest songs you’ll ever hear. In amongst the driving funk and heavy bass lines you’ll hear windows smashing, cars screeching, cats wailing and every so often a little “Power To The People” for good measure.
A fine ending if ever there was one and a nice place to end this week’s entry.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Listen To: Maggot Brain
Click Here To Listen.
That’s it for this week. Thank for reading and hopefully we can get through another handful of greats sooner rather than later. To listen to each album just click on the link under each piece. I hope you find something new that you love.
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