Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Alice Cooper on steroids ? I guess I like it OK, my son says they are very popular


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCVPmb7vyMU

As corn through a goose, so are the days of our lives

6,734 (edited by BansheeUK 2022-04-29 09:20:44)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Toby Lee - Icons Vol 1 (2022)

Have to be honest, I'd have thought by now we'd have seen the back of this kind of album, but this is not without it's considerable merits from the young UK guitar-slinger; not least because of his more contemporary choice of material (and happy to see Jeff Healey being name-checked).

So, he's not one for letting the grass grow beneath his feet, the [oft-delayed] debut album only surfaced last July, so probably not much chance for new/original material, but Toby hardly puts a foot [finger] wrong on this selection, albeit with the aid of Oli Brown, rhythm guitars & backing vocals, Wayne Proctor on drums and Lynne Jackaman backing on a couple of the songs. Thumbs up too to mainstay backing band, Alex Philips on bass & John Trier on keys.

Green Light Girl - Doyle Bramhall II
Bright Lights - Gary Clarke Jr
Blue On Black - Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Ballad of John Henry - Joe Bonasomthing
Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix
Still Rainin' - Jonny Lang
House Is A Rockin' - Stevie Ray Vaughn
Midnight Blues - Gary Moore
Hideaway - Freddie King
See The Light - Jeff Healey
Bluest Blues - Alvin Lee

The album comes in at over 50 minutes, so not a vinyl-in-mind job, unless you can do some black magic with the compression to make it fit that format; if I had to, I'd drop Bright Lights as the "weakest" track; then possibly Ballad of John Henry; mainly because Toby's voice just doesn't fit - maybe if it was the age of the '64 Firebird he plays throughout. I'd say the same too of Midnight Blues; he sings well, but there's no "pain" in the voice, too clean. Still, he's barely college age, so time yet. One good thing about the album, Toby & the producers have decided to keep the covers close to the originals, until the solo breaks, where Toby cuts loose his own style.

Album highlights though, are many. I like the restraint on Blue On Black which almost has an Allman Bros edge. Similar on Wind Cries Mary, fluid but not over-played. Jonny Lang's Still Rainin' really jumps out, not least with Lynne Jackaman's powerhouse backing. However, the goose-bumps grow goose-bumps on the album's closer, The Bluest Blues; somehow, vocally Toby gets away with this better than on Midnight Blues, but the guitar playing on the outro.... breath-taking.

So, the lad has the licks, the makings of a strong voice, time yet to master song-writing... future looks good.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

6,735 (edited by BansheeUK 2022-04-28 13:54:07)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Lindisfarne - Fog On The Tyne (1971)

A real blast-from-the-past I treat myself to while mooching round the record store on Record Store Day. I think folk here will know that lately my folk-ish side has been rising of late but there's also a touch of nostalgia here as it's the first album I can remember my big brother ever buying. (One of the few days he showed any sort of taste.)

From the days when you could see Genesis & Led Zeppelin supporting these guys at the town's City Hall (and still have bus fare home from $1), folk-rock [as it became] didn't get much bigger until Jethro Tull discovered Songs from The Wood. Not that this is all pastoral fare, there's biting social commentry, especially Alan Hull's January Song; then there's a touch of Blues; Train In G Major, though fair-dos, there's a jig Scotch Mist [on the 2004 re-master). And the surprise chart hit, Meet Me On The Cornerr, you'd think made this the essential purchase, but no, it's the Geordie anthem Fog On The Tyne; come on, 'fess up, who still grins like a 5 year old at "that" stanza...?

Meet Me On The Corner - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYidANOp6Yg
January Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5QLKft_a7A
Fog On The Tyne - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm_KZSYSiGc

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

All of the people in the UK did a fine job for the most part of uploading some of Eric's songs from the recent tour. This is perhaps the best one I have seen yet. Check out Eric throwing in some scats with the lead, ala Mel Torme or Steven Tyler


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJbJQomQdL0

As corn through a goose, so are the days of our lives

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

this is just totally killer, they are absolutely the best band I've heard in many many years. I am so hyped about seeing them this coming Wed here in Birmingham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkw_XTgw3cA

As corn through a goose, so are the days of our lives

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

ahsmith33 wrote:

All of the people in the UK did a fine job for the most part of uploading some of Eric's songs from the recent tour. This is perhaps the best one I have seen yet. Check out Eric throwing in some scats with the lead, ala Mel Torme or Steven Tyler


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJbJQomQdL0

Gales is doing a few more dates in the UK in early June, with Dom Martin (a name to check out): a short tour and one or two of the venues are more, shall we say "intimate", so expect some more up-close-and-personal footage.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

The Wilson Brothers - Live  (2022)

When Sari's away, the "band" will play.  Ash & Phil, plus adoptive brother Roger "Wilson" Innes and "cousin" Bob Fridzema caught, doin' their thing at Coulsdon's Tuesday Night Music Club, last October.

Well, this 50 minute-ish CD shows, their "thing" is pretty intense and funky, at times reminding me of Beck Bogert & Appice about 50 years earlier, not that this is anyway dated. Ash is proving himself pretty much a guitarist's guitarist and brother Phil is opening up more as a very handy brother; no wonder they've adopted Roger Innes into the family, few other bassists could keep up.

If there is a weak point, then I'm afraid it's Ash's vocals; they're no match for his guitar skills. That said though, Wilson Brothers are high up on me "to see" list.

World's Gone Crazy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptlABZvoqgI
Show Me How To Love You - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9bQG9w8AHo

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

6,740 (edited by BansheeUK 2022-05-02 11:14:20)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Ian Siegal - Stone By Stone (2022)

A lovely slice of Americana and for me, Siegal's best album in a long time (Covid not withstanding). There's one track featuring Jimmie Wood & J.J.Holiday, another with the vocal talents of Shemekia Copeland as well as a reunion with Jimbo Mathus, who alkso co-wrote a couple of tracks. The main collaberators, and producers though are Robin Davey & Greta Valenti, former Hoax and husband & wife team behind Beau Gris Gris & The Apocalypse (as well as Well Hung Heart, more in the US).

Almost impossible to pick a favourite, or come to the, the weakest track, this is Siegal at the top of his game, yet sounding very relaxed. Interestingly, each song sees Siegal holding back from his usual trademark tricks that recently have come to overshadow performances. All bar one track are original or co-writes, except for Psycho: written by Leon Payne; so chilling, especially for a 1968 Country number, it's hard to believe the guy wrote for the likes of Jim Reeves: it's a long ways from his biggest hit, I Love You Because.... Nick Cave clones Beats of Bourbon had a good run with this track, but Siegal strips it back and adds more depth.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Robin Trower  - No More Worlds To Conquer  (2022)

By my reckoning, this is Robin's 26th solo album, at the age of 76. And while he's not cutting much in the way of new ground, he's still very much in charge of his style & sound.

Sounding very much in the vein of the 1970s heyday, but with a more laid-back sound overall.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

I have listened to some of it, pretty darn good from him as usual

BansheeUK wrote:

Robin Trower  - No More Worlds To Conquer  (2022)

By my reckoning, this is Robin's 26th solo album, at the age of 76. And while he's not cutting much in the way of new ground, he's still very much in charge of his style & sound.

Sounding very much in the vein of the 1970s heyday, but with a more laid-back sound overall.

As corn through a goose, so are the days of our lives

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

I have watched this Live from Gatorville maybe 5 or 6 times now, it is a great concert. So I watched it again Sat night, one more for the road yeah ? I cried through most of it, whilst eating an entire pint of Ben & Jerrys Cherry Garcia. I am type 2 diabetic but thought hey to heck with it I'm celebrating Tom's life. Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench are both fantastic here.

This I thought was the best of the evening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aogOR8c8Q4

As corn through a goose, so are the days of our lives

6,744 (edited by Curby 2022-05-02 10:29:26)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

ahsmith33 wrote:

I have watched this Live from Gatorville maybe 5 or 6 times now, it is a great concert. So I watched it again Sat night, one more for the road yeah ? I cried through most of it, whilst eating an entire pint of Ben & Jerrys Cherry Garcia. I am type 2 diabetic but thought hey to heck with it I'm celebrating Tom's life. Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench are both fantastic here.

This I thought was the best of the evening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aogOR8c8Q4


Great song and story.  I've been a fan of Petty since the late 70's.

Was listening to this song recently (one of my fave country songs) and thought it sounded like a song Tom Petty might have written.  Can be enjoyed without B&J's IC btw....

https://youtu.be/D-5GnZYxI4M

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Bonham-Bullick (2022)

The "Bonham" is Deborah, kid sister of John Bonham; the "Bullick" is Peter Bullick, Deborah's Irish born partner & guitarist for 30 years or so, brought out to share the spotlight. The album is essentially a "covers" one, with a wider than usual remit. (And after falling over themselves the other year to magic up an "Internet presence" award, I bet the British Blues lot are kicking themselves for not including a "Covers" album award this time round... (Too late now!)The rest of the band is essentially Paul Roger's Free Spirit; Rich Newman on drums, Ian Rowley on Bass & Gerard C Louis on keys.

So what makes this compilation stand out is the choice of track; it veers away from the "standards" to much more personal selections, making this a much more intimate album and robs the knowing listener of any expectation.. Certainly on 1st playthru Deborah's vocals seem more low-key than usual as they weave round Peter's guitar, but 2nd playthru, turn it up and I promise, the top of your head will spin & flip.

For your money, you get a sparky take on Stephen Stills' Sit Yourself Down as well as a now poignant working of mark Lanegen's Bleeding Muddy Water. And when was the last time you heard Ann Peebles' I'll Get Along? Then there's See You Again by Bernard Fowler, Isaac Hayes' I Had A Dream gets a work out as does Albert King's Can't You See What You're Doing To Me. From 1949, there's Charles Brown's Trouble Blues along side another Ann Peebles recorded number, I Don't Know Why.. Of the rest, the only one that immediately jumped out as familiar was Ron Davies' It Ain't Easy., but that not to say When This World Comes To An End; When It Don't Come Easy; What Did I Do Wrong & The Changeling aren't worthy gems.

Really, really narked now that I didn't wlak into town the other week when they were playimg......

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Rush - Moving Pictures (1982) 40th Anniversary Edition

Always had a bit of a hard job, so far as I was concerned, following the mighty Permanent Waves album and moving Rush further away from the sci-fi epics and leaning more electronica. However, as time has gone on, the album has improved more and more.
The treat though is the accompanying 2 Live discs, the complete 1881 YYZ show, previously unreleased (YYZ is the airport code for Toronto). This is the marriage between the proggy epics like A Farewell To Kings and 2112 and the newer Permanent Waves & Moving Pictures. A hometown gig, and Rush were at the top of their game.
One of those bands I never got to see, we never seemed to be in the same place at the right time, but this is part of a growing catalogue of "wish I'd bloody been there..."

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

6,747

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Frank Zappa presenting his favourite music on Radio 1 back in 1980 https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/frank-zapp … s-sabbath/

6,748 (edited by Lester 2022-05-09 05:44:28)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

BansheeUK wrote:

Rush - Moving Pictures (1982) 40th Anniversary Edition


One of those bands I never got to see, we never seemed to be in the same place at the right time, but this is part of a growing catalogue of "wish I'd bloody been there..."

Me too, I can remember them playing Liverpool (late 70’s - early 80’s) but I was going through my heavy rock stage then and they passed me by.

Lester..

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Xander & The Peace Pirates - Order Out of Chaos  (2022)

The much anticipated sophomore album from the Xanders, no doubt held back due to some of that "chaos" that's currently part of the human condition. Well, whatever your take on Keith Xander's Daoist philosophising, there's no doubt it floats well on their well crafted (ordered?) sea of Soul, Blues & Country. The whole album works very much as a sample of Anglicised West Coast rock, hints of Fleetwood Mac in there.  Only the album closer, Heart Stop appears to buck the trend; Keith getting slightly sleazy....
A good, solid, original album, but in need something to break-out somewhere along the line to make it memorable: Ying will only get you so far, without Yang.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Halestorm - Back from The Dead (2022)

I guess that's a sentiment shared by many bands currently. And Halestorm have come back with an album that'll probably wake the dead; a great mix of Rock/Pop that should put them on the threshold of stadium filling. A powerful collection of original material though it does tend to tail off the further they try to move away from the form. Lizzy Hale is up there with the likes of Joan Jett and Lita Ford as a kick-ass woman-in-rock, but if the new material had been able to push beyond the boundaries they set with Vicious, she should be eclipsing them: time yet I guess, but if Halestorm run to form, expect a covers EP in the meantime.

Still, let's enjoy the noise, Lizzy's fearsome feral howl, Arejay on the drums like a cross between Animal & Thor, Joseph's guitar counterpointing Lizzy and Josh's bass tying the lot together.

When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons.  Why were the lemons free?  What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...