Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Walking through town the other day, heard a street performer covering this song; hadn't heard it in a while and it's just stuck.

Laura Branigan - Forever Young: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha4Md2ov6eM

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?

Austin Gold - Those City Lights (2022)

Bloody 'Ell! This is a thumpin' good album from the Peterborough lads. Anthemic hard rock, and plenty of it. They first showed promise back in 2017/18 with their debut album and even managed a tasty support to King King. And then, just as the momentum got running, you-know-what happened, and kind of lost track. After a mini-album, late 2019 this is the guy's 3rd album, and it's come out the traps like a rocket.

Well, since then, there's been a bit of re-arrangement in the ranks, David James Smith is still the guitar and vocals, and main writer. Chris Ogden remains, solid behind the drums, still teamed with Lee Churchill on bass; a great backlone. Beefing up the sound is a steaming Hammond, now in the hands of Adam Leon. Not long after I saw them on tour, they shed the 2nd guitar of Jack Cable.

Changes aside, this is an album of big guitars and bigger choruses but not afraid to strip it back where necessary, then change gear and push the drum and keys. To my ear, it's like Foo Fighters meet UFO (pun unintentional, but a good analogy..).
Seems some of the best albums of the year come out late; this is no different - the neighbours are going to get sick of this one...

Mountain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41lBLzhENE8

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?

Cinelli brothers - No Country For Bluesmen (2022)

Been around for 6 months now, but just got a copy the other night at the band's Darlington gig. Bit of a strange one this, it's not actually a Cinelli Brothers album, even though they co-wrote it, play on it, produced it and arranged it. It is a series of 13 collaborations with UK Blues artists, ranging from Dana Gillespie to Ian Siegal, and as the guests are diverse, so is the range of styles, from Jump Blues to Delta and even a little gospel for good measure. It's almost a trip up and down the Mississippi and Blues history.

So in a sense, there's something for everyone, whatever your taste. The best 2 tracks for me are Make You Mine, with Connor Selby and Leave It All Behind with the Zac Schultze Group 9a band I recommend watching out for in 2023).

Make You Mine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2uBWKw2oqg
Leave It All behind - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdaPUxGprhc

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?

Benjamin Amos - Letters (2022)

Remember when we used to call them "folk singers"? We don't now, mainly because it calls up images of beardy guys in cable knit sweaters, sticking a finger in their left ears and proceeding to vocalise in a sound like a Geordie Cornishman from Brum, with a hernia.

These days, that image has gone, though there's nothing to be said against a quality cable-knit sweater, and we refer to these guys as "singer-songwriters". A good source of rootsy music I enjoy and must admit I have a soft spot for those of Irish origin. I've long been a fan of one Josh Doyle (okay, he's Anglo-Irish/American); more recently I've been championing Cathal Murphy; well now there's a 3rd member of the gang, Durham based Benjamin Amos.

Benjamin blipped the radar a couple of years ago with a self-recorded 7 produced album of Christmas standards Joy in 2020, so I've been keenly awaiting a release of original material, and Letters justifies the patience.

Again, self-recorded in his bedroom (which is probably the size of Rockfield Studios with mixing desk in the en-suite) Benjamin has delivered an album of 10 "letters"; honest, intimate, affectionate, frustrated; a gamut of emotions from a work that has been a decade in the making. He describes the albums production as a bit "rough & ready", having no external inputs, but that adds to its charm in many ways. I'm not sure which of the many instruments i can hear through the mix aren't computer generated, certainly not banjo, acoustic guitar, piano/keyboard, violin(?), nor who supplied the ethereal backing vocals, but the guidance of a sympathetic producer would lift this work to a really strong album, though it is still an honest treat.

Might just be worth a look down to the old Punch Bowl (Cradlewell) next month (Dec 11th - 3pm).

Never Far from Home - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lqDyhSbagQ
Brothers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztYNESAxrVs  (Not on album)

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...

6,845 (edited by BansheeUK 2022-11-15 14:46:37)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Rebecca Downes - The Space Between Us  (2022)

First off, let’s start with what’s wrong with the album: well not so much “wrong” as missing. At first glance, the uninitiated are going to pick this up in mistake for a Barclay James Harvest album. (Nothing wrong with that, some of us are partial to a drop of BJH on occasion.)

Let me tell you here and now, this certainly isn’t a collection of mid-tempo-ed pastoral musings, far from it. By comparison, this album will launch your speakers into orbit and melt your amplifier, not to mention the mess it’ll make of any motherboard not of CIA specification if downloading is your medium of choice.

Oh yes, we start off sweetly enough with some old school Blues, Becc's Blues putting on the Bessie Smith here. And then, just as you feel it safe to raise a glass, BANG!! We launch into the aptly titled Hold On. After 2 years of pacing the carpets and clawing the walls, Rebeca and partner-in-crime Steve have reached boiling point with pent-up angst. And that’s just the starters.

It takes a certain amount of moxy to take on past Gods such as Free, but buried in the album is a superb re-working of their A Little Bit of Love; cleverly arranged so as not to directly copy the original, nor does it deviate too far either; the result, a perfect anthem for these trying times. A further stand-out is the Gospel epic Not On My Knees which has Rebecca pushing her vocal strengths and boundaries as never before. Don’t though think that this is all Rebecca’s album in terms of performance, Steve Birkett gives a shine-out performance on the live session cut Rattle My Cage. Title track, Space Between Us is surely the strongest contender for radio play, but that’s not to belittle it, as usual, each track comes with its own message or story, they just need to be listened to.

The rest of the album is just as strong, and the production values from Stave Birkett & Steve Birkett Jr really shine. Head Over Heart and Four-Leaf Clover are more familiar, warm Blues fare, but, these guys aren’t afraid to mix it a bit, and so come the track Terrorise, treading more “Indie” ground; a track that’ll be a rare treat live.

So, studio album #5? Well, there’s been a few face changes down the line, but there’s been a remarkable consistency of quality, and that continues with Neil Ablard behind the drums, Nigel Darvill (is there a famous relative here?) on keys and Vince Yarrington on bass. And there’s no change in the working partnership of Downes & Brikett; think Goffin & King: Ashford & Simpson; Jagger & Richards; Benny & Bjorn: there’s a bit of each in the mix.

Going back to the start, this definitely, despite the butterfly, isn’t a Barclay James Harvest album then: don’t think “Lepidoptera”, think more “Leopard-optera”.

Little Bit Of Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bji_vb0riRo
Hold On (Live) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERG7G-rKAlw

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...

6,846 (edited by reo l 2022-11-27 18:00:11)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Bruce Hornsby: S-hit's Crazy Out Here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFAIL9CVzts

6,847

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Larkin Poe - Blood Harmony - the entire CD - all the time.

This is my first LP download and holy smokes, I can't stop listening to it! There is not one song on this release that I skip over. NOT ONE! Love it even more that Tyler Bryant produced it for his wife and sister-in-law. What fun!

And speaking of Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown, I finished up seeing them for the year last weekend in Chicago (5th show since July). Seeing them as much as I can while they're regaining steam playing small clubs and festivals after being derailed by covid. I can't get enough of these guys. Every show is full of serious jams, high energy, tons of fun, and the guys themselves are so good to their fans. They always make time to chat before and after shows. Their latest release Shake the Roots is definitely that - a little bit of different genres and they make it all work... and ROCK! When I'm not listening to Larkin Poe, I'm listing to TBSD (actually, they share a playlist! big_smile)

LIVE MUSIC IS BEST

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

The Cure - Wish (1992) 2022 Re-master

Another "Cor Blimey!" moment - is this really 30 years old? Robert Smith's master balancing act between the doom & gloom laden tracks and those with great "pop" hooks. probably their most commercially successful, spawning 3 hit singles, High, Friday I'm In Love and Letter to Elise as well as the lesser known, but just a great Apart.

This again is a 3 disc edition, with disc one being the original album re-mastered by Mr Smith and two further discs of rare 12" b-sides (remember them?), tracks dropped from the final album (apparently, they went to the studios with over 40 completed songs) as well as several demos; each track re-mastered with as much care and detail as the main album. What a choice on some of the outtakes; would have made a very different sounding album, but would it have been any less good? We'll probably never know.

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?

UFO - The Complete Studio Recordings 1974-1986.

So, past couple of weeks I've been hitting the nostalgia trail, dipping in and out of this 10-album boxset of one of my all-time favourite bands UFO.

So we start at what was actually the band's 3rd studio album, Phenomenon, the first to feature ex-Scorpions wunderkind Michael Schenker. This album, produced by Leo Lyons beefed up UFO's sound and spawned the anthemic Doctor Doctor and Schenker's set piece Rock Bottom. (Interesting side note, on tour Paul Chapman was drafted in on 2nd guitar for a spell, before he formed Lone Star; more on him to follow). In pretty close order, the albums Force It and No Heavy PettingForce It was very much to the same recipe as its predecessor and contained Shoot Shoot and Let It Roll, however, there are no such stand-out really on No Heavy Petting though it was UFO's first album with a 5th member (Danny Payrennel on keys).

However, this must have been a springboard as the album that followed is the stuff of legend, Lights Out. This propelled UFO into the big leagues, especially with the following live album Strangers In The Night (NOT in this set). The follow up, Obsession wasn't quite as successful, but a strong album, nonetheless.

Thing began to crumble from here on in, the relationship with Schenker became more fractious until he left for a solo career and Paul "Tonka" Chapman was re-hired for the No Place To Run album.  Maybe not as strong as Light's Out, but for me as good as Obsession, though the guitar sound naturally, is very different. "Tonka" really found his feet with the following album though, The Wild, The Willing & The Innocent, still remains one of my al time favourites. During this time, keyboard/2nd guitar Paul Raymond had gone off to join Schenker's outfit and was replaced by ex-Wild Horses Neil Carter. From here on in, quality dropped, Mechanix had its moments, on a par I'd say with Force It. By the time Making Contact came along, co-founder Pete Way had now jumped ship, originally to join forces with now ex-Motorhead Eddie Clark. Though Way was replaced with former Talas bassist Billy Sheehan for the album, the spark was weak.

Soon after, the band broke up, but in late 1984, Mogg assembled a new UFO line-up, featuring Paul Gray on bass again, ex-Diamond Head drummer Robbie France (replaced in 1985 by former Magnum drummer Jim Simpson), and Atomik Tommy M (Tommy McClendon), a former roadie who also wrote lyrics for Loudness, on guitar, with Paul Raymond rejoining shortly afterward, and released Misdemeanor which frankly was a dog's breakfast. After that, for the next few years, there seemed to be a revolving door of band members until Mogg & Way reunited in the 1990s, but that's out the scope of this set.

Each of the disc has been remastered, around 2007, and comes with extra live tracks of the subsequent tours. Misdemeanor is fully loads with American remixes of key tracks which I'm sorry to report, doesn't help its case.

In all, a good set to have as it seemed to take ages to get these classic albums on CD in the 1st place.

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...

6,850

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Regina Spektor - SugarMan   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHi789pZfVU

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

The Black Crowes - 1972 (2022)

A "hot tip" from brother Curby, and a great earful of smokin' retro rock'n'blues from The Black Crowes who, sound like they were having a complete blast revisiting their roots. From The Rolling Stones and T.Rex through Rod Stewert, Little Feat, David Bowie to The Temptations.

Rocks Off certainly out-Stones the Stones, and each of the (too few) tracks is well done, though, and I admit, I was never a great fan in the day, The Slider is a bit of a square peg.

Rocks Off - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ7ZP8HQL54
Papa Was A Rolling Stone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwOYwWPyrxk

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...

6,852

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

BansheeUK wrote:

UFO - The Complete Studio Recordings 1974-1986.

So, past couple of weeks I've been hitting the nostalgia trail, dipping in and out of this 10-album boxset of one of my all-time favourite bands UFO.

NICE! Phenomenon is a great album that I still listen to quite often! LUVLUVLUV Queen of the Deep! I only was ever interested in the Schenker era of the band, though. For 30+ years he was my #1. That is, until I discovered a certain character named Joe B… smile

LIVE MUSIC IS BEST

6,853

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Anyone like the Aussie band Karnivool?
Take a listen to their album, Sound Awake.
There’s a track called, New Day …is a favourite….check them out.

GOOD KARMA - http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zkw … o1_500.jpg
Avatar Credit: D.Hirst,Olympic Union Flag
Adele: RAH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oio8V3e3WU&ob=av2e -
We Are The Champ20ns

6,854 (edited by BansheeUK 2022-12-15 11:46:40)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Krissy Matthews - Pizza Man Blues   (2022)

One of those odd coincidences, the other week I was thinking about a sort of "where are they now" thread after talking to one of my gig-buddies about Krissy Matthews, which prompted an exploration on Amazon after I found out my only KM Cd was nearly 10 years old. Surely this half-Norwegian, young, firebrand hadn't just disappeared. I always saw Krissy as a sort of "evil" twin to Laurence Jones - same age, similar talent, but just a bit "edgier".

As it turns out, he hadn't; in fact he's still been shredding away and refining his craft, mainly in Germany with the Hamburg Blues Band for several years and releasing albums with the lyrical guidance of Pete brown (a name that should be know to Cream fans).

This then is Krissy's 1st album via the RUF label, and he's turned in a cracker. Like a lot over the past couple of years, it's reflections on Covid and lockdown, in particular the 1st one wherer for the 1st time in his life, krissy had to get a "proper job" to keep his head above water following the temporary collapse of the music industry of which he's been a part since his teens (now an "old man" of 30). rather than just wallowing on the hardships and loses, Krissy has produced a mix of songs, including reflections on his experiences in the real world - Yes, even delivering pizzas! he's also using a broad palette, from machine-gun riffs to sublime acoustic, as broad as the experiences.

Aiding and abetting Krissy is another name we don't hear enough of, Greg Coulson on keyboards - a great teaming on here. And on the "unplugged", we get a guest vocal from Layle Zoe. This is worth mentioning since the weakest aspect of the album is Krissy's voice; most of the time he sings fine, but at others, well lets say it not on a par with his guitar playing. (I'd say the vocal performance was better on the previous album Monster In Me.) That said, this is an outstanding album, and I'm going to enjoy myself going back down through Krissy's work thus far.

Hopefully some UK dates next year, to get fully caught-up?

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...

6,855 (edited by BansheeUK 2022-12-21 12:44:06)

Re: What song are you listening to right now?

Richard Hawley - Live At The Halifax Piece Hall (2022)

Oh No! Not another Live album from Richard Hawley! Ha! Like that's a bad thing!?! Recorded in September 2021, this is Richard, with his full band celebrating the end of lockdown etc, and augmented with a string-section which takes a mix of songs, from the most recent studio album, Further, and trawls back through his solo career and adds another dimension to the soundscape, especially the older, slower numbers harking back to Coles Corner [and beyond].

Some tracks have a sort of 1950s/60s sound, but with more contemporary lyrics, while others like Standing At The Sky's Edge and Down In The Woods shake the room.

Another of those nights you wish you were there, the playing was great, the banter was cool; one of the best, but underappreciated English singer/songwriters out there.

Is There A Pill - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKQTNP1bSFM
Tonight The Street Are Ours - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oIHJp0ietY
Heart of Oak - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MmKsJ581cg

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?

Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble - A Gallery of The Imagination (2022)

So, looks like Britain's self-styled Grumpiest man has moved out of the "Richard Clayderman" phase and is back into albums of original music, though this is a much looser concept than the previous Red Planet.

Gallery is more a collection of pieces, 2 solo piano, 2 full band and 8 vocal tracks which Rick invites the listener to drift off within their own imaginations to conjure images to accompany the sounds; a touch of synaesthesia, maybe.

As you'd expect, the music is quality but not challenging, great production but if I had a niggle, as sublime as Hayley Sanderson's vocal are, at time reminiscent of Kate Bush, one or two of the songs would be better with a male vocal.

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?

Newton Faulkner - Hand Built By Robots (2007)

Could not resist this in town today; tail end of the sales, and here's a brand new copy, still shrink-wrapped for £3. Always had an ear for Newton's particular "busking" style of singer/songwriter material, and this, his debut is pretty hard to beat.

Dream Catch Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE-Why8N2I0
Teardrop - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU8sd8uNBxY
Gone In The Morning - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF9ESdfwV5o

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?

Steve Hill - Dear Illusion (2022)

Because of UK post in December, this is either the last album of 2022, or my first of 2023. Either way, this is a cracking album, culminating what would be his 30th year as a musician, 25 of them as a solo performer. With 11 albums of original songs to his name, he has explored everything from Rock, Country, Folk, and all kinds of music, while continuing to fuse it all with his first love, the Blues, and this time, not only has he brought along a terrific horn section, he's put some "Eng;ish" on it, courtesy of Superfly Studio's Wayne Proctor (on drum duty) mixing & mastering and Andy Barfield engineering.

What we get is an album that kicks off with guitar picking that sparks out the speakers, along with rolling thunder drums and a Stax-like clarion of horns, which doesn't give up for 4 tracks. The title track is a little more intricate, a little reminiscent of Traffic's Dear Mr Fantasy (or maybe that's just me...), before we pick up the pace again until the more reflective and slide-driven solo track So It Goes. And there's two stunning closing tracks, again contrasting the blunderbus openers, She Gives Lessons In Blues and Until The Next Time.

Definitely a guy on my "must see soon" list.

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...