What are you listening to?

[Andym]

I'm not that young, but I confess I have never heard of the artists posted on the previous two posts. I need to get out more.

I'm coming up to 68 and my musical tastes are firmly rooted in the 60s and 70s, and like anything that isn't mainstream - preferring folk and blues to rock, particularly the repetitive stuff that lacks imagination.
The Bevis Frond is really just one guy, Nick Saloman. As the Bevis frond he has recorded over 20 albums from the 80s to the present day, mostly recorded in his home. I confess to only owning 2, the Inner Marshland CD and The North Circular, a triple album on glorious blue vinyl.
The music? To quote Allmusaic.com, The Bevis Frond's influences are strongly rooted in the '60s, as Saloman's music blends elements of psychedelia, pop, early hard rock, and folk, with plenty of epic-scale guitar freakouts.
The appeal to me is the guitar soling which is inventive, unconventional and guaranteed to clear your house of unwanted guests.

And currently playing some early Martin Simpson (from 1983), "Grinning In Your Face." He is a wonderful guitarist, seen him live several times. I guess you'd classify him as folk, but brilliant.

[Andym]

Ian A Anderson, "Time Is Ripe". A compilation form the 3 albums of psych folk he recorded for his own Village Thing label 1970-73. Much of his work before and since was acoustic blues, but this is more in the folk tradition. Includes possibly the strangest cover of Paint It, Black that you'll ever hear.

[arana peligrosa]

Leos Janacek, String Quartet No.2

other 19th Century Vienesse turbulence, now Igor Stravinsky and 3 movements from The Firebird. Kind of heavy for a piano duet, not for all tastes.

[Andym]

Gone way back in time today. Started with Robert Johnson, the complete recordings, followed by a Leadbelly compilation.

[arana peligrosa]

Joseph Haydn, Concerto no 2 in D major for cello and orchestra.

[Kerry Blue]

Me being very old and also never been that much into music and I bought very few records apart from my all time favourite singer/songwriter and that's Del Shannon I think I have just about everything he recorded, I also went to Coopersville in Michigan in 2008 and meet a school friend and later workmate of Dels who showed me the house he grew up in and we visited the museum where his first 5 dollar guitar was and lots of memorabilia.
Runaway was his first and biggest bit it sold 80,000 copies a day in the US but his last album Rock On and the Drop down and get me albums were his best IMO but I expect you young ones have never heard of him .

[Andym]

Me being very old and also never been that much into music and I bought very few records apart from my all time favourite singer/songwriter and that's Del Shannon I think I have just about everything he recorded, I also went to Coopersville in Michigan in 2008 and meet a school friend and later workmate of Dels who showed me the house he grew up in and we visited the museum where his first 5 dollar guitar was and lots of memorabilia.
Runaway was his first and biggest bit it sold 80,000 copies a day in the US but his last album Rock On and the Drop down and get me albums were his best IMO but I expect you young ones have never heard of him .

He was quite unusual; a large vocal range, a decent guitarist, and, most unusual for pop singers of the very early 60s, he wrote the songs as well as performing them. Presented as pretty much a pretty -boy teen idol, he was much more than that.

[Kerry Blue]

Me being very old and also never been that much into music and I bought very few records apart from my all time favourite singer/songwriter and that's Del Shannon I think I have just about everything he recorded, I also went to Coopersville in Michigan in 2008 and meet a school friend and later workmate of Dels who showed me the house he grew up in and we visited the museum where his first 5 dollar guitar was and lots of memorabilia.
Runaway was his first and biggest bit it sold 80,000 copies a day in the US but his last album Rock On and the Drop down and get me albums were his best IMO but I expect you young ones have never heard of him .

He was quite unusual; a large vocal range, a decent guitarist, and, most unusual for pop singers of the very early 60s, he wrote the songs as well as performing them. Presented as pretty much a pretty -boy teen idol, he was much more than that.

That's a surprise I didn't expect anyone would remember Del he was so underrated and way ahead of his time, in 1972 he was at the Talk of the South in Southend for a week I went twice and he was going to play the Brentwood centre in April 1990 which was just down the road from me but unfortunately died in February.

[Tangfastic]

Me being very old and also never been that much into music and I bought very few records apart from my all time favourite singer/songwriter and that's Del Shannon I think I have just about everything he recorded, I also went to Coopersville in Michigan in 2008 and meet a school friend and later workmate of Dels who showed me the house he grew up in and we visited the museum where his first 5 dollar guitar was and lots of memorabilia.
Runaway was his first and biggest bit it sold 80,000 copies a day in the US but his last album Rock On and the Drop down and get me albums were his best IMO but I expect you young ones have never heard of him .

He was quite unusual; a large vocal range, a decent guitarist, and, most unusual for pop singers of the very early 60s, he wrote the songs as well as performing them. Presented as pretty much a pretty -boy teen idol, he was much more than that.

That's a surprise I didn't expect anyone would remember Del he was so underrated and way ahead of his time, in 1972 he was at the Talk of the South in Southend for a week I went twice and he was going to play the Brentwood centre in April 1990 which was just down the road from me but unfortunately died in February.

Talk of Southend reminded me of a YouTube video I stumbled upon of Dr. Feelgood’s concert at Southend pier in the seventies. Before my time, but love this video of them. Really dirty, raw pub rock at it’s best with Wilko Johnson on guitar.

[url] https://youtu.be/GzF0AETdRF8[url]

[Andym]

I enjoyed that. They were a great band in those days, Wilko on guitar and Lee Brilleaux on vocals. Lee sadly died of cancer relatively young. I only got to see them in later days when there were none of the originals left.
Regarding remembering Del Shannon, I’m an old man of nearly 68. I got my first record at the age of 3 and a half, The Everly Brothers “Bye Bye Love, the summer of ‘57.
Still buying music, today I played a double album of Bert Jansch, live recordings before he was well known and then. the Last of the Red hot Burritos by the Flying Burrito Brothers. I’ve managed to get to 4 concerts in recent months, it’s great to see live music again.
I guess my tastes these days tend to veer towards folk, and the more strange stuff from early 70s. I guess really I just try to dig out things outside of mainstream. I haven’t a vast collection, I guess around 1500 vinyl albums and a similar number of CDs.

[Kerry Blue]

Dr Feelgood is not a hand I'm familiar with but quite enjoyed that, this is something I like to watch now and then.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0vrnwu_yl4k. Enjoy.

[Tangfastic]

Dr Feelgood is not a hand I'm familiar with but quite enjoyed that, this is something I like to watch now and then.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0vrnwu_yl4k. Enjoy.

That was interesting. Liked seeing him with Tom Petty and Geoff Lynne in the studio. Just read that he nearly joined the Travelling Wilburries after Roy Orbison died. Sadly, committed suicide and another one who died before his time.

[Kerry Blue]

This is my favourite Del Shannon song his record company wouldn't put it out as a single so he gave it to Peter and Gordon, after the Searches turned it down it was a top ten hit, the suit in the video is hanging the the museum in Coopersville.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ71v2mqak4

[Andym]

I dig out an album from the 90s yesterday. I’ve no idea how it came into my collection, except that occasionally people give me a few records because they just stream stuff these days.
Anyway, it was a hard rock album by a band called Goat, the album was “Medication Time.”
Quite enjoyed it even though hard rock isn’t really my thing these days - having said that I’ll listen to anything that isn’t mainstream pop.
I can see from some sources that the band made two albums but I can’t find it anything else about them. Diss anyone out there know anything about them?

[arana peligrosa]

One of their best, shame not always recognized by fans even of the group themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNrQUPeXe2U

[marko69]

Little bit Zeno Roth. Younger bro of Scorpions Uli John. Recently passed away. RIP.

Saw them / him support Sabbath on 7th Star tour in ‘87

https://youtu.be/Fxj2t6FYllU

[marko69]

Maybe some Bat out of Hell tonight.

RIP MeatLoaf

[Andym]

I heard something on the radio this morning that made me think. Remember I am 68, and most of us prefer music from our late teens/ early 20s. But I was thinking about bands that started out being good or original or different, and then opted for fame and fortune by churning out bland middle-of-the-road stuff.
I’m thinking of:
Chicago (their first album as Chicago Transit Authority was jazz-rock I guess, then they morphed into drippy sh*t);
Roxy Music
Fleetwood Mac (from blues band to radio-friendly stuff)
Climax Chicago Blues Band (as with Fleetwood Mac, but their success was more in the US I believe - and they dropped the “Blues Band” from their name)
Lindisfarne (from folk to bland hits)
And at risk of offending even more people, I’d add to the list:
Genesis
Eric Clapton in the Phil-Collins-produced era
Anyone else?

[marko69]

Love both versions of Genesis but Gabriel era will always be the absolute best in my opinion. Although the “Seconds Out” double live with Collins on vocals is arguably their best ever release.

100% with you on Chicago. Many, if not all think of Chicago as Pete Cetera and all the “Hard Habit to break” stuff…….. but NO!! Their early 70’s stuff kicks serious A$$. Very prog-like. Have all their early stuff in my itunes purchases. Only found out about early Chicago a few years ago from a buddy. At the time i was like, “thats chicago?” Great stuff.

Fleetwood Mac never really struck any chords with me, but i do love the song “Come” …… live in Boston is unreal. Buckingham on guitar is insane!

[Tangfastic]

When Andy asked for bands that went from good to bad I initially thought of Chicago. Only because I saw a documentary on them on YouTube a while back and realised they were pretty decent in the early 70’s before Cetera took over and they became as lame as f*ck. Interesting documentary and featured initially Terry Kath who was the band leader and renowned guitarist. He died in an accidental gunshot accident when he probably shouldn’t have mixed booze and guns…. and then Cetera ruined it. A rock group with a brass section which was pretty strange.

TBH…. most bands can’t keep up the quality after the first couple of albums…. or at least keep it fresh and free from commercialisation. Maybe it’s better to name-check bands who’ve kept the quality over a long career.

[marko69]

One band (for me) who always release quality is Pink Floyd.
The later stuff like “Momentary Lapse of Reason” & “The Division Bell” sometimes don’t get the recognition, but they’re very good in my opinion. Obviously “Dark Side …” is tops, (I love The Wall although i remember you not caring much for it AndyM) …… but The Division Bell from 91/92 is pure quality. Again, opinion only.

[Andym]

Regarding Floyd, I only have The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, Obscured by Clouds, The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall. That's everything I think up to The Wall except the 2 soundtrack albums and Animals. I've never actually heard any of their albums that I don't own.
My favourites - probably the only two I ever really play - are Piper At The Gates and Atom Heart Mother. In fairness, I don't seem to play anything more than once really these days. Limited time to listen and I spend that listening to the latest rubbish coming into my collection - still buying too much. When I was working as an author, I used to have my music playing all the time at random. Just had an offer to write again so hopefully I can start that again.
Latest purchases (waiting to be heard): June Tabor "Aleyn", Oliver Knight "Mysterious Day", Bill Evans "Empathy/A Simple Matter Of Conviction", Norma Waterson (self titled), Ry Cooder "Chicken Skin Music" and Son House "Preachin' The Blues." Already have a vinyl copy of he Ry Cooder, just fancied the CD for convenience. I suppose it summarise my interests really; folk, folk, jazz, folk, not sure how you categorise Ry Cooder, blues. And that probably explains my Floyd favourites - the ones that are least mainstream. Piper was dazzlingly original and Atom Heart Mother pretentious but fun.

[marko69]

An author, Andy? Superb. What genre of writing were you writing……. And was it fiction or non? I frequent a few other sports forums and there are a few authors on those. Had the pleasure of reading one guys stuff. Was science fiction which i really AM NOT into but i did enjoy his writing style.
What I found fascinating was the fact that the guy in question told most people that “they talk rubbish”, yet HE wrote Science Fiction. :lol:

Re Floyd…….. cannot recommend The Division Bell enough……. And great to have on in the background whether working or writing.

[Andym]

You wouldn't want to read my stuff, Marko. Maths text books I'm afraid.

[marko69]

Awesome stuff

Send a copy and i’ll eat some PI & 3.14 chips while reading it.

[number 9]

https://youtu.be/v2A5WxZJfCU

Remember this one?

[Andym]

Davy Graham. A great folky guitarist.
My greatest musical regret. Bought tickets to see him Art Norwich Arts Centre. They don’t actually send you the tickets, and I missed it. A year later he was dead. So creative, he invented the DAGDAD guitar tuning.

[AzzurroMark]

Absolutely hooked on this acoustic version of "Cold little heart" by James. Just keep wanting to listen to it!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YYPiB0euOpE

[goldandblack]

Anyone ever listen to Isla Grant or actually heard of her,
Brilliant voice and songs,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXFxLRqUao8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfAn3-pEeDs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcVwPbtpiZc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn96mxnpA3Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uROOv1CHwk4

[Andym]

I’m putting this here because I need to say it somewhere. Really devastated to learn that Grandmaster Gareth has died. He was the singer and leader of Misty’s Big Adventure, a Birmingham-based band. Never got you see them live, but saw the cut down version, Misty’s Little Adventure, supporting the wonderful Jeffrey Lewis on a couple of occasions. Misty’s are all trained musicians who play any style and with humour. While they were never huge heroes of mine, for some reason I feel devastated by his death.