Rock - what are you listening to?

[DaveF]

By the way, have you heard any of Tim Buckley's work?

I know of the artist alright but dont have any of his music in my collection but I might as well add him to the list. I've checked him out before on youtube and liked what I heard. My wanted list is getting ridiculously long now especially since I'll listen to rock, blues, jazz or classical and can easily switch between any of them during an evenings listening.

[cybot]

I've listened to this twice this afternoon and quite enjoyed it. 'River Man' and 'Man in a Shed' are the stand out tracks for me so far but I'm sure that might change later as I get to know it better. Thanks lads for the tips. This forum always comes up trumps on how to spend my money! :-)

Just after seeing this now Dave! Thrilled that you like it too (phew!)......and remember you have a lifetime to get to know (and savour) this beautiful artifact of Time Slowed..... Five Leaves indeed.

[cybot]

[quote="mcq]
So many great songs and my personal favourites change every time I listen to it, but Saturday Son seems to stick in my mind. The piano has a lovely hymnal devotional quality and the vibes complement this beautifully. It reminds me of a gospel song.

It still sounds to me like one of the great debut albums - it all sounds so accomplished in terms of the songwriting, the musical arrangements (the flute and cello on The Thoughts of Mary Jane, the congas on Cello Song and the vibes on Saturday Sun come to mind) but, perhaps, most of all, the phrasing of his words as he sings them which is something you get with the great ones - Dylan, Cohen and Hammill to name three examples. It's in their vocal phrasing that they make their songs their own and their versions the definitive ones. And, of those three, only Cohen was as assured as Drake in his phrasing on his debut album. There is an uncanny confidence and unaffectedness in the way he sings his songs that reminds me of someone older and wiser.

By the way, have you heard any of Tim Buckley's work?[/quote]

I have to agree with you about Saturday Sun mc -I find it absolutely heartbreaking;to me it sounds like an omen of things to come for Nick.Vibes indeed.....bad ones!

As for Tim Buckley, what can I possibly say. I only have about 4 or 5 of his albums but his towering achievment,in my collection anyway, has to be the Live in London 1968 set (Dream Letter). Unbelievable!

Edit: While searching for suitable Nick Drake sites for Fergus, I accidentally found out that Robert Kirby had died last October!!
God,I didn't know that :-(( May he Rest In Peace... BTW mcq have you heard Robert Kirby's reel to reel tape recording
of Nick's solo rendition of 'River Man'? When he heard it he decided not to put music to it because he felt he couldn't
do it justice.Ironically that job was left to the much maligned arranger Harry Robinson, who did a sterling job...

[mcq]

Speaking of great debut albums, what about the unspeakably great Marquee Moon from the mighty Television? I've just been listening to it for the umptenth time as I've been writing about Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left and it sounds as fresh as ever. The great recordings just overpower you. The title track must be one of the most powerful performances in rock. Sheer undiluted perfection in the passion of Tom Verlaine's vocals, his exquisite guitar interplay with Richard Lloyd, and the oft-overlooked cohesion of the rhythm section of Fred Smith and Billy Ficca who patiently ply the beat as the two guitarists chisel away in the foreground. In particular, it's the drumming of Ficca which bears repeated listening - in many ways, the guitar/drums workout is reminiscent of the great duets between John Coltrane and Elvin Jones in the early Sixties. But it's so much more than a one-track album. Venus, See No Evil, Friction, Elevation and more - all there, all great for evermore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlbunmCbTBA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f3d5ZdE ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7L0IYPXKj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwrCUEMl76U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4s5bj5fZO8

[cybot]

'Marquee Moon' is a bone fide classic for all the reasons outlined above and then some. Brilliantly written too. Thanks :-)))

[mcq]

By the way, have you heard any of Tim Buckley's work?

I know of the artist alright but dont have any of his music in my collection but I might as well add him to the list. I've checked him out before on youtube and liked what I heard. My wanted list is getting ridiculously long now especially since I'll listen to rock, blues, jazz or classical and can easily switch between any of them during an evenings listening.

Tim Buckley was very special. Some people know him mainly as Jeff's Dad, but he was so much more than that. Perhaps the greatest technical singer in popular music, he could break your heart in so many ways. Writing about him just seems pointless - I'm reminded of Peter Hammill's wonderful song, Losing in Faith in Words, where he confronts the ultimate inadequacy of words to communicate what we really feel about things. Buckley had this gift of speaking directly to your heart. Cybot mentions Dream Letter. This is a fantastic complete concert recorded in London in 1968. Something of the vibe of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks exists in this otherworldly performance, but that's only part of it. It's one of the great live albums and never fails to leave me emotionally drained and speechless. Wonderful. After this you should look at his extraordinary experimental albums, Lorca and Starsailor, where he takes his voice farther than it should naturally go. And then there is Song to the Siren which might be one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever written. Oh, and there's Greetings From L.A., his last great album, where the melancholy is replaced by a wonderful soulful groove. But start with Dream Letter and, just like Nick Drake, drink deep, savour every drop and take it slow. This music will last you a lifetime.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwpT_AJgidc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svvPJVnY ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASq7c8hk ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN9l29b4 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGY0Koc0 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYhUsDr3 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nt-efRpjlQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZfXb0Ow ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pxvXI1i ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9obCFstS ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWcEzruT ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FRVfCQm ... re=related


This may be irrelevant but here's Hammill's Losing Faith in Words as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY-Yx9iGZwA

[mcq]

Some mellow music to finish off the night. First off, Judee Sill's eponymous debut and then her second (and last) album, Heartfood. Jesus Was a Crossmaker always puts a smile on my face. Simple, straightforward and eternally charming.

And then on goes Laura Nyro's Eli And The Thirteenth Confession and then her masterwork, New York Tendaberry. Great songs, great voice, just made for late night listening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvtjRarucTc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOlcucnoip8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1p5pYU_Td0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0feFedDW_iQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoLfWiSG ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdLwy75G ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd8NsFjZ ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_FYw1q ... re=related

[cybot]

Some mellow music to finish off the night. First off, Judee Sill's eponymous debut and then her second (and last) album, Heartfood. Jesus Was a Crossmaker always puts a smile on my face. Simple, straightforward and eternally charming.

And then on goes Laura Nyro's Eli And The Thirteenth Confession and then her masterwork, New York Tendaberry. Great songs, great voice, just made for late night listening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvtjRarucTc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOlcucnoip8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1p5pYU_Td0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0feFedDW_iQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoLfWiSG ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdLwy75G ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd8NsFjZ ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_FYw1q ... re=related

More sublime music;Are you paying attention lads?? I loved her (Judee) earnest performance on the Whistle Test...

[cybot]

Talking about debut albums, what about this behemoth??? Dug it out last night and was blown away again :-) Here's a snippet from the original review by Jon Savage circa 1978:

'Elements in their sound run as follows.Predominant are vocals/synths.David Thomas' voice changes lightening fast from deep moans to supple shrieks and quivering screams:unexpected in its range hypnotic/perfect.Throughout the synths blow like icy wind over the flats:coming in blasts of white noise and hiss howls;no use of the instrument to reproduce the sound of others, as is mostly done,it's used as a sound in its own right.The songs are sometimes 'conventional' in structure, other times not:the most accessable, two singles 'Modern Dance'/Street Waves' and the irrestable 'Non-Alignment Pact', are built round addictive circular guitar runs- the guitar will suddenly run into breaks of searing intensity,acid tones...'
Yep,it's that amazing!! It's the only album I have of them plus the first 12" of early stuff (Radar Records)...

[cybot]

Speaking of great debut albums, what about the unspeakably great Marquee Moon from the mighty Television? I've just been listening to it for the umptenth time as I've been writing about Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left and it sounds as fresh as ever. The great recordings just overpower you. The title track must be one of the most powerful performances in rock. Sheer undiluted perfection in the passion of Tom Verlaine's vocals, his exquisite guitar interplay with Richard Lloyd, and the oft-overlooked cohesion of the rhythm section of Fred Smith and Billy Ficca who patiently ply the beat as the two guitarists chisel away in the foreground. In particular, it's the drumming of Ficca which bears repeated listening - in many ways, the guitar/drums workout is reminiscent of the great duets between John Coltrane and Elvin Jones in the early Sixties. But it's so much more than a one-track album. Venus, See No Evil, Friction, Elevation and more - all there, all great for evermore.

It's an amazing coincidence that you're writing about Television mcq? Here's why....

'After a Punk Rock concert in New York that strains the specifications of the loudspeakers, English producer john Wood goes backstage. There he is introduced to Tom Verlaine,star of the trendy band Television.To Wood's surprise,Verlaine knows all about him."I've admired your records for a long time", says the gaunt blond(!) guitarist,then names the performers he likes: the McGarrigle sisters,John Martyn,the Fairport Convention."But you know,, says Verlaine, "the very best of all is Nick Drake" Excerpt from the book enclosed with the original edition (and a few after) of Fruit Tree.

'Fame is but a fruit tree
so very unsound.
It can never flourish
till its stalk in in the ground.
So men of fame
can never find a way.
Till time has flown
far from their dying day'