Tír Na HiFi

Playing chez Sloop at the moment. JB had bypassed me until I read "31 songs" by Nick Hornsby. Turned out he had not passed Mrs Sloop by and Too Late for the Sky playing on my new Naim kit softened the shock of the price somewhat.


SJB

The kick inside - Kate Bush.



What was she, 16, 17 at the time?
Master Sloop Jnr had his "graduation" from secondary school last night. The black and white, know no fear, can do, phase. This album sort of fits in with the "vibe" last night.


SJB

Quite enjoyed this. May take a couple of listens to grow on me.

DaveF wrote:
Quite enjoyed this. May take a couple of listens to grow on me.

A bit of a slow burner alright but I'm getting very fond of it.

A recent purchase. Have most of his stuff on vinyl by now. Easily one of my favorite singers.

Scratch My Back - Peter Gabriel

Intimate record despite the orchestral backings.
He really owns many of these songs despite that they are composed by others.

The first side of this great collection of live tracks contains "Dolphins" and "HoneyMan" (from a May 1974 BBC broadcast), plus a previously unreleased 12-minute version of "I Don't Need It To Rain" (recorded in Copenhagen in October 1968). Side two features 5 tracks recorded in April 1968 for the John Peel show.

The performance of Dolphins here is the same one found in this clip:

DaveF wrote:

The first side of this great collection of live tracks contains "Dolphins" and "HoneyMan" (from a May 1974 BBC broadcast), plus a previously unreleased 12-minute version of "I Don't Need It To Rain" (recorded in Copenhagen in October 1968). Side two features 5 tracks recorded in April 1968 for the John Peel show.

The performance of Dolphins here is the same one found in this clip:

Brilliant stuff Dave. Great to see Tim on the OGWT. By the way did you ever get around to getting the Live '68 set?

Once I Was is a great little album, tidying up some valuable loose ends.  Relatively short running time but every moment that Tim recorded is so very precious.  I really wish that there were more live shows out there waiting for release.  Hopefully one day we'll see some of the Starsailor Band's performances from 1970 released officially.  There are some revelatory live performances from this era on Youtube that are worth taking the time to listen to.The steps he had taken on the Lorca and Starsailor albums are developed more fully here where he wanders into even more uncharted waters.  It is heartbreaking to wonder what might have been if he had been allowed to take this band into the studio and set down his creative vision for posterity.

The Peel Sessions from 1968 are treasurable and would be valued much more highly if we didn't have the astonishing live Dream Letter recording from the Queen Elizabeth Hall.  The highlight on the Peel Sessions is the beautiful performance of Once I Was.  Rather like the later Song to the Siren, time just seems to slow down when you play this track.  There's a wonderful feeling of stillness evoked here in this very personal performance, an imperishable record of a time and place long gone.

I don't know if you've heard them, Dave, but Live at the Troubadour 1969 and Honeyman 1973 are well worth hearing as well.  The versions of I Had A Talk With My Woman and Driftin' that you hear on the Lorca album are taken from the Troubadour live set.  And the version of Gypsy Woman on the Troubadour album is quite something.  The sense of primal energy he was capable of generating onstage was quite unnerving and foreshadows to a certain extent Patti Smith's work with Horses.

cybot wrote:......did you ever get around to getting the Live '68 set?

I have that on vinyl a while now Dermot. Great stuff indeed. And again thanks to Paul (mcq) for introducing me to Tim Buckley way back on the old forum. Great piece of writing above too Paul. Always a great read.