CD#205 John Watts - Ether Beep Start
"The essence of 'Ether', my voice, guitar and basic grooves, was
recorded at home on a laptop. The plan was to go out with a Mac, an
audio interface, microphones and other minimal equipment, to a number of
international locations where I had some contacts to just let things
happen. In the beginning I planned to record songs in specific places.
It soon became clear that the best approach was to meet people, most of
them for the first time, play them a few of the tracks and gauge which
ones they could best contribute to. We ended up working with some 30
people in the UK, New York and Europe."
It's remarkable that without reading the above I'd have said that it was recorded conventionally in a studio. Either way it's good stuff.
CD#206 Catherine Maclellan - Dark Dream Midnight/Water In The Ground
A Canadian singer-songwriter, she lives on Prince Edward Island, and having had a quick look around it on Google street view, who can blame her, it looks as peaceful and lovely as these songs.
CD#207 Liam Dullaghan - Making History
A local lad, a brilliant debut solo album.
CD#208 Marillion - Script For Jester's Tear
The most varied and interesting of their albums for me, and my favourite.
CD#209 Nickel Creek - A Dotted Line
Their most recent album and currently the only one I've bought, I should buy some more.
Friday, 29 April 2016
Day 47
CD#200 Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
Probably my favourite, a superb album from start to finish.
CD#201 XTC - The Big Express
Andy Partridge obviously had fun with the Linn LM-1 on this, though I'd have dialed it back a touch if it had been up to me. Despite that this one of my top 5 XTC albums.
CD#202 Jonatha Brooke - Plumb
Though it says Jonatha Brooke + The Story on the case, this is the first solo album, and everything that makes Jonatha's music special begins here, great stuff.
CD#203 Jennifer Kimball - Oh Hear Us
The other half of The Story with Jonatha Brooke, this is her second solo album (which came in the post this morning). It's perfectly fine but not begging me to buy the other one.
CD#204 Fela Kuti - Music Is The Weapon
A 2 CD Best Of with a DVD documentary that I still haven't got round to watching yet, I really must rectify that.
Probably my favourite, a superb album from start to finish.
CD#201 XTC - The Big Express
Andy Partridge obviously had fun with the Linn LM-1 on this, though I'd have dialed it back a touch if it had been up to me. Despite that this one of my top 5 XTC albums.
CD#202 Jonatha Brooke - Plumb
Though it says Jonatha Brooke + The Story on the case, this is the first solo album, and everything that makes Jonatha's music special begins here, great stuff.
CD#203 Jennifer Kimball - Oh Hear Us
The other half of The Story with Jonatha Brooke, this is her second solo album (which came in the post this morning). It's perfectly fine but not begging me to buy the other one.
CD#204 Fela Kuti - Music Is The Weapon
A 2 CD Best Of with a DVD documentary that I still haven't got round to watching yet, I really must rectify that.
Thursday, 28 April 2016
Day 46
CD#193 Eva Cassidy - Songbird
A Christmas present from the year when she was posthumously popular in the UK. A sad story but a lovely voice.
CD#194 Julia Nunes - Settle Down
I first heard Julia on YouTube, playing a cover of a Counting Crows song. She got quite a following on the back of quirky videos, mostly of covers, shot alone or with friends. Sadly, due to her career getting serious, a lot of them have been removed from YouTube. This was her first crowd-funded CD and the enclosed booklet has my name on it somewhere.
CD#195 Marcella Detroit - Jewel
Hopefully this was one of my Britannia freebies, because while I like "I Believe" there's not much else going for it.
CD#196 Meshell Ndegeocello - The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams
There have been four albums released since I bought this, none of which I have heard. I shall have to do something about that.
CD#197 Invocal - Uneven Keel
Oestrogen-laden left-field acoustic music (their words, not mine), Invocal were (until 2010) "an all female acoustic act that performed with cello, guitar and four harmonious voices". Lots of fun . . . and local.
CD#198 Muse - Origin Of Symmetry
This has my two favourite Muse songs on it, New Born and Plug In Baby, though if I'm listening via YouTube I always pick live versions as they seem to have just a bit more excitement to them even though the CD versions are pretty damn perfect.
CD#199 R.E.M. - Monster
There's more to this than I remembered, though they could have eased up on the use of tremolo a bit.
A Christmas present from the year when she was posthumously popular in the UK. A sad story but a lovely voice.
CD#194 Julia Nunes - Settle Down
I first heard Julia on YouTube, playing a cover of a Counting Crows song. She got quite a following on the back of quirky videos, mostly of covers, shot alone or with friends. Sadly, due to her career getting serious, a lot of them have been removed from YouTube. This was her first crowd-funded CD and the enclosed booklet has my name on it somewhere.
CD#195 Marcella Detroit - Jewel
Hopefully this was one of my Britannia freebies, because while I like "I Believe" there's not much else going for it.
CD#196 Meshell Ndegeocello - The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams
There have been four albums released since I bought this, none of which I have heard. I shall have to do something about that.
CD#197 Invocal - Uneven Keel
Oestrogen-laden left-field acoustic music (their words, not mine), Invocal were (until 2010) "an all female acoustic act that performed with cello, guitar and four harmonious voices". Lots of fun . . . and local.
CD#198 Muse - Origin Of Symmetry
This has my two favourite Muse songs on it, New Born and Plug In Baby, though if I'm listening via YouTube I always pick live versions as they seem to have just a bit more excitement to them even though the CD versions are pretty damn perfect.
CD#199 R.E.M. - Monster
There's more to this than I remembered, though they could have eased up on the use of tremolo a bit.
Wednesday, 27 April 2016
Day 45
CD#188 Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer
I can't remember how I came to buy this, as it's not something I'd usually look out for. Having said that the songs are good and well played, and she has a lovely voice. So despite it not being "my sort of thing" I like it a lot.
CD#189 Split Enz - True Colours
As far as I can recall, my first encounter with Split Enz was I Got You, which made my reaction to their earlier work more pronounced. It's more conventional than the glorious wackiness of something like Stranger Than Fiction, but still good to hear again.
CD#190 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
My favourite of the albums I have (three or four), I'm wondering if I should buy some more.
CD#191 Moses - The Swimming Zoo
Their first album, full of good songs and lovely harmonies.
CD#192 The Monkees - The Definitive Monkees
I was heartbroken when told that they didn't play their own music (even though by that time they had been doing so for years). Regardless of who wrote what and who played what, The Monkees are/were/always will be great.
I can't remember how I came to buy this, as it's not something I'd usually look out for. Having said that the songs are good and well played, and she has a lovely voice. So despite it not being "my sort of thing" I like it a lot.
CD#189 Split Enz - True Colours
As far as I can recall, my first encounter with Split Enz was I Got You, which made my reaction to their earlier work more pronounced. It's more conventional than the glorious wackiness of something like Stranger Than Fiction, but still good to hear again.
CD#190 The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
My favourite of the albums I have (three or four), I'm wondering if I should buy some more.
CD#191 Moses - The Swimming Zoo
Their first album, full of good songs and lovely harmonies.
CD#192 The Monkees - The Definitive Monkees
I was heartbroken when told that they didn't play their own music (even though by that time they had been doing so for years). Regardless of who wrote what and who played what, The Monkees are/were/always will be great.
Tuesday, 26 April 2016
Day 44
CD#183 Thunderclap Newman - Hollywood Dream
Their only album, it has Pete Townshend on bass. The single is good but there's not much else to get excited about.
CD#184 The Congos - Heart Of The Congos
This pops up on Top Album charts a lot, which is what encouraged me to buy it recently. Released in 1977, when I was listening to Elvis Costello, Sex Pistols and The Ramones, it feels like something from a generation before, though that's not necessarily a bad thing.
CD#185 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - In Step
He's a fantastic player, and I like his voice which is great for his style of music, but I'm not enough of a fan to be able to sit through two albums in a row (sometimes even the whole of one) without getting bored. This is true of a number of the CDs I own but SRV is noticeably consistent in his ability to satisfy my cravings for his music in a short space of time :O)
CD#186 The Incisors - Demos/We All Have Stories
The Incisors describe themselves as "turbo melodic pop rock" and sound like a lot of post punk/new wave stuff I listened to in the 80s. I bought these two CDs after seeing them play at The Cavern Pub in Liverpool (IIRC they were on just before the band I was playing in - Rogue State Circus) and really enjoying their set, particularly the song "Indonesia" which is possibly one of the best songs ever written.
CD#187 Counting Crows - This Desert Life
Second to August And Everything After in my personal CC chart, Mrs Potter's Lullaby is one of my favourites of their songs.
Their only album, it has Pete Townshend on bass. The single is good but there's not much else to get excited about.
CD#184 The Congos - Heart Of The Congos
This pops up on Top Album charts a lot, which is what encouraged me to buy it recently. Released in 1977, when I was listening to Elvis Costello, Sex Pistols and The Ramones, it feels like something from a generation before, though that's not necessarily a bad thing.
CD#185 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - In Step
He's a fantastic player, and I like his voice which is great for his style of music, but I'm not enough of a fan to be able to sit through two albums in a row (sometimes even the whole of one) without getting bored. This is true of a number of the CDs I own but SRV is noticeably consistent in his ability to satisfy my cravings for his music in a short space of time :O)
CD#186 The Incisors - Demos/We All Have Stories
The Incisors describe themselves as "turbo melodic pop rock" and sound like a lot of post punk/new wave stuff I listened to in the 80s. I bought these two CDs after seeing them play at The Cavern Pub in Liverpool (IIRC they were on just before the band I was playing in - Rogue State Circus) and really enjoying their set, particularly the song "Indonesia" which is possibly one of the best songs ever written.
CD#187 Counting Crows - This Desert Life
Second to August And Everything After in my personal CC chart, Mrs Potter's Lullaby is one of my favourites of their songs.
Monday, 25 April 2016
Day 43
CD#178 The Jayhawks - Music From The North Country
This compilation has been described as "tracing their story from their beginnings as a struggling local act to their final chapter as a struggling national act." despite that there some great tunes to be enjoyed.
CD#179 Rogue State Circus - Songs From The Sea Of Serenity
Since this album's release I have gigged with the Rogues, on drums once or twice, on guitar for a while and most recently on bass, so I know these songs very well indeed - still fun to listen to this nevertheless as the songs are great, and well played.
CD#180 Echo And The Bunnymen - Evergreen
I bought their first album (vinyl) and saw them live back in the early 80s. They were pretty good back then, much better than this. It isn't awful but it's no Crocodiles.
CD#181 Chyco Siméon - Finally
Funky, jazzy, Marcus Miller-style bass led tunes. Groovy.
CD#182 The Story - Grace In Gravity
Jonatha Brooke (previously mentioned on Day 1 and Day 37) and Jennifer Kimball (I don't have any of her solo work), this their first album (of two) before Jonatha went solo.
This compilation has been described as "tracing their story from their beginnings as a struggling local act to their final chapter as a struggling national act." despite that there some great tunes to be enjoyed.
CD#179 Rogue State Circus - Songs From The Sea Of Serenity
Since this album's release I have gigged with the Rogues, on drums once or twice, on guitar for a while and most recently on bass, so I know these songs very well indeed - still fun to listen to this nevertheless as the songs are great, and well played.
CD#180 Echo And The Bunnymen - Evergreen
I bought their first album (vinyl) and saw them live back in the early 80s. They were pretty good back then, much better than this. It isn't awful but it's no Crocodiles.
CD#181 Chyco Siméon - Finally
Funky, jazzy, Marcus Miller-style bass led tunes. Groovy.
CD#182 The Story - Grace In Gravity
Jonatha Brooke (previously mentioned on Day 1 and Day 37) and Jennifer Kimball (I don't have any of her solo work), this their first album (of two) before Jonatha went solo.
Sunday, 24 April 2016
Day 42
CD#175 Gail Ann Dorsey - I Used To Be
Bass player to the stars, this is Gail being a star in her own right, nice and chilled for a Sunday morning.
CD#176 Bellowhead - Matachin
I'm not a traditionalist when it comes to any genre of music, so enjoying Bellowhead's take on classic folk tunes has never been a problem for me, though as one who dips in and out of things as the fancy takes I haven't got round to hearing their most recent work as what I have has been sufficient.
A quick look at their Wiki page tells me that they're currently playing a farewell tour which ends next month and then Bellowhead will, for the time being at least, be no more. Which is a shame.
CD#177 No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
I've not listened to this for ages, there's more good stuff on here than I'd remembered.
Bass player to the stars, this is Gail being a star in her own right, nice and chilled for a Sunday morning.
CD#176 Bellowhead - Matachin
I'm not a traditionalist when it comes to any genre of music, so enjoying Bellowhead's take on classic folk tunes has never been a problem for me, though as one who dips in and out of things as the fancy takes I haven't got round to hearing their most recent work as what I have has been sufficient.
A quick look at their Wiki page tells me that they're currently playing a farewell tour which ends next month and then Bellowhead will, for the time being at least, be no more. Which is a shame.
CD#177 No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
I've not listened to this for ages, there's more good stuff on here than I'd remembered.
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