When Talking Heads first appeared out of New York I was immediately attracted – they were different.
Today I’m playing Sand in the Vaseline. A great album.
Today’s Music to keep me saNE in Isolation – Doctors of Madness
I met Dik (AKA Kid Strange) in Abbey Road studios at various Roy Harper sessions and got to know him quite well. Back in the mid-seventies, they were an eccentric proto-punk band with their electric violin and interesting lyrics.
They built up quite a following in the UK and Japan and for a time it looked as if they were going to be really big.
Richard went on to do a number of things in film and a weird fashionable nightclub. I recently organised and promoted a solo gig for him in Hull.
So today I’m playing the three albums and nefarious other CDs of the Doctors of Madness!!
Today’s Music to keep me sANe in Isolation – The Clash.
Today I’m rockin’ the Casbah with a band that came out of Punk but was much more than punk – they had a social/political edge and a big dose of Reggae. My type of band.
I first heard the Clash when their first album came out. I was teaching at the time and running a record club at lunch-time. I’d take my stuff in and they’d bring theirs. We were playing Doors, Roy Harper, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Captain Beefheart and Velvet Underground – then, suddenly, overnight there was a revolution. All the kids cut off their hair, spiked it up, narrowed their trousers and were festooned with razor blades.
One night there was a knock on my front door. A bunch of them had come around with a carrier bag of Punk albums. One of them said: ‘Right, you boring old fart we’ve come round to play you some good stuff!’.
We spent the evening playing Sex Pistols, Stranglers, Damned and Clash. It was quite an education.
So today I’ll think about those great times and play my Clash albums real loud!!
Today’s Music to keep me SANE in Lockdown – The Velvet Underground.
After 112 days of playing a different band each day, I’m still coming up with music of this quality!! There’s such a lot of good stuff out there.
It must have been back in 1967 that I first heard the Velvets. While the West Coast was exploding with the splendour of Acid Rock the East Coast tended to be a lot bleaker. The Velvets were singing about heroin, transvestites and drug deals with dodgy characters. It was a world of pimps, pushers and S&M. A bit different to Peace and Love.
What a great band they were. I went to have a look for Andy Warhol’s Factory when I was over in New York but I couldn’t find it.
The things I liked about Velvets was their range of styles and vocals. There was something about Nico’s heavily accented, laid-back, lyrical delivery and then Lou Reed’s punchy Grage Punk. The avant-garde weirdness of the cello and John Cale’s contributions made it sound so different. The world of New York seemed very different and edgy.
So today I’m playing a big dose of the Velvets – way back to 1967!
Today’s Music to keep me SaNe in Isolation – Family
Family were another of those bands that I used to often see on the underground circuit. The thing that made them very different was Roger Chapman’s warbling vocals. They were superb live, but I don’t think they ever captured the brilliance of their stage act on vinyl.
I remember Roger smashing a bottle against the wall at the climax of a gig at the Mecca in Ilford. I believe that resulted in a ban from all Meccas around the country.
I saw them at a Christmas gig where they played a lot of old Rock ‘n’ Roll and really got the audience going!
They were superb.
So today I will have another listen to some of my favourites.
Today’s Music to keep me SANE in Isolation – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac
I first saw Pete Green playing with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. He was superb. As good, if not better than Clapton.
In 1967 he formed Fleetwood Mac and they released their first album on Blue Horizon. That year was stunning for the release of great albums – Captain Beefheart, Doors, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Stones, Country Joe and the Fish, Buffalo Springfield, Love, Byrds, Roy Harper, Leonard Cohen, Grateful Dead, Traffic, Family – we had iconic albums coming out of our ears. That first Fleetwood Mac one was one of the greats. These were the days of the great British Blues Boom with Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, Aynsley Dunbar, Groundhogs, Free, John Mayall, Savoy Brown, Taste, John Dummer, and a host of others – most of which evolved into Progressive Rock.
I used to go to see Fleetwood Mac regularly. They were always brilliant and good fun too – great to dance to. They created a brilliant atmosphere in those small clubs – like the Toby Jug in Tolworth.
So today I’m playing some Pete Green and Fleetwood Mac (so much superior to later incarnations!):
Traffic – You Can All Join In
In these days of division and hatred, where race is being used by politicians to gain votes and racism still hasn’t been properly addressed, it’s good to hear Traffic singing this.
Back in the 60s we were fighting for equality and freedom. Our music reflected that. The lyrics were pertinent.
Surely we can have differences without hatred? Surely we can disagree without falling out? Surely variety can be strength?
Today’s Music to keep me SANE in Isolation – Patti Smith
While I was playing PJ Harvey yesterday I started thinking about Patti. PJ reminded me of her. They are both such ballsy women.
I’ve been listening to Patti right from the start though, much to my chagrin, I haven’t seen her perform….. yet!
I used to play ‘Piss Factory’ on the way to work. It always used to cheer me up – even though I loved my job and the kids I did resent the time and having to get up early!!
So today it’s Patti!
Today’s Music to keep me SANE in Isolation – P J Harvey.
Today’s Music to keep me SANE in Isolation – Edgar Broughton Band!!
They were always good for a laugh and a benefit, cause or free festival. Many demons were outed and Beefheart impersonations carried out. Whose idea was it to merge Drop Out Boogie with Apache?? Insane but it worked.
That first album, Wasa Wasa, on Harvest was brilliant. Death of an Electric Citizen!! I thought I heard a raindrop fall!
So today I shall dig them out and play them loud!!