A Day of Music

Today has been a great day for music, delivered through different formats. It is Saturday, 5th November in the year 2022. Nothing specifically special about that date. Wikipedia tells me that it's the 309th day of the Gregorian calendar, and that 2022 has but 56 days left. I'm inclined to believe it. Oh yeah, and it's Guy Fawkes Day, innit? Or Bonfire Night or whatever you want to call it. Not of particular significance to this little black duck. The fact that it is also the birthday of Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood is of more importance. He's 51, if you're curious. It's also Gram Parsons birthday, who would have turned 76 had he not passed away the age of 26. 

But I digress!

I started the day off for us by spinning Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' wonderful Push the Sky Away album on vinyl. While our record player is in need of serious updating, parts of it sounded really good. Other bits sounded a little distorted, much to my chagrin. So, I decided to ditch the vinyl for the next listen. 

My phone let me know earlier that morning that Neil Young had just dropped an unreleased studio outtake from 1972's Harvest album, which was recorded with a group of musicians he dubbed The Stray Gators. There's a 50th anniversary reissue of the album coming out very soon, you see. The song Journey Through the Past has popped up on numerous live albums and releases, but this was an unheard version. So, I streamed it via the NYA (Neil Young Archives) app and looked for a CD to put on. Really nice version, by the way.

I landed on the wonderful Fleet Foxes box set First Collection 2006-2009. Only got a physical copy of this a few weeks ago, as it's readily available on the Spottersfy. It was released to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of their debut album Fleet Foxes in 2008. Included in the box set, is the album itself, the Sun Giant EP (released a few months before the album in 2008), The Fleet Foxes EP (self-released in 2006) and a disc of B-sides and rareties. I'd not heard the first EP before, and it's quite different from their subsequent offerings. It's only Robin Pecknold, the singer and songwriter behind the band, and a fellow called Garrett Croxon on the drums. Robin plays/sings every part except the drums. For the sake of continuity, I listened to the three official releases in their chronological, and then finished off with the B-sides disc. Seemed like the way to go. It was very enjoyable, let me tell you.

The next listen saw me open up the Spottersfy and select the newly released Super Deluxe 2022 Remaster of The Beatles album Revolver. I've not really gone in for any of the Super Deluxe releases that have come out in the last few years, but Revolver is my favourite Beatles LP, so I felt like it was worth a delve. The actual remastered album sounded great, but I have trouble hearing major differences in remastering. I had to play the 1987 CDs back-to-back with the 2009 reissues to notice the changes. Certainly an improvement, but I don't think I'm the audiophile that other Beatles fans are. My first real dive into the Beatles was via a cassette box set of all the albums when I was 12. I guess those analogue recordings are my touchstone. 

Anyway, I enjoyed the listen, and got through all the different takes and versions. Some of those tracks popped up on 1996's Anthology 2 compilation, so it wasn't all new to me. When I got to the mono/stereo editions of the album I stopped. It was cool that the alternate versions and stuff kicked off in reverse order. After Tomorrow Never Knows finished on the 2022 remaster, an early take of it signaled the beginning of the bonus material. Then it went to the different takes of Got To Get You Into My Life. It was pretty cool, reliving the album backwards with the alternate recordings. But then you got the Love You Too takes, before launching into the Paperback Writer and Rain ones. The mono and stereo mixes of Revolver included in the package feature those two tracks on the album. Nice idea. Those songs were recorded in the same sessions, but were released as a single in May 1966, three months before Revolver. I might possibly go back to those mixes. But then again, I might not. 

For a slightly mellower listen, I then grabbed The Flying Burrito Brothers excellent The Gilded Palace of Sin album, going back to the CD player. I only got into this one after reviewing it for the AFYCCIM blog I was a part of for a coupla years. Not expecting to like it much at all, I actually became quite enamoured with it. One of the big moments for me was hearing their version of Aretha's Do Right Man Do Right Woman. It was nice way to remember Gram Parsons' birthday. His impact on alt-country rock cannot be overstated. 

As it was Jonny's birthday, it seemed fitting to spin a Radiohead album next, and bizarrely, I chose Kid A. This was the album where it seemed Jonny had put down his guitar, he he he. Anyway, it was a nice revisit. I also played some random tracks on the way home from my gig, namely There There, Airbag and No Surprises.

So, yeah, nothing earth-shattering, but I felt like documenting. 

CLAY'S eleven

I was asked by a good friend of mine to make him a CD. He asked me to pick eleven songs that mean something to me. He also told me not to over think it, and just do it. 

I did probably give this task too much thought, but I like to do these little things. This felt quite similar to the Essential20 idea that Justin floated through us a couple of years back. Only this time, I didn't have to rely on Spotify. I knew I would have everything I wanted.

Of course, I tried to include my BIG FIVE, and I got three out of the five. I had a bit of an epiphany a little while ago where five musical artists revealed themselves to be my absolute favourites:

1. Neil Young
2. Bob Dylan
3. Frank Zappa
4. Paul Kelly
5. David Bowie

For whatever reason, these five musicians are the ones where I've tried the hardest to listen to their entire body of work. I haven't quite got there with all five yet, but I'm certainly making headway.

Anyway, I decided to distance myself from my favourite bands and songs and stuff and hone in on music that provoked an emotional response of some kind from me. As someone else would be listening to it, I also thought it best to keep the length of the tracks fairly short too; no twenty six minute prog rock epics here! The longest song goes for six and half minutes, but they tend to be between three and four.

I think I've come up with a fairly indicative list, but as is always the case with these things, I've missed a few songs. I'm not going to dwell on those missed choices though. For whatever reason, I feel that these eleven tracks were the ones I was meant to pick.

Anyway, here they are:

1. Desperados Under The Eaves by Warren Zevon (Warren Zevon, 1976)

I went through a pretty big Warren Zevon phase a few years back after a fellow who worked at Rosie O'Grady's lent me the A Quiet Normal Life compilation. This was a track that constantly grabbed me whenever it played. I seemed to be drawn in by it, and as the song builds towards it end, I would feel a little teary for some reason. It's not a sad song or anything, but the arrangement is pretty stirring. I have been lucky to play it live a handful of times, and it has some of my favourite lyrics that Zevon ever wrote. I was always pretty bummed that I didn't really get into his music until after he died.

2. Don't Let It Bring You Down by Neil Young (After The Gold Rush, 1970)

Of course there had to be a Neil Young song in here, and I landed on this one. Not only my favourite song from my favourite Neil Young album, but it has a lyric that I found myself quoting a lot over the years:

"Don't let it bring you down/

It's only castles burning..."

I don't really know what it means, but I find it strangely comforting. I feel it expresses a desire to rise above whatever situation who find yourself in. I might be wrong, but that's the great thing about music, isn't it?

3. The Lighthouse Song by Josh Pyke (Chimney's Afire, 2008)

Rhona and I both love Josh Pyke and we've seen him live about seven or eight times. His music speaks to both of us, and we even have lyrics from one of his songs on our bedroom wall. I chose this track because it always reminds of me of Rhona. When things get a little tough, and the world seems to be closing in around us, this songs almost becomes something of a mantra. We're about to celebrate our 15 year wedding anniversary and I think our relationship is stronger than it's ever been. I cherish our marriage dearly, and I don't take it for granted. This song feels like it's about us, in a weird way.

4. Pink Moon by Nick Drake (Pink Moon, 1972)

I had to listen to Nick Drake's Pink Moon as part of my blogging adventures for afyccim, and it was my first ever experience with the man. I was struck by the song's simplicity and beauty. That piano in the middle of the track is just wondrous. It just does something to me. It centres and clams me. I love it. 

5. The Mission: Unexplainable Stories by Cloud Cult (Light Chasers, 2010)

From the first time I heard this song, I loved it. The opening brass lines grabbed me and I was hooked within ten seconds. It wouldn't surprise you to know that this song is from a concept album, and this is the start of the story, but it works quite well on its own. I absolutely love how the musical layers stack up throughout the track. It's stunning.

6. (Nice Dream) by Radiohead (The Bends, 1995)

For a long time, I held this album to be my favourite of all time, and it's still up there. I chose this song because I think everything great about Radiohead is in this one track. Lovely melodic vocals, lush arrangements, screaming guitars and beautiful counter melodies. Its the latter than really grab here. When they start up in the middle choruses, I just get taken away. He he he...and then the guitars shake me out of it.

7. God by John Lennon (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, 1970)

I've spent a large portion of my life as fan of The Beatles, and I still am one. John has always been my favourite Beatle, and I gravitate towards the songs he wrote. When I chose my ten essential Beatles tracks recently, seven of them were John's. This album is a very strong contender for my all time favourite too. Such raw honesty and emotion. This track in particular strips away the idea that John clings to any ideal, religion or figure. All that matters is his relationship with Yoko, and again that's something I relate to me and Rhona. I also love this song for Ringo's drumming; every fill on the "I don't believe in..." lines is different. 

8. The Golden Age by Beck (Sea Change, 2002)

Another one of those songs that just takes me away. I love listening to this one while I'm driving, as the lyrics describe being in the car. Again, it's a fairly simple song, but the arrangement and the vocal layering elevate it well above the average track. This is another song that seems to calm or soothe me.

9. Not Dark Yet by Bob Dylan (Time Out Of Mind, 1997)

This hypnotic, almost dirge-like track is the longest one in this list. It's slow, it's fairly simple, but I love the lyrics and the repeated guitar riff. It feels like the musical equivalent of an ocean wave; the song just washes over you. This album was the beginning of one of my favourite Dylan eras, and it always reminds me of the road he went down. 

10. Little Aches And Pains by Paul Kelly (Spring And Fall, 2012)

I love Paul Kelly, and if there's any songwriter I wish I could emulate, he's it. His observational style and storytelling skills paint such vivid images. This track is a little different, but it still evokes a picture of sorts. As the song's narrator talks about getting older and how he always feels little aches and pains, Kelly knocks out some of my favourite lyrics:

"Disabled we're born, disabled we die/

Is that a cliche? I'll make it one/

Hope it doesn't get too creaky..."

I also hold this track as something special because the first time I heard was live. Rhona and I went to see the Paul Kelly documentary Stories Of Me at the Astor Theatre and Kelly came out at the end of the film to play a few songs. This was one of them, and I loved it immediately. We were lucky enough to score front row tickets too, so he was directly in front of us. Magic moment.

11. It's A Motherfucker by Eels (Daisies Of The Galaxy, 2000)

Despite the profanity, this is a beautiful song. Those strings are just amazing, and I think it's one of the most perfect arrangements I've ever heard. It's a nice way to the end of the list too. I think this was the song that started me down the Eels' rabbit hole as well. I haven't listened to the last three or four albums, but I should get onto that.

So, there you have it. I might try to do this again in a little while, as an experiment, and see what I choose then.