The Sixth Time's a Charm for Dylan!

Awrighty, well, it's been nearly five years since I stopped listening to Dylan's albums in succession. Not that I ever stopped listening to him, mind. Still do that plenty. But, I've not revisited the box set of CDs since 2018! Far freaken out! So, I decided to jump back in, me. 

As a footnote to proceedings, in between these sessions Rhona and I watched Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese on the Netflicks. Although it played fast and loose with the truth, the live performances were quite captivating. I toyed the idea of doing a Dylan tribute concert from the era, but it didn't eventuate unfortunately. I did manage to get my hands on the double CD of The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue though. Together with 1976's live album Hard Rain, it makes for a nice document of that tour. I came to dig some of the versions on those albums more than the studio recordings. I'd always loved the Hard Rain reworking of Maggie's Farm, but I really started loving the performances of A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, One Too Many Mornings, Isis and I Shall Be Released (which featured Joan Baez on backing vocals). One wonders what the 14 disc set issued in 2019 contains...

But anyway, on with the albums!

21. BOB DYLAN AT BUDOKAN (1978) (18/1/23)
As is usual for a live Dylan album, a lot of the songs here vary significantly from their studio counterparts. There's reggae influenced takes on Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (arguably the album's low point) and Knockin' On Heaven's Door, along with full band arrangements of Mr Tambourine Man, Simple Twist of Fate, Shelter From the Storm and It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding). The performance of Maggie's Farm is different again from the Hard Rain version, which would have only been two years beforehand. Interestingly, the guitar riff used in this take of I Shall Be Released sounds remarkably similar to the main guitar line repeated throughout Not Dark Yet, from the excellent 1997 record Time Out Of Mind. I found most of it pretty easy to listen to, despite the ravaging it got from the critics at the time of release. Not one to look back, Dylan rarely performs his songs the same way, so I guess we're all a little more forgiving of this now. Well, some of us are. I know what to expect at a Dylan concert. Sometimes you won't recognise a song until the chorus! The clumsy intro of the album's closing track The Times They Are A-Changin' suggest that the band don't even really know how they're going to be playing any given song either.

22. SLOW TRAIN COMING (1979) (21/1/23)
I've hit the run of Dylan albums that I was dreading. They're possibly the reason I put off listening to the rest of the box set. Hmmm, maybe not that possibly. This album, and the following Saved and Shot of Love were released hot on the heels of Dylan's conversion to Christianity. In 1971, he made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and was seen at The Wailing Wall wearing a yarmulke. Dylan spouted that he was searching for his Jewish identity, but shortly afterwards he began studying at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in California. To jump into gospel-tinged compositions that either celebrate God/Jesus, or share lessons from the Bible, must have been fairly alienating for an artist who had never really written faith-based music. And at that, not the faith he had been raised with. Having said that, the music is quite appealing, at least to my ears. 

Recorded at Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama, and produced by Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler, the production gives most of the tracks a funky groove. The prominent organ paired with the fabulous rhythm section of bassist Tim Drummond (Neil Young, CSNY, Eric Clapton) and drummer Pick Withers (Dire Straits) make for an enjoyable soundscape. A young fella named Mark Knopfler also plays some lead guitar on the record. Dylan had caught a Dire Straits concert and pretty much invited him to be part of his next album straightaway. Little did Knopfler know that it would be the first of three offerings of Christian rock! He would return to the Dylan fold again in the eighties, producing the Infidels album. 

Kicking off with album highlight Gotta Serve Somebody, your ears are drawn to Beckett's keyboard as it permeates the plod of the drums and bass. I'd forgotten that the song came from this album, so it was a nice surprise on my first spin. One of my favourite lines from it is:

"You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy

You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy"

It just tickles me when Dylan is a little playful, and I love the idea of someone calling him 'Zimmy'. I'd name the title track as another highlight as well, although the official title is shortened to just Slow Train. The only cut that feels like a straight-out gospel song to me is the album closer When He Returns, which sees Dylan almost preaching to a lone piano backing. It doesn't feel overly religious to me, and the musicality makes up for any zealousness in the lyrics. While I was dubious about listening to these albums, I've come away from this one quite pleased. I've even given it a few spins!

23. SAVED (1980) (31/1/23)
Well, this one takes it up a notch, huh? The preachiness increases and the funk lessens. Although Beckett and Wexler return as producers, and the sessions are again at Muscle Shoals, there is a distinct shift in vibe. Tim Drummond remains on bass, but drummer Pick Withers has been replaced by session legend Jim Keltner. Gone are Beckett's funky keyboards as well, with Neil Young bandmate Spooner Oldham tackling the keys. The subject matter is much more biblical, with songs like Covenant Woman and In The Garden, which details Judas' betrayal of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Kicking off with a snippet of country standard A Satisfied Mind, the album then launches into the borderline evangelical title track, co-written with Drummond. Yeah, nah. Not one I'll probably ever play again. It's nice that Dylan was happy with his deepening faith, and let's face it, artists are moved by what's relevant to them at the time of writing. But yeah, this isn't why I listen to music. The cover was altered in future editions to show Dylan performing live, rather than the religious illustration on the original.

24. SHOT OF LOVE (1981) (2/2/23)
I found this album much easier to listen to than Saved. Although there are still strong Christian themes in songs like Property of Jesus and the opening title track, but to my ears, it's a little more palatable. The producer is now Chuck Plotkin (Bruce Springsteen, The Cowsills) and the sessions were recorded at Rundown Studios in Santa Monica. As well as the differences in production, there are also several big names contributing to the album. Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood play on album highlight Heart of Mine, and there are also appearances from keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) and guitarist Danny Kortchmar (Carole King, James Taylor, etc.). As such, there's more of a rock feel than an evangelical gospel one. 

Keeping Jim Keltner on the drums, and Tim Drummond on the bass (although the role is shared with Donald 'Duck' Dunn), the last of Dylan's Christian albums trilogy is an intriguing listen, but not unpleasant. One track here I really like wasn't included on the original release (and subsequently, not included in the tracklisting artwork), and I was about to be a little dismayed. Thankfully when the CD player clicked over to track six and The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar fired up, I was a happy man! It was just the B-side for the single release of Heart of Mine, but saw itself included on further pressings and releases of the album. Good thing too! I was only turned on to it via the Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs online article from a few years back (No.90, if you're interested). Again there's lines about God in there, but its not preachy. I think that's the big difference here. The other well-known track is the album closer Every Grain of Sand, which came in at No.10 on that list I just mentioned. I don't think I'm as fond of it as some, but it's quite heartfelt and has a similar feel to Forever Young. Rather than giving advice though, he's looking at himself and how he sees God in everything on the planet. It's a nice way for Dylan to end the album, and with it, the Christian influenced period of his songwriting. 

Onto the next few albums! Which will also include The Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980-1985! That set features outtakes and alternative versions from Shot of Love, Infidels and Empire Burlesque. I need to listen to the latter two before cracking the package! Till next time. 

Goodbye 2022

2022 was certainly a year. A year of highs and lows; good bits and bad bits. All the clichés! Despite bouts of COVID, surgeries, hospital visits, health scares and plumbing emergencies, there were some wonderful moments. Our daughter Alyssa graduated Year 12 and Rhona successfully finished the first year of her Masters degree! Our boy Lachlan starting taking drum lessons for the first time as well, and as a result, his skills and techniques have greatly improved. He always had a natural talent for drumming, but it's been wonderful to see him open to idea of being taught different rhythms and styles. 

We took the plunge and bought him a full acoustic kit in April too. After years of playing on his electric Roland, he was very excited to move to a 'real' set of drums. I did get him to tote his electric kit down to Bar Orient a few times to play with me, which was really fun as well. We did look at doing a big debut style gig as Bolger Boys in July last year, but a few things happened to quash that temporarily. We'll endeavour to get him some more experience in 2023.

Team Bolgies managed to enjoy a few breaks throughout the year, including Kalbarri, Nannup, Poplars Farmstay in the Swan Valley, Witchcliffe and Denmark before Christmas to catch up with family. We also enjoyed a quick jaunt to the Perth Royal Show followed by watching the fireworks from a balcony in Claremont with Chelsea Pizza. We celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary by all going out to dinner in Byford and marked everyone's birthdays as best we could. Our Christmas Day was a very comfortable thirty degrees, the coolest in over seven years, and our backyard dinner with the family went swimmingly! The kids' business, Lyssie's Lanyards, enjoyed a good bit of success and ended the year with us running two market stalls!

There were some big highlights in entertainment as well. After my foot surgery in August, I nabbed myself a copy of The Last of Us on the bedroom PS4, and am now up to my third play through! He he he...it might be a big favourite of mine. Hoping that the TV series airing this month is faithful! 

My Top 5 TV shows for 2022 were:

1. Better Call Saul (season 6)

2. Stranger Things (season 4)

3. House of the Dragon (season 1)

4. The Boys (season 3)

5. The Offer

There were other enjoyable shows that just didn't quite live up to their potential or fell flat in the last episode or two. Obi Wan Kenobi could have been something really special, but it was only okay. The second season of Upright was pretty good, but it felt like they tried to cram too much into it. The final episodes of The Resort, The White Lotus (season 1), The Patient were quite disappointing, despite some great performances and intriguing plotlines in all of them. They were just very unsatisfying, I guess. We just starting watching the new series of Willow, which is quite good so far. Here's hoping the momentum keeps on, um, momenting?

While I was laid up in bed after my foot surgery, I started watching Banshee, which I really enjoyed, particularly after loving Antony Starr's chilling portrayal as Homelander in The Boys. It was nice to be 'on his side' in a TV show. The fourth and final season was not as engaging as the first two, and as a result it took me longer to wade through it. On the whole, it was really pulpy, and very enjoyable if you like sex and violence in your viewing.

My Top 5 Movies of 2022:
1. The Adam Project
2. Neil Young: Harvest Time
3. See How They Run
4. The Stranger
5. Thirteen Lives

I didn't watch a huge amount of new movies this year, and these were the picks of the bunch. I found The Adam Project to be a very enjoyable adventure film that felt like the movies I watched as a pre-teen in the eighties. Not everyone agreed, but I don't care. While The Stranger wasn't quite what I was expecting, I did enjoy the performances of Sean Harris and Joel Edgerton. A tough watch, but quite engaging. I was hugely disappointed by the Bowie 'documentary' Moonage Daydream, which felt very indulgent and wanky to me. It could have been about a half hour shorter as well. Enjoyed the Neil Young doco on the making of the Harvest album much more. 

My Top 5 Albums of 2022:

1. For the Sake of Bethel Woods MIDLAKE

2. Resist MIDNIGHT OIL

3. Misadventures of Doomscroller DAWES

4. Listen to the Water LUKE STEELE

5. Revolver THE BEATLES (Super Deluxe 2022 edition)

Now, if there's one thing I'm going to endeavour to do more of in 2023 is to listen to new music. Or, at least, newer music. It's very easy to keep comfort listening, and push new albums or artists to the side. I'm even terrible with my favourite musicians! I bought Josh Pyke's To Find Happiness in June last year, and I still haven't given it a spin! I grabbed copies of Midnight Oil's Resist and Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' Carnage albums, as we were seeing both acts in concert, and they're both terrific! If I'd listened to Carnage when it came out I think I would have enjoyed their live show even more. Having said that, it was pretty damn great anyway. 

an image I made for Lachlan to keep up-to-date with upcoming concerts

My Top 5 Live Concerts of 2022:

1. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (Riverside Theatre, PCEC, 5th Dec)

2. Tame Impala (RAC Arena, 27th Oct)

3. The Church (Astor Theatre, 1st Sep)

4. Midnight Oil (RAC Arena, 25th Sep)

5. The OG Wiggles (RAC Arena, 9th Apr)

This is the first time since 2019 that I've been able to make such a list. Only managed one show in 2020 before the COVID lockdowns (Tool, RAC Arena, 14th Feb) and one festival in 2021 (By the C: Icehouse/Pete Murray/You Am I/Tex Perkins, City Beach, 27th Mar). These five shows were the only shows for 2022, and in an interesting twist, I went to all of them with Lachlan. Rhona and Alyssa came to The Wiggles and Midnight Oil, but it was big year for our burgeoning musician! He certainly came away from the concerts with a good appreciation of what goes into live performances. We got tickets for Tame Impala in early 2020! It was nearly three years by the time we saw them live, after numerous postponements due to COVID restrictions. Now 2023 is looking to give that total of five shows a serious run for its money. Our credit cards are paying the price of our future event attendance! He he he... 

I used that Instafest app to create the following graphic on NYE. It's only what I've listened to on the Spottersfy this year, not all the physical CDs and vinyl, of course. But, it was a nice snapshot of 2022. I'm not sure if it was 6 months, 4 weeks or all-time in the end, but I nabbed it! He he he... to mark the occasion, I also made suitable Spottersfy playlists for each day. I picked five songs each for the acts written in the smallest size font, then ten for the next biggest, and finally fifteen for the 'headline' artist. Very enjoyable experience in both the creation and the listening! I didn't think too much about what tunes to pick, just grabbed them. As I was listening to a lot of ONJ in preparation for the tribute night, she's a headline act, but I just went with ten tracks for her. 

DAY 1: 31st Dec (5hr 46min)  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7i4wAFN5QqcMkjadj9t0N0?si=SQflYJbSTcKEPCROk0WVog

DAY 2: 1st Jan (5hr 53min) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4eK7PfrHkZClgPRgWAwiZq?si=jwFm6mILT7KiDEXCV6KobA

DAY 3: 2nd Jan (5hr 2min)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7IWATF7oFrDY3s8R0AJcMy?si=r0aK1WuvTyeek-aZjF3ekg

Finally, I'm going to attempt to list all the books I read in 2022. We started up a regular reading time before the kids went to bed last year. We didn't do it every single night, but we did it a lot, and I managed to turn a few pages. Rhona has been working her way through the Harry Potter books, Alyssa has a box set of Disney Twisted Tales she's making good progress with, and Lachlan swapped between Diary of a Minecraft Zombie books and his new MAD magazines. Now, I think I managed to put away these titles:

Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young (which I'm sure I started in 2021...)
Miles: The Autobiography of Miles Davis (I started this one YEARS ago!)
Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello
Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd by Nick Mason
Something Quite Peculiar by Steve Kilbey
Batman: Year One by Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli with Richmond Lewis (re-read)
Up from Down Under: How Australian Music Changed the World by Jeff Apter

Not a huge list, but a pretty big achievement for someone who recently struggled to read one (yes, one) book over a couple of years. Bit of a common theme there too, huh? He he he... I also have copies of The Storyteller by Dave Grohl and Face It by Debbie Harry ready to go once I have finished Roger Daltrey's Thanks a lot Mr Kibblewhite: My Story. I've also recently unearthed my edition of Footprints: The inside story of Australia's best-loved band Powderfinger by Dino Scatena which I've only read half of.  

I nabbed a copy of the first book in the Dune graphic novel series in late 2021, and scored the second volume in August. I have to wait until 2024 for the third one though! I must endeavour to finish my Dune blog and watches of various forms of film. And such. 

As I started studying a diploma of counselling late last year, I'll have to make sure I still read for pleasure on occasion. Not just study texts. Anyway, here's hoping 2023 is going to be a good one!

Album of the Week - Vol. 23

Priest=Aura THE CHURCH (1992)
Week: Sat 22nd to Fri 28th October 2022 
Format: vinyl, CD and Spotify
Producer: The Church and Gavin McKillop
Track listing:
1. Aura *
2. Ripple *
3. Paradox
4. Lustre
5. Swan Lake *
6. Feel
7. Mistress
8. Kings *
9. Dome
10. Witch Hunt
11. The Disillusionist *
12. Old Flame
13. Chaos
14. Film *
BONUS:
15. Nightmare (not on vinyl)
16. Fog (not on vinyl)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 1hr 12min

The Church's eight studio album is seen by many as the band's artistic highpoint, including frontman Steve Kilbey. I heard him on a radio interview years ago (possibly with Richard Fidler on the ABC?) refer to this record as their best album; and he calls it the group's 'undisputed masterpiece' in his autobiography, Something Quite Peculiar. The band underwent a 30th anniversary tour in 2011 dubbed "Future, Past, Perfect" which saw them play 2009's Untitled #23, 1988's Starfish and this album in their entireties. The latter being the 'perfect' component of the three album tour. 

Celebrating its 30th anniversary itself this year, Priest=Aura is quite a listen. While it's not a concept album per se, it has a cohesion that is lacking from their other long players, except for maybe Starfish. I've dabbled with The Church from time to time over the last few years, and I only own four of their albums, this being one of them. In fact, I have the 2011 remaster on CD and the coloured vinyl reissue. I've seen them live three times and each time they've had a different line-up. 

The first time was part of A Day on the Green show in December 2012 that also featured Models, Devo and Simple Minds. It was pretty damn great, and we have a CD of the Devo set! Very cool. Far out, that was nearly ten years ago! The band consisted of bassist/singer Kilbey, guitarists Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper and drummer Tim Powles. They only performed a short eight-song set, including crowd pleasers Metropolis, Almost With You and Under the Milky Way, but interestingly, nothing from this album. 

Just under five years later, Rhona and I ventured douth to see them play at the Dunsborough Tavern in November 2017, touring their new album Man Woman Life Death Infinity. Again, nothing from this album was on the setlist. Willson-Piper abruptly left the band a couple of years earlier, and had been replaced by Ian Haug, who used to be in Powderfinger. Move forward another five years, and in October this year, our boy Lachlan and I caught them at the Astor Theatre in Mt Lawley. At this juncture, Koppes had left The Church for the second time, with Ash Naylor (Even, The Stems) taking his place. A third guitarist (and sometime keyboardist) Jeffrey Cain from Alabama, USA had also joined the line-up. In addition to that, a second drummer in the form of Nick Meredith was also thrown into the mix; and the band did sound immense on that night. 

This time around, they did play something from Priest=Aura: Kings. That was the only offering though, but it was pretty awesome, and really benefited from the extra drummer. Their rendition of You Took, from 1982's The Blurred Crusade was a big highlight for Lachlan and me, he not even having heard it before. But I digress!

Back to the album in question. I've been listening to it a bit this week after reading those very words Kilbey wrote in his book; which I bought a copy of at the Astor (signed by him too, no less). It's a great album, for sure, but I haven't really grasped what makes Kilbey so fond of it. One thing that makes Priest=Aura stand out from The Church's back catalog is the appearance of the wonderful Jay Dee Daugherty on the drums. His attack and style are so distinctive, that you can always pick a cut from this record. He came into the band's orbit after The Church's drummer of nearly ten years, Richard Ploog, became increasingly difficult to work with. His final album with the group, 1990's Gold Afternoon Fix, saw him play on only four tracks, while the rest of the songs utilised programming. 

Daugherty had previously been in the Patti Smith Group, and his presence on this record seems to lift the band out of their post-GAF doldrums. Very much a collaborative effort, each of the album's tracks are credited to Kilbey/Koppes/Willson-Piper/Daugherty, except for Mistress. All of the songs are simply titled as well, often using just one word. The opening track, Aura, sets the scene well. We are introduced to a fairly dreamy landscape, courtesy of some ethereal keyboards before Daugherty's snare cracks the band into life. Indeed, the interplay between guitarists Koppes and Willson-Piper as arguably never been better. Another reason for the album's distinctive sound is Kilbey's notion of using a 1960s Fender VI six-string bass guitar on every track.

That first track unsurprisingly includes the album's title in its lyrics, stemming from Kilbey misreading a Spanish translation of priest as 'aura' (and not 'cura') in a Spanish fan's English notes. The end section of song gives way to some great lyrical comparitives:

And life = time

And time = space

And space = sublime

And human = race

Oh and woman = man

And pot = pan

The fauna ought to equal the flora

But priest = aura

The next track, Ripple, is another highlight for me, with a great melodic refrain that will get stuck in your head, if you're not careful. Paradox is a meditation on Kilbey's slowly blooming heroin addiction, as he ways up the good and the bad. He would be a slave to the drug for over a decade, before starting the 21st century clean. 

Other big highlights for me include the aforementioned Kings and the gentle Swan Lake, the latter detailing Kilbey's feelings about his soon-to-be-born twin girls. Another favourite for me is the eerie tale of The Disillusionist, which features an amazing octave hopping bassline and a baffling chorus:

They say that he's famous from the waist down

But the top half of his body is a corpse

His gold won't buy him sleep

His poverty runs so deep

In winter he cracks, in summer he warps

My biggest pet peeve with recorded music almost ruins this track, as it fades out while Kilbey is still singing!! I don't know if this was done to save on running time, or if the band came to a crashing heap towards the song's end, but it is a puzzling choice! Even more frustrating to me, is that the performance of The Disillusionist on the excellent A Psychedelic Symphony concert at the Sydney Opera House in 2011 keeps going past that fade-out point! In fact, the band (and orchestra) start to peter out until it's just Kilbey reciting the lyrics a cappela. So, that's a weird ending as well. Could they not decide on a way to finish the song?! Anyway, I still love the song, despite this. 

The best and worst of this album happen in the last two tracks. The sprawling Chaos nudges the ten minute mark in length, and has several false stops. Although the bass riff the song is built around is quite cool, it does get a little monotonous after a while. The battle between the guitarists for who can make the most noise gets very grating too. After the sonic assault of this track dies off, your ears get treated to the wonderful instrumental Film. A lovely ending to the record, this feels like music that would run as the credits of a noir thriller roll. No doubt, a big reason why the track is titled as such.

The two bonus tracks on the CD are okay, but they don't seem to fit nicely with the rest of the album, particularly Nightmare. It sounds like a good fit, but the lyrics are too playful or something. Just doesn't belong, although it's an interesting listen. 

Like I said at the start of this post, I don't think this is my favourite album by The Church, but it's pretty damn great. It has been very interesting to listen to it in different formats. Having headphones on and streaming it while walking is very enjoyable. I do love listening to an album on vinyl when you have to change sides so often (it's a two platter offering). The songs get a chance to breathe and sink in before you listen to the next section. I like that. It's also nice to do the opposite and have the CD assault you continuously. He he he... it's all good!

Happy Birthday Neil!

Today is Neil Young's 77th birthday. I'm a bit of a fan. Safe to say. We've just bought tickets to see Harvest Time on 1st December too! So, any excuse to spin a few of his tunes will do! He he he...but we did bounce around a bit throughout the day.

All of these albums were played in full, on CD*.

1. NEIL YOUNG Neil Young (1969)
2. CAROLE KING Tapestry (1971)
3. FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION Over-Nite Sensation (1973)
4. NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE Zuma (1975)
5. QUEEN News of the World (1977)
6. NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
7. PHIL COLLINS Face Value (1981)
8. BOB DYLAN Infidels (1983)
9. KATE BUSH Hounds of Love (1985) *

* Hounds of Love was streamed via the Spottersfy, and was not quite wholly listened to. Two and a half tracks to go...Jig of Life indeed!

Now, the first solo Neil Young album seemed to be the obvious choice to kick off the day's music choices. It's not one that I listen to a lot, and I couldn't remember the last time I gave it a spin. Enjoyed it immensely. Patchy as heck in parts, but some wonderful songs. 

From there I grabbed Tapestry, because Rhones and I watched a couple of episodes of 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything on the Apples last night. Carole King featured prominently in the first one, particularly the recording of the Tapestry album. Was a logical choice to follow on, as Rhones had expressed a desire to listen to it again. Such a great album.

It was time to step it up a notch, so I grabbed Over-Nite Sensation. A good dose of Zappa! Arguably, the pinnacle of Zappa's 1970s output. By this point, I had realised that I was moving ahead in two year intervals between releases. So, I decide to keep the trend going. I felt like going back to Neil Young, and I nearly chose Tonight's the Night, which was released in 1975, but recorded years earlier. So, I grabbed Zuma. The second album crediting his backing band Crazy Horse, this was the first record to feature Frank Sampedro. Although Crazy Horse contributed to the odd track in the early 1970s, they hadn't been co-credited since 1969's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. I remembered that a punter at a gig of mine got talking to me about Neil, and cited Zuma as their favourite album of his. Strange choice, I thought. But, there are some great tracks there!

For 1977, it seemed like a good time to pick a Queen album, which would be News of the World, naturally. This record was on my mind because I'd recently seen an album poll online that ranked Queen II as their best work. Another strange choice, I thought. But, it had been ranked by subscribers to the website, so a public, not critical selection. Anyway, it's not one of my favourites. Not even in my Top 5, so I had News of the World and The Game fresh in my head. Decision made!

I felt like some more Neil next, so following the rule of two, I selected Rust Never Sleeps. Such a great album. Almost every track is a classic. Dig it. So, then onto 1981, and with it Phil Collins! No brainer, innit? Face Value is fantastic from start to finish. 

For 1983, I picked Dylan's Infidels album. It's not one that I've actually listened to in full, but I knew a handful of tracks; namely Jokerman, Sweetheart Like You and License to Kill. I've recently become quite fond of the closing track Don't Fall Apart on Me Tonight, albeit the second version from the Springtime In New York 1980-1985 bootleg collection. I much prefer that take, but the one on Infidels is alright. It is amazing how the production has dated the material, but a very listenable effort from Zimmy.

Thought it was a good year for Kate Bush in 1985, so I landed on Hounds of Love. I don't own a physical copy of this unfortunately, so it was the Spottersfy to the rescue! Didn't quite get the whole album in, but a damn good chunk of it. Those first five songs are soooo good. What an amazing start to the record. The second half doesn't grab me as much, but still worth listening to.

So, there you go. If I had gotten to 1987 I think I would have grabbed INXS' wonderful Kick album. Or maybe Diesel & Dust by Midnight Oil. I had already decided that 1989 would be Neil Young's excellent, and eclectic, Freedom record. Might have to pick this thread up again sometime...

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. 

2002

This time twenty years ago it was 2002. I was twenty-six and Rhona and I had been married for about 18 months, with our 5 year anniversary fast approaching. We were renting in Beckenham, and the kids were yet to come along. We did, howevere, have Dylan, our faithful 35kg+ Rotty x Staffy. I had made the decision to leave Murphy’s Lore that year and played my last gig with them in July. (I would, however, rejoin in 2005 before leaving again in 2014.) The main reason for leaving the band at that time was to try and prepare for having a family; the old ‘get a haircut and get a real job’ thang. I had an enrolled in a TAFE course, aiming to earn a diploma in IT. Rhona was working at call centre in Centrelink. I was attending TAFE, as well as playing solo and WGJS gigs. 

Seems like another lifetime ago. I guess it kinda is. Things were a bit different personally, but also just in the way the world is operating. Social media was not the behemoth it is now. I think ICQ was about as social as it got. Maybe chat rooms were around then too? Twitter and Facebook were still about six or seven years away. Maybe MySpace launched a coupla years later?

Anyway, I got to thinking of how when I was growing up in Perth and Albany in the 1980s, I was listening to a lot of sixties music, particularly The Beatles. There were a few popular hits on the charts that were sixties covers too, like Kylie's The Loco-motion and Twist & Shout by The Beatles became popular again due its inclusion in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

So, I wanted to think about what was popular in music and movies twenty years ago. Is it enjoying a resurgence? Maybe it's a bit too early to get nostalgic at the 2000s, but I'm going to look at releases of 2002. No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age would go on to top Triple J's Hottest 100 in January 2003, but I remained blissfully unaware of it until I heard that countdown. How out of touch was I? The No.1 song, and I had no idea what it was. I love the track now, of course. Heck, who doesn't? Got a gnarly red vinyl edish of it too. So, bear in mind that everything in these lists are twenty years old now!

MY TOP 10 ALBUMS of 2002:

1. Sea Change BECK

2. Yoshimi vs the Pink Robots THE FLAMING LIPS

3. Audioslave AUDIOSLAVE

4. A Rush of Blood to the Head COLDPLAY

5. Heathen DAVID BOWIE

6. Diorama SILVERCHAIR

7. Torch the Moon THE WHITLAMS

8. The Rising BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

9. One By One FOO FIGHTERS

10. Tenacious D TENACIOUS D

MY TOP 10 MOVIES of 2002:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

2. Gangs of New York

3. Minority Report

4. Road to Perdition

5. The Pianist

6. City of God

7. Equilibrium

8. The Bourne Identity

9. Insomnia

10. Signs (hey, I liked it!)

MY TOP 5 SONGS of 2002:

1. Cochise AUDIOSLAVE

2. The Golden Age BECK

3. Without Me EMINEM

4. Keep Fishin' WEEZER

5. Comfort Me PACIFIER/SHIHAD

MY TOP 5 TV SHOWS of 2002:

1. 24 (season two)

2. The Sopranos (season 4)

3. Black Books (season 2)

4. The West Wing (season 4)

5. Kath & Kim (season 1) 

Sunday Morning Albums

My buddy Kieran and I were waxing lyrical on the wonder of the Sunday morning album recently. He offered up the notion that that particular time of the week was optimal for enjoying good albums. But, what makes an album good for Sunday morning? 

I suppose it has to have several things going for it. Firstly, it has to be something that everyone present will enjoy, or at the very least, tolerate. If the music is familiar and well-loved it adds a cosy comfort to the morning atmosphere, but that's not necessary essential. It can be a gamble to try a maiden listen on a Sunday morning and a wobbly aural start to the day can be difficult to shift, if the mood isn't right. 

Ultimately, you want the musical equivalent of a loving hug. Or a welcoming sunrise. Something that seems to promise that today will be a good day. For a lot of people, Sunday morning is a special time, and to have a soundtrack worthy of inhabiting the family's ears is just good sense. It's a time to recharge and reflect on the week that was, while pondering the incoming one.

We always have a big breakfast on Sunday, or as we call it 'Special Breakfast'. Usually that means French toast and hashbrowns for the kids, bacon and eggs for me and Rhones. I tend to add in mushrooms and grilled tomato as well. It's one of the only times we all sit around the dining table together, and we always endeavour to keep it sacred. 

So, for the hour or so I spend in the kitchen preparing Special Breakfast, it's good to have some choice tunes going. I'll ruminate on this subject a bit more in the future, methinks, but for now, I will simply offer up some of my favourite albums to play on a Sunday morning.

*            *            *

Bryter Layter NICK DRAKE (1971)
A lovely, mellow record to throw on the turntable. It even has an instrumental track called Sunday that finishes it off. Drake's voice is quite soft-spoken, which results in a vocal delivery that doesn't intrude. It sits nicely in the background, but you can also sing along when you want to. Big hallmark of a Sunday morning album right there, I reckon. 

Tapestry CAROLE KING (1971)
Another good quality for a Sunday morning album to have is a solid tracklisting. This record is a prime example of the classic adage 'all killer, no filler'. Even when it starts off with the slightly funky I Feel The Earth Move, it's not intrusive. It's a hearty welcome to the morning in the guise of a piano riff. The ballads are certainly more enjoyable on a lazy Sunday, but the upbeat numbers don't make you feel like you should be getting up to clean house or anything.

Fleet Foxes FLEET FOXES (2008)
These guys are getting played quite a bit in our house at the moment. While our son Lachlan and I battle for sonic supremacy, there are a number of bands we both like to play. This is one of them, and this album is wonderful for a Sunday morning. Reverb-drenched vocals and folky music production together with hooks and lovely lyrics. When White Winter Hymnal kicks off, you can't help but hum or sing along. Their second album Helplessness Blues is also a corker. 

Spring and Fall PAUL KELLY (2012)
A fairly mellow affair, this album could also pass for a late night record. Following the loose concept of the start and end of a romantic relationship (the spring and fall, as it were), this has some of Kelly's best work on it. The promise of New Found Year, as the couple celebrate their love together sits well with the jaunty For The Ages. As the tide turns and the themes get darker, the musical production doesn't; it remains light and acoustic. None Of Your Business Now does have a menacing feel, but it doesn't grab you by the throat or anything. The album's closer, Little Aches and Pains, is one of my favourite PK songs ever. 

Feels Like Home NORAH JONES (2004) 
Norah's follow-up to Come Away With Me is a more enjoyable affair, in my humble opinion. There's a relaxed feeling that permeates the whole record, and it seems as though you're just listening to musicians jamming. Everything sounds effortless and easy, much like a Sunday morning should be. Her cover of Tom Waits' Long Way Home is a big highlight, as is What Am I To You?, which features Levon Helm on drums and Garth Hudson on keys.

Apple Venus XTC (1999)
XTC's thirteen studio album, is also their second last effort, sadly. From the opening string plucks of River of Orchids to the haunting final notes of The Last Balloon, this is hugely enjoyable power pop that never outstays its welcome. Again, the upbeat numbers here are never overpowering, and there's an optimism throughout most of the playlist. Your Dictionary being one of the obvious exceptions, but I'd Like That and Easter Theatre are wonderful doses of sunny pop.

Modern Times BOB DYLAN (2006)
Dylan's last album of his critically acclaimed 'Late Trilogy' (along with the excellent Time Out of Mind and Love & Theft), is immensely enjoyable and perfect for a Sunday morning. Although the opening riffs of Thunder on the Mountain threaten to derail the desired free-and-easy atmosphere, the song settles into a steady toe-tapping groove. Even the guitar solos don't grate against you. Rollin' and Tumblin' could also blow the doors off in the hands of another interpreter, but Dylan keeps a lid on his band nicely. Ballads like Workingman's Blues No.2 and Spirit on the Water rank amongst Dylan's best tracks and they certainly help to welcome a new day.

Silver & Gold NEIL YOUNG (2000)
Utilising the mellow acoustic feel of the Harvest, Comes a Time and Harvest Moon albums, this absolute pearler is a joy from start to finish. Songs of love, nostalgia and gentle yearnings. The title track holds strong significance between Rhona and I as well, citing it as one of (if not, THE) 'our songs'. I rank Distant Camera and Razor Love pretty highly as well. Hearing Neil reminisce about his old band on Buffalo Springfield Again is something special too.