And did you make the decision yourself? Or was it made for you? Did you wake up with a song in your head? Was it in a dream?
I'm not talking about the twenty second snippet you used for your alarm this morning. Or even that flash of song that came up during a segment on Sunrise or the ABC news. Not that song that was halfway through when you got into the car and switched your radio on either.
The first full song that started your day. What was it? Do you remember?
Did you wake up wanting to hear a particular track? Was it in your head when you got out of bed? Did you know what you wanted to hear? Did you run your thumb over the wheel of your iPod looking for it? Or did you pull a record out?
The first song I heard today was Sting's Shape Of My Heart from his 1993 album Ten Summoner's Tales. I opened up Spotify on my phone and looked through the six Daily Mixes on offer for the day. I could have picked a song by Elbow or Eels or Blur or Jackson Browne or Catatonia or Fleetwood Mac or Flaming Lips or Amy Winehouse or The Style Council, but the Sting song caught my eye.
It's a great song. I like the usage of the four card suites in the lyrics. It's easy to listen to. Not too intrusive, but quite engaging at the same time. I think it started my day off pretty well. The family came and had breakfast and everyone seemed to be in good form.
What if a different song had kicked off my morning? What if was too sad, or just too noisy for that time of the day? What if my song choice caused an argument? But, what if it went the other way? What if the song was so infectious and groovy that everyone had to dance when they got into the kitchen?
It's only a song, but your first one can pull an awful lot of threads.
I love music.
Wednesday, 7 March 2018
Thursday, 1 February 2018
Album of the Week - Vol.9
Physical Graffiti LED ZEPPELIN (1975)
Week: Tue 9th Jan to Mon 15th Jan 2018
Format: CD
Producer: Jimmy Page
Track listing:
CD 1:
1. Custard Pie
2. The Rover
3. In My Time of Dying *
4. Houses of the Holy *
5. Trampled Underfoot *
6. Kashmir *
CD 2:
1. In the Light
2. Bron-Y-Aur *
3. Down by the Seaside *
4. Ten Years Gone
5. Night Flight
6. The Wanton Song
7. Boogie With Stu
8. Black Country Woman
9. Sick Again
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 82:45
My listening of this album kicked off because January 9th was Jimmy Page's 74th birthday. I don't know if I picked this particular Zeppelin album because of the length or because I just really dig the tunes. I only learned recently that the record was extended into a double album by adding outtakes from previous Led Zep efforts. So, without those tracks, Physical Graffiti might have looked something like this:
In the Light
Custard Pie
Ten Years Gone
In My Time of Dying
Trampled Underfoot
Kashmir
The Wanton Song
Sick Again
That's a total guess, of course. I have no idea what order the band would have chosen. In the Light just seems like a better opener for the whole album. Works great kicking of the second disc though.
So, where did the other songs come from, I hear you ask? Kinda. Well, the devout Led Zep fan will probably know this. The earliest track here is Jimmy Page's lovely instrumental Bron-Y-Aur, which was recorded during the Led Zeppelin III sessions in 1970. I first heard the song as it played in a sequence in their concert film The Song Remains The Same. I was in my mid-teens and had just been getting into Zeppelin, and I was only familiar with the first four albums. My dad and I bought them on CD after I returned from a jaunt to NZ with the youth theatre company I was in (he bought II and IV, whilst I got I and III). Anyway, I loved the piece of music, and it wasn't until I got given a taped copy of Physical Graffiti that I knew what it was. This was pre-internet, okay?
From the sessions for Led Zeppelin IV, came these songs:
- Night Flight
- Boogie With Stu (named for Ian Stewart - pianist, road manager and co-founder of the Rolling Stones - who plays on the jammed track)
- Down By the Seaside
I can see why they didn't make the album. They would have messed with the flow a bit. Even though Four Sticks and Black Dog sound like fun, they're pretty intricate pieces of music. The loose blues of Boogie With Stu would clash against nearly every other track. I guess it would also be hard to imagine those three songs in that album with nearly fifty years of hindsight. Or is that hindhearing?
The remaining outtakes, The Rover, Black Country Woman and Houses of the Holy all came out of the Houses of the Holy sessions, of course. I find it bizarre when a band has a song that shares its name with an album, but it isn't on the same album! I may be remembering this incorrectly, but I heard tell that Bon Scott was so enamoured with the title of AC/DC's High Voltage album, that he felt that they should have a song of the same name. It would appear on their TNT album. I think Houses of the Holy might have been a better song choice over, say, The Crunge on that album. However, it does fit on Physical Graffiti quite nicely.
This is one of the few double albums that seems to benefit from its length, rather than buckle under the weight of the material. Sure, some songs feel like loose jams, but they're still extremely listenable, and sit well amongst everything else.
While the first four albums (quite rightly) get a lot of praise and preference, I think this gets overlooked because it's a double. With bonafide Zep classics like Kashmir, Trampled Underfoot and Houses of the Holy on offer, it's timeless seventies English rock you can gorge on without filling up on bread.
Week: Tue 9th Jan to Mon 15th Jan 2018
Format: CD
Producer: Jimmy Page
Track listing:
CD 1:
1. Custard Pie
2. The Rover
3. In My Time of Dying *
4. Houses of the Holy *
5. Trampled Underfoot *
6. Kashmir *
CD 2:
1. In the Light
2. Bron-Y-Aur *
3. Down by the Seaside *
4. Ten Years Gone
5. Night Flight
6. The Wanton Song
7. Boogie With Stu
8. Black Country Woman
9. Sick Again
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 82:45
My listening of this album kicked off because January 9th was Jimmy Page's 74th birthday. I don't know if I picked this particular Zeppelin album because of the length or because I just really dig the tunes. I only learned recently that the record was extended into a double album by adding outtakes from previous Led Zep efforts. So, without those tracks, Physical Graffiti might have looked something like this:
In the Light
Custard Pie
Ten Years Gone
In My Time of Dying
Trampled Underfoot
Kashmir
The Wanton Song
Sick Again
That's a total guess, of course. I have no idea what order the band would have chosen. In the Light just seems like a better opener for the whole album. Works great kicking of the second disc though.
So, where did the other songs come from, I hear you ask? Kinda. Well, the devout Led Zep fan will probably know this. The earliest track here is Jimmy Page's lovely instrumental Bron-Y-Aur, which was recorded during the Led Zeppelin III sessions in 1970. I first heard the song as it played in a sequence in their concert film The Song Remains The Same. I was in my mid-teens and had just been getting into Zeppelin, and I was only familiar with the first four albums. My dad and I bought them on CD after I returned from a jaunt to NZ with the youth theatre company I was in (he bought II and IV, whilst I got I and III). Anyway, I loved the piece of music, and it wasn't until I got given a taped copy of Physical Graffiti that I knew what it was. This was pre-internet, okay?
From the sessions for Led Zeppelin IV, came these songs:
- Night Flight
- Boogie With Stu (named for Ian Stewart - pianist, road manager and co-founder of the Rolling Stones - who plays on the jammed track)
- Down By the Seaside
I can see why they didn't make the album. They would have messed with the flow a bit. Even though Four Sticks and Black Dog sound like fun, they're pretty intricate pieces of music. The loose blues of Boogie With Stu would clash against nearly every other track. I guess it would also be hard to imagine those three songs in that album with nearly fifty years of hindsight. Or is that hindhearing?
The remaining outtakes, The Rover, Black Country Woman and Houses of the Holy all came out of the Houses of the Holy sessions, of course. I find it bizarre when a band has a song that shares its name with an album, but it isn't on the same album! I may be remembering this incorrectly, but I heard tell that Bon Scott was so enamoured with the title of AC/DC's High Voltage album, that he felt that they should have a song of the same name. It would appear on their TNT album. I think Houses of the Holy might have been a better song choice over, say, The Crunge on that album. However, it does fit on Physical Graffiti quite nicely.
This is one of the few double albums that seems to benefit from its length, rather than buckle under the weight of the material. Sure, some songs feel like loose jams, but they're still extremely listenable, and sit well amongst everything else.
While the first four albums (quite rightly) get a lot of praise and preference, I think this gets overlooked because it's a double. With bonafide Zep classics like Kashmir, Trampled Underfoot and Houses of the Holy on offer, it's timeless seventies English rock you can gorge on without filling up on bread.
Tuesday, 9 January 2018
New Year
The new year brings the feeling of a new beginning to me. A fresh slate, if you'll pardon the cliché. I no longer make New Year Resolutions, but I do try to make an effort to improve myself in a few areas. Lose weight seems to be at the top of my list every year. And to write more. I always endeavour to use blogging or tweeting to get the creative juices flowing, hoping to get inspired for more songwriting, but it's been a pretty dry few years.
Some people go down the 'new year, new me' road and try super hard to be the person that they wish they could be. I get quite tickled at how full gyms are in the first coupla weeks of January, before they start to get sparse again by February.
Others cry 'arbitrary this' and 'time marker that', but I think I sit somewhere in the middle. There's something about January 1st and December 31st that just cries out 'bookends' to me.
I've had little projects that take up a year, and I always tend to confine them to the traditional 365 (or 366) day time constraint. They've started on Jan 1 and ended on Dec 31...one year.
Of course, I realise that a year can commence by using any date as a starting point. Some may do this with birthdays. If I ever do a year-long project, I always start on Jan 1st. Things like tweeting birthdays/album releases of musicians. Or logging a list of movies I've watched, or albums I've listened to.
Weird. I could start at any time really, couldn't I? Must be the autistic in me.
Some people go down the 'new year, new me' road and try super hard to be the person that they wish they could be. I get quite tickled at how full gyms are in the first coupla weeks of January, before they start to get sparse again by February.
Others cry 'arbitrary this' and 'time marker that', but I think I sit somewhere in the middle. There's something about January 1st and December 31st that just cries out 'bookends' to me.
I've had little projects that take up a year, and I always tend to confine them to the traditional 365 (or 366) day time constraint. They've started on Jan 1 and ended on Dec 31...one year.
Of course, I realise that a year can commence by using any date as a starting point. Some may do this with birthdays. If I ever do a year-long project, I always start on Jan 1st. Things like tweeting birthdays/album releases of musicians. Or logging a list of movies I've watched, or albums I've listened to.
Weird. I could start at any time really, couldn't I? Must be the autistic in me.
Monday, 8 January 2018
Bowie-versaries!
One of my favourite things about January is the opportunity to celebrate David Bowie anniversaries, or Bowie-versaries, if you will.
Today is a big one, January 8th, because it's his birthday. It's also Elvis Presley's birthday, so if you're a fan of The King and The Thin White Duke, it's a doubly good day for you. Rounding out this random trifecta is Mr Paul Hester, who among other things, was the drummer for Crowded House. Sadly, like the aforementioned rock royalty icons, he has also left the building.
Anyway, back to David Bowie.
January 8th is also the release date of Bowie's last studio album, ★ (pronounced Blackstar), which came out in 2016. On his birthday in 2013, he released the single Where Are We Now? from his upcoming album The Next Day. This would be his first studio album of original material since 2003's Reality.
If you're a bit of a Bowie fan, here's a few choice dates to mark in your iDiaries:
Jan 8th - Happy birthday Bowie!
★ (2016)
Where Are We Now? single (2013)
Jan 14th - Low (1977)
Jan 23rd - Station to Station (1976)
Feb 3rd - Earthling (1997)
Mar 7th - Young Americans (1975)
Mar 8th - The Next Day (2013)
Well, that will do for the first quarter of the year. April is a big one for Bowie too! I'll try to remember to post another Bowie-versary post!
Today is a big one, January 8th, because it's his birthday. It's also Elvis Presley's birthday, so if you're a fan of The King and The Thin White Duke, it's a doubly good day for you. Rounding out this random trifecta is Mr Paul Hester, who among other things, was the drummer for Crowded House. Sadly, like the aforementioned rock royalty icons, he has also left the building.
Anyway, back to David Bowie.
January 8th is also the release date of Bowie's last studio album, ★ (pronounced Blackstar), which came out in 2016. On his birthday in 2013, he released the single Where Are We Now? from his upcoming album The Next Day. This would be his first studio album of original material since 2003's Reality.
If you're a bit of a Bowie fan, here's a few choice dates to mark in your iDiaries:
Jan 8th - Happy birthday Bowie!
★ (2016)
Where Are We Now? single (2013)
Jan 14th - Low (1977)
Jan 23rd - Station to Station (1976)
Feb 3rd - Earthling (1997)
Mar 7th - Young Americans (1975)
Mar 8th - The Next Day (2013)
Well, that will do for the first quarter of the year. April is a big one for Bowie too! I'll try to remember to post another Bowie-versary post!
Monday, 11 December 2017
Album of the Week - Vol.8
Stranger Things -Music from the Original Netflix Series VARIOUS ARTISTS (2017)
Week: Fri 17th Nov to Thu 23rd Nov
Format: CD
Producer: Nora Felder
Track listing:
1. INTRO - Will singing The Clash (dialogue)
2. Every Breath You Take THE POLICE
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go THE CLASH
4. "Coffee and contemplation" (dialogue) *
5. Hazy Shade of Winter THE BANGLES
6. Nocturnal Me ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
7. "Bring him home!" (dialogue)
8. Sunglasses at Night COREY HART
9. Girls on Film DURAN DURAN
10. "Just because people tell you..." (dialogue)
11. Atmosphere JOY DIVISION
12. "Maybe I'm crazy..." (dialogue)
13. Twist of Fate OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN *
14. "Says logic" (dialogue)
15. The Ghost in You THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS *
16. Africa TOTO
17. You Don't Mess Around With Jim JIM CROCE *
18. "Accident or not" (dialogue)
19. Whip It DEVO
20. Runaway BON JOVI
21. Time After Time CYNDI LAUPER
22. Talking In Your Sleep THE ROMANTICS
23. "Mouthbreather" (dialogue)
24. Back To Nature FAD GADGET
25. "She's our friend and she's crazy!" (dialogue)
26. Rock You Like a Hurricane THE SCORPIONS
27. Heroes PETER GABRIEL *
28. "Friends don't lie" (dialogue)
29. Elegia NEW ORDER *
30. OUTRO - Will Singing The Clash (dialogue)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 77:35
Like most Stranger Things fans, the music used in the TV series is a major part of the attraction. After watching the first season I was particularly taken by the original score by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein. Their work was an awesome hybrid of Tangerine Dream and John Carpenter, and so many scenes benefited from their synth-heavy soundscapes. I was lucky enough to have some vouchers for iTunes on hand, and bought both volumes of the soundtrack before they were physically released.
They are hard to listen to casually, particularly when the track is underscoring a scary or unsettling moment. However for every eerie The Upside Down, there's something wonderful like A Kiss. It's one of the most extensive soundtracks for a TV series ever released, well, in recent memory. Even iconic TV scores like Twin Peaks, Game of Thrones and The X-Files only received modest releases, almost samplers of the score. Volume 1 of Stranger Things runs for nearly seventy minutes, while the second volume hits the seventy-four minute mark. Almost two and a half hours of score for an eight episode TV season? That's pretty amazing.
It made sense to me that a third soundtrack would be on the cards as well. One for all the awesome songs that had been peppered through the show's run. For the most part, the choice were fairly accurate for the time period too (The Bangle's Hazy Shade of Winter? The heck?). Some songs were chosen for mood though, which is understandable. And I guess it wasn't like The Bangles' 1987 cover was blaring out of a boombox or anything. New Order's Elegia was put to stunning use, eclipsing Pretty In Pink, for mine. But, I digress! Alas, no such soundtrack came and I made do with fan-made and 'official' Spotify playlists.
Fast forward to now, and there is a Stranger Things soundtrack full of tunes and dialogue available! Unfortunately, it's for songs from both season one and two. Unless there were licensing issues, or it was a fairly costly affair, I think both seasons could have warranted their own album.
There are some absolute gems here. Peter Gabriel's version of Bowie's "Heroes" is simply stunning, and every time I hear it, I'm taken back to the ending of the third episode of season one Holly, Jolly; and I get chills. Jim Croce's You Don't Mess Around With Jim will always conjure up images of Hopper dancing in his old cabin and Elegia...again, just awesome.
However, for every great aural memory or gem, there's a generic 80's number that we've all heard fifteen million times. So, while Olivia Newton-John's Twist of Fate is brilliant on so many levels, we don't really need another copy of Sunglasses at Night or Time After Time. Cuts like The Ghost In You by The Psychedelic Furs and Romantics' Talking In Your Sleep are great little nuggets, and songs I wasn't previously familiar with. I would have liked Modern English's I Melt With You to have been included over, say, Back To Nature by Fad Gadget. Bon Jovi's horribly cheesy debut single Runaway, is another cringe worthy inclusion. It doesn't help that it was used in the much-aligned second season episode The Lost Sister.
Some of the dialogue snippets could have been chosen better as well, I feel. Two of Joyce Byers' soundbites are so similar, they cancel each other out. Thankfully, one of my favourite lines from season one, "Mornings are for coffee and contemplation..." is included. Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, I think there's only one line of dialogue from the second season.
It feels like it was a little rushed when it was compiled. I feel that there could have been better song choices, or more comprehensive singles releases for each season; with each track appearing in the order as shown in the series. Elegia, however brilliant it is, is a very odd song to end the album with. There is much to enjoy, but after one decent airing it only makes for casual listening. Looking forward to getting my hand on the score soundtrack from the second season!
Week: Fri 17th Nov to Thu 23rd Nov
Format: CD
Producer: Nora Felder
Track listing:
1. INTRO - Will singing The Clash (dialogue)
2. Every Breath You Take THE POLICE
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go THE CLASH
4. "Coffee and contemplation" (dialogue) *
5. Hazy Shade of Winter THE BANGLES
6. Nocturnal Me ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
7. "Bring him home!" (dialogue)
8. Sunglasses at Night COREY HART
9. Girls on Film DURAN DURAN
10. "Just because people tell you..." (dialogue)
11. Atmosphere JOY DIVISION
12. "Maybe I'm crazy..." (dialogue)
13. Twist of Fate OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN *
14. "Says logic" (dialogue)
15. The Ghost in You THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS *
16. Africa TOTO
17. You Don't Mess Around With Jim JIM CROCE *
18. "Accident or not" (dialogue)
19. Whip It DEVO
20. Runaway BON JOVI
21. Time After Time CYNDI LAUPER
22. Talking In Your Sleep THE ROMANTICS
23. "Mouthbreather" (dialogue)
24. Back To Nature FAD GADGET
25. "She's our friend and she's crazy!" (dialogue)
26. Rock You Like a Hurricane THE SCORPIONS
27. Heroes PETER GABRIEL *
28. "Friends don't lie" (dialogue)
29. Elegia NEW ORDER *
30. OUTRO - Will Singing The Clash (dialogue)
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 77:35
Like most Stranger Things fans, the music used in the TV series is a major part of the attraction. After watching the first season I was particularly taken by the original score by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein. Their work was an awesome hybrid of Tangerine Dream and John Carpenter, and so many scenes benefited from their synth-heavy soundscapes. I was lucky enough to have some vouchers for iTunes on hand, and bought both volumes of the soundtrack before they were physically released.
They are hard to listen to casually, particularly when the track is underscoring a scary or unsettling moment. However for every eerie The Upside Down, there's something wonderful like A Kiss. It's one of the most extensive soundtracks for a TV series ever released, well, in recent memory. Even iconic TV scores like Twin Peaks, Game of Thrones and The X-Files only received modest releases, almost samplers of the score. Volume 1 of Stranger Things runs for nearly seventy minutes, while the second volume hits the seventy-four minute mark. Almost two and a half hours of score for an eight episode TV season? That's pretty amazing.
It made sense to me that a third soundtrack would be on the cards as well. One for all the awesome songs that had been peppered through the show's run. For the most part, the choice were fairly accurate for the time period too (The Bangle's Hazy Shade of Winter? The heck?). Some songs were chosen for mood though, which is understandable. And I guess it wasn't like The Bangles' 1987 cover was blaring out of a boombox or anything. New Order's Elegia was put to stunning use, eclipsing Pretty In Pink, for mine. But, I digress! Alas, no such soundtrack came and I made do with fan-made and 'official' Spotify playlists.
Fast forward to now, and there is a Stranger Things soundtrack full of tunes and dialogue available! Unfortunately, it's for songs from both season one and two. Unless there were licensing issues, or it was a fairly costly affair, I think both seasons could have warranted their own album.
However, for every great aural memory or gem, there's a generic 80's number that we've all heard fifteen million times. So, while Olivia Newton-John's Twist of Fate is brilliant on so many levels, we don't really need another copy of Sunglasses at Night or Time After Time. Cuts like The Ghost In You by The Psychedelic Furs and Romantics' Talking In Your Sleep are great little nuggets, and songs I wasn't previously familiar with. I would have liked Modern English's I Melt With You to have been included over, say, Back To Nature by Fad Gadget. Bon Jovi's horribly cheesy debut single Runaway, is another cringe worthy inclusion. It doesn't help that it was used in the much-aligned second season episode The Lost Sister.
Some of the dialogue snippets could have been chosen better as well, I feel. Two of Joyce Byers' soundbites are so similar, they cancel each other out. Thankfully, one of my favourite lines from season one, "Mornings are for coffee and contemplation..." is included. Unless I'm remembering incorrectly, I think there's only one line of dialogue from the second season.
It feels like it was a little rushed when it was compiled. I feel that there could have been better song choices, or more comprehensive singles releases for each season; with each track appearing in the order as shown in the series. Elegia, however brilliant it is, is a very odd song to end the album with. There is much to enjoy, but after one decent airing it only makes for casual listening. Looking forward to getting my hand on the score soundtrack from the second season!
Thursday, 30 November 2017
A Stay at The Church II
We traveled down to Dunsborough last weekend to watch The Church play at the Dunsborough Tavern! Last time we journeyed down that way to catch a show was for Josh Pyke in July last year. It was cool to venture out of Perth and see him play somewhere different.
As The Church were playing The Rosemount in Perth on a Friday night I already had a gig on, heading to Dunsborough on a Saturday I (eventually) had free seemed like the way to go. Rhones and I love our roadtrips and quick breaks too. We booked into a little B&B and headed down to the pub around 8:30pm.
Unusually, there wasn't another act playing earlier. We got the skinny from friend of ours who had provided the audio gear; the band's roadie held up an iPhone and announced it as the support act, he he he. Anyway, The Church took to the stage just after 9pm. They started playing right in the middle of a transaction I was making for a tour T-shirt, in fact.
Now, I had been following their setlists from previous shows, and was hoping for something a little different from their recent US tour. Checking out reviews of their Adelaide and Perth gigs revealed that they were using the setlist I got from South by Southwest as a guide. So, it was pretty similar, which isn't a bad thing really, as I knew what to expect. I'd listened to each song from the SxSW show and had become fairly familiar with it all. One track I'd become quite fond of, Aura, kicked off the SxSW gig (and 1992's Priest=Aura album), so when they took to the stage with Myrrh (from 1985's Heyday) I felt a little dismayed.
That dismay dissipated pretty quickly as I got caught up in the night's opening song choice and felt the awe of seeing bassist/lead singer Steve Kilbey, guitarist Peter Koppes, drummer Tim Powles and ex-Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug. Jeffrey Cain (ex-Remy Zero) provided additional guitar and keyboard throughout the evening. Their roadie/guitar tech Ross Molloy even took on bass duties during Undersea from their wonderful new album, Man Woman Life Death Infinity, so that Kilbey could unleash his theatrical front man for a spell.
As Myrrh gave way to Toy Head (from 2014's Further/Deeper - the first Church album to feature Haug) I was getting quite a sensory buzz from the sights and sounds of one of Australia's longest running bands. As they approach their fourth decade together, they are focused on moving forward. Close to half of the songs performed on the night were taken from their last two albums.
While they are selling out venues all over the country, the crowd at the Dunsborough Tavern was fairly modest, probably being about half full. There were some hardcore fans there sporting old tour t-shirts, but most were casual listeners who were there to hear Metropolis, Under the Milky Way and The Unguarded Moment (which they got); the latter still a big favourite of mine, despite the chagrin it causes Kilbey.
There was a decent smattering of their back catalogue, but if it wasn't for the glorious Day 5 (from 2006's Uninvited, Like The Clouds), there would have been nothing between the years of 1990 and 2014. Day 5 has become a big favourite of mine over the last few weeks, and they dragged the song out to include Kilbey riffing on the Beatles' Within You Without You which fit in brilliantly! I was very surprised that they didn't perform anything from 1982's classic album The Blurred Crusade, fan fave Priest=Aura or the much lauded Untitled #23 from 2009.
I was pretty entranced for the entire evening, and marveled at how good they sounded. This is certainly not a band that are winding up, and I'm hopeful for what they'll be delivering in future years. I hope they attempt another tour akin to the one-off show at the Sydney Opera House in 2011, A Psychedelic Symphony. Or another tour consisting of albums performed in their entirety a la 2015's Further/Deeper and The Blurred Crusade tour. Or a revisit on the theme of the Future Past Perfect tour, wherein they played the Untitled #23, Priest=Aura and Starfish albums. I'm very keen to see what new music they will release too.
Anyway, here's the setlist from the night, with my five fave moments highlighted...
As The Church were playing The Rosemount in Perth on a Friday night I already had a gig on, heading to Dunsborough on a Saturday I (eventually) had free seemed like the way to go. Rhones and I love our roadtrips and quick breaks too. We booked into a little B&B and headed down to the pub around 8:30pm.
Unusually, there wasn't another act playing earlier. We got the skinny from friend of ours who had provided the audio gear; the band's roadie held up an iPhone and announced it as the support act, he he he. Anyway, The Church took to the stage just after 9pm. They started playing right in the middle of a transaction I was making for a tour T-shirt, in fact.
 |
| The Church live at Dunsborough Tavern, 18th Nov 2017 |
That dismay dissipated pretty quickly as I got caught up in the night's opening song choice and felt the awe of seeing bassist/lead singer Steve Kilbey, guitarist Peter Koppes, drummer Tim Powles and ex-Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug. Jeffrey Cain (ex-Remy Zero) provided additional guitar and keyboard throughout the evening. Their roadie/guitar tech Ross Molloy even took on bass duties during Undersea from their wonderful new album, Man Woman Life Death Infinity, so that Kilbey could unleash his theatrical front man for a spell.
As Myrrh gave way to Toy Head (from 2014's Further/Deeper - the first Church album to feature Haug) I was getting quite a sensory buzz from the sights and sounds of one of Australia's longest running bands. As they approach their fourth decade together, they are focused on moving forward. Close to half of the songs performed on the night were taken from their last two albums.
While they are selling out venues all over the country, the crowd at the Dunsborough Tavern was fairly modest, probably being about half full. There were some hardcore fans there sporting old tour t-shirts, but most were casual listeners who were there to hear Metropolis, Under the Milky Way and The Unguarded Moment (which they got); the latter still a big favourite of mine, despite the chagrin it causes Kilbey.
There was a decent smattering of their back catalogue, but if it wasn't for the glorious Day 5 (from 2006's Uninvited, Like The Clouds), there would have been nothing between the years of 1990 and 2014. Day 5 has become a big favourite of mine over the last few weeks, and they dragged the song out to include Kilbey riffing on the Beatles' Within You Without You which fit in brilliantly! I was very surprised that they didn't perform anything from 1982's classic album The Blurred Crusade, fan fave Priest=Aura or the much lauded Untitled #23 from 2009.
I was pretty entranced for the entire evening, and marveled at how good they sounded. This is certainly not a band that are winding up, and I'm hopeful for what they'll be delivering in future years. I hope they attempt another tour akin to the one-off show at the Sydney Opera House in 2011, A Psychedelic Symphony. Or another tour consisting of albums performed in their entirety a la 2015's Further/Deeper and The Blurred Crusade tour. Or a revisit on the theme of the Future Past Perfect tour, wherein they played the Untitled #23, Priest=Aura and Starfish albums. I'm very keen to see what new music they will release too.
Anyway, here's the setlist from the night, with my five fave moments highlighted...
Myrrh (1985 - Heyday) *
Toy Head (2014 - Further/Deeper)
Metropolis (1990 - Gold Afternoon Fix) *
Another Century (2017 - Man Woman Life Death Infinity) *
Delirious (2014 - Further/Deeper)
Fly (1983 - Seance)
North, South, East and West (1987 - Starfish)
Day 5 (2006 - Uninvited, Like The Clouds) *
Constant in Opal (1984 - Persia EP)
Undersea (2017 - Man Woman Life Death Infinity)
I Don't Know How I Don't Know Why (2017 - Man Woman Life Death Infinity)
Tantalized (1985 - Heyday)
Under the Milky Way (1987 - Starfish)
Reptile (1987 - Starfish)
Encore:
The Unguarded Moment (1981 - Of Skins & Hearts) *
Miami (2014 - Further/Deeper)
Thursday, 2 November 2017
Album of the Week - Vol.7
Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars EDIE BRICKELL & NEW BOHEMIANS (1988)
Week: Wed 18th Oct to Tue 24th Oct
Format: iPod
Producer: Pat Moran
Track listing:
1. What I Am *
2. Little Miss S. *
3. Air of December *
4. The Wheel *
5. Love Like We Do
6. Circle *
7. Beat the Time
8. She
9. Nothing
10. Now
11. Keep Coming Back
12. I Do
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 48:22
Mention the name Edie Brickell and, I guess, most people will offer up What I Am. It's the first song on her first album with the New Bohemians, and her debut single. She recorded a solo album before Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, that was available in a limited number, and on cassette only. A lot of people might not know that she has released a few bluegrass albums with Steve Martin (yes, THAT Steve Martin). Or that she has made three solo albums. Or that she also put out three more records with New Bohemians, one of them live. Or that she has also formed bands The Heavy Circles and The Gaddabouts (which features the namesake, and legendary drummer, Steve Gadd). Hey, she's married to Paul Simon too!
Aside from this album, my only other Edie Brickell experience is her wonderful cover of Dylan's A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall on the Born On The Fourth of July soundtrack. I think I remember a snippet her song Good Times from her 1994 solo debut Picture Perfect Morning on a Windows demo disc as well. But, that's it. I may or may not delve into more of her material in the future. For now, let's just look at this album.
I don't own a copy of this, but I remember listening to it a bit during my time at Southern Sound down in Albany (a music store I worked at from 1994-1996). I've had taped copies from friends, and I think I nabbed it of someone's iTunes one time. Anyway, it's on my iPod and I dig a few of the tracks a lot. I remember watching the What I Am film clip on RAGE (and possibly Video Hits, wow; how can I forget that?) when it first came out. I was struck by the guitar solo, as it used a wah-wah like effect that I hadn't really heard before.
The first half is certainly stronger than the second, in my opinion. During the eighties most albums seemed to put the singles and better album tracks at the start, leaving the rest of the record to sort of dwindle away a bit. All my picks from Shooting Rubberbands... are on what would be Side A for what it's worth.
My absolute favourite track here is Circle. I just love it. The lyrics are fantastic and the intro guitar picking is sublime. The part where she sings that "everything is temporary anyway" is just magic. The song was recently used in a montage of the fairly silly series Wet Hot American Summer - Ten Years Later, but it still gave me a lump in my throat.
I found myself singing the chorus of Little Miss S. over the course of the week. It's got a great melody, and I would suggest that's also catchy as heck. The ethereal Air of December is full of crescendos and falls and takes its time in weaving its six-minute spell.
The whole album is very listenable, but a couple of tracks seem to stick out, namely Beat the Time and Keep Coming Back. There's a raucousness or something there that just doesn't fit the flow. They're not bad songs by any means, they just jolt you out of the album's overall feel. I think Edie's voice works better on the folkier tunes as well. When the band tries to rock it up, their reach seems to exceed their grasp.
However, this doesn't spoil the record. It merely stops a very good album from being excellent.
Week: Wed 18th Oct to Tue 24th Oct
Format: iPod
Producer: Pat Moran
Track listing:
1. What I Am *
2. Little Miss S. *
3. Air of December *
4. The Wheel *
5. Love Like We Do
6. Circle *
7. Beat the Time
8. She
9. Nothing
10. Now
11. Keep Coming Back
12. I Do
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 48:22
Mention the name Edie Brickell and, I guess, most people will offer up What I Am. It's the first song on her first album with the New Bohemians, and her debut single. She recorded a solo album before Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, that was available in a limited number, and on cassette only. A lot of people might not know that she has released a few bluegrass albums with Steve Martin (yes, THAT Steve Martin). Or that she has made three solo albums. Or that she also put out three more records with New Bohemians, one of them live. Or that she has also formed bands The Heavy Circles and The Gaddabouts (which features the namesake, and legendary drummer, Steve Gadd). Hey, she's married to Paul Simon too!
Aside from this album, my only other Edie Brickell experience is her wonderful cover of Dylan's A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall on the Born On The Fourth of July soundtrack. I think I remember a snippet her song Good Times from her 1994 solo debut Picture Perfect Morning on a Windows demo disc as well. But, that's it. I may or may not delve into more of her material in the future. For now, let's just look at this album.
I don't own a copy of this, but I remember listening to it a bit during my time at Southern Sound down in Albany (a music store I worked at from 1994-1996). I've had taped copies from friends, and I think I nabbed it of someone's iTunes one time. Anyway, it's on my iPod and I dig a few of the tracks a lot. I remember watching the What I Am film clip on RAGE (and possibly Video Hits, wow; how can I forget that?) when it first came out. I was struck by the guitar solo, as it used a wah-wah like effect that I hadn't really heard before.
My absolute favourite track here is Circle. I just love it. The lyrics are fantastic and the intro guitar picking is sublime. The part where she sings that "everything is temporary anyway" is just magic. The song was recently used in a montage of the fairly silly series Wet Hot American Summer - Ten Years Later, but it still gave me a lump in my throat.
I found myself singing the chorus of Little Miss S. over the course of the week. It's got a great melody, and I would suggest that's also catchy as heck. The ethereal Air of December is full of crescendos and falls and takes its time in weaving its six-minute spell.
The whole album is very listenable, but a couple of tracks seem to stick out, namely Beat the Time and Keep Coming Back. There's a raucousness or something there that just doesn't fit the flow. They're not bad songs by any means, they just jolt you out of the album's overall feel. I think Edie's voice works better on the folkier tunes as well. When the band tries to rock it up, their reach seems to exceed their grasp.
However, this doesn't spoil the record. It merely stops a very good album from being excellent.
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