Red Hot And Blue IV

 

The majority of this week's songs take us back to the early eighties in England. We start with The Fixx, a new wave band from London. Not really new wave, as they had already integrated strange synthesisers into their sound for this time, with short guitar riffs and a pleasing rhythm section. This is the last song on their debut album from 1982.

The Fixx - Red Skies

In 1983 Paul Weller decided to disband The Jam, as he was leaning more towards soul and jazz at the time. Together with Mick Talbot they released an epic debut album that made the sound of this summer. Long Hot Summer was the leading track on their third single released as an EP. There are still less songs that sound better to summer than this.

The Style Council - Long Hot Summer

Let's go to the north. In 1996 Belle and Sebastian formed in Glasgow by Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David as part of a social project for the unemployed. With their jangle-pop and great melodies they got a lot of critical acclaim and they released one good album after another. This song from their seventh album The Life Pursuit shows once more why they are so great.

Belle and Sebastian - The Blues Is Still Blue

Monday's Long Song

 

In 1988 Spacemen 3 released Performance, their first live album, recorded during a gig in Melkweg, Netherlands. It shows them at the climax of their musical work between their studio albums The Perfect Describtion and Playing With Fire when they gave as their great combination of distorted guitars and maybe the best psychedelic music since the Velvets. 

The concert was more dedicated to the likes of Pete Kember and Jason Pierce than promoting their last album because they played cover versions of their likes. Songs by MC5 and Roky Erickson. Their version of Rollercoaster shows everything Spacemen 3 were famous for. 

Spacemen 3 - Rollercoaster

New Song On Sunday

 

This week came another song from Austria to my ears which I couldn't get out of my head after listening to it for the first time. Jo The Man The Music is the project of a mid twenty singer/songwriter whose real names I was unable to research. It doesn't really matter if the young woman's music is right.

A few days ago she released her first EP and Skinny Dipping is the leading song and takes listeners for a swim in the deep end with the sun-drenched indie pop rock track that takes listeners for a swim in the deep end with a sund-drenched indie pop rock track.

Show Time Again

 

From time to time I need to listen to traditional rock music and mostly I come back to Ry Cooder. I like his kind of music that is deeply rooted in the songs and mood of Woody Guthrie.  From his early days as a well known session musician over his first albums with eclectic song collections to his steps towards to world music and soundtracks he always made the songs he played on unique. 

Almost 50 years ago he celebrated another kind of music with his Chicken Skin Revue a melange of classic folk songs and new ones played with Mexican and Hawaiian musicians and it shows all the abilities a guitar player could have. Listening to these songs again he is one of the most influential and underrated guitar player ever. 

Ry Cooder - School Is Out

Ry Cooder - Viva Squin /Do Re Mi

Ry Cooder - How Can A Poor Man Stand This Times And Live

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

This week's look back mainly takes us back to the time before punk changed everything, but also includes a Bruce Springsteen track that is one of my favorites of his.

1972: The Hollies

1960: The Shadows

1971: Paul Revere and the Raiders

1973: Elton John

1973: Paul Simon

1978: Bruce Springsteen

1966: The Beach Boys

1975: David Bowie

1979: Talking Heads

1976: Todd Rundgren

Red Hot And Blue III

 

In today's installment of the theme, we set off on paths that couldn't be more different. Let's start with David Sylvain and the first single from his debut album from 1984. After he split from Japan, nobody knew which musical direction he would drift in, but he more than convinced many with his idiosyncratic mixture of art-rock, jazz, ambient and a voice reminiscent of Brian Ferry.

David Sylvain - Red Guitar

Next stop is Georgia. The Allman Brothers Band were well known for their interpretation of Southern Rock. But for me it is more than playing heavy guitars. They always included elements of jazz and prog-rock to their sound. Hot 'Lanta describes it very well. Excellent guitars moving over rolling drums that makes this song timeless.

Allman Brothers Band - Hot 'Lanta

In 2006 The Charlatans released Simpatico, the probably best album of their late history. There sound included still massive guitar and the voice of Tim Burgess but was extended with fantastic grooves and reggae rhytms.

The Charlatans - Blackend Blue Eyes

Monday's Long Song

 

A couple of years ago Jah Wobble released with Metal Box-Rebuilt In Dub! an unexpected album. 42 years after the first release with PIL he took the songs and reworked them. The result was a reinterpretation of post punk classics. Most of the songs were composed around his phenomenal bass lines and supplemented with sawing guitars and a little piano.

He deliberately refrained from replacing John Lydon's voice, which, in combination with Wobble's monotone, made the original work so incomparable at the time. A highlight of the album is Swan Song, in which he has integrated the music of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet into his sound. Still disturbing but wonderful.

Jah Wobble - Swan Lake