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

New Song On Sunday

 

Three years ago Wet Leg appeared on the scene with their debut that was featured at this place with benevolent words. I liked the way they how they performed songs with great hooks and cheeky guitars.

Last Friday they released their follow-up album and I asked myself if they whether they can reach the bar they have set themselves again. And yes, they did. Although they try to bring more variety into their songs, the album sounds well-rounded and doesn't get lost in the no man's land between glam-punk, bedroom pop and indie rock. Well done.

Crosses

 

A few weeks ago José González released a remix of a song from his debut album Veneer from 2003. González is a Swedish indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was unknown to me when I saw him live at a festival ten years ago. For me, he was a highlight of the weekend. Rarely have I experienced a musician who was so present on stage and knew how to inspire the audience with great songs.

 

This remix made me want to listen to his debut album again. It is full great songs, relaxed and reduced to the minimum. Mostly González' voice and an acoustic guitar. On his warm and atmospheric songs he combines the best of Elliot Smith and Nick Drake.

It's hard to imagine that he played in a hardcore punk band at the beginning of his career. But this is probably the reason why he dares to play a cover version of Joy Division and doesn't fail. Perhaps the best cover version of this song.

Unwound

 

It's summer and the number of publications has slowed down. This is also reflected in my inbox, which hasn't been overflowing for a long time. Every now and then I find some real gems in these emails, which should not go unmentioned here.

Duncan Lloyd released today his new album Unwound. He is the lead songwriter and guitarist of the art-rocker Maximo Park and he presents us an guitar lead album full of great songs somewhere between shoegaze, indie-pop and songwriting. Swim is one of those songs which creeps into your ears with its sparkling guitar and reduced drums and doesn't want to disappear. Rituals could be one of the best indie-pop song this year so far. Get more here.

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

This week shows some songs from the sixties, soul and mainly songs from the end of the seventies, where great songs were written.

1967: Dave Davis

1981: Soft Cell

1981: R.E.M.

1965: Sonny & Cher

1971: Aretha Franklin

1976: The Ramones

1965: Wilson Picket

1967: Bobbie Gentry

1970: Jimmy Cliff

1969: David Bowie

1963: The Crystals

1979: The Boomtown Rats

1979: The Flying Lizards

Red Hot And Blue II

 

The weekly journey into color and temperature takes us back to the eighties and the noughties. Let's start with a song from 1983 by Prince. With his album 1999 he became known to a wider public. Not so much because of his idiosyncratic interpretation of funk, but also because of his sexual innuendo in Little Red Corvette.

Prince - Little Red Corvette

The Cure released in 1987 their first double album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me a record whereupon The Cure impressed with an unprecedented wealth of facets. The addition of new instruments and the sometimes unconventional song structures annoyed one or two fans in black outfits. Many of the songs are sunnier than everything they recorded before and after. And on Hot, Hot, Hot they played a superb funk-pop.

The Cure - Hot, Hot, Hot

Blue Orchid was the opening track from Get Behind Me Satan the fifth album by The White Stripes. The song shows exactly what you could expect from the whole album: minimal played, raw blues with great hooks.

The White Stripes - Blue Orchids

Monday's Long Song

 

I can hardly believe it's been 12 years since Kevin Rowland and the Dexy's appeared on stage again with a great album. To be honest, I loved them since they released their debut Searching For The Young Soul Rebels. Rowland was the one that brought us back soul music in times where new wave ruled the sound. Classic songwriting and superb brass section was their style. And of course Rowland gambled with styles and outfits. From New York dock workers to ragged Irishmen, everything was there.

After two albums he kicked out the brass section to play more introverted songs. The fans couldn't follow this good music and he vanished in the darkness of the music scene to return in 2012 with a brilliant comeback album One Day I'm Going To Soar. The horns and especially Mick Talbot are back and Roland wrote songs about love, self-analysis and self-acceptance. Many of his words seemed to be pathetic but for me they were true and full of wisdom

Dexy's - Now

Between Zenith And Nadir

 

Yesterday, the Anlo-Italian producer and musician Gaudi released a new single. Gaudi has been working as a producer for decades, mainly in the dub, electronica and reggae genres. He has also made a name for himself as a remixer and his collaboration with The Orb.

For his latest collaboration, he has teamed up with Italy's longest-serving DJ, Daniele Baldelli, and completed an EP. A foretaste of what is to come can be heard on the pre-released song. A conglomerate where elements of psychedelic funk, tribal dub and electronic disco come together.

Michael Madsen

 

Today the sad news arrived, that Michael Madsen died yesterday on a heart attack at the age of 68 in Malibu. Madsen was an actor for more than 40 years in Los Angeles. He got well known by the movies directed by Quentin Tarantino. To be honest I first recognized him on Tarantion's first movie Reservoir Dogs when he performed as Mr. Blonde, the biggest sociopath in the whole movie. What perhaps remains is his improvised and bloody foley scene in which he awkwardly dances through the scene to the music of Stealers Wheel.

RIP Michael

Happy Birthday King of Synthpop

 

Today Vince Clarke turns 65 and it is time to pay tribute to his work here. Born in Essex he studied violin and piano. Influenced by Sparks, Human League and Fat Gadget he formed with a schoolmate a short lived band which became Depeche Mode after Martin Gore and Dave Gahan joined the band. Clarke wrote the most of the songs for their debut album Speak & Spell, a record that changed everything in synthpop. Not only that they were an all-synthesizer band, they were clever enough to write songs with great hooks.

Shortly after this album he left the band, because the sound of them got a darker touch and he formed with Alison Moyet, another schoolmate, Yazoo. They released two albums and with Upstairs at Eric's they reached the charts. Since then, it has become clear that Clarke's songs need a great voice to come to full fruition.

As erratic as he appears, he dedicated himself to a new project after the second album and founded The Assembly. But not much more than Never, Never, in which Feargal Sharkey is allowed to sing, remained.

With his next project he found a destination for the next years. In Andy Bell, he found a voice that would shape the sound of Erasure through an advertisement in Melody Maker.

In 2003 Erasure released Other People's Songs an album with cover versions in which the cover version by Steve Harley stands out above all (because it is also a great song).

Happy birthday Vince

Singles Released This Week Years Ago

 

Enjoy this week's selection of a ride through various genres.

1958: Big Bopper

1970: Chicago

1978: Human League

1972: Seals & Croft

1991: Pearl Jam

1965: The Yardbirds

1978: Donna Summer

1958: Bo Diddley

1982: The Jam

1966: The Lovin' Spoonful

1969: John Lennon

1976: Blue Oyster Cult

1986: Run DMC

1989: Public Enemy

1974: Dobi Gray

1974: Stevie Wonder

1979: The B-52's

Red Hot And Blue

 

As announced last week, a small series of songs with Red, Hot or Blue in their titles starts today. As always, the selection is eclectic and, apart from the color, has no further context.

Let's start with Nick Cave and a song from Peaky Blinders a British drama series set in Birmingham around 100 years ago. The song fits perfectly with the gloomy mood that this series exudes.

Nick Cave - Red Right Hand

The next one is a song from my very younger days when glam was all around and Marc Bolan was on his highest level.

T. Rex - Hot Love

We finish today with a song Bob Dylan released 1975 on his great Blood On The Tracks album. One of the songs and stories by him I love most.

Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue