Under African Skies

 

Yes, as the headline suggests, I’m going to say a few words today about Paul Simon’s album Graceland. In 1986 he had clearly passed his musical peak and had already recorded another successful live album with Art Garfunkel. So it was all the more surprising when, 40 years ago, he took everyone by surprise with an album. He completely turned his style on its head. Inspired by street music from Johannesburg, he set out to record an album with South African musicians.

With this album, he pioneered world music before the term even existed. It’s a complete album that blends pop/rock with African rhythms. Even decades later, the African tribal beats, strummed guitar chords, and harmonized vocals are still well worth listening to. If Simon managed to get even a few listeners to explore African music, such as King Sunny Ade, he achieved more than many others before and after him.

Engage

 

Paisley Dark Records from Leeds is always a good place for electronic music in all variations. Today they released a new song by Krabberz, a British producer whose name I hadn't heard of until then. The song operates within the broad scope of ALFOS, featuring a laid-back, rolling groove that flows warmly and hypnotically throughout the entire track. The highlights of this song are the remixes by 10:40 and Jay-Son. 

Harmonica Day

 

Dear Mister Fantasy is a song by Traffic and released 1967. Traffic was in tIn hese days very successful with their psychedelia blues rock. This song is not my favorite of this album but shows how great Steve Winwood's voice was and Dave Mason played a fine guitar.

The Pretenders were always a band I could listen to and this song is from their third album Learning To Crawl. Another example for their sound when Chrissie Hynde's vocals meet classic rock music.

In 793, the Vikings raided Lindisfarne Monastery in northeastern England, looting it and murdering the monks. I can’t say for certain whether Newcastle’s Lindisfarne took their name from this event. What I can say is that in the late 1960's, they played some very good and successful folk rock.