Grace Slick is 85 years old today and a good reason to listen to the music of Jefferson Airplane once again. Hardly any other band stands for peace, love and consciousness-expanding drugs as much as Jefferson Airplane. Together with the Grateful Dead, they spearheaded the hippie music that emerged in San Francisco in the mid-60's. However, internal disputes led to them disbanding after just a few years. Their fame is based on a handful of hits and appearances at the most famous festivals of their time.
For me, Jefferson Airplane are one of the few bands from the psychedelic era that I still enjoy listening to. That's because they wrote great songs, had perhaps one of the best guitarists of his time in Jorma Kaukonen and I just love Grace Slick's voice.
On 2400 Fulton Street, a very good compilation of their releases, their work is divided into four categories (Beginnings, Psychedelia, Revolution and Airplane Parts), which also corresponds to their sound and meaning.
A few years ago Don Letts compiled Version Excursion for the LateNightTales series with reggae versions of well known songs. Prince Fatty & Shniece McManamin turned the White Rabbit into a wonderful Black Rabbit.
2022 was a year that changed almost everything. A megalomaniac autocrat started a war against Ukraine, the cost of living raised higher and higher and I see a lot of people not knowing how to pay the heating of their homes and their regular food. The medical system is closer to a meltdown before and we are also not willing to change into a climate-neutral future. So I used to ignore these bad news turning into listening to music.
The year is almost gone and like every year a lot of folks out there are going to a retrospective about this year in music. In my opinion it was a very good year in music. Many new bands appeared on the scene and also successful artists released new stuff. Looking back this year I didn't bought many physical copies and owned more digital copies than before. One reason is the price I have to pay for copies coming from Great Britain and the taxes are horrible because German dealers have to include the taxes into the final price.
So I am presenting a very subjective list of 22 albums that were released this year. Let's start with a few compilations.
Version Excursion released by Don Letts via Late Night Tales is a very own conglomeration of songs from the last decades many will know but not in a reggae-dub inspired versions. A compilation I always come back to.
Our good friend Drew introduced me to Flying Mojito Bros a California based band reworking the music of the early 70's in a very special way. I always had a fondness to Steely Dan but this version is a belter.
Fell From The Sun is a compilation built on the best of 1990 released songs and reworks. None of them is a mistake and brings back great moments in time.
Let's turn to the new albums of the year. Paul Osborne surprised me with his Project Gemini. The Children Of Scorpio is nothing more or less a homage to early 70's soundtracks with great wah-wah guitars and an accentuated bass drifting into a psychedelic space.
Fontaines D.C. returned with their third album Skinty Fia and came close to their debut. Just pure rock music with an immense energy.
Wet Leg was named as a hype this year because nearly every one talked about them. But their self titled album was nothing more or less one of the best indie-pop albums from this year.
Another band that will appear in many list this year is Yard Act with their debut The Overload. It might be a hype as well but they surprised me with a fresh guitar lead guitar lead sound that just makes fun.
I have to admit that I turned more and more to electronic music and sounds this year. So it is not surprising that the latest album Let's Emerge by Pye Corner Audio appears at this place. Martin Jenkins created one of the superbest drone albums this year.
Part two of my personal review of albums that impressed me much this year. When I look at the list it seems that my taste in music reduced speed and turned into more ambient. But this is not the truth. It is only because less complete albums made me feel to listen completely for several times. Anyway, a list I can agree and I hope there were some inspirations for you all.
Liminanas / Laurent Garnier - Le Pelicula
Saint Etienne - I've Been Trying To Tell You
The Vendetta Suite - The Kempe Stone Portal
Richard Norris - Hypnotic Response
Daniel Avery - Together In Static
The Grid / Robert Fripp - Leviathan
Tindersticks - Distractions
Late Night Tales - Version Excursion with Don Letts
