Harmonica Day

 

II can hardly believe that this Van Morrison song is already 56 years old. Moondance is from his third album and is an incredibly great blend of rhythm and blues, soul, and folk, with his voice in top form.

Even the pub rockers from Dr. Feelgood couldn't resist using the harmonica from time to time.

War was a Californian funk band that was popular in the 1970's. I first heard this song in that crazy stoner movie Up In Smoke.

Use No Hooks

 

The recent days I rediscovered a band I didn't listen for ages. The band is called Hurrigans (yes, it was a clerical error by printing their first record) and they were Finish Rock and Roll band. Their album Use No Hooks from 1977 is probably the last classic rock album I bought. Hurriganes were a classic three piece band and Finland's answer to pub rock and Dr. Feelgood. I was very in to it these days because the rhythm section was so awesome. Seldom heard a bass player and the drummer beating out the rhythm with such a verve and enthusiasm. If punk hadn't come along, they could have made it big with their classic rock ‘n’ roll and well-executed cover versions. Instead, they remained just another footnote in the history of forgotten bands. 

Hurriganes - Get On

Hurriganes - Mister X

Hurriganes - Roadrunner

Hurriganes - Kenny At The Corner

Doctors

 

After a good three weeks, I returned from my annual vacation in Sri Lanka at the beginning of the year. It was relaxing, but unfortunately I had problems with my back and my spinal discs the whole time and couldn't enjoy myself as much as usual, so I came back early to see my family doctor at the beginning of next week to locate the cause of my complaints and take countermeasures. I don't want to complain here, as dengue fever has been rampant in Sri Lanka since the cyclone a few weeks ago. During this time, I have seen enough people who have contracted this disease and had to be hospitalized with high fever.

For this reason, here are some songs about doctors.

UFO - Doctor Doctor

Dr. Feelgood - Down At The Doctors

Robert Palmer - Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)

Doctor and the Medics - Spirit In The Sky

Back To The Very Old Days

 

A few days ago I was in a mood to look at my blog posts from the time I started starting this blog. I came across an old series, which I kept going at the time and during which I took a closer look at the time of pub rock. I came across a post I wrote 10 years ago and featured Mickey Jupp. He was a singer/songwriter associated with the so called Southend music scene. In the very early 70's he released a few albums with a mix of rockabilly, blues rock and pop. His success was limited but he became a leading figure a few years later at the pub-rock scene and played on the same level as Dr. Feelgood for whom he wrote Down At The Doctors. Other artists like Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe covered his songs after he signed to Stiff record label. I loved to listen to his songs after decades and I think it is necessary to feature him and his music once again.

Mickey Jupp's Legend - Cross Country

Mickey Jupp's Legend - My Typewriter

Mickey Jupp's Legend - Another Guy

Mickey Jupp's Legend - Heather On The Hill

Wilko Johnson RIP

 

Just the news arrived that one of the greatest guitar player from the last decades sadly past by. CC over at Charity Chic Music wrote great last words about an artist that had an immense influence in modern guitar play. I always loved the way he played guitar and without him Dr. Feelgood wouldn't be the ones they were. Always angry and precise anyway. Now another great artist is gone and probably not the last one this year.

Rest easy Wilko

Back To Normal Life

 

Since today, public life in my hometown has moved back towards normality. The incidences have fallen so far that it is again possible to meet in groups also in a pub. Of course not without the government having ordered regulations for this. So visits to a pubs and beergardens are only allowed to those who can show a negative vaccination test. For this reason, the public test centers cannot save themselves from an unusually high rush. Yesterday after work I managed a date for testing today and so in the late afternoon I will be able to meet some friends personally to those I had only contact via chat or Zoom. Hopefully this will be a few steps into normality. Today some songs I found on a sampler that was played often in times when me and mates met in a pub.

Pretenders - Brass In Pocket

Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway

Dr. John - Right Place Wrong Time

Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken

Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane

Dr. Feelgood - Milk and Alcohol

Purchased (Not Only) By The Cover

In 1977 when new music changed completely only a few bands have got it made to be successful with their old sound. One of them were the pub-rock veterans Dr. Feelgood from Essex (Eddie and the Hot Rods were the other) that reached number one with their live album Stupidity one year before. I liked them because of their earthy and timeless blues-rock that made fun amongst the punk-rock bands. They were true to their sound and Wilko Johnson maybe one of the best guitar players in these days. And as often the cover design was the reason I bought this record. A man stands before the club, lights to himself a cigarette and peers from the corners of the eye like his girlfriend stands closely with another man. Seldom a photo has returned the title of the album so appropriately.

Dr. Feelgood - Sneakin' Suspicion
Dr. Feelgood - Paradise

Searching For The Perfect Riff

A riff is a term in rock music for a short phrase used as a background or as a building block for solos and mostly often repeated. There were a lot of songs where a riff is the main thing of a song. During the last days I was searching the songs I have for the final riff at all. It is difficult because there are so many riffs during the last decades that impressed me very much and finally I always come back to Wilko Johnson. Back in 1979 Dr. Feelgood released their fourth album Sneakin' Suspicion and the title track has everything a riff-based song should have. Only a few chords preparing the ground for a some guitar licks. Especially when Johnson plays rhythm and lead guitar at the same time.

Dr. Feelgood - Sneakin' Suspicion

PS:
If you have any suggestion for another songs - please let me know. Probably we can make a series out of it.

Back In The Night

These days Wilco Johnson released a compilation of his output during 2008 - 2012 with goodies from Dr. Feelgood and his own band Solid Senders. Listening to this old songs make me smile again after all the years he accompanied me during the last decades. Of course it is simply based on blues patterns he always had his very unique kind of it. He was one of the few who is able to play rhythm and solo guitar at the same time and he made one of those songs that will last forever.

Dr. Feelgood - Sneakin' Suspicion
Dr. Feelgood - Paradise

Get Into It

The first song this week I would like to feature is more than retro and it comes from the The Strypes, an Irish band which plays in the tradition of pure Rock 'n' Roll and blues. Deeply infected by all the 60s blues rock bands and the early Dr. Feelgood and pure pub rock. Not much to say but dirty sweaty and sexy Rock 'n' Roll. Not the music for every time but right know it hits my taste. And when did I heard a harp in song (it must be many years ago).

Have a good week.

Get On

It is almost 40 years ago I bought a record with classical Rock 'n' Roll that I found after a long time in my vinyl collection. I was very in to it these days because the rhythm section was so awesome. Seldom heard a bass player and the drummer beating out the rhythm with such a verve and enthusiasm. I asked myself while I put the record on the record player if this kind of music works as well as it did a long time ago. And I was surprised. Most of the songs did - not only as a sentimental touch to the past. The band is called Hurrigane (yes, it was a clerical error by printing their first record) and they were from Finland. They was very big there and they called them Finland's answer to pub rock performers like Dave Edmunds or Dr. Feelgood. Some may say it's just covering old songs but didn't a lot of others the same?

Have a good weekend all of you.

Hurriganes - Get On
Hurriganes - It Ain't What You Do
Hurriganes - Tallahassee Lassie

What Happened To Pub Rock # 9

This series about Pub Rock wouldn't be complete if I didn't write some words about Dr. Feelgood. They were the classical type of Pub Rock. Lead by the choppy style guitar of Wilco Johnson and the voice of Lee Brilleaux backed with a phenomenal rhythm section. It was pure energy to see them on stage. In my view the weight-bearing figure was in this group was Wilco Johnson. He was one of those guitar slinger who are able to play riffs and lead guitar at the same time. I recognized them with the release of they fantastic live record Stupidity from 1976. It was just the time when punk and new wave wasn't present and the boring pathetically distended music was played in the radio. Then a band appeared that brought us back to the values of Rhythm and Blues. Songs like Roxette and Back in the Night  were often played in our local pubs. My favorite song is the title track from their 1977 record Sneakin' Suspicion. The song exists only of reefs - nothing more and nothing less. I don't know much songs that make me shiver anytime I listen to it. Their music isn't spectacular but at any time it is true and soulful. Of possible manner this music is not any more up-to-date, however, in spite of all I love them.

Listen and enjoy

Dr. Feelgood - Roxette
Dr. Feelgood - Back in the Night
Dr. Feelgood - She does it right
Dr. Feelgood - Sneakin' Suspicion

What Happened To Pub Rock?

The short break is over - I'll have to go back to my desk in the office. I don't wanna know how much mails appeared in the last days that wanted to be answered. Anyway I think I'll answer them step by step. A few days ago I was in contact with Mr. Mondo via twitter. We talked a little bit about Mickey Jupp and his early record 'The Flaming Red Boot'-record. Mickey Jupp played guitar and piano in his band Legend. The released a few records in the early 1970s. They were all very good but too less people bought the records to be successful and the band split. In 1977 he started a career as a solo artist and made some good rhythm and blues records again. A lot of his songs was covered by Elkie Brooks, Joe Cocker, Kursaal Flyers, Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds. The most success he had when he signed to STIFF-records.
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In the days STIFF-records were founded they signed a few bands from the so called pub-rock era as Dr. Feelgood , The Tyla Gang and Nick Lowe. All these bands were hardly trained playing in pubs for local audience. That might be the reason why they know how to handle their instruments and their feeling for good songs. In this background could raise also acts like Elvis Costello and The Pogues.

I remember the days in the early 1980s in my hometown when there were five or six pubs local bands could play. But more and more pubs like these disappeared or changed their style. Well, it might sound sentimentally but sometimes I miss these days when you go out for a beer and listen to some bands.

So enjoy these songs:

Mickey Jupp - Another Guy
Mickey Jupp - Lorraine (Part One)

Sneaking Suspicion

Grabbed out a song from the late 70s performed by Dr. Feelgood. Starting as a classical band from the pub rock movement they had a great influence to the uprising punk rock scene. Playing simple Rhythm and Blues like many bands at this time there was one thing that made them unique. And this was their incomparable guitar played by Wilko Johnson.

He achieved his playing style by not using a pick but instead relying on fingerstyle. This enabled him to play rhythm guitar and riffs or solos at the same time creating a highly percussive sound. Good example is this song below, which exists only of riffs. Although he's still on tour he started a career as an actor. Johnson was cast in the role of mute executioner Payne in the fantasy series Games of Throne

Dr. Feelgood - Sneaking Suspicion