When We Were Beautiful And Young

 

Last week Mick Harvey, former co-founder of the Birthday Party and member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds announced a new album after almost a decade. His latest sign of life was when he released a couple of months ago a cover version of Marlene Dietrich's A Suitcase in Berlin which will also appear on his new album. I liked this version but forgot to write about it. Now he released When We Were Beautiful And Young another song from this album. And it one of those songs that you listen once and repeat it several times. The track is ethereal and haunting – a powerful reflection of the past delivered with moving grace and presence. The arrangements recall something from Burt Bacharach with a touch of Tindersticks: dramatic and melodic, the lyrics evocative and reflective. Weeping, sweeping strings augment the dramatic scenery and makes me looking forward to the full album.

Sand

 

After I typed down my yesterday's post where I wrote down my fears about what could happen in Europe when we are not able and willing to stop a new war in eastern Europe I came back to some songs that accompanied me during the last decades. Sand is a song originally recorded by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood in 1968 and one of the most underrated songs of this era. In 1985 German experimental rock group Einstürzende Neubauten by Blixa Bargeld made a cover version in the tradition of Nick Cave and the Bad Seed where he played guitar for a long time. Both versions were songs I can listen to almost every time.

From Here To Eternity

For your Sunday pleasure a song all of you will know. Nick Cave released a short album a few weeks ago recorded live in Copenhagen. There is nothing new on it but the versions of his classic songs are worth to be listened once again. It seems that he is in good shape after all the tragedies that happened to him and it should be worth to see him live again.

John Lee Hooker Today?

I have to admit that I am not a fan of blues/blues rock. Since my youngest days there was a club in our town formed in the rebellion years of 1968/69.  Formed as a forum for literally, political and music the club is still alive. In the 70's/80's the music was ruled by jazz and blues. A lot of great artists appeared there and I was lucky enough to listen to some great blues musicians from Europe and America. The last concert I went to in the club was by Robben Ford and it was blues pure. He played his songs in a great way but it didn't fit to me and I went after 30 minutes. Since then I didn't listen to blues at all except the old masters from decades gone by. A few weeks ago I got aware that Hugo Race made a blues record together with Michelangelo Russo called John Lee Hooker's World Today. To be honest, I didn't know Russo before and I knew Hugo Race from his works with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The more I was surprised what came to my ears. It is a tribute to JLH but not in the way re-recording his songs like Boom Boom once again. No it is more a very own and unique interpretation of his kind of songs. Race and Russo play a very noir kind of blues probably Hooker would do right now. The music in addition is orchestrated blues, psychedelic with a lot of feeling, Spartan and always against the growing darkness. Long, fading away, eerie guitar sounds, stoic pumping bass play, timed percussions added with breathy vocals and some keyboards both coming from the depth. Presumably I am too euphoric, however, this album is for a few days on heavy rotation in my house and probably one of the best one this year so far.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Surely everyone knows the situation when you listen to music from your hard-drive and suddenly a song appears and you think for how long I didn't listen to this one. This deja vu happened to me yesterday on the way to the office. It was Barry Adamson with Something Wicked This Way Comes from his 1996 album Oedipus Schmoedipus a record I used to listen often at this time. It is a record that is very underrated maybe because you can't categorize this kind of music. The music is more like a soundtrack and many people didn't know how to handle this Miles Davis influenced jazz lounge sound. Since his first days with Magazine I loved the way he played the bass. He was also the one who stamped the sound of Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Because I couldn't get him out of my mind I selected his music on Spotify and had a good start into work accompanied with his music.

Barry Adamson - Something Wicked This Way Comes

His latest full length album features all his abilities in music and it is a kaleidoscope of all his musical influences from rock to folk to jazz. Even string arrangements are possible.



And finally a superb collaboration with Nick Cave:

16 From 2016 9/16 (The Veterans)

One of my favouite artist during the last decades released another record far over the average. Most charts will name Nick Cave's Skeleton Tree as one of the best records of this year. I don't have to tell much about Nick Cave, because he is a legend, a mysterium or the messias or just a great and good working machine. Take what you want -everything is ok. Most of you will know about the tragedy behind this record. For me it's not a record he done because his son died. I am surprised that he did it either. It is collection of dark and somber songs. Often reduced to the minimum and lead by Nick's sad voice. I listened often to this record but was unable to listen in a row.

Another veteran released a record early this year that impressed me much. Not only because he accompanied me during the last decades I listened to this record often. The sound is fresh and shows him in a very good shape. So I can't believe that this would be his last record. The Music remembers me on his Berlin days in the late 70's/early 80's. Bowie influenced Songs with more heavy guitars additioned to his unique sound. He made a record other bands would dream of.

Bad Seeds

It's a song I listened to a few days ago and remembered the fantastic live album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. There were a lot of songs on it that companied me during the last two decades. One of them is Papa wont leave you Henry and it's seldom played. Originally a simple blues song added with big emotions and melancholy. For me it is a song that lasts forever. Nothing more or less.