The Highest In The Land

 

Pat Fish aka The Jazz Butcher died last year and was featured at this place several times. I always liked to listen to his songs because they often inspired me to dig deeper into his sound and world. You can say it is just another indie-pop band but I felt save listening to his voice. Now Tapete record released a new album posthumously with once more songs from his treasure chest filled with songs about Brexit-blues and existentialism hymns.

Another Band That Didn't Got The Success They Denid

 

Pat Fish formed in 1982 one of the best bands from the early 80's. The Jazz Butcher could be described powerful indie-folk band with a massive touch of great arrangements and the ability to create great lyrics to songs full of hooks. They accompanied me during a lot of years and I often came back to their music. So I felt sad when I got the news several weeks ago that Pat Fish died too early, a songwriter right between Ray Davis and Pete Townshend. But they also made great cover versions and with We Love You they made the old Stones song sound like an early Acid House track. During the last months Fire Records released a couple of their albums and a few days ago Dr. Cholmondley Repents a  four CD-Collection of their A-sides, 12-inches and rarities. A good way to enter the universe of The Jazz Butcher and their magnificent sound. 

The Jazz Butcher - Southern Mark Smith (Original 45)

The Jazz Butcher - We Love You (The Great Awakening)

Southern Mark Smith

There were times, when I have bought an album only because of the cover. I think it was in the early 80s when I went to my local record store digging the box of new entries and I held The Jazz Butcher's Scandal In Bohemia the first time in my hand. It was just the comic cover that made me going to the turntable to listen to this record. And listening to the first song on this record Southern Mark Smith I was sure that this record was mine. SMS was one of those pop hymns you listen once and will never forget. But the rest of album wasn't bad at all. It is not easy to describe the sound of The Jazz Butcher because their songs were too different to classify them to one genre. Funny songs with winking lyrics might be the best description. Half Man Half Biscuit had the same kind of humour.

The Jazz Butcher - Southern Mark Smith
The Jazz Butcher - Mind Like A Playgroup

Feast of ascention

Today is a public holiday in Germany as well in some other European countries. Feast of  Ascension is also known as Ascension Thursday, Holy Thursday or Ascension Day, commemorates the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven.

In Germany we celebrate this day as Father's Day. It has developed from the celebration of fathers in the United States in the early 20th century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. It established in Germany at the end of the 19th century mainly in the Berlin area. Originally, the young men should be introduced into the customs and traditions of men that day.

That's why the adult men started to a men trip with the younger ones. Of course it ended mostly when they all are hammered and walk home in wavy lines. Nowadays the young ones start their celebration on their own. They meet mostly early in the morning and packing a handcart full of beer and pull the wagon through the countryside. In the last years the handcarts were getting bigger because the kids put a sound system on it also. So where ever you are at the countryside, you can hear them young folks music even if you don't see them.

I don't celebrate Father's Day this way for ages, but it is a good opportunity to meet some guys downtown to talk to them while having a couples of drinks.

The Jazz Butcher - Southern Mark Smith