You know, like comfort food...when you were a young 'un..
So there's also, IMHO, comfort *music* from Back In The Day.
And I *don't* mean 'Rocking Horse Cowboy' or any 'Sesame Stret' ditty..
I mean, did ya have RAVE-FAVE songs that ya mebbe, borrowed from yer older siblings/cousins or parents...and like never returned to 'em?
Or, when ya had yer own paper routes & such, didja have some iddle School or High School faves that were your own 'private treasures'?
The latter query is what this thread is dealing with to-day.
You see, I treated myself to some CD rereleases of some gems that I've not heard since MY vinyl collection (all 8,742 LP's & 1,600+ singles) died in a fire in Albuquerque in 1999.
Five, so far. All originally from the EMI family of labels.
"FUTURAMA" - Be-Bop Deluxe (1975)
The sophomore release from cosmic plankspanker extraordinaire BILL NELSON. And the first, back then, to have a US release.
The whole LP, as produced by QUEEN associate ROY THOMAS BAKER, is a GAS! But I shall opt to profile my ALL-TIME UBER-MEGA-ULTAR RAVE-FAVES from said album.
"MUSIC IN DREAMLAND" (Side "B" - Track 1) is yet another prime example of "The-Hit-Single-That-Shoulda-Been-But-Wasn't" though "MAID IN HEAVEN" (Side "A" - Track 3) was a nice choice (UK release, only, I believe). "MAID" *did* receive some late-night FM airplay back home in Chicago
Am *I* the ONLY one that notices Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto #1 in B-Flat Minor, Op.23" interspersed throughoutn this jam?
Oh, yeah, and The GRIMETHORPE COLLIERY BAND get in on the fun for this song, as well....
"JEAN COCTAEAU" (Track 2) woulda made a superb "B"-Side to the aforementioned Shoulda Been. Named for the French poet/artiste/visionary...it's a delight to hear anytime..
"BETWEEN THE WORLDS" (Track 3) was originally made as a 45 single with a slightly different arrangement to this LP version. Good as the single was, this version TOPS the 45...EMI musta had an idea that it would've, too...for they soon after release pulled said 45 from the shops. (Before "FUTURAMA" was realised, mind you) Question fer you True Believers: I always of the opnion that the gong was the END of this tune. Yet, the CD sequencing has said gong heralding the beginning of "SWAN SONG". So who do ya think is right? Me or the CD sequencer?Ennyhoo....
"SWAN SONG" (Track 4) The BE-ALL, END-ALL for this LP. 'Nuff Said.
"SUNBURST FINISH" - Be-Bop Deluxe (1976)
Despite what the CD booklet says, this was NOT BBD's 1st Stateside release. But it DID catapult Bill & Co. into the U.S. (And therefore world) spotlight.
My faves:
"FAIR EXCHANGE" (Side "A" - Track 1) The lyric "Venus-De-Milo, a statue of note, She lays in the gutter, with a knife in her throat. Naked as sin, no...not even a coat. She gave you a thrill so you gave her a grope. It's a FIAR EXCHANGE" is worth the price of admission ALONE!
"SHIPS IN THE NIGHT" (Side "A" - Track 3) VERY worthy of being THE single from this LP. The sax solo by Bill's brother The Much Regretted IAN NELSON...well, Price Of Admission and all that....
"SLEEP THAT BURNS" (Side "A" - Track 5) Why do I need to extol the aural & lyrical virtues about any of this...when...if YOU have/had these gems...you ALREADY *KNOW* what's goin' on?
"LIFE IN THE AIR-AGE" (Side "B" - Track 2) very much a visionary obeservation on what Futrure Shock may bring (with a LOT of it happening as I write this..)
"LIKE AN OLD BLUES" (Side "B" - Track 3) Like FIAR EXCHANGE", the harmonica solo by BILL is RAZOR SHARP and UBER-COOL!
"BLAZING APOSTLES" (Side "B" - Track 5) The ultimate ending for this superb album. And it's the voice of JAN NELSON (BILL's 1st wife) who's answering the phone at the end (NOT a fade-out on the original vinyl, but after 6 repeats, comes to a full stop). BILL thought of the idea for ringing a receptionist at 2 AM as he was wrapping up the song. He called JAN and asked her to 'stand by the phone' and when he called back, for her to answer with "Good evevning, Blazing Apostles. Can I help you?"
Mind you, I *have* to opine that good as "SUNBURST" is...for MY money, "SUNBURST FINISH" was Be-Bop Deluxe's "THX-1138", and "FUTURAMA" was BBD's "STAR WARS"
"GONZALEZ" (1974)
The eponymous debut (UK only) from the Funk/Latin band. I prefer the tunes that featured U.S.-born vocalist GEORGE CHANDLER (Ennybody know what he's doing these days?) as opposed to 1975 recruit LENNY ZACKATECK. That said, the material from their 1st album is here in its entirety; Plus a few tunes (The better ones, IMHO) culled from the 1975 follow-up "OUR ONLY WEAPON IS OUR MUSIC"
If yer a sad old anorak like me, yer gonna take umbrage to the sequential oreder of the original album being TOTALLY disregarded by the reissue label. But, hey, at LEAST everything's in their FULL-LENGHT UNCUT GLORY!
I introduce the 1974 tunes of my preference in the original order they appeared on vinyl
"PACK IT UP" - The opening track that made me a STAUNCH fan of this LP
"CLAPHAM SOUTH" - Great instrumental
"NO WAY" - The lyric "I'm dyin' for prosperity; I can't afford to die" is, sadly, quite timely...even after verging on 40 years after..
"ADELANTO NIGHTRIDE" - SUPERB instrumental. And like "CLAPHAM SOUTH" somebody somewhere SHOULD consider this for some kinda incedental music backdrop in a feature film soemwhere...
"GONZALEZ" - Written by the band, and is a really GREAT "Signature Tune"
"TOGETHER FOREVER" - EMI kinda missed the ball by, #1: NOT releasing this as a 45, and #2: NOT having U.S. Capitol Records put this LP out Stateside (All the subsequent ones DID make it to the USA).
That said, this just HAS to be *my* (Stop me if you've herad this before) ALL-TIME UBER-MEGA-ULTRA RAVE-FAVE on the WHOLE album!
SAOCO"/"FUNKY FRITH STREET" - Once again, a STELLAR instrumental...and a SUPERB closing tune to this masterpiece.
"DANCING ON A COLD WIND" - Carmen
Of U.S. origin (Los Angeles) but Britain-based, they came to the REGAL ZONOPHONE label for 2 LP's - this is their 2nd one. With production by TONY VISCONTI and additional backing vocals by MARY HOPKIN.
Though the whole album is a GAS, I *gotta* say that the BE-ALL, END-ALL.....just HAS to be the opening tune (Side "A" - Track 1) "VIVA MI SEVILLA"..One acoustic flamenco guitar, An electric lead, electric rhythm, bass, AND fuzzbass? As well as the flamenco stomping as additional percussion...on the MERE OPENING? YOW!
By the way, didja notice that I *did* refrain from callin' it *THE* ALL-TIME UBER-MEGA-ULTAR RAVE-FAVE of mine from the whole album? Even though it most definitely IS.. I abstained from sayin' so this go-round..
Now wasn't that nice of me?
"LITTLE RIVER BAND" (1975)
The group's eponymous debut from The Land Down Under.
"(It's A) Long Way There" (Side "A" - Track 1) We all know about THE hit single that got 'em over around the world. It's an 8 minute-plus tour-de-force , nothing less...
MY two faves are:
"THE MAN IN BLACK" (Side "B" - Track 3) woulda made a DYNAMITE follow-up single, IMHO.
"STATUE OF LIBERTY" (Side "B" - Track 4) a tongue-in-cheek observation of Stateside Bureaucracy attitude towards life. COL LAUGHLIN wails a mean sax on this. But I *do* have one query for you Fellow True Believers 'bout this: The version on this CD release (EMI Australia) is a VERY different mix than what is commonly heard on the U.K. EMI & U.S. Capitol/ Harvest vinyl pressings. Methinks this is the ORIGINAL version (a'la "GENERATION" as opposed to "ECOLOGY") that was ONLY issued in Australia. As I've never had or heard the original Australian vinyl release ever, I wonder if anybody can solave this mystery fer me? I kinda like THIS version with a fuzzbass and rhythm acoustic guitar passages not heard in the 2 vinyl versions I did own. And MINUS the additional sax & organ that DID make it to UK & US vinyl. Thanx fer all yer help in advance....
In any case, now that I am listening to these gems damned near 24/7 (well, almost...I *AM* listening to LRB whilst writing this)...Never MIND what THOMAS WOLFE wrote...
I am no longer in Englewood, Colorado 2010..
I am BACK HOME in Maywood, Illinois 1976
Where it's still safe to walk the streets at night..
And in Chicago...the L-trains* all have Cream-Coloured tops and Dark Green bottoms (That's as in "Elevated Trains"..to a Chicagoan, they're what The Tube is to a Londoner)
"Fonzie", "Dave Allen", "Monty Python's Flying Circus", "Bugs Bunny", "Charlie Brown" and "Doctor Who" loom LARGE in MY telly screen world
Fahey Flynn, Gene Siskel, John Drury, Frazier Thomas and Ray Rayner are still alive & well...
And I am a happy teen just doing the school gig in the day, having supper with my parents and then drawing my cartoons at night.
I saw two bands you mention back in the 70s at our local college. Be Bop Deluxe who my best friend was crazy about. I thought they were ok but not quite my thing. They had a pretty good Chinese (?) bass player called Charlie Tomauhi or something didn't they??
The other act I sw was Carmen. They had an album out called Fandango somehing or other. Was it Fandangos in Space? Wasn't it Flamenco music? The memory's not so good anymore. I can only remember they had a drummer called Paul Fenton who had connections with T. Rex. I found them entertaining.
Love the term plankspanker. I bet Ray and Rod will really enjoy that monicker!!
Spring 1984...we had a garage sale. I was almost 8 yrs old. My aunt brought over a stack of albums. I grabbed a pile and hid in my room all day. One of those was an album by some guys from Detroit. The name of the album: Willie Remembers...recorded some Earth band or something...I don't know
Seriously, that album takes me back...way back! I still LOVE that album.
I saw two bands you mention back in the 70s at our local college. Be Bop Deluxe who my best friend was crazy about. I thought they were ok but not quite my thing. They had a pretty good Chinese (?) bass player called Charlie Tomauhi or something didn't they??
The other act I sw was Carmen. They had an album out called Fandango somehing or other. Was it Fandangos in Space? Wasn't it Flamenco music? The memory's not so good anymore. I can only remember they had a drummer called Paul Fenton who had connections with T. Rex. I found them entertaining.
Love the term plankspanker. I bet Ray and Rod will really enjoy that monicker!!
UK Dave:
Rich is correct; Tumahai was a Maori from New Zealand, and died of a heart attack in 1995.
Carmen's 1st LP was indeed "Fandangos In Space"....but I really do prefer the sophomore "Cold Wind" LP overall...
Some *VERY* sorely needed (for ME!) examples of Comfort Music to cheer me up in these hurtful times....
"BACK ON HOME" - From "MAXOOM", the 1972 debut LP from FRANK MARINO & MAHOGANY RUSH (N.B. - MARINO has the uncanny similarities to The Much Regreted JAMES MARSHALL HENDRIX in guitar artistry & such...leading some people back when the LP was released to think this was posthumpusly released HENDRIX material..)
Four from BE-BOP DELUXE:
"SLEEP THAT BURNS" - From the 1976 E.M.I. LP "SUNBURST FINISH"; A prime example of a Hit-Single-That-Shoulda-Been-But-Never-Was...particularly since there was NO airplay of this'n Back In The Day..Until Yours Truly called in a request fer it once..
The following are three from the GREATEST album (IMHO) by BILL NELSON & Co., "FUTURAMA":
"MUSIC IN DREAMLAND" - And I'm not kidding...there ARE distinctively-heard bits of TCHAIKOVSKY's "PIANO CONCERTO No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23" here..And as I opined before I dig that THE GRIMETHORPE COLLIERY BAND gets in on the fun..
The last few riffs of this gem segues *directly* into....
"JEAN COCTEAU" - The 2nd track from Side "B" of the album; Dedicated to the gifted artiste, poet, & filmmaker.
Skipping the alternate take of "BETWEEN THE WORLDS" (The original version was a 45 single "A"-Side, which was recalled by E.M.I. after only a few reached the shops; Intra-company politics of some sort or other..), we move on to the final---and appropriately titled, tune......
"SWAN SONG" - About this I *do* have one of those 'Sad-Anorak/Geeky-Nerd-That-I-Am" queries fer you all: Is the gong bit at the beginning the START of "SWAN SONG"? Or is it, in fact, the ENDING of "BETWEEN THE WORLDS"? The CD that I own presents it as the former. I am of the opinion that it HAS to be the LATTER....Sure wish we could ask Mr. NELSON himself about this, eh?
In any case, Yours Truly is listening to ALOT of Comfort Music nowadays...after the death of Pigpen Thatcher, one heluva good buddy....
