I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letter…
Caravan ‘The Album’ - as unprog as this band ever got, but as perfect a sunny pop/rock record as I could imagine. Not my favourite Caravan LP but my, it’s up there;
Dream Theater ‘Images and Words’ - I find much of Dream Theater’s early work like this a bit meh, but when it’s good (‘Metropolis Part 1’, ‘Learning To Live’) it’s effing marvellous;
Robin Trower ‘Bridge of Sighs’ (2024 remix) - not just a remix, but in some cases different and extended takes that actually improve on the superb 1974 original release. This sounds like a brand new album and man, does it rock;
Barclay James Harvest ‘Everyone Is Everybody Else’ - another fine 1974 LP, heard in its original form and sounding beautifully maudlin as only BJH could be;
Brian Eno ‘Discreet Music’ - the first of Eno’s ambient compositions remains my favourite, even though I love pretty much everything he’s since created. Played as intended at the lowest level of volume, its simplicity and beauty is obvious;
Shakin’ Stevens ‘Shaky’ - ok, have a laff - but I tell you, this is serious R&B (in the traditional sense of that term) played and sung with spirit and feel. The legend that was Mickey Gee plays like a dream on the mother, feegawdsakes - alongside great sidemen like Geraint Watkins and B.J. Cole. Slight and ignore all you like, here lives prime rock & roll;
UFO ‘Force It’ - hard as owt in 1975 and still packing a punch half a century later when hard rock isn’t anything like as tuneful;
Tom Verlaine ‘Dreamtime’ - Verlaine’s solo work is right up there with Television IMHO. His tense guitar work and appealingly strained vocals never rung truer than on this underrated sophomore effort;
U2 ‘Rattle and Hum’ (one song only: ‘Bullet The Blue Sky’) - for me, there is no more disappointing band in the world than U2 because they can - in a mere handful of songs - make my sap rise like few others, yet otherwise bore me senseless. This is from that handful. That guitar just floors me;
Linda Thompson ‘Proxy Music’ - poor Linda has to have others singing her songs these days, but they do her proud here, especially John Grant, her family members, and The Proclaimers. This is a moving, amusing and thoroughly enjoyable forty minutes. And what a sleeve;
Terje Rypdal ‘Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away’ - space jazz with just enough rock edge to excite. Sounds like Harry James one minute and King Crimson the next;
Wayne Shorter ‘Etcetera’ and ‘Adam’s Apple’ - it’s clear from Wayne’s Sixties albums how much he was assimilating from his time in Miles Davis’ Quintet. These are two of the best. Herbie Hancock adds his patent sound to the connection here;
Sibelius: Symphony no.3 (VPO/Lorin Maazel) - perfunctory reading of Sibelius’ first truly characteristic symphony, rescued by the Vienna Phil’s superlative musicianship;
Beethoven: Symphony no.3 (VPO/Leonard Bernstein) - not as muscular as his earlier NYPO version, but more considered, better recorded and equally satisfying;
Mahler: Symphony no.4 (Philharmonia/Otto Klemperer) - Klemperer the self-described “immoralist” in evidence here, in as unromantic a rendering of Mahler’s most loving symphony as can be imagined. And yet… it works…
Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite (Philharmonia/Otto Klemperer) - …as does this. Maybe such literal music was more Otto’s dab, but he brings out its humour too;
Strauss: Daphne (BRSO/Bernard Haitink) - my exploration of Strauss’ operas continues with this relatively late one. The lovely Lucia Popp handles the difficult title role with her much missed colorato on top form. The story is a weird one but the music is fabulous.
Outside it’s America.
Have a great week
Dave x
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