It’s a crash course for the ravers:
Lou Reed ‘Between Thought and Expression’ - pretty good summary of Lou’s RCA and Arista years;
Mogwai ‘As The Love Continues’ - Mogwai’s tenth album is as gripping and distinctive as any of its predecessors. In fact, I struggle to choose a favourite;
David Bowie ‘Aladdin Sane’ (50th Anniversary Half-Speed Remaster) - well, I probably didn’t really need another copy of this record but, suckered by its sale price at a well known high street store, I succumbed. And I’m glad I did. It’s never sounded better - especially Mike Garson’s crystalline piano;
Daryl Hall & John Oates ‘Marigold Sky’ - one of H&O’s last joint efforts, and one of their best. It’s so sad to see this great duo fall out so spectacularly. The last song here, ‘War Of Words’, seems now unintentionally ironic;
Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets ‘Indoor Safari’ - it’s been too long since we had new songs from Basher. The wait has been worth it. Thirty seven minutes of grown up pop wonderment;
Big Big Train ‘The Likes Of Us’ - this is threatening to unseat Gruff Rhys’ ‘Sadness Sets Me Free’ as my album of 2024. Such finely crafted, intelligent rock music as this defies any restrictive genre classification;
(Sideline comment: I had the immense pleasure of seeing Big Big Train in concert in Whitley Bay this week. They were superb. Despite having an almost entirely new lineup they sounded as tight as a drum and despatched a two hour set of tremendous music in what seemed like minutes. The tragedy was that what was already a small venue was little more than half full, a worrying situation for a seven piece band with its associated hangers on. Come on, dudes: bands like this deserve your support. If you’ve any interest in modern prog - or melodic rock in general - do yourself a favour and check out a Big Big Train gig when it’s near you. I’d be amazed if you weren’t, er, likewise. Plug ower: back to me records…);
Bob Dylan and The Band ‘The 1974 Live Recordings’ (Chicago, Jan 3 show only) - another brick of live Dylan for me to dip into. Whether or not I ever get time to play all 27 discs is between me and my maker but, if the opening show is anything to go by, there’s a shedload of fine stuff here only hinted at on ‘Before The Flood’. I just wish that The Band’s own songs could’ve been included too;
Snow Patrol ‘The Forest Is The Path’ - Snow Patrol are one of those bands I don’t usually go for but who regularly transcend my prejudices, and I don’t know why. Their first album in six years follows that trend. The songs break no new ground but sound only like them;
Keith Jarrett ‘No End’ - Jarrett on guitar is like someone trying to emulate Jerry Garcia with only partial success. That’s not to say that this low-fi one-off is a failure, as there is some good music here. It’s just too damned LONG. Best approached with a shuffle button, I think;
John Coltrane ‘A Love Supreme’ - one of those critically lauded records I think as overrated until I play it again and know I’m kidding myself;
Mozart: Piano Sonatas in C, K 330 & F, K 280; Haydn: Variations in F minor (Clara Haskil) - as near perfect a conception of this deceptively simple sounding music as I could imagine;
Beethoven: String Quartet no.10 in E flat, Op.74 ‘Harp’ (Calidore Quartet) - excellent new recording of one of Beethoven’s less celebrated quartets;
Ireland ‘The Forgotten Rite’ (Halle/Sir John Barbirolli) - hountingly beautiful, ethereal music never done better than on this pioneering recording. Ditto:
Bax: Symphony no.3 (Halle/Barbirolli) - Sir Snifter’s first recording with a war-ravaged Halle was one of his greatest. What the players lacked in finesse, they more than made up for in spirit;
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto (Jascha Heifetz/LPO/Barbirolli) - an even earlier record where conductor and soloist achieve near-perfect symbiosis. And what a work this is.
Have a great week all - and Happy Birthday if that applies to you.
Dave x
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