Oddly Enough .... Todd

Going back to the seventies again for my walking listening, though for the first time I think that Pacer may not be performing as it should,  though it's logged 7K today leaving me to do 65K between now and next Saturday night.

Anyway after the revelation of "Freak Out" and Mark talking seventies music I thought I'd take a ride on Todd Rundgren's "Todd" album, a double vinyl release that I first bought on cassette from Laskey's in Preston Guidhall. I got the album home and the cassette player chewed it so I took it back and exchanged it for the double vinyl edition. Here's the Wiki entry, with links to other albums mentioned.

To most of you Todd Rundgren will mean nothing, if you have heard anything it may be "I Saw The Light" , but you will have heard his work , he was a very in demand producer and was responsible for the sound and some of the paying on Meatloaf's "Bat Out Of Hell" which you will know and maybe even have a copy of.

Anyway Todd was a double album and came in about 64 minutes , the album after, "Initiation"  was a single album and clocked in at 69 minutes , at the time the longest rock album ever put out. It came with instructions to always play with a brand new needle to avoid unnecessary damage to the grooves. That could have got very expensive and people tended to go for the cassette version.

At that time (1974) me and schoolfriends were usually wary of anything outside normal rock paramters, though those parameters were all over the place (I was a fan of The Bonzo Dog Band and T Rex and Northern Soul) , we were also into Krautrock and Space Rock and anything "out there". Soul was frowned upon, although Stevie Wonder, Parliament , Funkadelic, Gloria Jones,The Supremes and James Brown were OK.

Anyway Todd Rundgren came onto our radar and I got the album home and listened to it, four sides that seemed to cover every acceptable base , then a few more also making them acceptable.

The opening "How About A Little Fanfare" is really a continuation from the wonderful "A Wizard/ A True Star" album. The thing is as you listen to this album it has everything and takes you off to places you don't expect to go, "Spark of Life" is almost Krautrock and definitely Space Rock, then we have Gilbert & Sullivan "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song" from "Iolanthe", along with some pure soul such as "The Last Ride".

Todd in Names

 "No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator" which is what Hendrix's "If 6 Was 9" would be in an alternate universe. There are a lot of songs to enjoy and when the tape shredding transposition from "Izzat Love" to "Heavy Metal Kids" hits tape owners must have thought that's another one gone.

The album finishes with "Sons of 1984" a live song featuring "First United Church of the Cosmic Smorgasbord" which was the audiences from two live outdoor gigs in Central Parlk And San Francisco making it possibly the biggest number of backing vocals on a song ever (I don't know if that's still true). I think that their names were recorded on a poster included with the vinyl album which replicated the cover using the names.





All in all another essential album, that I have just revisited and been amazed by because it just reminded me of how good it was itn the first place. If you buty it on CD you get some extra live songs including a cover of possibly Jeff Lynne and The Move's finest three minutes "Do Ya" .

Listening to   "No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator" has reminded me that I need to load some Hendrix onto the phone for some more listening, although I am willing to take any suggestions from you.

I've had a good day today, hope you enjoy your evening

Much of The Time We Are All The Same

Yesterday walking through the Eldon I guty was cluctching a load of shopping,, probably to much to immediately handle and almost malked into me as he struggled keep hold of everything, and profusely apologised saying "Sorry" several times. The number of times I see people concentrating on their phones or devices or something else and ending up walking into other people, lamp posts, glass doors, road signs. I am as guilty as anybody else. My nearest I come to multi tasking is answering the phone when I'm walking. If I want to take video and post on instagram or wherever I alaways make sure I stop otherwise I would be walking into tree or traffic and ending up as strawberry jam. I listen to music as I walk and I've had the odd #twiker (thats a tw@ biker) shout at me to get out of the way as I block THEIR FOOTPATH, but I do make an effort to remain in control and be aware , though as you know I get easiliy distracted.

Yesterday I was chatting with Mark my son-in-law who is working through seventies music, mentioning The Doors and Supertramp's "Crime of the Century" which is has been playing on his valve based amp which gives a warmer sound than solid state.

I said during the day I had been listening to The Mothers of Invention's "Freak Out" which was was late sixties rather than seventies but contemporary to The Doors. While I listened to Zappa and The Mothers (the record company insisted on the "Of Invention" as they decided that the public would think it implied a certain denigratory family connection) at school I'd read that The Bonzo Dog Band  were the English equivalent of The Mothers, which I didn't see as I saw The Mothers as complex rock against The Bonzo's comedy jazz (which was anything but simple).

Listening to "Freak Out" the analogy becomes clear, the two bands are very similar , the main difference is that The Mothers are rooted in American Doo Wop and Rock and Rock Roll, whereas the Bonzo's were rooted in traditional jazz and music hall. Both bands were intelligent and sophisticaticated enough to cross and incorporate genres. Some of the songs sound like the nuagty kids who escaped from The Brill Building or Tin Pan Alley , Pure Americam Pop until you listen to the lyrics and realised that complex motif being played is actually a kazoo. Just listening to "Any Way The Wind Blows" which is actually pure pop with a vaguely sinister descending guitar line, but the album wouldn't drive people out of your house put addresses a lot of issues still relevant today "Who Are The Brain Police?", "It Can't Happen Here" and "Hungry Freaks Daddy".

Anyway I'll leave you with the opening song from the album.

It's a beautiful day, and if you are in Newcastle you can go and see the dinosaurs in "Jurassic Kingdom" in Leazes Park. Here's my Instagram video.

Have a brilliant weekend.

Acting Like Magpies

While out for tea last night at Bar Loco I was talking with Juliet and Kirsty about stuff such as technology , and kirsty said that people spent money on new technology these days because often people don't have kids and therefore they have more disposable income and that disposable incime often goes on new tech such as the latest phones, TVs or Blu-Ray boxed set.

Because my daughters are independent I also fall into that category, but I remeber many years ago getting into the stage of buying DVDs because they were so cheap (and I thought I might watch them) , and I saw a Hugh Grant DVD , I think it was "Words and Music" in HMV for £1.99, I picked it up and thought , "But where would I put it?" , the shelves were full. I don't often buy DVDs these days being so lazy that I can't be bothered to get up , find the DVD, put it in the player etec etc, when I have digital content at the touch of a few buttons.

I do the same with CDs though it's slightly different, I will buy CDs at a gig to support bands who actually put the effort in to to turn up and perform. In recent years I saw The Jackhammers as part of a three band line up for £2 at  The Central. There were twenty people there, they were the headliners from Glasgow, so the take was £40 , so I bought some CDs thinking how do these bands do this.

I also buy from local record shops such as Reflex and RPM because if you don't then one day you won't be able to buy anything except the latest Now and X-Factor compilations from Tesco. Sometimes Andy and Marek's recommendations hit the nail , sometimes they don't , but I love walking into the sops hearing something and wondering what it is , and often end up buying the record.

Anyway to get to the point of this post, my #AlbumoftheDay yesterday was David Bowie's "Blackstar". I bought it when it came out but didn't know it inside out and though it was time to revisit. One song on the album is "Sue (Or In A Season of Crime)" jazz based and reminds me a little of The Bonzo Dog Band's "Big Shot" in feel (and without the comedy, though Bowie does have a sense of humour), and that slots seamlessly into the middle of the album. The album is around forty minutes, ideal for vinyl and opens with the eponymous title track which consists of two interwining pieces one brooding two chord atmospheric and the other almost pop stretching out for almost ten minutes. The other standout for me is "Lazarus" which is Bowie's obvious last song, he knew what was coming. The rest of the album could be considered Bowie filler but still high quality , but the two standouts alone make this an essential purchas and essential listening.

The thing is with downloads, you can acquire stuff legally (or illegally) and let it just sit on a hard disc , unwatched or unlistened to, and a lot of people do that, the point being tou have the said item , you don't experience it.

Anyway I am still thinking "Blackstar" but have been listening to more stuff which I will be writing about in the next few days. I leave you with the amazing video for such an amazing song, and yes it does last ten minutes.

It's Friday, the weekend is nearly hear , so go out enjoy yourslef and have a great day.

Parallel Lines

Yesterday on my walk in I listened to "Let Them EatChaos" by Kate Tempest. I've always been imprest by this multi talented artist , she's a writer, a rapper , a poet and probably a lot more. The format of the album is rap poem vignettes of seven capital dwellers in flat land at 4:18 AM. These rap poems are punctuating songs including the towering apocalyptic "Don't Fall In" which I used recently in this post.

I was surpised at the similarities between this album and The Alexei Sayle book "The Weeping Women Hotel" which is nbased in the midlands and London with similar characters, though as yet the book hasn't contained any swearing (I don't think).

I am going to include the excellent "Perfect Coffee", a sad song about being forced out of your home by increased rents, which must happen on a daily basis to a lot of people. I had to include this powerful poem about our evil government. 

Sorry this has turned into a bit of a downer, but the album is rivetting, and sometimes what passes for entertainment can carry a very poerful message, and this ceratinly does.

Have a good Wednesday.

Days of Grey

Looking at the sky outside, it's grey again. Cloudy and it looks like rain. It's also cold. But it isn't raining....yet. is the thing that might hit my walking targets, but the physical benefits are going to keep me trying. As long as I can use an umbrella and avoid getting soaked then I will be fine.

Another thing is the fact that I can listen to music on my walks, and therefore let you know whatalbums I have been listening to.

Yesterday that alvum was "Bone Machine" by Tom Waits. When somethone mentions that I always thing of "Earth Dies Screaming", That song along with "In The Colloseum" sounds like the sort of music a minor demon in an anteroom of one of the levels of Dante's Infernal Hades would be making, and I love that. But there are more accessibly songs , almost tender (and Tom Waits does tender well) such as "Who Are You?" and "Whistle Down The Wind", then there is the threat of "Murder In The Red Barn" and "Black Wings" but the one I will share with you is "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" almost a nursey song that we could all do with following.

Yesterday I got another sale on my Discogs store, though I then discovered I need to send it to Finland so that will be fun sorting that out at the Post Office. I am also going to buy a charger for this "non working" iPod as when the guy in CEX tried it a menu did come up, and I can pick one up for a pound in Poundland.

Well I am going to brave the greyness and get off to work now.

Emerald City Binge

I never binge watch but this weekend has seen me watch seven and a bit episodes of Emerald City, which looks great and has pulled some great characters out of the hat (Toto is an Alsatian and the Tin Man is a Steam Punked Steve Austin) , the Wizard is possibly the least convincing charater but even he is more than passable. I'm surprised NBC have cancelled it but I assume it'll join  the likes of Firefly. I am looking forward to the final episode but it has been a great ride.

The iPod I found turned out to be completely dead and Apple manage to be complete arses again by asking me to make an appointment, it's a bloody shop not a surgery , so I went to CEX who checked it out and said it had been water damaged and was completely wrecked. I was going to hand it in at the Police Station on Westgate road but that has been closed down and replaced by one that only opens 9-5 Monday to Friday, that's progress isn't it.

Today's #AlbumoftheDay #1 was Vampire Weekend's "Contra" which owes a lot to Paul Simon's "Graceland" and Sounth African Jit. It is a great album but at times you think you are listening to Paul Simon.

I then put on Fairport Convention's "Babbacombe Lee" their concept album about John Lee the double murderer who survived several attempts to hang whne the gallows assembly failed to work.

Two excellent albums and now it's time for bed.

Still Reading, Still Walking, Stll Listening

It's not yet six o'clock on Sunday morning but I have had a decent night's sleep, though I could probably just go back to bed, but I'd probably start thinking about something. Yesteday I found a 16Gb iPod in the street, I'm not ssure if it is working or if it has been stolen or lost. I am going to hand it in at the local police station as I have no way of checking whether it's working and the may be some kid who has lost their entire music collection (mine currently stand at 500Gb so 16Gb is not a huge collection for me and my phone has about twice that much on at the moment).

Anyway I have finally started reading some fiction after months of music biographhies and history, and mathematics, and I am loving "The Weeping Women Hotel" by Alexei Sayle. It seemed a bit awkward at first because Alexei Sayle is a man and the main protagonists are women, but why that should matter is just a result of sixty years of socity's conditioning on me, but I am past that now and looking forward to picking it up each day. I was possibly expeing some Marxist anarchic comedy or something dark in the realms of someone like Tolstoy or Ibsen but it's anything but, it's well written , easily readable , enjoyable with a sense of humour without being comedic and I still haven't a clue what's going on.

My latest #AlbumoftheDay is Todd Rundgren's "Faithful" which at the time drew criticism because sied one consisted of note for not covers of classic rock songs. Admittedly Todd didn't choose easy targets includeing two of the greatest pop sings ever in The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" and The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" and I've just thought "Rain" which was the 'B' Side of "Paperback Writer", and apparently the bass line on the original songle was so heavy that it could make th eneedle jump the groove. Anyway the problem is that side still comes over as a Music For Pleasure "Rock Classics" album, ie an album of cheap covers. It is more than listenable but it comes as a relief when "Black and White" kicks in on side two. I will leave you with the gorgeous "Clichés" from side two of "Faithful".

Enjoy your Sunday and I will also include Preston's dismantling of Birmingham yesterday which pleased me no end.