Blues Monday #9: Got My Mojo Workin' by Muddy Waters

A guy I once worked with used to lend me blues CDs. I was still 'learning' the genre and he had plenty of resources to hand. One particular disc, a compilation I don't remember the name of, contained three live tracks by Muddy Waters. There was no info about their source, but I do recall seeing some vintage TV performance of the great man playing an awesome version of Got My Mojo Workin' which sounded very similar to the version on that CD. In his backing band were the likes of Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Otis Spann and a young Matt "Guitar" Murphy. What a line-up!

My best guess is it's from the touring American Folk Blues Festival 1963 which was filmed for German TV. I might be wrong about this though, so do tell me if you know better. Whatever, it's one of my very favourite live performances of any song of any genre. I love it. But then, it's Muddy Waters, so you can't go wrong.


Soundtrack:

• Got My Mojo Workin' [live] - Muddy Waters  (source unknown)

The Genius of... Jack White #10

So the last of the Genius series, for now at least. And what a tune to finish on...

#10: Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes

Seven reasons why Seven Nation Army is one of the greatest rock songs ever written:

1. That riff. Simple but brilliant.
2. It has been adopted by football fans and teams worldwide: Bayern Munich, FC Brugge, AS Roma, Falkirk, Oldham, Melbourne Victory and the Italian national team. American football, cricket, baseball and basketball teams also use the song. 
3. It's been played by a ship. Yes - a ship!   
4. It's been linked to the pro-democracy uprising in Egypt.  
5. Rolling Stone, NME, Pitchfork, the Observer, Consequence of Sound and Rhapsody all named it as one of the best songs of the 00's. 
6. In just 12 years it has been covered hundreds of times by artists as diverse as the Flaming Lips, Metallica, Audioslave, Kate Nash, Kelly Clarkson and the Pretty Reckless, as well as a host of talent show wannabes who frankly don't deserve to even sing the song in the shower, let alone on TV. 
7. It's the White Stripes, dammit!

You just cannot have a series called The Genius Of Jack White and not feature Seven Nation Army. It has taken on a life of its own, something even White acknowledged when asked about its association with sports fans: "I love that most people who are chanting it have no idea where it came from. That's folk music." In a hundred years time, people will still be singing that riff, mark my words.




This post is dedicated to TheMadster (my eldest sprog), who you may know is a big Jack White fan. This week she was awarded female Sports Personality of the Year at her school's annual Sports Awards, and qualified for the regional heats of the Welsh Schools Athletics Championships at both 800m and 1500m. She deserves a tune, I reckon.

Bowie Albums Rated - Part 4

And so the Berlin trilogy is upon us...

Low (1977)

Blaming Los Angeles for his descent into a cocaine-fuelled hell, Bowie upped-sticks and moved to Berlin where he teamed up with Brian Eno. The resulting collaboration was to prove one of the most fruitful of Bowie's career, and one of his most critically acclaimed.

From the opening strains of Speed Of Life, it was clear this was yet another new Bowie sound. However, it seemed remarkably upbeat considering the pain Bowie later revealed he was going through at the time whilst trying to kick his drug addiction. The songs on side one don't all sound fully-formed. Breaking Glass in fact was less than two-minutes in length, though in subsequent live performances it reached a more conventional three and a half minutes (as heard on 'Stage', the following year's live album).

Sound And Vision, despite becoming one of Bowie's best loved and most recognisable tracks, is also rather curious. It started life as an instrumental, then vocals were added, then vocals were taken out, leaving an instrumental intro of half the song's total length. It was as if Bowie had taken the decision to lay low (hence the album title?), at least vocally, and let some of his other creative juices run free.

To this day, I have mixed feelings about 'Low'. It may have proved to be incredibly influential, but it sounds badly dated to these ears. Side two would have made a decent soundtrack to some post-apocalyptic drama series in the early 1980s perhaps, but listening to it now is not something I yearn to do very often; these tracks are hardly growers. Also, bear in mind I wasn't even 6 when 'Low' came out, so by the time I did hear it, music had moved on considerably. It does have its highlights; aside from Sound And Vision, A New Career In A New Town is a standout and closes the upbeat nature of side one in much the same way as it started. But side two is not really my bag, and that's all I can say really.

6.5 / 10

Soundtrack:

• A New Career In A New Town - David Bowie (from 'Low')

 
"Heroes" (1977)

Bowie's Cold War album was strangely optimistic and upbeat, in stark contrast to the dark, melancholic nature of much of 'Low'. The fact that "Heroes" hit the shelves just six months after its predecessor shows what a productive period it was for Bowie at a very difficult time in his life. His partnership with Brian Eno was reaping dividends though, and "Heroes" is the result of two great, adventurous musical minds at the peak of their powers.

"Heroes" is the best of the three Berlin records, and one of the top 5 of Bowie's entire career. It gets off to a rip-roaring start with Beauty And The Beast, Joe The Lion and the remarkable title track. In fact it barely lets up throughout side one, a relief from the murky and haunting sounds that graced 'Low'. While these songs may well have been recorded during the same sessions, it's clear there is a different mood here and it's that which sets "Heroes" apart from its companions. Eno's production is often warm and close - Sons Of The Silent Age sounds like it was recorded in the cupboard under your stairs - though there are distant and eerie elements in there too.

Side two adopted a similar approach to the second side of 'Low', consisting largely of atmospheric instrumentals. While V2-Schneider kept the spirit of side one up to a degree, the more ominous and atmospheric moods of Sense Of Doubt and Neuköln continued the soundscape experimentation the Berlin trilogy became largely remembered for, though they do begin to grate. Fortunately, "Heroes" ends on an upbeat note. While The Secret Life Of Arabia may never be regarded as one of Bowie's all-time career highlights, it did at least provide some respite from the ponderousness of the instrumentals.

"Heroes" was recorded yards from the Berlin Wall, with East German guards keeping watch from their side. It was also the work of Bowie emerging from some of his darkest days. Despite the unpromising backdrop, "Heroes" was triumphant.

8.3 / 10

Soundtrack:

• Sons Of The Silent Age - David Bowie (from "Heroes")

 
Lodger (1979)

The Bowie-Eno partnership was petering out by the time 'Lodger' came around. The experimental techniques that dominated the previous two records in the trilogy were also on the wane, though neither of these things make 'Lodger' an uninteresting record. The one thing that lets it down more than anything else is its lack of real focus; it just doesn't gel as an album.

Nevertheless, there are some terrific songs here. Fantastic Voyage is a wonderful ballad and hinted at yet another future direction, though oddly it was never played live until 2003. It was also one of the most straightforward tracks we'd got from Bowie for a few years. Red Sails is a whole heap of fun and could be said to hark back to the glam era save for the guitar sounds. Speaking of which, Boys Keep Swinging really could have graced the Ziggy/'Aladdin Sane' era (though I think of Roxy Music when I hear it), while DJ wouldn't have sounded out of place on 'Diamond Dogs'.

But there was still some adventurousness and ambition. African Night Flight was an exotic journey of tribal sounds and a stream-of-consciousness that was a brave move even for Bowie. Yassassin is full of Eastern promise with its Turkish influences, while Move On is essentially All The Young Dudes backwards! Also of interest is the fact that Boys Keep Swinging and Fantastic Voyage - both sides of the album's first single - are actually pretty much the same song, featuring identical chord sequences.

'Lodger' for me is never less than fascinating, and when taken as a collection of individual songs it rates pretty highly in his catalogue. But the disparate nature of its contents make it difficult to comprehend as a whole. It also sounds like Bowie was ready to move on to pastures new. Although he would team up with Eno again more than a decade and a half later, 'Lodger' was an indication that the partnership was over for now. The following year, Bowie's newest creation would be revealed and a revival of enormous commercial success would ensue...

7.5 / 10

Soundtrack:

• Fantastic Voyage - David Bowie (from 'Lodger')

Welsh Wednesday #34

#34: Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon by Super Furry Animals

This coming weekend, MrsRobster and I will be catching Super Furry Animals at their three-night residency at Cardiff University. Tickets are like gold dust, as you'd imagine, these being the first shows the band have done for five years. It's anyone's guess if this is the end of their hiatus, a temporary return to remind us they're still alive or a farewell. I do so hope it's not the latter.

It's being marketed as a promotional tour for the re-release of their Welsh language album 'Mwng' (trans: Mane), originally released 15 years ago. It came out on the band's own Placid Casual label, sandwiched as it was between Creation Records dissolving and their subsequent signing to Sony. The album was a back-to-basics effort - recorded live and costing just £6000.

Ymaelodi Â'r Ymylon (trans: Joining the periphery) is typical of its no nonsense approach. It's quite obviously a Super Furry Animals song, but without the techie gadgetry that graced their previous records, in particular 'Guerrilla', the record that immediately preceded 'Mwng'.

I expect much of 'Mwng' to be played at the weekend. Bring it on, I say. To be honest, the Furries could play for 10 hours performing Plaid Cymru's election manifesto for all I care. It would still be one of the most entertaining shows I'll have seen for years.

From Inside The Pod Revisited #9

Looking back at the podcasts I created for my old blog, I was surprised how much good stuff I crammed onto each one over 30 short minutes. Compiling them was always interesting, but quite hard work deciding what to include and what to leave out. This one is a particularly strong set, eclectic and lively.

As with the rest of this series, I've not tinkered with the original article - what you see below is how it originally appeared more than four years ago. Enjoy.


Pod 10: Blue
(first published 4 January 2011)

We're told 2011 is going to be a tough year, which is something to look forward to!! Plenty of reasons to feel blue then, but for once in my life I'm going to try to be optimistic. Shit happens, right? What can you do but shrug your shoulders and get on with it? So with that in mind, here's another 10 gems to usher in another 12 months of excellent sounds which, even if things conspire against us, will offer us comfort in our hour(s) of need.

This post is dedicated to the late great Pete Postlethwaite who passed away at the weekend.

1. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Come Undone [live] (2010, Live At The Barbican)

While the pairing of the former Belle and Sebastian cellist and the ex-frontman of Screaming Trees may have been considered a little odd at the outset, three albums in and Campbell & Lanegan have more than proved they are a match made in musical heaven. This track, originally from last year's 'Hawk' album, was recorded in London during their recent tour.

2. Compulsion Air-Raid For The Neighbours (1994, Comforter)

One of my favourite albums of the 90s was the debut from Irish punks Compulsion, fronted by the man who would later become renowned and in-demand producer Jacknife Lee (R.E.M., Snow Patrol, U2). I saw them live at a gig in Devon while I was working with the support band, and they were really quite phenomenal.

3. The Peth Sunset Veranda (2008, The Golden Mile)

Ten-piece Welsh supergroup comprising members of Super Furry Animals, Sibrydion and actor Rhys Ifans (of Twin Town and the latest Harry Potter movie), who once fronted the Super Furries way back before they made a record. If you're wondering, 'Peth' translates from the Welsh as 'thing'.

4. Head Cat Big River (2006, Fool's Paradise)

Rockabilly supergroup made up of members of the Stray Cats, the Rockats and, erm, Lemmy from Motörhead. Yes, strange as it may seems, rock's premier hedonistic frontman grew up listening to the rock 'n' roll greats and made this album as a result of a studio jam with the other members. This is their take on Johnny Cash's classic.

5. Ólöf Arnalds Klara (2007, Við Og Við)

An active member of the Icelandic music scene since the start of the last decade, collaborating with numerous acts including Múm, Mugison and Skúli Sverrisson, Ólöf Arnalds produces the most extraordinary folk music, performed in the troubadour style. Haunting and delicate, yet unnervingly self-assured.

6. Speedball Jr. Inferno (2006, For The Broad Minded)

How about some surf-rock from Belgium, then? Not something you're likely to hear that often, but in Speedball Jr. we get some kick-ass riffs coupled with raw rock energy while keeping with the essence of the genre.

7. Jesse Fuller Whoa Mule (1963, San Francisco Bay Blues)

The original one-man-band, Jesse Fuller worked in factories, farms, quarries, railroads, shipyards and as a film extra before carving out a career in music, his first album being cut in 1958. He is also known for his invention of the 'fotdella', a bizarre musical instrument that allowed him to play a bass line in several keys in addition to guitar, drums, harmonica and kazoo simultaneously. A true genius.

8. Cold War Kids The Soloist in The Living Room (2005, The Mulberry Street EP)

A new Cold War Kids album is on the way, which is always something to get excited about. This is one of their earliest recordings which featured on their debut release.

9. Nouvelle Vague (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) (2010, Best Of Nouvelle Vague: Limited Edition)

Known for their inventive reworkings of British and American new wave classics, Nouvelle Vague have recently turned their attentions to songs of the 80s from their French homeland. However, last year's Best Of featured a bonus disc of rarities that rounds off the first chapter of their career, and this take on the Stranglers debut is one of the highlights.

10. Sister Rosetta Tharpe 99 And A Half Won't Do (1956, Gospel Train)

After making her name as a gospel singer during the 20s and 30s, Rosetta caused a storm when her first recordings surfaced in 1938. Her devout god-fearing followers, outraged at the mix of sacred and secular music, turned their backs on her. That, however, didn't stop her from becoming a smash hit with wider audiences and a massive influence on those who would follow - she is credited with inventing the rock 'n' roll guitar solo a good decade before that genre broke through. Here, she duets with fellow gospel singer Marie Knight.

Grab it here!

The Genius of... Tim Smith #10

As I mentioned last week the Genius series is going on hiatus for a while. The Tim Smith chapter is going to be rounded off with the song that gives this blog its name. I originally wrote this piece for JC aka The Vinyl Villain for his Cult Classics series back in January 2014. I've only tweaked it everso slightly for this post.

#10: Is This The Life by Cardiacs

When I started getting into indie music back in the mid-late 80s, I bought some of those Indie Top 20 compilation albums. One of them included Is This The Life by Cardiacs. It stood out as a highlight of that particular record and got me interested enough to buy their album.

I had no idea who they were, that they had been going for a decade, or that Is This The Life had already been released twice before – on the cassette-only albums ‘Toy World’ and ‘The Seaside’. All I knew was that I loved their sound, and it was one of the coolest songs I’d heard with a sax in it!

The album intrigued me and it was a fixture on my record deck for months. This was one very strange band, clearly touched by genius but far too odd to ever really gain any support or credibility from the media (as evidenced by the NME banning the very mention of their name).

Is This The Life was probably the most accessible track on that album; arguably it is one of the most accessible songs in their entire canon. It’s still a really bloody good track to this day. Is This The Life was the closest they ever came to a hit (it still didn’t make the top 75) and it was the one that introduced me to Tim Smith’s brilliantly bizarre mind.

Bowie Albums Rated - Part 3

Just as he ushered glam rock in, Bowie was the one who called time on it. He bid the genre he practically invented a final farewell before seeking a new sound, a new audience, and inevitably, a new persona.


Pin Ups (1973)

I'm left rather confused by 'Pin Ups', I've never really seen the point. It's an anomaly in that, given Bowie had established himself as one of the world's brightest new, forward-thinking songwriters, 'Pin Ups' merely showcases a dozen cover versions of songs from mid-60s England. There are one or two gems - his version of Sorrow, for instance, sounds like a genuine attempt to make a decent single, and Bowie's voice is at its best; while Where Have All The Good Times Gone could easily have fit on 'Aladdin Sane'. The rest of it though is largely throwaway, pub band stuff.

5 / 10

Soundtrack:

• Where Have All The Good Times Gone - David Bowie (from 'Pin Ups')

Diamond Dogs (1974)

The band formerly known as the Spiders From Mars had been jettisoned by Bowie by the beginning of 1974. With it, the glam rock sound that made him a superstar was being gently urged to leave the party too. 'Diamond Dogs' was glam's last hurrah, although the raw, garagey noises evident on the album's eleven tracks made it clear times were a-changing.

Bowie himself played guitar on 'Diamond Dogs', which certainly explains a lot of the edginess it emitted. The sound was appropriate for its subject matter - a post-apocalyptic Manhattan populated by street kids trying to survive in this harsh environment; the Diamond Dogs of the album title. Bowie was moving on but not drastically so. Rebel Rebel, another of his undisputed classics, was the last triumphant shout out to Ziggy and Aladdin, while the title track swaggers with an arrogance and self-assuredness of a rock star at the top of his game.

But there were signs of what was to come next. The soulful ballad Rock 'n' Roll With Me, and 1984 which sounds like a thinly-veiled Theme From Shaft, were certainly pointers towards Bowie's "plastic soul" of 'Young Americans'. Despite the variety of styles however, 'Diamond Dogs' works well as a cohesive album, even if the darkness of some of the songs means there aren't quite so many memorable tunes as on some of his previous works.

7.8 / 10 

Soundtrack:

• Diamond Dogs - David Bowie (from 'Diamond Dogs')

Young Americans (1975)

Right from the off it's clear 'Young Americans' was different to anything Bowie had done before. Taking the sound of Philadelphia as his cue, he ditched glam rock once and for all and embraced, what he called, 'plastic soul'. This new sound called for a new batch of musicians and guitarist Carlos Alomar was drafted in. A relationship lasting 30+ years was born.

The title track, with its sweeping strings, excitable sax and soulful backing vocals set the tone. It's a great track too, so uplifting. Lead single Fame, written with John Lennon, took on a more funky feel, but the best track on the record for me was the result of another collaboration. Fascination was co-written by a young Luther Vandross who would go on to be one of the biggest soul stars of the 80s. It also showcased the vocals of another up-and-coming singer, Robin Clark, who a decade later would feature prominently on Simple Minds' 'Once Upon A Time' album.

Not all the collaborations were successful however. Another track recorded with Lennon - Across The Universe - simply doesn't work for me. Lennon does his best to inject some energy into it; his backing vocals duelling with Bowie's lead during the last couple of minutes almost win me over. I still much prefer the Beatles' original - Lennon's mellow, psychedelic vocals suit the essence of the song more, in my view. Here, it's all a little over the top.

While 'Young Americans' isn't a record I usually go for when I'm in the mood for some Bowie, it is enjoyable when I do give it a spin.
 
7.5 / 10

Soundtrack:

• Fascination - David Bowie (from 'Young Americans')

Station To Station (1976)

On his tenth album, Bowie and his cohorts adopted an experimental approach to the recording process. There are a lot of sounds on 'Station To Station' and there is a clear pointer towards the motorik style of the Berlin trilogy. Elsewhere, the funk feel of 'Young Americans' is still evident - Golden Years and Stay, in particular.

As a whole though, 'Station To Station' is sensational. There may only be six tracks, but each one is of as high a quality as Bowie had produced to date and would produce in the future. The title track, which opens the record, is a 10-minute epic that criss-crosses Bowie's recent history and his near-future. There's a bit of funk in there, some glam rock and a bit of the Krautrock experimentation that would serve him well to the end of the decade. It's a real headphones track, especially during the first half.

It's clear that Golden Years was the first track written for the album. It wouldn't have been out of place on 'Young Americans'; TVC 15 was a somewhat strange inclusion musically - the album's most obviously pop moment - but lyrically it was in keeping with the dark undertones of the other tracks, based on a hallucination that Iggy Pop had in which he saw his girlfriend being eaten by the TV set. The darkness and almost surreal nature of the songs can undoubtedly be aligned to Bowie's chronic cocaine use at the time, but like so many such situations in rock music history, the dark times often result in some of an artist's finest work.

Word On A Wing was written during the making of the movie 'The Man Who Fell To Earth', a time of "psychological terror", according to Bowie. It was his protection against some of the things happening to him at the time. It's a beautiful song, one of the best ballads of his career. But the very best is saved til last. Bowie's take on Wild Is The Wind still rates as one of hs greatest moments of all. His vocal is phenomenal and the track as a whole is a thing of awe and wonder.

Bowie may have been going through a rather turbulent and disturbing period in his life, but by playing it out on record, he produced a masterpiece. 'Station To Station' is my fave Bowie album because of its depth and candidness. The Thin White Duke - Bowie's newest persona - may have been, in his own words, "a nasty character indeed", but as the muse through which this record was created, he was an extraordinary, and welcome, addition to the Bowie cast.

9.3 / 10

Soundtrack:

• Wild Is The Wind - David Bowie (from 'Station To Station')

Welsh Wednesday #33

#33: Peripheral Thermal (L) by R.Seiliog

Cardiff's Robin Edwards a.k.a. R.Seiliog is the leading exponent of new Welsh electronica. He's come a long way in such a short time. Having started out quietly making minimalist kosmiche electronica, he spent the best part of three years touring, and occasionally recording, with the likes of compatriots Cate le Bon, H. Hawkline, Gruff Rhys and Euros Childs.

His debut EP 'Shuffles' brought numerous other influences into an already heady mix, in particular Krautrock. James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers declared it record of the year in 2013 and brought Edwards in to remix tracks from the Manics' next album 'Futurology'.

R.Seiliog's debut full-length hit the shelves right towards the end of last year. Entitled 'In Hz', it's a terrific mix of sounds that takes a few listens to get your head around; there really is so much going on in there. Peripheral Thermal (L) is a highlight for me, a rather menacing, densely-layered 4½ minutes of kosmiche terror.

Oh, the (L) stands for 'Left', as the track has a companion piece on the album entitled Peripheral Thermal (R). I'll leave you to work that one out.

Vintage Vinyl #8

Theatre of Hate - Do You Believe In The Westworld 7"
Bought from: Strawberry Fields, Cardiff
Price paid: one of a batch of five singles I paid £8 in total for

Another superb record I found at the now sadly defunct Strawberry Fields. It's completely representative of the post-punk era and as such has deservedly earned itself 'classic' status. Therefore I don't need to extol its virtues to such an educated and informed audience as you lot.

Instead, I can tell you about my introduction to Theatre of Hate and the one and only time I saw them live. I used to walk to school each morning with two mates who were neighbours. One of them, who was known to all as Megs, had two older brothers. One was a punk and played drums in the local punk band The Cult Maniax, the other was a rock fan. Therefore Megs was exposed to quite a bit of alternative music. I remember he introduced me to Half Man Half Biscuit, the Housemartins and Spear Of Destiny. I particularly liked the latter of these and as was my way I made sure I researched the band and got to know their back catalogue (they had just had a hit with Never Take Me Alive at the time; to this day, an absolutely immense tune).

Eventually I found out about Theatre of Hate, the former band of SoD singer Kirk Brandon and bassist Stan Stammers. I didn't like them so much at the time - a little too harsh for my liking, not as melodic as Spear of Destiny either. Do You Believe In The Westworld got stuck in my head though for some reason and over the next decade or so I kept finding this song, and other Theatre of Hate tracks, cropping up on compilations and in other people's record collections.

At some point in the early 90s, I went with Megs and a few others to see the reformed Theatre of Hate at the Cavern in Exeter. I still wasn't familiar with an awful lot of their material, but I do remember it being an excellent performance with loads of energy. Do You Believe In The Westworld took the roof off that night.

There are a lot of parallels you can draw between Theatre of Hate and a number of bands who have come to prominence over the last decade or so - Bloc Party, Foals to name just two of the better known ones. This Mick Jones-produced track remains one of their best loved and influential.


Soundtrack:

• Do You Believe In The Westworld [single version] - Theatre Of Hate (7" single)
• Propaganda - Theatre Of Hate (b-side)

The Genius Of... David Gedge #10

#10: Kennedy by The Wedding Present

This will be the last of this series for the time being. It hasn't been as popular as I'd hoped so I'm calling time on the regular postings, though I may well sporadically post additional articles when the mood takes me. There will be one more Tim Smith post and one more Jack White post, but it's most likely the Tim Smith series will be revived at some point as it was by far the most popular.

So to finish the Gedge installment, an absolute classic, not just in terms of Gedge's output but in the entire output of the indie music genre. A big claim yes, but I defy anyone to argue the point. Kennedy was the Wedding Present's first single on a major label and their first UK Top 40 hit. It featured on their second album 'Bizarro' in 1989, but I first heard it the previous year when they played it at my first ever gig.

There was no new sound to accompany the major label deal, just classic jangly Weddoes. Lyrically it's one of Gedge's simplest - a single repeated verse referring to JFK and the so-called American dream. If you ever hear the Wedding Present on the radio, it's most likely Kennedy that's being played. It's a song that still gets me going all these years later, and a fine way to wrap this series up.