Sunday mornings usually give me a chance to listen to the radio whilst I'm pottering about and cooking the roast. Last week I was up early and caught the end of the Sunday Shuffle on Natasha's BBC 6Music breakfast show which was based on songs which pose a question. Good topic.
1. Pixies "Where Is My Mind?" - I don't need much of an excuse to pick a Pixies song and this is one of their best. Typically with so many songs that I really love I haven't got a great deal to say about it. In a desperate attempt to think of something though I just checked Wikipedia where I found out that James Blunt has covered it. I really don't know what to say.
2. The Smiths "How Soon Is Now?" - Around the time The Smiths were breaking into the mainstream my Gran had come to live with us. I was fifteen and developing alternative music tastes but still found time to watch Top Of The Pops every week. When Morrissey appeared, in flouncey clothes and with a bunch of twigs sticking out of his back pocket, my Gran was less than impressed. "What on earth does he think he looks like?" she said. "It's not my fault Gran! I couldn't agree more". The Smiths were the enemy. I was into Metal. Not just Metal but Thrash Metal. It was a long time before I was ready to give The Smiths a chance and this was the song that finally convinced me they actually had something worthwhile going on. My Gran was right about those twigs though.
3. Diamond Head "Am I Evil?" - Yes I am! I've got Metallica to thank for turning me onto Diamond Head. One of the best of the NWOBHM bands but never all that successful. This song is almost a template for the Metallica sound - it defined a generation of bands that would follow.
4. Buzzcocks "Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)?" - A truly great song and the Buzzcocks finest moment. Also a rare opportunity to get away with a double contraction in a song title. In fact I wouldn't've thought there are many others ... Badum-tish! Sorry, won't do that again.
5. The Cramps "Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?" - The Cramps remain to me a largely unsolved mystery. At some point I'll probably have a go at cracking their musical code but right now they're not one of my favourite bands. However, this is a decent song with a superlative double-entendre that thoroughly deserves it's place in this top 5.
Friday, 5 September 2008
Friday, 29 August 2008
Top 5 Tribute Band Names
Tribute bands were a 90's phenomenon. It all seemed such a brilliant idea when they first started appearing. A chance to see bands you'd never seen who'd split up or passed on playing all your favourite songs in a small venue. Typically things eventually got out of hand. Now tribute bands are playing larger venues and becoming almost as popular as the artists they are honouring. I feel there ought to be Tribute Band legislation to sort the wheat from the chaff. Thou shalt not form a tribute band of anyone who has not had a career lasting at least ten years. Thou shalt not play a venue bigger than 500 capacity. Thou shalt not employ a member of the band you are trying to impersonate. You get the idea.
1. By Jovi - Hands down, out and out winner. This is a genius name, in fact a name worthy of forming a Bon Jovi tribute band just to use. I can't think of many other reasons why you'd want to form a Bon Jovi tribute band. One day I will go and see them just so I can say that I have. http://www.byjovi.com/
2. aRe wE theM - For some reason this makes me laugh. A lot. Really needs the capitalisation to get it but brilliant none the less. http://www.myspace.com/nexttry
3. Nearvana - I never saw Nirvana live. Had a close miss which I regret not taking, so this lot are as close as I'm likely to get. http://www.myspace.com/topnirvanatribute
4. Beatallica - Ok, not just a straight tribute band but a cunning combination of the Beatles and Metallica. When I first discovered this thought it was a smart idea. They used to offer their music for free but now seem to be charging for everything. Guess they worked their way around any potential law suits. Not sure what's going on with their image on the front page of the website - that guy in the middle looks more like King Diamond than any 'Tallica or Beatles member. http://www.beatallica.org/
5. Geneside - The one band I've actually seen live. Geneside were an early Genesis tribute band. They were great actually, although I saw them far too many times to be healthy. Had to change their name (to the rather bland ReGenesis) when they realised most people thought they were a Death Metal band. I think they've been surpassed of late by a host of other early, mid and late Genesis tribute bands, but for me they were the first and the best. http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~andyrh/
A special mention for The Remainz who are the exception to the not using ex-band members in your line-up rule. They featured Dee-Dee and Tommy Ramone and there's a sort of tragic humour to the name. Also Lez Zepplin who are an all-female Led Zep tribute (obviously!). I'd rather go and see them than watch Zoso and Percy drag themselves around enormo-domes for the price of a small mortgage.
1. By Jovi - Hands down, out and out winner. This is a genius name, in fact a name worthy of forming a Bon Jovi tribute band just to use. I can't think of many other reasons why you'd want to form a Bon Jovi tribute band. One day I will go and see them just so I can say that I have. http://www.byjovi.com/
2. aRe wE theM - For some reason this makes me laugh. A lot. Really needs the capitalisation to get it but brilliant none the less. http://www.myspace.com/nexttry
3. Nearvana - I never saw Nirvana live. Had a close miss which I regret not taking, so this lot are as close as I'm likely to get. http://www.myspace.com/topnirvanatribute
4. Beatallica - Ok, not just a straight tribute band but a cunning combination of the Beatles and Metallica. When I first discovered this thought it was a smart idea. They used to offer their music for free but now seem to be charging for everything. Guess they worked their way around any potential law suits. Not sure what's going on with their image on the front page of the website - that guy in the middle looks more like King Diamond than any 'Tallica or Beatles member. http://www.beatallica.org/
5. Geneside - The one band I've actually seen live. Geneside were an early Genesis tribute band. They were great actually, although I saw them far too many times to be healthy. Had to change their name (to the rather bland ReGenesis) when they realised most people thought they were a Death Metal band. I think they've been surpassed of late by a host of other early, mid and late Genesis tribute bands, but for me they were the first and the best. http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~andyrh/
A special mention for The Remainz who are the exception to the not using ex-band members in your line-up rule. They featured Dee-Dee and Tommy Ramone and there's a sort of tragic humour to the name. Also Lez Zepplin who are an all-female Led Zep tribute (obviously!). I'd rather go and see them than watch Zoso and Percy drag themselves around enormo-domes for the price of a small mortgage.
Friday, 22 August 2008
Top 5 Radio shows
Run out of time so just a brief one this week.
1. Mark Lamarr "God's Jukebox" (BBC Radio 2) - Any of the shows Lamarr does for Radio 2 are worth a listen. He really knows his stuff and his enthusiasm for the music he loves shines through. "God's Jukebox" covers a huge variety of style and continues to introduce me to bands and artists I knew far to little about.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/lamarrsat/
2. Marc Riley (BBC 6Music) - Riley used to drive me up the wall in his prime time Radio 1 partnership with Mark Radcliffe. This weekday 6 Music show therefore caught me by surprise. More restrained, almost to the point of shyness but like Lamarr a real enthusiast for exciting music.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/marc_riley/
3. John Kennedy "Xposure" (XFM) - I don't get to hear this very often. It's on late and XFM don't have a decent Listen Again facility like the Beeb. John Kennedy has been with XFM since it's very earliest transmissions and in many ways is their very own Peel. A real advocate of new and unsigned bands.
http://www.xfm.co.uk/onair/djs/john-kennedy
4. Steve Lamacq (BBC 6Music) - Lamacq's where it's at when it comes to mainstream Indie. Some days I don't want to be challenged I just need a nice tune I can hum. A good line in self deprecating humour and stories of lower league football as well.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/steve_lamacq/
5. Breakfast with Alice Cooper (Planet Rock) - Breakfast with The Coop. Genius.
http://www.planetrock.co.uk/Article.asp?id=234601&spid=12257
1. Mark Lamarr "God's Jukebox" (BBC Radio 2) - Any of the shows Lamarr does for Radio 2 are worth a listen. He really knows his stuff and his enthusiasm for the music he loves shines through. "God's Jukebox" covers a huge variety of style and continues to introduce me to bands and artists I knew far to little about.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/lamarrsat/
2. Marc Riley (BBC 6Music) - Riley used to drive me up the wall in his prime time Radio 1 partnership with Mark Radcliffe. This weekday 6 Music show therefore caught me by surprise. More restrained, almost to the point of shyness but like Lamarr a real enthusiast for exciting music.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/marc_riley/
3. John Kennedy "Xposure" (XFM) - I don't get to hear this very often. It's on late and XFM don't have a decent Listen Again facility like the Beeb. John Kennedy has been with XFM since it's very earliest transmissions and in many ways is their very own Peel. A real advocate of new and unsigned bands.
http://www.xfm.co.uk/onair/djs/john-kennedy
4. Steve Lamacq (BBC 6Music) - Lamacq's where it's at when it comes to mainstream Indie. Some days I don't want to be challenged I just need a nice tune I can hum. A good line in self deprecating humour and stories of lower league football as well.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/steve_lamacq/
5. Breakfast with Alice Cooper (Planet Rock) - Breakfast with The Coop. Genius.
http://www.planetrock.co.uk/Article.asp?id=234601&spid=12257
Friday, 15 August 2008
Top 5 Record Shops
The news a couple of weeks ago that Sister Ray had gone in to administration tweaked my coincidence. I spent quite a proportion of my teenage years browsing in record stores and by the time I started work was probably a major contributor to the annual cash flow of a number of stores. I generally resisted the lure of the big chain stores (except on Sale days when I felt it was justified) but as the Internet came to the fore and cheap CDs became more easily obtainable I found myself in a proper record shop less often. Family responsibilities take their place and value for money becomes more important. Amazon, CD-Wow and more recently HMV all offer albums at fantastic value if you keep an eye on fluctuations in price. However I do miss the excitement of finding an album you never knew existed or just flicking through the racks and taking a chance on a record with an interesting cover.
1. The Record Shop (Kingston) - I bought my very first records from W.H.Smiths and Woolworth's but when I started college I discovered the best record store in Kingston and my all time favourite. I spent a lot of my teenage years in here and became good friends with a lot of the staff. I'd moved away by the time they were forced to close down, suffering from the rise of the chain stores and the Internet. It was a sad day. The other record shop in Kingston was Beggar's Banquet. Beggar's was aimed at the Indie fan whilst The Record Shop was for the Rock and Metal fan so there was always a friendly rivalry between them. As my tastes changed I did occasionally sneak into Beggar's for a guilty browse through the latest Indie. The nineties saw the rise of Madchester and baggy and I was starting to expand my horizons. I still kept the faith with The Record Shop boys though. Beggar's is still operational now trading as Banquet Records and seemingly quite active in the local live gig scene.
2. Shades (London, Soho) - THE shop for Metal Heads during the 80's I'd often make the pilgrimage up to town to have a browse through the racks. The journey up to town to find a basement tucked away between the strip clubs and clip joints just to buy a couple of (probably fairly dire) thrash metal LPs or some new woven patches for my denim jacket probably seems a bit ludicrous now but it really was the only way to get hold of some of that music at the time. Shades was also famed for in-store appearances by most of the leading lights of the scene at the time. A nice article here at Thrash Hits.com. It's a cool name too.
3. The Rock Box (Camberley) - The first (and possibly only) of my Top 5 that's still alive and kicking. It's a bit of a trek but worth the effort. Specialising in Rock and Metal they cover a decent spectrum of genres. It's a good size for browsing and has a wide range of CDs and vinyl. Sold a couple of boxes of Vinyl to them the other week and got a reasonable price as well. If you live in the area you need to make a visit. http://www.rockbox.co.uk/
4. Select-a-disc (London, Berwick Street) - Select-a-disc was probably my favourite London based record emporium. Nice and roomy and with a broad selection of styles it was a shock to hear they had been taken over by Sister Ray (prior to their fall into administration). Sister Ray's original shop had never been up to much, too small and lacking an environment where you felt comfortable just having a browse. They did pioneer the mail order service though, thereby contributing to their own down fall to some extent. There's a Select-a-disc in Nottingham which I've not managed to visit yet. I believe it's still open so I will make the effort if I'm ever in the area again, before it's too late. http://www.selectadisc.co.uk/ and http://www.sisterray.co.uk/
5. Fopp (Glasgow, Byres Road) - This shop was a bit of an eye opener when I first encountered it. It seemed to be a bit of a chain store (similar to the briefly successful MVC) but had a good catalogue at reasonable prices. I'm happy to pay a little bit extra to buy music from a proper shop and Fopp's policy to offer classic albums at a fiver suited me down to the ground. Shortly after I first discovered them they made an attempt to expand that I think went badly wrong. They went into administration and were (if my memory is correct) bought out by HMV. Haven't been back to Glasgow since (nor to any other Fopp branch) so I don't know how this has affected their stock but I doubt it's a good thing. http://www.fopp.com/stores/
A special mention for Langley Records in Molesey. A bizarrely large record shop for a fairly small catchment area. This was a spot I spent a bit of time in when I should have been studying for my A-Levels at Esher College. The details of my truancy are for another forum but a long walk to Molesey and a couple of hours browsing round the Langely racks were a favoured way to spend my time for a few months. I'm not sure I ever actually bought a great deal but I do know I picked up a rare Andy Bown album there (ex-member of The Herd and keyboard & harmonica player with Status Quo since the late seventies for the non-Quo fans amongst you). It wasn't very good. They were also located opposite a public toilet that had a certain reputation which may have been the site for the fall from grace of a certain member of eighties pop heroes Five Star. Langley Records aren't online (which is another good indication that they're a shop worth frequenting) so if you fancy a trip you can find them at 466 Walton Road, West Molesey, Surrey KT8 2JG (Tel: 020-8979-3648).
1. The Record Shop (Kingston) - I bought my very first records from W.H.Smiths and Woolworth's but when I started college I discovered the best record store in Kingston and my all time favourite. I spent a lot of my teenage years in here and became good friends with a lot of the staff. I'd moved away by the time they were forced to close down, suffering from the rise of the chain stores and the Internet. It was a sad day. The other record shop in Kingston was Beggar's Banquet. Beggar's was aimed at the Indie fan whilst The Record Shop was for the Rock and Metal fan so there was always a friendly rivalry between them. As my tastes changed I did occasionally sneak into Beggar's for a guilty browse through the latest Indie. The nineties saw the rise of Madchester and baggy and I was starting to expand my horizons. I still kept the faith with The Record Shop boys though. Beggar's is still operational now trading as Banquet Records and seemingly quite active in the local live gig scene.
2. Shades (London, Soho) - THE shop for Metal Heads during the 80's I'd often make the pilgrimage up to town to have a browse through the racks. The journey up to town to find a basement tucked away between the strip clubs and clip joints just to buy a couple of (probably fairly dire) thrash metal LPs or some new woven patches for my denim jacket probably seems a bit ludicrous now but it really was the only way to get hold of some of that music at the time. Shades was also famed for in-store appearances by most of the leading lights of the scene at the time. A nice article here at Thrash Hits.com. It's a cool name too.
3. The Rock Box (Camberley) - The first (and possibly only) of my Top 5 that's still alive and kicking. It's a bit of a trek but worth the effort. Specialising in Rock and Metal they cover a decent spectrum of genres. It's a good size for browsing and has a wide range of CDs and vinyl. Sold a couple of boxes of Vinyl to them the other week and got a reasonable price as well. If you live in the area you need to make a visit. http://www.rockbox.co.uk/
4. Select-a-disc (London, Berwick Street) - Select-a-disc was probably my favourite London based record emporium. Nice and roomy and with a broad selection of styles it was a shock to hear they had been taken over by Sister Ray (prior to their fall into administration). Sister Ray's original shop had never been up to much, too small and lacking an environment where you felt comfortable just having a browse. They did pioneer the mail order service though, thereby contributing to their own down fall to some extent. There's a Select-a-disc in Nottingham which I've not managed to visit yet. I believe it's still open so I will make the effort if I'm ever in the area again, before it's too late. http://www.selectadisc.co.uk/ and http://www.sisterray.co.uk/
5. Fopp (Glasgow, Byres Road) - This shop was a bit of an eye opener when I first encountered it. It seemed to be a bit of a chain store (similar to the briefly successful MVC) but had a good catalogue at reasonable prices. I'm happy to pay a little bit extra to buy music from a proper shop and Fopp's policy to offer classic albums at a fiver suited me down to the ground. Shortly after I first discovered them they made an attempt to expand that I think went badly wrong. They went into administration and were (if my memory is correct) bought out by HMV. Haven't been back to Glasgow since (nor to any other Fopp branch) so I don't know how this has affected their stock but I doubt it's a good thing. http://www.fopp.com/stores/
A special mention for Langley Records in Molesey. A bizarrely large record shop for a fairly small catchment area. This was a spot I spent a bit of time in when I should have been studying for my A-Levels at Esher College. The details of my truancy are for another forum but a long walk to Molesey and a couple of hours browsing round the Langely racks were a favoured way to spend my time for a few months. I'm not sure I ever actually bought a great deal but I do know I picked up a rare Andy Bown album there (ex-member of The Herd and keyboard & harmonica player with Status Quo since the late seventies for the non-Quo fans amongst you). It wasn't very good. They were also located opposite a public toilet that had a certain reputation which may have been the site for the fall from grace of a certain member of eighties pop heroes Five Star. Langley Records aren't online (which is another good indication that they're a shop worth frequenting) so if you fancy a trip you can find them at 466 Walton Road, West Molesey, Surrey KT8 2JG (Tel: 020-8979-3648).
Friday, 8 August 2008
Top 5 Mild Swear Words.
Something quick and easy this week. I just finished reading George Orwell's "Down & Out in Paris and London" a thoroughly enjoyable account of his time surviving on very little money whilst working in appalling conditions as a "pongleur" in Paris before moving back to London where he lived as a tramp for several weeks. Throughout the book swear words are blanked out or replaced with the French translation, which is not so surprising in a book of it's time. However, late in the London half of the story Orwell expends a whole chapter on the evolution of slang and swearing and the way the power of these words change over time. It amused me that in this one chapter the swear words are printed in full. It's also interesting to discover the origins of words we still use today and also words that Orwell believed were falling into disuse that have since returned to our vocabulary (Bloody, Doss etc). This Top 5 therefore is a list of my favourite "not quite" swear words which I hope might return to fashion. They're also a handy set of expletives to resort to when in front of the kids.
1. Blige
2. Flippin' 'Eck
3. Crikey
4. Golly Gosh
5. Jiminy Cricket
.
1. Blige
2. Flippin' 'Eck
3. Crikey
4. Golly Gosh
5. Jiminy Cricket
.
Friday, 1 August 2008
Chop's Top Fives Supergroup: Final line-up
So after five weeks I've finally completed my Supergroup line-up. I've stuck with a fairly traditional dual guitar, bass & drums line-up. Gerry and Cat can take it in turns to sing and then play keyboards when they're not. My additional band member is Booker T Jones who was always going to make this line-up so I didn't feel the need to do another Top 5. Everyone in the band is still alive so I'm quite pleased that this group could actually play live. In fact if anyone listed fancies giving it a go they can drop me an email and I'll try and get something sorted! The venue we'll play is the 100 Club in London which came 5th in my Top 5 Gig Venues (don't know what I was thinking that day, it clearly should be higher) as we need a venue with a bit of history behind it (and a decent bar!). The set will be a mixture of garage rock and soul classics from the early 60's, starting with "Psycho" by The Sonics (just to get Gerry's vocal chords warmed up) and ending with a 15 minute jam featuring any of my other contenders that are still alive and lots of feedback.
As an added bonus here's a quick Top 5 Supergroups
1. Blind Faith
2. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3. This Mortal Coil
4. The Highwaymen
5. Fantômas
.
Vocals - Gerry Rosalie & Cat Power
Guitar - Joey Santiago
Guitar - David Pajo
Drums - John Convertino
Bass - Mike Watt
Organ - Booker T. JonesAs an added bonus here's a quick Top 5 Supergroups
1. Blind Faith
2. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3. This Mortal Coil
4. The Highwaymen
5. Fantômas
.
Friday, 25 July 2008
Top 5 Vocalists
I'm almost there. Vocals this week then an additional musician and the final supergroup line-up next week. The whole supergroup thing has proved more difficult to do than I first though. Lots of cheating going on (listing people who didn't quite make the Top 5) and lots of indecision. This week's no different. I was going to do a Top 5 Vocalists but having struggled to find a happy balance have ended up doing two lists one for boys and one for the girls.
Top 5 Male Vocalists
1. Gerry Rosalie (The Sonics) - A real wild rock'n'roll singer, if you've never heard The Sonics go out and buy an album now. No, really, stop what your doing and go and buy THIS right now. Good glad we got that sorted. The Sonics have blown me away. Active in the early sixties, they are still the most exciting band I've heard in the last five years. Maybe the last ten. Rosalie's screaming vocal allied with a fuzzed-up dirty rock'n'roll sound gave them an edge no other band of that era had.
2. Black Francis (Pixies) - Having made Joey Santiago my number one guitarist last week I was resisting placing Frank Black quite so high this week but I can't deny that I love his vocal style. Not a classically great singer by any means but a voice full of passion. The Pixies are my undisputed favourite band and I guess this is why.
3. Otis Redding - So many great soul singers to choose from but Otis is the one I get the most enjoyment from. It probably helps having the Bar-Keys as your back up band.
4. Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) - A great out and out rock singer who has long been one of my favourites.
5. Jeff Buckley - A unique and passionate singer.
Top 5 Female Vocalists
1. Cat Power - I'm on a serious Cat Power trip at the moment. In fact ever since I heard "The Greatest" in 2006. Chan Marshall has a voice that can genuinely send shivers down my spine.
2. Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention) - THE voice of British folk, I can think of no other singer in that genre who even comes close. She crammed a lot in to a short time and apparently lived life to the full. Good on her.
3. Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes) - I'm not sure she quite deserves the tag "the original bad girl of rock'n'roll" but she must have been one tough cookie to have survived a five year marriage to Phil.
4. Nina Simone - A stunning voice from a lady who I'm ashamed to say I've really not got a great deal by. In compiling this top 5 I've already knocked up an extensive list of singers I really need to investigate further.
5. Lucinda Williams - A voice full of character and experience and a great songwriter as well.
So, much happier with this than I was with my Top 5 Guitarists. I'll get this supergroup thing wrapped up next week before moving on to some easier topics for a bit!
Top 5 Male Vocalists
1. Gerry Rosalie (The Sonics) - A real wild rock'n'roll singer, if you've never heard The Sonics go out and buy an album now. No, really, stop what your doing and go and buy THIS right now. Good glad we got that sorted. The Sonics have blown me away. Active in the early sixties, they are still the most exciting band I've heard in the last five years. Maybe the last ten. Rosalie's screaming vocal allied with a fuzzed-up dirty rock'n'roll sound gave them an edge no other band of that era had.
2. Black Francis (Pixies) - Having made Joey Santiago my number one guitarist last week I was resisting placing Frank Black quite so high this week but I can't deny that I love his vocal style. Not a classically great singer by any means but a voice full of passion. The Pixies are my undisputed favourite band and I guess this is why.
3. Otis Redding - So many great soul singers to choose from but Otis is the one I get the most enjoyment from. It probably helps having the Bar-Keys as your back up band.
4. Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) - A great out and out rock singer who has long been one of my favourites.
5. Jeff Buckley - A unique and passionate singer.
Top 5 Female Vocalists
1. Cat Power - I'm on a serious Cat Power trip at the moment. In fact ever since I heard "The Greatest" in 2006. Chan Marshall has a voice that can genuinely send shivers down my spine.
2. Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention) - THE voice of British folk, I can think of no other singer in that genre who even comes close. She crammed a lot in to a short time and apparently lived life to the full. Good on her.
3. Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes) - I'm not sure she quite deserves the tag "the original bad girl of rock'n'roll" but she must have been one tough cookie to have survived a five year marriage to Phil.
4. Nina Simone - A stunning voice from a lady who I'm ashamed to say I've really not got a great deal by. In compiling this top 5 I've already knocked up an extensive list of singers I really need to investigate further.
5. Lucinda Williams - A voice full of character and experience and a great songwriter as well.
So, much happier with this than I was with my Top 5 Guitarists. I'll get this supergroup thing wrapped up next week before moving on to some easier topics for a bit!
Friday, 18 July 2008
Top 5 Guitarists
I was forty a few weeks back. Thereby managing to reach an age that I previously believed to be "old" with absolutely no musical talent at all. I have made at least three aborted attempts to learn guitar but lack of any hand co-ordination coupled with a healthy dose of bloody-laziness means that so far I've failed horribly. Attempt four is currently underway. Partly because of this lack of skill, the guitar has been the instrument that most fascinates me. Those people capable of producing amazing sounds from it, that can stir the soul and excite the heart, will always be my heroes. I knew this would be a tough five to complete and my working list stretched to over fifty possibles. In the end I stuck with the guitarists that made my favourite music rather than those who are more regularly selected as the greatest in their field.
Incidentally my new definition of "old" is sixty which gives me another twenty years of leeway and a bit more time to learn guitar.)
1. Joey Santiago (Pixies) - The Pixies are my all time favourite band and Joey's guitar plays a huge part in that. I've been struggling to find the words to adequately describe why I like Santiago so much. It's probably as much about the songs as anything he does specifically. After initially being wowed by guitarists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai I realised that I actually prefer something less flashy. Santiago seems a laid back guy who doesn't look for the limelight, and his guitar added to that unique Pixies sound without dominating it.
2. David Pajo (Slint/Papa M/Pajo) - A post-rock alt-country genre-flitting legend. Pajo has been around a bit managing spells with Will Oldham, The For Carnation, Tortoise, Stereolab, Royal Trux, King Kong, Bush League, Zwan, and Peggy Honeywell as well as his prodigious solo output as Aerial M, Papa M and now Pajo. Just to rub it in he was born in the same year as me. I've got a bit of catching up to do.
3. Johnny Ramone (Ramones) - 1, 2, 3, 4! You have to respect Johnny's ability to play song after song of breakneck rock'n'roll guitar. His biceps must have been made of steel.
4. Larry Parypa (The Sonics) - My recent journey of discovery into Garage Punk and early 60's R&B began after hearing The Sonics first two albums. Their sound is astonishing when compared with their musical peers, the original protopunk band. Larry Parypa's fuzzy guitar and his customisation of the bands equipment helped achieve a wild and distorted rock'n'roll sound that was light years ahead of anyone else.
5. Kirk Hammett (Metallica) - I was a full on Metal fan when Metallica hit the scene. Their arrival took the genre to new levels and redefined what I considered to be heavy rock. Kirk Hammett had replaced Dave Mustaine (another great Thrash guitarist) and Mustaine was mightily pissed off about it for a long time. Hammett was on guitar by the time I saw them tour the UK and alongside James Hetfield's chugging rhythm set a new bar for those rock bands that would follow.
A special mention for Martin Barre of Jethro Tull (who was in this Top 5 until only a few hours ago). He is a brilliantly versatile guitarist who has coped with the changing styles of Tull and Ian Anderson's high expectations since he replaced Mick Abrahams on their second LP.
Incidentally my new definition of "old" is sixty which gives me another twenty years of leeway and a bit more time to learn guitar.)
1. Joey Santiago (Pixies) - The Pixies are my all time favourite band and Joey's guitar plays a huge part in that. I've been struggling to find the words to adequately describe why I like Santiago so much. It's probably as much about the songs as anything he does specifically. After initially being wowed by guitarists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai I realised that I actually prefer something less flashy. Santiago seems a laid back guy who doesn't look for the limelight, and his guitar added to that unique Pixies sound without dominating it.
2. David Pajo (Slint/Papa M/Pajo) - A post-rock alt-country genre-flitting legend. Pajo has been around a bit managing spells with Will Oldham, The For Carnation, Tortoise, Stereolab, Royal Trux, King Kong, Bush League, Zwan, and Peggy Honeywell as well as his prodigious solo output as Aerial M, Papa M and now Pajo. Just to rub it in he was born in the same year as me. I've got a bit of catching up to do.
3. Johnny Ramone (Ramones) - 1, 2, 3, 4! You have to respect Johnny's ability to play song after song of breakneck rock'n'roll guitar. His biceps must have been made of steel.
4. Larry Parypa (The Sonics) - My recent journey of discovery into Garage Punk and early 60's R&B began after hearing The Sonics first two albums. Their sound is astonishing when compared with their musical peers, the original protopunk band. Larry Parypa's fuzzy guitar and his customisation of the bands equipment helped achieve a wild and distorted rock'n'roll sound that was light years ahead of anyone else.
5. Kirk Hammett (Metallica) - I was a full on Metal fan when Metallica hit the scene. Their arrival took the genre to new levels and redefined what I considered to be heavy rock. Kirk Hammett had replaced Dave Mustaine (another great Thrash guitarist) and Mustaine was mightily pissed off about it for a long time. Hammett was on guitar by the time I saw them tour the UK and alongside James Hetfield's chugging rhythm set a new bar for those rock bands that would follow.
A special mention for Martin Barre of Jethro Tull (who was in this Top 5 until only a few hours ago). He is a brilliantly versatile guitarist who has coped with the changing styles of Tull and Ian Anderson's high expectations since he replaced Mick Abrahams on their second LP.
Friday, 11 July 2008
Top 5 Bassists
Week two of the Supergroup and it's time to find a bass player. This turned out to be almost as hard as drummers which doesn't bode well for finding a guitarist.
1. Mike Watt (Minutemen/Stooges) - I first discovered the Minutemen when they (well Watt and drummer George Hurley) supported Shellac at the Scala a few years back. At the time hearing their early 80's hardcore played on just bass and drums was an aural endurance test but I'm now a confirmed fan. Mike Watt's bass style is unlike anyone else I've ever seen and fits with the story that when starting out he didn't know bass guitars were different from guitars. Watt therefore removed two strings from a guitar and learnt to play with that. More recently he's taken on the role of bass player with The Stooges and seeing him perform their classic songs live took my appreciation of his skill to new levels.
2. Horace Panter (The Specials) - I've been going through a bit of a personnel Brit-ska revival this year and have played the first two Specials albums a lot over the last 6 months. More than a little excited about the prospect of a Specials reunion which I think will be more authentic than the usual in-it-for-the-money reformations.
3. John Entwistle (The Who) - I'm not muso enough to wax lyrical about the Ox's ability with a bass but he was definitely a bit special. Saw him live with The Who on one of their first reunion tours. He was good but I spent more time watching Pete Townsend to see if he was going to spear his hand with a tremolo arm again.
4. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) - Much like Entwistle, I didn't truly appreciate Geezer's ability until I saw him live. Another reunion tour, this time in Birmingham with the four original Sabbath members. He was superb that night which made me wonder just how good he might have been in his heyday. Set the standard for all METAL bass players that followed.
5. Paul Simonon (The Clash) - Simonon could get in this list based solely on his ability to look very cool indeed. The shot of him smashing his bass on the cover of "London's Calling" says it all. I also like the fact that Mick Jones planned to teach Simonon guitar but when he found that was too difficult decided to teach him bass instead. I reckon at least 80% of bassists ended up playing the instrument for the same reason.
I'm not going to do a full list of everyone who missed out but special mentions must be made for Danny Thompson (Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated/Pentangle), Donald "Duck" Dunn (The Mar-Keys/Booker T and the MG's), Joe Lally (Fugazi) and Kim Deal (Pixies/Breeders).
1. Mike Watt (Minutemen/Stooges) - I first discovered the Minutemen when they (well Watt and drummer George Hurley) supported Shellac at the Scala a few years back. At the time hearing their early 80's hardcore played on just bass and drums was an aural endurance test but I'm now a confirmed fan. Mike Watt's bass style is unlike anyone else I've ever seen and fits with the story that when starting out he didn't know bass guitars were different from guitars. Watt therefore removed two strings from a guitar and learnt to play with that. More recently he's taken on the role of bass player with The Stooges and seeing him perform their classic songs live took my appreciation of his skill to new levels.
2. Horace Panter (The Specials) - I've been going through a bit of a personnel Brit-ska revival this year and have played the first two Specials albums a lot over the last 6 months. More than a little excited about the prospect of a Specials reunion which I think will be more authentic than the usual in-it-for-the-money reformations.
3. John Entwistle (The Who) - I'm not muso enough to wax lyrical about the Ox's ability with a bass but he was definitely a bit special. Saw him live with The Who on one of their first reunion tours. He was good but I spent more time watching Pete Townsend to see if he was going to spear his hand with a tremolo arm again.
4. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) - Much like Entwistle, I didn't truly appreciate Geezer's ability until I saw him live. Another reunion tour, this time in Birmingham with the four original Sabbath members. He was superb that night which made me wonder just how good he might have been in his heyday. Set the standard for all METAL bass players that followed.
5. Paul Simonon (The Clash) - Simonon could get in this list based solely on his ability to look very cool indeed. The shot of him smashing his bass on the cover of "London's Calling" says it all. I also like the fact that Mick Jones planned to teach Simonon guitar but when he found that was too difficult decided to teach him bass instead. I reckon at least 80% of bassists ended up playing the instrument for the same reason.
I'm not going to do a full list of everyone who missed out but special mentions must be made for Danny Thompson (Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated/Pentangle), Donald "Duck" Dunn (The Mar-Keys/Booker T and the MG's), Joe Lally (Fugazi) and Kim Deal (Pixies/Breeders).
Friday, 4 July 2008
Top 5 Drummers
Back to music for a bit and I thought I'd compile my contenders for a Top 5 supergroup. Drums, Bass, Guitar, Vocals and a wild card fifth choice. Starting at the back then with the Drummer and I'm in trouble straight away. Got quite a big list of contenders and at least seven I feel I can't miss out. Can I have a Top 5 Drummers that doesn't include Keith Moon or John Bonham? No.
1. John Convertino (Calexico) - I'm no musician and so my choices are not necessarily based on technical skill. That said I'm pretty sure John Convertino is an incredible drummer. He has a great variety of style which covers hard and heavy thumping to more subtle rhythm keeping. Not what you'd expect from an alt-country performer, really powerful and a slick dresser to boot!
2. Dave Grohl (Nirvana) - I tend to like drummers whose style basically involves hitting the drums really hard. Grohl has a little more in his technique than that but still knows when all you have to do is to make a very loud noise.
3. Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt) - Loud and fast. Somehow he provides vocals for the Bolt at the same time. Something you really HAVE to see live. Your head will be ringing by the time it's over. Your ears might be bleeding.
4. Keith Moon (The Who) - Mad but special. I never got to see him live which drops him down the list but there's no way I could leave him out. Unique.
5. John Bonham (Led Zepplin) - The founding father of "very loud drumming". Bonham deserves his spot for the drum beat on "When The Levee Breaks" alone. Then again he could easily have lost it for the interminably long live drum solos he used to play during "Moby Dick".
This is cheating but here are the contenders who missed the cut; Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull), Ian Mosley (Marillion), Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Neil Peart (Rush), Matt Tong (Bloc Party), Todd Trainer (Shellac), George Hurley (Minutemen), Micheal Lee (Little Angels), John Coghlan (Status Quo), Brendan Canty (Fugazi), Ginger Baker (Cream), Al Jackson Jr (Booker T & the MG's).
1. John Convertino (Calexico) - I'm no musician and so my choices are not necessarily based on technical skill. That said I'm pretty sure John Convertino is an incredible drummer. He has a great variety of style which covers hard and heavy thumping to more subtle rhythm keeping. Not what you'd expect from an alt-country performer, really powerful and a slick dresser to boot!
2. Dave Grohl (Nirvana) - I tend to like drummers whose style basically involves hitting the drums really hard. Grohl has a little more in his technique than that but still knows when all you have to do is to make a very loud noise.
3. Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt) - Loud and fast. Somehow he provides vocals for the Bolt at the same time. Something you really HAVE to see live. Your head will be ringing by the time it's over. Your ears might be bleeding.
4. Keith Moon (The Who) - Mad but special. I never got to see him live which drops him down the list but there's no way I could leave him out. Unique.
5. John Bonham (Led Zepplin) - The founding father of "very loud drumming". Bonham deserves his spot for the drum beat on "When The Levee Breaks" alone. Then again he could easily have lost it for the interminably long live drum solos he used to play during "Moby Dick".
This is cheating but here are the contenders who missed the cut; Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull), Ian Mosley (Marillion), Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Neil Peart (Rush), Matt Tong (Bloc Party), Todd Trainer (Shellac), George Hurley (Minutemen), Micheal Lee (Little Angels), John Coghlan (Status Quo), Brendan Canty (Fugazi), Ginger Baker (Cream), Al Jackson Jr (Booker T & the MG's).
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