AN AMAZING BIT OF NOISE

The Wedding Present recorded an awful lot of sessions for the John Peel Show, and indeed for many other BBC radio programmes.

It was often the case that they took the opportunity to unveil new songs that wouldn't be released for weeks or even months. On the 28th October 1990 they played four songs which would be part of the Seamonsters LP that came out in May 1991, more than six months later.

I remember hearing something that night and just thinking how loud it was - loud as in just a total wall of noise.

Listen here, it comes in at around the 2 minute 21 seconds mark. Just after the Boy David has poured his heart out - again - and said "after all you've done, that I'm so....., I still want to kiss you."

mp3 : Dalliance (Peel Session) - The Wedding Present

It is a song of utter despair, and even many years later, when the reformed TWP played this at the Queen Margaret Union at Glasgow University, I was left with a lump in my throat.

The Peel version is is shorter than that which was released on the LP - partly because it was played faster.I'm not sure if the band, having listened to the results of the Peel Session decided a change of pace was required. It makes the Seamonsters version even more intense....the wall of noise maybe doesn't quite have the same impact, but it then seems to build and build and build in a way that doesn't happen on the Peel version.

mp3 : Dalliance - The Wedding Present

Just stunning. Yes?

Oh and have you voted yet??

Comments can be left today or over at the original post.

Here, once again are the candidates.

1. Andy Warhol - David Bowie
2. Brian Wilson - Barenaked Ladies
3. Cilla Black - Monochrome Set
4. Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz
5. Danielle Steel - The Lucksmiths
6. Faron Young - Prefab Sprout
7. Frank Sinatra - Cake
8. Hayley Mills - 1990s
9. Jacques Derrida - Scritti Politti
10. Joe Hill - Billy Bragg
11. Johnny Cash - Sons & Daughters
12. Kim Wilde - Charlotte Hatherley
13. Lawrence Olivier - The Frank & Walters
14. Lee Remick - The Go-Betweens
15. Michael Caine - Madness
16. Michael Stipe - P
17. Nelson Mandela - Special AKA
18. Pablo Picasso - Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
19. Paul McCartney - Laugh
20. Richard III - Supergrass
21. Seymour Stein - Belle & Sebastian
22. Steve McQueen - Lambchop
23. Sylvia Plath - Ryan Adams
24. Tom Weir - Aberfeldy
25. William Shatner - The Plimptons

The early exit polls are going with the ladies with Cilla Black and Lee Remick leading the way. Faron Young holds the bronze medal position....but there's a long way to go.

And remember, you can vote often.....and the Weddoes are on display at The Video Villain

CELEBRITY BLOG BROTHER

Normally you come in here and find mp3s of songs that I have selected.

Now it's your turn.

It's an election of sorts.

If I could designed a ballot paper I would have, but I'm not that geeky or techy.

I've dug out 25 songs named after, or about, real people. I'm hoping some, or even many, of you will cast a vote for your favourite by leaving behind a comment.

One week from today, i.e. Wednesday 6th February, the three songs with the most votes will be posted as mp3s. I reserve the right to close down the blog for a period of time if this falls flat on its face and you all ignore me.

Here are the candidates and the artist performing the song:-

1. Andy Warhol - David Bowie
2. Brian Wilson - Barenaked Ladies
3. Cilla Black - Monochrome Set
4. Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz
5. Danielle Steel - The Lucksmiths
6. Faron Young - Prefab Sprout
7. Frank Sinatra - Cake
8. Hayley Mills - 1990s
9. Jacques Derrida - Scritti Politti
10. Joe Hill - Billy Bragg
11. Johnny Cash - Sons & Daughters
12. Kim Wilde - Charlotte Hatherley
13. Lawrence Olivier - The Frank & Walters
14. Lee Remick - The Go-Betweens
15. Michael Caine - Madness
16. Michael Stipe - P
17. Nelson Mandela - Special AKA
18. Pablo Picasso - Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
19. Paul McCartney - Laugh
20. Richard III - Supergrass
21. Seymour Stein - Belle & Sebastian
22. Steve McQueen - Lambchop
23. Sylvia Plath - Ryan Adams
24. Tom Weir - Aberfeldy
25. William Shatner - The Plimptons

Vote early......and vote often.

Oh and before I forget, here's the promised follow-up to one of the comments left yesterday - the song that mentions both Ken and Barbie.

In the great man's own words, here is what it is about (remember, it was originally released in 1990) :-

'A Ken doll from Miami leaves his home and flies to England...looking for Feeling-Groovy Barbie. He hears of the Happy Mondays and, being a U.S. college student, digs the whole loose scene. N.B. The backing vocalists are singing names of old '60s Barbie outfits.'

mp3 : Julian Cope : Bagged-Out Ken

It's a b-side, and the video to the a-side can be found here. Ciao for now.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES

You lot really are an ungrateful bunch.

Yesterday more than 400 of you dropped by with maybe 250 of you deciding to download one of the three songs left behind.

But did one of you at least have the manners and decency to say thank you?? Clearly not or I wouldn't be mentioning it.

423 hits and not a single comment.

Well, there's no point in me crafting clever sentences to go with today's offering of songs.

mp3 : Blur - Colin Zeal
mp3 : The Jam - Liza Radley

The former is from the hugely entertaining LP Modern Life Is Rubbish released back in 1993, while the latter was the b-side of the single Start! released in 1980.

Click here for film.

CURING THOSE MONDAY MORNING BLUES

A good measure of vintage Scotch is probably what is required. I think I'll order up a triple blend distilled in and around the Glasgow area:-

mp3 : Altered Images - Insects

This is where pop music crosses perfectly with early-Banshees. This was completely wasted as a throwaway b-side to the 1981 hit single I Could Be Happy. One question.....do you really believe the then 19 year-old party-loving and hedonistic Clare would have been as cheery as all that if she really did go to Skye for her holidays? Answers on a picture postcard if you please...

And talking of Postcard....

mp3 : Orange Juice - Blokes on 45

It is easier just to re-print what the band themselves have to say about this:-

"A one-off number quickly assembled during an August 1981 session for John Peel's storied BBC radio show. At the time, there had been a series of Top 40 hits called Stars On 45 which slapped together golden-oldie medleys over remedial disco-thump. We thought it might be amusing to do an Orange Juice version...."

Basically, it's a Postcard Greatest Hits banged out for you in just over four minutes.

And talking of John Peel:-

mp3 : Teenage Fanclub - Alcoholiday (Peel Session)

For my money, a far superior version of the song that appeared on the LP Bandwagonesque. It was recorded on 28th August 1990 (which incidentally is Mrs Villain's birthday - and the first one we ever spent together), but not broadcast until 3oth September.

I used to carry a health warning at the top of TVV that some bits of vinyl might be a bit scratched and end up jumping about a bit, but in most cases its better than nothing. Well, about 62 seconds into this particular mp3 you'll have to endure a little bump that means half-a-line is missed.

However, I make no apologies.

Thanks again for visiting. Videos (six in total - three live clips and three promos) associated with all of the above can of course be found here.

GIG REVIEW : BRITISH SEA POWER : GLASGOW ARCHES - SATURDAY 26 JANUARY

I've been a fan of British Sea Power for a number of years, in as much as I've always bought their albums as and when they've come out. But for some reason or other, I'd never caught them live in concert - on at least three occasions, I've been away on holiday, but there have been other times when I've just simply missed out.

I almost missed last night's gig as well. I was feeling a bit poorly with a bit of an upset stomach.

There was also the fact that Mrs V is so overrun with work at the moment that she needed to use her Saturday night to catch-up on paperwork. So it looked as if it was going to be another no-show.

But at the 11th and a half hour, there was a change of mind. I jumped on the train and managed to get to the venue at 8.50pm - only to discover that the band had taken to the stage some 15 minutes earlier.

The Arches is an underground tunnel-like venue - very long and narrow - and there was nowhere to go but the very back next to the sound and lights desks. Problem was, the venue also has a dreadfully low stage that I was miles from, with a few hundred folk in front of me. As such, I could hardly see the band - and when I did catch glimpses, it a head and shoulders shot and no more.

So between the late arrival and the piss-poor view, you might think the review will be negative.

Not so.

Having established from the bloke on the lights that I had arrived during just the third song of the set, I settled down to listen. The band sounded, to my ears, as if they were on top form. The first complete song that I heard was Remember Me, an early single that first got me interested in BSP. It was followed by Canvey Island, one of my favourites from the current LP Do You Like Rock Music?

After that, it was a great mix of the new album with old favourites much appreciated by the majority of the audience. But not everyone.

If can't have escaped the notice of most UK readers that BSP have been featuring heavily in the mainstream media on the back of the release of the new LP - and there's been a bit of lazy journalism around that has made comparisons to Arcade Fire. Well, it seemed to me that a fair number of the audience had come along on the back of such coverage without ever really listening properly to BSP. Yes, they have two folk playing the viola and trumpet to augment their four-man line-up, but their songs are very much their own - lots of crazy screaming guitars amidst great melodic pop songs. Anyway, it was obvious that a few folk just didn't get it and while not exactly heading in droves for the exit, there were a fair number who headed to the bar to observe proceedings. Fools.

There was another thing which looked strange - I am certain that the drummer who played last night was not the band's normal drummer. I may be wrong on that....he didn't look like the bloke in the photo above...............but at the same time, he didn't seem to miss a beat. Anyone else who was there care to enlighten me??

There was one truly 'hairs on the back of the neck standing up' moment, and that was the opening notes of current single Waving Flags. The year 2008 might only be a few weeks old, but I'll be very surprised if this isn't in my Top 10 songs come December (if it's not, then we'll have been blessed with an extraordinary year for music). If you haven't already bought the single, do yourself a favour and head down to your local shop and spend a few of your hard earned pennies (or alternatively download it from a legal source - just make sure the band get their due reward).

All in all, a hugely enjoyable night, albeit one when I wish I had seen a bit more and one that I wish I had arrived on time.

So here's a couple of songs from previous BSP albums, both of which were aired last night:-

mp3 : British Sea Power - Remember Me
mp3 : British Sea Power - Please Stand Up

If you want to have a listen to the current single, I've shoved on the video at the sister site here.
All BSP product is available here. Buy now.

EROTIC ANIMALS

Anyone from the UK who was watching the telly in the 80s and 90s will remember those saucy adverts (well, that's how it seemed then) with a lady sitting on a window sill fellating a Flake chocolate bar or in an overflowing bath similarly fellating a chocolate bar. This featured a sax-heavy musical accompaniment. And it was turned into a house track by Ben Chapman.

The first television advert for Flake was televised in 1959, and the last one in 1999. The 'Flake Girl' adverts are among the most memorable of all time. What made them memorable were the seductive undertones of the Flake Girls as they first slowly unwrapped, then put the Flake into their mouth, and nibbled or bit a piece off of it, catching any falling pieces of chocolate with a well-manicured finger or two, which was often followed by a climatic explosion of water, such a waterfall or the popping of a bottle of champagne, combined with the background music, relaxing scenes and atmosphere.

There was sometimes controversy surrounding the adverts. In the 1970s, one of them was taken off air amid complaints of the seductive way the Flake Girl bit the Flake. Another one had to be re-shot following complaints at the way the Flake was licked, before being nibbled.
Various adverts also appeared in UK magazines and newspapers; it was in 1976 that the words 'The crumbliest, flakiest chocolate' first appeared on the pages. It can be reasonably assumed that this was also about the same time of the introduction of the television advert jingle 'Only the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate, tastes like chocolate never tasted before', which was written by Ronnie Bond, at one time a prolific jingle writer.

What does this have to do with TVV? Well, for reasons that I can't understand, in 1991 Ben Chapman (DJ and producer) who had worked with people like Jesus Jones and Blur decided to turn it into a house track with a vocal by Roy Galloway. It was released on the moderately credible Deconstruction label but did absolutely nothing. The big sax break occurs about two-thirds of the way in. To show his other stuff there's also a Jesus Jones track.

mp3 : Ben Chapman - Erotic Animals
mp3 : Jesus Jones - Real Real Real (Rhythm 3) Ben Chapman "Spaced" Mix

Well, if that doesn't up the TVV hits I don't know what will.

Note from JC : Bizarrely, this is the second TVV reference to Flake Adverts on TVV. A while back I said this (you'll find the reference about halfway down). You can also watch some Flake ads over at The Video Villain by clicking here.

Oh and there's a Jesus Jones clip here as well. Couldn't find any Ben Chapman stuff on You Tube.....but I suppose I could find some Erotic Animals and get myself a whole new audience.....

I TOO, HAVE HAD A RUMMAGE

It all started with the dynamic Dave over at The Ghost of Electricity. Right here.

Then magical Mick over at Raiding The Vinyl Archive followed suit. Right here.

Now it's my turn to put my hand into the box of CD singles from the 90s for a right good rummage......let's see what emerges.

Ah....it's Neil and Chris with one of their best. 'You dance to disco 'cos you don't like rock.'

A real soap-opera of a pop-single from 1993 that reveals the nightmare existence of a gay man trapped inside a loveless, useless and cruel marriage......no doubt he did it to give his career a boost... it is just one of 55 (count 'em) singles released by one of the most unique and talented acts we've ever had the privilege to be entertained by.

mp3 : Pet Shop Boys - Can You Forgive Her?
mp3 : Pet Shop Boys - Hey, Headmaster
mp3 : Pet Shop Boys - Can You Forgive Her? (Rollo Remix)
mp3 : Pet Shop Boys - Can You Forgive Her? (Rollo Dub)

It's a great single, and the b-side, Hey Headmaster is also a bit splendid. The video is right here.

However, I can't say anything about the remix and dub of the single - I don't ever recall listening to them.

I can also tell you that I paid £1.99 for this as the price sticker is still on the front. Go on...get rummaging.

RADIO GA-GA

I long ago stopped paying attention to the songs that are played on daytime radio - especially the dross that I have to suffer from the dreadfully unfunny Breakfast Show DJ. much loved by Mrs Villain, on Glasgow's premier commercial radio station.

This morning however, he played something that I hadn't heard before and I found myself wondering who and what it was for it was actually quite decent. I was, I'll admit, stunned to learn it was this:-

mp3 : Amy MacDonald - This Is The Life

The thing is, I was away in Canada when Ms MacDonald went massive in the UK last year. All I knew was that she was a very young singer-songwriter from Glasgow who was gaining a lot of coverage in the regular newspapers around here. I assumed therefore that she was some sort of product of one of those ghastly TV talent shows that dominate the weekend schedules.

Seems I was wrong as young Amy seems to have made her way to the top on a fair degree of talent. Good luck to her.

And while I'm rabbiting somewhat, I thought I'd post a couple of great but not terribly well-known tunes containing the word 'life' :-

mp3 : Banderas - This Is Your Life
mp3 : Strangelove - Time For The Rest Of Your Life

The former act was a duo comprising vocalist Caroline Buckley and violinist/keyboardist Sally Herbert. This girls were part of the band that backed Jimmy Somerville, and this particular track features Bernard Sumner on guitar and backing vocals, as well as Johnny Marr on guitar. You can buy Ripe, their sole LP from 1990, right here.

The latter is a single from 1994. Strangelove were on Food Records, the same label as Blur, but their sound was described as being akin to Suede or Mansun. Lead singer Patrick Duff currently pursues a solo career, and his very informative and enjoyable website can be found here. Oh and you can buy record by Strangelove right here.

Thanks for visiting. Oh, and in keeping with your visiting rights, some associated performances can be found at The Video Villain.

AND THE PUBLIC CONTINUES TO GET WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS..

I'm getting a big kick out of the latest request for a track that's previously featured on TVV as it's from a posting away back in March 2007. This one to be precise.

I'm not sure if it was someone reading all the old posts or just a random search that threw up that particular bit of work, but who cares. If the public asks for something, then it's only nice to be obliging.

So, especially for anthony, here's a rare b-side from 1991:-

mp3 : Throwing Muses - Cottonmouth

And talking of rare b-sides, here's something a little bit strange:-

mp3 : Ian McCulloch - Cockles And Mussels

It's taken from his 1984 debut solo single which was a cover of September Song by Kurt Weill.

The b-side is better known to all and sundry as Molly Malone (or as she is affectionately known over in the Fair City of Dublin - 'the tart with the cart'). I was astonished to learn that the song, which was first published back in 1884, was in fact written by a Scotsman by the name of James Yorkston.

Now....here's the question which has been bugging me ever since.....is the composer in any way related to the very talented James Yorkston who is part of the wonderful Fence Collective here in Scotland?? I'd be delighted to hear an answer one way or another...

Oh, and there's some associated stuff over at The Video Villain.

THE SOUND OF YOUNG SCOTLAND

Postcard Records, based in Glasgow, boasted that it was 'The Sound Of Young Scotland.' It was a truly memorable label - the brainchild of Alan Horne who, pound for pound, euro for euro and zloty for zloty, is quite simply the single most important Scotsman ever to get involved in the music industry.

The label nurtured Aztec Camera, Go-Betweens, Josef K and Orange Juice. In due course, these acts, and everyone associated with them, signed for other labels, but there are many who will argue and debate that they never released anything as good as they did in the heady days of Postcard.

I don't necessarily buy into that, but it's hard to argue against the claim that every single released on Postcard was an absolute classic.

But in true perverse TVV style, you're not getting any songs from that era, instead feast on the following rarities:-

mp3 : Paul Haig - Let's Face The Music And Dance
mp3 : Edwyn Collins & Roddy Frame - Consolation Prize

The former is from a strange little LP entitled Swing in 82 that Paul recorded in the aftermath of the break-up of Josef K. It only has five tracks on it and they're all cover versions of popular songs from a bygone age. The record company obviously hated it, as it sat in the vaults unreleased until 1985. It's a really strange record and I don't really think it works all that well. But it was worth the £2 I paid for it in a second-hand record store just last week.

The latter can be found on the CD single Good Morning Britain by Aztec Camera. It was recorded live at Glasgow Barrowlands on the evening of 4th August 1990 when Edwyn joined Roddy on stage. I'd love to claim that I was there that evening, but I can't. However, I'm sure at least one loyal reader must have been there - if so, share the memories with us. Please.


PS : Some unusual videos from messrs Collins, Frame and Haig can be viewed right here.

THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT...

.....WITH GUITARS

mp3 : The Clash - Know Your Rights


Number 1

You have the right to leave comments, views and observations, and should you make a request for a song previously posted, or indeed a song not featured before, we'll do our best to give you what you want

mp3 : Spear of Destiny - Forbidden Planet


Number 2

You have the right to expect quality cover versions from all sorts of acts, some of which will be brilliantly inspired, while some will just be plain weird. You make your own minds up on this one

mp3 : Radiohead - The Headmaster Ritual


Number 3

You have the right to expect a better service over at the sister site The Video Villain. From now on, the plan is to try and dig out a promo of at least one of the songs you'll find in here and put it up over there.

mp3 : Suede - Filmstar



Know your rights.
These are your rights.
All three of 'em.
It has been suggested
In some quarters that this is not enough!
Well..............................

PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AND GIVE A WARM WELCOME TO...

One of the best things about starting up TVV has been the responses I've received in the form of comments from readers and visitors. I'm now delighted that someone who was one of the first to offer his thoughts and observations has taken up an invite to become a regular contributor.

Colin P (to distinguish him from Comrade Colin aka Dr Tristesse who also occasionally leaves his thoughts behind) might be known to some of you as ctelblog. I've never met Colin, but it was a mutual appreciation of Paul Quinn/Bourgie Bourgie (now there's a surprise!!) that got us first writing to each other.

But rest assured....ctelblog has a slightly different take on music than myself as he will sort of explain in his own words:-

"People used to dream about the future. They thought there was no limit to progress. They dreamed of a clean, bright future, where science would make everything possible. And everybody better off. Somewhere along the line that future got cancelled."

If you are a regular reader of TVV, you might be forgiven for thinking that Scottish music is all jangly guitar, whose roots are all descended from the sainted Orange Juice. Not so. There is another strand of Scottish music which draws its inspiration from late-80s Detroit. Specifically, the early house pioneers. And there are no guitars.

UK dance music largely grew from its mid-80s Balearic beginnings in clubs such as Shoom, with magazines such as Boys Own and input by former-hooligans from Slough (Hi Mr Weatherall). But it also sprung up in Manchester and Glasgow.

Glasgow had techno duo and club-owners Slam. But Scotland also produced other dance artists, including the now-overlooked Finitribe from Edinburgh. The band took their name from "Finny Tribe", a name given to the entire fish species by Irish religious sect the Rosicrucians.

Finitribe had a similar career path to their contemporary label-mates 'The Shamen', but without the pop success. Starting off in 1984 as an indie-guitar band called Gallery Macabre, they latched onto sample-based dance music - like so many other bands of the time. Their 1992 album 'An Unexpected Groovy Treat' was the album on which they discovered ecstasy. Whilst previous albums were packed with social commentary, the closest 'AUGT' comes to saying something about the world is on the wonderfully sardonic 'Forevergreen'. The wonderful bass underpins the song (a sort of pop-dance, progressive house thing), which simultaneously celebrates and pokes fun at the then-novel information age.

Forevergreen was not even a minor hit, despite coming out in a blizzard of mixes – at least seven, including ones by Justin Robertson and Orb-collaborator Youth. There were three 12”s released commercially with a special sleeve pack. And a CD version. All mocked up to look like a 5¼”computer disk (ask your older brother). Nevertheless, with ‘101’ and ‘Ace Love Deuce’, it remains the best track from their dance period.

They refined their music and production considerably in 'Sheigra' a few years later to critical success but again without any real commercial success. After 'Sheigra' they took a total break from smooth techo-pop and moved into 'illbient', seemly folding completely by 2002. Today, two of the members still DJ according to their myspace site.

"We live in the short term and hope for the best."

The myspace site is here. You can buy Finitribe product here.

And with that, all it remains for me to say is a big thank you and welcome aboard to ctelblog. I hope this is the first of many incisive and entertaining posts.....and there's no doubt you'll broaden the appeal of TVV to those a bit younger than myself who didn't miss out on the dance boom of the late 80s and early 90s. (I'm old enough to remember when the Hacienda was just a place for bands to play in Manchester.....)

mp3 : Finitribe - 101 (Masseymix)
mp3 : Finitribe - Forevergreen (Youth Lunar Eclipse Mix)

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

The first live gigs that I went to were back at the old Glasgow Apollo in 1978. That makes the maths easy – 30 years ago. I have no idea just how many singers, bands and acts I’ve subsequently seen on stage – it’s something I wish I had been anal about and kept lists of dates, venues and ticket prices.

Seeing a band on stage is always a completely different experience than simply hearing them on record. I’ve been disappointed more times than I care to remember, with one of the worst being a gig I mentioned in a previous posting - Blondie at the Apollo on New Year’s Eve 1979.

This was a gig that was broadcast live on BBC Television at the time, and strangely enough, it was shown one evening a couple of months back on an obscure satellite station. I tuned in out of curiosity, and yup, the gig was every bit as awful as I remembered. The band, other than drummer Clem Burke, were a bit of a shambles, and Debbie Harry could hardly hit a note.

But sometimes I’ve gone along to see an act who I’ve not been all that bothered about on record only to be blown away by how good they are live. One such occasion was at Strathclyde University in 1984.

Level 8 of the Student Union was where I did most of my socialising throughout 1984 and 85. I lived in a student flat less than 600 yards away – there was an indie disco every Thursday & Friday night, while Saturdays would usually see a live act take to the stage often in front of a capacity audience of 500. Back then, tours weren’t as slickly organised as they are nowadays, and there was a tradition of playing the student circuit. There was also a lack of decent venues in Glasgow, and so chart bands with substantial followings would often end up at student unions. The venues themselves controlled the sale of tickets, with the students getting to hear about things in advance of anyone else, so getting to see anyone was rarely a problem.

Spear of Destiny were not the biggest band in the UK at the time, but they sold enough records to a loyal fanbase to ensure their LPs made it into the Top 30. I had seen them on TV a couple of times and thought they were OK. I also reckoned that they hadn’t released anything that was good as Do You Believe In The Westworld? by Theatre Of Hate which was the former band of lead singer Kirk Brandon.

I wasn’t expecting much other than 45 minutes of entertainment prior to the indie-disco kicking in. But on entering the concert venue, it was immediately clear that this was going to be a slightly different Level 8 concert than normal. The audiences tended to be a mixture of regulars (i.e. students) and fans of the band. You would get the fans right up at the front, while the casuals/indifferent folk would hang around the side of the hall or at the bar until the last possible minute. But the placed was mobbed at a very early hour, and it was soon clear that it was filled with at least 90% hardcore fans who were here to pay homage. To coin the cliché – there was a real buzz about the place.

And it was a buzz that the band fed off. They literally leapt on to the stage and straight into their set – guitars, bass, keyboards, saxophone and drums competing against one another in a wall of noise. And at the centre of the maelstrom, stood a blonde-quiffed bundle of energy in the shape of Kirk Brandon. Actually, stood is the wrong word. The man didn’t stand still for a second.

No sooner did one song finish than the next started. And the next again. I reckon it was about the fifth or sixth song in before the band took a break and finally said good evening to a by now ecstatic and very sweaty audience. It was one of those gigs where the condensation was running down the walls. And it was great.

Other than a couple of singles, I had no idea what the band were playing, but it just didn’t matter. It was a night where I got lost in the music and the occasion, and that hasn’t happened too often when I’ve turned up to see a band I know little about. It remains the only time in two years of going to gigs at Level 8 that I was so physically exhausted at the end that I could stay on for the indie-disco afterwards. It’s also been one of only a handful of gigs in my being where I’ve ended it stripped to the waist with the t-shirt needing wrung-out…..

Over the next couple of weeks I saved up and bought the band’s first two LPs.

I soon found that I didn’t like them…..they just came nowhere near capturing the raw power and emotion of the live gig. The records seemed strangely subdued…

I never did go back to catch the band in action ever again as I didn’t want to end up feeling let-down by a sub-standard performance. Nor did I buy anything of their records that came out in subsequent years. As such, I can’t say that I’m truly a fan of Spear of Destiny, but they did provide me with one of the best live experiences I’ve ever had:-

Mp3 : Spear of Destiny – Flying Scotsman
mp3 : Spear of Destiny – The Wheel
mp3 : Spear of Destiny – Liberator

Those were the days my friends, we thought they’d never end.

Keep tuning in for more nostalgia.

Ciao

ENTER THE CONFESSIONAL BOX

This has the potential to develop into an occasional series. It's where I will openly admit some musical faults....and its where I invite readers to pass the penance that requires to be paid.

Today's confession is two-fold - I'll own up to not liking someone that I should, and then I'll reveal a song that is a guilty secret.

I have a real soft spot for talented singer-songwriters, especially those who are also able to be hugely entertaining on stage. Billy Bragg, Lloyd Cole, Edwyn Collins, Martin Stephenson and Elvis Costello are among my particular favourites. I've loads of CDs/records by them, and I'll always make the effort to see them play live.

One man who doesn't make the list is Richard Hawley.

I do actually own one of his records - Late Night Final - that I bought on the back of seeing him support Tindersticks at a gig in London some five or six years ago. I remember being knocked out by the opening song that he played live, but being slightly less impressed by what followed. But he was being raved about by many of the music magazines and he did come across really well in print, so I splashed out some cash on what at that time was his most recent release. It left me disappointed other than the opening track, which also happened to be the one that I remembered best from the gig:-

mp3 : Richard Hawley - Something Is...

I guess its the fact that nothing I have heard since those opening minutes on that London stage has come close to matching the magic of Something Is.... that has left me so cold towards Mr Hawley. But that's how it is..

And now for the moment that will appall many of you.

mp3 : The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl

Yup....the truly dreadful American rawk band best remembered for their 1985 effort Drive that was part of the Live Aid concert. Well, this is from a few years earlier - 1978 to be precise, and it takes me back to school daze. Yes, I was listening to a lot of punk/new wave, but there was just something damn catchy about this particular three minutes of pop that penetrated beneath my skin and has remained lodged there ever since. I still know all the words and the guitar breaks....


So, there's a couple of quick confessions for you. Should there be a penance or am I given absolution??

DOUBLE THE FUN

Ah....the purpose of the post is really just so that I can put up the guitar-porn photo for my good buddy FiL all the way over there in Vancouver. He'll know why....

When an author completes a particular piece of work and has it published, his or her efforts are there for all the world to see. There is no going back and changing a word, phrase or sentence here and there.

Musicians however can go back to their songs, return to the studio and re-record them.

mp3 : Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Perfect Blue
mp3 : Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Perfect Blue (alt version)

The former was the closing track on the 1985 LP Easy Pieces, while the latter appears on the compilation LP 1984-1989. Lloyd himself has said the band prefer the alternative version which is slightly slower and has strings added. And who am I to disagree?? It's an indication of where Lloyd would, in due course, take his own solo career, and in particular his 1991 LP Don't Get Weird On Me Babe, half of which was filled with orchestral strings.

mp3 : Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand
mp3 : Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand (Scream 3 version)

I know these have both been posted before at TVV but I can't help myself returning to them. Originally recorded back in 1994 for Let Love In (surely a contender for the accolade of the band's best LP), the new version was made in 1999 for the soundtrack of a Hollywood movie, but was unreleased until the release of the B-Sides & Rarities box-set in 2005. And both versions are outstanding.

If you don't already own stuff by Lloyd or Nick, do something about it. For starters, click here or here.

Ciao.

DISGUSTING AND OBSCENE

I'm off work just now with a dose of man-flu, and after a night of 80mph storms battered my home city and surrounding parts, I tuned into the BBC lunchtime news to see what exactly is happening.

The lead story - or more precisely the way it was handled - got me just a bit hacked off.

It seems that the UK's largest High Street retailer - Marks & Spencer - had a lousy trading period just prior to Xmas. They have reported a fall-off in trading of 2.2% from the same period last year, and as a result millions of pounds have been wiped off their shares.

The BBC wheeled on its Economics Correspondent - someone called Robert Preston - who having established his credentials by saying that he talks regularly to all the important movers and shakers in British industry - claimed this was a very clear signal that the economy was in trouble and that a 15 year UK boom was over.

His basis for this claim was that he had been told by the Chief Executive of M&S that conditions in the clothing market were as tough as they had ever been.

The one thing that Mr Preston did not highlight in his report was the fact that M&S is hardly down to its last few coppers. The fall in sales will affect profits. But it seems the company is still on line for something like an annual profit of £600-800 million, which strikes me as being more than adequate enough.

But no.....the money men in the markets were promised profits of £1billion, and so it's all doom and gloom. And so we're all in for a hard time in the weeks and months ahead. It won't be too long before someone announced we're officially in a recession. And Mr Preston and his ilk will be on our screens every day with their despondent views and messages.

Now I'm just a simpleton when it comes to this sort of thing. So would anyone care to explain the negativity surrounding a company that is making profits of at something like £2million a day..

No wonder free-market capitalism gets a bad name.

This one's for you Mr Preston:-

mp3 : Orange Juice - Scaremonger

While this is for any readers with M&S shares:-

mp3 : Carter USM - Shopper's Paradise

Ciao.

I DON'T WANT TO TURN AROUND AND FIND I GOT IT WRONG

It is one of my life-long regrets that I only picked up on Magazine after the band broke up, and I never got to see them in the flesh. I was a Buzzcocks boy, and never listened to those friends who said I should check out the work of the man who was the real inspiration behind the band but who had left before success to pursue his own musical dreams.

So it wasn't until 1982 that I bought my first Magazine LP - a compilation effort called After The Fact. For weeks, it was the only thing I was listening to....and so the next logical step was to buy all of the band's back catalogue.

Magazine quickly took their place as one of my all time favourite bands. And I was a really happy chappy when I read that Howard Devoto was in the midst of recording a solo LP.

Prior to the album, there was a single - Rainy Season. It wasn't anything like I expected as it was far lighter and poppier than the stuff that Magazine had done. But, I thought then, and still think today, that it is a fantastic record that really should have cracked the charts.

Then the LP - Jerky Versions Of The Dream - hit the shops.

It was a real let-down. I thought it was a rather limp and dull affair and other than the initial single, nothing really jumped out at me. I probably listened to it no more than three or four times, before loaning it to someone. I never ever asked for its return.

I was surprised to discover that the album had been given the re-mastered, re-mixed and re-issued treatment by Virgin Records earlier this year. It was always on my list of things to look out for, but somehow I never did buy the CD. But then something better happened....I found a second-hand vinyl copy (yup, in Toronto), as well as a second-hand copy of the follow-up single taken from the album.

And I'll admit that having now listened again for the first time in more than two decades that Jerky Versions Of The Dream is a work that has aged well. I'm not saying it's a tremendous and 'must-have' record, but it is certainly far better than I recall it being.

I suppose thinking back that it came on the scene just around the same time as a band called The Smiths, and it just didn't hold a candle to the stuff that Morrissey et al were coming away with.

It was an album that came out just at the wrong time in my life to be properly appreciated.
Its subsequent failure to ignite the charts led to Howard Devoto giving up on his solo act and going back into the bosom of a band set up in the shape of Luxuria. I wonder if they'll be next for the re-issue treatment....

If you want to get your hands on Howard's solo LP, it is widely available, including via Amazon. It might be worth spending some of your pounds, dollars, euros, badges, beads, milk tokens or whatever your local currency happens to be.

mp3 : Howard Devoto - Rainy Season (12" version)
mp3 : Howard Devoto - Cold Imagination (12" version)

Ciao. For Now.

HATS OFF TO THE BUSKERS

I don’t know if the ongoing slump in record/CD sales is being mirrored similarly in the circulation figures of music papers and magazines.

Nowadays I’ll only buy something if there’s the promise of a decent-length article on someone I particularly admire. Failing that, I’ll grab a hold of a magazine or two to take away on holiday just in case there turns out to be a hellishly long flight delay and the battery on the i-pod decides to give up the good fight.

Every now and again I will hand over a few pounds if the CD that’s attached to the cover is of any interest. I rarely give a second glance to a CD that is a round-up of tracks from recent LP releases, but I’ll admit to being a sucker when a special effort is made to produce a tribute CD. I did the other month with an edition of Uncut which comes with Like A Hurricane - A Tribute to Neil Young.

I mention this as a rather rambling intro to what today’s songs are all about.

A few years ago, mid- 2003 to be precise, I actually bought two copies of a particular edition of Uncut, simply because they had two separate CDs entitled White Riot - A Tribute to The Clash, featuring a total of 32 singers and bands doing cover versions of the songs of Strummer/Jones (and Simonen and Headon).

Like most tribute albums, some of the offerings turned out to be half-decent, and one or two I would even go as far as to say are truly inspired. Others are just insipid, while others are plain weird.

Most annoying of all however, is the fact that a couple of them are what I would class as lazy – one that note for note and beat for beat is far too similar to the original.

Some of the songs were taken from other tribute LPs or were a gathering together of b-sides or album tracks, while some turned out to be exclusive recordings previously unavailable before (or indeed since). And while I would never dream of claiming that any of them were superior to the original recordings, there’s some of them been given space on the above mentioned i-pod.

Things like these:-

mp3 : Edwyn Collins - 1977
mp3 : The National - Clampdown
mp3 : Josh Rouse - Straight To Hell
mp3 : Pete Wylie - Stay Free

Incidentally, the last of the above was recorded live at a tiny pub in Haddington, East Lothian at a gig that I'm sure a mate of mine was at. If you're reading this Mr Greer, be sure to tell us all if that was indeed the case.

2008....IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A VERY GOOD YEAR (3)

That lot pictured above are Dumb Instrument. And last night I saw them in my first gig of 2008.

It was outstanding.

Colin from And Before The Kiss has written and raved about them a couple of times, and indeed a song of theirs called Reverse The Hearse made his list of songs of 2007. He dropped me an e-mail the other day saying the band were playing at the 13th Note in Glasgow and he was popping along if I was interested.

To be honest, I was initially more excited about finally, after all this time, hooking up with Colin (previous attempts to meet and blether had fallen through) than the gig itself. I'm delighted to reveal ladies and gentlemen, that Colin is indeed a true comrade in arms - every bit as witty, erudite, charming and entertaining in the flesh as he is in print - and I reckon we would have been quite happy just sitting in the bar talking about all sorts of things (but mostly music).

But we went downstairs to catch Dumb Instrument in action. On myspace, the band describe their output as 'Jakey Rock' - and state that it fuses the ideals of 'Jakeys' and 'Rock' into one nice genre which is accessible to all.

Overseas readers might wonder what 'jakey' means. Well, it's a bit of Scottish slang which has two meanings - it is used to describe a down and out homeless person or alternatively a particular type of alcoholic - one who is found wandering the streets drinking anything (including methylated spirits) to put him/her in severe state of inebriation. Oh and they're often of course also a down and out and/or homeless.

While jakey-rock might sound unappealing, it is most certainly not the case. The band consists of keyboardist Mikey Grant, bassist Kieron Campbell and vocalist Tom Murray. Without being at all disparaging to the others, it is Tom Murray who holds most attention.

Tom does not sing or rant like a scary drunk. He has a really sweet almost angelic voice. His lyrics are just astonishing. I don't mean it as an insult to say that he is more a poet than a songwriter - each songs unfolds like a short story. Visually, he looks like a cross between a son of Scottish artist and playwright John Byrne and a cousin of Scotland's other great bearded bard - Aiden Moffat. He just grabs your attention from the off and holds it for the duration of what I reckon was about a 40 minute gig. But I never once looked at my watch so I can't say for sure...

Do yourself a favour and get over to www.myspace.com/dumbinstrument and listen to the four songs on offer - Suffering From Scottishness and Exterminating Angels are particularly recommended. And then spend some cash on purchasing Songs Ya Bass Vol.1, the band's first single which contains the brilliance that is Reverse The Hearse.

Sorry to say that there's now way I'm posting one of the band's songs as I really do want all of you to support them by purchasing the single, so instead, given that I've previously mentioned Mr Moffat, here's something from him and his pal Malcolm:-

mp3 : Arab Strap - I Work In A Saloon

Taken from the 1996 LP The Week Never Starts Round Here. Buy it here.

Keep tuning in.

Ciao.

2008....IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A VERY GOOD YEAR (2)

This posting goes out to long-time American friend of TVV - Jeff in Chicago (and all of his family).

Aside from music, soccer (as I have to call it given the world-wide audience for the blog) is my other passion, and yesterday I made a round journey of some 120 miles to watch my team, Raith Rovers, play a derby match against local rivals, Cowdenbeath.

We won 4-1, and it's a result that sees us head the table as we move into the second half of the season. It's a position we've not been in for a few years, and while there is still a long way to go, all Rovers fans are now more hopeful than ever of promotion.

The photo above is just after the second goal has been scored. The full match report, and photos of the other goals, can be seen right here.

Happy days call for a suitably happy and appropriate tune from a few years back:-

mp3 : The Style Council - Shout To The Top

Why did TSC get such a bad press? I'll accept that some of the stuff has dated a bit poorly, but it's fair to say that Weller, Talbot et al did record some pretty decent singles. Far better than much of the output of 'The Modfather' over the past decade or so.....(uh oh, Mr Villain invites ridicule again...)

And while I'm here, there's been another request for a song that previously featured on the blog, and lo and behold, it just happens to have a Paul Quinn connection:-

mp3 : Bourgie Bourgie - Careless

And here's an equally fantastic song of the same name:-

mp3 : Cinerama - Careless

Taken from the 2002 LP entitled Torino, which, given the football connection, (more info right here), completes today's perfect circle.

Keep tuning in.

Ciao.

2008....IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A VERY GOOD YEAR

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds release their 14th studio album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! on 3rd March 2008 on Mute Records.

Produced by the band and Nick Launay who worked with the band on their last album Abattoir Blues/ Lyre of Orpheus, the new album was recorded last summer at State of the Ark Studios in Richmond and mixed by Nick Launay at British Grove in Chiswick.

The album features artwork by British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster. The first single from the album - and the album's title track - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - will be released on February 18th 2008. as a limited edition 7", CD and download. The B-side features another new song Accidents Will Happen.

You can get a preview of the song by visiting the official website right here and clicking on the link Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

And in the view of this humble scribe, it's a damn fine splendid tune. Here's hoping the band will tour in support of the album - it will be one of the must see shows of the year.

Want proof?? Well, here's a near nine-minute epic from the last tour back in 2004, recorded live in Munich on Friday 26th November:-

mp3 : Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Stagger Lee (live)

I suppose I should put up a warning that there's a few sweary words on it......

Ciao.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S TUESDAY ALREADY....

I did promise something a bit different:-

mp3 : Altered Images - Happy New Year

OK...it's only 23 seconds long, but unless you've got a flexidisc that dates back to the tail end of 1981, this is the only place you're likely to hear it.

And having given you something Glaswegian to bring in 2008, here's a tune from someone associated with Edinburgh, the place that will always be Scotland's second most important city:-

mp3 : Ballboy - Welcome To The New Year

I've resolved to make more of an effort with the blog over the next 12 months, so I hope you'll continue to tune in on a regular basis.

Ciao for now.