Dexy's Midnight Runners Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Listen To Those Horns!

What a terrific album. Released in 1980, at the height of Northern Soul madness, this record draws on the Soul sensibility whilst also experimenting with Funk, Ska, and booming Pop music. It is truly a record of its time; a powerful statement by Kevin Rowland and his eight-strong army of "boys", whose intense, 3-D sound was a new wave of fresh air in a music chart dominated by Punk bands.

The album begins with the brilliant, crashing Burn It Down - a passionate attack on all those who dare demean the Irish and their heritage. Rowland reels off a host of Irish literary giants in defense of this great nation - Oscar Wilde, Brendan Behan, Sean O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Lawrence Stern to name but a few. The horns are exquisite, and the vocals thumping. One of Dexy's finest ever records. It is followed by Tell Me When The Light Turns Green - a rousing number once again brought to life by a brilliant horn section. The Team That Meets In Caffs is a tremendous, moody instrumental demonstrating the true power of this band. I'm Just Looking is a gripping song of longing with a stunning brass section, followed by the immense sound of Geno - one of the band's staple super hits. A dance floor filler and genuine feel good record, Geno is one of those songs that is seemingly impossible not to like.

Seven Days Too Long is quite simply a Northern Soul classic. This cover by Dexy's on Searching For The Young Soul Rebels is every inch as rousing as the original. I Couldn't Help If I Tried is a gorgeous ballad sang with raw emotion by Rowland, who flirts with falsetto throughout. It is bluesy in parts, jazzy in others, but at all times utterly gripping. A superb change in tempo on an otherwise lively album. Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply - just about the oddest song title of them all - certainly lends an ear to the Punk movement of the time with its machine-gun bass, but the Organ, coupled with Rowland's fascinating falsetto vocal throws the overall sound back into the Northern Soul scene. There is even a suspicion of Disco influence in this track - another feel-good groover that loosens the limbs somewhat. Keep It is very Soul orientated; it is not impossible to envisage Otis Redding or Sam & Dave belting it out amidst their own set of classics.

Love Part One is a unique, spoken word track complemented by a solo saxophone in the background. Lyrically it is very poignant; "They all dedicate lines to you/Thin lines - easy to see through/Of course they do it to be like others who/All feel something I wont pretend just for you." The closing track on the album, There, There My Dear, is an exuberant performance featuring dynamic backing vocals and a great lyric. A storming closer to a storming album. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels stands alone for me. It is so different from everything else, and yet so passionately pieced together by so many dedicated musicians and artists. An absolute belter of an album, and one so often overlooked in these greatest album polls. A powerful piece of work that captures the time so well - go out and find it, I swear you wont be disappointed.

Pentangle Basket Of Light, Jansch, Renbourn, and the Very Best Of British Folk

At the time that I discovered The Pentangle I was part of an acoustic house band in an Irish bar with several older guys who were buried in their acoustic roots. The name Pentangle kept cropping up in amongst the likes of James Taylor, Neil Young, Carole King, The Eagles, Crosby-Stills-Nash, Don McClean, Ralph McTell, and many, many others. I knew about pretty much everybody they were into apart from this mysterious group, The Pentangle, and so, being the inquisitive muso that I've always been, I made it my business to look into what all the fuss was about. I knew I'd probably like them if my fellow band mates did; our tastes were really very, very similar in that sense. However, my discovery was rather unexpected. I got hold of their most commercially accesable album, Basket Of Light, and upon first listen felt like I'd been struck by lightening. . . . . .twice. It really was that powerful. Definitely folky, but with middle-eastern influences too, and certain leanings towards Fairport Convention. John Renbourn and Bert Jansch were both semi-familiar names to me, though I had no idea why. Maybe my destiny lay in discovering The Pentangle all along?

The riveting opening track, Light Flight, (which found commercial success as the theme tune to the 70's BBC TV series Take Three Girls) is a hypnotising jaunt built upon a very unusual rhythmical hook. Jacqui McShee's vocal is sublime, giving the track a truly medieval feel, and the duelling guitar parts of Renbourn and Jansch are magical. The climatic harmonies are out of this world; existential almost. Once I Had A Sweetheart is a stereotypical, traditional folk song perfectly executed. Springtime Promises, sang by John Renbourn, is a bright, optimistic track enlarged by some wonderful acoustic playing. Lyke-Wake Dirge - an early English poem concerning the progress of the soul in the afterlife - is almost biblical in its interpretation. The mood is dark, but the harmonies stunningly beautiful.

Train Song is a very middle-eastern sounding lament for the passing of the steam train -essentially British thematically, but wonderfully constructed to demonstrate the broad musical influences on this versatile band. Hunting Song is based on the fascinating story of the magic drinking horn sent by Morgana the Fay to the court of King Arthur, sketching the numerous incidents on its way. Again, the music is entrancing. Such songs show the maturity of these musicians, exploring history lyrically whilst supplementing the story with such accurate sound-scapes. Sally Go Round The Roses is bass driven by the great Danny Thompson - another severely influential musician spawned by The Pentangle, whereas The Cuckoo is another marvellous interpretation of a folk traditional in which McShee's vocal sears. The closing number, House Carpenter, is a haunting Southern ballad derived from the English folk song The Daemon Lover, in which the lover is the Devil personified. It is an uncanny ending to a revolutionary record - one that anybody who has a love for the acoustic guitar should own.

A few years back I met John Renbourn in my local Arts Centre after he had played a gig with Robin Williamson of The Incredible String Band. What a great man! He was very humble, extremely friendly, and seemed to take more interest in asking about my own music than talking about his. He even told me that he'd been sat outside a local cafe having a coffee earlier that day and had spotted me walking by, and said he just knew that I'd be at his gig. The feeling was instinctive. He then told us several unbelievable stories about how he had jammed with Hendrix backstage, before reluctantly signing our records. His modesty was unreal. For a man to have achieved so much, and to have been one of the pioneers of The Pentangle - Britain's finest kept secret in my eyes, and yet so down to earth was just stunning. Basket Of Light is a fabulous reminder of this group's enchanting powers; a wonderful record that can only be described as a spiritualistic experience to hear. A gem.

Cream Disraeli Gears and the Clapton Revolution

How strange is this following sentence going to sound. . . . .you know what, I don't really care! Disraeli Gears reads like a Cream Greatest Hits - except it's better! Eric Clapton has been involved in some amazing projects over the last forty-five or so years, but this one (bar maybe his solo Unplugged) is the defining moment of his career. It charted Cream's progression into a psychedelic avenue of swirling Rock, and spawned two classic singles - Strange Brew and Sunshine Of Your Love - both Clapton masterpieces that have never faded in terms of popularity and influence.

Strange Brew, the album's opening track, is a brilliant, groovy Rock song built upon Jack Bruce's superb, cementing bass line. Clapton's guitar work is, quite simply, very special. Quite obviously drug induced, the lyrics are dreamy and ambiguous, yet clearly definable by the sordid background we already know of Cream, and particularly Clapton, whose drug problems nearly killed him. Sunshine Of Your Love is another song that provides a soundtrack to a jilted generation; a genius riff ably supported by stunning drum sequences from Ginger Baker, and an awesome duel vocal by Bruce and Clapton. World Of Pain is psychedelic through and through; a stoned reflection of one's view from a window: "Outside my window is a tree/They're only forming/And it stands in the grey of the city/No time for pity for the tree or me." Clapton's Beach Boys style, wah wah guitar lifts the song sky high.

Dance The Night Away continues the psychedelic feel, boasting a fantastic vocal from Jack Bruce, Tales Of Brave Ulysses is an amazing, ethereal, surging track of immense fortitude, featuring a mesmeric spoken vocal from Bruce, whereas Blue Condition is a total change in direction; Ginger Baker singing in his monotone Cockney style to a light hearted melody, echoing the Small Faces somewhat. Swlabr features more stunning guitar playing from Eric Clapton, We're Going Wrong is a powerful ballad in which Baker takes flight with his fearless drumming, and Outside Woman Blues, one of Clapton's finest and most underrated arrangements, is a booming quick-Blues. Take It Back is a rolling and tumbling, harmonica driven number with a melody reminiscent of late Beatles material. The album's closing track, Mother's Lament, is another comic-cockney ditty led by Ginger Baker - an odd ending to a storming Rock record, but endearing all the same.

Cream reformed in 2005 to play five sell-out nights at The Royal Albert Hall, London, for one last time. Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce did not look like well men. In fact, they both looked like luke-warm corpses. Clapton, quite ironically considering his terrible vices in the 60's and 70's, looked in great health. Regardless of their physical conditions, Cream as a cohesive unit were still absolutely untouchable - a marvellous reunion which will live long in the memory. Much of Disraeli Gears was returned to during this farewell residency, and why not. Music like this should never fade into obscurity - and believe me, it wont.

Live Music Night @ The Herald, Thursday 8th April 2010 - Little Wing/Emergency Blanket/The Arkanes

www.theheraldlive.com

Last Thursday we (myself and Adrian Gautrey in the duo Little Wing) took to the stage in local venue The Herald to play a forty minute introductory slot for two bands - Emergency Blanket, a five-piece Peruvian Rock band who had literally stepped off the plane and into the venue - and The Arkanes, a four-piece, Scouse Indie/Rock band who had, by all accounts, been causing a stir for a good while. Our slot was, if I'm honest, a bit of a favour for an old mate. It turned out to be one of the great nights of all time for a multitude of reasons, and one that I am so happy to have taken part in. So, to the rather manic details. . . . . . . . . . . .

We arrived a little early - that is myself, Adrian, my mate Paul, and my mad mate Glenn. He had agreed to come in the blink of an eye when he realised the equation: Mrs away = beer + music. Unfortunately our set got delayed since the majority of unfortunate regulars were cheering on their ailing team Liverpool in the Toilet Roll Trophy, or whatever the competition is that they have ended up in. I didn't mind so much because there were plenty of interesting folk knocking about to meet, least of all the other musicians, and Glenn certainly didn't mind as he lay, mouth open, under the John Smiths tap. The venue really impressed me - an effective, long room with lots of character and flashing neon lights. A really good looking, great feeling place for live music. A large stage with all the mod cons added to its charm, as did the building atmosphere amongst a host of genuine music loving spectators. All in all, the kind of place that makes a musician feel good about going on stage and really giving it some.

By the time we took to the stage the venue had filled up suitably. The beauty about this place is that the punters want to hear original music - all so often you feel guilty about playing your own compositions because people just don't want to hear them. In certain places, which I wont even honour by mentioning, only Abba will do. This provided a much refreshing change. We journeyed through an eight song set that included seven original numbers from our recent debut album Alchemy In The Garden, and threw in a pretty epic, acoustic cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird for good measure. The atmosphere was, at that point, so good that I decided to pack away the gear as quickly as possible, run the car home, and venture back in for a pint. Or ten.

I arrived back just in time to see the second band take the stage - Emergency Blanket, all the way from Peru. There was a real buzz about the place for this one - it's not often that we have such bands passing through this little old town, let alone places for them to play. Full of energy and with immense, infectious personality, this tight five-piece blew the roof with their own Pearl Jam meets Led Zep meets Foo Fighters explosive Rock. Highlights from their set included the brilliant Next Passenger, and Shadows, both from their exceptional debut record, Combi + Nation. Front man Paco Holguin and bassist Lufo Armester shared a magnetic rapore on stage, aided by the mesmerising lead guitar of Jaime Urteaga. A top band with an undoubted future. Glenn and I, being Southport's biggest muso's, couldn't quite believe our luck. Balancing between glugging his John Smiths and doing his best Japanese tourist impression with his video camera, Glenn looked as bemused by the likelihood of the whole event as I felt.

Having indulged in rather a few Guinness by the time Emergency Blanket finished their riveting forty minute set, I looked around and felt like this could become a regular thing. Not long after, the final band, The Arkanes, took to the stage. A young and charismatic four-piece from Skelmersdale, these guys are one of the most impressive outfits I've seen for a long time. Full of mischief and archetypal Scouse cheek in between songs, lead singer/guitarist Chris Pate and backing vocalist/bassist Lee Dummett in particular played the crowd with consummate ease. Their fantastic, quirky brand of driving Indie/Rock, guided by the searing vocal of Pate, and supported by a rock solid backbone of Dummett, drummer Andy Long, and Adam Sheeran on guitar, was as refreshing a performance as I've seen for a long time. On top of that they had some tunes! The infectious Sharpshooter springs instantly to mind, as does the thumping Don't Act Like You Know Me. Their debut EP, also called Don't Act Like You Know Me, is a superb introduction to this promising, energetic young group. They even bring along a break-dancing, stage-diving loon known as "our Graham." Now that is a sight in itself. . . . . . .

And so, what a great night! Little did we know that it was only just beginning. After purchasing the necessary records as mementos of a genuinely unexpected evening, Glenn and I could come to no better conclusion than to have another beer. Ten minutes later, we came to the same conclusion. Then again, ten minutes after that (I think). By this time myself and the Peruvians are deep in conversation about music and the like, Glenn is taking a nap on the bar (blocking the bar staff in with his beer filled belly), and the other stay behinds are sifting through the tremendous (FREE!) jukebox, lining up anthem after anthem to take us deep into the morning. Before you know it the time is about 3am, we have the guitars out once again playing all sorts of common-love classics from The Beatles to Neil Young, and Glenn is stretched flat out snoring on one of the benches at the side of the pub. Honestly, you just can't take him anywhere. . . . . . . .

I woke up the next morning feeling like I'd had a pig defecate in my head. It wasn't good. However, I had two records lying by my bed - Combi + Nation by Emergency Blanket, and Don't Act Like You Know Me by The Arkanes - reminders of one of the best nights I've had in my home town, Southport, for many a year. I urge people to check this venue out - The Herald at the Lord St end of Portland St - simply because this is the venue to be for live music on a Thursday night. Dan Morrison, the brains behind it all, has seemingly performed miracles by getting anywhere near setting this thing up. I sincerely hope that all local musicians, muso's, fans of live music, and anyone with any interest in having a really good night out with a bunch of good people help to support the scene that is slowly building here. Live music can only exist if there is an audience to play to. I hope that we will be back to play there very soon, and that these nights continue to gather momentum in the meantime. I shall be doing all I can to spread the word. . . . . . . .

Meet Sadie the Boxer Dog - My Best Mate Who Digs The Tunes With Me!!!

The best bloody nuisance I ever met. . . . . . . . . .

Tim Buckley Greetings From L.A - Just In Case Anyone Was Wondering Where Jeff Got His Extraordinary Voice From. . . .

Tim Buckley was a force in music way beyond the recognition he has been given. If spawning the great Jeff Buckley wasn't proof enough, Tim left nine stimulating studio albums to document his tragically short career, having died at the age of just 28 from a lethal drink and drugs cocktail following the completion of a tour. To me, his music is fascinating. He explored so many genres and avenues throughout his brief career - enough to have satisfied a man three times his age. Buckley experimented with Folk, Jazz, Psychedelia, Soul and avant-garde Rock, but it was his 'Sex-Funk' period post 1972 - including this fantastic album Greetings From L.A - that captured my imagination most.

Greetings From L.A begins with the epic boogie Move With Me, in which an atmospheric mixture of sublime backing vocals, funky guitar, driving piano, and Tim's own commanding vocal creates a thumping introduction to this, his seventh studio album in just six years. Get On Top is a sexually motivated Soul-Funk groove demonstrating Buckley's extraordinary voice, with this vocal genius dipping into glorious falsetto with ease. It certainly shows why Jeff Buckley, his son, ended up with similar superhuman capabilities. Sweet Surrender is a fantastic, psychedelic ballad with a fantastic arrangement by producer Jerry Goldstein, once again showcasing Buckley's unbelievable ability to sear vocally. Night Hawkin' is an exercise in great guitar playing from Lee Underwood, and once again a compelling production from Goldstein. Devil Eyes is a bluesy shuffle driven by Kevin Kelly's Winwood-esque organ, leading into the sexy and mysterious Hong Kong Bar. The record closes with Make It Right, a brilliant Mediterranean feel with yet another stunning lead vocal and production.

Ironically enough, Greetings From L.A was one of a trio of albums (including Sefronia and Look At The Fool) that flopped commercially. Buckley's venture into this Sex-Funk genre was said to have alienated his largely hippy audience because it was deemed as 'selling out'. Its sexual lyrical content prevented the material from getting onto the radio, and it has been said since the musician's death that he himself disliked the album, and that it was released mainly for financial needs. I guess this is the beauty of music; almost forty years after the initial release of Greetings From L.A, I, a 27 year-old, cannot get it off my stereo. Different people see different qualities in all art forms, and whether it is true that Tim Buckley himself didn't rate this album or not, it communicates with me passionately. It is my favourite Tim Buckley record, although he as an artist is the major discovery - the back catalogue that he left this world is worth checking out regardless if Greetings From L.A is your first choice or not.

Eva Cassidy Songbird - A Posthumous Celebration Of A Wonderful Talent

I will never forget the moment that I first saw the video of Eva Cassidy playing Over The Rainbow on one of her few surviving live performances, Live From Blues Alley. As far as acoustic performances go, it really doesn't get much better than that. Her playing is spectacularly subtle, and her majestic, angelic vocal inch perfect. What is even more endearing is the genuine fear on her face, which fails to penetrate her unshakable professionalism. The world was robbed of a beautiful singer when Eva died of cancer aged just 33 in 1996 - nevertheless, like all great artists and performers, she left her mark on this planet with the beautiful songs collected on Songbird - the finest of her posthumous releases. Of course, as capitalist, big-wig record company execs will have, her name was catapulted skywards and many scratchy compilations have been released since to capitalise on her name. However, as The Guardian noted upon its release, Songbird is simply "indispensable."

The album opens with Eva's gorgeous rendition of Sting's Fields Of Gold; a heartfelt, sentimental interpretation which adds a feminine dimension to this beautiful song. She then slides effortlessly into the bluesy Wade In The Water - a song perfectly chosen and arranged to demonstrate the layers in Cassidy's impenetrable voice. Autumn Leaves is a wonderful, spacious acoustic ballad that can be best described as elegiac. Eva's performances on these delicate slow numbers are thoroughly unique. I don't think anybody I've ever heard sings them with the same feeling and conviction. Wayfaring Stranger is a moody blues, Time Is A Healer a lovely song of longing with killer harmonies in the chorus, I Know You By Heart an angelic ballad with captive violin playing from Dan Cassidy, and Oh, I Had A Golden Thread a jazzy, organ led foot tapper.

The title track, Songbird, is a brilliant cover of Christine McVie's Fleetwood Mac hit. As good a version as songwriter McVie performs, it is nothing to touch Eva's incredible interpretation. Interestingly enough, Mick Fleetwood, legendary drummer of Fleetwood Mac, loved Eva so much that he used to sit in on drums for her whenever she played his club in Virginia. People Get Ready has been covered by a multitude of great artists - most notably Rod Stewart and Aretha Franklin - though Cassidy's version on this record stands up to them all. Curtis Mayfield's timeless, semi-religious song cries out for a beautiful vocal, and Eva certainly provides it here. The album closes with the incredible aforementioned Over The Rainbow, though there really are no words to describe it. I would just urge you to sit back and listen. It speaks volumes for itself.

I mentioned in an earlier blog written on Johnny Lang that I don't usually warm to albums comprised of cover versions. Originality is the most appeasing thing to demonstrate as a musician. However, certain singers cannot be ignored. Eva was not a prolific songwriter, but her outstanding, timeless interpretations have breathed new life into some wonderful old songs. This really is an album that belongs in any collection; an album to laugh to and to cry to in equal measure. A record that stands as a beautiful epitaph to a beautiful singer.

The Velvet Underground and Nico (Self Titled), Andy Warhol, and Underground New York At Its Finest

Lou Reed has never quite settled well with me. I've got to be blatantly honest: I just don't get him. Yes, OK, Walk On The Wild Side is a great track, as is Perfect Day. However, I find the man incredibly pretentious about his music - like he is out to oppose even his own fans. His gross unpredictability, in my eyes, is all too often mistaken as interesting. I meet very few people in life who have such an affinity with music as I have, but even I am completely lost when it comes to Lou Reed. I've tried and tried, I really have, but it doesn't work. The only record that I believe he has excelled with is this, The Velvet Underground & Nico, the first album Reed was involved making, along with John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, and Nico.

It is very strange how the music industry pulls its punches. Upon release this album was a flop. A commercial and financial failure that was largely ignored. Controversies surrounding the thematic content of the record - drug abuse, prostitution, sadism, masochism, sexual deviancy and BDSM to name but a few - led to the record being banned from record stores and radio airplay alike. Over forty years later The Velvet Underground & Nico is one of the most revered and critically acclaimed records on the planet, reaching #13 in Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. It was also added to the National Recording Registry by the Librarian of Congress in 2006. In other words, the fortune of this unique masterpiece has turned on its head tenfold. It is so influential that without it, it is widely considered, there would be no Punk, no Glam Rock, and certainly no Kraut Rock. Their blurring of Pop music with the avante gard inspired the likes of David Bowie, Roxy Music, Nirvana, REM and The Stooges.

Heroin, one of the most remarkably rough and ready, manic pieces of avante gard, underground music you are ever likely to hear, is a definite highlight of the record. So is the very 60's inspired There She Goes, which steals from Dylan in its jagged sincerity, but also nods to the classic R&B bands such as The Yardbirds and The Troggs. I'll Be Your Mirror, sang by the remarkable Nico, is a Mama's and the Papa's style ballad with a slightly more maudlin feel, The Black Angel's Death Song is a disturbing, frenetic experiment akin to something off Floyd's Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, and European Son a funky groove that takes the album into a spiralling new direction. Sunday Morning is an airy, spacious ballad with semi-sinister undertones - a fascinating track indeed. I'm Waiting For The Man, a rocky satire on prostitution, is delivered in typical, slightly tuneless, Lou Reed style - but for once it works! Femme Fatale is a glorious, bare recording with a somewhat tragic story; Nico's accent flows through the backbone of the song with such power, before the seriously hypnotic Venus In Furs marches through its mournful lament. Run Run Run is bluesy - a nod to The Doors in their Roadhouse glory, and All Tomorrow's Parties a feverish rumbling anchored by a repetitive piano hook. It is all rather bewitching to say the least.

Producer and musician extraordinaire Brian Eno very famously commented that despite very few people buying The Velvet Underground & Nico upon its release in 1967, those that did went on to form famous bands of their own. It really was that influential. Andy Warhol, who was credited with producing the album, and who also provided the mega-famous art work for the sleeve and paid for the studio time to record the album, has had obvious effects on The Velvets and that whole scene. It is a scene so unique - so one off - that this entire project will be forever shrouded in mystique and legend. The Velvet Underground & Nico is a piece of art in itself, not just a record. A remarkable, revolutionary piece of work that will penetrate the deepest annals of Rock history forever.

Gomez Bring It On - Local Lads With A Lot To Say

I was visiting a mate who I was playing in a band with at the time, and he lived right by a huge Tesco store that had very recently turned 24 hour. We decided to walk down there late one night and check out the records, and I had this strange compulsion to buy this unusual looking album on the shelf. Something about the artwork seemed to swallow me whole. The album was Bring It On by Gomez, and I had no idea at the time how odd this compulsion would turn out to be. Buying it purely on instinct, I had no idea that I was paying for a record from a band hailing from my own home town, Southport, and I had no idea that the guys in Gomez had attended the same college where I was currently studying at the time. I had even less idea that this would become one of my favourite records. Sometimes you've just got to trust that gut feeling and ride with it.

The strength of this brilliant debut can be measured by the fact that it won the 1998 Mercury Music Prize for Album Of The Year, beating off contenders such as Urban Hymns by The Verve (previously blogged) and Mezzanine by Massive Attack. Spin Magazine called it "a damn beautiful album, and it went Platinum in the U.K almost immediately. Gomez have been hailed as The Beatles' spiritual heirs, combining American Blues, Jazz, Grass-Roots, R&B and warm, harmonious melodies. I saw the boys back in 1999 at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre, where, funnily enough, Gomez were supported by a little known band called Coldplay. It was a great gig that demonstrated the depth to this unique line-up of musicians.

The album begins with the russet tones of Get Miles, a captivating progression through their Americana influences. Whippin' Piccadilly is a jaunty and truly British tune which, whilst appealing to a slightly more commercial faction, also shows the songwriting diversity within the group. Make No Sound is folksy and brilliantly minimalist, 78 Stone Wobble a febrile two-step with a killer hook, and Tijuana Lady, the immense album highlight, a moody and mournful but thoroughly engrossing epic. Other highlights include the fascinating Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone, the clumsy but endearing Bubble Gum Years, and the groovy, driving Rock of Get Myself Arrested. Here Comes The Breeze is a kind of sonic, mutated Blues, Free To Run a Country soaked ramble, and Rie's Wagon something straight off a mysterious Spaghetti Western.

This is not a band that were ever going to attack the charts with any venom. This is a band that operate underground, on a cult basis, and will continue to do so for as long as they wish. Their music is enduring, and this album, a cracking debut, a glowing representation of their immense talents. You don't win The Mercury Music Award without causing a stir. You don't make a record like Bring It On without being inspired. Check it out.

The Doors (Self-Titled) and the 60's Psychedelic Dream Realised

For somebody with a Jim Morrison tattoo it has taken me an awful long time to get round to The Doors. That is not because the tattoo was an impulse decision and The Doors don't mean that much to me - it is more down to the fact that I have not been able to make a decision about what album to choose first. The Doors back catalogue is so strong that I could have written about any of their albums with equal enthusiasm - however, I've finally decided to settle with their debut record, The Doors, released in January 1967. By the time the summer of love arrived, The Doors were riding high and making waves, and with this brilliant debut it is no wonder. It shows a new band with a multitude of revolutionary ideas firing on all cylinders, and spilling their creative energies into a magical common goal. This is one of the great albums of the 1960's, and although it was primarily only a hit in America, it is now a globally recognised classic. Jim Morrison has become a cult legend since his death in Paris in 1971, immortalising the music of The Doors further.

This magical debut record is special for many reasons, none more so than the spiralling epic that is Light My Fire. The extraordinary performance by Ray Manzarek on the Vox organ is the feature of this pioneering Rock classic, which swirls through a vortex of psychedelic sounds for over seven minutes. Other main highlights include the doom-laden The End - complete with Oedipal speaking section from an insane sounding Morrison, and built upon a hypnotic guitar riff, it is both bewitching and disturbing. A self-prophecy from the tragic Jim Morrison in fact. Break On Through (To The Other Side) - the album's thumping opening track - was the first single release by The Doors, and became one of their staple songs. It was controversial because of its drug references ("She gets high!"), but demonstrated Morrison's ability to devise poetic lyrics. After all, Jim Morrison was a poet.

Back Door Man, a stomping cover of Willie Dixon's original, is delivered with all the sexual deviancy and angst that Morrison became famous for. Soul Kitchen - my personal favourite on the album - is a surging, kaleidoscopic anthem that carries the fire from Break On Through. Twentieth Century Fox is a stoner's ode to a gorgeous girl, Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) is the other riveting cover (interestingly enough co-written by Bertold Brecht), which is yet another controversial song, and End Of The Night a dreamy, hazy interlude. The Crystal Ship is a fantastic progressive ballad with great lyrics, I Looked At You a driving boogie, and Take It As It Comes a mysterious but melodious belter. An altogether faultless collection of tunes.

I became so heavily consumed by The Doors in my younger days that I bought all of their albums in short succession, and even made several homage trips to Jim Morrison's grave site in Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris. Their influence on my life has been phenomenal; Jim Morrison's lyrics and posthumous collections of poetry have been huge inspirations for my own writing, and the amazing music created by Ray Manzarek, Robby Kreiger and John Densmore a definite influence on my own compositions. As for this legendary album, The Doors - I'm certain that it will stand up as a great representative for the psychedelic music revolution in the years to come when all of the original pioneers are long gone. One of Rock music's most important contributions.

Meetings Between The Modfather and Me!

Since discovering Paul Weller many years ago (as documented in my review of his classic album Stanley Road) I have followed my hero to the ends of the Earth. Ok, not quite that far, but let's say we've shared a room or two. 2010 celebrates a decade of watching Paul live, and what better way to do it than a date in London's Royal Albert Hall in May. . . . . . .

1) Preston Guild Hall, Preston - 22/4/2000

Ok, so this was a real star-struck occasion for me. On reflection not the best of his gigs simply because the atmosphere was pretty tame, but still a great introduction for me to my hero on the stage.

2) King George's Hall, Blackburn - 30/11/2001

What a birthday present for me! This gig, on my 19th Birthday, and also the day that George Harrison died, was part of Weller's Solo Acoustic Tour. It was magic to see just him and his guitar stripping back his classics to the forms in which they were written. Joined by Steve Craddock.

3) Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester - 12/7/2002
(Support: Ian Brown, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Shed Seven)

This was an awesome occasion - part of the Manchester Move Festival, where I also got to see David Bowie, The Cure, REM, and Morrisey. The support acts were great, and Weller absolutely rocked, pulling out all of his classics, plus new stuff from the album Illumination.
4) Empress Ballroom, Blackpool - 2/12/2003
Another brilliant performance by Weller in a brilliant venue. The atmosphere was electric, and he played out of his skin with his classic solo line-up of Steve White, Steve Craddock, Damon Minchella and Chris Holland. A great night.

5) Big Top Arena, Kings Dock, Liverpool - 20/7/2005

(Support: Edgar 'Jones' Jones)

I had barely returned from Australia when I saw this - probably his most outstanding gig to date - in the tent at The Liverpool Summer Pops. I had a stage-side seat, and the roof damn near blew off. This was the first time Weller returned to some of his classic Jam and Style Council material - one memorable moment was when the crowd continued to sing "la, la, la, la," back to a stunned Weller at the end of That's Entertainment.

6) M.E.N Arena, Manchester - 24/11/05

This was more of an introduction for my mates than anything else - a harrowing piss-up in Manchester followed by the gig. It was the first, and LAST time that I'd missed Weller's entrance onto the stage since I was busy at the bar, though it wasn't the best gig I've seen. He's really not an ideal Arena performer, particularly not in the massive M.E.N

7) Apollo Theatre, Manchester - 28/11/2006

Another magic gig in a great venue by Weller. The atmosphere was, again, electric, and he stormed through a faultless hit of career-spanning classics. I even dragged my Mum, Dad, Sister and Brother-in-Law along to see what all the fuss was about, and they loved it!

8) Manchester Versus Cancer, M.E.N Arena, Manchester - 30/3/2007

A little disappointing from my point of view since Weller, the biggest name on the bill, was left with very little time to do his thing. he only managed four songs, although one was a sublime duet with Noel Gallagher on The Jam classic Butterfly Collector. Also a rousing version of John Lennon's Power To The People.

9) Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival 2007 - 23/6/2007

For me, as a Paul Weller fanatic, this performance was absolutely terrific. A power-hour of the great man really giving it some on the Saturday tea-time at Glasto. However, in hindsight I can see that he played a rather selfish set - I knew everything because I'm a geek, but he played a lot of obscure stuff that potential new fans just wouldn't have digged. A shame.

10) Empress Ballroom, Blackpool - 8/5/2008

A thumping return to this brilliant venue by Weller, who charmed a full house once again five years after I'd first seen him here. I took a mini-bus full of young lads to experience The Modfather first hand, and it turned into a severely heavy, but fantastic night of moshing, drinking, crowd-surfing, and general immaturity. A memorable evening. God I need to grow up.

11) Brixton Carling Academy, London - 24/11/2008

It was time I went to see Paul in his own back yard, and considering his popularity these days, Brixton was about as intimate an opportunity as I was going to get. In a similar venue to Manchester's Apollo, Weller marched through a triumphant two and a half hour set of classics, thrilling a sold out, partisan crowd. A tremendous experience for me, the Northern monkey!

12) The O2 Arena, London - 21/3/2009

Something about Weller gracing the biggest live stage in the country for the first time pulled me to London again for this gig. I felt I just had to be there. These places really are just too big for that intimate feel though. It wasn't a bad gig or performance, but not one of the more memorable. At least I was there to see it!

13) The Main Stage, Benacassim festival, Spain - 17/7/2009

A bizarre set of circumstances indeed would prevail here at my first, and LAST, festival abroad. Weller, who came on as the sun set, started with electrifying calibre, only to be cut short 20 minutes into his set by a raging bush fire that was threatening to burn down the stage. Health and safety abroad for you. It would never have happened here. Needless to say he was whisked off the stage, his performance cancelled, and The Kings Of Leon cancelled too! A FUCKING NIGHTMARE!!!

STILL TO COME...........................

14) The Royal Albert Hall, London - 27/5/2010

Can't wait to see this venue, never mind the man himself gracing this notorious stage!

15) Echo Arena, Liverpool - 8/12/2010

Another gig on home turf for me - no doubt an excuse for a damn good day and night!

John Parish & PJ Harvey Dance Hall At Louse Point - A Stunning Collaboration

This is a record so thrillingly sinister it leaves Paranormal Activity firmly in the shade. It was copied for me by my mate Walker, who has been mentioned before for his ability to introduce new music to me. At first I was a little unsure about Dance Hall At Louse Point, but once I had realised the importance of immersing myself in this deep and rather hectic record, it all made sense. This album is extremely challenging musically as well as intellectually; Parish is a genius at writing demanding and inventive music, and PJ Harvey's lyrical contribution stands up to meet it head on. I was lucky enough to witness a very rare gig by John Parish and PJ Harvey in Birmingham Town Hall early in 2009 in which their second collaboration, A Woman A Man Walked By, was the focus of their attention. However, they also revisited songs from Dance Hall At Louse Point with style - a magical night of cult entertainment.

PJ Harvey is somewhat of an enigma; a musical recluse and cult star, she has moved in the shadows during a stunning near twenty year career that started in 1992 with her debut record Dry. Her achievements since have been on her terms, which is why she is quite rightly one of the most respected female artists around today. Dance Hall At Louse Point is a major achievement in my eyes - a dazzling record that explores the unlocked rooms in music that most artists dare not dream of entering. The eerie Girl opens the record, falling seamlessly into Rope Bridge Crossing - a fantastic and curious wronged love song - a songwriting trait in which Harvey has become exceedingly proficient. City Of No Sun is a frenetic and intimidating thrasher with idyllic, serene moments, cutting mysteriously into the charming, acoustic That Was My Veil - one of the album highlights.

Urn With Dead Flowers In A Drained Pool is a mixed tempo, experimental collage with lots of Gothic imagery. Civil War Correspondent shows Parish's extraordinary ability to tinker with subordinate sounds to create an unusual sound-scape for Harvey to work with. Her vocals are, essentially, the key to the strength of the record, but could not assume their power without this highly cerebral music accompanying. Taut is an alarmingly intense, and in parts terrifying record of the likes I've never heard before. I have heard this particular track previously described as 'complete madness.' It is rather difficult to disagree. Harvey's vocal delivery is twisted and tortured, the guitar playing and percussion manic, and the production somewhat industrial. Overall a totally unique, if not bemusing piece of art school noise.

Un Cercle Autour Du Soleil (Circle Around The Sun) is a sombre ballad in which Harvey's purity filters through the vocal. Heela is reminiscent of something off Jeff Buckley's Grace, or at worst something by Floyd, and is interjected by a delightful passage of vocals by John Parish layering Harvey's falsetto. The only cover version on the album - a haunting and despairing Is That All There Is - kind of shakes the reality out of the Hollywood Blockbuster. Nobody but Harvey could deliver this with such morbid sincerity. Title track Dance Hall At Louse Point is a cheeky and brazen instrumental, whilst the final track Lost Fun Zone is an uncharacteristic boogie infused by Harvey's instruction: "Take me one more time."

This is by no means an easy record to get into. In similar fashion to Dr John's Gris Gris, it is challenging from the first note until the sound of the CD player ending. Even PJ Harvey's own record label condemned the album as "commercial suicide." However, I am a massive fan of the record - not just because these two artists showed the balls to do their thing with two fingers up at the capitalist machine - but because they have created something totally unique - their own niche so to speak. Dance Hall At Louse Point demonstrates artistic bravery, originality, and conviction, and I applaud PJ Harvey and John Parish for this fine achievement. I'd applaud you more if you had the balls to give it a chance. . . . . . . . . .

Marvin Gaye What's Going On, Soul Survivor Despite Tragic Death

Before Marvin Gaye was gunned down by his own father on 1st April 1984, his career had already earned a stunning legacy. Responsible for massive global hits such as How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), I Heard It Through The Grapevine, and Sexual Healing, this multi-instrumentalist and three-octave vocalist was one of the most respected and most successful Soul artists ever to grace the stage. His death was a tragedy - shot dead one day before his 45th birthday by his own father as consequence of many feuds within his parents' home - just two years after launching a massive comeback with the Midnight Love album. His tale is a sad one lined with gold. What's Going On, Gaye's seminal 1971 album, is the goldest of all his gold.

What's Going On is a concept album written from the point of view of a returning Vietnam War veteran, who arrives back home to the country he has been fighting for to see nothing but injustice, suffering and hatred. It was a landmark achievement in Soul music, and set a precedent for change within that genre. The album went on to achieve mass commercial and critical acclaim, being voted Greatest Album Of The 20th Century by The Guardian in 1999, and in 2003 voted #6 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time poll. In 2004 the title track, What's Going On, was voted #4 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time poll.

The politically motivated title track, What's Going On, opens the album in fine fashion. A very personal track, it is brave and bold, pushing the boundaries conceptually and musically. What's Happening Brother is another multi-layered song in which The Funk Brothers, Marvin's fellow musicians on the record, do a sterling performance. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) is a moody and ominous lament that speaks fearfully of heroin addiction, Save The Children an anthemic, atmospheric tune with a universal message of peace and salvation, and God Is Love a religious dedication, rather ironically, to his eventual murderer, Marvin Pentz Gay Senior. The album highlight, Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), is a magnificent, powerful track that has been inducted into The Grammy Hall Of Fame. Despite it's sorrowful message about the mistreatment of the environment, the depth of the vocal and instrumentation creates such an uplifting wall of sound. It reached #1 on the singles billboard, and has been covered by artists as diverse as Robert Palmer, MC Hammer, Todd Rundgren, The Strokes, Pearl Jam, Aswad and Boyz II Men.

Right On changes the landscape of What's Going On, bringing in a Latin Soul percussive sound dominated by a flute - a beautiful change of mood and tempo. Wholy Holy is a gospel inspired song that demonstrated Marvin Gaye's incredible vocal range; a song solemn but sensual. The closing track, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler), brings the record full circle, ending in the same stunning way that it began. As far as soul records go, I think it gets no better than this. An amazing time in Gaye's career captured brilliantly. The man had many personal demons, but he was an incredible musician. One of the finest. Rolling Stone Magazine voted Marvin Gaye #6 on their Greatest Singers Of All Time poll, and #18 on their 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time. A legend forever, and What's Going On a must own record for anybody into music. Full stop.

Paolo Nutini These Streets - Suprise Package!

Back in the days when I worked with The Gingerbread Man at a rather shitty little shampoo wholesalers, I made concerted efforts to get him into all my kind of music. He'd never admit it, but I kind of shaped his musical tastes. During this period we used to go to an awful lot of gigs, and he came into work one morning rather upset because he had two tickets to watch Paolo Nuitini at Manchester's Apollo Theatre but nobody to go with. Being the stubborn little sod that he can be, he'd refused to ask me before that morning in case I berated him for his venture into 'Pop' music. Regardless, he swallowed his pride and asked me, and never being one for missing an opportunity in music, I agreed. The deal was that if I'd drive he'd pays for the tickets. All of a sudden a boring Tuesday had become quite an adventure.

I had obviously heard some of Nutini's singles - at the time Last Request, Rewind, and Jenny Don't Be Hasty were all over the radio stations. I actually quite liked him on first listen - particularly Last Request, which is a lovely, melodic ballad about wanting one last moment with a lost love. By the time I'd heard These Streets, a fantastic, mature autobiography by Nutini, I'd decided that I really liked the sound of this young fella. So, on the quiet, I was quite happy to be going. The gig that night, at The Apollo Theatre in Manchester, was a great gig. I left very impressed indeed - Paolo was a nervous but energetic performer, and his band were superb. I vowed to pick up a copy of the album, which I did the very next day, and found myself, for the first time in a very long time, hooked on a Pop record.

The album, if I'm honest, is one written based on everyday teenage troubles. It is clever because it is presented with such passion and feeling; a believeability that stems from an honesty in the songwriting, and a soulful delivery from this great young singer. Uncut Magazine said "a major talent has hit the ground running"; The Herald claimed these were "tunes that sound like classics." Metro deemed the album "mesmerising," The Sun said it was "assured and timeless," and The Evening Standard declared Paolo Nutini "a gifted songwriter." Million Faces, the album highlight for me, is the song that first demonstrated the potential that Nutini has gone on to show. He is certainly a talented writer with an ear for a cute melody. This is a gorgeous love song. New Shoes is a real feel-good rocker, White Lies an adorable acoustic number with cunning chord changes, and Loving You a fantastic, soulful belter with a Motown feel. Autumn is another lovely, piano-led ballad, and the closing track Alloway Grove a delightful foot-tapper that has become a live favourite for Paolo.

After five days of being rained on non-stop by torrential down pours at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival I was thoroughly depressed. It was a great hour-long set on the Sunday lunch time as the sun finally broke through the clouds by Paolo Nutini that pretty much saved my festival. I was finally in the right frame of mind after that to go on and enjoy the rest of the final day - or, drink copius amounts of cider and go crazy to The Who, which is what really happened. These Streets is a superb debut, and a definite contender for one of the top albums of the noughties.

Black Sabbath Paranoid, Ozzy's Demise, and Cult Status That May Fade Away

Let us all, for just ten minutes, try to forget what our old friend Ozzy Osborne has become. Let us try to forget that this Rock music pioneer and cult legend has reduced himself to a dithering, ridiculous cartoon character complaining about poodle-poo. Let us forget that this idiot of a man, who trusted his wife with his own dignity and self-respect, has ended up no better than Z-list reality TV stars such as Nasty Nick or Jade Goody. Let us forget that Ozzy has shit all over his own career so badly that records such as the one in question, Paranoid, is barely even associated with his past. What a terrible shame. I want to hark back to a time when Ozzy's band Black Sabbath were right out on the edge, writing and recording serious and revolutionary Rock music with depth and meaning. In order to do that you have to get your Living With The Osbornes DVD's series 1-5010 and place them firmly in the bin. Actually, fuck it, don't place them, launch them.

In 1970 Black Sabbath released Paranoid, their second studio album, which eventually went on to top the album charts. It is, to this day, Black Sabbath's classic album. As I have explained before, I am not adverse to any kind of music as long as it connects with me in some way. Early Sabbath stuff such as this album is deemed to be Heavy Metal, although I would dispute that somewhat. To me this record is an exercise in great guitar playing and great songwriting. Often the genre 'Heavy Metal' alienates audiences; that would be a great shame here since Paranoid is a brilliant, brilliant album. It opens with the politically fuelled War Pigs - a fantastic, doom-laden rant about those in positions of power. Ok, so we know that Ozzy isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, so we'll forgive him for his opening rhyming couplet: "Generals gather in their masses/Just like witches at black masses." Following that is the title track, Paranoid, in which drummer, Bill Ward, explained was written in twenty minutes in the studio because they didn't have enough songs for the album. This legendary single was the spark that ignited the interest in this record, voted The Best Heavy Metal Album Of All Time, and rightly so. It is one of the guitar riffs to end all riffs.

Planet Caravan, the album's highlight, is a wonderful, bluesy, experimental jam with fantastic, dreamy vocal effects. It sounds like something straight off a Doves record. My favourite Black Sabbath moment ever, it must be said. Iron Man, the second single off the album, is thumping Sabbath with all the trademark Heavy Metal ingredients. Electric Funeral is built around a searing, distoted guitar riff as Ozzy wails his dark lyrics, and Hand Of Doom is another bluesy, bass-led groove from Geezer Butler that builds up into a thrilling creshendo. Continuing the theme of tortured song titles, Rat Salad is a Led Zep style, lead guitar masterpiece. It is songs like this that push guitarist Tony Iommi into the upper leagues of legendary playing status. The record closes with the intense Fairies Wear Boots - another anthemic exercise in excellence from a seriously tight 3-piece musical backbone. This also boasts Ozzy's finest vocal performance on the record.

I cannot rate this album any higher. My roots are in the acoustic scene, and always have been. However, I'm so pleased that I was open minded enough to get my hands on this record. An absolute classic, and not to be bypassed because of its 'Heavy Metal' status; it does have its heavy moments, but also wanders through melancholy Blues, Soft Rock, and in some parts even Jazz. If Ozzy would only realise the legacy that he is destroying then this record, along with other early Sabbath works, may get the legendary credit that they so truly deserve.

Birthday Boy. . . . .

Happy Birthday Angus Young, AC/DC livewire, 55 years young today!

The Verve Urban Hymns - An Inspired 90's Classic

I was about to begin by labelling this album a modern classic. That was before realising it is over thirteen years since it was released! How time gets away. Regardless, this is a record that will forever stand the test of time. It is one of the last albums to revolve around four big single releases, and has been met with unanimous critical praise ever since. It was awarded the Brit Award for Best Album Of The Year in 1998, was the first ever inductee into the Q Classic Album Hall Of Fame, and was voted the 16th Greatest Album Of All Time by Q Magazine. It is a career defining moment for songwriter Richard Ashcroft, who reunited the band in 2008 to headline Glastonbury. When you're short of a record that you know everybody will like, Urban Hymns is always a great choice - triumphant and upstanding in any company. A landmark in 90's Popular Culture that, in my opinion, shits all over Oasis. A genuine British masterpiece.

Bitter Sweet Symphony - to this day The Verve's most successful single - is an instant classic if ever I've heard one. Performed by the Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra, and written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the score to this track stood alone untouched for years before Richard Ashcroft got his creative mitts on it and wrote a lyric. The finished product is definitely a contender for single of the 90's. If that wasn't enough of a ass-kicking opening, the album rolls into Sonnet, another of the four big singles, and one of the outstanding examples of Ashcroft's songwriting on Urban Hymns. The Rolling People is Zeppy in many ways, perhaps with an element of U2 ala the Achtung Baby era. If that isn't enough of a comparison to wet the lips, I suggest you take up crown green bowls. The Drugs Don't Work is a somewhat melancholy, moralistic rant from former junkie Ashcroft, but an endearing message cannot fail to creep through. Four songs in and you know you've definitely got some record on your hands.

Catching The Butterfly is, again, reminiscent of the industrial sounds used on U2's Achtung Baby, Neon Wilderness an immersing, spacial jam written by guitarist Nick McCabe, and Space And Time an atmospheric, wistful ballad centered on Ashcroft's superb vocal. Weeping Willow is a deep and emotive, Radiohead-esque groove that leads brilliantly into the album highlight, Lucky Man. I was fifteen years old when I became obsessed with this amazing single - I vividly remember being immersed in some History Coursework on Native Indians when I first heard it, and it opened up another dimension in my mind. A magical achievement, both from a songwriting and recording perspective. I have performed this song hundreds, if not thousands of times for live audiences, and it never fails to be one of the best received of all live tracks - simply because of its stature. A song that, long after The Verve are forgotten, will still be an enduring part of the woodwork.

Just when you're wondering where this record can possibly go after a stormer like Lucky Man, this band pull out another piece of musical treasure. One Day, a sublime, experimental ballad shows the delicacy and poetics involved in Ashcroft's songwriting: "One day baby we will dance again under fiery skies/One day maybe you will love again, love that never dies." Immense depth of feeling from such a young musician. This Time is a bare but intriguing funk, Velvet Morning an acoustic/slide guitar led lament, and Come On a crashing, Led Zep inspired thumper to close one of Popular Music's most important and ground-breaking albums.

I'm not a admirer of Richard Ashcroft and his 'Liam Gallagher attitude'. He is an extremely arrogant and egotistical, self-celebrating idiot a lot of the time. However, his contribution to this record in particular (since his solo career came nowhere near reaching these dizzy heights) is memorable and everlasting. It is also worth mentioning that the rest of the band were equally as essential to this creation: Simon Jones (bass), Peter Salisbury (drums), Nick McCabe (lead guitar), and Simon Tong (guitar/keyboards). I hope that Urban Hymns sits snugly on every music lovers' shelf, and is dusted off occasionally as a reminder that there was something worth caring about in the 1990's. It was, of course, Liam that snarled: "Is it my imagination or have we finally found something worth living for?" The answer, back in 1997, was yes: Urban Hymns.

JJ Cale Shades and The Tulsa Sound

Earlier this month I posted a blog advertising Quicksilver Music - a new independent record shop in Southport. It was in there that I happened to wander one day shortly after Christmas when Shades by JJ Cale was playing over the speakers. I knew instantly that I had to have it. It just had something about it. Made the record shop seem cooler than ever. The owner, Dave, who I have mentioned before, often spots me coming and puts something on that he thinks I'll like. Then he leaves the case on the counter - bait, so to speak, for the vulnerable record collector. This one got swallowed whole.

All of a sudden I could hear where Mark Knopfler got his inspiration, particularly for Dire Straits. I could hear why Clapton champions this man more than most. I could see why JJ Cale - a hider from the limelight and conscious avoider of Rock star 'celebrity' - is such a cult hero. Heralded as the 'creator' of the Tulsa Sound, Cale has single-handedly pioneered a genre that fuses Country, Blues, Rockabilly and Jazz. Clapton is chiefly responsible for Cale's cult status, having made two of Cale's songs - Cocaine and After Midnight - huge hits for himself in the 70's. Admirers also include Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Brian Ferry. His laid back sound is very compelling, and I feel there is no better example than this stunning album, Shades.

So, to the highlights. If I'm honest there are no low lights. This is a remarkably consistent record. It opens with the groovy Carry On, demonstrating Cale's insistence on understated vocals and shuffle rhythm. It is a killer hook, leading into the equally hypnotising Deep Dark Dungeon, another characteristically short but captivating novella of a song. Wish I Had Not Said That is a lighter shuffle with a particularly stripped back sound, Pack My Jack a stereotypical, smoky-bar, post-midnight blues instrumental, and If You Leave Her a somewhat funky, wah-wah infused jaunt. Mama Don't is an infectious, clever lyric riding over a jilted twelve-bar blues: "Mama don't allow no guitar playin' round here/No Mama don't allow no guitar playin' round here/I don't care what Mama don't allow/Gonna play my guitar anyhow/No Mama don't allow no guitar playin' in here." Cale runs through his band list of instruments throughout the song, building up to an intense finale.

Runaround is Cale's Jazz soaked Blues in which his lyrics, about a woman giving him the 'runaround', hark back to the blues men of old. What Do You Expect is lively, Love Has Been Gone a nod to Cale's Country influences, and the album's final track, Cloudy Day, a moody but adorable, Albatross style instrumental in which guitar and saxophone duel beautifully. A staggering end to a great record. In 2005 JJ Cale released a DVD called To Tulsa And Back - a career spanning documentary that gives a great insight into this reclusive legend and his wonderful musical achievements. He is a must-discover artist for any music fan, and there is no better way to do it than with this album, Shades.

Van Morrison Moondance, Live Disaster / Recording Master

In unusual fashion I'm going to begin by slagging Van Morrison off. Big Time. He is one selfish mother-fucker. FACT. And now I've got you wondering. Well, let me take you back to 1999. I was sixteen years old, heavily into music, and about to venture into booking my first ever gig. There was an advert in my local paper claiming that Van Morrison was coming to town - the genius songwriter who had penned the likes of Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance, and Gloria. I called my friend Sarah, we agreed to go, and I booked the tickets. He came on stage for forty minutes, played none of the above - in fact, played only one recognisable song in the whole gig (Have I Told You Lately That I Love You) - and strutted off without returning for an encore. At the time, of course, I had no idea that this was unusual practice. Only later did I realise how arrogant and selfish this had been. The highlight of the gig had, in fact, been the support act, Lonnie Donnegan. He was brilliant, and I got to meet him afterwards where he signed an album for me. I had no idea at the time how important in the whole scheme of things this man was. He put a smile on my face that night though - that's how I remember him.

So, wind the clock forward a few years. 2002 to be precise. I decided to give Van Morrison another chance - the venue: Sheffield City Hall. Yet again a horrendously selfish set of obscure, inconsiderate crap. He had his own audience looking round in bemusement. For the first half an hour he hung in the shadows playing saxophone instrumentals. Nobody was there to see that. And, yet again, he kept his hits under lock and key. The man plays what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants with no consideration for his fans. The man is a self-centered, egotistical prick who will never receive another penny of mine in the live arena. And, by the way, that's a shame.

It was essential that I got that off my chest. Nevertheless, the bigger picture is this: the man is an awesome talent. That is demonstrated in no better form than his third solo album, and subsequent Grammy Hall Of Fame inductee, Moondance. Astral Weeks, the prequel to Moondance, is often cited as Morrison's masterpiece. I have bought and returned that album three times in an attempt to see what the fuss is all about. In my opinion it doesn't touch Moondance, an absolute triumph from beginning to end. And It Stoned Me - the singer's true recollection of an afternoon in his childhood - is a heartfelt, rural epic. The title track, Moondance, is one of those timeless, undying classics, with inspired lyrics: "Well it's a marvellous night for a moondance/With the stars up above in your eyes."

Crazy Love, the album highlight, is a sensual, intimate love song that bleeds warmth. Some sort of divine inspiration is surely needed to write a song like this. Caravan is the beginning of Morrison's fascination with Gypsies - a theme that still runs through his work today. The ethereal Into The Mystic is Morrison's songwriting working within new dimensions, musically and lyrically. The same beauty filters into the happiness of Come Running, These Dreams Of You is a Dylan-esque wander through random thoughts and feelings, Brand New Day a lovely, optimistic song, and Everyone a message of hope in a time of unrest (1969 had seen civil war break out in Belfast). Throughout the record Van Morrison's vocal is impeccable, and projected from the soul. A wonder to behold. The album closes with the horn-soaked Glad Tidings, another tune infused with love and optimism.

This is a wonderful, wonderful record. The sort of record you can put on when the sun is beaming down and the world will seem such a good place to be. Also, a very soothing record in times of trouble or pain. Very much an artistic album, it deserves its place amongst the definitive records ever made. The man might be an arsehole, but his music stands up. At the end of the day, he is a musician, so the product of his labour is what really counts.

Jonny Lang Lie To Me - The Best Contemporary Blues Album Around

There are some brilliant contemporary blues musicians around at the moment continuing the traditions of the original bluesmen, of which only BB King and Buddy Guy are left. They include, most notably, the likes of Joe Bonamassa and John Meyer - and also, in my opinion, the remarkable Jonny Lang. This album, Lie To Me, is outstanding for many different reasons - none more so for the fact that it was released just one day before Lang's sixteenth birthday. All considered, this is as mature a sound as you'll ever hear; polished production, immense vocals by the boy wonder, and great guitar playing too. It's quite unbelievable to think that somebody so young could have been part of a record like this, never mind fronted it.

Jonny Lang got his break after going to watch The Bad Medicine Blues Band, whose guitarist, Ted Larson, took it upon himself to nurture the young Lang and teach him how to play. Lang was quite clearly an enigma, and within six months was fronting this very band, renamed Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang. A&M Records picked him up in 1996, and Lie To Me was his first big label release a year later. In over ten years of touring Jonny Lang has undertaken support spots for The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, BB King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck and Sting. He was also invited by Eric Clapton to feature at his Crossroads benefit concert in 2004. He is held in very high esteem amongst Rock'n'Roll royalty, and this album is a prime example why.

The album opens with the thumping, electrifying title track Lie To Me. Lang's vocal is absolutely scintillating; his guitar playing piercing, the backing vocals searing, and the 3-dimensional sound amazing. Instantly the receptors are tuned into this fresh and vibrant sound. Darker side is a fantastic mid-tempo blues, once again magnetised by Lang's passionate vocal. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl is a quirky foot-tapper, though at first rather unsettling as a lyric: "Good morning little schoolgirl/Can I come home with you?" Then you realise that Lang was just fifteen when he sang it! All is fair in love and war, so they say. Still Wonder is a cool, smoky bar blues ideal for Lang's char-grilled vocal, Matchbox a foot-tapping twelve bar blues originally written by Ike Turner, Back For A Taste Of Your Love a Clapton-esque, funky-rocker, and A Quitter Never Wins a slow and intense ballad. Hit The Ground Running is rousing, and somewhat reminiscent of a James Brown classic, Rack 'Em Up a laid back swinger, When I Come To You another stunning ballad echoing Clapton's Bad Love era, and There's Gotta Be A Change a grooving guitar work out. The record ends with the softer, thought-provoking Missing Your Love, closing a brilliant 50:15 minutes of modern day blues magic from an outstanding young artist with his best years ahead of him.

This is one of those albums that is seemingly impossible to dislike. Wherever I have put it on I've had people asking about it, enjoying it, and more often than not, enquiring where they can buy it. Whatever genre of music you lean towards, I think Lie To Me holds universal appeal. An absolute winner in any collection.

Faithful Friend

Fleet Foxes (Self-Titled), and the Acoustic, Close-Harmony Revival

What an absolute breath of fresh air! I remember reading an interview in Uncut Magazine with Paul Weller about new bands that he had his eye on, and he talked about how, when he was touring in the U.S, he came across this band, The Fleet Foxes. Several months later, when their name started to crop up all over the place, I began to take even more notice. Before I knew it, myself and all my mates had a copy and were loving every minute of it. Here was a band that was reviving a dying breed; the classic acoustic songwriting tune-smith. They look like hippies, play like hippies, and write like hippies. A brand new band stepping straight out of Woodstock. On first listen this could well have been a Crosby Stills & Nash record. The harmonies stand out as utterly exceptional. The songs are beautifully crafted. The execution, for musicians so young, is outstanding. All in all this debut record is one to savour.

The sound of this record is somewhat pastoral, and yet unequivocally enduring. To hear a record like this is so refreshing since it means the glorious close-harmony sounds of the 60's and 70's (CSN, The Eagles, America et al) are cool again. Gone are the days of Punk, Grunge or Indie as the only outlet for subversive groups of youngsters. This album was actually awarded maximum stars in no less than seven major international publications (The Guardian, The Observer, Rolling Stone Magazine, Allmusic, Entertainment Weekly, Spin, and The Times), and came in the top three albums in the following publications for Best Album of 2008: Mojo (#1), No Ripcord (#1), Under The Radar (#1), Billboard.com (#1), Pitchfork Media (#1), The Times (#1), WERS Boston (#3), Amazon.com (#3), and Q Magazine (#2). Robin Pecknold - the singer/songwriter responsible for these songs - cited the expected influences upon his work after growing up listening to his parents' music collection - The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Neil Young, Crosby Stills & Nash etc. I guess to those musos with my own inclination the record would be sold already. I assure you, it's a very safe bet.

Highlights on the album include the beautiful White Winter Hymnal, which is almost gospel in its delivery. He Doesn't Know Why is a brilliantly crafted, mid-tempo acoustic number, Your Protector is moody but atmospheric, Quiet Houses a jovial, finger-picked jaunt, and Ragged Wood an exercise in sublime close-harmony. Blue Ridge Mountains is, again, reminiscent of gospel standards infused with contemporary acoustic craftsmanship, Oliver James a gorgeous, airy ditty, and Meadowlarks an early Neil Young style, melancholy wandering. The standout track, however, is the fabulous Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, in which Pecknold's extraordinary songwriting ability is most evident: "I don't know what I have done/I'm turning myself into a demon."

I saw this remarkable band support Neil Young in London's Hyde Park last year, and they were as mesmerising live as they are on record. They are a revival band; their sound harks back, but their vision points forward. A terrific debut record - one of the finest of all time. I'm very excited to hear a follow up.

The Clash London Calling, Punk At Its Best!

The notion on 'Punk' has never really sat that well with me. I can't be doing with The Sex Pistols. Nor The Ramones. It's just not for me. However, two bands that were born out of the Punk era were The Jam (who, of course, I like very much), and The Clash, who in 1979 released the critically acclaimed London Calling - their third studio album. The difference for me is this: by the time The Clash released this seminal album they were more than just a Punk band. They were far more mature than that. This is an album that ventures into Ska, Pop, Soul, Rockabilly, Reggae and Jazz. This is an album that deals with issues such as drug abuse, racial conflict, the passage into and responsibilities of adulthood, and unemployment. This is an album that Rolling Stone Magazine deemed so important and significant that it made #8 in their 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time poll. London Calling has also been inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame, and received maximum star reviews from the following music industry sources: Rolling Stone Magazine, Mojo, Paste, Punknews.org, Blender, Pitchfork, Allmusic, Robert Christgau and PopMatters. Even the cover has become iconic.

The album bursts into life immediately with the raw and punchy title track London Calling - a Clash classic forevermore. It is apocalyptic in its vision, but full of energy: "The ice-age is coming/The sun is zooming in/Engines stop running and the wheat is growing thin/Nuclear error but I have no fear/London is drowning, I live by the river." Strummer's sneer is so real. Other highlights include the white-man reggae, The Guns Of Brixton, written by bassist Paul Simonon, the horn-soaked Rudie Can't Fail, the Mick Jones led I'm Not Down, and the infectious Train In Vain. Death Or Glory is another crashing highlight on this magic record - a record that is so full of energy, so full of life, and still so enormously relevant that it is a pleasure to put on the stereo. I found London Calling in my college years; over a decade later it is still one of my favourite albums, and most certainly my favourite 'Punk' record ever.

Before his untimely death at the age of just fifty, I saw Joe Strummer perform many times. The first time was in The Liverpool Royal Court Theatre - me and a group of mates had been on a trip to Liverpool with the college that morning, and had had our maiden drinking session in the pubs of Liverpool through-out the remainder of the day. When we entered the venue I remember feeling extremely uncomfortable; the place was full of the hardest looking men I'd ever seen in my life. It was like we'd just walked onto a wing of a maximum security jail. We anchored ourselves onto the front row, which was lucky since everyone in the middle was engaged in violent exchanges and rough shoving matches. It was both thrilling and terrifying. The angst in the music - much of which was Clash classics - only intensified the atmosphere. I was living the Clash vibe twenty years after London Calling first emerged. The other times I saw Strummer he was in support roles for Paul Weller and The Who, and both times delivered a thumping performance with all the passion that he must have poured into these timeless songs. So many sources don't quote London Calling by accident - it's a must own essential.