Tag Archive for 1970’s

Fleetwood Mac – Never going back again

Fleetwood Mac have been on my mind for a couple of reasons recently. Firstly, as I was getting a haircut the other day the barber mentioned that he had tickets to see them in Las Vegas on their 2013 world tour.  I was pretty jealous and might just try and see if I can score some tickets when they come to Ireland. The price will probably make my eyes water though.

Secondly, a colleague and I were talking about the death of the album in work this week. I was saying that albums are pretty much meaningless to me at this stage and how it makes me rather sad.

This got me to thinking about Rumours (which along with probably Astral Weeks, Highway 61 Revisited, Grace and only very few others) and how it is one of the few albums I still think of in that way rather than just a collection of songs that sporadically pop onto my MP3 player.

My colleague was suggesting although Astral Weeks was pretty good (!!) it wasn’t a patch on In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. You might say I disagreed with this idea but that is another story.

Rumours:

Rumours

/RjK

The Dynamic Four* – Let’s Make Love

Reggae music is something I keep meaning to explore. It is one of several genres (along with maybe Bluegrass, Jazz and Blues) I feel like with some concerted effort I could really get into. To date I have hardly posted anything but that is something I intend to fix in 2013 if possible. If only there were more hours in the day to listen to music!

This is taken from a compilation on Soul Jazz records called Studio One Roots (in this case volume three). I stumbled across it on YouTube a while ago and have been enjoying it since. I have found it’s laid back charm to be a particularly good way of calming a racing mind.

/RjK

*Artist #594

Fela Kuti* – Water No Get Enemy

As I mentioned at the weekend I have noticed a World Music deficit of late. I have been researching and listening to as much as I can in order to try and close this gap.

You won’t be looking into the genre too long before coming across Fela Kuti. The Nigerian troubadour is veritable world music royalty and a pioneer of Afrobeat music. He also found time to be a prominent political activist and all around interesting chap!

I really like how this track contrasts most of the other African music I have posted so far. I tend to be drawn to relentlessly upbeat, energetic sounds. This is much more languid and funky, and those horns are irresistible!

 Fela Kuti:

/RjK

*Artist #588

18th December 2012

Ian Dury and The Blockheads* – Hit me with your rhythm stick | (Helen Chandler guest post)

Hit me with your rhythm stick / It’s nice to be a lunatic. What a great lyric. Every couplet in this song makes me smile. Not in a beaming ‘I’m so happy’ sort of way, but more in a wry ‘ah, very clever’ acknowledgement of Dury’s lyrical elasticity. Ian Dury was fantastically strange, clever and original.

There’s a bench dedicated to him at Poets’ Corner in Richmond Park, which I’ve been meaning to visit. It was originally intended to act as a listening point where you could plug in headphones and listen to Dury’s music. But it was repeatedly vandalised so that lovely element had to be scrapped. This is why we can’t have nice things.
/HC
*Artist #576

14th December 2012

Sister Sledge – He’s the greatest dancer (GPF)


I was at my office Christmas party last night. Things really got out of hand. Needless to say I am feeling rather delicate this morning.

Also, for some unknown reason the Wikipedia page for this song was open on my phone when I woke up. Clearly my drunken self was trying to send a message.

/RjK

12th December 2012

Van Morrison – Domino

I have probably waxed lyrical enough about the regard I have for Van’s music. Suffice to say, I think he’s got some game.

I had forgotten how good this sounds until it came on my MP3 player as I was walking home from work last night. From the jangly (not sure this is the correct technical term) intro to the horns and relentless energy throughout it is both a great pop song and a throwback to Fats Domino and all the great 50’s and 60’s Rhythm and Blues.

There are also several very tasty live versions (which are well worth checking out on YouTube where available). Not least the one on the seminal It’s too late to stop now which is both a personal favourite album and a guiding maxim.

/RjK