Paris, Fucking Paris!

The chance of my getting to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds live in concert sits somewhere between winning the Lotto and scoring a UK #1 with a reggae cover version of the Splodgenessabounds classic Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps Please!

 

Thank goodness for ARTE Concert, who have just posted a full show from The Wild God tour, performed at the Accor Arena in Paris on Sunday 17th November 2024.

Wow. Just wow.

1) Frogs 00:35 2) Wild God 05:21 3) Song Of The Lake 11:33 4) O Children 17:05 5) Jubilee Street 24:11 6) From Her To Eternity 32:43 7) Long Dark Night 41:55 8) Cinnamon Horses 47:50

9) Tupelo 54:40 10) Conversion 1:04:35 11) Bright Horses 1:12:38 12) Joy 1:18:41 13) I Need You 1:25:57 14) Carnage (Cover of Nick Cave & Warren Ellis) 1:30:44

15) Final Rescue Attempt 1:36:17 16) Red Right Hand 1:41:36 17) The Mercy Seat 1:50:07 18) White Elephant (Cover of Nick Cave & Warren Ellis) 1:56:27

[Encore]

19) O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is) 2:06:34 20) Papa Wont Leave You, Henry 2:11:19 21) The Weeping Song 2:18:15 22) Into My Arms 2:25:31

1984: From Her To Eternity: 6

1985: The Firstborn Is Dead: 9

1988: Tender Prey: 17

1990: The Good Son: 21

1992: Henry's Dream: 20

1994: Let Love In: 16

1997: The Boatman's Call: 22

2004: Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus: 4

2013: Push The Sky Away: 5

2016: Skeleton Tree: 13

2019: Ghosteen: 11

2021: Carnage: 14, 18

2024: Wild God: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 19

Gangsters, Gangsters, Everywhere Gangsters

Gangsters, the latest single from Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke's Tall Tales album has arrived with a mesmerising / fascinating / irritating (delete as applicable) video by Jonathan Zawada.

I haven't yet heard the album, but it's piqued my curiosity and I will check it out at some point. This listen took me down a different - and more obvious - rabbit hole of songs with a gangster...with no prizes for guessing where it ends up.

A few special mentions: 

1) I've never seen the video for Gangsterville by Joe Strummer before, so that was a treat even if the audio quality is a bit hissy;

2) In case you don't already know, The Sinister Ducks were a super group, comprising Max Akropolis, Capt. José da Silva and Translucia Baboon, better known to you and me as Alex Green (Jazz Butcher), David J (Bauhaus) and Alan Moore (comics legend), with visuals by Kevin O'Neill (also a comics legend);

3) Up until about 5 minutes ago, I was convinced that the repeatedly sampled line in Gangster Trippin by Fatboy Slim was not "What we're doin' when a" but "Fluff with the women" and I am greatly disappointed to be corrected.

4) It doesn't get much better than the last song, does it?

Had I more time, I would have presented this as a Dubhed selection. Instead, enjoy the videos (where available) and some rather cracking tunes.

 
1) Gangsters: Mark Pritchard & Thom Yorke (2025)

2) Big Time Gangsters: Benjamin Zephaniah (1990)

3) Gangster: Dreadzone (2010)

4) Gangster: Electronic (1992)

5) Gangster Of Love Part I & II: Jimmy Norman (1968)

6) Gangster Of Love: Talking Heads (1991)

7) Gangsterville: Joe Strummer (1989)

8) Old Gangsters Never Die: The Sinister Ducks (1983)

9) Gangster Chronicle (Live @ Green Theatre, Kiev) (Cover of London Posse): Tricky ft. Bella Gotti (2014)

10) Cowboys & Gangsters: Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9 (1981)

11) Gangster Trippin: Fatboy Slim (1998)

12) Gangsters: The Special AKA (1979)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cain'd, Fried & Alive, '95-'05, Volume 2: 2005

It's taken a while longer than I expected, but here - at last - is the promised second volume of recreated Julian Cope live sets.

Volume 1 revisited Julian at the Bierkeller in Bristol on 29th January 1995, thirty years after the fact. Today's post goes back twenty years to the Fleece & Firkin on Thursday 20th January 2005, when Mrs. K and I went to see "Julian Cope and his ear splitting rock band", as the tour promo proudly proclaimed.

The flyer went on to promise

"An evening of full-throttle, maximum darkness and 

mythological rock 'n' roll 

bringing psychedelia firmly into the 21st century."

And we were told to "Expect music from Cope's latest album Citizen Cain'd with old favourites.". All of which we got, and more.

Looking at the setlist, what immediately strikes me is how many "old favourites" that have since become gig staples were absent from this particular show. There's no sign of Soul Desert, The Greatness And Perfection Of Love, The Great Dominions or Treason (in fact, no Teardrop Explodes songs at all) and, unthinkable now, Sunspots.

Yet, this is a strength and fits with Julian's full-on commitment to "full-throttle [...] rock 'n' roll". 

Sprinting from the starting line is Hanging Out & Hung Up On The Line from 1991's magnum opus Peggy Suicide. Sporadically performed over the years, this is the one and only time that I've experienced the song live in concert. As an opening statement of intent though, it was hard to beat, the band pummelling their instruments as Julian swaggered through the crowd to take his place on stage. 

That's one persistent memory of the night: Julian was out there physically and well as mentally, frequently using the bar to the side as a personal catwalk, no doubt to the consternation of the drinkers and Fleece staff alike. But it was brilliant to behold.

The initial trio of tunes - if you can call them tunes - was rounded out with a couple of songs by Julian's "power trio", Brain Donor, fellow bandmates Tony 'Doggen' Foster (lead guitar) and Kevin 'Kevlar' Bales (drums) both present and correct on stage this evening.

Like A Motherfucker and My Pagan Ass more than deliver on the "maximum darkness and mythological" front, followed by the equally heavy Gimme Head, the first of four songs that night from the long-promised and finally delivered album, Citizen Cain'd.

By the time the rather more gentle intro of Highway To The Sun comes in, it's a brief respite although the song builds and grows in intensity before falling headfirst into it's crashing final passage. A song from 1995's 20 Mothers, it wasn't included in the Bierkeller gig that I saw the same year and again is the first and last time that I've seen Julian perform the song. A shame, as I think it would sit comfortably with his penchant/necessity for solo sets, were he to hit the road again.

Necropolis is another song that I'm not sure that Julian has played live outside of the 2005 tour. An instrumental from 1992's Peggy Suicide, it fits in well with the heavy rock of this show, but may have been slightly out of place in other sets, and frankly impossible to perform once Julian stopped touring with a full live band.

The next pair of songs - in their studio form, at least - are very long. I don't remember if either or both Feels Like A Crying Shame (from Citizen Cain'd) or s.t.a.r.c.a.r (from Autogeddon, 1994) replicated the 11+ minutes duration in a live setting, but they will at least have slowed the pace down considerably, allowing Julian and the band a breather and a long, groove compared to what had gone before.

From there a couple more kick-ass tunes from Citizen Cain'd, Hell Is Wicked and I Can't Hardly Stand It. The other thing to mention is that Mrs. K and I were also hearing these songs for the first time: I bought Citizen Cain'd, in it's slipcase housing a black shiny 2CD jewel case within, and Rite Now (2002) from the merch stall on the night. 

It's fair to say that the studio versions, and the album's production in general, didn't quite live up to the electrifying, energetic live performances, but I can get past that and enjoy the quality of the songs.

Of course, being the consummate performer that he is, the night ended with a trio of proper "old favourites", Double Vegetation, Spacehopper and Reynard The Fox, which unsurprisingly got the strongest reaction from the crowd. 

I guess that there will have been many that walking away that night, complaining that the show leaned heavily on new stuff and obscure crap at the expense of the greatest hits. Personally, I was thrilled, not least because Julian and the band were on red hot form, but also that this was the first Julian `Cope gig that I went to with Mrs. K, and she enjoyed it too. 

We got to do it all again the following year, when Julian was touring the Dark Orgasm album, then it was nearly a decade and half later before I saw Julian with my friend Stuart for (to the date) the last time in London, 2020.

If you enjoy today's selection, you may be interested to know that in an unusual step, Julian has celebrated 20 years since the release of the Citizen Cain'd album with not one, not two but three separate CDs.

First is a reissue of the album itself as a single CD without losing any of the songs or running time of the original, with brand new artwork and sleeve notes. I'm a Cope obsessive but not a completist, so I've given this one a miss.

Second is a companion album, On The Road To Citizen Cain'd, collected ten songs intended for the album but due to the protracted development, evolution and release, got released elsewhere and didn't make the final cut. Whilst the CD is advertised as all previously released material, albeit long out of print, in fact several of these are different versions or edits so I'm glad I took a punt.

Lastly, is the latest in the Cope's Notes series of CD and booklet, inevitably focussing on Citizen Cain'd. Every single one of the Cope's Notes releases (this is #7) has been an essential purchase and this doesn't disappoint. The booklet contains Julian's reflections on the labour and birth of the album, with photos from the archives, whilst the CD contains nine unreleased songs and two demos of tracks from Citizen Cain'd. 

Truly, the gift that keeps on giving, in respect of music, musings and memories.

 

1) Hanging Out & Hung Up On The Line (Album Version) (1991)

2) Like A Motherfucker (Live @ Lyric Hammersmith, London) (2003)

3) My Pagan Ass: Brain Donor (2003)

4) Gimme Head (2005)

5) Highway To The Sun (1995)

6) Necropolis (1992)

7) Feels Like A Crying Shame (2005)

8) s.t.a.r.c.a.r (Album Version) (1994)

9) Hell Is Wicked (2005)

10) I Can't Hardly Stand It (2005)

11) Double Vegetation (Richard Skinner Session) (1989)

12) Spacehopper (Album Version) (1987)

13) Reynard The Fox (Remixed By Hugo NIcholson) (1992)

Volume 2: 2005 (1:13:44) (KF) (Mega)

Volume 1: 1995 here

Not Just A Drummer

The sad news emerged yesterday that Clem Burke has passed at the age of 70. 

Tributes have unsurprisingly been in great supply, from musicians, critics, fans and of course his bandmates in his career-spanning primary job, who described Clem as "not just a drummer [but] the heartbeat of Blondie". 

Clem's much-lauded work ethic was played out in the number of records he appeared on outside of Blondie, including Bob Dylan, Eurythmics, Wanda Jackson, Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop and Nancy Sinatra. Oh, and Mark Owen from Take That.

I've picked half a dozen of Clem's extracurricular activities from YouTube, a few of which have proper videos. Like 'em or not, they're all better for having Clem playing on them.

1) Run Like A Villain: Iggy Pop (1982)

2) Blue Guitars: Vivabeat (1986)

3) King Of Confusion (Cover of The Go-Go's): The Coolies ft. Kathy Valentine & Clem Burke (2023)

4) Child: Mark Owen (1996)

5) Revenge: Eurythmics (1981)

6) Where Were You: Adult Net (1989)

The motherlode of course is Clem's contribution to (every single one of) Blondie's eleven albums, six between 1976's self-titled debut and 1982's The Hunter, and five more from 1999's No Exit to 2017's Pollinator.

Clem's contribution cannot be understated. Just listen to Heart Of Glass, Denis, Atomic, Rapture. And he was cool, so cool. 

You can find my 45-minute selection of Blondie circa '76-'82 from August 2023 here

In August 1999, I was lucky enough to see Blondie perform live in Long Island, New York on their No Exit tour. I reflected on the gig and recreated the setlist in August 2022, which can be found here

You're laying down a different kind of beat now, Clem, but the echo of your heartbeat will stay with us. Thanks for everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These Simple Things, Time And Time Again

Jo Bartlett has released two new songs in the past fortnight.

These Simple Things appeared on Friday and builds on last year's Ghost Tapes 1 To 9, intertwining guitar and synth lines with a soft vocal over the top delivering a hard message. 

"We don't know what tomorrow brings

The world's fucked up with all these things

I cannot begin to understand."

No prizes for guessing what has been the inspiration, with a further reference to "billionaires [...] stealing from our hands". 

The song is accompanied by a charming, self-produced front room video, Jo performing against a backdrop of photos from childhood, family holidays and previous adventures in her music career. 

Jo first aired an acoustic version of the song on New Year's Day, which you can (hopefully) access on the Book of Faces.

Time And Time Again is an uptempo electronic number, though lyrically speaking ploughs a similar furrough,

"I refuse to be part of your hypocrisy

The strangest thing is it's built on insecurity

You're telling lies

Like you think they're going out of style

But do you ever...smile?"

Again, the target of Jo's ire is clear,

"Another idea you claim for yourself

Is electric cars

And when you've sold our planet's health

You plan to fuck off to Mars"

A blunt message delivered with grace and poise. In the video, Jo is sitting on the sofa in her front room, singing calmly and assertively to camera, the grainy, hazy effects giving it the air of a transmission from the bunker following the collapse of society.

It was the similarity in both song's themes that prompted Jo to release them a fortnight apart on her Indie Through The Looking Glass label. Which is a win-win for listeners.

Quotingf directly from Jo, These Simple Things and Time And Time Again are "both available on Spotify and all the usual digital streaming platforms. They are not on Bandcamp yet, I’m thinking of doing a physical release at some point, I’ll let you know!"

Either way, two welcome additions to Jo's catalogue and 2025 as a whole.

Under Dub Covers

I love reggae and dub and I love cover versions and it's been a while since I've posted either, so I've mashed them up in one (nearly) hour-long selection.

A 15-track compendium, mostly 21st Century, but with a clutch of 1970s classics thrown in for good measure. I couldn't decide between two Nicky Thomas covers so they both went in!

Nicky's in good company: Rhoda Dakar, 15 16 17, Hollie Cook, Brown Sugar, Xan Tyler, Earl 16, Dr. Israel, LSK, Peter Tosh, Suggs, Little Roy, Prince Fatty, Mad Professor and Adrian Sherwood.

Proof of concept, if needed, that every song should have a mandatory reggae version.
 

1) Everyday Is Like Sunday (Cover of Morrissey): Rhoda Dakar (2021)

2) Brain Damage (Cover of Pink Floyd): Easy Star All-Stars ft. Dr. Israel (2003)

3) Lola (Cover of The Kinks): Nicky Thomas (1974)

4) Love Will Tear Us Apart (Single Version) (Cover of Joy Division): Capitol 1212 ft. Earl Sixteen (2020)

5) Space Oddity (Dubmix) (Cover of David Bowie): Adrian Sherwood ft. LSK aka Leigh Kenny (2012) 

6) Here Comes The Sun (Single Version) (Cover of The Beatles): Peter Tosh & The Wailers (1971)

7) Lets Go Crazy (Cover of Prince & The Revolution): Radio Riddler ft. Suggs (2014)

8) Emotion (Album Version By Castro Brown & Dennis Bovell) (Cover of Samantha Sang): 15 16 17 (1978)

9) Lithium (Album Version By Prince Fatty) (Cover of Nirvana): Little Roy (2011)

10) And The Beat Goes On (Dub) (Cover of The Whispers): Prince Fatty & Hollie Cook (2012)

11) Guns Of Brixton (Manasseh Dub 5) (Remix By Nick Raphael) (Cover of The Clash): Dub Spencer & Trance Hill (2020)

12) Lay Lady Lay / In The Midnight Hour (Medley) (Cover of Bob Dylan / Wilson Pickett): Nicky Thomas (1972)

13) Hello Stranger (Cover of Barbara Lewis): Brown Sugar (1977)

14) Be Here To Love Me (Cover of Townes Van Zandt): Xan Tyler & Mad Professor (2021)

15) Master Blaster (Vocal Version) (Cover of Stevie Wonder): Dubby Wonder ft. Eugene Tambourine (2022) 

1971: Here Comes The Sun EP: 6

1972: Tell It Like It Is: 12

1974: Lola EP: 3

1977: Hello Stranger EP: 13

2003: Dub Side Of The Moon: 2

2005: Magic Touch: 8

2011: Battle For Seattle: 9

2012: Prince Fatty Presents Hollie Cook In Dub: 10

2012: Space Oddity EP: 5

2014: Purple Reggae: 7

2020: Guns Of Brixton EP: 11

2020: Love Will Tear Us Apart EP: 4

2021: Clarion Call: 14

2021: Everyday Is Like Sunday EP: 1

2022: Master Blaster EP: 15

Under Dub Covers (58:56) (KF) (Mega)

Why Everybody Needs A Bosom For A Pillow

Side 2 of a mixtape, compiled 14th February 1998. 

 

As I reflected when I posted Side 1 in 2022, this date was either the most unforgettable Valentine's Days ever, or one so traumatic that I've erased it from memory. I was in a relationship at the time, though not the long-suffering Mrs. K, who I hope can at least vouch that Valentine's Days have been a slight improvement on this one.

I was either in an upbeat mood or urgently needed cheering up, if the tracklist of this cassette is anything to go by. Beats, happy keys, lots of energy...I even wrote the word 'funky!' on the DIY front cover!

 

This 10-song selection picks from 1990 to 1994 and is chock full of gems, opening with Freaky Realistic and Subsonic 2, two acts that I loved but never got the attention that they deserved, seemingly due to record label shenanigans and mishandling.

 

The Grid on the other hand hand a monster hit on their hands with Swamp Thing (see what I did there?). It was a thrill to see Dave Ball and Richard Norris on Top Of The Pops, when it was still (just about) worth watching.

 

Fame was fleeting for poor ol' Adamski, sadly. Barely two years after enjoying #1 success, both follow up singles and album failed to make much of an impression, chart-wise. Which is a shame as the PiL-sampling Back To Front was a great single, bolstered by superb remixes by Leftfield. Vocalist Ricky Lyte had also enjoyed Top 5 success thanks to his guest spot (as MC Lyte) with The KLF on What Time Is Love?

 

Peppering their song with a sample announcing that "one spliff a day keeps the evil away" ensured that Fortran 5 were never going to trouble the charts, but Groove takes the already groovy album version down a notch, riding on a infectious bassline. Great stuff.

 

The Shamen, Scritti Politti and Sparks all hook up with remixers du jour, with Tommy D, Apollo 440 and The Rapino Brothers delivering tasty variations.

 

And, to add a little grit to the honey, The Fall's cover of Lost In Music by Sister Sledge, which I was clearly obsessed by in the 1990s, given the number of my mixtapes it appeared on. Admittedly, I still think it's a brilliant version and one that, when it comes crashing through the speakers, I turn up the volume.

1) Something New / Cosmic Love Vibes (Full Frealistic Version): Freaky Realistic (1992)

2) Addicted To Music (Incognito Brass Mix By Jean-Paul Maunick) (Edit): Subsonic 2 (1991)

3) Swamp Thing (Radio Mix): The Grid (1994)

4) Back To Front (Album Version): Adamski ft. Ricky Lyte (1992)

5) Groove (Edit): Fortran 5 ft. Shola Phillips (1991)

6) African And White (The Steve Proctor Remix) (7" Version): China Crisis (1990)

7) Phorever People (D's Mellow Dub) (Remix By Tommy D): The Shamen ft. Jhelisa Anderson (1992)

8) Lost In Music (Single Version) (Cover of Sister Sledge): The Fall (1993)

9) She's A Woman (The Apollo 440 Remix) (Cover of The Beatles): Scritti Politti ft. Shabba Ranks (1991)

10) When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' (The Rapino Brothers Extended Sola Mix): Sparks (1994)

Side Two (46:09) (KF) (Mega)

Side One here

Judas MacDoubt

In response to my April Fools' Day selection on Tuesday, I received a lovely comment from jonder the following day, with an unexpected bonus:

"Yesterday I made my first mashup. 

 Only two decades late for the trend! 

 Was trying to think of people who might appreciate 

the (minimal) effort, 

and your name came to mind as a potential victim."

Now, I love the Jokonky blog by jonder, Koen and Stinky and I love a good mash-up, so what's not to love?

Hella Green (by the wonderfully named Mothra Poodle) takes Hella Good by No Doubt from 2001 and Judas Priest's 1979 cover of Fleetwood Mac's 1970 song The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown), written by Peter Green. 

After giving them a good talking to, they all start playing nicely and getting along, which is music to my ears. 

Great job, jonder!

You can share in the fun by going to https://archive.org/details/hella-green

And, if that has whet your appetite for the originals, say no more.

 

 

 

Fruity Piggybacks

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith's upcoming album, due in August, is called Gush and the title track is the third song to be released with an accompanying video. 

As with the first single, Into Your Eyes, there's an intriguing fruit theme, although it has to be said that the banana and orange in Gush suffer a less ignominious fate.

Another artist that I'm familiar with but poorly represented in my own music collection, I own just four Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith songs currently: two from Mojo magazine freebie CDs released in 2018 and 2020; one from 2022's EarthPercent x Earth Day Compilation Album; a solitary remix of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard from the same year.

In an attempt to redress the balance, I had a dig around Kaitlyn's Bandcamp page and unearthed some more treasures from her back catalogue.

The Neptunes EP came out in November last year, a collaboration with Joe Goddard that also sees them remix each others songs. Kaitlyn's remix of Rapid Fire by Joe featuring Laima closes the EP and is a doozy.

2023's Let's Turn It Into Sound Remixes EP reworks three songs from the previous year's album of the same name, including a beautifully chilled-but- glitchy remix of Check Your Translation by fellow Los Angeles resident Hrishikesh Hirway.

2020 album The Mosaic of Transformation also got the remix EP treatment with a breezy and jaunty run along The Spine Is Quiet In The Center by Fools aka Christopher Bear, also an Angeleno. 

From 2017, a remix of I Will Make Room for You by Four Tet from her album The Kid. It's Kieran Hebden, so it's going to be special and this sits comfortably with anything from his own back catalogue. 

Back to forthcoming album Gush and the second single/video release, What's Between Us, which features some morbidly fascinating choreography, though my back is aching in sympathy just from watching it for four minutes.

Gush is available for pre-order right now. There's no Bandcamp Friday this month, so I have added Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith to my shopping list for May.