Hard To Pin It Down

In late January, temperamental tech put paid to my efforts to create an Edwyn Collins selection. I had to make do with writing about his then-new single Knowledge instead. 

Five months later, here at last is a (lucky) 13-song compilation for your listening pleasure.

I didn't keep a note of the aborted track list but I suspect that this newly created selection bears little resemblance to what I originally had in mind. 

Not least, the release of Edwyn's tenth solo album, Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation, in March and which I've been enjoying ever since. As well as Knowledge, I've also previously posted about The Bridge Hotel, so both of them have made the cut for today's mixtape.

I've also gone back four decades for a couple of singles from the Orange Juice back catalogue, interspersed with album tracks, B-sides and rarities, spanning an incredible and at times inconceivable career in music.

Edwyn's music has been with me since my early teens and the fact that, despite everything, he's come out with another brilliant album in 2025 is a testament to his songwriting prowess and drive to make music.

In response to January's post about the new single and forthcoming album, Mike hoped that Edwyn may also tour in 2025.

"Much as I'd love to think so, I suspect it's unlikely" I replied.

Ahead of the release of Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation, Edwyn announced "The Testimonial Tour: A Last Lap Around The UK". I will be cheering him on at Komedia in Bath on 30th September. 

In the meantime, that noise you can hear is the sound of me eating my hat.

Bless you, Edwyn!

1) The Popstar: Edwyn Collins (2002)

2) The Magic Piper (Of Love) (Edit): Edwyn Collins (1997)

3) Two Hearts Together (Single Version): Orange Juice (1982)

4) The Bridge Hotel: Edwyn Collins (2025)

5) Graciously: Edwyn Collins (1990)

6) For The Rest Of My Life: Edwyn Collins (1997)

7) Come Tomorrow, Come Today: Edwyn Collins ft. Johnny Marr (2010)

8) Ghost Of A Chance: Edwyn Collins (1989)

9) Simply Thrilled Honey (Single Version): Orange Juice (1980)

10) You've Grown A Beard: Edwyn Collins (1996)

11) Knowledge: Edwyn Collins (2025)

12) Queer Fish: Edwyn Collins (1987)

13) In A Nutshell: Edwyn Collins ft. Bernard Butler (1995)

1980: Simply Thrilled Honey EP: 9

1982: Two Hearts Together EP: 3

1987: Don't Shilly Shally EP: 12

1989: Hope And Despair: 8

1990: Hellbent On Compromise: 5

1995: Volume Thirteen: 13

1996: Keep On Burning EP: 10

1997: I'm Not Following You: 6

2002: A Casual Introduction 1981-2001: 2

2002: Johnny Teardrop EP: 1

2010: Losing Sleep: 7

2025: Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation: 4, 11

Hard To Pin It Down (47:43) (Mega)

Explode Into Your Life Like A Tissue In A Washing Machine

2025 has been a good (albeit expensive) year so far, with some quality album releases before we're even halfway through.

I've compiled a 45-minute selection of a dozen artists that have been floating my boat. 

Enjoy!

Then buy!

1) The Swimmer: The Cowboy Mouth (Faultlines)

2) It Takes A Whole Lot Of Soul To Fill A Cup: Davey Woodward (Mumbo In The Jumbo)

3) All The Smartest People: Louise Connell (Clients Of Suddenness)

4) Music Concrete: Andy Bell (Pinball Wanderer)

5) The Mountains Are My Home: Edwyn Collins (Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation)

6) Another Fucked Up Druggy On The Scene: Gareth Sager (Play Yr Heart Out / Oh No, No Plan B)

7) My Devotion: Sparks (MAD!)

8) Sad Chord: Ellen Beth Abdi (Ellen Beth Abdi)

9) The Same Thing As Nothing At All: Destroyer (Dan's Boogie)

10) Good On The Inside: Mumble Tide (Might As Well Play Another One)

11) Dear Stephen: Manic Street Preachers (Critical Thinking)

12) Cinema Of Broken Dreams: Armory Show (Dead Souls)

Explode Into Your Life Like A Tissue In A Washing Machine (45:58) (KF) (Mega)

You're Welcome Here

A dip into my shopping bag from last week's Bandcamp Friday bonanza, a mix of new releases and 'catch up' purchases.

Heavy Heavy was the first album by Young Fathers that I bought, and I really liked it. I also got to see them perform live (kind of) when they joined Massive Attack on stage for three songs at last year's ACT 1.5 concert in Bristol.

Second album White Men Are Black Men Too has been made available as Name Your Price, so it was straight in the bag on Friday. Get Started is the closing song.

Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation, the 10th album - and first in six years - by Edwyn Collins, was out in March. I enjoyed the singles that preceded it, but this is also a primer for seeing Edwyn live in concert for the first - and last - time in September.

The Bridge Hotel appears two thirds of the way through, a wonderful paean to the real-life guest house in Helmsdale.

For one day only, most of Ibibio Sound Machine's digital catalogue was available as Name Your Price, which was an opportunity for me to plug the gaps in my collection, including the second studio album, Uyai.

I previously had the excellent Richard Norris remixes of side one closer Joy (Idaresit), and the album version is a welcome addition to my collection.

I've been a fan of Los Angeles-based Black Market, with their dub reimagining of iconic artists and music. In my bag this time were EPs by The Clash and Talking Heads and, going back to my entry point, the Thin White Dub EP. 

Posing the question, "What if David Bowie spent the summer of 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica with King Tubby instead of Philadelphia?", the EP recreates four songs: Young Americans, Modern Love, Station To Station and TVC15. 

The attention to detail is impeccable and the dub-infused versions are completely believable.

Another delightful discovery, also hailing from Scotland and released in March, is Things Found In Books by Yvonne Lyon and Boo Hewerdine. 

I'll admit that I was very familiar with Boo, having been a fan of his music since first hearing Graceland and Mahalia by The Bible nearly 40 years ago, but I knew next to nothing about Yvonne. 

It's a brisk album - 15 songs in 36 minutes - but does exactly what it set out to do. Vocally, Yvonne and Boo are a great pairing, with delicate acoustic chords and wistful horn elements providing an effective backdrop to their vignettes of imagined lives.

Decadance III: 1995

Side 2 of a time-travel mixtape, crashing in at 1995.

This series is whizzing by, more than half way through already and exactly 30 years ago. My brain cannot compute, so much of this music still feels 'recent' to me!

Very little evidence in this selection of Britpop, Trip Hop or Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop, although I think Scatman John was the sole proponent of the latter, anyway. 

However, in 1995 everything was big: the beats, the brass, the strings, the voices. And so were the hits: all but one of the songs in today's selection made the Top 30, four the Top 10, though the #1 position proved elusive for all.

Pulp nearly made it, with Common People getting all the way to #2, held off the top spot by effing Robson and effing Jerome, whose risible cover of Unchained Melody floated at the top like a turd in a toilet bowl for a mind-boggling seven weeks.

Several artists from Decade, my previous series of 80s mixtapes, make a welcome reappearance here: Marc Almond, Julian Cope and, perhaps the most surprising, Edwyn Collins. 

A Girl Like You was first released in December 1994 and didn't make much of a dent in the UK charts, but there was a groundswell of interest in Europe, leading to re-release here in June 1995. A month later and it was at #4. It also boosted the accompanying album Gorgeous George to #8 in July 1995, twelve months after it came out.

Leftfield had been tied up in contractual hell with their former label, which meant that they could little more than remix other artists for several years. Finally free to release their own material, their monumental debut album Leftism crashed in at #3 in February 1995. 

Leftism contained a version of Open Up, their 1993 comeback single with John Lydon, and collaborations with Djum Djum and Lemn Sissay. Leftfield's first single of 1995 was another collaboration, this time time with Toni Halliday of Curve on the sublime Original. Thirty years on, both it and the album sound as fresh and exciting as they did back then.

Another single by The Sabres Of Paradise for the MAW selection. Andrew Weatherall, Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns had previously remixed Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons music as The Dust Brothers. When the original Dust Brothers required Tom and Ed to cease and desist nicking their name, The Chemical Brothers were born.  

 

The Sabres Of Paradise remixed their debut single Leave Home, itself a Top 20 hit in June 1995. The previous month, the favour was (p)repaid when The Chemical Brothers refashioned Tow Truck, one of several tracks from Haunted Dancehall reworked for the Versus EP. When I say 'refashioned', it's basically a Chemical Brothers track, but the original Sabres components shine through.

 

Describing Fluke's beats as big and bouncy sounds smuttier than it's supposed to, but that's what always springs to mind when I think of their music. Ironically, The Dust Brothers (the original, that is, not Tom & Ed's knock off) remixed today's featured single Bullet, though nothing tops Fluke's own versions. In a box somewhere in the loft, I have Fluke promo plastic bag, which itself ripped off the Tesco carriers of the time. Never used it.

 

Thirty years before he released possibly the best album of 2025 with Hifi Sean, David McAlmont launched another wildly creative and successful partnership, with Bernard Butler. Yes was the perfect introduction, all Wall-of-Sound meets Sylvester meets Suede and a deserved Top 10 smash. 

 

Bernard of course used to be in Suede with Brett Anderson, who co-founded the band with Justine Frischmann, who went on to form Elastica. You'd almost believe I wasn't winging it and had some kind of plan, wouldn't you? 

Elastica were brilliant, even if they did have a habit of getting old rockers riled up and litigious over their songs. Waking Up is a case in point: who cares if it's reminiscent of No More Heroes by The Stranglers? Well, The Stranglers did obviously.

 

The music press were already getting into a lather about Radiohead, though The Bends was the album that hooked me in. There were tons of singles from the album, though admittedly it so full of great songs, that it was difficult to argue that none of them were worthy picks. It all started off with a double A-single of High And Dry and Planet Telex, the latter's abrasive squall offset by the former's soft-yet-brittle side. 

There was very nearly two helpings of Tracey Thorn. Reluctantly, Massive Attack's Protection had to go, justified by the fact that they appeared in the 1994 selection. Of the two picks, in the end it just had to be the Todd Terry remix of Missing by Everything But The Girl. 

I loved the original and the remixes that accompanied the single's original release in 1994. Todd Terry gave the song a whole new lease of life - and audience - when his remix rocketed Missing to #3 in the UK in November 1995. And with that, the confidence for Everything But The Girl to take a divergent musical path that led to a run of great albums in subsequent years.

 

Given the three decade anniversary, I was keen to include something from the UK Top 40 as at 16th February 1995. But jeez, the record buying public didn't half make it difficult.

 

Celine Dion and Annie Lennox at #1 and #2 respectively. Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex and cover of Total Eclipse Of The Heart (I mean, why?) by Nicki French in the Top 10. A few places down, Jimmy Nail and Sting both with songs about cowboys (though at least Jimmy's was written by Paddy McAloon). It's not until #20 that the first half decent song appears, with Mansize Rooster by Supergrass. 

Thankfully, a new entry that week at #38 saved the day. Down By The Water by Polly Jean Harvey was the first single from third album To Bring You My Love and ends this 1995 mixtape on a suitably sinister note.

 

It's no spoiler to say that next weekend will look at 1996 and 1997. Life-changing in so many ways...but was the music any good?

 

Well, if I mention Spice Girls, Babylon Zoo, Gina G, Elton John, Aqua and Teletubbies, you'll no doubt be thrilled to know that none of them will be appearing here!

 

1) Original (Radio Edit): Leftfield ft. Toni Halliday

2) Tow Truck (Chemical Brothers Mix): The Sabres Of Paradise

3) Bullet (Bitten 7"): Fluke

4) Adored And Explored (7" Edit By The Beatmasters): Marc Almond

5) Waking Up (Album Version): Elastica

6) Yes (Edit): McAlmont & Butler

7) High And Dry (Album Version): Radiohead

8) Missing (Todd Terry Club Mix) (Blanco/Eternal Radio Edit): Everything But The Girl

9) Common People (7" Edit): Pulp

10) Try, Try, Try (Album Version): Julian Cope

11) A Girl Like You (Album Version): Edwyn Collins

12) Down By The Water (Album Version): PJ Harvey

12th February 1995: To Bring You My Love (#38): 12

19th February 1995: Elastica (#13): 5

5th March 1995: The Bends (#17): 7

19th March 1995: Original EP (#18): 1

7th May 1995: Fantastic Star (#25): 4

7th May 1995: Versus EP (#77): 2

28th May 1995: Common People EP (#2): 9

28th May 1995: Yes EP (#8): 6

16th July 1995: Gorgeous George (#4): 11

23rd July 1995: Bullet EP (#23): 3

6th August 1995: 20 Mothers (#24): 10

19th November 1995: Missing EP (#3): 8

Side Two (46:11) (KF) (Mega) 

So Hard To Let My Old Self Go

I had planned an Edwyn Collins selection but my tech has been on a go slow - perhaps mirroring my physical and mental state after a taxing week at work (still not over) - so I've unfortunately had to park that for now and focus solely on Edwyn's new single, Knowledge.

As above, I've been slow to post about this: Charity Chic was on the case last weekend and I have to echo his sentiment in describing a new release by Edwyn as being "good news for the New Year".

Narratively speaking, Knowledge could be read as an autobiographical piece, Edwyn seemingly looking back at his life with a sense of loss for what once was,

"The more I know of this old world,

I don't feel safe,

I don't have faith"

But of course, being Edwyn, optimism and determination shine through,

"In my youth, I was shy and awkward,

Anyhow, I made it count.

That's the point,

Keep on going,

It's the same for everyone."

The video shows Edwyn in his beautiful home turf of Helmsdale in Scotland, with the latter part of the song cutting to clips of younger Edwyn performing with Orange Juice and solo as he sings "so hard to let my old self go".

This is not a regretful song: the key line in the chorus - "Knowledge is a friend of mine" - gives hope that whilst we may lose things along the way, we may gain in other respects, be it faith, wisdom or that life simply goes on.

Musically, it's classic Collins: melody, rise to chorus, joyous brass; I cannot listen to Knowledge without feeling uplifted. Edwyn's talent as a tunesmith is undiminished.

Edwyn's new album, Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation (his 10th!), is out on 14th March. It's not yet available for pre-order via Bandcamp, but you can get the physical formats (and so much more) via his website.

Not Quite Noughtie Enough

I'm going to spend a large chunk of this post talking about someone else's blog and posts, but bear with me, there's a brand new Dubhed selection waiting for you at the end.

SWC at the ever-excellent No Badger Required has just concluded The Noughty Forty, a countdown of the greatest albums of the 2000s. All voted for by a Musical Jury, assembled from music blog creators and commenters from around the globe. 

 

NBR is an essential read anyway, not a single one feeling like it's been dashed off in the seconds that the idea itself is forming (yes, I'm looking at myself here). There's something even more impressive about series like this though, not least the sheer amount of effort that goes into planning, coordinating and curating the posts. And of course it sparks debate, anticipation and - let's be honest - a degree of feverish excitement as it reaches the Top Ten. 

I was privileged once again to be a Musical Jury Member for this series. SWC assigns aliases to all and I won't reveal mine here, though my arch or overly earnest comments may be a giveaway. 

I was pleased with the #1 choice, an artist and album I voted for though not my top scorer (which made the Top 10, but not the Top 5). Back in the summer, when this was just a plan taking shape in SWC's mind, he invited potential Musical Jury Members to submit their own nominations. 

Over 300 nominations were submitted. Of these, SWC presented us with a longlist of 74, from which to pick our Top 20. After totting up the scores, The Noughty Forty was finalised, with a few surprises and an eleventh hour vote tipping the balance between the top two.

SWC not only delivered The Noughty Forty, but preceded it with ten of Not Quite The Greatest Albums Of The 00s, also sharing the albums that made #41 & #42 in the final list. The series was then bookended with four Honorable Mentions, meaning that NBR readers were treated to 56 albums in total. 

 

I won't spoil things by posting the various lists here. If you haven't already followed the countdown on No Badger Required, go and check it out. You'll get to experience some great music, some controversial voting decisions and best of all, some top notch writing that brings the whole thing to life. 

No Badger Required is 3 years old this month and November will see another series, this time focusing on the number 3. Not in the way that you might expect, of course, but naturally it's going to be required reading for the next 30 days. SWC sets the bar high, so much so that I'm on the Dubhed ladder, head tilted as far back as it will go, straining to see the bar up above me. 

A constant inspiration and pace setter. Here's to you, SWC, and many more years of NBR to come.

So... what of today's selection?

Well, back at the beginning, when I was invited to submit nominations for the best albums of the 2000s, I applied some rules of my own. The most obvious one being that I had to own the albums, either physically or digitally, in their entirety. 

 

This - and the subsequent Noughty Forty - immediately highlighted how many contenders where I had a few songs, but not the entire album. Examples being The Streets, Radiohead, The Strokes and Grandaddy.

The other dawning realisation when following the final run down was how many albums from the 2000s I'd never even heard in full at all. Arctic Monkeys, Art Brut, The Horrors, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Long Blondes. I'm working on it now.

The other rule which I mostly followed was to exclude nominations for an album which I thought would receive multiple votes from the MJMs and would therefore be a shoo in for the longlist, if not the final 40. Therefore, I left out LCD Soundsystem, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, Franz Ferdinand and The White Stripes, to name a few. 

Not that my 20 nominations were by any means albums that I didn't consider to be anything other than essential listens. Or, so obscure that mine would be the only nomination. I mean, White Bread Black Beer by Scritti Politti had to be Top 30, if not higher, surely?

Of my 20 suggestions, 1 made the Not Quite The Greatest Albums Of The 00s list, 1 featured in the Honorable Mentions and 1 in The Noughty Forty...the Top 30 in fact, though it's no spoiler to say that it wasn't Scritti Poliiti.

So, 17 of my 20 nominations didn't get even a whiff of fame. One other artist did make the lower reaches of the countdown, though not with the album that I nominated!

However, all of this of course inspired today's selection. Without fear or favour, I've randomly selected 12 to create a snappy compilation to entertain for the next three quarters of an hour. 

 

Hopefully, a few of them will provoke an "Oh, yeah!" response. Others may be unfamiliar, but inspire a search to check out the rest of the album, which will undoubtedly be worth your time and effort.

It's an eclectic mix, as always. Back in 2000, it was hard to imagine that it would be 2024 before The The's next full band, non-soundtrack album would appear. Sadly, we're still waiting for Green Gartside's follow up to White Bread Black Beer, and each year hope diminishes. A couple of artists - Mark Linkous and Mark Lanegan - have passed on, leaving us with a rich musical legacy, these collaborative albums included.

Mark Lanegan's association with electronic artists Soulsavers was perhaps no surprise, given his voracious appetite for working with others across multiple musical genres. What was unexpected was N.A.S.A.'s 2009 album The Spirit Of Apollo, not least from it's dizzying spread of guest artists, but that their number included Tom Waits, here 'duetting' with rapper Kool Keith.

There are a few albums that didn't make my nominations list, partly because I thought that no-one else would submit them, partly because I will deliver on my promise to SWC a seeming eternity ago to submit a Nearly Perfect Albums guest post for his consideration. I need to get on with it!

In the meantime, enjoy this companion piece/celebration of an inspirational blog, as it's likely back to the usual nonsense on Saturday.

 

1) The Whisperers: The The (2000)

2) Paris Is Burning: Ladyhawke (2008)

3) Superstylin': Groove Armada (2001)

4) It's A Funny Thing: Edwyn Collins (2002)

5) Road To No Regret: Scritti Politti (2006)

6) Pain: Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse ft. Iggy Pop (2009)

7) Ghosts Of You And Me: Soulsavers ft. Mark Lanegan (2007)

8) The Moss: Daníel Ágúst (2005)

9) Something Inside Of Me: The Coral (2005)

10) Huddle Formation: The Go! Team (2004)

11) Young Bride: Midlake (2006)

12) Spacious Thoughts: N.A.S.A. ft. Tom Waits & Kool Keith (2009)

2000: Naked Self: 1

2001: Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub): 3

2002: Doctor Syntax: 4

2004: Thunder, Lightning, Strike: 10

2005: Swallowed A Star: 8

2005: The Invisible Invasion: 9 

2006: The Trials Of Van Occupanther: 11

2006: White Bread Black Beer: 5 

2007: It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land: 7

2008: Ladyhawke: 2

2009: Dark Night Of The Soul: 6

2009: The Spirit Of Apollo: 12

Not Quite Noughtie Enough (46:09) (KF) (Mega)

What You Already Know

Forty five minutes of Bernard Butler and friends to usher in the weekend.  

 

Bernard's playing at the Bristol Beacon tonight (8th) and there were about 30 tickets left when I looked, if you're quick. I won't be there but I have had the pleasure of seeing a couple of his gigs in the past, neither with Suede and neither performing his solo material.

It was a surprise (well, to me at least) that after a couple of albums on Creation at the end of the last century, Bernard's third solo album Good Grief arrived 25 years later, on 31st May. You can buy it here.

 

I've only heard/seen the single Living The Dream so far, but it's very good and immediately transports me back to the sounds of those previous albums, People Move On (1998) and Friends And Lovers (1999). 

 

Living The Dream is an apt title, as Bernard's been far from idle between solo albums, as a collaborator and a producer. But, it's good to see him step back up to the microphone and share new songs. Anyone who has - or will - catch Bernard on tour is undoubtedly in for a treat.

So, for this 10-song selection, I've intentionally avoided any songs by McAlmont & Butler; his partnership with David McAlmont deserves a selection in it's own right. 

 

And whilst I've plucked three songs from the album that Bernard recorded with Catherine Anne Davies aka The Anchoress, there's nothing from his more recent album with Jesse Buckley. A very straightforward reason for this: I own the former but not the latter.

I also couldn't resist featuring two of the three tracks from the EP that Bernard released with Edwyn Collins in 2001. I mean, why not?

Not an obvious choice to fire up the weekend, perhaps: some quite downtempo, reflective, 70s West Coast America (albeit in the shade) moments; hang on to the end though and you'll get the customary Butler guitar wig out to reward your patience.

And I've also been impressed by Bernard's barnet. Those locks are immaculate.

 

1) My Domain: Bernard Butler (1998)

2) You Light The Fire: Bernard Butler (1998)

3) In Memory Of My Feelings: Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

4) Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart: Bernard Butler (1999)

5) Live To Tell (Cover of Madonna): Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

6) Can't Do That (The Hoover): Bernard & Edwyn (2001)

7) Smile: Bernard Butler (1999)

8) Message For Jojo (Single Version): Bernard & Edwyn (2001)

9) The Breakdown: Catherine Anne Davies & Bernard Butler (2020)

10) Autograph: Bernard Butler (1998)

 

1998: A Change Of Heart EP: 1

1998: People Move On: 2, 10

1999: Friends And Lovers: 4, 7

2001: Message For Jojo EP: 6, 8

2020: In Memory Of My Feelings: 3, 5, 9  

 

What You Already Know (44:45) (KF) (Mega) 

 

 

Note: Today's cover star is Glenn Ford, in a scene from 1966 film Rage, directed by Gilberto Gazcón. Ford plays an alcoholic, widowed GP who has wound up in a small Mexican town. 

 

He's looking super sweaty and flushed because his character's just been bitten by a dog and rabies is beginning to kick in. Ably assisted by Stella Stevens, the film focuses on Ford's efforts to get medical help before it's too late. Oh, the irony.

 

Absolutely nothing to do with Bernard Butler, but I watched it the other night and was struck by this image and the lighting. 

Phil Good Times

Happy birthday Phil Thornalley, born 5th January 1960.

 

Phil's had an interesting career, to say the least. He started out as a recording engineer aged 18, working with the likes of Steve Lillywhite, Alex Sadkin and Mickie Most. In 1982, Phil produced Pornography, the fourth album by The Cure, subsequently joining the band when Simon Gallup left (the first time). That's Phil's double bass on The Love Cats.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Phil joined Johnny Hates Jazz as lead singer following the departure of founding member Clark Datchler. Oh, and he also co-wrote a song called Torn which became a rather big hit when covered by Natalie Imbruglia in 1997.

I'll confess that I haven't followed Phil's career into the 21st Century, but a a flick through my music collection highlights how many beloved artists he has produced, co-produced, remixed or performed with. This then is a 12-song selection that put a big grin on my face and got me turning up that dial.

Have a good one, Phil!

1) Here Come The Good Times (Album Version By Phil Thornalley): A House (1994)

2) The Yearning Loins (Single Version By Phil Thornalley): Prefab Sprout (1984)

3) Mr. Pink Eyes (Single Version By Phil Thornalley, Chris Parry & The Cure): The Cure (1983)

4) The Greatness And Perfection Of Love (Remixed Version By Stephen Lovell, Phil Thornalley & Stephen Lipson): Julian Cope (1984)

5) Who Knows What Love Is? (Album Version By Phil Thornalley): Strawberry Switchblade (1985)

6) Mack The Knife (Single Version By Phil Thornalley & The Psychedelic Furs) (Cover of Gerald Price): The Psychedelic Furs (1981)

7) Bitter Heart (Extended Mix By Phil Thornalley): Seona Dancing (1983)

8) What Presence?! (Extended Version By Phil Thornalley & Orange Juice): Orange Juice (1984)

9) Girl From Mars (Single Version By Owen Morris & Phil Thornalley): Ash (1995)

10) Kindred Spirit (Re-Recorded Version By Phil Thornalley & Tom Dokoupil): Edwyn Collins (1989)

11) Songs Of Love (Phil Thornalley Remix): The Divine Comedy (1999)

12) C'est La Vie (Single Version By Alex Sadkin & Phil Thornalley): Robbie Nevil (1986)

Phil Good Times (46:09) (Box) (Mega)

Sometimes You Get Nowhere

Half a dozen cover versions in a little under half an hour. The springboard for this (again) was the Love Is.... guest mix posted last week on The Vinyl Villain. The gift that keeps on giving and another excuse to plug Jez's own music blog, A History Of Dubious Taste.

The mix included Little Boots' cover of Love Kills (originally by Freddie Mercury), which appeared on the gargantuan 89-track compilation Buffetlibre DJ's Rewind Mixtape 2 back in 2009. And no, I don't have the complete album. 

 

Originally available as an MP3-only download via the Buffetlibre website, it's long since gone but a trawl around the internet should unearth a good selection of the track list. It's pretty much 1980s songs covered or remixed and I've plumped for an unexpectedly delicate cover of Whitesnake's hairsprayed middle-aged pomp rock hit. 

 

This selection opens with a song that Roger Waters wrote for Pink Floyd in 1969, but never recorded. Crystal Kerr sings and plays piano, Ken Langford provides guitar and backing vocals and that's about as much as I know about either of them. Beautiful song, though.

 

Likewise, I'm pretty unfamiliar with Richard Walters, although Discogs tells me he's recorded more recently as LYR, a three-piece including current Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. Faultline aka David Kosten was already on my radar, after picking up 2002 album Your Love Means Everything in a Bristol record shop bargain bin and being pleasantly surprised, despite the inclusion of Chris Martin from Coldplay. I like this version of the David Bowie classic. 

The closing half of the selection takes in songs by Lou Reed, Nick Cave and, in a last ditch attempt to swerve away from an exclusively male singer/songwriter focus, the wonderful Martina Topley-Bird. The latter, courtesy of Neneh Cherry & The Thing, bucks the gentle themes of the preceding songs with a raucous, jazzy vibe, with Cherry sounding like she's punching her way out of a cardboard box. I love the original, but this version takes it in an interesting and different direction.

 

I did initially think about carrying on, as I'd sidetracked into listening to several potential inclusions by Micah P. Hinson, but that's a selection for another day. and this is as good a point as any to hop off. Happy Wednesday!

1) Seabirds (Cover of Roger Waters): Kerr & Langford (1991)

2) Here I Go Again (Cover of Whitesnake): The Botticellis (2009)

3) Be My Wife (Cover of David Bowie): Richard Walters & Faultline (2008) 

4) Pale Blue Eyes (12" Version) (Cover of The Velvet Underground): Paul Quinn & Edwyn Collins (1984)

5) Breathless (Cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds): Cat Power (2008)

6) Too Tough To Die (Cover of Martina Topley-Bird): Neneh Cherry & The Thing (2012)

1984: Pale Blue Eyes EP / Punk Rock Hotel OST: 4

1991: Moving Soundtracks: 1

2008: Jukebox: 5

2008: Life Beyond Mars: Bowie Covered: 3

2009: Buffetlibre DJ's Rewind Mixtape 2: 2

2012: Neneh Cherry & The Thing: 6

 

Sometimes You Get Nowhere (25:03)

From Conception To The Grave

Today's selection is a nod to the genre-hopping genius that is Dubmaster Dennis Bovell MBE. Lovers Rock, Dub, Post-Punk, Pop, Reggae, Poetry all threaded together by a singular talent.

 

Aside from his legendary work with Janet Kay, The Slits and The Pop Group, Dennis Bovell has been synonymous with Linton Kwesi Johnson's musical career. Another frequent collaborator has been Edwyn Collins, from Orange Juice to Collins solo, and taking in a shared guest spot on Trevor Jackson's Playgroup project along the way. 

 

In the summer, Dennis Bovell released a cover of What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. He has also recently dubbed up The Pop Group's 1979 debut album. Y In Dub is available via Bandcamp and various other outlets on 29th October.
 

1) Surrey With The Fringe On Top (Ska Be Doo Za): Black Beard (1978)

2) You'll Never Know (Dub) (Remix By Dennis Bovell): Edwyn Collins (2007)

3) Reality Poem (Album Version By Linton Kwesi Johnson & Dennis Bovell): Linton Kwesi Johnson (1979)

4) Feel No Way (Album Version By Dennis Bovell): Janet Kay (1980)

5) Forces Of Oppression (Edit By Dennis Bovell): The Pop Group (1980) 

6) Swanky Modes (Dennis Bovell DubMix): JARV IS... (2021)

7) 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Album Version By Trevor Jackson & Mark 'Spike' Stent) (Cover of Paul Simon): Playgroup ft. Shinehead, Dennis Bovell & Edwyn Collins (2001)

8) Make Believe (Let's Pretend) (Special Extended Version By Dennis Bovell): Thompson Twins (1981)

9) Clichéd Dub Slave: Adrian Sherwood ft. Dennis Bovell (2007)

10) Flesh Of My Flesh (Long Version By Dennis Bovell): Orange Juice (1983)

11) Empire Road: Matumbi (1978)

12) Tell Tale Signs (Extended Version By Dennis Bovell): Bananarama (1983)

13) Dub Her In (Version By Dennis Bovell): Steve Mason (2011)

14) Love Und Romance (Album Version By Dennis Bovell): The Slits (1979)

15) Africa (Is Our Land) (12" Mix By Dennis Bovell): Joshua Moses (1978)

16) Silly Dub: Dennis Bovell ft. Janet Kay (1993)

From Conception To The Grave (1:03:41) (GD) (M)

Second Intermission

Today's post spotlights the songwriting genius of Robert Forster & Grant McLennan, specifically their solo ventures between 1990 and 1997. This was collected in 2007 as a 2CD set called Intermission, which I reviewed on my old blog in a regular series called Jukebox Juicebox. This review was originally posted Sunday 26th August 2007. You might need a hot drink and a packet of biscuits, it's a long one...

 

In the wake of Grant McLennan’s untimely death last year, a reappraisal of his solo career (and that of fellow Go-Between co-founder Robert Forster) is long overdue. A single CD and thirteen tracks apiece seems rather miserly, particularly given McLennan’s prodigious solo output. And ignore the ‘best of’ sub-title - listen to these compilations as primers rather than comprehensive overviews. It’s immediately apparent how effortlessly the songs complement one another: you can shuffle the tracklistings or even compile your own pseudo-Go-Betweens album from these songs; the end results will still sound perfect. 

 

A lazy shorthand summary of the music on Intermission could describe Robert Forster’s CD as earnest and intelligent (alt.) country, McLennan’s as simple, acoustic-led folk tales and love songs. The country and western references in the Forster’s songs are easy to spot: liberal use of slide guitar, pedal steel and violin; lyrics that dwell on past relationships and rekindling the fires of lost love; even a C&W cover version in Frisco Depot. Yet, Forster’s songs have always opted for complexity over simplicity and this is obvious after just a single listen. Danger In The Past, the title track from his 1990 debut solo album, is a prime example. The narrator’s account of being drawn back into the life of a friend who has recently been hospitalised (sectioned?) is hauntingly beautiful. The repetition of the title throughout the song emphasises the poignancy of the verses, notably the choice line “…I took your hand and I told you never show your problems in a country town.” I’m reminded of The Modern Lovers’ Hospital and I think it’s fair to draw parallels between Jonathan Richman and Robert Forster. 

 

On a different note, Danger In The Past (both the song and album) was produced by Mick Harvey, whose contributions on piano add a melancholy that underpins Forster’s searching lyrics. Forster’s final solo album included here, 1996’s Warm Nights, similarly benefits from an influential producer and guest musician, Edwyn Collins. In keeping with the album’s title, Collins brings a warmth to the three songs included on Intermission, his distinctive guitar enabling high point Cryin’ Love to rock out in an early 1970s style. 

 

I feel compelled to offer some criticism and it is that the album is topped and tailed by Falling Star. Despite being a great song, two versions are not required, especially given the limited selection of tracks on offer. Personally, I would have ditched Mick Harvey’s original version from 1990, as the version on 1992’s Calling From A Country Phone benefits from a superior, more spacious re-recorded take. It also seems somewhat out of place to add a cover version though, given that 1994’s I Had A New York Girlfriend featured nothing but covers, inescapable. I’m not heard Mickey Newbury’s 1971 original of Frisco Depot or, for that matter, Waylon Jennings or Scott Walker’s versions from 1972 and 1973 respectively. It’s impossible to guess whether Forster’s languid take observes or ignores any of these though, to a certain extent, it’s a moot point as in my opinion it’s the compilation’s only slight dip in quality.

Unlike Forster’s ‘mix and match’ approach, Grant McLennan’s CD2 follows a strict chronological progression through his four solo albums. Things get off to cracking start with 1991’s Haven’t I Been A Fool and Easy Come Easy Go, their immediacy and accessibility begging the question why both weren’t mainstream radio smashes and blasting out of car windows everywhere that summer. Black Mule, the final selection from debut solo album Watershed and recently featured on last year’s stunning Go-Betweens live DVD/CD That Striped Sunlight Sound, is a great example of McLennan’s lyrical skill. Evoking Australia’s past in the song’s main tale of a prospector, McLennan switches in the final verse to a man “walking down a Beirut Street” who is blown up by a car bomb. This juxtaposition of observations that “life can be cruel” should jar, but somehow works. 

 

The similarly wonderful Hot Water, a violin-led ballad, opens with the line “I read about your death in the paper when I was buying tomato seed”. The narrator reflects on a past spent “carrying our flowers to the barricades watching them cops kick down the door” whilst living in a present “seeing my payin’ horses foam” under a “big old sun”. It’s a moving song, McLennan’s economy of lyric and melody understating the true depth of his writing. The closing trio of songs from 1997’s final solo album In Your Bright Ray demonstrate that whilst McLennan’s songs had not evolved in the way that Forster’s arguably had, his basic template had been refined and near as dammit perfected. This is evident in the closing title track, which could just as easily sit on The Go-Betweens’ 2000 comeback album The Friends Of Rachel Worth. 

 

And that in essence is why entitling this compilation Intermission is so appropriate. Robert Forster and Grant McLennan’s solo ventures provided an opportunity for the artists with room to breathe outside of The Go-Betweens, to develop and hone their formidable songwriting skills; in retrospect, their reunion seemed inevitable. Another good title for this compilation would be Chrysalis, but Intermission really says it all; the fact that it was chosen by Grant McLennan makes it even more apt. Whether you are familiar with The Go-Betweens or not, you really do need to check out this beautifully packaged compilation. And, once you’ve fallen in love with it – and believe me, you will – then the desire to explore the rest of Robert Forster and Grant McLennan’s back catalogue will be a natural next step.

 

Postcript, 25th September 2021

I am a huge fan of The Go-Betweens but I still feel that I've not spent as much time with this solo period as I could have. I've followed the advice of my 2007 review and compiled my own pseudo-Go-Betweens album from these songs, mirroring the band's typical approach of 5 songs apiece, alternating between the two songwriters. What's immediately evident is that this is not The Go-Betweens, but I think I hit on something by suggesting the alternative title of Chrysalis: although it was never a foregone conclusion, this compilation is a snapshot of two artists finding their own paths, which ultimately converged further down the line to a new path as The Go-Betweens. In another bit of unintended but lovely synchronicity, both sides of this compilation ended up being (almost) exactly the same duration. Beautiful.

Side One (20:54)

1) The Dark Side Of Town: Grant McLennan (1992)

2) 121: Robert Forster (1993)

3) In Your Bright Ray: Grant McLennan (1997)

4) Baby Stones: Robert Forster (1990)

5) Black Mule: Grant McLennan (1991)

 

Side Two (20:55)

1) I've Been Looking For Somebody: Robert Forster (1990)

2) One Plus One: Grant McLennan (1997)

3) Falling Star (Album Version): By Robert Forster (1993)

4) Horsebreaker Star: Grant McLennan (1994)

5) Cryin' Love: Robert Forster (1996)

 

Side One (20:54) (KF) (Mega)

Side Two (20:55) (KF) (Mega)