Return To The Acoustic Tent

This time last year in the post-Glastonbury comedown, I posted a 45-minute acoustic selection. Never one to claim any original thought whatsoever, here I am again with another 13-song selection for 2023.

None of the artists here featured in last year's selection and whilst some of the artists' acoustic turns may not be a surprise - I'm thinking particularly of Turin Brakes and The Pictish Trail - there are some playing against type, namely Dua Lipa*, Seal, Moby and A Man Called Adam.

Terry Hall sounds great in any musical setting, of course, but I think the version of Ballad Of A Landlord is an especially fine showcase for his wonderful voice and songwriting. His absence is still keenly felt.

 

Compared to 2022, I've been very slack in my Glastonbury viewing: so far, only Billy Nomates, Fever Ray, Los Bitchos and Working Men's Club; all excellent, but lots to catch up with before the BBC iPlayer axe falls. Then again, if the sun's shining... 

 

* You might guess from the song title acronym, but a potty mouth advisory for Ms. Lipa if you're playing this within range of sensitive ears.

1) Pure (Acoustic Version): Lightning Seeds (1995)

2) Pain Killer (RTL2 Acoustic Version): Turin Brakes (2003)

3) Lovely Daughter (Acoustic): Merz (2007)

4) IDGAF (Acoustic): Dua Lipa (2018)

5) Crazy (Acoustic Version): Seal (1991)

6) Acoustic Guitar: The Magnetic Fields ft. Claudia Gonson (1999)

7) Tell Me (Toronto Acoustic Version): Moby ft. Cold Specks (2013)

8) Jewel (Acoustic): Cranes (1996)

9) Barefoot In The Head (Acoustic Edit): A Man Called Adam (2004)

10) Nuclear Sunflower Swamp (Acoustic): The Pictish Trail (2022)

11) Ballad Of A Landlord (Acoustic Version): Terry Hall (1997)

12) Just Drive (Acoustic Version): It's Immaterial (2002)

13) Another Sinful Day (Acoustic): Little Axe (1995)

 

1994: Prayer For The Dying EP: 5 

1995: Another Sinful Day EP: 12

1996: WRAS 88.5 Presents: Radio Oddyssey: 8 

1997: Ballad Of A Landlord EP: 11

1999: 69 Love Songs: 6

2002: The Great Liverpool Acoustic Experiment: 12

2003: Ether Song (ltd 2x CD):: 2 

2004: Barefoot In The Head EP: 9

2006: The Very Best Of The Lightning Seeds: 1

2007: Merz (Expanded Edition) (2x CD): 3

2013: Amazon Artist Lounge EP: 7

2018: IDGAF EP: 4

2022: EarthPercent x Earth Day Compilation Album: 10

 

Return To The Acoustic Tent (46:16) (KF) (Mega) 

You can find last year's Acoustic Tent selection here

ElevenPercent Of EarthPercent

The biggest digital purchase I made during Bandcamp Friday was the EarthPercent x Earth Day compilation album, (re)released for 24 hours only, offering up 100 songs for £25.00. I took the plunge, figuring at best that 25p per track was a pretty good deal and if even a third of them were halfway decent, it was still a decent price. 

 

There were enough artists to pique my curiosity - JARV IS..., Dry Cleaning, Peter Gabriel, James, Brian Eno, The Weather Station - as well as a few that I'd heard of but not heard much by, plus many that were completely new to me.

 

The track listing has changed slightly since the previous release, swapping out some tracks and replacing them with new additions. It's meant that I've been spared Coldplay's contribution so I'm not complaining.

 

A whopping 17 of the 100 are given to Anna Calvi's soundtrack album for Peaky Blinders Season 5 which, isolated from the BBC TV series, has already had a few plays in it's own right so I'm already feeling that this was a worthwhile purchase.

I'm about a quarter of the way through the remaining songs and, unsurprisingly, it's a bit hit and miss. As the album is sequenced alphabetically by the artists' first names/words, I've gone for a random shuffle, listening to 45-minute, album-sized chunks over the past few days.

The big draw is perhaps Michael Stipe, who has released very little solo music since R.E.M. ended in September 2011. Future, If Future is a co-write with producer Andy LeMaster, who's only other appearance in my collection is a rejig of R.E.M.'s The Lifting, which appeared on their free download R.E.M.IX album in 2002. On a couple of listens, it's...okay. I'll leave it at that.

Today's selection is 11 songs that I've enjoyed listening to so far. I really like The Big Moon, who I've not heard before, and The Pictish Trail, JARV IS... and The Weather Station do not disappoint. Dry Cleaning made me kick myself again that I didn't see them live earlier this year. Nick Mulvey is a name that I've often seen but not heard. A Prayer Of My Own seemed like a natural choice for a closing song and I'm encouraged to check out more.

 

I've said very little about EarthPercent itself, the environmental charity founded by Brian Eno - you can read more here.

 

1) Act Now: Hannah Peel ft. Ulster Orchestra

2) Leaving (Niklas Paschburg Rework): Hania Rani

3) Her Hippo (Live): Dry Cleaning

4) This Way: The Weather Station

5) Beautiful Beaches (Conservatory Version): James

6) Nuclear Sunflower Swamp (Acoustic): The Pictish Trail

7) BIG: The Big Moon

8) Growing Pains: tummyache

9) Future, If Future: Michael Stipe

10) Depressive Disco: JARV IS...

11) A Prayer Of My Own (LaJoya Remix): Nick Mulvey ft. Liz Wathuti

ElevenPercent Of EarthPercent (45:09)