The Boys Of Dungeon Lane. Paul McCartney

How many McCartney albums does one need, is a valid question in 2026? It appears one more. At first listening, it is clear that The Boys Of Dungeon Lane is not just an average Paul McCartney album that is easy to ignore.  It's an urgent album with several songs that go way beyond the average.

One eye-catching detail is certainly worth noting. Andrew Watt has produced the album and has received co-writing credits of several songs. The recordings started in 2021 and continued for years. And let Watt also be the one who kicked life in Paul's contemporaries The Rolling Stones as well, with Paul playing bass on a song on 'Hackney Diamonds' and the upcoming album (10 July). Both dinosaurs of the beat, R&B and pop era still sound like themselves with Watt in the producer's seat, but certainly with a fresh sounding tinge. If not pure and pleasant surprises.

As I wrote before, Paul's voice is not what it used to be. It is in steady decline from overuse in the past decades, from 1957 right op to 2026, or sixty-nine(!) straight years. Where in the end that stopped me from playing 'McCartney III' more, his previous solo album from 2020. So far, I am not bothered much on The Boys Of Dungeon Lane. Somehow he manages to use his voice in different ways, where the wear and tear is less obvious. Strangely enough it is when he uses it in a mildly higher register.

Paul McCartney turns 84 in the coming weeks but there is not much suggesting his age. Again he played most of the instruments himself, only assisted here and there by Andrew Watt. Again an analogy with The Rolling Stones. Some of the lyrics look back at his youth, see eg 'Down South' about George Harrison I'd say and then we are talking about the 1950s. The album title is a street in Speke that led to the river Mersey, where boys went out to play. Something I can completely relate to, despite having grown up ten-fifteen years later. The adventures are sort of similar, as there wasn't much else to do then but explore the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Musically, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane is as varied as can be expected. From an acoustic ballad to a wild rocker, you'll find it on the album. With one of the highlights the duet with Ringo Starr, 'Home To Us', perhaps one of the most Beatlesque songs McCartney ever released or better, what The Beatles might have sounded had they all lived until 2026 and decided to make music together once more. Besides that, 'Home To Us' is so much alive, belying the age of the two protagonists. It deserves to be a hit, but certainly is in my universe.

From the opening song it is clear that Paul McCartney means business. 'As You Lie There' has a few faces to it. From the soft McCartney, to the harder rocking Paul. It is all there and more. This is the song by a man who was challenged to get more out of the original idea. It starts out oh so soft and nostalgic, with Paul sing-talking, looking back to a once upon a long ago. From quiet reminiscing to desperation, all within a minute. The accompaniment changes to something bordering a symphonic rock ballad. Next up is a great guitar solo and Paul shouting out his despair once again, and still more to come. It's clear this is a man on a mission and not just presenting us with another record. In a way, 'As You Lie There' reminds me of 'Band On The Run', because of all the changes.

The album continues with McCartney in a minor rocking mode. 'Lost Horizon' has a nice shuffle sound without overdoing it. Again he makes the most of his 2020s voice. It can be said that 'Lost Horizon' sounds familiar, but it has a freshness that I haven't heard for a long time from McCartney. All over the album there is a rock element that pops up and that makes all the difference for me. I'm quite convinced this is Andrew Watt's contribution. Next up is an acoustic song, that was the first single from the album, 'Days We Left Behind', holding the title to the album. Here it is that I wished his voice was better, because this is a really beautiful song and deserved his voice from twenty or more years ago. By the way, in 2026 it has become possible to miss a new Paul McCartney single, as no one alerted me to it.

Sure, there are a few songs in the typical McCartney style that appeals less to me, but they are not bad songs and that rock element that seeps in. As I read somewhere today, "this is as good as his best work in the past 50 years". That makes 'Silly Love Songs' as a single, when Paul still scored hits. Several songs can more than compete, so I agree with the writer. Like I said, it seems I need another bunch of silly Paul McCartney songs anyway. One question remains, reading about starting working with Andrew Watt in 2021, who came first, Paul or Mick c.s.?

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 20. 10 singles

Today you will find a bunch of octogenarians in the singles section and all with songs that are vibrant and full of life totally belying their age. At that age one can know what will be the last you'll do. If this over time will be proven to be the last, all can be tremendously pleased with these efforts. To compensate there a few very new names as well, some even debut records. In other words, more than enough to explore and enjoy!

Rome. Brook Fox

And yet another debut on the blog. He is an indie-pop/rock artist from South-West Wales who knows exactly how the light and the shade works in his music. My take is that his main influences come from the post-grunge era with bands like Creed and that band with the hit 'Outside' that I keep forgetting the name of, Staind? Brook Fox' own contribution is the pop element he throws into the mix, making Rome far less darker than the bands I mentioned. That said, he knows how to make his band rock and handles the light and the shade to perfection, giving an audience a moment to rest before everyone can explode into the song once again. Rome is aimed for festival fields in the way it is set up and it is working as far as I'm concerned.

Still In The Race EP. RubinCarter

RubinCarter is Queen's Pleasure drummer Sal Rubinstein turned singer-songwriter. After the release of singles announcing his debut EP, we can listen to the whole work. The songs started in his bedroom playing an acoustic guitar just for his own pleasure. Slowly but surely he realised these songs should be heard by more people. With help from his friends the songs and RubinCarter took shape. Ruben Carter became a famous name because of the Bob Dylan - Jacques Levy composition 'Hurricane', more than because of his boxing career and trial. Do not expect Bob Dylan style music here. The EP kicks off with the alternative rock track 'Unentertained'. A song that goes for the big sound, with a huge lead guitar and background vocals. The exact right song to put on pole position, because it is the kind of song that can define a career. In theory 'Unentertained' is a song to play in a stadium and to have that as your first song on your first EP is an asset. With 'Frame' the mood goes down, but again RubinCarter shows to know what it takes to arrange a song in such a way that it catches the ear. Going deeper into the EP, it becomes clear Sal Rubinstein is showing us what he is capable of. His goal was not to create a musically consistent EP. 'April' is a ballad with a fingerpicked acoustic guitar. It is not my favourite song on the EP but it certainly shows courage to present such a different song. 'Still In The Race' is also a ballad but of a different sort. The slide guitar gives the song a distinct rock feel as does the main riff. So is the final song, 'Money Machine'. Setting the easy scoring opening rock track apart, 'Money Machine' is the song that impresses me most. It has this easy going vibe, while at the same time being able to make a great impression on me. Without making a grand effort during the first impression, 'Money Machine' is the kind of song that slowly but surely turns into a anthem.  A modest one but an anthem nonetheless."Lalala" sometimes is enough to do the trick. RubinCarter is a name to watch alright.

ESO. The Bernadette Maries

The Bernadette Maries from Brussels return with its second single. ESO is a song with two faces. It all starts out as an alternative rock song. In fact I can call it grunge without any qualms. Nirvana is all over the intro. The light and the shade between verse and chorus? Check. The two guitar line up is used to create a lighter mood and a darker one. Before the two minutes mark things change. Let's call it psychedelic, that interlude. Not that the world becomes all wobbly and out of focus, it still qualifies. The drums come in with a high and fast rhythm after which singer/bassist Daria takes over the lead vocals. By then the song has been totally set on its head. I have to admit, I like the first part better, yet surprising it is. Two singles down, upcoming album 'Soft' is an album to look out for. We have a, hopefully, glorious summer in front of us first, as the release date is set for 18 September.

Ride. The Chelsea Curve

Click The Chelsea Curve in this blog's search engine and one single after the other pops up. Promoted by the late Justine Covault, the band came into my life thanks to her and I liked the band better by the single. Come 2026 and here's the band once again with single Ride from the already released album 'The Rideout'. Like a song with a title like it should, it is about riding, a motorcycle in this case. Linda Pardee (bass, vocals, keys) and Tim Gillis (guitars, vocals, keys) are joined by their new drummer Bruce Caporal. The trio rocks in a very familiar way, more U.K. than the U.S. A band like The Who comes to mind from the time when they were able to blend pop and rock in a perfect way. Mixed a little into the background is the warm sound of a Hammond organ, but mostly the guitars, bass and drums are rocking no little. The Chelsea Curve adds some delicious pop elements in the background vocals and packs Ride with some great rock riffs as well. Do things come much better than this? I doubt it. Brilliant single.

Home To Us. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr

It's 2026 and 50% of The Beatles release a single together. In the year Paul turns 84 and Ringo 86, the two present a song that is simply great fun. You won't hear me saying this is their best work, but it is good. In the lyrics they look back at their youth, when where you lived was simply called home, no matter how you might look at the house or you think of the circumstances today. The song has a strong pop vibe with some Status Quo light overtones. The two alternate on vocals, with Ringo singing in a slightly different voice than normal, fitting Home To Us perfectly. Just close your eyes for two seconds and imagine that all four were still alive and working together. That  would have made a very decent single, ranking there with George's 'Handle Me With Care' by The Travelling Wilburys for example. In fact, I haven't heard a better song by Paul than Home To Us since I don't know when. There's a new album in the stars, ‘The Boys O f Dungeon Lane’ and its release date is 29 May.

In The Stars. The Rolling Stones

Yes, I'm a fan since like forever. No not from the beginning. I'm not that old. But let's face it, In The Stars is a tossaway kind of Stones song. Sure, it's nice and the "ooooooo" part does give it a little extra. Yet, I have 'Undercover Of The Night', 'She Was Hot', 'One Hit To The Body' and 'Rock And A Hard Place', to name a few of the average Stones singles already in my collection. In The Stars does not add a lot more. On the positive side. There is a new Stones single and yes, it sounds energetic. Andrew Watt does get the best out of the Jagger-Richard material of the 2020s and Jagger is a 82 year old force of nature. The man must be so fit that not even his voice wears down. The hard life seems to be catching up with Keith Richards. To give the song some credit, the way the song plays out, with the piano coming in, I may take a shine to it any way. The details are nicer than I thought at first. Only two more months and we'll know more about 'Foreign Tongues', including, once again, Paul McCartney.

Arrogant Boy. Deep Purple 

Established in 1968, also Deep Purple is releasing a new album in 2026, 'Splat!' and listening to Arrogant Boy, the band is in top form. The song goes off in classic hard rock, metal, symphonic rock directions as if its the most normal thing in the world. The three from the Mach II line up and most famous one, Gillan, Glover, Paice and keyboard player Don Airey around for the whole of this century, are joined by new guitarist Simon McBride. Together the rock like it is 1970 something. The guitar playing in the verses wasn't invented then though. Think Metallica or something like it. Next, Marillion comes in and a little Bowie in the singing in the "Billy" interlude part. There's so much energy here that it is inconceivable that I'm listening to older senior citizens of around 80. Arrogant Boy is pure power and more importantly, a great song.

Only Free When Sleeping. Big Special

With two records in two years and one stand alone single, the announcement of a new EP by Big Special shows that the band is in a hurry to show more of itself. 'O'Joy' will be out on 5 June. It is said to contain the songs that did not fit on both albums. Those following the band will not be surprised by Only Free When Sleeping. Vocalist Joe Hicklin does his mix of rapping/talking singing in his Midlands accent, while drummer Callum Moloney points the direction of the song through his relentless rhythm. Who does all else that we hear, I don't know. Only Free When Your Sleeping is a strong song, like the best songs of the duo are. There's always urgency that is brought across and not only because of the vocal delivery. The whole song wants its listeners to move and move some more. Yes, it's undeniable, I like Big Special, even if it is a bit outside of my usual musical habitat.

Mess. Tape Toy

Tape Toy debuted on this blog with a single of its EP 'Launch The Rocket' in January 2025. Today the band is back with the up tempo, almost creating a hunted down kind of tempo of Mess. Don't expect originality, as I've heard a song like this so many times before. What Mess does present is a truckload of positive energy, fun and little surprises all throughout the song. The song announces an as yet unnamed album to be released in September. Based on what I'm hearing here, it should be great fun. The mix of a modern sounding lo-fi song with all the modernity electronics and samples can add, presents a song that is simply filled with inventions, additions, weirdness, to return to the kind of art rock bands like The Mo and The Kewi University of Swing were already making around 1980. Then add that tempo and you have Mess. Tape Toy, a band to be on the lookout for.

Just Love. Reluctant Bob & The Lonely Lovers

Just Love is the kind of pure pop that came into fashion a long time ago and somewhere in the 1970s went out again, after bubblegum bands like The Rubettes and Showaddywaddy, who rehashed the feel from the decade before, went out of fashion. I never hear these two examples anymore. The originals from the 1960s still seem to come by and may forever come by when new generations take a look a their grandparents' records collection (or Tik Tok or Spotify of course). That makes Just Love pure nostalgia for a time long gone, but no less fun. Just listen to those guitar notes, the sweet harmony vocals, the way the piano adds to the fun. In a way the song reminds me most of The Rutles, Eric Idle's The Beatles parody. Just Love would have fit perfectly on the album, without parodying a The Beatles song in a superb way. Well done, Reluctant Bob & The Lonely Lovers.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Farewell, Golden Earring (2)

Today we continue with the list where we left you at number 11. Today I consider the following songs my favourite ten Golden Earring(s) singles.

10. Sleepwalkin' (1976)

!976's album 'To The Hilt' was my first Earring album and the two singles my second and third Earring singles. Sleepwalkin' is one of these songs that make me wonder whether the crediting of songs to Hay/Kooijmans is justified. The bass riff in the background and Zuiderwijk's typical drumming and short solo's are such an integral part of this song, that a credit ought to be justified. This is more than just arranging, to my ears at least. There's more of that coming up below. This song is a driving force but it is more. It has a symphonic rock element as well. My take is that for the interludes the band listened to Genesis e.g. Besides that, there is the great sax solo of Bertus Borgers who played with the band for decades. This is some great musicianship and Robert Jan Stips, who would leave the band and later surface in The Nits, taking his moment. Another number 5 hit for the band.

9. That Day (1966)

That Day is Golden Earrings' second single. As the studio's in The Netherlands and the people operating them were all sub par, the band went to England to record in the Pye studio. The result is history, as Golden Earrings broke big with the song. Reaching number 2 for five weeks, behind 'Michelle', one of my least favourite The Beatles songs, the band became a famous pop band. A piano is the main instrument on That Day, played by Aad den Dulk, a friend of drummer Jaap Eggermont. The vocals are a joint delivery of Krassenburg and Kooijmans. What changed is the "steenkolen Engels". It looked like some people took lessons after 'Please Go'. Does perfect pop exist? I don't know but this sure sounds like it. At 17 George Kooijmans could already write a fantastic pop song. As an aside. Golden Earrings was a five and later a four piece, but so many songs had a prominent keyboard. That is rather strange, isn't it, for a band without a keyboard player. It would take years for the band to become a rock band. The beat/pop band was extremely good though.

8. Bombay (1976)

As I already wrote, Golden Earring experimented a lot. With Robert Jan Stips gone it was joined by former Cuby + Blizzards guitarist Eelco Gelling and that led to the sort of injection The Rolling Stones had with Mick Taylor. The guitar work on this single is truly exquisite. Who plays what, I don't know, but there are so many parts and riffs flying around it's almost impossible to keep up. I've liked this single from the day I heard it first, right up to this day. The eastern influence was brought in by Gelling, Bombay by Hay who lived in India in his earliest youth. Only number 7? Yes, and just I can't understand it.

 

7. Going To The Run (1991)

The last really big hit of Golden Earring is the ballad Going To The Run about a Hell's Angel. A friend of Barry Hay who crashed his motorbike, turned into a fantastic song. The chorus sung by Hay and Kooijmans is one of the finest in rock history. Despite playing in cover bands for well over 30 years, this was the first Earring song we've played, with my current band Sweetwood. And it got voted out last year. The remaining one is 'Rader Love', that we mastered after a lot of practising. With Going To The Run the Earring showed how good its ballads can be. One of the very best songs of the band ever.

 

6. Back Home (1970)

Enter Cesar Zuiderwijk, exit Sieb Warner. In a matter of months the band had totally reinvented itself and entered the stage with a real rock song. Heavy riffing and Barry Hay getting into his own. Finally he is the rocker that his voice is best equipped for. Of course, there is the flute played by Hay that is a remnant of times soon gone. With Back Home the band was right on top of the times as bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath were scoring their first hit in the same year. Just two years previously the band scored its first number 1 single (not in this list) and the two could not be further apart. The transition is in a way incomprehensible. Back Home is so loud and rough. The audience must have loved it as it was number 1 for five weeks with five weeks at number 2 around the 1 position. It makes Back Home Golden Earring's biggest hit by far. Did the old fans follow? I simply can't imagine they did. This then fourth grader did though.

We approach the first five and here it becomes really hard. On any day it could well be that a song could be in a different position but I think this is about accurate where I am concerned. Golden Earring(s) has produced several great songs but these five certainly are on top of all the others. Two of the songs were the band's claim to fame internationally. When I bought a compilation album in 1977 in Australia called 'Immortal Hits', it contained one Golden Earring song (and one Focus, 'Hocus Pocus'). We all know which song that is of course. The songs were all from the Polydor label, but still, Australia! Travel through the U.S. and you will hear the song regularly, just like Shocking Blue's 'Venus' by the way. Golden Earring is a pop/rock icon, globally. That ought to have had far more international hits, but alas.

5. Twilight Zone (1982)

Twilight Zone is the band's fourth number 1 single and built around a great riff. Sort of out of nowhere the band was really big again. Originally meant for a George Kooijmans solo album but added to 'Cut' that was supposed to be the band's final album. Come today we all know how that went. Again, a global hit was scored but again that could not be followed up, unfortunately. With Twilight Zone the band was able to combine two worlds and sort of reinvent itself. Twilight Zone without a doubt is a rock song, but it is also very danceable and has a lot of sounds that will sound familiar to U.K. postpunk/new wave bands. The Dick Maas video clearly catered to the demands of MTV. We are 44 years down the line but this single is still as strong as it was on its release day. Remember my comment on credits. Just listen to that bass riff and tell me your view.

4. Radar Love (1973)

When we had the intro, that was supposed to be a drum intro, we had created our own Beethoven's Fifth, said Cesar Zuiderwijk recently in an interview. The intro was thought up by bassist Rinus Gerritsen. Radar Love is one of the best rock songs ever of course. Iconic. The kind of song millions of people will recognise right at the first note played. A road song ideal for driving into the distance and within seconds you're speeding as well. As I wrote above, how can this be just written by two if the contribution from the rhythm section is so huge, including the iconic opening riff? What Cesar is doing here is composing on drums. Without his drumming in this way, the song would not half have the power it possesses and the same goes for the bass part. Rinus Gerritsen is a killer bass player! Some guitar parts were played by Eelco Gelling, who was not yet a member. Radar Love was the band's third number 1 hit.

3. She Flies On Strange Wings (1971)

This single/song is nothing less than a mini rock opera. For the life of me I can't understand that this was not a worldwide number 1 hitsingle. In fact, it did not go beyond number 4 here. It has everything you want great songs to have, split over an a and b side as the band refused to make a single edit. As I once wrote a whole post on this song, I'm going to refer you to it. Before I do, that bass player!

https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-classic-rock-giant-she-flies-on.html

 

2. When The Lady Smiles (1983)

When The Lady Smiles is Golden Earring's fifth and final number 1 single. Released one year after 'Twilight Zone' and meant as the continuation of the international success. But because of the video being pulled out of rotation by MTV, we will never know what it could have achieved. By attacking a nun on a tram in the video the band sealed its fate. That the perpetrator, Barry Hay's version of Van Kooten and De Bie's character 'De Vieze Man' ('The Dirty Man'), is severely punished further on in the video, is a subtlety that went by the puritan Americans. And us, Dutch? We just saw a great video accompanying an even greater song. As that is what When The Lady Smiles is for certain. This song has so much energy, can be danced to, has a host of guitar lines, and a chorus that is beyond superb. The only element I was not a fan of, was the 'Johnny and Mary' style solo at the end. George Kooijmans has played so many far better ones. The verses hold the tension that the song needs, so that the release in the pre chorus and then the chorus makes its point double and then triple. This song has the absolute wow factor.

 

1. Just A Little Bit Of Peace In My Heart (1968)

George was married to Melanie Gerritsen for 56 years. Melanie is bassist Rinus' sister, while their brother Rob for decades took care of finances for the band. A family band in a certain way Golden Earring was. But, in 1968 she broke up the relationship. George was heartbroken and must have decided to write one of the ultimate love songs ever to win her back and succeeded. They married soon after. Still called Golden Earrings, he went into the studio and came out with this masterpiece that reached number 2 behind The Cats' 'Lea'. In a way this is the least Golden Earring(s) song of all in this list, as the song has drums and bass but is carried by the orchestra arranged by Frans Mijts. Full blasting horns and loud violins! Listen to the end and you will find that bass sound already that would become a signature of Golden Earring a few years later. Kooijmans plays an acoustic guitar on the song and is pouring his heart out, to quote a later single. For me this was an earth shaking song. Together with 'Hey Jude', 'MacArthur's Park' and 'Eloise' it showed a third grader the power of music. There would be more songs at that level through the decades but very, very seldom better. For a short time, George Kooijmans was the lead singer of the Earring(s) on the singles before the band finally found the modus that would make Barry Hay the star he remained for well over five decades. Here George is shining like never before and never after. It goes to show that heartbreak leads to the best songs.

 

Summing up. The Earring will be there for my whole life as the songs will be there forever. Longer than I will live. Cover bands will keep the songs alive for some time to come. It's impossible to say what my truly favourite Earring(s) period is. I love the singles from the Earrings period. The rock period in the first half of the 70s is great, just like several singles from the early 80s. In the past days I played the 'Devil Made Us Do It' box repeatedly and found music at such a consistent level, even from the periods I thought I liked less. The box set is an altar for the music of Golden Earring(s). Should a song like 'Where Will I Be' be in this top 25? Yes, probably. Tomorrow this list may look different, for now this is it. What I can conclude, is that I like George sung songs the best in general, but without Barry's voice it would never have worked for so long. They were a golden tandem, just like Cesar and Rinus were. Together they were and are the best Dutch rock band ever.

Golden Earring is no more. At the end of this week the farewell shows are over. The music is there and I am sure going to enjoy it for some time to come.

Barry Hay seems prone to retire on Curacao, but Cesar is active in music, e.g. with Sloper and Rinus has become the bass player in the revived Supersister, with my neighbour from down the street Leon Klaassen on drums.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Farewell, Golden Earring (1)

When guitarist, composer and singer George Kooymans announced that he was suffering from ALS and could no longer play, that spelled the end of the best Dutch rock band after an adventure that lasted for circa sixty years. Kooijmans died during my holidays last summer.

This January The Earring's three remaining members play five farewell shows in Rotterdam's Ahoy venue, for circa 15.000 people each evening, accompanied by a host of guests, celebrating a career with a host of highlights. With more demand than available days. I'm not there but will pay tribute to the band that was there for my whole life, from the moment I acknowledged music as more than a song that was put on by somebody else. The first song I can truly remember is 'I've Just Lost Somebody' in the spring of 1968. I think that a song like 'That Day' must have been there subconsciously, as I can not remember having heard it for the first time. To compair e.g., 1967's 'Sound Of The Screaming Day'. I know I did not know it when it charted, as it was on a compilation record I got as a present circa 1972 and it was a new song for me then.

In one of the very first WoNo Magazine's in 2001, yes 25 years ago, I wrote an article on the topic everyone has his or her own Golden Earring, as the band already existed for so long, that whole generations of popfans will have gotten acquainted with the band in a different era with a different song and backtracked from there. It also implies that the band will have sounded differently to everyone. Until the band more or less became a rock formula from the mid-80s onwards. Before that, it followed trends closely and reinvented itself multiple times and often very successfully. 

So for me that start was 'I've Just Lost Somebody', followed by the rather lame 'Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Gi-Dong', the band's first number 1 hit of five, but one the whole band later wanted to forget about. The next single is the one that made a huge impact on me, 'Just A Little Bit Of Peace In My Heart', a song that deserved to be number 1, but was beaten by The Cats' 'Lea' and that other rock mini-opera, 'Eloise' by Barry Ryan. Songs that were stamped into my young boy's brain and remain favourites to this day.

So many hits followed, the string went on well into the early 2000s. As far as albums are concerned, I am far less enthusiastic. If I had to mention my favourite, it would probably be decided between 'To The Hilt' and 'Grab It For A Second', the latter a total flop compared to the money poured into it. Somehow, it is the one that I did play for more than a few times (but long ago at that). Truthfully, I have far too many Golden Earring albums, but glad to have them anyway. The singles though, most are good and some are so great.

To honour Golden Earring(s) I am going to dive into the singles and present my favourites here, in two goes. Before we start, Golden Earring(s) released its first single in 1965 and the latest in 2019. I missed the first years and some early singles I only got to know because of the four cd compilation 'The Devil Made Us Do It'. The same goes for much after 1991, when I had lost interest in the band. Most albums from 1982's 'Cut' onward, I do not possess. As I have no albums before 'Eight Miles High' and neither all right after.

Here, we go, a countdown from 25 to 1. I'll admit to being "lazy" by deciding not to go for that one pearl on an album that I might have overlooked. These are all (hit)singles.

25. Say When (2019)

In 2019 the band released what proved to be its last single. It is not a final blast but certainly a worthy goodbye. The band rocks like it can and all the members have their moment. Rinus Gerritsen plays a mighty bass, Cesar Zuijderwijk lays the firmest of foundations and the guitar (overdubs) are all over the place and almost absent. The two singers do what they have done for decades, blending their different voices like they should. Barry Hay is himself. George Kooijmans' voice has clearly aged.

24. Another 45 Miles (1969)

If I remember correctly, this is the single in which the 's' was dropped from the band's name and the first where Barry Hay plays his flute. All of a sudden a lot of rock bands had a flute, which stopped again after 1970. The lyrics to this song are a 'Radar Love' avant la lettre. Also here in this mostly acoustic single the driver is looking forward to coming home. Sung by George Kooijmans it means that the song has a different vibe from the more rock led Barry Hay songs. The bass is deep and almost nasty. Released as a stand alone single the reach to number 3 in the Top 40. It was also the last and only single with drummer Sieb Warner who would leave the band in 1970. Drummer Jaap Eggermont left after the first U.S. tour to become a world renowned producer, e.g. Stars on 45. His last single, 'Where Will I Be' does not "chart" here.

23. Hold Me Now (1994)

The song received its iconic status as it was the encore in what has proven to be the final show of Golden Earring in Ahoy 2019. One they barely sold out at the time. Again, a George Kooijmans sung ballad. By 1994 I was turned off the band, so it never made a real impression on me. Like the rest of this country the song grew on me over the years, with a spot in this list as a result. Almost 30 years after 'Please Go' the band still scored a number 11 hit.

22. No For An Answer (1980) 

A song that did not make it into the Top 40 but one I've always liked. The band is rocking in a fairly uncomplicated way, straightforward with a chorus that is instantly recognisable and singable. Just like the guitar solo is a standard one and so nice. Singers Barry and George blend at the right moments, but Barry leads here. I truly can't understand why this did not chart. It should have.

21. Moving Down Life (1978)

The only single from 'Grab It For A Second', the Jimmy Iovine produced album that nearly flopped. It may have been a little too much of an American direction, while the songs as such certainly are not bad, as this single shows. It is a good rock song, where the band does what it was so good in. To my ears it sounds like the Earring should sound. 1978 however was not a good year for rockbands that were around for several years and with this album the band was not in sync, the Earring just behind the sign of the times. That may explain it. In 2026 this is classic Earring alright. It only got to #27 in the charts.

20. Quiet Eyes (1986)

The single with four different sleeves portraying each member solo. I have two of them and still on the look out for the others. The 1980s were a dark and often dismal affair musically. Quiet Eyes plays into this mood. It is a dark single for Golden Earring. The other side is that the band is able to write golden choruses and Quiet Eyes is no exception. Of course that typical bass sound is in the background and there is a warm Hammond organ accompanying the band. The song made it to number 9.

19. Buddy Joe (1972)

A single from the time the band was still experimenting by the song and Buddy Joe is no exception. With a sitar the intro and later playing the main riff Buddy Joe is very different. The same goes for the rhythm guitar. The pace is great though and Cesar is playing his signature drum fills, that would make him the best drummer this country has. The way the song is approached has a certain lightness because the way the guitars are played and mixed. It only gets its toughness in the verse with its muted guitar chords. Listening to the song in 2026, it is a lot better than I remembered it to be. With a number 4 position Buddy Joe was another big hit for the band.

18. Kill Me (Ce Soir) (1975)

I remember the song only as being called Ce Soir at the time. Perhaps the Kill Me was added for the English market. The song is so brooding. That made it really different from all the songs I knew at the time. It was a song I immediately liked. The darkness is everywhere on this song and yet it has this great pace that starts to shine through more and more as the song progresses. The violins made it different as well. Barry Hay is really shining here. 'Switch', the album, was the first with Robert Jan Stips, formerly (and now again) of Supersister, on keyboards. It reached to number 5.

17. In My House (1967)

The first of four Golden Earrings songs in this list. A song I was too young to know at the time and only got to know in the year 2000. I understand that it was mostly written by Rinus Gerritsen. It is a great pop track that has two faces. The pop rock and the mildly psychedelic interludes. It works great. The song is led by a piano and the solo is an organ both played by non-member Cees Schrama. Also it has to be noted that the band's composition is totally different. The singer is Frans Krassenburg and the drummer Jaap Eggermont. This would be the last single with Krassenburg, before Barry Hay entered the band. He can be proud of this final single though. It is a great pop song and got to number 10. All singles that charted after In My House for ten years all would be top 10 hits with 'Bombay' as the final one.

16. Long Blond Animal (1980)

The second representative of the album 'Prisoner Of The Night' here and its first single. At the time I was not convinced of the quality of this song, but that has definitely changed. This is a rock song that forever goes forward. The kind of song this band was so good at. It has a great little riff in between the lyrics of the verse. The "ah-ah" part is no doubt an explanation that the song kept growing in popularity. Barry Hay is shining in another rock song. The division between the two singers is mostly clear. The song did not make it beyond #19.

15. I've Just Lost Somebody (1968)

Here's the song that I remember as the first Golden Earrings song that I remember. A beautiful ballad with a lot of strings and a spinet or something like it. The song was written by Rinus Gerritsen although co-credited to Kooijmans. It was the last single with Gerritsen's name under it. Kooijmans took over and later Hay would be responsible for most lyrics. This song is so full of pining for a lost girlfriend and the music underscores it in a perfect way. That spinet (?) plays all the right sad notes, the dreamy vocals do the rest. It reached the charts twice. Number 8 in 1968 and number 13 in the "Naked" live version in 2005, forty years after the first chart position!

14. Slow Down (1981)

The only cover in this list. The band added Slow Down to the list of its second live album, '2nd Live'. It shows that Golden Earring was a great rock and roll band as well. Sounding a little like The Kinks did on its 1980 live album 'One For The Road'. Most likely a nod to the band it was before it charted first in 1965. I always liked this version of the Larry Williams song, as it is so utterly rock and roll. The single never charted. Why, I have no idea. I'm the proud owner of the single.

13. Weekend Love (1979)

Sort of out of the blue Golden Earring scored another big hit, hitting number 3. Kooijmans wrote and recorded the song at home and the demo never really got better in the studio, so what we hear is mostly the demo. The reason for the hit is obvious. Weekend Love is the kind of earworm that just never leaves you again. The end is not the strongest but by then the song has long made its point.

12. Holy Holy Life (1971)

The first Golden Earring single I bought. Most likely at a discount. I remember it premiering in 'Avro's Top Pop'. This was some pretty heavy shit alright. The double tracked riff is one of a killer kind. Golden Earring shows to be one of the great classic rock bands with this single. It is a logical follow up to 'Back Home' and is almost as good. The number 5 position was far too low for a great single like this. It was by the way, again a stand alone single. It also has a great ending, inspired by Small Faces, I'd say, but well before 'Stay With Me', Faces biggest hit was released.

11. Please Go (1965)

The band's first single and hit from 1965 and definitely one deserving to be in this list. Don't listen to the English, as it does not make a lot of sense. The pop feel is there however and is simply really infectious. At the time there was a fifth member, Peter de Ronde who plays the harmonica and guitar and can be heard on background vocals. Nobody was happy with the recording but it was released anyway and made the name for the band as it was in the charts for 20 weeks with #10 as peak spot. Although I got to know the song far beyond 1965, it has become one of my favourites because of that great pop feel.

Read on tomorrow when we continue with the top 10.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Beat Revolution. Muck and The Mires

Muck and The Mires is a band that can be found on this blog for several years now. Always it is a question whether the band should be taken seriously or seen as a pastiche playing nice to things that have come and gone by now for over 55 years. With Beat Revolution it is exactly the same. The band plays into rock songs from 1965-1969 and incorporates familiar sounds and riffs from the era into its originals. But like The Kik's best songs here in The Netherlands, Muck and The Mires add a lot to a familiar genre.

For one, the quality of the songs on Beat Revolution is simply so good. So, it may be more in the costumes the band tends to wear, this time pirate costumes, that ideas of a pastiche come to mind. This distracts from the music Muck and The Mires presents. From the title song onwards, the beat pedal is kicked in hard. This album rocks alright. Blending garage rock, beat and a little punk rock, Beat Revolution is one tough album. Subtlety has been shoved aside. On its previous albums the pop element in beat was laid on thicker. Not on the band's seventh album.

Sure, there are backing vocals that provide a pop feel under Muck's well worn in voice. It's not the kind of pop girls loved coming from The Beatles before the boys got really attracted from 1966 onwards. This is more like the early The Kinks, The Who and even a little The Monkees where the adorning notes in a chord's inner variations are concerned. In the U.S.A. that would be what we can hear on the famous 'Nuggets' box set from loads of more or less obscure bands and an occasional better known one.

Photo: Mari Tamura

By playing Beat Revolution more often, its songs will get the same sort of familiarity 'Nuggets' has for me. The album is of a kind that deserves this level of attention. Pointed songs, with fiery guitar solos, a sleazy little organ in between it all and a rhythm section that is so tight.

Summing up, I tend to go with the title of The Jam's last charting song over here, 'Beat Surrender', to describe the album in two words. 

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Beat Revolution here:

https://muckandthemires.bandcamp.com/album/beat-revolution

 

The Analogues live. Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam Friday 20 September 2024

Photo: Wout de Natris

In 1966 The Beatles played their last live show in the U.S. and went on an extensive holiday, to return in the studio, Abbey Road of course, in late November. The Beatles had released 'Revolver' early August 1966 and played Candlestick Park on the 29th. Many songs on 'Revolver' were impossible to play live with the then current technique and the limitations a four piece band held.

These facts are where the story of The Analogues starts. Erstwhile drummer and former Tommy Hilfiger ceo Fred Gehring had a dream. After leaving the company he invested in music. In a band that would recreate the music The Beatles made in the studio and never played live. And not just recreate the music but play it on the original instruments The Beatles played on at the time. A hunt started with musical leader Bart van Poppel in charge to find similar instruments, like a Höfner violin bass, Ludwig drums, guitars, amps, keyboards, even a doorbell like the one The Beatles used. The work of Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn helped tremendously, as his research was leading the way.

The Analogies became a five piece band in 2014, Gehring, Van Poppel, Jan van der Meij, Jac Bico and Diederik Nomden. Van der Meij was later replaced by Felix Maginn but was present at this show a lot. And then there is a host of musicians on everything else The Beatles did not play themselves or to be able to play three keyboard parts at the same time.

The reputation of the band grew. So they got to know pivotal persons in The Beatles' career. They received copies of the original tapes to completely dissect what was actually being played. Shows in local theaters became Ziggo Dome shows, international tours and what not. The only question that can never be answered is what would have happened internationally without Covid? This must have hampered the band, as there is nothing like it in the whole wide world.

And now we are looking at the end. All albums have been played multiple times. Three shows remained doing everything from 'Revolver' to 'Let It Be'. Last Friday The Analogues played 'Revolver' and 'Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band' (and 'Magical Mystery Tour') and not to forget the one stand alone single, 'Penny Lane'/'Strawberry Fields Forever'. Which of course reached the no.1 position in 1967 in many countries. They did so with stand in drummer Kees Schaper, also a member of The Kik since 2024.

Photo: Wout de Natris

To put things into perspective. The Beatles started to record 'Penny Lane' on 29 December. Until the mid of January there were all sorts of overdubs, including the famous piccolo trumpet solo by David Mason that came very late in the process. The single was released on 13 February 1967. All in the span of six weeks. (Source: Wikipedia)

No, the Analogues did not play flawless. There were some mistakes, showing that even The Analogues are human. That said, the show was fantastic. From 'Taxman' right up to 'All You Need Is Love' I was sitting on the edge of my seat, enjoying every minute of the show. I have no truck stating that it was The Analogues that revived my love for The Beatles and made me realise, with my older and more experienced ears, how good and influential the band actually is. (Coincidentally, I listened to 'Fountains of Wayne', the self-titled debut album of the band, this weekend. I heard The Beatles half of the time. I did not in 1996 or so when the album was released.) The Analogues brought me back to the band of my earliest youth. My very first band, with The Kinks. That return made me understand how good the band was and how impressive its progress and output. And doubly so, how good The Analogues is. The singing, the harmonies, the sounds that seemed to come from everywhere, it is all so impressive.

To my surprise we were literally in the last seats sold at the side of the stage. On the basis of the selling website, I had the idea to be in the middle of the side seats. So, we saw everything from the side. What logistics! To be able to play this show, so much goes on and not just guitar tuning. All sorts of other instruments need to be in place at the right time. People have to move on and off stage continuously. Sometimes just for a few notes. It also shows what a huge business The Analogues is from a logistical point of view. I know that for a show three trucks are involved to drive the gear around. It started with just one. Perfection comes at a cost. Here I got to see all that gear from a totally different perspective.

Mark Lewisohn gave two history lessons in between albums, putting The Beatles' work ethic in perspective, while lauding the band on stage. Yes, the young men (25, 24 and 23 at the time) delivered so much in such a short time span. And then take into account the quality they delivered as well. It showed in abundance in the Ziggo Dome.

The only thing The Analogues could not recreate was the tremendous surprise and emotions that I felt the first time I saw them play. There is no telling how deep that went. Now it was the awe in which I still am and feel for the band's quality and my love for the music of The Beatles. A love that will never leave me. As I got to know the music so early in life, I assume it will even be with me should my mind go off and wander in older age. A quite consoling thought.

Two more shows to go. I still have to get tickets though. Fingers crossed.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

The Beatles 1962 - 1966, 1967 - 1970

50 years down the line, that is the rather confronting number of years staring me in the face. 50 Years since "the red" and "the blue" album were released, giving an overview of The Beatles' career. In 2023 the album get their first major re-release, polished up with the most modern digital tricks and expanded to three albums each. On top of it all there is a new single, and lets face it a fantastic new single, that closes it all, 61 years after the release of that first single, 'Love Me Do', the b-side of the, ridiculously priced, 7" single.

I am reviewing the new version of the albums. I do not have them and may never have. What I'm wondering is whether it really adds to the experience I've had a long time ago. What I'll do here, is try to explain what the two double albums mean to me.

In 1973 I got the red album with St. Nicolas and one month later the blue for my birthday. The two albums opened and deepened the band's music to me. I've written this before. For my age I was early where 1960s music is concerned. Thanks to two then teenage girls, Tineke and Yvonne, I heard all the singles they had as a very young boy. Although I knew there was something called an LP, I had no patience for them and did not know that songs, only the singles. Not long after, I discovered the pirate radio station Radio Veronica and got to know more and more songs and still well under 10 years of age. My first self-bought single was 'Hey Jude' in October 1968, still my favourite Beatles song.

'Abbey Road' was released not long before my parents moved, with me in protest. I remember that the elder brother of my friend downstairs announced that he would have the new Beatles album on a Friday. We younger kids all sat ready to listen to it when he would get home. I always see the album sleeve in my mind, but thinking about writing this post, I wonder if he played it from a tape recorder, a big one. 'Come Together' I knew from the radio, a song I remember not liking a lot at the time. That changed over time, in fact, I'm playing it myself with my band Sweetwood for years already. After 'Come Together' there were all songs we did not know and lost interest very soon and started playing.

We moved, The Beatles called it quits and fast forward to 1973. The albums were released and were something I really, really wanted to have. First came 1962-1966. For the first time I heard the first three singles and some early album tracks like 'All My Loving'. Then all the biggest hits that I, nearly, all did know from the singles. But then there were album tracks, which I all did not know. And this is what really was mindblowing when I listened to 1967 - 1970. A whole world opened there with songs like 'Back In The USSR' and 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'.

The red one always sold better than the blue. My take is that this one was bought by the girls, now ten years older, girls that had dropped away when the band became more experimental. The second category are the parents who liked a lot of the early songs anyway. The blue is the album for the boys and men. The first Beatles albums I bought myself when I started to have my own money were 'Abbey Road', 'Sgt. Peppers' and 'The Beatles'. The rest I all bought second hand a bit later. With the first one mentioned here as my absolute favourite.

The blue one expanded my musical universe. The red catered my little boy brain. In 2023 I like them both because the music is absolutely fantastic. To imagine these four young men from Liverpool created this huge body of music in just seven years, is something that can't be comprehended anymore.

I played the blue one last week. It took some polishing with a wet cloth but the sound was certainly good. Of course the blue, I'd might add. Again, I noticed how incredibly good the music is. Starting with one of the best double a-side singles ever released, 'Penny Lane' - 'Strawberry Fields Forever', the 'Sgt. Peppers' tracks and the great singles that follow it, not on an album, singles. A song that has become one of my absolute favourites, 'Magical Mystery Tour', an incredible song and on and on until it stops with 'The Long and Winding Road', not my favourite, but I can certainly listen to it now.

The blue album is a musical trip, not down memory lane. It's a lane containing the best pop music ever made by a combination of four men who called it quits before their 30th birthdays, to start more or less successful solo careers. Two are still alive and still playing. Paul to huge stadiums and Ringo at a lower level but still incredibly active.

Out of the blue there was 'Now And Then' two weeks ago. I've already written about it in the singles section. I have bought the cd version this week and have played it many times over the stereo. Yes, it is more a John Lennon song than a The Beatles song, I cede that. Yet, it is so beautiful and it works so well. The sound is The Beatles in a mix of then and now. There's a rhythm guitar part that did not exist in the 1960s, the strings did and the George style solo that Paul plays is phenomenally Beatles. Now And Then is a cherry on the cake. A cake that is more cherries than cake, yet is allowed to top it. It tells all, doesn't it?

It was 50 years ago today. Man, time flies when you're having fun. And this music certainly is a part of that fun!

Wout de Natris

Week 44 2023, 10 singles

Within a few weeks and new The Rolling Stones songs and a new The Beatles song? Where is that long lost track by The Kinks? Then the world would be totally balanced, as far as my earliest favourite bands are concerned. I have to correct myself, as the Stones definitely came two years later.

Rest assured, not everything here originated in the 1960s, but there also are no new names in this post on recent singles. All acts have found themselves on these pages before, even if it was only once. Who they are? Dive in and have fun!

 

Now And Then. The Beatles

For me this song came as a total surprise. Anyone with even the slightest of interest in things Beatles will have learned on the now and then of the release. Having heard the song a few times now, I can only say wow! Of the three revived John Lennon demos, this is the one that surpasses a lot, including many real The Beatles songs. I simply love this song. It contains so much kindness, so much class and so much love. Purists will say that it isn't a real Beatles song, as it was not intended to be one and maybe did not even qualify for a release by John, had he lived longer. The three remaining Beatles decided to work on it around 1995 for the 'Anthology' series but couldn't finish it. In 2023 the remaining two have. George's slide guitar solo from 1995 is there and Paul and Ringo did the rest with help from Giles Martin. Add all this up and out comes a result that is the closest to a real new Beatles song it is possible to come. The arrangement is so lush, so melancholy, so good. The rhythm guitar part is very un-Beatles like, modern and totally befitting the song. The solo itself is superb, like George Harrison at his very best. Not the quantity of notes, purely aimed at quality. The backing vocals of two 80 somethings with the late 30s John Lennon works in an endearing way. The Beatles ending of Now And Then is exactly as it should be. Are The Beatles my one and only, true band? In the last six, seven years I've come to that conclusion and with Now And Then the band underscores its position. No matter how could 'Hackney Diamonds' is, even this revived John Lennon toss away is of a level that is unobtainable to the competition. With Now And Then The Beatles have reached the end of their career where new music is concerned, 61 years after 'Love Me Do'. What an ending it is. Hearing it for the first time brought all but tears to my eyes. I love it and would not be surprised if time will show it to be the final masterpiece as well.

The final comment is on the video. Should you not have seen it yet, do so. Peter Jackson has made a great one in which the now and then and even older then blends into a whole, in which the past 61 years come truly alive.

Fantasy Girl. Donna Blue

With the first single of the upcoming album scheduled for next year Donna Blue is back on this blog. Again, the band brings us back to the 1960s, French sigh girls and Sean Connery James Bond chic. The bass is straight out of the Serge Gainsbourg cum Air school. It has that suave plopping sound. Danique van Kesteren moves between French and English the whole  song and in her singing moves even closer to the Gainsbourg-Birkin offspring. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon both could have found their way on Fantasy Girl. The paradox of Donna Blue is that the band is far from original and yet is almost unique in the 20s of this century. There is Austrian Cari Cari but this duo rocks so much harder. The combination of the twangy, extremely slow surf guitar and sigh girl style of singing puts Donna Blue out of competition from others who usually do not combine the two. Th mix remains terribly attractive.

Get Back. Pip Blom

'Bobbie', Pip Blom's third album, is out for two weeks but I haven't had the time to listen yet. Chances are I do not have the time to catch up. So here's Get Back. You may have noticed that the two previous singles did not make it to these pages. Somehow I could not get my head around the new style of the band. With Get Back this isn't hard to do at all. It is an alternative pop song, with dark undertones. The synth, better synths, dominates Get Back. The chorus is not exactly the most fascinating lyric, yet the forever repetition of the two words of the title does work. The synth melody and the loud guitar and rhythm section underneath it, gives the song a huge punch. The song is alternative enough to be credible and has a pop feel that should appeal to those loving less obvious pop music.

Talk. Ciel

Ciel enters this blog for the third time. Talk was released in time for the band's support tour with Blood Red Shoes in September. The link is understandable, as I have the impression to be listening to an incarnation of that band, also from Brighton. Talk has a groove, has power and is very much alive. Led by Dutch singer Michelle Hindriks the band really goes for it and is not afraid of making its point. In essence a guitar-bass-drums band, you will find some synths in Talk, presenting the more melodic side of the band. Five notes is enough to stand out. The less is more principle used to great effect. No, Talk is not an original single in sound, for that too much is familiar in sound and approach. All this is compensated by what I just summed up. Talk is a banger.

Bigger. Fazerdaze

Another extremely intriguing single from Fazerdaze. The New Zealand singer dreams in her singing puts synths right in your face and rocks all at the same time. It's hard to understand that so many, mostly female singers come out of this small country on the edge of the world. Fazerdaze ads herself to this long line of singers making a difference in my life. Bigger is a song that confronts. The contrast between Amelia Murray's singing and the instrumentation is so stark. This sets her apart from Jen Cloher, Ebony Lamb, Vera Ellen, Reb Fountain and other favourites from Down Under. Bigger sort of brings it all together, yet has its own unique sound. It is a song that makes me take of my hat and make a deep bow. Very well done, Fazerdaze.

Cousin. Wilco

In the comments around an interview with Jeff Tweedy in 'Oor' on the release of 'Cousin' it was mentioned that 'Cousin' was an attempt to break out of the Wilco mould used in the past decade. The band hired an external producer, Cate le Bon, to do so. The reporter stated mission accomplished. For now, I have to do with the single. Like with Pip Blom, I haven't had the time to catch up (yet?). Had I heard Cousin blindfolded would I have recognised it as a Wilco song? Chances are no. Cousin definitely sounds different. Perhaps Tweedy's voice would have given it away but even that sounds different, I'd venture. All this is theory. What do I think of Cousin? What I like from the start, is the drive of the song. It gives it an urgency and an amount of energy that is often lacking in a Wilco song. Listen to how the electric guitar is strummed, full of accents and the percussive sound all throughout the song. It propels Cousin forward, almost hurtling, almost losing balance while stumbling forward. The purpose of a single is to make me curious for the album. Mission accomplished also.

Fireball Whiskey. Angie McMahon

How to describe Fireball Whiskey, beyond Angie McMahon drinking too much of it and throwing it back up? A difficult question to answer. Why? An answer starts with the conclusion that Fireball Whiskey is not your everyday song. It tells a story filled with unexpected rhyme. Musically there is a lead piano that seems to have a life of its own playing over an intense atmosphere, part supporting Angie McMahone's singing, part soundscapes. Musically, Porridge Radio is about the only reference I can think of, but Fireball Whiskey musically is far more complex, not necessarily more intense. The U.K. band will win on that score. Fireball Whiskey is a song that demands some serious listening. Anyone willing to provide the time will discover a lot to enjoy.

The Rest EP. boygenius

With a very successful and acclaimed eponymous debut album under its belt, boygenius returns with four songs remaining from the session that did not find their way to the album. A first and easy impression is that they were not on the album for a good reason. Some re-listening makes clear that conclusion is, indeed, too easy. The trio manages to get the best out of each composition. Baker-Bridgers-Dakus blend their voices in that superb way they are able of. The result is vocal magic. In a song like 'Afraid Of Heights', perhaps not more than an enriched demo, the three come together in the chorus and lift the song up beyond recognition. 'Voyager' is even more bare. A voice, an acoustic guitar and only oohs by all. It is enough to come across. My current lifespan makes it possible to oversee circa 80 years of popular music, including the generation before mine's favourites. 'Voyager' is the kind of song that Doris Day could have sung in the early 1950s, with an orchestra behind her filling the song up with violins and horns. It shows how boygenius' music fits into a long tradition. The final song is my favourite. 'Powers' is a dreamy song that has two feet firmly on the ground thanks to the tightly strummed acoustic guitar. A pair of trumpets play the, slow, solo, where the tempo falls away completely. The atmospheric sounds accompanying the whole song are still there. The end comes somewhat unexpected, as I would have wanted to hear a final verse and chorus. That is not to be. boygenius shares the odds and ends of their session(s) on The Rest and is more than justified to do so. The Rest is a nice addition to what we already have and again makes clear to me how the trio's sum is bigger than the parts, even in a more bare musical environment.

Man Of The Hour. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Okay, this is something completely different from what I had expected. Frank Carter the angry man of modern U.K. punk has changed into a crooner. Sticky in a totally different way. Man Of The Hour is a rock ballad, if anything showing what a good voice Carter has. He gets away totally with this musical change, simply because the man can sing. The Rattlesnakes produce everything between a dirty rock guitar to a smooth synth and a piano ballad. It all moves somewhere between Billy Joel and Suede, an interesting mix, if anything. Where I easily sit through an album like 'Sticky', I have no way of knowing what to expect from 'Dark Rainbow', the upcoming album. I do think 10 or 11 Man Of The Hours will be a bit overdoing it, but I will wait patiently and let the band surprise me.

Love Is A Slowburn Sting. Garlands

Scottish Garlands has released a new single and almost as if it is the most normal thing in the world, makes it to WoNoBlog. Love Is A Slowburn Sting holds element of early Bowie and a lot more things late 60s, early 70s poprock. Gordon Harrow and bandmates do a lot right on the new single. If anything, the fun of playing this song shines through like the sun on the brightest of summer days. The pop element in the song is so joyous. The enthusiasm simply bounces through my speakers. The song is not extremely fast, it's the pace of singing that makes it seem faster than it is. There is a lot of text and yet it all fits. Harrow doesn't have to exert himself to get it in the metrum. Did I mention that Love Is A Slowburn Sting is a great song. No? Let me correct this then here and now.

Wout de Natris