The Miseries. The Miseries

Strange things can happen. Paul McCartney composing an oratorio, Nigel Farage could welcome all non-British to the U.K. next year and advocate a prolonged U.K. E.U. membership. For all I care Geert Wilders turns muslim in 2017. The switch Tim Knol made from roots songs in a country Neil Young fashion to garage rocker would have been straight up there. Not any more. Tim Knol made that switch and The Miseries rock and not just a little.

Palio Superspeed Donkey reverberates through my mind all the time and I'm bursting out into several of their songs while listening to The Miseries. The songs on the album still need to get their own identity for me. At the same time this is tremendously fun. The Miseries play a whole lot of right notes on its debut album.

Tim Knol is joined by Kees Schaper on drums, Erik Lensink on bass and Melle Boersma on guitar. All but the significantly older Lensink used to play in a band in Hoorn, before Knol's breakthrough. Schaper is his long time drummer (and of many others), while Lensink has a recording studio the band used for all songs on this album. Together they formed a band that gave Knol the possibility to rock out in a punky way. And rock the band does.

The songs come by in one blur. A surge of energy grips me and simply doesn't let go. There is some variations. Especially on side two when the "ballad" 'Wiggle' comes by. Bee Gees like high raised voices in a fun song. The cover 'Sorrow' gets a The Miseries workover, i.e. twice as fast and over before you know it. The speed is phenomenal and is sped up live even more. I had a lame arm just from watching them play. (Read the review here: http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2015/04/record-store-day-afterparty-gebr-de.html)

70s punk comes by in several songs. 'Backdoor' is a fun example of that. Short riff outburst, shrill live notes, a fast basis and a warped solo. Short sentences sung with a sneer. These guys know exactly what they're doing. 'Out of existence' indeed, jazzy bar piano ending and all. One has to listen extremely carefully to get that pun. From the opening riff of 'Cracking up' The Miseries kick in the pedal and go for it in an almost relentless way. That just leaves one thing to mention. The harmonies the three band members create together. Knol, Schaper and Lensink know what it takes. Vocal harmonies and the guitar ones. They are all spot on. Punk or not, melody is key here. It is this combination that makes The Miseries a success.

With the album in the home on vinyl it is going to play regularly in the coming days and weeks. As far as I'm concerned Tim Knol made a fantastic move. The Miseries rocks and is loud, fast and proud to lend the title of a fantastic rock and roll compilation box of the early 00s. Tim Knol loves punk/garage rock and lets the whole world know. Great record.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Skintflint' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hi2G6zWcXo

Love massacre. Dee

It's not every day that someone contacts me directly with the request to review just one song. It's happened before, think e.g. that fantastic song of Lighting Vishwa Experience, 'Love when you don't want it' (read here: http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/08/love-when-you-dont-want-it-lighting.html). This kind of request came in via Twitter some weeks back, so I thought why not give it a try.

The funny thing is that at first listen I really thought this is not for me. Let's say that I was on my way to the 'Thriftshop', musically that is. But when someone asks nicely and even sends the music to me, I decided to let it lie and try again later. And so I did. Fact is that after a few spins I can easily hear why this track is appealing. Who are we talking about here?

Dee is a singer from Scotland, Glasgow to be more precise. She's been living in Los Angeles for a few years, before returning to Glasgow where she started to write songs with Brian Cunningham and Paul Duffin of Axis Sounds. She's labelled R&B and that is the exact reason why I started the review like I did. There's a second reason though. The 80s synth sounds always turn the allergic red spots on arms extremely on, making me itch all over. And still I was turned on to Love Massacre in the end.

Dee promo photo

The song holds a darkness within it of the sort that makes it quite appealing. This mix of Joy Division, Tubeway Army and Depeche Mode that turns up in 10s R&B rhythms and singing actually work well. It may not be for a whole album or even an EP, but time will tell. Dee sings over this darkness with the deeper range of her voice in a very convincing way.

The text is about the dregs of love, the lament after parting. Dee has found the right melodies and tone of voice for the pain to come out and show. She talks-sings herself through the story. It has a form of rawness that suits the topic quite well. There are a few interesting harmonies going on in the background. Voices come in from all sides and the dark Rammstein like, electronically treated "aahh", is fun. I can't tell whether all the voices are Dee's, but I suspect they are. In that case voice holds a lot of surprises for the future other than the dark-voiced talk-singing she doing mostly in the front of her debut single. Disillusion is all around here, but Love Massacre allows for some sunshine as it led to inspiration and an outlet.

So don't let yourself be turned off by the first chords and sounds of the song. Delve deeper and find the beauty hidden within. Love Massacre holds promise, so I'm looking forward to hearing more at a later stage.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Love Massacre' here:

http://youtu.be/YchepeP51xQ

Modern nature. The Charlatans

The Charlatans is a band that is around for over 25 years in 2015. A band that has known ups and downs and lost band members in ways that are not for every band. I had lost sight of them after 'Up To Their Hips', to regain attention in the mid 00s with the fantastic album 'You Cross My Path'. During the tour of that album I saw the band live in The Hague, where I wanted to see Joan as Policewoman and Supergrass. The Charlatans won easily the evening, if there had been prizes to give away that is.

To my surprise there has been an album in 2010, 'Who We Touch', which I appear to have missed. After this release things went quite for 5 years. The band lost its drummer due to a brain tumor and decided not to replace him for this album. As a four piece the band continues: Tim Burgess (vocals); original member Mark Blunt on bass; long time member Marc Collins on things guitar and keyboardist Tony Rogers, who replaced Rob Collins in 1997.

From a Dutch perspective The Charlatans is a typical UK band. Big over the smaller pond, nearly unknown here. There was a hit in the early 90s somewhere, but that is about it. The other perspective is that the band broke just before Britpop became a moniker in vogue. And still up and running.

Modern Nature is an extremely clear sounding record. Self-produced together with Jim Spencer, with credits to his name like New Order and Liam Gallagher, to name a few. The spacious mix makes it extremely pleasant to listen to with the head set on. Musically Modern Nature is unhasting itself. The dance rhythms and the rock fuelled, dancy rock songs are missing here. Modern Nature is an album for middle aged people who still like to listen to their bands of old. This isn't as bland as it may sound. The Charlatans shows with its latest record, that its position right behind the great bands of its hey day is still fully deserved. The urgency has been replaced by a mellowness that is extremely pleasing. At the right time of the day. It is at those moments that the broadly rolling keyboards and the arpeggiated guitars do their work in all the right ways.

Over all that Tim Burgess sings in a relaxed way, swaying me into relaxation. Beneath this all the beat may still be quiet busy, it is so that it augments the relaxed atmosphere. Listen to a song like 'Emilie' and you'll find out just what I mean. The Charlatans seems to have have found the best of both worlds (again). In a song like 'Let the Good Times Be Never Ending' a few rightly placed effects lift the song up in a great way. Backing ladies vocals, some horns and finally a warm lead organ with a 60s feel and all feels totally different. The band manages a few tricks like this on the album, making Modern Nature more attractive by the spin.

Although this usually has a negative connotation, Modern Nature shows that The Charlatans is grower older in an extremely graceful way. A song like 'I Need To Know' has this great sense of urgency, without any rolling of muscles. The organ/mellotron sounding gives the song a great 60s feel, while the power drives the song onwards, while Burgess keeps his cool. It is a song like this that I know that Modern Nature and I are going to be just fine. The downside is that I have to really listen. The album doesn't work being played in the background. For that it is too modest, certainly in the first half. The brakes slowly come off in the second half. The rockbeast is still hiding in their somewhere, which is just fine. The conclusion simply can be that The Charlatans may just take a turn in another direction come 2016 or onwards when starting contemplating record #13.

Wo.

You can listen to 'So oh' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLEGsayAXKw

or buy at Bol.com:

The Maureens live. Q-Bus Leiden, 10-04-2015

Photo: Wo.

 An incredible small amount of people showed up for an incredibly fun band. If the colleagues of keyboard player Bas hadn't showed up, we would almost have been the only people in the room. Announced as a try out gig for the new album, The Maureens played like they should and have fun as well.

That afternoon I listened to The Maureens on Spotify and liked what I heard. Not exceptional, but certainly good. Pop with an indie variation on an alt.americana kind of twist and a lot of singing, singing and singing. During the show I thought to hear The Jayhawks half of the time. There was one major difference: The Jayhawks were so boring on stage that I left early opting to catch the last train instead of depending on the night train. (Somewhere long ago in the mid or late 90s, in the days before WoNo Magazine.) No such problem with The Maureens. No problem at all.

Photo: Wo.

If anything the band knows how to write a pop song and also knows where the harmonies are in a song. as my girlfriend said: "The fun things you can do with just an ooh or aah". Courtesy of Bas on keyboard. Bas van de Looij en Hendrik-Jan de Wolff (there appear to be two Basses in The Maureens) write the songs and sing the double vocal lines. Yes, in The Jayhawks style, but also The Everly Brothers are a clear influence on the two. And TMGS, my dear Belgian friends, were hidden in the mix also. Listening to the two and three voices intertwine on stage was a sheer pleasure.

But there's more. With three guitarists in the line up a lot is possible. From the most delicate lead lines to vast eruptions all over Hendrik-Jan's rhythm guitar strumming, all came by. Underneath that all is a tight rhythm section and weaving in and out of it all is the organ. Together The Maureens create a playful sort of music that is great to listen to on stage.

Photo: Wo.

And there's Dolly. If you look in the background of the first picture you may just find out what I mean. Dolly the mascot of The Maureens can be found on stage.

Not all was well, as there were a lot of small mistakes, none that stopped the show, but mistakes none the same. The may a be an explanation though. Looking at the photo's on the website of the band, I'm under the impression that 50% on show there was not present this Friday night. Absent or replaced? That may count as the reason as well as an excuse. Still, that has to be better come September. On the 12th the new album is released with a party in Ekko in Utrecht after which the band embarks on a fall tour. Something to look out for.


Wo.

You can listen to 'Early June' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsHbNenJPXI

Sheeran, Howard, Hozier and Churchill

For me Ben Howard and Ed Sheeran are somehow intertwined. Between the two of them they have gotten a host of followers, while they themselves have followed in the extremely large footsteps of Damien Rice. Then there are second generation followers that score hits like Hozier and those who still have to find a large fan base like Kim Churchill and one that is on his way to world fame, James Bay.

For me there is not a single one of the four mentioned in the title that deserves a solo entry on this blog. For that I do not think their albums as a whole stand out enough, although Ben Howard came close. (James Bay is still on the backburner. Too new to decide at this point.) It was here that I came up with the idea to combine them, while deliberately saving Kim Churchill's album until I finally got around to finish this combined idea.

Ed Sheeran is the largest name at this point in time. With the singles of his latest album 'X', starting with the worldwide hit 'I see fire' he has conquered the world. However, when all is said and done his top 10 and even number 1 hit(s) just do not speak to me enough. 'X' is the album of a singer-songwriter full of songs that get a little hiphop infusion. Muted guitar strings is his other signature sound. His albums songs are more basic than his singles. Ed Sheeran hip hops on two thoughts in his music. Where someone like Jack Johnson is tipped the hat at also. In short, it isn't that Ed Sheeran has made a bad album, it has a lot of quality that is recognised by millions of people. It overall just doesn't do too much for me. A song like 'Photograph' is quite nice actually and shows that Damien Rice is a large influence on Sheeran as well.

Ben Howard appears to be more of an album artist and I sort of forgot to listen to 'I forget where we were'. Luckily these sort of albums tend to come by in the longer run anyway and here I am writing on the album. 'I forget where we were' is a strong album, focused and an extremely good reason to stop linking the two artists. Ben Howard develops in a totally different direction and seems to have a stronger drive, but lesser hits than Sheeran. If anything Ben Howard comes very close to Damien Rice, who I also did not review (Erwin Zijleman did). The hurt goes deeper and emotions seem to come from another level. In opening song 'Small things' it's made clear that the colours are dark, echoes from empty spaces envelope the listener. Not much to laugh with or at. Ben Howard sets these moods in a convincing way and keeps this level without too much of an obvious effort. 'I forget where we were' may be a dark album, a strong and good album it is. Musically it is varied with enough to listen to, but the darkness in the end turns me off too often.

Hozier scored a major hit as well. His 'Take me to church' is in the NL charts for circa half a year by now and peaked at #2. A bit of an unlikely hit song if you ask me, but extremely impressive none the same. (As Sinead O'Connor's song with the same title btw.) The rest of the album just never resonated with me. A sort of one ear in one ear out sort of album, that I gave up on after the third listen.

'Hozier' is the first album by Andrew Hozier-Byrne a 24 year old bard from Ireland who conquered the world with his breakthrough single. With a somewhat rough-edged voice he drives his nails into the door of the church of his youth. On the album Hozier goes off in some other directions as well. There is some gospel, 'Angels of small death and the codeine scene' a song that could be sung in church with a different arrangement (and lyric). There is some rock. 'Jackie and Wilson' is an elementary rocker in a classic trio line up, until the church choir kicks in. When the fourth song is a ballad in a Van Morrison jazzy style, we have four different songs in four songs. Hozier is not afraid to surprise and go out on any way he wants. So perhaps this album deserves a fourth listen. The fact remains that 17 songs is overdoing it, for the deluxe version that is.

Kim Churchill gave an extremely, surprisingly good show at the Q-Bus in 2014. A one man band wonder, creating storms and proved to be a fantastic singer. On record it is all a bit more down to earth and the album did not made that huge dent I had hoped for.

Kim Churchill is from Australia and tours the world on his own with a guitar, a looping machine, some percussion and a couple of stomp boxes. On record he allows himself some more accompaniment. And rightly so, as it gives his songs more depth. His exceptional guitar playing is allowed some room also, luckily, but at the same time Churchill allows in some classical string work also to pop up in the back ground. From the four he's the most direct in his music, I'd say. There are not too many effects used to get his music and message across. At the same time he falls under this line of musicians without a doubt. It is on listening to the intro of 'Fear of fire' that he puts himself on a different level. Playful/seriousness; both shine through. 'Fear of fire' ought to be on the radio soon. The best song of all covered here so far. After the Q-Bus show I told him that I thought him to better than Sheeran and Howard and listening to the albums in one go, I'll stick to my words. 'Silence/Win' is the better album. Churchill is the better singer, guitar player and his songs are just so much more fun. Just listen to 'Only time can take you on' and tell me if this doesn't convince you. If the other three can score these sort of hits, it's time you discover this guy. Silence/Win is your album. I know it's mine of these four. (Including James Bay, I can already add that much. Damien Rice is something else of course.)

Four albums that are different, but have a lot in common. Four albums that I rate completely different. Four singers who offer a lot to the world of which three have claimed their fame already. One left to go, dear listener. On you go; let the grass root movement start here.

Wo.

You can listen to 'I forget where we were' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpeK3zvmx2c

or 'Window to the sky' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip-5ddFD3m0

Vinticious versions. De Staat

Vinticious? Now what does that mean? Let's make a quess, a combination of vintage and deliscious. The story is easier. De Staat did several instores after the release of 'I-con', the band's last album. That took another approach to the songs. They had to be redone, brought down from the full band versions, etc. From one thing came another and the band decided to work from this and record some of these different versions or used the excuse to redo some songs totally. The result, the 8 song album Vinticious versions. Total make over? The term is fairly well in use here.

Google some on this title and you'll find text like "This is not the Beastie Boys". Now I've never been a real the Beastie Boys fan, but I recognise their style immediately. So I could have been fooled easily here. A joke, but certainly a convincing one, as this is just very well done.

That goes for the whole of the album. Vinticious versions is like a delicious in between dish during a many coursed meal. Although that most songs are recognisable for the fan, the way they are presented and the atmosphere as a whole are distinctly different. The band is just as tight and veers left and right sonically, but they have taken the top off and air and sun is let in. 'Build that, buy that' is a great example. The rhythm is there, the tension in the singing, but the rest is just fun. Almost like a child's song. All without losing anything of the unique quality of the song. De Staat has captured this exactly and still all is light. A hat off moment this is.

Basically I could stop here, were it not that 'Input source select' is up next. De Staat as the Beastie Boys. Here the band really adds something to the original. Although the Beastie Boys have been mentioned by me in one of De Staat reviews on this blog in the past as an influence, here the band goes all the way. All the subtleties are let out with a great almost new song as a result.

And facing all eight songs, the album as a whole, I see what De Staat made possible for itself: a total new look at and take on its own songs. 'Down town' gets a waltzy/jazzy mood with a lazy female voice added the part that is so full of speed in the original. So whatever "vinticious" officially means, my suggestion is to stick with "total makeover". Agreed? "Very nice surprise" is a translation I'll also settle for should you defer with the former.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Down town' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxYQ2YhLxpQ

Rock N Roll. Palio Superspeed Donkey live, Rotown Rotterdam. 14-03-2015

Pi day? Not in the civilized world that is. 14 03 was the day that I got to see Palio Superspeed Donkey live or the first time and became a fan, period. Although all members are younger than my own son, this is a rock band to keep a keen eye out on.

Of course the band was lauded on this blog before for its debut EP and debut album, only recently. The proof is in watching the band live as well. From the very first song it was totally clear that things were going to be alright. Like in some of the topics in the band´s songs, you can see the band members are kids and behave as such in a mix of being in awe of where they are at this point in time on stage, a few moments of uncertainty and doubt in response to what is going on in front of them and youthful brazenness that can take on the whole world. When all is said and done there was a band on stage that has the songs, can play them real well, but above all can add another level that makes the songs even better. Great three piece harmonies and the stops and starts that show this band can count flawlessly. Exactly these elements give an exciting edge to their music and lifts it to higher ground.

Coming from Amsterdam and play Rotterdam tends to some anxiety or so it seems. Who cares? because music isn't football. An Amsterdam band can triumph in 010 and god knows where the audience comes from? That is the fun thing about bands (and a Dutch national team). They are there for everybody to enjoy.

Palio Superspeed Donkey managed to weave their favorite bands into its mix in indie, punky garage rock. From The Kinks harmonies right up to Arctic Monkeys, including the accent, it all came by. Super tight and exciting. The good thing being that they turn it all into something their own. Singer Sam Vermeulen acts/is extremely cool in his leather jacket. Guitarist Willem Smit and drummer Camiel Muiser lay down the perfect harmonies and bass player Ruben van Weegberg doesnt sing so isn't 'tied to a mike and can jump around, pumping up the music and atmosphere. Together there is a band presence and as such they are much further than Taymir e.g.

Looking at the age of the band, frighteningly young from my perspective, I can only wonder what is next. As far as I'm concerned this is a band to watch. So good at this age simply means that it can only grow from now on. A funny sunrise is only out for just under two months. I can hardly wait to find out what will be next.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Kixin' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mXl09yt_bI

The physical world. Death from Above 1979

For some reason or other I thought that this band was not for me. I can't remember why, the impression that this was a dance duo?, but there was something about the reviews to date that made sure that I never listened to one of Death from Above 1979. Boy was I wrong!

Another duo band, another unusual line up, bass-drum with embellishments here and there, but so melodic, so up beat and so alive. From the very first note the pedal is down the metal. A question that sort of presents itself to me is why does anyone who can play like this want to play a bass guitar and not a regular electric one? The sound of this bass is definitely different. A whole truckload of effect boxes is let loose on the innocent bass guitar, which creates a large sound, omnipresent. The drumming fills up all else. Apart from that the duo does not shun things extras that make the songs a bit different and more melodic. Not unlike The Black Keys, with which I'd start comparing Death from Above 1979.

Death from Above 1979 is a Canadian band from Toronto. Jesse F. Keeler on bass, synths and background vocals and Sebastien Grainger on drums and vocals. In 2004 the band released an album,'You're a woman, I'm a machine', but disbanded in 2006. Both musicians worked with others in the meantime. In 2011 they started playing again, which led to The physical world, ten years after the release of the band's first album.

The most noticeable feat on The physical world is the variety and melodic strength of the album. Working in a duo format has to bring out the best in both partners. In the olden days that was conceived by harmony singing, think Simon & Garfunkel. In more modern days by cooking up storms on an instrument and drums. For me personally all that started with The White Stripes over ten years ago, after which many other duo bands followed. In 2014 Death from Above 1979, having missed that which went before.

Royal Blood, another bass-drums band, was reviewed earlier on this blog. Both bands compare favourably to each other I have to say, being able to bring more out of a song than at first sight seems possible with drums and bass. The physical world has a fullness and richness in sound which I think to be warm and includes the, extremely effective and totally convincing, essence of what a whole band could have done with these songs. Truth be told that is because of some pleasant overdubs. Like The Black Keys and The White Stripes burst out of the duo setting in the studio. What all that does, is make this album not only a rocking record, but also a rare form of pop record. A song like 'White is red' must be a hit in another universe for sure.

At the same time Death from Above 1979 can start a desert rocker, mix in some Bee Gees vocals and rock on some more. The duo does not let itself be tied into a small rock corner. It explores all the other corners, crawls through the space beneath the floor, dirt and all and drags it along to take a long, pleasant peep outside, through the veranda's French doors, with and without the Venetian blinds closed. The result is multi moods and approaches to a song. The basis may be alternative rock, but a lot of goodies were stacked on top, and that is what creates the luring mix The physical world is. Raise your fist, but don't forget to put a smile on your face and sing along. It is all possible on The physical world.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Trainwreck 1979' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqBYHrw9_ys

Colours and their things. Emil Landman

Coloured the cover of Emil Landman's album is, but nice? No, it's not. The patchwork of a quilt, modern art or the drawing of a five year old in kindergarden. It's all possible. As it is about the music, I'll skip further comments on the cover.

Listening to Emil Landman I can't escape the feeling that NL has its own Shane Alexander.  In mood and quality. Landman is a soft voiced troubadour sharing his thoughts and feelings in a soft, non-outspoken, but oh so beautiful way.

Emil Landman is 24 and travels extensively. The travel stories find their way to his albums. It all started with his DYI album 'A bargain between beggars' and now his first major release Colours and their things.

Shane Alexander is the standard here. Landman's voice is deeper, but all things spell the way the Los Angeles singer-songwriter makes, plays and sings his music. 'For your review' could even be on one of Alexander's albums and no one would notice the difference. Combined with the songs Landman presents me with makes for a pleasant listening experience.

Of course that isn't the whole story. Otherwise I would never have started this review. Colours and their things offers enough on its own to allow to put in time and effort. Emil Landman is not afraid to throw in a little Ry Cooder, 'Paris, Texas' style in the instrumental opener 'North on California'. The guitar sound is crystal clear, like a clear desert morning. So laidback, yet so delicate. In the second song some songs on Patrick Joseph's 'Moonking' come to mind and in a pleasantly surprising way, I might add. By then, only the second song or first "real" song into the album, it's clear to me that Emil Landman is bound to surprise me more often. He does not want to be stuck in one hole only.

Promo photo V2

Colours and their things is a singer-songwriter album, where the singer is enveloped by so much more that just his guitar. In the band setting Emil Landman starts to excel. His slightly hoarse voice can go into a Chris Martin direction, yes there's some Coldplay in here as well, and into the two already mentioned singers. However, Landman is always is master over his songs. The songs are there to underscore his singing, not the other way around.

The bio coming with the album tells of roadtrips through the U.S. that inspired Landman while writing for his album. In as far as Landman brings us music with a U.S. flavour I can perfectly understand the bio. For the rest it is sort of useless information. It starts with the songs and ends with the songs and more specifically with their quality. At this point I have to owe up that there isn't a single original song on Colours and their things. It has all been done before. The fact is that at this point in time I don't care as, Emil Landman's voice is extremely pleasant to listen to and his songs are certainly above average. Every single one makes that mark and that is something not a lot of artist can say for themselves. On the other hand there isn't a single nine or ten on the album either. To write in soccer terms, the player which scores a 7 each match is the soccer player of the year, so there you go Emil.

Colours and their things is not officially Emil Landman's debut album, but his first with a major company and it shows. I couldn't find who the musicians on the album are, but they've done a very adequate job. Emil layed down the ball on the dot and only had to do one thing. And he did, score. An intriguing and fine album this is.

Wo.

The Velvet Underground. 45th anniversary super deluxe edition. The Velvet Undergorund

How to milk a cow until it bleeds dry? We had the new albums in the 80s with the never released songs. Many "greatest hits" compilations. The "Peel off and see' cd box in the 00s. The 'Loaded' double cd. And now 45th anniversary boxes. All to celebrate a band that never broke, never scored a single hit and released only four albums during its life span of five years. But we are talking The Velvet Underground here. A band that influenced a whole horde of other bands, right up to today and spawned two careers that last(ed) decades: Lou Reed's and John Cale's.

On top of all that 'The Velvet Underground' is my personal favourite of the four. Next to that there's 'VU' with all the songs that were not released in 1969. Another favourite. Most of that songs return on the 4th disc of this six disc set and make up for the super in this deluxe galore. So after 'White light/white heat' (http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/08/white-lightwhite-heat-45th-anniversary.html) and Hollis Brown's 'Gets loaded' (http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2014/06/gets-loaded-hollis-brown.html), some more attention on The Velvet Underground on this blog, the band I was lucky enough to see the second time around in the 90s in the half filled Ahoy arena in Rotterdam.

Having gotten into contact with The Velvet Underground in the early 80s, I remember having a very hard time to get to grips with 'The Velvet Underground & Nico'. So it may well be that I only bought 'The Velvet Underground' a few years later. That album and I hit it off much easier. The easy way out of an explanation: John Cale's absence. It's that easy. Just read in the 'White light/white heat' review that I managed to sit through 'Sister Ray' for the first time in 2014! There's nothing like that on 'The Velvet Underground'.

That album can be found only three times in the box. The 'Valentin mix', in mono and the 'Closet mix'. Thank you, but where do I start? With disc one and I'll stick to that thank you. Enter Doug Yule in The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed lets him sing the opening song. Soft voiced he croons through the ballad 'Candy says'. One of my best friends danced to this song at a dorm party in the mid 80s and fell in love during 'Candy says' and 'Pale blue eyes' believe it or not. Both are beautiful ballads and show a soft side of Lou Reed that is almost unimaginable when you look at the harsh character he usually chose to display in public. Much softer than in the Nico sung ballads. The paranoia and German, under the skin, tensions are all gone.

That The Velvet Underground could rock hard is proven by 'What goes on'. I loved to play this song in my previous band. The singer unfortunately didn't. The shrill organ is a blast, like the factory whistle calling everyone in for the day, while the rhythm keeps pounding and pounding, like the machines in the steel mill. Simply no letting go here.

'Some kind of love' is a sort of Lou Reed song we would hear many times in the future. Two guitars at both ends of the mix, with only a very basic rhythm and more recitation than singing. At the same time, Reed is looser and permits himself a little frolicking in oohs here and there. He seems to be enjoying himself in this song. Joy not being something I associated Lou Reed with. The song also holds the line "Between thoughts and expression", the title of his lyrics book. A line that comes close to the famous line by Willem Elsschot in his poem 'The mariage': "Between dreams and deeds lie practical objections and laws as well" (while contemplating to kill his wife).

"Pale blue eyes" is that other great ballad on 'The Velvet Underground'. This time Reed sings himself. By then it is very clear that we are dealing with a very basic album. A tambourine, a very soft bass, one, clean and jazzy sounding guitar and an organ. Mixed very far apart, creating a vast space where the voice can meander around in, which Lou Reed does. The effect is pure magic.

'Jesus' is a very odd one out, but one of my favourite VU songs. The song manages to express all the doubts someone can have while falling out of his' or her's religion without saying so in any words. Quite the opposite even: "help me find my proper place". Lou Reed and Doug Yule harmonise in a beautiful way. Unique in the band's recordings. Again the arrangement is so basic. Even an acoustic guitar, bending notes is in there. Also a unicum for the band, I guess.

Let's rock some more. 'Beginning to see the light' is another one of my favourite VU songs. The bass plays these delicious Paul McCartney bassruns. The melody is exquisite and the playing strong. "I wore my teeth in my hands", why not. 'Jesus' did help in the end?, as Lou sees the light here. When you write a song like this, you certainly were inspired. The tempo and mood changes give the song these little extras, lifting it even further up. The 'How does it feel to be loved" part, changes the feel of the song again. Totally top.

'I'm set free' is another ballad, but fuller and a take on a 60s pop song Velvet's style. Doug Yule is prominent in certain parts of the song. Closer to pop than this, the band never was or would be.

'That's the story of life' is a jazzy outing, that just sits well on the album. Not so much a filler, but not as outstanding as several other songs on the album.

'The murder mystery' brings memories of the Cale-era VU to the fore. A strange rhythm. Different lyrics being recited left and right by Reed and Sterling Morrison. Two sets of lyrics sung by Tucker and Yule also opposite each other in the mix. No matter how experimental, the melody works and the oppressive atmosphere of the "verses" is extremely convincing. No matter what all is said and sung. Too hard to follow. Just listen to the guitar melodies and you know that a lot of thought went into this experiment. And then all switches to piano and organ and some psychedelia.

The album ends with 'Afterhours'. The song that got Maureen Tucker such a huge applause during the reunion tour. Something the ego of Lou Reed couldn't appreciate. His body language was very expressive at that moment. A jazzy outing that works so well. A new sort of song for Lou Reed, that would put up some more later in his career. The highlight of Maureen Tucker's career, no doubt. On album #4 there's 'I'm sticking with you' in which she is allowed another solo act. Even Sterling Morrison has one line solo here.

On Wikipedia you can find all about the different mixes, mainly about Lou Reed's ego playing up (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground_%28album%29). Just like on the live registration of the mid 90's.

On disc two there's mono, on three the Closet mix, on 5 and 6 a live show. On disc four are all the extras, that would have made up the "long lost VU album". Whether it was ever intended to be released or not, doesn't matter any more. It would never have changed the ending of the band and has mostly been released circa 30 years ago. Only to add the reputation The Velvet Underground had already gained by then. The selection starts out with that fantastic rock song 'Foggy notion'. As strong as if not better than 'Beginning to see the light. The harmonies are just this little better, the guitar work just this little sharper. And the band shelved it. Why? Some songs come back on Lou Reed's solo albums, as far as 1976's 'Coney Island Baby'. The fantastic poppy version of 'She's my best friend' present here, proves that Lou Reed could write a the Beatles song, a strange one, but one none the same. A true treasure trove disc 4 is. 'Coney Island steeplechase' e.g. is as punky as most bands just eight years later aspired to become. There's so much more left to tell, but let me sum up for now:

Should I ever have doubted it, then there is no questioning left. 'The Velvet Underground' is a five star album all the way and, yes, absolutely the band's best.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Foggy notion' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiT_O90jkUI

Heigh ho. Blake Mills

Het jaar 2014 liep naar zijn einde. .No en Wo. waren bezig WoNo Magazine 14.1 te maken en Erwin Zijleman werd gevraagd naar zijn plaat van het jaar. "Moeilijk, moeilijk. Het zijn er zo veel. Ik ben nog aan het schrappen", kwam er steeds als respons. Met de deadline echt in zich en dat wil wat zeggen bij de WoNo, heeft  Wo. via de e-mail Erwin's arm op de rug gedraaid. Dit is de plaat die daar uit volgde.

Ik had tot voor kort nog nooit van Blake Mills gehoord, maar inmiddels durf ik wel te beweren dat deze Blake Mills met Heigh Ho één van de meest opvallende platen van 2014 heeft gemaakt. 

Heigh Ho opent met een track die voornamelijk bestaat uit even opvallende als wonderschone gitaarakkoorden en de prachtige stem van Blake Mills. Mills zit in vocaal opzicht ergens tussen John Hiatt, Ry Cooder en Elvis Costello in en raakt ook in muzikaal opzicht aan deze drie grootheden. 

Het gitaarwerk in de openingstrack van Heigh Ho is echter van een unieke schoonheid. Het is gitaarwerk dat zich zachtjes op de achtergrond kan vleien, maar dat ook kan uitsporen en uit de speakers kan knallen. Het is bovendien gitaarwerk van een zeer getalenteerd en avontuurlijk gitarist en deze zijn schaars. 

Het levert een unieke track op die Blake Mills onmiddellijk op de kaart zet als een bijzonder groot talent. In de tracks die volgen houdt Blake Mills het niveau van de ijzersterke openingszet met opvallend gemak vast. Heigh Ho blijft verbazen met een bijzondere instrumentatie vol prachtig gitaarwerk en een stem die de zo knappe songs naar een nog wat hoger niveau tilt. 

Het bovenstaande suggereert wellicht dat Blake Mills op Heigh Ho bijna alles in zijn eentje doet, maar dat is zeker niet het geval. Mills laat zich op zijn tweede plaat bijstaan door andere Don Was, Jim Keltner, Gabriel Kahane, Benmont Tench, Jon Brion en Mike Elizondo. Stuk voor stuk hele grote namen. De grootste verrassing is voor mij echter de aanwezigheid van Fiona Apple, die in twee tracks garant staat voor nog meer kippenvel dan Blake Mills al wist op te roepen in de andere tracks. 

In vrijwel alle tracks staat het geweldige gitaarspel van Blake Mills centraal in de instrumentatie. Soms blijft het hierbij, maar in een aantal gevallen worden songs rijk ingekleurd met stemmige klanken. Hoe vol het geluid van Blake Mills ook is, het klinkt allemaal loepzuiver, warm en prachtig geproduceerd. 

Blake Mills maakt stemmige muziek die in veel gevallen enkele decennia oud zou kunnen zijn, maar zijn geluid vind ik persoonlijk uniek. Heigh Ho is een plaat die je verwacht van een gelouterde muzikant die hernieuwde inspiratie heeft gevonden en niet van een muzikant die nog aan de start van zijn carrière staat, maar Blake Mills heeft hem wel degelijk gemaakt. 

Mills werkt naar verluid al een aantal jaren samen met Fiona Apple (toch één van mijn persoonlijke favorieten) en ik hoor inmiddels in muzikaal opzicht flink wat overeenkomsten met Fiona Apple. Waar de laatste met haar piano een uniek donker geluid neer weet te zetten, doet Blake Mills dit met zijn geweldige gitaarspel. Net als Fiona Apple is Blake Mills verder een meester in het schrijven van wat onderkoelde, maar ook bijzonder indringende en intieme songs.

Het zijn songs die in veel gevallen kiezen voor een vast stramien, maar toch klinken ze allemaal anders. Heigh Ho bevat 12 songs en ze zijn allemaal van een ontzettend hoog niveau. Het zijn bovendien allemaal songs die hard binnenkomen. Enerzijds door de heftige instrumentatie en anderzijds door de mooie en gepassioneerde vocalen van Blake Mills. Ik heb Heigh Ho inmiddels een tijdje in huis en kan er uiteindelijk maar één predicaat aan verbinden: Onbetwist meesterwerk. Het is bovendien één van de grootste verrassingen van de eerste drie kwartalen van 2014.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt hier naar 'Don't tell our friends about me' luisteren:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhJ4T5NSpI8

The Parts Of Us That Still Remain. Michelle Lewis

De naam Michelle Lewis zal wel wat vaker voor komen en dus moeten we Spotify maar vergeven dat ze het inmiddels (ook door mij) vergeten meesterwerk Little Leviathan uit 1998 hebben toegekend aan de Michelle Lewis die nu opduikt met The Parts Of Us That Still Remain.

Elk nadeel heeft zijn voordeel, wat in dit geval betekende dat mijn interesse door de ongewenste persoonsverwisseling direct was gewekt (want ik heb Little Leviathan van die andere Michelle Lewis ooit intens gekoesterd).

De muziek deed de rest, want Michelle Lewis maakt op haar tweede plaat muziek die me vooral aan Jewel doet denken en dat is toch nog steeds een van mijn persoonlijke favorieten (al wordt ze door haar recente platen steeds meer een ‘guilty pleasure’).

Michelle Lewis genoot haar opleiding aan het roemruchte Berklee College of Music in Boston, dat inmiddels heel wat beroemde muzikanten in haar archieven kan terugvinden (variërend van Quincy Jones, Donald Fagen en Diana Krall tot Gillian Welch, Aimee Manne en Paula Cole). Of Michelle Lewis ooit ook tot het beroemde erfgoed van de Berklee College of Music gaat behoren zal de tijd moet leren, maar ze heeft zeker haar kwaliteiten.

Die waren al te horen op de platen die ze de afgelopen jaren in eigen beheer uitbracht, maar The Parts Of Us That Still Remain is nog net wat beter. Het is zoals gezegd muziek die wel wat aan die van (een jonge) Jewel doet denken, wat betekent dat The Parts Of Us That Still Remain vol staat met aangenaam klinkende luisterliedjes met vooral invloeden uit de country en met name de folk.

Het zijn luisterliedjes die mooie verhalen vertellen, die opvallen door een smaakvolle en doeltreffende instrumentatie en die uiteindelijk bijzonder fraai ingekleurd worden door de mooie stem van Michelle Lewis.

Net als Jewel beschikt Michelle Lewis over een stem die warm en meisjesachtig klinkt, maar waarin ook altijd een rauw randje is verstopt. Het is voor mij een verleiding die nauwelijks is te weerstaan, waardoor ik de laatste weken keer op keer greep naar The Parts Of Us That Still Remain.

Het heeft ertoe geleid dat ik de nieuwe plaat van Michelle Lewis nog veel beter vind dan een paar weken geleden. The Parts Of Us That Still Remain is op het eerste gehoor misschien een plaat die het vooral moet hebben van lekker in het gehoor liggende en heerlijk lome popliedjes met een beetje roots, maar naarmate je deze vaak wat melancholische popliedjes vaker hoort beginnen ze te groeien en geven ze steeds meer geheimen en diepgang prijs.

The Parts Of Us That Still Remain van Michelle Lewis schaart zich daarom op de valreep alsnog onder de rootsverrassingen van 2014.

Erwin Zijleman

The Parts Of Us That Still Remain van Michelle Lewis ligt in Nederland nog niet in de winkel, maar is wel verkrijgbaar bij cdbaby (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michellelewis5) of via de bandcamp pagina van Michelle Lewis (http://michellelewis.bandcamp.com/album/the-parts-of-us-that-still-remain).

Annabelle Dream Reader. The Wytches

Beautiful cover, isn't it. A work of art (on display). As colourful as the music itself, if you have a taste for the 60s influenced rock of The Wytches. The band mixes 60s rock with some punk of the 70s of the previous and the abandon of the 10s of this century.

Annabelle dream reader starts with a twang and reverb guitar that makes me think of that fantastic 60s hit by ZZ & the Maskers, 'Dracula'. The song, 'Digsaw', caught my attention straight away. Played in a way that singer Bob Bouber and the brothers De Hond could never have perceived, let alone played and still 'Dracula' is a clear grandfather to the grandchild 'Digsaw'. The Wytches are able to tap into 50 years and some more songs and sounds by now to execute its ideas. Then it was all new and exciting. Compared to The Black Marble Selection's debut album 'Under the skin' that was reviewed a few days ago on this blog, The Wytches do not want to be put into one corner only. For that the band blends too many influences, some old, some new, and does not just copy a style with original songs. There's as much Arctic Monkeys on this album as there is Duane Eddy or Link Wray, to drop two names of old.

The Wytches consists of singer guitarist Kristian Bell, drummer Gianni Honey and bassist Daniel Rumsey. They come out Brighton nowadays, having been formed in Peterborough. A lot seems to be going around that old, defunct pier in the 10s I have to say. The band started playing together in 2011 and after a string of singles and EPs released its debut album in the summer 2014.

The buzz word of this album should be excitement. Kristian Bell spits out his lyrics, changing his voice to dramatic shouts and wails, Gordon Gano on 'Hallowed ground' anyone?, while the whole band underscores this by making a lot of noise in the right places. Surf guitar sounds blend with rock, while there's some psychedelic overtones in the edge of madness that shows its face from around the corner every once in a while. Australian band Jet comes to mind sometimes in its louder songs where The Beatles are left alone and Iggy Pop is allowed in, just like The Vines were so good at as well. The Wytches have that peddle down the whole time. No relenting here. In the first half of the album that is.

'Wire frame mattress' seems to be as slow as it gets, at least at that point into the album. All is relative as you understand. In the music on Annabelle dream reader several things come together. Some great surf guitarists, e.g. Dick Dale, without the famous, ultra fast descending string runs, The Kinks and The Who of 1964, Johnny Rotten's snot, Oasis' spunk and a more modern bands like The Libertines. If you appreciate a mix like this, then you'll be alright with The Wytches. The band can cook up a storm and has the songs to make that happen. It's not the best I've ever heard, but Annabelle dream reader certainly is an album I've come back to over the past months, right up to this moment that I decided to seriously invest time in to it.

Even when the pressure really goes off, again things are relative here, e.g. in 'Weights and ties' and 'Part time model'. The slower songs make the album even more interesting. It shows that The Wytches really isn't a one trick pony and is of interest beyond the surf-psych-rock segment. A comment could be that this album has a clear middle dip. The up tempo start and the slower tempo middle, perhaps even a clear A and B side. Putting that aside, The Wytches shows it has room to develop beyond this album, some true potential, which is going to be interesting to follow over the coming years.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Wire frame mattress' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7deSgu3-Fb0

Sundowner. HT Heartache

Ik kijk ieder jaar erg uit naar de jaarlijstjes van Pitchfork en PopMatters; wat mij betreft de twee interessantste alternatieve Amerikaanse muzieksites. Dit jaar vallen deze lijstjes me echter flink tegen, waarbij het feit dat beiden een rapplaat als lijstaanvoerder hebben voor mij veelzeggend is.
 
Gelukkig heeft PopMatters ook nog lijstjes per genre en hierin zijn wel enkele krenten uit de pop te vinden. Die in het Americana lijstje komt van ene HT Heartache en luistert naar de titel Sundowner.
 
De naam HT Heartache zei me eerlijk gezegd helemaal niets en er is ook niet heel veel informatie over haar op het Internet te vinden, maar het blijkt het alter ego van de tot voor kort uit Los Angeles maar tegenwoordig vanuit Philadelphia opererende Mary Roth.
 
Mary Roth maakte een paar jaar geleden al eens een plaat als HT Heartache (het in 2010 verschenen Swing Low, overigens ook een uitstekende plaat), maar met Sundowner heeft ze, in ieder geval in de Verenigde Staten, de harten van de critici veroverd.
 
Dat is niet zo gek, want Sundowner is een buitengewoon fascinerende plaat met een heel bijzonder geluid. Het is een geluid dat vaak is te omschrijven als Mazzy Star dat een Americana plaat heeft gemaakt met Cowboy Junkie Margot Timmins als zangeres. Het is een omschrijving die ten dele duidelijk maakt in welke hoek we HT Heartache moeten zoeken, maar het is ook een omschrijving die lang niet het hele verhaal vertelt.
 
Sundowner bevat 8 songs. Het zijn songs die zich over het algemeen langzaam voortslepen. Het zijn songs met een vrij ingetogen instrumentatie, waarin gitaren domineren. Het zijn tenslotte songs die door Mary Roth worden voorzien van dromerige vocalen, al zijn het wel dromerige vocalen met emotie en pit.
 
Sundowner bevat acht songs die langzaam onder de huid kruipen, maar als ze daar eenmaal zitten is de tweede plaat van HT Heartache een plaat met een enorme impact. Sundowner heeft zoveel impact door de bijzondere sfeer en door de unieke vocalen van Mary Roth, maar de tweede plaat van HT Heartache is ook een plaat die bol staat van de invloeden en hierdoor steeds weer andere beelden oproept.
 
Het zijn invloeden die beginnen bij de 60s folk uit de Laurel Canyon bij de voormalige thuisbasis van Mary Roth, maar Sundowner maakt vervolgens een muzikale tijdreis die via de jaren 90 (Cowboy Junkies, Mazzy Star) in het heden eindigt en stiekem ook wat invloeden uit de psychedelica omarmt.
 
Sundowner is een donkere en melancholische plaat, maar het is ook een plaat waarbij het heerlijk wegdromen is, zeker wanneer Mary Roth voorzichtig op lijkt te schuiven richting new age, maar dat uiteindelijk toch niet doet.
 
Sundowner is een plaat die meerdere keren bekend klinkt, maar aan de andere kant maakt HT Heartache muziek die niet direct zijn gelijke kent. Sundowner is hierdoor een vat vol tegenstrijdigheden dat steeds intrigerender, maar ook steeds mooier en dierbaarder wordt.
 
Direct na één keer horen was ik in de ban van de bijzondere stem van Mary Roth en haar bijzondere songs, maar sindsdien heb ik zoveel meer moois gehoord op deze plaat dat ik er van baal dat ik toch weer wat te vroeg ben geweest met mijn jaarlijstje. Sundowner van HT Heartache had in dit jaarlijstje immers zeker niet misstaan.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt hier naar Sundowner luisteren en de cd aanschaffen:


http://htheartache.bandcamp.com/

Idea. Bee Gees

The Klaus Voormann U.S. sleeve

Another album in the 1968-69 series on WoNoBloG in which Wo. takes a look at albums behind the hits of his early youth, albums he never heard at the time, nor since. The hitsingles are sort of a part of his DNA, written on a blank space. In this series you can find reviews on Blood, Sweat & Tears, Donovan, Blue Cheer, The Cats and others. Today's turn is the second 1968 album of Bee Gees, Idea.

Bee Gees were around/famous for a little over a year when I got home with my first Veronica Top 40 leaflet. The hit in that top 40 was, 'I've gotta get a message to you'. Something like the tenth hit in 15 months, including 3 #1 hits. The Beatles like proportions Bee Gees reached in NL in 1967/68. Three Australian brothers with two compatriots that had been picked up by manager/producer Robert Stigwood.

In an earlier piece I wrote on Bee Gees in WoNo Magazine at the death of Robin Gibb (http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2012/05/im-robin-gibb-1949-2012.html) (and on The Cats on the death of its guitarist, Cees Veerman), I wrote that I have a hard time to place this band. Who to compare it to, as they seem to be in a universe of its own? Bee Gees attracted a large audience, must have had a large fanbase at the time. From the pictures I remember they dressed as hippies, had long hair, but at the same time they looked like the older boys next door. The pop band for Christian girls? Well, the 8 year old I was certainly liked the Bee Gees, and today are sort of my guilty pleasure, combined with the sentiment of the 7, 8 and 9 year old hidden away somewhere inside that veers up every time a Bee Gees hit comes by. With the exception of 'Main course', the 1975 soul conversion album of the band, I have no album in the house, but have a lot of the 60s singles from fairs, second hand stores, etc. So what is a Bee Gees album like?

The U.K. Sleeve

Well, a lot like the singles. The songs go off in a lot of different directions, but always remain seemly. Just a hint of psychedelia, more in the slightly slurred singing than the music. Songs with a lot of orchestration behind them, but in front of that is a band. Something I did not really expect. All the instruments are played by the five band members, who next to the three Gibbs were Colin Peterson on drums and Vince Melouney on lead guitar. Next to that there is a clear influence from The Everly Brothers. 'Kitty can' has the sort of singing the two Everlys became famous with. At the same time 'Kitty can' has elements of The Who singles like 'Happy Jack' and 'I'm a boy'. A strange sounding mix, but here it is.

In 1968 Bee Gees was a hit band for only one year, but already discord raged high in the band. I remember that there was another line up for the band about "once a week": a new single, a new line up it seemed to me. Robin Gibb was recording on his own. It even looks like there were two bands on this record, Robin Gibb and the rest. Melouney left the band in the fall, but not before he sang solo on his own song, 'Such a shame', an appropriate title we now know. (By the way, 'Such a shame' is a surprisingly good song, less Bee Gees more 60s pop/rock. I like this one.) Idea had been released by then and all songs for the follow up, 'Odessa' (1969) already had been recorded in the same sessions. Next to that singles were released in a stand alone fashion.

I notice that it is somehow hard to form a real opinion of the songs on Idea. They are so far away from what I usually listen to and at the same time they, nearly all, sound so familiar. Of course there are two hits, 'I've gotta to get a message to you', which certainly is one of my absolute favorite Bee Gees songs and 'I started a joke', a far more elementary song, one that only has basics and stripped away all superfluous sounds. A song which is all about the vocal melody, by Robin Gibb. There's a third single that was released in 1971 or 72 in NL, 'When swallows fly'. Like recorded songs from these sessions that were released as single in 1970, two years later, at a time that maybe there wasn't even a band anymore due to the inner strive, but still loads of recorded work that could be released.

The hard thing is that I can not honestly say that I truly like what I'm hearing, while at the same time I can't say I hate it. In fact this album is very well made, with craftsmanship in plain sight and these guys can sing. The piano sounds so familiar, so Bee Gees. Just listen to the opening song, 'Let there be love'. If ever there was an exemplary Bee Gees 60s song, it's this one. It has the singing, the violins, the piano. All. There isn't a bad song on Idea, but it is on the edge of the sort of music I prefer to listen to.

So perhaps Bee Gees was the One Direction or Take That of their generation, but one with an astonishingly long career, still scoring hitsingles in the 1990s. And all with the compositions of the Gibb brothers in one constellation or other. So in the end I'll write that Idea surprised me in some ways and that I like it in the way I like nearly all the singles by the band in their first three years.

Wo.

You can listen to 'I've gotta get a message to you' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA4CInDnTk8


\

The Gloaming. The Gloaming

Je hebt van die platen waarbij het kwartje lange tijd maar niet wil vallen. Al maanden lees en hoor ik jubelverhalen over het debuut van The Gloaming, maar de plaat kon mij tot voor kort maar niet bekoren. Mooie ingetogen Ierse folk met verrassende invloeden, dat wel, maar het raakte me niet, waardoor de verveling uiteindelijk toe sloeg.
 
Dat veranderde pas nadat de Nederlandse promotor van de plaat me de cd ook fysiek had opgestuurd en ik tijdens autoritten de tijd kon nemen voor deze plaat. Dat heeft het debuut van The Gloaming kennelijk nodig, want langzaam maar zeker heeft het debuut van The Gloaming me betoverd en veroverd.
 
The Gloaming bestaat uit een aantal Amerikaanse en een aantal Ierse muzikanten, van wie de Amerikaan Thomas Bartlett, die als Doveman een aantal prachtige platen heeft gemaakt, voor mij de bekendste is.
 
De Ierse muzikanten lijken in eerste instantie hun stempel te drukken op de muziek van The Gloaming. Dat ligt vooral aan de instrumentale intermezzo’s met strijkers en aan de in het Gaelic gezongen teksten.
 
Het zijn precies deze twee ingrediënten van de muziek van The Gloaming die me in eerste instantie het meest in de weg zaten. De instrumentale intermezzo’s zaten op het eerste gehoor goed in elkaar maar hadden voor mij geen meerwaarde, terwijl de in een voor mij overstaanbare taal gezongen teksten de aandacht wegtrokken van de muziek. Inmiddels hoor ik wel de meerwaarde van de instrumentale intermezzo’s en draagt het gebruik van het Gaelic alleen maar bij aan de magie van de muziek van The Gloaming.
 
The Gloaming maakt zoals gezegd muziek die is geworteld in de traditionele Ierse folk. Dat is muziek die ik slechts in zeer beperkte mate in de platenkast heb staan, waardoor ik erg moest wennen aan deze folk variant. De muziek van The Gloaming beperkt zich echter zeker niet tot de Ierse folk. De Amerikaanse muzikanten van de band hebben hun bagage uit de Amerikaanse folk en de jazz meegenomen en krijgen alle ruimte om deze invloeden in te brengen in de muziek van The Gloaming.
 
Deze muziek krijgt vorm in een aantal lange tot zeer lange tracks, die zich bijna zonder uitzondering zeer langzaam voortslepen. De muziek van The Gloaming moet het zeker niet hebben van snel effectbejag. In de meeste tracks wordt uiterst langzaam naar een climax toegewerkt.
 
Dat is zeker in het begin even wennen, maar wanneer je de songs wat beter kent hoor je continu de onderhuidse spanning die de muziek van The Gloaming zo’n bijzondere lading geeft. Deze lading is samen met het muzikale vakmanschap dat van de plaat afdruipt voor een belangrijk deel verantwoordelijk voor de magische uitwerking die de muziek van The Gloaming uiteindelijk heeft.
 
Het is muziek waarin meerdere werelden elkaar niet uitsluiten maar omarmen, met uniek klinkende muziek als resultaat. Liefhebbers van Ierse folk zullen waarschijnlijk makkelijker vallen voor de muziek van The Gloaming dan muziekliefhebbers die niet thuis zijn in dit genre, maar inmiddels weet ik uit eigen ervaring dat geduld loont. Als je het debuut van The Gloaming de tijd geeft om te groeien hoor je uiteindelijk muziek die een geheel eigen universum creëert. Het is een universum waarin stress, haast en geldingsdrang ontbreken, maar onder de oppervlakte gebeurt er van alles.
 
Absoluut één van de meest bijzondere platen van de afgelopen tijd en misschien ook wel één van de mooiste.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt hier luisteren naar 'The sailor's bonnet': 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usva3chWf5w