Desert Lake. Donna Blue

Donna Blue has featured on this blog since it's first single, although the first one took me a while to adjust to. So at least until the release of the first album, most likely containing all the singles, I will keep up the good work and inform you on the progress Donna Blue is making.

The first sounds on Desert Lake sound familiar. The longing for a lot of things, but things past foremost, exudes from the tones, the reverb drenched guitar notes. Things change once Danique van Kesteren starts singing. Desert Lake may well be Donna Blue's most longing song to date. Somehow there is even more longing in the whole of the song. Does it have to do with the hint of mariachi I discern in the music? The crossing between Calexico and Mexico?

Of course the whistling brings to mind a spaghetti western of some fame and those, dry, windy, dusty deserts, without the lake. An eternal loneliness seems to be beholden in that soft whistle. The storyteller has been left behind, "forever shrouded in the mystery". Listen how that sentence is followed by a beautiful guitar solo of no more that a few seconds.

The 60s are all over the music of Donna Blue and Bart van Dalen's guitar sound. Here nothing has changed. This duo, with the assistance of the rhythm section, is slowly but surely creating a world of its own. Seven songs into the adventure I can only say: Keep laying it on me. The mystery created by Donna Blue still makes me crave for more.

Wo.

You can buy Desert Lake here:

http://www.snowstar.nl/release/desert-lake-single/


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Rising Star. Griffin House

Griffin House timmert al een tijdje aan de weg, maar zet nu de kroon op zijn werk met een album dat uitblinkt door geweldige songs en een al even goede uitvoering.

Ik heb wel eerder naar de muziek van Griffin House geluisterd, maar nooit maakte de Amerikaanse muzikant zoveel indruk als op zijn nieuwe album. De singer-songwriter uit Nashville heeft de tijd genomen voor zijn nieuwe album en dat hoor je. Rising Star bevat een serie songs die je na één keer horen dierbaar zijn en vervolgens alleen maar dierbaarder worden. Het zijn songs die een breed palet bestrijken, die opvallen door een zeer smaakvolle instrumentatie en productie en die nog een stukje verder worden opgetild door de mooie stem van Griffin House. Knappe plaat van de Amerikaanse muzikant.

Ik heb eerlijk gezegd altijd gedacht dat Griffin House de naam van een band was, maar het blijkt de naam van een singer-songwriter die werd geboren in Springfield, Ohio, maar inmiddels alweer enkele jaren muziek maakt vanuit Nashville, Tennessee.
 
Van het stapeltje albums dat de Amerikaanse muzikant de afgelopen 15 jaar heeft gemaakt is vooral Lost & Found uit 2004 me bijgebleven, maar het nieuwe album van Griffin House maakt nog veel meer indruk.
 
De muzikant uit Nashville heeft de tijd genomen voor zijn nieuwe album, dat de opvolger is van het ruim drie jaar oude So On And Forth. Griffin House heeft niet in zijn uppie gesleuteld aan Rising Star, maar werkte de afgelopen jaren samen met bevriende muzikanten als Brian Elmquist (The Lone Bellow), Jeff Trott (Sheryl Crow) en oudgedienden Paul Moak en Ian Fitchuk, met wie Griffin House 15 jaar geleden het zo geslaagde Lost & Found opnam.
 
Het levert een lekker veelzijdig album op, dat varieert van ingetogen tot uitbundig, en het is een album met een serie uitstekende songs. Rising Star opent met de uiterst ingetogen titeltrack, die wel wat aan een ingetogen Bruce Springsteen doet denken. Het is het soort track dat Griffin House sinds jaar en dag uitstekend ligt, maar de Amerikaanse muzikant slaat op Rising Star nadrukkelijk zijn vleugels uit.
 
In een aantal tracks hoor je de invloed van de grootse muziek van The Lone Bellow, wat ongetwijfeld de verdienste zal zijn van Brian Elmquist, maar Rising Star kan ook uit de voeten met aanstekelijke rootsrock, met lekker in het gehoor liggende alt-country of met traditioneel klinkende countryrock of psychedelica, om maar eens een paar zijstraten te noemen. Griffin House kleurt echter ook buiten de directe lijntjes van de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek in songs die net zo makkelijk in het hokje pop of het hokje rock passen.
 
Je hoort aan alles dat Griffin House de tijd heeft genomen voor zijn nieuwe album. De instrumentatie is soms ingetogen en soms vol, maar klinkt altijd prachtig. Hetzelfde geldt voor de vocalen van de Amerikaanse muzikant, die beschikt over een aangenaam stemgeluid met het juiste laagje gruis.
 
Het streven naar perfectie hoor je ook in de songs op het nieuwe album van Griffin House. De muzikant uit Nashville verrast op zijn nieuwe album met een serie tijdloze songs. Het songs waar je alleen maar heel vrolijk van kunt worden, maar ondertussen steekt het allemaal knap in elkaar en kloppen alle details. Rising Star is een album vol echo’s uit het verleden, maar het is ook een fris en eigentijds klinkend album, dat opvalt door het enorme plezier dat het album uitstraalt.
 
Griffin House timmert al wat jaren aan de weg, maar heeft nog niet overal de waardering geoogst die hij zo verdient. Dat kan zomaar goed gaan komen met Rising Star, want wat is dit een leuk, maar ook goed album. Griffin House overtuigt op Rising Star met het ene na het andere uitstekende popliedje en als je denkt dat de koek op is, komt misschien nog wel het mooiste. Het samen met Joy Williams (The Civil Wars) geschreven en gezongen en geschreven Change is immers de kers op een bijzonder smakelijke taart.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Rising Star hier kopen:

https://griffinhousemusic.com/store/rising-star/


of luister naar onze Spotify Playlist en ontdek waar we over schrijven:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

.NoWordsNeedeD, 8-10-2019

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W79uEpZFfQ

.No

The Analogues live. Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, Saturday 5 October 2019

Photo Wo.

Can one ever write enough about 'Abbey Road'? Probably not. To me this album will always remain The Beatles' finest, with arguably the best b-side ever recorded. Where lots of albums used to peter out in those days, The Beatles kept its very best to the, almost, very end. The diversity, the quality and audacity were unparalleled at the time and unsurpassed since. It opened the world for other musicians to try and go boldly where no pop musician had gone before and many tried and succeeded in their way. I have tried to gather my thoughts on 'Abbey Road' on this blog some years ago. Undoubtedly I would write something different today as I seem to hear even more in the music today than I used to it seems. (Read on here: http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2016/04/abbey-road-beatles.html) I bought the album in the winter of 1978 on my first real salary and never stopped listening since.

It is true that The Beatles did fade away a bit. I knew how good they were and I somehow stopped listening to all other albums because of that thought. It goes for most of my favourites of old. There is a second reason. There was nothing new released since 1970 to trigger feelings of old.

Enter The Analogues. Having seen them at DWDD early winter 2016, I have gone to every show since. 'Magical Mystery Tour', 'Sgt. Peppers ...', 'The Beatles' and now 'Abbey Road'. Abbey Road, the end of the line for The Analogues, having missed its 'Revolver' show. As was shown in a clip before the show started, the band grew from playing for 150 people to a sold out Ziggo Dome in just four years. These are The Beatles like proportions in growth and quality. From a band to a factory/business and options to tour the world if they chose to do so.

What The Analogues foremost did to me, is restore my appreciation of The Beatles. I ignore all the early albums but from 'Rubber Soul' onwards the records are again played regularly in the home and I can truly say that my first love in music at the age of 6 or something has that top position once again. Overall there is no better band. The difference is my move from the hitsingles I knew at the time to the albums.

Photo's do not get better, Wo.

So 'Abbey Road'. No beating around the bush this time. The very first notes played were from 'Come Together', that song I did not like at all in 1969 and now think is so great. The sound so crystal clear all the different little parts of the song can be heard in the Ziggo Dome. Of course it's too far away, but the sound is superb. The beautiful 'Something' got a stellar performance. An anvil was driven on stage by percussionist Lean Klaasse to be hammered on during 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer'. Merijn van Haren, Navarone's singer, featured in McCartney's 'Oh, Darling'. Jan van der Mey was able to return for 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' with specially designed headphones. This jam like song came across so strong. Kicking up a storm, literally, with the Moog, just twiddling knobs while the guitars and drums grow ever stronger.

The waiting was of course for just after the start of "side 2". 'Here Comes The Sun' is of course one of George Harrison's finest, but it is with 'Beacuse', John Lennon's reworking of the 'Moonshine Sonata' by Ludwig von Beethoven, that Lennon really went after the great. Listening to that song is hearing a little peace of heaven. The Analogues are able to not only recreated of relive the music. For me it is also the harmonies that make this band great. As a whole it sounds so good. That, for me, is the greatest compliment I can give these musicians who have dedicated years of their lives to created something that never existed as they present it. Side 2 of 'Abbey Road' was the result of many takes, hard work and snippets of music that were left behind, all reworked into one. The Beatles and all working with them at the time had only heard the end result on tape. Thanks to The Analogues we hear it on stage with all the original sounds from a (not the) original instrument.

'Because' is the starting point of many songs weaving in and out of each other, a theme that returns, two great medleys. As I already wrote, probably the best b-side ever released. The whole side is one big highlight of divine ballads, harsh rockers, golden pop and brilliance. Nothing brings the whole down. Each next song building on the previous. The Analogues serve it all up in a way The Beatles were never able to do. To do so there are countless people on stage, not to speak of everybody around the stage making sure everything works. As I said, The Analogues has become big business. Luckily the band have an expert manager in its midst who made it all possible in the first place.

With the short funny, 'Her Majesty' it was all over, where 'Abbey Road' is concerned. In the second set many a favourite and surprise came by from the four other albums and a few hitsingles. There are still a few famous b-sides I haven't heard yet, 'Old Brown Shoe' or 'Don't Let Me Down'. I had hoped to hear them as they are from just before the 'Abbey Road' sessions. It doesn't matter. I left the huge cube totally satisfied and The Beatles' music resonating and rejoicing in every fibre of my body. What I noticed is how deeply touched I was by 'Penny Lane'. Why? Just extreme beauty, I suppose.

"And in the end/The love you take/is equal to the love/you make". The 17.000 in the Ziggo Dome received the love of the best music and for some in our midst just in time seeing with how much difficulty the stairs were literally conquered, the love sent back was just as large, undoubtedly warming the hearts of all on stage. The Analogues may simply be the best band in this world a this point in time, thanks to the music of John, Paul, George, Ringo and George Martin.

With the 'Abbey Road' album The Analogues have come to the end of their mission. Well not completely, the next show has already been announced: "Hello Goodbye 1966 - 1970". Two dates in the Ziggo Dome coming September. It sounds like something final, that Goodbye. Go and see them while you still can.

Wo.

The LVE and Wardrobe live. Friday 4 October 2019, Steck Delft

Photo: Wo.

Slowly it has started to become blurry when The Lightning Vishwa Experience came into my life. My best guess is summer 2014. The song is etched in my mind by now as, and allow me to write this once again, it is one of the best songs of this decade. 'Love When You Don't Want It' is one of those songs that seem to hold it all. A memorable intro, a mystical verse, this great, great chorus as subtle as it is strong, a lovely guitar solo and the same great into that returns as outro. The show ended with that great song and all was well with the earth for just a few minutes. "Creating history" as singer and songwriter Gerrit Van Dyck calls it.

For years now The Lighting Vishwa Experience is The LVE and I am lucky to be able to say that this show was my third. What was new is that last spring guitarist Bert left the band. And then there were five. I noticed a few things that had changed because of this, but the most ear catching was the rhythm. Not all The LVE songs have a straightforward rhythm. This came forward much more in this setting. After the show drummer Joes Brands divulged he had been told to drum louder to give the music as a whole more body, but it was not just that. There also was more space to come forward in and to present the rhythm patterns, where they blended more into the whole in the past. So as a whole there was more space in the music which made each individual band member come out better. The same goes for the fancy bass notes of Rienk and the keyboards of Thomas and let me not forget the lovely interaction between singer Sara and Gerrit. (Of course this is also a compliment for the gentlemen mixing the sound. Well done!) But yes, at times I missed Bert's solo as well. So it was a bit mixed but also a new modus I will definitely get used to.

Photo: Wo.

With songs like the afore mentioned but also 'Go Bad With You', 'Slo-Mo' and especially 'Sad Song' The LVE ought to have been much better known then it presently is. At my age the hitparade for almost 100% has nothing to do with the music I like. Probably as far as the songs I liked as a kid were to my parents' generation. Rap, dance, R&B and anything in between is as far away from The LVE as Doris Day and Louis Armstrong were to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. For people roughly my age this should be different, but how to get them from behind their tv sets and go and see bands they've never heard of? I have found that out: living room shows. Small shows with a high impact on listener and artist I might add. Unfortunately it is not a successful business model.

The LVE showed itself once again to be a great band with great songs. Nothing but a big smile from my side.

Photo: Wo.

Wardrobe was a new band to me with one common denominator. Gerrit van Dyck plays guitar and sings background vocals in this band: "I have found my Steck". As it was a first acquaintance it is always hard to truly give an opinion but let me try anyway. First, in at least 50% of the songs the presence of Van Dyck is logical. Some of the twists in the songs sounded familiar to me. The other half were far more straightforward songs, even loud rocking ones. Second, the delicate interplay between the two guitars was often a joy to hear. Third, the presentation is funny, relaxed and showing a way to see things in perspective. Fourth, I found myself self liking several of the songs at first listen. Fifth, the drummer really likes to make himself heard where possible but is also not afraid to tone his playing down. So as a whole I stepped outside having seen a new band deserving a sympathetic ear in the future.

Wo.


Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g