In Praise Of…… Passenger

Every once in a while in the music world a slow burning success story comes along that warms the cockles of your heart and restores your faith in the notion that persistence and staying true to yourself as an artist will pay off and you will get your just rewards.

This week, after 10 years of hard graft and releasing 5 wonderful albums, Brighton based singer/songwriter Mike Rosenberg, aka Passenger, finally got the widespread recognition he deserves as his song ‘Let Her Go’ made number 4 on the UK singles chart.

I have been a fan of Passenger since around 2005 where he went by the more straight forward name of The Mike Rosenberg Band. A good friend of mine from Brighton had turned me onto him as she was a personal friend of his and knew that his songs would strike a chord with me. She wasn’t wrong. Rosenberg’s unique voice; warm, welcoming, honey sweet in tone, soulful and emotive, sat perfectly against his beautifully melodious acoustic songs, the likes of which I am a complete sucker for.

At the time at only age 21, Rosenberg’s songwriting already possessed a maturity that bellied his years and tracks such as the the sublime ‘Walk In The Rain’ and the deeply confessional ‘Table For One’ sounded so perfectly complete they still remain my two favourite songs that Rosenberg has ever penned.

Rosenberg’s songcraft possesses that rare quality of being able to effortlessly transcend all musical genres and appeal to people on an emotional level. He is a classic storyteller of human emotion, coupling heartfelt lovelorn honesty with humourous witticisms, wearing his heart on his sleeve with accessible lyrics easy for people to relate to whether they be 65 year old bearded folkies or 15 year old teenage girls. This is why, thankfully, the British public have finally woken up to the sound of one of our best songwriters 10 years into his career.

After Passenger’s debut album ‘Wicked Mans Rest’ finally emerged in 2007 to decent critical acclaim, the band that had been playing together for a number of years disbanded and Rosenberg decided to continue to use the Passenger name as he embarked on his solo career. Over the next few years Rosenberg based himself in Australia and released 3 more albums, 2009′s Wide Eyes Blind Love, 2010′s  ’Flight Of The Crow’ which was recorded with a number of Australian indie artists that remains my personal favourite of his, and a fan only limited edition album called ‘Divers and Submarines’ from the same year.

Just under a year ago he released ‘All the Little Lights’, an album that provided the springboard for how his career has finally taken off and is probably the most complete of all the albums he has released thus far. The most enamouring thing about Passenger albums is the unmistakeable identity he stamps on his songs and while you always know what you are going to get, his wondrous way with melody and emotion never fails to connect.

Since the release of ‘All The Little Lights’ the momentum has been gradually building and it appeared to galvanise Rosenberg and the sleeper cells of fans around the world who sensed that this was now his time. In what was probably his most career defining moment he bagged a high profile support slot with Ed Sheeran on his UK tour that set the foundations for his current success, introducing him to area sized audiences who were completely oblivious to him initially but came away from those gigs as fans. The hard work he had been carrying out in the southern hemisphere was paying off and early in 2013 he found his song ‘Let Her Go’ topping both the Australian and the New Zealand charts. Mainland Europe soon followed with the song hitting number 1 in Belgium, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Ireland. By this point it was now impossible for UK radio and the music press at large to ignore him any longer and ‘Let Her Go’ all of a sudden  found itself playlisted on UK radio stations resulting in the fabulous success and recognition that he is currently enjoying.

It is with stories like this that the power of social media, in particular an artists Facebook page, can really come into its own. Passenger’s success plays out in a  ’This Is Your Life’ style narrative and his Facebook page is a heartwarming record of the success he has been enjoying in the last year. The below picture taken a couple of months ago, sums up how far he has come as an artist in the last couple of years and should be an inspiration to the thousands of singer/songwriters out there that relentlessly ply their trade every day in the hope that their songs will be embraced on a wider scale. Passenger is an artist completely free of pretension, busking in the cities in which he plays, keeping that intimate connection between performer and audience that he has spent years building and it could not have happened to a more humble and affable songwriter. So if like many you have been taken in by ‘Let Her Go’ then his past albums are a treasure trove of wonderfully constructed acoustic songs that share a timeless quality that will ensure that Passenger remains one of the UK’s finest singer/songwriters. Embrace his music and jump on board.

“Australia and New zealand - 

I really don’t know where to start …. the last couple of months has been completely ridiculous …. from touring with ed to doing my own sold out headline shows . to be able to go busking again has been wonderful and to have so many of you turn up for it has been a dream come true .

let her go is now no 1 in nz and has been no 1 in the aria charts for two weeks !!!! i never dreamed this could actually happen !!!

from the bottom of my heart , thank you all so so much for supporting me and my music . it means more than i could ever say .

here is a hilarious picture of me busking in pitt st in jan 2011 and beneath it , a picture of me busking in the same spot a couple of days ago ….. loads of love . mike x”

Albums To Embrace….Father John Misty – Fear Fun (2012)

Fear Fun is the eighth studio album from Josh Tillman but the first under his new moniker of Father John Misty. When Tillman unexpectedly departed his hugely successful stint as drummer in Fleet Foxes in early 2012 it sent ripples through the fan base that became so intense that the bands frontman and songwriter Robin Pecknold had to take to Twitter to assure fans that the band was not about to split up as a consequence of his departure. Not a bad reaction for someone who was “Just the drummer” in the band. Of course Tillman had been a singer/songwriter in his own right before joining the Foxes, just as their debut album was about to be released in 2008, and when he announced his departure it was only a matter of time until further material was bound to emerge. What is startling is the circumstances surrounding this albums conception and what a staggering transformation Tillman has been through in recording this album.

Having decided to leave his hugely successful day job during a bout of depression, he cut his hair and headed off on a road trip to California, armed only with a huge amount of magic mushrooms and the intention of writing a novel, settling in the West Hollywood area of Lauryl Canyon. Tillman’s previous albums had been stark, lonesome folk music, with Tillman’s hushed, quivering voice barely registering above a whisper and were, by all accounts, extremely difficult to penetrate and connect with. Even Tillman himself has admitted that his previous work had not been up to scratch and after throwing himself into the hedonistic, drug fuelled world he found himself in, the intended novel ended up giving way to hugely creative songwriting sessions resulting in a batch of songs that are positively light years away from anything he has done before.

Adopting the new alias of Father John Misty has allowed Tillman to truly flourish as a songwriter, singer and performer. Free of the shackles of his past efforts and with a new invigorated focus, Tillman draws from all the best aspects of traditional American music; Appalachian Folk, Country, Blues, and Rock n Roll, and he delivers it with his witty, sardonic humour, deeply confessional lyrics and all wrapped up in a laid back, West-Coast California vibe that harks back to it’s golden era of the early 70s and truly captures the spirit in which these songs were recorded. Tillmans voice is bolder and brighter on this record and shares the same soaring quality as his former band leader Robin Pecknold and it is instantly apparent how important his vocals were to the trademark Fleet Foxes harmonies. It beggars belief that it has taken until now before Tillman has truly let fly with his voice on his own material and show its true range.

There are nods to his former band scattered throughout this album. Their influence can be heard from the word go with album opener ‘Fun Times In Babylon’, as Tillman’s voice takes flight over heavenly harmonies and a musical arrangement that wouldn’t be out of place on a Rufus Wainwright album. Tillman’s sense of escapism is captured as he looks to get out “Before they put me to work in a Government camp, before they do my face up like a corpse and say get up and dance” It’s hopeful sentiment signed off with a “Look out Hollywood, here I come” as subtle piano, acoustic guitar, mandolin, strings and Tillman’s trademark rhythmic stomp all intertwine to set the album off to a beautiful start.

“Oh pour me another drink, and punch me in the face, you can call me Nancy” cries Misty as the listeners are plunged headlong into his bizarre, hedonistic headspace during ‘Nancy From Now On’. Even though he is singing of his organs being housed in concentration camps and screaming “slow down man”, it is impossible not to be completely swept away by its mid-period Eagles melody, filled with sun-kisssed Californian soul and classic songwriting sensibility.

The excesses are laid bare even further as the country boogie of ‘I’m Writing A Novel’ begins with Misty’s recollections of “Running down the road, pants down to my knees screaming ”Please come help me, that Canadian shaman gave a little too much to me!” before continuing with tales of burning his only clothes in the backyard, riding to Malibu on a dune buggy with a bloke called Neil and observing the superficial Hollywood culture through a haze of drugs and alcohol.

5 songs in and Misty’s pangs of regret suddenly come to the fore with ‘O I Long To Feel Your Arms Around Me’. It is the albums first real declaration of loneliness and the song itself could quite easily have been on any of the Fleet Foxes releases that came before it with its reverb drenched harmonies and heartfelt emotive delivery. The same could also be said for ‘The Only Son Of A Ladies Man’. Tillman’s calling card of atmospheric rolling drums power the soaring melody and uplifting vocals over the story of the death of ‘The Ladiesman’ who had become something of a hero to Misty as he casts his eye over all his past conquests in attendance at his funeral.

‘This Is Sally Hatchet’ gloomily rolls in and gradually builds up with dark orchestration reminiscent of late-period Beatles while ‘Well You Can Do It Without Me’ successfully manages to wrap a simple country song around the whistling solo of Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay. ‘Tee Pees 1-2′ continues with Misty’s bizarre, yet engaging storytelling over a jaunty bluegrass hoedown. All the while the character of this new alter-ego of Tillman’s is shining through, constantly grabbing the listeners attention both lyrically and in his heart and soul delivery.

‘Now I’m Learning To Love The War’ Tillman reflects on the environmental impact that selling physical music has, right down to the tiniest detail of “The shipping, the vinyl, the cellophane lining, the high gloss, the tape and the gear”, but the fact that it is performed over a musical arrangement that Burt Bacharach would be proud of, makes it work.

The album closes with the sublime ‘Every Man Needs A Companion’ that effortlessly guides the album to its conclusion, with its self-reflecting sentiment of his entire journey up to this point, making up his own myth, escaping his environment and becoming the artist he truly wanted to be.

Under his new alias Tillman appears to be revelling in the freedom that this persona allows him to have as a performer. Always a very humourous and natural communicator with Fleet Foxes audiences and friends alike, he has finally been able to harness his wit and wisdom into song in a similar way to that of his fellow label mate John Grant and his debut album The Queen Of Denmark. However, whether it is wearing a Saturday Night Fever suit and busting out disco moves performing ‘Nancy From Now On’ on talk shows, or throwing himself around the stage during the intense build up of ‘Sally Hatchet’, you never feel like it is contrived and it is obvious that Tillman still feels every word and emotion with these autobiographical songs.

His website is also an absolute gem of sardonic and self-depricating humour too. Full of photos of Tillman in various ‘interesting’ poses and literal menu titles such as ‘Please Buy My T-Shirts” and ‘I Am Coming To Your Town So You Can Film Me On Your Iphone’ instead of the more traditional ‘Store’ and ‘Live Dates’ sections. There is even a justification with each one such as “THERE’S QUITE A BIT OF OVERHEAD INVOLVED IN TOURING.  GAS, HOTELS, PURE CUT COCAINE, PITA, HUMMUS, CARROT STICKS, CHERRY TOMATOES, ETC.  AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT ALL ADDS UP!  SO HOW DO I GET YOU TO PART WITH YOUR HARD EARNED DOLLARS, WHEN MUSIC IS FREE ON YOUTUBE?”.

Fear Fun is worthy of investigation by anyone who has even a passing interest in traditional American music and the Great American Songbook. It is a fantastic document that captures Josh Tillman at specific moment in time and at a pivotal point in his career. For years Tillman feared having fun with his music, now that he has embraced it, it has seen his stock rise considerably over the last year, within hipster circles as well as traditional music fans alike. It seems everybody wants to join the cult of Father John Misty.

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 13,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 3 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE Hammered Again at Underworld Camden

Reblogged from Metal As Religion:

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When 4WD jackknifed into our lives back in 2009 we were completely banjaxed by the sheer scale of their sound, and the ferocity of their devastating live attack. Their musical performance is brutal, archaic, brash rock. It was created for the masses out there who still love AC / DC and the Stones.

Last year the band spent some time honing their craft and perfecting their sounds.

Read more… 460 more words

One of my favourite young British Rock N Roll bands who I have been following since pretty much the very beginning in 2008 in the sweaty pubs of Twickenham. Their live show is spectacular and a must see for anyone who is a fan of high-octane Rock n Roll!

Why having Itunes OCD can lead to a richly rewarding listening experience

Before the digital age of music I was regularly the butt of many jokes for my OCD tendencies towards my CD and record collection. Some people thought the fact that I not only alphabetised my cds and vinyl but also had them in chronological order, made me the equivalent of a colour coding stamp collector. My reasoning was always that its fine having a random order to things but when you get above around 100 albums it becomes much more difficult to find the album you are looking for in amongst everything. Lo and behold all these years later and the vast majority of people have their iTunes library in alphabetical and chronological order and all the years of piss taking are no more than a distant memory. But there is much more that iTunes can offer beyond the standard alphabetical/chronological order to things which, over the last 6 years or so, has led to me being able to appreciate and utilise the 40 days worth of music I have in my library to its best possible effect.

A common complaint that I had, as well as various people in the years since, was that when using the shuffle function I spent most of my time skipping through tracks that I either didn’t like or wasn’t in the mood for. This was back in 2006 when my mentality was to get every single bit of music I owned, no matter how good or bad, onto my ipod so I really did have “My Entire Music Collection In My Pocket”.

It was 2006 and my daily commute to London on the train could sometimes take up to 2 hours, so what I set out to do was to start using the rating system on the ipod and really start to get to grips with my music collection, getting an element of quality control back, meaning that the listening experience would be far more rewarding than what I was currently enjoying. At this time I had the best part of 10,000 tracks on my ipod and so I started an experiment that took the best part of 2 years to do but I ended up with a concise and more focussed music collection, trimmed of all the fat and unnecessary filler tracks that an album fiend like myself gets sick of.

The premise was simple; each day I set my ipod to ‘Shuffle’ and each track that came on I would listen to fully and rate out of 5. Then when I returned home each night I would sync my ipod to my itunes library and delete the songs that I deemed unworthy to be part of my esteemed music collection.

The rating would follow these simple criteria

5* = Indispensible. A moment of pure genius that I couldn’t possibly imagine ever tiring of and will always be a part of my music collection. This space is reserved for the songs that mean the most to you for whatever reason, as well as new tracks that just connect with you on that special level.

4* = Excellent. A highly enjoyable track with hints of the genius described above. Normally contains all the qualities that made me like said Band/Artist in the first place. A very low chance of hitting the skip button whenever it appears.

3* = Good. This rating is for songs that are a decent listen and worth keeping. Could also end up being growers over time but definitely not worth getting rid of.

2* = Undecided. This is the purgatory rating. Reserved for those songs that could go either way. Not awful, but certainly worth giving a bit more time before deciding its fate.

1* = Awful. I wouldn’t care if I never heard this song again. Absolutely no chance of redemption and like a nasty vercuca I will be glad to finally see the back of it never to darken my ears again (we all know these tracks that our ipod repeatedly insists on throwing up with far more regularity than we would like).

Now it was easy to give myself a headstart on this when at home in front of my itunes library. Everyone know the familiar songs in their collection and where they would fall within the above criteria (especially the 5*) so I was already on my way with a huge amount of my music anyway, without the need to listen to the track to know where I would place it. Where this system comes into its own is with the album tracks and the more unfamiliar stuff that those of us who have sizable collections are probably very guilty of neglecting and not giving enough time to. What I have also found with increasing regularity is the discovery of genius songs that I had either missed first time around or for whatever reason didn’t connect initially to make an impact. It was the re-discovery of wonderful music that had laid dormant for years amongst the 2000+ albums in my music collection, that I was able to listen to again with fresh ears was the most rewarding thing about this whole exercise.

I didn’t always have the shuffle function running either. I spent an equal amount of time listening to albums as a whole, sometimes many times before deciding on the final ratings. The shuffle function allowed you to rate on the individual song and its merits but the album listening would also allow a good amount of context too. It worked both ways.

The process of listening intently to music again, really trying to absorb it as much as possible before deciding how to rate it was one of the best things I did. Another little rule I made myself was not to rate the song until it was into its final minute. I have friends (you know who you are) who have a strict 2min 40second rule where that if the song hasn’t grabbed them by that point then that is reason enough to dismiss it outright. A bizarre and narrow-minded attitude to have when considering some of the best songs ever written have sometimes not got going until the 4th or 5th minute, as well as some songs can completely change in their final couple of minutes. More often than not it also doesn’t factor in how much a guitar solo can impact on turning a good song into a great song!

The syncing of my library every few days and getting rid of the dead wood was addictively cathartic. I could see my music collection becoming more streamlined and gaining a “quality not quantity” feel rather than the bloated “look how much music I have” collection that unfortunately too many music fans have.

Some may argue that this goes against the purist nature of music, that albums should be listened to and considered to be one continuous piece of music. I also subscribe to that attitude the majority of the time, but as we all know not all albums are like Dark Side Of The Moon and we all have plenty of albums that are a great overall listen but do contain one or two songs that are simply dreadful. It’s not getting rid of music for the sake of it and if the song in question is integral to the flow of an album then even if I am not overly keen I will keep it (2* rating comes into play). The overall attitude I had was very much if I despise a song, why keep it?

Once the arduous task of rating the music was complete it became much easier to keep on top of. Affections for songs and albums change over time. There have been times when a song I have adored has started to bore me, sometimes falling spectacularly form a 5* to a 3*, so I have adjusted its rating accordingly knowing that next time I sync my library the adjustment will be automatically changed.

The opportunity brought by having a fully rated music library is being able to create smart playlists, which is where the rewards for the painstaking process of ratings really brings huge benefits. You can create smart playlists to contain only the highest rated songs in your library, therefore knowing that on a long car journey you can hit the shuffle button on that playlist knowing that you only have the cream of the crop of you music collection. There have been many times when a song has come on in my 5* playlist that I have no recollection of hearing first time around. Its while I am listening to these tracks it becomes apparent why my former self, however long ago it may have been, gave it such a high rating and I can afford myself a little self-congratulatory smile, as if to say “Sir you really do have a splendid taste if I do say so myself”. This can also work in reverse. I am sometimes aghast at what I had formerly thought to be a track of pure genius when in reality it’s no more than a middling 3*. Then of course you have the growers that start off as 4*s and work their way up to being 5*. Its an ever changing, constantly evolving process.

You can add in extra criteria to these playlists too and the brilliant thing about them is it does all the work for you. I have one that contains all the 5* and 4* tracks in my library, one for just the 3*, and one for ones that are yet to be rated. All of these automatically update if you change the ratings of the songs while you are listening. You can create playlists for specific genres of music that only select the highest rated songs from that genre. I have smart playlists for 60s and 70s soul, Classic Rock, Dance, Indie-Folk, Alternative Pop, Heavy Metal, Funk – all of which contain the rule of either just 5* tunes or 5* & 4* meaning that I can listen to any genre I happen to be in the mood for knowing that that the skip button will be left alone more often than not.

When compiling compilations of specific artists and you are trying to work out which tracks are worthy of inclusion, the ratings are right there in front of you so you know which ones to avoid and which ones are the best. Due to my rather compulsive nature, if I like a band, I automatically have to own everything they have ever recorded (funds allowing) so I get the full picture of who they are. This will often lead to having a large amount of music from an artist than I am still familiarising myself with. Having the ratings there are a great reference point so I have a good starting off point as to what songs to include in a playlist or the songs need to be listened to again.

To anyone who doesn’t share this mentality towards their music collection this will all sound incredibly geeky and slightly over the top. I would hazard a guess that anyone who doesn’t share this attitude probably didn’t get past the first couple of paragraphs before slipping into a boredom induced coma and their opinion of me has dropped down a few notches. But for those of you I know who are huge music fans, who have extremely large music collections and are as passionate as I am about all the music I listen to, this is by far and away the best way to organise your music. It leads to a highly rewarding listening experience as well as a very 21st Century legacy. I inherited all my dads vinyl collection 20-odd years ago and spent months listening to everything he had and in turn I would like to think that my kids will do the same in years to come.

Gigs Of My Life: Hall & Oates – The Liberty Concert (1985)

I’ll get this out of the way now, I didn’t actually attend this gig as I was the grand old age of 5 years old when it happened. So describing it as one of the Gigs Of My Life is a bit misleading, but when this concert was televised, my dad, being a huge Hall & Oates fan, decided to record and show it to me and it left a lasting impact.

At the time my dad was manager of UK Manchester band Sad Café who could be described as coming from the same gene pool as Hall & Oates, sharing a love of the pop hook wrapped up in a diverse array of genres from rock, blue-eyed soul, funk, etc. Along with having a passion for the heavy rock of the late 60’s early 70’s he also adored the well crafted and authentic pop music that this Philadelphia duo churned out with relentless consistently with each and every album they released.

My dad was always keen to introduce me to music wherever possible and by that age I was already very keen and open to music, especially when having the visual aspect there in front of me, and in particular the spectacle of a band playing in the live environment. He decided to show me this concert after it was televised not long after the event and I have had a love affair with it ever since and still have the VHS to this day.

On 4th July 1985 Hall & Oates played a benefit concert for the restoration of the Statue Of Liberty on Liberty State Park, New Jersey. It was only days before they performed at the Philadelphia leg of Live Aid and the East Coast of America was in the middle of a huge heatwave. This concert film is a document of that show and in my opinion it catches Hall and Oates at the absolute peak of their career. They had just released the ‘Big Bang Boom’ album, the latest in a run of 4 albums that had given them huge mainstream success. The preceding album ‘H20’ that was released a couple of years earlier was home to the singles ‘Maneater’, ‘Family Man’ and ‘One On One’. Those songs along with the singles from ‘Voices’ and ‘Private Eyes’ ensured that by 1985 the band were a huge draw. The band line-up for this show (Hall, Oates, Tom ‘T-Bone’ Wolk – Bass, G.E. Smith – Lead Guitar, Charlie DeChant – Keyboards/ Sax, Mickey Curry – Drums) was the same that had recorded both the ‘H20′ and ‘Big Bang Boom’ albums. Despite these albums utilising the most cutting edge production techniques and contained a lot of signature 80’s synthesizers, this line-up was not only arguably the bands best, but it was also their “Rockiest”. This is in no small part down to the inclusion of G.E. Smith on lead guitar and his exceptional musicianship. Smith is one of the most highly regarded and respected guitarists in the world of music, with his CV reading as a who’s who in the music world. In recent years he has been musical director for Saturday Night Live and for anyone who has been to see Roger Waters on his solo tours in the last few years, and wondered who the guitarist was who managed to play just like David Gilmour, this is him!

The images of the band flying into the park via helicopter over T-Bone Wolk’s funky bass line to ‘Dance On Your Knees’ instantly made this band impossibly cool to my then 5 year old self, before the band segue into the recently released single ‘Out Of Touch’. Its chiming melodic hook wrapped up in a more straight up rock arrangement than its poppier sounding studio version, a common trait of all the songs that appeared during this set. The feel good atmosphere from the 60,000 attendees is apparent right from the start.

‘Family Man’ swiftly follows with a three guitar assault from Hall, Oates and Smith ensuring that the synth-heavy studio version takes on an even more sinister and powerful edge, with G.E. Smith really shining with his fluid and hugely melodic guitar solo. The classic soul sounds of ‘Rich Girl’ is so brilliantly performed too, with their flawless Motown harmonies its hard to believe that it is a bunch of white guys performing this type of music so authentically.

The general camaraderie between all the band members is also a strong selling point to this show. The whole gig doesn’t feel like it is Daryl Hall and John Oates with a bunch of hired hands. It really does have the feel of a proper “Band” of musicians having spent the previous 5 years touring together. Musically they are tight as hell and this is only strengthened as the gig goes on. Daryl Hall has a very natural charisma when performing and is still one of the finest ever white soul singers, John Oates with his “Soul-Glo” hair style and trademark moustache, skips around the stage with the youthful exuberance of a teenager, G.E Smith is in his element with constant shape throwing, while T-Bone has the effortlessly cool air about him that only bass players seem to be able to pull off. Charlie DeChant on keyboards and Sax was also another early hero of mine. Looking back now his glittery gold jacket and huge sunglasses are dated to say the least, but his enthusiastic showmanship was infectious and his playing contributes massively to the Hall & Oates sound and still features as part of their touring lineup to this day.

‘Say It Isn’t So’  breezes by full of pop nous and comprehensive pop hooks, and for years it was my favourite performance from this show. Another brilliant performance is their version of The Righteous Brothers ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’.  This was my first exposure to this particular song.  The original version I believe is one of the finest songs ever written but it was a few more years before I managed to hear the genius of the The Righteous Brothers version. However Hall & Oates manage to make it their own with an arrangement that is so far removed from the original, and so brilliant, that it can only be applauded. Starting with just Daryl and John and two acoustic guitars, they strum their way through the opening couple of verses and choruses, trading vocals and harmonising like a couple of coyboys sitting around a campfire. Then the bridge arrives and the rest of the band explodes into life, turning what was originally an atmospheric and hopeless sounding passage of music that pleads “baby, baby, I get down on my knees for you” and “If you could only love me like you used to do”, into an uplifting, joyful section of music that throws off all the shackles and get the crowd having a party. This then leads into a huge, 80′s power ballad finale to the song complete with soaring guitar solo by G.E. Smith and extended outro. Its absolutely fantastic.

One of the most distinctive basslines in the history of music introduces ‘Maneater’ to a wild reception from the crowd. What this song really demonstrates is what a brilliantly locked in rhythm section T-Bone and Mickey Curry were together, De Chant’s effortless sounding sax solo is integral to the songs appeal and G.E Smiths guitar solo at the end is god-like!

The early 80s funk of ‘Adult Education’ gradually builds up its intensity to the point that by the end its sounds like a stadium rock anthem, before the unmistakeable and impossible to dislike ‘You Make My Dreams Come True’ rounds off an impeccable run of genius songs that remind you why this band were so huge at this particular time. The concert finishes with a rendition of Sly And The Family Stone’s ‘Hot Fun In The Summer Time’ which seems to encapsulate all that was brilliant about that day. Once again the flawless delivery musically and vocally of the song makes it a strong contender as its definitive version.

Sadly this concert has yet to be issued on DVD/Blu-Ray despite a rather huge demand for it. One day it may happen and when it does I hope the songs that were left out of the the TV broadcast are also included, but the 10 songs that were televised are on Youtube (some of which embeded on this blog) and if you like what you hear, a download of the audio is available from http://addictedtovinyl.com/blog/2008/07/20/good-listening-hall-and-oates-the-liberty-concert-1985/ .

While the love of this show is hardly going to score me any points on any ‘Cool List’ any time soon, it had a major impact on me as a young boy and it is testament to its power that over 25 years later I love it just as much as did back then. It helped cement my love of well crafted, genre-hopping, pop-rock music and if you can’t appreciate how much influence Hall and Oates have had on so much music that has come since then, then you really need to watch all of this show and see them at their very best.

Televised Set-List

1. Dance on Your Knees/Out Of Touch

2. Family Man

3. Rich Girl

4. Say It Isn’t So

5. You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

6. Method Of Modern Love

7. Maneater

8. Adult Education

9. You Make My Dreams Come True

10. Hot Fun In The Summer Time

Songs To Hear – The Staves – Mexico EP (2011)

While I was in France earlier this month a family friend played me this 3 track EP by The Staves and I was sold immediately. The Staves are 3 sisters hailing from Watford that deliver wonderful folk music with the type of spine-tingling vocal harmonies that only siblings are able to produce together. Their strong songcraft and vocal talents have earned them support slots with The Civil Wars and Bon Iver over the last year and it is easy to see why.

‘Mexico’ slowly unfurls itself with delicate touches of instrumentation accompanying its addictive melody and driving guitar line. Jessica Staves’ stark yet welcoming voice delivers the lonesome lyrics “Everyone I know is gone, and I don’t even know myself” but the upbeat delivery of  “I’m saving up for a trip to Mexico, I heard its the place to go” means the song remains a more optimistic affair, and when all three voices come together to sing “I want to see the colours of another sky” it is truly spellbinding.

From this point on the song cannot fail to impress. The soaring chorus of “Carry me home on your shoulders, lower me down to my bed, show me the night that I dreamed about before” is full of wondrous melody that you will want to hear again and again. It is accompanied by rolling atmospheric drums and the subtlest of keys, that faintly chime away behind the veil of beautiful harmonies. The song keeps its understated atmosphere throughout its duration as the three voices and its central melody are enough to showcase what great songwriters these girls are.

The two other tracks on the EP are equally impressive. While Mexico’s country tinged inflections gives off the air of a more laid back Dixie Chicks on the open road, ‘Icarus’ has its sound firmly rooted in British folk, with a sound that recalls early Laura Marling at her endearing best had she swathed her songs in three part harmonies. Final track ‘I Try’ recalls the great Joni Mitchell in tone and scope and is stripped back even more than the title track with just a guitar and the three voices, yet has a natural warmth that draws the listener in.

The Mexico EP, coupled with recent single ‘The Motherlode’, point to some very positive signs that their forthcoming album ‘Dead & Born & Grown’ due in October will be an enchanting listen. For anyone who has been enjoying the great folk revival of the last 5 years, particularly of the female variety, The Staves are impossible to dislike and very difficult to ignore.