Brian Wilson...

Brian Wilson

Just finished my re-read well worn copy of the Brian Wilson autobiography “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (available in all good book shops and Amazon easily enough) It’s a controversial book in as much as whether Brian Wilson had anything to do with its writing and completion is a matter that has been brought up time and time again. At the time of its completion Brian was actually still in a psychological 24 hour a day programme with a doctor who would become the infamous Dr Landy. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Dr Eugene Landy saved Wilsons life as he was over 300lbs (over 21 stone) smoking 4 packs of cigarettes a day and shovelling enough food and cocaine into his body at such a rapid rate that would make Keith Richards blush. Dr Landy sorted all this out, got him trim, healthy, clean and de-toxed and able to converse and go about his daily routines without any bother. He also traded one addiction for another and made Wilson totally dependant on him and his “programme” and at a whopping $35,000 a month plus expenses wasn’t a popular option from the other Beach Boys and his family although he got Brain back on his feet and back from oblivion.

Brian Wilson’s story is a saga and he was never going to be a flash in the pan live fast die young rock and roller, he was in it for the long haul. Whether he is firing on all cylinders any more is another discussion but considering what he’s been through the fact he is so lucid can still sing like a bird and produce like a pro is testament to his staggering abilities that haven’t diminished (for proof of this see his magnum opus SMiLE completed finally in 2004 from its initial birth in 1966)

Like a lot of the bands of the 60s that reached massive heights The Beach Boys have turned into McDonalds and Coke and people assume they know all about them because they’ve heard “Surfin USA” or an early hit like that or “California Girls”, songs that have been played to death on the oldies stations without delving into the goldmine of music and non single tracks that make up Brian Wilson’s musical legacy. Due to the lack of respect companies like Capitol gave Wilson and his music all the tracks are available on sites such as Spotify and you can buy 2 for 1 album’s 3 for £20 at most record shops so their loss has been our good luck. Spotify the following tracks to here why everyone from Elton John, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Sean Lennon, Fleet Foxes to Bob Dylan all agree that Brian Wilson is still the benchmark to aim for when producing and creating true musical beauty.

Add Some Music to Your Day –

01) Till I Die
02) Caroline No
03) God Only Knows
04) Time To Get Alone
05) Sail On Sailor
06) Blue Hawaii
07) Surfs Up
08) Love And Mercy
09) Soul Searchin’ (with Carl Wilson)
10) Let’s Put Our Heart’s Together (will Marilyn Wilson)

A Place To Bury Strangers - review

LONDON ON THE INSIDE
INTERVIEW OF
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS LIVE@ XOYO, Old Street, London - 24/11/10

APTBS (I'm not about to write their name out 20 times during this review) are hailed as "the loudest band in NYC" so it's no surprise to me to hear them sound checking their equipment as I walk up the street to the venue from a good distance away. After meeting their label I'm introduced to the band and ushered into the quietest room of a very noisy venue which was now coming to life as cables were plugged in and lights flickered into action. My interviewee for tonight was vocalist and guitarist Oliver Ackermann who was nursing serious jet lag and on a promise of a good meal but who wasn't going to let a little thing like food and sleep get in the way of shaking up XOYO and annoying the ears of anyone in a 5 mile radius. (See interview below)

After the interview had finished and now ear plugged and ready to go I artful dodger a few crafty beers from the bands ample rider and find a good spot to see the band in full force. They open with "I Know I'll See You" from their self titled first album and are already showing their hand and making it very clear to the crowd that they mean business with its looping baseline courtesy of new boy Dion Lunadon and powerful drums and guitar. Segueing straight into new album track "Heart In Head" which kicks in the fuzz and raise feedback ghosts from LA.Blues and Fun House with 60s Spector drums anchoring everything tight. A flutter of delay from Oliver and we're into fan favourite "To Fix The Gash In Your Head" along with this and the previously mentioned there will be another 2 tracks from the debut tonight along with new material from the latest album "Exploding Head" including "Ego Death" which strangely reminded me of "This Is Music" by The Verve although I think I may have been the only person to see the similarity between the two bands. "In Your Heart" followed the set with it's filling rattling bass notes and garage rock chords and gave APTBS their first chance to expand their playing giving the drummer, Jay Space, a chance to earn his stripes firing fills like a machine gun from his snare drum.

Throughout the set tracks like "Missing You", "Lived My Life" and "Ocean" shower the audience in waves of feedback and waves of noise while keeping their own personal idiosyncrasies intact. The bands set ran up to 60 mins and there was no distraction from the manifesto of noise rock they were dishing out. They finalised their set with a 1-2 combination knock out audio punch of "Drill It Up" and "Deadbeat" which concluded with guitars being twirled around and feedback screaming through various pedals and delays to the delight of the blessed out swaying audience.

Tonights audience were packed in tight to the stage and captivated by the band throughout. The 3 piece from New York only played one London show on this tour before flying off to Belgium and then heading to Berlin to meet up with The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Tonight they were supported by Dark Horses (5 piece) who's line up included a Bez/Joel Gion character on tambourine and whipping a chain on a empty oil drum as his effort to their Velvets/BJM sounds but although showed great promise and had some good songs felt a little like the cranky little brother to the headliners tonight.

--------------------
(transcript of the interview from before the show) Chris Lancaster Interviewing Oliver Ackermann

You're famous for your Death by Audio pedals, any new inclusions on the horizon effect wise?

Definitely, we're working on a lot of stuff doing a lot with spring reverb and we're making these things that really overdrive the sound we're gonna have multiple chambers with different springs all combined into one. We're getting springs from a different manufacturer but it's taking ages talking to people from Taiwan and China but that will definitely be the next pedal we're coming out with but it totally sounds wicked and awesome! But we're always working on tonnes of other stuff (Oliver is the main designer of the pedals, a couple of other guys help build them.)

You've undertaken some support acts with bands such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Dandy Warhols, BRMC that all initially come from the San Francisco psychedelic scene, do you identify with that style of music - more retro than pop?

I love New York and the scene, but there is good bands all over the place and I just love good bands. Anton (TBJTM) is cool to hang out with, hopefully we will get to hang out with him again in Berlin.

Where do you hang out when you're in London?

We always go out as much as we can while we're here, shit I don't know I like going to new places…. the Hawley Arms in Camden is good… shit I could be there now!

Volume plays a large part in your live set, is this something that is integral to your 'sound', or is it more of a fuck you to the crowd (i.e. try ignoring this!)?

Both are really important, it definitely has to do with the sound though, this really cool thing happens when an amplifier is on the verge of exploding and you get a really cool sound, it makes things more unpredictable. Part of what is so cool about the sound is the speaker almost not being able to handle it. We're looking for raw energy and chaos.

Listening to some of your set I've picked up some dance orientated drum rhythms, does dance music influence you at all?

Totally! Definitely! Of course… though it's probably not the same as dance music that people would relate to, but I love electronic music, we're not trying to do anything in particular or stick to a particular genre or style we just go with what sounds cool.

You have a real DIY ethic to how a band operates, do you feel more bands would benefit from this given the state of the record industry and that music would bounce back in a more underground fashion i.e. releasing their own material without the aid of a major label?

Sometimes you just have to do it by yourself but it depends on the situation you're in if you know someone that's really into the music and has a better vision of what you can achieve then you could definitely benefit with going with someone that could help you out, although for me when I'm in the studio they are always the people [label people] that end up fucking things up where you end up fighting with the engineers over recording techniques like "what happens if we crank this up", even if these people are really cool one on one in that environment it causes problems…but maybe I'm just too picky I dunno (laughs).

Are they any bands that you are into at the moment that you are into/influenced by?

Sure, Weekend are great, there is a tonne of good bands out there at the moment.

What would you pick as your record/album/EP of the year?

The All The Saints record is great, I'm not sure if it came out yet but I got a copy and that is fucking wicked. So if you can find it definitely get it.

Do you feel restricted by being a three-piece or does having limited instruments force spontaneity and creativity?

It can be restrictive but it can also help you because it gives you control of what we can do… you can almost do whatever you want to do at any given moment, I'm almost sometimes jealous of bands that are a two-piece, because when you're just playing with a drummer you don't have to play along with anyone else but playing with a three-piece is the next step. At any given moment you can take a song into any direction you want to. Playing with three makes it easier to change the dynamic of each song like if you want to go mellow, you don't have to explain it to five people!

Thank you to the band and Zoe Miller from Mute Records
photo by Bruna Volpi

http://www.myspace.com/aplacetoburystrangers

dig through those cd's....

Another day another random list for you to ignore...

Here are 5 songs getting a proper rinsing at castle de'Lancaster at the moment, in the beauty of Spotify there is no reason to miss out, look em' up, listen to em', absorb them, then amaze your friends with flawless taste...

1) You don't have to camp around - Todd Rundgren - From his magnum psychedelic opus of "A Wizard A True Star" album comes this little ditty, with enough in jokes and satire thrown in with an off beat and catchy hook that will have you all swaying about in smoking jackets and quoting Oscar Wilde while smoking cigarettes through an empty biro.

2)Heroes and Villains - Brian Wilson - I've chosen the recently found Original recording of this classic SMiLE era song actually sung by Brian Wilson in the 60s as a guide for Al Jardine to copy later. I would have chosen the re-make from Brian Wilson a few years back but something about this one shows the madness at the peak of his powers that is still so exciting.

3)Part Time Love - Luther Allison - One of the most underrated blues men of all time delivers this great lost gem of a track. Owing a passing resemblance to an early Otis Rush minor chord blues but with the grit of a Stax classic, and a great falsetto ending to leave the hairs on the back of your neck standing up.

4) Its All Too Much - The Beatles - Yes The Beatles! have I lost my mind you gasp, surely there isn't a person in the known world that hasn't listened to every song a million times? But this George Harrison track from the Yellow Submarine album shows what a powerful rhythm section they had in Paul McCartney and Ringo. A great 60s era psychedelic pop track although I still think it would have been better with John Lennon singing it rather than Georges boring Liverpudlian drawl....

5) If You Want Me To Stay - Sly Stone - Sly Stone is releasing a new album early next year and I for one am not really on the edge of my seat as the man who made all those classic tracks in the late 60s and 70s such as "Everyday People", "Stand", "I want to take you higher" as well as the benchmark albums like 1971's "There's A Riot Goin' On" has been lost in the wilderness of drug abuse and writers block for too long to pull back, so for now listen to this track from his solo album "Fresh" and remember where Prince, Outkast and countless other artist got it all from...

ATROCKER - ANNA CALVI

Anna Calvi is one of Domino Records' newest signings and with her name gently building up momentum in the music press of late I would go as far to say that 2011 will be the year that makes her. Her live shows are talking points long after the bouncers have ushered fans out of the venues and with patronages from such rock luminaries as The Corals former guitar hero Bill Ryder-Jones, Brian Eno and of course Nick Cave (who’s taken Calvi on tour as support for his Grinderman band) she is certainly making waves on the circuit.

Although small of statue physically, on stage she is a giant, cranking lightning out of her telecaster and red Vox Amp, not seen this side of Jack White, and due to her taste in flamenco she weaves a wave of sound back at the audience in such a way that she can sound like two players at once, something which she describes as: “creating the impressionistic element of the music”. Her playing style musically quotes everything from Django Reinhardt to Jimi Hendrix and even classical writers such as Debussy and Ravel, while at the same time accompanying her own distinct operatic like vocals.

Her first single 'Jezebel' is a cover of the Edith Piaf track and is a great introduction to the dramatic sound and voice of Anna Calvi, with its rolling rhythm reminiscent of 'Conquest' by the White Stripes if it had been cut for a Robert Rodriguez film and her controlled powerful and passionate vocals. It is the first taste of the band before the debut album is released on the 17th of January 2011.

I have seen her live show twice in as many months at The Borderline and then at Soho’s Madam Jo Jo’s and after hearing some of the material to make the album I think that before long she will be the “name” to drop when discussing new music on the scene with such songs as 'Love Won’t Be Leaving' making many the top tracks list upon release and may be first hand in bringing back guitar solo’s to the indie world with some guts.

Supported live by a very small band consisting of Daniel Maiden-Wood on drums and backing vocals and musical twin Mally Harpaz on what seems a mystery bag of shakers, harmonium, percussion and anything else to hand she has found two musical allies to bring the gospel of rock and roll back to the masses while still being able to get sexy and bluesy with the best of them. Look out Grinderman, you better pull out a hell of a show.

myspace.com/annacalvi

the blank page...

As Ernest Hemingway once quoted "the daily trauma of the blank page" was always something that frustrated him no matter how many books he completed, there was always going to be a fresh piece of paper in his type writer smiling at him. Now not for a single micro-second would I be brash enough to compare myself with someone of Hemingway's statue but I understand the predicament. Recently I have been attending gigs, writing reviews, churning out general rants and pointless lists of songs that I have chosen to "educate" the proles who prefer to thumb through copies of NME rather than find out where the music actually came from and seeking the source rather than the copy cats. Recently I'm starting to grasp for idea's to report on between getting official assignments from the 4 sites I now write for. On the plus side I did get a "friend request" from Vincent Gallo after I had emailed him in regards to a Travis Bean guitar that I had seen for sale on EBAY and knew he'd been looking out for recently (yes the word obsessive geek doesn't even start to describe my insanity sometimes)so that was a nice result.

Monday 22ND November is now here and with 4 days to go before pay day I am going to have to either flick through Spotify to hear any new albums/singles or try and knock up a piece discussing either an old band or something current.eeek!...

With nothing through yet from Music Magazine or Artrocker this morning (10.28am) I think that the least I could do would be to bring you all up to speed regarding your heroes current listening habits for the weekend. So far they have included Miles Kane's new forthcoming single "Inhaler" which is right up my alley as well as a recently found new mix of the Brian Wilson classic "Till I Die" which has always been a firm favourite of mine from the "Surf's Up" album but in this new mix stretches the song out as well as bringing all the instruments in one by one showing the complexity and harmonic structure of Wilson's mind from the inside out, truly beautiful.

Briefly yet fleetingly had the idea of starting another band last night although as the cold sweats started when considering all that would involve decided against the bullshit and backstabbing these things include and preferred getting a Chinese in and practicing my sweep picking until I get the call to join Steely Dan.

*PEG - STEELY DAN
*JOSIE - STEELY DAN
*REELIN' IN THE YEARS - STEELY DAN
*INHALER - MILES KANE
*TILL I DIE - THE BEACH BOYS

THE BEATLES ON iTUNES

The Beatles VS iTUNES

It’s official (well since 3pm today) that one of the most hallowed back catalogues in pop music history and also the one that was conspicuous by its absence in the iTunes gallery was that of The Beatles. Lawyers were going back and forward for years about a meeting of minds between the two parties involved. This has been going head to head before iTunes as both The Beatles own label APPLE CORP. and APPLE COMPUTERS (obviously share the same name and similar logo). A decision was made that as long as there wasn't a conflict of interests i.e. FAB FOUR COMPUTERS then it would be ok.

Now after the recent re-mastering of all The Beatles music it seems that it is a good time to package it up and ship it out one more time before EMI lose the rights (yes it’s been that long). In fact the last Beatles album in the cannon was released over 40 years ago!

Cynics will say that who cares? The Beatles were so long ago it might as well be trying to get a 14 year old into world war 1 music but the difference is that a song like "All You Need is Love" or "Hey Jude" are timeless and whether you play it for the 1000th time in your car or on your turntable or for the 1st time on your MP3 player, the experience will be new and fresh to the listener. As a Beatles fan bordering on obsessive it can only irritate me when I hear people who apparently "love all music" but don't "get" the Beatles. As if there is something to "get". It’s not a joke or a hidden magic eye picture, they are amazing songs, played amazingly and the soundtrack to a generation out side of the one when it was originally recorded. Brick Lane sceenster kids who only like new, new, new bands from 11am today only can listen to a song by the new flavour of the week without seeing the blatant link from The Beatles. From the newest drum and bass song mixed last night The Beatles already recorded "Tomorrow Never Knows" in 1966. The new X-factor slow ballad with slow building strings and vocals edging for xmas number 1? The Beatles already have such tracks as "Here, There and Everywhere" and "Something". Even the most Avant garde' act out there have a while to go before they top "Revolution #9" from The White Album. The Beatles are yesterday, today and tomorrow, get over it. For those of you who only know the singles and the hits take the chance to browse the catalogue on iTunes and find the nuggets of gold in them fab mines...goo goo ga-joob!

slow off the mark...

Right as of late I haven't been posting as much as previous months, mainly because I have been juggling reviews and gig write ups for a few music sites and most recently ARTROCKER which is a real bonus. Just going through the world of myspace to find new bands and new tracks to listen to (gotta keep the brain ticking over till the new dylan album)

Here are a few songs for you to listen to along with the band names and myspace links (I'm far too nice to you really)

MONA - listen to your love
http://www.myspace.com/monatheband

THE EXPLORERS CLUB - Do you love me?
http://www.myspace.com/explorersclub

go in peace brudders and sistas!

FLATS REVIEW - ARTROCKER

FLATS


It’s been a long time coming that’s for sure. Who would be the NEW band, the NEW thing? Who would take the indie baton from the old guard and basically strut along keeping the status quo of music boring? Well I can happily say that it’s not FLATS, they might occasionally pop up in the weekly music rags but part of the indie elite they are not. Asking lead singer Dan Davine what he thinks of the latest NME top 10 chart is like asking a pit-bull what he thinks of the EU summit, firstly you get a look of confusion, closely followed by anger then a quick run down of bands you should listen to instead of the watered down drivel we are spoon fed week in week out. His hatred of bands such as Gang of Four and “angular guitar riffs over a disco beat” is something that follows him around and always makes him popular as he joins the list of “if you don’t want my answer, then don’t asking me the question” template of outspoken musicians that came before him. FLATS have an underlined manifesto of give it out fast, loud, heavy and nasty (they pull all of this off track after track in their set) they aren’t here to re-invent the wheel they are just happy to be here and want to get their kicks while the night is still young and before the rollercoaster comes to an end.

Tracks up on their MySpace page and which litter their set in under 2 minute bursts include “Rat Trap” and “Mucky Pup” which kick out at the very people that think they’re being contemporary and influential but are singing from a hymn sheet so outdated you wonder if they even know the Vietnam war has ended. The former “Rat Trap” itself screams out at Mods, revivals, The Jam, The Who with such venom that even though they are bands which have a special place in my heart you start to get caught up by the noise and contemplate frisbeeing that well worn copy of “Quadrophenia” over the dual carriage way before its over, although as it ends you just prefer to place it back down again and wipe the sweat from your brow.

Punk is a word and genre that gets attached to all types of bands and styles in recent times and I can see how a band like FLATS would want to steer clear of such standard pigeon holing but Punk seems to be the only genuine phrase I can think of that sums them up with any degree of accuracy. Forget Mohawks and studded jackets like the “welcome to London” post cards show punks to be like. FLATS are punks, fucking noisy little punks that will hopefully create a big enough gap in the generation from the last that there will be people the right side of 25 smashing their MP3 players in disgust of “the state of music today” when one of their songs comes up.

http://www.myspace.com/flatsofcourse

new single reviews...

James Blake
Limit To Your Love

At first glance this cover of the Feist 2007 track seems a little understated and uninspired although upon repeat listens it seems to take on a life of its own with its stark production and slow build up that always backs down before over spilling into cheesiness or cliché. James Blake has a fair voice although as I haven't seen any live performances of yet I can't really judge how its soft fey tenor will hold up with a live band. A nice example of studio restraint in a genre of music that praises over indulgence and 'more is more'. Blake comes from both the dub-step world as well as that of Joni Mitchell and slow melodic soul singers and with the subtle syncopated piano chords, steady metronome like drum machine and subtle treatment of his voice he creates something original and interesting.

With his album on the way to follow previous efforts like the hailed “CMYK” James Blake will find himself being pulled from the underground to the mainstream sooner rather than later with Radio DJ's such as Zane Lowe, Jo Whiley and Annie Mac already adding him to their play-lists with the former Lowe presenting this track as his “Hottest Record In The World” on September 29th. Expect good things.

1 + 1 = 3

Good morning children, as many late night watering holes have found out the drunker a party of people get the more in depth and detailed the conversations go. In the world of Internet enabled mobile phones it is easy to check and double check points while making them and many the chin stroking comments can be shot out of the water in the time it takes to line up another round of drinks. A topic that comes up time again is "what album was that on?" when discussing a good,bad or indifferent track. Today's topic is a quick list of those curve ball songs that direct you to the albums of the same name but aren't in fact on those albums either because they weren't completed in time or worst of all the artist or band was laughing from their mansions at the forehead twitching fans wondering if they'd bought the right version or not.

I've kept it simple today trying to stick to the classics as its pointless mentioning some random Japanese b-sides only album that had a different mix of some long forgot Elvis Costello track on. Lets show the wood for the trees today.

Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin, a great track but one not on the album of the same name but in fact released a few years later on Physical Graffiti.

Bring It On - This track from Gomez was the title of their Mercury Award winning debut album although the track itself Bring It On didn't appear until the follow up album Liquid Skin, cheeky scamps.

Exile On Main Street Blues - This is a bit of a cheating one but I think still worth a mention. "Exile On Main Street Blues" was a track recorded during the mixing sessions of The Rolling Stones classic album of the same name but instead of appearing later on it was given away free in NME (on a plexi disc..whoo whoo) as part of the promotion.

Waiting For The Sun - The Doors were never conventional and hardily surprising that they would confuse their fans by keeping this more progressive sounding track for a later album rather than adding it to their second album, or maybe they just had better material lying around but liked the title. This finally surfaced on Morrison Hotel.

There have been others that have simply been relegated to b-sides not even making it to hallowed track listings, these include:

Midnite Vultures - Beck ; b-side BECK (EP)

Screamadelica - Primal Scream ; Found on the Dixie Narco EP (ten minute dance track)

His 'n' Hers - Pulp ; The sisters EP

Siamese Dream - The Smashing Pumpkins, on the single Disarm b-side

I hope this has shown you that X never marks the spot when it comes to musicians and pop stars and they'll happily send the punters down a blind alley if the stars aren't in alignment or the final mix of the violins isn't quite right yet before sneaking it out disguised at a later date...

thank you for your time, there are tea and cakes in reception...

Frank Zappa's 70th Birthday LIVE@ The Roundhouse

Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa
Frank Zappa 70th Birthday celebrations
The Roundhouse-Camden
Saturday 6th November

Tonight's show was part of what would be Frank Zappa's 70th birthday celebrations (Zappa Died Dec 4th 1993) and here is day 2 of the 3 day occasion and is the "band" night performed by Zappa's eldest son Dweezil on lead guitar and a band of highly skilled musicians who handle the extremely complicated and challenging music with aplomb as part of the Zappa Plays Zappa ongoing touring line-up which is wowing die hard and new fans alike by bringing Zappa's music to a new generation and performing it flawlessly.

With over 80 albums released in his discography finding material to perform was never going to be an issue and tonight's idea of cherry picking an album to perform in its entirety was a great idea. The 1974 album "Apostrophe" performed tonight was one from Zappa's most accessible and strongest period (early 70s) and after the initial introduction was started straight into "The Gumbo Variations" before starting the "Apostrophe" material with "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" and its follow on song cycle of the wonderfully named "Nanook Rubs It", "St .Alphonzo's Pancake Breakfast" and "Father O'Blivion". Along with the band's own performance we were also treated (to great applause from the crowd) with Frank Zappa himself via old concert footage with his guitar and vocal audio mixed in with the live performers on stage. The idea of mixing the generations and across the veil worked perfectly where other people that have tried this device have failed (see the Elvis show.)

Tonight's show also included special guest from the family and past line ups including 1970-1971 Mothers Of Invention era Jeff Simmons on "Wonderful Wino" and 1981-1988 era bassist Scott Thunes on "Pick Me, I'm Clean". Also in a rare outing was Moon Unit Zappa (eldest daughter) who appeared with her own daughter Matilda for a version of the hit song from 1982 "Valley Girl". One of the past line up from what some would call the "classic" era line up was Ian Underwood who was advertised on the tickets and programme but wasn't anywhere to be seen at the show or earlier Q&A. As of yet there hasn't been an official reason for this although the recently released ZAPPA magazine Mojo special includes new interviews with Underwood who in no uncertain terms mentioned that the "Apostrophe" era material was a bit gimmicky and puerile for his tastes, whether this was taken as a knock and he was sent packing is still unknown at this stage.

Along with the album tracks from the already mentioned "Apostrophe" album included in the set were live staples from Zappa's concerts such as "Montana", "Inca Roads" (both with Franks vocals and guitar solos from 70's on screen) and also "Cruisin' For Burgers", "Baby Snakes" and finishing with guitar duels from BOTH Zappa's in unison with the standout "Muffin Man".

Tonight's show and all the other events of the weekend were filmed as part of SKY Arts channel and will be shown in early December and is worth checking out. Overall this was a triumph for both the Zappa family and ensuring the legacy of one of Rocks most enduring and sometimes misunderstood geniuses.


SET LIST

The Gumbo Variations
---------------
"Apostrophe'" ALBUM
Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow
Nanook Rubs It
St. Alphonzo’s Pancake Breakfast (with FZ footage)
Father O'Blivion (with FZ footage)
Cosmik Debris (with FZ footage)
Excentrifugal Forz
Apostrophe (’)
Uncle Remus
Stink-Foot
---------------
Inca Roads (with FZ footage)
Dumb All Over (with Scott Thunes & FZ footage)
Montana (with Scott Thunes & FZ footage)
Pick Me, I’m Clean (with Scott Thunes)
RDNZL
Wonderful Wino ( with Jeff Simmons & FZ footage)
Cruisin’ For Burgers
I Promise Not To Come In Your Mouth
Baby Snakes
Valley Girl (with Moon & Matilda Zappa)
Muffin Man (with FZ footage)

off the xmas list....

With every high street and bus stop reminding me that we have only 7 odd weeks to Christmas the shops are already twitching with bargain hunting consumers looking to get that "perfect" present for their UN-grateful offspring. As a music lover (bordering on rock snob) I tend to get music based goodies including Cd's,DVDs etc, but what of the rubbish and 1 star material that is available out there on the shelves by good artists that the great Auntie Mildrid's of the world would purchase because of the artist on the front for their nephews and grandchildren. Awful records by famous stars....pray to Santa, Jesus, The Easter Bunny,The Tooth Fairy and all the other beloved children's characters that you don't get one of these in your stocking Xmas morning....


1)HAVING FUN WITH ELVIS ON STAGE -Elvis Presley
A live album released in 1974 of Elvis Presley which features NO SONGS, just the chatter, random drug induced humming and lame jokes that were recorded between the songs (each "track" is faded before the songs were to start), still made number 9 in the Billboard Charts on its release so there is no end to the stupidity of fans.

2)ARC-WELD - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
The companion piece to the excellent live album "WELD" (which features Neil Young & Crazy Horse in fine form re-inventing some of Young's best songs for the early 90s grunge generation) but this "album" collated by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore consists of the feedback and guitar squeals from the live records and made into an avant-garde sound collage....ignore, rubbish.

3)METAL MACHINE MUSIC - Lou Reed
Already given my write up on this piece of crap on previous posts, but lets just say that time isn't a great healer with a double album of feedback that even the artist involved hasn't listened to all the way through.

4)LIVE AT THE SCENE CLUB:NEW YORK 1968 - Jimi Hendrix
When a great artist dies young and still commands interest its only to be expected that the record company is going to scrape every barrel and check every inch of tape for NEW recordings to pack,ship and sell to the public. Jimi Hendrix has had everything but him singing in the bath released at some point (15 albums released so far and counting when he only lived to see the release of 3 of them!) Some of the recordings have been 5 star gold (see First Rays Of The New Rising Sun) but this is the worst thing ever given the "Hendrix" name. A live recording from New York's Scene club recorded after a gig with guest artists such as Jim Morrison, Johnny Winter plowing through lame versions of blues songs and Cream and Beatles tracks ("Sunshine Of Your Love" and "Tomorrow Never Knows") Complete dogshit, I could make a more convincing Hendrix album with a tennis racket guitar and headband.

5)DYLAN & THE DEAD - Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead Bob Dylan in the 80's on tour with The Grateful Dead sound as bad as all that? Yes it is. Dylan songs re-arranged and given the treatment from the San Francisco peddlers of space rock and LSD munching never ending solo's, what was blowin' in the wind? A wet fart of an album