IC1s Interview - August 2012

John Campbell – Guitar (JC)
Andy Faulkner – Drums (AF)


Q. What makes a good rock n’ roll band?

A. JC: Be yourself, be real, be genuine, have a personality and don’t follow the rules. By that I mean too many bands pick up the imaginary textbook of ‘How To Be A Rock Star’ like throwing TV’s out the window and thinking you have to wake up covered in vomit with a bottle of Jack Daniels in your hand. Do that if you want but don’t do that because you think that’s what you have to do to become a rock star. Anyone can do that. I see so many wannabe Liam Gallagher’s in bands yet they don’t take his advice from the opening line from Oasis’ first single (Supersonic)… ‘You need to be yourself; you can’t be no one else’. Granted he wants to be John Lennon so the circle of imitation keeps rolling. Sound wise I think all members need to be at the top of their game. You won’t make a great band if only one member is the nuts and the rest are adequate.


Q. IC1s have always been very outspoken, do you think this can get in the way of what you’re actually trying to say as a band i.e. everyone is just looking for the ‘funny quote’ or the ‘mug off’ to another band etc.

A. AF: We’re outspoken in terms of what’s around us - other bands these days don’t seem to have anything to say. We do love to banter, things would be pretty dull if we didn’t but I don’t think our integrity has ever been questioned. We have great songs and work hard, that’s why we’re turning heads within the industry not because we might be outspoken, laddish or witty... That’s all just a bonus.



Q. Live you’ve been playing variations of the same set for a while now, when are you looking to record the debut album and how many of the set list songs will make it to the final cut?

A. JC: I would like to think that we would have recorded our debut album by the summer of 2013. We have plenty of songs to choose from already and seem to be churning songs out every time we get together. So either expect a 20 track debut double album with pop up pictures and booklets of choreographed dance moves or just a 10 track ball breaking, no nonsense debut album. Rest assured most of the set would be on the debut so expect ‘Levitate’, ‘Not Perfect’ ‘Whack Jack’ etc. Excited aren’t ya?


Q. Do you think your sound has evolved as a band since you started, is this something you consciously try and do or are you more from the ‘if it’s ain’t broke, don’t fix it‘ school of thinking?

A. AF: I’d like to think we have a trade mark sound, something instantly recognisable, but it’s evolving there’s no doubt about that. How can it not? You’ve always gotta be trying new things in music and testing the boundaries. We’re writing songs now that we would never have thought of doing when we first got together but each new song has to fit with the IC1s sound and ultimately it’s the fans that determine what sinks or swims (although most swim of course!).

Q. You’ve recorded with different producers in the past; do you think any of them have captured the essence and ‘true’ sound of the band yet?

A. JC: Yes and no. It’s been said that we have a more energetic and raucous sound live and that’s not been evident on record yet. I think that’s obvious given that our shows are usually fast paced and adrenaline fuelled but I don’t necessarily think that should transcend on the studio recordings. I feel that sometimes capturing that mayhem may make the songs messy but then at the same time we don’t want to be over polished either. So I guess our sound is somewhere in the middle! Given that we have limited time with the producers we have had has meant trying to find this middle ground as quickly as possible so I suppose we haven’t managed to capture our true sound just yet but the band would be more than happy to work with all 3 again and are sure that we can get our sound perfect… If not we’ll just find someone else ha-ha


Q. In regards to the lyrics of the songs, do you write them from experience or is it just imagination and a feel for what sounds good and fits the song?

A. JC: I’m pretty sure Dan (Coburn) would say a majority is based on experience with some elements of his overactive imagination. I mean some songs are pretty self explanatory and are stories he has experienced and some are quite imagery and profound but still experience related. Dan has a fantastic way of speaking from personal experience but making it universally understood by others. For example ‘Beautiful Ugly’ was written after a messy break up with an ex of his but anyone else can relate to it as everyone has experienced a break up and can feel those same emotions expressed in the song. I believe it’s crucial to write songs about real things and real experiences really coz if you can’t feel it and believe it then how can your listener?


Q. Having two guitar players in a band can cause issues with the spotlight and guitar hero ego type thing although I’ve found that in IC1s both Jesse and John swap roles between rhythm and lead guitar parts without any problem, how is it decided who is going to take the riff or solo?

A. JC: Well technically Jesse is better than I am so he tends to take the face melting solo’s ala ‘Whack Jack’ and ‘In Freefall’ whereas I’m a sucker for an infectious riff that you would whistle all day long to ala ‘Not Perfect’ and ‘Levitate’. Having said that though it’s not something that’s set in stone so we are more than happy to mix it up now and again if the parts played work. Jesse was brought up on Jimi Hendrix records and has a huge love of metal bands like Metallica which is where his finger skills come from whereas I got my education from the Noel Gallagher School of simple but effective guitar playing. This is why we sound so f*cking good together. Keith Richards once said something along the lines of "Ronnie Wood and I aren’t the greatest on guitar, but put us together and we are the best guitarists in the world". I strongly believe Jesse and I are bastard sons of this ethos.

Q. Summer is here once again, are there any plans for more festival slots this year?

A. AF: We’ve just got back from a couple of festivals and during the Olympics we were invited to play on the Emerging Icons Stage in the Olympic Park. Emerging Icons got in touch again this week and we’re returning to play at the Paralympics. It’s a great honour to be part of it all.


Q. When you look at bands such as The Rolling Stones do you feel that you will still be making music at that age or is rock and roll a young man’s game?

A. AF: The Stone are living proof that age is not a factor in rock n roll but you gotta know when you’ve had your time right!? As great as the Olympics was, I would have loved to of seen more up and coming bands perform on the big stage. We’re the first to pay tribute to English greats like The Who, McCartney and Ray Davies but it was disappointing to see so many old acts hogging the limelight. Oi! Roger (Daltrey) stop reaching for your microphone and start reaching for your prescriptions!


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REAL HEROES: NEIL YOUNG

There have been many icons since the phenomenon of Rock and Roll began back in the mid 50’s, from the un-restrained swagger of Elvis to the screaming wild persona of Little Richard, the faces and stories were part of the character and the music and as a complete package in the pre-music video world this was a sure fire recipe for success. Somewhere along the line the backroom stories and after hours activities started spilling out from under the velvet rope and these icons started getting judged not on their music or performance but instead by their appetites for destruction and bodily self abuse. Jazz artists such as Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday can’t be discussed without their drug habits being mentioned within the first paragraph and almost recall their musical and cultural contributions as an afterthought.

Today musical legends such as Motorhead frontman Lemmy, Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, Keith Moon and Ozzy Osborne are held up as pirates of the modern age, whose road to excess led them to the musical palace of wisdom. Although as the stories add up and the bar tabs get paid the musical credibility of the releases fall on the back burner and are ignored while another yarn is told about “the time when we all drank some poison and still played a show in front of a crowd of millions without anyone noticing…blah, blah”. It seems the true measure of a man in the world of rock and roll all depends on how much can you drink, snort, inject and swallow rather than what they are saying when they are stone cold sober.

Maybe it’s just a case of growing up and seeing your heroes fall by the wayside by drugs, drink or lack of imagination in their craft. But lets be honest, whilst figures such as Keith Moon sound great to go out for a drink with you’d almost certainly slam the door in their face if they arrived with a suitcase for a holiday. Upon closer inspection, and with the passage of time, the ‘live fast-die young’ brigade seems very silly and boring when you look at the bigger picture. For the purposes of this article, that bigger picture is Neil Young.

Formerly of Buffalo Springfield, member of super group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and superstar solo artist in his own right, with an impressive 33 studio albums under his belt, Neil Young is a survivor, a poet and someone who has never followed trends, but instead followed his own muse to the hilt. He is also the father of three children that each have medical impairments. His two sons Ben and Zeke both suffer from cerebral palsy and his daughter Amber Jean has epilepsy (like Young himself). In 1986 Young helped found the ‘Bridge School’ project, an educational organisation that helps children with severe physical and verbal disabilities. There are annual concerts where Young as well as some of the world’s biggest acts perform to help fund the organisation. During the 1980’s Neil Young and his wife Pegi raised their children and overcame the limitations and barriers laid in front of them. Although some help was taken, no publicity or star power was thrown at it. They pulled together as a family and for the outside world it was a closed shop.

Young’s career suffered in the 1980’s as a consequence, certainly from a critics point of view with many albums getting very poor reviews indeed. Albums such as ‘TRANS’ received critical attacks due to it’s synthesizer based arrangements and accompaniments. Calls that he’d “gone too far” and was “trying to be current and go electro” were ignored by Young himself, since in his eyes he was singing to his sons. Using vocal synthesizers and singing barely understood lyrics he was showing the public through this music “this is what it’s like trying to communicate to my own children”. It was very brave and some tracks such as ‘Sample and Hold’ and ‘Transformer Man’ have held up extremely well (especially the MTV Unplugged version which received cheers) and could be considered gems in his cannon. Other albums released in this period were done so to fulfil contractual obligations to his label only and were released to get himself out of his contract with David Geffen who by this time was suing Young for making “un-Neil Young sounding music”. Young carried on regardless, never losing sight of his ultimate aim to put his family first.

Anyone can shoot up heroin or drown in their own puke, it takes a real man to look after his family and weather the storm life throws at you, putting his own burgeoning career on hold to ensure the wellbeing of his children. It doesn’t take a strong heart to drink 40 shots of vodka and drown in your swimming pool, but it does take one to look after your disabled children, have a happy marriage and still stand up on stage night after night, sending 20,000 people home happy after you’ve played two hours of their favourite music. For men out there looking for a hero and a role model in rock and roll I’d point you in Neil Young’s direction.


originally on www.thecalmzone.net

What's in a name?

After the recent news that Snoop Dogg wants to be further known as Snoop ‘Lion’ I am reminded that there have been many, many ‘nom de plume’s out there in POP world over the years. Some of them stranger than the original names, some the catalyst that made them famous in the first place.

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” ; William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’

A quick selection of well known and lesser known name changes


Snoop Dogg/Snoop Doggy Dogg/Snoop Lion – Real Name: Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.

Elvis Costello – Real Name: Declan Patrick MacManus

Bono – Real Name: Paul David Hewson

Paul McCartney – Real Name: James Paul McCartney

Madonna – Real Name: Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone

Marilyn Manson – Real Name: Brian Werner

Johnny Marr – Real Name : John Maher

Meat Loaf – Real Name : Marvin Lee Aday

Freddie Mercury – Real Name : Farrokh Bulsara

George Michael – Real Name: Georgious Krylacos Panayiotou

Joni Mitchell – Real Name : Roberta Joan Anderson

David Bowie – Real Name: David Jones

Elton John – Real Name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight

Cliff Richard – Real Name : Harry Rodger Webb

Cee Lo Green – Real Name : Thomas Callaway

D’Angelo – Real Name : Michael Archer

Tina Turner – Real Name : Anna Mae Bullock

Alicia Keys – Real Name : Alicia Augello Cook

Lady Gaga – Real Name : Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta

Sting – Real Name : Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner

Slash - Real Name : Saul Hudson

Bob Dylan - 'Tempest'

NEW BOB DYLAN ALBUM – 'TEMPEST' - SET FOR SEPTEMBER RELEASE

COLLECTION OF TEN NEW BOB DYLAN SONGS
MARKS MUSICIAN’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY AS A RECORDING ARTIST

Columbia Records announced today that Bob Dylan’s new studio album, Tempest, will be released on September 11, 2012. Featuring ten new and original Bob Dylan songs, the release of Tempest coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the artist’s eponymous debut album, which was released by Columbia in 1962.

Tempest is available for pre-order now on iTunes and Amazon. The new album, produced by Jack Frost(Bob Dylan), is the 35thth studio set from Bob Dylan, and follows 2009’s worldwide best-seller, Together Through Life.

Bob Dylan’s four previous studio albums have been universally hailed as among the best of his storied career, achieving new levels of commercial success and critical acclaim for the artist. The Platinum-selling 'Time Out Of Mind' from 1997 earned multiple Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year, while 'Love and Theft' continued Dylan’s Platinum streak and earned several Grammy nominations and a statue for Best Contemporary Folk album.

Modern Times, released in 2006, became one of the artist’s most popular albums, selling more than 2.5 million copies worldwide and earning Dylan two more Grammys. Together Through Life became the artist’s first album to debut at #1 in both the U.S. and the UK, as well as in five other countries, on its way to surpassing sales of one million copies.

Those four releases fell within a 12-year creative span that also included the recording of an Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning composition, 'Things Have Changed', from the film Wonder Boys, in 2001; a worldwide best-selling memoir, Chronicles Vol. 1, which spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List, in 2004, and a Martin Scorsese-directed documentary, 'No Direction Home', in 2005. Bob Dylan also released his first collection of holiday standards, Christmas In The Heart, in 2009, with all of the artist’s royalties from that album being donated to hunger charities around the world.

This year, Bob Dylan was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. He was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for “his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” He was also the recipient of the French Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 1990, Sweden’s Polar Music Award in 2000 and several Doctorates including the University of St. Andrews and Princeton University as well as numerous other honors.

Tempest is available for pre-order now on iTunes and Amazon.

July 2012

Just a quick update to let you all know that I haven't fallen off the edge of the world and I will be updating my page very soon. I have never been one to post for the sake of posting and there are only so many 'best of' lists that can be created before people get bored.

There we be an important announcenment coming soon for all of you that like my writing as well.

In the mean time here are a few choice cuts currently making the replay list.


River - Joni Mitchell
I Think It's Gonna Work out Fine - Ike and Tina Turner
Baby, Lets Stick Together - Dion
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Word on a Wing - David Bowie

Brian Wilson at 70!

On this day 70 years ago Brian Douglas Wilson was born in California. Happy Birthday Brian!. I will spare you from a skinny recap of The Beach Boys history due to the fact that their recent release (their 29th Studio release no less) ‘That’s Why God Made The Radio’ will call to arms every hack and journalist in every music publication and website to churn out bio’s and opinions running up to the release date and instead just cut to the meat of the matter. The songs.

Here are my Top 10 Brain Wilson moments for you to listen to, dig out and SMiLE along to…




01) Time To Get Alone

This album track from the groups 1969 release ‘20/20’ has always been a personal favourite for many reasons. One being that it’s completely solo in it’s writing credits, which for an artists like Brian Wilson shows that it’s conception wasn’t creatively trapped within any guidelines or formula that may have been put on him when faced with a collaboration. The second reason is the glorious production, the layering, the echo chamber being used on certain lines and phrases let alone the harmonies. Happy to see the song make an appearance in his live set when I saw him.


02) Till I Die

From the ‘Surfs Up’ album this track has always been a very popular Brian Wilson piece as it shows that even throughout his darkest periods mentally he is able to conjure up classic beauty and feelings without ever creeping over to depressing or self indulgent music. Written after Brian in one of his introspective moods pictured himself in the grand scheme of things describing himself as a 'cork on the ocean', a 'leaf on a windy day', a 'rock in a landslide'. He wondered about his life as a whole i.e. was he in control of his own life? Was he ever? Record producer Don Was once commented in an interview that Brian told him that he wrote the music by just making different shapes with his fingers on the piano and messing around making different versions of that and suddenly a melody appeared. Whether that’s true or not it shows the kind of child like willingness to explore his imagination that Wilson prefers over the typical song writer with pen in his hand and metronome on his desk that some of his contemporaries chose.


03) God Only Knows

What can be said about this song that hasn’t already been said a thousand times and much better. Paul McCartney calls this ‘Pet Sounds’ track ‘the greatest song of all time’ and who are we to argue? Especially the harmony vocal build up at the end accompanied by snare fills. Perfection.


04) Caroline No

Also from the ‘Pet Sounds’ album and strangely enough the only track that was released as a one off Brian Wilson ‘solo’ single. It was never a hit song and in my opinion it never had the sort of pop sensibility to ever be one. Written in collaboration with lyricist Tony Asher the song was originally entitled ‘Carol I Know’ although mis-heard by the partially deaf Wilson while composing the music he sang “CAROLine No” and it stuck.


05) In My Room

Often described as the point in the Beach Boys catalogue when Brian pushed away from the surf and sunshine image and instead started his personal journey inwards. Written in tandem with Gary Usher this melancholy ballad shows a side of Wilson that needed his own hiding place and artistic freedom from the pop rollercoaster even in the early days of the group. So unclassifiable in it’s presentation and true meaning the accompanying footage of the group singing the song had them sitting in a library in suits!


06) Still I Dream of It

This choice is one I originally heard on the groups ‘Good Vibrations’ box-set. An un-released track that was supposed to be part of the still un-available ‘Adult/Child’ project Brian was creating in 1977. He later commented that he was trying to write more adult songs that would lend themselves to more Sinatra types of performances and productions. This song was later included in demo form on the retrospective documentary ‘I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times’ although this version is best to be avoided as it’s rough, scratchy and nowhere near the quality of the full version discussed here.


07) Please Let Me Wonder

‘Please Let Me Wonder’ is more of a typical Beach Boys song from their early period pre-‘Pet Sounds’ era although you can definitely see a thread of change evolving through the melodic and production tricks being used by Wilson. Influenced by Phil Spector just as much as the Four Freshman and Chuck Berry this track could have been a standard doo-wop style song if it wasn’t for the almost jazz like chord movements and extensions which Wilson was casually using regularly and confidently. It these sophisticated song-writing choices and tricks that were blowing a lot of minds across the pond, especially in Abbey Road studios.


08) Kiss Me Baby

Another early choice cut from the same cloth as a lot of other early singles, this track was selected as much for the instrumentation layering involved in the production as for the vocals. A master class in depth, space and the ability to ‘play the studio’ as an instrument itself.


09) Surfs Up

Originally written during the sessions for what would be the aborted ‘SMiLe’ project. With lyrics from esoteric writer Van Dyke Parks and combined with a wonderful music cradle including 10 chords in just the verse alone with multiple key changes and subtle shifts in pace this is the work of a man on top of his game and peaking musically. Jimi Hendrix famously sang “you’ve never hear surf music again” although after listening to ‘Surfs Up’ the gauntlet was laid down to everyone who doubted the importance of the group or Wilson himself as a prime creative force in pop music. Later included on the ‘Surfs Up’ album spliced between a live solo version and the groups own studio accompaniment.


10) Surfer Girl

The first song Brian Wilson every wrote for the group (and in fact the first release where he was officially credited as the producer). Inspired by the Disney song ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ this song created the image and feel of the group from then on. Although played at every concert since this has been one that hasn’t lost it’s identity and still sounds as full and fresh today as it did when it was first released in 1963.

Paul McCartney at 70!

It was 70 years ago today…

Paul McCartney, James Paul McCartney, Macca!, the pretty Beatle is 70 years old today and as he tucks into his veggie birthday cake I have decided that 70 years is a milestone that needs to be celebrated with a quick look back over the solo career of the most successful pop star still alive today. Yes he has made some absolute shockers in his time but he has also wrote some stone cold classics as well. Here a few to remember, dig out and YouTube/Spotify if you don’t have them to hand.

Throughout his 42 year solo career he has only made in my opinion 2 strong full albums and they are ‘Ram’ and ‘Band on the Run’, although he has written many other great songs they have been few and far between and sandwiched between mediocre and generally half arsed work.

The reasons behind this pendulum of gold vs. shit is hard to explain although one would say that the fact that he has had so much success may blinker his vantage point to what should be left in the archives and what should be released as a single (no matter how many copies it might sell by the Beatles faithful). It seems that it just comes too easy to him to create, if you sit him down at a piano or with an acoustic guitar and leave him alone for an hour and you’ll have a song on your hands, it’ll be better than anything most can write but not better than tracks he himself has already written, and that is the crux of the problem, McCartney doesn’t have any internal editing tool in place to say “nah Paul ditch that one”, in short he’s missing a ‘Lennon’, now he has a gaggle of paid sycophants who applaud every twang and tinkle like he’s just created another ‘Sgt Pepper’ which creatively doesn’t help matters. Either that or to put it bluntly, the hobby that became a career has once again become a hobby to a man with no more peaks left to climb musically.

Here are a few gems that need to be extracted from the rotten tooth of ‘Ebony and Ivory’ type schmaltz and 30’s inspired rinky-tinky-tooty wartime ‘McCartney-isms’.


Maybe I’m Amazed – McCartney (1970) – Although the first solo album after the split (‘McCartney’) was patchy at best and not in the league of either George Harrison’s ‘All Things Must Pass’ or John Lennon’s ‘Plastic Ono Band’ it did include this track which shows that he was far from over musically, in fact he was just getting started. The stripped down and almost garage rock approach has held up surprisingly and has found a new generation of fans as the years have gone on thanks to the reissues.

Monkberry Moon Delight – RAM (1971) – Criminally underrated track from ‘Ram’, showing that when the chips were down McCartney could get weird and heavy with the best of them, ‘Helter Skelter’ manic vocals and Dylan-esque word-play.

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey – Ram (1971)

Back Seat of My Car – Ram (1971) – Full production, polar opposite to the minimalist arrangements on the ‘McCartney’ album.

Let Me Roll It – Band on The Run (1973) – Using the sun studios slap-back tape echo on his voice that although had been popularised by Elvis and Gene Vincent was mostly recognisable from John Lennon’s use of it. Sparse verse punctuated by twin guitars and Hammond organ.

Band on The Run – Band on The Run (1973) - A real showstopper and patchwork of genres from the man that inspired Brian Wilson to create Pet Sounds and the ‘Smile’ song cycle project.

Jet – Band on The Run (1973)

Coming Up! – McCartney II (1980) – Proving that even though The Beatles were no more the relationship between Lennon and McCartney was always one of friendly competition, when Lennon heard this track whilst on holiday in Bermuda he was inspired to start writing the tracks for what would be his last album ‘Double Fantasy’. Apparently Lennon was content in playing house husband while Paul churned out what he would call below par rubbish but when he released good work the competitive side inside Lennon rose like a dormant phoenix and felt inspired to throw down his own gauntlet in retaliation to his old writing partner.

Waterfalls – McCartney II (1980)

Here Today – Tug Of War (1982) – His slow tribute to John Lennon after his 1980 assassination.

The World Tonight – Flaming Pie (1997) – The ‘Flaming Pie’ album was seen as a ‘come back’, perhaps inspired by the recent Beatles ‘Anthologies’ that were released and he managed to write his strongest collection of songs for many a year.

Flaming Pie – Flaming Pie (1997) – The title song from the album of the same name. The war-time jangle piano starts it but pulling his trusty Epiphone Casino out off mothballs and chugging out a ‘fab’ guitar track saved this from the chopping board.

Shake A Hand – Run Devil Run (1999) – Little Richard cover from this ‘oldies’ collection. McCartney always ‘did’ the best Little Richard impression and was in fact taught the trademark scream by the man himself in Hamburg. A nice addition to the album itself and a benchmark of artists ‘rediscovering their roots’ by actually choosing songs they want to record rather than the usual suspects of safe choices i.e. ‘Long Tall Sally’, ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’.

Friends To Go – Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard (2005) – Written as a tribute to George Harrison. McCartney began writing this song just as another track for the album that he was making with Nigel Godrich. Godrich had asked McCartney for some more material as some of the previous attempts had been refused by the ballsy studio wizard as being not good enough. In a move that both shocked and inspired to pull his song writing socks up and present some crackers worthy of his name and legend.