So, what have you been listening to lately?

[slinkp]

Just came across this singer/songwriter. Good songs and I don't know who the bassist is but I like him/her.

[Pekka]

Bumped into the name on a latest Mojo mag. It was mentioned alongside Andy Pratt about hippie singer-songwriters who made lavish albums that ended up almost prog, so of course I had to find out more. His voice reminds me of a less abrasive Shawn Phillips mixed with David Pack of Ambrosia. This song is pure Joni Mitchell circa '75 with Squire on bass instead of Jaco or Max Bennett. I believe John Guerin is on drums on this track:


Interesting cover art.

This earlier song is more British sounding with great bass sound from Lee Sklar (I believe):

[Dave W]

In the car: Allman Bros. Live at the Cow Palace in California - that New Year's Eve '72 gig (a radio broadcast at the time) and while for some people no post-Duane and -Berry line-up can hold a candle, I find Chuck Leavell's piano playing "just w-w-w-wow!" It's a pleasant excess at jamming, 20 and 30 minute songs abound on the 4 CD set (with great sonic quality) and - no wonder  - Jerry Garcia is among the special guests.

Now in the office: Del Amitri. I was totally unaware of their music until a few days ago, Rob's post made me check them out. The kind of music Edith loves (electrified folk music) - Rob, you have a real girlie-taste! 

George C. is a big Del Amitri fan too. I certainly wouldn't call it electrified folk music. They got heavy airplay on modern rock stations in the late 80s to mid 90s.

[uwe]

Riffless chord strummers with lots of songs in major keys equates "electrified folk music" in my book. It's what girls like, loud vocals, strummy guitar, no riffs to get in the way and music not too dark.

But Del Amitri are pleasant to listen to and know a tune or two, just not strikingly original if I may say so.

But we all come from somewhere, and in my case I was of course weaned on a certain type of late 60ies/70ies rock where the first few seconds are generally determined by a sequence of instrumental notes (guitar- or keyboard-played) which are the signature card of the song - think of Alice Cooper's School's Out, Steppenwolf's Born to be Wild, Cream's Sunshine of Your Love, The Who's I Can't Explain, The Stone's Brown Sugar, The Door's Light My Fire, Hendrix' Spanish Castle Magic, Ten Years After's I'm Going Home, Black Sabbath's Sweet leaf, Free's Alright Now, The Beatles' Come Together, Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water, Bad Co's Can't Get Enough, Uriah Heep's Gypsy, David Bowie's Jean Genie, Mott the Hoople's All The Young Dudes, Argent's Hold Your Head Up, Zep's Kashmir - the tell-tale riff. It's a characteristic of music generally termed as rock or hard rock - but not always: think of Stevie Wonder's Superstition - and of course it is loaned/ripped off from the blues.

It's gone out of style - the last really riffy commercially widespread song I can think of was Lenny Kravitz' Are You Gonna Go My Way with its bow to Hendrix (and that was some years ago).

Playing signature riffs seems to be these days a hallmark of either bands on the Classic Rock circuit or of young bands in the retro vein niche. Everybody else tries to do without as far as chart success goes.

It's something I largely blame U2 for (and I'm only half-joking), the Edge forsook (I had to look up what the preterite of forsaken actually is, "forsaked" didn't sound right!) the guitar riff and made mere chord playing with some echo and delay trendy. 

While I'm writing this, I'm listening to one of the more recent studio albums of Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes.

[uwe]

Now listening to a reissue of the two albums of Dust - with Kenny Aaronson (who I once saw with Billy Sqier and who was among the most impressive rock bassists I ever saw) and the inimitable Marky Ramone (who could play drum rolls after all!).

[uwe]

Listening now to Brinsley Schwarz - a young Nick Lowe had such remarkable ears (and no fear of showing them!).

[Dave W]

Listening to my favorite band from southwest Louisiana.

[wellREDman]

 I have been listening to nothing but New Model Army for the last week.
I have done my usual thing of seeing a band I was into in my youth play live and had to go back and work through   all the stuff they've done since I stopped paying attention.
but what A gig,
I have been to many, many gigs but this one was a serious contender for the best ever.

The basic Premise was that for them the best bit of a gig is when the band get quiet during a ballad and they can hear the crowd singing along above what there playing. So they set out to see if they could have a whole show  like that.
They played in the round with a tiny PA in a gorgeous circular church. With the ticket came a songbook with all the lyrics, the idea being that we are the singers for the evening.

I cant even begin to describe the euphoria  of singing along with a crowd of die hard fans who had travelled from all over the world to be there.
sometimes everything just comes together for  a few perfect magical moments, Last week it lasted two hours.
I'm still buzzing from it a week later

and thanks to the magic of the internet I dont have to try and find the words to describe it...

[Andrew]

Been on a serious Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds kick of late. Anyone here a fan?

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Nick Cave is one of those guys like Bob Dylan; there's so much there and as an added bonus, the man has an amazing voice. Good stuff.

[clankenstein]

     

Anyone here a fan?       

Yes , since Nick the Stripper.

[Pilgrim]

I was listening to an oldies station on the way home tonight, and Mitch Ryder's CC Rider/Jenny Take a Ride came on.  I just had to crank it up LOUD.

Give this a listen, and see if you agree with me that the bass online on CC Rider isn't just darn near perfect!!  It's exactly as much as it needs to be, and no more. The bass is hard to hear on a laptop, but it sounds great on decent speakers.

[Stjofön Big]

Agree, and absolutely, concerning Mitch Ryder's bass player. Perfect. And the drummer, too! Together they cook. Cook, cook, and cook! Love that tune. Everything about that version could drive anyone to speed beyond insanity's borders.

[westen44]

That is one of my favorite songs. 

[uwe]

My Wishbone Ash box has arrived and I am now being dreched with twin lead guitar harmonies from something like 33 or so CDs!

And I also listened to the Spiders of Mars (sans Ronno who was with The 'Unter back then) sole album post-Bowie which has recently become available again. Some very nice (and prominent) bass playing by Trevor B. on that. Songwritingwise, they were a bit too varied for their own good though. You can only get away with that if you are David Bowie. Allegations that Bolder "couldn't play funky" are, however, refuted once and for all with this album (audio of the CD much better than what you hear on tinny YouTube).