This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide … thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

New Year's Day BBCR2 19.00 ~ 20.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Time

Thurs BBCR2 23.00 ~ 23.30
* My Country Jukebox
Nick Barraclough talks with some big-name stars about what they listen to. Barraclough's country tastes are often questionable, but his guest this week is Emmylou Harris so good taste is guaranteed.

Fri BBCR6 2100 - 2200
* Theme Time With Bob Dylan: ??

Fri BBCR3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library: Milt Jackson

Fri BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On 3
More highlights from the past year of programmes: Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman, Gwilym Simcock, Eddie Prevost and Jon Rose with Frances-Marie Uitti.


TV For Grown-Ups - Turgid (Part 2)

Fri BBC4 20.10 onwards
Nothing worth looking out for till Friday on BBC4 ~ a new series in the usually good 'Britannia' strand focusing on pop. The first programme is at least watchable as its focus is the start of the Rock 'n' Roll years with Cliff, Billy Fury and Val Parnell and the skiffle craze. The show is bookended by two of Cliff's worthier efforts, Espresso Bongo and The Young Ones.

Jools Holland's usually reliable Hootenanny on New Year's Eve takes a sharp nosedive with not one act worthy of screentime ~ Sir Thumbs-A-Loft, the annoying Mika, and Kylie (OBE for 'Services To Music'? As Tom Lerner said when told of Henry Kissinger's Nobel Peace Prize, "Satire is dead."). And I bet Russell Brand is in the audience just to complete the whole sorry mess.

Bah humbug.

DYLAN 3CD Limited Edition – time to reconsider

Until I received the DYLAN 3CD Limited Edition as a present on Xmas morning, I’d been, like many readers, unmoved by the release: a missed opportunity … nothing new … repetition of earlier releases … blah, blah, blah …

Sure, I’ve bought all this music before, many times over. Sure, I’d have preferred another Bootleg Series release, especially a proper Basement Tapes. And, sure, I may never play the 3CD collection end to end.

But I can now see why Columbia released DYLAN. Clearly, it’s intended primarily to promote the back catalogue to younger consumers. But, beyond that, it’s a fitting tribute to a lifetime of timeless recordings by the biggest name on the label: the Dylan songbook is showcased here as never before.

And the packaging is appropriately reverential. From the three beautiful CD mini sleeves to the lavish 40 page booklet, and the set of 10 collectable cigarette card-type reproductions of show posters to the cloth-finished box, with its velvet lining and clever magnetized closing flap, this is an artefact assembled with skill and care.

DYLAN Limited Edition celebrates one of the great creative forces of the modern world. If, like me, you rejected it on release, it might be time to reconsider, especially if you can pick it up at discount – it’s doing the rounds at half price (£17).



Gerry Smith

Top operas in Xmas TV schedules

Mike Ollier rightly bemoans the poor quality of poprock on TV over the holidays. But the classical coverage is far, far better. In particular, there’s some fabulous opera from the Royal Opera House. Here’s what they say about their offerings:

* Pavarotti: A Life in Seven Arias: BBC Two, 24 December, 4.30pm
This profile examines the musical career of Pavarotti through the arias with which he was most closely associated, including his debut in La Bohème and his huge success in Donizetti's La fille du régiment, which won him the title 'King of the High Cs'.

* The Magic of Carmen: BBC Two, Boxing Day, 1.15pm
Evocative, dramatic and colourful - the opera Carmen is a tale of passion, betrayal and revenge which features some of the most popular music ever written. Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera, introduces us to Francesca Zambello's celebrated production.

* Carmen: BBC Two: Boxing Day, 1.45pm
A screening of the recent acclaimed production from the Royal Opera House.

* La fille du regiment: BBC Four, 30 December, 7.30pm
A broadcast of the celebrated recent production from The Royal Opera introduced by Dawn French.

I endorse the recommendation for the great Pavarotti. But having seen both Carmen and La Fille Du Regiment productions at Covent Garden, my take is different. The Carmen was poor – but the problem is the opera itself, not the production.

La Fille du Regiment was sublime – one of my top gigs of all time, in any genre. Natalie Dessay was breathtaking – music for grown-ups doesn’t just doesn’t get any better. (Forget Dawn French, though - a bit part to appease the suburban amateur celeb-obsessed cultural tourists.)

If you watch nothing else on TV this holiday, try this spectacular production of La Fille du Regiment.


Gerry Smith

Van Morrison plays Providence, Rhode Island

Thanks to Mark Feldman:

Van returned to RI to the Providence Performing Arts Center where he last performed 35 years ago.

Despite my seasonal Grinchiness, I enjoyed the show but won't grade it better than a B (and that's grading on a curve!).

Van's voice and delivery remain wonderful and he is definitely "a workin' man in his prime". His gutteral grunts and animalistic chants remain the highlight of the shows for me as we scat into unexplored territories. Too bad he has to do all the heavy lifting and dump the jute on the burning ground by himself. I miss his having a backup band that can challenge him musically and take us all higher but I guess this is his current comfort zone and I'm OK with it as long as he keeps singing like he did last night.

When the band took the stage, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that Ned was not there (thanks, Santa!). However, Ned's sluggish residue tainted the first several tunes.

"Domino" was surprisingly lethargic; "Magic Time" was swell; HITYL warrants a new "Disneyland" designation instead of Vegas now that it's even more Musak-y; "It Once Was My Life" was OK but the band was still having tempo problems; the band finally found its groove with "In The Midnight"; "Cleaning Windows" was OK; "Stranded" a treat as always; the plodding, sloppy tempo returned on "Talk is Cheap".

“In the Afternoon/Ancient Highway/Raincheck" was super with a great vocal; "Chopping Wood" brought us back down to earth; "Moondance" is always a treat even though the CB singers Muzak'd the swing out of it; Van's pentacostal vocals on St. James always please; Van sang hard on "I Can't Stop Loving You"; "Bright Side" then here we go into BEG/Gloria, right?

WRONG!; encores with "Help Me' - good version not great but the Old Man has big balls to deny 'classic hits' radio fans who fork over $175/ticket the chance to hear BEG or Gloria. Don't go gentle into the good night, Mr. M... You ARE my Snoidian role model!

Highlights/Observations:
1. No Ned - a plus
2. Nothing performed from "Pay The Devil" - hmmm....
3. No "Precious Time" - another plus
4. No BEG or Gloria! Encore of Help Me
5. At end of show, ushers handed out adverts promoting the release of the new album "Keep It Simple" on 11 March08 (and availability of "Pay The Devil"?)
6. Time for Crawford Bell singers to go join Ned on the dole and bring in some horns with punch and chicks who can REALLY sing backup and not Nashvillesque mundane harmonies (where's Katie K. and Candy D.?)
7. Quiet and courteous full house audience - a US rarity these days
8. Van played harp, sax, guitar & keyboards
9. Pre- & post-show gathering was delightful - thanks to all for being so much fun. Fine mix of newbies, grizzled vets and know-it-alls . Thanks also to Simon & Wavelength for posting meetingplace info.

I'll be happy to host the next Providence meeting in 35 more years ...

Led Zep reunion: c(r?)ockrock karaoke?

Last week’s Led Zep reunion gig in London generated strong, opposing reactions among music lovers.

In the classic rock corner, the nostalgics, grizzled hippies and heavy metal boneheads who considered themselves lucky to be able to shell out £125 to watch a
c(r)ockrock karaoke show, alongside 20,000 others (plus the reputed millions who’d liked to have taken their place), made me smile, if benignly. The fawning media hacks who fed the hysteria were not a pretty sight.

In the post-Punk/alt-modern rock corner, the scornful younger fans (and their rabble-rousing media accomplices) who resurrected the “kill all hippies” vibe which drove Led Zep off the album charts in the late 1970s, seemed just as objectionably intolerant as they did 30 years ago.

Led Zep deserve a more measured approach: great band … four or five great albums … landmark instrumentation … took classic rock as far as it could go … but mostly silly lyrics … Percy had a great ballad voice, but veered perilously close to a Chipmunks parody on faster rockers … laughable stage attire … thank God for punk … blah blah … .

If I didn’t already own all the Led Zep recordings, I’d be delighted to receive Mothership, the new compilation (2CD plus DVD version), for Xmas and would spend many happy hours with it. Their best music is timeless.

But you couldn’t pay me to attend a Led Zep reunion gig: heritage rock/nostalgia isn’t my bag, man; arenas are an insult to any listener who takes music seriously; and the prospect of being surrounded by 20,000 pairs of smelly trainers for three hours in an enclosed space is just too awful to contemplate.



Gerry Smith

Best music for grown-ups in 2007

Tis the season for list-making … Music for Grown-Ups is keen to carry your list of the best of 2007: please email your picks to gerry@musicforgrownups.co.uk

Thanks to valued regular contributor Mike Ollier for starting us off in such fine style:

“Can I be the first with my list of the year? Here goes:

CD Of The Year
* Steve Earle ~ Washington Square Serenade
Earle's move to New York and 7th marriage (yes, 7, to singer Allison Moorer) seems to have re-invigorated him. A cracking modern country folk album; make sure you get the edition with the DVD on which Earle eulogises about Dylan while walking around Greenwich (that's Village, not London suburb) and shamelessly telling a native about his home town.

* Robert Plant/Alison Krauss ~ Raising Sand
'Percy can sing' shock! Quite captivating collection of American folk roots which gave Plant a compelling reason to resist Jimmy Page's overtures of extra Zep dates (as I write I notice that gigs have been announced for a Plant/Krauss tour). Also, special mentions here for guitarist Marc Ribot and producer T-Bone Burnette.

* Levon Helm ~ Dirt Farmer
The best Band album since Robbie Robertson left. Helm's voice is fantastic, a miracle when you consider he's just beaten throat cancer. Produced by Dylan acolyte Larry Campbell who also plays some superb guitar and fiddle, the album also provides further proof (as if any was needed) of what a fantastic drummer Helm is.

* Danny & Dusty ~ Live In Frankfurt
A Green On Red and Dream Syndicate side project featuring Dan Stuart and Steve Wynn. A 2CD set with live DVD for 12quid; messy, loose and soulful and rocks like a rocking thing.

Honorable Mentions
John Fogerty ~ Revival
Bruce Springsteen ~ Magic
Arcade Fire ~ Neon Bible


Re-Issues Of The Year
* Tandy ~ For A Friend/Did You Think I Was Gone
Tandy are the best band you've never heard of; folk, blues and country rock-tinged, 7 albums into a 10-year career and leader Mike Ferrio is writing better than ever. These were two 500 limited edition own label releases that were picked up by Brooklyn indie 00.02.59 Records and re-released to reach a wider audience. A twofer for a tenner at today's exchange rate … go on, you won't regret it. I will personally buy the album back if you don't like it.


Compilations Of The Year
* Uncut's Neil Young CD
A real treat, a collection of some of Mr Grumpy Trousers' finest songs given a makeover by Cowboy Junkies, Jay Farrar, Dream Syndicate etc.

* "The Sandanista Project" Various Artists
Remember the Clash album? Yeah, it was terrible, right? So, this is gonna be worse, right? Wrong! It's 25 times greater (really) and even gets better as it goes on so you get to hear those tracks that were buried away on side 6 and never listened to. Biggest names here are Willie Nile and Amy Rigby, but John Langford trumps out with Junco Partner.

* Mick Jagger ~ Very Best Of…
Some bad uns on here, especially the early '80s synth and drum stuff which hasn't weathered well. But the second half of the album is terrific and shows that Mick was a viable option to the Stones and unfairly vilified by some sections of the press. Interesting videos, too.


Not Compilation Of The Year
* Van Morrison ~ Still On Top: The Greatest Hits
The music's fine (though no place for Summertime In England?), it's the packaging which is crap; the non-chronology of the selections (if I wanted that I'd press shuffle on my player), the awful cover painting with the dog from Veedon Fleece lolling about (oddly, no selection here), the terrible painting of Van as some sort of English dandy with a brolly, the dreadful sleeve notes which are basically a (bad) discography and in which the writer seemingly lost interest half-way through, and, finally, nothing from Astral Weeks. Pah! And just to compound my feelings, the re-releases in January 2008 have poor 'extra' tracks selections on them, too.


Gigs Of The Year
* Tandy/Mary Lee's Corvette ~ 13th Note, Glasgow
A great club, a great, appreciative knowledgeable audience, great beer, and two great bands all equal a great night. A special mention here for Konrad Meisner (drummer for The Silos in his day job), who almost stole the show when his drums were lost by the airline. He used a cardboard box, sat on a tea chest (kicking it as a bass drum) with a selection of shakers and brushes. All superbly mic'd up by the expert soundman in the venue. Mike Ferrio on top of his game and Mary Lee's warmly humorous personality and perfectly crafted songs made this a great gig.

* The Yayhoos ~ The Cluny, Newcastle Upon Tyne
A dose of straight-down-the-line, Faces/Stonesey style rock 'n' roll from Dan Baird and Keith Christopher (Georgia Satellites), Eric Ambel (Steve Earle's Dukes, Joan Jett's Blackhearts) and Terry Anderson. It was big and loud, it wasn't clever, but by God it was more fun than a night out with Scarlett Johannson. In a curry house. And Match Of The Day afterwards.

* Laura Cortese & Neil Cleary ~ The Morden Tower, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Promoted by the superb Jumpin' Hot Club, this small venue is situated up a back alley in Chinatown, built into the old city walls and is about 1,000 years old. Normally a poetry venue (Ginsberg played here), there is no bar, the toilet is outside and back down the narrow steps and you need a key, it's certainly not warm in there and if there's 30 people in it's a sell-out. A GREAT venue in which to see superb songsmith Neil Cleary and fiddler extraordinaire, Laura Cortese. She plucks, pulls, taps, scrapes and plays the violin whilst singing to create a fresh sound; her version of The Cure's Just Like Heaven is a great idea (and available on her MySpace page) and Josh Ritter's BlueJay is touching and heartfelt. She's my discovery of the year.


TV of The Year
* New York Doll (BBC4)
The tale of Arthur 'Killer' Kane, bass player from the NYDs. You don't have to be a fan of the band to enjoy this full-length rockumentary (and I'm certainly not) but you'd have to have a hard heart not to enjoy, and weep, at this incredible tale. The BEST programme on music I've ever seen.

* Iggy & the Stooges ~ Glastonbury
Rabble-rousing punk which caused a stage invasion and Iggy was loving it. As with the NYDs, I've never been a Stooges fan, but this was one of the freshest, most exhilarating sets of live music I've seen for years (and I didn't get wet).”

Why so little discussion of Van Morrison’s Still on Top?

Thanks to Jerry Crew:

“I’ve been waiting to see someone’s take on Van’s Still on Top compilation, but have seen precious little discussion of it, either here or on various Van-related lists.

“No doubt, this is due at least in some part to this having been the third compilation album of the year. However, I think it is worth noting, that, at least to this Van fan, this compilation holds together and flows start to finish better than any of the three Best-of compilations or the At the Movies compilation.

“Why? The total and complete absence of Van’s various and frequent dabbling in what I consider to be side projects. No blues or jazz covers, no country, no skiffle – just the ‘Celtic Soul’ that initially drew me to Van and has kept me a fan through thick (‘70s to early ‘90s) and thin (most everything since).

“The only tracks that really sound out of place alongside the larger body of work are the early Them numbers – Gloria, Baby Please Don’t Go, and Here Comes the Night. I don’t recall having read if Van had anything to do with the track selection on this album as he did on Best of Volumes 2 and 3, but it appears that with this collection, either Van or Polydor get what many, if not most, fans are about.”



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Original article:


Rockpop for grown-ups: a vintage year for best-of CDs

If you’re wondering about buying rockpop for grown-ups best-of CDs as Xmas presents, you’re spoilt for choice this year. A pile of exciting new releases has made 2007 a vintage year for this oft-derided but very popular form of release.

Stunning best-ofs praised here this year (you can find them via the Archive) include:
* Doors – Very Best Of The Doors (2CD/DVD/booklet version preferred)
* Dylan – DYLAN (3CD version preferred)
* Van Morrison – Still On Top (3CD version preferred)
* Mick Jagger – Very Best Of
* Rolling Stones – Rolled Gold+
* Led Zeppelin – Mothership (2CD/DVD version preferred)
* Ella – Forever Ella
* The Very Best Of Miles Davis: the Warner Bros Sessions 1985-1991.

Mamma mia! Any one of them would bring a broad smile to my face on Xmas morning. Supermarkets and online suppliers (eg play.com) generally undercut the music megastores on such product – so you can save lots by shopping around.



Gerry Smith

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide … thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Weds BBCR2 22.00 ~ 23.00
* Charles Hazlewood (6 of 6)

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Friends and Neighbours
I'm reeling in shock as the BBC website actually updates … Bob plays Marilyn Monroe, Carole King and Howlin Wolf amongst others. You can't accuse the man of having narrow musical taste, can you?

Fri BBC3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library: Cab Calloway

Fri BBC3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On 3
Tyft, featuring Hilmar Jensson, Andrew D'Angelo and Jim Black.

Sat BBCR2 20.00 ~ 21.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Dogs
It's holiday time and so R2 roll out the Sideshow Bob theme time hours ~ result! Another 5 to follow this over Xmas … details next column.


TV For Grown-Ups

Mon C4 22.00 ~ 23.55
* Film: O Brother Where Art Thou?
The Coen Brothers very funny adaptation of Homer's Odyssey with one of the finest soundtracks assembled for a movie.


Otherwise, it's DVDs this week if you wanna see music, cos there's bog all on the telly. And it's not just music: the only thing I can muster up any enthusiasm for is my Man Of The Year, Charlie Brooker with a Screen Wipe review of the year’s TV on BBC4 on Wednesday evening. Expect to laugh.

Karlheinz Stockhausen RIP

Serious music lost one of its great innovators with the death this week of Karlheinz Stockhausen.

The German avant-gardiste was one of the most challenging musicians. But when your music is feted as the most important in the modernist canon and your name is freely associated with pioneers in other genres like Miles Davis (qv) and Brian Eno (qv), listeners seriously into music owe your work a fair hearing. And, for all its austere, egghead associations, Stockhausen's best work is reasonably approachable. His trademark sound incorporates Eastern religious influences and mysticism. His is the most successful employment of electronics in serious music. His best-known work is Young Boys’ Song, a landmark in electronica. Licht, a series of seven operas, has its supporters (and detractors).

Most popular in the hippie era of the 1960s, when he influenced West Coast rock bands like the Grateful Dead, Stockhausen was, for a time, very influential in the newly ambitious pop culture – his portrait is included on Peter Blake’s sleeve for Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: hipper than that it was not possible to be.

If Miles Davis listened to Stockhausen, and if the fabled Montreux festival concert venue named one of its auditoria after him, you owe it to yourself to check out what all the fuss is about.

BBC Radio 3 is broadcasting a 90 minute tribute at 2230 tomorrow in its Hear & Now slot: a must-listen for grown-ups.



Gerry Smith

Rolling Stones – must-have photos book now deeply discounted

As soon as it was published, I knew that Bent Rej’s impressive book of exquisite photographs, The Rolling Stones In The Beginning (Mitchell Beazley), was a must–have. It’s a lovely large format collection of intimate pics following the band as they morphed from hopefuls to megastars in the early 1960s.

But I knew that I would eventually save most of the hefty £40 price tag, just by waiting for a reduction.

Lo and behold! Just in time for Santa, it’s now widely available, deeply discounted, all over the High Street. I’ve variously seen it at £10/£9 and as low as £8 (TK Maxx). For the Stones fan in your life, The Rolling Stones In The Beginning is perfect.



Gerry Smith

Music that stopped me in my tracks …

Music that’s stopped me in my tracks recently:

1. Maria Callas – the Casta Diva aria, from Act I of Bellini’s Norma, on Radio 3 on Sunday morning’s Private Passions. It was so powerful that I had to sit down and listen carefully, to catch every last syllable. Great music, great voice, great acting: it just doesn’t get any better than this.

2. Amy Winehouse – the Valerie single, while in a shop later the same day. The whole shopful of customers simply stopped shopping for the duration. What a soulful interpreter; what mastery of a lyric; what swing. Here’s hoping the gel deals with her demons and goes on to produce a lifetime of great work – both for her sake and for everybody else’s.



Gerry Smith

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide … thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Weds BBCR2 22.00 ~23.00
* Charles Hazlewood
Could be anything this week. BBC … blah blah … website … blah blah …

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: last week was Eyes.

Fri BBC3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library: Sonny Rollins (part 2 of 2)

Fri BBC3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On 3
Bassist Simon H Fell, live from Huddersfield.


TV For Grown-Ups

Mon C4 23.50 ~ 00.20
* Led Zeppelin: Live at Madison Square Garden 1973
Couldn't get a ticket for tonight's O2 gig? Then here's a (measly) half hour of Zep in their pomp ~ Black Dog and Since I've Been Loving You amongst the highlights: though by my reckoning that's 30mins gone, when you take into account the adverts. However, anyone who really likes Zep will have seen this stuff anyway.

Fri BBC4 19.30 ~ 21.00
* Gergiev Conducts Three 20th Century Greats (2 of 3)
Second of three concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.30
* If It Ain't Stiff
A repeat of the watchable doc on Stiff records.


I take back what I said about last week's TV … and the radio is crap this week, too.

Leeds – epicentre of early ‘70s rock

The pre-eminence of the capital of Yorkshire as the epicentre of early 1970s rock is underlined by a feature article in the new issue of Leeds, The University of Leeds Alumni Magazine.

Living The Legend, a seven page feature, tells the story of how a handful of students made the Uni the hottest gig on planet Earth from several years from 1970. They booked some of the biggest rockers of all, at the peak of their powers, including:

24 Jan 1970 – Led Zeppelin

14 Feb 1970 – The Who

16 May 1970 – Leonard Cohen

13 March 1971 – Rolling Stones

At least two of the gigs produced legendary recordings – The Who Live At Leeds, and Get Yer Leeds Lungs Out, the highly regarded Stones bootleg.

The student unions of many Anglo unis organised world-class rockpop gigs, but none equalled the line-ups offered to Leeds students in the early 1970s.



Gerry Smith

The Word - most grown-up rockpopmag in 2007

The major Anglo rockpop mags – MOJO, UNCUT and The Word - are alluring artefacts. I can rarely resist picking up the new issue in the supermarket. Every 150-page issue has at least a few pages worth skimming – though usually not enough to persuade me to buy a copy.

The magazines occasionally feature musicians for grown-ups on the front cover, even if the articles they advertise normally lack allure.

If I had to guess which mag has most grown-up musicians on the cover, I’d rank them: 1 MOJO, 2 UNCUT, 3 The Word. This year, I’d have been hopelessly wrong – The Word
(9) had most covers featuring musicians likely to discussed here and MOJO (5) fewest; UNCUT was second, with 8.

Rockpop mag covers (2007):


Jan: MOJO Joy Division; UNCUT Radiohead; The Word Doors

Feb: MOJO Beatles; UNCUT Smiths; The Word Amy Winehouse

March: MOJO Who; UNCUT Iggy Pop; The Word Joni M

April: MOJO Arctic Monkeys; UNCUT Floyd; The Word Rufus Wainwright

May: MOJO 100 Songs; UNCUT Macca; The Word Nick Cave

June: MOJO Bob Marley; UNCUT Stones; The Word Leonard Cohen

July: MOJO Police; UNCUT Dylan; The Word Van M

Aug: MOJO Stones; UNCUT P Weller; The Word J Marr

September: MOJO Floyd; UNCUT Hendrix/50 gigs; The Word Floyd

October: MOJO Oasis; UNCUT Led Zep; The Word Bruce S

November: MOJO Led Zep; UNCUT Neil Young; The Word Led Zep

December: MOJO Amy; UNCUT Lennon; The Word Amy/07


This year saw a total of 22 (of 36) covers featuring musicians for grown-ups. I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to work out which they were!



Gerry Smith

Springsteen 1 Arsenal 0

Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning for a couple of English gigs on Bruce Springsteen’s May 2008 Euro tour.

The London gig, at the Emirates stadium, new home of Arsenal, the Francophone African football franchise, was briefly tempting: I’ve a high regard for Bruce’s best work, notably Darkness and The Rising, and I’ve long wanted to catch him live.

Briefly? I was tempted for all of a minute – before reality kicked in.

Do I really want to spend a summer evening driving (very slowly) to the toilet known as inner North London to spend a couple of hours at a massed karaoke, surrounded by middle-aged beer-bellied drunks (and their boyfriends/partners/husbands), wearing dribble-stained black T-shirts, scruffy jeans and smelly trainers?

And pay well over £100 for two for the privilege?

Probably not: a stroll in the local blueball-carpeted beechwood seems infinitely more attractive.

Stadium rock – by anyone – just ain’t music for grown-ups.



Gerry Smith

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide … thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Weds BBCR2 22.00 ~23.00
* Charles Hazlewood (4 of 6)
Musical humour this week. Surely an oxymoron (unless it's applied to Spinal Tap or The Leningrad Cowboys).

Weds BBCR2 23.00 ~ 23.30
* Hep To The Jive: The Cab Calloway Story (4 of 4)
Concluding part and Cab is appropriated by ad men and appears in The Blues Brothers. What a sorry end.

Thurs BBCR3 23.15 ~ 01.00pm
* Late Junction
Penguin Café Orchestra are featured tonight.

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan:
Right, BBC can't get their arses in gear so, I'll tell you what it was last week ~ Cars.

Fri BBC3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library: Dave Brubeck
87th birthday celebration (did they do a 86th?) of the time signature definer.

Fri BBC3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On 3
CDs Of The Year with Jez Nelson spinning them. Do you spin CDs? Is it all on mini disk, mp3s or whatever? Do you care?


TV For Grown-Ups

Fri BBC4 19.30 ~ 21.00
* Gergiev Conducts Three 20th Century Greats (1 of 3)
Firts of three concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Brasil, Brasil
Last of three brings the story up to date, and politics still shapes the musical landscape and music still shaped politics. Gilberto Gil is Minister of Culture.


Yup, that's your lot. Quite possibly THE worst week (certainly for TV) that I've seen since I started doing this.

Mozart celebrated – radio highlight of 2007

Mozart would easily make any Music for Grown-Ups Top 10, possibly a Top 5. His genius is apparent across his vast catalogue, from great church music to the top operas, exquisite piano concertos to rousing symphonies. In another age, he’d have been The Beatles and Dylan and Miles Davis rolled into one.

BBC Radio 3 has been running its landmark series, Composer Of The Week, every weekday, for many years. Over five days, it explores the art of musicians, both celebrated and virtually unknown, with effortless expertise. Presenter Donald Macleod is a fine educator.

Composer Of The Week is one of only a handful of radio programmes I’d miss if it ceased. I’ve been listening to it for years, but have never heard any Mozart programming.

Well, from Monday 3 to Friday 7 December, Composer Of The Week is finally covering Mozza. While all five programmes are must-record, the pick of the bunch is Thursday, which covers Wolfie’s Freemason links, hence The Magic Flute, with great French soprano Natalie Dessay as Queen Of The Night.

The five programmes are broadcast each day on BBC Radio 3 at 1200-1300, repeated 2045-2145. And they’re streamed on the web, and then archived for seven days after broadcast.

This is the Music for Grown-Ups radio highlight of 2007: it simply doesn’t get any better than this!

www.bbc.co.uk/radio3



Gerry Smith

Rockpop for grown-ups: a vintage year for best-of CDs

If you’re wondering about buying rockpop for grown-ups best-of CDs as Xmas presents, you’re spoilt for choice this year. A pile of exciting new releases has made 2007 a vintage year for this oft-derided but very popular form of release.

Stunning best-ofs praised here this year (you can find them via the Archive) include:

* Doors – Very Best Of The Doors (2CD/DVD/booklet version preferred)

* Dylan – DYLAN (3CD version preferred)

* Van Morrison – Still On Top (3CD version preferred)

* Mick Jagger – Very Best Of

* Rolling Stones – Rolled Gold+

* Led Zeppelin – Mothership (2CD/DVD version preferred)

* Ella – Forever Ella

* The Very Best Of Miles Davis: the Warner Bros Sessions 1985-1991.

Mamma mia! Any one of them would bring a broad smile to my face on Xmas morning. Supermarkets and online suppliers (eg play.com) generally undercut the music megastores on such product – so you can save lots by shopping around.



Gerry Smith

Morrissey and Bjork gigs go on sale today

It’a always the same … you wait months for a gig by a key musician for grown-ups, then two turn up at the same time.

Tickets for Morrissey and Bjork gigs go on sale today – Mozza for a week’s residency in January at London’s refurbished Roundhouse, Bjork on a short Anglo tour next spring.

Whoopee! See you there?


Gerry Smith

Maria – sumptuous new Cecilia Bartoli release

Maria, the new Cecilia Bartoli project, is being marketed with an élan that almost matches the great Italian mezzo’s artistry. The release is packaged in a choice of three formats:

* simple CD in jewel case (£10-12)

* de luxe CD, with delightful digipak booklet (c£14)

* sumptuous large format package with the CD, DVD and a book of Bartoli’s Maria memorabilia (c£30).

The Maria being celebrated is not Callas, as you might reasonably expect, but Malibran, a rather obscure 19thC Spanish opera singer for whose art Bartoli has a very high regard.

The Maria release continues Bartoli’s programme of putting under-appreciated artists back before the public eye. Outstanding previous releases have successfully repositioned Gluck, Salieri and Vivaldi as great writers for voice.

Not content with being the world’s best mezzo, the divine Ms Bartoli is on a mission to teach an inattentive world about forgotten artists.

She’s one of Music for Grown-Ups’ favourite singers – in any genre. On the opera or concert stage, or on record, she’s one of the great voices of the age.

If you want to try just one opera singer, Cecilia Bartoli should be your first choice.

www.ceciliabartolionline.com



Gerry Smith

Summertime in England – with Van the Man

Holidaying in Europe this summer, Adelaide Van Morrison devotee Andrew Robertson finally caught up with his main man in SW England. His report of two Van gigs is such a thoughtful rumination on where Morrison’s live art stands these days, it doesn’t matter that it’s a bit dated:



Some quick context: my only other Van concert was here in Adelaide during his only Australian tour in 1985, so it's been 22 years since I've seen him live. Much has been said and written about that Australian tour, so I won't revisit it here - suffice to say that the fact he hasn't been back probably confirms the reports that it was not a happy experience.

Since 1985 of course, Van has played a huge number of concerts, many of which have been extraordinary. As a listener from afar, I still rate the Caledonia Soul Orchestra of the ITLTSN era as the peak of his live performances, but having said that I would have been very happy to have been in the audience at Montreux 90 or Dublin 96, to name just 2. But it wasn't to be. Instead I found myself at Poole and Plymouth in 2007.

The night before leaving Australia, however, we had the great fortune to see Bob Dylan in Adelaide. Some people thought we were crazy going to a concert the night before a gruelling Adelaide to London journey, but no way would I have missed Dylan. This was his fourth concert in Adelaide in the past 10 years, something Van should try to emulate!

And it was the best - although I reflected afterwards that the set list included none of what I consider Dylan's "icon" songs eg Hard Rain, Desolation Row, Johanna, Watch Tower, Rolling Stone. It wasn't wishful thinking to hope for those songs, because looking at the set lists in the concerts before Adelaide, he alternated between Watch Tower and Rolling Stone as the finale, and had done one of the others in every concert.

In Adelaide he closed with Blowin' in the Wind, a stellar performance and interesting bluesy arrangement that was a fitting end to a great concert.

The standing ovation that followed seemed to go forever, and while the crowd wanted more, one sensed that this ovation was more of an expression of gratitude than a clamour for another song.

It was quite a moving moment, Dylan stood there looking at the audience, doing strange hand movements that were half finger pointing and half thumbs ups. He seemed uncomfortable with the attention, but was graciously accepting it - as if he could feel the honest appreciation being expressed.

To me it felt like the ovation was partly for the great concert he had just delivered, and partly for the lifetime of inspiration he has provided to us all - with a sense that this may have been the last time we'll see him making it all the more important to just say "thanks Bob".

Anyway, as I reflected afterwards, this was a great concert that was Bob's setlist, not mine. It included about half the tracks from Modern Times, his most recent album and as I've said, none of those "drop dead" tracks that have made Dylan Dylan. Even Blowin' in the Wind, as great a song as that is, and as relevant as it still is, has been so popularised that it suffers from the "familiarity syndrome". A bit like Satisfaction for the Stones and, say, Moondance for Van.

Do you see where I'm going with this? This was the perfect concert for me to see before seeing Van, because I knew it was likely that I was going to get a similar concert from him - more of his recent output, less of what I consider to be his "icon" songs, and probably a "popularised" encore. Would I have enjoyed Dylan more if he'd sung my set list? I don't know - but what I do know is that I really loved the concert that he gave, end of story.

Don't get me wrong, there were some great songs - notably Masters of War and John Brown, which along with Blowin' in the Wind gave the concert a bit of an anti-war theme; Lay Lady Lay, You Ain't Going Nowhere, Highway 61 and It's Alright Ma among the oldies; and from Modern Times, Workingman's Blues was probably the highlight of the night, Beyond the Horizon and Ain't Talking were also great. And so on. Incidentally, it was the first ever live performance of Beyond the Horizon - but I didn't find that out until someone at the Poole concert told me (the all pervasiveness of the internet is amazing - there were already people with boots of that concert only 3 days later on the other side of the world).

Enough of Dylan. That was Tuesday night in Adelaide, by Thursday morning we were in London, and on Friday on a train to Poole, which we were told was the venue for the first Pokers and Linda Gail gig - considered by some to have been the end of the era of the last great band of Van's.

Anyway, that's all history, all I know is that Poole was great - and I thought the band was great, particularly the keyboards, pedal steel and violin.

Chris Farlowe joined Van on 6-7 songs and having read posts from people who don't like him, I was initially concerned that this might blow the concert. On the contrary, I enjoyed Farlowe's contributions and also thought he brought the best out of Van. If I could pick one song as my highlight, it was probably Cry for Home with Farlowe doing the "Tom Jones part" as Van put it. Their duets on Sometimes We Cry and Baby Blue were also highlights, as was Tupelo Honey - and indeed Stranded. Perhaps my only complaint about Farlowe's presence was that they encored on Stand By Me and although I like that as a song, I thought our 90 minutes with Van was too precious to spend any of it on a song like Stand By Me (if he'd wanted to do a cover, there were plenty of others I would have preferred).

While Farlowe looks like a bit of a caricature, I thought he sang powerfully and gave a really committed performance which seemed to lift Van to greater heights. Does Tupelo Honey need another singer to duet with Van? In principle, no, but it worked and when Van was belting out "men of granite, men with insight" etc, I felt that it was all the more powerful for having had the other voice leading into it.

Perhaps there have been nights when the two of them make light of it all? If so, Poole wasn't one of those nights. Or perhaps it was simply that this was the first time for me, not the umpteenth - I'm not sure I'd want to see Farlowe again, notwithstanding that I thought he did a great job.

If Cry for Home wasn't THE highlight of the night, it would have been Not Feeling It Any More - a great song, and one that allowed the band to stretch out.

Other highlights included Magic Time, a superb I Can't Stop Loving You (on which Van played piano), Don't Start Crying Now and Little Village. This was an eclectic collection of songs (reminding me of the Dylan concert in that sense). But one that simply worked.

I particularly liked Little Village, and saw how some songs can be so much better live - while it was one of the better songs on WWWTP, I still couldn't really warm to it (perhaps just because of the context - WWWTP was an album I just couldn't get into) however live it became a different song. I know I'm telling most of you what you already know!!

I even enjoyed the so-called Las Vegas version of Have I Told You Lately - what's not to like? Again, perhaps because it was my first time hearing it. Would I have preferred the original arrangement? It's an irrelevant question - just like, would I have preferred the sand on the beach at Positano to have been soft and white like in Australia? If so, I should have stayed home and gone to the beach with an iPod to listen to Avalon Sunset! The fact is, I liked the different arrangement, just as I liked the countrified (banjo driven) Bright Side of the Road. And if Dylan can rearrange Blowin' in the Wind ....

All in all, a great concert. And I was very pleased to hear the other Van fans saying the same after the concert, so it wasn't just me.

A very pleasant drive through the English countryside from Poole to Plymouth for the second Van concert in two nights - most people who knew we were doing that thought we were crazy (including, I suspect, my wife Gayle) but so be it!

Plymouth was spellbinding. And it was a very good decision to go to both - there were 9 different songs at Plymouth. And no Chris Farlowe meant that the dynamic of the night was completely different.

Two highlights: Foreign Window and Celtic New Year that morphed into The Healing Game. These were awesome, and worth the trip on their own. In Healing Game we got a taste of Van taking it down, then bringing it up to a great climax - I can only begin to imagine some of the concerts from days gone by where he's done that to a much greater extent, but what he did that night in Plymouth was, for me, simply wonderful.

Other new songs in Plymouth included Blue & Green, Jackie Wilson, Moondance, Help Me, St James Infirmary and Stop Drinking - with the exception of the latter, a great selection of songs. I've read of people being sick of Moondance - and I will never know how I would react if I'd heard it live 50 times or whatever, but to hear it once was for me a huge highlight. Same with Help Me, which he really delivered on.

This was a seriously good concert - with Little Village again, Foreign Window, Celtic New Year / Healing Game and Blue & Green, it had an ethereal feel to it, interspersed with some rollicking good times with Bright Side and Jackie Wilson, and some sophisticated swing with Moondance and Magic Time. Among the others.

I was rapt - this was the concert I'd come for. And again, after the show, the other Van fans agreed. What was particularly pleasing was how "into it" Van seemed on both nights - and how much sax he played.

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide … thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Mon BBCR2 19.00 ~ 20.00
Paul Jones Blues Show
Catfish Keith drops by to play some slide guitar.

Mon BBCR2 22.30 ~ 23.30
Jools Holland
Try to put up with him, for tonight his guest is Edwyn Collins.

Weds BBCR3 19.00 ~ 20.45
Performance On 3: We All Love Ella - A tribute to Ella Fitzgerald (mentioned on these pages last week by our esteemed editor). Claire Martin, Juliet Roberts, Lizz Wright and, er, Jamelia. Eh? All recorded with The BBC Concert Orchestra.

Weds BBCR2 22.00 ~23.00
* Charles Hazlewood (2 of 6)
Jazz pianist Zoe Rahman visits Charles in Glastonbury.

Weds BBCR2 23.00 ~ 23.30
* Hep To The Jive: The Cab Calloway Story (2 0f 3)
The bandleader’s star rises.

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Thanksgiving
Bob carves the turkey with Fats Waller and Cisco Houston.

Fri BBC3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library
Sonny Rollins (1 of 2)

Fri BBC3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On 3
More from the London Jazz Festival with The Charles Tolliver Big Band in concert at The Queen Elizabeth Hall.


TV For Grown-Ups

Fri BBC4 20.30 ~ 21.00
* Cambridge Folk Festival 2007
World Music tonight ~ Toumani Diabate, Fanfare Ciocarlia, CJ Chenier and The Waterboys with Sharon Shannon and Steve Earle on a joyous reading of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land.

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Brasil, Brasil
Samba, Hip Hop and Baile ~ all explored in this first part of three looking at the music of Brazil. A history lesson and great music.

Fri BBC2 23.35
* Later with Jools Holland
Worldy stuff with Orchestra Baobab and Kano (with Damon Albarn) and then Dion ~ no details, but Dion's new blues album is said to be brilliant, so I'm gonna use my FFF.

Sat ITV2 22.55 ~ 00.10
The Music Of Parkinson (1 of 3)
No, no ... don't go! Though The Parky Effect has given us Jamie Cullum and other easy listening fare, there is also a long history of great acts on his show ~ we're promised Duke Ellington, Bing, Sammy Davis Jnr, Stephane Grappelli and Yehudi Menuhin, among others.

Ella Fitzgerald profile on TV tonight

BBC FOUR is screening its eagerly awaited one-hour Ella Fitzgerald profile tonight, as part of its intermittently excellent Legends series. (Repeated next Tuesday at 2000).

So why does Music for Grown-Ups go ga-ga at the mere mention of Ella’s name?

Simply because Ella Fitzgerald is the foremost female interpreter of popular song. Her recordings of many songs of her era stand as the definitive renditions. All of the musicians celebrated in Music For Grown-Ups have an unmistakeable sound - you recognise them instantly when you catch a snatch of their music on radio or TV.

There are some who prefer Billie Holiday (qv) to Ella Fitzgerald as a jazz vocalist. Holiday is superior at portraying the archetypal loser, the victim of poverty, racism and addiction - Ella can't match Holiday's evocation of pain (but, then, neither can anyone else).

But Fitzgerald has a wider emotional palette. She can do the full range – loss, joy, humour, ambiguity, puzzlement and everything in between - better than Holiday (and everyone else). And her use of the techniques of the jazz vocalist - scatting, mimicry of instruments, phrasing, improvisation, and swing, to name the more important - is unparalleled. For female jazz singers, as for balladeers, Ella Fitzgerald is the benchmark.

Her golden period, the Verve years, resulted in some of the creative highlights of the twentieth century, notably with the Songbook series of albums, recorded in the late 1950s. The collection has stood the test of time - after 50 years, the eight albums, over 16 CDs, covering 245 songs, stand as the high point of both Ella’s and Granz’s illustrious careers, arguably the greatest recording project in popular music.

So where should the novice, unfamiliar with Ella Fitzgerald’s great legacy, begin? Easy: with the Cole Porter or Gershwin Songbooks. Or with one of the compilation CDs: the premier collection is 2007’s The Very Best Of The Songbooks: The Golden Anniversary Edition, a judicious 2CD, 21-track set.

The outstanding 2003 Verve compilation, Ella Fitzgerald: Gold (2CD) also comes highly recommended; often available heavily discounted, it’s great value as a standalone, but it also serves as a sampler for the Songbooks as well as the wider Fitzgerald catalogue.



Gerry Smith

Sonny Rollins and Chick Corea headline at London Jazz Festival – from Friday

The London Jazz Festival, which runs from Friday 16 until Sunday 25 November in a variety of venues, showcases some compelling big names, including Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea, Jan Garbarek and Tord Gustavsen.

My copy of the programme, printed before his recent death, also advertises a gig by Joe Zawinul, the biggest name of all, and a gig I intended to catch. The obsolete listing is a reminder of music’s sad loss.

The opening night gig, We All Love Ella, with numerous vocalists covering the Fitzgerald songbook, doesn’t ring my bell, even though I’m big Ella fan. I didn’t buy the recent album of the same name, either – I don’t get it, when you can listen to the real thing instead.


www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk



Gerry Smith

Top 10: Dylan on DVD/VHS

The sheer quality of The Other Side Of The Mirror: Dylan at Newport 1963-65, the new DVD release, has forced it straight to the top of my official/semi-official Dylan DVD/VHS recordings list.

Here’s my new Top 10:

1. The Other Side Of The Mirror (2007)
2. Hard Rain
3. No Direction Home (2005)
4. Don’t Look Back De Luxe reissue (2007)
5. Masked And Anonymous (2003)
6. Eat the Document (1966)
7. Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
8. The Last Waltz
9. Unplugged (1995)
10.Sydney, with Tom Petty (1986)

A Concert for Bangladesh and Bob Dylan - American Troubador (Biography Channel, 60th) almost made the list. I’ve seen, but haven’t bothered to collect, Renaldo & Clara and Hearts Of Fire – which speaks for itself, really.

How does your Top 10 Dylan on DVD/VHS compare? Has The Other Side Of The Mirror gone straight to the top of your list, too?


Gerry Smith

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide … thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Weds BBCR2 22.00 ~23.00
* Charles Hazlewood
From his humble abode in Glastonbury, the conductor welcomes Vashti Bunyan and highlights 'voices' ~ Maria Callas, James Brown and Youssou N'Dour.

Weds 23.00 ~ 23.30
* Hep To The Jive: The Cab Calloway Story
What it says on the tin.

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Luck
Bobby plays Guitar Slim and Kay Starr this evening.

Fri BBC3 22.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On 3
Jez Nelson introduces a special, extended show this week, live from Pizza Express. It's the first night of the London Jazz Fest and details of performing artistes featured tonight are, as yet, undecided.



TV For Grown-Ups

Fri BBC4 19.30 ~ 20.30
* European Roots: Klezmer In Germany
Klezmer music? In Germany? Oddly, there is apparently a huge demand for it there; this programme looks at why this might be.

Fri BBC4 20.30 ~ 21.00
* Cambridge Folk Festival 2007
Americana is tonight's focus ~ Joan Baez and Nanci Griffith. Am I the only one who doesn't get Joanie? (No, you’re not - I'd rather listen to paint drying - Ed). I really think she destroyed the Rolling Thunder Official Bootleg. So, one to miss then. Except Steve Earle is also on. So, one to tape then!

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Legends: Ella Fitzgerald
"The First Lady Of Song" is profiled in the excellent Legends strand tonight, the only respite from Children In Need.

Fri BBC2 23.35
* Later with Jools Holland
Not as good as last week's show (boy, didn't RT blister the walls?) but King Creosote and PJ Harvey are on. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are subjected to Jools' unique chat stylings; FFF at the ready (that's Fast Forward Finger) to miss glorified pub-rockers The Stereophonics and Don Henley from The Eagles.

Xmas is coming, the goose is … #1 - Led Zep

If, for some unfathomable reason, you don’t already own the complete works of Led Zeppelin, yesterday’s new compilation release, Mothership, is just what you’ve been waiting for.

Mothership: The Best Of Led Zeppelin (2CD & DVD in the Deluxe Edition) is exactly what it claims. The well-chosen package is a fine sampling of the great first four albums and the rather less essential second four.

The DVD in the Deluxe Edition is two hours culled from the fabulous DVD box set, Led Zeppelin, released a few years ago.

Expect to pay about £10/£13 (Deluxe).


Track List: Mothership: The Best Of (2CD & DVD Deluxe Edition)

CD 1
Good Times Bad Times
Communication Breakdown
Dazed and Confused
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
Whole Lotta Love
Ramble On
Heartbreaker
Immigrant Song
Since I've Been Loving You
Rock and Roll
Black Dog
When The Levee Breaks
Stairway To Heaven


CD2
Song Remains The Same
Over The Hills And Far Away
D'Yer Maker
No Quarter
Trampled Under Foot
Houses Of The Holy
Kashmir
Nobody's Fault But Mine
Achilles Last Stand
In The Evening
All My Love

DVD
We're Gonna Groove
I Can't Quit You Babe
Dazed & Confused
White Summer
What Is & What Should Never Be
Moby Dick
Whole Lotta Love
Communication Breakdown
Bring It On Home
Immigrant Song
Black Dog
Misty Mountain High
Going To California
In My Time Of Dying
Stairway To Heaven
Rock and Roll
Nobody's Fault But Mine
Kashmir
Whole Lotta Love



Gerry Smith

Major artists, according to WH Auden

Reader Martin Cowan intended this quote to apply to Bob Dylan; it can be equally applied to many core musicians for grown-ups, from Miles to Mozart, Bach to Beck:

“I came across this in last Sunday's Observer compilation from its archives. WH Auden was writing in 1971 about Stravinsky after his death, but his words seem rather apt for someone else we know:

“ ‘The minor artist, that is to say, once he has reached maturity and found himself, ceases to have a history. A major artist, on the other hand, is always re-finding himself, so that the history of his works recapitulates or mirrors the history of art.

“ ‘Once he has done something to his satisfaction, he forgets it and seems to do something new which he has never done before. It is only when he is dead that we are able to see that his various creations, taken together, form one consistent oeuvre. Moreover, it is only in the light of his later works that we are able to properly understand his earlier.’ "

Two cheers for key Rolling Stones compilation

The Rolling Stones catalogue has been anthologised over and over again. Most of the compilations, especially of the vital 1960s Decca material, are repetitive and unnecessary.

One, however, stands out - Rolled Gold, released as a double LP in 1975 but not, until Monday, on CD. Bang per buck it’s easily the best Stones album, and one of the finest releases of the rock era.

True to form, however, the Stones’ first record label has played fast and loose with the legacy. The new 2CD version of Rolled Gold+ is only an approximation of the classic UK vinyl release: it has 11 additional tracks, and the running order is very different.

Putting on a positive spin:

* a great album is (almost) finally available on CD

* as the “+” in the title indicates, you get extra tracks

* presumably it has the cleaned-up versions from the recent Decca SACD project.

Rolled Gold+

Disc: 1
1. Come On
2. I Wanna Be Your Man
3. Not Fade Away
4. Carol
5. Tell Me
6. It's All Over Now
7. Little Red Rooster
8. Heart Of Stone
9. Time Is On My Side
10. Last Time
11. Play With Fire
12. I Can't Get No Satisfaction
13. Get Off My Cloud
14. I'm Free
15. As Tears Go By
16. Lady Jane
17. Paint It Black
18. Mother's Little Helper
19. 19th Nervous Breakdown
20. Under My Thumb
21. Out Of Time
22. Yesterday's Papers
23. Let's Spend The Night Together
24. Have You Seen Your Mother Baby Standing In The Shadow

Disc: 2
1. Ruby Tuesday
2. Dandelion
3. She's A Rainbow
4. We Love You
5. 2000 Light Years From Home
6. Jumpin' Jack Flash
7. Street Fightin' Man
8. Sympathy For The Devil
9. No Expectations
10. Let It Bleed
11. Midnight Rambler
12. Gimme Shelter
13. You Can't Always Get What You Want
14. Brown Sugar
15. Honky Tonk Women
16. Wild Horses

If you’re short of a Stones comp, Rolled Gold+ is an essential buy. Avoid the Special Edition, unless you’re a collector who doesn’t mind paying extra for special packaging – in this case, a pop-up digipak case.


Gerry Smith

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand

Thanks to Mike Ollier:

“The question raised by this release is ‘Who needs a Zeppelin reunion?’

“Not Robert Plant. For the last 30 years he has crafted a series of critically acclaimed and decent selling albums; both solo, with Priory Of Brion and Strange Sensation and the Page/Plant album Walking Back To Clarksville (one track off that is featured here), which rehashed some LZ songs coupled with world music sounds.

“When asked recently, Plant said that the LZ show was a one-off, and one can’t deny that Ahmet Ertegun deserves a right royal send-off. But that doesn’t mean there has to be a full reunion (which Page said would happen in a separate interview). Plant himself said on last week’s Culture Show that he and Alison Krauss would be touring this superb album, which is all together better news.

“For this album is wonderful. Plant’s testosterone-throated bawl has been softened, at places to a whisper and, shock-horror, Percy can sing! Krauss, at times with her band very cloying, has reined in the sweeter side of her oeuvre and produced one of her strongest albums for some time, too. It’s all helped along by Oh Brother Where Art Thou producer/guitarist T Bone Burnett (one of Dylan’s Rolling Thunder tour stalwarts), guitarist Marc Ribot (Tom Waits), mandolin maestro Norman Blake and Dennis Crouch on double bass.

“This isn’t the leap of faith that some critics are claiming; Plant has for years dabbled with folk (Led Zep II), world music and blues and Krauss is well known for her predilection for rock music (she interviewed Def Leppard for a magazine last year).

"And some people are calling it a duets album, but that’s not quite true either. Plant dominates the album, but there are almost solo tracks from both artists. They harmonise beautifully together and the whole album is beautifully played and is perhaps wrong to be thought of as a Plant/Krauss project because the musicians all play their part.

"Stand-out track has to be Roly Salley’s Killing The Blues, with the two voices dovetailing perfectly with the delicate playing by the band. Gorgeous. The Everly Brothers country rocker Gone Gone Gone is an altogether tougher sounding vehicle; it sounds just like Don and Phil themselves, if one had been a bare-chested rock God. And the other a bluegrass chanteuse!

“Plant tells the tale of the Fortune Teller on a minor-key blues, which has a perfectly tortuous electric guitar solo as its coda with not a note wasted (take note, Mr Page), whilst Krauss shines on Gene Clark’s (one of two of his songs) Through The Morning with Greg Leisz chipping in with pedal steel. Of course Krauss also plays fiddle throughout the album - pity Percy doesn’t break out the harmonica.

“When it’s finished, you just want to play it again. And again. It’s to be hoped there will be further CDs from this, on paper, unlikely pairing; it would be a shame to let something this good slide away.”

Grown-Up Music Heaven on radio tonight

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a big fan of the BBC. Ninety nine per cent of its output, on TV and radio, leaves me cold. And I object to paying nearly £150 a year to finance it all.

But even a stopped clock is right twice a day. And, for one hour tonight, BBC radio transforms itself into Grown-Up Music Heaven.

At 2230, Radio 3 is broadcasting part three of its profile of the stupendous soprano, the divine Renee Fleming, one of the greatest living musicians.

Follow that? Not easy, but at 2300 Radio 2 has a profile of Big Joe Turner, one of the most important (and enjoyable) pre-rock popular musicians.

So, two of the biggest names in the grown-up musical firmament, one after the other. Magnifico.

And you can listen online, as broadcast, and for seven days after.





www.bbc.co.uk/radio3

www.bbc.co.uk/radio2



Gerry Smith

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide … thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Wed BBCR2 19.00 ~ 20.00
* Mike Harding: Folk On Two
From the Electric Proms, one of the worthier performances; The Waterson/Carthy clan pay tribute to Lal Waterson. Norma & Mike Waterson, Eliza and Martin Carthy and Oliver Knight.

Wed BBCR2 00.20 ~ 04.00
* 41st Country Music Association Awards
Live from Nashville, but worth taping just in case Alison Krauss and Suzy Boggus (touring the UK soon) are nominated. However, be warned, The Eagles are making an appearance: your fast-forward button should put paid to that. There is a highlights show the following day at 7.00pm.

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan
Radio Bob continues its merry way whilst, in a parallel universe, Radio BBC don't (yet again) update their website.

Fri BBC3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library
Shorty Rogers

Fri BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On Three: The Redrush Mahanthappa Quartet live from Leeds.


TV For Grown-Ups

Wed BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
* George Melly's Last Stand
An interview with his widow Diana, detailing George's last days and the battle he underwent to record one final album.

Fri BBC4 19.30 ~ 20.30
* European Roots: The Secret History Of The Alphorn
Jazz and fusion using the oft-ridiculed Swiss instrument. The self-appointed arbiters of Alpine good taste, The Yodelling Association, are not happy. I'm not making this up.

Fri BBC4 20.30 ~ 21.00
* Cambridge Folk Festival 2007
Second programme of the series with folk superstars Show Of Hands, guitar virtuoso Martin Simpson and venerable arbiter of ‘60s/’70s folk plays, John Tams.

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Legends: The Dankworths
Cleo and Johnny (or is it Johnny and Cleo?) are profiled this week, a duo who did as much as anyone to try to bring jazz to the masses these past 50 (and more) years.

Fri BBC2 23.35
* Later with Jools Holland
A better line-up this week ~ Crowded House play 3 tracks from their new album and guitar god Richard Thompson terrifies any sweet young things caught in his crossfire. Also, interviews with Michael Stipe and Anton Corbijn, who should be familiar as a rock photographer and latterly video director and now director of the acclaimed Joy Division flick, Control.

Sat BBC2 11.40 ~ 01.10
* Country Music Awards
No details, but might be worth taping just in case some non-Nashville, 'real' country music pokes its head over the parapet.

If you're staying up, switch over after that's finished for 'American Splendour' ~ the Harvey Pekar inspired biopic with a great performance from the ever excellent Paul Giamatti.

Profiling Renee Fleming, world-class soprano

American soprano Renee Fleming is one of the best contemporary female singers. Whether performing in full-dress opera or dominating a concert stage with a multi-lingual recital, her richly expressive soprano is a wonder of the age.

You can hear what all the fuss is about on radio, as Fleming is the subject of the four 30 minute programmes in this week’s Artists Focus on BBC Radio 3 at 2230-2300, from tonight until Thursday.

Three of the programmes cover her operatic repertoire and one (Wednesday) is devoted to her recent jazz excursions.

You can listen online, as broadcast, and for seven days after:

www.bbc.co.uk/radio3

Renee Fleming is a great artist: this series promises to be one of the musical highlights of 2007 for grown-ups.


Gerry Smith

Trailing Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby was arguably the first pop megastar: he had 36 number one hits in the USA, before WW2. Without his pioneering crooner style, late 20thC music would have been very different. He adapted quickly to exploit the newly invented microphone, thus finding a mass audience via radio.

No Bing Crosby, no Sinatra, no Tony Bennett … .

The Bing Crosby Trail, which starts on BBC Radio 2 at 7pm tonight, is a timely reminder of the singer’s central role as a poprocker for grown-ups. Whether you’ll want to persevere for all six half-hour programmes in the series is a different matter: I’ll be re-listening to my Best Of Bing compilation instead.

Most Radio 2 shows can be heard online as they are broadcast and for up to seven days afterwards.

www.bbc.co.uk/radio2




Gerry Smith

Jazz Café - back on top

After a lengthy period when the Jazz Café failed to tempt me along to the Camden club, recent programming has been putting the venue back on top of the London scene. Autumn highlight was a residency by the great Cassandra Wilson – a coup for a small venue.

The new programme offers more mouth-watering gigs, including:

Nov
5-6 Marcus Miller
17 Joyce
18-20 Orchestra Baobab

Dec
3 Souad Massi
15-16 Robben Ford
26-31 Roy Ayers Ubiquity

Jan
1-6 Roy Ayers Ubiquity
11-13 Lee Scratch Perry
16-17 Georgie Fame
30-31 Pharoah Sanders

March
21-23 Rakim



A deeply impressive roster, and there’s more.

Rave on the Jazz Cafe!


www.jazzcafe.co.uk



Gerry Smith

Twenty-fifth anniversary of a grown-up music magazine

I keep a watching brief on all the music monthlies – MOJO, Uncut and The Word for rockpop, as well as Jazzwise, the late Straight No Chaser, fRoots, BBC Music and Gramophone, to name the major titles in my sights.

But I only buy a copy of any magazine every couple of months: I’m only interested in about 5% of the content of any issue - the remainder of the pagination will be unsuitable for grown-ups, concerned with selling, and selling the second rate, in all genres, rockpop or classical, jazz or roots.

The Wire is a magazine I always consider buying very carefully, every month. It focuses on the avant-garde, the experimental, the recherché and occasionally, let’s face it, the downright bonkers. Its musicians are, let’s say, outside the mainstream: I’ve not even heard of most of them. If there’s someone on the cover I rate or want to explore (Miles, Coltrane, PJ Harvey, Mark E Smith … ), I buy that issue.

Unlike virtually all other music mags, The Wire takes its readers seriously. And, unlike virtually all other mags, you can’t confuse it for a sales catalogue pushing new product. Apart from the sustained excellence of its writing, The Wire is beautifully designed.

My prized copy of the first issue, from Summer 1982, tells me that The Wire has just passed its 25th anniversary – a magnificent achievement for such a niche title.

Long may it continue to plough its eclectic, esoteric furrow. Will The Wire celebrate a fiftieth anniversary? I wouldn’t bet against it.

Music for Grown-Ups readers owe it to themselves to check it out:


http://www.thewire.co.uk/




Gerry Smith

Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble in Woodstock

Thanks to Larry Kosofsky:

“I finally got around to going to Levon's Ramble last night - the Hallowe’en edition, no less. I live only 30 miles away, and I don't know what kept me from getting there sooner.

“This is American music at its best – a down-home jamboree of the highest quality. The Alexis Sutter Band kicked it off at 8 pm, followed by the Felice Brothers, and finally Levon, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams and a group that included string bass, keyboards, trombone and saxophone.

“Forgive me for not getting all the members' names; I was too busy having fun. There's an additional lead guitarist who shared vocals, another drummer who took over for Levon when he picked up the mandolin, and of course Little Sammy Davis, who came on to sing a half dozen blues numbers in two stints.

“It's a great scene: about a hundred people scattered around Levon's Woodstock, N.Y. studio, with free food and drink available, mostly brought by the audience members to be shared.

“I won't go into a detailed breakdown of all the music, but I will say that you won't be disappointed when you go. The high point for me was Levon's rendition of a tune from his excellent new CD "Dirt Farmer", "Got Me a Woman." We also heard "Ophelia", "The Weight", and a version of "Chest Fever" that featured Larry Campbell playing Garth Hudson's organ intro on electric guitar.

“The joint was rockin' - Levon's backbeat makes the band swing all down the line.

“Not much more to say, just get there if you can; the money's going to a good cause (you can read about Levon's struggles in other places) and it's an unforgettable night. Visit Levon's website to make a reservation. I will be back.”

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide… thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Thurs BBCR2 23.30 ~ 00.30
* The Funk Factory (1 of 8)
Norman Jay plays Sly, Curtis Mayfield and The Isley Brothers.

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan
The delightful radio show continues, in between tours and making records, where does he find the time? BBC website is being usually slow in updating so I can't tell you what the theme is, but it doesn't really matter ‘cos it'll be good anyway!

Fri BBC3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library
Horace Silver selects from his own back catalogue ~ recordings with Miles Davis, Stan Getz and The Jazz Messengers.

Fri BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On 3: At The Electric Proms
Basquiat Strings with Seb Roachford, Simon Fell and Ellery Eskelin.


TV For Grown-Ups

A terrible week for radio is matched on TV, not only for music - with The Sopranos departed and Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe wiped, there's hardly anything to recommend. HIGNFY (Saturday evening with an extra 10 mins) and BBC4’s The Genius Of Photography (not much cop if you're not interested in cameras!).

Music wise…

Fri BBC4 19.30 ~ 20.30
* European Roots: The Warsaw Village Band: Back To The Future
On tour with the band as they travel round Poland finding old musicians and instrument makers.

Fri BBC4 20.30 ~ 21.00
* Cambridge Folk Festival 2007
Belated showing for this year’s event ~ The Waterboys are promised tonight, as is Sharon Shannon and Scottish band Shooglenifty.

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Legends: Louis Prima
The voice of Disney's King Louis in The Jungle Book is the focus for another welcome show in the excellent 'Legends' strand. Be warned, though - Lenny Henry contributes.

Fri BBC2 23.35
* Later with Jools Holland
A new series, but this first show doesn't have a lot to recommend ~ gentle rocker Richard Hawley and, perhaps, The Decemberists.

Miles and Dylan – two key new releases on Monday

Miles Davis and Bob Dylan loom large in the Music for Grown-Ups landscape.

Both were/are ground-breaking musicians dominating their respective niches; they’ve had an immense influence on contemporaries and successors alike. Twentieth century music would have been very different without Miles and Dylan.

By coincidence, Monday sees the UK launch of historic releases by both great musicians:

* The Complete On The Corner Sessions (6 CDs) documents the Davis sessions which led to an album crucified by conservative jazzbos on its 1972 release, but influential among edgier popular musicians ever since.

* The Other Side Of The Mirror DVD documents Dylan at Newport over the three years of performances 1963-65, capturing him morphing before your very eyes from callow agenda-setting folkie to world-weary founder of rock music, all the while producing breathlessly great music.

A hearty welcome to a pair of seminal slices of music for grown-ups.


Gerry Smith

Hype and over-hype

All music – performances and recordings – is subject to hype. The musician’s management and record label need to catch your attention, in a very crowded marketplace. I have no problem there: music is business, as well as art.

Occasionally, you’re on the receiving end of big-budget hype – when someone’s investing heavily to get your attention. The clue is that you’ve never heard of a new musician on Monday, but by Friday s/he seems like an old family friend. Occasionally the newly launched talent makes it to your list of favourites; mostly they don’t.

Though I’m a dedicated follower of opera, and a regular attender at London’s Royal Opera House, I was mystified when a new-to-me soprano called Kate Royal suddenly seemed to be everywhere in my musicscape. Someone, somewhere was working hard to try make her into a household name. She might well be a talented performer, but the hype made me wary. It had the opposite of the desired effect. There are dozens of female singers I’ll be exploring first.



Gerry Smith

Bruce Springsteen’s Magic

Thanks to Mike Ollier:

“The new Springsteen album is attracting sobriquets in the press such as "His best for 20 years" and "Best since Nebraska." I never understand this type of writing; what I want to know is "Is it any good, should I buy it?" It's either good or it's not. End of story.

“Bruce has been unusually happy recently with the joie de vivre of "The Seeger Sessions" and then the (pointless) "Live in Dublin" DVD and album. This is all together a different kettle of cod.

“I've lived with the album for three weeks now (it's fought for plays on my CD tray along with Steve Earle and Mick Jagger). The cover shows a sombre, brooding Bruce photographed in sepia tones and the gatefold sleeve shows a similarly sepia-tinted E Street Band. Nils Lofgren looks glum whilst Steve Van Zandt seems to have mistaken the E Street Band for his TV family ~ bottom lip jutting defiantly, hands crossed at waist level. Silvio, you gotta go! The pictures sum up the album, strangely muted and sober and shot through with broken promises and tired optimism.

“We roar off with "Radio Nowhere" muscling through the speakers, but it's curiously joyless. The chorus is evidently built for singing along to and it's sure to be a belter live. That old E Street magic permeates "Livin' In The Future" which harks back to the second album in feel and sound. The words don't match the sonic though, some sour lyrics that hint at political dissatisfaction.

“One of the album’s key tracks is "Girls In Their Summer Clothes" with its Spector-ish shtick; but again it has a downbeat sense to the lyrics that surprise. It's got that typical Springsteen 'someone going nowhere' story-arc, with a tired sounding protagonist out in the streets, noticing all around him but being curiously adrift.

“Once again you are reminded of the cinematic qualities of Springsteen's best songs and it brings to mind "The Last Picture Show." The romantic lyricism of "I'll Work For Your Love" is welcome after this, putting a bit of colour back into the music,

“The rage is palpable in "Last To Die" which is a paraphrase of a John Kerry quote; its imagery of blood and bodies, martyrs and flames makes the subject explicit. The 'hidden' track (don't you just hate that phrase?) is, strangely, perhaps the album’s highlight. The track is untitled but is dedicated to his personal assistant Terry MacGovern who died earlier this year. A lovely piano, organ and harmonica ballad, which shows the love Bruce must have had for his friend.

“The album seems to be a requiem for an America that has gone, that has lost its youthfulness; the America of Bruce's earlier albums. Perhaps it's Bruce who has grown up, realising that he's not 'Born To Run' anymore. As ever, there are political undertones here but he never rams it down your throat, rather leaves it for us to find and decipher, just like in our own lives. The feel and tone is a little like "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" (referenced on "Girls In Their Summer Clothes"), it has a valedictory air and downbeat hue.

“To return to my original question: is it any good? Yes, it's superb. Should you buy it? What do you think?

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide… thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Mon BBCR3 22.30 ~ 23.00
* Artist Focus
The genre busting Brodsky Quartet are featured

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: Death & Taxes
Beatles, Prince Buster and Bukka White feature in this week's themed show; by turns surreal, funny and informative.

* Jazz Library
Art Ensemble Of Chicago
Fri BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00

* Jazz On Three
Sessions from groups based around James Allsopp and Tim Giles.


TV For Grown-Ups

Tues BBC2 23.20 ~ 23.50
* The Beatles In Help!
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Fabs' second Richard Lester-directed film. (The movie is shown on BBC2 on Saturday at 19.50pm.) Not generally revered here at MfGU, but this is from a simpler, more optimistic and innocent time and does feature some of the Four's better tunes, especially the Dylan-esque You Got To Hide Your Love Away.

Tues BBC4 22.30 ~ 23.45
* New York Doll
A repeat of probably the best music-related programme I have ever seen. It follows the almost childlike Arthur 'Killer' Kane coming together with the remaining members of The New York Dolls to play Morrissey's Meltdown Festival a couple of years ago. Sadly funny, life-affirming and ultimately sadder than sad, you don't have to be a fan of The NYDs (and I'm not) to enjoy this. Please trust me here, this is superb and if you're not weeping by the end, you've a heart harder than Maggie Thatcher.

Tues BBC4 223.45 ~ 01.20
* Gimme Shelter
The shocking events at Altamont end, and ultimately define, the ‘60s. The Rolling Stones watch shocked as events unfurl before them and spiral out of their control.

Fri BBC4 19.30 ~ 20.30
* European Roots
1920s sword dancing from Czechoslvakia is looked at and brought up-to-date.

Fri BBC4 20.30 ~ 21.00
* Transatlantic Sessions 3
Last in the series; one can't help but feel that perhaps it's run its course. Many seem terribly smug and content to coast. Paul Brady's voice is no longer what it was. Phil Cunningham does his best, as does the ever-smiling Sharon Shannon, and Michael McGoldrick looks interested. My crack about Joan Osbourne in the first preview of this series has turned round to haunt me: she has been by far the best of the lot with impassioned vocal performances.

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
Legends: Jacques Brel ~ Ne Me Quitte Pas.
The intense Belgian singer/songwriter is the subject of this week's doc in the excellent Legends strand. Long feted by rock stars such as Bowie, Scott Walker, Marc Almond, Alex Harvey and, er, Petula Clark, his songs were dark, odd and mesmeric.



BONUS TRACKS: this week's best non-music broadcasts

The Sopranos (E4, Sundays and repeats Tuesdays) reaches the end of its seven year road. It will be long remembered as one of the best, if not THE best, TV drama series ever screened.

Tuesday ~ the last Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe (BBC FOUR) for this series; he'll have a best of year at Xmas. One of the funniest shows on TV. Also, of course, HIGNFY on Friday evenings is still essential viewing (though I prefer Saturday's repeat with an extra 10 minutes).

Tuesday BBC1 11.45pm ~ Walter Hill-directed The Long Riders is pick of the week's movies ~ a re-telling of the Jesse James legend, with a score from Ry Cooder.

The trio of Van Morrison compilations from 2007

Thanks to Clem Harris:

“I share your enthusiasm for Still On Top, the new Van Morrison compilation from Polydor, due on Monday, and the promise of re-released, expanded versions of Van’s fabulous back catalogue.

“But I can’t agree that the two 2007 compilations from EMI – At The Movies and Best Of vol 3 – were “valid”. They might have been commercially sound, but they don’t make artistic sense.

“The Movies CD was unnecessary – 9 of its first 10 tracks are on the wondrous The Best Of, from 1990.

“Best Of Vol 3 is a mess. Its mix of solo material from weak recent albums wasn’t worth re-releasing. The duets showcase Morrison’s greatness as a vocalist and should have been released by themselves, without the other stuff. Am I alone in thinking this?

“I’m looking forward to Still On Top washing away the bad taste of these two unwanted releases. The new 3CD is an absolute crackerjack.”

Still On Top, the new Van Morrison compilation: three questions

The new Van Morrison compilation, Still On Top – The Greatest Hits, released next Monday, 22 October (UK), raises three questions:

1. Why? It’s the third Morrison compilation of 2007. You wait 14 years for a Van comp, then three turn up at the same time!

Almost certainly the rush to compile is the result of two record labels – EMI and Polydor – wanting their due from a leaving/returning artist. EMI’s two compilations were both valid – creatively and commercially. The new (Polydor) comp heralds an exciting re-release project of the Van Man catalogue. Watch this space…

2. Is it worth buying? You kidding? The 3CD Ltd Ed has 51 tracks. By my reckoning, all but six tracks are simply wonderful: almost 90% of the collection hits the spot. Missing? Summertime In England… , and there’s nothing from Astral Weeks… .

3. Is “Greatest Hits” an accurate title? Naaaah. The Ulsterman’s had very few “hits”. Didn’t he once confide to a small, rapt audience in South Wales: “F*ck the f*cking pop charts…”?

The record shops have been denuded of Morrison product for many months. The new Polydor release programme will put the legacy back in front of music buyers. And persuade some hardcore fans to buy the product, yet again, for the promised bonus additions.

What a legacy! Rave on.


Gerry Smith

Major new Van Morrison compilation due next Monday

A major new Van Morrison compilation, Still On Top – The Greatest Hits, will be released next Monday, 22 October (UK) in both 2 and 3CD versions – though why anyone would buy the 2CD version instead of the 3CD Collector’s Edition is a mystery.

The release follows hot on the heels of the new DYLAN compilation, which also has 51 tracks over three discs.

Music for Grown-Ups commentary to follow this week.


Gerry Smith



Disc 1:
1. Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile) 2007 Re-mastered
2. Dweller On The Threshold, 2007 Re-mastered
3. Whenever God Shines His Light, 2007 Re-mastered
4. Moondance
5. Bright Side Of The Road, 2007 Re-mastered
6. Brown Eyed Girl
7. Wavelength, 2007 Re-mastered
8. Crazy Love
9. Someone Like You, 2007 Re-mastered
10. When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God, 2007 Re-mastered
11. Tore Down A La Rimbaud, 2007 Re-mastered
12. Wild Night, 2007 Re-mastered
13. Gloria, Stereo Version
14. Real Real Gone, 2007 Re-mastered
15. Into The Mystic
16. In The Garden, 2007 Re-mastered
17. Saint Dominic's Preview, 2007 Re-mastered
18. Stranded, Album Version

Disc 2:
1. Precious Time, 2007 Re-mastered
2. Domino
3. Here Comes The Night
4. Little Village, 2007 Re-mastered
5. And It Stoned Me
6. Days Like This, 2007 Re-mastered
7. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, 2007 Re-mastered
8. Cleaning Windows, 2007 Re-mastered
9. Baby Please Don't Go
0. Back On Top
11. Vanlose Stairway, 2007 Re-mastered
12. Celtic New Year, Album Version
13. Irish Heartbeat, 2007 Re-mastered
14. The Healing Game, Alternative Version
15. Full Force Gale, 2007 Re-mastered
16. Warm Love, 2007 Re-mastered
17. Did Ye Get Healed, 2007 Re-mastered
18. Tupelo Honey, 2007 Re-mastered
19. Wonderful Remark, 2007 Re-mastered

Disc 3:

1. Hey Mr. DJ, 2007 Re-mastered
2. In The Forest, 2007 Re-mastered
3. Queen Of The Slipstream, 2007 Re-mastered
4. Rave On John Donne, 2007 Re-mastered
5. Hymns To The Silence, 2007 Re-mastered
6. Crazy Jane On God, 2007 Re-mastered
7. Rough God Goes Riding, 2007 Re-mastered
8. Steal My Heart Away, 2007 Re-mastered
9. One Irish Rover, 2007 Re-mastered
10. Listen To The Lion, 2007 Re-mastered
11. Streets Of Arklow, 2007 Re-mastered
12. The Beauty Of The Days Gone By, 2007 Re-mastered
13. Take It Where You Find It, 2007 Re-mastered
14. Coney Island, 2007 Re-mastered

This Week's Music for Grown-Ups on Radio/TV

Your exclusive listening/watching guide… thanks to compiler Mike Ollier:


Radio For Grown-Ups

Fri BBCR6 21.00 ~ 22.00:
* Theme Time Radio Hour with Bob Dylan: More Bob. More magic.

Fri BBCR3 22.30 ~ 23.30
* Jazz Library: Jelly Roll Morton pounds those ivories

Fri BBCR3 23.30 ~ 01.00
* Jazz On Three: Mike Gibbs’ 70th Birthday Concert: to help him celebrate ~ Bill Frisell, Steve Swallow, Adam Nausbaum and Chris Hunter, live at the Birmingham CBSO Centre.


TV For Grown-Ups

NB: check listings for Dylan repeats on BBC FOUR (Wednesday - Ed), and Emmylou Harris repeats, too.

Fri BBC4 19.30 ~ 20.30
* European Roots: a third season of the 'Roots' strand featuring, as the title says, folk music from around Europe. Tonight Fado (from Portugal) is featured.

Fri BBC4 20.30 ~ 21.00
* Transatlantic Sessions 3: 5th of the 6-part series filmed in a grand Scottish Highlands hoose with Celtic musicians in session with Americana acts. Music directors are dobro-man Jerry Douglas and fiddler Aly Bain, with trusted lieutenants accordionists Phil Cunningham and guitar wiz Russ Barenburg.

Fri BBC4 21.00 ~ 22.00
Legends: Al Bowley ~ The Very Thought Of You: the crooner king from between the wars, a kind of Robbie Williams of his day. Another of BBC4’s docs on long-forgotten musicians that are always fascinating viewing. As Richard Thompson sang: "Al Bowley's in Heaven, and I'm in limbo now."

Non-musical highlights: The Sopranos (Sundays, repeats Tuesdays, E4) ratchets up the menace… no-one is safe as Tony takes action and AJ starts to repeat history. Don't forget Friday's 'HIGNFY' ~ Kirsty Young last week was, as always, excellent. On Tuesdays on BBC4 Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe is the funniest new TV for a long time. Ripping Yarns is also re-shown on Tuesdays on BBC4 and also repeats Ian Rankin's Edinburgh at 9.00pm on Wednesday, an excellent trawl through Rebus' haunts and Auld Reekie itself.

Coupled with all the great music shows, can you believe that they are thinking of closing down BBC FOUR?

Blind Willie McTell celebration

Country blues fans and Dylan hardcore will be heading for a Farringdon (central London) pub on Sunday 4 November where Michael Gray will be helping celebrate Blind Willie McTell and his repertoire with young bands performing McTell covers.

Gray will introduce a couple of the bands and give a few short readings from his book, Hand Me My Travelin’ Shoes: In Search of Blind Willie McTell (Bloomsbury, July 2007).

Event organiser Alastair Harper describes the bands like this:

* Congregation: Beautiful Carter Family via Zeppelin, two-souls-one-guitar-one-bass-drum-one-stunning-female-voice lineup

* Train Chronicles: Lightspeed Champion member and strange Dylan/Robert Crumb hybrid

* Extradition Order: Indie garage blues warriors

* Spinmaster Plantpot: Cockney, diminutive rapper

* Li'l Lost Lou: Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson offspring

* The Cedars: Americana blues conquerors

* David Cronenberg's Wife: twisted Fallish literary dorks . . .


Details: Sunday November 4, 3pm. Hand Me My Travelin’ Shoes: An Afternoon Of Offbeat Willie McTell Music & Readings. The Betsy Trotwood, 56 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3BL. 0207 253 4285. Admission on the door: £6, or £5 with the flyer.


Gerry Smith

Joy Division celebrated

Not before time, the peerless legacy of the great Joy Division is being celebrated in England with impressive new record releases to piggyback on the acclaimed new Ian Curtis biopic movie, Control.

The Manc gloomsters’ three major record releases - Closer, Still and Unknown Pleasures – have been re-released as special editions with re-mastered sound and - here’s the important bit – a (different) formerly unreleased live performance packaged as a second CD with each album.

Yummy. Must buy!



Gerry Smith

Another BBC Bobfest this weekend

To promote its broadcast of No Direction Home in September 2005 the BBC stuck a wonderful Jerry Schatzberg portrait of Dylan on the cover of its weekly listings mag, Radio Times.

I was so shocked I bought a copy. Radio Times is a big circulation mag (over 1m copies sold every week). It focuses on mainstream middlebrow entertainment. Putting Dylan on the cover was a brave move.

And, blow me, they’ve done it again with the new issue, to promote a second BBC Bobfest this weekend.

That’s two Dylan covers in two years! It illustrates how Bobby now occupies centre stage in UK popular culture.

Thanks to Martin Cowan for supplying the Bobfest detail:

“Dylan is this week's somewhat unlikely cover star of venerable TV listings mag "Radio Times". The reason for this is a TV and radio Bob-fest of epic proportions.

* Sunday 14 October is a date for the diaries of all Dylan fans, as BBC Four kicks off with "Arena: Dylan's folk - the pure, the bad and the holy" which is a look at the Newport Festival at 9pm.

* As mentioned previously on Dylan Daily, next up at 9.40 is "The Other Side of the Mirror - Dylan at the Newport Festival" - a chance to get this for free prior to its DVD release.

* This is followed at 11.00pm by "Arena - Dylan in the madhouse", a look at Dylan's appearance in the TV drama Madhouse on Castle Street, a show that was regrettably wiped by the BBC back in the 1960s.

* Finally at 12.10, is a showing of "Festival", the music documentary filmed at the Newport Folk Festival between 1963 and 1966.

* Also, Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour kicks off again on BBC 6 Music on Friday 19 October at 9pm, with a taster running on Radio 2 on Saturday 13 October at 8pm.

Dylan fans may also be interested in the Culture Show on Saturday 13 October on BBC2 at 7.10, which features an interview with Neil Young.”

Columbia Legacy on a roll – new Sinatra and Billie Holiday boxes

The Columbia vaults must be the most valuable repository of popular music for grown-ups. The almost indecent riches, recently demonstrated by massive historic Dylan and Miles Davis releases, are again on show with new releases of gems by Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday.

While the Sinatra material on Columbia isn’t as strong as his later recordings on Capitol and Reprise, it’s still top quality. Columbia’s Holiday recordings are the cream of the crop.

Here’s the official Sony PR:

* Frank Sinatra - A Voice In Time

“Frank Sinatra set the standard by which pop vocalists are still judged today. Sinatra single-handedly brought the Big Band vocalist from the back row to center stage and became the very first teenage heartthrob in the process. Between 1939 and 1952, Frank Sinatra had well over 100 Top 30 hits including an astounding body of work he created with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey.

“The Frank Sinatra - A Voice In Time 4-CD collection celebrates his legacy with selections from his seminal big band years, Number One Hits and familiar songs that made him America's first true music icon. Among the greatest hits are selections of rare radio transcription recordings and some of his studio work from Victor and Columbia which has all been restored and remastered for the best possible sound.


* Billie Holiday - Master Takes and Singles
“The recordings Billie Holiday made between 1933 and 1944 for Columbia and its associated labels represent not only her finest work, but American jazz and pop singing at its zenith.

“Backed by legends in their own right, Teddy Wilson (piano), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Benny Goodman (clarinet) and others, this collection highlights the passionate singing of the great Lady Day. This new 4 CD set, taken from the Grammy-winning box set LADY DAY: THE COMPLETE BILLIE HOLIDAY ON COLUMBIA (1933-1944), includes 80 tracks representing the golden years of Holiday's career. Billie Holiday will forever be the enduring Voice of Jazz.”



Gerry Smith

More on Mick Jagger - must-listen musician for grown-ups

Yesterday’s praise for The Very Best Of Mick Jagger, the new compilation CD/DVD, prompted requests for more – about the new album and the solo work on which it’s based.

The Very Best Of Mick Jagger is a 17-track CD, plus a 10-track DVD. The audio CD fillets the four Jagger studio albums – two tracks from She's the Boss (1985), one from Primitive Cool (1987), four from Wandering Spirit (1993), and three from the most recent, Goddess In The Doorway (2002). It also has a song each from the film soundtracks of Performance and the Alfie remake. Two duets – the hit singles recorded with Davis Bowie and Peter Tosh – and three unreleased tracks complete a well-rounded collection.

The DVD has a generous 35 minute interview with the main man, as well as nine delicious songs on film. The detailed, revelatory liner notes are a bonus.

So the new release is a firm favourite in this parish, successfully places Jagger near the top of the poprock heap.

What about the original albums? She's the Boss, Primitive Cool, Wandering Spirit, and Goddess In The Doorway all merit the serious attention of those who realised long ago that the Jagger-led Stones are rather more than mere entertainers.

Media reaction to Jagger releases usually includes a fair bit of critical smirking: the Jagger-baiting press delights in reporting disappointing sales. Some of the criticisms are valid: Jagger's subject matter can be iffy; his solo writing can veer between razor sharp and embarrassing; and the albums' production values occasionally strain credibility.

And yet... and yet... there's some fine music in these CDs. Much of it puts me in mind of Goats Head Soup, and the best of the later (post-Black and Blue) Stones.

Mick Jagger's solo albums position him as a must-listen musician for grown-ups.



Tracklists:

She's The Boss:
1. Lonely at the Top (Jagger/Richards) - 3:45
2. Half A Loaf (Jagger) - 4:58
3. Running Out of Luck (Jagger) - 4:15
4. Turn the Girl Loose (Jagger) - 3:52
5. Hard Woman (Jagger) - 4:23
6. Just Another Night (Jagger- 5:13
7. Lucky in Love (Alomar/Jagger) - 6:13
8. Secrets (Jagger) - 5:01
9. She's the Boss (Alomar/Jagger) - 5:14

Uses contributions from Herbie Hancock, Pete Townshend, and Jeff Beck.


Primitive Cool:
1. Throwaway (Jagger) - 5:03
2. Let's Work (Jagger/Stewart) - 4:50
3. Radio Control (Jagger) - 3:56
4. Say You Will (Jagger/Stewart) - 5:07
5. Primitive Cool (Jagger) - 5:50
6. Kow Tow (Jagger/Stewart) - 4:54
7. Shoot off Your Mouth (Jagger) - 3:34
8. Peace for the Wicked (Jagger) - 4:03
9. Party Doll (Jagger) - 5:19
10.War Baby (Jagger) - 6:39

Produced by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics). Unfairly slammed: my favourite.



Wandering Spirit:
1. Wired All Night (Jagger) - 4:05
2. Sweet Thing (Jagger) - 4:34
3. Out of Focus (Jagger) - 4:31
4. Don't Tear Me Up (Jagger) - 4:10
5. Put Me in the Trash (Jagger/Rip) - 3:34
6. Use Me (Withers) - 4:25
7. Evening Gown (Jagger) - 3:34
8. Mother of a Man (Jagger) - 4:17
9. Think (Pauling) - 2:58
10.Wandering Spirit (Jagger/Rip) - 4:16
11.Hang on to Me Tonight (Jagger) - 4:34
12.I've Been Lonely for So Long (Knight/Weaver) - 3:26
13.Angel in My Heart (Jagger) - 3:21
14.Handsome Molly - 2:03

Generally regarded as Jagger's best solo album. Good choice of producer (Rick Rubin). Includes the delicious tenor sax of Courtney Pine.


Goddess in the Doorway:
1. Visions of Paradise (Clifford/Jagger/Thomas) - 4:01;
2. Joy (Jagger) - 4:40;
3. Dancing in the Starlight (Clifford/Jagger) - 4:06;
4. God Gave Me Everything (Jagger/Kravitz) - 3:34;
5. Hide Away (Jagger) - 4:33;
6. Don't Call Me Up (Jagger) - 5:14;
7. Goddess in the Doorway (Clifford/Jagger) - 4:56;
8. Lucky Day (Jagger) - 4:51;
9. Everybody Getting High (Jagger) - 3:56;
10. Gun (Clifford/Jagger) - 4:41;
11. Too Far Gone (Jagger)- 4:35 ;
12. Brand New Set of Rules (Jagger) - 7:39

A mixed album; some found it disappointing. Has some strong tracks.



Gerry Smith

New Mick Jagger compilation – fine collection from an under-rated solo artist

Mick Jagger’s new compilation album, The Very Best Of Mick Jagger, released on Monday, is virtually invisible on the English High Street. Several supermarkets I shop in simply don’t have it.

Great pity because it’s a fine album. I bought mine on Monday (Morrison’s, £9.77), in preference to the new Dylan, new Springsteen and new Joni the Eco-Warrior albums. Apart its delicious assembly of strong tracks from Jagger's four solo albums, the bonus DVD and liner notes make it a contender for Music for Grown-Ups album of the year.

I used to go along with the conventional wisdom that Mick Jagger's solo outings are less than vital. Until, that is, I heard Michael's version of Long Black Veil, the traditional song which dominates the Chieftains' outstanding duets album of the same name.

Some Stones fans even argue that Keith Richards' solo albums, notably Talk Is Cheap, are superior. Ludicrous, rockist tosh: I find Keefe's solo outings squirm-inducing.

Jagger is under-appreciated as a musician because all the other stuff - the women, the celebrity, the show biz - gets in the way, obscuring an outstanding vocal talent. But listen carefully, with an open mind, to his solo material - the four official albums, the film sound tracks (Performance, Alfie), and the guest appearances (Peter Tosh, David Bowie, Tina Turner...) - and Jagger can be seen as a nonpareil contemporary musician: a rock singer from the top drawer, especially on ballads. And an intermittently good writer, even without the other Glimmer Twin.


Gerry Smith