Wilko Johnson - French And U.K. Dates 2013
As you've probably seen on the Wilko Johnson Website (http://www.wilkojohnson.org/), there are a few gigs in France (four in February) and the U.K. (four in March) lined up. I was thinking of making the trip to the U.K. to see Wilko on stage once more, until I realised that the Bartenheim gig in France on February 9, 2013 was only about 20 kilometers across the border from where I live. Of course I'll be there, but in some kind of strange way, I'm not exactly looking forward to it. To a Wilko Johnson gig any day, but this one?
Cheers
Devon
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Wilko Johnson - Don't Let Your Daddy Know - #113
Wilko Johnson - Don't Let Your Daddy Know
"Unfortunately" this is my musical diet these days. When I'm at home, some Wilko Johnson record is on the turntable or a CD is in the player. Not that I have to force myself to listen to the man, it's just a bit akward in the face of the recent news. I've followed the man since I became aware of Dr. Feelgood sometime in 1974 (that was before they even had their debut album out on the street). And I have to say, Wilko Johnson has ever since been a benchmark of my musical life. It really is strange, how one puts so much meaning into someone he hardly knows.
The title track is a masterpiece on this CD. 13+ minutes of the most relaxed, the most rocking and the most in your face Wilko Johnson you can imagine. The song has been included on other Wilko solo live releases (and of course on the "Malpractice album as a studio version), but this here is by far the best, quite an understatement, let me try again, a state of the art version of this song. Every time I'm playing this album, the CD goes in and plays track number four first and only then can I start from the beginning. A masterpiece! But the whole album is on top of the competition, talk about a desert island disc, here we go! Of course, this is also on my smartphone, so when I need a shot of R&B, it's ready to be brought out.
Afaik, the CD is long OOP and there was a time around five to ten years back, when you had to pay around EUR 50/60 for a secondhand copy. Prices have gone down in the meantime and you should be able to fish it for around EUR 20/25. Worth every cent and then some, I have to add. If it just wasn't for the bad news I'm listening to this CD now.$
Cheers
Devon
"Unfortunately" this is my musical diet these days. When I'm at home, some Wilko Johnson record is on the turntable or a CD is in the player. Not that I have to force myself to listen to the man, it's just a bit akward in the face of the recent news. I've followed the man since I became aware of Dr. Feelgood sometime in 1974 (that was before they even had their debut album out on the street). And I have to say, Wilko Johnson has ever since been a benchmark of my musical life. It really is strange, how one puts so much meaning into someone he hardly knows.
The title track is a masterpiece on this CD. 13+ minutes of the most relaxed, the most rocking and the most in your face Wilko Johnson you can imagine. The song has been included on other Wilko solo live releases (and of course on the "Malpractice album as a studio version), but this here is by far the best, quite an understatement, let me try again, a state of the art version of this song. Every time I'm playing this album, the CD goes in and plays track number four first and only then can I start from the beginning. A masterpiece! But the whole album is on top of the competition, talk about a desert island disc, here we go! Of course, this is also on my smartphone, so when I need a shot of R&B, it's ready to be brought out.
Afaik, the CD is long OOP and there was a time around five to ten years back, when you had to pay around EUR 50/60 for a secondhand copy. Prices have gone down in the meantime and you should be able to fish it for around EUR 20/25. Worth every cent and then some, I have to add. If it just wasn't for the bad news I'm listening to this CD now.$
Cheers
Devon
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wilko Johnson - #112
Wilko Johnson
News broke today, that Wilko Johnson has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. According to reports, he's refusing treatment. He's doing a few shows in Japan at the moment and will honour some french dates afterwards. I'm a bit distracted right now and at a loss for words. All I can do is wish Wilko the strength to go through this.
Cheers
Devon
News broke today, that Wilko Johnson has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. According to reports, he's refusing treatment. He's doing a few shows in Japan at the moment and will honour some french dates afterwards. I'm a bit distracted right now and at a loss for words. All I can do is wish Wilko the strength to go through this.
Cheers
Devon
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Mammoth Mammoth - Volume III, Hell's Likely - Limited Edition - #111
Mammoth Mammoth - Volume III, Hell's Likely - Limited Edition
All the best in 2013 to all of you reading this blog and keep on rockin'. Let's see what the new year has in stock for us. The old one brought this album, which I found literally hours away from finishing 2012. I have no idea about the band, except that it seems to be an outfit from Down Under. Australia has come up with some exceptionally good bands in the popular music genre, Bondi Cigars for one, Beasts Of Bourbon another combo and a host of other orchestras. And no, AC/DC is not one of them. One of the exceptionally good ones, that is, not even just plain good.
Mammoth Mammoth (what a silly name!) seems to have been at it for a couple of years, although I haven't really gathered a lot of information about the band. Their Website is nothing to write home about and there's only bits and pieces strewn throughout the www universe. I'm no big fan of Hardrock, but this one does nicely. My usual reference points are Motörhead and ... yes, Motörhead. Plus a few others, but they are a bit different from your normal 08/15 Hardrock fare (Winter is one). Mammoth Mammoth play the kind of rough Rock that has a lot of grip. Not the kind that slushes everything around and where the singer sounds like he's got his testicles mangled. No, this band plays precise, hard and to the point and the singer has a real voice (and not like an enuch).
I've read some reviews and to say that they all agree more or less on the same result is quite the opposite from being true. I believe no two reviewers come out with the approximate equal opinion about this album. There's people giving it just one star, there're others who give it full marks. To me, it's a 9 out of ten. This is not Progrock, some might call it rather primitive, but it certainly makes a point. Hardrock without any trumpery. A bit like Motörhead on tranquilizers, but still trying to fly through the album at 100mph.
No idea what it is with this "Limited Edition" thing, might be the 5 bonus tracks, but they're required here, since the original tracklisting is only seven songs long. The album is available on CD and LP (the latter still being in the mail to my letterbox). Released on Napalm Records NPR 460 (for the CD). A good album to start the new year and certainly a contender for album of the year 2012.
Cheers
Devon
All the best in 2013 to all of you reading this blog and keep on rockin'. Let's see what the new year has in stock for us. The old one brought this album, which I found literally hours away from finishing 2012. I have no idea about the band, except that it seems to be an outfit from Down Under. Australia has come up with some exceptionally good bands in the popular music genre, Bondi Cigars for one, Beasts Of Bourbon another combo and a host of other orchestras. And no, AC/DC is not one of them. One of the exceptionally good ones, that is, not even just plain good.
Mammoth Mammoth (what a silly name!) seems to have been at it for a couple of years, although I haven't really gathered a lot of information about the band. Their Website is nothing to write home about and there's only bits and pieces strewn throughout the www universe. I'm no big fan of Hardrock, but this one does nicely. My usual reference points are Motörhead and ... yes, Motörhead. Plus a few others, but they are a bit different from your normal 08/15 Hardrock fare (Winter is one). Mammoth Mammoth play the kind of rough Rock that has a lot of grip. Not the kind that slushes everything around and where the singer sounds like he's got his testicles mangled. No, this band plays precise, hard and to the point and the singer has a real voice (and not like an enuch).
I've read some reviews and to say that they all agree more or less on the same result is quite the opposite from being true. I believe no two reviewers come out with the approximate equal opinion about this album. There's people giving it just one star, there're others who give it full marks. To me, it's a 9 out of ten. This is not Progrock, some might call it rather primitive, but it certainly makes a point. Hardrock without any trumpery. A bit like Motörhead on tranquilizers, but still trying to fly through the album at 100mph.
No idea what it is with this "Limited Edition" thing, might be the 5 bonus tracks, but they're required here, since the original tracklisting is only seven songs long. The album is available on CD and LP (the latter still being in the mail to my letterbox). Released on Napalm Records NPR 460 (for the CD). A good album to start the new year and certainly a contender for album of the year 2012.
Cheers
Devon
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Angry Johnny And The Killbillies - Bang Bang Baby Bang Bang Merry Christmas - #110
Angry Johnny And The Killbillies - Bang Bang Baby Bang Bang Merry Christmas
If you're looking for a Christmas CD, why not buy the one from Angry Johnny And The Killbillies? This is for all you folks that have sympathy for the weird and strange. Songs like "Christmas Shopping" are among the best in this genre. Mind you, you wouldn't dare playing this stuff when the day comes, with your whole family gathered around your fake rubber tree. I can assure you, that would be the death of the festivities.
But then, since you're reading this, you're a person of great taste and probably don't have a care in the world about what your next of kin is thinking about you. Be my guest, go ahead. You might even throw in "Six Bullets For Christmas" as an encore. Fourteen songs taking the mickey out of of this traditional holiday. Fourteen bitter, cynical and at times funny songs, the like we've heard from Angry Johnny And The Killbillies for about the last fifteen years (and at least twenty CDs).
This is somewhere between singer/songwriter, Rock, Country and whatever you can think of. Catchy tunes and not a boring moment (in fact, all of their releases are highly recommended). Angry Johnny's vocals are a bit like Bob Dylan on Speed, but don't worry, Robert Zimmermann is not among my Top 5000 artists, so even if you don't have a single grain of sympathy for old Bob, this might be to your liking. To buy their CDs, go to www.getangry.com, as these days, their albums are hardly sold in regular shops. Last check there, quite a number of CDs are still available, although not everything they've released so far.
And if you're searching the website, there are two compilation CDs (including artwork) that can be downloaded for free. Even though I've bought all their releases over the years, I made the download anyway. This is one of the best bands with almost no profile over the horizon. Let me know what you think of their music.
Cheers
Devon
If you're looking for a Christmas CD, why not buy the one from Angry Johnny And The Killbillies? This is for all you folks that have sympathy for the weird and strange. Songs like "Christmas Shopping" are among the best in this genre. Mind you, you wouldn't dare playing this stuff when the day comes, with your whole family gathered around your fake rubber tree. I can assure you, that would be the death of the festivities.
But then, since you're reading this, you're a person of great taste and probably don't have a care in the world about what your next of kin is thinking about you. Be my guest, go ahead. You might even throw in "Six Bullets For Christmas" as an encore. Fourteen songs taking the mickey out of of this traditional holiday. Fourteen bitter, cynical and at times funny songs, the like we've heard from Angry Johnny And The Killbillies for about the last fifteen years (and at least twenty CDs).
This is somewhere between singer/songwriter, Rock, Country and whatever you can think of. Catchy tunes and not a boring moment (in fact, all of their releases are highly recommended). Angry Johnny's vocals are a bit like Bob Dylan on Speed, but don't worry, Robert Zimmermann is not among my Top 5000 artists, so even if you don't have a single grain of sympathy for old Bob, this might be to your liking. To buy their CDs, go to www.getangry.com, as these days, their albums are hardly sold in regular shops. Last check there, quite a number of CDs are still available, although not everything they've released so far.
And if you're searching the website, there are two compilation CDs (including artwork) that can be downloaded for free. Even though I've bought all their releases over the years, I made the download anyway. This is one of the best bands with almost no profile over the horizon. Let me know what you think of their music.
Cheers
Devon
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Suzi Quatro - Aggro-phobia - #109
Suzi Quatro - Aggro-phobia
Suzi Quatro? Yes indeed, Suzi Quatro. I'm really having, not an aggro-phobia, but a Suzi-phobia. That is to say, until a couple of years ago. They say, with age comes wisdom. Took a little longer for me to get here. No, really, if you'd have a younger sister who was a fan of some musician back then in the day, you'd be forgiven not to listen to closely. I mean, it took me ages to appreciate Status Quo and these days, I can even deal with the likes of Smokie. But this is now and now says, Suzi Quatro was great.
O.K., she always looked hot in her petite frame and her leather suits. I admit this freely. And can I say, she's looking bloody good all these years later. Not the same, she's certainly aged along with the rest of us, but still ... she must be sixty (or thereabouts). Aggro-phobia is an album I've been trying to buy on vinyl since someone mentioned this as his favourite Suzi Quatro album some years ago (hello Mellow!). But the thing is, original vinyl on the market is mostly in a deplorable state. So, a CD had to do and was bought today during lunch break.
Suzi Quatro's albums are an uneven bunch of releases (mostly to do with her vocals, on some it's excellent and on others she's overdoing her little girl act by a country mile). This here is the "normal" Suzi and the better for it. This is not so much Glam but Rock and, although there are no hits of hers on this album (or maybe because of it), this is indeed a worthwhile bit of music history. There are no gimmicks here, just straight Rock music. I can't say wether this was the prevailing sound in the mid-70's, as I wasn't into this scene, but I believe, it sets itself somehow apart from most of the other releases around that time. Even the covers such as "Heartbreak Hotel" or "Wake Up Little Susie" are well worth listening to.
The new CD (on Cherry Red - GLAM CD 131) packs eight bonus tracks on top of the original ten songs. I don't know wether they have been released somewhere else, but I can say, they've not been pulled from the trash can. And, Mellow, thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Cheers
Devon
Suzi Quatro? Yes indeed, Suzi Quatro. I'm really having, not an aggro-phobia, but a Suzi-phobia. That is to say, until a couple of years ago. They say, with age comes wisdom. Took a little longer for me to get here. No, really, if you'd have a younger sister who was a fan of some musician back then in the day, you'd be forgiven not to listen to closely. I mean, it took me ages to appreciate Status Quo and these days, I can even deal with the likes of Smokie. But this is now and now says, Suzi Quatro was great.
O.K., she always looked hot in her petite frame and her leather suits. I admit this freely. And can I say, she's looking bloody good all these years later. Not the same, she's certainly aged along with the rest of us, but still ... she must be sixty (or thereabouts). Aggro-phobia is an album I've been trying to buy on vinyl since someone mentioned this as his favourite Suzi Quatro album some years ago (hello Mellow!). But the thing is, original vinyl on the market is mostly in a deplorable state. So, a CD had to do and was bought today during lunch break.
Suzi Quatro's albums are an uneven bunch of releases (mostly to do with her vocals, on some it's excellent and on others she's overdoing her little girl act by a country mile). This here is the "normal" Suzi and the better for it. This is not so much Glam but Rock and, although there are no hits of hers on this album (or maybe because of it), this is indeed a worthwhile bit of music history. There are no gimmicks here, just straight Rock music. I can't say wether this was the prevailing sound in the mid-70's, as I wasn't into this scene, but I believe, it sets itself somehow apart from most of the other releases around that time. Even the covers such as "Heartbreak Hotel" or "Wake Up Little Susie" are well worth listening to.
The new CD (on Cherry Red - GLAM CD 131) packs eight bonus tracks on top of the original ten songs. I don't know wether they have been released somewhere else, but I can say, they've not been pulled from the trash can. And, Mellow, thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Cheers
Devon
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Pogues - In Paris - #108
Pogues - In Paris
I'm a hardcore fan of Dr. Feelgood, Wilko Johnson, Doctor's Order, Alice Cooper, Angry Johnny And The Killbillies and a bunch of others ... and of the Pogues. I've seen them live with Shane drunk and I've seen them live with Shane drunk and ... I've seen them with Joe Strummer. The real deal however, was always the line-up with their erstwhile singer. Not that this is against Joe Strummer, I'm a fan of the Clash and I think Mr. Strummer made some exceptional solo records, but the Pogues were always their truest when it came to Mr. MacGowan taking vocal duties. When they had their reunion a while back, I was a bit worried about this being another tired and washed-out band taking the stage because money has to be earned somehow. And if it's to make the clown on stage, why not (in their thinking)?
I haven't seen the current Pogues yet, but I would like very much to do so. On the strength of this live album alone (recorded during two nights in September 2012 in Paris - gone are the days when one had to wait years for a live recordings being made public), the sooner the better. I'm not getting heated up about live albums. Usually. But this is a rare exception, as the thing grips me from start to finish. These are my Pogues and I don't want to hear a bad word about it. Just fantastic, I really wish I'd been there during those two nights.
The most beautiful Christmas song ever made is also present, this being, of course, "Fairytale Of New York". But, my dear Pogues, this is a song forever in my mind with you, Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl. Beautifully played here, exceptionally well sung, but Kirsty is missing and noone can ever take her place.
You can buy this as a double CD, a triple LP or a CD/DVD box (all three versions have recently arrived here, but I haven't seen the video footage yet, so no opinion about this), or as a single DVD. It's Christmas time coming up, so let it be known that you wouldn't be angry about one of these releases finding stuffed in your socks.
I'm a hardcore fan of Dr. Feelgood, Wilko Johnson, Doctor's Order, Alice Cooper, Angry Johnny And The Killbillies and a bunch of others ... and of the Pogues. I've seen them live with Shane drunk and I've seen them live with Shane drunk and ... I've seen them with Joe Strummer. The real deal however, was always the line-up with their erstwhile singer. Not that this is against Joe Strummer, I'm a fan of the Clash and I think Mr. Strummer made some exceptional solo records, but the Pogues were always their truest when it came to Mr. MacGowan taking vocal duties. When they had their reunion a while back, I was a bit worried about this being another tired and washed-out band taking the stage because money has to be earned somehow. And if it's to make the clown on stage, why not (in their thinking)?
I haven't seen the current Pogues yet, but I would like very much to do so. On the strength of this live album alone (recorded during two nights in September 2012 in Paris - gone are the days when one had to wait years for a live recordings being made public), the sooner the better. I'm not getting heated up about live albums. Usually. But this is a rare exception, as the thing grips me from start to finish. These are my Pogues and I don't want to hear a bad word about it. Just fantastic, I really wish I'd been there during those two nights.
The most beautiful Christmas song ever made is also present, this being, of course, "Fairytale Of New York". But, my dear Pogues, this is a song forever in my mind with you, Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl. Beautifully played here, exceptionally well sung, but Kirsty is missing and noone can ever take her place.
You can buy this as a double CD, a triple LP or a CD/DVD box (all three versions have recently arrived here, but I haven't seen the video footage yet, so no opinion about this), or as a single DVD. It's Christmas time coming up, so let it be known that you wouldn't be angry about one of these releases finding stuffed in your socks.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Alice Cooper - Old School: 1964-1974 (Part 3) - #107
Alice Cooper - Old School:
1964-1974 (Part 3)
What I said about this item being overpriced (by a long shot actually, see here)
http://thepracticerocks.blogspot.ch/2011/07/alice-cooper-old-school-1964-1974-part.html
holds even more true, now that i found a 4 CD set in one of my usual hunting grounds, selling for just around EUR 32.00 (at today's rate of exchange). Of course, there's no vinyl (which is a rehash of one of the CDs anyway) and there's maybe one or the other printing material not included. Apparently, the yearbook is there), but frankly, you're better off with this very much cheaper release.
And this is from the keyboard of a major Alice Cooper fan. I've seldom wasted my money on a more useless and overpaid item and I'm actually thinking of buying this new version and selling the big box on an auction platform.
Cheers
Devon
What I said about this item being overpriced (by a long shot actually, see here)
http://thepracticerocks.blogspot.ch/2011/07/alice-cooper-old-school-1964-1974-part.html
holds even more true, now that i found a 4 CD set in one of my usual hunting grounds, selling for just around EUR 32.00 (at today's rate of exchange). Of course, there's no vinyl (which is a rehash of one of the CDs anyway) and there's maybe one or the other printing material not included. Apparently, the yearbook is there), but frankly, you're better off with this very much cheaper release.
And this is from the keyboard of a major Alice Cooper fan. I've seldom wasted my money on a more useless and overpaid item and I'm actually thinking of buying this new version and selling the big box on an auction platform.
Cheers
Devon
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