Merry Christmas Folks...

Merry Christmas folks, hope you all have a great day today and all get to spend time with your loved ones. Eat, drink and be merry x

Cool Eyes...

As far as I know I have never posted any Jazz on Spools before, primarily because I don't really listen to any. However I am a bit partial to a little slice of Horace Silver. I could probably fit everything I know about Jazz on the back of a postage stamp and apart from a couple of obligatory Miles Davis albums the only Jazz albums I own are by the pianist born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva. Both albums were bought for £1.00 in a Virgin closing down sale many years ago and don't come out of their sleeves too often but the other night I decided to give 6 Pieces Of Silver a wee spin and it wasn't too shabby at all. Recorded in 1956 for the Blue Note label I find it goes well with a nice botle of red. I read a couple of reviews earlier today that describe it as hard bop. I'm sure they are right, all I know is that after giving it another listen I might have to been too quick to dismiss Jazz music out of hand...then again maybe that's just the red wine talking...

Cool Eyes

Rockinnreelin...

Five years ago today I did my first ever post on Spools Paradise. As it was Halloween it seemed only appropriate that it would be on The Cramps. As they were the first band I ever saw play live, on the Date With Elvis tour, they have always held a special place in my musical heart. As a 16 year they quite literally blew my mind and although I saw them a few years later it was that 1986 gig that sticks in my mind like it was yesterday. The tour was immortalised forever on the Rockinnreelininaucklandnewzealand live album from the very last night of the tour. Live albums generally don’t work for me, but it is a pretty decent recording on the last date of the tour when they were entertaining the good folks of New Zealand. Nowadays I rarely listen to Cramps albums, but as a live act they had few equals, they were everything that live acts should be. Their unhinged rockabilly sound left a lasting impression on this 16 year old and, although I have been to better gigs over the years there are not many bands who had the stage presence, energy and sense of fun that The Cramps delivered time after time, year after year. I have no idea how many gigs I have been to over the years, but can safely say that it would not have been so many if not for the glorious introduction I had. God Bless Lux, Poison Ivy and all the others who have served their time with one of the greatest bands ever, The Cramps....

It was never my intention to have an extended break from the blog and, if I’m being honest, I don’t really have one specific reason why I have not posted for a while. All I can say is that life kind of got in the way and, before I knew it, one day led to another and before I knew it a couple of months had passed. Thank you to those who left comments and sent emails and hopefully I’ll post a bit more regularly and, more importantly, get back to checking out what all the other wonderful bloggers out there are posting.

Some Sunday Soul

I have posted a couple of tracks previously from Sweet Inspiration, the songs of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. It is one of those rare albums that you could post any of the 24 tracks on it, it really is that good. The album is a collection of the key songs they wrote during the 60's and early 70's and showcases the masterful songwriting talents of both men. Today's track features the inimitable voice of Ted Taylor with one of their lesser known tracks, Feed The Flame. Taylor first entered the studio as a member of the Cadets and Jacks in the 50's before going on to record for labels such as Okeh and Ronn in the 60's. If today's track piques your interest there is a nice wee compilation of rare recordings for Ronn Records available that is well worth a listen...

Feed The Flame

Sacred Heart Hotel...

I have been working away down in Guildford, with limited internet access, for the best part of the last few weeks hence the lack of posts. Haven't really seen my fellow bloggers postings either so will spend the next couple of days catching up on what I have missed.

Today's track popped up a few times on the shuffle while I was away so seemed only appropriate to post it today. Once labelled Ireland's answer to The Byrds, Gram Parsons and the Velvet Underground all in one package, The Stars Of Heaven released two albums on Rough Trade in the mid 80's before calling it a day at the start of the 90's. In their short career they managed to record four Peel sessions and had one of their tracks covered by Everything But The Girl. Another great wee band who never quite fulfilled the promise of their excellent debut album.

Sacred Heart Hotel

Giant Steps Are What You Take...

When I was growing up there was always a clear line between my musical taste and my brother's. I was into The Jam, The Specials and Madness and my brother was The Police fan. At the time I didn't really get The Police, but in the last few years have really got into the first couple of albums in particular. When they reformed a few years back we went down to Manchester to see them and was pleasantly surprised at how good they were. Easy to forget how many good singles they had over the years. If push came to shove, Regatta De Blanc would be the one for me, full of great pop songs with all three members contributing equally without being overly flashy. It also sounds as though the band were having fun, which you don't get so much on the later albums.

Looking back I probably just didn't like them at that age because my brother did, but thankfully now I can appreciate them for the great band that they were. Of course none of this detracts from Sting's solo output being, by and large, awful.

The Wonders Don't Care...

Due to having no internet access for the next week tonight's post will be the last one 'til next week. Been listening to a lot of records recently from '76 to '78 taking in the likes of Pere Ubu, Magazine, The Clash, SATB, and Patti Smith amongst others. Something must have been in the air in those 3 years with the amount of quality music that was being released every single week. Not all of it has aged well while others still sound really fresh, innovative and exciting. One track I have been listening to quite a bit has been The Adverts' classic One Chord Wonders. Released in April '77 on Stiff Records, it still sounds like a 'headlong rush of energy', as it was described by the music press of the day. Single of the week in both Sounds and Melody Maker when it was released with some wonderful self deprecating lyrics, in which they fully understood their limitations at the time.

One Chord Wonders

If I Needed You...

When your music has been covered by the likes of Bob Dylan, Cowboy Junkies, Gillian Welch and Steve Eearle you can be pretty sure you have done something right. Townes Van Zandt only recorded nine albums over his 30 year career but left behind a body of work that showcases why he still hugely influential to other artists today. Throughout his career his battles with drug addiction and drink were well documented and some of his own experiences inevitably found their way into his lyrics and music. In his lifetime his music was pretty much ignored by the great record buying public, bu there are few storytellers who can paint a picture in your mind better than Townes.

If I Needed You

From Maida Vale 4

A few weeks back CC over here posted a video from Peel faves, Twa Toots, which got me to thinking about their wonderful 1983 Peel Session. Quite posssibly the only band from The Isle Of Sheppey to record a Peel Session, they don't appear to have done much else part from the session. I'm only aware of a limited edition album that came out in 1986 that only had one pressing of 250 and then a single a few years later called Don't Send Me Flowers. Pity as the Peel Session was one of the best of 1983, consisting of A New Depression, Yo-Yo, It's A Lovely Day and the standout track, Please Don't Play 'A Rainy Night In Georgia'. Listening to it today I would love to have heard Tracey Ullman cover this, it sounds right up her street...

Please Don't Play 'A Rainy Night In Georgia'

Since We've Been Together...

Sometimes all you need is a bit of The Reverend Al Green. This track is beyond good, as close to perfection as they come. Apparently Al Green did not want the track released because he hated the thin sound of his falsetto on it and didn't think it would be a hit. It's not my place to tell a Reverend that he was wrong but....

Let's Stay Together