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Monday 30 October 2017

Rewind: All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2 (2000)


 πŸŒŸπŸŒŸπŸŒŸπŸŒŸπŸŒŸ
All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2
Island Records
Produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno
Released 30th October 2000
UK Chart #1
Irish Chart #1
US Chart #3
Canadian Chart #1
Australian Chart #1
New Zealand Chart #1
Austrian Chart #1
French Chart #1
German Chart #1
Italian Chart #1
Swedish Chart #1
Spanish Chart #1
Dutch Chart #1
Finnish Chart #1
Norwegian Chart #1
Belgian Chart #1
Danish Chart #2
Polish Chart #2
Swiss Chart #2


 Listen to All That You Can't Behind Here:

Personnel
U2
    Bono – vocals, guitar, synthesisers (Stuck In A Moment)
    The Edge – guitar, piano, vocals, synthesisers (Elevation), strings (Kite)
    Adam Clayton – bass guitar
    Larry Mullen Jr. – drums, percussion

Additional musicians
    Brian Eno – synthesisers, programming, backing vocals, string arrangement
    Daniel Lanois – backing vocals, additional guitar
    Paul Barrett – brass (
Stuck In A Moment)


Singles on All That You Can't Leave Behind
Click On The Links To Listen
 CD1
03. Always

CD2

01. Beautiful Day

Released 9th October 2000
UK Chart #1
US Chart #21

CD1

CD2

01. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

Released 29th January 2001
UK Chart #2
US Chart #52


 CD1
01. Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)    
02. Elevation (Escalation Mix)
03. Elevation (The Vandit Club Mix)

CD2

Released 12th June 2001
UK Chart #3

CD1

CD2
01. Walk On (Video Version)    
02. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of (Acoustic)

Released 19th November 2001
UK Chart #5

****************
 

This was the album that got me back listening to U2 again. I had been disappointed for a number of years by Achtung Baby, Zooropa and Pop (though over the years there are songs on each of those albums that I have come to actually like). I had felt that their move into a more experimental "dance" and "electronica" infused sound was not really for me and so All That You Can't Leave Behind represented (at least to my mind) a bit of a return to form. Now, I know some of my friends who are fans of U2 might object to that, and some have tried to encourage me to delve into what they consider some of their finest work with the likes of Achtung Baby etc but where Rolling Stone had considered The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby as two of their "masterpieces" (All That You Can't Leave Behind was considered as their third!) my own thoughts were that The Joshua Tree and it's forerunner The Unforgettable Fire had that particular mantle!

The first hint to me of a bit of a new sound came in the form of the early October release of the first single Beautiful Day. The single became their 4th #1 on the UK Singles Chart.

The album as I mentioned seemed to me like a bit of a return to the "old U2". The album cover - black and white, photographed by Anton Corbijn in the departure terminal at Charles de Gaulle in Paris gives an impression of the band "going home". 

Even the inclusion of J33-3 on the Gate Departure notice was a little sign maybe of a clearer spiritual view than had been present on the former three albums (J33-3 referencing Jeremiah 33:3 - "Call unto me and I will answer thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." Bono would often refer to that particular verse as "God's phone number". Like it or not, Spirituality is a theme that runs throughout the album from the Biblical imagery of the Book of Genesis found in the opening track Beautiful Day to the closing track Grace ("Grace, it's the name for a girl/It's also a thought that changed the world")!

The album contains some of my favourite lyrics of theirs, here's just a few of them:

"What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow"
 
- Beautiful Day

"And if the night runs over
And if the day won't last
And if your way should falter
Along the stony pass
It's just a moment
This time will pass"
 
- Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

"Love, lift me out of these blues
Won't you tell me something true
I believe in you"

- Elevation

"Leave it behind
You've got to leave it behind
All that you fashion
All that you make
All that you build
All that you break
All that you measure
All that you steal
All this you can leave behind
All that you reason
All that you sense
All that you speak
All you dress up
All that you scheme"

- Walk On

"Did I waste it?
Not so much I couldn't taste it
Life should be fragrant
Roof top to the basement"

- Kite

"So I try to be like you
Try to feel it like you do
But without you it's no use
I can't see what you see
When I look at the world"

- When I Look At The World

"In the stillness of the evening
When the sun has had its day
I heard your voice a-whispering
Come away child"

- New York

"What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things"

- Grace

If I was pressured into saying what my favourite song on the album is it would probably be a three-way tie between Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Walk On and Kite.

The album and all of the singles would win Grammy Awards and to date it has sold over 12 million copies.

There would be a deeper appreciation for some of the songs on the album after 9/11 when the band appeared as part of the 9/11 America: A Tribute To Heroes television benefit show where they performed a snippet of Peace On Earth followed by a rousing performance of Walk On.
Bonus


Thursday 26 October 2017

S4L Radio: Show #12 Playlist

A fresh helping of tunes and once again a very mixed bag offering everything from Hip-Hop to Funk, Electronica to Rhythm & Blues, Country to New Wave! A three song tribute to the late Fats Domino as well and boy what a way to spend your time!

It can only be the S4L Radio Show Playlist!

The Playlist
Listen Here:


On The Playlist
Can't Live Without My Radio - L.L. Cool J
Debut single release from L.L. Cool J on Def Jam that barely bullied it's way into the UK Top 100 Singles (stalling at #95) and was the title track to the Debut album 'Radio' released in November 1985. On the UK reissue version (it was originally released in October 1985 in the USA and January 1986 in the UK) of the single released in September 1986 Rock The Bells was the B-Side.

Worth My While - Bootsy Collins (featuring Kali Uchis)
Making a welcome return after an absence of 6 years is the great Bootsy Collins with his brand new album World Wide Funk on Mascot Records. Collins of course has a very colourful past playing with James Brown and George Clinton and Funkadelic, Parliament, Bootsy's Rubber Band, Hardware, Science Faxtion, various collaborations and of course Bootsy's New Rubber Band.

 One Nation Under A Groove - Funkadelic
Having mentioned Funkadelic it would seem wrong to move on without playing One Nation Under A Groove (released November 1978 reaching #9 in the UK and #28 in the USA). Have to confess to not really being a great lover of a lot of dance/disco/funk music but I always had a fondness for this track.

State of the Nation - New Order
Released in September 1986 and only reached #30 on the charts and is a personal favourite of mine. The flip side was an alternate version entitled Shame of the Nation.

Land of Shame (Extended Remix) - Spear of Destiny
I have said many times that I'm not always keen on Remixes but there are a few exceptions, this being one of them. Originally on the B-Side of the 12" of Never Take Me Alive that was their biggest hit single reaching #14 way back in 1987 and the original version was also on the Outland album which reached #16 in the UK Charts.

Speaking of Shame (a very poor link indeed! πŸ˜€) that kind of leads me onto a wee tribute to the passing of a great Rhythm and Blues and Rock and Roll Legend Fats Domino. The news of his passing, aged 89, broke yesterday. 😒

So here's a few Fats classics in his honour.

 Detroit City Blues - Fats Domino
His first ever release way back in 1949!
Ain't That A Shame - Fats Domino
Mis-titled on the original US label version as Ain't It A Shame. His first ever UK hit in 1955 reaching #23 and #10 in the USA.

Valley of Tears - Fats Domino
Here's another of my favourites from Fats. It was released as a single in 1957 reaching #25 in the UK and #8 in the USA.

Valley of Tears - Solomon Burke (featuring Gillian Welch)
Same song title as the Fats Domino track but a completely different song altogether. This one written by Gillian Welch and here she gets to accompany the big man. The song was featured on his magnificent Nashville album that was produced by Buddy Miller and also featured guest slots by Dolly Parton, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris and Patty Loveless. I absolutely love this album and would highly encourage you to track it down if you haven't heard it already.

Into The Valley - Skids
Another strange link this one, from Solomon Burke to the Skids! But hey it had to be done. The version on The Playlist is a live version from earlier this year at The Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh. The Skids have been out celebrating 40 years throughout this year.

Art School - The Jam
Just out recently a new Box Set spotlighting The Jam's output from 40 years ago in 1977. Included are remastered versions of In The City and This Is The Modern World albums, Demos from 1977, a couple of Peel Sessions, and a previously unreleased live show from The Nashville in London. There's also a DVD that features a couple of Promos and various TV performances (Top of the Pops, Marc and So It Goes).

Do You Love Me - Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers
Another album getting reissued as a 40th Anniversary Edition (again! It was only reissued in 2015 on Pink and Black coloured vinyl for Record Store Day!) is L.A.M.F. - The Lost '77 Mixes, it's on Jungle Records  (they have certainly milked a lot of pennies on this one having put it out in (1984 - L.A.M.F. Revisited, 1994 - The Lost '77 Mixes, 2003 - The Lost '77 Mixes and Demos, Outtakes and Alternative Mixes, 2011 - The Lost '77 Mixes Clear Vinyl, 2012 and also L.A.M.F. - The Definitive Edition in 2012 on CD and Vinyl in 2013). Money grabbing swines!! 😲
Apprently there is also yet another reissue of So Alone by Johnny Thunders (which was actually only reissued last year!) and also a Picture Disc for a Compilation called Give Him A Great Big Kiss by Johnny Thunders. Both of these are to be released on the Remarquable Records.


A Matter of Time - Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings
Taken from the final album Soul of a Woman that is due for release a year after the passing of Sharon Jones. She died on 18th November 2016 having battled against cancer twice, first in 2013 and then again in 2015. She had a couple of strokes and jokingly had blamed Trump's victory in the Presidential Election for the first of them! Such a great voice that we should feel honoured to hear again if only for one more album!

 Over Everything - Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile
Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile make for an interesting collaboration on their latest album Lotta Sea Lice (released 13th October 2017).  
Vile was the former lead vocalist for The War on Drugs and is based in Pennsylvania and wrote this song in particular with Courtney Barnett's voice in mind. As a resulting jam session between the pair took place an album was born.

What The Hell's Goin' On - Flamin' Groovies
A live version filmed at a show in Paris last month of the song that opens the first Flamin' Groovies studio album since Rock Juice in 1992 is The Playlist. I'm dying to hear the album myself as from various reviews I've read it sounds like they are on fine form regaining that special sound they have that graced brilliant albums like Teenage Head, Shake Some Action and Supernazz.

Holy Mountain - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
I've not always been warm towards Noel and his High Flying Birds but for some strange reason this little foretaste of his up and coming up album Who Built The Moon? (released in November 2017) sounds mighty fine to my ears. I may have to investigate the album when it comes out.
Let's just say that I think this song is better than his brother Liam's album which for an odd reason sounds to me like a Big Issue seller trying to get rid of his last copy! No offence to sellers of the Big Issue was meant there! 😁

Little Bit - Mavis Staples
Jeff Tweedy once again has teamed up with Mavis Staples for her new album If All I Was Was Black (due out in November 2017). Following on from her 2016 album Living On A High Note, this new one which is maybe a bit more political is liable to further cement her legendary status.

The Parting Shot
This Is How The World Will End - The Elms
"When the dollar made with blood is spent,
When an enemy can't become a friend.
When the better man won't lend a hand,
Baby, this is how the world will end.
When a day of hope is a rarity,
Or a diplomat hasn't time to see
That a child lost is a true offense,
Baby, this is how the world will end.

Bring a chair up to the table.
Bring a message to the crowd.
Where's a common trust to deliver us from the wretched and the proud?
Sing a tune about the promise.
Speak on that which we depend.
And if a certain light don't shine again,
Baby, this is how the world will end.

When the poorest kid is fending for himself,
Or the widow cries, but she gets no help.
When we know what's true, but we still pretend,
Baby, this is how the world will end.

Bring a chair up to the table.
Bring a message to the crowd.
Where's a common trust to deliver us from the wretched and the proud?
Sing a tune about the promise.
Speak on that which we depend.
Now let that certain light come shinin' then,
Baby, we could change the world again."




Sunday 22 October 2017

Rewind: Night Moves - Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band (October 1976)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 
Night Moves - Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
Capitol Records
Produced by Bob Seger and Punch Andrews
Released 22nd October 1976
US Chart #8 

 Listen To The Album Here:

Side 1

Side 2

Personnel
All tracks

    Bob Seger – vocals, guitar

The Silver Bullet Band
    Drew Abbott – guitar (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9); background vocals on "Mary Lou" (track 9)
    Robyn Robbins – piano, organ (tracks 1, 3, 4, 9)
    Alto Reed – tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 9)
    Chris Campbell – bass (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 9); background vocals on "Mary Lou" (track 9)
    Charlie Allen Martin – drums, tambourine, maracas (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 9); background vocals on "Mary Lou" (track 9)

Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
    Pete Carr – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar (tracks 5, 6, 7, 8)
    Jimmy Johnson – rhythm guitar (tracks 5, 6, 7, 8)
    Barry Beckett – piano, organ, ARP synthesizer, clavinet, melodica (tracks 5, 6, 7, 8)
    David Hood – bass (tracks 5, 6, 7, 8)
    Roger Hawkins – drums, tambourine, maracas, congas, tympani drums (tracks 5, 6, 7, 8)

Additional musicians
    Jerry Luck – accordion on "Ship of Fools" (track 8)
    Joe Miquelon – guitar on "Night Moves" (track 2)
    Doug Riley – piano, organ on "Night Moves" (track 2)
    Sharon Lee Williams – backing vocals on "Night Moves" (track 2)
    Rhonda Silver – backing vocals on "Night Moves" (track 2)
    Laurel Ward – backing vocals on "Night Moves" (track 2)

 Recorded at Pampa Sound Studios, Detroit, Michigan (A1, A3, A4, B5)
Recorded at Nimbus Nine Studios, Toronto, Canada (A2)

Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Alabama (B1, B2, B3, B4)

Singles On Night Moves
A-Side: Night Moves
B-Side: Ship of Fools
Released November 1976
US Chart #4
UK Chart#45

A-Side: Mainstreet
B-Side: Jody Girl
Released April 1977
US Chart #24

Released June 1977
US Chart #41
*****************

Success in the music business these days seems to come a lot easier to artists/bands as the expectations of the sales bar have been somewhat lowered but for older artists the bar was quite high and even though they might have been making a great noise on the live front it didn't always guarantee great sales of albums and singles. I was thinking about this today for some reason and noted that today is the 41st anniversary of the release of Night Moves by Detroit rockers Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band. It's actually an album that I quite like (which might come as a surprise to some who know some of the things that I listen to!). So I thought I do a wee post looking at the years leading up to the album. There are lots of links to Bob Seger Albums/Songs etc. Click on them to enjoy the music.

Prior to Night Moves the highest chart placed album Bob Seger had enjoyed was Live Bullet which was released in April 1976 that reached #34 in the USA. He had released three albums and a number of singles under the banner The Bob Seger System between 1969-70  with only the Debut Album Ramblin' Gamblin' Man breaking into the Top 100 (it peaked at #62). A further five albums were released between 1970-75 with Beautiful Loser reaching the highest (if you can call it that) of #131!

Bob Seger had put together The Silver Bullet Band in 1973 and it would be three years and many live shows down the road before they actually begun to sell any records and getting themselves a much wider audience. What makes it more remarkable is that Bob Seger had been playing in bands since 1961 (his first band being The Decibels - they recorded an acetate and had it played on the radio only once, but it was an original song, and the first song ever written by Seger called The Lonely One). 


The first official release that he appeared on was in 1965 with his third band Doug Brown and The Omens with a single called TGIF backed by First Girl (which was credited to the band whereas the A-Side is just credited to Doug Brown).

 In 1966 he left Doug Brown's band but did retain him as Producer for his next stop with his band Bob Seger and The Last Heard (though East Side Story was the only one of five singles that the band were not credited on). East Side Story was actually written by Seger for another local Detroit band called The Underdogs but I actually can't find a record of that particular release even on Discogs! With the Seger recording more than 50,000 copies of it were sold (though that was mainly in the local market rather than nationwide). Another Detroit band called The Wanted would also release a Cover of the song in 1968. Just as Bob Seger and The Last Heard were getting more attention with their single Heavy Music (a Top 100 Single in Canada!) their label went bust!


In looking for a new label Bob Seger was courted by Motown Records but opted for Capitol Records as he thought they would fit better there despite the fact that Motown were offering more money. Bob Seger and The Last Heard became The Bob Seger System for three albums and a number of singles. Their Captiol Records debut single in 1968 was 2+2=? and was a protest song about America's involvement in the Vietnam War. Whilst not charting in the USA it did make it to #79 in Canada. 


His first big Top Twenty single in the USA came courtesy of Ramblin' Gamblin' Man which peaked at #17 (#18 in Canada). It should be noted that Glenn Frey (future member of the Eagles) had his first studio gig playing guitar and laying down backing vocals on Ramblin' Gamblin' Man.

Other singles would pepper the charts between 1969 and early 1976 but most in the lower reaches - Get Out of Denver (1974 reached #80 and was given a new lease of life via Eddie and the Hot Rods in 1976), though Katmandu from the Beautiful Loser album did reach the dizzy heights of #45 in 1975!

As I mentioned above the albums didn't fare so well after the Ramblin' Gamblin' Man Debut album: Noah (September 1969 didn't chart); Mongrel (August 1970 #171); Brand New Morning (October 1971 did not chart); Smokin' O.P.'s (August 1972 #180); Back In '72 (January 1973 #188); Seven (March 1974 did not chart); and Beautiful Loser which I already mentioned above (April 1975 #131).

Night Moves would change everything as between 1976 and 1991 there would be six Top Ten albums including one #1 album in 1980 - Against The Wind.


Forward wind 41 years and Bob Seger is still out playing live and next month (17th November) will release his 18th Studio album entitled I Knew You When. It includes the Lou Reed song Busload of Faith and Glenn Song (a tribute to the departed Eagle Glenn Frey). Also included on the album is a cover version of Democracy written by Leonard Cohen.



Friday 20 October 2017

S4L Radio: Show #11 Playlist



Listen To The Playlist Here:

On The Playlist
Radio Wunderbar - The Carpettes
Taken from their 1977 Debut EP on Small Wonder Records. When they left Small Wonder for a bigger label I thought they went downhill and Beggars Banquet didn't seem to know what to do with them.

 Wunderbar - Tenpole Tudor
Hit single for the wild and whacky Eddie Tenpole Tudor (or Edward Tudor-Pole as he goes by these days I think). Released in 1980 on Stiff Records.


Some Kinda Wonderful - Q-Tips
Another 1980 offering and taken from their one and only Debut Studio album of the Paul Young fronted Q-Tips. It was issued as a single in The Netherlands. They were actually pretty good live. Young of course went on to have a fairly successful solo career.

Wonder - Natalie Merchant
Second Solo single from former lead vocalist of 10,000 Maniacs. I still can't understand how this was not a massive hit. I have included a live TV performance from Letterman on The Playlist.

There She Is - Frank Turner
Taken from his up and coming new album Songbook which is basically a "Best of" and will include a disc of reworkings of a number of his popular songs. This particular track is the only new one on the album. For tracklisting and release dates etc CLICK HERE.

Grace, Too - The Tragically Hip
I put this one on The Playlist as a wee tribute to Gord Downie who passed away on 17th October 2017. Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of Brain Cancer was the cause of his death. The Canadian band were much loved and it shows you the kind of respect that Downie had when the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke so highly of him and the House of Commons in Canada held a moment of silence in memory of him.
Grace, Too was released as a single in 1994 and peaked at #11 on the Canadian Charts. It was the opening track to their album Day For Night that was also released in 1994 and was the band's third #1 album.

She Got The Garden - Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott
Taken from their third studio album Crooked Calypso that was released in July this year. The album went to #1.

Southern Gothic - Tyminski
Dan Tyminski, best known for his voice on the movie soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou and as a member of Union Station who back Alison Krauss has released his third Studio Album, Southern Gothic, but for this project he's just going by his surname for some reason or another.
If you want to read more about the album you can do so by Clicking Here.

Sell Me A Diamond - David Crosby
Taken from his latest album (his third album of original material in four years) that was released at the end of September 2017 entitled Sky Trails.

Caroline - Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers
Taken from The Long-Awaited Album released in September 2017 Steve Martin once again unleashes his banjo playing skills. The version on The Playlist is a live TV performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Rewind - The Professionals
From the brand new album What In The World that is scheduled for release at the end of this month. The track features Phil Collen of Def Leppard on guitar. The album does feature Steve Jones on a few tracks but mainly guitar duties are carried out by various guests like Duff McKagen (Guns 'n' Roses), Mick Jones (The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite), Billy Duffy (The Cult) and Marco Pirroni (Adam and The Ants and The Wolfmen). Paul Cook and bassist Paul Myers (ex-Subway Sect) are joined by Tom Spencer (vocals since 2015).


The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
Remastered and extended with Demos, B-Sides and a live concert from Boston. It is released today (20th October 2017). The version on The Playlist is the unedited version that appears on the Deluxe Version.


Spent The Day In Bed - Morrissey
From the up and coming album Low In High School due in November 2017. Controversy always seems a part of the course when a new Morrissey record is on the cards. He's a bit of a numpty about voicing support for a member of UKIP but as he lives outside the UK these days you can't honestly take him too seriously!

The Obvious Child - Paul Simon
Taken from his album The Rhythm of The Saints that was released in October 1990.


Speak Like A Child - The Style Council
I have to confess to not really being a huge fan of The Style Council. There were a few singles that I liked but on the whole I found them quite drab which was surprising considering that Weller had come from such a great band in The Jam to basically record second rate elevator music (bar a few exceptions of course)! I realise there will be some reading this who will be most upset with what I have just said but hey, you like what you like and if it doesn't appeal too much to me then I hope you respect my decision to not take great delight in everything Mr Weller has done as you do!

The first of three Weather related songs as we draw to a close
Rain - The Cult
The Cult's Love album that was released in 1985 is another of my favourites from that year. A few great singles were released from it and as She Sells Sanctuary is always the one that gets played I thought I'd dig out Rain. The single reached #17 on the UK Chart.


The Sun and the Rain - Madness
This one was the 14th single of Madness to enter the Top Ten in the UK.


Sun - Aztec Camera
Taken from the final Aztec Camera album Frestonia before Roddy Frame decided to trade under his own name. It's an album I still love very much and it was sad to see the band fizzle out, though it's great seeing Roddy out there still writing and playing.


Look Back In Anger - David Bowie
Originally released as the first single in the USA from the album the Lodger and recently reissued as part of the Box Set A New Career In Town (1976-1982). Also part of the set are Low, Heroes, "Heroes" EP, Stage (both Original and a 2017 version), Lodger (both remastered version and a 2017 Tony Visconti mix), Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) and a disc of Singles, B-Sides and other odds and ends.

The Parting Shot
Long Walk Home - Bruce Springsteen
Wasn't actually released as a proper single but was issued as a Promo CD for European Radio stations. It first appeared on the 2007 Magic album.

I want to dedicate this one to all of my friends in the USA who daily are having to live under a Government and a President who have lost sight of what it means to be an American (and a human being) and are constantly blurring the lines of what the Stars and Stripes stand for:

"Your flag flyin' over the courthouse
Means certain things are set in stone.
Who we are, what we'll do and what we won't
It's gonna be a long walk home"

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