Rewind: The Story of The Clash - The Clash (29th February 1988)

During the lifetime of The Clash there were no "Greatest Hits" Compilations, infact the only Compilation that was released whilst they were on the go was Black Market Clash that was released in October 1980 as a 10" EP and contained 9 tracks that were not at the time available in the USA (some B-sides, a couple of album tracks from the Debut and an unreleased version of Time is Tight). It was deleted in 1993 when it was replaced with Super Black Market Clash ( the 9 tracks had been expanded to 21).

The first comprehensive look at their career came in the form of The Story of The Clash Volume 1 (I don't recall their ever being a Volume 2!). Surprisingly the album reached #7 in the UK (only London Calling and Combat Rock went higher, both reaching #2).

Now, I do have a bone or two to pick at about this compilation. Firstly, who on earth was responsible for putting it together? The album might be called 'The Story of The Clash' but it is so messed around with that the beginning of the story doesn't even come until the second disc (or sides 3 and 4). It's disjointed, telling the story backwards, forwards, sideways and back again! It's like buying a book that the printers messed up when they were putting it together giving you the ending first and the beginning at the end! Actually, saying it gives the end first is not quite correct because obviously anything from Cut the Crap is absent and most compilations that followed discarded anything from it (This is England single was part of the Singles Boxset release in 2006, even the mammoth boxset Sound System avoided anything from Cut The Crap!)

Secondly, the draw for any fan of The Clash would have been the inclusion of the Interview on The Circle Line (not the full version either, but only part two of it) from the Captial Radio EP that was a Freebie back in 1977 for the NME. Apart from that everything on it most sensible fans of the band would already had in their collections.

I'm not always a huge fan of these types of albums but I will say that if you had wanted an album better than this that told the actual Story of The Clash then the 1991 3CD Boxset released as Clash on Broadway was a much better release, at least it gave the story in pretty much chronological order. Also it contained a few more rarities in the form of live tracks, some demos, and unreleased studio tracks

 The Story of The Clash - The Clash

CBS/Epic

Various Producers

Released 29th February 1988

UK Chart #7

US Chart #142

The Soundtrack4Life Concert Series: Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott

A double header from Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott. First up a charity show from back in January this year where they performed an hour long acoustic set.

And then a show from their first tour back together from 2014.

Acoustic Show

Hotel Football

Manchester 

19th January 2016

O2Academy 

Liverpool

June 2014

New Video: Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott - (Man Is) The Biggest Witch Of All (Feb 29th)

(Man Is) The Biggest Witch Of All is the brand new single and video from Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott and is taken from thir smash hit album Wisdom, Laughter and Lines.

Previous Videos from the album

The Austerity of Love.

I Don't See Them.

Taking One For The Team - Simple Plan (February 2016)

Not really a huge fan of Simple Plan (I saw them with MxPx in Glasgow a few years back) but I heard their latest album over the weekend and was quite taken with some of the tracks on it. Have a listen, see what you think about it.

 Taking One For The Team - Simple Plan

Atlantic

Produced by Howard Benson

Released 19th February 2016

Taking One for the Team is the fifth studio album by French-Canadian pop punk band Simple Plan. It was released on February 19, 2016 through Atlantic Records and represents the band's first full-length record in nearly five years. "I Don't Wanna Go to Bed" featuring American rapper Nelly as the official lead single for the album on October 16, 2015.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 60 - Subterranean Jungle

Making Subterranean Jungle, the seventh studio album from Ramones was not a real happy event. Cracks in band unity were beginning to manifest themselves with Joey and Marky drinking way too much and Dee Dee's ever increasing drug habit was also complicating matters, though strangely enough his relationship with Johnny took a step up as they jointly penned Psycho Therapy, the song that saved the album!

Joey only contributed three songs to the album (and personally speaking I think only My-My Kind of a Girl stands up as good), and Dee Dee five Outsider, Highest Trails Above, Somebody Like Me - being the best. He also takes the lead vocal for Time Bomb) . The remaining three tracks were cover versions, two of them opened the album (only one of them I thought was good, Time Has Come Today)!

Johnny had taken more control of the band insisting that the band "be focused and stop worrying about getting played [on the radio] and just make a good record." He wanted the album to have a more Punk Rock edge and he clearly got his way on some of the tracks. Producer Richie Cordell was not well liked either by the band.

This would also be the final album for Marky until his return for the Brain Drain album 6 years later. He appears on the cover but as you can see he is almost hidden behind the window and not alongside his fellow band members. Johnny asked George DuBose to do so because "they were kicking him out of the band, but he didn't know it yet". Marky recalled that he "liked that shot", but he knew "something was up." Marky played on the whole album apart from Time Has Come Today, on which Walter Lure's drummer Billy Rogers played drums on and new drummer Richie Ramone appears in the video.

Whilst it's probably not my favourite album by the Ramones, there are a few songs on it that I love dearly to this day - Outsider, Highest Trails Above,  Somebody Like Me, Psycho Therapy and My-My Kind of a Girl.

Subterranean Jungle - Ramones

Sire

Produced by Richie Cordell

Released 23th February 1980

US Chart #83

Ramones
    Joey Ramone – lead vocals
    Johnny Ramone – Lead guitar
    Dee Dee Ramone – bass, guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on 'Time Bomb'

    Marky Ramone – drums (on all tracks apart from Time Has Come Today)

Additional musicians
    Walter Lure - extra guitar
    Billy Rogers - drums on Time Has Come Today.

Cover Versions of Songs from Subterranean Jungle

Outsider - Green Day.

Outsider - Corey Taylor.

What'd Ya Do - The Hellacopters.

Highest Trails Above - The Nylons.

Somebody Like Me - Pagar y Morir.

Alguien como yo (Somebody like me) - Sin Solucion.

Psycho Therapy - Hormones (Female Ramones Tribute Band).

Psycho Therapy - Skid Row.

My-My Kind of a Girl - Lulubelle III.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 59 - Sunday Morning Favourites #7 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Probably one of the first ever Bootlegs of Bruce Springsteen I ever had was the legendary 1975 Hammersmith Odeon show. I can't recall where I stumbled upon it but it was probably somewhere down in London at a Market Stall in either Camden or Soho. But the one I had wasn't from the first night but the second date 6 days later. Opener Thunder Road and It's Hard to be a Saint in the City were missing from the Soundboard version, but a later release of it spliced Audience recordings of the two songs to complete it. For your persual here's that show...CLICK HERE.

The film footage down below was initially released as a DVD as part of the   Born To Run 30th Anniversary Boxset back in November 2005 and a few months later on this very day in 2006 the Concert was released as a 2CD package.

The show was recorded on 18th November 1975 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. History records that Mr Springsteen, visiting the shores of the UK for the first time, was none too pleased with some of the publicity posters for the show and quite possibly the Venue Sign Board that declared "Finally London is Ready for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band".

I thought I'd stick it up again here today because it's always a wee gem that I enjoy having a listen to time and time again. The second night might be the better show as the gloom Springsteen felt on the first date appears to have lifted and the band seem to be play with a greater freedom.

I was too young to be there, so I'm not one of the 100,000's who declare they were there! Having been to the Hammersmith Odeon for a number of shows when I was a bit older I can tell you it doesn't hold anywhere near that amount of people!

Setlist

THUNDER ROAD / TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / LOST IN THE FLOOD / SHE'S THE ONE / BORN TO RUN / THE E STREET SHUFFLE - HAVING A PARTY / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / BACKSTREETS / KITTY'S BACK / JUNGLELAND / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / DETROIT MEDLEY / FOR YOU / QUARTER TO THREE

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 58 - Jake Clemons

Happy 36th Birthday to Jake Clemons

The year that Jake Clemons was born Bruce Springsteen's album The River was released. Jake at the time was not even 8 months old. It's quite fitting that on his birthday that he gets to play in one of the greatest Rock 'n' Roll bands on the planet in Rochester, New York and play 'The River' album as part of the latest tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Jake of course stepped into the shoes (if that is even humanly possible) of his Uncle Clarence "the Big Man" Clemons after he had passed away and did his Uncle proud with his performances on The Wrecking Ball Tour. I've included below the first playing of Jungleland (that link is from the Working On A Dream Tour in 2009, Clarence's last tour with The E Street Band) since Clarence's passing from Gothenburg late July in 2012 and Jake does a wonderful job on that as he had done on others that his Uncle had played on.

Outside of The E Street Band Jake Clemons also performs solo (and sometimes with a band). He's a songwriter, plays a number of instruments (and not just a master of the saxophone) and has released music of his own. I love what it says on his website, "Jake lives on a perpetual world tour, constantly releasing new music and engaging his growing fan base." He's not only done club gigs but he even did a whole tour performing Living Room Shows. Here's a performance of his song 'Song For Hope' from one of those Living Room Shows from last year in Galway, Ireland and also 'A Change Is Gonna Come' from the same show. There's quite a number more on You Tube from various shows, go check them out.

Hope he has a lot of fun tonight in Rochester and that it will be a birthday to remember for him.

Have a great one Jake.

 Jungleland

Gothenburg 28/07/12

Love'll Never Change

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Livin' On A High Note - Mavis Staples (February 2016)

You may think reading this that today I'm in the mood for the music of Old People!

Mavis Staples is 76 years old and is still making great music. Her last two albums were produced by Jeff Tweedy and for her latest she's gathered up a wealth of fine songwriters to get across the message that she's still Livin' on a High Note!

I still have a lot of time for her music old or new. Anyway, have a listen, there's so nice tunes on it.

(Photo by Chris Strong All Rights Reserved)

Tracklist and the Songwriters

01 Take Us Back (Benjamin Booker)
02 Love and Trust (Ben Harper)
03 If It's a Light (The Head & the Heart)
04 Action (tUnE-yArds)
05 High Note (Valerie June)
06 Don't Cry (M. Ward)
07 Tomorrow (Aloe Blacc/John Batiste)
08 Dedicated (Justin Vernon/M.Ward)
09 History Now (Neko Case)
10 One Love (Son Little)
11 Jesus Lay Down Beside Me (Nick Cave)
12 MLK Song (M. Ward / Martin Luther King)

Post Pop Depression - Iggy Pop (March 2016)

Post Pop Depression - Iggy Pop

Loma Vista Recordings

Produced by Josh Hommes

Released 18th March 2016

It's been four years since Iggy Pop's last outing and this is indeed a welcome return (isn't always with him). I read somewhere that this is possibly his last album ever! Seriously! If it is, he certainly left the best to last!

It will be the 17th Studio album from Iggy Pop and for it he's teamed up with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal and Them Crooked Vultures fame. Also featuring on the album is Artic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders and Dean Fertita also of Queens of the Stone Age.

Work on the album began last year after Iggy had sent Homme a text (in 2014 when they began discussing the possibilty of writing together) and it had pretty much been a secret until news filtered out early this year. There's a good interview with Stephen Colbert where they talk about it and get to play a couple of songs from the album.

 Iggy Pop and Josh Homme on Jonesy's Jukebox

Also worth checking out is the latest Mojo Magazine that has Iggy and Josh on the front cover and contains a superb interviews with the both of them.

On first listen to the album I thought vocally Iggy sounded very David Bowie like in places. Maybe it's just me that hears that! In a way it's maybe not so surprising considering Iggy's link to Bowie via his albums The Idiot and Lust for Life.

There will be a tour to promote the album and you can check out the dates and other information here on the WEBSITE.

Post Pop Depression Album

Iggy Pop Interview from 30th January 2016 for Apple Music.

A few Tracks have been issued by Iggy Pop and stuck up on You Tube.

Break Into Your Heart.

Gardenia.

Sunday.

The Soundtrack4Life Concert Series: Iggy Pop

With Iggy Pop about to release his final album 'Post Pop Depression' on March 18th this year, I thought it would be good to stick up an Iggy show from last year, filmed in Lyon, France.

Just a warning, there is some bad language at various points in the concert and if you find this at all distressing you can just hit the stop switch.

Setlist

01 No Fun
02 I Wanna Be Your Dog
03 The Passenger
04 Lust for Life
05 Skull Ring
06 Five Foot One
07 1969
08 Sister Midnight
09 Real Wild Child (Wild One)
10 Nightclubbing
11 Some Weird Sin
12 I'm Bored
13 Funtime
14 Neighborhood Threat
15 Down on the Street