About a week ago, I happened upon a re-mastered album I’d first purchased back in ’77. I hadn’t heard it for so long, having parted with my vinyl collection some years ago so, on a whim, I grabbed it. It was ‘Listen Now’ by 801 or, more specifically, Phil Manzanera’s 801. The reason I’d bought [...]
Entries from February 2009
February 24, 2009
Chet Baker
I was listening to some brilliant Americana a short while ago. I was really into it too, but then I checked my download folder.
An album of crisply re-mastered 1957 recordings by Chet Baker had arrived. Yeah, Chet Baker: the cooler-than-cool trumpet player and jazz vocalist from the mid-50s and early 60s. I hit the first [...]
February 22, 2009
No Line On The Horizon
I’ve been listening to it all day, even though I know I shouldn’t be able to. The new U2 album, ‘No Line On The Horizon’ isn’t out yet and already, it’s been leaked. Well, hardly any surprise in that, but what is surprising, certainly in the wake of all the bad press it’s first two [...]
February 16, 2009
Service? – Redux
I’m sitting here with a large glass of Cab Sav, headphones on, reminiscing, as I listen to the Tom Waits album I bought last week. The album is called ‘Franks Wild Years’. Its growing on me, but in truth, I bought it mainly for one song called, “Way Down In The Hole”.
“When you walk through [...]
February 12, 2009
Grammy Fallout
Pay much attention to the Grammy Awards this year? No, me neither.
Back in the day when I worked in commercial radio, it was essential viewing. I was actually interested in who won the awards and who would be performing on the night. There used to be special viewings at the Channel 7 studios where the [...]
February 7, 2009
The Fireman
When Paul McCartney wrote “P.S. I Love You”, he could not have conceived that he would ever write something so sublime as “She’s Leaving Home”, much less the outrageously brilliant “Hey Jude”. How could he? He was just a mop-topped kid in winkle picker boots and a collarless Pierre Cardin suit.
Thankfully, history had more in [...]
February 1, 2009
Zappa Plays Zappa
I had been waiting since late December when I saw the first dates announced. The return of the Zappa Plays Zappa touring band to Australia is not too far away.
At first, the only dates announced were for appearances at Bluesfest, the annual music festival at Byron Bay and the West Coast Blues And Roots [...]
February 1, 2009
John Martyn
Friday was a brilliant day. Bill and I had been invited to a business lunch with Darryl and Trent from EMI and Jodie from Universal. These outings are always special even if more rare and subdued than what some might still call the good old days. We talked about music, of course, all of us [...]
