Tuesday 30 September 2014

Yesterday’s Papers review – when music mags ruled


Rick Wakeman in colourful cape
Much of the writing in this 'golden age' was unreadable, unless you were after a dissertation about the stitching on one of Rick Wakeman’s capes … Photograph: Studio G/Rex Features
When NME’s declining circulation figures were announced in August (sales had fallen to around 14,000 – in the early 70s it was selling around 300,000) its publisher released a statement trumpeting the power of the brand that included “content partnerships” with Amex and Nikon. Pretty rock’n’roll, eh? How far we have fallen from when the weekly “inkies” set the cultural agenda, is the premise behind Yesterday’s Papers (Radio 4). But instead of a rigorous analysis of the music magazine, this apparent celebration of “the golden age of music journalism” (according to presenter David Hepworth) feels like a wake. Or more specifically, the misjudged trip to Wetherspoons after the wake, ending in a chorus of: “everything was better in our day.”
Hepworth is joined by Danny Baker to revel in the halcyon days, stopping off at the newsagent on the corner of Memory Lane to feel the Proustian rush of buying music magazines on Thursdays and to hear the well worn tales of music hack excess (limo drivers and cocaine). It would have been preferable to hear from Julie Burchill or Tony Parsons, those “hip young gunslingers” who pushed through the bloated privilege that existed both off the page and on (as it turns out, much of the writing in this “golden age” was largely unreadable, unless you were after a dissertation-length article about the stitching on one of Rick Wakeman’s capes) 
Read on...

RICK WAKEMAN AND HIS CAPES AT GONZO
1984/Out There
2CD - £9.99

Night Music
CD/DVD - £9.99

Live At The Empire Pool - King Arthur On Ice
DVD/CD - £9.99

1984 - Live At The Hammersmith Odeon 1981
DVD/CD - £9.99

Live in Lincoln Cathedral
2CD - £7.99

Live At The Maltings 1976
DVD/CD - £9.99

Video Vaults
6DVD box - £85.00

Cirque Surreal 
CD - £7.99

Gole 
CD - £9.99

1984
CD - £9.99

Cost Of Living 
CD - £9.99

Journey To The Centre Of The Earth Plus
CD - £7.99

The Mixture
CD - £7.99

CLEARLIGHT BELGIAN REVIEW - they like it, but get the title wrong

http://www.keysandchords.com/cd-review-blog/cyrille-verdeaux-pascal-menetrey-total-hybrid-concept


CYRILLE Verdeaux & PASCAL Menétrey: TOTAL HYBRID CONCEPT 
09/09/20140 Comments 
The Frenchman Cyrille Verdeaux was born on 07/31/1949 in Paris. At fourteen he started at the National Conservatory of Music where he studied composition, harmony and piano. Between 1966 and 1968 he won three times 1st prize in student composition. But in 1968 he was expelled because of his revolutionary activities. He then went to the conservatory in Nice to get his Masters degree and then returned to Paris to set up. Progressive rock band Babylone In 1975 his debut came out on Virgin Records entitled "Clearlight Symphony. His friend Pascal Menetrey died in 2006, and this album is dedicated to him. The music on it is powerful, selected to illustrate. Yang side of the first chakra This chakra rules over life and death energies. Menetrey samples were Inuit, Papoo, Tuva, Ethiopian and Kurdish singers gathered, as well as samples of wild animals threatened with extinction. Between 1992 and 1999 Its purpose is to kill these innocent people around the world to stop. There is also a unique song, "Raoni's Song," the only person ever recorded by Amazoniaanse chief Raoni, a former protégé of Sting. Cyrille plays keyboards and said, "Talking or" fatal fate, "the chants of various tribes facing extinction represents the death aspect of this chakra. And since most of the beings heard on this album are probably already dead, well, this album is made ​​all that more poignant Particularly Because, sadly, passed away in 2006 Pascal Menetrey - and so this Tribal Hybrid Concept album is dedicated to his memory. "An album for lovers of world music so. 

Patrick Van de Wiele (4) 
An album with samples of Inuit's Papoos, Tuvas, Ethiopian and Kourdian singers, alongwith samples of wild animals. For lovers of world music

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO
Solar Transfusion
CD - £9.99

Clearlight Visions
CD - £9.99

Les Contes Du Singe Fou
CD - £9.99

Tribal Hybrid Concept
CD - £9.99

Forever Blowing Bubbles
CD - £9.99

Impressionist Symphony
CD - £9.99

Clearlight Symphony
CD - £9.99

Best Of Clearlight
CD - £9.99

GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Kate Rusby - You Belong to me



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT GONZO
My Music
DVD - £12.99

BELGIAN REVIEW: DEVIANTS - Barbarian princes - Live in Japan 1999

If like me you did not yet recovered from the death of Mick Farren occurred last year, a handful of reissues of albums of late Deviants by Gonzo Multimedia will definitely put you in joy. Indeed, the American label releases these days the latest albums of Deviants,"Barbarian princes" (1999), "The Deviants-have left the planet" (1999) and "Dr. Crow" (2002). But before delve into the study of these recent albums, a quick word on the old albums Deviants, essential to understanding the English proto-punk scene of the 60s because Mick Farren and his band lit committed between 1967 and 1969 three albums that contain the seeds of what would later become punk. At the time, the music in Ptooff! " (1967), Disposable " (1968) and "The Deviants " (1969) rebounds in delirious psychedelic rock rough garage, with a dose of sweet madness instilled by this illuminated Mick Farren, also a journalist and writer underground. At the time, the subversive activities of Deviants go completely unnoticed by the general public and not the group resulting from the dissolution of the Deviants, the equally legendary Pink Fairies , which will also manage to climb on the stairs notoriety.

Today, these groups will be the subject of a cult among fans of underground or hard psychedelic rock, having contributed to the emergence of the new scene and neo-psychedelic stoner who enjoys our better account days. As for Deviants, Mick Farren group nevertheless benefit from a recognition late in life, thanks to some reformations years the 80s, 90s and 2000. firstly there was a return in 1984 with the live album " Human garbage " , which was a small transient stroke.Twelve years later, Mick Farren is back with his ixvi Deviants , which released the album "Eating jello with a heated fork" , sold penny mantle in 1996 At that time, Mick Farren was surrounded by new musicians including his friend Andy Colquhoun (who commit Farren album Black vinyl dress " just before we leave). It also must be noted the presence on this album from the legendary Wayne Kramer , guitarist of the MC5 , the American equivalent of Deviants in these smiling years 1967-1969.Here we are in the heart of the matter with the continuation of this reformation Deviants operated from 1996 Here things seem to last a little longer since found the Deviants on a live album released in 1999, this "Barbarian princes" was recorded in a small club and Japanese, in addition to Mick Farren (vocals and various incantations) and Andy Colquhoun (guitar), also puts vying Doug Lunn on bass and Ric Parnell on drums. The latter has a reputation in the micro-ultra-limited world of amateur groups obscure hard rock of the 70s as he crushed the skins in Horse , responsible group of one album of hard rock wild in 1970 and with a bit more experienced Atomic Rooster .

Japanese concert in 1999 reveals Deviants in good shape, performing some songs from their 1996 album as well as new titles. We remain captivated by the rantings of Mick Farren growling foolish words, and especially athletic solos and nervous Andy Colquhoun on Imperial Fender. The sound is okay, good starting square of "Aztec calendar" puts everyone at ease and began a series of dedicated tracks and no downtime. Among them, the long and tense "Leading hotel" and "Dogpoet" stand out, with their streams of surreal lyrics, their tight rhythm and swirling guitar Andy Colquhoun. For world music business, this live album Deviants is a non-event. But deep cellars, freaks shudder again  : the Deviants are back and Mick Farren is still indomitable. This reissue is lined with a DVD showing the show in pictures but the object is rather anecdotal. Poorly filmed by distant cameras, incorrectly installed, the video above has the advantage of allowing to see Mick Farren and his minions in action on stage. The sound is the same quality as the CD and order of movement of the pieces is different.

http://www.musicinbelgium.net/pl/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=6981

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Barbarian Princes Live in Japan 1999
CD - £9.99

The Deviants Have Left The Planet
CD - £9.99

Dr Crow
CD - £9.99

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)

INVISIBLE POETRY

BETWEEN THESE LINES (is where truth hides
Before and after speech(silence returns
Cherry drop  haiku in a snow storm


27-year-old artist Lana Newstrom says she is the first artist in the world to create invisible
cbc.ca

 

Monday 29 September 2014

GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: GORDON GILTRAP - Lucifer's Cage (1976 UK O.G.W.T. TV Appearance)



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

Acoustic Troubadour 
DCD - £11.99

Still waging a musical War

  • Lonnie Jordan will bring his funk band War to Hampton on Friday.
Lonnie Jordan will bring his funk band War to Hampton on Friday. (Getty Images )
September 11, 2014|By Mike Holtzclaw, |mholtzclaw@dailypress.com
The classic funk rock band War has been around so long that it was named after the Vietnam War – while that conflict was still being fought.
In explaining how it was always the band's philosophy to be topical but never political, keyboardist and vocalist Lonnie Jordan said: "We're not in that political world. We're in the entertainment world. We may call ourselves War – but check this out – we call ourselves that because we're letting you know that there is a peaceful way of war. Our choice of weapons is our musical instruments. Our melodies, rhythm, and most of all our harmony. That was about as political as we got."
Jordan talks in long, flowing sentences that are punctuated with laughter. He is 65 years old now, and still performing with War almost a half-century after the band was formed. War performs at Mill Point Park in Hampton on Friday night.
Along the way, Jordan – the last original member still in the band – has seen it all. He was part of Nightshift, a forerunner of War that served as the backing band for football star (and sometime crooner) Deacon Jones. He was there when War came together as a new band for the legendary vocalist Eric Burdon after the breakup of The Animals. He was on stage with War in a small London club on that night in September 1970 when Jimi Hendrix got up and joined in on a few songs – it would turn out to be Hendrix's last performance before his death the next night.
There were some big hits. Burdon's first song with the band, "Spill the Wine," hit No. 3 in 1970. Burdon left shortly thereafter, but War continued as an ensemble band in which each musician took turns in the spotlight.
The All Music Guide describes the band as "one of the most eclectic (groups), freely melding soul, Latin, jazz, blues, reggae, and rock influences into an effortlessly funky whole." War was all over the charts in the 1970s, with big hits such as "The Cisco Kid," "Low Rider" and the infectious "Why Can't We Be Friends?" The band had 12 Top 40 hits, seven of which made the Top 10.
ERIC BURDON (INCLUDING WAR) AT GONZO
The Lost Broadcasts
DVD - £9.99

The Animals And Beyond 
DVD - £9.99

Beat Beat Beat - Eric Burdon
DVD - £4.99

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)

The Reconfigured Utopia | OPEN Magazine
VATICAN CITY vs Makkah al-Mukarramah
Pilgrims come to Rome ,are blessed by the Pope in Vatican square
They are shuffled past treasures of art,sculpture and architecture
They take home souvenirs of their short stay in Vatican City
Same for pilgrims performing Hajj @the Kabba in Mecca
Only now a Clock Tower .Now a Makkah Hilton.
Soon 130 skyscrapers towering above the Sacred Mosque
Soon Mecca will accommodate 5 million pilgrims
"Saudi Las Vegas"already has Souk Gaza,Souk al-Lai selling trinkets
Real estate is sold with no new sewage system to deal with huge numbers
History is demolished for car parks and (expensive)markets.Homes of the first and second Caliphs already gone
Soon even Jabal al-Nur(that mountain with a cave Mohamed meditated within)will be built over.
Mammon meets Mecca.Baal builds bazaars.Steel and concrete gods dwarf heroes &history repeats
Class,status,money and power matter here,as much as @the Vatican bank.
Here is where the values of Crusade and jihad merge-with Mutawwa,Mukhabarat and Bedouin guards.


Beheadings continue.Torture of guilty (and innocent).Do not be poor (or black-or a woman!)in Paradise!

1001 South African Songs You Must Hear Before You Go Deaf - Fantasy – Trevor Rabin

Trevor Rabin
Trevor Rabin

Yes, this is the Trevor Rabin who was in Rabbitt and spent some time in the group Yes. ‘Fantasy’ is the song that fell in the period between the two, where he was heading out on his own into the big bad world and seeing what he could do.

The song itself seems to land somewhere between Rabbitt and Yes not only on a Rabin timeline, but also in its sound. It still has that sort of 70s, clean-cut rock feel about it that Rabbitt perfected, but it also has leanings towards the big sound of ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart’ that Rabin would help Yes score a big hit with. There are pounding disco-rock beats, loads of showy prog-esque guitars and Rabin’s AOR vocals that all pummel their way through the three minutes and twenty two seconds of this wall-of-sound pop barrage.


YES AT GONZO (WITHOUT TREVOR)
Union (Standard DVD)
DVD - £9.99

Union (2CD)
2CD - £7.99

Rock Of The 70's
DVD - £12.99

Rock of the 70s
DVD - £9.99

YES MAKE MOVE ON ANNIVERSARY DVD



Yes have released another clip from their Songs From Tsongas live DVD, featuring their performance of Your Move and All Good People.
It was recorded in 2004 during the last tour featuring Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White, while they celebrated their 35th anniversary.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Union (Standard DVD)
DVD - £9.99

Union (2CD)
2CD - £7.99

Rock Of The 70's
DVD - £12.99

Rock of the 70s
DVD - £9.99

Sunday 28 September 2014

INTERVIEW – Jon Davison, YES – June 2014

Grammy winning prog-rock icons YES will play their 1971 and ’72 classic albums Fragile and Close To The Edge from start to finish at Crown Theatre on Wednesday November 12, singer Jon Davison tells SHANE PINNEGAR.



In his two years as frontman for the group, Davison has seen plenty of action with the band. Firstly, he replaced his predecessor Benoit David after he suffered respiratory problems, stepping straight into an Australian tour. Then there was the Three Album tour of North America, which saw the band playing the Yes album, Close To The Edge and Going For The One in their entireties, before the band inaugurated their Cruise To The Edge prog-rock ocean-liner cruise.

About to start the U.S. leg of the Fragile/Close To The Edge tour, Davison says that the latter album is honed to perfection after a couple of years on the road, but they former is still a mystery to the band.

“You know, actually, we haven’t even tackled Fragile yet!” he laughs. “We have all been individually working on it, obviously in support of the tour, but we haven’t rehearsed as a band any of the Fragile material. So I don’t really know about that one, we’ll have to see how it goes. Close To The Edge we’ve been performing for about a year and a half so we’ve grown quite accustomed with that material.”

Born in 1971 – the same year Fragile was released – the softly spoken singer says he was a big fan of the band long before the singer’s position became vacant.


CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Union (Standard DVD)
DVD - £9.99

Union (2CD)
2CD - £7.99

Rock Of The 70's
DVD - £12.99

Rock of the 70s
DVD - £9.99

Saturday 27 September 2014

GONZO WEEKLY #97

GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: David Childs - Hymn from Adiemus Songs of Sanctuary by Karl Jenkins

Being Sunday I always post sacred music. The name of the deity may change, or even the deity Him/Herself but the spirit remains the same

 

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem


Rob Ayling writes: 

"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Tom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied with in seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not? why not indeed!!" (The wondrous poetpic is by Jack McCabe, who I hope forgives me for scribbling all over it with Photoshop)

BUTT ENDS OF SEPTEMBER
FAREWELL SEPTEMBER!
You were always preface to the Book Of Winter
Autumn takes a Fall when leaves get deciduous
Winds arise .Rain returns.Not continuous(contiguous)
In a matter of some hours,you will be a Woody Allen movie-
nostalgic,sentimental,low-budget/reminding us of brighter days..
Interregnum now,these darkening shadows
will find a Halloween October/some Thanksgiving
and soon the verdict from a hung jury
will determine what this year looks like
from the perspective of baby 2015,fresh-hatched
and planning more days and nights until it,too,
empties to Autumn,letting seasons mulch
Composting memories,curating histories
making gardens out of fire ant beds

heroes out of housewives and librarians..

Original Judas Priest Vocalist Al Atkins and Guitar Virtuoso Paul May To Release Third Atkins May Project Album 'Empire Of Destruction'




“Empire of Destruction' offers an Apocalyptic Vision with a Message of Hope”

London, UK - After the Success of their first two albums 'Serpents Kiss' and 'Valley Of Shadows', the Atkins May Project returns in grand style, with yet another Colossal Album of Gargantuan Proportions!

Like its predecessors 'Empire Of Destruction' comes once again straight out of the heart of “Black Country” in the UK, the “Home of Metal”! The album continues its Classic Rock theme with enough metal moments to melt your face off, yet features an abundance of imagination and class to intrigue even the most progressive of tastes.

Says Al, “From 'World at War' to 'Whisper to the Wind' it will take you on a journey of battle fields to sombre tears...”

Again boasting a superb collection of immense Rock and Metal tracks with standout vocals throughout from Atkins (sounding like he's gargled with razor blades for breakfast!) To the tasteful guitar work of musical virtuoso May, who still shreds the axe like the old guitar masters themselves. All in all another Authoritative release from these Classic British Rock Merchants.


CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
...BECAUSE SOME OF US THINK THAT THIS STUFF IS IMPORTANT
What happens when you mix what is - arguably - the world's most interesting record company, with an anarchist manic-depressive rock music historian polymath, and a method of dissemination which means that a daily rock-music magazine can be almost instantaneous?

Most of this blog is related in some way to the music, books and films produced by Gonzo Multimedia, but the editor has a grasshopper mind and so also writes about all sorts of cultural issues which interest him, and which he hopes will interest you as well.