Sunday, November 02, 2008





















































5 Leaves of Solid Air Left



Did this really happen to me recently? Was I playing a Gene Clark cd & then rabbiting on & on about how refreshing & timeless it sounded?

I will have to check this blog’s archives to back-engineer my scorched memory.

Anyway ‘White Light’ by Gene Clark sends me right back to Colin & Phyllis’s place, sometime back on the cusp of the 70s. A venue that was steeped in that country rock vibe of Gram Parsons, Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers……..etc…………..

Albums & places & time are all grouped there in the memory somewhere.

Before he became a Highlander, I was often found at my friend’s place, forever the home of Van Morrison’s ‘Astral Weeks’ for me.

Another amigo from that period (now gone) will forever be associated with those classic Steve Wonder albums (when Tonto’s Headband were backing him).

Same time, another address in Maryhill & it is non-stop Grateful Dead. Just around the corner in Belmont St & it was Joni, Beach Boys, Dylan & let’s not forget Harry Nilsson.

Moving further south to Muswell Hill, London & we are swaying to Joe Walsh’s ‘The Smoker You Drink’ & Steely Dan.

Take a few paces East & South & we are on Colva Beach, Goa & it is George Harrison’s ‘All Things Must Pass’. How apt.

Moving on a few years & I find myself at Les’s in Manchester & his flatmates sound choice of solid soul & reggae & dub.

What do I remember of my own listening at home over any of that period? Naturally there would be ‘Solid Air’ & ‘5 Leaves Left’ & a strong dose of what used to be termed ‘Progressive Music’ by the media, although it was not the pap now referred to, by that term.

Saturday, November 01, 2008









































From Freak Folk to Free Jazz


I seem to be leaping from one extreme to another with gay abandon.

Oops that latter phrase is charged with so many sexual connotations, perhaps I should leave it out?

It has never been so easy to obtain all those rare free jazz albums that you used to dream of as a teenager. Thus you have to try & be selective.

Many of the ‘bright young things’….e.g. Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore are helping to get this material out there instead of it lying dormant in some vault. Thanks to them my own knowledge has improved e.g. Ronnie Boykins has been a revelation.

I know what I like, but I am prepared to open my ears to new stuff. (this country is blessed with some of the best jazz happening now!) The Isla jazz festival seems to be where it’s at every year.

I have a soft spot for American jazz of 50s & 60s plus the jazz rock, electric miles stuff from later periods.

Much of the stunning British jazz of the 60s & 70s is still hard if not impossible to find on cd. Maybe I just have such warm memories of catching great jazz on radio during that time.

I also enjoy all the branches of jazz fusions……e.g. jazz rock (Chicago Transit Authority, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Mahavishnu Orchestra), jazz funk (Herbie Hancock, AWB, Weather Report), 3rd stream (john Mayer/Joe Harriot’s Indojazz fusions).

I came late to the Blue Note albums, but I am catching up.



















































Off the Grid

My neighbour let me borrow the 3rd part in the series of Jason Bourne’s films.

The message was crystal clear i.e. it is well nigh impossible to live ‘off the grid’ for even a few minutes these days.

As soon as you carry a mobile phone or send an email, withdraw money from a machine……etc….you are tracked.

As the new series of ‘Spooks’ hits the small screen this message is reinforced.

Writing as someone who’s moby has just been wiped clean, I would suggest a healthy dose of paranoia might be a healthy asset to modern living.


















































The Return of Harold Bratback


I am trying in vain to arrange a few days holiday in York, a city I have never seen.

I wish to pay a visit to the birthplace of Harald Bluetooth, the first Viking to use Bluetooth technology to keep in touch with the other rapists & pillagers back in Denmark.

Did you know that symbol was a combined pair of Nordic runes (not ruins) the latter being the Viking gift to these shores.
















































Flags of the Sacred Harp


I was shocked to read the report of a charity ‘friendly’ football match between Scottish politicians Vs journalists.

Poor Chick Young (aged 57) was badly injured by a seething tackle. I know he does upset many readers & listeners, but he is ‘real’ & states his opinions he does not hide. The match had to be abandoned.

I managed to escape from my Literacies class on Wednesday night in time to catch the 2nd half of the Celtic Vs Killie in the Co-Op cup & what I witnessed reminded me of the good old Larsson days & why I am such a hoops fan. It was the passing move up to the 3rd goal, the sweetest piece of football I have seen in a long time. I know, why can’t they do this every time?

I often find myself driving between supermarkets on a Saturday afternoon at kick off time & later & I do hear a lot of football talk on & off the ball.

Radio Scotland has this game all sewn up, the reports, phone-ins, discussions, debates, verbal assaults……..etc ….could not happen anywhere else in the world. This is radio at it’s finest.

How can this be compared to the tv version. Tame announcers dribble on in such a soporific manner & most of them have had personality bypasses at some stage. Radio is where it’s at.

Back to the music, I am sure that you know the title above is Jackie O Motherfucker’s best psychedelic purple haze of orange sunshine.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008






































Bluetooth works like this?



The Nurse With Wound List by tukid20
  • All-7-70
  • Alternative TV
  • Alvaro
  • Ame Son
  • AMM Music
  • Amon Duul
  • Amon Duul II
  • Anima
  • Annexus Quam
  • Arbete Och Fritid
  • Arcane V
  • Archaia
  • Archimedes Badkar
  • Area
  • Gilbert Artman
  • Art Bears
  • Art Zoyd III
  • Arzachel
  • Robert Ashley
  • Ash Ra Tempel
  • Association PC
  • Il Balletto Di Bronzo
  • Banten
  • Franco Battiato
  • Han Bennink
  • Jacques Berrocal
  • Biglietto Per L'inferno
  • Birge Gorge Shiroc
  • Blue Sun
  • Raymond Boni
  • Don Bradshaw Leather
  • Brainstorm
  • Brainticket
  • Brast Burn
  • Brave New World
  • Anton Bruhin
  • Bruhwarm Theatre
  • Franz De Byl
  • John Cage
  • Can
  • Captain Beefheart
  • Chamberpot
  • Checkpoint Charlie
  • Chene Noir
  • Chillum
  • Chrome
  • Cohelmec Ensemble
  • Jean Cohen-Solal
  • Collegium Musicum
  • Roberto Colombo
  • Companyia Electrica Dharma
  • Comus
  • Cornucopia
  • Creative Rock
  • Cromagnon
  • David Cunningham
  • Dadazuzu
  • Wolfgang Dauner
  • Debris
  • Decayes
  • Dedalus
  • Dharma Quintet
  • Dies Irae
  • Doodooettes
  • Philippe Doray
  • Jean Dubuffet
  • Dzyan
  • Eiliff
  • Emtidi
  • Eroc
  • Etron Fou LeLoublan
  • Exmagma
  • Patrizio Fariselli
  • Faust
  • Luc Ferrari
  • Fille Qui Mousse
  • Floh De Cologne
  • Food Brain
  • Walter Franco
  • Friendsound
  • Fred Frith
  • Gash
  • Ron Geesin
  • Gila
  • God in Disguise
  • Gomorrha
  • Gong
  • John Greaves and Peter Blegvad
  • Fernando Grillo
  • Grobschnitt
  • Group 1850
  • Jean Guerin
  • Friedrich Gulda
  • Guru Guru
  • Hairy Chapter
  • Hampton Grease Band
  • Henry Cow
  • Heratius
  • Hero
  • Hugh Hopper
  • Horde Catalytque Pour La Fin
  • Ibliss
  • L'infonie
  • International Harvester
  • Iskra Island
  • Jan Dukes De Grey
  • King Crimson
  • Basil Kirchin
  • Kluster
  • Frank Kolges
  • Kollektiv Rote Rube
  • Komintern
  • Kraftwerk
  • Krokodil
  • Steve Lacy
  • Lard Free
  • Le Forte Four
  • Lily
  • Limbus 3 and 4
  • Bernard Lubat
  • Alvin Lucier
  • Magma
  • Colette Magny
  • Mahjun
  • Mahogany Brain
  • Malfatti and Wittwer
  • Michael Mantler
  • Albert Marcoeur
  • Maschine No. 9
  • Mate and Vallancien
  • Costin Miereanu
  • Min Bul
  • Modry Efekt
  • Anthony Moore
  • Mothers of Invention
  • Moving Gelatine Plates
  • Fritz Muller
  • Thierry Muller
  • Musica Elettronica Viva
  • Music Improvisation Company
  • Mythos
  • Napoli Centrale
  • Neu!
  • Nico
  • Night Sun
  • Nine Days Wonder
  • Nosferatu
  • Nu Creative Methods
  • Oktober
  • Yoko Ono
  • Operation Rhino
  • Opus Avantra
  • Out of Focus
  • Ovary Lodge
  • Tony Oxley
  • Parker and Lytton
  • Pataphonie
  • Pauvros and Bizien
  • Pere Ubu
  • Pierrot Lunaire
  • Plastic Ono Band
  • Plastic People of the Universe
  • Pole
  • Pop Group
  • Michel Portal
  • Red Crayola
  • Red Noise
  • Reform Art Unit
  • Steve Reich
  • Achim Reichel
  • Residents
  • Catherine Ribeiro and Alpes
  • Terry Riley
  • Rocky's Filj
  • Ron Pates Debonairs
  • Roth Ruhm and Wiener
  • Ray Russell
  • Terje Rypdal
  • Martin Saint Pierre
  • Samla Mammas Manna
  • Gunter Schickert
  • Second Hand
  • Secret Oyster
  • Seesselberg
  • Semool
  • Sonny Sharrock
  • Silberbart
  • Siloah
  • Soft Machine
  • Sperm
  • Sphinx Tush
  • Karlheinz Stockhausen
  • Stooges
  • Demetrio Stratos
  • Supersister
  • Tamia
  • Tangerine Dream
  • Technical Space Composers Crew
  • Mama Bea Tekielski
  • Third Ear Band
  • Thirsty Moon
  • This Heat
  • Jacques Thollot
  • Thrice Mice
  • Throbbing Gristle
  • Paolo Tofani
  • Tomorrow's Gift
  • Ton Steine Scherben
  • Trans Museq
  • Uli Trepte
  • Twenty Sixty Six and Then
  • Univers Zero
  • Christian Vander
  • Velvet Underground
  • Verto
  • Patrick Vian
  • Michel Waisvisz
  • Igor Wakhevitch
  • Trevor Wishart
  • Woorden
  • Robert Wyatt
  • Xhol Caravan
  • Xhol
  • La Monte Young
  • Frank Zappa
  • Zweistein
  • Znr
  • Agitation Free
  • Pekka Airaksinen
  • Airway
  • Albrecht D
  • Alcrataz
  • Algarnas Tradgard
  • Anal Magic and Reverend Dwight Frizzel
  • Aqsak Maboul
  • Steve Beresford
  • Philippe Besombes
  • Cabaret Voltaire
  • Henri Chopin
  • Crass
  • Come
  • Deep Freeze Mice
  • Der Plan Deutsch-Amerikanischen Freundschaft
  • Dome
  • Cupol
  • Roger Doyle
  • Family Fodder
  • Flying Lizards
  • Free Agents
  • Jef Gilson
  • Glaxo Babies
  • Good Missionaries
  • Grand Magic Circus
  • Ragnar Grippe
  • Pierre Henry
  • Juan Hidalgo
  • Horrific Child
  • Martin Davorin Jagodic
  • Osamu Kitajima
  • Lemon Kittens
  • Magical Power Mako
  • Mama Dada 1919
  • Mars
  • Mnemonists
  • Moolah
  • Negativland
  • New Phonic Art
  • Nihilist Spasm Band
  • Orchid Spangiafora
  • Poison Girls
  • Public Image Ltd.
  • Bomis Prendin
  • Boyd Rice
  • Claudio Rocchi
  • Smegma
  • Sally Smmit
  • Snatch
  • Taj Mahal Travellers
  • Ghedalia Tazartes
  • Tokyo Kid Brothers
  • Tolerance
  • L. Voag
  • Lawrence Weiner
  • James White and the Contortions
  • Whitehouse
  • Wired
  • Iannis Xenakis
  • Ya Ho Wha 13






































Rainbows All Over Your Blues


Think of John Sebastian @ Woodstock & smile!



































Curves in the Air



Like Shinsuke Nakamura






































Somewhere Over the Rainbow



The weather may be a little freaky of late but it can be very pretty!

Monday, October 27, 2008



















































Part 7 of a 2-Part Trilogy: Favourite album titles of all time

Kasai Allstars – In the 7th Moon, the Chief Turned into a Swimming Fish & he Ate the Head of his Enemy by Magic (Crammed).

This album was made in Kinshasa, Congo.






























Black Windmill


Do you sometimes feel short-changed by soundtracks?

I spent a few uneventful days crawling about in my loftspace trying to find that elusive Roy Budd masterwork. I was hoping to use the choral intro for a compilation cd. I had watched the movie recently & this sparked the quest.

I was so disappointed to discover it was not on the cd perhaps for copyright reasons.

I will have to search elsewhere.








































Nacho McNovo


If nacho realises his dream & plays for his adopted country, I for one will stop signing that anthem from the terraces.