AS SEEN OVER AT THE OLD PLACE – DECEMBER 2006 (2)

I thought you might be interested in the posting which, at the time got more comments than any other. From 8th December 2006:-

MUSIC : RESPONSE

I’ve been accused in the past of being a musical snob – a charge I vehemently deny. Ok, I can’t abide manufactured crap – particularly the boy and girl bands aimed at the adolescent market or the ‘talents’ that emerge from the 21st century equivalent of ‘Opportunity Knocks.’ I also have an aversion to most wimpy blokes with acoustic guitars – and yes I am talking about the intrinsic evil that is James Blunt – and the copy-cat acts that record labels have been throwing at us throughout 2006. And just don’t get me started on heavy-metal….But it’s not all white-boy indie-music with an emphasis on the early 80s rotating on the turntable here in Villain Towers. I’ve already confessed some of my vices on other blogs and I’m not ashamed of anything in my collection – I’ll be able to provide a legitimate excuse every time. Admittedly, some of the excuses will be on the lame side. But I can sleep easily at night.

Something I saw today got me thinking about music. And the shallowness of anyone who slags off any song as ‘shite’ just because they, as a person, don’t like it, the singer or the band.

My organisation holds an annual Christmas party for around 200 young kids with physical handicaps or learning difficulties. A load of our staff get dressed up in costume as cartoon characters; we bring along all sorts of kid’s entertainers; and of course at the appropriate magical moment, Santa makes an appearance.

But the mainstay of the three or so hours that the party goes on is the disco. And believe me, song after song after song after song would normally have had me screaming in agony and racing for the nearest exit.

The thing that stopped me was the sheer joy on all of these kids’ faces. They were on the dance-floor having a real blast. Most of them needed help and support from the adults, whether it was the folk in fancy-dress or the teachers/parents/volunteers who are with these kids every day. Many of the kids were wheelchair-bound, but that didn’t stop them making their way onto the dance-floor.

Now if the DJ had spun something that I was wanting, there is no question he would have cleared the room, far less the dance-floor. He knew his audience, and he gave them exactly what they wanted. And they loved him for it.

Music is there to be enjoyed. If what you or I hear every day on the banal radio stations or on prime-time television, we can always find an alternative station, or turn on the PC and surf for a while.

But let’s not just have a go at someone else because their taste is wholly different from ours.

Here’s one that filled the dance-floor earlier today. I had to ask a colleague who and what it was and then I found it on Limewire.

mp3 : Girls Aloud : Something Kinda Oooh

It’s superb pop…….

———————————– ends —————————————–

Sadly, the archiving site which is enabling me to salvage these posts isn’t able to keep the 8 comments that were left behind. But I do recall just about all of them appreciating the sentiments I was trying to convey even if my choice of band left something to be desired.

And Limewire…..there’s a place I haven’t visited in years.

Morrissey

AS SEEN OVER AT THE OLD PLACE – DECEMBER 2006 (1)

I must have really been bitten by the blogging bug on my return from holiday as I put up 34 posts across the month of December 2008.

It began with something marking World Aids Day and ended with a my take on the music of 2006 and in-between contained all sorts of nonsense including an enthusiastic review of the last ever Arab Strap gig in Glasgow, the first of what would become many mentions of The Fall (much to the disgust of ctel who has never hidden his lack of love for Mark E Smith and his merry bunch of troubadours), the beginning of what would become a Xmas Day tradition and this the 67th posting on the blog on 17th December:-

THAT DECEMBER SPAWNED A MOZZA…

Hard to believe that I’m up to 67 postings and this is the first to feature Morrissey (aside from a sideways reference on Johnny Marr’s 43rd birthday).

I was 20 years of age and living in my first student flat in early 1983 when The Smiths came to the wider attention of the world. I simply couldn’t get enough of them, whether on record, in session on Radio 1, in print (there were 4 weekly music papers in the UK at that time), in concert or on television.

My love of the band was driven more by Johnny’s tunes than Steven’s lyrics, but in fairness, they were a perfect combination. So when the break-up came in 1987, I was not as interested in the singer’s solo career as most other fans of the band. Indeed, with an early version of his solo backing band containing everyone from The Smiths bar Johnny, I was pretty pissed-off about the beak-up, and was I stubbornly determined not to pay too much attention to him.

But as time when on, I got more and more interested in Morrissey’s solo output, simply because he was releasing some cracking songs. In saying that, there were still a number of pretty poor records being committed to vinyl or CD. What turned me into a fully-fledged fan however, was the live experience and getting along to the first major solo tour 1991 to a stunning gig at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

I’ve been along to see him on numerous occasions since – usually along with Mrs Villain. Even when he was releasing poorly received records, I still tried to always get along when he was in town. That changed after an absolute stinker of a gig at the Barrowlands in 1999 – the choice of set was self-indulgent, the security was over-zealous and the band played as if they were Guns’n’Roses with all sorts of guitar and drum solos. A very disheartening experience.

So I didn’t bother trying hard to get tickets for his 2002 tour. The reviews of those gigs were mixed – and given that he had no recording contract, or even the prospect of signing any deal, I assume I had seen the last of Morrissey.

But his return to form over the past three years has been something to behold.

Irish Blood, English Heart as a single was an astonishing return to form. You Are The Quarry had brilliant tunes and lyrics and an overall consistency that I didn’t think he had in him. Morrissey was back, and I fell in love with him all over again.

I was very very lucky to pick up two standing tickets for his birthday gig at the M.E.N. in 2004 and it remains one of the most intense and euphoric live experiences that myself and Mrs Villain have ever enjoyed.

I’ve since managed to see him in a number of small venues in Paisley, Stirling and Greenock – and thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. But given that I’ve now been spoiled in getting up close at gigs, I chose not to go to the cavernous SECC the other week – and going by the reaction of a few folk I’ve spoken to since, it seems it was a good decision. Not only was the sound quality poor, but the performance was at best, perfunctory with little interaction with the audience.

I reckon that Morrissey is now at another crossroads in his career.

His last two albums have been among the best in his career.

But he has never yet made three good albums in a row. The novelty of playing live again with a new band seems to have worn off, and a severe critical backlash is due. He’s also now in his late 40s, and what else has got to prove? I don’t know if there will be a new record in 2007 or 2008.

And at this moment in time, I don’t really care. I personally think he should call it a day and go out on a high……we can then look back on a largely magnificent career without it being soured by a lack of quality at the end. But I’m sure there’s many out there who disagree.

Here’s a few tracks from the solo career that I’ve particularly enjoyed:-

mp3 : Morrissey – Girl Least Likely To
mp3 : Morrissey – Disappointed
mp3 : Morrissey – Now My Heart Is Full
mp3 : Morrissey – Satan Rejected My Soul

—————————————-ends——————————————-

2013 Update

Since I typed those words, Morrissey has released just the one new studio LP – Years of Refusal in 2009 (so I was right when I said I didn’t think he would release anything in 07 or 08) . This LP wasn’t as well received as his 2004 and 2006 efforts. There’s been yet another best-of compilation but the flame has been kept burning, certainly here in the UK, by imaginative tours that have taken him to lovely Town Halls and old concert venues in the most unlikely of places rarely visited by an other pop stars.

Having said that, he has let down many fans in the USA and South America with tours that have ended very early on due to continuous ill-health and lots of folk have been left badly out-of-pocket trying repeatedly to see him on stage with no success.

Morrissey stands at a similar crossroads as that of 2006. No record deal and nothing imminent. There’s new material out there as he’s aired things at his live gigs which haven’t yet been put down for release, but being honest, none of it has jumped out as being superior to what he’s give us before.

However, he has repeatedly, throughout the length of a career than is now in excess of 30 years, pulled off surprise after surprise, and on that basis something will likely happen over the next 18 months which will leave us all with our jaws hitting the floor. That long-promised autobiography??

Maximo Park

TURNING 50 HAS BEEN A BLAST

Those of you familiar with the nonsense posted on the old blog will be all too aware that I turned 50 years of age a couple of months back. It’s an event that I’ve marked in a number of ways, including a couple of firsts such as a trip to see El Clasico and a short break with Mrs V to Berlin.

Tomorrow marks the start of a trip that has been a year in the planning and the one geared towards the centrepiece of the birthday celebrations. I’m off again to Toronto….

My love for the city began six years ago when I went to work there for a number of months on a secondment. I met loads of great people and I’ve kept in touch with them ever since. I’ve been back very briefly just the once but this time it is planned to be a bit special. I’ll be taking off from Glasgow in the company of my dear friends Jacques the Kipper and Aldo and we will be joined in Canada by my young brother SC who is flying up from his home in Florida. Over the weekend, we are taking in baseball and football with the best seats in the house(s) and meeting up with a crowd of the boys I used to work with for some drinking, eating and sightseeing. Come Monday morning, I set out on a 10-day golfing holiday in Canada, all of which has been put together by friends based over there and which promises to be memorable. All told, I’m away for more than 2 weeks…..and I can’t wait.

T(n) VV won’t quite be put into cold storage but what I am going to do is a series of posts looking back at the historical stuff on the old blog as well as the efforts to try and catch-up with the Saturday singles series. I hope you’ll find enough of interest to keep dropping by while I’m away…..if possible I will pop in every now again and respond if there’s any comments left behind.

I’m hoping also that I will get to catch some live music while I’m away. Toronto was the scene of a number of great gigs in 2008, none more so than seeing Maximo Park play a blinding gig at a venue around one-fifth of the size they were then selling out back home in the UK. Seems appropriate today to feature some of the material played that night:-

mp3 : Maximo Park – Graffiti

mp3 : Maximo Park – Apply Some Pressure

mp3 : Maximo Park – Going Missing

mp3 : Maximo Park – Books From Boxes

mp3 : Maximo Park – Girls Who Play Guitars

Enjoy!!

Department S

IS VIC THERE?

Department S were a short-lived post-punk band from London.

They formed from an outfit called Guns For Hire who began as an imaginary band – one that existed only in the form of badges and posters and hype in some papers. Eventually, with that joke beginning to backfire (i.e. hipsters extolling their virtues and abilities), those involved did pick up instruments and learn to play. A record was released and gigs were played – and to the amazement of all concerned the reviews were almost universally positive.

Deciding it was time to get serious, the band changed name to Department S and decided to have a go at become famous and rich. A deal was inked with Demon Records and debut single Is Vic There? was released in December 1980. The band was being talked about as the next big thing by the likes of Paul Weller, all on the basis of a stand-out debut single which was re-released a few months into 1981 when it climbed the UK singles chart all the way to #22.

mp3 : Department S – Is Vic There?

Just the other week I got my hands on a good quality vinyl copy of the 1980 release. The b-side was a cover of a T-Rex song:-

mp3 : Department S – Solid Gold Easy Action

Listening to the b-side you get an idea of why the band never did anything memorable beyond the debut single – where the a-side was a classic, the b-side is a clunker and betrays all too easily their joke beginnings just a few months previously.

History records that Department S would release two subsequent singles in 1981 and while a debut LP would be recorded it would be unreleased for more than 20 years, an event that wouldn’t be experienced by Vaughan Toulouse, the man who supplied the distinctive vocals, as he died of an AIDS-related illness as long ago as 1991.

Not withstanding there might not have been much more to them, Is Vic There? remains one of the most unique and catchy singles of the new wave era and still sounds wonderful more than 30 years on.

Enjoy!!

Duran Duran, Specials

A POLITICAL PROTEST SONG (2)

Many many thanks to those of you who responded to the request to submit your favourite political song. I will get round to posting all of them over the coming weeks but felt this is the one that should start things off. Here’s the e-mail:-

Hello over there JC.

Glad to see T(n)VV on WordPress. (I am a WordPress expert so if you
ever have q's let me know).
I looked at seeing if there was a way of extracting the archive of
TVV, even after deletion, but sadly there wasn't.
Luckily there's the wayback machine.

I'm dropping you a line about your latest post though.
A few months back I created a cousin to F&M called Politics and Music:
http://politicsandmusicblog.wordpress.com/

I got bored of it very quickly though.

I would like if more than five people read it so I wondered if you'll
post the first entry from P&M, which isn't really about a political
protest song, it is more at a look at how the political protest song
is viewed.

If you don't like this one please feel free not to use it - or if you
want to post one of the other two articles on P&M.
Either or I'm not bothered. It's your gig and you decide.

Cheers,
Webbie.

I’ve always been someone who values the contributions to my blog(s) whether in the shape of comments or guest postings, so how could I refuse Webbie…..indeed all of his articles on P&M will appear here in due course although of course I’m hoping may of you will follow the link over there in advance. Here’s the first article:-

———–starts————————————————-

I am an 80′s throwback. Born in the mid 60′s but the period when music began to resonate with me was from 1981 onwards. Why that particular year ? I don’t know. On Top Of The Pops everybody was having fun, having a party. I wanted to be invited.

It was also around this period that I was only a year away from the harsh reality of Thatcher’s Britain – No parties, just the dole. But watching these bands on the telly, in their bright colourful clothes, with the ballons, with the streamers. It took you away from the grey world outside.

At that time I was living in Liverpool. Only a few months before with my best mate Walter, we sat on some steps and watched the Railto burn.

As mentioned I wasn’t long for the unemployment line and soon became one of the 3 & half million signing on. Things were grim. Strikes, picket lines and where I lived – the riots. Switch on the TV, take your mind away…

The country was unhappy. Toxteth I witnessed. There was also Brixton and more.

History is slowly beginning to repeat itself with the Tory government (yes I know coalition but the Lib Dems are just puppets) with benefit cuts, cuts to the NHS, high unemployment and recession once again. An unpopular leader leading the country down another dark path.

These days there are many outlets to express our anger and frustration about the Tories, so the outrage is spread out and looks thin on the ground. Back then it was more concentrated. There were only four TV channels and everybody watching them. It was actually easier for some to get there word out. To vent their feelings, to raise those issues.

Music can reflect what people are thinking and feeling. The musicians like the rest of us suffered unemployment and then wrote about it. The most famous example in 1981 was The Specials with Ghost Town. A perfect reflection on the state of things. It captured the mood perfectly.

mp3 : The Specials – Ghost Town

The Specials obviously weren’t the first with social commentary. This has been going on every since popular music began. But to me it seemed that in the earlier part of the 1980′s there was an increase in these type of songs.
There was easily enough material for the songwriters. Thatcher and her battles with everybody. The dockers, miners, steelworkers… even the unemployed. Lots of misery and poverty around but also the open, raw capitalist greed.

Many bands attempted to raise awareness of fascism, racism, politics and the constant threat of a nuclear war. Even the established and well loved artist Paul McCartney sang about giving Ireland back to the Irish. But the single (as you will see from that link) was subsequently banned. Other acts such The Police and yes, even Spandau Ballet also sang about that always touchy subject.

Every time a musical act does a take on one of these issues though, they are criticised. How dare these pop stars talk about politics. They should mind their own business.

The argument is always there whether they should get involved or stay out of it. The thing is that sometimes it works and sometimes not. There are a few instances when it became a force for good – such as with Band Aid and the eventual Live Aid concert. But sometimes the song becomes a bit of an embarrassment. The chart pop stars of the 80′s addressing a current plight somewhere. Their smooth, popular image then dented when they cry about war. It’s like a stand up comedian suddenly stopping midway through his act to do a slideshow on the African famine. Sometimes an uncomfortable act for us to witness.

A sample of potential embarrassment was with this line in a song, which was met with much derision when first heard:

“Don’t say you’re easy on me, you’re about as easy as a nuclear war…”

It was a throw away line, with the original message of the song not about a holocaust, but of relationships.
The rest of the lyrics in the verse before that line:

“People stare and cross the road from me
And jungle drums they all clear the way for me
Can you read my mind, can you see in the snow
And fiery demons all dance when you walk through that door”

Jungle drumming, snow visions, mind reading and to top it off – the demons:

mp3 : Duran Duran – Is There Something I Should Know

The line is remembered and brought much unwanted attention to Duran Duran. A fan misheard the lyric and wrote to Simon Le Bon to ask what “you bad azizi” meant.

This inspired them to create an experimental B side for a single released in 1990:

mp3 : Duran Duran – Yo Bad Azizi

From a potentially embarrassing lyric – another song. But they still didn’t compose this about the actual event of a nuclear war. It was just a riff on a letter they received. And as far as I’m aware Duran Duran have never done any protest songs, have never tried to raise awareness for the rainforests or poverty… or anything like that. Correct me if I’m wrong though.

Webbie, 9 January 2013

——————–ends————————

Note from JC

Webbie’s original posting linked to stuff on you tube instead of mp3s. Given that you tube is owned by Google, who are also the owners of Blogger from which the original TVV was unceremoniously removed, readers will hopefully understand why I wont be posting you tube content at the new place.

Gorillaz

A FINE SONG FOR SUNDAYS

This popped up on shuffle the other day and I thought to myself that it makes for a great tune to slowly get your day in gear…one when you have no need to rush out of bed and race down to the railway station in a state of dishevelment.

And seeing Sunday is a day for lazing (although I’ve got to get myself round to the golf course for a competition that starts this side of 8am), I’ve decided to cut’n’paste from the first time the song got featured at the old place, but given that was five years ago I’m hoping most of you will have forgotten by now.

One night back in late 2000, while suffering from insomnia, I caught a glimpse of a cartoon video of on MTV. It must have been around 3am or something. My ears immediately picked up on a great tune and what sounded awfully like the vocals of Damon Albarn. But quite clearly, this was not anything by Blur.

Unusually, no information on the video came up at the end. But I was determined to track it down. By pure chance, I was in a favourite record shop in Glasgow a couple of days later and amidst my browsing, I saw something which had a title that was awfully like the mystery track.

So, I asked the guys in the shop to let me hear it. And I was right. So I bought it, and waited on it becoming a massive hit. But nothing happened. And just when I thought Gorillaz was simply going to be a one-off single, other stuff came out maybe four or five months later, and they did go on to become a worldwide phenomena.

But in my view, they have never bettered this:-

mp3 : Gorillaz – Tomorrow Comes Today

That was the only song I shoved up in September 2008 so to bring it up to date, here’s what else was on the CD single:-

mp3 : Gorillaz – Rock The House

mp3 : Gorillaz – Latin Simone

mp3 : Gorillaz – 12D3

Enjoy!!

Altered Images, Apple Scruffs, April Showers, Arab Strap, Armoury Show

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SINGLE (Parts 6-10)

Back on 8 October 2011, I started a series called ‘Saturday’s Scottish Single’. The aim was to feature one 45 or CD single by a Scottish singer or band with the proviso that the 45 or CD single was in the collection. I had got to Part 60-something and as far as Kid Canaveral when the rug was pulled out from under TVV.

I’ll catch up soon enough by featuring 5 at a time from the archives..

(6) Altered Images : I Could Be Happy b/w Insects : Epic 7″ (1981)

“HONESTLY, I ALWAYS KNEW IT WAS A CLASSIC…”

In November 1988, FAC 220 was unveiled to the world and just about every review in the UK weeklies and monthlies panned it. Fourteen months later, it was high-up on all the lists of ‘Best Album of the 80s’ in the same publications….a classic example of why you should make your own mind up about music and not just go with what’s being written or said by the influential commentators.

It’s no real surprise though that Bummed got such a poor reception and not just because it was quite different from anything else which had come beforehand and there weren’t many reference points to go by. There was a bit of a backlash at the time against Factory Records and some were getting fed up of with the never-ending proclamations from Tony Wilson. So when he said that Shaun Ryder was a poet who deserved to be looked upon in the same light as Keats and that Happy Mondays, along with a number of other Manchester bands, were making something distinctive and history-making that would see a perfect marriage of club and indie music, those in the media, particularly in London, just sneered.

I’m not going to make any huge claims on Bummed being one of the best records ever – after all it didn’t find its way into the recent Top 50 albums rundown over at TVV – but there are some songs on it which remain staggeringly brilliant more than a quarter of a century on. Particularly this:-

mp3 : Happy Mondays – Wrote For Luck

Years after helping to make stars of Joy Division and New Order, the production genius of Martin Hannett comes to the fore as he throws the kitchen sink at the songs and proves that sometimes the drugs do work….and yet it was a couple of cleaner, less murky remixes which gave birth to Madchester as prophesied by Tony Wilson:-

mp3 : Happy Mondays – W.F.L. (the Vince Clark Mix)

mp3 : Happy Mondays – W.F.L. – Think About The Future (the Paul Oakenfold Mix)

As available on the single FACD 232.

Club classics both of them to go alongside the original version which surely has a place on every indie-disco playlist.

Enjoy!!

Adventure Babies

AS SEEN OVER AT THE OLD PLACE – NOVEMBER 2006

Another nostalgia-fest making use of the ability to access an archiving service and pick and recall what was written on the old blog.

I was still all over the place in November 2006 and with there being fewer posts that the previous month there might have been a sense that I was giving up a bit. But it turns out I was away on holiday for much of the month and it was a time before I knew how to pre-date posts which meant they were written there and then as they were posted.

1 November : Marc Almond (3.39pm)

2 November : The Wedding Present (12.28am) and AKA The Fox (8.04pm)

3 November : Jock’n’Roll : Part 1 – The Trash Can Sinatras, Belle & Sebastian, Bronski Beat and Primal Scream (5.16pm)

4 November : Jock’n’Roll : Part 2 – Sons & Daughters, Cocteau Twins, The Skids and Malcolm Middleton (11.11pm)

5 November : Jock’n’Roll : Part 3 – Arab Strap, Associates. Simple Minds, Aztec Camera (4.08pm)

6 November : Jock’n’Roll : Part 4 – Friends Again, Bronski Beat, Associates and Foil (8.10am)

7 November : Jock’n’Roll : Part 5 – Bourgie Bourgie, St Jude’s Infirmary and Orange Juice (6.41pm)

8 November : Nick Cave/Grinderman (7.50am)

9 November : The Young Knives (1.24pm)

10 November : HOLIDAY SONGS feat ; Orange Juice/Albert Hammond Jr/The Pixies (6.15pm)

26 November : HOLIDAY POSTCARD : Belle & Sebastian (10,35pm)

27 November : A LOOK AT OTHER BLOGS feat : Elvis Costello & The Attractions (2.02pm)

28 November : Albert Hammond Jr (gig review) (7.44pm)

29 November : The Adventure Babies (7.27pm)

30 November : Martin Stephenson & The Daintees (12.14pm)

30 November (bonus post) : Neverending White Lights (9.23pm)

Couple of things worth recalling….

The Jock’n’Roll series was notable as it was the first use of a guest contribution in which there was a rundown of my Top 10 Scottish singles as well as those of my great mate Jacques The Kipper. Turned out that we both had Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat in our rundown (mine at #9, his at #4) while we both had an Orange Juice song at #1 – mine’s was Felicity while JtK went for Blueboy.

The post looking at other blogs gave namechecks to ten other places of which only one, To Die By Your Side, is still functioning of its own accord although there’s very few postings nowadays. It shows just how unusual it was for TVV to keep going so long.

Having said that, a couple of the other blogs mentioned have been superseded by fresh works – Mike Melville now files under ‘Manic Pop Thrills’ whereas back in the day it was ‘Magic, Murder, Mania & Manta Rays’ – while Comrade Colin had already killed off ‘Let’s Kiss And Make Up’ by the time I wrote the post and nowadays you’ll find his own style of musings at ‘And Before The First Kiss’.

Here’s the post and tune from 29 November:-

It’s been a while since I went into the cupboard to find something rare to share with you. After all, that was the original intention behind the blog before I got a bit carried away.

I’m feeling a bit low and miserable just now, so it’s a cheery little tune. Hope it finds favour with y’all.

mp3 : The Adventure Babies – Camper Van

Hard to believe that this is on Factory Records. It’s from 1991 – FAC 319.

If anyone can supply any detailed info on the band, please feel free to get in touch.

And from 30 November:-

This is all thanks to Lisa at ‘Copy, Right? who earlier today gave access to yet another obscure but immense song on her fantastic blog.

mp3 : Neverending White Lights ft Nick Hexum – Age of Consent

Takes a brilliant NO track and makes it sound like a completely different NO track – Your Silent Face anyone??

I’ve picked those two tracks out as they’re still, all these years later, rarely featured on blogs. In those days I didn’t post b-sides if the feature was an obscure a-side. So to bring it fully up to date :-

mp3 : The Adventure Babies – Barking Mad

mp3 : The Adventure Babies – Lifetime At The Sink

mp3 : The Adventure Babies – Long Night Narrow Boat

Enjoy!!!

Kirsty MacColl

A POLITICAL PROTEST SONG

The 1980s was a decade when pop and politics were mixed like no other, certainly here in the UK.

The threat of a nuclear holocaust, the miners’ strike, the struggle for democracy in South Africa, homophobia, the efforts to bring an end to the Iron Curtain, famine in Africa, the worries around the growth of a fascist state in the UK, the ever-increasing gaps in living standards between those who had and those who hadn’t, the Falklands War, the UK riots and the ‘greed is best’ ethos were common subject matters in pop music during the Thatcher-era which began and ended just either side of the 80s.

There’s loads of great and memorable songs from that era, none more so than Nelson Mandela which helped take a decades-old campaign to places it hadn’t been before or Ghost Town which perfectly captured the grim despair that many parts of the UK felt as the full effects of laissez-faire capitalism took a firm grip.

In 1989, Kirsty MacColl slipped out a tremendously jaunty sounding single whose lyrics encapsulate much of what the previous decade had been all about:-

I thought of you when they closed down the school
And the hospital too
Did they think that you were better?
They were wrong
You had so many friends
They all left you in the end
‘Cause they couldn’t take the patter

And I’ll see you baby when the clans rise again
Women and men united by a struggle
Going down
You’ve got to walk into the water
With your sister and your daughter
In this free world

If I wore your shades could I share your point of view?
Could I make you feel better?
Paint a picture, write a letter?
Well I know what you’re saying
But I see the things you do
And it’s much too dangerous
To get closer to you

But I will see you baby when the clans rise again
Women and men united by the struggle
Going down
With a pocketful of plastic
Like a dollar on elastic
In this free world
I wouldn’t tell you if I didn’t care

I’ll see you baby when the clans rise again
Women and men united by the struggle
And the ghettos are full of Mercedes Benz
And you’d never hurt a friend
Who wouldn’t tell you

It’s cold and it’s going to get colder
You may not get much older
You’re much too scared of living
And to die is a reliable exit
So you push it and you test it
With Thunderbird and Rivin

I’ll see you baby when the clans rise again
Women and men united by the struggle
In this free world baby
Got to take it got to grab it
Got to get it up and shag it
In this free world

Going down
You’ve got to get into the water
Like a lamb goes to the slaughter
In this free world baby
Going down
With a pocketful of plastic
Like a dollar on elastic
In this free world
I wouldn’t tell you if I didn’t care

Sadly, the single didn’t crack the charts and so has become one of the many forgotten political protest songs of the era:-

mp3 : Kirsty MacColl – Free World

The 12″ of this had an exceptional cover version:-

mp3 : Kirsty MacColl – You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby

Johnny Marr himself contributed guitar to this particular recording and in doing so, combined with Kirsty’s tremendous vocal delivery, has made this a rare instance of when the fresh take was better than the original.

The final track was this:-

mp3 : Kirsty MacColl – Closer to God?

I really wish the record bosses had made this a double-A side of Free World and You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby for I’m certain there would have been more airplay and sales. And who knows, there might even have been a wonderful post-Smiths appearance for Johnny on Top of the Pops.

Enjoy!!

PS : I’d like to invite T(n)VV readers to contribute their own favourite or memorable political protest songs along with a few lines of explanation with the idea of starting up a new series. If you fancy joining in, please send it over to thevinylvillain@hotmail.co.uk

Cheers.

Aztec Camera

AZTEC CAMERA ON POSTCARD

Roddy Frame was born in January 1964. Before he was able to be legally served in the pubs of his hometown of East Kilbride, he had written, recorded and released two astonishingly good singles on Postcard Records.

From March 1981:-

mp3 : Aztec Camera – Just Like Gold

mp3 : Aztec Camera – We Could Send Letters

From July 1981:-

mp3 : Aztec Camera – Mattress Of Wire

mp3 : Aztec Camera – Lost Outside The Tunnel

It’s hard to imagine how stressful it must have been for Roddy, given his incredibly young age, to deal with the strains and anxieties at the demise of his record label. His move to Rough Trade brought a debut LP and three further outstanding but flop singles in Pillar To Post, Oblivious and Walk Out To Winter. Where he should have been all over the charts and filling the top venues across the country, he seemed doomed to indie cult-status and a continued circuit of student unions. The threat of moving to a major spurred on Rough Trade as a second release of Oblivious finally got the boy wonder onto Top of The Pops in late 1983 by which time he was a veteran at 19 years of age.

Before his 20th birthday, he signed with a major label…..and while he would go on to write, record and release some wonderfully crafted songs over the next thirty years, there’s just something that says he never quite captured the magic of those Postcard Records.

It’s worth pointing out that the two b-sides were later re-recorded for inclusion on High Land, Hard Rain the debut LP on Rough Trade but that the a-sides were untouched and have become reasonably sought after among fans and collectors of all things Postcard.

Enjoy!!

Style Council

31 LONG HOT SUMMERS AGO…..SIGH!

This incredible weather we’ve had in the UK this past month took me back to the release of these songs.

mp3 : The Style Council – Long Hot Summer

mp3 : The Style Council – Party Chambers

mp3 : The Style Council – The Paris Match

mp3 : The Style Council – Le Depart

mp3 : The Style Council – Long Hot Summer (extended version)

Paul Weller’s decision to break up The Jam was totally vindicated with the success of this EP. Released in August 1983 in the middle of an extended heatwave, it hitting #3 in the UK charts meant it became the backdrop to what, looking back, was the most ridiculously carefree and easy time as I moved out of the family home and into my first student flat at the age of 20.

There were three of us sharing digs. Two of us had a blast as we had passed all our exams. Long walks around the open spaces of Glasgow with camera in hand, we were the most pretentious folk you could dread bumping into but at the time we were oblivious to it all. Chatting away loudly and super-confidently about our favourite bands, books, TV programmes and who really was the most attractive female on campus meant the days flew in. The third flatmate was miserable as he had to pass two re-sits before he would be allowed to continue with his course – the Long Hot Summer of 1983 really did pass him by.

This was also the time when I underwent a huge musical education as one of the flatmates, being a bit richer than anyone I had known up to this point in my life, had a record collection that would have been the envy of everyone but John Peel. For the next 12 months I would immerse myself in all his old and current records buying not all that much myself but building up the most enormous collection of cassettes…..the problem of course came 12 months later when as flatmates we went our separate ways…..panic buying was the only solution for me!

Thirty one years on and I look back lovingly at my student summers….it’s a huge contrast to nowadays with so many young folk now having to find seasonal work to help pay off the debts being run up and of course worrying about what sort of job they’re going to eventually graduate into. It’s frightening to think that the UK has best educated and over-qualified retail assistants in civilisation.

I digress. Apologies.

Long Hot Summer is a timeless classic. I will have no dissenting voices on that……and isn’t it incredible just how similar in looks the cyclist Bradley Wiggins is to the sunglasses wearing Paul Weller of 1983??

Enjoy!!

Everything But The Girl

FINALLY….SOMETHING THAT WASN’T ON THE OLD BLOG!

With apologies that it has taken five posts to have some entirely new material not ripped off from TVV.

This trio of tracks by Everything But The Girl from 1985 have a Sunday morning sort of feel to them. The single is the closing track from the Love Not Money LP and the follow-up to what were two outstanding but flop 45s – Native Land and When All’s Well.

Unsurprisingly for a song that doesn’t have a chorus to speak of and whose main narrative has a child begging outside a church at Christmas time it didn’t get a great deal of radio play and inevitably it failed to crack the Top 75. Released at a time when many left-leaning pop stars were venting their anger about various government policies via their songs, the sentiment behind making it a single are noble but it was sadly always doomed to failure.

mp3 : Everything But The Girl – Angel

There’s a couple of lovely songs tucked away on the b-side. It’s back to the classic, adorable early days of EBTG with just Ben Watt on guitar or piano and so giving Tracey Thorn all the room available for her wonderful voice to come over:-

mp3 : Everything But The Girl – Pigeons In The Attic Room

mp3 : Everything But The Girl – Charmless Callous Ways

The former is so tinged with the sound of sad country that it sounds like a Pasty Cline cover while the latter is a wonderful reminder of their version of The Paris Match that appeared on the debut album of The Style Council. They really are two superb songs that are over all too quickly with a combined running time of three and half minutes.

Enjoy!!

Aberfeldy, Aereogramme, Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs, Alan Rankine, Aloha Hawaii

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SINGLE (Parts 1-5)

I’ll catch up soon enough by featuring 5 at a time from the archives..

(1) Aberfeldy : Vegetarian Restaurant b/w What You Do : Rough Trade 7″ (2003)

COVER VERSIONS AND B-SIDES : TRIFFIDS, CARTER USM & JAMES

(I’M CLEARLY STILL NAVIGATING MY WAY ROUND WORDPRESS……I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THE POST AS WRITTEN BELOW DIDN’T GO UP AS PLANNED AT 6AM THIS MORNING…..)

I mentioned yesterday that the one of the hopes in starting the blog was to give folks the opportunity to listen to some cracking b-sides that were difficult to find in a digital format. That and to offer up some unusual cover versions as that’s a genre I’m a bit of a sucker for.

Today’s posting is another that draws on the September/October 2006 TVV archives, offering said b-sides and covers as well as being what was asked for by a couple of folk who left behind comments as this is a place where the public gets what the public wants…..

As I said all those years ago, an awful lot of bands (and singer/songwriters) are fond of recording songs made famous by other people. Most of the times, there is a distinct failure to improve on the original version, or even more sadly, the cover version is pretty much indistinguishable from the original version.

Of course, it’s all subjective. You could be a huge fan of someone and regard any attempt at a cover version as sacrilege. But I prefer to try and be open-minded about it.

I’ll willingly admit to being a fan of the Pet Shop Boys. They have consistently put out fantastic records over the past three decades – and have often been at the cutting-edge of change, whether on vinyl or CD or in the visual aspects of being a pop star.

But there’s a few great versions of their songs that have been recorded….including these two versions of Rent.

The Triffids were from Australia. They formed in 1979 but were unheralded outside their native land for quite a few years. A handful of singles and EPs pre-dated their first LP in 1983. They soon moved to Europe, and throughout the 80s released critically lauded record after critically lauded record without ever gaining any commercial success. The band broke up in 1989 and the music industry was a sadder place. It got even sadder in 1999 when the band’s lead singer and creative force, David McComb, died just three years after undergoing a heart transplant.

Their cover version was recorded in September 1988 for a BBC Radio 1 session and made available as the b-side to the single Bury Me Deep In Love:-

mp3 : The Triffids – Rent

Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine burst onto the scene at the end of the 80s, and for maybe four years could do no wrong. Their first three records sold well and concert tours sold-out pretty quickly. But as the band’s lyrics got a bit darker and the tunes less radio-friendly, the fans, and to a certain extent the critical acclaim, faded away. Jim Bob and Fruitbat finally called it a day in 1997. As when The Triffids broke up, the music business was a far sadder place.*

*since the original 2006 post, the boys have had the occasional get together again and while the music business is still a sad fucked-up place, Carter gigs do help make things seem better.

Their cover version was a b-side ob the 12″ of the 1990 single Rubbish:-

mp3 : Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine – Rent

While I’m on the subject of b-sides, this was the very first song ever featured on TVV:-

mp3 : James – Fire Away

We’ve all got our favourites….great songs that were only ever recorded as B-sides. This particular offering is more wasted than some. It was put on the reverse of a mix of a single at a time when record companies issued multi-formats in an effort to boost the chart placing. If you ever see a copy of Come Home (Extended Flood Mix) in a purple sleeve, you’ll find Fire Away as the b-side. It’s a pulsating effort that’s difficult note to dance to. I should also mention that the mp3 made available with this posting is one made earlier today and I’ve eliminated the skips and jumps from the previous recording (I’ve a better turntable than I had in 2006).

Just a few weeks later, another James b-side was featured, and this was a cover (and some!)

It came from the single Lose Control in 1990 and I particularly love how Tim Booth throws in loads of Velvet Underground song titles as the tune reaches a crescendo. Fabulous.

mp3 : James – Sunday Morning

I thought I’d finish with something that wasn’t part of the posts back in 2006 and that’s the other track The Triffids recorded for the BBC Radio 1 session.

mp3 : The Triffids – Int0 The Groove

And you can dance…..for inspiration.

ENJOY!!

Albert Hammond Jr, Beta Band, Half Man Half Biscuit

AS SEEN OVER AT THE OLD PLACE…SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2006

I’m thinking that I’d like to get the new place looking a wee bit more like the old place before I get right back into the swing of things and so for the next few weeks I’m going to have fresh posts along with making use of use Pip’s brilliant suggestion to access an archiving service and pick and mix some of the old material in a chronological fashion.

TVV had just the single post in September 2006 and twenty five in October 2006 as I dipped my toe tentatively into the world of blogging. These earliest posts demonstrate what I was hoping to achieve, which was to bring to the attention of those interested some songs that were often unavailable elsewhere thanks to them being obscure b-sides or different mixes on 12″ vinyl. The inspiration for starting something came from reading what other great people were doing (most of whom have since given up blogging for one reason or another) while the push came from Mrs Villain buying me a turntable that allowed vinyl to be ripped to mp3. I think she sometimes regrets what she did as I now spend more time at the PC than I do with her…..

I’m a bit embarrassed at the quality of the early postings – I really was nervous about the whole thing and wondered if there were folk out there who were interested and it showed with a lack of conviction in the writing. But I was happy when I realised that the mp3s were being downloaded and even more thrilled when the comments began to appear. Sad man that I was, I remember spending hours analysing every single hit made on TVV and being amazed that folk were reading it from PCs in America, mainland Europe, Japan, Australia, South Africa as well as the UK which made up the bulk of the traffic very early on.

Here’s who got covered in September/October 2006:-

29 September : James

1 October : Lloyd Cole

2 October : Hey! Elastica

3 October : A House/David Kitt

4 October : Julian Cope

5 October : The Triffids/Carter USM (part one of a series looking at covers)

7 October : The Jam

9 October : Albert Hammond Jr/Half Man Half Biscuit/The Beta Band

10 October : Billy Bragg/Arab Strap

11 October : The Pale Fountains

12 October : Jonathan Richman

14 October : Poppy Factory

15 – 21 October “New Order Week”

22 October : James/Edwyn Collins

23 October : The Young Knives/The Grates/The View (first ever gig review!)

24 October : The Bible

25 October : Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

26 October : Lloyd Cole (gig review)

26 October : AKA The Fox (first plug for a new band….it was for a workmate!)

31 October : Happy 43rd Birthday to Johnny Marr (first mention of The Smiths!)

I thought some of you might be interested in the post from 9 October :-

LIFE SOMETIMES IMITATES ART YOU KNOW

I’ve never been stopped and surveyed on my favourite ever movie scene. If I was, there’s every chance I’d go for something from ‘High Fidelity’You know the one…when Rob (played by John Cusick) insists he can sell a certain number of copies of a Beta Band EP when it gets played in the shop.

Well……….earlier today I was in Fopp in Glasgow city centre, idly passing away a spare 30 minutes. I was enjoying the sounds coming out of the speakers, but hadn’t a clue who it was. I was determined not to fall into the trap of asking the bloke behind the counter – I’m terrified I’m going to be a victim of some spectacular piss-take by someone who is lucky enough to have a job in a good record shop.

As it is, Fopp is one of those stores that displays what is being played at any point in time – so I didn’t have to ask. And it turned out, much to my surprise, to be ‘Yours To Keep’, the debut LP of Albert Hammond Jr that was released just today. And I bought it. And I don’t care if me doing so resulted in Fopp’s equivalent of Rob being smug with his colleagues…..

Why was I surprised?

For one, it sounds nothing like The Strokes.

For two, Albert has a voice that can hold a tune (I don’t think he supplies backing vocals when his band play live).

For three, it is consistently very good – unlike his band’s last two offerings.

And for four – there’s whistling on one of the songs!

I’ve now played the album right the way through a couple of times at home, and it is every bit as enjoyable as it was in the shop a few hours ago.

mp3 : Albert Hammond Jr – Hard To Live In The City

Albert’s old man – who unsurprisingly is Albert Hammond Snr – is a famous musician and singer/songwriter in his own right (but you all probably knew that already). However, he even pre-dates an old codger like me, and I can’t post any of his tunes for your enjoyment.But I can offer this from 1986 –

mp3 : Half Man Half Biscuit – Albert Hammond Bootleg

As first brought to the attention of the world on ‘The Trumpton Riots EP’

Oh and for the hell of it, the superb song that was in the scene in High Fidelity-

mp3 : The Beta Band – Dry The Rain

————–ends—————————

I’ll keep plugging away at re-building the links etc over the coming days. Before you know it, TVV will be but a memory and T(n)VV the place to hang out!

Being serious for a moment…..yesterday was a sore one. I was fighting back the tears at times thinking of what had been lost. But I feel a lot better as I can find much of the old material and will find ways of bringing back to its new rightful home.

It was also hugely uplifting to see so many messages of support in the comments section and at many other blogs – with a particular word of thanks to Drew at Across The Kitchen Table Thanks folks for all your kind words and encouragement.

PS : If by chance you’d like to see a re-post on any of the above mentioned artists or bands from Sep/Oct 2006…(are there any Poppy Factory fans out there?)….. just leave a comment or drop me a line…..

Enjoy!! (I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ll be using a new sign off stolen from Dirk at Sexy Loser…….)

Frightened Rabbit

A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT

Dear Reader

TVV was a blog hosted by blogger.com between 30 September 2006 and 24 July 2013 when it was taken down by the host for what was alleged to be continued violations of copyright policy.

The millions of words that went into some 2,500 posts have gone forever. Blogger has in effect carried out the modern-day equivalent of book burning. It’s not a nice feeling.

But, to paraphrase Mr Stevie Wonder – I ain’t gonna stand for it which is why within a matter of hours of learning of the demise of TVV, I’ve got myself a new host to start things again. So a warm welcome to The (new) Vinyl Villain.

It will take time to populate T(n)VV with links etc so please be patient with me as I learn how to properly make the most of WordPress.

And if you don’t mind…..please spread the word of where folk can find me. I won’t be linking to places like Hype Machine or Elbo – they were great in driving up traffic and attracting new readers, but probably played a big part in the demise of TVV by drawing attention to the mp3s. This time round it’s going to be different…..but the same if you know what I mean!

mp3 : Frightened Rabbit – Music Now

Happy Listening