Nine Feet Underground

Earlier in December (1st) Richard Coughlan, drummer and original member of Canterbury-scene band Caravan, died after a long illness. Though I never met him the music he made with Caravan sounds as great today as it did when I first heard it as a teenager. Keyboards and guitar dominate the band's sound, but the versatility and variety of percussion and drum patterns Richard played underpin all of their best songs. He will be greatly missed. Caravan continue to make music today - though with only Pye Hastings remaining from the band that made their first album back in 1969 - but it's most fitting to choose a couple of older Caravan songs featuring Richard in his memory. "Place of My Own" from Caravan's first album: Finally the song generally referred to as "For Richard" (though the title refers to Richard Sinclair, not Richard Coughlan) from Caravan's second album, "If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You&quo

I’ve been listening to ‘Trout Mask Replica’ by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band’s for the past couple of days. Although it’s one of my favourite albums, certainly a desert island candidate, I’ve actually been listening to a new release of the album issued from the record label set up by Frank Zappa’s estate. Why a new release?   Is it a multi-disc release with lavish notes, out-takes, demo versions, recordings of the musicians asleep and imagining how to arrange ‘Veteran’s Day Poppy’? No, none of the above; it is a single CD release of the original album. What’s special is that it’s an almost completely re-mastered version of the album, taken from different set of source tapes which, in the most part, have not suffered from the oxide loss and deterioration of the Warner Brothers master. If you’re interested in the full story of the new set of source tapes and the re-mastering process, see here. I guess the real question is, what does it sound like? To my ears the sound

Here's the second playlist in Spotify:

This is the first in a series of playlists charting a musical course through the days, weeks, months, years – you get the picture ;-) The foundation of the playlists are in Spotify, but often, that’s not enough because many of the things I hear can’t be found there for a whole host of reasons. So the Spotify playlist is the core of this “project”, but it will be augmented with music from other sources only to be found here.   The first playlist omits two songs that shout out to be heard, more of which below… Here’s the first list in Spotify… Two songs that were planned for this list didn’t make the Spotify version as neither album, at the time of compilation and writing, is available there... The first is Sir Reality from Todd Rundgren's 2013 album 'State' released on the Esoteric Antenna label:    The other is from an album originally released in March 1975, made available by Esoteric / Atomhenge on it's first official CD release this year in th

I’ve been a fan of Todd Rundgren’s music since I first heard a track from ‘Initiation’ on Alan Freeman’s Saturday afternoon Radio 1 rock show way back when. Nevertheless I’ve never seen him play live, so when I heard he was going to play the UK in support of his new album ‘State’, I knew I had to get tickets. Better still the London gig was to be at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire which has been a favourite venue of mine after seeing quite a few memorable gigs there over the years.   Best of all this was an opportunity to take my teenage sons to their first gig, even if the choice of artist was mine rather than theirs.   ‘State’ is an album of electronic, dance-music/DJ inspired songs, so it was probably the best way into Todd’s music for them. There was no support act, at a little after 8pm Prairie Prince (drums) and Jesse Gress (guitar) took to the stage setting up the intro to Imagination the first track from ‘State’. Moments later Todd entered the stage, picked up his

On his 66th birthday - January 8th 2013 - David Bowie has released his first single for some time.  'Where Are We Now?' is a seemingly melancholic song lyrically referencing the period in the 1970's when he lived in Berlin. Whilst not being in the groundbreaking mould for which he is rightly famed, it is a strong and haunting song that bodes well for his forthcoming album, also announced today. Good to have him back.

T.S. Elliot suggests that April is the cruelest month, but I think the first tendrils of winter and rapidly shortening days of November make April seem positively gentle by comparison.   So to combat the onset of harsher, darker days a playlist of summery and seasonal songs…. Just listen to the playlist on Spotify or enter the labyrinthine world of Nine Feet Underground with video accompaniment, whenever actuality and possibility are as one. Starting off my November playlist is the hazy 2012 take on psychedelia that is ‘You Won’t Be Missing That Part Of Me’ the second single release from the eponymous album by Melody’s Echo Chamber.     Melody Prochet has put together an immersive, melodic album which in songs like ‘Crystallized’ and ‘I Follow You’ transports you to a beach on a summer’s day with warm water lapping gently at your feet.   There is a breathy warmth to her voice which not even the effects and low vocal mix can hide.   Loping beat, rippling waves of synth