Another round-up of recent releases from Alan Dearling
Brian Auger: Auger Incorporated.
Just released, a rather strange collection of what Soul Bank Music describe as ‘classics and unreleased gems’ from Brian’s legendary personal archive. A double CD with selections from early jazz combos, from Steampacket with Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart and Julie Driscoll, which morphed into Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and The Trinity. That was Brian’s most commercially successful period, with a more innovative mixing of pop, jazz, R&B and blues.
‘This Wheel’s on Fire’ and ‘Light my Fire’ are from this period. Later, Brian formed various line-ups under the name, Oblivion Express. Plenty of examples of Brian’s talents on keys, on piano and organ, but it’s quite an exploration down various musical memory lanes. Uneven, but mostly interesting for folk of a certain age especially! Apparently, Gilles Peterson has commented on the Trinity’s demo of ‘Jeaninne’: “Wow, can you believe that?” A curiosity, but a reminder of Brian’s contribution to line-ups with the likes of Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Jimmy Page, Roland Kirk and Jimmy Smith. He’s a fast-paced, speed-ace on steroids on the keys. Very Old Skool nostalgia.
‘Save Me’ with Julie Driscoll: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT-MoTXUtEU
Smalltown Tigers: Crush on You
Described in the press release as “…three surfer girls from Rimini (that’s in Italy!)” This is riotously fast, furious punk from a trio of Minnie the Minxes. Think: female Ramones, with machine gun riffing, rip-cord taut, reminding me of Wilko Johnson of Dr Feelgood fame. Short, snappy tracks that have been seriously road-tested including as the support act on the Damned tour earlier this year. Mucho darkness in lyrics like, “…killed myself when I was young.” Pounding drums from Castel on sticks, dressed tight and skinny, snarling, spitting vocals from Valli, the singer/bass player, plenty of innovative time-changes from guitarist, Monty. Live, they are apparently a considerable force of punkness. Three punk Suzi Quatros for 2024. “One, two, three, four…MONSTER! MONSTER!”
Find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smalltowntigers/
The Orb and David Gilmour: Metallic Spheres in Colour (produced by Youth and Michael Rendall)
In my view, this is something of an album of two sides. ‘Seamless Solar Spheres of Affection Mix’ is coherent, and err um, ‘seamless’ as in the title. The Orb beats meld really rather beautifully with David Gilmour’s high-soaring guitar. ‘Seamless Martian Spheres of Reflection Mix’ is a more messy affair. Still interesting but definitely not ‘seamless’ and a bit of a musical cut-and-paste job. This album is the 2023 remix engineered with Michael Rendall at the controls, and Youth assisting.
Listening is a sonic psychedelic trip…and at least for the first track, one that is likely to be savoured both by Floyd and Orb fans. I’ve been playing it quite a lot recently which has to be a positive recommendation! It has an almost entirely different ambience than the original 2010 album…more guitar and more blips too!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqxqiGF88q8
The Beatles: The Blue Album collection 1967-1970
A much extended, remastered, 37 double track CD collection of the later Beatles’ tunes. Lots of unusual ‘versions’ of tracks, with what Giles Martin (the producer George Martin’s son) calls, creating “demix remixes”. These provide the ‘meat and three veg’ of the collection. A new exploration and new sounds – a new take on an old favourite dish. Now, with additional tracks including ‘Revolution’, ‘Lady Madonna’, ‘All you need is Love’, ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’ and the great George track, ‘Old Brown Shoe’, plus they’ve added the newly created Beatles’ track, ‘Now and Then’ with vocals from John, and using ‘machine assisted learning’, a slide-guitar part played by Paul, guitar parts from George and drums from Ringo. It’s actually not a bad song. It’s clearly aimed at Beatles’ ‘completists’, but it also serves to reaffirm their great strengths with some of the ultimate pop song-writing and playing, along with some rather slushy moments (at least to this reviewer’s mind), like ‘The Long and Winding Road’ and to some extent, even ‘Let it Be’.
‘Now and Then’ official video montage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opxhh9Oh3rg
Black Bombers: Vive La Revolution
Some musical images that would fit into many films and TV programmes. ‘No Pity’ emerges straight out of the traps like a fast, furious car chase. Alan Byron’s vocals frequently emerge from deep down in a crypt. The Bombers are often all over the shop, and more punk, more Heartbreakers than the rock ‘n’ roll band from Birmingham that they are billed as. There are often conflicting walls of sound, even to the extent that a listener might wonder if the four members of the Black Bombers have muddled up their personal set lists. In between, there are occasional moments, offering more melodic tracks, such as the Elvis Costello-tinged, ‘What do you see?’ Steve Crittall on guitar has joined the band as the fourth member, and has a track record with the UK subs and Bowie’s band, The Name. It’s rough and raw-powered stuff. Here’s a dark, powerfully gutsy ‘Last Bite’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqu-cT2VXgA
Robert Finley: Black Bayou
As with other relatively recently discovered new/old artists, Robert Finley has been very hyped in the music press. His latest album is a black soul-blues album. Classy, fairly subtle tunes and performances, but not exactly world-changing.
Press coverage has also tended to focus on the fact that Robert is blind and has a genuine, Louisiana ‘down south’ swampy feel to impart into his music. His musical career has mostly been in gospel outfits, singing in churches.
Here he is live on French TV. To its credit, it’s got more rough edges than his new album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02R3Iyl9SZA
Meanwhile, you can almost hear the crocs gliding into the water waiting hungrily for a new meal in the track, ‘Alligator Bait’. For me it’s a tad too polished and rather too deferential to the southern soul style of music, plus some smooth, more bluesy contributions like ‘Miss Kitty’. It ain’t raw blues that one might anticipate from the imagery and publicity. But if you like that sort of thing, ‘tis worth checking out.
Cat Power: Sings Dylan – the 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert
Really rather special. A ‘one-off’. Back in November 2022, Chan Marshall aka Cat Power, took to the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall and delivered a song-for-song recreation of one of the most infamous acoustic and electric live music sets of all time. It was often known as the Dylan ‘Royal Albert Hall Concert’. It actually took place at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall, but the bootleg was wrongly labelled. This is the live album of that show. She’s very skilful at adding her own magic to Dylan’s famous songs… Oddly successful, if also, surreally strange…
‘Ballad of a Thin Man’ is a simply stunning interpretation – see what you think. It’s a remarkable feat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtS-dVmugtA
Here’s ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ from the TV Tonight Show live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaxB8XkIGAc