Walking With The San by Charlie Simpson & San Bushmen -- Record of the Week!

Earlier this week notjustmum stumbled upon a telly programme that has become a 'must watch' in our house and provided some very heartwarming entertainment.

And none more so than the episode we saw on Wednesday when 'Singing in the Rainforest' on Watch took us to Namibia to meet the San people along with Busted's Charlie Simpson and his mate Alex Davies.

Now, apart from the Thunderbirds movie theme, Busted mean absolutely nothing to me. At all. But from the start of the programme, Charlie made an immediate impression.

And this continued throughout the programme. He really had compassion, care and concern for the San people. We learnt how they have had to change their traditional way of life -- hunter gatherers -- as conservation restricts hunting and that they survive on deliveries of grain. Compared to the Panamanian tribe we saw in the previous episode enjoying a session with the Happy Mondays (seriously), these people looked poor and hungry. They are small and slight and their diet poor. But... what happy, lovely people.

The former Busted frontman tapped into all this with great skill. The climax of each episode of 'Singing in the Rainforest' sees the UK band or artist collaborate with the indigenous tribe they spend a week with and Charlie's effort is the best of the series. By a mile, really.

Charlie was accompanied on the trip by his old school-chum and post-Busted bandmate Alex Davies, and the pair really endeared themselves to the San as well as prove very, very accomplished writers, players and performers.

We were told that, as well as the song being able to highlight the changes and threats the San face, proceeds from sales of the song would be given to aid the San. Needless to say we have purchased from iTunes. But not just because of the aid it provides: it's a really good song on so many levels.

I will not dismiss Charlie Simpson quite so readily in the future and, in fact, am about to listen to his second solo LP 'Long Road Home'.

Buy and download 'Walking with the San' from iTunes.

New Precision by Be Bop Deluxe - Record of the Week

Am so pleased to have found this on the web.

When this music was released, Be Bop were my favourite band of the moment and Bill Nelson was becoming a musical hero. Naturally, I went to see them on the tour to promote this and it was a real highlight.

A bit of history. Prior to 'Drastic Plastic', Be Bop Deluxe were seen as a prog-ish rock guitar band and, when your first album is called 'Axe Victim' you get an idea of the kind of thing we're talking about. But Bill Nelson always had this melodic and jazz-esque edge: it wasn't just noise or runs and riffs. No there was always something more to it as 'Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape', amongst others, clearly demonstrates. So, for me, it was no real surprise when this track arrived in 1978 on their final studio album.

But the music press were confused and didn't quite know what to make of it, declaring that it wasn't a guitar album and that Bill was creating a vastly different sound and we'd all be disappointed. Well, this fan wasn't.

As you can clearly see and hear on this rendition of 'New Precision', Bills' guitar playing is very much to the fore and, if anything, has moved into another dimension. It's no longer the tried and tested blistering rock riffs and runs. Here we have a new wave, classy, intricate, melodic, complementary guitar brilliantly played (of course). On this record, Bill used a new guitar synthesiser (with a Yamaha SG2000) as well as the standard set-ups -- as seen here with that white Stratocaster. Or was it the other way round?
>
For me, this album is their best offering. I loved it then and I adore it now. A wonderful piece of work. And its partly down to that new guitar sound. Quite stunning.

A live version (may even be this same recording) of this can be found on the album 'Radioland -- BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert'...
Get the CD of Radioland from amazon...
or download Radioland from iTunes.

The studio version is on the album 'Drastic Plastic'...
Download 'Drastic Plastic' from amazon...
or download 'Drastic Plastic' from iTunes.

Billions and Billions by Stellardrone - Record Of The Week

Its all thanks to Ben Mynott and his Fluidnation sessions on chill.dab that we heard this… and then we investigated more.

All the way from Lithuania, Stellardrone provide the perfect aural wallpaper for working to… chilling-out, cooling down, eating, getting ready to sleep… in fact, the perfect soundtrack to just about anything you can think of!

This particular track has all those lovely synth beds behind all the billions and billions of notes dancing about in a cool, calm and collected manner. It builds and builds, again gently, never causing you any anxiety at all.

Quite perfect. Quite uplifting.

Buy and download the album direct from Stellardrone

Pride Before a Fall by The Church - Record of the Week

I really have been meaning to post this for ages… well, the waiting stops here.

We heard this haunting, chilled-out piece of wonderfulness some months ago now. It arrived on the scene as the signpost for a new Church studio album, 'Further Deeper'.

That too has now arrived and is one of my picks for Album of the Year for 2014. But back to 'Pride…'

We have, to some degree, the trademark chiming 12 string-esque guitar sound, we have Kilbey's gentle and ethereal tones. But the whole effect is somehow fresher and brighter, in a melancholy way. All quite beautiful. I find that with each new release from this band that they do become my Favourite Band of All time. I am loathe to give the title to anyone because I just like so much stuff and so much of what I like is different but, I can reasonably safely say they are one of the few acts that I would ensure I purchased the latest offering from.

The aforementioned album -- Further Deeper -- that this is from is one of their best. Up here with 'Starfish', 'Heyday', 'After Everything Now This', the new record maintains the freshness we can feel and hear on 'Pride…' and in 'Laurel Canyon', 'Volkano' and 'Miami' they give us some stellar musical moments to treasure.

I hope you enjoy this track as much as I do and, if you are not familiar with the bands back-catalogue then I urge you to investigate further.

Buy and download album from the Church Shop

Record of the Week

Fooled Around and Fell in Love
by Elvin Bishop

Elvin Bishop - Fooled Around & Fell In Love

Hi Pop Pickers, and a welcome to the return of our Record of the Week feature after an absence of several months. And thanks, once again, go to our NotJustMum for getting this into my head, into our iTunes library and on these pages...

When she played this to me the other day I couldn't remember it at all! But in the intervening couple of days it's found its way into my head and under my skin in such a way that I tell myself I must have heard it back in '76, when this was a hit. In fact, a BIG hit in the USA.

Anyway, it really is a very, very good rock/pop song. Catchy, sing-a-long stuff with a wonderful guitar solo in the middle from Mr Bishop himself. Vocals are more than admirably handled by Mickey Thomas who, despite what you all think didn't play ion the wing for Manchester United, Wrexham or Chelsea, but went on to sing in Jefferson Starship. In fact, he still does.

This video will have you wondering just which one is Jeff Lynn, although I am reliably informed that not one of the players here is the aforementioned King of Brummie Beat.

Buy the track from amazon...
Buy the track from iTunes...

Record of the Week

Blue Guitar
by Justin Hayward and John Lodge


Thanks go to our NotJustMum for getting this both into my head and into our iTunes library...

Although this is a record I do remember from those heady seventies, its not one that can claim to have ever had a special place anywhere close to my musical heart.

But just recently, I have been able look past any 'those boring Moody lies' prejudices I may have had and heard this track for the beautiful piece it is. Yet another Record of the Week who's joy is partly delivered by simplicity and brevity: its so short and sweet that you immediately want to play it again.

The strings are heavenly and breathtaking. The lyric is well crafted and deftly delivered. And, as well as the guitar-solo intro, we then have the outro. This creeps up on you under the guise of being the middle eight, but there is SO much going on here that its so hard to take it all in in one listen… so, you just have to play the track again!

Further investigation of the track reveals that its not Justin Hayward and John Lodge, but 10cc with Justin Hayward. And the classic, original 10cc at that. Which makes sense of the sound of those guitars in the middle with/outro… compare the sound (not the delivery necessarily) to that of the guitar sounds on Sheet Music, for example. Mind you, its always reminded me of Mike Oldfield's "…two slightly distorted guitars…" on Tubular Bells. Whatever, its a sound I've always enjoyed listening to.

Download track from amazon...
Buy the CD from amazon...

Festive Record of the Week

I Hate Christmas
Three Litre





OK. Yes... I DID choose this last year as well. Probably will again next year too. But its one of my festive faves, hasn't been heard enough and is very worthy of a place on the nations's endless Christmas playlist we get assaulted with from the end of October each year in the shops...

Anyway...

Don't be fooled by the title, it's not quite as throwaway as it at first appears to be...

But I won't spoil it too much for you; you have a listen and see what you think for yourselves.

This is one of my all time festive favourites. It combines melancholy, humbug, longing, hopes, dreams, a wry smile here and there along with all the trimmings of sleigh-bells, church-bells and a choir. Yet it starts so simply with that acoustic intro that gets stung by that chiming electric guitar after the first line.

Very merry stuff. And don't you get me started on New Year!

You can buy this on CD at amazon...
Or on eBay...

Find out more about Three Litre...
Drowned in Sound review of this single...
A review of their gig with The Darkness...
Velocity Recordings Three Litre page...

Record of the Week

Little Jody
by Blue


This was something that, once heard, I tried to track down and buy for what seemed like ages...

And it still remains one of my all time favourite tracks of all time. The guitar work is just sublime: the sound from it is deep, dirty and basic. Beautiful. Add to that a simple, succinct song structure of near-perfect proportions -- not too short and not too long -- and you have a potential classic on your hands.

John Peel thought so when he reviewed it in Sounds and made it his Record of the Week. And RSO Records probably thought so too. And why not? The band were formed and fronted by ex-Marmalade hit-writer Hughie Nicholson and, it has to be said 'Little Jody' should have been another top-ten certainty.

But we all know by now that it wasn't and remains one of life's great mystery's.

I did manage to get hold of this record: I found the debut album 'Blue' in a rack of a record shop the year following release. It remains one of my favourite and most played albums to this day (it's on the iPhone as we speak!)

Peel loved them more than just voting this record of the week as records show the band recorded a number of sessions for his Radio 1 programmes in the seventies.

Buy the album at amazon...

Record of the Week

It All Feels Right
by Washed Out


It certainly does all feel right when listening to this track from the brand and spanking new Washed Out LP 'Paracosm'.

We here at NotJust Towers are fans of Ernest Green, the man behind Washed Out, and he hasn't let us down with his new release. Its warmly familiar to Washed Out fans' ears, an aural delight with so many textures and layers of sound that are both uplifting and calming. Great music while you work.

There are reminders here and there of the Faming Lips... but that's no bad thing at all. This all builds solidly on the debut 'Within and Without'

And the rest of the new albums's pretty good too!

Download the album from iTunes...
Get the new album at amazon...

Record of the Week

Big Blue Moon
by Ben Onono


Well, its the weather for it and have been listening to several Café del Mar collections. And on Vol. 18 is this gem of a slice of balmy, evening sun.

I find myself breaking into 'Big blue moon...' when making coffee, washing-up, feeding the birds in the garden. Its so delightful, catchy, melodic, soulful, enchanting...

Starts off with that Satie-esque intro and then that lovely, silky vocal. A great find. A great song and piece of music.

Download the album featuring this track from iTunes...
Download Café del Mar vol. 18 featuring this track from iTunes...

Record of the Week

The Magic Words!
by Dave Dark & the Sharks



This weeks Record of the Week marries some of my favourite music with one of my favourite films: the sounds of Dave Dark & the Sharks with the comedy genius of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in the original and brilliant 'Bedazzled'.

Take a look on any modern device here at NotJust Towers and the aforementioned Mr Dark and his Sharks feature strongly in playlist scores and the CD of the album this is taken from - The Gazebo Effect - is permanently inserted in the CD player of our lovely little Peugeot.

This track is incredibly entertaining: fun, clever, hypnotic, electronic sampling genius. "It's not going to hurt, is it?" enquires Moore. "Not a bit" replies Peter Cooks' devil. And it doesn't. Quite the opposite.

Download the album from Amazon...
Download the album from iTunes...
Buy the DVD of Bedazzled at Amazon...

Record of the Week

Hang on to Yourself
by David Bowie


While listening to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Startdust & the Spiders From Mars the other day I was struck by the bass guitar on this track. Maybe it was because somewhere towards the front-end of my memory is the recent and sad news of the passing of Trevor Bolder.

And it is his stellar work that gives this track such an edge and extra dimension. Listen to it drive the song along and provide harmony to the main melody. Its more than just plodding bass work to assist the rhythm, although it does that too, giving you something to furiously shake your head to. And listen to it ascend the scales behind Ronson's mini solos.

Frantically fantastic and sounding as good today as it ever did. I don't think I've done his work justice. Rest in peace Trevor.

Buy the CD or vinyl from Amazon...
Download from Amazon...
Download from iTunes...

Record of the Week

Delphonic
by Broken Glass Heroes



This really IS the Record of the Week or month here at NotJust Towers. Frantic web searching was employed following the second episode of ITV's new-ish comedy 'Off Their Rockers' to find out more about the song used over the closing title.

And this is it. Belgian duo Broken Glass Heroes's 2010 single 'Delphonic'.

It's a lovely piece of short, simple, sweet, downtempo-esque, lazy guitar driven music paradise. The soft vocal harmonies overlay it all with a tinge of sadness yet a realisation and acceptance of life and time's continual march.

Lovely stuff.

Buy the album on CD from Amazon...

Record of the Week

Sedated
by Choir of Young Believers

We, along with many others I am sure, were introduced to this band courtesy of someone's brilliant decision to use their 'Hollow Talk' as the theme tune to Danish crime-thriller The Bridge and seen in the UK on BBC4.

Didn't take us here at NotJust Towers long to add a copy of the album it was from to the collection. And as excellent as the aforementioned track it all was --and is -- too. Another one of those records that is able to take multiple plays. So, when the follow up to 'This Is For The Whites In Your Eyes' made an appearance that too was obtained.

And if '...Whites...' was extremely enjoyable then 'Rhine Gold' was just... stunning. Some of the bass on here is just breathtaking, the sounds haunting, edgy yet with a downtempo, chill-esque enough feel for them to be great work accompaniment.

This track is one of those in which that bass guitar stars, but listen to the piano in there too.

I do hope you like this. A band worthy of a much wider audience (aren't they all?)... but really, they are.

The record company don't want any of us to embed this video in a blog so follow the links to listen. Hope you enjoy it...



Buy on the CD from Amazon...
Download now from iTunes...

Record of the Week

Stroh 80
by Casual Sex



The Only Way is Essex crowd attempted an 80s theme-night at a roller-skate park recently but we go back a bit further with this weeks' Record of the Week.

Some people say Bowie, some say Roxie. Let me tell you there is nothing wrong with sounding like either. This record gives a hint of some of those early seventies guitar driven affairs, but it has its head firmly in the 21st century via a definite taste of Pulp thrown in for good measure.

But don't let that, or the bands name (hopefully a tribute to Ken and Duane Bishops famous duo Raw Sex?), put you off having a listen.

Buy on 7" vinyl from Amazon...
Download now from iTunes...

Record of the Week

Caught Wheel
by Your Twenties



Sometimes there are those tracks your hear, are very impressed, entranced and that tune stays with you -- in your head and heart -- from that moment forward. Well, this is one such tune.

The Marc Riley played this bands' 'Billionaires' earlier in the week and, while a worthy contender for RoTW all it did was remind me of this offering and I now can't stop playing it on the turntable of my mind.

It has all the indie charm you need and the video just sums-up the whole affair. It doesn't go on too long and, when its finished it needs a repeat play so you can hear that chorus again and this time join in.

Another track that would get six stars if iTunes allowed it.

Download now from Amazon...
Download now from iTunes...

Record of the Week

The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
by David Bowie



Now, I was going to choose another track from the long-awaited or surprise return (depending on your view) album from Bowie, but this is the one that has wormed its way into my head and that I find myself playing over in my mind.

And now I've seen the video, I'm glad this is my choice as its quite an impressive and engaging little movie, don't you think?

As for the track, well, along with the rest of the LP its very assured... (c'mon -- this IS David Bowie I hear you cry!) but it is! A beautifully crafted piece of rock, pop & roll with catchy hooks and delightful refrains.

The viewing of the video now makes sense of the hint at 'Theres A Ghost In My House' being in there as well. Clever stuff used in a smart way.

A great track from a wonderful album that's been on repeat play most of the week on one device or another here at NotJust Towers.

Buy the CD from Amazon...
Download now from iTunes...

Record of the Week

Midnight in Moscow
by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen



On hearing the sad news of the passing of Kenny Ball today, our dear notjustmum played this as a tribute. We both remarked that this was a sound we grew up with and, as they were regular guests on the Morcambe & Wise shows on BBC tv, a sight very familiar to us.

My dad was a trad jazz man... Chris Barber in particular... but Kenny Ball would do and he was a regular on the radio and telly throughout the 60s and well into the 70s.

A hit for Kenny and the boys in 1961, but sounding as fresh today as it ever did. A great foot-tapping, dance inducing tune guaranteed to put a smile on your face and will have you singing or whistling it all day long.

Buy Greatest Hits CD from Amazon...
Download now from iTunes...
Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen web site...

Record of the Week

To Be In Your Eyes
by The Church



I played this last week and can't get it out of my head... so, Record of the Week it is.

Having said that, this is probably... maybe... one of my desert island discs. Perhaps. It is just so beautiful: simple in its construction; short and to the point; sound held-back to allow the heartfelt poetry of the lyrics to carry their lament. And when it's finished you just want to play it again. And again.

It all starts with that wonderful intro, that - when the bass guitar comes-in - almost sounds like a tribute to Ace's 'How Long'. And why not?

The middle-eight provides an uplifting moment that there is some hope for the writer that his longing might be fulfilled... only to be '...waiting, contemplating...'

Definitely in my The Church top ten and would carry 11-stars in my iTunes playlist.

Buy the CD from Amazon...
Download now from iTunes...
To Be In Your Eyes lyrics...
The Church official web site...

Record of the Week

Falling In Love Again
by Techno Twins



I mentioned them in the last weeks' Record of the Week, so only fair they get top billing this time around!

The Techno Twins were, essentially, husband and wife duo Steve Fairnie and Bev Sage. And this little gem should have been a massive, massive hit and sounds as fresh and wonderful today as it did back in 1981.

And this isn't the first time this track has been chosen as a Record of the Week. Oh no. You see, it managed to pick up a fair bit of airplay when released, including being the chosen disc of one Dave Lee Travis (if we're still allowed to mention him) on his Saturday morning show on Radio 1 (if memory serves me correctly).

Anyway, a great version of the classic song by an act that went on to perform under many guises and were always at the edge. Their stage shows were wonderful affairs and I feel privileged to have seen more than one of them.

Download the single from Amazon...
Techno Twins Wikidpedia page...
Steve Fairnie/Techno's web site...