Listening to.......

[PaulT]

Nektar: "Remember The Future, Parts 1 & 2" - mp3 d/l from *m*z*n, having seen a fb announcement of an upcoming multi-disc re-release.  I'd never knowingly heard much of Nektar's music, only reading the odd reference to them being mates of Man.  And it's rather good... If there's a "best of" anyone could recommend?

[bassline (Mike)]

Nektar: "Remember The Future, Parts 1 & 2" - mp3 d/l from *m*z*n, having seen a fb announcement of an upcoming multi-disc re-release.  I'd never knowingly heard much of Nektar's music, only reading the odd reference to them being mates of Man.  And it's rather good... If there's a "best of" anyone could recommend?

I don't know much Nektar myself, but here's a possible guide to where to go next...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usVcm3soDIQ

[davidmjs]

A rather gorgeous new song from Olivia Chaney...To the Lighthouse

"a very personal song, written about my sister and her family's move to an island...recorded late one night on a vintage Neumann in Reservoir Studios, NYC; just myself, a guitar and the alchemical Thomas Bartlett behind the desk."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jukb0rDXZZ4&list=OLAK5uy_nX-WDobJHtXpQXKXetHL-NO_aKyROM4MY&index=2

[Alan2]

Rare Bird :  Epic Forest.  (El CD, 2007).


The only Rare Bird I have.  It's okay, but I don't know how representative it is.

[Shane (Skirky)]

Random things on shuffle in the car, leading to a lovely segue between Billy Bragg’s ‘St. Swithin’s Day’ and The Byrds’ ‘Kathleen’s Song’, two performances which I hadn’t previously considered as sharing so much DNA.

[Col D]

Rare Bird :  Epic Forest.  (El CD, 2007).
The only Rare Bird I have.  It's okay, but I don't know how representative it is.

Not at all representative of the original band, there was a big change in direction when Graham Field and Tony Ashton left. Quite liked the first two albums at the time although I could never get on with Steve Gould's vocals, decent voice but a bit too strident for my liking. He was one of those in the frame to replace Peter Gabriel in Genesis, they'd shared quite a few bills in the early 70s and seemed to rate him.

After they left Charisma for Polydor they moved away from their proggy roots and the Hammond workouts and became a bit more rocky/funky/US influenced. The three later albums - Epic Forest, Somebody's Watching and Born Again - sounded like a totally different band really. Saw the later line-up a couple of times at my local college, not very impressed, thought they'd lost all their originality.

[Ian_]

A rather gorgeous new song from Olivia Chaney...To the Lighthouse

"a very personal song, written about my sister and her family's move to an island...recorded late one night on a vintage Neumann in Reservoir Studios, NYC; just myself, a guitar and the alchemical Thomas Bartlett behind the desk."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jukb0rDXZZ4&list=OLAK5uy_nX-WDobJHtXpQXKXetHL-NO_aKyROM4MY&index=2

Thank you David - that is beautiful. I hope it's the precursor to a larger project. The last I heard of Olivia Chaney was on the 'Woodbine and Ivy band' album.....

Edit: No, wait! Offa Rex, of course  

[davidmjs]

A rather gorgeous new song from Olivia Chaney...To the Lighthouse

"a very personal song, written about my sister and her family's move to an island...recorded late one night on a vintage Neumann in Reservoir Studios, NYC; just myself, a guitar and the alchemical Thomas Bartlett behind the desk."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jukb0rDXZZ4&list=OLAK5uy_nX-WDobJHtXpQXKXetHL-NO_aKyROM4MY&index=2

Thank you David - that is beautiful. I hope it's the precursor to a larger project. The last I heard of Olivia Chaney was on the 'Woodbine and Ivy band' album.....

Edit: No, wait! Offa Rex, of course  

New album upcoming for sure.  OMG.  I've long loved the Woodbine and Ivy Band (saw them at a great gig in Manchester) and have until this point not bloody well realised that she was a part of that!  Well, well, well.  Preposterously their album is available for £3.68 on Amazon at the moment.  Do yourself a favour if you don't know them.

[Alan2]

Rare Bird :  Epic Forest.  (El CD, 2007).
The only Rare Bird I have.  It's okay, but I don't know how representative it is.

Not at all representative of the original band, there was a big change in direction when Graham Field and Tony Ashton left. Quite liked the first two albums at the time although I could never get on with Steve Gould's vocals, decent voice but a bit too strident for my liking. He was one of those in the frame to replace Peter Gabriel in Genesis, they'd shared quite a few bills in the early 70s and seemed to rate him.

After they left Charisma for Polydor they moved away from their proggy roots and the Hammond workouts and became a bit more rocky/funky/US influenced. The three later albums - Epic Forest, Somebody's Watching and Born Again - sounded like a totally different band really. Saw the later line-up a couple of times at my local college, not very impressed, thought they'd lost all their originality.

Thanks Col. Yes, I've heard some time ago there are distinct eras of Rare Bird with different  styles. I rather like Epic Forest, although it has a rather American/Grateful Dead sound.  I would expect something more like BJH.

I have the 2 Fields albums so again  I was expecting something more like that maybe.

[PaulT]

New album upcoming for sure.  OMG.  I've long loved the Woodbine and Ivy Band (saw them at a great gig in Manchester) and have until this point not bloody well realised that she was a part of that!  Well, well, well.  Preposterously their album is available for £3.68 on Amazon at the moment.  Do yourself a favour if you don't know them.

I have to admit I'd never heard of them! Had a quick listen... ordered. Thanks, David!

[Ian_]

 I'm currently enjoying the crystalline but darkish psych-folk of Anona....

https://anonaband.bandcamp.com/track/ruby-mountain

[Will S]

Port of Call by Tom McConville and Kieran Halpin. A 1980 album I picked up in Sheffield by chance when I was first discovering folk music, and which probably is no longer available anywhere. I digitised my album a few years back, and am so glad I did.  If you heard it I don't know if you would think it was anything special, but it is still very fine in my ears.

[Chris from Fieldtown]

Port of Call by Tom McConville and Kieran Halpin. A 1980 album I picked up in Sheffield by chance when I was first discovering folk music, and which probably is no longer available anywhere. I digitised my album a few years back, and am so glad I did.  If you heard it I don't know if you would think it was anything special, but it is still very fine in my ears.

Wonderful album, a great meeting of musical talents. Halpin drifted away from the folkier style of writing after this to persue a more mainstream sound and I don't think the follow up album reaches the same highs despite McConvilles presence. Having said this, Freeman is a tremendous track, one of Halpin's best.

[Ian_]

 I've only just discovered Elizabeth Fraser's (Cocteau twins) recent music 'Sun's signature' - it cheered up a cold morning for me     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRE8MFkWIFw&ab_channel=ElizabethFraser

   

[Nick]

Listening to... my son.

He's been getting creative! (when he should be revising for GCSEs   )

https://fracturedrift.bandcamp.com/album/prowess

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Angeline Morrison “The Sorrow Songs : Folk Songs of Black British Experience”

I bought this after hearing the track “Black John” on the freebie cd from the February edition of Mojo.
Haunting and, at times, harrowing.

[davidmjs]

Angeline Morrison “The Sorrow Songs : Folk Songs of Black British Experience”

I bought this after hearing the track “Black John” on the freebie cd from the February edition of Mojo.
Haunting and, at times, harrowing.

Brilliant album.  Highly recommended.

After reading a fascinating Uncut article I've been binging on the work of Kali Malone...  It's droney minimalist modern classical (ish) stuff.  Interestingly, she's the wife of Stephen O'Malley of Sunn O))).  The classic (so far) is the largely (church) organ based The Sacrificial Code.  Not for everyone, I'm sure, but it hits the spot for me...

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Angeline Morrison “The Sorrow Songs : Folk Songs of Black British Experience”

I bought this after hearing the track “Black John” on the freebie cd from the February edition of Mojo.
Haunting and, at times, harrowing.

Sorry, that should be Uncut, not Mojo

[davidmjs]

Angeline Morrison “The Sorrow Songs : Folk Songs of Black British Experience”

I bought this after hearing the track “Black John” on the freebie cd from the February edition of Mojo.
Haunting and, at times, harrowing.

Sorry, that should be Uncut, not Mojo

Aye, I definitely didn't spot her on Heavy Nuggets Vol.7

[Nick Reg]

Shed Seven A Matter of Time and it's really excellent. Where did that come from?
Dodgy Homegrown next.