Fourth category - Short but sweet! Bands that were not around long, but released great material. First up, Danish prog heroes from the early 70's Pan.
Who
To know Pan, one must first know it's driving force, Robert Lelievre. He started his musical career in the folk trio Cy, Maia & Robert. This was one of the first folk music groups in Scandinavia, and consisted of British born Cy Nicklin, French born Lelievre and Danish born Maia Aarskov. During their time together they released two albums that are near unobtainable today, and had the priviledge of warming up for Paul Simon and Donovan, and backing folk singer Alex Campbell at his famous concert in Tivoli Gardens.
After the group broke up, Lelievre wanted to move towards more of a rock direction. Together with Nicklin, he briefly played in the band High Crossfield, of which no recordings exist. When that fell apart, he decided he wanted a band of his own. He was joined by brothers Thomas and Michael Puggaard-Müller, who played guitar and drums respectively. The brothers had played in Delta Blues Band but were tired of playing blues standards, and wanted to move on to writing their own music. Together with pianist Henning Verner and bass player Arne Würgler, they started the band Pan in 1969. Initially they also had a second vocalist, Danish actor and singer Niels Skousen, but he soon left to form Skousen & Ingemann which would go on to become one of Danish musics best folk rock bands.
Discography
Pan went into Wifos studios in 1970 and cut what would become one of the most sought after albums in subsequent years, their self-titled debut. The style was a proggy kind of folk-rock, topped off with Lelievre's bluesy vocals. Immediately upon it's release it was hailed as a classic, and it's status would only increase over the years until it was finally released on CD by a British bootlegger sometime in the late 90s.
This album is a favourite among 70's rock fans and collectors, not least because it contained one of the best songs ever written by a danish band, called 'Lady of the sand'. A near-7 minute guitar workout, blessed with one of the greastest recorded guitar solos of the 70's and some quasi-mystical lyrics. The second best track on the album is called 'Song to France', and it's a touching track of longing for one's home country. Lelievre had escaped military service in France, and knew that he would be forced into jail if he returned to his home country. This longing for country and family eventually had dire consequences. 'Song to France' is a short but powerful track, which again features some awesome guitar work and great lyrics. The whole album is good, and the quality of tracks seldom dips.
The complete discography is as follows:
'Pan' (LP, 1970 on Sonet)
'Ride across my bed/In a simple way' (single, 1970 on Sonet)
'Pan' (1970 LP released on CD with above single as bonus tracks, bootleg released sometime during the late 90's)
'Pan' (Official Danish re-release on Karma Records of 1970 LP with above single, and exclusive demos as bonus)
'On Air' (Danish Radio performances (some with Niels Skousen) from 1969 and early 1970, released on Karma Records)
What then ?
Sadly, Lelievre's longing for home got the best of him. After Pan broke up due to internal strife, he made a living selling leather belts for a while. In early 1973, he hung himself in one of them. A great talent was lost at the age of 33. The remaining members of Pan went on to play in a multitude of other great bands. Their legacy as a band is one of the best albums recorded in Scandinavia in the 70's.
tirsdag den 26. februar 2008
torsdag den 21. februar 2008
Without whom, nothing... - The Yardbirds!
Third musical post, third category! 'Without whom, nothing...' will shine a light on bands that came to shape music as we know it, for whatever reason. First up, 'The Yardbirds'!
Who
The Yardbirds were one of the most important blues bands of the 60's, and they kickstarted a ton of careers. Formed as 'The Metropolitan blues quartet' in 1962, this London-based band started out as so many of the 'white blues' bands of the 60's did: by extensively covering their blues heroes. In the case of the Yardbirds, the early repertoire included songs by such blues luminaries as Muddy Waters and Elmore James. This wouldn't have set them apart from so many other blues bands of the time, if not for the fact that in early 1963 they would be joined by a man who would record some of the best music of the 60's. This man was the first in a line of famous guitarplayers, the true legacy of The Yardbirds.
Guitarplayer #1
Step right up, Mr. Eric Clapton.
Clapton had already started developing his signature style in the band The Roosters, and his great playing brought the Yardbirds to the upper echelon of blues bands at the time. With Clapton's playing at the forefront, the group released some quality singles. Then came their first real hit, 'For your love', written by Graham Gouldman (later of 10CC fame). But this heralded a change for the band. Clapton was not interested in pop-rock such as 'For your love', he was interested in one thing: The blues. Since the Yardbirds wanted to go in a more pop-oriented direction, Clapton opted to leave and soon after he joined John Mayall's blues breakers. Later in his career, he would play in such influential blues and rock bands as Cream, Derek & The Dominoes, Delaney & Bonnie and Blind Faith. Upon leaving, Clapton recommended that the band hire studio musician Jimmy Page to replace him. Page was unavailable though, and didn't wish to be tied down to any certain group. He in turn recommended the man who would bring the Yardbirds one step further to lasting stardom: Jeff Beck.
Guitarplayer #2
Beck brought a whole new style of playing to the Yardbirds. He was interested in experimenting with different pedals, feedback and distortion, and somehow this fit in perfectly with the rest of the band. The music changed, and the band were suddenly hailed as great innovators of psychedelia and 'garage rock'. During Beck's tenure in the band, great songs such as 'Shapes of things' and 'Still I'm sad' brought the group all the exposure they could want. Beck in turn was voted 'best guitarplayer of 1966' in several publications, and his work in the Yardbirds helped inspire some of the great players of the late 60's, such as one James Marshall Hendrix. During Beck's tenure, the band's bassplayer opted for a producer role instead, and this time the band succeeded in bringing in Jimmy Page to replace him.
Guitarplayer(s) #2 & #3
Page started out playing bass to replace the departed Paul Samwell-Smith, but as soon as rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja was ready to play bass, Page and Beck formed a lethal double-guitar attack. Occasionally, bass arrangements for songs would be so complicated that the band relied on session bassist John Paul Jones. Unfortunately the period where both guitar-players were in the band was shortlived, as Beck was fired during a tour of the US. Page was now the lead guitarist, and just like Beck before him, he was very interested in creating something noone else had heard at the time. He experimented with wah-wah pedals and violin bow-on-guitar playing, and helped create yet another sound for the Yardbirds. But soon, the Yardbirds would be no more. The band nearly imploded under the pressure of stardom, but Page had signed a contract to play concerts on a Scandinavian tour. He needed a whole new band to surround him. After asking super-singer Terry Reid to fill in for Keith Relf but getting turned down, Page was recommended then unknown singer Robert Plant. He was also recommended drummer John Bonham, by new manager Peter Grant. To fill in the bass position, Page called old friend John Paul Jones.
Wait, don't I know this band ?
They went on the road in Scandinavia as 'The New Yardbirds', and the foursome instantly clicked. A lawsuit from Keith Relf would prevent them from keeping on using the Yardbirds moniker, so they took what was initially a joke name - Led Zeppelin. The rest, as they say, is history. Led Zep would become one of the biggest bands in rock music history, and ironically would display much more blues in their music than the Yardbirds did since Clapton left. In their first year, Zeppelin would often tear off a Yardbirds song as an encore.
This leads to...
If not for the Yardbirds, no Led Zeppelin, and likely no Cream, Derek & The Dominos etc, etc.
The band were hugely influential in their lifetime, and have also left a lasting legacy.
In 1992 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame, and all 3 famous guitarists shared the stage for the occasion. A new album was recorded in 2003 ('Birdland'), featuring mostly new members.
Today, the Yardbirds are out there again (minus any of the famous guitarplayers), playing the blues and showcasing their great catalogue of songs. Their influence is still felt in bands like White Stripes and still-active contemporaries like Vanilla Fudge.
Best
An abundance to choose from! Personally I would recommend 'Over, under, sideways, down' or 'For your love'. But hey, most things they released up till the group's first breakup in 1968 is essential for blues/60's rock fans. With the Yardbird's pre-breakup output, there is NO worst!
Who
The Yardbirds were one of the most important blues bands of the 60's, and they kickstarted a ton of careers. Formed as 'The Metropolitan blues quartet' in 1962, this London-based band started out as so many of the 'white blues' bands of the 60's did: by extensively covering their blues heroes. In the case of the Yardbirds, the early repertoire included songs by such blues luminaries as Muddy Waters and Elmore James. This wouldn't have set them apart from so many other blues bands of the time, if not for the fact that in early 1963 they would be joined by a man who would record some of the best music of the 60's. This man was the first in a line of famous guitarplayers, the true legacy of The Yardbirds.
Guitarplayer #1
Step right up, Mr. Eric Clapton.
Clapton had already started developing his signature style in the band The Roosters, and his great playing brought the Yardbirds to the upper echelon of blues bands at the time. With Clapton's playing at the forefront, the group released some quality singles. Then came their first real hit, 'For your love', written by Graham Gouldman (later of 10CC fame). But this heralded a change for the band. Clapton was not interested in pop-rock such as 'For your love', he was interested in one thing: The blues. Since the Yardbirds wanted to go in a more pop-oriented direction, Clapton opted to leave and soon after he joined John Mayall's blues breakers. Later in his career, he would play in such influential blues and rock bands as Cream, Derek & The Dominoes, Delaney & Bonnie and Blind Faith. Upon leaving, Clapton recommended that the band hire studio musician Jimmy Page to replace him. Page was unavailable though, and didn't wish to be tied down to any certain group. He in turn recommended the man who would bring the Yardbirds one step further to lasting stardom: Jeff Beck.
Guitarplayer #2
Beck brought a whole new style of playing to the Yardbirds. He was interested in experimenting with different pedals, feedback and distortion, and somehow this fit in perfectly with the rest of the band. The music changed, and the band were suddenly hailed as great innovators of psychedelia and 'garage rock'. During Beck's tenure in the band, great songs such as 'Shapes of things' and 'Still I'm sad' brought the group all the exposure they could want. Beck in turn was voted 'best guitarplayer of 1966' in several publications, and his work in the Yardbirds helped inspire some of the great players of the late 60's, such as one James Marshall Hendrix. During Beck's tenure, the band's bassplayer opted for a producer role instead, and this time the band succeeded in bringing in Jimmy Page to replace him.
Guitarplayer(s) #2 & #3
Page started out playing bass to replace the departed Paul Samwell-Smith, but as soon as rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja was ready to play bass, Page and Beck formed a lethal double-guitar attack. Occasionally, bass arrangements for songs would be so complicated that the band relied on session bassist John Paul Jones. Unfortunately the period where both guitar-players were in the band was shortlived, as Beck was fired during a tour of the US. Page was now the lead guitarist, and just like Beck before him, he was very interested in creating something noone else had heard at the time. He experimented with wah-wah pedals and violin bow-on-guitar playing, and helped create yet another sound for the Yardbirds. But soon, the Yardbirds would be no more. The band nearly imploded under the pressure of stardom, but Page had signed a contract to play concerts on a Scandinavian tour. He needed a whole new band to surround him. After asking super-singer Terry Reid to fill in for Keith Relf but getting turned down, Page was recommended then unknown singer Robert Plant. He was also recommended drummer John Bonham, by new manager Peter Grant. To fill in the bass position, Page called old friend John Paul Jones.
Wait, don't I know this band ?
They went on the road in Scandinavia as 'The New Yardbirds', and the foursome instantly clicked. A lawsuit from Keith Relf would prevent them from keeping on using the Yardbirds moniker, so they took what was initially a joke name - Led Zeppelin. The rest, as they say, is history. Led Zep would become one of the biggest bands in rock music history, and ironically would display much more blues in their music than the Yardbirds did since Clapton left. In their first year, Zeppelin would often tear off a Yardbirds song as an encore.
This leads to...
If not for the Yardbirds, no Led Zeppelin, and likely no Cream, Derek & The Dominos etc, etc.
The band were hugely influential in their lifetime, and have also left a lasting legacy.
In 1992 the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame, and all 3 famous guitarists shared the stage for the occasion. A new album was recorded in 2003 ('Birdland'), featuring mostly new members.
Today, the Yardbirds are out there again (minus any of the famous guitarplayers), playing the blues and showcasing their great catalogue of songs. Their influence is still felt in bands like White Stripes and still-active contemporaries like Vanilla Fudge.
Best
An abundance to choose from! Personally I would recommend 'Over, under, sideways, down' or 'For your love'. But hey, most things they released up till the group's first breakup in 1968 is essential for blues/60's rock fans. With the Yardbird's pre-breakup output, there is NO worst!
onsdag den 20. februar 2008
Oopsie!
Oops.. I'm still new to this blogsite, and it seems I have made a mistake with the previous rant!
To read what appears to be missing ( in the 'releases of note' and 'best and worst' categories) please use highlighting, as I've forgotten the background is black! Sorry for the inconvenience if anyone is reading :p
To read what appears to be missing ( in the 'releases of note' and 'best and worst' categories) please use highlighting, as I've forgotten the background is black! Sorry for the inconvenience if anyone is reading :p
Who are... ; Klaatu ?
Now that we've established 'Essential albums' as a feature, here comes the next one! the 'Who are/Who is..' feature, detailing bands you should definetly hear! First in line to have the investigative light shined upon them: Klaatu!
Who
The band Klaatu was formed in Canada in 1973 by guitarist and bass-player John Woloschuck and guitarist/keyboarder Dee Long, and were soon joined by drummer and trombone player Terry Draper. As is often the case with great bands of the 70's, everyone sang. They took the name from an alien appearing in the movie 'The day the earth stood still'. At first, they played the sort of pop-rock hybrid you'd often find in the 70's, but leaned mostly towards pop with their inventive choruses and often memorable hooks.
Releases of note
3:47 EST (1975) (also called simply 'Klaatu' in some countries)
Hope (1977)
Sir army suit (1978)
Endangered Species (1980)
Magentalane (1981)
Sun Set (2005, rarities compilation)
A few other compilations and some singles were also released.
After a few obscure single releases, the band managed to catch a major label's attention in 1975, and were signed to Capitol Records in the US. So far, so good. What happened next came as quite a surprise, not least to the band themselves. To fully appreciate what happened next, one needs to know something about The Beatles. At one point, the preliminary recordings for a Beatles album had been stolen and were not recovered. This was coupled with silly rumours about Paul McCartney having died at various points. When Klaatu released their first album 3:47 EST, without liner notes indicating who had played what on the record, their sound was so close to the Liverpool heroes that a huge number of people thought this record was recorded by and released by the Beatles under a new name! Of course, the Beatles had not been together since 1970. But nonetheless, Klaatu's first album became a huge seller in the US on the back of this rumour and of course the music on display, which mixed proggy rock with pop hooks and catchy choruses. Several songs ARE uncannily similar to the 'fab four', which no doubt helped fuel the rumours. The album's first song, 'Calling occupants of interplanetary craft' became Klaatu's most famous song, not least when it was later covered by The Carpenters in 1977.
Their second album 'Hope' from 1977 was recorded in part with the London Symphony orchestra, and featured a similar rock/pop style. After this, the band's next two releases would lean more towards pop than rock, not least with the great opening track on third album 'Sir army suit', called 'A routine day'.
The fifth album 'Magentalane' fell victim to record company problems and was initially only released in Canada. All their albums have since been reissued on CD in remastered sound quality. The band subsequently broke up, reuniting briefly in 1988 to record an atrocious single called 'Woman' (good luck finding that one though, as it's rarer than snow in Sahara) and then disappearing again. Following the release of the rarities compilation 'Sun Set' in 2005, the band got together and played a few acoustic performances at Klaatu-fanclub conventions.
And there ends the story of Klaatu for now.
Best and worst
Klaatu were undoubtedly best on their first 2 albums, which had a slight prog leaning and some interesting lyrics. If I have to choose a worst, I would say the compilation 'Raarities', which was only released on vinyl in 2005, and features slightly different versions of existing tracks. You'd have to be a super-duper-Klaatu fan to spot the difference between those versions and those released on their albums. One for completists only! For a good starting point, I would recommend buying the '2 for 1' pack of their first two albums, which is available at mid-price from several online stores. If you like Beatles-y pop-rock, and have an inclination towards slightly silly lyrics, this band is for you! Enjoy!
Who
The band Klaatu was formed in Canada in 1973 by guitarist and bass-player John Woloschuck and guitarist/keyboarder Dee Long, and were soon joined by drummer and trombone player Terry Draper. As is often the case with great bands of the 70's, everyone sang. They took the name from an alien appearing in the movie 'The day the earth stood still'. At first, they played the sort of pop-rock hybrid you'd often find in the 70's, but leaned mostly towards pop with their inventive choruses and often memorable hooks.
Releases of note
3:47 EST (1975) (also called simply 'Klaatu' in some countries)
Hope (1977)
Sir army suit (1978)
Endangered Species (1980)
Magentalane (1981)
Sun Set (2005, rarities compilation)
A few other compilations and some singles were also released.
After a few obscure single releases, the band managed to catch a major label's attention in 1975, and were signed to Capitol Records in the US. So far, so good. What happened next came as quite a surprise, not least to the band themselves. To fully appreciate what happened next, one needs to know something about The Beatles. At one point, the preliminary recordings for a Beatles album had been stolen and were not recovered. This was coupled with silly rumours about Paul McCartney having died at various points. When Klaatu released their first album 3:47 EST, without liner notes indicating who had played what on the record, their sound was so close to the Liverpool heroes that a huge number of people thought this record was recorded by and released by the Beatles under a new name! Of course, the Beatles had not been together since 1970. But nonetheless, Klaatu's first album became a huge seller in the US on the back of this rumour and of course the music on display, which mixed proggy rock with pop hooks and catchy choruses. Several songs ARE uncannily similar to the 'fab four', which no doubt helped fuel the rumours. The album's first song, 'Calling occupants of interplanetary craft' became Klaatu's most famous song, not least when it was later covered by The Carpenters in 1977.
Their second album 'Hope' from 1977 was recorded in part with the London Symphony orchestra, and featured a similar rock/pop style. After this, the band's next two releases would lean more towards pop than rock, not least with the great opening track on third album 'Sir army suit', called 'A routine day'.
The fifth album 'Magentalane' fell victim to record company problems and was initially only released in Canada. All their albums have since been reissued on CD in remastered sound quality. The band subsequently broke up, reuniting briefly in 1988 to record an atrocious single called 'Woman' (good luck finding that one though, as it's rarer than snow in Sahara) and then disappearing again. Following the release of the rarities compilation 'Sun Set' in 2005, the band got together and played a few acoustic performances at Klaatu-fanclub conventions.
And there ends the story of Klaatu for now.
Best and worst
Klaatu were undoubtedly best on their first 2 albums, which had a slight prog leaning and some interesting lyrics. If I have to choose a worst, I would say the compilation 'Raarities', which was only released on vinyl in 2005, and features slightly different versions of existing tracks. You'd have to be a super-duper-Klaatu fan to spot the difference between those versions and those released on their albums. One for completists only! For a good starting point, I would recommend buying the '2 for 1' pack of their first two albums, which is available at mid-price from several online stores. If you like Beatles-y pop-rock, and have an inclination towards slightly silly lyrics, this band is for you! Enjoy!
tirsdag den 19. februar 2008
Essential albums: 'No need to argue'
Yay. It's the very first edition of the music-geekette's music rants/reviews/explanations! Today I want to rant about the first in my personal series of 'essential albums'.
What?
'No need to argue' was the second album by Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries, following an ep and their debut 'Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we'. On that first album from 1993, they had their first hit. A melancholy song about love gone wrong, 'Linger' was the first real indication of what would turn out to be The Cranberries' true legacy: Sad ballads, delicately sung by singer Dolores O'Riordan in her style. 'Linger' was the first album's best indication of what came next. 1994's 'No need to argue' contained the biggest hits for the group thus far, and charted in a lot of countries in Europe.
Contents of note:
'No need to argue' starts off with a perfect example of what made 'Linger' such a hit. 'Ode to my family' might seem like an odd choice for album opener, being as it is one of the two quieter songs on the album. But right from the first vocal line, it's apparent that the album has a special mood and 'Ode..' is the perfect example. A song about growing up and the choices your childhood forces on you, by way of upbringing. Dolores' voice is reminiscent of Sinead O'connor at her finest, and the song inhabits the same territory as much of Sinead's early work.
Track 4, 'Zombie', was to become the band's biggest hit and it's not difficult to see why. Set against a dramatic video, it was in heavy rotation on Mtv (which played music back in the mid 90's). A slowburning and dramatic anti-war song, it followed the 'quiet verse - loud chorus' template that was popular in the early 90's (for other examples, see Nirvana, Alice in Chains) and again featured Dolores' voice prominently. The song reached the top ten in at least ten countries and was actually played until the next Cranberries album came out.
At track 7 and 9, we find two of my favourite songs by the band, 'The Icicle melts' and 'Ridiculous thoughts' respectively. Similar in build, different in execution, both of them were in largely the same tempo. 'The Icicle melts' is another sad lyric, this time about reactions to reading about a child's death in the paper. 'Ridiculous Thoughts' is another one about a past relationship, which features a catchy uptempo chorus.
Best and worst:
The best song is 'Ode to my family', a strong sentiment and the perfect Cranberries song if they ever made one! The 'worst', which in this case isn't even so bad, would have to be the kind of indifferent 'Yeat's grave' which just doesn't do it for me compared to the obvious classics that surround it.
Verdict:
This was one of the first albums that I really got into, playing it from begining to end without skipping often. It contains one or two filler tracks, but overall it is a perfect representation of the Cranberries' strengths: Melancholy songs and Dolores' heartfelt voice. In my opinion, they never bettered it. 'No need to argue' gets a solid 9 out of 10, and is the recommended starting point for getting to know the music of the Cranberries. Dolores O'Riordan is the clear MVP, and has also had the most success in her solo career so far, out of all the Cranberries members.
What?
'No need to argue' was the second album by Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries, following an ep and their debut 'Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we'. On that first album from 1993, they had their first hit. A melancholy song about love gone wrong, 'Linger' was the first real indication of what would turn out to be The Cranberries' true legacy: Sad ballads, delicately sung by singer Dolores O'Riordan in her style. 'Linger' was the first album's best indication of what came next. 1994's 'No need to argue' contained the biggest hits for the group thus far, and charted in a lot of countries in Europe.
Contents of note:
'No need to argue' starts off with a perfect example of what made 'Linger' such a hit. 'Ode to my family' might seem like an odd choice for album opener, being as it is one of the two quieter songs on the album. But right from the first vocal line, it's apparent that the album has a special mood and 'Ode..' is the perfect example. A song about growing up and the choices your childhood forces on you, by way of upbringing. Dolores' voice is reminiscent of Sinead O'connor at her finest, and the song inhabits the same territory as much of Sinead's early work.
Track 4, 'Zombie', was to become the band's biggest hit and it's not difficult to see why. Set against a dramatic video, it was in heavy rotation on Mtv (which played music back in the mid 90's). A slowburning and dramatic anti-war song, it followed the 'quiet verse - loud chorus' template that was popular in the early 90's (for other examples, see Nirvana, Alice in Chains) and again featured Dolores' voice prominently. The song reached the top ten in at least ten countries and was actually played until the next Cranberries album came out.
At track 7 and 9, we find two of my favourite songs by the band, 'The Icicle melts' and 'Ridiculous thoughts' respectively. Similar in build, different in execution, both of them were in largely the same tempo. 'The Icicle melts' is another sad lyric, this time about reactions to reading about a child's death in the paper. 'Ridiculous Thoughts' is another one about a past relationship, which features a catchy uptempo chorus.
Best and worst:
The best song is 'Ode to my family', a strong sentiment and the perfect Cranberries song if they ever made one! The 'worst', which in this case isn't even so bad, would have to be the kind of indifferent 'Yeat's grave' which just doesn't do it for me compared to the obvious classics that surround it.
Verdict:
This was one of the first albums that I really got into, playing it from begining to end without skipping often. It contains one or two filler tracks, but overall it is a perfect representation of the Cranberries' strengths: Melancholy songs and Dolores' heartfelt voice. In my opinion, they never bettered it. 'No need to argue' gets a solid 9 out of 10, and is the recommended starting point for getting to know the music of the Cranberries. Dolores O'Riordan is the clear MVP, and has also had the most success in her solo career so far, out of all the Cranberries members.
søndag den 17. februar 2008
Impending...
A friend has requested/suggested I start up a blog where I talk about music, since that is the one thing I know something about. So look out for forthcoming articles/discussions of music!
Abonner på:
Opslag (Atom)