My desert Island discs

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Seymore Porn
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My desert Island discs

Postby Seymore Porn » 07 Apr 2012, 17:36

After doing this, I see that the limit is eight songs. Given that I'm older than most and have subsequently traveled more musical ground, I've put up more.
Feel free to listen to eight (or none) or all.

I was born in Govan, in Glasgow in December 1953 in The Saint Francis Nursing Home, which was run by nuns. All of my sisters, and all of their children were born there too.
From a very early age I was enthralled with music. My mum often tells of putting 8 records on the gramophone, sitting me in front of it and slipping out to the shops secure in the knowledge that as long as she was back before the last record finished, I'd still be sitting there. I was an avid listener to the radio, featuring The Billy Cotton Band Show and to Workers' Playtime etc., but my favourite listening was to Sandy McPherson, an organist who played requests – I was right into instrumental music from the start. My earliest memory of songs were things like Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley, Big Bad John and What Did Della Wear





My mum loved to sing, and sang in choirs until she turned 80. Her record collection consisted of soundtrack albums from films and west end shows. My dad played drums but had really naff taste in music. The only record of his which got me interested was Tommy Makem & The Clancy Bros. Live at The At Carnegie Hall. 2 Songs in particular – The Patriot Game – probably the best anti war song ever written – possibly not intentionally, and The Shoals Of Herring. I played those songs incessantly.




My dad bought singles occasionally, most of which were of no interest to me, but I learned to check out B sides and often found hidden gems – the first I remember was Scarborough Fair – a B side on a Bachelors single. Other B sides I remember are Man Child on the B side of Vanity Fayre's Hitching a Ride, and a Dave Clark B side called Crying Over You (the first song I learned to play by ear) – even the 1910 Fruitgum Co.'s Simon Says had a cracking B side.








In my early teens I had a pretty low level interest in pop music, my dad taught me to play the drums and from the age of 13 I was gigging, usually depping for my dad and always doing strict tempo dance stuff. That all changed when I heard Albatross, my life changed forever. I started seeking out other F. Mac stuff and discovered the thriving “Underground” music scene. I quickly got into Johnny Winter, Cream, Ten Years After and such.
Around this time, I decided that shrieking singers were not for me so I missed out on Zep and a few others. I liked singers like Joe Cocker and still do.





For years, every night when I went to bed I'd put this on the Dansette , leaving the arm off so that the record would repeat. I'd fall asleep listening to albatross and my dad would turn it off on his way to bed.
I want this played at whatever burial service I have.


Through my late teens and early twenties, I kept exploring music, swapping albums with mates and getting tapes of whatever they had bought. A lot of what I liked was never really big news – Heads Hands & Feet for example, a fabulously talented band. I still regularly listen to the three albums they released while together. This song features my favourite ever guitar, solo from Albert Lee, and incredibly sympathetic bass playing from the much maligned, Chas Hodges.





I also rediscovered Fleetwood Mac. I had bought, and disliked, Kiln House – some good songs but too much Jeremy Spencer in it for me but Future Games was a revelation to me as was Bare Trees.

[youtube]z-PVWrjAdQ0&feature=related[/youtube]


One of my favourite bands from this era, and a pet hate of many BCBers, was, and is, The Eagles, who were far from obscure. The dislike seems to feed on itself so that I wonder how many critics on here actually listened to much of their output.
I'm going to put 2 Eagles clips up:








Not Long before I got married at 25, I discovered Frankie Miller. I'd known of Frankie for years, in fact when I was 17 or 18, his brother in law gave me a loan of the first album, Once In A Blue Moon, but as Dougie (the brother in law) was an old fart, I didn't even listen to it. Frankie was also a daytime regular (when he was home) at my dad's pub, so I heard a lot about him.
I was, and am, captivated by his expressive voice and how he uses it. I always feel that his songwriting is unfairly overlooked, despite having a lot of songs covered by respected artists. With that in mind I'll put up a clip of Frankie singing an original, and with a singer, not particularly highly regarded as far as I know, doing another Miller original:


[youtube]ylO3Le5uNFE&feature=related[/youtube]


I love Clare's treatment of this song:





My children were born close together, five years and a day separate the three of them. Life was hectic and money was short so new music didn't get much exposure in the Baxter household until the kids started growing up a bit.
A mate, very kindly gave me a C90 with 2 albums he thought I'd like, one was a Zep album, so he offered to erase that and put something decent on :) The result, and what a result, was Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever. Another love affair started and hasn't stopped:


[youtube]z_umeMtV4QU&ob=av2e[/youtube]


To quote a youtube commentator “Life is full of mysteries : how can a song, which is so basically simple both musically and lyrically, be so hauntingly perfect? “

Next up, I was collecting a guitar from a tech after a set up and he played me a piece of music which still gives me chills:


[youtube]mDZuNM3HmU4&ob=av2e[/youtube]
I don't care if it's fretwankery and I don't care if Vai comes across as a complete fud. Music doesn't get better than this.


In the last 15 years, I've got more and more into Country/Roots/Alt Country/Americana or whatever label you want to give it. It all started with Lucinda Williams' Car Wheels On A Gravel Road album. I bought this on spec after seeing an ad in Mojo, where she was regarded by a critic as "The missing link between Sheryl Crow and Neil Young". I was not disappointed, to me she is the major artist of the new century.:





There are so many pivotal musical moments I've left out so as not to bore you guys. I haven't mentioned any of the Scottish bands of my youth, nor Pink Floyd, nor Neil Young, not even The Band or The Beatles.

Thanks for reading about, and hopefully listening, to my musical journey. If I may, a parting shot:


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Watching the London leaders and their proxies unite against a simple democratic measure tells me all I need to know about the UK in any form. Their interests are not Scotland's interests.

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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby der nister » 07 Apr 2012, 18:00

Thanks, feel free to delve into Scottish bands.
It's kinda depressing for a music forum to be proud of not knowing musicians.

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My desert Island discs

Postby Rory Bellows » 07 Apr 2012, 23:31

Great stuff. Cheers Joe
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby WG Kaspar » 08 Apr 2012, 11:44

Great read Joe!
I knew you wouldn't let me down and put down an Eagles track!
And Steve Vai! The Steven Seagal of guitar players. There's a movie with Ralph Macchio where he plays the devil's guitarist of choice in guitar duels! In Hell! It's like guitar Hero 20 years ahead of it's time. He should have stayed in hell.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Footy » 08 Apr 2012, 11:59

That was a nice read, Joe, cheers.

Partly through being of a similar age, we share quite a lot of musical memories, particularly those old radio shows, the childhood songs and Peter Green.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby sloopjohnc » 08 Apr 2012, 12:29

WG Kaspar wrote:And Steve Vai! The Steven Seagal of guitar players. There's a movie with Ralph Macchio where he plays the devil's guitarist of choice in guitar duels! In Hell!


Crossroads. And that was interesting to read, Joe.

Thanks.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Thesiger » 08 Apr 2012, 12:45

No book choice; or luxury item then?
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby copehead » 08 Apr 2012, 18:07

Thesiger wrote:No book choice; or luxury item then?


Complete works of Burns and a deep fried mars bar?

Good read, crap songs Joe :)
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Seymore Porn » 09 Apr 2012, 12:32

Thesiger wrote:No book choice; or luxury item then?


One book would be Catch 22, one luxury item would be my Music Man Albert Lee signature.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Limpin' Jez McKenzie » 10 Apr 2012, 10:14

I've seen Clare Grogan play live. And of course she was Gregory's Girl.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Neil Jung » 10 Apr 2012, 22:04

Excellent stuff. Enjoyed the Stevie Vai track (until the false ending); will investigate further.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Belle Lettre » 10 Apr 2012, 22:06

A full life of music. Good stuff,Joe.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby kath » 15 Apr 2012, 02:48

so groovy, joe. i can relate to what you said about having spawn close together, being short on funds, how it leaves ya phased out of the music scene for awhile. attila and beez were two years apart. i got swamped, overworked and broke. i missed almost the entire 90s. still tryin to catch up.

i love yer musical picks. fantastic mac and lucinda. i had never heard the heads hands & feet, and i heard a lil frankie miller during the cup... i love both. the eagles: yeahhh, i rag on em all the time, becuz i think they deserve it most of the time (especially the same damn 6 songs that were played a zillion times a day each on US radio). but there are a few exceptions strewn thru those albums, and journey of the sorcerer is one of em. sounds soooo cinematic, kinda like mac's oh well.

that petty track is a biggie for me, as is that entire album. pettyhood at large. it's a funny thing... there was some thread on here, askin which BCBers you'd take on a road trip with ya. i listed a buncha US posters, becuz i think americans, in general, are more into what a road trip mindset is... what the road means...the spaces... the journey... and the musical aesthetic that goes with that. hard to explain. sparse and epic at the same time, close to the ground (maybe even car wheels on gravel), true to something bare, chords like tumbleweeds and piano rolls like mile markers and... and... um, sorry. well, primo petty breathes that kinda stuff. so anywayyyy, after my list of americans, i added yer name. mwhahaha. i dunno why exactly~~i am deranged, after all~~but you've ever had that vibe about you to meee.

p.s. luvvvv catch 22.

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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Muskrat » 15 Apr 2012, 07:10

WG Kaspar wrote:And Steve Vai! The Steven Seagal of guitar players. There's a movie with Ralph Macchio where he plays the devil's guitarist of choice in guitar duels! In Hell! It's like guitar Hero 20 years ahead of it's time. He should have stayed in hell.


Vai plays both parts. Fun movie.

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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Neige » 15 Apr 2012, 09:18

Great read, cheers.

Neil Jung wrote:Excellent stuff. Enjoyed the Stevie Vai track (until the false ending); will investigate further.


Re: Vai... try an album called The 7th Song which collects his ballad-style instrumentals - you might still call it fret-wankery, but it's all about tone and melody, not speed... and I love it. :P
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Dr Benway » 15 Apr 2012, 13:18

A good read and some nice choices. Particularly the Frankie Miller - great singer! Have you heard the stuff he did with Brian Robertson? That must have been a nightmare of a band to be in with those two piss heads at it hammer and tongs. :lol:

The Vai is sublime. The best thing he ever did.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby fange » 23 Apr 2012, 00:35

A great read, Joe. Could never really get into Vai, but several of your picks like the Mac and Petty are faves of mine too. Cheers.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby C » 23 Apr 2012, 22:18

Robust stuff Joe

Robust stuff!



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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Seymore Porn » 23 Apr 2012, 23:06

kath wrote:so groovy, joe. i can relate to what you said about having spawn close together, being short on funds, how it leaves ya phased out of the music scene for awhile. attila and beez were two years apart. i got swamped, overworked and broke. i missed almost the entire 90s. still tryin to catch up.

i love yer musical picks. fantastic mac and lucinda. i had never heard the heads hands & feet, and i heard a lil frankie miller during the cup... i love both. the eagles: yeahhh, i rag on em all the time, becuz i think they deserve it most of the time (especially the same damn 6 songs that were played a zillion times a day each on US radio). but there are a few exceptions strewn thru those albums, and journey of the sorcerer is one of em. sounds soooo cinematic, kinda like mac's oh well.

that petty track is a biggie for me, as is that entire album. pettyhood at large. it's a funny thing... there was some thread on here, askin which BCBers you'd take on a road trip with ya. i listed a buncha US posters, becuz i think americans, in general, are more into what a road trip mindset is... what the road means...the spaces... the journey... and the musical aesthetic that goes with that. hard to explain. sparse and epic at the same time, close to the ground (maybe even car wheels on gravel), true to something bare, chords like tumbleweeds and piano rolls like mile markers and... and... um, sorry. well, primo petty breathes that kinda stuff. so anywayyyy, after my list of americans, i added yer name. mwhahaha. i dunno why exactly~~i am deranged, after all~~but you've ever had that vibe about you to meee.

p.s. luvvvv catch 22.

Thanks for the nice words Kath, especially choosing me for a road trip - I'm honoured. Check out some more HH&F, they're worth it.


Muskrat wrote:
WG Kaspar wrote:And Steve Vai! The Steven Seagal of guitar players. There's a movie with Ralph Macchio where he plays the devil's guitarist of choice in guitar duels! In Hell! It's like guitar Hero 20 years ahead of it's time. He should have stayed in hell.


Vai plays both parts. Fun movie.




Actually, Ry Cooder played the slide parts.


Dr Benway wrote:A good read and some nice choices. Particularly the Frankie Miller - great singer! Have you heard the stuff he did with Brian Robertson? That must have been a nightmare of a band to be in with those two piss heads at it hammer and tongs. :lol:

The Vai is sublime. The best thing he ever did.



I've seen Frankie live many times, twice with Robbo - fantastic.
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Re: My desert Island discs

Postby Moleskin » 22 Jun 2012, 15:58

Could this be moved to the DID archive please?
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