Heron - Upon Reflection, the Dawn Anthology

Those of you who follow me on twitter (@dakota_boo) will be aware that I've just tracked down an album by Heron. Heron have been on my wants list for a while now, having been inspired reading about them in the wonderful Electric Eden book. I had hoped to find an album on my recent record shopping trip in London but was delighted to find a double CD set with both their albums, singles and some unreleased material - a mighty 43 tracks in all, on a compilation called Upon Reflection, the Dawn Anthology. The comprehensive notes are a great point of reference, providing details about the recordings where the band shunned convention and recorded both albums outside rather than in a studio.

 

I listened to the album from track 1 right through to track 43, and was struck by the enormous contrast of material, some brilliant, some less so. I'm enjoying the tracks from their 1970, self-titled debut album. Car Crash is particularly good, closely followed by Yellow Roses, but must admit that some of the tracks on their second album, Twice as Nice and Half the Price, don't particularly resonate with me ... in particular their cover of This Old Heart of Mine seems very out of place.

Overall though, an enjoyable listen, and with 43 tracks for probably less than a tenner it's worth buying for the first disc alone.

   

My top 10 musical (re)discoveries - 6 months into 2011

For me, 2011 has already been a great year for discovering/rediscovering music. Thought I'd share a list of my favourite musical (re)discoveries ... and as the more observant of you will notice there are in fact 12, and not 10. To be honest I could probably have listed more but decided to restrict myself to a single album by each artist. The UK and US links after each album take you to amazon.co.uk or amazon.com respectively where these fantastic albums are available, usually at bargain prices and also many with bonus tracks.

Incredible String Band - The 5000 Spirits  UK / US

Pentangle - Basket of Light  UK / US

Bridget St. John - Songs For the Gentle Man  UK / US

Bert Jansch - It Don't Bother Me  UK / US

Donovan - Hurdy Gurdy Man  UK / US

Captain Beefheart - Safe As Milk  UK / US

Trees - The Garden of Jane Delawney  UK / US

John Renbourn - Another Monday  UK / US

Mr Fox - Join Us In Our Game  UK / US

The Holy Modal Rounders - 1 and 2  UK / US

Tom Rapp - Sunforest  UK / US

Fairport Convention - Unhalfbrickling  UK / US

No question about it ... there's a definite folk/acid folk theme going on here and the majority of these great albums were brought to my attention by 2 excellent books, Electric Eden by Rob Young, and Seasons They Change by Jeanette Leech.

    

Acid and Psychedelic Folk

After procrastinating for much too long about whether to buy it, I have now bought Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk by Jeanette Leech. Initially the book didn't cover much that I was not already aware of, but now that I'm about 90 pages in, it has alerted me to some fantastic bands I'd never heard of before, as well as providing some interesting new information on bands and artists with whose work I was already familiar. 

 Probably the most interesting 'new' band to me was an outfit called The Holy Modal Rounders, musical contemporaries and collaborators with The Fugs, who I had heard of. Musically they are almost impossible to categorise, but the little I've heard to date on lastfm would seem to fit into the country-folk-psychedelic bracket, although even that seems inadequate. Other artists whose description in the book has been sufficient to get me searching around the web for more info and albums includes Michael Hurley and Pat Kilroy. Pat Kilroy's Light of Day album is especially good, and again another album that's really hard to classify. Plus I've 'rediscovered' Jackson C Frank, who I 'found' several months ago but seemed to have forgotten all about.

I'll post again as the days go by and I make my way through the book, and 'discover' more great music. For now, here's a small selection of what I've been listening to as a result of the book.

from amazon.co.uk ...

    

and also from amazon.com ...

    

Tom Rapp - Sunforest (Pearls Before Swine)

In my previous blog post I extolled the virtues of Pearls Before Swine so was over the moon last week when I came across a copy of Sunforest by Tom Rapp. I must have played it every day since I bought it and have not grown tired of it yet. Not knowing much about Pearls Before Swine, the sleeve notes filled some important gaps, and verifying what I originally found hard to believe that Tom returned to his studies to become a lawyer, in fact a Civil Rights lawyer, after the release of this album, and then went into a bit of a musical hiatus for 30 years. I can't comment on whether this is the best starting point for Pearls Before Swine, but it's my starting point and seems a pretty good one too. CD is readily available from amazon (see below) ...

amazon.co.uk  /  amazon.com  

  

The (fantastic) Mr Fox - Join Us In Our Game

It's taken me a while but I've now finished Rob Young's excellent Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music. Throughout my reading of the book I tracked down a lot of the albums by the artists covered, and listed in the discography. It's hard to pick a favourite as it changes almost daily at the moment. This week I've been listening to Mr Fox, a short-lived psych-folk band featuring, amongst others, Bob and Carole Pegg, who made just 2 albums, Mr Fox in 1970, and Gypsy in 1971. The release I managed to track down however was a single CD featuring tracks from both of these albums called Join Us In Our Game. If you've not heard this band before then I urge you to do so ... and also to persevere with them as it took me a couple of listens before their true magic revealed itself. Standout tracks for me are Joinn Us In Our Game, The Hanged Man, and The House Carpenter, the latter which is more drenched in psychedelia than folk. Fantastic Mr Fox indeed.

Classic covers

Various musical listenings over the past few weeks and months have inspired me to write this particular blog entry. Whilst I'm very sure that the theme is not unique, perhaps my take on it will be.

I've decided to create a playlist on lastfm, and document here, what I refer to as 'classic cover versions'. Don't expect to see run-of-the-mill stuff here, the classic covers I refer to are for songs that mean something to me. So, let's get started ...

Actually I have just reaqlised I pressed the 'publish' button a little prematurely and some tracks do not have descriptions ... will look to address this soon.


The Damned - Looking At You

I can't quite remember where I heard this song but seem to have a memory of having it on tape, recorded from the John peel show in the late 1970's (subsequent internet research indicates it featured in a Peel session). I loved the track the moment I heard it but it was probably 20 years later that I eventually heard the MC5 original version from their classic 1970 album Back in the USA. Whilst some covers versions tend to polarise opinion, I'll have to give this one a the same score as I like both versions equally.


The Clash - Pressure Drop

Toot and the Maytals original version is, of course, excellent, but the Clash version of this track was one of the first real reggae tracks I had ever heard. It took a while for me to come to terms with the fact that reggae and punk could sit side-by-side in my record collection, but artists like the Clash made this possible.


The Clash - Police and Thieves

Another great Clash cover version. Junior Mervin's original is yet again another firm reggae favourite in this house.


Marc and the Mambas - Vision

I remember being blown away by the tracks on the first Marc and the Mambas album, particularly those which were cover versions. This cover of a Peter Hammill track is probably my favourite track on the their 1983, Torment and Toreros album. The influence that Peter Hammill had on Marc Almond is evident from the cover version, and again this is one where I like the original and cover equally, but thanks to this Marc Almond cover version I have built up a fair sized Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator collection.


Marc Almond - If You Go Away

Another Marc Almond cover version again in his Marc and the Mambas guise, covering a Jacques Brel track. This was probably my first exposure to Jacques Brel, and although Marc has covered plenty more in his time this is my favourite.


Marc and the Mambas - Caroline Says

The original version of this track comes from Lou Reed's bleak masterpiece, Berlin, from 1973. This cover version is another from Marc and the Mambas, this time from their Untitled album of 1982.


Stiff Little Fingers - Doesn't Make It Alright

The Specials


Manic Street Preachers - Working Class Hero

This was one of those tracks that I'd heard the name banded around for years, but the forst time I heard the song was as a cover version, first by the Manics, then Green Day. John Lennon .......


Siouxsie and the Banshees - Helter Skelter

This was one of the first Siouxsie tracks I heard after Hong Kong Garden, and had no idea at the time it was in fact a Beatles track. I like both versions but, probably due to my punk heritage, the Siouxsie version just pips McCartney at the post.


Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dear Prudence



The Mission - Tomorrow Never Knows

Another cover version of a Beatles song, this time by Sisters of Mercy offshoot, the Mission, covering Tomorrow Never Knows from the Beatles' 1996 album Revolver. Not necessarily the easiest or most obvious track to cover but I feel the Mission did it justice.


The Mission - Dancing Barefoot

Having been a Patti Smith fan for more years than I care to remember, I remember being somewhat sceptical when I heard that the Mission had recorded a cover version of her classic Dancing Barefoot track. However, my fears were unfounded as this is a superb cover version, working well both as a studio track and a live encore track when I saw them back in the late 1980's.


Dandy Livingstone - A Message To You Rudy

This was one of the reasons for compiling this playlist. I only heard this version in the past couple of weeks and must admit, somewhat ashamedly, that until then I thought The Specials did the original. Since I've been alerted to the error of my ways I've been listening to quite a few tracks by Dandy Livingstone and am very much likeing what I'm hearing.


Two Lone Swordsmen - Sex Beat



Psychic TV - Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun



The Jam - So Sad About Us

Cover versions were quite commonplace in the early days of the Jam, but this cover of Pete Townsend's track appeared on the b-side of their classic single, from 1978, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, as a tribute to The Who durmmer, Keith Moon, who died earlier that year.


The Cramps - Psychotic Reaction



As usual, a list of records and CDs for sale cane be found on my web site.

Playlist - Hippy Dream (Before the Dream Faded)

Having thoroughly enjoyed documenting the reasons for choosing the 50 or so tracks I selected for my John Peel inspired playlist, I have decided to attempt to do the same for my playlist called Hippy Dream (Before the Dream Faded).

This will however be a very different writing experience to the Peel playlist as that one was written from my recollections of hearing the songs pretty much as they were released. Despite feeling very old today, I was not old enough to have heard the songs fom my Hippy Dream playlist when they were released, and only grew to know and love them later on ... but there's still a story to be told.

So, as before, these are not in any particular order, just as I thought of them (or in some cases heard them). Also, it's possible that some of 'facts' are a little wayward.


The Youngbloods - Get Together (1967)

This is one of the tracks that I heard for the first time on lastfm. Really beautiful track, originally released in 1967 and then again in 1969, to a much greater response, following its use in a TV public service announcement.


Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth (1966)

I had of couse actually heard this song at some stage in my earlier life, but it wasn't until I started exploring Neil Young's musical family tree in the late 80's that I realised he was in the band that recorded it. Not having been a child of the 60's revolution I can't say how well this song sums up that era, but for someone who's looking back at those times it seems to fit the bill. A truly great track, demonstrating Stephen Stills' song writing at its best.


Crosby, Stills and Nash - Carried Away (1977)

This track comes from their brilliant, 1977 album, CSN. I must admit it took me a while to really get into this one, having been totally blown away by their 1969 debut, but it improves with every listen. Brilliant track dominated by their wonderful harmonies and piano.


James Taylor - Carolina in My Mind (1970)

I heard this track for the first time whilst at college back in the early/mid 80's. A beautiful song that still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Hearing this track again makes me think that I really ought to get hold of some more James Taylor material.


Al Stewart - Life In Dark Water (1978)

This is another track I heard for the first time on lastfm. I remember when I first heard it I thought it was Roy Harper. On researching its year of release I was quite surprised to find it was from the late 1970's. Sounds much earlier to me, and the hippy dream had well and truly faded by then. Great vocals, though if you ask me are a bit spoiled by the overblown guitar solo half-way through.


Neil Young - Old Man (1972)

The first time I knowingly heard Neil Young was back in 1979 when John Peel played a couple of tracks from his Rust Never Sleeps album. This made an immediate impression, but as a child of the punk era it was not until later that I started working my way through his extensive back catalogue. Released as a track on his classic 1972 album, Harvest, this track, along with pretty much every track on that album, is a classic. A handful of people at school had the album but once I got to college I realised that Harvest was one of the records most students owned ... I do wonder however when my kids go off to college what their 'must have' student albums will be, or will such a concept even exist?


David Crosby/Graham Nash - Bittersweet (1975)

Released on their 1975 album, Wind on the Water, demonstrating the beautiful harmonies achievable through the human voice. What I particularly like about this track is the piano introduction followed by the gradual overlay of their beautiful vocal harmonies, building up into what I suspect today would be called a "massive" song ... probably suffixed by the word "init".


Fred Neil - Everybody's Talkin' (1969)

The first time I heard Fred Neil I was convinced it was Tim Buckley. Little did I know that it was probably more a case of Tim Buckley sounding like Fred Neil, and in fact Buckley covered Fred Neil's Dolphins on his 1973 album, Sefronia, but more about Tim Buckley later. Neil started off much more in the blues/folk era of New York's Greenwich Village, rather that the US west coast hippy scene, but somehow this track seems to perfectly fit both.


Tim Hardin - How Can We Hang On To a Dream (1966)

I had never heard of Tim Hardin until I saw the film Factory Girl which featured the song Red Balloon. Inspired by this I satrted to explore his back catalogue and uncovered some great tracks, of which this is one. Beautiful arrangement of piano and violin, complimented by Tim's slightly husky vocal track. I've recently picked up a truly brilliant Tim Hardin double CD compilation called Hang On To A Dream: The Verve Recordings featuring no less than 47 tracks.


John Martyn - Over the Hill (1973)

A great track taken from his 1973 album, Solid Air. I was introduced to John Martyn, and in particular this album, at some time in the mid to late 1980's between school and college. The whole album is a masterpiece and it was pretty difficult to choose a track, but this is probably my favourite. I saw John play a concert several years ago but I don't remember it being as good as I'd hoped. Hearing this album again makes me want to look over his back catalogue in more detail.


Nick Drake - Cello Song (1969)

I can't quite remember when I first heard Nick Drake, but pretty sure it was some time between leaving school and going away to college. I didn't however have my own copies of any of his material until the 90's, starting off with the Way To Blue compilation, closely follwed by his three studio albums. This track is taken from Nick Drake's 1969 album, Five Leaves Left, featuring his distinctive whispy, dreamy voice. A perfect track from a perfect album.


Fred Neil - The Dolphins (1969)

I first became acquainted with this magnificient song through the Tim Buckley cover vesrion on his 1973 album, Sefronia, and it wasn't until a while later I heard Fred Neil's original version. The beautiful string work, subtle percussion and deep vocal track really make this a stand-out song. It's a hard call to make but if I had to make a call between this version and Tim Buckley's cover version, then I would say the original wins, but only just.


The Pentangle - Hunting Song (1969)

I had heard the name Pentangle before but it wasn't until I'd started exploring on lastfm that I'd actually heard any of their tracks. I guess this probably fits more into the folk genre rather than into what I've called the hippy dream, but it seems to fit well in the playlist. This track is taken from their 1969 album, Basket of Light.


John Martyn - May You Never (1973)

Another brilliant track from John Martyn's 1973 classic, Solid Air. I'm not convinced the version that comes up on lastfm is the original album version though. It sounds and feels like a much later version, but is still a great track nonetheless.


Richard and Linda Thompson - When I Get to the Border (1974)

Taken from their 1974 album, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, this is another track which probably fits equally into the folk genre as it does into the hippy dream one. The whole album is a masterpiece from beginning to end, and this particular track perfectly showcases their oustanding, combined vocal talent.


Tim Buckley - It Happens Every Time (1966)

This is my favourite track from Tim Buckley's 1966 debut album. This album however was almost the last one of his that I tracked down; the last one being Blue Afternoon which I still do not own in any form.


Pearls Before Swine - Ballard to an Amber Lady (1967)

This group are new to me in that I'd not even heard their name before I found them on lastfm. To be honest though I have found their material a bit hit-or-miss, but this track is really good, featuring some mean guitar picking overlaid with a folky vocal track ... and lots of humming. This track comes from their 1967 album, One Nation Underground. On hearing the track again whilst documenting this playlist I think perhaps they are worthy of a bit deeper investigation.


Richie Havens - Here Comes the Sun (1971)

The Beatles original was pretty darned perfect in every way, but this cover version is just as good, whilst at the same time being completely different. Hard to explain but if you don't believe me just listen to the track.


The Pentangle - A Woman Like You (1968)

Taken from their 1968 double album, Sweet Child, this was another track that when I first heard it I thought it might have been Roy Harper. I really however know so little about Pentangle, only having recently heard the odd track here and there.


Grace Slick and the Great Society - Somebody to Love (1966)

Timeless classic. This is an unusual version though, and has a more raw and edgier feel to it than the versions with Jefferson Airplane.


The Doors - The End (1967)

Taken from thir 1967 debut album, I probably could have chosen many other Doors' tracks but for me this one captures the mood perfectly. Its use in Apocalypse Now is a hauntingly perfect fit.


Kaleidoscope - Flight From Ashiya (1967)

I'd heard the name of this band before but had not knowingly heard anything by them until recently. Unlike most of the songs above this one in the list, this has a distinctive and unmistakeable English sound to it. It's also drawn to my attention that perhaps too much of this playlist has been focussed on the US west coast sound, so I might need to make some adjustments.


Buffalo Springfield - Mr Soul (1967)

A great track by none other than Neil Young from his very early days with Buffalo Springfield. It always used to make me think it was Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones until the vocals kick in.


Crosby, Stills & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (1969)

I think this was the one of the first Crosby, Stills & Nash songs I ever heard. I picked it up on the 1974 compilation album, So Far, and this track alone was probably the main reason why I started exploring more of this era. The music, the vocal harmonies, the atmosphere, in fact everything about this song is just perfect.


The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer in the City (1966)

No compilation of this type would be complete with this song.


James Taylor - Fire and Rain (1970)

Another classic James Taylor track. I'm very sure it's been covered to death, and appeared in numerous films, but I remember it working particularly well in the 1988 film, Running on Empty, starring River Phoenix playing the son of a couple who blew up a Napalm lab in protest against the war.


The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man (1965)

Maybe a contravesial choice but personally I prefer the Byrds version to the Bob Dylan version. Bob Dylan is a bit like champagne for me ... everyone raves about it, and sometimes I like it but other times it doesn't do anything for me.


The Guess Who - American Woman (1970)

The first time I heard this track was as part of the soundtrack to the excellent film American Beauty. To be honest I know very little else about this band so probably need to do a bit more investigation.


Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Teach Your Children (1970)

Another great Crosby, Stills and Nash track, this time from the 2nd album, Deja Vu, which brought Neil Young in to make up a formidable foursome. I heard this first on the excellent So Far compilation, and I actually feel it sits better with the tracks on that album than it does with those on Deja Vu.


Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Long Time Gone (1970)

This is a superb David Crosby penned track, and also appropriately the title of his autobiography. I think I heard this on a TV documentary with some festival footage quite a while before I found an interest in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.


Dave Mason - Sad and Deep As You (1970)

Great track from the Traffic guitarist, Dave Mason. This track is from his debut solo album, Alone Together, from 1970. The whole album is one of my favourite of the era and for me this is one of the stand-out tracks. Quite a mellow album compared to some of the material he produced with Traffic but a gem nevertheless.


Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Woodstock (1970)

I can only imagine what it must have been like being a child in the summer of love, but for me this song captures what I believe it would have been like.


The Incredible String Band - First Girl I Loved (1971)

I've heard a few tracks by these guys but so far this is the only one that made an instant impression. Again, probably a band to whom I've not found the time to give sufficient creedence to.


Neil Young - After the Goldrush (1970)

I think I heard a cover of this before I heard Neil's original version, with a female vocalist I recall. Discogs suggests that it was Prelude. The line "Well I dreamed I saw the silver spaceships flying" makes me think of The Chrysallids by John Wyndham, where one of the central characters has a similar dream.


Love - The Red Telephone (1967)

Love's Forever Changes is such a strong album that I could probably have chosen pretty much any of the tracks to include here, but this is one of my favourites. I'm sure there's someone out there who can identify another group who sound like Love, but for me they provided a very unique sound.


Neil Young - The Needle and the Damage Done (1972)

Harvest was the first Neil Young album I heard in its entirity, after having been introduced to his later material, Rust Never Sleeps, on the John Peel radio show in the late 70's. Again it's another one of those albums where almost all of the tracks could end up here.


Love - A House is Not a Motel (1967)

Ok, so I couldn't resist adding another song from Love's classic Forever Changes album from 1967.


The United States of America - Garden of Earthly Delights (1968)

Another band about whom I know very little and have only been introduced to through last.fm. Seems like they only made one album, released in 1968.


The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Here's Where You Belong (1967)

Yet another band whose music was introduced to me recently by last.fm. This track is from their 1967 album, Part One.

I have quite finished compiling this list as I'm struggling to find the time. Hopefully I'll complete it over the next couple of weeks.

Hippy Dream (Before the Dream Faded)

Like most people interested in music, I have more than one musical genre of interest at any one time. Despite my recent posts being centred around Japrock and post-punk, I also have a great love for the sound of the late 60's. This started with 'discovering' Neil Young and branching out in all directions from there. I now have a playlist on lastfm, which I've called Hippy Dream (Before the Dream Faded). It's by no means finished and I keep adding to it every time I come across a worthy track. If I can find the time then I'll write a blog entry detailing my reasons for choosing the various tracks. However, this will be very different to the reasons for choosing the tracks on my 'peel inspired' playlist as I was but a mere toddler when most of these tracks were released, so I have only grown to love them retrospectively.

What you'll find on the playlist is stuff like Neil Young, David Crosby, Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley, Nick Drake, Dave Mason, the Byrds, and plenty more. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I've enjoyed compiling it.

Comments and recommendations always appreciated.