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To help pass the non football season let's try compiling 8 tracks for our desert island sojourn. The idea (thanks Wessex) is we post one a week, hopefully with a You Tube link so others can see what all the fuss is about.
Here is my selection for week one, a cheery little ditty from Joy Division..."Dead Souls"
Desert Island Discs on 19:21 - Jun 12 by wessex_exile
Like Fruitbat, as we enter the second half of the U'sual Desert Island discs I'm running out of slots and still far too much to choose from (like the Skids track btw!). Week 5 is a band I was introduced to really not that long ago (early noughties), but absolutely love - I'm a bit of a sucker for the Celtic Rock genre it has to be said, and Wolfstone fit that bill perfectly. If I ever do a bucket list, seeing these chaps live will definitely be on it.
If orchestrated fiddle and bagpipe diddly-dee music isn't your thing, go make a cup of tea for the next 4 minutes or so, otherwise turn this up to 11.
If Celtic Rock is your thing you could do a lot worse than another trip to the Cambridge Folk Festival. I think there is some tie in with Scottish festivals as there is always a significant number of Scottish folk and folk rock acts at Cambridge.
Anyway, ears still ringing from a fantastic Half Man Half Biscuit gig in Bury St Edmunds. I may just concede defeat, throw two of my final three choices in the bin and go HMHB through to the end...could have been all eight!
For my 60th birthday, the whole family took me to the Rolling Stones concert at Twickenham, part of their Bigger Bang tour. It was supposed to be at the new Wembley, but it still wasn’t finished, so the gig was moved to Twickers.
An amazing show. The Stones, being the seasoned professionals that they are, really know how to work an audience. There were, of course, several “show-stoppers”, and one such just had to be “Honky Tonk Women”.
So, for my offering number 6, here’s a performance from Madison Square Garden from their earlier “Licks” tour of 2002/3. Sheryl Crow joins Mick Jagger for the vocals. Do I detect some chemistry between Sheryl and Mick?
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Desert Island Discs on 18:34 - Jun 13 with 2250 views
Our local Colchester band, Koopa. Three top 20 downloads, first in history to do that. --yes, broke the story for a Des Moines, Iowa paper. And the 311 connection, for those who know what I'm on about....One word of caution, when you walk into Joe's place on a Friday night, bring a bottle of Jack Daniels --that's a greeting-- and after all is said and done, you won't leave till late Sunday
Desert Island Discs on 10:33 - Jun 13 by pwrightsknees
For my 60th birthday, the whole family took me to the Rolling Stones concert at Twickenham, part of their Bigger Bang tour. It was supposed to be at the new Wembley, but it still wasn’t finished, so the gig was moved to Twickers.
An amazing show. The Stones, being the seasoned professionals that they are, really know how to work an audience. There were, of course, several “show-stoppers”, and one such just had to be “Honky Tonk Women”.
So, for my offering number 6, here’s a performance from Madison Square Garden from their earlier “Licks” tour of 2002/3. Sheryl Crow joins Mick Jagger for the vocals. Do I detect some chemistry between Sheryl and Mick?
A typically "Mick" performance, full of pomp - not so sure about the dodgy manga graphics though. The Stones have never really done it for me, but without a doubt they are still the best in the business for what they do!
Week 6 and it is becoming increasingly difficult to make selections as excellent tracks vie for the few remaining spaces. Anyway, I've gone for "Smash it up Parts 1 & 2" by The Damned.
As a teenager growing up in Colchester, a great deal of my social time (when not at Layer Rd, or doing drug-experimentation down in Wivenhoe) was spent either at Essex Uni or Sheepen Rd watching bands. Without going into too much detail, where Essex Uni was concerned let's just say through some creative lino cutting by one of my mates during school Art classes, and a pocket full of different coloured ink pads, we very rarely actually had to pay for gigs at Essex Uni.
Sheepen Rd wasn't so easy, but there were always other options, particularly when another one of the Wivenhoe gang joined the college and became Ents Secretary responsible for booking bands. For the sacrifice of some time and effort before and after gigs, we could volunteer to do some roadie work humping kit in and out, and get a free ticket for our troubles.
At the time we were all raving about a band who were not very well known, had produced a fantastic album we were playing to death, but unable to properly break through in the UK were just returning from a very successful US tour. We had no idea how big they were to become, and the concert wasn't even packed out, but I am proud to say not only did I see Dire Straits before they became utterly mega (and to be fair, a bit shit in the process), but I bloody roadied for them that night, sweating my cobs off alongside the Knopflers et al hauling crates, pianos etc. in and out of the college.
Mark Knopfler remains to me one of the greatest guitarists ever, and from that utterly brilliant first album, here really is the signature track.
This week I am properly stuck so I'm breaking all the rules. Two songs but for the same reasons.
My two favourite female lead vocalists ever, I can't seperate them.
First up, Hope Sandoval and Mazzy Star. I saw them at the Mean Fiddler in about '93 or '94 (where I stood next to Seal at the bar) and missed the last tube. Cab to Newbury Park car park cost a fortune but it was worth every penny.
Second, Julianne Regan and All About Eve who I have, frankly, adored since their debut single in 1986. Front row at The Astoria, glorious!
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Desert Island Discs on 00:11 - Jun 17 with 2138 views
Desert Island Discs on 21:15 - Jun 16 by wessex_exile
Week 6
As a teenager growing up in Colchester, a great deal of my social time (when not at Layer Rd, or doing drug-experimentation down in Wivenhoe) was spent either at Essex Uni or Sheepen Rd watching bands. Without going into too much detail, where Essex Uni was concerned let's just say through some creative lino cutting by one of my mates during school Art classes, and a pocket full of different coloured ink pads, we very rarely actually had to pay for gigs at Essex Uni.
Sheepen Rd wasn't so easy, but there were always other options, particularly when another one of the Wivenhoe gang joined the college and became Ents Secretary responsible for booking bands. For the sacrifice of some time and effort before and after gigs, we could volunteer to do some roadie work humping kit in and out, and get a free ticket for our troubles.
At the time we were all raving about a band who were not very well known, had produced a fantastic album we were playing to death, but unable to properly break through in the UK were just returning from a very successful US tour. We had no idea how big they were to become, and the concert wasn't even packed out, but I am proud to say not only did I see Dire Straits before they became utterly mega (and to be fair, a bit shit in the process), but I bloody roadied for them that night, sweating my cobs off alongside the Knopflers et al hauling crates, pianos etc. in and out of the college.
Mark Knopfler remains to me one of the greatest guitarists ever, and from that utterly brilliant first album, here really is the signature track.
Good call, Wessex. A great track from a band I like. Despite my penchant for "livelier" music, as you will, no doubt, have detected from my selections so far, my personal favourite by Dire Straits is the somewhat quieter "So Far Away".
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Desert Island Discs on 20:58 - Jun 17 with 2108 views
Desert Island Discs on 00:11 - Jun 17 by pwrightsknees
Good call, Wessex. A great track from a band I like. Despite my penchant for "livelier" music, as you will, no doubt, have detected from my selections so far, my personal favourite by Dire Straits is the somewhat quieter "So Far Away".
Cheers PWK - it was a close call, and eventually I went for overall composition rather than pure sublime guitar-playing skills - otherwise it would have been this.
I don't think Lindsey Buckingham is particularly underrated per se, but when people talk about the truly great guitar players (Clapton, Gilmour, Page, Hendrix, Knopfler, BB King, Slash etc.), he doesn't necessarily crop up as much as he should. I swear in this clip there are moments when he's basically playing three guitars at the same time?
This week I am properly stuck so I'm breaking all the rules. Two songs but for the same reasons.
My two favourite female lead vocalists ever, I can't seperate them.
First up, Hope Sandoval and Mazzy Star. I saw them at the Mean Fiddler in about '93 or '94 (where I stood next to Seal at the bar) and missed the last tube. Cab to Newbury Park car park cost a fortune but it was worth every penny.
Second, Julianne Regan and All About Eve who I have, frankly, adored since their debut single in 1986. Front row at The Astoria, glorious!
No argument from me, especially Mazzy Star. Thought you may have had Natalie Merchant in the mix. I'm sure you introduced me to 10,000 Maniacs.Or am I dreaming?
Desert Island Discs on 23:04 - Jun 17 by Leadbelly
No argument from me, especially Mazzy Star. Thought you may have had Natalie Merchant in the mix. I'm sure you introduced me to 10,000 Maniacs.Or am I dreaming?
I suspect that probably was me so lets get her on the list anyway!
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Desert Island Discs on 06:34 - Jun 18 with 2087 views
Lovely tale Wessex and a good choice - Knopfler was a decent primary school teacher too I believe!!
And right with you on Buckingham's guitar playing - he's one of the greats [as he will tell you....] and Mac live are superb. Still prefer things like @Oh Well' when Peter Green was with 'em. When I began teaching in old Sarfend in the 80s he'd sit in a bar in Westcliff anonymously. Welcome back to lg 1 to that lot who I don't mind at all having seen lots of good gigs in that area. Saw MAN in Ipswich a couple of times but that's enough about that place.
Up the blues [see what I did....]
Pinault-noir
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Desert Island Discs on 19:12 - Jun 19 with 2031 views
Lovely tale Wessex and a good choice - Knopfler was a decent primary school teacher too I believe!!
And right with you on Buckingham's guitar playing - he's one of the greats [as he will tell you....] and Mac live are superb. Still prefer things like @Oh Well' when Peter Green was with 'em. When I began teaching in old Sarfend in the 80s he'd sit in a bar in Westcliff anonymously. Welcome back to lg 1 to that lot who I don't mind at all having seen lots of good gigs in that area. Saw MAN in Ipswich a couple of times but that's enough about that place.
Up the blues [see what I did....]
Ha - know what you mean, he's not the easiest of artists to like is he - bit like begrudgingly having to admit Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the greatest football managers there has ever been?
I have seen Fleetwood Mac live once, or at least I am assured it was Fleetwood Mac - the cheapest tickets (still at £45 a pop) in Earls Court (I think?) were so far up in the gods we might as well have been watching a subbuteo match from the next town, but they sounded magnificent.
True story, my (ex-)wife Em is a nurse, who to be fair really was the one with the full-on passion for Fleetwood Mac from long before we ever met, was for a while working at a local BUPA hospital. She walked into a consultation room one day a few years back to get the history on a little old lady who was in for an NHS referral, only to find Mick Fleetwood sat in the chair in the corner - it was his mum! Suffice to say, once she had recovered her cool (took a while), they were both (mum and son) absolutely lovely and charming! So much so that she couldn't even bring herself to demean the occasion by asking for an autograph. I suggested post-event she should have cooked up some bogus medical trauma that required Mick's signed approval on an "Authority to Intervene" form...
A year before we saw Fleetwood Mac live, I took Em to see the tribute band Rumours of Fleetwood Mac at the much smaller and more intimate Salisbury City Hall - hand on heart, I think we both actually enjoyed that more!
Another family anthem for my penultimate offering. This one was a hit with Mrs PWK and me from the first time we saw it on Top Of The Pops. Our (now middle-aged) children have always loved it, too. Indeed, my youngest daughter wasn’t even born when this was released. And so do my grandchildren think it’s great. And even my granddaughter’s Facebook friend in France thinks it’s brilliant.
I don’t know what genre it is officially (parody punk, I read somewhere), but just put it down to a great piece of fun. Here’s “Ca Plane Pour Moi” by Plastic Bertrand.
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Desert Island Discs on 20:34 - Jun 20 with 2001 views
Desert Island Discs on 13:19 - Jun 20 by pwrightsknees
Another family anthem for my penultimate offering. This one was a hit with Mrs PWK and me from the first time we saw it on Top Of The Pops. Our (now middle-aged) children have always loved it, too. Indeed, my youngest daughter wasn’t even born when this was released. And so do my grandchildren think it’s great. And even my granddaughter’s Facebook friend in France thinks it’s brilliant.
I don’t know what genre it is officially (parody punk, I read somewhere), but just put it down to a great piece of fun. Here’s “Ca Plane Pour Moi” by Plastic Bertrand.
Crikey PWK, that really takes me back, but what a lot of fun it was!
(and I think he was actually Belgian?)
This is going to sound like a spectacularly xenophobic generalisation, which anyone who knows me well enough knows is not my thing at all, and to add anyone (myself included) can trot out many examples to counter the suggestion, but why does the really best music only ever seem to get produced by English-speaking nations?
I concede that I went into a bit of a frenzy last week so just the solitary offering for week seven. Temple of Love by the Sisters of Mercy. The original version, not the later revamped one.
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Desert Island Discs on 20:34 - Jun 23 with 1942 views
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