What Are You Listening To?

[Ruby]

^^I read that it was an inscription by an actor in Jim Capadi's book. Not sure if he knew exactly what was meant but it's a memorable title! 

LEE CLAYTON - The Dream Goes On

 

From the record cabinet. This and his Naked Child are two of my alltime favourites. No idea why he didn't achieve greater acclaim but I would hazard a guess that it's because he calls a spade a shovel. His lyrics, especially on this one are provocative, in terms of questioning the establishment at large, which is partly why I like it so much. Must've gone down like a lead balloon in 1981 and I doubt anything much has changed. There is such scant information available about Mr Clayton that it's difficult to gauge whether any of this is autobiographical - oh hang on - there's  comment on a clip which would seem to indicate that it is.  

The whole album - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWWP9PfeX4w

"Industry" ... 

[CRAZY-HORSE]

loved that linked track "industry" Ruby....
I could hear Knopfler all over that one...

[Ruby]

^Glad you enjoyed that. He's had Willie Nelson and other so-called country outlaws recording his songs.

The cover lists Lee Clayton on rhythm, Philip Donnelly on slide, on "Industry", Tim Krekel on lead, generally and Glen Rieuf on pedal steel. Not familiar with any of them other than LC. 

[Jerome]

Love those two albums by Mr. Clayton & Co - he should have been hugely popular but a lot of it comes down to marketing.

On a different note - busy listening to Yes's 'Fly From Here' album. Stunning piece of work and for me personally is second only to 'Going For The One', which is one of those albums that has a unique 'sheen'. The production on GFTO has a very distinct ambience and I cannot figure out what it is about his album that is so different from all the others in my collection. I like it. A lot. 'Turn of the Century' is unlike anything I have heard any band produce. And amazingly, written by the drummer! As for 'Awaken' - only Mr. Wakeman could have come up with that keyboard section. Phantasmagoric...….

Incidentally, 'Turn of the Century' is about an artist trying to capture the object of his affections in a sculpture. Try as he might, he just cannot do it - she is too vital, too alive, too mesmerizing. It's only when she dies that he is able to complete the work. One seriously amazing piece of music.

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Two of my favourite Lee Clayton tracks - https://youtu.be/boTFHiXvlBA

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And of course the blistering 'I Ride Alone' - whoever did the lead guitar work on this should be given a medal - magnificent stuff. https://youtu.be/dsanF9wZbn8

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Another fave - https://youtu.be/Auwb7_bn1_4

[Ruby]

^^I think the lead on "I Ride Alone" is Phil Donnelly but am not entirely sure. Magnificent album.

Lowell George – thanks I’ll eat it here



A newcomer to the record cabinet. As fast I try to cull ‘em, something else pops up on the radar, piques my interest, and I simply cannot resist! Hopeless. 

This is the only solo album Lowell George made, released shortly before he passed away in 1979. What a warm voice he had – it’s an album of mostly covers with the exception of three tracks written by him or him in collaboration with others. Helluva line-up of session musos on this one – half of Little Feat, half of Toto, a neagle, etc, etc. A luverly little record. Cover artwork is a visual spoof of Manet’s "Le déjeuner sur l'herbe" which includes representations of Marlene Dietrich, Bob Dylan and Fidel Castro and was created by Neon Park who was responsible for most of the somewhat strange Little Feat album covers. I’m happy to have it! I'm liking his very measured rendition of "I Can't Stand The Rain" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1pDIse9jg, and this one which is his and Jed Levy's ...

[Ruby]

Unearthed a real blast from the past – two records I haven’t listened to in aeons. Lesley Rae Dowling’s eponymously titled debut album and her fourth, Split. 




 
SA’s answer to Kate Bush, I suppose you might say. I had no idea she’d released eight albums in total before bowing out of the biz in 2004. She always had a love/hate relationship with the industry – didn’t like live performances and didn’t like the machine. She also wouldn’t take her career to the international stage in the early days as doing so would have meant living abroad for six months of the year (due to cultural boycotts) and she’d have had to leave her family. Fortunately for her, she had the luxury of being able to retreat to her winelands farm when irked by all things commercial which I’m sure must have helped to minimize the pain!

She wrote excellent lyrics and some quite gorgeous songs, now that I’m listening again – also had an interesting voice with a fairly broad range and a most distinctive deep alto. She had production and support from some big names (to us) Jonathan Butler, Tully McCully, and had some well-known musos playing with her too; piano is hers but on Split, for example, she had Cedric Sampson, Richard Pickett and Tully McCully on percussion, McCully on bass and rhythm, very nice sax by Gary Horne and Alan Faull, of Falling Mirror on guitar.

There are pretty much no decent YT clips but both albums are available on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/3jafDOsH8YXAfUjelyTHdv and Deezer (except they’ve muddled up the final few tracks on Split??) … https://www.deezer.com/en/album/2466541

The YT tracks are all cut short so not posting them. I like this, in particular, today – “The Raven” … https://www.deezer.com/en/track/10501923

“The Spaniard” may be her best known song … https://www.deezer.com/en/track/10501921

And this is “1917” or “Anastasia”, from Split – her comment on, or homage to a subject that has always fascinated me – https://www.deezer.com/us/track/25897751

[CRAZY-HORSE]

QUEEN  "the game" vinyl, cd 1980.

album #8 for the band out of 15...
I own nine and a compilation...
album was what diehards call "their bridging album"...
its called that because it contains elements of electronica/synthesisers in the forefront,
a feature that was prominent on all albums after this one...
its still a very good rock album though...
its their biggest selling album and contains their biggest selling single "another one bites the dust"...
its by far my favourite album of theirs as it is, IMO, the only one that does not contain any filler...

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my two favourite tracks on the album are these two rock ballads:

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[Ruby]

Jackson Browne - Running on Empty. Great album and a longtime favourite. It's a case of pick a song - any song (just about). Recorded live in many and varied locations and with David Lindley, Leland Skar, Russ Kunkel, Danny Kortchmar and Craig Doerge plus a few more ... Rosemary Butler and Lindley helping out on vocals here ... 

[CRAZY-HORSE]

yup...
great artist, great album Ruby...

[Jerome]

Running on Empty is a classic.

Busy listening to Supertramp - Retrospectacle - a 'best of' compilation. Wonderful memories associated with these tracks. Great band too.