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Post by Lord Emsworth on Jun 29, 2020 11:56:42 GMT
100% PU The first album is solid gold from start to finish :format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2750625-1436901634-3470.jpeg.jpg) |
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Aug 18, 2020 14:20:59 GMT
I recently bought a copy of... 100 Unhip Albums: That We Should Learn to Love
I have yet to start it however noticed that My Beauty was in there and so read that section
Time has vindicated Kevin and his album, here's Ian Moss who agrees....
82. Kevin Rowland My Beauty (1999) In the eleven years that had followed Rowland’s The Wanderer, his Deodato produced solo album, the ex-Dexy’s Midnight Runners leader, who had enjoyed huge fame and success in the early Eighties, had been through the wringer; homeless, bankrupt, addicted and struggling to find a meaningful purpose in his life he was no longer “searching for the young soul rebels” but soul searching and striving to correct mistakes. This album comes from that dark place, the songs on this album are what comforted and gave strength to him during that desperate time and because of that they are delivered here with true sincerity and imbued with great poignancy. This album was released by über-fan Alan McGee’s Creation Records. Oasis aside, Creation were a label of exquisite good taste and brave enough to stick to their guns when faced with the inevitable flack this album was bound to attract. From the totally unhip selection of songs to the sleeve art showing a semi-naked Rowland wearing a pearl necklace, women’s clothes and underwear and heavily made-up gazing out dolefully before a pink screen. My Beauty kicks-off with the George Benson hit “The Greatest Love Of All” with lyrics altered to personalise the song that reflected the struggles the singer had been through. It is beautifully delivered “...no matter what they say about me - they can’t take my personal dignity” states Rowland and clearly this record was a huge step towards rehabilitation. “Rag Doll” is given a slower treatment with gospel backing accentuating the sadness of the lyric and is handled impeccably by Rowland. “Concrete and Clay” and “Daydream Believer” both sparkle, the former featuring a delicious Spanish guitar break. “The Guy’s In Love With You” is spare and Jazz-tinged, displaying Rowland’s remarkable gift for phrasing that displays the depth within the lyrics. “It’s Getting Better” in the context of the album is heart-warming. The take on the neglected classic that is The Marmalade’s “Reflections Of My Life” is full of pathos and pulls heavily on the heartstrings, it is very beautiful. The closer “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is delivered understatedly, prayer-like, a lifebuoy to cling onto in deep dangerous waters. There was a long way for Rowland to travel to fully get his life back on track. He would face huge ridicule, and was hauled over the coals in print in the British music press. The gender presentation questioned as being a mid-life crisis forced Alan McGee’s office to issue a lengthy statement defending ‘the look’. Performing at the Reading Festival to promote this record he faced a barrage of bottles thrown from a baying mob. Then he disappeared from public view once more before staging something of a triumphant return, but none of that would have been possible without the exorcising of demons that took place on this great album.
More about the book...
Musical snobbery has been around since Mozart was appalling audiences in the 18th century but now, with most music available to listen to for free on Spotify or YouTube, there really is no excuse to not give an artist another listen, even if you have foresworn them for most of your adult life or never even heard of them.
100 Unhip albums contains mini-essays on a selection of the uncoolest (but musically superb) records ever released. From famous albums which have since become uncool such as Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band to unhip bands such as Status Quo and Queen who became crap at some point in the past few decades. Then there are the unfavoured folk, soul and jazz artists who are criminally overlooked in favour of bigger names and the downright obscure bands who put out superb records only to disappear without trace.
Ian’s amusing and fact-drenched book is a must for anyone in need of new sounds to spice up their listening pleasure!
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Post by personunknown on Aug 18, 2020 16:22:53 GMT
Interesting but what is the unhip album by Pulp? Cocker is the epitome of geek cool for me.
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Aug 18, 2020 17:08:12 GMT
Interesting but what is the unhip album by Pulp? Cocker is the epitome of geek cool for me. It's We Love Life which I think probably is quite underappreciated You may recall over at the Pulp thread, you encouraged me to revisit it.... talkpunk.freeforums.net/thread/158/pulpHere's what I said...  So, We Love Life, not played it for years and it really stands up Sounds magnificent in fact A neglected classic Full bloodied and anthemic albeit in a somewhat arty way. Really inventive and imaginative too Thanks for inspiring me to revisit it PU
I had no awareness of the book, or that it would get praised in it, when I relistened back in June 2020 |
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Aug 20, 2020 7:39:30 GMT
Everything's coming up Rowland...
Mojo review - October 2020 - My Beauty reissue
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Post by personunknown on Aug 20, 2020 8:13:16 GMT
I've just got to hear what he does with Thunder Road.
Tempted to stock this and display it prominently next to The Slits Cut and Hendrix Electric Ladyland, just to annoy the 'woke' crowd. And anybody who does actually buy it, I'll tell them we've run out of carrier bags and they will have to walk around town with Our Kev's lunchbox exposed to the world.
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Aug 20, 2020 8:18:40 GMT
I've just got to hear what he does with Thunder Road. Tempted to stock this and display it prominently next to The Slits Cut and Hendrix Electric Ladyland, just to annoy the 'woke' crowd. And anybody who does actually buy it, I'll tell them we've run out of carrier bags and they will have to walk around town with Our Kev's lunchbox exposed to the world. I'm keen to hear Thunder Road too Geddit in yer shop window PU |
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Post by jsm on Aug 20, 2020 23:44:21 GMT
^ Go for broke, PU, and stick Two Virgins in as well
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Sept 12, 2020 19:39:54 GMT
Another video from good old Cherry Red, this time it's a new promo video for Reflections Of My Life ahead of reissuing Kevin Rowland’s My Beauty and it's another goodie....
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Sept 16, 2020 7:03:06 GMT
The Bureau - Only For Sheep This 1981 LP from a mob of ex-Dexy's Midnight Runners was apparently released in Canada simply as The Bureau, but was named Only For Sheep in Australia, presumably because the single of the same name had been a hit there. But for reasons which escape me the LP was not released elsewhere. Anyone know why? It's great stuff if your in the mood for some brass-laden soulboy sort of thing Only For Sheep
Got To Be Now Let Him Have It
It came out in the UK too - and is still available too in an expanded format I saw The Bureau live once and thought they were great This Amazon UK sums up their charms pretty well... If you are aware of the band you'll have got this the first week of release. If you have a space in your heart for anything even remotely linked to the enigma that is Kevin Rowland you'll have got it by now. So, what about those of you who don't really know what to expect? Imagine a gang that have traded their knuckle dusters for brass instruments. Drop in the best set of lungs this side of Tom Jones (and add a shedload more charisma) and the hammond organ of one Michael Talbot esq and the outcome is probably going to sound passionate, intense, powerful and full of Soul. That this band didn't rise and rise probably says more about the public at large than the Bureau. This is a tour de force and there's not a duff track on here. As for the live LP? That's even better - you can feel the sweat dripping off the ceiling when listening to it. Put it next to Otis, Wilson Pickett and if they ever tour again beg, steal or borrow the means to catch this outfit. Cherish the sound captured here. More info about The Bureau from discogs... The Bureau were a New Wave soul group formed in late 1980 in Birmingham, England when the original lineup of Dexys Midnight Runners split-up. Ex-Dexy's members Pete Williams (bass), Geoff Blythe (tenor saxophone, previously of Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, Steve Spooner (alto sax), Stoker (drums), and Mick Talbot (who, before Dexys, had been in Merton Parkas on keyboards, ) were joined by Paul Taylor (trombone), Rob Jones (guitar and trumpet), and Archie Brown (vocals) from a group called The Upset which had supported Dexy's on tour. The Bureau retained their Dexy's roots and played powerful brass driven sounds. |
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Post by jsm on Sept 16, 2020 7:16:02 GMT
^ It was discogs and somewhere else that led me to believe there was no 1981 release in the UK. It made no sense to me
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Sept 16, 2020 7:24:15 GMT
^ It was discogs and somewhere else that led me to believe there was no 1981 release in the UK. It made no sense to me How strange By the way, those videos are excellent - thanks for posting Gonna be revisiting a bit of The Bureau today too |
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Sept 16, 2020 7:29:41 GMT
You are right. It was not released in the UK, and was only released in Canada and Australia. I never bought it but was sure they'd put an album out. Well done jsm, and sorry for misleading you. According to Wikipedia the album was not released in the UK until 2005. A second, album entitled "and another thing..." came out in October 2008.  |
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Post by andyloneshark on Sept 16, 2020 10:41:09 GMT
This is a Dexys related single i remember from 1980. The YouTube clip is taken direct from a rather wobbly vinyl pressing, but still worth a listen. Andy Leek was an original member of the Midnight Runners... and it looks like he is still active www.andyleek.com/ |
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Sept 16, 2020 11:04:04 GMT
This is a Dexys related single i remember from 1980. The YouTube clip is taken direct from a rather wobbly vinyl pressing, but still worth a listen. Andy Leek was an original member of the Midnight Runners... and it looks like he is still active www.andyleek.com/Thanks Andy What a great tune I've spent about 10 minutes on Andy Leek's website. His is quite a tale... Andy began his musical career while still at school fronting progressive punk band The Wailing Cocks. The band attracted a modicum of publicity via two singles on independent label Birds Best, recording two sessions for John Peel's Radio 1 show, Kid Jensen Live and on Radio 2's In Concert Live. At the age of 21,andy joined Dexys Midnight Runners in late November 1979, playing on early recordings such as the hit single "Geno" and four other tracks on their debut album Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. Just before the band were at No. 1 in the charts with this track, Andy left due to being physically attacked on several occasions by the drummer in the band. Two earlier songs Andy had recorded with the Wailing Cocks were then licensed to Beggars Banquet Records for release as a double-A-sided solo single: "Move On (In Your Maserati)" / "Ruben Decides".These were both played on Radio One and were single of the week in Sounds. In early 1981, Andy teamed up with fellow ex-Dexys member Kevin "Al" Archer in his new band The Blue Ox Babes in which Andy played piano. harmonium, harmonica. and sung backing vocals. but this new venture fell apart in 1982 due to the well publicised fact that Kevin Rowland stole the whole sound and image and new direction of the band to make the 'too rye aye' album. This devastated Kevin Archer and ruined the band's chances of success and consequently Andy then moved to Glasgow. Some months later on the strength of a demo tape of 16 new songs, Beggars Banquet paid for an album's worth of new material but this lay dormant until their belated release as Midnight Music on Andy's own Undiscovered Classics label in 2009. One song from these sessions, "Twist In The Dark", was recorded by Frida from Abba for her 1984 solo album Shine, via a recommendation from Leek's friend Kirsty MacColl. Frida's version was also issued as a single around the world and she described this song as her favourite song she had recorded outside of Abba. For the rest of the 1980s, Leek pursued his own career as a musician, as well as writing a musical interpretation of a Dylan Thomas poem which was recorded and released by Tom Jones, and acting alongside Billie Whitelaw and David Van Day as an aspiring songwriter in the Tony Klinger-produced 1985 movie Promo-Man. A short-lived deal with indie label Fascination Records in 1984 led to two singles credited to Andde Leek: "Soul Darling", with Specials producer Dave Jordan, and a version of Abba's "Dancing Queen" produced by Tony Visconti. Rest here: www.andyleek.com/biography/index.php |
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