Archive
Baaba Maal – Cherie (Live) (2008)
A funny old day.
Busy, but lonely.
My left eye had packed in overnight so I was operating on only one hard contact lens today and the bad eye was rather swollen so I thought it best to not go on camera while working.
As a result, I spent hours with people but didn’t really feel I’d connected.
Nonetheless, I subsequently exchanged a few international Facebook messages, had a rather fine veggie fry up for dinner and watched a couple of episodes of the rarely equalled Yes (Prime) Minister while eating. I still laugh out loud to this programme!
Musing on what to add to the blog tonight, I remembered this tune from Baaba Maal‘s mystifyingly obscure On The Road live LP released in 2008. I’d heard the album mentioned positively in a review in one of the music magazines a few years ago and had added it to my wantlist. Seeking to track it down a few weeks ago, I found it surprisingly easy to secure a second hand copy on vinyl – despite being one of only 300 numbered copies.
It really is one of my favourite live albums of all time!
The song “Cherie” originally appeared on Baaba Maal’s Nomad Soul LP released in 1998, but I find that to be a rather turgid and ornate version compared to this stripped back live take recorded a few years later.
Less, really is sometimes more, and this is a classic example.
A mesmeric, magical, mellifluous and melodic gem.
Pop music heaven.
Play reverentially!
Vieux Farka Touré et Khruangbin – Diarabi (2022)
My trawl through Mojo magazine’s lists of the best LPs of 2022 has finally started to bear fruit.
I’ll post something from Anais Mitchell‘s superb eponymous album in due course but I just had to start with something from Vieux Farka Touré‘s wonderful colaboration with Texan tunesmiths Khruangbin which is named Ali after Vieux’s legendary father.
The LP features eight superb reworkings of some of his dad’s most revered tunes and it’s not been off my turntable since it arrived in the post on Monday!
Now, musing on the relative merits of musical fathers and sons, I had no choice but to consult ChatGPT on the matter. I posed my AI chum the following challenge:
Can you write me an entertaining and provocative 300 word piece in the first person on the reasons why some sons are more successful than their fathers and why some fathers are more successful than their sons giving examples relating to musicians to ilustrate your points?
To which it answered:
Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s talk about musical success and the complex relationship between fathers and sons. I’ve seen it all, some sons completely outshine their fathers, while others fall short of their father’s greatness. So, what’s the deal?
First, let’s talk about sons who surpass their fathers. Take Ziggy Marley, for example. His father, Bob Marley, was a reggae icon and a political activist who changed the face of music forever. But Ziggy took the Marley legacy to new heights, winning multiple Grammy Awards and creating his own unique sound that transcends generations.
On the other hand, some fathers leave their sons in the shadows. Take Hank Williams Sr., for instance. He was a country music legend and one of the most influential musicians of all time. His son, Hank Williams Jr., had big shoes to fill, but he never quite reached the level of success his father had achieved.
Luck also plays a big role in musical success. Some sons may have just been in the right place at the right time, while their fathers missed out on similar opportunities. Take Julian Lennon, for example. His father, John Lennon, was one of the most iconic musicians of all time, but Julian didn’t have the same level of exposure or luck in his career.
In conclusion, musical success is a complex and unpredictable combination of factors. It’s not just about talent or upbringing, it’s about having the right combination of skills, opportunities, and a bit of luck. So, to all the musical sons out there, don’t let your father’s success intimidate you and to all the musical fathers, don’t put too much pressure on your sons, let them pave their own path to musical success.
Now, I reckon this is a reasonably well written piece but with a couple of errors – one explicable and one not.
The opinion that Ziggy Marley took Bob’s legacy to “new heights” is surely mistaken but, using the metric that ChatGPT chose to use – number of Grammy Awards – you can’t argue that the bot is being illogical; just following the wrong evidence.
On the other hand, the idea that Julian Lennon was just a “bit unlucky” in not matching his dad’s achievements would appear not only farcical but also a bit tasteless given John’s misfortune to bump into Mark Chapman ….
Anyhow, Vieux probably hasn’t eclipsed Ali but this song is lovely. I nearly went with the loping funk of “Tongo Barra” but “Diarabi” will do for today!
Play loud!
Kamal Keila – Sudan In The Heart of Africa (early 1990s)
My current, soon to be former, garden has always teemed with wildlife.
Alongside the many bird species that I’ve successfully attracted with my wide range of bird feeders, we’ve always had lots of ants as well as regular visits from a number of the neighbours’ sodding cats (or is that the sodding neighbours’ cats?)
However, in the last week, it has pretty much moved into genuine “Serengeti mode” with the arrival of a rogue muntjac deer.
As a civil servant working from home, I was pretty much replicating Boris Johnson‘s personal experience of that practice, thus:
you spend an awful lot of time making another cup of coffee and then, you know, getting up, walking very slowly to the fridge, hacking off a small piece of cheese, then walking very slowly back to your laptop and then forgetting what it was you’re doing
And, to be fair, on the day in question, I very much did forget what I was doing when, glancing out of the window, I saw the deer grazing on the lawn.
A couple of queries on our town’s Facebook page pretty much confirmed that this was a muntjac which are, apparently, incredibly common in our vicinity. Now the fact that I’ve not seen one in the 20 years we’ve been living in our house did make me somewhat sceptical but what do I know?
Anyhow, if the deer (and its mates?) were to continue to frequent our garden, it might solve my ex-wife’s problem as to who is going to mow the lawn after I’ve gone.
Now, truth be told, I loathe mowing the lawn so I’m pleased to report that one of the particularly attractive features of my new home is that is has astroturf. Oh yes!
Having mentioned the Serengeti, I felt honour bound to post a record from Africa (though I spotted on Wikipedia that muntjac deer are actually from South Asia so the reference to the Tanzanian game reserve is pretty much entirely spurious …..)
No matter, Kamal Keila is an incredibly obscure Sudanese artist whose only recorded output is the outstanding Muslims and Christians LP which I bought on vinyl when it was released in 2018. The blurb on the sleeve suggests that the tracks were actually recorded in the early 1990s but details are thin.
As it is, it’s a classic slice of loping, Ethiopiques-esque, funk which has an admirably relentless groove.
Play loud!
Natural Information Society – Descension (Out of Our Constrictions) (2021)
Not the best of weekends.
Sure, I got in plenty of exercise – 1,000 step-ups and 500+ press-ups on both Saturday and Sunday – but things aren’t right.
The future is looking very uncertain and I have some big decisions to make.
I couldn’t focus on the reading that I had planned to do and, instead, I chose to immerse myself in music.
Always therapeutic.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been debating whether to renew my subscription to The Wire magazine which I’ve maintained for 30 years or so (check here for details).
Whilst I still support its experimental and avant-garde ethos and the quality of its journalism, it’s undoubtedly the case that the relevance of the music it covers has been waning fast. Too many artists and bands from across the world have retreated into the concoction of generic “soundscapes” to communicate their largely mundane messages and concepts. Amongst this community, no one seems able or willing to write original lyrics anymore – to put themselves on the line – instead, there is a reliance on largely pointless samples of speech from more or less well known individuals. I’ve even played with that myself – check here for my finest hour!
Anyhow, I was working my way through all the releases mentioned in the “2021 Rewind” edition of the magazine (a largely fruitless exercise) when I stumbled upon an astounding release by Natural Information Society with Evan Parker (rated second in the “Jazz and Improv” genre for the year).
Descension (Out of Our Constrictions) is a 74 minute piece split into four sections. Before I’d finished listening to the first part, I’d been online to buy the double LP set. By the end of the whole piece, I’d also shelled out for the CD.
This is simply mesmeric and relentless – utterly compelling and an invitation to dance!
One of the best LPs of the 21st century.
I’ve included all four sections below. You can start anywhere but the second and third parts are probably my favourites.
I’ll give The Wire another 12 months on the back of this.
Play loud.
Malcolm McLaren – Double Dutch (1983)
Impossibly catchy and joyous – I loved this the day it came out and it still sounds fresh today!
I’m posting this tonight because the Dutch football team have done me proud on all three of the Euro 2020 (sic) “fantasy football” platforms that I am competing on.
Now, technically, the Netherlands did win 3-0 this evening but it was the Dutch duo (see what I’ve done there) Depay and Wijnaldum who racked up the points for me tonight. The former with a goal and two assists (and he was my “captain”, so double points) and the latter with two goals. On my favourite platform, I was 170th (out of 25,000) overnight, but I’ve overtaken many of the teams in the top 20 …. I reckon I might be in the top 50 by “close of play” this evening ….. financially secure retirement is beckoning ….!
Anyhow, I’m now seeing whether Lukaku and De Bruyne can work their magic for Belgium against the “plucky” Finns.
Malcolm McLaren has always had an uncanny way of anticipating, following or manipulating the zeitgeist (or should that be a capital Z?) His liaison with the New York Dolls was after their best days (see here, here and here for examples of their halcyon period) but his time with Sex Pistols resulted in one of the greatest LPs of all time and a number of classic tunes (check here for the astounding “Holidays In The Sun” and here for the timeless “God Save The Queen”).
I’ve previously posted Malcolm’s solo career high “Madame Butterfly” here – as sublime a piece of pop music as you will ever hear.
But “Double Dutch” is momentous as well – there’s a stolen South African rhythm applied to a New York skipping technique to create a post punk and post modern pop mash up with few equals. Truly, there was nothing quite like this before or after.
Check below for the original vinyl and then possibly one of the greatest ever appearances on Top of the Pops. You can mime the lyrics but you can’t fake the jump roping.
Where is the equivalent of this pop musical creativity in the 21st century …
Utterly perfect and sublime pop music!
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Nothing Without You (Tery Bina) (1990)
I dug Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan‘s album Mustt Mustt out of the CD mountain this afternoon and listened to it while soaking up the sun in the garden.
I was prompted to do so after finishing Ed Husain‘s superb new book “Among The Mosques – A Journey Across Muslim Britain” which came out last week. It’s a very well written and thought provoking volume and it describes Ed’s tour around the mosques of nine cities across all four nations of the UK in 2019. The format is part travelogue but mainly comprises acute observations from visiting and worshipping at a number of mosques representing a wide range of different strands of Islam. The overall tone of the book is pretty sober and he finds that the relationships between Muslims and the rest of the community varies enormously across the country. I would heartily recommend the book to all my friends and family!
Anyhow, on page 35, Husain briefly mentions Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who, apparently, is often referred to as “Shahenshah-e-Qawwali” (the King of Kings of Qawwali) with Qawwali being a form of Sufi devotional music. Born in Pakistan in 1948, Khan died in London in 1997 at the tragically young age of 48.
The whole Musst Musst LP is excellent but the second track “Nothing Without You” is by far my favourite.
Two versions, the first from the LP and then a lovely meditational live version.
There is a moment around 90 seconds into the former when Khan’s voice just goes up through the gears and takes the song into the stratosphere.
Play loud.
Mbongwana Star – Malukayi (featuring Konono Nº1) (2015)
Spoiler alert, I’ve had a glass of wine.
Neighbours not happy.
Music is loud.
Choosing tracks for the blog.
This leapt out.
Astounding stuff from the, ahem, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Electronics from Konono Nº1.
Sounds like a spot of Gamelan from Indonesia has entered the mix as well.
Anyhow, it’s impossible to play this too loud.
No, officer, I hadn’t realised the rules ….. No, of course I don’t want to cause a nuisance …. No, of course, I will put my headphones on.
Perfect African electronica!
Fela Kuti & Africa 70 – Kalakuta Show (1975)
As advertised in yesterday’s post, Tony Allen is one of my all time favourite drummers.
I’d been musing on whether to post this track this evening as “Kalakuta Show” is a great track but, not necessarily, one of Fela Kuti‘s absolute finest. Nonetheless, the drumming is mesmerising, the groove bewildering and, for those qualities alone, it’s worthy of elevation to the pantheon of the bestmusicofalltime!
I’ve actually had a fantastic day.
I woke up a tad “under the weather” but, contemplating today’s diary at work, and the alternative of a day in front of the cricket watching the second test in Manchester, I decided that the latter was a no brainer.
I worked through all the urgent emails and then knocked off at 11am to watch an absorbing and successful day’s play for England’s cricketers while reading three recent editions of Mojo, Record Collector and Uncut.
Of these, I think the journalism in Mojo is by far the best and the issue I read had a wonderful interview with Steve Cropper which sealed the deal on posting this song tonight.
Steve Cropper is one of my all time favourite guitarists (think “Green Onions”, “Time Is Tight”, etc) alongside Nile Rodgers, Johnny Marr, etc.
So, thinking about favourite musicians, Tony Allen immediately stands out as a favourite drummer alongside Jaki Liebezeit whose performance on “Vitamin C” with Can remains the all time high point of the drumming art in my view (check here for confirmation!)
If I was naming favourite bass players, I’d have Charles Mingus and Bernard Edwards in the running and favourite keyboard players would have the late, great Dave Greenfield of The Stranglers in the running alongside Booker T. Jones, Wynton Kelly, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk and many more jazz greats.
Don’t get me started on horn players!
Fela Kuti was a controversial character in Nigeria and also someone with some fairly unsavoury behaviours. In March 1974, the police raided his “commune” and arrested him for possession of marijuana (some sort of drug, I believe). When he was released from prison a couple of weeks later, Fela erected a barbed wire fence around his compound, declared it independent of Nigeria, and named it the Kalakuta Republic (‘kalakuta’ meaning ‘rascal’ in Yoruba).
The police tried to break up this arrangement on several occasions and in November 1974, Fela ended up in hospital for a week recovering from the assault.
The Kalakuta Show LP was the resulting recording from 1975 (though not released until 1976).
Funky as it comes.
Play loud!
Hallelujah Chicken Run Band – Chaminuka Mukuru (1978)
I’ve had a couple of frustrating music listening weeks.
Yesterday morning, I finally finished listening to Shostakovich‘s 15 String Quartets and today I had a lie in with a great cup of coffee listening to Gruppen (1957) and then Kontakte (1960) by Karlheinz Stockhausen.
To be honest, all of this left me cold and all these CDs are now for sale (at competetive prices) on my Discogs account!
Maybe this sort of music doesn’t work first thing in the morning or maybe I needed to know more about the motivation for each of Shostakovich’s pieces to understand what he was trying to communicate. As it was, I found them formulaic, tuneless and uninspired; so different to Beethoven!
With Stockhausen, you have to admire what he was trying to do with traditional orchestral tools in the late 1950s; seeking to emulate with physical instruments what would later become routine with subsequent advances in electronic music technology. Anyhow, I’ve lined up his often referenced electronic piece, Gesang Der Junglinge, for tomorrow’s early morning fayre. Let’s see if it’s worth elevating to the pantheon of the bestmusicofalltime!
With another coffee under my belt, I decided to spend today on Spotify, listening to all the recent releases that I’ve put in my notebook of musical stuff to check out. Before I could commence this journey, however, I decided to finish off listening to the excellent compilation Take One, which brings together all the known recordings of the outstanding Hallelujah Chicken Run Band (another superb release on the always rewarding Analog Africa series).
HCR, as I believe they were referred to, were formed in Zimbabwe in the early 1970s and also featured members from Zambia and Malawi. Their original drummer was the legendary Thomas Mapfumo but he had left the band by the time this wonderful track was recorded.
The band must be a relatively recent (re)discovery because there is no mention of them in the usually comprehensive Rough Guide To World Music Volume One published in 1999.
So, another example of the riches still to be discovered in Africa’s wonderful musical heritage! The guitar on this is just beautiful and, when the trumpet comes in at the start, musical perfection is attained.
Play loud!
bestmusicofalltime 