The least we can do is wave to each other on Vinyl

The least we can do is wave to each other by Van der Graaf Generator.  

An amazing copy of this great 1969 album from 4 Men with Beards pressed on 180gm vinyl.  The album was originally released on 1970 and was VDGG second album.  Recorded at Trident Studios London between 11-14 December on 8-track and produced by John Anthony and engineered by Rob Cable.  After the Flood was one of the first tracks to be recorded on Trident Studios state of the art 16-track.  A great sounding album (as all Trident Studios productions were) with an immense clarity of sound and solid drum feel.  This remastered version from the original masters is warm, clear and has great stereo separation.  

The least we can do is wave to each other - front cover

A great front cover depicting the group floating on the sea (no doubt referring to the final track-After the Flood).  The albums title was taken from artist John Minton: "We're all awash in a sea of blood, and the least we can do is wave to each other".

This album contains three of the bands classic songs, and all on side 1: Darkness, refugees and White Hammer.  My favourite VDGG track still today is Refugees.  Refugees starts with a flute played by David Jackson, and wonderful Cello (written by Hugh) piece played by Mike Hurwitz.   Nic Potter's bass kicks in followed by some classic Guy Evans drumming and Hugh Banton Hammond Organ.  This great 4 men with beards vinyl release outshines the latest CD remaster in its warmth and the clarity of Peter Hammill's vocals.

The least we can do is wave to each other inside sleeve

When you look back at this time in music.  Progressive Rock (as it was later dubbed) was really emerging and from London with Yes at Advision, VDGG at Trident and of course Genesis also at Trident.  It was a great period for music which still reigns supreme today.  Dark, warm and very British, Prog Rock from middle class kids.    VDGG would go on to release H to He Who am the Only One the following year but remained fairly underground and not reaching the the dizzy heights of Genesis and Yes.  VDGG remain a cult but very loyal following today.  This recording cements how brilliant this band were, and remain so to this day.

Thanks to "4 Men with Beards" see http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2012/03/four_men_with_beards_label_sam.php for releasing these great albums on quality vinyl.

Living with the NOKIA Lumia 920

So I've had the 920 now for three weeks. An amazing device with a great camera and great fun to use. The Windows 8 Mobile is amazingly fast and intuitive to use. I bought this on EE contract yet where I live has no 4G. However when in Bristol or London the 4G kicks in and is simply the best mobile experience I have ever had. Super fast downloads and youtube streaming. Not quite the zero lag i was told I'd experience but nonetheless, very fast. I have tethered my laptop to the phone wirelessly and it works like a dream often beating the speed of an hotels free broadband. Using the camera especially in cinematographic mode is awesome. Superb clear shots which are vibrant and clear. Downloading the add in lenses i am able to get a cinematographic mode lens which animates parts of a still photo. And a great panoramic lens. the Nokias Macro mode is equally excellent producing high detailed shots and narrow depth of field. Although a great phone i do have some major gripes which will hopefully go away once new apps are released. There is no Instagram and loading music by itunes simply fails to work. The format is incompatible! For most other apps i have managed to get alternatives ir the apps themselves such as YouTube. Email is a sinch but an all mailboxes option would help. So all in all a great device which could be even better with the release of the missing apps. Oh and btw, the edit text ibar doesn't work its too quirky! And as for the spell checker its er not quite there yet.

Another dull day in the Somerset countryside (so boring) and so what to do?  Well, go to the Purple Whale and grab an album.  Deck it play it and sit back with a coffee enjoying the warm sound of Vinyl.  Getting my #vinylrush as I call it.
So, the album this morning is Steven Wilson's Grace for Drowning.  His second solo outing and what an outing it is.  It's a concept album over 4 sides of 180gsm vinyl one of 40 minutes the other 45 minutes long.  This album has the most amazing soundscapes and some exquisite musicianship.  Listen to the amazing guitar solo on "Deform to Form a Star".   DTFAS is about well, what is it about? Here's some lyrics:

Crawl into your arms

Become the night forever

Coiled and close, the moment froze

Deform to form a star

Here on earth together

I got time to share and a well used stare 

My favourite track is "Postcard" Steven Wilson writing a postcard to someone or maybe a suicide letter?  Great arrangement of Strings choral synths (arrangements by Dave Stewart who has also arranged strings and orchestra on Falling Deeper by Anathema and Storm Corrosion), and piano blend to make this an awesome song.  Just read these lyrics:

I'd like to light a cigarette but I cannot

The lighter's dead and the gas has been cut off

What does this album sound like?  Think Porcupine Tree, Blackfield but then cut across that and add in a touch of Opeth at their darkest.  For me it's a follow on from the wonderful Porcupine Tree "The Incident" album.  Darkness, death, paranoia, loneliness - are you getting it?  Outstanding jazz-feel drumming on "Remainder the Black Dog" by Nic France and amazing Bass from Nick Beggs (yes Kajagoogoo), both of whom toured this album recently. If you mix this together with fab arrangements and a near perfect production, you have Grace for Drowning.  Go buy it now you won't be at all disappointed.

Memories of Machines - Warm Winter

Memories of Machines - Warm Winter is simply the best album of 2011 period.  M of M is a collaboration between No-Man singer Tim Bowness and Nosound multi-instrumentalist Giancarlo Erra.  

The album also features: 

• Steven Wilson – guitars & keyboards on "Lucky You, Lucky Me", additional recording & engineering, mixing
• Gabriele Savini - acoustic guitar on "Change Me Once Again"
• Jim Matheos - guitar atmospherics on "Something in Our Lives"
• Robert Fripp - guitar Soundscapes on "Lost and Found in the Digital World"
• Michael Bearpark – volume-swell guitar on "Schoolyard Ghosts"
• Peter Hammill – guitars on "At the Centre Of It All"
• Alessandro Luci - bass guitar on "Before We Fall", "Warm Winter" & "Change Me Once Again"
• Peter Chilvers – bass guitar on "Schoolyard Ghosts"
• Colin Edwin – double bass on "At the Centre Of It All"
• Paolo Martelacci - keyboards on "Before We Fall" & "Change Me Once Again"
• Stephen Bennett – electric piano & synthesizer solo on "Schoolyard Ghosts", additional recording & engineering
• Huxflux Nettermalm - drums on "Before We Fall" & "Warm Winter"
• Gigi Zito - drums on "Change Me Once Again"
• Andrew Booker - drums on "Schoolyard Ghosts"
• Aleksei Saks - trumpet on "Lost and Found in the Digital World"
• Myke Clifford - saxophone on "Schoolyard Ghosts"
• Marianne de Chastelaine - cello on "Beautiful Songs You Should Know" & "At the Centre Of It All"
• Julianne Regan - backing vocals on "Before We Fall" & "Change Me Once Again"

All the tracks are great but outstanding is "Before the Fall" with a superb guitar shrill throughout and impeccable lyrics followed by "Beautiful Songs you Should Know" with it's simple acoustic arrangement, simple organ chords and cello: perfect.

If you buy no other album in 2012 go and buy this one - and I recommend the vinyl (you get a digital download as well but the vinyl mix is supreme.

--
thanks

Jon Pickles

Bowie: Aladdin Sane/The Man Who Sold the World

Simply put Aladdin Sane/The Man Who Sold the World (TMWSTW) are David Bowie's most debauch records of all time and I love 'em.  As a child I bought TMWSTW and was quite scared of it to start with.  Then the insaneness and blackness of the record really caught hold.  The obvious single was a great hit but there is some really dark heavy rock here: Width of a Circle, and She Shook Me Cold to name two.  So that was 1970.  I used to play this with my first real friend Mark.  he didn't really get it but he did like Space Oddity which was a little more safe as an album.  We did play Life on Mars b/w The Man Who Sold the World to death!

Move on to 1973, just three years, and Bowie comes out with Aladdin Sane.  A drug and illicit sex driven album of such greatness that I personally don't believe any artist, including Bowie, has even matched it.  Watch that Man, Aladdin Sane, Panic in Detroit, Drive in Saturday and of course The Jean Genie.  It's just a brilliant album.  Listen to Aladdin Sane - Mike Garson's mental piano solo is unbeatable.  When I first heard it I though: what the hells that?  But the way it goes way out of key and then back in is - well you listen!

As with TMWSTW, quite scary at first for a fourteen year old boy.  I remember my mum and dad taking me and my brother on our annual pilgrimage to London for pre-Christmas shopping and to take in yet another tediously dull musical.  We did a shop one dark afternoon (it was cold) and there was Bowie in full Aladdin Sane make-up on a full length poster in the HMV, Oxford Street window.  Dad I said, I have to have that album.  Dad said Bowie looked like a poof but I think he secretly quite liked it - not batting an eyelid he bought it for me.  Bowie was one of those artists you were allowed to fancy, even as a male.  I cant remember how much it cost BUT I do remember just wanting to go home right there and then to play it.  I stayed in HMV for over an hour listening to it.   When Drive in Saturday came on I almost cried - it was just something.

When we did eventually get home I rushed up to play it.  When the first track side two "Time" came on I threw the stereos volume to 11 and blasted out "He flexes like a whore, falls wanking to the floor".  So shocking, so androgynous and so Mick Jagger.  Over the years I still feel debauch and slightly scared every time I play this album and TMWSTW.  None of my friends were into Bowie in the 70's so it was a lone crusade for me which kept me a bit isolated from the rest of the world.  I don't think some of my friends knew what to make of me into Floyd, van Der Graaf Generator, Bowie and Iggy - Bowie was mine and I was really glad I didn't have to share him with anyone.......and I still don't!  As Bowie says on David Live - Love on ya!

Van Morrison - Avalon Sunset Vinyl

Rummaging through our local second hand vinyl store I came across 17 albums that I simply had to buy.  Average price 0.99 to 2.50 each.  The first one I have played is Avalon Sunset by Van Morrison.  I only ever had this on CD but the Vinyl just brings it alive.  Even the duet with Cliff Richard on Whenever God Shines His Light, stand out on this vinyl.

There's something about vinyl that CD's just can't replace.  The large sleeve, inner liner notes and the record itself - this one sporting the famous red Polydor label, record number 839 262-1.  I can;t believe it was 22 years ago (1989) that this album first came out.  This one and Enlightenment (which I also picked up for 2.50) are surely the last albums that Van put out that are worthy of great praise?

Standout tracks on this one are Have I Told You Lately I Love you, Coney Island, These are the Days and Contacting My Angel (IMHO).  A great album from a great man. JP 09-10-2011.

Dark Side of the Moon 2011 Vinyl edition

Speaks for itself really. Amazing 200gm vinyl _ beat that!