Saturday 24 October 2020

Into the Distance Music 103

 








Sam Amidon - Sam Amidon, album review


Ditto the Music Too

I reviewed the album Bright Sunny South from 2013 here, and this eponymous latest continues the quirky but traditional trajectory of Amidon's folk journey. There are electronic backgrounds to traditional songs to merge the then and now (putting it simplistically), and some of the dissonant accompaniment as well as saxophone and flute playings along with banjo provide junctures of original interpretations. A lovely album. 

Into the Distance Music 102

 








Fuzz - III, album review


Literally

This trio of  Charles Moothart, Ty Segall and Chad Ubovich have named themselves as literally as could be to mirror the heavy power trios of yore, and this is a heavy trio set, though perhaps not quite as heavy as I anticipated. But it is riff driven - perhaps the core tick that needs to be ticked and is ticked - and the guitar work is the most frenetically heavy, the best example on Time Collapse. I do find the vocal a little lightweight, but the occasional harmonies compensate at times. One of the more riff-central tracks is penultimate Blind to Vines, the lead vocal here a little like T-Rex Marc Bolan. I have certainly enjoyed its rousing panorama of the past in this morning's listen.

Sunday 18 October 2020

No Face Music 48

 








David Sylvian and Robert Fripp - The First Day, album review


Funk and Grace

A friend gave me a cassette copy of this 1993 album at the time and I loved it then and am revisiting with the same fondness now. Standouts are Darshan with its sustained funk across seventeen minutes, as well as the jagged guitar throughout, and then God's Monkey which apes the funkness. Gracefulness is in the beautiful signature sound of Fripp's guitar on Firepower.

No Face Music 47

 








Saturday 17 October 2020

Eagles - Live From The Forum MMXVIII, album review


Hotel Eagles

Well, it could be: plush and polished; refurbishments faithfully restored as if nothing has changed.

But I need to hurry to catch up with a few months of not reviewing, though definitely not not listening to loads of good music.

So this is simple - if you like the Eagles and their hits, this will be a hit. Recorded in 2018 with the addition of the great Country guitarist and singer Vince Gill and Glenn's son Deacon Frey, this is a brilliant re-presentation. Perfect in that mirroring. There are other artists and a band/orchestra, this latter most gloriously presenting itself on Funk#49.

I got through most of the Eagles albums living in my cottage at Belstead Village. Many memories; wonderful West Coast sounds.