Big Audio Dynamite

When `This Is Big Audio Dynamite',was released in 1985, I instantly became a fan of the band known as BAD. for no other reason, that `Medicine Show' and `E=MC2' were fantastic singles. I had no real interest in either Mick Jones or the Clash, and didn't know what Don Letts who or was, and frankly still don't.

The albums `No. 10, Upping St' (1986) and `Tighten Up, Vol. 88' (1988) followed and had some great tracks as well, but from that point, I lost interest.

Here are a selection of some of my favourite Big Audio Dynamite tracks from various video and live performances of varying quality from youtube.

Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - Pleasure Dub

Another worthwhile release from Pressure Sounds, one of the last remaining decent reggae reissue labels. This is a dub set dating from the early 70's, consisting of mostly early reggae and rock steady hits out of Duke Reid's Treasure Isle stable. With dub cuts of big tunes such as The Paragons' `Riding High On a Windy Day' and`The Tide Is High', `Cry Tuff' by Alton Ellis abd Phyllis Dylan's `Woman Of The Ghetto', as well as some tracks that are unfamiliar to my ears.

Originally released without an artist credit, but with Tommy McCook's horn work being in the forefront of most of these tracks, the late hornsman gets his name on the sleeve for this re-release.

Mixed by Errol Brown, the dub techniques are quite primitive and are based around lots of echoed vocals, occasional reverb on the drums and a small dash of phaser here and there. So, the main attraction here are the rhythms, all of which are excellent. And as a bonus on the CD Pressure Sounds have culled an extra seven cuts more that were featured on the original LP release, including two killer cuts on the `Ali Baba' rhythm.

For soundclips clikc here.

Massive Attack and Sinead O'Connor

I've never really been a fan of Massive Attack and always found them to be quite boring, with the exception of one or two tracks with Elizabeth Fraser on vocals, and these two aural treats. Both of these tracks feature the much derided and very talented Sinead O'Connor with `A Prayer For England' and `Special Cases' from the 2004 Massive Attack album `100th Window' You'd be hard pushed to hear a vocal delivery with more sincerity and passion than on these two tracks.

The AK47's - Don't Call Me Vanilla

The AK47's, also known as the Tottenham AK47's, were one of the bands were involved in the squat or so-called crusty scene in London in the early 1990's, along with bands like Back To The Planet, Radical Dance Faction, Community Charge (from Manchester), Ruff Ruff `n' Ready, Citizen Fish, The Sea, Senser, Credit To The Nation and countless others. The AK47's played, what could be best described as punk-fused reggae, using anarcho political, and even Irish Republican messages over dubby rhythms. For me they had a raw edge and were great live and evoke some great memories.

The LP `Don't Call Me Vanilla' was released on the Rugger Bugger label in 1991, and I have just listened to it for the first time in a few years. Some songs on the album to were and still are, lyric-wise a tad naive, what with the promotion of "food for nothing" on `Downward Spiral', some curiously insightful lyrics on the troubles in Northern Ireland for a band from England on `Spirit Of Resistance'/`Tiocfaidh Ar La', and advice for us not to trust the middle classes, vicars and MP's from left wing parties on `Cop Cars'.

The album kind of annoyed me at the time, and one of the reasons is mentioned above. However, there are some very good songs on here including `One Hand' (about women left at home with the kids ironing while daddy's off fighting a revolution..) and `Chillin' - an instrumental.

Back in 1990 I preferred the intelligent meanderings of Chris Bowsher's poems with Radical Dance Faction, or Citizen Fish and Dick Lucas's ceaseless energy and positive lyrics, which were so clever that anything else at the time from bands of a similar ilk, such as the AK47's just sounded banal and irrelevant in comparison. But at the time, it was all about where the next party in a timber yard in New Cross was happening.

No clips available for this one. Happy hunting!

Vassilis Tsabropoulos - The Promise

I know this is the second ECM release to be mentioned on this blog in one week, but I just couldn't let this one pass by without a mention. `The Promise' really is one of the most beautiful and captivating albums that I have heard for a while, and has already become one those albums that I know I will treasure and play for the rest of my life. No joke.

If solo piano music is your thing, in particular, that of the more melodic, atmospheric and unpretentious variety. This is for you. Music like this deserves needs respect and needs the right setting.

I can't warrant any real comparisons on this, but if forced I would say Keith Jarrett without the jazz-iness and with more melody.

Vassilis Tsabropoulos is a very talented Greek pianist and this is second solo album on ECM. His collaboration with German cellist Anja Lechner 'Chants, Hymns and Dances' is also well worth investigating.

Here is a clip of `Pearl' from `The Promise'.



And click here for a clip of the title track, as I am unable to post a direct link on this occasion.

Screaming Trees / Success

Screaming Trees (not to be confused with the US rockers of the same name) were a great duo from Sheffield originally consisting of Sean Maloney and Mark Swancott, They emerged in the late 80's. An inventive experimental pop dance band with a couple of great singles `Iron Guru' and `Asylum', using some clever samples. I discovered them by chance as a lot of promo copies of their singles ended up in bargain basements of Music and Video Exchange shops in London. I suspect their record label Native had high hopes for them.

The debut album `Fracture In Time' (1987) - interestingly featuring Richard Hawley on guitar on one track, was followed up with `Tangiers' (1989) a minor hit that made the top ten of the indie charts in 1988. A year later the second album `World Crash' was released. This saw the band change their name to Success which was ironic in the extreme as that was something they never had a sniff at. One more single `Trip Wire', produced by Richard H Kirk, was released and that was that.

Their releases are well worth picking up if you should be lucky enough to find any of them, especially the singles.

Here is a clip of the `Tangiers' video from the ITV's The Chart Show in 1988.

Pop Classics Part 5 - Sad Cafe

Over the last few years in the UK there seems to be a growing trend for "Guilty Pleasures" club nights. The concept is, in my eyes that a bunch of half-wits listen to what they see as wack cheesy pop or AOR which they really love and enjoy, but pass it off as being ironic whilst of course they are huge Hot Chip fans. So I guess Sad Cafe , a bonafide AOR band could be described as a guilty pleasure, but I don't believe in such a thing as I have no guilt, because these two tracks are monsters! I owned both records - "Everyday Hurts" (1979) and "Strange Little Girl" (1980) - when they were released when I was at a tender age. For some reason that I can't fathom I had 2 copies of `Everyday Hurts'. I also bought the follow up to these two gems - "My Oh My" (1980), which didn't reach the higher heights of these two killer tracks.

Sad Cafe were from Manchester, but you don't hear them mentioned when it comes to the regular TV and radio retrospectives on that city. Funny that.

I couldn't find any footage of "Strange Little Girl", but you get some great TOTP action of "Everyday Hurts".

Jon Balke & Amina Alaoui - Siwan

On the surface `Sivan' on the ECM label is quite a dark affair, but scratch below the surface and you will find joyous melodies to brighten up your day. OK, I wouldn't go that far. This is a very sobering experience which needs your full attention, and that means listening to it more than once to be able to fully judge. Music should never be that obvious. And some of the best music needs a bit of work on the listeners part, otherwise we'd all be listening to The Kooks or something worse (if that's possible).

Arranged by Norwegian jazz pianist and composer Jon Balke, the sound of the violin - or several of them, dominates proceedings, with trumpet from Jon Hassell, cello, double bass, harpsichord, percussion and topped off with enticing vocals by the Moroccan singer Amina Alaoui. It moves along at a predominately slow pace and like most artist albums nowadays, goes on a tad too long.

Essentially the album is what will be lumped in with "world jazz", taking in influences from the Arab world as well as the Balkans and other European regions.

Here is an audio youtube clip of `Ya Safwati', taken from `Siwan'

We Don't Want Your F**king War

After the death toll of British soldiers reaches 184 n Afghanistan, topping the 179 killed so far in Iraq, I am reminded of one of the greatest ever anti-war songs by the legendary anarcho punk group Crass with `How Does It Feel' released in 1983, a comment on the Falklands War and lyrics aimed at the head of Margaret Thatcher, A record that resulted in an attempted prosecution by the government under the Obscene Publications Act.

The lyrics still strike a chord today, especially the lines:

"Throughout our history you and your kind
Have stolen the young bodies of the living
To be twisted and torn in filthy war"

"You say "Think of what those young men gave"
As you try to bind us in your living death"

For full lyrics click here.

Kroke & Nigel Kennedy - Ajde Jano

Here are two beautiful pieces of music from the Polish band Kroke alongside Nigel Kennedy taken from the 2003 album `East Meets West', which is well worth checking out. The first track is `Ajde Jono' featuring Natasha Atlas on vocals, and the second is `Lullaby For Kamila'.

A Sketch For My Summer

I am off on my summer holidays now, so as a going away present, I will leave you with a great clip of The Durutti Column performing `Sketch For Summer' from 2007, and a clip from a private gig by Vini Reilly from last year performing `4 Sophia', what sounds like a variation of `Gathering Dust' and `Pigeon'.

Be good.

Roots Garden Showcase Part 1 & 2

This is how contemporary roots reggae should sound. And it's made in the UK, fancy that. Brighton-based Roots Garden label have been behind some of the more interesting reggae 45's over the past two years or so. With Nick Manasseh in the production chair, that's no real surprise.

All the tracks here are great, but from `Volume 1', I lean towards Bob Skeng `The Lion' with its wicked vocal and simple but effective horns riff and Dark Angel - `Free Da Minds' with its hard 80's style digital rhythm and from `Volume 2' - Freddie McGregor's `Rally', a re-cut of his Studio One classic `Rastaman Camp' and Earl Sixteen with `Gold Dust', coming like an 1980's Channel One production.

`Roots Garden Showcase Parts 1' and `2' - with 4 vocal tracks and four dub cuts on each 12" slate have been out for a while but should still quite easy to pick up. They can also be bought digitally from here or here along with other productions from the same stable. Check the same source for sound clips too.

Here are some audio clips from Part 1.