Another dose of the ACLF stereo, which has just about something for everyone. Kicking off with gritty, driving funk from The Dynamites – who incidentally have a new album about to hit a half decent record shop near you. If such emporiums still exist that is. Follow that up with some smooth bluesy soul from Missy Andersen.

Been revisiting the old stuff and Jake Burns track is one that has been getting some rotation. Stiff Little Fingers split originally in ‘82 following a less than well-received album, “Now Then” which was pretty indifferent. The Big Wheel release gives an indication of the path that might have been trodden. Like Mick Jones, Burns had an eye for a catchy pop tune mixed with some decent power. More of that stuff continues with The Chords and their offspring, The Rifles.

The Postmarks crept onto my radar, as usual I’m a tad behind everyone else, a very good mix of Camera Obscura and The Shadow Puppets. I recall sometime ago coming across Caravan and it being pretty much was hit or miss. But it did open up groups such as Dr. Dog and in this instance, Mariage Blanc. The retro theme continues with Friendly Fires, St. Albans favourite A Certain Ratio revivalists.

The final grouping are a strong hint of 80s soul driven pop. It still rankles with me that Kevin Rowlands stopped looking for the Young Soul Rebels because, let’s be honest, pretty much everything Dexy’s have done since has been a pale imitation of a fantastic debut album. A role model for Oasis perchance? Big Sound Authority and The Faith Brothers were two of my favourite bands of that era, the latter a great live act.

Nostalgia sandwich anyone?

You can download the mix here.

1. The Dynamites – Bodysnatcher
   - Taken from the album, Kaboom!
2. Missy Andersen – Ace Of Spades
   - Taken from the album, “Missy Andersen“
3. Jake Burns & The Big Wheel – She Grew Up
   - Taken from the album, “Fortune Street“
4. The Postmarks – No One Said This Would Be Easy
   - Taken from the album, Memoirs at the End of the World
5. The Chords – Something’s Missing
   - Taken from the album, “This Is What They Want“
6. Mariage Blanc – Marquee
   - Taken from the EP, “Broken Record“
7. The Rifles – Romeo and Julie
   - Taken from the album, Great Escape
8. Friendly Fires – Paris
   - Taken from the album, Friendly Fires
9. The Pale Fountains – (Don’t Let Your Love) Start A War
   - Taken from the album, Pacific Street
10. The Faith Brothers – Sunday (Rebel Soul)
    - Taken from the album, “Eventide“
11. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Seven Days Too Long
    -Taken from the album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
12. The Big Sound Authority – This House (Is Where Your Love Stands)
    - Taken from the album, “An Inward Revolution

Blimey, it’s been a bit quiet hasn’t it? Not entirely surprising since this is the first list since The Jam’s Setting Sons Live post three months ago. Anyway, since Noel Gallagher has thrown his toys out of his pram and apparently left Oasis, I thought I’d put together a Live ‘tribute’ to their finest work to date.

Rather like The Stone Roses, Oasis output went on a downward spiral after their debut release. Morning Glory was not much of one granted, although of the two, I prefer this one. The rest, well I have not heard anything to change my mind about Definitely Maybe being their best release.

You can buy the studio version by clicking here.

In the meantime, enjoy this live version

Tracklisting

1. Rock ‘n’ Roll Star – Live Demonstration Tape
2. Shakermaker – Windsor Old Trout, 1994
3. Live Forever – Black Island Studios 2008
4. Up In The Sky – Windsor Old Trout 1994
5. Columbia – Chicago Metro 1994
6. Supersonic – Copenhagen 1997
7. Bring It On Down – Gleneagles 1994
8. Cigarettes And Alcohol – Black Island Studios 2008
9. Digsy’s Dinner – Gleneagles 1994
10. Slide Away – Black Island Studios 2008
11. Married With Children – Chicago Metro 1994
12. Sad Song – Wolverhampton 1994

The fourth album released by The Jam, Setting Sons hit the shops on 17th November 1979, reaching Number 3 in the album charts. Whilst All Mod Cons and Sound Affects attract more attention, Setting Sons is the most instantly recognisable Jam album, strong basslines and drums over chopping guitars.

Originally, Setting Sons seemed as if it would be cursed, Weller attempting a concept album, something long associated with the hippy and prog-rock eras swept into musical hell by punk and new wave. Most of the tracks contain the theme of friendships forged in childhood and lost as life evolves into adulthood. Only Girl On The Phone, Eton Rifles and Heatwave do not fit into the story that Weller originally intended.

This live compilation is intended to be a different take on the album. That Weller has returned to these roots during his solo career to play tracks live, suggests an underestimated longevity to the album. To the best of my knowledge, none of these has been commercially released.

Enjoy by downloading here.

Tracks:

1. Girl On The Phone -  The Jam Park West, Chicago (6th March 1980)
2. Thick As Thieves – Paul Weller The Forum, London (7th December 2006)
3. Private Hell – The Jam Boston (1982)
4. Little Boy Soldiers – The Jam Westfallenhalle, Dortmund (30th November 1980)
5. Wasteland – The Jam Skirt (Working Demos)
6. Burning Sky – The Jam Park West, Chicago (6th March 1980)
7. Smithers-Jones – The Jam Wembley Arena, London (2nd December 1982)
8. Saturday’s Kids – The Jam Butterfly Collector (1979/80 USA)
9. Eton Rifles – The Jam Something Else TV Show (15th September 1979)
10. Heatwave – Paul Weller Royal Court, Liverpool (14th February 2005)

Thanks to all those who have provided these and many other bootlegs over the years, especially Yann at Cornershop of the Man and Dave at Weller Exclusives.

Click to buy the studio version of Setting Sons

A set of songs that inspired and perspired through my teens and 20s, a heady cocktail of football, fun, alcohol, gigs and girls, not necessarily in that order.

Starting out in an Accountancy practice all those years ago, a clearout of the garage of a lifetime of accumulated junk brought forth some diaries that noted chargeable hours to clients back then as well the potential conflicts with socialising that the dreaded ‘w’ word caused. For a five year period, a typical week in the football season involved three matches, a couple of gigs as well other engagements.

An observation by my wife was that the years of debauchery have taken their toll and the years are extracting their revenge seemed harsh but ultimately fair! Anyway, it inspired a set of ‘mixes’, for want of a better phrase, that take into account those days. Enjoy.

Click here to download The Lost Years Vol 1

Don’t You Ever Let Me Down - The Crack

Taken from the album, All Cracked Up: Demos & Rarities

Train In Vain - The Clash

Taken from the album, London Calling – 25th Anniversary Edition [2CD + DVD]

I Will Follow - U2

Taken from the album, The Best Of: 1980-1990

A New England - Billy Bragg

Taken from the album, Life’s a Riot with Spy vs Spy

Jah War - The Ruts

Taken from the album, The Crack/Grin and Bear It

Dust In The Soul – The Faith Brothers

Taken from the album, Eventide (VINYL)

Plan 9 Channel 7 - The Damned

Taken from the album, Machine Gun Etiquette [25th Anniversary Edition]

I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape – Teenage Filmstars

Taken from the album, On Target-20 Direct Hits From

Gardening At Night - REM

Taken from the album, Chronic Town [VINYL]

Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft – The Wedding Present

Taken from the album, George Best Plus

And She Rides - The Long Ryders

Taken from the album, 10-5-60/ Native Sons

Beat On The Brat - The Ramones

Taken from the album, Greatest Hits

We all love a good cover version; some love bad ones as well. Below is a selection that span a decade or four that have caught this eye (or should that be ear?).

The musical sphere is traversed with a mix of the straight and a few being polar opposites of the originals. Otis Redding’s soulful Louie Louie not so far from The Kingmen’s more famous version, itself a cover. Gram Parsons turns in an acoustic blues version of “Searchin’” whilst Steve Earle new album, “Townes” is a tribute to Townes van Zandt, close to the original.

Simtec & Wylie reverse “Maggie May” into a slice of Philly. Perhaps the strangest, in the nicest possible way, is Laura Cantrell’s “Love Vigilantes“, so far removed from New Order’s Lowlife version as to be barely recognisable. Not quite so drastically, Here And Now transform Bowie’s hit into a ska tune.

Punk has always favoured covers. The Damned’s “Ballroom Blitz” moves Sweet’s original on a few years. They themselves provided the template for Oasis’ version of The Who’s “My Generation” whilst China Drum’s speeded up version of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” was always a great live favourite.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Covers mix if there were no fun versions and the Young Knives capture the kitsch of Adam and the Ants perfectly.

Thanks to some fellow bloggers for their (unwitting) contributions to the post: Yann at Cornershop of the Man for Sweet, Lazy at Bloggers Delight for the Here And Now, Larry at Funky 16 Corners for Simtec and Wylie.

’til next time.

Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before:

01. The Damned - Ballroom Blitz (taken from the album, Machine Gun Etiquette [25th Anniversary Edition])
02. The Higsons – Music To Watch Girls By (taken from the album, The Curse of the Higsons)

03. Here And Now – Man Who Sold The World

04. Otis Redding – Louie Louie (taken from the album, Pain in My Heart…)

05. Gram Parsons – Searchin’ (taken from the album, Another Side of This Life: The Lost Recordings of Gram Parsons, 1965-1966)

06. Steve Earle – Mr. Mudd And Mr. Gold (taken from the album, Townes)

07. Laura Cantrell – Love Vigilantes (taken from the album, Trains And Boats And Planes)

08. Symtec & Wylie – Maggie May

09. Young Knives – Stand And Deliver (taken from the album, Up All Night)

10. Sweet – My Generation

11. China Drum – Wuthering Heights

The second post took a little while longer than originally intended but is another delve into the current selection, pretty much covering the eclectic mix that inhabits the stereo currently. Despite the title of the release, there is nothing maudlin about Camera Obscura’s new album. “French Navy” is a slice of indie pop with lush velvet production which shows winter months have passed us by when the world is brightened by such sounds. A sharp contrast with the laconic Sheffield drawl and rap experiment that is Mongrel.

Doves are being talked about in the same terms that Elbow were last year and the title track of their new album evokes memories of Spaghetti Westerns whilst Ted Leo revives the echoes of the early 80s with some melodic, hammond fuelled power pop from “Hearts Of Oak”, similar to that of the Indigo Girls, “Ghost Of The Gang”. Brian Wilson spans the bridge of time with melodies and harmonies harking back to his early career.

If you feel the need to scream, “Can I Get A Witness”, feel free to do so with Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed and The True Loves. I may get around to posting the amazing twelve minute live version of this that I have in the near future. If that does not do the business, The Isley Brothers featuring Jimi Hendrix will pump you full of frenzy. Sara K will calm that down with her sultry vocals.

Gram Parsons could take any genre and make it his own as “Folsom Prison Blues (That’s All Right)” shows, a country tinged blues outing whilst John Rich is just a ‘good old boy’ strutting his stuff.

The next post is likely to be the first in a series of, ahem, classic albums “Live” culled from the extensive selection of bootlegs at my fingertips.

’til Then.

This weeks current listening is here:

French Navy – Camera Obscura

Taken from the album, My Maudlin Career

Take My Love With You – Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed & The True Loves

Taken from the album, Roll with You

Folsom Prison Blues (That’s All Right) – Gram Parson’s International Submarine Band

Taken from the album, Safe at Home

Good kind Of Love – Brian Wilson

Taken from the album, That Lucky Old Sun

Sizzlin’ – Sara K

Taken from the album, Made In The Shade

Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Taken from the album Hearts of Oak

Mongrel – Menace

Taken from the album, Better Than Heavy

Doves – Kingdom Of Rust

Taken from the album, Kingdom Of Rust

Indigo Girls – Ghost Of The Gang

Taken from the albumPoseidon and the Bitter Bug

Testify Parts 1 & 2 – The Isley Brothers feat. Jimi Hendrix

Taken from the album, The Isley Brothers Story, Vol. 1: Rockin’ Soul (1959-68)

John Rich – The Good Lord And The Man

Taken from the album, Son of a Preacher Man

The first proper post on the blog and I guess what better way is there to introduce myself than to put up a selection of tracks that are currently filling ACLF Towers. This is the sister blog – are blogs male or female? – to A Cultured Left Foot, the Arsenal blog that is a legend in its’ own lunchtime. Perhaps ’sister’ is a bit strong; more like ‘the screaming, snarling offspring’. The general plan is to post here a couple of times a week with an eclectic mix.

A couple of points to note. There will be no albums posted here unless the copyright holder has given their explicit consent for me to do so. Please don’t ask for them otherwise. The mp3’s posted are for review purposes only; should you like them, go buy the album for goodness sake.

1. You’re Nicked

Taken from the album, Ashes To Ashes

2. Gunslinger Man – The Long Ryders

Taken from the album, The Best of the Long Ryders

3. Are You Trying To Be Lonely? – Andy Lewis with Paul Weller

Taken from the album, You Should Be Hearing Something Now!

4. Moves Like You – Cath Carroll

Taken from the album,Factory Records: Communications 1978-92

5. Hotel Yorba – The White Stripes

Taken from the album, White Blood Cells

6. Shut Up And Let Me Go – The Ting Tings

Taken from the album, We Started Nothing

7. Going Up The Country – Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

Taken from the album, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

8. Back In The USSR – Chubby Checker

9. Long Live The King – The Byrds

Taken from the album, Byrds

10. It’s Gonna Take A Whole Lot Of Doin’ – David Ruffin

Taken from the album, “David (Unreleased)”

11. Time Of The Season – The Zombies

Taken from the album, Odessey & Oracle Remastered Digipak Reissue with 16 Bonus Tracks

Download the zipped file here.

A trawl through my personal musical journey, ranging from the sixties soul of my home through punk, mod revival and indie with a fair number of offshoots inbetween.