Rock's Greatest Secret

It was on the 30th October 1973 (when I was just sweet sixteen) that I went to see Argent at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow. This was actually my first gig at the newly refurbished venue which had previously seen service as Green's Playhouse. Interestingly, the support act was a band called Glencoe who contained some musicians who later formed part of Ian Durys' most excellent Blockheads.

That evening was a good gig but what was more important was that it provided the entry point for one of my musical obsessions. I was convinced to attend a gig the following evening to see Man at the City Halls in Glasgow. I was short of money and unfamiliar with the band, but the promise of a few drinks being bought for me was enough to convince me to go along.

There were three acts on the bill that evening. The opener was John St Field who was actually Jackie Leven in undercover mode - he went on to form Doll By Doll (whose albums have recently been reissued and are recommended) and thereafter on a solo career with a number of fine but little heard albums. Sandwiched in the middle was Deke Leonard's Iceberg which included two former members of Man (Deke himself plus Martin Ace), followed by Man themselves who were promoting their Back Into The Future album.

Much as I would like to rectify this, I can't say I remember much of John St Field and this may well be because we were ensconced in the bar. However, Iceberg were a revelation (and any Manfans out there will appreciate that particular pun) with a set based mostly on Deke's album of the same name. Particular highlights were 7171 551 (which is based on Michael Nesmith's name as interpreted via an old style telephone) and A Hard Way To Live which has to be one of the best singles never to have made the charts.

Man followed and were at their spaciest and I just fell in love with the whole ethos that seemed to surround the band. The fact that they were touring with guys who had been in the band not too long before seemed unusual but was a breath of fresh air.

And then they all got on stage together at the end for a riotous rendition of Spunk Rock. Rather like the reaction of babies to music they heard in the womb, hearing the riff from that piece does something to me and just elevates me to a higher place. The particular adjective used there possibly helps describe the feeling.

Man split up in 1976 (and in the intervening period Messrs Ace and Leonard rejoined to take part in the wonderful journey) but reformed in 1983 and have been proceeding in one way or another since then. I suppose everyone has a band that didn't quite make it (notwithstanding that Man played and managed to sell out the Apollo in their own) that they have a particular affinity with and Man are certainly mine. I can't for the life of me understand why they are not celebrated as one of the great UK rock bands.

The particular point (another Manpun!!) of this is that their back catalogue is now getting the level of respect it deserves and the first three albums of their Liberty/UA catalogue have been issued on Esoteric Recordings. The first of these (simply entitled Man but with a naked painting of the species on the cover to allow it to merge in quietly in the background of any album collection) is perhaps the least essential but the other two are albums that you simply should own if you consider yourself a fan of rock music. The album Do You Like It Here Now? Are You Settling In? is a stone cold classic where the idea of filler was simply inconceivable and where the song writing and playing is exemplary. It's boosted by live tracks from a German gig that, even over 35 years on, makes me regret that they were unknown to me at that time. Seldom has a live band sounded so on fire.

And just to prove that the gig was no fluke the other album is all live. Live At The Padget Rooms, Penarth was issued as a budget release (and was at number 1 on the mid-price charts for the one week it was available as a limited edition release) but the reissue features the complete concert. Quite simply stunning - there is no other word for it.

Separate from the Esoteric releases, the Greasy Truckers Party album which features Hawkwind and Brinsley Schwartz as well as my intrepid heroes has also been given an extended reissue. The version of Spunk Rock that appeared on this is, in my opinion, simply the greatest piece of live music that ever found its' way to an album. If there is one Man track you need to hear before you pass from this earth, then this is it.

The next few months will see the remainder of the bands UA output released by Esoteric and it is hoped the current version of the band will be touring in 2008 around the UK. In the meantime, I'll settle for my regular visit to Swansea to enjoy the band at their regular Xmas gig and will delight in the company of the many friends I've discovered through my love of his exceptionally fine band

The real world intrudes.......

Just back from a relaxing (lazy would probably be more accurate description) weeks holiday in Spain, and the real world of work is returning to haunt me tomorrow morning.

Frustratingly, I missed three gigs during my absence that I would probably otherwise have made an attempt at attending - Richard Thompson, The Undertones and Ian Hunter - but my bank manager may be grateful for that.

Oh well, back to the grindstone.......

Concert Review : Andy Fairweather Low continued.........

I shouldn't have been so pessimistic - The Ferry was well filled and jumping this evening. As expected, an excellent gig featuring just about everything you would expect to be played along with an eclectic range of other material including old country, gospel and rock'n'roll tunes.

The reaction of the audience also seem to take Andy and the other musicians aback somewhat with much singing along with the boat rocking to the encores of Bend Me, Shape Me, Hello Suzie and (If Paradise Was) Half As Nice.

If you've liked what Andy has done along the way and you've got a chance to catch this tour I'd heartily recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

Andy Fairweather Low

I'll be heading off to see Andy Fairweather Low perform at The Ferry in Glasgow tomorrow night. He counts as one of the forgotten men in rock (and I do fear this might be proven in the attendance although I'll more than pleasantly surprised to be proved wrong) although he has been more than gainfully employed in the service of others for more than the last 20 years.

As lead singer in Amen Corner, I recall his somewhat static singing style and how he appeared to sing out of the corner of his mouth. He was the epitome of the uncomfortable young man on Top Of The Pops. Although they had a number of good to excellent singles, it seems that Andy had always wanted to be a guitarist and that this was perhaps the source of his discomfort.

After Amen Corner split, Fairweather emerged from the ashes (albeit this was effectively the same band but without the horn section) and had another fine hit with Natural Sinner. This didn't last any more than an album and Andy disappeared for three years before released a fine trilogy of albums in Spider Jiving, La Booga Rooga and Be Bop N'Holla. The latter was notably less successful both critically and commercially than the previous two and Andy's profile dropped for a few years until 1980 when he released Mega-Shebang which unfortunately didn't live up to its' title.

Since then, he had concentrated on being a hired hand and has served in the bands of Roger Waters, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison amongst others and was also present at the tribute concert for George Harrison.

I first saw Andy perform a brief set of blues in support of Man at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff in December 2001. To be honest, it was only there that I appreciated what a wonderfully emotive guitarist he was.

So I was delighted when he issued an excellent new album last year called Sweet Soul Music. There's nothing earth shatteringly original on there - it's just great songs by a great musician with a great voice. What more can you ask for?

I saw him last year in Edinburgh at the Queen's Hall when he did a brief tour when the album came out and I'm hoping for more of the same tomorrow. So that'll be a mix of blues and gospel songs alongside songs from his seventies albums plus a healthy chunk of the new album as well.

And he did give a nod to his sixties legacy performing Bend Me, Shape Me and (If Paradise Was) Half As Nice as an encore.

I will be driving so I can tell you that I won't be wide eyed and legless!

Brian Wilson

It's been one of the great pleasures (and without the slighted pang of guilt) to have enjoyed the musical renaissance of Brian Wilson over the last decade. At the outset of this period I wouldn't have bet a single penny on my chances of seeing him perform far less that I would by now have seen him so often (now into double figures) and that they would be without exception the greatest concerts I have seen. Everyone else simply trails in his wake.

During that period I've seen him perform Pet Sounds in its' entirety, start to perform songs that you might have thought he would have been reluctant to revisit culminating in the performance of a completed version of SMiLE.

That would seem to be enough for any artist to allow themselves a gentle rest on their laurels, and it appeared that Brian might have been doing that when more straightforward hits-based shows followed the completion of the SMiLE tours. (And I am aware that to describe some of Brian's songs as "straightforward" is a considerable abuse of the English language).

However, Brian has certainly astonished me with the recent performances of his latest work "That Lucky Old Sun - A Narrative". I had the pleasure of seeing him perform this in London at the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday 15 September and again in Edinburgh the following Saturday at the Festival Theatre. Bolstered also by becoming more familiar with the piece as a result of some audience recordings I think it's fair to say that this work is the real deal and is going to be heralded alongside some of the peaks that Brian enjoyed in the 1960's.

Whilst his solo albums have been enjoyable, they have never been sufficiently consistent. For every moment of inspiration there's been too many moments of perspiration or just incomplete ideas. That Brian was able to record and release new material was a joy in itself but I held out little hope that we could ever see an album of new material that would match his best work.

However, That Lucky Old Sun will do just that if, as is to be hoped, Brian takes his excellent band and the Stockholm Strings & Horns into the studio to record it. At thirty five minutes it may be too short for an album in these modern times, but I do think it deserves to stand alone without other songs to distract attention from what is undoubtedly a major piece of work.

Surf's Up!!

Film Review : Control

I was never a huge fan of Joy Division although Love Will Tear Us Apart was clearly a thing of rare power and beauty, so I'm not going to claim to be one of the several millions who seemed to attend their gigs but who can't be clearly accounted for by a review of their gigging schedule during their relatively brief existence.

However, that didn't stop me going to see Control at the cinema as the story of Ian Curtis life and death is clearly one that has helped to cement the legendary status that the band now hold. I'm very glad I did as it's an excellent movie and one of those rare films that inhabits your thought processes for hours after the credits have rolled.

The casting was excellent (with perhaps the one exception being Tony Wilson) and it gave a real sense of Curtis as an already insecure but talented individual backed into a corner by the troika of growing success, a failing marriage that he needs to continue to cling to and the ongoing impact of his epilepsy.

There's one scene in particular which seemed to sum up his life in many way when he is confronted by his wife Debbie (played by Samantha Morton) where he backs off and continues to back off until he ends up in the corner of the room with nowhere else to go. It doesn't take much to imagine that was how he felt the morning that he decided to take his own life.

Impressively, the actors who played Joy Division actually performed the music themselves and it came across very well indeed. Sam Riley himself was a revelation as Curtis and he made the character live (if that's not a somewhat inappropriate description but I hope you see what I mean).

All in all, the experience was sufficient to encourage me to reinvestigate the Joy Division back catalogue (recently reissued in the remastered and expanded form) and to purchase Deborah Curtis' book on which the film was based.

Concert Review : From Rush to the Rezillos

I was at two concerts this week. Rush played at the SECC on Wednesday. Although open to considerable debate, I suppose you would generally classify them at the prog end of the scale. On Friday, I went to see The Rezillos at the ABC2. Definitely not at the prog end of the scale, and probably most easily classified as punk (although equally open to debate).

I had a great time at both gigs but I know of many people who struggle with the idea that I can accomodate both within the realms of my listening. Frankly, I struggle with the idea that they can't!

Even though the so-called punk wars took place thirty years ago history seems to have been written in a way that suggests that punk slayed the dinosaurs of rock. A look at the facts easily shows this to be utter bollocks.

Punk did provide a kick up the pants to the music scene and (as with just about every trend) left us with a batch of great bands that we remember with fondness and still listen to and even more that we've probably forgotten sufficiently to be embarrassed about ever giving them the time of day in the first place.

In any event, it always struck me that punk was more about attitude than either the music or the fashions of the day. It's greatest legacy was the proliferation of independent labels, and the acceptance that bands could do it all by themselves. This continues to this day, aided by the technological advances which mean that everyone's bedroom can be a recording studio and where the Internet allows you to get that music out to an audience at the proverbial touch of a button.

I was in my late teens when punk hit in the seventies and was just old enough not to be overly concerned with purging my musical past to make way for the new bands. I was happy to continue to listen to the Pink Floyd whilst loving the Sex Pistols classic run of singles. Happy to enjoy The Clash without feeling the need to worry about Elvis, Beatles and The Rolling Stones in 1977. And so it continues to this day with my concert double-bill from this week.

The irony, of course, is that the artists who rose to the surface via punk that survived and prospered were ones that, by and large, had a very fine grasp of their musical heritage and ultimately had no real belief that punk was any kind of Year Zero whatever their rhetoric might have been. That's not a problem to me as we are all no more than the sum of our contradictions anyway, although too often we damn our heroes because of theirs.