Song of the day: BLUE NILE – Family Life (1996)

Some years ago I did a compilation tape for a friend. Musically, we didn’t have an enormous amount in common, so I was quite pleased that the songs I’d chosen met with her approval. One, though, was singled out for some harsh criticism – “that really miserable song about families and Christmas”.

A lot of tracks I’ve chosen to write about here have been pretty downbeat. I probably listen to emotionally ‘up’ or neutral music as much as I do introspective, depressing stuff. But I couldn’t deny that many of my favourite tracks are pretty bleak.

The Blue Nile’s first two albums are lauded for their clean, funk-tinged, melancholy pop. The third, Peace At Last, split opinion a little. It revealed more Gospel and R&B influences than its predecessors, and admittedly it was a little more uneven. But at its best it was as good as anything that the band had done and, if anything, Paul Buchanan’s vocals were stronger and more mature. It was around this time that people began to speak of him as a Scottish Sinatra – high praise indeed.

“Family Life”, the miserable one about families and Christmas, is a stunning song. It has a lush melancholy, but is as emotionally raw as anything you are likely to hear. The allusions to being a child witness of domestic violence are all the more powerful for being evasive – like the memory is too painful to confront head on. Buchanan’s vocal leaves little doubt as to how hard it is, though, as it cracks with emotion. The pleas to “make us happy sometimes” and to “wipe the tears from her face” are devastating. The song gets me every time I hear it, and I had an upbringing free from any trauma. I shudder to think how it would affect people who went through stuff like that.

Starlight do you know me
Please, don’t look at me now I’m falling apart
Silver on the window
Like the bike I once had at home in the yard
Jesus love let me down and I know where you are
It might lead somewhere

Gather me in snowfall
And the cars going by the north and the south
Flowers on the table
And the coffee gets cold like the milk in my mouth
Sailing on no honeymoon
Just separate chairs in separate rooms
Jesus, please make us happy sometimes
No more shout, no more fight
Family life

Tomorrow will be Christmas
We’ll be singing old songs and light up the tree
God and all the mercy
And say all your prayers for little old me
Jesus, you wipe the tears from her face
And the sound of his voice
Family life

Jesus, I go to sleep and I pray
For my kids
For my wife
Family life

Mojo Muffs It

Mojo gets more bone-headed by the month. This issue has that buffoon Liam Gallagher on the cover, a dreary A-Z of new wave, and the usual reviews section that seems to be governed more by potential advertising revenue rather than the worth of the records. The magazine seems to be spiralling downwards rapidly into Q / Uncut territory.

There’s a laughable “How To Buy” guide on post-rock which views the over-rated, dreary Tortoise as the be all and end all of the form. Admittedly it’s a genre that is only loosely defined, and one can argue whether acts like Stars Of The Lid actually fit. Even so, to have the Kranky and Constellation labels solely represented by F# A# ∞ is a bit silly, especially when Tortoise and spin-offs have two entries, and Battles’ lumpen funk-rock is inexplicably included. Spiderland is #4 – Millions Now Living Will Never Die unaccountably taking top spot.

These lists are, of course, totally subjective. Even so, Mojo once again shows how sloppy it is when dealing with anything outside of its traditional trad-rock remit. Which is a shame, because there have been many fine articles in the magazine over the years on marginal music. The problem is an editorial lack of will to take risks. I remember the stick the editor got a few years back for putting Abba on the cover. The article was a darn sight more interesting than the annual Beatles barrel-scraping, though. I can’t imagine them doing something similar today. The magazine’s target audience has always been the 35-55 year old music fan, and I see no reason why that should change. It’s just that, in my experience, its target audience is much less conservative, and is far more open to new things than the magazine. Surely that’s the wrong way round?

Here’s an alternative post-rock top ten for your delectation (in approximate chronological order).

SLINT – SPIDERLAND (TOUCH & GO)
RACHEL’S - HANDWRITING (QUARTERSTICK)
SCENIC – ACQUATICA (WORLD DOMINATION)
SIGUR RóS – AGAETIS BYRJUN (BAD TASTE)
MOGWAI - COME ON DIE YOUNG (CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND)
GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR – LIFT YOUR SKINNY FISTS LIKE ANTENNAS TO HEAVEN (CONSTELLATION)
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY- THOSE WHO TELL THE TRUTH WILL DIE… (TEMPORARY RESIDENCE)
PORT ROYAL – FLARES (RESONANT)
PAN AMERICAN – QUIET CITY (KRANKY)
STARS OF THE LID - AND THE REFINEMENT OF THEIR DECLINE (KRANKY).

A Few Forthcoming Long Players

These are all subject to change, of course. 

ALTER EGO WHY NOT KLANG 15th October
BEIRUT FLYING CLUB CUP 4AD 8th October
BOXCUTTER GLYPHIC PLANET MU 8th October
BUCK 65 SITUATION STRANGEFAMOUS 29th October
BUCKETHEAD ISLAND OF LOST MINDS TDR 5th November
BURIAL UNTRUE HYPERDUB 5th November
CHARALIMBIDES LIKENESS KRANKY 29th October
EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN ALLES WIEDER OFFEN POTOMAK 22nd October
FEU THERESE CA VA COGNER CONSTELLATION 8th October
FOETUS VEIN REAL TIME 22nd October
HARMONIA LIVE 1974 GRONLAND 22nd October
HIS NAME IS ALIVE SWEET EARTH FLOWER HIGH TWO 5th November
JOHANN JOHANNSSON ENGLABORN 4AD 12th November
KIM HIORTHOY MY LAST DAY SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND 5th November
KOOL KEITH DR OCTAGON 2 REAL TALK 5th November
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM 45:33 DFA 12th November
LOREN CONNORS AS ROSES BOW: 1992-2002 FAMILY VINEYARD 5th November
MOB MAY INSPIRE REVOLUTIONARY ACTS OVERGROUND 26th November
MURCOF COSMOS LEAF 8th October
MY CAT IS AN ALIEN / KEIJI HAINO COSMIC DEBRIS 3 A SILENT PLACE 19th November
NEIL YOUNG CHROME DREAMS II WARNERS 22nd October
PLURAMON THE MONSTROUS SURPLUS KARAOKE KALK 8th October
PREFUSE 73 PREPARATIONS WARP 15th October
ROBERT WYATT COMIC OPERA DOMINO 8th October
SAVAGE REPUBLIC 1938 NEUROT 22nd October
SCOTT WALKER AND WHO SHALL GO TO THE BALL? 4AD 1st October
SIGUR ROS HVARF / HEIM EMI 5th November
SUN CITY GIRLS JACK’S CREEK ABDUCTION 5th November
SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN FIRE ESCAPE SMALLTOWN SUPERSOUND 1st October
SUPERSILENT 8 RUNE GRAMMOFON 8th October
SUSUMU YOKOTA LOVE OR DIE LO 12th November
UNDERWORLD OBLIVION WITH BELLS VITAL 15th October
VASHTI BUNYAN SOME THINGS JUST STICK IN YOUR MIND FAT CAT 29th October
WU-TANG CLAN THE 8 DIAGRAMS BO-DOG 12th November

Song of the day: JONI MITCHELL – The Last Time I Saw Richard (1971)

The last time I saw Richard was Detroit in 68,
And he told me all romantics meet the same fate someday
Cynical and drunk and boring someone in some dark cafe
You laugh, he said, you think you’re immune
Go look at your eyes, they’re full of moon
You like roses and kisses and pretty men to tell you
All those pretty lies, pretty lies
When you gonna realise they’re only pretty lies
Only pretty lies, just pretty lies

He put a quarter in the Wurlitzer
And he pushed three buttons and the thing began to whirr
And a bar maid came by in fishnet stockings and a bow tie
And she said drink up now its getting on time to close.
“Richard, you haven’t really changed”, I said
“It’s just that now you’re romanticising some pain that’s in your head
You got tombs in your eyes, but the songs
You punched are dreaming
Listen, they sing of love so sweet, love so sweet
When you gonna get yourself back on your feet?”
Oh and love can be so sweet, love so sweet

Richard got married to a figure skater
And he bought her a dishwasher and a coffee percolator
And he drinks at home now most nights with the TV on
And all the house lights left up bright
I’m gonna blow this damn candle out
I don’t want nobody coming over to my table
I got nothing to talk to anybody about
All good dreamers pass this way some day
Hiding behind bottles in dark cafes
Dark cafes
Only a dark cocoon before I get my gorgeous wings
And fly away
Only a phase, these dark cafe days

There’s not much to say about this song. Blue is one of my favourite albums ever. It’s a journal of a relationship, and like most, it doesn’t end happily. Richard ends up in a dead-end marriage, his ideals and dreams crushed. It’s a beautiful song, but like “River” on the same record, it’s not one you want to dwell on too long. It’s too raw, and too close to the bone.

Album: SUSANNA – Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos (Rune Grammofon RCD2066 2007)

Rune Kristoffersen is a bit of a star. There aren’t many labels out there with the kind of roster that Rune Grammofon has – Supersilent, Shining and Deathprod to name but three. Not only are the standards consistently high, there is a bewildering range to the kind of music released by the label – from gonzoid punk-jazz to quirky improv; dark ambient to gentle balladry. And all CDs come in smartly designed digipacks with artwork by Kim Hiorthøy – none of your tacky plastic cases here. Alongside Constellation, a label that holds many similar values in terms of quality of design, priority given to local acts, and the focussing on musical standards rather than on any specific musical form, Rune Grammofon has become a clear example of what a label should seek to be. One of the imprint’s most loved, and best-selling, artists is Susanna Wallumrød, and Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos has been eagerly anticipated for a while.

Wallumrød is without her regular partner Morten Qvenild (aka the Magical Orchestra) for this set of a dozen spare, hushed jazz-tinged songs, although he does make an appearance on a couple of tracks. Unlike previous Susanna releases, there isn’t a cover in sight. There is also a unity of mood, and arrangements largely rely on a sparse accompaniment of piano and gently plucked guitar. There are nine guest musicians listed, but their presence is only very lightly felt.

This is no insipid collection of late night jazz ballads, though. It’s a long way from Norah Jones territory. Nor is a collection of navel-gazing wrist-slashers, even if the mood is generally downbeat. The singer whose influence is most keenly felt is Joni Mitchell – in particular her Blue period. There is quite a striking similarity in Susanna’s phrasing, and the way that the melodies don’t usually follow the most obvious route. Indeed, “For You” sounded so familiar on the first listen that I had to check that it wasn’t a Mitchell cover. There are also echoes of Marissa Nadler, Linda Thompson and even the Blue Nile, particularly on “Stay”, one of the most beautiful tracks on the record.

“Home Recording” is so quiet, it sounds like it was taped whilst there was small child asleep in the same room. “We Offer” has drums (actually a solitary snare), but they are so understated as to be almost redundant. Only “Better Days” could be described as jaunty. There are times when Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos will simply go in one ear and out the other. But when it’s late, you’re tired and perhaps a bit emotionally drained, I really can’t think of a batch of songs that would suit the mood any better.

Album: THE FUN YEARS – Life-Sized Psychoses (Barge Recordings BRG002 2007)

For me, the stand-out cut on Wire Tapper 18 (reviewed below) is “Electricty Is A Scarce Commodity” by The Fun Years, so imagine my glee to find their recent album in the clearance bin in Monorail for just a couple of quid. The Wire track is not present, but what you do get on Life-Sized Psychoses is a fistful of pieces for turntable and baritone guitar, played by New Yorkers’ Ben Recht and Isaac Sparks. The tracks are built on drones and repetition, with static hum and vinyl surface noise an intrinsic part. With a few brief exceptions, the turntablism is more concerned with using the noise of the vinyl, rather than sampling the music in the grooves, and the guitar picks its way through simple motifs. There is an element of the early glitch-dub records by Pole, but with less of the emphasis on rhythm. The five tracks are fairly lengthy, and subtle melodic changes ensure that that they remain interesting. The album doesn’t really break much new ground, but it’s a competent and enjoyable listen.