VINYL NEWS: 5 JUNE 2024

I have lots of vinyl for you in this episode. In fact, this episode is a vinyl special

 

First up? Rossi & Rickard. That is Status Quo’s Francis Rossi and vocalist/violinst Hannah Rickard. This one isn’t as new as I thought because it was released in 2019, initially. But I think this vinyl edition, via Earmusic, is the news here. 

I’ve always had a sneaking admiration for Quo. I only ever bought one of their 7”s, many years ago, don’t have any LPs by the band but they always had a pointed melodicism. Whatever your thoughts on their arrangements, they knew how to write a song. And Rossi is at it again here. He and Rickard co-write this LP. This is supposed to be a “country flavoured rock album” – so country rock then? Although I hear a smattering of folk in here too, straight singer-songwriter material and trusted Quo rocking rhythms and timings to please the fans. I like this one. It’s a toe tapper. 

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Apologies to 4AD now as I’m a bit late covering their recently released Record Store Day LPs but better late, eh?

First up is Gene Clark and No Other Sessions, a 50^th anniversary celebration of the original No Other album, stripped to the bare bones via these sessions, taken direct from the master tapes, mixed by Sid Griffin and John Wood. Fans will love the detail here as some tracks appear more than once but as different versions.

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UK: https://amzn.to/3KrTvmh

Next is art-pop outfit, Spoonfed Hybrid, featuring ex members of Pale Saints and AC Temple and a reissue of their their 1993 self-titled release complete with a second disc detailing demos and outtakes. So there is a dream pop aesthetic here that retains a sense of clarity. It doesn’t get too foggy in the guitar-based washes, as you might expect, there’s no invasive shoegaze influences. This one initially appeared on the 4AD spin off imprint, Guernica and it’s worth a listen as the original fell down the cracks a little bit. 

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USA: https://amzn.to/3yJWWCp 

Finally from 4AD the lovely and wholly terrific Kristin Hersh, she of Throwing Muses of course and the largely acoustic and rather personal LP, Hips and Makers. Another anniversary here, 30^th in this case so that means the original 1994 plus a second disc featuring B-sides and string versions. A rather immediate LP this one, it was apparently recorded in two weeks. 

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Jazz now from Craft and Hampton Hawes, Harold Land, Scott La Faro plus Frank Butler with For Real! Partly penned by Hawes plus covers of standards. Scott La Faro’s inclusion is a highlight here because the man died in 1961 in a car accident so his contributions are sadly few and far between while his countermelodic technique was pretty innovative. 

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Also from Craft is Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane with Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb originally on the New Jazz label reissued on Jazz Classics with a pseudo obi strip-like add on. All the way from 1958, this reissue arrives via the original tapes. Mixing Flanagan and Burrell originals with American Songbook classics Burrell stars with inspiration guitar on this one. Coltrane contrasts his work here but the two still create a fascinating whole. 

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UK – https://amzn.to/4568YBS 

Onto The Beat now and Wha’ppen? From 1981. This is another Record Store Day release, this time from Rhino. This one also includes two discs. The second disc featuring singles and remixes while the discs themselves have been released on yellow and green vinyl. The band where evolving by the time of this release which disappointed some punk-fuelled fans but pleased those who cared about the group’s ongoing development. The lyrics are just as cutting, just as powerful as are the themes of the threat of violence, jingoistic nationalism, the lack of opportunities in 80s Britain and more but here we hear funk. Afrobeat and more. Interesting stuff. 

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Next is photographer, Wolfgang Tillmans’ Build From Here on Fragile. Think avant electronica with stripped proto-Julian Cope vocals combined with pop rhythms that verge of the Pet Shop Boys. Depending on the man’s mood. And because of ‘mood’, there’s other flavours here including Grüne Linien which sound like early 80s cold wave. 

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USA – https://amzn.to/4c31B0t 
UK – https://amzn.to/3Va2GwN 

From Steve Baskin and the Fourteens comes Love is Hard on Vanilla’s Songs. This one offers blues rock with an art pop wrapper and soul foundations. A right old mixture then. But there’s more to this than those core genres. There’s a bit of what, Tom Petty perhaps? A twist that draws the attention. 

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https://www.stevebaskin.com/store 

Onto Six by Six now and Beyond the Shadowland via Inside Out. Describe as a progressive power trio the band is a bit of a supergroup including Robert Berry from 3 with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer and Hush, Ian Crichton from Saga and Nigel Glocker from Saxon.

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Along the same genre goes Trifecta’s new release on Scope. The New Normal is a double album from Nick Beggs, Adam Holman and Craig Blundell. Do you remember during the pandemic when everyone was dying that situation was the ‘new normal’? So much for that, eh? We’re back to square one methinks but back to the LP, I love many of the song titles here: On The Spectrum, Ouch ! My OCD, Bach Stabber, Ornamental Lettuce, Just Feel it Karen, Stroboscopic Fennel… Wonderful stuff.

I expected prog metal here but got balladic outings, a bit of salsa and lots of jazz fusion instead. Now I like my prog but this approach was just as welcome and interesting. 

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