Tag: Album

Tapestry – Carole King

By the early 70s Carole King’s legendary status was already assured by her work as a staff writer in New York’s Brill Building during the previous decade.

To me ‘Tapestry’ is definitely one of the most successful albums in pop music history. It’s a fairly remarkably, expressive and intimate record non the least, it’s a work of pure craftsmanship and precision all in one album.

The album was released within 1971 under a record label called Ode Records and it was produced by Lou Adler.

Her second album still to this day overflows withe emotionally honest, subtly soulful singing; masterfully written pieces that merge many genres like Pop, Folk, and R&B; this is all wrapped up with a toasty, organic but very smooth and laid back production.

The sheer intimacy right from the beginning with the album which is what hooked me in personally at an instant, the steady pace and pulse make the songs very enticing for everyone listening to join in and enjoy what they’re about to experience. “I Feel the Earth” is my favourite track with its piano riff right from the start which is soon led on by the inviting bass part alongside the guitars input!

Highlights such as “It’s Too Late” and “You’ve Got a Friend”, perfectly demonstrates how compassionate Carole is when it comes to song writing and production even upon her second album, it’s clear that she is more than capable to create many masterpieces at her very fingertips.

As a lover of Primus, Ghost, and all things fun – it may come as a surprise to say that this is one of my all time favourite albums to just pop on whilst working or trying to calm myself down to get to sleep eventually.It is a timeless and gorgeous album with lyrics that are still relevant to today.

When Carole King started making music, she was just writing, that was the thing in the early days of pop – there are writers and performers – this is what makes this album different to most of the others from the time and what makes it a crucial part of music history!

For the following reasons not only did it become the best selling solo album of all time (until Michael Jackson’s Thriller) but it became a cornerstone of every thinking woman’s record collection and a new edition to mine.

Tapestry will always remain a classic because it never forgets the innate urban r&b understanding of great pop while it covers itself in patchouli, satins and silks.

I highly recommend that everyone goes out and gets a copy of this album on any platform and or all of them, I could go on for pages about each of the songs but we’d be here for days so I kept it short and sweet, because her songs should be how you see them and not how other people do. It’s practically an essential album for any and everyone no matter what you listen to, without her we wouldn’t have the music industry we have today.

 

First ever ‘National Album Day’ announced for October 13th 2018!

All sectors of the British music community have come together with BBC Music to proudly announce a new annual event – the first-ever ‘National Album Day’ on Saturday the 13th of October.

National Album Day will mark the culmination of a week-long series of events and activity around the country that will celebrate all aspects of the UK’s love of the album – new releases and classic recordings across all genres of music. It will also pay tribute to the sleeve artwork that contributes to the album’s iconic appeal. This inaugural event comes in a year that coincides with the 70th anniversary of the album.

Planned activity will include dedicated BBC Music programming and editorial support; retail events and artist personal appearances; Classic Album Sundays LP playbacks and artist interviews/fan Q&As; and online listening parties. A social media campaign (@AlbumDayUK / #NationalAlbumDay) will invite people to nominate and share the album that has most inspired them; and at 3.33pm on the 13thOctober – National Album Day – fans, stores, radio stations and public spaces will be invited to play their favourite album in full.

Leading the ‘national conversation’ will be the artists and producers who give expression to the album as a conceptual body of work, and help to define the format’s purpose and meaning.  Numerous musicians are giving National Album Day their backing, while others will be confirmed in due course.

Personally I will be nominating a few albums that have inspired me and they’re the following.

  • ‘The Desaturating Seven’ by Primus
  • ‘Rattle That Lock’ by David Gilmour
  • ‘The Epic’ by Kamasi Washington

All of these albums have helped my craft massively and formed me as the musician I and others know today. I hope everyone will be enjoying this day as much as I will especially the others on my music course!

 

Album of the week

Purple Onion – The Les Claypool Frog Brigade

It was released on the 24th of September 2002.

The label it was released under is called Prawn Song Record.

It followed two other live releases by the band, and it is the first release of the Frog Brigade’s original compositions, while the brigade regulars are consistent on the majority of the record such as Jay Lane, Eenor, Skerik and the new percussionist Mike “Tree Frog” Dillon many special guests appear on the album as well!

The Album totals within 56 minutes in length and its genre is Experimental Rock.

My favourite track on the album would have to be either ‘Whamola’ and or ‘Ding Dong’.

‘Whamola‘ was a live show staple and the song was eventually named after the unique instrument that Les employs- it’s a one stringed bass played with a drum stick, which enables him to achieve some pretty cool sounds with just one string.

It features a single string which is manipulated via a pulley-and-lever system, the pulley mechanism is mounted in place of the tuning pegs at the top of a double-bass-style neck, which is attached to a wooden or metal body featuring a bridge, pickup and stand. The Whamola is played by hitting the string with a drum stick and either fretting it against the neck with the other hand or using the lever to alter its tension and change the pitch.

The song then later appeared as the theme for South Park’s Season 10 and on wards, it was remixed with the other song primus made for them also which keeps the authenticity for older fans!

Purple Onion was released on vinyl for the first time on the 24th of November, 2009.

I like this album because it allows Les Claypool to unleash his and vent his madness fluently and it goes without saying that it definitely to pleased his hardcore fans to this very day. His work isn’t as near edgy enough or the same level of his works with Primus but it’s like a well needed breath of fresh air!

Album of the week

I don’t know if I’ll keep up with a weekly pace but I’m going to try post a new album I find every week!

This week it will have to be one of my favourite Primus albums that I’ve indulged myself within the past couple of months.

The Desaturating Seven – Primus

It was released on the 29th of September 2017, making the album just more than a year old today.

The labels it was released under are, ATO Records and Prawn Song Records.

It’s the ninth studio album by the American group Primus, it is also the bands first album of original material since their album released within 2011 called Green Naugahyde. And it is also the first LP featuring with the original drummer Tim Alexander since 1995 when they released Tales from the Punchbowl.

The Desaturating Seven is a concept album based on the children’s book The Rainbow Goblins, written by Italian author of children’s books, Ul de Rico. This is also explicitly shown within the colourful album cover which is personally one of my favourites!

The album has been noted as a stylistic change for Primus especially within comparison to their previous works. The album explores more or less the traditional aspects of progressive rock, it’s more or less tailored for fans of Primus in general or those into prog rock with a fun twist, because of the fun childish story to follow throughout the album takes play.

The constant use of panning throughout the majority of the tracks helps to create the surreal feeling Primus were always aiming for. Layering also helps this too because without a doubt something is always happening during a pause and or a build up to something big within the story they’re telling about the The Desaturating Seven!

The band consists of a standard prog rock line up in which being Bass, Guitar, Drums, keys and a hell of a lot of effects such as delay and distortion where it best seeks fit on the tracks.

The track, ‘The Seven’ definitely sets the fun mood for the whole album as it’s more or less an introduction to the seven Goblins that are presented to us on the album cover.

But overall, I think it’s one of Primus’ most creative albums along with ‘Sailing the Seas of Cheese’ and ‘Fizzle Fry’, but if you have the time I high recommending to this album for the sheer creativity of it!

What Music Means To Me.

Over the past three years my love and passion has grown for music considerably more thanks to many people that have contributed to it, musicians, teachers and many others.

Ever since my second year in secondary school, I began playing guitar and I’ve progressed even further since that very day, my dad initially got me into Pink Floyd heavily and that’s where it all started then that soon led onto bands like Queen and The Beatles.

Only until two years later until I properly dedicated myself to music, during the majority of my time in secondary school I found myself being too shy and very insecure whist playing round over students which was excellent. I eventually stepped up during Christmas time in 2016 and joined a band with three other students playing lead/rhythm guitar depending on what song we were playing. This mainly happened with the help from one of my previous music teachers, Mrs Wilson.

At the beginning of the GCSE Music studying was a bit tough amongst all of my other subjects, but she has always pushed me to go further ever since the start, she gave me piano lessons which helped me with my basic knowledge of Music Theory at the time even though piano is my worst enemy when it comes to co ordination along with drums.

Nearing the start of the new year, the band started to from my new taste and playing style when it came to music. My two original music teachers both eventually left before the new year, one retired and Mrs Wilson was planning to leave and look after her children full time after she gave birth to the one due at the time.

Within the first week within January 2017 (the 5th I think) my class were introduced to our new substitute teacher, at first I found him weird as it takes time for me to get used to new people but yet again he was still a cool music teacher. After getting to know him a lot more than I did at the time of him first joining, my taste in music yet again changed to a much more heavier and slower pace, with touches of Jazz on the side, his name is Ben Chilcott.

During that year we played three major gigs, well to me at least: Whiteley’s Parish Rooms, Meadowside Festival and the Christmas concert. It was my first time playing Meadowside and it helped my confidence massively having him by my side filling in bass for us because our bassist had a injury with her back. Whiteley’s Parish rooms were fun to play whilst representing the school, gigs like that made me feel like i was actually repaying the school for what they’ve given me so far as a musician. The Christmas Concert didn’t go particularly well for me, however it was more about the experience that came out of it rather than a perfect flashy performance. It showed me as musician what I needed to work on for the next time I perform solo rather than locking up rather than being prepared and ready for failure if I slipped on the smallest mistake.

At the beginning of the new year (2018), I began to look at myself as more of a professional musician and began to take more pride within my craft than anything else that came to mind, I thought this would be more productive rather than messing around with others and getting involved with petty friendships and all that crazy jive.

Yet again, with the help from Ben I was guided within the right direction for doing so, as sad as it may sound I preferred to spend my free time with him talking about music, literature and film rather than talking to others as they were a bad influence on me from the start. After weeks of serious practice, some tips and tricks from Ben, I eventually perfected the solo ‘Money’ by Pink Floyd and by that time I also finished the majority of the coursework for GCSE music.

Nearing the end of my final academic year at Henry Cort, the creative arts department as a whole put on a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘School of Rock’. All besides from helping out Ben and the music department where I could which I always took great pride within, the production was the best thing I had done during my time at Henry Cort. Considering that our whole pit band learned the majority of the score by ear, it went very well, it was also a good laugh amongst the band which was always fun even within rehearsal when we got occasionally fed up with it all!

At the end of the academic year, I found it very upsetting to be leaving Ben and the creative-arts department behind, but he let me know that I’m always welcome to come back and give a hand, I’ll always be there to help him out and he will always be there to help me which is nice to know.

Now that I’ve joined Fareham Music, it’s been a lot more serious which is one of the many aspects in which I like about it, even though I’m still settling in and rebuilding more confidence day by day. The lectures, Chris, Jason and Dan are three of the best people and musicians that have so far furthered my love and passion towards my craft, they are always ready and willing to help anyone out, and without a doubt make my day that little bit better.

Ever since I’ve joined, I have began to trust my abilities considerably more and with the help of Chris’ almighty influence I have finally picked up the bass properly (without a pick); I also found out that Chris used to teach Ben in college also which is a good laugh! I cannot wait to continue studying music like a professional after many dedicated years so far and then eventually within the future my end goal is to become a teacher most probably just like Ben and Chris.

But for now, I have a lot more work to do, this is me signing off…

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