THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.

Really!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdRL6qH3YRM

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For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.

Strummer said something about their playing it and IIRC he said something like "Rastas were hip to what we brought to the party".
On the clip he actually mentions Junior Murvin and how high he sings 'Police and Thieves'.
Have you found the door yet?

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

Closer - Joy Division

I like this because it’s Joy Division. If they’d released an album of Ian Curtis reading the Yellow Pages I’d have bought that as well, and it would’ve been brilliant. In fact it’s a wonder that Factory didn’t come up with that idea.

The word ‘masterpiece’ is overused (not least by me on this thread), but guess what? It’s a masterpiece of post-punk, and won NME’s album of the year back in 1980. I suspect that if Curtis didn’t commit suicide we wouldn't hold this album in the reverence we do now. But he did, and we do.

It’s easy to be insightful with the benefit of hindsight. Curtis was having an affair with Belgian journalist Annik Honoré during the recording of this, and was in the process of leaving his wife and child. His epilepsy had taken a hold of him, causing massive harm to both his physical and mental health. They were on tour, which caused him to attempt suicide once before. Thankfully he failed on that first attempt. Basically his life was a mess. Not helped by being in a band with Hooky I’d imagine.

The cover is a tomb. Peter Saville, Factory’s art director, swears to this day that it was designed before his death. As with Power, Corruption & Lies before it, the big singles aren’t on it obviously. So we don’t get Atmosphere or Love Will Tear Us Apart, but we do get my favourite Joy Division song in Isolation.

Best track, Isolation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ViMA_qDKTU

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For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.

Loaded - The Velvet Underground

This was the first Velvets album I heard. A friend played it saying the old cliché “You have to listen to this” put Sweet Jane on, my life was changed in an instant.

There are some astonishing songs on this. Sweet Jane (obviously), Lonesome Cowboy Bill (which is about William Burroughs) , Rock N’ Roll, Train Round The Bend to name but a few. Mo Tucker isn’t on it, Lou left the band before it was completed, which left Doug Yule to finish it, and boy oh boy does he take full credit on the liner notes. But, as usual, the songs are wonderful

Best track, Sweet Jane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHxLawJONeQ

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For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.

Velvet Donkey - Ivor Cutler

He’s not for everyone, he’s only for me.

A list of heroes…
In no particular order. Tony Wilson. John Peel. Malcolm McLaren. Alan Bennett, and of course, Ivor Cutler. Now, if I were Alan I’d be worried, as all the others on my list have snuffed it. But anyway.

Difficult to know where to start with Cutler. Poet? Surrealist? Humorist? Singer? Artist? Take your pick. He was all of those, and none. If you don’t like him, then you’ll never get him. I’ve played him to friends, and they just stare at you as if you’re mental. I don’t get Jake Thackery. A friend of mine loves him, but I just don’t. Likewise Cutler with him. Which pleases me immoderately.

Best track, If Your Breasts

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QNHGd5EcPQk

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For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.

Genesis - Foxtrot

From an era where non-football Saturday afternoons were spent in smoky record shops looking at albums that were way out of pocket money range, but became must-haves on birthday and Christmas lists (huge thanks Parrot Records, RIP)

Perhaps not their greatest album musically, but for me Foxtrot is one of the brightest lights of the Prog rock era. With subject matter inspired by subjects running from a Keats sonnet to post war slum clearances and genetic engineering, before arriving at perhaps the band's Magnum Opus

At 23 and a bit minutes Supper's Ready is a broad fantasy comprising multiple segments and themes- it's bold, bonkers and beautiful, pretty much everything that you associate with the British Prog era. I was too young to have seen them perform it live, but this isn't a bad insight if you have the spare half hour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmgQjMGgB9o

As if you need anything more, Foxtrot is made glorious through the album artwork - the third and final contribution from Paul Whitehead, following 1971's wonderful Nursery Cryme, its pure art. Add to that the amazing Charisma label graphic at the centre of the disc and this really did blow my pre-teen mind

Whilst it won't be everyone's cup of tea I've been happily listening to Foxtrot for over 45 years, one of those albums that keeps calling me back - more happy listening to come!

[quote="Oldfarmdons"]Genesis - Foxtrot

From an era where non-football Saturday afternoons were spent in smoky record shops looking at albums that were way out of pocket money range, but became must-haves on birthday and Christmas lists (huge thanks Parrot Records, RIP)

Perhaps not their greatest album musically, but for me Foxtrot is one of the brightest lights of the Prog rock era. With subject matter inspired by subjects running from a Keats sonnet to post war slum clearances and genetic engineering, before arriving at perhaps the band's Magnum Opus

At 23 and a bit minutes Supper's Ready is a broad fantasy comprising multiple segments and themes- it's bold, bonkers and beautiful, pretty much everything that you associate with the British Prog era. I was too young to have seen them perform it live, but this isn't a bad insight if you have the spare half hour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmgQjMGgB9o

Totally agree.
AND my first 'real' girlfriend was like that too.....

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

The Seldom Seen Kid - Elbow

I liked Elbow before they blew up with the release of this. Had a few of their previous albums, and thought they were ‘okay’. This changed everything for them. It’s a fantastic record. A masterpiece.

Guy Garvey seems like a nice guy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact the world could do with more Guy Garvey’s and fewer idiots like Roger Daltry banging on about Brexit and such like.

Best track, One Day Like This

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCJ7keVBj6Y

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For those that like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.

Joni Mitchell - Blue
I assume you all know and admire Joni's work. If not, have a word with yourself. This is her greatest album. It's autobiographical, covering a variety of experiences, including the baby she gave away for adoption ("Little Green") which wasn't open knowledge until years later but it's all there in the lyrics. There are also two songs ("Carey" and "California") about her time spent with Cary Raditz, living with a cave-dwelling hippie community on Crete.

Can you imagine being Cary Raditz? Some normal guy, a chef, who had a short-lived relationship with Mitchell and then appears in two of her best songs? Lucky bugger.

So, head on down to the Mermaid Cafe and Joni will buy you a bottle of wine and you'll laugh and toast to nothing and smash your empty glasses down, while singing along to the best song on the album: Carey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfZJ6sHeA6k&list=OLAK5uy_kE1oquQlHqa_H8YJeHQ5Fw1aFJt4qlIjE

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.