Treasure

Aldous Harding - Designer (2019) ***

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: The Barrel

My musical antennae tingled when I saw Aldous Harding on Later...with Jools Holland some years ago. She seemed to be in her own world. I get that same feeling whenever I catch a performance of hers on TV (check out her version of The Barrel on Jimmy Fallon). She's a one off.

Although she's a kiwi, she seems to be from another planet when performing/playing/singing (she has a lot of different voices). Interestingly, she has previously collaborated with Fenne Lily who I chose for an AOTW recently. You can understand why - they are both singular indie-folk artists.

While I love that Fenne Lily album, I can't actually commit to Aldous. I have flirted with the idea of buying her albums, but something has held me back each time.

Highlights: Fixture Picture; Designer, The Barrel, Weight of the Planets (yes - the more up-tempo numbers, where she also experiments a bit with sound). Aside from those, Treasure is sung beautifully - I like the voice she uses on this song, and the simple piano accompaniment is sympathetic and effective.

I've often thought that I should listen to her albums more, so thanks for that Kevy!

 

No other love

Chuck Prophet - No Other Love (2002) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Summertime Thing

Chuck Prophet has been around for a while, starting out in a cow-punk band in the mid-eighties. I liked his stuff with Green on Red, much like I enjoyed other cow punks like Jason and The Scorchers (who tellingly cover a couple of Dylan songs superbly). I lost track of him in his solo years pretty much and then, bam, GK opts for Chuck's 2002 album - No Other Love.

Okay - a digression - regarding British folk and American folk. 

GK mentioned that he chose this following my Roy Harper selection and mentioned his proclivity for American folk acts. In a shock horror divergence of taste - I have a definite leaning towards the British variety and the Canadian variety (Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young, Joni, Gordy). Of course, I also love American folk artists like Joan Baez, Woody, and Dylan, but there is something earthy, tradition based (the medieval base), and authentic about British folk artists that I find particularly appealing. Some of my favourites - Steeleye Span, June Tabor, Martin Carthy, Shirley Collins, Nick Drake, Donovan, Billy Bragg, Ian Matthews, Strawbs, Al Stewart, Lindisfarne, The Waterboys and, yes - Roy Harper. 

Chuck Prophet? Is he a folk artist? Americana - yes (he seems to combine country, pop, electronica), Alt-country? Sure. But I wouldn't have put him in the folk, or even folk-rock genres.

I also find him very derivative. It's like he's put Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Nilsson, Tom Waits, Glen Campbell, and Kris Kristofferson (double helping of KK) into a blender. I hear the starts of loads of songs in his intros and in his vocal inflections.

Frinstance - I Bow Down to Every Woman I See - take some coconuts from Harry, mix in some ode to Bobby Joe and stir. Then add in some J. J. Cale style lopping beat - pop in the blender and bingo. It's no wonder GK loves this album.

Now I also love all of those influences, but the echoes tend to divide my attention. My ears prick up, pick away at the various strands, and bug me - where have I heard that before? That's How Much I Need Your Love's component parts are nagging away at me as I write.

Even the album title is slightly derivative of Gene Clark's seminal No Other. I guess it's a complment?

At times it sounds like the Everly brothers mixed in with some Highway 61 era Dylan. At times it's Chuck singing over the top of a Ennio Morricone soundtrack. At others it's like The Travelling Wilburys with Prophet doing the vocals. If Bob and Jeff need a new member Chuck Wilbury is their man.

The highlight for me is Summertime Thing. It evokes the summertime mood up brilliantly, tells a vague story in a laid back summer way, doesn't have anything that nags at me, is catchy, has some tasty pedal steel, and references The Beach Boys in a transparent fashion. 

I think I'll end there on a positive note. Chuck is good, but Chuck could be more original for my taste. Now, where's that Al Stewart album?

Hooked

Hello Sailor - Hello Sailor  (1977) *****

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Blue Lady

At the time (1977), I was more a Split Enz/ Citizen Band fan (The Beatle influenced locals) than a dedicated follower of Hello Sailor (more in the Rolling Stones camp), so in my collection I only have this album and memories of seeing them at The Windsor Castle with Mike and Greg. Oh, and a bootleg cassette that Kevy's brother made at Westlake Girls.

 

This was the band's debut album and it distills all that is best about the band - Faces/Stones style guitar riff-a-ramas, attitude songs about the down and out underbelly of Auckland life, and in lead singer Graham Brazier they had a genuine rawk staaar. His vocals are immediately distinctive.

They were far from a one trick pony though as Dave McArtney and Harry Lyons were also talented singers, songwriters and musicians ('is' in Harry's case as he's still with us - McArtney and Brazier both died far too young). Ricky Ball (from Ticket - one of my favourite NZ bands) was also a key ingredient with his powerful drumming and Lisle Kinney added the meaty bass lines.

Interesting that Gutter Black (the lead off song on side one) has over 11 million listens on Spotify and Blue Lady only has 4 mill. Maybe that's because Gutter Black was featured in a NZ TV programme (Outrageous Fortune) but 7 million more plays? and Blue Lady is easily a better song.

The other songs are deeply ingrained in my musical consciousness. I've lived with these songs for a loooong time!

Five stars? Oh yes! A Nu Zild classic!