FogBlueInSanFran
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Is there an away fans section ringed with coppers where those of us who hate them can taunt, boo and sing Oasis songs at the top of our lungs?
The Album Review Club - Week #194 (page 1303) - Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road
- Thread starter RobMCFC
- Start date
Oasis songs? Ffs mate, shat the bed.
FogBlueInSanFran
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I refer to Noel’s rather pointed comments about Radiohead to which I referred in our long-ago discussion of OK C.
GornikDaze
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If there is a free pint offer I’m sure there will be one or two takers. Now Foggy is a pensioner he might even venture over - although I guess transport costs may negate the free aspect!
Glad you’re enjoying our quirky roads - watch out for the caravan haulers though, they are a special breed
Ok. I forgive you. ;)
Mancitydoogle
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Ha I was wondering how our American cousins deal with our road network and our car park spaces where you have to breathe in to get out of your car.
It reminded me of a conversation I had a few years back in Florida, when asked as usual if Manchester was near London and how long it took to get there.I replied 4 to 5 hrs depending on traffic.’is that because of the cobbled roads ?’ came the reply.
No ,I said it depends on if the horses had been fed!
Anways hope your enjoying your trip and hopefully meet up for that free pint.
Black&White&BlueMoon Town
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I am reminded you are talking with Floridians, and then it all makes sense!
I think my adult daughter wishes she had been sedated for these rides out of Amble to Bamburgh, Alnwick, and Seahouses as I continually hear audible gasps from the back seat and "who though up these roads with no shoulders or lines??" as I do my best to get everyone from A to B.
And in listening tonight to ND, I will add that I do quite well remember "River Man" nominated in the playlist thread, I'm quite sure I liked it back then because I sure do like it now.
I've got that free pint with your name on it, unless Rob can beat you to it, but I suspect it will be open for all. Is Foggy now booking that plane, or saving his pipes for the Radiohead heckling? I certainly won't be rewarding THAT. ;-) You lot know how to PM me, so let me know.
Off to bed for an early train to the land of Sadds and Coatigan in the AM.
GoatersLeftShin
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My wife is from up that part of the world and it's an incredible place - if you're around the area, Warkworth on a sunny day is quintessential England - market town with lots of hanging baskets, tea shops and road dominated by the castle at the top.
If your daughter is a bit bored of the beaches and castles, Newcastle is a great city to visit with a lot to see. It's a great City for a beer or 15 as well and the Geordies are as good as you'll find in the UK - super friendly and always up for a chat!
If you're up in Northumberland, the drive down to the Toon is great - I'd recommend a stop off at Blyth for The Coastline which I think is the best chippy in England. After that, the coast road down through Seaton Sluice and then to Whitley Bay is lovely. Whitley Bay is a nice seaside town as is Tynemouth. Tynemouth has some great boozers and a lovely beach and great little shops too.
Newcastle has quite a lot to see too - Grey Street is impressive for the architecture, the bridges are impressive as is the Gateshead side too. The Baltic has some great exhibitions on normally.. St James Park is bang in the centre as well and worth a walk around if you've time. It's a shame you're not there for when they are at home as the whole City is absolutely buzzing when they play. Finally, if you're still hungry, the Fish Quay in North Shields is as good as you'll get in England for a chippy!
Hope you have a great time up there! :)
Reminds me of a story a colleagues told me a few years back. Robert (almost ultimate Englishman, well spoken, always in smart suits and salt/pepper hair and beard) had been delivering training to NW Airlines staff in Detroit. He delivered the morning session and one young lady asked.... "what do you do if you find a dog in a bag?"
Roberts deadpan response was, "We shoot them madam" and moved on to next question.
Afternoon session started and first question, "Is it true you shoot dogs?"
The Black Shed
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Damn good cover version.
As for the album: 8/10
Edit, that's for the Nick Drake album
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Five Leaves Left – Nick Drake
Although my favourite period of music is the mid-80s to the mid-90s, I’ve always suspected that the 1960s was the best period of music. The time that we’ve spent on the Rock Evolution thread picking through the best of the 1960s seals the deal in my opinion, so I’m very much in agreement with the sentiments set out by @GoatersLeftShin in his introduction to this album.
I love the sound of acoustic guitar strings in general, and what I particularly love about this album is that the songs are not somebody idly strumming as an accompaniment – there’s complex fingerpicking in places and it really adds to the momentum of the songs.
Checking back in my notes, I selected “River Man” from this album as one of my “Big Winners” on the Water playlist. This, followed quickly by “Three Hours” make for a superb double, and the great songs keep coming. “Day Is Done” and “’Cello Song” are both fantastic. In fact, “Day Is Done” has echoes of the acoustic parts in “Stairway to Heaven”, which of course would follow two years later.
“Fruit Tree”, with it’s rumination on failing to achieve fame whilst you walk to earth, is sadly prophetic:-
Safe in your place deep in the earth
That's when they'll know what you were really worth
Forgotten while you're here
Remembered for a while
Tasteful backing of other instruments such as the strings on “River Man”, the cello on “’Cello Song” and the vibraphone on “Saturday Sun” complement the acoustic guitar and give the album a wonderful sound. It’s one of those albums with unfussy production where every instrument has its place and they all complement each other nicely, so it’s a big thumbs up in this regard.
Having listened to this album a few times through, I can’t help but compare it to Beck’s masterpiece, Sea Change. Both are full of acoustic-based, melancholy songs backed in places by orchestration. Add to that Beck has a song called “Sunday Sun” vs Nick Drake’s “Saturday Sun” and “End of the Day” vs “Day Is Done”. Listen to “Round The Bend” from Beck’s album, and although it’s slower, it’s hard to miss the echoes of “River Man”.
One small negative: I am disappointed to find out that the album title refers to something as grubby as a Rizla packet. I thought it was a poetic way of saying we are moving from Autumn to Winter and there are only five leaves left on the tree.
Scoring wise, whilst some may be hoping for something more upbeat or an album that takes a few chances, if you’re in the market for a low-key, singer-songwriter album, it’s hard to imagine an album that would beat Five Leaves Left. It’s also hard to imagine many albums that would be nominated on this thread that would tick so many boxes for me, and for these reasons, it joins Lucinda Williams and The Waterboys on 10/10.
Although my favourite period of music is the mid-80s to the mid-90s, I’ve always suspected that the 1960s was the best period of music. The time that we’ve spent on the Rock Evolution thread picking through the best of the 1960s seals the deal in my opinion, so I’m very much in agreement with the sentiments set out by @GoatersLeftShin in his introduction to this album.
I love the sound of acoustic guitar strings in general, and what I particularly love about this album is that the songs are not somebody idly strumming as an accompaniment – there’s complex fingerpicking in places and it really adds to the momentum of the songs.
Checking back in my notes, I selected “River Man” from this album as one of my “Big Winners” on the Water playlist. This, followed quickly by “Three Hours” make for a superb double, and the great songs keep coming. “Day Is Done” and “’Cello Song” are both fantastic. In fact, “Day Is Done” has echoes of the acoustic parts in “Stairway to Heaven”, which of course would follow two years later.
“Fruit Tree”, with it’s rumination on failing to achieve fame whilst you walk to earth, is sadly prophetic:-
Safe in your place deep in the earth
That's when they'll know what you were really worth
Forgotten while you're here
Remembered for a while
Tasteful backing of other instruments such as the strings on “River Man”, the cello on “’Cello Song” and the vibraphone on “Saturday Sun” complement the acoustic guitar and give the album a wonderful sound. It’s one of those albums with unfussy production where every instrument has its place and they all complement each other nicely, so it’s a big thumbs up in this regard.
Having listened to this album a few times through, I can’t help but compare it to Beck’s masterpiece, Sea Change. Both are full of acoustic-based, melancholy songs backed in places by orchestration. Add to that Beck has a song called “Sunday Sun” vs Nick Drake’s “Saturday Sun” and “End of the Day” vs “Day Is Done”. Listen to “Round The Bend” from Beck’s album, and although it’s slower, it’s hard to miss the echoes of “River Man”.
One small negative: I am disappointed to find out that the album title refers to something as grubby as a Rizla packet. I thought it was a poetic way of saying we are moving from Autumn to Winter and there are only five leaves left on the tree.
Scoring wise, whilst some may be hoping for something more upbeat or an album that takes a few chances, if you’re in the market for a low-key, singer-songwriter album, it’s hard to imagine an album that would beat Five Leaves Left. It’s also hard to imagine many albums that would be nominated on this thread that would tick so many boxes for me, and for these reasons, it joins Lucinda Williams and The Waterboys on 10/10.
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Black&White&BlueMoon Town
Well-Known Member
I will reply offline with some additional notes and context to you, GLS, but first, thank you for all the great suggestions!
I wanted to let you all know that I stumbled across a rare and unique artifact while in Stirling yesterday at the city's oldest pub after visiting the castle with its many of the same, and then the beheading stone at the top of the park. It was just about dinner time, and I was looking for some musical inspiration when I stumbled across this, and realized how appropriate this rare find was. I'll leave the interpretation to the discerning reader. Only in Scotland? :-)
BimboBob
Well-Known Member
Fill the pages with childish drawings of knobs and then burn it, piss on it and burn it again.
BimboBob
Well-Known Member
Away in the Cotswolds at the mo but had a sort of listen yesterday. Will try and do more tomorrow.
FogBlueInSanFran
Well-Known Member
I listened while on a long walk through an Oregon forest yesterday (all needles; no leaves) and whilst my wife said “I don’t think you’re gonna like this”, it was a nice accompaniment. I’ll listen some more and page through the lyrics but in essence it seems like a Sunday morning ambient record and those almost definitionally cannot be terrible nor wondrous.
NZBlue
Well-Known Member
Great to see Nick on here. I am a huge fan. Even though I've not been partaking on previous rankings this one is an undisputed 10/10
(I suspect I know @threespires hinted at next nomination too)
(I suspect I know @threespires hinted at next nomination too)
Out on blue 6
Well-Known Member
This is a hauntingly beautiful album
I first came across Nick Drake when Mark Radcliffe played Northern Sky on one of his nighttime shows followed by Riverman a few weeks later so I knew he was a fan.
That sent me on a journey of discovery to explore what is at the end of the day a relatively small back catalogue. What a good choice that was.
I'm not going to go into individual songs as there are too many standouts but I've always thought if he was releasing these songs now even with I'm sure critical acclaim he wouldn't be selling much.
To quote the title of another song maybe he just wasn't made for these times.
This is a good pick not because this is a great record as for me that goes without saying it's because it gives posters the opportunity even if they know the name Nick Drake to now hear what is an unique voice in music history.
9 out of 10 from me
I first came across Nick Drake when Mark Radcliffe played Northern Sky on one of his nighttime shows followed by Riverman a few weeks later so I knew he was a fan.
That sent me on a journey of discovery to explore what is at the end of the day a relatively small back catalogue. What a good choice that was.
I'm not going to go into individual songs as there are too many standouts but I've always thought if he was releasing these songs now even with I'm sure critical acclaim he wouldn't be selling much.
To quote the title of another song maybe he just wasn't made for these times.
This is a good pick not because this is a great record as for me that goes without saying it's because it gives posters the opportunity even if they know the name Nick Drake to now hear what is an unique voice in music history.
9 out of 10 from me
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Bill Walker
Well-Known Member
Haven't heard anything by this artist before but I've been immersing myself with it.
It has that emotive singer songwriter mode , nice for when you're in the mood.
Has some interesting facets to his music and as usual I like to dissect it with a musical analysis.
So as not to get boring I will choose my favourite track only. The opening song, Time Has Told Me.
Interesting song musically it's in a 6/8 time signature, I really like songs in 6/8, a kind of rocking chair feel.
A 6/8 time signature means there are six eighth notes in a measure.
It has a "compound" meter, meaning each main beat is divided into three parts, giving it a lulling, two-beat feel (like a waltz) rather than a straightforward one-two-three-four feel of 4/4 time.
The emphasis is on the first and fourth eighth notes, creating a "ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six" count. So it's..
One 2 3 Four 5 6..etc.
Other well known songs in 6/8 are Norwegian Wood, Nights in White Satin, Scarborough Fair, We Are the Champions, Babies in Black etc.
Nick often worked in unusual time signatures – 5/4 in River Man !
I've also noticed that Nick used a lot of cluster chords, which are chords built in chromatic notes, not thirds like normal chords are built from, basically he added unusual notes to normal chord patterns, this has the effect of making normal chords sound more dissonant.
Also the song involves some offsetting melodic phrases so they didn’t begin or end in the expected place; holding a melody line through a chord change to create ephemeral passing chords; and a preference for unusual or unexpected shifts in rhythm patterns.
You can 'feel' this more later in the song.
Anyway, that's the 1st track !!
Overall I like the album very much, I don't think it's a classic as such, but if you're looking for some dark, introspective romanticism, I recommend it. It's interesting.
I really love the acoustic double bass !!
Not so much however the country style slide lead guitar.
If anything lets it down I think some of the other songs have weaker melodies.
7/10
Nick puts me in mind of John Renbourne of Pentangle.
It has that emotive singer songwriter mode , nice for when you're in the mood.
Has some interesting facets to his music and as usual I like to dissect it with a musical analysis.
So as not to get boring I will choose my favourite track only. The opening song, Time Has Told Me.
Interesting song musically it's in a 6/8 time signature, I really like songs in 6/8, a kind of rocking chair feel.
A 6/8 time signature means there are six eighth notes in a measure.
It has a "compound" meter, meaning each main beat is divided into three parts, giving it a lulling, two-beat feel (like a waltz) rather than a straightforward one-two-three-four feel of 4/4 time.
The emphasis is on the first and fourth eighth notes, creating a "ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six" count. So it's..
One 2 3 Four 5 6..etc.
Other well known songs in 6/8 are Norwegian Wood, Nights in White Satin, Scarborough Fair, We Are the Champions, Babies in Black etc.
Nick often worked in unusual time signatures – 5/4 in River Man !
I've also noticed that Nick used a lot of cluster chords, which are chords built in chromatic notes, not thirds like normal chords are built from, basically he added unusual notes to normal chord patterns, this has the effect of making normal chords sound more dissonant.
Also the song involves some offsetting melodic phrases so they didn’t begin or end in the expected place; holding a melody line through a chord change to create ephemeral passing chords; and a preference for unusual or unexpected shifts in rhythm patterns.
You can 'feel' this more later in the song.
Anyway, that's the 1st track !!
Overall I like the album very much, I don't think it's a classic as such, but if you're looking for some dark, introspective romanticism, I recommend it. It's interesting.
I really love the acoustic double bass !!
Not so much however the country style slide lead guitar.
If anything lets it down I think some of the other songs have weaker melodies.
7/10
Nick puts me in mind of John Renbourne of Pentangle.
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GoatersLeftShin
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That was really interesting Bill and I didn't know a lot of that.
It's incredible how people can "hear" these sounds in their heads and (for some they are able to hit on them without knowing the theory of why it works!
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Great analysis, Bill.
Whilst I don’t understand enough about music theory, there is something to the rhythm of this album that makes it sound different. This is what I meant when I said that it is not just some guy strumming along to his words.