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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
REVIEWS
Gig Reviews -
CD Reviews
IAN DURY & THE BLOCKHEADS SONG BY SONG
by JIM DRURY.
 Published
by Sanctuary Publishing Ltd - £12.99
This excellent 285 page book tells the story of the writing, recording and
lyrics of every Ian Dury song made with The Blockheads. The much-missed Ian Dury
was not apparently the easiest man to get on with, but there is no doubt that he
was a brilliant lyricist and a true original. He has left behind a legacy of
songs, 60 of them recorded with The Blockheads which are dissected and discussed
expertly in this book by Jim Drury.
And fascinating it is too, Jim knows his music and has interviewed the remaining
members of The Blockheads so the complete story of the writing and evenful
recording sessions unfolds.
Ian was a complicated character who, despite his apparent good humour, could be
cruel and dictatorial to members of the band. Scarred by his childhood
experiences, and with a chip on each shoulder because of his disability brought
about by polio, Ian put a lot of his experience into his songs, sometimes with a
great deal of venom, but always with wit. Demanding and ruthless with his
musicians, he was even banned from the studio by his band at one time! But
artists like Chaz Jenkel, Micky Gallagher, Johnny Turnbull, Norman Watt Roy and
Wilko Johnson seem to be able to forgive Ian for just about anything and are
obviously proud to have played a part in his history. They are still playing the
music today to prove the point.
Complete with a full discography and printed lyrics plus a 10 track CD of live
recordings of Ian’s songs featuring The Blockheads and vocals by Wreckless Eric,
this book is essential reading for Ian Dury fans. Very well researched and
written in tight journalistic style by Jim Drury, not a word is wasted. Honest,
informative and comprehensive, I think Ian would have approved of a fascinating
tome which brings to life those great songs - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick,
Sweet Gene Vincent, Billericay Dickie, Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 3 and many
more.
I once did a telephone interview with Ian a couple of years before his death
during which he described me - in the friendliest of ways - as “a persistent
bastard” , a moment I will always treasure from the man who gave us There Ain’t
Half Been Some Clever Bastards. Buy it!
Gig Reviews
(top)
WHITESNAKE, PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL -
15/10/2004.
 Review
& Photograph by Claire Edwards
I am not really a lover of support bands, having seen some
pretty awful ones.
But this gig was quite an exception. Supporting Whitesnake on their long-awaited
tour were The Quireboys who have a huge following in the States. It was a
pleasure to be entertained by an energetic band that could capture the
audience’s attention from the very first song. Opening with “Good To See Ya”, it
was not hard to see that this band was indeed meaning business. They gave us an
electric performance with “Hey You” which got the crowd singing and fired up for
the arrival of Whitesnake.
As soon as the lights dimmed, the place erupted as David Coverdale ran onto the
stage to a huge reception. Straight into “Burn” there was no let-up.
We heard some great guitar work as Marco Mendoza and Doug Aldrich put their
hearts into “Snake Dance.” Great songs like “Is This Love?”, “Fool For Your
Lovin”, “Here I Go Again”and “Don’t Break My Heart” were all received with the
enthusiasm Whitesnake deserved.
This was indeed a night worth waiting for - it’s been over 18 years since we
last saw Whitesnake live in this country and David was enjoying every minute of
it.
Apologising to the crowd for “being a long time” he made up for it by continuing
to keep the crowd well entertained in the sold-out venue. Finishing the set with
“Take Me With You” the Guildhall was now roaring with electrifying excitement.
Leaving the crowd cheering for more, the evening came to an end with the perfect
finale, “In The Still of the Night.”
This was certainly a gig not to miss - if you go and see Whitesnake and The
Quireboys at Southampton Guildhall on Saturday November 27 I promise you, you
will not be disappointed!
"The Best of Me." Tivoli Theatre. Wimborne. 9/10/2004
Review by Ellen Holbrook
Having evolved from "Cliff The Musical," this show use the protagonists from
the cast. Anyone having seen the West End show would surely wonder how it
would compare and differ enough to stand up in its own right. Jimmy Jermain,
known for winning 'Stars in Their Eyes' as Sir Cliff was one of three Cliffs in
the West End, and was the one chosen for this tour.
It is no wonder Jimmy was chosen, he is so similar to the real Cliff that
it is eerie. It is one thing to sound like a 'star' but to look and move like
one as well is another thing. He has gone from just a guy winning a contest
to the foremost Cliff tribute artiste going.
His professional manner and
ability to handle an audience makes him a perfect frontman, one who has
obviously studied Cliff's mannerisms to such a fine art it may be considered
stalking! I wonder if he has to remind himself that he is Jimmy and not Sir
Cliff!?
The concert format combines song with humour illustrating all involved work
well together, well enough to play practical jokes on one another! The first
half concentrates on recent hits, where as the second is all 60s. It is in
the second half where the band backing Jimmy, The Rapiers; known for their
Shadowesque style come into their own. Any musician
can play a Shadows tune, but The Rapiers have made it their own. Matching red
guitars; smart attire; stylised movements; and the unique sound makes the
Cliff and Shadows times come to life once more on stage. To complete the
experience, ex- Shadows bass player Jet Harris, who is always backed by The
Rapiers,
makes a guest appearance giving us a taster of what you can expect in his own
shows including his famous dry humour and 'smiles'! Scarlet O' Hara, Nivram
and FBI are just a few that are played with style and ease. Cliff Hall, also a
Shadow plays keyboards whilst performing balancing tricks on his chair!
A nice touch was Jimmy giving flowers to women in the audience - anyone
having seen Cliff Richard will know women always give Cliff the flowers so this
made a change! One woman was chosen to have a song directed at
her, and shook so much I'm sure she was one from the first two rows who
thought they were seeing the REAL thing! Or knew it was the nearest they would
get. Many remarked that the show topped its sister production of
"Cliff The Musical" by being personal, fun, and no fear of joining in. With
dates going well into 2005 there is plenty of time to catch it, but will once
be enough??
Jackie Leven, Talking Heads, Southampton.
 A
small audience enjoyed a very intimate set from a slightly subdued Jackie Leven.
By subdued, I only mean less swearing than usual in between songs; the man from
Fife was in fine voice and the set list may have been melancholy but it was
totally engrossing. Jackie started with a new song - I think it was called "Dry
River Bed" - following up with "Crazy In The Morning" and "In Search of Stone,"
a song inspired by watching willow-cutters on Cranborne Chase in Dorset
apparently.
A cover of Van Morrison's "Slim Slow Slider" was followed by two evocative new
songs from the prolific Jackie, "Revenge of Memory" and "Courtship in Scottish
Factories." "Can you take any more like these?" asked Jackie, referring to the
somewhat mournful songs in his set. "Yes" was the mutual consensus as Jackie
sang three more haunting songs, “Tied Up House,” the plaintive “Poortown” and
the doom-laden “Exit Wound.” As usual the inter-song anecdotes and observations
were as rewarding as the songs. Another great set by an underrated
singer-songwriter whose songs engage the mind and the emotions.
CD Reviews
(top)
TOM WAITS. REAL GONE.
 ANTI-INC 6678-2.
Running time: 72:07
You never know quite what you are going to get from Tom Waits - the only worry
is that his constant experimentation sometimes produces the occasional virtually
unlistenable track. There are one or two that get a little close to that area
here, but overall the 16 tracks are absolutely fascinating . Mojo Magazine
descibed this as “a blackened jewel of an album” and I wouldn’t argue with that.
The only surprise is that there is no piano on any of the songs, which must be a
first. He has gone for a mix of guitars and banjo and uses percussion to great
effect, incorporating his own human beat box sounds. Like 1999’’s Mule
Variations there’s a strong blues and gospel feel to some of the tracks. In fact
the first three tracks, Top of the Hill, Hoist That Rag and Sins Of The Father
are very bluesy indeed in a field-holler sort of way. The pace picks up with the
shattering Shake It, gets eerie with the great Don’t Go Into That Barn, and
there’s even the nearest thing Tom has done to a dance track on Metropolitan
Glide. On the remaining tracks there’s some lounge lizardly sounds on Dead And
Lovely, a hilarious spoken word song Circus, reminiscent of Frank’s Wild Years,
more gospelly sounds on Make It Rain and a wealth of unusual instrumentation and
typically dense and descriptive lyrics. But the highlight of the album is Day
After Tomorrow, a haunting anti-war song about a soldier waiting to be shipped
home from service overseas, knowing that a lot could happen in the day in
between, be it a stray bullet or a change in the political agenda. A great song,
which sent shivers up and down my spine throughout.
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS. ABATTOIR
BLUES/THE LYRE OF ORPHEUS.
MUTE RECORDS - CD STUMM233.
Running time: Disc 1: 43:05 Disc 2: 39.25
Not an easy listening experience, but a rewarding one. Best heard in one go,
both albums are both lyrically and musically diverse. “Abattoir Blues” gets off
to a great start with the storming, soulful “Get Ready for Love” and the
songwriting and vocal standards are maintained throughout with Nick varying his
vocals from an apocalyptic growl to smooth baritone. It’s really the world
according to Nick Cave with a strong dose of philosophy and humour in the
lyrics, and the message seems to be that despite the moral vacuum of the modern
world, it’s still a beautiful place and somehow we survive.
“There She Goes My Beautiful World” encapsulates this feeling perfectly with the
help of the London Gospel Choir. The gospel sound is also present on the
excellent “Let The Bells Ring.” “The Lyre of Orpheus” has a gentler feel with
the title track a humorous reinterpretation of the Eurydice myth.
“Breathless” summons up an idyllic world of unbridled romanticism -”For still
the fire of love is true and I am breathless without you.”
“Babe You Turn Me On” is probably the highlight of this disc and really sums up
the whole ethos of the two albums, highlighting the glories of nature and the
moral collapse of mankind. “Supernaturally” is another tour de force with a more
Latin feel, while the closing “Carry Me” and “O Children” reprise the uplifting
gospel feel heard on “Abattoir Blues.” A great, but exhausting aural experience.
GRAND DRIVE. THE LIGHTS IN THIS TOWN
ARE TOO MANY TO COUNT.
BMG - GDPRO1. Running time: 49.40
This may be the album to accelerate the career of a very good band. It’s their
fourth, and if it’s slightly limited in scope, there isn’t a dud track here.
It’s really good, old-fashioned songwriting, catchy melodies and great vocal
harmonies. The mood is a kind of soft country rock with an infusion of folk and
pop. Love seems to be the running theme from the opener “Love & The Truth” to
the closing “Your Final Hour.” It’s one of those albums that grows on you, full
of little hooks and harmonies, and gentle evocative lyrics.
Mainly guitar-led, simple arrangements, a clear-cut sound, this will probably
appeal to people who like bands such as the Cosmic Rough Riders. No real
standouts but a collection of well-crafted songs that have an uplifting effect.
You can see the band at The Brook in Southampton on October 31.
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