The Medusa Fora

Hand Me Down. Kate Rusby.

The Specials - Protest Songs 1924 - 2012 (2021)

Given how good Encore was, i was excited for this, but after my first listen i am disappointed. A collection of covers of older & newer songs, from an early 1900s "Negro Spiritual" through to more modern fare, including a number of songs I know and like, but some of this material just doesn't suit this band. Malvina Reynold's lyrics coming out of Terry Hall's mouth just doesn't work for me, and the arrangements on a few others just sound... awkward. Not surprisingly, the band has more success with more recent faire, like Chip Taylor's "Fuck All The Perfect People" or Talking Head's Listening Wind". A very stripped down "Get Up, Stand Up" by Lynvall is great, but doesn't really sound Specials.

I dunno, maybe it'll warm with repeated listens, but the inclusion of live takes from two Encore tracks ("Lunatics" and "We Sell Hope") on my "deluxe" copy just underline what The Specials DO do well, and add to the awkwardness here.

I read an interview in which Panter said they were turning into "The worlds greatest Specials tribute band" so they decided to completely change their sound knowing that it would alienate fans. Seems to be working....

Two great albums from Sam Kelly. The Wishing Tree,which is actually a duet with the great Ruth Notman.More recently The Wishing Tree by Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys.

The Specials have definitely become their own tribute act! I saw them on the 'Beeb' the other day, some of their versions of old and not so old protest songs actually works......only three original members left from the line up from 1979.Still,some bands don't even have one original member!

Mag Samrahn wrote:The Specials have definitely become their own tribute act! I saw them on the 'Beeb' the other day, some of their versions of old and not so old protest songs actually works......only three original members left from the line up from 1979.Still,some bands don't even have one original member!

In an interesting way, i think the fullest reunion they had (2009 to whenever, with everyone but Jerry) was really the "cover band" era. Saw 'em then, and it was a great show but they really just played the singles. I had low expectations for "Encore", what with there only be three left, but I thought it was fabulous, and a good mix of their "classic" style ("Vote For Me", "We Sell Hope") and new (the disco version of "Black Skinned Blue-Eyed Boys" remains a favourite).

This album is a further stretch for sure, but it's growing on me.

Low D wrote:

Mag Samrahn wrote:The Specials have definitely become their own tribute act! I saw them on the 'Beeb' the other day, some of their versions of old and not so old protest songs actually works......only three original members left from the line up from 1979.Still,some bands don't even have one original member!

In an interesting way, i think the fullest reunion they had (2009 to whenever, with everyone but Jerry) was really the "cover band" era. Saw 'em then, and it was a great show but they really just played the singles. I had low expectations for "Encore", what with there only be three left, but I thought it was fabulous, and a good mix of their "classic" style ("Vote For Me", "We Sell Hope") and new (the disco version of "Black Skinned Blue-Eyed Boys" remains a favourite).

This album is a further stretch for sure, but it's growing on me.

I've seen at least one gig on every tour since they reformed. They've been excellent each time. Encore added some cracking tunes to their repertoire and the new stuff is growing on me too. No complaints from me if they just did the singles as there are more good ones to choose from than fit in a normal length set, but it's nice when they mix it up.

Skinny Lister - A Matter of Life and Love

Live Barrowlands 2020. Peat & Diesel.

Joni Mitchell.Archives Volume 2.The Reprise Years 1968- 1971.The divine Ms.Mitchell,with some assistance from James Taylor,Jimi Hendrix and John Peel.

firehazard wrote:Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: Carnage

Darkly brilliant. Or brilliantly dark. Or something.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are touring in 2022. I'm meeting up with Clash Cadillac and the Mrs. in Oakland California. With any luck we can get DZM to meet us there! Hope you can get to one of the shows.

Five Hand Reel - 5 Hand Reel (1976) / For A' That (1977) / Earl O'Moray (1978)
2006 remastered 2CD set, BGO Records

Andrew Thompson of Sound Performance, who did this digital remaster, has a good reputation, and while I've not got the originals to compare, these sound good to my ears. Production quality on old fringe labels can be dodgy, but original producers Geoff Heslop and Simon Nicol had a good bit of folk & folk-rock experience under their belts by the time Five Hand Reel came around, and found the right balance between acoustic and electric in the original mix. The first album might sound a bit thin, some of the vocals and drums in particular sound distant compared to the instruments and mid-range tones are maybe a bit squashed overall, but i Imagine that's down to the original source (I think i read that RCA remastered it when they bought the rights from Rubber Records in 1977 so presumably they felt the fidelity lacked punch). But I'm nitpicking here - was the sound perfect on Red Roses For Me? Surely not. Did we all love it? Surely so.

I've not ever really listened to Five Hand Reel, despite being a huge fan of Dick Gaughan, so this was a nice catch. These albums run the gamut from very folk to very folk-rock, with a strong tilt to the Northumbrian & Scottish, which all suits me fine. I'm looking forward to spending more time with these discs in the coming weeks.

William Elliott Whitmore: I'm With You

Haven't ripped it into DJ Shuffle's library, so no review as yet.

For Free.David Crosby.

The Band - Cahoots (1971)
2021 50th Anniversary 2 CD Edition
Newly remixed and remastered, all-new liner notes + bonus tracks, alternate versions, instrumentals and the Olympia Theatre, Paris, 1971 bootleg performance audio

I get suspicious when people mess with the past, especially when it's Robbie Robertson continuing to make a living off of having turned The Band into his own personal curated legend. That said, Bob Clearmountain has done a fantastic job doing a radical remix of this album, originally self-produced & self-mixed by the group. The instrumental & vocal separation are clearer, to my ears, and - in a nutshell - the mix packs more punch (which could also be down to the new mastering). New emphasis on tbe organ here and the vocals there recast the songs in a new light. Maybe it will sound too modern to some ears, but that's ok - the original mix still exists for those who prefer, with many different masterings and formats to choose from.

Like a certain Pogues album, Cahoots has always suffered in reputation due to having followed "greater" works. Taken on its own, it's a great record, with some songs* as good as any other Band tracks ("Life Is A Carnival", anyone?). These remixes have de--cluttered the songs and should help fans re-assess them on their own merits.

While not essential to the casual fan, the bonus tracks are definitely not filler, and I'd consider the "bootleg" live material essential for "real" (Serious? Hardcore?) fans, although there's certainly no shortage of excellent live material in The Band's core discography.

* (But not "Shootout in Chinatown", an embarrassing effort from Robbie that must be one of his weakest lyrics ever).