Music – Page 2 – French Travel Books – France, Paris, Provence & French Food & Wine

Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen album darkness on the edge of town on an artists easel

It is this classic, definitive collaboration with the E-Street Band that is my number one go-to album by him. It is pre the superstardom he was to have. The process of making great art is pressed into these tracks on ‘Darkness.’

Sandy Denny – Sandy

The front cover of the album sleeve for Sandy Denny album in vinyl entitled Sandy shoewing the beautiful portrait of Sandy Denny by the photographer David Bailey

Sandy Denny’s solo albums can be flawed to a degree, as is her work with Fotheringay. Sometimes it is the song choice being patchy, it can be over-blown arrangements or just too many musical influences on one album. But in all of them are absolute gems. She is THE English female vocalist of the 20th Century – I do not engage in arguments over that one. If I was encouraging someone coming new to her work, then I would certainly suggest going to a compilation of which there are several worthy ones. I don’t own a vinyl compilation so I must as I write about my collection go to my favourite solo album.

CSNY, Joni & The Band Wembley 1974

Programme for CSNY London Wembley concert in 1974 featuring Joni Mitchell and the Band

Taken from my Musical Journey published on AMAZON: England in 1974 was a country in crisis, politically and socially. Strikes, civil unrest, three-day weeks, power cuts, a decaying infrastructure, were troubling many. Saturday September 14th did not seem to be a day where any of that was noticed – at least not by me. HistoriansContinue reading “CSNY, Joni & The Band Wembley 1974”

Linda Ronstadt – Prisoner in Disguise

Portrait of Linda Ronstadt on the rear cover of her album Prisoner in Disguise

‘Prisoner in Disguise’ is my favourite Linda Ronstadt album. Every one of the ‘covers’ on here can lay claim to being better than the original. Her voice is so multi layered on this, betraying emotion so deep you feel she owns these songs, you can be persuaded that she did in fact write them. The song selection is perfection. It is of the time. That L.A., Eagles, Southern California vibe is stamped right through this with a tight, multi-talented band of Who’s Who of L.A. musicians. Because she was so admired by these contemporaries, and loved, the whole album is one of harmony and joy, it feels like they got great pleasure from the collaboration. Check out the gorgeous tender backing vocals of J D Souther on the ‘Prisoner in Disguise’ track. She chooses some beautiful songs on here.

Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel

MY well worn copy of gram parsons album grievous angel showing his portrait but not the original photo with Emmylou Harris

Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel Of all the albums I have ‘reviewed’ in my Vinyl collection up to now I would say this is the most difficult. Views on it will always be subjective, so I am writing this as an objective view looking back fifty years rather than how I may have felt backContinue reading “Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel”

Bob Dylan – Desire

My cover of the vinyl album Desire by Bob Dylan released on CBS in 1976 showing Dylan in hat on the photp

Desire is my latest ‘review’ from my vinyl collection. A fascinating album, lyrically and musically and also for the contributions of Emmylou Harris and Scarlet Rivera.

Ralph McTell – Spiral Staircase

Colourful cover of the 1969 album by Ralph McTell called Spiral Staircase on Transatlantic records

Ralph McTell – Spiral Staircase Before we headed out for a session at our local tennis club, my friend Chris would want to play an album. Our pre-exercise ritual. His brother was an enthusiastic and talented acoustic guitarist. We weren’t but wished we could pick the strings. We were better than him at tennis thoughContinue reading “Ralph McTell – Spiral Staircase”

Barclay James Harvest – Live

The four members of Barclay James Harvest on the cover of the live album from 1974

Barclay James Harvest – Live At the time an interest in the English band Barclay James Harvest was a bit unusual, moving me well away from the mainstream – no ‘glitter & the rouge’ with these Northern lads that is for sure. In some ways it was quite natural I should see what they hadContinue reading “Barclay James Harvest – Live”

Joni Mitchell – Blue

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded Blue in 1970 and it is one of the greatest album of all time, the cover is a perfect capture of the mood expressed on the vinyl record

Blue – Joni Mitchell Blue is in my top three albums of all time. It was not always that way, in fact it was a slow burner to say the least. I bought this album quite early on in my collection compiling. I gave that first copy away at the local record exchange. I justContinue reading “Joni Mitchell – Blue”

Jackson Browne – Late for the Sky

It would be fair to say that Jackson Browne has for me brought out more feelings about life and all that it can throw at you than any other writer. He is my go to songwriter if I want to feel better about just about anything. That may seem strange as he is to some perhaps viewed as a melancholic, slightly cynical writer. True in part, but for me no one captures the human spirit and condition better than he does. For a writer to do that from such an early age is astonishing, as shown with his mature writing of ‘These Days’, one of his first compositions.

‘Late for the Sky’, released in 1974, actually the day prior to me seeing CSNY at Wembley Stadium, a concert that opened for me by hearing ‘Take it Easy’ blasting out over the sound system as I entered the arena. That song would be my first introduction to his work.