Bass

Week 40: Shed Seven- Liquid Gold

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I already told you (I think) in my review earlier in the year that I like Shed Seven, and they have been underappreciated by the mainstream. The media especially had harsh words for them during the Britpop movement, but it is nice to see the York lads have remained defiant and carried on regardless.

Take a moment to appreciate their loyal fanbase, who have been part of their journey for over 30 years . Despite the criticism from mainstream music journalists, the band remains popular , largely due to their strong connection with their fans. Their music, especially the 90s singles, have become anthems that still sound fresh today. “Liquid Gold” is a testament to this bond, not just a lazy greatest hits album . It’s been reworked and includes an orchestra, giving it a fresh and bombastic sound. Was it a risk? Yes. Was it worth it? This record is amazing. That’s your answer.

I haven’t looked into the vinyl edition yet, but that version is even better than the other versions. I just went to the band’s official YouTube channel and listened to it. I’m glad they chose to reimagine their greatest hits because we already had “Going for Gold” released in 1999. 

The opener is ‘Getting Better,’ featuring strings and bass. Although the track has been altered, it still maintains the uplifting tempo of the original with a bigger chorus. I’ll be honest with you: You are in for one hell of a listen.

I am going to single out ‘Devil in Your Shoes’ and ‘On Standby’ next for continuing in the same vein as ‘Gettin’ Better’, but this time, violins are a highlight on the chorus. It is worth noting that both songs retain their originality.

One of the album’s most striking features is its uplifting nature, enhanced by the orchestral elements. The orchestral version of ‘Disco Down’ is a perfect example. Surprisingly, it surpasses the original, which was already brilliant, in terms of its musicality and emotional impact.

I could wax lyrical about this record all day and all night. It is truly magnificent. The listen flies by; you are definitely having fun.

Some might say the band are showboating on this album and basking in their success earlier in the year, but who cares? They have been underappreciated for decades. They deserve to swagger. The band sounding tighter than ever, and Rick Witter’s vocals have remained ageless. Honestly, I couldn’t tell his vocals apart from then and now.

We can only dream the reworking ‘Going for Gold’ to become the next James Bond theme because it will be the perfect fit.

Issy Ferris performs vocals on the new version of ‘Waiting for the Catch’. Yes, some recent songs get a makeover. The latest version with Issy will be one of their best in future years.

There is room for a new song called ‘All Roads Lead to You’, quintessential Shed Seven.

Okay, reworking songs with an orchestra or otherwise isn’t original, but the Sheds haven’t made it cliched. The band worked with the orchestra to build up the chemistry and create lightning in a bottle while still keeping the band’s identity.

The album wraps up with the enchanting ‘Chasing Rainbows’ , another sublime reworking. I do wish ‘She Left Me on Friday’ was included, as it’s a personal favourite. I urge you to listen to the album from the beginning, as it’s a true delight with no disappointing reworkings. This record is a gem, consistently uplifting and enjoyable. I’ve included some song recommendations, but trust me, it was a tough call. Kudos to the Sheds for this fantastic record.

Song recommendations: ‘Going for Gold’, ‘Waiting for the Catch’. ‘All Roads Lead to You’

10/10

Week 42: the Rolling Stones- Hackney Diamonds

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Here is a track-by-track review of the band’s new material for a very long time:

Angry:

The teaser for the record is undoubtedly up-tempo and effortless. It reminded me of some of their songs from the 80s. More so with the riffs rather than Mick’s vocals, which never seem to change.

Get Close:

What I liked about this track is the band went rogue with this one and added a saxophone solo and harmonies that are hardly “a la mode”. However, I like all that avant-garde stuff, so fair play to them for not trying to follow the trend—the first of two tracks to feaure Elton John.

Depending on You:

It is a radio-friendly country ballad complete with soaring strings.

Bite My Head Off:

Paul McCartney (Who recommended they return to the studio for the first time in over a decade.) features on this punk-fuelled track. You wouldn’t know his presence on the track until Mick bellows, “Come on, Paul!”. 

Whole Wide World:

Another high-energy track that discusses Mick and Keith addressing youngsters about the things to look out for before they grow old and wise.

Dreamy Skies:

This is the halfway point and the end of the A-side of the vinyl (if you happen to purchase it.). As you can imagine, as it is the final track on the A-side of the vinyl, the tempo eases to a plodding country ballad, yet instead of lulling you to sleep, it still maintains the energy enough to grab your concentration.

Mess it up:

The vinyl’s flip side, or the second half of the record, begins with an outro/intro to give you the sense of being involved in the recording process in the studio with the band. Disco is not their most robust genre for experimenting, but it works with the stomping piano thrown in at the breakdown—this is one of the final tracks to feature their late drummer, Charle Watts.

Live by the Sword:

This is the final track to feature his drumming, leading off from the Charlie Watts thing. It is fitting, then, that this is also another uplifting track with a vibrant piano riff. However, this one is less disco and more what can only be described as a nod to the late Elvis Presley with Elton John(second and final track.) providing the aforementioned vibrant piano riff. Although not lyrically strong, it is surpassed by Mick’s vocal skills and Elton’s dazzling piano playing. Don Was from Was(Not Was) is on production. Ex-bassist Bill Wyman also makes a cameo.

Driving Me too Hard:

It’s a quintessential Stones track with recycled riffs. One for the purists rather than the casuals who might find this “safe” and just a filler.

Tell Me Straight:

It was the first track to have guitarist Keith Richards take over vocal duties. His vocals suit this melancholic ballad. Surprisingly, you want this one to last longer because there appears to be beauty in listening to this. I like melancholic songs, which the Smiths and Noel Gallagher have mastered, so I’ll let you cast your aspersions here.

Sweet Sounds of Heaven:

A sublime track. With Lady Gaga singing and the great Stevie Wonder working his magic on the keys, it doesn’t feel like the Rolling Bones(Deliberate.)are on this in any way, shape or form. It’s quite surreal seeing the band cede control of their track. It is the longest, weighing in at over seven minutes. Although Lady Gaga soars with her vocal performance, what happens when Mick returns to duet is beyond words. This gospel-inspired song is just exquisite. My favourite by far.

Rolling Stone Blues:

We end the album with the cover ‘Rolling Stone Blues’ by the legendary and late Muddy Waters. This is the first time the band have recorded the cover, despite it inspiring their name. It is a comedown after celestial ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’, but it doesn’t feel inferior in the slightest. 

Song recommendations: ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’, ‘Angry’, ‘Mess it up’

Week 27: Jack Savoretti- Europiana

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Several years ago, I first heard Jack Savoretti (or Giovanni Galletto-Savoretti) in ASDA. Still, I only knew who it was when I went to the Victorious Festival in 2016, where Jack performed seven songs before Ash took the stage. It was sad to see Jack performing every drop of energy on stage as most of the crowd talked among themselves or headed to and fro the bars and food stalls dotted around the field. It reminded me of when I saw Ed Sheeran on his “Red” tour in autumn of 2011 at the His Master’s Voice Forum in Hatfield, where one of the support acts, Passenger, was performing on stage while the crowd mainly ignored him. It prompted Passenger to say, “Don’t mind me. I’ll just create an ambience while you enjoy your conversation like you were having someone round for a cup of tea”. Fast forward nearly two years after that, that crowd wouldn’t give him such disrespect when ‘Let Her Go’ was in the charts. Anyway, back to Jack. Yes, my friend and I were waiting for Ash to come on, but we were one of a rare few who gave Jack the time of day. We listened to the majority of the artists and bands that day without ignoring them. It’s funny how the majority of people who gave Jack no respect that day will now listen to his songs. 

I mean, he now has a number-one album, so something went right.

I liked this record for its Nile Rodgers-esque sound, but Jack has drawn inspiration from his time in Lugano and Genoa. Just like what I did for the Doves’ latest record, I am going to do a brief track-by-track summary:

I Remember us: It sounds like Europop from France in the 1980s.

Secret Life: Goes more into that disco-funk sound for which Nile Rodgers is known. 

Who’s Hurting Who: Now, although it is a track that features the man Nile Rodgers himself with a terrific solo, I wasn’t overly impressed by it. 

When You’re Lonely: This song sees Jack draw inspiration from his time in Italy with its tender piano and his velvety vocals. 

More than Ever: This wonderful song is a sentimental auto-biographical ballad from his childhood in Italy. 

Too Much History: Again, this track returns to that Nile Rodgers-esque sound with its uptempo disco-funk and Jack’s vibrant vocals. It is my favourite off the album and made me want to listen until the end.

Dancing in the Living Room: Another disco-funk track and once again uptempo, and yes, you will want to do what the title suggests. 

Each and Every Moment: Right out of the 80s with its retro bass and uplifting tempo.

the Way You Say Goodbye: This has to be used on a cinematic soundtrack because it is apt to be played in that setting. The violins are heavenly.

Calling Me Back to You: Optimistic lyricism shrouded in energetic riffs.

War of Words: An emotional ballad that draws inspiration from the 80s to close the album.

As well as a brief track-by-track summary, I will end the review with my thoughts on the record; ‘Europiana’ is precisely what is necessary as we are still in these uncertain times; the upbeat nature of it fills your mind, body, and soul with the positivity that we all need at the moment. I found it odd because most of the album is highly inspired by Nile Rodgers and his disco funk, but he only produced one track. Cam Blackwood is the producer behind this beautiful record, and he has done a fantastic job of fusing both disco-funk and European music. 

I enjoyed Jack’s latest album, even on the downtempo and more reflective moments. Honestly, this is his finest work, and I have no idea how he can better it.

Song recommendations: ‘Too Much History’, ‘Dancing in the Living Room’, ‘More than Ever’

8/10

Week 9: Mogwai- As the Love Continues

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Blimey, the number ones are coming thick and fast. I remember 2017 when I first started, which was about nine weeks (Thanks to Ed Sheeran). I didn’t have to write a review, but things have changed in the music world since then, and the average number one in the album chart lasts for about two weeks, with three being the maximum going by last year’s outlook. Well, this week, it’s the Scottish band Mogwai, who I’m still determining when I first heard them. Maybe it might have been through the Electronic Arts FIFA series in the last decade, but this is the band’s first number-one for TWENTY-FIVE YEARS! So, I probably heard them back in the 1990s during their time at the peak of the album chart. What I find pretty fascinating about them is their obscure song titles, such as “to Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth”, which features on the album. It sounds more like an album title rather than one for a track.

The record is somewhat original, with only one track with an actual song structure, “Ritchie Sacramento”, which comes in about halfway through. The rest is centred around experimental instrumentation, which makes it quite challenging to review because those tracks tend to be boring without vocals. It’s okay to play on the guitar, drums, bass, piano, et cetera because you are playing it in a bubble, but when it comes to listening to pure instrumentation, it isn’t all that great to hold your attention. In effect, it becomes more ambience when you’re reading or busy doing something like writing a review, for example.

The only instrumental I saw with any variation from the chilled drums, the medium-tempo rock, was “Fuck Off Money”. It sounds like something the tremendous French band AIR would produce with their trademark robotic vocals into the usual Mogwai instrumentation heard throughout the album. That and “Ritchie Sacramento” have any structure, and the aforementioned isn’t structured, albeit with the robotic vocals that gradually fade into the instrumentation. They experiment with the usual instrumentation by chucking strings on “Midnight Flit”. My standout is “Ceiling Granny”, which initially brought me to this record’s attention because I had gone to an online DJ shop and found it under the picks. I loved the rock sound even though it lacked vocals. 

Compared to the usual material they produce for soundtracks, this is a lot heavier than that, psychedelic, and just entirely weird with the experimental sounds used. It doesn’t sound like any of their previous ten albums and is a vast departure from their debut.

I recommend trying not to wander off or get yourself distracted when listening to “As the Love Continues” because otherwise, you will not appreciate all the beauty that is contained in it and all the experimental sounds with all the beeps, strings, psychedelia, rock, the AIR-like robotic vocals and the chilled out drums. As I said, it is a very tough listen because of the need for vocals and structure within the tracks because, in the main, it is like just one big jam session. However, stick with it; if necessary, give it a few listens to dial your ears in.

Song recommendations: “Ceiling Granny”, “Fuck Off Money”, “Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever”

7/10

Week 7: Foo Fighters- Medicine at Midnight

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Here is a track-by-track review of the band’s latest album:

Making a Fire:

Some might say it is a typical Foo Foos track, but not quite. Although you have the usual elements that make that up, I would also classify it as “cheesy pop”, including its hand-clapping and “Na na na” refrain. Despite the element of cheese infused with regular Foo Fighters, it is a very upbeat track.

Shame Shame:

The band recently played some of the material for some lockdown sessions, with this included, so the listener should be familiar with it. We go from a pop chart-friendly song into a full-on rock that will make the setlist when the record is toured, I’m sure of it. The track in question was also used to promote the album and has had an astronomical amount of airplay, which saw it rise to no.1 in the Rock chart in America in record speed.

Cloudspotter:

This one is not a track I associate with the band; I am struggling to think of a song where they have gone into something the likes of the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Led Zeppelin would have made. Yes, this song is inspired by the psychedelic rock of the 1970s. Greta van Fleet would put this on an album rather than the Foo Fighters. It is brilliant that the band has decided to experiment on the record and made a song ready for the floor. Now, I mention him quite a bit in every review, but has the band drawn inspiration from the likes of Noel Gallagher to step back into the 70s and make music with an upbeat vibe?

Waiting on a War:

You think this track is purely acoustic, but as it swells, it turns into a full-on rock track that will shake the foundations of the arenas, especially with Dave Grohl’s in-your-face vocals.

Medicine at Midnight:

The title track is undoubtedly experimental, where the band dips into funk, acoustic, raw sound, and just like “Cloudspotter”, another song ready for the disco. I’m curious if the fans who know them for the natural rock sound will be impressed, but the band has shown how versatile they can be.

No Son of Mine:

They take it back to what the people have come to love them for with this punk-fuelled track sprinkled with Motorhead, whom they are highly inspired by. Indeed, the late Lemmy had joined them on stage as a guest. The message is also one that we can all relate to. I mean, who the fuck wants war?

Holding Poison:

Dave opts to use reverb for his vocals over choppy riffs and rhythms. It is not a great song on the record, but that’s purely academic when you consider even the shit ones on their strong albums are probably much better than what some of the other artists/bands churn out for most of their records.

Chasing Birds:

This is likely to be the second single and will probably fare better than “Shame Shame” because it is, in effect, the second instalment of their classic and my favourite song, “Everlong”. 

Love Dies Young:

The final song off the album, which so far is unbelievably short. All the songs have yet to be near the five-minute mark, which is the norm nowadays for tracks. The record clocked in at just over 36 minutes, a relatively short listen. Also, there are only nine tracks, which is unusual, especially for the Foos. Now, this track might be a typical FF track. Still, I could hear a bassline inspired by New Order or Peter Hook and the Light. It also reminded me of their acoustic ballad that builds into their usual rock style, “One of These Days”, so if you do feel underwhelmed by the shortness and tempo of the tracks, you can be won over at the end of the album, just as you were at the offset. If you buy the deluxe edition of the record, there is a listening party complete with commentary from the band after each track. Usually, this type of thing is saved for DVDs, but you have to admit, it is quite an interesting approach from the Foo Foos.

Song recommendations: “Love Dies Young”, “Making a Fire”, “Cloudspotter”

7/10

Week 52: Paul McCartney- III

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What can you say about this man? An ex-member of one the greatest bands of all time who has inspired a generation of musicians and bands to break through from Cast to Oasis and even bands to date. Paul is a self-taught musician on pretty much any instrument he picks up. It started as a child when he wanted to play the piano, which his grandad was very fond of, but Paul’s father refused to teach him, saying he would benefit more from learning to teach himself. From there, the rest is history, and Paul, since learning to play by ear, has gone on to be one of the most decorated musicians and songwriters the world has ever seen. He can write a song as if rain was falling from the sky in his native Liverpool (Like any place in England, you will understand what I mean by this.) and is called a genius by his peers even though he openly admits he despises the tag and modesty says “I’m not a genius, I’m just a bloke who writes music.”. 

Here is my track-by-track review of his latest album:

Long Tailed Winter Bird:

This is more like one of those throwaway tracks or a track that was added just as filler. There are no lyrics to this song, and the instrumental started as a track for a film upon which Paul made longer and opted to use for the current album. According to Paul, the name was taken from a book he owns about birds.

Find My Way:

Composed initially while listening to the radio in the car, Paul then took his idea into the studio. He still decided to keep the piano but changed the verses to something that worked better.

Pretty Boys:

The story is about male models whom the paparazzi harass, and Paul said upon walking in New York that he saw a line of hire bicycles and came up with the concept that the models were for hire.

Women and Wives:

This blues number on the piano was born after Paul read a book on Lead Belly. He then sat down by the piano with a few simple chords that would fit around blues vocals. From there, he flew back to England to head to the studio and record it.

Lavatory Lil:

This song is about someone you don’t like, probably even hate, and creates a sphere where you exaggerate what they are like based upon your perceptions of them. I imagine Paul did have people in mind but opted for a nameless character to avoid being caught up in a legal battle.

Deep Deep Falling:

It was the longest track on the record at over eight minutes. The track was originally going to be trimmed, but Paul liked the track that started as a jam session, which later the lyrics and vocals were added to so much, he wanted to keep it that long.

Slidin:

Again, this is another track that started life as a jam. This time, during a soundcheck while on the European leg of a tour in Germany. Originally, it was to be used for his 2018 album “Egypt Station” as he liked the riff, but it didn’t work and was therefore half-baked. He returned to it for this record’s studio sessions and added lyrics while chopping and changing several other things but keeping the guitar riff. The title is from Paul watching the Winter Olympics and the commentator saying the term “Sliding” when the sports in question were done on the piste.

the Kiss of Venus:

A psychedelic song inspired by a book Paul was given about Earth, Mars, Venus, and the moon, where the phrase, which later became the title of the song, kept jumping out at him.

Seize the Day:

Another track was created on the piano, and Paul improvised. He built the rest of the song upon some lyrics about Eskimos and ice. From there, he added about the cold days in the chorus and then turned this extremely eccentric song into about enjoying today rather than letting the cold days drag us down.

Deep Down:

Another track evolved from a jam session, and from there, he built around it by improvisation. There needed to be a solid concept in place to write a song from it.

Winter Bird/When Winter Comes:

This track surprises you because it sounds like a continuation of the opening track but then evolves into something else with vocals, drums, bass, and guitar.

Song recommendations: “Deep Deep Falling”, “Slidin”, “Seize the Day”.

7/10