Wave, Rake

Evoking great waves

With exquisitely raked sand

Kare-sansui

Electric Warrior by T. Rex

Some of my earliest musical memories are of glam bands on Top of the Pops, with their sparkly clothes, platform boots and long hair. Who were these alien creatures and why was their music so exciting?

Of all the stars in the glam firmament, Marc Bolan burned the brightest and sadly the briefest. Like Bowie he transitioned from folk pop into harder glam rock sounds, and I wasn’t surprised to see that this album was produced by Tony Visconti.

The first two tracks Mambo Sun and Cosmic Dancer set a mellow vibe, with Beatles-esque strings before kicking it out of the park with the glorious stomping Jeepster. As well as the well known hits, he also pulls off a great blues number in Lean Woman Blues

1971 really was the best year for music.

Summer Moon, Imbibe

 Let us drink sweet mead
As moths flutter in the light
Of the honey moon

Song Sung Blue

This is based on the true story of musical duo Mike and Claire Sardina (known as Lightning and Thunder) who were also the subject of a documentary film of the same name. In 1987 Mike was a jobbing musician, performing as part of a group of tribute acts (including Elvis, Michael Jackson, James Brown and a very grey haired Buddy Holly) in dive bars and state fairs to earn a few extra bucks. He catches sight of Claire singing as Patsy Cline and they soon team up to perform what Mike prefers to call a Neil Diamond experience rather than an impersonation.

They are both divorcees with children, each with a grumpy teenage daughter and a younger son in Claire's case. They also have emotional baggage to unpack, with Mike being completely honest about being a recovering alcoholic in his 20th year of sobriety. There is a pretty much immediate spark between them and it's joyful to watch how happy they make each other when they get together to sing the songs that are so special to Mike (even if some of the early gigs don't go exactly how they imagined). They are soon married and inseparable.

The first act of the film has some great musical moments including a triumphant gig where they are invited to be the unlikely opening act for Pearl Jam, but without getting too much into spoiler territory there is then a gut wrenching twist and the film becomes an emotional rollercoaster right up to the final scene. It follows the actual story pretty much, with a few tweaks for dramatic purposes, and if you're not crying by the end then you're made of stone. 

The performances in the film are spot on, with Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson belting out some classic Neil Diamond songs to appreciative crowds, as well as quieter and more intimate moments. It's not quite a jukebox musical, but it's an enjoyable experience. Just bring a box of tissues for the second half

 

Daikon

 A misheard jingle
Seems washing machines don't last
Longer with Daikon

Crow, Moth

One black and one white

One flies by day, one by moonlight

The crow and the moth

Pills 'N' Thrills and Bellyaches by Happy Mondays

The Happy Mondays will be forever associated with a particular year in musical history and it’s not 1990’s Madchester. Rather, it’s 1971 with their iconic cover of Step On by John Kongos as well as numerous other riffs and motifs from that pivotal year. It’s slightly sobering to realise that there is a longer gap between the release of this album and today, than there was between then and the era that Shaun Ryder was gleefully plundering for ideas.

Does it hold up? Well, kind of. The rhythms and dance beats get the job done, Ryder’s nasal Manc drawl is as irritating as ever, but we never did find out what ‘Twisting my melon, man’ meant or what Bez was being paid for, exactly.

Call the cops-tastic!