After all I have said recently about the lack of quality in albums these days, is was going to take something pretty special to make my Album of the Month for October. And while ‘What the Night Delivers’ doesn’t blow me totally away it does have that certain something special that keeps me playing it – again and again and again – a true sign of a great album.

I’ve loved both of Scott’s previous albums ['Passing Stranger'] and ‘Elsewhere’ and was eagerly waiting for this new album – sometimes that can be fatal, the product can fail to live up to expectations. Not so with this album – it’s everything (and more) that this old Dog could wish for.

First impressions were impressive – it immediately struck a chord with me, straight away I could relate to the songs, could listen to the songs, finding new things, hidden treasures with each listen. This album is a gentle wall of sound, an album of slow-motion emotions in songs that steadily build and climb revealing themselves ever so slowly like a virgin on her first night of love.

It’s darker – no, not darker – more sublime, more at peace with itself than the previous albums. Scott appears to me have found his way, has found his way of making music and it is sublime, rarely getting out of 2nd gear, it drives your sub-conscious to places that you didn’t know existed – makes you think – makes you smile – makes you cry. Then makes you want to do it all again.

Highlights for me include…….no no no…..that would be unfair. The highlight for me is the album, it has genuinely made me sit down, put the headphones on and listen to an album from start to finish and enjoy it from start to finish – every song, every melody, every damn thing. Did I tell you about his voice? Just amazing – it’s like every song Scott has sang to the best of his ability – yeah I think it’s his performance on this album that makes it stand out so much – you can hear him, feel him giving the song his best.

You know what? This album has blown me away.

What a wonderful time to be alive….sorry to be so optimistic but this old dog is happy with his little lot in life at the moment. Just had an amazing summer, only sweating one testicle off instead of two at work, temperature is slowly dropping below 40 and I’ve discovered some great new music in the past couple of weeks – hope I’m not tempting fate here.

One of the best new discoveries is Dawes and their excellent second album ‘Nothing is Wrong‘ everything and more I could ask for in eleven songs.

Dawes is an American rock band from Los Angeles, composed of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, along with Wylie Gelber and Tay Strathairn and they make the sort of sound that one associates more with the greats of American Music – Fleetwood Mac, Eagles CSN&Y. It just about sounds perfect, great songs, wonderful harmonies, sublime melodies that drift and drift and well just drift along superbly. I haven’t heard a band in a long time that demonstrate such musical courage – they have taken a genre that can be said to be full of blandness and imitation, and achieved something incredible – they have made an album that is so fresh and vibrant so full of hooks and chorus’ that are simply magical.

Opener ‘Time Spent in Los Angeles’ has a lovely chord sequence and is a great introduction to the album with great chorus:

But you got that special kind of sadness
you got that tragic set of charms
that only comes from time spent in Los Angeles
makes me wanna wrap you in my arms

Second track ‘If I Wanted Someone’ has for me a Neil Young feel to it with great opening chords and some excellent lyrics

Like the memory from your mother’s house from before you got too old
like the feeling from a photograph before it’s meanings all got told
the words I say can be silver, but what’s left unsaid can be gold
so get to know me once I go away

Love the piano and guitar solo’s after second chorus.

I could go on and on and outline each track – but I would just repeat myself as all tracks are excellent – just buy the album its amazing. Also look out for ‘Moon In The Water’, a new mix coming here very soon with a few more songs from the album ‘The Way You Laugh’, which has Fleetwood Mac stamped all over it, ‘Moon in the Water’, a lovely acoustic track, ‘So Well’ and ‘My Way Back Home’ which ends the mix in real Americano style – good good stuff.

First of all what has happened to my lovely Amazon in the 7 years I have been away? I used to be so impressed with the speed of delivery – never mind the wait was most definitely worth it.

08 One Foot In The Grave
05 Were You There

Anyway, back to the music and back to one of my favorite new guitarists, who is making music with real heart and soul – music that really anyone with ears should listen to. For those that don’t know Philip Sayce is a Welsh guitarist who grew up in Canada and played in the band of Melissa Etheridge, he was also a member of the Jeff Healey Band so has a good heritage. The album is a combination of new songs recorded in a studio (Sunset Sound and Lion’s Share, Hollywood) and live songs that are making an old dog tap his toes and grin grin smile and grin – you getting the picture yet?

It’s a good album, yeah I would say a very good album, with Philip now developing a strong sound both musically and vocally. The songwriting is sharp and the album well produced with a lovely live sound throughout even in the studio.  It sounds like the band had great fun making it. The live part of the album was recorded on the road in France, Germany and The Netherlands, with the first half consisting of demos, alternate takes, another live song and a duet with Melissa Etheridge, the album’s opener ‘Let The Love In’ – what a great way to start the show.

Highlights for me have to be ‘Were You There’, ‘Daydream Tonight’, ‘King of New Mexico’ and of course the wonderful ‘Alchemy’ (must be my favourite Sayce song) but there’s not a bad track on the album, even ‘Cinnamon Girl’ sounds good (not as good as NY of course but close – it’s just quality blues rock on a grand scale.  So looking forward to seeing this guy on the 27th in Bristol just hope Philip and his band have the same vibe as is captured here.

FYI:

Musicians (Vol. 1)
Philip Sayce: vocals, bass, guitar
James Sayce: vocals, guitar
Kenny Aronoff: drums
Dave Cob: bass
Roger Bueno: bass
Melissa Etheridge: vocals
Fred Mandel: piano, organ
Joey K.: drums

Musicians (Vol. 2)
Philip Sayce: vocals, guitar
Joel Gottschalk: bass, vocals
Fritz Lewak: drums, vocals

Ruby Electric is released on Provogue Records, an impirnt of the Macot Label Group. Release date: July 11th. Powerful Thing is offered as a free download.

Tracks: Vol. 1 (Studio)
Let The Love In
Set Us Free
Daydream Tonight (Live at Lion’s Share)
King Of New Mexico
Were You There
Ruby Electric

Vol. 2 (Live)
Helios
One Foot In The Grave
Powerful Thing
Slipaway
Alchemy
Take You Away
Angels Live Inside
Cinnamon Girl/I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

Live dates:
08/07/11 Leverkusen, Germany @ Topos
10/07/11 Weert, The Netherlands @ Bospop Festival
11/07/11 Celle, Germany @ Herzog Ernst
12/07/11 Bremen, Germany @ Meisenfrei
14/07/11 Velden, Austria @ Bluesiana
16/07/11 Dresden, Germany @ Tante ju
17/07/11 Reichenbach, Germany @ Bergkeller
19/07/11 Erfurt, Germany @ Stadtgarten
20/07/11 Munich, Germany @ Backstage werk
23/07/11 Pommern, Germany @ Uferock Festival
24/07/11 Antwerpen, Belgium @ Rhythm & Blues Festival
25/07/11 London, UK @ Borderline
27/07/11 Bristol, UK @ The Tunnels
28/07/11 Holmfirth, UK @ Picturedrome
29/07/11 Manchester, UK @ Band on a Wall
30/07/11 Maryport, UK @ Maryport Blues Festival

Website: http://www.philipsayce.com

It Wouldn’t Take Me That Long

The best thing about MFTM, for me, is discovering new music and sharing this with you – it’s even sweeter when the music comes from a band or artist that is totally unknown to me but just sounds so damn good that I feel like I have known them all my life.

Such is the case with White Rabbit Dynamite and their new album ‘Insight’.

It’s real music written, played and performed by a real band, the sort of band you would love to see when out with mates on a Friday night – good traditional 70′s style riffs – and I just love it.

Openers Growing Strong and The Way are a fine example of what to expect, with the band in full flow from the outset – no time to readjust your headphones – they’re off and running and wheyhey I feel 15 again. You can hear what has influenced these guys as they wear their musical hearts prominently on their sleeves but this is no tribute band – they have their own way, their own style, taking the traditions of bands we all love such as Zep, Hendrix etc. but making each song glow with their own original stamp.

The Band are I think, all from Germany, and are good musicians with Marcus on guitar, Arne drums and Arvid on bass – 3 guys that play tight, loud and proud but the jewel in this little crown is Chrissi on vocals who sounds like she was born to sing the blues. She has a powerful voice, full of expression, full of passsion reminding me of a young Grace Slick, Bonnie Raitt with her lovely low end growling – listen to one of the stand out tracks on the album It Wouldn’t Take Me That Long To.. and enjoy her and the band exploring a song – taking a song to its limits – 14 minutes 33 seconds of musical heaven.

There’s so much to enjoy on this album that I haven’t stopped playing it all week and recommend you visit their website and buy the CD – it’s just so good to a real band playing real music – I wish them well.

Outside ay the Door

Wild Beasts – Smother

Here’s one that you’re either going to hate or love. I, of course love but I can understand if you say to me “C’mon whats this guy trying to sing like” or “they sound like Muse without any muse”.

So, why I like?

I think its because they sound so different, I think its because they sound so intense, I think its because they are able to take me to many different places – they appeal to my nomadic nature. There’s much to admire here, Hayden Thorpe has a voice which controls the album, makes it special – but there’s more much more.

The songs are well crafted, display much emotion but leave room for the music to breathe – and boy does this music breathe. Excellent album.

05 Plaything

06 Invisible

Ben Ottewell – Shapes and Shadows

Chatting with LZ the other day we were discussing singer/songwriters and why some make it while other more talented don’t. We didn’t really reach a conclusion but a few days later I bought this album, and it made me think a bit more about the reason. I don’t really have answer to this conundrum but listening to and enjoying the songs on the album made me realize that the key (for me) is the song and how the singer is able to portray the reason and rhyme – how he make us listen and believe.

It helps of that I love Gomez, have always loved this guys voice and I do love the sounds I’m hearing on his album. Nothing special just 10 good songs sung well that make me believe.

05 Chicago

02 Lightbulbs

03 America!

Bill Callahan, him of Smog fame – expert in Lo-Fi and Underground rock has made some mighty fine music in his time. But this is his classic – this is what he’ll be remembered for – this is just so damn good.

Sometimes music is all about the vibe, the feeling; more importantly how it makes you feel. Whenever I play this album I feel good, feel just so relaxed and calm indeed deep joy are two words that are in mind as I sit in the garden with all the Dog Clan around my feet, sipping something cold listening to this album – its a special album for a special few weeks in my life (forever).

So why is it so good? Its only seven songs long (not very good value for money I hear you cry) but every second of every song, even the silence is just so perfect. It’s like the guy had nothing to prove (true) and just made some music for the love of making music – a good combination and one that has made my album of the month a very special one.

04 Universal Applicant

I can’t tell you how good this album is – can’t tell you how much I love discovering new music by new bands that I know nothing about – can’t tell you how surprised I was when I discovered they were from the land of Milk and Honey.

I’ll let my friend Uri explain more

“I was mesmerized…
I couldn’t believe my ears were actually hearing what I was listening to.
There I was, at a warm summer night, in a small Kibbutz community at the green valley, Israel, on the doorsteps of a dirty home pub called “the chimney”– and the music that came from inside, took me on a ride back in the time tunnel…
Even before I set foot inside the place, it made me feel like I was about to enter the Avalon ballroom or the Matrix club in San Francisco, circa 1968… No joking, my friends!!

Uri Bash”

from Tree’s Myspace page

At the risk of being perverse, I’m making RPA & The United Nations of Sound my album of the month. Perverse because it’s been universally panned by the music press you see.

“Richard Ashcroft’s knack for lighters-aloft, working-class anthems will be sorely disappointed with this new venture, a bout of rudimentary ego-fodder that fails to arrest the alarming mediocrity of his recent solo output”

“In between the record’s one marked high point is…half-a-dozen contemptible lows..”

Maybe they have a point, but at the same time I think they’re missing the point.

Ashcroft has made his name making erstwhile records, honeyed in emotion. He’s long met the necessary criteria. Lyrics full of longing and lost loves? Check. Sweeping strings and melodies? Check.

This album is a side-step (albeit a smallish one) from that traditional formula. RPA (as he’s now known) trawled America and subsequently enlisted the help of hip-hop producer No I.D., long-standing Motown hero Reggie Dozier and a team of seasoned LA session players to attempt his take on black American soul with a sprinkling of hip hop and blues.

Sounds good on paper.

Looking at any number of reviews though, the music press clearly feel he should have stuck to what he’s best at. Maybe they felt the same when the Beatles moved away from their 3 minute pop formula, or when Radiohead went ‘all electronica’, or when Robbie Williams gave a nod to the Ratpack? Ok – they may have had a valid point with the latter…

My beef with them is that Ashcroft is clearly having fun and trying out something new. What’s the problem? Ok, so it falls flat in places, not least with the falsetto on “Life Can Be So Beautiful” but at least he’s given it a shot…. Only for the music ‘experts’ to line up and take shots of their own. F*ck, how they needle me! Oasis sounded the same for the whole of their career (and it wasn’t even their own sound) and yet the plaudits rolled in following the announcement of their split. In 2011, Beyonce is headlining Glastonbury. Every advert on telly these days is backed by tinkly, grating, accoustic nothingness. How did these staid, shallow industry types get to such dizzying heights? It ‘s baffling that these off-the-shelf, Soho lounge flies have so much influence.

If you want a fairer reflection, you only need look at the public’s response to these reviews. Go on-line, read the reviews and then scroll down to readers comments. They’re more revealing, more truthful and not enveloped in their own self-importance. I quote a reader from the NME’s website:

I think what he’s doing with the whole rebranding direction is daisy, the industry stinks of corporate waste at the moment there’s no decent bands coming out anymore and for RPA to unite a band together to make an album that collaborates whilst not compromising from his soul soothsaying style is not only a testament to his talents as a musician but goes a long way to suggest that his intellect when it comes to his fans is sound.

I couldn’t have put it more succinctly myself.

With this review coinciding with the beginnings of Spring, I’m hoping that I may have found an album that entwines itself into my soundtrack for the Summer. The uplifting, soul-lite offerings here begged to be played loudly in a sing-a-long, windows down, holiday-driving styleee. As the song titles and the themes suggest, the album seems intent on celebrating life. Ashcroft? Surely not. No homage to Bitter Sweet Symphony? It must be a crock then!

There’s plenty of joy to be found in RPA’s new offering, without the need to slog through pastures old.

07 How Deep Is Your Man_

How Deep Is Your Man is vaguely bluesy, complete with a few Chess Records samplers to add authenticity. Big Rich seems to be enjoying himself on this track. Indeed, we’re treading new ground.

05 Beatitudes

Beatitudes sees Ashcroft having a funky little party for the sake of it. A doff of the cap to the Rolling Stones – hell, to good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll in general.

02 Born Again

Born Again seems to hit a collective critics nerve, not least because of the lyric “I saw Venus up in the sky/I turned down my head and Serena smiled/And I’m born again”. The journos hate it! F*ck the lyrics and just enjoy the song. Ashcroft makes no Dylan pretensions by releasing this album. Quite the opposite in fact.

If you want something that’s harmless, enjoyable but also laced with quality from someone who’s been making credible music for twenty years, you could do worse.

This month by Spacepig

So, with the Laughing Dog taking a bit of a break from buying CD’s, preferring instead to concentrate on individual songs, it’s down to us dinosaurs to choose the album of the month until he sorts his brain out.

So when the offer came up, of course I dived in head first and here’s my first offering. OK, so it’s not a new album by any stretch of the imagination, but well, when has that mattered on this website? It’s one that will no doubt have appeal to all you reprobates out there in MFTM land.

The world that Warren Zevon inhabited was a strange, dark place, populated by murderers, rapists, ghouls and demons (wait a minute, sounds like my home town on a Saturday night). His early life was spent studying classical music, and an teenage acquaintance was none other than classical composer, Igor Stravinsky.

In 1975, whilst on a trip to Spain, Zevon composed our first track, “Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner”.

From Wikipedia:

Roland is a Norwegian who becomes embroiled in the Nigerian Civil War and Congo Crisis of the late 1960s. He earns a reputation as the greatest Thompson gunner, a reputation that attracts the attention of the CIA. Roland is betrayed and murdered by a fellow mercenary, Van Owen, who blows off his head. Roland becomes the phantom “headless Thompson gunner” and eventually has his revenge, when he catches Van Owen “in a bar room drinking gin.” Afterward, he continues “wandering through the night.” Other violent conflicts of the succeeding decade are said to be haunted by Roland, including Ireland, Lebanon, Palestine, and Berkeley, California. The final line is “Patty Hearst/Heard the burst/Of Roland’s Thompson gun/And bought it.”

Told you Warren lived in a strange world didn’t I? And it gets stranger. Our next track features John McVie and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame. This one actually hit the US charts, peaking at No 21, Warren’s biggest single hit. Although I have never heard it (yet) I am told that the Grateful Dead performed this song several times. Often wondered how they treated it, just seems right for them somehow. Anyway, sit back, relax and tune into Warren Zevon’s original version of Werewolves of London.

One of the things I like about Warren is the way he can take the darkest of subjects and give them this jaunty air; as if, despite the chaos and carnage going on all around him in his dark world, well, never mind, at least we can still sing a song about it. This is demonstrated to remarkable effect on my final offering from this wonderful CD. Excitable Boy at first listen sounds just like a nice happy teenage growing up song. That is, until you actually listen to the lyrics. I have copied them below so you can all sing along:

Well, he went down to dinner in his Sunday best
Excitable boy, they all said
And he rubbed the pot roast all over his chest
Excitable boy, they all said
Well, he’s just an excitable boy

He took in the four a.m. show at the Clark
Excitable boy, they all said
And he bit the usherette’s leg in the dark
Excitable boy, they all said
Well, he’s just an excitable boy

He took little Susie to the Junior Prom
Excitable boy, they all said
and he raped her and killed her, then he took her home
Excitable boy, they all said
Well, he’s just an excitable boy
After ten long years they let him out of the Home
Excitable boy, they all said
And he dug up her grave and built a cage with her bones
Excitable boy, they all said
Well, he’s just an excitable boy

Sadly, Warren passed on from cancer aged 56 in September 2003, shortly after regaining some form of popularity after numerous media appearances. Luckily for us though, he left behind a huge musical legacy for us to enjoy. If you like what you hear here, I urge you to go digging through his back catalogue. I assure you that there are many gems just waiting for you to discover apart from this 1978 diamond.

If you are looking to buy this CD (and who wouldn’t be) you can find it here: Excitable Boy.

Stephen Stills – Just Roll Tape: April 26, 1968

Fistful of Mercy – As I Call You Down

Treetop Flyers - To Bury The Past