The old Mini Mix had run its course I think, especially with the discovery of the Audiggle software – next month I hope that we’ll decide what we will replace it with. But in the meantime it gives me a chance to share with you three mixes that I’ve been working on for a while – my BBC mixes.

I have over the years collected quite a few CDs related in some way to the BBC. Some from sessions recorded at their Maida Vale studios, some from sessions broadcast live on air, some special ‘in concert’ shows etc. – they all have one thing in common, they are all performed live, sometimes in mono, sometimes acoustic versions but always demonstrating the real talent of the artist and their ability to do it live.

I also love to hear the introductions and comments of the old DJ’s including Johnny Walker and dear old John Peel – in fact whenever I hear John’s simple introduction to track 7 “Ladies and Gentleman – Mogwai” it reminds how good he was and how he knew his role was to simply introduce and let the music do the talking (shame some modern DJ’s didn’t follow his style).

I hope to bring you over the next 10 days 3 mixes – BBC 1 (today’s mix), BBC 2 on the 15th and BBC 3 on the 20th. I hope you will love them as much as I have loved putting them together – you’ll hear an eclectic mix of old and new, from Cream to Gomez to Dusty Springfield and Neil Diamond plus some cover songs that I just couldn’t resist (Alex Harvey).

BBC ONE

[01] Cream – Strange Brew

[02] Fleetwood Mac – Honey Hush

[03] Groundhogs – Garden

[04] Dusty Springfield – (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher

[05] Neil Diamond – I Am I Said

[06] David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust

[07] Mogwai – Hunted By A Freak

[08] Siouxsie & The Banshees – Hong Kong Garden

[09] Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – Rattlesnakes

[10] Gomez – The Way You Do The Things You Do

[11] Led Zeppelin – The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Hair

[12] Barclay James Harvest – Mocking Bird

[13] Nazareth – Hair of the Dog

[14] Robin Trower – Daydream

[15] Alex Harvey Band – Dance To The Music

All in all a rare treat for your ears – enjoy.

The BBC ONE Music Mix [a 114 mb zip file] will be available for one month from today – until midnight on 10 September 2010. As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome in the comment box below.

Laughing Dog

The lovely album cover image is entitled Old Shoes by Jose Fares.

Notes for the June music mix
Remember to respect copyright law; if you like a song from the mix, there’s a very good chance you will also like the album – so do me and the artist a favour and buy the CD.

[01] Robert Calvert – Ground Control to Pilot [Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters]
“Largactil…Check”….”Valium..Check”…”Glass of Water”

Thought I’d make the start of this month’s mix a little bit different – and you don’t get much different than this guy.

Sometime vocalist and poet with Hawkwind – a real character if ever there was one who made an album about an American jet fighter plane. The album (you hear 3 tracks here) includes Lemmy, Dave Brock, Nik Turner and even Brian Eno – produced by Roy Thomas Baker it holds many memories for me (can still remember being totally bamboozled by it).

[02] AC/DC – Highway to Hell and [03] Cold Hearted Man [Iron Man 2]
From the soundtrack to the new Iron Man film which is just great. So nice to see a new younger audience hearing such a great band – beats Pop Idol every time.
 
 
 
[04] Oli Brown – Keeping My Options Open [Heads I Win Tails You Lose ]
Citing Stevie Ray Vaughn as a major influence this young British guitarist is another guy we should keep an eye on. Very talented, very fluid, very very very good.
 
 
 
[05] Little Feat – Spanish Moon [Feats Don't Fail Me Now ]
Lowell George must be one of rock’s lost stars, a genius songwriter and guitarist who sadly left us in 1979. This guy had it all – the looks, the voice, the talent, the producer – listen to how this song changes mood and tempo – leaves me breathless every time.

Did you know – the song “Ride Like The Wind” on the 1979 self-titled album by Christopher Cross was dedicated to Lowell George?

Well the night that was high, we got into town
Was the night that the rain, it froze on the ground
Down the street I heard such a sorrowful tune
Comin’ from the place they call the Spanish Moon
Well I stepped inside, and stood by the door
While a dark-eyed girl sang, and played the guitar
Hookers, and hustlers, filled up the room
I heard about this place they call the Spanish Moon
One false step, you get done in
It’s a cold situation
If that — that don’t — kill you soon
The women will down at the Spanish Moon
I pawned my watch, and I sold my ring
Just to hear that girl singing, (hear that girl sing)
Don’t take long, to wake up ruined
The women will down at the Spanish Moon

[06] The Who – Who Are You [Greatest Hits & More]
Great band of course, great live version and still going strong after all these years. But the reason I’ve included this into the mix is that I seem to be more and more finding myself in meetings and thinking “Who are you – who the F**K are you”. Being able to mentally sing this song helps me through the day and stops me head-butting some A-Hole.
 
 
[07] Karnivool – New Day [Sound Awake]
Karnivool is a five-piece alternative rock/progressive Metal music group from Perth Western Australia, formed in 1997. At times they can be a wee bit EMOish but I’ll forgive that for songs like this as Ian Kenny the driving force and lead singist appears to know how to deliver a good tune – It’s a New Day.
 
 
[08] Wolfmother – Vagabond [(500) Days of Summer]
From the OST to (500) Days of Summer, a film my youngest pup loves and ’tis she who recommended me to add to the mix. I have tried and failed with Wolfmother, too predictable, too much like every other rock band. Think I may give them a second chance as I just love this song – it’s beefy.
 
 
[09] Motorpsycho – Starhammer; [10] X-3 (Knuckelheads In Space) / The Getaway Special; [11] Close Your Eyes [Heavy Metal Fruit ]
See my album of the month for more info – but this has to be a contender for album of the year. It has everything an old dawg could wish for – perfect. Please excuse the extremely long intro to Starhammer.
 
[12] Field Music – Each Time Is a New Time [Field Music (Measure)]
One of the few songs on a mix that I don’t recommend you buy the album – which is a shame as I like these guys and loved their last album Tones of Town. The song is great, the album is way too long, lacks focus, lacks good tunes, lacks anything that makes me want to say “mmm I like this”. Except this song which is good and sounds particularly good in the mix.
 
[13] MGMT – Siberian Breaks [Congratulations]
Interesting reviews about this album – no common ground – people either love it or hate it. Me I like it in small doses. Again I don’t recommend purchase of album (unless someone can make me see change my mind) but this song is so different to anything they have done before, bet the record company shat themselves on hearing the demo.
 
[14] Robert Calvert – The Widow Maker [Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters]
Second track from my 3-not-in-a-row – which sounds more like Hawkwind than Hawkwind do – my favourite song on the album. Listen to the bass.
 
 
 
Ronnie James Dio 3-in-a-row:
One of my favourite singers and possessor of a golden set of vocal chords. The man was small (around 5ft and a fart in high heeled boots) but he knew how to sing – did this guy know how to sing. Sadly missed.

[15] Elf – I’m Coming Back for You [Stand Up and Shout: The Dio Anthology]
 
 
 
 
 
 
[16] Black Sabbath – Turn up The Night [Mob Rules]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[17] Rainbow – Man on The Silver Mountain [The Very Best of Rainbow]
 
 
 
 
 
 
[18] Arthur Russell – Keeping Up [The World of Arthur Russell]
Charles Arthur Russell, Jr. (May 21, 1951 – April 4, 1992) was an American cellist, composer, singer, and disco artist. While he found the most success in dance music, Russell’s career bridged New York’s downtown, rock, and dance music scenes; his collaborators ranged from Philip Glass to David Byrne. Why is this song in the mix? Why – because I like it.
 
 
[19] Joshua Radin – I’d Rather Be With You [Simple Times]
I know what you may be thinking ‘yet another singer/songwriter – who needs them?’. True I suppose, but what I’m hearing here is good stuff – great voice, simple melody, nice lyrics –what’s wrong with that?

Sitting here, on this lonely dock
Watch the rain play on the ocean top
All the things I feel I need to say
I can’t explain in any other way

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you are naturally
The one to make it so easy
When you show me the truth
Yeah, I’d rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too

Now here’s the sun, come to dry the rain
Warm my shoulders and relieve my pain
You’re the one thing that I’m missing here
With you beside me I no longer fear

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you are naturally
The one to make it so easy
When you show me the truth
Yeah, I’d rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too

I could have saved so much time for us
Had I seen the way to get to where I am today
You waited on me for so long
So now, listen to me say:

I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you are naturally
The one to make it so easy
When you show me the truth
Yeah, I’d rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too
Say you feel the way I do

[20] World Party – Vanity Fair [Egyptology]
Heard this and the next tune when shuffling on my iPod and they sounded soooooooooooo good together that I couldn’t resist adding them to my mix.

World Party is Karl Wallinger and Karl Wallinger is World Party – a very talented guy with an ear for a good tune. Did you know he wrote She’s the One (Robbie Wiliams) and played with The Waterboys on A Pagan Place and This Is the Sea? Just love the feel to this song, the deep bass and the way the brass kicks in – feel like I’m at Caesar’s Palace, LA – High kick – High Kick – Twist and Turn – and smile.

[21] Gomez – Step Inside [Five Men in a Hut]
Words cannot do this band justice – all I hope is that a 100 years from now a hyperdigitalsolanoidtvchannel will show a documentary on the best music of the 21st century and include Gomez.
 
 
 
 
[22] The National Trust – Making Love (In The Natural Light) [Dekkagar]
This is from their MySpace page and kinda sums up the song – an amazing song but haven’t a clue what’s going on.

Really, what makes you sing? Is it the stroke of your heart as your lovely rejoins you in the cool sheets after turning back the clocks for falls assent? Is it the glimmer you see in your baby’s (mind’s) eye when you pledge eternal devotion? Is it mingling fingers with that lovely as you both reach for the last praline? Is it the rice? Is it the oats? The sweet and salty on your lips?

Whisper to the Trust what it is that makes you sing. They’ll start the parade. Take down the black top to their lemony Jag and come float aboard. As you settle in and make yourself comfy, you hear the pops of the bass drop while a hand smoothes the lambskin under your slippers. All the castanets and light-skinned coffees You are the King and Queen of their Petting Parade (Zoo?). It’s always been about you. And you. No harm will fall upon you.

Love can only happen where two are. Trust can only happen where you are. Your taffeta crown is so blue. You’re radiant in the navel orange cloudless clime.

They want you there when they go, honey. With your arms, legs wrapped round so tight the density drifts sweetly over the antennas of our Emerald Trust city.

Trust creates the cinnamon persuasion. Trust in mirrors because its often you. fashions the pulse of your soul. You pine for
Trust in the dung and din of totaled hearts. You’ve always wanted to
ditch the rusty sides of waste
yourself in your old town. Now wish your Trust a sweet life and commence with the move. With a simple twist of Trust the blinds open and your map’s revealed.

Yes, Trust makes it squeezes better. With every (thrust and parry?) octave pop and subterranean thump the cockles strike five its five clock in your heart and soon every conclusion comes electric, each slight (sticky) caress brings a new fancy. testament to your infinity.

Trust makes us who we are wide awake, (pony tail) aching, left leg shaking, dying to escape the (s)corn of and dreaming of never ending stories to better approach beauty. Each knob All knobs agog on twist scripts the whatever future history of what matters. What little we knew before these sounds serves well to what we now have.

Trust has new work for you BE occupied by sounds. Move your rocks, carry your water.
BE the animal never resting. BE the one not bothered by the invisible half-truths, gossip and jean shorts. Spill your milk and cry joyously arms akimbo in near absolute fertility. and the mysteries of money, sex, magic. Near absolute fertility.

The broth is stirred, ready and sweating.

It’s Alright Trust (We’re only sighing).

[23] Robert Calvert – Catch A Falling Starfighter [Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters]
The National Trust were supposed to end this month’s mix – but then Captain Lockheed had other plans.

They just don’t write lyrics like this no more:

Catch a falling starfighter
Put it in the pocket of your jeans
You can use it as a cigarette lighter
Or as an opener for a can of beans
Catch a falling starfighter
Shine it up and wear it on a chain
You will find that it will be much brighter
If you empty out it’s cockpit down the drain
If you empty out it’s cockpit down the drain

I focused the magnifying glass
That brought the downfall of Icarus.
Balloons were easy; a simple pin;
Or a knife in the case of the zeppelin.
That blade was the cause of many a prang
In the early days of stick and string.
I am the gremlin.
I was there.
Making mischief in the air
And always will be wherever man
Flies in the face of Creation’s plan.

The June 2010 Mix has now expired but the latest mixes are now ready – go read all about them!

Hope you enjoyed the Mix – as usual keep me and the Sheriff happy, if you like a song buy the album.

Laughing Dog

Cover image by TouTouke

November Music Mix Notes

Death Cab for Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart
I just can’t resist a thumping good bass line – and this has a thumping good bass line in spades. Plus I love the way the song keeps its sparkle throughout its 8 minutes and 26 seconds – not a dull moment to be had and a great way to start the mix. The album “Narrow Stairs” is worth a look at too, in my opinion it’s their best yet – though my pups disagree.

Everclear – So Much For The Afterglow
Their 2000 album “Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to… ” is a better album and introduced me to the band but this song just powers along at the speed of diarrhea with a riff to die for. I can’t dance but I can certainly move my butt to this.

Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
This song reminds me so much of a holiday in France in 2001 when me and Mrs. Dog would sing along to this as we drove south – much to the dismay of my pups. But what a great song – you know I love Luci (Blue was included on Augusts mix) and I do love a song that rhymes ‘Eggs ‘n’ Bacon’ with ‘House in Macon’ – just superb.

Athlete – Love Come Rescue
Great album (see review), great band and this is a rather surprising song from them – a slow acoustic song – simple but good.
 
 
 
 
Gomez – Natural Reaction
Such a good band and make it as my ‘Artist of the Month” with 2 songs in my mix. This song has a great chorus – I’d forgotten how much I like a good chorus:
“I get so nervous
Waitin’ for a natural reaction and
I can’t stop thinkin’
You’ve exposed (?)
Leave me a nervous wreck
… a nervous wreck”
And the bridge near the end which almost turns into a Russian folk song? Good stuff.

Grand Drive – Love and the Truth
From their fourth album “The Lights in This Town Are Too Many to Count”, this song takes an age to develop but when it does it really does it in style with the bass and drums simply doing what bass and drums do best kicking it into life making this the Wilson brothers (Danny and Julian) best song.

Gruff Rhys – Candylion
From Gruff’s 2007 solo album, this song just begged me to be included into my mix – and who can resist a song with lyrics like “A penguin and carnation/A lemon and Dalmatian” – he is such a good songwriter.
 
 
 
Gomez – Make No Sound
Second track on the mix from Gomez and the title track from their Mercury winning debut album – great song, great album, great band – what else do you need to know?
 
 
 
 Irma Thomas – In the Middle of it All
Track number 9 and time to slow it down a little and who better to do that than the wonderful Irma Thomas. I’ve always loved a good voice, especially a female soul voice, and they don’t come much better than Irma’s. It has so much character and style that she could sing the yellow pages and have me in tears. This song is from ‘After the Rain’ which has come to mean so much to the people of her home town of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina hit them and as with all good soul and R&B, it takes a heartache to make the song good – this song is special.
 
Anita O’Day – Sweet Georgia Brown
Even I find this a strange choice to be included in my music mix – but you know that I do like different types of music and this is such a classic version of a classic song – perfect for singing in the shower. Here’s an extract from the bio on her website:
 

“Anita O’Day, was the last surviving member of the great jazz singers (whose ranks also include Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan). Born in Chicago, O’Day gained national attention as the girl singer with drummer Gene Krupa’s orchestra on the hit record “Let Me Off Uptown”. After two tenures with Krupa and one, in-between, with Stan Kenton and his Orchestra, O’Day became a solo star and, along with Fitzgerald and Vaughan, a founding fore-mother of modern jazz vocals.”

I especially love the intro with just drum and voice then the band kicks in and all hell breaks loose “Sweet Georgia Brown”.

Craig Armstrong – ‘Wake Up In New York’ feat. Evan Dando
Atmospheric chill out music at its best – the album ‘As If To Nothing’ has a gorgeous quality to it with collaborations with Bono and The Edge, Mogwai, and David McAlmont but it’s this track that stands out for me and always makes me stop and listen.
 
 
Iggy Pop – Lust for Life
Couldn’t resist Amazon’s description of this song – “The relentless, driving drums and thunderous bass of the opening title track are the magic components that make it the best song Iggy Pop ever recorded without the Stooges” – says it all really. Another one for the shower!
 
 
Guru – Loungin’
Another bass line from Heaven but this time it’s a wee bit jazzy and soulful. I bought both the album that this song is from (Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1) and Vol. 2 when I didn’t really know what I was buying – I just loved the music. My Dad is a big jazz fan, and even he loves this song with the trumpet and reference to the old jazz greats – “loungin’ loungin’ – mellow out we’re loungin.”
 
Four Tet – She Moves Me
From the 2003 album ‘Rounds’ this is a fine example of electronic music (sic I hate that term) that treats the listener on to a wonderful acoustic guitar melody that makes the drum loop and synth come to life.
 
 
 
Dire Straits – Down to the Waterline
The guitar is a wonderful instrument and the sound of Mark Knopfler’s guitar on their 1978 debut demonstrates how it really should sound. Pure genius, pure British rock/blues at its best – this is their best album (though Communiqué is close) – forget their later albums, this cannot be beaten and is a true reflection of Knopfler’s talent – a great song.

So… we’re on track 16 – how’s it been so far? Me, I’m having a ball, next song please!
 
 
Feeder – Just the Way I’m Feeling
There are better songs on the album “Summer’s Gone” and the title track “Comfort in Sound” to name but two but it’s this song, I feel truly highlights how they were feeling at this time with the sad death of drummer Jon Lee, in January 2002 – the chorus says it all…

and i feel it’s going down
10 feet below the ground
i’m waiting for your healing hands
1 touch can bring me round
i feel we’re going down
10 feet below the ground
it’s just the way i’m feeling
yeh yeh it’s just the way im feeling

 
Dada – All I Am
When I lived in the UK, I would spend many enjoyable hours searching the CD dump-bins of my local Woolworths and W. H. Smiths looking for albums for 2 quid (sometimes less) that I would like. I often bought just because I recognized the producer or simply liked the artwork on the cover. Very often these purchases ended up in the bin – sometimes they ended up at the front of CD collection. This is one example – I can’t even remember where or when I bought it – and I’m not going to spoil your fun by doing a google search for information on the band ‘cos I know nothing about them either – just love the song.
 
The Golden Animals – Steady Roller
From their 2008 debut album “Free Your Mind and Win a Pony” that apparently they recorded somewhere in the Californian desert in temperatures in excess of 120 degrees! The album is OK, not great – this song is by far the highlight although ‘Queen Mary’ and ‘I Want You To Come’ are pleasant enough.
 
 
Cary Brothers – Ride
Love the muted guitar on this song and the dreamy vocals – plus it blends so well with the previous song by the Golden Animals. This is from the only EP of theirs I own, ‘Waiting for Your Letter’. Think I’m going to have buy some more of their stuff.
 
 
 
Eddi Reader – Jamie Come Try Me
Fabulous voice, fabulous song – the album gets a bit repetitive at the end but this song is a worthy addition to my mix and brings a lovely Celtic feel to proceedings.
 
 
 
Genesis – Undertow
From their ninth studio album ‘And Then There Were Three’ released in 1978 this must be one of my favourite Genesis tracks. I haven‘t got the original album on vinyl anymore (this is from their Platinum Collection) but I can remember being overawed by the sheer quality of the whole album. Great song to end my Music Mix for November – hope you enjoy.

Don’t forget – if you like a song on the Mix, let me know, I’d love your feedback.

The Music Mix 04 [a 122 mb zip file] will be available for one month from today – until 30 November 2009.

Please support the artists – if you like a track, buy the album!

Music for the Month ~ Music Mix 04 ~ November 2009