Old Man Riva

The song means a great deal as it was mine and Mrs Riva’s wedding song, all those years ago - we didn’t dance, as such, more stood at the bar giggling and tried to sing along! The Rod/Faces version is wonderful also (there’s a live BBC version where Ronnie Laine sings the verse and Rod then comes in and takes the roof off with the chorus - you almost feel sorry for Ronnie!). I think Macca’s rock ‘n’ roll voice is often overlooked - his vocals on the Sgt Pepper’s track itself are right up there for me, in terms of great/iconic rock ‘n’ roll performances...

Love this...

Indeed they did, forgot about that...

That would make more sense - Slade etc. A mate of mine ran a studio in Coventry and was a Beatles obsessive. He used to go to record fairs and buy cassette bootlegs of the various sessions The Beatles did (probably the same that you can find on YouTube these days) and then pore over each outtake. Again, and again, and again. Forcing me to listen to Macca and explaining, note by note, why each note was perfect. After a few days it was pretty much ‘torture by Beatles’, but he was right, of course! I actually think that Wings are massively underrated, but that’s probably one for another day!

Completely agree, and with Oasis I’m not sure I hear it in much/any of their music, if I’m honest - not a criticism of them, I just don’t hear it!

Other than their first album I’m not really an Oasis fan but I don’t think they harmed the legacy in any way. They were/are amongst many artists across a myriad of genres that in the recent-ish past have spoken openly about the importance/influence of The Beatles and Macca etc. That certainly didn’t happen in the 80s, at least not that I was aware...

How has this come to be? I think a lot appreciation of/towards bands/musicians often requires a decent passing of time to properly appreciate and appraise their work. In my experience, Macca/The Beatles weren’t referenced much at all in the 80s. That said they’d only split up 10 yrs earlier, so in today’s terms it would be akin to appraising, say, the work of Adele (the biggest selling artist of 2011], which would feel odd to do - in another 10 yrs perhaps, but not today. The only references I can recall were U2, of all people, covering Helter Skelter and referencing them in amongst artists such as John Coltrane, BB King and Bills Holliday as part of the Rattle and Hum period. To my ears, it all sounded a bit odd, and dare I say, uncool at the time (which says more about me at the time than it does about multi million album selling rock combo U2!). The sounds and playing styles of bass in the 80s (certainly the early half of the decade) were markedly different to Macca. Not better, just different! Roll forward to the 90s, and a 30 yr period having passed, I think that’s where I’ve noticed The Beatles being most critiqued - documentaries, new releases etc. - all helped by the internet and bands wearing their influences on their sleeves. Not bad if you think how the 90s began with Candy Flip! I suppose it’s a long-winded way of saying, for me, up until recent years Macca has often been overlooked/under appreciated in terms of his bass playing...

Yours too, sir! I think My Generation is one of finest singles of all time. Also one of the most exciting pieces of music I’ve ever heard. Can only imagine how it must have sounded on the radio when it was first released...

Here’s five, whilst also trying to add a few less obvious but still essential listens - and, with the exception of Ramble On, were all released as singles in the UK; John Paul Jones - Ramble On Paul McCartney - Something Derek Forbes - The American Mick Karn - Visions of China Tony Levin - Sledgehammer

Led Zeppelin sold close to 300 million albums. John Paul Jones bass playing has been an inspiration to many aspiring bassists over the decades and his phenomenal musicianship ranks him right up there as an essential bassist, IMHO. This track showcases his playing and wonderful appreciation of what was required for the song perfectly...

I’m waiting for that to arrive - can’t wait!

Whilst not a full-blown stinker, I found Pablo Honey a bit on the ‘shrug-of-the-shoulders’ side when it came out. Creep was interesting, but other than that, not a lot going on. As a follow up/second album, I thought The Bends was fabulous...

It’s a shame you weren’t able to go “one step beyond”, Stew! I got into Weather Report in my teens in the late 70s which led me to explore other Jazz-related groups/players. Over the years I’ve grown to like (in some cases love) some of the artists that came before but when I go as far back as some of the big band/swing stuff that’s when I hear less that I like...

A pleasure! Yes, Murray, Alomar and Davis contributed greatly to Bowie’s recordings/gigs. He always had great musicians/bands around him. Sometimes it didn’t quite hit the mark for me (the stripped down Sound & Vision set up isn’t one I listen that often) but regardless, there was always something to get your teeth into. I’m currently awaiting the CD of the ‘Soul’ leg of the Diamond Dogs tour - it was released last year as part of Record Store Day - which I can’t wait for. It features Alomar, Davis and Ksasan. I watched the BBC Omnibus Cracked Actor programme as a kid when it was first aired (having to ignore various disparaging witticisms from my dad as I did!) and then had to wait 20-odd years for it to be repeated. Until YouTube came along it was hard to access any of the Diamond Dogs tour(s) footage/bootlegs, which is probably why I’ve played David Live to death over the years. I’m not sure the Soul leg recording will be that great, but to have something from those shows after all these years will be great! This is good from the earlier leg of that tour... it’s a different take from the one included on the David Live album.

This is an interesting watch...

We’re back to Garry Bushell!

Bought the album today. On first listen I really like it. The production/engineering is right up my street - for starters, it’s a really ‘warm’ sounding record (though my ears ain’t what they used to be!). Unsurprisingly the musicianship and playing is top drawer throughput. I’m a big fan of Pino and his playing, but this has opened my eyes (and ears) to a different side to him, in terms of his musical writing/ideas. Elements of nu soul and hip hop grooves (J Dilla), with cinematic soundtrack pieces sitting comfortably alongside afro beat, experimental and avant-garde jazz tracks. Such a talented all round musician/composer... bloody smart a**e!! Is there nothing this man can’t do?!

You’ll be suggesting “everything’s going well for me” next...

Way too modest! Sounds great to me - just treated myself to the album from Amazon! We’ll have to start a petition to relaunch Blow Up...

I really dig that. It reminds me of a ‘dirtier’ version of The Filthy Six (which is a good thing!)...

This brings back some very happy memories. Still get excited hearing this, all these years later...

That’s my experience too. In Coventry at the time the two shops to go to were Coventry Music Centre and the Sound Centre. Both leaned very much towards guitars, and, as such, only Rotosound were stocked for bass strings. ‘Swing Bass’ were what most people bought but they had the flatwound version stocked, albeit in significantly smaller numbers. A lad I knew was sold a set by mistake and never quite recovered!! For me, buying a new set of strings was a luxury (and a rare event) due to the cost of them vs. what I was earning as an apprentice at the time. I once tried boiling a set and nearly ended up scalding myself as they chased me around my mum’s kitchen. Nowadays I post on here wanting really worn-in/out flatwounds - the younger me would not have been impressed!

Apologies, not sure what I did with Al’s quote in previous post!

Probably one for a different thread, but... I think punk in the UK was more a backlash against the bands you’d hear/see on Radio 1/TOTP at the time - ELO, Sad Cafe, Leo Sayer, Rod (in his Britt era), etc - rather than prog bands. You’d be hard pushed to hear ELP, Yes, Gentle Giant, King Crimson et al on daytime radio - and by the time both ELP and Yes had singles out in ‘77, New Rose and Anarchy in the UK had been and gone the previous year.