Old Man Riva

https://www.loudersound.com/news/ross-halfin-to-publish-photographic-celebration-of-ufos-pete-way

Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On...

... and I’ll add: the inclusion of Stone Roses and Oasis but no Happy Mondays. No Roxy Music debut. No Aladdin Sane. Hejira and Sign ‘o’ the Times ranked way too low. No New Boots & Panties. Back in Black vs. Powerage or Highway to Hell? No Tricky or Blue Nile? And as daft as these types of lists are it’s absurd to include compilation/best of albums - if you’re going down that route where are the Beatles’ blue and red albums? Apart from that it’s excellent!! (I’ll admit now that there’s every chance that all of the above are included and I’ve missed them!)

Yes, they were on OGWT. Remember thinking they were such a cool band. Nobody looked like Devoto! I've just Googled and watched it again! I saw them in Coventry in '79, with a young Simple Minds supporting. I was blown away by both bands - though in those days it didn't take much! Re. Pooka etc. I'm so pleased that you're diggin' them! I've since warmed to the second album - I still much prefer their debut, but after a few more listens the follow up has some really nice moments...

I’ve always had a soft spot for this track. There’s something otherworldly and joyous about it. This version/approach is wonderful...

Loved this back then, still excites me to hear it today... That bass!!

That’s great info! Hadn’t realised the full Rock Bottom story - I’ll check out the 6:34 point! I always assumed it was the choice of gig rather than such a detailed gripe that Schenker had. I imagine Nevison would have had his work cut out keeping everyone happy. Agree with On With the Action. The live version on the EP is such a good version. On a (semi) related note, I’ve been obsessing with the two Thunderbirds currently on Andy Baxter’s site (not able to post a link). Definitely couldn’t afford one but it’s great to window shop!

They’re stunning versions. A band right on top of their game. Do you know if they recorded other tracks? I have it in my head that they recorded more than the two mentioned above, but that may just be wishful thinking!

Talk of Portishead has led me to my favourite of the ‘Bristol’ artists, Tricky. Blue Lines was a game changer when it was released but, for me, Tricky has always been the true maverick. Maxinquaye is still one of my favourite albums.

I never really minded that the two tracks weren’t actually from the shows. Seems odd to think about it now! Yes, around that time they were sharing the bill with some really good bands - along with Rush they (co?) headlined with Cheap Trick, which is a gig that I would have loved to have seen. There’s been a fair bit of shenanigans with live albums over the years - someone once told me (and I have no reason to doubt them given how close they were to the project!) that most of the crowd noise on Live and Dangerous is actually from live Bowie recordings/gigs - obviously not the bit where they’re chanting “Lizzy”!

I saw that. All the recorded gigs for the album - and neither Mother Mary or This Kids appear on the set lists! There was talk once upon a time that the studio sessions for the two tracks would be part of any deluxe release but that looks like it’s fallen by the wayside. Schenker’s big gripe with the album (and allegedly the final tipping point for his departure) is the version that Ron Nevison and the band chose of Rock Bottom (“poor Rock Bottom”) so we’ll now get to hear the other options!

This is a good watch...

Until I stumbled across this today I don’t think I’d even seen a pic of one! It’s some collection that Geddy has... good luck to him!

As referenced above, matching head stocks on Precisions were extremely rare but I was leafing through the Geddy Lee bass book today and found this entry. It’s a ‘59 Precision with a matching headstock and interesting story. Hopefully the pics do it justice!

Thank you so much, these have made my day, sir! In turn they led me to John Smith ‘The Girl Chewing Gum, which in turn led me to John Smith ‘The Black Tower’, which in turn...

That’s wonderful, Frank! I used to live just off Seven Sisters Road so I wish I’d known of Ogmios back then...

Maybe the various algorithms don’t recognise the letter ‘b’ on your computer?

Played this ‘Album’ this morning for the first time in years. Much derided by the Lydon purists when it came out (1986), but I absolutely loved it. It was the first time I’d heard Steve Vai, so that was a bit of an eye opener. (It was produced by Bill Laswell, who produced the Sly & Robbie album Language Barrier from a year earlier that I also loved at the time) Again, it just felt completely different to anything else around at the time... If you’re not aware of Album then it’s definitely worth a listen, and if you are aware but haven’t visited it in a while, then it’s definitely worth going back to! Take it away, John..!

As a heads up there’s another example here at 2:50 (the whole clip is worth watching just to see/hear Jonathan Maron)...

Morrison’s in Loughton often play the most unlikely tracks (e.g. Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, Weather Report) in amongst the more Top 40 stuff...

Again, thanks for the link... really interesting (to me, anyhow!).

Based on the Mr Crane info I’d have a stab that it’s Lee Sklar on the alt. version (say, vs. Bob Glaub). There’s a quick ‘snap’ at the end of the recording/take that sounds as though it would be more his Frankenstein Bass sound than a Bob Glaub sound. There are also a couple of fills that sound like the kind of thing he’d play. So much to ponder in life!

That link is excellent, thanks for that... One of the things I couldn’t ever quite get my head around was the whole custom colour thing. I’d read a number of articles over the years that referenced the Fender 60s colours being the same as used in the US automobile industry at the time. Thought there may have been a grain of truth in it but felt it was probably more ‘Fender myth’ than anything, as I could never imagine/picture a Burgundy Mist or Sonic Blue car... until now! It has genuinely bugged me for years!!

Agreed. It’s Bob Glaub being, well, Bob Glaub! I’m a recent convert to WZ and this is the track that made me prick up my ears. Really like the Excitable Boy album.

Sweet Emotion! Love it..! (and a cheeky request for more Cheap Trick please!)