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Web Digest week 51 (16.08.98, MV1369-1388) begins | index | prev | next | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dave Jones <email address> Subject: MV1369 RE: MV1365; MV1337; MV1338: ?captions again Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 13:53:21 -0400 >From: "Andrew Love" <email address> >Hypertension is setting in now, Kids. >Hasn't anyone else seen the monkey? Do I need therapy? >Look carefully at the picture and tell me I'm not going barmy - *please*! Dear Andy, Don't worry, you're as sane as I am. In fact, you missed the cheeky little chappie who is nibbling Pete's left ear. Apparitions like this are quite common in public houses, and are an inevitable side effect of the plush and flock soaking up the brain's kerfuffle night after night. Dave Jones Doing the Servile Shuffle in Rochester NY. ============================================================================== Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 20:17:53 +0100 From: S J Birkill <email address> Subject: MV1370: Outplaying the saxes Pete Atkin says: >>I was following daisy-chain-type connections through the CD collection at the weekend when I wound up at Charlie Christian and was reminded of the recent mentions. Outplaying the saxes certainly refers to the fact that he was, while not in Guinness Book Of Records-type terms the first to use an amplified guitar, he was the first to make something of it, and to be able to be able to be heard as a soloist above the sound of a big band. But if that had been the whole story then it's doubtful he'd have been remembered any more than Floyd Smith (who? exactly) who may well be able to lay legitimate claim to being the very first. In fact, he really was musically one of the inventors of postwar jazz alongside Monk and Gillespie and others (there are some remarkable amateur live recordings of them at Minton's Playhouse) - so outplaying the saxes does have another layer of meaning. He didn't record that much - he didn't live long enough - and most of it was with Benny Goodman's sextet and septet , maybe a couple of dozen tracks plus contributions to the constantly amazing Spirituals To Swing concert and some precious airshots with a group including Lester Young. As far as I know he recorded only two studio tracks with the full Goodman band, one a version of Honeysuckle Rose which I think has never been on CD, and the other a glorious thing called Solo Flight which is Charlie and the band almost all the way except for an eight-bar burst of Goodman. It really is a concerto, and it just does not stop, rhythmically or melodically - the sense of interruptus when it gets to the end of its three minutes is bereaving. If you can cop a listen you'll understand why he's in the song. There you go, more than you ever needed to know. >>Incidentally, Goodman was the first major bandleader to employ both black and white musicians, which seriously restricted the places that would book him. Story goes (I heard this from Steve Race) that he was arguing with an agent or a booker about reasons why somewhere wouldn't book him and the agent finally said "But Mr Goodman, your guitarist is black", to which Goodman replied with totally innocent, sudden realisation "Oh..... so he is"!<< -- Steve PS - Pete, your Unicode kicked in again -- hope I got the right translation of "+ACEAIg-" ! -- S ============================================================================== From: Don Bowen <email address> Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 18:27:26 EDT Subject: MV1371 Re: The lack of commercial success There's one thing that I've always thought hampered Pete in his pursuit of commercial success, something that he himself has occasionally mentioned but MV's don't seem to refer to much: production values. It's no secret that Pete recorded his first album for little money and in hardly any studio time. Even I, an ardent fan who bought the first (and all subsequent albums) on release, did sense what I can only describe as a lack of finesse in the sound department. As a f'rinstance, the horns on 'Master of the Revels' seem as though they were recorded after one quick run through, then laid down live with Pete's vocal and the rest of the band. (Sorry Russell, no offense meant.) This doing-everything-in-one-take approach can either be quite charming, giving a live and organic feel to a track if you have plenty of time to get it all right (c.f. almost anything by Phil Spector) or it can give (blimey, I feel I'm stumbling into a minefield here...) a rather lo-fi, less professional feel to a track if you don't have the time, which is the way I feel about BOTBS. This (entirely understandable) shortfall in production, especially when compared to lesser talents with bigger budgets, was something which Pete was forever up against. And it seems to me to be something of a barrier when I play Pete's music to other people for the first time. It just doesn't sound as polished as many of the other albums many of us MV's have in alphabetical order on either side of him. And this sparseness of production which may mean the songs lack a certain superficial immediacy to many new listeners. That's my theory anyway... The converse of this is that some of my favourite moments on Pete's albums are times when he did have the chance (or perhaps just the desire) to double-track something ('...in the flickering hour, in the flickering hour of their fame...' from Sunlight Gate, or the chorus in 'The Man Who Walked Towards the Music', to name just two of the few). Perhaps because of their rarity, the resulting harmonies are always spirit- liftingly wonderful. Well I'm glad to have got that off my chest, it's been bothering me since 1970. And if ever there ever is a seventh album, tell Pete he can put me down for free back-up harmonies, all right? Best wishes Don Bowen Who liked the floating notes and couldn't wait to hear some more. ============================================================================== Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 10:40:58 GMT From: <email address> (Dr Jeremy Walton. Tel: <phone number>) Subject: MV1372 Re: MV1359: PA/CJ Fairport, rain and records Hi Chris, >> It's 4 in the morning and the rain has started after days of serious >> sunshining and later today we make the pilgrimage to a field in >> Oxfordshire to be with thousands of fellow "Friends of Fairport".at the >> annual Fairport Convention reunion. Appearances this year include Loudon >> Wainwright and Hank Wangford, two names that have been heard whispered in >> this very virtual room. The sun shone in the end, of course, and Cropedy '98 was a fine place to be (if severely underpopulated compared to last year's jubilee). I thought Hank Wangford was pretty good - I especially enjoyed hearing the legendary Martin Belmont cutting up a storm on the six-string bass - although his between-song patter reminded me of nothing so much as Nicholas Parsons. I liked Loudon Wainwright as well; it was a shame he didn't do "Men" - I could have done with that instead of "I wish I was a lesbian" (nice idea, but went on way too long). >> Fairport have covered a lot of ground musically in >> their various guises and have a penchant for picking out worthwhile songs >> to cover (and the occasional duffer I might add) including such as James >> Taylors "Frozen Man" and Loudon Wainwrights "Men" (Worthwhile that is - >> not duffers). This of course set me to wondering firstly what - if any - >> PA/CJ songs could be suitable for Fairport to cover and secondly would >> such a large open -air festival venue suit Pete's style. The festival is >> unique(ish) in that many of the fans are mature in body and mind and >> appreciate "good" well performed music. My initial reaction was - no - >> it's not really Pete's preferred "intimate" concert venue, but thinking on >> it further and considering the guests that they have had over the last 15 >> years I could be persuaded otherwise. Fairport seem to specialise in digging up bands (or performers) that you thought would have given up long ago - The Climax Blues Band, Osibisa, Roy Wood and Joe Brown spring to mind from recent years, and Saturday featured Steve Gibbons and Dave Cousins. Perhaps this is an example of the triumph of experience (and persistence) over fashion? Or maybe they're just less expensive? Would Pete fit in? I don't think so. Although the fans (like the artists) are mature in body and mind, the dynamics of the outdoor festival are still hard to ignore. So loud boogie bands like Cat Scratch Fever seem to penetrate further into the field than more sensitive, intimate groups like Waz. I'd think that Pete's stuff would just get lost beyond the first few rows. Come to think of it - has he *ever* played any outdoor locations? I don't think the gig list contains any. Cheers, Jeremy ============================================================================== From: <email address> (Simon Reap) Subject: MV1373 Re: MV1341: Musical Alphabet Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 21:15:50 GMT >From: Christine Guilfoyle [Mike Walters] <email address> >Subject: Musical Alphabet > >I'm not sure about the point of this game, except as an anal >retentiveness competition. But of course, being male and in my thirties, >I couldn't resist going to look. So... <AOL> Me too! </AOL> Sticking to the CDs (saves admitting to the ABBA vinyl...) and reading from the left we have: Kim Appleby, The Art of Noise, Asleep at the Wheel, Fred Astaire, Our Hero, The Beiderbecke Collection, Suzy Boggus, Georges Brassens, Buckwheat Zydeco. I keep the classical CDs separate, but the only one near the As is Bach (lots of J.S. and one P.D.Q.). Simon (stalls, row C, seat 19) -- Simon Reap - <email address> - http://www.pipemedia.net/~sar ============================================================================== Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 23:03:44 +0100 From: S J Birkill <email address> Subject: MV1374: Monyash Sleeve Notes Prolific but modest Voice Ian Chippett has now completed his sleeve notes for Disc One of the album. More should follow: http://www.rwt.co.uk/monynote.htm Steve ============================================================================== From: Cary <email address> Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 23:11:46 +0000 Subject: MV1375: Random thoughts in order. Tried again with my 'young' friends. This time, Sunrise, Girl on A Train and Thief in the Night. How can they not be entranced by Thief in The Night? Neither could say why they didn't like them but they are quite set in not liking them. Neil thinks Pete sound like a cross between Christy Moore and Peter Sarsted ...... not bad artists to be compared. I think I'll have to give up with converting them now - unless anyone has any other ideas. "Histr'y and Geography" or "History and G'ography"? - had a listen to the Monyash version of that tonight where Pete uses the second version. I've decided to my ears that the first version (available on the web site) definitely sound better but I can't work out why. Does the change of emphasis change the feel or meaning in any way? Anyone else have a preference about how it is sung? "Rider To the World's End" - Sounds like it must have a literary source - does anyone know? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ROCK FOLLIES - The Classic 1970's TV Drama starring Julie Covington, Charlotte Cornwell and Rula Lenska. Online at:- http://members.xoom.com/Follies Pictures,sounds and much more (unofficial site) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Regards - Cary (like Mary with a 'C' for cat) ============================================================================== From: Mark Roberts <email address> Subject: MV1376 RE: MV1375: Random thoughts in order. Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 14:25:08 +0100 >"Rider To the World's End" - Sounds like it must have a literary >source - does anyone know? > I always thought it was about a bus journey to a pub on the Kings Road by the same name but it's probably called O'Reilliys or O'Neils by now. Cheers, >Mark Roberts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mondex International Limited <postal address> Telephone No: <phone number> Web Site: http://www.mondex.com ============================================================================== From: "JONATHAN TODD COATES" <email address> Organization: University of Ulster Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 18:19:59 GMT Subject: MV1377: Hello, I must be going.... So, what happened in 1954-ish to cause this sensitivity in newborn male children in the British Isles? Fallout from some dastardly Cold War experiment? What was the trigger, fifteen to twenty years later, causing these emergent workers for the dawning computer age to pick up the strange messages embedded on a spinning disc, a flying saucer, that buzzing, a fly trapped within the amber? But enough about me. I too can create a "team photograph" of Midnight Voice members. It's all done with mirrors, you know! My earliest memory of hearing Mr. Atkin was at the house of one of three other likely suspects (he worked, we were somewhere between secondary modern and card school). Student days, what....! Eventually the grant cheques stopped coming and we all had to find jobs. "The Hypertension Kid" off "A King At Nightfall" was the business. The rest took time to grow, although we doubled as Screen Freaks. I do remember we easily identified each slander/homage on "Live Libel". We were getting a mutual musical education, from Atkin through Bowie, Fairports, Don McLean, and Cat Stevens up to Zappa. Eventually we broke up, citing musical differences. (They went In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, or GaGa for short, but I didn't inhale and Revisited Highway 61). I cannot remember clearly when or how I came by each of the other three PA LPs I possess. "The Road of Silk" I rarely played. "Secret Drinker" got a spin sometimes, when I downed a Junior Aspirin and injected a needle into the irreplaceable vinyl veins with trembling hands. In my desire to hear music from the first two long deleted albums I snatched up a copy of "Master Of The Revels". Into the CD age, and when mail-ordering I occasionally floated the PA name past the people with the catalogues at the other end. Once I discovered a compilation CD available from Germany! Ooops, sorry, already deleted..... Now I have "Driving Through Mythical America" and "Beware of the Beautiful Stranger" (on one CD: what a bargain). I rate them as pure class, and probably the most consistently excellent albums of the PA catalogue. I can't believe anyone on this mailing list has not got them yet. Have you considered buying extra copies as Christmas presents? (Aren't all presents we give really what we want to receive ourselves?) Rush out now in a buying frenzy! I am looking forward to further CD releases, although I can see some editing will be necessary if single discs are issued; but that might mean adding some rare stuff, when the trimmed bits are eventually issued. Why should I tell you who precedes PA in my LP, CD, cassette and (now) video collections? Work them out yourselves: they're a mixed bunch.... 1. LP pre PA: Classical / film composer, born Northampton, 1921. 2. post: His Maw wrote "Heartbreak Hotel". 3. CD pre PA: Jazzman with a Hot Five. 4. post: Talk about spin-offs! Even his horse was a big film/TV star! 5. Cass pre PA: She is not in love, but she's open to persuasion... 6. post: NOT (young,) gifted and black, but like Dylan's Hawks became... 7. Video pre: Same backwards as forwards. Yup, it's...s'ti ,puY. 8. post: World-famous Sheffield gas fitter. Finally, good news. My future communications will be brief and to the point. Jack Coates. ============================================================================== Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 20:48:45 +0100 From: S J Birkill <email address> Subject: MV1378 Re: MV1377: Hello, I must be going.... Hello Jack Ooh yes, I do like a puzzle! Well, I've cracked it anyway (I think). Video too - What an eclectic lot! Is there a prize? -- Steve PS -- You call that _good_ news? ============================================================================== From: Ian Chippett <email address> Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 16:30:32 EDT Subject: MV1379 Re : MV1377: Hello, I must be going.... << So, what happened in 1954-ish to cause this sensitivity in newborn male children in the British Isles? 1954? Bit young, aren't you? Does your mum know you've joined the list? Why should I tell you who precedes PA in my LP, CD, cassette and (now) video collections? Work them out yourselves: they're a mixed bunch.... 1. LP pre PA: Classical / film composer, born Northampton, 1921. Malcolm Arnold! 2. post: His Maw wrote "Heartbreak Hotel". Er, dunno. 3. CD pre PA: Jazzman with a Hot Five. Louis Armstrong 4. post: Talk about spin-offs! Even his horse was a big film/TV star! Gene Autry? Are you sure you've got the right list? 5. Cass pre PA: She is not in love, but she's open to persuasion... 6. post: NOT (young,) gifted and black, but like Dylan's Hawks became... 7. Video pre: Same backwards as forwards. Yup, it's...s'ti ,puY. Dunno but I feel I should 8. post: World-famous Sheffield gas fitter. Joe Cockup. Finally, good news. My future communications will be brief and to the point. We all say that. Welcome to the club, anyway. 8-) Ian C ============================================================================== Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 12:23:26 +0100 From: John Harris <email address> Subject: MV1380 Re: MV1372; MV1359: PA/CJ Fairport, rain and records If this is too far off topic, do please kill it before birth as it were. [let it live John - we need a little genetic diversity. <g>Perhaps we need those MV badges too!</g> -- Steve] > Fairport seem to specialise in digging up bands (or performers) that you > thought would have given up long ago - The Climax Blues Band, Osibisa, > Roy Wood and Joe Brown spring to mind from recent years, and Saturday > featured Steve Gibbons and Dave Cousins. Perhaps this is an example of > the triumph of experience (and persistence) over fashion? Or maybe > they're just less expensive? Good lord, how many of us were at Cropredy? I can add a couple more I know of. I don't think it's expense, actually - the common factor is the way Cropredy recreates sounds to a crowd that recognises quite how amazingly right it is, and if they don't have all the original musicians Fairport have a nack of being able to fit in round the edges and get it to work. You might remember the sets with Ian Anderson, and Robert Plant, and Procol Harum, too. Which takes us to: > Would Pete fit in? I don't think so. Although the fans (like the > artists) are mature in body and mind, the dynamics of the outdoor > festival are still hard to ignore. I couldn't agree more. For example, I heard half of Loudon Wainright's set from the front by the rail, and that worked fine. But, while it's clearly audible from further back, once you lose contact with the visual side of it, once you're back where you can't see the reds of their eyes, solo performers lose it totally [1]. The half of LW I heard from midway up the field (yes, the beer tent...) sounded inane. Not his fault, not Cropredy's, just a solo performer relying on intimate rapport and not getting it. ... and - if the list will indulge me - > I liked Loudon Wainwright as well; it was a shame he > didn't do "Men" - I could have done with that instead of "I wish I was a > lesbian" (nice idea, but went on way too long). - Didn't he pedantically correct himself, Jeremy? "I wish I *were* a Lesbian"? Nothing quite like it in the PA/CJ canon, I thought. Phew. [1] or mostly. Probably mostly. John, looking forward to meeting up in Buxton. ============================================================================== Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 13:01:08 +0100 From: Roy Brown <email address> Subject: MV1381 Re: MV1372; MV1359: PA/CJ Fairport, rain and records >Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 10:40:58 GMT >From: <email address> (Dr Jeremy Walton. Tel: <phone number>) >Subject: Re: MV1359: PA/CJ Fairport, rain and records > <Re Cropredy> > >Would Pete fit in? I don't think so. Although the fans (like the >artists) are mature in body and mind, the dynamics of the outdoor >festival are still hard to ignore. So loud boogie bands like Cat >Scratch Fever seem to penetrate further into the field than more >sensitive, intimate groups like Waz. I'd think that Pete's stuff would >just get lost beyond the first few rows. Come to think of it - has he >*ever* played any outdoor locations? I don't think the gig list >contains any. A copy of my rare live recording of Pete at the (2nd?) Cambridge Folk Festival, singing 'Practical Man', has been deposited for safe keeping with the redoubtable SJB. If enough of you ask, he might post this historic artefact (the first- ever Pete bootleg?) on the Website. The recording is a little old, but that don't mean it's slow. The hi- tech phasing and flanging effects are the result of the PA either side of the stage, rather than the PA *on* the stage, IYSWIM. -- Roy Brown Phone : <phone number> Fax : <fax number> Affirm Ltd Email : <email address> <postal address> 'Have nothing on your systems that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.' ============================================================================== Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 12:47:51 +0100 From: Roy Brown <email address> Subject: MV1382 Re: MV1379 The (Colonel) Bogey Man and Six Degrees of Pete Atkin >From: <email address> >Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 16:30:32 EDT >Subject: Re : MV1377: Hello, I must be going.... > ><< > So, what happened in 1954-ish to cause this sensitivity in newborn > male children in the British Isles? > >1954? Bit young, aren't you? Does your mum know you've joined the list? > > >Why should I tell you who precedes PA in my LP, CD, cassette and (now) > video collections? Work them out yourselves: they're a mixed > bunch.... > > 1. LP pre PA: Classical / film composer, born Northampton, 1921. > >Malcolm Arnold! > > 2. post: His Maw wrote "Heartbreak Hotel". Chet Atkins? > >Er, dunno. > > 3. CD pre PA: Jazzman with a Hot Five. > >Louis Armstrong > > 4. post: Talk about spin-offs! Even his horse was a big film/TV star! > >Gene Autry? Are you sure you've got the right list? > > 5. Cass pre PA: She is not in love, but she's open to persuasion... Joan Armourplating.... > 6. post: NOT (young,) gifted and black, but like Dylan's Hawks became... The Band (with Levon at the Helm)... > 7. Video pre: Same backwards as forwards. Yup, it's...s'ti ,puY. ABBA (in their ternary form) > Roy (Arnold) Brown (Yes, really, my paternal grandmother was one of the Northamptonshire Arnolds. The musical appreciation came this way, but not the talent, alas. And anyone who can write a piece of music called 'Beckus the Dandipratt' I'm more than proud to be related to......) But this gives me an idea for a new game. How about 'Six Degrees of Pete Atkin'?, where you have to get from Pete to anyone else in the known universe in as few goes as possible? (song references permitted) -- Roy Brown Phone : <phone number> Fax : <fax number> Affirm Ltd Email : <email address> <postal address> 'Have nothing on your systems that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.' ============================================================================== Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 16:56:24 +0100 From: S J Birkill <email address> Subject: MV1383 Re: MV1382; MV1379: The (Colonel) Bogey Man and Six Degrees of Pete Atkin >> 2. post: His Maw wrote "Heartbreak Hotel". > >Chet Atkins? - did't think she had the Ax for it ... >> 6. post: NOT (young,) gifted and black, but like Dylan's Hawks became... > >The Band (with Levon at the Helm)... - or ... try reading NOT as the Boolean (inverse) operator ... >But this gives me an idea for a new game. How about 'Six Degrees of Pete >Atkin'?, where you have to get from Pete to anyone else in the known >universe in as few goes as possible? (song references permitted) - to be fair you'd have to exclude Clive. You can get from him to anyone famous (and many infamous) in one, can't you! -- Steve ============================================================================== From: Ian Chippett <email address> Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 17:51:39 EDT Subject: MV1384: Song of the week? Stephen Payne suggested recently that for a song of the week we could start with "The Pearldriller". Great idea Stephen and I unanimously suggest that you be the one to choose the song! You could do this at random say every Monday when everyone's had time to read their Digest. Our overworked but resistant Moderator could maybe link our comments to the song in question on the site if he feels up to it. 8-) Didn't Vermeer paint a picture called "The Pearldriller" I seem to remember seeing one with a girl who had rather nice hands if not a gold silk jacket. It seems a rather more convincing source than a documentary about the Scottish pearl drilling industry as Pete has proposed. Do they wear gold silk jackets while drilling pearls in Scotland or, indeed, anywhere? (Ian Sorensen probably knows more about Scottish girls' hands than I do so maybe he can enlighten us). Musically it's the kind of song most of us weekend guitarists love: Flowers and the Wine, Care Charmer Sleep and Sunrise are others. Elegant and original but not hard to play. Ian ============================================================================== From: Ian Chippett <email address> Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 17:51:37 EDT Subject: MV1385: Outplaying the saxes Pete wrote recently that Charlie Christian had recorded a version of Honeysuckle Rose with the Benny Goodman Orchestra but it had not bee released on C.D as far as he knew. (I can't quote the exact message as AOL decided yesterday I no longer needed it along with all the other messages I've had since about May and sent them off to Cyberspace for ever). Well, I have a C.D. including this very track. It was recorded on November 22nd 1939 in New York while Solo Flight (also on the C.D) was recorded on March 4th 1941, also in New York. Charlie Christian's solo contribution is shorter than on Solo Flight but just as effective. Also on the C.D (another PA link) is the track "Profoundly Blue" written by Meade Lux Lewis. Charlie here performs with the Edmond Hall Celeste Quartet with Meade Lux Lewis on Celeste. Charlie contents himself with outplaying Edmond's clarinet. This C.D. "Charlie Christian- Genius Of The Electric Guitar" (they pay people for thinking of titles like that!) is available including 21 other tracks on the cheapo Giants Of Jazz label serial number CD53049 and lasts 70' 29". I paid about 40 francs for it in Paris and it's bloody good value! On the same label, you can find Charlie Parker's "From Dizzy to Miles" which includes "My Old Flame" (another Perfect Moment) from 1947 (C.D.53007) and 22 other tracks for the same price. Maybe Pete could sing this song at Buxton? Ian C ============================================================================== From: Dave Fisher <email address> Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 11:03:01 GMT Subject: MV1386: Either side of midnight OK you b*****s have made me do it. I have finally sorted my CD'S into some semblence of order. To the left there is The American Music Club and Joan Armatrading to the right the usual Beach Boys; Beatles and Bowie. Others include Chet Baker; Chuck Berry; Susie Bogguss; The Bonzo's and Derek Brimstone (still perfoming at nearly 66). I saw him at Broadstairs Folk Week on 14 August. He still plays quite beautifully and is a wonderful raconteur. He sends his regards to 'Old Pete'. Best wishes to all Dave Fisher ============================================================================== From: Ian Chippett <email address> Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 09:03:43 EDT Subject: MV1387: Fades Recently on the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson list (which I receive for the crossword puzzle) someone started a discussion about the fact that Brian W's songs almost always end with a fadeout. He suggested that it may have been for commercial reasons or (sorry about this) psychological reasons like not wishing to bring a beautiful experience to an end. Naturally, I began to wonder why Pete sometimes fades out his songs on record and sometimes doesn't. So I did a count. First album: Sunrise Luck of the Draw Second album: Where Have They All Gone? Prince Of Aquitaine Driving Through Mythical America Third album Carnations On The Roof A King At Nightfall (a bit ambiguous as the music stops but the bass drum (?) fades out) Last Hill Fourth album The Man Who Walked Toward The Music (?) (Only the bass fades out) Our Lady Lowness An Array Of Passionate Lovers Fifth album Rain Wheels (couldn't do anything else except fade out) I See The Joker Live Libel has no fadeouts ("Why?" fizzles out as it should) but it's a special case and we haven't heard the seventh or eighth albums yet ;-) The thing is: why couldn't Pete bring himself to bring a song to an end while in other cases he managed to do so quite satisfactorily? I think he'd say "No special reason, it's like that" but there must be something. Ian C ============================================================================== From: Dave Jones <email address> Subject: MV1388 RE: MV1387: Fades Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 12:00:43 -0400 > Driving Through Mythical America > I remarked a long time ago on the trumpet solo at the end of this number and its resemblance to the end of 'Penny Lane' (though I mistakenly wrote 'Strawberry Fields' at the time). Possible references to Penny Lane aside, this is a repeating figure which makes a kind of statement about the song, and bringing it to a closing cadence would interfere with that statement. > The Man Who Walked Toward The Music (?) >(Only the bass fades out) Just saving the bassist from having to resolve his bit of improvisation ? > Our Lady Lowness This is based on a blues structure, and most of the standard blues codas I can think of would tend to contradict the sentiments of the song. > An Array Of Passionate Lovers > Definitely a trolley er I mean metaphor for the retreat of the 'troops', I would say. Also there's another repeating musical figure which may be making a statement, as above. > I See The Joker > Another Greek trolley, this time for the uncertainty in the mind of the protagonist. Dave Jones Fading to black in Rochester NY. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Web Digest week 51 (16.08.98, MV1369-1388) ends | index | prev | next |Pete Atkin Home | Discography | Julie Covington | Audio Clips | Visitors' Comments | Join Midnight VoicesThe discussion forum for fans of Pete Atkin and Clive James, their works and collaborators on stage, TV, disc and in print.Midnight VoicesMidnight Voices, the Pete Atkin and Julie Covington Websites are operated and maintained by Steve Birkill
