Long Red – Live – More Mountain

We’re on a roll with the posting tonight, and seeing as how I’ve gone a couple of days without posting anything… I don’t always have the time… I’ll add this one now.

This is taken from the album Mountain Live, The Road Goes Ever On…. only it didn’t because by the time this had been released Mountain had split up for the first time, it was 1972… they reformed in ‘74. But Mountain Live is one hell of an album, the raw power of the band is captured perfectly and Long Red is nothing but raw power. Once again Leslie West plays some outstanding guitar on this track, which I believe was recorded at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

The bass player, Felix Pappalardi who produced some of Cream’s albums, went deaf due to the volume that the band played at over the years.., listening to this it’s easy to understand why, but it forced him to retire from playing eventually…, he was shot dead by his wife in 1983.

This song goes with me everywhere, it’s a wonderful live recording and has to be played with the volume up high… no point otherwise. There’s nothing frilly or fancy about it, it’s just how it is… loud and heavy is the way they played and this recording captures that perfectly. Essential to have on my island for those times when my pace of life needs a little kick up the rear to keep me in touch with reality…. and I couldn’t think of a better way of doing it. It’s ripped off the vinyl album so it has a nice authentic crackle at the beginning.

The Healer.. Hooker And Santana

Two great musicians, John Lee Hooker and Carlos Santana, on one great record. Nothing much to say about this apart from that it’s just shear class…, so laid back that you’ll be on the floor listening to it. Carlos Santana is an all time favourite of mine, seen him play live three times over the years and each time he was awesome, one of the best as far as I’m concerned.., but more of him later. And John Lee Hooker is, quite simply, a blues legend…, so you would expect nothing other than quality from each of them. Put them together and you end up with some of the coolest music you’ll hear… The Healer is one such song.

The song is from a 1989 album, called The Healer, which features some great artists collaborating with Hooker… this is without doubt my favourite from the album and would rank highly in my desert island collection. No more needs to be said.., it’s just needs to be posted and listened to, because it’s brilliant.

And You’re Working For No One But Me

That’s a line from Taxman by The Beatles, and since it’s release in 1966 those words have become more and more accurate as the years go by… never more so than today. But I love the lyrics to the song and that’s why it’s one of my favourite Beatles records.

Choosing favourite Beatles songs is very difficult, there are just so many and people will argue ’til the cows come home about which songs were their best. When I was a kid their music was everywhere, it seemed like no other band existed for a few years because they dominated the charts and the music scene. I had many of their early singles… bought for me by my mum and dad.. and I used to listen to them on an old radiogram that we had at the time, all in mono. I loved it all, The Beatles were fantastic.., still are.

It was the swinging ’60’s and pop music was the big thing, The Beatles were the undisputed kings of pop and every record they brought out shot to the top of the charts. Thing is, I was only around nine or ten years old then.., too young to be out with all the teenagers at that time, and they were the ones who were having all the fun going to The Beatles concerts and screaming themselves silly.. Beatlemania. So I had to stay at home with my mum and dad and listen to their records or watch them on the TV… and all in black and white.

But I had an aunty who was in her late teens at that time, and I remember going with my grandad in the car when he gave her a lift into town to a Beatles concert one night. I remember us pulling up to the curb in the car and my aunty leaping out and running across the road to join her friends then they all ran off, screaming through the town centre. I remained in the car with my grandad and watched through the window as all these girls ran past in near hysterics…, I’d never seen anything like that before and it sticks in my mind to this day, and I wanted to go with them… but there was no chance of that happening. And that was the closest I ever got to a Beatles concert. But that never stopped me from loving their music and I actually like it more as I get older, as I’m sure countless generations will in the future… it’s timeless. So this is the first song in this post, Taxman…”one for you, nineteen for me”… brilliant line.

Then the second one is a song I saw Paul McCartney play a week or two ago at a concert in his home town of Liverpool which was shown on the BBC…, he was still brilliant and he did many of the old Beatles songs, much to the shear delight of the sellout crowd. This really is a great Beatles song, it’s from 1963 and was on their debut album, it’s called I saw Her Standing There and it’s one that I used to listen to on the old radiogram… only it’s not in mono anymore and doesn’t crackle like it did then. So these two are in my Beatles concert for one on my desert island.

“If You’re Fond Of Sand Dunes…

… and salty air.., quaint little villages here and there.”  The words from the song “Old Cape Cod”, recorded by Patti Page in 1957 and then sampled in the song “At The River” in 1997 by Groove Armada. Forty years between the two recordings but combined together they make up an absolutely brilliant record, one of the best known chill out songs of the last decade.

I must admit to never having heard of Patti Page before I heard her voice on this song, but Groove Armada mixed it perfect, especially with the ultra cool trombone to make the perfect chill out song. It’s just a classic tune, no doubt about that, and totally perfect desert island music. If I were on a desert island this would be playing most days at some time or other because it just fits right in there with the surroundings.. I love this song!

It’s been used in more TV stuff than I care to mention, but I suppose that’s how a lot of people came across it so it keeps it’s popularity rating high… although I was never too keen on the Marks and Spencer ad that it was featured on I’ll borrow some of the words from the ad… “This is not just chill out music…. this is serious Groove Armada chill out music”… or words to that effect…, and much too good a song to be used for advertising turkey with cranberry sauce or whatever.. It should be played while you’re lazing in a hammock on a desert island listening to the waves lapping onto the beach.., and probably dreaming about turkey and cranberry sauce… damn!! Maybe those ads were just too good after all..