Wednesday

Van & Edna.

It has been a rainy, dark, and gloomy day. I only went outside to put the rubbish bin out and feed my birds. I bought the wrong bird food a few days ago. I got sunflower hearts, but the sparrows will not touch them. So, I had to get a bag of suet pellets yesterday which they like. In a pot inside my kitchen window, I noticed that a hyacinth has started to grow again. With all the doom and gloom in the world these days any sign of new life is appreciated. I’ll take a photo of it to show you when it flowers. While I was doing the washing up, I listened to a compilation CD which I had not played before. I particularly enjoyed hearing Beth Gibbons and Damien Rice, two people I have not really paid attention to before. It was Edna O’Brien’s 90^th birthday yesterday. She is an Irish treasure and probably Ireland's greatest living writer. The news of her birthday brought back happy memories of Van Morrison’s 2014 Lit Up Inside evening at the Lyric Theatre in London when Edna read the lyrics of Madame George. A friend filmed it and I have shared it below if you have not seen it before.

Grave Of Siegfried Sassoon.

It was dark today by 4.00. I started thinking about future possible bike rides. There is a village about 12 miles away called Mells. When I looked on Wikipedia, I saw that the famous war poet Siegfried Sassoon is buried in the churchyard there. I ended up spending about an hour reading about him and his family. He lived at Heytesbury House, not far away. That might make an interesting little blog if I took my camera along and took a few pics. I would need a nice sunny day though. I will bear it in mind for maybe after Christmas. The big sporting event for me this weekend will be Mayo playing Dublin in the All-Ireland football final. I hope Mayo can do it this year. My late brother Paul was a big fan of Mayo. It is 69 years since they last lifted the Sam Maguire trophy. Even in Chicago Mayo fans are getting excited (See photo) I'll let you know the result.

Chicago Mayo Fans.

The Morning Star by Ger Wolfe

In the absence of any live music to enjoy during this pandemic, one of the things that has kept me going is music sessions on the internet by various artists. Among the musicians I have particularly enjoyed are sessions by Richard Thompson, Christy Moore, Cara Dillon and Sharon Shannon. I have felt that they should be rewarded for their efforts because musicians have been hit extremely hard recently by not being able to perform and earn a living. I have bought CDs or sent a tip via PayPal. A couple of weeks ago a friend posted a link on Facebook to another live session by an Irish singer-songwriter called Ger Wolfe. I enjoyed the session so much I ordered his latest album called The Morning Star which arrived a few days ago. I first heard the name Ger Wolfe about a year ago when he is mentioned in the title track on Christy Moore’s excellent Magic Nights album. I think Ger wrote that song in collaboration with fellow Cork resident John Spillane. The Morning Star is an excellent album and Ger has a unique voice with a distinctive accent. I would describe him as a nature poet. The songs are like poems set to music. The lyrics are full of references to birds, animals, the land, the sea, the sky, and the seasons. He obviously feels close to nature. This gives the album a very spiritual quality, because as you know, people who are closer to nature are closer to god.

The album is produced, engineered, and mixed by Amhlaoibh Mc Sweeney who also plays harmonium, banjo, sruti box, bass and drums. Ger has a very distinctive delicate guitar style, possibly influenced by Bert Jansch, but I do not play guitar, so it is not really for me to say. There is Spanish guitar & steel string guitar. Ger also plays nice mandolin, fiddle, and piano among other instruments. His son Diarmuid Wolfe is the pianist on one track called I See The New Moon. Colyne Laverriere and Julie O’Sullivan are guest vocalists on The Last Rose Of Summer. I do not have a favourite song, but if pushed I think the opening song Hello Gorgeous is both charming and poetic. I love the piano playing on When We Were Farming Land and the harmonium and mandolin on tracks such as Colder Than The Winter which created a nice atmosphere in my kitchen as I listened on a winters afternoon. Something Stirred A Memory is about how simple things like finding lost items in a drawer can bring memories flooding back. In I Am A Wave Ger has put new words to an American tune called The Dying Soldier. On first listen I thought that song was the most immediately accessible. The final track called Walk The Long Road reminded me slightly of another nature inspired album by Vashti Bunyan called Another Diamond Day, but I am sure other listeners will find their own magical moments in this album.

If you want to hear a taste of this album, I have shared a beautiful video of Hello Gorgeous to this blog site below. 

Ger Wolfe -'Hello Gorgeous' (official video)

Night -Time Radio by Willow Springs.

So, I was wondering what to do with myself on this grey December day when a new CD popped through my letterbox. It is the new album by Willow Springs called Night-Time Radio. Willow Springs is the brainchild of Mark Crockard who is a singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland. I first heard of Mark when he played with an excellent Van Morrison tribute band called Celtic Soul who I saw at the party to celebrate Van’s 70^th birthday in 2015. This is Willow Springs second album and I have spent a very pleasant afternoon listening to it. As well as singing, Mark plays harmonica, acoustic & electric guitars, percussion, keyboards, banjo, and upright & electric bass. Also on the album are Lisa Brady on vocals, Rik Gay on drums & percussion, Keith Ward on piano & keyboards, Marcus McAuley on acoustic guitar & mandolin, Richard Nelson on pedal steel guitar, Vic Bronzini-Fulton on guitar, John McKinley on trumpet and Jim ‘The King’ Brown who sings on two songs.

I suppose you could describe the music as Americana. If you like country-rock I am sure you will love this album. Once I started listening, I forgot about genres and just enjoyed it as great music. The opening track is called Together, a duet between Mark and Lisa with tasteful piano and pedal steel guitar accompaniment. Same Old, Same Old Thing features Lisa again, in a jazzier bluesy mood with Richard’s pedal steel guitar to the fore. It Takes A Little Time is much rockier, driven along by electric guitar and great piano playing. Hello Friend has the great voice of Jim ‘The King’ Brown. You would swear it was Elvis singing. On Willow Springs Facebook page I saw that Jim has been suffering from Covid 19. I wish him a full recovery and hope it has not affected his great voice. Lisa sings again on I’ll Do Whatever It Takes. What a nice voice she has. This song also has a wonderful guitar solo by Vic Bronzini-Fulton. The eponymous title song Night-Time Radio is next and is possibly my favourite track after two listens. It reminded me slightly of Michael Nesmith’s early solo work or the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. It is a great song anyway. The heartfelt A Darker Shade Of Blue is accompanied by tasteful discreet harmonica and banjo. To Be With You is another Elvis style big ballad by Jim. I love it, especially the Duane Eddy twangy guitar sound. I wonder what Elvis would have thought of this song.

Boulder, Rock Or Stone is a much quieter affair. Why Did I Ever Fall In Love With You? Is a simple arrangement which again features effective acoustic guitar playing by Marcus McAuley. The laid-back mood continues with Thanks For Believing which is perfect music for a cold winters day. A Party On Saturday Night is much livelier. A Tex-Mex flavoured dance tune featuring frenetic trumpet playing by John McKinley. Marcus’s acoustic guitar is again featured on the final track I’ll See You Somewhere Down The Road which brings this most enjoyable album to a close. Congratulations to everyone who worked on this project, especially the multi-talented Mark Crockard.

Baby Driver.

It was a winters day in a deep and dark December. A young folk singer who was on a tour of one-night stands with his suitcase and guitar in hand entered the café on the platform of a railway station in a small northern town. A plump bespectacled middle-aged lady smiled at him from behind the counter.

“Hello chuck, what can I get you?”

“I’d like some hot food, if you have any”.

“Try one of my hot-pots, I’m famous for them”.

“Ok, I will, and a cup of tea please”

He sat down at a table in a corner of the sad deserted café, pulled out his notebook and pen and tried to finish a song to pass the time. Through the window he gazed at the rain-drenched streets and listened to the rain tapping on the roof and walls. He could not finish the song and wondered why he spent his time writing songs he could not believe in, with words that tear and strain to rhyme. He was awoken from this lonesome reverie by the lady bringing his food.

“There you go chuck, get that in you, I hope you enjoy it, we have to try and keep the customer satisfied" she said, glancing at his guitar case.

“You’re a singer I see, I’m a singer myself, and an actress, I’m ‘resting’ at the moment as they say, that’s why I’m working here. I’ve got an audition next week though for Coronation Street”.

“What is that? I’ve never heard of it”, he replied, couched in indifference to the dangling conversation.

“You won’t know it, being an American. It’s like your Peyton Place, only set in a mucky street round here, I’ll be playing a barmaid, if I get the part”.

“Well, good luck with that. Don’t you like working here?”

“No, my boss doesn’t want me to go, he says I am a rock, but I hate it, It's too quiet, I can't bear the sounds of silence, and I’ve had a bad day, one of my neighbours gassed himself. Mrs Riordan told me. She lives upstairs from him. It’s a shame, but he was a most peculiar man"

“I’m sorry about that, I hope your day gets better”

“Thanks chuck, I’ll be homeward bound in an hour, thank god”.

She returned to her duties behind the counter and he began scribbling furiously in his notebook with renewed enthusiasm. Ten minutes later the song was finished. Then he realised that his train was due, and he hurried to the door, stopping to say goodbye to the nice lady.

“It’s been nice to meet you, what’s your name?”

“Nice to meet you as well chuck, you can call me Betty…Betty Driver”

By the time he reached London he had written four new songs. Not a bad day really, for a poet and a one-man band.

PS, Don't take this story too seriously!

Patrick & Hilda.

Patrick Kavanagh died on this day November 30^th in 1967. He was one of the finest Irish poets and a novelist. Arguably second only to W.B. Yeats as the greatest Irish poet of all time. He also was a huge influence on Seamus Heaney. Patrick met and fell in love with a young medical student called Hilda Moriarty and in 1946 wrote a poem inspired by her called ‘Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away’. It became one of Ireland’s best loved songs when in the 1960s he met Luke Kelly in the Bailey pub in Dublin and Luke sang the definitive version known as ‘On Raglan Road’. Van Morrison, Sinead O’connor, Mark Knopfler, Dick Gaughan, Billy Bragg and many others have recorded this song.

On Raglan Road on an autumn day I met her first and knew

That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue;

I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way,

And I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day.

On Grafton Street in November we tripped lightly along the ledge

Of the deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passion's pledge,

The Queen of Hearts still making tarts and I not making hay –

O I loved too much and by such and such is happiness thrown away.

His love for Hilda was unrequited, mainly because of the age gap. She was only 22 when they met, and he was 40. Dr Hilda Moriaty later married Donogh O'Malley who became Ireland’s education minister. His reforms made him one of the most popular members of the government; he was affectionately known as 'the School Man' for his work in education. His sudden death in Limerick on 10 March 1968 before his vision for the education system was completed came as a shock to the public. He was buried with a full Irish state funeral. They had two children, the actor Daragh O'Malley, and Suzanne, a fashion designer.

Also, I found out just last night that  that the famous singer Dido wrote a song called Grafton Street in memory of her father, who was a nephew of Hilda Moriarty. The Irish Times said that as a young girl Dido was obsessed with great-aunt Hilda, the tales of her beauty, and her role in Raglan Road, and that she sang Raglan Road to her father as he was dying. So, I am incredibly pleased that Patrick met Hilda and it just shows that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

A Pointless Brief Encounter.

It is Saturday morning and five long days have passed since I last wrote anything on my blog page. The reason is that nothing has occurred of much interest to write about. I have got some good news about my bike. I joined a local Westbury neighbourhood internet group and asked if anyone knew how to mend bikes. On Monday morning a man came round and mended it in about twenty minutes which was good of him. He advised me to keep the chain well oiled in future, so I went round to Davis’s and got a can of bike oil. I have not been motivated to go out on my bike since then because it has been quite cold, foggy and damp this week, also I’m quite lazy. I have not been out of the house since then. Every day has just merged into the next one. I have not had any alcohol since this latest lockdown started 23 days ago. I was looking forward to going to the pub next week when lockdown ends on December 2^nd, but they have announced that the only pubs allowed to open are those that serve food. I do not go to the pub to eat, I go to drink and see my friends, so I will wait a while longer.

Most days I get up and potter around for a while and look on Facebook. I usually go back to bed in the afternoon because it is nice and warm up there. I get up again in time to watch Pointless on the telly. That is a popular quiz show. Then I watch the news. Last night they reported on a top Iranian nuclear expert being assassinated. That is very worrying. You can be sure that Israel is behind it. I bet it is not unconnected to Benjamin Netanyahu’s secret visit to Saudi Arabia last week. Why now?, probably because Joe Biden becomes President in January and has said he will reopen talks with Iran. Trump is so vindictive that he would like to leave Joe with as much chaos as possible when he takes over.

Anyway, after the news I have dinner which often involves brown rice and Linda McCartney. I usually listen to BBC 6 Music while this is going on. Monday night is my favourite telly night when I watch Only Connect and University Challenge. Then I flick round the channels to see if there is anything else worth watching. On BBC 4 on Thursday night they showed Brief Encounter with Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard because it is the 75^th anniversary of its release. I watched it because there was nothing else on. It is about this middle aged, middle class woman who spends her afternoons at the pictures or hanging around railway stations. She meets this doctor, and they fall in love. I looked it up on Wikipedia and according to the critics it is the 2^nd greatest British film of all time, second only to The Third Man. It is directed by David Lean. How they can rate Brief Encounter above other films of his such as Dr Zhivago, Lawrence Of Arabia or Ryan’s Daughter is beyond my ken. It is not even in colour. The only other thing worth watching was a great documentary last night about singer Gerry Rafferty.

Once it gets past midnight, I usually look on Wikipedia to see what occurred on this date in history. Today for example is the anniversary of William Blake being born in 1757. I like Saturdays, it is the 2^nd round of the F.A. Cup today. My team Peterborough United known as The Posh are at home. I hope they win and get drawn against a big team like Manchester United in the 3^rd round. We shall see.

PS, Posh lost! Bah, never-mind.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady.

It was in the 1960’s that the name of Charles Mingus entered my consciousness. In a song by Donovan called Sunny Goodge Street. The lyrics said, ‘Listenin' to sounds of Mingus mellow fantastic, My, my, they sigh’. Then in 1979 Joni Mitchell put lyrics to Charles Mingus compositions on the album Mingus, but I never heard it. I was not ready for jazz just yet. In recent years I have started to show more of an interest. It might be partly due to Van Morrison having a jazz feel to a lot of his music. I want to experience some of the work of the jazz greats. I have albums by Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Sidney Bechet and an album by The Mingus Big Band called Blues & Politics, but that was recorded after his death. I looked on the internet to see what the critics rated as Charles Mingus’s greatest work and The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady seemed to be the popular choice, so that is what arrived here a few days ago.

The CD has a nice gatefold sleeve and there is a booklet inside with an 18-page explanation of the music by Mingus. To me, his language reads a bit like Mezz Mezzrow. It is jazz jive talk, but I get what he is saying, I think! Charles also got his psychologist Dr Edmund Pollock who did not know much about music to write a review. It is a good review because although Dr Pollock did not know about the techniques of music, he did know what made Charles Mingus tick, so he understood the emotions behind the music. The album was recorded in one day on January 20^th 1963. Charles’s co-arranger Bob Hammer had the band practice this work night after night during a six week residency at the Village Vanguard club, so by the time they got in the studio they were au-fait with the music. There is an eleven-piece band consisting of trumpets, trombone, tuba, tenor & alto saxophones, flute, piano, guitar, bass, and drums. I expect the band members are all well known to jazz fans, but the only name I recognise and know is Jay Berliner on guitar. He played on Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and I have seen him play in Van’s band on a few occasions. I must say after two listens to this album that some of my favourite parts are Jay’s delightful solos on Spanish guitar.

The album is one continuous composition divided into four sections and six movements. It was originally orchestrated with a ballet in mind. I am not sure I understand it very well. I find it very avant-garde and experimental. I think Mingus was trying to push the boundaries of jazz with this work. Maybe, I will get into it after a few more listens. At times it sounds very chaotic to me. If it were a painting, I think it would be something like Guernica by Picasso. I think Mingus is trying to express the emotions of a black person living in a world where white people call the shots. I do not find it easy listening that is for sure. Perhaps I should have ordered one of his earlier albums to introduce myself to his work. Track four probably contains my favourite passages, especially towards the end where it accelerates relentlessly driven by the drums of Danny Richmond and the crazy trumpets of Rolf Ericson and Richard Williams. I will persevere and keep playing it and I will let you know if it grows on me.

The Bicycle Diaries, Chapter 2, Wheel Of Misfortune.

 

Poor Old Horse.

It is raining again today, so I will not be going anywhere. Yesterday was a nice sunny, but cold day. I decided to go out for a bike ride. Little did I realise what lay in store. It all went well at first. I headed along the road towards Trowbridge and turned right up Capps Lane. I was out in the countryside. I saw a pheasant in a field and stopped to take a photo. Finally, I reached the village of Bratton and had a look around. There are some nice Tudor houses and thatched cottages. At the Duke pub which is sadly closed due to the pandemic I stopped to take a photo of two large whale bones which stand at the entrance to the garden. They have been there about a hundred years.

Broken chain.

 It was when I headed down the Lower   Westbury Road that disaster struck.   Suddenly the pedals would not go round. I   thought I might be stuck between gears   and pressed really hard. I heard a clunk,   looked down and found that the chain had   broken. There was nothing for it but to   push my bike back to Westbury. Luckily, I   was only two miles from home when it   happened. I quite enjoyed the walk back.   There were lots of hang gliders to observe   above the White Horse. I took a photo of the sun which was really dazzling in the November sky. I noticed that the White Horse is looking a bit shabby. It could do with a good clean in the Springtime. Finally,I reached Westbury and was able to freewheel down Alfred Street to reach home.  To encourage people to cycle more and help save the environment there is a government scheme where you can apply for a £50 voucher to have old bicycles repaired. When I looked on the website, all the vouchers had been allocated for the time being. I will have to find somewhere that does bike repairs. I do not think there is a bike repair shop in Westbury. I will have to think of something. In the meantime, it will be Shanks pony for me (walking). Could this be the end of the bicycle diaries?. We shall see.

November sun.

A Strange Encounter.

 

My bird table.

I ran out of bird food yesterday. Looking out of the kitchen window I could see my sparrows arriving at the bird table and there was nothing there for them. I felt sorry for the little blighters, but I did not want to go out for just one item. Then I remembered that I had two bird feeders hanging up that the birds were not using. One of them I had hung on a tree down by my pond and the other one I had just hung on the fence near the compost bin. It was only about two feet off the ground. I decided to empty that one onto the bird table. When I went to take it apart though, I got the shock of my life. Inside the bird feeder, sitting on top of the suet pellets was a tiny little mouse. It must have somehow clambered up the fence and crawled in the hole at the bottom where the birds are supposed to feed from. Once inside, he must have thought, “This is a nice pad”, and moved in. I expect it was nice and warm in there for a wee timorous beastie. I wish I had taken a photo of him to show you, but I did not think at the time. Anyway, I took the feeder apart and he took his chance and jumped out and ran off into the undergrowth. “Cheerio mate, good luck”, I thought.

That was the most exciting thing that has happened for days. It is another grey bleak day here. Every day just merges into the next. I am listening to Charlie Parker at the moment because I have decided that this is Jazz week. I just ordered a CD by Charles Mingus called The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady.  I read that it is one of the greatest jazz albums ever made. I will tell you all about it when it arrives. I cannot think of anything else to tell you about now. Cheerio.

Brilliant Corners.

Thelonious Monk & Charlie Parker. New York 1952. The person at the table smoking a cigarette looks like Jack Kerouac.

It is Sunday afternoon. I had to go out this morning because I had run out of provisions. I got a great big bag of groceries in Morrison’s and scurried home. It is noticeably colder today. I fed my birds and my fish and got in the warmth of the kitchen. I will not need to go out again for a while if the weather is bad. Whilst pottering about and doing about four days’ worth of washing up I have been listening to Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk which arrived yesterday. I played it for the first-time last night. I had been meaning to get a Monk album for a while to add to my small but growing collection of jazz albums. An old friend of mine is a big fan of Monk, so I wanted to hear him. Also, I like the name and his personality intrigued me. I read that he was a friend of Allen Ginsberg and I like anything Beat. When I saw a photo of Monk performing with Charlie Parker and saw a figure in the audience who looks like Jack Kerouac, that did it for me. I ordered Brilliant Corners because I read that Brilliant Corners and Misterioso were the pinnacle of his artistic achievement.

The album was released in 1957 on the Riverside label. It features Monk on piano, Ernie Henry & Sonny Rollins on saxophones, Oscar Pettiford on bass and Max Roach on drums. The opening title track is an extraordinarily complex affair which took 25 takes to record and even then the producer had to splice the finished recording together from various takes. I am not a great fan of drum solos and that sort of thing, but on this album I love the tasteful drumming of Max Roach. I think I heard Ginger Baker say that he was one of his favourite drummers. The second track is called Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues -Are which takes its name from Monk’s exaggerated pronunciation of Blue Bolivar Blues. Monk’s friend Pannonica De Konigswater lived at the Bolivar Hotel where she gave Monk somewhere to live. Despite her exotic name she was actually a British aristocratic jazz fan, a member of the Rothschild family. I think I can detect a slight influence of Monk on the playing of Georgie Fame on this track. 

Pannonica.

The third track Pannonica is one of Monk’s most popular tunes and I think it is my favourite from this album as well. He plays a type of piano called a celeste on this track. I surrender Dear is not an original composition. It was written by Harry Barris and was originally a song which Bing Crosby recorded in 1931.It is a solo performance of just Monk and his piano. Bemsha Swing is the final track and written in collaboration with Denzil Best. Paul Chambers plays bass and Clark Terry features on trumpet. For me the highlight of this track is the drumming of Max Roach. I read that it was listening to this track that persuaded Monk’s son Toots Monk to become a jazz drummer.

I must say I have enjoyed listening to this great album on a cold November Sunday afternoon and I will definitely be getting some more jazz music soon. Maybe Charles Mingus next time. There is a documentary about Ronnie Scott’s club on the telly tonight which I am also looking forward to seeing. See you later.

The Turning Tide by P.P. Arnold.

Saturday morning. It has rained constantly for hours. I won’t be going anywhere today. I have only left the house twice in the last 10 days. Once to go to the shops and once for a bike ride. Social media has been my only contact with the outside world apart from a couple of phone calls. At least there is no danger of getting COVID-19 whilst banged up in here. I quite like it in a way because I have saved loads of money and not drinking has done me good. I feel better for it. I have treated myself to a couple of CDs. The first one arrived yesterday, and I am listening to it at this very moment. It is called The Turning Tide by P.P. Arnold. I came across this album the night Joe Biden was projected as the next American President. After four years of the Trump nightmare it seemed like a brand-new day. I wanted to share the Van Morrison song of that title with my Facebook friends. On YouTube I stumbled across a version of Brand New Day by PP Arnold which I listened to and thought was great. As well as her soulful voice I thought the backing musicians were excellent, so that was the version I shared. I wanted to hear more of the album from whence it came and when looking on eBay found an unplayed promotional copy for sale and bought it.

I will just tell you a little bit about P.P. Arnold in case you have not heard of her. She was born in 1946 in Los Angeles. In 1965 she joined The Ikettes who were the backing singers for Ike & Tina Turner. In 1966 while in London on tour with the Rolling Stones she quit the Ikettes and stayed in London to establish a solo career. She liked the way that black musicians were treated in London as opposed to the USA. Mick Jagger was a friend and helped her get a recording contract with Immediate Records which was owned by the Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham. The Small Faces were also on Immediate and they worked with her and she had a brief love affair with Steve Marriott the Faces singer and guitarist. Her first backing band were The Nice who featured Keith Emerson on keyboards. This is when I first heard of P.P. Arnold because she recorded some classic singles on Immediate. My favourite was her version of Cat Stevens’s The First Cut Is The Deepest. Angel Of The Morning was another great song.

With The Small Faces.

Sadly, Immediate Records went bust in the late 60’s. P.P. Arnold signed a deal with Robert Stigwood who was also the manager of The Bee Gees and Eric Clapton. She went into the studio with Barry Gibb as producer to record an album. Two singles were released, but the album never saw the light of day until incredibly it was released 46 years later in 2017. That is the album that popped through my letterbox yesterday. When I looked at the sleeve notes I realised why the backing musicians on Brand New Day sounded so good. This album is packed with talented musicians. They include Eric Clapton, Jim Gordon, Bobby Whitlock, Bobby Keys, Rita Coolidge and Doris Troy. A lot of these musicians would become members of Derek And The Dominos. There are also beautiful arrangements by Bill Shepherd. Six of the songs called, Born To Be Free’, ‘Bury Me Down By The River’, ‘Give A Hand, Take A Hand’, ‘Happiness’, ‘The Turning Tide and High and Windy Mountain are written by Barry Gibb. I have never been a great fan of his, but her powerful singing and the great musicians make the songs something special. 

There is a great cover of Steve Winwood’s Medicated Goo, Spinning Wheel, which was originally by Blood, Sweat & Tears, as was You’ve Made Me So Very Happy. There is also a splendid version of The Stones You Can’t Always Get What You Want. There are two songs which P.P. Arnold co-wrote with Caleb Quaye called If This Were My World’ and Children Of The Last War. It would be hard to pick a favourite song after two listens, but It is probably Brand New Day because I’m biased. What this album tells me is that P.P. Arnold is one of the great soul singers with a spiritually and emotionally uplifting voice and sadly underrated. I might be wrong, but I bet in her native USA hardly anyone has heard of her. Listening to this CD on a dark and rainy Saturday in the middle of a pandemic has lifted my spirits, so I am pleased I stumbled across The Turning Tide by P.P Arnold. PS,While I was writing this story the post lady delivered another CD which I’ll tell you about later.

The Bicycle Diaries, Chapter 1.

 

I had not ventured out of the house for six long days. We have been back in lockdown since last Thursday. I went to the pub last Wednesday evening for two pints of cider and did not go out again until today. I haven’t seen another living soul or had a drink since. I am going to see if I can get through until December without alcohol. It will do me good and It is no fun drinking on your own indoors is it? Also, it might help get rid of my fat belly. Another reason I haven’t been out is because although the weather has been mild it has been quite rainy.

Chalford or bust!

This afternoon however, the sun came out and I motivated myself to go out for a bike ride as I desperately needed some fresh air and exercise. I gave my tyres some air and off I went. I headed up Alfred Street, crossed the main road and went up Newtown heading for the White Horse. By the time I got to the countryside I was sweating and tired. I am really out of shape. I couldn’t face the uphill struggle to the White Horse, so had a sit down on a bench and reassessed the situation. Just before the equestrian centre there is a lane to the right. I had never been along there but decided to explore it and see where I ended up. It was very muddy in places after the recent rain but quite pleasant. I said hello to a few dog walkers and people on horse back and the trees looked great in all their autumnal glory.

I eventually emerged on the main road at Chalford. I could have freewheeled back down into Westbury, but I had only been out for about half an hour, so I crossed the road and headed for Old Dilton. I had been this way a few weeks ago, so when I got to a turn off for Upton Scudamore I headed up there. It became too much like hard work though, going uphill. “I’ll save that for another day”, I thought to myself, and turned back. At a place called Hisomley I turned right and hurtled downhill to Westbury Leigh. I noticed that the church clock said it was nearly 3.00. I had been out for 90 minutes. “That will do for today”, I told myself and headed home for a well-deserved cup of tea. I felt quite pleased with myself for making the effort to get out and about. I'll try and go a bit further next time.

Laura Marling, Song For Our Daughter.

Song For Our Daughter is the seventh album by Laura Marling. I had been meaning to listen to her for years because she is always being nominated for prizes and being voted top female singer at the Brit awards and receiving great critical acclaim. I had been prejudiced against her because she is the daughter of a baronet and had a genteel upbring in Berkshire which did not appeal to my socialist sensibilities. That is very unfair though, people should have a chance in life whatever their background! It was not her fault. Anyway, finally I have bought a Laura Marling album. I suppose the first thing to say is that Laura has not actually got a daughter, she is fictitious. Wikipedia told me that the title song was inspired by a book by Maya Angelou called Letter To My Daughter.

The album has a very stripped back sound with just guitar and percussion which gives it a very intimate feel. On some tracks there are some exquisite string arrangements by Robert Moose. The opening song is the strange and haunting Alexandra. Apparently, this is based on a Leonard Cohen song called Alexandra Leaving. You wonder who Alexandra was, maybe a previous lover of her partner. ‘Where did Alexandra go? Is the mysterious refrain. Laura’s pure vocals are quite sublime. Held Down is one of my favourite tracks. It is so good that I have played it over and over. It is the shimmering layered harmonies of Laura’s own voice that make it so great, where the last word of every verse is repeated several times. It reminds me very much of Parallelograms by Linda Perhacs, another album I like. Strange Girl is an upbeat song with lots of percussion. I am not sure what it is about, but seems quite sneering of pretentious people, ‘Oh girl, don’t bullshit me’ is one line. The gentle guitar sound of Only The Strong Survive reminds me slightly of Simon & Garfunkel. Blow By Blow is a very sad song which has a beautiful string accompaniment. The title track Song For Our Daughter is next. You can see the subtle influence of  an older generation of musicians like McCartney, Cohen, Dylan and especially Joni Mitchell all over this album. I think her parents record collection must have had a big influence on Laura.

Fortune is another of the great songs. It is an incredibly sad song which mentions her mothers running away fund which she never had the courage to use. Laura’s vocal performance is fabulous. The End Of The Affair is the name of a novel by Grahame Greene and the title of the next song. Laura is obviously a well-read lady. She mentions books in several songs. There is a character called ‘Max’ in this song. I wonder who he is based on? The penultimate song is Hope We Meet Again which for me has very enigmatic lyrics. I must confess that I don't understand the lyrics in a lot of the songs. You won't find songs about the big issues of the day. These are very introspective songs. I have read that Laura has been studying psychoanalysis. Healing inner trauma seems to be her interest. The album ends with the simple and charming For You which has Laura’s boyfriend humming along in harmony. It features some nice electric guitar and brings this album to a pleasant and positive end. This is a wonderful album. You will be rewarded by playing it several times. It grows on you. I should have mentioned that the acoustic guitar playing is excellent and Laura’s voice is the best I have heard in a long time. Congratulations to Laura Marling on this great album. I have shared Held Down from YouTube to this blogsite if you want to hear it.

Laura Marling - Held Down (Official Audio)

The Writing On The Wall.

My story begins about five days ago. A friend on Facebook posted a video of Dick Gaughan singing The World Turned Upside Down. I love this song which tells the story of The Diggers who in 1649 occupied common land on St George’s Hill in Surrey because they believed the land was a treasury for all to share. Listening to the song again made me curious about the person who wrote it in 1975. His name is Leon Rosselson. I looked up Leon on Wikipedia and listened to his songs on Youtube. There could be no doubt that Leon’s heart was in the right place. I read that he had worked and recorded with Roy Bailey so that led me to reading about Roy. He has been described as ‘the very soul of folk’s working-class ideals’ I was really impressed and decided to buy an album. When I looked on eBay to see what was available I stumbled across a live CD which Roy had recorded at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2003 with none other than the great Tony Benn. It is called The Writing On The Wall. Not only that, but it is also signed by Tony & Roy. “This is the one for me”, I thought to myself and clicked Buy. 

Just in case you live in a faraway country and don’t know who Tony Benn is, I’ll just give you a quick few details about him. He was born in 1925 as Anthony Wedgewood Benn, a member of the aristocracy and educated at Westminster School. He became a member of the Labour Party and elected to Parliament. However, when his father died he became Viscount Stansgate which barred him from sitting in the House Of Commons because he was a lord. He fought for years to renounce his title until finally an act of parliament allowed him to become Tony Benn and become an MP. He was one of the great figures of British politics and probably the only minister to become more left wing when in office. He was a great friend of Glastonbury Festival as well and opened the Leftfield Stage in 2002. His speeches at Glastonbury were hugely popular.

As it is another rainy day, I have been in the kitchen listening to the CD. I see the previous owner has included a ticket for Tony & Roy’s concert at Beverley Folk Festival in 2008 which is where they must have got the CD signed. It is a very enjoyable listen indeed. Tony tells stories from British history such as the Peasants Revolt and The Civil War and the international struggle for democracy, human rights, freedom and peace. Roy sings songs relating to the struggle, such as the story of Abeizer Coppe  who was a prominent ranter who were a 17^th century dissenting group. Also, Roy sings The Ballad Of Vic Williams who was a conscientious objector who refused to fight in the Iraq war. There is a lot of humour in their performance as well. Tony was a very witty, intelligent, and articulate man and Roy sings with humour songs such as Corvette Stingray about a woman who sells her husbands car for next to nothing when he is unfaithful.

Tony speaking at Glastonbury.

Sadly, Tony died in 2014 aged 88 and Roy passed away aged 83 in 2018. Their legacy lives on though. When you look at the world today it can be depressing. A world where billionaire oligarchs are supported by corrupt politicians and tax avoiding press barons. There is always hope though. I was pleased to see the Labour Party sweep to power in New Zealand this week which shows that socialism can be popular. Even in this world of climate change, Covid 19, war and poverty there is hope. As Tony Benn once said, “Hope is the fuel of progress and fear is the prison in which you put yourself”. That is why I am encouraged and glad I listened to this CD today.