Tim Buckley - Song to the Siren

Memoirs Of A Beatnik.

I had to go to Bath again today, but the weather was a far cry from last Thursday. The temperature had dropped, one minute it would be sunny and the next minute it would be hailstones. After I had completed the business which brought me to Bath I went for a walk around town. The streets were quite deserted because of the weather. There were no buskers to stop and listen to. It wasn’t a complete waste of time though. In the Julian House shop in Walcot Street I found a nice copy of Memoirs Of A Beatnik by Diane Di Prima. I like anything ‘Beat’ but I hadn’t seen this book before. It is a novel written in 1969 but this edition was published in 2002. It is a fictionalised erotic account of her own life. I first became aware of Diane through her reading a couple of her poems at The Last Waltz concert with The Band. You can find a video below of that if you want.

Also, in the Dorothy House shop I found a signed hardback copy of Frazzled by Ruby Wax. It is in a mint condition, so I was well pleased with that. Both of those books will go in my shop in the next few days. After that I headed for the station because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I started to read my Beatnik book on the way home. Diane certainly had an interesting life. I went for a couple of drinks and a game of pool this evening and that was the end of rainy Tuesday.

Diane Di Prima at The Last Waltz.

The Gardener

Review: Gypsy Blood by Tamsin Quin.

It’s Sunday morning and I’m listening to Gypsy Blood by Tamsin Quin. Tamsin is a young singer-songwriter from just up the road from here, Devizes in Wiltshire. I first heard Tamsin when she supported Beth Orton a couple of weeks ago in Frome. I was very impressed. I’m guessing that it was the biggest audience that she had ever played to, but she didn’t seem at all fazed by it and it must have been great for her that the audience actually listened to the songs which doesn’t always happen when you are the support act. I had a quick word with Tamsin during the interval and said I would write a review of the album, but I have been so busy lately that I’ve only just got around to it.

Tamsin in Frome

The opening track is called Searching and is a very upbeat cheerful country flavoured song. I should mention the contributions of guitar bass and cello of Lucas Drinkwater are very impressive on this album. We Are Home is much simpler with just Tamsin’s acoustic guitar, bass & drums, but very effective as is the next track Fearless. Upwards For Me has a much fuller sound with mellatron strings & vibes added. It is a very positive song about getting on with life after a disappointment.

The album takes a quantum leap then with Jennifer. This is the song that first made me pay attention when I heard it in Frome. It has a haunting quality and the line ‘I will find you one of these days’ lingers in the mind. I believe it was inspired by a book called Engleby by Sebastian Faulks. The cello adds to the brooding atmosphere of this song. I have shared a nice video of this song below which also shows some of our beautiful Wiltshire countryside as well. Seventeen is also a great song that tells a sad story of empty lives and broken dreams. The title track Gypsy Blood is next and is very simple with just acoustic guitars and upright bass but less is often more as in this case. I like the mention of October Skies which reminded me of Moondance by Van Morrison. The final track is Leaving In The Night which is a nice song to end the album with. I should mention the piano and vibes playing of Jon Buckett to the album and his production as well.

I have really enjoyed listening to this album this Sunday morning. I hope we hear more from Tamsin Quin. Tamsin has her own facebook page if you want to check out the album and find out about future gigs.

My Afternoon With Marianne Faithfull.

I went over to Warminster on the bus on Friday to meet a friend. I had a quick scout around the charity shops to see what I could find. I didn’t find any interesting books or records but in the Red Cross shop I found two nice photos of Marianne Faithfull. They aren’t modern glossy reprints, they appear to be genuine photos from the 1960’s. On the edges and the back, they are slightly mottled and foxed which is a sign of age. I was really pleased to find them because I have always liked Marianne. To me she has always seemed beautiful, intelligent, a free spirit and a rebel. She might not see herself as that, but I do. I like her music as well, although sadly at present I haven’t got any albums by her. I did see her once. It was at Glastonbury 1999 when she performed in the Acoustic tent. It was so crowded we couldn’t get in there. You could hear ok, but I only got glimpses of her from the entrance to the marquee. I didn’t think much of it at the time but looking back twenty years later I realise that it was a privilege to be in the presence of this legendary iconic singer even if it was only from a distance.

I met S in Wetherspoon’s  and we sat outside in the sunshine and spent a pleasant hour chatting and drinking wine. I asked her to take my photo with Marianne. Then I caught the bus home again. I scanned my photos so that I can show them to you.  I looked on google images and eBay to see if I could find those particular photos to see if I could find out when they were taken or anything about their history, but I couldn’t. I wonder if they might be rare photos. Then I played the only album I have with a song by Marianne which is No Prima Donna and the song is Marianne’s brilliant version of Van Morrison’s Madame George. 

Marianne & I

A Sunny Afternoon In Bath.

Royal Crescent, Bath.

I had to go to Bath again today. At Westbury station there were lots of trainspotters on the platform with cameras at the ready. When I asked why they were there I was informed that the royal train was due with The Queen on board. She was on her way to Castle Cary & Bruton for a visit. I didn’t hang about for the chance of a glimpse of Her Majesty and got on the 12.02 to Bath. She had certainly chosen a nice day for it; the weather was glorious.

After I had completed my business in Bath it seemed a shame to go straight home as it was such a nice day. I went for a walk up to the Royal Crescent. It was nice with dozens of tourists out and about, sitting on the grass and enjoying the sunshine. 

The Circus Bath.

Then I strolled down into town via The Circus, ‘the architecture I'm taking in with my mind, So fine’. In case you don’t know, The Circus is a historic street of large townhouses forming a circle with three entrances. Designed by the prominent architect John Wood, the Elder, it was begun in 1754, completed in 1768, and is regarded as a pre-eminent example of Georgian architecture. The name comes from the Latin 'circus', which means a ring, oval or circle. So there!

Then I ambled down Milsom St after a quick look in the Oxfam shop where I bought a copy of Good Vibrations, My Life As A Beach Boy by Mike Love. I don’t really like Mike Love but it’s only fair play to hear his side of things.

 I felt a bit thirsty, so I went for a drink in The Salamander which is a nice quiet little pub tucked away just off Queens Square. It was one of the first pubs I discovered when I moved to this area 42 years ago. While I was enjoying my pint of Thatcher’s Gold I remembered something I had been meaning to do. On leaving the pub I headed for the library.

The Salamander.

In the library I asked the assistant if they had a book called Not Fade Away, Pop Music At Bath Pavilion 1963-1969. They Did! brilliant, because I had been trying to get hold of a copy for ages. A friend of mine Simon has been helping to compile a list of all the concerts Van Morrison has played in his career. They wouldn’t let me take the book home because I don’t live in Bath but I was allowed to study it and I can confirm that Van played in Bath with his group Them twice in 1965. I left the library feeling quite pleased with myself, “Good sleuthing Pat”. Then I made my way back to the station.