Grouping the Superunknown

I was given a notebook for my birthday and thought I could use it to make notes of things I wanted to write about in this blog.  I started well and with the best intentions, but as of today I only have a few vague notes written in it.  Bit disappointing really.

Anyway, I was looking at my scribbles and what I had started to write about was supergroups and what this means.  I think someone was talking about it a while ago and I have been bouncing the idea around in my head for a bit and doing a bit of research on it.

So, what is a supergroup?  Well, let's refer to the great Wikipedia.  Here it tells us that its "a music group whose members are already successful as solo artists or as part of other groups.  Supergroups are often short lived, producing only an album or two.  They are sometimes formed as side projects and thus not intended to be permanent, while other times can become the primary project of the members careers".  Does this sound like anyone you recognise?

I think there may be a difference of opinion on what makes a supergroup.  In the news recently McFly and Busted have joined together and formed McBusted.  They are being referred to as a supergroup, but I don't really agree.  They are just 2 bands that have joined together.  Yes, they have each had success separately, but I think you require more that the input of 2 bands to be classed as a supergroup.  Let's look at some of the big named supergroups to see if you agree.

For me the original supergroup and still one of the best is Cream.  Formed in 1966 and featuring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.  They took their name from Eric Clapton's boast "we are the cream" and they regarded themselves as equals who had already enjoyed success elsewhere.  Eric Clapton had been in The Yardbirds whilst Jack Bruce came from Manfred Mann and Ginger Baker was the drummer in Graham Bond's Organisation. They lasted until 1968 and released 4 albums including 'Disraeli Gears' in 1967 which includes the wonderful 'Sunshine of Your Love'.  They were a great example of individuals coming together and making some amazing music.

From the late 60s onwards there were lots of supergroups appearing such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young / Emerson, Lake and Palmer / Bad Company who all feature artists from other successful bands.  Cut to 1984 when another mentionable group appeared.

The Power Station featured Robert Palmer, Tony Thompson from Chic and John and Andy Taylor from Duran Duran. I'm old enough to remember when this band appeared and the song 'Some Like it Hot' is still a favouite of mine.  Robert Palmer's voice is so distinct that I thought for many years that it was one of his solo songs.  They didn't last long, as appears to be the way of supergroups and Robert Palmer left to release some solo work,

More 80's mentionable bands include Mike and the Mechanics / Electronic and perhaps the ultimate supergroup - The Traveling Wilburys.  Now the reason why they are the ultimate is because of the amazing line up of musicians in the group.  I mean, come on. George Harrison (the Beatles), Bob Dylan, Tom Petty (the Heartbreakers), Jeff Lynne (ELO) and Rob Orbison.  You couldn't get any more talent in a band. These are big hitters who enjoyed enormous success as solo artists or in bands and they are totally what the term supergroup means.  

Formed in 1988, they had already worked together before and when they got together and jammed they found they enjoyed each others company so much that they decided to write some songs.  They released 2 albums with the second coming out after the death of Roy Orbison in 1988.  The one track I remember is 'Handle with Care' which came out in 1988 and I think I can vaguely remember seeing them on Top of the Pops.  

Continuing onwards we have lots of other bands who could be classed as supergroups. I mean The Foo Fighters were formed out of the untimely demise of Nirvana so they could be included.  Audioslave features members of various heavy rock bands as does Velvet Revolver.  The list could go on.

I guess it's your own opinion on what forms a supergroup.  For me, all the members should be equal, all should have had respective success elsewhere and the end product should be amazing and if it reaches a whole new audience then that's an added bonus. There aren't any real rules on this as it's each to their own on what you like.  I'm sure a lot of people will not like the Wilburys, but I find that knowing that those individual people have each released great music elsewhere means I get 5 for the price of 1.  A whole pool of great talent mixed to form something new where the elements that makes them so good are brought together.  What more could you ask for?

The state of things...

This post is one I have been meaning to write for a while, but I just never got round to it until now.  I keep a lot of mental notes of what I want to say, but getting them written down can be difficult.  Excuses, excuses...

Anyway, I have been thinking a lot recently about music and how it means different things to different people. I look at the charts now or the music channels on TV and a lot of the time I literally have no idea who these singers are.  Am I out of touch or has music just become a machine with an ongoing production line of newbies that come and go and often as you change your socks?

I have always been a big believer in liking what you like. It's quite rare for me to be suckered into liking some new band just because everyone else does.  That's just not me. I think Genesis said it best with "I know what I like, and I like what I know". To be fair they then talked about being in a wardrobe so it's not quite 100%, but you get the idea...  You just need to look at my CD collection to know that I don't dabble with the 'in crowd' of music.  Yes, I have a Coldplay CD, but I've listened to it once and it was cheap, ok??!!  My collection probably can't really be defined as it contains all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff from soft rock to jazz to classical to everything in between.  My lifelong love of music contains all eras, genres and mediums.

What I've been thinking about lately is the whole manufacturing of music debate.  I've never watched the X Factor, but I get the idea that its meant to be about finding talent. We seem to be inundated with these shows in the UK and as one ends, another one starts.  How much more hidden talent can there be?  I was more impressed with the premise of The Voice as I think that's what it should be about.  You just hear the voice and that's it, its not whether you look good and have brilliant white teeth.  I have to say I've never watched it though as the people judging are not what I would necessarily call music experts (with the exception of Tom Jones of course who does know a few things). These kind of shows lose it for me though as they are never really about the talent.  It's all about marketing, how can this person be sold to the public, who will love them and buy their records whether they are actually any good or not.  For me, Will Young and a few of the American Idol winners were the best talent to emerge from a TV show as they can actually sing.  I don't think I can name anyone else who came from a TV show really (apart from the ones causing controversy on social media) so you could say that this sums it all up.

I might not know everything about the music industry and I'm certainly not Mr Cowell, but I can usually hear whether someone has a good voice or not.  I can't stand singers who don't breathe properly when they sing and all you can hear between each line of a song is a massive intake of breath as they haven't been trained to use their voice properly.  Please don't sing those types of songs if you don't have the voice for it as listening to someone straining their vocal chords is just not entertaining.  Big songs need big voices, fact.  I can't sing myself (although I think I sound amazing in my own head) so perhaps I shouldn't really be commenting on people that put themselves out there, but that's the point.  They are in the public eye for whatever reason so if you are brave enough to go for it, make sure you are good enough.  There seems to be far too many second rate musicians and singers around now and I have no idea how they have got that far if they are no good.

The boy bands of recent years are a sight to behold.  Constructed mainly because of their looks rather than their talent, it's not easy to listen to.  I gave it a try not long ago and started to listen to a current band who shall remain nameless to see what all the fuss was about.  The intro was good, nice build up and then the lead singer opened his mouth.  I cannot describe what I heard, but it certainly wasn't singing.  It was terrible and left me with little doubt that this band are probably only popular because of their looks and not for their musical talent.  To be fair, I am probably not meant to get the boy bands of now as I am somewhat of an old fart so I'm not really the target audience.  Still, it would be nice to hear something good though.

For me it has to be the whole package.  A singer or band has to write their own songs (music and lyrics), play all their own instruments and sing.  If they produce it aswell, well good on them.  A simple formula which many people don't go for. My all time favourite bands do follow this path and yet some of them are still not as popular as they should be. Crowded House is a prime example.  They do all of the above (to a very high standard) and yet are still not considered to be a top band.  I just don't get it.  And yet on the other side of the coin you have some artists who have people to write for them, but they are considered to be top rated.  Songwriting is a talent, I do get it, and some partnerships over the years have consisted of both a singer and a songwriter which is fine as there is still a lot of talent there.  What I can't stand is some manufactured person who can't actually do anything at all except look pretty.  Although saying that I did read on Twitter recently something that Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy said in response to the question of singers who aren't talented having fans because they're attractive.  His response was that most singers who have fans have at least some talent as nobody coasts in the music business.  An interesting point of view from someone on that side of the fence.

With the age on online music there is no longer a need for someone to sell huge amounts of copies of their singles to chart anymore.  The days of the weekly chart based on people buying a cassette or CD single have long since gone.  This is why we now get all sorts of strangeness as top sellers.  I still possess some CD singles and I used to like buying them as you could get some good rarities on the 'B side' which were not available anywhere else.  Alas, the times they are a changing and you now need to be into downloading MP3s or using Spotify to keep up now.  I am not exactly a dinosaur to this regard as I do download things I can't buy, but I still love the feel of the physical CD in my hands and knowing that it's mine and I can read the booklet whenever I want by taking it off the shelf rather than booting up my laptop.  When the times do finally change completely I will be on board, but I think I've got a while to go yet.

So what's the answer?  Is music manufactured or are there people with real talent out there?  I think it's a mix of both.  We have the youngsters or those from the talent shows who are marketed to sell their music to the deemed population and then there's those very talented musicians who sometimes get overlooked.  It's very much each to their own with music, but what I would say is don't feel that you need to follow the crowd and listen to whatever is in the charts if you don't like it. Choose your own path and enjoy what you like.  Be original and you may find that you discover a whole load of new and exciting music that you never knew was out there.  I do on a regular basis, and nothing beats it!

I haven't slept with someone in Fall Out Boy, so all I've got is this stupid blog to write about them...

So, here's a question.  Should age matter in terms of liking music?  I sometimes feel I am too old for some of the bands I listen to as when I look at the age demographic of fans I'm slightly out of the ball park.  I notice this the most when I'm talking about my 2nd favourite band of all time, Fall Out Boy.

I guess I was a bit late to the party with them and only got into their music about 6 years ago when Folie à Deux was released.  Now, I had heard of them long before, but figured they wouldn't be my cup of tea as they were some emo band for kids.  Cut to me hearing 'I Don't Care' and thinking "man that's a good song" and "that dude has got some amazing voice on him" and so it was decided.  They became my new favourite band and I had to know more about them.

Back catalogue followed and they have remained in the top songs playlist on my iPod ever since.

For me, it was always hearing Patrick's voice that brought me to the band.  I'm a sucker for a good set of pipes and as much as the whole package of a song is important to me, its usually the voice that hooks me in at first.

The band went in hiatus for a few years and I was excited when Patrick released his solo album 'Soul Punk'.  It's a very good album which grows on you over time.  Its very different to FOB and it allowed him to step away from the band and make something completely new sounding.  The end result is an album of songs which are totally him as he did everything on the album himself.  No mean feat.  There are hints of Prince and Michael Jackson in there and the feel is very 80s in places.  In some corners the album didn't go down well which was a real shame.  I for one love it and listen to a lot of the tracks from it most days.  The EP that sits along side the album, 'Truant Wave', is also very different.  I find it very hard to pigeon hole what its meant to be, so I just enjoy it for what it brings.  I think 'Love, Selfish Love' is possibly my favourite solo song of Patrick's.

So, it's been quiet for a few years.  Most people think the band have split up as they are also doing a variety of other things, but this was just an extended break.  2013 rolls around and they finish their hiatus and hit us with 'Save Rock and Roll'.  The first single to be released is 'My Songs Know What You Did in The Dark (Light Em Up)' and it certainly knocked you for six.  A totally new era of the band started and I think actually made them bigger than before.  The videos that have been made to accompany the songs have been nicknamed 'The WFT Chronicles' as they form an ongoing story through the album.  Some people have been a bit critical of the videos, but I think that to be able to put together a series of what are basically mini films that follow through each song on the album is amazing.  I couldn't do it and I'm sure some film-makers would have a job to write a storyboard for an entire album of very different songs and link them all together so give them a break.

The new album took a detour and doesn't sound like old FOB.  I think if fans were expecting to hear Infinity 2 they were in for a surprise.  There are lots of collaborations on this album including Sir Elton John, Foxes and Courtney Love which adds to the feel of a new era of the music.  The comeback was a complete whirlwind and because the sound was new and exciting, a whole new legion of fans have come to the party.  Us oldies are now outnumbered by all the teenagers who want a piece of the FOB action!        

I was extremely lucky earlier this year to win a competition with a radio station to see them (well mainly Patrick) play an intimate set.  I had to travel over 200 miles to get there, but for this once in a lifetime opportunity I think it was a no brainer.  Me and about 15 other people were treated to a 30 minute live set of acoustic songs while standing within touching distance of them.  I think I held my breath the whole time in case I missed something.  When it finished we did hope for a meet and greet with the band, but alas this was not to be.  I did however manage to get a quick handshake from Patrick and a "it was nice to meet you" before they were whisked away.  Looking back on 2013 I think this moment was both my greatest and my biggest regret rolled into one.  I keep thinking "why didn't I say something cool?", but at least I have the memory of this moment to look back on as I grow old.  My heart melts...

Yes, this really did happen.  I was there!

So, does age matter in terms of music?  I'm thinking not really.  I guess being older means I have a larger frame of reference than some people and can see where the links are.  I mean, I have seen 'This is Spinal Tap' so I got why Pete was trapped in a giant pod during a live performance and thought it was hilarious whereas some people thought it was real.  It's just an age thing which totally doesn't matter and I guess this probably meant a lot of new people went away and watched Spinal Tap.  No harm, no foul.

Anyway, why should you like FOB? Patrick actually said "it either appeals to you or it doesn't".  This is very true.  You should like it because it's brilliant music and not because everyone else likes it or because the lead singer is hot.  Have a listen, see what you think and decide how it makes you feel.  If it moves you or helps you reconcile yourself in any way then maybe its for you.  If all you hear are a load of nonsense lyrics and a singer with a loud mouth, then maybe you're listening to the wrong band....

Looking for the magic....

Finding the time to write this blog has been harder than I thought.  I can spend an endless amount of time lurking on Twitter, but to actually sit down and write something reasonable hasn't been easy.  I  have plenty of drafts, but these aren't ready to rock just yet!

So, I followed my own advice and tuned into one artist only on my iPod over the last few weeks to try and re-connect with their music.  I think I was feeling like a bit of a miserable git, so I thought some jazz might cheer me up or at least get my feet tapping (much to the annoyance of my fellow bus travellers).

I like jazz, but haven't listened to any old school stuff in a while.  I am going to use my usual excuse now which is that nearly my entire beloved cd collection has been ousted to my loft.  This means I can't easily lay my hands on a cd anymore so I am left with whatever is already on my iPod or what I can download. 

Now that's another thing, I have not been a willing participant in the download evolution so far.  I totally get it and I'm not against it in any way, but I love having a physical cd in my hands.  I know, I know, they take up so much space and at some point soon they will disappear like VHS, blah, blah, blah, but until then the little shiny disc is for me.  My collection spans so many years and so many genres that I can't be without it.  Sad, but true.  And this is without mentioning my vinyl.  Bearing in mind technology is actually a big part of my 'proper' grown up job, I'm a bit behind with some things.  Whoops.....

Anyway, back to jazz.  So, I can't get to my cd's so I had to scroll through the trusty iPod and find something to listen to.  And guess who I found - Mr Jamie Cullum.  Now, I know he's probably not considered to be "proper jazz", but I love what he has done for the genre.  He brought a lot of flair to it and gained a lot of new listeners in the process.  His roots sit firmly in jazz, but he has managed to crossover and include other styles aswell which I reckon can only be a good thing.

I'm not entirely sure when I first heard Jamie, but it would have been in relation to his 'Twentysomething' album.  It was a kind of 'wow' moment when you hear something new that hooks you in and makes you want to hear more.  I love what he has done with some old school jazz standards and his re-invention of some of the modern tunes is totally amazing.  I remember buying the cd single of 'These are the Days' mainly because I wanted the b side which was a cover of 'Frontin' by Pharrell.  I made my friend play it in the car as she'd never heard it before and basically it blew her mind!  I think it was played on repeat about 20 times on the way home!

His tunes on heavy repeat at the moment include 'High and Dry', 'Lover, you Should Have Come Over' and his own compositions of 'Mind Trick' and Get Your Way'.  I really don't know how I stop myself singing out loud on the bus when these songs come on.  I get totally immersed in the song, the drumbeat, the piano, absolutely everything moves me.  Usually I would have a couple of days listening to one artist, but its been every day for the last 2 weeks now and I'm still not getting tired of it!  I am totally in love with the song 'Music is Through' from the album 'The Pursuit'.  In fact, I named one of these blog entries after it!  You have to hear it:

I really need to get my other jazz cd's out and doing some serious uploading, but until then I am quite happy listening to Jamie on repeat.  Check it out and do some serious toe tapping.

Private Universe

Every now and again I have a period where I will only listen to one band / singer on my iPod to reconnect with them.  I usually do this when perhaps I haven't listened to them for a while or maybe they have released something new and I want to totally immerse myself in their music from beginning to end.

I recently did this with Crowded House as apart from an odd song here or there I hadn't really had a lot of their songs on my playlist.  This is surprising really seeing as they are my all time favourite band.  In my defence, I always have Neil Finn's solo material on my playlists as he is my hero!

It was actually Neil that made me have a 'Crowdies' day this week as I was watching his recent webcast and remembering why I adore him so much and what makes his music important to me.

I got into Crowded House when they released Woodface in the early 90s.  I was still at school and I can remember hearing their music and knowing that it is something special.  I was lucky enough to see them live not long after when they toured with Woodface in the UK.  It was an amazing concert at the Hammersmith Apollo and it connected me totally with this band of amusing and highly accomplished musicians.  Anyone who has been to a live show will know that Neil is the ultimate crowd pleaser and his interactions with the audience are amazing.  He is extremely funny and sarcastic and brings a feeling of connection between the band and the fans watching.  If you ever get a chance to see him live, rush and take it with both hands as you will not be disappointed.

So, I have been listening to them for over 20 years now and their early music still sounds as good to me today as it did back then.  I particularly enjoyed listening to 'Into Temptation' this week as its such a beautiful and lyrically perfect song.  The music completes it totally and pulls at your heart right up until the bass ends and the music fades out.  Breathtakingly beautiful.

I have seen Crowded House around 5 times live and also Neil about twice with and without his brother Tim.  I consider myself to be very fortunate that I saw the original Crowded House ensemble before Paul Hester left the band.  He was an amazing drummer, a highly amusing man and he left a massive hole in the universe when he passed away.  I remember reading it on the news and the tears rolling down my face as they are now as I'm writing this.  Such a loss.

When the band split I was devastated, but knowing that they would continue with other projects was comforting.  Neil's solo work is amazing and his first album 'Try Whistling This' is a beautiful piece of work.  Listening to songs like 'Sinner' and 'Souvenir' make you realise how crafted his song writing is.  I think I listen to 'King Tide' on a daily basis and the rawness of the guitar never fails to move me.  I sometimes wonder how I stop myself from singing out loud on the bus to work in the morning!

It was a great day when the band got back together and released 'Time on Earth'.  It was a new version of the band with a new drummer, but the music was just as good.  I love this album and especially the songs 'Pour Le Monde' and 'Silent House'.  It was a long awaited comeback and it met the challenge very nicely.

Next came 'Intriguer' which is another great record.  Stand out tracks for me include 'Either Side of the World', 'Saturday Sun', 'Amsterdam' and 'Twice if Your Lucky' which is so, so beautiful to listen to.  Perfect vocals and spine tingling music with amazing lyrics.  Bliss.

I think I will definitely have more Crowded House only days as this week it actually lapsed over into 2 consecutive days.  Perhaps I'll dedicate at least one day a week to listening to just them and see what happens.  I'm thinking of making it a Tuesday...

Check out Neil's webcast here and hear some new tracks from his upcoming new album 'Dizzy Heights' which is out soon.

Music is through...

After a hiatus of many years from this blog, I have decided to resurrect it like the phoenix from the flames and use it as an outlet to talk about more drivel.

So, what do I want to talk about? As the title suggests, it's got to be music I guess as it's my main hobby and passion and something that I like to think I know a weeny bit about. Plus I drone on about it quite a bit so maybe if I write it down it will make more sense...

I suppose like all good fairy stories I should start at the very beginning. Why do I love music so much? Well, I was brought up surrounded by music. My dad was a DJ in his younger days and my mum always had music on when we were in the house or car. Both myself and my brother have grown up loving all types of music and I would say it's always been a passion for both of us.

I used to play the keyboards and organ when I was younger and always wanted to study music at school. Alas, my talent was overcome by the fact that I was actually a bit crap so despite my best efforts I was never going to be a musician. Oh, the tragedy...! I had to study drama instead and to those who know me, what a joke that was! Sandra Bullock I ain't!

Anyway, back to the story. I was brought up listening to music from the 60s and 70s and grew to love all types of music. In fact I sometimes wish I'd been born in the 60s so I could have grown up properly in the 70s when it was all happening in the music world. Some of the bands I loved when I was younger (and still do now) were big hitters in the 70s and it would have been amazing to see Queen starting out or The Eagles before they split. I was actually a child of the 80s so bring on the electro, Stock/Aiken & Waterman manufactured bands and everything cheesy! It was an amazing time in the UK and it brought me my first proper love in the music world who is actually still one of my heroes now - Rick Astley. What a voice that man has and he is still belting out the notes now to huge crowds. I spent an enjoyable time watching him a few months ago, and despite catching the worst cold I've had in years (it was an outdoor event) it reminded me that if something or someone is good, it stays with you. Plus I am usually right about spotting talent!

Over the years I have dabbled in listening to lots of bands, but I came to the conclusion recently that my main love seems to sit with rock music. Rock takes on many forms (prog rock, heavy rock, acoustic etc.), but the music that generally gets me moving has awesome guitars, amazing drums and vocals to knock your socks off. I spent a pleasant afternoon a few weeks ago listening to Kerrangs all time greatest rock songs, and I was surprised to note that I did in fact love most of them. Stranger things happen at sea...

Any-hoo, I'm wrapping up this post now so I can continue with the lecture as we go on. Whether you join me or not remains to be seen, but I will have more to say on this subject, believe me!

So I'll leave you now with the tracks that have been on heavy rotation on my iPod this week:

'Looking for the Magic' by Dwight Twilley
'Only the Strongest Will Survive' by Hurricane #1
'Underdog (Save Me), by Turin Brakes
'Breakeven' cover by Jocelyn
'The Phoenix' by Fall Out Boy


Stayed tuned for more coming soon.