Goya Dress---Rooms--She was telling you the greatest secret in the World.....

There's not much I can't do.....

I'm sitting here listening to Astrid Williamson singing, so if I was in a bad mood, you know that I'm not right now. Astrid was in Goya Dress, and Rooms was their sole full length, released in 1996 on Nude Records.

The album was produced by the esteemed John Cale, and I must say that is simply stunning, a superb melding of art and melodicism. Astrid Williamson has one of my favorite voices in pop music, and over the years I've picked up all her solo albums except her most recent Pulse. But you know, being born with a great voice is a great gift, but its what you do with it and how hard you work sometimes. Sure, you might get into the finals on American Idol, or one of those other crappy reality shows, but in addition to having great pipes, she also is a compelling songwriter and musician. Hailing from the Shetland Islands in Scotland, she has carved out a critically acclaimed solo career but far less commercial success than warranted. She is the "diva" that no one is telling you about.

Rooms was never released in the U.S. as far as I know. A real head-scratcher, because it is a very compelling intelligent edgy record.

Astrid Williamson: Vocal, Guitars, and Piano
Terry de Castro: Bass and Backing Vox
Simon Pearson: Drums

Trust me, this is a secret classic album of the 1990's that no one has ever picked up on. I did a post about Astrid's first solo album I am the Boy for You, and I would also recommend that very highly.
She has one of the voices that make your hair stand up on the back of your neck. Oh, yeah, and she happens to be beautiful on the outside too.

The album begins with the strong Sweet Dreams for You--quiet verses leading to powerful choruses with standout vocals, a harbinger for the rest of the album. The second song is Crush, which sounds like the first single, or maybe the number intended to go on the soundtrack, but there is a light endearing quality about it.




The title track, Rooms, is one of the highlights, with nice piano work by Ms Williamson, and a string section. Seems like the perfect vehicle for Cale to work with. One of my favorites. The following song Greatest Secret, is a strong guitar driven vehicle with strongly emotive lyrics.




Maybe the biggest number of all here is Glorious, and it is huge and lives up fully to its title. For me it is the band at the heights of their powers. Which make the album deceptive because this song is near the middle of the album; the last 4 songs are strong, but not quite up to Glorious. You have the sublime piano and strings of Katie Stood on the Benches, the harder rocking pop of Any John, the jazzy finale The Maritime Waltz, and the epic six minute melancholy opus Picture This.





This album would be a great candidate for a reissue with their singles appended(like the above song from the Bedroom Cinema ep), but I'm not holding my breath about it. It is true that they did a lot of good things on Eps before Rooms arrived. Astrid continues to make fine albums and once in a while she tours a bit, though I have yet to see her live. Check out this album and I think you will agree that its unfortunate that this band didn't make more music together.

And of course I owe a debt to America's finest music magazine, The Big Takeover. I would have never known of Astrid were it not for Jack Rapids support for her music. Issue #72 of the Big T will be shipping soon! It only comes outs twice a year. With mainstream magazine failure becoming a running comedy joke (and a tragedy for journalism and the public), music magazines need support from the public more than ever. If you are interested in great modern music, you need to subscribe to this magazine!

Please be patient--I'm Balancing My Mind--Hazey Janes-Winter That Was

I'm sitting here listening to the most recent release from 2011 by The Hazey Janes, an extremely talented quartet from Dundee Scotland. I'm liking this one a lot--it's a big, lush, undertaking, sounding in some ways indebted to the past, but also managing to carve out their own distinct territory. The title of this new one, The Winter That Was is their third--and it seems like they put it out themselves, not as uncommon occurrence these days. It is licensed through Armellodie Records. It certainly does not sound like a DIY album by a long shot.

If you have a familiarity with the band you may know that their second album from 2008 was never released. Apparently there was some issues between the band and the label. Hands Across the City never made it out of the box. On June 2, in Dundee, they'll be performing the album live. Probably would be a good gig for the hometown crowd to catch. HATC was a corker I bet. This song below would have been on it, so you be the judge. Not too shabby....My jaw dropped when I heard this for the first time.






The Winter That Was is a strong unqualified success considering the major setback, moving outward from the great vocal harmony skills of the Marras, Matthew and Alice. Andrew Mitchell and Liam Brennan round out the quartet. The songs veer from Country, lush chamber pop, to Big Star/Teenage Fanclub pop riffing, synthpop, The Delgados, even shoegaze. The Darkness Ends is one of those songs that you think they must be doing a cover of some great classic country song, but they made it up all by themselves.


At times the music is pretty loud and brash like in the final tune Everything Starts Again. Definitely hearing a Cars influence with the new wavey synths. I wouldn't think the synths would work here, but I find everything here pretty agreeable. Wake to Guide Love is one of may favorites on the album, a huge melodic pop tune. Contrast this with the Byrdsy bliss of Girl In the Night. The title of the album may be Winter that was, but that's just one of many songs I can hear blasting out of a car stereo on a sunny summer day. Truly these guys need more attention paid to them. They are so talented that you have to want to root for these musicians.

Most recently, I see they are the backing group on Michael Marra's new album, Houseroom. I don't know much about him, but he is supposed to be a pretty talented songwriter. I also think two of the Hazeys happen to be his children. I don't have Houseroom so I can't really give an opinion on the album's merits. But Hazey Janes are definitely a band worth investigating. Great arrangements and utterly fantastic singing. These guys oughta be big time. You can't go wrong here, believe me.

Hey Valentine! Equal time from Roddy Frame! Valentine's Day rolls a Seven!

Roddy Frame, you know, the guy from Aztec Camera.

I Can't Stop Now---This is from his Surf album. How romantic is this!

So what do you think?

Scotland--Sexy country, or sexiest country?

Happy Valentine's Day Part 4--Arab Strap!!!!

The Arab Strap tug at our heartstrings once again. From the Ten Years of Tears comp. It's a secret track!

Enjoy, lovebirds.

Happy Valentines! Trash Can Sinatras

Here's a little romantic music from Scotland's Trash Can Sinatras, sung by the inimitable Sir Francis Reader.

Cruising Down Route 66, Did You Dream of Lochs and Highlands? Ballads of the Book--A Conspiracy of Scottish Poets and Musicians

The Scottish label Chemikal Underground released a very interesting collection of songs in 2007. Or maybe they weren't really songs? Because Ballads of the Book is a project where Scottish musicians collaborated with Scottish poets and writers to create songs, or more accurately, putting poems to music. Even the album cover was designed by the estimable novelist and poet Alasdair Gray. In reality the project began with Roddy Woomble of Glasgow's Idlewild, a band I regard highly. At the end of the final song of 2003's epic album Remote Part, Remote Pt 1/Scottish Fiction, poet Edwin Morgan intones poetry over the bands instrumentation at the conclusion, with effective results. I didn't know Edwin Morgan at all, but I certainly do now. I don't believe Morgan went on tour with the band---he was rather elderly.

That this collaboration involving multiple musicians and writers actually happened is probably remarkable. Definitely one of the most singular tribute albums I have heard. But this sort of thing often ends with less than memorable results. The idea of putting this out is commendable, but the ultimate litmus test would be listening to the results and enjoying them. On that basis, I would say that Chemikal Underground did a great job. The list of contributors is impressive; King Creosote, Emma Pollock of  The Delgados, Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton of Arab Strap, Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub, James Yorkston, Vashti Bunyan, Sons and Daughters, Idlewild (of course), and Mike Hern (Incredible String Band). The writers include Edwin Morgan, Alasdair Gray, Ali Smith, Louise Welsh, and Ian Rankin, and many others of whom I must claim ignorance (It's probably me, not them).



But one of my favorites tracks here is performed by an artist I am unfamiliar with, Karine Polwart, singing The Good Years, by Edwin Morgan. Another artist I need to learn more about is King Creosote, who performs Where and When?, by Laura Hird. I know his new collaboration with Jon Hopkins, Diamond Mine has received critical accolades--I just haven't heard it yet. Aerogramme and DeRosa are also good, but I also don't really know their body of work. Aidan Moffett and crime novelist Ian Rankin make a complementarily jaded pair on The Sixth Stone, which sounds like it's about Ian "Stu" Stewart, adjunct keyboard player for the Rolling Stones. Worthy of John Rebus' creator.




From Beggars through to Exile
you dug out rhythms like black diamonds
but cruising down Route 66,
Did you dream of lochs and highlands?

Though the bulk of this collection is of a folk nature, there are some notable exceptions like Sons and Daughters' performing A.L. Kennedy's The War On Love Song, which is a dark edgy little number in the manner of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Impressively creepy. Dreamcatcher is Scottish Cowboy music by Rody Gorman performed by Foxface. Malcolm Middleton and Alan Bisset's rough electro-pop The Rebel on His Own Tonight is another gem on this record.

Pure as vodka, Pure as snow
She kisses like its a terrorist's act
"Everythings about ghosts you know,"
she said, then dressed, then packed....

Of course the big boys delivered here also, though it's never a given. Trash Can Sinatras are as good as you would expect on Ali Smith's Half an Apple. Breathy exquisite balladry. Norman Blake channels Chris Bell on Girl By John Burnside. Emma Pollock shines on Louise Welsh's Jesus on the Cross. The musical arrangement on this is impressive, excellent piano. Idlewild is also in fine form on Edwin Morgan's Sappho and the Weight of Years, though clearly there is a lot of folk instrumentation here. The song sounds more like an outtake from Roddy Woomble's first solo album. James Yorkston and Alasdair Roberts also perform excellent introspective folk numbers here.



Overall, this is a pretty ambitious project, and I think everything turned out quite superbly. I would hope some day for a Ballads Part II, maybe with writers like James Robertson, Irvine Welsh, or James Kelman. But maybe the success of this undertaking might not be able to be duplicated again. But I certainly appreciate the effort and cooperation it must have taken to get this recording done. Let's hope more projects like this get green lighted.

A Continuum Transfunctioner Happy New Year!!!! The Real MacKenzies!!!!

Happy New Year All!!!

The Real MacKenzies----Auld Lang Syne!!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 42--The Revillos!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!


The Revillos---Santa Claus is Coming to Town

The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 29--Belle and Sebastian

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to Hear!

Belle and Sebastian--Are You Coming Over for Christmas?

The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 2--Aztec Camera!!

The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud For All To Hear!

(or at least some jazzy guitar instrumentals)

Aztec Camera---Hot Club of Christ

We're Not Crazy But We Must Be Mad!!!--TV21--Snakes and Ladders Retro

Well, it took nearly 30 years for Edinburgh post-punk pop stars TV21 to have their recorded output re-released.

By the time the retrospective Snakes and Ladders--Almost Complete 1980-1982 was released in 2010 by Cherry Red Records, the band had since reunited and put out a new album, Forever 21!! I don't have the new one, but the press I have seen on it has been all positive. Seeing them performing again after 30 years in videos, I have to believe the reviews. They sound great. The new retrospective, which I do have, includes their singles plus their only full length, Thin Red Line.

I was really ignorant of this group, but their name was dropped quite often in Big Takeover magazine as a leading Scottish band of the era, along with bands like Orange Juice, the Fire Engines, and Josef K. I can't help but think I heard their music being play at my College Radio Station in the early 80's, as they were very big on playing new music, including local bands from Worcester, Mass and the New England Area. But sadly, I am drawing a complete. Now that I am finally hearing this great music, I am catching up quickly.

That somebody did not released this music sooner is a bit of a baffler--there probably is a story behind this.
The music is uniformly excellent on this collection. I don't think there are many surprises here. If you are fans of groups like The Jam, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, Joy Division, you have struck gold here. Over a short period of time the band changed a bit stylistically, got a bit slicker, added a horn section Ala Teardrop Explodes. Songs are still good, though I would agree with singer Norman Rodger's take in the albums liner notes that the band was best as an unadorned 4 piece. I would also argue that some of their best songwriting came later on, one song of which seems particularly relevant in 2011.

From what the liner notes say, the band achieved a modest level of success, opening for acts like The Jam, The Skids, even The Rolling Stones. Frustration ended the group, when they realized that when they opened for Jagger and Co, and no industry people came to the shows. They decided that they were not going to achieve international success anytime soon. Despite all that I saw some 2003 Scottish newspaper poll of the 100 best Scottish albums, and TV21's only full length album Thin Red Line was not included. People have short memories I guess, particularly when the album was only available as vinyl for so long.

But we have these fantastic recordings as a testament to their talents. The first song is just awesome, the combing the high energy of Stiff Little Fingers with the pop sensibilities of The Jam. Listen to the second song here, Shattered By It All, and you start to understand that this is not your run of the mill band. It doe not take long to vet out that this collection is blessed with both quantity and quality. 19 songs, mostly all top notch. For some reason one of the most noteworthy things about the band is the bass playing of Neil Baldwin. It seems to set the band apart a bit from the competition of the day. Other band members include Dave Hampton on keys, Ally Palmer on Guitar, and Ali Patterson on drums.When you hear this compilation you will find that TV21 are the equal of their better know contemporaries. I wonder if there is more that could be released. I certainly would like to hear more. (I know, its just a matter of time before I shell out for Forever 22). I do understand that they did a Peel session early on in their careers.



Now........

The song I was referring to before was What's Going On? a political screed, decrying the gap at the time between the populace and its representatives, and taking on the obsessive madness of the Cold War military buildup. Take away some of those references, and this sounds like an anthem that rings true in our economically unstable times. Something's Wrong is equally great, sounding like a harder hitting outtake from the Teardrop Explodes' songbook.



Now.....

So in a nutshell, this is a great collection of music from a criminally neglected band. I would highly recommend this music to anybody who loves the bands I compared TV21 with, or is a fan of some of the contemporary bands who have been duly inspired by their brief output, like Franz Ferdinand. Maybe with these two new releases the band will get some of the recognition they deserve.



And Then.....

They Go Together.... like Rama Lama Lama, Ke Dinga de Dinga Dong--Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan--Ballad of the Broken Seas

Out of the frying pan...



Into the fire...

 Yeah, you know what I'm saying, I'm little bit grunge....and I'm a little bit indie pop. I make joking comparisons, but combining the talents of ex-Belle and Sebastian Isobel Campbell and Screaming Trees/Queens of the Stoneage is nothing short of inspirational. Richard Thompson wrote the song "Galway to Graceland". Well this is the Glasgow-Seattle connection. Their first album together, Ballad of the Broken Seas is a bit of a 60's genre exercise, like a creepier version of Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra or Jimmy Webb, but a damned fine one in my opinion. I think that Lanegan has one of the most distinctive voices in music today and he is a fine songwriter to boot. However, when I picked up Ballad of the Broken Seas, I was surprised to find that Isobel Campbell had written and arranged most of the songs here. And it turns out she is a talented songwriter in her own right. This long distance collaboration truly works like magic.

For me Lanegan's deep whiskey croon is a guilty pleasure; he sings with the weary voice of an old southern bluesman with a world of miles on his speedometer. Campbell's sweetly fragile voice fits right in the pocket and she provides a nice counterpoint to Lanegan's vocals. Sometimes the songs here are country ballads, like the eerie swagger of their cover of Hank Williams' Ramblin' Man or the fantastic closing tune, The Circus is Leaving Town, and other times they are like old timey folk like Do You Wanna Come Walk With Me?



But most of the songs are orchestrated and dark 60's pop-noir, like the soundtrack to a Jim Thompson pulp novel. I know I said earlier that I was surprised that Isobel Campbell wrote these songs, but it was not intended to be a knock on her, but rather the fact that songs sound so very American, in a bare bones classic way. Like the wonderful pop of Honey Child, What Can I Do? Campbell ethereally shines on the dirgey vibe-folk number Saturday's Gone. In some ways it bothers me that I know that they record their parts thousands of miles from each other. I would rather believe they are in the same room collaborating together on these albums.




On a record with a lot of high points, I find myself most drawn to the title track Ballad of the Broken Seas, heightened by Isobel's moving cello solo at the heart of the song. Not far behind is the orchestrated pop of The False Husband, one of the most moving duets here. I just checked and found out that they have recorded 3 albums together now, most recently 2010's Hawk. I don't think you can go wrong with anything Mark Lanegan is involved with. His last solo album from 2004, Bubblegum, is by far the finest grunge-blues album I've ever heard. But here's hoping that Campbell and Lanegan continue to work together, because they really have found something special here.

The Moon is a Blabbermouth... Trash Can Sinatras; Still Making Beautiful Music--Fez

Rio Rico

I saw the Trash Can Sinatras about twenty years ago at CBGB's with my friend, the real "world's most interesting man", aka, the 10th Yankee--i.e., the only guy who gets away with calling Derek Jeter "pretty boy". It was a different world back then for them. They were a real sensation at the time--their first album had been released to positive acclaim and these young lads from Kilmarnock Scotland had crossed the pond to tour the US for the first time.

One thing I remembered was the audience. There were many interested musicians in the audience that night. This band had piqued the interest of more than the American listening public. Of course I didn't notice these guys at all, but my friend  quickly clued me in. Apparently there were some Buzzcocks and Replacements there in the crowd. And I briefly met David J of Love and Rockets/Bauhaus fame, basically saying hi. I would not have done that except that one of the guys I went to the show with saw him and basically grabbed him by the collar and would not let him get away. David seemed to be a nice chap, and definitely politer than he should have been. In his career I suppose he has dealt with overexcited fans.

Frankly I thought the Sinatras were decent, but they didn't bowl me over live. But I did love that first album--Obscurity Knocks is an absolutely beautiful pop song, a song that still makes me smile when I hear it. I thought that they were surely destined for greatness. Unfortunately, the band has had its share of troubles, one of which was its record label going out of business shortly after the release of their third album. Though they are not household names, they are still out and about, putting out occasional albums and touring. I tried to seem again them in the past, but usually by the time I found out about a gig at a small venue like Maxwell's in Hoboken, it had long been sold out. In places like the US and Japan they have a fiercely loyal fan base. I know one of their fans basically ran a web site and selling their merch for them during their leaner times when they were an unsigned band. In more recent years I can only attribute missing out on their shows to my own sloth. I believe they just completed an acoustic tour as I speak.

The Band (on Fez)
John Douglas: Guitar
Stephen Douglas: Drums
Davy Hughes: Bass
Paul Livingston: Guitar
Francis Reader: Vocals

So tonight I am discussing the lovely live album from 2004, recorded by the band at the now defunct club Fez. The official title is Fez: Acoustic Performances from New York City--December 2004. The album is a beautiful piece of mellow gold, beautifully recorded, so intimate that you feel like they are playing in your living room. Francis Reader has the voice of an angel, and in this unadorned setting his vocals and the group harmonies are out front and center. In these stripped back renditions of their catalogue (including songs from their then new album Weightlifting) you can understand what great songs this band has written. You hear the first few cuts here and you truly wish that you had been there that night. It was a good night. Obscurity Knocks may not be performed in the set, but don't let that deter you from this heavenly, romantic recording. It's the perfect starting point to discover this band.



Because it is a nice career survey. You have songs like All The Dark Horses and Freetime from Weightlifting. But you have tunes from their other three albums, like How Can I Apply..., Hayfever, Best Man's Fall, or Got Carried Away. One of my favorites is the sublime ballad Safecracker, though Only Tongue Can Tell and Leave Me Alone are not far behind.




If you check out the band's website, there are a pile of recordings for sale, which are only available there, in addition to DVD's, shirts, etc. There are also tabs and chords for many of the bands songs and all the latest news and gossip. In 2010 they released their most recent album, entitled In The Music,their first in 5 years. I haven't picked it up yet, but I've seen some very positive reviews. Hopefully they will be able to put albums out with more frequency in the future.

Today will be like Yesterday and Tomorrow---Shop Assistants, Your Once And Future Band

I must say I have a lot of warm feeling for Edinburgh. I've only visited once, but from the moment I hiked up the steps from the train station and gazed on the historic city in the twilight I had a feeling that this was going to be a momentous trip. Probably the most beautiful city I've ever visited, the people were pretty interesting, funny, sharp. And I had my first haggis there. What better place for an initiation. My friends thought I was insane, but to me it tasted like hash--maybe not my favorite meal ever (as I like spicy food), but not too bad. I was intrigued with haggis ever since the Monty Python poem about a man who ate himself and became a haggis. So I persevered despite my friends protestations and lived through the three scoops--haggis, tatties and neeps--a traditional Scottish sundae. You never forget your first time.

Thet's Wha Haggis Is

But I probably most enjoyed strolling the streets and closes of the Old Town, The Royal Mile walking where the progenitors of our intellectual heritage like Robbie Burns, Hume and Adam Smith once walked. I've since learned a little more about the City by reading the Inspector Rebus books by Ian Rankin and The Fanatic by James Robertson. Probably should break out my Alastair Gray and Irvine Welsh books again, sooner than later.

Oh, and Edinburgh's Shop Assistants were one corker of a band. Energetic, noisy, melodic, utterly charming. In some ways, they are a throwback to the girl groups of the 60's, and in other ways they fully embrace the Punk crunch of the Buzzcocks and the squalling sheets of noise popularized by The Jesus and Mary Chain. And equally wonderful is the fact that despite the discernible influences they definitely have created and defined themselves in a unique way. And they have proved influential in indie circles, among groups like The Vivian Girls, The Dum Dum Girls, and even the hugely popular Belle and Sebastian, not long ago voted Scotland's all time greatest rock group. This album is a true stunner--in many ways I think they were coming from a similar place as the great New Zealand all female group Look Blue Go Purple. Listen to their song Cactus Cat, and the Assistants Somewhere in China. If you love great 80's indie music this belongs in your collection.

Lead Vocalist for the Shop Assistants is Alex Taylor, who does a fantastic job throughout, her charismatic and nuanced singing style raising this album to another label entirely. The second most distinctive thing about this album is the wonderful noisy guitar work of David Keegan. The six string dissonance juxtaposed against the honey sweet vocals creates a special kind of magic here. Sarah Kneale plays bass and sings backing vocals and Laura MacPhail plays drums and percussion. What a band!



This album is a brief one, 16 songs in 38 minutes. But I can't say there is a bad moment here. You have high powered tunes like the sunny ode to dreary days and no prospects, Caledonia Rd. Prior that the band breaks into the sweet ballad Before I Wake. All Day Long is one of the top tunes another hyper energetic screed about unrequited love. The only odd moment is the song What A Way To Die, which is sort of a pre-British Invasion Cavern Club workout, which is fun, but seems a little out of place here. But hell, I still enjoy that song.

If I had to choose a favorite I would have to choose Fixed Grin. "You send shivers down my spine, A Million thoughts run through my mind." But with the overall high quality here it was a pretty tough call. The driving pop of Home Again  and Seems To Be are superb cuts in their own right. And I have no aversion whatsoever to the more subdued jangle-pop of songs like After Dark or All Of The Time. The percussive and melodic Looking Back is another highlight, one that can hold its own with a band like The Primitives.



The reissue of this came out in 2008 on Cherry Red and I highly recommend this recording. It may sound a little familiar to the uninitiated now, but that is because a substantial number of acts have been inspired by their wonderful music. I know that with all the product that is put out these days, it is easy to be tempted by the next new thing. Be assured that this is a classic recording that needs to be heard. So, what are ye waitin' fer?

My Favorite Beatles Cover Ever--Roddy Frame

This is a shortie but goodie. The track, In My Life, is from an Uncut magazine John Lennon tribute Cd from 2002.

I think Roddy Frame takes a Beatles song and makes it his own. No small accomplishment. Aztec Camera had its brief moment in the sun back in the 80's, but Roddy Frame definitely deserves our attention today.

A Poem For Today--Edwin Morgan--

Absence

My shadow---

I woke to a wind swirling the curtains light and dark

and the birds twittering on the roofs, I lay cold

in the early light in my room high over London.

What fear was is it that made the wind sound like a fire

so that I got up and looked out half-asleep

at the calm row of street-lights fading far below?

Without Fire

Only the wind blew.

But in the dream I woke from, you

came running through the traffic, tugging me, clinging

to my elbow, your eyes spoke

what I could not grasp---

Nothing, if you were here!

The wind of the early quiet

merges slowly now with a thousand rolling wheels.

The lights are out, the air is loud.

It is an ordinary January day.

My shadow, do you hear the streets?

Are you at my heels? Are you here?

And I throw back the sheets.

A poem by Edwin Morgan, Scottish poet featured in Idlewild's song In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction from 2003.

I Hear Your Voice--Its like An Angel Sighing--Astrid Williamson

Cocaine and Chocolate Won't Keep You Alive
But They Might Fill You Up When You Feel Deprived

This review is of the first solo album of ex-Goya Dress singer Astrid Williamson from 1998. I was led to this CD from a rave review in the Big Takeover magazine quite a while ago. I was immediately captivated by this Shetland-born musician's wonderful singing voice. Then I took notice of her keyboard prowess, and the great songs she wrote. Oh, yeah, and she is flat out beautiful too, like a fashion model. You might wonder why she isn't a household name, I mean, how could you market a performer like this?

I think on some level, though all the songs are good, a misfire was made--two things are being done at once here, and the contrast hurts the album. The lyrics are heartfelt, introspective, and the songs are well put together, but I think that someone had the idea that these songs would be a big hit in the clubs. A lot of the arrangements have a dance beat to them, and it doesn't seem to work that well, seems not to gibe with the material. I liked the music so much that I picked up some of the singles to this, and they contained some uncluttered acoustic demos of some of the album tracks and I find them preferable. For example, the song Hozanna's double tracked vocals a little distant and cold on the album, but the demo version has so much more heart, more like a gospel song. Sing For Me & I Am The Boy For You sound so much better as introspective ballads than arrangements, accentuating the strengths of her as a performer and changing the entire vibe of the songs. You can even hear the squeak of the piano bench on some of the demos.

The Sight of You In Rococo Blue--
I Have No Choice,  I Hear Your Voice

But I don't mean to completely detract from the overall  high quality of the album. The music is just too good to be wrecked. The three songs I mentioned previously are excellent. Everyone's Waiting, World At Your Feet, If I Loved You, & Say What You Mean are terrific also. At the end there is an untitled bonus track with just her on piano that sounds like a song from a Broadway musical. I wish that the whole record could have been done in this manner.

She has put out three good album subsequently and Goya Dress' Rooms is definitely due for a reissue.

My 1st Book Review-- The Fanatic by James Robertson

I just reread the novel The Fanatic by the Scottish author, James Robertson, a novel that I rather enjoyed. The novel is set mostly in Edinburgh and its environs, and I have a fondness for the place ever since I visited the city several years ago. I took the Flying Scotsman train up from London with some friends on a cold February day. From the moment I climbed up the stairs from the train station and gazed on the illuminated city I was really transfixed and knew I would really like the place. A tour guide recommended that a painless way to learn a little bit more about the city was to read Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels. Which I have, and I would recommend highly, as they are well written, have interesting plot twists, and the lead character has a bit of an air of an updated Hebridean Philip Marlowe.

The tour guide who recommended the novels was on one of the many tours available to the interested originating in the Old Town, along the Royal Mile, which leads from Edinburgh Castle, down the tail of the dragon to Holyrood Palace at the bottom. Along the ancient road, there are basically ancient apartment buildings, some five stories high, with many stories underground,separated in spots by narrow alleyways known as closes. There are tunnels underneath these buildings that go on for blocks apparently. In the 1600's ,prior to the construction of the new town, they estimate that there were as many as 30,000 inhabitants living along this street!!! Today the area is a tourist mecca, but in the bad old days, it was a pretty dirty place with a violent history.There are many different types of tours to be had here, from straight regular tours discussing city history or famous politicians, writers artists or celebrities, or more titillating topics such as ghosts, murder, warfare, torture.

And this leads me to this interesting novel by James Robertson. The book, like World's End, by TC Boyle, who is an author originally from my neck of the woods, is a historical novel, which travels back and forth in time, from the Scotland of the 1600's to the 1990's on the eve of a crucial election which ultimately created the Scottish Parliament. Boyle's book travels from the Dutch Hudson Valley of the 1600's to the Peekskill/Northern Westchester of the 1960's & 70's.The main characters from the early days is James Mitchell, who was a real historical character, as were many of the characters in the novel, such as the archbishop James Sharp whom Mitchel attempted to assassinate. Mitchell endures many many hardships as a consequence. I can't say that I am enough of an expert in Scottish history at the time, because it is difficult to understand the sinuousness of events, the political changes, the religious schisms, the witch hunt hysteria that seemed to ultimately affect the shores of my own country. It is hard for me to gainsay how much of the matters that are described in this novel occurred through peoples convictions, or as pure power plays, or matters of greed. Certainly all the tortures that happened were appalling, and it seemed often people were changing sides all the time, and if you were on the wrong side at the wrong time, a heavy price was exacted.

In the present time, the main character is a quiet introspective Andrew Carlin, an intelligent not quite so young man somewhat out of touch with things. Quite by accident he is recruited by the owner of a tour company to play the ghost of the notorious Major Weir, on an evening tour. His appearance is such that the tour owner feels he won't require any makeup to play the ghost. His job is to make an appearance in the distance dressed as Major Weir in order to give the tourist a fright. And he succeeds. But he is obsessive person and takes a special interest in finding out all he can about this reviled historical figure, even though the job pays a pittance and does not require much. He starts get lost between past and present (for anybody who has been there, believe me, it is easy to imagine how things were centuries ago) and increasingly loses touch with reality. Mitchell ultimately had difficulty separating illusion from reality also, creating an analogy between two very different societies.

Some people are probably familiar with the newer Scottish Literature, authors like Irvine Welsh who wrote "Trainspotting" or James Kelman  the author of "how late it was, how late".They write in Scottish, or at least in dialect, written the way the characters would actually speak, as is the case of Robertson's novel. I think to Americans this could be a little disconcerting, but you can get used to it pretty quickly, and sounding out the dialogues can really be helpful, just as it is useful to understand James Joyce's writings at times. There are some words like "ken" which means know or understand and "thole" which means endure. I like this type of writing, as it gives me another level to get some authenticity about another culture that otherwise would pass me by. Definitely a page turner, Robertson has a lot to say about the past and also fairly current events, and the juxtaposing of the two time periods make for compelling reading.

Additionally, Robertson has published three collections of poetry, two collections of short stories "Close" and " The Ragged Man's Complaint", a collection of ghost stories, plus novels The Testament of  Gideon Mack, Joseph Knight, and the recently published "And The Land Lay Still". He also is involved with Itchy Coo a publishing house of Scots language children's books. Included are a Scots only story of Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe (Precious and the Puggies), and translations of Roald Dahl children's books (The Eejits "The Twits", Sleekit Mr Tod "Fantastic Mr. Fox") and even Winnie the Pooh. Definitely an interesting person who is doing is part to keep his culture alive and vital. I haven't read anything else by him, but I find him to be a fine author who deserves more attention across the Atlantic than he is getting.