Promoting this blog

I got some mini moocards to help promote this blog. I used some of my photos to make them look pretty.

With a bit of luck next time I order some I can add more photos from forthcoming adventures.

In the meantime, hopefully, there's some posts about CDs coming soon. It's nearly Beatle Week in Liverpool so preparations at work are keeping me from getting things written right now.

Yes–Fly From Here

 

The latest offering from the latest line up of Yes is already firmly impressed on my brain. Admittedly this is because a version of the title track was realised as a bonus on the reissue CD of the second Buggles album Adventures In Modern Recording.

The first thing that strikes me is how nice is it to hear Benoit David putting his own voice to the songs. Not that he doesn’t do that to the other Yes songs played in concert, but comparisons will always be made so it’s good to hear “his” voice if you understand what I mean.

The whole album has a very “Drama” feel about it for obvious reasons, and David’s voice is certainly similar to Horn’s. Having made that comparison the album also has a fresh feel to it.

The five part Fly From Here suite (six if you count the overture) is unmistakably the highlight of the disc. A modern take on classical pieces with recurring themes and a fairly epic feel. It manages to be a lengthy piece that not only has the full and rich arrangements you expect from both Yes and Trevor Horn but also has moments so catchy that they live on in your head after you’ve finished listening.

The first track after the suite (The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be) seems fairly ordinary, possibly simply in comparison with what has gone before. In fact a lot of what follows, although still expertly executed, is eclipsed by the suite. Hour Of Need is quite catchy with a modern folky feel and Into The Storm rounds the album off very well indeed.

I’m looking forward to hearing whatever gets played of this album on the tour when I see it in November. It already feels familiar and that’s only after two complete plays. I’m fairly sure it will get a few more airings on the media player between now and the gig, and afterwards obviously.

Just the CD

 CD with DVD (Making of Fly From Here)

 MP3 Download

Five Songs–Mid summer edition

 

It’s quite simple – list five songs, preferably accompanied by a word or two explaining their significance.  Not your five greatest songs of all time, but five songs you’re really into at the moment in time.

As ever this was prompted by Tim at his blog over here!

 

Dreaming In The Sun – The Wombles

I’m in a very Wombles frame of mind, posts will follow as I go through the rereleases. As I’m writing this entry out in the garden and yesterday I did actually grab 40 winks out here in the sunshine, so it seems an apt tune to rattle around in my head in this weather.

Mr Blue Sky – ELO

Bit obvious I know, but this isn’t just because of the nice weather, it’s also because I had a dream where I rewrote all the lyrics, but the only bit I could remember when I woke up was “making solenoids for Rover”

Lady Luck – Honeybug (link leads to YouTube video)

This has been rattling around in my head since International Pop Overthrow Liverpool last May. Catching and made entirely of awesome, I find myself dancing to this one every now and again.

Absolute Beginners – David Bowie

This is a recurring visitor on the jukebox in my head. I adore the lyrics. “The rest can go to hell” 

A Glimpse Of Heaven – The Strawbs

The Strawbs are often the default choice when I need something to listen to on the bus to work. This is a fabulous folksy tune that carries me off and makes the daily hassles of travelling to work in a city slightly more bearable.

 

So there you go! If you have a go of posting this on your own blog/facebook/whatever – let me know in the comments so I can go and be nosey!

Roger Hodgson - Liverpool Philharmonic Hall May 2011

(c) SisterBluebird.co.uk

(I will confess to only knowing a few Supertramp songs when I decided to go along to this concert, what I knew I liked, and what I managed to find time to play before I went I also liked. Sounded like a win-win situation to me. Some good songs in one of my favourite venues...

I knew it was sold out, but I didn't realise quite how loud the audience could be. They sang along, applauded and whooped between songs all at a volume usually reserved for vast arena crowds. And that was great, you really should so your appreciation. However, when during the second part of the show a minority in the audience just talk loudly, shout and chant so the artist can't be heard and whistle continuously and inappropriately through out a song, I'd really rather not be in the same room as you.  I really felt for the poor stewards who were verbally abused when trying to get one bloke to get down off his mate's shoulders, and then had to scrabble on to the stage when the very same chap leaped on there and grabbed the microphone at the end of the gig.

(c) SisterBluebird.co.uk

The negative feelings I got due certain audience members were certainly pushed aside by the music though. Roger has a lovely voice, sadly the sound seemed to be adjusted for the ambient noise and ended up sounding like he was singing in a empty warehouse a lot of the time rather than it echoing beautifully around the Philharmonic Hall. Still I've been to gigs where the sound was worse.

The setlist seemed to satisfy the audience. Plenty of tunes that even the most casual of music fan would know, coupled with a good few that certainly pleased the person sat to my right, who was having a whale of a time.

Roger moved between a keyboard, the guitar and a grand piano depending on the song and his band were all excellent musicians.  Highlights for me were Take The Long Way Home, Hide In Your Shell, his version of Across The Universe (so refreshing for the obligatory Beatles cover not to be one of the usual suspects)  and Dreamer. All delivered with quiet display of modest talent. (That's to say he was modest about it.) He looked moved by the vast outpouring of affection for those in attendance, though he did have to quieten them down in order to be heard when he wanted to speak.

(c) SisterBluebird.co.uk

Just to redress the balance against the audience, for probably the first time ever at a gig, the bloke who was sat in front of me turned around and asked if he was blocking my view because he was taller than I was. He wasn't, but how nice and considerate.

So, the minority of "overly appreciative" - for want of a better euphemism - fans and those who were just down right rude and gabbed all the way through it, aside, it was a really good gig and will probably result in me investigating further into Supertramp and his solo stuff. 

Set list
(taken from the Roger Hodgson Official Face Book Page)
Take the Long Way Home
School
In Jeopardy
Hide in Your Shell
Lovers in the Wind
Easy Does It
Sister Moonshine
Breakfast in America
Along Came Mary
Soapbox Opera
The Logical Song
INTERMISSION
Child of Vision
Lord is it Mine
If Everyone Was Listening
Across the Universe
Know Who You Are
Don’t Leave Me Now
Dreamer
Fool’s Overture
******
Two of Us
Give a Little Bit
It’s Raining Again

International Pop Overthrow Liverpool 2011 - Quick round up of links.

International Pop Overthrow 2011 Bloggage -
Minty & The Beeb - includes reports from IPO London
Powerpop Review - more reports to come on this blog.

Photos
All my photos can be found in this flickr set
Cavern Photos on Facebook has several IPO photo albums

Videos
My videos.
Stephen's videos - he's currently uploading past IPO videos to this account too.
Beeb's videos - stay tuned.

International Pop Overthrow Liverpool 2011 Tuesday Part 2

International Pop Overthrow Liverpool 2011 ended with the Bongo Beat/Viper label night. This is always guaranteed to be a good night.

A notable absence was Ralph, head of the Bongo Beat label, but hopefully he'll be back again soon.

It was a pleasure to have the Plastic Heroes back at the Cavern. The set included songs from their Escape The Lower End album as well as a few new ones including their new single Fake Revolution which is available on itunes and amazon as a download.


The Boy

Oh okay, they also did Anne-Marie as Simon co-wrote the song.


Anne-Marie

After their set I nipped off to the loo but as I passed the band room I was taken in to say hello properly. I reminded them that by the time Dave Rave was to take to the stage it would be Stephen's birthday. I left them working out a special song for him.

In the mean time Mike Badger, founder member of the Las and had of the Viper Records label had taken to the stage with a fabulous set of rockabilly style songs. I particularly liked the one about being kidnapped by Big Foot.

Last on the bill was Mr Dave Rave, ably backed by The Plastic Heroes.


Can't Stop Shakin'

About three songs in they unleashed their surprise for Stephen's birthday - a version of, yup, you guessed it, Birthday by The Beatles. Not bad considering they dropped it into the set on the spur of the moment and none of them had played it before.


Birthday

And for the second time that night we got Anne-Marie, well...it's IS just a good song!


Anne-Marie

DAve usually gets most of the audience to join him on stage but he'd got in trouble for doing that the night before so while he got a couple of people on stage for a rendition of I Saw Her Standing There, he came into the audience and joined us instead!


I Saw Her Standing There.

All too soon the event was over for another year and we were off into the night for a taxi home, knowing the next day brought the final round of fonds farewells till next year.

International Pop Overthrow Liverpool 2011 Tuesday Part 1

Last day of IPO, and the latest we stayed out all week.

Tuesday saw the second of the Bongo Beat/Viper label nights of 2011, but that wasn't due to start till 9.45pm. So after some food we nipped into the Cavern Pub to see The Flaming Moes. The guitarist/vocalist played barefoot - a brave move on a chilly night. I enjoyed the set and even purchased a CD. I hope they are back again as I missed their second set due to it clashing with Bongo Beat night. I hope they had a better audience in the club, as they deserved it. (Too many people trying to talk louder than the band in the pub.)



Venturing into the Club we caught the end of The Fallen Troubadours. They sounded interesting and worthy of further investigation. I was quite surprised to discover they were from Pennsylvania, they have a very English sound.



They were followed by Postcards From Places That Don't Exist, a band from Lincoln who had encouraged us to go and see them as they emerged from their first set at the Pub earlier in the evening.



As this is getting long and hour is getting late, I will cover the Bong Beat/Viper label Night in a separate post tomorrow.