Steven Wells Tribute Film from Roger Sargent on Vimeo.
Archive for October, 2009
October 30, 2009
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Madness – The Liberty Of Norton Folgate
By Ash in Music Reviews
‘Thus from a mixture of all kinds began,
That het’rogeneous thing, an Englishman’
Daniel Defoe, The True Born Englishman, 1701
“Cause you’re a part of everything you see,
Yes, you’re a part of everything you see.”
Suggs, The Liberty Of Norton Folgate, 2009
Listening to curmudgeonly, London-based muso types baulking at the state of the capital gets tiresome. It’s tough living anywhere in 2009, but must we constantly focus on the plight of our beloved London even in our leisure time? Where have all the good times gone?
Now nine albums in, it seems somewhat ironic that it’s London sons, Madness, who are managing to skip over grime littered streets, dancing to the city’s rhythmic heartbeat. It’s been 30 years since ‘One Step Beyond’, time enough for the band to conceive of, and deliver, a concept album of magisterial quality. Introductory liner notes to ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’ (TLONF) as written by lead singer, Suggs, cite London’s deep history as the ebullient stimulus for the album and, as he acknowledges, no one man could ever understand the whole of London. Having been home to various transient migrant groups that include French, Irish, Jewish, Bangladeshi and Somali, TLONF centres on the development of Spitalfields in East London.
And so to ‘We Are London’ which draws back the curtains to reveal Madness’ magical world. Filled with references to some of London’s most iconic locations, their swinging pop is infectious. “You can make it your own hell or heaven / Live as you please / Can we make it, if we all live together / As one big family” may seem trite to some, but the anchoring chant “We are London,” carries with it a weight heavy enough to offset any overtly sugary sentiment.
Comprised of 15 songs, TLONF is a long and rich record that has been warmly captured by original Madness producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. That some of the recording sessions also took place in Liam Watson’s vintage ‘Toe Rag Studios’ further attests to the quality of audio rendered. Sitting alongside the horn arrangements is an uplifting string ensemble that add the necessary glitter; particularly to the quasi-exotic feel of ‘On The Town’ and the watery nostalgia of ‘NW5′.
The Specials, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and Kid British have all lined up to plunder ska’s lineage in order to service a bank balance. Anyone expecting a full-on nutty ride to skaville should take their ticket back to the booth for an immediate refund, as this adult Madness provide scant opportunities to skank. The traditional dub of ‘Forever Young’ lies next to the shining reggae of ‘Dust Devil’ which provides groovers ample opportunity to get their jeggae together. Madness naturally infuse songs with dub basslines and offbeat piano stabs, so there’s not even the vaguest hint that Madness are in danger of severing their roots (and, anyway, many of Madness’ best loved songs aren’t even ska.)
The album’s masterpiece, ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’, is a 10 minute operetta that basks in diversity and a heady love of music hall. Jaunting along the length of the Thames, it eloquently finishes off this complex album that surpasses every Madness album to date. Welcome it and, moreover, be part of it.
October 29, 2009
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Hudson Mohawke – Butter
By Ash in Music Reviews
Sometimes, it’s important to know when you’ve failed; to acknowledge that no single person can dampen the inevitable tide of public opinion alone. When it comes to the ’80s revival, such is the situation. Not only are the fey, indie boys and girls suiting up in the most outrageous fashion clashes, they’re regurgitating the narcissistic thoughts that plagued the decade in a less interesting manner. And as for electronica, the genre is ramping up the stakes by creating lurid landscapes that parody the most kitsch elements of that cocaine-flecked, paranoid period.
Well, at least that’s what Warp signing, Hudson Mohawke, has done on his debut outing for the eclectic label. Watching the youthful exuberance the 15-year-old HudMo displayed on two turntables as UK DMC Finalist, DJ Itchy, it’s possible to see his affinity for combining the quirkier elements of the genre, even though he mashes them into a somewhat confused set.
Nevertheless, should anyone have a true understanding of hip-hop, it’s the turntablist: cutting and looping beats for MCs was all in the game for the traditional DJ, but turntablists took the art to the next level, deconstructing sampled beats with flair and dynamic incredulity.
That’s not to say every DJ a good beatmaker makes, but it does give credence to the argument that Butter is a temporally schizoid listen. Where fellow Warpee, Bibio, battles to include vintage sounds from the ’60s and ’70s, HudMo is happiest when re-imagining the classic ’80s sounds that, no doubt, influenced his hip-hop education.
Utterly committed to the groove which is fundamental to the longevity of a hip-hop track, it’s fair to say that HudMo has woven elements of legendary hip-hop producer Dilla into Butter’s tapestry. To single out tracks that demonstrate this point is facile; rather like picking a ship out of the armada that’s bearing down on a dinghy in the middle of the Atlantic.
Some listeners may be looking for big, commercial tracks on Butter. Well, there are a handful of those: ‘Joy Fantastic’, ‘Rising 5′, ‘FUSE’ and even Damfunk, man of the moment, gets a look-in on the futuristic Rn’B smash ‘Tell Me What You Want From Me’. But it’s on the less accessible numbers where the greatest rewards are found. When HudMo expels the geeky energy spent on beat-juggling to production, as he does on the cut-up ‘Fruit Touch’, ‘Allhot’ or ’3.30′, the results are frequently impressive, prospectively hinting at one of HudMo’s signature flourishes.
Albeit of a different era, the re-pitching of vocals (from 33rpm to 45rpm) that hip-hop embraced earlier this decade (Hi, M.O.P.) is another of the album’s acknowledgements to the genre that shapes its sound. Unlike FlyLo, HudMo has completely bypassed the entire recorded output of ’90s hip-hop, and applied the production techniques of the 2000s to the sounds of the ’80s and come up smelling like Axel Foley on assignment at a dairy yard.
Butter is, of course, one of the most essential releases of 2009; another record that puts the UK at the forefront of electronica. It demonstrates an intuition for the art it so successfully emulates that it’s almost OK to see the kids in those ridiculous dayglo outfits. Almost.
October 28, 2009
2
Shakira – She Wolf
By Ash in Music Reviews
“There’s a she wolf in your closet, open up and set her free!” Did you hear that sisters? Ladies, you should be listening, because this must be the proclamation you’ve been waiting for. “Let the she wolf out, and let her breathe,” and the soundtrack to that, er, transformation is disco-funk saddled with badly played guitars. And then maybe later, as the Colombian poppet wails on ‘Mon Amour’, you should get pregnant. Though, maybe not to Matt Damon as, according to the guitar-led ‘Men In This Town’, he’s run off with all the other men because they heard Shakira was coming around… Perhaps you, dear reader, couldn’t make it up; but this booty-shaking, joint-popping, Latino Aguilera-Lavigne-Spears clone certainly can. IN SPADES.
The mixture of electronic and guitar-oriented songs that dominate the album all bear the same, flat quality, and potential singles are spruced up with Arabic melodies that meander meaninglessly in-and-out to lend the tracks an insincere ethnic air. It really is awful, patronising trash and, frankly, you’d be foolish to disagree.
October 28, 2009
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John Lennon Biopic – Nowhere Boy
By Ash in Movie Reviews
Wow. This looks awful. Each time I watch the trailer, it winds me up more and more. Kristin Scott Thomas? Oh, please! And what exactly has Sam Taylor Wood successfully directed in the past? With a screenplay written by a man whose credits includes episodes of Hollyoaks based on a story by Lennon’s half-sister, you can guarantee this is going to be an irksome watch.
Obviously, I’ll see it – but judging from this, it would appear to be a shiny, heartless interpretation of John’s early life.
