Bristol oh yes this bloke is definitely the sort who might do that sort of thing… its ok to admit that firmly even though many still pick their ears - even to this day! Crikey
What I love most about Nick Drake is all the implied melodies in his music and singing. He doesn’t play the melodies but the listener can hear them anyway. I find that’s something that a lot of the great songwriters do.
Skylarking, Nonsuch, Oranges and Lemons, and English Settlement are the Mount Rushmore of this incomparable band. But their entire catalog from Drums and Wires onward is fantastic.
The orchestral arrangements are stunning - it’s a masterpiece. I ended up talking to Richard Hawley in a Sheffield bar about Nick. I didn’t realise who he was until the end of the conversation but he’s a huge fan. I saw Nick live once - so shy and looked at his shoes seemingly and kept retuning - but the singing and playing was mesmeric.
Bloody heck. Turgid. Had to look it up. I did not know it. Yeah, isn't their whole catalog turgid? Nothing simple about any of it. I seem to remember one of them even saying that they made it so damn complex so they would not be forced to reporduce in live.
I've loved XTC since heard them here in CA. In the late 1970s, then fell over when they played my local College in apx '79 ('80?). Fully hooked going on 45 years! Thanks guys!
I found Nick Drake in 1981 when I bought John Martyn's 'Sold Air' and read that it was written about this tragic, failed musician. So I bought Nick Drake´s box set and it saw me through Uni and exams, young love and heartbreak. To say that Nick and his music have been an important part of my life for 40 years would be a massive understatement. It's so nice to see that this legend is now fully appreciated and revered.
Legend. This music was entirely new. And I am running under the assumption that, if you would introduce things like these, which are currently made, in the mainstream media like the morning radio, people would be very open for this and they would buy it. 🎉😎✌🏻 Always, people are the ones who will help out and create a chance and opportunity. Here, both Mike and Richard are giving full credit. So nice!
I bought a handy second-hand Kindle Fire tablet recently, to put all of my orchestra music on, having just joined said band. The first thing I did was to put the Tres Lunas II Mike Oldfield bootleg onto it, for convenient listening via my car stereo system. I think I'll add TBII live, as well.
Joe Boyd always seems so respectable compared to all the businessy pop-success kinda people that swarmed musicians in the 60s. You can tell the guy actually wants to give his artists the best environments and cares about their art itself
Had the privilege of opening for her in Newcastle when outlaster came out. The most starstruck I’ve ever been & she was so lovely & cool. One of our greatest songwriters ❤
Me and my pal got talking to a couple being as we were the only 4 people on a deserted midnight NY subway in April 2017. Turned out the woman was JB's cousin who ensured us he was in good fettle. Such an important man in British underground music with his Witchseason Production company back in the day. And Dave Mattacks is an amazing drummer from the same school of 'less is actually feckin' more' that Jim Keltner also attended
In the mid 00s Mike Oldfield surprised BBC Radio 4 presenter Jenny Murray after explaining his love for psychedelic mushrooms before insisting his belief that humans are mere biological robots . Jenny tried to snort at this but he was sincere enough to not be made to look or sound ridiculous & good for him as this is basically true in my opinion also.
XTC were one of my favorite bands. In 1982 or so I saw them at Georgetown University -- which is a Jesuit institution. The largest hall on the campus is set up to handle masses, with frescos of the stations of the cross and a Sistine Chapel-like heaven on the ceiling. Talk about a freakily inappropriate space to see XTC. Still one of the best 5 shows of my life -- a peak experience.
I can remember listening to John Peel, and he was playing some Japanese Techno 12" which was recorded at 45rpm, but John said "I don't know what speed to play this as it has nothing written on it, but I like it at 33", and played it at 33rpm.
