Thermal

I keep telling my wife Steph that she could easily write her own blog, but for now she’s sticking to MySpace. As she’s tagged me with this, I thought I’d put her post up here, and then I’ll reply to it shortly (and criticise some of her musical taste)

Seeing as lists appear to be the thing at the moment, how about a list of five songs that really mean something to you….and why.

5. Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi

Ok, ok, I know, poodle rock heaven – but every time I hear this I’m back in the early Nineties, at Uni, skipping, running and jumping down Penglais Hill in Aber with Jen – God those were good times…..

4. High Hopes – Pink Floyd

Again, back in Aber, takes me back to the Castle pub where we used to hang out and spend stupid amounts of grant money on the jukebox – and this was the one on repeat – how the barman never killed us I don’t know. I may not have got a good degree, but I was ace at pool!

3. Yesterdays – Guns ‘n’ Roses

I’ve been trying to remember why I love this song so much, after all it’s a pretty average song (there could be that Aber connection again, I seem to remember the Use Your Illusion albums getting a pretty hard beating back then) or maybe it’s the video, not overdone as so many of theirs were, but simple, just them playing, in black and white – but you get the feeling your seeing the band ending (and Axl has never looked hotter – sorry C!!)

2. Look on – John Frusciante

Such an honest song, and oooh that guitar riff, gets me every time……..

1. Into My Arms – Nick Cave

Aah, where I get to embarrass Chris…..back in the swirling mists of time – well about 10 years ago, when we first started dating, Chris sent me the lyrics to this song, painstakingly written out (if you’ve ever seen his handwriting you’ll know how much pain he was in ;op). At the bottom of the page he wrote “if I could write a song, I would’ve written this for you..”
I’m filling up just remembering, and I still have the letter, badly worn on the creases from where I kept it folded in my wallet for years….we played the song at our wedding, and whenever I hear it, I just have to go and hold him……..

So, there’s mine, what’s yours?? Post it on my comments, or post a link to your blog here – Chris – GO!!

I can never answer the question ‘Favourite of all time’ as that changes from day to day, but right now I can’t stop playing the Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues double CD by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Nick Cave has long been one of may favourite artists-a stunningly gifted composer & musician with no little sense of humour. This album is full of soaring melodies, rousing choruses and unexpected lyrical twists. Follow this Amazon link to hear a taster of some of the tracks.

What’s the CD you can’t stop playing right now?

I have been tagged by the delightful Erika to come up with a top 5 Christmas songs meme-and after all the help? I gave you as well! I won’t forget this Seeing as the true meaning of Christmas for me is indigestion, and a lingering resentment that everyone elses presents are better than mine, I have had to dig deep into my curmudgeonly psyche to come up with these:

1. Jonah Lewie-Stop The Cavalry. Not really a Christmas type of song, but? reached No.2 in the UK in 1980, my Dad bought it & every time I hear it, it takes me back 25 years.
2. Slade-Merry Christmas Everybody. Terrible song, crap band, but if you live in the UK and haven’t heard this song, you are quite simply, dead.
3. Wham-Last Christmas. Dear God, I hate this song & I can’t abide the odious little willie waver, George Michael, but again nostalgia is a killer. Play this & I’m right back in 1984.
4. Band Aid-Do They Know It’s Christmas? Ah, that line ‘and there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas-time’. No, or any other time I’m willing to bet-it’s bloody Africa! (Pedants need not comment with details of where snow does fall in Africa-this means you Owl). Sticks in my mind mainly ‘cos my pompous headmaster read it out, in full, in complete Shakespearean monologue during assembly – cock.
5. Silent Night – Oh go on then, a genuine favourite. Hear this, and I can feel snow falling and smell Christmas in the air. A beautiful carol.

Right, enough of this. I’m supposed to tag 5 other bloggers with this meme, but I don’t know any others to do this to, as they won’t speak to me and all run away from me in the blog playground. Why not have a go yourself, and post a link in the comments?

Nick Cave, one of my all-time favourite artists is launching a new project by the name of Grinderman. Also featuring Warren Ellis, Jim Sclavunos and Martyn P Casey (all prominent members of the Bad Seeds), the new album is promised for March2007. Grinderman are also scheduled to play at ATP in April 07.

For now, their first track ‘No Pussy Blues’ can be heard on their MySpace site.

John Frusciante has, from a past that would have finished most people, emerged as on of the most talented musicians of all time. Guitarist with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at only 18, he left only four years later to go solo, and to become a drug addict:

“When I originally decided to become a drug addict, it was a clear decision. I was very sad, and I was always happy when I was on drugs; therefore, I (thought I) should be on drugs all the time. I was never guilty — I was always really proud to be an addict.”

John certainly dedicated himself to this decision, and plunged head-first into the kind of addiction that most people thought could only end in death. But, with amazing clear-headedness, and the determination that he brings to all things he does, he decided in 1997 to quit drugs-just like that. Rather than viewing it as a bad period, and one to forget, John took it as another positive step to where he’s going-not a bad thing at all.

“I don’t look at it like that. That was the period that I learned, when I got my mind straight about everything that I needed to know. I really value that period of time.”

From this point John bloomed creatively, rejoining the Peppers and embarking on the most impressive & prolific part of his musical career, starting with ‘By The Way’ for the Chili Peppers and ‘To Record Only Water For Ten Days’ under his own name. But it was in 2004 that his creativity came into full flow, with seven albums in a little over a year. Each, in my opinion, a record that most other artists would be proud of once in a career, John came up with 7 albums of differing styles and resonating emotion.

‘Shadows Collide With People’ came first and was a deliberately polished, commercial record, made accessible as possible, yet still individually Frusciante. This was followed by ‘The Will To Death’ with very stripped down guitars & production, favouring one take recording, & leaving in minor errors, rather than recording again.

The next album was recorded under the name of Ataxia, a group also containing Joe Lally of Fugazi, and Josh Klinghoffer, a friend of Johns and talented musician in his own right. This album was very different, formed from improvised jams in the studio and looping bass lines and drum parts. The stunning track ‘The Sides’ features here, and never fails to raise goosebumps on me. September 2004 brought ‘The DC EP’, only 15 minutes, so perhaps pushing the tag ‘album’, but again showcasing music so melodic and simple, yet utterly compelling.

‘Inside of Emptiness’ now showed John’s heavier, rockier side with more intense guitar and lyrics, and a raw sound demanding to be played loud. Switching track completely, and annoying some ‘fans’ came ‘A Sphere in the Heart of Silence’. Inspired by Johns love of electronica and 80′s bands such as Depeche Mode, this album reminded me most of ‘To Record Only Water…’ After ‘Inside…’ demanding to be played loud, this was a headphones and dark room album, and I loved it.

Finally, and appropriately, came ‘Curtains’.? Quiet, introspective, and largely consisting of acoustic guitar, piano and upright bass, the main star of this album is John’s voice and the emotion it can convey. ‘Leap Your Bar’ is the stand out track, and I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck rising just typing about it.

An amazing output for one man in an entire career, much less just over a year. John has followed this up with a double RHCP album, ‘Stadium Arcadium’, and has more material from the ‘Ataxia’ sessions and a follow up to ‘Sphere’ to come. I can’t wait.

If you’d like to hear some of Johns Music, head over to his website, click on the clouds at the top, and you can listen to 5 tracks in their entirety, for free. You won’t regret the 15 minutes invested, I promise you.