fox in the snow

Here’s a little pick me up for the cold wintry weather. Fox were a British rock band that had some brief commercial success in the mid-70s, but so far as I can see are now known or remembered for very little.

This track ‘Yuli Yuli’ is off ‘Tails of Illusion’, released in 1975.

apple vs apples vs apple vs apple ends!

There doesn’t really need to be an excuse to talk about The Beatles but it’s worth having one anyway. With the full catalogue licensed for itunes and John Lennon’s solo material on Spotify for the first time ever, this can truly be said to be the week that the band went digital. The most coveted discography worldwide was the subject of over seven years of litigation until last Tuesday, when it finally drifted down the 320kbps river and into the expansive online sea, never to be seen again.

The periodic media, fan and industry probing which somehow went on for years- and led even the ever-indifferent Ringo Starr to suggest that he gave a little more than a shit about something; anything, (“particularly glad to no longer be asked” apparently) for once wasn’t asking anything, and out came the press release.
The Beatles sold 450,000 albums and 2 million individual songs in the first week, although perhaps more impressively, all 17 albums, which were released at once made the top 100 albums on itunes.

root of it all

The turbulent political climate in the US today reminds citizens of the battles fought over the Vietnam War, civil rights and social norms in the late 1960s. It was and remains a rich cultural stomping ground. When the divide between left and right hardens beyond a certain point, many artists still choose to up politics; they remember the way in which fundamentals of musical evolution in the 20th century were linked to politics- poverty, anti-war, black struggle- and they have various and vivid reference points from which to begin: “Bill Withers recorded this song at the end of the Vietnam War. As I record this now, America- the land of peace and prosperity is in the middle of two wars.” After Bill spoke to a young man who had served, he wrote ‘I Can’t Write Left-Handed’. Social consciousness is the central tenet in this part-heated, part-laid back collaboration between The Roots and John Legend, and yet, what seems so unusual about it, is how despite the above quote, it is pretty much isolated as an activist record by a high profile artist or artists. I mean really; you have to be daft not to figure out that this is a concept album- a clear, unambiguous plea for anti-war and liberal politics. “War is hell. It always has been and always will be.” ‘What this music is about- indeed why it was made, is so important to bear in mind. ‘Wake Up!’ is about America today; informed by it, holding up a mirror to it and making bold statements about it, with protest songs. It is something so alien to the chart today as political musicians- at most- aren’t putting their thoughts into their music, if considering it part of their modus at all. For The Roots and Legend then, big-selling commercial artists, the need for this to be a record that fans can take into their hearts just as much as any other, and enjoy- simply- ‘for the music’ is a naturally restraining force on the activist statements. It makes the idea of ‘Wake Up!’, which evokes the extreme, urgent militancy of The Last Poets’ seminal ‘This is Madness’, an uncomfortable, somewhat cringe-worthy proposition in principle and often on listening.

Legend’s six-grammy award winning, philanthropic juggernaut of soul man is a natural partner musically for a band whose focus is the soulful, instrument-led end of hip-hop. We arrive on ‘Hard Times’; a quite self-explanatory suggestion of the themes and general messages to come. But it is not, in any way, an expression of how you will feel about the music. Legend’s silky tones are first exemplified by Questlove’s excellent signature hollowed out percussion, and then by Black Thought, who raps on alternate verses. It’s a blend of direct, sobering vocals and Legend’s typically reassuring tones, but from the very beginning, the soul and hip-hop directions self-evidently complement one another.

When you listen to ‘Wake Up!’, the oozing swagger of ‘Wake Up Everybody!’ is hard to miss. Melanie Fiona delivers a refreshing zing on guest vocals, emanating the clarity, harmony and sunny optimism of the song’s uplifting message (established by Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes more than 30 years ago): “Wake up all the teachers, time to teach a new way. Maybe then they’ll listen to what you have to say.” The block by block repetition of the structure, with doctors, builders and everybody(!) builds a disarmingly anthemic message. I recommend listening to both versions for an interesting comparison on how this bad boy looked in 1975.

The Roots draw inspiration from the various strands of black culture that have entwined with messages of social consciousness over the past 50 years, some radical, and some moderate, like the gospel references on ‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free’. ‘Humanity’s reggae vibe, for example, sits quite uncomfortably alongside Legend’s unmistakably jazz-lounge style- an example of one of those instances where pushing a tempered, accessible sound as well as an honest replication of a genre’s political essence hasn’t really worked. Generally-speaking however, smooth intonements and production do successfully elevate the messages, rather than obstructing them. The 11-minute march ‘I Can’t Write Left-Handed’ and ‘Our Generation (Hope of the World)’ also show that loosely hung together, spontaneous outbursts of feeling are never outshone by more comfortable, softer numbers (‘Shine’ and ‘Holy’).

‘Wake Up!’ is an exciting, rich and diverse accomplishment that has clearly been produced with much thought and evaluation. Not only are The Roots and John Legend pillars of modern music today in their own rights, but the coming together of the former’s driving brass and lyrics, and the latter’s unmatched urban sophistication make this an album of different shades and dimensions, painting mellow, pretty and insular pictures at times, and at others outward, angry and revolutionary ones. Across the spectrum, this is a tale of political feeling and thought. Yet, perhaps, what rings out truest is that there was a time when every artist seemed to have something to say. From Bill Withers to Nina Simone, this album does its rich cultural ancestry proud.

John Legend & The Roots- I Can't Write Left-Handed
John Legend & The Roots- Wake Up Everybody
John Legend & The Roots- I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free

Glasser- Ring (a guest review!)

Mix one part tribal drums, one part electronica and two parts epic harmonies and leave in the fridge overnight...

You awake the next morning to a cacophony of heavenly vocals emanating from the kitchen.

You wander down the stairs, hearing the beat of tribal drums getting louder and louder as you approach and open the fridge door:

This is “Ring”, the debut album from Glasser.

If we were to think of music as a spectrum of colour, with Fever Ray on the dark side, Cameron Mesirow’s Glasser would surely be at the opposite end. Her music resembles Fever Ray with similarly echoing female vocals, but lighter and more accessible in nature as compared to the somewhat scary sound of her Swedish contemporary.

Opening track “Apply” introduces the tribal beat that sets the tone and continues to be the strongest element of the song, almost overpowering Mesirow’s vocals; that is until the harmonious “morning” takes over and continues to build with additional layered vocals.

“Home” is my personal favourite from the album, and blends so many layers together it’s difficult to keep up; you’re just along for the ride as Mesirow’s harmonies reach an uplifting, almost stadium-filling sound.

Glasser- Home

The pentatonic scale used in “Glad” starts to unwind an oriental sound, and, if you listen closely to the strings and bells towards the end of “Home” (the previous track), you can almost hear its seed being planted.

“Plain Temp” takes us back to the tribal theme and is almost reminiscent of the “Circle of Life” from Disney’s “The Lion King” in its repeating chorus.

In terms of beat and vocals, “T” is closer to Fever Ray. Yet it never really gets going, even with the introduction of the synthesiser halfway through the track. At a little over 5 minutes long, it left me rather disappointed. Still, the opening line of “Tremel” (recently remixed by Jamie from The XX) always reminds me of the vocal melody of The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby”, which can only be a good thing. It only repeats a couple of times, but I like to think it was perhaps a little nod to one of Mesirow’s musical heroes.

Seventh of nine is “Mirrorage”. This starts off with a humming minimal beat, but Mesirow keeps layering and layering, building this into another standout from the album- even surprising along the way with some interesting vocals near the end that I’ll leave for you as a surprise.

Glasser- Mirrorage

Penultimate song “Treasure of We” returns to the pentatonic scale but only really picks up half way through. Like many of the songs on this album, it travels and evolves, and, by its climax, has amassed the same expansive reverberations as Florence and the Machine.

Finishing the album: “Clamour”. Mesirow blends everything we’ve heard so far into one, even adding a brass instrument we haven’t yet experienced.

So, when everything is done, there are simply echoes of the past. Somewhere, faintly in the background, the drumming comes back, looping us back to the beginning of “Apply”.

And, suddenly, you’re back standing in your kitchen, staring into the fridge, wondering what just happened.

This really is one of my standout albums of 2010 and I hope you enjoy it.

Now go get a bongo and “Apply” twice a day.