Over the years, Nina Persson, head of A Camp, has more and more stood out not only as a singer but also as a lyricist. The paragraph above are the first lines of The Crowning, the first track on Colonia. It establishes an idea that pervades the whole album – the description of notions or moods, not of events. The Crowning does, in fact, narrate an event – the celebration of a crowning. But instead of giving a chronological account of the party, the song talks about little side details – the colours of the flowers, the dancing moves of the guests, how the tables are laid. Then the perspective changes, and we hear of the cruelty of the crowned leader. The lyrics leave the party and focus on the city outside, like a camera would pan and zoom in to another scene. All accompanied by the music of Nathan Larson, who has written a number of film scores.
The Sarcasm and goulish charme of the lyrics are repeated in other songs, like
Love has left the room
The party is over
but i can’t get sober
(Love has left the room)
or
Who told you love is the Alpha and Omega
And that you’re heart will lead you to the only one
It’s a curse, it’s the hammer that will break you (Stronger than Jesus).
The video is highly reminiscient of a certain type of art films, too.
So there is more than music to this record. For me, the lyrics really make the album, actually more than the music does. I believe you could transcribe them, put them between the two covers of a book and publish it as modern poetry. I got this record as a present shortly after it was released in 2009. I would have also bought “the book”.
The list of Beach Boys Compilations and Greatest Hits Records seems to be endless. That’s probably one of a million reasons why it is hard to find any person in the western hemisphere who hasn’t heard (of) them. In my childhood, I was introduced to them through heavy radio airplay and best of the best records sold in drugstores. I guess you’d just had to grow up with them, although my parents never had any record or told me to check them out. The first time I really listened to the Beach Boys attentively was when I got a mix cassette with Good Vibrations on it when I was 15. Back then I loved it. I guess everybody loves that song when they get introduced to it. It’s because no matter what kinds of music you’re into, this sounds like nothing you heard before.
I rediscovered Good Vibrations again a couple of years later on Brian Wilson‘s Smile album. I have to admit that Smile and The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds is so far the only Beach Boys material I like. So this record I got here, a present from a real Beach Boys fan, is a bit painful to listen to for me. God only knows is an awesome song and I adore Heroes and Villains. Maybe I Can Hear Music would be okay as well, if it wasn’t so overplayed. But I cannot possible put this record on and listen to Surfin’ USA or Barbara Ann. Because when I say nobody in the Western hemisphere can hide from the Beach Boys, that unfornately also includes things as such:
and such:
So this record is one of those I never put on. Although it was a present, I should probably just get rid of it and get Pet Sounds instead. Because I like their quiet, calm and pensive songs so much more then the cheeasy beachy stuff.So let’s listen to it, with your head on my shoulder:
Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators - Keep Reachin' Up (2006)
Northern Soul from a different kind of North..
I have written about Oldham Street in Manchester before, the street with the highest density of record shops in Britain. Not only does it have the most, it also has the best record shop on the island – so say the votes. It’s called Picadilly Records. One of the things they do is putting a little note with information about the artist and album on every record. Another is releasing a Top 100 Album of the Year chart every January (click here for the 2009 one). When I went to live in Manchester in January 2007, I picked up the Piccadilly Records End of Year Review 2006. In this booklet, Keep Reachin’ Up is praised as the no. 1 soul/funk record of the year, and also scores no. 4. on the all-over top 100 list – a list which comprises mainly of indie album. I still have the booklet here, it reads:
“With a sound reminiscent of a 1960s Motown floor stomper, Brooklyn-born soulstress Nicole Willis and the New Orlean-ized Helsinki funk outfit The Soul Investigators first came to everyone’s attention back in mid-2005 with the release of their debut single “If This Ain’t Love (Don’t Know What Is)” (one of Gilles Peterson’s tracks of that year). 2006 brought us a whole long-player of bona fide retro-sounding, floor-shakin’ soul and down-to-the-bone funk goodness which really hits the spot. …”
that really did not answer all my question, but rather added quite a few:
- a Finnish soul band?
- with a Brooklyn singer?
- doing retro soul?
- today?
If you’re coming to North England from abroad, curious to learn about the history of music, there is a phenomenon you cannot miss. It’s called Northern Soul. It’s a music scene that developed around highly danceable rare Motown music. If you wanna get an idea of what that might have looked like, try this video:
When I was living in Manchester, I was listening to a lot of the old Northern Soul tunes. And for me, Keep Reachin’ Up just fitted perfectly into that mood. Back then I downloaded it and it became my favourite warming up record before going out, or for partying on after coming back home. The music always pulled me up and got me going. And it’s a home party record, too. If you want no hassle with a DJ, just put this record on and let it spin. It’s all killer no filler.
When I went on a holiday trip to Manchester pretty much exactly a year ago, I decided to buy Keep Reachin’ up nowhere else but at Picadilly Records.
The Northern Soul scene in England was dominantely a white male culture. Some may wonder how the northern English working class mates could dance so funkily. Similarly, I must admit, I wondered how the finnish musicians could be so funky. But if you are into Jazz, you may know that there are really good Jazz musicians come from all around the globe, and that various styles of Jazz exist on different continents. I guess it’s similar with Funk.
And The Soul Investigators really now how to play their stuff. When I saw the band perform at theMint Lounge in Manchester a couple of months later, they played their smashing The Soul Investigators Theme as their first song, and got virtually everybody in the audience cheering immediately. It is a particular pleasure for me to remember my finnish friend, whom I dragged along to the gig just because he was from finland as well. He was more of a Metal type of guy, but still couldn’t stand still that night. And just like him (and me) everybody else seemed to be dancing.
So yes, this is a Finnish Band with a Brooklyn singer, and I do not think I need namedropping and tell you to which Finnish master musician she is married to impress you. I’d rather you get the record and start loving it.
Here’s a teaser:
The not-so-good news is that, although this is retro soul sound that happens “now” (as in 2006), I guess it is probably a one off thing. I imagine those guys hanging around together thinking “let’s do a perfekt northern soul record!” They did, and that’s it. Their myspace page seems to be updated regularly, but no gigs or news of a new record appear whatsoever. So we’ll have to stick with this one. It’s worth it.
One of my all-time favourite records, but I won’t even try to write about the music here. If you do a search for “stone roses” online I bet you can find a hundred thousand blog entries about “a legend” and “heroes” – because that is what a lot of British people think The Stone Roses were. They simply love them, especially in (and around) Manchester, where the band was from.
If you wanna know about the music, check out youtube and the likes, the most popular songs are I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drums, Waterfall, Sugar Spun Sister, Made of Stone and I Am The Ressurection. For a single record, The Stone Roses has a lot of hits – I heard that all but two of the songs on this record have been released as singles. And the record is still incredibly popular after 20 years.
In 2006, the NME, weekly music magazine infamous for putting gossip over music, had their readers vote for the best album of all times, and, at the same time, the best British album of all times. Oasis‘ Definitely Maybe was voted as the best record ever, but only came third in the best British record poll. The Stone Roses “only” reached number seven in the first poll, but were still voted the best British record of all times. You may think that’s ironic, but apparently, for the Brits it takes something special to become the British number One.
Now, I think Oasis are an extraordinarily British band. Union Jack iconography and Beatles references are only two things they use to show this. But that is something that not only Britain understands – it’s something the whole world is familiar with. The Stone Roses are extraordinarily British, as well, but their Britishness may be more subtle. It could well be that it is not something as tangible as a Union Jack stage display, but rather an attitude that has developed in their fans minds. Live footage of Oasis always shows extreme devotion of the audience, but the fans are just as devoted when they attend an Ian Brown (who was the Stone Roses singer) gig. They are so loyal in their support of the bands that their praise of the records (“legends” and “heroes”) may sometimes seem exxagerated. But Oasis have been a globally succesful band, while The Stone Roses remained national heroes with a strong tie to their local identity. This notion of regionalism is what makes them essentially British, I think.
I bought this record when I was in the city The Stones Roses came from, Manchester. I hate the record. I mean, I love the record itself very much, but I hat the copy I own. It is a cheap yellow vinyl bootleg copy with a bad quality print. There are disctracting noises at the beginning of side A. At first I thought thatis because the record is so bent that the edge of the cartridge scratches on the surface of the record when I play it. But after careful examination I realised it is not bent that badly. Instead, there are probably some heavy scratches on the record, which I just cannot see, because the vinyl is yellow. I had not thought about it before I got the record, but I realised afterwards that it is good to get original editions. or at least black proper ones. I wont buy a coloured vinyl again!
I never listen to this record. One day I’ll take the time to hunt down a first pressing, thought I it is really hard to get one. Because all the Brits cling to their copies so much.
When you are starting to build a record collection from scratch it is nice to get some consistency into it from early on. Most of the time I have ( and still do) buy whatever I can find that suits me and that I really like. Still, a small collection is not really representative for what you really love listening to. So many of my favourite artists and records I do not have on vinyl yet. Looking at the list I have comprised so far it must look like I am and have always been a huge Blondie and Stevie Wonder fan. That is not the case actually. But I am turning into one.
I have been aware of these artists for a long time, but you wont find Blondie in my CD collection or in my mp3 files. However, it’s nice to have more than one record from one artist when you get started with record buying, it gives record buying a bit of a plan, it is not headless-buying-whatever-you-can-find.
And it is so easy when you find a little diamond in a 2-pounds-crate, so this is how I got around to my second Blondie record. And I like this one so much. This is a record full of vitality, it is fun to listen to it, and you hear the fun the band must have had when they recorded it. I did not know the songs before, but some of them, like Little Girl Lies, Look Good in Blue or Man Overboard have become naughty little earworms for me.
Here is a theory I have:
In the old times of proper albums, when people did not just download their favourite songs as mp3s and ignored the rest of the bands’ stuff, the first song on an artists first album was always something the listener should pay special attention to. It is used to catch the audience’s attention, and it has to sum up the rest of the record and what the band wants to say with their music, because in a record shop (or at home) it is the first thing you will be listening to.
I know other people think similarly because some people make lists of bands that have extraordinary first songs on their debut albums. Yes, that’s what proper music freaks do. You can find some nice examples here and here. If you read through the posts a bit you will see what I mean. Personally, I think Definitely Maybe by Oasis is a perfect example: Rock’n'Roll Star is Oasis at their best already, and the chorusline “Tonight/ I’m a Rock’n'Roll Star” already hints at everything Oasis was going to be later – not only the stardom, but also the attitude towards it.
So having said that, give X Offender a try, the first song on Blondie. Its a masterpiece that blew me away.
Everything you must know about Blondie you can find in X Offender. If you liked it, you will love the whole record.
On we go with the next Stevie Wonder vinyl Innervisions, released just one year after Talking Book. I bought this one when I was on holiday in Manchester. When I went there I reserved one day just for record shopping, as Manchesters Oldham Street (with surrounding streets) has the highest density of record shops in the UK. You walk down the street and it seems like every fifth store sells records. It is record collectors heaven, really. I bought this one in one of the second hand record shops in a side street just round the corner.
This story is also a good example of how well I was into serious record buying at that time already. I remember the store had two copies of Innervision – the first original Motown edition and a re-issue that had been released a couple of years later. Of course, I went for the (more expensive) original one.
This is the first of a lot of records I bought in my favourite record store – which actually is just an antiquarian bookshop that happens to also have some crates of all sorts of second hand records on their shelves. Their record collection is well-assorted for a shop that specialises in books! Other records I bought there later (and will write about later) include The CuresDisintegration, a Motown collection, a The Who Best of and some more Stevie Wonder). I had Talking book on CD long before I got this vinyl, so I knew there are some killer songs on it. Superstition is absolute hit material, a dancefloor killer. I also like the slower songs like Blame it on the sun oder You are the sunshine of my life. They are all Stevie Wonder classics. All the other songs I would not want to skip either. Buying this record has cemented my admiration for Stevie Wonder and led to serious Stevie Wonder record collecting.
This record is driving me insane. I bought this the same day I bought the Warren Schatz record I wrote about below – it was a hot summer sunday I spent at the flea market. A couple of weeks before I had seen some artist performing a Simon and Garfunkel song on TV, and although the performance was not particularly good, I said to myself: It’s time you get some Simon and Garfunkel classics.
Only, I wanted pure classics, not this. Of course, the songs on this record are not the problem. They are pure masterpieces, goldies (if you allow me to use this terrible word) that everyone has heard and been touched by. I mean, I am sure even people who say that the sort of music is not their cup of tea can nevertheless acknowledge how good it is.
However, I do not need other people’s applause to appreciate that. The problem with this record, then, is that at the beginning and end of certain songs, the sound of applauding people has been mixed into the songs. Sometimes the applause goes on way into the first line of the lyrics. I just find that so annoying.
This is quiet music. You (or rather I) would want to listen to it in a quiet moment, to give me some peace of mind, to make my heart melt a bit and muse about things. and then all of a sudden way too loud hand clapping disrupts me.
Iin comedy shows they have fake laughter to point people to the jokes, in case they did not get it. Fake applause has the opposite effect on me. I am seriously thinking about getting rid of this record again.
Again it was my mother who had the record in the first place, but this time it is not her who gets the credits for introducing me to the artist. It was my brother, who, when he became old enough to be interested in our parents records, soon discovered Warren Schatz. He instantly fell in love with one particular song call I need your smile. I agree with him that it is one of the most heart-wrenching love song about desperateness that you can find. you can listen to it here:
However, I need your smile is not on this record. But when I found this one in a 2-€ box on the flea market I could not not buy it. Just because one song stands out as absolutely awesome does not mean the rest cannot compete with it. As time drew on, my brother turned into a big Warren Schatz fan and found out a few things about him: His rock records were extremely successful in the Eastern parts of the world and also produced some disco stuff after that. That’s about all I know, but I’m gonna start finding out more with this record.
PS: Why on earth did the Eastern countries never print dates on the records? the sleeves never tell you which year the record is from! damnit!
Remember MMMM, that smashing hit song by the Crash Test Dummies? mmm…yeah? Well, this here got nothing to do with it. Although…if you think about it: Was the Crash Test Dummies song about speechlessness? Not knowing what to say? Maybe thats the same reason why this record is called mmmm. “Hey Mind Kiosk, whats your record gonna be called like?” – “mmm…don’t know..”
mmmm is also a popular method of expressing tastyness. “How’s the icecream?” – “mmmm, yummy”. And yes, this is a tasty record. In fact, it is so tasty, that back then when it was released, Berlins radio station Radio Eins (Eins as in “One”) made it their record of the month. It contains beautiful ballads called Laugh About It and On Fertile Ground, but also straight hit material like Mr. Important and Summer Camp, along with psychedelic psychic things such as Nothing You Can Do.
All this came from a young promising band that had another song, Corrective Lenses for Earthling Souls, played by the master himself in John Peels Radio 1 show.
With all this airplay by various Number One Radios, you may wonder why Mind Kiosk never became a number one band and why you haven’t heard of them yet? Well, just after mmmm was pressed, the band fell out with their record company due to disagreements over their record contract (who wants to sell their souls for nothing?) and allmost all of the vinyls were destroyed. So this is defnitely the rarest record I have.
For you without the vinyl, there is last.fm. Also, if you missed that one episode of John Peels radio show, here’s another chance to listen to and read about Corrective Lenses.
