compilation

On a whim. Songs from the olden days, or 2019 as it was known. Doesn’t include the ones I’ve forgotten.

Edited highlights. Some good joins. And one dreadful one that sneaked past quality control.

A good attempt by Language to miss out by releasing on 31st December and a special mention for Stefanie Schrank’s mastering engineer who didn’t just reach for the look ahead limiter.

Vital Statistics

A number of the bands have more active Facebook pages but I do have a few remaining principals.

N.B. Due to Mixcloud limiting the number of tracks from a single artist this might not play unless you’re a paying member of the site.

A fairly arbitrary collection from Köln based Locas In Love who have been pottering away in one form or another since the early years of the century.

According to their website translated by Google to English via Japanese: ‘often, we very much it.. usually good it is prohibited decency to write more’, which I can only agree with wholeheartedly. locasinlove.com

1. Packeis
2. Ich Habe Mich Schrecklich Benommen
3. I Am Downright Amazed At What I Can Destroy With Just A Hammer
4. Über Nacht ist ein ganzer Wald gewachsen
5. Die Apokalypse erreicht Mühlacker
6. (Verspätetes Lied Für) Laura
7. Comandante
8. Eulen
9. Wie Es War
10. An den falschen Orten
11. What Matters Is The Poem
12. Wenn Du Wirklich Wissen Musst
13. To Get Things Straight (Edit)

N.B. Mixcloud limiting the number of tracks from a single artist this might not play unless you’re a paying member of the site.

In the first half of the 1970s Ringo was holding his own in the charts against the other former Beatles who did admittedly write and play on his albums. Also helping out were Nilsson, Steven Stills, Gary Wright, Klaus Voormann, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Tom Scott, assorted members of The Band, Steve Cropper, Martha Reeves, Marc Bolan, Johns Dr. & Elton plus, inevitably, Nicky Hopkins.

It’s not what you know…

1. Back Off Boogaloo
2. You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful And You’re Mine)
3. Photograph
4. Goodnight Vienna
5. I’m Greatest
6. Only You (And You Alone)
7. Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)
8. It Come Easy
9. Blindman
10. Easy For Me
11. Snookeroo
12. Devil Woman
13. Six O’Clock

It may be the musical equivalent of returning to motorcycling in your 40s but a few years ago I chanced upon the Japanese band Moscow Club and through them a music scene that was reminiscent of Britain in the mid 1980s and since have kept a watching brief on developments therein.

So comes the hour to give the world the benefit of my time well spent with a fairly arbitrary selection of the great and the good with a particularly indie bent. I’ve tried for a selection that works as a whole rather than forcing each band’s best song into the mix.

1. Bikini Kill by Moscow Club
2. Her Secret by The Ships
3. Nite Life Lounge by Post Modern Team
4. Kinda Sad by Fandaze
5. Arpeggio by Humming Parlour
6. Walking Slowly Down The Lane (Demo) by Traffic Light
7. Love Is Fun by Plastic Girl In Closet
8. Sightseeing (Demo) by Teen Runnings
9. When I Said Goodbye by Twangy Twangy
10. Something’s Coming Up by Nokies!
11. Little Girl by Old Lacy Bed
12. Start Of Summer by Teenagers In Love
13. Younger Saints (Demo) by Pastel Blue
14. Track And Field by It Happens
15. Shine On Me by Elen Never Sleeps
16. Her Sarah Records Collection by For Tracy Hyde
17. Obvious by Boyish
18. Lovers by Umibenomachi
19. Faraway by The Moments
20. Holy Hands, Holy Voices by She Talks Silence
21. Lover Lover by Slow Beach
22. I Want You Back by Homecomings
23. Only In My Dreams by Wallflower
24. Echo Beach by Moscow Club

N.B. Due to Mixcloud limiting the number of tracks from a single artist this might not play unless you’re a paying member of the site.

From memory: Band of French horn playing penguin called Oliver, formerly Anguilliformes bassist and keen winter walker. abandonedpools.com

1. Lethal Killers
2. Mercy Kiss
3. Silence
4. Sunny Day by Abandoned Pools
5. From Long Sleep
6. Suburban Muse
7. Sailing Seas
8. Sublime Currency
9. Goodbye Song

More recordings of interest but not always of pristine quality. From concerts taped by the audience or taken direct from the mixing desk plus the occasional excerpt from radio or television broadcasts for good measure.

1. Abba Zabba by Captain Beefheart
2. Hanging Around by The Cardigans
3. Rock Island Line by Johnny Cash
4. From Here to Eternity by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5. To Unleash The Horses by Centro-Matic
6. Questions 67 & 68 by Chicago
7. Edge of Darkness by Eric Clapton
8. Aikea Guinea by Cocteau Twins
9. Sisters of Mercy by Leonard Cohen
10. I Think It’s Gonna Work Out Fine by Ry Cooder
11. Pump It Up by Elvis Costello
12. Big Dipper by Cracker
13. What’s Inside A Girl by The Cramps
14. Up Around The Bend by Credence Clearwater Revival
15. I’ve Loved Her So Long by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

N.B. Mixcloud limiting the number of tracks from a single artist this might not unless you’re a paying member of the site.

A short introduction to Four Star Mary, ‘an independent rock band based in Southern California comprised of musicians who bring a strong dose of diverse musical backgrounds to their catalogue of songs’, ‘ writing original songs described as “vociferous radio friendly Americana”, “urgent melodic anthems” and “stirring and intense’. Well I like them anyway.

No, I’m not going to mention the Buffy / Ringo Gave Me Rabies connection.

1. Hello It’s Me
2. Marlene
3. Thrown To The Wolves
4. All I See
5. Bad Rain
6. She Knows
7. Darker Days
8. Run
9. Stars Come Down

N.B. Mixcloud limiting the number of tracks from a single artist this might not play unless you’re a paying member of the site.

For folks who may not have listened to a Nena track written since 1983 here’s selection from her work this century. A cross section rather than a strict best of and with a number of live tracks to emphasis the quality of the bands she has put together which have been a large part of her success.

I decided after much uming and ahing to include some remakes of older songs as like Frank Zappa she has continually reworked tracks rather than churning out carbon copies of the originals.

(References to Nena generally refer to the original band in relation to the 1980s and just the singer thereafter.)

1. Willst du mit mir gehn
2. Ganz Oben (Live 2003)
3. SchönSchönSchön (Live 2010)
4. Carpe Diem
5. Vollmond (2002)
6. Mach Die Augen Auf
7. Geheimnis
8. Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann (2002)
9. Haus Der 3 Sonnen (2010)
10. Silbermond
11. Wir sind wahr
12. Ich Hab`s Geahnt
13. Slipping Away (Moby Cover)
14. Immer Weiter
15. Lass Die Leinen Los
16. Liebe Ist
17. In Meinem Leben
18. Leuchtturm (2002)
19. Made In Germany (Live)
20. Der Anfang
21. 99 Luftballons (2002)
22. Mein Freund