TO WHERE I AM NOW

Every outrage has a time limit or it has a cure that solves the problem and it seems that the situation in Minneapolis has been addressed with the arrest for murder by the Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, the man responsible for the death of George Floyd. Here in England there has been a petition of a million signatures demanding the sacking of Dominic Cummings, de Pfeffel’s No.1 advisor and all ‘round unapologetic, nasty person. The petition is of course not the cure but possibly the first treatment to fix the problem. De Pfeffel and his cronies are hoping for the outrage to die as time passes and the anger subsides, not everyone can keep it up. We are not all activists, we hope the good will out, but I don’t want to be an activist or demonstrate in the street, I don’t want to be a doctor or a nurse or a midwife or a priest. I want to write and play music, collaborate with other musicians and help people get going on their own creative journey. Read, travel, think.

Today molten sunbeams poured into the park leaving a yellow glow around the trees and a hot hazy film across the grass. I lay on the ground in black shoes and black socks, a shock of white Ieg, black shorts and black T-shirt, a slither of white neck up to my head, a white face, covered in greying black hair and covered eyes hidden by black sunglasses. I’m black and I am white like one of the songs on the new MOAT record Poison Stream (Black And White). My skin colour is irrelevant, my black clothes irrelevant, my silver hoops irrelevant. It seems that most hate is ignorance, taught by the ignorant and executed by the ignorant. It’s not getting the whole picture, all the information. I always tried to explain to my father that it was always the better-dressed nutters with the short hair that chased us, wanted trouble. And yet my Mum always used to say in a disappointed voice, wait for it, “You look like you’ve been pulled through a hedge backwards”. Ha ha, thanks Mum. I was scruffy but not violent, a better option I thought. And my Dad was always angry about the length of my hair, it stood for rebellion for him, made him think I was ungrateful for giving me a home. Why are parents so stupid, unable to see past the exterior and into their childrens’ hearts? It’s incredible how society so easily judges and misunderstands without all the facts. When will they realize that you don’t see stoners in a brawl. Luckily not all well-dressed men with shorter hair want to beat you up or we’d be in big trouble.

I had two sessions today, one with new person Kadeem in London and the other with Brian in Orlando, Florida. I have to tell you that Brian has found me a couple of albums for the archive on his travels around the record stores, Clear by Spirit (1969) and Jon Anderson’s first solo album, Olias Of Sunhillow (1976). I need a list somewhere on my website of the records that the archive is missing, for you to know and for me to take note of. This is obviously the wrong way ‘round because what would be best would be to have all the albums in the archive listed but that would take me years to compile, I need an army of interns.

I learned today that the most stolen car in America was the Honda Civic followed by the Honda Accord, the car thieves must have communicated this to each other. The Honda must be easier to steal than other cars. In the UK it’s the Ford Fiesta followed by the Land Rover/Range Rover. Someone I knew once told me that he came out of the pub, went up to his car, put his key into the door lock, opened the door, got in, put his key in the ignition and was about to start the engine when he realized something was wrong – it wasn’t his car. When you think about it, it’s like songs, how many different keys can there be?

Music today has been chosen by blog reader and listener David Jenkins. Thank you David. So, you readers out there can send a list of records for me to spin, say a minimum of six in case I don’t have a couple of them and I will try and get to your list if I can – I got to David’s. You can send a list of anything and it’s very possible I have them in the archive and it’s possible I don’t, let’s see, In Deep wants to grow, it told me this morning, got me thinking about the missing records list.

Osibisa’s Heads (1972), their third album, is a Soul, Funk, Jazz Fusion, Highlife, Afrobeat mix, warm and joyous, grooving its way into your heart. Their origins were Ghana, West Africa, moving to London in 1969, releasing their first self-titled album as well as their second album, Woyaya, in 1971 with the help of Caribbean musicians who they met in London, including Wendell Richardson from Antigua on lead vocals and guitar. Their original album covers were by Roger Dean. They kept the logo for Heads, but the album cover artwork is by German artist Mati Klarwein, who also did the classic Miles Davis covers for Live-Evil (1971) and Bitches Brew (1970). Carlos Santana used one of Klarwein’s paintings for his classic second album Abraxas (1970).

On the subject of Santana, Caravanserai (1972) was the fourth album and explored more of the Jazz influences and less of the Salsa Rock – out of ten songs only three have vocals. This was the last appearance in the band for Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie who went on to form Journey to huge success. It’s an album of music, not hits or career moves. Clive Davis, boss of Columbia records, called it “commercial suicide”.

Santana’s album with John McLaughlin, Love, Devotion, Surrender (1973), is a real jamming guitar fest. I haven’t listened to this record for years. Inspired by Guru Sri Chinmoy’s teachings – love, devotion and surrender, it became the title of the album (they were both disciples). Dedicated to John Coltrane it’s a frantic album of fast guitars and relentless rhythms. Best put by Robert Palmer reviewing for Rolling Stone, “a series of ecstatic jams on Coltrane and Coltrane-influenced material”. It sounds like a guitar war to me – but I like it.

Little Feat’s Time Loves A Hero (1977) was the last album released by the band when leader Lowell George was still alive. He appeared on one more album, Down On The Farm (1979), released soon after his death from a heart attack. He was 34, granted, he overate, took bad drugs and drank too much. But why were they so loved as a band and respected by other musicians and what were they like? Well Wikipedia says this:

“Over its 50-year history, the band’s music has remained an eclectic blend of swamp pop, rock and roll, blues, boogie, country, folk, blues rock, soul, New Orleans R&B and swamp rock influences. Guitarist Jimmy Page stated Little Feat was his favorite American band in a 1975 Rolling Stone interview.”

Day At The Dog Races is a 6.27 instrumental that explains what they do best. Like Jeff Beck, I can sometimes do without the Rock ‘n’ Roll Boogie songs and lyrics, but then when you order toast don’t complain about the burnt bread. This is also a later album, I think if you listen from the beginning and end up here you’ll become a fan.

Song Of The Day is Dressed Up As You, seems somehow appropriate after Little Feat, not for vibe or groove, but because it seems to come from America. It’s an extra track on the recent vinyl re-release of Hanging Out In Heaven that we will hopefully have available for you to buy via Bandcamp along with the Atlantaeum Flood vinyl when Bandcamp waive their fees for the third time on June 5th.

 

Dressed Up As You

I was thinking as I stared into a stream
And dusk fell into darkness through the trees
And time just disappeared with the light
My thoughts had spanned from daytime into night

Well there’s a valley full of tears which I must swim
And sometimes I am drowning from within
But you cast a light out to my heart
Have tied together that which fell apart

Can I tell you I love you one more time
As the day leaves your impression on my mind
Is a dream still a dream when it’s come true
And strides into the room dressed up as you

Can I pour you another glass of wine
It’s lain here unopened for some time
Well I’ve been keeping it for birthdays or New Year’s
To celebrate a lifetime of my fears

When all was lost and faith had passed me by
And the thought of love was reason just to cry
And descending like an angel from above
Was the stream of light that’s you my love

Can I tell you I love you one more time
As the day leaves your impression on my mind
Is a dream still a dream when it’s come true
And strides into the room dressed up as you

Can I tell you I love you one more time
As the day leaves your impression on my mind
Is a dream still a dream when it’s come true
And strides into the room dressed up as you

(Willson-Piper)
Pegasus EP (2008) / Hanging Out In Heaven (2019)