singer | songwriter | musician | writer
Madame and I have just returned from a two-week adventure in South India, mostly in Kerala. When I say ‘adventure’ it’s not like we were backpacking or in any way roughing it. And South India is a lot easier for first timers like us than the north. But still it felt like an adventure to … Read more A newbie in South India
On the face of it, you couldn’t think of two bands more diametrically opposed than the Incredible String Band and the Velvet Underground. Yet in 1970 two of their number collaborated on an all-star album and, in particular, on one song: Feast of Stephen. Dramatis personae In 1970 Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band … Read more Songworks #3: Feast of Stephen by Mike Heron (and John Cale)
Here are some updates on a couple of the ‘Inspirations’ I’ve written about – Kevin Ayers and Dr Strangely Strange. Kevin Ayers I was contacted by a Rich Weinstein who is a massive Kevin Ayers fan. He’s put together a feature-length YouTube piece on Kevin Ayers called The Kevin Ayers Story: It Begins With a … Read more Updates on Kevin Ayers and Dr Strangely Strange
Probably the best aspect of doing this blog and writing about the musicians I love is that occasionally I get contact from other fans of the same people, with new insights. Here’s a story I got from Tom in Glasgow presented with his permission and my thanks: Although I was vaguely aware of Doll By … Read more Drinking with Jackie Leven
Cat Stevens seems to be ‘Marmite’ among my musical friends. A few can’t stand him, and quite a few like him a lot. I was a huge fan from his rebirth as a singer-songwriter in 1970 with Mona Bone Jakon through to his ‘throw everything out the window and start again’ album Foreigner in 1973. … Read more Songworks #2: 18th Avenue by Cat Stevens
Welcome to a new series of posts in which I’ll talk about individual songs I’ve gone back to time and time again over the years and try to tease out what’s at work in them and why they move me. My aims are: to draw your attention to the song and hope that you end … Read more Songworks #1: Golden Hours by Brian Eno