Bastille Day de nouveu

Liberte, fraternite, duck pate

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It was Bastille Day this week, and again we found ourselves at the French Palace, plate in hand, awaiting the orgy of cheese, pate and champagne. Every other blighter in the city had exactly the same idea. There is a narrative thread to the songs, albeit rather vague, since it was somewhat tricky getting enough songs together.

1. Peasant in the Big Shitty, The Stranglers, No More Heroes, 1977, United Artists
2. Storming the Bastille, A Day In Black and White, My Heroes Have Always Killed Cowboys, 2004, Level Plain
3. Degree Zero Of Liberty, Porcupine Tree, The Incident, 2008, Road Runner
4. The Sweetest Sound of Liberty, Triumvirat, Spartacus, 1975, Capitol
5. Freedom, Edgar Broughton Band, Sing Brother Sing, 1970, Harvest
6. Forces of Victory, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Forces Of Vicory, 1985, Island
7. Powerman, The Kinks, Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround, 1970, Pye
8. Heads Will Roll, Echo and the Bunnymen, Porcupine, 1983, Korova
9. Madame Guillotine, The Legendary Pink Dots, Nine Lives To Wonder, 1994,
10. Start Choppin', Dinosaur Jr, Where You Been?, 1993, Blanco y Negro/Sire
11. The Internationale, Robert Wyatt, EPs, 1999, Rough Trade
12. Socialist, Public Image Ltd, Metal Box, 1979, Virgin
13. The Old Revolution, The Rebel, Prawns, ,
14. Don't Worry About the Government, Talking Heads, Talking Heads 77, 1977, Sire

Harvest records

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50 minutes of songs from the Harvest vaults. The label was set up in 1969 by EMI as an attempt to cash in on the new progressive rock sound and to give Philips' Vertigo and Decca's Deram/Nova imprints a run for their money. It ceased releasing new material in 1984, yet can still be found on reissues. And yes, the programme does close with Duran Duran. It's not a bad tune, honest.

1. Listen Learn Read On, Deep Purple, The Book Of Taliesyn, 1968
2. Careful With That Axe, Eugene, Pink Floyd, 7", 1968
3. Religious Experience (Singing A Song in the Morning) Featuring Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers, Joy of a Toy, 1969
4. Baby Lemonade, Syd Barrett, Barrett, 1970
5. Hell's Angels, Roy Harper, Flat Baroque and Berserk, 1970
6. Glenlogie, Shirley and Dolly Collins, Love, Death And The Lady, 1970
7. There's No Vibrations But Wait!, Edgar Broughton Band, Sing Brother Sing, 1970
8. Bubbles, Janus, Gravedigger, 1972
9. Axe Victim, Be Bop Deluxe, Axe Victim, 1974
10. 10538 Overture, Electric Light Orchestra, Light Years, 1977
11. This Perfect Day, The Saints, 7", 1977
12. Outdoor Miner, Wire, Chairs Missing, 1978
13. Planet Earth (Single Version), Duran Duran, 1981

Birthday blues

Burt Jansch's response to turning 30. I just got drunk.

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It's my birthday, and so I'm upset. Here is 50 minutes of songs about the passing of the years. If I make it to 74, I'm technically middle aged. How depressing.

1. Eighteen is Over The Hill, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Volume 3: A Child's Guide to Good and Evil, 1968, Reprise
2. Reelin' in the Years, Steely Dan, Can't Buy A Thrill, 1973, ABC
3. Tomorrow's Dreams, Black Sabbath, Vol.4, 1972, Vertigo
4. Feel So Sad (7" Version), Spiritualized, The Complete Works Volume One, 1991, Fierce
5. Grow Too Old, Bobby Charles, Bobby Charles , 1972, Bearsville
6. Star Sign, Teenage Fanclub, Bandwagonesque, 1991, Creation
7. Easy To Slip, Little Feat, Sailin' Shoes, 1972, Warner
8. Raining in my Heart, Robert Wyatt, Cuckooland, 2003, Domino
9. I Am Lonely, Bert Jansch, Birthday Blues, 1969, Transatlantic
10. Cry, The Birthday Party, Prayers On Fire, 1981, 4AD
11. Tears Of Rage, Gene Clark, White Light, 1971, A&M
12. How To Make A Sad Man Glad, Capreez, 7", 1967, Sound
13. Old man going, The Pretty Things, S.F. Sorrow Is Born, 1968, Columbia
14. Graveyard, Public Image Ltd, Metal Box, 1979, Virgin
15. Days, The Kinks, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, 1968, Pye

In the presence of the lord

Piss Christ by Andres Serrano

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This week, we take a listen to popular music's sometimes uneasy relationship with all things spiritual. From pleas for mercy after a long night on the medications (Lord can you here me? and Jesus) to treatises of atheist defiance (Dear God and God song).

1. God only knows, The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, 1966, Capitol
2. Angel of Promise, Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra, Chariots of the Gods, 1970, Polydor
3. Jesus Meu Rei, Marcos Valle, Garra, 1971, EMI
4. In The Spirit, Faust, So Far, 1972, Polydor
5. In The Presence Of The Lord, Blind Faith, Blind Faith, 1970, Polydor
6. Lord, Can You Hear Me?, Spacemen 3, Playing With Fire, 1989, Fire
7. God Song, Matching Mole, Matching Mole's Little Red Record, 1972, CBS
8. Darklands, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Darklands, 1987, Blanco Y Negro
9. Return Of The Grievous Angel, Gram Parsons, Grievous Angel, 1973, Reprise
10. Archangels Thunderbird, Amon Düül II, Yeti, 1970, United Artists
11. Dear God, XTC, Skylarking, 1987, Virgin
12. Jesus, The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground, 1969, Verve
13. The Christian Life, The Byrds, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, 1968, Columbia
14. God's Own Singer, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Burrito Deluxe, A&M
15. Jesus Christ, Big Star, Third (Sister/Lovers), 1974, Ardent
16. Just like heaven, Dinosaur Jr, You're Living All Over Me, 1987, SST

Jerk disco

Liquid Liquid in their heyday

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This week, let's listen 50 minutes of post-punk grooves. A few of these groups have popped up before, but it's a first for many this week, including guitar legend Fred Frith and art-rockers Polyrock. (Update: Ari Up from the Slits, R.I.P, October 2010).

1. Jocko Homo, Devo, Q. Are We Not Men?, 1978, Warner
2. The Modern Dance, Pere Ubu, The Modern Dance, 1978, Blank Records
3. Mind Your Own Business, Delta 5, 7", 1979, Rough Trade
4. Herstory, Flying Lizards, , 1979, Virgin
5. Not great men, Gang of Four, Entertainment, 1979, EMI
6. Shoplifting, The Slits, Cut, 1979, Island
7. Don't cry for me, Fred Frith, Gravity, 1980, Ralph
8. Shut Your Face, Polyrock, Polyrock, 1980, RCA
9. Blind Faith, The Pop Group, For How Much Longer Do We Tollerate Murder? 1980, Rough Trade
10. Shouting Out Loud, The Raincoats, Odyshape, 1981, Sub Pop
11. Moody, ESG, A South Bronx Story, 1982, Soul Jazz
12. Optimo, Liquid Liquid, 12", 1983, 99 Records
13. Hunter Gatherer, Mofungo, Out Of Line, 1983, ZOAR
14. Shadow Of A Doubt, Sonic Youth, Evol, 1986, SST
15. Mess Of My, The Fall, The Complete Peel Sessions [Disc 1], 1987, Strange Fruit

Afeaka!

Fela Kuti at full throttle

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It's Afrobeat week. There's nothing to particularly link these tunes this week, other than they are all infectiously groovy. Particluar highlights are Fela Kuti's Funky Horn and W'awu Do Ho No by Alex Konadu. I cheated slightly with the Afrobeat pastiche tune by the Daktaris but it's still a fly number.

1. Obirin African (Woman of Africa), Afro-Drum Ensemble/Art Blakey, The African Beat, 1962, Blue Note
2. Funky Horn, Fela Kuti and Koola Lobitas, The 1969 Los Angeles Sessions, Barclay
3. Disillusioned, Demon Fuzz, Afreaka!, 1970, Dawn
4. Afro strut, The Nite-Liters, Instrumental Directions, 1972, RCA Victor
5. Headman, Johnny Pate, Shaft In Africa (OST), 1973, MGM
6. Takuta, Olatunji, Soul Makossa, 1973, Paramount
7. Eyi Su Ngaangaa, The Sweet Talks, The Kusum Beat, 1976, Philips/EMI
8. Kwaku Ananse, The Apagya Show Band, Ghana Soundz 2002 Soundway
9. W'awu Do Ho No, Alex Konadu
10. Because Of Money, The 3rd Generation
11. Hole In The Roof, African Head Charge, Great Vintage Volume 1, 1989, On-U Sound
12. Super Afro Beat, The Daktaris, Soul Explosion, 1998, Desco
13. Hussel, Afrikan Boy/M.I.A., Kala, 2007, XL
14. Against The Wall, Jimi Tenor and Tony Allen, Inspiration Information 4, 2009, Strut

The organ donor

Brian Auger shows us his organ

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This week, we take a listen to men and their organs. Most of the rich tones come from the ubiquitous Hammond (Spencer Davis, Brian Auger, Alan Hawkshaw) but check out Joe Meek's Univox Clavioline heard on Telstar by the Tornados, and Andre Brasseur's multi-sound Lowry.

1. Telstar, The Tornados, 7", Decca, 1962
2. All About My Girl, Jimmy McGriff, I've Got a Woman, Sue, 1962
3. The Kid, Andre Brasseur & his Multisound Organ, Palette MPBS-3204, Decca, 1966
4. Love is A Beautiful Thing, The Young Rascals, Collections, Atlantic, 1966
5. I'm A Man, The Spencer Davis Group, 7", Fontana, 1967
6. Get Yourself Together, The Small Faces, Small Faces, Immediate, 1967
7. Hung Up, Salt, 7", Choctaw, 1968
8. The Champ, The Mohawks, The Champ, Pama, 1968
9. Faster and faster, Eden Rose, On the way to Eden, Katema, 1969
10. Indian Rope Man, Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity, Streetnoise, Marmalade, 1969
11. Senior Thump, Alan Hawkshaw, The Big Beat, KPM, 1969
12. Love Song With Flute (Mono), Caravan, Caravan, Verve, 1969
13. Mo' Onions, Booker T & The MGs, The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968, Stax, 1963
14. Hercules, Aaron Neville, Hercules, Mercury, 1973
15. Inspiration Information, Shuggie Otis, Inspiration Information, Epic, 1974
16. Here Comes The Fuzz, DJ Format, Music For The Mature B-Boy, Genuine, 2003