Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

The cover of Kate & Anna McGarrigle's first LP

Kate McGarrigle, the Canadian folk singer, songwriter and musician, passed away last week. She formed a successful musical partnership with her sister Anna and a less successful one with American singer-songwriter, Loudon Wainwright III. Kate and Loudon were married to each other for a few years in the early seventies, although this union managed to produce two more talented singer-songwriters, Rufus and Martha Wainwright. The two kids have become quite successful in their own right, but I first encountered Rufus and Martha in their father’s songs, stuff like Rufus is a Tit Man and Five Years Old. Around the time I was getting into Loudon, I also came across the debut album from Kate and Anna McGarrigle (pictured above) and learned more of Loudon’s relationship with Kate through Loudon’s sometimes funny, sometimes sad songs about their last years together and its aftermath. This was one hell of a musical family and each member used the lyrics of their songs as a cathartic device to express their feelings in song. Previously, I’ve posted Rufus’ interpretation of his father’s One Man Guy here, and both Loudon’s song about Rufus and Martha’s song about Loudon here. Here are a few more songs that chronicle this family dialogue beginning with a song that Kate wrote about Loudon that appears on the sisters’ debut and concludes with (if my French is correct) an ode to drink that, I guess, acknowledges Kate’s French and Irish heritage. In between, I’ve included more of Loudon’s songs about Kate, Martha and Rufus along with some responses from the kids. You’ll also find a song that Rufus wrote about his mother’s facial mark and Martha’s In the Middle of the Night, which concerns her mother’s illness

Go Leave – Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Your Mother and I – Loudon Wainwright III

Unhappy Anniversary – Loudon Wainwright III

5 Years Old – Loudon Wainwright III

Hitting You – Loudon Wainwright III

One Man Guy – Loudon & Martha Wainwright

You Never Phone, You Never Write – Loudon & Martha Wainwright

Father/Daughter-Dialogue – Loudon & Martha Wainwright

What Are Families For? – Loudon Wainwright III

Dinner at Eight – Rufus Wainwright

A Father And A Son – Loudon Wainwright III

Beauty Mark – Rufus Wainwright

In The Middle Of The Night – Martha Wainwright

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder – Loudon Wainwright III

Á Boire – Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Best Albums of the 00s: Fleet Foxes

The penultimate entry in my list of favourite albums released throughout the noughties is the debut offering from the Fleet Foxes. At first, I had avoided the band because they’d been the subject of a bit too much hype in the music press and online. I imagined that they were just another cool indie band, although this was before I had actually heard any of their music. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised when I got around to listening to them. The first song I heard was White Winter Hymnal and it encapsulates a lot of what the band is about. Straight away, the close harmony vocals reminded me of a certain American group from the sixties. As nearly every review or feature pointed out, the influence of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was quite apparent. Certainly, the vocal harmonies, the a capella moments, and the elements of folk singing were borrowed from CSNY. Another vocal influence that is not as obvious at first, but becomes apparent after numerous listens, is the influence of gospel music which highlights the spiritual side of their music

Musically, the group’s sound bears similarities to other types of American music from the late 60s and early 70s: West coast pop; country music; prog and soft rock. However, the record actually sounds like it was recorded in the days before rock ‘n’ roll (It also sounds like it was recorded in the woods). Overall, their music is timeless and also has a sense of placelessness about it. This sense is not only present in the vocals but also in the style of finger-picked guitar and the use of more traditional instruments such as organs, bells and strings. This sound gives their music a rural, pastoral quality that can also be found in the recurring themes of nature that pervade their song lyrics. All of the songs on the album contain some references to the countryside, to rivers and mountains, to animals and birds, or to different seasons. Because of this rustic quality to their music, I was quite surprised to learn that the members of the band actually hail from the suburbs of Seattle. As a listener who lives in the suburbs of a small Irish city, perhaps the album reminds me of Appalachian folk music, a type of American rural music that came to the States from Ireland and Scotland. It took me a while to get into this album, but I’ve listened to it a lot over the last year and I never tire of it. Even though the band has used music and ideas that are not new, I think they have managed to combine all these sounds and words to create something that I feel is fresh and original and exciting. I think that this album will also stand the test of time and that future generations will listen to it and wonder from which decade or even century it originates. I’ll wrap up by bringing you back to the present day with a couple of covers of songs from the album:

White Winter Hymnal (Fleet Foxes cover) – Dirty Mittens

Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (Fleet Foxes cover) – First Aid Kit

Best Albums of the 00s: In Rainbows

It’s taken a little longer than expected, but I continue my look back at my favourite albums of the 00s with In Rainbows. In 2003, Radiohead’s deal with EMI concluded with the release of their sixth album, Hail to the Thief. Three years later, Thom Yorke released his first solo album, The Eraser. The members of the band were now in their late thirties, while Yorke became a father of two. There had been rumours of tension between band members, but they had been working away on a follow-up to Hail to the Thief over the previous couple of years. On October 1st, 2007, the band announced on its website that they had just completed their seventh album. No less than ten days later, In Rainbows was made available for download on a specially-created website. In a bold move, Radiohead cut out the middle man and released the album themselves and, in the process, allowed their fans and music lovers to pay as much or as little as they wished for the collection of ten mp3s. As if to highlight their estrangement from traditional music industry practices, the band did not release any singles or music videos, they did not give interviews to TV or to music magazines and so made no front covers. They didn’t even send out promo copies to reviewers; the music press and the common masses received the album at the same time. The band didn’t have to worry about any of these publicity and marketing gimmicks as their innovative idea was the biggest gimmick of them all

Of course, there was a danger that the majority of the press coverage would focus primarily on the pros and cons of Radiohead’s decision to bypass the record companies by becoming the first major act to release their album digitally rather than through the record stores. There was also the danger that those who downloaded it for a nominal fee would not value the record as much as if they had paid for it. I think we’re all more likely to convince ourselves that we’ll like something more when we’ve paid hard cash for it than when we’ve gotten it for free. Nevertheless, when reviewers stopped taking about how the album was released and focused on the music they tended to agree that In Rainbows was actually quite a good album and one of the best that the band had released in a while. The consensus was that this was a warmer, more melodic-sounding record than previous efforts and that it contained a strong collection of songs that had a more optimistic feel about them than the band’s most recent releases. There was also a feeling that the album was less experimental and less innovative than what they had come to expect from a band like Radiohead. However, this was not necessarily seen as a bad thing

A few months after its digital release the album was made available in a variety of packages and by October 2008 it was estimated that the total sales of digital and hard copies was somewhere in the region of three million units. It was also estimated that over a third of downloaders only paid a handling fee for the digital version and that the average price paid online was four pounds per download. The album was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize (it lost out to Elbow), but it won two Grammys in 2009: for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Special Limited Edition Package. Here are a couple of alternative takes of tracks from the album followed by a few cover versions

15 Step (live) – Radiohead & USC Marching Band

Reckoner (acoustic) – Thom Yorke

Jigsaw Falling Into Place (Radiohead cover) – Stingray Music

Weird Fishes (Radiohead cover) – Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

All I Need (Radiohead cover) – Christopher O’Riley

Comfortably Numb

A couple of schoolteachers I know are feeling a little bit down at the moment. Firstly, they have to put up with the unusually cold weather that Ireland, like everywhere else, is experiencing at the moment. Secondly, they have to stay home from school until Thursday as all national and secondary schools in Ireland will be closed until then. Despite this, Mary and Dave have been putting a brave face on it and this weekend they decided to build a couple of snowpeople in their backyard. As you can see from the photo*, both of them seem to have big smiles on their faces, but there appears to be some tension between them as well. The fellow on the right seems to be a lot more content than his companion. The reason for his happiness may be due to the nice cold bottle of Bud he’s holding in his hand. His lady friend seems to be giving him the cold shoulder for now, but I’m sure he’ll melt her heart before the night is through (cold hands, warm heart and all that). Of course, it’s possible she may be stone cold sober, so let’s hope he’s got a few more bottles on ice or she may end up getting cold feet. Mind you, she looks like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, although I can’t help thinking she could think of something to say that might break the ice

Dave and Mary aren’t the only ones who’ve been affected by this cold snap. On Saturday I came downstairs to find that the cold tap in the kitchen wasn’t running. We still had hot water and the taps upstairs were running, but by that night they had also dried up. It seems we’ve got a frozen pipe somewhere and there’s nothing we can do until the temperature increases outside and the thaw comes. For some strange reason, we seem to be the only house on our estate suffering from the cold conditions as the others I’ve spoken to all have running water. So, we’ve been making do with big bottles of mineral water from the local supermarket and the kindness of our neighbours next door. Last night, they allowed us to traipse in and out of their kitchen with different vessels full of tap water. You know, it really is true: you don’t miss your water ’til your well runs dry. I’ve always taken access to running water for granted. In fact, I’ve even been guilty of abusing it over the years. It’s only when you have to make a cup of tea with mineral water and have to find alternative methods of cleaning yourself that you realise the vital importance of this most basic of commodities. Oh well, at least we still have electricity and the internet and this allows me to present these songs to you in recognition of these unseasonable weather conditions that we are experiencing here in Limerick and throughout Ireland at the moment

You Left The Water Running – Otis Redding

Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan

A Hazy Shade of Winter (Simon & Garfunkel cover) – The Bangles

Winterlong (Neil Young cover) – Pixies

Lover In The Snow -Weezer

Snow – JJ72

Black Ice – AC/DC

Cold Cold Ground – Tom Waits

Will There be Enough Water? – The Dead Weather

Cold Cold Water – Mirah

First Snow of the Year – Hawksley Workman

The Nights Are Cold – Richard Hawley

Like a Coat from the Cold – Guy Clark

Cold Water – Damien Rice & Lisa Hannigan

Black Ice – Ohbijou

Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice cover) – Ben Kweller

The Thin Ice (Pink Floyd cover) – Luther Wright & the Wrongs

Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd cover) – Roger Walters & Van Morrison

High & Dry (Radiohead cover) – Jorge Drexler

You Don’t Miss Your Water (William Bell cover) – Otis Redding

Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow – Frank Zappa

*Thanks a million for letting me use the photo, Dave!

Return to Sender

I had been so busy preparing my birthday tribute to David Bowie that it completely slipped my mind that the Chameleon of Pop used to get his birthday cards on the same day as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s birth in Tupelo, Mississippi. Like Bowie, Elvis was also an actor, although the films he appeared in were merely vehicles for his star status and internationally-recognised persona. And, like Bowie, Elvis was a huge influence on the development of popular music. Of course, his music wasn’t as innovative or original as that of Bowie, but Elvis inspired more people than anybody else to go on to become musicians and performers. Growing up in the 70s, his music was all over the radio and the neighbours beside me were huge fans. I’ve always liked him as a singer and a performer despite the fact that he never wrote any of his own songs. Last night I put together this mix of Elvis songs as well as songs written about him. I start off with three songs by The King himself. The first two concern an American state where I lived for a while and appear on my two favourite albums by him: The Sun Sessions and From Elvis in Memphis. They’re followed by his interpretation of an old Irish tune. Next up are two Elvis impersonators with a couple of pretty impressive-sounding impersonations. The next batch of songs represent a selection of the many tributes written about Elvis. Some are affectionate and commemorate his death; some describe pilgrimages to Graceland; and the others poke fun at his legacy and particularly the many sightings of him since he died. Finally, I’ve included some of my favourite covers of songs made famous by Mr Presley. Elvis has left the building

Blue Moon of Kentucky – Elvis

Kentucky Rain – Elvis

I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen – Elvis

No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley cover) – The King

Escape (Enrique Iglesias cover) – Kevin Doyle (as Elvis)

I Saw Mr. Presley Tiptoeing Thru The Tulips – Tiny Tim

Elvis Is Everywhere – Mojo Nixon

A Century Of Elvis – Belle & Sebastian

Happy Birthday Elvis – Loudon Wainwright III

Jesus Mentioned – Warren Zevon

King’s Call – Phil Lynott

Elvis Presley Blues – Gillian Welch

Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis) – Cowboy Junkies

Walking in Memphis – Barb Jungr

Graceland (Paul Simon cover) – Grizzly Bear

There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis – Robin Grey

All Shook Up – Ry Cooder

Return To Sender – Ian McCulloch

Suspicion – Engine Alley

Suspicious Minds – Whipping Boy

Dead Kennedys – Viva Las Vegas

Guitar Man – Jesus & Mary Chain

Can’t Help Falling In Love – Eels

A Fool Such As I – Wilco

Happy Birthday, Mr Bowie

On Monday evening, I finally got to see Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth. This 1976 film was the fourth that Roeg had directed and I’d already seen and enjoyed his previous three: Performance (co-directed with Donald Cammell), Walkabout and, in particular, Don’t Look Now. I was also interested in seeing David Bowie in the title role of Thomas Newton, an alien on a mission to bring water back to his dying planet. Like Roeg’s previous films, it’s never completely clear to the viewer what exactly is going on; information is kept from the audience, little is properly explained and scenes that we believe take place in the present are intercut with scenes that may occur in a different time and place. Generally, everything comes together, more or less, at the end. I believe that Don’t Look Now is a superior film, but I quite enjoyed The Man Who Fell to Earth and Bowie’s performance was one of the film’s highlights. It was quite clever of Roeg to cast Bowie as the alien. The singer had constantly reinvented himself over the previous decade and these reinventions would have made him more suited to this role than many of his contemporaries in the music world. More importantly, the persona of his most famous creation, Ziggy Stardust, and the recurring theme of space travel in his songs also came in handy for his role as as a travelling spaceman

Today, thirty four years later, David Bowie celebrates his 63rd birthday. I’ve put together a few songs about him, some covers of his songs as well as his versions of other people’s tunes. The lyric of the opening track by the band Alberta Cross, ATX, concerns Bowie’s character in The Man Who Fell to Earth. If you enjoy Bowie Eyes by Dutch band The Very Sexuals you can download the rest of the album for free from their website. Cranky do a pretty good imitation of Bowie’s voice and manage to cram in a few references to his songs in their lively little number. The Flight of the Conchords’ parody is just one of many hilarious pisstakes on the first album by the comedic New Zealand duo. A Bowie Medley by Mike Flowers kicks off a dozen Bowie covers that begins with a reggae version of Modern Love and concludes with an unusual choral version of Space Oddity. Finally, the man himself takes on The Velvet Underground and the Pixies. Happy birthday, Mr Bowie

ATX – Alberta Cross

David Bowie – Disconcerts

Bowie Eyes – The Very Sexuals

David Bowie Cries For No One – Cranky

Bowie – Flight of the Conchords

Bowie Medley – The Mike Flowers Pops

Modern Love (Bowie cover) – The Sunshiners

Let’s Dance (Bowie cover) – M. Ward

Boys Keep Swinging (Bowie cover) – A Camp

Young Americans (Bowie cover) – Danny Michel

Five Years (Bowie cover) – Polyphonic Spree

Life On Mars (Bowie cover) – The Divine Comedy

Kooks (Bowie cover) – Tindersticks

Be My Wife (Bowie cover) – Richard Walters & Faultline

Suffragette City (Bowie cover) – Seu Jorge

Oh! You Pretty Things (Bowie cover) – Au Revoir Simone

Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide (Bowie cover) – Black Box Recorder

Space Oddity (Bowie cover) – The Langley Schools Music Project

I’m Waiting for the Man (VU cover) – David Bowie

Cactus (Pixies Cover) – David Bowie