Rediscovering : Boston

Obviously we are not talking the city but the late 70s band. Not that they have ever been forgotten, their first big hit still gets plenty of air time, but there's a lot more besides just 'More Than A Feeling'... and seeing Marianne walking away 😉

So rediscovering their albums is today's Music Spot. All the studio techniques used by Tom Scholz, the double tracking and his guitar and keyboard playing, plus Brad Delp's vocals that made the band's sound so recognisable. This was also a single released from their second album 'Don't Look Back', then due to the band's legal fight with its record label Epic, it was 8 years before a follow up LP arrived. Prepare for lots of soaring guitar solos as we rewind to 1978 with 'A Man I'll Never Be' >  

 

Another forgotten gem is really two tracks and almost an instrumental (monster track) - 'Foreplay / Long Time' with the latter also a hit single - on guitar Barry Goudreau (from the first album). [click link] 

 

Rick Beato dissects 'More Than A Feeling' in his 'What makes this song great' No.71: video if you're interested. [right here] 

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary. Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out ! Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

Sometimes a piece of music perfectly fits the idea of these Midweek Spotlights. A bit left-field but pretty amazing and well worth sharing. 

We have had a FMS featuring the excellent Max Richter. His reimagining of Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' - Spring 1 - was a Star Track in the Spring of 2017: [refresher link] 

Today's music is from his 2002 debut LP 'Memoryhouse'. The track 'November' is accompanied by this fantastic and creative video. Adding sound effects > the atmosphere builds but begins slowly with it raining and a heartbeat, the violin eases in and then on [2:35] it takes flight spinning to journey's end - it's quite a trip !

 

During this 'bin fire' of a year and various lockdowns I've been listening to so much music that I have a ridiculous amount of notes to sift through and now catch up on.

Some months ago my daughter asked me if I'd heard of 8D ? You'll need headphones for this week's Music Spot as this description of 8D audio explains: [click link]  As we head into another dimension, 8D gives the impression of listening to 'live' music 'with your brain' rather than your ears.

I have a number of tracks noted and as with most things I feel some work better than others. For example Pink Floyd sort of created this effect in the first place, while other songs definitely sound different and the effect adds something special. 

David Guetta, the French DJ and the 2012 hit record 'Titanium (featuring Australian vocalist Sia) is a pop song which draws from the genres of house and urban-dance - the big beats and waves of sound are amazing in 8D >

Also noted >>>

Coldplay - 'Viva La Vida' 🔊 listen > pulsing all around your head

Avicii - 'Wake Me Up' 🔊 listen > swirling euphoric synths 

Michael Jackson - 'Beat It' 🔊 listen > the Van Halen solo has never sounded better 

Hobbits Garden: Friday 12th March 1971 ✶✶✶ Barclay James Harvest

I saw Barclay James Harvest at Hobbits Garden. It started very late as the sound system was not to their liking. They eventually played and were wonderful. They did seem nonplussed by the encore calls and just re did 'Mocking Bird', their first number.
Small intimate place, amazed at some of the bands that played there.
Memory thanks to: Bob Huffam

There were two slightly different Barclay James Harvests at this time. In the studio they recorded with a Symphony Orchestra, while their finances in 1971 didn't stretch to such an expensive outlay and so playing 'live' the mellotron created the orchestral sound of their music.

'Mocking Bird' from their album 'Once Again' was a good example of two versions of the same song. Here then in the interests of authenticity from that night 50 years ago is a band only rendition live at the Drury Lane in 1974. The video picture quality is fairly dire but the sound is all there.  

I did struggle to find something close to how the band sounded back then. Plenty of newer versions but not as good for me. For a comparison you can listen to the LP 'Mocking Bird' version here.

Possibly my favourite BJH track 'Dark Now My Sky' was off their first album and the band version was just great. I have a John Peel in concert from February 1971 that you should hear: [link] 

The panel above shows some Hob 'bits' memorabilia: (left to right) My membership card, The December 1970 Opening Night flyer and a classified advert for a Re-opening Tuesday night in 1971 featuring Genesis and Roxy Music on the bill.

Check out those entrance prices. 10/- (50p) to see the Strawbs !

The flyer also states 267 The Broadway, is 4 minutes from both the South Wimbledon tube and Wimbledon main line stations. It could have added that my home was a similar distance away.

There's a list of artists on the web who appeared at 'Hobbits Garden', by no means complete, as you will see: [45 worlds - venues link] - from this you may well be able to work out what's coming this Friday 😃

Now having talked about the evening in February when we turned up to see Brian Auger & the Trinity, only for them to not make an appearance, I have recently found this video on YouTube that's worth a listen. From 1971 'Freedom Jazz Dance' - 'live'. With vocals by Alex Ligertwood, who later became lead singer with Santana for nearly 2 decades. The second organ player, it says, is Pierre Rabbath.

Finally, at long last, my much promised ✶✶✶ 'Hobbits Garden' Music Spot ✶✶✶
Having previously mentioned this short lived but legendary 'Underground Scene' in The Broadway, Wimbledon, my memories and those of others are featured this week and next. Because the dates are corresponding to the Club being on a Friday Night, I can tell you on March 5th 1971 the band Stray were playing.
Formed in 1966 by school friends from Christopher Wren School in West London [who my school played at football in the 60s] - the band were still all teenagers by the time of this Hobbit's gig, with their second LP about to be released. STRAY - file under: Very popular locally, but never quite made it big !
The opening track on their first album was called 'All In Your Mind'. [ One review quotes: A 9-minute assault, deceptively builds and then swiftly bolts into a chugging plod of mortar fire riffs with a vocal harmony verse/chorus. Guitarist Del Bromham switching to space searching sonics and back to a tank attack riff with a smashing devastating end result. Holy smokes! ]
And that was just for starters. 'Time Machine' was another favourite and the 'In Reverse/Some Say' was the set finale with explosive magnesium smoke bombs. In the tiny narrow room of Hobbits Garden "You couldn't see the band and you couldn't heard again until the following day". Great memories.
Here then is the opener as an edit version 'All In Your Mind' > 

For the curious here's the full nine minutes version > [link to] 
This track was covered by Iron Maiden in 1990.

The band are still performing to this day. Often billed as Del Bromham's Stray, their recognisable logo also still in use. They were scheduled to be part of the 2020 Isle of Wight 'Experience 1970' festival that was postponed.

More Hobbit Tales on Tuesday and part three next Friday ✶✶✶