After collecting rock albums, books and rock magazines for over forty years it's about time to open up the archives and put some of my favorite music on the big net. The music here is intended for review purposes only and is not a substitute for the original record company product. Please contact us directly regarding the removal of any potentially infringing material. READERS: Please use us as a buyer's guide and support the artists.
Gil Scott Heron, the founding father of rap, has a song about his drug addiction aptly titled “Home is where the hatred is”. His music is a mix of poetry, jazz, soul and rock and i recommend to check out all the albums he has made.
James Chance, the founding father of the Punk, No Wave, New Wave music scene in New York. Also know as James White and the Blacks. He once did a perfect remake of James Brown’s “King Heroin”. Here’s a cover he did of the classic Gil Scott Heron song.
Robert Wyatt, est l’homme de plusieurs vies, batteur flamboyant de Soft Machine, il est tiraillé entre son amour du jazz et la violence du rock. Après une phase de dépression chronique et alcoolisme, un accident le cloue sur une chaise roulante et le contraint à se réinventer >>>>
“It’s too late” from Carole king’s landmark album “Tapestry” has always been a favorite song of me. But when I played my brothers record “Isley Brothers Live” i was really impressed with the mix of funk, soul, great guitar and vocals. So here it is, a superlong version with tributes to Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix included. Play it loud !!!
… voor ik vergeet dat hier een kerk heeft gestaan, en dat Bart achter het orgel ging zitten. voor ik vergeet dat Bert en ik de trappen van de oude gracht afdaalden, op zoek naar verlichting, voor ik vergeet met wie we naar de Breizh gingen, koninginnedag, Pleun op de paal met een Kandhar spliff in zijn hand, voor ik vergeet wie toen mijn vrienden zijn geweest en ik niets meer weet van straten en examens en vacanties en ruzie op een feest in de Kashbar…
Today it happened again… Driving around in the car and suddenly there is a beautiful song on the radio that you have never heard before. The rhythm gets to me, a haunting vocal and strange breaks, and I would really like to know the artists name but it’s not sure if the DJ will mention it. So i took my phone and recorded the last half minute. At home i listened back and did a Google search for ‘Truck dealer’ and ‘Wise blood’. Damn, no hits…! A further search brought me to the right video-clip. Nothing special really, in fact a little simple… Low budget, not perfectly syncd, no sharp and speedy cuts, but oh so beautiful. The music reminds me of the Beach Boys, Electric Light Orchestra, but with a very up-to-date feel.
I was there with my buddy Bob Mayes. After years of collecting and trading live cassette tapes (TDK’s , Chrome Maxell, Ferro Philips) this was my first ever live Dead concert… The floor of the famous RockPalast was shaking and Phil’s bass was like thunder… We followed the band with many american Deadheads further up on the road to Berlin and London and had the time of our life ! Some obscure photo’s and a signed book of Mickey Hart were all i had from this tour but thanks to YouTube all concerts are now on-line!
Shortly after the concerts my concert buddy from Cornwall Dave Phillips provided me wih some raw footage of the press-conference shortly before the concerts. It’s low quality so only for the die-hard DeadHeads…
This is the second year Mr. Ryan McGarvey plays the annual Ribs & Blues Festival. He gave a beautiful concert at the main stage of the Raalter Festival. As always i had a hard time getting reasonable audio quality. The tent is very big, completely packed with happy people, talking, dancing and shouting. Hope you’ll like it anyway… Please click on the image for the complete concert, filmed with a Kodak Playsport and audio-taped with a Zoom Audio recorder.
Being a fan of the music of Nicolas jaar I searched the You Tube channel for some simular music and found a beautiful song of NU, titled “Man O To”. Nine minutes of pure bliss.
I like the song so much that i decided to present you the 4 hour version !
Info from the YouTube reactions:
“this lyric is from an old persian poem by Rumi. Rumi was a well known poet in the twelve hundreds know for his romantic poems. Wanting to know more we found the following translation of the poem”.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=G3EXmjCH5UY
“Sitting here, you and I, the courtyard breeze is cool. Two images, two forms, one thought, you and I. The orchard-shades, the songs of birds give up the world’s secrets When we find ourselves here in this garden The stars of distant galaxies come to gaze on us You and I, together, we show them the moon You and I, without ‘you’ and ‘I’, we are absolute joy Happy, free from empty words, such are you and I All those birds of paradise, full of childish envy While in that same place, you and I, we cannot help but laugh What’s truly strange is you and I, here together, now At once here in the west and at once here in the east such we always were You and I”
Yesterday one of the best soccer players of the world died of lung cancer. Johan Cruijff was not only one of the best soccer players ever, he was also one of the best team-players… And the two combined made him legendary.
Here’s a beautiful tribute by Viggo Waas, recorded from Dutch Radio, 16/4/2016 >>>>
John Martyn, aaah, he has written so many beautiful songs and has such a style of his own that you wouldn’t want to do a cover of one of his songs. But Richie Havens is a master in making other people’s songs his own and he does a beautiful job with this version of “I don’t wanna know about evil”
It’s a sad day, mid januari 2016, and the Thin White Duke passed away at 69 years old. My favourite Bowie song is “Helden”, the german version. Here’s a nice cover version of that song in a King Crimson way starring Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp.
Kevin Ayers was a founding member of the “Soft Machine” but left the band too soon to go solo. This song is a favorite of mine. He also did it in a french version called “Puis Je ?” The french lyrics are beneath the videoclip. Could very well be that Mike Oldfield is playing the bass in this clip.
J’etais perdu dans la rue Fatigue et mal au cul J’ai vu un petit cafe Avec une fille dedans Et je lui disais
‘Puis-je m’asseoir aupres de toi Pour te regarder? J’aimerais la compagnie de ton soleil
Je ne veux pas plus que ca Non, ca n’est pas une grande histoire Encore un beau sourire Et apres ca je peux partir
‘Puis-je m’asseoir aupres de toi Pour te regarder? J’aimerais bien la compagnie de ton soleil
Karlheinz Stockhausen became very known for his ‘minimal music’ suits. For me it was a bit too abstract. But he influenced a lot of musicians and i like to present three long pieces of minimal, repititive, hypnotic music to you:
# 3 Philip Glass – Koyaanisqatsi A perfect match of images and music. The first in a series of three movies. https://youtube.com/watch?v=z2p-snWM2sk# 2 Manuel Göttsching – E2 E4 From the founding member of Ashra Tempel, very hypnotic music from Germany.# 1 Simeon ten Holt – Canto ostinato This version is with four piano players and shows beautiful aerial photo’s of Karel Tomeï. Over one-and-a-half-hour of beautiful music: turn off the TV, set your phone in ‘silent mode’, make yourself comfortable, and dream away…
It was about time i post a favorite top three Bruce Springsteen songs on my blog… But three just isn’t enough. So here it is; my most played Bruce songs:
#5 Streets of Philadelphia #4 Secret Garden Ooh, where is this mysterious garden ? https://youtube.com/watch?v=9zkmE07X7-E#3 Futher up on the road A song for all the good buddies i’ve lost along the way… Johnny Cash did a (even more) beautiful version too! #2 Meeting across the river A dark and moody song from a very young Bruce. Street language becomes poetry. #1 Hungry Heart This is such a ‘feel good’ song, a celebration of life and so much fun to watch !
It’s almost mid-december and time for the ‘years-end’ lists. This time no best or worst albums of the year but a top three of the best watched YouTube video’s i’ve posted. Almost half a million views and these video’s took the most hits in 2015 .
1.) John Mayall – Room to move A real classic from an original UK bluesman. This is a clip i recorded in the big tent at the Raalte Rib’s and Blues Festival. I had a hard time getting the sound right, and although i didn’t get it to an acceptable level it’s still one of the most watched video-clips. And that’s only because of the old maestro is still getting it together, and because of a exceptional bass solo. (24.869 hits) 2.) James Booker with Jerry Garcia – Slowly But Surely Often the most viewed video-clips are not my personal favorite video-clips but in this case it is. The audio was taken from a Jerry Garcia bootleg LP and the photo’s were sampled from the big internet. I didn’t expect such a big responce to a non-video bootleg recording of a studio jam session but it is so good to see that this music is so appreciated. (14.258 hits)3.) Daniel Norgren – Whatever turns you on Recorded on the crowning day in the garden of the Orphanage House at Deventer. I first saw him on a record-release party at my home town in Hellendoorn, and later followed him up in to Sweden to hear his music. This video-clip shows Daniel still in his one-man band era, well, actually a two man band era… (9286 hits)
Here it is: 80 minutes of pure, raw, unedited, hard rocking Shawn James music ! This is the concert recording of the gig in ATAK, Enschede (NL) on 17 oct. 2015. Lots of songs from the new album “The Gospel according to Shawn James & The Shapeshiftes” and some older classics at the end of the concert. The images are a bit shaky from time to time. Sorry for that, we were taking away by the music… Thanks to Shawn and his band for a great gig, to Grolsch for the best beer, and to Mercedes (MFP) for helping me make this video.
One of the first albums that blew me away was an album by the “Mr. Albert Show – Warm Motor”. Dutch rock from a band of the southern part of the Netherlands. Front man Bertus Borgers gathered more fame later on with his band Sweet d’ Buster and with recordings with Herman Brood and Golden Earring. Here’s a clip in which he pays tribute to the jukebox. Unfortunately his story is in dutch but i’m sure most of you will recognize the message: “in the times before internet…”
It’s autumn again, my favorite season; strong winds, rain showers, falling leaves and colors that play. And longer nights to listen to good music. Like this cover of the classic King Crimson “Starless” song performed by The unthanks…
Apart from these official cd’s i have an USB stick with almost 4GB of collected music from SoundCloud, YouTube and many other sources. If you would like to hear Spiritual Jazz, Ambient Sounds, Avant Garde, Irish Folk, African Jazz, Kingston Reggae and many more, check out the first comment of this post…
One of the highlights of this years Ribs n Blues Festival was the concert of Daniel Romano and his band. All the way by boat, from the USA, to the country village of Raalte to perform some very nice modern country music. He played on the main stage and that was a pity because his music fits an intimate club or theater more. And with a rowdy public it was hard to get the sound right. Hope you’ll like it anyway…
Every once in a while i can get a good deal on lp’s or cd’s offered on the dutch local Ebay market called “Marktplaats”. Today i bought three beautiful Robert Wyatt albums for a real soft price. The real masterpiece of the three is the “Rockbottom” album . Robert Wyatt hit rock bottom after a fall which paralyzed him for life. The strange and introvert music of this album was written shortly before and after the fall. I can’t wait to receive the cd’s and copy the songs to my phone, listening to the music on my bike rides to and from work. This YouTube video is a raw live version of “Seasong”, performed for french television.https://youtube.com/watch?v=ExfewKLuoNc
Most of the time i’m going for the real thing. But sometimes the real thing doesn’t happen anymore… This time there was a concert of the dutch Pink Floyd tribute band InFloyd. They played a three hour long concert at the ‘Open Lucht Theater’, performing the “Animals” and “Dark side of the moon” LP’s live and they did a hell of a job! Click on the picture above for a chillin’ 10+ minutes excerpt of the concert.
It seldom happens that a cover is better than the original. But sometimes it happens… like this one. The original is Nirvana’s “Smells like teen spirit”. A real classic and one has to have a nerve to cover this song. Well, Patti Smith has the nerves and she does a hell of a job !
This time i didn’t have to go to Sweden to see Daniel Norgren perform. He came to Zwolle, the city i work, for a concert in his “Alabursy” european tour. It was a beautiful concert. No more ‘One man Band’ thing… Instead he played a lot more piano, sometimes the accordian and very intense guitar. A lot of songs from his latest album but also some older songs of which “Moonshine got me” was a real thriller! And i’m so proud of the limited edition, home made by the big man himself, Alesbury album that i bought after the gig. Here’s a beautiful song called “Like there was a door” and a very intense version of “Moonshine got me”, recorded by Mercedes on a Kodak PlaySport handycam and audio was recorded by me on a Zoom H2 Handy Recorder at the Hedon Music Club, Zwolle (NL) on the fourth of may, 2015. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qn8Vp5bW02Q%3Frel%3D0Like there was a door
https://youtube.com/watch?v=xePUyc8MJRI%3Frel%3D0Moonshine got me
“Heftig”, a dutch word word for “heavy”. A phrase you certainly can use for these three clips in no particular order. These video’s are quite graphic so a warning is in place: viewer discretion is advised.
nr. 1) So much trouble in the world. Short film for ‘Iron Sky’ by Paolo Nutini directed by Daniel Wolfe. A beautiful song by scottish singer/songwriter Paolo Nutini. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WoCSeIY0xdo%3Frel%3D0 nr. 2) Willem Dafoe, Marina Abramović, and Carice van Houten star in this strange, haunting video: Antony and the Johnsons “Cut the World”. Directed by NABIL https://youtube.com/watch?v=U9a1C1qXHfM%3Frel%3D0nr. 3) from Michelangelo Antonioni’s masterpiece “Zabriskie Point” (1970) with Pink Floyd’s musical theme “Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up” aka “Careful With That Axe, Eugene”). https://youtube.com/watch?v=ResQFDDsDAI%3Frel%3D0 update 20/5/2015: I would like to add another video to this list. It was never ment to be ‘heftig’ but this exposition of dead and prepared bodies could be experienced by many people as disturbing. The video was shot during our geocaching tour through Amsterdam while visiting the Body Worlds exposition.
A list of the three most beautiful head phone songs from some thirty/forty years ago. Led Zep’s “Whole lotta love” is not included because this short list consists only of album tracks. Warning: these songs should be listened to by putting the black vinyl on the record player and turn the volume all the way up !
no. 1) Steve Miller Band – Song for our ancestors
Steve Miller’s first two LP’s were psychedelic masterworks. With a very young Boz Scaggs on vocals, the very original guitar of Steve Miller himself, and probably the first time fog horns were introduced into music…
no. 2) Pink Floyd – The dark side of the moon
A Head Phone Song List without the Pink Floyd? A beautiful song about the side of the moon we have never seen before, at least, not before recently when the first photo’s emerged from the dark side of the moon.
no. 3) Quicksilver Messenger Service – Who you do you love ?
A whole side of mind blowing psychedelic music that twisted my head around. John Cipollina’s on guitar is incredible but also listen to the audience take control at 12.30 min. followed by the bass at 16.30 min… !
The German kraut-rock (!?!) band CAN performing Little Star of Bethlehem with Malcolm Mooney on vocals. The year was 1969 but even in 2015 this music is ahead of its time… https://youtube.com/watch?v=–0kT_v13xs%3Frel%3D0
I’ve listened lots of hours to that old british folkband Pentangle. Jackie McShee on the vocals, legendary Danny Thompson on the big bass, and those two great guitarists: Bert Jansch and John Renbourn. This music will stay forever… So sorry and sad to hear of John’ Renbourn’s passing, 26 of march 2015.
While the Swedish version of this album has become a classic, the Dutch version has mostly been overlooked. It has never been released on CD and currently it is not available in any form.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=hb5-ui8H1GA%3Flist%3DPLya_Hbt9zFiiToBky-X4NVhdt76XPzPNQPete Seeger – My Rainbow Race
One blue sky above us One ocean lapping all our shore One earth so green and round https://youtube.com/watch?v=XxXzD0eQQBg%3Flist%3DFLsHGkc-LPk4KUEe5oawVtSgYouenn Gwernig – Identity
To be born was their own masterpiece Just to be alive was their own masterpiece https://youtube.com/watch?v=xg5m18lt3pg%3Flist%3DFLsHGkc-LPk4KUEe5oawVtSg
Okay, i know, it’s almost januari and everybody is fed up with the ‘end of the year’ lists. but here’s one last one, a list of the five records i’ve listened to most. It has nothing to do with sale lists, year of release, or any of those. Just a list of the music that gave me the most listening pleasure/energy/redemption…
Years ago i decided i would sell a part of my record collection at the time i would get my pension. But the pension is being delayed for at least two years due to new government rules and crisis is hitting hard in europe… So there was a change in plan and most of my records are now for sale at Discogs.
A small part of the records is absolutely “not for sale” It’s my core collection… Records i’ve bought more than thirty years ago and still are being listened to, music i thought i was the only one listening to at the time but now many collectors are willin’ to pay high prices…
So here it is, a list of five. Music I can’t live without. The five I would take with me to desert island, in no particular order:
Dutch radio 1V broadcast from the VondelCS every Friday afternoon with music, interviews and more. Here is a live track from Stef Bos recorded in dec. 2014
In het kader van “Vinyl voor een Fiets” is het nu de beurt aan mijn ‘Normaal’ collectie. 21 singles en 27 LP’s te koop op Ebay. Startbod is 68 euro. Klik op de foto hieronder voor een filmpje en de details van het vinyl.
Update 5/12/2014: De ‘Normaal’ platen hebben voor tien euro meer dan de vraagprijs een nieuwe eigenaar gevonden in Drente. De link naar het filmpje is daarmee niet langer actief. De Ebay pagina zal nog wel een poosje te bekijken zijn.
Today it happened again… Driving around in the car and suddenly there is a beautiful song on the radio that you have never heard before. You really like to know the artists name but at those moments the DJ keeps quiet ! Quickly wrote down snippets of lyrics and hope that google will come up with the right song. In this case all hits lead to Paolo Nutini, an italian with a scottish accent who mix up old and new styles and makes it his own. Turn up the volume ! //www.youtube.com/embed/Yl9FeCGusag?list=PLu3pd8lsS8Lr5Sq6couee15GrA-YC1iIQ
Kintsukuroi (金繕い?)(Japanese: golden repair) is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with lacquer resin dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum a method similar to the maki-etechnique. As a philosophy it speaks to breakage and repair becoming part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. The premiere of this ‘Dance opera’ was at the Oerol Festival 2014, in june, on the island Terschelling. We saw the performance at the music theatre in Enschede, oct. 15. A beautiful production where dance, music, poetry and theatre melt together.
Click on the picture below for a short music clip from the first theatre performance (Enschede, 15/10/2014) >>>
A long time ago the great american band Grateful Dead came to Europe and I decided to follow the group throughout Germany and England. This year I got the same kind of feeling when Shawn James and the Shapeshifters decided to come over and do a european tour. Ok, this time i only had a chance to see two gigs, but the feeling was somehow similar.
This band plays some freakin’ good music. It’s hard to describe this kind of music. Have you ever heard a violin player do a cover of Iron’s Maiden “Number of the Beast”, have you ever seen a guy playing a mandolin and drinking beer at the same time, and have you ever heard a voice before, that’s a mixture of Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and Edgar Broughton…
We will not forget these two concerts very soon. The music has a beautiful mix between the heavy songs and ballads, the lyrics are at times very personal and there’s such a strong power in both voice and music. And the extra dimension comes from the frontman’s bond with nature. It’s coming back in the music, the lyrics, the covers, and in the YouTube video’s.
Watch Shawn James and the Shapeshifters on their first european concert in the “Atak” club, Enschede, Netherlands. The sound was recorded with a Zoom Q2 recorder and the video was recorded with a Koday HD Playsport. With this kind of music it’s hard to stand still, so excuses for the shaky images. Click the image below for the video (90 min.) >>>
It’s autumn again, my favorite season; strong winds, rain showers, falling leaves and colors that play. And longer nights to listen to good music. Like this song of Fink: Looking too closely. The song has got nothing to do with autumn but it gives me a real autumn feeling…