Special Listenings

Music that speaks to me  

 

 

Here is a list of music and musicians that I have always loved and have always spoken to me (generally late at night). Oh I just realised ... nothing since the early 90's (except E.S.T., Chis Whitley and Dream Theater) ... so sad. I am a product of my time :-) 

 

• Steely Dan - especially the Gaucho and Aja period.

• Elvin Jones - I love his drumming, his feel. "On the Mountain" with Gene Perla and Jan Hammer favourite album for sure

• Split Enz - Mental Notes is one of my ultimate favourite albums - they like Devo devolved over time

• David Sylvian - just love his unique perspective. Secrets of the Beehive is wonderful so is Dead Bees on a Cake.

• Thomas Dolby  - perfect 80's prog/rock/pop. First two albums are perfect.

• Divinyls - Chrissie and Mark ... great Oz rock ..."Sleeping Beauty" and "Science Fiction" are awesome

• The Byrds - the first 5 albums really, really got to me ...  my favourite 60's, early 70's band .. no! MY FAVOURITE BAND!

• Bennie Maupin - Jewel in the Lotus is truly beautiful and heavily influenced me and still does

• Van Morrison - Astral Weeks and his time with Them .. "Gloria" was the first song I learned to play in 1965

• Chick Corea, Bill Connors - The Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy - I couldn't believe the playing and compositions when I first  heard this album in the early 1970's .. I still am amazed and belive that this album has NEVER been surpassed in fusion-jazz. Bill Connors is still my favourite guitar player .. his ECM acoustic albums are simply beautiful. I loved The Mahavishnu Orch as well but Corea's compositions were so intricate so clever and so exciting. 

• Miroslav Vitous - love his work with early Weather Report. Mountains in the Cloud is a wonderful album.

• AC/DC - saw them in 1973 at a High School Hall in Canberra. Despite an audience of around 100 people, they played their asses off. Then saw them in Pittsburgh in front of 80,000  people during Black Ice tour .. played their asses off. True rock.

• Jethro Tull - the first three albums were boundary-busting. Inspired me to learn flute and Astral Plane (one of my early bands) played lots of Tull.

• Robert Johnson - his story, his myths, his music, his genius .. him and Muddy Waters (early Chess) are the blues to me. Like Keith Richards, I believe Muddy Water's "Still a fool" says it all.

• Soft Machine - so British, so perfect, so unique. Bundles with Alan Holdsworth, John Marshall is unbelievable.

• Little Feat - perhaps the true American band. Lowell Bill, Richie and the boys. I saw them in concert in 1974 .. best concert ever. "Waiting for Columbus" is one of the great live albums along with "Live Dead"

• Frank Zappa - genius!!! I saw the second incarnation of the Mothers with Ansley Dunbar, Ian and Ruth Underwood, George Duke in concert in mid-70's - equal best concert.

• Eberhard Weber - his Colors band with John Marshall, Rainer Bruninghaus and Charlie Mariano - the ECM sound has really influenced me. Saw them in the 70's in concert too - equal best concert. Love John Marshall.

• Miles Davis - Live Evil unbelievable. Check out Keith Jarrett feeding off a broken key in his Fender Rhodes. Always an innovator.  Miles' late 60's early 70's period spawned Weather Report, The Mahavishnu Orch, Herbie Handcocks Headhunters and fueled the never-equalled 70's fusion, rock, jazz era. Thanks Miles. 

• Chis Whitley - a true innovator, a wonderful poet and burnt out too soon. Scrapyard Lullaby is just beautiful and angry .. 

• Dream Theater - I was lost then I was found. Images and Words re-energised me and renewed my faith in music - see The State of Prog page on this site..

• E.S.T.  aka Esbjorn Svensson Trio - WOW! These three guys just are beautiful. Esbjorn died early in 2008 but his legacy and the blending of jazz, rock and the dynamics of their music. Just listen to the songs "Elevation of Love " and "Tuesday Wonderland" (live) or You Tube. Dan Berglund and Magnus Ostrom .. awesome and timeless.

 

more later .....