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*MUSIC, Desert Island Distractions, LPs / Records, Music

Desert Island Distractions (The Music)

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Paul Fitzpatrick: June 2022, London.

You’re stranded on a desert island and you’ve found a washed up solar-chargeable iPod that contains 3 albums in the audio section.

As luck would have it, they’re your three favourite albums…
What are they?

(NB – no ‘Best Of’s, ‘Compilations’ or Box Sets allowed).

Three albums

My criteria was to choose albums that I rarely get tired of listening to, that include a selection of songs with thought provoking lyrics, mood enhancing melodies and good grooves.

On top of that they need to be ‘all killer and no filler’.
I ain’t got no time to be skipping songs, I’ve got fish to catch, stars to gaze at and a raft to construct….. which is gonna take a bit of time because I was crap at woodwork at school!

Album #1 – Songs in The Key Of Life: Stevie Wonder

For a start, it’s a double album (with a bonus EP) so I’m getting more bang for my buck, but if quantity rather than quality’s your thing, you can always choose ELP’s six-sided ‘Welcome Back My Friends’…. particularly if you’re partial to the excruciating sound of a wounded Moog synthesiser and you’re a fan of a drum solo or six.

Two years in the making, Stevie’s 1976 opus is the perfect union of quality & quantity and represents his finest moment, which is saying something when you consider his run of albums leading up to ‘Songs In The Key of Life’ –
‘Talking Book’, ‘Innervisions’ & ‘Fulfillingness First Finale’.

In the mid 70’s Wonder was awash with ideas and was producing material not only for himself but for artists like Rufus, Minnie Ripperton, Syreeta, The Supremes and Roberta Flack.
Due to his copious output ‘Songs In The Key of Life’ soon developed into a double album.

Including the bonus EP there are 21 tracks on ‘Songs In The Key of Life’ and apart from the saccharine sweet ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ I could happily play the album on a loop.
It helps that there are a host of musical styles on the record… from the big-band funk of ‘Sir Duke’ to the hypnotic orchestration on ‘Pastime Paradise’.

I’ve always been blown-away by the fact that Stevie played most of the instruments on his 70’s albums himself, (particularly the drums, check out Superstition), but he breaks with tradition here and it unquestionably works.

You’ll find Herbie Hancock displaying his ubiquitous keyboard talents on ‘As’, whilst George Benson exhibits his distinctive guitar and scat vocal style on ‘Another Star’….. memorable cameos that elevate the album to another level.  

Stevie never recaptured the magic of ‘Songs In The Key of Life’ which I’m not sure was humanly possible anyway. The album won four grammy’s, sold ten million copies in the US alone and was a number one album across the globe.



Album #2 – Aja: Steely Dan

When I listen to Steely Dan I often think of a quote credited to the late, great music journalist Ian McDonald who made the following introduction on reviewing the ‘Gaucho‘ album….

“Crassness is contagious. Fortunately, so is intelligence – which is why listening to Steely Dan is good for you”.

In truth I could easily have picked three Steely Dan albums, therefore narrowing it down to one is something of a ‘Sophies choice’.

Sonically it doesn’t get much better than Aja and it’s no coincidence that the album is consistently favoured by audiophiles, who still use it to check out the latest audio equipment on the scene.

Despite their excellent canon of work it can be argued that this was the bands pinnacle…. an example of the final product being greater than the sum of its parts, and the sum of its parts in this case were pretty awesome.

Also, if you’re looking for thought provoking lyrics then Steely Dan’s cryptic, ironic themes are a big part of their schtick, having a bit of down-time on this island will enable me to work some of them out at last.

Aja consists of seven great tracks, including the immaculate ‘Deacon Blue’ and the pertinent ‘Home at Last’, a song about exile inspired by Homer’s Odyssey.

Well the danger on the rocks is surely past
Still I remain tied to the mast
Could it be that I have found my home at last
Home at last

Home at Last, featuring the famous Purdie Shuffle


Album #3 – AWB by The Average White Band

By autumn 1974 my record collection was starting to look a bit different- The album section was still dominated by white blokes with long hair like Zep, The Who, Bad Company, etc but the singles section was reflecting what I was hearing in nightclubs and bars – Barry White, Gil Scot-Heron, the Philly Sound, etc.

It’s somewhat ironic then that one of my favourite bands turned out to be a bunch of white blokes with long hair who just happened to be soul and funk masters from down the road.

Like most people, when I first heard ‘Pick Up the Pieces’ I assumed it was The JB’s or another American funk band, so it came as a shock to discover that there was a Hamish, a Molly and an Onnie in the group.

I bought the AWB ‘white album’ as much for the provocatively brilliant cover art as anything else…. then I got home put it on my trusty Sanyo music centre and played it so much that it had to be industrially removed from the turntable.

In truth it was like nothing I’d heard before, the music defied definition, white blokes from Scotland just weren’t supposed to sound as good as The Ohio Players or The Isley Brothers.

The sessions for the album were marshalled by Arif Mardin, the legendary Aretha Franklin producer whose deft touch was all over the record.

On reflection, it was a perfect storm…. a hungry band with great songs, immense talent and a master at the helm.

AWB would go on to make many more fine albums but the ‘white album’ is undoubtedly their masterpiece.


So that’s my three albums…. well today anyway!

Of course I could wake up tomorrow and add Court & Spark by Joni Mitchell or Dark Side of the Moon or Bowie’s Station to Station, depending on what mood I’m in, but I’m pretty happy with the three I chose… well today anyway!

Next time we’ll check out the video section of the iPod….

*MUSIC, Hall of Fame, LPs / Records

‘tapestry’ (lp by carole king) – hall of fame induction.

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(Post by John Allan, Bridgetown Western Australia – October 2021)

It was 1971 and I had just become an adult. I had turned 13 after all. My parents didn’t seem to agree and used words like ‘adolescent’,’teenager’ and phrases like ‘while your living under our roof’ and ‘these are the rules’.

Oh well, there was always the world of popular music to explore. School chums were opening up my mind with their various recent purchases. LPs were in and singles or 45s now a bit passé. Jethro Tull, Yes and Genesis were on my sonic radar but until I had enough spondulix, rifling through my brothers’ record collection would have to do.

What have we here then ? Blues, blues, more blues. A cover with a blue lady on it called ‘Blue’ by Joni Mitchell – I might come back to that one. This is a new one. A comely young lady sitting in the light of a window with a cat (called Telemachus incidentally) at her feet.

“Tapestry” by Carole King.

This album is so much more than an anthem of love and lovers, lost, ended, distanced and discarded. Not simple piano ballads but a complex mix of rock, blues and gospel styles.

It opens with the tumbling bar blues of  “I Feel The Earth Move” which AllMusic critic Stewart Mason describes as “the ultimate in hippie-chick eroticism” and “sounds like the unleashing of an entire generation of soft-spoken college girls’ collective libido”. I’ll have what he’s having !

“So Far Away” introduces Laurel Canyon alumni James Taylor on acoustic guitar.

Lyricist Toni Stern wrote the words for “It’s Too Late” in one afternoon after breaking up with the aforementioned Mr Taylor. I probably would have gone with ‘ you’re a pig James and I hate you. PS. I faked my orgasms !’ But then I’m not a lyricist or been dumped by James Taylor. (or faked an orgasm !!)

“Way Over Yonder” would not be out of place among the congregation of a deep south Gospel church (praise be).

Who hasn’t, after the shittiest of days, sat themselves down in a darkened room and dripped a tear into their tumbler of malt whisky/can of special brew/advocaat and babycham/mug of chamomile tea (select appropriate beverage) listening to “You’ve Got a Friend” whether King’s or JT’s version.

The Shirelles had a pop hit in 1961 with “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”. Composer Carole slows it down to an achingly soulful ballad with backing vocals from James Taylor and Joni Mitchell (where have I seen that name before ?)

And who can forget Aretha’s 1967 empowering rendition of  “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” tastefully performed here by it’s creator.

I’ve skipped over a few tracks but there are no dull moments to be found on “Tapestry” every song a gem of an anthem.

So everybody, get your child or grandchild, male, female or non-binary, rip out their earbuds, nail their feet to the floor, put the record on the turntable (Yep, I’m talking vinyl, baby) crank it up and say ‘THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT !!’

Sorry, might of got a wee bit carried away there !

My life has been a tapestry
Of rich and royal hue
An everlasting vision
Of the ever-changing view

You’ve got that right CK. 50 years on and you’ve got that right.

*MUSIC, Hall of Fame, LPs / Records

‘live in europe’ (lp by rory gallagher) – hall of fame induction.

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(Post by Colin ‘Jackie’ Jackson of Glasgow –October 2021)

(Click for the dedicated page, and all items inducted to the Hall of Fame.)

The first item to be inducted into the Once Upon a Time in The ‘70s Hall of Fame is my copy of the ‘Live In Europe,’ LP by Rory Gallagher. (I’m nothing if not predictable.)

I don’t know why, but I bought this for the going rate of around £2.25 (in postal orders) via some mail order record store advertised in Sounds magazine. I can vividly remember the excitement I felt whenever I came home from school. For about ten days, I was disappointed, but then it arrived  … with a note stating my remittance was (I think) about 25p short. Yet the nice, ever so trusting people at the record store just asked I send another postal order with my next order.

However, by the time I‘d saved enough from my paper round to buy my next LP, I’d discovered Listen Records and Virgin Records in Glasgow. I never did order from the MO store again.A few months later, I read in Sounds, the company had gone bust! Was it my 25p that sent them over the edge?

I’ve carried that burden of guilt now for forty-nine years!

(LP cover – back.)

The record itself, though: this was ‘big boys’’ music!

A mix of self-penned and rearranged standards, the seven tracks blew me away with their intensity. Driven by the furious bass playing of Gerry McAvoy, and crashing drums of Wilgar Campbell, Rory’s searing Stratocaster playing cuts through like a knife. His playing has everything – little flecks of jazz inspired backing to his quieter vocal moments; big, chunky heavy riffs, like in his own composition, ‘Laundromat,’ and of course, the blues! Whether it be fast and loud as in the opening’ ‘Messin’ With The Kid’ or the slower, almost metronomic ‘I Could Have Had A Religion,’ Rory pre-empted, and answered, the query posed by Deacon Blue, seventeen years later: yes – not only can a white man sing the blues, he can damn well play them too!

(Recording from The Marquee Club, London, 6th April 1972.)

Yet, though heavily blues influenced, ‘Live In Europe’ has such a variation in sounds that it remains fresh and exciting from start to finish – even after almost fifty years of regular play!.

‘Pistol Slapper Blues’ is an acoustic cover of Blind Boy Fuller’s song from ‘nineteen twenty something or other,’ as Rory himself says; ‘Going To My Home Town’ is one of Rory’s own compositions – a real stomper of a track, the famous Strat being swapped for a mandolin. ‘In Your Own Town’ is another of Rory’s, this time almost ten minutes of heavy blues and spectacular guitar playing. Album closer is ‘Bullfrog Blues,’ another ‘traditional’ blues song written the Twenties and re-arranged by Rory. It’s a truly explosive ending, with terrific bass and drum solos thrown in for good measure.

The production and sound quality is top notch, something that can’t be said for many ‘Live’ albums and I can attest the album truly replicates the sound and atmosphere of a Rory concert.

Not only was ‘Live In Europe’ my proper introduction to heavy rock, it also took me down the rabbit hole of blues music – a tunnel I am still exploring. It’s influenced my music of choice from a spotty fourteen year old to grumpy old git, and remains the most treasured record in my collection.

It unequivocally deserves a place in the Hall of Fame.