Five months in and I feel we're really finding our feet at Thursday Vinyl (formerly Monday Vinyl). Ben and everyone at The Carousel have made us feel really welcome. So far we've listened to some phenomenal albums by Depeche Mode, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello and the Lightning Seeds. And at the end of the month this illustrious quartet will be joined by none other than the utterly unique Devo. That's right, flowerpot time! Never has a yellow boilersuit looked so fucking cool. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
It probably says a lot about me when I tell people that our fourth upcoming Vinyl Session features a new album. Ha! New! It came out over 25 years ago, yet, in my head, I think of it as a recent release. Ian Broudie reached peak Lightning Seeds when he unveiled Jollification to a public already balls deep in the Spice Girls, TFI Friday and all things Britpop.
But Broudie's masterpiece from 1994 is so much more than cool Britannia. Yes, it's a quintessential English pop record packed to the rafters with catchy singles, but dig a little deeper and it's tender and reflective too. And with standout vocal cameos from Terry Hall and Alison Moyet I can honestly say this is one Thursday night I'm really looking forward to. Come and join us for some great music and lively chat. I'll keep a seat by the door for you...
I've talked about our Vinyl Sessions a few times around here so shan't bore you any further regarding its inner machinations; save to tell you that on Thursday 27 January we're playing an album that, for many, defined 1977. Despite being catapulted into a world of punk My Aim is True made perfect sense. It had just the right amount of new wave credentials whilst at the same time proudly wearing its pop sensibility on its sleeve; Buddy Holly meets the Damned. Costello really did have a foot in both camps. And of course both sides of this Stiff classic were chockablock full of raw and aggressive Elvis anthems with guitar riffs even snarling punks would have died for.
But it was when the pace relented slightly and the band dropped down a gear you could hear how good these songs were. And none better than Alison. I've talked about this song before and, yes, the jury is still out regarding the storyline's alleged murderous intentions. Talk of putting out the big light and 'my aim is true' would, some say, lead you to think that Alison's days on this planet are numbered. The guitar solo is played by John McFee who at the time was in Clover, an American country outfit who in 1977 found themselves adrift in the UK in a down at heel London recording studio. Combined with Nick Lowe's production, McFee's deft solo is, like the song itself, a thing of rare beauty...
Following our hugely successful first night at our new home last month, Monday Vinyl returns to The Carousel in Hockley at the end of this month with an absolute blinding record: Steely Dan's Countdown to Ecstasy is, you'll not be surprised to learn, in a rather splendid tome that lives on the bookshelf in my local entitled 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Yet another reason why The Abdication in Daybrook is one of my favourite pubs of all time. Blowing the froth off a sensational cask ale while delving in and out of what I can only call the musical bible (I lose all concept of time when I open its pages) is, for me, the perfect way to spend an evening. Feel free to come and join me. Likewise, there's an open invite to anyone reading this who happens to find themselves in Nottingham on the 29th. What could be better than listening to (and talking about) the Dan in convivial surroundings with like minded coves?
Steely Dan - King of the World (1973)
A big thank you to Ben and Christos for looking after us so well at The Carousel - the perfect hosts; as too are Matt & Lucy at the Abdication.
The Carousel, 25 Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FH
The Abdication, 89 Mansfield Road, Daybrook, Nottingham NG5 6BH
