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Warp Records confirm the death of LFO’s Mark Bell

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Warp Records confirm the death of LFO’s Mark Bell

The producer and techno artist passed away last week from complications after an operation... Mark Bell of LFO has died. The news was confirmed by Warp Records, who wrote: "It's with great sadness that we announce the untimely passing of Mark Bell of LFO who died last week from complications after an operation. Mark's family & friends request privacy at this difficult time." LFO formed in the late 1980s in Yorkshire and were considered to be pioneers of electronic dance music and techno. The duo was made up of Bell and Gez Varley, until Varley left in the mid-1990s. LFO released three albums, 1991's Frequencies, 1996's Advance and 2003's Sheath. Bell worked closely with Bjork, co-producing a number of her albums, starting in 1997 with Homogenic. He also released music under the name Clark. Bjork paid tribute by sharing 1991's 'Love Is The Message' on her Facebook page - which you can listen to below - while Friendly Fires's Jack Savidge wrote: "RIP Mark Bell- an absolute don". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2247wlH38ks

The producer and techno artist passed away last week from complications after an operation…

Mark Bell of LFO has died.

The news was confirmed by Warp Records, who wrote: “It’s with great sadness that we announce the untimely passing of Mark Bell of LFO who died last week from complications after an operation. Mark’s family & friends request privacy at this difficult time.”

LFO formed in the late 1980s in Yorkshire and were considered to be pioneers of electronic dance music and techno. The duo was made up of Bell and Gez Varley, until Varley left in the mid-1990s. LFO released three albums, 1991’s Frequencies, 1996’s Advance and 2003’s Sheath.

Bell worked closely with Bjork, co-producing a number of her albums, starting in 1997 with Homogenic. He also released music under the name Clark.

Bjork paid tribute by sharing 1991’s ‘Love Is The Message’ on her Facebook page – which you can listen to below – while Friendly Fires’s Jack Savidge wrote: “RIP Mark Bell- an absolute don”.

Watch Neil Young perform with 92-piece orchestra in new video for “Who’s Gonna Stand Up”

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Watch Neil Young perform with 92-piece orchestra in new video for “Who’s Gonna Stand Up”

Taken from new album, Storytone... Neil Young performs new song "Who's Gonna Stand Up" backed by a 92-piece orchestra in the song's official video. Scroll down to watch the clip at the bottom of this story. "Who's Gonna Stand Up" will feature on Young's new solo album, Storytone. The LP, his second of the year following A Letter Home, was recorded in the vintage vinyl booth at Jack White's Third Man Records store in Nashville and will come out on November 3. The release will be a double album with a second disc seeing Young performing the same songs but backed by a 92-piece orchestra. The video shows a behind the scenes look at the recording of these songs. "Who's Gonna Stand Up?" was first released to coincide with the People's Climate Marches around the world. Meanwhile, Neil Young recently said that he will never tour as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young again. David Crosby subsequently replied to his to former bandmate and said "I hear Neil said 'there will never be any more CSNY shows' that's like saying there are mountains in Tibet we know Neil ….we already knew." He later replied to a fan's question as to why there will not be any more CSNY shows with, "He is very angry with me…" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkiRR3T_3NY

Taken from new album, Storytone…

Neil Young performs new song “Who’s Gonna Stand Up” backed by a 92-piece orchestra in the song’s official video. Scroll down to watch the clip at the bottom of this story.

“Who’s Gonna Stand Up” will feature on Young’s new solo album, Storytone. The LP, his second of the year following A Letter Home, was recorded in the vintage vinyl booth at Jack White’s Third Man Records store in Nashville and will come out on November 3.

The release will be a double album with a second disc seeing Young performing the same songs but backed by a 92-piece orchestra. The video shows a behind the scenes look at the recording of these songs. “Who’s Gonna Stand Up?” was first released to coincide with the People’s Climate Marches around the world.

Meanwhile, Neil Young recently said that he will never tour as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young again. David Crosby subsequently replied to his to former bandmate and said “I hear Neil said ‘there will never be any more CSNY shows’ that’s like saying there are mountains in Tibet we know Neil ….we already knew.”

He later replied to a fan’s question as to why there will not be any more CSNY shows with, “He is very angry with me…”

Goat – Commune

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Goat – Commune

Afro-noise jams, via Germany, the Sahara and Sweden. Masked festival favourites continue their worldwide masquerade... Psychedelic, revolutionary music has often gone hand-in-hand with communal living. Take what seem like Goat’s two main poles of influence: from Nigeria, Fela Kuti and his Kalakuta Republic, out of which the Afrika 70 collective would regularly pump their 15-minute Afrobeat monoliths railing against government corruption and army brutality; and from West Germany, the Amon Düül commune, a group of radicals who indulged in far-out experimentation – politically, pharmaceutically and musically. Churning out boundary-breaking jams from a cult-like compound isn’t a recipe for success in our era of cultural commodification, though. Still, Goat, reputed commune-dwellers from a village in northern Sweden that they claim has never relinquished its centuries-old pagan beliefs, have done a surprisingly good job of crossing over. After releasing their debut album, World Music, in 2012, the group now draw large crowds at major festivals, are signed to Sub Pop in the US, and headline London’s 1,700-capacity Roundhouse later this year. That they sport fantastic and outlandish tribal masks and robes straight from some mythical Nubian bazaar, and have managed to retain a haze of mystery – we still don’t know the names of most of their members, or how many they number, a rarity in this age of hyper-connectivity – can only have increased their notoriety. But really, none of this would matter if Goat’s music wasn’t so eminently appealing. The formula here on Commune, their second full-length, is similar to their debut, where they skilfully took the spiralling, sinuous jams of Kuti or Düül, and recast them in a more accessible mould. Each of the nine songs is highly listenable, streamlined (the longest track is just under seven minutes), and loaded with classic-rock vibes (wah-wah pedals take a real kicking throughout) and simple, chanted hooks from their two vocalists. At times, the masks slip to reveal not much underneath – while their forebears sang of revolution, liberation and very real political issues, Goat are content to spoon the listener beige, quasi-mystical pronouncements. “There is only one true meaning with life, and that is to be a positive force in the constant creation of evolution,” goes “To Travel The Path Unknown”’s prologue. You can hardly imagine soldiers murderously storming the Swedes’ compound as they did Fela’s, after hearing these lyrics. These missteps serve to make Goat seem like a post-modern, cartoon version of a ritualistic jam band, trawling shallow waters instead of unknown depths. And yet, forgetting the masks and the mystical gubbins, the songs are such thrilling journeys that it barely matters. As the listener sinks into the grooves, more diverse influences appear – Saharan guitar curlicues are still present throughout, but there’s a taste of Peruvian folk music on “The Light Within”, while a new purchase, a Turkish electric saz, is fed through a wah-wah on the excellent “Hide From The Sun”, perhaps the most compellingly ‘Eastern’ Goat have yet sounded. And in more of a departure, the pulsing, jagged “Words” channels Silver Apples by way of Portishead’s Apples-aping “We Carry On”. The album peaks near the end of its relatively short, 38-minute run with the heat-freckled drone-rock of “Bondye”, and “Gathering Of Ancient Tribes”, which comes on like Tinariwen armed with Marshall stacks and Big Muffs. It’s an onslaught that suggests if Goat plan to wander further in the future, they could successfully explore the realms of stoner-metal. The album ends, Möbius strip-like, with the same Tibetan singing bowl chimes that open it. Because we now know the nature of the beast, Commune is less immediately striking than World Music. But if Goat seem unlikely to lead you to liberation or spiritual transcendence, their compact jams, the vivid ingredients cherry-picked from disparate corners of the globe, are still as groovy and downright joyous as they ever were – devotional music for the feet. And they’ll sound just as mighty on those festival stages. Tom Pinnock Q&A “Funkmaster Goat” Could you tell us a little more about your hometown, Korpilombolo? It was founded in the 16th Century by Samish travellers. Later they were joined by travellers from Western Africa and together they created a spiritual commune based around openness towards the different cultures and people of the world. Through travelling and collectivism we have always managed to preserve and develop this commune and its beliefs. What is living in a commune really like? We all live in various collectives or communes. Society is nothing but a big collective. Your job, your family, your friends are others. So you tell me. What is important is that you recognise this and try to take a positive role in your collectives. How do you think Commune differs from World Music? Both albums were mainly created in our own studio, but this time we could use the studio better. So we have experimented more with sounds. We have also brought in a wider range of influences and instruments – some new flutes, a saz and a lot more percussion instruments. INTERVIEW: TOM PINNOCK

Afro-noise jams, via Germany, the Sahara and Sweden. Masked festival favourites continue their worldwide masquerade…

Psychedelic, revolutionary music has often gone hand-in-hand with communal living. Take what seem like Goat’s two main poles of influence: from Nigeria, Fela Kuti and his Kalakuta Republic, out of which the Afrika 70 collective would regularly pump their 15-minute Afrobeat monoliths railing against government corruption and army brutality; and from West Germany, the Amon Düül commune, a group of radicals who indulged in far-out experimentation – politically, pharmaceutically and musically.

Churning out boundary-breaking jams from a cult-like compound isn’t a recipe for success in our era of cultural commodification, though. Still, Goat, reputed commune-dwellers from a village in northern Sweden that they claim has never relinquished its centuries-old pagan beliefs, have done a surprisingly good job of crossing over. After releasing their debut album, World Music, in 2012, the group now draw large crowds at major festivals, are signed to Sub Pop in the US, and headline London’s 1,700-capacity Roundhouse later this year.

That they sport fantastic and outlandish tribal masks and robes straight from some mythical Nubian bazaar, and have managed to retain a haze of mystery – we still don’t know the names of most of their members, or how many they number, a rarity in this age of hyper-connectivity – can only have increased their notoriety. But really, none of this would matter if Goat’s music wasn’t so eminently appealing.

The formula here on Commune, their second full-length, is similar to their debut, where they skilfully took the spiralling, sinuous jams of Kuti or Düül, and recast them in a more accessible mould. Each of the nine songs is highly listenable, streamlined (the longest track is just under seven minutes), and loaded with classic-rock vibes (wah-wah pedals take a real kicking throughout) and simple, chanted hooks from their two vocalists.

At times, the masks slip to reveal not much underneath – while their forebears sang of revolution, liberation and very real political issues, Goat are content to spoon the listener beige, quasi-mystical pronouncements. “There is only one true meaning with life, and that is to be a positive force in the constant creation of evolution,” goes “To Travel The Path Unknown”’s prologue. You can hardly imagine soldiers murderously storming the Swedes’ compound as they did Fela’s, after hearing these lyrics. These missteps serve to make Goat seem like a post-modern, cartoon version of a ritualistic jam band, trawling shallow waters instead of unknown depths.

And yet, forgetting the masks and the mystical gubbins, the songs are such thrilling journeys that it barely matters. As the listener sinks into the grooves, more diverse influences appear – Saharan guitar curlicues are still present throughout, but there’s a taste of Peruvian folk music on “The Light Within”, while a new purchase, a Turkish electric saz, is fed through a wah-wah on the excellent “Hide From The Sun”, perhaps the most compellingly ‘Eastern’ Goat have yet sounded. And in more of a departure, the pulsing, jagged “Words” channels Silver Apples by way of Portishead’s Apples-aping “We Carry On”.

The album peaks near the end of its relatively short, 38-minute run with the heat-freckled drone-rock of “Bondye”, and “Gathering Of Ancient Tribes”, which comes on like Tinariwen armed with Marshall stacks and Big Muffs. It’s an onslaught that suggests if Goat plan to wander further in the future, they could successfully explore the realms of stoner-metal. The album ends, Möbius strip-like, with the same Tibetan singing bowl chimes that open it.

Because we now know the nature of the beast, Commune is less immediately striking than World Music. But if Goat seem unlikely to lead you to liberation or spiritual transcendence, their compact jams, the vivid ingredients cherry-picked from disparate corners of the globe, are still as groovy and downright joyous as they ever were – devotional music for the feet. And they’ll sound just as mighty on those festival stages.

Tom Pinnock

Q&A

“Funkmaster Goat”

Could you tell us a little more about your hometown, Korpilombolo?

It was founded in the 16th Century by Samish travellers. Later they were joined by travellers from Western Africa and together they created a spiritual commune based around openness towards the different cultures and people of the world. Through travelling and collectivism we have always managed to preserve and develop this commune and its beliefs.

What is living in a commune really like?

We all live in various collectives or communes. Society is nothing but a big collective. Your job, your family, your friends are others. So you tell me. What is important is that you recognise this and try to take a positive role in your collectives.

How do you think Commune differs from World Music?

Both albums were mainly created in our own studio, but this time we could use the studio better. So we have experimented more with sounds. We have also brought in a wider range of influences and instruments – some new flutes, a saz and a lot more percussion instruments.

INTERVIEW: TOM PINNOCK

Hear David Bowie’s new track, “Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)”

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Hear David Bowie’s new track, “Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)”

Song received its first play on BBC Radio 6... David Bowie has premiered new song "Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)" on BBC Radio 6 show Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour. Bowie had previously announced that Garvey would play the track – which features on forthcoming compilation Nothing Has Changed – during his Sunday afternoon slot. Listen to a radio rip of the song below, as discovered by Consequence of Sound. "Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)" is due to be released on 10-inch vinyl and digital download on November 17. Bowie recorded the song during the summer in New York with producer Tony Visconti and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. Following the song's debut, lyrics were posted via the singer's Facebook page. Nothing Has Changed is also due to be released on November 17. The tracklist for the 3CD edition of Nothing Has Changed is as follows: CD 1: 'Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)' 'Where Are We Now?' 'Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy for the DFA Edit)' 'The Stars (Are Out Tonight)' 'New Killer Star (Radio Edit)' 'Everyone Says ‘Hi’ (Edit)' 'Slow Burn (Radio Edit)' 'Let Me Sleep Beside You' 'Your Turn To Drive' 'Shadow Man' 'Seven (Marius De Vries Mix)' 'Survive (Marius De Vries Mix)' 'Thursday’s Child (Radio Edit)' 'I'm Afraid Of Americans (V1) (Clean Edit)' 'Little Wonder (Edit)' 'Hallo Spaceboy (PSB Remix)’ (with Pet Shop Boys) 'The Heart’s Filthy Lesson (Radio Edit)' 'Strangers When We Meet (Single Version)' CD 2: 'Buddha Of Suburbia' 'Jump They Say (Radio Edit)' 'Time Will Crawl (MM Remix)' 'Absolute Beginners (Single Version)’ 'Dancing In The Street' (with Mick Jagger) 'Loving The Alien (Single Remix)' 'This Is Not America' (with Pat Metheny Group) 'Blue Jean' 'Modern Love (Single Version)' 'China Girl (Single Version)' 'Let's Dance (Single Version)' 'Fashion (Single Version)' 'Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (Single Version)' 'Ashes To Ashes (Single Version)' 'Under Pressure’ (with Queen) 'Boys Keep Swinging' '“Heroes” (Single Version)’ 'Sound And Vision' 'Golden Years (Single Version)' 'Wild Is The Wind (2010 Harry Maslin Mix)' CD 3: 'Fame' 'Young Americans (2007 Tony Visconti Mix Single Edit)' 'Diamond Dogs' 'Rebel Rebel' 'Sorrow' 'Drive-In Saturday' 'All The Young Dudes' 'The Jean Genie (Original Single Mix)' 'Moonage Daydream' 'Ziggy Stardust' 'Starman (Original Single Mix)' 'Life On Mars? (2003 Ken Scott Mix)' 'Oh! You Pretty Things' 'Changes' 'The Man Who Sold The World' 'Space Oddity' 'In The Heat Of The Morning' 'Silly Boy Blue' 'Can’t Help Thinking About Me' 'You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving' 'Liza Jane'

Song received its first play on BBC Radio 6…

David Bowie has premiered new song “Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)” on BBC Radio 6 show Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour.

Bowie had previously announced that Garvey would play the track – which features on forthcoming compilation Nothing Has Changed – during his Sunday afternoon slot. Listen to a radio rip of the song below, as discovered by Consequence of Sound.

“Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)” is due to be released on 10-inch vinyl and digital download on November 17. Bowie recorded the song during the summer in New York with producer Tony Visconti and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. Following the song’s debut, lyrics were posted via the singer’s Facebook page.

Nothing Has Changed is also due to be released on November 17. The tracklist for the 3CD edition of Nothing Has Changed is as follows:

CD 1:

‘Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)’

‘Where Are We Now?’

‘Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy for the DFA Edit)’

‘The Stars (Are Out Tonight)’

‘New Killer Star (Radio Edit)’

‘Everyone Says ‘Hi’ (Edit)’

‘Slow Burn (Radio Edit)’

‘Let Me Sleep Beside You’

‘Your Turn To Drive’

‘Shadow Man’

‘Seven (Marius De Vries Mix)’

‘Survive (Marius De Vries Mix)’

‘Thursday’s Child (Radio Edit)’

‘I’m Afraid Of Americans (V1) (Clean Edit)’

‘Little Wonder (Edit)’

‘Hallo Spaceboy (PSB Remix)’ (with Pet Shop Boys)

‘The Heart’s Filthy Lesson (Radio Edit)’

‘Strangers When We Meet (Single Version)’

CD 2:

‘Buddha Of Suburbia’

‘Jump They Say (Radio Edit)’

‘Time Will Crawl (MM Remix)’

‘Absolute Beginners (Single Version)’

‘Dancing In The Street’ (with Mick Jagger)

‘Loving The Alien (Single Remix)’

‘This Is Not America’ (with Pat Metheny Group)

‘Blue Jean’

‘Modern Love (Single Version)’

‘China Girl (Single Version)’

‘Let’s Dance (Single Version)’

‘Fashion (Single Version)’

‘Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (Single Version)’

‘Ashes To Ashes (Single Version)’

‘Under Pressure’ (with Queen)

‘Boys Keep Swinging’

‘“Heroes” (Single Version)’

‘Sound And Vision’

‘Golden Years (Single Version)’

‘Wild Is The Wind (2010 Harry Maslin Mix)’

CD 3:

‘Fame’

‘Young Americans (2007 Tony Visconti Mix Single Edit)’

‘Diamond Dogs’

‘Rebel Rebel’

‘Sorrow’

‘Drive-In Saturday’

‘All The Young Dudes’

‘The Jean Genie (Original Single Mix)’

‘Moonage Daydream’

‘Ziggy Stardust’

‘Starman (Original Single Mix)’

‘Life On Mars? (2003 Ken Scott Mix)’

‘Oh! You Pretty Things’

‘Changes’

‘The Man Who Sold The World’

‘Space Oddity’

‘In The Heat Of The Morning’

‘Silly Boy Blue’

‘Can’t Help Thinking About Me’

‘You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving’

‘Liza Jane’

U2 on controversial tax arrangements: “Was it totally fair? Probably not”

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U2 on controversial tax arrangements: “Was it totally fair? Probably not”

Band have previously been accused of tax evasion... U2 have discussed their controversial tax arrangements with the band asserting they have acted with full transparency. In 2006, the company that handles U2's publishing royalties was moved from their home country, Ireland, to the Netherlands in a switch many believed was made so the group could receive tax breaks. The decision has attracted much criticism, including a demonstration at their 2011 Glastonbury set that saw scuffles break out between protestors and security guards. In a new interview with The Observer, the band have spoken about the controversy, with The Edge admitting the decision might not have been "totally fair". "Was it totally fair? Probably not," said the guitarist. "The perception is a gross distortion. We do pay a lot of tax. But if I was [the Glastonbury protestors] I probably would have done the same, so it goes with the territory.” Bono affirmed that the band's financial dealings have been forthright: "All of our stuff is out in the open. How did people find out about it? Because it’s published. The sneakiness is when you don’t even know what’s going on." In 2011, The Edge defended the band after comments made by US federal worker Simon Moroney. In a letter published by The Baltimore Sun, Moroney said the band "exemplifies the worst characteristics of Wall Street, both for excess and tax evasion". Writing to the newspaper in response, The Edge said that suggesting U2 are involved in tax evasion is "possibly libellous". "For the record, U2 and the individual band members have a totally clean record with every jurisdiction to which they are required to pay tax and have never been and will never be involved in tax evasion," wrote The Edge. In their interview with The Observer, the band also spoke about new album Songs Of Innocence. The LP was released last month to coincide with the launch of the new iPhone 6 and iWatch in California. It was immediately made available on iTunes and free digital copies were delivered to all users. "I absolutely had my doubts about it before we did it, and after, but it was the right thing to do," said The Edge. "It was an opportunity that will only ever come around once for anybody. I don’t think anyone would want to do it again."

Band have previously been accused of tax evasion…

U2 have discussed their controversial tax arrangements with the band asserting they have acted with full transparency.

In 2006, the company that handles U2’s publishing royalties was moved from their home country, Ireland, to the Netherlands in a switch many believed was made so the group could receive tax breaks. The decision has attracted much criticism, including a demonstration at their 2011 Glastonbury set that saw scuffles break out between protestors and security guards.

In a new interview with The Observer, the band have spoken about the controversy, with The Edge admitting the decision might not have been “totally fair”.

“Was it totally fair? Probably not,” said the guitarist. “The perception is a gross distortion. We do pay a lot of tax. But if I was [the Glastonbury protestors] I probably would have done the same, so it goes with the territory.”

Bono affirmed that the band’s financial dealings have been forthright: “All of our stuff is out in the open. How did people find out about it? Because it’s published. The sneakiness is when you don’t even know what’s going on.”

In 2011, The Edge defended the band after comments made by US federal worker Simon Moroney. In a letter published by The Baltimore Sun, Moroney said the band “exemplifies the worst characteristics of Wall Street, both for excess and tax evasion”.

Writing to the newspaper in response, The Edge said that suggesting U2 are involved in tax evasion is “possibly libellous”.

“For the record, U2 and the individual band members have a totally clean record with every jurisdiction to which they are required to pay tax and have never been and will never be involved in tax evasion,” wrote The Edge.

In their interview with The Observer, the band also spoke about new album Songs Of Innocence. The LP was released last month to coincide with the launch of the new iPhone 6 and iWatch in California. It was immediately made available on iTunes and free digital copies were delivered to all users.

“I absolutely had my doubts about it before we did it, and after, but it was the right thing to do,” said The Edge. “It was an opportunity that will only ever come around once for anybody. I don’t think anyone would want to do it again.”

Watch Led Zeppelin preview ‘Houses Of The Holy’ boxset in new video

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Watch Led Zeppelin preview ‘Houses Of The Holy’ boxset in new video

Reissue is due for release October 28... Led Zeppelin have released an 'unboxing video' for the upcoming Super Deluxe Edition of their 1973 album Houses Of The Holy. Click below to watch. New reissues of Led Zeppelin IV and Houses Of The Holy are due to be released on October 28 and will include the original albums remastered by guitarist Jimmy Page, as well as previously unheard audio from the band's archives. The new trailer, as reported by RTÉ, features a clip of a previously unreleased mix of "The Rain Song" and previews the boxset's contents. A similar video for Led Zeppelin IV was released on September 25. The Super Deluxe editions will feature CD and vinyl versions of each album, as well as a download card and a special 80-page hardbound book. Both will also be available to purchase as a single album or vinyl LP, a deluxe double LP, or as a digital download. Comparable reissues of the band's first three studio albums were released in June. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7ySe_22xk0

Reissue is due for release October 28…

Led Zeppelin have released an ‘unboxing video’ for the upcoming Super Deluxe Edition of their 1973 album Houses Of The Holy. Click below to watch.

New reissues of Led Zeppelin IV and Houses Of The Holy are due to be released on October 28 and will include the original albums remastered by guitarist Jimmy Page, as well as previously unheard audio from the band’s archives.

The new trailer, as reported by RTÉ, features a clip of a previously unreleased mix of “The Rain Song” and previews the boxset’s contents. A similar video for Led Zeppelin IV was released on September 25.

The Super Deluxe editions will feature CD and vinyl versions of each album, as well as a download card and a special 80-page hardbound book. Both will also be available to purchase as a single album or vinyl LP, a deluxe double LP, or as a digital download. Comparable reissues of the band’s first three studio albums were released in June.

David Crosby on Neil Young: “He is very angry with me”

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David Crosby on Neil Young: “He is very angry with me”

Young had told fans he will never again tour as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young... David Crosby has taken to Twitter to respond to Neil Young's assertion that he will never again tour as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Young spoke about the future of the group at a solo gig at Philadelphia's Academy of Music last week (October 8). "CSNY will never tour again, ever … but I love those guys," said Young in response to a fan's question. The last time Young played with Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash was in 2013. Posting in response to Young's comments, Crosby, as Rolling Stone, posted a Tweet saying, "I hear Neil said 'there will never be any more CSNY shows' that's like saying there are mountains in Tibet we know Neil ….we already knew." He later replied to a fan's question as to why there will not be any more CSNY shows with, "He is very angry with me…" Young recently details of his new solo album, Storytone. It is due for release on November 3.

Young had told fans he will never again tour as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young…

David Crosby has taken to Twitter to respond to Neil Young‘s assertion that he will never again tour as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Young spoke about the future of the group at a solo gig at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music last week (October 8).

“CSNY will never tour again, ever … but I love those guys,” said Young in response to a fan’s question. The last time Young played with Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash was in 2013.

Posting in response to Young’s comments, Crosby, as Rolling Stone, posted a Tweet saying, “I hear Neil said ‘there will never be any more CSNY shows’ that’s like saying there are mountains in Tibet we know Neil ….we already knew.” He later replied to a fan’s question as to why there will not be any more CSNY shows with, “He is very angry with me…”

Young recently details of his new solo album, Storytone. It is due for release on November 3.

An Audience With… John Lydon

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An Audience With… John Lydon
John Lydon has just published his second autobiography, Anger Is An Energy, and Public Image Ltd are set to perform at London’s O2 Indigo on December 13 – here, in this piece from Uncut’s December 2007 issue (Take 127), the former Sex Pistol answers questions from fans and famous admirers, inc...

John Lydon has just published his second autobiography, Anger Is An Energy, and Public Image Ltd are set to perform at London’s O2 Indigo on December 13 – here, in this piece from Uncut’s December 2007 issue (Take 127), the former Sex Pistol answers questions from fans and famous admirers, including Thurston Moore, Jarvis Cocker and Julian Clary, on topics such as his record collection, Sid Vicious’ skin worries, his waistline and the song he wrote for Kate Bush… Words: John Lewis

________________

John Lydon is sitting on the sofa in his Hollywood home, cradling the phone between chin and shoulder as he watches extended highlights of the week’s Champions’ League games on ESPN2. He’s sitting patiently as Chelsea beat Valencia 2-1, waiting to watch Robin Van Persie snatch a win for his beloved Arsenal at Steaua Bucharest.

“Absolutely spiffing!” says Lydon who, this month, heads back out on the road with the Sex Pistols. In fact, so happy is he by this turn of events that he’s almost shockingly cheery for the duration of our 90-minute call. A few random names find themselves on the end of a Johnny Rotten roasting (including the “spiteful and bitchy” Vivienne Westwood, a few old PiL bandmates and, of course, his bête noir, Malcolm McLaren), but otherwise Lydon is the very milkman of human kindness, dishing out loving tributes to Kate Bush, Peter Andre, Ginger Baker and Pink Floyd throughout a wide-ranging conversation.

“I’m full of love today,” says the man voted the 87th Greatest Briton of all time. “In fact, I’m always open and friendly to everyone. It’s only when they try and fuck me over I let ’em have it. So, what have your readers got to say, then?”

________________

Do you know what happened to Keith Levene? It’s rare for someone to fall off the radar like that. Are you still in contact with him?
Jarvis Cocker
Ah, Jarvis, what’s that saucy sausage got to say for himself? I’ve got no idea what happened to dear old Keith. What a waste of talent. He used to be a great guitarist. But he made the mistake of over-grandiosing his own position in PiL, and then he complicated his life with various substances. And he ended up doing fuck all. Which is a shame, because there’d be no U2 without Keith’s guitar style.

Is there any truth in the rumour that Chris Spedding played all the instruments on Never Mind The Bollocks?
Steve McDermott, Dublin
That’s so unfair to Chris Spedding, isn’t it? I mean, how can you blame all that talentlessness on someone else? Ha ha! As it happens, Chris Spedding did us the world’s best favour when we were starting out. We were facing an almost weekly barrage in the music papers: “Oh they can’t play, they can’t do this, they can’t do that.” He took us to the studio and simply let us play. And he was enormously encouraging to us. So gawd bless him.

Hello mate. Do you still follow the Arsenal these days?
Charlie George
Ah Charlie, Charlie, Charlie George, King Of Highbury! He’s from Holloway, just round the corner from where I grew up. You don’t follow the Arsenal, it’s a life experience, mate. I’m long-term Arsenal. Always will be. We used all of last year to practise in the Premiership, and we still came fourth. Not bad, huh? I think [Arsène] Wenger’s got the right idea, get ’em when they’re young and then raise them as a team. They’re wonderful to watch. I think it’s great that Henry’s moved on and I’m really pleased that he’s doing well at Barcelona [er, not really – Ed], but he was lopsiding us as a team. You can’t be bigger than the team. ’Fraid not. Same with music…

Is it true you wrote a song for Kate Bush?
Justin Lewis, Newark
Oh yes. Years ago, I sent her a song I’d written. I don’t think she understood it. It was called “Bird In Hand”. It was about the illegal exportation of parrots from South America. No, don’t laugh! It’s a serious subject. It’s cruel. But I think she thought it was a reference to her, which it certainly wasn’t! But she’s a wonderful, wonderful woman, stunningly innovative and creative. One of our finest.

Did you ever imagine that the clothes you were wearing in the Sex Pistols – specifically Vivienne Westwood – would become so significant that they would ultimately be exhibited in museums as iconic symbols of 20th-century fashion and culture? And how do you feel when you see that look watered down and adopted by the mainstream who have no concept of punk?
Róisín Murphy
If we get the money for it, that’s fine. But imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. And unfortunately the fashion industry absolutely thrives off our reputation, our imagery and our work. And what they’re trying to do is steal our wings without earning them. Thievery is the order of the day there. And as for Vivienne – she’s spiteful, opinionated, bitchy, self-indulgent… And that’s the nicest thing I can say about her.

What are your memories of [Magazine, Banshees and PiL guitarist] John McGeoch?
Tom Lawrence
Oh, he shall be missed. But he went weird towards the end, for the last few years. He created so much turmoil in his life that his death was almost like a relief. He wouldn’t stop drinking, and when you’ve got a dodgy liver, it’s not a wise move. So, self-inflicted, but easily understood, because the pressures of this industry are enormous. Very few of us have the staying power. I’m only here out of sheer spite!

Lydon is an absolute hero of mine – when are we going to record something together?
Thurston Moore
Ah, Sonic Youth, what a great band, I love ’em. Remind me a lot of PiL, the spontaneity, the fact that they seem to rehearse on stage, take chances, never play the same way twice. I dunno Thurston, there was a time, maybe a few years back, when I might have been up for it. Maybe I will be soon. It’s got to be the right time, right song, right attitude, right vibe, and it’s the planning that goes on in this industry that kills off all those things. All my collaborations have been incredibly spontaneous – the work with Afrika Bambaataa and Leftfield were just right for the moment.

Is it true that both you and Malcolm McLaren both had trials for Arsenal when you were teenagers?
Bazza
Well I certainly did. I was 14, a scout came to our school and got me to try out. I got to wear the shirt, but I wasn’t good enough. But Malcolm? Ha ha! Someone showed me an interview [Uncut, Take 112] where he claimed he had trials. I found that hilarious. The man is robbing my bleeding life story because he doesn’t have one of his own! Can you imagine Little Lord Fauntleroy Malcolm in football shorts? I suppose he’d need lace cuffs and Elizabethan tights…

What’s the best Sex Pistols film?
Pete, Herne Hill
The Filth And The Fury, period, the end. The Great Rock’N’Roll Swindle is Malcolm’s pamphlet to thievery. Sid & Nancy was a ridiculous cartoon. I think that it led to the nonsense we had with Courtney Love years later, where heroin became something sacred. It’s not, love. I lost Sid, my best and dearest friend, to heroin, and it’s not nice. You’ve got to get away from drugs as escapism. There’s nothing you need to run away from yourself as a human being. Quite the opposite. Learn to love thyself and all will be fine.

I love your sense of humour – the grumpy old auntie demeanour never fails to raise a smile. Ever thought of stand-up?
Nige Cain, Manchester
Is that what it is? Ha ha! I’ve always thought that everything I do has a dose of comedy in it. All the way through my life. The Sex Pistols, we never really thought of ourselves as some dead serious load of old nonsense, it was always more to do with humanity and humour. There was no vicious undertone in us, no nasty edge. And certainly none of the deadpan, dreary political opinions like The Clash wallowed in. We lived in the real world. We actually did come from council flats. We knew the consequences of socialism.

Have you ever thought about retiring?
Julian Clary
Ah, dear old Julian. Listen, I’d give it all up in a flying fart second if I wanted to. But I’m only doing this because I love it. I’m now 51, and I feel quite happy about that. And if you don’t, then fuck off, ’cos this is my life, mate, not yours. As for the old Pete Townsend lyric, “I hope I die before I get old” – well, no! No! Every time I meet Pete I tell him the same thing: “Aren’t you sorry you said that?”

Any chance of a Public Image Limited reunion?
James McConnon
Which variety? There have been so many! There’s only two people I truly respect out of the PiL era – one is [Jah] Wobble, the other one is Lu Edmonds. Those two are diamonds. The others, well… PiL is a very difficult operation to run. It requires vast amounts of money. It’s what’s kept me bankrupt most of my life. But the music was always excellent. It’s my favourite time of life, because there were no limits on creativity. We experimented with every single aspect of music. And we wrote great, great pop singles.

What do you think Sid Vicious would’ve said about you going on I’m A Celebrity?
David Murphy, Bow, London
He’d have loved it! In fact he’d have come with me. And he’d have had the hammock. I loved Celebrity. Loved it. The bugs, the ostriches, even Peter Andre! Lovely, happy fellow, pity he’s gotta spend his life with Jordan, ha ha! Yes, I did storm out, but for a distinct reason, which was never reported. My wife was flying in to Australia a few days after I started, and I’d asked the producers to tell me if she’d landed safely. And they didn’t. Now, me and my wife were booked to go on the Lockerbie flight in 1988 – we missed it because she didn’t pack in time – so I think it’s reasonable to want to know that she hasn’t been blown into outer space by some religious fanatic. And I was outraged that they wouldn’t. So I threatened to leave and they called my bluff, and I was out.

What would I find in your record collection?
Sid Drib, Maidstone, Kent
Lots of dust. It’s pretty huge. I’m getting a bit short-sighted now, so I just file everything according to colour, and pick up random CDs. You’ll find everything there – jungle, Chris Isaak, Abba, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, the lot. Oh, and Mozart. Always Mozart. That crept into me from the soundtrack to that wonderful film, Barry Lyndon. Some elements of country music annoy me, so you won’t find much of that. Same with New Orleans trad jazz, those silly banjos and soprano saxes really bug me. It sounds like a French traffic jam. Otherwise, anything goes.

How does it feel to you, performing songs that you wrote over 30 years ago?
Ryan Borkala, Leeds
I’m very, very proud that I can stand by every word I said 30 years ago as well as I can today. I got it right, and that’s a difficult thing to say in this industry. And I fought off a lot of conceit and arrogance and grandiose opinions to get that right. We faced some serious traumas with our songs. For people to turn round 30 years on and say, “Well, it don’t seem so threatening now.” You try it then, mate! Any freedoms you have now, we fought for them for you. So don’t turn around and sneer at us!

In 1981, when PiL were on their fifth drummer in 18 months, the NME ran an April Fool news story about Ginger Baker joining the band. Was that why you hired him five years later?
Chris Cowan
Ha ha! Actually, I’m not keen on these spoof stories. I hear at least two about me every year. They might start out as some drunk arse having a wheeze, but it ends up being disruptive, like all gossip. The worst thing is that people often believe them! Anyway, Ginger Baker was an absolutely smashing bloke, as was everyone on Album. Steve Vai, Ravi Shankar, Ryuichi Sakamoto – we came together as friends. There was more talk than there was actual play, which was very important. And the late, great Tony Williams [legendary Miles Davis drummer] – what a fantastic, wonderful human being. It’s a shame that his music still isn’t really appreciated. People don’t know how to listen to humanity.

Are you really mates with Dave Gilmour?
Steve McDermott, Dublin
Great bloke. They asked me last year to sing something off Dark Side Of The Moon with them for a gig in LA. And I would have done it, too, except I was off doing a documentary on bugs for the Discovery Channel. The whole “I Hate Pink Floyd Thing” was hilarious. Anyone who took that seriously needs a new head. As it happens, I love early Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett – the original Sid Vicious, by the way – and even some of the ’70s stuff. I just hated the assumption that they were holier than God and you couldn’t give them a knock. What was even more hilarious is that my brother went to Tollington Park school, and the art teacher there was Roger Waters’ wife! So it’s a small world. Unless she was lying, of course… them fake hippies!

When you see old footage of the Pistols, what do you think now, apart from the rather slimmer waistlines?
Andy Ruff, Horsham
The waistlines don’t worry me. It’s the pimples. To be a pop star at an early age is a terrible thing, because all you’re really worried about is acne. Poor Sid was so worried about his pimples. That boy would go into such deep, deep traumas about it. But always with the greatest possible humour, bless him.

Is there an unreleased studio version, without vocals, of the Pistols’ “Belsen Was A Gas” out there?
Carlos “Cake” Nunez, California
Oh, for Christ’s sake, why would people care? We released what we released and that’s it. I don’t think there’s bugger-all left in the can. As it happens, the only reason we came back together this year was to re-record “Anarchy…” and “Pretty Vacant” for the Guitar Hero computer game – we’d agreed to do it but then found out that Virgin had lost the master tapes. Can you imagine that? They lost the masters for the album that made them famous! Hilarious.

Photo: Davis Factor ©Drrmgmt

Iggy Pop to play a serial killer in Dario Argento horror ‘The Sandman’

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Iggy Pop to play a serial killer in Dario Argento horror ‘The Sandman’
Iggy Pop has revealed he will play a serial killer in the next film from legendary Italian horror director Dario Argento. The filmmaker behind shockers like Suspiria and Tenebrae is aiming to raise $250,000 towards the cost of shooting the film through an IndieGogo crowdfunding campaign. In a vi...

Iggy Pop has revealed he will play a serial killer in the next film from legendary Italian horror director Dario Argento.

The filmmaker behind shockers like Suspiria and Tenebrae is aiming to raise $250,000 towards the cost of shooting the film through an IndieGogo crowdfunding campaign.

In a video posted on Youtube to raise awareness of their project Pop said: “To make a Christmas movie with the master, with Dario Argento… That would be a dream come true. The master of Italian horror… The man whose strange, beautiful and terrifying films have always fascinated and thrilled me.”

He added: “If I could play the Sandman for Dario, it would make my life complete. And I hope I haven’t just written my own epitaph.”

Argento has said the film was written for him as a tribute to his movies. It is not to be confused with a forthcoming adaptation of the Neil Gaiman graphic novel. “It begins on Christmas Day,” he said. “On this Christmas when a child witnesses his mother murdered by a serial killer.”

He added: “I am tired of these Christmas movies showing goodness, beauty, snowflakes, sleds pulled by reindeer… I’d rather have a Christmas movie where there is also strength, violence, horror.”

The film’s synopsis has revealed: “The Sandman tells the story of Nathan, a young student in the city who struggles to forget his childhood trauma at the hands of the serial killer dubbed ‘The Sandman’.

“Nathan killed The Sandman (Iggy Pop) years ago, on Christmas Eve, after he witnessed the murder of his mother… until he sees the beautiful woman who lives in the apartment across the way dying at the hands of that same masked killer.

“This brutal murder plunges Nathan into an odyssey into the night country of his past, his dreams… and the buried secrets of The Sandman. Christmas is coming, and so is The Sandman.”

The soundtrack will feature an exclusive song by former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland, reports Rolling Stone. The other music in the film will be performed by Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, the band that provided music for Argento’s Suspiria, Profondo Rosso and Phenomena.

Watch Iggy Pop and Dario Argento discuss their plans for the film in the video below.

Neil Young says there will be “no more Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young shows – ever”

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Neil Young says there will be “no more Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young shows – ever”
Neil Young has announced there will be "no more CSNY shows – ever". The singer-songwriter made the statement onstage at Philadelphia's Academy Of Music on Wednesday night (October 8), reportedly adding, "but I love those guys". Many have speculated that Young's decision stems from the recent c...

Neil Young has announced there will be “no more CSNY shows – ever”.

The singer-songwriter made the statement onstage at Philadelphia’s Academy Of Music on Wednesday night (October 8), reportedly adding, “but I love those guys”.

Many have speculated that Young’s decision stems from the recent comments that David Crosby made to the Idaho Statesman about Young’s new partner, Daryl Hannah.

“Thirty-seven years! That’s a freakin’ miracle,” Crosby said of Young’s marriage. “And I just don’t feel the urge to go try something new. And I happen to know that he’s hanging out with somebody that’s a purely poisonous predator now. And that’s karma. He’s gonna get hurt. But I understand why it happened. I’m just sad about it. I’m always sad when I see love get tossed in the gutter.”

Young’s new album Storytone is released on November 4.

John McLaughlin: “A lot of jazz today is pathetic – I want blood on the floor!”

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John McLaughlin: “A lot of jazz today is pathetic – I want blood on the floor!”
John McLaughlin discusses his long, exploratory career in the new issue of Uncut, dated November 2014 and out now. The pioneering jazz guitarist recalls his time playing with Miles Davis, Jack Bruce, Carlos Santana, Paco De Lucia and his own Mahavishnu Orchestra, as well as his jam with Jimi Hend...

John McLaughlin discusses his long, exploratory career in the new issue of Uncut, dated November 2014 and out now.

The pioneering jazz guitarist recalls his time playing with Miles Davis, Jack Bruce, Carlos Santana, Paco De Lucia and his own Mahavishnu Orchestra, as well as his jam with Jimi Hendrix at Electric Lady Studios.

“A lot of the music they call jazz [today], I wouldn’t give it the time of day,” McLaughlin tells Uncut.

“It’s as shallow as a teacup. Or a saucer! It’s pathetic, it’s really a shame. I want blood on the floor.”

The new issue of Uncut is out now.

An interview with Paul Weller: “When I was younger, I was much more set in my ways…”

Michael Bonner
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An interview with Paul Weller: “When I was younger, I was much more set in my ways…”
In the last issue of Uncut, I reviewed Paul Weller's Classic Album Selection Volume 1; the first five solo albums in one handy box, in other words. It occurred to me, it might be a nice idea to subsequently post the full transcript of my interview with Weller, which formed the basis of our July 2014...

In the last issue of Uncut, I reviewed Paul Weller’s Classic Album Selection Volume 1; the first five solo albums in one handy box, in other words. It occurred to me, it might be a nice idea to subsequently post the full transcript of my interview with Weller, which formed the basis of our July 2014 cover story. The interview mostly took place in Weller’s favoured Maida Vale cafe, but we ended up sitting in his Mini Cooper Clubman next to Regent’s Canal, where he gave me a taster of his forthcoming projects. Anyway, the interview was ostensibly to tie-in with a compilation, More Modern Classics. Which is where the conversation begins…

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Uncut, July 2014 issue
Uncut, July 2014 issue

Why this compilation now? Does it represent a particular chapter of your career?
I realised it had been 15 years since the last Modern Classics. Does it define a chapter? I’m not sure really, because it’s got the new song on it as well. I just thought there was so much material, I forgot how many songs there were. That’s a good enough reason, I suppose.

Do you find it easy to go back and select tracks for a compilation?
We just did it chronologically, so it wasn’t too difficult. It’s pretty much just all the A-sides. I don’t know if it’s all of them, because there’s been some one-off limited edition things as well. So it wasn’t too difficult.

The track listing is weighted towards the last three albums. Is there a reason for that?
Only because there’s more records in the last few years though, really. There’s been three albums in, what, five years or something like that? Which is probably more than I did in the whole ten years before that. There’s a lot of music, a lot of songs. It’s a good enough reason for me, anyway.

Do you think the earlier records featured here are undervalued?
Maybe, in press terms, I suppose. We got glowing reviews for the last three records, really, pretty much across the board. I can’t remember how the others were received.

But what did you think of them?
Well, there’s always good songs. There’s some albums I like better than others, but even the ones I don’t particularly care for, there’s always going to be a couple of good songs on there for me. But I did think probably from As Is Now up to Sonik Kicks there’s more of a richer stream of music. It just feels like its re-energised to me. But there was some good songs on Heliocentric. I have mixed feelings about records, because I also think about how I felt when I was making it. Heliocentric was like pulling teeth, a difficult record to make. I don’t know why. But there was always good bits on it. We had Robert Kirby arranging strings and orchestrations and stuff on it. It was great to work with him. Illumination? I can’t even remember it too well, really. But in the last few years, I’ve felt a lot more creative. There’s been a lot more music coming out of me. I suppose working with different people, different producers, different musicians, I think it’s a good place I’ve arrived at where I don’t really feel any constraints or shackles about what I should do with my music. I follow wherever it goes. I think with Heliocentric, it was almost like it was tacked onto the Nineties, so it was still following on from Heavy Soul and Stanley Road a little bit. I don’t really listen to the old records too much. I’ve had to, putting this compilation together, but I don’t generally go back and listen to them.

Why is that?
It’s just a general disappointment with a lot of it really. I always think it could be better. Not just the bass level and those fiddly little things, but just generally. It’s a good thing and a bad thing. It always leaves you slightly unsatisfied but is also the thing that drives you forward.

How important was Simon Dine in this part of your career?
My renaissance, you mean? [laughs] Yeah, it was good working with him. It was a different way of working. I always like working with people, definitely. I’m also not clever enough to do it all myself. But that isn’t just it. I like working with a band, I like working with people. I’m always open and receptive to other people’s ideas. I’ve got very set ideas about what we should be doing. But it’s not so tied in that I won’t listen to someone else’s ideas.

Do you have an example?
When I write a song, I can hear how I think it should be – how the drums could be or the instrumentation – but it’s not set in stone. Maybe it would have been at one time. But if it goes off and changes and becomes something else, then that’s fine as well.

The Smiths, Lou Reed and Kraftwerk nominated for induction into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2015

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The Smiths, Lou Reed and Kraftwerk nominated for induction into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2015
The Smiths, Lou Reed and Kraftwerk are among the nominees for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2015. Also nominated are Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, NWA, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts, Chic and Sting, alongsie The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Marvelettes, The Spinners, Stevie R...

The Smiths, Lou Reed and Kraftwerk are among the nominees for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2015.

Also nominated are Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, NWA, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts, Chic and Sting, alongsie The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Marvelettes, The Spinners, Stevie Ray Vaughan, War and Bill Withers.

2015 marks the first year that both Green Day and Nine Inch Nails are eligible for entry into the Hall Of Fame, as an artist has to have released an album a minimum of 25 years prior to their inclusion. The 1989 release of Nine Inch Nails’ debut album ‘Pretty Hate Machine’, and ‘1,000 Hours’, Green Day’s first EP, will make them eligible from next year.

Earlier this year, Gene Simmons of rockers Kiss spoke out about his frustration with rap and hip-hop artists being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The singer/bassist argued that the likes of Run-DMC have no place in the Hall Of Fame, believing that all they do is “sample and they talk. Not even sing”.

Meanwhile, Nirvana were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year (2014) and recruited Lorde, St Vincent and Kim Gordon to perform their songs live at the induction ceremony with them in the absence of late frontman, Kurt Cobain.

Kim Gordon to publish ‘Girl In A Band’ memoir in February

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Kim Gordon to publish ‘Girl In A Band’ memoir in February
Kim Gordon will publish her autobiography, Girl In A Band, in February 2015. The memoir will be published by HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books and will "chronicle her choice to leave Los Angeles in the early '80s for the post-punk scene in New York City, where she formed Sonic Youth". "Ofte...

Kim Gordon will publish her autobiography, Girl In A Band, in February 2015.

The memoir will be published by HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books and will “chronicle her choice to leave Los Angeles in the early ’80s for the post-punk scene in New York City, where she formed Sonic Youth”.

“Often described as aloof, Kim Gordon truly opens up in Girl In A Band,” a synopsis reads. “Telling the story of her childhood, her life in art, her move to New York City, her love affairs, her marriage, her relationship with her daughter, and her band, this is a rich and beautifully written memoir.

“An atmospheric look at the New York of the ’80s and ’90s that gave rise to Sonic Youth, as well as the alternative revolution in popular music that Sonic Youth helped usher in, paving the way for Nirvana, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins and many other acts. One of the most revered people in modern rock and roll, Kim Gordon is also a highly regarded fashion icon, visual artist, and the source of much fascination.”

The book will also take a look at “the examination of what partnership means – and what happens when it dissolves,” a reference Gordon’s 2011 split and from Thurston Moore, her husband and Sonic Youth frontman.

The memoir’s title refers to the lyric “What’s it like to be a girl in a band?/ I don’t quite understand” from 2009 Sonic Youth track “Sacred Trickster”.

Gordon was a member of the iconic group from their foundation in 1981 until 2011, when the band went on hiatus after her separation from Moore. She has since formed a new band, Body/Head, with Vampire Belt member Bill Nace. In April of this year she joined vocalists including St. Vincent, Lorde and Joan Jett in fronting Nirvana during the band’s reformation during their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction.

Photo: Pieter M Van Hattem

Neil Young performs solo in Philadelphia – watch him play new songs

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Neil Young performs solo in Philadelphia – watch him play new songs
Neil Young has continued his solo tour in Philadelphia, as videos of him performing new songs at his Boston show a few days ago surface. Click below to watch his performance of "When I Watch You Sleeping" (previously known to fans as "Trace My Tears"). Young played Philadelphia's Academy Of Musi...

Neil Young has continued his solo tour in Philadelphia, as videos of him performing new songs at his Boston show a few days ago surface.

Click below to watch his performance of “When I Watch You Sleeping” (previously known to fans as “Trace My Tears”).

Young played Philadelphia’s Academy Of Music last night (October 8), with the set remaining largely similar to his brace of Boston shows.

He ended again with the rarely performed “Thrasher”, and played the same two covers from his A Letter Home album, Tim Hardin’s “Reason To Believe” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind”.

Neil Young is releasing his forthcoming Storytone album in two different versions, according to a listing on iTunes.

One edition features 10 tracks, recorded mainly with a 92-piece orchestra and choir, while the other, presumably deluxe edition, also includes versions of the tracks recorded solo alongside the orchestral versions. Both editions are released on November 4.

Neil Young played:

“From Hank To Hendrix”

“On The Way Home”

“Only Love Can Break Your Heart”

“I’m Glad I Found You”

“Mellow My Mind”

“Reason To Believe”

“Someday”

“If You Could Read My Mind”

“Harvest”

“Old Man”

“Pocahontas”

“Heart Of Gold”

“Plastic Flowers”

“A Man Needs A Maid”

“Ohio”

“Southern Man”

“Who’s Gonna Stand Up?”

“Mother Earth”

“When I Watch You Sleeping (a.k.a Trace My Tears)”

“Harvest Moon”

“After The Gold Rush”

“Thrasher”

Photo: Aaron Farley

The 38th Uncut Playlist Of 2014

John Mulvey
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The 38th Uncut Playlist Of 2014

Listening dominated by The Necks this week, and a couple of sets I bought from them at the show on Monday night (Read my review of The Necks live at Café Oto here…). But as you'll see, some significant action elsewhere on the playlist. Play ball! Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey 1 Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes (Bittorrent!) Read my review of " Tomorrow's Modern Boxes" here… 2 Landlady - Upright Behavior (Hometapes) 3 The Necks - Open (ReR) Read my review of The Necks live at Café Oto here… 4 Blake Mills - Heigh Ho (Verve) 5 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - I'm In Your Mind Fuzz (Heavenly/Castle Face) 6 Various Artists - I'm Just Like You: Sly's Stone Flower 1969-70 (Light In The Attic) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrAc04Nh6M4 7 Neil Young - Storytone (Reprise) 8 Frazey Ford - Indian Ocean (Nettwerk) Read my review of Frazey Ford's "Indian Ocean" here… 9 Sun Kil Moon - War On Drugs: Suck My Cock (www.sunkilmoon.com/mkwod/index.html) 10 The Necks - Sex (Fish Of Milk) 11 Rhyton - Kykeon (Thrill Jockey) 12 Jozef Van Wissem - It Is Time For You To Return (Made To Measure/Crammed Discs) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR5yO4FxHKs 13 Primus - Primus & The Chocolate Factory With The Fungi Ensemble (ATO) 14 Various Artists - Native North America (Vol 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock And Country 1966-1985 (Light In The Attic) 15 The Necks - Aethenaeum, Homebush, Quay, And Raab (Fish Of Milk) 16 Hamish Kilgour - All Of It And Nothing (Ba Da Bing) 17 Various Artists - Truckers, Kickers, Cowboy Angels: The Blissed-Out Birth Of Country Rock Volume 1, 1966-1968 (Bear Family) 18 Ausmuteants - Order Of Operation (Aarght) 19 AC/DC - Play Ball (Columbia) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGD3dJ52vsI 20 Milton Nascimento & Lo Borges - Clube Da Esquina (RPM) 21 [REDACTED]

Listening dominated by The Necks this week, and a couple of sets I bought from them at the show on Monday night (Read my review of The Necks live at Café Oto here…). But as you’ll see, some significant action elsewhere on the playlist. Play ball!

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey

1 Thom Yorke – Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes (Bittorrent!)

Read my review of ” Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes” here…

2 Landlady – Upright Behavior (Hometapes)

3 The Necks – Open (ReR)

Read my review of The Necks live at Café Oto here…

4 Blake Mills – Heigh Ho (Verve)

5 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – I’m In Your Mind Fuzz (Heavenly/Castle Face)

6 Various Artists – I’m Just Like You: Sly’s Stone Flower 1969-70 (Light In The Attic)

7 Neil Young – Storytone (Reprise)

8 Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean (Nettwerk)

Read my review of Frazey Ford’s “Indian Ocean” here…

9 Sun Kil Moon – War On Drugs: Suck My Cock (www.sunkilmoon.com/mkwod/index.html)

10 The Necks – Sex (Fish Of Milk)

11 Rhyton – Kykeon (Thrill Jockey)

12 Jozef Van Wissem – It Is Time For You To Return (Made To Measure/Crammed Discs)

13 Primus – Primus & The Chocolate Factory With The Fungi Ensemble (ATO)

14 Various Artists – Native North America (Vol 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock And Country 1966-1985 (Light In The Attic)

15 The Necks – Aethenaeum, Homebush, Quay, And Raab (Fish Of Milk)

16 Hamish Kilgour – All Of It And Nothing (Ba Da Bing)

17 Various Artists – Truckers, Kickers, Cowboy Angels: The Blissed-Out Birth Of Country Rock Volume 1, 1966-1968 (Bear Family)

18 Ausmuteants – Order Of Operation (Aarght)

19 AC/DC – Play Ball (Columbia)

20 Milton Nascimento & Lo Borges – Clube Da Esquina (RPM)

21 [REDACTED]

Bob Carpenter – Silent Passage

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Bob Carpenter – Silent Passage

An LA country-folk masterpiece from 1974, unearthed... If Silent Passage had come out as originally planned in 1974, beardy Americana types might even now be touring a live version of it, much like Robin Pecknold and others have recently been performing Gene Clark’s No Other, an album it much resembles. Warner Bros actually had copies pressed and ready for distribution when a contractual stand-off between Carpenter and producer Brian Ahern saw the album’s release first postponed and eventually cancelled - introspective singer-songwriters no longer so much in vogue by the time the disputed contract had expired. Apart from a limited 1984 release on the small Canadian independent label Stony Plains Records, Silent Passage has therefore not been widely heard in 40 years, Carpenter subsequently pretty much giving up on music, devoting his life to religious studies and becoming ordained as a Buddhist monk even as he was dying in 1995 from inoperable brain cancer. Who was Bob Carpenter? According to a brief 1977 biography, he was part-Ojibway, born into the First Nations tribe at the Temagami Reservation in Northern Ontario and from a young age brought up in foster homes and orphanages, grim circumstances he escaped by joining the navy. Some years of vagabond itinerancy followed, Carpenter eventually in the mid-60s fetching up in Toronto, where he was inspired by Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot, regulars then in the city’s Yorkville folk clubs. During a hostile winter spent alone in a ramshackle log cabin on a remote British Columbia commune, he started writing the unique songs that brought him to the attention of Neil Young producer David Briggs, with whom he began an album for Capitol, soon abandoned after the pair fell out. This was a hint perhaps of difficulties to come when he was signed by Brian Ahern, a young Canadian producer who’d recently launched Anne Murray’s solo career, although he may be even better-known to Uncut readers as producer of Emmylou Harris, who appears here as backing vocalist on several tracks. Ahern took Carpenter to LA, where he’d assembled a crack band to back him that included LA session veterans Lee Sklar on bass and Russ Kunkel on drums, with Little Feat’s Lowell George and Bill Payne on guitar and keyboards, with further appearances from Ben Keith and Buddy Cage on pedal steel. Carpenter later complained Ahern gussied up too many tracks with unwelcome strings, woodwind, horns and backing singers. He would perhaps have preferred a starker sound, the better to accommodate the wounded intimacy of his songs, which were much preoccupied with a prevailing disillusion, not uncommon as the halcyon utopianism of the 60s gave way to the violent inclemency of the 70s (Carpenter’s big on unsettled weather as a metaphor for universal turbulence). To an extent, Silent Passage is a requiem for an era of betrayed promise, hence the grieving tone it shares with No Other and also After The Gold Rush, Jackson Browne’s Late For The Sky, Joni Mitchell’s Blue and Paul Siebel’s Jack-Knife Gypsy, all of them glum reflections on the hippie Diaspora of the era. This was after all a time of break up and disintegration. What had become known as the counterculture was fragmenting, its chastened membership variously embracing desperate hedonism (the “acid, booze and ass/needles, guns and grass” of Joni’s “Blue”), religion and terrorism. As many of the songs on Silent Passage recognise – conspicuously the handsome title track and “Morning Train” - at least until the fog lifted you were now pretty much out in the darkness on your own. The album opens almost jauntily with “Miracle Man”, a country rock gem in any circumstances, something of The Band’s rustic funkiness further enhanced by the bittersweet sting of a typically elegant Lowell George slide guitar solo. Carpenter’s voice, however, a grainy rasp occasionally reminiscent of Richie Havens, inclines more to the desolate woe and fretful uncertainty that consumes the bulk of the record, notably the brooding remorse of “Down Along The Borderline” and “Before My Time”, the eerie visions of “Gypsy Boy” and “First Light”, a dramatic anticipation of approaching apocalypse, the rapture to come, which on the closing “Now And Then” is embraced with startling fatalism. Allan Jones

An LA country-folk masterpiece from 1974, unearthed…

If Silent Passage had come out as originally planned in 1974, beardy Americana types might even now be touring a live version of it, much like Robin Pecknold and others have recently been performing Gene Clark’s No Other, an album it much resembles. Warner Bros actually had copies pressed and ready for distribution when a contractual stand-off between Carpenter and producer Brian Ahern saw the album’s release first postponed and eventually cancelled – introspective singer-songwriters no longer so much in vogue by the time the disputed contract had expired. Apart from a limited 1984 release on the small Canadian independent label Stony Plains Records, Silent Passage has therefore not been widely heard in 40 years, Carpenter subsequently pretty much giving up on music, devoting his life to religious studies and becoming ordained as a Buddhist monk even as he was dying in 1995 from inoperable brain cancer.

Who was Bob Carpenter? According to a brief 1977 biography, he was part-Ojibway, born into the First Nations tribe at the Temagami Reservation in Northern Ontario and from a young age brought up in foster homes and orphanages, grim circumstances he escaped by joining the navy. Some years of vagabond itinerancy followed, Carpenter eventually in the mid-60s fetching up in Toronto, where he was inspired by Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot, regulars then in the city’s Yorkville folk clubs. During a hostile winter spent alone in a ramshackle log cabin on a remote British Columbia commune, he started writing the unique songs that brought him to the attention of Neil Young producer David Briggs, with whom he began an album for Capitol, soon abandoned after the pair fell out. This was a hint perhaps of difficulties to come when he was signed by Brian Ahern, a young Canadian producer who’d recently launched Anne Murray’s solo career, although he may be even better-known to Uncut readers as producer of Emmylou Harris, who appears here as backing vocalist on several tracks.

Ahern took Carpenter to LA, where he’d assembled a crack band to back him that included LA session veterans Lee Sklar on bass and Russ Kunkel on drums, with Little Feat’s Lowell George and Bill Payne on guitar and keyboards, with further appearances from Ben Keith and Buddy Cage on pedal steel. Carpenter later complained Ahern gussied up too many tracks with unwelcome strings, woodwind, horns and backing singers. He would perhaps have preferred a starker sound, the better to accommodate the wounded intimacy of his songs, which were much preoccupied with a prevailing disillusion, not uncommon as the halcyon utopianism of the 60s gave way to the violent inclemency of the 70s (Carpenter’s big on unsettled weather as a metaphor for universal turbulence).

To an extent, Silent Passage is a requiem for an era of betrayed promise, hence the grieving tone it shares with No Other and also After The Gold Rush, Jackson Browne’s Late For The Sky, Joni Mitchell’s Blue and Paul Siebel’s Jack-Knife Gypsy, all of them glum reflections on the hippie Diaspora of the era. This was after all a time of break up and disintegration. What had become known as the counterculture was fragmenting, its chastened membership variously embracing desperate hedonism (the “acid, booze and ass/needles, guns and grass” of Joni’s “Blue”), religion and terrorism. As many of the songs on Silent Passage recognise – conspicuously the handsome title track and “Morning Train” – at least until the fog lifted you were now pretty much out in the darkness on your own.

The album opens almost jauntily with “Miracle Man”, a country rock gem in any circumstances, something of The Band’s rustic funkiness further enhanced by the bittersweet sting of a typically elegant Lowell George slide guitar solo. Carpenter’s voice, however, a grainy rasp occasionally reminiscent of Richie Havens, inclines more to the desolate woe and fretful uncertainty that consumes the bulk of the record, notably the brooding remorse of “Down Along The Borderline” and “Before My Time”, the eerie visions of “Gypsy Boy” and “First Light”, a dramatic anticipation of approaching apocalypse, the rapture to come, which on the closing “Now And Then” is embraced with startling fatalism.

Allan Jones

AC/DC reveal new song “Play Ball” ahead of Rock Or Bust album release – listen

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AC/DC reveal new song “Play Ball” ahead of Rock Or Bust album release – listen
AC/DC have revealed new song "Play Ball". Scroll down to hear the track now. "Play Ball" will appear on AC/DC's new album Rock Or Bust, due for release in December. The song is the band's first new material in six years and is available as a free download for those who pre-order the album now. E...

AC/DC have revealed new song “Play Ball”. Scroll down to hear the track now.

“Play Ball” will appear on AC/DC’s new album Rock Or Bust, due for release in December. The song is the band’s first new material in six years and is available as a free download for those who pre-order the album now.

Earlier this month it was confirmed that guitarist Malcolm Young is suffering from dementia and will not appear on the new album. A statement from Young’s family confirmed the news following tabloid reports.

Rock Or Bust will be the first in the group’s 41-year history not to feature the founder member. The album is to be released on December 1 on Columbia Records. The 11-track LP is the group’s first new album in six years, following 2008’s Black Ice.

It was recorded in Spring 2014 at Warehouse Studio in Vancouver with producer Brendan O’Brien and mixed by Mike Fraser. Stevie Young – nephew of Angus and Malcolm Young – plays rhythm guitar on the album and will accompany the band on tour.

Frontman Brian Johnson previously said he toyed with the idea of calling the album ‘Man Down’ in reference to Young’s absence, “but it’s a bit negative and it was probably just straight from the heart. I like that.”

Patti Smith to celebrate 40th anniversary of Horses with special gigs in London, Paris, New York

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Patti Smith to celebrate 40th anniversary of Horses with special gigs in London, Paris, New York
Patti Smith is set to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her seminal 1975 album Horses with special gigs in London, Paris and New York. Speaking to Rolling Stone about next year's anniversary, she said: "The exact date is November 10, and I want to celebrate it in New York in a special way. We hav...

Patti Smith is set to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her seminal 1975 album Horses with special gigs in London, Paris and New York.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about next year’s anniversary, she said: “The exact date is November 10, and I want to celebrate it in New York in a special way. We have things we’ll be doing in Paris and London, everywhere, because it’s a true milestone. I’m proud to have a milestone like that.”

She added that the anniversary gigs wouldn’t be cynical cash-ins, commenting: “So I’m going to be happy to celebrate it, to perform the album with happiness, not with any kind of cynicism or a cashing-in thing. It will be a true, proud celebration…”

Smith also revealed that she is just about to finish her new book, the follow-up to 2010’s acclaimed Just Kids. She explained that the book is “sort of” set in the present.

“I wanted to write a contemporary book or just write whatever I felt like writing about, and it’s things going from literature to coffee to memories of Fred [‘Sonic’ Smith, Patti’s late husband and member of the MC5] in Michigan,” she revealed. “It’s whatever I felt. I hopped on a train and kept going.”

Stephen Hawking contributes vocals to new Pink Floyd song ‘Talkin’ Hawkin”

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Stephen Hawking contributes vocals to new Pink Floyd song ‘Talkin’ Hawkin”
Stephen Hawking reportedly appears on new Pink Floyd album The Endless River, contributing to a song titled "Talkin' Hawkin'". This would mark the physicist's second collaboration with Pink Floyd, having previously appeared on 1994's The Division Bell. Additionally, David Gilmour sings lead voca...

Stephen Hawking reportedly appears on new Pink Floyd album The Endless River, contributing to a song titled “Talkin’ Hawkin'”.

This would mark the physicist’s second collaboration with Pink Floyd, having previously appeared on 1994’s The Division Bell.

Additionally, David Gilmour sings lead vocals on the song “Louder Than Words”, which also features string quartet Escala.

The band will release The Endless River on November 10. As previously reported, the album will include music recorded with multi-instrumentalist Richard Wright, who died in 2008 aged 65.

Former member Roger Waters recently issued a statement about his lack of involvement in the new Pink Floyd album. Waters, who left the band in 1985, issued the message to fans via Facebook after receiving inquiries about his role in The Endless River. Explaining that he has nothing to do with the album and that he is no longer a member of the band, Waters signed off the message by telling people to “get a grip”.

Speaking last year, drummer Nick Mason revealed that he would be interested in a full band reunion with Waters, but was not certain it would ever materialise.

The Endless River tracklisting is:

“Things Left Unsaid”

“It’s What We Do”

“Ebb And Flow”

“Sum”

“Skins”

“Unsung”

“Anisina”

“The Lost Art Of Conversation”

“On Noodle Street”

“Night Light”

“Allons-y (1)”

“Autumn’68”

“Allons-y (2)”

“Talkin’ Hawkin'”

“Calling”

“Eyes To Pearls”

“Surfacing”

“Louder Than Words”

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