Over 50 years of music

Why not take your own musical journey

My lifelong musical journey. Highlighting the albums I have purchased which have then influenced my musical exploration ever since.

My musical journey – Part 10

10/10 – Day 10 of 10 and the final stop in a journey that started with Peters and Lee (really!) in the 1970s. Its been fun looking back on the albums in my record collection that have played a major part in my musical journey up to now, but it has come to an end.

So looking at recent times and some of the records that have jumped out at me over the last few years it’s bit of a mixed bag really. A number of albums I came to late, years after they were released such as Pretzel Logic, Joe Cocker, Prince and an XTC album I’ve only recently come across., but my list also includes some more up to date artists such as Tom Speight and Muse.

If you want to explore your record collection then go-ahead and, like me, you will probably enjoy it and reacquaint yourself with some of those LPs that have been long lost in this day and age of streaming.

Acid house country music

Thanks to The Hairy Lemon

My lifelong musical journey. Highlighting the albums I have purchased which have then influenced my musical exploration ever since.

My musical journey – Part 9

9/10 – Day 9 of 10 and the penultimate day of a 50-year journey. This post, the noughties.

The noughties proved to be a time of broadening tastes as I opened up my considerable ears to other genres. So a very wide net this time although the Blues and RnB is still there and I’m still discovering.

One of the most striking finds in this decade for me was the discovery of Alabama 3’s Exile on Coldharbour Lane. I first heard the album on a boys weekend away in Cork, about 4:30 in the afternoon in a bar called ‘The Hairy Lemon’ – well that’s what my memory tells me anyway. And it has hooked me ever since. A real crash of multiple different styles that just work.

Other albums mentioned also bring back fabulous memories including seeing Madonna’s Confession show at Cardiff that was frankly the most incredible show I’ve ever seen. The Jose Gonzalas and Kate Bush albums are also fabulous albums and remind me of good friendship. Thanks Cathryn.

The heady days of a single life disappear

My lifelong musical journey. Highlighting the albums I have purchased which have then influenced my musical exploration ever since.

My musical journey – Part 8

8/10 – My next selection covers the whole of the 90s. After the heady days of a single life and visiting many pubs and clubs offering live music in the 80s establishing the foundation of my musical tastes, the 90s was a lot quieter for me as kids came along and The Tube was replaced with Thomas the Tank and the Teletubbies.

 

My tastes were broadened as different people came into my life and I started to explore folk and roots music as well as discover and explore more established and popular acts. There also seems to be a definite lean towards Irish music too…… although thankfully no musical choices were influenced by the Teletubbies.

One of the World’s finest guitar players

Music from the late 80s

My lifelong musical journey. Highlighting the albums I have purchased which have then influenced my musical exploration ever since.

My musical journey – Part 7

7/10 – Late 80s not and obsession with RnB and Blues continues with a few excursions out to the fringes. Throw a few curve balls in to complete the set.

J Geils, really! I hear you say. Trust me, the first 2 albums the band released are very different. And Albert Lee, one of the most respected guitar players on the planet.

Enjoy this mixed bag.

RnB all the way

Chart music has been totally eclipsed

My lifelong musical journey. Highlighting the albums I have purchased which have then influenced my musical exploration ever since.

6/10 – We are now mid-80s and my interest in live and recorded RnB has really taken off, completely removing any reference to chart music in my list of influential albums. This was largely influenced by the dynamic ‘Channel 4 programme ‘The Tube’, which had by now, for me anyway, totally eclipsed the tired format of Top of the Pops.

My musical journey – Part 6

Additional help was provided by Catapiller Records in North Street Exeter, my local secondhand music retailer; and my involvement with a local RnB outfit called Johnny Smeg and the Bluesbums who I was a roadie for mainly because I didn’t have the musical talent to be a band member. My mother thought the name was hilarious and always insisted on calling them ‘The Bluebums’, totally missing the smeg reference.

The band have had a huge influence on my life since, no more more so than it was where I first met Lynda my wife.

Feeling the Blues

Guitar music is where its at

My lifelong musical journey. Highlighting the albums I have purchased which have then influenced my musical exploration ever since.

My musical journey – Part 5

5/10 – We are now early 1980s, and my time as a BT Apprentice are well and truly underway, my choices don’t have a new-romantic in them, but are dominated by bands outside the charts – choices influenced by The Tube and my Apprentice peers.

I’ve left behind electronic pop, pioneered by Gary Numan, and headed towards guitar-dominated records, many with RnB and Blues influences. This is where I began to find my home.

Punk and R & B

The World of work beckons

My lifelong musical journey. Highlighting the albums I have purchased which have then influenced my musical exploration ever since.

My musical journey – Part 4

4/10 – 1980 and the year I left school and the World of work beckoned. But first I spent a year at Exeter College where Simon introduced me to mod music, a natural extension from my already burgeoning interest in Ska, and also lead me to explore Punk – yes ok I know I was a bit late.

Then I joined BT as an apprentice and my eyes were fully opened to the World of Rhythm and Blues, (just to be clear, not that Beyonce bollocks), helped considerably by binge-watching repeatedly The Blues Brothers movie.

It was also around this time that Channel 4 launched, and Friday night meant ‘The Tube’. The Tube provided an alternative to the BBC mimed chart based Top of the Pops. Hence this lead me away from ‘The Charts’ as all these bands I’d never heard of were performing live in the early evening on TV. A very exciting time.

Pop and a new genre

Promising progress

My lifelong musical journey. Highlighting the albums I have purchased which have then influenced my musical exploration ever since.From day 2s dabbling into ska and new wave, a new direction is opened today.

My musical journey – Part 3

3/10 – The time is the late 70s and very early 80s, and new romantics were about to come out of the closet in immaculate makeup – and that was just the boys. However, that wasn’t a genre that interested me enough to buy any albums from the pretty boys of Duran Duran or Spandau Ballet. Instead, I went classical thanks to ‘Music For Pleasure’ and school friend Larry.

Larry opened my eyes to the World of classical music with some absolute classics, which has lead me to explore further ever since and find some breathtaking music, which I return to often to this day. Of course, at the same time, I was still pursuing my journey in popular music.

Thanks Larry.

70s musical delights.

Progress after a dodgy start

So after yesterday’s rock n roll start we move on to post 2 of 10.

Documenting my record collection musical ‘highlights’ (many of the LPs/CDs are still with me), which have had a big impact over me from a child to now – these records were often my first dip into finding out more about a particular artist encouraging me to explore further …. all over 10 posts.

My musical journey – Part 2

2/10 – So where does day 2 take us? Can it possibly top the heady heights of yesterday? Well today we have hit the mid to late 70s and the beginning of my teenage years. You will notice that I have begun to explore some artists tantalisingly just out of my grasp on the TofPs No. 52 album from yesterday.

I had also progressed away from the family radiogram, and now had my own Bush Record Player (given to me by my Uncle John) meaning I could annoy my parents playing the records in my bedroom.

My first ‘proper’ album I actually purchased myself with my own pocket money – ignoring the TotPs disappointment – was Supertramp.

I then started to explore new-wave and Ska. And lets face it, you couldn’t escape Rumours or Queen at that time.

You will notice no disco records. I do like a good disco track – Boogie Nights being my first disco hit that really grabbed me – but didn’t tempt me enough to buy an album.Tomorrow we move to my later school years and some choices that my school friend Larry influenced.

Peters and Lee, and James Last. Really!?

What to do during the Coronavirus lockdown

Its lockdown and to alleviate the boredom of being stuck at home for 3 months I’ve decided to undertake the enjoyable task of documenting my record collection musical highlights (many of the LPs/CDs are still with me), which have had a big impact (some good and some not so good) over me from a child to now …. all over 10 blog posts.

My musical journey – Part 1.

1/10. So here we go. The start. The early years. Early to mid 1970s. Heavily influenced by my parent’s record collection which I could play on their ‘radiogram’ (anybody under 50, ask your parents), under strict supervision. As you’ll see their tastes were very middle of the road with a few ‘Pop LPs’ thrown in which were my choice as gifts at Christmas or for birthdays as I hadn’t yet started earning so relied on my pocket money which in the 1970s was primarily spent on Curly Wurlys and Jamboree Bags! The net post will document the beginning of my teenage years. I hope my choices over the next 10 posts spark a few nostalgic memories for people.