13 Songs – 13

 Northern Sky – Nick Drake

I once spent a most wonderful afternoon driving from Peterborough to Tanworth-in-Arden (having stopped off for a whistle-stop press pass at a Web-offset printer in Kidderminster). The reason for heading to Kidderminster was to oversee the printing of Match magazine. The reason to then divert from my journey home to North London (where, as part of the NL liberal media elite I was a leading member of the sinister Wokerati movement that controls every aspect of British life, I personally oversaw a huge influx of Tofu and illegal immigrants into the UK), was to visit the hometown and final resting place of singer-songwriter Nick Drake.

Drake’s ashes are buried in a beautiful spot under an Oak Tree in the graveyard of the Church of St Mary Magdelene, in Tanworth-in-Arden. On the occasion of my visit, the sun was dipping and a light purple (lilac?) mist was settling in the vale beyond the graveyard. His grave itself had a few handwritten notes and a single rose, a couple of dead roll-ups, a spent joint and an empty bottle of pale ale. The comparison between this and the hedonistic overload of Jim Morrison’s tomb at Pere Lachaise was noticeable, so fundamentally understated, so utterly English. The inscription on the reverse reading, ‘Now we rise, now we are everywhere’. It was a remarkably tranquil late afternoon by the time I left. 

On my way home the first song that came on was ‘Northern Sky’, a wave of pure contentment washed over me. I’d heard the song before but hadn’t listened. There was a purity about this song, that I hadn’t sensed, I hadn’t absorbed – it lifted me to a different place. Some songs that I love I play a lot, some that I love I almost try and ignore, until I really need it. It was only some 15 years or so later that I really needed this song. I was in love, with an English Girl but stuck. This song came on and we just knew…

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons, knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky

I've been a long time that I'm waiting
Been a long that I'm blown
I've been a long time that I've wandered
Through the people I have known
Oh, if you would and you could
Straighten my new mind's eye

Would you love me for my money?
Would you love me for my head?
Would you love me through the winter?
Would you love me 'til I'm dead?
Oh, if you would and you could
Come blow your horn on high

I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons, knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Nick Drake

Northern Sky lyrics © O/B/O Capasso, Reservoir Media Management Inc

Another 40 gigs...

The rules. Following on from the first 50 gigs post. Time to follow up with a further 40 gigs that spring into my head - in no order specific order of brilliance - although...

1) The CTMF - Koko (AKA Music Machine) - 2018. As part of a gig to celebrate 30 years of Damaged Goods records. Wild Billy Childish, Nurse Julie & Wolf Howard played a truly uplifting and suitably spirited set that brought the house down. Highlight - A cover of Hendrix's Fire...

2) Paul Weller - Sydney Opera House - 2017. The first of three nights was a truly joyous experience, don't think I've ever seen Weller quite so happy and comfortable on stage. Highlight - Have you ever had it blue...

3) Graham Day and The Gaolers - Lexington - 2018. I've managed to see Mr Day in a few different guises, first time with the Gaolers and suitably pugnacious. Highlight - Seeing the whisky bottle being passed around...

4) The Galileo 7 - Garage Islington - 2016. Punchy psych garage guitar pop (or variations thereof). Supporting Ebbot Lundberg and the Indigo Children and quite frankly, stealing the show. Highlight - The bouncing bassist...

5) The Pop Group - Komedia. Messrs Stewart and Sager delivering a blistering evening of dub, funk/punk. Happy night in the darkest of days. Highlight - Being passed the microphone to sing 'Where there's a will, there has got be a way"...

The Specials - Enmore Theatre
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Sydney Entertainment Centre
The Chords - Richmond Pub
Chalk Horse Music - Towner Art Gallery
The The - Sydney Opera House
Johnny Marr - Enmore Theatre
Billy Bragg - Manning Bar
A Certain Ratio - Islington
Blur - Hyde Park
Richard Hawley - De La Warr Pavilion
Nick Heyward - Concorde 2
The Style Council - Southampton
Stormzy - Enmore Theatre
Ben Watt - The Basement
Purple Hearts - The Lyceum
Wire - Sydney Arts Theatre
French Boutik - 100 Club
The Fallen Leaves - Hope and Anchor
Martin Stephenson and the Daintees - Town and Country Club
The Fall - Garage Islington
The Jesus and the Mary Chain - Sydney Opera House
Echo and the Bunnymen - Top Rank
Arctic Monkeys - Homebush
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleroes - The Astoria
Robyn Hitchcock - Social Club
Run DMC/Public Enemy - Brighton Conference Centre
The fReds - Sydney Opera House
Massive Attack - Steps of the Sydney Opera House
Martin and Eliza Carthy - Hailsham
Animal Nightlife - Ace Cinema Brixton
PIL - Enmore Theatre
Dexy's - Enmore Theatre
Morrissey - Paris
The Damned - Enmore Theatre
Linton Kwesi Johnson - CND March

Strings of Desire - #4

Guild M-20 Acoustic

Good enough for Nick Drake, good enough for us all!

Don’t you have a word
to show what may be done
Have you never heard
a way to find the sun
Tell me all that you may know
Show me what you have to show
Won’t you come and say
If you know the way to blue

Have you seen the land living by the breeze
Can you understand a light among the trees
Tell me all that you may know
Show me what you have to show
Tell us all today
If you know the way to blue?

Look through time and find your rhyme
Tell us what you find
We will wait
At your gate
Hoping like the blind

Can you now recall all that you have known
Will you never fall
When the light has flown
Tell me all that you may know
Show me what you have to show
Won’t you come and say
If you know the way to blue?

Bert Jansch (1943-2011) RIP

It is with great sadness that I heard today of the passing of Bert Jansch, a leading figure in the British folk revival of the 60s and one of the most respected musicians of his generation, he died of cancer aged 67.

Bert was a founding member of Pentangle, he also renowned as a guitar virtuoso and was sometimes hailed as a British Bob Dylan.

Neil Young said: "With deep regret Pegi and I acknowledge the passing of Bert Jansch. Pegi and I were lucky to play with him on all of our shows for the last couple of years. He is a hero of mine, one of my greatest influences. Bert was one of the all-time great acoustic guitarists and singer songwriters. Our sincerest sympathies to his soul mate Loren. We love you Bert."

Born in Glasgow on 3 November 1943, Jansch released 23 solo albums, the last of which, The Black Swan (2006), featured collaborations with Beth Orton and Devendra Banhart.

He was the recipient of two lifetime achievement prizes at the BBC Folk awards – one for his solo achievements in 2001 and the other, in 2007, as a member of Pentangle. The band reformed in 2008.

In June 2009, he discovered he had a golf ball-size tumour on one of his lungs following what was at first a routine visit to the dentist. Following treatment, he went on to co-headline a US tour with Young. Jansch had recently been forced to cancel a live show in Edinburgh due to ill health and was living in a hospice in north London at the time of his death.

Those he influenced included Jimmy Page, Nick Drake, Graham Coxon, Donovan, Bernard Butler and Paul Simon. According to fellow guitarist Johnny Marr: "He completely reinvented guitar playing and set a standard that is still unequalled today … without Bert Jansch, rock music as it developed in the 60s and 70s would have been very different."

Jansch told The Guardian last year: "I'm not one for showing off. But I guess my guitar-playing sticks out."

He was a true virtuoso, a major influence on my more recent musical tastes and will be greatly missed.

John Martyn RIP

A brilliant guitarist, singer, songwriter and innovator. Anybody who wrote 'Solid Air' would be missed, anyone who also wrote 'May you never', 'Bless the weather' and 'One world' will be sorely missed.

Solid Air

You've been taking your time
And you've been living on solid air
You've been walking the line
And You've been living on solid air
Don't know what's going wrong inside
And I can tell you that it's hard to hide when you're living on
Solid air.

You've been painting it blue
And you've been looking through solid air
You've been seeing it through
And you've been looking through solid air
Don't know what's going wrong in your mind,
And I can tell you don't like what you find,
When you're moving through
Solid air.

I know you, I love you
And I could be your friend
I could follow you, anywhere
Even through solid air.

You've been stoning it cold
You've been living on solid air
You've been finding that gold
You've been living on solid air
I don't know what's going on inside
I can tell you that it's hard to hide
When you're living on
Solid air, solid air.

You've been getting too deep
You've been living on solid air
You've been missing your sleep
And you've been moving through solid air
I don't know what's going on in your mind
But I know you don't like what you find
When you're moving through
Solid air, solid air.

I know you, I love you
I'll be your friend
I could follow you, anywhere
Even through solid air.

You've been walking your line
You've been walking on solid air
You've been taking your time
But you've been walking on solid air
Don't know what's going wrong inside
But I can tell you that it's hard to hide
When you're living on
Solid air, solid air.

You've been painting it blue,
You've been living on solid air
You've been seeing it through
And you've been living on solid air
I don't know what's going on in your mind
But I can tell you don't like what you find
When your living on
Solid air, solid air.

I know you, I love you
And I'll be your friend
I could follow you, anywhere
Even through solid air.

Ice blue solid air
Nice blue solid air