Rerun of last MySpace blog

So bang up to date with my latest review blog - though to be honest there's not much review, more on my top 10 musicals.

Having posted a Camden Crawl blog last week (and as I'm going to Stag & Dagger this week in Shoreditch, which will probably take a couple of weeks to write up) I was in need of some filler. I produced this top 10 as the first in a series for One Inch Badge records Zine in January with the idea of it being the first of an occasional series. As they haven't published another Zine (or indeed acknowledged receiving this piece despite numerous asks) I am not inclined to hold back something I worked quiet hard at any longer. It will be the first of an occasional series here instead (but good luck to them if they choose to use it) – don't hold your breath but the next 2 planned are Top 10 Heavy Rock Albums That You Don't Own But Should and Top Ten Tracks I Heard First On John Peel. The Peel one actually covers a pretty short time-span. Please keep looking below this for download recommendations and a quick gig write-up. Oh, and I'd like to make it clear this was all done long before I'd Do Anything!
Fascinating Rhythms 1
Notes From A Grumpy Old Fan
I am either blessed or burdened by very Catholic music tastes. How Catholic? They shit in the wood next to the Pope. The older I get, the more I like (I still like to think I have the quality control, it just takes in more areas). I doubt a week has passed in the last 25 years when I haven't bought some form of recorded music (I'm 42) and with downloads and MySpace freebies now on the menu there really aren't enough hours in the day.
In an attempt to start with a not-too-obvious Top 10 choice (I'm an "Indie Dad" on MySpace, my dance collection is pretty big and my knowledge of 70s/80s Rock and Metal vast) that still allows for trivia and obscurity -
My Favourite 10 Musicals
Please note – not the best 10 musicals, my favourite 10 musicals. No camp or ironic enjoyment here, just quality (apart from number 6).
10 – Fiddler On The Roof
Pogrom? Let's do the show right here! The soundtrack version for me, as it's passed through my family. Lead actor Topol (Doctor Zarkov in the cool, Queen soundtracked Flash Gordon) owns this from the outset as the Russian community head personifying humanity in the face of daily struggle and religious persecution. Despite taking place in pre-war ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Russia the spirit of the Nazis is like an unspoken presence –it's always worth reminding yourself intolerance can grow from any soil. "Sunrise, Sunset" sets me right off as it plays behind an enforced exodus and "If I Were A Rich Man" has the best lyrical description of untold wealth – owning "one long Staircase just going up and one even longer coming down and one more leading nowhere, just for show".
9 - Sweeney Todd
That this is the definitive version of the much retold Grand Guignol story of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street says a lot. I'll look like a bandwagon jumper with the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton version coming but I've had this Original Cast album for over 10 years and it replaced a version my Dad taped off the radio for me 20 plus years ago. The version I have is the U.S. cast with Len Cariou as Todd (the UK version has Dennis Quilly in a role he made his own for many years). What better excuse for a jolly sing-along than a man wrongly convicted and imprisoned so a Judge can rape his wife, who then exacts his revenge by throat slitting, preparatory to the manufacture of cannibal pies. Yowzah! When this musical appeared in 1980 it must have seemed like real envelope pushing, it did to me…
8 - Belle or The Ballad Of Doctor Crippen
…until I inherited this from my parents. Music and lyrics by Monty Norman (composer of the original James Bond theme) this is a concept that must rival Springtime For Hitler in inappropriateness. Retelling of the story of one of the most reviled UK figures of the 20th Century, Dr. Crippen – convicted and hanged for the murder of his wife. I can't do the real story justice so Google it – suffice to say it takes in ground breaking police procedure, a strong-woman named Vulcana and a head in a handbag. This 1961 musical is all a bit "Whoops, Dr. Crippen" Music Hall stylee.
7- The Family – A Manson Family Opera
Charles Manson isn't actually a (convicted) murderer like Crippen (real) or Todd (fictional). He seems however 10 times as evil, is forever linked with music and the end of the 60s dream. This doesn't have very memorable songs in all honesty. It does have a sense of dread and Iggy Pop as "The Judge". Now if that isn't "poacher turned gamekeeper"… It would be irresponsible to plug an album by a dangerous sociopath but there are several Manson compilations out there, including songs like Look To Your Game Girl as covered by Guns N Roses and Take Care Of Your Ego as recorded in different form by The Beach Boys. He's certainly a better song writer than David Koresh the Branch Dividian cult leader (see Voice Of Fire album 1993).
6 - Let My People Come 1974 Stage Musical
A musical version of Moses leading the children of Israel from bondage called Let My People Go? Possibly, but this is a musical based on various kinks – and I don't mean Ray and Dave Davies. Come In My Mouth is a sultry ballad, Dirty Words is frank – "Cunt, what an awful word is cunt…" and The Cunnilngus Champion Of Champion Of Co. C is a jazzy romp – "He likes to tickle gash when he's short of cash…" I swear I'm not making this up!
5 - My Fair Lady
Why this? The story of Pygmalion by G B Shaw on which it is based is a good 'un to start with, the songs woven through that conceit are excellent – some humorous, some very romantic. I Could Have Danced All Night and Street Where You Live are beautiful without being schmaltzy and Get Me To The Church On Time is the best (if not only) reason for marriage. The version of that song by Ska keyboard legend Jackie Mitto is a prized possession (album Evening Time) and the whole piece is swinging enough that there is a great Go-Go version of the whole album.
4 - Rocky Horror Show (in my case film soundtrack)
Obviously this has rarely left the stage in some form or other since the 70s and always seems to be touring. Strange then that I've never seen it live. One reason may be I find it hard to believe a cast could compete with the film version (most of whom's cast was in the original stage run). I first saw the film version when I was 14 and I don't recommend that. My future sex life was bound to fall short of the glamour and filth on show here, sadly it hasn't been an endless round of bisexual blow jobs! This cast is the essential one – Meatloaf's finest moment as Psycho Biker Eddie, writer Richard O'Brien as (possibly incestuous) butler Riff Raff & Tim Curry's iconic, show-stealing Frank-N-Furter. Curry has been a B-movie staple since, a sort of Architect Of Arch, when camp menace is required. He did a few albums in the 70s, as quite a credible R&R torch singer. The track Cold Gin from "Read My Lips" is a particular favourite (chorus "…so fucking lonely I could die!"). There was a follow up to Rocky…, a film called Shock Treatment that also had a soundtrack and is worth seeking out although far from essential. I am even sad enough to own the Audience Participation version of the soundtrack – basically the film sound with the audience shouting out the prescribed responses to scenes. All together now… "No Neck!"
3 - Phantom Of The Paradise (Film Soundtrack)
Between "Carrie" and getting Michael Caine to play a tranny serial killer in "Dressed To Kill" Brian De Palma directed this under seen gem. A cross between Phantom Of The Opera (obviously) and the story of Faust selling his soul to the Devil, brought up to date in the 70s rock business. The songs were written by Paul Williams a singer/songwriter (Evergreen, performed by Barbara Streisand, a couple of Carpenters biggies, auditioned for the Monkees) who also stars as The Devil (as a record mogul). Actually, more Dorian Gray as record mogul, the story takes from several sources. The setting allows Williams to do several parodies of 70's genres (Glam, R&R revival). The singing voice of Glam star "Beef" is performed by Ray Kennedy who sang with UFO, Jeff Beck and wrote Sail On Sailor with Brian Wilson. Buy the film for the tour bus, the music business takes your soul you know!
2 - Oliver
A family favourite, yes. But the story has real meat courtesy of Charles Dickens. Search out the easily found at car boot sale version with Steve Marriott of The Small Faces as the Artful Dodger. It must be Ron Moody as Fagin though. Also get any party started with Galliano's version of Reviewing The Situation.
1 - West Side Story
Top of the tree – the perfect marriage of composer Leonard Bernstein's classical and pop/rock sensibilities. It has the big "show" songs ("Maria", "Somewhere") along with tracks that rock bands can and did cover. The Nice did "America", Alice Cooper did "The Jets" (as "Gutter Cat Vs The Jets"). This reworking of Romeo & Juliet has it all – juvenile delinquents, knife fights and immigration issues all get a look in. And it doesn't have a happy ending!

MySpace Downloads (addresses at end)
1 star - go listen and make up your own mind
2 stars - listen and download
3 stars - essential download
Tin Can Telephone is the new project from Andy Tiger Force, and an altogether more gentle side. Cemetery Songs has a nursery keyboard with minimal guitar, Spak Attack sounds rather like The Research's take on outsider romance. ** www.myspace.com/tincantelephoneband
Roman Rappak looks like a Gypsy and sounds like the sweeter end of Nine Inch Nails – The Gentleman has something of we Will Rock You's baseline and come to think of it the style is similar to NIN's version of Queen's Get Down, Make Love. Insistence is a more laid back shuffle and not as much fun. *1/2 www.myspace.com/romanrappak
Mozzy Green were an act I missed at the Stockwell gig and I would have liked to stay on the strength of The Smile Of Sarah, sounding like a more folk vocal levellers with a bit of Andy White on top. Better than that sounds… ** www.myspace.com/mozzygreen
Absent - The Track Sleephunter 21has the circular rhythm of a Killing Joke track fronted by Gary Holton(Heavy Metal Kids & Auf Weidersien Pet)! (are you reading this Mr Dawkins?). Not sure quite what o make of it but it's good ** www.myspace.com/absenttheband
Superman Revenge Squad @ The Cavendish Arms, Stockwell 9th May 2008
A club night called My Friends Kill My Folks put on by Ben (or Superman Revenge Squad if you will) and his friend Tony draws me to Stockwell – and I'm pleased to report despite carrying a rucksack the worst thing to happen to me was getting lost trying to find the pub. Superman Revenge Squad generously took the opening slot and was dependably quality entertainment, plying his trade-mark Indie bittersweet tales. The lyrics manage to be both funny (sometimes very) and affecting – combining a nostalgic look at growing up under the influence of various NME approved bands while being generally slightly disappointed by life. On one song he wonders why he found Billy Corgan so meaningful, on another he ponders on how Kevin Rowland was damaged by the Wedding party sing-along success of Come On Eileen (a great song being consigned to 80s compilation Hell. He compares himself in lyric (not too seriously) with Rupert Pupkin, Robert De Niro's wannabe star character in the film King Of Comedy. Perhaps best of all he apologises for the entire second verse of one song for using Kate Moss, Chavs & Asbos in the chorus that has just preceded it. www.myspace.com/supermanrevengesquad

I only watch one of the remaining 3 acts but Laura Hocking makes it doubly worth the trek to South London. She has 6 downloads at www.myspace.com/laurahocking (rather oddly currently labelled Laura Sings Liver) which get a *** and should be gotten quick. She is slightly less indebted to Joni Mitchell live than the downloads suggest though there is a bit of that. However her lyrics are what set her apart from other current singer songwriters and leave only Emmy The Great in the same league. They are the work of an empowered woman dealing humorously with life and love rather than either moping or taking herself too seriously.

Next – Stag & Dagger, Shoreditch
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