8) Blur: 'Think Tank'

Blur have always been progressive with their sound and no truer word could be said of their seventh studio album ‘Think Tank’ with one fundamental change. With Graham Coxon at the helm, Blur rode the wave of Britopop and made through the backlash unscathed. Yet he plays no role in the making of this album, except for the final song.

This is not to be blown out of all proportion, this is not the break-up of Lennon and McCartney or Jaggars and Richards, but still; Coxon played an instrumental role in the sound of Blur. Imagine 13 without him! His vitriolic guitar, taut musical presence and brake on Albarn’s experimentations-gone-too-far were key to their success. Could the remaining three produce anything near the groundbreaking material of the 1990s. Amazingly, the answer is a resounding yes!

What replaces Coxon is mainly just space, experimentalism and a host of guest producers including Norman Cook! It sounds like Blur only in the sense of the distinctive vocals from Albarn. However, the influences are far worldlier and the layers and textures are far more involved than ever before.

It’s devoid of guitars and replaced with keyboards, chilled dance beats and a host of other sounds which I don’t even pretend to entertain what they might be. The sound ranges from wistful string laden tunes through to hardcore punk via woozy freeform jazz, and Andalusian strings; each track is different and they pull it off perfectly.

The bass work on all the songs deserve a special mention as they are amazing and its promoted to lead instrument. It finally pays testament to the awesome bass player James really is and how vital he is to the Blur sound.

We start off with ‘Ambulance’ where Albarn softly lilts “I ain’t got nothing to be scared of” among stuttered percussion, ominous bass, and eerie gospel influences as well as distant oohs, an amazing start! It is followed by the equally stunning ‘Out of Time’, dreamy vocals, gentle African drums. ‘Crazy Beat’ ups the tempo with production by Cook. It is loud, brash and a bit of fun from the band. ‘Good Song’ is next and it certainly lives up to its name, it is just that! ‘On The Way to the Club’ brings images of walking though a Marrakesh market under starry skies. Next is ‘Brothers and Sisters’ which pounds along before we are treated to ‘Caravan’ which contains imploding submarine sonar pulses, with muffled guitars and vocals to match. The brilliant ‘We’ve got a File on You’ is a short but sweet punk song which provides an adrenalin boost half way through this laid back affair. Then we are led smoothly into ‘Moroccan People’s Revolutionary Bowls Club’ where James freaks out on bass like a Funkadelic foray into post-punk . ‘Sweet Song’ sports echoing pianos and rusty guitar work witch work effortlessly with the clear melodies. The next track, ‘Jets’ is good, albeit a bit long, and deserves a special mention for the sax solo towards the end. ‘Gene by Gene’ is a cacophony of bizarre sounds from unorthodox sources and adds to the confusion by employing cross rhythms. Finally, is the great ‘Battery in your Leg’, Coxon’s only contribution, which is a yearning, sorrowful song and a touching end to an amazing album.

Don't buy this if you're expecting the Blur of old. The blur of old has died with the release of this album; what replaced it was a new, more open Blur who are more alive than ever! Don’t buy this because you are a Blur fan; buy it because you are a music lover! Here at number 8 is Blur ‘Think Tank’.

Q Music Awards 2009

- Best New Act (presented by Red Stripe) - White Lies
- Breakthrough Artist (presented by My-Wardrobe.com) - Mr Hudson
- Best Video (presented by Nixon Watches) - Lady GaGa - Just Dance
- Q Idol - Spandau Ballet
- Q Inspiration (presented by HMV) - The Specials
- Q Classic Album - U2 for The Unforgettable Fire
- Innovation In Sound - Sonic Youth
- Best Track - Lily Allen for The Fear
- Q Icon - Marianne Faithfull
- Classic Song - Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
- Q Legend - Edwyn Collins
- Best Live Act (presented by Marshall Amplification) - Arctic Monkeys
- Best Album (presented by Citroën) - Kasabian for West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
- Classic Songwriter - Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens)
- Best Act In The World Today (presented by Russian Standard Vodka) - Muse
- Q Outstanding Contribution To Music - Robert Plant

Bye Bye Eye Infection

Finally, I can start wearing my contacts lenses again from tomorrow. After a week of enforced usage of glasses i'm reminded of just how much a hassle they are. Bye to restricted vision, headaches and all-round discomfort!!

Funky Weekend!

Friday night saw us relax at home with some takeaway and an early night. We both had to be up early on Saturday morning. I had to go back to the hospital to get my eyes checked and George had to line up, for what turned out to be 3 hours, to get tickets for the film festival. Then we went for late lunch at a Middle Eastern place for kebabs, they were delicious but small.

AFter that we headed home to rest before meeting George's dad for dinner at a steak resrurant near ZhongXiao DonHua as it was George's Lunar calendar birthday. We then went to Hell's kitchen to get some beers and wait for Kyle to arrive. After a few more drinks we headed to Funky, my first time in many years. It was actually pretty good and much better when people in the place. It turned out to be quite a late night as well, we didn't get home until about 4:00am.

On Sunday we had a well earned lie in and then got some takeaway MacDonald's while wathcing X Factor. Then we chilled for the rest of the day before taking George back to the army base. Not long till it's all over for him, i can't wait!!

Worst Day of the Year?

The week started off so promising, first it looked as though we would be heading back to England for Christmas, then it would appear my school won't allow it. Then maybe January or February, but then it would appear these dates are worthless too. What is one to do in these depressing months in England! So it looks like it's back to a July visit, how shattering that is.

on top of that, an obscene amount of free work to do for school, it's becoming a joke considering i am teaching lots as well. On top of that, i have chronic conjunctivitis which is the last straw. An absolutely terrible week so far and there is no sign it's going to improve and absolutely nothing to look forward to.

Head down, grin an bear it i suppose!!

French Cooking and Informers!

Last Friday saw a quick venture around the night market before heading to the cinema to watch the awesome Julie and Julia. Meryl Streep, as usual, was on superb form and really carried the movie. One of my movies of the year for sure.

On Saturday we had a late lunch at the diner before heading to Ximen to meet up with Nina and Edwin to watch Matt Damon's latest effort; The Informer. It was a pretty poor effort and my mind drifted on more than one occasion. Then we went to a place near Shandao Temple to visit the bar that David now works at. It was good, small but good drinks.

Sunday was a quiet day as usual on a Sunday. We headed to Bellini Kitchen in ZhongXaio DongHua which was great! We had pizza and lamb, a great way to end the week!

9) Gorillaz: Demon Days

When Blur was battling it out for Brit pop supremacy with Oasis in the 1990’s I don’t think anyone could have imagined the genius talent that lead singer of Blur, Damon Albarn, possessed. Since his Britpop glory days Albarn has ventured into rock, Mandarin operas, the Mali project and world music in general. However, he completely redefined the term ‘side project’ when he embarked upon his animated four-piece hip-hop orientated band of Gorillaz. Their 2002 eponymous debut, as great as it was, served merely to test the waters before releasing their monster in 2005, Demon Days.

The international success of this album is a product of the shared genius of Albarn and the creative vision of producer, Danger Mouse who amid the dexterous conjunctions of styles and tempos somehow seems to posses the awesome ability to mould everything into one cohesive package so that nothing feels out of place. Flitting between every known genre and a bizarre selection of individuals including Neneh Cherry, Dennis Hopper, Martina Topley-Bird, MF Doom, Shawn Ryder, the London Community Gospel Choir and Ike Turner; this should be a complete shambles. Fortunately it is the complete opposite.

Lyrically, it is no revelation, in fact the lyrics are rendered inaudible on many tracks, yet the journey we are taken on is flawless. Expect to find mid 90’s trip hop performed on a Casio keyboard, Brian Wilsonesque inspired piano’s accompanied to string ensembles, followed by gospel infused reggae. All, of which, is featured around minor chords creating a rather melancholy feel to the whole project.

The album opens with ‘Intro’, which is from Dawn of the Dead, sirens beckon and a forlorn bassoon suggests entry into a haunted house. This ghostly opener leads nicely into ‘Last Living Souls’ which fuses Albarn’s deadpan vocals against crisp beats and retro synths. 'Kids with Guns' follows with the genius addition of Neneh Cherry’s Salt N Pepa’s ‘Push it real’ line. It is an unsettling yet amazing tune which ends in a post-rock sonic climax. ‘O Green World’ and ‘Dirty Harry’ continue in the low-fi theme of simple percussion and bass overlaid with synths. The former offers some post funk brilliance whilst the later offers some rap-Arabian inspired electronic piece. ‘Feel Good Inc.’ is seen as the highlight of the album with its amazing hook-laden chorus, snoozy vocals, and upbeat acoustic guitar. It is the best song Del La Soul never made! ‘El Manana’ brings back the sirens and treats us to one amazing song! ‘Every Plant We Reach is Dead’ elevates the pop song into stratospheric levels whereas ‘November Has Come’ creates a new genre of Folk-Hop with MF Doom interchanging with Albarn to stunning effect. ‘All Alone’ stars Roots Manuva before we are led to ‘White Light’ which meshes punk rock guitars with hip-hop drums. It doesn’t really work in my opinion as well as everything else on this album. ‘Dare’ is a great club hit with Shawn Ryder providing amazing vocals! ‘Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head’ Albarn flirting with a country chorus but it is the addition of Dennis Hopper’s monologue which makes it work. ‘Don’t Get Lost in Heaven’ is surely inspired by Brian Wilson before we end with ‘Demon Days’. Although not the most memorable song on the album, it is a fitting end to one of the best albums of all time. Here at number 9 is Gorillaz with ‘Demon Days’

10) Coldplay: 'Parachutes'

In all honesty, ‘Parachutes’, the debut by Chris Martin and the gang, is not their best work to date. In my opinion they went from strength to strength, first with their follow up ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’ and then the truly awesome albums of ‘X&Y’ and ‘Viva La Vida’. Not only this, but they are also one of the best live acts I have ever had the pleasure to see. However, it was their debut which remains poignant and raised excitement of a, potentially, huge new global British band. As far as debut goes, it is incredible. Working perfectly in an accomplished yet very subtle way and perfectly produced.

Their indie rock inclinations are evident from the outset. Given this fact, it is not surprising that they have been consistently compared to Radiohead. On every release they have faced comparison and expected directions. Luckily, Coldplay never buckled under the pressure and rose from the looming shadow to carve their own path forward.

The overall sound here comprises of tormented tunes, dark gravel growls, shimmering distorted guitars, swirling percussion, and superb melodies consisting of dreamy and regretful lyrics.. These boys certainly know how to craft a perfect pop song and this was while they were still honing their sound.

The album raises depression and cheerfulness in equal amounts. The entire atmosphere created is dark and depressive; however, the conviction in their playing and lyrics give hope to see through the dark into the light.

‘Don’t Panic’ is an amazing opener; simple yet beautiful lyrics. ‘Shiver’ is a great rock track with superb guitar work and the more unusual time signature for a rock track of 12/8. ‘Spies’ is probably one of the darkest songs on the album but is spectacular and a great slower song. This followed up by the dreamy and wonderful romantic ‘Sparks’. Then we herald in the two monsters on this album ‘Yellow’ and ‘Trouble’. The former practically launched their career and the second is one of the most beautiful piano led ballads of all time, it always brings a tear to my eye when hearing it, even now. ‘Parachutes’ is too short to be considered a full length tune and merely serves as a connecting track to ‘High Speed’ which is a fantastic piece and some awesome bass work which really leads the way. ‘We Never Change’ reflects on faults of humans. It’s not really one I listen to very often from the album. ‘Everything’s Not Lost’ is epic in scale and is truly an awesome live song.

Autumn Arrives

Autumn seemed to arrive last week bringing along with it some English style weather; cool, miserably cloudy, and rainy! So the weekend was mostly spent doing 'inside' activities.

Friday night we went to Chili's for some good food then headed home. Saturday we decided to go and see the new Ang Lee movie, Taking Woodstock. It was actually really good, i thoroughly enjoyed it and was better than the critics seem to view it. Then we had dinner at Watami and then home to relax with some red wine and continue the Ang Lee theme by watching The Ice Storm, another great movie. Then on Sunday to finish off the Ang Lee spree, we watched Eat, Drink, Man, Woman. Yet another good movie.

Reflections

The looming Typhoons in the Pacific seem to have herald a change in the weather too. It has been noticeably cooler this week, starting from Monday. Today I even felt as if i needed a jumper for the first time in as long as i can remember.

It also looks as though my boss has bailed on the school since last Thursday. I presumed she was either off sick or just busy doing something off sight. However, this apparently is not the case. She left without any notice and now we are left without a manager and it looks as though they are in no hurry to replace her. This has to be a good thing as things appear to be more relaxed. However, a replacement is surely lurking in the not to distant future which makes me rather nervous. With the aim to impress the workload can only increase! Let's see what will happen with this one.

11) Robert Plant: 'Might Rearranger'

By the mid 1970s rock legend Robert plant had very little to prove already part of the pantheon of rock. So by 2005 it would be safe to assume Plant would follow in the path of other aged rock stars, retiring to a country mansion and becoming spokesman for some world charity organization. Not Plant! Here he was in 2005 making a bold statement with ‘Mighty Rearranger’. Not only is he rebelling against the society from which he firmly belongs, he does so without resorting to an embarrassing Grandad trying hard for credibility. Like a lot of aged rock stars he developed a penchant for world music. However he combines world eclecticism with electronic experimentation, hard rock and more subtle blue influenced numbers. It is a look back at some of his early work with Led Zeppelin but it’s not resting on past glories, it is firmly forward looking in its approach, a most satisfying and diverse album if ever there was one. More importantly, Plant certainly has something to say despite the expected fall from grace age and success naturally brings. It is surely hard for him to know what contemporary relevance he can bring anymore, but he delivers.

His band, ‘The Strange Sensation’, certainly live up to their name. They read very much like a who’s who of the 90s music scene comprising of former members of Britpop, trip-hop and drum and bass bands. Yet, despite everyone car the Spice Girls, it is a stunning combination which yields amazing results. Expect to be treated to Saharan lutes mixed with jazzy brass, Arabian melodies mixed with break beat and Influences raging from Eastern to rock, R&B, folk and world music in general.

From the outset we are welcomed by Moroccan drums and Eastern strings with ‘Another Tribe’ it’s an amazing opener and a taste of things to come. ‘Shine It All Around’ sports angular beats and a rather funky base line. The percussive syncopation of ‘Freedom Fries’ is fantastic with juxtaposition of rockabilly blues and hard rock to mix. ‘Tin Pan Valley’ starts off with meandering keyboards and whispering vocals before exploding into full out hard rock chorus. ‘All The Kings Horses’ is a very English folk ballad but heartfelt nonetheless which leads into the bluesy stroll of ‘The Enchanter’ and right into African rocker of ‘Takamba’ which is truly stunning. ‘Dancing in Heaven’ trots along with its Beatles inspired baseline and rather psychedelic feel to the overall fell of the song. ‘Somebody Knocking’ is a rather complex tabla led piece which is not one of the most easiest things to listen to but rewards repeated listens. ‘Let the Four Winds Blow’ is as dramatic as it gets before we launch into the best piece here, ‘Mighty Rearranger’, fantastic bounce /rock and roll piece with playoff’s between piano and organ. The final piece, ‘Brother Ray’ is a tribute to Ray Charles with strong drum and bass influence here. Not the best way to close in my opinion but still a surprisingly stunning album. There are numerous criticisms of his vocals not being up to par but these comparisons are with a 30 year old in the prime of his life, the rock and roll lifestyle certainly took its toll on his voice but it is what one would expect. There are not many singers around who can compete with Plant even now edging 60! This album takes no prisoners and apologizes for nothing! At number 11 is Robert Plant with 'Mighty Rearragner'

Quiet Weekend.

On Friday night i met up with George from work as he got out of the base early. It was visiting day and his his dad went to see him in the morning and as a result he was able to leave the base early, around 3. Therefore, he went to see Caro before she headed back to France that evening, they saw some Taiwanese movie which apparently was not very good at all. Anyway after work we met up and headed home to a Domino's pizza and TV.

Saturday was a nice relaxing day. We stayed local for lunch before watching 'I love you man' at home and then of to YongHe to meet George's brother, sister-in-law, nephews and dad for a Moon Festival Dinner. We met at the mall in YongHe and went to a ShiZheng based place, very nice food indeed. Then we headed back to Ximen for a movie. 'Looking for Eric' with that awful person Eric Cantona. It was not as horrific as i imagined but still, hardly inspiring. It might help if i could actually understand what the guy is saying!


On Sunday we went to see another movie 'Rebound' with that impossible woman Catherine Zeta Jones. She did quite well, definitely getting better with age, the movie was actually very good.

Twin Typhoons

Typhoons are proving to be a bit like buses this year. You wait all year for one and then two come along at once! Typhoons have been a bit thin on the ground this year, albeit one producing some of the worst flooding in the past 50 years. Typhoon Parma was predicted to hit Taiwan on late Sunday or Monday but stalled in the sea between the Philippines and Taiwan and doesn't look like it's heading this way. The 'super' typhoon of in the distance is expected to hit Japan. Therefore, today was not a typhoon holiday as predicted, however i did manage to get my last class canceled due to the bad weather. So not so bad after all, i finished at 4:30 on a Monday, so it's time to relax at home with some red wine and watch the X Factor!

I do love a bit of cheese....

Once upon a time, 3,000 dairy farm wives took paddle and churn to the fresh milk that was not consumed by the local villagers. On 3,000 kitchen tables, 3,000 cheeses were prepared. This was the method of preserving the protein goodness of the cowshed so the ploughman might have his lunch.

But then, as the second half of the 19th century steamed into view, all that changed. The arrival of the railways transformed rural life. Instead of dairy farmers selling fresh milk only to the community around the herd or flock, crates could be despatched far beyond, even into the hearts of rapidly expanding cities.

A network of milk-trains and door-step deliverymen brought farm-fresh milk to every corner of the nation. And we lapped it up.

Farmers could scarcely keep up with demand from a growing population. The need to preserve the leftovers all but disappeared.

Instead, new industrial technology allowed producers to centralise cheese-making with excess milk from across their region. To brand their product, cheeses increasingly took on the name of the area from which they hailed. But more than that - the search for consistent quality meant recipe, shape and size were controlled.

From this process emerged the reputations of some of the truly great cheeses of Britain, but it also rang the death knell for small, local cheese makers. Hundreds of varieties were lost forever; individuality did not fit with the times.

It was to get worse. Rationing in World War II saw the Ministry of Food stipulate that only one type could be manufactured - the National Cheese. A form of rubbery cheddar, this abomination came to define cheese in the nation's mind.

By the 1960s, bland, processed, homogenised factory-made gunk was served as a "sophisticated delicacy" on cocktail sticks accompanied by a chunk of tinned pineapple. To this day there are many who think of cheese as a lump of orange, sweaty fat grated on to a slice of white.

Man selling cheeseBut when the price of milk plummeted in the 1990s, the resilience and imagination of Britain's dairy farmers was tested. They desperately needed new products to survive.
Perhaps they opened the old trunk at the back of the barn and found great-great grand-mother's recipe. Or maybe they experimented with cheese-cloth and press on the kitchen table. But the last 20 years have seen an extraordinary renaissance for British cheese.

Juliet Harbutt, editor in chief of The World Cheese Book, is a driving force behind the growth in high quality produce. Last week, the annual British Cheese Awards she created saw more than 800 cheeses entered by 189 makers in a celebration of all that is local and excellent. Farmers' markets are bringing the cheese artisan into cities and towns, introducing a new generation to the true meaning of the product. Consumption of cheese is rising - just four kilos per head per year in the mid-60s, now put at over 12 kilos.

So the story has a happy ending. A lost art has been rediscovered, a tradition has been revived and a smile is being put back on the face of a nation that had almost forgotten how to say "cheese".

The XX: 'XX'

The XX are a four piece band of early twenty year olds hailing from South West London. Here they offer their debut offering aptly titled XX. It was recorded in the basement of a tiny office and it sounds like it. Fatigue literally haunts the entire album which is also plagued by singular bleakness throughout. It was made under moonlight by a bunch of introverted misfits and probably intended to be listened to by the same. You almost feel as if you are intruding upon privacy listening to the vocals, like reading someone’s diary or love letters. It is the theme of love, or more precisely sex, which dominates the album. There are no big moments, the songs are by no means magnificent, and the melodies themselves are not particularly memorable either. I’ve listened to this album a few times and still cannot commit a single line to memory. However, the whole intended feel for this album is absolutely perfect, in fact is quietly transcendent.

Trying to place this album into one genre, or even mood, is the first challenge. Epic? Atmospheric? Downbeat Miserbalism? None seem to be appropriate. Night music is certainly a good term yet this is an overblown term associated to anything. I’m almost directed towards that awful term of trip-hop in the same vain as Massive Attack or Portishead, yet even that is not entirely accurate.

Whatever this is, it’s a couple album intended to be listened to on those dark desolate nights. Twin vocals from Romy Croft and Oliver Sim trade off against each other in playful dialogue; perfectly complementing each other as they saunter around the bare minimum of their band.

It is to the band we turn to next who are a bizarre bunch in their own right. They are certainly not competing with one another to be heard, they almost seem disinterested by the whole affair. However, this only adds to creating and effortlessly created mood. With heavily-soaked reverbed guitars, fragile drumbeats, syncopated electronic clicks, and the occasional sub-ass rumbles all played with aloofness, the overall sound is quite stunning. What makes this album so unique is its strong influence from the R&B world both in vocals and sound.

It’s certainly too early to be rating this album as this is almost certainly an album that rewards repeated listens; It’s even too early to highlight standout tracks. If nothing else, it is set apart from a lot of music loosely grouped together into this genre of music and for that alone is an achievement in itself.