A guest contribution a couple of weeks ago from Germany and now one from Portugal. Chances are we will not be allowed such continental collaboration after Brexit which would be disappointing.
Then again maybe no jazz fusion or prog rock. Mmmmm!
Take it away George...
Two wildly different tracks today in CCs king and queen series, one prog rock and one from South Africa.
By now I have lost at least 80% of readers by using the words “prog rock”. Look, it could be worse,
I could have written “one of today’s tracks is smooth jazz” . The first group features Mr Toyah Wilcox
(oops, there goes another 7% of readers) and to shed the remaining 13% I should add that the album
this track is taken from has been reviewed with those dreaded words “jazz fusion” (see how I didn’t make
a maths teachers joke by saying “the remaining 15 %”?). The album is Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, and the
track is the last track on the album, and is called Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, part two.
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic part 2
So that’s 7 and a half minutes of your life listening to King Crimson that was very well spent. Given that
there’s now no one reading these words it looks like I’m talking to myself. “Tremendous track, that one,
George.” “You’re not wrong there, George.”
The Mahotella Queens’ track is from the album Izibani Zomgqashiyo. According to the notes on the back
of the album this means “the lights of Mgqashiyo, and surely everyone knows that Mgqashiyo is an" African
kind of beat which will never die”. I should have started this article with the Mahotella Queens, because
no-one has made it this far down (as the actress said the bishop).
The Mahotella Queens - Xola Mama
Thanks to my very good friend CC for hosting this, it led to me playing two albums that have not had an
airing for a long time.
By now I have lost at least 80% of readers by using the words “prog rock”. Look, it could be worse,
I could have written “one of today’s tracks is smooth jazz” . The first group features Mr Toyah Wilcox
(oops, there goes another 7% of readers) and to shed the remaining 13% I should add that the album
this track is taken from has been reviewed with those dreaded words “jazz fusion” (see how I didn’t make
a maths teachers joke by saying “the remaining 15 %”?). The album is Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, and the
track is the last track on the album, and is called Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, part two.
King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic part 2
So that’s 7 and a half minutes of your life listening to King Crimson that was very well spent. Given that
there’s now no one reading these words it looks like I’m talking to myself. “Tremendous track, that one,
George.” “You’re not wrong there, George.”
The Mahotella Queens’ track is from the album Izibani Zomgqashiyo. According to the notes on the back
of the album this means “the lights of Mgqashiyo, and surely everyone knows that Mgqashiyo is an" African
kind of beat which will never die”. I should have started this article with the Mahotella Queens, because
no-one has made it this far down (as the actress said the bishop).
The Mahotella Queens - Xola Mama
Thanks to my very good friend CC for hosting this, it led to me playing two albums that have not had an
airing for a long time.
For the record George, I not only made it all the way through the post, but played both tunes twice (actually I couldn't get the Crimson file to play, so I just played my own copy) and thoroughly enjoyed the whole shebang. I'm pretty sure that I haven't heard The Mahotella Queens before, or If I have I'd forgotten about them. Either way, it's a huge oversight on my part - they're superb.
ReplyDeleteIt's impossible to pick a winner today, so I'm calling a score draw.
Oops that wasn't intentional - honest George!
DeleteThe track was sent to me in a different format.
I'll try to convert to mp3 and update.
No promises though!
No, my fault, I assumed it would be an mp3 file. I'm not sure there will be too many complaints, though (not that I would in any way want to criticise the musical tastes of your readers)
DeleteIt's the Queens today, as anything from below the equator is alright with me by and large. Oddly enough I don't know all too many bands from South Africa, it's more Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya ...
ReplyDeleteSo thanks for that, George!
You're welcome. (Did you listen to that majestic King Crimson track???)
DeleteSorted
DeleteThe Mahotella Queens are rather good
ReplyDeleteGeorge is back!
ReplyDeletedon't get too excited young Adam, it does not imply the resurrection of a certain blog
DeleteWell George, I made it to the end of the post but can’t say the same for the KC track, Sorry. It/they didn’t/don’t do anything for me. The prog rock genre though is a bit of a minefield isn’t it. There was a time when the likes of Jethro Tull, Yes and others were described as prog yet I’ll have them any time over the jazzy noodlings of Robert Fripp. Much more at home with Mahotella Queens though so many thanks for including them.
ReplyDelete