Wasn't That Done By Someone Else?

‘All Along The Watchtower’. Not a bad wee tune. Most people know the version by Jimi Hendrix not in its original form by Bob Dylan.

It’s the classic story of a cover version outshining the original. And it’s its nothing new. Is it a compliment to Dylan that his songs have been covered so many times (or insult depending on the band) or a case of an artist being lazy?

From The Byrds’ jingly jangly take on ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ to Axl Roses screeching on ‘Knocking On Heaven’s Door' and Neil Young’s ‘Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues’ and Hole’s ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’

I’ve just heard that Kesha’s covering ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’ by Bob Dylan. Now, call me a music snob if you like, but that is just an insult. The song no doubt will rely heavily on Auto-Tune and synths and god know what else over lines that make a grown girl cry.

Also in the ‘Wasn’t That Done by Someone Else?” category: Jeff Buckley’s take on Leonard Cohen's ‘Hallelujah’ . With Cohen’s gospel choir, it lifts your spirits but with Jeff Buckley’s heart-rending rendition it plummets you into the deeps of despair.

Did you know that Bjork’s ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’, was originally by Betty Hutton, star of ’Annie Get Your Gun’ ?

Everyone’s at it. The Rolling Stones covering Buddy Holly with ‘Not Fade Away’, The White Stripes with their take on Dusty Springfield’s ‘I Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’, the Beatles with 'Twist And Shout' and so many more.


I’d like to think that it’s a good thing, that perhaps these covers will bring the original version to the ears of a new generation of fans. But the cynic in me actually believes that covering another band is lazy and for the most part, sacrilege.

Morrissey V NME

Singer Morrissey's libel battle against NME magazine over a controversial interview where the magazine printed what was considered “racist views” by the singer, is to be heard next year. The former Smiths front man has already won at a pre-trial hearing against the former NME editor, Conor McNicholas and the magazine's publisher, IPC Media.


In the interview published in 2007, Morrissey was quoted as saying that "the gates of England are flooded. The country's been thrown away. With the issue of immigration, it's very difficult because, although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears."

The issue of NME published in 2007

This is not the first time that the singer has been accused of having racist views. In Johnny Rogan's biography of the singer, it is claimed that in his late teens, he had written "I don't hate Pakistanis, but I dislike them immensely".
In a 2010 interview with The Guardian, Morrissey spoke out on the topic of animal cruelty in China, a subject that the singer feels strongly about. He said at the time, "You can't help but feel the Chinese are a sub-species".This led to Love Music Hate Racism, a yearly concert that aimed to stamp out racism in music, to whom Morrissey had previously donated money, said it would be unable to accept any support from him again unless he retracted his comments. "When you start using language like 'subspecies'," said a spokesperson for the campaign, "you are entering into dark and murky water".

Morrissey also provoked a storm when he allegedly compared the Norwegian massacre in which 76 people died in July when Anders Behring Breivik went on a murderous rampage, to the slaughter of animals for fast-food restaurant chains.

The 52-year-old, who is a staunch vegetarian and animal rights activist, allegedly made the remarks just before performing his single Meat is Murder, at a concert in Poland, telling the crowd: "We all live in a murderous world, as the events in Norway have shown, with 97 dead. Though that is nothing compared to what happens in McDonald's and Kentucky Fried shit every day."

Everybody needs and wants a musician, artist etc to be controversial and to be provocative. My favourite quote is by Sex Pistol and Public Image Ltd singer, John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten: “Its better to provoke a reaction than to act to provocation.” However, there is a large difference to being provocative and outspoken on your views to being bigoted and racist. There is no place for racism in this world it is offensive, hurtful and narrow-minded. Not to mention the wars and fights that it causes. Everyone deserves to be happy, healthy and treated as an equal regardless of the colour of their skin, their ethnicity, religious views or their country of origin.

No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them. 
                                             - Elie Wiesel 1928-, Rumanian born American Writer

　

Spotlight On.... Nick Kent

When I think about what inspired me to become a journalist and in particular, a music journalist, the name Nick Kent springs to mind.

Nick Kent was one of Britain's most notorious music journalists in the '70s. He started writing professionally at the age of 19, cutting his teeth with the underground publication Frendz. He started working for NME in 1972. He became famous for his antics as well as his writings. He flew to Michigan in the States to visit Creem's offices, unannounced, to ask Lester Bangs if he could teach him fine points of rock journalism. Kent seemed interested in writing about, and interviewing, some of music’s most tortured souls. He wrote one of the first extensive pieces about Pink Floyd’s front man Syd Barrett, and wrote lengthy articles on legends like Lou Reed, the New York Dolls, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello, and the Rolling Stones that did not always paint these music heroes in the best light. Kent seemed to have an knack for finding controversy and drama, or at least letting controversy and drama find him. He perhaps got a little too involved in the lifestyle of the musicians he was covering, and by the mid-'70s had problems with hard drugs which was adversely affecting his writing and career. It was around this time that he played a significant role in an up coming punk band’s career called the Sex Pistols.

Kent got to know Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren in 1974, and helped teach him about music past and present. I remember reading a story about how Sid Vicious got his name it goes something like this; Kent was at a Pistols gig where Sid attacked him with a bike chain leaving Nick bloodied and bruised. Now, this incident did in fact take place, but whether the attack earned Sid is infamous pseudonym is debatable, depending on who’s telling the story at the time. There is also speculated that the Sex Pistols' "I Wanna Be Me" was about Nick Kent. Although he is still most famed for his stint with NME , Kent wrote for many other publications, including The Face, Spin, and Details.

Maybe it is the romantic notion of sex, drugs and rock n roll that draws me to Nick Kent he did after all, live that lifestyle or maybe its because he wrote for NME which I class as my musical bible. Either way Nick Kent is my inspiration and the reason I got into journalism. Hats off to him.

Further reading:

Nick Kent Apathy for the Devil

Nick Kent The Dark Stuff

Nick Kent Guardian profile


　

The Birth of Independent labels circa 1977

Sid Vicious: poster boy for punk

The year was 1977. Safety pins and studs became the must have accessory and the music press and the establishment was given a shock treatment by Punk. It was also the year that the independent record label was born. When Punk came screaming and howling into the music world, large record companies such as EMI had to make room for the likes of independent labels like Island and Virgin. Now I don’t know about you but I find it weird that Richard Branson signed the Sex Pistols, the poster boys for punk, to Virgin seeing as they are now everything that the Pistols rebelled against, but that is a different blog story all together. After Island and Virgin came Stiff, Chiswick, and more recently, Rough Trade Records.

So, the Sex Pistols belonged to Branson and his cronies at Virgin, CBS had the Clash and the Buzzcocks and Polydor had dibs on Siouxsie and the Banshees. Keeping up so far? Good.
Let’s look at Stiff records. Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman (aka Jake Riviera) formed Stiff Records in 1976. Established at the beginning of the punk rock explosion, they embodied the spirit of punk and the true meaning of independent labels. The Pink Fairies, the Belle Stars and The Pogues were all released on Stiff and the label's marketing and advertising was often provoking and witty and an ambush of puns were born from the name “Stiff” and the slogan "If it ain't Stiff it aint worth a fuck" is now legendary.

Every town and city in Britain had its favourite band and any one of these bands could make up to 1000 records. With the help of word of mouth and fanzines (not much of them around anymore!) the bands could sell their precious tape/vinyl (yeah no CDs in those days!) to the masses. If, like the Pistols, national radio wouldn’t play your songs, your one shot at getting any airplay at all was the John Peel show that showcased so many bands that no one else would touch.

Scotland and the rest of the UK soon got in on the act. Scotland had Sensible Records who introduced the world to Fay Fife and The Rezillos. Rabid, hailing from Manchester, had Gyro, Slaughter and the Dogs, the Nosebleeds and John Cooper Clarke. Over in Ireland, the Good Vibrations label was already producing quality records and they displayed this with releases from The Undertones, Protex and X-Dreamists.

Many people may have hated Punk and everything that it stood for but there is no denying that it changed the face of music and the music industry. I salute you, Punk Rock, the labels and the bands that were born from the movement that were all in it not for the money but for the glory alone. Punk Rocks!

Album Review: Howler – ‘This One’s Different’

   On paper, Rough Trade’s recent signing, Howler, sound like every other band that have come and gone leaving a vague memory of skinny jeans and messy hair in their wake. Yes Howler are yet another band flogging glamorous indie rock n roll and belting guitars. You could be forgiven for thinking “big deal, bands like this come and go in a blink of an eye”. That is your first mistake. Despite this façade, the Minneapolis four-piece are not just another carbon copy of The Strokes, The Vaccines et al.
Lead singer and songwriter, Jordan Gatesmith is in fact their secret weapon in chart domination, a slight exaggeration perhaps but take a listen and tell me that I am wrong.
‘This One’s Different’ is 15 minutes of Gatesmith voicing his feelings like many a good songwriter does. And this boy does it well. The highlight of this EP though, is the gem ‘I Told You Once’ which sounds like the love child of Razorlight circa 2004 and Damien Rice. The sneering put down “I wish there was something I could do ‘cause I hate myself more than I hate you” on the track will be the best line featured in a song all year. I bet my nail polish collection on it.
On the basis of this debut EP, Howler are built to last and come their debut album which can’t come soon enough, they’ll be giving their touring chums The Vaccines a run for their money. Oh and your second mistake? You don’t already have this EP lodged snugly among your CD collection.