30.9.09

Adriano Celentano- 24,000 Baci (1961)

How did we manage before the internet? I cannot help thinking that, living in a provincial town with a modest library, that I must have existed in a perpetual state of unsatisfied curiosity. Did I spend hours each evening staring into space vainly trying to remember who wrote that, what was that movie called, what ever happened to and so forth.
I wish there was some means of quantifying how much my knowledge has increased in the ten years or so that I have had access to the internet. And I believe that this knowledge has enhanced my life, and that I am just as able as ever to live an ordinary life ( by which I mean I haven't sacrificed other aspects of my life in order to sit numbly in front of a monitor).

During the early eighties I remember chancing upon a late night screening of an enchanting movie. a rites of passage story set in 1960's Sarajevo. I remembered that the name Dolly featured in the title, that the protagonist was called Dino, and that the soundtrack included prominent use of a fantastically exotic sounding song about a large number of kisses.

Everybody's clever nowadays, so many of you will already know that I am referring to the 1981 debut of the Serbian director Emir Kusturica, Sjećaš li se Doli Bel? , and that the song in question was Adriano Celentano's 24 Mila Baci .
Here's the song (which I hadn't heard since seeing the movie):



Addendum: Since writing this piece I recently saw the movie for the first time in about 25 years. My memory had not deceived me- a fantastic film, highly recommended.

28.9.09

15 Covers...


I've always had a thing about cover versions. Not in the Wedding Party Band sense, but in the way in which covers show that rock music is, at it's pure unadulterated heart, essentially about fandom, populism and the do it yourself ethos.
In putting together this compilation my aim was to include songs of quality covered by decent artists with a degree of originality.
1. Debaser- originally by Pixies- covered by Mother Universe.
2. Bonnie and Clyde- originally by- Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot- covered by Luna & Lætitia Sadier
3. A Song From Under The Floorboards- originally by- Magazine -covered by Morrissey
4. Sad Dark Eyes- originally by The Loved Ones- covered by Mick Harvey
5. Head On- originally by The Jesus and Mary Chain- covered by Pixies
6. Make Me Smile- originally by Steve Harley’s Cockney Rebel- covered by The Wedding Present
7. Bigmouth Strikes Again- originally by The Smiths- covered by Placebo
8. Just Like Heaven- originally by The Cure- covered by Dinosaur Jr.
9. Ceremony- originally by New Order- covered by Galaxie 500
10. You Sexy Thing- originally by Hot Chocolate- covered by Cud
11. Leave Me Alone- originally by New Order- covered by Chappaquiddick Skyline
12. Pastime Paradise- originally by Stevie Wonder- covered by Patti Smith
13. Flowers In The Rain- originally by The Move- covered by Kaiser Chiefs
14. Hounds Of Love- originally by Kate Bush- covered by The Futureheads
15. Telegram Sam- originally by Marc Bolan & T Rex- covered by Bauhaus
This has been knocked together from many sources, so the bitrate is variable (fact)- the music is good (opinion).


ALAS! for the time being , at least, the link is dead and I never kept the songs all in one file...

27.9.09

Sartre said...


Jean-Paul Sartre said: Everything has been figured out, except how to live.

24.9.09

КИНО- Группа Крови ( Blood Group)- (1988)


The title track of this LP is a classic.
Viktor Tsoi- John Lennon and Joe Strummer rolled into one.
You can read transliterations and translations of КИНО lyrics here.




22.9.09

Ali Baba.

One of the things I love about reggae is the way in which producers would recycle tunes, using the same backtrack as the basis for numerous versions, dubs and toasts.
What we have here is a 1970 single by the super smooth Mr John Holt, recorded for Duke Reid's legendary Treasure Isle Studios.
The studio band were The Supersonics, led by Tommy McCook.
In 1975 Jackie Edwards released a version under the direction of Bunny 'Striker' Lee which formed the basis for a number of versions. King Tubby had a particular fondness for the 'Ali Baba Riddim'.
This is not a definitive collection of the tracks that employ this rhythm-there are plenty more out there, but here are seven to be getting on with...

Duke Reid

Tommy McCook and The Supersonics.

John Holt

Bunny Lee

Jackie Edwards

King Tubby

Dr Alimantado

Jah Stitch

Prince Jammy



21.9.09

Му́мий Тро́лль- Морская (1997)


It’s not often that Burning Aquarium will feature a band or artist that has graced the stage at the Eurovision Song Contest, but here is a worthy exception.
Vladivostok’s Мумий Тролль (Mumiy Troll) - have been described as the most important band in the post Soviet era of Russian pop/ rock music. They represented the Russian Federation in the 2001 contest at Copenhagen, finishing 12th.

Formed in 1983 their early output was in the traditional Soviet form of bootlegs. There was also a hiatus whilst Ilia Lagutenko did his national service. This is their first official studio album Морская (Morskaya /Nautical), released in 1997.
Reminiscent at times, I think, of The Go-Betweens (that's intended neither as a criticism nor a recommendation).



Ilia Lagutenko, vocals, guitar
Eugene "Sdwig" Zvidionny, bass
Oleg Pungin, drums
Yuri Tsaler, guitars, keyboard, saxophone