Hopeland (Notes from Corsica) 22: Excavations

Rolling up his sleeves, he approached us with the fixed stare and intent of one about to join a pub fight. As he brushed past, kicking sand onto our towels, I noticed that his belt was already undone. A woman in a red coat, with the countenance of a long-suffering wife, followed closely behind. Fingering his flies the man stopped with purpose fifty feet beyond us and completed his dishevelment. Naked but for briefs and a St Christopher, he clawed at the sand and within minutes had created an elaborate maze of sunken tunnels and ditches which fast became irrigated by the sea. So intent on this toil was he that he disregarded a chuckling child, armed with water wings and a bright yellow bucket and spade, joining the game with relish, until he caught the man’s eye. The sad red lady had stationed herself at a dispassionate distance and sat smoking, in mute acceptance of her lot. Maybe she was a sister or even a care worker. Cursing unseen demons her charge shivered and threw his arms to the heavens, perhaps demanding divine guidance, then continued his ecstatic excavation, like an aguish archeologist digging into the past, tunneling himself back towards happier times. He was joined in his work again, this time by a young Alsatian that fuelled the feverish frenzy, the two working in unwitting unison until the pup backed up, covering the sandscape and its architect, who kicked out at the dog in a rabid rage before returning to his work. After a good hour of unbroken endevour the digger suddenly stopped, as if to the sound of a factory siren, his shift complete. Picking up his clothes in a rough bundle he set off at a pace, retracing his steps, again covering us with sand, his wild eyes indifferent to our sympathetic glances. We had however caught his companion’s attention. As she passed us she rolled her eyes and, in perfect broken English muttered, “Lost forever. And it was a fucking Rolex!”

My Top Five: Trev

Ok, with the threat of a 'Texas Wedgie' from Toronto Tim a ringing in my ears I'll give it a go.

I've said before that my/our songs are a bit like babies; it's really hard to be objective; your affections are oft with the slightly cross-eyed ones.
Blimey, I'm even going to have to break this into sections:

Pre Marcus:
Much credit should be given to the live band that played on the first two albums. We were a tight bunch back then; there was never any money to show for all of their hard graft. Top men, all of them:
Steve Davis: Guitar and keyboards (and co-producer for the first two and a half albums)
Les Nemes: Bass
Mark Hornby: Electric and acoustic guitar
Trevor Smith: Drums and percussion
Phil Smith: Sax and keyboards


Walking John Wayne: This came together effortlessly and has aged with a certain dignity.


Whiskey Kisses: There aren't many of my songs that I imagine other folk covering but for some reason I always hear Willy Nelson crooning this with Emmylou Harris. They'd better get on with it...


Wheels of the World: Maybe not the greatest song ever written but it captured the live band in all its glory; this is what Miracle Mile sounded like at gigs. I remember guitarist Mark Hornby turning up at North London's 'Protocol Studios', tardy and a little worse for wear from celebrating at his son's birthday party. On arrival he reversed into a wall in the car park, stumbled in, realised that he'd brought the wrong guitar; Les Paul instead of Telecaster; and then launched into the solo that still gives goosebumps.
A capable and enthusiastic drinking partner and hands down the best guitarist I've ever played with...


Star Watching: A great pop arrangement, beautifully realised by co-producer Steve Davis.


Blue Sea White Dog: This always feels like the song where I first found my true voice as a singer. 
I love the arrangement and well remember the live line up recording it at Jacob's residential studios. 
I hate to take credit, but I asked drummer Trevor Smith to play with brushes rather than sticks (he wasn't happy) and the song suddenly moved from pop/rock towards something more intimate. A high point in recording for the band and also, in a way, the beginning of its end, with my inclination towards a quieter, more controlled sound. 

'Scientist Specials':
There are some songs that came out exactly as intended; I guess that endorses a certain craftsmanship.

Then there are the ones which morph into something totally unexpected; a slug into butterfly, or vice-versa. These are invariably the productions that Marcus has left his fingerprints most indelibly upon; the ones where I've presented him with a vocal and a scratchy guitar only to be summonsed back to the studio weeks later to be sat in 'the comfy chair' in front of those fabled 'Big Speakers' and be totally bewildered, then blown away. I'm a bit of a control freak so it does take a real leap of faith for me to take my hands off the wheel; the relief and wonderment at The Scientist's mad alchemy has reduced me to a quivering pulp on several occasions and I still live for those moments; love it when Marcus beams at his own sound sculptures.

My favourite of these 'Scientist Specials' are:

Glow: Vocal done, I described the boozy subject matter; and said that I'd like a 'woozy' feel. The rolling tom toms and swelling cymbals perfectly suggest the highs and lows of an alcohol fueled existence.
I remember the piano bass notes on the 'hold your horses' section parting my hair; a real thrill.

Lights of Home: I'd expected the end section's key change to build into a dramatic cacophonous climax; instead Marcus drops the arse out of the song; the effect is doubly potent: genius!

Yuri's Dream: I love the grungy slide guitar in the intro, that's offset by the clarity of the glockenspiel and BJ Cole's heavenly slide. There's a lot going on but the whole production is balanced and complete.

Papillon: I gave Marcus the acoustic version (essentially the mix that you hear on 'Hopeland') and he tweaked it into something quite beautiful, initially with twitchy drums on. They worked fine but seemed to take the eye and ear from the sentiment, so 'we' binned them. I'm not sure that Marcus has ever forgiven me... Still, an inspired production, he definitely had his Lanois leathers on that day.

Jim: This isn't actually a Marcus production; this was me and Steve Davis, who worked with me on 'Bicycle Thieves', 'Candids' and the first half of 'Slow Fade'. It was the first session that BJ Cole ever did for us. We also wanted double bass and our then guitarist Mark Hornby suggested getting in a guy that he'd been working with for Tasmin Archer. We booked the faceless bassist and in walked Marcus. The solo section, where the upright bass echoes the guitar line, still activates the hair on the back of my neck. I thank that this song and 'Blue Sea White Dog' were the first real inclinations of how I really wanted my post live band recordings to sound... 

I should also mention 'Guggenheim' as this was the first ever Cliffe/Jones production; I won't bore you with the technicalities but it started life in a top end residential studio ('Jacobs', where the Smiths recorded 'The Queen is Dead'). We were forced to steal the parts as digital scraps and it ended up being reassembled with scissors and glue in Marcus's kitchen...

'All the Way to London' and 'Under My Tongue' should get special mention also; Marcus brought a pop sensibility to what might otherwise have been mordant melodies.

Happy Pappy:
The MM songs that I'm proudest of:

Alaska: The lyric engages and the production is epic without being pompous.

Five Points of Light: I'm not sure that the recorded version is definitive but, for me, there's not a false note in the writing.

Milk Moustache: I love the quirky arrangement; the sentiment just the right side of saccharine...

Love Letters and Long Goodbyes: Written for an injured, much loved friend. We nailed this one...

Sister Song: I hope that it still works; I can't really listen to it anymore; as genuine an outpouring as I'll ever muster; never again I hope...

The Scientist's Seed:
Finally, special mention to those songs that started as musical pieces from Marcus that we then melded into song; I'd call these our truest collaborations:

The Dust Will Shape Your Sins

Weatherwise

My Bourbon Sky

Step by Step

The Secret Fold

My Beautiful Mirage

OK, that's a few more than 5 and I haven't even touched on the 'Jones' songs yet.
Today it's:

Hopeland

Homeward

Something Resembling Love

Bluer Skies Than This

I Deny


Thanks again to Toronto Tim for suggesting this; it's been interesting to see what's connected; to read how and why the songs reverberate.
It's heartening to know that they live and breathe out there in the big wide world...

My Top 5: Toronto Tim: In Conclusion

Toronto Tim says: "THANKS TO ALL" for your Top 5 lists!

"When I first pitched the whimsical idea I was concerned that it would be selfish on my part to have only My Top 5 posted, and requested Trev's aid in making it a community effort. I expected him to seduce a couple of others to chip in, but he really went the extra mile with it. I was pleasantly surprised when so many tiptoed out of the shadows to go public, and put as much time and scrutiny into their eloquent and personal entries. Thanks to all, and delighted to make your acquaintance!


One thing to be concluded: MM & Jones 'song appeal' for each individual is all over the map. 
Very special that an entire musical body connects with the folks in such a potent way...
Of course, lists of this sort are arbitrary, whether you chose 5,6,7 or 13.
However, at the end of the day, I think there will be a few picks that have left a scar; music and accompanying memories that we will carry, and that we will keep...


Now I will give the Hissyfit's captain a "Texas wedgie" (Google it!) to reveal his 5 proudest babies..."

Levon Helm

Sad news that Levon Helm is in the terminal stages of throat cancer.
You can read more here.
The drummer with 'The Band', and latterly a solo performer and successful character actor, has been struggling with the condition for some time.
Talk about 'spunky'; here's a recent performance on Elvis Costello's 'Spectacles' show (with a pretty impressive supergroup); he couldn't be interviewed because he had "a sore throat", but let his drums do the talking.
He seems to be having the time of his life...

Lovesong: Paul Buchanan and The Maccabees on 'Later': Mid Air & Pelican

I'm sure that most of you have seen this, but it's worth a second look.
The event should be doubly celebrated as PB's austere take even manages to stop Jools from 'boogywoogying'...
The 'for everything that life was worth' line gets me in the same place as the 'Jesus, please make us happy sometimes' line from 'Family Life'.
I really liked The Maccabees also; a proper 'band'...

A Hundred Homing Pigeons: Les Nemes: Bass Master Class Part 2

Les's 'Bass Master Class' is under way and prospering. It's amazing what you can do with four strings...
Maybe 'prospering' is the wrong word as our Leslie only seems able to afford the one 'V' neck...
He's seen here (right) in his favourite jumper (and shirt) blissfully unaware of the three snooker balls that Nick Heyward had just launched at him for disrespecting 'the serious bit' in 'Favourite Shirt'.
Here he is, convalescing in a Spanish sanitarium where he talks about his love of The Faces.

PB on 'Later With Jools' Tonight

We're all getting a bit giddy aren't we?
I just received this email from Paul Buchanan's site:

Paul will be performing on Later With Jools Holland this week. Tune in both today (17th) and Friday (20th) to hear Paul perform Mid Air. Visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/later/ for further details.

Paul will also be popping in for a chat with Bob Harris on Bob's Radio 2 show next Sunday morning (22nd) at Midnight. Further information on that is available here -http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01gc0z2 

Last week Paul appeared on Jools Holland's Radio 2 show performing Norwegian Wood and playing My True Country, Two Children and Mid Air from the album. Listen back to both this and an interview with Stuart Maconie on Paul's Soundcloud page - http://soundcloud.com/paul-buchanan-music

Finally, the title track from Paul's new album, 'Mid Air', is available to purchase from iTunes worldwide here - http://bit.ly/midairitunes

Lovesong: Mainstreaming: Kaada

I seem to be discovering a lot of my new musical finds through the excellent meandmybigmouth, a literary blog run by a music lover.
Taken from Kaada's 2006 album 'Music for Moviebikers', this is beautifully bonkers...

Solotastic: Ry Cooder & Prince

So, Bazza Cross is advocating the 'return of the solo' in pop songs.

I'll need some convincing so, bring 'em on.

If we're honest I think that we would all have to confess to a few childhood hours 'wasted' in front of the bedroom mirror, tennis racket in hand, head thrown back in cross eyed ecstasy, throwing shapes to 'Stairway to Heaven' or 'Freebird'; gurning like Joe Walsh as we bent the high notes...

Suggestions don't need to be refined to guitar; I think that my favourite rock and roll solo ever is Clarence Clemon's mighty, emotive sax break on 'Jungleland'.

I'll get things going with two solos that tick the boxes at both ends of the barometer. The first is concise and beautifully phrased, the tone exquisite; Ry Cooder's sublime playing on John Hiatt's fabulous 'Lipstick Sunset', from the brilliant album 'Bring the Family' that you can buy here for next to nowt.

Click here to listen to LIPSTICK SUNSET.

The second is bombastic and bonkers but quite brilliant; Prince strutting with some supergroup (is it the Travelling Willbury's?) playing 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'. Gentle it ain't... indeed when I was polishing my tennis racket way back when, I think that this was what I had in mind...

Hopeland (Notes from Corsica) 21. So Far, So Good

These are hardly original ideas.
The grass is always greener.
The human condition is invariably in a state of disappointment.
Is ‘different’ better? When habit and convention demoralizes and casts us adrift, how do we reset our course?
Change?
The thought of real change is intimidating; it could save me, yet I fear it and remain content with cold compromise. Dissatisfied, I crave happiness and, when it fails to materialise, look elsewhere for a quick fix.

As ‘consumers’, maybe we have become so used to instant gratification that we can only be disappointed.
I want to be ‘of substance’, yet deny the process that makes the fabric hardy: life. I focus on the horizon, rather than on the small dramas in front of me. I desire to be “anywhere but here” with the vague possibilities of that ‘other life’ making me resent my real life even more. Traditionally these ‘other lives’ were just vague unobtainable pipedreams, seen in fuzzy black and white. Now, digital clarity promises a focused and immediate reality in ‘High Definition’ that is demanded without investment or preparation. Thus, even if I do make the dream reality, I’m unable to appreciate or recognise the gravity of its arrival; I just use it and move on to something else.

Many of my songs focus on the tricks that we use, the games that we play and the skills we develop, to stop ourselves from becoming unglued. For me, silence stands as failure and threatens everything, so I fill it with music and search for the perfect song. I’m surely doomed to be disappointed, but the ambition keeps me moving forward.
I believe that we all rest where compromise leaves us, in a kind of limbo.

Limbo? 

It's sorrow's way; like the unravelling of a lost kite, a gentle rise or fall towards oblivion. We’re all connected by our unravellings, we don’t always feel the tug, but as the line tightens, leaves a mark, then relaxes, we realise that things can never come to rest and learn to trust the rhythm of chance. 

I say, don't be afraid to forget. You will not. What is vital will remain. Regrets will become your palest thoughts, and one day, when your gaze has drifted, the sadness will buck and buckle and be gone.
How do you live the perfect life? 

How do you write the perfect joke? 

Start with the punch line and work backwards. 

And the perfect joke? 

A man falling from a great height whispering “so far, so good.”

PB Alert: BBC 6 Stuart Maconie Interview Link: PB on 'Later' with Jools (Tuesday 17th April)

OK, a 2nd daily post is timely as these comments from Toronto Tim and Phil Duncan might be missed.


TT says: "Ah, David you're a fount of knowledge! Actually, I imagine it's me making Trev grumpy... I've been dithering vainly to him for days.
You mentioned the BBC interview, and I googled it but it's not available overseas. But I kept digging and found it on "Soundcloud" here... 
http://soundcloud.com/paul-buchanan-music/paul-buchanan-interview-with
As I listened to the chat, my crustiness melted away; impressed and moved by Paul's charm, wit and humility. His explanation of the motives behind the "sketchy" nature of the album is getting me to reaccess my rush to judgement. I don't think I'm disciplined or patient enough anymore to follow Dave's "puritan" lead, but this may be an album that requires that approach. I was surprised when Maconie brought up a bunch of things that I'd yammered on about... Carver-school of minimalism, brevity as opposed to BN's more extended meditations, etc. Given BN's penchant for avoiding the press, I was surprised to see Paul out pitching, but he's a wonderful interview. Much better than the inferior yack with Jools, also posted on "soundcloud"..."



Phil says: "My brother has just phoned from Sydney to say he’s received an e-mail from PB letting him know that he’s appearing on 'Later with Jools' next week (Tuesday 17th).

 Apparently he’s bought 2 new pairs of jeans…"

My Top 5: Marcus Cliffe: The Scientist Speaks (but briefly)

I’ve been beavering away in the studio, working on 
'Cassidy’s Care'. 
All is going well... I think.
It’s been interesting, locking myself away and thrashing ideas around.
If I didn’t have a girlfriend I might become a reclusive artist, if I let it take hold...

And so, to my favourite 5 MM songs:


Weatherwise
All the Way to London
Lost and Found
Wilful
The Dust Will Shape Your Sins

Lovesong: Paul Buchanan/The Blue Nile: Two Children/Can't Get Over/The Wires Are Down/Seasons of Light/Silent Night

I'm starting to feel a bit like a 'virtual' stalker with all of these Buchanan/Blue Nile posts but, like many, I'm still buzzing with anticipation of PBs new album 'Mid Air'.

He's just posted this:

My sincere thanks to everyone who has ordered Mid Air on the website, and to everyone who has kindly contributed to the British Heart Foundation through the available link. I chose this charity because of the circumstances in which I lost a close friend, and every donation will hopefully help save other individuals and families from going through a similar experience. I am deeply touched, consoled and humbled by the generosity shown.
Thank you so much.

Paul

First up is another track from 'Mid Air': 'Two Children'.

Then there's a link that will play you a snippet of another rare (at least to me) song from The Blue Nile, click here: 'Can't Get Over'.
The second video, 'The Wires are Down' is also new to me.
It was a 'B' side from 'The Downtown Lights' apparently...

What with the tasters gifted us recently from 'Mid Air' it feels like Christmas has come early; with that in mind the third YouTube offering is 'Seasons of Light' which I'm told is from a Christmas album of the same name.

I cannot find trace of it anywhere...
To add to that frustration the final song is from the same album; a lovely take on 'Silent Night'.
It's enough to make me want to drink egg nog and hang my balls from a tree...

The Glow Diaries: 3

Part 3 of the Glow Diaries. Click on the page (left) to enlarge.

Lovesong: Piers Faccini: One of These Things First/Two Grains of Sand

I greatly admire the singer/songwriter Piers Faccini and was trawling YouTube when I found this fragile Nick Drake cover; Piers duetting with French singer, Camille on 'One of These Things First'.
I love the way that it just holds together; the visuals are pretty stunning in their simplicity.
Then watch Piers singing the title track from his last album 'Two Grains of Sand'.
Finally (if you've time) there's an interview with him that might have you chasing his back catalogue...

Keepers: Onda Rock: Italian Interview by Gianfranco Marmoro

Fifteen years have not brought out of limbo the production of Miracle Mile. Despite critical acclaim, the stylish pop of Trevor Jones and Marcus Cliffe has not achieved the acclaim deserved.
On the occasion of the second solo album, Trevor Jones tells the secrets and passions that lie behind a long string of memorable songs and talks about his universe of friends, and looks towards 

a world of real people:

More than twenty years of musical association with Marcus Cliffe does not seem to have appeased the desire to find new solutions sound to your music, what is the secret?

I call us ‘The Hunchback and The Scientist’. I’ll leave you to guess which is which. I suppose that you could say that, broadly, I am the songwriter and Marcus is the arranger and musician. At the heart of it Marcus and I are good friends. We enjoy each other’s company and, musically speaking, compliment each other well by not encroaching on the others’ area of expertise. We have never predetermined our roles and therefore I’m reluctant to articulate the relationship; sometimes by giving something a name you can threaten the breath that sustains it. Some artistic combinations thrive on dissonance to stimulate creativity; in our musical world, I think that ‘calm’ is the essence of what we do, therefore our easy friendship is reflected in that musical balm. Before any new album, we’ll meet, open a bottle of red wine (or two) and gently slide into things, by discussing our lives and loves; what we’re listening to, reading, watching. This creates the appropriate environment and ambience for that which follows.

The orchestra seems to have a more important role in this new album, while giving up some more modern atmosphere has increased the emotional range of music, how you arrived at this new sound  structure?

Sonically I wanted ‘Keepers’ to be a natural development from ‘Hopeland’. The subject matter was rooted in the same environment, so we kept similar restrictions on the acoustic instruments that we used, but with ‘Keepers’, discord and sadness had entered the room. I wanted to suggest this by introducing a new element, the orchestra. Using a refined template we could be both ‘grand’ and ‘intimate’; by using strings we could suggest the river and the sea, the pebble and the mountain. I wanted to capture the grandeur of the island, particularly in the finale, the last 30 seconds of the album. Only an orchestra would have that kind of presence. I think that Marcus did a brilliant job with his arrangements and translated my mutterings into something beautifully articulate.

Your voice seems to grow in intensity and expression over the years, due to studies or artistic maturità?

I’m afraid that my voice is what it is. No lessons could tame the untamable. There is a crude Yorkshire saying that goes “you cannot polish a turd” (a ‘turd’ is ‘shit’) and I think that applies here. I just speak and sing as honestly as possible. The listener can sense pretention and, as our music is about ‘connection’, it is vital that people believe me and trust my voice.

The first two albums ('Blue Skies Than This, 'God's Own Swimming Pool') no longer appear in the discography of the Miracle Mile, an artistic or market choice ?

Those two albums were made solely as demos with the intention of getting gigs and maybe a recording deal. A lot of those songs were then remixed and went on to form the bulk of our debut ‘Bicycle Thieves’. I think that both ‘Bicycle Thieves’ and the follow up ‘Candids’ are due to be re-mastered. Maybe then we’ll include some of the unreleased stuff from those demos.

I was surprised by vehemence of  'Folding Sheets' a typical folk song but at the same time prepared with a charming arrangement, you're particularly attached to this song or do you prefer some other tacks from 'Keepers'?

It’s too early for me too make an objective judgement about the songs on ‘Keepers’. They are all my babies; sometimes you love the cross-eyed ones more than the beautiful ones. ‘Folding Sheets’ seems to be one of the handsome ones; it’s a favourite of many.

How much influence will the new direction of the Miracle Mile take from this test record? Marcus is planning some solo album ?

I keep prompting Marcus towards a solo album; he’s sitting on so much creative juice. We have discussed another Miracle Mile album but at the moment nothing is planned. Maybe once the muse kicks in again Marcus won’t be able to hide from me!
* Since this interview MM have commenced work on a new album, 'In Cassidy's Care', due out later in 2012.

Do you use 'Jones' as artistic name to avoid being confused with the famous composer of soundtracks?

I have been confused with that famous film composer ‘Trevor Jones’ before. He is South African and I once ate and drank very well in various restaurants in and around Cape Town by introducing myself as ‘the musician Trevor Jones’. They normally discovered my deception as we ordered desert!

So, of course it was a consideration; also ‘Jones’ seemed easier to remember…

The lack of success and the little attention the press is a result of your choice or bad luck?

I wouldn’t choose for my music to be ignored. I suppose that there’s cold comfort in knowing that a lot of great music goes unnoticed. You just have to make the most of your circumstances. The benefit of independence is that you can honour yourself. You don’t have to manicure your work to suit some corporate template. You can develop naturally

As my music is ultimately an attempt to observe, communicate and connect with the world, I recognise that it’s a humbling moment when we recognise that we’re all made of the same stuff, therefore it’s heartening to hear if a song has resonated in the way it was intended to, and that a listener has appreciated the finer details of the writing. The people who take the time to listen to the music as intended: as a piece; in sequence and in one sitting, are invariably the friends who stick with us.

Who would like to collaborate in the future?

Marcus, always Marcus.

I have had discussions about a project with David Bridie (an Australian film composer and musician who produces a lot of ‘World Music’) but we’re currently oceans apart.

Except the 'CANDIDS' cover, all seem to follow a precise graphic design, who has the final choice between you and Marcus?

As with all final product, Marcus and I both need to agree on the covers for Miracle Mile; we have always used the same graphic artist, Nick Reddyhoff, in order to develop a consistent style. I chose a different artist (Barry Cross) for the solo albums to help draw a line between the two different projects.

Are you going to write a book?

It’s already done and lays dormant under my bed.


Your ten albums for a desert island? 


1. Joni Mitchell - Blue


2. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen (the remastered version which includes the acoustic versions) 


3. The Go Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane 


4. Blue Nile - Hats 


5. Tom Waits - Asylum Years 


6. Ennio Morricone - Once Upon a Time in America


7. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde 


8. Frank Sinatra - The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning 


9. Neil Young - After the Goldrush


10. Elvis Costello - King Of America


Gianfranco Marmoro

Lovesong: Paul Buchanan: Newsroom/Mid Air/My True Country

Three tracks from Paul's new album 'Mid Air'.
First up, the title track, then 'Newsroom' (blink and you'll miss it), finally (for anyone who might have missed it) the previously heralded 'My True Country' which you can still download for free at http://www.paulbuchanan.com
Slightly beautiful or beautifully slight?
Insubstantial little gems or glorious vignettes?
I hope that he stretches out a bit more on the album.
This is tasty tapas and I'm bloody starving....

My Top 5: Nick Baker

Nick's been with us for as long as anyone; he knows his stuff so we're always chuffed to get his enthusiastic feedback.
Nick Baker's 'Top 5':

It's taken a while but here is my Top 5.
Wanted to give it some thought as favourites constantly change!
A photo for you; me at my very local beach at Aberavon and also one of me and my 12 string when I was 14!!! I wanted an electric bass but my parents wouldn't buy me one because of the noise implications. (My brother, who was 12 years older, played bass in a band in the 60s and used to practice in the next bedroom). Ironic really as this was just as noisy when I miked it up and fed it through my hi fi!  I still have it with one broken machine head but it still rings out like a good un when I attempt Supertramp's 'Give a Little Bit'...

Weatherwise - My favourite MM song. Like a lot of MM songs, positivity in the sadness! Plus a lovely arpeggio, slide and upright bass introduction. Brilliant lyrics, 'no natural selection in this genetic pool', I always tune in!

Hopeland - This song brought tears to my eyes on first hearing. I put it on repeat for about an hour!!!! After the journey through Hopeland this was just bliss. Thought Trev might be saying goodbye for whatever reason!! The sepia production of the album bursts into technicolour on this track. Including woodwind, clarinet? And as always, glockenspiel just sounds gorgeous!!

In Your Eye - Keepers glorious highlight. Uplifting, literary, sweeping. You can almost smell the sea, see the azure, hear the waves and taste the king fish. 'if all endurance is compressed', where else can you hear words like this. And again the Glockenspiel!!

Lights of Home - Simple, wraps you in a blanket of beautiful sound. Again the Glockenspiel! Must be my weakness. 'Lost beneath a star that's dying.' Lars Von Trier must have been listening before he filmed Melancholia. Vibraphone and Glockenspiel ending too. You had me at 'praying to a satellite'.

Making Repairs to Lisa - The first MM song I heard. Grabbed my attention straight away. Simple, lovely and inspiring. "I blessed your twisted heart. I fed it to the birds", I hadn't heard words in song like this since Paddy MacAloon!!! Plus woodwind. Brought to mind the lovely Kate St John!! Somehow had a 60s vibe. Love it.

Mermaid - Sorry, got to be 6!!!! Just love this song. Paints a story I can remember from my childhood. 'Another generation writing in the sand' I see this now at my very local beach time and time again and think of this song. I just want to play it to the people and shout, 'remember this time & song, the truth lies within'.

Hopeland (Notes from Corsica) 20. An Unsteady Hand

Mike’s funeral was unforgettable.
The Catholic church of St Felix was full; people stood in the aisles and outside in the car park. The wake that followed at the Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club was a lively celebration of a quiet life. The club house sat at the ‘entrance’ of the river Debnen and offered stunning views both of the sea and upriver. It had been a haven to Mike and was the perfect setting for his send off: a place of function and easy laughter, with ‘Adnams’ on tap, heaven indeed.
Mike’s qualities were modest and intangible but I think that ultimately he reflected what most of us would want to call the best of ourselves.
His serenity was a constant and, because of that, he was the perfect touchstone. For me, as a kid, Mike was the one I’d look to when things got a bit wobbly, or when I just couldn’t get trigonometry. He was the funnel, the conduit that brought everyone together at St Felix’s that day. I think that all of his friends present were all a little stunned at the turn out; each of us thinking that we were singularly blessed in recognizing his quiet decency, yet all of us happy to sublimate ourselves as one of many; Mike’s family of friends.

After Mike’s passing an odd thing happened; I started writing about myself in the 3rd person. It seemed that I was outside myself, watching me waiting for something to happen, a dispassionate outsider viewing my fumblings from a distance.
There was a strange and quiet calm, a light, heady feeling, as if a storm was coming. I was about to become dispossessed of something.
This disinterested self-regard was unsettling.
I was full of myself, and yet I found myself an empty vessel.
It’s inevitable that mundanities and small dramas set the ripples forming and there they were again. And again, it was through writing that I got to temper that turbulence. Once more I withdrew, simplified and learnt to be alone.
I started writing the words and songs for ‘Keepers’ on the shores of a lake in northern Portugal, and stumbled towards a moment of grace on the roof of a shepherd’s hut back in Corsica. Always close to water, always with a small yellow notepad in hand. Inside the cover of that notepad I had written the words of American poet Galway Kinnell: ‘Maybe the best we can do is do what we love as best we can’.
It was the ‘maybe’ that got to me.
Guided by an unsteady hand, ‘Keepers’ proved to be a collection provoked by loss and a recognition of the importance of touchstones; objects, places and people that inspire us to keep eyeing the horizon, yet offer shelter and safe harbour should things go awry.

We bottle their benevolence and call it ‘home’.
Often unwilling or unwitting bellwethers, their kindred spirit can haunt inanimate objects; a toy plane, a letter, a button, a bible, a key…
These are not pious custodians, just ordinary folk with the same vulnerabilities as the rest of us. And yet something sets them apart, moving us to burden them with our wellbeing. They become the keepers of our faith in other people.
We are comforted in their presence.
We are diminished by their loss.
Their absence is company enough.

Ghost of Song: Reviews: Jeremy Searle for 'americanaUK'

Perfect pop compilation from Miracle Mile man

Trevor Jones is half of Miracle Mile, makers of some the finest adult pop music you are ever likely to hear.
For the last three or four years they’ve been on a break (though there is talk of a new album later this year) and during that time Jones has released two solo albums, “Hopeland” in 2009 and “Keepers” in 2010. Both were among the finest released in their respective years and, while they retained that perfect pop from the Mile Jones extended himself into darker and deeper areas to great effect. This was particularly noticeable on “Hopeland”, whose songs were interspersed with spoken word pieces.
Unfortunately, as is the way with so much great music, critical acclaim doesn’t equate to commercial success, and beyond the cognoscenti they neither really sold. So what he’s done is take the best bits from both albums – songs only – and put them on this album. Which makes this, cliché be damned, one of the best records of the year already.
The ten songs, six from “Hopeland”, four from “Keepers”, are magnificent. Jones is a writer of rare insight, and he marries his thoughtful and intelligent lyrics to wonderful tunes. There really isn’t a standout, but “My Last And Latest Chance” and “Something Resembling Love” perhaps sneak slightly ahead of the rest, their tug on the heartstrings and the tear ducts being just that little bit stronger. Much music is good, solid, enjoyable, worthwhile. Very little music can truly change the listener. This album can.

9/10

Jeremy Searle

americanaUK (22/1/2012)

Lovesong: Peter Broderick: http://www.itstartshear.com

If, like me, you enjoy reading about the stories behind the songs, you can't help but be beguiled by the latest release from Peter Broderick: http://www.itstartshear.com
He's released a few albums, a couple of which I really like: 'Float' and 'Home' which were mainly instrumental.
Yup, the title of this new one is indeed a website and you can work through the tracks on the album by going to... erm...  http://www.itstartshear.com  whist reading the backstories....
If you only have time for a couple try: http://www.itstartshear.com/with-the-notes-on-fire which is great fun, or http://www.itstartshear.com/everything-i-know which reminds me of Will Oldham.
Some folk say it's best to know nothing about the history of a song, that you might better invest it with your own impressions, making the song speak directly to you and for you. Sometimes the specifics of a song need to be known... I'm not sure when or where that might be, or what signposts are appropriate; should we not trust the guiding hand? Maybe it's a random process... sometimes the most memorable destinations are the ones you come across by accident.
It's a bit of a mither for me at the moment, as the songs for the forthcoming MM album are so specific; indeed relate to a short story that I've written; 'In Cassidy's Care' , which was initially inspired (wrong word) by the mishaps of a mate, but which later spiraled into realms of fantasy and fiction, saving a good friendship and preventing a lawsuit...
I don't quite know how Marcus and I are going to present it to you but this site certainly fuels the fire...
http://www.itstartshear.com

The Glow Diaries: 2

Following on from 'The Limbo Diaries' come notes on the making of the preceding album 'Glow' which you can buy here on 'Amazon' for next to nowt; "the price of a pint" as they say here in St. John's Wood, (maybe a pint and a half in Manchester).

Click on the page below to enlarge...

Sprout Shout: Dylan Mondegreen: The World Spins On

Not exactly a 'ringer' but close enough to be cute... I know nothing about this man other than he's Norwegian...
Plus, I've posted a cover of 'Witchita Lineman' by Paddy, both offerings prompted (again) by Phil Duncan whose 'Top 5' featured recently...

My Top 5: Kevin Reynolds

Kevin has a special connection with MM. Not only has he been a friend of the band for an age, he's also been keen enough to encourage his beautiful and talented daughter Holly to cover one of our songs.

Marcus did some recording recently with Holly that went on to form an Ep that should garner much attention. Coincidentally, Holly is a graduate of the same Stoke-on-Trent dancing school ('Tweedales') that my Di frequented.

Small world...

Kevin's 'Top 5 Songs':

It’s impossible to only pick 5 of course, but here goes...

The Dust Will Shape Your Sins

This song means a great deal to me. When my daughter Holly was 14 she recorded a version as a home demo. I decided that I’d send MM a message via their My Space site to tell them about the recording and thank them for writing such a beautiful song. To my amazement Trev replied sounding really pleased (and pleasantly surprised that a teenage girl had recorded one of their songs!). Ever since that day Trev and I have kept in contact and even discovered that Holly and Trev’s partner Di went to the same dancing school! Who’d have thought that seven years later Marcus would be playing on/producing Holly’s first ep! This is such a great song. I have no idea what the lyrics mean and it doesn’t really matter. It sounds wonderful and, if you really pushed me, the one MM song I’d take to my desert island.

Love Letters and Long Goodbyes

Trev was so chuffed with Holly’s cover that he sent us a copy of Limbo. This remains my favourite MM album and this is the track which became stuck in my head for weeks! I remember playing the album to my wife Kath while driving to a restaurant and insisting that she listened to “just one more track” as we sat in the car park with rumbling stomachs!

Sister Song

So personal. So moving. I love Trev’s vocals on this – full of real emotion. The first time I heard this song Kath and I were sitting in the kitchen having a meal. I suddenly became aware that we’d stopped eating and were both staring at the speakers. When I turned around Kath had tears streaming down her face. Powerful stuff!

Alaska

How gorgeous is this? I love the ‘duelling’ guitars at the end. I never want it to end...

Something Resembling Love

Short , sweet and very catchy! It encapsulates many of the things I love about Trevor’s writing – a wonderfully crafted song with a beautiful melody and thoughtful, intelligent, reflective lyrics.