AL ST – Amazing intro, Immediately reminded me of Tool’s “Message to Harry Manback” with a little of Pink Floyd’s “Is there anybody out there.” Totally threw me for a loop when he started to sing. Sounds like a perfect song for a Guy Ritchie film. Wasn’t expecting a high pitched ballad. Overall liked it.
The Clash – Not much to say that hasn’t already been said.
Al Stewart – Roads to Moscow
Loved this track since I heard it decades ago. We find Mr. Stewart at a point just prior to his Year of the Cat-Time Passages-Song on the Radio flirtation with soft rock/pop stardom. Listening to it fresh, the acoustic guitar is worthy of an Al DiMeola/Paco De Lucia/John McLaughlin record – though it can be a bit distracting once the vocal begins. Some nice lyrical painting of scenery/story here. It treads a fine line with the soaring chorus and strings – I think the bass grounds it.
Philly Folk Fest Memory (early this century): Someone requested that he play this one and he admitted that he might not remember all the words, but “soldiered” through a solid rendition.
The Clash – Hate & War
I became a fan at London Calling, so I’m not as familiar with the earlier records and this particular track has not popped up in the mix as much as some others. Nice to hear them in their less-polished, rough & tumble phase. The bass is the propellent with great strokes of guitar as punctuation. There were several bands that, at a similar career junction, tended to something sound like this (clean and crunchy – The Jam, The Cure, Adam Ant, Gary Numan and even Ultravox. Interesting how they all journeyed on quite different paths. A Clashic! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist – and no intention of making fun of those struggling with a lisp.)
“Roads to Moscow”/A. Stewart. Wow, was looking forward to revisiting this, as I haven’t heard it for years, possibly since college! An epic of WWII, told from the perspective of a Soviet infantryman, about the German advance on the Soviet capital. Compelling, if perhaps a bit self-consciously literate. The folkish melody carries itself well over 8 minutes (though just four choruses — the verses are long!). The choir might be a bit much, though on the other hand it is impossible to overstate the carnage suffered by the Russians during WWII, so maybe it’s warranted after all.
“Hate and War” / Le Clash. A stark contrast between songs this week, not only musically but also in the historical specificity of Stewart’s lyric as opposed to the general indictment in this track from the band’s galvanic first album. As I don’t think England was in a literal war at the time, this one’s more about confronting everyday strife. “You have to deal with it / It is the currency.” The guitars sound great ricocheting on headphones.
“Roads to Moscow” by Al Stewart: Wow…all that immediately came to mind was Year of the Cat but then I realized if this one was ever played on the radio over my lifetime I was likely conflating it with Year of the Cat It is very familiar. His voice timbre, accent and storytelling perhaps box him in musically almost to a fault. The music brings me into a sort of nostalgic happy space. Excellent Choice.
“Hate & War” by The Clash: This band is not a big surprise to be featured twice. Will we see a third entry? This one captures The Clash essence in all its glory. Enraged lyrics that do not seem to tell any specific story but capture raw frustrated emotion as the object itself to hold (and possibly mosh pit dance to as well). I am sure it would have played well in a live local, rawkish bar setting back in the day.
“Roads to Moscow” by Al Stewart – I admit, Al Stewart is one of those artists I have not really given a serious listen. First impression: Stewart has a folklorist sound to it – its structure featuring a variety of acoustics that builds steadily over its nearly eight minutes including a chorus that kicks in around the three-minute marker. From “Past, Present and Future,” released in 1973 – I can hear those who influenced him. Was not expecting the song to be from the POV of a Russian soldier.
“Hate & War” by The Clash – (Bonus points to Ed for the ‘Clashic’ pun!) Strummer, Simonon, Jones and the crew are short and to the point here. Was this Strummer’s unique way of parodying the iconic hippie slogan, ‘Peace and Love?’ It’s an interesting contrast between Hate & War and hearing Spanish Bombs from London Calling last week. This self-titled album, predating London Calling by a couple of years shows off the grittier, more unpolished sound which would undeniably go on to influence a generation of artists.
AL ST – Amazing intro, Immediately reminded me of Tool’s “Message to Harry Manback” with a little of Pink Floyd’s “Is there anybody out there.” Totally threw me for a loop when he started to sing. Sounds like a perfect song for a Guy Ritchie film. Wasn’t expecting a high pitched ballad. Overall liked it.
The Clash – Not much to say that hasn’t already been said.
Al Stewart – Roads to Moscow
Loved this track since I heard it decades ago. We find Mr. Stewart at a point just prior to his Year of the Cat-Time Passages-Song on the Radio flirtation with soft rock/pop stardom. Listening to it fresh, the acoustic guitar is worthy of an Al DiMeola/Paco De Lucia/John McLaughlin record – though it can be a bit distracting once the vocal begins. Some nice lyrical painting of scenery/story here. It treads a fine line with the soaring chorus and strings – I think the bass grounds it.
Philly Folk Fest Memory (early this century): Someone requested that he play this one and he admitted that he might not remember all the words, but “soldiered” through a solid rendition.
The Clash – Hate & War
I became a fan at London Calling, so I’m not as familiar with the earlier records and this particular track has not popped up in the mix as much as some others. Nice to hear them in their less-polished, rough & tumble phase. The bass is the propellent with great strokes of guitar as punctuation. There were several bands that, at a similar career junction, tended to something sound like this (clean and crunchy – The Jam, The Cure, Adam Ant, Gary Numan and even Ultravox. Interesting how they all journeyed on quite different paths. A Clashic! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist – and no intention of making fun of those struggling with a lisp.)
“Roads to Moscow”/A. Stewart. Wow, was looking forward to revisiting this, as I haven’t heard it for years, possibly since college! An epic of WWII, told from the perspective of a Soviet infantryman, about the German advance on the Soviet capital. Compelling, if perhaps a bit self-consciously literate. The folkish melody carries itself well over 8 minutes (though just four choruses — the verses are long!). The choir might be a bit much, though on the other hand it is impossible to overstate the carnage suffered by the Russians during WWII, so maybe it’s warranted after all.
“Hate and War” / Le Clash. A stark contrast between songs this week, not only musically but also in the historical specificity of Stewart’s lyric as opposed to the general indictment in this track from the band’s galvanic first album. As I don’t think England was in a literal war at the time, this one’s more about confronting everyday strife. “You have to deal with it / It is the currency.” The guitars sound great ricocheting on headphones.
“Roads to Moscow” by Al Stewart: Wow…all that immediately came to mind was Year of the Cat but then I realized if this one was ever played on the radio over my lifetime I was likely conflating it with Year of the Cat It is very familiar. His voice timbre, accent and storytelling perhaps box him in musically almost to a fault. The music brings me into a sort of nostalgic happy space. Excellent Choice.
“Hate & War” by The Clash: This band is not a big surprise to be featured twice. Will we see a third entry? This one captures The Clash essence in all its glory. Enraged lyrics that do not seem to tell any specific story but capture raw frustrated emotion as the object itself to hold (and possibly mosh pit dance to as well). I am sure it would have played well in a live local, rawkish bar setting back in the day.
“Roads to Moscow” by Al Stewart – I admit, Al Stewart is one of those artists I have not really given a serious listen. First impression: Stewart has a folklorist sound to it – its structure featuring a variety of acoustics that builds steadily over its nearly eight minutes including a chorus that kicks in around the three-minute marker. From “Past, Present and Future,” released in 1973 – I can hear those who influenced him. Was not expecting the song to be from the POV of a Russian soldier.
“Hate & War” by The Clash – (Bonus points to Ed for the ‘Clashic’ pun!) Strummer, Simonon, Jones and the crew are short and to the point here. Was this Strummer’s unique way of parodying the iconic hippie slogan, ‘Peace and Love?’ It’s an interesting contrast between Hate & War and hearing Spanish Bombs from London Calling last week. This self-titled album, predating London Calling by a couple of years shows off the grittier, more unpolished sound which would undeniably go on to influence a generation of artists.