Bono - "Surrender : 40 Songs, One Story" Book Review

 Bono - "Surrender : 40 Songs, One Story"

Review by Rob H.
 

I wasn't sure about getting this one as I'm not a huge U2 fan (I like them, saw them live once and really enjoyed the gig, but I very rarely listen to them) and I'm aware of the religious start of the band and didn't fancy religion being rammed down my throat not to mention his reputation as being a bit pompous or pious!

Anyway I had a spare Audible credit and thought it would be an interesting listen (and no he doesn't mention being voted Woman of the Year in 2016!) so I gave it a punt.

It's an interesting enough book, the early years of the band were interesting but the book isn't a straight blow by blow album by album account, instead it does jump around a bit, takes in some of the charity/action and political encounters which is interesting to hear the behind the scenes negotiations and talks alot about his wife and personal beliefs as well as how U2 work together.

There is a fair bit of religion in some of the early and later chapters and a few revelations about his ideas of faith which would have grated if it had been more prominant or preachy but I certainly wouldn't have wanted any more to be honest.

Avid fans will probably love it, casual fans will find enough to make it worthwhile but it is certainly more about the man and if he annoys the hell out of you then I'm not sure this will change your mind....but it just might do!

Kid Congo Powers - "Some Kind of Kick : A Memoir" Book

 Kid Congo Powers - "Some New Kind of Kick : A Memoir" review by Rob H.

This was another book where I wasn't overly aware of the persons life and career but knew enough to want to find out more and that it would most likely be an interesting life to hear about.

Kid Congo Powers formed the Gun Club, a band he would return to throughout his career, he played guitar in The Cramps before joining Nick Cave in The Bad Seeds then on to The Fur Bible, Congo Norvell and Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds. Most of those bands I have very little awareness of, even The Gun Club I know more by reputation and for having Patrica Morrison as their bassist prior to her joining The Sisterhood and then The Sisters of Mercy.

What mainly drew me to this book was the Cramps and Nick Cave and both periods are interesting although not covered in depth but more with feeling. I would have liked more on the Cramps although his tenre was relatively short and coincided with a period that they were at loggerheads with their record label but does reveal that the famed live album "Smell of Female" was recorded and released quickly to combat the amount of bootleg shows being released.

The Nick Cave years feature a lot of drug addiction in the band and with Powers himself and his addiction is featured throughout the book. He was either a very high functioning addict or he doesn't really delve into some of the negative parts of addiction although getting clean at various stages in his life including when he was in the Bad Seeds surrounded by drug use.

There's a lot of interest in his early life like forming the Ramones fan club and meeting a lot of bands in that early American punk scene as well as dealing with his sexuality and personal loss.

You may not know all the bands in the book but as a memoir of a person it is always engaging and is worth exploring!

In The Court Of The Crimson King : King Crimson At 50 - A Film by Toby Aimes

Review by Rob H.

 "In The Court Of The Crimson King" is not quite like other music documentaries, the premise is simple enough but how do you succinctly capture the essence of a band that has been active for over 50 years, has a constantly changing line up, reinvented itself on numerous occassions and of course has that one constant....Robert Fripp.

If you were expecting a fluff piece with lots of music padding it out then this isn't for you, if you want to see the funny Fripp from Robert & Toyah's Sunday Lunch and weekly promo videos in which Toyah shows a bit more boob and Fripp suffers another indignation then this certainaly isn't for you!

Many band members past and present appear although many also don't and others aren't here anymore, quite poignantly drummer Bill Rieflin died during the course of the documentary and his interview segments of a man knowing his time was coming to a close adds extra gravitas and you have to respect how he deals with his own mortality.

So the Fripp you do see here is only one aspect of the man, intense, driven, not always likeable but with one focus....King Crimson. He even offered to leave the band so it could continue in the early years. When the "modern era" of the band started with the Belew, Bruford, Levin and Fripp line up they called themselves Discipline, the name would soon revert to King Crimson and "Discipline" became the title of their first album and it is pointed out that the meaning of the word isn't necessarily a pleasant one. King Crimson are Disciplined!

No real dirty laundry is aired but it's obvious that Crimson have not been an easy band to be part of, Fripp remarks that the current (or should that be last) line up is the first time that their hasn't been a single member on stage that actively hated him! Adrian Belew is accused of having "frontman syndrome" but also that he both sought Fripp's approval while deliberately antagonising him musically on stage. Belew states that being in Crimson made him lose his hair!

Fripp is serious about his music, or about silence and how music affects it, his hands are as calloused as a tradesman from daily constant practice. Taking your phone or camera out at a Crimson show is enough to get you thrown out of a show, it affects his concentration and crafting the perfect soundscape that much!

The documentary is more about people than it is about music and it's a wonderful work, if you aren't a fan then this glimpse of Fripp will probably give you a strong opinion about him and you might even think he isn't that likeable. Fans of the band will know that Fripp has many aspects and what you're shown here is just one and whatever your opinion he is the master of over 50 years of one of the most incredible bands there's been.

How To Buy...Public Image Ltd.

How to buy Public Image Ltd. by Rob H

After the whirlwind chaos & very brief recording career of the Sex Pistols expectations ran high for what John Lydon (nee Rotten) would come up with after departing from the punk icons. With Public Image Ltd. he immediately distanced himself from the Pistols sound and created a band that challenged and evolved before bowing out in 1992 and taking a 20 year break.

Whenever you approach a band like PIL you will get those that believe that the only albums that are "worthy" or "real" are those recorded with Jah Wobble and Keith Levene and everything else is dismissed as "pop" or a sell out to the original ideal. Music opinion is massively subjective and if you follow that mindset you will miss out on some great albums.

So, where to start? Well this depends on you and what you are in the mood for. The undoubted gem in the PIL discography is "Metal Box" (sometimes called "Second Edition") but while absolutely stunning it is perhaps the most challenging listen as Lydon deconstructs his Pistols legacy. Wobble leads the band with his distinctive dub rhythms while Levene provides the guitar foil as Lydon chants over the top of the music with stand outs being "Albatross", "Pop Tones" and "Careering".

If you'd like a more traditional sounding place to start then 1986's "Album" is perfect (remember though the title changed depending on format so look out for "Compact Disc" and "Cassette".....shame they haven't renamed a digital version "Download"!) By then PIL were an assembled collection of guest musicians (a new band would form for the tour and develop from then) and "Album" features many big names such as stunt guitarist Steve Vai, Ryuichi Sakamoto on the Fairlight CMI, dub bassist Bill Laswell (who also produced) as well as drummers Ginger Baker (Cream) and Tony Williams (formerly with Miles Davis). This was a PIL for the MTV age with "Rise" probably being the most well known track but "Album" is one of the most well rounded releases the band have made. It is also notable that both "Metal Box" and "Album" have had strong super deluxe releases for those with the budgets that allow.

From that point then the percussion-centric "Flowers Of Romance" finds the band recovering from the departure of Wobble while still operation outside of the normal expectations. The bands debut will also appeal with "Public Image : First Issue" being a mixture of declaration of intent and a separation from the past, despite "Religion" being a lyric written during the Pistols days. Both albums are essential purchases but are far from perfect.

The revived PIL returned in 2012, mainly financed by the paycheck Lydon received for advertising butter, with the excellent "This Is PIL", the title track even having echoes of the earlier dub fused sound. This was followed up 3 years later with "What The World Needs Now", while both albums are excellent and among the best in the PIL discography "WTWNN" has the edge over the two. It is also worth noting that both albums feature guitarist Lu Edmonds who had left the band in 1988 after suffering with tinnitus.

There is where my "essential" choices end. That's not to say the remaining albums have nothing of worth to offer, far from it in fact! "This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get" is a great album but a real culture shock coming after "Flowers Of Romance" even getting accusations of disco beats (with the record company baiting "This Is Not  A Love Song") but how can you knock tracks like "Bad Life" or "The Order Of Death"?

If you enjoyed "Album" then the subsequent releases "Happy?" and "9" will both be worth exploring. 9" is the more consistent of the 2 but the opening trio of "Seattle", "Rules and Regulations" and "The Body" show why "Happy?" shouldn't be dismissed.

In 1992 that last album before the hiatus was "That Which Is Not" which is probably the album to leave to last, with it's more straight forward rock songs it just doesn't stand up against much stronger releases in the PIL discography.

Of the live releases "Paris Au Printemps" was a hastily and poorly recorded album given to the record company to offset some of the costs in producing the expensive tinned "Metal Box". "Live In Tokyo" is not much better but the various "Alife" releases from 2009 are worth hearing as is the "Isle Of Wight" release with Lydon having a running battle with the sound engineer and finally 2015's "Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire" is a great tour souvenir.

Would you buy differently? Please leave a comment!

1978 Public Image : First Issue
1979 Metal Box
1980 Paris au Printemps
1981 The Flowers Of Romance
1983 Live In Tokyo
1984 This Is What You Want...This Is What You Get
1986 Album
1987 Happy?
1989 9
1992 That Which Is Not
2009 ALife Birmingham O2 Academy December 15th
2009 ALife Leeds O2 Academy December 16th
2009 ALife Manchester Academy December 19th
2009 ALife London Brixton O2 Academy December 21st
2011 Isle Of Wight
2012 This Is PiL
2015 What The World Needs Now
2015 Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire London