Owen Pallett - In Conflict

I started listening to Owen Pallett when he was recording under the name Final Fantasy. I'd been given a mixtape with the huge The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead and shortly afterwards I had the opportunity to see him in Cardiff - it remains one of the best shows I've ever seen - he played entirely solo with a loop pedal and then played a bunch of songs in the car park after the show finished. About 20 or 30 people were stood in absolute silence watching him play violin and sing un-amplified. It was quite something.

Six years later, I finally went to see him play again. I think there'd been opportunities to see him in between, but I think I was worried about ruining my memories of that Cardiff show. This show was a seated show in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, a building on the south bank in London that I'd not been to before. I can't remember what I knew about the show in advance - quite possibly very little - I didn't even know if it was going to be solo or with other musicians. I dragged along my friend Rich thinking he'd probably quite enjoy it. Plus, he worked a few doors along the river, so it was at least easy for him to get to.

Owen played that night with a chamber music orchestra, a drummer and a bass player (as well as a few songs solo) - it was quite a grand set-up compared to what I'd been used to. I remember really enjoying it, but it being very different to the last show (which was a good thing). However, the highlight of the night hit when he played a couple of songs with all the musicians at the same time. It was like watching a live drum 'n' bass remix of classical songs. The drummer in particular was beating the shit out of his drums and the effect was incredible. If I'd just seen those two songs alone I would have left happy. I couldn't have pictured a show more different to the one I saw six years before and I certainly wouldn't have expected to enjoy it so much.

Those two songs turned out to be The Riverbed and Infernal Fantasy, two consecutive songs from his most-recent-at-the-time album, In Conflict. I'd heard a lot of noise around the album release, but after my moderate enjoyment of Heartland I was wary of rushing out to get another album. After the London show I bought In Conflict as soon as I found a copy (the LP includes a bonus track that isn't on the mp3 download - Bridle & Bit - a very interesting song with female vocals). It's a great album with a strong mixture of songs - I Am Not Afraid and The Secret Seven are really great. But for me, three songs towards the end of the album are what I look forward to the most. The Sky Behind the Flag quickly picks up the pace as the drums and beat get moving fast but then The Riverbed hits even harder from the outset and is the highlight of the album. It's probably the most obvious "rock song" that Owen's ever recorded, but it turns out that style of writing with his musical stylings work incredibly. Then we are treated to Infernal Fantasy, which features some almost-gang vocals towards the end. It's very strangely weighted album for me - I listen eagerly awaiting those songs towards the end - but it makes for a very rewarding listen.

Format: Double 12", gatefold sleeve
Tracks: 14
Cost: £20 new
Bought: Truck Store
When: 14/01/15
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code

The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia

The Gutter Twins were a Tuesday-record-from-Spillers discovery in late-July. I'd long been aware of both Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli, so figured it'd be interesting to hear a collaboration between the two of them. For £11, it was definitely worth the punt.

I knew they both had great voices, and they work wonderfully together. The songs are quite varied but ultimately fit within the category of "rock" - a lot of the edge that set these guys apart in the 90's is a bit watered down, but that's to be expected. If you're after some heavier-than-middle-of-the-road rock songs with some incredible vocals, then you're in for a treat with The Gutter Twins.

I don't listen to this album that often, but I enjoy it a lot more than I remember each time I do. In my mind it's quite a long album, and at 12 songs and nearly an hour long, it's on that side of things. When "super-groups" release albums, there's always that fear of the album being bloated from no one telling them to stop (something Them Crooked Vultures were very guilty of); I would probably have enjoyed this album equally, or maybe more, if it was a couple of songs shorter, but that's just my preference. It's a perfectly enjoyable album, but certainly hasn't changed my life in any real way.

Format: Double 12", insert
Tracks: 12
Cost: £11 new
Bought: Spillers Records, Cardiff
When: 29/07/08
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code

Bob Dylan - Biograph

Shortly after I started this blog I had the realisation that I'd have to write about this boxset at some point; it filled me with dread. It's important to note that I'm not anti Bob Dylan, but I've found over the years that I have a tolerance of about 20 minutes, half an hour at most, of his music. I fully appreciate his status as a musician and I see why he's so popular, but I find large doses of him very difficult. This record might well be the reason for that.

In 2006, after a two-week trip around New Zealand my friends and I ended up in Auckland and had the last day of our trip to explore the city. I made a line pretty much straight for the huge record store, Real Groovy and spent a number of hours trying to check out everything they had. I bought a lot - two weeks of incredible scenery had left me starved of record shopping. One of the finds I was most excited about was this 5-record Bob Dylan boxset, for a mere £11. It's not in great condition, but it felt worth it for the sheer quantity of music.

I'd never really sat down and listened to Bob Dylan before. You hear a lot just about the place, especially given that a lot of my friends were very big Dylan fans. That year we were going to Roskilde Festival for the second time and Bob was playing - this pleased at least two of the friends I was going with. When close friends are that excited about a certain musician, you really have to check them out properly (and, to be honest, I really should have many years before). By buying this record I thought I'd have a great chance to get to know him - what could be better than a huge best-of and rarities compilation?

There are a number of reasons I struggled with this boxset, and one of them is certainly the sequencing, which lacks any coherent flow. I'm a fan of chronological best-ofs, but I see that some work best in a more curated order. Whatever the intended flow was here, I can't see it. The album starts with Lay Lady Lay, which is underwhelming. I'm probably in the minority of people that suffered this problem, but I was very familiar with Ministry's slightly dodgy cover of the song from Filth Pig, so I was probably off to a dubious start. That is my own fault really.

Side two (of ten!) steps it up a notch - I remember thinking this was more like it. The Times They Are A-Changing and Blowin' in the Wind were classic Dylan songs I was aware of, and Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll was a pleasant surprise. However, the true gem and highlight of the 53 songs here for me was Masters of War. That political, bitter epic came out of nowhere and instantly became my favourite Dylan song. It was worth the £11 and other 52 songs just to hear that song alone.

Side three features some upbeat songs in the form of Tombstone Blues, Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar and a live recording of Most Likely You Go Your Way as well as Like a Rolling Stone, which has a great chorus. I was very familiar with Subterranean Homesick Blues from the much-parodied video but also, more regrettably, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers cover (there's a bit of a theme here - I've heard good Dylan covers since hearing this album, but the ones prior to that point were mostly somewhat dubious).

The big problem is just that there are a lot of songs that do absolutely nothing for me. It's unfair to single these out, but Visions of Johanna or Every Grain of Sand are prime examples (and both on the same side) - nothing really happens. They're fine, but there are a lot of other songs that are equally fine, and it adds up to a lot of kinda similar, rambling acoustic-guitar-and-harmonica numbers. If I had to, I could put together a single LP best-of that would be incredible. He has so many memorably great songs that it's probably make for a hugely enjoyable listen. But I appreciate it wouldn't be the "best" to everyone, so they include the many rambling, forgettable acoustic songs too to even it out. I guess the modern solution is a playlist of the Dylan songs I actually like.

The sides 6-8 are a little lighter on songs I enjoy, but they bring it round with the last disc. Even the very-80's-sounding Gotta Serve Somebody is quite enjoyable. The final side ends up being one of the most hits-heavy with I Shall Be Released, Knockin' on Heaven's Door, All Along the Watchtower and Forever Young

The boxset is pretty detailed - Wikipedia tells me it was considered to be the first "boxset", which is quite cool. The picture sleeves contain a few paragraphs about each of the songs and there's a 36-page book giving a not-so-brief history of him and his music. You'd be lucky to get such an attention to detail these days. I remember trying to read about each song as I listened to it on the first play, but I quickly got tired of that. A year or so later I tried again, spreading the task (or chore - it felt like it at times) over a few days. None of the content has stayed with me it seems, except the intro to the book where the author talks about attending a Bob Dylan themed party - you had to dress as a character from his songs. At the time, the only character I could immediately think of was an eskimo, since that song had featured heavily in road trips in my friend's VW camper van.

That summer we saw Bob live and it was quite the disappointment. I shouldn't be too harsh, he's very old and it's quite the miracle he can still play and I do feel lucky to have seen him, even if I'm not the biggest fan. However, the peak of my disappointment hit when he played Masters of War, my new favourite Dylan song - he decided to change so much about it that it had none of the anger or excitement of the version I was used to. His set was long, and my friend Vicky got particularly bored (although it's worth noting that even Hugh and Rachel who were big fans were struggling too) so we went for a wander mid-set and caught about 15-minutes of Wir Sind Helden, a German band my friend Nadine had got me into, and then returned to catch the end of his set.

I always felt that the boxset was chronically missing Hurricane, a Dylan song I knew and loved beforehand, and felt that it was a shame that the sprawling best-of I had was missing such a huge song (and contained so many songs I didn't care for). I ended up buying the more recent and equally sprawling Dylan boxset (on cd, for a bargain £6 in Fopp), mostly so that I could have that song. It turned out that buying another huge collection of Dylan songs was maybe not wise, given my tendency to prefer him in small doses. I also have a 4LP covers record in the form of the soundtrack to I'm Not There. I seem to only indulge in Dylan in large amounts (rather shamefully, I've still not consciously listened to album in the traditional sense), which might be where I'm going wrong. I should probably rectify that at some point (but where to start!?).

Format: 5x12" boxset, picture sleeves, 12" book
Tracks: 53
Cost: £11.10 second hand
Bought: Real Groovy, Auckland
When: 20/04/06
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no

Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion

Seventeen years ago I saw Clutch for the first time. They were great, and a while later I got a copy of their excellent album The Elephant Riders; it was, and is, a fantastic record. For reasons I can't put my finger on, I didn't buy any more of their albums until 2015, when this double-LP copy of From Beale Street to Oblivion came out on Record Store Day. Nearly two years later, I still don't know any more of their albums.

I like Clutch. They really are a very interesting band and I enjoy listening to them. However, I just have shocking amounts of apathy when it comes to seeking out any more of their albums. Had this not been an RSD release, there's a very good chance it wouldn't be sat in my record collection (I've had a bad habit of buying albums on RSD that I wouldn't on other days just because I'm pleased that there are releases I'm slightly interested in. Everyone seems to be buying so much that I often feel a bit ridiculous getting up so early to buy so little. It's a stupid reason, I know, but I'm easily suckered into buying things it seems). I think a part of me wanted to hear more Clutch, but another part of me felt that I was perfectly happy with just having The Elephant Riders. I see their albums in shops from time to time, but they're never "bargains", and often quite the opposite. That said, this album was £25 so clearly the RSD-factor played a large part.

Annoyingly, From Beale Street to Oblivion didn't come with an mp3 download code, so I've not played it anywhere near as much as I should have. That said, on the times I do remember to put it on, it's great. There are a lot of huge songs on here, which is great - You Can't Stop Progress is a great opener and The Devil & Me, Electric Worry, Opossum Minister are all brilliant and have a great groove to them (which is something Clutch are very good it). I have no idea of how it sits in Clutch's back-catalogue both in the sense of a timeline, but also in popular opinion - is this one of their best? Who knows. Again, I could research it but just can't be bothered. I feel like I might over many years buy more Clutch albums, but it'll be on days where there really aren't any other albums I'm after (which rarely happen), or if it's unusually cheap (which also rarely happens).

Strangely, White's Ferry and Rapture of Riddley Walker swapped on the track-listing from how the songs actually play. The rest of the release is quite nice, there's a whole additional LP of bonus tracks, half live at the BBC and half live in Australia (mostly songs from this album - the Australian recordings are far more exciting than the studio ones at the BBC). Both records are on purple vinyl. It makes for a long listen - I'd be inclined to say the album itself could lose a few songs, but I am a fan of shorter albums these days.

Format: Double 12", gatefold sleeve, picture sleeves
Tracks: 21
Cost: £25 new
Bought: Truck Store, Oxford
When: 18/04/15
Colour: Purple
Etching: none
mp3s: no

Oneida - Rated O

I'd never listened to Oneida before buying this album. Even when I was buying it, I was aware it was a strange and unnecessary purchase, yet I still wanted to buy it. Sometimes it's important to feel adventurous, even if all you're doing is buying an album by a band you've not heard (but heard of, of course).

I was in Sister Ray in London (which is far less exciting now they're in their much smaller location across the road) and found this second hand copy of Rated O. Except it was sealed, so kinda new, but had taken some serious wear over its years of not being played - each of the corners was a bit dented and the seal had taken some wear (also, two of the sides have labels saying "Side D", so it's perhaps faulty stock from the label). At £15 it wasn't exactly a bargain either. But I'd never actually seen a Oneida record in a shop before and that alone made me think it was worth picking up - I strongly suspected the opportunity wouldn't present itself again. The sticker on the sleeve helpfully told me that this was the second of three releases in the "Thank Your Parents" albums.

I think I was keen to hear what the band sounded like - I'd heard the name many times and was aware of the drummer Kid Millions collaborating with J Spaceman and Boredoms. That should have given me some warning about what to expect. I've come to quite enjoy Rated O and think there are some gems amongst its six sides on vinyl but, Christ, it was hard work at first - Brownout in Lagos is not easy listening. If you're thinking about listening to Oneida for the first time, don't start there. What's Up, Jackyl is much more my cup of tea and great, but then 10:30 at the Oasis drones on for nearly quarter of an hour and makes me wonder what I'm doing with my life. In a strange move, they use a locked groove at the end of Side A to make the song go on for as long as you can stand it; I often assume I've reached the start of the locked groove far earlier than I have. It took me a few listens to make any progress with Rated O, and it turned out the trick was not starting at the beginning. I know the band probably went to some effort curating the listening experience that I decided to ignore, but sometimes it's got to be done.

There are highlights (and some lows) spread throughout the rest of the album - The Human Factor is uneasy listening but great at the same time; it sounds a bit like a nightmare. Side C is pretty strong with The River, I Will Haunt You and The Life You Preferred (all "songs" in a normal sense of the word). It Was a Wall is another great song. Side E is a bit of a lull, but the lengthy Folk Wisdom that takes up all of Side F makes for a good end.

All in all, I'm not Oneida's new biggest fan, but I enjoy them, which was certainly not a guaranteed result when I bought this album. It could have easily gone far, far worse.

Format: Triple 12", gatefold sleeve
Tracks: 15
Cost: £15 second hand
Bought: Sister Ray
When: 04/03/16
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code

Electric Wizard - Let Us Prey

Let Us Prey was the second Electric Wizard album I heard. A few months after getting Dopethrone I found a second-hand copy of the cd for £6 in London and was pretty excited to hear some more of the band. Now, seven years later, I think it might be my least favourite Electric Wizard album. That isn't as bad as it sounds - it's still a great album, but when I want to listen to Electric Wizard, this isn't the album I ever think to go to.

The album starts with a huge riff, the sort you'd expect from the band, but then we're quickly introduced to thing I dislike most about the album - the muffled vocals. Jus's vocals are so low in the mix and (I assume) intentionally incoherent. There's a layer of fuzz and noise that seems to sit on the surface. The mix of doom and old blues-rock are lost beneath it and, too, are things I love most about Electric Wizard. We, the Undead takes those muffled vocals to the next level. It's an interesting thing to try, and under any other circumstances I might quite enjoy it. Of course I bought it simply because it was there, but in hindsight I wish it hadn't been my second Electric Wizard album.

The songs are still great in their ways: both songs on side 2 are great and the outro to Priestess of Mars is huge, but huge in spite of the fuzz, which is a shame; I'd love to hear that song on any other album. The double-LP includes the Japanese bonus track Master of Serpants on the D-side rather than squeezing the six songs across just one 12" like the original release did. It's a nice addition, but an instrumental song that you could understand why it wasn't on the album-proper.

A short while ago I noticed that Rise Above had re-re-issued the Electric Wizard back-catalogue on vinyl and had some nice colours in stock. Rather than wait and hopefully stumble across them in shops (something that rarely happens in the UK, but often in the US), I decided I'd just complete my collection in one go. It's very pleasing to have them all sat there together.

Format: Double 12", gatefold sleeve
Tracks: 7
Cost: £24 new
Bought: Rise Above Records
When: 14/09/16
Colour: Gold
Etching: none
mp3s: no

Max Richter - From Sleep

There are a lot of things that can be said about Max Richter's Sleep project, but the single most important one for me is its ability to calm me down regardless of what's going on. Over the past year, whenever I've felt stressed and unable to think sensibly, I've put on one of the cds of Sleep or this LP, From Sleep, and I've instantly felt better. Within seconds my mind is no longer racing and a few minutes later I am considerably calmer than I was before I pressed play. The effect that music can have on your moods and state of mind is truly remarkable, and the speed at which Sleep calms me down is really quite something.

I heard about Sleep when it was first announced and thought it sounded very cool. A friend who's also a Max Richter fan thought it sounded pretentious, but I can see that I'm the sort of person who is likely to enjoy something like this. For those who don't know, Sleep is an 8-hour long composition designed to be listened to whilst you sleep. I like the idea - the notes mention how sleep is something to be respected and enjoyed, which is increasingly difficult. To accompany Sleep, he also released From Sleep, an hour long album featuring movements from the full piece. From Sleep is the version of the album you listen during the day to enjoy the music, in theory.

Being the terrible person I am, I've still not actually tried sleeping whilst listening to Sleep - I don't have a Blu-ray player to play the continuous 8-hour version, and getting up to change the cd every hour won't make for a good night's sleep! I didn't get the album until a physical version came out, and got the full cd boxset before eventually getting this double-LP too. I can vividly remember the first time I pressed play on the first disc and the first few minutes of Dream 1 being so brilliantly slow that I couldn't help but relax. I felt myself drop down in my chair and it was like a wave of calmness flowing over me; it was really beautiful. I didn't know what to expect, but I definitely didn't expect that. Over the next few days I worked through the remaining discs and that sense of calmness continued.

I now treat Sleep much like a painkiller - it's not to be over-used but there are times when you truly need it and that's when I listen to it. I pick one of the discs or the LP at random (there are no highs and no lows - that's partly the idea I guess) and focus on the music. I had a very annoying day at work recently, so as soon as I sat down on the train home I played Sleep and felt so much better. After 10 minutes or so of feeling far more relaxed, I got my laptop out and figured out the solution to the problem that had been evading me all afternoon. By the time I got home I was a much happier person.

Format: Double 12", gatefold sleeve
Tracks: 7
Cost: £23 new
Bought: Truck Store, Oxford
When: 23/02/16
Colour: Clear
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code