Sunday, March 8, 2009

Pieces of Abahachi

Images of sorrow, pictures of delight. Things that go to make up a life. A special three-part Radio Abahachi with added contemplativeness and self-indulgence, two quiz segments (song, artist and guitarist, please; half a point for each, or two points for getting all three without having to look up the album credits) and my favourite ever video clip, if only because it reminds me of my job (dealing with academics is indeed like herding cats, only with more elaborate rationalisations for doing exactly what they want). Endless days of summer, longer nights of gloom, and Abahachi turns forty later this week...


Quiz answers so far:

Deep Purple, Smoke on the Water, Ritchie Blackmore
Van Halen, Jump, Eddie van Halen
David Bowie, China Girl, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Starship, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us, Craig Chaquico
Kate Bush, You're the One, Jeff Beck

Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Brian May
Billy Idol, Rebel Yell, Steve Stevens
Roger Waters, 5.01 am (The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking), Eric Clapton
Kate Bush, Rocket's Tail, Dave Gilmour
Bob Dylan, Sweetheart Like You, Mark Knopfler

80 comments:

Blimpy said...

Yes! I bloody love Radio Abahachi!

Anonymous said...

I know what I'll be using as work avoidance tonight when everyone's in bed.

Can't listen now; DarceysMam has retired to her bed again with this flippin' cold. Kids wreaking havoc with Playdoh and glitter glue!!!

Blimpy said...

Yes! I bloody love the Bangles!

Blimpy said...

What was the jazz track that preceded the Bangles?

Blimpy said...

Why? Dunno - but I do like the way he enunciates the word "here".

Blimpy said...

Was that Eddie Van Halen?!

Blimpy said...

You're not wrong - that One Dove song is a pop classic in my head too. It just brought a massive smile to my face.

Blimpy said...

The One Dove album is on Spotify, what's the other track you rate off it?

Anonymous said...

Is that some Wishbone Ash in Part 1? I recognize quite a lot but I'm not going to get any chance to listen ... damn ... will try later!

TracyK said...

Quiz part 1, track number 2 does have a bit of Van Halen's Jump on it, is it an extended version though? David Bowie's China Girl is number 3, Starship's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now is number 4, number 5 is Kate Bush's And So Is Love.

TracyK said...

Part 2 quiz: 1 Queen's Crazy Little Thing Called Love, number 2 I REALLY want to say Billy Idol, maybe White Wedding?

I, like Blimpy, loved the One Dove track: did anyone else have that Select tape which had One Dove, Kristin Hersh, St Etienne's Like A motorway Dust Brothers remix, etc on? Best free tape EVER!

Abahachi said...

@Blimpy: Thank you. Yes, indeed. 'ESP' by Miles Davis (the classic 60s quintet with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams), from the ESP album. Oh God, how do I enunciate 'here'. Yes. Yes. Breakdown is nearly as great as White Love; Fallen is almost good, and the rest I find sadly dispensible.

@AliMunday: sorry, no Wishbone Ash.

@TracyK: impressive score, confirming my initial feeling that, for some people at least, this really would be rather easy. 1.2 is Van Halen's Jump by Eddie van Halen - standard version as far as I'm aware, from the 1984 album. Correct on 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 2.1 but guitarists not named. 2.2 is Billy Idol. I make that 5 and a half points, with half a point for Blimpy.

saneshane said...

Umm this so isn't my specialist subject .. i thought I heard Hall and Oats Man eater in quiz one .. but I'm wrong.. leaves quietly without a guitar case!


great Aba cast so far.

(Tracy: 9 minutes of 'like a motorway' Ride, Lush, didn't St Etienne re-mix the Boos or someone- i'll have to search for that one as well as the Deadline one talked about with Japanther)

Abahachi said...

Hold on, I don't know my own quiz. 1.5 is Kate Bush but is not And So Is Love. 5 points only. Different guitarist, too.

Should say that I'll be deeply disappointed if DarceysDad doesn't get at least 50% of the rest - he should be able to spot the guitarist, if not the song.

And I'm still worried about my enunciation. It's as bad as when I shared a house with someone doing a PhD in linguistics, who explained at great length - totally incomprehensibly, but at great length - what was so interesting about the way that our fellow housemate, a Canadian, pronounced 'bread'...

ejaydee said...

Is 2.3 Metallica, and the one after that is Lenny Kravitz's Stand By My Woman.

Anonymous said...

I STILL HAVE THAT TAPE!!!!!

TracyK said...

Hmm, is it You're The One then? It's one of the intense angry ones, I know that. The problems of having an MP3 player that doesn't show track listings!

Blimpy: CAN I HAVE A COPY????

TracyK said...

Oh and Shane, I too collected Deadline, along with the tapes. Sigh. You're right about the Boo Radleys, a version of Lazarus with most of the vocals removed. Despite having two eps of Lazarus remixes (one Japanese), hubby can't remember if the version is Bob Stanley (of St Etienne) or Andy Weatherall/Sabres of Paradise, or The Orb. One of them, anyway. Lush doing Childcatcher. I so miss Select. Maybe one day I'll tell you the personal ads anecdote...

Blimpy said...

@tracy K - don't make me go to my loft!!! it's too cold and dusty up there!!!!!

i had to dinghy my Selects in a house move - pure shame that.

In other retro news, I listened to Siamese Dream today, and then rocked out on the guitar learning to play "Rocket" and "Cherub Rock" (badly) - aaah simple pleasures.

Please bring forth the personal ads story forthwith, or else I'll, um, whinge...

Blimpy said...

@Abo - i do need to get some more Miles in the house, mebbe I'll start with that one. Top podcast, as ever, i do bloody love it.

Blimpy said...

@Abo - listening to Breakdown on Spotify right now.

Has anyone else got Spotify yet? It's top notch, really is.

And has anyone heard Air France yet? They're well Saint Ettyun for the 21st Century.

Blimpy said...

Does anyone know what involvement Dot Allison had with Arab Strap?

Blimpy said...

The radio edit of Breakdown is damn good - seems a lot different to the album version.

Blimpy said...

Woah! The whole Air France LP is on Spotify. Gotta love that. "Collapsing at Your Doorstep" should really hand over half its royalties to Bob and Sarah.

Blimpy said...

"June Evenings" by Air France sounds uncannily like One Dove. My head has just melted.

Blimpy said...

"Lazarus" by The Boos is also on Spotify, but nae remixes.

Blimpy said...

That ends the news, I must get back to the film I was watching.

Blimpy said...

To all who were expecting the Ride post that I failed to deliver - get Spotify and listen to "Leave Them All Behind" and "Dreams Burn Down".

Blimpy said...

Must stop listening to ride and put the film back on......

saneshane said...

'Lazarus' remix was by Saint Etienne.

(I have found the tape - I'll have a go at letting it run tomorrow to convert it - I tried this a while back on some demo tapes and they just snapped - but its worth a go!)

ad must be anecdote(d)

Air France - beach party chills me out.

Aba- great cast wonderfully enjoyable.

steenbeck said...

1.4 John Waite --ain't missing you at all. Oh, shoot, I just guessed Jump and then looked back and realized someone had gotten it. Drat. Sigh, and it's not John Waite, looking back. I'm so bad at quizzes.

saneshane said...

and Rides 'lets get lost' is on the tape!

saneshane said...

and Arab Strap remixed 'Message Personnel' for Dot Allison.. but don't know anything else.


could somebody please answer the quiz questions- Dsd that means you- I keep listening and know nothing- and quit(e) ashamed that I thought China girl was Maneater. I can't even work out the Kate Bush.. but could randomly guess the guitarist!

Anonymous said...

OK Shane, finally got over here; will get on it pronto: where am I listening? I've been busy copying more music (Family Stand, Grateful Dead, Black Crowes, Parliament, Bevis Frond, etc) to my mp3 player whilst working on some admin. This weekend's RR may be a subject low on nomination quantity, but I've done more dl-ing and listening than in ages.

saneshane said...

I've found it entertaining and the quality on the spill lists is first rate, just more limiting.. I like the more 'Difficult' subjects (just because I've been doing this so long and it gets me into the dustier Cds.. and in this case vinyl)

the quiz needs the guitarist named, i think Abahachi and more importantly Me want you to sort their names out... no pressure before work eh!!!

Anonymous said...

Apologies but due to the late hour I've cut straight to the quiz sections ...

Quiz 1:
(i) Richie Blackmore - Smoke On The Water.
(ii) Eddie Van Halen - Jump.
(iii) Stevie Ray Vaughan - China Girl.
(iv) Know it; can't place it.
(v) Don't know it.
Quiz 2:
(i) Brian May - Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
(ii) Steve Stevens - White Wedding.
(iii) Don't know, but the phrasing is so familiar I'm going to kick myself.
(iv) Definitely Dave Gilmour, but can't place the song.
(v) Driving me insane!! Know the tune, but can't name it as this version is so different. Guitarist very Snowy White-ish.

How'd I do?

Anonymous said...

D'oh! My bad. Last one is Sweetheart Like You. Let me figure out the guitar player.

saneshane said...

so playing guitar for Kate Bush:
obvious would be Gilmour, Clapton .. the bloke from Alan Parsons Project (or did I make that up?)
Prince or Kates Brother.. if I throw enough mud etc.. but cheers DsD.

night all.

Anonymous said...

OK, I can understand me missing Starship - must be Craig Chaquico then. Don't know the Kate Bush one, and have to say it doesn't sound like her production style.

So I'm missing Kate's tune & guitarist, all the points for 2.3, the tune DG's playing on, and the fluid player on the Dylan cover.

ejaydee said...

Air Frrance's beach party is ace.

Anonymous said...

I really ought to go to bed, but the supposed Kate Bush tune, and the unknown 2.3 are driving me spare.

Anonymous said...

I give up for the night, but have just re-read that you want artists and guitarists, so formally and for the record:
1.1 Deep Purple
1.2 Van Halen
1.3 David Bowie
2.1 Queen
2.2 Billy Idol
2.4 Pink Floyd (may regret that if it's a Gilmour guest appearance!)

Goodnight.

Abahachi, I'll trade you: you put me out of my misery, and I'll drink a birthday toast to you later this week!

Luke-sensei said...

ahhh.....I put aside an hour especially to take a nice deep uninterrupted listen to this, but Podbean ain't loading. Is there any way to get in into iTunes or something similar??

Luke-sensei said...

finally got it to work after much refreshing and retrying....incredible stuff as always Abahachi.

So far I have really liked all the jazz tracks - Ganelin Trio especially, found a review online in Japanese, interesting stuff - I am in a bit of a jazz whirlwind this week, my paltry collection of 5 or 6 albums has been on constant rotation for the last few days.
What was the one that sounded like the person was called Bo Janzee - CD Rom???

Abahachi said...

Wow, 44 comments, even if half of them are Blimpy's Twitter feed.

@Japanther, the jazz track in the second segment is by Bojan Z, full name Bojan Zulfikarpasic, originally from Yugoslavia and some of his music has a significant Balkan tinge (esp. his third album, Korenyi). His solo album, Solobsession, is brilliant, and I'd also recommend the one after that, a trio album called Transpacifik. The grand total of one track on Spotify, unfortunately, but you can hear another on the first Radio Abahachi.

The correct answers so far:

Deep Purple, Smoke on the Water, Ritchie Blackmore
Van Halen, Jump, Eddie van Halen
David Bowie, China Girl, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Starship, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us, Craig Chaquico
Kate Bush, You're the One, ??

Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Brian May
Billy Idol, ?? (NOT White Wedding), Steve Stevens
??, ??, ??
??, ??, Dave Gilmour
Bob Dylan, Sweetheart Like You, ??

TracyK is back up to 5.5 points, DarceysDad is also on 5.5, and Blimpy has 0.5 for Eddie van Halen.

I think people should have at least until this evening to have a go at the rest...

Carole said...

The guitarist on the Kate Bush track is David Gilmour.

Carole said...

The guitarist on the Dylan song sounds like Mark Knopfler.

Abahachi said...

Knopfler yes on 2.5, Gilmour no on 1.5. Half a point.

Carole said...

Damn, I could have sworn Gilmour played on Sensual World.

I have to say that 2.3 sounds like him too but it also sounds like someone else that I just can't put my finger on.

Carole said...

Just a thought, but is 2.3 Eric Clapton?

Abahachi said...

2.3 is indeed Eric Clapton - sounding very un-Eric to my ears, which may be why this is the one that people have found trickiest.

Gilmour did play on Sensual World, but You're the One is from The Red Shoes.

Luke-sensei said...

Thanks for the info. Aba, will keep an eye out for them when I do the record shop rounds.

As I came to the spill late I missed the first few Radio Abahachi's, will definitely go back and have a listen. Do you know roughly when they were put on the spill, so I can check by month?

No idea about the guitar solos i'm afraid!

ejaydee said...

I've finally listened, another great podcast Aba.
I want to go on a Tony Williams binge now.

Luke-sensei said...

Don't worry! Found it...I only missed the first one, will DL it now!

Anonymous said...

I'm eating prawn cocktail crisps

Luke-sensei said...

Got dragged away by the dinner bell there....nice healthy Japanese fayre tonight - rice (of course), miso soup, grilled fish (don't think there's an English name for it), and natto ("fermented" i.e. rotten, soy beans. One of the healthiest and slimiest foods on the planet). Topped off with a Buntan for pudding. Again, don't think there's English for this strange fruit...I can only describe it as a dry grapefruit!! Pretty big with thick thick skin and dry inside...weird, but good...

...where was I?? oh yeah, Abahachi, it seems that Radio Abahachi #1 is no longer on Boxstr...gutted.

Anonymous said...

Japanther, I've got all of them as mp3s in my iTunes. I can stick it on dropbox if you like.

Luke-sensei said...

Mnemonic - That would be ace, if it isn't too much trouble.

Anonymous said...

Done

Luke-sensei said...

Thanks Mnemonic....I can see the folder, but can't seem to get to the contents inside it..!

Anonymous said...

I've moved it to the main folder (no sub-folder). I am NOT the person who categorised it as "Easy Listening"

Anonymous said...

I've moved it to the main folder (no sub-folder). I am NOT the person who categorised it as "Easy Listening"

saneshane said...

as my boy has had a tough 4th birthday week- i'm letting him watch the Flumps!

Jeff Beck for the Kate Track I say.

that album was my 23 birthday present.

Luke-sensei said...

Sorry Mnemonic...that was my own ignorance, still not 100% sure how Dropbox works, i've got it downloading nicely now....thanks for going to all that trouble, very much appreciated

Abahachi said...

Jeff Beck it is.

@Blimpy: Air France are not only the St Etienne de nos jours, they are - heresy alert - the consistent St Etienne de nos jours, rather more so than the original article. And, rather like DarceysDad, I'm wondering if I will ever need to buy another album (besides obscure European jazz, obviously) now that I have Spotify. How on earth is this legal? It's much too good...

Anonymous said...

Billy Idol must be Rebel Yell, then.

Back later.

Blimpy said...

@Aba - i only really listen to Foxbase Alpha, which I have on vinyl, the rest of St Ettienne's stuff got a bit bland and tired after that.

re Spotify - if itunes is the bbc, then spotify is channel 4 - whether it has a detrimental effect on my music buying remains to be seen. I mostly find it really handy to listen to at work. Really damn good infact. I bloomin love it (although the audio ads can be a bit disruptive, but at least they rarely pop up). I was mighty impressed that the Titus Andronicus album was on there, as I'm currently obsessed with it and have to listen to it at least once a day.

Anonymous said...

Dagnabit, Musky ... PodBean apparently not open for business this evening, so can't get any of the podcast to play, and I never got past the quiz sections last night.

Anonymous said...

... but I think DsD may have arrived at target anyway:

Is 2.4 Kate again - Rocket's Tail?

If so, thanks to our Bristolian workers for the breadcrumb trail that led me here!

steenbeck said...

I've been trying ALL DAY to listen to it. Will it ever work again?

(Is it about guitar solos? Because I was thinking about them the other day, and about talking about them on the 'Spill.)

Abahachi said...

@DsD: yup, that's 2.4 sorted. Just 2.3 to go. Want another clue? There is a long-standing connection between this artist and one of the already-named guitarists.

@steenbeck: it now doesn't seem to be working for me either. No idea what to do, unless I put the files into Dropbox. Not sure I have time to do the whole thing, but can at least transfer the guitar solos quiz.

Abahachi said...

Okay, quiz files are now in 'RRers podcasts' folder in Dropbox; you may still have time to get 2.3 before it drives DsD insane.

Luke-sensei said...

What a treat Radio Abahachi #1 was!
some great tunes (another good track by Bojan Z) and the customary philosophical reflections on music, brilliant stuff!

I agree that it's impossible to re-capture that blank canvas feeling of hearing music for the first time...even more so nowadays with such easy access to every kind of genre and the complete archives of great (and not so great) artists just a click away.

But there's always new avenues to explore and whole swathes of music that we had no idea even existed, as i'm finding out with jazz at present. But as you say, you can't get away from the fact of life experience and you can't help automatically relating it to what you already know...hmm....

Anonymous said...

Nope, I give up! Eric Clapton has played just too many solos (and with too many other people, given your late clue) for me to get clip 2.3 - I admit defeat.

Abahachi said...

The connection isn't between Clapton and anyone else, but between the artist on whose track Clapton is playing and one of the other guitarists. Once in the same group, indeed - that should narrow it down a bit.

goneforeign said...

Aba: Given the amount of time and effort you put in for the 3 'radio' pieces I think you should give it one more go, like others here I only got a bit if it, part one, before Podbean gave up the ghost. I'm not bothered about the quiz biz and that seems to be resolved anyhow but I'd like to hear the 2 remaining pieces, so will you reload it? Thanks....T.

Abahachi said...

I don't know what the problem is with Podbean - is it something that I've done and/or can do something about? I should be able to put the files into Dropbox, if that's any use.

Abahachi said...

Okay, files are now in the RRers Podcasts file on Dropbox, along with all the other editions of Radio Abahachi.

Anonymous said...

Re quiz solo 2.3:

My last punt at a point, so to speak, is to thus guess that the missing artist is Roger Waters. I own none of his solo work, but do know that EC has played on some of it. Needless to say, I'm clueless on any possible song titles, but if it gives me the half-point that leaves me top of this particular table, I'll be a happy bunny.

Abahachi said...

And the eightieth comment is to confirm that, yes, DsD gets the half point. That was fun; will try to spread the net rather further beyond the late 70s to mid 80s next time...