Old Man Riva

It certainly was! I was really disappointed when Be Bop Deluxe split but bought Revolt Into Style when it came out (on blue or red vinyl, I think?!) and loved it. I saw the band at Birmingham Odeon (or Town Hall?) and, again, loved it. Whilst it wasn’t BBD, it was a definite progression from Drastic Plastic, which I really dug, esp. the more electro moments on the album (e.g. Electrical Language). For me Bill Nelson is such an overlooked artist and musician…

Going to add a touch of Bill Nelson… First track has Bill channelling Devo and T Rex, and the second is by Fiat Lux and was produced by Mr Nelson. Third track is back to Bill, and his New Wave electro-groove ways…

Posted Temple Head on the ‘What Are You Listening to…’ thread the other day - still sounds great!

Here’s a couple of early 80s tracks to go with the excellent selections so far…

… this, over and over. Tim Lefebvre is a very talented gentleman …

Ta for that, not heard it before. There’s a few things I’ve heard off that album now I’ve liked…

Great track. Since listening to it one night through headphones a while back I always think I can hear two lines in there?

Jeez Louise, what a voice …

His original is a bit more laid back and bossa-ish. I love this more ‘pumped up’ version…

Wouldn’t know where to start with my praise for that! Wonderful stuff…

I’m the same day as you then! Allen Woody (a bassist I’d not previously heard of) played with Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule would count.

He also covered New Age Music by Inner Circle, whose original was actually quite rocky…

I’ve tried, believe me I’ve tried! Just can’t get past their respective voices. I know both are wonderful songwriters, but… the voices! I’m a big fan of the early Happy Mondays stuff. Safe to say Shaun Ryder wouldn’t be winning any awards for his vocals but I really like them and his lyrics. Different strokes, and all that…

I’d agree up to a point, but with both Bob Dylan and Van Morrison the big drawback for me is I really don’t like either of their voices so really don’t listen to their music. There is the odd song of theirs that I can get past (as referenced in previous post) but the sound of their voices is something I’ve never been able to get past…

I’m not a fan of either but like these two tracks; Van Morrison - In The Days Before Rock and Roll Bob Dylan - Hurricane (Re: Aerosmith/Night In The Ruts… I love that album (with the exception of Mia). A proper dirty rock ‘n’ roll record - vaccinate your donkey with your phonograph needle”!)

There are some good inclusions on the remastered releases from 2014. There’s a version of Since I’ve Been Loving You on the companion disc of Zeppelin III that, whilst being titled as a rough mix, is just (one) guitar, (guide?) vocal, keys and drums that is well worth a listen…

I find this oddly relaxing… (Mrs Riva is concerned..!)

In true hipster fashion, “I liked them until they became popular!”, but still… I was listening to A Northern Soul the other day, really just to revisit the final two tracks of the album, and of course I then ended up listening to the whole thing, which reminded of how good they were and how much I like the album. This is from the album. I’ve always liked Simon Jones’ bass lines/sound, but I think Nick McCabe is wonderful on this. He was such a huge part of the band’s sound. For me, he’s vastly underrated as a guitarist and a composer…

The blue JO is an early US model (1998) purchased from this site last year. It's a wonderful instrument, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that I think I must have played it every day since it arrived. It also has the added curiosity of having Joe Osborn's signature on the back of the headstock - something a previous owner managed to get at a Lakland show in 2005 when JO was present. It has Fralin p/ups and also the wonderful neck profile that the Laklands are known for. Looks great. Sounds great. Plays great. I absolutely love it! The green US JO is from 2006. The neck feels slightly chunkier than the above bass, but still wonderfully playable. Again, (I think) it has Fralin p/ups and is slightly heavier than the 1998 JO (9.5lbs vs. 8.8lbs). The matching headstock is a nice touch, I think! The green US 44-64 is a 2020 model purchased from Station Music in Germany at the end of December last year. It's a 'Vintage' model, spec'd by the shop, and as such has the Jazz width neck rather than the traditional 60s width. The Sea Foam Green finish is as faded as it looks in the pic - something the store requested, but weren't keen on when the bass arrived ("it looks too white") - I like it! It's a lovely bass, but I have to say I prefer the JOs, and due to a need to free up funds it may be that once social distancing is a thing of the past it is moved on? I can remember when Laklands first arrived at the old Bass Centre in Wapping around 1998, and the buzz that they created. They were US made instruments, and out of reach, price wise, for a lot of players. The introduction of the Skyline models have made them more accessible but with no compromise on quality - certainly not from the basses I've played. I wish they had made them back in '98! Fabulous instruments all round...

Funnily enough, whilst Prince has topped one of those recent GOAT lists the player I hear most in his guitar playing is Frank Zappa...