Friday, 11 November 2011

News, Views and Music Issue 121 (Top Twenty): AAA Youtube Clips Part #3




This week it’s the third of our three-part special delving into the magical world of YouTube. You may remember that we covered a top five YouTube clips on our site round about 100 issues ago. Well, since then I’ve discovered so much more (and users have posted so much more) so this week here’s an extended version of that original top 10 – to the extent that it’s now a top 60! Now it goes without saying that YouTube is endless and I dare say there are millions of things I’ve missed out – (so why not point them out on our forum?), but this is the best of what I’ver discovered so far. The only rules to be included on this list are that the videos have to be ‘exclusive’ to YouTube – ie not available officially in any form as of the time of writing (though a couple of Hollies clips only got in by the skin of their teeth – see above). The results below can be anything an AAA member has ever done, including TV appearances, music videos, chat show appearances, concerts (though they have to be rare performances or rare songs or we’d just be listing whole track listings for ‘Smile’), adverts, interviews, rare bits of audio accompanied by pictures, all sorts in fact. Some groups are here more than others of course – partly because some groups have released absolutely every shot of them ever taken already on DVD and there’s nothing there to find or perhaps partly because I haven’t found the right links to take me to them yet despite looking for every AAA member in turn every few months or so – perhaps we’ll be able to a ‘top 100’ list in another 100 issues time? To view these clips, click on the YouTube links we’ve included and they should take you straight there to the heart of the action (apologies to our readers in the future when some of these links may have been taken down, but as of October 2011 they are all present and correct). Oh and while you’re about it, if you’re a fellow YouTube member why not add me as a ‘friend’ on YouTube and you can have a look through my ‘playlists’ to see what was still interesting but not good enough to make the grade? (I’m Alansarchives if you hadn’t guessed!) We’ll return to our regular ‘top five’ column next week!:

20) George Harrison on Rutland Weekend Television 1978:

http://youtu.be/NGbRHxM4X2g

Before there were The Rutles there was Rutland Weekend Television, a loony comedy special by Eric Idle that was based around a fictional television station that only broadcast in Rutland, Britain’s smallest county. The idea was to have guests turning up to do something unusual while the hapless host (Idle, of course) tried to stop them. It was a bit like ‘The One Show’ but less excruciating to watch and with proper guests you’ve actually heard of too – witness Idle’s close friend George Harrison turning up and insisting that he wants to act the part of ‘Pirate Bob’ and has had it with singing. This clip isn’t complete alas but does feature all of the Harrison bits and pieces scattered throughout the one episode, trying to break into the action because he feels left out before a finale that looks as if George, at last, has given into his host’s demands and is about to sing a version of his biggest solo hit ‘My Sweet Lord’. However, it doesn’t quite turn out that way as you’ll soon see... All hail Pirate Bob! How this long lost ‘song’ never made it to an official album or even a B-side is anybody’s guess given the glint in George’s eye here...

19) CSNY “Down By The River” (Live at Big Sur, 1969):

http://youtu.be/36sesl7DCH4

Crazy Horse fans love this song done their way but me, I’m a CSNY fan and you can’t beat the full Stills versus Young guitar duels on this track, perhaps the greatest moment of all their regular four hour setlist back in 1969-70. This version, live in America, is perhaps the best of all, with Stills and Young halfway between an argument and a conversation on their duelling solos. The song gets through its many verses surprisingly quickly, leaving the way paved for some startling guitarwork that seems to go on and on, before somehow the band seem to sense their way back into the song for a last hurrah. No wonder Joan Baez, in the audience, is dancing her socks off – this is one of the greatest triumphs by one of our best ever bands. Now, why the hell wasn’t a CSNY version of ‘Down By The River’ included on the ‘4 Way Street’ CD?!

18) David Crosby and Venice “Guinnevere”:

Alas, this video seems to have been taken down so I can’t add a link for it, but I’m leaving space here in case it ever gets added again in the future. Venice are kind of an American King’s Singers who specialise in a capella covers of 60s/70s classics, mainly from the California singer-songwriter genre. Their version of ‘Guinnevere’, with the man himself on lead, is stunning, almost up there with the original ‘sacred’ CSN version for spine-chills and goosebumps and sounding much more like it comes from the ‘Camelot’ days in the lyrics. Let’s hope it gets re-instated sometime soon and it’s removal was just a mistake – I can’t see Crosby lobbying for its removal, what with all those Crosby-Nash concert bootlegs on YouTube and all!

17) Jack The Lad “Rockin’ Chair” (live on Old Grey Whistle Test 1975) and cinema advertisement for ‘The Old Straight Track’ 1974:

http://youtu.be/10LUF13XZcA (‘Rockin’ Chair’ aka ‘Sailed The Seven Seas’)

http://youtu.be/EkOEfNU_US0 (Cinema Advert)

Lindisfarne off-shoot Jack The Lad are hard enough to find on CD never mind TV appearances, but luckily there is one and it’s a live performance of one of their very best tracks to boot, complete with a new arrangement that adds a lot more harmonies to the arrangement. It’s not up to the record perhaps (‘Jackpot’ is the album you want for this fine song about looking back in old age and wishing you hadn’t led such a boring ‘safe’ life) and it’s a later line-up of the group without the great Si Cowe on guitar but no matter – this is still a treat to see and almost impossible to find in any other form. As for the cinema advertisement, what’s even rarer than the Godley and Creme trailer? A trailer for a band that hardly anyone ever knew about! Here Jack The Lad (with Cowe still in the band) go on a series of adventures that include romancing a medieval lady until they find she’s wearing a chastity belt and doesn’t have the key (!), enjoying a medieval banquet (with Walter Fairburn’s head served as the main dish!!), becoming a ‘tough’ street gang a la West Side Story that suddenly end up maypole dancing for no reason at all (!!!) and ending up as football players for Newcastle United. I’m not sure if it actually made anybody want to buy the record (‘Straight Track’ didn’t exactly set the charts alight) but it made me chuckle.

16) Ringo and The Monkees order pizza (c.1986):

http://youtu.be/EwRjdYTYrKk

Poor Ringo. He’s been trying to get the ‘boys’ back together, so they can tell the whole world about the new exciting range of flavours at PizzaHut. He’s even travelled round the globe to reunite them. And they don’t seem to want to know, never mind show. But what’s this? They’ve actually agreed at last? We’re actually going to see a Beatles reunion?! Err, no, of course not – if they had then this clip would be number one in our list! But he does meet up with the recently reunited Monkees (‘wrong lads!’ gasps Ringo at the end, as if he’s only just noticed) who funnily enough are themselves a member short (Mike Nesmith must have preferred prairie chicken to pizza). Good fun for the collector, too, what with The Monkees doing a brief cover of ‘Twist and Shout’ and Ringo’s face appearing with the others, Monkees-style, at the end. Hmm Micky, Peter, Davy and Ringo – its got a nice ring to it...

15) Davy Jones “Gonna Buy Me A Dog” (from ‘Farmer’s Daughter’, 1965):

http://youtu.be/jRrdtaZw0Ww

This is mind-blowing for Monkees fans. You know that Boyce and Hart song ‘Gonna Buy Me A Dog’ which Micky and Davy giggle their way through at the end of the first album? Here’s the straight version of it, recorded a full year before The Monkees took to the air and featuring none other than Davy Jones on lead vocals! This clip is from the fellow Colgems-run series ‘Farmer’s Daughter’ (if you know the Monkees episode with the audition tapes you may remember that The Monkees were grilled on the same set– much to Mike Nesmith’s amusement poking in all the drawers to ‘tell his friends about’ when he gets home!) As far as I can tell, Davy – as a ‘proper musician’ (miming to a guitar!) – is ‘helping out’ a couple who want to be stars but don’t know how to sing. Hmm a very Monkees plot that one. All we’re interested in, though, is how the song should have sounded on the first LP – and it sounds pretty daft anyway to be honest, even without the jokes and giggling. No wonder Micky and Davy goofed off on it when they had the chance as even these ‘professional’ actors seem to be struggling to keep a straight face!

14) Paul McCartney And Wings “Back To The Egg” mini-film (1979):

http://youtu.be/GVtfVa6TonE (Intro/Getting Closer)

http://youtu.be/mC-kt8qBIWk (Old Siam Sir)

http://youtu.be/PGhSHZbomz4 (Spin It On)

http://youtu.be/Bo0NiXAe0ec (Again and Again and Again)

http://youtu.be/7lFBq8t5kdw (Arrow Through Me)

http://youtu.be/PkAunsJ1TJs (Winter Rose/Love Awake)

http://youtu.be/uAv_-YztFxQ (Goodnight Tonight)

http://youtu.be/0-_yDgUEpzo (Baby’s Request)

‘Back To The Egg’ was the one Wings album I never really got into (well, aside from the delightful ‘Winter Rose’) and yet I’ve always been fascinated by this series of film clips, which I first saw 20 odd years ago and which have stayed with me ever since. Basically it’s just Macca’s idea to do MTV a few years early and avoid having to appear on any more daytime TV, but there’s some fantastic imagery here too, especially the plain wooden flooring in a medieval castle (where the album was recorded) that pulls away to reveal...that we’re in space! Is this the past? Or the future?! Well, who knows, but it does make more sense of the curious album cover if nothing else! ‘Closer’ ‘Siam’ and ‘Arrow’ are performed in the studio, ‘Again’ in a field of flowers, ‘Spin’ in an aircraft hangar, ‘Baby’ on a fake WW2 military base (for god sake, why?), ‘Goodnight’ in a fake Edwardian radio studio and ‘Rose/Love’ in the castle grounds after a snowstorm. Most of these songs sound pretty good actually, better than I remember thanks to the loss of the hideous ‘Reception’ ‘Broadcast’ and ‘Rockestra’ tracks on the album that didn’t really work too well, although it’s a shame the barnstorming ‘So Glad To See You’ isn’t here. Do me favour, though, and give ‘Baby’s Request’ a miss – simply the worst McCartney song. Ever! Oh by the way, guess which one clip they chose to include in the ‘McCartney Years’ promos DVD set? Yep, got it in one!

13) Paul Simon TV Special (1977):

http://youtu.be/6FLuu1Brk7U (Intro)

http://youtu.be/f7YToGEVjk8 (‘Something So Right’)

http://youtu.be/P0kiTFgyG1E (‘I Do It For Your Love’)

http://youtu.be/GkUWL8biV9g (‘Loves Me Like A Rock’)

http://youtu.be/0KM0EcbPjMI (‘Still Crazy After All These Years’)

http://youtu.be/HH7Ub3DgY4o (‘Old Friends’)

http://youtu.be/tggP-Yfkniw (Paul talks to his psycho-analyst!)

http://youtu.be/pQFvSv5ikv4 (‘The Boxer’)

To interrupt the then unprecedented five-year-gap between albums, Paul got together with producer Lorne Michaels and the Saturday Night live crew he’d been hanging around with to create this TV special. Charles Grodin co-stars as ‘Chuck’ the producer from hell, interrupting Paul’s flow, dismissing his music and making him spend more time writing inane introductions than he does rehearsing his performances. Paul suffers something of a nervous breakdown during the show but, thankfully, things all come right by the time of ‘The Boxer’ at the end. A wonderful spoof of what people come to expect from a TV show and the realities of what goes on behind-the-scenes away from the forced grins, it deserves to be so much better known. Most fans, though, will be more interested to learn that Art Garfunkel pops up on a version of ‘Old Friends’ for only the second time the pair worked together post-split and, even though we only get to see them during an interrupted ‘rehearsal’ (we never do get to see their long-promised performance), it’s both the funniest and most moving moment of the show. We also get a hilarious moment in the final minute, when the producer tells Paul the two of them to put their ‘petty differences’ aside for the sake of making it a better show – 45 minutes on from Paul proving he doesn’t need Arty at all. As for the other songs, I’ve never been a huge fan of the ‘Still Crazy’ record which - as Paul’s most recent offering - dominates proceedings here, but at least he chooses the best songs off it and a much more relaxed version of ‘I Do It For Your Love’ even improves on the original. Chevy Chase turns up at one point too, as himself, nine years before he works on the ‘You Can Call Me Al’ video with Paul, which is very similar in style to the humour on offer here.

12) The Byrds – TV clip for “Set You Free This Time” (1966)

http://youtu.be/dndcFCY9B-E

Poor Gene Clark. There he is trying to sing arguably the greatest of his many bittersweet songs of love and heartbreak, pouring his soul into every word, only for McGuinn and Crosby to completely upstage him. I’m tempted not to tell you what they’re doing and let you see for yourself, so you can go see this clip first if you want...But in case you don’t want to wait that long or don’t get what’s happening let me explain. The two little scamps have swapped clothes for the occasion – that’s McGuinn in Crosby’s trademark tasselled cape on the left and Crosby peering down his nose through McGuinn’s trademark ‘granny specs’ on the right and trying not to laugh. So much for The Byrds not getting along in this period – this is the funniest thing I’ve seen since, well, some of the above clips! I doubt Gene was that amused though!

11) CSNY “Little Blind Fish” (Unreleased song from aborted 1974 sessions for ‘Human Highway’):

http://youtu.be/-Xh1v8-F_4k

There aren’t many unreleased CSNY songs around, so it’s great to be able to report that the one I’ve found on YouTube is an absolute first class gem. It’s also the only song in the whole of the CSN/Y canon that features each member of the band taking a verse in turn (Crosby/Nash on the opening, then Stills, Crosby and Young with Nash underneath). For years fans didn’t even know who’d written this song, till Crosby resurrected it in jazzy form for his CPR band and showed that it was ‘his’– to be honest, I think I’d have guessed that the lyrics at least were by Cros anyway as they’re more of his characteristic soul-searching, looking-for-answers type of songs, with man as a ‘little blind fish’ lost on a raging stream of life. The third verse – the wordy one about ‘looking like a scarecrow’ that Neil sings – was dropped for the later CPR one, which is a shame because it’s quite unlike anything CSNY will ever do again (‘Whose in the cornfield looking all over?’ – sounds more like The Beach Boys and ‘Smile’!) Stills turns in a terrific guitar solo and in fact all four men rattle off their respective vocal parts with aplomb. I don’t think we’ve ever heard CSNY having this much fun with a song in any era – so its such a shame this little beauty never saw the light of day, even on the comprehensive CSN box set or Crosby’s own ‘Voyage’ set. Wonderful stuff.

10) Ray Davies in the BBC Play For Today “The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Piano Player” (1970):

http://youtu.be/xeGfxQ3xM4A (Part 1)

http://youtu.be/TF4ZEJ4OwMw (Part 2)

http://youtu.be/opzIo5Ji48I (Part 3)

http://youtu.be/jZjqkQYGPwA (Part 4)

http://youtu.be/0QkHcgsO-mc (Part 5)

http://youtu.be/LCfnfcwjIn0 (Part 6)

http://youtu.be/cr1o4xexPs0 (Part 7)

http://youtu.be/4q0-yqGCUOc (Part 8)

http://youtu.be/HlmvzYGtcRI (Part 9)

http://youtu.be/kWVp9mY_PpQ (End Credits)

In which Ray Davies acts in a proper play for the only time in his career and does a magnificent job. He plays a pub piano player in a downbeat Music Hall convinced that he’ll solve all his many life problems if he breaks the record for the longest stretch of continual piano-playing and becomes a celebrity – much to the consternation of his family and friends who don’t really understand what he’s doing. This role really chimes with what we know about Ray and what he himself will go on to write about his life in ‘A Soap Opera’ and he really shines here as the humble, yet driven musician, so desperate for success he’ll do anything to get it – and then worry about it afterwards. If you remember ‘A Play For Today’, it was basically the BBC’s way of giving new writers their break back and follow the license fee remit of ‘doing something cultural’ (sadly we never did hear much from writer Alan Sharp – or indeed the ‘cultural’ idea again) and the ones I’ve seen tend to be the early ones in black and white (they never looked right in colour!), with poverty stricken souls with bad accents squabbling over everything, whilst leaving long gaping pauses where the dialogue should be. This play is typical of its genre and is heavy going at times, but is nevertheless one of the best I’ve seen, not least because of Ray’s great acting skills. Why on earth was he never asked to act again? As a bonus for fans, the beginning of part 5 features a rare and unreleased Ray Davies song ‘Marathon’, which isn’t great but is nevertheless a stepping stone for later things, whilst the complete play ends with a solo version of The Kinks song ‘I Gotta Be Free!’ from the ‘Powerman’ album – and very magnificent it is too!

9) George Harrison – demo for “It Don’t Come Easy” (1970):

http://youtu.be/4p5yzdCa2GE

I’ve always been suspicious about how much input Ringo had into easily his best solo song, given George’s name in the writing credits. In fact, ‘Easy’ sounds very much at one with the songs from his own ‘All Things Must Pass’ record the same year, a song about karma and only getting out of life what you put in. This early demo version, with George singing all the vocals, makes it clear just how close the song was to him – and the choruses’ shout of ‘Hare Krishna!’ (ducked in the mix but still there on the final master) does make more sense on a George song than a Ringo one, you have to say. There’s even a longer end to the song here too, thanks to George repeating the first verse again at the end and despite the sometimes ropey quality of the backing track (clearly a few overdubs away from magic) I still much prefer this version to the glossy finished one. George’s vocal is, of course, superb, despite wandering off the mike at times and, close as Ringo comes to ‘getting’ the song on the finished version, it sounds much more like George’s baby to me. Hmm, I wonder if any more ‘Ringo’ songs are out there with George’s vocal on? (‘Sail Away Raymond’ and ‘You and Me, Babe’ will do for starters!)

8) The Hollies – Assorted BBC Sessions 1963-72:

http://youtu.be/J6tEC38toVA (Searchin’)

http://youtu.be/TMHGyaa7GFU (Stay)

http://youtu.be/R3SeBPsSvws (I’m Alive)

http://youtu.be/RGNbdRod3uk (Nitty Gritty/Something’s Got A Hold On Me)

http://youtu.be/0iIonQGNTqo (Shake)

http://youtu.be/B0eeer7LvCE (You Know He Did)

http://youtu.be/pNYS6FLjr5Q (I Take What I Want)

http://youtu.be/n6FrQ6pyM_o (That’s How Strong My Love Is)

http://youtu.be/BviqLUz6WJM (I’ve Been Wrong (Before))

http://youtu.be/_DqJnXNAbJk (Bus Stop)

http://youtu.be/2c65qI8hjR4 (Pegasus)

http://youtu.be/5YlmxZMR-Hg (Jennifer Eccles)

http://youtu.be/ZYgpUd3IdSU (What A Life I’ve Led)

Or thirteen reasons to love YouTube and especially archivist CarrieAnne1967!! Let’s hope EMI is taking note of this article because last time I moaned about the lack of decent Hollies compilations from EMI we got the superlative ‘Clarke-Hicks-Nash’ box, which with its chronological order and unreleased songs was better than I could ever have hoped for. Anyway here goes...Why oh why oh why if EMI so badly need the money is there no ‘At The BBC’ sets from The Hollies to buy? Of all the BBC sessions I’ve heard by multiple AAA bands (and a few others) The Hollies offer the most altered, interesting and downright barnstorming versions of their songs every time and there’s easily enough of them around to fill a CD, if not 3 or 4 (just have a look at the above list!) And some of these versions are better than the originals: ‘Pegasus’ might be in ropey sound but it sounds more like The Hollies than the version on ‘Butterfly’ (no surprise really given that its ‘live’) and the band clearly relish rocking out on ‘Nitty Gritty’ and ‘Stay’. There’s even a song The Hollies never did on record to enjoy: ‘Shake’, another song made famous by Otis Redding and covered by an AAA artist; it’s not the best here but it’s better than, say, The Small Faces’ version. And we haven’t even mentioned the interviews yet which are highly revealing: Eric Haydock gets frozen out of his own interview spot less than a year before he gets booted out of the band and Graham Nash, during his last few months as a Hollie, talks about longing to get home after an American tour and is clearly still hurting after the lack of sales for ‘King Midas’(fascinating given that he leaves England for good in 1968!) Anyway, if you’re as much of a Holliesnut as me then this is like having a whole new Hollies album again – be like me and celebrate ‘Bank Hollies Day’ every day! And given the trouble EMI and Decca went to on their Beatles, Kinks and Who sets (legal nightmares all), surely The Hollies – on one label their whole recording life – wouldn’t give any more?

7) Crosby, Stills and Nash – outtakes from the first album (1969):

Flipping heck, don’t tell me these have all been taken down within the last month as well? I was hoping to bring you rare alternate versions of nearly all the first CSN album, including Stills swearing at the other two for interrupting him during a ‘cooking’ early take of ‘Suite:Judy Blue Eyes’, the backing track for ‘Marrakesh Express’ and a very different bluesy version of ’49 Bye Byes’, not to mention a hideous organ-based interpretation of Neil Young’s ‘Cinnamon Girl’ that doesn’t bear comparison to the Crazy Horse version at all. But sadly its 49 bye-byes until someone else uploads them all again. And record companies, if you really want to take these clips down then why don’t you release them properly – several thousands of hits must surely suggest to you that there’s enough of an audience for them out there! Peace and love, rant over.

6) Grateful Dead “Playboy After Dark” (1969)

http://youtu.be/NVqArOogY-c (‘Mountains Of The Moon’ and chat)

http://youtu.be/49gY_qC_OjY (‘St Stephen’, ‘Turn Off Your Lovelight’ and chat)

What a meeting of minds this is! The very 1950s tuxedoed Playboy owner Hugh Heffner meets the tassled bearded hippie nutters head on for a surprisingly sympathetic discussion on both sides. Jerry Garcia is on absolute top form (as only Jerry can be!), telling Hugh the hippie scene has changed because ‘we’re all big people now!’, that Haight Ashbury is only a metaphor for something bigger and shouldn’t be revered as a place of worship and that the two drummers in the Dead represent ‘mutual annihilation’ and create ‘figure eights on their sides in your head’ (help, I even think I know what he means – this music’s obviously getting to me...). Jerry also jokes that the band want to play ‘absolutely...not!’, much to the incredulity and patent fear of Heffner, who still doesn’t quite know how to take these young upstarts. There then follows the most fragile version of ‘Mountains Of The Moon’ I’ve ever heard several bootlegs and official live albums down the road, back when keyboardist Tom Constanten was still in the band. There’s also a rollicking version of ‘St Stephen’, a highly apt song about generations wondering whether to make a clean break from the past or learn from their mistakes and take away the bad bits, which makes perfect sense in this context of inter-generational meeting. ‘Lovelight’ sadly gets caught short and fades under the credits midway through but no matter – the Dead have made their point very well. Legend has it that the Dead ‘doused’ the cameramens’ soft drink with acid during this shoot, which meant they were a bit ‘looser’ recording the show than normal... To borrow from my fellow YouTube poster GarfieldGoose ‘When I die, don’t bury me deep, lay two speakers at my feet, put two headphones on my head – and always play The Grateful Dead!’ Hilarious and moving in equal parts.

5) Pink Floyd – TV clips for “Apples and Oranges” and “Jugband Blues” (1967):

http://youtu.be/w4aAgFnZgQ0 (Apples and Oranges)

http://youtu.be/9nxGF5IRTHg (Jugband Blues)

Talking of moving, here are Syd Barrett’s last two moments with the Floyd, both of which are captured for posterity by film crews across Europe, both of which were the videos we referred to for newsletter 118. In ‘Apples’ Syd begins to mime to the music and then stops, mid-line, leaving the camera crew to turn to an over-enunciating Roger Waters and Rick Wright, both going way OTT in an attempt to cover Syd’s latest break-down. In addition, I don’t think drummer Nick Mason has ever had so many close-ups as the camera tries desperately to keep away from Syd’s lost gaze and look anywhere but at the lead singer. ‘Jugband Blues’ is even more heartbreaking, sung live By Syd (I’m pretty sure this is the last ‘recording’ he ever did with the band, singing along to the backing tape), clutching his acoustic guitar like a safety blanket. As if the last appearance of Syd wasn’t enough, one of the Floyd’s best early songs is completely re-arranged in the middle, with the band playing a bunch of brass and woodwind to make up for the missing Salvation Army Band which goes on for much longer than the record too. The result, like the record, sounds like a madman’s take on ‘A Day In The Life’, but you can rfead so much emotion into that chaos. It’s that haunting coda that will stay in your head long after you turn the computer off though... ‘The sea isn’t green, and I love the green, and what exactly is a dream? And what exactly is a joke?’ (sung here by Syd with Rick’s harmonies, unlike the solo version on the record, which is particularly lovely). With that, Syd turns sharply away from the camera, to his left, walking away from the spotlight one last time, never to be seen with The Floyd again. A privilege to watch. 

4) Paul Simon – live at Queen’s College Hall, 1964:

http://youtu.be/If24r3-c_SE (Scarborough Fair/House Carpenter/The Old Gospel Ship/Pretty Boy Floyd)

http://youtu.be/PhfPce_ONvo (A Church Is Burning/The Sound Of Silence/Leaves That Are Green/The Sun Is Burning)

http://youtu.be/UqDDJ65ymJI (Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound)

Alas the version I used to have in my ‘Favourites’ list has been deleted and the new version doesn’t have the fascinating last encore ‘Going To The Zoo’. Amazingly, this crazy Tom Paxton children’s song gets a better response from the audience than ‘The Sound Of Silence’ does! No matter though, you still get nine slices of joy that feature Paul Simon and his acoustic guitar the year – or arguably two years - before he became famous. All the ingredients for success are there already, but the audience haven’t quite caught on to Paul’s genius yet and he has to add several goofy song introductions which don’t really fit against the weight of the songs, the only times he sounds awkward and shy and a lad of just 22. The setlist includes remarkable versions of two originals, three cover versions that Simon and Garfunkel will do on their first two albums and three songs exclusive to this recording. All are fascinating, and it’s fun to hear Paul tackle ‘House Carpenter’ which is better known in AAA circles as a Pentangle song, but it’s the two originals that are clearly the best: ‘The Leaves That Are Green’ really is being sung when Paul was ‘22 now’ (but won’t be for long) and his impassioned vocal on ‘Silence’ might well make it the best recording ever of one of his most important songs, even without Art’s harmonies to make it palatable. Paul’s world will change forever within a year of this recording and it sounds like he knows it too, even if the audience don’t know it yet. Quite simply astonishing. How fantastic that this recording, featuring a then-little known singer playing bottom-of-the-bill, exists at all given how costly reel-to-reel tapes were back then. The sound quality is fabulous too – in fact, it sounds better than some Simon and Garfunkel albums!

3) Paul McCartney “James Paul McCartney” (TV Special 1973):

http://youtu.be/FenQK6N0zcA (Big Barn Bed/Blackbird/Bluebird/Michelle/Heart Of The Country/Mary Had A Little Lamb/Little Woman Love/C Moon/My Love)

http://youtu.be/tauNWkDWsMw (Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey/April Showers (pub singalong)/Pack All Your Troubles (pub singalong)/You Are My Sunshine (pub singalong)/Gotta Sing Gotta Dance)

http://youtu.be/_IIvErvUzY8 (Live and Let Die/versions of ‘When I’m 64’ and ‘Yesterday’ sung by the public/The Mess)

http://youtu.be/agvZt62Us0o (Maybe I’m Amazed/Long Tall Sally/Yesterday)

Even for Paul McCartney and his large collection of unreleased films, this special had a chequered history. The only reason it exists at all is because of a legal dispute that saw TV executive Lew Grade (the boss of ATV songwriting which published the McCartneys music) challenge the fact that Linda (signed to a different company) ‘deserved’ half the songwriting royalties of his records, having never had a note published in the past. Time will show, of course, what a gifted songwriter Linda could be in her own right, but this was long before the likes of ‘Seaside Woman’ and ‘Oriental Nightfish’ came out. The courts unsurprisingly  found in Grade’s favour, but he agreed to let the court case drop if Macca allowed himself to appear in an hour TV special for ‘his’ network. He agreed, reluctantly, and that’s how ‘James Paul McCartney’ came about. A weird mix of live-in-the-studio footage, home movies of the McCartney clan at the pub, a song and dance tap number and some solo acoustic performances (plus some truly dreadful karaoke from the passers-by in the street), it’s such a heady, schizophrenic mix  it makes ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ seem normal! The Wings footage in particular, though, is great, with some rare songs you don’t often get to see such as ‘Big Barn Bed’ (overlaid with spoof questionnaires over the top that are actually quite funny: Paul likes ‘good’ music, has ‘two’ eyes and ‘many thousands’ of hairs!), the earliest live footage of Paul singing ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ ‘Live and Let Die’ and ‘C Moon’ back when they were brand new songs and the always-forgotten, nearly-best-ever-Wings-rocker ‘The Mess’. The song and dance number is a pain to sit through (Twiggy did it better, Macca writing the song for her the year previously) and the people on the street are awful, sure, but even the McCartneys down-the-pub clips are fascinating (and what a hammy lot the McCartney family are – see how many you can name from the lyrics to ‘Let ‘Em In’!) Not forgetting of course the big big big talking point of the time of the time: the first time any Beatles songs had been heard live from the band since the split (Wings only did ‘Long Tall Sally’ on their first tour, whilst John’s, George’s and Ringo’s first live dates weren’t till after this Easter Special!) – with the people at home hearing ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Michelle’ sung live by Macca for the first time since 1966 and ‘Blackbird’ for the first time ever! That alone makes this special worth it. Let’s hope Macca bungs this show on the back of his proposed ‘Red Rose Speedway’ deluxe re-issue this Christmas (‘Rose’ being the nearest album chronologically to this, even if Macca strangely only does two songs from it), just like he did with the unreleased ‘One Hand Clapping’ film on ‘Band On The Run’ last year.

2) Neil Young/Paul McCartney “A Day In The Life” (2009)

http://youtu.be/U6SSR3YY-rc

Worlds should have collided. Time should have stopped. Chaos should have reigned. Because there, on that stage, for one night only, was Paul McCartney singing ‘his’ part of one of the most celebrated Beatles songs for the first time since he recorded it for the Sgt Peppers album in 1967! Moreover this wasn’t just any cover version – it was Neil Young’s mesmerising version that substituted a whole orchestra with feedback and glowing harmonies that somehow managed to improve on perfection. OK so this video is of pretty grotty quality – if only they’d filmed it properly for posterity – so it’s hard to understand the magic from here, I agree. But if you get the chance see Neil’s Glastonbury performance of this song from the same year, occasionally repeated on BBC4 – amazing, with an ending that seems to go on forever but actually lasts about 10 minutes (still a long time for one single chord, even if it’s the most important and best known chord in music!) Never have Lennon’s lyrics sounded so weary and life so futile, never has Macca’s passage sounded like such light relief, never has feedback seemed so...right. Paul’s having the best time he’s had in years, Neil’s channelling the ‘spirit’ as only Neil can and that’s why this classic moment is no 2 on our list. Now come on Neil, put a version of your arrangement of this classic on an album (preferably with Macca) so we can hear it done properly!

1) The Kinks “A Soap Opera” aka “Starmaker”

http://youtu.be/8vLaaehtwcs (Everybody’s A Star)

http://youtu.be/Z9-GKiDVpIE (Speech)

http://youtu.be/SKvppC-bOO0 (Ordinary People)

http://youtu.be/UJA5U5lH78M (Rush Hour Blues)

http://youtu.be/Kh5OWAPHJMU (Nine To Five/When Work Is Over/Have Another Drink)

http://youtu.be/-WPmvzKhUmA (You Make It All Worthwhile)

http://youtu.be/vIr93NTEfl4 (Speech)

http://youtu.be/kygT53j7P9s (A Face In The Crowd/You Can’t Stop The Music)

On News and Views 111 we told you about perhaps the greatest hidden gem in the Kinks Katalogue (after ‘Arthur’ anyway. And ‘Face To Face’ isn’t that well known these days. And ‘Preservation’ needs reappraisal. And hardly anybody bought ‘UK Jive’...) OK, so it’s one of the many hidden gems in the Kinks Katalogue. Of all Ray Davies’ magnificent concept album follies of the 70s, though, ‘A Soap Opera’ is  the most revealing and moving, the story of a star who pretends to be an ordinary man only to find out that he has been an ordinary man the whole time, with such subtlety that the result catches the listener by surprise. Ray had been trying for years to get The Kinks on the telly, with ‘Arthur’ and ‘Preservation’ both planned as TV specials, but sadly when he succeeded with ‘A Soap Opera’ the show got stuck on at a funny hour late at night and died a death, to lie in a vault ever since. Goodness only knows why because it’s so good, much better than the album (and did I ever tell you how much I loved it as an album?!), partly thanks to the addition of two long speeches that gives real weight to the characters of ‘Normal’ Norman and The Starmaker and the slow blurring of the two parts that works far better than on the record. The loss of the irritating ‘Holiday Romance’ is something of a blessing too. The moving ending of the special, when Ray sings one of his all-time best songs ‘A Face In The Crowd’ and then runs off to actually physically sit in the audience as an ‘ordinary’ human being to watch ‘The Kinks’ (with Dave Davies on lead) as ‘an ordinary person’ once more is a masterstroke. No person is ordinary, of course, and this hymn to the achievements of all people, whoever they may be, whatever they may have done, is such a wonderfully Kinks moment, perhaps the defining image of their whole 30 year career. I think we ought to campaign for this show’s release on DVD by sitting outside Konk studios for the forseeable future, eating shepherd’s pie whilst waving our plastic ducks (both key images on the record) – or of course we could make these videos the most seen YouTube clips has ever had. So join with me, click that button and enjoy The Kinks at their zenith. Music collecting has never been so much fun!

And that’s that. We’ll return to our regular top five column next week. In the meantime, why not drop us a line about what you thought of our choices. Any obvious choices left out? Anything new you’ve just added and want to tell us about? Get in touch! See you next issue for more newsing, viewsing and music-ing!
A NOW COMPLETE List Of Top Five/Top Ten/TOP TWENTY  Entries 2008-2019
1) Chronic Fatigue songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/news-views-and-music-issue-1-top-five.html

2) Songs For The Face Of Bo http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-2-top-five.html

3) Credit Crunch Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-3-top-five.html

4) Songs For The Autumn http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-4-top-five.html

5) National Wombat Week http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-top-five-national.html

6) AAA Box Sets http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/news-views-and-music-issue-6-top-five.html

7) Virus Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-7-top-five.html

8) Worst AAA-Related DVDs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issu-8-top-five.html

9) Self-Punctuating Superstar Classics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html

10) Ways To Know You Have Turned Into A Collector http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/news-views-and-music-issue-9-top-five.html

11) Political Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-issue-11-top-five.html

12) Totally Bonkers Concept Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/news-views-and-music-top-five-totally.html

13) Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/top-five-issue-13-40-years-of-beatles.html

14) Still Celebrating 40 Years Of The Beatles' White Album http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-14-top-five.html

15) AAA Existential Questions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-15-top-five.html

16) Releases Of The Year 2008 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-16-top-five.html

17) Top AAA Xmas Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/news-views-and-music-issue-17-top-five.html

18) Notable AAA Gigs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/news-views-and-music-issue-19-top-five.html

19) All things '20' related for our 20th issue http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-20-aaa-songs.html

20) Romantic odes for Valentine's Day http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/news-views-and-music-issue-22-top-five.html

21) Hollies B sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-23-top-five.html

22) 'Other' BBC Session Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-24-top-five.html

23) Beach Boys Rarities Still Not Available On CD http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-25-top-five.html

24) Songs John, Paul and George wrote for Ringo's solo albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/news-views-and-music-issue-26-top-five.html

25) 5 of the Best Rock 'n' Roll Tracks From The Pre-Beatles Era http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-27-top-five.html

26) AAA Autobiographies http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-28-top-five.html

27) Rolling Stones B-sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/news-views-and-music-issue-29-top-five.html

28) Beatles B-Sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-30-top-five.html

29) The lllloooonnngggeesssttt AAA songs of all time http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-31-top-five.html

30) Kinks B-Sides http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-32-top-five.html

31) Abandoned CSNY projects 'wasted on the way' http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/news-views-and-music-issue-33-top-five.html

32) Best AAA Rarities and Outtakes Sets http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/news-views-and-music-issue-34-top-five.html

33) News We've Missed While We've Been Away http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-35-top-five.html

34) Birthday Songs for our 1st Anniversary http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html

35) Brightest Album Covers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-37-top-five.html

36) Biggest Recorded Arguments http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/news-views-and-music-issue-38-top-five.html

37) Songs About Superheroes http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-39-top-five.html

38) AAA TV Networks That Should Exist http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-40-top-five.html

39) AAA Woodtsock Moments http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-41-top-five.html

40) Top Moments Of The Past Year As Voted For By Readers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/news-views-and-music-issue-42-top-five.html

41) Music Segues http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-43-top-five.html

42) AAA Foreign Language Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/news-views-and-music-issue-44-top-five.html

43) 'Other' Groups In Need Of Re-Mastering http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/news-views-and-music-issue-45-top-five.html

44) The Kinks Preservation Rock Opera - Was It Really About The Forthcoming UK General Election? http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-46-top-five.html

45) Mono and Stereo Mixes - Biggest Differences http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-47-top-five.html

46) Weirdest Things To Do When A Band Member Leaves http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/nerws-views-and-music-issue-48-top-five.html

47) Video Clips Exclusive To Youtube (#1) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/news-views-and-music-issue-49-top-five.html

48) Top AAA Releases Of 2009 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/news-views-and-music-issue-50-top-five.html

49) Songs About Trains http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-51-top-five.html

50) Songs about Winter http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/news-views-and-music-issue-52-top-five.html

51) Songs about astrology plus horoscopes for selected AAA members http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-53-top-five.html

52) The Worst Five Groups Ever! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/news-views-and-music-issue-54-top-five.html

53) The Most Over-Rated AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-56-top-five.html

54) Top AAA Rarities Exclusive To EPs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/news-views-and-music-issue-57-top-five.html

55) Random Recent Purchases (#1) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/news-views-and-music-issue-58-top-five.html

56) AAA Party Political Slogans http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-60-top-five.html

57) Songs To Celebrate 'Rock Sunday' http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five_21.html

58) Strange But True (?) AAA Ghost Stories http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/news-views-and-music-issue-61-top-five.html

59) AAA Artists In Song http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-63-top-five.html

60) Songs About Dogs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/news-views-and-music-issue-65-top-five.html

61) Sunshiney Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-67-top-five.html

62) The AAA Staff Play Their Own Version Of Monoploy/Mornington Crescent! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-68-top-forty.html

63) What 'Other' British Invasion DVDs We'd Like To See http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/news-views-and-music-issue-69-top-five.html

64) What We Want To Place In Our AAA Time Capsule http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-70-top-five.html

65) AAA Conspiracy Theroies http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-issue-72-top-ten.html

66) Weirdest Things To Do Before - And After - Becoming A Star http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/news-views-and-music-top-ten-aaa-stars.html

67) Songs To Tweet To http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-74-top-five.html

68) Greatest Ever AAA Solos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/news-views-and-music-issue-75-top-ten.html

69) John Lennon Musical Tributes http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-77-top-five.html

70) Songs For Halloween http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/news-views-and-music-issue-78-top-five.html

71) Earliest Examples Of Psychedelia http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-79-top-five.html

72) Purely Instrumental Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-81-top-five.html

73) AAA Utopias

74) AAA Imaginary Bands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/news-views-and-music-issue-82-top-five.html

75) Unexpected AAA Cover Versions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-83-top-five.html

76) Top Releases of 2010 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-84-top-five.html

77) Songs About Snow http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/news-views-and-music-issue-85-top-five.html

78) Predictions For 2011 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_01_02_archive.html

79) AAA Fugitives

80) AAA Home Towns http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-88-home.html

81) The Biggest Non-Musical Influences On The 1960s http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/news-views-and-music-issue-89-top-five.html

82) AAA Groups Covering Other AAA Groups http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-90-top.html

83) Strange Censorship Decisions http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-91-top-ten.html

84) AAA Albums Still Unreleased on CD http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/news-views-and-music-issue-92-top-five.html

85) Random Recent Purchases (#2) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/news-views-and-music-issue-93-top-ten.html

86) Top AAA Music Videos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-94-top-ten.html

87) 30 Day Facebook Music Challenge http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-95-top.html

88) AAA Documentaries http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-top-five-aaa.html

89) Unfinished and 'Lost' AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/news-views-and-music-issue-97-top-ten.html

90) Strangest AAA Album Covers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/newsa-views-and-music-issue-98-top-ten.html

91) AAA Performers Live From Mars (!) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-99-top-ten.html

92) Songs Including The Number '100' for our 100th Issue http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-100-top-five.html

93) Most Songs Recorded In A Single Day http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/news-views-and-music-issue-101-top-five.html

94) Most Revealing AAA Interviews http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-102-top-five.html

95) Top 10 Pre-Fame Recordings http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/news-views-and-music-issue-103-top-ten.html

96) The Shortest And Longest AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-104-top-ten.html


97) The AAA Allstars Ultimate Band Line-Up http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-105-top.html

98) Top Songs About Sports http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-106-top-ten.html

99) AAA Conversations With God http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/news-views-and-music-issue-107-top-ten.html

100) AAA Managers: The Good, The Bad and the Financially Ugly http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-108-top-ten.html

101) Unexpected AAA Cameos http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-109-top-ten.html

102) AAA Words You can Type Into A Caluclator http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/news-views-and-music-issue-110-top-five.html

103) AAA Court Cases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-111-top-five.html

104) Postmodern Songs About Songwriting http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-112-top-five.html

105) Biggest Stylistic Leaps Between Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-113-top-ten.html

106) 20 Reasons Why Cameron Should Go! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/news-views-and-music-issue-114-top.html

107) The AAA Pun-Filled Cookbook http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-115-top-five.html

108) Classic Debut Releases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-116-top-five.html

109) Five Uses Of Bird Sound Effects http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-118-top-five.html

110) AAA Classic Youtube Clips Part #1 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/news-views-and-music-issue-119-top.html

111) Part #2 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-120-top.html

112) Part #3 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-121-top.html

113) AAA Facts You Might Not Know http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-122-top-ten.html

114) The 20 Rarest AAA Records http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/news-views-and-music-issue-123-top.html

115) AAA Instrumental Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_04_archive.html

116) Musical Tarot http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/news-views-and-music-issue-125-top-23-i.html

117) Christmas Carols http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_18_archive.html

118) Top AAA Releases Of 2011 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2011_12_25_archive.html

119) AAA Bands In The Beano/The Dandy http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-128-top-five.html

120) Top 20 Guitarists #1 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/news-views-and-music-issue-129-top-ten.html

121) #2 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_15_archive.html

122) 'Shorty' Nomination Award Questionairre http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_22_archive.html

123) Top Best-Selling AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_01_29_archive.html

124) AAA Songs Featuring Bagpipes

125) A (Hopefully) Complete List Of AAA Musicians On Twitter http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_19_archive.html

126) Beatles Albums That Might Have Been 1970-74 and 1980 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_02_26_archive.html

127) DVD/Computer Games We've Just Invented http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_11_archive.html

128) The AAA Albums With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_18_archive.html

129) The AAA Singles With The Most Weeks At #1 in the UK http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_25_archive.html

130) Lyric Competition (Questions) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_15_archive.html

131) Top Crooning Classics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_22_archive.html

132) Funeral Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/news-views-and-music-issue-142-top-five.html

133) AAA Songs For When Your Phone Is On Hold http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-143-top-five.html

134) Random Recent Purchases (#3) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-144-top-five.html

135) Lyric Competition (Answers) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-146-top.html http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/news-views-and-music-issue-145-top-five.html

136) Bee Gees Songs/AAA Goes Disco! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-147-top-five.html

137) The Best AAA Sleevenotes (And Worst) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-issue-148-top-ten.html

138) A Short Precise Of The Years 1962-70 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/news-views-and-music-149-top-eight.html

139) More Wacky AAA-Related Films And Their Soundtracks http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/top-five-for-news-views-and-music-150.html

140) AAA Appearances On Desert Island Discs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/top-eight-aaa-desert-island-discs.html

141) Songs Exclusive To Live Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/news-views-and-music-issue-153-top-10.html

142) More AAA Songs About Armageddon http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/aaa-armageddon-songsalbums-top-5-for.html

What difference does a name make? Arguably not much if you’re already a collector of a certain group, for whom the names on the album sleeves just...

This week’s top ten honours the humble motor car. The death trap on wheels, the metaphor for freedom, the put-down of capitalism, a source of...

This week we’re going to have a look at the 10 AAA singles that spent the most weeks at number on the American chart ‘Billboard’ – and it makes for...

Following on from last issue’s study of the American Billboard charts, here’s a look at which AAA albums spent the most weeks on the chart. The...

There are many dying arts in our modern world: incorruptible politicians, faith that things are going to get better and the ability to make decent...

This week we’ve decided to dedicate our top ten to those unsung heroes of music, the session musicians, whose playing often brings AAA artists (and...

Naturally we hold our AAA bands in high esteem in these articles: after all, without their good taste, intelligence and humanity we’d have nothing to...

What do you do when you’ve left a multi-million selling band and yet you still feel the pull of the road and the tours and the playing to audiences...

‘The ATOS Song’ (You’re Not Fit To Live)’ (Mini-Review) Dear readers, we don’t often feature reviews of singles over albums or musicians who aren’t...

In honour of this week’s review of an album released to cash in on a movie soundtrack (only one of these songs actually appears in ‘Easy Rider’...and...

Hic! Everyone raise a glass to the rock stars of the past and to this week’s feature...songs about alcolholic beverages! Yes that’s right, everything...

154) The human singing voice carries with it a vast array of emotions, thoughts that cannot be expressed in any other way except opening the lungs and...

Everyone has a spiritual home, even if they don’t actually live there. Mine is in a windy, rainy city where the weather is always awful but the...

Having a family does funny things to some musicians, as we’ve already seen in this week’s review (surely the only AAA album actually written around...

Some artists just have no idea what their best work really is. One thing that amazes me as a collector is how consistently excellent many of the...

159) A (Not That) Short Guide To The 15 Best Non-AAA Bands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/a-not-that-short-guide-to-15-of-best.html%20%0d160

160) The Greatest AAA Drum Solos (Or Near Solos!) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-greatest-aaa-drum-solos-or-near.html%20%0d161

161) AAA Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame Acceptance Speeches http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/aaa-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame.html%20%0d162

162) AAA Re-Recordings Of Past Songs http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/aaa-re-recordings-of-past-songs-news.html%20%0d163

163) A Coalition Christmas (A Fairy Tale) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/a-coalition-christmas-news-views-and.html%20%0d164

164) AAA Songs About Islands http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/aaa-songs-about-islands-news-views-and.html%20%0d165

165) The AAA Review Of The Year 2012 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2012-news-views.html



166) The Best AAA Concerts I Attended http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-best-aaa-concerts-i-attended-news.html

167) Tributes To The 10 AAA Stars Who Died The Youngest http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/tributes-to-10-aaa-stars-who-died.html



168) The First 10 AAA Songs Listed Alphabetically http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-first-10-aaa-songs-if-listed.html


171) The 10 Best Songs From The Psychedelia Box-Sets ‘Nuggets’ and ‘Nuggets Two’ http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-best-of-two-nuggets-psychedelia.html%20%0d172

172) The 20 Most Common Girl’s Names In AAA Song Titles (With Definitions) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/girls-names-in-aaa-song-titles-from.html 








180) First Recordings By Future AAA Stars http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/first-





185) A Tribute To Storm Thorgerson Via The Five AAA Bands He Worked With http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-tribute-to-hipgnosis-via-five-aaa.html



188) Surprise! Celebrating 300 Album Reviews With The Biggest 'Surprises' Of The Past Five Years Of Alan's Album Archives! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/celebrating-300-album-reviews-10.html


190) Comparatively Obscure First Compositions By AAA Stars http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/comparatively-obscure-debut.html



193) Evolution Of A Band: Comparing First Lyric With Last Lyric: http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/evolution-of-band-comparing-1st-lyric.html







200) The Monkees In Relation To Postmodernism (University Dissertation) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/university-dissertation-monkees-in.html


202) Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain': Was It About One Of The AAA Crew? http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/carly-simons-youre-so-vain-was-it-about.html















217) AAA 'Christmas Presents' we'd most like to have next year http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/aaa-christmas-presents-wed-most-like-to.html




221) Dr Who and the AAA (Five Musical Links) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/dr-who-and-five-musical-links-to-alans.html

222) Five Random Recent Purchases http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/five-random-recent-purchases-news-views.html

223) AAA Grammy Nominees http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/aaa-grammy-nominees-top-twelve-news.html

224) Ten AAA songs that are better heard unedited and in full http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/ten-aaa-songs-that-are-better-unedited.html

225) The shortest gaps between AAA albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-shortest-gaps-between-aaa-albums.html

226) The longest gaps between AAA albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-longest-gaps-between-aaa-albums.html

227) Top ten AAA drummers http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2014/03/top-ten-aaa-drummers-news-views-and.html

228) Top Ten AAA Singles (In Terms of 'A' and 'B' Sides) http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/top-ten-aaa-singles-and-b-sides-news.html

229) The Stories Behind Six AAA Logos http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-stories-behind-six-aaa-logos.html

230) AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!! The Best Ten AAA Screams http://www.alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-best-aaa-screams-top-ten-news-views.html

231) An AAA Pack Of Horses http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-songs-about-horses-top-ten-news.html

232) AAA Granamas - Sorry, Anagrams! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-anagrams-news-views-and-music-issue.html

233) AAA Surnames and Their Meanings http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/aaa-surnames-and-their-meanings-news.html

234) 20 Erroneous AAA Album Titles http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/twenty-erroneous-aaa-album-titles-news.html

235) The Best AAA Orchestral Arrangements http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/fifteen-great-aaa-string-parts-news.html

236) Top 30 Hilariously Misheard Album Titles/Lyrics http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/top-thirty-hilariously-misheard-aaa.html

237) Ten controversial AAA sackings - and whether they were right http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/ten-controversial-aaa-sackings-news.html

238) A Critique On Critiquing - In Response To Brian Wilson http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-critique-on-critiquing-in-response-to.html

239) The Ten MusicianS Who've Played On The Most AAA Albums http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-ten-musicians-whove-played-on-most.html

240) Thoughts on #CameronMustGo http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/thoughts-on-cameronmustgo.html

241) Random Recent Purchases (Kinks/Grateful Dead/Nils Lofgren/Rolling Stones/Hollies) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/six-random-recent-purchases-kinksg.html 

242) AAA Christmas Number Ones http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/aaa-christmas-number-ones.html 

243) AAA Review Of The Year 2014 (Top Releases/Re-issues/Documentaries/DVDs/Books/Songs/ Articles  plus worst releases of the year) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/aaa-review-of-year-2014.html

244) Me/CFS Awareness Week 2015 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/mecfs-awareness-week-at-alans-album.html

245) Why The Tory 2015 Victory Seems A Little...Suspicious http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/why-tory-victory-seems-deeply.html

246) A Plea For Peace and Tolerance After The Attacks on Paris - and Syria http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/a-plea-for-peace-and-toleration.html

247) AAA Review Of The Year 2015 http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2015.html

248) The Fifty Most Read AAA Articles (as of December 31st 2015) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/the-fifty-most-read-aaa-posts-2008-2015.html

249) The Revised AAA Crossword! http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2016_07_10_archive.html


251) Half-A-Dozen Berries Plus One (An AAA Tribute To Chuck Berry) http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/an-aaa-covers-tribute-to-chuck-berry.html

252) Guest Post: ‘The Skids – Joy’ (1981) by Kenny Brown  https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/guest-post-skids-joy-1981.html


254) Guest Post: ‘Supertramp – Some Things Never Change’ by Kenny Brown https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/06/guest-review-supertramp-some-things.html

255) AAA Review Of The Year 2018 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-aaa-review-of-year-2018.html

256) AAA Review Of The Year 2019 plus Review Of The Decade 2010-2019 https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-alans-album-archives-review-of-year.html



257) Tiermaker https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2019/06/alans-album-archives-on-tiermaker.html

258) #Coronastock https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2020/04/coronastock.html

259) #Coronadocstock https://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronadocstock.html










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