Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 12th January 2024. Here's what caught the ears of RPMers this week...over to...

Philip -

"I've not listened to much this week, but did spot this with its' unmistakable Duane Allman intro in the first episode of TV drama "Truelove," so I'll leave that as my only submission this week. (I think several versions of the song have appeared previously on the RPM site)."

Piers -

"The Elsing Wassail was well attended, as a result there was lots to to scoff and to pass around, the 'bommy' burned brightly, and lots of noise was made to scare away the evil spirits. Nancy was a wonderful choice for apple queen, and the music played after the ceremony was well received! On the face of it a huge wassailing success but no one will really know until the autumn, when the harvest is brought in and the bushells are counted... I hope there will be at least 3bags full!"

"I admit that I am a sucker for well played guitar in almost any genre. A while ago I went to see singer songwriter Rod Picott play. I was very impressed by his writing and his dry, matter of fact, delivery. He played one song which he co wrote with Bruce Cockburn. It was good enough to make me take a look at some of the BC material that I found on Youtube.

I have been aware of  Bruce Cockburn since the mid eighties when a very groovy 'muso'  I was working with leant me a 'home copied' cassette of Cockburn's first album 'Dancing in the mouths of Lions'. 

Even I am suspicious of my claims so I just fact checked this statement and found that it was in fact a bootleg of Bruce Cockburn's 9th solo album which was actually  called 'Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws' (though there was a track called 'Wondering where the Lions are' ). But anyway close enough! 

Suffice it to say I am not a huge fan of Bruce Cockburn's recordings. I have always felt that I should appreciate what he does but most  of the material that I have heard  leaves me cold.  I am not sure why.  His songs are beautifully written,  his playing meticulous, his voice doesn’t grate too much.  I often find his work not quite fussy but perhaps a bit ‘too clever’. Are his chords too tasteful? His vocals a little too smooth? His recordings are sometimes lavishly, produced.  Could it be possible that his records are too well crafted? Too facile? Although his early work displayed an overt Christian message, I know that  religious prejudice isn't the reason for any bias on my part.  I can’t put my finger on it. 

 I think that there is a lot to be said for live performance. Perhaps that is why I am so fond of those 'one take' recordings made before studio engineering became so much part of the recorded product. I do like many of the examples that I have heard of BC playing live. This I like very much."

John -

"Hi RPMers, Hope you're all keeping safe and warm. Here are three tracks I've listened to this week."

Jean -

"I'm back from my Caribbean cruise...loved the islands and the cruise entertainment was excellent. Plenty of live music. Great Hispanic guy played acoustic Spanish guitar and sang beautiful songs. Trio of two guitars and drums excellent on their own or as backing.

Surprisingly I didn’t hear what I would call Caribbean music.

Here’s my choices..."

David -

"My thanks to all for great musical start to the year last week and especially to Jayne whose choices I always look forward to. 

My week got off to a lazy Sunday morning waiting for the Masters snooker and I was trawling through some old John Prine stuff which led me down a rockabilly rabbit hole or should that be warren ? So with thanks to those old Mark Lamarr BBC radio shows which took me to my first Ponderosa Stomp, here are 3 of my favourite rockabilly 'cats' as I think we used to call them 😀! "

Nina -

"Hi folks. Thanks for your music - cracking start to 2024.

Here's my 3 - "

Dave -

"Hi RPMers, hope all is well with you guys. Here’s my 3 songs."

Kevin -

"Greetings everyone! Amazing variety in last week's (and every week's!) edition. Loving it!"

Tony -

"Here's my 3 choices for the week. Best wishes to everybody as ever."

Jayne -

"Thank you RPMers for your delightful start to the year. Here is my contribution for this week."

Tim -

How Far Jerusalem by Magnum - "As Tony has already said; sad news indeed for Magnum fans on the death of Tony Clarkin last Sunday. Magnum are one of a few bands I have consistently listened to since discovering them in about 1983...I'm basing this on the fact that the first album I bought was Chase The Dragon, released in 1982, but that I found it in the Boots (The Chemist) record department (remember that, folks?) sale, which I should think was their post Christmas, January clear-out. Parting with my few quid on the strength of the amazing Rodney Matthews cover art, the music did not disappoint me either, blending my love of heavy rock and prog, but in a very individual and English way.  First two albums Kingdom of Madness and Magnum II were obtained pretty swiftly afterward. I can remember being excited about the fact that the band had a new LP due out in May 1983, The Eleventh Hour, which I bought straight away upon it's release. Myself and friends would also travel to any of Magnum's gigs within a few hours drive and consequently they are also one of my most watched live acts. Two years later, On A Storyteller's Night  eventually saw the light of day, and it's this album that is considered to be the bands masterpiece, all songs written by Tony Clarkin, as they had been on the first four albums and also on all Magnum's albums for the next 40 plus years. I think Tony lived up to the phrase 'prolific songwriter' for sure and I was always impressed by the strength and consistently high standard of his material over the years, peaking again in my opinion with the Lost On The Road To Eternity album in 2018, my second favourite LP after Storyteller's Night. The tour for this album was the last time I saw the band live, as in 2020, we hit covid and their tour that year was cancelled. Tony Clarkin died just less than a week before the release of the new Magnum album, Here Comes The Rain, out today, 12th January (as I write). I suspect it will again be a tribute to Tony Clarkin's songwriting skills....I'll probably be letting you know in the next few weeks after I've had a good few listens.

As a tribute to Tony Clarkin, I'm going to chose the first track from On A Storyteller's Night...it's one of those songs that, upon hearing the keyboard intro, I am instantly transported back to the mid 80s, to a sweaty, smokey (folks...remember the atmosphere in venues before the smoking ban?) Ipswich Gaumont Theatre, Norwich UEA, West Runton Pavillion or Dunstable Queensway Hall. Dry ice rolls across the stage, the lights fade up and another great rock show starts..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkQ7g18zIpE

'Til Next Time...