| Author | Message | ||
     Hamish Walke Member Username: Hamish Post Number: 15 Registered: 05-2005 |
Gideon Coe's BBC Radio 6 show on Tuesday night featured a live set from Aztec Camera from a 1984 show in London. Gideon played 'We Could Send Letters,' 'Backwards and Forwards,' 'Walk Out to Winter' and 'Oblivious.' Apart from my excitement at hearing live songs from High Land Hard Rain, which I think is one of the bext albums ever, Roddy Frame added some lines from the GBs 'Part Company' into 'We Could Send Letters.' On a related point, those who were at Robert's South Bank show recently will have heard him explaining how he learnt some obscure guitar chord by watching Roddy from the side of the stage. Robert said that he had used it in a song once in a while ever since. I guess the Go Betweens must have been the support for that Aztec Camera tour? Anyway, if you are interested you can listen to the Gideon Coe show again on the BBC6 website. The Aztec Camera songs are about an hour into the show. Gideon's is generally a top show and he is one of the few DJs that regularly plays GBs songs. | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 368 Registered: 04-2005 |
Hamish, Yes, the G-Bs were support for the 'Stray' tour, (so I 'spose that featured Malcolm Ross on guitar). I saw the concert at the Caley Palais in Edinburgh and I remember 'River of Money' being played (a rare live outing for the song I believe) My Postcard 45 of 'Just Like Gold' remains a prize possession. Don't know if it is still the case but I remember Roddy Frame saying that he would never reissue the song on CD, as the original single was too perfect an object (or words to that effect) | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1452 Registered: 10-2004 |
Massive Aztec Camera fan here. Sadly, I couldn't get the BBC Aztec show to play at work, so I'll have to try it at home. I'm insanely jealous of anyone who would have had the chance to see the Go-Betweens opening for Aztec Camera. Andrew, my copies of 'Just Like Gold' and 'Mattress of Wire' are both prize possessions for me, too. Although I think Roddy's on crack for not allowing that stuff to be reissued on CD. People need to hear it! | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 2427 Registered: 05-2005 |
I think he said the first three singles would never be released on CD (maybe it was more). He oould get around it though by reissuing the 7"s and giving a download code with them to get high quality mp3s. | ||
| Andrew Ashbridge Member Username: Burgers Post Number: 10 Registered: 05-2005 |
I thought the tour Robert was referring to was Aztec Camera promoting the very terrible Knife in 1984. I saw them play Manchester Free Trade Hall and Spring Hill Fair had just come out That was also the tour which Francis MacDonald of Teenage Fanclub mentioned in his appreciation of Grant in an obituary in the (Glasgow) Herald. They were all there to see Aztec Camera and ignored the Go-Betweens. Didn't Stray come out when the Go-Betweens had split? | ||
| Allan Kingdom Member Username: Allan_kingdom Post Number: 22 Registered: 04-2006 |
Yea, the knife - or "Knopfler" - tour. I saw both bands at the New Theatre, Oxford. Only the second time i'd been there, the first time being Cannon and Ball in the late 70s... Rock on, Roddy. | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 369 Registered: 04-2005 |
Woops, yes you are all right, it was indeed the 'terrible Knife' tour. Must have done too much crack before that posting. In terms of the Postcard singles, I'm with Roddy in the sense that we have all become somehow 'spoilt' with what we have, want and can have. There is something so pure about those 45s. Even the fact that a 16 year old could write 'Just Like Gold'. To 'reduce' them to just being some songs is a bit sad. Sorry I recognise that I am on shaky elitist grounds here! | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1453 Registered: 10-2004 |
Padraig, you're right, that is what I recall reading Roddy saying somewhere. I dunno, I think they need to be heard, and people shouldn't have to hunt them down for exorbitant prices on ebay. They're among the very best compositions of Roddy's career and they languish in obscurity, spoken about only by uber-record snobs. But then again, there's always Soulseek. Also, I quite like "Knife," and I would have loved to have seen them on that tour. Sure, it's no "High Land," but I do see it as the last great Aztec Camera record of the 80s. To me, "Love" is much more deserving of the "very terrible" qualifier. | ||
| Adrian P Member Username: Adp Post Number: 36 Registered: 05-2005 |
New article in the Guardian about Postcard: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/nov /10/postcard-label-love | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 2729 Registered: 05-2005 |
Its still making the news, all things Postcard. That article refers to the Chance meeting promo. I remember converting that (and Sorry for laughing promo) to digital format from the VHS Malcolm gave me, I loaded them up to the Josef K site i put together (that remains unfinished and pretty shambolic), its funny, no one was interested, only the hardcore. However, over the last 5 or 6 years, with this noughties wave explosion, the vids have now been viewed in their thousands,its still incredible how Postcard et al remain leading influences, leading indie label Domino released Josef K and OJ best ofs to absolute critical acclaim, in the way the the Velvets and the original pre punk and pre new wavers influenced Postcard. On the question of Knife. Its not as good, it has its moments, a s kid I loved it of course. High Land will always be the one though, and the only one I am afraid (along with the two postcard singles). The only album that Roddy has produced that has really folated my boat was Frestonia in '95, though it sorta reeks of saminess and session muso's, On the avenue is really beautiful though. Western Skies was OK too. I think you can actually find it on ebay, but the BBC gig at Aston Uni in '83 (I went to) that was filmed for Whistle Test TV, was penned for release, then panned, unfortunately, Roddy veto'd its release. Again, I don;t understand this, they were at their best, and as far as live recordings go, ( I have a promo tape) they sounded remarkable. So i don't think I accept his decision to refrain from allowing official releases of the Postcard singles as that was how they were meant to stay as a good enough excuse, I mean for Chrissake, all the new wave and all the biggest and most acclaimed artists have had their stuff remastered/rereleased, so why not Roddy, is it because he's poss embarrassed of these recordings, given the fact he's happy to rerelease the heap o rubbish he's produced over later years??? i dunno. I just think, don't be so precious, let the kids have em on an official release, all nicely packaged, like the treatment the other Postcard groups have been given... | ||
| Matsrep Member Username: Matsrep Post Number: 79 Registered: 10-2005 |
Whistle Test sound track is very very good. I go your way, Spence: High Land Hard Rain plus it's b-sides, 2 Postcard singles (the b-sides rerecorded on the album) and the whiste test, that is the essential Aztec Camera, BUT there are gems also later. For some reason I especially like the North Star single b-sides... I've only seen Roddy live twice, both very very good (Stray tour 1990 and solo acoustic approx. 2000). | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 372 Registered: 04-2005 |
If I remember correctly, Roddy's voice was absolutely horrible on the BBC thing (was it not 'Rock Goes to College'?). Completely shot to pieces, it sounded as if he was gargling all the way through ? Hey Jeff it's great to be a 'uber-record snob' ! I think I am kicking back against the whole ease with which all music seems to be available now. I have scratched Tim Buckley LPs that took me a decade to track down and I remember exactly the moment of coming across each record in some second-hand shop. It's too easy now. And Spence: I can't imagine for a moment that Roddy is embarrassed by those first singles. The interview in which I read that quote about never making them available on CD, was simply because he found the 45 so perfect (song, vinyl, postcars, sleeve...) Do you not understand that he feels it 'devalues' it in some way reproducing it? | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1462 Registered: 10-2004 |
How about at least reissuing the 45s on vinyl, then, with all the packaging and labels lovingly reproduced? I still think letting those singles languish in relative obscurity 'devalues' them more than making them available. I mean, it's not like that OJ comp from a few years back made OJ's singles any less special. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 2742 Registered: 05-2005 |
Andrew in response: No it wasn't Rock goes to college, it was a whole 40 minute Whistle Test live slot. December 1983. Roddy's voice sounding horrible!!?? Erm, afraid not, he was at his peak at that time, both live and on record. I was not only the at the concert, 25 years ago, but also taped it fresh off the TV through the line out portal way back in '83, and have loved that gig ever since, as I state above, I also have the digital pre-release version, he and they DO not sound shit. They sound fuck*n brilliant, I shit you not. I'm a massive AC fan, I wouldn't write the things abopve if I din't rate them at that time and that gig. Re the Roddy embarrassed thing, well, maybe I should not have mentioned this on the board, this was based upon a conversation I had with Campbell Owens last year, so as to respect him, I am not at liberty to comment or divulge any further. There was also the gig at the ICA whan Roddy was sorta happty to slag the early postcard songs, saying that everyone was caught ip in the past, what about his new stuff! So waht does that say about his opinion on four songs from his time on Postcard!? Obviously, if you were not present at that gig, you wouldn't have known about this, but there you go. However, of course I understand the way digital vs original analogue release devalues an artifact, but whyt fuck*n deny it to people that want to hear it, in all its original, (OK remastered) glory. As I mentioned above, every other artist, group etc has manged to re-release stuff, for the fans. Let us not forget its the FANS that put Roddy where he is/was. That's all I have to say on this, as a massive, passionate Postcard fan! | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 2743 Registered: 05-2005 |
Jeff, I missed you post as I was typing up, but fuc*ing A man, I totally concur! Mind you, me and thee always agree, well, most of the time!!  | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 2744 Registered: 05-2005 |
Andrew, as a passionate man, I must say, the line "Do you not understand that he feels it 'devalues' it in some way reproducing it?" has really fuck*d me off mate. | ||
| Andrew Kerr Member Username: Andrew_k Post Number: 373 Registered: 04-2005 |
Jeez. Not for the first time I seem to have an uncanny ability to piss Spence off big-time! It is honestly undeliberate... Even if I wasn't at the gig for the Whistle Test concert I had it on video for many years and my memories are that his voice was not exactly very pleasant to listen to. An opinion OK ? And sorry that I have don't have any private access as to what Roddy Frame might really think, but I based my idea simply on an interview in Uncut (from last year?). The journalist had brought along 'Just Like Gold' and Roddy picked it up and made the comment about how it will never come out on CD. And I am not sure that I concur with the idea that as a consumer/fan I have the right to dictate to any artist. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 1468 Registered: 10-2004 |
Andrew, no one is saying consumers and fans have a right to dictate to any artist. What people *are* saying, is that it's simply a shame that the AC Postcard singles will never be reissued in any fashion and are destined to remain totally obscure and elusive. And it's a shame because those songs are so wonderful. |