Celebrating Deacon Blue

 Hello, dear readers!

 The Commonwealth Games have begun in one of my favourite cities - Glasgow. To celebrate, I have decided to finally write the blog post I have been intending to write for a while about the music of one of my favourite bands, Deacon Blue.

 I have mentioned Deacon Blue's music in the past - back in 2011, in 2012, and then in early 2013, as well as on a special post commemorating the birth of Prince George just over a year ago. However, I am now going to devote a whole blog post to their excellence.

 I first discovered them through a mix tape my mother used to play in the car when I was younger. The first song I remember hearing and liking is Queen of the New Year.

 I have talked quite a bit about this in my Musical Royalty post, so here I will just add that it was the perfect introduction to Deacon Blue: such a happy, dance to-able song that made me keen to hear more of their music.

 If it were the only Deacon Blue song I knew, I would love them for it alone, so imagine how much I love them now I have heard a whole set of equally wonderful works.

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 The second song of theirs I remember becoming familiar with is Loaded.

 I didn't really like this at first; I found it too negative and sad. Years later, as a teenager, I came to like it. One day my brother, now about the age I was when I first heard it, grumbled about how negative it sounded. It intrigued me that we both reacted that way at the same age.

 I think children are much more in tune to the "vibe" of a song; whether it is positive or negative, perhaps because they don't really understand the lyrics, or they don't pay attention to them.

 That being said, I still don't really understand Loaded's lyrics!

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 When I was about ten I made an "official" list of my favourite songs. I now can't remember any but the top three. Bat Out of Hell was third, and two songs were forever grappling for first place. One was In Between Days by The Cure; the other was Your Swaying Arms by Deacon Blue.

 However, when it came down to it, I think I always knew that I liked Your Swaying Arms better. I liked In Between Days as a brilliant piece of music, but I liked Your Swaying Arms for the feelings of deep love that overflowed from the words and the performance.

 As a kid, I thought "Your Swaying Arms" was a pub! I knew a couple of pubs that were the Something Arms. As I've come to understand it better, I've come to love it even more. I love the lyrics so much; I would like to choose some to showcase but they are all so incredible!

 I wouldn't call it my favourite song any more. It isn't that it's gone down in my esteem; it is right where it always was. It is simply that I have since heard songs I like better. But it remains probably my favourite Deacon Blue song, for its simple beauty and the sheer amount of love behind every word.

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 The next song I would like to share is Chocolate Girl.

 Chocolate Girl was the first song on the second side of my mother's tape and I always loved hearing those firm, confident opening bars setting the scene for the rest of the side. It is a great opening song - some just are. It is the sort you start concerts or albums with.

 As a kid I liked it, but didn't see it as being in my little group of favourites. As a teenager I rediscovered it and realised that instrumentally, it is a lot better than I gave it credit for. I really love the cry of the guitar from the second chorus onwards after each line. ("So he calls her the chocolate girl (de-de-de-de), Cos he thinks she melts when he touches her (de-de-duh)").

 I've really come to like it.

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 Next up is When Will You (Make my Telephone Ring). 

 For a while when I was about twelve I saw this as my favourite song; however, I think a large part of that may have been the fact that I thought it was super-cool to like Deacon Blue. I did like the song, though. 

 As I've got older I've still liked it, and have realised that I can sing it decently (I hope!). One day I might do it on Karaoke or record a version.

"The wonder of it all... was you."

"I want you, in everything, in everything... in anything."

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 That is the end of my "original" Deacon Blue songs; the ones I discovered as a kid. Now I am moving on to the ones I first discovered when I was maybe fifteen.

 First up, probably their most famous song: Dignity.

 I actually did hear this as a kid but I heard a very slow acoustic version that I didn't like. It was only as a teenager that I wondered, "What's all the Dignity fuss about? Maybe I should listen to it again," and found the actual original song. And I really love it.

 I previously discussed it in 2012, and I will repeat what I said then: "Isn't that what everyone wants; dignity?"

 It's what I want; it's something I'm still working on, two years later.

 I'll get there.

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 The penultimate song I'll be sharing is Fergus Sings the Blues.

 This is not only the penultimate track on this list, it is the penultimate "old" Deacon Blue track I discovered. I have since heard their newer songs as they have come out, but Love and Regret is the only older track I heard after this one. 

 I was at sixth-form college when I heard Fergus, so I associate it with memories of sixth-form, which was one of the best times of my life. It is a lovely, upbeat song about travelling, and I'm so glad I found it. Deacon Blue do upbeat so well, but they also do slow and emotional beautifully.

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 And that note brings us to our final song. Love and Regret.

 

 I first discovered this on a bus journey home from sixth-form. I enjoyed the bus journeys as the college was quite a way out into the countryside and the scenery was very nice. Normally I wouldn't listen to a song for the first time on a bus, as the sound of talking makes it hard to hear it properly. 

 This time, for some reason, I did, and I'm glad because now whenever I hear this song I'll be rolling home again, though the cornfields, with the sky blue above me and the road wide and clear ahead.

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 So, you can see how the music of Deacon Blue has shaped my life and holds valuable memories for me. Glasgow should be so proud of this incredible group. There are other Glasgow groups/artists I like such as The Silencers, The Blue Nile and Eddi Reader, but I think that ultimately, Deacon Blue are my winners. Gold medals for all the members!

 Enjoy the rest of the Games.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

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Songs: Queen of the New Year - Deacon Blue - 1989

Loaded - Deacon Blue - 1987

Your Swaying Arms - Deacon Blue - 191

Chocolate Girl - Deacon Blue - 1987

When Will You (Make my Telephone Ring) - Deacon Blue - 1987

Dignity - Deacon Blue - 1987

Fergus Sings the Blues - Deacon Blue - 1989

Love and Regret - Deacon Blue - 1989

Review: The Kennedys - Dance a Little Closer

 Hello!

 As you may remember, I saw Pete and Maura Kennedy live in Southport in June performing a show of the songs of Nanci Griffith. I had previously seen this show in 2013. Both evenings were very enjoyable.

 In June I came away with the Kennedys' live album of Nanci songs, Dance a Little Closer, and it is my great pleasure to review it for you.

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 The album opens with a lively rendition of Nanci's upbeat I Wish It Would Rain. It is followed by Trouble in the Fields, which the Kennedys manage to adapt slightly, yet keep completely true to the sentiment of the original: sad but hopeful.

 Next comes Across the Great Divide. I always find it so poignant and moving hearing the Kennedys perform this song, as they sang it with Nanci twenty years ago when they were her guitarist and backing singer, and it is great to see it come full circle.

 It is also interesting for being the cover of a cover - the Kennedys' version of Nanci Griffith's version of a Kate Wolf song. Through its reincarnations it has managed to stay anchored firmly to the the roots of the song: a sense of loneliness, of a haunting, of coming to terms with a loss with bravery and acceptance.

 Maura Kennedy's voice is always very beautiful but in this song especially, and in several others on this album, I noticed something extra in it - a deep kind of wisdom, of knowledge and sincerity, of someone who's seen many corners of the world. And so she has. It is very special to hear.

 The next track is Late Night Grand Hotel, which the Kennedys previously recorded for their album Songs of the Open road. That version was nice, but this song suits being live. Maura has mentioned how important this song is to her as it reminds her of when she first started touring with Nanci. It is also a favourite of mine.

 The original Late Night Grand Hotel is one of the more heavily produced Nanci tracks, so contrasts the most of any song on this album with the Kennedys' raw, emotional, acoustic trademark style.

 For me, the best part of the original was the way Nanci sang the line,

"No-one ever knows the heart of anyone else,"

 with such open sadness. I listened out to hear how Maura would do it, and was pleased to hear something similar in her voice.

 I like how the "no"s in the chorus were held back until the end. Something I think might have been nice is for no-one to sing them on the first chorus, then Maura on her own, then Pete on his own, then both of them, rather than nobody and then both. But the way they did it still works and I prefer it to Nanci's having them all the way through.

 The Kennedys also add a nice little bridge between the first chorus and second verse and an instrumental at the end, with lovely-as-ever guitar work from Pete. Overall, they did a great job on one of my favourite Nanci songs.

 Their version of Lone Star State of Mind - another cover-of-a-cover - is pleasant, although I'm not too keen on the jazzy feel they have introduced. Still, it is good that they made it their own. At the very end it reverts back to folksy with some more great guitar work.

 There's a Light Beyond These Woods is another song that is important to Maura as she witnessed a very emotional performance of it by Nanci which deeply moved her. She sings it beautifully; I especially like the way she sings,

"All the dreams we sang..."

 I'm Not Drivin' These Wheels is a song which I liked when I was younger, which I lost, and which I spent ages trying to find again by listening to snippets of songs on Amazon.

 I'm glad the Kennedys like it and identify with it as well - enough to include it not only on this album but also as their contribution on the Nanci tribute album by various artists, Trouble in the Fields, which they produced.

 Their version is perfect - it keeps everything good about the original and adds some very Kennedys guitar licks. A lovely piece of musicianship.

 I have sung the praises at least twice in the past of the Kennedys' version of Gulf Coast Highway, which I prefer to the original - theirs is softer, more gentle, while the original is sharper and more dramatic. The last verse, where Maura sings on her own and is then joined by Pete, is very lovely.

 They then go back up-tempo with Love Wore a Halo (Back Before the War). I feel this is often neglected as a Nanci song, and it's a good one. I'm glad the Kennedys are fans. Their version live is uproarious and great to sing along to, and the recording manages to capture that fun and spirit.

 We then have From a Distance. I don't really like Nanci's version of this, and I found the Kennedys' one very similar - it is probably the truest to the original of any song on the album. Still, Maura's voice is especially nice on the chorus.

 Ford Econoline moves in the vein of Love Wore a Halo: wild and joyful. I get the impression from the amount of applause that it may have been the final song in the concert and I agree that it is a great note to finish a night on - so happy and fun.

 The penultimate track is Love at the Five and Dime. I would really have liked this to be the ultimate track as I think it sums up all this album is about, plus it contains the line that forms the title of the album:

"Dance a little closer to me."

 It's slower than Nanci's version and I like it that way - they seem to put more focus on the story and the emotion than on the melody, although the melody is there and is strong.

 The final track is Hell No (I'm Not Alright). I don't want to comment on the song because I don't understand the politics behind it; even after watching the video I'm not sure what message Nanci is actually trying to give out. So I'll comment only on the musical side: the Kennedys play it well and with great enthusiasm.

 This album was very enjoyable to listen to - if there are a couple of songs I wouldn't listen to regularly, it's because I dislike the original, not because the Kennedys have done anything wrong. Maura's voice is gorgeous as ever; Pete's guitar playing is sublime; the two make an amazing duo. I've said these things many times before but they never stop being true.

 Overall, a lovely piece of work that is true to the person it is celebrating while incorporating the artists' own personalities, which is the best way to do a tribute.

 Rating: 8/10

Song: Across the Great Divide - Nanci Griffith - 1993

 More Kennedys pieces:

Amazing news and the Kennedys
Review: The Kennedys - Closer Than You Know
Interview with the Kennedys
A night with the Kennedys
A special night in Southport
A few more JSC songs
A magical evening

 Wow, I've written a lot about the Kennedys!

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Review: Edwina Hayes - Pour Me a Drink

 Hello, readers!

 You may remember that I have been to two Nanci Griffith tribute concerts in Southport - one in 2013 and one in 2014. Both times, Edwina Hayes was present and I had the privilege of hearing her beautiful and unique voice. Both times, I also met her - last time, I literally ran into her - and she was lovely.

 So, it is a great pleasure to be able to listen to and review her album Pour Me a Drink. Released in 2008, it is Edwina's second solo album.

 I must begin by commenting on its beautiful artwork: it is incredibly pretty and I feel that the blossoms decorating both the cover and some of the inside pages of the sleeve represent the album really well: the songs are soft, delicate and fragile like blossoms, yet also very strong, as is a cherry tree.

 The album opens with Run, a rather dark, sad song which I personally would not have chosen as an opener but which is very good nonetheless. The next track is one of my favourites, Leave a Light on for You, which is simple but very sweet and for me is reminiscent of a Nanci Griffith song.

 Season of Love is more bluegrass and I like it, especially the chorus.Very American-sounding. Call Me flows in the same vein as Leave a Light on for You and is similarly sweet and delicate. One of several songs on the album written by Edwina alone rather than in collaboration, it is a good example of her song writing - a simple but beautiful song about a never-ending love.

 The title track, which I saw Edwina perform live in Southport, is slow and haunting and very sad. It's followed by her take on the traditional Froggie Went a Courting, which is smooth and pleasant to listen to and has a happy ending!

 Edwina's cover of Randy Newman's Feels Like Home is the first song I heard her sing, due to its use in the film version of My Sister's Keeper. It also became very important to me when I moved from one University hall of residence to another and felt much more at home in the second one. I kept playing this song in my head and I now associate it with that time.

 It is a marvel in that it manages to be smooth and very easy on the ear while being extremely raw and emotional. It is probably still my absolute favourite of her songs, although I have discovered several new favourites on this album.

 The album ends with Irish Waltz, a lovely piece that sounds genuinely like it could have been written centuries ago in Ireland unlike certain other modern pieces designed to sound so that don't. Edwina's voice is always lovely but here it is divine, and Jack McKeague's guitar work and especially his dobro work are stunning. It is a wonderful end to the album.

 I enjoyed this album. While most of the songs are quite similar in that they are simple, delicate love songs with an acoustic guitar, each one does create its own unique ambience. Edwina's guitar work is very nice and her voice is gorgeous.

 As a writer, one measure of what I think is a good song is one that I would use in a film of one of my books. I would certainly consider this for both Leave a Light on for You and Edwina's version of Feels Like Home (although the latter has already been done).

 Overall, a lovely album and one which I am sure I will listen to a great deal.

 Rating: 8/10

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x