The term ‘rock music’ covers a vast range of sounds, from concept albums that adapt literary classics, to two-minute pop records where the lyric is no more sophisticated than “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!”
At the jazzy-folky end of the rock spectrum is a sub-genre that fits well with our concept of a Lazy Sunday’s listening. I’m not sure there’s a name for it; so let’s call it ‘Meandering Rock’. These are those drifting, chilled-out tunes that have abandoned (or perhaps subsumed) verse-bridge-chorus song structures in favour of looping, rolling melodies and free-flowing instrumentation.
Van Morrison’s timeless Astral Weeks (1968) is the Daddy of this genre. Every generation rediscovers it. He hasn’t made a record to touch it in his long career since, but then again – as Joseph Heller said when people accused him of not having written a book to match Catch-22 – nor has anybody else. That opening line “If I ventured in the slipstream…” must conjure up so many times and places to so many different people.
Terry Reid is one of rock’s nearly men. In 1969 Jimmy Page invited him to be the vocalist in the New Yardbirds, but Reid had already committed to tour the US as a support act for the Rolling Stones so he recommended a young singer called Robert Plant instead. The New Yardbirds of course became Led Zeppelin and did rather well. Later, Reid also turned down the chance to join Deep Purple before Ian Gillan took the frontman position.
But Reid continues to record and tour. His 1973 album River is worth downloading – or at least the lovely, meandering second half is (Side A is conventional rock). The title track has a warm, almost Balearic groove to it….
The only musical influence Joan Armatrading has ever acknowledged is to Van Morrison. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever actually owned Love and Affection (1976), but every note is imprinted on my memory – an extraordinary, unique song, the overfamiliarity of which should not put you off having a good wallow once again.
Finally, REM’s 1996 release E-Bow the Letter: a very strange single indeed from the band that was, at the time, perhaps the biggest rock group in the world alongside U2. Patti Smith provides backing vocals for the gorgeous disintegration at the end.
Yes Brit, when I bought Armatrading’s self named album in the mid 70’s this was one track in a standout collection. Has this country ever produced an artist with a more wonderfully expressive voice? I think not. And all the songs on that great album came from her pen. The producer who recognised her talent is worth a thought too. There are very few artists, including the ‘big two’ over here, who do not owe a debt to the great Glyn Johns – and several across the pond, including Dylan.
Fantastic lazy Sunday selection, Brit. I much prefer the jazzy folky meandering style to the traditional heavier stuff and Astral Weeks is one of my all time favourite Van the Man albums (next to Common One) You’ve got me humming Madame George and the Way that Young Lovers Do… fabulous.
I must pick the album up ,Mahlerman, can’t believe I haven’t got it… and yes Susan, Astral Weeks is really sui generis, isn’t it? Impossible to tire of it.
The term ‘rock music’ covers a vast range of sounds …
Far vaster than any other genre I can think of. Rap and Country, by comparison, are so narrowly formulaic that they aren’t even half vast.
I never twigged Van Morrison, but you keep plugging it so I guess it is over to iTunes for me.
In those halcyon pre-marriage days, when part of the game is going along with things one would never otherwise consider, I went with TOSWIPIAW to a Joan Armatrading concert in Oxford.
Their couldn’t have been above six other men in the auditorium. All, no doubt, in precisely the same position I was.
With the odd exception, I find her music as listenable as Oprah is watchable.
As for my wife, she stopped watching, and started making fun of, F1 the moment she said “I do.”