Ian Prowse- Does this train stop on
Merseyside, The Very Best of Ian Prowse
Oh
gawd, here I am faced with that eternal dilemma of reviewing an album by a
person who I know and like enormously. I’ve been faced with this many times
before..I’m full of dread…what if I hate it? What if I get accused of giving a
great review based purely on my opinion of the man I have shared many a Jack Daniels with in The Casa. Its made worse this time as Ian, as most of you know, has been in the Liverpool music scene for 21 years as the integral singer
songwriter with the iconic “Pele” and “Amsterdam” bands…he’s had No 1 hits in
far off lands (South Africa) and is currently performing sell out crowds on a U.K
tour.…but aside from seeing Pele a few times in the Picket, Liverpool Uni etc
in the 90’s…I have never seen Amsterdam live….and have never properly listened
to them.
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Given that I am an avid music fan…and
I’ve been to literally hundreds of gigs over the last 30 odd years, it appears
puzzling.
The truth is simpler..I am a stubborn
prick at times. For example, I’ve never ever listened to a Pink Floyd album (and
probably never will), same with Led Zepplin (until a friend recently got me to
listen to some stuff and I loved it) and even (shock horror!) The Stone Roses.
The Floyd allergy is due to a foolish punk virtue that has just never
left me…lots of me mates swear I’d like them…but its just not going to happen.
(yet I’ll happily listen to many other psychedelic bands or hippies
such Zappa, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, The Flaming lips etc)?
With Amsterdam it’s a little
different…Put simply, I once worked with an ex Amsterdam band member…and lets
just leave it as, we did not get on…but the upshot was that this stubborn
knobhead just blanked Amsterdam from my musical horizons ever since.
Some years ago I met Ian, we talked about my
Amsterdam phobia and as much as I
liked him, I still didn’t go out and buy or listen. ….I
am a knob.
However with The End reaching its 30
year milestone last year and Prowse reaching his 21st year…I figured it is time to bite the
bullet and see what the fucker has actually been doing for the last two decades.
I approached this with trepidation…in
my head Amsterdam were a Merseyside version of Deacon Blue…and I fuckin hate Deacon blue! I’m also very aware of
Ian’s love of Bruce Springsteen…and guess what….i’m just not a fan of the Boss
….(we lampooned him big time at the height of his success, in The End
fanzine)…so I am quite certain that this ain’t gonna be my cup of tea. However on the plus side I was
actually looking forward to wiping the slate clean and just treating it as if
listening to a new band rather than a retrospective of two bands (with a few
new tracks thrown in).
The album is pretty much 50-50 a Pele
and Amsterdam mix, and its interesting listening to this with little idea of
which tracks belong to which band, and testament to Ian that the earlier stuff
stands up alongside the more recent ones…..this is a man who has stayed close
to his roots. Given this album spans 21 years, the songs feel comfortable
sitting aside each other. This could pass for an album released this year,
rather than a 21 year retrospective to this listener.
The album features 18 tracks and opens with the renowned “Does this train Sop
on Merseyside”, probably Ian’s best known track…Its been covered by the
legendary Christy Moore and was documented by the Peel family to be the only
song that could reduce John Peel to tears (though I do remember John crying
like a baby when he played “You’ll never walk alone” at the end of his radio
show after Liverpool won one of their 5 European cups one hazy night, think it
was 77)…It’s a sprawling epic homage to our fair city…synth, strings, soulful
backing vocals and features poignant lyrics that will resonate with most End
readers … “Alan
Williams in the Marlborough Arms giving stories out to everyone” (though my
memories of Mr. Williams were of him selling those stories for a bevvie, rather
than giving!) and poignant nods to the Jamie Bulger murder and the Hillsborough
tragedy, “Can't conceive what those children done,
guess there’s a meanness in the soul of man. Yorkshire policemen chat with
folded arms, while people try and save their fellow fans” , Brilliant. I can see why ex-pat scouser's
get so emotional about this song. It’s a massive opening track and a brave move
to place it first in the running order. (I’d fuckin love to hear Tom Waits
cover this!). However the album constantly surprises and each and every song is
clever and uplifting, with nods to Ian’s heroes. …I can hear Springsteen/ e
street band influence in tracks such as “Fair blows the wind for France” ("I’ve never been away
from England, for this long before") and
the romping “Takin’ on the world” (“i've sussed you out
and you’re not my kind”) which reminds me a little of Ash playing a
Springsteen rocker...love it! I’m hooked!
Then there’s little gems like the anti royalty song, “Raid the Palace”
(proving that you don’t have to sound punk to be anti-establishment) and the
excellent “Love Phenomenon”, which starts with a beautiful bass heavy intro,
reminiscent to The Beatles “sun King” and mid way through morphs into a Paul
McCartney / Wings (Band on The Run / Venus and Mars- era) love-song complete
with synth and beautiful harmonies.
“Don’t throw your love away” is a collaboration with another legend,
scouse born Mr. Elvis Costello, in which Prowse and Costello duet. It's a
sumptuous pop tune reminiscent of Elvis in his Oliver's army phase. Great stuff.
“Megalomania” is the one song that, to me, strays into Deacon Blue
territory (this is the song that made no.1 in South Africa). However,
it’s still a great song and this hasn’t led to me skipping the track whilst
playing this album over and over in my car driving to work and back. On the
Pele track, “Don’t worship me”, we hear early signs of Prowse's ability to
inject some celtism into a pop song… and then there’s “Joe's Kiss”…I fucking
love this song! It’s about Ian’s first encounter with the great Joe Strummer,
featuring an “and your bird can sing” style guitar riff and some great
lines (“is it time to stumble off this mortal coil, and meet my mum?”).
Great song, with a joyous chorus. I could recommend that you buy the album on
the basis of that one song alone.…..what a great uplifting song! it’s got me
through many a dour journey to or from my shitty job in recent times.
"Arm in Arm", I am
reliably informed was voted "14th best song ever out of Liverpool in
2008"....(but i don't know by whom?) I hear it as Prowse's “most likley you go
your way, I’ll go mine” moment….it’s a message to an old love, recognising
his progression from trying to move on after a the heartbreak of breakdown in a
relationship, to then seeing the “ex” move on to a new relationship…and
eventually to the point where he is celebrating his life now and
his new-found family, where he is experiencing things that may
never have happened otherwise. ( “I will take just half of
the blame and I really don’t care if I never see you again……………..walking
the Brooklyn bridge baby and I ain’t sad this waiting’s’
so long….. and I see me coming up, I see me coming up”).
My other favourite
tracks tend to be the Gaelic inspired songs such as “Home” (“even
though you left me with my drinking, you know it’s of me you will be thinking”),
“Fireworks” and the Thatcher inspired “Fat Black Heart” (“greed and jealousy
apart, what beats in that fat black heart”) ..I don’t know what I was on
back then, but I don’t remember Pele gigs having this Gaelic flavour?
However I think my absolute favourite
track has to go to “Nothing’s Going Right” (close call between this, Does this
Train, Arm in Arm, Oh Joe and Love phenomenon). Prowse captures the links
between Liverpool and its strong Celtic heritage
beautifully…he comes into his own lyrically and vocally on this track and of
course there is the spoken word contribution of the afore-mentioned Christy
Moore, which just sends this song to another level. I used the word epic….and
it s truly is. The song begins with Prowse at his best espousing about a life
gone wrong and I get shivers down my spine as Moore intones about “the mouth of
the mighty Mersey” over a wonderful, luscious celtic mix of instruments that I
could never name. It’s just beautiful. My favourite of the Pele tracks on the album
is Policeman… it reminds me massively of Van the Mans “sweet thing”…….. someone
more technical than me needs to do a mix of them both…It just goes to show what
drugs I must have been on and how they fuck up your memory that I have seen
Pele at least 4 times and never took this song to me heart back then……..i was
probably listening to grunge or “me first and the gimmee gimmees” such was my
state of mind! …..it’s just stunning. I feel this places Prowes on a playing
level of The Waterboys main player, Mike Scott, or karl Wallenger from The
World party.
With the 3 new songs we hear a new, settled man. Singing (like Dylan, Young
and many others did) about the joys of fatherhood on “maybe there is a god
after all" about his daughter, Rosalie (named after a Springsteen track).
And there’s more lilting Celtic loveliness, on "Rise Like a Lion", telling
the world how he has given up his old traits to concentrate on being a father
and musician… It’s yet another uplifting song and the album finishes aptly with
“Here I am”, an old style rock and roller, complete with E street sax style
solo, bringing us up right
up to date with Prowse’s life and music.
I genuinely love this album, it’s become my go to album
when I’m felling a bit crappy. I wholeheartedly recommend that you should buy
this album, especially if you’re not aware of this very very talented man…..I
just wish I’d figured this out myself a lot sooner.
The full track listing
is:
1. Does This
train Stop On Merseyside.
2. Fair Blows The
Wind For France. (Biggest UK hit for Pele)
3. Home. (Played
by Janice Long on Radio 20 twenty nights in a row)
4. Fireworks.
(Classic title track to first Pele album)
5. Takin’ On The
World.
6. Raid The
Palace.
7. Love
Phenomenon. (Much loved 1st Amsterdam single)
8. Fat Black
Heart. (Lead single from ‘Sport Of Kings’ album)
9. Don’t Throw
Your Love Away. (Duet with Elvis Costello on EMI Records)
10. Megalomania.
(Number 1 hit in South Africa)
11. Nothing’s
Goin’ Right. (Featuring a guest appearance by Christy Moore)
12. Don’t Worship
Me. (Final classic Pele single)
13. Policeman.
14. Joe’s Kiss.
(Stand out Amsterdam track recounting Ian’s meeting with Joe Strummer)
15. Arm In Arm.
16. Maybe there
is a God after all. (Brand new song)
17. Rise Like A
Lion. (Brand new song)
18. Here I Am. (Brand new song)
Ian is currently out on his first
solo tour: go and see him;-
Doncaster Leopard
Friday 3rd May
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral (Special guests of
Dexy's)
Saturday 4th May
Stroud Prince Albert
Tuesday 14th May
London Half Moon
Thursday 16 May
Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Friday 17 May
Chester Commercial Inn (Outdoor stage)
Friday 24 May
Otley Korks, Yorkshire
Friday 31 May
Perth Tulloch Institute
Friday 21st June
Lake District Penrith, The Crown
Saturday 22 June (free show)
Liverpool Philharmonic, Rodewald Suite SOLD OUT
Friday 12th July
Liverpool Philharmonic,
Rodewald Suite SOLD OUT
Saturday 13 July
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ONLY CHILD
Only Child are relatively new to the
Liverpool music scene. The band have risen from the ashes of one of my
favourite (now defunct) bands The Trestles.
You may remember I waxed lyrical about their debut album on
these very pages some time back. If you missed them, they’re gone. (Alan
described the split as “They wanted to
rock…I wanted to Roll”). In their place, one part of the Trestles, Alan
O’Hare, has teamed together for these songs with Laura McKinley, has formed a
new band, Only Child. From what I have
gleamed Only Child will also consist of “a collective of Merseyside’s most
intuitive musicians”.
The band released an EP and played a debut gig at
Liverpool’s Leaf café last September and when speaking about the new band, and
in particular the stringed arrangements that Laura brings to the sound, Alan
said, “It's the most exciting thing I've ever been involved with," says
O'Hare. "This is the music I've
wanted to make my whole life. Laura and I have worked so hard to get these
songs and this band to the point where we want everyone to hear them. That time
has come."
I got me mitts on a copy of that Debut EP, featuring 4
songs to help me through some shitty weekends in canny farm.
The first thing to notice is that the spirit of the trestles angst remains, but the
emphasis has shifted to the more folksy/ Caledonian side that Alan brought to
the band.
The second thing you notice is the strings / violin/ fiddle…the
songs reminded me instantly of that
distinctive sound that Dylan brought to his Desire album…one of my favourite of
dylans catalogue I might add… both mournful and uplifting in equal measures.
The E.P. consist of 5 tracks, 1. Only Child 2. Before & After 3. The
Grave 4. Dirty Work 5. Second Chance.
The opining track “Only child” is a mournful tune
recalling his upbringing and a painful
break up and sets the tone for the rest of the E.P….there’s no rockers or
rollers here really..just beautifully written and performed songs
The second track, Before and after , is another song
about lost love and moving on
And the intro makes me recall the haunting Oh sister from
Dylans aforementioned Desire album….my favourite moment on the CD is track 5,
Second Chance…another plaintive song of angst that contains the line “walking through town tonight, my own people
they’re in my sights, then as I look into their eyes ..I don’t see myself I don’t
see me anymore… just Queens park rangers in writing on the wall..and I don’t
know why, it makes me cry” …..it fair
tugs at the heart strings…though when the song continues into the next verse
and O’hare sings “walking through Lime Street….I find myself wishing he would have sang “swinging my chain! Haa haa.
He doesn’t of course he heads into further emotional heartbreak.
If you are looking for an ablum to get you in the mood
for a night out, this is not for you, but if you are feeling contemplative and
wanting to reminisce, then this is a bunch of songs that will evoke long ago
memories. Lovely.
It all fits in very nicely with the likes of Amsterdam’s
Irish / folk leanings. Lets face it this city, more than most has an enormous
heritage to be proud of. Lets hop that Only Child stick around longer than the Trestles and release more of these inspiring Liverpool
laments.
The EP is
available now! Pay just £5 (plus £1.99 P&P) for a limited edition digipack
CD. Buy securely via PayPal below.
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Thomas
McConnell; Stop in the shade.
Thomas McConnell was born in Liverpool in the early 90’s
he went on to grow up in Newcastle However clearly those early years played a
key role in Thomas life and his Liverpool roots shine through like a giant
Beatle-y beacon. This feller is not ashamed to wear his love of the fab four
firmly on his sleeve….and good on him for doing so. There’s a fair bit of
snobbery that goes on here in regards to bands sounding too similar the
Beatles. I don’t get it….i hate snobbery and stigma within the Liverpool scene…you
like what you like and it will go on to influence you..why be ashamed of our
city’s most celebrated musical heroes? Get over yerselves will yer.
McConnell’s musical abilities developed alongside his love
of The Beatles and its the defining
influence on everything in his life. He’s been writing songs since he was 11
and recorded hundreds of little instrumental pieces on a home 8 track recording
machine. By age 15 he was writing fully formed songs. He sent me a copy of this
older song “Stop in the shade” featuring the title track and 5 others, lonely
Mr. Big shot, Tom Cat, The worlds got nothing on me, All of my days and “(Its
criminal really) you really know how to please.
The songs are firmly rooted in the 60’s ..sort of 66-67
era, just as psychedelia was eating into the mop tops brains. Funnily enough
for all that the blurb on his own pages goes on about the Beatles, I’d compare
the first track to Brendan Benson (anyone remember him) ….and when he does go
all Beatle-y on track 2, I feel it owes as much to The Rutles as it does the
real thing….and that’s not a criticism. “Tom cat” veers into dodgy white guy
reggae territory…but ends up like a side 4 of the white album track….Then we go
all “plastic ono band” era lennonesque (or Liam Gallaghers current stuff) . Its
unashamedly got a feel of Lennons “isolation” and is my favourite pick of the
bunch…if you love the sounds of the 60’s you ought to check this feller out.
They’re all good songs and Thomas is a talented guy…..check his facebook page
here for details of his new single. https://www.facebook.com/thomasmcconnellmusic
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