Yes, and I can understand why it is called the 'F' Chord! It's effing diffcult to play. All was going well with my banjo work until I came to this chord and then I remembered that this was the chord which gave me so much grief when learning the guitar many years ago.
I have small hands so I have remedied this with using my little finger. Probably not correct but it works.

Further to my seeing John Smith last week, I got to listen to his album this weekend.
It's termed Nu-Folk but it's also medieval and gothic and all that kind of strange stuff. And I am sure Matchbox Man and Winter have religious overtones. All words and music are by Smith.
Track 1 [Matchstick Man] takes you in gently. It soon gets eerie as the tracks go on with Winter standing out as far superior to all other songs. Something Terrible is out of kilter with other tracks as, up till then, the songs had intelligent and poetic lyrics. With this track it's as if he was purposefully trying to reach a wider audience. It contains the F word [nothing wrong with that] but it is not carefully placed, nevertheless the track is still a passionate discourse on trying to leave a loved one.
Except for To Have So many which is a good love song - the music is simply beautifull but the lyrics, mostly, are totally incomprehensible.

"I'll set about to learn at ease those things that I might need"
Green Man

Saw John Martyn's Solid Air concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall last night. I was a latecomer to Martyn and have only really heard his Solid Air album. Um, difficult one this one as I know he's a legend and in his heyday was incredible but last night he looked tired and uncomfortable and as if he just wanted to get through it and leave. His voice is also very gruff and low now so some of the ambience of the album is lost. When he was good, he was brilliant but there were a few low spots. I guess I was somehwat dissapointed.

BUT .....

The supportact was just phenominal and if you don't hear the name John Smith during some point this year I will be surprised. A very young guy sauntered onto the stage and started singing very poignant, own penned songs and played an acoustic guitar. His voice sounds much older than he looks and is very rough and Ray Lamontaigne'ish but it's his guitar playing which blows you away. In one song, the beautiful Winter which I had already heard on an Uncut magazine CD, he lays the guitar across his lap and uses it as a percussion instrument as well as still plucking the strings.
I another he actually detuned it and made the string bow and curve then retuned it. It was incredible and very haunting. I bought his album The Fox and The Monk which he did himself [he doesn't have a recording contract at present, I expect because it would be difficult to market his music] and he was at the kiosk signing copies. I hope, in years to come it may be worth something!

Please check him out at www.myspace.com/johnacousticsmith

Fed by ears quite a bit today and we're only half way through. 2 hospital radio shows. We had a 70 hour schedule and myself and another listen to them all and then present awards for best, highly commended etc.
Todays was Track 7. A neat show based on the premise that track 7 is usually the best track on a CD. I was surprised about this as for me, it's always been track 6. Was a good show where you got to listen to a lot of 'other' tracks - others being NOT the ones BBC Radio 2 decide should be played to death etc. Featured Guillimots, Uba Man, James Morrison and Seth Lakeman.
The other was Come Dance With, song and music based around different dances - again, kinda cool.
Now listening to Stephen Merchant's debut on Radio 6. It's just a softer version of Johnathan Ross's show, full of non stop jabbahwabbah though they do focus on the music a little more.

Also had a coffee break and breezed through some of Moby's blog. He's uploaded a lot of his photo's which are very good.

What does anything think about downloads now becoming part of the weekly charts?

On the recommendation of my groovy boss, and he should know as he 'was there' during the 60's and all it's social,political and musical change, starting his company in San Fransisco .... I bought a double CD encompassing 2 albums by Butterfield and his band:-

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 1965
East - West 1966

Butterfield can certainly play the blues harmonica, the make he used during recording is even credited in the sleeve notes; 'Paul Butterfield plays the Hohner Harmonica's'. I do love the harmonica and for a very short while, tried to play it. I love the imperfections of it and the gutteral sound when the player both takes a breath and plays, it's a deep, throaty sound which comes with such force. I also love, what I can only describe, as the 'fudged' sound when a piece is played to extreme.
I read that Butterfield sounded black, not so sure about that. During the bands time he had members from Howlin' Wolf's former rythm section: Sam Lay - drummer and Jerome Arnold - bassist. Good influences I am sure but the icing is undoubtedly Mike Bloomfields incredicle guitar playing which could be viewed as somewhat intrusive [in fact one the members of the band continually complained about it] but he plays with such natural ability and conviction. Worth giving these albums a listen just for his contribution. In fact, have to say that I preferred the instrumental tracks better than the vocals.
Butterfield happened at the right time. His dedication and the intensity with which he delivers bought modernity to the blues which must have rocked the US blues scene in the early to mid 60's.

Tracks of note:
CD 1 I Got My Mojo Working and Our Love Is Drifting
CD 2 Walkin' Blues [by Robert Johnson] and East West which is a really long, acid driven and divine pyschodelic piece - FANTASTIC!
Interstingly there is a track written by Mike Nesmith called Mary Mary. When Nesmith recorded it with the Monkess, there was outrage as they were accused of covering a Butterfield track!

"I got a mind to give up living, yes, and go shopping instead".
I Got A Mind To Give Up Living.

On the recommendation of my groovy boss, and he should know as he 'was there' during the 60's and all it's social,political and musical change, starting his company in San Fransisco .... I bought a double CD encompassing 2 albums by Butterfield and his band:-

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 1965
East - West 1966

Butterfield can certainly play the blues harmonica, the make he used during recording is even credited in the sleeve notes; 'Paul Butterfield plays the Hohner Harmonica's'. I do love the harmonica and for a very short while, tried to play it. I love the imperfections of it and the gutteral sound when the player both takes a breath and plays, it's a deep, throaty sound which comes with such force. I also love, what I can only describe, as the 'fudged' sound when a piece is played to extreme.
I read that Butterfield sounded black, not so sure about that. During the bands time he had members from Howlin' Wolf's former rythm section: Sam Lay - drummer and Jerome Arnold - bassist. Good influences I am sure but the icing is undoubtedly Mike Bloomfields incredicle guitar playing which could be viewed as somewhat intrusive [in fact one the members of the band continually complained about it] but he plays with such natural ability and conviction. Worth giving these albums a listen just for his contribution. In fact, have to say that I preferred the instrumental tracks better than the vocals.
Butterfield happened at the right time. His dedication and the intensity with which he delivers bought modernity to the blues which must have rocked the US blues scene in the early to mid 60's.

Tracks of note:
CD 1 I Got My Mojo Working and Our Love Is Drifting
CD 2 Walkin' Blues [by Robert Johnson] and East West which is a really long, acid driven and divine pyschodelic piece - FANTASTIC!
Interstingly there is a track written by Mike Nesmith called Mary Mary. When Nesmith recorded it with the Monkess, there was outrage as they were accused of covering a Butterfield track!

"I got a mind to give up living, yes, and go shopping instead".
I Got A Mind To Give Up Living.

This is another 'Mojo' find. It was so heavily rated in the magazine that I just had to get it. And I am glad I did. SING YOU SINNERS - McKeown is a singer/songwriter [www.erinmckeown.com] and, as with other recent artists, just wanted to make a fun record with her musician friends and not worry about any financial gain. Albums recorded with this in mind hardly every fail as their is a relaxed spirit about them.
She got her best musician friends together and recorded it in 4 days. It won't be a classic album or even a best seller but it with McKeown's easy and pleasant voice it makes for comfortable listening and has plenty of spirit. Part jazz, part standards she kept her ego under control by only including one of her own compositions. It starts with a stunning version of Get Happy, all twinkling piano's then into halleluahs. Included are Just One Of Those Things, Don't Worry 'Bout Me and Paper Moon.
Allison Miller is the drummer and it's the drumming you notice after the voice, it becomes a part of the track, not just a beat keeper. There is also a rich, upright bass. In fact it's the small, tight band which makes this album - every instrument is clear and strong.
There is a wonderful and mysterious working of Cole Porters Just One Of Those Things. McKeown asks if the song was meant as him just tossing away a relationship or was he devastated. She goes for the devastation and sings it as such, one of the best verisons I have heard and it's on the ipod.

"Wherever there's music, the devil kicks in'
Sing You Sinners [Coslow/Harling]

This is my new toy! A Barnes & Mullin 5 string banjo and a beauty it is. I use to play acoustic guitar many, many years ago but have now forgotten every chord etc., so it's starting all over again for me. I have a brilliant 'How To Play the Banjo' book by the legendary Pete Seeger which I am working my way through. Finger tips already sore.

Happy New Year to anyone who is taking the time to read this blog.

Xmas - there it was gone! We seemed to be either going somewhere every day or someone was coming to us. It wore us down a little and so today, first day back, we both feel shattered as I am sure the whole country does.

No music in my sack this year [probably because I buy all the stuff I want myself] but has series 1 of both the Ad Fab and X Files DVD's. Plus the banjo I had been asking for since the summer and I have already learnt my first pick!

Sad news about James Brown on Christmas Day, we did a small homage at hospital radio.

These Saturday just gone we went to Birmingham Symphony Hall to hear the London Concert Orchestra perform Carmina Burana. Wow! the hall itself just lends itself to music of any kind with some of the best acoustics in the UK. I am now convinced that Orff wrote this piece whilst in speed. There is everything in there imaginable, German Oompah music and I am sure I heard some chords from the Great Escape theme! Great stuff.