Entertainment For Lively Minds
Island 50 - the album
Posted by lovelyian on 8 May 2009 - 1:08am.
Island Records is one of those quite rightly celebrated labels, and when I look at my collection, there's whole sections of their distinctive CD spine. So I'd heard about the compilation that was coming out and thought that it might be really rather good So when I saw http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/9509937/Island-Life-50-Years-Of-Island-R... I was a little disappointed. There's some amazing tunes on there, along with The Fratellis, but you know, a third disc favouring covers by Gabriella Cilmi and Taio Cruz rather than some Tom Waits, Slits, Tom Tom Club or PJ Harvey? Hmmm.
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It's an island OK
but an island a bit like (the isle of)Man: recognisably inhabited but missing something. Without being perpetually Mr Allmodernlifeisrotten, where is the Folk-Rock? What has Joe Boyd done to the current moguls at Island to have the whole Witchseason stable so succinctly written out of Islands history, given, whether this years flavour or not, this was, along with the reggae, perhaps what Island were best known for 68-74? Slomos coverdisc retrospective was better than this triple waster, from which a reasonable single album of "Songs from a record label you won't have heard of but here's a few songs you may have heard on the wireless" could have been culled. Advertised with the Fathers Day, Valentines Day and equivalent type records.
And I also agree that the 4 mentioned above in l-ians last sentence have a ton more gravitas than the bloody Fratellis. Or do they? Could it be that the music celebrated so much and so well on this site by so many, all of it, could possibly be, in the big picture, merely the stuff of footnotes and wiki stubs. It's a sobering thought. Please tell me it isn't a realisation and that we are not all drowning not waving in a big sea where mediocrity is king?
(There, that's a cheery and uplifting start to the day, eh?!)
P.S.
It ain't a good enough excuse by the company, but as I backbuttoned, that annoying google shopper thing came up, pointing out a sister disc, "Island Records Folk Box set - Meet on the Ledge" with just the line-upI was seeking above. But didn't need side-lining, it isn't all frightening hippies on dope.
Rant reduced in volume only.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00265BCWC/kelkcpc-2nd-music-21...
The 3rd disk
Seems to be covers..
Paul Weller doing "River Man" ???
Is nothing sacred?? I've not even heard it but can imagine his phoneyness all over it. I feel sick.
In which case...
You will be wanting this one.
WARNING: contains Dr. Strangely Strange
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strangely-Strange-But-Oddly-Normal/dp/B0027CASEW...
seriously....
No Tom Waits? Are they mad?
Also in absentia:
Nirvana
P.J. Harvey
The Slits
Tricky (from 4th and Broadway subsidary times)
Portishead (from Third)
Nick Drake (one track on folk rock = oversight)
just goes to show how pandering people can be when they want to sell a few copies rather than introduce people to utter genius
Thought of more
If it was hits they were after, how about:
Eric B & Rakim, Jocelyn Brown, Propaganda, Art Of Noise, Tone Loc, Young MC, DJ Shadow, PM Dawn, Gibson Brothers, Mica Paris, Will Downing, Womack & Womack, Sly & Robbie's Boops, Marianne Faithfull, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Julian Cope or even some of the more interesting new stuff such as Ladyhawke or Cut Copy?
At least they've forgotten Amazulu.
Island's forthcoming 3 disc reggae sampler,
called 'War Inna Babylon' really misses a trick by containing absolutely no tracks from the wonderful dub poetry album 'Mi Cyaan Believe It' by Michael Smith. This Dennis Bovell production has been unavailable since shortly after I bought the vinyl.
Shame on you Island. Does anyone know why it's still in limbo?
As you know Foxy
I'm very keen on the Michael Smith album. I wonder if it's because it was originally on Linton Kwesi Johnson's label. Maybe one day Hip O Select will give in and release it. By the by, there was a great Island reggae compilation called Tougher Than Tough a few years ago which was worth having just for Welding by I Roy.
Maybe Chris Blackwell selling up to Polygram is the problem
.
Fratellis?? On Island??
Jesus wept...and this is the wonderful record label that The Word decides to devote half an issue too?! Roxy Music, Bob Marley, B52s, Sparks, errrr The Fratellis...sack that A&R man now!