16 illinoisentertainer . com march 2023
Continued from page 14 friend , Rose Elinor Dougall , met in 2020 , yet they have the chemistry of a decades-old relationship . Not the pastoral English-folk record that was teased pre-release , The Waeve dabbles in many styles , sometimes all in the same song . Painting with a wide palette , The Weave throws Krautrock , psychedelia , post-punk , progressive rock , and trip-hop onto the canvas with little regard for chasing current pop trends . Graham and Elinor ’ s one-of-a-kind vocal presence comes out of the gate with confidence . The production and mix , courtesy of James Ford , is thick and elegant , closer to Blur ’ s later work than anything Graham has released on his own . “ Kill Me Again ” features Coxon ’ s laconic drawl floating over a pulsating beat and a bleating saxophone . The slow jam “ Over And Over ” comes closest to pop music , with the two voices melding perfectly over a crawling beat with the production dripping with Bacharachian grandeur . The guitar work throughout is worth praise , at times conjuring Thurston Moore and at times imitating Tom Scholz of Boston .
With Blur drummer Dave Rowntree releasing his debut solo album last month and Damon Albarn ’ s Gorillaz returning with a new offering at the end of February , this has certainly been a busy beginning of the year for one of Britpop ’ s most legendary bands setting the table for the Blur reunion tour happening this summer .
- Andy Derer
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CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL Travelin ' Band : Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall Super Deluxe Edition ( Craft )
The long-lost recording of this fulllength Creedence Clearwater Revival concert is available at last , documenting the time when CCR topped the Beatles as the world ' s biggest band at a prestigious venue in the recently-split Fab Four ' s homeland . The band performed a tight 43-minute set in their heyday at London ' s famous Royal Albert Hall on August 14 , 1970 . " Tonight ' s concert was the big one ," says bandleader John Fogerty after the performance , as quoted in the liner notes . " All the shows we are doing in Europe are important to us … but England and the Royal Albert Hall are extra special ." It was the band ' s British debut on their first European tour . The concert took place six months following CCR ' s fourth album Willy and the Poor Boys and three months prior to Cosmo ' s Factory . This Super Deluxe edition includes the concert audio on CD and 2xLP heavyweight vinyl at 45 RPM for maximum detail . The set also includes the documentary film Travelin ’ Band : Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall on Blu-ray and a CD of music from the film . The documentary features seven songs not performed during the concert , including formative material like " Come On Baby " by Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets and brother John Fogerty ' s " Porterville " with the Golliwogs . The set list pulls primarily from the three multi-platinum albums CCR released in 1969 , the same triumphant year that saw CCR headlining the Woodstock Festival . Bayou Country is represented by songs including set-opening swamp-rocker " Born on the Bayou ," American classic " Proud Mary " and its imagery of a river boat rolling up the Mississippi River , and a ferocious cover of Little Richard ' s " Good Golly Miss Molly ." Green River material includes the twang and groove of the album ' s sentimental title cut with its happy childhood memories , as well as the rollicking " Bad Moon Rising ." Willy and the Poor Boys ' track " Fortunate Son " is a scathing VietNam War-era protest of double standards between the haves and havenots . The band is on fire while playing “ Travelin ’ Band ” for the enthusiastic English audience . The road-warrior anthem is a two-minute blast of adrenalin . The song is stripped to its raw essence without the familiar saxophone heard on the studio version , but the crowd would have been unaware of the omission since Cosmo ’ s Factory wouldn ’ t arrive until mid-July . John Fogerty cuts loose with a feral rock and roll howl , and the rhythm section of bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford are a finely-tuned engine room to power Tom Fogerty ’ s rhythm guitar and John Fogerty ’ s stinging lead . The show concludes with an eight-minute ramble through " Keep On Chooglin '." The set includes a reproduction concert program with a feature from The Sunday Times of London newspaper , photos , and a profile on each band member . Also present are a full-color foldout concert poster and a " Keep Calm and Choogle On " sticker . A 16-page magazine collects info photos from the 1970 European tour and