Zchivago's Disco Dystopia -April 2nd 2021 - "A Dark Light From A Black Sun"

 Here's the latest Disco Dystopia:

Disco Dystopia April 2nd 2021:

“A DARK LIGHT FROM A BLACK SUN”

1. YO LA TENGO - “Let's Save Tony Orlando's House”

2. THE MANSON FAMILY - “Never Say Never To Always”

3. THE THIRD EAR BAND - “Fleance”

4. FOREST - “Graveyard”

5. COMUS - “The Herald”

6. PAUL GIOVANNI & MAGENTA - “Gently Johnny”

7. JANDEK - “Nancy Sings”

8. SANDRA KERR & JOHN FAULKNER - “The Princess Suite from Bagpuss”

9. CURRENT 93 - “All The Pretty Little Horses”

10. CURRENT 93 AND SHIRLEY COLLINS - “All The Pretty Little Horses”

11. COIL - “All The Pretty Little Horses”

12. NICO - “Evening Of Light”

13. BRIDGET St. JOHN - “Ask Me No Questions”

Stream it HERE!

DOWNLOAD it HERE:

Bridget St. John – "BBC Radio 1968-1976" (Hux Records – HUX114) 2010

Like I said in the "Ask Me No Questions" review,Peel made sure Bridget would get plenty sessions and radio appearances he having a glad eye for the ladies. So here's the small matter of 40 -odd 'odd' tunes as preserved by the venerable British Broadcasting Corporation;and it's not gone beyond my notice that the final track has a reference to Peel and Wife (the Pig).There's also an amusing anecdote spewed forth by the laconic Peel about how they 'slept' together once.

What strikes me most about these tunes, and especially her spoken explanations of her songs, that is uncannily like Sandy Denny.If i didn't know better, her speaking voice is almost exactly that of the late Alexandra Denny,although her earlier excursions have that splash of Nico's lower register about them that would haunt any review in the music press.She was a better guitar player than Denny (That Bert Jansch influence?),and far less depressing than Nico,but her songwriting has that same seldom used diminished 5th chord so favored by Sandy Denny in her more unpopular songs for it's distinctive dark timbre,as well as that vibrato free folkie singing style that was the ex-Fairport chanteuse's trademark;although obviously not copyrighted.

And, yes, Kevin Ayers makes a guest appearance on a few tracks too.Also interesting to note that Ms St.John is the only one of these names to remain alive,and gigging, to this day.

Tracklist:

1-1 I Don't Know If I Can Take It
1-2 Some Kind Of Beautiful
1-3 Jumblequeen
1-4 Fly High
1-5 Sparrowpit
1-6 Want To Be With You
1-7 Curious And Woolly
1-8 Head And Heart
1-9 Long Long Time
1-10 Come Up And See Me Sometime
1-11 Catch A Falling Star
1-12 Love Lie Easy
1-13 The River
1-14 Song To Keep You Company
1-15 Night In The City
1-16 Lazarus
1-17 Curl Your Toes
1-18 Thank You For...
2-1 Sparrowpit
2-2 Nancy Alice
2-3 Plain And Pearl
2-4 Make Me Whole
2-5 She Used To Play Harmonium
2-6 Crazy, Have You Eton
2-7 Peel 'sleeping Anecdote'
2-8 Bumper To Bumper
2-9 Leaves Of Lime
2-10 City Crazy
2-11 The Pebble And The Man
2-12 Back To Stay
2-13 Song For The Laird Of Connaught Hall - Part 2
2-14 Jolie Madame
2-15 The Spider And The Fly
2-16 The Oyster And The Flying Fish
2-17 To B Without A Hitch
2-18 Ask Me No Questions
2-19 Many Happy Returns
2-20 Hello Again (of Course)
2-21 Rochefort
2-22 Lizard Long Tongue Boy
2-23 The Present Song/Pig & Peel

CD1 1-9 Radio 1 In Concert 1st August 1974; CD1 10-12 Top Gear Session 6th January 1976 CD1 13-16 John Peel Presents Top Gear 1969; CD1 17 Peter Sarstedt Session 1969; CD1 18 Bob Harris Session 22nd March 1972; CD2 1-8 Radio 1 In Concert 3rd May 1975; CD2 9-16 Radio 1 In Concert 31st January 1971; CD2 17-22 Night Ride Session 21st August 1968; CD2 23 Top Gear Session 12th August 1974

DOWNLOAD the bastard offspring of Sandy and Nico HERE!

Bridget St. John – "Ask Me No Questions" (Dandelion Records – S 63750) 1969

She sounded like an upbeat Nico with an upper middle class British accent,but unlike Dave and Toni Arthur, this posh but dark chanteuse actually got to do a few Peel Sessions;mainly because she wasn't sewn to the hip of a husband,rather attractive, and Peel fancied his chances of getting her in the sack. This sexual bribery continued with Peel actually signing her to his label,Dandelion, and even producing her debut album!? The birdsong and church bells collage towards the end of the title track was all his work apparently.He wasn't just a pretty face after all...in fact he wasn't a pretty face at all,but did well here.Peel was also savvy enough not to employ one of those awful string sections so beloved by Joe Boyd in ruining Nick Drake,leaving just Bridget with a few bongo's and guest guitarist John Martyn to flesh it out a tad.

Obviously Bridget had an eye on the US singer songwriter market,but, like most things British and European,ended up being too dark for those sensitive yanks. The Brits never quite got that thing right....thank christ.....even Elton John was far from those sensitive self-analysing bores,with their earnest tunes and ,yes, string sections. Judee Sill,who wrote her own baroque string arrangements very excepted, and the odd Neil Young solo LP or Leonard Cohen record,who were both Canadian anyway,as are most famous Americans.

The Title track remains to this day a droning classic of depressed melancholia with that Peel provided birdsong section for you to slash your wrists,or reaffirm life to at the end.

Tracklist:

A1 To B Without A Hitch
A2 Autumn Lullaby
A3 Curl Your Toes
A4 Like Never Before
A5 The Curious Crystals Of Unusual Purity
A6 Barefeet And Hot Pavements
B1 I Like To Be With You In The Sun
B2 Lizard-Long-Tongue Boy
B3 Hello Again (Of Course)
B4 Many Happy Returns
B5 Broken Faith
B6 Ask Me No Questions

DOWNLOAD no questions asked HERE!