As World Mourns Steve Albini, His Chicago Neighbors Remember The Kind, Generous Icon Next Door
Yes, he worked on some of the most important albums of all time. But
he and his wife also were known for having the best Halloween candy and
giving away veggies from their garden.
John Mayall - a major influence, and early muse, for a generation of British guitarists, including Eric Clapton amongst many others. I first saw him play in the late 1960s when still at school, the last time must have been mid 1980s. The Beano, Bluesbreakers album, must be in my top ten favourites, but I also very much like Turning Point, a very different jazz influenced album from only a few years later. I'll be playing both today, I'm sure
Including Bucks Fizz The Land of Make Believe? I can do most of Cat Food and "Confusion will be my epitaph" will probably end up on my own tombstone - if I have one. I was playing Cat Food just this week, I go through periods when I need to hear it right away. Very strange!
I was thinking about him again yesterday. It actually was a result of listening to a different band than Soft Machine. I have the Nucleus BBC sessions (with musicians who joined Soft Machine) loaded up in my car and've been enjoying that lately, and I was thinking about how much it sounded like SM mixed with Miles' electric 70s era. Anyway, he was a major part of my life growing up. Always, the recluse. Sometimes showing up for special projects, but, unfortunately, rarely.
Sad news. For a short while there he acted as a great foil to the rather preposterous Mr Fripp. Somewhere I have an album he made with Derek Bailey if memory serves.
I'm very surprised about the <crickets> surrounding Ratledge's death here.
Not my take on it but I know elsewhere that some Robert Wyatt fanboys still hold a grudge that Ratledge "kicked Wyatt out of Soft Machine". A lot of these people seem not to like SM after Third and even that is a push for the jazz haterz. Also of course there's a bit of RIP fatigue at this time of year.
RIP Rick Buckler, The Jam drummer dead at only 69. One of the few bands that stayed split up when they called it a day and paradoxically one of the bands most Brits my age would love to have seen playing an encore round with Buckler and bass player Bruce Foxton finally getting a pay day.
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Steve Albini, Storied Producer and Icon of the Rock Underground, Dies at 61
Steve Albini Standing Outside Gates of Heaven Telling Everyone How Much He Hates the Smashing Pumpkins
As World Mourns Steve Albini, His Chicago Neighbors Remember The Kind, Generous Icon Next Door
IN MEMORIAM
Françoise Hardy, 1944-2024
A beloved French vocalist with a breathy, measured style whose self-penned songs blended the chanteuse tradition with folk, early rock, sultry jazz, and blues.That makes a body feel alone
RIP Lou Donaldson
(1926 - 2024)
I used to be able to recite all of his lyrics.
Including Bucks Fizz The Land of Make Believe? I can do most of Cat Food and "Confusion will be my epitaph" will probably end up on my own tombstone - if I have one. I was playing Cat Food just this week, I go through periods when I need to hear it right away. Very strange!
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/07/arts/music/peter-yarrow-dead.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Yarrow
Mike Ratledge
Jamie Muir
Sad news. For a short while there he acted as a great foil to the rather preposterous Mr Fripp. Somewhere I have an album he made with Derek Bailey if memory serves.
Not my take on it but I know elsewhere that some Robert Wyatt fanboys still hold a grudge that Ratledge "kicked Wyatt out of Soft Machine". A lot of these people seem not to like SM after Third and even that is a push for the jazz haterz. Also of course there's a bit of RIP fatigue at this time of year.
Bill Fay, Cult British Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 81
Roberta Flack