sound of the suburbs

I was thinking of giving this weeks posts a special title, you know something along the lines of snap crackle and pop, as the whole of this week is going to be given over to vinyl rips. This has been possible not not by my own computing skills but thanks to the collaboration of Lub, who is the resident DJ at the Rockstore. When we started ripping my old vinyl, incidentally most of this dates from the early nineties, we had a long discussion on whether to clean up the sound or leave in the surface noise, the clicks or whatever, we decided on the later I hope this does not interfere with your listening pleasure.
keeping up our habit of a Peel session on Monday, I decided that there could be no better choice than that long time Peel favorite Ivor Cutler. The session was recorded and first broadcast in August 1977, and so one can well imagine one of Ivor's droll reflections on life being programmed between the Buzzcocks and some heavy dub import 45rpm, now that's what I call good radio! The session was produced by Tony Wilson, I guess this is not the same person that was behind Factory Records, or was it?
If there are people reading that do not know Ivor I would like to point out that he is not the cup tea for everyone, you will either love him or loathe him. I fall into the first category, it was without a doubt the period of this session that I first discovered him with his harmonium led songs, his simple but surreal poems and of course not forgetting his fictional recollections of his childhood. I saw him live on numerous occasions, often at a London theatre, though the image that has always stood in my mind is of when I saw him at a Camden Town Library and him passing us in the street on his bicycle as both parties were on their way to the venue. Live he made for a very good evening and despite is deep quiet Scottish voice was more than capable with dealing with the more rowdy members of the audience.
I would like to recommend the documentary 'Looking For The Truth With A Pin' that has recently been released, buy it before it disappears it is a great introduction to the man for newcomers while remaining interesting for long term fans with it's bonus of a recording of his farewell performance at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall in February 2004.

1. 'A Great Grey Grasshopper'
2. 'A Suck Of My Thumb'
3. 'The Schi'
4. 'Get Away From The Wall'
5. 'The Natural Height Of A Cloud'
6. 'If We Dug A Hole'
7. 'I Had A Little Boat'
8. 'I'm Going In A Field'
9. 'Life In A Scotch Sitting Room vol2 ep12'
10 'Life In A Scotch Sitting Room vol2 ep13'
11. 'Jungle Tip pt1'
12 'Jungle Tip pt2'

I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I have and don't forget that his records are still available, and for those that like reading verse there is still a fair collection of his books in print.