The Kaleidophonic Stroboscope

Alright, ‘Stroboscopers! Now that we’re firmly ensconced in the new decade, it’s time to listen back over the past decade. This is the second part of my retrospective, covering ‘99 to ‘09.

As with Part 1, I chose tunes from albums I bought during that time. I realise that there are hunderds of omissions, but as I didn’t have the dosh or time to listen to everything…these’ll have to do. My choices are ones that particularly appealed to me…not necessarily critics’ choices or records that made a lot of “Top Ten” lists. I also left out a lot more of my own picks, but really, if I had left them all in, this show would be about 4 hours long. I suspect very few have that much patience.

This concludes my ‘Noughties’ retrospective–back soon with the usual mixed bag!

The tracklist is:

Richard Hawley – The Sea Calls (from the ‘Lady’s Bridge’ album – released in 2005)

Air - Clouds Up (from the “The Vigin Suicides” soundtrack – rel. in 2000)

Super Furry Animals – Liberty Belle (from the “Phantom Power” album – released in 2003)

Lemon Jelly – ‘68 (a.k.a Only Time) (from the “‘64-’95″ album – released in 2005)

Circulus – My Body Is Made Of Sunlight (from the “The Lick On The Tip Of An Envelope Yet To Be Sent” – rel. in 2005)

Sunn-O))) & Boris – Akuma No Kuma (from the “Altar” album – released in 2006)

The Mars Volta – Cygnus….Vismund Cygnus: I. Sarcophagi II. Umbilical Syllables III. Facilis Descenus Averni (from the “Frances The Mute” album – rel. in 2005)

Amorphous Androgynous – The Witch Hunt (from the “Alice In Ultraland” album – released in 2005)

Eliza Carthy – Worcester City (from the “Anglicana” album – released in 2002)

Brian Eno – A Long Way Down (from the “Another Day On Earth” album – released in 2005)

Loop Guru – Orange Holes And Beautiful Feathers (from the “Elderberry Shiftglass” album – released in 2006)

Sigur Ros – Se Lest (from the “Takk” album – released in 2005)

Wire – Mr. Marx’s Table (from the “Send” album – released in 2003)

Ed Harcourt – Sister Renee (from the “From Every Sphere” album – rel. in 2003)

George Carlin – Man Stuff (from the “You Are All Diseased” album – released in 1999)

WARNING: Once again, there’s content on this one wot may not be suitable for young’uns ears.

The first decade of the Gregorian millennium is nearly over..it seemed to fly by, didn’t it? I thought so. The Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times” never seemed more apt. This episode is a trawl through the albums I bought during the “George “C+ Augustus” Bush/Tony “Special Relationship” Blair/Vladimir “He-Man” Putin” years–what a party it’s been, eh? A lot of my heroes left the planet as well. So I’m not regarded as a complete downer…there were some great records released in the past ten years–and here’s the proof. Cast yourself back and party like it’s…er…you know the rest. I realise that the episode really only covers rock and other forms of popular music from the decade, but I couldn’t afford to buy CDs from a lot of other genres–hopefully another critter will document jazz, folk and world stuff.

Unfortunately, there’s no “Vinyl Vault” in this one, as I bought any new albums on CD–I am looking for some of them on LP now, but haven’t got any yet.

Warning: Some of the content may not be suitable for little ones’ ears–just sayin’.

The tracklist for this episode is:

Intro.

Cornershop – People Power (from the “Handcream Of A Generation” album – released in 2002)

Elbow – Mexican Standoff (from the “Leaders Of The Free World” album – rel. in 2005)

OutKast (feat. B Real) - Xplosion (from the “Stankonia” album - released in 2000)

Muse – Assassin (from the “Black Holes And Revelations” album – released in 2006)

The Future Sound Of London/Amorphous Androgynous – Go Tell It To The Trees, Egghead (from “The Isness” – rel. in 2002)

Lambchop – Low Ambition (from the “Aw C’mon/No, You C’mon” 2-disc set - released in 2004)

Espers – Mansfield And Cyclops (from the “Espers II” album – rel. in 2007)

Supergrass – Low C (from the “Road To Rouen” album – released in 2005)

Orbital – Spare Parts Express (from “The Middle Of Nowhere” – released in 1999)

Van Der Graaf Generator – Nutter Alert (from the “Present” album – released in 2005)

Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – Spanish Dance Troupe (title track to the album – rel. in 1999)

Boards Of Canada – Dawn Chorus (from the “Geogaddi” album – released in 2002)

The Flaming Lips – In The Morning Of The Magicians (from the “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots” album – rel. in 2002)

David Cross – Literally…/The Ricky Henderson Bit  (from the “Shut Up, You Fucking Baby” 2-disc set – released in 2002)

Remember the mix tapes you used to make in the 80s and 90s, before recordable CDs and mp3s? Compiling a mix tape, as Nick Hornby pointed out in “High Fidelity” (and later on, John Cusack, in the film version), is definitely an art form. I wouldn’t say I ever mastered the art of mix-taping, but I would say I’ve created some interesting ones.

I’ve kept some of my tapes and I’ve thought of re-creating them as CD-mixes, but I’ve never got round to doing so.

I thought I would re-construct one of my tapes as a podcast episode, just for something a little different. I’ve kept the order of songs exactly as I added them to the cassette, as well as any spoken-word/comedy bits. There’s none of my jibba-jabba in between tracks in this episode, as I never used to do that on my tapes.

I hope you enjoy it – I may make this an on-going series. I’m aware that there are literally hundreds of excellent psych tunes I’ve left off – but then it wouldn’t be a “mix tape”, it would be 20 mix-tapes. This episode is for a friend of the show, John Cole, whom I was in an on-line course with a couple of years ago at the Maybe Logic Academy. I track-listed this mix and told him I would get him a copy. Here you are, John – sorry for the delay!

The tracklisting for this episode is:

Intro.
Duckman – “…but spacey nonetheless…” – (taken from the “Not-So-Easy Riders” episode – first broadcast in 1993)*
Jefferson Airplane – Wild Tyme (H) (from the “After Bathing At Baxter’s” album – released in 1967)
The Moody Blues – Sun Is Still Shining (extended version) (from the “To Our Children’s Children’s Children” – released in 1969 – deluxe edition rel. in 2006)
The Beach Boys – I Know There’s An Answer (from the “Pet Sounds” album – released in 1966)
The Who – I Can See For Miles/’Charles Atlas’ advert (from the “Who Sell Out” album – released in 1967)
The Beatles – Rain (B-side of 1966 single release)
Country Joe & The Fish – Eastern Jam (from the “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die” album – rel. in 1967)
The Doors – Strange Days (from the album of the same name – released in 1967)
Sly & The Family Stone – Fun (from the “Life” album – released in 1968)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – You Got Me Floatin’ (from the “Axis: Bold As Love” album – rel. in 1968)
Pink Floyd – Let There Be More Light (from the “A Saucerful Of Secrets” album – released in 1968)
Spirit – Ground Hog (from the “Clear” album – released in 1969)
The Soft Machine – Spaced Six (sessions recorded in 1969 – officially released on the “Spaced” CD in 1996)
George Harrison – Guru Vandana (from the “Wonderwall” film soundtrack – released in 1968)
Caravan – Hello Hello (from the “If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You” album – released in 1970)
Simon & Garfunkel – So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (from the “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” album – rel. in 1970)
Kevin Ayers – Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes (from the “Whatevershebringswesing” album – released in 1971)
Funkadelic – I Got A Thing, You Got A Thing, Everybody’s Got A Thing (from the debut self-titled album – released in 1970)
Gentle Giant – Wreck (from the “Acquiring The Taste” album – rel. in 1971)
Can – Mushroom (from the “Tago Mago” album – released in 1971)
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells – Part 1 (opening section) (from the “Tubular Bells” album – released in 1973)
Brian Eno – Needles In The Camel’s Eye (from the “Here Come The Warm Jets” album – released in 1973)
Cheech & Chong – The Strawberry Revival Festival (excerpt) (from the “Los Cochinos” album – rel. in 1973)
The Mahavishnu Orchestra - Trilogy: Part 1 – The Sunlit Path (live) (from the “Between Nothingness And Eternity” album – released in 1973)
Pink Floyd – Any Colour You Like (from the “Dark Side Of The Moon” album – released in 1973)
Gong – Love Is How Y Make It (from the “Angels Egg” album – released in 1973)

*On the tape – the ‘Duckman’ bit is much longer, but I couldn’t be bothered to hook up the tape deck to the hard drive and record the entire thing. I could only find the much shorter wav clip on the interwebnets. If you get a chance to see that particular episode – the ‘trip’ scene is well worth watching.

Artwork: Hapshash & The Coloured Coat (‘Albion’ magazine cover – 1968) – Lettering added by The Purple Gooroo

Originally posted in October 2009

I created this episode to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings, which happened in August. I tried to avoid most of the ‘well-known’ tracks that you might associate with this kind of post (e.g. Elton John’s “Rocket Man”, The Beatles’ “Mr. Moonlight”, Jonathan King’s “Everyone’s Gone To The Moon”, etc. etc.). Do I believe that the landings really happened? I like to think that they did–it does seem a great accomplishment for human critters. Anyway–sit back and prepare for a mission into outer musical space with this collection of tunes.

Tracklist:

Intro. – Apollo Lift-off*
Hawkwind – Space Is Deep (from the “Doremi Fasolatido” album – released in 1972)
Brian Eno/Daniel Lanois – Drift (from the “Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks” album – rel. in 1983)
Weather Report – Milky Way (from the self-titled debut album – released in 1971)
Gyorgy Ligeti – Lux Aeterna (from the “2001: A Space Odyssey” soundtrack – released in 1968)
Billy Cobham – Moon Germs (from the “Total Eclipse” album – rel. in 1974)
The Orb – Back Side Of The Moon (Deep Space Under Water Mix) (from the “Auntie Aubrey Mixes” album (rel. in 1991); also found on the “Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld” deluxe edition – remix by Steve Hillage)
Tyrannosaurus Rex – By The Light Of The Magical Moon (from the “Beard Of Stars” album – released in 1970)
Apollo 11 Moon Landing*
————————————————————————————
A Trip To The Vinyl Vault:

featured LP: Spirit – “The Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus” (released in 1970)

Space Child
———————————————————————————-
John Coltrane – Stellar Regions (from the album of the same name – rel. in 1994 – originally recorded in February 1967)
The Moody Blues – Floating (from the “To Our Children’s Children’s Children” album – released in 1969)
John Cale – Coral Moon (from the “Helen Of Troy” album – rel. in 1975; also found on “The Island Years” comp. – released 1996)
Apollo 11 – Neil Armstrong – “…one giant leap..”*
Camel – Lunar Sea (from the “Moonmadness” album – released in 1976)

*Apollo 11 sound clips courtesy of NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/40th/a11_audio_highlights.html

Originally posted in August 2009

This was the first episode I created after a disastrous up-grade at MyPodcast wiped all of my previous shows. I hope to re-locate all of the ones I lost and post them here. If I can’t find copies of them, I may re-create one or two.

This episode presents my intent for the ‘Stroboscope – a mix of all kinds of music – no boundaries, no genres, no format. I hope you enjoy at least some of it.

Tracklist:

Intro.
Gryphon – Spring Song (excerpt) (from the “Treason” album – released in 1977)
The Grid – Floatation (from the “Electric Head” album – released in 1990)
King Jammy – Slow Motion Dub (single release – unknown date. Taken from a Singing Bear mix (‘20 Dubs For The Oxford Club’)
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry & The Upsetters – Black Vest (from the “Super Ape” album – rel. in 1976)
Hector Berlioz – Marche Au Supplice (Movement III of the ‘Symphony Fantastique’) (composed in 1830 – this performance: New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta conducting – rel. in 1992)
Charles Lloyd Quartet – Journey Within (excerpt) (from the album of the same name – released in 1967)
Dr. Timothy Leary – Root Chakra (from the “Turn On, Tune In & Drop Out” album – rel. in 1967)

———————–A Trip To The Vinyl Vault————————-

featured LP: Soft Machine – “Soft Machine – Vol. 2″

A Concise British Alphabet – Part II
Hulloder
Dada Was Here

(A tribute to Hugh Hopper)
————————————————————————
 Loop – Torched (from the “Fade Out” album – released in 1989)
Renaissance – At The Harbour (from the “Ashes Are Burning” album – rel. in 1973)

Originally posted in April 2009

Hello again! This episode was the first that I created in 2009. I had originally intended it for the U.S. elections in November 2008 – but as you know, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. By the time I had finished it, in February, Barack Obama’s inauguration had happened. Ah well, better late…

I rounded up some political tunes from the collection. No straight-forward examples of ‘protest songs’ in the mix…I avoided lots of folk stuff, early Dylan and that. Enjoy!

The tracklist for this one is:

Intro
Alice Cooper – Elected (from the “Billion Dollar Babies” album – released in 1972)
Parliament – Chocolate City (from the album of the same name – rel. in 1975)
Matching Mole – Starting In The Middle Of The Day, We Can Drink Our Politics Away (from the “little Red Record” album – rel. 1972)
Mick Farren – Trouble Every Day (from the “Vampires Stole My Lunch Money” album – released in 1979)
Stevie Wonder – Big Brother (from the “Talking Book” album – released in 1972)
Super Furry Animals – Presidential Suite (from the “Rings Around The World” album – rel. in 2001)
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) (from the “Natty Dread” album – released in 1974)

——————————————A Trip To The Vinyl Vault—————————————–

Featured LP: The Firesign Theatre – “I Think We’re All Bozos On This Bus” (released in 1971)

Meeting With The President (excerpt from Side 2)
—————————————————————————————————————-
Cream – Politician (‘Top Gear’ session – January 1968) (from the “BBC Sessions” album – released in 2002)
The Steve Miller Band – Industrial-Military Complex Hex (from the “Number 5″ album – rel. in 1970)
Jurassic 5 – Great Expectations (from the “Quality Control” album – released in 2000)
XTC – The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead (from the “Nonsuch” album – released in 1992)
The Temptations – War (from the “Psychedelic Shack” album – rel. in 1970)

Originally posted in February 2009

This is another older episode, rescued from My Podcast. I first posted this in August 2008. A friend of the show, James Baxter, made some requests. I decided to gather them together in a mini-set within the show. This epsiode also features the very first A Trip To The Vinyl Vault. For those new to the ‘Stroboscope–”A Trip..” is where I play a song or two off of one of those old vinyl discs, you know..the 12″ ones that music used to be released on, back in the dark ages.

There’s a range of styles in this one – early 80s techno-pop, mid-90s trip-hop, late-60s psychedelic pop–amongst others. A big thanks goes out to Baxter once again. He gave some more requests at the time and I will be adding those to a future show.

That said, roll on the tunes!

Tracklist:

Grobschnitt – Dream And Reality (from the “Jumbo” album – released in 1975)

Forest – Do You Want Some Smoke? (from the self-titled debut album – released in 1969)

—————————– James’s Jukebox———————————–

Portishead – Strangers (from the “Dummy” album – released in 1994)

“The Prisoner” (dialogue 1)

Kraftwerk - Pocket Calculator (from the “Computer World” album – released in 1981)

“The Prisoner” (dialogue 2)

Zager & Evans – In The Year 2525 (single release – 1969)

“The Prisoner” (end credits theme)

———————————————————————————-

A TRIP TO THE VINYL VAULT~

featured LP: The Wurzels – “Live At The Royal Oak, Nailsea, Zummerzet” (1967)

Tanglefoot Twitch

Drink Up Thy Zider

————————————————————————————-

The Rolling Stones – Citadel (from the “Their Satanic Majesties Request” album – released in 1967)

Kate Bush – Army Dreamers (from the “Never For Ever” album – released in 1980)

Traffic – House For Everyone (from the “Dear Mr. Fantasy” album – rel. in 1967)

Return To Forever – Theme To The Mothership (from the “Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy” album – released in 1973)

Originally posted in August 2008

Welcome welcome welcome back to the Kaleidophonic Stroboscope, a podcast I started up about a year and a half ago (it doesn’t seem to be that long ago to me). I started the ‘cast over at My Podcast, getting the basics together.

I felt like I wanted to try to set up my own site, rather than relying on a ‘third-party’ deal. I’ve got the domain name and sparkly new template. I’ll add some more links as well. Let the madness begin!

Apropros of the season, this is my Hallowe’en episode. I posted this at the beginning of November 2008–a few days late, but still good for any spooky occasion. Prepare for the Witching Hour…all you groovy ghoulies!

P.S. Please leave comments, requests, etc. – I promise I’ll respond!

Tracklist:

Intro.

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown – Prelude/Nightmare (from the “Crazy World Of Arthur Brown” album – released in 1968)

The White Noise – Black Mass: An Electric Storm In Hell (from the “An Electric Storm” album – released in 1969)

Gentle Giant – Alucard (from the self-titled debut album – released in 1970)

The Idle Race – The Skeleton And The Roundabout (single release – 1968/also found on “The Birthday Party” album – rel. in 1968)

Sunn-O))) – The Gates Of Ballard (excerpt) (from the “White 1″ album – released in 2002)

Black Sabbath – N.I.B. (from the self-titled debut album – released in 1969)

H.P. Lovecraft – At The Mountains Of Madness (from the “HP Lovecraft II” album – released in 1969)

——————- A TRIP TO THE VINYL VAULT ————————

featured LP: The Enid – “In The Region Of The Summer Stars” (1984 re-recordind)

The Demon King

————————————————————————————

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band – Look Out, There’s A Monster Coming (from the “Gorilla” album – released in 1967)

Butthole Surfers – Graveyard (from the “Rembrandt Pussyhorse” album – released in 1986)

Jethro Tull – The Witch’s Promise (single release - 1970)

Aleister Crowley – The Pentagram (recorded onto wax cylinder – circa 1920s/released on CD in 1999 as “The Great Beast Speaks”)

Enjoy!

Originally posted in November 2008