Jonathan Wilson @ Union Chapel 09/06/16

Jonathan Wilson played the final date of his solo acoustic tour on Thursday night at the Union Chapel in Islington, North London. Music aside, the night promised to be something special because it was taking place in what has to be one of the most beautiful venues this country has to offer. The Union Chapel is a concert venue, arts centre, homeless project and - yes - a fully-functioning church. There is something quite magical about experiencing music in a space dominated by a rose window, flickering candles and a gothic pulpit. Whether you're a believer or not, the environment lends a spiritual ambience to proceedings that the average sticky-floored bingo hall is sorely lacking.

Filling the Special Guest slot for Wilson's tour was LA-based singer-songwriter Omar Velasco who uses a foot-operated sampler to create loops of his own playing, creating a fuller and more involving sound than you might expect from one man and an acoustic guitar. Velasco's songs offer a Latino slant on the Laurel Canyon sound that informs much of Wilson's repertoire. Hardly surprising as Velasco's day job is that of Wilson's right-hand man in his full electric touring band.

Although billed as solo and acoustic, Jonathan Wilson was variously supported by a string quartet and sidekick Velasco for much of his performance, allowing him to switch between acoustic guitar, telecaster and piano. For the first of two encores, the legendary Roy Harper joined Wilson onstage. If locked down Californian jam band grooves, rural hippie funk and David Gilmouresque guitar are your bag, you owe it to yourself to give Jonathan Wilson a listen.

There was a scrum for the merchandise stand after the gig, largely because of the promise of a seven inch single featuring a pair of tracks (Your Ears Are Burning / Sing To You) from Wilson's 2007 CDr-only release Frankie Ray. Limited to just 300 copies, all signed by Wilson, I'm chuffed to have one in my paws.

High On The Hog

Have you ever noticed that little column over on the right? Hi-Fi Hogs? Well, why not? I thought music fans loved lists! In case it needs spelling out, this is a selection of some of the many records currently floating my coracle. Do you give a monkey's? Or even a Monkees? Probably not. Perhaps if I zhuzh things up a little by explaining why these LPs are making my music-loving heart glow like the valves in a Vox AC30, you'll start to care.

Frost - Through The Eyes Of Love (1970)

For starters, I love that psychedelic artwork by renowned artist David Edward Byrd. Carelessly, I've yet to hear the other Frost albums, but can they possibly offer up anything as thrilling (or with such a kick-arse title) as Fifteen Hundred Miles (Through the Eye of a Beatle)? Don't let the harmony vocals on opener Black As Night fool you, Frost have the urgency and thuggish momentum to overturn tables and knock fully grown men off their feet. Lead guitarist Dick Wagner later shored up Alice Cooper after the original, classic Alice line-up imploded. No wonder Welcome To My Nightmare is such a humdinger. The whole of Through The Eyes has an amped up The Move feel to it, what with Dick Wagner's and Don Hartman's Wood and Lynne-alike vocals, the bass working harder than a fat man's heart and the guitars flitting between a caress and a scalping.

Turning Point - Creatures Of The Night (1977)

Not to be confused with that other classic album of the same name by Jazz Rock / Fusion pioneers Kiss. Turning Point features ex-members of Ian Carr's Nucleus and Isotope - two other bands well worth exploring if, like me, you get off on all this clever-clever, noodley, wankery. Admittedly, there's nothing here as singalong as I Love It Loud, but listening to this will increase your IQ.

Highway Robbery - For Love Or Money (1972)

I've been slumming it with a CD copy of this album for ages, but finally managed to pick up a pristine vinyl pressing last month. Highway Robbery's one and only album is up there with other gobsmacking debuts by Captain Beyond, Montrose and Stray Dog. Soundwise, chuck Uriah Heep into the mix and you've got the picture, or whatever the aural equivalent is. I was tempted to link to a YouTube video for All I Need (To Have Is You), an uncharacteristically sensitive little ditty featuring acoustic guitar, bottleneck guitar and lead and harmony vocals that scream David Byron-era Uriah Heep, but the gonzo little devil on my shoulder persuaded me to inflict Promotion Man on you instead. Damned fine choice lil' devil - slide guitar to the max!

The Golliwogs - Pre-Creedence (1975)

Sporting a moniker I'm sure they'd sooner forget, the pre-Creedence Clearwater Revival Golliwogs laid the foundations for the CCR sound we know and love. More than just a curio, there's some must-have material here. Walking On The Water features some of the best wasp-in-a-jam-jar fuzz guitar you'll ever hear.

Randy Pie - Highway Driver (1974)

German and funky. Are you sure? They get labelled as a progressive rock band, but the groove overrides everything. Despite not singing about bringing daughters to be slaughtered, Mrs Shelf-Stacker's ears prick up whenever The Pie shake the mancave. My US version of this LP has the same tracklisting as the UK pressing, features a lame cover illustration of a bird in flight and, just to create confusion, is self-titled (as is their debut). Hmm, record companies - don't you just love 'em!

Spooky Tooth - The Last Puff (1970)

I think I said enough in my last post. If you're not a convert yet, you never will be.

Jonathan Wilson - Fanfare (2013) / Jonathan Wilson - Gentle Spirit (2011)

What should I listen to today? Neil Young? Crosby, Stills and Nash? Tom Petty? Bob Dylan? Pink Floyd? Oh, I know, I'll stick them all in a blender and whizz myself up a Laurel Canyon-flavoured Jonathan Wilson smoothie. Has to count as at least three of my 5-a-day! Have a swig - it's tasty and soooo good for you.

Bloodrock - Bloodrock (1970)

If you're not from the USA, you'd be forgiven for never having heard of this bunch of hairy herberts. By all accounts D.O.A. from the Bloodrock 2 LP was a radio staple on the other side of the pond in the Seventies and seems to attract as much derision as anything by Iron Butterfly or Grand Funk Railroad. No surprise then that I'm a fan. It seems that Grand Funk Svengali Terry Knight very nearly pulled off the remarkable feat of turning another critics' piñata into a huge commercial success. Think Black Sabbath, Grand Funk, Uriah Heep. Okay, enough thinking already - this ain't Turning Point!

 

Beckett - Beckett (1974)

Another Progressive Rock band who refused to be constricted by that label. The track here has more in common with Led Zeppelin or the criminally overlooked Detective than Yes or Genesis, but their sole album features its fair share of introspection, moody orchestration and 5-minute-plus excursions. A Rainbow's Gold was covered by Iron Maiden for the B-side of some juvenile, Boys' Own, gallopy-crap 7" or other, but don't let that put you off. This is a stonewall classic from an album that is mystifyingly unheralded. Vocalist Terry Wilson-Slesser went on to front Paul Kossoff's Back Street Crawler, turned down an offer to join AC/DC and was considered as a replacement for Paul DiAnno in Iron Maiden. He should have been a star.

Now, do pay attention at the back, 'cause the Hi-Fi Hogs will be changing and I shall be testing you. Here endeth today's lesson. Class dismissed!