It’s been a while since I did a Blog post and as I have been doing a lot of music listening and rediscovery this is about one of the groups I have been enjoying recently. Amon Düül II (or Amon Düül 2) is a German … Continue reading Amon Düül II – The Birth of Krautrock???????
Category: Articles
The London Plane Tree.
Something a little different this time although there is a musical link in here too. It is no secret that I LOVE trees. Such majestic and beautiful objects, they were always high on my list of things to talk about on tours around the garden … Continue reading The London Plane Tree.
Haydn – Symphony No. 104 in D major, H 1/104 “The London Symphony”.
During his first visit to London in 1791-92, the 60-year-old Haydn had already astonished and delighted the London public with such works as the “Surprise” and the “Miracle” symphonies. When the impresario and orchestra director Johann Peter Salomon invited him back a second time, the … Continue reading Haydn – Symphony No. 104 in D major, H 1/104 “The London Symphony”.
David Bowie, musical genius and master of the rebirth – Major Tom to The Diamond Dogs.
Some while ago I did an article about David Bowie's Berlin Album Trilogy (Low, Heroes and Lodger) but there is so much more to this incredible artist that I thought I would post another article sharing some more of his unbelievable work. David Bowie is … Continue reading David Bowie, musical genius and master of the rebirth – Major Tom to The Diamond Dogs.
Let’s Go Wild!
Songs about or including animals seemed like a reasonable list to put together and I have to admit it was fun doing it. "Year of the Cat" is a song by British singer-songwriter Al Stewart, released as a single in July 1976 in the UK … Continue reading Let’s Go Wild!
Kate Bush – Weird, Wacky and Wonderful.
I was asked if I could put together a playlist of tracks by chanteuse extraordinaire Kate Bush and as it was a great opportunity to revisit her albums I got onto the case there and then. I have only included tracks released on albums up … Continue reading Kate Bush – Weird, Wacky and Wonderful.
Also Sprach Zarathustra – There Is More To It Than 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 is a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The composer conducted its first performance on 27 November 1896 in Frankfurt. The initial fanfare – titled "Sunrise" in the composer's … Continue reading Also Sprach Zarathustra – There Is More To It Than 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Leslie’s Queen Extravaganza.
At the start of the first Lockdown I prepared daily playlists for my colleagues to listen to. They proved to be pretty popular and my friends would often send me requests to cover their favourite bands. It’s no secret that Queen is probably Leslie’s favourite … Continue reading Leslie’s Queen Extravaganza.
Bread – Manna from Soft Rock Heaven.
David Gates, the nominal leader of Bread, had already been playing live in various bands for four years by the time he moved to Los Angeles at the age of 21. There, he immediately plugged himself into the burgeoning local scene, writing hits ("Popsicles and … Continue reading Bread – Manna from Soft Rock Heaven.
Sibelius – From Start to Finnish he’s brilliant.
Jean Sibelius was born in Hämeenlinna, Finland, on 8th December 1865, the second of three children. His father died when ‘Janne’ was only two. Although the language spoken at home was Swedish, Janne attended Hämeenlinna’s pioneering Finnish-speaking grammar school. Music was encouraged at home, and … Continue reading Sibelius – From Start to Finnish he’s brilliant.
Read and Listen with Keith 