Gentle Giant: Discography Part 2 (1975 - 1980) 6 more albums | Urbanaspirines

 Well I mean you KNEW it was coming right?

Gentle Giant: Discography Part 2 (1975 - 1980)

07. Free Hand (1975)
08. Interview (1976)
09. The Missing Piece (1977)
10. Playing The Fool (Live) (1977)
11. Giant for a Day! (1978)
12. Civilian (1980)

Kostas says: 

Free Hand is perhaps Gentle Giant's most realized effort. After the excellent In a Glass House, the group further developed its Renaissance-medieval approach, producing one of the most creative and complex 

recordings in progressive rock history. Their vocal approach to the four-part fugue "On Reflection" was revolutionary for its time and is looked upon as one of the genre's defining moments. Despite the complexity of the arrangements, the music never sounds academic and in fact is very accessible thanks to several melodic hooks. The combination of superb musicianship, dry wit, and creative compositions make this an essential and historical recording.  

read on here . . . . .

 

I searched through an awful lot of live footage of the band but really couldn’t bring myself to post any (never trust a man who seems to have had a perm, over trimmed beard and a white shortsleeved safari jumpsuit would be my best advice!!) so there is this album track which I found about bearable! It’ called Nothing at All!

😉😂

Gentle Giant - Nothing At All 

Now she sits by the riverside Watching the waters glide by With a sigh And the things she put faith in Are ripples just waving her by With a sigh She sees lovers pass by with much more than a kiss Ah, this is a girl who had everything Finds she's nothing at all Now the wind seems so cold Seems so old as it laughs at her fears And her tears And as ducks swim away from her Visions of past love appear In her tears She sees love in his face as she tells him to go And so here's a girl who had everything Finds she's nothing at all What would she say if she saw him, yeah Now that she's gone, man, you're losing Now you can see what she's seeing, yeah For sure she's more than just choosing Now she sits by the riverside Watching the waters glide by With a sigh And the things she put faith in Are ripples just waving her by With a sigh She sees lovers pass by with much more than a kiss Ah, this is a girl who had everything Finds she's nothing at all

Gentle Giant: Discography Part 1 (1970 - 1974) | Urbanaspirines

 Gentle Giant: Discography Part 1 (1970 - 1974)

Kostas has done another comprehensive profile of Brit prog rock masters Gentle Giant

Not my style but that has nothing to do with anything, Kostas is so thorough it deserves our attention and especially if you are a fan

[Noting this is merely Part One of his profile and we will keep a weather eye out for Vol Two]

A KOSTAS SPECIAL

As he says:

"Formed at the dawn of the progressive rock era, Gentle Giant seemed poised for a time in the mid-'70s to break out of their cult-band status, but they somehow never made the jump. Somewhat closer in spirit to Yes and King Crimson than to Emerson, Lake & Palmer or the Nice, their unique sound melded hard rock and classical music, with an almost medieval approach to singing. Gentle Giant is known as the paradigmatic progressive rock band. With an uncomparable musicianship, they went as far as no one ever did into unexplored grounds in the progressive music, navigating over dissonant 20th-century classical chamber music, medieval vocal music, jazz and rock. The multi-instrumentation capabilities of the musicians gave such dynamic to their music, which set parameters to a whole coming generation up to these very days. They explored Moogs, Mellotrons and Fender Rhodes usage with such majesty! Not to mention other instruments like oboes, violins, cellos and horns among others"

read on here . . . .

DALLAS GREEN (CITY & COLOUR) Studio Discography 2005 - 2015 | URBANASPIRINES

 ARTIST OF THE MONTH!

City And Colour: Studio Discography 2005 - 2015

and again (of course) Kostas turns up trumps and introduces us (well me!) to new face and a new voice . . . . 

sheesh is there no limit to the deaths of my lack of knowledge and I pretend to know about music

subscribe to Urbanaspirines and find out otherwise

Kostas says:

Dallas Michael John Albert Green (born September 29, 1980) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who records under the name City and Colour. He is also known for his contributions as a singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. In 2005,

he debuted his first full-length album, Sometimes, which achieved platinum certification in 2006. City and Colour began performing in small intimate venues between Alexisonfire tours.The name City and Colour comes from his own name: Dallas, a city, and Green, a colour. His reasoning for the name was that he felt uneasy "putting the album out under the name Dallas Green". Representing the solo work of Canadian musician Dallas Green, City and Colour emerged in the late 2000s, offering an outlet for the singer/songwriter's more introspective, acoustic work.

Dallas Green (City and Colour) - "Hello, I'm In Delaware"

Dallas Green (City and Colour) - "Hello, I'm In Delaware”

read on here . . . .

Roddy Frame: The North Star 1998 + Surf 2002 | URBANASPIRINES (A Kostas personal dedication!)

 

 

Roddy Frame: The North Star 1998 + Surf 2002

Roddy Frame - Small World (for Kostas)

Wow a dedication from my friend Kostas over at URBANASPIRINES and on one of my favourite singer songwriters! Kostas tells us:

"Roddy Frame (born 29 January 1964) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. He was the founder of the 1980s new wave band Aztec Camera and has undertaken a solo career since the group's dissolution. In November 2013, journalist Brian Donaldson described Frame as: "Aztec Camera wunderkind-turned-elder statesman of intelligent, melodic, wistful Scotpop." Since the end of the Aztec Camera project, Frame has released four solo albums, the last of which is 2014's Seven Dials. Best known as the leader of Scottish pop group Aztec Camera, Roddy Frame burst onto the U.K. pop scene as a songwriting wunderkind who became a critical favorite while still in his teens. If the stardom expected of him never quite stuck, Frame has earned a reputation as a gifted, literate tunesmith who has enjoyed a long-running and uncompromising career."

Surf features regularly in my top Ten, Twenty and always Thirty albums of all time.

I am so touched and please read on here . . . . . . .  Roddy Frame at Urbanaspirines

If you don’t have these two download them now you will not regret it I promise!

Roddy Frame - White Pony in 1080p (Live on The Review Show)

Roddy performed this song and 'Oblivious' on BBC's The Review Show on 10th Nov 2013 to promote his album 'Seven Dials'. This was his first TV appearance in 14 years.

There’s some Uppity Blues Women over at the URBANASPIRINES!

  . . . no I know me neither but what Kostas doesn’t know about obscure music geniuses (genii?) can’t be written on the back of my hand . . . what I don’t know is like the inside of Trump's brain ie howling winds of vast landscapes of nothingness!

 The Uppity Blues Women: The Uppity Blues Women 1990 + Hot Flash 1991 + Cleaning House 1996

Ann Rabson, Gaye Adegbalola and Earlene Lewis

by the looks of them you best go check ‘em out here . . . . . . .

Psychic Lemon: Psychic Lemon 2016 + Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay 🍋

Psychic Lemon: Psychic Lemon 2016 + Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay 2018🍋

no me neither but Kostas has been in overdrive with his incredible knowledge of prog rock and psychedelia since having some set backs so head on over and check him out . . . . 

🍋

The Jesus and Mary Chain - URBANASPIRINES | A Kostas 5 Disc special

The Jesus And Mary Chain: Discography 1985 - 1994

Kostas does his usual thorough job of an in depth profile here

Koastas includes the notes:

"Inspired by the sounds of the post-punk surrounding them in the late '70s, the Reids began talking about starting a band for years, but it wasn't until 1983 that they got serious. They made a series of Ramones-influenced demos on home recording gear, then recruited bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Murray Dalglish. This early edition of the band started playing the occasional gig, often uninvited by the club's owners, and soon caught the ear of local lad Bobby Gillespie. Thanks to his passing a tape on to Alan McGee, the band scored a slot at the latter's club The Living Room. Impressed by the band's sound and presentation, McGee signed them to his Creation label and signed on as their manager. In late 1984 -- just as Gillespie joined in place of Dalglish -- the band issued its seminal debut single, "Upside Down," a gnarly blast of live-wire feedback anchored by a caveman-like drumbeat. “

ALBUMS ON THIS POST

01. Psychocandy (1985)
02. Darklands (1987)
03. Automatic (1989)
04. Honey's Dead (1992)
05. Stoned & Dethroned (1994)

5 FLAC downloads

Now I would prolly day they aren’t my favourite band and I think since their early emergence I just felt too hecken freckin’ old to countenance them properly somehow, I have liked some things and get the connections to the Velvets etc but I don't think I own any . . . . . my loss

check them out and Kostas’ profile here

The Jesus and Mary Chain (with Hope Sandoval) - Sometimes Always

Public Image Limited: records 1978 1979 1981 1990 | URBANASPIRINES

 Public Image Limited: First Issue 1978 + Metal Box (Second Edition) 1979 + The Flowers Of Romance 1981 + The Greatest Hits, So far 1990

Kostas does it again and posts a profile of the post Sex Pistols John Lydon joined forces with Jah Wobble, Keith Levine and drummer(s) Jim Walker & Martin Atkins

I bought Metal Box when it came out and loved that first foray into new musics for the former Pistol. Kostas goes on to say:

"Public Image Ltd (abbreviated and stylised as PiL) are an English post-punk band formed by lead vocalist John Lydon (previously, as Johnny Rotten, lead vocalist of the Sex Pistols), guitarist Keith Levene (a founding member of the Clash), bassist Jah Wobble, and drummer Jim Walker in June 1978. The group's line-up has changed frequently over the years; Lydon has been the sole constant member.

Formed by John Lydon in the wake of the collapse of the Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd. is a shape-shifting musical project in which the bilious singer and lyricist explored his ideas without compromise.Depending on what period of the band's career you choose, Public Image Ltd. (officially abbreviated PiL) could sound like bass-heavy post-punk thunder (1978's Public Image: First Issue), an inspired fusion of Krautrock and dub (1979's Metal Box), muscular and expertly executed alternative rock (1986's Album), or polished but angular dance-friendly pop (1989's 9), with many other stops along the way. 

Despite a constantly shifting lineup and musical approach, Lydon's bitter howl -- full of anger, pain, and sometimes sardonic wit -- gave PiL's many guises a musical and thematic through line, and at their best, his collaborators created music as powerful and absorbing as Lydon's intense charisma. Lydon revived PiL for live work in 2009, and the reunion albums This Is PiL (2012), What the World Needs Now (2015), and End of World (2023) featured some of his strongest work since the '80s. In 2023, PiL released the unexpectedly tender song "Hawaii," a love song Lydon wrote for his wife, Nora Foster, who died after a long illness in April 2023. "

read on here . . . .

 

Holly Golightly: 7 Albums 1995 - 2003 |Urbanaspirines | A KOSTAS SPECIAL

 Holly Golightly: 7 Albums 1995 - 2003

Now we discussed Holly before with her connection to Thee Headcoatees with Billy Childish (see links below) some time ago and with Kostas too I believe so he has turned up trumps (no, NO not THAT one!) with this profile of Holly’s work done of her own solo volition . . . . . 7 albums worth and no messing!

Kostas says: After four years as a Headcoatee she also found time to release a debut solo record, The Good Things, in 1995. Where the Headcoatees sound was a blend of girl group sounds and three-chord garage-rock with all the original songs coming from the pen of Billy Childish, Holly’s solo sound is more a blend of pre-rock electric blues, folk rock, and less frantic rock & roll. In addition to Holly’s original songs, she’s also covered a wide range of artists including Willie Dixon, Ike Turner, Lee Hazelwood, Wreckless Eric, and Bill Withers.She is one of the most interesting and diverse artists to come out of the Billy Childish school and is certainly one of the better singer/songwriters of the post-grunge era who seems to get better with every album. Since her debut in 1995, Holly has been very prolific, releasing twelve solo albums, one with Billy Childish (In Blood), one with Dan Melchior (Desperate Little Town), and eight albums alongside The Brokeoffs plus loads of singles for a wide variety of labels. She has toured the world many times, the US being a particular favourite as well as Australia & Europe. 

read on here . . . . . .

Leonard Cohen: Discography 1967 - 1992 | URBANASPIRINES

Leonard Cohen: Discography 1967 - 1992

Well truly another iconic milestone from our Kostas as he turns his gaze upon the Master - Leonard Cohen  -1967 - 1992 . . it is simply essential to own the lot!  Think so, think that’s right?

First We Take Manhattan!

"Cerebral yet sensual Canadian poet, novelist, and singer/songwriter who is recognized as one of the greatest lyricists of all time. Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a songwriter and singer. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, social and political conflict, sexual and romantic love, desire, regret, and loss. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Second only to Bob Dylan (and perhaps Paul Simon), he commanded the attention of critics and younger musicians more firmly than any other musical figure from the '60s who continued to work in the 21st century, which is all the more remarkable an achievement for someone who didn't even aspire to a musical career until he was in his thirties. "

01. Songs Of Leonard Cohen (1967)
02. Songs From A Room (1969)
03. Songs Of Love And Hate (1971)
04. New Skin For The Old Ceremony (1974)
05. Death Of A Ladies' Man (1977)
06. Recent Songs (1979)
07. Various Positions (1984)
08. I'm Your Man (1988)
09. The Future (1992)

read on here . . . .

these tracks below for Kostas at Urbanaspirines and his most regular fan Josef!

 especially the last song which frankly contains moments of comic genius!  including as it does the secret to the meaning of life revealed!!! (sic) . . . . . . . . 😉

Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah (Official Live in London 2008)

Leonard Cohen - Puppets

Leonard Cohen - Tower Of Song (Official Live in London 2008)

The Gits: Discography 1992 - 1994 | URBANASPIRINES - A Kostas Special

 Kostas does his usual tribute again to a band I hadn’t heard of but the terrifyingly sad story of their lead singer's untimely demise is worth checking out and lest we forget a unique voice of punk

MIA ZAPATA

Kostas says: "While the Gits were a band who made a strong impression with their music during their all too brief run, it was how the group suddenly ended that would come to dominate their story. Playing a unique and passionate fusion of first-era punk, hard rock, and streetwise blues, the Gits had a sound that set them apart from their peers in Seattle in the late '80s and early '90s, when the city was hip deep in the grunge explosion. The Gits also had a fearless and charismatic front-woman in lead singer Mia Zapata, but just as the group seemed poised to move up to the next level of popular acceptance, the potential of both the Gits and Zapata were snuffed out when she was raped and murdered in the summer of 1993." 

read on here

The Gits: Discography 1992 - 1994 (2 Albums)

Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls/ Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls 1980 | URBANASPIRINES

Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls: Pauline Murray And The Invisible Girls 1980

The Invisible Girls were a British rock band formed in Salford, Greater Manchester in 1978 to provide a musical backdrop to the recorded output of Salford punk poet John Cooper Clarke. The band's nucleus was Joy Division and New Order producer Martin Hannett and keyboardist Steve Hopkins, with contributions from Pete Shelley of Buzzcocks and Bill Nelson of Be-Bop Deluxe, amongst others. The band played on the first solo album by Pauline Murray (lead singer of Penetration), the eponymous Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls and some singles, and later with Nico for her 1982 single "Procession".

The Invisible Girls was a band formed in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 1978, to provide backing music for punk poet John Cooper Clarke*. It initially featured Factory Records producer Martin Hannett on bass guitar, Steve Hopkins on keyboards, 10cc drummer Paul Burgess, and guitarist Lyn Oakey. This line-up played on Cooper Clarke's debut album Où est la maison de fromage?, before they named themselves the Invisible Girls.   

*where and how I discovered the Invisible Girls backing Dr John Cooper Clarke*

An obviously brilliant follow up from Kostas today after the Penetration posting yesterday!

I bought their first single and album when they came out

read on here . . . . .

For Kostas *

The Invisible Girls back John Cooper Clarke - BEASLEY STREET

The Invisible Girls back John Cooper Clarke - Evidently Chicken Town

PENETRATION: Moving Targets 1978 + Coming Up For Air 1979 | URBANASPIRINES

 Penetration: Moving Targets 1978 + Coming Up For Air 1979

Kostas does his usual in depth profile of Pauline Murray and PENETRATION first two albums - we loved Pauline and The Invisible girls but this a much more comprehensive look at her origins!

A KOSTAS Special

Kostas says?

"Penetration is a punk rock band from County Durham, England formed in 1976. They re-formed in 2001 with several new members. Their debut single, "Don't Dictate", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single and their debut album, Moving Targets (1978), is still widely admired. The band's lineup was lead singer Pauline Murray, Robert Blamire (bass), Gary Smallman (drums) and Gary Chaplin (guitar). Chaplin left in March 1978 being replaced with Neale Floyd, with second guitarist Fred Purser (later of NWOBHM act Tygers of Pan Tang) joining in July. The band dissolved in late 1979. They reformed in 2001 with original members Murray, Blamire and Smallman, and Steve Wallace and Paul Harvey drafted in as new guitarists. Pauline Murray was a force to be reckoned with. Easily one of the best singers to come out of English punk rock."

read on here . . . .

Pauline Murray and Invisible Girls - Dream Sequence [my connection as fearing I was too old for punk proper this sound hit me and bought this when it came out!)

King Crimson: Discography 1969 - 1974 | URBANASPIRINES

 King Crimson: Discography 1969 - 1974 

Kostas start with this "King Crimson are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist and leader Fripp has remained the only constant member throughout the band's long history. If there is one group that embodies progressive rock, it is King Crimson.Led by guitar/Mellotron virtuoso Robert Fripp, during its first five years of existence the band stretched both the language and structure of rock into realms of jazz and classical music, all the while avoiding pop and psychedelic sensibilities. The absence of mainstream compromises and the lack of an overt sense of humor ultimately doomed the group to nothing more than a large cult following, but it made their albums some of the most enduring and respectable of the prog rock era “ read on at the link (above )

 

 01. In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)

02. In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)

03. Lizard (1970)

04. Islands (1971)

05. Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973)

06. Starless and Bible Black (1974)

07. Red (1974)

Kostas does his usual thorough job on King Crimson discography from ’69-’74 and this is well worth the follow up on those fans interested in their origins. Fripp continues to fascinate ad his posts on Facebook on guitar playing are now legendary as are his videoblog entries with his wife Toyah and these are more light hearted and funny . . . check the names of their rabbits

Robert Fripp YouTube page

Robert at Home no 1 

(there are 27 by my count and if you play guitar these are essential (of course!)

Robert Fripp at Home

Happy 2026 from Toyah & Robert and Fripp & Eno!

Heroes (King Crimson London 3rd July 2000)

For KOSTAS!

Peter Gabriel - Plays LIVE! 2 CDs 1983 | Urbanaspirines

 Peter Gabriel: Plays Live 1983

Not so interested in Genesis and (not at all after Peter G left!) but Kostas does his usual great profile of Peter G live recordings and if you haven’t considered the thesis you need to check this out

Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched his solo career with a hit debut single entitled "Solsbury Hill". After Gabriel released four successful studio albums (all entitled Peter Gabriel), his fifth studio album, So (1986), became his best-selling release; it is certified triple platinum in the UK and five times platinum in the US. A 2011 Time report said "Sledgehammer" was the most played music video of all time on MTV.

Producer, Vocals, Synthesizer, Piano, Words By, Music By – Peter Gabriel

Synthesizer, Piano – Larry Fast

Chapman Stick, Bass, Backing Vocals – Tony Levin

Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Jerry Marotta

Guitar, Backing Vocals – David Rhodes

Peter Gabriel - Birdy 1984 on Urban Aspirines HERE

Peter Gabriel - Shock The Monkey (Live in Athens 1987)

And . . . . . 

PETER GABRIEL - SOLSBURY HILL - PLAYS LIVE 1983

Madness: Albums 1979 - 1982 | Urbanaspirines

 Madness: Albums 1979 - 1982

A KOSTAS SPECIAL

Madness are an English ska and pop band from Camden Town, north west London, who formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s/early-1980s two-tone ska revival, they continue to perform with six of the seven members of their original line-up. Madness's most successful period was from 1980 to 1986, when the band's songs spent a total of 214 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, jointly holding the record with English reggae group UB40 for most weeks spent by a group in the UK singles chart during the 1980s.

With a sound rooted in ska, but also showing the influence of classic British pop, Madness have enjoyed a long career full of hit singles, influential albums, and satisfied concert audiences. They were known initially for blending ska rhythms with catchy melodies and a nutty sense of humor on their 1979 debut album One Step Beyond, one of the seminal works of the 2-Tone era. The core of the band formed as the North London Invaders in 1976, and included Mike Barson (Monsieur Barso) on keyboards, Chris Foreman (Chrissy Boy) on guitar and Lee Thompson (Kix) on saxophone. They later recruited John Hasler on drums and Cathal Smyth (better known as Chas Smash) on bass guitar. Later in the year, they were joined by lead vocalist Dikran Tulaine.

read on with Kostas here . . . . . .