Road Music

I took some care selecting CDs and books to bring to KL. The kids’ luggage precludes me loading anything I fancy and I was also keenly aware we haven’t got that long to stay here, and there are lots of books to read on the premises anyway, so I didn’t want to carry stuff just for the sake of having it around.

Coming up from Singapore we listened to Rachid Taha’s Diwan, Fairport Convention’s Liege & Lief, Ry Cooder’s Chavez Ravine and Kate Bush’s Lionheart – a reasonably eclectic bunch.

It’s been quite a while since I listened to either of the two studio albums I’ve got by Rachid Taha since we (he’s a great favourite of Noi also) tend to play the live stuff these days, and I was struck by the relatively delicacy of the sound on Diwan compared to the rip-roaring side we’ve come to know and love. I just wish we knew what he was singing about, but it sounds great anyway. Perhaps the mystery enhances the material? There are quite a number of bands who’d benefit from greater lyrical incomprehensibility.

Occasionally I’ve been given to thinking that this might be the case with some of Kate Bush’s fruitier material, but playing Lionheart again was a reminder of her talent for a yearning melody. For some reason I tend to prefer the general textures of sound and arrangements on her earliest material. I think the production ages well, especially compared to Hounds of Love, which to these ears sounds very much of its era. One reason for selecting this album was that Fi Fi listened to it a few times when we were in England and her instant recognition of the first track (she remembered the title, which is more than I can ever do) was gratifying.

I included Liege & Lief for entirely nostalgic reasons, and I must admit that I think it’s aged rather badly. There’s a peculiarly claustrophobic, overly-dense feel to the CD sound. Is this a case of something sounding better as an analogue recording? My old lp sounded rich and full, sort of ‘right’ somehow. Maybe it’s just my ears that have changed with time. The other thing that jarred a little was my realisation that beautifully though Sandy Denny sings the songs she doesn’t really mean any of this: it’s all a bit twee. The ending of The Deserter is a major cop-out. You can’t imagine The Pogues standing up for queen and country in the same fashion.

In contrast, the political message of Chavez Ravine genuinely bites, helped by the thoroughly informative liner notes and excellent translations of the Spanish lyrics. As well as being a great musician Ry turns out to be one of the good guys. I love the different voices on this one. I love the loose Latin rhythms, so much more friendly than the mechanically danceable stuff you get from the likes of Ricky Martin. I love the variety of song types (it’s almost a compendium of what you can do within this genre), from the 50’s style Chinito Chinito and Three Cool Cats to material which sounds highly sophisticated and very much of the moment, like the opening and closing tracks.

And that was just what we got coming up in the car. It’s a full life!