U2 "The Joshua Tree" 1987*****

I was just yesterday at the Amsterdam Arena (home of the historic Ajax football team) to see U2 on their "Joshua Tree" Tour, commemorating the 30th Anniversary of what is arguably their best album - or, at least, the one that catapulted them to super-stardom. Touring whole albums has become the latest fashion in rock concerts, one I'm not sure I like - though I did enjoy The Who's Quadrophenia and would have loved to have seen Roger Waters' The Wall, it seems too self-celebratory, almost relegating the LP into a museum article. Maybe this is the destiny of Rock, now that its pioneers are slowly leaving us: Classic albums to be performed in their whole by tribute bands striving to replicate the original note by note, while the original artists always tried to differentiate from the studio versions to keep their music sounding fresh. After all this is what happens with classical music, why not with rock'n'roll now that this art form is already 60 years old?

U2 were not the obvious candidates for this treatment though, since they hadn't until now given in to nostalgia, always looking towards the next step in their evolution. Some attribute this sudden nostalgia exercise to the iTunes giveaway fiasco with their latest album and/or problems with the finalising of its planned successor "Songs Of Experience". It may be equally due to the Trump presidency in the U.S. which makes this particular album ever so relevant, as its celebration of America is mixed with criticism of its international policies under another ultra-conservative president, Ronald Reagan.

So this tour finds U2 at their most political, something which is sure to annoy many fans (especially) on the right as well as on the left: not everybody finds Bono's fraternising with "charitable" billionaires and hypocritical politicians to their taste. I, for one, wasn't thrilled to see his wall of "inspirational" female figures include IMF boss Christine Lagarde, German chancellor Angela Merkell and U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He stopped thankfully short of including Margaret Thatcher, being young and poor (or maybe Irish) enough at the time to know how she ruled Great Britain. But that's Bono: coming from a Christian rather than socialist background, he's (thankfully) sensitive to the human impact of politics but unaware of the bigger socio-economic picture. He did include a poignant video on the Syrian refugee crisis set to the music of the Passengers track "Miss Sarajevo" and thanked the Dutch for opening their country and their hearts to refugees - though how many of them deserve his thanks remains debateable. I do hope his anti-war, anti-racist, feminist and pro-human rights message reached some people in the audience. He even name-checks Trump (see the "Exit" video clip below), though he does it somewhat more tastefully than Roger Waters does in his concerts.
 
The concert began with the band playing some of their earliest songs on a small podium perched among the crowd in the middle of the arena, probably meant to symbolise their humble new wave beginnings. Moving on to the Joshua Tree album, they were dwarfed in front of the biggest screen I've seen in a concert. It seemed nevertheless fitting, a huge cinemascope screen for an equally widescreen album inspired by the majestic American landscapes. The great use of photography by their associate Anton Corbijn (who, being Dutch, got extra cheers by the audience), combined with the faultless and soulful song renditions of the band, to make this an unforgettable concert experience. The third part of the concert focused on their greatest post-Joshua Tree hits, leaving the audience feeling thoroughly satisfied, if not ecstatic.

As for the original LP celebrated in this tour, there's little left to be said: One of the best known, most iconic and successful 80's albums, it established U2 as one of the greatest rock bands on the planet. Under the working title "Two Americas" (in Bono's words "the mythical and the real one") it is both a love letter to the the American landscape and popular culture, and a condemnation of  its politics under the Reagan administration. Opener "Where The Streets Have No Name" is introduced with some atmospheric synths, while The Edge's guitar fades in slowly, insistent bass and drums kicking in after the 1-minute mark. Bono's vocals are passionate and committed, as they are throughout the album. As good as the singer is though, it's still The Edge's star that shines more brightly. He established a personal style distinct from the loud and flashy metal guitarists of the era as well as from blues guitar heroes like Clapton. His ringing arpeggios here are the perfect example, it is a "travelling" sound evoking the wide open spaces of America that inspired this record. American folk, country and blues are also a big influence on the record, mixed with the new wave sound of the band's early days. Examples of this "americanization" include the slide guitar in the ballad "Running to Stand Still", harmonica in both this and the uptempo "Trip Through Your Wires" and the gospel feel of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". Instead of the celebratory tones of classic gospel, Bono emphasises doubt and a search for spirituality not yet won, but his delivery is no less uplifting for that. Lead single "With Or Without You" is an atmospheric ballad with an expressive vocal ranging from the soft whisper of the beginning to wailing in the latter third of the song. It's followed by its polar opposite, the aggressive hard rock of "Bullet The Blue Sky". Inspired by Bono's travels in Central America, The Edge's guitar evokes the sounds of war (explosions, low flying fighter planes) over a sinister beat while Bono spits out angry lyrics against U.S. foreign policy and the misery it inflicts on simple people. 

Back cover: U2 and The Tree they made world famous

This opening foursome of songs is so strong it often unfairly puts the rest of the album in its shade, but side two of the original vinyl also contained some gems. It opened with the lyrical folk of "Red Hill Mining Town" (about the great UK miners' strike of '84), followed by the Americana of the upbeat "God's Country" and bluesy "Trip Through Your Wires". "One Tree Hill" is another emotional moment, a ballad dedicated to their dead Maori friend and roadie Greg Carroll, referencing both the same-named place in New Zealand and Chilean singer Victor Jara. Bono-as-champion-of-worldwide-good-causes also surfaces on the last track, the touching "Mothers Of The Disappeared". "Exit", sung from the perspective of a serial killer, is the odd song out in this collection. Scary, primal and raw, it reminds me of early Nick Cave. Makes sense when you learn they hired Flood as engineer on the strength of his work on Cave's "From Her...To  Eternity" and "The Firstborn Is Dead". The production and technical aspects of the album are exemplary. Producer Brian Eno wisely sticks to the basic sound of a 4-piece rock band: guitar, bass, drums, and voice. No flourishes, no synths, no 80's production tricks. Though there is some sonic trickery involved, notably with The Edge's guitar sound, Eno's penchant for experimentation is offset by co-producer Daniel Lanois' earthiness to produce a perfectly balanced record. No question, the stars had aligned to give us a rock masterpiece that still shines 30 years after its initial release. For those of us who had grown tired of its ubiquitousness in the late 80's, it's time to rediscover it.

***** for Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With Or Without You, Bullet The Blue Sky

**** for Running To Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, One Tree Hill, Exit, Mothers Of The Disappeared 

*** for Trip Through Your Wires

"The Joshua Tree" tour, 30 years later: "Exit" is introduced by a clip from an old Western: a con man named... Trump breeds fear into the hearts of his countrymen and promises to keep them safe by building a protective wall (sounds familiar?) The good cowboy challenges him "You're a liar, Trump" but he's chased away by a majority eager to buy security whatever the price. U2 then launch into what is possibly their wildest song ever. The song's key phrase "The hands that build can also destroy" summarises the band's loving (but also critical) view on the United States of America

 

Come "Near Life Experience" 1996***

I remember seeing Come at the Rodon Club around the time this album came out, acting as the backing band for Steve Wynn, one of my favourite indie/ paisley underground artists. It was a good show with the band replicating that classic Dream Syndicate sound (think Velvet Underground-meets-Crazy Horse - incidentally that whole concert is available for free download here - with the artist's permission). On the strength of their performance I decided to get their CD. It was the band's third and it had found them at a crossroads, as the rhythm section had just quit, leaving Zedek and Brokaw to record the album with a cast of guest musicians. They made the best out of it, enriching their sound and adding uncommon (for them) instruments like trumpet, violin and marimba. The album opens with the typically intense "Hurricane", sung by Thalia Zedek whose ragged voice sounds like a cross between early P.J.Harvey and Courtney Love. Grungy single "Secret Number" and trumpet-augmented "Bitten" are cut from the same cloth, while "Weak as the Moon" is less noisy, more VU-inspired. The drumming on this side is consistently good and I had to check who the guest drummer was (Mac McNeilly of the Jesus Lizard). Actually all the guest musicians here play well and, more importantly, blend in seamlessly with the band. Side 2 is considerably more laid-back and restrained, starting with the Brokaw-sung "Shoot Me First" which reminds of the indie Americana of the aforementioned Steve Wynn or the Walkabouts. The use of marimba in "Walk On's" gives it a Patti Smith-meets-Tom Waits air, "Half Life" is a more intense version of Calexico' s Western-movie sounds, and "Sloe-Eyed" proves that Come can also do wistful ballads. This CD was my introduction to the world of Come (I don't count the Wynn concert as they didn't play their own songs). Short (8songs/32 minutes) but satisfactorily varied, it ticked a lot of my boxes but didn't make me an instant fan. Recommended for those who like their indie rock a bit on the rough side.

**** for Hurricane, Weak as the Moon, Shoot Me First, Half Life

*** for Secret Number, Bitten, Walk On's, Sloe-Eyed

With a ridiculous cover like that, you can bet I bought this album for a joke! A Japanese salsa band? Ha! what next? Brazilian death metal? Hasidic Jewish reggae perhaps? How about British blues? Sure it doesn't sound so funny now, but what could possibly those white boys from London or Newcastle have in common with old black cotton pickers from Mississippi? Thankfully Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page never asked themselves this question, they just went ahead and played from the heart. Orquesta De La Luz likewise ignored the fact their Asian heritage is about as far from Latin American culture as it gets, and played the music dictated by their heart - and feet, of course. The band's first (self-funded) New York tour in '89 was warmly received and by the time it was over they were given the chance to record their debut "Salsa Caliente Del Japon". It subsequently spent 11 weeks on the top of the Latin charts - which means that lots of American Cubans and Puerto Ricans bought it. Did they ask whether it was authentically "Latin"? No, they just knew that it was great to dance to.

The band went on with remarkable success, featuring an everchanging lineup of which the only constant was singer Nora Suzuki. This particular incarnation consisted of 12 musicians, including many percussionists (conga, timbales etc) and horn players. There are some variations in rhythm but it's all upbeat and dancey Latin music - I'm afraid I can't describe it any better. You see I like this music but I'm no connoisseur, I can scarcely tell mambo from cumbia and salsa from samba. The only song that sticks out is a cover of Luther Vandross' R&B ballad "There's Nothing Better Than Love". It's also interesting to notice that, although the album is a mix of covers and originals, it is Nora's own compositions that steal the show: "Salsa Caliente Del Japon", "Solo Un Juego", "Cuero Sono" - and that despite the fact that most band members didn't have an idea what they were singing about as they didn't speak a word of Spanish.

**** for Salsa Caliente Del Japon, Solo Un Juego, Tu Eres El Hombre, Salsa Es Mi Energia, Cuero Sono

*** for Tu Me Llenas, Acaba Ya, Tanto Te Ame, No Me Lleves Contigo, There's Nothing Better Than Love

Tümata "Baksi Dansi - Improvize" 2001(?)**

I was cataloguing my collection on discogs today and came across this CD which I think I'm listening today for the first time. I remember buying it very well though, it was June 2009 in Istanbul. My girlfriend really wanted to see a Formula 1 race, so we got tickets for the Turkish Grand Prix, which was the closest to our then home in Athens, and which gave us the chance to do something we always wanted: visit the sights of this historic city which also happened to be the place of my paternal grandfather's childhood. The event itself was badly organised and -at least for the people in the cheap seats (not that we had seats mind you, we were just sitting on the ground)- an ordeal. Imagine sitting under the burning sun (it was 40 degrees Celsius) for hours listening to the deafening roar of the engines, just to watch them pass by like a flash in front of you every two minutes. Small water bottles cost €5 or €6, I don't remember the price for a sandwich but it was shocking. There were no screens and no narration, so you had to use your imagination as to what was happening in the race. Small wonder the Turkish Grand Prix was discontinued after a couple of years, the whole thing was a disgrace to the sport. But the rest of the trip was very nice, the food delicious and the locals quite hospitable. The concierge at our hotel was really friendly, gave us a lot of tips and, when he heard I was collecting music from all the places I visit, he suggested some CD's and sent me to his uncle's shop which was specialized in Turkish traditional music. This was just an apartment that didn't look like a shop at all, but did have some CD's lying around - all Sufi/Dervish music. I ended up buying a few CD's suggested by the owner for, I think, 5 or 6 Lira (€3) each.  

This was one of them. I think when we returned I must have heard a few minutes of it and removed it, as I had brought back other CD's more to my taste. This time, though, I listened to all of it and read the liner notes. Apparently Tümata is a collective revolving around Dr. Oruç Güvenç, a musician/ethnomusicologist who studied ancient Turkish music healing techniques dating back to that nation's pre-Islamic period at the steppes of Central Asia. Back then, the Baksi (healer) used music and dance to cure patients by, presumably, driving evil spirits away, although Dr. Güvenç has a pseudo-scientific explanation. The instruments used here are Dombra, Tar and Kilkopuz - none of which I had heard before. The first two are plucked instruments similar to the lute and sitar, the latter is played with a bow and looks like a Cretan Lyra or a fiddle. The first song "Baksi Dansi" begins with a sort of incantation and continues with half hour of monotonous plucking. Really boring to listen to, but I suppose the monotony serves a purpose, which is to help the baksi fall into a trance. The second piece "Improvize" is somewhat more pleasant thanks to the more melodic sound of the kilkopuz. Now I'm not a fan of either New Age music or culture, so you can bet I won't be listening to it again soon. If, on the other hand, all these sound interesting to you, there's some relative info here.

*** for Improvize ** for Baksi Dansi

Rapalje "♥" a.k.a. "Hearts" 2014***

I recently found myself at the 10th Keltfest festival in Dordrecht. It was a very nice day, and the festival drew a huge crowd, most of them dressed as highlanders, lords and ladies, peasants and knights, dwarves and elves. Amazing how the Lord of The Rings movies and series like Game Of Thrones captured our collective fancy. There were stalls of medieval cloths and accesories, stalls for food and archery practice, storytellers and, of course, music played by the likes of Germany's folk-punks Kilkenny Knights and, once again, Rapalje from Groningen. Celtic music and culture has become an international phenomenon lately, but maybe that's Europeans re-discovering their Celtic roots as, contrary to what many people think, Celts do not originate from Ireland but inhabited a large piece of the European continent before they were restricted to a part of the British isles. Rapalje certainly do take you back in time with their music, instruments and kilted attires alluding to centuries gone by. They always sell their own stuff at gigs, and they had a stall at the festival, which of course I left with yet another CD for my collection. "♥" is the last of 4 EP's named after the symbols on the playing cards, and it contains their version of Manowar's epic metal ballad "Heart Of Steel", which is treated with a traditional Celtic folk approach and suitably capped with the vivid Scottish military march "The Caber Feidh". Guaranteed to please both folk and metal fans. Another classic song covered here is The Pogues' holiday nugget "Fairytale of New York", but this one doesn't work as well as the original duet. The melodic "Butterfly/Kid on the Mountain" and jaunty "Busindre Reel" are two particularly strong instrumentals, and so are the two ballads "Spancil Hill" and "Teddy O'neill". "The Sick Note" is a hillarious acapella song/rap about a foolish construction worker called (of course) Paddy. It works well onstage, but makes for an awkward album closer. As always Rapalje deliver the goods on record, but you really must see them live for the full effect. Something tells me you'll have a chance next year on the 11th Keltfest, so put it in your calendar already. I hope they'll play a song from Game Of Thrones - I sent them a request on their website, so if you catch them playing an awesome version of "The Raynes Of Castamere" or "The Bear And The Lady Fair", you'll know who to thank...

**** for Heart of Steel/The Caber Feidh, Busindre Reel, Teddy O'neill/Ann-Marie O'neill

*** for Spancil Hill, The Butterfly/Kid on the Mountain, Fairytale of New York, The Sick Note

Ghent Record Shops

When friends visiting Belgium ask me tips about a quick trip to Flanders, I always suggest Ghent. Brugges may be its more famous neighbour but it's way too touristic for me, a bit like walking through a museum. Ghent is just as gorgeous, but it's a living breathing youthful place with a big university and rich night life. When I'm visiting the city with friends, I always take them to Amadeus 2 on Belfort. Not only it's the place for ribs as their motto says, but it has a fantastic art nouvaeu decor - and did I mention the unlimited refills of ribs and baked potatoes? Speaking of dinner suggestions, my current favourite for pasta is Bavet, while Balls And Glory puts a delicious modern spin on the traditional mash-and-meatballs Belgian/Dutch dish. Or, if you can't agree on what to eat, you should seek the newly opened Holy Food Market, an old church turned into a food market with stalls serving everything from Italian pizza to Russian caviar. Bars and nightclubs are aplenty. You can try Hot Club Gent for live jazz or Charlatan and the other bars in that street for more lively entertainment - the possibilities are endless. Just don't forget to make a stop at 't Dreupelkot, a tiny bar serving 200 different kinds and flavours of jenever (the Dutch precursor to gin). It's one of a kind. If you've spent all your money and the weather permits it, just do it like the students: get some chips and beers and hang out by the quay. 

Vinyl lovers of course will need to visit Music Mania (St.-Pietersnieuwstraat 19), the city's best and most historic record store situated on the corner of the huge cultural center Vooruit, another must-visit of Gent. Here you'll find new (€15-25) and used (€6,5-20) vinyl of all kinds. There's a great selection of new wave, proto-electronica, jazz, soul, indie, Belgian pop and rock, as well as 12-inch singles. The place for record collectors. There are also CD's for the less hip, of course (mostly €6,5-9,5). What is every music lover's favourite ice cream flavour? Why, Vynilla of course! The same-named shop at Sint-Kwintensberg 38 may be rather small-ish but you'll find many LPs, especially rock and new wave (new €18-28, used €7-20). CD offers go for €5-10. Vinyl Kitchen does not serve food but will have vinyl lovers salivating just the same. It's on Lange Violettestraat 160, there's no sign outside the door so be careful not to pass it by. They have a really big selection of 2nd hand LPs (mostly €7-11, more for the collectibles). Classic rock, folk, new wave and Belgian groups. Some used CD's around €7. Dune Records is a small shop situated under the shadow of the medieval castle Gravensteen. There are some random LPs and CDs, some without prices. Worth a look. I didn't catch Kiekeboe open when I visited, as it was "closed due to sickness". Another record shop a bit out of the way is Wool-E Shop at Emiel Lossystraat 17. I didn't visit myself but I read good reviews about it. Ghent's Consouling Sounds is more than a record label, it's also a store at Baudelostraat 13. A neat place with a coffee bar and good records (used €5-10, new €20-30) and CDs (used €6, new €14-20). The big emphasis is on metal, dark/new wave and alternative scene. Lastly, though not a record store per se, fnac (Veldstraat 47) always offers listening stations and a variety of CD's (offers are 3 for €20) and LP's (€12-30) both new circulations and random reissues. Lots of Jazz, Pop and Francophone albums. You can also find English books here, but you're better off walking 200 meters to The English Bookstore, a must for 2nd hand English books, with good prices and a friendly owner. Book lovers would also do well to discover Huize Colette a cafe with the tastiest hot chocolate where books are more than part of the decor: you can leaf through them, read them on the spot or buy them. So many other things to do, but I'll leave them for you to discover. UPDATE 2018: Antwerp's Vinyl Touch has opened a shop in Ghent (Nederkouter 8). Some refer to it as a "pop up" shop, so I can't guarantee it will be around next time you visit, but it's worth a visit. All 2nd hand LP's, many on sale for €5, the rest €8-20. UPDATE 2020: Kiekeboe, Vinyl Touch Ghent, and The English Bookstore are now permanently closed. But there's a new record store called Zoe Zoe (Serpentstraat 1) which prides itself on selling "offstream vinyl". You'll find records of bands you've never heard of (alternative, experimental, new wave etc) for €20-30, as well as a few random used ones around €10.