Soft Machine:Out-Bloody-Rageous.Biography

In all probability a paperback verison of OBR, extended/updated, will be published hopefully towards the end of 2007. Graham Bennett and I have been exchanging correspondence and made comment about Karl Jenkins' Desert Island Disc programme - where he did not mention Soft Machine directly.......................sort of reinforces a story heard last year about the auditions to find Allan Holdsworth's replacement and Ollie Hassell turned up (needs confirmation but then will possibly be part of the updates).

Edited by Dick Heath - April 26 2007 at 12:01

Although I have yet to see the books mentioned above , I suspect that the more original one will have an edge to win, and OBR has a chance right behind the Detroit RnR Birth book.

Dick Heath wrote: Gary Lucas is acknowledged in Out Bloody Rageous! No real objections to sensible tangents thrown up in threads, subject matter can be quite educational.

I was just kidding anyway, discussing the buckleys can only match the prog we discuss everyday.

Anyway, about a third of the way through VDGG's book and then OBR.

Edited by Sean Trane

Shouldn't we be discussing Soft Machine?

Dick Heath wrote: Sean Trane wrote: [QUOTE=Dick Heath][QUOTE=Sean Trane]   I mean Jeff's achievement was one sole album (however good Grace was) which does not come to knee height of Happy/Sad or Starsailor. I mean Jeff spend years studying classic rock in school etc... buthis final achievement is rather tiny. Tim had around eight records hal;f of them absolute classics. Sure Jeff was completely destabilized from not having his father around (Tim has only seen Jeff twice or maybe four times as a baby) , but he was an underachiever.     I have 5 or 6 Tim Buckley albums, and perhaps the postumously released Letter from London  is my favourite  (Danny Thompson is on great form), followed by the fairly obvious choice, Goodbye Hello. Otherwise, I find others including Starsailor, uneven.  Personally, if asked the best rock album of the 90's, I would go for Grace (Nirvana' Nevermind some distance behind). Check out the album Gary Lucas managed to get the Buckey's estate to issue under his and Jeff Buckley's joint names, Songs to No One [1991-1992] - it clearly reveals the development of Buckley from an inhibited ('put upon', a term I've heard privately) individual to a quite masterful singer. What the Buckley estate don't want you to know, is Buckley's biggest hits were originally written by Gary Lucas, in his capacity as Buckley mentor - even musical tutor - Lucas gave Buckley a cassette with the instumental versions of Grace & Mojo Pin, and told Buckley to go ahead write lyrics and rearrange as necessary - the result is what you hear on Grace. Listen to Lucas's Level the Playing Field [Early Hurly Burly 1988-1994]   for the original demos.   http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse /-/1OK5QKS5AOHUF/026-9226558-7204446

I'm very interested in this topic, got the book and a fair number of Tim albums, plus all the various "albums" that came out after Jeff's death ...

Interesting angle on  Lucas as a crucial songwriter ... the bitterness of Mary, Jeff's mother towards Tim, is something that Lee Underwood has spoken out against quite often, although Underwood himself can be a Tim-worshipper ...

Although I have no doubt that Tim was the greater talent, I think calling Jeff Buckley an underacheiver is quite unfair though ... the scene had changed so much ... and I believe he should be judged on Grace alone ... it's an excellent legacy ... I get very frustrated thinking about this one ...  

Some Updates.

 

Gary Lucas (let's name drop!! - see the blog for 4th January for more detail at www.garylucas.com ) introduced me to Mike Barnes (the definitive Beefheart biographer) just after Christamas, who spent some time talking about Out Bloody Rageous and Robert Wyatt. Barnes reckons OBR is the best rock biog he's read, and anticipates a lead review in Mojo magazone soon. Jon Newey editor of Jazzwise magazine, is also reviewing it (contacted me to complain about the errors but more so to moan about the comments made by Bennett wrt Stuart Nicholson's Jazz Rock A History) - so clearly a book that interests both rock and jazz people. Graham Bennett also tells me it is up for a prestiguous US publishing award!

Sean Trane wrote: [QUOTE=Dick Heath][QUOTE=Sean Trane]   I mean Jeff's achievement was one sole album (however good Grace was) which does not come to knee height of Happy/Sad or Starsailor. I mean Jeff spend years studying classic rock in school etc... buthis final achievement is rather tiny. Tim had around eight records hal;f of them absolute classics. Sure Jeff was completely destabilized from not having his father around (Tim has only seen Jeff twice or maybe four times as a baby) , but he was an underachiever.

 

I have 5 or 6 Tim Buckley albums, and perhaps the postumously released Letter from London  is my favourite  (Danny Thompson is on great form), followed by the fairly obvious choice, Goodbye Hello. Otherwise, I find others including Starsailor, uneven.  Personally, if asked the best rock album of the 90's, I would go for Grace (Nirvana' Nevermind some distance behind). Check out the album Gary Lucas managed to get the Buckey's estate to issue under his and Jeff Buckley's joint names, Songs to No One [1991-1992] - it clearly reveals the development of Buckley from an inhibited ('put upon', a term I've heard privately) individual to a quite masterful singer. What the Buckley estate don't want you to know, is Buckley's biggest hits were originally written by Gary Lucas, in his capacity as Buckley mentor - even musical tutor - Lucas gave Buckley a cassette with the instumental versions of Grace & Mojo Pin, and told Buckley to go ahead write lyrics and rearrange as necessary - the result is what you hear on Grace. Listen to Lucas's Level the Playing Field [Early Hurly Burly 1988-1994]   for the original demos.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse /-/1OK5QKS5AOHUF/026-9226558-7204446

Edited by Dick Heath

Sean Trane wrote: I have no idea when I will be able to finish Dream Brothers (Buckley father/Son)

What is this like?  I know Gary Lucas pretty well, and he told me  he was particularly annoyed at some rewriting of the truth, on the beheast of Jeff Buckley's mother. And it is increasingly clear that the postumous double CD My Sweetheart The Drunk, included tracks Jeff Buckley never intended releasing (one was for his girlfriend's ears only), but his mother insisted - although I wonder if the delightfully quirky Genesis cover would otherwise ever been released. I started reading the Tim Buckley biog written by his guitarist Lee Underwood, but the style got to me and put it down - besides with the availability of the Soft Machine biog, then the Gentle Giant biog, these were much more preferable choices.

Edited by Dick Heath

I agree with you that it lacks of consistency.

Alucard wrote: I know only the Robert Wyatt Biography 'Wrong Movement' and I am looking forward to read Bennett's book!

"Wrong movement" is good and includes a little Gong chapter.