Share the post "Album review: JULIE DRISCOLL – 1969 (remaster)"
Cherry Red [Release date: 28.10.22]
From the beginning of her career in the sixties, singer Julie Driscoll had worked with the Brian Auger Trinity. And indeed she fronted that band when she scored two UK Chart hits in 1968, covers of Dylan’s ‘Wheels On Fire’ and Donovan’s ‘Season Of The Witch’.
Her ambitions then saw her moving into a world of more adventurous music, gradually migrating toward an art-rock style, adopting musical forms more familiar in theatre and “low budget” movies.
Arguably, that direction began with her self composed 1969 album, produced by her future husband, Keith Tippett, with a fluid studio band that variously included the great and the good of UK rock, pop and jazz. Including Chris Spedding, James Creggan and a variety of Trinity, Soft Machine, Blossom Toes and other highly respected studio musicians.
It was quite a left field departure, courting jazz aficionados as well as folkrock fans. She was clearly more comfortable handling complex musical arrangements, than she was transposing Dylan into psychedelic pop.
The Cherry Red Tech Team’s sympathetic remastering has added a clarity and a warmth that’s sometimes needed to soften Driscoll’s pointed lyrics.
Her beautifully crafted acoustic folk/rock song, ‘Those That We Love’ has a few sharp lyrical edges, providing effortless proof that she was a songwriter who could turn first and second hand emotions into stories worth telling. Her deep and powerful vocal phrasing might remind you of Grace Slick on ‘Lather’. It did me.
That standout track is bookended by the sorrowful jazzy tones of ballad, ‘Leaving It All Behind’, and the brittle New Wave jazz of ‘A New Awakening’, both juggling difficult memories with future promise.
There’s a strong whiff in both songs of the groundbreaking jazz rock coming across the Atlantic at the time, from bands like Chicago Transit Authority (later just Chicago) and Al Kooper’s band, Blood, Sweat And Tears, especially the punchy brass/horns, punctuating the lyrics.
These highlighted tracks are not unique. The entire album is an exceptional feat of naturalistic songwriting. The real skill Driscoll has is to make them sound relevant and personal. ****
Review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Latest session: Sunday 14 April
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 7 April 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 2 April 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account
Popular (last 10 days)
Share the post "Album review: JULIE DRISCOLL – 1969 (remaster)"
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
