Is there other stuff as good? Worth getting any of their albums?
― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Saturday, 21 January 2006 15:03 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/17203
― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Saturday, 21 January 2006 15:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dark Horse, Saturday, 21 January 2006 16:57 (eighteen years ago) link
Got a feeling Scott Seward and Geo the Animale Steele can help.
― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 21 January 2006 17:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 21 January 2006 18:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Saturday, 21 January 2006 18:17 (eighteen years ago) link
Tough to get a handle in their discography, the third and final spotty but occasionally brilliant studio album (contaning Nick of Bevis Frond's favorite guitar solo ever) used to be easily available, I bought some online only live thing once and found a used copy of the first album at R0ck!t Scientist once but of course the second one is supposed to be the one to get.
Ollie and "leather-lunged" Mike Patto are both dead, bassist Clive, if he is still alive lost his memory in a horrible car crash, and drummer John Halsey has an unbendably reset broken leg (the opposite of Les Paul, sort of) from the same accident, I think, and runs a pub in Oxford or Cambridge where he is known to play the odd Rutle tune now and then.
(xpost)
― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 21 January 2006 18:25 (eighteen years ago) link
You could characterize them as a difficult hard rock band with a great vocalist, Mike Patto. It was by parts creepy and wry, very English, not particularly catchy. But they did gripping really well, usually in protest songs that sometimes come off as odd torch numbers. The first album, self-titled, is excellent and contains a few of them -- "Money Bag" and "Government Man." Also a song about, I think, the tubes of an amplifier getting hot -- "Warm Red Glow" -- when the band plays loud. Second album continues in primarily the same vein with "You, You Point Your Finger." Turn the stuff up load and it rocks but doesn't sound much like things with which most people are familiar.
Sense of the Absurd is a CD colllection that combines the entirety of the first two records and some live material. It is an excellent capture of the band.
Rick N. of Cheap Trick liked them, particularly the number called "Green Song" on their third LP. That particular number is short, rampaging early heavy metal. But the album isn't defined by it at all, containing bizarre comedy bits and frankly weird tunes, one of which is sung and acted out by the drummer, John Halsey, if I remember. Fans of Frank Zappa would find much to like in it.
Upthread, Family was an apt citation. Patto doesn't sound like Family but they are in that difficult and very uniquely English style of blocky and quirky hard rock, much like the later Streetwalkers, who were also members of Family, and Boxer, who were Patto continued.
― George the Animal Steele, Saturday, 21 January 2006 18:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 21 January 2006 19:42 (eighteen years ago) link
I spent some time checking out Neil Innes and Kevin Ayers solo records looking for more of that Ollie Halsall magic, but most of the time you can hardly tell it's him playing.
― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Saturday, 21 January 2006 20:13 (eighteen years ago) link
www.olliehalsall.co.uk
― Barry Monks, Thursday, 26 January 2006 00:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 26 January 2006 03:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 26 January 2006 20:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 26 January 2006 21:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Russell (Russell), Thursday, 26 January 2006 22:56 (eighteen years ago) link
There was a right old ruckus in the UK music press about the cover of a Patto album, which had a Naked Lady on it... I think the record company ended up sticking a boxing glove over her front bottom, for decency's sake??? Very different times!
― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 27 January 2006 12:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 27 January 2006 14:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 27 January 2006 14:20 (eighteen years ago) link
I was wondering when we would get to the Boxer cover.
I blame Listener Deejay Jorel.
― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Friday, 27 January 2006 14:32 (eighteen years ago) link
Actually I went back and listened to Bob Seger System last night and I don't really hear this any more. I'm not sure what I was trying to say.
― o. nate (onate), Friday, 27 January 2006 16:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 27 January 2006 16:50 (eighteen years ago) link
http://sonicpollutions.blogspot.com/2006/02/greatest-guitarist-you-never-heard.html
has a video clip and timebox record. i suppose i need to actually hear some patto albums now, eh?
― baby, disco is fuck (yournullfame), Saturday, 4 February 2006 06:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Monday, 27 February 2006 18:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― babysquid (babysquid), Friday, 23 June 2006 14:55 (seventeen years ago) link
Wonder if Hurting ever got any further.
― Orpheus in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 21 July 2013 03:17 (ten years ago) link
This is totally awesome:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ_QW3m_YO8
― Orpheus in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 21 July 2013 03:22 (ten years ago) link
Although I wish it went on longer.
― Orpheus in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 21 July 2013 03:23 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U2xEH0YLNg
― Orpheus in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 21 July 2013 03:26 (ten years ago) link
http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/ollie-halsall-rock-legend-0416-2012.aspx
― Orpheus in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 21 July 2013 03:33 (ten years ago) link
The full video of that John Cale performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et-Gk11mvqM
― Orpheus in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 21 July 2013 03:36 (ten years ago) link
I like this onehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgZH4PkTPp0
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Friday, 11 January 2019 15:37 (five years ago) link
He was not bad at all as a lyricist. The lyrics to The Man are rather good I think.
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Friday, 11 January 2019 15:38 (five years ago) link
It's a fool who never sees its time to loseBut he has to run to win some peace of mindIt's the law that puts me down for what I amCos I dare to kick against their mighty planIt's my belief that good will win through in the endThat keeps me smiling as I use another dayIt's the man with the new car and a smileWho takes my money for the thing I most desire
― longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Friday, 11 January 2019 15:39 (five years ago) link
Cool. Just recruited my neighbor to listen to this band.
― Spirit of the Voice of the Beehive (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 January 2019 23:55 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJIDNkha_M4
― Double Chocula (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 October 2021 01:45 (two years ago) link
The story behind that is kind of interesting actually.
― Double Chocula (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 October 2021 01:52 (two years ago) link
some of it might be here, https://www.olliehalsall.co.uk/zannollie.htm, which seems to have some good information but also some suspect claims.
― Double Chocula (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 October 2021 02:01 (two years ago) link
Had no idea he was a leftie. I assume Andy avoided any further guitar duels with Ollie after this!
― Starmer: "Let the children boogie, let all the children boogie." (Tom D.), Sunday, 24 October 2021 09:24 (two years ago) link
Hah. Totally forgot about that guitar duel. There also seems to a third guitar player I don’t recognize trying to get in on the action. This seems to be the same band and show as seen on a certain John Cale performance of “Heartbreak Hotel”, I believe the whole lineup is listed somewhere in the comments to that video.
― Think Fast, Mr. Mojo Risin’ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 March 2023 18:33 (one year ago) link
Covers of Elvis Presley tunes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHF7b326ydg
― Think Fast, Mr. Mojo Risin’ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 March 2023 18:36 (one year ago) link
Greg Kalabza8 years agoBroadcasted on TVE2 December 2, 1981 on Musical Express, Spain'The band:John Cale, Andy Summers, Ollie Halsall, Zanna Gregmar, Pere Colom and Miguel Figuerola.
― Think Fast, Mr. Mojo Risin’ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 March 2023 18:39 (one year ago) link
I also came to post that I saw something interesting in that interview with the keyboard player, Zanna, who I believe was Ollie’s significant other for a while, about them living in Spain and producing and writing for a Spanish punk artist I was unfamiliar with called Ramoncín. Maybe their is some still unheard Ollie shredding hiding out there!
― Think Fast, Mr. Mojo Risin’ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 March 2023 18:42 (one year ago) link
Their/there
https://www.charlesmarlow.com/blog/2016/03/18/deias-unsung-guitar-hero-ladies-sang-streets-laredo/
― Think Fast, Mr. Mojo Risin’ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 March 2023 19:04 (one year ago) link