Patto

http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/17203

Got a feeling Scott Seward and Geo the Animale Steele can help.

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)

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.

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.

www.olliehalsall.co.uk

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!

I was wondering when we would get to the Boxer cover.

I blame Listener Deejay Jorel.

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.

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?

Wonder if Hurting ever got any further.

This is totally awesome:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ_QW3m_YO8

Although I wish it went on longer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U2xEH0YLNg

http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/ollie-halsall-rock-legend-0416-2012.aspx

The full video of that John Cale performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et-Gk11mvqM

I like this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgZH4PkTPp0

He was not bad at all as a lyricist. The lyrics to The Man are rather good I think.

It's a fool who never sees its time to lose
But he has to run to win some peace of mind
It's the law that puts me down for what I am
Cos I dare to kick against their mighty plan
It's my belief that good will win through in the end
That keeps me smiling as I use another day
It's the man with the new car and a smile
Who takes my money for the thing I most desire

Cool. Just recruited my neighbor to listen to this band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJIDNkha_M4

The story behind that is kind of interesting actually.

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.

Had no idea he was a leftie. I assume Andy avoided any further guitar duels with Ollie after this!

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.

Covers of Elvis Presley tunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHF7b326ydg

Greg Kalabza
8 years ago
Broadcasted on TVE2 December 2, 1981 on Musical Express, Spain'
The band:
John Cale, Andy Summers, Ollie Halsall, Zanna Gregmar, Pere Colom and Miguel Figuerola.

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!

Their/there

https://www.charlesmarlow.com/blog/2016/03/18/deias-unsung-guitar-hero-ladies-sang-streets-laredo/