Blog Archives
William Goode’s Journal – Kevin Ayers
It is with great sadness that I found out of the passing of Kevin Ayers at the age of 68. I’m not going to write a lot as there is plenty to be read on the web written by people who knew him and had interviewed him. However I felt his passing should be remembered. I feel his position in the world of music especially UK music had been a little forgotten, as many like him are. I know many people admired his talent and how he lived his musical life in his own way.
Kevin Ayers
I first new of Kevin Ayers the same as many did through Soft Machine who chose their band name from the book by Willam S Burroughs “The Soft machine”. Apparently band member Daevid Allen, an Australian knew William S Burroughs and rang him and asked him for his permission. Obviously given.
Soft Machine were one of the most influential bands ever and part of the “Canterbury Scene” which included other great bands including Caravan, Gong, Hatfield and North, Egg and Matching Mole, there were many more.
The influential band Soft Machine
Kevin Ayers was a founding member of Soft Machine for only their first album and felt the jazzy and extended solos direction they wished to go in didn’t suit him and so he left for a solo and collaboration career. He went on to record many solo albums the first being Joy Of A Toy and his last The Unfairground.
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers ultimately ended up living in France in the lovely village of Montolieu.
He will be remembered as a key figure in the British Prog/Psychedelia scene and of course as one of the great British songwriters.
Kevin Ayers time recording for the Harvest label included working with Mike Oldfield and Robert Wyatt (Wyatt was a Soft Machine member) along with other great musicians such as David Bedford and Lol Coxhill (both Bedford and Coxhill recorded for John Peels Dandelion label for a short time. The Dandelion label is another interesting story).
Kevin Ayers at one stage recorded for the Harvest record label.
In one interview Kevin Ayers says ”I think you have to have a bit missing upstairs, or just be hungry for fame and money, to play the industry game. I’m not very good at it.”
That kind of sums up his attitude to the music business and who can disagree with him.
He was a consumate artist who wasn’t prepared to sacrifice his ideal of what his music should be just to be part of a business he couldn’t quite believe in. You can only admire him for that.
He has left us all a wealth of music and the world is a better place for it.
The young Kevin Ayers
William Goode’s Journal – Madness – Our house
The wonderful, wonderful Madness with Our House.
William Goode’s Journal – Kink Dave Davies
This is a beautiful song, well worth a listen.
William Goode’s Journal – A change of focus
This blog is changing focus, there will still be posts on recording and music technology, however there’s been a great deal happening economically, socially and politically over the last two or three years and much to write about. The emphasis will now be on on politics, art and music.
William Goode
The Outer Blue Records and Publishing releases include music, poetry, pinhole photography and art, drawings and painting. This is the current bio.
Outer Blue is an independent record and publishing label founded by William Goode.
William Goode is an Australian poet, electronic and folk musician, pinhole camera photographer and painter. He has released and recorded music under the aliases Big Moth, Calum MacDonald,The Crime Poets, The Political Cellos and of course William Goode.
His recording output has included electronic/ambient techno, folk, avant garde/experimental, electric guitar driven songs and spoken word.
William Goode poetry crosses from the avant-garde L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E (language poetry) to “Dark”, “Haiku” and “Prose”.
Electronic art is considered a result of conceptual art and is connected closely to digital art, video art and electronic music.
Examples of William Goodes electronic art can be found at the William Goode website along with his paintings. William Goode generally uses his own photography for his album and EP releases.
William Goode is a supporter of amateurism and uninhibited responsive artistic communication considering this as leading to more spontaneous and authentic art.
Amateurism is not just considered in monetery terms or as a measure of professionalism but as a way of thinking, of how art is undertaken, the act of the performance, the doing and the making being more or at least equally as important as the actual finished work.
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William Goode’s Journal – Levon Helm
This week was a sad one for music. Levon Helm passed away at the age of 71 from cancer. He had a great career which of course blossomed with Bob Dylans backing band and then a massive act in their own right “The Band“.
He was a multi instrumentalist, actor and singer who contributed a lot of the great vocals on “The Bands” work. He will sadly be missed by his many fans.
As a little tribute to the man I dedicate this weeks “recording Studio of the week” to him. He had his own studios which was the home of the “midnight rambles” live studio sessions.
Enjoy this small peak into Levon Helms studios as we remember him and the pleasure he brought to us.
Photos courtesy of LevonHelm.com, Two Guys and a Map and various.
Levon Helm the multi-instrumentalist
Levon Helms studio
- Outside view of Levon Helms studio
Levon Helm later in life
The famous Big Pink where “The Band” recorded
Another shot of “The Big Pink”
The front cover of the fabulous “Band” album “The Band”
Cover from “The Band” album “Music from Big Pink” released in 1968
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