Why is modern pop so terrible?

[Sherwood]

He lost his foot to septicemia caused by a burst cyst (which JM himself attributed to the weight of lugging a Les Paul guitar around on stage).
He neglected to get the problem seen to early enough.
Being frequently out of it would have had some bearing on the outcome, but alcohol didn't cause the problem.

Not correct. Alcoholism and its physical complications are major risk factors in septecemia.

His heavy use of alcohol and massive weight gain after amputation were the underlying causes of his death.

Geoff

[Pigmy Pony]

Well, all this just makes him more interesting. Funny how a tendency towards self-destruction and creative talent so often go together.

The album I bought (for £11,99 at HMV, bargain!) is called "Solid Air: Classics Revisited". I'm hoping someone will say "that one's ok, but you should really hear "....."

Not to be confused with "Solid Air", this seems to be a re-working of some of his best known songs, hence the title. What do you think, where should I go next?

[Macca]

'Solid Air' itself. Not massively keen on him myself but that one is a brilliant record.

[struth]

Yes got that on an abbey rd fancy reissue which is well made and sounds good. Not the most dynamic record but good stuff

[montesquieu]

Well I quite like some of the early stuff though he made a couple of albums with his then wife early on which are really good when her flute isn't noodling in the background. To be fair she was a serious artist in her own right and worked with Paul Simon before getting together with JM.

My favourites: London Conversations, a solo (mono only) album, possibly my favourite after Solid Air (the proper album with no added bits, if you can find it - I quite rate the Abbey Road vinyl reissue though I have a couple of earlier pressings including one I bought when I was still at school).

The Juggler and Stormbringer (barring those flutey-bits), these predate Solid Air which is his masterpiece, no question.

One World and Grace and Danger are good as well.

Most of the 80s and 90s are a dead loss and late in life he started fiddling with the back catalogue, bonus tracks and remix CDs and random compiliations - mostly a waste of time.

I've got pretty much everything up till the early 80s on vinyl.

I'm afraid for me you can see his abilities slip the more wasted he got. The voice, so expressive at the beginning, is an incoherent growl from surprisingly early

[Pigmy Pony]

I think I might pass on the stuff he did with his wife, I hate it when a woman's flute starts noodling in the background, but Solid Air seems to be a popular choice. Thank you all for your suggestions, most helpful

[Macca]

For best effect when listening to Solid Air you need a real late 1970s groove on. Get in some Skol lager. Still available and just as bad as it always was. Lights low, you should be burning incense, ideally sandalwood, but anything will do in a pinch. There should be an Indian mandala wall hanging on *at least* one wall. You should be smoking low grade hashish*. Do the first two cans and most of the hash in, then cue up the record.

*This may be illegal in some states or territories, if unsure please check with local law-enforcement authorities before sparking up.

[Sherwood]

For best effect when listening to Solid Air you need a real late 1970s groove on. Get in some Skol lager. Still available and just as bad as it always was. Lights low, you should be burning incense, ideally sandalwood, but anything will do in a pinch. There should be an Indian mandala wall hanging on *at least* one wall. You should be smoking low grade hashish*. Do the first two cans and most of the hash in, then cue up the record.

*This may be illegal in some states or territories, if unsure please check with local law-enforcement authorities before sparking up.

For real effect shouldn't that be a Watneys Party Seven?

[Sherwood]

Well I quite like some of the early stuff though he made a couple of albums with his then wife early on which are really good when her flute isn't noodling in the background. To be fair she was a serious artist in her own right and worked with Paul Simon before getting together with JM.

My favourites: London Conversations, a solo (mono only) album, possibly my favourite after Solid Air (the proper album with no added bits, if you can find it - I quite rate the Abbey Road vinyl reissue though I have a couple of earlier pressings including one I bought when I was still at school).

The Juggler and Stormbringer (barring those flutey-bits), these predate Solid Air which is his masterpiece, no question.

One World and Grace and Danger are good as well.

Most of the 80s and 90s are a dead loss and late in life he started fiddling with the back catalogue, bonus tracks and remix CDs and random compiliations - mostly a waste of time.

I've got pretty much everything up till the early 80s on vinyl.

I'm afraid for me you can see his abilities slip the more wasted he got. The voice, so expressive at the beginning, is an incoherent growl from surprisingly early

Agreed! I don't subscribe to the drug and alcohol fuelled creativity theory myself!

Geoff

[Sherwood]

Yes got that on an abbey rd fancy reissue which is well made and sounds good. Not the most dynamic record but good stuff

Not possible for it to be dynamic! It is a great record but the whole concept is meditative stream of consciousness stuff!

Geoff