Dr John Wallace takes a nostalgic look back at the histories and the rock ‘n’ roll craziness behind some of the well-known artists that are coming to our shores to perform this summer.
An impressive range of musical acts are due to perform in Ireland in the coming months. They include Neil Young, formerly of Buffalo Springfield; Eric Clapton, previously of Cream; Lou Reed of Velvet Underground; and the artist formerly known as Prince.
h4. Neil Young
Born in 1945, the son of a well- known sports journalist, this respected Canadian musician came to prominence in 1967 as a member of Buffalo Springfield. The group’s mixture of folk, psychedelia and rock was a critical international success. However, strained relations between group members over ‘artistic differences’ led to the group’s breakup in May 1968.
Two years later, Young formed Crazy Horse with guitarist Danny Whitten. In May 1969 he released one of his most famous songs, Cinnamon Girl. While ill with influenza, he also wrote three hit songs in just one day, including the well-known Down By The River.
Neil Young went on to join Crosby, Stills and Nash in August 1969. After the Goldrush, his third solo album, was released in 1970 and contained his strident condemnation of racism, Southern Man.
Two years later, he released Harvest, recorded with skilled country music session musicians. The record was a massive hit and Heart of Gold went to number one in the US chart. Success, however, was overshadowed by the death, due to overdose, of Whitten after Young had sacked him from the band. The Needle and the Damage Done is a lament for the many gifted music artists who died from opiate misuse.
The release in 1978 of Rust Never Sleeps showed that Neil Young’s talent was enduring. His idiosyncratic vocal delivery and memorable guitar style have won him many fans. They look forward to seeing him play Malahide Castle on 29 June and Cork’s Marquee on 30 June.
h4. Bruce Springsteen
Born in 1949, Bruce Springsteen realized his full potential with Born To Run, recorded in 1975. Next came the sombre but compelling Darkness On The Edge Of Town, followed by The River in 1980. The stark Nebraska was released in 1982. However, it was with the release of the superb Born In The USA that Springsteen was rocketed into mainstream stardom. The album sold 14 million copies worldwide.
Backed by the E Street band, he is without equal, performing live in concerts lasting up to four hours. His Tunnel Of Love album in 1987 had a more intimate approach and he toured with the E Street Band again in 1999. The Boss plays the RDS Dublin on 22, 23 and 25 May.
h4. Leonard Cohen
This columnist last saw Leonard Cohen perform live at the Isle of Wight pop festival in 1970. He appeared, I recall, just after Jimi Hendrix gave a memorable performance, beginning with Voodoo Chile.
Cohen, an acclaimed Canadian poet, first came to public prominence with the all-acoustic Bird On A Wire. This song was much covered, with Cohen, the ‘merchant of melancholy’, reaching out to many self-doubting adolescents.
He was, however, a surprise hit at the Isle of Wight festival despite the perception of his compositions as being somewhat gloomy. Though he has a restricted vocal range, his pop has considerably more depth than average. He mixes pessimism with humour when he writes about his favourite topics, love and religion. Leonard Cohen, sadly, has suffered from depression all his life.
His Songs of Love and Hate was a big hit in Europe while Suzanne and Sisters of Mercy were also popular worldwide. His older followers, and indeed his many new fans, will enjoy his outdoor concert at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham on 13, 14 and 15 June.
h4. Prince
The most controversial rock star since Jimi Hendrix, Prince was the son of a local jazz band leader while his mother was a singer. Although his song I Feel For You was a hit for Chaka Khan, Prince’s breakthrough came in 1982 with Purple Rain. Indeed, he was the first artist since The Beatles to simultaneously have a film, album and a single at number one.
He followed up this major achievement with Little Red Corvette in 1984. This single topped the charts in the US for 24 weeks. His songs were also much covered and Nothing Compares 2 U, sung by Sinead O’Connor, topped the US and UK charts in 1990. 3121, released in 2006, gave him another US number one, proving that he still has huge commercial potential.Prince does not do interviews or promotion and he has made little or no effort to court commercial success. He plays Croke Park Dublin as part of his Earth Tour on Monday 16 June.
h4. Eric Clapton
Cream, formed in 1966, was made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Clapton had previously been part of the Yardbirds. Bruce and Baker had known each other for years, but cannot now be considered friends.
In concert they performed extended live versions of their studio recordings, such as Jack Bruce’s White Room or Sunshine of Your Love which Clapton co-wrote. Some saw the protracted drum solos by Ginger Baker as a stunning feature of Cream, while others saw it as overblown self-indulgence.
By 1968 they were one of the world’s top musical attractions. However, Clapton was tired of playing power-rock and refereeing the ongoing disputes between Bruce and Baker. These ‘artistic differences’ often involved dramatic on-stage fights and even damage to each other’s instruments. The band finally decided to call it a day in 1968.
Very much a product of the late ‘60s, the trio’s first three albums are accepted as blues-rock classics. Eric Clapton, formerly of Cream, plays Cork’s Marquee on 20 June and Malahide Castle on 21 June.
h4. Lou Reed
The Velvet Underground was the avant-rock outfit of the late 1960s. Though not commercially successful, they nevertheless produced groundbreaking music. They were off-beat, provocative and challenging. Their lead singer, Lou Reed, attracted both acclaim and distain in equal measure. With Welshman John Cale, Reed composed ‘sing-speak’ narratives that dealt with urban life and despair, while attempting to merge rock music with the avant-garde.
Pop Art guru, Andy Warhol heard the Velvet Underground play I’m Waiting For The Man in Greenwich Village. He liked their free-ranging, chaotic style and decided that he wanted to manage them. He got the band a contract with MGM’s Verve label. He also produced their first album in 1967, though it failed to ignite the expected sales explosion.
Having quickly dispensed with Warhol, the White Light, White Heat album was recorded with the usual musical pandemonium associated with the group. It was strictly for the purists. John Cale was ousted from the band in 1968 in time-honored rock fashion. The group now quickly moved to a quieter, more relaxed commercial style, with the release in 1970 of Loaded. Lou Reed, however, had quit the band just before the release of the album. And the Underground then simply fizzled out.
Reed’s long-term impact however was significant. By 1971, he had influenced the musical development of Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music and even David Bowie. Bowie went on to produce Reed’s major album Transformer in 1972. Lou Reed, formerly of Velvet Underground, plays the Marquee, Cork on Monday, 23 June.
* The Encyclopedia of Rock is edited by Michael Heatley and published by Flame Tree Publishing.
* John Wallace is a medical doctor with an interest in music.
About Gary Culliton
Loading ...
