Radio Spiral Scratch

Radio Spiral Scratch takes a look at the 'softer' side of the B-section. Of course, 'Easy Listening' is a bit of a misnomer - most of what you hear here has its 'edge' - the dangerous haze of Bongwater and Carlangas, the politics of Billy Bragg... and we eventually get into the rock 'n' rolls towards the end, for those who need the guitar fix... but we never quite get to 'Punk Rock'. It's the music for a lazy summer afternoon, courtesy Spiral Scratch.

Bonzo Dog Band - History of the Bonzo's - The Intro and the Outro

Radio Spiral Scratch does take a bit of pride in presenting some of the more... out of the way... bands. In fact, due to my Community Radio Ideals, I try to avoid 'Classic Rock'... but we have hit that spot in the collection that hosts 2 of my earliest band 'loves'. bands that I cut my teeth drumming to and that informed my musical preferences ever afterwards: Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult. I don't need to say much more, other than Episode 17 is Spiral Scratch's homage to Rock Gods. 

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - The Wizard

Radio Spiral Scratch rolls through the Early-'B' section of the collection, and, as we are coming down from the Bevis Frond overdose of episode 15, we're locked into the acid rock, some early-60's material, and a little jazz-rock. Included in this are 3 tracks from the first couple of Blue Cheer, and 4 tracks from Blodwyn Pig... and, breaking the 'alphabetical' nature of Radio Spiral Scratch, a mid-90's cover of a Blodwyn Pig track that comes from an unexpected source...

Graham Bond Org - Live at Klooks Kleek - Wade in the Water

Radio Spiral Scratch is back on the show-long feature trail! This time the episode balloons to over two hours, mostly by virtue of the fact that the final track is 42 minutes long... but time is no barrier where the Bevis Frond is concerned! Formed in 1985 by Nick Saloman, already a 15+-year veteran of playing music around the UK. To keep it brief, and the gushing to a minimum, I will say that I bought 'Bevis Through the Looking Glass' because it 'spoke to me' from a record bin in '88... and I never looked back. Even though I went thru a 20-year love affair with punk, Bevis was always with me... for the inestimable Mr Saloman's infinite variety could appeal to almost everyone - to the punk with the heavy guitar and penning some downright stomping tunes... to the songwriter, creating an almost limitless wellspring of earworm-worthy melodies... to the folkie who can find the quintessentially British bucolic acoustic tunes... to the 'stoner' who can float away on the expansive, guitar driven, trippy jams... to the guitar-hero-fetishist, for Nick's protean playing, from stentorian feedback roars and acid-inspired wailing, to concise, melodic playing 'for the song' ticks all the boxes. The world would be a better place if everyone had a little Bevis Frond in their lives.

Bevis Frond - 1986 - Miasma - She's In Love With Time

Radio Spiral Scratch gets harsh. Starting out with some post-punk in a late-80's kinda way, then lay into a set of Big Black - a band that is still the gold standard for bad-tempered abrasive racket... and I love it so. Towards the end we start doting on a few Ottawa bands that are plying those waters unafraid to alienate!

Bitch Magnet - Umber - Motor

Back to Radio Spiral Scratch's miscellany from the early 'B's, focusing mostly on the influence that jazz had on rock... especially when mixed with amplified guitars. We have some solo work from Peter Bardens (pre-Camel) and Ginger Baker (post-Cream), some bands that never released anything during their life-span (Armada), and even a few 'new' things (Badge Epoque Ensemble, Banquet of the Spirits). It's a bit of a variety, but held together with a concept... kinda...

Peter Bardens - The Answer - Homage to the God of Light

Here's another Radio Spiral Scratch's feature (yes, it's long - I might have split it into a 2-part-er... but live and learn, eh?): a look at Brian Auger's work from 1967-1976, from the Trinity to Oblivion Express. His unique fusion of jazz, soul, wiggy late-60's Brit-pop in the Trinity to the more funk-and-soul-infused jazz-rock of the Oblivion Express, this music is immaculately played, uplifting, complex and yet accessible. He is still making music to this day, releasing a live album a scant 5 years ago - I invite you to delve his catalogue further.

Brian Auger & Trinity w/ Julie Driscoll - Open 1967 - Isola Natalie

It's time for Radio Spiral Scratch's Time to ROCK, so this episode deals with ROCK - there's no punk, no jazz, no prog or krautrock experimental excesses. Yes, there is some country-ish rock from Ottawa's Black Boot Trio, and Arbouretum, the drifty alt-rock of Bailter Space... and even classic rock from BTO (yes, BTO, quit bugging me...)... so sit back, nod your head and ROCK...

Black Boot Trio - Pony Ride - Almost Living In Los Angeles

This time Radio Spiral Scratch digs deep into my punk rock past - I was a dyed-in-the-wool punk rocker from the mid-80's to the early-00's.. and still love it, would never ask it to be turned off and always love seeing it live. There is a fair amount of it in my collection that I refuse to sell, whether it's simply because it's Canadian, or that it speaks so clearly of my younger self. This episode runs the gamut from Pub rock to early punk, hardcore, pop-punk, rock-n-roll-style punk... it's all in here. As a milestone, this episode is the first that breaks the 'B'-barrier - to fill the hour, I needed to look forward into the 'B's... because the songs are so short. Witness 'the list':

Battered Wives - Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll

Another Radio Spiral Scratch 'Twofer', in a manner of speaking - last episode, we looked at 2 new bands, in fairly equal quantities... this time it's less-balanced. First, we're going back into the early-70's for one band that was a great influence on me (Atomic Rooster) with their dark proto-prog/hard rock... and it's possible that I should have just concentrated on Atomic Rooster... but I was all aflame about putting Kevin Ayers' 'Confessions of Dr. Dream' epic in this episode, so I did... because it's my podcast.

Kevin Ayers - The Confessions of Dr. Dream (1974)