New (to Me) Music - October
- Gayle Ramage
- Oct 27
- 7 min read
Happy Hallowe'en, everyone. As a Scot, it's all about "guising" (trick or treating), carving turnips and dressing up as something actually horror/supernatural related. Well, it would be if I bothered with it, these days. No, my hallowe'en celebrations consist of watching or reading something horror-flavoured. Anyway, if you're reading this then you're here to find out my first-time album listens for October. So let's begin...
Martin Newell - The Greatest Living Englishman (1993)
To date, this is the most successful album of English musician, poet and author, Martin Newell - another artist who I discovered through a link with XTC (see Jen Olive and Pugwash); this album was produced by Andy Partridge, the original owner of the tartan waistcoat that Newell wears on the album cover. There’s a nice Beatlesque sound to some of the songs, like Tribute to the Greatest Living Englishman, which make them very accessible. The dialogue between a lot of the songs was interesting, though I couldn’t quite catch what was being said. And (top) hats off to artists who create a Christmas song that doesn’t sound typically so (Christmas in Suburbia). Being new to the work of Newell, I found that his voice was a mix of John Lennon and Glenn Tilbrook, in places. This jangly pop album was such a delight to listen to, I’ll definitely be checking out more of his work.
Highlights: Before The Hurricane - Tribute to the Greatest Living Englishman - Home Counties Boy - A Street Called Prospect - Christmas In Suburbia - Straight To You Boy - The Jangling Man - An Englishman's Home
Haircut One Hundred - Pelican West (1982)
I selected this, the debut and only one of two studio albums released by '80s English pop group, Haircut One Hundred because it was there most successful of the two, reaching 2 in the UK album chart, as well as spawning three top ten hits taken from the album. There was a fourth hit, Nobody's Fool, which wasn't on the original album release. I also spotted that the band's frontman, Nick Heyward, was playing a solo gig where I live. I wasn't motivated to get a ticket but it did put me in mind of the fact, I only knew two Haircut 100 songs: Love Plus One and Fantastic Day. There were some bops on Pelican West, including the opener Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl). The title of the eighth track on the album got me curious enough to look up the lyrics, but I was disappointed to find it wasn't about the nutritious benefits of baked beans.
Highlights: Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) - Love Plus One - Fantastic Day - Baked Beans - Snow Girl - Surprise Me Again - Calling Captain Autumn
Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)
I’d previously heard the band’s debut album years back, but never ventured to listen to any more. There’s some Gorillaz songs I really love (On Melancholy Hill), and others I can take or leave. There’s also some where I prefer a remix to the original (19-2000 Soulchild Remix). Going into this album, I only knew the singles Dirty Harry, Feel Good Inc, and DARE which I really liked anyway. Completing the album, I think these are my favourites, though I really liked Every Planet We Reach is Dead, the Beach Boys-tinged Don’t Get Lost in Heaven, and the closer and title track, Demon Days.
Highlights: Last Living Souls - Dirty Harry - Every Planet We Reach Is Dead - November Has Come - Fire Coming Out of The Monkey's Head - Don't Get Lost In Heaven - Demon Days
The Bonzo Dog Band - The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse (1968)
As mentioned in back in April's post featuring a solo Neil Innes album, I was well aware of the Bonzos and had heard two of their albums before: their debut, Gorilla, from 1967, and Tadpoles, from 1969. Of this album, I'd already heard the fantastic The Trouser Press which I'd played on my show on Noisebox Radio, but I'd never heard the full album until now. It's what you'd expect from a Bonzo album - silliness wrapped in hooky tunes performed by exceptional musicians. Listening to the spoken intro of Hello Mabel reminds me I should give Viv Stanshall's Rawlinson's End radio show a proper listen, as well as listen to more Bonzos!
Highlights: Postcard - Beautiful Zelda - Hello Mabel - Kama Sutra - Humanoid Boogie - The Trouser Press - My Pink Half of the Drainpipe - Rockaliser Baby - Rhino Cratic Oaths - 11 Mustachioed Daughters
Pink - Try This (2003)
The one and only Pink album I owned was 2002's Mizundaztood. Her debut album, Can't Take Me Home, was more R&B-orientated, and not being a huge fan of that genre, I didn't bother with it. I can still remember washing the windows of my flat in Edinburgh and singing
along with the tracks from this album, like Just Like A Pill and 18-Wheeler Truck, at the top of my voice. I thought the album was great, and I'm not sure why I didn't continue following her career and buying subsequent albums (actually I do - once my eldest was born, I seemed to stop having the time and, more importantly, the money to continue buying all the albums I wish I had). Anyway, I thought I'd pick up where I'd left off all those years ago and take a listen to the follow-up to Mizundaztood: 2003's Try This, only being vaguely familiar with the singles from it. From the opener, Trouble, to the last track, Hooker (I'm curious as to who she's addressing in the latter), I'm happy to report that this is a solid rock album and I’m very much looking forward to hearing all the other Pink albums I’ve been missing out on.
Highlights: Trouble - God Is A DJ - Last To Know - Oh My God - Save My Life - Humble Neighbourhoods - Walk Away - Unwind - Feel Good Time - Hooker
Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen (1985)
Like a good chunk of the artists featured in this music series, Prefab Sprout were yet another band whose work I was only familiar with via a couple of singles, two of which appear on this album from 1985. Having given it a first listen, I'd have to say that I didn't love it (though the fact I do have some highlights is a positive). I know it's a hugely popular and critically-acclaimed album, but apart from the songs below it wasn't my cup of tea. However, like I've mentioned before and, as you probably know yourself, it can take a few listens of an album to really 'get' it. I adore the band's 1988 hit single, The King of Rock 'n' Roll, so maybe I'll get on better with the album that song's taken from, From Langley Park to Memphis, instead.
Highlights: Faron Young - When Love Breaks Down - Goodbye Lucille 1 - Appetite
Kirsty MacColl - Titanic Days (1993)
I've been wanting to listen to Kirsty MacColl's work for a while but didn't know where to start, so I contacted a friend who I knew was a fan, and they recommended her 1993 album, Titanic Days. I admit that the first few songs didn't grab me, musically, though I struggled deciding whether or not to add Soho Square to my highlights, and I did worry I wouldn't enjoy the album as much as I'd hoped. But then I heard Last Day of Summer and the subsequent songs, and all was well. Because Kirsty sings so clearly, and the production gives her voice space to be heard, it was easy to hear the words, and goodness do I really like the lyrics of this album. Bad is a great tale of a woman who's had enough, and Can't Stop Killing You tells of a toxic, violent relationship. But the music is equally good and diverse. I was told that this is MacColl's best album, but I'm keen to have a listen to the others and find out if I agree with that.
Highlights: Last Day of Summer - Bad - Can't Stop Killing You - Titanic Days - Don't Go Home - Big Boy on a Saturday Night - Just Woke Up
Graham Fellows - Love at the Hacienda (1985)
This is a bit of a left-field choice to listen to, but it came up as a recommendation so I thought "Why the hell not" and pressed Play. Graham Fellows previously had hits in the UK in the late 70s with a couple of novelty songs, and subsequently created the comic character of John Shuttleworth, a stalwart for many years on BBC Radio 4. Love at the Hacienda was Fellows only studio album until 2018's Weird Town. I honestly didn't know what to expect with this album. I knew of the 70s hits but didn't love them, so pressed Play with trepidation. Well, wasn't I relieved when I found I liked what I was hearing with opening track A Conker in Spring. While there are some tracks which could be classed as 'novelty', there was still much about them to enjoy. Denise from Doncaster is quite a sweet tale of a housewife ringing up a radio station to answer a quiz question, and there are straightforward indie pop songs, such as Kiss and Tremble. The track Men of Oats and Creosote should be mentioned as a potential early outing for the Shuttleworth character - Fellows first radio series featuring the character came only a year after this album.
Highlights: A Conker in Spring - Denise from Doncaster - Kiss and Tremble - Love at the Hacienda - Gone with the Wind - Modern Couple - Children on the Lawn - Men of Oats and Creosote - Wind from the Mersey
In October I also listened to: Horses (Patti Smith, 1975), Cupid & Psyche 85 (Scritti Politti), Quiet Life (Japan, 1979), Peter Gabriel 2: Scratch (Peter Gabriel, 1978), Late Spring (Innocents Abroad, 2025), Flaunt the Imperfection (China Crisis, 1985), Forever Changes (Love, 1967), West End Girl (Lily Allen, 2025)
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