Bats In The Attic

'King Creosote' from Fife - new album 'Bats in the Attic' with great harmonies and songs.

GREAT Headlines! It has been a week of stupendous headlines!

A Disney fairytale week! First the 'beautiful princess' Kate Middleton in a dress of ivory lace married her 'handsome prince' (Prince William) who wore an Irish Guard uniform with a scarlet jacket and blue sash. 

On Monday the 'baddie'  -  one of the most evil men of our times - was killed in a raid on his hide-out.

I saw a post about his death on a YouTube clip and I thought at first it was simply a joke!  On checking the BBC Breaking news, I found this was actually real!  In fact the American security team had watched the raid in real time in the White House Situation Room.    

**Producer George Martin: Known as 'The Fifth Beatle'

**'Arena: Produced by George Martin'  BBC 2 Monday25th - Awesome. A Legend.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/arena

I highly recommend watching this program on BBC iPlayer.

Martin had  36 no 1's with the Beatles in the 60s..

(In my other life I am a record producer!)  He says that The Beatles didn't sound so great at first either... :

A very well made docmentary and such an interesting character!  I especially liked his comment that when the Beatles first arrived in the studio! 'Their music was rubbish - but importantly they made you feel good and they had charisma.' 

Also his reference to Degas' quote about his art  "It's not what you see, it's about what we make others see", in comparing this with what he hoped to achieve in sound. He hoped to 'paint' in the studio rather than to simply make a copy.

The program was followed by The Beatles  'A Hard Days Night', so many memories......!  P Keightley

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/arena

George Martin is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"—a title that he owes to his work as producer of all but one of 'The Beatles' original albums. He is considered one of the greatest record producers of all time, with 23 number one hits, an unmatched achievement.  George Martin, recognised as one of music's most versatile and imaginative talents, entered the music industry in 1950 after studying at the Guildhall School of Music and playing the oboe professionally in London. He began recording classical music specialising in the Baroque period. His later experience with jazz and pop led to his appointment as Head of the Parlophone in the EMI Group in 1955.
As a producer he has been responsible for bringing a host of artists into recording studios particularly in the humorous field with brilliant performers such as Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Flanders and Swann and the 'Beyond the Fringe' team - Jonathan Miller, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett. He has also worked with jazz artists Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton and Stan Getz. 

The Low Anthem Oran Mor 7th April 2011

I first saw the Low Anthem perform at the Old Fruitmarket during Celtic Connection Festival Glasgow 2010 - where they played their many instruments, performed their melodic songs, and sang their finely-tuned harmonies with a contemporary American country feel. Their sound ranged from subtle soft lows to a big crashing wall of sound, and lead singer Ben Miller took his voice from sweet to harsh. So tonight I expected another great concert and I was not disappointed.

The concert was held in the Oran Mor Church auditorium with it's coloured stain glass and high ceiling gallery. American band 'Head an Heart' were the support and they had fun as they performed their strong harmonies and quality songs. 

The Low Anthem set their stage for intimacy and arranged their instruments in a circle with an open area in the middle.  I noticed that they had set a vase with 2 daffodils and a glass of Rose wine on top of a small wooden organ which gave relaxed ambience to the stage.  The band began their set in a close circle around an old radio-style microphone, and with only their soothing voices and guitar they brought a hush to the crowded hall.