bluegrass, country

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the circle be unbroken

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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the circle be unbroken

One day the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a rag tag bunch of talented hippies, had an idea that some of the most talented musicians in America who had been overlooked were slipping into obscurity. They thought the best way to bridge the gap between these musical superstars who were overlooked outside of the Nashville sound and scene was to make an album celebrating that heritage with them. Not all of the greats agreed to participate but they certainly got most of them. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band get their name on the cover and deserve a big slap on the back if for nothing else than gathering together the greats while they were still alive and making this fantastic album happen.

Country may not be your thing, but this is high quality country and I find it mellow and relaxing, the perfect thing to have in the background when I’m writing. I have friends who think it’s sacrilege to have things in the background that are paid no attention. I on the contrary like having the right kind of music with the right kind of feel washing away any thoughts other than what I am focussing on.

The songs are generally classics of the country era although perhaps not so well known these days. Stars of the era like the Mother Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, and Earl Scruggs sing and play a mixture of guitars and banjos with a skill built up over a lifetime. At times the bluegrass rags and traditional songs he ark back to a celtic folk heritage, but the accents are unmistakably American. All of the tracks are first or second takes, these were experienced musicians.

Track list is full of classics like keep on the sunny side, like a rolling stone, honkytonkin and a stack of other tracks that will probably vibrate in the back of your head as you’ve heard them used on various films used as the sound of rural America.

Part of the joy of this album is the dialogue between the songs where the musicians are working out who will play what and how. As well as recording the tracks they let the tape record throughout the entire sessions so you can get an idea of what kind of person that these musicians were.

Released
1972

Lyrics
Yes, straight-forward songs with lyrics

Mood
This album has a down home yes haw feeling. It goes from ballads to hoedown finger picking frenzy songs. There is some real emotion and genuine feeling in these songs that will not disappoint.

Good to work to
I find this a comforting album to work to. I like albums that occasionally go into some high tempo music, this can lift my typing tempo and flip me into a different type of thinking, but one I can’t keep up forever. For that erason I like a diverse album like this.

Like
I can’t say I listen to a lot of bluegrass music, but I guess anything else that is labelled as bluegrass. I don’t know enough other stuff to reccomend.

The Artist/s
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with many legends of the bluegrass and country and western scene including…

Roy Acuff – Renowned singer and fiddler who popularised the more commercial singer style that popularised the music

“Mother” Maybelle Carter – Original member of the Carter family singing group, that popularised the Carter Family picking style. A mother figure on the country circuit, and Johnny Cash’s grandmother.

Doc Watson – Singer and master of guitar flat picking

Earl Scrugges – Acknowledged as the inventor of the scruggs three finger style banjo picking style, and performd the ballad of Jed Clampett for the cult sixties TV show the Beverly Hillbillies

Merle Travis – popular singer songwriter who often wrote about the hardships of coal-miners

Pete “Oswald” Kirby aka Bashful Brother Oswald popularised the resonator guitar and Dobro

Jimmy Martin – Known as the King of Bluegrass

Vassar Clements – dubbed the father of hillbilly jazz, who taught himself to play fiddle at the age of seven

Other works
The incredible string band and all of the fantastic musicians that play along on this album……… have hundreds of albums between them.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
This is one of those albums that will always remain in print. You should even be able to find a second hand copy on vinyl without to much trouble.

The Verdict
This is a great laid back album to listen to while you’re typing away. It’s country but straight up bluegrass country. So know big steel guitars and nashville production just straight ahead backwoods musicianship.

electronic, Folk

Best music to write to… Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree

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Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
There is a gentle beauty to this album that makes my toes tingle with pleasure from the opening acoustic guitar riff.  Alison Goldfrapp’s sings with a mixture of exquisite high harmonies and the best sexy breathy James Bond theme chanteuse style. She had me from about 15 seconds into the first track, ‘Clowns. The simplicity of this album, combined with the orchestration, tight arrangements, and deep warmth combine to create a beautifully soothing listening experience. How does folk electronica sound?

This album is a complete departure from Goldfrapp’s previous albums. This album was inspired by an acoustic radio set the two played. They were enchanted by the warmth of the sound and decided to incorporate it into their next album. They haven’t completely abandoned the studio wizardry, but any cool sounds have been okayed down so they don’t distract from the soaring harmonies.

Goldfrapp tested a new look to take away from the overtly sexy look that was distracting from the music. I don’t know how successful that tactic was. The music is a beautiful mixture of acoustic, organic and the traditional percussive elements that are signature to the Goldfrapp sound.

They have said the album was inspired by paganism and surreal English children’s books. I really like the way how the whole artwork package and accompanying mini films that go along with the album work. A mixture of clown and owl imagery is going to grab me every time. If you buy it on vinyl you also get a really cool poster, I might be a sucker for the merchandising, but it’s pretty cool

Below is a brief collage of tracks on the album to some film put together by the artists. It gives you an idea of some of the treats.

Below is a short film with some clips from the album and the artists explaining how they made it. Warning – it may come as somewhat of a shock hearing the breathy beautiful voice of Alison Goldfrapp out of context with her native accent.

Released
2008

Lyrics
Yes all over the album, throaty breathy beautiful lyrics.

Mood
Warm, meditative music that would suit a warm bath and a glass of red wine as well as anything else. The vocals and instrumentation have a real depth that I really like.

Good to work to  
This album calms me down and lets me relax. Maybe that’s not good for every kind of writing but it is certainly the kind of album that can relax me. It is a melodic album, one that vibrates with joy, sombre thoughts, and self-reflection. Although there are lyrics I don’t find them distracting at all and I find listening to this album quite soothing all of which makes it easier for me to write to it.

Like
This album is a combination of styles, variously called folktronica, dream pop and various other meaningless words made up by music journalists.

The Artist/s  
Goldfrapp are an english duo, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. They were introduced in 1999, who had heard one of her demos. Gregory was a composer while Alison Goldfrapp had been a backing/guest vocalist on tracks by Orbital and Tricky. Their first album together was 2000’s Felt Mountain. This was followed by Black Cherry in 2003, and Supernature in 2005. They received acclaim and some success with their earlier albums most notably with Supernature, before the change of direction that was heralded by the release of Seventh Tree. There latest album Tales of Us was released in 2013, but I haven’t heard it.

Below is a short film with some clips from the album and the artists explaining how they made it.

Other works
I have heard most of Goldrapp’s albums but I am pretty sure this is the only one they have in this style. All of the others are gorgeous electro pop and atmospheric jewels. Not that you couldn’t work to their other albums, but they aren’t of the same style. The rest of their output is distinctly more electro ambient albums.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You should be able to get this everywhere. My vinyl version is one of my favourite albums. It has this lovely artwork and posters.

The Verdict
This is a big winner. It has a calming effect that is sure to make you happy while you are productive.

Classical, latin american, Native American, World

Philip Glass – Powaqqaatsi

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Powaqqaatsi is a Hopi Indian word that means life in transition. Powaqqaatsi is a classical/world music soundtrack to second film in the Qatsi trilogy of films. It was designed to follow the transitions from natural to industrial world, which makes perfect sense when you listen to it.

The format of the movie means that it is designed to tell a story. I can only compare it to other movies that of a similar vintage in a style that was popular that tell the same kind of thematic story without story or traditional storytelling. My old favourite was Baraka. I’ve never even seen the movie and it works on me.

There are some really great sound effects used throughout this album, from pan pipes, deep voices, full orchestra including Brass, whistles, percussion, and acapella choir. The different sounds and sound effects make it a very effective collage to paint the background to your working while you work.

This album rolls over you smoothly like a wave. The peaks drive you along, and the troughs always give you a chance to regather your thoughts and consolidate what you’ve written. The whole album has an organic feel which is at times infectious and driving. The reason why I like it so much is that it drives me. I personally like repetition and recurring motifs, something Glass is also a fan of.  I don’t want to have to concentrate on something all of the time. With that said there is also a lot of variety on this album, as the director takes the movie in different directions. This is an album that worked for me on first listen. It is not an overly intellectual album you have to listen to several times before you get it in any way.

Released
1988, with the film of the same name Powaqqaatsi.

Lyrics
No lyrics, or not enough to really distract you.

Mood
Meditative uplifting, speedy.

Good to work to
Fantastic, makes you feel positively triumphant. I also like the emotional palate of this album. It is at times contemplative, and at others upbeat and happy sweeping you along. This may just be my particular internal rhythm, but I don’t move all at the same pace. I move by fits and starts.

It is the kind of music I would especially recommend if you only have a set amount of time to write to. It will push you along and by the end of the emotional journey you will feel like you’ve got somewhere.

Like
I can’t really describe anything this album is like. It has orchestral flourishes, percussive fiesta moments, middle eastern sounds, south american pan pipes and other things, spooky mystical moments.

The Artist/s
Philip Glass born in 1937 and still going strong. Some call him a minimalist, he prefers some other term which also means nothing to me. He is a contemporary of other musicians like Stepen Reich who went through the famous Juilliard musical store. He was also a well connected Fullbright scholar. He has experimented with other cultures and collaborated with people like Ravi Shankar, and exposed himself to other cultures most notably the Tibetans such as the Dalai Lama.

I have only seen Philip Glass once a few years ago in 2011, at the Sydney festival where he lead a quartet who provided the score onstage while an antique silent movie version of Dracula played to chuckles from the audience. At first it was hard not to keep staring at the quartet especially it contained the famous Philip Glass. After a while I along with most of the audience were engrossed with the movie only occasionally glancing at the quartet under the screen onstage as there music fitted seamlessly with the music.

Other works
A massive back catalogue of music. Philip Glass is a renowned soundtrack artist and composer. To be honest I haven’t explored his catalogue enough to be able to recommend anything else. I did buy his first album in this trilogy Koyaanisqatsi, but to my shame I have not given it enough a listen to have a firm opion.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
It’s old but you’ll be able to get it digitally, you may be pushing it to get it on vinyl.

The Verdict
Yes, oh Yes. Run out and get it straight away. I find this is a great energising album that definitely sweeps me away.

Classical

Leos Janacek – Sinfonietta

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Leos Janacek’s – Sinfonietta is another great album if you want to  focus. It takes me to a slightly weird, brassy, happy place. From the opening bars of symphonic brass, this album hooked me. It fluctuates from peaceful and sweet, to confrontational and loud. I found that the somewhat erratic styles of this music don’t throw me at all. It is definitely not the kind of music I ever imagined liking.

This album has garnered a lot of attention in light of it being mentioned throughout IQ84, a magical realist novel by popular Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. The picture above is surprise surprise, from the novel. I have listened to a lot of the music name checked in Murakami’s novels, but this is the only one I consistently use to write to. The Sinfionetta is definitely dramatic, and if nothing else makes reading IQ84 a much more emotional experience. Murakami (full disclosure one of my favourite authors) taps into is the emotional journey that Janacek’s Sinfionetta takes you on.

It seems more like music that would be used on ads for the winter olympics than anything you would work to. After I wrote this I discovered it had indeed been used as a theme song in a seventies/eighties tv show, and was partly covered in a rock style by Emerson Lake and Palmer. The motifs and themes push me to write faster and then gives me some respite to slow down.

Released
First performed in 1926. This is a composition that I like, rather than any specific recording of it (I have not heard any I did not enjoy). It has been recorded by many artists and to my untrained ear none of the performances are different enough to be inconsistent. I’ve decided not to point you in the direction of any one version. The great thing is like most classical music there is a definite range of styles and ongoing life in performance. If you’re lucky you might actually get the chance to see this performed live.

Lyrics
A few lyrics

Mood
The Sinfionetta is powerful and contemplative in turn. It heats up then calms down. It is certainly a bold piece that sweeps me along. I can’t keep up super bold feelings, but it allows me to try out a few different moods.

Good to work to
I find this is great for contemplative work. From the opening moments of brass, it sends me to a different place to the norm. The byways, drama, and digressions of the piece add power to my words, and stops my mind from wandering too far.

Like
Not being a massive Classical music fan I find it hard to compare. It is orchestral, thematic, west, bold, brassy, and ominous at different times. Murakami has just come out with a new novel where he features Liszt’s Years of Pilgrimage that is different but definitely worth a listen.

The Artist/s
Leos Janacek was a Czech composer, theorist and folklore researcher. Born in 1854 and dieing in 1928 he was a very important Czech composer, most know for operas such as the The Cunning Little Vixen. He was a contemporary of Schoenberg, and was influenced strongly by Dvorak and Puccini.

After a long career with little success. He worked as an academic and folklorist, and had a long term role working in an school teaching organ. Janacek’s in depth understanding of folk music deeply informed his music. He was known as the first minimalist composer.

The Sinfionetta was composed when Janacek was 72 and had technically retired. It was one of his most acclaimed works. Janacek created the majority of his best known works in the last ten years of his life.

Other works
Janacek has many other works such as Taras Bulba a rhapsody, Glagolitic Mass, and The Cunning Little Vixen

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You shouldn’t have too much trouble finding this album on CD or digitally. If you want a copy on vinyl you will probably have to find it second hand, but even there you should have the choice of multiple versions either packaged with some of his other works, or with other artists.

The Verdict
This works for me every time. I’d say go for it if you can handle classical and brass. This is not the kind of think I thought I would like. It is quite dramatic and bold, but somehow it takes me into a different world and allows me to concentrate.

electronic, High Tempo

Chemical Brothers – Further

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This is an album to listen to when you need to produce words quickly. I would not normally recommend a chemical brothers album to work to, but this album is an exception. The beats per minute get me working like a metronome. It was also nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album Grammy in 2011.

When I first bought this album on vinyl, I laid out cushions in the middle of my lounge room for the all important first listen. I got myself myself a cup of tea, a good book, and plugged the headphones in so I wouldn’t disturb my lady friend who was writing an essay in the next room. She is easily influenced by music and usually only plays very chilled kind of stuff when writing. The music played and I was loving this little relaxation treat even though I had to keep turning the sides, 2 discs and sides a,b,c, and d with a lot of newer vinyl releases like this one. As I was changing records for side C she came in and said, “You do realise that those headphones don’t work and I can hear everything.” Luckily I had been lying between the speakers so had been enjoying the full blast of the tunes oblivious to this fact. Without the headphones it sounded even better, and it’s steady beats were perfect for her to work to as well.

I can put my hand up and say that this review may well be influenced by my abiding love of the Chemical Brothers. However, I would probably not want to work to most of their albums.  Perhaps not having any ‘break out singles’ on this album, that enables it to work on you differently to the rest of their output.

The album starts slowly with Snow, then kicks in with Escape Velocity which really gets the heart racing. My fingers hit the keyboard at much greater speed when I listen to this album than with any other artist. Look at me I’m gushing like a virgin. With trademark crescendos, peaks and troughs the Chemical Brothers deliver again.  Yeah, I like it.

Released
2010

Lyrics
Yes some, and the odd horse sample or two. None of the lyrics are powerful enough to put you off your stride, just enjoy the ride.

Mood
Upbeat, with fast beats. Samples are used throughout and they love using the whole sonic palate. Some of the samples may appear abrasive at first listen, but all of the songs can be taken as thematic pieces.

Good to work to
A great album to lift the heart rate. It’s study motifs aren’t too jerky, so if you’re feeling tired this is a great album to put on to lift the tempo. You might not think that you can write to the Chemical Brothers, but all I can say is if you’re in a hurry and need to deliver the goods, it’s the album.

Like
I don’t really listen to enough dance styled music to really know what it sounds like, but if it were a movie it might be a cinematic movie soundtrack. It is an altogether even album, that did not produce the hits of the earlier albums. If you like the big Chemical Brothers hits you might find this album somewhat of a comedown.

The Artist/s
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons are the Chemical Brothers. They have been making groundbreaking electronic dance music since 1989. They have had an incredible amount of hits and collaborations, but most of them more suited to the dance floor than the writing room, from Block’ rocking beats’, ‘Out of control,’ ‘Hey Boy,’ and countless others.

Other works
I can think of nothing of a similar nature that you will be able to work to. It has more energy than other Krautrock albums I discuss like Kraftwerk, or Lemon Jelly. If you really like the sound of this I can recommend several other of their seminal albums like Surrender, but don’t think they are going to be the same aid to writing.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You can buy this any which way you want. I would recommend buying the vinyl.

The Verdict
This album has got me to work on a fair few deadlines where I needed to pump out the words. I would have a listen first if you don’t usually like electronic music, but listen to a full song or two before making your mind up as it may grow on you.

Classical, Jazz, Native American

Moondog – The Viking of Sixth Avenue

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This album is a stone cold classic, albeit a ‘best of’.  If a contemporary DJ mixed Native American beats, classical arrangements, and jazz they would be lauded as The Next Big Thing. When Moondog mixed these styles sixty years ago he was considered a talented kook. After hearing this hopefully you’ll be scouring the internet for his other releases. The Viking of Sixth Avenue is a beautiful, eclectic album.

I am verbose on many topics, but the music of Moondog speaks for itself. He has inspired countless people and thinkers. The Viking of Sixth Avenue is a compilation of his life’s music and career. The first thing you need to know is that Moodog was a tall blind man who dressed as a viking, and lived on the streets of New York. This might not be all you need to know, but hopefully it is enough to interest you. Moondog fits his own genre.

Moondog, a.k.a Louis Hardin, grew up and lived in the west of America. It is said that the seminal moment in his life was when his father took him to watch a Sun Dance of the local Arapaho tribe. He is said to have sat on the lap of Chief Yellow Calf and played a tom-tom during the ceremony. Moondog can truly be seen as a product of a past era. He was an unwitting pioneer of world music, influenced by jazz and classical music training made available to him by chance, after he was blinded in his youth.

Released
2005
This album was compiled and released by Damon Alban, champion of world music and lead singer of hugely popular seminal Brit pop band Blur. The music was originally recorded from the 1950s through to the 1990s.

Lyrics
Generally not. Where there are words, they are mainly samples with the occasional spoken word aspect.

Mood
Slow to fast, jazzy to classical, to world.

Good to work to
Ideal to work to. Meets all my requirements. It takes you beyond the distractions of the everyday, and has few associations for a busy mind to cling to or to be diverted by. This particular compilation flits between genres from be-bop, street sounds, and Native American-inspired classical. Your brain does not have enough time to get used to any one particular vibe, but the differences in music are not jarring, and this makes it excellent focus music. However, it is not erratic.

Like
I can think of nothing like this album and artist. Don’t let it discourage you though. Moondog is, or rather was, like classical/Native American, and be-bop.

The Artist(s)
Louis Hardin, who later took the name of Moondog, had a fascinating life.

Brought up by his father near an indian reservation. He became completely blind when a blasting cap he was holding in his hands exploded, at the age of sixteen. He was sent to a school for the blind and received a musical education he said he could not have afforded otherwise. Perhaps because of the loss of his sight, his aural sense was heightened.

I am not sure why he moved to New York to live on the streets. He said that he dressed as a viking to gain more attention as a street performer. He had some memorable encounters with potential collaborators like Stravinsky, Bernstein, and Charlie Parker that all seemed to go awry at one stage or another. He eventually moved to Germany in the Seventies after many years on the streets and sporadic recording contracts. The Germans recognised his genius and took him under their wing, enabling him to record a number of eclectic albums using sax, church organ, among many other instruments.

Oh yeah… and he also invented various musical instruments.

Other works
Moondog had a long recording career, from his early days in New York to his latter-day eclectic renaissance in Germany. His other albums include Moondog, Moondog2, Elpmas, H’art Songs,  Moondog in Europe, Sax Pax for a Sax. Lesser-known albums were released from a random mix of countries in Europe and America. I would hunt them all down if I was you, but check to see whether you like this album first.

Where can I buy it, and in what formats?
You can get this particular album almost anywhere and in any format. While the rest of his collection might be hard to find, this album is not, and it is guaranteed to pique your interest.

The Verdict
Get out there and buy it as soon as you can.

Jazz, World

Alice Coltrane – Journey in Satchidananda

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Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda has a feel unlike any other album I know. Deep bass jazz grooves are infused with world music-flavoured harp and percussion.  A touch of India  is combined with the smell of jazz cigarettes in clubs across Europe and the US.

Alice Coltrane spent years studying mysticism, and it’s a fair bet that this was influenced her choice to make this album. The title track inspiration was the name of her guru, Swami Satchidananda. The different tracks tell stories about Coltrane’s life and spiritual journey.

Whether it is the diverse cultural references this music triggers, or something else entirely, this album is other-worldly. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think this is completely different from anything they’ve ever heard before. I saw this album years before I made the choice to buy it. The album with the crazy-looking name was a hard sell but, once I bought it, I never regretted it.

No-one knows where your mind goes when you’re tapping on a keyboard, the rare occasions when you can suspend endless thoughts about the past and the future; the worries of work, study, and your love life. This is an album that can send you to that other place, one you won’t want to miss.

Released    
1970

Lyrics
No lyrics to distract you. Not a word. This is a full body immersive experience record.

Mood
The same mix of sounds that makes this album unique is what makes it so immersive and effective to work to. Alice Coltrane has created a sonic world that takes me somewhere other than the present and my workaday worries, and is excellent for study. Depending on the day I’ve had, it can be hard to switch off. Music like this is like an instant drug that allows me to focus.

You will find that this record is an effective tool to create mood. My mood changes just seeing the front cover of this album showcasing Alice with her frizzy hair and kaftan. You need this album if you’re a writer – whether it’s to work through an essay or other academic projects, fiction, technical, or non-fiction.

Good to work to 
Anything demanding deep focus is a fantastic record to work to.  This is great when you need to think, but not necessarily the best thing for speed work.

Like
It has the jazz vibe, with classic sax and bass grooves, but the harp and percussive style give it a world music ethereal style that is unlike most other music (that I know of).  Despite these differences in style it contains enough familiar parts to be accessible, and within a short time the eclectic mix feels familiar.

The Artist(s)
Alice Coltrane’s music haunts the space between the mystical and the eclectic in a way unknown to any other works. She was the great-aunt of electronic musician, Flying Lotus, and second wife of jazz legend, John Coltrane.

Alice Coltrane studied classical music and jazz, soon becoming a professional. She eventually had children to, and married John Coltrane and played in his acclaimed groups. The list of musicians she played with before and after Coltrane died, shows you the esteem she was held in. This album is always one of the top albums in jazz and world music retailers’ lists.

 Featuring
Alice Coltrane on harp and piano
Phaoroah Sanders on soprano saxophone and percussion
Vishnu Wook on oud
Charlie Haden on bass
Cecil McBee on bass
Tulsi on tambura
Rashied Ali on drums
Majid Shabazz on bells and tambourine

Other works
I have dabbled in her back catalogue of albums and there are some gems, but don’t expect to find another journey exactly like this one. There are contemplative albums featuring different instruments, but I can’t tell you which one you’ll like. A few good ones you might want to try are Astral Meditations and Transcendence. Needless to say there are ones I loved and ones I didn’t, but Journey in Satchidananda is the only one I would say is a stone cold classic.

Where can I buy it, and in what formats?
This album is always in print, whether in vinyl, CD or MP3. If you’re looking for this album you’ll find it under jazz, although you could equally find it in the world music section. It’s always in print because it’s a classic.

The Verdict
Buy it now. If you can, get it on vinyl, so you can fully appreciate the crazy cover art.

Folk

Beck – Morning Phase

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Beck – Morning Phase – Best Music to Write to
When work is stressing me out I need music that not only allows me to work, but will also give me an extra push. An album that I can fully immerse myself in, that can change my mental state, is worth an extra thousand words to me. The words come out, and I don’t feel the passage of time. Beck’s voice, harmonies, warm guitar, bass, and acoustic arrangements succeed calming and taking me to that place. This album is a companion piece to Sea Change released in 2002, and written after the breakup of a long term relationship. Some of the same musicians appear in the line up, as although Sea Change wasn’t released until 2014, recording began in 2005.

Although there are a few standout tracks on Morning Phase, it retains an even feeling throughout – like most music I like to work to. There is no doubt Beck is an outstanding performer and musician, but his performance does not dominate my workspace. There is plenty of room  for me to overlay it with whatever I am working on. More importantly, this feeling persists when played at louder volumes.

Released
2014

Lyrics
Yes, but not abrasive lyrics. Beck has a warm, soothing voice that is complemented by smooth arrangements. I find it easy to listen to his voice – another instrument in his mood ensemble. My only concern is that I may be biased as I have listened to a lot of Beck over time.

Mood
Beck is a specialist in the mood album and has progressed through an eclectic range of styles. It’s a folk album at heart. Morning Phase is no exception, but this is the kind of Beck album for the writer-of-any-style. While I do not recommend all Beck albums, this one puts me into a relaxed mood – ideal for immersing myself in whatever I’m working on. There is a sad quality to this music which makes me feel sombre but focussed. Likewise, this an ideal album for an intimate dinner or curling up on the couch with a nice glass of wine or three.

Best music to write to
I could write anything while I listen to this. It might be difficult to write a fight or chase scene, but it’s well-suited to writing fiction or non-fiction. I’m finding it hard to describe exactly what writing mood it’s most compatible with but, more than anything, it puts me in a contemplative, internal space that makes it easy to block out the troubles of the world, and to be present in the moment.

Like
I hesitate to compare this to Nick Drake because it has a far more polished, American feel. This is the album of a performer who is confident in his musicality, a performer who has still has the ability to surprise.

The Artist(s)
Beck has been lauded as a musical wunderkind, specialising in genre-hopping sonic collages of beats, soul, country, and everything in between. His earliest hit was his 1994 track, I’m a loser baby so why don’t you kill me. Other performers such as Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne have branded him a d**k – a label Beck has refuted as something of a misunderstanding and that was due to an illness that kept him subdued during their tour. What is certain is that Beck is a virtuoso, but what is not so sure is that someone who can make such fine music is a d**k. His musically eclectic style is no doubt influenced by his visual artist mother, Bibbe Hansen (one of Andy Warhol’s moviestars), and by prolific composer and arranger David Campbell.

Other works
I recommend only Sea Change to write to. Some say it is a superior album but, for me, both Morning Phase and Sea Change fit the ‘best music to write to’ mould.

Where can I buy it, and in what formats?
You can buy Morning Phase pretty much everywhere at the moment. For audiophiles who prefer vinyl, you had better get in quick. Most Beck albums don’t get re-released on vinyl after the initial pressings. I was sadly disappointed when I tried to get the earlier album Sea Change in this format.

The Verdict
For me, a winner. I rarely like lyrics in a writing album, but these ones are soothing rather than demanding.