Conference marvin::uk_music

    
    
    They're from Glasgow (where else ;-)), and I missed them when they
    played Ayr Pavillion last Friday :-(.
    
    If Dougie Robb would stop working for 5 minutes and log into notes,
    he could tell you much more about them than I can.
    
    
    
    Michael
    

    C'mon Dougie!
    
    I saw them on TOTP last night and have heard them before on the
    radio and think that they're pretty darned good!
    
    Paul

    Heyup Paul,
    
    I think `Nothing Ever Happens' has the best lyrics that have invaded
    the chart for eons.
    
    
    Matty
    
    (CRA)
    (DAS)
    (7QU)
    (7GJ)
    (OSS)
    (CS)
    (FS)
    etc.

    Phew, a Kevin McDermott note one minute, and then one on Del Amitri!
    Heavens, what's got over this notesfile these days!  ;^)  
    
    Anyway, like I said in the KMcD note, I bought WAKING HOURS by Del
    Amitri last July, and although I wouldn't exactly say that I was
    ramming it down anyone's throat (well OK, ears!) shortly thereafter,
    it has to be said that it's a damned good album.
    
    NOTHING EVER HAPPENS is a great song, with great lyrics, but it's
    like nothing else on the album.  Their overall sound is 'rocky',
    but with the frequent addition of thing like steel guitar (KISS
    THIS THING GOODBYE), organ (THE OPPOSITE VIEW) and accordian (JIMMY
    BLUE, I think).
    
    They were really excellent at the Ayr Piv. the other week, and,
    again, I'd thoroughly recommend giving the album a go - a refreshing
    change from even the likes of Danny Wilson, Hue And Cry, Deacon
    Blue, etc.  8-)
    
    Trivia note : The album was available at a special introductory
                  price for quite a while (LP : four quid, CD : seven
                  and a half), but it's been largely unavailable at
                  all during the past few weeks.
    
                  However, it's re-issued today....at full-price.

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    "You've been seeing SOS but it's just your clock reading 505"
    
    
    Finally got my hands on the Del Amitri album, and I have to say that
    (for once) Dougie Robb has understated the merits of a new Band.
    
    This is as good a debut album as I've heard since Seduced & Abandoned
    (H&C) or Meet Danny Wilson.
    
    There isn't the obligatory 'weak' track, and it's one of the most
    lyrically strong albums I've heard in a long time.
    
    "Kiss this thing goodbye" flopped as the follow-up single to "Nothing
    ever happens" (as we've come to expect good singles to do these days).
    It's a pity 'cause it's one of the best songs on the album.
    
    I read that things are happening in the US for the band, and "Kiss
    this...etc" has entered their top 40.   Having said that, their latest
    release "Jimmy Blue"  made the magic 40 here last week, so maybe things
    are looking up after all.
    
    Any news on a follow-up album, Dougie?
    
    
    
    Michael
    

    
    Mike,
    
    	Sorry to disappoint Mike, but it ain't their debut album. They
    actually perpetrated themselves several years ago and have already
    released an album 3 or 4 years ago. From what I can gather the musical
    style has changed somewhat since then. 
    
    	Like the story of them at Glastonbury. They sulked because James
    had been billed above them. James couldn't have given a toss and went
    on before them and blew them off stage. The amitri's seemingly got the
    worst reception of the festival. Amazing what a couple of hit singles
    does for your ego.
    
    				Ian.

    
    
    I'd heard of some dodgey reports of their perfomance when they played
    the Piv here in Ayr some months ago.   Still a great album though.
    
    
    
    
    Michael
    

  This is the best album I've heard for ages, lyrically and musically.
Apart from the songs mentioned earlier, I think 'This side of the
morning' and 'When I want you'  are brilliant. I'm really impressed
with the vocal style. The lyrics are very cleverly written, they don't
fit into a particular pattern, ie. verse-verse-chorus-verse-chorus
(repeat & fade).

  Having only just heard this album, has anybody got any more
info on them, eg.  members names and what they play ?

Judging by what is said on the album sleeve, they had a bad experience
touring in the states in 1986 which has obviously set them back a bit.

Richard

I saw them in our Poly about 1984. I was having a quick flick through the 
programme this weekend.

I thought they were OK then, but am very impressed with what I've heard of
the album.

Mark.

    Re. a few back.
    
    Mick, I would heartily disagree with anyone who didn't enjoy Del
    Amitri at 'The Piv' back in Feb.  Bearing in mind that The Bit Hit
    ("Nothing Ever Happens") probably led to a lot of people going along
    'to see what they're like', I'd guess that the main bone of contention
    with those who didn't particularly enjoy the gig would lie with
    the fact that they didn't know the material.  Having bought "Waking
    Hours" upon its initial release last summer, I was well familiar
    with most of what they played, and I really thought they played it well.
    I'm pretty much sure that they played the whole album (plus some
    'B' sides, and a couple of cover versions ... including a Beatles
    number), and I recall the highlights being "Opposite View", "Move
    Away Jimmy Blue" and, it has to be said, "Nothing Ever Happens".
    
    It would be hard to proclaim that their music in anything radically
    different from that of dozens of other 'mainstream' rock bands,
    but I would go along with the view that they have an ear for a good
    tune, and write decent lyrics.
    
    Quite how "Move Away Jimmy Blue" got into the charts when "Kiss This
    Thing Goodbye" failed (twice!) surprises me to say the least, but
    let's just hope that the record company don't re-release "Stone
    Cold Sober" as the follow-up.  I mean, "looking for bottles of love" ...
    come off it lads!!
    
    Oh - one other thing.  Contrary to popular belief, "Waking Hours"
    is NOT their debut album.  Their first release, from about five
    years or so ago, was (imaginitively) entitled "Del Amitri", and
    only this week it has been re-issued by their record company.  
    I'll read the reviews first before deciding whether to buy or not.    

	I saw them as support act for Diesel Park West last August at the 
Astoria Theatre in London. I thought that they were pretty good, I was 
impressed that they actually had a pedal steel guitar on stage (plus about 15 
other guitars).

	But...

	Diesel Park West absolutely blew them off the stage. They were very, 
very good indeed and really deserve a note of their own. Of course they haven't 
had a hit single.

Nigel

    
    
    Dougie, I'm surprised you wouldn't want to see "Stone Cold Sober"
    re-released - on the basis of that (I agree) dodgey line "Looking for
    bottles of love".  There are two superb lines in the first verse which
    easily cancel out that one...
    
    	"Whole generations thinking of themselves as infidels and pop stars
         While the Bomb looses patience, we line up and just lean against
         bar"
    
    
    
    On second thoughts, not sure your average record_buying_teenager would
    appreciate that.
    
    
    Michael
    

    Yeah, OK Mick, I take some of what I said about "Stone Cold Sober"
    back.  The two lines you quoted are two of the best on the whole
    album.  
    
    BTW, their singles have a scattering of non-album stuff spread across
    the various formats - some of the ones I've heard are every bit
    as good as the "Waking Hours" material, so for those with the notion/
    readies, it could be a worthwhile exercise collecting these.  I'll
    certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for anything reasonably-priced
    on the CD singles front.

    
    
    Heard the new DA single on the radio the other day.   Any news of a new
    album?
    
    
    
    Michael
    

    
    Hi,
    
    Apparently the single is called 'The last to know'.. .... But I 
    havent heard it yet even althought it is supposed to be getting
    a fair amount of airplay !! ...Read last year that they planned
    to  have  a new album out ' this summer ' , but don't know of a 
    release date/album name so far....anyone else know ??? 
    
    Sandie.../
                                                          

    
    
    	There's an advert in the latest issue of Q for the new album.
    Release date is Mon 1st June.
    
    Graham.

    
    ....And It's called "Change Everything"
    
    Sandie.../

New Del Anrodni Tour Dates

Aberdeen Capitol		Friday 3rd July	
Liverpool Royal Court           Sunday 5th July
Newcastle City Hall		Monday 6th July
York Barbican Centre		Tuesday 7th July
Hanley Victoria Halls		Thursday 9th July
Nottingham Royal Concert Hall   Friday 10th July
Portsmouth Guildhall		Sunday 12th July
Birmingham Symphony Hall	Monday 13th July
London Town & Country Club	Tuesday 14th July
Edinburgh Playhouse		Friday 17th July
Glasgow Barrowlands		Saturday 18th July

-- Andy

    
    
    Bought the new CD the other week - CHANGE EVERYTHING.   It's very good,
    though maybe doesn't reach the heights of Waking Hours.
    
    But that was always going to be a hard album to follow.
    
    
    First track is the new single - Downfall.   One of the better tracks.
    
    
    Michael
    

    Got the latest Del Amitri album a couple of weeks back. It's a bit
    patchy, some tracks are equal and/or better to stuff on Waking Hours
    and Change Everything, but like Change Everything there are a few
    tracks that can definitely be edited out of the tape for the car, too
    much boring wailing of guitars droning over non-existent song for me.
    
    They've still got a good knack for lyrics though, and as with past Del
    Amitri releases the CD singles are worth buying for the B'sides etc,
    got the Here & Now CD single with two non-album tracks and they both
    compare well alongside the album.
    
    	Euan