Amazing Radio, London, England-based international
and independent radio, featured "You All Haunt
Me" this weekend on the station's Amazing
Rock Show. Thanks to show host/DJ Aaron
Phillips and Producer Neil Reynolds for picking up
on the debut from Allison Crowe and Band. Now on
Amazing @
http://amazingtunes.com/allisoncrowe enjoy a
playlist of 29 songs – the entire new studio album,
“Heirs + Grievances”, plus a song from
each of 16 earlier EP/album releases from Allison.
Images by the soundly-loved, fabulous friend,
photographer and musician, Billie Woods – from the legendary, (now departed), London jazz and soul haven, Halo.
“In
My Life” - Allison Crowe performing a “John song” was our first video
commemorating the 50th anniversary of Beatlemania in North America. With
her take on a “Paul song” – here’s Allison now with “Let It Be”, again
captured in real-time by film director Alex Postowoi and crew and audio
engineer Larry “Turtle” Anschell (and in higher fidelity than previously
available online).
The ‘Tidings’ album version of the song - http://music.allisoncrowe.com/track/let-it-be
- was recorded a year or two earlier, as was Allison’s version of “Let
It Be” that’s part of the NYC-produced “It Was 40 Years Ago Today”
tribute album – a compilation also featuring Dee Dee Ramone, Sylvain
Sylvain and other DIY, indie, alternative and punk rock musicians
(released on February 9, 2004).
Beatlemania Hits Fab 50: Allison Crowe Performs "In My Life"
“Beatlemania, as it is called, affects all social classes
and all levels of intelligence,” The New York Times
reported in December 1963.
We’ll hear all manner of takes on similar themes over the
coming month, with this February 7 marking
the 50th anniversary of The
Beatles landing at JFK International (New York City’s
Idlewild airport rechristened on December 24, ’63 in
tribute to the recently assassinated US President). The
group’s appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show –
broadcast over the three succeeding Sundays - electrified a
new continent.
Plenty came before, and
much has happened since, Pan Am Flight 101
delivered the Fab Four aboard a Boeing 707-331,
known as the Clipper “Defiance”, to a world ready
for joy and release.
Celebrating the musical
legacy of John, Paul, George and Ringo – here’s Allison
Crowe performing “In
My Life” – captured in real-time by film director
Alex Postowoi and crew and audio engineer Larry Anschell at
Turtle Recording studios by the sea in White Rock, BC,
Canada.
(This is an higher-fidelity video recording than has been
previously available!)
Spiral, Allison Crowe's newest album of music is starting to reach the world.
As Spiraling joy ensues, it's an especially fun time to reflect on how we got here, and what it all means.
Drawing from the well-spring, this week a pair of UK web-based features:
Straight-outta-Nottingham, soon-to-be-in-London-town, Swiftian culture-blogger and novel-writer, Stephen Thomas invites Allison to guest-post for the next six weeks.
We Write Lists Presents: Six Albums with Allison Crowe
Thomas explains to his audience:
"Over the past four years or so I have spoken a great deal of Allison Crowe, whether it be on blogs, to friends, to family members or anyone else stupid enough to tune into my opinions. So, in many ways, the posts that will appear every Saturday for the next six weeks are a real coup here at WWL. A few months back I was fortunate enough to have Franz Nicolay, formerly of The Hold Steady, to write up a guest post on his favourite six albums. Recently I asked the same of Allison Crowe and she kindly obliged. Now, as the result either of her (obvious) passion for music or her recently freed-up schedule (Thanks, Eyjafjallajöjull!) Allison has written us enough of her insightful takes on the music that inspired her to secure a spot as a regular contributor for the next six weeks, during which we'll share her written offerings one album at a time! So, over to Allison:"
Allison, whose musical roots first planted in classical and jazz, took the challenge. For the next six weeks, she talks about those albums that formed the soundtrack to a pivotal period in her life ~ when, she says, "my personality and life’s choices were truly being forged and molded - beyond childhood but not yet adult - with plenty of naïvety and an equal amount of life experience."
Tune in to this We Write Lists serial special. (Not to be confused with a special cereal - that would be something like Cap'n Crunch - with decoder ring in the box. Though, these things may not be so far apart...)
From Inverness, the Scottish Highlands, and now back home in Edinburgh is musician, photo-journalist and more, Shona McMillan.
Editing together old cine films shot by her family in the 1960s, McMillan has created this lovely, evocative reflection and meditation:
For the soundtrack to her "Home Reflections", Shona has chosen Allison's recording of, too-soon-gone-from-this-world, singer-songwriter Phil Ochs' "When I'm Gone".
On her YouTube channel, she recounts the film's story, and notes:
"In 2007, I met the singer of the song - Allison Crowe when we both performed in Durness at the John Lennon festival. Later, when she did another gig in Edinburgh, Allison sang this song and absolutely blew me away with her performance and the intensity of the lyrics. Having just lost my mum to cancer, less than 12 months before, I said to Allison that her singing had captured for me the incredible need I felt to do things 'NOW'. She gave me her CD as a gift "Allison Crowe Little Light" and amongst the many other beautiful songs on it - this remains for me the most special. A song which has often helped to motivate me in my uphill personal challenge to produce my own People and Songs of the Sea multi-media heritage project (recording fisher folk from Edinburgh to Eyemouth in thousands of photos, audio and most recently film). The lyrics of the song here - they so greatly inspire me and yes they can be sad but also, they encourage true reflection and appreciation of the value of time. All of us have just 24hrs in each day, it can seem a lot at the time but, when we look back on a life lived and now gone - we see how very precious time was and is. We see that a Life is made up, shaped and built by all the little choices we make over the hours, days, weeks and years that we live. The ways in which we choose to spend our time are surely the most important, on-going decisions we make throughout the days of our lives."
Shona McMillan wraps up: "How very precious time is. Indeed, I recall my mum's favourite saying which was the philosophy by which she tried to live her life:
'I pass this way but once, any good that I can do - Let Me - for I may not pass this way again'."
Here's a video of "Release" - Allison's performance of a Pearl Jam song captured by Pam Abramowicz on video in 2001 at the Worldwide Jammer Convergence in Seattle, Washington. Dutch blogger André of File Under points out this intense version of the Pearl Jam song is as relevant today, as any time.
I'll be able to write more once Allison Crowe and her bandmates, Billie Woods, Dave Baird, and Laurent Boucher, are in Germany, and their European concert tour is back on track.
To find out what's happening in the UK today - to artists and academics and others visiting that nation - you can visit these links:
We'd all like to thank everyone who's written us. Your support is deeply heartening.
What was unknown to many of us only days ago, is now opening eyes and minds.
The comments attached to many signatories on the Visiting Artists and Academics Petition give some real insight into this situation - demonstrating how cultural exchange and diversity is being reduced by discriminatory new legislation, about which the public has not been properly informed, and which is supposed to combat "illegal immigration and terrorism".
This message, from a presenter of hundreds of UK concerts, also well sums up the sentiment we're hearing directly:
"I can’t tell you how thoroughly annoyed and frustrated I feel at the whole situation. I have written a letter to my local MP (member of parliament / politician) to air my disgust and dismay at this idiotic legislation, which makes it virtually impossible for some international musicians to play in this country and for (particularly) smaller venues to play host to said artists because of the cost of sponsorship.
Please pass on to Allison and the band our very best wishes and sympathies – we are angered and disgusted by the way they have been treated.
Warmest regards"
It's a mutual. Thank you.
And from a veteran UK journalist:
"This sorry story is one more illustration of what I've known for some time: like most authoritarian regimes before it, New 'Labour' is, by accident or design, philistine to the marrow.
What I didn't know before was the existence of this new law, and I now wonder how many more slip under the radar.
As a journalist, though, I can't get away with shaking my head and tutting, a la Scooby-Doo: 'If it hadn't been for those meddling career politicians...'
This government is in its end days... but that is of little or no consolation to you and the musicians. All I can do now is wish you all well for the rest of your time in the more cultured parts of Europe. And I hope you'll all come back here in a future, more enlightened, age."
