Kevin Ayers

I've been slightly obsessed with Ayers work for the past couple of years, not to mention the oeuvre of his Canterbury peers. His whimsical style never ceases to amaze and his body of work holds up strong after 15+ albums and 35+ years. A true magnate of music history. Here I've compiled the majority of his later albums, If you're new to this cat's music I suggest you start at the beggining with Joy Of A Toy, one of the first albums I posted here actually.



-------------------------------------------------------


Kevin Ayers & The Whole World - Shooting At The Moon (1970)


(Live) Holland 7-30-70


Sweet Deceiver (1975)


Yes We Have No Mañanas So Get Your Mañanas Today (1976)


Odd Ditties (1976)


Rainbow Takeaway (1978)


That's What You Get Babe (1980)


Deja Vu (1984)


Falling UP (1988)


Still Life With Guitar (1992)


The Unfairground (2007)

As an added bonus a recent interview with Ayers conducted at Radio Bremen.

Previous Posts:
Joy Of A Toy (1969)
Whatevershebringswesing (1972)
Bananamour (1973)
Kevin Ayers-John Cale-Eno-Nico - June 1, 1974
Singing The Bruise: BBC Sessions 1970-1972
The Confessions Of Dr. Dream & Other Stories (1974)
Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy (1974)

Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy

Just stumbled across this lil treasure. Lady June is a broodingly chipper spoken word poet with first-class company: Digital master Brian Eno and Canterbury legends Kevin Ayers from Soft Machine plus Pip Pyle from Gong. A very interesting listen to say the least.



a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Daevid Allen - Australia Aquaria/She

Seeing as we are knee-deep in Gong, I might as well bring out some Allen.

"Widely (and deservedly) regarded as the album that confirmed Daevid Allen's return to action at the end of his somewhat disheveled 1980s, Australia Aquaria is also the record that reaffirmed his own faith in the sounds and textures that made his earliest Gong work so fabulous. Rich in melody and sentiment (the gentle "She" is all but a universal love song) and drenched in moods that swing from ethereal to majestic, the album does not put one foot wrong -- a claim that Allen supporters had not truly been able to make since midway through the Planet Gong trilogy. Song lengths are especially impressive, generally ranging between seven and 14 minutes (the epic title track), but never outstaying their welcome. In fact, the only disappointment is that the album slipped past so unnoticed when it was first released."[AMG]

WE NEED TEN THOUSAND MORE DIGIRIDOO'S!!!

Kevin Ayers - Bananamour

For Howard. More beautiful songs from Mr. Ayers. "Oh! Wot a Dream" is dedicated to Syd Barrett, a kindred spirit.

Wot

Kevin Ayers - whatevershebringswesing

For Howard. My favorite Ayers.

"Melancholic and reflective, Kevin Ayers' third solo effort, Whatevershebringswesing (this time sans the Whole World as a collective), finds the ultimate underachiever languishing in a realm of ballads, free (for the most part) from the façade and pretensions of prog rock that plagued the previous project. Released in January 1972, Whatevershebringswesing was Ayers' most commercially accessible album to date. The opening track, the "There Is Loving" suite, was both apropos and deceptive. The song picks up nicely from the previous album, linked by its Soft Machine/prog rock sound and fronting the lyrics from the single "Butterfly Dance"; however, for the very same reason, this was a deceptive opener for an album that was far removed from the prog subgenre.In the interim between Shooting at the Moon and Whatever, Ayers gigged with his friend Daevid Allen's band, Gong, on a European tour, the results of which can be heard on the phenomenal Peel session recording Pre-Modern Wireless. Afterward, Ayers plucked saxophonist Didier Malherbe out of Gong momentarily to supplement the sound on his next album. The perfect substitute for Lol Coxhill, Malherbe and flute are a standout on the opener, "There Is Loving," with moving orchestral arrangements by Dave Bedford on the "Among Us" midsection. Initially released as a single, the album's highlight and concert staple, "Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes," is classic Ayers. While many outstanding guitarists have ripped up this grooving, occasionally aggressive blues/pop riff, Ayers himself laid down the guitar and piano tracks on this maiden recording. In line with Ayers' most appealing, successful compositions, "Stranger" and the majority of cuts on Whatever are uncomplicated and frank, allowing the listener to immediately step inside. Ayers' tunes may be light and semisweet, but he doesn't beat around the bush. "Oh My" and "Champagne Cowboy Blues" are exquisite examples of Ayers' ability to immediately pull in the listener via his lighthearted, slightly skewed approach. "Champagne" features the signature Mike Oldfield sound/style that would soon sell millions of records for him as a solo artist. Noteworthy are "Song From the Bottom of a Well" and "Lullaby." Intoned with darkness and foreboding, "Well" harks back to Soft Machine's "Why Are We Sleeping?" and foreshadows Ayers' Dr. Dream album, particularly "It Begins With a Blessing." But like much of the experimental material on his previous release, "Well" just doesn't build up to anything of substance. And the instrumental "Lullaby" (appropriately titled) closes the album on an odd note. Reminiscent of King Crimson's "Cadence and Cascade" (from In the Wake of Poseidon) and highlighted by Malherbe's fluid flute, "Lullaby" is an early example of new age ambience, complete with running brook in the background. Whatevershebringswesing falls short of the ambitious peaks found on Ayers' previous record; however, the material is much more consistent, focused, and devoid of that album's pitfalls. Ayers sounds comfortable and in his true element on Whatever, but like much of his post-'70s output, the compositions lack challenge. Whatevershebringswesing has often been cited as Ayers' magnum opus, but the term should be reserved for his follow-up, Bananamour, or even The Confessions of Dr. Dream." -David Ross Smith

Sing it from the well

Robert Wyatt - Old Rottenhat

For Howard.

More Wyatt greatness. This is an explicitly political album, and altogether darker and pessimistic.

PLA

Robert Wyatt - Ruth is Stranger than Richard

For Howard.

More amazing songwriting from the Seer of Canterbury, his third album. Includes Eno on "anti jazz ray gun".

Soup

Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom

For Howard.

Go get "Comicopera" and enjoy the work one of the greatest songwriters of all time. And then get this masterpiece, his second album and to me still his best. Listen to "Sea Song", with a coda that melts the sternest heart, and you'll know why it's one of my top five favorite songs ever. A monumental achievement by Mr. Wyatt.

Hit the Road

Robert Wyatt - Comicopera (2007)

This former member of Soft Machine is a fucking legend. A truly extraordinary album with a melancholic and intimate feeling. Profoundly musical in every sense of the word. This album is probably his best overall work since "Rock Bottom" and that says a whole lot.

Spagett

Kevin Ayers - Joy of a Toy.

"Kevin Ayers' talent is so acute you could perform major eye surgery with it." -John Peel

One of the founding members of Soft Machine, Ayers has played with the best of 'em: Brian Eno, John Cale, Syd Barrett & Nico; just to name a few.
Here is his first solo album and one of my all-time favorites. Quite the fucking gem.


















Download