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FOTS-POD#22 - “Robson Man 2″
Episode 22 of the Friends of the Stars Podcast is now up on the internet. …Don’t all rush at once.
This hour-long episode, entitled “Robson Man 2″, finds Cam and Craig in blistering form as they discuss the various merits of iPhones, Spotify and SKY Sports before moving on to give an insight into the working processes of a band lumbering towards the completion of it’s 2nd LP. It’s nowhere near as dull as it sounds, honest.
FOTS-POD#22 - “Robson Man 2″ - DOWNLOAD MP3
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TRACKLISTING:
Love Like A Fountain - Ian Brown
Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
I Have Learned To Do Without You - Mavis Staples
Beard of Bees - Stately Homes of England
It’s Time To Move On - Tom Petty
Prisons - Trashcan Sinatras
No Regrets - The Walker Brothers
On The Floe - Thin White Rope
Saturday Gigs - Mott The Hoople
Liner Notes (with Spotify links, where available)
Ian Brown - Love Like A Fountain
Ian Brown has made a bagful of groovy in his career - here’s one of the best. BTW drummer Simon Wolstencroft was a total metronome when he played with The Fall in the late 80s and early 90s…. it’s him on this (ie it’s not a loop).
LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out
20 yrs old - pretty classic.
Mavis Staples - I Have Learned To Do Without You
One of the greatest, sexiest, most soulful, most powerful voices ever committed to shellac.
Stately Homes of England - Beard of Bees
Fellow Brum-centric but multi-city musical troupe, this is a great tune. Andy from the band used to work with Cam too. Two musical geniuses under one roof - what were the chances? 
Tom Petty - It’s Time To Move On
FOTS love TP but even we maybe weren’t as au fait with his 90s and naughties output until recently. This is a typically beautifully judged and introspective gem from Wildflowers - probably his most cohesive and listenable album (if Damn the Torpedoes and Full Moon Fever have all the blockbusters and Hard Promises has moments of peaking genius and the rest all have wonderful moments). Incidentally, Wildflowers isn’t credited to The Heartbreakers, even tho they all play on it and…musically… it’s probably them at their finest. Check Benmont’s piano on the title track… heartmelting.
Trashcan Sinatras - Prisons
More perfect tunecraft from Scotland’s enduring bridesmaids. They are from Cam’s home territory (Irvine, Kilmarnock) and he’s very evangelical about them. In 20 years, over five albums, they have hardly missed a beat. Check em all out.
The Walker Brothers - No Regrets
When Scott went back to his “hombres” in the 70s, commercially washed up, kind of need of some middle of the road paydirt, they came up with some real gems. Sounds obvious, but even so it would be great to hear Glen Campbell doing this.
In the late 80s and early 90s, before Kate Thornton decided Indie was cool and some twisted notion tugged at Cowell’s bawhairs from the future, students up and down the UK were listening to REM, Throwing Muses and these guys. I have always loved great outros, that build and build and go right through the gears… Tumblin’ Dice does it, The Concept does it, Motorway to Roswell does it, On the Floe does it
Mott The Hoople - Saturday Gigs
I haven’t checked but Mott may have been played more on these FOTS PODS than any other band. That’s because they rule and people might not fully know just how great they were. This was their farewell single. I mean…C’MON… what a farewell 45 this is! Maybe, MAYBE, bettered by Beat Surrender but that’s a moot point (a Moot the Hopple point?….sorry).
Incidentally, farewell singles are much missed - a kind of grand gesture by bands to their own gangs. A bit of a thank you to the boys. FOTS would love if it you commented on this post with other examples of the lost artform of the farewell single, when the band came out in advance and said it would be their last…. so the expectation was REALLY high and yet they still delivered. Looking forward to them.
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