“Everybody move to prove the groove…”

And that’s how one of the greatest synth pop albums of the 1980’s begins…with an invocation to hit the dance floor and kick the fascists off of it.

Heaven 17 were formed after the Human League ruptured following the release of their 2nd album “Travelogue”. The “musicians” (well, the guys who operated the synthesisers) in the League, Martin Ware and Ian Craig Marsh added singer Glenn Gregory and set about creating a more sophisticated version of their old group and, on this album at least, scored a bullseye.

It’s split into two sides musically, side 1 is the Pavement side, a concoction of funky bass and synths creating a kind of uptown funky dancefloor mish-mash. Side 2 is the Penthouse side, synth-pop but, as already noted, in a more sophisticated style than their former group.

“(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” was discovered by me out on the (dance)floor at Romeo & Juliet’s in Birmingham, a tiny little club room in a bigger “disco” where the Bowie/Roxy, post-punkers, proto goths and freaks found a home in the early 80’s. It was a real “what the hell is that” moment. A huge groove and whoever it was, was singing about beating fascists

“Have you heard it on the news? About this fascist groove thang?

Evil men with racist views, Spreading all across the land”

Still, sadly, lyrically appropriate. It took a while to track it down but I eventually found a white label promo at a record fair, it cost me £4.50 which was a LOT in 1981. It was marked up as being by B.E.F/Heaven 17 which added to why it was so hard to find. Man I wish I still had that white label.

I was walking around Wickes near where I live a few years ago when “…Fascist Groove Thang” started playing on the instore PA. I quickly realised a member of staff was playing the whole album and spent a very enjoyable 40 minutes wandering through the power tools and bathroom displays singing along to “Geisha Boys And Temple Girls”, “The Height Of The Fighting” and “We’re Going To Live For a Very Long Time” which, if you have a manual turntable, has a closed groove at the end so the song never ends. 

(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang - https://youtu.be/lV5dbcOmw6I

My most recent purchase, just a couple of weeks ago. Another re-issue on coloured vinyl (cream this time, a bit boring but more interesting than black). “Stumble Into Grace” was originally released in 2003 and while digging out info about the others I owned I noticed a lot of good things said about it, so here we go. 

I’ve not had long to live with this one, so this may not be as detailed as other pieces. We’re still in that musical world created with Daniel Lanois (who appears as a musician this time) on “Wrecking Ball” so if you know that and “Red Dirt Girl” you can place the overall sound here, although there is a move toward a more conventional sound, overall it’s not as “left field” as the previous 2 records.

“Here I Am” starts us off with a gentle groove. We’re still in Lanois soundland but a few more traditonal sounds are creeping in. “I Will Dream” is more akin to what we’ve come to expect since “Wrecking Ball”. “Time In Babylon” is a slinky, Bluesy thing but the first song that really stands out is “Can You Hear Me Now’ at the end of side 1. It was written with Producer Malcolm Burn and has a vague familiarity about it, like something you’ve heard before but can’t quite place.

On Side 2 we start out with “Strong Hand (For June)” a song written for and about June Carter Cash who passed away while this album was being recorded. “O Evangeline” harks back to a previous album title and has that “Southern Gothic” feel about it. It’s a beautiful stripped back song featuring just Emmylou, Malcolm Burn and the McGarrigle sisters. That segues into a reading of the 18th century French song “Plaisir d'Amour” with just Emmylou and the McGarrigle’s sounding almost like they’re harmonising for fun at an open mic night !

I wouldn’t call “Stumble Into Grace” a must hear classic but it has it’s moments, it’s growing on me the more I live with it. Emmylou sings beautifully throughout and it’s all about her voice for me. After this it was another 5 years before her next solo album. Emmylou filled that time with collaborations with others, most notably Mark Knopfler (and I ain’t going anywhere near that !). 

Thanx for sticking with me as I guided you through what has become 11 albums by Emmylou Harris, I know not everyone finds it within them to take Country music seriously, but if I’ve helped change someone’s perception of Country or made one of you think “hmmm, I’ll give that a try” then I’d be very happy. I think I have all I need by Emmylou now, we’ll meet her again when we get to my Gram Parsons records but for now it’s time to move on.

O Evangeline - https://youtu.be/ISQqrrnvv2o

In Alabama there is a lot of clay in the soil, this gives it a reddish colour. Since 1996 the Professional Soil Classifiers of Alabama (yes, such a body exists !) have recognised the Bama Soil Series (known as Bama for short) as the state soil. The people of Alabama call it the red clay or the red dirt. Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires (remember them from a few months ago ?) from Birmingham, AL have a song called “The Red, Red Dirt Of Home”. The title of this album is Emmylou Harris (herself also from Birmingham, AL) recognising her roots.

“Red Dirt Girl” was the (solo) studio follow up to the career re-defining album “Wrecking Ball” but wasn’t released until 5 years later. In those 5 years Emmylou made “Trio II” with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, “Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions” with Linda Ronstadt and released the live album “Spyboy” with her new backing band, Spyboy, which she formed for a tour to perform songs from  “Wrecking Ball”.

One other important thing to note about “Red Dirt Girl” is that Emmylou wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs, the first time  since “The Ballad of Sally Rose” in 1985 that she’d made an album with more than two of her own compositions included. Although Daniel Lanois did not produce this album (it was produced by Malcolm Burn who engineered “Wrecking Ball”) the musical setting he created for “Wrecking Ball” is a lasting and obvious presence here. 

First song “The Pearl” would have sat comfortably on her previous album. Some have suggested that the next song, “Michaelangelo”, is about Gram Parsons and reading the lyrics I can see why some might think that. But as Emmylou herself has said “The thing about “Michelangelo,” it could be about anything you want. I like songs like that.”

“Tragedy” sees the coming together of musical heroes of mine. Here backing vocals are supplied by Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa. Now I’m not a huge fan of Patti’s vocal style but Bruce was so taken with it he married her so who am I to pass comment. But to find two giants of American music, the Boss and Emmylou, together in one place pleased me greatly. You hear much more of Patti than you do of Bruce but I’ll settle for knowing he’s in there somewhere.

“Bang The Drum Slowly” includes elements from Eric Bogle’s song "No Man's Land" (a.k.a "The Green Fields of France" or "Willie McBride"), both songs use the refrain "did they beat (bang) the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly". It was written about Emmylou’s father (who passed away in 1993) with great American songwriter Guy Clark who also knew her Dad.

The title song, “My Baby Needs A Shepherd”, “Hour Of Gold” are all superb songs. Probably my favourite on the album is the only one the singer didn’t have a hand in writing (sorry Emmylou). “One Big Love” was penned by Patty Griffin and released on her 1998 album “Flaming Red”, an album on which Emmylou can be heard adding backing vocals. Patty’s version is a vaguely twee College Rock style thing whereas Emmylou slows things down just a little, gives it more of a groove and her voice on anybody’s song can only make it better.

The influence of Daniel Lanois and the making of her previous album are all over “Red Dirt Girl”.

Red Dirt Girl - https://youtu.be/nzwnYC_wJ1g