There's a list of artists I'd like to see live (some are dead so I'll have to work on that one), others almost might as well be. Thomas Dolby falls slap bang into that category. Until now. Yes...he's back, back, back etc. For the uninitiated Dolby was a fairly big name back in the 1980's, particularly for a tune called 'She Blinded Me With Science' featuring 'mad' scientist Magnus Pyke. Originally pretty synthy on his two first albums 'The Golden Age Of Wireless' and 'This Flat Earth', he then went all kind of big band jazzy on the frankly bonkers 'Aliens Ate My Buick', before going a bit more mainstream singer/songwriter on his last 78...well it seems like a bloody long time ago to me...Astronauts and Heretics. Since then (aside from a very limited release EP and some computer game soundtrack) he's been as quiet as a deceased church mouse. He's played a few very low key dates in the US and one or two in the UK but now he's going on tour over here for the first time in centuries. So, what's the big deal? Well, aside from being a bit of a pioneer of all kinds of electronic instruments, Mr D had a way with lyrics too. Whilst the likes of Duran Duran were coming over all 'Rio' (dirty boys), Dolby was writing much darker stuff like 'Airwaves' and 'One of Our Submarines' as well as downright pop funk gold in the form of Hyperactive. After seemingly giving up on music back in the early 1990's when he formed a company that did all kinds of clever stuff to do with 'compressing files', the fact that he's now decided to dust off his synth collection (when he clearly doesn't need the dosh) is pretty darn amazing. He's playing Brum in October at the Academy 2 by the way, along with a few other select dates. If you fancy seeing him before 2082 (which is probably when he'll tour again...as a hologram...cool) grab yourself a ticket...and a pair of round spectacles (and no that isn't a reference to Harry fucking Potter).
Saturday, July 21, 2007
The Golden Age of Dolby...Thomas that is...
There's a list of artists I'd like to see live (some are dead so I'll have to work on that one), others almost might as well be. Thomas Dolby falls slap bang into that category. Until now. Yes...he's back, back, back etc. For the uninitiated Dolby was a fairly big name back in the 1980's, particularly for a tune called 'She Blinded Me With Science' featuring 'mad' scientist Magnus Pyke. Originally pretty synthy on his two first albums 'The Golden Age Of Wireless' and 'This Flat Earth', he then went all kind of big band jazzy on the frankly bonkers 'Aliens Ate My Buick', before going a bit more mainstream singer/songwriter on his last 78...well it seems like a bloody long time ago to me...Astronauts and Heretics. Since then (aside from a very limited release EP and some computer game soundtrack) he's been as quiet as a deceased church mouse. He's played a few very low key dates in the US and one or two in the UK but now he's going on tour over here for the first time in centuries. So, what's the big deal? Well, aside from being a bit of a pioneer of all kinds of electronic instruments, Mr D had a way with lyrics too. Whilst the likes of Duran Duran were coming over all 'Rio' (dirty boys), Dolby was writing much darker stuff like 'Airwaves' and 'One of Our Submarines' as well as downright pop funk gold in the form of Hyperactive. After seemingly giving up on music back in the early 1990's when he formed a company that did all kinds of clever stuff to do with 'compressing files', the fact that he's now decided to dust off his synth collection (when he clearly doesn't need the dosh) is pretty darn amazing. He's playing Brum in October at the Academy 2 by the way, along with a few other select dates. If you fancy seeing him before 2082 (which is probably when he'll tour again...as a hologram...cool) grab yourself a ticket...and a pair of round spectacles (and no that isn't a reference to Harry fucking Potter).
Oh yes...I don't think I'll make his next tour (sometime in the 22nd century) so we'll be there. Mine's a pint (probably not of Buffers End though...I do want to make it to the end of the gig).
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