Gems #036 - the album-length playlist including Snow Patrol, The Police, Travis, and more
Classic and new tracks, compiled by Ian Sharp of LP.
Welcome to Gems, my weekly playlist ranging from classic to current tracks. Each playlist is 40–45 minutes long, sequenced as ‘Side 1’ and ‘Side 2’.
Gems #036
The Spotify playlist, and a link to the Apple Music version, follow after the notes.
Side 1
Snow Patrol 2. Tim Bowness 3. The Police 4. Tony Patterson & Doug Melbourne 5. William Hut 6. Richard Thompson
Snow Patrol are back after five years. The new album The Forest is the Path is out in September. The first track, ‘The Beginning’, is out now. If it’s not ‘Run’ or ‘Chasing Cars’ - two songs always guaranteed to make me feel emotional - it’s still a promising preview for the album.
Tim Bowness lists Peter Gabriel, King Crimson and Jethro Tull among his influences. He’s worked with many leading names in prog and beyond and co-runs the Burning Shed label/store. ‘Rock Hudson’ is from his new album Powder Dry. His vocals are from the Gabriel school of rock, and he uses his many influences to blend his own sound.
The Police are releasing a 40th anniversary super deluxe edition of their final album Synchronicity, full of demos. ‘King of Pain’ is the first to stream, and it’s more of an alternative version than a demo, so the full box could be listenable rather than purely of archive/historic interest.
Tony Patterson & Doug Melbourne are also known for their work with the Genesis tribute act Regenesis. This is the second song to be released from their forthcoming third album We've Been Expecting You.
William Hut is a Norwegian indie artist. ‘Where Shadows Hold Sway’ is from his new EP Eternal Hope.
Richard Thompson’s new album Ship to Shore was released on Friday and, on one listen, I rate it as highly as his best solo work - and that’s high. ‘The Old Pack Mule’ has a traditional folk feel yet also sounds up-to-date. See him live if you ever get the opportunity (he’s on tour in the UK now).
Side 2
7. Nick Piunti 8. Alex Izenberg 9. Anthony Phillips 10. Kaia Kater 11. Travis 12. Peter Gabriel
Nick Piunti’s version of ‘Ruby Tuesday’ is from the new Jem Recordings tribute album to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (other artists in this series include Ray Davies, Pete Townshend and Brian Wilson). This is a fine cover of one of the Stone's best tunes.
Alex Izenburg & The Exiles release a new album at the end of July. Taking inspiration, according to their record company, from “the heady musings of philosopher Alan Watts, the multi-layered storytelling of King Crimson, and the imagistic vistas of Fleet Foxes”, ‘Drinking the Dusk Away’ lives up to the influences. I’m looking forward to much more of this.
Anthony Phillips was an early member of Genesis and went on to have a low-key solo career, including a series of albums called Private Parts and Pieces. ‘Roads Inbetween’ is from the latest instalment, just released: XII - The Golden Hour.
Kaia Kater was recommended to me by
. Her new album has been well reviewed and, like Mark, I’ll be listening.Travis is back with ‘Raze the Bar’ from their new record LA Times, and includes Chris Martin from Coldplay on backing vocals.
Peter Gabriel concludes the first playlist of June, because my next Glimpse is of his third album (also known as Scratch).
Messages and comments are open. I’d love to know which track you enjoyed most this week … and if there’s anything you didn’t rate.
Video Gem of the Week
Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited Band & Orchestra: Live At The Royal Festival Hall playing ‘Supper’s Ready’. Because it’s awesome.
Enjoy the music,
Ian
Thank you for taking the time to listen to Gems, and read the notes. LP also includes a weekly 5-minute read (a Glimpse) about a classic album, and a monthly long-read for paid subscribers. If you have not yet subscribed to LP please do - paid subs are invested in buying new music, and keep me writing.
I haven’t kept up with Snow Patrol for many years but I like the sound of that track. I also like that version of King of Pain. My concern about the upcoming 6-disc set is how bloated it might be.
Thanks for the shoutout on Kaia Kater. I’m very much enjoying the album and it’s definitely a candidate for a top 50 album this year
I've only listened to "The Beginning" so far. I have some Snow Patrol in my music library but I've never listened to it, so that track intrigued me. I will definitely be making time to explore what I have after hearing it; thank you.