The Triptych is a mighty 90 tracks on 3 CDs — some 4 hours of Fred Deakin’s favourite tracks — that would be an ego trip in lesser hands but this is a trip worth undertaking
Somewhat of a daunting prospect to listen to such a collection by Fred, who is better known as half of the Breezblock favourites, Lemon Jelly (with Nick Franglen) best known for the single ‘Nice Weather For Ducks!’ Not really our thing at Fly but Fred gives us an opportunity to have a virtual flick through his record collection, always the best part of meeting someone new.
He’s not self-conscious either as he’s put in his own guilty pleasures along with the good stuff. The sleeve notes are excellent as it’s like having a chat in the pub with a fellow music fan.
He’s got 20 years of experience buying records and at times he shows off his skills as a DJ mixing but it’s the eclectic selection that grabs you. It’s a huge credit to him how well this works with Bernard Cribbins next to Jesus & Mary Chain! There are some old soul favourites like the stompin’ ‘It’s Better To Have (And Don’t Need) by Don Covay and the Five Stairsteps ‘Ooooh Child’. Rick James and The Isley Brothers sit next to Madness and Roni Size. It’s good to hear how tribal Souxsie & The Banshees sounded in comparison to their goth image and he says of Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Rocker’, “it certainly does what it says on the tin” (I’ve just heard there’s a statue of Phil Lynott in Dublin!)
In among the old, there’s some newer material that we’ve featured on Fly, like Peak’s ‘Get Carter‘, ‘Happy Dayz‘ by Bugz In The Attic and the brilliant Carl Craig remix of Theo Parrish’s ‘Falling Up’ (featured on DJ Hell‘s latest compilation).
The Parrish track is on my favourite CD of the three. It’d be easy to knock some of the tunes, such as the aging ‘Garden Party’ (a huge Mezzoforte jazz funk tune in its day) and a George Michael track, but it really gets going with ‘Amalgam’ by Dudley Moore. Yep, that Dud of and Pete, Arthur and 10 fame. Moore apparently went to uni with Deakin’s Dad. It always was rumoured that Moore was a brilliant jazz pianist and this track definitely proves the point.
Surprisingly this is Deakin’s first solo compilation and it is the latest in The Trip series following Dirty Vegas, Tom Middleton, Tim “Love” Lee, Saint Etienne, Snow Patrol, Jarvis Cocker & Steve Mackey and Joey Negro.
Deakin is currently a very busy lad following this release as he’s next hosting his own Saturday Record Swap Shop and as Lemon Jelly, will be performing next month at Optronica — “the hybrid film and music festival celebrating the convergence of visuals and music”. Once he’s done that, I wonder if my virtual best mate is up for a pint in Kentish Town?
Links:
One Week To Live 19-25 February 6/7 “Whatever your musical preferences, this one’s a winner” www.oneweektolive.com
Fred Deakin — The Triptych “A real joy” — Word
www.lemonjelly.ky
www.xlrecordings.com/lemonjelly
Optronica — Visual music on the big screen 14-18 March 2007 — Live audiovisual performances from Trevor Jackson, Deakin & Franglen (Lemon Jelly), Fennesz & Charles Atlas, Peter Greenaway and many more www.optronica.org BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, ICA Tickets 020 7928 3232
www.blowback.co.uk Blowback Feb07 V309 page17
www.thelondonpaper.com thelondonnightout Weds 21.2.07 “Track down a top record” malcolm.mackenzie@thelondonpaper.com TripTych Swap Shop, Pure Groove Records, 670 Holloway Road, N19 2pm to 5 pm Saturday 24th February. Other cash-free swaps www.recordswap.com www.swapitshop.com
Reviewed — V/A — Fred Deakin Presents The Triptych (Family Recordings) Cat. No. 9843082 Release date: February 2007
Tracklisting
CD 1:
1. Badmarsh & Shri — Appa
2. Impossible Dreamers — Spin
3. Flying Fish — Mr Matawe
4. The Selecter — The Selecter
5. Bobby Nunn — Private Party
6. Mr Flash — Disco Dynamite
7. BBC Radiophonic Workshop — Amor Dei
8. Penguin Café Orchestra — Perpetuum Mobile
9. Pete Seeger — Ode To Joy
10. Sharon Phillips — Want 2 Need 2 — Trentemoller Remix
11. Gaspar Lawal — Kita Kita
12. Dave Angel — Funk Music — Tonka Remix
13. Japan — Adolescent Sex
14. Nick Straker — A Touch Of Jazz
15. Billy Swan — Don’t Be Cruel
16. Mama Cass — One Way Ticket
17. Native Force — Music Box
18. Thin Lizzy — The Rocker
19. Jemini The Gifted One — Funk Soul Sensation
20. Siouxsie & The Banshees — Supernatural Thing
21. N.O.R.E. — Nothin’
22. Graffiti — Come Together
23. Tomahawk — Straw Dogs
24. Billy Hawks — Oooh Baby (I Believe I’m Losing You)
25. Supergrass — Coffee In The Pot
26. Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys — St Louis Blues
27. Don Covay — It’s Better To Have (And Don’t Need)
28. Saint Etienne — He’s On The Phone
29. Jesus & Mary Chain — Sometimes Always
30. Bernard Cribbins — My Resistance Is Low
CD2:
1. Andy Statman — Flatbush Waltz
2. Etienne De Crecy — Grokster
3. Technotronic — Get Up (Before The Night Is Over) — Acappella
4. Kaori — Good Life
5. Mezzoforte — Garden Party
6. Leo Kottke — Cripple Creek
7. The Toes — Chrome Radio Rocks
8. Kurtis Blow — Xmas Rapping
9. Bananarama — Movin’ On — Tony Humphries Remix
10. Ege Bam Yasi — I Want More
11. John Foxx — Mr No
12. Todd Rundgren — Torch Song
13. XTC — A Dictionary Of Modern Marriage
14. Das EFX — Real Hip Hop — Acappella
15. Living Colour — Love Rears Its Ugly Head — Soul Power Hip Hop Remix
16. Dudley Moore — Amalgam
17. Theo Parrish — Falling Up — Carl Craig Remix
18. Jesse Johnson — Crazy
19. Man Parrish — Boogie Down Bronx
20. Michael Nesmith — Calico Girlfriend
21. Ramsey Lewis — Blue Bongo
22. Ray Bryant — Madison Time
23. Wally Whyton — Don’t You Push Me Down
24. P Funk Allstars — Hydraulic Pump
25. George Michael — Cars And Trains
26. The Seeds — Can’t Seem To Make You Mine
27. Sounds Orchestral — Moonshot
28. Pentangle — Night Flight
29. Anita Kerr Quartet — Wayfaring Stranger
30. Drilla — Mama Says
31. The Rutles — Let’s Be Natural
CD 3:
1. Steve Miller — Threshold
2. Grand Funk Railroad — Words Of Wisedam
3. James Last — Feeling Alright
4. The Chords — Maybe Tomorrow
5. Roni Size — Scrambled Eggs
6. Gianfranco Plenzio — Musica Per Anna
7. Grand Puba — I Like It
8. The Durutti Column — Madeleine
9. Kenny Rankin — Minuet
10. Bugz In The Attic — Happy Dayz
11. Acen — Dirty Raver
12. Wuf Ticket — The Key
13. Michel Houellebecq — Celibataires
14. Peak — Get Carter
15. Shades Of Rhythm — Homicide
16. Freq Nasty — That’s My Style
17. Miriam Makeba — Ring Bell
18. Rick James — Pass The Joint
19. Madness — The Bed And Breakfast Man
20. Maxwell — Get To Know You
21. D Train — Trying To Get Over
22. Cornershop featuring MIA — Topknot
23. Wendy & Lisa — Are You My Baby
24. The Five Stairsteps — Oooh Child
25. Spirit”Brien — Midday Sun
27. The Isley Brothers — Brown Eyed Girl
28. Tim Hardin — Misty Roses — Live
29. Bob Wallis — Three Live Wires
