Album sleeves as lifestyle statements and 5 seconds that made Phil Manzanera a fortune

Word In Your Ear

Mar 25 2024 • 36 mins

The all-seeing telescope of truth scanned this week’s rock and roll heavens and noticed a few patterns emerge, among them …

… the real story of the writing of Layla and who nicked what from where. And who didn’t get paid.

… why Sally Grossman was on the cover of Bringing It All Back Home.

… album sleeves with overflowing ashtrays that screamed ‘welcome to my bohemian world!’ – Soft Machine’s Third, Man’s Rhinos, Winos + Lunatics, Back Street Crawler …

… album sleeves that said “meet my girlfriend!” – McDonald And Giles, the Madcap Laughs, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Love Chronicles, the Paul Simon Handbook …

… album sleeves suggesting the powerful aphrodisiac of music and the allure of ‘the bachelor pad’ …

.. our night out at a Leo Sidran show and what we’ll expect – indeed insist upon - at all gigs in the future.

… when rock stars read 12th Century Persian poetry.

…the time Lucinda Williams toured with Dylan and Van Morrison and never met either of them.

… the glorious squalor of ‘70s flats.

… “comedy is tragedy at a different speed”.

… mentioned in despatches: Sharleen Spiteri, John Mellencamp, James Burton, Bobby Whitlock, Daniel Kramer.

The Everly Brothers’ Walking The Dog. Is that the original Layla riff at 2.20? …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=072OpLw-l_s


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