NIKKI SUDDEN - Red Brocade (1999)
From the Swell Maps to the Jacobites to his lengthy solo discography, Nikki Sudden was one of the few artists who could invoke the spirit of Johnny Thunders as easily as Gram Parsons-- sometimes within the same song. Even when engaging in some krautrock-style noisemongering, the astute listener can't help but detect a sense of that bleak, "High Lonesome" sound-- an emotionally fragile man with his heart on his sleeve-- proving that the aforementioned term shouldn't belong solely to C&W artists. Sadly, the majority of his recordings were released almost exclusively by fly-by-night nowhere labels, guaranteeing much of it would never stay in print for a decent amount of time.
Red Brocade is the kinda R&R record they simply don't make no more kats 'n' kitties-- simultaneously snotty and poignant; as shimmering as it ominous. It runs the gamut of styles-- countrified ballads ("Farewell, My Darling," which unfortunately includes fifth-tier Brian Wilson wannabe Jeff Tweedy; the elegantly wasted "Scarred Again"), Stonesy shuffles ("Countess," where Sudden is bold enough to lift the pseudo-disco bass line from "Miss You" to startling effect; "Tie You Up" where the narrator sounds more like a man at the end of his rope emotionally, not a dabbler in S&M), even a little pinky toe-dippin' into baroque pop (the positively gorgeous "Broken Door," where Nikki drops an aside to his lover in his speaking voice that is pure heartbreak). The bottom line is that (and yes I realize I harp on & on about far too often, but fuck it) in an age where ironic posturing and smirking insincerity win the critics' accolades, and R&R has been reduced to yet another way to sell hamburgers and shitty cars, I can't help but get a lump in my throat when I listen to True Believers like Nikki Sudden... ain't nobody gonna replace you, man.
RIP Nicolas "Nikki Sudden" Godfrey
July 19, 1956 - March 26, 2006
In comments.
http://lix.in/-2e60ee
ReplyDeletepass = sln2008
Off all the things to be thinking on the 'plane home from a holiday, "I wonder will jake have posted loads while I was away" probably isn't what goes through most peoples minds. But it was on mine - I half hoped/ half feared there would be loads to get through. So - Half thanks / half "Boo! Boo!".
ReplyDeleteSwell Maps / Nikki Sudden / Jowe Head are big faves in the house of flying flagons, but there is always one or two releases slip under the radar. Like this one, which I am enjoying A LOT.
Cheers for this.
BTW - remember that "Battle of the Goat Bands" from recent posts? I meant to say which one I liked best - but how exactly to do that without being mocked 'til the end of time?
ReplyDeleteBy NOT saying "I like Goat --- "best, instead - "I like Goat Horn slightly less"
:-)
The best Goat-band I've heard yet is from yer neck of the woods-- Goat Molestor. Filthy, blackened thrash. Sadly, they've changed their name to Grave Miasma.
ReplyDeleteThanks for uploading this - didn't have this one - Mikki was fucking awesome.
ReplyDeleteTotally got no respect, ya know?
"The Big Store" plays weekly around here...
REALLY looking forward to this one, man. Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to see Nikki play live. I seem to remember him playing material from the Groove album, which was the only one I was familiar with at the time. A great show, I went out and found the Swell Maps after that. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh, my - Jeff Tweedy, the little prick - seems to sanitize everything he touches -
ReplyDeleteAnd I´m a little prick for never going out to see Nikki Sudden - in the nineties he seemed to drop by in this shithole every year or so. Had I only heard "Where the rivers end" earlier!
-> http://punkcast.com/48/
Well, we saw Nikki every other week here in Berlin. Supported him many times and many of my band members ended up playing in his various formations... but I do miss the old codger. I thought he'd be here for ever.
ReplyDeleteI have very sweet memories of this record. Thanks.
ReplyDelete