Vivian Stanshall- Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead

[Ghost of Troubled Joe]

Just downloaded this. What a fantastic album. Can't believe it's not more widely recognised...is it because Stanshall was a comedy artist, therefore all of his music must be comedy? No matter, I love this album and no doubt some of you will too.

[fanny splendid]

Did you see Silver SurferGhost in his beard?

[Silver SurferGhost]

You rang?
Was it me that directed you in it's direction Joe? It usually is.

In my top ten albums of ever, EVAR, this one's in the top five (yes, the rest are all Robyn Hitchcock ones, obviously, winkytinky). And before anyone asks I'm not one of them 'cunts' who like this and hate Teddy Boys Don't Knit. They're just far too different to compare and I love them both. I've always prefered his music over his Sir Henry adventures though, it's a shame the only way he could get records out was if he made a Sir Henry one.

It's an odd LP, isn't it? Some people have a bit of a beef with it saying it doesn't know whether to be rock or comedy, but we know that they're fools don't we? Hilarious and terrifying by turns, and occasionally both together.

Bollocks, you've caught me on the hop, I'll have to chip in again later with a more considered critique other than the LOL duDE ItZ GRAet!!!1!!! I feel like at the moment.

At least you've taken my mind off going and doing some more Thatcher-bashing in GD though, ta.

You can get a decent enough copy of it here by the way, by clicky LP cover:
http://www.shuttleworths.co.uk/sirhenry/noise.html
Go on, get it, I'll be setting a test tomorrow.
.

[Ghost of Troubled Joe]

The opening song is pure genius. Funky as hell, yet with some very terrifying lyrics. Must've been quite controversial too, working with all them African musicians back in the days when no one really did that.

Haven't heard much of Teddy Boys Don't Knit- only "Ginger Geezer" and other various clips- and it doesn't really sound all that great. I'm not even the biggest fan of the Bonzos in all fairness- but MOUA has a strange groove to it that appeals to these ears.

[Fuckwittio]

There was a good article about this in Uncut's 'Unknown Pleasures' section recently. Sadly, I don't have a scanner so I can't reproduce it here, which makes me fuck-all use. It sounds like a deadly LP, so I may download it myself. All I've heard of Stanshall is Gorilla & the songs in the Sir Henry At Rawlinson End film, so I'm intruiged to hear more.

I've got that film taped off Irish TV from years ago, must check it out again. It has to be one of the most bizarre films I've ever seen, especially Trevor Howard's demented performance. Some of his dialogue is priceless:

"I've never met a man I didn't mutilate."

Or, my personal favourite (and a fine philosophy to live by):

"If I had all the money I ever spent on drink, I'd spend it on drink."

Classy. Was it the Rawlinson End radio skit that had the line about the family being so inbred their pet bulldog had a club foot? If it is, I need to pay Stanshall's estate some serious royalties for the amount of time I've used that over the years to make myself look witty & clever.

[Darrell]

Haven't heard much of Teddy Boys Don't Knit- only "Ginger Geezer" and other various clips- and it doesn't really sound all that great.

TBDK is my favourite bit of solo Stanshall ever. It is probably the most Bonzo-ish thing he ever did solo, mind, so if you're not enamoured with the Bonzos, you might not like it.

It definitely deserves listening to at least once. It's been re-released as a piss-cheap disc, so there's no reason not to grab it for your shelves.

"And when I find my trousers, I'll find my feet... discover my legs..."

[Silver SurferGhost]

There was a good article about this in Uncut's 'Unknown Pleasures' section recently. Sadly, I don't have a scanner so I can't reproduce it here

Gah!
It is a criminally underrated album. It has never been available on CD, never even been re-released, and it's original pressing was something ridiculously low like 5000 copies (or perhaps even less). And I've got two of those. It was never released in the USA at all, which is why our American cousins are forking out well over fifty quid (in our money) a time on ebay for a copy. You'd think Warner's would have put it out after he died if only to plunder his grave, but no. Apparently they even lost the original masters of side two just before the album's release, and the side two we hear today is a dub from an acetate!

Yeah, I forgot to mention them African polyrythyms. There's a fair chunk of Traffic appearing on the album (Winwood, Capaldi, Grech and their African percussion section) and VS returned the favour by co-writing a lengthy track on their 1974 LP Where The Eagle Flies, which kick-started his long creative association with Winwood. Follow that link I posted and it also leads to MP3s of the accompanying Lakonga/Baba Tunde single which were recorded at the same sessions. They're a mite distorted unfortunately, but you'll get the idea and it may indeed just 'make you sing like Mickey Jagger'. They're well fonky.

Incidentally, the LP's musical director was his old Bonzo cohort Neil Innes, just in case Darrell doesn't drop by again to tell us.

It's also worth getting Real Leather Jacket while you're there, a stirring tale of teen rebellion from the That'll Be The Day soundtrack. It's also a neat distillation of the film's plot (and on his leather belt he spelt DON'T / ...and no-one did).
In fact get them all, it's what they're there for.

I was lucky enough to catch a couple of those Rawlinson Dogends shows in 1991, and I can safely say they were the two most enjoyable gigs I've ever seen, he was in one of his brief periods of fine health and was on top form. He played How The Zebra Got His Spots whilst winking cheekily at some pretty ladies.

Teddy Boys Don't Knit was recorded in a much happier frame of mind and is therefore much lighter in tone over all. It's great to listen to if you're feeling reasonably positive. Men Opening Umbrellas is one to listen to when you're feeling more angry, but funky with it.
.

[Darrell]

It always gives me a warm glow noticing that Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead is hosted on Graham Fellows's official website.

There were actually only 500 pressings of the album made! I only have a shit CDR with great big whomping gaps between the segues, made off that site I think.

The final track (Strange Tongues is it?) is my favourite on it, I think. I must confess I'm not a huge fan of the album, preferring his more melodic stuff, but I certainly don't dislike it and it still gets played.

[Silver SurferGhost]

There were actually only 500 pressings of the album made!

Fucking Nora! Who's got the other 498 then, I should start a club.
My favourite track, ooh difficult. It's between Afoju ti Ole Riran, Redeye, Bout of Sobriety (even if it's a ripoff of the Big Bopper's Chantily Lace) and Zebra. And of course all the other tracks on the album.

Go and sign this everybody, you never know what might happen:
http://www.petitiononline.com/MOUA/ They might even stick some extras on it. Ha Ha Ha......Ha.

"SING UP, NO-ONE WILL HEAR YOU!"
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[Ghost of Troubled Joe]

Just downloaded "Teddy Boys Don't Knit". It's very different to MOUA...I do still prefer MOUA though, the rhythms and the lyrics are, I find, slightly more interesting. But TBDK has it's moments I'd agree.

A CD release of MOUA would be greatly appreciated. I can't believe it hasn't got the recognition it deserves, not only as a great album by a comedy legend, but as a great album full stop.

[Pilf]

ah, you lovely, lovely beauties. I've been searching for MOUA on soulseek (I gave up ever trying to find an original copy - for obvious reasons) but had no joy. I've searched google and only ever found clips of things, and a petition to get it re-released.

I've only got into Viv in the last year or so, but I just can't get enough of him now. TBDKis a thing of beauty, so if this is even better when I download it then I'll be a very happy man.

I've been going back and raiding the bonzos back catalogue as well, but I think I prefer Viv solo (what there is of it) for some reason.

[Silver SurferGhost]

I had it in my soulseek folder, but I'm hardly in lately. Quicker getting them from Mr Fellows though. So what did you reckon Pilf? Any good?
Also associated with MOUA and worth getting hold of (just ask around) is the soundtrack to the BBC One Man's Week documentary, which was made during the recording of the album. In fact, anyone got it on  video, eh? Eh?



...and tense.....and flex.
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