John Wort Hannam’s eighth album,“Long Haul”, is another album that, inevitably, has been touched by the pandemic. The album’s eleven songs came together during an enforced period of reflection while locked down early in the pandemic, which brought a new emphasis to John’s songwriting with the realisation that he could write about his own life. You don’t to be a hell-raising, bar-trashing roughneck to have the raw material for songs; everyday life can provide the material if you look hard enough. The evidence for this is clear, the majority of the album’s songs are about everyday life. The other conscious decision he came to was to attempt to inject some humour into the album and that’s not the easiest thing to do; it can fail spectacularly. No spoilers, we’ll come back to this later.

The first half of the album shows no signs of moving away from country stylings, from zydeco-influenced title track to the old country string band arrangement of the duet “Beautiful Mess” which is a nod in the direction of Johnny and June’s “Jackson”, which is also the first injection of humour as a relationship apparently about to end is revealed as merely a bit dysfunctional and the only one thrown out is the ’god damn cat’. There’s another turn-around song as well; “Hurry Up Kid” explores the paradox of dashing through life trying to experience everything set against relaxing and taking time to fully appreciate life. The song’s in the form of advice to a child, starting in the womb and developing into an adult. With some nice organ fills and a gentle country feel it’s a great song, getting over an important message without any unnecessary fireworks.

There are a few familiar song topics on “Long Haul”; “Wonderful Things” celebrates life’s little pleasures, while “What I Know Now” is about the benefits of hindsight, with a nod in the direction of Ronnie Lane’s “Ooh La La” and Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind”. The song that takes the album out of the hundred per cent country bracket is “Twilight Diner” which tells the story of the bar we all know where all the misfits hang out; the musical styling with its Ray Manzarek-like piano and organ is pure Doors.

Talking of interesting characters hanging out in bars, the album’s other humorous song is full of them. “Meat Draw” has some gentle fun with the characters assembling for the weekly meat draw at the weekend. The styling is early Johnny Cash again with banjo and resonator solos towards the end; it’s great fun.

As a change of direction and emphasis, “Long Haul” works perfectly. John Wort Hannam (with a lot of support from multi-instrumentalist Steve Dawson) has proven to himself and the rest of us that his daily life can become the subject of memorable songs.

“Long Haul” is out now on Black Hen Music (BHCD0095).

Here’s the video for “Beautiful Mess”:

We like Stage Door Guy here at Riot Towers. We had a copy of his latest album in 2020 which arrived just before things got really hectic towards the end of the year and we didn’t have time to get a review out. It’s a cracking album; the production is as raw as it comes, working perfectly with the post-punk/post-blues poetry packed with American musical references and very British lyrical references, particularly to Manchester bands. It’s somewhere between bonkers and brilliant and it spent a long time on the office stereo in November. Stage Door Guy is two people, Adam Brody (performer, writer and singer) and CJ Williams (guitar player) and each of them has shared their High Fives with us.

Adam

Over the last 8 years we have been organising an event called ‘Cocaine for Christmas’ in little basement venues in South East London. Always supported by some of the finest musicians in London. The event is named after our Xmas song we released many years ago (can be found on all streaming sites as can our recently released 2nd album ‘Wroclaw’) and is actually a love song about a broken heart and spending Xmas alone. We always have a packed room full of people singing heir hearts out to this song. It’s sing-a-longa Stage Door Guy. Of course, this year was different. We didn’t believe it would happen and then we got contacted last minute by a local venue, the New Cross Inn. London was in Tier 2. The venue capacity was halved. People seated. Table service. Masks. The staff were amazing. At short notice we got The Nathan Osgood Trio and The Jujubes to play. Two wonderful, wonderful bands. We did our little set and, as ever, it finished with ‘Cocaine for Christmas’ It felt like the whole room needed this sing-song. It felt communal. Everyone in that room of course had taken some risk just by being there. We all had measured that risk but I have never heard the song with so much meaning and passion. I guess at some point during this pandemic all of us have felt alone and isolated. We have all been increasingly atomized and his felt like a communal howl.

CJ

Witnessing Biden win the US election, in the company of friends and an incontinent greyhound with a broken leg. The dog had the broken leg, not me. The dog was also doped up to the eyeballs on painkillers, whereas I was supping champagne.

Adam

 I was lucky enough to have a little break with my partner in Cornwall towards the start of winter. We travelled with our pandemic dog. A Greyhound that my partner had fostered and then adopted from Romford Greyhound kennels. Jackflash was a former racer retired last December 6 wins out of 22 (we found that out from the code tattooed inside his ear). Greyhounds often have difficult lives in the racing world. Jackflash was nervous and wary when we first made his aquaintance. But it was about 4pm, it was cold and we were on a completely deserted beach. Finally, we let Jackflash off the lead!! And the joy of watching that dog tear across the beach was something that will stay with me forever. Unrestrained and absolute in his happiness. After that we sat in an empty restaurant overlooking the beach and momentarily the world felt all right.

CJ

Recording whoops and hollers for a song using a Tascam recorder ‘in the field’. Bunch of us stood in a small park in Forest Hill, safely spaced, and made it sound like a beach party.

Adam

Two albums I have enjoyed over the last year, one of which has made a lot of lists and the other less so (although it was well-received) are Fontaines DC’s, ‘A Hero’s Death’ and Jim Bob’s ‘Pop Up Jim Bob’

I like the vocal delivery and articulation in the Fontaines DC album (odd I know to mention articulation but so many vocalists eat up the lyrics they have spent so long working on) and the Jim Bob album I just find tremendous fun. Looking at the world and reflecting on the fact we might be fucked. It’s political in a world where artists are a little afraid of the political and prefer the personal.

CJ

Being dressed as a tree for the “Stop Your Whining” video. I got many compliments for my portrayal. (See video below)

Adam

For the last 12 months when you leave my partner’s flat you have to slam the door. There seemed to be nothing else that could be done. Sometimes it took 2 or 3 slams. She lives on the 2nd floor of a 3 storey building.and the slamming must have been infuriating for the neighbours. I am not known for my DIY. My brain doesn’t do logic or detail. However, a week or so ago I noticed a little latch on the lock which you have to press in every time you close the door. The slamming stopped. The door closes smoothly. This has been one of my greatest triumphs in life, never mind just this year.

CJ

The annual SDG ‘Cocaine for Christmas’ gig at the New Cross Inn, with everybody singing the lyrics to the song and everybody really feeling it: “It’s cocaine for Christmas, how hard can it be, to find me some solace, and good company…”

Adam

In the first lockdown, in the summer heat, I started reading again in the front yard. I absolutely appreciate the context. Compared with many people who had families to worry about, difficult relationships to deal with, idiot landlords or letting agents (idiot letting agents I have plenty of experience with) and deep financial worries. Within that context I was lucky enough to sit in my front yard, leave the phone switched off and read ‘Small Island’ by Andrea Levy. What an absolute joy – a beautiful and heartfelt tale of the Windrush generation. Sadly, all so relevant in the last few years. Not only was the book a highlight of the year but my concentration began to return. As a child I used to read for hours on end but that had reduced year on year until I was only really capable of reading for 15 minutes in between train and tube journeys in London but now I was reading again for hours. My attention once more returning to a tie before the phone became a master and I became an algorithmic consumer.

CJ

The nicest couple ever who let us rehearse in the basement of their coffee shop, and even let Adam lock up. Amazing kindness.

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Here’s a list of some of the singles released this week.

You may be interested in checking some of them out.
Read more

Here’s a list of some of the singles released this week.

You may be interested in checking some of them out.
Read more