Jools Holland

August 30, 2005 11:01 AM

Jool Holland hits a high note and whilst his rythm n blues band is not evident at his happy event on the BBC website, there are others known to a UK audience. Any chance you have to catch up with this performer is worth going an extra mile, [scratch that - make it 50 miles.] Tour dates are here.
posted by Schroder (21 comments total)

[note to self .. learn how to properly post to Mefi. Grr]
posted by Schroder at 11:06 AM on August 30, 2005

learn how to properly post to Mefi

Are you referring to the repeated link or the content of the post?

Anyway, I had to go to a Jools Holland gig once, against my wishes. It would've been completely unbearable, save for the fact that Roland Rivron was on drums, got incredibly drunk, and couldn't stop interrupting songs to tell profoundly tasteless jokes.
posted by jack_mo at 11:28 AM on August 30, 2005

I don't get Jools. I mean, I like "Later" when he gets a good band on, but he plays piano like a soulless copycat geek of a boring uncle. He makes Eric Clapton sound rootsy and raw.
posted by Decani at 11:35 AM on August 30, 2005

He is still cool, but Squeeze was much cooler.
posted by wakko at 11:49 AM on August 30, 2005

I seem to remember something about Mark E Smith only agreeing to appear on Later if Holland didn't play his trademark (awful) 'boogie-woogie' piano.

Props to Mr Smith anyhow.
posted by the cuban at 12:07 PM on August 30, 2005

Squeeze was never the same after he left. He added a certain physical energy and tactile acoustic to their sound. Their later recordings would have benefitted from his rowdy presence! On his own, however, he is not especially remarkable as a musician, nor are his bands especial standouts. He's just a pretty good piano player. He offers no special insights into his cover material. No striking originals. Hook him back up with Squeeze.
posted by Faze at 12:19 PM on August 30, 2005

My mother-in-law makes certain to go each time he's in town.

My mother-in-law also hasn't seen Edward Scissorhands because she thinks it's a horror movie.

I just wanted to say that.
posted by Katemonkey at 12:19 PM on August 30, 2005

Squeeze was never the same after he left.

Squeeze made a few good singles, but they always struck me as preppy pop-rock. YMMV.
posted by jonmc at 12:28 PM on August 30, 2005

Preppy pop-rock? Nightmare!
posted by cillit bang at 12:41 PM on August 30, 2005

Any kind of "pop rock" is okay with me. When music moves away from pop, it just blows. Jools Holland's problem is that he isn't good pop -- even by the standards of 50 years ago. (Compare him to Jerry Lee Lewis, who was not only a stellar pianist with a remarkably individual style, but a spine-tingling vocalist, and who was also pure pop, from the country-billy school.)
posted by Faze at 1:02 PM on August 30, 2005

Jools Holland?
A member of the Order of the British Empire?

What about Difford? What about Tilbrook?

Man, that's just wrong.
posted by willmize at 1:04 PM on August 30, 2005

Any kind of "pop rock" is okay with me. When music moves away from pop, it just blows.

You know that I'm with you on that, Faze. I just never considered Squeeze a particularly stellar example.
posted by jonmc at 1:14 PM on August 30, 2005

jonmc -- They had their moments ("Up the Junction," "Goobye Girl -- the fast live version," and odds and ends among their greatest hits). But in the end, they got monotonous with flaccid songwriting and that same dreary harmony they pioneered in "Take me I'm Yours" and drove into ground. How come none of these groups can sustain like, say, the Kinks?
posted by Faze at 1:26 PM on August 30, 2005

How come none of these groups can sustain like, say, the Kinks?

Well, there's a lotta groups and musicians of all kinds who have maybe one or two good ideas in them. And there's nothing wrong with that, neccessarily, that's two more good ideas than I've got (musically speaking). The byproduct however is that who gets considered great is lowered considerably.
posted by jonmc at 1:31 PM on August 30, 2005

The high point for squeeze was the argybargy album, not much in the singles/hits department but a fantastic album - they became much more commercial after Jools left.
For more history there is a bio by Chris Difford just out (in the UK)
posted by Lanark at 1:44 PM on August 30, 2005

Nonsense, the high point for Squeeze was East Side Story. So there.
posted by Decani at 5:18 PM on August 30, 2005

I seem to remember something about Mark E Smith only agreeing to appear on Later if Holland didn't play his trademark (awful) 'boogie-woogie' piano.

I believe it was a time limit thing, i.e something like not withn five minutes either side of The Fall's set. He (Smith) called Robert Plant a cunt on the same show which the BBC magically failed to edit out. :)
posted by vbfg at 1:22 AM on August 31, 2005

jools holland is a pretty notorious castle creeper, hence the OBE.
posted by johnny novak at 3:57 AM on August 31, 2005

Squeeze had the prettiest melodies and the cleverest lyrics since the Beatles.

My fave is Tempted.

Carrack's (Do I Figure) in Your Life and his cover of When You Walk In The Room are sublime.
posted by emf at 5:17 AM on August 31, 2005

I have been known to sing "Tempted" with great gusto whilst in the shower. It's not pretty but hell, I enjoy it.
posted by Decani at 8:33 AM on August 31, 2005

I think Paul Carrack has a clause in his contract that says he'll only be in your band if he can sing its biggest hit:

• Ace, "How Long"
• Squeeze, "Tempted"
• Mike + The Mechanics*, "Silent Running"

And Frank (with Jools Holland) was a great return-to-form.

* I was shocked to discover that Mike + The Mechanics have released four albums since 1990, including one last year.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:22 PM on August 31, 2005