Bob Marley — No Woman No Cry (Live Single Version)

In the empty pantomime horse of the faded British glam-rock scene, while gaucho suits were being pressed ready for the mirror-balled spectrum of the disco boom, Marley and the Wailers appeared from their Ladbroke Grove commune HQ. Like dreadlocked prophets fighting their weight in denim shirts, trainers and smoked rings of mysticism, and their Rasta red, green and gold flag held high as militantly as anything that was happening in the steel grey winter of discontent. 

Recorded live at the Lyceum on one of rock's greatest ritual gatherings, ‘No Woman, No Cry’ seemed hymeneal to me in its serenity. Musically it was Chris Blackwell’s Trojan horse with the half time laid back stony groove of Traffic and post ‘Clapton is God’ blues licks. It was Marley’s voice steeped in third world suss, delivering his first prayer of redemption and planting the seeds of the golden summer of roots reggae to come. He was Dylan-esque in his all knowing approach, honest and un-judgmental. His accent and vocabulary was unknown to me but now aside from the time honoured rock templates handed down to me from the patchouli stained record exchanges, I had a new way to look at life, love and music that was as pure and as truthful as the sun in the sky.

Some Thoughts About The Bullets & Daffodils Production

From Philip Ronald Price:-

"Being a former pupil of Birkenhead Institute Grammar School, Wirral, I have been aware of Wilfred Owen's work as a war poet since I was at the school in the 1960s. I was delighted to hear that Dean Johnson, also a former B.I. pupil, had composed his special musical tribute to Wilfred.  I went to see Dean's tribute at Birkenhead Library on November 10th, 2010.

Dean's songs and the moving narration by actor Christopher Timothy portrayed the life of Wilfred Owen, who had spent seven years studying at Birkenhead Institute, prior to serving in World War One. Dean's lyrics and interpretation of Wilfred's short life were moving and emotional, and reflected the horrors of war, and how Wilfred fought for his country, and died only a week before the end of the war. Wilfred's wonderful poems are his legacy, and ironically, reflect the futility of war.

Dean's songs about Wilfred are also very topical, and the sentiments which Dean expresses apply equally well today, reminding us all of the suffering and pain of war. I would like to congratulate Dean on his marvellous musical presentation, which is a very fitting tribute to the life of poet Wilfred Owen."

Here's Dean during the performance of Bullets & Daffodils at Wallasey Library on 11 November 2010:-

 

Oxjam

Here's some photos from Oxjam at Leadenhall Market, City of London on 22 October.

Bullets & Daffodils, with help on narration from Gavin Martin (Daily Mirror) and Janet Holmes...

Oswestry - A Good Place To Start

Hi and welcome to my take on me. I'll either post my own thoughts, or, as in this debut post, the odd outside review or two. I thought it would be a cool way to kick this off with a review of my gig at The Ironworks, Oswestry, on 12 August, written by Serena, who looks after my website:-

I spent a wonderful evening at the Ironworks music venue in Oswestry on Thursday 12 August. The staff are very friendly and the whole vibe is very relaxed and cosy: a perfect setting for the premiere of Dean Johnson's musical tribute to Wilfred Owen, Bullets And Daffodils.

The event had received a lot of favourable pre-publicity in the local and even national press, and some enchanting and evocative posters had been placed around Oswestry, so interest was high. It was a lovely gesture of Dean to preview the show here in Wilfred’s birthplace. I believe Dean shares a Birkenhead upbringing like Owen.

The evening began with a number of local poets who were all excellent, and a surprise appearance of the acclaimed writer and broadcaster Sean Street, who had travelled from Brighton to see the show.

The room was comfortably full when Dean took to the stage to introduce himself and Bullets And Daffodils, with a few comic asides about his own less than spectacular school days, and how he became aware of Wilfred Owen when he was sent for the cane in the headmasters office at the Birkenhead Institute.

Things got off to a gorgeous start with a pre-recording of the Oswestry Overture, then the musical’s title song, so tender and moving; setting up the anger of Dean’s adaptation of Anthem For Doomed Youth.

The scene then shifts back to Owen’s childhood with the upbeat and amusing Welcome To Birkenhead, but before long we are transported by a series of remarkable songs and poems with achingly poignant melodies, to the horror of the trenches.

The whole piece is imbued with a sense of loss, yet is marvellously uplifting; for example, following the portrayal of Wilfred’s death with the stunning Futility.

The final ballad, I Will Fight For You, is like a hymn to the sacrifice that every soldier is prepared to give for all of us. I was not alone in fighting back the tears. It all resolves back to the theme song and the line, “The wind of war... is never, never still.”

Throughout the performance, a narration was delivered by Janet Holmes in clear and mournful tones: they were both rightly rewarded with a standing ovation.

I feel Wilfred’s poems are not diminished by Dean's efforts - if anything, they are enhanced. It may find a new generation of listeners and readers. I am sure we have witnessed the birth of a major success, and well done to the Ironworks for the foresight of being involved from the beginning.

Serena Torz