Scottish Popular Music

Popular music can never be valid and worthwhile unless it reflects the environment that it comes from … music of any kind should be a working, living, breathing part of a community.

Music and culture are like DNA they spread naturally unhindered.

The influence of Scots/Irish i.e. Scots who were part of James 6th/1st Plantation of Ireland and then left for America fused with other old country and European music giving us country and folk which then melded with Blues to give us Rock n Rock

The Herbridian Psalm Calling was absorbed in Virginian plantation church's by the black slaves and is thought to be have been the roots of Gospel.

Modern "traditional" Scottish folk and roots is full of influences from other genres including mandolins, bazouki, prog rock time signatures and syncopation.

The "pipes and drums" are a proxy of Great British with the Scottish pipes and English drums.

There have been some fine music produced here but in contemporary styles the US, Liverpool, Manchester and London has produced more quality and immeasurable influence in the last 60 years.

However British rock also owes a dept to Glasgow born but London raised Lonnie Donegan the father of Skiffle.

 Scottish music was both a reflection of a locality - landscape people and experiences, true Scottish evocation - but with wider resonance and ambition (like all good music/ art)

Simple Minds - Sparkle in the Rain was excellent.

The following album Once Upon a Time had its moments as decent pop but its production was a bit flat and clean - Sparkle had a lot more grit and sounded a lot punchier.

The difference between Speed Your Love to Me or Waterfront and something like Sanctify Yourself was quite stark. Sparkle seemed to blast out of the speakers.