Neal Travel,Photography & Music

Taken from my Musical Journey Book: TRACKS of our YEARS First of all – what a great album cover. The frisky play on being peasants well and truly ‘below the salt’ is riotously captured by the band playing up to the camera. I cannot help thinking they are also saying to the traditionalists that actually we do not care what you think but this is our version of traditional folk. This album…

I was listening to The Band well before I started listening seriously to Dylan. There is something about their sound that is quite unique but also familiar. I think it seemed to me at the time that they were the American equivalent of Fairport Convention. They make the history of the States believable and captivating. They are writing the American heritage. Fairport can only be an English band…

Paul Simon – His first solo album afer splitting from Art Garfunkel Paul Simon – Paul Simon Paul Simon released his second solo album in early 1972, having spent two years moving forward from the breakup of his partnership with Art Garfunkel. Looking back some fifty years from the release of this album you can see the template for Simon’s love of using varying styles of music gathered from all…

Please Enjoy my Travel Books on Amazon – FREE on Kindle Unlimited https://bit.ly/bookneal Now available on Amazon for Kindle or in Print Beaune – The Centre of French Wine Beaune is quite the centre of Burgundian culture. Having seen the striking tiles on the roofs in Aloxe Corton on our way we were fascinated by the rooftops of the walled town of Beaune, culminating in the magnificent…

JD Souther for me will always be remembered for his gorgeous harmonies with Linda Ronstadt- Please enjoy a memory from my vinyl collection #JDSouther #Linda Ronstadt #eagles #vinyl #LA #songwriters #memoirs

Please Enjoy my Travel Books on Amazon – FREE on Kindle Unlimited https://bit.ly/bookneal Front cover of my well worn copy of Prisoner in Disguise Linda Ronstadt – Prisoner in Disguise Linda Ronstadt divided opinion back in those days when your musical tastes seemed to be fair game for everyone’s scrutiny. Not that I paid much attention to what my peers thought of my musical tastes. I was well…

50 years ago today at Wembley Stadium CSNY,Joni,The Band played their legendary concert. Enjoy this again as I relive the special day #csny #neilyoung #joni #rockmusic #concerts #kindle #booksto read #memoirs #welovememoirs

Programme for Wembley, London Concert 14th September 1974 England in 1974 was a country in crisis, politically and socially. Strikes, civil unrest, three-day weeks, power cuts, a decaying infrastructure, were troubling many. Saturday September 14th did not seem to be a day where any of that was noticed – at least not by me. Historians look back on this time as something of a dark age (excuse the…

My grandfather was a quiet, thoughtful man. A man of very few words, a man seemingly haunted, preoccupied to a degree by something in his past. The tragic death of his very young brother Roger would have been a major contributor to that. There would also be a heartbreaking death of another one of his siblings, a brother so much younger than himself, that would hit him hard during his service in…

Lancashire in Victorian Times - Desperation, Poverty, and Family Resilience with finally a way out and redemption for one family member #lancashire #familyhistory #ancestry #wdytya #socialhistory #kindle #memoirs

The slum dwellings of Water Street Darwen – the home of my family back in Victorian times – My granddaughter added to the scene to remind her of what she missed The late 1870’s are the most desperate of times for the Atherton family. Central Darwen either side of the main road is home to hundreds who slave day after day, hour after hour in the dark satanic mills of East Lancashire. Water Street…

I appreciate Liege and Lief is considered the most important album Fairport produced but Unhalfbricking is my favourite. It is difficult to imagine that there was a finer group of British musicians at this time. Enjoy my 'review' from my vinyl collection

My vinyl cover of Unhalfbricking Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking I appreciate Liege and Lief is considered the most important album Fairport produced but Unhalfbricking is my favourite. This second album in the prolific but tragic year of 1969 showcases everything that we know and love about the band. Sandy Denny is at the peak of her awesome vocal powers. Richard Thompson plays as if he…

Live ‘Rhymin’ is a largely forgotten gem in Paul Simon's catalogue. It captures the Simon of the time beautifully, as well as giving an insight into how he must have sounded in those heady mid '60s days touring the bleak Northern towns of England.

Paul Simon – Live Rhymin’ This live album is often overlooked in most people’s ‘catalogue’ of Paul Simon albums. It should not be as it is a superb timepiece to his emergence as a solo live performer. The perception of not being a vital album to listen to must start with the cover. For someone as meticulous as Paul Simon this is not exactly in with the 1001 album covers you must see before you…

PLease enjoy this latest retrospective look at my vinyl record collection. This time it is Joni Mitchell's Court & Spark, an album that coincided with seeing her live in London in 1974. Hope you enjoy it and find more in my new book @ bit.ly/bookneal

My much loved copy of Court & Spark Joni Mitchell – Court & Spark Blue is my favourite Joni Mitchell album and that will never change. However, I listen more often to Court & Spark. This is probably because of the musicality of the album and also its appearance coincided with the only time I saw her perform live – at Wembley Stadium in 1974. That was a never to be forgotten day when she blew…

Taken from my book – Tracks of our Years on Amazon for Kindle/Unlimited & Paper/Hardback I came to Bruce Springsteen quite late in my musical development. I can pinpoint it exactly to the day in fact – Saturday 23rd February 1985 when I was at Ewood Park Blackburn waiting for the football home game with Oxford United to begin. Back in those days the only entertainment for the faithful crowd…

THIS WEEKEND 99p/99¢ French Travel Books on Kindle – To celebrate my NEW BOOK – TRACKS OF OUR YEARS –Download now to discover the France & Paris experience #france #paris #memoirs #books #welovememoirs #booklovers #foodandwine #travel #writerslift #kindle

Springtime in Paris & France – Inspiring Travel @ getbook.at/FrenchTravel #france #provence #paris #photography #tripadvisor #memoirs #books #welovememoirs #foodandwine #travel #amazon #kindle #kindleunlimited #readingcommunity #freebooks

Please Enjoy my Travel Books on Amazon – FREE on Kindle Unlimited https://bit.ly/bookneal This is taken from my book ‘Thyme for Provence’ which is a collection of experiences over a twenty year period of touring Provence driving from the North of England. Lavender Fields near Banon Provence France I write of the remarkable expanse of lavender around the Abbey at Senanque just north of Gordes…