And Speaking as We Were of the Late Great Bob Andrews...

Okay, this is going to be a little convoluted, so please indulge me; it'll be worth it, I promise.

So I was a huge fan of the first two albums by Brit-rockers Brinsley Schwarz, both of which came out in 1970 and were stylistically a sort of expensively produced-sounding mashup of commercial prog and CSN-ish Laurel Canyon hippie shit. I got them for free when I was a baby rock critic at my old college paper, and Nick Lowe's vocals and songwriting did it to me instantly. But above and beyond, the band's secret weapon was the gorgeously lyrical organ playing of Bob Andrews; here, from the debut set, is a song that sort of sums up the band's approach at the time, and as you'll hear, Andrews basically steals it.

I was still at school when the band's third LP, Silver Pistol, arrived. I knew nothing of the backstory -- short version: the Brinsley's management had flown over 100 journalists from the UK to NYC to review the band in performance at the Fillmore East, and hopefully launch the group to stardom; the junket, however was a complete fiasco and widely assumed to be a career ender. So I was also unaware that the new album's stylistic reinvention as what would later be called pub rock was not by itself down to it being recorded under primitive conditions on a mobile eight-track in the basement of the band's communal London home. In any case, the song below -- written by Lowe, but powered by a sublimely Buddy Holly-ish piano part by Andrews -- nailed me immediately, and it's been one of my all-time favorites ever since.

Anyway, as attentive readers are aware, Andrews departed this sad vale of tears last Thursday, at the way too young age of 75. After I posted about him on Sunday, Friend of PowerPop© ChrisE sent me the following video, which was previously unknown to me. Basically, it's Andrews doing a tutorial on how to play his part on the above (and on "Juju Man," another song from Silver Pistol). As you can doubtless imagine, I nearly swooned off my chair when I watched it, and unless you're seriously perverse of ears (and lacking in a soul) I think you will too.

I should add that, as you probably know, I'm a keyboard player (albeit a limited one) myself, with an electric piano device similar to the one Andrews is playing in the clip, and you better believe I'm gonna try to learn that part. I'll keep you posted on how that's working out. 😎