
Medical Grade Music
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for £12.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Kavus Torabi
-
Steve Davis
About this listen
Read by, and featuring original music from, Steve Davis and Kavus Torabi.
The story of two outsiders and obsessives whose collision prompted an evangelistic alliance on the furthest frontiers of underground music.
Steve Davis first met Kavus Torabi - guitarist with Gong, Guapo, Cardiacs and Knifeworld - in the mid-2000s at a gig by French underground rock legends Magma. Over the next few years, this unlikely duo's shared affinity for visionary psychedelic music would become the foundation of not only a firm friendship, but also the most infectiously inclusive broadcasting style since the much-mourned death of John Peel.
In their weekly radio shows and a one-of-a-kind live DJ roadshow which included a legendary appearance at Glastonbury, Steve and Kavus mapped out a musical landscape of rare enchantment, where the only passport needed was a pair of open ears. No-one, least of all Davis and Torabi themselves, was expecting the six-time former World Snooker champion and a British-Iranian underground rock musician to become one of the most trusted brands in British alternative music.
As Steve and Kavus were starting to get to grips with the challenge of their newfound status, events took a further unexpected turn. Suddenly they found themselves in a band together. And not just any band...as two thirds of Britain's (if not the world's) leading harmonium, guitar and analogue synth power-trio (with Michael J.York of Coil)The Utopia Strong, the two friends found themselves plunging into a vortex of spontaneous compositional excitement.
How Steve and Kavus pulled this off is just one of the many questions Medical Grade Music will try to answer. Part sonic memoir, part Socratic dialogue, part gonzo mission to the heart of what makes music truly psychedelic, this book is the first work of joint autobiography to ever trace the evolution of a life-changing friendship through the discographies of Gentle Giant and Voivod. From the chip-shops of Plumstead to the the wildest shores of Plymouth's '90s thrash scene, it's a funny and fearless buddy movie of the soul, with a soundtrack that will make your eyes bleed.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2021 Steve Davis, Kavus Torabi (P)2021 Orion Publishing Groupmind expanding excellence
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Not just for the heads!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
surprisingly uplifting
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story is told by Steve then Kavus and the two take turns to bid their narrative. At first, it seems to be more Steve's story, then later it becomes more Kavus's tale, but it is always a map of how these two seemingly disparate characters came together. One a musician, Kavus, the other, ostensibly a snooker player, but in reality a true music aficionado with a musician's soul. It's a life affirming tale which shows how life can spring twists and turns eternal, culminating in a moment of clarity that led us to this point, The fusion of Prog rock cognoscenti as well musical rebirth for a world famous sportsman.
Give the book a go, it will surprise and delight you.
Amanda and Geordie Graham
Amazing insight to two diverse friends
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Brilliant
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Exceptional
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The last thing I needed
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
fantastic music obsession
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I'm a dull nerd so I really liked it. They both seem like nice men. Yeah. Try it.
It's good. Probably best aimed at dull nerds.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It is a hugely entertaining journey, with many laugh out loud moments and brilliantly recognisable "in" jokes for us prog nerds - but it also brings back all of those 1970s teenage memories of wading through racks of vinyl at the back of dusty record stores, buying an album because it has great cover art - without actually knowing anything about the band or the music, discussing the pros and cons of avant garde prog bands with school mates, actually playing in a crap school band as a teenager etc etc. Steve also has some great comments about the perils of record collecting, where the number of albums you need in your collection is always just one more than you already have, and thinking about what happens to that set of albums, that you've nurtured and grown across the many years since your teens, when you finally pop your clogs!
As a lifelong Gong fan, and an enthusiastic supporter of Kavus' later incarnation of the band, as well as an avid buyer of The Utopia Strong's output, I'm looking forward to hearing more details as Kavus & Steve's journey continues. However, the best thing about this book is that I've already got a massive list of recommendations from Steve and Kavus of "interesting" music that I need to listen to again - or new gems to discover for the first time; and I've not even got to the Appendices yet (!!) where there are over 150 other wonderful recommended albums that I need to delve into, & that will no doubt bring endless hours of esoteric musical joy.
Read (or listen to the audio version of!) this book - and improve your life. It is a superb book, and very strongly recommended!
This is a joyous book - wonderful musical memories and a stackful of new music recommendations ...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.