The Records of My Life by John Watts of Fischer-Z

John Watts and his band will celebrate in Barcelona and Madrid the fifty years of one of the formations of the new wave British company that began its journey in the late seventies. We talk about Fischer-Z.

Taking advantage of this anniversary tour, we get in touch with its leader, John Watts, so that he can reveal to us the six albums of his life. We will be able to see Fischer-Z in concert on the days Friday, September 18 in Salamandra (L’Hospitalet, Barcelona) and Saturday September 19 at Sala Mon (Madrid).

David Bowie – “Hunky Dory” (1971)
I started playing drums in a band, but I soon decided that writing songs and singing them was what I wanted to do. With “Hunky Dory”David Bowie showed me that it was possible to play a song on an acoustic guitar and transform it into a powerful rock piece with the right combination with other musicians. It also taught me that songwriting at the highest level should have no format restrictions and that an artist with an original, non-standard sound can be commercially successful.

Queen – “Sheer Heart Attack” (1974)
Until I was twenty-two, I only had two vinyl records and they were both second-hand. one was “Hunky Dory” and the other was “Sheer Heart Attack” from Queen. My musical career has been strongly influenced by the musicality combined with the passion and energy that Queen created in such a beautiful way. He had no time for the “muso bands” (NDR: bands of virtuoso musicians or those obsessed with their instruments) who considered that musical skill was enough. Queen showed that classical music can be a raw and vital influence on stronger rock music.

Lou Reed -“Transformer” (1972)
“Transformer” and “New York” (89) are my favorite albums of all time. Essentially, Lou Reed was a poet, a storyteller and the best chronicler of Andy Warhol’s New York and the scene art punkand my greatest inspiration. I could very well have listed only The Velvet Underground albums on this list, but this album proves that Lou Reed was This album proves that Lou Reed was at the forefront of everything transgressive and that he was a true artist.

Cat Stevens – “Mona Bone Jackon” (1970)
Definitely one of the best composers of his generation and far superior to his American counterparts. Creating an album of perfect and original songs at such a young age is something truly remarkable. Combining that with a fabulous voice and a lot of charisma – which I witnessed in a live concert in 1970 – he was able to cross the barriers between folk, pop and mainstream. It has taken me forty-five years to learn to do justice to one of his songs.

Bob Dylan – “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” (1970)
When I was sixteen, my best friend was a complete and utter Bob Dylan freak. It was the greatest reference at a time when pop culture set the tone for youth culture. Bob Dylan forged his own myth and rose to fame with this extraordinary album that created a whole new genre. Like most of my favorite records, it was created by a poet and writer, rather than a conservative rocker. With this album, Bob Dylan brought the beat poets, the folk vagabonds and the essence of the blues to the music of young people. Dylan is legendary and this album had a huge impact on me and my career.

Aldous Harding – “Warm Chris” (2020)
This is a relatively modern album that I admire more than any other. Created by a unique musical talent and produced in a totally original way, the first time I heard it I thought that its musical ideas were almost disparate, but tied together in the most effective way. The almost surreal lyrics and the way they were interpreted sounded like I had never heard before. And the live concert I attended earlier this year was one of the three best I’ve ever seen. Original and great. It reminds me that there should be no rules for musical creativity.

Concert agenda: