September 2013 Reviews
- beenieman
- Posts: 15400
- Joined: 20 Jul 2003, 21:43
September 2013 Reviews
I'll kick off. Disc this month identified as a Save the Mix Club Disc. Given this is probably about the third disc I've got this year (OK maybe more) it's well titled.
Track 1 - calypso to start. I've got into soca a bit and enjoy calypso when I hear it. This is an old track by someone like Mighty Sparrow (who is on death's bed right now). Good rollicking opener. Off to a good start.
Track 2 - An old ska instrumental which does sound familiar. A bit older than my usual listening but a pleasant track to hear on Mix club.
Track 3 - More old school. Early deejaying. Blackfoot Hustling. U Roy or someone from that era. A bit slow these days
Track 4 - More my speed. A bit more pace from the deejay. Red Rat who came out in early 2000's which a heap of hits but has been quiet lately. I used to enjoy him & Goofy as they bought back some humour to the music - Humour never goes away. His trademark was an exaggerated "Ooooh noooo" at the start of his tracks. Classic stuff.
Track 5 - Ring The Alarm from Tenor Saw done over by a fast style deejay. This tune will never die. There must be hundreds of songs on this riddim (Stalag). Riddim Guide lists around 300 and it's well short of being complete. One of the great songs of the 20th Century.
Track 6 - Not sure who this is? Very complex riddim. Not sure if this is out of Jamaica? I could stand more of this. Warrior Queen?
Track 7 - Some early hip hop and you can hear that they were influenced by Jamaica back then. I got into rap around the same time as I got into reggae. I was hooked when I heard Rappers Delight on a store stereo in New York around the time it was released and came back from NYC with a bunch of early rap 12 inchers.
Track 8 - The first time I played this I hadn't realised my heartbeat was up from the last 5-6 tracks till this came on & slowed things down. This is lovely & I'll be very interested in who it is. I'm a sucker for couch music.
Track 9 - This is a bit strange and not really my style. I enjoyed it in context though. Sounds like something from O Brother Where Art Thou. I think someone's frying eggs on the vinyl.
Track 10 - I forgot I was supposed to be reviewing when I heard this. One of those tracks I could platy over & over. Lucinda Williams? Beautiful.
Track 11 - Starts with organs in a choral mood and could be from anytime from the sixties to the present. A great soul track. I was mesmerised.
Track 12 - The Irish to close. Another lovely track. Mary Black?
45 minutes. Admirable restraint with length and an excellent tailored disc. Some lovely stuff I'll be listening to again.
OK. I'll stay in Mix Club
Track 1 - calypso to start. I've got into soca a bit and enjoy calypso when I hear it. This is an old track by someone like Mighty Sparrow (who is on death's bed right now). Good rollicking opener. Off to a good start.
Track 2 - An old ska instrumental which does sound familiar. A bit older than my usual listening but a pleasant track to hear on Mix club.
Track 3 - More old school. Early deejaying. Blackfoot Hustling. U Roy or someone from that era. A bit slow these days
Track 4 - More my speed. A bit more pace from the deejay. Red Rat who came out in early 2000's which a heap of hits but has been quiet lately. I used to enjoy him & Goofy as they bought back some humour to the music - Humour never goes away. His trademark was an exaggerated "Ooooh noooo" at the start of his tracks. Classic stuff.
Track 5 - Ring The Alarm from Tenor Saw done over by a fast style deejay. This tune will never die. There must be hundreds of songs on this riddim (Stalag). Riddim Guide lists around 300 and it's well short of being complete. One of the great songs of the 20th Century.
Track 6 - Not sure who this is? Very complex riddim. Not sure if this is out of Jamaica? I could stand more of this. Warrior Queen?
Track 7 - Some early hip hop and you can hear that they were influenced by Jamaica back then. I got into rap around the same time as I got into reggae. I was hooked when I heard Rappers Delight on a store stereo in New York around the time it was released and came back from NYC with a bunch of early rap 12 inchers.
Track 8 - The first time I played this I hadn't realised my heartbeat was up from the last 5-6 tracks till this came on & slowed things down. This is lovely & I'll be very interested in who it is. I'm a sucker for couch music.
Track 9 - This is a bit strange and not really my style. I enjoyed it in context though. Sounds like something from O Brother Where Art Thou. I think someone's frying eggs on the vinyl.
Track 10 - I forgot I was supposed to be reviewing when I heard this. One of those tracks I could platy over & over. Lucinda Williams? Beautiful.
Track 11 - Starts with organs in a choral mood and could be from anytime from the sixties to the present. A great soul track. I was mesmerised.
Track 12 - The Irish to close. Another lovely track. Mary Black?
45 minutes. Admirable restraint with length and an excellent tailored disc. Some lovely stuff I'll be listening to again.
OK. I'll stay in Mix Club
One night, an evil spirit held me down
I could not make one single sound
Jah told me, 'Son, use the word'
And now I'm as free as a bird
I could not make one single sound
Jah told me, 'Son, use the word'
And now I'm as free as a bird
- The Fish
- Beer Battered
- Posts: 13066
- Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
- Location: Sunny?Worthing
Re: September 2013 Reviews
I was already alerted to the largely "dead people" content of this disc by Whodathunkit. Anyway if it produces something as good as this then kill a few more off I say
1) Old time rock and roll. The guitar intro is pure Chuck, the vocals which I should probably recognize sound like a strangulated Buddy Holly (This is not meant as a bad thing).
2) Doo Wop with a pop sheen, Coasters style one might say. What we have here though is less Yakkety Yak and more Naggedy Nag.
3) Again I should probably know the voice. Classic Blues shouter cut
4) More poppy Doo Wop with a bit of a calypso beat thrown in.
5) Well this is the real deal for sure. Sort of Blues/R&B crossover with the heat turned up to 11
6) My first thought listening to this was that it must have come from the album The Roots of The Bay City Rollers. It has that shang a lang big drum sound thing going on. No idea who this is. It’s slight but fun.
7) This starts out like one of those 70s singer songwriter storyteller troubadour types but ends up sounding like a milder form of 60s psych pop, Keith West or somesuch. Hard to place this, but it grew on me.
8) A pretty generic country pop song with a pretty ropey singer to boot. This one really has nothing going for it. Needless to say I love it.
9) This sounds like someone who’s heard a Byrds tune or two. I’m a sucker for nything woth a bit of Byrdsy jangle and this is no exception.
10) The irony here is that I’ve had a couple of Nesmith tracks on recent mixes and it’s taken much agonizing to place the voice, despite owning jut bout everything, and yet this I got before the vocals started. Great of course.
11) Well I would swear I was listening to Tommy Duncan here, which makes this Bob Wills. The yes yes call sort of confirms this. I probably have this somewhere having both of the Bear Fqmily box sets. Something of a signature artist for me, which is going to make me look a right tit when it’s identified as someone else
12) Honest to God, real proper country music. Give me a pedal steel and I’m a happy boy.
13) Followed by some real life calypso. Should get some more of this stuff. It’s always fun and makes me want to dig out Discover America
14) Sure I’ve played this recently or a version at any rate. I'm sure there’s more than one version of The Babysitter out there. Think this might be Betty Wright.
15) The only misfire on the mix and even then I quite like it. Just tends to stop the mix dead with its soporific nature, but I could certainly imagine listening to this in its original context.
16) Just two albums and a posthumous collection of works in progress. Such a waste. Could apply to Amy of course, but here we have Judee. I bought both on CD when they originally came out on Japanese import before the Rhino releases. The songs are quite simple and the voice is quite plain, but there’s clearly some magic dust sprinkled liberally. I think it’s all in the double tracking making the most of her voice. In any case I could listen to her sing anything. Marvellous.
17) This sounds a lot like Bob Lind. If it is, well there you go. If it isn’t, I love it for the same reasons I love Bob Lind.
18) Great folky thing, even if it does get a bit proggy at times
19) Slight folky vibe here too. Think Fred Neil/Tim Hardin, but drenched in great strings like a Gordon Jenkins Sinatra arrangement. Like Richard Hawley but a bit bleaker sounding (or should that be Bleeker )
20) Unmistakeable New Orleans vibe. This namechecks most of the usual suspects, so I’ll leave you to tell me who’s left. A definite foot tapper and no mistake.
Thanks Bob, another fine mix.
1) Old time rock and roll. The guitar intro is pure Chuck, the vocals which I should probably recognize sound like a strangulated Buddy Holly (This is not meant as a bad thing).
2) Doo Wop with a pop sheen, Coasters style one might say. What we have here though is less Yakkety Yak and more Naggedy Nag.
3) Again I should probably know the voice. Classic Blues shouter cut
4) More poppy Doo Wop with a bit of a calypso beat thrown in.
5) Well this is the real deal for sure. Sort of Blues/R&B crossover with the heat turned up to 11
6) My first thought listening to this was that it must have come from the album The Roots of The Bay City Rollers. It has that shang a lang big drum sound thing going on. No idea who this is. It’s slight but fun.
7) This starts out like one of those 70s singer songwriter storyteller troubadour types but ends up sounding like a milder form of 60s psych pop, Keith West or somesuch. Hard to place this, but it grew on me.
8) A pretty generic country pop song with a pretty ropey singer to boot. This one really has nothing going for it. Needless to say I love it.
9) This sounds like someone who’s heard a Byrds tune or two. I’m a sucker for nything woth a bit of Byrdsy jangle and this is no exception.
10) The irony here is that I’ve had a couple of Nesmith tracks on recent mixes and it’s taken much agonizing to place the voice, despite owning jut bout everything, and yet this I got before the vocals started. Great of course.
11) Well I would swear I was listening to Tommy Duncan here, which makes this Bob Wills. The yes yes call sort of confirms this. I probably have this somewhere having both of the Bear Fqmily box sets. Something of a signature artist for me, which is going to make me look a right tit when it’s identified as someone else
12) Honest to God, real proper country music. Give me a pedal steel and I’m a happy boy.
13) Followed by some real life calypso. Should get some more of this stuff. It’s always fun and makes me want to dig out Discover America
14) Sure I’ve played this recently or a version at any rate. I'm sure there’s more than one version of The Babysitter out there. Think this might be Betty Wright.
15) The only misfire on the mix and even then I quite like it. Just tends to stop the mix dead with its soporific nature, but I could certainly imagine listening to this in its original context.
16) Just two albums and a posthumous collection of works in progress. Such a waste. Could apply to Amy of course, but here we have Judee. I bought both on CD when they originally came out on Japanese import before the Rhino releases. The songs are quite simple and the voice is quite plain, but there’s clearly some magic dust sprinkled liberally. I think it’s all in the double tracking making the most of her voice. In any case I could listen to her sing anything. Marvellous.
17) This sounds a lot like Bob Lind. If it is, well there you go. If it isn’t, I love it for the same reasons I love Bob Lind.
18) Great folky thing, even if it does get a bit proggy at times
19) Slight folky vibe here too. Think Fred Neil/Tim Hardin, but drenched in great strings like a Gordon Jenkins Sinatra arrangement. Like Richard Hawley but a bit bleaker sounding (or should that be Bleeker )
20) Unmistakeable New Orleans vibe. This namechecks most of the usual suspects, so I’ll leave you to tell me who’s left. A definite foot tapper and no mistake.
Thanks Bob, another fine mix.
We're way past rhubarb
- whodathunkit
- Posts: 12173
- Joined: 20 Aug 2004, 23:45
- Location: Down in the boondocks
Re: September 2013 Reviews
The Fish wrote:I was already alerted to the largely "dead people" content of this disc by Whodathunkit. Anyway if it produces something as good as this then kill a few more off I say
1) Old time rock and roll. The guitar intro is pure Chuck, the vocals which I should probably recognize sound like a strangulated Buddy Holly (This is not meant as a bad thing).
Welcome to the "Record Hop". Dutch/East Indian rock and roll from the Tielmann Brothers (1959)
2) Doo Wop with a pop sheen, Coasters style one might say. What we have here though is less Yakkety Yak and more Naggedy Nag.
"The Nag" by the Halos (1961) which I have on a Rhino Compilation of "The World's Worst Records". Can't say I hear a lot wrong with it myself.
3) Again I should probably know the voice. Classic Blues shouter cut
Chap called Jimmy Anthony, about whom I know zilch, and "Before Day In The Morning". I like the "looseness" of the accompaniment ,
4) More poppy Doo Wop with a bit of a calypso beat thrown in.
The Marigolds from 1955 and "Rolling Stone". From a "Best Of Excello" collection.
5) Well this is the real deal for sure. Sort of Blues/R&B crossover with the heat turned up to 11
I've used this track before. Probably use it again. Cos it's bloody wonderful!. Old-school gospel hollerer Betty Golden and "Talk On Talkers"
6) My first thought listening to this was that it must have come from the album The Roots of The Bay City Rollers. It has that shang a lang big drum sound thing going on. No idea who this is. It’s slight but fun.
Dunno why I put this in, I think I wanted something English. The Mighty Avengers (which is a great name for a band) and "Walking Through The Sleepy City" from 1965. An early Mick and Keef composition.
7) This starts out like one of those 70s singer songwriter storyteller troubadour types but ends up sounding like a milder form of 60s psych pop, Keith West or somesuch. Hard to place this, but it grew on me.
Should have spotted the voice Paul . Leon Russell's first venture the Asylum Choir and "Welcome To Hollywood" from their 1968 debut album.
8) A pretty generic country pop song with a pretty ropey singer to boot. This one really has nothing going for it. Needless to say I love it.
Oooh. Up with this I will not put . The "ropey singer" is probably the finest country/pop vocalist of all time- Mr Joe South. "Clock Up On The Wall". Lovely stuff.
9) This sounds like someone who’s heard a Byrds tune or two. I’m a sucker for anything with a bit of Byrdsy jangle and this is no exception.
From The Golden Road, one of those dodgy collections of obscure 60s stuff that I keep falling for. This is Keith Allison (who was in Paul Revere and the Raiders) and "Look At Me".
10) The irony here is that I’ve had a couple of Nesmith tracks on recent mixes and it’s taken much agonizing to place the voice, despite owning jut bout everything, and yet this I got before the vocals started. Great of course.
"Calico Girlfriend". This track kept popping up - on shuffles and stuff- while I was putting this together. I knew you would know it but it's always worth a listen. Cracking track.
11) Well I would swear I was listening to Tommy Duncan here, which makes this Bob Wills. The yes yes call sort of confirms this. I probably have this somewhere having both of the Bear Family box sets. Something of a signature artist for me, which is going to make me look a right tit when it’s identified as someone else
. Well, apart from the genre, there's no Willis/Duncan connection. "Double Up" by Leon Chappell. Got this from an excellent Western Swing podcast, still available here
12) Honest to God, real proper country music. Give me a pedal steel and I’m a happy boy.
A trilogy of dodgy "domestics", First off, Ann Clark and "He'll never cheat No More"
13) Followed by some real life calypso. Should get some more of this stuff. It’s always fun and makes me want to dig out Discover America
"Patricia Gone With Millicent" by The Mighty Terror from the latest in the excellent London Is The Place For Me anthologies.
14) Sure I’ve played this recently or a version at any rate. I'm sure there’s more than one version of The Babysitter out there. Think this might be Betty Wright.
Yep.
15) The only misfire on the mix and even then I quite like it. Just tends to stop the mix dead with its soporific nature, but I could certainly imagine listening to this in its original context.
You say "soporific", I'd prefer " laid back" . It seemed sadly appropriate to include a JJ Cale track this month. This is "Traces" from 1992's "No 10".
16) Just two albums and a posthumous collection of works in progress. Such a waste. Could apply to Amy of course, but here we have Judee. I bought both on CD when they originally came out on Japanese import before the Rhino releases. The songs are quite simple and the voice is quite plain, but there’s clearly some magic dust sprinkled liberally. I think it’s all in the double tracking making the most of her voice. In any case I could listen to her sing anything. Marvellous.
The face of a horse and the voice of an angel. "My Man On Love"
17) This sounds a lot like Bob Lind. If it is, well there you go. If it isn’t, I love it for the same reasons I love Bob Lind.
I noticed you're always plugging his classic stuff so I thought I'd try a track from last year's comeback album, Finding You Again, which was nowhere near the disaster that these things often are (cf. Bill Fay). He still sounds like Bob Lind and can still write a decent tune. This one's "The Thunder Of Goodbye".
18) Great folky thing, even if it does get a bit proggy at times
Obscure 60's baroque pop/folk album with one decent track on it. Plenty of those around. "Pascal's Paradox" from Appaloosa's sole effort. I think Al Kooper had something to do with them.
19) Slight folky vibe here too. Think Fred Neil/Tim Hardin, but drenched in great strings like a Gordon Jenkins Sinatra arrangement. Like Richard Hawley but a bit bleaker sounding (or should that be Bleeker )
Just to cheer us up before we go - Lee Hazlewood and "My Autumn Done Come". From an excellent anthology called , accurately, Dark In My Heart.
20) Unmistakeable New Orleans vibe. This namechecks most of the usual suspects, so I’ll leave you to tell me who’s left. A definite foot tapper and no mistake.
Seemed an appropriate closer. "That's Enough Of That Stuff". Marcia Ball frpm the Rounder Records box set.
The Fish wrote:Thanks Bob, another fine mix.
Doing this one felt like putting on an old comfortable pair of shoes. Next time you're getting rap and ambient-techno.
LISTING
1. "Record Hop" - The Tielman Bros.
2. "The Nag" - The Halos
3. "Before Day In The Morning" - Jimmy Anthony
4. Rollin' Stone - The Marigolds
5. "Talk On Talkers" - Betty Golden
6. "Walking Thru The Sleepy City" - The Mighty Avengers
7. "Welcome To Hollywood" - The Asylum Choir
8. "Clock Up On The Wall" - Joe South
9. "Look At Me" - Keith Allison
10. "Calico Girlfriend" - Mike Nesmith
11. "Double Up" - Leon Chappell
12. "He'll Never Cheat No More" - Ann Clark
13. "Patricia Gone With Millicent" - Mighty Terror
14. "Babysitter" - Betty Wright
15. "Traces" - JJ Cale
16. "My Man On Love" - Judee Sill
17. "The Thunder Of Goodbye" - Bob Lind
18. "Pascals Paradox" - Appaloosa
19, "My Autumn's Done Come" - Lee Hazlewood
20. "That's Enough Of That Stuff" - Marcia Ball
- The Fish
- Beer Battered
- Posts: 13066
- Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
- Location: Sunny?Worthing
Re: September 2013 Reviews
Thanks Bob. I was definitely looking to buy No 8 after the reveal, but I've now revised that intention on the basis that I already own it
We're way past rhubarb
- Duncan
- Posts: 2009
- Joined: 26 Aug 2003, 11:39
- Location: 123 Fake Street
Re: September 2013 Reviews
Ayup, this was mine.
Lloyd Price - Coconut Woman. 'Mr Personality' goes calypso.
Jackie Mittoo - Stereo Freeze. I love me a bit of Jackie. This is a cool vamp.
Dillinger - Flat Foot Hustling. Some of my very favourite dubby horns.
Red Rat - Goody 2 Shoes
Fu-Schnickens - Ring The Alarm. I love this version. I don't really know much about the artist. Cool name, though.
The Bug - Poison Dart. Warrior Queen does indeed provide the vocals. The music/production is Kevin Martin aka The Bug and the track is from the 2007 album London Zoo (Ninja Tune)
Princess MC - Pump Up The Funk. I can't get enough of this kind of 80s rap, it's all kinds of fun.
Bran Van 3000 - Everywhere. Without realising it I'd some how put together a mix of two very different halves. I included this track as a makeshift bridge. I think that it's rather charming.
The Books - Lemon Of Pink. This is mostly a collage of samples but I think that it's done in a really warm way. I love the banjo plucking and the soft vocals toward the end.
Tres Chicas - Slip So Easily. The band are an alt-country supergroup (of sorts) featuring members of Whiskeytown, Hazeldine, Oh-OK. The harmonies are beautiful on this one.
Barbara & The Browns - Can't Find No Happiness. A Memphis gem from 1968. There's a crackin' comp of their stuff out on Ace Records
Anne Briggs - Blackwater Side. She's actually from Nottingham (my neck of the woods) although there's obviously Irish folk influences. She was one of kind though. Perfect.
Hurrah, Mix Club limps on.
beenieman wrote:I'll kick off. Disc this month identified as a Save the Mix Club Disc. Given this is probably about the third disc I've got this year (OK maybe more) it's well titled.
Track 1 - calypso to start. I've got into soca a bit and enjoy calypso when I hear it. This is an old track by someone like Mighty Sparrow (who is on death's bed right now). Good rollicking opener. Off to a good start.
Lloyd Price - Coconut Woman. 'Mr Personality' goes calypso.
beenieman wrote:Track 2 - An old ska instrumental which does sound familiar. A bit older than my usual listening but a pleasant track to hear on Mix club.
Jackie Mittoo - Stereo Freeze. I love me a bit of Jackie. This is a cool vamp.
beenieman wrote:Track 3 - More old school. Early deejaying. Blackfoot Hustling. U Roy or someone from that era. A bit slow these days
Dillinger - Flat Foot Hustling. Some of my very favourite dubby horns.
beenieman wrote:Track 4 - More my speed. A bit more pace from the deejay. Red Rat who came out in early 2000's which a heap of hits but has been quiet lately. I used to enjoy him & Goofy as they bought back some humour to the music - Humour never goes away. His trademark was an exaggerated "Ooooh noooo" at the start of his tracks. Classic stuff.
Red Rat - Goody 2 Shoes
beenieman wrote:Track 5 - Ring The Alarm from Tenor Saw done over by a fast style deejay. This tune will never die. There must be hundreds of songs on this riddim (Stalag). Riddim Guide lists around 300 and it's well short of being complete. One of the great songs of the 20th Century.
Fu-Schnickens - Ring The Alarm. I love this version. I don't really know much about the artist. Cool name, though.
beenieman wrote:Track 6 - Not sure who this is? Very complex riddim. Not sure if this is out of Jamaica? I could stand more of this. Warrior Queen?
The Bug - Poison Dart. Warrior Queen does indeed provide the vocals. The music/production is Kevin Martin aka The Bug and the track is from the 2007 album London Zoo (Ninja Tune)
beenieman wrote:Track 7 - Some early hip hop and you can hear that they were influenced by Jamaica back then. I got into rap around the same time as I got into reggae. I was hooked when I heard Rappers Delight on a store stereo in New York around the time it was released and came back from NYC with a bunch of early rap 12 inchers.
Princess MC - Pump Up The Funk. I can't get enough of this kind of 80s rap, it's all kinds of fun.
beenieman wrote:Track 8 - The first time I played this I hadn't realised my heartbeat was up from the last 5-6 tracks till this came on & slowed things down. This is lovely & I'll be very interested in who it is. I'm a sucker for couch music.
Bran Van 3000 - Everywhere. Without realising it I'd some how put together a mix of two very different halves. I included this track as a makeshift bridge. I think that it's rather charming.
beenieman wrote:Track 9 - This is a bit strange and not really my style. I enjoyed it in context though. Sounds like something from O Brother Where Art Thou. I think someone's frying eggs on the vinyl.
The Books - Lemon Of Pink. This is mostly a collage of samples but I think that it's done in a really warm way. I love the banjo plucking and the soft vocals toward the end.
beenieman wrote:Track 10 - I forgot I was supposed to be reviewing when I heard this. One of those tracks I could platy over & over. Lucinda Williams? Beautiful.
Tres Chicas - Slip So Easily. The band are an alt-country supergroup (of sorts) featuring members of Whiskeytown, Hazeldine, Oh-OK. The harmonies are beautiful on this one.
beenieman wrote:Track 11 - Starts with organs in a choral mood and could be from anytime from the sixties to the present. A great soul track. I was mesmerised.
Barbara & The Browns - Can't Find No Happiness. A Memphis gem from 1968. There's a crackin' comp of their stuff out on Ace Records
beenieman wrote:Track 12 - The Irish to close. Another lovely track. Mary Black?
Anne Briggs - Blackwater Side. She's actually from Nottingham (my neck of the woods) although there's obviously Irish folk influences. She was one of kind though. Perfect.
beenieman wrote:45 minutes. Admirable restraint with length and an excellent tailored disc. Some lovely stuff I'll be listening to again.
OK. I'll stay in Mix Club
Hurrah, Mix Club limps on.
Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb...
- beenieman
- Posts: 15400
- Joined: 20 Jul 2003, 21:43
Re: September 2013 Reviews
Thanks. I was quite taken by some of the tracks & will relisten with the "revealed knowledge".
Cheers
Cheers
One night, an evil spirit held me down
I could not make one single sound
Jah told me, 'Son, use the word'
And now I'm as free as a bird
I could not make one single sound
Jah told me, 'Son, use the word'
And now I'm as free as a bird
- TG
- Posts: 3774
- Joined: 30 May 2006, 23:41
- Location: Boss Angeles
Re: September 2013 Reviews
So, here in the US o' A, Mother's Day falls in the month of May. But it's been Mother's Day every day with this, nearly 100% fine, mix that arrived in September.
1) A really strong start - Mother Fuyer by Chuck Willis - a record I don't own and I need to remedy that. A trebly, underproduced, poorly recorded slab o' funk that never fails to please. The band can play, the lyrics are suitably silly and the guitar solo alone is worth the price of admission.
2) I have no idea what this is. And it only marginally stays within the theme of the mix as it only mentions "Mama" in passing; not in the title. I can't decide if it's a 60's beat record or a reasonable facsimile from later days. I have to admit that it's grown on me since first hearing it. I didn't like it much at first but it's a grower.
3) One of those records that I own but don't play often and so it sounds so good when it comes on. Rag, Mama, Rag by Bob Dylan's backing band. And not the more commonly heard version but the alternate take from the (somewhat) recent reissue. And it's sounding pretty damn good! This was a pretty funky band for a bunch of, mostly, pasty white Canadians.
4) Again, I'm not sure what this is. Some fine harp playing, for sure. And it's out of Chicago. Maybe Little Walter? I've been listening to a lot of Muddy & Wolf lately and have been reading a bio of Muddy and autobio of Willie Dixon and so this thing has been real close to me. And this track stands up there with the best of them.
5) Starts out with an organ, bass, drum amd guitar swangin' and boppin'. Then the horns hit. It's mostly a guitar instro and it's a monster. Grant Green? I'd buy this and that's the highest praise I can give it.
6) Someone who had, at the very least, heard things recorded at the Sun Studios. This is early Rockabilly and works out just fine. Is there a Mother connection. I may have not been paying enough attention.
7) A big band swingin'. I don't recognize the track but it has to be Amos Milburn. I have several comps of his and may have this but, once again, this is hitting all the right buttons.
8) A version of Motherless Child with flat vocals from some woman over cheesy fuzz guitar and a real Hollywood arrangement. Sorry, but I think I skipped through this each time I played this CD.
9) Sweet Baby Jesus!!! Mother Popcorn by Mr. Brown. There is little in this world as deeply funky as this. And it's the full 6:16 version. On my initial listen the first few seconds sounded better than anything I'd listened to in far too long. I immediately pulled out the Star Time box and dumped it all into my IPod and listened to a whole lot of James for several days. Thanks to the mixer for making this happen. "Maceo, blow your horn!"
10) One of the first jazz records I ever bought. Way back in the 70s. I hadn't heard this in a long time and it is still working after a great many listens. Mama Too Tight by Archie Shepp. The arrangement is so loose and swings so hard. An amazing record.
11) Another record that I don't own - Mix Club makes me spend too much money - Sugar Pie DeSanto doing Mama Didn't Raise No Fools. Terrific band and backing vocals. A great Chicago soul record.
12) Another one I'm not feeling. I've heard this before.It's a real Jamaican reggae band doing Paul Simon's Mother and Child Reunion. I just don't like this song.
13) Once again - no idea. A raucous, rocking, utterly simplistic run through the chant of "Mama, don't you get me wrong." Wild guitar and loads of echo and then it's gone in under 2 minutes. Maybe someone like The Mooney Suzuki?
14) It has to be called Hot Little Mama and pretty much has to be Johnny "Guitar" Watson. The storyline is very funny and the guitar playing is as serious as it could be. This is a fine record.
15) Hi-Fi Mama by ZZ Top. I went on a bit of a ZZ Top kick after buying the 10 CD remastered set that came out a couple of months back. I really think these guys and Billy Gibbons, in particular, are way overlooked.
A really splendid mix that made me pull out records from the collection to play and re-explore and that's what Mix Club ought to do. Thank so much for this.
1) A really strong start - Mother Fuyer by Chuck Willis - a record I don't own and I need to remedy that. A trebly, underproduced, poorly recorded slab o' funk that never fails to please. The band can play, the lyrics are suitably silly and the guitar solo alone is worth the price of admission.
2) I have no idea what this is. And it only marginally stays within the theme of the mix as it only mentions "Mama" in passing; not in the title. I can't decide if it's a 60's beat record or a reasonable facsimile from later days. I have to admit that it's grown on me since first hearing it. I didn't like it much at first but it's a grower.
3) One of those records that I own but don't play often and so it sounds so good when it comes on. Rag, Mama, Rag by Bob Dylan's backing band. And not the more commonly heard version but the alternate take from the (somewhat) recent reissue. And it's sounding pretty damn good! This was a pretty funky band for a bunch of, mostly, pasty white Canadians.
4) Again, I'm not sure what this is. Some fine harp playing, for sure. And it's out of Chicago. Maybe Little Walter? I've been listening to a lot of Muddy & Wolf lately and have been reading a bio of Muddy and autobio of Willie Dixon and so this thing has been real close to me. And this track stands up there with the best of them.
5) Starts out with an organ, bass, drum amd guitar swangin' and boppin'. Then the horns hit. It's mostly a guitar instro and it's a monster. Grant Green? I'd buy this and that's the highest praise I can give it.
6) Someone who had, at the very least, heard things recorded at the Sun Studios. This is early Rockabilly and works out just fine. Is there a Mother connection. I may have not been paying enough attention.
7) A big band swingin'. I don't recognize the track but it has to be Amos Milburn. I have several comps of his and may have this but, once again, this is hitting all the right buttons.
8) A version of Motherless Child with flat vocals from some woman over cheesy fuzz guitar and a real Hollywood arrangement. Sorry, but I think I skipped through this each time I played this CD.
9) Sweet Baby Jesus!!! Mother Popcorn by Mr. Brown. There is little in this world as deeply funky as this. And it's the full 6:16 version. On my initial listen the first few seconds sounded better than anything I'd listened to in far too long. I immediately pulled out the Star Time box and dumped it all into my IPod and listened to a whole lot of James for several days. Thanks to the mixer for making this happen. "Maceo, blow your horn!"
10) One of the first jazz records I ever bought. Way back in the 70s. I hadn't heard this in a long time and it is still working after a great many listens. Mama Too Tight by Archie Shepp. The arrangement is so loose and swings so hard. An amazing record.
11) Another record that I don't own - Mix Club makes me spend too much money - Sugar Pie DeSanto doing Mama Didn't Raise No Fools. Terrific band and backing vocals. A great Chicago soul record.
12) Another one I'm not feeling. I've heard this before.It's a real Jamaican reggae band doing Paul Simon's Mother and Child Reunion. I just don't like this song.
13) Once again - no idea. A raucous, rocking, utterly simplistic run through the chant of "Mama, don't you get me wrong." Wild guitar and loads of echo and then it's gone in under 2 minutes. Maybe someone like The Mooney Suzuki?
14) It has to be called Hot Little Mama and pretty much has to be Johnny "Guitar" Watson. The storyline is very funny and the guitar playing is as serious as it could be. This is a fine record.
15) Hi-Fi Mama by ZZ Top. I went on a bit of a ZZ Top kick after buying the 10 CD remastered set that came out a couple of months back. I really think these guys and Billy Gibbons, in particular, are way overlooked.
A really splendid mix that made me pull out records from the collection to play and re-explore and that's what Mix Club ought to do. Thank so much for this.
Jeff K wrote:Not at all. I love TG. I might be the only one on BCB who does but I don't care.
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Re: September 2013 Reviews
TG wrote: So, here in the US o' A, Mother's Day falls in the month of May. But it's been Mother's Day every day with this, nearly 100% fine, mix that arrived in September.
Hi Tom, this was my mother of a mix, and i’m glad it mostly hit the spot.
The idea came to me when a couple of these tunes came up next to each other in a shuffle on my i-pod while i was on a run, and i thought ‘Fuck me, that would make a good themed playlist! There are so many tunes across many genres that use the mother/mama lyrical hook, and it gave me a chance to hear some of these tunes which i have loved, sometimes for 2 decades or more, in a new and fresh context and appreciate their awesomeness all over again. I’m really glad that you seem to have had the same reaction to them as me. There are a couple of standards that most music lovers like yourself would know, and a couple that i thought might be newer to you and make the listening experience fresh and more unpredictable, so that you’d be hearing even the old chestnuts in a new way.
1) A really strong start - Mother Fuyer by Chuck Willis - a record I don't own and I need to remedy that. A trebly, underproduced, poorly recorded slab o' funk that never fails to please. The band can play, the lyrics are suitably silly and the guitar solo alone is worth the price of admission.
Kick-ass, ain’t it. You probably know Dirty Red’s original from the 1940’s, and Willis’ update is just perfect for the funky blues and soul sound of the 70’s. The guitar just SMOKES as you say, and his vocals are wonderfully tongue in cheek. Love it.
2) I have no idea what this is. And it only marginally stays within the theme of the mix as it only mentions "Mama" in passing; not in the title. I can't decide if it's a 60's beat record or a reasonable facsimile from later days. I have to admit that it's grown on me since first hearing it. I didn't like it much at first but it's a grower.
I’m gonna take your uncertainty on whether this is a new or 60’s piece of music as a valediction on the enduring quality of the Easybeats’ music. ‘Cause that’s who this is – a group which is often relegated to ‘second-tier 60s band’ status by many music lovers, but who i think made MANY great singles and kinda get neglected apart from the 2-3 big songs that everyone knows. They still sound fresh and vital, powerful to me, great guitar sounds and Stevie Wright's vocals in particular are the perfect mix of snotty and melodious. And for the record it is a Mama song, just in the brackets of the title.
3) One of those records that I own but don't play often and so it sounds so good when it comes on. Rag, Mama, Rag by Bob Dylan's backing band. And not the more commonly heard version but the alternate take from the (somewhat) recent reissue. And it's sounding pretty damn good! This was a pretty funky band for a bunch of, mostly, pasty white Canadians.
Well spotted, Tom – it is indeed the rougher alternate vocal take of one of my favourite songs from the band’s S/T LP. The harmonised group vocals give it a spontaneous and fresh sound after all these years of loving this song, and hearing the group just cut loose on this fun track shows not only their wonderful chops but how deep the mix of rock and roll and blues and soul was in their veins. Fearless and beautiful.
4) Again, I'm not sure what this is. Some fine harp playing, for sure. And it's out of Chicago. Maybe Little Walter? I've been listening to a lot of Muddy & Wolf lately and have been reading a bio of Muddy and autobio of Willie Dixon and so this thing has been real close to me. And this track stands up there with the best of them.
Little Walter indeed, man. A lesser-played gem from his catalogue, with all the hallmarks of his best work – great ensemble playing from the Chess crew, and there is a sinuous, bouncy R&B feel to track that, much like the man himself, feels like it could somehow explode at anytime. A long time fave.
5) Starts out with an organ, bass, drum and guitar swangin' and boppin'. Then the horns hit. It's mostly a guitar instro and it's a monster. Grant Green? I'd buy this and that's the highest praise I can give it.
Grant Green it is, man, great ears. It’s technically a Lou Donaldson record and session, but it’s written by the organist ‘Big’ John Patton, and he and Green are the real stars of this cut, which is the 7” single version of the full album track. I can’t put in words how much i love this tune – it makes me want to fly. Yes, if you boiled it right down to bare essential it’s just a simple bluesy jazz riff, but what these guys DO with it hits me right where i live. It’s the church and the street corner all mixed in together - Grant Green’s quicksilver tone, and Patton’s simmering B3 = heaven.
6) Someone who had, at the very least, heard things recorded at the Sun Studios. This is early Rockabilly and works out just fine. Is there a Mother connection. I may have not been paying enough attention.
Yep, a Sun Records cut it is, and there certainly is a mother connection as it’s called ‘Come On Little Mama’, although Ray Harris does seem to use ‘little baby’ a lot more during the song. Classic jumpin Memphis rockabilly, love it.
7) A big band swingin'. I don't recognize the track but it has to be Amos Milburn. I have several comps of his and may have this but, once again, this is hitting all the right buttons.
Amos fucking Milburn, man. So often forgotten these days but every music lover should have at least one of his better comps, Tom, so please help me spread the word – that beautifully laconic singing style he had, dynamite boogie woogie piano, plus the terrific bands he usually played with that included some of the kings of the West Coast blues and jazz scenes, like Maxwell Davis, Don Wilkerson, Mickey Baker, Red Callender, and so many more. Boogie-licious.
8) A version of Motherless Child with flat vocals from some woman over cheesy fuzz guitar and a real Hollywood arrangement. Sorry, but I think I skipped through this each time I played this CD.
Actually i kinda had reservations about this track myself, mostly for Kathleen Emery’s vocals, which do tend to drag a little too much – but as Eric T. Willy will attest, i do love a little cheese with my meat, and while this cut is very orchestrated and ‘Hollywood’ as you say, the drummer and percussion on this song is stone-cold KILLER, man. I find myself going back and just listening hard to that drummer fucking doing his thing, and i reckon you will too, even if you just tune in for a minute as i do to enjoy his work. But iI have no idea who it is! The liner notes from the comp this tune is from, a collection of tunes from the Jazzman Records label, has no personnel listed. No matter; whoever it is, i salute him and his funky beats.
9) Sweet Baby Jesus!!! Mother Popcorn by Mr. Brown. There is little in this world as deeply funky as this. And it's the full 6:16 version. On my initial listen the first few seconds sounded better than anything I'd listened to in far too long. I immediately pulled out the Star Time box and dumped it all into my IPod and listened to a whole lot of James for several days. Thanks to the mixer for making this happen. "Maceo, blow your horn!"
Excellent! This is the reaction i was hoping you would have to hearing ‘Mother Popcorn’ here, after the funky but overly theatrical Emery tune. It just brings out that special rawness and the tightness of JB and the band, seldom equalled by anyone and never bettered. A mother of a cut and a group, in every sense.
10) One of the first jazz records I ever bought. Way back in the 70s. I hadn't heard this in a long time and it is still working after a great many listens. Mama Too Tight by Archie Shepp. The arrangement is so loose and swings so hard. An amazing record.
Sensational, isn’t it - i’m so glad this one is up your street. I couldn’t have described it any better than you did. Amazing.
11) Another record that I don't own - Mix Club makes me spend too much money - Sugar Pie DeSanto doing Mama Didn't Raise No Fools. Terrific band and backing vocals. A great Chicago soul record.
Yes! Another brilliant singer and artist who is too often forgotten these days. Gritty yet beautiful Chicago soul, finest kind.
12) Another one I'm not feeling. I've heard this before. It's a real Jamaican reggae band doing Paul Simon's Mother and Child Reunion. I just don't like this song.
Ah well, i was hoping you might dig the bouncier, party groove of The Uniques’ version, but i know the tune ain’t for everyone. I love the vocal interplay too, very joyous in the Island style rather than Simon’s more poppy melodic approach.
13) Once again - no idea. A raucous, rocking, utterly simplistic run through the chant of "Mama, don't you get me wrong." Wild guitar and loads of echo and then it's gone in under 2 minutes. Maybe someone like The Mooney Suzuki?
Oh yeah, raucous and wild – Lobby Loyde and the Coloured Balls, some good old fashioned Aussie proto-punk/rock and roll from’73.
14) It has to be called Hot Little Mama and pretty much has to be Johnny "Guitar" Watson. The storyline is very funny and the guitar playing is as serious as it could be. This is a fine record.
I love Watson’s sound on his ‘50s cuts in particular – great singing, loud and brash, but that hot, stinging guitar attack he had too should be spoken about as much as BB King, Pete Lewis, Link Wray or any of the important innovators of the time. There is a slightly slower 50s version of the tune, but this one is my fave.
15) Hi-Fi Mama by ZZ Top. I went on a bit of a ZZ Top kick after buying the 10 CD remastered set that came out a couple of months back. I really think these guys and Billy Gibbons, in particular, are way overlooked.
Yep, love the record and the band to bits. I got the boxed set a couple of months ago too and have enjoyed going back through those albums and rediscovering the Top immensely, especially the first album which had always sounded so dodgy on CD before. And the ‘Goodnight darling, wherever you are’ ending was perfect for the last cut of the mix too.
A really splendid mix that made me pull out records from the collection to play and re-explore and that's what Mix Club ought to do. Thank so much for this.
Cheers, i’m really happy you dug most of the tunes!
Mother Mix
1. Chick Willis – Mother Fuyer
2. The Easybeats – I’ll Make You Happy (Just Like Your Mama Wants)
3. The Band – Rag Mama Rag (Alternate Vocal Take – Rough Mix)
4. Little Walter – Tell Me Mama
5. Lou Donaldson – Funky Mama, Pt. 1
6. Ray Harris – Come On Little Mama
7. Amos Milburn – I’m Gonna Tell My Mama
8. Kathleen Emery – Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
9. James Brown – Mother Popcorn
10. Archie Shepp – Mama Too Tight
11. Sugar Pie DeSanto – Mama Didn’t Raise No Fools
12. The Uniques – Mother And Child Reunion
13. Coloured Balls – Mama Don’t You Get Me Wrong
14. Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson – Hot Little Mama
15. ZZ Top – Hi-Fi Mama
Jonny Spencer wrote:fange wrote:I've got my quad pants on and i'm ready for some Cock.
By CHRIST you're a man after my own sideways sausage, Ange!
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Re: September 2013 Reviews
Might this mutha of a mix end up on dropbox?
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Re: September 2013 Reviews
T. Willy Rye wrote:Might this mutha of a mix end up on dropbox?
Good idea, i'll try that this week.
Jonny Spencer wrote:fange wrote:I've got my quad pants on and i'm ready for some Cock.
By CHRIST you're a man after my own sideways sausage, Ange!
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Re: September 2013 Reviews
fangedango! wrote:Mother Mix
1. Chick Willis – Mother Fuyer
2. The Easybeats – I’ll Make You Happy (Just Like Your Mama Wants)
3. The Band – Rag Mama Rag (Alternate Vocal Take – Rough Mix)
4. Little Walter – Tell Me Mama
5. Lou Donaldson – Funky Mama, Pt. 1
6. Ray Harris – Come On Little Mama
7. Amos Milburn – I’m Gonna Tell My Mama
8. Kathleen Emery – Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
9. James Brown – Mother Popcorn
10. Archie Shepp – Mama Too Tight
11. Sugar Pie DeSanto – Mama Didn’t Raise No Fools
12. The Uniques – Mother And Child Reunion
13. Coloured Balls – Mama Don’t You Get Me Wrong
14. Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson – Hot Little Mama
15. ZZ Top – Hi-Fi Mama
Thanks again for a really fine mix. One of my favorites ever and I'm still playing it.
Jeff K wrote:Not at all. I love TG. I might be the only one on BCB who does but I don't care.
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Re: September 2013 Reviews
Sod it, missed the deadline! Let the inane musings begin............
1. A descending piano scale, a cry of "Ah-ha!" and we're off with a superb opener. This is what idiots like me call "latin", ignoring all it's many sub-genres.This has got everything you expect - complex rhythms, bags of energy, percussion up to your arse - my only disappointment is that no-one shouts "Caramba".
2. A funkier groove. Organ-lead instrumental with leering honking saxes also heavily featured. All rather filthy and tasty.
3. A familiar bass line and a touch of the Curtis Mayfields in the vocals.This one grew on me lots.
4. Back with the "latin" - more of a Cuban feel on this one. A lady appears to be being asked to "take it all off". Lot's of mad vocals here. Another good 'un.
5. Things calm down a bit. One of those cool jazz instrumentals from the early 60s that you're almost obliged to smoke during. Neat and sharp and doesn't outstay it's welcome.
6. Bluesy soul thing. Can hardly understand a word the guys singing but it swings like fuck.
7. "Rock Me Baby". I'm pretty sure it's BB King although it's not the version I know. Over the years I thought I was Rock Me Babied out but this is a bit of a cracker.
8. Another gem from the obscure soul locker methinks. Song about a woman from (H)el Paso. Great strings on this.
9. Slinkier soul thing with breathy female vocalist. "Where's your love been?" 9 tracks in and there's nothing I don't like on this mix. Poor show sir!
10. And things aren't getting better . Guitar Slim "Done Got Over It" So simple, so great.
11. The mixer let's a white guy in. Bobby Darin and "Light Blue". Thought you could catch me out there T. Willy ? Extraordinary record from a fascinating bloke.
12. Almost a James Taylor feel to this one. Have no fear though. There is some blistering guitar playing to offset the banal lyrics. "Climb up on my music and the songs will set you free", Dear me.
13. You don't hear too many Beefheart covers and this is a pretty good stab at "Sho' Nuff and Yes I Do" done country hoedown style. Most enjoyable. Not as good as the original but that goes without saying. So why did I say it?
14. A gentler latin piece which builds brilliantly. The brass on this would knock your socks off. Nearly six minutes long and I could have taken some more.
15. Probably my favourite thing on here. "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure". Classic soul arrangement and a great song. New to me. Will this stuff ever run out?
16. Big change of gear. Nice modernish country song about "the road", etc.Perfectly pleasant.
17. Very loose country thing. Sounds live. They all sound a bit "merry". Nice closer.
An excellent disc. Lot's of new things to find out about and I look forward to the reveal. Incidentally I noticed from the envelope that it cost an eye-watering $6.95 to send this thin little disc across the Atlantic. It was much appreciated.
1. A descending piano scale, a cry of "Ah-ha!" and we're off with a superb opener. This is what idiots like me call "latin", ignoring all it's many sub-genres.This has got everything you expect - complex rhythms, bags of energy, percussion up to your arse - my only disappointment is that no-one shouts "Caramba".
2. A funkier groove. Organ-lead instrumental with leering honking saxes also heavily featured. All rather filthy and tasty.
3. A familiar bass line and a touch of the Curtis Mayfields in the vocals.This one grew on me lots.
4. Back with the "latin" - more of a Cuban feel on this one. A lady appears to be being asked to "take it all off". Lot's of mad vocals here. Another good 'un.
5. Things calm down a bit. One of those cool jazz instrumentals from the early 60s that you're almost obliged to smoke during. Neat and sharp and doesn't outstay it's welcome.
6. Bluesy soul thing. Can hardly understand a word the guys singing but it swings like fuck.
7. "Rock Me Baby". I'm pretty sure it's BB King although it's not the version I know. Over the years I thought I was Rock Me Babied out but this is a bit of a cracker.
8. Another gem from the obscure soul locker methinks. Song about a woman from (H)el Paso. Great strings on this.
9. Slinkier soul thing with breathy female vocalist. "Where's your love been?" 9 tracks in and there's nothing I don't like on this mix. Poor show sir!
10. And things aren't getting better . Guitar Slim "Done Got Over It" So simple, so great.
11. The mixer let's a white guy in. Bobby Darin and "Light Blue". Thought you could catch me out there T. Willy ? Extraordinary record from a fascinating bloke.
12. Almost a James Taylor feel to this one. Have no fear though. There is some blistering guitar playing to offset the banal lyrics. "Climb up on my music and the songs will set you free", Dear me.
13. You don't hear too many Beefheart covers and this is a pretty good stab at "Sho' Nuff and Yes I Do" done country hoedown style. Most enjoyable. Not as good as the original but that goes without saying. So why did I say it?
14. A gentler latin piece which builds brilliantly. The brass on this would knock your socks off. Nearly six minutes long and I could have taken some more.
15. Probably my favourite thing on here. "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure". Classic soul arrangement and a great song. New to me. Will this stuff ever run out?
16. Big change of gear. Nice modernish country song about "the road", etc.Perfectly pleasant.
17. Very loose country thing. Sounds live. They all sound a bit "merry". Nice closer.
An excellent disc. Lot's of new things to find out about and I look forward to the reveal. Incidentally I noticed from the envelope that it cost an eye-watering $6.95 to send this thin little disc across the Atlantic. It was much appreciated.
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Re: September 2013 Reviews
Pow!
1. I've got the Esther Philips version of this. This one seems a little polite by comparison but I still like it. It seems very laid back, like they just knocked it out in 5 minutes, but the production has a very crisp sound to it. It really gets in to your head.
2. I like banjos. And bluegrass harmony singing about how great it is to like banjos and bluegrass harmony singing. It's a little bit cheesy but totally endearing. Thumbs up.
3. This one's a little bit too 'sensitive' for me. And some of the lyrics are cringe-worthy and corny. Sorry, not really for me I'm afraid.
4. This one's great, though. Cool intro and I love how over the top his vocals are at times. I'm a sucker for doo-wop harmonies, too.
5. This one grew on me. It has that fuzzy, chuggy 90s guitar sound (although I'm not sure if that's actually when it was recorded) that can be pretty engaging when it's done properly. I like the phrasing, how weirdly one-paced it is, and the detached vocals, too.
6. This one's jolly lovely. Very lo-fi and minimalist but warm like a big fluffy blanket. There's not actually that much of a song there but the delicate playing and whispery vocals are more than enough to see it through.
7. Ah, one I know, the splendid Honey Cone. Champion. The Backbeats series is stuffed full of gems from these guys. Boom boom shack-a-lack boom boom boom!
8. Oh, I know this one too, it's the Chairman Of The Board. What a groove! General Johnson smokes it.
9. A change of pace from the last couple of stompers, but every bit as enjoyable. I particularly dig the jaunty brass, the woodsy indie-pop K Records vibe, and the mildly twee way the vocalists play off of each other.
10. Another winner. A glossy contemporary soul duet with a lot of charm. I think that I vaguely recognise the female vocals but I can't place it. One of those kids from that Music Television.
11. One from the archives. Hand-clapping, foot shuffling, whisky throwing fun.
12. I'm not sure about this one. It's OK, but I'm not convinced by the vocals and there's just not all that much for me to hold on to.
13. Some killer funk, teetering on that proto-disco age, although the weird vocoder vocal bits make it a bit harder to date. Whenever it's from, it's fab. It sounds like the Isley Brothers kinda thing, but I don't think that I recognise it. My favourite on the disc.
14. Old school rootsy country. Reassuringly crackly and twangy. The slide guitar shimmers. I like it a lot.
15. Not so keen on this one. It's just a touch to, um, Southern Boogie for me. It's not terrible or anything, but the drumming seems a bit pedestrian and it has that late 80s/early 90s sterile production sound.
16. I feel that I ought to know this. Anyway, I like how they only use a biscuit tin drum kit and the fuzzy guitar. It's rough around the edges, but that works perfectly with the gravelly bluesy vocals.
17. A foreign folky jobby. The vocals seem a touch overwrought at times, but there are some nice little instrumental touches. I think I find this slightly more interesting than enjoyable, but I'm definitely curious to find out more.
18. This is pretty cool. The rumbling kick-drum, the chiming guitar line, the dreamy vocals. Good stuff. I don't think that it's them, but there's a similarity to bands like Califone.
19. An uplifting song to finish about visiting the corpse of your lover in the morgue. I'm familiar with the Son House and White Stripes versions but this one is more layered, more about atmosphere than the blues purism. It's not bad, but it mainly just makes me want to listen to Son House.
So there you go then. Good stuff and a pretty high win ratio. I enjoyed how it bounced between genres like an iPod shuffle and I think that we must have covered about 70 years of music in 70 minutes. Cheers again.
1. I've got the Esther Philips version of this. This one seems a little polite by comparison but I still like it. It seems very laid back, like they just knocked it out in 5 minutes, but the production has a very crisp sound to it. It really gets in to your head.
2. I like banjos. And bluegrass harmony singing about how great it is to like banjos and bluegrass harmony singing. It's a little bit cheesy but totally endearing. Thumbs up.
3. This one's a little bit too 'sensitive' for me. And some of the lyrics are cringe-worthy and corny. Sorry, not really for me I'm afraid.
4. This one's great, though. Cool intro and I love how over the top his vocals are at times. I'm a sucker for doo-wop harmonies, too.
5. This one grew on me. It has that fuzzy, chuggy 90s guitar sound (although I'm not sure if that's actually when it was recorded) that can be pretty engaging when it's done properly. I like the phrasing, how weirdly one-paced it is, and the detached vocals, too.
6. This one's jolly lovely. Very lo-fi and minimalist but warm like a big fluffy blanket. There's not actually that much of a song there but the delicate playing and whispery vocals are more than enough to see it through.
7. Ah, one I know, the splendid Honey Cone. Champion. The Backbeats series is stuffed full of gems from these guys. Boom boom shack-a-lack boom boom boom!
8. Oh, I know this one too, it's the Chairman Of The Board. What a groove! General Johnson smokes it.
9. A change of pace from the last couple of stompers, but every bit as enjoyable. I particularly dig the jaunty brass, the woodsy indie-pop K Records vibe, and the mildly twee way the vocalists play off of each other.
10. Another winner. A glossy contemporary soul duet with a lot of charm. I think that I vaguely recognise the female vocals but I can't place it. One of those kids from that Music Television.
11. One from the archives. Hand-clapping, foot shuffling, whisky throwing fun.
12. I'm not sure about this one. It's OK, but I'm not convinced by the vocals and there's just not all that much for me to hold on to.
13. Some killer funk, teetering on that proto-disco age, although the weird vocoder vocal bits make it a bit harder to date. Whenever it's from, it's fab. It sounds like the Isley Brothers kinda thing, but I don't think that I recognise it. My favourite on the disc.
14. Old school rootsy country. Reassuringly crackly and twangy. The slide guitar shimmers. I like it a lot.
15. Not so keen on this one. It's just a touch to, um, Southern Boogie for me. It's not terrible or anything, but the drumming seems a bit pedestrian and it has that late 80s/early 90s sterile production sound.
16. I feel that I ought to know this. Anyway, I like how they only use a biscuit tin drum kit and the fuzzy guitar. It's rough around the edges, but that works perfectly with the gravelly bluesy vocals.
17. A foreign folky jobby. The vocals seem a touch overwrought at times, but there are some nice little instrumental touches. I think I find this slightly more interesting than enjoyable, but I'm definitely curious to find out more.
18. This is pretty cool. The rumbling kick-drum, the chiming guitar line, the dreamy vocals. Good stuff. I don't think that it's them, but there's a similarity to bands like Califone.
19. An uplifting song to finish about visiting the corpse of your lover in the morgue. I'm familiar with the Son House and White Stripes versions but this one is more layered, more about atmosphere than the blues purism. It's not bad, but it mainly just makes me want to listen to Son House.
So there you go then. Good stuff and a pretty high win ratio. I enjoyed how it bounced between genres like an iPod shuffle and I think that we must have covered about 70 years of music in 70 minutes. Cheers again.
Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb...
- T. Willy Rye
- Spinner of crazy fuck-ass shit
- Posts: 3815
- Joined: 30 Jan 2010, 21:41
- Location: Fogertyland
Re: September 2013 Reviews
whodathunkit wrote:Sod it, missed the deadline! Let the inane musings begin............
1. A descending piano scale, a cry of "Ah-ha!" and we're off with a superb opener. This is what idiots like me call "latin", ignoring all it's many sub-genres.This has got everything you expect - complex rhythms, bags of energy, percussion up to your arse - my only disappointment is that no-one shouts "Caramba".
1. Latin sounds fine to me. I suppose if you wanted to be more precise you could go with Peruvian Boogaloo, but shit, that might be asking a bit much. Yo Traigo Boogaloo by Alfred Linares y Su Sonora
2. A funkier groove. Organ-lead instrumental with leering honking saxes also heavily featured. All rather filthy and tasty.
2. More boogaloo. This is more of the Brooklyn variety. Sugarman 3 with Witches Boogaloo
3. A familiar bass line and a touch of the Curtis Mayfields in the vocals.This one grew on me lots.
3. Brothers on the Slide by Cymande
4. Back with the "latin" - more of a Cuban feel on this one. A lady appears to be being asked to "take it all off". Lot's of mad vocals here. Another good 'un.
4. Guess the Boogaloo wasn't completely outta my system. Bataola Boogaloo by Bobby Quesada and his Band
5. Things calm down a bit. One of those cool jazz instrumentals from the early 60s that you're almost obliged to smoke during. Neat and sharp and doesn't outstay it's welcome.
5. I continue to view one of my roles in life as spreading the word of Tina Brooks' tragically truncated genius This is True Blue. Go ahead and light up- I don't smoke, but I'm sure Tina wouldn't have minded one bit.
6. Bluesy soul thing. Can hardly understand a word the guys singing but it swings like fuck.
6. That it does. It's Amos Milbourn with Whiz-A-Shoop-Pepi-Dada
7. "Rock Me Baby". I'm pretty sure it's BB King although it's not the version I know. Over the years I thought I was Rock Me Babied out but this is a bit of a cracker.
7. I always forget that before Eric Clapton and Mylanta ads BB King was alright. Bono stole BB King from us- I'm stealing him back. Rock Me Baby.
8. Another gem from the obscure soul locker methinks. Song about a woman from (H)el Paso. Great strings on this.
8. Nuttin' gets past you, Bob. One of them there Ace releases from Dan Greer (primarily a songwriter and producer) but yeah, this one smokes.
9. Slinkier soul thing with breathy female vocalist. "Where's your love been?" 9 tracks in and there's nothing I don't like on this mix. Poor show sir!
9. I've decided to save my Turkish psych and Indonesian garage for Sgt. Pepper. This forgotten gem from Donna Rhodes (whoever she is) seemed like a safer bet.
10. And things aren't getting better . Guitar Slim "Done Got Over It" So simple, so great.
10. You think it's great; I think it's great. Anyway who disagrees is a moron.
11. The mixer let's a white guy in. Bobby Darin and "Light Blue". Thought you could catch me out there T. Willy ? Extraordinary record from a fascinating bloke.
11. Whodathunkit? Me. You're a muthafuckin' detective.
12. Almost a James Taylor feel to this one. Have no fear though. There is some blistering guitar playing to offset the banal lyrics. "Climb up on my music and the songs will set you free", Dear me.
12. I know ...the lyrics, but the song is otherwise pretty great and it's Rodriguez who is so down to earth ,so maybe I'm not completely understanding the lyrical content.
13. You don't hear too many Beefheart covers and this is a pretty good stab at "Sho' Nuff and Yes I Do" done country hoedown style. Most enjoyable. Not as good as the original but that goes without saying. So why did I say it?
13. I know the original is wonderful, but I do so love Lanegan's voice on this and I think this soundtrack did not receive proper kudos, so I am again featuring a track from the Lawless soundtrack. This is the Bootleggers.
14. A gentler latin piece which builds brilliantly. The brass on this would knock your socks off. Nearly six minutes long and I could have taken some more.
14. I'm glad you like this one. Me too. Bilongo from Eddie Palmieri
15. Probably my favourite thing on here. "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure". Classic soul arrangement and a great song. New to me. Will this stuff ever run out?
15. Hopefully not in our lifetime and the Ace people would be pretty bummed too. Clarence Carter.
16. Big change of gear. Nice modernish country song about "the road", etc.Perfectly pleasant.
16. I'm pretty sure you're a Drive By Trucker fan, so felt pretty good about this one. Jason Isbell with Travelin' Alone
17. Very loose country thing. Sounds live. They all sound a bit "merry". Nice closer.
Chris Smither with Hundred Dollar Valentine
An excellent disc. Lot's of new things to find out about and I look forward to the reveal. Incidentally I noticed from the envelope that it cost an eye-watering $6.95 to send this thin little disc across the Atlantic. It was much appreciated.
Third time's a charm? It was worth it to get one that clicked so well this time! Let me know if I can send anything else your way. I've been using dropbox and it's no trouble at all.
1. Yo Traigo Boogaloo- Alfredo Linares y Su Sonora
2. Witches Boogaloo- Sugarman 3
3. Brothers on the Slide- Cymande
4. Bataola Boogaloo- Bobby Quesada and his Band
5. True Blue- Tina Brooks
6. Whiz-A-Shoop-Pepi-Dada- Amos Milbourn
7. Rock Me Baby- BB King
8. Hell Paso- Dan Greer
9. Where's Your Love Been- Donna Rhodes
10. Well, I Done Got Over It- Guitar Slim
11. Light Blue- Bob Darin
12. Climb Up On My Music- Rodriguez
13. Sure 'Nuff and Yes I Do- The Bootleggers featuring Mark Lanegan
14. Bilongo- Eddie Palmieri
15. You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure- Clarence Carter
16. Travelin' Alone- Jason Isbell
17. Hundred Dollar Valentine- Chris Smither
Last edited by T. Willy Rye on 03 Oct 2013, 06:01, edited 1 time in total.
- fange
- 100% fangetastic
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Re: September 2013 Reviews
^^
looks good!
I got a fine disc of '80's sounds for my September Mix, which is just fine with me - i have a pretty high tolerance for a lot of that decades pop in particular, and it was great to hear a couple of tunes i hadn't heard in a while here in a fresh context. Some pushed my buttons more than others, but on the whole it was a fun listen!
1. Starts with some Marine Corp. marching drill sounds, before a very 80s sampled drum and percussion and scratchin guitars kick in to add a funky dance beat. The soldiers yell/sing through most of the tune, and it’s a fun listen. I’m sure I’ve heard it but must have been ages ago coz can’t pin a name on it at all. A good start.
2. More 80s sounds, a classic - Iggy doing his version of Johnny O’Keefe’s ‘The Wild One’. It will forever now be the theme music for the ‘Rage’ music video show on Aussie television, but an enjoyable blast on its own terms.
3. A clear pattern has already started to develop by here; John Mellencamp doing ‘Check It Out’ from one of his later 80s LPs but one I haven’t heard all of. This one’s a bit too laid back for me, though I don’t have a problem with it per se, and it was kinda nice to hear it after a while, its been many years really. Though not a big fan i like a couple of JMs earlier 80s singles from Pink Houses and Scarecrow.
4. Wow, now this was a nice blast from the past – ‘Moon Is Blue’ by Colourbox! It took me 3-4 listens to remember the group’s name, but I used to hear this one all the time as my brother in law was a fan of this record and played it a lot. A very fine 80s pop number, cheers for bringing this back from the mists.
5. Definitely an Antipodean group from the singer’s voice - nice strummy guitars and bouncy bass, and the synth touches in the background certainly place it in the 80s as well. A good sunny slice of pop with lovelorn lyrics.
6. Also definitely an Aussie or Kiwi singer or group, this one’s a bit more rockier than pop, but again a nice track. Sounds like I’ve tuned into an 80s radio station or something, nice! The only problem with the 80s for me now is that those ubiquitous, heavily gated drums kinda start grating after 20 minutes or so… otherwise I’m enjoying this trip back through time.
7. The unmistakable voice of Tracey Thorn, fronting Everything But The Girl I’m guessing though I don’t know the tune. Another fine sun-shiny pop tune, I must investigate further as I only have a ‘best of’ set.
8. This one is a little toooo smooth even for me, mixer, sorry. A poppy, very arranged tune, that is a good one at its heart, but has too much of a boy band feel like Bros., and the ‘relaxed’ tempo doesn’t help.
9. Now, this a bit better, Prefab Sprout with ‘Cars And Girls’! A big fan of Paddy here, and while this isn’t my fave PS album its best songs are great 80s pop. Just a shame about that drum sound
10. Ah, another warm and fuzzy old chestnut, The Pretenders doing ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’. Again, I’m probably more a fan of Hynde’s earlier incarnations and releases from the band, but there’s something really pleasing about hearing this song every once in a while, its got a nice shuffling, uplifting rhythm.
11. Man, Alison Moyet?! Love her voice, and I’m a fan of her Yazoo stuff, but this one is a little too 80s MOR for me, and the tune is a bit slight. The bells or clackers or whatever they are don’t help, I’m afraid.
12. PSB with ‘Rent’, a fine song from a great album. Songs like ‘What Have I Done…’ and ‘Heart’ are the peaks for me, but its such a strong record all the way through, the songs are deceptively simple yet great.
13. NZ’s The Clean with ‘Tally Ho’, fine poppy post-punk. Nice one! The rougher edges to this one are a welcome contrast to the cleaner 80s sounds of the previous songs.
14. Man, this can only be the Proclaimers of ‘500 Miles’ fame – totally unique and unmistakable sound to the Reid brothers vocals (I’m sure that was their name..?). A nice tune too, though I’m not sure if it’s enough to send me on a Proclaimers journey just yet.
15. A very familiar voice, a US rocker with a country edge to his voice and sound, reminiscent of the Georgia Satellites, some great lead guitar work! A nice one, interested in the reveal.
16. And the wonderfully memory-inducing ‘Slice of Heaven’ by Dave Dobyn to close out this 'slice of the 80s' disc. Always think of Footrot Flats with this one. Haven’t heard it in years, and while the synths and production sounds do date it a bit, sadly, it’s a still got a lovely bouncy feel, very exuberant. A nice pop single.
Cheers mixer, and I really do hope we can cross paths or discs again in the future, man. Take care.
looks good!
I got a fine disc of '80's sounds for my September Mix, which is just fine with me - i have a pretty high tolerance for a lot of that decades pop in particular, and it was great to hear a couple of tunes i hadn't heard in a while here in a fresh context. Some pushed my buttons more than others, but on the whole it was a fun listen!
1. Starts with some Marine Corp. marching drill sounds, before a very 80s sampled drum and percussion and scratchin guitars kick in to add a funky dance beat. The soldiers yell/sing through most of the tune, and it’s a fun listen. I’m sure I’ve heard it but must have been ages ago coz can’t pin a name on it at all. A good start.
2. More 80s sounds, a classic - Iggy doing his version of Johnny O’Keefe’s ‘The Wild One’. It will forever now be the theme music for the ‘Rage’ music video show on Aussie television, but an enjoyable blast on its own terms.
3. A clear pattern has already started to develop by here; John Mellencamp doing ‘Check It Out’ from one of his later 80s LPs but one I haven’t heard all of. This one’s a bit too laid back for me, though I don’t have a problem with it per se, and it was kinda nice to hear it after a while, its been many years really. Though not a big fan i like a couple of JMs earlier 80s singles from Pink Houses and Scarecrow.
4. Wow, now this was a nice blast from the past – ‘Moon Is Blue’ by Colourbox! It took me 3-4 listens to remember the group’s name, but I used to hear this one all the time as my brother in law was a fan of this record and played it a lot. A very fine 80s pop number, cheers for bringing this back from the mists.
5. Definitely an Antipodean group from the singer’s voice - nice strummy guitars and bouncy bass, and the synth touches in the background certainly place it in the 80s as well. A good sunny slice of pop with lovelorn lyrics.
6. Also definitely an Aussie or Kiwi singer or group, this one’s a bit more rockier than pop, but again a nice track. Sounds like I’ve tuned into an 80s radio station or something, nice! The only problem with the 80s for me now is that those ubiquitous, heavily gated drums kinda start grating after 20 minutes or so… otherwise I’m enjoying this trip back through time.
7. The unmistakable voice of Tracey Thorn, fronting Everything But The Girl I’m guessing though I don’t know the tune. Another fine sun-shiny pop tune, I must investigate further as I only have a ‘best of’ set.
8. This one is a little toooo smooth even for me, mixer, sorry. A poppy, very arranged tune, that is a good one at its heart, but has too much of a boy band feel like Bros., and the ‘relaxed’ tempo doesn’t help.
9. Now, this a bit better, Prefab Sprout with ‘Cars And Girls’! A big fan of Paddy here, and while this isn’t my fave PS album its best songs are great 80s pop. Just a shame about that drum sound
10. Ah, another warm and fuzzy old chestnut, The Pretenders doing ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’. Again, I’m probably more a fan of Hynde’s earlier incarnations and releases from the band, but there’s something really pleasing about hearing this song every once in a while, its got a nice shuffling, uplifting rhythm.
11. Man, Alison Moyet?! Love her voice, and I’m a fan of her Yazoo stuff, but this one is a little too 80s MOR for me, and the tune is a bit slight. The bells or clackers or whatever they are don’t help, I’m afraid.
12. PSB with ‘Rent’, a fine song from a great album. Songs like ‘What Have I Done…’ and ‘Heart’ are the peaks for me, but its such a strong record all the way through, the songs are deceptively simple yet great.
13. NZ’s The Clean with ‘Tally Ho’, fine poppy post-punk. Nice one! The rougher edges to this one are a welcome contrast to the cleaner 80s sounds of the previous songs.
14. Man, this can only be the Proclaimers of ‘500 Miles’ fame – totally unique and unmistakable sound to the Reid brothers vocals (I’m sure that was their name..?). A nice tune too, though I’m not sure if it’s enough to send me on a Proclaimers journey just yet.
15. A very familiar voice, a US rocker with a country edge to his voice and sound, reminiscent of the Georgia Satellites, some great lead guitar work! A nice one, interested in the reveal.
16. And the wonderfully memory-inducing ‘Slice of Heaven’ by Dave Dobyn to close out this 'slice of the 80s' disc. Always think of Footrot Flats with this one. Haven’t heard it in years, and while the synths and production sounds do date it a bit, sadly, it’s a still got a lovely bouncy feel, very exuberant. A nice pop single.
Cheers mixer, and I really do hope we can cross paths or discs again in the future, man. Take care.
Jonny Spencer wrote:fange wrote:I've got my quad pants on and i'm ready for some Cock.
By CHRIST you're a man after my own sideways sausage, Ange!
- whodathunkit
- Posts: 12173
- Joined: 20 Aug 2004, 23:45
- Location: Down in the boondocks
Re: September 2013 Reviews
T. Willy Rye wrote:
Third time's a charm? It was worth it to get one that clicked so well this time! Let me know if I can send anything else your way. I've been using dropbox and it's no trouble at all.
1. Yo Traigo Boogaloo- Alfredo Linares y Su Sonora
2. Witches Boogaloo- Sugarman 3
3. Brothers on the Slide- Cymande
4. Bataola Boogaloo- Bobby Quesada and his Band
5. True Blue- Tina Brooks
6. Whiz-A-Shoop-Pepi-Dada- Amos Milbourn
7. Rock Me Baby- BB King
8. Hell Paso- Dan Greer
9. Where's Your Love Been- Donna Rhodes
10. Well, I Done Got Over It- Guitar Slim
11. Light Blue- Bob Darin
12. Climb Up On My Music- Rodriguez
13. Sure 'Nuff and Yes I Do- The Bootleggers featuring Mark Lanegan
14. Bilongo- Eddie Palmieri
15. You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure- Clarence Carter
16. Travelin' Alone- Jason Isbell
17. Hundred Dollar Valentine- Chris Smither
Can't respond. Very bad cough. PM to follow.
- beenieman
- Posts: 15400
- Joined: 20 Jul 2003, 21:43
Re: September 2013 Reviews
fangedango! wrote:looks good!
I got a fine disc of '80's sounds for my September Mix, which is just fine with me - i have a pretty high tolerance for a lot of that decades pop in particular, and it was great to hear a couple of tunes i hadn't heard in a while here in a fresh context. Some pushed my buttons more than others, but on the whole it was a fun listen!
The disc is made up of singles I bought in 1987 & 1988, pretty much my last period of pop single buying, ending some 20 years of single collecting. I’d watch “Ready to Roll” every week (our equivalent of “Top Of The Pops” & next wek I’d buy whatever singles I heard & wanted. Good times.
fangedango! wrote:1. Starts with some Marine Corp. marching drill sounds, before a very 80s sampled drum and percussion and scratchin guitars kick in to add a funky dance beat. The soldiers yell/sing through most of the tune, and it’s a fun listen. I’m sure I’ve heard it but must have been ages ago coz can’t pin a name on it at all. A good start.
Abigail Mead & Nigel Goulding I Want To Be Your Drill Instructor - Full Metal Jacket) from 1988. Incredibly it got to #29 on the NZ charts. I actually thought it had got to #1 but I’m hoping my chart book is more accuratye than my memory. There should be more Marine Corp mixes on the charts. Great track and it has to be an opener.
fangedango! wrote:2. More 80s sounds, a classic - Iggy doing his version of Johnny O’Keefe’s ‘The Wild One’. It will forever now be the theme music for the ‘Rage’ music video show on Aussie television, but an enjoyable blast on its own terms.
That’s waht it is. It got to #1 in NZ and deservedly so.
fangedango! wrote:3. A clear pattern has already started to develop by here; John Mellencamp doing ‘Check It Out’ from one of his later 80s LPs but one I haven’t heard all of. This one’s a bit too laid back for me, though I don’t have a problem with it per se, and it was kinda nice to hear it after a while, its been many years really. Though not a big fan i like a couple of JMs earlier 80s singles from Pink Houses and Scarecrow.
You got it again. He was having all kinds of hits at this point in his career. I don’t know about laidback but it is a great track.
fangedango! wrote:4. Wow, now this was a nice blast from the past – ‘Moon Is Blue’ by Colourbox! It took me 3-4 listens to remember the group’s name, but I used to hear this one all the time as my brother in law was a fan of this record and played it a lot. A very fine 80s pop number, cheers for bringing this back from the mists.
I was playing this disc in the car with my 16 year old son with me as we drove to Hamilton to see a rugby game. There were a few tracks he wanted identified so he could download them but this was his favourite. It’s fantastic & makes me want to hear more from the band.
fangedango! wrote:5. Definitely an Antipodean group from the singer’s voice - nice strummy guitars and bouncy bass, and the synth touches in the background certainly place it in the 80s as well. A good sunny slice of pop with lovelorn lyrics.
NZ band The Chills with Wet Blanket. It didn’t chart but it’s one of their best tracks in my view. Typical of the Dunedin sound.
fangedango! wrote:6. Also definitely an Aussie or Kiwi singer or group, this one’s a bit more rockier than pop, but again a nice track. Sounds like I’ve tuned into an 80s radio station or something, nice! The only problem with the 80s for me now is that those ubiquitous, heavily gated drums kinda start grating after 20 minutes or so… otherwise I’m enjoying this trip back through time.
Thrashing Doves with Matchstick Flotilla. They were a London band. Supposedly their career crashed & burned when Thatcher expressed a liking for one of their videos. Tough.
I remain a fan of 80’s drums. I remember a friend of mine at the time, a guitarist, telling me this was it (the music of the era). This sound will last forever.
This was their first single.
fangedango! wrote:7. The unmistakable voice of Tracey Thorn, fronting Everything But The Girl I’m guessing though I don’t know the tune. Another fine sun-shiny pop tune, I must investigate further as I only have a ‘best of’ set.
These Early Days is the track. She’s lovely isn’t she.
fangedango! wrote:8. This one is a little toooo smooth even for me, mixer, sorry. A poppy, very arranged tune, that is a good one at its heart, but has too much of a boy band feel like Bros., and the ‘relaxed’ tempo doesn’t help.
Johnny Hates Jazz with Turn Back The Clock. Actually one of my faves on this disc, though I love them all. This got to #3 in NZ (#12 in the UK) Whatever happened to those blokes?
I looked it up – not much.
fangedango! wrote:9. Now, this a bit better, Prefab Sprout with ‘Cars And Girls’! A big fan of Paddy here, and while this isn’t my fave PS album its best songs are great 80s pop. Just a shame about that drum sound
I was suirprised to see this never charted here. In fact I was surprised with the low or non-existent chart placings of a lot of these tracks. Possibly my favourite track of theirs.
fangedango! wrote:10. Ah, another warm and fuzzy old chestnut, The Pretenders doing ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’. Again, I’m probably more a fan of Hynde’s earlier incarnations and releases from the band, but there’s something really pleasing about hearing this song every once in a while, its got a nice shuffling, uplifting rhythm.
This is probably my favourite era for them though I got on board at the start for their first album.
fangedango! wrote:11. Man, Alison Moyet?! Love her voice, and I’m a fan of her Yazoo stuff, but this one is a little too 80s MOR for me, and the tune is a bit slight. The bells or clackers or whatever they are don’t help, I’m afraid.
Alison with Weak In The Presence Of Beauty. A favourite track of my wife’s. And mine. I don’t mind it sounding 80’s at all. That’s when it was made.
fangedango! wrote:12. PSB with ‘Rent’, a fine song from a great album. Songs like ‘What Have I Done…’ and ‘Heart’ are the peaks for me, but its such a strong record all the way through, the songs are deceptively simple yet great.
They had such a great run didn’t they. The lyrics are totally upfront about being gay. They certainly have a distinctive sound, and voice.
fangedango! wrote:13. NZ’s The Clean with ‘Tally Ho’, fine poppy post-punk. Nice one! The rougher edges to this one are a welcome contrast to the cleaner 80s sounds of the previous songs.
That’s what it is. Much earlier than the other tracks but I bought it in 1988 so it gets on here. Hadn’t realised until after its inclusion that it was out of time.
fangedango! wrote:14. Man, this can only be the Proclaimers of ‘500 Miles’ fame – totally unique and unmistakable sound to the Reid brothers vocals (I’m sure that was their name..?). A nice tune too, though I’m not sure if it’s enough to send me on a Proclaimers journey just yet.
The Proclaimers with Letter From America. There were some really distinctive voices in that day. Charlie 7 Craig Reid. Another that my son really enjoyed.
fangedango! wrote:15. A very familiar voice, a US rocker with a country edge to his voice and sound, reminiscent of the Georgia Satellites, some great lead guitar work! A nice one, interested in the reveal.
John Hiatt with Thank You Girl. I remember every few months at the time he’d have a single pushed. I’d go & buy it. No one else did.
fangedango! wrote:16. And the wonderfully memory-inducing ‘Slice of Heaven’ by Dave Dobbyn to close out this 'slice of the 80s' disc. Always think of Footrot Flats with this one. Haven’t heard it in years, and while the synths and production sounds do date it a bit, sadly, it’s a still got a lovely bouncy feel, very exuberant. A nice pop single.
I’ve never seen Footrot Flats but that’s where it’s from. Career peak for all involved
fangedango! wrote:Cheers mixer, and I really do hope we can cross paths or discs again in the future, man. Take care.
Thanks for a great review. That’s it for me after 10 years or so. I thought of sticking around for Mix Club & if it was working better I probably would but...Hope you guys can keep it going.
Here’s the track list with NZ chart placings. All the best.
1. Abigail Mead & Nigel Goulding I Want To Be Your Drill Instructor - Full Metal Jacket) 1988 5:04 NZ#29
2. Iggy Pop Real Wild Child 1986 3:41 NZ#1
3. John Mellencamp Check It Out 1988 4:21 NZ#18
4. Colourbox The Moon Is Blue 1986 4:37
5. The Chills Wet Blanket 1987 2:40
6. Thrashing Doves Matchstick Flotilla 1987 4:37
7. Everything But The Girl These Early Days 1988 3:50
8. Johnny Hates Jazz Turn Back The Clock 1988 4:29 NZ#3
9. Prefab Sprout Cars & Girls 1988 4:27
10. Pretenders Don’t Get Me Wrong 3:50 1986 NZ#11
11. Alison Moyet Weak In The Presence Of Beauty 1987 3:33 NZ#7
12. The Pet Shop Boys Rent 1987 3:33 NZ#23
13. The Clean Tally Ho 1981 2:42 NZ#19
14. The Proclaimers Letter From America 1987 4:02
15. John Hiatt Thank You Girl 1987 4:11
16. Dave Dobbyn & Herbs Slice Of Heaven 1988 4:37 NZ#1
One night, an evil spirit held me down
I could not make one single sound
Jah told me, 'Son, use the word'
And now I'm as free as a bird
I could not make one single sound
Jah told me, 'Son, use the word'
And now I'm as free as a bird
- The Fish
- Beer Battered
- Posts: 13066
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- Location: Sunny?Worthing
Re: September 2013 Reviews
This was from me Duncan.....
Sgt Pepper wrote:Pow!
1. I've got the Esther Philips version of this. This one seems a little polite by comparison but I still like it. It seems very laid back, like they just knocked it out in 5 minutes, but the production has a very crisp sound to it. It really gets in to your head.
This is from an album of Muscle Shoals demos by the guy who wrote it, George Soule, so you may well have heard some more of his compositions, despite him not having any really well known songs. Kind of a staff writer who could actually sing a bit himself for a white guy. Deserves to be as known as Dan Penn and of course Dan Penn deserves to be a lot better known.
2. I like banjos. And bluegrass harmony singing about how great it is to like banjos and bluegrass harmony singing. It's a little bit cheesy but totally endearing. Thumbs up.
From the new Robbie Fulks album. I like all his stuff, but this is one goes a lot countrier than some of his previous albums. Not that that is a bad thing of course.
3. This one's a little bit too 'sensitive' for me. And some of the lyrics are cringe-worthy and corny. Sorry, not really for me I'm afraid.
Oh well. The Pearlfishers
4. This one's great, though. Cool intro and I love how over the top his vocals are at times. I'm a sucker for doo-wop harmonies, too.
One of the great exponents of this stuff. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
5. This one grew on me. It has that fuzzy, chuggy 90s guitar sound (although I'm not sure if that's actually when it was recorded) that can be pretty engaging when it's done properly. I like the phrasing, how weirdly one-paced it is, and the detached vocals, too.
I love this band, Guided By Voices, but I'd have to concede that Robert Pollard can be absolutely frustrating at times. I'd love an album with just 12 say great songs, but he does seem to have a problem either developing some ideas fully or throwing anything away. Still when he does come up with a good song it's usually great.
6. This one's jolly lovely. Very lo-fi and minimalist but warm like a big fluffy blanket. There's not actually that much of a song there but the delicate playing and whispery vocals are more than enough to see it through.
Trying to pad this out with stuff that would appeal to some areas of your taste, I remembered you were a big fan of Phosphorescent and tried to think of anything similar. I guess there maybe isn't anything. He's pretty much a one off, but this was as close as I could come up with, another "band named" solo artist - Iron and Wine
7. Ah, one I know, the splendid Honey Cone. Champion. The Backbeats series is stuffed full of gems from these guys. Boom boom shack-a-lack boom boom boom!
Yep. I put Want Ads in last year's BCB cup list, but this is equally sassy
8. Oh, I know this one too, it's the Chairman Of The Board. What a groove! General Johnson smokes it.
Indeed
9. A change of pace from the last couple of stompers, but every bit as enjoyable. I particularly dig the jaunty brass, the woodsy indie-pop K Records vibe, and the mildly twee way the vocalists play off of each other.
Folky Swedish sisters, First Aid Kit
10. Another winner. A glossy contemporary soul duet with a lot of charm. I think that I vaguely recognise the female vocals but I can't place it. One of those kids from that Music Television.
The album before last from Raphael Saadiq. Just about the best neo-soul abum ever (along with Amy of course) The female singer here is actually Joss Stone !
11. One from the archives. Hand-clapping, foot shuffling, whisky throwing fun.
yeah can't go wrong with this stuff- Bull Moose Jackson
12. I'm not sure about this one. It's OK, but I'm not convinced by the vocals and there's just not all that much for me to hold on to.
He's made some of the best albums of recent years in my book - Joe Henry
13. Some killer funk, teetering on that proto-disco age, although the weird vocoder vocal bits make it a bit harder to date. Whenever it's from, it's fab. It sounds like the Isley Brothers kinda thing, but I don't think that I recognise it. My favourite on the disc.
Latter day Isleys indeed. Most know 3+3 but this is from the album that featured the other great track from that era Harvest For The World
14. Old school rootsy country. Reassuringly crackly and twangy. The slide guitar shimmers. I like it a lot.
Often try to put some real country in a mix if I know there's a willing audience for it - Webb Pierce
15. Not so keen on this one. It's just a touch to, um, Southern Boogie for me. It's not terrible or anything, but the drumming seems a bit pedestrian and it has that late 80s/early 90s sterile production sound.
but it's all about the gee-tar Sonny Landreth
16. I feel that I ought to know this. Anyway, I like how they only use a biscuit tin drum kit and the fuzzy guitar. It's rough around the edges, but that works perfectly with the gravelly bluesy vocals.
You should certainly know the song, it's Lennon. This guy goes way back and returned after an absence, rawer and a lot more gravelly, to cut this album for Fat Possum - Nathaniel Mayer
17. A foreign folky jobby. The vocals seem a touch overwrought at times, but there are some nice little instrumental touches. I think I find this slightly more interesting than enjoyable, but I'm definitely curious to find out more.
Back to Sweden and Nicolai Dunger
18. This is pretty cool. The rumbling kick-drum, the chiming guitar line, the dreamy vocals. Good stuff. I don't think that it's them, but there's a similarity to bands like Califone.
This lot probably get labelled as post folk or some such bollocks - Vetiver. Never quite managed that killer album, but most have something interesting on.
19. An uplifting song to finish about visiting the corpse of your lover in the morgue. I'm familiar with the Son House and White Stripes versions but this one is more layered, more about atmosphere than the blues purism. It's not bad, but it mainly just makes me want to listen to Son House.
Well I'm with you on Son House, but this is a different enough take to be a different song almost, so I'll happily take both. Cassandra Wilson
So there you go then. Good stuff and a pretty high win ratio. I enjoyed how it bounced between genres like an iPod shuffle and I think that we must have covered about 70 years of music in 70 minutes. Cheers again.
Thanks Duncan. I'm glad that most if not all hit the mark.
1. George Soule - Catch Me I'm Falling
2. Robbie Fulks - Sometimes The Grass Is Really Greener
3. The Pearlfishers - In The Darkest Hour
4. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - In The Doorway Crying
5. Guided By Voices - Back To The Lake
6. Iron & Wine - Hickory
7. Honey Cone - Stick Up
8. Chairmen Of The Board - Elmo James
9. First Aid Kit - King Of The World
10. Raphael Saadiq - Just One Kiss
11. Bull Moose Jackson - I Know Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well
12. Joe Henry - Room At Arles
13. The Isely Brothers - People Of Today
14. Webb Pierce - Call Me Your Sweetheart
15. Sonny Landreth - Back To Bayou Teche
16. Nathaniel Mayer - I Found Out
17. Nicolai Dunger - Sanger Over Bron
18. Vetiver - You May Be Blue
19. Cassandra Wilson - Death Letter
We're way past rhubarb
- fange
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Re: September 2013 Reviews
beenieman wrote:1. Abigail Mead & Nigel Goulding I Want To Be Your Drill Instructor - Full Metal Jacket) 1988 5:04 NZ#29
2. Iggy Pop Real Wild Child 1986 3:41 NZ#1
3. John Mellencamp Check It Out 1988 4:21 NZ#18
4. Colourbox The Moon Is Blue 1986 4:37
5. The Chills Wet Blanket 1987 2:40
6. Thrashing Doves Matchstick Flotilla 1987 4:37
7. Everything But The Girl These Early Days 1988 3:50
8. Johnny Hates Jazz Turn Back The Clock 1988 4:29 NZ#3
9. Prefab Sprout Cars & Girls 1988 4:27
10. Pretenders Don’t Get Me Wrong 3:50 1986 NZ#11
11. Alison Moyet Weak In The Presence Of Beauty 1987 3:33 NZ#7
12. The Pet Shop Boys Rent 1987 3:33 NZ#23
13. The Clean Tally Ho 1981 2:42 NZ#19
14. The Proclaimers Letter From America 1987 4:02
15. John Hiatt Thank You Girl 1987 4:11
16. Dave Dobbyn & Herbs Slice Of Heaven 1988 4:37 NZ#1
Cheers man, enjoyed that. All the best.
Jonny Spencer wrote:fange wrote:I've got my quad pants on and i'm ready for some Cock.
By CHRIST you're a man after my own sideways sausage, Ange!
- Duncan
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- Location: 123 Fake Street
Re: September 2013 Reviews
The Fish wrote:Thanks Duncan. I'm glad that most if not all hit the mark.
1. George Soule - Catch Me I'm Falling
2. Robbie Fulks - Sometimes The Grass Is Really Greener
3. The Pearlfishers - In The Darkest Hour
4. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - In The Doorway Crying
5. Guided By Voices - Back To The Lake
6. Iron & Wine - Hickory
7. Honey Cone - Stick Up
8. Chairmen Of The Board - Elmo James
9. First Aid Kit - King Of The World
10. Raphael Saadiq - Just One Kiss
11. Bull Moose Jackson - I Know Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well
12. Joe Henry - Room At Arles
13. The Isely Brothers - People Of Today
14. Webb Pierce - Call Me Your Sweetheart
15. Sonny Landreth - Back To Bayou Teche
16. Nathaniel Mayer - I Found Out
17. Nicolai Dunger - Sanger Over Bron
18. Vetiver - You May Be Blue
19. Cassandra Wilson - Death Letter
Brill. Ta. I probably should have picked Guided By Voices and First Aid Kit, and I definitely own that Isley Brothers LP.
I bought an Iron & Wine Cd a few years ago but was largely underwhelmed so I didn't bother go any further. I'll have a sniff around the internet to see if I was a bit hasty in dismissing them. Lots more to sink my teeth in to there, too.
Cheers again.
Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb...