May/June Reviews

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Heilan Coo
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Re: May/June Reviews

Postby Heilan Coo » 16 Jul 2014, 19:00

Monsieur Poisson, s'il vous plaît excusez the lateness of l'reveal. I will post eet bah ze weekend, no?
savoirfaire wrote:They are extremely cuddly, to the point where I think I was literally molested by a few of them. I completely understand how the farmer-goat relationships must happen.

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The Fish
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Re: May/June Reviews

Postby The Fish » 18 Jul 2014, 13:50

C'est bon monsieur le quiff
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Rayge
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Re: May/June Reviews

Postby Rayge » 21 Jul 2014, 15:12

Rayge wrote:Apologies to whoever sent my mix, but I'm having a bit of trouble with my player at the moment, so can't give the review the full attention it deserves. Will do as soon as I can.


Still having problems, but this is just getting embarrassing, so here goes
Track one: an apparently live guitar instrumental with some nice tonal colours to it structured around a familiar melody, with a touch of piano deep in the mix, like alater, beefier version of the Ventures. Enjoyed this one
Track two: a capella gospel with a hi/lo lead pairing, three-part harmonies and, oddly, for so ething apparently recorded in the 1940s, stereo separation. Swings like a motherfucker, a real delight for me. Cheers, compiler
Track three: R&B / R&R crossover novelty from the 1950s. Excellent guitar and piano, and a sleazy sax solo. Whoever compiled this has got my number.
Track 4; Nice loping beat, and acoustic guitar - ah, I know this voice, it's Andy Fairweather Low; back in the day I had a friend who was a big fan of Amen Corner and AFL in particular. Don't know this song, though, which partakes pleasantly of both country and blues. That's four for four, so far
Track 5; Uptempo Chicago blues with mouth-harp. Song is Shake Your Boogie, which I heard before somewhere, but can't place. The style and the predominance – and quality – of the harp suggests the 1940s, but the voice isn't right for Junior Wells or Little Walter. Sonny Boy Williamson, perhaps? An excellent tune
Track 6: White American male voice with a tasteful late 1960s guitar. Slow building ballad with strings - oh, it's Glen Campbell on a Jimmy Webb song, isn't it? Unmistakeable in the playout. Lovely
Track 7: starts with a sparkly piano, then a rather buried British male vocal I can't quite make out; at three minutes it suddenly morphs into 45 seconds of nightclub piano jazz verite which reminds me oddly of America Drinks and Goes Home on Absolutely Free, and then he's back. Nice enough, but not quite as close to my taste as its predecessors
Track 8: Another piano intro, but this time settles down into a boppy jazz groove that's going to show up my ignorance if I attempt to guess who it is – although I have a hunch that the name player is going to be either the pianist or the drummer. Nice bass and a tenor horn solo that's well up to standard. Man, how many soloists are there in this band? I'm pretty sure only the drummer hasn't got one, although there's still a minute to go. It's a hit!
Track 9: rock ballad with a big arrangement and production and a ’70s guitar solo. Sounds like a band, rather than a solo artist, but I haven't a clue who it is.
Track 10: a rocking 4/4 jump blues from the decade before rock & roll. Noi idea who it is, but there's a bright tenor solo in the middle that takes more than the usual few bars and makes me think this is a jazzman slumming in an R&B orchestra. Impossible to sit down to. Fuck funk, this is the business when it comes to dancing round the room. Excellent
Track 11: female soul vocals, right where I live. 70s rather than 60s. Candi Staton, possibly? It's nice
Track 12: Singer-songwriter vibe accompanied by acoustic guitar pillowed on an organ. This is pretty, and sounds vaguely contemporary. 90s on, I'm guessing. the song sounds a little like Stephen Merritt might write, but it's not him.
Track 13: Northern soul stomper with a (?1970s) bass-heavy version of the Motown crunch. Light tenor lead vocal. Not really my field, but enjoyable enough.
Track 14: Another male soul vocal, with call and response with a backing group. I'm pretty sure the song is called 'My Heart is Calling" but I can't place it. Enjoyable stuff.
Track 15: Bubbling jump shouter with a mix of voices and a burbling bassman that suggest a doo-wop group, accompanied by a single guitar and handclaps. The lead singer sounds like the guy in the Rivingtons, and so does some of the vocal arranging, but I don't have a clue, really. The fact that it lasts the best part of seven minutes suggests it was recorded more recently than the style would suggest. Actually, this is brilliant, I'm looking forward to the reveal on this one
Track 16: Nice girl group sound from the early 1970s (?) from someone who has a few Supremes records. Reminded irresistibly of The Honey Cone
Track 17: big drama, rumbling thunder followed by a rumbling baritone: at first I thought David Ackles, but it's not him, even though it has his mix of melancholy and mumble down pat. Guitar and strings in the bridge. This is a rather 'writerly' song, very downbeat. Good pick for me, although it is quite a change from what precedes
Track 18: And a short, dramatic instrumental flourish to finish. Got a feeling I'm gong to kick myself when this is revealed - the theme is very familiar

Thanks compiler: only track 7 didn't make it for me, and there's a fair few I'd like to investigate further.
Sorry again about the delay – now I better get on with sorting out this month's picks...
In timeless moments we live forever

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Re: May/June Reviews

Postby The Fish » 23 Jul 2014, 11:49

This was mine Ray/ I was a bit apprehensive in some ways as allthough I have by now some idea of what you like, you do throw the odd curve ball it hs to be said. There were quite a few wildcard/taking a punt picks here, so I'm delighted it went down so well.

Rayge wrote:
Track one: an apparently live guitar instrumental with some nice tonal colours to it structured around a familiar melody, with a touch of piano deep in the mix, like alater, beefier version of the Ventures. Enjoyed this one

The first track I chose for this mix was actually the last one. I then had the idea of bookending the mix with guitar instrumentals and this fit the bill. Andy Partridge from the Fuzzy Warbles series.

Track two: a capella gospel with a hi/lo lead pairing, three-part harmonies and, oddly, for so ething apparently recorded in the 1940s, stereo separation. Swings like a motherfucker, a real delight for me. Cheers, compiler

Well I know you are big on doo wop / gospel so dug out a couple of tracks from the Alan Lomax Southern Journey series (all thoroughly recommended - a real treasure trove of delights) These were all field recordings from 1959/60 so a bit later than you thought. This is the Bright Light Quartet

Track three: R&B / R&R crossover novelty from the 1950s. Excellent guitar and piano, and a sleazy sax solo. Whoever compiled this has got my number.

Screaming Jay Hawkins is often seen as a sort of novelty act. He may be mad as fuck, but he has the chops right enough

Track 4; Nice loping beat, and acoustic guitar - ah, I know this voice, it's Andy Fairweather Low; back in the day I had a friend who was a big fan of Amen Corner and AFL in particular. Don't know this song, though, which partakes pleasantly of both country and blues. That's four for four, so far

From his 2006 album, his first in 25 years or so. Pulled this out the pile the other day and found it a joy from start to finish. Nothing groundbreaking but a great set of songs with that unkistakeable voice

Track 5; Uptempo Chicago blues with mouth-harp. Song is Shake Your Boogie, which I heard before somewhere, but can't place. The style and the predominance – and quality – of the harp suggests the 1940s, but the voice isn't right for Junior Wells or Little Walter. Sonny Boy Williamson, perhaps? An excellent tune

Yep Rice Miller

Track 6: White American male voice with a tasteful late 1960s guitar. Slow building ballad with strings - oh, it's Glen Campbell on a Jimmy Webb song, isn't it? Unmistakeable in the playout. Lovely

From the Reunion album. Campbell singing Webb is about as good as it gets for me.

Track 7: starts with a sparkly piano, then a rather buried British male vocal I can't quite make out; at three minutes it suddenly morphs into 45 seconds of nightclub piano jazz verite which reminds me oddly of America Drinks and Goes Home on Absolutely Free, and then he's back. Nice enough, but not quite as close to my taste as its predecessors

Oh well, even the miss here wasn't a complete disaster. Thought you might have recognised the voice. Solo Jack Bruce

Track 8: Another piano intro, but this time settles down into a boppy jazz groove that's going to show up my ignorance if I attempt to guess who it is – although I have a hunch that the name player is going to be either the pianist or the drummer. Nice bass and a tenor horn solo that's well up to standard. Man, how many soloists are there in this band? I'm pretty sure only the drummer hasn't got one, although there's still a minute to go. It's a hit!

Not sure where you stood on Jazz. Not a massive Jazz collector myself, but there's a number of the big names that hit the spot for me. You were right about the name player, it's Mingus

Track 9: rock ballad with a big arrangement and production and a ’70s guitar solo. Sounds like a band, rather than a solo artist, but I haven't a clue who it is.

No it's solo and it's Richard's boy Teddy

Track 10: a rocking 4/4 jump blues from the decade before rock & roll. Noi idea who it is, but there's a bright tenor solo in the middle that takes more than the usual few bars and makes me think this is a jazzman slumming in an R&B orchestra. Impossible to sit down to. Fuck funk, this is the business when it comes to dancing round the room. Excellent

I love me a bit of Jump blues/blues shouter. I guess there's a whole generation who you could describe as the batrad sons of Louis Jordan, Roy Brown, Wynonie Harris, Big Joe Turner etc but this guy is my favourite, Tiny Bradshaw

Track 11: female soul vocals, right where I live. 70s rather than 60s. Candi Staton, possibly? It's nice

It is Candi but later from one of her more recent albums

Track 12: Singer-songwriter vibe accompanied by acoustic guitar pillowed on an organ. This is pretty, and sounds vaguely contemporary. 90s on, I'm guessing. the song sounds a little like Stephen Merritt might write, but it's not him.

This is actually Ryan Adams before he was Ryan Adams i.e. Whiskeytown. from the Strangers Almanac album

Track 13: Northern soul stomper with a (?1970s) bass-heavy version of the Motown crunch. Light tenor lead vocal. Not really my field, but enjoyable enough.

Yep Motown Northern Soul - The Originals

Track 14: Another male soul vocal, with call and response with a backing group. I'm pretty sure the song is called 'My Heart is Calling" but I can't place it. Enjoyable stuff.

Jackie Wilson

Track 15: Bubbling jump shouter with a mix of voices and a burbling bassman that suggest a doo-wop group, accompanied by a single guitar and handclaps. The lead singer sounds like the guy in the Rivingtons, and so does some of the vocal arranging, but I don't have a clue, really. The fact that it lasts the best part of seven minutes suggests it was recorded more recently than the style would suggest. Actually, this is brilliant, I'm looking forward to the reveal on this one

The second Lomax track - this is the Peerless Four

Track 16: Nice girl group sound from the early 1970s (?) from someone who has a few Supremes records. Reminded irresistibly of The Honey Cone

An Invictus stablemate of Honey Cone, this is Freda Payne. Yoiu can tell that Holland/Dozier/Holland brought their Motown sond with them. This could almost have been a Supremes song

Track 17: big drama, rumbling thunder followed by a rumbling baritone: at first I thought David Ackles, but it's not him, even though it has his mix of melancholy and mumble down pat. Guitar and strings in the bridge. This is a rather 'writerly' song, very downbeat. Good pick for me, although it is quite a change from what precedes

Glad you liked this as this is someone I'm quite passionate about, Mickey Newbury. Died if not tragically young then young enough at 62 and this is actually from his last ever album.

Track 18: And a short, dramatic instrumental flourish to finish. Got a feeling I'm gong to kick myself when this is revealed - the theme is very familiar

As I said earlier this was th first choice here, based on your continued supprt of my BCB cup Travis Wammack pick, so Ifigured a bit of updatred twang would hit home. This is not an instrumentalist as such, he usually sings/ It's M Ward

Thanks compiler: only track 7 didn't make it for me, and there's a fair few I'd like to investigate further.
Sorry again about the delay – now I better get on with sorting out this month's picks...



1. Andy Partridge - Silverstar
2. Bright Light Quartet - I'm Tired
3. Screaming Jay Hawkins - Little Demon
4. Andy Fairweather Low - Bible Black Starless Sky
5. Sonny Bpy Williamson - Shake That Boogie
6. Glen Campbell - Just This One Time
7. Jack Bruce - Close Enough For Love
8. Charles Mingus - Things Ain't What They Used To Be
9. Teddy Thompson - All We Said
10. Tiny Bradshaw - Well Oh Well
11. Candi Staton - It's Not Easy Letting Go
12. Whiskeytown - Avenues
13. The Originals - Suspicion
14. Jackie Wilson - My Heart Is Calling
15. Peerless Four - Trouble In My Way
16. Freda Payne - I Left Some Dreams Back There
17. Mickey Newbury - Help Me Son
18. M Ward - Neptune's Net


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Rayge
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Re: May/June Reviews

Postby Rayge » 23 Jul 2014, 12:46

Cheers, Paul, I'll definitely be hunting down some more Tiny Bradshaw and checking out that Alan Lomax set. Excellent.
In timeless moments we live forever

You can't play a tune on an absolute

Negative Capability...when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason”

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The Fish
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Re: May/June Reviews

Postby The Fish » 23 Jul 2014, 13:01

Rayge wrote:Cheers, Paul, I'll definitely be hunting down some more Tiny Bradshaw and checking out that Alan Lomax set. Excellent.


With regards the Alan Lomax set there's 13 (iirc) volumes and cover all manner of folk, gospel and blues etc Some are more geographically based whereas some focus on a style. From memory there are two volumes which are predominantly gospel.

Don't know how readily available these are, but just pm me if you need anything.
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