April 2016 Reviews

Exchange mix CDs with each other.
User avatar
Nick Danger
Posts: 882
Joined: 16 Aug 2011, 20:54

April 2016 Reviews

Postby Nick Danger » 11 May 2016, 15:37

From out of the mists of the British Isles I received a well crafted and mostly entertaining mix.

1. Solid opening, a girl singer/songwriter with a good band, nice fiddle, altogether very pleasant and contemporary sounding. Good start.
2. A rollicking driving song with a male lead this time. I don't like this as well but it has more to do with the production I think than the performance.
3. I do like this. Soul with a New Orleans flavor or is it Memphis? My only complaint is that it's too short.
4. This one sets a nice mood, the squeaky acoustic strings are always a nice touch. I'm guessing this is Randy Newman. I've haven't heard a lot of his music but this is the best I've ever heard his voice sound. I guess he sounds younger. I like this, there's a lot going on musically and the lyrics are clever.
5. I know this song but not this version. The Vogues had a hit with this in the late 60s and I've always liked that. This version pales in comparison but it's not bad. I know that Glen Campbell recorded this as an early single so I'm guessing it's him. Interesting to hear this.
6. Country, Americana, genres I like a lot and this one tries hard. It's just too long and there's not enough going on musically or lyrically.
7. Nice gear change here. The first time I listened to this I was thinking it is classic merseybeat complete with jangly guitar, tasteful drums, a horn solo, sounding retro. About the third or fourth play I decided that the voices sound like the Hollies. Clarke's lead and he and Nash doing harmony. Probably not but in any case I like this a lot.
8. This is nice, the vocals are too far back in the mix for me but it's a pleasant folkish ditty.
9. I like this. It's a real highlight, well played, nice guitar. The voice seems so familiar.
10. This is interesting - funk meets pink panther. Nice instrumental with great drums and guitar with a Booker T hot organ. A tasty workout.
11. Another genre I like, Rockabilly. Fairly generic but enjoyable. Sounds too clean and produced to be vintage.
12. This is also good, an old timey instrumental. Jazzy workouts complete with a walking bass line. I'm guessing it's retro but in any case I like it.
13. Another nice gear change. I like mixes with multiple genres. This is pretty good. A fine singer, another voice I swear I know. I would bet I own something by this guy. It's enjoyable but a little bombastic in the arrangement.
14. This is a voice I can identify. Or rather one of them. This sounds like Curtis and the Impressions. I don't remember this song but it's a good one. Love the band too especially the horns.
15. We switch gears again to bluegrass. The singer sounds like Lester Flatt but it's probably not. The song name checks all the greats appearing at the "Grand Ole Opry on Saturday Night." A fun tribute.
16. A country girl singer/songwriter. A solid, well performed song. Once again I think I know the voice. Doesn't overstay it's welcome.
17. This is great, what country music should sound like. Is this Dwight Yoakum? Great band, banjo, steel guitar, piano, good selection.
18. Another gear shift, this time to Electronica. My mixer noticed I like the occasional Electronica song. I sent a few to Sgt. Pepper on the mixes for him. Whatever happened to him? Anyway, this is a clever electronica version of Born To Be Wild. Nice finish.

Thanks so much mixer! You hit several of my favorite genres, well done. I am looking forward to the reveal.

User avatar
The Fish
Beer Battered
Posts: 13063
Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
Location: Sunny?Worthing

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby The Fish » 14 May 2016, 20:58

Nick Danger wrote:From out of the mists of the British Isles I received a well crafted and mostly entertaining mix.
The mists of Hove to be precise..

1. Solid opening, a girl singer/songwriter with a good band, nice fiddle, altogether very pleasant and contemporary sounding. Good start.

When you sent me the Time themed mix I mentioned you hadn't included my favourite Waits ballad - Time. In truth that would be a toss up between that and this, for this is indeed a Waits cover. If you don't know the original check it out. It's fabulous. So fabulous in fact that I thought it was one of those songs that no one would dare to cover let alone succeed. This version is however wonderful. Shawn Colvin from her recent second covers album.

2. A rollicking driving song with a male lead this time. I don't like this as well but it has more to do with the production I think than the performance.

I like most REM to a greater or lesser degree, but back at the beginning with the albums Murmur and Reckoning they were pretty much untouchable. This is from the EP Chronic Town from the same period.

3. I do like this. Soul with a New Orleans flavor or is it Memphis? My only complaint is that it's too short.

One of the true graets who transcends place and time. Jackie Wilson.

4. This one sets a nice mood, the squeaky acoustic strings are always a nice touch. I'm guessing this is Randy Newman. I've haven't heard a lot of his music but this is the best I've ever heard his voice sound. I guess he sounds younger. I like this, there's a lot going on musically and the lyrics are clever.

Not Randy, but Joe Henry, who I would say is probably my favourite artist of recent years. His run of recent albums have all been great.

5. I know this song but not this version. The Vogues had a hit with this in the late 60s and I've always liked that. This version pales in comparison but it's not bad. I know that Glen Campbell recorded this as an early single so I'm guessing it's him. Interesting to hear this.

It is indeed a young Glen. Notable for being the single a young Jimmy Webb spent his pocket money on, which inspired his nighttime prayers to include, please let me write a song as good as this and please let me meet Glen Campbell.

6. Country, Americana, genres I like a lot and this one tries hard. It's just too long and there's not enough going on musically or lyrically.

One of my favourite albums of the year so far, Robbie Fulks

7. Nice gear change here. The first time I listened to this I was thinking it is classic merseybeat complete with jangly guitar, tasteful drums, a horn solo, sounding retro. About the third or fourth play I decided that the voices sound like the Hollies. Clarke's lead and he and Nash doing harmony. Probably not but in any case I like this a lot.

You are indeed correct. I never religiously followed the band but always liked the singles,so when a 6cd set came out of all the Nash era material for a single CD price it was something of a no brainer.

8. This is nice, the vocals are too far back in the mix for me but it's a pleasant folkish ditty.

The Blue Things, one of many 60s bands with a 2CD anthology covering all their output. Mainly a garage band but straying into this territory also.

9. I like this. It's a real highlight, well played, nice guitar. The voice seems so familiar.

The first of two famous sons on the mix. This is Teddy Thompson (son of Richard)

10. This is interesting - funk meets pink panther. Nice instrumental with great drums and guitar with a Booker T hot organ. A tasty workout.

New Orleans version of Booker T. Great albums in their own roght , but also the go to band for numerous recording sessions. This is The Meters.

11. Another genre I like, Rockabilly. Fairly generic but enjoyable. Sounds too clean and produced to be vintage.

The second famous son on the mix. Basically a country artist but I suppose this could be rockabilly of a sort, but them his dad did country with a variety of rock twists. This is Justin Townes Earle

12. This is also good, an old timey instrumental. Jazzy workouts complete with a walking bass line. I'm guessing it's retro but in any case I like it.

The absolute king of this jazzy country picking style Chet Atkins

13. Another nice gear change. I like mixes with multiple genres. This is pretty good. A fine singer, another voice I swear I know. I would bet I own something by this guy. It's enjoyable but a little bombastic in the arrangement.

Solo album by Raul Malo of The Mavericks

14. This is a voice I can identify. Or rather one of them. This sounds like Curtis and the Impressions. I don't remember this song but it's a good one. Love the band too especially the horns.

The Impressions, undeniably great of course.

15. We switch gears again to bluegrass. The singer sounds like Lester Flatt but it's probably not. The song name checks all the greats appearing at the "Grand Ole Opry on Saturday Night." A fun tribute.

So the idea here was to wrap up the mix with a song from each of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band volumes of Will The Circle Be Unbroken. This is from the original album where all the guests were listed on the album but all featured as the band playing together

16. A country girl singer/songwriter. A solid, well performed song. Once again I think I know the voice. Doesn't overstay it's welcome.

Vols 2 and 3 enlisted guest vocalists on most of the tracks as well as guest musicians as with Vol1. I'm sure you do know the singer here, it's Emmylou Harris.

17. This is great, what country music should sound like. Is this Dwight Yoakum? Great band, banjo, steel guitar, piano, good selection.

Onto Vol 3 and yes it's Dwight

18. Another gear shift, this time to Electronica. My mixer noticed I like the occasional Electronica song. I sent a few to Sgt. Pepper on the mixes for him. Whatever happened to him? Anyway, this is a clever electronica version of Born To Be Wild. Nice finish.

So as I said that trio was going to wrap up the mix, but I remembered you saying how much you liked something out of left field by way of an album closer, so what we have here is The Moog Cookbook, a hobby band featuring Jellyfish keyboard player Roger Manning, applying a bit of synth overload to rock classics. You als get Hotel California and More Than A Feeling amongst others. A little goes a long way and I'm not sure you'd want to sit through the whole album, but dipping into any track should pu a smile on most faces.

Thanks so much mixer! You hit several of my favorite genres, well done. I am looking forward to the reveal.

Thanks for listening. You are certailny one of the easier ones to mix for in terms of taste overlap

1. Shawn Colvin - Hold On
2. REM - Gardening At Night
3. Jackie Wilson - I Can Do Better
4. Joe Henry - Alice
5. Glen Campbell - Turn ARound Look At Me
6. Robbie Fulks - Needed
7. The Hollies - The Games We Play
8. The Blue Things - Desert Wind
9. Teddy Thompson - All We Said
10. The Meters - Live Wire
11. Justin Townes Earle -
12. Chet Atkins - Barber Shop Rag
13. Raul Malo - Crying For You
14. The Impressions - Keep On Pushing
15. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Grand Ole Opry Song
16. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band & Emmylou Harris - Mary Danced With Soldiers
17. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band & Dwight Yoakam - Some Dark Holler
18. The Moog Cookbook Born To Be Wild

We're way past rhubarb

User avatar
Minnie the Minx
funky thigh collector
Posts: 33546
Joined: 29 Dec 2006, 16:00
Location: In the naughty North and in the sexy South

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby Minnie the Minx » 15 May 2016, 23:23

ok! Sorry for taking so long with the review!

1. This is nice...nice...sounds like Bjork met Radiohead in a subway and they had a bit of a jam - in fact, the lyrics even sound a little Spanish - I'm going to come unstuck here in a bad way when it turns out to be something I really should know. Nice.
2.Punk! Cooking on gas! Gosh, Spanish punk? Is this going to be a theme for the disc I wonder? Anyway, I like it! How could I not?
3. The fucking Cocteaus man! Good call! One of my absolute favourite tunes too! Live! Splendid.
4. Hmmm...pleasant enough latin type dance but really not enough personality to sustain my interest at all.
5.This is more like it! The Count Five! Love the harmonica on this, like a train going through a tunnel.
6. Love this! Breathy girl dream pop punk clangy! I have no idea who this is at all, but I love it.
7. A bit of Black Flag! Sweeet!
8. Oh god, the minute the cod reggae chords came in I fast forwarded. sorry. APPALLING. One of the worst things I ever heard
9. Lovely girl led power pop, but no idea at all who it is. Am I right in thinking it's a cover?
10. Ooh this is nice. Sweeping stringy orchestral stuff, lovely vocals.
11. Gentle power pop hat buzzes along nicely enough! But lacks a little - oomph
12. Love the intro to this! I don't mind the rest of the song either, although I could punch whoever decided to throw those random horns in at the end
13. Beautiful Bowie live....always going to be a winner.
14. A quite gorgeous version of The Man Who Sold The World.

Thank you mixer, thank you! Thank you for the time and effort it took you to do this. Despite the obvious misses, I liked it a lot and am anxious to see the reveal! I also want to thank you for the fabulous bonus disc which I am taking to work with me on Tuesday to listen to in the car. Nobody can ever go wrong with Goldfrapp!
You come at the Queen, you best not miss.

Dr Markus wrote:
Someone in your line of work usually as their own man cave aka the shed we're they can potter around fixing stuff or something don't they?


Flower wrote:I just did a google search.

User avatar
Nick Danger
Posts: 882
Joined: 16 Aug 2011, 20:54

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby Nick Danger » 17 May 2016, 01:47

Minnie the Minx wrote:ok! Sorry for taking so long with the review!

I'm glad you liked most of it. It was a lot of fun to make. Your reviews are always frank and passionate, you can't ask for more than that.

1. This is nice...nice...sounds like Bjork met Radiohead in a subway and they had a bit of a jam - in fact, the lyrics even sound a little Spanish - I'm going to come unstuck here in a bad way when it turns out to be something I really should know. Nice.

This is a Chilean 3 piece band called Miss Garrison. They are described by one reviewer as post new wave electro punk. That seems accurate. The lead singer is Francisca Straube, the drummer and keyboard player.

2.Punk! Cooking on gas! Gosh, Spanish punk? Is this going to be a theme for the disc I wonder? Anyway, I like it! How could I not?

Here we have all-girl latina pop punk band Go Betty Go. They only made one album and an ep but I pretty much like it all.

3. The fucking Cocteaus man! Good call! One of my absolute favourite tunes too! Live! Splendid.

Yes. I haven't heard a lot of their stuff but this my favorite so far. I like this live bootleg version better than the album track.

4. Hmmm...pleasant enough latin type dance but really not enough personality to sustain my interest at all.

Barcelona based Costa Rico, a Spanish band from the 90's.

5.This is more like it! The Count Five! Love the harmonica on this, like a train going through a tunnel.

A classic, love the time change.

6. Love this! Breathy girl dream pop punk clangy! I have no idea who this is at all, but I love it.

This is Rose Melberg (Tiger Trap, Go Sailor, the Softies, Brave Irene) with her latest band Knife Pleats. They released their one and only album last year called Hat Bark Beach. You've got me looking for, finding, and enjoying new music. Thank you.

7. A bit of Black Flag! Sweeet!

Yes, this is pre Henry Rollins Black Flag when they were a punk band. I love this song.

8. Oh god, the minute the cod reggae chords came in I fast forwarded. sorry. APPALLING. One of the worst things I ever heard

I had second thoughts about this but decided not to replace it. You're hard for me to mix for and you liked a couple of others I wasn't sure about. It is a kind of strange reggae hybrid.

9. Lovely girl led power pop, but no idea at all who it is. Am I right in thinking it's a cover?

This is Wild Love by the Stool Pigeons. It is a cover of an album cut by Herman's Hermits. They do it much better than the Hermits.

10. Ooh this is nice. Sweeping stringy orchestral stuff, lovely vocals.

Scottish band Camera Obscura with Come Back Margaret. They made one album "Let's Get Out Of This Country" which I like a lot.

11. Gentle power pop hat buzzes along nicely enough! But lacks a little - oomph

Obscure band the Wanna-bes off a comp.

12. Love the intro to this! I don't mind the rest of the song either, although I could punch whoever decided to throw those random horns in at the end

90's U.S. (Omaha) indie band Cursive with Dorothy At Forty, referencing the Wizard of Oz character.

13. Beautiful Bowie live....always going to be a winner.
14. A quite gorgeous version of The Man Who Sold The World.

This is a two song sequence from a 2004 live bootleg (Los Angeles.) I like the performances and how he connected the songs themes together.

Thank you mixer, thank you! Thank you for the time and effort it took you to do this. Despite the obvious misses, I liked it a lot and am anxious to see the reveal! I also want to thank you for the fabulous bonus disc which I am taking to work with me on Tuesday to listen to in the car. Nobody can ever go wrong with Goldfrapp!


Tracklist

1. Playas - Miss Garrison
2. Son Mis Locuras - Go Betty Go
3. Crushed - The Cocteau Twins
4. Por Esos Mares - Costo Rico
5. Psychotic Reaction - The Count Five
6. One Step Too Far - Knife Pleats
7. Jealous Again - Black Flag
8. Dreaming - Pacific Dub
9. Wild Love - The Stool Pigeons
10. Come Back Margaret - Camera Obscura
11. Hello - The Wanna-bes
12. Dorothy At Forty - Cursive
13. The Loneliest Guy - David Bowie
14. The Man Who Sold The World - David Bowie

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby bhoywonder » 17 May 2016, 11:14

A real journey for me this month.

1. I like this. The man sounds like one of the food critics on Masterchef. The guy who looks like Peter from Family Guy. The woman sounds like a fox. There are some great sounds going on behind the spoken-word bits. Very sci-fi. It sounds like one of those things from the 60s where some well-heeled folk take acid on film as a social experiment and report how they’re feeling. It’s a great opener, and I’m itching to know what it’s from.
2. More sci-fi sounds continue the vibe. Well sequenced! Again, I really like this. Pulses, pings and drones create a disturbing atmosphere. Hard to tell if it’s very old or retro. Either way, I really want to know what this is.
3. This guy’s really reminds me of Scott H Biram, although I’d be very surprised if it was him. It’s a decent piece of gospel-blues, without being exceptional – he’s no Robert Wilkins. (I bet it turns out to be Robert Wilkins now I’ve said that.)
4. This is enjoyable. Not something I’d really listen to often, but always good to hear a bit. I guess it’s swing, is it? The clarinet is great, isn’t it? Such a glorious tone.
5. Cuban, surely? It’s delightful. I spent an amazing week in Havana a few years ago, mooching round from bar to bar listening to the bands and drinking the drinks. You have to be brilliant to succeed against such competition. These are clearly exceptional players, and she’s a fabulous singer. I love this and would happily buy an album of it today. (This will turn out to be from somewhere else now, won’t it?)
6. Another winner. A nice, heavy blues, with everything thrown at it – howling harp, jumping piano, rasping harp, thumping bass and a confident vocal. Like it.
7. An early James Brown number. I have that Star Time box but hardly ever play it. I love JB in isolation, such as here, but somehow I never seem to enjoy him for a whole record.
8. Not for me, this. It all sounds like a load of people showing off what they can do, like music was a skills test. I can’t actually stand to listen to it, sorry.
9. Another one I don’t like. 80s pop, with all those chorused Rickenbacker guitars, the drums far too emphasised in the mix, a comedy children’s choir, and a chorus that sounds designed for punching the air. I bet if I listened to all of it, there would be a key change at some point.
10. Christ, is this what Morrissey sounds like these days? Poor lad, his voice sounds a bit shot. The whole thing is just too earnest for me, and I don’t like the guitars, the drums or the synths. Or the piano.
11. Ah yes, this is my favourite track off my favourite soundtrack album Deborah’s Theme from Morricone’s stunning Once Upon a Time in America. One of the greatest movies ever made, and the best thing about it is this music. I’m going to have to watch it again soon.
12. Is this Paul Simon? I don’t mind it, but it’s a bit naff. Some nice sounds, but overall, the song feels a bit uninspired, and the production kind of kills the tones.
13. Ooh, this is interesting. Seems to mix a fair few styles. I’d guess 1920s eastern Europe. Am I miles away? Some lovely playing on this, a great atmosphere, and exceptional vocal stylings. There’s even some bleating in there. Love it. Can’t wait for the reveal on this so I can get it and stick it on mixes of my own!
14. This sounds like Tunng, but I don’t think it is. It’s that sort of folktronica thing that was all the rage about 10 years ago. It’s nice enough, I could take it or leave it.
15. English folk. I don’t know why, but I can’t stick English folk music. It’s to do with the effected singing, I think. Or it reminds me of morris dancers, and I really can’t be doing with them. I like everyone else’s folk music. I remember reading a quote from someone once saying that the English are the only people in the world who don’t like their own folk music. Seems about right. Anyway, I don’t like this at all.
16. Tonally, this guy’s voice really reminds me of yer man from Lambchop. It’s a good voice. This is a folky version of one of my favourite songs, Let It Be Me, and this backs up my theory that you can’t do a bad version of it. This is an Irishman, isn’t it? It’s lovely. You can’t beat a bit of Irish folk music, eh?
17. I don’t know where to begin with this one. Completely bizarre. A sanctus sung by a choir, pleasantly enough, but with thudding percussion underpinning it in a way that makes little sense, but also sounds quite interesting. Nice to hear it even if I probably wouldn’t want a whole one.
18. Mental horns. Don’t they sounds bright? Lovely things, horns. This is great, I’d love to see this performed live by real horns. There are some amazing tonal clashes going on here, creating really bizarre sounds. I don’t like it when the drums come in though, that spoils it. Why would you do that? They should leave the drums out of it.
19. To finish we return to the top. Nicely done.

All told, this is quite possibly the best mix I’ve had in mix club down the years. Certainly one of the best anyway. I love hearing so many different styles and ideas, so many unfamiliar sounds and different directions. I can’t wait for the reveal and will definitely be spending some money as a result of this mix. Thanks very much, mixer!

User avatar
whodathunkit
Posts: 12173
Joined: 20 Aug 2004, 23:45
Location: Down in the boondocks

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby whodathunkit » 19 May 2016, 12:04

bhoywonder wrote:A real journey for me this month.


A bit long and a bit too much of everything but you are a bhoy of quixotic tastes :)

1. I like this. The man sounds like one of the food critics on Masterchef. The guy who looks like Peter from Family Guy. The woman sounds like a fox. There are some great sounds going on behind the spoken-word bits. Very sci-fi. It sounds like one of those things from the 60s where some well-heeled folk take acid on film as a social experiment and report how they’re feeling. It’s a great opener, and I’m itching to know what it’s from.

First broadcast on what used to be called the Third Programme sometime in the early 60s this is "Falling", one of the legendary Delia Derbyshire's radio soundscapes. More to Delia than Dr Who.

2. More sci-fi sounds continue the vibe. Well sequenced! Again, I really like this. Pulses, pings and drones create a disturbing atmosphere. Hard to tell if it’s very old or retro. Either way, I really want to know what this is.

More dark ambient stuff. "The Shipyard At Dawn" from an album by Tor Lundvall,an American (despite the name) from his 2012 album The Shipyard.There's nothing much on it that's different to this but it's worth a listen.

3. This guy’s really reminds me of Scott H Biram, although I’d be very surprised if it was him. It’s a decent piece of gospel-blues, without being exceptional – he’s no Robert Wilkins. (I bet it turns out to be Robert Wilkins now I’ve said that.)

Keeping the maritime theme going, Babe Stovall and "The Ship Is At the Landing". From an excellent anthology of what the album calls rural black religious music rather than gospel, Sorrow Come Pass Me Around

4. This is enjoyable. Not something I’d really listen to often, but always good to hear a bit. I guess it’s swing, is it? The clarinet is great, isn’t it? Such a glorious tone.

About time this mix cheered up a bit. "Red Hair and Freckles" by the Charleston Chasers

5. Cuban, surely? It’s delightful. I spent an amazing week in Havana a few years ago, mooching round from bar to bar listening to the bands and drinking the drinks. You have to be brilliant to succeed against such competition. These are clearly exceptional players, and she’s a fabulous singer. I love this and would happily buy an album of it today. (This will turn out to be from somewhere else now, won’t it?)

Not Cuba but sort of on the way there. I have this thing for the music of the Cape Verde islands. This is from a good taster anthology called The Soul of Cape Verde,"Galo Bedjo" by Titina,

6. Another winner. A nice, heavy blues, with everything thrown at it – howling harp, jumping piano, rasping harp, thumping bass and a confident vocal. Like it.

"I Done Woke Up" by Louisiana Red from a UK Sue label collection

7. An early James Brown number. I have that Star Time box but hardly ever play it. I love JB in isolation, such as here, but somehow I never seem to enjoy him for a whole record.

The pre-Godfather of Funk stuff has always appealed more to me. This one's "Heartbreak".

8. Not for me, this. It all sounds like a load of people showing off what they can do, like music was a skills test. I can’t actually stand to listen to it, sorry.

Knew we'd have trouble with this one :D .A little bit of guitar wankery goes a long way with me but Zoot Horn Rollo is welcome anytime. "Elvis Beans" from his solo album of a couple of years back,We Saw A Bozo Under the Sea

9. Another one I don’t like. 80s pop, with all those chorused Rickenbacker guitars, the drums far too emphasised in the mix, a comedy children’s choir, and a chorus that sounds designed for punching the air. I bet if I listened to all of it, there would be a key change at some point.

Roy Wood being stereo-typically Roy Wood and "Green Glass Windows.

10. Christ, is this what Morrissey sounds like these days? Poor lad, his voice sounds a bit shot. The whole thing is just too earnest for me, and I don’t like the guitars, the drums or the synths. Or the piano.

From last years World Peace Is None Of Your Business. I can still drag out a couple of things that I like from any of his solo albums."One Of Our Own".

11. Ah yes, this is my favourite track off my favourite soundtrack album Deborah’s Theme from Morricone’s stunning Once Upon a Time in America. One of the greatest movies ever made, and the best thing about it is this music. I’m going to have to watch it again soon.

Yes to all that

12. Is this Paul Simon? I don’t mind it, but it’s a bit naff. Some nice sounds, but overall, the song feels a bit uninspired, and the production kind of kills the tones.

"Dazzling Blue" from his last one,So Beautiful or So What

13. Ooh, this is interesting. Seems to mix a fair few styles. I’d guess 1920s eastern Europe. Am I miles away? Some lovely playing on this, a great atmosphere, and exceptional vocal stylings. There’s even some bleating in there. Love it. Can’t wait for the reveal on this so I can get it and stick it on mixes of my own!

Not much help I'm afraid. Found it on mix by a guy called Gentle Apocalypse somewhere out in blogland.The artist is one Kostas Bezos and Google tells me he was a Greek traditional/folk singer who died back in the 1940s. The song is called "The White Bird In The Mountains" and there is more of his stuff on Youtube.

14. This sounds like Tunng, but I don’t think it is. It’s that sort of folktronica thing that was all the rage about 10 years ago. It’s nice enough, I could take it or leave it.

Australian band Grasscut and "The Field" from their recent effort,Everyone Was A Bird

15. English folk. I don’t know why, but I can’t stick English folk music. It’s to do with the effected singing, I think. Or it reminds me of morris dancers, and I really can’t be doing with them. I like everyone else’s folk music. I remember reading a quote from someone once saying that the English are the only people in the world who don’t like their own folk music. Seems about right. Anyway, I don’t like this at all.

"Rosalie" - Eliza Carthy....and a stony silence :(

16. Tonally, this guy’s voice really reminds me of yer man from Lambchop. It’s a good voice. This is a folky version of one of my favourite songs, Let It Be Me, and this backs up my theory that you can’t do a bad version of it. This is an Irishman, isn’t it? It’s lovely. You can’t beat a bit of Irish folk music, eh?

Couldn't agree more. Shame this bloke's Scottish :D . Dick Gaughan from his excellent (though they're all worth having) 1998 album Redwood Cathedral

17. I don’t know where to begin with this one. Completely bizarre. A sanctus sung by a choir, pleasantly enough, but with thudding percussion underpinning it in a way that makes little sense, but also sounds quite interesting. Nice to hear it even if I probably wouldn’t want a whole one.

In my youth, any self-respecting hippy who wanted to show off a more esoteric musical taste had to have a copy of the Missa Luba song by this Congalese choir. Hadn't heard it for yonks. Also famously used by Lyndsay Anderson in his film If

18. Mental horns. Don’t they sounds bright? Lovely things, horns. This is great, I’d love to see this performed live by real horns. There are some amazing tonal clashes going on here, creating really bizarre sounds. I don’t like it when the drums come in though, that spoils it. Why would you do that? They should leave the drums out of it.

Glad you liked this. I fucking love it and the drums are fine by me."Nautilus" by British composer Anna Meredith. It's on her latest album Varmints

19. To finish we return to the top. Nicely done.

Some more Delia to finsh with

[quote="bhoywonder"All told, this is quite possibly the best mix I’ve had in mix club down the years. Certainly one of the best anyway. I love hearing so many different styles and ideas, so many unfamiliar sounds and different directions. I can’t wait for the reveal and will definitely be spending some money as a result of this mix. Thanks very much, mixer![/quote]

Cheers mate. As I expected the wierd stuff and the rootsier things went down okay but we were miles apart on the mainstream choices.Vive la differance

1. "Falling Pt 1" - Delia Derbyshire
2. "The Shipyard At Dawn" - Tor Lundvall
3. "The Ship Is At The Landing" - Babe Stovall
4. "Red Hair And Freckles" - The Charleston Chasers
5, "Galo Bedjo" - Titina
6. "I Done Woke Up" - Louisiana Red
7. "Heartbreak" - James Brown
8. "Elvis Beans" - Zoot Horn Rollo
9. "Green Glass Windows" - Roy Wood
10. "One Of Our Own" - Morrissey
11. "Deborah's Theme" - Ennio Morricone
12. "Dazzling Blue" - Paul Simon
13. "The White Bird In The Mountains" - Kostas Brezos
14. "The Field" - Grasscut
15. "Rosalie" - Eliza Carthy
16. "Let It Be Me" - Dick Gaughan
17. "Sanctus" - Les Troubadors Du Roi Baudouin
18. "Nautilus" - Anna Meredith
19, "Falling Pt 2" - Delia Derbyshire
Image

User avatar
whodathunkit
Posts: 12173
Joined: 20 Aug 2004, 23:45
Location: Down in the boondocks

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby whodathunkit » 24 May 2016, 15:48

A concise 8-track mix all the way from Texas. It's a puzzler :D

1. Lovely opener. Conga-driven groover with loads of little musical flourishes dropped in to keep it interesting for 8 and a half minutes. Some white guy does a rap over it all but he's really just another instrument. Intriguing.
2. A jolly little song about the depletion of maritime resources. Lovely skipping bassline and washes of synth.
3. Big roaring synth-sound with girl vocals slightly lost in the mix. Pleasant enough but you feel the song is rather thrown away in the cavernous mix.
4. "I love you the best -
Better than all the rest"
Well, it ain't Cole Porter and the lyrics don't get any better. Dirge of a tune and rather flat vocals. Nevertheless I love it. It has a nice hazy summery feel to it. A definite keeper.
5. Rather unpromising start. American female over-stated vocal but then the big old chorus comes in and saves the day. Still don't like the vocals though. Too much of everything. Same with the production.
6. Mixer keeps me happy with one I know. Harry Nilsson's "Moonbeam Song". Very nice too.
7. Droney acoustic strumming and droney vocals. Okay but after 6 minutes that clanging guitar figure was driving me nuts.
8. A nice little electronic piece transformed into something a bit lovely by the arrival of the voice of Lis Fraser. I fancy this is a collaboration rather than your actual Cocteaus but it's my favourite thing on here.

Thanks Min. Enjoyed well over half of it which is good going. Reveal away.
Image

User avatar
Minnie the Minx
funky thigh collector
Posts: 33546
Joined: 29 Dec 2006, 16:00
Location: In the naughty North and in the sexy South

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby Minnie the Minx » 29 May 2016, 01:57

Well, my list clearly says that I burned a disc with NINE songs on it, so I don't know which of the songs that you mention match up! But I will give it a go and see if I can work out which is which....

1. Lovely opener. Conga-driven groover with loads of little musical flourishes dropped in to keep it interesting for 8 and a half minutes. Some white guy does a rap over it all but he's really just another instrument. Intriguing.

Yes, this seems to match up to what I have as number one on your list, which is Pow Pow by LCD Soundsystem

2. A jolly little song about the depletion of maritime resources. Lovely skipping bassline and washes of synth.

Hee hee! 'No Fish Today' by Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Such a great album. They're still touring you know!

3. Big roaring synth-sound with girl vocals slightly lost in the mix. Pleasant enough but you feel the song is rather thrown away in the cavernous mix.

'Goodbye Girls' by Broadcast from the super fucking duper 'Tender Buttons'

4. "I love you the best -
Better than all the rest"
Well, it ain't Cole Porter and the lyrics don't get any better. Dirge of a tune and rather flat vocals. Nevertheless I love it. It has a nice hazy summery feel to it. A definite keeper.

'Indian Summer' by Dean and Britta (from Luna, which I am sure you know)

SO! On MY disc, and my tracklist for you, the next song SHOULD be Cleopatra by Adam and the Antz. However, it does not seem to have made it to the UK! Fuck! Oh well...

5. Rather unpromising start. American female over-stated vocal but then the big old chorus comes in and saves the day. Still don't like the vocals though. Too much of everything. Same with the production

American! How dare you! :D This is Goldfrapp with 'Monster Love.'

6. Mixer keeps me happy with one I know. Harry Nilsson's "Moonbeam Song". Very nice too.

Yeah! Just so lovely.

7. Droney acoustic strumming and droney vocals. Okay but after 6 minutes that clanging guitar figure was driving me nuts.

Yeah, it has to be said, that guitar can be a bit annoying. Husker Du with 'Hardly Getting Over It.' I love it all the same.


8. A nice little electronic piece transformed into something a bit lovely by the arrival of the voice of Lis Fraser. I fancy this is a collaboration rather than your actual Cocteaus but it's my favourite thing on here.

This Mortal Coil and Red Rain! Isn't it lovely?

I'm so pleased you like most of this. Sorry about the Antz track, don't know what happened there.
You come at the Queen, you best not miss.

Dr Markus wrote:
Someone in your line of work usually as their own man cave aka the shed we're they can potter around fixing stuff or something don't they?


Flower wrote:I just did a google search.

User avatar
The Fish
Beer Battered
Posts: 13063
Joined: 24 Oct 2003, 20:04
Location: Sunny?Worthing

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby The Fish » 04 Jun 2016, 21:33

Disc this month from Bhoywonder. I actually liked most of this and could gladly play this through as a mix without reaching for the skip button. I may have been a bit uncharitable on some comments merely because this was if anything a bit "safe" and sounded like a genre primer and I often thought I've heard this a thousand times before. However there were standouts and on the whole I enjoyed it, so apologies for the odd sniffy comment....

1) A bit of calypso to kick things off. Impossible to dislike this really. I have all the volumes of London is the Place For Me but tend to dip into them . A disc of this starts to sound a bit samey but a one off hit like this is always a delight
2) A slow blues. A bit generic sounding at times but the harp playing lifts it.
3) I’ve heard the song before and it usually raises a smile. I’m sure the version I heard had an extra line with the response You Can’t Get There From Here. The playing here is first rate and a bit wasted in truth on a novelty record.
4) Sort of Goffin/King Neil Sedaka territory. Inoffensive enough early rock and roll teen ballad, but not much that lifts it above the rest.
5) A slice of sweet soul. This is rather good.
6) Spotted the song straight off. This works quite well as a low key Dylan cover.
7) The singer appears to be singing a different song to whatever the band is playing, and adding bizarre screeches and squawks into the bargain. This is just a mess, although I carried on listening intrigued.
8) Nothing against this but I feel I’ve heard it a million times before (and better) an honesty here I can admire and I wouldn’t rush to hit the eject button, but……
9) I do like a bit of mad wig out guitar and this fits the bill. One of those mad instrumental things that Joe Meek , Kim Fowley et al used to churn out effortlessly with a different band every week.
10) Just as well I liked that as here’s a second helping, this time with a bit of sax in the mix.
11) I mentioned before about Blues sounding a bit generic, but you know sometimes that can be true of a song and yet somehow it really doesn’t put a foot wrong like this. Definitely in the groove.
12) A bit too smooth for my tastes mainly but my attention span did kick in more when the guitar was playing.
13) Like this. Dr John style drawl with a N’Awlins vibe.
14) Big overblown soul ballad complete with strings. Pretty good.
15) Worthy and fine playing but ultimately lost me.
16) Early sounding jug band stomp. Great stuff.
17) We’re back in track 8/9 territory. It’s fine but I’m thinking enough already. Has someone bought a new compilation recently ?
18) Again this sounds early, which is not always a guarantee in itself, but sometimes the simple joy of making music shines through the apparent simplicity. Case in point. This is rather wonderful.
19) Latin vibe. Not doing a lot for me I’m afraid.
20) The vocals, the guitar and the intention here are fine in a bit of pretty straight laid back soul, but it did sound a bit of a dirge at times.

Thanks for that. I'm going to get some right old bollocks next time aren't I ? :D
We're way past rhubarb

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Re: April 2016 Reviews

Postby bhoywonder » 06 Jun 2016, 09:57

The Fish wrote:Disc this month from Bhoywonder. I actually liked most of this and could gladly play this through as a mix without reaching for the skip button. I may have been a bit uncharitable on some comments merely because this was if anything a bit "safe" and sounded like a genre primer and I often thought I've heard this a thousand times before. However there were standouts and on the whole I enjoyed it, so apologies for the odd sniffy comment....



No problem, bub. I never seem to send you stuff you like, so I thought I’d play it safe this time in the hope of finding the odd thing that piques your interest. Sounds like it might have worked.

The Fish wrote:1) A bit of calypso to kick things off. Impossible to dislike this really. I have all the volumes of London is the Place For Me but tend to dip into them . A disc of this starts to sound a bit samey but a one off hit like this is always a delight

Hubert Porter & The Jamaican Calypsonians with Rum & Coconut Water. I recently got a great SoulJazz comp called 90 Degrees of Shade: Hot Jump-Up Island Sounds from the Caribbean - Mambo, Calypso, Goombay, Mento, Merengue, Cult and Compas Music, and this is from that. I know what you mean about calypso getting a bit samey after a while. I love a bit of Lord Invader, for example, but only one or two at a time. This comp takes a whole bunch of styles and puts them together, so you don’t get bored with any of it. Heartily recommended.

The Fish wrote:2) A slow blues. A bit generic sounding at times but the harp playing lifts it.

Jimmy Reed with Ends & Odds from his classic 1960 Vee-Jay album Rockin’ With Reed. You can tell the Stones had been listening to this if you listen to their first two albums!

The Fish wrote:3) I’ve heard the song before and it usually raises a smile. I’m sure the version I heard had an extra line with the response You Can’t Get There From Here. The playing here is first rate and a bit wasted in truth on a novelty record.

It’s a live recording, rather than a record, and I guess it got the audience on side. It’s a guy called Archie Lee, and it comes from a comp curated by our own T-Berry Shuffle, called Music From the Florida Folklife Collection. I have two volumes of is and love them both. I saw Billy Connolly once, and he used “you can’t get there from here” as the punchline to one of his stories. Good line.

The Fish wrote:4) Sort of Goffin/King Neil Sedaka territory. Inoffensive enough early rock and roll teen ballad, but not much that lifts it above the rest.

This is one of those mad things that Joe Meek used to churn out effortlessly with a different band every week. Kim Roberts sings this one, it’s from a collection called Let’s Go: Joe Meek’s Girls. I just love the bizarre sound. That guitar break is ridiculous.

The Fish wrote:5) A slice of sweet soul. This is rather good.

Isn’t it? Please Uncle Sam (Send Back My Man) by the Charmels, who you may know from their classic As Long As I’ve Got You. This is another Volt record, which I first discovered on the sensational Ace collection Does Anybody Know I’m Here, a collection of ‘Vietnam through the eyes of Black America.

The Fish wrote:6) Spotted the song straight off. This works quite well as a low key Dylan cover.

Yeah, it’s quietly understated but still has the impact. It’s by fellow Duluthians Low. Wonderful live band, Low. I much prefer them live to on record, but this is still quite charming.

The Fish wrote:7) The singer appears to be singing a different song to whatever the band is playing, and adding bizarre screeches and squawks into the bargain. This is just a mess, although I carried on listening intrigued.

This is another one from the 90 Degrees of Shade comp I opened with. I’m really into it. The complex polyrhythms here make my head squirm. How they manage to sing that on top of those rhythms is a mystery. Captivating, as you seem to have discovered.

The Fish wrote:8) Nothing against this but I feel I’ve heard it a million times before (and better) an honesty here I can admire and I wouldn’t rush to hit the eject button, but……

Lascelles Perkins with Real Gone Clown. One of Sir Coxone Dodds’ earliest productions, this is the birth of reggae, right here. One of the very earliest Studio One sessions, in fact. I love the fusion of styles in this, and hearing where it would lead, like some of those really early Sun sessions.

The Fish wrote:9) I do like a bit of mad wig out guitar and this fits the bill. One of those mad instrumental things that Joe Meek , Kim Fowley et al used to churn out effortlessly with a different band every week.

Memphian child ‘star’ Travis Wammack, with Scratchy, which was a minor hit when he was a teenager in 1964. Absurd record, but infectious. And one of the first hits to use backwards tape. He’s still making music today – his wiki page says “He was Little Richard’s band leader from 1984 until 1995.” Which must have been quite the job!

The Fish wrote:10) Just as well I liked that as here’s a second helping, this time with a bit of sax in the mix.

I’ve been playing loads of surf guitar this year. This comes from that great Cowagunga! box set, Dave Myers & the Surftones with Moment of Truth. They were from Laguna Beach, California, apparently, and this is from 1962 (I think). Sounds like summer.

The Fish wrote:11) I mentioned before about Blues sounding a bit generic, but you know sometimes that can be true of a song and yet somehow it really doesn’t put a foot wrong like this. Definitely in the groove.

Isn’t it? Too Many Drivers by Lowell Fulson, on Kent. It’s a cover of a Big Bill Broonzy sopng (as you may well be aware), and yes, it’s all about the groove.

The Fish wrote:12) A bit too smooth for my tastes mainly but my attention span did kick in more when the guitar was playing.

More latin sounds, this time Joe Bataan with Latin Strut, lifted from another great SoulJazz collection, ‘Nu Yorica! Culture Clash in New York City Experiments in Latin Music 1970-77’, and, as with the above, it’s all about the groove. Cool guitar too, as you noted.
The Fish wrote:13) Like this. Dr John style drawl with a N’Awlins vibe.

Not just his style, but Mac himself. You maybe heard the song before by someone else, it’s a classic – How Come My Dog Don’t Back (When You Come Round) dates back to the 50s. But this is from Dr John’s 1992 album Goin’ Back to New Orleans, which is one of my favourites of his. He does a great version of Goodnight Irene on it too.

The Fish wrote:14) Big overblown soul ballad complete with strings. Pretty good.

Ben E King – Young Boy Blues. It’s a Spector/Pomus song from King’s 1964 Atco album of the same name. That boy sure could sing. It’s a shame he was pigeonholed for Stand By Me, in a way, as it stopped people paying much attention to the rest of his work, but he was some singer!

The Fish wrote:15) Worthy and fine playing but ultimately lost me.

The legendary Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari with Sam’s Intro. Ossie was an amazing percussionist, as this demonstrates.

The Fish wrote:16) Early sounding jug band stomp. Great stuff.

You can’t fail to like a song called A Chicken Can Waltz the Gravy Around, can you? This is Stovepipe #1 and David Crockett. I got this on a brilliant collection called Good For What Ails You: Music of the Medicine Shows 1926 – 1937, which was recommended by the late (of this parish lamented Midnight Special, if you remember him. You’re right – it’s great stuff!

The Fish wrote:17) We’re back in track 8/9 territory. It’s fine but I’m thinking enough already. Has someone bought a new compilation recently ?

Another cut from the Cowabunga box. As I said, I’ve been playing a lot of surf music of late! I could listen to this stuff all day, and quite often do, Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs this time, with Bulldog. Get hip to the fly jive, daddi-o.

The Fish wrote:18) Again this sounds early, which is not always a guarantee in itself, but sometimes the simple joy of making music shines through the apparent simplicity. Case in point. This is rather wonderful.

Let’s Get Drunk Again by Bo Carter, who was one of the legendary Mississippi Sheiks. This one’s pretty direct, but in general he was one for the innuendo, was old Bo. His ‘hits’ included Let Me Roll Your Lemon, Banana in Your Fruit Basket, Pin in Your Cushion, Your Biscuits Are Big Enough for Me, Please Warm My Wiener and My Pencil Won't Write No More. Subtle.

The Fish wrote:19) Latin vibe. Not doing a lot for me I’m afraid.

Nigerian, actually, but wiuth a latin influence, for sure. This is Semicolon with Nekwaha Semi Colon. It’s on one of those Nigeria Special comps.

The Fish wrote:20) The vocals, the guitar and the intention here are fine in a bit of pretty straight laid back soul, but it did sound a bit of a dirge at times.

A dirge!? Wash out those ears! These are the Sweet Inspirations. Elvis loved them so much he got them for his backing singers in Vegas, you’ll see them in That’s the Way It Is. A dirge? Good grief. This is sheer bliess, perfect gospel-influenced soul. Heaven.

The Fish wrote:Thanks for that. I'm going to get some right old bollocks next time aren't I ? :D

Absolutely! :D


1. Rum & Coconut Water – Hubert Porter & The Jamaican Calypsonians
2. Ends & Odds – Jimmy Reed
3. Arkansas Traveller – Archie Lee
4. Love Can Wait – Kim Roberts
5. Please Uncle Sam (Send Back My Man) – the Charmels
6. I Threw It All Away – Low
7. Come to the Caribbean – the Eloise Trio
8. Real Gone Clown – Lascelles Perkins
9. Scratchy – Travis Wammack
10. Moment of Truth Dave Myers & the Surftones
11. Too Many Drivers – Lowell Fulson
12. Latin Strut – Joe Bataan
13. How Come My Dog Don’t Back (When You Come Round) – Dr John
14. Young Boy Blues – Ben E King
15. Sam’s Intro – Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari
16. A Chicken Can Waltz the Gravy Around – Stovepipe #1 and David Crockett
17. Bulldog – Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs
18. Let’s Get Drunk Again – Bo Carter
19. Nekwaha Semi Colon – Semicolon
20. Why (Am I Treated So Bad) – the Sweet Inspirations




A dirge? Deary me… :roll:


Return to “Mix Club”