A Town South of Bakersfield - Volumes 1 & 2

As promised last week, here's the out of print Town South of Bakersfield - Volumes 1 & 2. As you can see, it featured a lot of folks who would go onto much bigger things (which includes Pete Anderson of Pete and Big Shots). Volume 3, btw, is still available for purchase (it's not quite as good as Vol 1, but there's several standout track including the Coal Porters' Cracking at the Seams.) Anyway, here's some prime alternative country - before the term even existed. :)

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What Am I Waiting For Jim Lauderdale

We Get Along Just Fine (When We're Apart) Crazy Heart

Mister Love Re Winkler, Anne Harvey & Ree Van Vleck

Tell Me A Lie Candye Kane

Driftin' Man Jeffrey Steele

Louisville Jann Browne

Let There Be Love Dave Durham

Dark Side Of Life Lucinda Williams

Venice Skyline Rag Pete & The Bigshots

Somewhere Down The Road James Intveld

Heartbreak Train Rosie Flores & Albert Lee

Baby, I'll Show You Billy Swan

Lonesome Pine The Lonesome Strangers

Love And Only Love Katy Moffatt

Big Big Love The Eddys

I'll Be Gone Dwight Yoakam

Happy Hour Tin Star

Waitin' Up George Highfill

I'm Not Over You Kathy Robertson

Same Old Fool Reach For The Sky

Rig Rock Jukebox (and Truck Stop)

          When doing my alternative country show in the 90s, I always had a fondness for compilation cds from a particular region/scene. One of my faves from this period was Rig Rock Jukebox - a collection from the Diesel Only label of primarily New York City based alt-country acts (actually, the cd came out several years before that term was coined. It's been out of print for some time now, as is the follow-up collection from Diesel Only (which featured bands from all over). The latter isn't quite as consistently good, but I still think they both hold up pretty well. (Oh, and the third Diesel Only collection, Rig Rock Deluxe, an all trucking songs collection, is still in print and the best of them all.)

Rig Rock Jukebox

Good Morning Mr. Trucker World Famous Blue Jays

Punk Rockin' Honky Tonk Girl The Blue Chieftains

Miss Fabulous Mumbo Gumbo

Leaving Angel Dean & The Zephyrs

Why I Drink Go To Blazes

Hands Off Courtney & Western

Baltimore Five Chinese Brothers

Two Hearts The Twanglers

Messed Up Thing Gwil Owen

Do It For Hank World Famous Blue Jays

I Think Hank Woulda Done It This Way The Blue Chieftains

New Blue Yodel (Blue Yodel #14) Mark Brine

Good Morning Mr. Afternoon Mumbo Gumbo

97 Miles Go To Blazes

Diplomat Courtney & Western

Diesel Only Theme (Inst.) World Famous Blue Jays

Rig Rock Truckstop

UFOs, Big Rigs & BBQ Mojo Nixon And The World Famous Blue Jays

Diesel Dazey Killbilly

Hot Black Coffee Gwil Owen

Life Preserver Angel Dean & The Zephyrs

She's A Waitress (And I'm In Love) Five Chinese Brothers

Cheeseburger Deluxe World Famous Blue Jays

Lovin' You Is Killin' Me Courtney & Western

After The Hurricane The Blue Chieftains

Messed Up Again Go To Blazes

Cheater's World Amy Allison and the Maudlins

Woke Up Surreal McCoys

Out Of The Frying Pan (Into Desire) Wheelers And Dealers

Chug-A-Lug Mojo Nixon And The World Famous Blue Jays

Too Much Coffee Gwil Owen

Hoedown In The Sky Jean Caffeine's All Night Truckstop

Ricky Skaggs Tonite Will Rigby

Second Best Angel Dean & The Zephyrs

Hotel Albert Joe Flood

Am I In Love Courtney & Western

Cookin' With Jay (Instr.) World Famous Blue Jays

Bobby, Bill, and William

Just as it was hard finding an image for this week's mixtape, it's equally difficult coming up with something meaningful to say about Bobby Womack, Bill Withers, and William Bell collectively. They're different kinds of performers with different career trajectories. But, like the compilation subheading says, they all seem to be under-appreciated in contemporary discussions of 60s and 70s soul. So here's a little reminder of their greatness.

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Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday William Bell

The Same Love That Made Me Laugh Bill Withers

When Love Begins Friendship Ends Bobby Womack

Love Ain't Something You Can Get for Free Bobby Womack

Boy Meets Girl William Bell and Mavis Staples

I Can't Write Left-Handed Bill Withers

Nothing Takes The Place Of You William Bell

If You Don't Want My Love Bobby Womack And J.J. Johnson

Heartbreak Road Bill Withers

I Wish You Well Bill Withers

American Dream Bobby Womack

Lovin' On Borrowed Time William Bell

Liza Bill Withers

Baby! You Oughta Think It Over Bobby Womack

Let Me In Your Life Bill Withers

Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye William Bell

Share What You Got (But Keep What You Need) William Bell

California Dreamin' Bobby Womack

A Taste of Caetano Veloso

This post is a little later than usual because I've been having some computer issues (the hard drive from my old computer won't spin in its new enclosure) and, as you can see, some issues coming up with a decent name for tonight's Caetano Veloso mixtape - I tried to look up some stuff in Portuguese, but I didn't want to mangle the language. But the picture is pretty cool, right? :)

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Chora Tua Tristeza

Gua

Tropicalia

Um Tom

Blues

Eleanor Rigby

Get Out Of Town

Wait Until Tomorrow

Quando Eu Penso Na Bahia

Chuvas De Verão

Baiao da Penha

Body And Soul

Pecado

Nine Out Of Ten

Enquanto Seu Lobo Não Vem

Samba Em Paz

Carolina

Charles, Anjo 45