Aretha and Dusty - Volume Two

     About two years ago, I posted an Aretha Franklin - Dusty Springfield compilation.  A year later, a commenter said that he was surprised that Dusty won the "competition" between the two easily.  I was a little surprised by that, but I have to admit, after listening to the comp again several months ago, that indeed Dusty won that compilation.  In the spirit of fair competition, I thought a rematch was in order (plus, it's only right that this comp includes Dusty's version of "I Can't Wait to See My Baby's Face).  I say it's a draw, but I'll let y'all make up your own minds.

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So Well When You're Well	Aretha Franklin
I Can't Hear You (No More)	Dusty Springfield
Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody	Aretha Franklin
Meditation (Meditao)	Dusty Springfield
Climbing Higher Mountains	Aretha Franklin
Heartbeat	Dusty Springfield
Oh No, Not My Baby	Dusty Springfield
96 Tears	Aretha Franklin
I'll Try Anything	Dusty Springfield
I Need A Strong Man (The To-To Song)	Aretha Franklin
You Send Me	Aretha Franklin
I'm Gonna Leave You	Dusty Springfield
Hello Sunshine	Aretha Franklin
Let Me in Your Way	Dusty Springfield
Every Natural Thing	Aretha Franklin
Who Gets Your Love	Dusty Springfield
Love Shine Down	Dusty Springfield
I've Been Loving You Too Long	Aretha Franklin
I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face	Dusty Springfield
I'll Never Be Free	Aretha Franklin
Tupelo Honey	Dusty Springfield

Jonboy Langford and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts: Misery Loves Company

      Here's the out of print (and pretty darn rare) 1994 Jonboy Langford and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts Misery Loves Company cd I promised last week.  As I may have written previously, I know some folks are a little skeptical of tribute albums, but Jonboy definitely has a way with The Man in Black's songs (I do think one artist paying homage to another artist generally work better than a bunch of artists all covering one artist).  Among Jonboy's releases that are in print, I'd recommend are his collaborations with Sally Timms and the Sadies, his solo All the Fame of Lofty Deeds release, and, of course, his too numerous to list releases with The Mekons.

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Cocaine Blues

Tennessee Flat-Top Box

Guess Things Happen That Way

What Is Truth?

I Got Stripes

Busted

Big River

Sunday Morning Coming Down

There You Go

I Still Miss Someone

Thing Called Love

Give My Love To Rose

Next In Line

Home Of The Blues

Tell 'em Jonboy is Here: A Jonboy Langford Collection

            Whatever alternative country is (or has been), it's kind of hard to imagine it without the contributions of Jon Langford - starting, of course, with The Mekons, then on to his various solo projects, his collaborations with Sally Timms, Richard Buckner, and The Sadies, the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, and, of course, his work with The Waco Brothers.  With that in mind, here's 18 tracks of Jon Langford in all his various guises.  Oh, and befitting his status as the hardest working man in alternative country (you should also check out his artwork), he's just put out a single to benefit a foundation to provide free music tuition to people in Wales.  Lastly, if you're wondering a track from his Pine Valley Cosmonauts tribute album to Johnny Cash isn't on the compilation, it's because I noticed that the album was out of print.  So I'll post that next week.

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Hole in the Ground	The Mekons
Tubby Brothers	Jon Langford
Plenty Tough Union Made	Waco Brothers
Maverick	Mekons
From Attic To Basement	Richard Buckner And Jon Langford
Sweet Kind Of Love	Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Junco Partner	Jon Langford
Dark Sun	Sally Timms & John Langford
The Fame Of Lofty Deeds	Jon Langford
Strange Ways to Win Wars	Jon Langford & Skull Orchard
Teeth	Mekons
Amnesia	The Mekons
Up To My Neck In This	Jon Langford And The Sadies
Revolution Blues	Waco Brothers
Road to Florida	Mekons
Nothing to Say	Waco Brothers
White Freightliner Blues	John Langford & Sally Timms & John Rice
Over the Cliff	Jon Langford's Hillbilly Lovechild

Short Cuts soundtrack

      I was in beautiful central California last weekend (for a cousin's wedding) and brought along Jennifer Egan's  novel "A Visit from the Goon Squad".  As I was finishing it (it's very good, btw), I was thinking how about it might be made into a movie - which, in turn, made me think of Short Cuts, the 1993 California based movie which is based on several different Raymond Carver short stories.  So, of course, when I got home, I listened to the Short Cuts soundtrack.  While pulling the cd out, I realized it was on the ill-fated Imago label (along with Aimee Mann's first two albums) and probably out of print.  Which it is, so enjoy! :) And after listening to it, you should definitely check out the movie - the director Robert Altman is at the top of his game.

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Open On Helicopters (Sound Effect)	Sound Effect
Conversation On A Barstool	Annie Ross & Low Note Quintet
To Hell With Love	Annie Ross & Low Note Quintet
Punishing Kiss	Annie Ross & Low Note Quintet
Cello Concerto In B Minor	Lori Singer & The Trout Quartet
Blue	Annie Ross & Low Note Quintet
Evil California (These Blues)	Annie Ross & The Low Note Quintet With Iggy Pop & Anthony Coleman
Berceuse From "The Firebird Suite"	Lori Singer
A Thousand Years	Annie Ross & Low Note Quintet
Cello Concerto No. 2, Opus 30-First Movement	Lori Singer & The Trout Quartet
Imitation Of A Kiss	Annie Ross And The Low Note Quintet With Roy Nathanson
Full Moon	Annie Ross & The Low Note Quintet With Michael Stipe, Steven Bernstein, & Dave Tronzo
I Don't Know You	Annie Ross And The Low Note Quintet With Dave Tronzo And Lori Singer
Nothing Can Stop Me Now	Low Note Quintet
Earthquake Into Low Note (Sound Effect)	Sound Effect
Ending Credits Music: Medley - Prisoner Of Life / I'm Gonna Go Fishin'	Annie Ross And The Low Note Quintet With Lenny Pickett
How Does She Do It So Quickly?	Thomas Tree & Cory J. Coppage

More Bobby Womack and Sam Cooke

  As promised, here's disc two of Bobby Womack and Sam Cooke.  Another thing about them that I like that I didn't mention last week is there respective affection for country music.  So, of course, I had to feature a country music cover from each of them.  I think I take Sam's Tennessee Waltz over Bobby's Point of No Return, but ymmv.  Oh, and I also didn't mention last week how good the SAR Records set is - a ton of great gospel and soul from Sam Cooke's label including, but not limited to, Bobby and Sam.

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These Foolish Things Sam Cooke Just My Imagination Bobby Womack Cloud of Unknowing  Bobby Womack (w/Gorillaz) Lost And Lookin' Sam Cooke Point Of No Return Bobby Womack Tennessee Waltz Sam Cooke Cousin Of Mine Sam Cooke One More Chance On Love Bobby Womack Nearer To Thee Sam Cooke Yield Not To Temptation The Womack Brothers And I Love Her Bobby Womack Don't Cry On My Shoulder Sam Cooke Yes, Jesus Loves Me Bobby Womack Bill Bailey Sam Cooke I Lost Everything Sam Cooke I'm In Love Bobby Womack