Country/Folk Legends: Kris Kristofferson, Bob Neuwirth, and Mickey Newbury

       I'm taking a break from the Texas Legends Series (they're all still available to download), though I do anticipate doing a few more in the future.  I'm can't precisely remember why I decided on Kristofferson, Neuwirth, and Newbury, though I do recall I was listening to a lot of Newbury a while back (and it was before Neuwirth sadly died a year ago).  Nonetheless, I think the three sound good together and serve as an excellent soundtrack for any lazy summer weekend doings.  I should note that Newbury and Kristofferson were both born in Texas (Neuwirth was born in Akron, Ohio), but they were both more associated with Nashville, especially Newbury.  And if you want to dig deeper into their respective catalogs, I'd start with Kristofferson's "Kristofferson", Neuwirth's "99 Monkeys", and Newbury's "Harlequin Melodies". Actually, I think Newbury's best albums are 'Frisco Mabel Joy" and "Heaven Help the Child", but they're inexplicably out of print.

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She Even Woke Me Up To Say Go	Mickey Newbury
I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground	Bob Neuwirth with Eliza Carthy
Billy Dee	Kris Kristofferson
Born to Die Alone	Kris Kristofferson
Aracely's Natia	Bob Neuwirth
Why You Been Gone So Long	Mickey Newbury
The Lady's Not For Sale	Kris Kristofferson
Annabelle Lee	Bob Neuwirth
T. Total Tommy	Mickey Newbury
Somebody Nobody Knows	Kris Kristofferson
Life Is For Living	Bob Neuwirth
Frisco Depot	Mickey Newbury
Rock Salt and Nails	Bob Neuwirth
Why Me	Kris Kristofferson
Sweet Memories	Mickey Newbury
Just Dropped In	Mickey Newbury
Between Heaven And Here	Kris Kristofferson
Blue Detour	Bob Neuwirth

Sucking in the 70's: Volume 10

       Every time I listen to "Let's Do It Again", I'm always a little surprised that the Staples Singers decided to record it.  Maybe because it is just such a great song.  And it's still probably a little less weird than the father-daughter country duo The Kendalls recording "Heaven's Just a Sin Away", a song pretty much praising cheating.  Anyway, I hope others out there share my continued fondness for 70s music.  Also, all other previous volumes are available as are the Saluting the 70's compilations.

Download Trouble	Cat Stevens
The Bells	The Originals
Like a Ship	T.L. Barrett & Youth For Christ Choir
Breathe	Pink Floyd
Sunshine After Every Rain	Mighty Revelaires
Precious, Precious	Jackie Moore
Tell Me Something Good	Rufus
She's Not Just Another Woman	The 8th Day
7 K-Jee	MFSB
Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get	The Dramatics
Love Ain't For Keeping	The Who
To Make You Happy	Tommy McGee
I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby	Barry White
Cool Aid	Paul Humphrey & The Cool Aid Chemists
Hearsay	The Soul Children
Let's Do It Again	The Staple Singers
Merry-Go-Round	David Lasley
Sideshow	Blue Magic
Tell Me Why	Leo Nocentelli
Let's Stay Together	Margie Joseph

And the Ashtrays Have Retired: Paeans to Bars

      Even before the pandemic started, my visits to bars were pretty rare.   I know it wouldn't be nearly as much fun as it was it in days of past, especially since I'm pretty foggy after having even two drinks, but there is something about bars and the ways they encourage sociability.  So rather than a collection of drinking songs, I thought it better to create a compilation of songs about specific bars or feature evocative  descriptions about bars (though I will admit to cheating a little bit by my inclusion of Gillian Welch's Barroom Girls).  Hope teetotalers and barflies enjoy it. :)
 

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Saloon Six	The Delines
Pedal Tavern Girl	Bill Lloyd
Frank's Tavern	Chris Gaffney
It'll Do	Kimmie Rhodes
Misery Tavern	The Jayhawks
Tavern in the Town	Terry Lightfoot's New Orleans Jazzmen
The Tiki Bar Is Open	John Hiatt
The Have-Nots	X
Barroom Girls	Gillian Welch
Lived In Bars	Cat Power
At the Saloon	Van Dyke Parks
Bar Italia	Pulp
Hangover Tavern	Hank Thompson
Over There That's Frank	James Hand
Beer Tavern Girl	Jimmy McCracklin
Crossroads Bar	Laurel Canyon Ramblers
Down At The Corner At A Bar Called Kelly's	Johnny Paycheck
Charleston Railroad Tavern	Bobby Bare
The Pub with No Beer	Finbay O'Shay
Nothing Good Ever Happens At The Goddamn Thirsty Crow	Father John Misty
Whirlaway	Rico Bell
The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) (An Evening With Pete King)	Tom Waits

The Audacity of Hope: A Hope Sandoval Anthology

       It's hard to believe that Mazzy Star's breakthrough 

album So Tonight That I Might See came almost

30 years ago (it was released in September, 1993).  The album and the single "Fade Into You" still hold up, as evinced by the fact that the latter continues to be used in tv and film.  I confess that Hope kind of fell off my radar for a while, but her 2010's output as a solo artist (I definitely recommend Bavarian Fruit Bread and Through the Devil Softly) and with Mazzy Star is consistently excellent.  She also, as you can see below, has dueted on a lot of other artist's albums.  Hopefully, this anthology does justice to her career (and hopefully, she'll release some new material soon.)

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 Disc 1

Tell Your Honey	Mazzy Star
Big Boss Man	Mercury Rev (w/ Hope Sandoval)
Sleep	Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
I'm Less Here	Mazzy Star
Suzanne	Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
Sometimes Always	The Jesus And Mary Chain (w/Hope Sandoval)
Halah	Mazzy Star
Ghost Highway	Mazzy Star
For the Rest of Your Life	Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions
The Spoils	Massive Attack feat. Hope Sandoval
I Don't Mind	Psychic Ills
That Way Again	Mazzy Star
Cherry Blossom Girl	Air (w/Hope Sandoval)
Friends of a Smile	Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
Disc 2
Common Burn	Mazzy Star
A Wonderful Seed	Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions
I've Been Let Down	Mazzy Star
All This Remains	Bert Jansch (w/Hope Sandoval)
Paradise Circus	Massive Attack (w/Hope Sandoval)
Ride It On	Mazzy Star
Undrugged	Hope Sandoval and Willliam Reid
I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuit	Mazzy Star
Tell Me Now	Mazzy Star
Leaving on a Train	Mazzy Star
Clear Day	Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions
Golden Hair	Hope Sandoval And The Warm Intentions
When You Were Young	Mazzy Star
Asleep From Day	The Chemical Brothers (w/Hope Sandoval)

 

The Singular Miss Simone: An Homage to Nina Simone

       The one and only Nina Simone would be turning 90 on February 21 so I thought it only proper to honor her with a little homage.  To be clear, she only formally "wrote" about half of the songs on the compilation, but Nina's versions of the songs (several of which are traditional songs) are in almost all the cases, the definitive versions of the songs.  (Yola, however, does credit Aretha Franklin's arrangement of "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black".)  For instance, Jeff Buckley's version of Lilac Wine isn't a note for note cover, but it's pretty clear that her version was the one that inspired him.   

           I should also note my inspiration for this compilation is the 1996 release "Nina Sings Nina" which features a bunch of the songs on this compilation.  The actual cd is out of print, but I'm pretty sure all songs are still available.

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My Mama Could Sing (Intro)	Lisa Simone
Come Ye	India.Arie
Wild Is The Wind	Ms. Lauryn Hill
Lilac Wine	Jeff Buckley
Sea Lion Woman	Feist
African Mailman	The Rhythmagic Orchestra
Sinnerman	Keziah Jones
Be My Husband	Dianne Reeves
Four Women	Malia
...Sugar In My Bowl	Asylum Street Spankers
Either Way I Lose	Meshell Ndegeocello
Plain Gold Ring	Kimbra
Mississippi Goddam	Piano Tribute Players
I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free)	Solomon Burke
To Be Young, Gifted and Black	Yola