Saturday, May 27, 2023

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


Friday, May 5, 2023

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.

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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



Sunday, April 2, 2023

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


Sunday, March 5, 2023

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.)



 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)

 

Sunday, January 29, 2023

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.

 Download

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