Friday, September 30, 2022

Sally Timms: It Says Here and To the Land of Milk and Honey

I've been extremely dismayed about the Dobbs Supreme Court decision allowing states to ban abortion
without any exceptions.  And since I don't know of any charity albums centered around the issue of abortion that have come out in wake of the Dobbs decision, I thought it necessary to post Sally  Timms' out of print ep "It Says Here" as it features a great live cover of Dolly Parton's Down from Dover.  And while I was it, I also though I might as well also post her out of print album To the Land of Milk and Honey.  Enjoy!


It Says Here

It Says Here
US Foreign Policy
Welsh Girl
Down From Dover
Reason To Believe

To the Land of Milk & Honey

Round Up
Half Past France
Everytime She Walks In the Room
It Says Here
Junk Barge
King Ludwig
No More Rides
Homburg
Painted Girl
Longing, Madness And Lust
Deep





Sunday, August 28, 2022

Good Music to Chill out to: Steve Gunn and Kurt Vile

     I've always loved the scene in 24 Hour Party People where Tony Wilson gets very high and imagines that he meets God (who looks exactly like Tony Wilson).  God reassures him about the choices he's made and also tells him that he should release a Vini Reilly greatest hits compilation as it's "good music to chill out to".  Well, this isn't a Vini Reilly compilation, but I've increasingly found both Kurt Vile and Steve Gunn (who was/sometimes still is Kurt Vile's guitarist) excellent music to, well, chill out to.  For those wanting more Vile or Gunn, I'd recommend Kurt Vile's Childish Prodigy and Steve Gunn's The Unseen in Between.

Download

Clay Pigeons

Shannon Lay & Steve Gunn

Red Apples

Kurt Vile

New Moon

Steve Gunn

It's Alright

Kurt Vile

Goodbye, Freaks

Kurt Vile

Conditions Wild

Steve Gunn

I'm an Outlaw

Kurt Vile

Trailways Ramble

Steve Gunn

Over Everything

Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile

Way Out Weather

Steve Gunn

Dive for the Pearl

Steve Gunn

Speed of the Sound of Loneliness

Kurt Vile

Other You

Steve Gunn

Wakin' on a Pretty Day

Kurt Vile

 

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Isaac Hayes: A Tribute and a Retrospective

Isaac Hayes would have turned 80 on 
August 20 (and died on August 10, 2008) so I thought I though it appropriate to post both a 
retrospective of his solo work as well as a set of covers of Isaac Hayes' songs.  In addition to being a truly iconic figure in American popular culture, he really had one of the greatest ten year runs in pop music - from the mid to late 1960s, he was an incredibly prolific songwriter (though one must give ample credit as well to his songwriting partner, David Porter) and then he released a string of great solo albums from 1969 to 1974.   


I'll Never Fall In Love Again

It's Too Late (She's Gone)

(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right

Bumpy's Lament

You Never Cross My Mind

The Feeling Keeps On Coming

Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic

Theme From "The Men"

You're In My Arms Again

Blue Groove

Soulsville

Your Loving Is Much Too Strong

I Stand Accused

Runnin' Out Of Fools

Songs from the Book of Isaac

I Had A Dream

Johnnie Taylor

As Long As I've Got You

The Charmels

Let Me Be Good To You

Carla Thomas

Sister's Got A Boyfriend

Rufus Thomas

In The Twilight Zone

The Astors

I Take What I Want

Aretha Franklin

You Got Me Hummin'

Reigning Sound

You Don’t Know Like I Know

Sam & Dave

Weak Spot

The Detroit Cobras

I'm A Big Girl Now

Mable John

Soul Girl

Jeanne & The Darlings

Boot-Leg

Booker T. & The MG's

It's Happening All Over

William Bell

Do Your Thing

Lyn Collins

B-A-B-Y

Rachel Sweet

Shaft

El Michels Affair

Make It Me

The Premiers

The Sweeter He Is (Pt. 1 & 2)

The Soul Children

I'll Run Your Heart Away

Lisa Miller

If I Ever Needed Love (I Sure Do Need It Now)

Ruby Johnson



Thursday, June 30, 2022

The Texas Legends Series: Volume Six - Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock

 I know this was a rather obvious choice for the Texas Legends series, but that doesn't mean it isn't sorely needed (especially when I discovered that most of Butch Hancock's solo stuff is out of print).  I also like to do homages to artists that are still making music, so it's worth mentioning that the Flatlanders 2021 release, Treasure of Love, was very good, albeit a little inconsistent.  Hope everyone likes it.  I also re-upped the previous five Texas Legends series compilations. 


Download

Hello, Stranger (live)

Butch Hancock & Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Way Downtown

Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Wronglers

Row Of Dominoes

Joe Ely

Queen Of Heaven

Joe Ely

Perfection In The Mud

Butch Hancock

Chase the Wind

Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Going Away

The Flatlanders

Just a Wave, Not the Water

Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Roll Around

Butch Hancock

Goodbye Old Missoula

Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Ranches and Rivers

Joe Ely

Braver Newer World

Jimmie Dale Gilmore

West Texas Waltz

Joe Ely

Mobile Blue

The Flatlanders

South Wind Of Summer

The Flatlanders

Pumpkineater

Butch Hancock

Keeper Of The Mountain

The Flatlanders

Another Colorado

Jimmie Dale Gilmore


Thursday, June 2, 2022

Thirty Odes to Los Angeles

       In putting together this Los Angeles themed compilation, I decided to exclude songs that were really songs about California or were primarily focused on Hollywood related themes.  Instead, I tried to only use songs that were about Los Angeles or a particular landmark or street in Los Angeles.  It's nowhere as noirish as I though it would turn out to be, but maybe it's partly about the fact that a lot of of folks who are singing about Los Angeles aren't from there.  Anyway, hope both Angelenos and non-Angelenos enjoy it.  (I also re-upped the compilation "L.A. is the Place For Me" which features mid and late 1960s acts that recorded in Los Angeles.)

  Download

  Disc 1

A Night in LA

Ry Cooder

East L.A.

War

Ode to L.A.

The Raveonettes

Drinking in L.A.

Bran Van 3000

Los Angeles

HAIM

This Town

The Go-Go's

Los Angeles

X

Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham

Bobby Whitlock

Coming into Los Angeles

Arlo Guthrie

Old L.A.

New Multitudes

Electrolite

R.E.M.

Whittier Blvd.

Thee Midniters

Funky L.A.

Paul Hemphrey & His Cool Aid Chemists

The Recipe

Kendrick Lamar

Leaving LA

Father John Misty

Disc 2

Let Me Back In

Rilo Kiley

Come A Long Way

Michelle Shocked

Went Looking for Warren Zevon's Los Angeles

Lucero

L.A. Blues

Tom T. Hall

Los Angeles

Margot & The Nuclear So & So's

Screenwriter's Blues

Soul Coughing

Back In L.A.

B.B. King

I Left My Wallet in El Segundo

A Tribe Called Quest

Blues for Los Angeles

Bill Frisell

Angeles

Elliott Smith

Los Angeles

Phosphorescent

Los Angeles Mood (Chromium Descensions)

Tom Waits

Los Angeles Blues

Johnny Moore's Three Blazers

Angeles Crest

Chelsea Williams

Los Angeles

Joe Williams


Saturday, April 30, 2022

Sucking in the '70s - Volume 9

I've made a point of not repeating any artists in the Sucking in the '70s series, but this latest volume does include Valerie Carter's version of Ooh Child despite my inclusion of The Five Stairsteps much more well-known version of the song in Volume 5.  In my defense, I actually prefer Carter's version.  I know it's fairly heretical, given the popularity of The Five Stairsteps version (and I do like their version, too), but Carter really nails it and, well, it really is the sort of song an adult should be singing. :)  Anyway, I hope folks like it and I've also re-upped all the  previous volumes as well as the Saluting the 70's compilations.

Download

Just my imagination

The Temptations

She's Gone

Hall and Oates

Do Your Thing

Isaac Hayes

Soul Makossa

Manu Dibango

If You Want Me To Stay

Sly & The Family Stone

It's Hard to Live in This Old World

Rev Harvey Gates

Struggling Man

Jimmy Cliff

Who'll Stop The Rain

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Don't Let It Throw You

Jim Sullivan

Cannock Chase

Labi Siffre

(I'm) Just Being Myself

Dionne Warwick

Oh Happy Day

Edwin Hawkins Singers

Let 'Em In

Paul McCartney And Wings

Here I Am (Come and Take Me)

Marcia Griffiths

Float On

The Floaters

Want Ads

Honey Cone

Groovy Situation

Gene Chandler

You're The Reason Why

The Ebonys

Oh Me Oh My

Lulu

Ooh Child

Valerie Carter


Sunday, March 27, 2022

Ain't That Fine: A Ray Charles Collection - Volume 3

As promised, here is the third Volume of my Ray Charles compilation.  As I noted last month, I tried to focus solely on his lesser known material, but I couldn't resist starting this volume with It Had to Be You, even though I kind of always assumed that it was one of his bigger hits.  I haven't seen the movie in more than 30 years, but I thought that his version of the song was in When Harry Met Sally (it's Frank Sinatra's).  It's also not on any of his many Greatest Hits collections.  So I feel a little better about including it in this volume, but now I'm a little dismayed that Ray's version isn't more well-known as it's just a perfect interpretation, imho.  Anyway, hope folks enjoy this third volume.


It Had to Be You
Blue Genius
Let Me Hear You Call My Name (St. Pete Blues)
What Would I Do Without You?
The Cincinnati Kid
Oh, Lonesome Me
Ol' Man Time
Smack Dab in the Middle
Somebody Ought To Write A Book About It
Here We Go Again
Ruby
Down In The Valley
Zig Zag
Who You Gonna Love
Mary Ann
Sidewinder
Ain't That Fine
That's Enough

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Ain't That Fine: A Ray Charles Collection - Volumes 1 and 2

I'm a little embarrassed that I spent an inordinate
amount of time thinking about what I should call this compilation and was only able to come up with the nondescript "Ain't That Fine".   Basically, I was hoping for something just a little bit clever and original while paying respect to Ray's genius talent.  And yet I achieved neither.  I hope that does not deter from people's enjoyment of this collection (you can always change the name on the mp3s) - I tried to focus mostly on album cuts and out of print material.  In doing so, I discovered just how much of his output is now out of print - like most of his 60's and 70's recording.  It's been almost 20 years since the biopic movie so another Ray revival is sorely overdue.  I'll post Volume 3 next month.

      I also wanted to give a little homage to the great Dallas Good of the Sadies who died at the far too young age of 48 a week ago.  The Toronto Star has a really nice obituary and I've also re-upped my two Sadies compilations. 


Volume 1

Makin' Whoopee
I Want to Know
Bags of Blues
Side By Side
Don't Tell Me Your Troubles
Mister C
Tell Me, How Do You Feel?
You're Just About to Lose Your Clown
Senor Blues
I Wake Up Cryin'
You'll Never Miss The Water Until The Well's Gone Dry
All to Myself Alone
Blackjack
She's On the Ball, Jack
Scotia Blues (Blues For Big Scotia)
You Are My Sunshine
 My Baby (I Love Her Yes I Do)
Cry

Volume 2

Swing A Little Taste
Mississippi Mud
The Ray
I'm Movin' On
Alabamy Bound
Th' Ego Song (They're Crazy About Me)
Soul Meeting
Laughin' and Clownin'
 Worried Life Blues
She's Lonesome Again
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now?
Doodlin'
But On the Other Hand, Baby
Guitar Blues
Walkin' and Talkin' (to Myself)
X-Ray Blues
Baby, Don't You Cry
Sweet Georgia Brown