Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Terry Callier


The brain’s busy trying to find the right words to say about Merle Haggard’s classic and inane “Are the Good Times Really Over (I Wish a Buck was Still Silver)”, but figured in the meantime I’d throw a few Terry Callier songs out there. Check this interview with Callier -- a fascinating gentleman.

Terry Callier - Jack O' Diamonds
Terry Callier - You Goin Miss Your Candyman

Friday, March 26, 2010

Acid Mothers Temple

While going this way and that on the internet archive the other day, I came across this video of Acid Mothers Temple. I went to see AMT a couple of years ago with an old roommate of mine, Joe Turner (of Joe Turner & The Seven Levels and drummer for the defunct psych-pop band Abunai!), and had my mind and eardrums thoroughly blown. If AMT comes to your town, definitely go see them - but I do suggest a sturdy pair earplugs, for these Japanese mothers are LOUD.


Hmmm, looks like the total concert won't just stream from song to song, so you'll have to hit the forward button to get to the next song. Have fun.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

not robots


Until about a year ago I thought The Monkees were robots. They are not robots. The Michael Martin Murphey penned "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?" is a pretty early stab at countryrock, with Mike Nesmith calling it a "new-wave country song...with its minor chord changes; Buck Owens wouldn't have done anything like that." Can't seem to find out who exactly, but allmusic has "some members of the Byrds" (Clarence White?) playing on the song.

The Monkees - What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round? [buy]

Friday, March 19, 2010

sunshine & sorella's


Photo from Flickr page.

Just relaxed with a couple friendly to the customer mimosas plus the regular order at the best damn breakfast joint in the world, my beloved Sorella’s, and then found my way back home under blue skies and sunnysun listening to a few tunes. Seemed good enough to pass along.


Delaney and Bonnie - Get Ourselves Together [buy]

we’ve got to get ourselves together
take some time and talk it over
we’ve got to get ourselves together
try and understand one another







Bob Weir - Playin’ in the Band [buy]
One of the Dead’s (this is solo in name only) closest studio-captures of their live sound. No surprise as in ‘72 the dead were playing, at least to these ears, as adventurously as they ever would, while also bringing their improved post-Workingman’s/Beauty studio skills to the recording sessions. "Playing" would begin to take it’s place in ‘72 as one of the Dead’s main long distance live vehicles. You can hear why on this version, with the band rocking and rolling and tumbling while Jerry channels Bakersfield via San Francisco.



Dave Rawlings Machine - It’s too Easy [buy]
With maybe the exception of Michael Hurley's similarly generous of spirit Long Journey, recently I've come back to Dave Rawlings' debut album more than any other. It really is a special set of songs. If in boston ye be, get it live on june 5th at the paradise (hat tip to Josh). See you there. Sun!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Pat Patrick


Unbeknownst to this Bay State resident, our governor, Deval Patrick, is the sun (typo, but it works) of Pat Patrick, an alto/baritone saxophonist who played with Ellington, Monk, and Coltrane, but was best known as a long-time member of the Sun Ra Arkestra. Deval just donated his father’s archives to the Berklee College of Music. Here’s Patrick playing baritone on “Enlightenment” from the 1959 Sun Ra release Jazz in Silhouette.

Sun Ra - Jazz in Silhouette [buy]

Friday, March 12, 2010

Albuquerque


Just started reading Barney Hoskyns tell-all-social-history of the LA music scene Waiting For The Sun. Jumped right into the early 1970s chapters and quickly found myself reading about Neil Young. And that led to walking around with Tonight’s the Night blasting in the headphones. I knew the basic story behind Tonight’s blisteringly bleak songs about drug abuse and Young's grief over the deaths of his friends Danny Whitten and Bruce Berry (both overdosing on heroin), but Hoskyns details a scene truly overwhelmed by sweet cousin cocaine and the inevitable egomania, paranoia, and jagged “friendships." No wonder Neil wanted to roll another number and get the hell out on the road to anywhere it could take him.

i've been flying
down the road
and i've been starving
to be alone
independent
from the scene
that i've known


Neil Young - Albuquerque [buy]

Friday, March 5, 2010

Ted Hawkins


Recorded in ‘71 and released in ‘82, Ted Hawkins’ Watch Your Step is chock-full of great cheatin', baby-please-don't-go, humorous, and heart-breaking folk-blues. For a good intro to Hawkins, check out this C’est N’est Pas Un Blog post. "The Lost Ones" child's eye view of dislocation and desperation would have dwelled justly in Charles Burnett's 1977 neo-realist masterpiece Killer of Sheep.

Ted Hawkins - Watch Your Step
Ted Hawkins - The Lost Ones