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Friday 30 June 2017

Mack the Knife



The great song Mack the Knife composed by Kurt Weill and with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht has been covered by many artists including the musical giants Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Robbie Williams ... and King Kurt.

The version by our psychobilly friends  appeared on their 1983 album Ooh Wallah Wallah which until now I didn't know was on Stiff and produced by Dave Edmunds.
A copy of the 12 inch was my only vinyl acquisition on my recent foray to Oxfam.
The second song Wreck a Party Rock sticks towards the end but I doubt that many of you will get that far.
There is an argument that I am too old for all this nonsense. Not one I subscribe to.

King Kurt - Mack the Knife

King Kurt - Wreck a Party Rock

Thursday 29 June 2017

Oxfam Singles - Elvis Perkins


The second of the 6 Oxfam singles is All the Night Without Love by American folk rock act Elvis Perkins.
It is a promotional single and one of the good things about that is that all the necessary info is printed on a slip of paper for the benefit of radio stations which means I don't have to look anything up. Result!

Released on May 21st 2007 it precedes the UK release of his debut album Ash Wednesday.
He appears to be hot of the back of critically acclaimed tours in the US supporting Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Cold War Kids (no, me neither) and he is down to tour in the UK with Willy Mason.
I have resisted the temptation to check out his list Myspace page.

Elvis Perkins - All the Night Without Love

Elvis Perkins - The Dumps

Wednesday 28 June 2017

Burnt Offerings 23


We are kicking off today with Iowan Dan Bern and the title track from his 2001 album New Amrican Language.
Part Americana, part folk he also resorts to talking Blues on occasions usually on his protest songs which are often humorous in nature and often lead to comparisons with Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie

Dan Bern - New American Language


The next two offerings are somewhat more noisy in nature.
L7 are a Log Angeles female rock band active between 1985 and 2001 with the obligatory reunion in 2014.
Associated with grunge and an influence for riot grrrl bands they infamously caused some controversy in the UK when vocalist and guitarist Donita Sparks flashed on the TV programme The Word in 1992. Rock'n'Roll!

L7 -Moonshine



Finally   we have Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV the man formerly know as Black Francis and the main man of  one of the most influential bands of  recent years The Pixies
Upon leaving the Pixies in 1997 he formed the band Frank Black & the Catholics. 6 albums followed prior to him getting back with the Pixies in 2003.
This song is from their second album from 1999 Pistolero

Frank Black & the Catholics - I Want Rock'n'Roll


Tuesday 27 June 2017

Oxfam Singles - Teenage Fanclub


I visited the Oxfam music shop on Glasgow's Victoria Road at the weekend.
The vinyl prices have gone crazy. What used to be a pound is now three, three now six with some reasonably bog standard second hand records going for upwards of twenty quid.
I suppose they are charging what some folk are willing to pay.And hey it's for charity although I always see Oxfam more as a multi national big business that a charity but maybe that's just me.
I restricted myself to the three CD singles for a pound section with 6 purchases that will feature over the next few weeks.
Teenage Fanclub Have Lost It is probably technically an EP given that it has four tracks
From 1995 on Creation it contains acoustic versions of  previously recorded songs.
Here are the first two -Don't Look Back (from Grand Prix ) and Everything Flows (from A Catholic Education)
Tracks 3 and 4 will feature shortly.
Seven quid on Discogs!

Teenage Fanclub - Don't Look Back

Teenage Fanclub - Everything Flows

Monday 26 June 2017

Slippage


I know what you have been thinking- there has been a dearth of songs by Slobberbone on the old blogosphere recently.
Strangely, I have been thinking exactly the same thing .
So here are the band from the Texan college town of Denton and featuring the world's tallest bass player with a couple of songs from Slippage an album from 2002 on New West Records.

Some alt country numbers and some a bit more thrashy. I've gone thrashy today and what a splendid racket these two songs serve up.

Slobberbone - Springfield, Il

Slobberbone -Write Me Off

Sunday 25 June 2017

The Pride of Mississippi


The post title is a play on words on the artists name  and  the album title.
I'm not that sure what your average Mississippi rednecks take would be on a black Country artist.
That however never bothered Charley  Pride too much and he went on to have a stellar career.

Picked up, as you would imagine, in a charity shop for a couple of quid. Worth that for the title track alone. The rest are not all that special.
I've told this story before but I unfortunately missed the opportunity to see Charley's brother Eddie (he plays all Charley's tunes) live in Ullapool as I was working on that particular evening.
Some other time perhaps

Charley Pride - Roll On Mississippi

Charley pride -You Almost Slipped My Mind

Saturday 24 June 2017

Springsteen Covered -Because the Night



Bruce managed to stop the rot last week with a narrow victory over Townes Van Zandt with Racing in the Streets
So the scores are now The Boss 8  The Rest 6 

And now for something completely different. I'd always though that Springsteen had "given" Because the Night to Patti Smith. It turns out that she altered the lyrics resulting in the classic version being credited to Springsteen/Smith
Bruce's take on this turns up on The Promise.
Although never released as a studio version he performed it during the Darkness Tour using the original lyrics and I have managed to track down a copy.
Bruce may have originally written this but it is Patti's version for me all day long.Absolutely no contest.

I can't believe that anyone out there would disagree

Bruce Springsteen - Because the Night

Patti Smith - Because the Night

Bruce Springsteen - Because the Night (live/original lyrics)

Friday 23 June 2017

77


No, it's not my age although it does feel like it sometimes.
Rather it is the debut album from that year by Talking Heads.
I've had the urge to feature this for a few days now and I find it best not to fight such things.
I love the Velvets influences and the fact that sometimes it sounds like it is at the wrong speed - particularly on Psycho Killer.
Despite the influences a totally unique and original sound and an introduction to a band who excited us all for a good few years.
It was maybe ok in 77 (Labour in UK and Jimmy Carter in the US) but they have got it wrong with the current regimes (on both sides of the pond) with the title of the second number featured below.

Talking Heads - Uh -oh Love Comes to Town

Talking Heads - Don't Worry About the Government

Thursday 22 June 2017

I've Got The Abattoir Blues


Just be grateful that I didn't post a picture of an  actual abattoir.
The 2004 double album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is one of Mrs CC's.
I'm honestly not sure whether I've ever given it a listen before but now I've listened to at least half of it as I gave Abattoir Blues a blast in the car on the way to and from work on Tuesday.
And rather good it is too - particularly these two tracks.Typical Cave noisy and lyrical in equal measures.
Number one in Greece and Norway apparently.
I suspect that I wont be long in getting round to playing the other one  and if you behave yourselves I may just share some of it with you.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds -Nature Boy

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues

Wednesday 21 June 2017

Burnt Offerings 22


Burnt Offerings returns with Volume 22 and this week it is Ladies Night - Ladies with attitude that is.

We start in Boston , Massachusetts with Dresden Dolls featuring the dulcet tones of Ms Amanda Palmer with some of their self described Brechtian punk cabaret . This song is taken from their 2006 alum Yes Virginia

Dresden Dolls -Dirty Business


From Massachusetts (and indeed Virginia) we take the small hop to Pennsylvania to touch base with Alecia Beth Moore  better known to you and I as Pink.
God is a D.J. is probably all the Pink that you will ever need and is certainly the only tune of hers that is  likely to grace these pages

Pink - God is a D.J.



Lastly but not leastly we return to Boston to meet up with Rhode Islander the great Tanya Donely of Throwing Muses, The Breeders and Belly fame.
Not content with being a member of these three seminal bands she found time for some solo outings with this song being taken from her 2002 album Beautysleep

Tanya Donely - The Night You Saved My Life

More random nonsense next week (only 10 more volumes to go!)

Tuesday 20 June 2017

This is the Story


BBC Scotland appears to be on a bit of a roll at the moment when it comes to documentaries.
In addition to the two I mentioned on Sunday tomorrow night sees The Proclaimers: This is the Story commemorating 30 years since the release of their debut album of the same name.
At the time many folk saw the Auchtermuchty twins Craig and Charlie Reid as something of a novelty act and I suspect that a few still do.
The reason? They had the audacity to sing with a Scottish accent something that was pretty rare if not unique back then.
If you think of all the acts that have followed who are happy to sing without bastardizing their mother tongue we surely owe them a debt of gratitude for not  flattening all the vowels and throwing the R away.

The Proclaimers- Throw The "R" Away

The Proclaimers - Over and Done With

Monday 19 June 2017

North Hills Meet Laurel Canyon


I got North Hills the 2009 debut album by Los Angeles band Dawes out the library a few years ago and have only ever given it a couple of cursory listens.
I put it on the other day and was immediately hearing comparisons to the music coming out of Laurel Canyon in the early 70's which let's face it is no bad thing.
I can also hear comparisons to The Low Anthem Maybe it's just me.
I'm not familiar with any of their other stuff and I see that there are a further four albums out there. Some further exploration is clearly required.

Dawes- That Western Skyline

Dawes - When My Time Comes

Sunday 18 June 2017

Ferguslie Park and Birthday Murals


Today's post is inspired by two recent BBC Scotland television documentaries.
The first was Paisley: The Town that Thread Built telling the story of the textiles industry in the Renfrewshire town of Paisley and in particular the influence of the thread manufacturers J&P Coates who at one point were the third largest company in the world
There was a massive mill in Ferguslie Park which has now long gone and Ferguslie Park is now identified as the most deprived area in Scotland although some excellent regeneration work is underway.
Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan of Stealers Wheel were both Fegs as was the artist John Byrne who designed the cover of their 1974 album Ferguslie Park.

John Byrne also popped up in another documentary as he was one of three artists (the others being Jack Vettriano and Rachel Maclean) commissioned by Glasgow to paint portrait's to celebrate the 75th birthday of the legend that is Billy Connolly ( make that Sir Big Yin)
Not content with commissioning the portraits the city has had then put up as 50 foot murals on gable ends across the city here
Makes you proud to be a Weegie!

Stealers Wheel - Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind

Stealers Wheel - Steamboat Row

Saturday 17 June 2017

Springsteen Covered - Racing in the Streets

Portrait by Jon Langford





Last time round Bruce was up against Kevin Montgomery with I Wish I Were Blind. The scoring was a bit cryptic but I think Kevin just shaded it giving a score of The Boss 7 The Rest 6.
The gap has considerably narrowed over the last few weeks although I suspect it might widen again after this week's offering.
Racing in the Streets is best known as a song from Darkness on the Edge of Town but I have opted for the version which appears on The Promise.
The competition this week comes from the late great Townes Van Zandt.
Much as I love Townes this is probably not one of his better attempts at a cover so it is Springsteen for me this week.
Others of course may choose to differ.

Bruce Springsteen - Racing in the Streets (78)

Townes Van Zandt - Racing in the Streets

Tuesday 13 June 2017

Angels


A couple of weeks ago WYCRA had the word Angel as their Saturday Song Challenge.

At the time I mentioned that  I had once made a compilation CD for Mrs CC for songs with Angel in the title.
This seems like an appropriate time to feature some of them.

Normal service will resume shortly.

Rod Stewart - Angel

Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart -Angels

Bertha Tillman - Oh My Angel

Saturday 10 June 2017

Rest Easy


Thank you for all you kind words - they mean a lot to me and my family.

Sadly mum passed away on Wednesday evening. We are taking some comfort in that she is now at peace and no longer suffering.
Mum wasn't much of a music fan but she did like a bit of Shirley Bassey

Rest easy Jinty x

Shirley Bassey - Diamonds Are Forever

Wednesday 7 June 2017

CCM editorial

You may have noticed that it has been quiet here recently and that I have not been commenting on other posts.
The reason is that my mum is seriously ill and we have been spending all our time with her.
You will understand that I have neither the time nor the inclination to post at the moment.
I will return in due course

CC

Sunday 4 June 2017

Forever Mod??


I've featured Forever Mod before. A 2 CD compilation of 48 tunes of smokin' jazz, sensual soul, stormin' ska and classic blues which apparently influenced the beginnings of the Mod Scene. Purchased for 3 quid in Morrisons in Dunoon.
I can't really see the  link myself in the majority of the tracks but there are some absolute belters.
These two probably go down as rhythm and blues as opposed to any of the genres described above.
I must track down Honky Tonk Pt 1
Next week I may go down the classic blues route

Huey Smith - Pop Eye

Bill Doggett -Honky Tonk Pt.2


Saturday 3 June 2017

Springsteen Covered - I Wish I Were Blind


A bit of controversy following last week's voting for If I Should Fall Behind. Bruce fairly convincingly beat Grant McLellan but was outvoted by those that opted for the version by Dion provided by Drew in the comments!
So it is now The Boss 7 The Rest 5
Last week Lucky Town this week the sister album Human Touch and I Wish I Were Blind.
This week Springsteen is up against Kevin Montgomery.Not his version from Another Long Story his album with Pettibone but the live version from Kevin Montgomery and the Road Trippers - Live! From Glasgow. Recorded at King Tut's Wah -Wah Hut on Friday June 27th 2003.

Bruce's version is clearly the better one but I am going for Kevin COS I WAS THERE!

Others will probably choose to disagree and may even come up with a better version


Bruce Springsteen - I Wish I Were Blind

Kevin Montgomery & the Road Trippers - I Wish I Were Blind

Friday 2 June 2017

Nevermind - Glitterhouse is 20


I know some of you were beginning to get a bit twitchy given that there has been no Americana round these parts yet this week.
Well twitch no longer as I give you Glitterhouse is 20 (in fact given that this is from February  2005 they are actually 32)
One of the two great German Americana labels (the other being Blue Rose) they are from Beverungen in North Rhine-Westphalia and were founded by Reinhart Holstein and Rembert Stiewe. Gentlemen, we salute you
A number of their artists have previously graced these pages  including the two featured below
A three CD compilation comprising of 51 tracks with CD 3 effectively being a Glitterhouse Greatest Hits. Not surprisingly these two are from that disc.
If this is to hard to track down or outwith your price range - worry not. Come Fly With Us a single CD compilation is available out there for buttons.

Jon Dee Graham - Big Sweet Life

Nadine - Angela

Thursday 1 June 2017

Listen Without Prejudice


Those of you, like me, who may be expecting to hear some scuzzy blues today  are going to be sadly disappointed.
I picked up what I though was a copy of El Camino by the Black Keys in  a charity shop in Stanraer.
Having been stung before I checked that there was a disc inside.

So far so good.
It soon became apparent however that even with Dangermouse at the controls that this wasn't the raw blues sound of  Messrs Auerbach and Carey that I had anticipated
The music however was OK with tracks 2 and 5 actually being pretty good..
Closer inspection revealed the following words a couple of millimetres in height around the rim of the CD
Kasabian/Velopciraptor!

Kasabian - Days Are Forgotten

Kasabian -Velociraptor!