The Blues Collection - Lonnie Brooks

 

The post from August 2025 featuring Fats Domino gives some history as to my Blues Collection quest

This outlined how the flood has become a trickle with new acquisitions rarer than hens teeth.

A few weeks ago I was in Missing Records and lo and behold there were a couple from the Blues Collection that I didn't have.

One was number 40 featuring Lonnie Brooks with Reconsider Baby .His was a new name to me.  A quick Google search reads Lonnie Brooks was an American blues singer and guitarist. The musicologist Robert Palmer, writing in Rolling Stone, stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, brimming with novel harmonic turnarounds, committed vocals and simply astonishing guitar work.

The 10 tracks on the CD are from live performances in France from December 1975 when he was blazing a trail across Europe and leaving rapturous reviews in his wake .Indeed they are none too shabby.

I ended up picking this up again in a subsequent visit to Missing. I had updated my spreadsheet after the first purchase but had forgotten to update to Google Drive from where I can access it via my phone. A schoolboy error..

Lonnie Brooks - Reconsider Baby

Lonnie Brooks - Crazy 'Bout You Baby

I- Pod Playlist - Rivers

 

This week' I-Pod Playlist is Rivers

Many on the tracks on the  I-Pod playlist have not made it to the Music folder but a good few have. There have also been many river related tracks on here including the River Deep or Mountain High compare and contrast series.

Drank Like a River by Whiskeytown has made it to these pages several times before and rightly so.

Somewhere Down the Crazy River by Robbie Robertson has appeared here only once before just over ten years ago. Time then for a second appearance.

Up on Cripple Creek by The Band has also appeared here once before in 2023 as part of the Debra Haul

The next I-Pod Playlistt will be Rockabilly Rebel featuring songs from that genre.

Whiskeytown - Drank Like A River

Robbie Robertson - Somewhere Down The Crazy River

The Band - Up On Cripple Creek

Neil Sedaka - A Guest Post

 

George writes:

I saw via 2 reliable media sources (The Guardian and here) that Neil Sedaka had died.  He was one of those people responsible for a huge number of insanely catchy pop songs,  especially in the late 50s  through the 1960s, sometimes with his friend Howard Greenfield, at times on his own. I had no idea he wrote Is This The Way to Amarillo? until I started this piece, but it comes as no surprise, it somehow has that Neil Sedaka feel to it.  I think he came to my musical attention when I started buying singles in the early 70s, when his career revived.  Like all good pop songs, this one comes in at about three m

inutes:

Neil Sedaka - Laughter in the Rain

I suggested a stroll around the country lanes by the farm on Saturday with my baby, and there was no sign of rain, but I was told No! 

Neil Sedaka had the huge talent to compose a simple, melodic and memorable tune, something we could all easily sing along to.  I think the second tune here is simply a genius pop song:

Neil Sedaka -Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Pop perfection that tune. I’m not alone in having a soft spot for the music of the great man, I’ve just seen Alyson’s glowing (and much better than this load of bobbins) tribute here. 

Good god, he wrote this too, again I had no idea until Saturday.

Enjoy the music.

CC writes:

Thanks George .

There is a lot of love for Mr Sedaka out there and rightly so

Bob Harris Presents - Volume 4

 

"Whispering" Bob Harris is probably best known for hosting The Old Grey Whistle Test  on BBC2 in the 1970s

From the turn of  the century he presented a Country show on BBC Radio 2 on a Thurday evening  with a focus on Americana.

I think that there were 5 CDs in this series on Assembly Records. The only one I have is Volume 4 from 2005  - tracklist here which was a charity acquisition.

This one is right up my street given that I have albums  and / or have seen live more than half of the 15 acts who appear on the CD.

I've gone for Rosie Thomas, Rod Picott and Jon Dee Graham although there were a good few others on the long list.

Rosie Thomas - Wedding Day

Rod Picott - Torn in Two

John Dee Graham - One Moment.

Saturday Shuffle 134

 

Yeah, the Shuffle is back after having enjoyed a well deserved weeks rest.

We start with a man who never seemed to rest. I am of course revering to this week's cover star the legendary Pop Stables a pivotal figure in gospel and soul music and the leader of the incredible Stable Singers. He was born in 1914  the youngest of 14 children Down in Mississippi

Syl Johnson was another Mississippi man turning his hand to both Blues and Soul which clearly was just his luck. 

It's wall to wall legends this week as we conclude with Fairport Convention. Throwaway Street was the 1968 b-side to Meet On The Ledge and was also to be found on bonus editions of What We Did On Our Holidays.

Meet me on the Ledge next Saturday for some more shuffling.

Pops Stables -Down In Mississippi

Syl Johnson - That's Just My Luck

Fairport Convention - Throwaway Street

News of the World - 6

 

For years the Daily Record has been the most popular daily tabloid  newspaper in Scotland. For years it also sided with Labour though it has taken a more critical independent stance in recent years. Most popular for its football (i.e The Old Firm) it still adopts a centre left stance. I'm not sure that all of this was on Kathryn Edwards mind when she recorded For The Record.

I could imagine Mark E Smith sitting in a pub with a fag and a pint reading the Sunday People and wondering Why Are People Grudgeful.

 Simon & Garfunkel are up with the larks to get the Seven O'Clock News while Karine Polwart is just interested in the news in general.

The penultimate edition will be published next week.

Kathryn Edwards - For The Record

The Fall -Why Are People Grudgeful

Simon & Garfunkel - 7 O'Clock News -Silent Night

Karine Polwart - The News

He's Back

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #9 - John Prine - Live

He's back. Apologies for my absence.The main reason was that the internet router needed replaced. Plus an upgraded Tivo box led to much navigation on the Smart TV. Oh and the washing machine was not rinsing. Fortunately with the help of You Tube I was able to fix it saving a £95 call out charge.

Back to the music. The most outstanding Charity Shop purchase yet to feature is John Prine Live  a concert recorded live in The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano  and released on his Oh Boy Label in 1988. I picked it up in the Oxfam shop in Troon.

Now I like live music as much as the next person and don't mind a bit of chat from the artist(s) and I can even endure a small degree of audience participation . But when it is on an album and is subject to repetition well that's a different matter. I'm happy to hear the tales once but that's it. Sadly this album is guilty of that.

That's not to say that there aren't some great songs on the album. John is joined by Bonnie Raitt on Angel From Montgomery  and does a great version of Speed to the Sound of Loneliness. 

Sam Stone would have featured were it not for the preamble  of John talking about a visit to the war memorial in Washington. It's interesting but not something I want to hear every time I hear the song.

However my major gripe is the lyrics on the last line of the chorus of The Accident (Things Could Be Worse) here . I've not printed it lest I receive another warning flag

From 1988 but straight out of the MAGA songbook. It has pretty much ruined the album for me .

It has had me reflecting on my admiration for Mr Prine Some say it is satire and highlights suburban types who are scared of minorities (eg GB News listeners) I certainly hope so.

John Prine & Bonnie Raitt -Angel From Montgomery

John Prine -Speed of the Sound of Loneliness