Return of the Grievous Angel

 

This week's Americana compilation features many of the royalty of the genre.

From 1999  on the Almo Sounds label Return of the Grievous Angel album is a tribute to the late great Gram Parsons a man who practically invented Americana

Thirteen cover versions that reads like a who's who  of the great and the good. It is fitting that Gram's musical partner on his two solo albums Emmylou Harris features on  three of the thirteen songs. They are all excellent versions but nobody will ever come close to the harmonies between Emmylou and Gram.

The one I've gone for today is Juanita,a Flying Buritto Brothers number, where Emmylou is joined by Sheryl Crow.

There are some solo artists and bands of the album but I find myself drawn to the duets.

Return of the Grievous Angel is such a great song and Lucinda Williams and David Crosby certainly do it justice.

I couldn't ignore the solo version of Hickory Wind by Gillian Welsh.

The other ten are none too shabby giving us a wonderful tribute album. It's not that often you can say that.You really should have it in your life or better still the originals.Or both.

Emmylou Harris & Sheryl Crow - Juanita

Lucinda Williams & David Crosby -Return of the Grievous Angel

Gillian Welsh - Hickory Wind

Saturday Shuffle 136

 

It's Shuffle time again and we are heading off to the Badlands in the company of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. A song guaranteed to blow away the cobwebs.

If you were given the choice between the Badlands and Goa I'm pretty sure that most of you would opt for Goa. Not so the Alabama 3 who are adamant that they Ain't Going to Goa

Nothing to do with Geography on the final random offering,Rather Big Thief are offering up the wise words that Love is Mine

Some more Shuffling next Saturday.

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Badlands

Alabama 3 - Ain't Going to Goa

Big Thief - Love is Mine

One Breath

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases #11 - Anna Calvi - One Breath

A couple of weeks ago I found myself back at Clarkston Toll the scene of the Americana Haul.

I didn't have much time as Mrs CC was waiting in the car. I started in Cancer Research where I had stumbled across the half a dozen Americana CDs but hardly surprisingly there were none left. A quick trawl  in the other shops left me empty handed. I quickly double backed to Cancer Reseach as I had seen the above CD by Anna Calvi for 50p and didn't want to leave empty handed.

From 2013 on the Domino label One Breath was Anna's second album. It is described on Bandcamp as  a bold and confident record that begins an exciting new chapter in this uniquely talented artist’s career.

After the first listen I thought that this is not for me and that it is definitely going back. After a second listen I'm not as sure. There are clear comparisons with P.J, Harvey and I found myself enjoying a few of the songs.

However, it is not one I'm likely to listen to often if at all so I will content myself with downloading it and returning it to charity given space remains as a premium

Anna Calvi - Eliza

Anna Calvi -Suddenly

News of the World -8

 

It's the late, late addition before the last remaining papers are pulped and on-line and TV become the only ways to access the news. I reckon that there will be no newspapers left by about 2030.

Today's headliner is The National the Scottish Independence daily newspaper. Although I support the sentiment I can't say that I've ever read the paper. The National probably have although today they seem more content with the Tropic Morning News. Let's face it the weather is  surely more promising.

Blind John Davis has requested No Mail Today. Given that the Daily Mail is a Tory/Reform fascist rag that's surely no bad thing. Indeed as 10cc would have it boycotting it is clearly Good News

You would be better off with the Mirror or like Whiskeytown even better with the Mirror Mirror.

I must admit I found this particular series to be a particular chore and a struggle and I'm not unhappy to see the end of it 

Just an afterthought - the internet is not very good for wrapping china or drying your wet shoes

The National - Tropic Morning News

10cc - Good News

Blind John Davis -No Mail Today

Whiskeytown - Mirror Mirror

The Blues Collection -Wynonie Harris

 

From the same visit to Missing Records which gave us Reconsider Baby by Lonnie Brooks I give you number 90 in the series Around the Clock Blues by Wynonie Harris.

Number 90 was officially the last CD in the series but I think that there was at least one compilation subsequently added on at the end,

The tracks on Reconsider Baby were recorded in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville between1944 and 1946 when he was in his early 30's.

Wynonie was a Blues shouter and best remembered for  his upbeat songs.He is attributed as one of the founding fathers of rock'n' roll with his song Good Rocking Tonight.

He also had a reputation for humour and often ribald lyrics but that probably came later.

 He performed up until 1969 when he sadly died from esophageal cancer at the ridiculously young age of 53

This takes my total for the series up to 66.Only 24 to go!

Wynonie Harris - Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well

Wynomie Harris - I've Gotta Lyin' Woman

I-Pod Playlist -Rockabilly Rebels

 

This week's I-Pod playlist is slightly different as it does not concentrate on a theme but rather on a musical genre.

From the title and the picture above the more astute among you will have worked out that the genre is Rockabilly.

I've tried to avoid some of the usual newer acts like the Stray Cats, the Polecats and the Shakin' Pyramids but have gone back to the original stuff from the late 50s/early 60s

Lets begin with the Queen of Rockabilly herself the great Wanda Jackson. Here she is with the equally great Fujiyama Mama.

Wanda is followed by another legend namely Carl Perkins who urges you to Put Your Cat Clothes on.

They might look dapper with a Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache as advocated by Warren Smith.

Next week's playlist theme is  Countrywise 

Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama

Carl Perkins - Put Your Cat Clothes On

Warren Smith - Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache

The Idea of You

 

When my Internet was down for a few days I had to adopt some fairly radical practices which included actually listening to some albums.

I was listening to some  of the vinyl in the A-D section and a theme quickly began to develop in that I found myself listening exclusively to Scottish albums.

From memory the artists selected were Admiral Fallow, the Bathers, Broken Chanter, Butler Blake & Grant, Edwyn Collins, Constant Follower and Dropkick.

There's a potential series there.

The Idea of You was the 4th album by Admiral Fallow released in 2021 on  Chemikal Underground. I bought it when band members Louis Abbot and Sarah Hayes did an in house acoustic set at Some Great Reward's former premises on Glasgow's Victoria Road.

It was the first time I'd played it in ages and its fair to say that I was pretty much blown away.

When doing some "research" I found out that they released an album called First Of The Birds last year something I was blissfully unaware of. One to explore further.

Admiral Fallow -Sleepwalking

Admiral Fallow -Tuesday Grey