Dwight Sings Buck

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases # 35 - Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Sings Buck

I am on record for saying that when it comes to the music of Dwight Yoakam that you are best to concentrate on his pre 2000 Albums.

However, I am prepared to make an exception when he is covering the songs of Buck Owens.

As AllMusic writes Is there any singer better suited to record an album of Buck Owens covers than Dwight Yoakam? ... this is a tribute in the purest sense of the word, and an album no fan of either artist should miss

The album was released on 23rd October 2007 on New West Records so not as new as I originally thought.

There were a couple of other post 2000 albums but I thought I should quit while I was ahead

Dwight Yoakam - My Heart Skips A Beat

Dwight Yoakam - Cryin' Time

Dwight Yoakam - Excuse Me ( I Think I've Got a Heartache)

Best of Dave Edmunds

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases # 34 - Dave Edmunds - The Best Of

I hit gold over two or three visits to the Sue Ryder shop in Newton Stewart. Someone had obviously handed in a decent number of decent CDs and I was in the right place at the right time to fill my boots.

The Best of  Dave Edmunds CD is a 13 track album on Swan Song from 1981- track list here

When I got home I discovered I already had The Many Sides of Dave Edmunds -The Greatest Hits and More here

Fortunately there are a few songs on this one which don't appear on the other so I will draw from them.

Normally I would have checked the spreadsheet on my phone but I was too busy stripping the shelves.

Space may dictate that this one will require to go back. We'll see.

Dave Edmunds - Deborah

Dave Edmunds - A.1. On The Juke Box

Dave Edmunds - The Creature From The Black Lagoon

Faith, Hope, Charity and Lightfoot

 

2026 Charity Shop Purchases # 33 - Gordon Lightfoot - Complete Greatest Hits

He's back! We have returned from deepest, darkest Galloway with purchases.

I got a huge haul from Sue Ryder in Newton Stewart but more of that later. Let's start with my solitary purchase from the Faith, Hope and Charity Shop in Whithorn.

I've amassed a good few Gordon Lightfoot songs but didn't have any CDs or Records by him. Complete Greatest Hits at 50p seemed as good as any to start with for 50p.

It is a bit battered and torn but with the exception of the first track it plays ok.

I've decided to forego the three classics which we all know and love and which have featured here before namely If You Could Read My Mind, Sundown and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

I'm sure you'll agree that the three substitutes are none too shabby

Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian Railroad Trilogy

Gordon Lightfoot - Bitter Green

Gordon Lightfoot - Rainy Day People

Blog Country 151 - Zimbabwe

 

I was a bit surprised that 50 countries since I started recording them after the first 100 have appeared here before Zimbabwe.

The landlocked Republic of Zimbabwe is a country in the South of Africa  formerly known as Southern Rhodesia a self governing British colony. It officially gained internationally recognised independence on 18th April 1980.

Fortunately I  didn't have to go searching too far for music as I have music from a few Zimbabwean artists.

First up are the magnificent Bhundu Boys with Baba Munini Francis. Championed by John Peel and Andy Kershaw they somehow ended up residing in Hawick in the Scottish Borders. I saw them put on a couple of brilliant concerts in Glasgow. From their 1986 album Shabini, which is a must have, here is Baba Munini Francis.

Zeke Manyika, who somehow became the drummer with Orange Juice, is also no stranger to these pages. Here he is walking in Kelvingrove, one of Glasgow's many fine parks.

The Real Sounds of Africa came to my attention via Cooking Vinyl samplers . Here they turn out as football commentators  for Dynamos vs Tornados.

Oliver Mtukudzi, Tuko, to his fans , came to my attention via his song Rirongere  from The Essential African Album another sampler this time from the magazine Songlines.

Last, but certainly not least we have The Lion of Zimbabwe  namely Thomas Mapfumo with his band The Blacks Unlimited .The song Moyo Wambo is from their 1989 album Corruption.

I suspect BC152 will be slightly trickier!

Bhundu Boys - Baba Munini Francis

Zeke Manyika - Kelvingrove

The Real Sounds of Africa - Dynamos vs Tornados

Oliver Mtukozi - Rirongere

Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited - Moyo Wango

There will be nothing to see here for a couple of weeks as we are off to deepest, darkest Galloway fora well deserved holiday.

Some (Relatively) New Music

 

 Some new music has recently crossed my path. In all the albums featuring today I have only had the opportunity to give them a cursory listen to so far. Time will tell whether my witterings are accurate or not.

First up Teenage Fanclub released their 13th studio album Do Not Dare to Dream on 9th October here It has to be said that the last two albums Endless Arcade (2021) and Nothing Lasts Forever (2023) have been a bit disappointing. This one has a bit of a folky feel to it and it may well become a grower. Having said that I'm not tempted as yet to purchase it.

Teenage Fanclub - There Was You

George brought Sanctuary Park the latest album by The Jayhawks to my attention here. And do you know what it's bloody brilliant. It is easily the best thing that they have come up with since 2003's Rainy Day Music.

I may well consider stumping out for this one if the price is right.

The Jayhawks - Keeping Our Heads About Water

Our dear friend The Swede has been busy recently clocking up the miles to see Robyn Hitchcock in concert. I would image that Robyn would have taken the opportunity to promote some songs from his most recent album The Confuser here

As usual the songs are both bonkers but brilliant. 

Is that Robyn or The Swede on the cover?

Robyn Hitchcock - Building From The Ruins

 

The Hanging Stars at Mono

 

I went to see The Hanging Stars at Mono on Saturday Night.

My bus didn't turn up and I had to take another one into the City Centre which is a fair walk from Mono particularly as I took a bit of a detour to avoid the bams.

I still got there in time to see the opening act. Bogle. They  are a psychedelic guitar-pop four-piece from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. They are Adam McCafferty (guitar, vocals), Jacob Duffy (bass, vocals), Evie Seenan (acoustic drum kit) and Joe O'Donnell (guitar/vocals)

They are very young, very loud and very good. Apparently they are part of Glasgow's "The Cabbage" collective  of like minded young bands, whatever that might be. They are scheduled to release an album featuring 2 EP's on LNFG shortly.

I think that this is the fourth time I've seen The Hanging Stars, once at Stereo with Gerry Love as support, and twice at the Glad Cafe.

Mono is certainly bigger than the Glad Cafe, not sure about Stereo , but it certainly wasn't full. As per usual they put on a terrific show with Ava the highlight as always.

One small observation - although they are good on record and terrific live I feel they were better when they had Joe Harvey- Whyte on pedal steel

I'm pretty sure I saw J.C. skulking in the background!

The Hanging Stars - The Glasshouse

The Hanging Stars - Let It Slide

Please excuse the quality of the picture above - I have a cheap, crappy phone

It's Duck in a Microwave Time

 

Q -What happens if you put a duck in a microwave.

A - Its Bill Withers!

I very nearly bought a Greatest Hits by Bill Withers the other day but I'm glad to say I didn't .

The reason?I already have a Best Of subtitled Lovely Day (a song I can live without) which I bought for buttons in a sale at Clarkston Library a few years back.

It is a bit of a misnomer to call them Greatest Hits or Best Of given that neither feature I Can't Write Left Handed.

I am prepared to allow a bit of kudos however for Who Is He (And What Is He To You?)

Also Ain't No Sunshine is  also not too shabby

Bill Withers - I Can't Write Left-Handed

Bill Withers - Who Is He (And What Is He To You)

Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine