Relegation Material

 

Once again I have reached the stage that many Bloggers will be familiar with namely the Space Conundrum.

It is getting close to a one in, one out policy and drastic action is required.

The somewhat ad hoc blues/ rockabilly/ rock'n' roll section is full to bursting with no space to expand or to allow for newer CDs

It is time then to be ruthless and to downgrade some physical Burns to digital Downloads.

The first burn to receive this measure is the album Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats from 2015  on Stax by the band of the same name. It was released to a fair degree of hype but it is one that I've never really taken to.

The second album subjected to the same fate is Fish Ain't Bitin' by Bluesman Corey Harris from 1997 on the Alligator label. It probably came to my attention via The Blues Show with Paul Jones which used to be on Radio 2. 

I gave it its first listen in an age and felt fully justified with the downgrade. It's one I can't see myself listening to any time soon.

I suspect that there will be a few posts along these lines in due course.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - S.O.B.

Cory Harris - Fish Aint Bitin'

i-Pod Playlist - Countrywise

 

This week's I-Pod playlist is Countrywise i.e. songs that reference Country names in their title.

There are plenty to choose from and hopefully I have gone for three which you  wouldn't necessarily think of immediately.

Having said that I may well have failed on the first hurdle as I give you Big in Japan by Alphaville. Back in the day when Mrs CC noticed that I was looking at my Blog stats she would ask " Are you big in Japan?" Our Japanese friends are reasonably frequent visitors but I haven't seen any recently. Should any visit this post I hope that they don't find it too patronising.

It is unusual but not unknown for cover versions to be better than the original songs. I'm sure that you all can come up with some examples. For me a prime example is Sinead O'Connor's version of the John Grant song Queen of Denmark.

We are heading back to the Orient for today's final offering. Indeed we are going Somewhere In China in the company of the Shop Assistants.

Next weeks Playlist theme is Cowboy Copas and you will be relieved to know that we are now over halfway through this series.

Alphaville - Big in Japan

Sinead O'Connor - Queen of Denmark

Shop Assistants - Somewhere in China

The Life of Brian

 

A couple of weeks ago Ernie very kindly brought the eponymous album Railcard here on Slumberland Records to my attention.

It is a very pleasant listen with plenty of jingle jangle included. About 30 seconds in I thought that this one would interest Brian.  I sent a message to him saying that this would be right up his street if he did not already have it.

It was no great surprise when he replied that he did indeed have it. I would have been more surprised if he hadn't.

He also gave me a rundown on some of the music that he was currently enjoying. One such band was  Pugwash a power pop act from Dublin who have been going strong since 1999. The track below is taken from their 2015 album Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends). A band I would definitely go and see.

Another band that he namechecked was Would- Be- Goods a UK band fronted by Jessica Griffen. They have recently released an album on Skep Wax called Tears Before Bedtime. If you like your music slightly twee this is the one for you.

Thanks for widening my horizons  Ernie and Brian 

So much music so little time, money and space!

Railcard - Railcard

Pugwash - Kicking and Screaming

Would - Be - Goods - Tears for Leda

Mr Tambourine Man

 

My quest to obtain all 8 of the 1960s albums by The Byrds has taken another step forward with the acquisition of their 1965 debut Mr Tambourine Man.

Sadly it is not the original vinyl copy that I pickued up but rather the 1989 European CD release by CBS.

The band at this time  consisted of  Jim (Roger) McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby,Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke

12 tracks (including 3 Bob Dylan songs) and 31.35 minutes long. Ir would be remiss not to include the title track, penned by Dylan, particularly as it is quite probably the original reference to jingle jangle.

I Feel a Whole Lot Better was written by Gene Clark with  The Bells of Rhymney being penned by Idris Davies and Pete Seger.

Only Dr Byrds & Mr Hyde (March 1969 US  and April in the UK ) and Ballad of Easy Rider released in the US in November 69 and the UK in January 1970 to get.

The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man

The Byrds - I Feel a Whole Lot Better

The Byrds - The Bells of Rhymney

Blog Country 136 - Fiji

 

A wee change this week from yet another African country as we head to Melanesia  in the South Pacific to visit the Republic of Fiji. As you can see from the flag it is part of the British Commonwealth (although it gained independence in 1970) so will be visiting Glasgow soon for the mini Commonwealth Games.

Back to stamps I had a reasonable number from Fiji as my friend had relatives there.

I thought it may be near Palau but it is actually 5492km away so the music is not necessarily similar.

Lets start with the late George Brooks Veikoso  a Fijian singer-songwriter, musician, producer and occasional actor. Here he gives us the Chant of the Islands.

Vaqaqa Voli is next up. The only information I can find is in  Fijian so I have no information on the band or the song Nuku Vula Serau other than it is a reggae number.Reggae seems to be a popular genre in Fiji

Makare give us the song Na Gauna. They could well be named after a beach on Naviti Island

Cakau Ni Mana Kei Uluinaviriviri have one of the longest names I've ever had to type. Thankfully the song title Ni Dau Tukini is considerably shorter. They hail from Tawake.

As you can probably guess Jamaica, Jamaica is another reggae number. This time Xenon Beats do the honours.

We briefly head back to Africa next time round.

George Brooks Veikoso - Chant of the Islands

Vaqaqa Voli - Nuku Vula Serau

Makare - Na Guana

Cakau Ni Mana Kei Ulinavirivire - Ni Dau Tukinii

Xenon Beats - Jamaica, Jamaica (Remix)

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