If it Ain't Stiff -2

 

I once wrote to Bloodshot Records proclaiming that they were the best label in the world. They replied thanking me and saying that Tamla Motown, Chess and Stiff Records were better

By way of proof here are the next four tracks on the compilation album If It Ain't Stiff...

We start with the Welsh legend that is Dave Edmunds. At 82 years of age he has now retired from the songwriting , guitar playing and record producing game. His contribution to the compilation(try saying that without you teeth in) is a cover of the Chuck Berry song Jo Jo Gunne.

Next up is actress cum comedian cum singer Tracey Ullman with the song My Guy a cover of the Madness song My Girl with suitably altered lyrics.

Who will you always find in the kitchen at paries? Yup Jona Lewie is up next!

The final contribution this week comes from Theatre of Hate with the brilliant Do You Believe In The Westworld?

Another fine foursome for you next Monday.

Dave Edmunds - Jo Jo Gunne

Tracey Ullman - My Guy

Jona Lewie - You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties

Theatre of Hate - Do You Believe In The Westworld?

Americana 2004

 

Welcome to the 35th Sunday Americana compilation. We shall easily achieve 40 but 50 may prove to be a bit of a stretch.We shall see.

As you can see from the picture above this compilation came courtesy of Uncut magazine from August 2004.

The tracklist gives you details of the 15 tracks and if they float your boat you can probably pick it up for just over a quid should you be so inclined.

For me Americana was beginning to peak around then.There are still plenty of songs and artists on it that I like but there is a sense that the guards are changing.

Jim White had long been a favourite of mine with Static On The Radio being taken from his 2004 album Drill a Hole in the Substrate and Tell Me What You See a title that trips lightly off the tongue!

Richmond Fontaine were another favourite but I don't have the album Winnemucca from where the song Western Skyline is taken .

I do however have the 2004 album Oh ,My Girl by Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter on the Fargo label from which the haunting The Dreaming Dead is taken

I'm afraid that you are too late to receive a fantastic CD by The Cure which was on offer to anyone subscribing to the magazine for  £9.99 every 3 months. A single monthly magazine would now set you back 11 quid!

Jim White - Static On The Radio

Richmond Fontaine -Western Skyline

Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter - The Dreaming Dead

Saturday Shuffle 145

 

A cornucopia of genres for you today to ease you into the weekend

We start with some Glam Rock with Coz I Luv You courtesy of Wolverhampton's finest Slade.There music may be good which is more than you can say about their spelling. I only ever saw them once at the Glasgow Apollo  but sadly that was during their later rock phase.

Gregg Allman's entire career could probably be described as rock although Wiki lists Blues/Rock/Southern Rock/Gospel/Country to name but 6. All bases covered there I think, He was married 7 times, one being to Cher ,and had 5 kids. Midnight Rider seems an accurate descriptor.

To conclude we have the great Billie Holiday who effortlessly straddled the Jazz/Blues divide with songs such as Lover Man

More Glam Lovermen and Midnight Riders next Saturday.

Slade - Coz I Luv You

Gregg Allman - Midnight Rider

Billie Holiday -Lover Man (Where Can You Be ?)

The Boxing Mirror

 

The other day I pulled out The Boxing Mirror by Alejandro Escovedo for a long overdue listen.

I have a promo copy with a different cover (below), and I noticed that the release date for the album was 1st May 2006. That makes it just over 20 years old. How did that happen?

On the Back Porch label it was produced by John Cale who also contributes with guitar and keyboard.This might explain why Alejandro delves into the worlds of avant guard and post punk with only shades of Americana. Rest assured, however, that this in no way detracts from the quality of the album.

It was the last of his albums that I bought although I do have a couple of burns/downloads from later albums

Alejandro has experienced some significant health issues over the years including Hepatitis C and I'm happy to report that he appears to be going strong at the age of 75.

Alejandro Escovedo - Arizona

Alejandro Escovedo - Deer Head On The Wall

Alejandro Escovedo - Sacremento & Polk

The Blues Collection - Furry Lewis & Frank Stokes

 

Long suffering readers will remember thay my Blues Collection obsession began between Christmas and New Year in 2013 when I picked up two job lots in my sadly departed local charity shop

Thereafter over the years I would pick them up in dribs and drabs in various charity shops. These were usually the early numbers in the series which featured the most popular artists

These eventually dried up leaving me to find only one or two every year and then every couple of years. A new source was required and Missing Records duly stepped up to the plate with any they have selling for a pound or two. Prior to my latest haul I had 66 out of the 90 in the series

My 67th one is number 61 in the series Beale Street Blues featuring Furry Lewis (tracks 1-8) and Frank Stokes (tracks 9 -18) with a series of songs recorded in 1928 and 1929 when Frank Stokes was just over 40 with Furry Lewis in his mid 30's. Here Discogs gives details of the tracklist.

One each from Furry and  Frank where they give themselves name checks I think.

Stay tuned for some more from the Collection...

Furry Lewis - Furry's Blues

Frank Stokes' Dream

Blood on the Tracks - Acoustic Version

 

I know that most Dylan fans would say that Blood on the Tracks is their favourite album by Bob. Not me, I'm a Highway 61 Revisited man.

This might be in danger of changing after George forwarded me a copy of Blood on the Tracks the Acoustic Version which completely blew me away.

Some detective work was required to find out some more about it with this and this proving useful.

I'm still puzzled as to to whether this is an actual album, a bootleg, or merely a Uber fan throwing acoustic versions of the songs together.

Whatever it is, it is absolutely brilliant.

Any further informatiom would be gratefully received

Bob Dylan -Simple Twist of Fate (Acoustic)

Bob Dylan - Idiot Wind (Acoustic)

Bob Dylan - Shelter From the Storm (Acoustic)

i-Pod Playlist - Mind Yer Language

 

I'm not sure if any of you are unfortunate enough to remember the UK 70's sit-com Mind Your Language .The premise was a classroom with a British teacher trying to teach English to a group of foreign students. It is perhaps the most patronising and the most unfunny programme ever to grace the small screen.

It's only piece of usefulness is to provided the title to this the last I-Pod Playlist post.

To clean the palate let's start with the wonderful French artist Francoise Hardy and Tous Les Garcons et Les Filles which I'm sure most of you can have a stab at translating this one correctly.

Next we have The Ukrainians a spin off band of The Wedding Present led by Peter Solowka with Chertez Richu Cherez Hai

Patricia Vonne was born in San Antonio, Texas but like most of that city she is a English/Spanish speaker with Mexican roots as the song Guitarras y Castanuelas demonstrates

Finally who better to conclude with than Belgium's finest Plastic Bertrand with Ca  Plane Pour Moi

Well that's this series, which became a bit of a slog in places, finally concluded.

Thank You

Merci 

 Дякую

Gracias

Be dankt

Francoise Hardy -Tous Les Garcons et Les Filles

The Ukranians - Chertez Richku. Cherez Hai

Patricia Vonne - Guitarras y Castanuelas

Plastic Bertrand -Ca Plan Pour Moi