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

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