The Rough Guide To Americana

 

Number 47 in my quest to post 50 Americana Compilations and one that I am surprised has not featured before is The Rough Guide to Americana

From 2001 on World Music Network it is  a pretty good stab with the selected 20 artists here

I have albums by and/or seen 16 of the 20 artists. There are only three acts that I am not familiar with Utah Carol, Cowboy Nation and Western Electric. Tempted as I was to feature them they are not that good and any of the others would do more justice.

It was a pretty hard task to select 3 from the other 17 but I have gone for Dave Alvin, the late great Neal Casal and Nadine.

Numbers 48 and 49 are accounted for but I'm still sweating over the elusive 50th one!

Dave Alvin - Railroad Bill

Neal Casal - Me and Queen Sylvia

Nadine - So That I Don't Miss You

Saturday Shuffle 157

 

We start Saturday Shuffle 157 with some Trash.

In case you think that our standards have dropped worry not as it is good Trash courtesy of the New York Dolls.

Raw Soul was a great Mojo compilation from 2004  - Mojo Music Guide Vol 3 - Raw Soul to be precise here. From it I give you Maxine Brown with Baby Cakes.

I once had a ticket to see Desmond Decker. I turned up, he didn't which is a shame as I never got to hear 007 (Shanty Town)

Hopefully everyone will turn up for next Saturday's Shuffle - same place, same time. No trash. Baby Cakes optimal.

New York Dolls - Trash

Maxine Brown - Baby Cakes

Desmond Dekker - 007 (Shanty Town)

Bellshill Bands - Lightships

 

This series might be shorter than I  first thought after, despite their Bellshill associations,  having to rule out The Vaselines for geographical reasons

I think that Lightships count given that they are a band formed by Gerard Love of Teenage Fanclub fame There is however a debate as to whether it is an actual band or a recording project.

There has only been one album recorded namely 2012's album Lightships, on Stephen Pastel's Geographic label (re-released in 2022), alongside a 10 inch single Fear and Doubt.

Gerry continues to perform as a solo artist from time to time but to the best of my knowledge there have been no other releases. I would be delighted to be proved wrong.

Lightships - Sweetness in her Spark

Lightships - The Warmth of the Sun

Lightships - Sunlight to the Dawn

The Blues Collection - Peetie Wheatstraw

 

Confession time - I'd never heard of Peetie Wheatstraw until now which may go some way to explaining why The Devil's Son-in- Law weighs in at number 82 in The Blues Collection.

He was born William Burch on December 21st 1902 in Ripley, Tennessee and adopted the name Peetie Wheatstraw from early African American Folk tradition. Coincidentally he died aged 39 on the same date in 1941 in East St Louis.

He was quite prolific recording 161 songs which was only surpassed by Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy,Lonnie Johnson and Bumblebee Slim.

All but two of his records were issued under the names "Peetie Wheatstraw, the Devil's Son-in-Law" and "Peetie Wheatstraw, the High Sheriff from Hell"

It seem appropriate then that the two songs I have selected are Devil's Son-in-Law (Chicago 1931) and Gangster's Blues (New York 1940)

More Blues Collection artists soon

Peetie Wheatstraw - Devil's Son-in-Law

Peetie Wheatstraw - Gangster's Blues

Trio II

 

 2026 Charity Shop Purchases #25 - Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton - Trio II

It seems that I have 1987's  Trio by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt  & Emmylou Harris for ever.

It was therefore a no brainer to pick up 1999's Trio II in Barnardos particularly as it only cost me 50p

Heck, it was worth it just for their cover of Neil Young's After The Gold Rush.

The personnel seems to have been shifted around a bit with Emmylou taking over from Dolly in pole position .For the sake of my sanity I am filing them together on the shelves. Controversial I know but there you go

Apparently there is a Complete Trio Collection from 2016. Somewhat unfairly Linda is the one in the middle of the Country royalty once again.

Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt & Dolly Parton - After The Gold Rush

Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt & Dolly Parton - Do I Ever Cross Your Mind

Blog Country 147 - Grenada

 

It's snooker time!

Grenada is the southernmost of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. It is also known as Spice Isle for its production of nutmeg and mace.

Musically it is best known for reggae, calypso and soca music.

I actually have something from Grenada in the Music folder. Step forward Mighty Sparrow. Here is Sparrow Dead from his 1993 Volume 2 of  the Caribbean Classics picked up in Troon in 2023.

David Emmanuel is a reggae and jazz musician who performs as part of a trio. Here he is with Givin' It Up For Love a 12 inch single from 1983.

From now on in it gets a bit more tricky and random.

Lil Natty and Thunda are a famous dynamic soca music duo from St. David, Grenada, also known as the Wussways Empire. Formed by blood relatives Dingaan "Lil Natty" Henry and Nyelon "Thunda" Williams, they are major players in Caribbean music. Their offering is Outsider (Jab Town Riddim).

Next we have Reo St Paul a Soca artist more commonly known as Snakey. Here is Raging Seas from Grenada Soca 2026.

We conclude with Tallpree . Wilt "Tallpree" Cambridge is a Grenadian soca artist. He initially began performing as a reggae dancehall artist in the late 1980s and made the switch to becoming a soca artist the late 90s. 

I think Forking may well be a euphemism for a similar word.

We are back to Africa next time round.

Mighty Sparrow - Sparrow Dead

David Emmanuel - Givin' It Up For Love

Li'l Natty & Thunda - Outsiders (Jab Town Riddim)

Snakey - Raging Seas

Tallpree -Forking

Dance Hall Dreams

 

 2026 Charity Shop Purchases #24 - Rosie Flores - Dance Hall Dreams

I've got a good few songs by Austin based rockabilly, blues and country musician Rosie Flores in the music folder but up to now I didn't have any of her albums.

This has now changed as I picked up Dance Hall Dreams her 6th studio album, on Rounder Records, from 1999 at the same time as The Arlenes in Oxfam in Troon. I suspect that they were both probably handed in by the same person.

County Standard Time gives the album a brief review pointing out that it highlights the versatility of the Queen of the Honky Tonks.

I still need to give this one a proper listen. Who's Gonna Fix it Now referencing her father's passing is highlighted by most reviewers so I've gone for that along with the Bluesy It Came From Memphis 

Had I held this one back to 31st August it could have featured  on Rosie Flores Day in Austin

Rosie Flores -Who's Gonna Fix It Now

Rosie Flores - It Came From Memphis