2021 Charity Shop Purchases 79 - Bill Callahan - Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
The voice murmuring in our ear, with shaggy-dog and other kinds of stories, is an old friend we're so glad to hear again. Bill’s gentle, spacey take on folk and roots music is like no other; scraps of imagery, melody and instrumentation tumble suddenly together in moments of true human encounters (bandcamp)
I'm a bit of a late convert to the music of Smog and Bill Callahan so was quite pleased to fork out 25p for this one (I've mentioned the 4 for a pound price again just to wind up Rol!)
Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest from 2019 is a double album on the Drag City label and is his 17th overall including those with Smog. It is the 6th studio album under his own name and the first in five years. Like most of his stuff it takes a few listens to get into it properly with each one revealing something new
In a review for Pitchfork Jayson Greene describes it as his warmest, his most generous, possibly his most profound (album to date). It is his longest, for sure, lounging comfortably across four sides of vinyl, none of it wasted. It is a high note, fond and deep and sustained.
I was tempted to post the song Angela if only for the line like motel curtains we never really met but there are probably better songs on the album.
It joins a burn of 2001's Apocalypse, which I found tucked into a Findlay Napier CD picked up in a charity shop, on the shelves
Here are a couple of tracks. When I next play it again I will probably come across others that I feel I should have shared
25p!!! Like you, I'm a late convert to Bill Callahan and really only have a smattering of songs that have come with music mag free CDs. I collected pretty much all of these on a Dubhed post back in September.
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I had only two songs from this album, Young Icarus and The Ballad Of The Hulk. I love both, the latter especially. As you so brilliantly put it, Bill Callahan songs bear repeated listening and continual reward. Thanks for sharing two new (to me) songs, I really enjoyed them.
Second time in three days you bring up a pivotal Chicago indie label! Drag City has quite a roster. I will be forever grateful they have helped keep Sean O’Hagan’s outfit the High Llamas alive. Bill Callahan is quite the treasure too. Been meaning to pick up this record. I’m on it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that you will be disappointed
DeleteConsider me wound up. Again.
ReplyDeleteBeen a big fan of Bill since his early days as Smog. I've kept the faith since. I played this album recently and that Bandcamp quote at the head of your piece about him murmuring into our ears is so well observed, his basso profundo really is quite seductive. My fave tracks from this album are Watch Me Get Married, 747 and Morning Is My Godmother
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