Halloween Songs

 

Today is Halloween. Traditionally a celebration on the eve of All Saints Day.

When I was young the kids would get dressed up in home made costumes and go guising and dooking for apples. A party piece would be required before you were rewarded with apples, monkey nuts, sweets and some coppers if you were lucky .

Today it has gone the way of all things and has become all American and commercialised. It is now trick or treat and you would be lucky to get even a joke from the guisers who would turn their nose up at monkey nuts.

Fortunately there are not many kids round our way so we rarely if ever get bothered.

Nevertheless it is a night for sitting in the dark with the TV on low. Or even better you can play some Halloween songs loudly so that you cannot hear the door.

The Dream Syndicate - Halloween

Phoebe Bridgers - Halloween

Japan - Halloween

Siouxsie & the Banshees - Halloween

Chuck Prophet -Castro Halloween

The Soup Dragons

 

Last week I visited Big Blue the HQ of Last Night From Glasgow to renew my annual subscription for 2024. While there I collected some albums that were due in 2023. I had one slot to fill so I opted for Raw TV Products -Singles & Rarities 1985-'88 by The Soup Dragons.

The Soup Dragons were one of the myriad of bands who emerged from the Lanarkshire town of Bellshill in the early 80s - think Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits, the Vaselines etc,etc

The band consisted of Sean Dickson on vocals/guitar ( you may now know him better as HiFi Sean), Jim McCulloch on guitar, Ross Sinclair on drums and Sushil K Dade (aka Future Pilot AKA) on bass.

Championed by John Peel they grew a cult following with many of their songs featuring in the independent charts  and in the Festive 50. In 1990 they achieved a massive hit with I'm Free peaking at number 5 in the UK Singles Chart.

The songs that feature on this album are  maybe not as polished as I'm Free but they ooze raw energy. As Pete Paphides writes in his sleeve notes on the back cover -it's the velocity I love. The fearless velocity. The conviction that it will be forever like this.

Tremendous stuff.

The Soup Dragons - Pleasantly Surprised

The Soup Dragons - Slow Things Down

You Can Ring My Bell

 

You will be glad to know that following my Tuesday post on I Am the Cosmos by Chris Bell I ordered the CD on Discogs and received a copy quickly and efficiently from a chap called Graham in Dundee. And very good it is to.

As I typed in the details onto my spreadsheet I noticed that there were already a few Bells on there. You know what that means don't you? Inspiration for a post  that's what.

Let's do it alphabetically by starting with Texan R&B vocal group Archie Bell & the Drells whose Platinum Collection  adorns the soul shelves.. Here is probably their best known song Tighten Up from 1968.

Chris has slotted in neatly between Archie and another Soul singer Madeline Bell. Although American her career was in the UK .She had a number of solo singles in the 60s prior to joining Blue Mink. She was also a backing singer on the Rolling Stones  classic You Can't Always Get What You Want .I have a retrospective of her solo career called Bell's a Poppin' which includes Picture Me Gone

Following on from Madeline is the  Scottish blues rocker Maggie Bell. She was a member of Stone the Crows along side Alex Harvey's brother Les. Described as the closest UK equivalent to Janis Joplin she also released a number of solo albums. Queen of the Night is on the shelves but I couldn't not feature No Mean City the theme song from Taggart . There's been a murder!

Finally it is back to Soul we go with the mighty William Bell who was name checked yesterday as the writer of You Don't Miss Your Water .He wrote and performed many great songs on the Stax label including the brilliant Born under a Bad Sign.

You didn't think I was going to finish without including Anita, did you?

Archie Bell & the Drells -Tighten Up

Madeline Bell -Picture Me Gone

Maggie Bell - No Mean City

William Bell - Born Under a Bad Sign

Anita Ward - Ring My Bell

Saturday Shuffle 25

 

It is probably inevitable as we mark the quarter century of this Saturday series that some artists will begin to appear more than once,

Today marks the second appearance of Otis Redding. Not that there is anything wrong with that as you can never get enough Otis. Today is his cover of the classic William Bell penned You Don't Miss Your Water taking from his equally classic album Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul.

Following on the heels of Otis we have The Ramones - it is a broad church here at CCM. Today the Bruddas rattle out Suzi is a Headbanger at full pelt.

After that we need to chill a little and who better to help with that than Bob Marley and the Wailers with a live version of Exodus. A good one for the bike or the rowing machine.

Movement of Jah people.

Otis Redding - You Don't Miss Your Water

The Ramones -Suzi is a Headbanger

Bob Marley & the Wailers -Exodus (Live)

Random Rockabilly Friday Returns

 

For those of you who are still able pull on your peddle pushers or comb your quiff back for the second Friday in succession it is Random Rockabilly time.

Three more random and reasonably obscure acts retrieved from the vaults.

It seems that there is a more modern Rockabilly band called the Moonlighters (I am beginning to feel like Rol here) but the one that I have in mind go back to the mid 50s. They were a duo consisting of Curtis Wren and Joe Snyder who released the song Broken Heart on Tara Records in 1958 which was one of only three singles they recorded although there was an "unofficial" double single in 1968 with this song and Rock-a-Bayou Baby another one of the original releases.

I would imagine that there are more than one bands called The Scarlets. Indeed Discogs lists the band who recorded Stampede along with a song called Park Avenue in 1959 as The Scarlets (3) The single was released on both Dot Records and Prince Records

We are slightly more up to date with our final act and cover stars. Mystery Gang are a rockabilly trio from Budapest .There are not enough Hungarian Rockabilly bands out there!. Today's offering Woodoo Doll is taken from their 2006 Germany released album Jungle Fever on Rhythm Bomb Records.

The Moonlighters -Broken Heart

The Scarlets - Stampede

Mystery Gang Rockabilly Trio - Woodoo Doll

Cousin

 

I've fallen back in love with Wilco again.

I was a huge fan of their first four albums -A.M. (1995),Being There (1996), Summerteeth (1999) and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)  - in particular albums 2 and three.

Thereafter they went experimental - all squiggles and feedback which put me in mind of an American Radiohead. That is not good by the way.. I have charity shop purchases of 2 of their next 7 albums plus the free download of Star Wars. There is the occasional good song or two on all of them but listening to the albums in their entirety can be a bit of a struggle.

Thankfully things changed big style in 2022 with the release of Cruel Country which saw the band returning to their alternative country roots. It rightly was critically acclaimed.

I was a bit apprehensive  in case this was a one off so there was a degree or trepidation when I gave their new album Cousin a listen. I'm happy to say that me fears were not realised. Whilst it is not as country as Cruel Country it is very accessible with few if any squiggles or blasts of feedback.

The album on their own dBpm label is produced by Kate Le Bon. Pitchfork give it  a score of 7.1 and feel that several songs hint at the controlled chaos of their experimental era. If so they do it gently. The Guardian feels that it bears a close family resemblance to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot which is obviously no bad thing.

Just the one track from Cousin as it is new and to make up the numbers one each from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Cruel Country for you to compare and contrast.

Wilco - Cousin

Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer

Wilco - I Am My Mother

Brothers , Sisters ...... 2

 

A fairly convincing win for Sister Sledge last week over the Allman Brothers in a contest between two very well known acts.

This week is slightly different in that only one of the acts is well known and that is the Isley Brothers.

Surely they need no introduction - This Old Heart of Mine, Summer Breeze , Whose that Lady  -the list of their hits from 1963 onwards is seemingly endless.

I'm not sure it would be fair to feature any of the big hitters so I have gone for I Hear a Symphony and It's Your Thing from  their Motown days in  the mid sixties both of which are still none too shabby.

Representing the Sisters this week we have The Soul Sisters. It looks as though I have songs from two different bands called The Soul Sisters so they are going to double up to take on the Isleys. Good Times Tonight and I Can't Stand It  come from a US Soul duet consisting of Tresia Cleveland and Ann Gissendanner who had an album and a few singles around 1964.

Then there was the Jamaican band The Soul Sisters consisting of Nora Dean, Cecile Campbell and Rita Marley who sang Wreck a Buddy in 1969.

Despite the combined talents of the five Soul Sisters I'm afraid I can't see past the Isley Brothers  this week.

Isley Brothers -I Hear a Symphony

Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing

The Soul Sisters - I Can't Stand It

The Soul Sisters -Good Times Tonight

Soul Sisters - Wreck a Buddy

I Am The Cosmos

 

Featuring Big Star as part of Sunday's 1974 Groupies Collection served as a timely reminder that I have yet to get hold of a copy of I Am The Cosmos the only solo album by band member Chris Bell which was released posthumously by Rykodisc in 1992

He died following a car crash in 1978 at the age of just 27 and the album has since become a thing of legend. Allmusic have labelled him as one of the unsung heroes of American pop music and goes on to

say that despite a life marked by tragedy and a career crippled by commercial indifference, the singer/songwriter's slim body of recorded work proved massively influential on the generations of indie rockers who emerged in his wake.

Wiki goes on to list the likes of Beck, R.E.M,.Teenage Fanclub, Pixies. Afghan Whigs, Primal Scream, Pete Yorn, Wilco, the Posies and the Replacements as being influenced by him. Quite a list as I'm sure you agree the  vast majority of whom grace the shelves here at CCHQ.

I was under the impression that the album was as scarce as hen's teeth  and costing a fortune but that may just be for a vinyl copy. However, the prices  on Discogs for the CD version seem pretty reasonable and therefore it has been duly ordered.

Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos

Chris Bell - You and Your Sister

I Walked with You a Ways

 

Just over a year ago, on 14th October 2022 to be precise, Plains released their debut album I Walked with You a Ways on the Anti - label. I had been alerted to it when a track appeared on an Uncut compilation a couple of months previously so I was quick off the blocks to pick up a copy when it was released.

It is an album on the Country side of Alternative Country by Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee fame and Jess Williamson. They both contribute a number of songs and take turns as lead vocalist. I was familiar with Katie's work as Waxahatchee with a couple of her albums on the shelves. Jess Williamson was a new name to me.

Some further exploration was clearly required and I tracked down a couple of her solo albums Time Ain't Accidental and Sorceress. Both are worth having but if I had to chose one it would be Sorceress.

I Walked with You a Ways is obviously also well worth having. It has been critically well received with a Metacritic rating of 81/100..I have no information as to whether this is a one off project or whether they intend to collaborate further in the future. If it is a one off it is a pretty good legacy to leave.

Plains - Abilene

Plains - I Walked With You a Ways

1974 Groupies Collection

 

I was looking through the music files on the hard drive searching for something to feature today when I stumbled upon a folder called 1974 Groupies Collection.

With a fair degree of trepidation I opened it to find that it featured 12 tracks from reasonably well known artists from that era including Bod Dylan, Richard and Linda Thompson and Queen. The Bob Dylan track is from Planet Waves which came out in 1974 and I quickly surmised that the rest of the songs were also from that year. 

I thought it may be a compilation in the mould of Jon Savage and others that you might find on Ace Records or somewhere but I can find any evidence to that affect. It could even be something that a fellow blogger put together! If anyone can shed any light on this I would be very grateful.

Time then for three songs  from 1974. Just Groove Me is a song by San Antonio's Doug Sahm from the album Groovers Paradise  on Warner Brothers. With a Gun comes from Pretzel Logic the third studio album by Steely Dan on ABC records. Finally we have the geniuses who were Big Star with Back of a Car which is taken from their second album Radio City on the Ardent label.

None too shabby

Doug Sahm - Just Groove Me

Steely Dan - With a Gun

Big Star - Back of a Car

Saturday Shuffle 24

 

Another Saturday, another shuffle. You should know the drill by now, three songs selected at random from my gym MP3 player.

And who better to kick off than the Buzzcocks? On their new album The Bluebells have a Ken McCluskey penned song called Anyone Can be a Buzzcock.  Maybees aye, maybees naw but not just anyone could come up with a song as good as Promises.

The Buzzcocks are followed by The Seeds a psychedelic garage band from the mid 60s who were never really big but who attracted a cult following. The Other Place is yet another track taken from Jon Savage's 1966 -The Year the Decade Exploded. I expect this one will appeal to C

A wee bit heavy for a Saturday maybe so lets finish with Chic and some Good Times. This one will appeal to everyone I'm sure.

More random gobbledygook next Saturday.

Buzzcocks - Promises

The Seeds - The Other Place

Chic - Good Times

Random Rockabilly Friday

 

I fancied featuring some rockabilly today. However, I have just about exhausted the tracks on my meagre collection of rockabilly CD compilations  in previous posts.

Instead of repeating myself I punched the word Rockabilly into the search function and took it from there.

Three fairly random selections followed.

We start with Big "T" Tyler a rhythm and blues singer who recorded two titles for Aladdin Records in Los Angeles, California, in 1957. He is best known for his song King Kong. Today's offering Sadie Green was the b-side

Next up is a much more famous name. Scotty Moore was best know for being Elvis Pressley's guitarist between 1954 and 1968..In 1958 as The Scotty Moore Trio he released a single called Have Guitar, Will Travel. Sadly Scotty is no longer with us. He died in 2016 at the age of 84.Scotty Moore also sounds like it could be the name of a lower league Scottish footballer..

We end this weeks selection with Joyce Green an Alabama rockabilly singer and her best known song Black Cadillac a song that she wrote with her sister Doris.

There is a strong possibility that this may become a series.

Big "T" Tyler - Sadie Green

The Scotty Moore Trio - Have Guitar, Will Travel

Joyce Green - Black Cadillac

People in Cars

 

This one  by London band  Curse of Lono was brought to my attention by John At the time I promised him a pint as thanks. I think that I have since  fulfilled this obligation but it is so good that I will happily stand him a couple more next time we catch up.

When you check Wiki they haven't got as far as giving any information about People in Cars their third album  from 2021 so I will refer you to the band's website and to Bandcamp Unfortunately I missed them when they played in Glasgow last year but I will make a point of catching up with them next time they are in town.

Curse of Lomo is also the title of a book by Hunter S Thompson describing his experiences in Hawaii in 1980. The music is pretty much what you would expect from folk influence by him.

It is generally described as Americana and it is in the same camp as The Hanging Stars and Rose City Band a couple of firm favourites of mine and indeed John. I saw the term Southern Gothic used somewhere to describe them and that is fairly apt.

Chapeau Mr Medd.

Curse of Lono - Let Your Love Rain Down on Me

Curse of Lono - Ursula Andress

Brothers, Sisters ....

 

   

New Midweek Series alert!

I have been pretty much devoid of ideas for new series' recently. However on the back of my recent Delmore Brothers purchase I came up with the idea of Brothers and Sisters

I popped over to the hard drive and wrote adjacent lists of 20 lists of  Brother and Sister acts - some well known, some pretty obscure and one or two somewhat tenuous.

The idea is a couple of songs from each or one if I only have one from the acts that I have written down in a random order.  I'm not sure whether to go down the compare and contrast and who is "best" route. I'll leave that to the Musical Jury (© SWC) to decide.

The first two on the list are both well known.

The Allman Brothers Band were a Country Rock band who peaked in the late 60s/early 70s. The brothers in question were Duane and Gregg  both of whom are now deceased  - Duane in 1971 aged just 24 and Gregg in 2017 aged 67. I was pretty late to the party only picking up a compilation a  few years back.

I'm sure that Sister Sledge need no introduction. Formed in 1971 by four sisters - Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy Sledge they have produces a series of  absolute classic disco numbers. Sadly Joni died in 2017 aged 60. Debbie and Kim have been ever present with Kathy dipping in and out. 

Two classic songs from each act. I think the Sisters just about shade it

Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man

Allman Brothers Band - Whipping Post

Sister Sledge - We Are Family

Sister Sledge - Lost in Music

Tomorrow The Green Grass

 

For a decade of so from about 1992 to 2003 I was pretty much obsessed by the music of The Jayhawks. I even went as far as doing an ICA for JC's place  covering a slightly extended period.

I am on record in saying that Hollywood Town Hall is one of my favourite albums of all time . I probably played it to death resulting in me having not listened to it in ages .My go to Jayhawks album these days is Rainy Day Music

The follow up record to HTH  1995's Tomorrow the Green Grass has suffered the same fate. However I dusted it down the other day and played it in it's entirety singing along (badly) to every song. I have enjoyed a couple of friendly debates with Brian over the years as to the respective merits  of both albums. I think that we have agreed the Hollywood Town Hall just shades it.

But today is all about Tomorrow The Green Grass and I have opted for some songs that I don't think have featured here before.

The Jayhawks -I'd Run Away

The Jayhawks - Over My Shoulder

The Jayhawks - See Him on the Street

Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot

 

2023 Charity Shop Purchases #81 - Sparklehorse -Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot

Slim pickings from our second  holiday week in the Cairngorms I'm afraid. The charity shops of Kingussie (twice), Granton- on- Spey and Auchterarder yielded nothing. 

We did however have a modicum of success in one of the three charity shops in Aviemore. Mrs CC came away with three Jazz CDs - Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan and Fats Waller . I only landed one but it had the longest name and the best cover.

It seems that Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot the 1995 debut album by Sparklehorse from 1995 on Capitol Records had occupied the shelves of the Red Cross shop for the entire month of September before I liberated it. It joins Good Morning Spider (1998) and It's a Wonderful Life (2001) on the pop/Indie shelves,  When I included Sparklehorse as part of my seen at King Tuts series I expressed surprise that I had the latter even although I had posted about it three years earlier. Sometimes I think I have too many CDs

The critics were fairly positive about Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot . Indeed on the sticker on the front of the jewel case NME gives it 9/10 saying that it is unconditionally recommended. Melody Maker settles for Bloody Essential.

If you like a slightly more distorted cousin of Mercury Rev and Grandaddy (and who doesn't'?) this one should be right up your street.

Sparklehorse - Homecoming Queen

Sparklehorse - Rainmaker

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

 

I suspect that many of you are familiar with the work of the great Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh

For years I have had a Mackintosh styled bookmark. I can't remember where or when I got it. It has gone astray many times over the years but despite my best efforts it keeps turning up again. I would be pretty gutted if I lost it.

All the above got me thinking whether I could do a post with a Charles, a Rennie and a Macintosh.

The Charles component proved  relatively easy as there were plenty to choose from. Ray Charles, Charlie Pride and Charlie Rich were all considered before I plumped for the Daptone artist Charles Bradley .I discovered him while watching a documentary called Soul of America and had purchased his album Victim of Love before the show was finished  Sadly the revival of his career was short lived as he died  from stomach cancer in September 2017 aged just 68.

The Rennie component proved slightly trickier. The only references I got when searching the hard drive were for Rennie Sparks from the Handsome Family. They will feature below but as a bonus I am throwing in Walk Away Renee. Different spelling but the same pronunciation.

Mackintosh proved to be even trickier. The best I could come up with was Lorraine McIntosh of Deacon Blue fame. There was a burn of an album called The Great Lakes which she performed with her husband Rickie Ross under the moniker McIntoshRoss. It has now been downgraded to a download to free up some space of the shelves.

Does anyone else have a bookmark that they want to write about?

Charles Bradley - Victim of Love

The Handsome Family - So Much Wine

The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee

McIntoshRoss - Jesus Nailed My Sins Upon the Tree

Saturday Shuffle 23

 

After a slight hiatus we welcome back Saturday Shuffle with three absolute doozies.

Kicking things off are Athens, Georgia's finest band the legends that are the B-52s with 53 Miles West of Venus from their second album 1980’s Wild Party. A totally unique band they were great fun to listen to and certainly knew how to party.

Staying on the subject of legends next up is the mighty Steve Wynn. Not content with being the lead of  the magnificent band the Dream Syndicate he has appeared in numerous other projects as well as having a solo career. Southern California Line is taken from Here Come The Miracles a double album from 2001 on the German Blue Rose label.

The Council Collective was an offshoot of The Style Council put together by Paul Weller in December 1984 which recorded the record Soul Deep with the money raised from the record going to striking miners. In addition to the members of the Style Council the record included contributions from Jimmy Ruffin and Junior Giscombe. It would be good to see some similar projects today but I wont hold my breath.

More assorted nonsense next Saturday

B52's - 53 Miles West of Venus

Steve Wynn - Southern California Line

The Council Collective - Soul Deep

Infidels

 

2023 Charity Shop Purchases #80  - Bod Dylan - Infidels

A rarity today - an overseas Charity Shop purchase!

Perhaps I should explain. Our cottage for the first week of our holiday was only about three miles from the Skye bridge. This resulted in a couple of trips over the water which included visits to the charity shop in Broadford. Sadly slim pickings I'm afraid. There were a few good ones that I already had but I came away with  only one first time and none second time around.

As you can see from the picture above the one I came away with was Infidels the 22nd studio album by Bob Dylan from 1983. It becomes the 30th Dylan album in the music room which is comfortably more than any other artist.

I'm not really familiar with his 80's work as I was much more interested in other music at the time. It is pretty good and after an initial listen I would say it is one of his better later albums probably meriting a solid 7 out of 10.

I was familiar with Jokerman but the other 7 tracks were new to me. Well worth an overseas trip!

Bob Dylan - Jokerman

Bob Dylan - Man of Peace

Manden Djeli Kan

 

2023 Charity Shop Purchases #79  - Kassé Mady Diabaté  - Manden Djeli Kan

My extremely meagre African music section is beginning to fill slowly. This is primarily down to artists from Mali given that three CDs have been added in as many months. Following  hard on the heels of Tinariwen and Songhoy Blues my latest acquisition is Manden Djeli Kan an album by Kassé Mady Diabaté  from 2008 on the French label Universal

Whereas I had vaguely heard of the other two acts this one was a total punt for a pound in the British Heart Foundation shop in Fort William. I am pleased to report that it was a pound well spent.

He was a Malian singer, musician and griot who died aged 68 or 69 in 2018. Again I had heard the word griot before but was unsure as to its meaning. Wiki tells me that it is a word for a West African historian, story teller, praise singer, poet and/or musican. I suspect that  Kassé  ticked all those boxes. It seems that he released 6 albums between 1989 and 2014 with this one being the 4th.

The album was reviewed in the Guardian who gave it 3/5. RateyourMusic gives it 3.5 with AllMusic giving it 7.3/10. I'm with AllMusic on the marking side of things.

I'm putting this one down as a find.

Kasse Mady Diabate - Bandja

Kasse Mady Diabate - Kaninba

Fifty Miles to Travel

 

2023 Charity Shop Purchases #78  - The Delmore Brothers - Fifty Miles to Travel

It was only a few months ago that The Delmore Brothers first crossed my radar when I picked up A Tribute to The Delmore Brothers by Ira and Charles Louvin in the Oxfam shop in Troon

Therefore it was a no brainer to pick up Fifty Miles to Travel in Fort William. From 2005 and on the mighty Ace label it is part of the King and Deluxe Acetate Series  with the back cover stating that the CD contains directly from the original King acetates, a further helping of hot hillbilly harmony from King's original "brothers in rhythm Alton and Rabon Delmore.

The songs appear to be from the period 1945 to 1954 with the vast majority being either train songs or religious songs or in some cases both. This is demonstrated on the track list from Discogs who confirm that I have got myself a bargain

It is highly unlikely that you will hear anything better than these songs today.

The Delmore Brothers - Fifty Miles to Travel

The Delmore Brothers -Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide

The Delmore Brothers - Blues Stay Away From Me

Girls of the Indigo Variety

 

2023 Charity Shop Purchases #77 - Indigo Girls -Retrospective

In 1992 along with two pals we drove coast to coast in the US ending up in Boston. There I bought my first ever CDs Out of Time by R.E.M. and Rites of Passage by Indigo Girls. They came in that foot long cardboard packaging like a periscope.

My pals thought it hilarious that I had bought a couple of CDs when I didn't have a CD player .I thought it was entirely logical as it made sense to have some CDs to play when I got one. Since then I've acquired pretty much the entire output of R.E.M albums but nothing more by Indigo Girls

This changed in Fort William when I picked up Retrospective. Released in 2000 on Epic with a grand total of 16 tracks it covers their first six albums from 1987 to 1999 . They have since gone on to release another 8 studio albums as well as a few live albums and some more compilations.

Indigo Girls are Amy Ray and Emily Saliers and as far as I am aware they are still going strong. They are fairly accurately described as Folk Rock and hence they reside in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter section of the shelves.

Indigo Girls -Strange Fire

Indigo Girls -Galileo

Indigo Girls - Ghost

The Big Picture

 

2023 Charity Shop Purchases #76  - Bap Kennedy - The Big Picture

He's back! Two weeks away and to be honest I didn't miss the Blog that much. The break seems to have got rid of the Singapore bots for the present time at least. No doubt they will return.

Fairly meagre pickings particularly on the second week. However, a stop in Fort William on our way to our first stop near Kyle of Lochalsh proved  reasonably fruitful.

I recognised the name Bap Kennedy and had a vague memory of having seen him live at some stage and sure enough I had at King Tuts on 5th May 2002 - see here .I suspect I had gone along to see Peter Bruntnell. I have since discovered that he had previously been a member of Irish band Energy Orchard who some of you may be familiar with.

I wouldn't have heard any songs from The Big Picture that night as it, his 6th album, was not released on Loose Records until 2005. To quote Wiki it is a mix of country ,Americana and Celtic Soul although I can also hear slight traces of Dylan. Fellow Irishman Van Morrison co-wrote Milky Way and honorary Irishman Shane McGowan also makes a brief appearance on the album.

Sadly Bap died aged just 54 in 2016 from pancreatic and bowel cancer.  

Bap Kennedy - Too Old For Fairy Tales

Bap Kennedy - Milky Way