Big Gold Dreams -2

Scars

Disc two of Big Gold Dreams - A Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977- 1989 covers the period 1980 to 1882.
After listening to this disc I have come to the conclusion that after Zimbabwe, Scotland is in fact the spiritual home of jingly jangly guitar music.

I missed Edinburgh band Scars at the time first becoming aware of them after watching The Sound of Young Scotland documentary.
In the comments section of my previous post about them some of my esteemed colleagues waxed lyrical about All About You. I can now see why.

I never knew that so many bands had come out of Edinburgh until I got this boxset. I was however aware that Josef K originated from there although they had the good sense to switch from Salt'n' Sauce to Salt'n'Vinegar when they signed to Glasgow's Postcard label. Sorry For Laughing, however, was released on the Belgian Les Disques du Crepescule label.

I've no idea where Everest the Hardway originate from but I now know that they had two bass players one of whom Ian Stoddart went on to join Win with the other Mike Peden joining The Chimes who had abig hit with the awful I Still Haven't Found Who I'm Looking For.

Disc three next week


Scars - All About You

Josek K - Sorry For Laughing

Everest the Hard Way - Tightrope

State of the Union - Mississippi

George writes

Yes that is indeed the state flag.

R. L. Burnside was born in Mississippi. If you do nothing else today just watch this from 1978, it is absolutely fantastic.

And here’s another  song.

Phil Ochs - here's to the state of Mississippi

This song really should not still be relevant 55 years after it was recorded. So that’s two songs I’ve given you that will not be surpassed by anything else you hear today.

Next is a track by late 60s hairy hippy rockers  Mountain (and for crying out loud don’t show any children a photograph of this lot, they’ll be scarred for life)

Mountain - Mississippi queen

Obligatory country track is provided by Charley Pride, a lovely velvety voice he has here:

Charley Pride - roll on Mississippi

Charley Pride was born in Sledge, Mississippi.

I’ll spare you the dreadful Merle Haggard song, and instead give you this majestic song from Peace To The Neighborhood, which comes pretty damned close to being as good as the first two tracks above:

Pops Staples - down in Mississippi

Mr Staples was born in Winona, Mississippi. 

Nina Simone’s track is simply not nearly good enough for me to post. And the one I know you wanted, by Pussycat is not about the state as far as I can make out from the lyrics.

Instead, here’s Chester Arthur Burnett, who was born in White Station, Mississippi:

Howlin' Wolf - the Natchez burning

Alexander O’Neal and “Hound Dog” Taylor were born in Natchez. 

The song Jackson, made famous by Mr and Mrs Cash, is not about Jackson, Mississippi, I checked. But, looka yonder, here’s a song that references Elvis Presley’s birthplace:

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tupelo

From when Nick Cave was good…..

And here’s another  blues song:

John Lee Hooker - Tupelo

Mr Hooker was born in Tutwiler, Mississippi.

I can’t work out what Jackson Lucinda Williams is referring to so I can’t include it here.

Not quite an ICA, as there are 7 tracks, not the ten as required by JC, but when put together  still album length. A short album of ca. 30 mins, but Pet Sounds is shorter, as is Last Dance Before Highway.

Another one next week.


CC writes
Here are three to complete the ICA.
Surprised George missed the first one

Jim White - Handcuffed to a Fence in Mississippi

Little Milton - Tupelo Honey

Bobbie Gentry - Mississipi Delta

Songs in the Key of Life

I picked up Songs in the Key of Life in Ballater's only charity shop.
What's that you ask? You are only just getting to picking up this masterpiece?
Surely it has been on the shelves before now?

Of course it has silly. I was merely replacing the older version which was one of those old double CD jibjobs which is about an inch thick.Given that space is always at a premium, despite a recent investment in some new CD towers, it seemed like a good idea. Plus it is always good to give a charity shop custom particularly when they let me have a look at the CDs in the back shop. Sadly I had the few good ones and nothing else caught my fancy.

From 1976 on the Tamla (Motown) label it is part of Stevie Wonder's 70s holy trinity alongside Talking Book and Innervisions.Fulfillingness' First Finale  is another album from that period that often gets a mention but is not one that I am familiar with.I probably ought to be.

I would put it third after Innervisions first and Talking Book second. It's still a classic though and just the thing for a Sunday morning.



Stevie Wonder - Village Ghetto Land

Stevie Wonder - I Wish



We are away (again!) so a reduced service for a few days

Big Gold Dreams - 1

Rezillos

I got Big Gold Dreams - A Story of Scottish Independant Music 1977 -1989 for my birthday.
A Cherry Red 5 CD Boxset with a stonking 115 songs.
It's not really something you can tackle in a oner and I have found myself dipping in and out of it since then.
Being a generous guy I've decided to share a bit of it with  you over the next few weeks.
The discs are chronilogical and given that disc 1 is from 1977 to 1980 it is easily the most punky of the bunch.

And who can be more punky than the Rezillos?
A band formed at Edinburgh College of Art . Here is I Can't Stand My Baby which is the first song on the box set and which preceded Top of the Pops the song that shot them to fame.

I instantly recognised The Shape of Things to Come despite it not having crossed my rader very often in the 40 years since it was first released. Even if you had offered me a large sum of money I couldn't have told you that it was by The Headboys who were another Edinburgh band.

The final offering is by yet another Edinburgh band TV21. This is totally coincidental given that I chose the songs and then started reading the blurb in the boxset to populate this post.. Named after a Gerry Anderson comic another impressive piece of trivia is that guitarist Ally Palmer is responsible for  curating the Scottish football magazine Nutmeg.

Disc 2 next week.

The Revillos - I Can't Stand My Baby (Sensible Version)

The Headboys - Shape of Things to Come

TV21 - Playing With Fire

Friday Night Blast Off

When I went to see Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore (which was as brilliant as you would expect) Dave mentioned that his big brother and fellow Blaster Phil had been in hospital recently but was thankfully on the mend.
Then I featured The Blasters with Hollwood Bed as part of my ICA contribution to George's California State of the Union post.

All of which got me thinking that the band who gave us American Music would be just the thing to shake the dregs of the week  out our hair and to blast us into the weekend with three numbers from Testament -The Complete Slash Recordings.

Get well soon Phil

The Blasters - Trouble Bound

The Blasters -Rock'n'Roll Will Stand

The Blasters - Kathleen

Neon Coast

After yesterday's plethora of music you are just getting the one song today.
The reason ? After listening to Restless  you will want to buy it and the rest of the songs on Neon Coast by A.Wesley Chung for yourself  and you can at bandcamp.

It came out on Glasgow's LP Records in May 2018. I had intended to pick up a vinyl copy at the time but never got round to it. Regretting the error of my ways I liberated a digital download from my Bandcamp wishlist recently.

You could be forgiven for thinking California as opposed to Glasgow when listening to this and that is because Mr Chung is indeed from the Golden State but now rather sensibly resides in The Dear Green Place instead.

Here are some details of the album from For the Rabbits. Don't let the reference to My Morning Jacket put you off. Think Laurel Canyon instead.

He has also recorded as The Great Albatross which is next on my list for checking out


A.Wesley Chung - Restless

State of the Union - California

George writes (a wee bit):

Today it’s somewhere with a bit of a drought problem, and is prone to earthquakes. No, it’s not Portugal, it’s California.

Here’s a few songs that you might know, and if you don’t you can thank me after listening to them all for bringing them to your attention. So what you have this week is “The state of California, an ICA” to steal the idea from JC of vinylvillain fame.

Low - California

George Jones & Tammy Wynnette - Southern California

Frank Black & The Catholics - California bound

Phil Ochs - Tape from California

Arthus Big Boy Crudup - Mean ol' Frisco blues

Johnny Cash - San Quentin

Jackie DeShannon - Laurel Canyon

Neko Case - In California

PJ Harvey & John Parish - Leaving California

Dwight Yoakam - Streets of Bakersfield

The Magnetic Fields - Come back from San Francisco

Billy Bragg & Wilco - California stars

John Lee Hooker - Goin' to California

The Jayhawks - Nevada, California

And here’s the obvious song with some fine twangy guitar playing:

If you only play one of those make it the Phil Ochs’ track, it is majestic.

That’s it from me. Another state next week.

CC writes:
Short but sweet.
ICAs?
George is getting a bit gallus now that he is nearing the finishing line

Never one to shirk a challenge:

The Delgados - California Uber Alles

Guy Clark - L.A.. Freeway

Bobby Womack - California Dreamin'

Johnny Kaplan - California Heart

Dawes - Time Spent in Los Angeles

N.W.A. - Straight Out of Compton

The Blasters - Hollywood Bed

Steve Wynn - Southern California Line

The Raveonettes - Ode to L.A.

Steve Young - Going Back to California