Tindersticks

 

 2022 Charity Shop Purchases #66 - Tindersticks - Tindersticks

The last charity stop off on the roadtrip home from the Highlands was Blairgowrie. There was a subsequent stop for chips at Auchterarder.

One of the purchases was Tindersticks by Tindersticks. Somewhat confusingly and indeed annoyingly the first two albums by Tindersticks  are both called called Tindersticks. The one I picked up is the second one from 1995 on the This Way Up label. Apparently it is sometimes referred to as The Second Tindersticks Album although there is no evidence of that on the cover. It joins their third album Curtains, also a charity shop purchase, on the shelves.

There is lo-fi and then there is Tindersticks. Described by Wiki as chamber pop it is something of an acquired taste. I'm not sure I've fully acquired it yet. They probably will appeal to fans of Nick Cave and Tom Waits. I know that JC is a fan.

It was recorded in Conny's studio in Cologne following a recommendation from Blixa Bargeld when they were supporting Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (see above).

The song Travelling Light is a duet between the band's singer Stuart Staples and a female singer. As soon as I heard it I thought that it sounded like Carla Torgerson from the Walkabouts ... and I was right!

The CD is far travelled. There is a sticker on the box from Polar Bear Records in Oxford. I've been to Polar Bear in Birmingham but not Oxford, Indeed I've never been to Oxford.

Tindersticks - Tiny Tears

Tindersticks - Travelling Light

Wicked Game

 

 2022 Charity Shop Purchases #65  -Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

Until a couple of weeks ago I had no albums by Chris Isaak. With the purchase of Wicked Game as the final choice in my Ballater 4 for a pound selections I now have two. Like Corporation buses - none for ages then two come along at once

It is perhaps fortuitous that Beyond the Sun came first as it would probably have been sacrilegious to feature it so soon after the death of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Wicked Games from 1991 on the WEA label is a compilation on the back of the success of the title song following it featuring on the David Lynch film Wild at Heart and also as the theme to Twin Peaks. It originally featured on his 1989 album Heart Shaped World,

His cover of Blue Hotel was originally on his eponymous 1987 second album but was not commercially successful.It was subseqently re-released following the success of Wicked Game reaching number 17 in the UK Singles chart .

For those of you who like the music but not the voice on Wicked Game I'm throwing in the instrumental.

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

Chris Isaak - Blue Hotel

Chris Isaak - Wicked Game (Instrumental)

Jerry Lee RIP

 

By now, I would imagine, you will have all heard about the death of Jerry Lee Lewis the last of the Sun rock'n'roll legends.

Ernie and Walter were quicker of the mark than me and posted fine tributes on Friday when news of his death at the age of 87 broke. As an aside who in the 50s or 60s , given his lifestyle, would have put any money on him reaching such a ripe old age? Walter's post highlights a few of JLLs foibles including his marriage to his 13 year old cousin seemingly not uncommon in the rural South.

Obviously musically he was best known as a rock'n'roller but he could also seemlessly switch to honky tonk country piano playing.

Here are his takes on a couple of Country standards from his excellent Best of the Country Music Hall of Fame Hits album.

Rest easy Killer.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Heartaches By The Number

Jerry Lee Lewis - Oh, Lonesome Me

Townes Covered - Tecumseh Valley

 

It probably wont come as a surprise but the first round went to Townes with the original version of Flyin' Shoes 

Initially it looked like it was going to be a whitewash with the first 6 votes going to Mr Van Zandt. However there was a late rally for Rumer who swept up the last two votes. Most of those who voted for Townes were also complimentary of Sarah Joyce

An early lead then for TVZ. However, I suspect that this week will be a little bit closer and which maybe  will even result in the cover winning.

I suspect that more folk will be familiar with the cover by Nanci Griffith than the original. Nancy's version is taken from her 1993 covers album Other Voices, Other Rooms. The only version I have by Townes is a 1973 live version which features on his Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas album.

Live versions of songs can be very much a hit or a miss but here I feel that Townes totally nails it.

Others of course may choose to differ

Townes Van Zandt - Tecumseh Valley

Nanci Griffith - Tecumseh Valley

You may or may not be pleased but I have taken the necessary steps to make this a first to 10 series!

Remember Me

 

 2022 Charity Shop Purchases #64 - Otis Redding - Remember Me

I am at a loss to understand why anyone would hand an Otis Redding CD into a charity shop or indeed anything from the Stax label for that matter. Their loss, my gain.

Remember Me is from 1990 so obviously a posthumous album...The fairly detailed booklet that accompanies the CD tells me that it is made up of a mix of fully developed tracks almost ready for issue,outtakes of released records,and ideas still waiting to be worked up into final form.The unreleased masters were assembled from the Stax/Volt library of tapes purchased by Fantasy Records in 1977.

Given the proximity to Halloween I thought it fitting to feature the opening track Trick or Treat. Most of the other 18 tracks would have been equally worthy.

For the second song I've gone for Take 1 of Try a Little Tenderness.Most other artists would kill to record something of such quality but obviously it wasn't quite good enough for Otis or Stax. It took another two takes before they were satisfied.

Tremendous stuff

Otis Redding -Trick or Treat

Otis Redding -Try a Little Tenderness (Take 1)

The Atlantic Recordings

 

 2022 Charity Shop Purchases #63 - Loudon Wainwright III - The Atlantic Recordings.

Apologies to those of you who saw the post title before the picture and thought that you were in for some stonking 60's American Soul.

Instead you are getting The Atlantic Sessions from 1999 on Rhino which is essentially a CD containing Loudon Wainwright III's first two albums namely  the imaginatively named  1970's Loudon Wainwright III and the equally imaginative 1971 album Album II

LW3 (as I think I will call him) and I have a somewhat checkered history. I loved some of his songs which Andy Kershaw used to feature on his radio show. However, when it comes to the physical product I have not been too fortunate.

I've had a live album So Damn Happy for years and it's a bit meh. Last year in Kingussie I picked up One Man Guy a best of from 1982-1986 which I wrote about here. I ended up sending it back.

After a first listen to The Atlantic Recordings again I'm not entirely convinced. There is quite a lot of chaff but the occasional ear of wheat which means that I think it deserves some further attention.

After an initial listen these two from the first album were the ones which stood out.most.

Loudon Wainwright III - School Days

Loudon Wainwright III - Central Square Song

North Country Boy

 

 2022 Charity Shop Purchases #62 -The Charlatans - North Country Boy (CD Single)

When leaving Carrbridge rather than going down the A9 we decided to take a more picturesque and much longer route home.It was a beautiful day and the drive over the Cairngorms to Tomintoul was spectacular. From there we drove to Ballatar (via a diversion) and hit the Highland Hospice shop.

The CDs were 4 for a pound and one that I picked up was the CD single of North Country Boy by the Charlatans from 1997 on the Beggars Banquet label.

I already had a copy on the Melting Point compilation but hey it was 25p and included two other tracks.

It was a song from their 5th album Tellin'Stories from the same years. A few years back I picked up what I thought was Tellin' Stories only to find that the CD within the box was in fact The Charlatans. Full story here

The singe reached number 4 in the UK charts albeit in was only in the charts for 5 weeks around the time that they were at their commercial peak. Better late than never I suppose.

The Charlatans -North Country Boy

The Charlatans - Area 51

The Charlatans - Don't Need a Gun