For Truck's Sake

2025 Charity Shop Purchases # 53 - Dale Watson - Truckin' Sessions Vol. 3

If you have been following this Blog from as far back as 23rd September 2025 you may well recall me featuring Dale Watson's Truckin Sessions Volume 2 here which I picked up in Newton Stewart.

You may also recall that I mentioned that was now contractually obliged to track down Volumes 1 & 3

Well it seems to be that Newton Stewart is the very place to go for Truckin' songs as on my next visit to the town I came away with Volume 3. This one is from 2015 and is on the Continental City label from the Netherlands,

As you can see from the tracklist Dale does not stray far from the general subject matter. I've gone for the opening track It's Been a Long Truckin' Day and Birmingham Breakdown. I assume Dale is refering to the city in Alabama as opposed to the one off the M6.

I will be keeping my eyes peeled for the missing piece of the jigsaw next time I'm in Newton Stewart.

Dale Watson - It's Been a Long Truckin' Day

Dale Watson - Birmingham Breakdown

Deliver Me From Nowhere

 

Over the weekend we went to the pictures to see Deliver Me From Nowhere the current Bruce Springsteen biopic.

I vaguely knew that a film was in the making but was unaware that it had been released so heads up to Mrs CC for discovering it was on and booking tickets.

The Guardian review here describes it as a solid biopic which both embraces and avoids cliche. It also gives a link to a trailer.

Without giving too much away it is set in the early 80s after the release of The River when Bruce is writing songs both for Nebraska and Born in the USA while tackling some demons which go back to childhood trauma.

I thought it was pretty good without being brilliant. It is not a patch on the recent Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown but is streets ahead of Bob Marley's One Love . Like the Guardian I would give it a solid 3/5. Jeremy Allen White is pretty convincing in the lead role.

It maybe says something about the demographic of fans of the Boss as several of our fellow audience members were using walking aids!

Regular readers will not be surprised that when it comes to Born in the USA or Nebraska I will choose the latter all day long.

I don't think I'm alone.

Bruce Springsteen -Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen -Atlantic City

Bruce Springsteen - My Fathers House

Themes For Great Cities

 

Whenever I check the music section in the library Themes For Great Cities - A New History of Simple Minds by Graeme Thomson is usually there.

Whereas I am not a huge fan of the band I eventually got round to taking it out. It is well written and a good read with contributions by four out of five of the band's original members - Brian McGee being the non-participant.

Somehow I have acquired five of their albums over the years. Their music can essentially be split into two parts - the first five albums  from 1977 to 1981,  which are all worth having, and from 1982 onwards when they effectively became a stadium band along the lines of U2. Having said that I found myself singing along to the songs on Glittering Prize 81/92 the other day.

It seems like a version of the band led by Jim Kerr and Charlie Birchill is still tootling away without setting the heather on fire.

If you were allowed only one album by them the 1982 compilation Celebration featuring sings from their first three albums would be the one to have.

Talking of Great Cities it should be acknowledged that they come from the greatest of them all!

Simple Minds -Theme For Great Cities

Simple Minds - Life in a Day

Simple Minds - Chelsea Girl

Hotel Motel 10

 

Time to press the lift (elevator if your posh) button and head to the 10th floor for the latest Hotel/Motel instalment.

In the hotel corner we have Jesse Malin with Hotel Columbia. The song references Hyde Park so it may well be in London. On the off chance that it is that one I have sourced the picture above.

I was about to give you Motel Blues by Big Star only to discover that it is a cover version of the Louden Wainwright 111 song which Ernie suggested for the first post in the series. Not to worry, Joni Mitchell has stripped off her tracksuit and is limbering up on the sidelines with Blue Motel Room.

Motel Blues is also a series of short stories by Jerry Raine or the French translation of Bill Bryson's travel book The Lost Continent which is pictured above.

The good or bad news depending on your perspective is that we are still aiming for a dozen posts in this series

Jesse Malin - Hotel Columbia

Joni Mitchell - Blue Motel Room

Americana 2012

 

Although the vast majority of the Americana Compilations that I have been subjecting you to on Sundays originate from the turn of the century there have been a few outliers.

For example Sounds of the New West Volume 7 is bang up to date. Today we feature another Uncut compilation  Americana 2012.

As is the way of such things some acts have slipped into obscurity, some shone brightly for a brief period and some are still going strong with a couple arguably having  achieved superstar status (artists 4 & 5?)

Here's a quick glance at the tracklist for you to pick your favourites. I've selected three,  the second and third of which I have subsequently acquired albums by. Then again maybe I just have a thing about bands beginning with D.

That's why picking up these compilations can be worth your while.

Beachwood Sparks - Forget The Song

Deer Tick - Main Street

Dawes - Peace in the Valley

Saturday Shuffle 119

 

We went to the gym yesterday for the first time in a while. When we got there I looked out my MP3 player to find it had not been charged so I had to make do with what I would describe as mizak. Fortunately it was not too loud so it did not annoy me as much as it usually did.

Worry not the MP3 player has now been charged so SS119  can proceed.

First up are The Umbrellas a jingly jangly San Francisco band with It's True from their 2021 eponymous debut album.I quite liked the album but have never felt the urge to follow it up. See Bandcamp for details of their output to date.

I would highly recommend that you hunt down anything and everything by today's cover star Dwight Yoakam pre 2000. Anything from 2000 onwards is best avoided. From Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room his third, and what I consider best album here is Dwight  covering Streets of Bakersfield accompanied by Buck Owens. It is widely thought that this song was written by Buck but it was in fact written by Homer Joy

From April 1978 She's So Modern was the 3rd single released by the Boomtown Rats peaking at number 12. The Guinness British Hits Singles book tells me that they were named after a band in a Woodie Guthrie novel something I was unaware of up until now.

More shuffled music and random facts next Saturday.

The Umbrellas - It's True

Dwigh Yoakam - Streets of Bakersfield

Boomtown Rats - She's So Modern

Blog Country 127 - Malta

 

Apologies for the delay in this occasional series. It is not due to the lack of countries I have to post (there are a few left but not many) but because of time constraints and other commitments.

Having said that it can take a bit of time sourcing the music and sorting out the wheat from the chaff.

Most of you I assume will be familiar with the Mediterranean island of Malta or to give it its Sunday name the Republic of Malta. Some of you may even have visited. I  haven't although the rest of my family did one summer when I was busy working.

A common theme when searching for material is that there is often a song or two referencing the country. Malta is no exception and I give you Freddie Portelli with Viva Malta.

Another common theme for European countries is Eurovision songs but  thankfully I think I have managed to avoid them this time round.

Beangrowers are a three piece indie rock band who are described on Bandcamp as a rare and delicate breed of band - managing to be intelligent without being ponderous,fun without being silly, outrageously poppy without being cheesy and rocking without being cliched or predictable. I'll leave you to decide whether You Are You Are fits that bill.

The Travellers are from the Maltese island of Gozo whose sound is characterized by Maltese lyrics accompanied by brass-based pop music .You want proof? Here is Hafi Paci Kuluri which I think is a glorious song.

Oxygn apparently are an Anglo/Maltese band here.Not to be confused with the World Fusion Music Band with a similar name or indeed Jean Michel Jarre

GENN are another Anglo/Maltese combination who annoyingly use capitals exclusively in their name.

That's your lot. Next time round I suspect will be much more challenging given it is a country I had never even heard of. 

Freddie Portelli - Viva Malta

Beangrowers - You Are You Are

The Travellers - Hafi Paci Kuluri

Oxygyn - Venom

GENN - Days and Nights