I enjoy talking music, wether is in person or via internet forums. One of those people is Kevin Alexander from On Repeat Records. This is a follow-up to one of his posts.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thekevinalexander/p/road-trip-long-way-philosophy?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

For The Record by Kevin Alexander
Some words on blue highways, low-watt radio, and why getting lost might be the whole point.
Apr 18, 2026

Kevin Alexander: “I should clarify that I like road trips that aren’t in a city and aren’t ones where GPS leads you by the nose through the most efficient route.”

Norman: I use GPS through unfamiliar areas and often take the road less travelled. I have driven on some amazing back roads. Discover the small abandoned churches and graveyards on the back roads of Alberta, find interesting geological features that don’t show up on any promotional travel itinerary and talk to some amazing people and listen to their stories.

Kevin Alexander “I must’ve been sick the day they taught us all to fall in love with new cars.”

Norman: I have owned one new car in my 60ish years of driving, that is my current car, and it is 16 years old.

Kevin Alexander “My favourite trip is doing 101 from north to south.”

Norman: I drove the 101 in 1975 with my friend, Steve Miller, no, not that Steve Miller. It was an amazing drive. My favourite trip, we call it ‘The Epic Road Trip’, was a 16,000 km trip doing a big loop from Alberta, through most of the northern states, down the east coast, across the Gulf coast to New Orleans, north to Memphis, west to Flagstaff, turned north and back home.

Kevin Alexander: “that car didn’t have working A/C either.”

Norman: We did a road trip through southern Alberta one year, and the A/C quit while the temp was in the high 30s.

Kevin Alexander: “Find a good blues station or some zydeco and go with it.”

Norman: I like making mix tapes, a throwback to the years before digital music. We were in the digital age on our Epic Road Trip, and with an iPod with 160 GB memory, we had mix tapes for each state and plenty of the cities we passed through. Our Epic Road Trip took us through 27 US states. The funny thing is that we meet people who have never left their home state/province.

Kevin Alexander: “You are almost guaranteed to see some ‘active weather’ in Texas.”

Norman: Texas was nice; it was clear and hot in Joel, Texas. The most active weather we encountered was a torrential rainstorm in upstate New York, with gusty winds, huge raindrops, no hail, and pounding water from the sky. We holed up in a tourist pullout, which I compliment the state of New York on having the best ever.

Kevin Alexander: “the best restaurant likely won’t be on Yelp.”

Norman: I never used Yelp for anything; the best food we had was in New Orleans, at a nice little restaurant on the coast, with boats bobbing in the water and quiet jazz playing in the background.

Longer read: https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/p/road-trip-long-way-philosophy?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=190653&post_id=194510756&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=23hztj&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Brian Raftery on former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield and his road back after suffering a stroke.

”You can only imagine waking up and going, ‘Where is everybody, and what’s going on?’” Pinfield said. “I’m still processing it.” Not long after his re-emergence, it became clear that Pinfield’s computer-like recall of obscure music lore was intact. One of his first post-coma conversations was about Guy Stevens, the British D.J. who produced the Clash’s “London Calling” album, and who supposedly came up with the name for Procol Harum’s 1967 single “Whiter Shade of Pale.”
“I have no idea why I was talking about him,” Pinfield said with a laugh. “Probably because I love the Clash, and because it’s an incredible song.”
Brian Raftery on former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield and his road back after suffering a stroke.

Norman: I am grateful that cancer and having a stroke are not among my contributions to CMDT 2025 or DSM-5-TR. Unfortunately, the contributions I do have mean I no longer offer a treasury of music trivia to the world at large, but I still get great pleasure from listening to and reading about music. The Clash and Procol Harum are in my collection. I have managed to gather seven versions of the Clashes’ self-titled debut album. London Calling has long been a favourite of mine; we used to play the song live in a band that I was a minuscule part of years ago. Sandinista has been in semi-regular rotation on the turntable lately, for no reason other than to listen to more great music. Last but not least, Procol Harum. I enjoy the album Procol Harum Live In Concert With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and not just because I live in Edmonton and go to hear the Symphony Orchestra several times a year. As a matter of fact, I will be at the Winspear, an amazing building for music, enjoying a show by the Symphony next week.

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New Music

The Singles
I very rarely blog singles because I very rarely listen to singles. I enjoy the long-play format, and hence most of my listening and blogging fall into that realm. Regardless, I have received a couple of singles in the last couple of weeks that I rather enjoyed and thought I would break tradition by sharing.

Liam Hopkins (stylized as LIAM hopkins) is an alternative rock artist based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the home of GreenWing, a band that I have written about previously. He reached out to me last week about two singles he released from his album, which he is still recording and is due for release at an undisclosed time. “I’m Afraid of Americans” is the lead single, co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno for the album Earthling. LIAM gives us an edgy, guitar-dominated cover of a song that has spawned many covers. The most notable, in my opinion, is Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. Trent played it with Bowie and with NIN. While LIAM doesn’t wander too far from the essence of the Bowie/Reznor tracks, he does make it his own, turning it into his own cover of a song that has been covered a lot over the years. This is not a note-for-note cover; it has its own flavour that I think Bowie would respect. Given the current state of the USA, this song is more relevant than ever.

The second single is “Start Again.” I like this track even more than “I’m Afraid of Americans.” It has more grinding, gritty guitar work, which I like. I think this is LIAM’s strong point: great guitar work. A vocalist, drummer, guitarist, bassist, and synthesist, LIAM is a hands-on artist who writes, performs, and produces his own material. I would label LIAM’s work on these two tracks as post-punk, alternative, grunge, and indie rock, but that is only an approximation. LIAM is developing his own sound, and I look forward to the release of his first album, “Cannibal,” later in 2026.

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Robin Ross & The Melodynes share “All I Want (Is A Lover).”
Welcome back to the 60s. A masterclass in flower power pop with a modern soul, the track has already caught the attention of major television supervisors, landing a featured spot in the star-studded Apple TV+ and Peacock original series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”.  Starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman and Nicole Kidman, the series features the song in a pivotal scene in its second episode, which aired April 15, 2026. 

‘All I Want (Is A Lover)’ is out April 7th via RPM Entertainment Enterprises and available from digital platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and Bandcamp, where the new ‘Mind Space’ album can also be found digitally and on CD. A huge thank you to Shameless Promotion PR odern for sharing this gem with me. The album, Mind Space, sounds closer to Jefferson Airplane and the harder-edged sounds of the ‘60s.

‘All I Want (Is A Lover)’ video  https://youtu.be/KNgKeu5BD3I
Bandcamp  https://robinross.bandcamp.com/track/all-i-want-is-a-lover
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SKxITRBOhAcggLalifGFs
Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/robin-ross/1640503541
‘Mind Space’ album  https://robinross.bandcamp.com/album/mind-space
Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/album/2jlv1wJiQTmXvwWEpONgjv
‘Campfire on the Moon’ video https://youtu.be/EvcXnpvuE1Q
‘Spill No Mo Wine’ video  https://youtu.be/ya4lLg9uggA

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“The Awakening” by XANIMAL. Released via New Human Music and Shameless Promotion PR, 7 April 2026, ‘The Awakening’ is available as an exclusive Bandcamp release until April 21, and will also be available from other digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. Further releases are anticipated later this year. This is a slice of dream pop with a dose of East Indian fusion, lush atmospheric synths, and hypnotic tabla, unfolding into funky breakbeats to create a dynamic sonic landscape. Vocalist Noëlle Hampton delivers a haunting narrative of disillusionment and loss, reflecting the uncertainty and shadows of the modern world. In contrast, Nagavalli’s ethereal vocalizations elevate the track, infusing it with a sense of hope and transcendence. “Together as One” by Nagavalli, Katie Marie, Candi Sanders is a song to be put on repeat, one listen isn’t enough to unpack it.

‘The Awakening’ ft Nagavalli video https://youtu.be/Fas2hEismsI
Bandcamp https://newhumanmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-awakening (out now)
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/6EuIa5GziTMVPNVGTyQOv4 (out April 21)
Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/xanimal/1762992028 (out April 21)

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“’This Is Not Heaven’ by Lowsunday, previewing their ‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine – Black EP’ via Projekt Records and Shameless Promotion PR.
Full “Low Sunday Ghost Machine – Black EP” will be released May 15th via Projekt Records and Shameless Promotion PR. “White EP” is out now, 10 April 2026.

This is my kind of music. Etherial, blending darkwave and shoegaze, with sharp guitar parts over synths.

“‘This is Not Heaven’ was the last song we recorded for the Black EP. We really enjoyed injecting the heavy synths on the chorus, the asymmetrical guitar leads and the driving bass line beneath an intricate and melodic rhythm guitar,” says Shane Sahene.

“We felt this song captured everything we are about in that it hits the refrains with a shoegaze atmosphere, more electronic choruses and lyrical transparency, much less vague than many of our songs… it touches on many aspects of our sound.”

Bobby Spell adds, “This was another really enjoyable song to write. The guitar textures and melody lines create a dark song with uplifting sections. The mood shifts in the choruses giving a feeling of brightness or a way out of melancholy”.
Lowsunday slipped under my radar during their original run in the 1990s, but I have them locked in now and will be exploring their back catalogue, looking forward to the White EP arriving in May.

This is Not Heaven’ video https://youtu.be/CX-zD_tTsDM
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/73czdJH9PvNdPAlmmBAefi

Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-not-heaven-single/1883145470

Soundcloud  https://soundcloud.com/lowsunday/this-is-not-heaven
‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP’  https://www.projekt.com/store/product/arc00371
Bandcamp  https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/low-sunday-ghost-machine-white-ep
‘Nevver’ video  https://youtu.be/yjc8o5fccNU
‘Soft Capture’ video https://youtu.be/i_5UeD04mlk
‘Love Language’ video  https://youtu.be/9ytV47-jnPQ
‘Low Sunday Ghost Machine (2025 remaster)’ https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/low-sunday-ghost-machine-2025-remaster
‘Elesgiem’ (2024 remaster) LP https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/elesgiem-2024-remaster
Shameless Promotion PR

Daniel Amos	Mr. Buechner’s Dream
Van Morrison	Hymns To The Silence
Charlie Parker	Cool Blues
LSU	Dogfish Jones
Wallace Collection	Laughing Cavalier
Flee	Honora
Lifesavers Underground	Shaded Pain

It has been a wild week of listening adventures. Various permutations continue emanating from The Grape Prophet in last week’s listening. This week, we have Dogfish Jones from LSU. This is a solid album, start to finish and would make a good introduction to the music of Michael Knott. Shaded Pain was in my car for about 2 weeks and took several spins around town. Jordan River was a highlight track for me, and being the first track makes a good introduction to the album. Shaded Pain is a powerhouse of sound that took Michael Knott out of churches and onto the streets, an honest album about how difficult life can be, but too honest for some churches, apparently. Personally, I am glad because getting labelled as ‘a Christian artist’ can be the death knell of a group/artist.

Mr. Buechner’s Dream is an expansive exploration. Lyrically, the album reflects the tumultuous events experienced by members of the band in recent years: the death of two young and very dear friends, including producer and studio owner Gene Eugene (Adam Again), cancer in Terry Scott Taylor’s family, and in the families of other close friends.

The “Mr. Buechner” referred to in the title is Pulitzer Prize nominated author Frederick Buechner, who has been a major inspiration for the band’s lyrics for years. The album also pays tribute to authors Walker Percy, T. S. Eliot, G. K. Chesterton, Flannery O’Connor, Lewis Carroll, and Dorothy L. Sayers. This album asks for more attention from the listener to fully appreciate it. Just from the list of people in the last paragraph, it is easy to see that this recording is more cerebral than your average Top of the Pops recording. I find it amazing how a band can record a dozen albums and manage to sound fresh on each album. Creative geniuses.

Daniel Amos is one candle on the menorah of my listening.

1. Daniel Amos
2. DA
3. Lost Dogs
4. Swirling Eddies
5. Terry Scott Taylor
6. The Call
7. Adam Again

Laughing Cavalier is an album by the Belgian group Wallace Collection. There is an excellent backstory behind the band’s and the album’s name. Their song “Daydream” has been covered, sampled, and used in soundtracks. I have been enamoured by this album ever since I first heard it in the movie Mr. Nobody. I was able to find a nice, clean copy and spin the album every so often. I still like it.

There has been a bit of a trend lately for bands, such as the Arctic Monkeys, and artists to reinvent themselves. Honora is the debut solo album by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. This album is not a solo version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Flea is doing his own thing on the album Honora. I love the juxtaposition of alt-rock with jazz. I like it when an artist steps out of their 9-5 gig with a band and plows some new ground.

The album was inspired by Flea’s love for jazz, and features six original songs along with covers of songs originally written by Eddie Hazel and George Clinton, Jimmy Webb, Frank Ocean and Shea Taylor, and Ann Ronell.

Flea provided lead vocals, bass and trumpet. Thom Yorke and Nick Cave provided guest vocals. Josh Johnsonperforms saxophone and keyboards, and produced the album. The backing band features guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss, and drummer Deantoni Parks, with additional contributions from Mauro Refosco and Nathaniel Walcott, as well as two other members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

With that entourage of musicians, one would have high expectations, and Honora meets those expectations with grace and aplomb. Flea is the narrator for the track A Plea, a shout-out for peace in a world that grows less stable every day.

Matt Steady	The Dragons Refrain
Neil Young	After The Gold Rush
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	Zuma
Neil Young	Comes A Time
Neil Young	Harvest
Neil Young	Everbody’s Rockin’
Various	Shine A Light – A Tribute To Michael Knott Vol. 2

I saw Matt Steady on Facebook giving away a free CD, The Dragons’ Refrain, for the cost of shipping. I listened to him, liked what I heard and requested the CD. No regrets, I have listened to this CD three times in the first three days after it arrived. I love the Celtic elements woven into the album, both between and within the Prog songs. 

I am a huge fan of Daniel Amos, so I was happy to see Robert Watson’s name and affiliation in Matt Steady’s albums. As I read the back sleeve notes, I saw Eleanor from “Eleanor & the Lost” included as a singer. Putting the two together, I immediately thought of the song “Eleanor, It’s Raining Now” by The Lost Dogs, with whom Robert Watson also played keyboards. The Lost Dogs are a branch in the DA family tree.
So, there we have a nice example of six degrees of separation, all thanks to The Dragons’ Refrain.

1.)The Dragons’ Refrain > 2.)Robert Watson > 3.) The Lost Dogs > 4.)”Eleanor, It’s Raining Now” 5.) Eleanor > 6.)Eleanor & the Lost 7.)The Dragons’ Refrain brings us full circle.

Neil Young is an artist whom I have seen live and enjoyed his music for many years. He used to be a Canadian, but he kind of walked away from that to live in the USA. Can’t say I blame him; a winter in California has to be better than a winter in Winnipeg. Harvest is my preferred listen from these six samples, taken from a massive catalogue of his music. A person would have to be very rich and have lots of time on their hands to be a completist when it comes to Neil Young’s music. Neil has released 45 studio albums, as well as numerous live albums, compilations, and other releases. I didn’t bother to count them all. I’m sure you get the gist of the matter. He has released a lot of music over the span of his career. Harvest is my sentimental favourite from the meagre selection that I have on vinyl. I only have one CD and no cassettes. Plenty of good music on the ones that I do have. Quality over quantity, I say.

Neil Young	After The Gold Rush
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	Zuma
Neil Young	Comes A Time
Neil Young	Harvest
Neil Young	Everbody’s Rockin’

Various	Shine A Light – A Tribute To Michael Knott Vol. 2
Frank Zappa	Freak Out!
Frank Zappa	Absolutely Free
Frank Zappa	Chunga’s Revenge
Frank Zappa	Joe’s Garage Act 1
Frank Zappa	Joe’s Garage Act 2&3
Frank Zappa	You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Sampler
Warren Zevon	Excitable Boy

Eh 2 Zed

On January 1, 2023, I set a goal to listen to all my albums in alphabetical order. Warren Zevon was the final listen on March 24, 2026, 1178  days and 1380 (+/-) records later. I will add one caveat: I only listened to the artists in the main collection, not compilations, classical, kids, gospel, or miscellaneous oddball records. Takeaways from this project? I have a lot of really good albums that deserve more listens. I have a lot of really bad albums that deserve less than one listen. Favourite listens? Too many to list here; I don’t keep desert-island lists.

1517 CDs are the next task I am giving to myself. I am not going to go through the alphabet this time; I have added a code to the spreadsheet that will generate random selections.

Bette Midler	Bette of Roses
Various	Good Old Country
Various	Ties That Bind
REM	Out Of Time
Black Grape	Stupid, Stupid, Stupid
Billy Bragg	Mr. Love & Justice
Tom Waits	Glitter and Doom
Bob Dylan	Rough and Rowdy Ways
Louis Armstrong	The Great Chicago Concert 1956

That offers a really broad selection that matches my diverse musical tastes. From Good Old Country to alt-rock, folk to pop, jazz to jazz/rock fusion. This is going to be an exciting journey.

I have Bette Midler as a bit of a guilty pleasure; I just love her voice. Ms. Midler had an affair with Tom Waits, and their musical styles are far apart, yet they both make great music. Glitter and Doom is a live show near the end of Tom’s recording career, and it is an absolute hoot to listen to. He is relaxed, banters about all kinds of things, and presents a gem of a musical show.

REM gave us the great song Losing My Religion, which is not about losing faith in the God of your choice. I tried to learn the mandolin part, but it didn’t go well. REM is in fine form on Out Of Time.

Wikipedia: The title phrase is an expression from the Southern United States that means “losing one’s temper or civility” or “feeling frustrated and desperate”. Michael Stipe said the song was about romantic expression and unrequited love. The lines “That’s me in the corner / That’s me in the spotlight” were originally “That’s me in the corner / That’s me in the kitchen”, describing a person at a social event too shy to approach the person they like. Stipe compared the theme to “Every Breath You Take” (1983) by the Police, saying, “It’s just a classic obsession pop song. I’ve always felt the best kinds of songs are the ones where anybody can listen to it, put themselves in it and say, ‘Yeah, that’s me.'”

Black Grape is a great band for road tunes, roll down the window and turn up the volume. It is difficult to pin them to a genre; just listen to them as good music that doesn’t have to be pigeon-holed.

Bob Dylan released Rough and Rowdy Ways, featuring his longest single, “Murder Most Foul.”  Released during the COVID era, this spoken-word, sing-song about the assassination of RFK, President Kennedy.  If you have the time, I would recommend reading the story of his highly controversial acceptance speech, given on December 13, 1963, in which an intoxicated Dylan admitted that he “saw some of myself” in Lee Harvey Oswald before he was booed and rushed from the stage of the grand ballroom of the Hotel Americana in New York where he was given the Tom Paine Award of the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee for his work in the civil rights campaign. The speech sparked hysteria in the press, prompting Dylan to issue a written statement clarifying his comments without apologizing. This is a good album, controversy or not.

Billy Bragg is an artist that I never got into; there is nothing wrong with his music, his lyrics or him personally. I just can’t love every artist and every recording. This is a decent album.

Louie Armstrong, the Great Chicago Concert 1956. There is a huge backstory to this two-CD set that adds considerably to an understanding of the event. Another reason why I like physical media is the sleeve notes. If you have an ounce of jazz in your veins, you will love this sprawling evening with a great star of the jazz scene. Mr. Armstrong was highly respected in the jazz community and had many fans. If you only know him for “What a Wonderful World” or “Hello, Dolly!,” you are missing out on a lot of great music. Playing with an all-star band and playing to an adoring audience, Louie Armastong is in good form in this concert. This is a good jazz record to have if you are planning on being on a desert island anytime soon.

The New Pornographers	The Former Site Of
Louis Armstrong	The Great Chicago Concert 1956
John Fogerty	The Long Road Home
Godspeed You Black Emperor!	Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress
Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds	Mutiny After Midnight
Lowsunday	Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP
L.S. Underground	The Grape Prophet (Deluxe Edition)

I am a long-time fan of The New Pornographers, and have several of their albums, and have seen them live numerous times. I don’t have all their albums because new vinyl is so expensive these days. I can’t justify spending $50 for an album. I streamed “The Former Site Of”. It sounds like The New Pornographers, no surprise there. However, they manage to keep it sounding fresh with some great vocal weaving among band members and lyrics that delighted me. This is a bit of a concept album, A.C. Newman, has stated that he saw signs around various part of New York state that annouced these as places that were “the former site of.” I am particulary enamoured by “Ballad of the Last Payphone”, a dirge on the loss of an icon of a former era that slowly disappeared as cell phones replaced the payphones. The video is quite good as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUoqZnUZE84

Pittsburgh’s Low Sunday presents ‘Nevver‘ single (via Projekt Records)
“Low Sunday Ghost Machine – White EP“, their first all-new material in 25 years, is out now. I enjoyed this punkish album. It has energy and grit, qualities that are lacking in many albums these days. I suggest giving them a go if you are in the mood for something new. I haven’t tried it, but I think this would be a good road album.

L.S. Underground is bringing us this remastered deluxe edition of an under-the-radar album. This comes from Michael Knott, an artist I thoroughly enjoy but who will likely be a challenge for some. I challenge you to give him a shot and listen to some of his music. You never know, you may just find a new source of music that you like.

Michael Knott (December 22, 1962 – March 12, 2024) was an American singer-songwriter and frontman for various bands, many of whom performed in the Christian rock genre. He released about 35 albums, including solo and band albums with LSU and Cush. He has been credited for pioneering the “alternative Christian rock scene”. Knott’s songwriting appealed to many people, particularly Christians who could admit their flaws and appreciated the honesty with which he confronted his own shortcomings. Examples include “Double,” “Shaded Pain,” and “Rocket and a Bomb.”

John Fogerty’s album The Long Road Home was a really fun trip through the land of nostalgia. I am seasoned enough to remember when many of these songs were released and the albums that gave us the singles. I was doing some work around the house with this on at a slightly higher volume than normal, and sang along with the lyrics that are magically still attached to my neurons. Good clean fun.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress is a 2015 release from another album that doesn’t get mentioned much in the mainstream of music. Pity, because they are very good at what they do. What they do is create music that defies current mainstream content-driven sounds and do their own thing. Their own thing on this album juxtaposes two dense, riff-driven compositions with a pair of ambient, drone-based pieces, marking a shift toward a more concise, distilled sonic approach. Upon release, the album received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised its intensity, cohesion, and evolution of the band’s sound. They put on one hell of a good live show and have released 10 albums that don’t all sound the same, original and defying genres again, I seem drawn to music like that.

The Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds  album, Mutiny After Midnight, arrived in the mail the day after I bought Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress. I saved both of these albums for a listening session with Joel. It was a delightful evening as we listened to the new album, Mutiny After Midnight, and a blast from the past from Godspeed You! Black Emperor. These albums are as sonically different as two albums can be. Alternative country music from Johnny Blue Skies and ambient drone post-rock from Godspeed You! Black Emperor.  Upon some contemplation on that last sentence, I have changed my mind. Johnny Blue Skies, aka Sturgill Simpson, is not afraid of doing something new musically. He has gone from the straight-up the middle of country and western music on his premier release, High Top Mountain, to the Outlaw Country sounds of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. From Cuttin’ Bluegrass to the genre-defying Sound & Fury, Sturgill is not afraid of stepping out of character and doing something new. Mutiny After Midnight gives us his most political views to date. He is not afraid of throwing a few jabs at Donald Trump. Mutiny After Midnight has a 1970’s feel, with a mix of funk, spunk, and even disco. The album has received mostly favourable reviews, but one aspect of those reviews that troubles me is their fixation on the sexual aspects of the album. Yes, Johnny Blue Skies does sing about sex on the very first track, Make America Fuk Again but I think sex is just one part of a much larger canvas that is being painted by this album.

Johnny Blue Skies lashes out at hedonism, fascism, oligarchy, ICE and Donald Trump, while telling us we should be making love and having sex. Those last two are not mutually conclusive. People can have sex and be in love with the person they are having sex with. People can have sex with people who are complete strangers. While sex does pop up here and there throughout the album, I like to see the bigger picture that is being told in the mini-stories, aka songs. Sex is a part of that, but not the whole part.

The Doomday Clock is at 85 seconds to midnight. In 85 seconds, Johnny Blue Skies is declaring mutiny. Will there be anyone left to declare mutiny after midnight arrives? Maybe we don’t have to find out if we can turn this train around and fuck our way to a better world. Maybe we can save what we have if we learn to love one another instead of killing our immigrants, silencing the dissenting voices, and stifling the voices of the George Floyds. Is there hope for the future? I don’t know, and Johnny Blue Skies doesn’t offer us much hope because the album ends on these words, “The poor stay poor, and the rich get rich, nothing ever changes man, ain’t that a bitch.”

Sturgill Simpson is very good at making music and writing lyrics that challenge the status quo and rattle the cages of our social constructs. He challenges us to listen carefully because his music is complex and his lyrics are carefully crafted messages. Mutiny After Midnight continues that arc. Get comfortable, have a beverage on hand, put your phone on mute, have the lyric sheet close by and settle in for a wonderful listening session.

I am back on the horse and listening to lots of good music, some old and some new. To paraphrase an old friend of mine, Ernie, “All music is good music, but some are better than others”. And that is subjective.

Luke the Drifter Jr. by Hank Williams Jr.

“Luke the Drifter Jr.” comes on the heels of his father’s shoes, and those are mighty big shoes to fill. Hank Jr. strived to find his own voice, one that is original and not dependent on his Dad’s songs. Luke the Drifter Jr. gives us some of that original material and finds Hank Jr. pivoting away from riding his dad’s coattails. It is a good album, but some of Jr.’s best were released after the Drifter. And as always, that is in my subjective opinion.

“The Mason Williams Phonograph Record” by Mason Williams. Famous for one track, Classical Gas, but the album has more to offer than that. This album was a nice chill break, a relaxing listen that didn’t require much of me.

Next up is the last of the Williamses. Robin Williams. He did some really good acting on TV (Mork and Mindy) and on the big screen (Good Morning, Vietnam). Robin Williams starred in many movies that established him as a respected actor in the eyes of both critics and fans. He also did live stand-up comedy and made the rounds of late-night talk shows. Unfortunately, this record did not strike a chord with my wife or my funny bones. There were very few chuckles to be found.

Bob Wills and Boxcar Willie were both really good albums. Bob Mills was a big deal in western swing, and Boxcar Willie was a traditional country and western star. Both of these danced into my wheelhouse.

Wings, aka Sir Paul, entertained me for a while. These are not my favourite solo albums from the Beatles; I leaned heavily towards John Lennon. These are not bad records, just not my cupa tea.

Mac Wiseman snapped me back to listening to Country music. This is a good example of traditional country music. I will have to listen to this one again in short order.

Stevie Wonder brings us to Innervisions is my only Stevie album, but what an amazing album it is. Often sitting in lists of island records and best-of collections, Innervisions finds Stevie Wonder moving from his early period as Little Stevie Wonder into a place where he has a more mature sound, his own voice. He also started using. 

Return of the Halcyon Days by The Bloody Strummers arrived in my inbox a few days back, and I have listened and re-listened to this album. My first impression was that I thought they sounded like Joy Division. I listened to Closer and then Return of the Halcyon Days. And then I listened to Unknown Pleasures, and then I listened to Return of the Halcyon Days again. The connection faded somewhat, but I still hear the synth-driven sound, as well as the way certain words are pronounced and delivered to us. They may give a tip of the hat to Joy Division, but that does not make them a cover band. The Bloody Strummers have their own sound, their own delivery and their own lyrical content. Bring that all together, and we have a darn good album that can stand on its own two feet.

Gary Wright started his music career with the Band Spooky Tooth and achieved some success with them before going solo, which led to Dream Weaver. This was his third solo album, and it would prove to be his most well-known and commercially successful. It has passed the test of time in the gap between my ears. I enjoyed reuniting with Dream Weaver.

Have two albums by XTC, issued 8 years apart, that sound like they could have been back-to-back. I confess that I only have these albums for two songs each. I bet you know which songs those are. “Finding Nigel” and “Dear God”. I put “Dear God” in my Nonconformist God playlist. I have eight songs in there now, so a blog about that could be in the works.

Back to some Country and Western music. Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room features two of Dwight Yoakam‘s biggest hits, “I Sang Dixie” and “Streets of Bakersfield,” which was a duet with Buck Owens. I recommend reading about Streets Bakerfield on Wikipedia. Would stretch that to reading about all of the albums that I list on my blogs. There is a plethora of information on Wikipedia alone, not to mention other sources. I like reading the backstories and learning about the artist and their connection to the song, and more often than you would guess. Connections to other musicians, such as linking Dwight Yoakam to Buck Owens and explaining where they fit in the traditional country, Outlaw country, Bakersfield sound, and Nashville sound camps. I am definitely in the traditional camp, but I am not snobbish and will listen to the slick Nashville music when an artist from there pops up.

Faron Young, Hello Walls. I had a cousin named Faron Young; as far as I know, he never sang country music. The Faron Young who sang the smash hit Hello Walls was not my cousin. This album took me to a good place. A dopamine flood filled my brain, and I sat back and listened. Focused listening, hearing the individual instruments. Listening for the flow of the lyrics and their waltz with the music. Good stuff.

Neil Young will close the “Y” section, but I only had enough time this week to listen to one of his albums, After the Gold Rush. After the Gold Rush was Neil Young’s third album. The album was recorded with members of both of his associated groups at the time, Crazy Horse and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as the first appearance by long-time collaborator Nils Lofgren. Neil had an impressive group of friends. CSN&Y are a long-time favourite of mine, and I discovered Nils Lofgren from this album. I don’t have every Neil Young album, but I do have a nice little collection of his music. I look forward to hearing more of Neil this week.

 

Shameless Promotions sent me an email that had the lovely band The Noise Who Runs and a single from them. Great listening, I kept it on repeat.

UK alternative electro-pop artist The Noise Who Runs a.k.a. Ian Pickering(known for his work with SNEAKER PIMPS and Front Line Assembly) returns with the energetically-charged single ‘Bang Bang‘, a reflection on the psychic exhaustion of life in constant crisis mode, capturing the physical, emotional and political toll of a world where outrage replaces thought and reaction substitutes responsibility. This and a second video, ‘The Bodies Are Under The Bus Again‘, preview his ‘RE: GEN X’ album, addressing the struggles of modern life, the grind of underpaid, overworked existence and betrayal in the echelons of power.

Now based in Lille, France, Pickering is originally from Hartlepool in the north-east of England. Pickering co-authored such Sneaker Pimps hits as ‘Spin Spin Sugar’, ‘6 Underground’ and ‘Tesko Suicide’. Pickering’s new album highlights the generational divide, with Generation X, the beneficiaries of the now-dying post-war dream, having left younger generations to navigate a precarious future. As Pickering puts it, “We fucked up the kids.”

Thank you, Shawna.

Luke The Drifter, Jr.	Luke The Drifter, Jr.
Mason Williams	The Mason Williams Phonograph Record
Robin Williams	Reality…What a Concept
Bob Wills	The Voice and Band of Bob Wills
Boxcar Willie	King Of The Road (20 Great Tracks)
Wings	Venus and Mars
Wings	Wings at the Speed of Sound
Mac Wiseman	Mac Wiseman
Stevie Wonder	Innervisions
The Bloody Strummers	Return of the Halcyon Days
Joy Division	Closer
Gary Wright	The Dream Weaver
XTC	Drums and Wire
XTC	Skylarking
Dwight Yoakam	Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Faron Young	Hello Walls
Neil Young	After The Gold Rush

Hiram “Hank” Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953)

My Dad was a country music singer and guitar player, and sometime in the 1950’s he went into a store in Edmonton where they would cut a record with your singing on it. He did the songs “The First Fall Of Snow / Someday You’ll Call My Name.” These were two songs off a Hank Williams 45 rpm single released in 1955, but actually recorded in 1948 or 1949 during a radio broadcast. I grew up listening to Dad play Hank’s songs and playing his records at home. I never outgrew my appreciation for the talent of Hank Williams, and a testament to that is this week’s listening playlist. 14 Hank Williams albums. I thought I might tire by the end of the week, but I didn’t. I enjoyed listening to all but one of these albums. A K-Tel double album that was horribly produced. Volume would rise and fall randomly, and instruments would pan from speaker to speaker, then drop off completely. I will keep the album in my collection as an example to how bad some records can get.

Hank Williams did not live an easy life. He was prone to periods of melancoly and then there were times, mostly due to his drinking, of lashing out in rage. His relationships with his wives were rocky.

Wikipedia:

“On December 15, 1944, Williams married Audrey Sheppard. It was her second marriage and his first. Their son, Randall Hank Williams (now known as Hank Williams Jr.), was born on May 26, 1949. The marriage was always turbulent and rapidly disintegrated, and Williams developed serious problems with alcohol, morphine, and other painkillers prescribed for him to ease the severe back pain caused by his spina bifida occulta. The couple divorced on May 29, 1952. In June 1952, Williams moved into a house on the corner of Natchez Trace and Westwood Avenue in Nashville, sharing it with singer Ray Price. Price left soon after due to Williams’s alcoholism. Following an unsuccessful tour of California and several stints in a sanatorium, Williams moved to his mother’s boarding house by September. A relationship with a woman named Bobbie Jett during this period resulted in a daughter, Jett Williams, who was born five days after Williams died. His mother adopted Jett, who became a ward of the state after her grandmother’s death. She was adopted and raised by an unrelated couple and did not learn that she was Williams’s daughter until the early 1980s. On October 18, 1952, Williams and Billie Jean Jones were married by a justice of the peace in Minden, Louisiana.”

I listened in chronological order, though I don’t think it would make much difference, since all of these are compilations of his material. Hank Williams recorded during an era when radio ruled the airwaves and single releases dominated music sales. Hanks’ singles recordings began to be collected for release on long-play records shortly after his death, and that has continued to the present. I have a wonderful 5-CD collection of his radio singles that will eventually be played for these blog posts.

Hank Williams	I Saw The Light	Country	LP	Mar 1	1954
Hank Williams	Sing Me A Blue Song	Country	LP	Mar 1	1957
Hank Williams	Wait For The Light To Shine	Country	LP	Mar 1	1960
Hank Williams	14 More Of Hank Williams’ Greatest Hits Vol. III	Country	LP	Mar 1	1963
Hank Williams	The Very Best Of Hank Williams Volume 2	Country	LP	Mar 1	1964
Hank Williams	Hank Williams	Country	LP	Mar 1	1966
Hank Williams	The Immortal Hank Williams	Country	LP	Mar 1	1966
Hank Williams	Hank Williams In The Beginning	Country	LP	Mar 1	1968
Hank Williams	Memories of Hank Williams Sr.	Country	LP	Mar 1	1973
Hank Williams	The Collector’s Hank Williams Volume One	Country	LP	Mar 1	1975
Hank Williams	The Collectors Hank Williams Volume II	Country	LP	Mar 1	1978
Hank Williams	The Collector’s Hank Williams Volume 3	Country	LP	Mar 1	1979
Hank Williams	The Collectors Hank Williams Volume 4	Country	LP	Mar 1	1981

While putting this blog together, I was reminded of some great songs that mention Hank Williams or his lyrics. Hank’s influence on modern music has been huge, and not just in country music. There are plenty of artists who have covered his songs and plenty of his songs that have been covered. The most notable is most likely “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” This song has influenced artists from K.D. Lang to Bob Dylan. A notable cover is by Bim, for acquired tastes only. There are also numerous movies, stage shows, tribute artists, and cover shows that showcase the man and his music.

The list of songs about or mentioning Hank Williams is long, really long. Here is a list of my favourites.

Has Anybody Here Seen Hank? by The Waterboys

Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? by Waylon Jennings

If You Don’t Like Hank Williams by Kris Kristofferson

Long White Cadillac by Dwight Yoakam

Midnight In Montgomery by Alan Jackson

Montgomery in the Rain by Steve Young

The Night Hank Williams Came To Town by Johnny Cash (feat. Waylon Jennings)

Nosferatu Man by Slint

The Ride by David Allan Coe

This Old Guitar by Neil Young refers to Williams’s original D-28 Martin guitar, which Young has toured with for over 30 years.

Tower of Song by Leonard Cohen

Everything Is New by Frank Black & the Catholics

Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) by Waylon Jennings (feat. Willie Nelson)

If you are not familiar with Hank Williams or his music, I would recommend, at the very least, sampling some of his material in the online streaming service of your choice.

This has been an exciting week in my musical journey. The week started with a sentimental favourite of mine: “Famous Blue Raincoat” by Jennifer Warnes. I am a moderate Leonard Cohen fan; I listen to him occasionally. Jennifer Warnes toured with Cohen and appeared on his albums as a backup singer. In 1986, between Cohen’s tours and albums, she recorded her own album, Famous Blue Raincoat.

The record spans much of Cohen’s career, from his 1969 album Songs from a Room to his 1984 album Various Positions (on which Warnes sang), and even two songs (“First We Take Manhattan” and “Ain’t No Cure for Love”) from Cohen’s then-unreleased album I’m Your Man.

Famous Blue Raincoat got me hooked the first time I heard it, and 40 years later, I am still fixated on this record. It is not just a collection of Best of songs. It is Jennifer singing her heart out to a man who tutored her and encouraged her to record his songs. I am glad he did, because this album is an amazing interpretation of a selection of Leonard Cohen’s songs. I think this would qualify as a desert island recording, magic, pure magic.

Doc Watson was another record that I thoroughly enjoy listening to. Doc’s guitar picking is second to none, his choice of songs on his self-titled album is excellent, and he is a darn good singer as well. He is a master at reinterpreting the music of others, giving them a shot of Doc Watson that sets his songs apart.

I enjoy Jim Weatherly’s music for a couple of reasons. First is his ability to write darn good songs. I could type out a list as long as this page, showing people who have recorded his songs. It is an “A” list that includes “Midnight Train to Georgia”, recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips. He could probably have lived comfortably just off the royalties of that one song. The third reason is his name, Weatherly. I have been trying to connect him to my family tree with little success.

Last but not least or mostest are The Who.

A Quick One/Sell Out

Who’s Next

Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy

The Who By Numbers

Who Are You

Face Dances

Live at Leeds

I have been listening to The Who since 1975, which is when I bought the album A Quick One/Sell Out. They are still a good listen. I don’t have a favourite so the compilation Meaty, Beaty,Big and Bouncy along with Live At Leeds hit a lot of good song.

A couple of other albums that I listened to this week are:

Warpaint, ST

Waterboys, A Pagan Place

Weather Report, ST

Wet Willie, Drippin’ Wet

Wheatland County Rhythm & Bluegrass

It was an interesting week, musically speaking.

Highlights were:

Pawn Hearts by Van Der Graff Generator, I think it is their stronges album, although they were all enjoyable.

Tom Waits gave us two superb albums, Small Change and Swordfishtronbones. When I finish the album alphabet I will start on my CD collection, which contains a dozen Tom Waits albums, that will be a daunting session.

Other highlights were Jerry Jeff Walker and Porter Wagoner. Two artists who played country and western music, but are very dissimillar. Walker is more in the altcountry/outlaw country flavour and Porter Wagoner is a rhinestone cowboy.

Here/Hear is the complete listening list:

https://weatheredmusic.ca/2026/02/16/feb-8-16-2026/

Van Der Graaf Generator	Pawn Hearts
Van Der Graaf Generator	Still Life
Van Der Graaf Generator	World Record
Van Der Graaf Generator	Vital
Van Halen	MCMLXXXIV
Billy Vaughn	Golden Hits
Greg X. Volz	The River Is Rising
Porter Wagoner	The Best of Porter Wagoner
Tom Waits	Small Change
Tom Waits	Swordfishtrombones
Billy Walker	Live
Charlie Walker	Recorded Live In Dallas, Texas
Jerry Jeff Walker	Walkers Collectibles
Wally Walklin	It’s All Country
Bennie Wallace	Twilight Time
Dionne Warwick	My Greatest Hits