Whitney Fenimore & Addison Agen

Punching Bag

Stream (single)

2023

I’ve had this on repeat for the last two weeks. It is still a single, but I look forward to the day the album is released.

Steve Earl

Essential Steve Earl

CD

1993 

I listened to Steve Earl while reading a book. I had to set the book aside and grab my iPad to follow the lyrics. I came away with a deeper appreciation for Steve Earl and his music and lyrics as a weaver of tales. I want to get some of his albums to soak in his music deeper than I can on a best-of album.

Listening to the stories Steve Earl put to music got me thinking about other musicians who are spinners of yarns. Being in a bit of a county-western groove, I put my money down on Corb Lund and his excellent album 5 Dollar Bill. Corb’s albums are pretty much filled with story songs.

Corb Lund

5 Dollar Bill

CD

2002

 Bob Dylan

Rough And Rowdy Ways

CD

2020

Mr.Dylan received a Nobel Prize for writing, so putting him on this blog should be easy. No, it wasn’t that easy. He is a prolific writer and does some story songs, but most songs are just that. He does write darn good music, but I had to do some searching and remembering when it comes to story songs. My first stop was at my favourite Dylan album, Desire. This album is more like a book set to music. The opening song is Hurricane, the story of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. It’s a great song and a great story song. I know Dylan has dozens of other story songs, but that would require a long blog to cover them all, so I’ll stop at Desire and Hurricane. Please keep checking back because I have a blog under construction about story songs.

 The Decemberists

The Crane Wife

CD

Colin Meloy is the lead writer for The Decemberists and a fantastic storyteller. Much like Dylan, there are too many to cover in a short blog so I will highlight one album, The Crane Wife. The title song is an homage to a Japanese folk story—two other distinct stories, When the War Came and Shankill Butchers, are included. Much of the Decemberists’ catalogue has stories. I recommend The Hazards of Love as a fantastic story album.

 David Gilmour

David Gilmour

LP

1978

This is the David Gilmour. Yeah, the guy from Pink Floyd. This is his first solo album, recorded in 1978 between Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). This album is like listening to a Pink Floyd album pieced together from the cutting floor of those two Pink Floyd albums.

In my youth, the trip to the Wainwright Stampede was a highlight of the year. There were the thrills of going on the rides, with the ferris Wheel and rollercoaster being my favourites. And then there were the rigged games. We knew the odds of winning were slim, but we fed them quarter after quarter in the elusive attempt of winning a stuffed animal. A favourite of mine was a game with a grappling hook that I had to maneuver over the prize of my choice and try to lift it to a chute that would drop it into my eager hands. And I won a nice prize once, a cowboy on a bucking horse. I should have been watching the live cowboys on real bucking horses instead of throwing good money away.

Then there were the food stalls; corndogs with mustard and cotton candy were my favourites. corn dogs weren’t a big mystery; they were just hot dogs wrapped in corn meal. Cotton candy, on the other hand, was a mystery to me. How could they get plain old sugar to transform into threads they could load on a stick?

Another mystery is how people can create beautiful music from the simplest things. Things like love, lost love, memories, regrets, and the joy of living. I am listening to a band this week named Spunsugar, hence the opening monologue about cotton candy, which is similar to spun sugar. The album is called “A Hole Forever” and it is worth giving a listen to.

Spunsugar takes dreams, broken dreams, to be more specific and weaves them through the song “Do You Know The Way To San Jose” by Dionne Warwick—the beauty of how to make cotton candy or, in this case sweet music.

A good mosh pit song is A Flicker In My Lights. Spunsugar adds: “We wanted to do a 2.0 version of our first ever single “Native Tongue,” intense and short. We managed to make it even shorter, 1:52. You don’t really need more than that.”

Photo credit: David Möller

The band members are Cordelia Moreau, Elin Ramstedt and Felix Sjöström

The next song grinds and pulsates and gets under your skin, where it weaves its magic. I think this is my favourite from this album. Good stuff.

Spunsugar explains it better than I do. “Skin Unwell talks about a paradox that only few people have experienced. A feeling of being annoyingly clever but at the same time being three steps behind – always. The sound image is still very Spunsugaresque with those intersections of rugged and soft, emphasis and stillness—a reflection of a dull and sluggish life rushing before someone’s eyes.”

Words For Others has a big bass beat chugging along, and the rest of the song comes along for the ride. Taxidermy is the closer.

“This is Cordelia’s favourite song on the album. It references the movie Psycho (1960), and she says it’s her most personal song to date. Therapy? We don’t know her.”

Closing remarks.

Spunsugar

“A Hole Forever is largely about coming to terms with everything dark within, the dirty and shameful. Being torn between owning it or trying to work it off. It’s about getting older and confessing things while the thought of one day dying sinks in. The album deals with the image that you are dying already when you are born and that life is a slow death. The songs become bricks of important points in life. Kind of like watching life flicker by but instead like in a movie it’s in a spiral.”

Norman Quote

A Hole Forever is a good album, especially if you like grunge post-punk edgy guitars and backing instruments with sweet vocals, thoughtful lyrics, and overall, just good music.

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I can’t remember the spark, but Joel & I were thinking about album titles that tell us what the music is for. One of the first was Ambient 1: Music for Airports by Brian Eno. I have never heard the album played in an airport.

The fun part of gathering songs and album titles was initially using only our brain cells—no cheating by going to Genius, Wikipedia or Apple Music.

I picked the next one, Music For The Hard of Thinking by Doug and the Slugs. I love this album, and I think the title is great. 

Music for Psychedelic Therapy by Jon Hopkins. Joel suggested this one.

Music for an Avant-Gards Massage Parlour by Ben Goldberg and Kenny Wollesen. That one is another that I love the title of.

Music for Animals by Nils Frahm. It’s a great album, and I am sure the animals will also like it.

There were a couple of close cousins, such as this duet from the Talking Heads, Fear of Music and More Songs About Buildings and Food. They aren’t strickly music for so they end up on the cutting room floor.

At this point, we ran out of album titles rattling in our brains that fit the “Music For” category. I was sure there had to be more, so I fired up the old iMac and started researching the topic of “Music for.” Apple Music was my first stop and the last. Compiling a comprehensive list would require a paycheck from someone. I picked out a few that caught my fancy. The rest are, well, the rest of Music For…

Music for Book Lovers by Various is a perfect match because I enjoy reading and listening to music. I can’t remember the spark, but Joel & I were thinking about album titles that tell us what the Music is for. One of the first was Ambient 1: Music for Airports by Brian Eno. I have never heard the album played in an airport or anywhere else except at home. The fun part of gathering songs and album titles was initially using only our brain cells—no cheating by going to Genius, Wikipedia or Apple Music.

I picked the next one, Music For The Hard of Thinking by Doug and the Slugs. I love this album, and I think the title is an easy pick. 

Music for Psychedelic Therapy by Jon Hopkins. Joel suggested this one, and I was drawing a blank as to who they were, so I am listening to the album as I type. It’s good.

Music for an Avant-Gards Massage Parlour by Ben Goldberg and Kenny Wollesen. That one is another that I love the title of.

There were a couple of close cousins, such as this duet from the Talking Heads, Fear of Music and More Songs About Buildings and Food.

At this point, we ran out of album titles rattling in our brains that fit the “Music For” category. I was sure there had to be more, so I fired up the old iMac and started researching the topic of “Music for.” Apple Music was my first stop and the last. Compiling a comprehensive list would require a paycheck from someone. I picked out a few that caught my fancy. The rest are, well, the rest of Music For…

As you can see and hear, our casual bantering led to this mad list that could go much longer if the urge to go completely bonkers ever knocked on my door. For your listening pleasure, I present:

Music for All Occasions by The Mavericks

Music for Reading by Halidon

Music for Book Lovers by Various is a perfect match because I enjoy reading and listening to music.

Music for Silent Movies by Various caught my eye, but not my ear. After all, they are silent movies.

Music for Imaginary Movies by Berry Weight

Music for the Visually Impaired by Eazy Mac. I do wear eyeglasses.

Music For The Lyrically Impaired by Eazy Mac has my name all over it. I couldn’t write a song if life depended on it.

Music for the Hearing Impaired by Eazy Mac, my ears are doing well. I just had them checked a year or so back.

Musicforthemorning, by Pete Yorn, does he have music for the remainder of the day?

Music for the Native Americans by Robbie Robertson. A tip of the hat to a fellow Canadian and an outstanding musician who recently went away.

Music for Torching by Billie Holiday is a shout-out to Joel.

These are vague, just music for. Not for anything specific.

Music for by Astrïd

Music for by Odigin

Music for by Kevin Scherschel

Music for… by Backward Collective

Music for by Erik Nilsson

Music for by SLM

Music for… by Movome

Music for activities

Music for Deep Sleep by Various

Music for Silence by Nick Murphy

Music for Meditation by Various

Music for Pleasure by Monaco

Music for Pleasure, Music for Pain by Space

Music for Love by Asha

Music for Sex by Eroticamila

Music for Makin’ Love by Various

Music for Lovers by Dinah Washington

Music for Pleasure by The Damned

Music for Listening to Music to by La Sera

Music for Happiness by Joey Pecoraro

Music for Animals

Music for Cats by David Teia

Music for Dogs by Pet Care Music

Music for Earthworms by Aesop Rock

Music for Crocodiles by Susheela Raman

Music for Chameleons by Jesse Harris

Music for Dog People by Blue Dogs

Music for Animals by Nils Frahm 

Music for Earthworms by Aesop Rock

Music for various peoples.

Music for People by Vast

Music for Babies by Various

Music for the Masses by Depeche Mode

Music for People by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

Music for People In Trouble by Susanne Sundfør

Music for the Jilted Generation by The Prodigy

Music for Men by Gossip

Music For A German Tribe by wumpscut:

Music for NGRs by Da Kid Lu

Music for My Friends by Skyzoo

Music for the Mature B-Boy by DJ Format

Music for Misfits by Big B & The Felons Club

Music for Hooligans by The Oppressed

Music For Scientists by Patrick Olson

Music for Tourists by Chris Garneau

Music for Nurses EP by Oceansize

Music for Strippers, Hookers, and the Odd On-Looker by Kristeen Young

Music for Dummies by Big Japan

Music for Film and Theatre by Hania Rani

Music for various inanimate objects

Music for Cars by the 1975

Music for The Two-Cycle Engine by Billy

Music for Elevators by Anthony Stewart Head

Music for a French Elevator and Other Short Format Oddities by the Books

Music for Accelerated Culture by Hadouken!

Music for Barbecues by Bent

I know there a a gazillion more out there, leave a note if you have a favourite that didn’t make this list.

Due to some health issues my list is short, but good.

It’s been a quiet week musically, and many single songs don’t make the list, with one exception. Whitney Fenimore & Addison Agen’s song Punching Bag. You can listen to it on the streaming platform of your choice.

Whitney Fenimore & Addison Agen

Punching Bag

Stream (single)

2023

Steve Earle

Essential Steve Earle

CD

1993

Corb Lund

5 Dollar Bill

CD

2002

I listened to Steve Earle numerous times with different intents. First, for the enjoyment of listening to some music that made me happy. Then, with intent, I focused on the lyrics. Steve Earle is a good storyteller, which first drew me in. The third listen was for the music; some mighty fine guitar pickin’ was happening. Then I went back to a final listen to enjoy the music again.

Continuing with the storyteller theme, I shifted my listening to Corb Lund. I think I have most, if not all, of his albums, and I have seen him live 3 or 4 times. Corb Lund is an authentic Western yarn spinner who is different from most. Corb Lund will approach songs from different angles than the standard 4/4 time, and he has some interesting lyrics, for example, the second song on this album, Expectation and the Blues. And then there’s Apocalyptic Modified Blues, a song with deep lyrical content set up with music that sounds like a collision between a gypsy caravan and a chuck wagon. These aren’t your standard country and western songs, although there are plenty on 5 Dollar Bill. All in all, it is a good album with lots of character and characters.

Jon Gibson – on the run-LP – 1986

I have been listening to Jon Gibson for ages. He’s a white Stevie Wonder. He is not an impersonator; he has his God-given voice that happens to sound like a black soul singer.

Jimmie Dale Gilmore – Fair and Square – LP – 1988

With Joe Ely and Butch Hancock, Gilmore founded The Flatlanders, who perform together occasionally. Fair and Square is a good listen.

Beck – Odelay – CD – 1996 

I have a Beck splurge now and then. I do enjoy listening to him now and then.

Beck – Guero – CD – 2005

John Lennon – The John Lennon Collection – CD – 1989

John Lennon probably ranks as one of the top-selling dead musicians. This CD is a best of, and I like it marginally; I generally don’t care much for the ‘best of’ collections, but I will make an exception for this album. It isn’t the strongest of Lennon’s catalogue, but this would be a good candidate if you want some noise in your car on a drive in the country.

Joy Division – 1977-1980 – CD – 1988

I am very fond of Joy Division, and although this is a best-of collection, it should be reasonable considering the quality of the songs. It should. It doesn’t. It doesn’t stand alone as a collection of outstanding songs by an excellent band. Maybe it’s because I like albums over singles, original albums over best-of collections. Whatever… For an introduction to Joy Division by a person unfamiliar with Joy Division, tell them to listen to Unknown Pleasures.

Julian Lage – Love Hurts – Stream – 2023

Put on your cans, lay back on your most comfortable furniture, and let Julian Lage take you to a peaceful place, which may be smooth meditation or sleep—Julian Lage’s music is my go-to for falling asleep or having a chill time.

Van Morrison –Accentuate The Positive – Stream – 2023

A friend once told me that if you listened to one Van Morrison song, you have heard them all. I understand what he means, but I’m afraid I have to disagree with him. His voice is part of what makes him Van Morrison, which has remained much the same throughout his career, including this new offering from Van Morrison. He also knows how to use that voice with the music and use the music to make the best of his vocal abilities.

Here we are in 2023, and Van Morrison has a new album for us to enjoy. 

Van Morrison has been a prolific musician over the years. Accentuate The Positive is his 45th studio album. It is a cover album of Morrison’s favourite rock and roll, R&B and country songs. There are some great covers here, and it is interesting to know what Morrison has had on his turntable over the years.

Backed by top-shelf musicians, including electric guitar from the late Jeff Beck and vocals from Chris Farlowe on ‘Lonesome Train,’ plus guitar from Taj Mahal on, ‘Lucille’ and, ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll.’  How much better can it get than to have Taj Mahal as a guest musician on your album? I highly respect and enjoy listening to this album and give it an 8 out of 10.

By Stevie Connor

The album Thank You Valued Customer from Shplang has confounded me. I like the music. But I don’t know how to tell you. Here is what the band, the core duo of Peter Marston and John Krausetells us about creating the music, which I feel is the backbone of this album. The music propels the lyrics forward.

Peter Marston tells us, “Although we write the songs playing together, we do not record basic tracks live. It’s all one instrument at a time (which in part is why we have an embarrassingly lengthy gestation period). We lay down, in turn, a drum machine, guitar (or bass), bass (or guitar), second guitar, keys, solos, sound effects real and electronic, vocals, live drums, and then, at the end, wipe the drum machine. I’m exhausted writing it! It gives us a fairly controlled sound, but also allows a lot of attention to detail which is an important part of the Shplang sound.”

I totally respect these guys for paying attention to the details in the music. “Music is the space between the notes,” is a quote attributed to French composer Claude Debussy, with jazz trumpeter Miles Davis famously expressing similar ideas several decades later. I feel that quote could easily be applied to Peter Marston and John Krausetells and their musical craftsmanship.

Although Shpland gives us a master class on how to make intelligent music, the lyrics are another story. Peter tells us they never spend more than 15 minutes writing the lyrics. This does not mean the lyrics are bad; they are pretty good, considering the brief amount of time it takes to write them. From my perspective, it tells me that the music is the thing, and they nail that with some interesting turns of phrase. For example, they have the song Das Diddley in German, with a hat tip to Rammstein, a German Neue Deutsche Härte band. Later in the album, Shplang throws in a song sung in French, À Son Son.

Scattered within the album are a couple of tracks that mesmerized me. Look Me Over is a psychedelic song about drunkenness. Having years of experience with drunkenness and then recovery, I keep my ears open to songs about those touchstones of addiction. Everyone Can Change is a song of hope that follows Look Me Over, with some intelligent lyrics.

“Don’t get tired or lose your way; everyone can change.”

“Baby Hobo” is trippy. It has lyrical styling reminiscent of the coffee shop beat scene in the late 1950s. I can just imagine Leonard Cohen sitting around a table with in a New York bagel shop with Peter and John. The baby noises in the song take me back to when my son was born and it put a smile on my face.

I caught an earworm from the song Lay A Little Love On Me. It has a funky groove that has dug in, and has lived there for three days. The next track cracks me up, Peter Marston and John Krausetells describe it as “an irreverent study in comparative religion, but mostly Shplang’s interpretation of slow-burn funk.” The title is Buddha (What Was That?), and it is an easy highlight for me (a retired pastor).

Next, Shplang delivers a catchy little nonsense song closer to hard rock than the other tracks on this album. They tell us that “Little Mushroom Men from Mars” is a sci-fi parable set to an amalgam of prog and heavy metal. One of our favourite bands is Klaatu, and I can see their influence here, especially in the lyrics and the double-tracked narration in the verses. Scott Goldbaum played the shredding guitar solos and was the third guy to take a shot—it isn’t easy! Laying in the telemetry and rocket launch sound effects here was challenging and rewarding.”

I am a fan of Klaatu, and the Little Mushroom Men From Mars has that flavour on full display. Shplang closes the album with another mirthful song, She, The Fair Bag Girl.

So, there we have it, an album of catchy tunes to brighten your day! Week? Month! Just listen to it see if it brightens your day the same way that it brightened mind, with a bonus earworm.

I didn’t do a post last week, so there is a longer-than-normal list today.
As you can see, I plowed through my Peter Gabriel vinyl stack. It was a good listening experience. Lots of ear-worm material and reviving some old friends that I hadn’t listened to for a while. Having said all that, let’s see what we have heard.

Ringo Star – Rewind Forward – Stream – 2023
Ringo continues to shine as the nice Beatle, and on this album, some of his friends showed up to accompany him. The result is a happy listening party.

Richard Evans – Dream of the World – Stream – 2023
Synth-pop is good enough to have a second listen.

Tardigrade Inferno – Burn The Circus – Stream – 2023
I just had to hear this album with a name like Tardigrade Inferno. Hang on to your hat; the road is about to get rocky. Tardigrade Inferno is straight-ahead heavy rock, and I loved it.

Peter Gabriel – Security – LP – 1982
Sledgehammer – Extended EP – 1988
So – LP – 1986
Sledgehammer – Extended EP – 1982
Shock The Monkey – Extended EP – LP – 1982
Peter Gabriel/Steve Hunter/Larry Fast – At The Roxy – LP – 1977
I’ll lump the Peter Gabriel albums together as one extended listening session. Good music never grows old. So continues to be an island record.

Syd Arthur – A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble (Remixes by The Amorphous Androgynous) – Stream – 2014
I want a physical copy of this, but for now, streaming will have to do.

Jimmie Dale Gilmore – Spinning Around The Sun – Stream – 1993
Fair and Square – LP – 1988
It was good to get reacquainted with an old friend. My first encounter with Jimmie Dale was 1988 at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. He was on an open side stage with Butch Hancock and a few other musicians who braved the cold and rain to play one hell of a set.

Genesis – Invisible Touch – LP – 1986
Genesis isn’t my thing, but they do a decent enough job for those who list this as their thing.

J. Geils Band – Best of the J. Geils Band – LP – 1979
This best of isn’t really their best offering. They improved with time, and their later material was more robust and radio-friendly.

There we go, another session of some darn good music. Happy listening, my friends.

I don’t have much to offer in the way of running commentary, I’ll let the music do the narrative for me. I had a heavy Peter Gabriel week and that will extend into tomorrow, and possibly the one after that. I like and continue to enjoy the music of Mr. Gabriel. I am so happy that I got to see him live and

The Mama’s & the Papas – California Dreamin’ CD – 1995

This music never gets old to my old ears. The vocals are stunning. I wonder where they would be if Mama Cass had not perished and if the band had put aside their petty egos and made music. That’s me dreaming, not in California, unfortunately.

Daniel Lanois – Acadie – CD – 1989

Acadie is the debut album from a man who is famous for his work producing for other artists. He has an impressive resume, the list is long; check it out in his discography on Wikipedia.

The Replacements – Tim – Stream – 1985

Tim is another example of music that didn’t appear on my radar until now.

Tim is good but not on any of my top ten lists.

Peter Gabriel – Scratch – LP – 1978

Peter Gabriel – Melt Face – LP – 1980

Peter Gabriel – Plays Live – LP – 1983

Modest Mussorgsky – Pictures At An Exhibition – CD – 1991

Sit down and read the story behind this album while you play the album. This recording has many versions, which is interesting because there was never a definitive music sheet. I like this version, but feel free to use other versions. I found it amazing how the story unfolds through the passages of the music.

Moussorgsky*: Rimsky-Korsakov* / Ravel* – Pictures At An Exhibition / Capriccio Espagnol / La Valse

Modest Mussorgsky – Pictures At An Exhibition / Capriccio Espagnol /

Label: Harmony (4) – HL 7075

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation

Country: US

Released: 1958

Genre: Classical

Style: Impressionist, Romantic

For an excellent alternative, I recommend the Emmerson Lake and Palmer version. ELP is most well known for its “Works” pair of albums and Brain Salad Surgery. Most people would not be aware that these three are classically trained musicians and recorded as such.

As usual, I end this blog with a shout-out to Kevin on Repeat.

As I get older, winter looks less and less enticing. The arthritis gets a bit worse for wear. I feel cold and wear extra warm clothes indoors. Going sky-watching, I can barely be seen below all the clothes. I don’t care. I’m out there to see stars, not to be a fashion star.

Anyhow, after my rant, I am happy to tell you that I had another exciting week in the world of music. The bookends were probably the most endearing: Robert Fripp and Nick Cave. That would make one hell of a double bill, wouldn’t it?

More exciting music to entice our ears and perhaps, on a few, our hearts. Albums that gave the repeat button some work were King Crimson and their album, In The Court of the Crimson King. This one is an easy choice; I am confident this album gets frequent flier points based on how many times I have listened to it. I have also seen them live twice, in Calgary and then at the Royal Albert in London, England, shown below. Thanks, Joel.

I listened to this several times in the CD player in my car; it works as good road music for me. I think it deserves a spin on the turntable. In The Court of the Crimson King was released in 1969, and if my memory serves me well, which is questionable at best, I first heard this album in a small record store in Montreal, where I also first heard Deja Vu by CSNY for the first time in that little store, I wonder if it’s still in business, I’ll check on my next trip through Montreal. Both albums have stood the test of time and continue to provide pleasurable listening time.

The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers

Sticky Fingers is another CD that got some driving time last week. It is another album that still sounds good after aging for 50+ years. Sticky Fingers was released by The Rolling Stones in 1971 and caused quite a buzz due to the album cover. The original had a functioning zipper.

 Octavian Winters – The Line or Curve

We get to some new music streaming Octavian Winters new album, The Line or Curve, available on Stratis Capta Records wherever fine music is served. Octavian Winters is new to me, but after several trips through this album, I can recommend it as a good listening experience. Shameless Promotion PR

Lee Greenwood – Somebody’s Gonna Love You

I don’t recall how this ended up in our LPs, perhaps a straggler in a box that I had come into the possession of. It doesn’t matter; I am not a fan of his, and this album got its requisite listen. Actually, it’s my second listen because I listen to every record I get before they hit the shelves.

Sands – A Lines Been Drawn

I streamed this just today, Friday, September 29, so it is fresh. Sands come across as a slightly edgier version of power pop. ‘The World Is Cruel‘ is due for release on 13th October 2023. Between now and then, we can listen to their single releases. Mystic Sons.

Babel’s – Marriage

Babel’s album Marriage arrived on September 22, 2023, via PME Records and Mystic Sons. Babel offers us pleasant, easy-listening music. It doesn’t jump out of the speakers and rattle your soul the way some albums do. Marriage is more subdued and gently works its magic by conquering us one song at a time until we accept the whole album as an excellent offering from Bable. I want to force a connection between the album Marriage and marriage, a commitment between two people. All I could come up with was the idea that love is often subdued and gentle as it gets stronger one day at a time, much like Babel taking us one song at a time.

Black Pines – Bodies

Black Pines presents some straight-ahead rock and roll that doesn’t pretend to be anything else. It blasts out of the speakers; you might want to check the volume before hitting play. Bodies is one of those albums that need a little more volume to do it justice. A little more, we don’t want to damage our ears and ruin our music appreciation for the rest of our lives. Mystic Sons

The lead track, Death Ballad, opens with some heavy guitar licks, with bass and percussion providing the push. It’s a good start and tells you up-front what kind of music you will hear on Bodies. If you like Muse, you will probably like Death Ballad. Track two, Worlds Apart, doesn’t stray far from that sound. They tweak it enough to make it original, not a cut-and-paste of Death Ballad.

Track three, What Are You Scared Of, starts as the mandatory slow song halfway through the album. Then, it shifts gears and builds to a dramatic deep rocker.

Speaking on Bodies, the band said: “It was important to us that the EP was multidimensional, as well as establishing a coherent sound – I believe people love bands because they develop and grow and change – they don’t just churn out identical singles time and time again. In that vein, each song needed to feel like a different side of the dice. ‘Death Ballad’ boasts in-your-face guitar treatment, maintaining a level of fun and bounce, which we love, whereas ‘World Apart‘ feels darker and broodier with its dropped tuning and swimmy vocals. ‘What Are You Scared Of’ is our close-to-the-bone ballad about self-acceptance, whilst ‘Run and Hide‘ brings you back up again. And finally, ‘Rule Over Me‘: our middle finger to governmental control, and the inspiration behind the title ‘Bodies.'”

‘Rule Over Me‘ is a track Black Pines has been eager to share with audiences but saving it for the EP release. It’s a socio-political song written in response to the American government’s appalling decisions over recent years. It combines a hooky riff, dramatic synths and strings throughout, and a vocal performance Brent Smith or Chris Cornell would be thrilled with. ‘Rule Over Me‘ is the heaviest moment of the new EP; it’s full of anger and detests of the times and systems of apparent control in the world, and yearns for change without laying down and waiting. Closed mouths won’t get fed.

Rule Over Me is my favourite track; it is heavy but not ponderous. It rocks and rolls and moves through different phases as it plays out. It would help if you heard it to appreciate it; my description does not do it justice.

All in all? Black Pines has delivered a good old-fashioned rock and roll EP. It pays homage to the music they build on top of while keeping their sound new and freshly pressed. I think I have a candidate for my end-of-year playlist.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Live From KCRW

I have enjoyed Nick Cave and his various musical endeavours over the years. I was keen on getting this album when I spotted it in my weekly stroll through Record Collectors Paradise. It was on sale, $10 off the ticket price, and there was a solid playlist.

The cover said it was recorded off the floor with no cuts, edits or enhancements. I bought it and was not disappointed. While it may not sound as clean as a studio album, I feel the emotion the artists are breathing into these songs. My only complaint is that the last song is listed as just one song, so I was excited to be treated to a jam session where they work the song into a 15-minute opus. I was sadly disappointed. It clocked in at a miserly 4:29. The opening track was longer at 8:47. There are so many great songs that could have closed this album with an extended jam session, I am disappointed.

Track one is a respectable 19 minutes with the 8min+ opening, as mentioned above. Side two is a comfortable 8:34. Side three? A consistent time at 18 minutes, give or take a few seconds, and then we get the short side four. Nick and the Seeds could have added to those miserly 6 minutes with another song or two or the 16-minute jam I mentioned earlier. After some good listening time on three sides, I felt cheated at the end of side four. Come on, it isn’t that hard to play a bit longer.

Overall, Live From KCRW is a good album that could have been better, but that is the gamble with live recordings. I’ll take what I get and enjoy the music; thank you, Nick and the Seeds.

And that brings us to the end of another listening week, and it has been a good one. It’s a nice mix of old and new music. Some aged better than others, for sure, but all music is good music. I’m sure someone out there enjoys listening to Lee Greenwood.

Marianne Faithful – Broken English

LP- 1979

Today is the second time I have listened to Broken English this month. Although I have listened to this album for decades, this time felt like the first time. It was new, fresh and full of energy, emotion and stories that needed to be told. I left the album out as a reminder to return and give it another spin on the turntable. That spin was today, and Marianne Faithful’s Broken English has only improved with age, like a fine wine. Broken English has one song that has become an earworm for me, the Ballad of Lucy Jordan.

“At the age of thirty-seven

She realized she’d never

Ride through Paris in a sports car

With the warm wind in her hair

So she let the phone keep ringing

And she sat there softly singing

Little nursery rhymes she’d memorized

In her daddy’s easy chair.”

The Ballad of Lucy Jordan is a sad song, but it has a message that, hopefully, we can learn from. So many of us live lives of quiet desolation and never feel the wind in our hair, or in my case, what’s left of it. We put things aside and lie to ourselves that we will do them later. Later never comes. I am blessed to have lived with wild abandon (occasionally) and can sit in my easy chair and softly sing songs I had memorized. I can also sit in my rocking chair and tell stories of my exploits as a young man.

Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher – We Are The Perilous Men

Steamed – 2123

On the first listen, I got excited. The first track, Walk Among the Spectres, took me to the land of Tom Waits in the 1990s, but I didn’t stop to live there. Walk Among The Spectres stands independently and doesn’t sound like a copy of Tom Waits. The lyrics stayed away from the variations of love prevalent in music. I’m unsure what most of them mean, but it sounds good. The sound pallet shifts for all the tracks while carrying forward a thread of commonality. There is one other trick up the sleeves of Harry and Marco that made me smile when I heard it. I had just listened to Frampton Comes Alive, which is notable for one device that Frampton used, the talk-box. The Perilous Men use a talk-box on a few songs, which is good. The talk-box is a seldom used addition to any music, but when used with discretion, it can add a new layer of sound to a song. Harry Stafford and Marco Butcher did an excellent job blending the talk box into the music.

I also enjoyed hearing the space in the song used to good effect; by that, I mean moving the sound left and right and dead center. I have listened to other albums brutally mixed, but not here; the production is right on. It was produced and mastered by Marco Butcher at Boombox Studio.

Van Morrison – Hymns To The Silence Disc One

CD – 1991  

Van Morrison – Hymns To The Silence Disc Two

CD – 1991

I like this album (s). I bought it first on cassette and enjoyed it on the road. Hymns To The Silence was on CD today and stationary. It still sounded good.

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs – Hard Travelin’

LP – 1963

Hard Travelin’ is a repacked version of their best-of albums. If you heard one, you heard them all. They are still good, and I enjoyed hearing these songs again.

Chet Atkins, Floyd Crammer & Boots Randolf – Chet, Floyd & Boots

LP – 1971

It’s not my cup of tea, but each to their own. If someone else likes this one, all the power to them.

Arthur Fiedler And The Boston Pops – Play The Beatles

LP – 1969

I wish I could dig this one out of my head. It is not good listening from my perspective.

The New Pornographers – Electric Version

CD – 2003

I was overdue for a listening session with The New Pornographers. Electric Version has aged well, and I was happy to hear them again.

Nash The Slash – Children Of The Night

LP – 1981

I don’t remember how, when or where I came into the orbit of Nash The Slash, but I’m glad I did. He is an acquired taste, but I like it enough to have several of his albums. Stay tuned to this channel to hear more of Nash The Slash next Monday.

Adam Again – Dig

Stream – 1992

I listen to this album over and over, year after year. Gene Eugene was a unique talent. I am going to let Wikipedia tell the story. “Gene Andrusco (April 6, 1961 – March 20, 2000), better known as Gene Eugene, was a Canadian-born actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musician. Andrusco was best known as the leader of the alternative rock band Adam Again, a member of The Swirling Eddies (credited as Prickly Disco), and a founding member of the supergroup Lost Dogs.”

End of quote and back to me. The standout track on this record for me is River On Fire. It mentions an actual river that did catch fire, The Cuyahoga River. I hear the song sung with great pain about two people who were like a babbling brook with crystal clear water, Gene Eugene and Riki Michele. Gradually, they started to have murky times in their marriage. They gathered more and more debris as they moved along to the point where they were like a river on fire, something that should never happen. Oil and water should never be together; they don’t mix. The river reached a point where it caught fire, as incongruous as that may be. Gene Eugene and Riki Michele continued to work and sing together while, sadly, their marriage was falling apart. Gene used the incongruous picture of a river on fire to express his pain. River On Fire is a fantastic track on an already great album.

So there we have what I listened to this past week, September 18 to 25. It’s only three months till Christmas. Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Just dropping a hint, I like music. Vinyl, Cassette, CD. Any format.