Tag Archives: reviews

50/52

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It has been a busy week, musically speaking. Rather mundane otherwise. A friend donated a stack of records, 34 slabs, and just a shade over 33 and 1/3. I also really enjoyed our visit. I was in my happy place. Later that evening, I cleaned vinyl, put some clean clothes on them, found out who they were, and added them to the WeatheredMusic family on Discogs. And then, I started listening to them.

There was, amazingly, only album that I already had. However, there were some old friends I had never brought back into the fold after one of my record purges and some that had been on my wishlist but never made it to our basement. Overall, it was a diverse selection, everything from The Who, a lovely blast from the past, to 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is not only a blast from the past, but also an expectation of what the furture could be. For the remainder, I will briefly comment on each album and any lengthier reviews will have to wait till a future date.

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté – Ali and Toumani

I’ll jump into the way-back machine and go to 2010. This album features fantastic talent that I can spend hours listening to. What Ali does on guitar blows me away. Talent, raw talent. Toumani introduced me to the Malian instrument, the kora. A kora typically has 21 strings, which are played by plucking with the fingers. I struggle to play a guitar with 6 strings or a uke with 4 strings; I can not imagine the complexity of playing a kora. Ali Farka Touré, on the other hand, is a master of his guitar. I have to go and listen to this again.

‘Ali and Toumani’ is a 2010 record by Malian musicians Ali Farka Touré on the guitar and vocals and Toumani Diabaté on the kora. The title, ‘Ali and Toumani, ‘not only signifies the collaboration between these two musical giants but also serves as a tribute to their individual contributions to the album. It is the second album featuring the two musicians; it is a follow-up to In the Heart of the Moon, released in 2005. Recorded in 2005 in London before concert dates in Europe following the release of In the Heart of the Moon, the album was released after Touré died in 2006. Ali and Toumani feature some older songs from Touré’s repertoire: ‘Sabu Yerkoy,’ which celebrates Mali’s independence, dates from the 1960s, and ‘Sina Mory’ is the first song Touré ever heard on guitar in 1956. Diabaté states, ‘[t]he album was going to sum up all the albums that Ali had done in the past…It was the very last album he made.’

Aursjoen – Strand

Aursjoen is the project of Ria Aursjoen, vocalist and keyboardist for the critically acclaimed San Francisco post-punk outfit Octavian Winters. Ria Aursjoen is a classically trained singer and multi-instrumentalist with a past steeped in genres ranging from Celtic and Nordic folk to darkwave and progressive metal.

All songs written & performed by Ria Aursjoen

Arranged by Ria Aursjoen and William Faith

Guitars on ‘Lilypad’ & ‘Apollo’ by Stephan Bryan Salit

Produced, recorded, mixed & mastered by William Faith at 13 Studio in Chicago

Published by Airdaughter Music BMI

Released by Stratis Capta Records

Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

‘Nytår’ and ‘For Want Of’ videos by David Kruschke Cover artwork by Ria Aursjoen

Keep up with AURSJOEN

https://aursjoen.com http://www.facebook.com/aursjoen http://aursjoen.bandcamp.com https://www.instagram.com/riaaursjoen https://twitter.com/RiaAursjoen

https://www.youtube.com/@AURSJOEN https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dOhU4BBpKctJ0kYmrSfHV

If you have any questions, contact Shauna McLarnon from Shameless Promotion PR at contact@shamelesspromotionpr.com

Aerolinea– All We Need

US-Argentinian indie-pop duo Aerolinea presents debut album ‘All We Need’ & ‘Nervous’ video.

FOR SHARING

‘All We Need’ album order  https://aerolinea.bandcamp.com/album/all-we-need

‘Nervous’ video  https://youtu.be/mwltFSYZFxU

Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/album/13UPYvTybuzdn00codoyMB

‘What Moves You’ video  https://youtu.be/Z62JeBTIQg0

Bandcamp  https://aerolinea.bandcamp.com/track/what-moves-you

Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/album/6UPlrF8EnsIfYoaQjHDqkn

Apple Music  https://music.apple.com/us/album/what-moves-you-single/1772719636

YouTube Music  https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCZLsdJiKOyFf7WLfdwelQ6A

If you have any questions, contact Shauna McLarnon from Shameless Promotion PR at contact@shamelesspromotionpr.com

The Who – Meaty, Beaty and Bouncy

Meaty, Beaty and Bouncy, this was a fun record with several standout songs, Pinball Wizard and My Generation, to name a few.

The Beatles – Hey Jude

When I was putting this into Discogs, I was surprised that I didn’t already have a copy. That oversight has been corrected, and I spent a delightful chunk of time while I listened to this album again.

ELO – Discovery

I was never a big fan of ELO, but I enjoy their music when it pops up here and there, primarily soundtracks and Wal-Mart muzak.

Kerala Dust – Late Sun

The Honeydippers – Volume One

Weather Report – Weather Report

Weather Report by Weather Report reported by WeatherMusic aka Norman Weatherly.

The Beatles – The Beatles Second Album

The Beatles Second album is a standout gem, this record is best enjoyed by those who have lived through the time it occupied in history. I don’t hear my son playing The Beatles, except for Sgt. Pepper now and again.

Johnny Cash – At San Quentin

One of the standout characteristics of Johnny Cash’s live albums is how the capture the man in his element, making music and connecting with people. Whether you like his music or not, I think it is obvious that he knew how to do his job and this album exemplifies that. He is bantering with the crowd and delivering song after song that spoke of prison, physically or metamorphically.

Five Man Electrical – The Power of the Five Man Electrical Band

One song. This album has that one song. Signs. One word, Signs. One reason to own this album, Signs.

Robin Williams – Reality…What A Concept

Comedy records have to be recorded live. There is too much energy bouncing around between the comedian and the audence that can not be captured in a recording studio. It has been my experience that comedy albums are good for one listen. With occasional exemoary album getting two listens. As good as Robin Williams was, he will only get one listen from on this album.

Billy Joel – The Stranger

I don’t know why but my brain has Billy Joel on repeat this year, which is OK with me since I do enjoy his music and his skill at weaving a story. This was the second listen of this album this year and I liked it both times. 

Goose Creek Symphony  – Words of Earnest

Goose Creek Symphony harkens back to a dark period in my life. I was graduating from high school, getting my first job, and owning my own stereo. It should have been happy days ahead, what I didn’t know at the time was that there were dark days ahead.

I relistened to this album, I had never owned my personal copy, with clear eyes and a steady hand at the wheel. I have found some music that I may have been avoiding to avoid those memories. This is some very good music that I will for sure listen to again.

49/52

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Here is what tickled my ears over the past seven days.

Various – Rock ‘N’ Roll of the 70’s

The Moody Blues – Greatest Hits

The Giraffes – Cigarette

Baby Pictures – Wow! This is one of the best album openers I have heard recently. The lyrics resonated with me, and the music moved me.

“Moving on every time he couldn’t stay clean got him a room

To hunker down and hide from the covid nineteen

Well, he could’ve been you, and he could’ve been me”

Baby Pictures starts slow, like a baby learning to walk, builds, gets energized and blasts with those lyrics. I worked in addiction counselling for about 15 years, and those lyrics jumped off the page. “Moving on” is only too real. Guys, I would be proud to call them friends and brothers in our family of men who are in recovery. And then they move and hunker down in their bottomless pit of addiction in some crack house, hiding from everyone, including themselves.

“Well, he could’ve been you, and he could’ve been me”

All people with an addiction are one clean day away from returning to their flop houses. I don’t believe the time ever comes when we can say we are entirely apart from our addiction. I, like many others, change our addiction to something that society finds less troublesome. I went from being an alcoholic to having an insane amount of music in our house. It could’ve been you, and it could’ve been me all too easily. Staying clean takes hard work and commitment. On hard days, and those days come to us all, it is easy to say fuck it all and fall back to our old ways that don’t take hard work, accountability, social skills, commitment and a longer list than I want to post today.

That is just the opening track to an album that is good front-to-back. Skipping ahead a couple of tracks, we get to the song “Dead Byrd.” Shifting gears, this song gears down to a slower pace, but the lyrics got me again. 

We overflow with our promises 

And our promises like all promises

Are hopeful lies.

Yeah, they’re hopeful lies

We learn to lie, and the more we do it, the easier it gets. We make promises we do not keep but hope they will become reality someday. We hope that magic unicorn dust will someday turn our lies into reality. If we lie enough, we become habitual liars. But they are still lies, ‘Yeah, they’re hopeful lies.”

“The song “Million Year Old Song” is chugging power all the way. I love it.

From “The Shot” is this gem of wisdom, 

“But the best part about being caught

Being cornered being forced to stop is that the pressures off.”

The album closes with the track Lazarus, a song that I am still trying to get a grip on what the message is. I have preached sermons on the complex life and death of Lazarus. I am more bewildered after hearing this song. I will listen to this album several more times and see if I get something.

Closing thoughts: I enjoyed this: The Giraffes new album Cigarette. I have listened to it several times and like it better after each session. I guess the best is yet to come.

TRACK LIST

1. Baby Pictures

2. Pipes

3. Limping Horse

4. Dead Bird

5. Million Year Old Song

6. The Shot

7. Lazarus

Keep up with The Giraffes

Website https://thegiraffes.squarespace.com 

Bandcamp https://thegiraffes1.bandcamp.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheGiraffes

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thegiraffesofficial

Twitter https://x.com/thegiraffes

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@giraffes.official

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_MNr2PJpoZxBtyHCDXa52A

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/3OfQhA76hhDafHFYgyyokm

Apple Music https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/the-giraffes/4292129

Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Pause.

I had to pause after The Giraffes and reset my ears for another listening experience. Up next, we have The Pilgrimage by Arne Jansen, Anders Jormin and Uwe Steinmetz. I was looking for some chill music for bedtime a couple of days back and came upon this gem that is good to listen to at any time of day. But I still like it at bedtime.

King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black

Starless and Bible Black opens with classic King Crimson music; however, before the end of side one, it has morphed into a jazzy, open improvisation, psychedelic, prog/rock sound that continues on Side 2. Starless is a complex album, and I highly recommend reading the Wikipedia entry for a more lengthy story than I am offering here.

King Crimson – USA

USA is a live album that could easily be mistaken for a greatest hits album. It is another release that I encourage you to read more about on Wikipedia.

mewithoutYou – Live (vol. One)

I had been following mewithouYou for years. We had all of their discography but never seen them live. When their farewell tour came to Vancouver, we got 2 tickets, got a hotel room within walking distance of the venue and flew from Edmonton to Vancouver the day before the show. We loved the show, and it was amazing to see them live.

While we are on the topic of mewithouYou playing live, they released a stream of them live today. Also available on vinyl, CD, and cassette. Live (vol. One) is a good album, but it doesn’t matter how good they are; no one has been able to capture the blood, sweat and tears of the band on a stage, their energy, the crowd energy and the experience of being in a room with the band standing in front of you. At the same time, you are surrounded by people who love the band as much as you do. It is magical; this album is as close to that experience as possible. There are old favourite songs such as Tie Me Up! Untie Me! They sound amazing. mewithoutYou – Live (vol. One) could be the Frampton Comes Alive of this new era—or the whole Live at Budokan thing with Cheap Trick and Bob Dylan.

Wild, I am sitting at my desk with my head bobbing despite the headache that I have and my foot tapping despite the hip replacement surgery I had less than a year ago. Timothy Hay and O’Porcupine have captured me, live no less; the energy of Michael Weiss and Brandon Beaver on guitars, Greg Jehanian’s bass behind Aaron Weiss’ anguished vocals and pushing him towards me, and I am pumping the air to the beat of Rickie Mazzotta on percussion. And everywhere we look, Allah, Allah, Allah. All Circles is what their albums do on my turntable.

Love Ghost x SKOLD – Love Ghost x SKOLD

Click to access 2024-10-18-Listening_to_music_may_speed_up_recovery.pdf

This is a link to a study on how music may speed up recovery after surgery. The answer is, it does. I used music as a part of addiction recovery, which is finding healing as well.

Thanks for checking out this meandery stroll through the music I listened to this past week.

Hello Operator 48/52

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Here we go again with Norman’s listening for the past week.

I expect the younger members of our population to be unfamiliar with having an operator on their telephones. I am old enough to remember phone operators, pay phones, phone booths and party lines. I also remember songs about operators; happily, songs are still written about them. One of those songs is Hello Operator by Librarians With Hickeys.

The operator song that came to mind first for me was Operator by Jim Croce. This song was a big hit for Croce. Unfortunately, he was not able to enjoy it since he was killed in an airplane accident on September 20, 1973, my birthday. Hello Operator also makes a great earworm, thanks Jim.

Researching songs about telephone operators revealed that the internet community had already prepared multiple lists. Many, many lists. Long, long lists. I trimmed it down to 20 songs and then pruned that down to this handful.

Memphis, Tennessee by Chuck Berry

This great song was a big hit for Chuck Berry and was covered by everybody and their shadows, including Elvis. There is a sequel to this song called Little Marie that fills in some details not covered in Memphis, Tennessee and gives it a happy ending.

Switchboard Susan by Nick Lowe

The boys from Rockpile got together and gave Nick Lowe a hit with this song from his 1979 album, Labour of Lust. England was pumping out great new-wave music in 1979. Nick Lowe was in good company with the likes of Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, Ian Dury, and Ian Gomm; this is another list that goes on and on. It was great music.

Telephone Line by Electric Light Orchestra

As with many of my selections, it would be easy to ascertain when I hit my peak in listening, the 70s and the 80s. This song fits right in there; it opens with a telephone dialling and then goes into the ELO groove; they had a unique sound that was easy to like.

Don’t Call Us We’ll Call You by Sugarloaf

It’s yet another era song, 1974, for this one. Sugarloaf would have been a great band to see live. They have that vibe, the energy in their music.

Sylvia’s Mother by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

Sylvia’s Mother was Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show’s first hit song. It was written by Shel Silverstein, who penned more music than you can shake a stick at, and he had them recorded for a who’s who roster of great entertainers. He was a very gifted man and a man of many talents.

Promised Land by Elvis Presley

I am not a big fan of Elvis, my youngest sister liked/likes him. However, I do acknowledge that he had talent and changed the world through his music. Promised Land is another Chuck Berry cover, and since I gave the first one to Chuck, I decided to give this one to Elvis. Both are excellent.

How To Make Friends By Telephone by Librarians With Hickeys started this blog, and that is what it will end with. They have a happy sound reminiscent of the early Brit Wave and ’60s radio pop. I like it. I have been listening to this album for a couple of weeks, and I am positive I mentioned them previously. My curiosity got the better of me, and I had to look it up. Yup, I did mention them in earlier blogs, back in 44 and 42 of 52. I also wrote about their previous album, Handclaps & Tambourines, twice. Based on the preponderance of evidence, I have concluded that I like the band Librarians With Hickeys.

However, it is not easy for me to give up my badge as a posse rider with The Grammar Police. The curse of the dreaded double negative has reared its ugly head. I have no choice but to place “she don’t want

nothin’ to do with me” in the brink. If she “don’t want nothing”, then she does want something. My Grammarly jumps all over that and wants me to change “don’t want nothing” into “don’t want anything.”

I apologize to the Librarians With Hickeys and the kind folks at Big Stir for my pedantic behaviour. If it is any consolation, I like the song and understand what the words are trying to convey. And I get it that expressions such as “don’t want nothing” have become a part of our colloquial language. I get it. And yet, something stirs within my heart every time I encounter these pesky double negatives.

Shall we carry on, Norman?

By all means, carry on.

Librarians With Hickeys is such a great band name. It gets the first entry in another blog, Weird and Wonderful Band Names. Stay tuned for further developments, folks. What else can I say about their most recent album, How To Make Friends By Telephone, besides the interesting band name?

It is good music. I have been spinning this album on my digital turntable for several weeks and still like it. The lead track is Hello Operator, which started my search for other songs that mention telephone operators. They have another song that they sing about operators, Ship to Shore. ” I think we’ve got a bad connection; please take my call.” This album is stacked with radio-friendly songs that I put on play, hit repeat and go about my day listening to How To Make Friends By Telephone by Librarians With Hickeys. I will give a plug for Elmedia Player. Apple Music has been glitching for weeks now and giving me a pain in the ass for months now. I finally got fed up and went with another player, Elmedia. Thus far, I have no complaints. I also use YouTube Music, which is very user-friendly. I enjoy using it to make lists like this one. 

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6rE7v1qjyIOkZCJRaTp-zgE6KqMDaofv&si=CNPtAQZmnWwvxhzt

No matter how you listen to How To Make Friends By Telephone by Librarians With Hickeys, I hope you give this album a listen or several. The lyrics contain some witty comentaries about life, love and a bunch of other stuff. All of them are good. Enjoy. This album landed in my inbox courtesy of the fine folks at  Big Stir Records. Check them out while you listen to How To Make Friends By Telephone by Librarians With Hickeys.

BIG STIR RECORDS

Burbank, CA / Distributed Worldwide

Copyright © 2024 Big Stir Records
All Rights Reserved.
Design © Big Stir Records

41/52

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here is what I listed to this past week, there were a lot of samples, one off songs and such that didn’t make the list, here is the good stuff that did.

Our Noise – Our Noise

I was introduced to this album by my friend Daniel Jones at Mystic Sons PR. Can I call you my friend Daniel? We only know each other through the internet portals. Regardless, I have listened to this album over and over. And again and again. It is playing as I write this, with a bit of volume, which seems fitting for the music of Our Noise.

I’ve had a hell of a time writing something about Our Noise, both the album and the band. Inspiration just hasn’t hit me. I like the album, so that’s not the problem. It has smart music and lyrics; that’s not the problem. The problem is me getting an angle to hang this album on.

Let’s start with some basic facts about Our Noise.

  1. They are a power trio.
  2. They are from Toronto.
  3. They are Lucy Di Santo on bass and vocals, Dan Cornelius on drums and Steve Fall on guitar.
  4. I can’t put them in a nice, neat genre box.

They have elements of pop, punk, grunge, rock and even bits of metal. Mix that all together, and what we come up with is the album Our Noise.

The album starts with the hard-rocking track Break You. That sounds like a revenge plot. I’m going to break you!

Track two comes out of the gates at a full charge. The grinding solo guitar sets the stage for lyrics about pressing on despite the odds and the difficulty. Tracks three and four continue the hard, edgier sounds. Track five, Hereafter shifts gear to a more pop, radio-friendly sound. Track six is F.L.A., which starts with some nice bass lines and then moves on with a guitar sound I like. I’m curious what effect pedals were used. F.L.A. is a more complex track musically. Lyrically, I think it is about being on the road and looking forward to a place to park for a while.

Seven, Soul Killer, takes us back to grunge guitar land and lyrics to match. Take a Shot is track 8, played at a blistering pace; it throws out a challenge to take a shot at me. Next to last is the song Try, a more melodic track with introspective lyrics. The album ends with the song Amends; it starts with some nice acoustic guitar that shifts to a pop-rock sound as it moves along. More pain was on the closer track, Amends, but I was ready to try again.

There we have it, a mini-review of what is, in my opinion, a decent album. It certainly held my attention for a long time and many plays.

http://www.mysticsons.com

D I S C O V E R:

onmusic.ca

www.theonstore.com

www.facebook.com/onband.ca

www.instagram.com/ournoisemusic

twitter.com/ournoisemusic

www.youtube.com/@ournoisemusic

Next in line is King Crimson, and this will be a marathon. I have ten of their albums and may have more by the end of this blog. I have more on CD, but I will save that for another day, focusing on vinyl for now.

King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King

Today, October 10, is the 55th anniversary of the release of In The Court Of The Crimson King. The album has taken on an almost mythical status in the world of music. I got on the bandwagon early, sometime in either 1970 or 1971. I heard the album playing in a record store in Montreal, and when I asked the staff who was making that music, he showed me the album. Seeing the cover sealed the deal, I took it home with me. I still love it. In The Court Of The Crimson King/(An Observation By King Crimson) is a deserted island album for me.

I had considered doing a full review of each King Crimson release as I went through their releases alphabetically. I quickly dispelled that consideration before the mere thought of that load bent me like Atlas carrying the heavens on his shoulders. I played this album through, start to stop, four or five times as I contemplated the movements of the music and the meaning of the lyrics. I tossed all that, and I ended up enjoying the album for the sheer joy of hearing the music, nothing else, just enjoying some outstanding music—the end. Well, not really; it is on to the next King Crimson release, In The Wake Of Poseidon.

L.S.U. – Dogfish Jones

The world lost a great musician on March 12, 2024, Michael Knott. L.S.U. was one of his projects, and Dogfish Jones was the last release under that nom de plume. While the music of Michael Knott was often jarring to some and confusing to others, he had a fan base and was respected in the circles of life he swirled about in. He released over 30 albums that took his music in many different directions, but never losing the essence of Michael Knott. 

“Originally released on Light Records in 1998, Dogfish Jones is the result of musical genius and cult legend Michael Knott. Enlisting the help of such notables as Chuck Cummings and Gene Eugene, Knott’s last LSU release continues to push the boundaries of creativity in alternative rock. With Dogfish Jones, Knott creates a masterpiece by taking the dark, psychedelic, post-punk feel of David Bowie and meshing it with the aggressiveness of Jane’s Addiction. It was an album ahead of its time in 1998. Hopefully, this many years later, this classic heavy album can be appreciated for it’s musical brilliance.″ -Retroactive Records

King Crimson – In The Wake Of Poseidon

I only listened to this once yesterday, so I will have to fire up the record spinny thingy and hear it again.

It’s Thanksgiving Day in Canada, my home, so here is a song that pays tribute (mentions in passing?) to Thanksgiving Day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m57gzA2JCcM

39/52

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Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby present to you my listening fixes from the past week. Explosions In The Sky was a highlight live, and The Armoires had the most spins. Check them out, you may just find it as entertaining and enjoyable as I did.

Explosions In The Sky – Live at Midway

We have every album EITS (Explosions In The Sky) released, so we were excited to hear them live. They did not disappoint us. The show was excellent in every way. The venue was a good choice for them; it was not so large that they were playing in a half-empty room and not so small that we were packed like sardines in a tin. We had a good view straight in line with the middle of the stage and on the rail overlooking the standing-room floor. The volume was perfect; so many shows have the volume cranked to a level that must damage the speakers and have way too much bass. EITS had none of that. The stage lights were great as well. They didn’t use the front-of-stage lights; they are an instrumental band, so they don’t need to highlight the lead vocalist. Most of their music is collaborative, so there is no need to spotlight the soloist because they don’t usually have one. Their performance style, which is a testament to their collaborative nature, was a sight to behold. They employed plenty of back-of-house lighting to create a similar effect to shadow puppets.

The music, ah, yes, the music, it kept me enthralled for the entire show. EITS is a five-man band: a drummer, a keyboard player who also plays guitar, both bass and six-string, two electric guitar players and a bass/six-string player who often swaps guitars mid-song. They had moments when the music exploded from the stage to engulf us. EITS are experts at building tension in the music that gradually rises until the stage can’t hold it any longer, and it washes over us in a tsunami of sound.

Having Joel treat me to this concert as a gift for my seventieth birthday was beautiful. What a grand way to celebrate starting a new decade. Thank you, Joel.

Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited

This album is a frequent spinner on my turntable. It is not my favourite Dylan album; that title belongs to Desire, but Highway 61 Revisited is still a good album.

 The Armoires – Octoberland

Big Stir Records

THE ARMOIRES – the Burbank, California-based band led by Christina Bulbenko (vocals, keys) and Rex Broome (vocals, guitar), also known as the founders of Big Stir Records – have exuded equal parts brash confidence and sophisticated mystery. There’s been the swirling psych-pop manifesto “We Absolutely Mean It,” the sweetly comforting “Music & Animals,” the dramatic strings-driven “Here Comes The Song,” and, up next, the giddy postpunk pulsebeat of “Ridley & Me After The Apocalypse.” All of them display the band revelling in their unique sound: the ambiguously androgynous harmonies of Broome and Bulbenko, the intricate instrumental interplay between Larysa Bulbenko’s endlessly versatile viola and the electric 12-strings, sweeping synths and delicate piano of the band leaders, and the unerringly empathetic rhythms of John M. Borack (drums) and Clifford Ulrich (bass).

Octoberland is easy to listen to, but I would not call it easy listening. It is playful but not childish. It is profound but not abysmal. It is joyous without being mawkish. It is sweet without being syrupy. In my own words, it is a damn good album.

Various – Cheapskates Vol. 4

This is not a good road trip listener. It does have some good tunes, just not enough for the road noise.

Various – At the Foot of the Cross

Valerie liked this one a lot. I used to like it a lot, but that has slipped, and I’m just liking it now. It is high quality in every aspect; if you are into Christian music, this should be on your playlist.

Various – Country Greats

It is a mixed bag of county and Western music, mainly from the sixties. This recording has no flow, and even the mix level is crazy. One song was so low we had to turn the volume up, and the next one blared at us to turn the volume down. The bass was too heavy on some songs, and the vocals were buried in the mix of instruments on other tracks. The songs didn’t have a chronological flow or have like-minded songs grouped.

They had a version of Jambalaya by George Jones, a good recording artist, no doubt, but this song belongs to Hank Williams. Daddy Sang Bass was by Carl Perkins on this CD, and it should be Johnny Cash. The list goes on. There are too many errors accumulated in these three CDs for an enjoyable listen; there are some great songs on here, but not enough, and not enough by the right artists or in the correct place on the tracklist.

An interesting twist on this album is the Queen of Soul, Tina Turner, singing three songs taken from her C/W album Good Hearted Woman. This isn’t her first C/W album either; Ike Turner had her record the album Tina Turns the Country On! in an attempt to expose her to a wider audience. I actually like her take on these songs; they are probably my favourite songs on a sketchy album.

The Moody Blues – Greatest Hits

I’m not a big fan of The Moody Blues, but I appreciate their music in general and a few songs in particular. Tuesday Afternoon, Nights In White Satin, & I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band) are all three good tunes; I remember them from being big hits on the radio way back when. Once upon a time, I had these on vinyl. Now I just have this on CD.

Phil Keaggy – Play Thru Me

Continuing my trip thru the alphabet we are still in K, and Phil Keaggy, who we started listening to last week. Play Thru Me is another good example of his guitar playing. This album has excellent notes on the inner sleeve that tell us which guitars he played on each song and a bit of history on how he wrote them. I wish more albums had inner sleeves this good; thanks, Phil.