January 27, 2025

Posted on January 27, 2025 by normanweatheredmusic

It has been a very interesting week, very interesting indeed, but not super silly. I brought the week in with yet another shot of Bob Dylan, Empire Burlesque this time. That makes my twentieth Dylan album, and the time has come for a respite from Bob; too much of a good thing can be too much. However, I can’t part ways without mentioning my take on Empire Burlesque. I concur with the general reviews that this is an ’80s album; it has that feel. It is also eclectic, with a revolving door of talented accompanists, bringing a different taste to the album’s flavour. I won’t rate this album in the top echelon of Dylan albums, but it is still a pleasant listen and thus avoids the fate of Dylan’s self-titled 1973 album, banishment, never to be heard again.

Moving on, I listened to Resurrection Song by Mark Lowry—a shot of white Christian Bible belt church music. Just as popular music artists go on tours to take their messages to the masses, popular Christian artists also did that. They would go from town to town and church to church. The bigger the artist, the bigger the churches. Mark Lowry was of the Southern Baptist flavour and was an accidental comedian. As the backing tracks for his songs were set up and guitars tuned, he would do monologues that he noticed were bringing laughter to his routine. He began making that a staple of his shows and was quite good at it. Mark scored one mega-hit with the song “Mary, Did You Know?” I can remember a missionary that our church supported singing this song. It was a powerful performance. This album isn’t of that calibre, but as far as white Baptist singers go, this is par for the course.

Next, we have a different flavour of gospel music: black southern gospel, John Littleton Et The Clarence Jones Family, and Steel Away. This album seemed uneven to my ears and never really got a head of steam going, which is unfortunate because there is some excellent music to be heard on this album. I will do bin diving to find more from either of these two artist groups, John Littleton and The Clarence Jones Family.

K.O.G. Zone 6, Agege (feat. Franz Von & Gyedu-Blay). I have been listening to modern African jazz lately and enjoying what I hear. This album is more in the world music category but excellent in any genre. I’ve listened to it several times and am sure more spins will come.

Next in the queue, we have Nick Lowe. I have been listening to his music since his first solo album, Pure Pop For Now People. I am, in fact, listening to that album now. This album is titled “Jesus of Cool” in the UK and has some different tracks; check out Wikipedia for the long story. From his days in the band Brinsley Schwarz to playing bass in another band, Rockpile, Nick has had a stellar career and collaborated with some of music’s heavy hitters, including his once-upon-a-time wife, Carlene Carter.

I went on a binge with Nick Lowe this week: Pure Pop For Now People, Labour Of Lust, Nick the Knife, The Abominable Showman, Rose of England ( Nick Lowe and his Cowboy Outfit), Pinker and Prouder Than Previous, and closing with Love Starvation/Trombone/Tokyo Bay/Crying Inside.

These are only his solo albums, and I don’t have all of them. Elsewhere on our journey through the alphabet, we will encounter Nick in the records of Elvis Costello, Ian Gomm, Rockpile, Dave Edmunds and many others. Nick also produced albums for Dr. Feelgood, The Rumours and others and collaborated with Johnny Cash and a laundry list of others. Nick genuinely plays well with others.

I listen to the first two albums by Nick Lowe most frequently, Pure Pop For Now People and Labour of Lust. Two album titles hint at the wordplay in Nick Lowe’s songs. These albums came out in 1978 and ’79, fertile years for New Wave music for which I was a sponge. Although he didn’t have a long list of top ten hits, he did chart a few times and a couple of heavy hitters written by Nick Lowe and covered by others charted. He is best known for the songs “Cruel to Be Kind” (a US top 40 single) and “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass” (a top 10 UK hit), as well as his production work with Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, and others. Lowe also wrote “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding,” a hit for Costello and “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock ‘n’ Roll),” a hit for Rockpile bandmate Dave Edmunds.

Nick Lowes’s influence is impressive. Paraphrased from Wikipedia:

In 2011, The New York Times claimed: “The 40-year career of the English singer-songwriter Nick Lowe constitutes a paradox: the songs he has written are better known than he is.” Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys described Lowe as one of his favourite lyricists. In another interview, he said he was “blown away” and sent “back to square one” by Lowe’s songwriting.

Wilco covered the Nick Lowe song “I Love My Label” as the B-side to “I Might” (2011) on their dBpm label. Nick Lowe toured with Wilco for their album The Whole Love and made guest appearances on his “Cruel to Be Kind” and (along with Mavis Staples) appeared onstage for a cover of The Band‘s song “The Weight.” The quality of this video sucks, but it gives a hint of the power that occupied the stage that night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qn75TFZA5k&t=4s

So there we have it, a week dominated by Nick Lowe with brief interludes by others. Happy listening, and “If the Good Lord’s Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise,” I look forward to exploring our musical journey again next week.

January 20, 2025

Posted on January 20, 2025 by normanweatheredmusic

It has been a marvellous week in my music corner. Record Collectors Paradise had a sale of overstocked records that they were selling for $5 each, and the CDs were two for $5. I walked out with ten albums and two CDs and settled in for some serious listening. I made it through five albums, and a new CD player is in the mail. A road trip may be on the to-do list to listen to music; it’s a thing that we love to do: drive, listen to some music, and talk about it.

I also listened to music from Bark and Mystic Sons, PR firms, so I will include some mini reviews of them today as well. So, let’s dive into what I listened to this week.

Ira & Charles Louvin Ira & Charles Louvin

These guys are mostly remembered for the cover of one of their albums, Satan Is Real. For 1959, this was a real kicker. It has mellowed with age and is considered more of a cheesy oddity today. Apart from the album cover, these two gentlemen could sing great harmony between them. Their star shone briefly, but it shone brightly. They mostly played bluegrass with a strong gospel flavour. I grew up listening to this music, so giving it a positive review is only natural.

Loggins & Messina Full Sail

Loggins & Messina So Fine

I was never much of a Loggins & Messina fan, and these two albums did nothing to change that. They aren’t bad; they just aren’t albums that appeal to me.

Spacemen 3 Perfect Prescription

Spacemen 3 are just what the doctor ordered to lift your spirits. I don’t know where to put them genre-wise. Psychedelic trance? It is good music to flop on the sofa and read a book with.

Lee Scratch Perry Reggae Greats

Lee Scratch Perry was a pillar in the reggae scene. He worked with and produced for various artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, the Congos, Max Romeo, Adrian Sherwood, Beastie Boys, Ari Up, the Clash, the Orb, and many others. That’s an impressive resume.

Crosby, Stills & Nash CS&N

I have been listening to the music of CRN and sometimes Y for a long time. I saw Neil Young live in 1984 and Crosby in 2016, and their albums from the 1970s to the present. This album follows on the heels of Déjà Vu, and that is a hard act to follow. I liked listening to this, but it is not as strong as some of their other material, solo and collectively.

Bob Dylan Slow Train A Coming

The Slow Train is the first of Dylan’s Christian albums, which probably turned a few folks away from listening to this album. The Christians filled that gap nicely. Dylan had been riding a downer with some of the worst reviews in his career. Slow Train pulled him up, and this album received mostly positive reviews and a Grammy. I enjoyed it immensely. I also love the album artwork.

Iron Butterfly In-Gadda-Da-Vida

In-Gadda-Da-Vida is one of those albums that everyone should have in their collection. It is famous for its 17-minute track, In-Gadda-Da-Vida. I doubt if many people could name a song on side one of this album. I listened to it and was surprised at how good it sounded. I hadn’t listened to In-Gadda-Da-Vida for donkey years; this was a good blast from the past.

Bob Dylan Dylan

Dylan, the album, was not a good blast from the past. File this album at the bottom of the pile under oddities. I doubt if I will ever listen to this again.

RORO and snapir COLORS LEFT

I had been savouring the single Mass that RORO and Snapir released last year and anxiously awaited the release of this whole album, Colors Left. It does not disappoint. From the energetic opening track, Tehran Jewel, to Mass, to Colors Left, there is not a dull moment to be had. This needs curated listening, over and over, to catch all the nuances. If this is Colors Left, I am curious to know what Colours Right was all about.

“Our goal was to create a soundscape that represents emotional rebirth,” the duo explains. “Each track is a deliberate exploration of bringing colour back into a monochromatic experience.” The album’s creation served as both a healing process and a platform for artistic discovery, combining digital glitches, dark ambient, and future garage elements with sophisticated production techniques.

From the club-ready rhythms of ‘Fractures’ to the enveloping warmth of ‘Lacuna’ and the primal intensity of ‘Mass,’ each track contributes to a carefully curated sonic journey. Yet, the album’s focus track, Tehran Jewel, establishes the album’s distinctive character, beginning with distorted electronic elements before transitioning into powerful, dark rhythms. The track creates an atmospheric foundation that invites deep listening and interpretation. Throughout the album, carefully constructed moments of dissonance challenge listeners to find meaning within the seeming chaos. As the artists themselves reflect, every element is intentional, making the apparent disorder all the more compelling—. “Nothing is superfluous, making the disorder more intriguing. If everything has its place, how can the pieces feel so randomly fractured?” says the duo.

The music of RORO and snapir on Colours Left challenged and engaged me. The whole album complemented the single Mass, which I had kept on repeat since it hit my inbox last year. I have a strong feeling that this will be on a playlist at the end of the year.

DISCOVER RORO

INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | SOUNDCLOUD

DISCOVER SNAPIR

INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | SPOTIFY

For all press enquiries, please contact james@barkpr.co.uk, or dan@mysticsons.com

Until next week, happy listening, my friends.

January 13, 2025

Posted on January 14, 2025 by normanweatheredmusic

I rarely miss a blog week, but I did that in the first week of 2025. In my defence, I was rather sick and hadn’t listened to any new music until then. I listened to some good albums in the letter L as I continued my journey through our vinyl slabs. So, without further ado, let’s see what we listened to in the first two weeks of 2025, up to Sunday, January 12.

The good folks at Big Stir (https://bigstirrecords.com/home) came through first to the post with the album Back To California by the band 20/20. But before getting there, we must travel the road from January 1 to today, January 13. These will be mini-readers to add some context to the sounds.

Joyce Landorf For People Who Don’t Hear The Music Anymore

She has a good voice, which could be used better than it is on this album; it is a great album name, though.

Leapy Lee Little Arrows

Earworm warning. Thinking about this song without hearing it is enough to generate an earworm. Little Arrows is a catchy, radio-friendly song that causes the remainder of the album to be overlooked, and that is a shame because Leapy Lee has a good voice.

Byron Lee and The Dragonaires Dancing Is Forever

Byron Lee is recognized in Jamaica for his contribution to the music of Jamaica, the Caribbean, and eventually abroad. Lee has a deep catalogue: https://www.discogs.com/artist/29820-Byron-Lee-And-The-Dragonaires

Alvin Lee & Mylon LeFevre On The Road To Freedom

On The Road To Freedom is an interesting mash-up of two artists who play in different worlds. Alvin Lee is best known for contributing to the band Ten Years After. Mylon LeFevre is a Christian musician.

John Lennon John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon Imagine

John Lennon Shaved Fish

I don’t have words to express my feelings while playing John Lennon’s music.

Lettermen All-Time Greatest Hits

Good harmony and folksy music.

Gary Lewis And The Playboys This Diamond Ring

I had a first print of this once upon a time. I also encountered a lovely lady who liked this album and deserved better than me.

Gordon Lightfoot Don Quixote

Gordon Lightfoot Here On Earth

Gordon Lightfoot Sit Down Young Stranger

I like Gordon Lightfoot’s music. He has a unique vocal style that is his alone, and he does Canada proud.

Pink Floyd Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

I played this twice.

Spacemen 3 Performance

I need to plug this into the amp and crank it.

The Limeliters Our Men in San Francisco

The Limeliters Time To Gather Seeds

Nice harmony in folk music.

Little Feat Waiting For Columbas Disc 1

Little Feat Waiting For Columbas Disc 2

I listened to Little Feat in my first incarnation, then lost contact with them during my lost years, and then found them again just now. I still like them.

Todd Rundgren Something Anything

There is something about Todd Rundgren that has a magical, magnetic pull on me.

That brings us to today, January 13, as I write this, and Back to California by the band 20/20 is on the virtual turntable. I put this album on repeat, and I have racked up a dozen trips as I kept Coming back to California. There are some albums that I have heard once, and that is enough. There are some albums that I have listened to once, and that was one too many times. There are some albums that I can listen to more than once, and I still find them enjoyable. Some albums will become anual listeners given enough time to find that groove from the turntable to my brain. And some of those albums will become deserted island albums.

Coming Back to California by 20/20 isn’t a Deserted Island album yet, but it has passed the first test, the “repeat listener and still like it” category. The next step needs several months to see if I still like it. We’ll see how it fares in the year-end summary. Meanwhile, let’s listen to the album again and focus on the details.

The lead track is the title track, Coming Back To California. There are multiple reasons as to why we would be going back. The lyrics are open to speculation, giving us, the listeners, a chance to think about why we would be going back. I was a long-haired hippy when a friend and I dropped everything, jumped in my car and pointed it in the direction of California. I put some figurative flowers in my hair in 1975 and travelled up and down the west coast. We didn’t have Trump back then, but I would like to know what he would have thought of a Mexico-to-Canada border trip with some long-haired hippy freaks (Signs by Five Man Electrical Band.)

It’s gut-wrenching time when we get to track two. “Why Do I Hurt Myself?” I have an addictive personality; I easily get hooked on things, and then I ask, “Why Do I Hurt Myself?” I could go through this song line by line, nodding my head in demonstration of agreeing and keeping tempo because half the fun is in the music, and the other half is the lyrics. Great song, with credit to:

STEVE ALLEN: VOCALS, GUITAR, KEYBOARD

RON FLYNT: VOCALS, BASS, KEYBOARD, BARITONE GUITAR

RAY FLYNT: DRUMS, PERCUSSION

p.s. I love the harmonica coda

p.s.s. There is some lovely bass work, not just in this song. Play the album from start to finish, and listen for just the bass.

Dang it all, I am only on the third track, and this is changing from a glance at what I listened to in the last two weeks to a short book of music observations.

Throwing all caution aside, we dive in deeper, and the Springtime Love Song gives us some excellent guitar work. As a former guitar player, I know excellent pickin’ when I hear it, and I hear it in the Springtime Love Song.

This album takes a harsh grinding of the gears and shifts into some rocky terrain. “Lucky Heart” cries out for Donald and hopes that he has a heart. The headlines shout the news that Los Angeles is on fire and Laurel Canyon is in there. I hope everyone gets out safely, and I hope that their lives can heal and have hope for the future.

Wow, these lyrics hit home. Jumping ahead to the closing track, Farewell.

“Farewell farewell my good friend

Farewell farewell my good friend

I hope that I told you that I love you

I hope that I told you that I care”

I hope I have told you that I love this album.

I hope I told you that Coming Back to California is an album you should add to your collection.

I hope to go back to California.

I hope that you like this album as much as I do.

50/52

Posted on December 3, 2024 by normanweatheredmusic

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

Posted on November 25, 2024 by normanweatheredmusic

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

Posted on November 18, 2024 by normanweatheredmusic

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

45/52 Dedicated to Donald Trump

Posted on November 12, 2024 by normanweatheredmusic

This listening experience is dedicated to Donald Trump.

Country Johnny Mathis – Just Do The Best You Can

Living Guitars – San Franciscan Nights

bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit – guitar demos

Snorri Hallgrimmsson – Longer shadows, softer stones

King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues In Aspic

King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black

Pre-election see above

Post-election See below

“I Burn but I am not Consumed” composed and performed by Karine Polwart with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Celtic Connections, Thursday 19 January 2017 [61] and subsequently included on her “Laws of Motion” album. “I Burn But I am Not Consumed” is the motto for the Scottish MacLeod clan. My family tree includes Tarbert, Scotland, as an origin, on the Isle of Lewis and Harris. Lewis and Harris is Scotland’s largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago. The two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands.

“I Burn but I am not Consumed” was composed and performed by Karine Polwart with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Celtic Connections on Thursday, 19 January 2017 and subsequently included on her “Laws of Motion” album.

Todd Rundgren – “Tin Foil Hat” by Todd Rundgren featuring Donald Fagen

I have been listening to Rundgren since the mid-1970s. Something/Anything was the first album I got from his deep discography. This has his trademark sound, with new bits and pieces here and there to keep it fresh and interesting, not just a rehashing of earlier work.

Fiona Apple – “Tiny Hands”

This song brings a smile to my face every time I play it. Thanks, Donald, for inspiring these lyrics.

Maraaya – Diamond Duck

“KITTY KITTY” by De Staat (2018): Various lyrics alluding to Trump and his campaign policies (such as “Big deal maker, orange entertainer, swamp it up, ‘gator” and “Make the new

news faker”). The song’s music video depicts two crowds of people charging towards each other in slow motion, with the two groups coloured blue (to represent the Democratic Party) and red (representing the Republican Party).

Demi Lovato – Commander in Chief

This is somewhere near the top of my imaginary list of favourite political songs.

Ben Comeau – “Donald Trump is a Wanker” is a four-voice fugue based on a theme from The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”

This song is about as subtle as a flying mallet.

Tom Morello – World Wide Rebel Song

This list of songs dedicated to Donald Trump is by no means comprehensive, but it does give a hint about how people in the musical world see the Great Orange One. This list is longer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_in_music.

44/52

Posted on November 4, 2024 by normanweatheredmusic

This week has been full of audio adventures, the highlight would probalby be the new CSN&Y album. There is only one surprise on this list and that is “bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit. If the music isn’t your cup of tea you can probably agree that the bands name and the album name are interesting.

King Crimson – Islands

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Live At Fillmore East, 1969

Federale – Reverb & Seduction

Librarians With Hickeys – How To Make Friends By Telephone

bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit – the great guitar of universal compassion

Peter, Paul, & Mary – The Very Best of Peter, Paul & Mary

The Orb & David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres In Colour

King Crimson – Islands

From Wikipedia:

“Islands is the fourth studio album by King Crimson, released on 3 December 1971 on the record label Island. Islands is the only studio album to feature the 1971–1972 touring line-up of Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace. This would be the last album before an entirely new group (except for Fripp) would record the trilogy of Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red between 1973 and 1974. This is also the last album to feature the lyrics of co-founding member Peter Sinfield.

Musically, the album expands on the improvisational jazz leanings of King Crimson’s previous album, Lizard. It received a mixed response from critics and fans.” Norman also gives it a mixed response. I have tried to like this album, but it remains lukewarm and elusive.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Live At Fillmore East, 1969

Four Way Street is already on my deserted island playlist, and Déjà Vu is close behind, making ranking this album difficult. This was recorded shortly before Déjà Vu was released, and Four Way Street came the following year. The trio appears in this order: Live At Fillmore East in 1969, Déjà Vu in 1970 and Four Way Street in 1971.

I learned about Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSN&Y) in 1970 during a chance encounter in Montreal, Canada. I had a lengthy layover between flights, so I grabbed a cab to a nearby mall I knew had a record store. Déjà Vu was on the turntable, and I knew I had to buy that album. Fifty-four years later, I am still digging their music.

After just one listen, a highlight of Live At Fillmore East, 1969 is the 16 minutes of Down By The River. It’s incredible to hear these four musicians jam on four electric guitars. The closing song which follows Down By The River is Find The Cost of Freedom, and we hear four voices harmonizing. I am giving the album its second listen as I write this, and I love every second of it; these guys are next level.

I had my second go at Live At Fillmore East, 1969, and I must confess that it didn’t engage me like Four Way Street did. I’ve filed it in the library and will no doubt listen to it again. However, I didn’t have the rush of blood to my head that Déjà Vu or Four Way Street did. I remain hopefully optimistic until then.

Just for the record, I do not dislike Live At Fillmore East, 1969; it is a good album. It’s just not as good as Four Way Street. Live albums are a crap shoot at best. Everyone has an opinion on what the best live albums are. ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ makes everyone’s best live albums list. Deep Purple ‘Made in Japan’ also shows up frequently; I think a lot is due to one song, Smoke On The Water. The Talking Heads’ amazing show, ‘Stop Making Sense,’ makes my list at number one, and Rolling Stone magazine puts it at eleven on their list. The Who, ‘Live at Leeds’ is a frequent flyer on these lists. Sunday at the Village Vanguard by Bill Evans would be on my list.

A few venues pop up on most lists of best live albums. Apollo Theater was in the Harlem district of New York City; it has been a significant venue for African American popular music. The list of musicians that graced its stage is enough to fill a book; several are written. Another important New York venue was The Fillmore East, dubbed the church of rock and roll due to the many great artists and penultimate shows it has hosted. Royal Albert Hall in England is a frequently used venue; it is a favourite of mine because I was privileged to see King Crimson play there. Budokan is a venue in Japan that has hosted some great live performances, including Bob Dylan and Cheap Trick. Birdland is the place to be if you want live jazz.

Live venues for Country and Western music usually default to The Grand Ole Opry, The Ryman or shows pulled from live radio performances, where The Opry and numerous stars got their start. The Carter Family and Hank Williams are just two highlights who started on the radio. According to the internet, Country and Western music seem to have one great live album, Waylon Jennings- Waylon Live! It shows up on list after list. Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison is usually a distant second place.

The list of great live performances and their venue could go on and on. There are numerous web pages with their best live performance lists, which could be a list of the best lists. Ultimate Classic Rock is a decent list, and Rolling Stone has covered the rock and roll world quite well. There are too many lists for live jazz albums because jazz seems to come alive when played outside the studio. I could get lost on Reddit reading everyone’s opinion of the best live performances. I suggest listening to live performances and recordings of live performances and making your own list; that is what I did.

Federale – Reverb & Seduction

These guys have a sound that sucked my right in and held me for the entire length of this album. That’s all, folks; I just thought I would mention them because I listened to this album and liked it. Thank you, Shauna.

Dark Waters’ video https://youtu.be/bxdF2FzNf8U

‘Reverb & Seduction’ album order https://pocp.co/reverb-and-seduction

Bandcamp https://federalemusic.bandcamp.com/album/reverb-seduction

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/6gzstULLTR1OEwhnWeWojh

‘Heaven Forgive Me’ video https://youtu.be/uj7VLYutKgw

‘Advice From a Stranger’ video https://youtu.be/szTf8z5-y9c

‘No Strangers’ video https://youtu.be/RsiftDMjDNg

‘The Worst Thing I Ever Did Was Ever Loving You’ feat. Jenny Don’t https://youtu.be/pryjJsH_dvI

Tour tickets https://www.songkick.com/artists/584775-federale

‘Reverb & Seduction’ is out now on CD and limited edition vinyl, as well as digitally everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Bandcamp.

Shameless Promotion PR at contact@shamelesspromotionpr.com

Librarians With Hickeys – How To Make Friends By Telephone

Dang it all! Double dang it! I listened to this album over and over, and twice yesterday. I was working on a little modelling project and had this album on repeat, and I listened to it with intention. I liked it but still have difficulty putting a label on the Librarians With Hickeys. They bring back a warm fuzzy feeling of the heady days of summer as teenagers in the sixties and listening to pop music on the radio as we cruised town. They have good lyrics with lots of the usual suspects: love found, love enjoyed, and love lost and telephones. True to the album name, How To Make Friends By Telephone, there are plenty of references to telephones that naturally brought to mind some songs that I know with telephone as either the title or subject matter of songs. And so off I went, first from memory and then assisted by the Discogs search engine, limited to my music collection. Undoubtedly, the list would be endless outside of this search.

The Carter Family – No Telephone In Heaven

Tom Waits – Telephone Call From Istanbul

ELO -Telephone Line

Jim Croce – Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)

Bob Dylan & The Band – Long Distance Operator

Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show – Sylvia’s Mother

Arcade Fire – Cars and Telephones

Back to the Librarians after that rabbit hole, I have enjoyed listening to their music and feel very strongly that I may return to them.

BIG STIR RECORDS

Burbank, CA / Distributed Worldwide

bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit – the great guitar of universal compassion

This album is new to me. I was strolling around the internet one night when inspecting the insides of my eyelids, and it wasn’t inducing sleep. I started scrolling through Apple Music for music to fall asleep with and found bodies of divine infinite and eternal spirit. They are not the best band to fall asleep listening to, but I was glad to find them. I knew absolutely nothing about bodies… so I turned my sleeplessness into a quest for knowledge about them. I found a bit of info on Bandcamp: https://b-odies.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-guitar-of-universal-compassion

And a bit more on

I found out on that sleepless night that bodies… have a significant back catalogue that I will have to spend some time exploring. For the moment, I will limit my time to their newest adventure, the great guitar of universal compassion.

This is an exciting album from bodies… It travels through the realms of improv, but they don’t sound like a jam band. They also have a psychedelic feel, but I would not call them a psychedelic band. Discogs label their album “all the songs i know about fire” as rock. bodies… bodies are experimental and use musique concrète elements, whether from sample sources outside of the use of musical instruments or through the manipulation of those instruments sounds by various means, including the pedal board.

This is not music for everyone, but it has been excellent music for me. They didn’t put me to sleep but sent me on a quest to listen to more of their music. It has been a grand quest rewarded by hours of exciting music that pushed my music boundaries into new pathways.

43/52

Posted on October 28, 2024 by normanweatheredmusic

This has to be a record for the smallest amount of albums that I listened to in a week. I even listened to more than this the week my hip was replaced. They are good records, and all four received more than one listen. I am slowly making progress on the King Crimson stack of wax.

King Crimson – Lizard

Lizard is the third album by King Crimson, and much like their previous album, In The Wake Of Poseidon, we have a band in transition and turmoil. It was the second consecutive King Crimson album recorded by transitional lineups of the group that did not perform live, following In the Wake of Poseidon. This is the last of two albums by the band to feature Gordon Haskell (and the only one where he was both the lead singer and the bass guitarist, as he only sang one song on the previous album) and the band’s only album to feature drummer Andy McCulloch.

Please read more about the lineup on the Wikipedia site. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizard_(album)

When released, the album received mixed reviews, and listeners still have inconsistent responses. Robert Fripp has been very critical of the album, calling it “unlistenable” and lovers of it as “very strange.” However, he revised his opinion upon listening to Steven Wilson’s surround-sound mix of the album for the 40th anniversary reissue, proclaiming, “For the first time I have heard the Music in the music.”

I regret that my quad music system was stolen, but I will set up a 5.1 system using a DVD to hopefully recreate some of the magic Mr. Fripp is alluding to. Listening to the original recording on either CD or LP, I enjoyed the record. I must admit that I am a lifelong King Crimson fan, and I can’t say that I don’t like any of their material. I also enjoy listening to jazz, and Lizard has plenty of jazz influence. I rate Lizard with a 4-star rating.

Magilla Funk Conduit – Just Dance

Recorded by the omnipresent Nik Kozub, aided and abetted by bassist Thom Golub, trumpet player Bob Tildesley, rapper Cadence Weapon, and singer/songwriter/saxophonist Brett Miles. Brett Miles is the son of legendary football player “Rollie” Miles.” This is a local band; I live in Edmonton and had trouble finding anything about Magilla Funk Conduit online. I know they were active in the early 00s playing live at the Sidetrack Cafe; I miss that venue. They released two albums besides Just Dance, which I found on Discogs. Just Dance isn’t in Discogs. I may have to do an entry for it.

This record was fun to listen to. I will have to keep my eyes peeled for the two albums that I do not have. It is funky and quality, and I enjoyed listening to it.

Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks – Where’s The Money?

Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks are a band that I have been listening to for a very long time. Their albums are not all top-shelf quality, but this one is perfect. Where’s The Money? has all of the traits that make Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks one of my long-time listeners. Last Train To Hicksville is probably the album I like the most, but Where’s The Money? is a close second.

Leslie Phillips – The Turning

The Turning is a pivotal point in Leslie Phillips’s career. Although this is considered a contemporary Christian album, The Turning moves her away from that image and into the career of Sam Phillips.

Courtesy of Wikipedia:

“This album marks the first time Phillips worked with producer T Bone Burnett. The two married soon after the release of this album, and Burnett would go on to produce more albums for the singer. The Turning stands out as a turning point in Phillips’ career as a singer and songwriter; on one side, the cheerful, upbeat pop-rock albums that she recorded in the early 1980s, and, on the other, the quirky 60’s music influenced rock and folk albums, with a much darker and more poetic tone lyrically.”

I like this album. Its rhythm and “feel” run through it, setting the stage for each song and making the cohesive album an enjoyable half hour. Plus, I love the music of T Bone Burnett.

That, all folks. A grand total of four albums this week. Four enjoyable albums that all received more than one listen. Next week, we will feature more King Crimson and some music from the fine people who send me new music to listen to. Who those fine people are will be revealed next Monday; until then, happy listening to my friends.

41/52

Posted on October 14, 2024 by normanweatheredmusic

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.

They are a power trio.
They are from Toronto.
They are Lucy Di Santo on bass and vocals, Dan Cornelius on drums and Steve Fall on guitar.
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

Weathered Music

The musical explorations of Norman and Joel Weatherly.

Tag Archives: rock