What are you spinning?

Joe_Stax · Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 2:33 am Post subject:

Right on, Khan. I'm in two minds about McGuinn and Crosby...I like some of the Byrds albums after Clark left, but I find that 5D and Younger Than Yesterday are a bit patchy, quality wise. And then you get to Notorious Byrds Brothers, when the egos became too big be contained in the band and Crosby got the boot, with Mike Clarke following not long after.

Sweetheart is brilliant, but then Parsons and Hillman split, essentially leaving McGuinn as the owner of the name. There are some bright moments after this point, but even McGuinn has said in retrospect that he should've hung up the name at that point.

The two minds thing: I like some of the music, but after reading so many interviews in which Crosby or McGuinn comes off so smug and satisfied I don't really care for either of them.

Probably harsh of me, but that's the way it is...
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One chord is fine. Two chords are pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz.

Rockin'_Art_Lewis · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 119 Location: Gallup, NM.

I generally agree there, Joe.
The whole "ego trip" phenomenon is huge, in both camps. I tend to go a bit easy on Cros, because I've actually met the guy and his body of work is astonishing.
Now to the sad truth about what's been hovering around the turntable......
I'm indulging myself with some rather horrid 12" singles of songs that were great in their short form, but pointless to remix for a big slab 'o' vinyl. "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House is a wonderful song. Why somebody would attempt a dance mix is beyond my ken, but someone did, unfortunately and it's a real mess!
Same story with The Thompson Twin's "Hold Me Now".
Why, why, why????????

Peace!

R.A.L.
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The Watusi.....The Twist.......Eldorado?

Joe_Stax · Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 4:30 am Post subject:

This whole last week I've been compulsively listening to the Mekons. An endless mix of country-folk-cow-punk balladeering from a batch of lps. Try their new record, Natural. Or their best of, Heaven & Hell for a crazy overview. This is a band I want to join.

In need of some respite, tonight I'm spinning Ronnie Lane's first solo lp, Anymore For Anymore. And this very cool album by a Welsh folk singer, Meic Stevens.

It's called Outlander, and I hear it's his only English language record. It came out in 70, and it's entrancing. He's got a kind of Dylan vibe going on with some of his vocal inflections, and that's abetted by some solo acoustic and harmonica work. But then you get into some other tracks with some more instrumentation, like sitar, flute and percussion and you really move toward a psychedelic folk sound. Whoa! A banjo just kicked in for a more countrified sound for a song called Oxblood, then back to the eastern sounds for Yorric. Eclectic? Sure; I might even say it's all over the place.

Not as produced or precious as some Donovan (the closest analogy I can think of, not really the best), it's got a tougher feel to the songs. Donovan was always a gentle cat, and Meic Stevens seems to be more rough and tumble.

I've got a comp of some of his Welsh language eps--I'm going to have check that out and see how it compares with Outlander...
_________________
One chord is fine. Two chords are pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz.

Astrakhan · Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 135 Location: nowhere, man

You might laugh at this...but the first album by Traffic, which I've never listened to previously.

No, really. I've known about Traffic for years, after all they have quite a reputation, and Steve Windwood, etc. but I've never bothered to give the group a listen. Then, on a recent afterhours, I do believe Jim spun the Mr. Fantasy album (or part of it), and well, my curiosity was piqued.

One fact about Traffic that I liked was they inaugurated the notion of a band "getting it together in the country", relocating to a bucolic spot to let the peaceful vibes bring out the sounds. It clearly worked for the band.

I’ve read in the liner notes that there were some tensions within the band as Dave Mason didn’t write collaboratively, but I think all of the songs are quite strong. Some sound a bit more chart accessible, but all the tracks engage the listener and pull them in.

I’m particularly taken with the use of woodwinds on the album. How many rock groups had a sax player at this point? Chris Wood adds beautiful textures to the songs, and really sets them apart from much of the pack.

An excellent album (the cd had the non-lp singles, too), and I’m looking forward to diving into more Traffic albums. Could anyone suggest what I might try next?
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What a shame Mary Jane caught a pain at the party!

Rockin'_Art_Lewis · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 119 Location: Gallup, NM.

Great choice, Astrakhan! Very Happy

Traffic did some brilliant stuff!
If you're on the trail of some more early Winwood, you could always check out the Spencer Davis Group. Probably the only convincing white R&B group I've heard. Great musicianship. I'm going to take flak for this, but I'll say it and dodge the arrows afterward. They would have beaten the livin' crap out of the Beatles, if they had the same ammount of songwriting talent as Lennon/McCartney. They were that good! Shocked

Peace!

-Rockin' Art (Now more hated than Kevin Federline! Laughing

)
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The Watusi.....The Twist.......Eldorado?

JimENight · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 183

Yes, I have to admit that I sorta just never got around to really listening to Traffic. Just last year this time I too picked up the mono reissue of their first album on CD.
RAL, do you recommend proceeding chronologically from there?

Rockin'_Art_Lewis · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 119 Location: Gallup, NM.

That'd be a good progression (pun unintended) Jim E. Very Happy

I sort of plump for the stuff with the core line-up of Steve, Dave and Jim and tend to overlook the Windy, Rabbit, and who the heck knows who else periods.
Just a personal bias. Razz

Peace!

-R.A.L.
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The Watusi.....The Twist.......Eldorado?

Rockin'_Art_Lewis · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 119 Location: Gallup, NM.

Schizoid turntable trips, the past few weeks.
I've got "The Mason Williams Phonograph Record" sitting on deck right now. Great music, but the quality of the disc itself is just waaay out there.
Probably one of the most brilliant sounding bits of vinyl in the stacks. One of those things you can whip onto the turntable to show how much better L.P.s are. Blah blah blah........ It's late and I'm cramming more hyperbole into this post than Dagwood can stuff between 4 or 5 slices of bread.
Decided for unknown reasons to put on "Do The Hustle". Yeah. The monumental three record set of disco instructions. It still cracks me up.
Spun Starship's "Red Octopus", more as a test listen for audio quality, than for the actual music. The original recording has some incredibly f&*(d up Dolby settings. You would think they could have got the things alligned. Oh well. They didn't and most of the record sounds like muddy crap. This is why "Aphexing" became so common in the Eighties. Even if your Dolby units were completely out of whack and you were too stoned to notice, or couldn't be arsed to tweak them, you had a quick fix-all.
Alright, Mamasita. I go sleep now...........zzzzzzzzzzz

zzzz!
z.z.z.
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The Watusi.....The Twist.......Eldorado?

Rockin'_Art_Lewis · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 119 Location: Gallup, NM.

A lot of Robert Wyatt and the Floyd this past couple of weeks.
"Old Rottenhat" has been a fave, since who knows when. Okay, it's preachy, but I'm usually in agreement with Wyatt's politics, so from my side of the fence, it's a nice "lefty" campfire sing-along.
The Floyd stuff is actually a DVD ("The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon".) I put off buying this one for ages. The boredom and depression of the Holidays kind of made me finally take a copy home. Needed something to watch.
Well done documentary. Didn't reveal a lot of stuff I hadn't already known about the album, but there were a few choice tid-bits in it. No confrontation of the "Wizard Of Oz" urban legend, which would have given Roger the chance to go into a short rant. Laughing

Peas!

-R.A.L.
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The Watusi.....The Twist.......Eldorado?

Joe_Stax · Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:48 pm Post subject: