Sunday, September 21, 2008
August - Rocket's
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Whatever happened to all the fun in the world?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
cd #13: boy meets girl, boy loses girl
this cd is a collection of some favourite tunes that i’ve largely heard for the first time in the last year, with a few exceptions. i mostly listen to bbc radio 6 and KEXP radio (university of washington), and troll some mp3 blogs for new music.
follow along as boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl again.
1. Good Fortune – P.J. Harvey
when pj harvey is good, she’s great. this is one of my favourite pj songs, and is a great example of the excitement of new love. the lyrics are brilliant throughout, including this gem: “when we walked through little italy, i saw my reflection come right off your face”. it also helps that this is accompanied by great music. an all-time favourite of mine.
2. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa – Vampire Weekend
one of the great things about being 37.9 years old and living in edmonton, alberta, is that i have absolutely no clue what kids today consider cool. i have a sneaking suspicion that vampire weekend is some hot indie band, but i’m really not sure. i just like the summer breeze that accompanies this song, and the innocence of young love portrayed.
3. Before I Knew – Basia Bulat
your first canadian content. basia bulat has just been nominated for the polaris prize, canada’s equivalent of britain’s mercury prize. i haven’t heard a lot of her music, but i love this song. i only wish it was longer.
4. Ever Fallen in Love? – Nouvelle Vague
big shout out to dj rocket for introducing me to nouvelle vague a couple of years ago. bossa nova rhythms combined with remakes of classic tunes from the 80’s. what’s not to like? i lived in brazil for a year, and i just wish all the bossa nova there sounded as good as this. i highly recommend both nouvelle vague albums if you like this.
5. Unless it Kicks – Okkervil River
i discovered okkervil river through an mp3 blog that occasionally read. they proclaimed this song as “the best rock and roll song of 2007”. it’s hard to argue with that sentiment. this song just keeps getting better and better for me. i love the way the momentum builds, wanes at the bridge, and then comes back even stronger.
6. Be Good – Tokyo Police Club
hmm... i think tokyo police club might be another one of those hip bands that have completely passed me by. i like the brief intensity of this song.
7. Let Her Go – The Lodger
great indie brit-pop here. not much else to say.
8. Hang Me Up to Dry – Cold War Kids
something about this song brings me back to the 80’s and new wave bands. maybe it’s because i saw the video for “take on me” by a-ha the other day. anyway, i mention this because i’m concerned this song might age the way new wave has. but, hey, wasn’t new wave great while it lasted?
9. Weighty Ghost – Wintersleep
here’s some canadian pop. i can’t put my finger on why this song is so great. it’s simple, but it’s awfully catchy.
10. I Lied – Orillia Opry
orillia opry is a montreal duo that could have made dj schwa’s “produit du quebec” cd. i hesitated to put this song on, because it slows things down a lot. but it’s a great song, and things will pick up later. these guys have been very obviously influenced by neil young, here and even moreso in other songs, but that isn’t really a bad thing.
11. We Get On – Kate Nash
i prefer this live version to the studio version of this song. forget the music (which is nice) – this song has a hilarious story running throughout. brilliant lyrics, including such gems as “and my friends were, like, what-eva, you’ll find someone better, he’s eyes are way too close together” and “Saturday nights, I watch Channel Five. I particularly like CSI.” pure genius.
12. Calm Down Dearest – Jamie T
this song is a great musical throwback to the 70’s, with some street vocalizing that makes me long for england.
13. Take Her Back – The Pigeon Detectives
i reckon this is a blatant arctic monkeys rip-off, but it is great brit-rock . the lyrics in this one are also hilarious, including this: “His mates found out, he feels a fool. They saw her on the bus to school. Should that really make any difference? What would her dad say if he knew? She’s on her knees; he’s 22.”
14. Challenge – Japanther
i love the opening to this song, and the energy throughout. i almost considered an entirely different theme for this cd just based on the first 30 seconds of this song. this song is now a top choice for any time i need to get pumped up (along with the go team’s “the power is on”).
15. Reunion – Stars
following along with our theme of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, this is the part where the boy gets the girl again. the only flaw in this beautiful segue is that this song is about a high school reunion, and only partly about lovers reuniting. but perhaps you’ll forgive me, since it’s such a great song. this song resonates with me for a lot of reasons, not the least of which being the fact that next year i’ll be 20 years out of high school. the “tainted love’s too fast to dance to” lyric really takes me back to high school dances. sadly, i was there for tainted loves original release, not for the multiple comebacks. time flies.
16. I Love You Suzanne – Lou Reed
this is the notable exception to the recent music presented on this cd. but, lou reed is such a dude he fits in any era. i heard this on the radio last year for the first time in years, and i realized i had to include it on this cd. sweet jane would also have worked here, but i went for the less obvious choice.
17. Marry Me – St. Vincent
apparently st. vincent is a musician named annie clark who is part of sufjan stevens’ band. i love the beautiful simplicity to this song. another great lyric: “john, come on, let’s do what mary and joseph did... without the kid.”
18. Yankee Bayonet – The Decemberists
this is the kind of song that sounds instantly familiar to me, which means that either it’s a brilliant song or it’s a total rip-off of some song i’ve forgotten. you be the judge. the duet sounds a bit contrived to me, but i like it anyway.
19. Fistful of Love – Antony & the Johnsons
kudos to dr. pepper, who gave me an antony & the johnsons cd a few years ago and said “you should check this out”. brilliant gender-bending emotional songs. this one starts slowly and builds. as always, i love the horns in the background. sadly, it’s a song about abuse, but it’s really beautiful nevertheless.
20. La Ritournelle – Sebastien Tellier
at this point, you might be saying “what does this song have to do with our boy meets girl theme?” well, after i heard this song, i put “la ritournelle” into the altavista translator (shame on me, i know). anyway, what the translater gave me back was “the old story”. pretty much a perfect ending to this cd, wouldn’t you say?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
CD #12: Get your rocks off
Anyways, after a lot of ‘umming and ahring’ as we say here in the UK I came up with this slightly odd mix of songs... I have an organic approach to making these mixes and never really know where I will end up once I start. This certainly was the case for this CD. I suppose I was prompted by a major concern: there seemed to be a distinct lack of rock music in this years’ CD club contributions (apart from the russian hard-rock song the memories of which still take me back to that Russian Bar for DJ Pant’s wedding in Ottawa... ).
Now don’t get me wrong, I am no longer a long haired, headbanging youngster getting off of cock-rock, however there are a couple of bands that still rock my world and take me back to the good old days of cheap thrills helped along by cheap cans of beer, wine, or benzol!! I also added a couple of more recent favourites into the mix. I hope you enjoy it!
1) KYUSS – Freedom Run
I know what you are saying – “Shit opener – too long, too weird. And what’s with the guitar wanking??” To be honest, you are probably right. However, I do love this tune – and it’s played by a 19-year old Josh Homme on lead guitar who later went on to form Queen’s of the Stone Age. So, get your rocks off to some mid-90s LA Psychadelic Metal – I certainly still do.
2) Fu Manchu – Urethane
I love these guys. Formed shortly after Kyuss split up, they produce honest good rock. This song is perfect for cruising along the motorway in a heavy duty vehicle and gets my juices flowing – certainly when the bass kicks in. It’s particular good when loud!!
3) Queens of the Stone Age – If only
This has got to be one of their best tracks – if little known. Released a good 10 years ago on their debut album it’s dominated by the very catchy lick and Josh Homme’s eerie voice. Rock’n’Roll!!
4) Sloburn – Pilot of a Dune
This is the last installment of Desert Rock on this CD. Sloburn unfortunately didn’t have a long shelf-life and only produced an EP entitled ‘Amusing the Amasing’ which I think certainly makes the top 10 of all-time greatest EP/Album names. Either way, it’s the last of the Desert Rock on this CD. To be honest, I probably could have gone on to include some numbers by Monster Magnet, Masters of Reality etc. but thought i’d diversify slightly.....
5) System of a Down – Toxicity
I don’t really know much about these guys – or even like a lot of their stuff. However, a couple of tunes stand out – including this one.
6) Presidents of the USA – Dune Buggy
These guys have their own distinct sound – using low-tuned guitars. Despite being a lot more famous than Morphine (next tune), they were influenced by Morphine rather than vice versa. Great tune!
7) Morphine – I know you (part III)
This band is a bit of a mystery. Despite all the right ingredients, mainstream success never happened. Maybe this is why i’m so keen on them. They are the musical enactment of how I imagine morphine to be – not that I am tempted. Their career was tragically cut short when their front man collapsed and died on stage in 1999. What a way to go man – truely rock’n’roll!!
8) Ben Harper – Oppression
Similar to DJ Cola I could have produced an entire album of Ben Harper tunes. He is one of my favourite contemporary artists. In fact I only recently saw him in Hyde Park. If you ever get the chance to see him play you should – he’s really worth his salt. Funnily enough he is virtually unknown in the UK and I found myself surrounded by Aussies and Kiwis at the gig in Hyde Park...
9) Arctic Monkeys – From the Ritz to the Rubble
This bunch of teenage rockers took the world by storm a couple of years back on release of their first album. What makes them stand out from the masses of other equally talented indie bands are their formidable lyrics as well as Northern wit. It comes as no surprise that Alex Turner – their front-man – was featured in the Guardian’s ‘Great lyricists’ along the likes of Bob Dylan or Morissey. The music critics here are lapping it up – and so am I.... Luvin it!
10) 16 Horsepower – Black Soul Choir
Here I musically salute the contributions of my fellow DJs Cola, Wordplay and Cucumbah with a quick stop in the world of alt-rock. Chaps, you should really check out 16HP if you don’t already know them. Quality stuff – this tune being one of my favourites. A great video too (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO9My5_H6dg)
11) The Coral – Pass it on
One of the most under-rated bands in the UK today. Heralding from Liverpool, they connect to the city’s great musical heritage of Skiffle and Irish Folk (this is pre-Mersey Beat). Some great melodies and nice harmonies. A pity they’re a bunch of miserable men when performing.... Their music is anything but....
12) SixNationState – Just Hide Yourself Away
This is a bit of a personal choice – I just want to big up these guys as I used to be their drummer. They are now signed and have released an album... not only that, but they managed to win DJ Pants over with their great live performance in Cambridge a little while back. Who knows, I may still go down in rock history as the Pete Best of SixNationState.
I really hope you enjoy this. It’s taken from an early unreleased demo – but I think you’ll still be able to appreciate the vocal ability of the lead singer.
13) Kyuss – Space Cadet
So, we’re into the final part of this voyage – and I felt it was time to bring it back to the blues... This is a very untypical track for Kyuss – but likalble nevertheless. Good for those hot summer evenings...
14) Stephen Stills – Black Queen
I put this on not only because it’s a good tune – but it’s also got a great catch-phrase in it... I’m sure you’ve alread spotted it. But I must agree with Stephen when he says ‘One thing the Blues ain’t.... is funny’. Tell ‘em how it is man!
15) Gomez – Get Miles
These guys are a little known band from Ilkley in Yorkshire. No-one could believe these guys were a bunch of pasty students when listening to the opening tack of their debut album in 1998. The guys voice is something else....
16) Kings of Leon – Milk
Getting dangerously close to the mainstream now – but took this often over-looked gem from their critically acclaimed 2004 album ‘Aha Shake Hearbreak’. Did I menion I am going to see them in Brixton Academy in a couple of weeks????
17) Red Hot Chilly Peppers – Road Trippin’
I once got a mix tape for my birthday and this was the last tune on it... It’s a great way to end this collection I think and will hopefully make up for the slightly ‘riskey’ opener. I must say that, similarly to the Chilly Peppers themselves, my age is showing as the CD has got more and more mellow as it goes along. I still hope you are enjoyed it.
Rock On – DJ Style!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
CD # 11: Original Soundtrack
The rules: 1. Only original recordings. 2. Only original compositions. That rules out things like the Richard Strauss piece that opens 2001: A Space Odyssey or the Beck song that closes Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 3. Only one entry per composer. That rules out Halloween and Taxi Driver.
The mix: Is king. I did have some pop songs (and a Spinal Tap gem) on the shortlist, but I eventually settled for an almost entirely instrumental selection, where the transitions are as important as the tunes themselves.
The plays:
1.
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Track: Cannibal Holocaust (Main Theme)
Performers: Uncredited orchestra, conducted by Riz Ortolani
Composer: Riz Ortolani
Director: Ruggero Deodato
Cannibal Holocaust is one of the worst films I have ever seen. It's an italian horror flick consisting of "found footage" from an expedition to the South American jungle. Violence, sexual violence, bad taste and bad acting (although the director had to present the actors in court to prove they weren't actually killed in front of the camera) obviously makes it a cult classic, but to praise it as important "civilization critic" is just stupid. The soundtrack, however, is genious. Riz Ortolani, also Italian, has made some 50 soundtracks (and has been Oscar nominated twice, not for Cannibal Holocaust), but I would say this is his most famous one. If the director Ruggero Deodato should have any credit, it is for bringing in the beautiful music of Ortolani as a contrast to the cruelty of what's happening on screen.
2.
Paris, Texas (1984)
Track: Paris, Texas
Performers: Ry Cooder, Jim Dickinson, David Lindley
Composer: Ry Cooder
Director: Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders won the Palme D'Or in Cannes with Paris, Texas, a wonderful drama that begins with a confused Harry Dean Stanton walking out of the deserts. Eventually he turns out to have a son and a wife and the climax is the scene where he communicates with his wife through a telephone in a strip club booth. Ry Cooder is a Grammy awarded guitarist and the guy who found (and exploited) those Cuban musicians in the Buena Vista Social Club documentary (also directed by Wim Wenders). Among Cooder's other film music credits are Dead Man Walking and Crossroads (the blues one, not the Britney Spears one).
3.
Bodysong (2003)
Track: Moon Trills
Performer: Jonny Greenwood
Composer: Jonny Greenwood
Director: Simon Pummell
Jonny Greenwood is one fifth of Radiohead, but nowadays also has two film scores to his credit. The latest was the score for Paul Thomas Anderson's American epos There Will Be Blood, which is also a good listen (and actually works better as an album on its own than in the film). His first try however, was for the British independent documentary Bodysong. I haven't seen it, but it's apparently a "journey from birth to death". "Moon Trills" is the opening track, so I guess we are dealing with birth here.
4.
Je t'aime … moi non plus (1976)
Track: Ballade de Johnny-Jane
Performer: Serge Gainsbourg
Composer: Serge Gainsbourg
Director: Serge Gainsbourg
Composing directors is not too rare a phenomenon. On this compilation, we have two such entries. Serge Gainsbourg might rather be a directing composer though, best known for a number of pop songs in the 60s and 70s. One of his signature songs is the sexually frank "Je t'aime ... moi non plus", which he originally recorded with then-girlfriend Brigitte Bardot in 1968. Bardot copped out and stopped the release, why it's the later version that Gainsbourg recorded (and released) with next girlfriend, Jane Birkin, that is best known. An instrumental interpretation of "Je t'aime ..." also serves as the main theme of the film by the same name, but as it is wasn't an original composition for the film, it's ruled out on this CD. The film is an awkward story where Joe Dallesandro plays a gay garbage truck driver who falls in love with an androgyne woman played by Jane Birkin. They can't have sex, until Johnny-Jane (Birkin's character) proclaims "I am a boy" and turns over. Cue a montage of scenes with the two having anal sex, during which the main theme is playing and Johnny-Jane is screaming. Disturbing, but fabulous. Plus, the tune "Ballade de Johnny-Jane" brings much needed tempo after the three slow tracks opening this compilation.
5.
Farväl Falkenberg (2006)
Track: The Joy of D.H. Lawrence
Performer: Erik Enocksson
Composers: Erik Enocksson, Jörgen Svensson
Director: Jesper Ganslandt
The first Swedish entry is the music from Farväl Falkenberg (Falkenberg Farewell), one of the highest acclaimed Swedish films of recent. It revolves around a bunch of guys in their 30s, who either returns to, have always stayed in or are about to leave their small hometown, Falkenberg. The genuine setting has led to the Falkenberg tourist center publishing a map with which you can find your way to places appearing in the film - such as the spot where one of the characters commits suicide. I have no clue what the D.H. Lawrence reference is all about though.
6.
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Track: Main Title
Performer: Mia Farrow
Composer: Krzysztof Komeda
Director: Roman Polanski
One of the true classics in this compilation is Roman Polanski's tale about a woman being inpregnated by the Devil. The theme song is also known as "Lullaby" and appears in different versions in the film and on the soundtrack. Polish composer Krzysztof Komeda died only 39 years old, and Rosemary's Baby was one of his last jobs. He also worked with Polanski on other films, most notable Knife in the Water. Rosemary's Baby is part of a long tradition of great horror movie soundtracks (along with another two entries in this compilation). Obviously, the wish to emphasize scary moments brings on scary music - and a lot of cheap thrills go with cheep musical solutions - but the good ones (Jaws, Halloween, The Wicker Man etc.) stick more than most soundtracks.
7.
Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Track: Vessels
Performers: The Western Vocal Wind Ensemble,
Philip Glass Ensemble, conducted by Michael Riesman
Composer: Philip Glass
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Koyaanisqatsi was the mega productive composer Philip Glass's first stab at film music. He might have wanted to choose a less demanding project - Koyaanisqatsi is a feature length video installation (or, if you will, documentary), consisting of images of (mostly American) society in conflict with nature. The film is a true masterpiece and Glass's music is a huge part of the experience, as the film contains no dialogue whatsoever. The film may be manipulative, but I rather like to see it as an example of the possibilities of cinema (moving pictures! and sound!). Followers of the CD of the Month Club may note the resemblance to another Phlip Glass track, "Opening", which appeared on one of the DJ Wordplay CDs. It was recorded and released around the same time as the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack.
8.
Upp till kamp (2007)
Track: Rebecka
Performer: Mattias Bärjed
Composer: Mattias Bärjed
Director: Michael Marcimain
Swedes again. Upp till kamp (the first words of the Swedish lyrics for "The Internationale") isn't really a film, but a six hour mini-series. The soundtrack is so good though, I decided to include it anyway. The series tells the story of four 20-somethings in Göteborg, from 1968 to 1978, and through them the story of the rise of social activism in Sweden. Mattias Bärjed also plays with The Soundtrack of Our Lives, and in Upp till kamp, it's his music who makes the six hours work as a whole, actually making it a 'soundtrack of the characters lives', be it with furious electric guitars or as here, through an acoustic mantra working as a theme for the character Rebecka. OK, that was a pretentious analysis, just dig the sound, really.
9.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Track: Midnight Cowboy
Performers: Toots Thieleman, John Barry & His Orchestra
Composer: John Barry
Director: John Schlesinger
Midnight Cowboy won the Oscar for best film back in the days when an Oscar for best film actually meant that the film was any good. A gritty, realistisic drama about a cowboy trying to make a living as a prostitute, it isn't the obvious hit with the popcorn audience, but it has an undisputed place in movie history. Of the soundtrack, most people might remember the Harry Nilsson tune "Everybody's Talkin'", but that wasn't an original recording, so the choice here is the main title, composed by one of the big names in movie music. John Barry has over a hundred soundtracks to his credit and has bagged five Oscars. His best known work is probably the James Bond theme, aswell as a number of Bond songs (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever). Other works include Dances with Wolves, Body Heat and Howard the Duck.
10.
La double vie de Véronique (1991)
Track: Van den Budenmayer Concerto en mi mineur
(SBI 152) Version de 1798
Performers: Elzbieta Towarnicka, Great Orchestra of Katowice, Philharmonic Choir of Silecia, conducted by Antoni Wit
Composer: Zbigniew Preisner
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Another Polish entry, another recurrent director-composer relationship. Zbigniew Preisner most notably worked with Krzysztof Kieslowski on his two best known projects, The Decalogue and the Three Colours. In between those La double vie de Véronique (The Double Life of Véronique) appeared - in my opinion Kieslowski's best film. The story revolves around Weronika and Véronique - two women, both played by Irène Jacob. One of them lives in Poland and the other in France, but their lives are somehow connected. The tune presented here is in a way the dramatic turning point of the film. Being performed by Weronika, by the end of the scene we leave her to go to France and Véronique. Van den Budenmayer, who gets credit in the title of the piece, is a fictional composer made up by Preisner and Kieslowski (and used in several of the films they made together). The "Van Den Budenmayer Concerto" is the only track in this compilation that actually has lyrics, but I dare you to quote them.
11.
Escape from New York (1981)
Track: Main Title
Performers: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth
Composer: John Carpenter
Director: John Carpenter
The second composer/director in this selection is John Carpenter, with films as (the already twice mentioned) Halloween, The Thing and Assault on Precinct 13 under his belt. Escape from New York takes place in a future (1997) New York, where Manhattan has been sealed and is now a maximum security prison. Somehow, Air Force One crashes on the island and the president of the United States is being captured, why eye-patched anti-hero Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) has to save the day. Carpenter's synth theme is as famous as anything from the film, and I love that it's a 3.45 minute tune with a 1.45 minute intro.
12.
Blade Runner (1982)
Track: Blade Runner (End Titles)
Performer: Vangelis
Composer: Vangelis
Director: Ridley Scott
Another dystopian science fiction classic. This one takes place in 2019, where "blade runner" Deckard (Harrison Ford) works with "retiring" malfunctioning androids called replicants. Greek composer/musician Vangelis Papathanasiou's new age-ish musical works always balance between tasteless and genious. This sorts under the latter (such as, argueably, his Oscar awarded score for Chariots of Fire), but is at the same time one of the entries in this selection that really should be seen together with the film to be fully appreciated. Vangelis also worked with director Ridley Scott on the less successful 1492 - Conquest of Paradise, noteworthy only for its soundtrack.
13.
Psycho (1960)
Track: Psycho (A Narrative for Orchestra)
Performers: The London Philharmonic Orchestra,
conducted by Bernhard Herrmann
Composer: Bernard Herrmann
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
The last one out is in many ways also the odd one out. Most of the entries in this selection have been electronic or acoustic interpretations, rather than the big orchestral works that might normally be associated with "film music". This is primarily due to my wanting to keep some kind of consistency through the CD. As the grande finale, though, I found it suitable to add fifteen minutes of classic strings. Bernard Herrmann is one of history's greatest and most influential film music composers - typically enough, his first gig was Citizen Kane and his last Taxi Driver. In between, amongst a lot of other works, he did the music for a bunch of Hitchcock films. Best known - and best - is of course Psycho - the one film whose title anyone remotely interested in film can nail just by hearing one second of the score (the one between 6.31 and 6.32, that is). This is also the one exception from my rules. It isn't an original composition. This "Narrative" is instead a piece put together by the different snippets of music played through the film. Although, this is the first recording of it (from 1968) and it is Herrmann conducting, so I think I can get away with it. Plus, it's a killer. For those of you who haven't seen the film, but still recognize the eerie strings in the beginning, it might be that you heard them in Busta Rhymes's hit single "Gimme Some More". You wanna see the film, though ...
Friday, April 18, 2008
A Night Out With Mr. Dan
Monday, April 7, 2008
DJ Cucumbah's - Dude Ranche
Dude Ranche
When I was growing up in the middle of Alberta, I hated country music. For me it was viscerally associated with those backwards, shit kicking cowboy rednecks that I found so annoying. At the age of fifteen, I installed a ten foot antenna on the house and immersed myself in FM radio album rock.
However, I moved far from the dusty plains to Montreal to attend art school. Just around the corner from the arts building, at a bar called The Blue Angel, once a month, on a Monday night, The Country Music Association of Canada held an open stage jam. The first time I walked in I thought the jukebox was playing a scratchy old bluegrass record, but then I noticed that it was the band playing. A cast of characters attended regularly - Rocky the old pedal steel player from Quebec City, who learned English by memorizing Hank Williams songs; Ralph the Pakistani taxi driver who sat wearing a powder blue polyester suit, banjo at his side, too shy to get up on stage; Jennie from Nova Scotia who had a voice like a cat with its tail caught in a screen door. I was hooked - cheap beer, free hotdogs at midnight, and the only real rule – no songs composed after 1960.
For me this was just the start and over the years I have collected a few favorites and figured out a few things about its history and varied influences.
So Dude Ranche is my personal and meandering history of country music - which is not necessarily in chronological order. We start with Bluegrass, swerve into C&W for a second, then dash through the great crossover of the 60's, sprint onto contemporary practitioners and then carom off a guardrail and over a cliff.
Folkways recorded folk music around the world and in the late fifties rediscovered a lot of American music, putting an anthropological focus on its own backyard. This recording is from 1959.
White House Blues (aka "McKinley Blues") Earl Taylor And The Stoney Mountain Boys (Classic Bluegrass from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)
I love the vocals on this Bill Monroe track, almost sweet enough to make you believe in Jesus (but not quite). Seems Monroe coined the term Bluegrass – or had something to do with it.
Happy On My Way Bill Monroe (The Music Of Bill Monroe: From 1936 To 1994)
Doc Watson has been playing this stuff for years. I saw him at folk festival years ago and he sure can pick. This recording is from 1961.
Way Down Town Doc Watson & Clarence Ashley (Original Folkways Recordings 1960 – 1962)
I threw this one in here to contrast the bluegrass revival music to the slick commercial country that was emanating from the radios of the time.
Heartaches Patsy Cline (1962)
In the early seventies, a bunch of young fellers and old timers got together and recorded Will The Circle Be Unbroken, a watershed album that seems like a passing of the torch from one generation to another. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band figures extensively on this album and unfortunately went on to release some pretty nasty pop country stuff later in the decade. Roy Acuff was one of the old guys.
Wreck On The Highway Roy Acuff (Will The Circle Be Unbroken)
As awesome a coal miner song as there ever was. There is something about Merel Travis' voice that really gets me as he sings this deeply existential tune.
Dark as a Dungeon Merle Travis
Somewhere along the way to putting together this CD I discovered that a most striking feature of most of these selections was the prominence of the voice. So I thought this cover really showcased Buck Owens' pipes, even though he wrote tuns of songs himself.
Bridge Over Troubled Water Buck Owens
Then there was the great crossover. Gram Parsons, the rebel Harvard Graduate, seems to have single-handedly created the country rock genre. Later on, the Eagles wore his influence on their country rock gold hemmed sleeves. He features in The Byrds, singing and writing…
One Hundred Years From Now The Byrds
…and singing Wild Horses, which Mick Jagger gave to him to record before the Stones did.
Wild Horses The Flying Burrito Brothers
I had heard about the Grateful Dead but when I finally heard them I was surprised they were so country. I guess if you listen to it on acid it sounds like something else.
Ripple Grateful Dead
Dylan, with deep roots in American folk music from the beginning, recorded his country album Nashville Skyline in 1969. His voice was never so smooth – this is a song about his dog.
Lay Lady Lay Bob Dylan
The Man in Black has never been darker than on this cover of a Will Oldham tune - a pretty recent recording but it fits here in the Sturm und Twang section.
I See a Darkness Johnny Cash
Back to Gram Parsons - and here we see his continued influence in two tracks from a tribute album from a couple years back. Time for some more female vocals. Emmylou Harris hung out with Parsons back in the day before he self-destructed.
She The Pretenders & Emmylou Harris
$1,000 Wedding Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield
Can't have a party without some Commander Cody. Not to be confused with any of those CB radio joke songs from the 70's.
Truck Drivin' Man Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
John Prine is one funny guy. A doggerel poet for the people.
Inspite of Ourselves John Prine and Iris Dement
I've seen Ms. Case a couple of times live, but despite sounding good and pure she never really seems to give it up. I think she is saving her golden voice for these studio recordings. This composition is a testament to her ability to update the genre.
Margaret Vs. Pauline Neko Case
Arizona's own Calexico mix it up with a country sound that has liberal hints of that other United States to the south.
Service and Repair Calexico
At some point I was thinking that a CD of country style songs by bands that usually didn't do 'country', but I quickly abandoned that idea. So here, at the end, is where we go swerving off the rails. I love how Mahavishnu Orchestra takes the sweetest country folk melody and smashes it into a million jazz fusion pieces, then comes back to it as if nothing had happened.
Open Country Joy Mahavishnu Orchestra
John Zorn wrote this one minute version of Ennio Morricone's spaghetti western soundtrack classic for an ad agency on spec – he never heard back from them.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly John Zorn
Now that it's over I realize that this CD doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the influence of country music. Not only that but I forgot to include the track Dead in the Water, from the Supersuckers' 1997 album Must've Been High.
On a sad note, despite the fact that there is all this great country and country influenced music out there, those cowboys back in Alberta are still listening to crap.