Best of 2021

Just like last year, it was once again the great music that got me through all the troubled times. These were the albums I enjoyed the most, thanks everybody for making life a little easier.

1.Luwten – Draft
2.Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi – They’re Calling Me Home
3.Joan As Police Woman/Tony Allen/Dave Okumu – The Solution Is Restless
4.Lindsey Buckingham – Lindsey Buckingham
5.Nina June – Meet Me On The Edge Of Ruin
6.Someone – Shapeshifter
7.Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raise The Roof
8.Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Barn
9.Nina Lynn – Hummingbird
10.David Crosby – For Free
11.Connie Smith – The Cry Of The Heart
12.Christina Lux – Lichtblicke
13.First Aid Kit – Who By Fire
14.Martha Wainwright – Love Will Be Reborn
15.Mudita – Nature Of The Netherlands
16.Billy Bragg – The Million Things That Never Happened
17.Jackson Browne – Downhill From Everywhere
18.Steven Wilson – The Future Bites
19.Stephanie Struijk – Fijn Zo
20.Thea Gilmore – The Emancipation Of Eva Grey

Reissues, Live Albums etc.:
Van Der Graaf Generator – The Charisma Years 1970-1978
Grateful Dead – Listen To The River: St Louis 71 72 73
David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name
Gillian Welch – Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs
Connie Smith – Latest Shade Of Blue
Bruce Springsteen – The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concert
Bob Dylan – Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime In New York
Sara Bareilles – Amidst The Chaos: Live From The Hollywood Bowl
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme Live In Seattle
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Way Down In The Rust Bucket

PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

Ever since PJ Harvey started her reissue program of vinyl reissues and albums of demo recordings this is the album I’ve been looking forward to the most. This is mostly because of the following 3 reasons:

• In my opinion it is easily PJ Harvey’s best album and best collection of songs. To me it has always been a bit more special than her other masterpieces.
• It’s the album where the demoes were most likely to sound different, since the album itself is a lot more produced than her other work.
• It’s where the sound quality of her CDs started to go downhill, because of the loudness wars. Therefore it’s the first album in the series that absolutely needed a sonic upgrade.

Let’s talk about the original album first. How does this album stand up 21 years after it first came out? As a timeless classic. “Big Exit”, “Good Fortune”, “The Whores Hustle And Hustlers Whore” and “This Is Love” are still as powerful as they ever were. Ballads such as “You Said Something” and “Horses In My Dreams” have only improved after repeated listening, they tended to get lost in all the musical violence when I first heard the album but still get better with each listen more than 20 years onwards. The electronic beat in “We Float” is something I thought would quickly date, but it still sounds fine today. The same goes for Thom Yorke’s voice, which usually gets on my nerves but here it still sounds acceptable. If there is a slightly weak song it is “Kamikaze”, musically it’s a bit too simple and it doesn’t fit in well with the rest of the material. But when it comes to the rest of the album, it’s really as good as PJ Harvey gets.

How about the sound quality? The downloads offered for free with the vinyl are simply digital files of the original CD we’ve all been listening to for more than 20 years. So absolutely no improvement there, still compressed and very fatiguing on the ears. When it comes to the vinyl, fortunately things are different. Because the drums are often so low in the mix don’t expect a lot more dynamics, but the sound is absolutely clearer and there’s more seperation between the instruments. PJ’s voice also sounds a lot more natural. The pressing is also dead quiet, it’s sometimes hard to believe you’re listening to a vinyl source.

How about the demoes? They’re not just interesting to hear for fans who really like the album, most of them sound like finished recordings that could have been included on the actual album. Some of them are even better than the versions that ended up being released. Let’s do a shoot out.

With just 2 guitars “Big Exit” sounds like something coming from Neil Young’s Le Noise album, I must say I prefer this heavy take to the more polished one from the album. “Good Fortune” misses some of the power of the full band version, but with the distinctive guitar riff and the backing vocals already in place it’s clear PJ Harvey already knew exactly how she wanted the song to sound when she recorded this demo. A lot more different is “A Place Called Home”, which is nothing but drum machine, accordion and vocals here. It’s obvious why she decided to drop the accordion entirely for the final version, but it’s interesting to hear the song in a completely different way.

The disc’s absolute highlight is the demo of “One Line”. The drums, keyboards, vibes, bass and backing vocals that were added to the final version made it fit in better with the rest of the material. But this original demo with just PJ’s guitars is much better for the song’s subject, it’s like her picking up a guitar and speaking directly to her boyfriend. It has been suggested in reviews that “Beautiful Feeling” is exactly the same take without Thom Yorke’s vocals, but comparing them side by side reveals they are slightly different takes. Perhaps she re-recorded the demo in a recording studio or used a different demo as the source for the final studio version. Anyway, PJ sings better on this demo and Thom Yorke’s vocal overdubs aren’t missed, making this demo the clear winner.

“The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore” is a song that really benefits from the big sound of the final recording, but the guitar only version on the demo is an interesting take on a great song. “This Mess We’re In” is the only song that doesn’t really work in its demo form. The male/female duet of the album version has always been what makes the song great, without the song loses most of its power. The spoken verse also doesn’t work that well with PJ doing both parts. For those who aren’t keeping track of the score, it’s now 4-3 in favour of the final album.

The demo of “You Said Something” (always one of my favourite songs from the album) makes me think of Elvis Costello’s “New Amsterdam”. Where that demo had already said it all, this one does leave you wanting more, especially if you’re familiar with the final version. The biggest surprise of this album of demos is the aforementioned “Kamikaze”. As I said before I don’t really like the finished version, but this demo which sounds like coming straight from one of her first 2 albums really hits the nail on the head. “This Is Love” is the album’s most straight ahead rock song and one of the best songs ever written about infidelity, with annoying echo effects the demo sadly misses the power and focus of the final version.

“Horses In My Dreams” does not yet have the extended intro of the final version, but this more simplistic guitar only version suits the song’s hypnotic feel better. “We Float” works better on the final album, the most important difference is that the demo was recorded on cheaper, worse sounding instruments.

That makes the final score 7-5 in favour of the album. So we have a winner, but really only just. This demo album is not an interesting curiosity for fans, but an amazing album in its own right that only just misses out on being as good as the finished album. The demos of “One Line” and “Beautiful Feeling” are even right up there with her very best recordings.

So in the end both the vinyl reissue of the original LP and the CD of demos are not just as good as I hoped for, but better. Hearing the demos has made me appreciate the original album even more. I’ll now not just call it PJ Harvey’s masterpiece but also one of the best albums of the new millennium. It’s that good. With the new demos disc we have not one but two amazing albums that I’ll keep returning to often for as long I’ll be listening to music. If you like the album you really need both of these. If you don’t, these releases might just finally convert you.

Best of 2020

Despite all the terrible things that have happened, musically 2020 was a wondeful year with some of the best music I’ve heard in years. A big thank you to all of the artists in the list for making the year a little more fun. You’ve pulled me through!

1.Blackbird – Blackbird
2.Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band – Just Like Moby Dick
3.Maria Schneider Orchestra – Data Lords
4.Eefje De Visser – Bitterzoet
5.Bruce Springsteen – Letter To You
6.Odelion Orchestra – Northern Lights
7.Larkin Poe – Self Made Man
8.Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways
9.Joan As Police Woman – Cover Two
10.Kathleen Edwards – Total Freedom
11.Sparks – A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip
12.Shelby Lynne – Shelby Lynne
13.Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl – Artlessly Falling
14.Frazey Ford – U Kin B The Sun
15.Someone – Orbit II
16.Sarah Harmer – Are You Gone
17.Maria Mckee – La Vita Nuova
18.Diana Jones – Song To A Refugee
19.Eliza Gilkyson – 2020
20.Idema/Serierse Quartet – Motus
21.Jonatha Brooke – The Sweetwater Sessions
22.Fay Claassen – Close To You
23.Elvis Costello – Hey Clockface
24.Miss Tess – The Moon Is An Ashtray
25.Agnes Obel – Myopia
26.Rumer – Nashville Tears
27.Sanne Rambags – Sonna
28.Tanya Donelly & The Parkington Sisters – Tanya Donelly & The Parkington Sisters
29.Jonathan Wilson – Dixie Blur
30.Damien Jurado – What’s New Tomboy?

2020’s Unexpected Comebacks #2: Stephen Fellows – Slow Glass

This comeback is as unexpected as comebacks can get. Stephen Fellows was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist in the forgotten band The Comsat Angels from 1978 to 1995. All that we’ve heard from him since then was an album of atmospheric guitar instrumentals in 1997. There were a few songs that popped up on Myspace (remember that?) about 15 years ago, but those weren’t new songs. They were recorded in the mid 90s. But now in 2020 he’s back with a new solo album of regular songs.

The first thing I realize when I put the album on is how much his voice has changed since the Comsat Angels. No surprise really, since he’s nearly twice as old now. It really is that long ago. What hasn’t really changed are his guitar playing and the way he writes songs, that all sounds very familiar. Since he’s recorded everything by himself instead of with a band it sometimes feels like a home demo instead of a finished studio recording, but that rough sound actually fits the material quite nicely. The big sound of some of the Comsat Angels albums would have been wrong for this material.

While not as consistent as some of his best work, the album proves he can still write a few good songs: “Endless Deal” is the kind of song only Stephen Fellows can write, “Not Going Down” brings back great memories of the first 2 Comsat Angels albums and also shows how much his work has influenced more recent bands like the Editors. “All Gold” could have been Lou Reed if Lou had a bit more vocal range. “Got Lost” could even have been one of the Comsat Angels’ best songs had he recorded it with them in the 80s.

Slow Glass is certainly not a flawless album. The drum machine often makes you wish for real drums and the songs not mentioned are nothing to write home about. But it’s a pleasant surprise to hear Stephen Fellows add a couple of great songs to his impressive catalogue at a time when nobody was expecting to hear anything more. If you like the Comsat Angels you’ll probably be as pleasantly surprised by this album as I am.

2020’s Unexpected Comebacks #1: A Girl Called Eddy – Been Around

It was in the summer of 2004, during a holiday at the Côte d’Azur in France, that I first spotted A Girl Called Eddy’s self titled album at a record store. At one of those stands where you could listen to selected albums on headphones I ended up listening to the album and that voice got me right away. After being reminded of the album by a positive review in a magazine I picked up the album back home in the Netherlands. I also saw her perform live at the small room upstairs at Paradiso in Amsterdam later that year. That was 16 years ago.

A lot has changed in my life in the years since then. Back then I was 22, now I’ll be turning 38 in 3 months. Back then I had recently finished by studies of Engineering Physics, now I’m a software tester who has worked in the IT business for the last 13 years. But for A Girl Called Eddy not so much has changed. This album is a very logical follow up to her self titled debut. She may have abandoned the big sounding strings that could be heard on some of that album for a more stripped down sound with soulful horns. But that voice still sounds as lovely as ever, her way of writing beautiful melodies or harmonies hasn’t changed, she’s still playing the piano in the same beautiful way, the album has the same lovely mix of ballads and up tempo songs.

Over the last 16 years there have been several reports that she was working on a 2nd album, but it was always followed by a long period of silence and nothing ever happened. I had eventually given up hope that we’d ever hear another album. Even when a release date was finally announced last year I still had my doubts, but then a few weeks ago the disc finally arrived in the mail. It was like hearing from an old friend and everything’s well. The album opens with a remark “Girl where’ve you been?”, she took the words right out of my mouth. It brings back great memories: the title track which opens the album reminds me of “People Used To Dream About The Future”, “Jody” sounds like “The Long Goodbye” with horns, “Charity Shop Window” sounds like “Girls Can Really Tear You Up Inside”. All reminding me why I loved this woman’s music so much 16 years ago.

But as great second albums go, it’s more than just the familiar stuff from her debut. The aforementioned soulful horns are a great addition to her ballads such as the title track and “Not That Sentimental Anymore”. The way she lets Shez Sheridan’s baritone guitar instead of her piano take center stage also is a pleasant surprise, while the vocal harmonies with co-producer Daniel Tashian on the final song “Pale Blue Moon” is something we haven’t heard from her before.

If there is something to complain about here, it’s that I miss a little happy song to cheer things up the way “Life Thru The Same Lens” did on her debut. But that’s a minor thing, even without it I’m really falling in love again with this woman’s voice and her gorgeous melodies. It has been a long time, but it has been worth the wait. The first of the unexpected comebacks of 2020 (watch for more to appear later on this blog) is a good one. If she’ll also takes these songs on the road and play a show over here in the Netherlands I’ll be happy for at least another 16 years. I’m glad you’re back Erin, I’m still listening!

Best of 2019

1.Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi – There Is No Other
2.Odelion – Odelion
3.Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars
4.Sheryl Crow – Threads
5.Josh Ritter – Fever Breaks
6.Robbie Robertson – Sinematic
7.Eilen Jewell – Gypsy
8.Kika Sprangers – Human Traits
9.Caroline Spence – Mint Condition
10.Rachel Sermanni – So It Turns
11.Supersister Projekt 2019 – Retsis Repus
12.Damien Jurado – In The Shape Of A Storm
13.Van Morrison – Three Chords And The Truth
14.Brian Eno – For All Mankind
15.Heather Nova – Pearl
16.Bruce Hornsby – Absolute Zero
17.Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Colorado
18.Sara Bareilles – Amidst The Chaos
19.The Delines – The Imperial
20.Our Native Daughters – Songs Of Our Native Daughters

Reissues
1.Jimi Hendrix – Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts
2.Bob Dylan – Rolling Thunder Revue: 1975 Live Recordings
3.Grateful Dead – Giants Stadium Box
4.Linda Ronstadt – Live In Hollywood
5.Dukes Of Stratosphear – Psurroundabout Ride

Concerts (in no particular order)
Rosanne Cash, TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, September 15 2019
Supersister Projekt, TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, October 10 2019
King Crimson, De Vereeniging, Nijmegen, June 22 2019
Sheryl Crow, 013, Tilburg, June 16 2019
Bryan Ferry, Carré, Amsterdam, May 24 2019
Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets, Rai Theater, Amsterdam, July 23 2019
Dena DeRose Trio feat. Ingrid Jensen, Birland, New York City, April 26 2019
Joe Jackson, Paradiso, Amsterdam, April 7 2019
Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi, TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, December 3 2019
Odelion, LantarenVenster, Rotterdam, April 19 2019

RIP Scott Walker, Mark Hollis, Robert Hunter, Hal Blaine, Ginger Baker, Ian Gibbons, Dr. John, Fred Foster, Kofi Burbridge, Eric Haydock, Pegi Young, you will be missed!

Christmas albums that don’t suck

It’s the time of year again when it’s OK to play Christmas albums. Inspired by a list with the same name I found on the internet a few years ago I decided to come up with my own list of albums I like hearing during this time of the year. I hope you’ll all enjoy this music. Merry Christmas everybody!

Frank Sinatra – The Classic Christmas Album

This recent compilation combines his 1949 Christmas album for Columbia with 2 spirituals and 2 unreleased bonus tracks. True, some of this sounds very dated today (especially the songs with the Ken Lane Singers on it). Not really surprising since most of this was recorded in the late 40s. But “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow” is my favourite Christmas song, on “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” and “Jingle Bells” Ol’ Blue Eyes swings like no other and the duet with Dorothy Kirsten “Baby It’s Cold Outside” is big fun.

Connie Smith – Joy To The World

There are 2 singers in the world who make singing sound so easy it makes me think “I can do that!”. One is Frank Sinatra, the other is Connie Smith. This 1975 album strangely is the only album from her Columbia catalogue that has been issued on CD. “O Holy Night” is the kind of ballad that’s perfect for her voice, country and gospel go very well together on “Go Tell It On The Mountain”. More gopsel comes with “Joy To The World” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”, while “Silent Night” appears twice, in a duet with Willie Nelson and in a medley with “Away In A Manger”. Best of all is “The Little Drummer Boy” with its marching drums.

Sheryl Crow – Home For Christmas

This came about a year before the soul influenced 100 Miles From Memphis. Here she uses a similar soul influenced sound and it won’t surprise anyone that these well known Christmas tunes make a much better collection of songs. The soul treatment works for most of the songs and also makes it sound different from the countless other Christmas albums available. After many versions of “White Christmas”, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “O Holy Night” it’s refreshing to hear the songs in an unexpected context.

Vince Gueraldi – A Charlie Brown Christmas

This classic album recorded for the famous Peanuts TV special of the same name is the only Christmas album I can listen to when it’s not December. Mostly because it’s piano trio jazz that steers away from the well known melodies as soon as possible. It also shouldn’t scare away people who aren’t that much into jazz, since this is as easy and fun as jazz can get, especially on “My Little Drum”, “Linus and Lucy” and “Skating”. Even the odd vocal version of “Christmas Time Is Here” doesn’t ruin the fun. Because it’s so famous a lot of you will already be familiar with this one, but if you’re not go give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed.

Booker T & The MGs – In The Christmas Spirit

As the house band at Stax Records Booker T & The MGs added the backing to many soul hits by Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Bill Withers and Sam & Dave. Here they add their magic to several well known Christmas classics. “Jingle Bells” gets a Motown beat, “White Christmas” sounds like “Knock On Wood” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” sounds much better in 4/4 than as a waltz. Also, this features the classic line up featuring not only Booker T Jones, Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn, but also the legendary Al Jackson on drums.

Oscar Peterson – An Oscar Peterson Christmas

Everybody who’s heard Oscar Peterson’s legendary recordings with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen knows that he can swing like no other. If you listen to “Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” or “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” here you’ll know he still could in 1995 when this Christmas album was recorded. The vibraphone of Dave Samuels and the guitar of Lorne Lofsky are a nice bonus on a swinging, very enjoyable Christmas album.

She & Him – A Very She & Him Christmas

Of all the Christmas albums listed here, this is the one I like hearing the most. M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel deliver a set of songs that reminds us that Christmas should be fun. The upbeat material like “Sleigh Ride” and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” will have you singing along, but they can also deliver a great duet (“Baby It’s Cold Outside”) or a beautiful ballad (“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”). Why can’t it be Christmas all year?

Johnny Cash – The Classic Christmas Album

An Amazon review remarked that this is “more storytelling than singing”, but anybody who’s familiar with Johnny Cash’s music knows that was to be expected. It’s also a good thing, since it means that Cash stays away from most of the obvious songs found on so many Christmas albums. “Christmas As I Knew It” finds Cash remembering a Christmas from his childhood, it nicely sets the mood for the rest of the album. “Ringing The Bells For Jim”, “The Christmas Guest” and “Christmas Time’s a-Comin'” are classic Johnny Cash and the entire album is a very good listen, even if more familiar songs such as “Little Drummer Boy” and “Joy To The World” disappoint.

Sarah McLachlan – Wintersong

Sarah McLachlan’s voice is just perfect for songs such as Joni Mitchell’s “River”, Vince Guaraldi’s “Christmas Time Is Here” and classic Christmas songs such as “What Child Is This”, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. It also features fine guest appearances from Diana Krall and the Barenaked Ladies’. She recorded another Christmas album later on, but this is the one to get.

Gretchen Peters – Northern Lights

Gretchen Peters borrows 2 songs from Vince Guaraldi’s christmas album mentioned above: “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Skating”. She does a great job, also because of Barry Walsh’s excellent piano. This also contains what I think is the best version of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Song For A Winter’s Night” and a beautiful rendition of “In The Bleak Midwinter”, one of my favourite Christmas carols.

Shawn Colvin – Steady On 30th Anniversary Acoustic Edition

When I ordered this album online I was thinking the same thing I was thinking when I entered the movie theater for Woody Allen’s latest film A Rainy Day In New York. “I’m a longtime fan so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt once more, but if this is another disappointment you’ve lost a fan”. Two weeks after leaving the movie theater very disappointed I’m now giving Shawn Colvin’s new album a listen for the first time.

It’s an acoustic re-recording of her debut Steady On to celebrate 30 years as a recording artist. That means I’ve now been a fan for exactly half of her career. Since most of the songs on the album are still part of her solo acoustic live shows which I’ve always enjoyed, I was expecting to like this one. After all she’s a very fine acoustic guitar player and her voice still sounds as good as when she started out. Sure, I’d rather hear some great new songs instead of the same old stuff, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia now and then.

Is it because she’s playing in the studio instead of in front of fans? Is it because she’s getting old? Is it because the recording sessions were rushed and she didn’t bother to do multiple takes to nail it down properly? Whatever the reason is, compared to the live versions I’ve seen her play this version of the title track sounds uninspired and unfocussed. Shawn’s singing around the melody and it sounds like she can’t settle on a tempo. Her singing is better on “Diamond In The Rough” (my personal favourite song of hers), but she’s simplified the guitar part and again she struggles with the tempo in the instrumental middle section. On “Shotgun Down The Avalanche” it’s the other way around, her guitar playing is better than expected after hearing “Diamond In The Rough”, but the vocal could have been much better had she put a little more effort into it.

“Stranded” is played in a lower key. While Billy Joel, Jackson Browne, Phil Collins and Robert Plant have been doing this for years, I’ve never heard Shawn do this before. Why she did it is also a mystery, since she could sing the more difficult first 3 songs in their original keys. If the lower key of “Another Long One” doesn’t rob the song of all of its energy and fun, the slower tempo certainly does. The low point of the album so far. Much better is “Cry Like An Angel”, another personal favourite of mine and one she’s rarely played live. Like the 2 songs that came before it, it’s lowered in key but this one actually sounds very nice in its new key. She’s also singing much better than she has so far. A pleasant surprise.

“Something To Believe In” really needed a full band on the original album, it’s no surprise that this is another song which has rarely found its way in her solo acoustic live shows. This new recording confirms what I already knew, this song is not very well suited for a solo acoustic treatment. “The Story” on the other hand absolutely is. It turns out to be another pleasant surprise, a welcome change from the somewhat overproduced original.

“Ricochet In Time” is a song which she still sings in its original key, but with another simplified guitar part and a vocal that suggests she did 1 or 2 takes at most this is another song that disappoints. Like “Something To Believe In”, “The Dead Of The Night” really misses the full band treatment. Shawn’s falsetto may perfectly hit the high notes in the choruses, acoustic guitar strumming is simply not enough for this song and the reverb on her vocals and guitar sounds annoying.

In the end that leaves us with 2 fine new takes on songs we don’t get to hear her sing very often and 8 songs that will leave you thinking “The original was so much better”. Now the album’s over I’m just as disappointed as when I left the movie theater 2 weeks ago, thinking the same thing: “It’s really hard having to admit this as a fan, but I think it’s time for her to quit”. After not 1 but 4 disappointing releases in a row I’m not giving her the benefit of the doubt anymore.The only reason I’ll keep this album in my collection is to hear these versions of “Cry Like An Angel” and “The Story” once in a while. Thankfully the packaging is very thin so it won’t take up much space in my CD drawers.

Actually, a day before writing this review I visited a show by Dutch singer/songwriter Margriet Sjoerdsma, now known as Odelion, in which she sang “Things are beautiful the way they were back then, there’s no point in reliving them again”. I don’t always agree with that. I loved seeing the 2001 reunion tour by Roxy Music and the 2007 reunion tour by the Police, I liked the live album Cream did in 2005 (RIP Ginger Baker), I think Mike Oldfield’s 2003 re-recording of Tubular Bells is better than the original. But listening to this album leaves me thinking she’s right. Give the original 1989 album another listen, skip this and buy Odelion’s new album instead. You really won’t be disappointed: https://www.odelionodelion.com/

An orbituary: Robert Hunter (1941-2019)

This morning I got an email from Dead.net (the Grateful Dead’s official website) that the band’s long time lyricist Robert Hunter has passed away. These are just 10 of my favourite songs in chronological order. Since 10 is such a small number there was only room for the obvious stuff. Instead of writing a few words about all of them, I thought it would be better to let the songs speak for themselves and just share a piece of lyrics and a live performance that I like instead. All of the live performances can be found for free on the Internet Archive. Let there be songs to fill the air!

Dark Star (1968)

Shall we go, you and I while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?

Live Performance: Meadowlands Arena, October 16 1989

St. Stephen (1969)

Lady finger, dipped in moonlight
Writing, “What for?”, across the morning sky
Sunlight splatters, dawn with answer
Darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye

Live Performance: Fillmore East, New York City, April 28 1971

Uncle John’s Band (1970)

It’s the same story the crow told me; it’s the only one he knows.
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go.
Ain’t no time to hate, barely time to wait,
Wo, oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?

Live Performance: Winterland, San Francisco, November 10 1973

Ripple (1970)

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music
Would you hold it near as it were your own?

Live Performance: Warfield Theater, San Francisco, October 9 1980

Playing In The Band (1971)

Some folks look for answers, others look for fights
Some folks up in treetops just look to see the sights

But I can tell your future, well just look what’s in your hand
But I can’t stop for nothing I’m just playing in the band

Live Performance: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, September 21 1972

Jack Straw (1971)

Ain’t no place a man can hide, Shannon
Keep him from the sun
Ain’t no bed will give us rest, man,
You keep us on the run

Live Performance: Nashville Municipal Auditorium, April 22 1978

Scarlet Begonias (1974)

Well, I ain’t always right but I’ve never been wrong
Seldom turns out the way it does in a song
Once in a while you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right

Live Performance: Barton Hall, Cornell University, May 8 1977

Franklin’s Tower (1975)

God save the child who rings that bell
I may have one good ring baby, you can’t tell
One watch by night, one watch by day
If you get confused just listen to the music play

Live Performance: Madison Square Garden, New York City, September 19 1990

Black Muddy River (1986)

When it seems like the night will last forever,
And there’s nothing left to do but count the years,
When the strings of my heart begin to sever,
And stones fall from my eyes instead of tears,
I will walk alone, by the black muddy river,
And dream me a dream of my own

Live Performance: Soldier Field, Chicago, July 9 1995

Days Between (1993)

Summer flies and August dies
The world grows dark and mean
Comes the shimmer of the moon
On black infested trees

Live Performance: Boston Garden, Boston, October 2 1994

 

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Joan As Police Woman – Joanthology

Posted on May 27, 2019 by addsomemusic2yourday

In June 2006 I heard a song called “The Ride” on the radio during breakfast, back when Radio 1 in the Netherlands were still playing interesting music in the morning. It was the day that Joan As Police Woman’s debut Real Life came out. I bought it later that week and have never looked back. Today, 7 albums, 9 concerts and many beautiful songs later I’m still a die hard fan. Joanthology is her first compilation album and since there’s unreleased music in the set it’s an automatic purchase for me.

The most important reason for me to buy this set was disc 3, a full disc of unreleased BBC recordings. Since there weren’t any officially released live recordings available up till now, this disc was a very pleasant surprise. Highlights include a radically different “Human Condition” performed solo on piano, a cover of Sonic Youth’s “Sacred Trickster” performed with just vocals and drums (just like on the Cover album), an a capella “The Classic” which blows away the studio version, a nice “Magic Lamp” with Benjamin Lazar Davis and the 3 songs from Damned Devotion at the end. Also nice that only 4 of these songs appear on the first 2 discs of the set, making the amount of duplicates minimal. At 46 minutes it’s short, but that’s really my only complaint here.

The first 2 discs are basically a best-of set covering all of her albums, even the rare debut EP and her cover album Cover. If you already own these nothing on disc 1 is new to you. They did manage to squeeze a few rarities on disc 2 though. “What A World” opens disc 2. According to the press release this is a new song recorded for this release, just like her cover of Prince’s “Kiss” which closes the disc. Both songs make great additions, especially “Kiss” which comes out much better here than when she did the song live last year. Even better is “Your Song”, the credits list it as a B-side but the only place where I could find it was as a bonus track on the Japanese CD of The Classic. Sadly the other bonus track “Take The Bait” didn’t make this collection, with nearly 7 minutes left on the disc there must have been room for it. The final rarity is her cover of Talk Talk’s “Myrrhman” from a 2012 Talk Talk tribute album. It’s absolutely gorgeous, I hope Mark Hollis got the chance to hear it before he passed away last February.

When it comes to the rest of the first 2 discs, I have no complaints at all. It makes a very nice overview of Joan’s career so far, presented in nearly chronological order. There are no obvious omissions and the few of my personal favourites that didn’t make the cut can be found on the live disc (“Start Of My Heart”, “To Be Loved”, “Magic Lamp”, “The Silence”). One could complain that 4 new tracks out of 31 on the 2 discs isn’t as much as I had hoped. But what’s there is really worth having and the bonus live disc really makes it a worthy purchase for fans. Especially since it’s so cheap.

Which brings us to the packaging. There’s a fold out booklet with musician credits and it also neatly tells us on which album everything was originally released. This made spotting the rarities and writing this review much easier. I was expecting more than just 5 black and white photos from the same show, when fans at a JAPW facebook page were approached to contribute live photos to the artwork. But with the discs being so cheap, simple artwork was to be expected. Audiophiles may be disappointed that nothing’s remastered, these are the exact 1s and 0s fans have been listening to for years. This means the best sound can still be heard on vinyl.

But all in all, this is a release that’s really worth having. For those new to Joan it’s a good place to start, even though if you like it you’ll probably end up with the regular albums anyway. If you’re already a fan, the live disc and the 4 rarities will make this a nice addition to your collection. Since you’ve probably already played the regular albums to death like I did, it’s also fun to hear something different once in a while. So forget about my minor complaints and just buy the album if you haven’t already done so. You won’t be disappointed.

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