Getting into the mood before getting into my brand new beautiful copy of Misfortune.
(I really enjoy Trad Arr Jones partly because it wasn't made to either conserve, improve, contemporise or revitalise anything, just a batch of great traditional songs by a guy with a nice voice and a feel for the material who doesn't let his technical limitations or respect for Nic and other peers stand in the way of the heartfelt storytelling here. If nothing else, it should put an end to his reputation as a mere EC clone. Besides, from an outsider's point of view, I can't think of a better introduction to the wonderful world of British folk than the juxtaposition of, say, Little Musgrave & Fairport's Matty Groves. And I know this isn't necessarily a compliment, but this is one of my favourite records to fall asleep to too...I even prefer it to Penguin Eggs.)
Awesome choice! As you know, I am a big JWH fan. He was very supportive after Katrina, and even sent me replacement copies of CDs of his that I had lost in the flooding. Total class act, and totally amazing artist.
The first Brel disc I ever heard, when I was living in Paris in 1986, and still my favorite. The rare instance of an artist re-recording songs late in his career and actually singing them better. The new arrangements helped.
Brilliant record from a brilliant band. Whether you speak/understand Spanish or not, you need these guys in your life. They play a wide variety of styles of modern music (mainly rock and folk oriented, but also some hip hop, jazz, tejano, and even classical), using a lot of traditional Native American and Mexican instruments and flavors. For the uninitiated, buy their albums in this order:
1. Re
2. Avalancha de Exitos
3. Cuatro Caminos
4. Cafe Tacuba (debut)
5. Reves/Yo Soy (actually probably my favorite, but save it for last)
Then get their live records and EPs in this order:
1. MTV Unplugged (deluxe edition includes DVD)
2. Un Viaje (deluxe edition includes DVD)
3. Vale Callampa
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
--William Shakespeare
-Willie Nelson, You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker
-Heartworn Highways sdtrk.
I've been on a cd buying hiatus for nearly two months but I sprung for these two because they're both too fab to pass up. I've been hoping for two years now (since I discovered the HH documentary) that they would release a cd soundtrack for the film and that prayer finally, finally got through. Just the most wonderful music in the world to me.
Hadn't heard this before and generally quite ignorant about the Dan. Sounds lovely. Good place to start? Can't remember where this came in people's rankings.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
Thats a great record Otis - Boston Rag is an all time favourite.
You cant really go wrong with "Steely Dan" , all their records are good. I like "Katy Lied" and the "Royal Scam" and my favourite of all is "Pretzel Logic" - Aja is more polished but still a wonderful record but Gaucho is a bit overly slick for me, though Third World Man is one of their very best songs.
The Nightfly , Fagans solo record is really good too - though Im not really sure about their most recent "reformation" stuff, didnt really like
"Two Against Nature" and havent heard the others.
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
Thanks, Mike. And of course the new Donald Fagen LP (something to do with 'Morph') is getting good reviews. I think I could only listen to them to a limited extent - the slickness and clever cleverness might get on my nerves, but there is something undeniably fantastic about their sound. I always liked Haitian Divorce. The only song of theirs that was a hit over here, as I recall, was Ricky Don't Lose That Number, which I like too. I'll check out some more.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
The thing I love about SteelyDan is that even at their slickest and most polished theres a sense of something sleazy, uncertain, bizarre, just lurking underneath, a sense of dread almost. The lyrics are like little films or short stories with a jazz soundtrack breaking out in brilliant elongated fuzz guitar solos at any minute - like a junkie hooker hanging around the Hilton.
Charlie Freak had but one thing to call his own
Three weight ounce pure golden ring no precious stone
Five nights without a bite
No place to lay his head
And if nobody takes him in
He'll soon be dead
On the street he spied my face I heard him hail
In our plot of frozen space he told his tale
Poor man, he showed his hand
So righteous was his need
And me so wise I bought his prize
For chicken feed
Newfound cash soon begs to smash a state of mind
Close inspection fast revealed his favorite kind
Poor kid, he overdid
Embraced the spreading haze
And while he sighed his body died
In fifteen ways
When I heard I grabbed a cab to where he lay
'Round his arm the plastic tag read D.O.A.
Yes Jack, I gave it back
The ring I could not own
Now come my friend I'll take your hand
And lead you home
...and my favourite Dan lyric
"...the showbiz kids are making movies of themselves you know they dont give a fuck about anybody else"
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
"Countdown to Ecstasy" is the Steely Dan record to have pre-extreme polish and supertight production. It was followed by "Pretzel Logic", probably Katz most obvious attempt to make Becker and Fagan household words, because it is an album of potential singles (Ricky, etc). However, after that, come the first glimpse of what the band had evolved to in a very short period of time..."Katy Lied", a record that is without peer in any genre. The nucleus provided by these three sequential recordings give a fascinating overview of where they came from and where they went. Post "Katy", The "Royal Scam", "Aja", "Gaucho"...all absolute works of wonder, but the slick index becomes so palpable with Aja that you almost felt like you had better clean up your room, set the dinner table, vacuum the carpet, and shampoo the dogs before putting it on the turntable.
"Can't Buy A Thrill", which technically starts it all, is good, but they are clearly searching. Nonetheless, it contains a great enigmatic single "Do it Again ('go back, Jack, do it again...')" plus a song that people sing along to but have no idea it is one of Steely Dan's first hits "Reelin' in the Years".
My presonal favorite is "Katy Lied"...absolutely beautiful with Rose Darling, Doctor Wu, and Black Friday. A very close second is "Countdown to Ecstasy", for its perfect melodies and sans the oppressive and demanding production that would become the essence of Fagan recordings.
By the time you get to "Aja", there is no question that Steely Dan is Becker and Fagan, and the rest of the guys are hired help. You can hear it in "Royal Scam", but that record is still light enough to feel more like a band and less like two briliant conductors at the switch.
Lyrically, hard to find a a more intriguing writing duo, and that includes Partridge and Moulding. Becker and Fagan write poetry less than song lyrics, and mold their jazz/asian/blues/pop sound around thier poetry. Many of the song lyrics from "Aja" (save for Black Cow) can stand alone as literary pieces. The lyrics from the song "Aja" are worth the price of admission. Not tomention the drum work of Steve Gadd, which will go down in history as the most compelling ever for me.
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
I recall well listening to Aja at a party after a jockey full of whisky (sorry, not quite bourbon) and just raving over the brilliance of the Gadd drumming. Is he still out there? I know he was wasting himself to the white lines, and he does seem to have disappeared.
Thanks for the tasting notes. Of course, 'Do It Again' and 'Reelin' In The Years' are both very familiar. Will check out more soon.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
Remastered US version. I don't get it why they didn't merge the different tracks for the UK & US versions for the remaster. All songs on both are great after all.
Otis Westinghouse wrote:I recall well listening to Aja at a party after a jockey full of whisky (sorry, not quite bourbon) and just raving over the brilliance of the Gadd drumming. Is he still out there? I know he was wasting himself to the white lines, and he does seem to have disappeared.
He's played with Paul Simon and Eric Clapton in recent years
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
My wife ordered this before she left for Germany, and I couldn't resist ripping it open when it arrived (hey, if I'm going to fly solo with the kids all week I can do as I please). Great stuff from a really underrated band.
I pulled down Art Brut from emusic, loved it. might be a little bit of a novelty, but Good Weekend is fantastic, as is Emily Kane, and Formed A Band and Rusted Guns is really funny. Maybe the joke will wear off, but fun.
I've been really getting into the Editors, the CD came out today, but thanks to a free mp3 of Munich at insound.com plus a torrent of some radio sessions, I'm digging it. Very interpolish, but still catchy. Sometimes catchy songs trumps originality!
And glad to see the love for John Welsey Harding. I've been a fan since Groom, and even if I haven't 100% loved everything since Trad Arr Jones, because he's such a great person, I still keep up with him.
Anybody hear this one yet? Jim O'Rourke produces. Not really familiar with Orton's previous work, but am really enjoying this one. Kind of Fiona Appleish but not quite as angsty.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
