World Wide Woozle episode #538

Groovers, skinheads, freaks, weirdos and music lovers everywhere....WELCOME! Hi to the stalkers as well.

When I published the last episode I was still in quite a deal of pain and discomfort. Sometime on Thursday night that situation improved markedly and I feel a lot better. I'm not jumping around, riding my bike or doing a lot of sneezing but I did manage two easy, flat walks today of about 30 minutes each and I feel good. I predict a lot of walking in the next few weeks.

Jimmy Rogers - Walking By Myself - https://youtu.be/qhjDXXEcocg

I was reminded recently of seeing The Radiators play in the main auditorium at the Defence Academy in December 1989. They are such a fun band with a rough sense of Australian humour. That particular gig ensured that rock bands were never allowed in that venue again!

The Radiators - 17 (I Wish I Was) - https://youtu.be/VP_e1UrdvZA

Phil Campbell (ex-Motorhead) has a band and it's rather good. More straight ahead hard rock than the punk edge that Motorhead had but it's head nodding, toe tapping stuff. 

Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons - Born To Roam - https://youtu.be/jprIokB6Xrc

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings play stripped back Americana, Blues and Folk music. Often they record the whole thing with only one microphone. I noticed a new album from them pop up on one of the streaming services during the week and I've now played the whole thing four times and will get a hard copy. What a ripper! It's 48 unreleased tracks recorded a few years ago and I wasn't bored or track skipping even once. Gillian normally plays a 1956 Gibson J-50 guitar and David a 1935 Epiphone Olympic. If you like the sparse feel of Springsteen's Nebraska then this may appeal.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings - Put Your Foot Upon The Path - https://youtu.be/lv53HeN1QQ4

Are there albums that you keep coming back to? Not just single songs, but whole albums? I have a few. One is called Folkways: A Vision Shared. Released in 1988, it's a compilation of Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie tunes by a range of artists including Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, U2, Little Richard and Emmylou Harris. I'd say without a lie that I've played this album a couple of times a month for over thirty years. The album won a Grammy Award but I wasn't aware of that until about five minutes ago. There's also a companion album which has the original songs on it. Here are two tracks that I really like although I could've happily played the whole thing for you. 

Brian Wilson - Goodnight Irene - https://youtu.be/80hWncr7XZU

U2 - Jesus Christ - https://youtu.be/A47WxX3FkwU

I was contacted this week and asked if I was interested in writing a book. It was like the LinkedIn version of a Nigerian money scam I think. Funnily enough I think the person contacting me had actually looked at the blog a couple of times. Needless to say I'll keep punching out episodes here but a book, I don't think so. Especially when they were suggesting a self help style thing. I can see it now...how to ride your bike too much and be a heavy metal and folk music fan all at the same time. Nope.

Laurel Brauns - I'll Be Your Sylvia Plath - https://youtu.be/szoY7_o7PbQ

Man that was a good track. I had to study Sylvia Plath in my last year of school. Hated it. I'll now have to revisit her work. If I could remember which poem we were tortured with I'd read it now!

After retrieving my old iPod from the car wreck I've got back into revisiting the Johnny Cash four CD compilation called Legend. I was once banned from playing this in the car. Apparently too much Johnny Cash is a thing. I was late to being a Cash fan but for the last twenty years I've made up for it. Johnny was far from a perfect individual but he admitted his faults, sang about them and kept on keeping on. This song says it all for me.

Johnny Cash - Man In Black (live) - https://youtu.be/B7DmvffTuS0

Speaking of men in black...check this out. Metal from the South Pacific sung this time in the Tongan language. The lyrics and translation are there; maybe not what you expect. This is serious headbanging stuff and I'd love to see these guys playing live.

Shepherds Reign - Aiga - https://youtu.be/X8fWTIUWU2U

Last up this week is Norwegian band, Motorpsycho. I'm not sure what I was expecting, maybe a cross between Motorhead and the Cosmic Psychos but in reality this band is much more dreamy, folky, progressive rock. Some of it reminds me of CSNY, Jethro Tull, The Beach Boys and Dream Theater. It's growing on me.

Motorpsycho  - The Same Old Rock - https://youtu.be/hmEwzcIGMw8

Thank you for reading to the end if you did. If you didn't you're not here so it doesn't matter.

Have a great weekend,

Rob

"And they try to tell us that we don't belong

But that's alright, we're millions strong
You are my people, you are my crowd
This is our music, we love it loud..." KISS, Crazy Crazy Nights, 1987.