Hi everyone, This episode is a long one. I took a different approach and created a playlist of songs I was considering and then whittled it down over a week or so. The list itself is about an hour long and you can access it here.
Dr Hook - Walk Right In - https://youtu.be/K1e_12DOKZI
DJ DJ sent me a link a while ago to a list of the "best metal albums" so far this year. This band and track stood out for a number of reasons.The main one is the mix of moody, dark country style sounds along with very heavy metal. It works. A TV show such as The Walking Dead would have been perfect for this music. So I listened to some of the band's back catalogue as well. It's good but fairly straight ahead metal. This album, American Gothic, is a big step up in making things interesting and unique.
Wayfarer - Reaper on the Oilfields - https://youtu.be/lev4nNHKeQQ
Spotify and YouTube algorithms are wild. Whilst YouTube tends to give me simply more of the same, Spotify seems to significantly widen the spectrum. The next track is from an artist that I know nothing about and there's nothing of substance about them online. There's every chance it is one person in their bedroom making music. This song reminds me a lot of making 4-track cassette recordings in garages and bedrooms. The drum machine sounds and the guitar effects are very familiar. It's a bit quirky but it takes me back.
Hear Guitar - 1984 - https://youtu.be/1jkSHgjVrdE
Fanny and her band have recently returned from a UK tour. I'm hoping that they will do some shows closer to home before too long. The one I saw last year at the Street Theatre here in Canberra is one of my favourite shows of all time. Fanny is on the Cooking Vinyl label and I recently took advantage of a very generous sale to add another of her albums to my collection. This song resonates at the moment for a number of reasons.
Fanny Lumsden - This Too Shall Pass - https://youtu.be/wBVvSMyG7hY
Anyone who has spent more than a couple of minutes reading some of my blog entries will know that Steve Earle is one of my absolute favourite artists. His songs are rough, tender, moving and always have something to say. And Steve isn't afraid to say exactly what he thinks. He has a new live solo album out now and it is most definitely warts and all. I found it hard to pick a song from this record but I always go back to this one. It's helped to turn my life around more than once.
Steve Earle - My Old Friend The Blues (live) - https://youtu.be/N8TUxQutNeQ
Billy Bragg changed my life in 1990. I was a lost soul and suddenly there was someone singing about things that mattered to me. And most of it was simply one man and a guitar. A number of world events have really got me down and whilst I know that music can't change this, the fact that people out there sing along and hope for better outcomes is encouraging. I realise that the original version of this song is used as an anthem by socialists, communists and a whole lot of other 'ists'. I implore you to ignore the labels and perhaps imagine a world where people genuinely cared for one another. It starts with us at the grass roots.
"Stand up all victims of oppression,
For the tyrants fear your might.
Don't cling so hard to your possessions,
For you have nothing if you have no rights.
Let racist ignorance be ended,
For respect makes the empires fall .
Freedom is merely privilege extended,
Unless enjoyed by one and all..."
Billy Bragg - The Internationale - https://youtu.be/G-Zmk6DRRjo
Green Day are about to release the 20th anniversary edition of their classic long player, American Idiot. It's a fantastic album and I was more than a little excited to hear about this. But...I'm a little underwhelmed. You get the original album, a live DVD that I already have, some demo versions and another live show. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what I expected but this feels a bit light on. I'll check it out on a streaming service before deciding if I'll part with a lot of spondoolies for this one.
Green Day - Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams - https://youtu.be/YQQrlXDEemY
Before too long I will be in Memphis. At Graceland. At Elvis' house. Right on cue there is a compilation just released of tunes recorded by the King himself, in Memphis. I imagine that will make an excellent playlist for me! There's the chance of seeing a gig at Graceland too. Woo!
Elvis Presley - In The Ghetto - https://youtu.be/d4s4FckNvAg
I know at least one reader out there (hi Bing) enjoys the next band. I think that more of you should give them a decent listen. Whether you like rock, prog, fusion, electronica or polkas, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard have something for you on one of their 26 studio or 16 live albums. They are more than prolific. The latest long player from the band remains quirky but it centred around 70s style boogie guitar riffs. This is the one if you want to get up and dance.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Field of Vision - https://youtu.be/dGt-0qi8p4Q
Ghost have released their live album, Rite Hear Rite Now, recorded at The Forum in Los Angeles. I was more than a little interested to see how the band would sound live. It doesn't disappoint. I know that their songs are catchy and well crafted but the x-factor when performing live is clearly in evidence here. I can feel the band enjoying the experience. Here's hoping that Papa Emeritus IV and his nameless ghouls also make this concert, which had a very short cinema release, available on Blu-Ray.
Ghost - Spillways (live) - https://youtu.be/sSWF15bZhmY
King Cannons are an Australian band (full of New Zealanders) that only lasted a short while but oh my, they were fabulous. I saw them twice here in Canberra (ANU Bar and Transit Bar). They played an infectious brand of rock and roll mixed up with ska, punk and reggae. I remember reading an interview with singer Luke, who remarked that he'd got a lot of tattoos so that he would never have a regular job. Luckily he writes great songs and has an excellent voice.
King Cannons - Teenage Dreams - https://youtu.be/jHXgSIMZAmk
Last weekend I did too much, saw too many people and generally ran myself into the ground. I need to do better at recognising this. Eventually I sat down to relax and unwind with one of my favourite movies, Flash (1980) starring Sam J. Jones, Max von Sydow, Brian Blessed and many more. It's cheesy but I love it. The soundtrack is, of course, by Queen. They also did the soundtrack to my favourite all time movie, Highlander. I'll reset my weekend boundaries and try to remember that time offline and to myself is important.
Queen - Who Wants To Live Forever - https://youtu.be/p4-roxaXZYY
Let's finish this episode off with a few upbeat tracks.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down - https://youtu.be/B7zLrljRkB0
Kylie Minogue - Magic - https://youtu.be/vzZn31gd_Jc
Bill McClintock - Fire In The Abyss (Hendrix/Slayer mashup) - https://youtu.be/IO9gATex-y8
Later y'all,
The Woozle
"I think you've got a low self opinion man I see you standing all by yourself.
Unable to express the pain of your distress, you withdraw deeper inside...
Give yourself a break from self-rejection, try some introspection."
Rollins Band , Low Self Opinion, 1992.
