World Wide Woozle episode #644

Hello and welcome back.

During the week I posted the second episode in my series about albums that matter to me. Please feel free to check it out. Episode 3 is almost written as well.

I've always enjoyed writing, other than when it is for university type stuff. I'm conscious that those of you better educated can no doubt pick holes in my grammar and crazy use of punctuation. The way I try to write is the way I'd have a conversation rather than an academic paper. I'm hoping to never need the Harvard Referencing System ever again. I'm scarred by my experience with an Australian university who failed me in a Masters level unit as a result of my content and referencing in an essay that I had asked multiple times for assistance with. Thanks to that university for making me unwell. Enough of that. Let's rock!

Spotify playlist for this episode.

Black Sabbath, all four original members, are getting together for a final gig in Birmingham on July 5th. Ticket prices are predictably eye watering but the lineup is extensive and profits go to charity. Sadly it seems that Ozzy can't walk any more as a result of Parkinson's Disease. Black Sabbath have been around in one form or another since 1968 and are, of course, a seminal act in the history of heavy music.

Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - https://youtu.be/mfTpjrzas5E

A while ago I watched the Amazon TV series, Daisy Jones & The Six. I really enjoyed it and it's well worth your time. I'm currently reading the book that the series is based on and I'm not all that impressed. Perhaps I'm spoiled by having seen the dramatisation but I'm finding it quite dry. The concept is great and obviously translated to TV well but the book seems like a by the numbers story of a rock and roll band in the seventies. It's far from bad and I will finish the book but I'd be loath to recommend it.

Daisy Jones & The Six - Let Me Down Easy - https://youtu.be/Xbt1tOadwHA

A couple of weeks ago I headed to the cinema to see the latest Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. Five anorak wearing old blokes, plus me, had the theatre to ourselves and it was even cheap Tuesday! I thought the film was very well made and I enjoyed the fact that most of the songs in the movie weren't shortened or cut off. The highlight for me was Edward Norton playing Pete Seeger. The physical and vocal resemblance to the iconic American folk artist was astounding. The film is worth it for that alone. Monica Barbaro, as Joan Baez, was super as well. I read that she spent around five months learning to sing and play the guitar. The music in the film isn't mimed. Monica also had to wear fake teeth and sing at the same time! And while Timothée Chalamet is excellent as Bob Dylan, he ends up looking more like Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day. I found the story compelling and time flew by. Hearing those songs on a big theatre sound system was a treat as well. Did I learn anything as well as having a good time? Yes I did; Bob Dylan wasn't a very nice man. 

Monica Barbaro and Timothée Chalamet  - It Ain't Me, Babe - https://youtu.be/NSGxM9bs3uY

DJ DaveDubya sends me good stuff. I like jazz almost as much as I like opera and that's not much at all. The next track however, is very groovy (baby). I love the way that they have two drummers to play quite separate parts of what would be a single kit. These are serious musos.

Vulfpeck - Deantown - https://youtu.be/le0BLAEO93g

My brother also sends me excellent music recommendations. Given that we haven't lived in the same house since I was 16, I am very interested that his Spotify generated discovery playlist is often quite similar to mine. The next song that he recommended reminds me a lot of Sleaford Mods in the best possible way. Listen to the lyrics. 

dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill - https://youtu.be/CWrMGXwhFLk

On Wednesday I had a really bad day. I had felt it coming but until it hit I was essentially powerless to stop it. It wasn't one particular thing that triggered it, rather a whole lot of smaller things that piled on top of one another and hit me hard. I took myself home from work at lunchtime as that gave me about 30 minutes to stare out the tram window whilst listening to good tunes. After finishing work at home I headed to one of my favourite places for a long walk in the bush. More and more I wonder if I'm meant to be in cities at all for any longer than is absolutely necessary?

Mulligan's Flat, ACT. 13 Feb 2025.

I think that's enough for this time around. Hugs to all those who look after me even when I don't behave all that well! I'll be keeping a bit to myself for a few days.

Keep smiling,

The Woozle

"Talk about things that nobody cares

Wearing other things that nobody wears
You're calling my name but I got to make clear
I can't say baby where I'll be in a year..."

Aerosmith, Sweet Emotion, 1975.

World Wide Woozle - Albums that matter episode #2

Welcome back to my series about albums that matter to me. If you missed it, the first episode is available online at this link: episode 1. At the time of writing sixty brave souls have had a look; thank you all.

Album #2: Jason Isbell - Southeastern (2013)

In 2013 Jason Isbell released what I regard to be one of the best albums of all time. Southeastern is a collection of songs of such strength and depth that any songwriter could not fail to be impressed. Although Isbell would go on to win six Grammy Awards for subsequent work, this album is the one that I love. It's cliched to call it lightning in a bottle but that's what Jason and producer Dave Cobb achieved.

I became aware of this album via my good mate George. He insisted that I listen to it and gently cajoled me into taking more than a passing interest. In the end, as part of George's band, I played a gig where we performed Southeastern in its entirety.

We're here to talk about why I regard this album as important to me. I can assure you, after seeing Jason play live in 2018 and being part of a crowd singing along to every song, that his music is important to others.

Firstly, Southeastern is a reminder of a band I was once in. Junk Sculpture was around long before my involvement as well as after I was done. We played many special shows, most notably for me up in Tingha and surrounds. I had to work hard to learn every song on Southeastern but it was never a chore. I was blessed with bandmates who were (and remain) much better musicians than me. That said, they encouraged me and, with kindness, made me improve markedly. The thought of that relationship, or was it a brotherhood, still fills me with good vibes. The songs may sound simple in places but to be relatively faithful to them takes effort and a deep respect for the music.

When we played the Southeastern gig in 2015 it was at a beautiful old church outside Canberra. The venue was great, the crowd appreciative and the band was in a state of flow. I was there in body but not in spirit that day. I had learned the songs so well that it was autopilot. This was during the week Zoë was unaccounted for after Tropical Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu. I remember not wanting to go to the gig but I knew there were others counting on me. So I don't remember much about the show other than saying a few words to the man upstairs whilst in the church on the off chance that he might be listening. It would be another few days before we got news that Zoë was OK. So, Southeastern takes me back to that time for both good and not so happy reasons.

The final reason that I think this album is important is that I keep coming back to it for inspiration. Whether it's the elegant fingerpicking on some tracks, the ripping solos on others or the sublime turns of phrase, this is an album I listen to very regularly. In the lyrics I am struck by Isbell's use of what he might see as common words. In particular I mean place names and medications that have a musical quality. Have you heard a song with Klonopin or Pedialyte mentioned before? I had to look them up. And places like Ybor City and Fond du Lac. Not only has my knowledge of USA geography improved, but it's made me wonder that whilst I might think that place names local to me don't belong in songs because they sound silly, perhaps they wouldn't to others.

There is now a tenth anniversary edition of the album that includes demo tracks as well as a live set. It's all killer and no filler. The demo versions in particular reveal Isbell's depth of talent.

 

I've been listening to the album whilst writing all of this down and trying to select a track to play for you all. Although I have my favourites, choosing one or two is a hard task. I've decided to select two. The first is the one I enjoyed playing the most. Guitarists love playing, loud, in the keys of E and A. Electric guitars, rock and roll music and those keys just work well together. Super 8 challenged me as it's in C (I think). I don't play slide guitar but approximating the cool guitar licks is heaps of fun. Recently, whilst watching live footage of the band, I have realised that there is a better than average chance that it's played in an open tuning (where the guitar is tuned to a chord). Maybe I need to try that but regular tuning is hard enough!

Jason Isbell - Super 8 - https://youtu.be/kydK3NvFvvg

The other song I'd like to recommend is Songs That She Sang In The Shower. It's not one of the 'hits' but I really like the guitar riff. It swings along in a way that I found hard to nail down for a while but when I stopped counting and started feeling the beat I got it. It also includes one of my favourite lyrics, "and the frost on the ground probably envies the frost on the trees". Sure, this is a sad song but it's achingly beautiful to my ears.

Jason Isbell - Songs That She Sang In The Shower - https://youtu.be/W8qNgGh-x9M

In one of Jason's songs on a subsequent album the lyric is, "I've sung enough about myself". It's an interesting choice of words. Southeastern is his post-rehab album but whilst the themes may reflect this, the majority of the songs aren't about him. Isbell has that knack of telling a story about someone else and making it sound personal.

Tune in next time for a trip back to 1988.

Thanks for reading this,

The Woozle

World Wide Woozle episode #643

Hello radio fans, music lovers, stalkers and legends.

Here we are again to check out some tunes, catch up on the trivial goings on in my life, and maybe learn a thing or two. Let's rock.

Before we go further, the Spotify playlist for this episode is available by clicking here.

Vintage Trouble - Get It On  (Ike & Tina cover, live) - https://youtu.be/eipXthVqu_4

I heard the next song for the first time today. Of course some of you will know all about Gordon Lightfoot but I don't. I really like the storytelling, his laid back voice and the way this reminds me a bit of Warren Zevon. Sundown was a number one hit in 1974.

Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown - https://youtu.be/1IBdZ645S-o

I was on the Bandcamp website today tracking down a CD I've ordered that is yet to arrive. Whilst I was looking around trying to work out how to sort this out I stumbled across a whole lot of curated lists of songs. These aren't just a list; they are articles that talk about the songs and artists. This is completely my thing and I spent my lunchtime lost in a world of 70s French disco, 90s Cascadian psychedelia, and the best metal songs of January. Man oh man, this is cool!

Cerrone - Love in C Minor - https://youtu.be/TRiIiPnJvNc?si=WixLI7NEeRoaOw8n&t=80

Keeping it funky, but much closer to home, the next song is sure to have you tapping your foot if not up and dancing around your lounge room. I'm not sure I expected to hear an eight piece funk band from Arnhem Land but here it is. Great song, great clip and more to explore. If you like bands like Songhoy Blues or Tinariwen then you'll love this; guaranteed.

Andrew Gurruwiwi Band - Yaa Djamarrkuḻi - https://youtu.be/HpF4IzzTiU8

Last weekend Toddo and I headed to Geelong to participate in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Ride. Not the pro race mind you, we let them have that to themselves. Overall we covered 140km of big hills, glorious coastlines, and horrendous headwinds. All done mostly with smiles on our faces. It was a top few days away with the chance to catch up with members of both of our families as well as our good mate Yol in Albury. The weekend was also my last ride on my faithful red racing bike. It's gone to Angus now who will no doubt set speed records on it. Props to the Oppy at North Geelong for an excellent feed on Friday night.

Iron City Houserockers - Have A Good TIme (But Get Out Alive) - https://youtu.be/L3B7gGs5FyE

Here's another track that the YouTube algorithm got oh so right when it popped this into my feed. Joe Holmes was Ozzy's guitar player for a number of years and his heavy music pedigree is more than solid. Maybe this song was recommended as a result of me listening to a few Soundgarden and Alice In Chains tracks. Whatever the reason, it works for me. I've listened to Joe's 2024 album, Farmikos, quite a bit in the last few days.

Joe Holmes - The Deadfall - https://youtu.be/kR0paYEld-4

Noting that the Led Zeppelin movie is to be released in cinemas very shortly, I thought it was time to go back and listen to them before heading to the theatre. Led Zeppelin was the first CD boxset I ever bought. It was released at the end of 1990 and I remember being hugely excited to get it. Remastering and packaging like this is the norm now but it wasn't then. I'm not a massive fan but they are definitely cool as well as being important.

Led Zeppelin - Over The Hills And Far Away - https://youtu.be/Am9gu4wkY9E

The other thing I want to talk about is my guitars. They've sat, unloved, in my house for quite a while now. I just haven't felt like playing for such a long time. Over the past few weeks I've been considering how to get enthused about making my own music but I've not had any luck. Watch out though because I now have something to aim for. Watch this space to hear about my performing live later in the year. I better build some calluses and remember how to play. Fortunately I've been singing in the car!

Billy Bragg - A New England (live) - https://youtu.be/kl9DxOmSo-I

Keep an eye out for Albums That Matter #2, It's not far off being complete. 

That's all folks. Thanks for reading and listening.

The Woozle

"When you're young, you can fly
But we trip on clouds 'cause we get too high
We grow up, and then it's gone
Oh God only knows what we'll become..."

The Band Perry, Don't Let Me Be Lonely, 2013.