Midwest Gospel Radio

 

Heard tonight for the first time and it's been on repeat since. 'Midwest Gospel Radio' by Yonder Mountain String Band. 

A short instrumental banjo powered piece that has the power of inspiring memories and flashbacks. So how is it that I'm just hearing it tonight?

Angry Red Planet

I've been attempting to populate and grow a punk rock collection. This makes number three in the collection, all on vinyl .... unless you consider The Ramones as punk (I don't). And maybe this is closer to post-punk or garage rock? 

'Give 'Em Enough Dope' by Angry Red Planet. From 1989. A decade after what I've always thought were the Punk Years.

One side was recorded in studio and the other side is live.

I don't pretend to be knowledgeable on the history of punk rock. Since I don't know much, I tend to look for interesting cover art and obscure bands that I've never heard of. A certain mood is required to sit still and listen. I just sit quietly without judging, taking in the sounds and the energy. 

Found on Record Store Day 2024. 

Rikki Don't Lose That Number

As I get older this song becomes more vital to me. I struggle to explain. The song, the lyrics, the melody bring back such powerful torrents of memories of that time, those days, and moments passing by, places, emotions, moods, sensations, relationships, friends, teachers, school days, endings, beginnings, things I haven't known since ..... what else is there? 

It represents a time in my life that I occasionally yearn to return to. And the realization that much of what I'd known to that point was ending and that things were about to change. Transitions to a something different that I was far from eager to see take place.

Much of those days are a blur now. The song provides pieces or fragments of clarity. 

A few years ago, I met one of the persons this song reminds me of. I only knew her back then by seeing her around high school. I was far too shy and terrified to ever dare saying hello. Then one day, decades later, I crossed paths with her in the grocery store and it was her that recognized me. Then shortly later I attended a small 'fish fry' at the house of a mutual friend. She was there. I wasn't going to go as I was worn out after a day at work but she got on the phone and asked me to show up. So I did and it was so wonderful getting to know her. I even confessed (and in front of her husband) to having a high school crush for her. 

Rikki wasn't even my favorite at the time but over time it has become so meaningful for me.

I'm Only Sleeping

It took hearing a YouTuber's cover version of this song to appreciate the original version. Several listens later over the past two days and it's quickly risen to top-3 status on my favorite songs of the Beatles list. Right there with 'Martha My Dear' and 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away.'

The mid-1960's through the mid-1970's was such a unique ten years of songwriting that will likely never be matched. It's cliche and perhaps bias, and maybe even snobbish on the part of us older folks that lived through those years but songs like that just don't get written anymore.

Weekend's Vinyl Finds

Saturday vinyl search and finds. The place was busy and crowded so the search was cut short. I did have a couple records in hand at one point that were returned to the bins. I did take home:

Jimmy Raney - 'Live In Tokyo.'  from 1976. A new name for me and certainly a different face/name than most of the recordings I see shared in the vinyl community. I noticed Sam Jones on bass and I do have an album of his that I enjoy. 

A guitar focused jazz trio recording. There's a short, very complimentary review on the All Music Guide website.

'Town Hall Concert' by Charles Mingus. Recorded in 1962 (I think) and I assume originally released then. This is a reissue and something about the feel of the record and sleeve in my hands caused me to wonder if it was possibly a poor audio quality reissue but hey, it's Mingus!! One of the masters. I gave it a spin today and it sounds great. 

Big Band or orchestra jazz on clear vinyl and Destination Moon Records. (Which caused me to smile.) Post Bop sounds.

I was intrigued by several of the album covers in both the indie rock and punk sections. Charles Mingus is always a sure thing for me. And though I think that I have pretty good intuition on such matters, I'm always hesitant to take multiple financial chances on titles that I know nothing about. I need to take notes and research such things. 

Just Arrived

New arrival on my doorstep today. 'Call On the Old Wise' by Nitai Hershkovits. 

From 2023 on ECM Records.

Solo piano. Highly improvisational jazz.

I tried something radical with the first official spin on the turntable .... I played side two first. As it's playing, outside the rain started to fall and the wind kicked up. Then, just as suddenly, the rain and wind stopped, the clouds parted and the sun came out. Seemed oddly appropriate.  

Sleepy Playlist

Saturday evening playlist. Feeling pretty sleepy here so it could be a short one ..... 

• Yo La Tengo - Aselestine ..... Watch the animated video. Had me rethinking decisions and possibilities. And moving toward the sun .... Don't ask me what that means. 😕 
• Slowdive - Shanty ..... Labeled a shoegaze band which likely prevented me from discovering them prior to three or four days ago. 
• Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
• The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore
• Bob Schneider - Metal and Steel ..... I've been searching among the random shoe boxes in the closet for a specific cassette of a radio show recorded long ago. I know the tape brand and type, a Maxell II .... so I found a loose tape, inserted it into the cassette player, pressed 'play' and this song started playing. 

What I found: A mix tape made decades ago. I don't recall if it was meant for somebody. 

• Pete Yorn - Strange Condition ..... The next song on the tape. Followed by .....
• David Gray - Babylon 

That was it. Three songs. Eighty minutes remaining of blank tape. Did I get shut down? Did I run out of ideas on the theme? It's a mystery all these years later.

And I'm still searching for the tape I was looking for. Hot takes from Jim Rome's sports talk radio program. I have the empty cassette case. Some 🤣 stuff there at deserving topics.

Circles Around Me

Been listening to this song almost daily lately. 'Circles Around Me' by Sam Bush. 

"I remember everything"  🎝🎝 .....  All this reflection. All these flashbacks and memories. Some songs are magical to cause such instant and visual reactions. (Not that I just came to that realization.) It can be an incredibly powerful personal experience and just a couple notes or a few lyrics can initiate the flood. 

Vinyl Finds

Went vinyl record hunting this evening .....

Came home with: 'In a Sentimental Mood' by Jim Hall. Recorded in 1969 and released on Pausa Records in 1981; 'Trilogy' by Tal Farlow. Also released in 1981 on Inner City Records; and 'The Legendary Django Reinhardt, a 1976 release on GNP/Crescendo Records. 

It wasn't intentional but just the luck of the vinyl bins flips and what was revealed but all three were jazz guitar players. 

The excitement of vinyl finds "in the wild" is still a real experience. It's been over fifty years of searching and the thrill of a spontaneous find hasn't lessened.

Tonight's finds came with a music history moment. The owner of the shop informed me that Django Reinhardt was a two finger guitar player ..... index and third fingers due to burns to half his body.

The record sleeves are all in great shape. For me, that's as much of a selling point as the condition of the vinyl record and the recorded music on the record. I like attractive packaging and interesting cover art and photos. 

Jazz Playlist

Friday night (short) Jazz playlist .....

• Horace Silver Quintet - Song For My Father
• Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Master Plan
• Geri Allen, Esperanza Spalding & Terri Lyne Carrington - Unconditional Love
• Lee Morgan - Ceora
• Bill Evans - Remembering the Rain ..... This should probably be the last song to be played, to end the evening. And a great song title!!
• Charlie Haden & Keith Jarrett - How Deep Is the Ocean
• Jessica Williams - Alone Together 
• McCoy Tyner - Message From the Nile

Seasonal Music Blues

I'm adding this to the very short list of Christmas music that I'll listen to. 

John Fahey's, "The New Possibility" album, Stan Roger's song, "First Christmas" and now John Lee Hooker.