If I had been forward thinking, I would have tried to be in the mood to listen to something from one of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. As it turns out, none of us had that kind of synergy or forethought going. Still, we have one of the more diverse collections of songs to grace this series since its inception and that doesn't suck.
These may not be the best songs ever, they may not even be our favorites, but they kept us entertained last week. You could do worse than to try a few of them out and see what they do for you.
DJRadiohead: “Black Water” from The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers
I told you in the Blues Round Up that Watermelon Slim's new disc, The Wheel Man, is in stores April 17. There is nothing about having connections that doesn't rule. I got an advance of Slim's new album and I listened to it from beginning to end three times within the first 12 hours of having it in my possession.
His current self-titled release leads all BMA's in nominations with six. The Wheel Man might actually be a stronger album! I don't want to tease too much of my upcoming review, but here is the quick skinny: the best songs from the self-titled record might be a bit better than what's on The Wheel Man, but this new album is a more consistent listen from beginning to end.
As I write this, I am listening to “Black Water.” There are some really cool songs with that title. Charlie Musselwhite's unbelievably good Delta Hardware has a great song by that name, Meat Puppets have a good one, and then there is the Doobie Brothers' classic. Add this cut by Watermelon Slim to that list by pre-ordering a copy of The Wheel Man. This is easily going to be one of the best blues releases of 2007.
Connie Phillips: "New Medication" from This is It by In Theory
I've been listening to In Theory's soon-to-be-released This is It in preparation to feature them as an upcoming Band of the Week. They have a modern rock and mainstream pop sound, and their first single, "New Medication" is extremely catchy.
Inspired by a friend's struggle with alcoholism, it's ambiguous enough to be open to interpretation and could be a wake-up call for anyone suffering a loss and trying to self-medicate. It's a polished and solid-rocking track, and just a slice of what promises to be a break-out record.
Article comments
1 - zingzing
ian, when i saw dwight yoakam listed, i had to check it out, the fact being that dwight is THE BEST COUNTRY ARTIST OF THE LAST 20+ YEARS. and then, i was delighted that you picked one of his crowning achievements.
buenos noches, side one, is the best 25 minutes of dwight's career. fucking perfect music. so deadly. gives me chills, that song.
that said, i think he has a couple of albums that even top buenos noches, (this time--pefect pop, and if there was a way--his most concentrated effort to make a complete country masterpiece, no matter how far out there,) but if i want to show someone why dwight is fucking awesome, i just pop on those first five songs and say, "listen and learn, you fucking heathen." and it all culminates in "she wore red dresses" and that neon light.
2 - Mark Saleski
...this nearly unpronouncable Polish trio
oh come on! those are easy polish names!
;-)
3 - DJRadiohead
Thank God for blues musicians. Their names are nothing but physical maladies and fruits. Watermelon Slim, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell... easy.
4 - DJRadiohead
"Easy Plateau" is not my favorite cut from Cold Roses, but it is one of the good ones. I wanted to go see them when they played Ryman awhile back.
5 - Mark Saleski
what, you've never heard of Blind Melon Kurkiewicz?
6 - DJRadiohead
Blind Melon is the bee girl band.
7 - JC Mosquito
I saw Yoakam in concert about a year ago - his VOICE is so commanding it can carry the band.
His albums always have some shining moments - I really liked his last studio album, which for a change wasn't produced by Pete Anderson. It had a bit more of an edge to it, almost like he was getting back to Hillbilly Deluxe.
8 - Mark Saleski
i've gotta get some more Yoakam cds. i think's i've only got Dwight Live which is a big loada fun.
9 - JC Mosquito
In some ways Yoakam is country for people who don't like what's coming out of Nashville these days. It's closer to the source; and the closer you get to the source, the more country, blues and rock sound alike.
10 - Mark Saleski
yep, he's definitely more than pop tunes with big hats.
11 - JC Mosquito
He's even got a couple albums of covers - ZZ Top's I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide and tthe Dead's Truckin' are particularly hot numbers.
12 - Ian Woolstencroft
Thanks for the comment zingzing, you're right about this being Yoakam's peak as a pure country singer/songwriter.
I remember when the whole "New Country" thing (the 80's version, I'm sure there have been others since) that included Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle and Nanci Griffith, started. A BBC documentary about these new artists was my introduction to Dwight and I've been a fan ever since.
Mark, I'd recommend the new expanded version of Dwight's first album, Guitars, Cadillacs etc. etc. As well as the 10 tracks that were on the original album you get 10 demos from 1981 and 12 songs recorded live at The Roxy in 1986.
13 - zingzing
oh my. trying to imagine a bbc doc on "new country." wasn't it called "new traditionalism" over here? or at least yoakam was described as such, if i remember, which i don't.
14 - JC Mosquito
Some of Steve Earle's most recent stuff is far from traditional. The Revolution Starts Now sure sounds pretty rock to me. And he rhymes Grenada with Noriega, which I believe is a first in pop music history.
15 - Leslie Bohn
I can't think of any jazz versions of "Light My Fire" except by Stanley Turrentine for Blue Note. He did a kinda pop/rock abum like so many jazz guys did in the late 60s. I once made a "jazz versions of rock songs" tape for someone, and I put this on it, and also Stanley's "Stoned Soul Picnic." What a gas.
(For non-jazz fans, ST was a secondary but still great 60s post-bop tenor sax man. Associated with the soul-jazz side of hard bop.)
Shirley Bassey did one, and Astrud Gilberto did a bossa one, but it sounds like this is instrumental.
Not jazz exactly, but Booker T and the MGs did a version too, and maybe Charles White? There's another familiar R&B version out there... Any of these work?
16 - Mark Saleski
George Winston did a version of "Light My Fire" on his Night Divides The Day album.
17 - Leslie Bohn
Mark, wasn't that only about ten years ago? Too recent for the late 80's sample, or did misunderstand? I know nothing about rap.
18 - zingzing
i'm seeing quincy jones listed (with the doors and the mc) as one of the songwriters of "untouchable," which suggests that he arranged whatever version of "light my fire" was sampled... unfortunately, jones produced and arranged a shit-ton of albums, and it didn't necessarily come out under his own name.
19 - Ian Woolstencroft
Glen, I think the version you're looking for is by Young Holt Unlimited from the late sixties/early seventies.There's an instrumental version and also a version with Erma Franklin (Aretha's big sis) on vocals.
20 - Glen Boyd
Well one thing for sure, I know it wasn't George Winston. This has an up-beat, borderline cheesy sort of seventies vibe, so I'm guessing Young Holt Unltd based on the responses (or possibly Turrentine with an arrangement by Q Jones, which would explain the writing credit). I'm going digging now -- thanx for the responses.
-Glen