Welcome to the RPM Record Club Seven Day Soundtrack, week ending Friday 29th November 2024. Looking forward to another few hours in front of the wood burner listening to tunes from the RPM collective...over to...
"Hello folks. Stranded for the third week on this desert island and here are my three, all-time favourite songs. What a stupid exercise this is!" ("Not at all...but I'm sure you jest. Have enjoyed the unveiling of your choices...we all love a list at RPM." Tim)
Carey by Joni Mitchell - "Unashamedly in love with the 'Blue' album for 50 years and more. This isn't the best song on the album, but it is the most upbeat. Besides, I'd also be missing my clean white linen."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfZJ6sHeA6k&ab_channel=JoniMitchell
Dixie Chicken by Little Feat - "I've chosen other feats by them before and almost any of their music would lift my spirits on a desert island, but this is the track I can distinctly hear on my mate's turntable with his huge floor-standing speakers and from the opening bars I was Little Feat's forever."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaHEfJApEVM&ab_channel=LittleFeat-Topic
Idiot Wind by Bob Dylan - "Almost as difficult to single out one Dylan song as it is for the Beatles, but 'Blood on the Tracks' is the apogee of his talent and this song is the strongest on the whole album."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex05XUddWMk&ab_channel=BobDylanVEVO
"Now, is that a passing steamer I see on the horizon, heading this way...?"
"Hi RPMers, thanks for an excellent selection of tracks last week - superb! Thanks especially to Jayne for the synopsis and origins of The Crane Wife story...I have the album and, bizarrely, Parts 1 & 2 are track 9 and Part 3 is track 2. But then again, The Decemberists are not a band that will conform to expectations. Anyway, here are three tracks I've listened to this week..."
Whatever Would Robert Have Said by Van Der Graaf Generator - "I assumed that the Robert in the title refers to Robert J. Van Der Graaf who invented the electrostatic generator, an early particle accelerator. (I remember having fun with one of these in my Physics O'level class!). However, after reading the YouTube comments and studying the lyrics a little more carefully, it's possible it refers to J.Robert Openhiemer (and we all know what he invented). Further research reveals that despite having 'no memory of my having worked on it', Peter Hammill, who wrote the song, says it's about Robert J. Van Der Graaf and not J. Robert Openhiemer... Such is the enigmatic nature of Prog Rock! By the way, I saw Van Der Graaf Generator 'In Concert' in 1970 in Lowestoft. Awesome."
("Is it my imagination or do I sense a stirring in the land of Mordor...er, I mean Saham Toney....?" Tim.)
Cold Haily Windy Night by Steeleye Span -
Redemption Song (Band Version) by Bob Marley & The Wailers -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RI_7Q-rpiU
"Best Wishes to all, as always."
"No rants this week, you'll be pleased to hear. Straight to this week's selections..."
Undefeated Eyes by Fantastic Negrito, featuring Sting -
Mockingbird by Larkin Poe - "...no, not that one."
Lights On The Way by Rose City Band -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU-Ix34F5n8
"Best wishes to all RPMers."
"Hi folks I hope it is all going swimmingly… but keep a sharp eye out for those gators as I am all a bit swampy this week! I have been revisiting some of the first Cajun recordings that I ever heard. Back in the early 70’s before I moved to Norwich I was already familiar with bits and pieces of accordion-based Zydeco (Rocking Dopsie and The Twisters, Clifton Chenier and of course Johnny Allen’s glorious version of ‘Promised Land’ all of which I still have on vinyl somewhere!) from listening to Charlie Gillet’s ‘Sounds of the City’ so I was primed and ready to be introduced to the early Cajun stars (via Alexis Korner’s weekly Radio Show). I instantly fell in love with the scratchy 78 acoustic recordings of the genre. But I do realise that other people are not quite so accepting. I remember that back in the early 90s I worked with a guy who owned several discs by the likes of Gary Moore and Eric Clapton. He considered himself to be a bit of a ‘blues buff’ and having heard the EC unplugged album, he said that he was getting into acoustic blues. I was both surprised and amused by his reaction when I played to him ‘Le blues du petite chien’ by Freres Breaux’. He didn’t have the lifetime of listening to field recordings to buffer his sensibilities… His face registered absolute horror! I trust that you sophisticates are made of sterner stuff…"
"Here’s ‘Allons à Lafayette’ by Joe and Cleaoma Falcon (nee Breaux - sister to the fabulous Freres Breaux who with her recorded ‘Le Blues Du Petit Chien’) this has been high on the playlist."
Allons à Lafayette by Joe & Cléoma Falcon, (1928) -
Le Blues du Petite Chien by Freres Breaux (with Cleaoma) -
"Whilst unsuccessfully trawling for the Balfa Brother’s version of the classic ‘En Avant La Blonde’ I came across this rather sweet gem which I have now played several times.
Looks like I have a movie to find!"
La Danse de Mardi Gras from Les Bêtes du Sud Sauvage -
"Hi to all, thanks for another great Saturday morning's listening. Hope you are all well and enjoying the snooker.......here are my 3 tunes."
Western Movies by The Olympics -
Moonshiner by Uncle Tupelo -
Windfall by Son Volt -
https://youtube.com/watch?v=hIQFwLkNv1Q&si=EUaTEOgWzhwNISEz
"That's All Folks."
"Best wishes RPMers; here are three newly released, gentle tracks to soothe your journey towards the final month of the year."
Nada Brahma by The Cosmic Tones Research Trio -
Five and Twenty Days for Lunch by Andrew Tuttle & Michael Chapman -
Midwinter Swimmers by The Innocence Mission -
"Hi folks. Here's my 3..."
My Dream Job by Yard Act -
Truth Don Die by Femi Kuti -
Abusey Junction by Kokoroko -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo7f059kJ-A
"Take care and have a good weekend all.
Cheers!"
"More neo-prog to start with...."
The Walls of Babylon by Pendragon - "Yep, after playing the bands debut mini album I found myself voyaging through their next four releases. This is the opening track from album four, The Window of Life."
"Came across this interesting edition on the Secret North Yorkshire podcast; the story of Jimi Hendrix's “remarkable” York gig.
Here's the link if you'd like to listen https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0js6k1g
"Consequently, Axis was given a spin, also to coincide with Jimi's 82nd birthday on 27th November...."
One Rainy Wish by Jimi Hendrix -
"Disc 2 of Physical Graffiti randomly got selected for the car CD player..."
Bron-Yr-Aur by Led Zeppelin - "Well, sans rest of band, it's Jimmy Page on his own, really...love this track."
'Til Next Time...