Blue Moon Playlist Review Club - Season 2, Episode 18 - BM Openers - Out on blue 6 (pg 353)

[mancity111]

More busy than avoiding. 2 listens in, aiming for 4. Not for me, sorry, can't get past that. The ballads on the album are for me far more suitable than the upbeat ones, and her voice and delivery is in no way grating. But ultimately, I cringe more than I tap/nod etc.

I really don't know what it is about that genre that I can't get over. It is after all Folk's 'cousin', and I love Folk. But then I love my wife and her cousin is a bit of a bellend, so there's that.

To quote the great know it all's in this world who say something when its actually nothing it is what it is and I am sure someone out there does not regard your cousin as a bellend.

Allison does have a good voice that some could argue is similar to many others of this genre in both pitch and delivery when we strive for difference and curiosity hence unless you have listened to a much of her product you might not pin her down ala Cheryl Crow that comes to mind but that's fine.

Perception and your ear and mind are different to mine and TS when you hear AM , you just don't dig it simple as no dramas at all.

 

[mancity111]

I know a whole load of things contributed to their collapse but All Things Must Pass raises one of the great "what if" questions in music, what if Lennon and McCartney (mostly McCartney I think form what I've read) had embraced Harrison's song writing ability rather than chaffing against it.

Glad to hear you are enjoying the pick. I'm slightly worried that @Coatigan is conspicuous by his absence on the music threads these last couple of days, I'm really hoping my nomination hasn't tipped him over the edge!

Yes all those moments that end up ensuring that often go beyond the music and involve ego , outside influences and direction alone, that a band must have and should have a limited life span.

Lennon was a joker on the outside but I believed loved the lifestyle despite marrying early and was in it warts and all for what fame and influence could give him and remember he lost his mother early in terrible circumstances so he had a hard nasty cynical edge to him which had synchronicity with Paul's nature.

Harrison IMO was the biggest talent both musically and beyond and at some stage wanted to express that in his is music and while still having a large penchant for woman knew early days there was much more to explore beyond the Beatles and Beatlemania.

In many ways I am glad they split up when they did.

 

[mancity111]

That last sentence made me laugh.

Who knows why certain genres do or don't work for people, maybe there's some subliminal trauma in your past? Did your parents dress you up in cowboy outfits to make you look 'cute' when you were little?

Coat would have to rate Far Away Eyes as the worst song the Stones ever recorded by a Country and Western mile and unless he had the mute button on would clearly cringe at Beyonce's latest video.

Don't get me wrong there is some shocking Country , Pop , Rock and Americana in the market place but there is some top shelf stuff as well and this selection is by any measure very good.

 

[RobMCFC]

Now that I've listened to this week's album, I was hoping to get stuck back into this playlist but the updates seem to have stopped!

Anyway, to help out, I made a new playlist of the songs that have been added since the last update.

 

[OB1]

Now that I've listened to this week's album, I was hoping to get stuck back into this playlist but the updates seem to have stopped!

Anyway, to help out, I made a new playlist of the songs that have been added since the last update.

Sorry, been busier than expected but also there weren't loads of new offerings. I will update the original now.

Any more songs before I add my final choice?

 

[OB1]

I've updated the original. Thanks for doing the hard work Rob.

 

[threespires]

Sorry, been busier than expected but also there weren't loads of new offerings. I will update the original now.

Any more songs before I add my final choice?

This list falls into the quality not quantity category. Pretty much something for everyone with the possible exception of having one of the earlier pioneers like a Blind Willie Johnson, but nonetheless so much to like.

Obviously Allman and Derek Trucks, the modern keeper of the flame. RL Burnside representing the glorious Fat Possum label. The evergreen Bonnie Raitt, Gary Clark Jnr and John Hiatt and Sonny Landreth to name a few. What particularly strikes me about this playlist is there is just class and quality at every turn.

 

[OB1]

This list falls into the quality not quantity category. Pretty much something for everyone with the possible exception of having one of the earlier pioneers like a Blind Willie Johnson, but nonetheless so much to like.

Obviously Allman and Derek Trucks, the modern keeper of the flame. RL Burnside representing the glorious Fat Possum label. The evergreen Bonnie Raitt, Gary Clark Jnr and John Hiatt and Sonny Landreth to name a few. What particularly strikes me about this playlist is there is just class and quality at every turn.

I'll bring it to a close then by adding the Allman Bros "Statesboro Blues" from Live at the Fillmore East.

 

[RobMCFC]

The Big Winner

"Theme from Southern Comfort" - Ry Cooder

I've not heard this for a long time but it was wonderful hearing it again.
As OB1 said in his write-up, it leans more on atmosphere than extensive slide playing. As well as being a wonderful piece of music, this one really conjures up a time and place for me. We got our first video recorder in late 1983, and in the next two or three years, I made my way though a series of classic films that I'd never seen in the cinema. These included two of my favourite "outdoor" films, First Blood and Southern Comfort, both of which made my top 20 list when BlueHammer did his favourite movies poll a few years ago.

To be honest, there weren't any bad songs here because you can't really go wrong with a bit of slide.
But here are the others that caught my ear.

New songs

"Midnight in Harlem" - Tedeschi Trucks Band
"No Business" - Bonnie Riatt
"Got Messed Up" - R.L.Burnside
"Texas Flood" - Stevie Ray Vaughan - a very famous album that I've somehow never listened to before! The album cover is very familiar.
"Day After Day" - Badfinger
"The Heart Collector" - Doug Wamble

Others I knew that I enjoyed listening to again

"Tush" - ZZ Top
"Victim of Love" - The Eagles
"Auberge" - Chris Rea - haven't heard this one for years but I really enjoyed this re-listen.
"Lipstick Sunset" - John Hiatt - one of my favourite artists, this is from his most famous album, although I think that the one that followed,
Slow Turning, is his best .
"Children of Children" - Jason Isbell

 

[Black&White&BlueMoon Town]

BM – Slide on Over

Thanks to @OB1 for putting this playlist concept together. This had both some nice challenges of listening, as well as a good selection of songs to enjoy on my trip to Nashville. I also re-listened to BimboBo's Love playlist on the road, which still sounded good.

Of the initial 5 songs, “Theme from Southern Comfort” by Ry Cooder was the new and standout track. I also enjoyed the other 4 of which I know quite well. “Slow Ride” could have also fit in well on the Made By The Bass Playlist as it thumped its way through the verses. A very strong use of the slide guitar on each track, especially on Zep’s classic.

The Big Winner
“Auberge” – Chris Rea. I thought the knocked over bottle and the starting of the vehicle sounds in the background on the beginning of the track was a nice and clever use of what was to come with the slide guitar and theme of the song. Just a stellar performance both vocally and with the guitar.

My top 5 other new tracks (not yet heard in some or no particular order):

1. "Got Messed Up" – R.L. Burnside, a nice slow moving funky bluesy number
2. “Good Arms vs Bad Arms" – Frightened Rabbit, another strong track from this band, wasn’t expecting them to show up here
3. “Levee Town” – Sonny Landreth, John Hiatt, a nice slide guitar solo featured with good biblical references to the challenges of the title of the song
4. "The Heart Collector" – Doug Wamble, nice slide guitars on this
5. “The Full Catastrophe” – John Mellencamp, a nice tune

Best of a song I knew

“Midnight In Harlem” – Tedeschi Trucks Band, a favo(u)rite of theirs, while the guitar is nice, the vocals really carry this

Top 5 tracks I knew but enjoyed listening to again (in some or no particular order):

1. "Day After Day" - Badfinger, a really underrated song
2. "Statesboro Blues" - Allman Brothers Band, the Gold Standard of Slide
3. "The Weight" – Aretha Franklin, knew the song by The Band, but the original here I did not
4. “Dixie Chicken” – Little Feat, LF has always aged well with me
5. "Don’t Mean Nothing" – Richard Marx, with a little help from his friend Joe Walsh