Country Music - Elvis Costello and a Bonus Rant

I recently completed a viewing of Ken Burn's Country Music documentary on PBS.   It took me back to the shock of punk/new wave icon Elvis Costello releasing an album of country covers.

Elvis Costello - Almost Blue (Columbia 1981)

Elvis and the Attractions descended on Nashville and worked out of CBS studios.  Elvis' fondness for county music lyrics should come as no surprise.  His work to date contained many of the same sensibilities and stories.

The back cover states the recording has 'no spoiler signal.'  A spoiler signal was a tone placed on recordings that supposedly made them unable to be home recorded.  The record companies believed  home taping was killing music.  This was never true in my book.  Home taping was a way of getting to know an artist before making a commitment.   Greed was killing music. 

Witness CD's when they were released.  At the onset they were expensive.  A promise was made once they hit total acceptance, the economy of scale would bring the price down.  We all know that didn't happen.

If You Get Fired - Own the Moment.....

Keef Hartley was the drummer in John Mayall's band in the late 60's   He replaced Mick Fleetwood in the original Bluesbreakers lineup.  At some point he either was fired or quit.  He then formed his own band.

Keef Hartley Band  - Halfbreed (Deram 1969)

How did he won his sacking?  Well the first track, Sacked, features a phone call from Mayall to Hartley telling him he's fired.   Is it real?   It contradicts the title of the instrumental track on Mayall's Bare Wires entitled Hartley Quits. 

Keef's schtick was to dress like an American Indian behind the drum kit. 

The band lasted for a few more albums, all good examples of UK blues.   The Keef Hartley Band played Woodstock, but due to technical difficulties was neither filmed not recorded.

 

Pop Artist Doing an Album of Standards

I recently heard a trailer for the Linda Ronstadt documentary.  I think it was Stevie Nicks - that nasal voiced, coke addled, high priestess of rock - commenting how Linda was the first rock/pop artist to explore The Great American Songbook.   Not so fast witchy-poo. 

Harry Nilsson did it a good then years prior. 

Nilsson - A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (RCA 1973)

This was a somewhat bold move for someone primarily known as a songwriter.  Not what his audience expected after the top notch rockin Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson LP's.

Where Linda used Nelson Riddle for orchestration, Harry used Gordon Jenkins for arrangements.   Jenkins preceded Riddle in his work with Sinatra.

A Pretty Awesome Genesis B Side

Genesis was one of the best of the early 70's prog bands.   They brought a clever sense of humor to the proceedings - something sorely lacking in most classically trained musicians. 

Along the way  - the band issued a pretty awesome B-Side

Genesis  - I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) b/w Twilight Ale House (Charisma 1973)

With the A side pulled from Selling England By the Pound (get the pun?) Genesis had a shot at getting themselves a hit single.  They placed Twilight Ale House on the B-Side - complete with prog freakout coupled with references to LSD and paranoia.   IMHO it's a stunner...

The band lasted another year and change.   Peter Gabriel left the band to fend for themselves.  They still had the musicianship, but morphed into some sort of cross between prog, arena rock and catchy tunes.    Feh!

Gentle Giant - So You Want a Hit Single? Here!

1974.  Gentle Giant goes to a new label that desperately wants a hit single.   The band, being a pretty hard core prog unit was at a loss.  Their decision - let's write something catchy and stupid.  We'll see how it catches on.

The result was this.....

Gentle Giant  - The Power and the Glory b/w Playing the Game (WWA 1974)

It was not a hit and the band was then encouraged to do what they do best. As opposed to most other prog bands of the era, their stuff has aged well.

Things I Once Thought We True, But Later Found Out they Weren't - Woodstock Album

Taking a quick break from dead guys on this dia de los muertos.

We all knew this album backwards and forwards.  We all marveled at how side one was backed by side six.  Side two was backed by side five.  We played The Fish Cheer and giggled.  

Woodstock  - Music From the Original Soundtrack and More (Cotillion 1970)

I always thought the music came exclusively from the festival.   We'll I was wrong.

Arlo Guthrie's Coming Into Los Angeles was recorded at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's Sea of Madness was recorded at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA.

So there....

RIP Series - Ginger Baker

This one actually made the front page of the newspaper.   Ginger Baker was one of the greatest rock drummers ever - although he claimed he never played rock drums.   His background was jazz when he joined Cream.  His influences were Art Blakey and African music.  He incorporated this into his work with Cream which opened up their influential 'power trio' sound.

He had the demeanor of a crotchety old man since his '20's.

Following Cream he (as rumor has it) weaseled his way into Blind Faith against Eric Clapton's wishes.   He then pulled together his own Band - Ginger Baker's Airforce with a host of legendary players.

Ginger Baker's Air Force (Atco 1970)

In the early '70's he moved to Africa to pursue his drumming passion.  There he opened a recording studio (used by McCartney for Band on the Run) and championed local musician Fela Kuti - playing with him live and on record. 

Many projects followed.  The Baker-Gurvitz Army.  Appearances on PIL's fantastic Album release.  Joining Hawkwind for a spell.

A nice surprise for me was an instrumental album he made later in his career.

Ginger Baker - Middle Passage (Axiom 1990)

I picked it up because it looked interesting and was inexpensive.  Boy I was glad I did.

Required viewing is the documentary Beware Mr. Baker.  The opening sequence has him breaking the nose of his interviewer!