Johnny Cash - The Fabulous Johnny Cash - 1959 - Columbia
This is JC’s 3rd album overall, and first with Columbia. Being on Columbia to me does appear to change the album. Unlike his first record, which is awesome, he wrote almost none of the songs on this one. Maybe he didn’t have any material, but to me it seems like he was caught up in the trend of record labels having songs written for artists in an attemp to ‘cast’ their artists in a certain image. That isn’t to say the record isn’t good, it is. It just isn’t as good, and it doesn’t have the same Johnny Cash feel all the way through. But it’s still super rad. Check it out.
I posted ‘Don’t Take Your Guns To Town ‘mp3 below. I know, I know its the most famous song on the album, but my favorite track on the record ‘That’s Enough’ isn’t on my computer so….
Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar - 1957 - Sun
This is a beat up, but original copy of Johnny Cash’s debut album. The quick math says this LP is 54 years old. When you consider that, it is actually in pretty good shape. Heck, I saw a woman at City Market the other day that looked like a gargoyle, and she probably wasn’t a day over 45!
On the real, this record rules, but I say I’m not going to listen to it again because it is so incredibly crackly. And every time I do listen to it, it sounds like it’s being eaten/eating my turntable. It is very nerve wracking.
The most impressive thing about this record is how assured Cash sounds. Usually it takes an artist, especially one making popular Country, quite a while to either find, or be allowed to show who they actually are (see: Nelson, William). Cash however, is exactly what made him an icon right from the start. I mean, how many people that made as many records as Cash have their career defining songs-‘I Walk The Line’ & ‘Folsom Prison Blues’- on their very first release? I’m guessing not many. Other hits include ‘Cry, Cry, Cry’ and the first version of ‘Country Boy’ and song he later re=recorded to greater effect with Thomas Petty & The Heartbreakers on ‘Unchained’ the second installment of his American recordings series. Since we’ve all heard those before, I posted the mp3 for ‘Rock Island Line’ below.
Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young - 2009 - RCA
I like this album. It isn’t great, and it isn’t The Strokes, but nor is it trying to be. But, when I listen to it, I enjoy it and that’s all I need.
There are flaws to it: somehow it is both too short and too long. There are only 8 tracks, but nearly every one drags to 5 minutes. But there are a few songs, such as ‘4 Chords Of The Apocalypse’ (mp3 below), that are both good and in a style I never thought I would hear from Casablancas. And not because of the synths and drum machines, but the sort of slow-waltzy melody it has. Casablancas has always had a way with melody, but this track has a combo Country & Western/Soul vibe (ugh that word sucks) that I didn’t see coming.
I am torn on the cover though. It seems like it looks cool, and yet I don’t think it does. I can’t say why. I realize that sounds dumb. Maybe it’s the dog. I get the joke, that is the old RCA dog, but its lame to me. I feel the same way about the title ‘Phrazes For The Young’. Why the ‘z’ in phrases? And implies a kind of preachiness that I don’t dig. Like he has all the answers for us.
Actually, a Julian Casablancas advice line would probably be really funny. Girl: ‘My 2 best friends asked me to Prom. How do I go with one, but stay friends with both?’ Julian: ‘Go to Paris’
Greg Cartwright - Live At The Circle A - 2009 - Dusty Medical Records
For starters: I love Greg Cartwright. The Oblivians, The Reigning Sound, The Detroit Cobras. I love that Garage Soul Rock. However, with all that said, I don’t like this record that much at all.
This is a solo-acoustic-live-in store album. Why a dude who does such a great job fronting a loud crunchy garage band wants to be acoustic I do not know. It isn’t that it’s bad, it just doesn’t play to his strengths. He has a good voice, but not a great one. What gets me, is that as he goes through tracks from his back catalogue you just end up wanting to hear the loud, fuzzy original. There are some good tracks don’t get me wrong. Opener ‘Better Man Than Me’ stands out in particular, but as a whole it doesn’t really do it for me.
Clarence turns in another great album of his style of Soul/Blues/Gospel/R&B. Though probably the biggest hit on the album ‘Patches’ is by no means the only good song, the whole record is great. A couple of cheating songs (we all know how Clarence adores infedelity) and even a solid cover of the previously assumed to be uncoverable ‘Let It Be’. Other bangers are ‘Till I Can’t Take It Anymore’ and ‘I’m Just A Prisoner’. Oh, and for the record ‘Patches’ is every bit the classic tear-jerker it is said to be (mp3 below). Real quick: Why is it that only tears can be jerked? Why isn’t going to the gym a ‘real sweat-jerker’?
For his albums, Clarence Carter writes/composes/arranges (not sure which term is appropriate when) all of the songs in braille (Clarence was born blind-bummer!), then has them translated for his sighted session players. While it is rad that he was able to compose the songs despite his blindness, it’s more impressive that he was able to compose his own songs at all. That’s because at this point in time (late 60’s-1970) the dominant figures in Soul music were the song writers, composers, and producers and they would just sort of plug in the artists to sing these already created songs. So it’s pretty special that he was able to bust out of that and make his own records.
Clarence Carter - This Is Clarence Carter - 1968 - Atlantic
Clarence Carter is after your woman. He may not be able to see her (Clarence was born blind) but he doesn’t care. Nor does he care that she is involved with you, in fact as in ‘Slippin’ Around’ he prefers it: Sample lyric “It’s so romantic/Slippin Around”. Adultery is a regular theme in Carter’s early work. Whether it’s him cheating ‘Slippin’ Around’ or her ‘She Ain’t Gonna Do Right’ (mp3 below) it’s being talked about in a lot of his early albums. Later on he just talked about sex no matter with whom (See: ‘Strokin’). Also, check out the awesome but borderline-flatulant keyboard line in ‘She Ain’t Gonna Do Right’.
As for the album as a whole it’s some of the better Country-Soul-Blues you’ll hear. Carter has a voice that is both commanding and accomodating. Riding the song, but never overwhelming it.
Clarence dresses good. If Stevie Wonder would have been dressed by the same person that dresses Clarence he would have been saved a lot of embrassment. Namely that time he was wearing this shit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUXTG6ShYKk. Who lets a blind dude walk out of the crib like that?
The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo - Columbia - 1968
They Byrds gone Country (you know like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si-ja75bFvI). After Crosby left the band Roger McGuinn wanted to shake things up a bit and decided to add Gram Parsons to the group, and they ended up making one of the best country rock albums of all time. Adding Gram Parsons to the record sort of reminds me of how every young Southern Rapper tries to get 8Ball & MJG or Scarface on their album for street cred.
Apparently McGuinn wanted to do a double album playing the history of American music. So, it would start with Bluegrass and Appalachian and flow through Blues, Jazz, Rock and end with Moog synthesized Electronica. That would have either been awesome or awful, I’m not sure. I’m leaning towards awful. Either way, Parsons ended up changing their minds, and convincing the band to go to Nashville and record an album of all Country songs. Thank you Gram.
It’s hard to really say a whole lot about albums like this. It’s great. Everyone agrees that it’s great. If you haven’t heard it, you should. Especially if you like Country, Country Rock, Gram Parsons, The Byrds, or America. My favorite track is ‘You’re Still On My Mind’ (mp3 below) give it a listen. I think it’s what they call Honk-Tonk.
Now, I can’t really add anything about the goodness of the record, but I can pass on some tidbits about it. For one thing, I had the time line of releases totally wrong. See, Gram Parsons first group The International Submarine Band is largely credited with making the first Country Rock album ‘Safe At Home’. What I didn’t realize is that due to Gram leaving the band and contract nonsense, when he joined The Byrds ‘Safe At Home’ had been recorded, but not yet released. So, though he was one of the originators of Country Rock, no one really knew that yet. That blows up my theory of The Byrds bringing him on just for street cred. Whoops.
I’m just kidding. Pete Shelley’s voice is very not soothing. In fact, it would sound like donkey shit if he were in a different band. However, it is perfect for this band and the style of buzzsaw pop-punk that they perfected. These dudes ripped almost constantly from 1977-1979 and then promptly imploded. However, they left behind 3 studio albums, and this impeccable collection of their singles from that period.
This record collects the A and B sides from all of their UK singles from 77-79. Really impressive is how great the B-Sides are. No throwaways or weirdo covers or live versions like you see nowadays. Nearly every song on here is awesome, ‘Orgasm Addict’ being the exception (I’m a prude). I posted an mp3 of ‘Autonomy’ below. Give it a listen.
One thing I love is Pete Shelley’s ability to twist the song just a bit to add a little more melody to everything. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s something that makes things just…catchier. Here, watch the video for ‘I Don’t Mind’ below: From about 0:44-0:55 is the type of thing I’m talking about. There has to be a word for that sort of thing. Somebody help me out.
Another person who does this is Akon, and I love it. Akon rules.
