May 25, 2006
Playlist - Blues, R&B, Soul
I'm gonna start posting the "current playlist" closer to the first of each month, so expect to see it next week. I've also decided to periodically post playlists based on certain artists, styles, or themes. I've wanted to post classical and jazz and electronic and South American and everything-else playlists for a while now, so I might as well get around to it.
The first one is a mixed bag of styles - blues, R&B, and soul - that often share influences and roots but take them in different directions.
| Robert Johnson - Sweet Home Chicago >> If I'm posting a list that includes blues, the first selection must be from the grandaddy, Mr. Johnson. The "greatest blues singer of all time" supposedly sold his soul to the devil for his guitar skills, right there at the junction of Highways 61 & 49 in Clarksdale, Miss. And we should all feel blessed that he did it. 'Sweet Home Chicago' comes to you straight from 1936. |
| Eric Clapton - When You Got A Good Friend >> This is Eric Clapton's version of a Robert Johnson tune. Clapton manages to give it a modern sound, yet still keep it fairly raw and true to the original. Clapton has done a bunch of Robert Johnson covers. This one comes from his most recent attempt, an album called Me and Mr. Johnson. |
| Blind Willie McTell - Southern Can Is Mine >> Blind Willie McTell is another father of the blues (whose style is decidedly different from Johnson's). This is one of my favorites, an upbeat tune from around 1931. Some of you may be familiar with it from the cover done by the White Stripes. |
| Mississippi John Hurt - Spike Driver Blues >> Hurt made some recordings in the era of Johnson and McTell. He was later rediscovered by a musicologist in 1963 and ended up recording more material. He performed all over the country for the next few years, most notably at the Newport Folk Festival in '63. This one comes from the version of Avalon Blues recorded that year. |
| Mississippi John Hurt - Salty Dog >> An incredibly simple yet catchy tune, also from Avalon Blues 1963. I've mentioned this before, but 'Kids In The Hall' star (and blues man wannabe) Mark McKinney does a funny bluesman impression ('Mississippi Gary') based largely on Mississippi John Hurt. Listen to Smokin' on a Night Train (Chewin' on a Jelly Roll) (MP3). |
| Muddy Waters - Blow Wind Blow >> A father of blues and rock 'n' roll, Muddy Waters injected lots of rhythm into the blues, using instruments like the piano and electric guitar. (He also has roots in Mississippi, but he moved to Chicago early on, where he picked up electric guitar). |
| John Hammond Jr. - Drop Down Mama >> Changing gears a bit, here's an early example of one direction new artists took blues in the '60s (country/folk-ified blues). Hammond is the son of the famous producer John Hammond. He's worked with lots of big names over the years, but many people haven't heard of him for some reason. |
| Dr. John - Loser For You Baby >> Now we go to New Orleans for Dr. John's interesting mix of blues, rock, and other styles. This one comes from the mid- to late sixties. |
| Dr. John - Mean Cheatin' Woman >> Another tune from the same period. I like this one for the twangy country guitar and organ. |
| Albert King - Born Under A Bad Sign (feat. Stevie Ray Vaughan) >> A fine blues song from the late '60s. King was one of the greats of blues guitar, but this version actually features Stevie Ray Vaughan shredding it up on the electric guitar. This is a really cool recording of a classic song. |
| B.B. King - Please Love Me >> B.B. King is another towering figure in the world of the blues. This one comes from his famous "Live At The Regal" recording of 1964. Note the horns and jazzier feel of this one compared to others on the list so far. |
| Little Willie John - Need Your Love So Bad >> Now we move into the smoother sound of "rhythm and blues." This is a great tune from the '50s ('56, I think). |
| Ray Charles - What'd I Say >> Now we're getting pretty far from the 'blues' part of R&B and getting closer to soul. (Of course, Ray Charles recorded everything from country and jazz to gospel and blues - and mixed them all - over the course of his career, so it's always impossible to categorize his music.) This song, from 1959, is one of my favorites from his early years. I'm not sure how to characterize it, but there are heavy hints of blues and gospel. |
| Ray Charles - Mary Ann >> Another early recording in which Charles mixes the jazzy, big band sound with a more soulful, bluesy sound. |
| Ray Charles - Hallelujah I Love Her So >> One more '50s tune from Ray before I move on. A great synthesis of styles helps make this an incredibly catchy song. |
| Clarence Carter - Slip Away >> Skipping ahead a decade, here's a fine R&B/soul song from 1968. The guitar basically becomes a backing rhythm instrument as the song progresses. |
| Otis Redding - (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay >> Another great tune from the late '60s, from soul singer Otis Redding. It would have been interesting to see how his sound would have progressed if he had lived, because this song (recorded only days before the plane crash) is different than most of his other work. |
| Mary Love - Born To Live With Heartache >> The soulful sound of R&B in the early '70s is in full force in this song (but my how those lyrics are reminiscent of older blues songs). A great song from someone you've probably never heard of. |
| Bettye LaVette - Joy >> Bettye is a soul singer (largely unknown until recently) who mixes lots of styles (soul, blues, funk, gospel). She's appeared once or twice on my playlists. This song is from her excellent 2005 album "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise." Her 60 year-old voice makes the songs like this - with bluesy lyrics - particularly effective. |
25 May 14:05 | Link | Category: Music
May 11, 2006
Photography Links
It's been a long while since I listed photo links, so here are three:
- Marc Deneyer (look at Greenland)
- Robert Hall (I'm most fond of the Desert and Railroad photos)
- Infrared photos
11 May 21:43 | Link | Category: Photography
Space Colony Art
As a kid, I spent altogether too much time reading anything in the library that had to do with space. My favorite books were the ones that included ideas and predictions about the future of space exploration (like 'Spacefarers' and 'Starbound' from the 'Voyage Through the Universe' series). I loved sci-fi and I was sure I'd be living in space by the time I was an adult, so this stuff completely sucked me in.
I was excited to recently find a link to a page at NASA with space colony artwork from the 70s. I spent lots of childhood moments looking at images like this one and this one, imagining how cool life in the future would be.
11 May 20:01 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment, Science
May 3, 2006
Colbert's D.C. Truthiness
If you haven't seen the video of Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, you can grab a copy from Crooks and Liars.
People far and wide have been weighing in on this. I happen to be a huge fan of Colbert's brand of satire and irony, especially since he adopted the right-wing talk show pundit persona. So I basically agreed with Salon's Michael Scherer, who said:
It was Colbert's crowning moment. His imitation of the quintessential GOP talking head -- Bill O'Reilly meets Scott McClellan -- uncovered the inner workings of the ever-cheapening discourse that passes for political debate.
I also liked what Joan Walsh had to say:
Colbert's deadly performance did more than reveal, with devastating clarity, how Bush's well-oiled myth machine works. It exposed the mainstream press' pathetic collusion with an administration that has treated it -- and the truth -- with contempt from the moment it took office. Intimidated, coddled, fearful of violating propriety, the press corps that for years dutifully repeated Bush talking points was stunned and horrified when someone dared to reveal that the media emperor had no clothes. Colbert refused to play his dutiful, toothless part in the White House correspondents dinner -- an incestuous, backslapping ritual that should be retired.
Update: Video of Bush's reaction to Colbert's Press Secretary audition sketch (interesting between about 2:50 and 3:30)
03 May 23:35 | Link | Category: Humor, Opinion & Thoughts, Video