Philip Catherine - Nairam

The triumphant return of Philip Catherine to these pages, and the triumphant return of "Nairam": I posted another version of this tune the other day. This version is probably better, but the band name on the earlier post was cooler, so it evens out.

And the only thing better than the sleeve pictured above is this sleeve:

Steely Dan - Rose Darling

I'm claiming this as the definitive Steely Dan deep cut. (Brooklyn, the song Gaucho, Green Earrings, Caves Of Altamira, Time Out Of Mind, Any Major Dude, the song The Royal Scam, and Midnight Cruiser don't count as deep cuts.)

The juxtaposition of this verse and this chorus yields an interesting mixture of colours/flavours. Close harmonies from Michael McDonald at 1:12. Perhaps his biggest challenge until he harmonized with himself on Peg?

The pre-chorus bit (at 1:04) reminds of this.

More Dan of Steel-related material coming tomorrow!

Spaghetti Head - Funky Axe

Saturday Night Special

Jackson 5 - Forever Came Today

I'm loving Michael's vocal on this. And to see some ridiculously good footwork/showmanship, go here.

 Graeme Edge Band - The Tunnel

Joe Higgs - There's a Reward

This song is the island musical equivalent of Hopkins's Carrion Comfort. Or something.

Can: Vernal Equinox (live)

Oh sweet Lord.

Smokey Robinson - The Agony and the Ecstasy

From 1975's great A Quiet Storm. Listening to this song is a reminder that there are degrees of agony and ecstasy that I can only dream of. And sorry about the image. But sometimes google images just throws you a bone.

The Seldom Scene: Doing My Time
and a more popular cover Baby Blue;
Live at the Cellar Door

Headstone - Turn Your Head

best singing of the word "cloud"

Sadistic Mika Band - Hi Jack (I'm Just Dying)

Some choice pre-YMO here of sorts (Yukihiro Takahashi is the drummer in this band). Music by Kazuhiko Katoh, lyrics by Yuji Konno, in tribute to Jack Nicholson. Recorded at Onkyo House Studio, Tokyo, July 1975. Produced by Chris Thomas.

Don't go to Houston, you should come to Tokyo
Would you believe in a big chance meeting?

Emmett Presents: The End Is Not In Sight



Side A
Modern Folk Quartet - This Could Be The Night
Twin Engine - Mistress Of The Morning
Nancy Sinatra - Sugar Me
Lio - You Go To My Head
Step Lang - Airborn
George Martin & His Orchestra - Theme One

Side B
Bachdenkel - Long Time Living
Caramba - Fedora (I'll Be Your Dawg)
Split Enz - Six Months In A Leaky Boat
Tomita - Clair de Lune
Tuesday - Sewing Machine
Helen Banks - Do You Know

Side C
Up 'N Adam - Rainmaker
El Tigre - Figure
Hybrid Kids - D'Ya Think I'm Sexy?
William Onyeabor - Good Name
John Keating - Rocket Man

Side D
Violeta Parra - Arauco Tiene Una Pena
The Carpenters - Superstar (Rapson re-edit)
Simon & Garfunkel - So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
Jerry Garcia - Eep Hour
Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Spaceship Orion

all-in-one zip file

Featuring music from six continents, and dedicated to the people of Japan. I'm going to Ireland for two weeks, but when I get back... IT'S ON.

The Grease Band - New Morning

As I mentioned previously, there's a new mastermix in the works. It'll be a combination of highlights from the last six months and a fresh batch of "new" songs. But these things take time, and so to stem the creeping tide of moribundity I offer this amuse-bouche, featuring British journeyman legends Henry McCullough (Eire Apparent; Wings) on vocals and guitar and Alan Spenner (Wynder K. Frog; Roxy Music) on vocals and bass. Kind of like with this one, I'm not sure I ever really noticed the melody on this tune until I heard this version. A huge number of bonus points are bestowed for the Harrisonian arpeggios at 0:28.

Soon come, rastas. Soon come.

Art Garfunkel: Break Away

It's just a phase you're going through...

Emmett presents: "The Waiting Is The Hardest Part"
Spring-Summer Megamix 2010

Face A
Grandstand - Soul Stage Orchestra
Hilly Fields (1892) - Nick Nicely
Just For Me - Manfred Mann
Skyline - Norman Greenbaum
Zoo Gang - Paul McCartney
The John Scene - Tigers On Vaseline

Face B
Morpha Too (rough mix) - Big Star
You Were So Warm - Dwight Twilley Band
Looking For The Magic - Dwight Twilley Band
Cantata Per Maryam - Piero Umiliani
Like We Were Before - Song
The Mess (live) - Wings

Face C
DK 50-80 - Otway & Barrett
Towering Inferno - The Green Arrows
Space (excerpt) - Georges Rodi
Magic - Unknown Artist
Strangers From The Light - Baltinore
Cosmic Surfin' - Haruomi Hosono

Face D
Brodovi - VIA Talas
Summertime City - Mike Batt with The New Edition
(Like A) Locomotion - Leftside
Cardboard Lamb - Crash Course In Science
Under Your Thumb - Godley & Creme
Everyday - William Onyeabor

Face E
Doot Doot (extended version) - Freur
C'est Fab - Nancy Sesay & The Melodaires
Ain't You - Kleenex
Marcy - Norman Greenbaum
Petrol Flowin - Yan d'Ys
Honey In The Rock - Blind Mamie Forehand

zip file with all 30 songs, plus m3u

This megamix is dedicated to my son Noah, born the day after this was posted!

Lesson of the day.

Jacob Miller: Each One Teach One

Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
It's all been ground down to molasses.

The Band: Ain't No More Cane

Little wiki on the song here.

Charles Mingus: Remember Rockefeller at Attica

From Changes One. The song was not originally written with this title. Mingus changed it, explaining to Nat Hentoff that "he ought to give titles to my music that makes people think." And specifically about this song -- "We ought to remember that here was a man who could have cut off the water supply and the food supply and ended the prisoners' rebellion that way. Instead he sent the army in and shot his own men as well as the prisoners. That's the part to remember--that Rockefeller is a very dangerous man."

It's interesting - the song title changes the impact of the song a good deal, and I'd like to know what it was originally titled. As it stands, it is so heavy with irony.

Read about the Attica prison riots here. And because it's the dog days, here's the 'Attica' scene from Dog Day Afternoon:

R. Stevie Moore - Showing Shadows

Keeping the vibe going. Lots of tasty chord changes in this one. Extended version available on this.