Here is volume two of the new series that premiered last week "Recent Favorites." This will continue to be a series without a theme other than collecting songs I have been enjoying over the last week and zipping them up for your enjoyment.
TRACKLIST
Flat Backin'- Brother Jack McDuff
From Russia With Love- Ray Barretto
There Goes A Tenner- Kate Bush
The Place- The Action
Black Scorpio- Mott The Hoople
Back N Blue- Cheap Trick
The Sun Never Sets- Cheap Trick
Everybody Knows- Cheap Trick
Branches- Midlake
Be With Me- Beach Boys
The Fool On The Hill- Aretha Franklin
Moon Rappin'- Brother Jack McDuff
Why the block of Cheap Trick? I'll tell you. A friend from Rockford, Illinois, who claims to love the band, made a comment about giving up after "Dream Police." I am well aware that many feel the same way. I do not. As a matter of fact, I prefer all six of the records in the photo above to "Dream Police." There is life after "Dream Police!" My first thought was a mix of post-"Dream Police" tracks, but a) it was too difficult to keep it under 80 minutes and b) I may have done it before, but was too lazy to check. So, here are three faves smack dab in the middle.
I thought I'd share a track from "Senor 007," which is still featured as a capsule review on the left. This record is a blast.
Sal Maida's Spin Cycle radio show was a winner once again last week. (You haven't lived until you've heard Suicide segue into Little Anthony & The Imperials.) But I really enjoyed hearing "There Goes A Tenner" by Kate Bush. I like Kate, but admittedly only know bits and pieces from her records, and this track was new to me.
I've written about The Action a number of times and I am sure I have shared "The Place" just as often. But a discussion with a friend on Tuesday night about how much he loved The Action made me want to hear the band, and that song specifically, yet again.
Mott's "Black Scorpio" is a track that was originally written for "Brain Capers," but then got reworked and Bowie-fied for "All The Young Dudes" as "Momma's Little Jewel." I think I prefer the slinky, slower "Dudes" version, but I really loved hearing those backing vocals on the coda of the original when it popped up on the iPod the other day.
A new reissue of Midlake's "Trial Of Van Occupanther" was released last week and it made me play the record for the first time in ages. Man, it was better than I remembered it. Simply gorgeous from head to tail. Check out "Branches."
Why the Beach Boys' "20/20" doesn't get the kudos that "Sunflower" or "Surf's Up" get is a mystery to me. This record has been in and out of heavy rotation for a few months now, and dare I say, it's becoming my third favorite BB's album.
I picked up a cheap copy of Aretha's boxed set of Atlantic 60's albums, worth every penny of course, but even better to have that rarities collection on vinyl. Every track a winner, especially this version of "Fool On The Hill."
We open and close with two tracks from "Moon Rappin'," Brother Jack McDuff's oft-sampled, 1970 groove fest for Blue Note. It is finally getting a reissue and come May, vinyl lovers won't have to shell out $150 for a copy. That announcement made me want to hear it and it kicked my ass so hard, I played it twice. It took all I had not to share the whole damn thing. What a badass session! Listen to that drum sound, for Pete's sake.
If you're not into the whole unzipping thing, do me a favor and dial up your favorite streaming site and listen to Brother Jack McDuff's "Moon Rappin'." Trust me on this. I'll get you started.
10 comments:
I've always loved Aretha's version of that great song. Nice weekend mix. Thanks, Sal.
One of my favorite things is to convince people there is great music beyond an artist/group's initial/legendary release(s).
Dylan's my favorite one in that category, but it also comes up with XTC, Prince, Lou Reed, and many others.
I've never been a big Cheap Trick fan one way or the other, but you've changed my mind on these topics many a time so I'm ready. The most dramatic shift was your blog revealing the power of Thin Lizzy to me - decades after I'd been ignorin' them. You've done this for me with a lot of other artists you've featured deeper cuts on that I had ignored, like the Monkees and a lot of bands I liked for 2-3 songs but never dug deeper to find hidden treasures (Queen, Blue Oyster Cult, Kiss and solo records).
So keep 'em coming. Some of us still have a lot of discovering to do, even of things hidden in plain daylight.
You've never listened to "The Dreaming" by Kate Bush in full? Get on that, sir!
Let me rephrase my Kate Bush comment--
I've heard every Kate record a number of times, but only remember bits and pieces of her earlier records. My faves are "Hounds," "Sensual" and "Red Shoes" and usually reach for those. But, I am definitely hitting "The Dreaming" this weekend and looking forward to it.
Now I'll have to listen to 20/20 again,
I hear there's a good weekend on the way.
You're right. A wonderful album that for some reason I did not have a positive feel for. That 1-2 punch of 'Do It Again' and 'I Can Hear Music' alone is worth the price of admission.
Midlake - I live that album! Head Home, Roscoe, and It Covers the Hillsides are frequently on rotation, and that whole album is gorgeous.
Also, great choice with Sun Never Sets, which is my favorite from that album. There is a lot of great CT after Dream Police, even with some bad 80s production and no Tom Peterson on some of it. The last decade especially has been great, and criminally under-heard
Nice mixed bag. Great listening for the ladies alone: Aretha, Dame Kate, Cheap Trick (er, no, perhaps not including the Trick there). Me & a mate always say maybe the Trick should dial it down a tad or two, but then I guess it wouldn't be Cheap Trick, would it? Thanks a bundle & have a great weekend. Cheers!
Brother Jack mixing it up! I love that guy. Looks like another good one for the weekend. Thank you.
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