Ready, Set....

 

I'm working on something for tomorrow that I think is a blast...if I do say so myself.

Dig this for now.

 

 

 

Wah Gwaan, Willie?

 

I recently listened to Willie Nelson's "Countryman," his 2005 reggae record which actually began production ten years earlier in 1995. I liked it when I first heard it and I still like it now. Steve Leggett over at All Music, on the other hand, does not, though his 6.4 star rating doesn't really jibe with his review, which uses phrases like "woefully out of whack" and states that "there isn't enough ganja in Kingston or enough whiskey in Nashville to make this hybrid Texas reggae idea work."

One thing I don't disagree with in Leggett's review is his assessment that "Countryman" is neither good reggae or good country. While that may be true for purists, I think the hybrid that Willie delivers works as a really fun and upbeat record. Plus, any record that has a cover of "The Harder They Come" as good is this one is surely a keeper.

 

 

 

Did She Mention My Name?

 

 

From 1964 and recorded at the legendary Cosimo Matassa's studio in New Orleans, please enjoy Ronnie Barron singing on what is essentially a Dr. John demo, one of several written and recorded by Mac Rebennack at the time, all with different vocalists.

This song, a b-side, feels more like an Allen Toussaint arrangement than anything the good Doctor would go on to create a few years later, and the backing vocals, at least to my ears, sound like a young Allen & Mac together.

I think it's a gem. 

 

Songs Of The Week, 2025: 11/8-11/14

 

Mama Told Papa- Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
So Good- P. Hux
She Knows Me Too Well- The Beach Boys
Rosewood Bitters- Michael Stanley
Can't Stand It- Wilco
Blue Sofa- The Plugz
The House Is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)- Cheap Trick

zip 

Mama Told Papa- Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
(If you dig this track, make listening to "Bayou Ruler" a priority, especially if you are yearning for a good mood.)

So Good- P. Hux
("Give me a rose, I'll kill it. Give me a glass, I'll spill it." So good.)

She Knows Me Too Well- The Beach Boys
(Something this gorgeous should have never been relegated to the b-side.)

Rosewood Bitters- Michael Stanley
(I knew this by Joe Walsh before I knew Stanley's original, which features Todd Rundgren on clavinet.)

Can't Stand It- Wilco
("No love as random, as God's love. I can't stand it. I can't stand it!"

Blue Sofa- The Plugz
(Have I mentioned that I think the two Plugz records are punk rock essentials? Yes, I have. Dozen of times. Don't let the word "punk" throw you. Listen and you'll see.)

The House Is Rockin' (With Domestic Problems)- Cheap Trick 
(This was never a fave on "Dream Police," then one day, years later, it hit me. From Zander's delivery of "all day, all night, every day, every night" to Nielsen quoting The Beatles and The Yardbirds in the fade, this is classic Trick!)

 

BW's Saturday #70: Restraint

 

News Of The Day

 

As Troy mentioned in the chatbox, there is a new Squeeze record coming next year, as well as a new Joe Jackson record. The first Squeeze single is solid, and a bit grungy for them, I think. It's also a strange choice for a first single. Still, I dig it.

Today, the new Cheap Trick record "All Washed Up"  is out. After one pass, I am not disappointed. I love their consistency and I'm thrilled they don't fix what ain't broke. Robin Zander sounds like it's 1979. 

 

There is also a big Black Crowes box out today. This features a new remaster of their 1994 hit "amorica." But it's the bonus stuff that makes this an exciting set for B.C. fans. The long lost "Marie Laveau" sessions finally gets an official release. I've been wanting this since the first time I heard them play "Exit" in concert in 1992. It also features "Tallest" which is material that was recorded either before "amorica." or immediately after, I forget.

 

 

 

And how about the new big "Black & Blue" box from the Stones? We've discussed this record numerous times on these pages. Some love it and some don't. So far, I've only heard the "Outtakes & Jams" disc and it was typically underwhelming when it comes to these things. But I did enjoy hearing "I Love Ladies" sound as good as it did. I am looking forward to hearing Steven Wilson's remix this afternoon.

That's all I've got for today.