Wednesday, February 07, 2007:
[Jericho Beach Music @
iTunes Music Store, and @ 
eMusic]
IODA: Wailin' Jennys
The Wailin' Jennys -- Long Time Traveller[Jericho Beach Music @
iTunes Music Store, and @ eMusic]
posted by Tuwa @
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Monday, November 20, 2006:
Allmusic.com calls this song "industrial gospel," and that sounds like as good a description as any. I wouldn't agree that it's jarring, though; I find it fascinating, quirky, and unexpected but not perturbing or unpleasant. Instead I find I stop what I'm doing and listen to that high voice over the dull rattle of the pressing of cheap metal.
[Angola Prison Worksongs@ amazon]
[Angola Prison Worksongs @ emusic]
Robert Pete Williams covers "John Henry" on this disc, and he was a great find. But I'm going with this track and saving Williams for an upcoming post.
Off for a week to be with family.
Murray Macon -- Jesus Cares
Murray Macon -- Jesus CaresAllmusic.com calls this song "industrial gospel," and that sounds like as good a description as any. I wouldn't agree that it's jarring, though; I find it fascinating, quirky, and unexpected but not perturbing or unpleasant. Instead I find I stop what I'm doing and listen to that high voice over the dull rattle of the pressing of cheap metal.
[Angola Prison Worksongs@ amazon]
[Angola Prison Worksongs @ emusic]
Robert Pete Williams covers "John Henry" on this disc, and he was a great find. But I'm going with this track and saving Williams for an upcoming post.
Off for a week to be with family.
Labels: gospel
posted by Tuwa @
22:52 | permalink |
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Thursday, August 31, 2006:
Gospel/soul/R&B today from The Staple Singers--a violin, a guitar, a cello, a quartet, sedate drumming--a lullaby for troubled souls.
[Soul Folk in Action]
Wally Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work, and its history.
Assault by racoon.
Are you being astroturfed? The ever-impressive Teresa Nielsen Hayden has a roundup of posts about it.
The communicative power of silence. With my recent silence I wasn't trying to communicate anything, but if I had been, it would have been "I'm out of town because of a family emergency."
On the trip, my thoughts kept circling back to "Bartleby the Scrivener"--nearly every day I was reminded of mankind's fundamental freedom, even to do pointless or harmful things. I'm tempted to relate that to the myth of the omnipresent enemy, and the reality of the enemies that the U.S. does have, but that's only because I'm a dirty hippie who thinks that freedom is good, subjugation and exploitation are bad, and that rage (even insane self-destructive rage) is a common result of the latter.
The Staple Singers -- Slow Train
The Staple Singers -- Slow TrainGospel/soul/R&B today from The Staple Singers--a violin, a guitar, a cello, a quartet, sedate drumming--a lullaby for troubled souls.
[Soul Folk in Action]
Wally Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work, and its history.
Assault by racoon.
Are you being astroturfed? The ever-impressive Teresa Nielsen Hayden has a roundup of posts about it.
The communicative power of silence. With my recent silence I wasn't trying to communicate anything, but if I had been, it would have been "I'm out of town because of a family emergency."
On the trip, my thoughts kept circling back to "Bartleby the Scrivener"--nearly every day I was reminded of mankind's fundamental freedom, even to do pointless or harmful things. I'm tempted to relate that to the myth of the omnipresent enemy, and the reality of the enemies that the U.S. does have, but that's only because I'm a dirty hippie who thinks that freedom is good, subjugation and exploitation are bad, and that rage (even insane self-destructive rage) is a common result of the latter.
posted by Tuwa @
13:45 | permalink |
4 comments
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Thursday, November 10, 2005:
Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama -- Take My Hand
The Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama -- Fix It Jesus
Using a knife + in a hurry = (finger*.98) + pain + (blog post*.05)
The Blind Boys of Alabama = (awesome3*.8) + (meh*.2) >= most band track records
Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama writeup: allmusic.com
[There Will Be a Light]
[Atom Bomb]
[Oh Lord, Stand By Me/Marching Up To Zion]
The (Original) (Five) Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama -- Talk About SufferingBen Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama -- Take My Hand
The Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama -- Fix It Jesus
Using a knife + in a hurry = (finger*.98) + pain + (blog post*.05)
The Blind Boys of Alabama = (awesome3*.8) + (meh*.2) >= most band track records
Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama writeup: allmusic.com
[There Will Be a Light]
[Atom Bomb]
[Oh Lord, Stand By Me/Marching Up To Zion]
Labels: gospel
posted by Tuwa @
00:26 | permalink |
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Wednesday, September 14, 2005:
Billy Preston -- How Long Has the Train Been Gone
Billy Preston -- Sunday Morning
Billy Preston, on Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music, tries on quite a few genres--jazz, blues, rock, classical--and, in my opinion, succeeds at them all.
"How Long Has the Train Been Gone" is a gospel tune, this one with horns, pianos, organs, and lyrics about a narrator who's been left behind by a train and wonders why and about another man who didn't believe but wanted to. The lyrics are a bit anguished but delivered as if exuberant; it's an approach that usually works and this time is no exception. It's hard to take issue with it when you want to sing along.
"Sunday Morning" has a lazy, affable banjo line with a summery vocal about a failing love: "Won't you stay a little longer? Must you leave me right away? Don't you like me any more; what do you want to hear me say?" The song sounds reminds me of bluegrass in its banjo and its lyrical themes, though it's much calmer than a lot of the bluegrass I've heard, more relaxed and welcoming. It's like a gentleman salesman who makes his case quietly and goes on his way with a tip of his hat, and you stand at the screen door feeling a bit guilty you couldn't afford what he was selling--such a nice man.
I'm endlessly puzzled why Preston doesn't have more in print; he's got a lot of gems in his catalogue.
I seem to remember this LP from childhood; a lot of the songs sound familiar. My mother disagrees; she says she doesn't know who Billy Preston is. Fer shame--with all the Beatles LPs she had (yes, even the one with "Don't Let Me Down," with the four of them on the front outside the door to somebody's mansion, a bust nearby wearing a hat).
Billy Preston
Billy Preston -- How Long Has the Train Been Gone
Billy Preston -- Sunday Morning
Billy Preston, on Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music, tries on quite a few genres--jazz, blues, rock, classical--and, in my opinion, succeeds at them all.
"How Long Has the Train Been Gone" is a gospel tune, this one with horns, pianos, organs, and lyrics about a narrator who's been left behind by a train and wonders why and about another man who didn't believe but wanted to. The lyrics are a bit anguished but delivered as if exuberant; it's an approach that usually works and this time is no exception. It's hard to take issue with it when you want to sing along.
"Sunday Morning" has a lazy, affable banjo line with a summery vocal about a failing love: "Won't you stay a little longer? Must you leave me right away? Don't you like me any more; what do you want to hear me say?" The song sounds reminds me of bluegrass in its banjo and its lyrical themes, though it's much calmer than a lot of the bluegrass I've heard, more relaxed and welcoming. It's like a gentleman salesman who makes his case quietly and goes on his way with a tip of his hat, and you stand at the screen door feeling a bit guilty you couldn't afford what he was selling--such a nice man.
I'm endlessly puzzled why Preston doesn't have more in print; he's got a lot of gems in his catalogue.
I seem to remember this LP from childhood; a lot of the songs sound familiar. My mother disagrees; she says she doesn't know who Billy Preston is. Fer shame--with all the Beatles LPs she had (yes, even the one with "Don't Let Me Down," with the four of them on the front outside the door to somebody's mansion, a bust nearby wearing a hat).
Labels: bluegrass, gospel, out of print, RnB
posted by Tuwa @
12:12 | permalink |
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Tuesday, September 28, 2004:
Thanks to Moebius Rex for the kind words; I've been visiting and checking out what he's offered for a couple of months now, and you should too. ^_^ It's generally fun and eclectic. And, speaking of fun, Naugahyde Life and Benn loxo du tàccu are both off to a running start. That Cannonball track is a winner, and no one can argue with King Sunny Ade; and I'm stoked to see mp3 blogs taking off in new, previously untapped directions.
Soul Stirrers -- Does Jesus Care (1948)
Soul Stirrers -- Life's Journey (1948)
Soul Stirrers -- He'll Make a Way (with Sam Cooke) (1954)
The Soul Stirrers were a gospel band that formed in Texas in the 1920s under the name The New Pleasant Green Gospel Singers, and quickly began combining the spiritual with secular music. The first incarnation broke up after just a few years; then Roy Crain joined and they changed the name to The Soul Stirrers. In 1936 they performed for Alan Lomax (The Library of Congress was on top of things back then; Lomax made one hell of a contribution to musical posterity.)
From 1926 to 1937 The Soul Stirrers were a quartet; then in 1937 R. H. Harris got the idea of having two lead singers, allowing the singer to carry the main melody with a four-part harmony behind him. Not a bad idea at all, and you can hear why on "Does My Jesus Care?" and "Life's Journey." Of course, it didn't hurt that Harris had a strong tenor.
In 1950 Harris left the group and Sam Cooke came to take his place. In his early recordings with the group, he seems to be following in Harris' footsteps: competent but polite, tentative. Then as time went on you can start hearing part of that unbridled soul that Cooke later became famous for. The group kept their interlocked harmonies, but Cooke would sometimes buttress them and sometimes soar above them. The group quickly started attracting larger crowds, mostly of young women.
Cooke worked with them until the mid-50s, when he was released from his contract because his label's owner disliked the pop direction Cooke was taking with the tracks he'd cut on the side. The Soul Stirrers carried on without him, under various lineups, until the 1990s; Cooke was shot to death at a motel in 1964, the owner claiming he'd raped a woman and was threatening her. The verdict was "justifiable homicide," the case controversial.
The Soul Stirrers in the Vocal Hall of Fame
[He's My Rock: Their Early Sides]
[Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers] More great stuff.
Stirring and soulful
Sorry for the delay. I had been posting every day, including weekends, then Saturday I couldn't decide on what song to post and on Sunday Jeanne came by and cut the power. Nothing damaged here, though others weren't so fortunate.Thanks to Moebius Rex for the kind words; I've been visiting and checking out what he's offered for a couple of months now, and you should too. ^_^ It's generally fun and eclectic. And, speaking of fun, Naugahyde Life and Benn loxo du tàccu are both off to a running start. That Cannonball track is a winner, and no one can argue with King Sunny Ade; and I'm stoked to see mp3 blogs taking off in new, previously untapped directions.
Soul Stirrers -- Does Jesus Care (1948)
Soul Stirrers -- Life's Journey (1948)
Soul Stirrers -- He'll Make a Way (with Sam Cooke) (1954)
The Soul Stirrers were a gospel band that formed in Texas in the 1920s under the name The New Pleasant Green Gospel Singers, and quickly began combining the spiritual with secular music. The first incarnation broke up after just a few years; then Roy Crain joined and they changed the name to The Soul Stirrers. In 1936 they performed for Alan Lomax (The Library of Congress was on top of things back then; Lomax made one hell of a contribution to musical posterity.)
From 1926 to 1937 The Soul Stirrers were a quartet; then in 1937 R. H. Harris got the idea of having two lead singers, allowing the singer to carry the main melody with a four-part harmony behind him. Not a bad idea at all, and you can hear why on "Does My Jesus Care?" and "Life's Journey." Of course, it didn't hurt that Harris had a strong tenor.
In 1950 Harris left the group and Sam Cooke came to take his place. In his early recordings with the group, he seems to be following in Harris' footsteps: competent but polite, tentative. Then as time went on you can start hearing part of that unbridled soul that Cooke later became famous for. The group kept their interlocked harmonies, but Cooke would sometimes buttress them and sometimes soar above them. The group quickly started attracting larger crowds, mostly of young women.
Cooke worked with them until the mid-50s, when he was released from his contract because his label's owner disliked the pop direction Cooke was taking with the tracks he'd cut on the side. The Soul Stirrers carried on without him, under various lineups, until the 1990s; Cooke was shot to death at a motel in 1964, the owner claiming he'd raped a woman and was threatening her. The verdict was "justifiable homicide," the case controversial.
The Soul Stirrers in the Vocal Hall of Fame
[He's My Rock: Their Early Sides]
[Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers] More great stuff.
Labels: gospel
posted by Tuwa @
01:05 | permalink |
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