Howlin Wolf - In Concert (1964)

 

Of the myriad circulating live Wolf albums of dubious fidelity and legality, this is the best of the bunch, both from an audio standpoint and the pronouncement in the booklet that royalties were indeed being paid to Wolf's widow.

This is Wolf's portion of the show as part of the traveling American Folk Blues entourage, the first festival type presentation of the whole blues spectrum to invade Europe. This 1964 tour is the one that brought the real thing to locales where he had previously been only a name on a phonograph record, and the romantic notions projected into the sound that record gave off. With somewhat subdued but nonetheless solid support from right hand man Hubert Sumlin on lead guitar, Sunnyland Slim on piano, Willie Dixon on upright bass, and Clifton James on drums, Wolf runs through a 45-minute set loaded with classics and presented with a positively genial charm. The lack of Wolf's regular rhythm section (although Dixon played bass on many of the records from this period) lends a different flavor to these versions.

Many of the selections seem mistitled here ("Tell Me What I've Done" is "I Didn't Mean To Hurt Your Feelings," "Shake For Me" is "Shake It For Me," "May I Have A Talk With You" is "Love Me," etc.), but as this November 6th performance in Bremen, Germany unfolds, it becomes apparent that the odd titles come from Wolf's introductions. Everything is stretched to a nice, comfortable length here, as Wolf sets both mood and pace, with no tune clocking in at anything less than four minutes and "Goin' Down Slow" and "Forty-Four" reaching the six- and seven-minute mark. Even though the drums and Sumlin's guitar are perhaps muted in the mix more than they should be, the overall sound shows just how well these blues veterans worked together. Just how essential this performance is to a Wolf collection would be in debate, but once you're under the spell, you want to hear it all, and this is a fine addition for someone who's in it for the long haul.     
          
Turn up the volume, and after a little while you won't hardly notice the lack of 21st century fidelity. Any semi-serious blues fan should listen to this wonderful recording of Howlin' Wolf in his prime...

Howlin Wolf - In Concert (1964)
(320 kbps, cover art included)

Woody Guthrie - Talking Dust Bowl (1950)

This is a Folkways LP that came out in 1950, but it collects some of the first commercial recordings that Guthrie made - for RCA Victor in 1940. On the A side you will find four classic dust bowl ballads; on the flip side, songs about the migrants who were chased from the southwest by the storms of the 1930s. These include a piece that Guthrie based on John Steinbeck's Tom Joad character.

It's interesting that Guthrie, thought of as a true folk artist, was influenced by Steinbeck's novel and (according to the notes to this album) even the film of the Grapes of Wrath. His work in turn became part of the collective consciousness, in a sense - I remember singing So Long and This Land Is Your Land in elementary school in the 1950s, well before I ever heard of Woody himself.

Guthrie's RCA session was tremendously successful artistically - this record doesn't include Do Re Mi, Vigilante Man, and Pretty Boy Floyd, all of which he recorded at the same session.

The cover of this album, by an artist named Carlis, is perfect for its contents. A great record and great package.

Thanks to http://big10inchrecord.blogspot.com/ for the original upload and the informative text.

Tracklist

	Dust Bowl Ballads
A1	Dust Storm Disaster
A2	So Long (Dusty Old Dust)
A3	Talking Dust Blues
A4	Dust Can't Kill Me
	Migrant Worker's Songs
B1	Blowing Down This Road
B2	Dust Bowl Refugee
	Tom Joad (Ballad Based On John Steinbeck's "Grapes Of Wrath")
B3	Tom Joad, Part 1
B4	Tom Joad, Part 2

Woody Guthrie - Talking Dust Bowl (1950)
(256 kbps, front cover included)

Bertolt Brecht - An die Nachgeborenen

An die Nachgeborenen

I

Wirklich, ich lebe in finsteren Zeiten!
Das arglose Wort ist töricht. Eine glatte Stirn
Deutet auf Unempfindlichkeit hin. Der Lachende
Hat die furchtbare Nachricht
Nur noch nicht empfangen.

Was sind das für Zeiten, wo
Ein Gespräch über Bäume fast ein Verbrechen ist
Weil es ein Schweigen über so viele Untaten einschließt!
Der dort ruhig über die Straße geht
Ist wohl nicht mehr erreichbar für seine Freunde
Die in Not sind?

Es ist wahr: ich verdiene noch meinen Unterhalt
Aber glaubt mir: das ist nur ein Zufall. Nichts
Von dem, was ich tue, berechtigt mich dazu, mich satt zu essen.
Zufällig bin ich verschont. (Wenn mein Glück aussetzt, bin ich verloren.)

Man sagt mir: Iß und trink du! Sei froh, dass du hast!
Aber wie kann ich essen und trinken, wenn
Ich dem Hungernden entreiße, was ich esse, und
Mein Glas Wasser einem Verdurstenden fehlt?
Und doch esse und trinke ich.

Ich wäre gerne auch weise.
In den alten Büchern steht, was weise ist:
Sich aus dem Streit der Welt halten und die kurze Zeit
Ohne Furcht verbringen
Auch ohne Gewalt auskommen
Böses mit Gutem vergelten
Seine Wünsche nicht erfüllen, sondern vergessen
Gilt für weise.
Alles das kann ich nicht:
Wirklich, ich lebe in finsteren Zeiten!

 

II

In die Städte kam ich zur Zeit der Unordnung
Als da Hunger herrschte.
Unter die Menschen kam ich zu der Zeit des Aufruhrs
Und ich empörte mich mit ihnen.
So verging meine Zeit
Die auf Erden mir gegeben war.

Mein Essen aß ich zwischen den Schlachten
Schlafen legte ich mich unter die Mörder
Der Liebe pflegte ich achtlos
Und die Natur sah ich ohne Geduld.
So verging meine Zeit
Die auf Erden mich gegeben war.

Die Straßen führten in den Sumpf zu meiner Zeit.
Die Sprache verriet mich dem Schlächter.
Ich vermochte nur wenig. Aber die Herrschenden
Saßen ohne mich sicherer, das hoffte ich.
So verging meine Zeit
Die auf Erden mir gegeben war.

Die Kräfte waren gering. Das Ziel
Lag in großer Ferne
Es war deutlich sichtbar, wenn auch für mich
Kaum zu erreichen.
So verging meine Zeit
Die auf Erden mir gegeben war.

 

III

Ihr, die ihr auftauchen werdet aus der Flut
In der wir untergegangen sind
Gedenkt
Wenn ihr von unseren Schwächen sprecht
Auch der finsteren Zeit
Der ihr entronnen seid.

Gingen wir doch, öfter als die Schuhe die Länder wechselnd
Durch die Kriege der Klassen, verzweifelt
Wenn da nur Unrecht war und keine Empörung.

Dabei wissen wir doch:
Auch der Hass gegen die Niedrigkeit
Verzerrt die Züge.
Auch der Zorn über das Unrecht
Macht die Stimme heiser. Ach, wir
Die wir den Boden bereiten wollten für Freundlichkeit
Konnten selber nicht freundlich sein.

Ihr aber, wenn es so weit sein wird
Dass der Mensch dem Menschen ein Helfer ist
Gedenkt unsrer
Mit Nachsicht.

Happy New Year!

Euch allen ein gutes neues Jahr!

Bonne Année!

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Felice Anno Nuovo!

Happy New Year!

Sretna Nova Godina!

Godt Nytar!

Hyvää Uutta Vuotta!

Kali Chronia!

Shana Towa!

Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!

Um Ano Novo Feliz!

La Multi Ani!

あけましておめでとうございます !

Yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun !

שנה טובה!

Ευτυχισμένος ο καινούργιος χρόνος !

Новим роком !

Louis Killen - Ballads & Broadsides (Topic, 1965)

A dynamic singer of great individuality and integrity, Louis Killer has long been regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the mid-Twentieth century British folk revival.

Born and raised in the heart of the industrial North East of England of Irish descent, Killen grew up in a musical family and carne early to a love of folk music. In 1958 he founded "Folk Song and Ballad, Newcastle" - one of the first folk clubs in Britain. He recorded two EPs for Topic in 1962 - and Northumbrian Garland. The following year he participated in the Trade Union sponsored "Centre 42" concerts, which led to an invitation from A L Lloyd to contribute to the important themed collections "The Iron Muse", "Farewell Nancy" and "Tommy Armstrong of Tyneside".

Louis Killen's first full-length solo recording, "Ballads & Broadsides", was published in 1965. The recording sessions look place in Bill Leader's Camden Town flat, when Killen was just thirty and had been a professional musician for two years. The album is a classic; one of the first solo recordings from Killen's generation of revivalists and has been an important influence on younger singers for over four decades.

Tracklist:
01 Young Edwin in the Lowlands
02 As we were a-saìling
03 The flying cloud
04 All things are quite silent
05 One may morning
06 The cock
07 The bramble briar
08 Thorneymoor woods
09 The banks of sweet Primeroses

Louis Killen: vocals, concertina

Louis Killen - Ballads & Broadsides (1965)
(ca. 192 kbps, cover art included)

Gone Fishin!

…so, no blog posts in the next two weeks.  Have a good time, greetings!

Harun Farocki is dead - Rest in peace!

Renowned German filmmaker and video artist Harun Farocki died on Wednesday at 70-years-old. Galerie Ropac confirmed the artist’s passing to the German magazine Monopol.The gallery has represented Farocki since 2007.

 

Born in 1944 in present day Czechoslovakia, but what was then part of Germany, the artist make over 90 films during his lifetime. He studied at the German Academy of Film and Television from 1966 to 1968, developing a unique documentary style that was deeply critical of the media and ways in which images have shaped contemporary life and ideology.

 

From 1974 to 1984 Harocki served as the editor of Munich-based film journal Filmkritik. He moved to California during the 1990s where he taught at UC Berkeley. Farocki began greater engagement with the art world in the 2000s. He took part in Documenta 12, presenting Deep Play (2007), which broke down footage from the 2006 World Cup, held in Germany, across 12 monitors.

 

He has enjoyed solo museum shows at Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, New York’s MoMA, Cologne’s Museum Ludwig, and London’s Tate Modern, among others.

Aside from Galerie Ropac, Farocki is represented by Galerie Barbara Weiss in Berlin and Greene Naftali Gallery in New York.

 

Maybe you want to check out some of his films on the wonderful Arsenevich blog.

Word, Brass & Steel - Same (1976)

The disco group Wood, Brass & Steel recorded a selftitled album for Turbo/All Platinum Records, the label of Sylvia and Joe Robinson, in 1976.

The album spawned a pair of minor hits in the form of "Always There" (a Ronnie Laws cover that did well in the U.K.). Bassist Doug Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald played a lot of music together, in clubs and colleges around New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Three years after that, Skip and Doug teamed up with Keith LeBlanc and they became the house band for the Robinsons’ new label, Sugar Hill Records. The trio subsequently played on seminal early rap hits such as The Message and White Lines (Don’t Do It) with Grandmaster Flash.
Later they relocated to the U.K. and formed Tackhead as well as Fats Comet with Adrian Sherwood.   

Tracklist:

Funkanova	5:35
My Darling Baby	4:00
Theme Song	3:00
Working On A Dream	3:04
Say What You Want To Say	3:37
Same Ol' Me	3:25
My Lady	3:25
Without You	6:30
Welcome To The Party	3:30
Always There	5:25

Word, Brass & Steel - Same (1976)       
(320 kbps, front cover included)       

Reneshoua

Jillem, thanks a lot for all your musical gifts, we miss you and your wonderful blog! Hope to see your blog again soon!

Mighty Ryeders - Help Us Spread The Message

A funky treasure from the 70s - a record that hardly made waves at the time, but which has lived on strongly for years - thanks to a great sample history and key interest from generations of groove diggers! Coming on like a black hippie missionary cult (a belief bolstered by the cover photo of the band sitting atop several globes featuring each of the continents), the Ryeders' sole album is chock full of killer creative tracks mixing funk, soul and boogie-disco arrangements.



Mighty Ryeders have a sound that's clearly influenced by Earth Wind & Fire - funk with a good dose of jazz, often done with some righteous undercurrents in the lyrics - but their groove is also a bit more rough-edged too, sharing some funky 45-levels of excitement, and showing a great ear for sharply jazzy changes! This last aspect has really helped the group's sound stay fresh over the years - and the album's a treasure trove of killer cuts - from the famous "Evil Vibrations" (sampled by De La Soul on "A Rollerskating Jam Named Saturday"), right on down through other gems like "The Mighty Ryeders", "Let There Be Peace", "Lovely", "Help Us Spread The Message", "Fly Away With Me", "Sar Children", and "I've Really Got The Feeling".

Mighty Ryeders - Help Us Spread The Message
(192 kbps, small cover included)

The Best Of Chess Rock´n´Roll (1989)

"The Best of Chess Rock & Roll" gives a good portrait of the seminal record label's massive contributions to rock & roll.

Not only are landmarks like Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" covered, but cult favorites like the Moonglows and the Students are also featured. With "Johnny B. Goode," "Maybelline," "Who Do You Love," "Ain't Got No Home," "Rocket 88," and "Susie Q", it is one of the most essential single-disc rock collections ever assembled.
.
The Best Of Chess Rock´n´Roll (1989)

(192 kbps, full cover art included)

Greetings!

We will be back in some days.

Greetings!

RIP Pete Seeger

Legendary folk singer, activist and icon to those that believe and fight for peace, justice, and good music, Pete Seeger passed away today at the age of 94. It's difficult to sum up a career that encompassed the better part of a century, guided some of the greatest songwriters of the 60s and 70s, and, until his death, continued to join in marches and other non-violent resistance working toward the utopian world that he dreamed of. Seeger's contributions to folk music include the seminal "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "Where Have all the Flowers Gone?" But beyond on that, it was through Seeger's voice and banjo that he kept alive centuries of folk. Seeger's father was an ethnomusicologist and Seeger was a living embodiment of the commitment to the music and the people of the United States. Because, it's through music that our despair, heartbreak, joy, resistance, languished cries, and cries of freedom are given voice and heard.

 

Seeger's path wasn't easy, though. In the 1960s, he was being persecuted by the House Un-American Activities for his politics. But, Seeger carried on, performing for communities and at schools.

 

The world just got one step further away from utopia today. Rest in peace, Pete.

 

(Thanks to http://welistenforyou.blogspot.de/ for these wonderful words.)


LaserGuidedWhiteHouse wrote in the comment section:

"Off topic, bit it's already later than yesterday (it always is)....I wanted to say here some kind of thank you to Peter Seeger, who passed away yesterday in New York. He was a great man, and I'll remember him always as a most uncommon sort of person, a person who believed in the power of every single person to change the world, to make it a better place, a more humane place where every man, woman, and child would have enough. A single voice singing some meaningful and passionate words can become 20 voices, a thousand voices, 100 million voices, and he was one of the very first people to show that to everybody in this age of mass-communication. Sometimes just knowing that a person will bravely stand up to speak for you, when you don't think you have a voice, can really change your mind. You know you're not alone, that there are others; and you realize as your voices are borne aloft that no matter how much someone may be trying to squash you from above, you have the power to fight back, and win. It's just as much your world as theirs, and kindness and caring and the union of humanity are what it's all about in the end, as long as everyone speaks up, as long as everyone sings out. So let us always remember his message, especially in this new age of what appears to be some sort of quietly creeping global crypto-fascism. Lift your voices. Rest in Peace Pete."

VA - The Beat Generation And The Angry Young Men (1984)

A fine Mod compilation, originally released in 1984 on Eddie Piller´s "Well Suspect" label.

From the liner notes:

"What you are now holding is the net result of five weeks hard slog in a dingy Soho basement. A compilation of some 15 demos and unreleased singles, which if it wasn't for a handful of dedicated, young believers, would have remained buried amongst piles of nameless studio out-takes for time immemorial. Names like The Merton Parkas, Purple Hearts and Long Tall Shorty will instantly bring back memories of that hot and sweaty summer of '79, when mod had not yet received its death sentence from the music press and you could still catch any of a dozen young mod bands live in a given week."

Tracklist:

01. Long Tall Shorty - That's What I Want
02. Small Hours - Underground
03. Purple Hearts - I'll Make You Mine
04. Les Elite - Frustration
05. Long Tall Shorty - I Do
06. Merton Parkas - Dangerous Man
07. Les Elite - Get A Job
08. Directions - Weekend Dancers
09. Purple Hearts - Concrete Mixer
10. Les Elite - Career Girl
11. Long Tall Shorty - All By Myself
12. Directions - It May Be Too Late
13. Merton Parkas - You Say You Will
14. Small Hours - The Kid
15. Purple Hearts - Hazy Darkness...

VA - The Beat Generation And The Angry Young Men (1984)
(192 kbps, cover art inlcuded)

Chad Mitchell Trio - Reflecting (1964)

The first Chad Mitchell Trio release of 1964 was self-consciously political and somewhat downbeat. The album opens with "Barry's Boys," a now-dated political piece that was controversial when it was released. This piece, along with a cute throwaway song by Shel Silverstein, and the wonderful version of Tom Paxton's "What Did You Learn in School Today" are the only humorous pieces on the album.

The rest of "Reflections" is highly varied and includes a sweet Caribbean religious song, an Elizabethan ballad, and a pair of songs from the Second World War.

 

The highlight of the album, and a clue regarding why the rest of the release might have a somewhat somber mood, is the closing medley of "In the Summer of His Years" and "Rally 'Round the Flag."

 

This album was recorded just after the assassination of President Kennedy, and the combination of the song commemorating his life and death with one written just after the assassination of President Lincoln was an inspired decision. It is no wonder that several songs on this album are expressions of grief, as the Chad Mitchell Trio reflected their times in song, and those times had just been marred by tragedy.

 

Modern listeners experiencing this album for the first time will find much to respect in the expressive vocals and good song selections throughout the album, but may find that other albums by the group are more enjoyable. Note: This was the group's last release as the Chad Mitchell Trio. Subsequent releases were under the name the Mitchell Trio.              

  

Chad Mitchell Trio - Reflecting (1964)
(256 kbps, cover art included)

Lou Reed - Rest In Peace!

“When you think the night has seen your mind
That inside your twisted and unkind
Let me stand to show that you are blind.
Please put down you hands cause I see you.
I'll be you mirror.” 

“Rock & roll is so great, people should start dying for it. You don't understand. The music gave you back your beat so you could dream...The people just have to die for the music. People are dying for everything else, so why not for music? Die for it. Isn't it pretty? Wouldn't you die for something pretty? ” 

"Nur die Musik verhindert, daß wir wahnsinnig werden. Du solltest dir zwei Radios anschaffen. Falls eines kaputtgeht."

(L. Reed)


Rest in peace!

Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Between Two Worlds (Entartete Musik)

"Between Two Worlds" is another album with music suppressed by the third reich. It is part of the invaluable "Entartete Musik" series that focused on composers and music banned by the Nazis. The title to this album comes from the music Korngold wrote for a film of the same name but it also poignantly refers to Korngold who had to seek exile in the United States because he was Jewish. A mixture of film work and concert repertoire make for a fascinating album.

The term "Entartete Musik" refers to a large exhibition mounted by the third reich propaganda ministry against "degenerate" art and music.

Tracklist:

01. The World at War - the Next World
02. The Blitz in London
03. The Pianist at the Piano
04. The Pianist at the Piano
05. Fear - Entrance of the Examiner
06. The Minister
07. The Nazi-collaborator

08. The Young Actress and Her Boyfriend

09. The Journalists Mother

10. The Fate of the Pianist and His Wife

11. The Sound of Breaking Glass

12. The Second Sound of Breaking Glass

13. The Pianist's Wife Begs to be Reunited with Him

14. Return to the London Flat

15. Theme and Variations, op.42

Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Between Two Worlds

(192 kbps, front cover included)

VA - Tercer Festival de Oposición (1979)

The connection between music and politics, particularly political expression in music, has been seen in many cultures. This album features recordigs from the "Tercer Festival de Oposicion", organized in 1979 by the Mexican communist party and with guests from Angola, Cuba, Nicaagua, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Óscar Chávez (born 1935) is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actor. He was the main exponent of the Nueva Trova in Mexico in the sixties and seventies. He is also noted for his strong social commitment as well as for the left wing ideas expressed in his lyrics. His impressive discography spans four decades.

María Amparo Ochoa Castaños, (1946-1994) better known as Amparo Ochoa, was a Mexican singer-songwriter. She was one of several other Mexican artists who emerged in the 1960s belonging to a genre known as "Nueva canción". Ochoa was born in 1946 in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Before becoming involved in music, Ochoa served as an elementary school teacher. She became heavily involved in songwriting beginning in 1962, and her career took off when she won a contest in her native state with the song "Hermosísimo Lucero". In 1969, she moved to Mexico City to attend a music school. Shortly after, she released her first album "De la mano del viento".
Ochoa is best known for writing songs with strong messages against social injustice as well songs about Mexican history and culture. Most of her lyrics focus on poverty, indigenous rights, and women's rights.

Besides the Latin American artists, this album contains also a version of the "Lied der Moorsoldaten", sung in German language by Hermann and Inge. Does anybody know more about these artists?


Tracklist:
01. Corrido a Nicaragua – Oscar Chávez
02. Cueca larga – Sanampay
03. La banda – Chava Flores
04. Palma sola – Eva de Marczyc
05. Irán Elías Criserio – Grupo Taoné
06. Casitas de cartón – Los Guaraguao
07. Cipriano Hernández Martínez – Gabino Palomares
08. Los angelitos – Amparo Ochoa
09. Los soldados de la ciénaga – Herman e Inge

VA - Tercer Festival de Oposición (1979)
(256 kbps, front & back cover included)

Juan Capra - Cile canta e lotta 1 (1973)

Juan Capra was a Chilean painter, singer and poet. He was active mainly in the 60s and 70s and

recorded in 1967 the album "Los chilenos - Juan Capra" with Quilapayún. Their album "Por Vietnam" featured a song by Juan Capra that mourns the death of Che Guevara.

His home was a sort of informal academy of singing, arts and crafts, and became one of the founding places for the Nueva Cancion Chilena. Here the famous "Peña de los Parra" was established,  a platform for songwriters as Isabel, Angel and Violeta Parra, Patricio Manns, Rolando Alarcón, Victor Jara, Payo Grondona, Patricio Castillo, Paco Ibáñez or Atahualpa Yupanqui.
Juan Capra died in 1996, at the age of 58, in poverty.

This album contains recordings made ​​by John Capra in Italy and was published as the first volume devoted to the Chilean resistance.


Tracklist:
Side 1:
1. Dicen que no caben- Resfaloza
2. Blanca Flor y Filumena- Romance
3. Dicen que los monos - Polka
4. Versos por padecimiento - Canto a lo divino
5. El hundimiento del Transporte Angamos- Vals
6. San Pedro se puso guapo - Cueca
7. Desen las manos - Pericona

Side 2:
1. Bajando de Los Andes - Resfaloza
2. Viva Balmaceda - Cueca
3. Tengo una pena - Vals
4. Sirilla - Sirilla (Según el favor del viento- Por qué los pobres no tienen)
5. Contrapunto entre el águila américana y el cóndor chileno
6. Yo me vuelvo para Chile - Sirilla

Juan Capra - Cile canta e lotta 1 (1973)
(192 kbps, cover art included)