What are you listening to? June 2021

[Zeeba Neighba]

Neil Young - Time Fades Away (1973)

So been jumping around between Neil Young and other releases but rather than move on to something else, going straight to Time Fades Away
Tremendously excited - I have a ton of Neil's output but have never heard this album before - it was Neil's first live album released, and had gone unreleased for years omitted from his catalog. Haven't been keeping up with news about it, but he brought it back as part of a box set in 2017 but it actually just was released to streaming on Spotify, Apple Music THIS YEAR.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Neil Young - Time Fades Away (1973)

So been jumping around between Neil Young and other releases but rather than move on to something else, going straight to Time Fades Away
Tremendously excited - I have a ton of Neil's output but have never heard this album before - it was Neil's first live album released, and had gone unreleased for years omitted from his catalog. Haven't been keeping up with news about it, but he brought it back as part of a box set in 2017 but it actually just was released to streaming on Spotify, Apple Music THIS YEAR.

So Mr. Young isn't quite so insistent on lossless digital audio when there's money to be made. (Yes, AM now has lossless, but Spotify is still lossy.)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Benny Goodman - Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (1938, released 1950)

 

[Ojai Sam]

It's ASV Living Era week in Ojai!

 

[axolotl]

Neil Young - Harvest (1972)

Fact I learned today: sure Crosby, Stills and Nash appear on a few tracks but Linda Ronstadt guest vocals on "Old Man" and "Heart of Gold", and James Taylor is on banjo on both of those tracks too

Your respect and/or admiration for JT just went up one standard deviation.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Benny Goodman - Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (1938, released 1950)

For my money, this may be the best live jazz album of all time.

 

[Ojai Sam]

So Mr. Young isn't quite so insistent on lossless digital audio when there's money to be made. (Yes, AM now has lossless, but Spotify is still lossy.)

Well, supposedly Neil said that this was his worst album. He released it with none of the sweetening that characterized live albums at the time. I never got why he was so harsh. TFA felt like a masterpiece then and it still does. As an unvarnished memorial to a tour that was artistically successful despite turmoil and personal tragedy. it stands as one of the most powerful concert recordings ever released. Glad it's now widely available.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Your respect and/or admiration for JT just went up one standard deviation.

I'm not as down as many to the uber-mellow 70s singer/songwriter movement and really enjoy some stuff by Cat Stevens, Carole King, Jim Croce and John Denver and even some singles like "Taxi" and "Summer Breeze", but James Taylor always elicits the fastest radio station changes by me this side of the Pecos River. I can't stand his version of "You've Got a Friend" or "Fire and Rain"
But I actually saw an interview with JT once and he seems like a genuinely nice guy, and, as I didn't know he even played the banjo, yes, I was a tad impressed

 

[axolotl]

I'm not as down as many to the uber-mellow 70s singer/songwriter movement and really enjoy some stuff by Cat Stevens, Carole King, Jim Croce and John Denver and even some singles like "Taxi" and "Summer Breeze", but James Taylor always elicits the fastest radio station changes by me this side of the Pecos River. I can't stand his version of "You've Got a Friend" or "Fire and Rain"
But I actually saw an interview with JT once and he seems like a genuinely nice guy, and, as I didn't know he even played the banjo, yes, I was a tad impressed

TBH, I am not a big proponent of James Taylor, either. It seems John Belushi might have broken a guitar or two thinking of his style.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Art Blakey - A Midnight Session With The Jazz Messengers (Elektra 1957)



I have no idea how Blakey wound up with this single outing on Jac Holzman's folkish Elektra label. Apparently Jac was at a loss too, since he soon turned around and licensed the album to Savoy. No matter, Blakey is in fine form, accompanied by a strong group of Messengers led by Jackie McLean.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Sabicas - The Greatest Flamenco Guitarist - Vol. II (Elektra 1957)

This album sparkles notwithstanding its unimaginative title and lame cover art. Hard to argue with this description of the great Sabicas.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand & Tom Paley - Courtin's A Pleasure (Elektra 1957)

Jac Holzman emulated his cagey peer Syd Nathan at King Records by recycling old tunes in a new wrapper. He "created" (if that's the word ) this 12" LP album as a mash up of two classic old 10 inchers by deleting a few titles from each and adding a cliched cover. That antique stereoscope is a real rarity but I think the guy on the right has the better end of the deal.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Flipper - Generic (1982)

 

[Ojai Sam]

Josh White - The Story Of John Henry...A Musical Narrative (1957)

Two years earlier, Elektra had released Josh White's epic 20+ minute version of the John Henry saga as part of a 10 inch double album. That odd configuration was replaced by this standard 12 inch LP, subtitled "25th Anniversary Album". Whatever the format, this is the definitive performance of the classic story song.

on the Sam-O-Meter.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Glenn Branca - The Ascension (1981)

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game In Town (2008)

 

[axolotl]

Carlos Paredes ~ Guitarra Portuguesa (1967)




Warning: Do not open the image in the spoiler, below.

Spoiler

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill (1986)

I think every time I type this out, I wonder why would you be licensed to use the Roman numeral 3

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Harder They Come (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1972)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Toots and the Maytals - Funky Kingston (1973 UK, 1975 US)