Don't analyse my eyes (Rosanne Cash)

Rosanne Cash - The River And The Thread (2014) ***

Nominated by: Biggie Gee

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: When The Master Calls The Roll

Rosanne is Johnny Cash's oldest child - born in 1955 to his first wife. That's a note to myself really, because I get horribly confused with the Cash dynasty.

That's what Rosanne is - part of the Cash dynasty. Not to say she hasn't ploughed her own field in country and Americana but Johnny looms large. 

Biggie Gee loves Americana and seems to love the work of the greats' children - AJ, Jakob and now Rosanna.

So there is that, plus she's prolific (this is her 13th album) and it appears on the esteemed Blue Note jazz label of all things.

One final thing before I get into the songs - this is the first time I've listened to a Rosanne Cash album, although I did once own a Rodney Crowell album (her first husband).

The River And The Thread is an album that gets better and better and while I still prefer Mary Chapin Carpenter's songs/singing style, I can certainly enjoy this album for what it's doing.

She seems to have blended genres successfully because, although she's known as a country singer, this isn't country (no pedal steel fer a start), and while there are elements of pop, it's not pop.

Americana it is then. Bits of all sorts fused together. Sort of.

I enjoyed a lot of things here - especially the river thread that runs through most of these songs. I preferred the faster songs like When The Master Calls The Roll, least favs were the two slow ones - Tell Heaven and Night School. Night school is obviously an effective lullaby because it put me to sleep every time. Not good when you're pootling homewards in the Purdmobile, though. 

I also liked the brevity of the album - far too many CD era and download albums try to be lengthy and over ambitious. This one whizzed by each time I played it.

Nice one Biggie Gee.

Goin' back

Various - Echo In The Canyon (2019) ***

Nominated by: Biggie Gee Kay  

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition:  She

I really enjoyed the documentary film celebrating music from LA and environs (it includes all those musicians listed on the left side of the album cover - they are NOT on the soundtrack - bit naughty that).

The soundtrack is a different proposition because it involves Jakob Dylan and his mates covering some of the greatest songs ever written, often in duet type situations.

The tricky thing with covers albums is they hardly ever out do the original. If you stray too far from the arrangement we know and love it sounds weird unless you are a genius and the song is remade/ reborn or the band/artists' charisma is so huge they can get away with it. Jimi's All Along The Watchtower, Joe's With A Little Help From My Friends, The Hollies' 4th Of July Asbury Park are all in that category.

The other problems Jakob and friends have are that with shifting personnel results vary, plus with soundtracks (as was noted when we looked at Sleeping Dogs) we are outside the documentary and without visuals we only have sounds to go on. That can be tricky.

When it works it sounds joyful (She), but when it doesn't it sounds disappointingly gloomy for some reason (The Bells Of Rhymney). I think She works so well because the lyrics suit Jakob's kind of downer singing voice. He doesn't have a lot of expression in his voice and so he struggles a bit with upbeat joyful songs.

She, though, is a great woe-is-me Hart/Boyce song that The Monkees made their own. Josh Homme and Jakob's sad sack deliveries are perfect for this song.

Go Where You Wanna Go is a classic Mamas and Papas song. Jakob and Jade's version is brave but there is no Jakob/Jade back story as there is with the love triangle within the Mamas and Papas of John and Michelle Phillips and Denny. So I struggle to listen to their cover version because I can't help but compare it to the original. Not fair I know, but it's hard not to.

Goin' Back is the Byrds classic of course and that's another brave one to take on. Previously, Dusty Springfield and Carole King did their superb covers, but I can't think of anyone else outside of those three that can do the mixture of pathos, regret, hope, nostalgic longing required.

The Brian Wilson songs - I Just Wasn't Made For These Times and In My Room seem a bit out of place. Were The Beach Boys ever considered Laurel Canyon party goers? Maybe Dennis was, but it seems an odd choice. Although, Frank Zappa was a Laurel Canyon resident and Willie The Pimp would be wildly out of place here, so, okay, I get why the Wilson songs were included.

Other famous LC residents like Jim Morrison, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Joni Mitchell, and Glen Frey aren't celebrated either which is a bit weirder than Frank's omission.

Alrighty - so my high points? Well, apart from She, the Neil Young/ Steven Stills songs and playing (with Eric Clapton) at the end of the album are all worth waiting for and Never My Love with Norah Jones captures the mood of that song well.

Overall, it's a mixed bag. I'll prefer to rewatch the excellent documentary I think. 

Tough one to grade - I averaged out the 2 to 4 star range to a 3.

Miracles (Alex G)

Alex G - God Save The Animals (2022) ****

Nominated by: Alex G (no relation)

Music club: Monday Night Album Club

Playlist addition:  After All

Only released a few weeks ago (Sept 23), this is fresh as a daisy music - in more ways than one.

It's a fantastic collection of beguiling sounds which improves with every listen.

First track, After All, is a brilliant introduction of Alex G's catchy pop smarts, even though it's not representative of the album. In fact, no one track is. And thereby lies a lot of the no boredom guaranteed appeal. It's tough these days to hang in there for a whole album of the same thing. There is so much music out there on Spotify and the temptation to jump into something else is never far away. But I've just kept hitting replay for the past week or so on God Save The Animals. It rewards repeat listens.

At times, to my ears, there are hints of Bon Iver, Elliot Smith, Neil Young, and Todd Rundgren but Alex G creates his own thing anyway.

Highlights are many: Immunity seems to be going one way and then a jazzy piano break veers it off in another direction entirely; the wonky Neil Youngish Miracles; Runners' lo-fi drum sounds; the anthemic singalong of Forgive; Mission glides by; No Bitterness's Beatle-esque moments; and Ain't It Easy's dream pop are my favourites, but there were no songs I skipped during my listens.

Then it's back to the start with After All and those lovely female vocals, superb layered harmonies, acoustic guitars and we're away again...

I can't get enough of this album and I strongly recommend it to the blogosphere. Alex G deserves your time and attention.

Going through it (Avantdale Bowling Club)

Avantdale Bowling Club - Trees (2022) ***

Nominated by: Kevy

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Going Through It  

The only time I've ever liked endearing little scamps doing their cute thing on records is Tom Clay's - 'what is segregation?' bit on What The World Needs Now/Abraham Martin and John.

Otherwise - don't do it!

Unfortunately that's how Tom Scott (a.k.a. Avantdale Bowling Club) kicks off his/their latest digital release - Trees. Then he repeats this schtick later on Remember, I Really Am Asleep? So that's strike one.

Strike two is the stoopid band/brand name. Is it Tom Scott, or is it a band? Whatever. If TS - I get that it's a modern trend to disguise yourself with an often punning nom de plume (à la Lawrence Arabia) but I am not a fan. Baa humbug.

Okay and so to the album - this is a tale of two halves. On one hand we have the fantastic acid jazzy trip hop sounds that I really love, and then we have the expletive laden rapping jammed on top of it, that I don't.

I am sure this does the biznis down in the bars/cafes of Grey Lynn/Ponsonby/Kingsland etc but not so much in  Waipukarau/ Takapau's Farmlands.

Tom Scott's rapping has forced me to explain my general aversion to this modern musical genre.

One reason is that I find the stream of consciousness rapping style jars in my brain. I can't work to rap, I can't read to rap.

Secondly, the subject matter doesn't link to my life. The lyrics often feature males bragging audaciously, males celebrating smoking illicit herbal substances, males being misogynistic, males employing gratuitous swearing, males committing crimes. Males being dicks, basically.

Thirdly, I freely admit that I don't understand the appeal. I acknowledge that I am a million miles ethically, demographically and culturally from rap music. I just don't get it.

Tom Scott's style specifically  is something I'm not qualified to comment on really. I can see how he would appeal to certain demographics but I don't actually know what they are.

But the music? Well, that's terrific throughout this album. Is Spotify working on technology to remove the vocal track from a song on their platform? If not they should be.

Kevy suggested listening to this on a Sunday morning while enjoying a coffee and a pastry. If it was just the music I'd agree wholeheartedly.

So - bottom line - 4/5 for the music; 2/5 for the rapping = holistically, let's call it a three. I am struggling to find a song to highlight though.