Commotion

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River (1969) *****

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Green River

The terms 'genius' and 'legend' are overused, fersure, but John Fogerty is definitely both. He and the Stones were on fire from 1968 to 1972. A five year long golden period for both bands. That alone assures him a high status.

Fogerty is special:  a sublime singer, a distinctive lead guitarist, and a writer without peer. John had Macca to bounce ideas off, Mick had Keef, but John was on his Tod.

Green River (the song and album) are beyond criticism. There is no filler. Yes, there are a couple that we know better than others: Bad Moon Rising, Green River, and Lodi, but there are no weak tracks.

I guess attention shifts to those lesser known tunes and they supply the 'OMG - even they are great' factor.

The other blokes never really get much mention, but like the Stones, Beatles, Grateful Dead et al, all members contribute to the success of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Tom Fogerty is perhaps the most forgotten member (Stu and Doug hold down the bottom end superbly for the band - no fuss - much like Crazy Horse's Ralph and Billy). I especially love their live albums - these guys rocked hard!

Poor Tom is like Dave Davies in The Kinks - having to work with a super talented sibling. The band started out with him as lead singer and frontman  - he's the older of the two, so it's not hard to understand why he eventually left in 1971.

I'm not qualified to judge his rhythm guitar playing, but you'd notice if he wasn't there. It took four guys to record/play these classics.

A great choice GK. A 5-star classic for the ages.

Wisdom of the weeks

Currituck Co. - Sleepwalks in the Garden of the Deadroom (2005) ****

Nominated by: Alex

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition:  Sleepwalking

Seems Currituck Co. (short for Currituck County) is an indie folk project started in 2000 by Kevin Barker. Sleepwalks... is his fourth album.

He had me onboard from the off. The acoustic guitars provide the accessibility for me to embrace this album, and the clean vocals allow me to hear the lyrics. Yay!!! I may be getting to an age when comparatively simple wooden music has more appeal than rawk guitars, drums and such.

Of late, I've been listening to a lot of quiet dream pop (Tom might like to try NZ's Yumi Zouma - I recommend their Yoncalla album), Donovan, Al Stewart, and Iron & Wine. Bon Iver's first album remains a go to, rather than his other albums.

There are some terrific tunes on Sleepwalks in the Garden of the Deadroom. I've picked out Sleepwalking as my favourite (the song superbly echoes the images on the cover, or the other way 'round), but each time I listen to it other songs nudge themselves forward for special mention (like Run Away From The Sun). Wisdom Of The Weeks is a glorious song!

It's albums like this that make we wish I'd learned to play the guitar. Thanks Alex - great selection! One to keep in mind for Lew's best of the year list.

Yoncalla

Yumi Zouma - Yoncalla (2016) ***

Nominated by: Kevy

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Amber

In my initial attempts, I struggled to stay focused with this album. Before I knew it, each time I snapped to somewhere around disc 2's instrumentals, wondering if I was still listening to the same album.

Generally, I enjoy dream pop and ambient style approaches so disc 2 actually appealed to me more on that level. Disc 1 (the singing one) was pleasant electronica/ synth-pop/ dream pop but it was a little samey, and a bit like the candy floss that I used to get at the Easter Show back in the day - looked good, tasted okay but quickly melted away without any nourishment.

The cover kind of points to this too - style over substance with no faces/just hairstyle.

I usually listen to our albums-of-the-week on my commute but Yoncalla was too soporific at 6am and 4pm. I need something to perk me up before work and I need to stay awake on the drive home. The lyrics are sung in such a way that the sound was lulling me to sleep so I quickly needed some old time rock'n'roll as a pick-me-up.

The early evening (while Jacky watched the news and I read my book) proved the best time to luxuriate in the pleasures of Yumi Zouma. After the fourth go around, tracks started to differentiate themselves more but even then, only Amber and Short Truth managed to stand out for me.

Nonetheless, glad to make her/their acquaintance. I've added it to Moby's Destroyed and my other ambient albums for evening consumption.

Next time might be your time

"Blue" Gene Tyranny - Out Of The Blue (1977) ****

Nominated by: Tom Jnr

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition:  for David K

Another new one on me. Turns out Mr Tyranny is actually Robert Sheff - an American composer and pianist. Out of the Blue was his debut album.

It's an interesting collection of 4 songs - I guess the vinyl version back in 1977 had the first 3 on side 1 and the 26 minute Letter From Home on side 2. That would give it space/separation as you would need to manually turn the record over. It would make more sense that way, as it's a bit jarring hearing all 4 tracks together at one time via Spotify. They are pretty eclectic.

I do enjoy side one more and I especially love the Zappa-esque for David K. It could easily be from an early album like Lumpy Gravy. 

The conceit of the letter format on side 2 is interesting and it works reasonably well to tie the different sections together and I'm not averse to a 26 minute track but (you knew a but was coming right?) I kind of weary of it upon repeat listenings.

An intriguing selection though, and I'm glad to have made Mr Tyranny's acquaintance.

Te Whare Tīwekaweka (Marlon Williams)

Marlon Williams - Te Whare Tīwekaweka (2025) ***

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Pānaki 

Ko nga pukapuka waiata e waiatatia ana i roto i te reo ehara i te reo Ingarihi kei a ratou ano te ahuareka. Kei runga ake i taku mahunga ka whakaaro ahau ki nga pukapuka waiata i roto i te reo Tiamana, Mandarin, Thai, Paniora, Itari me Te Reo kei roto i taku kohinga.

He take tuku i nga oro ki runga i te mea karekau au e korero i era atu reo. I etahi wa ko te kore o te mohio he painga. 

I miharo ahau ki te whakatau a Marlon Williams ki te waiata i tenei waiata anake i roto i Te Reo. He iti noa te whakawhäiti i te hunga whakarongo, me te whakaaro hoki e hia o enei waiata ka eke ki te putanga reo Ingarihi. 

E toru nga waiata e tu mai ana ki ahau na te ahua o te waiata. Ko te Pānaki he waiata whakahihiri ki a au, e whakamarumaru ana i era atu waiata. Ko taku tino pai ko te Whakameatia Mai whenua. 

He momo pai o nga huarahi puta noa, e pupuri ana i nga mea hou. Ka whakamahi a Marlon i tana reo miiharo ki te whai hua puta noa. I kite tuatahi ahau i a ia i muri mai me Jools Holland ka tino miharo ia. 

Ka whakarongo ano ahau ki te pukaemi ahakoa? Ka ruarua ahau.

Nga mihi mo te tohatoha i tenei GK - kaore e rongo - tetahi o nga harikoa o ta matou karapu puoro.