The Clash

A bona fide classic today in the self titled Clash debut, The Clash.

I say this undramatically but what a stunning album, even if it was a dreadful album 2 songs part way through are the best two back to back songs bar none, name two songs on an album that follow each other that are better than White Riot and White Man In Hammersmith Palais. As I wheeled through Staffordshire in the Spring sunshine with each and every track I wanted to wind down the window, attract the attention of the BMW driver to my right and say this is fucking ace this is. I didn’t but by god I hammered away at my steering wheel bongos.
You know already if this is a good album, its not an obscure oddity, this is musical revolution (with guitars) from the opening Who strokes to the closing dig at Charles Shaar Murray, its not a good, great or excellent album it is ground breaking, a head of its time, undated and rare. Its a classic in every sense of the word and if there is a hole in your CD, tape or vinyl collection where this should be, I am not disappointed, I pity you.
This album takes music to a better place, it kicks open the doors and says here you go try some of this, yes sir you can still boogie, but the beat was a little different.
I saw Joe Strummer and his band The Mescaleros perform White Man In Hammersmith Palais before he died, my wife thinks it was one of the happiest I have ever been in my life. She wasn’t wrong.
The album is just wonderful, no low point, no filler, nothing out of place, nothing bad. 10 out of 10, and if you went back to all the other 10 out of 10’s they would be 9’s compared to this. Stunning.



White Man In Hammersmith Palais by The Clash

Greatest

After the shocking music from the previous couple of days, its nice to come back, momentarily to Johnny Cash and the album recorded for Sun, Greatest.
Johnny was the Greatest and thats what this refers to, its not a greatest hits, although of course the quality that Johnny produced through all periods was great.
This is an album that was released in 1959 after Johnny had left Sun and this reissue is notable for many things, but the most notable and memorable is the scratchy track recorded at KWEM a radio station, Rock and Roll Ruby, its extremely rare and a joy to listen to, Cash sounds different on this recording, but still as the album suggests, the greatest.
Present on this recording are a few of my favourites in Katy Too, Get Rhythm and Luther Played the Boogie. Its quite telling that I favour the Cash penned tracks over other solid songs. Admittedly Hey Good Lookin and Johnny’s version makes me want to investigate Hank Williams a little more.
All in all as ever, a fantastic Johnny Cash album, he should have celebrated his birthday last week, he would have been 78, therefore 71 when he died. My wife pointed out that is far too young in this day and age. 10 out of 10.



Rock and Roll Ruby by Johnny Cash

White Light Review

So today we come to Gene Clark and White Light. Of all the albums in all the world that I have heard this is one of my favourite ever. My heart did a little leap this morning when I pulled it from the shelf, that BMW cutting me up just past Rugeley was not going to dampen my spirit one iota.
Its an alt country album in the best traditions of Gram Parsons, Neil Young and Clarks former home, The Byrds, it however does beat the living shit out of any of them, it beats them, stamps on their fingers, flicks them the V’s and says check that out, thats how to do an album, and just as this album is about to slam the door on a crying simpering Parsons, it looks back over it’s should and declares that you can stick you Flying Burrito Brothers up your arse.
It’s a good album.
My daughter, my idle baby girl (21) this week played me a Ryan Adams track and a flying Burrito Brothers track, it caught me off guard it has to be said, they were quite good, thats not what caught me off guard, the off guard catching was down to my dyed in the wool indie/rock/pop girl branched out beyond her comfort zone and played me a couple of tracks that I had never heard, but liked whole heartedly. Neither here nor there though as I know that Adams or FBB’s could produce a track that comes close to anything on this album, I have stated elsewhere on this blog that I do believe that they should make children listen to this album in schools.

“OK class, get out your ipods and turn to White Light, the seminal alt country album by former Byrd Gene Clark”

He even makes Stand By Me sound good on here, this version of the album, and I didn’t think that was possible (Stand by me being one of the few songs that regardless of the cover, it always sounds bad, yes I have heard that version before you say Lennon).

The Virgin is a song of astonishing quality, but its more than one track, For a Spanish Guitar its just consistent more than any other album I am likely to hear this entire year or beyond for that matter...maybe....another favourite is in the D’s.

Yes I may be looking at this through rose coloured specs, on the whole alt country is not my thing, but when its this good the genre isn’t important and its the songwriting that shines though. Clark on the whole is the lead songwriter and it is his songs that are the most fragile and at times plaintive and imploring. When he takes up someone like Dylans words its easier for him to pull down a mask, and that seems to be what he does. This is not a bad thing, or a criticism, it allows his focus to be on his playing and not conveying his innermost thoughts.

So an album that is perfect, faultless and completely without a flaw. It has to be 10 out of 10.



With Tomorrow by Gene Clark

Let’s Get Out Of This Country

Imagine a Cashless society? Nah nor me, but it wasn’t Johnny Cash today soundtracking my commute, it was Camera Obscura. Scottish indie band of note.
Years ago I heard Eighties Fan by Camera Obscura, its pounding Motown drums reminded me of Hefner’s Antony Harding drumming and Eighties Fan being a splendid single I purchased the 7” and the album that single came from. Forward wind a few years and my wife buys me a desk calendar that recommends an MP3 a day, and one of those MP3’s was a Camera Obscura single, Hey Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken, the single from Camera Obscura’s third album, Let’s Get Out Of This Country, that’s todays album, an album that has been played more than just about anything else that’s not released by Hefner, Tenacious D or NOFX. I like this album, a lot.
Camera Obscura are a Scottish band led by Traceyanne Campbell, with this album they released an album consisting of ten of the finest songs from north of the border and perhaps ten of the finest songs full stop. Breathtaking at times, unusual, odd, uncomfortable, but always beautiful. They mix those Motown drums with atmospheric vocals and a sad tone, but literally and lyrically.
This album slowly made its way from being good, to very good to even now one of my very favourite albums. Country Mile appeared on a Tesco ad, but you cant hold that against it, it’s a very good song and I immediately wanted to buy some reasonably priced clothes after seeing the ad. They also do a song about Andre Previns ex wife, Dory Previn, as yet no urge to buy reasonably priced clothes.
Anyway, Let’s Get Out Of This Country, a stunning album, one of the best, 10 out of 10.



Country Mile by Camera Obscura

Johnny Cash American Legend

Another brief one I am afraid, Christmas and all that has meant that if I am not listening to a CD on my commute I am either wrapping presents, roasting chestnuts (on an open fire), cursing the long hairs on the MTV or wondering when I am going to do the big shop. Its these things that limit the time that I can wax about the commute CD.
The Johnny Cash fortnight, for you at least mercifully draws to a close. Its been rather marvellous for me, as well as todays discs I know I have almost the same boxset coming up in a week or two, if it is the same content I may skip it, we will see. Also by the stereo I have further Cash discs that will turn up in a year or two when I have completed the upstairs CD’s.
So to todays disc, it’s a 3 disc boxset, Johnny Cash American Legend. A £3 boxset licensed from Charly and released by a German company. Its is in its essence, the Sun recordings with some live tracks thrown in for good measure.
The Sun recordings are as to be expected, excellent in every possible way. The live tracks are possibly why I bought this, live versions of Jackson, Orange Blossom Special and in particular the fantastic If I Were A Carpenter, featuring June Carter Cash. As time goes on I wonder if I should try and but Junes solo output, at the moment I have all of Johnnys on MP3, some on vinyl but slowly I am buying it all on CD, Santa I suspect will get the next one or two on my wishlist, but I think I really need to hear what June could do as a solo singer, what a voice.
I said it would be brief and I am afraid it is, very brief. This boxset is a gem, a real find, I think I have the complete Sun Recordings and I will give more detail when that gets played, in the meantime, as ever Johnny Cash American Legend 10 out of 10.



If I Were A Carpenter by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash

Edit. 9th January 2010. I had the other boxset yesterday, it was the same one all told, its still a ten though.

The Fabulous Johnny Cash / Songs Of Our Soil

The Johnny Cash commute fortnight is coming to a close, still not quite there but close enough. Today was a double album set of his third album, The Fabulous Johnny Cash and his sixth album, Songs Of Our Soil.
The first of the albums, The Fabulous Johnny Cash amongst its grooves features the now perennial I Still Miss Someone, I suspect this may be the first recording it appeared on, I would have to check that though. Johnny also gives his version of Frankie and Johnny, and a fine version it is too.
This Columbia album if anything went against it, it is perhaps that there are so few Johnny Cash penned songs on it, I Still Miss Someone, Run Softly Blue River, Pickin Time and the original version of Don’t Take Your Guns To Town. The latter is a fantastic measured performance with pauses in all of the right places, a far far superior version to the rerecorded versions from his later career.
Of the covers Shepherd of My Heart is a stand out track, Jenny Lou Carson penned the original and it is one that I will have to track down, here it in its correct context.
All in all, The Fabulous Johnny Cash, is fabulous. 10 out of 10.



Don’t Take Your Guns To Town by Johnny Cash

Song of Our Soil as I said was Johnny’s sixth album and a bit of a treat over all. The songs are taking a much darker tone that would remain throughout his career, indeed most of the songs tackle death in one capacity or another.
For the most part Johnny writes the songs, and a few greats show their faces for the first time, notably Five Feet High And Rising however the highlight for me is a track that also appears on the God compilation, The Great Speckled Bird, a song covered since by Lucinda Williams. A song that I am currently loving.
Songs Of Our Soil also has Cash singing the traditional song, My Grandfathers Clock, a song that I recall singing at junior school, if only I knew Cash had done it I may have been able to incorporate Cash’s growl into my rendition as a 10 year old. Finally this album also features the traditional song I Want To Go Home, or as it is more well known, Sloop John B. A better version. Songs Of Our Soil, 10 out of 10.



I Want to Go Home by Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash The Mercury Years

A hurried review tonight, very hurried. Enough to say its great, it features duets with people like the fantastic Tom T Hall, and John Cash Jr.
10 out of 10.

Thats a bit too hurried though, but that's the long and short of it, its an album that draws on the best efforts of his Mercury Records output, an over looked period that covers the eighties and very early nineties. Johnny is starting to feel his age and you hear it in his voice. A little more weary, a little more considered, yes it has an eighties Nashville sheen but under all that is Johnny.

Johnny goes back to Don't Take Your Guns To Town, and covers his own song reasonably faithfully, as well as his interpretation of Sixteen Tons. The highlight is the rather jokey Backstage Pass.

Still 10 out of 10.



A Backstage Pass by Johnny Cash

Ride This Train

Today I was riding the train with Johnny Cash, that is if by train you mean Ford Fiesta, and by Johnny Cash you mean a black rucksack. My journey was through Staffordshire, he was my soundtrack, his 1960 album, Ride This Train. Johnny released 3 albums in 1960, this was the middle of the three.
This is an odd album really, it’s a concept album, considered to be one of the very first concept albums and Johnny opens each track with a little narrative about the destination the train will be taking you to, and somehow linking that to the song that comes after it. All the while you can hear in the background the clickety-clack of the train on the tracks. It was the first time I had listened to this album, and outside of a single song, Going To Memphis, I hadn’t heard any of it before.
Of the 8 songs that appeared on the original disc, Cash only wrote 3, he lets the troubadours, folklore artists and story tellers of the US tell the tales that make up Johnny Cash’s fictional journey. He isn’t about the now, or the modern, but he never was and these songs are more akin to the 1800’s than 1960. Johnny talks, not for the first time, about John Wesley Hardin, the outlaw, and that’s what these songs are about, Cowboys and Outlaws, about journeys and destinations. Cash does what he does best when he is painting you a picture, on this album he wants the picture to be that of one that goes past as you ride this train.
Cash really isn’t about modernity, through his entire career Cash harked back to an era of cottonfields and shacks, you couldn’t imagine talk of ipods and emails coming into his songs could you. This album is thankfully before the time of ipods and emails, and it is all the better for it. 10 out of 10.



Old Doc Brown by Johnny Cash

God

Today I had an exam, but on the way to that exam I had the best soundtrack possible. The God compilation that Johnny Cash released.
If the rules dictated that you could have a compilation as your favourite Johnny Cash record, this would top that list. I don’t set the rules, that’s set by the International Favourite Johnny Cash Album League, they are sticklers.
This album is really as fantastic as it gets, I used to mistakenly think my very favourite Johnny Cash track was on this album, Far Side Banks Of Jordan, it isn’t, that’s on a June Carter Cash album, no harm no foul and as is the quality of this album, its still a great great album even minus that song.
This album revisits songs from almost his entire career that deal with God, religion or some other spiritual nonsense. The subject matter is neither here nor there, the delivery is the important thing and boy does he deliver it.
Cash can talk about spiritual awakening with the same tone that he talks about fixing to shoot someone, there is fire in his belly and sincerity in his voice.
Normal run of things this album would drop around 10 points due to having that fucking idiot Bono write the liner notes, I didn’t read them though so the points stay in tact.
What of the songs then, by golly they are good, some originals, some traditional, some by June, some by others, every single one a great. From Johnny’s rendition of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot to his take on Kristofferson’s Why Me Lord. Each one delivered with more meaning, more passion, more beauty than a million Aled Jones’s.
Even amongst all of the great songs on this album, one song stands head and shoulders above everything else, the ridiculously good Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord, a traditional song that has the most gorgeous vocal of any record you will hear any time or any place. June Carter Cash on this record will not be equalled, sincerely. If I do find it on Youtube, stick with it and listen please, (I have, 31 seconds in, stunning) I would like to know your thoughts as well.
That all said, an easy 10 out of 10. An album everyone should own.



Were You There When They Crucified My Lord by Johnny Cash

Ragged Old Flag

Ragged Old Flag today on the commute, another Johnny Cash album. This was released in 1974 on Columbia Records.
This is a more stripped down album than yesterdays Silver. Outside of the first track, the title track its paired down making use of The Tennessee Three and backing vocal talents of The Oak Ridge Boys. The Statler Brothers had relinquished themselves of the position of Cash’s backing group at this point.
The title track features Earl Scruggs on Banjo, it may be, for English ears at least a bit too much of a schmaltz fest. Its like a musical version of that Simpsons episode, Barts People. Cash telling the story of why the flag was so ragged. I think in the time of Watergate the American public loved the song.
Lonesome to The Bone appears on this album and its better on this than the version that appeared on Silver, a beautiful song, that, as I mentioned yesterday reminds me of Kris Kristofferson.
Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Johnny Cash takes a shot at what was happening to the environment in Don’t Go Near The water
All in all this is a very good album, all songs on the album are written by Cash, it isn’t over produced, it is really marvellous. One I recommend searching out.
10 out of 10. He doesn’t do anything less than great.



Lonesome To The Bone by Johnny Cash

Silver

Todays CD is yet another Cash CD, this time it is his 1979 album Silver. You may recall the B’s and my frown at the multiple Bragg’s that I was working through. You might expect the same with Johnny after all its been quite a Cash intensive week so far, a week that isn’t coming to an end any time soon.
So this album, Silver, from a period that most listeners aren’t massively familiar with, even though this album contains one of Johnny’s most well known songs in his interpretation of Ghost Riders In The Sky.
Silver is quite notable for being the final album Johnny Cash recorded with bassist Marshall Grant, original member of Cash’s backing band, The Tennessee Two (and later with WS Holland the Tennessee Three). The sound of The Tennessee Three had mellowed over the years and although the boom-chicka sound was still present it was more broader, and none more so on this album.
1979 in country and western music was reaching a bit of a watershed. It was at the end of the peak that the 70’s had ushered in and The Highwaymen had not yet formed, perhaps with this Cash needed to set his own agenda, needed to re-impress himself on his public. Prior to this Cash had released, or at least labels representing Cash had released 2 or 3 compilations, the last album proper, Gone girl had only had 2 Cash compositions on it, Silver needed to make a mark, and if his songwriting juices were not flowing, Johnny had to ensure that what he did work with sounded like his own.
As was the case during this period, Johnny Cash revisited songs from his past, Cocaine Blues had already appeared in a couple of incarnations, on this release it sounds like a rich cousin of White Lightning, Cocaine Blues over the process of this listening exercise is becoming more increasingly a favourite. In the bonus tracks on this CD, Cash is ably assisted on I Got Stripes and I Still Miss Someone by George Jones, Jones’ twang sits at odds with Cash’s growl but oddly they match.
Lonesome to the Bone on this album, initially I thought it was a Kristofferson track, sounding in part like Sunday Morning Coming Down, but the liner notes tell me differently and this is the stand out track for me, its quite a beautiful song. It first appeared on the 74 album (and imminent to me) Ragged Old Flag.
The entire album is a bit of an uncovered classic in its own way, the production is rich but not schmaltzy, its full but still has an intimacy, the Tennessee Three can be heard but are ably assisted.
Cash is serious on this album but still finds time to poke fun at himself on I'll Say It's True.

I've never been in prison
I don't know much about trains
My favorite singer cooks my breakfast
I like her fancy and I like her plain

I love bright and flashing colors
Like hot pink and Dresden blue
But if they ask me if it's true
That I still love you, I'll say it's true

Marvellous. 10 out of 10.



Ghost Riders In The Sky by Johnny Cash

The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show

More Cash, well actually not an entire Cash album today, The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show is a compilation album featuring artists that appeared on Johnny Cash’s TV show. This is a double disc packsge, one disc is a DVD of selected appearances and the other is the audio and its interspersed with Johnny singing a few tracks.
There is enough on the disc to keep me more than entertained, from the none Cash selections we have Kris Krisstoferson, Glen Campbell performing Wichita Lineman, Neil Young performing The Needle and the Damage Done, Tammy Wynette perfroming Stand By Your Man aswell as James Taylor, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. The latter doing a low down dirty version of Blue suede Shoes.
The Disc also contains a rather splendid version of Ring Of Fire performed by Ray Charles, and many fine contributions by June Carter Cash, a voice no better exists I would say.
This all brings me round to Johnny Cash’s contributions, all the tracks are performed live and what we have is a rousing version of Boy Named Sue, a cover of Cash’s hero, Jimmi Rodgers featuring Louis Armstrong. Duets with June include their beautiful If You Were a Carpenter, which is a little muddled up on this recording.
The complete highlight though, and something in this version I had not heard before was Cash and Joni Mitchell duetting on The Girl of The North Country, a truly great and beautiful song made even better with the addition of Mitchell’s voice. A real highlight.
So it’s a compilation, but as strong a compilation as you will find, these are live versions, but controlled live versions and it’s a joy to hear them. The DVD features Neil Diamond singing Cracklin Rosie, I may have to watch that tonight. All in all, purely for Joni Mitchell, but also for Glen and June. 10 out of 10.



Girl of The North Country by Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell

At Folsom Prison

Today we are at Folsom Prison, not literally, literally it’s Coleshill, but as far as my loosely alphabeticised CD collection goes, the next album along is another Johnny Cash album, perhaps his most well known, At Folsom Prison.
At Folsom Prison is a better record of Cash’s prison gigs, the San Quentin album although excellent is a little more polished than the Folsom album and this 1999 reissue although not my favourite album of Johnny’s or my favourite live album of Johnny’s you can certainly see it’s worth and importance and as far as the set list is concerned, it’s a strong one that isn’t just about the hits.
Joe Bean reappears here, as does The Wall, but I don’t think he could do a prison concert without doing those, similarly Long Black Veil and Folsom Prison Blues.
If anything though away from those songs of murder, the mood is very much light, June Carter isn’t he wife at this point, at that was 2 months away, and Johnny is pretty much drug free, and that new found feeling is shown in the lightness of the songs, be it Cocaine Blues, or Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog or Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart. Johnny still gives us I Still Miss Someone and Orange Blossom Special, but he wants to keep the mood light and that is what pervades this album.
All in all its difficult for me to write anything about this album that you wont already know, it’s a classic, a true great, the songs, the performance, the venue and therefore an unsurprising 10 out of 10.



Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash

Murder

The journey back from Oxfordshire was made all the more enjoyable with another Johnny Cash disc, this time the 2000 compilation, Murder.
Murder was originally part of a three disc box set, although they were also sold seperately, the other discs were God, Love and later one was also released called Life. Effectively they were themed discs that picked out the best Johnny Cash songs that fitted loosely in to those categories, this one Murder, fits the bill on the whole, sometimes its just death though.
So what of it, with Cash, regardless of the album you never get anything less than perfect, this is not the exception.
This collects tracks across a career spanning selection, be it Folsom Prison Blues or Cocaine Blues, the latter was originally recorded by Cash under the name of Transfusion Blues on his 1960 album, Now There Was A Song, as well as being performed at the Folsom prison concert, it appears here as Cocaine Blues.
The eeriest song outside of the gorgeous When it's Springtime in Alaska, is the song Joe Bean. The song closes with Cash and Carter Cash singing Happy Birthday to Joe Bean only for the sound of the gallows floor opening and the rope creaking. Eerie stuff.
Finally amongst the other great songs on this disc are two of Johnny Cash's late career highlights, Delia's Gone, certainly one of my all time top ten Cash tracks and his take on Bruce Springsteen's Highway Patrolman. A great version.
The song closes with The Wall, a song also on At San Quentin, like most on Murder, not only very sad, but it you see the futility of the situation from the off.

All in all Murder is a fantastic compilation, unsure if I have God on CD, but I know God is the better of the three, that doesnt detract from this disc though, a perfect 10 out of 10.



Joe Bean by Johnny Cash

At San Quentin

Next CD, Friday nights drive to Oxfordshire was the Johnny Cash album, At San Quentin. This is the 2000 reissue of the 1969 album. The previous year saw Cash perform at Folsom, but this is a record of his concert to prisoners and wardens at California's San Quentin Prison.
San Quentin has hosted as inmates Merle Haggard and Art Pepper within its walls but this was quite a unique concert really. Cash had always wanted to do a concert for prisoners and this started at Folsom prison at continued here at San Quentin.
This was recorded for Granada TV and he refers to this in his between song dialogue, a later deluxe edition of this disc contains the entire concert and a DVD of that concert.
This album contains more than a few highpoints for me, the stand out track is I Still Miss Someone, not a massively well known song, it should be, hopefully Youtube will have a recording of this but if not please do seek it out for a listen.
Cash is backed, vocally by The Statler Brothers but also by the gorgeous voice of June Carter Cash. And its her contribution to the song (There'll Be) Peace in the Valley, a beautiful song. Utterly gorgeous.
Outside of these you get on the whole Cash staples such as I Walk The Line, Folsom Prison Blues, Daddy Sang Bass as well as A Boy Named Sue.
The other tracks on this disc are the intriguing for me, such as the song San Quentin, it went down so well that he plays it twice in a row.
Unsure if this album is better than his Folsom album, I will know next week I think. Either way, superb. 10 out of 10.



San Quentin by Johnny Cash

Orange Blossom Special

Here is a fact for you, up to 1965 Johnny Cash had released 20, get that, 20!! albums. Its that 20th album that I listened to on my commute in this morning. It may be Johnny’s 20th but it is my favourite Johnny Cash album, Orange Blossom Special. Orange Blossom Special is the first of a week of Cash albums by the look of it.
I love this album more than any other Cash album because of the songs, obviously, but the choice of songs is more perfect than the preceding 19 or the subsequent 76, all great in their own way, but not as fantastic as Orange Blossom Special.
I can even forgive 3 Dylan songs on this album as in the case of It Ain’t Me Babe, it stops becoming Dylans and Cash claims it, the same could be said for Mama, You've Been on My Mind. The third Dylan track is Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright and this further cements the relationship that Dylan and Cash would have throughout Cash’s life. Great versions.
The album, at least on this version, but the albums highlights for me are two of my favourite Cash tracks. On any given day When It's Springtime in Alaska is my favourite Cash song, its so damn sparse, yet so beautiful, possibly only bettered by The Far Side Banks Of Jordan, that doesn’t appear on this album though. Another contender for Cash’s best is (I'm Proud) The Baby is Mine, appearing here as a bonus track. I man re-affirming his love for a woman that takes the pint. It’s a great song, stunning.
Another highlight of the album in a bonus track form is Engine 143, re-recorded later in Cash’s life and another one of the songs that using train imagery to get its point across, along with the title track of course. Engine 143 in its re-recorded version was the very last song that Johnny recorded, at least according to Wikipedia, I thought that honour befell to the beautiful Like the 309, but that actually may have been the last one he wrote. I have digressed a little.
Enough to say this is another perfect Cash album, 10 out of 10.



When It’s Springtime In Alaska by Johnny Cash

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Sorry about the hurried entry for yesterday. I might have to revisit it at a later date.
Today though its more Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and their debut self titled album.
Many years ago, either late 2004 or early 2005 whilst downloading illegal music on Soulseek, actually was the music illegal or the activity, or was it the format that the music came in? Whats illegal about MP3’s? OK, so some years ago I was downloading music illegally. It was The Magic Numbers, and I was after some of their demo’s, hold on if it was demo’s was that illegal? They were probably given out free, after all who charges for demos?
Anyway, I started downloading these demos and the girl I was downloading off suggested that I try some demos by a New York based band, clap Your Hands Say Yeah. As friends will tell you, those demos changed my life musically, well I say changed my life, if I was listening to purely gospel music and then started listening to CYHSY, then yes it would change have changed my life, but it did at least make me love a new band. I pretty much, actually, I did buy everything the band released from then on in, including the self released, self titled album.
Before I comment on the album, CYHSY are as I have said a New York based band, featuring the songwriting talents of Alec Ounsworth, Ounsworth is still based in Philadelphia and of late has been releasing material under his own name and as part of Flashy Python, the latter released some CYHSY demos under their own name a few years back too.
Anyway, I managed to catch the band live a few years back, and although I still adore the bands music, they are absolutely dreadful live, I mean shocking. They do write good songs though.
That all said, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, initially released by the band in 2005, and then re-released by Wichita Recordings in 2006. 12 tracks.
The album is maybe one of my favourite albums. I think its faultless and each and every track is a joy to listen to even now after playing it a million times and badgering people that they are the greatest band since Hefner. They aren’t but as is the case with me, THE greatest thing ever is fleeting and I always do believe at that point whatever it is I am talking about is the best or greatest ever.
So this album is a lot more earthy and shambolic, and more urgent than its successor. Some Loud Thunders polished the rough edges of the self titles, lest you hurt yourself. Some Loud Thunder maybe had one eye on the indie dance crossover second coming that was emanating out of New York at the time with the likes of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Rapture and the mightily awful Gossip. The self titled wants you to dance, but more dervish than Studio 54, more piano rolls than roller disco. If my steering wheel could be annoyed at the over exuberant drumming, it would.
I thought I knew what was my favourite on this album, Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth, but then I hear and remember On This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood with its Dave Byrne vocal leanings and yelps, its hard not to love it.
Byrnes New York is the major influence on this album and that is the voice that critics have compared Ounsworths to the most. It is there but it is an influence and not a karaoke version from Star In Their Eyes.
Details of The War slows the pace a little and gives you time to breath, and gives the steering wheel a chance to recover, the pace though is steady and the right choice of instruments reminds me a little of their compatriots, The National. Not too much though.
All in all this is one of my very favourite albums, excellent in every way, superb. 10 out of 10.

This is a very odd video put together by someone, that isn’t them but others. The music is though.



Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

The Ugly Organ

Today my commute CD was the reason why I am going through my loosely alphabeticised CD albums. The reason why I needed to listen to things I may have missed, the reason I needed to give something a second chance.
Today the CD was The Ugly Organ by Cursive. At the very least I may have listened to this once before but I suspect this was the first time I had played this album. It came to my notice as I think at the end of 2003 it was featured highly in the year end lists of people who’s opinion I trusted. I must have lost it in a bulk of other CD’s though as it never made an impression at all.
So to the CD, as I said this CD and other CD’s like it is the reason that I am going through my collection, it is an absolute beauty, a real genuine great album.
Released on Saddle Creek it draws its influence, not massively, but a little from Saddle Creeks most famous son, Conor Oberst. However it’s main influence is Brand New. Sonically it draws heavily on the sound Brand New explored on their first two albums. Vocally Tim Kasher falls between that of Brand New’s Jesse Lacey and Bright Eyes’ Oberts, musically they are more aligned, at least on this album with Brand New than Oberst’s folk leanings.
It’s a stunning album though, and one I am pretty angry for missing, it is 6 years old after all, and 6 years it has been on a shelf of mine ignored. I strongly suggest that if either of the influencing artists float your boat, you seek out The Ugly Organ.
How this does differ from Brand New and Bright Eyes though is this album displays a little more aggression than those two are seemingly capable of. The Ugly Organ is a concept album that explores, Wikipedia tells me, the ugly organists life of love lust and empty sex. At times anger comes through but also despondency. It really does take you on a rather fantastic musical journey.
This all leads to the final track, Staying Alive, you recall my criticisms of the bloated Coheed and Cambrai album? Well the final track is a 10 minute epic, with contributions from a Nebraskan who’s who, after 10 minutes, I wanted another 10, I didn’t want it to end and as the album drew to a close, I wanted more. A brilliant and ridiculously good album. 10 out of 10, easily.



Staying Alive by Cursive

London Calling

Not a commute as such, more a trip to the parents in Telford to collect a book. Same thing though, the next loosely alphabeticised CD album was The Clash's third album, London Calling.
London Calling is one of my very favourite albums. The Clash as a youngster didn't even feature in my life, no one I knew liked them, I never heard them, I knew very very few songs by them and it was only until I was 18 or 19 I heard anything by them, the friend that first played me Husker Du and The Wedding Present also played me London Calling. I was smitten from then on in.
London Calling is a non punk record by a punk band. Its the sound of a band leaving those roots behind, expanding their sound or going the route that so many punk bands had gone prior to 1979, the year of this albums release.
The use of horns, flirtations with ska and reggae, blues and garage rock are what made The Clash better than all of their contemporaries, their willingness to allow a pop tune to break through is non more evident than it is on this album.
In Wrong Em Boyo they take Stagger Lee and and meld it into the Clive Alphonso song, it moves along at a bouncy old pace and its not just Wrong Em Boyo that embraces the music of the west indies, Guns of Brixton's famous bassline takes you straight from Pimlico to Studio 1.



Wrong Em Boyo by The Clash

Jimmy Jazz, Lost in the Supermarket and Train In Vain up the pop quotient and do it so well, all pop music should sound like this, and although it was released 30 years ago almost to the day, it could be put out now and sound current.



Jimmy Jazz by The Clash

On Brand New Cadillac, Strummer revisits the 101ers sound, this is the blueprint for all covers of this song that came after. Do people cover this song or the original? Either way its a blistering beautiful version of a great song.



Brand New Cadillac by The Clash

As a double its faultless, a stunning album that I adore more than any other Clash album and almost more than any other album, bar a few. Its an album that should be in everyones collection, its an album that never loses its initial shine. So so good. Unsurprisingly 10 out of 10.

Johnny Cash and His Hot and Blue Guitar/ Johnny Cash Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous

We hit the C section good and proper today, and we hit it running with a double disc pack by Johnny Cash, hist first two albums to be precise, Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar and Johnny Cash Sings The songs That Made Him Famous.
Johnny Cash means a great deal to me, his music has been with me since I was a very small child and I have yet to hear a song by him that I disliked. Periods that divide other fans, I adore, its hard to be subjective when you struggle to see anything wrong with him and so this is more of an apology as I have quite a number of Johnny Cash discs and I love all of them.
Where to start? Lets start with the debut …Hot and Blue Guitar. Released in 1957, not only Johnny’s debut album, but the first LP to be released on Sam Phillip’s Sun Records. A milestone not just for the label but I will wager for Rock n Roll, Rockabilly, and Country music.
On this album Johnny is backed by Luther Perkins, Marshall Grant and session musician Al Casey, at this point drummer WS Holland hasn’t joined the band and the Tennessee Three is merely the Tennessee Two.
As a statement of intent, this is a brash and as fierce as the famous ad of Johnny giving the finger. It comes out swaggering and against the grain of 50’s hillbilly music.
A number of covers are present, his take on Rock Island Line on this album is the best of anyones, Luthers guitar driving that train. Also he takes on Hank William’s (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle, pretty faithful to the original and its clear across the tracks that Williams is the major influence, not just in his song selection and reinterpretation, but also in his own songs, and it is in his own songs where his strength lies and this is where the swagger, the statement of intent and the self belief come in. Undoubtedly the strongest songs on this album are the ones penned by JR Cash.

Well, you work all day
While you're wantin' to play
In the sun and the sand,
With a face that's tan.
At the end of the day,
When your work is done,
You ain't got nothin' but fun.


Country Boy, you may not have shit, but you aint got no worries either. Maybe Johnny put it a little more eloquently than that, but basically that’s what he is saying.
If Country Boy was the only original song on this debut that would be enough, but Cry Cry Cry and So Doggone Lonesome also appear along with I Walk The Line.
The stand out track for me, easily the stand out track was the beligerant, unapologetic, snarling song that is Folsom Prison Blues, easily one of Johnny’s best, and on a given day it may be his best. Musically magnificent, lyrically brilliant. A perfect song.

I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die. Exceptional. 10 out of 10.



Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash (an absolutely fantastic performance it is too)

Which brings us on to Johnny’s second album, 1958’s Johnny Cash Sings The Songs That Made Him Famous.
Following up such a strong debut must be intimidating, but to follow it up and have more faith in your own songs, at a time when you had singers, and you had songwriters, that’s just massive self belief. That is though what Johnny did on the follow up, more of his songs.
There are still nods to his hero Hank Williams in his cover of Williams’ I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You), and Williams influence is still apparent in Cash’s tone, but that’s was soon to disappear as Cash slowly becomes his own man.

Just around the corner there's heartache
Down the street that losers use
If you can wade in through the teardrops
You'll find me at the Home of the Blues

Home of The Blues on this album is possibly my favourite, chronicling an unhappy childhood, a partner to Heartbreak Hotel, but where that was love, this is more circumstance. Johnny Cash carving out a niche as the dark man of country, the man in black isn’t quite there yet, but he isn’t a million miles away.

Big River continues the theme, sadness, and dark moods, a gorgeous song and a great great closer to this album.

Through Ballad Of A Teenage Queen, the reappearance of I Walk The Line, through to Guess Things Happen That Way and Next In Line, this album is just perfect, still the Tennessee Two haven’t been augmented by WS Hollands drums but you don’t miss them, Luther Perkins guitar style is such that you don’t need the drums.

Another fantastic album. 10 out of 10



Home of The Blues by Johnny Cash