"Name The Missing Word" is a favorite album cut of mine from this one, nice funky tune. Great soulful funky album in general with thought provoking and inspirational lyrics from Pops Staples. "I'll Take You There," and "Respect Yourself" are the big hits, but the whole album is heavy in general.
Spinning Joe Jackson's debut album from 1979. Fast, energetic music to keep me awake this Friday afternoon.
Spinning the Chi-Lites this evening. Soulful, funky and harmonious. Hard to believe this is a standard studio release and not a compilation or greatest hits set of some sort. It's that strong of an album. Outside of the title track, there's "We Are Neighbors," "Have You Seen Her," and "Love Uprising" among others!
Feeling like jazz and funk this morning. This fusion album fits the bill. Mouzon on drums and John Lee on bass make for a very funky rhythm section, and it's a couple of sweet guitars on top from Coryell and Philip Catherine. Great album overall, think it was a thrift store find too.
Today's first spin is the last album left from my recent Zappa haul. Opening a sealed copy of Big Mother Is Watching You, in honor of Mother's Day. It's a live disc from the 1984 tour. Great selections, from Ride My Face To Chicago, through WPLJ, to Chana in the Bushwap. It's a rollicking good time. I'm liking this album better than the Mothers of Prevention album it took it's front cover from.
Classic Parliament album, just picked it up. It's the import, I know, not OG... But it's still a decent pressing, comes with a cool comic book insert, and now I can spin "Bop Gun," "Flashlight" and more!
Outstanding soul album from Johnny Adams. Includes fantastic songs like "Georgia Morning Dew," "Real Live Living Hurtin' Man," and "Reconsider Me."
Spinning Joe Ely this morning, getting my singer-songwriter fix. Great songwriter, often overlooked, part of the Texas folk/singer-songwriter scene. If you like Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, and guys along those lines - you should check out Joe Ely. This is a good place to start, songs like "I Had My Hopes Up High," "She Never Spoke Spanish To Me," and "Tennessee's Not The State I'm In" are all pretty epic songs on this album.
File this under hard to classify. Soul, blues or jazz? Funk instrumental? It's a bit of all of that. A solo album of instrumentals from a top session musician known for blues and jazz work. The album features Herb Ellis on second guitar, and Paul Humphrey on drums. Killer album all the way through! I wish they would re-issue more Mel Brown albums...
Spinning Curtis Mayfield this early evening while I finish up some work. It seems like a crime to condense Curtis to a compilation, there's so many groundbreaking albums over such a long career... but I guess that's what I'm doing this evening. This is a pretty good sampling of Curtis, though I'm missing that early Impressions stuff. Nice pressing on blue vinyl as well.
Spinning a true Texas party album from Jerry Jeff Walker. One of my favorite singer/songwriter, folk, and country albums all in one. Start to finish it's a classic album, there's not one song that doesn't move me and make me happy. Jerry even pays tribute to some of his songwriting buddies, covering songs by Michael Murphy, Guy Clark and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Half the album is a sing-along, and the other half makes you want to sing anyway. Fantastic album all around, great way to start the day off!
Still working my way through the Zappa imports n such I grabbed at estate a couple weeks back. Had to share this one just because of the cover, especially the back cover. The album itself is as Bizarre as one would expect from early Mothers and the packaging. Lots of stories, bits, and the occasional song on this one. Some of these are nicer to own than they are to listen to? Or is that nonsense?
I have about a dozen Ray Charles albums, but I almost always reach for Crying Time. It was recently reissued for the first time in many years along with several other Ray Charles albums, and I might have to pick a copy up. My OG copy is a bit toasty.
The album is a mix of blues songs and ballads for the most part, and features Ray at his most soulful, with top notch sidemen. Favorite tracks include "Let's Go Get Stoned," and two back to back Percy Mayfield songs "We Don't See Eye To Eye," and "You're In For A Big Surprise." My absolute favorite track is probably "You're Just About To Lose Your Clown," if not for the lyrics then definitely for the guitar solo.