Author: mark

Ryan Bingham Fear and Saturday Night

Newest release from a solid songwriter from Texas.

When Ryan Bingham released his first album, Mescalito, at the age of 26, he already sang with the grizzled grit of someone twice his age. He’d spent the previous decade living in his truck, competing in a string of southwestern rodeos to help pay for gas. His parents were alcoholics. His friends were bull-riders. The whole thing sounded like a country song, which was one of the reasons Bingham’s biographical songs — which hitched themselves to mid-tempo grooves on Mescalito, then rocketed their way toward roadhouse-worthy rock & roll territory on his second release, Roadhouse Sun — packed such a natural, nuanced punch. He wasn’t some suburban kid dressed up in outlaw threads. Dude was the real deal.

Years later, Bingham — now a Grammy and Oscar-winning, thirty-something adult, with four studio albums and the critically adored Crazy Heart soundtrack under his belt — is prepping another release. Fear and Saturday Night hits stores on January 20, 2015. Bingham wrote most of the album’s 12 tracks alone in an airstream trailer, parked in the mountains of California without electricity or cell phones. The seclusion gave him creative clarity that resulted in songs inspired by an unstable childhood, and by the deaths of his mother to alcoholism and father to suicide.

Bingham recorded most of the album live, with a brand new band whose lineup includes two members of the blues-rock outfit Rose Hill Drive. Jim Scott, who engineered Tom Petty’sWildflowers and co-produced Wilco’s Wilco (The Album), produced the sessions.

J.J. Cale Naturally

The album that put him on the map, at least with other guitarists. I can hear so many other guitarists when I listen to this – he was such a big influence on so many of them.

Naturally is the debut album by JJ Cale. First released in 1972, it includes his song “After Midnight” which had been recorded first by Eric Clapton in 1970.

Cale, who was languishing in obscurity at the time, had no knowledge of Clapton’s recording of “After Midnight” until it became a radio hit in 1970. Cale’s friend and producer, Audie Ashworth, encouraged Cale to record a full album in order to capitalize on the success of his song. Naturally was recorded independently, “on spec”, the musicians being paid demo fees. Some songs, such as “Call Me the Breeze“, were recorded with primitive drum machine accompaniment and sound almost like demos.

The album showcased Cale’s distinctive, understated style, and it successfully established his solo recording career which continued until his death in 2013. The album was originally released on Leon Russell‘s “Shelter Records” label, spawning the 1972 hits “Crazy Mama” (Billboard Hot 100 #22- his only Top 40 hit ^[4]) and “After Midnight” (#42) as well as turntable hits “Bringing it Back” (recorded by Kansas in their first album), “Call Me the Breeze” (later recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd) and “Clyde” (later recorded by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and a 1980 country hit for Waylon Jennings).

Jason Isbell Live at Austin City Limits

‘For all he’s been through and for the success he’s attained, Jason Isbell comes across as a man who’s both confident and thankful. His new Live At Austin City Limits DVD brilliantly captures Isbell and his 400 Unit’s music, for sure … but it also provides a very intimate look at Isbell himself in a very public setting.

From his greeting to the crowd (“I can’t tell you how happy we are to be playing here on Austin City Limits … hopefully you can just see it in our eyes.”) to his between-tune comments (“I grew up watching this show … I love this show. This is the coolest thing on earth for me.”) to the final thank-you, there’s no question that Isbell means every word he says. And every note he plays.’

Jason Isbell – Live At Austin City Limits

Looking forward to seeing him play here in a couple of months.

Dave’s Picks, Volume 13, Winterland, San Francisco, 2/24/74

The first release of the new subscription period, it does not disappoint. From their site:

On the fertile grounds of their home turf and on the edge of what would become the Wall of Sound era, the Dead embarked upon a tremendous three-night run at Winterland. On this particular night, the last in the run, they warmed up the crowd with stellar new tracks “U.S. Blues” (previously known as “Wave That Flag”), “Ship of Fools,” and “It Must Have Been The Roses.” And while these debuts, nestled among fan favorites like “Playing In The Band” and “Brown-Eyed Women,” were quite tantalizing, the 2nd set really brought it all home. Witness the magic on an incredibly jazz, introspective “Dark Star,” perhaps one of the finest version of “Morning Dew” during this time, and a beautifully arranged cover of “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.” The moments making up this masterpiece are made even more clear by the crispness of Kidd Candelario’s recording. Epic, indeed!

Not really in agreement on the ‘Baby Blue’ assessment above, it is a little weak. But the Cumberland and Big River early in the second set are maybe the finest versions of those two I have heard.

http://www.dead.net/store/1970s/daves-picks-volume-13-winterland-san-francisco-ca-22474

What a terrible world, what a beautiful world

A great new effort by one of the better bands around. A movement towards a more mature sound, it is well written and lushly produced as usual. Tracks 5 and 6, Lake Song and Till the Waters All Long Gone, are my two favorites and have an Astral Weeks feel to them. A solid effort and worth your attention.