May is here. Its that halfway point between Spring and Summer and I figure that now is the proper time for a new mix!
MOONTALK: This first song, "Moontalk" by Tommy Roe, sounds like the opening of some Wes Anderson movie. Produced by Curt Boettcher, it definitely has that West Coast sunshine pop sound that he's known for, but also an Odessey and Oracle-era quality. Dig it.
LIKE WE WERE BEFORE: I've been in a Curt Boettcher phase for the last few weeks, so I'm including a few of his productions on this mix. The second track is by the group, Song. As far as I know, this is their only single to a very obscure LP. I've never heard the LP, but if this song is any indication, I think its gotta be pretty rad.
12: Third song is from Crazy Horse's 1978 record, Crazy Moon. Doesn't equal their debut masterpiece, but it has some hidden gems. Worth checking out. "12" is definitely a highlight.
WRAPPED: Every once in a while, someone says they hear a song that's so good that they had to pull the car over. Well, "Wrapped" was one of those songs. It was a few years ago around 9PM and I was driving to my friend's house in Austin when I heard this song on the radio. I pulled over and grabbed a wadded up receipt in my pocket and scribbled down a few of the lyrics, so I could go Google it when I got to a computer. iPhones hadn't been invented yet. I found out that Austin native, Bruce Robison, wrote it. His version isn't as cool as this, the George Strait version, but it just goes to show that if you have a good song, you can't screw it up(although I wish they'd held back on the gated reverb on the drums). Its simple and to the point. Great pedal steel.
JENNY WREN: Paul McCartney's best song in 15 years.
JESSICA: My good friend Jack Gibson (a.k.a. Tenlons Fort) introduced me to his friend, Avi Buffalo, when I moved back to LA. Avi Buffalo is also the band name. Their new record just happens to have been released last week, so this is the most current song you're likely to ever find on this blog. Like I said, these are Jack's friends, so I was lucky enough to get roughs last year. This is one of the first songs that stood out and its still my favorite. Great tune. On this first album, it is obvious that they love Daniel Johnston and Nels Cline. I look forward to hearing what they sound like in a few years as they mature, but, damn, they're way cooler than the band I was in when I was 18.
FANCY: Bobbie Gentry sang some cool tunes! This is the title track to a great LP. I love the artwork on the cover. I heard this for the first time about 8 years ago on a trip to New Orleans (before Katrina hit) and it will always remind me of that fun trip, listening to good music and trying to quit smoking by lighting up these weird marshmallow joints they sold in the French Quarter. Anyway, the story has nothing to do with this song. Just listen to the song.
HOLOCAUST: Great song by Big Star. Always loved this song, but wasn't planning on including it until I realized the next song has a similar feel and is in the same key. I thought it was a great lead in.
NOW AND THEN: This was supposed to be the third song recorded at The Beatles "reunion" sessions for the Anthology sets back in 1996. Though they began recording it, they never finished it. Its based on a demo recording John Lennon recorded shortly before he was killed. Its a great song. Since that recording was never finished and released, a British musician/DJ under the name, Lamaphoney, took the bootlegged demo recording and recorded his own version. He recorded what he thought The Beatles would have sounded like based on the two other songs that were released that year. It has the Jeff Lynn production style and a few samples from earlier Beatles recordings. I think it sounds AWESOME and its as close to a new Beatles song as we're gonna get. Super rare.
LONESOME, ON'RY AND MEAN: Steve Young always stood out in the film Heartworn Highways. Something about his huge 'stache and and cool boots pulled me in. I don't own any of his records, but I found this song online when I was trying to find more info on his a few years ago. I only knew the Waylon Jennings version, but this version kills. Its been an iTunes mainstay.
ROCKIN' CHAIR(Live in 1972): This is a bootleg outtake from The Band's Rock of Ages LP. Its so good. It should have made the cut. God, I love this band.
BIG TIME: The last REAL Neil Young and Crazy Horse LP was Broken Arrow. It didn't sell a lot and friends of mine seem to dismiss this album, but I really liked it when it came out and continue to listen to this day. Its not the most solid release in Neil Young catalog, but I feel Neil, as producer, captured the "David Briggs spirit" that was, sadly, no longer around after his tragic death in 1995. It sounds like a rock band playing live. Neil's guitar tone always rules. "Big Time" seems to sum up his feelings about being in a band. I'm still living the dream we had/For me it's not over. That lyric sums up my drive to keep making music.
THING FOR YOU: My girlfriend hates this song. She thinks its so dumb. I don't know why, but I have always like it and the album this is on, High Preist. It has this playfulness to the whole thing, but there's also something kind of dark and twisted about the whole record. Its raw and lazy and fucked up.
COME TOGETHER(original guide vocal): Holy Shit! John Lennon sounds awesome in this take. If he hadn't started laughing, its possible that this would be the vocal take we'd all hear on the radio. I love the growl and what sounds like he's chewing gum or sucking on a cotton ball. As far as I know, this was the scratch vocal that was used as a guide while The Beatles recorded the instruments. It was recorded with the intention of re-recording the vocals when the backing track was solid and John could focus on the singing. Which is what he did. Here is the proof that even in their most laid back, non-focused manner, this band was pure magic.
MUDDY MISSISSIPPI LINE: This is only one of eleven crazy awesome tracks on the out-of-print pedal steel instrumental album, Suite Steel. It features all of the Nashville badasses of the 1970's. This track, performed by J.D. Maness, will melt your country lovin' brain.
SHE: Emmylou's classic version of Gram Parson's masterpiece.
SUCH A LADY: I love Curt Boettcher's 70's recordings. This sounds like if the band, Hidden Cameras, went country. Is it just me? The first time I heard Hidden Cameras, I thought that Curt Boettcher's voice was coming out of the speaker.
HERE WE GO: I think everyone on this planet can relate to this song. I know I do. Jon Brion is one of my heroes. This is from the film, Punch Drunk Love. I remember watching this movie in the theater and sitting there thinking this was a rather a serious movie, but everybody was laughing the whole way through. Its hard for comedians like Adam Sandler to play serious roles because everybody expects to laugh. If you haven't seen this movie in a while, watch it again. And don't laugh. More importantly, listen to this great song.
I Think That You Should Hear This Vol. 5
Moontalk - Tommy Roe
Like We Were Before - Song
12 - Crazy Horse
Wrapped - George Strait
Jenny Wren - Paul McCartney
Jessica - Avi Buffalo
Fancy - Bobbie Gentry
Holocaust - Big Star
Now and Then - The Beatles (Iamaphoney Remix)
Lonesome, On'ry & Mean - Steve Young
Rockin' Chair(live in 1972) - The Band
Big Time - Neil Young
Thing For You - Alex Chilton
Come Together (original vocal take) - The Beatles
Muddy Mississippi Line - J.D. Maness
She - Emmylou Harris
Such A Lady - Curt Boettcher
Here We Go - Jon Brion
Click the words TICKLE ROCK to download the mix. It will make you wait a few seconds and then look for the button that says, "Download File Now". Please share and ENJOY!
