Posted by newspeedwayboogie December 3, 2008
Posted to inchoate 
340 plays so far

R.E.M. - Gardening At Night (acoustic)

I’m old school, but Chronic Town is my favorite R.E.M record, as raw as it might be.  So taking that rawness, here is a quasi-demo version of Chronic Town’s Gardening At Night.

Bill Berry:

“We were driving at night after a show (I don’t remember where), and I was at the wheel of our old car, with a rental trailer in tow. One of my three passengers aimed a directive at me. Rather than inform me of his desire to evacuate his bladder, he instead suggested that I pull over so that he might engage in the task of roadside ‘night gardening.’ To four guys in their early twenties this was a glaring catalyst for a new song.”

Posted by newspeedwayboogie November 25, 2008
Posted to hushed astonishment 
387 plays so far

Chaba Fadela & Cheb Sahraoui - N’Sel Fik

Utterly UTTERLY mesmerizing “Rai” -  rebel music of Algeria.  This is amazing.

Posted by newspeedwayboogie November 24, 2008
60 plays so far

REM - King of the Road (Roger Miller cover)

I think there is a shred of humor in this one?

Posted by whitneymcn November 24, 2008
130 plays so far

The Clash - King of the Road (Roger Miller cover)

Yes, Virginia, the “outtakes and rarities” collection is a double-edged sword. It pains me to have to say this, as my usual policy is “the more Clash, the better,” but even I have my limits: this track should never have seen the light of day.

This rehersal outtake has the Clash covering Roger Miller’s classic “King of the Road.” Badly. I could get past the awful vocals if the they had showed some shred of humor in the presentation—this is a novelty song, after all—but no. It’s just a plain old inappropriate cover.

Posted by newspeedwayboogie November 20, 2008
Posted to obsession 
1150 plays so far

Sixto Rodriguez - Only Good For Conversation

Obscura, but so good.

Folksinger “Sixto” Diaz Rodriguez became a spectacular success across the Atlantic after releasing Cold Fact in 1970. The record was hailed as a psychedelic folk masterpiece, filled with colorful depictions of the Detroit inner city.

The sixth child born to a large Mexican family, Rodriguez began writing songs at 16 before being discovered playing in Detroit-area bars. It wasn’t long before he was signed to the then-fledgling Sussex label.

Though little-known in the U.S., Rodriguez became a legend in South Africa, where his songs of poverty, rebellion and love touched home. There, Cold Fact became a symbol of hope and change to thousands suffering from political and religious persecution.

Posted by chewablevitamins November 14, 2008
Posted to new skin 
120 plays so far

John Prine & Bonnie Raitt - Angel from Montgomery

Can you imagine seeing John Prine and Bonnie Raitt perform this legendary song together? I think my head would explode.

From John Prine’s 1971 self-titled, Angel from Montgomery may be the story of an Alabama convict sitting on death row hoping for a letter of clemency from the capital - an angel from Montgomery. This version is so full of blues and soul, it gives the song a feeling of desperation that differs from the original.

For this cover Friday, I submit a cover and a re-skin in one. Check the link below for the original album version.

MP3: John Prine - Angel from Montgomery

Posted by newspeedwayboogie November 14, 2008
200 plays so far

Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A. (demo)

Amazingly this was recorded for the stark Nebraska sessions in the early 80s, only later synthed up and put on the album cover and 4 yr world tour all buffed up and all.

I kind of feel like world history may have been different if Bruce had released the original take instead.

Posted by pootytang November 13, 2008
Posted to inchoate 
207 plays so far

Bob Dylan - Mississippi

Dylan fans rejoice! From the newly released Tell Tale Signs: the Bootleg Series Vol. 8 an early version of Love and Theft’s Mississippi (arguably the album’s strongest song). I have had this track on heavy rotation. It has given me a whole new appreciation for the song, and like many early versions, a valuable glimpse into Dylan’s creative process. This track, along with one other that is forthcoming, were the inspiration for the inchoate theme.

If you already love the song, enjoy it again for the first time. If you don’t know it, let Dylan tell you a story as only he can.

New Theme: Inchoate

Posted by pootytang November 13, 2008
Posted to themes  inchoate 

Pronunciation:
\in-ˈkō-ət, ˈin-kə-ˌwāt\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Latin inchoatus, past participle of inchoare to start work on, perhaps from in- + cohum part of a yoke to which the beam of a plow is fitted
Date:
1534
: being only partly in existence or operation : incipient ; especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : formless , incoherent <misty, inchoate suspicions that all is not well with the nation — J. M. Perry>
Often times a song will spring from a songwriter fully formed.  Comparable to giving birth to a child, or receiving the song on some private wavelength.  Songwriters speak of how these songs seem to come from outside of themselves, and once birthed, have a life of their own.
Other songs, however, life with the musician through many iterations before finally becoming the tune known to us.  Their beginnings may be radically dissimilar in tune, lyrics, arrangement, mood, perspective, etc.  Some such versions are true diamonds in the rough, and in many cases contain a raw essence that revision has dimished.  Such diamonds can be found on box sets, bonus tracks, or bootlegs, and they are often a fans greatest delight.

Posted by whitneymcn November 10, 2008
Posted to sheep's clothing 
70 plays so far

Larkin Grimm - Dominican Rum

The delirious, manic edge to the music is immediately obvious, but the real fun starts when you pay attention to the lyrics. The glee that you hear is Larkin Grimm stacking images on top of one another, each more disturbing than the last. About the point she gets to “you’re going to die anyway, so let me kill you nice” I usually start pretending that I don’t speak English and it becomes a smoother ride.

Still and all, there aren’t a lot of voices with this kind of power around. Give her music a try if you haven’t already.

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