Posts tagged "one plus one"


One Plus One

Posted by whitneymcn July 31, 2008
Posted to themes  one plus one 

One performer, one instrument.

Some songs need big orchestration. The depth of sound and the play between instruments is an essential part of their character. Others just don’t need anything but a performer and some room to breathe.

They often come out of the many generations of singer/songwriters and traditional performers, but there are surprises out there: songs that were written for or recorded with full bands but take on a new life when stripped down to the very basics. Live performances, early recordings, re-recordings, and covers offer a world of beautiful examples.

What are your stripped-down favorites?

Posted by whitneymcn July 31, 2008
Posted to one plus one 
982 plays so far

My Brightest Diamond - Feeling Good

It feels like it’s somehow cheating to use a Nina Simone song for a one plus one track, especially when you add in the fact that Shara Worden’s voice should by all rights be counted as three or four instruments by itself, but I’m going with it.

A voice and a little bit of guitar: adding anything else to this track would be a crime.

Posted by pootytang August 1, 2008
Posted to obscura  one plus one 
37 plays so far

Daniel Johnston - Live and Let Die

Hearing the Spiritualized version of “True love will find you in the end” and seeing the recent pictures on pitchfork put me into a Daniel Johnston mood.  (It doesn’t take much)

While this track is just Daniel with his Guitar, I suspect that there are actually multiple singers ;)  This performance, even after dozens of listens, gives the impression of being totally off the cuff and captures Daniel in the confusing whirlwind of his own imagination.

I am posting this on covers friday, but I think its a close call as to whether its a cover at all.  Its more like when folk musicians take old folk songs and repurpose them for themselves.  Why don’t people do that anymore?  (Other than sampling, but that’s different.)  Well, regardless of the reasons, Daniel does it here, and it kills.

Posted by whitneymcn August 1, 2008
Posted to one plus one 
13 plays so far

Okay, this technically violates the plus one end of the theme, but I’m giving one man band Adkins a pass so that I can reblog this:

via machinetext:

Hasil Adkins - She Said. One of the wildest of the wildmen. Hasil Adkins, according to legend, growing up in rural West Virginia, heard Hank Williams on the radio and thought he was playing all the instruments himself, so Hasil learned to play guitar, drums, and sing all at the same time and continued as a one-man band for his entire career. This is raw, crazy America.
Posted by whitneymcn August 14, 2008
Posted to one plus one 
80 plays so far

Tom Johnson - Failing: A Very Difficult Piece for String Bass (performed by Robert Black)

A double bass and a voice, perfect one plus one. All I’ll say is that the piece is about nine minutes long; please, do me and yourself a favor, settle in, and listen all the way through. If you aren’t completely satisfied I’ll refund the price of admission.

Note: Tumblr player gets the sound level very low for some reason, turn up the volume before you start.

Posted by daryn August 15, 2008
Posted to one plus one 
71 plays so far

Elliott Smith c. 1997Elliott Smith - Jealous Guy


Live at the Black Cat
Washington, DC
04-17-1998

Just Elliott and his guitar.

One plus one, and a friday cover.

Posted by newspeedwayboogie August 18, 2008
Posted to one plus one 
25 plays so far

Dino Valenti, Let’s Get Together

The Youngbloods had a big hit with Get Together, but Dino wrote it, and this is him solo with guitar. One plus one. The folk version.

In the mid 60s (before it became a hit) Valenti had to sell the publishing rights to this song to pay his legal bills, as he kept getting busted for drugs. Irony at it’s finest, but a great song nonetheless.

Posted by newspeedwayboogie August 19, 2008
Posted to one plus one 
16 plays so far

Dock Boggs, My Old Horse Died

banjo and voice.  old-timey

Posted by chewablevitamins August 19, 2008
Posted to one plus one 
50 plays so far

The Replacements - You’re Getting Married (Solo Home Demo)

When Rhino rereleased The Mats’ 1982 Stink EP, four bonus tracks were added including this home demo. Westerberg rips this in half.

Posted by pootytang August 22, 2008
Posted to one plus one 
35 plays so far

M. Ward - Sadie

M. Ward really takes this track to a different place, as he does with a number of covers (Bowie’s Lets Dance comes to mind) and I think it really works.  I love the chord voicings he uses - such full chords (I think he adds the 6th, which is pretty unusual).  And of course his scratchy vocals just fill it out perfectly.

Happy covers Friday, I hope you enjoy this one plus one performance.

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