Favourites : Van Morrison : Wavelength

It is not fashionable amongst Van Morrison fans to say you like Wavelength.  While it is not may favourite Van album - that would be a hard choice between about three or four (or maybe five or six albums) Wavelength is up there for me.

There you go - I said it - a guilty pleasure. Sure his lyrics are not up to his best, sure the band sounds like session musicians waiting for their paycheck.  However the album just seems to bounce along and for that I am happy!

Standout tracks for me include Wavelength  (this is a nice version from a DVD I have), Kingdom Hall, Take it Where You Find It, Natalia, and Santa Fe/Beautiful Obsession which had been around for about 10 years before it was recorded - here is an early version.

Song of the Day 39 : Amphetamine : Steve Wynn

I first heard/saw Amphetamine on a late night music TV show.  It then came out on an Uncut CD sampler.  I was blown away by such a good driving rock song which I had thought had all but but become extinct by then (2003).  I ended up getting the album it came from and really enjoying that and going back and getting more of Steve Wynn's catalogue.

However it is this song that is always the touch stone.  What a great party song - it can even survive the Disney Treatment - almost

Favourites : Bill Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love : Audible Sigh

I imported this Audible Sigh after hearing the track Resplendent on a compilation album.  An added bonus when it arrived was it came with an extra CD of demos and other songs.   As with a lot of music there were immediately a connection I had not expected with Buddy Miller producing.

Some very good songs  on the album including Nothing like a train, Goes without saying, She walks on roses, and Now as the Train Pulls Away



This is a very good album that deserved wider airing and recognition.  However that is the way of the music business.  I bought the follow up CD and was not that taken with it so have not really followed his career since - but a quick check on Amazon reveals he is still recording and releasing albums.  Should check him out again.

Favourites : Buddy and Julie Miller : Written in Chalk

I have been listening to Buddy Miller and his music since buying his  album Cruel Moon on the recommendation from a guy that ran, Allen's a small record store at the top of Plimmers Steps (Taking me back to those trips into Chelsea Records 40 years ago!).

Shortly after that I saw a short set by him when he was playing guitar in Emmylou Harris's band and also opening with a short 30 minute set.  I loved Emmylou that night but that short set from Buddy was the highlight for me.

It was while playing for Emmylou that Buddy started to get recognition after years of banging around Nashville.  He has since gone on to produce Robert Plant, Richard Thompson and Solomon Burke.  Its pretty cool when your record collection starts to talk to itself!

Written in Chalk in the second proper Buddy and Julie Miller album,  The first one did not grab me - maybe my expectations were too high. When it was released I had solo albums by both of them which frequently had jointly written and sung songs on them that were frequently the highlights.

When this album came out it got great reviews but I was still weary.  I did not have to be.  I think this is a modern country masterpiece.  From the opening two tracks Ellis County and Gasoline and Matches,  the almost title track Chalk and Everytime We Say Goodbye

Favourites : Paul Kelly Under The Sun

While the sprawling double lp Gossip was my introduction to Paul Kelly Under The Sun is the one I come back to the most.

Kelly is a very literate songwriter who ranks as one of the best of his generation.  One of those artists that you forget for a while and then you play a CD or album and go on a bit of a binge.  I think it happens because while the songwriting is such a uniformly high standard the delivery is such that binging eventually has you putting them to the side for a while.  Hiatt, Springsteen, Zevon and Waits are all in the same category as far as I am concerned.

I have managed to see him three times.  The most memorable at Sammy's in Dunedin about 20 years ago!!!

Under the Sun is crammed with outstanding songs.  The highlight to me is To Her Door a gentle song of relationship redemption.  Dumb Things and 40 Miles to Saturday Night are great party songs with the latter always bringing Jon's time "stranded" in the outback to mind.  The CD version of the album has the mighty Bradman on it - the best song about cricket ever.   I still have strong memories of the crowd that night singing along to it waving their arms in the air as he sang the "Pal,m of His Hands" lyric (and this was a NZ audience!)

Playing the album now - I feel a binge coming on.