Fishing in your river (Chicken Shack) (LP 2103)

Chicken Shack  In The Can (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1980) *****  

Genre: Blues rock 

Places I remember: Roger Marbeck gave me a cassette of this before I bought a vinyl copy.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Fishing In Your River 

Gear costume: I Wanna See My Baby

Active compensatory factors: I don't usually focus on compilations in these posts but I need to make an exception for this one.

The cassette version accompanied me throughout the early eighties as I did my teaching practicums in Hastings, Keri Keri and Auckland. So, it has very pleasant associations for me.

And these songs, both from the late sixties with Christine Perfect (before she became Christine McVie) and into the seventies without her, completely hold up.

Stan Webb led the Shack at the time and his guitar, vocals, and rakish sense of humour are well to the fore - giving a sense of cohesion to this set.

I love this album, and I love this sort of English blues rock.

Where do they all belong? A great corner of English blues rock.

Come along and ride this train (Johnny Cash) (LP 2102)

Johnny Cash  The Johnny Cash Show (Vinyl, CBS Records, 197o) *** 

Genre: Country 

Places I remember: Little Red Bookstore (Hastings)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear costume: Sunday Morning Coming Down 

Active compensatory factors: The third live album (after the prison duo) - it's not got the save iconic status as the other two.

This one is recorded at the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville Tennessee, and it's a Johnny Cash in transition as he starts the seventies. The tie in with the successful TV show is obvious with that cover, but this is Johnny linking himself to the working stiff - all those truckers' songs sound great!

He's a dab hand at creating those mythic American tropes and he endeared himself to the world's truckies with these routines. For me, though there is a bit too much talking in this show, and not enough good songs. But that's a minor quibble - Johnny Cash is almost beyond criticism - such is his legend.

The schmaltzy side emerges on These Hands and Here Was A Man. Safe to say that this is not my favourite side of the legend, never-the-less, that's part of the man, and his sincerity is never in doubt. So, it's good to have a slice or two of that side to Johnny Cash.

Where do they all belong? Nestled behind the Fulsom prison and San Quentin albums.

15 minutes older (Carsick Cars) (LP 2101)

Carsick Cars  3 (Vinyl, Panda Record, 2014) ****  

Genre: Alt-rock from China 

Places I remember: Keegan sent me a couple of records from China for my birthday in 2022.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: 15 Minutes Older

Gear costume: She Will Wait 

Active compensatory factors: The influence of Hamish Kilgour means that the Dunedin sound comes through spectacularly at times on this album by Chinese alt-rock trio - Carsick Cars.

When I've visited other countries (China, UAE, Qatar, Thailand) I've always been keen to listen to and collect local bands. So I was thrilled when Keegan sent me a couple of records from China, where he's been living for a few years.

Carsick Cars were a very pleasant surprise. I enjoy their take on alternative approaches to rock. 

Unlike other albums that have come on my travels, Carsick Cars have a cohesive vision and sound that is sustained across the whole record. No mixing and matching of genres and styles for them.

Where do they all belong? Hiperson, the other album Keegan sent me, is coming up in the collection eventually.

I can dream can't I (The Carpenters) (LP 2098 - 2100)

Carpenters  Carpenters (CD, A&M Records, 1971) *** 

Carpenters  Now & Then (CD, A&M Records, 1973) **** 

Carpenters  Horizon (Vinyl, A&M Records, 1975) *** 

Genre: pop/rock 

Places I remember: Carpenters CD from The Warehouse; Now & Then from Fives (Leigh-on-sea); Horizon - An album I inherited when we moved into a flat in Victoria Ave, Leigh-on-sea. The owner had passed away some time before we arrived in the UK, and his children had inherited the flat and were renting it to us, but they didn't want the box of records left behind so I kept a few of the classical items, Cream's best of, and this one. The cover has a written note on it - 'To Dad, with love from Feep, Christmas 1983'. Which I think is quite cool!

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Yesterday Once More (Now & Then)

Gear costume: Only Yesterday (Horizon)

Active compensatory factors: I subscribe to Steven Wilson's contention that there are no such things as guilty pleasures! I have always loved Karen Carpenter's voice. I'm not crazy about Richard's voice or his propensity for schmaltzy arrangements, but it's a package deal!

Carpenters from 1971 was their third album and most commercially successful. It had some big hits - Rainy Days and Mondays was a single I bought for my mum because I think she loved it when it came on the radio (1971 is so long ago and oh so far away now). Superstar is another magnificent song - the definitive version of this Leon Russell/ Bonnie Bramlett song.

On the negative side we have three songs that Richard sings. These are weak efforts, but they are counterbalanced by Karen's amazing voice. It's so smooth, so expressive, so deep, so beautiful.

Now & Then from 1973 is my go-to Carpenters record. Every track is a masterclass and I'm a real sucker for that faux American radio sequence of oldies. It's far superior to the Bacharach/David medley for Carpenters.

Even the Richard moment (singing Fun Fun Fun) isn't too bad - Karen's backing vocals are superb, it's brief, plus the fact that he sounds close to Mike Love - all helps.

Horizon is also a bit disjointed. There are some great pop moments - Karen is superb, and some of the songs work better than others.  I don't need another version of Desperado but Solitaire is good, and Please Mr Postman is great.

Richard hits form with a couple of his songs - Only Yesterday is terrific and (I'm Caught Between) Goodbye and I Love You is magic as well.

Unfortunately, there are also low points for me - Aurora is a slow start at track one side one and I Can Dream Can't I is not for me.

An uneven album, but there's always Karen's unique voice front and centre. She remains a tragic, much missed figure.

Where do they all belong? A greatest hits collection which distills the best of Karen's vocals and limits the Richard effect are the best bet.

Able, qualified and ready (Bonnie Bramlett) (LP 2097)

Bonnie Bramlett  The Place I Love (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1973) **** 

Genre: pop/rock 

Places I remember: Slow Boat Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Able, Qualified and Ready; Don't Wanna Go Down There 

Active compensatory factors: This was Bonnie's first solo album after parting ways with Delaney and she shines throughout.

The ironic title and the shotgun on the cover does the trick - she may be sweet but there is grit and steel in that voice and she's packing! I bet a few listeners had to check whether the record was in the right cover!

A sweet little white girl on the cover but the voice is all southern black gospel/soul drenched.

The horn arrangements by Jim Horn are excellent and give additional spice to the music, made by what is in essence The Average White Band.

Where do they all belong? A great stand alone in the Bs.

Life balance (Courtney Barnett) (LP 2096)

Courtney Barnett  End Of The Day (Vinyl, Milk! Records, 2023) ****  

Genre: Ambient/ Soundtrack/pop-rock

Places I remember: RockSteady Records (Melbourne) about a month ago.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: A to B

Gear costume: Electricity

Active compensatory factors: This is an instrumental album. It was playing over the shop's speakers as I was browsing and I asked about it, because it sounded fantastic.

Lo and behold it's Aussie alt-rock artist - Courtney Barnett. She plays guitar throughout, with another musician on synths.

It's a film soundtrack but it's one of those rare ones that works brilliantly outside of the film (I haven't seen it btw) as a two sided piece of ambient music.

Where do they all belong? I've reorganized my record and CD collection into a stricter alphabetical order so most of the genres no longer feature. That means a more straight-forward procession from now on through this blog.

So much love (Eric Burdon) (LP 2091 - 2095)

Earl Klugh and Bob James  Two Of A Kind (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 1982) *****  

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express  Straight Ahead (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1974) ***  

Eric Burdon  Darkness Darkness (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1980) **

Eric Burdon  I Used To Be An Animal, But I'm Alright Now (Vinyl, Striped Horse Records, 1988) ****   

Donovan  Love Is Only Feeling (Vinyl, Interfusion Records, 1981) ****  

Genre: Jazz (modern variety); jazz rock; pop/rock; folk rock

Places I remember: These are all from Slow Boat Records - which I visited a few weeks ago.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Lady Of The Flowers (Donovan)

Gear costume: Half Moon Bay (Donovan) 

Active compensatory factors: The Bob James/Earl Klugh album is the second of their three collaborations and quite possibly their best, although third effort, Cool, is also great.

They coexist happily as musicians - each one shining throughout, without getting in each other's way.

I was a little disappointed with the Auger album. Given it only has five tracks I was expecting quality wig outs aplenty but on the first couple of listens it hasn't impressed me much. Noodling is great as long it develops eventually into something memorable.

The eighties weren't too kind to rockers like Eric Burdon. He can be hit or miss during that decade. These two are a good example of that. I Used To Be An Animal is much the better of the two with some nice horn work fleshing out the sound, plus a variety of new looks from Eric. 

His vocals are always spirited but after a couple of decades he's entitled to ease up a tad. On Darkness Darkness he sounds pretty done in.

That leaves the latest Donovan album to enter my collection. I really like it! It feels like he's very comfortable in his own skin. 

The musicianship and recording are high class here and he's a good lesson for others in the eighties - basically just keep doing your thing and don't be a slave to the new technologies/ sounds.

Really, this album could have come from the late sixties, seventies or nineties! Go Donovan!

Pity about the cover though. 

Where do they all belong? My other purchases from the Wellington trip have gone into the collection and I'll get to them in time.