Hometown blues (Dave Brubeck) (LP 2461 - 2463)

The Dave Brubeck Quartet  Back Home (Vinyl, Interfusion Records, 1979) ****  

Andy Pratt  Resolution (Vinyl, Nemperor Records, 1976) ****  

Stairsteps  2nd Resurrection (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records, 1976, 2023 reissue) ***

Genre: Jazz, Nemperor Records, Dark Horse Records, pop, soul.

Places I remember: The Little Red Bookshop

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Pasado (Stairsteps)

Gear costume: Tell Me Why (Stairsteps)

Active compensatory factors: Some purchases from a recent visit to The Little Red Bookshop and an on-line purchase from Real Groovy to run through here.

The Dave Brubeck album was a real find - mint condition and only $5. This particular version of the Quartet has Jerry Bergonzi on tenor, Chris Brubeck doubling on electric bass and trombone, and drummer Butch Miles joining Brubeck senior.

Bergonzi has a Coltrane inspired tenor approach which is very different to the Paul Desmond sound, but the combo sounds great in these new clothes. Standout tracks are Hometown Blues and Yesterdays.

I'd been searching for the Andy Pratt album for a while. Recently, I have embarked on a project to collect albums on the Nemperor label because it was started in 1966 by Brian Epstein and his American associates, and like Apple, Grunt, et al - it's cool.

Like Apple Records, it's an eclectic roster - jazz fusion, rock and folk pop artists. I like that - means listening to new things. Andy Pratt is a case in point. He is someone I wouldn't ordinarily collect but he's a fine singer songwriter and his records are highly regarded.

Similar story with the Stairsteps album on Dark Horse Records. Billy Preston was the conduit to this appearance on George Harrison's label.

They're not a band I'd normally collect but their appearance on Dark Horse makes them a must have. Sure enough, it's a bit too slick for my tastes but their harmonies are spot on. They just needed another mega hit song like Ooh Child to seal the deal.

Where do they all belong? A Keni Burke solo album remains on my Dark Horse list. Dhani has reactivated the label and is releasing a lot of stuff that I might get to but my priority remains the original stuff that George approved. There is a lot more to collect on Nemperor.

Flower (Eels) (LP 2458 - 2460)

Eels  Beautiful Freak (CD, Dreamworks Records, 1996) ****  

Eels  Electro-Shock Blues (CD, Dreamworks Records, 1998) ****  

Eels  Daisies Of The Galaxy (CD, Dreamworks Records, 2000) *****  

Genre: pop/ rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Flower (Beautiful Freak)

Gear costume: Grace Kelly Blues (Daisies Of The Galaxy) 

Active compensatory factors: I can remember talking to Roger about the dirth of good old fashioned song craft in 2000, and he played me Daises Of The Galaxy. Yeah - okay. He made a solid point!

The Eels band is basically Mark Everett's baby (he goes by E as well). On these early albums he is joined by Butch (Jonathan Norton) on drums and Tommy Walter on bass.

I loved Daisies Of The Galaxy immediately, it's a five star effort, and then didn't think much about the band until a colleague at Cambridge High School was playing Beautiful Freak one day. 

When I bought my own copy I thrashed it! So many great songs - Novocaine For The Soul, Flower, Susan's House, Our Lucky Day In Hell.

I picked up a copy of Electro-Shock Blues after reading an article in Mojo about the band and E's traumatic personal life. 

The album is a visceral account of the deaths around him of family members. It's a harrowing experience listening to it, but also a cathartic one for E and me.

Where do they all belong? I stopped after the first three because I didn't much like Souljacker - their 4th effort.

Ease me down (Edward Bear) (LP 2457)

Edward Bear  Edward Bear (Vinyl, Capitol Records, 1973) *** 

Genre: Canadian pop

Places I remember: Second hand shop

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Last Song

Gear costume: Edgware Station

Active compensatory factors: I love Last Song - a soft rock masterpiece. The trio of Edward Bear (terrible name) is made up of two singer songwriters (Larry Evoy and Roger Ellis) and keyboardist Paul Waldon and they make a lovely sound.

This is a better album than Close Your Eyes but still uneven. I always think of Edward Bear as a cousin to Raspberries. Roger is the Wally Bryson and Larry is Eric Carmen - both Larry and Eric have terrific voices. Except Larry didn't write the consistently great songs that Eric did for Raspberries.

Still, this one passes through on gossamer wings for the most part.

Where do they all belong? That's it for Edward Bear. Next up: Eels.

All along the watchtower (Bob Dylan) (LP 2452 - 2456)

Bob Dylan  Infidels (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1983) ****  

Bob Dylan  Real Live (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1984) **** 

Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead  Dylan & The Dead (CD, CBS Records, 1989) ****   

Bob Dylan  Time Out Of Mind (CD, CBS Records, 1997) ***

Bob Dylan  Rough And Rowdy Ways (CD, CBS Records, 2020) ****  

Genre: pop rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Record Fair (Real Live), JB Hi Fi, Lindsay Hope collection (Time Out Of Mind).

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Jokerman (Infidels) 

Gear costume: Tangled Up In Blue (Real Live); Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Dylan & The Dead); Crossing The Rubicon (Rough and Rowdy Ways) 

Active compensatory factors: Dylan's eighties albums are spotty. I loved Infidels and it survived a cull as I weeded out things like Empire Burlesque.

Infidels has great support from Mick Taylor, Sly and Robbie and Mark Knopfler. So, it sounds good, has melodic songs and, in Jokerman, a Dylan classic. It was the video that alerted me to it in the first place, but most of the album holds up - I and I, Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight and License To Kill are all good songs.

The Real Live album came from the tour supporting Infidels and Mick Taylor stayed onboard for it. Most of the album comes from a Wembley date and the rest from UK gigs. 

It includes muscular versions of songs as far back as Masters Of War and songs from Highway 61 Revisited, plus some fine acoustic renditions - Tangled Up In Blue being a most excellent version.

By the end of the eighties Dylan was on tour with The Grateful Dead supporting and then backing him. Critics didn't like it much but I really do.

It helps that I like both artists. I like the slower pace and Grateful Dead touches to songs we all know and love (all seven songs on the album come from the sixties or seventies albums).

Into the nineties with Time Out Of Mind. I used to have a copy but sold it, then I inherited a second copy from Lindsay's collection. It's okay but his voice is hard for me to take. It does have some good moments - Love Sick, Cold Irons Bound, Not Dark Yet, But overall it doesn't excite me. Plus, I'm not a huge fan of Daniel Lanois' production style.

That was it for me and Dylan I thought, but then I heard Crossing The Rubicon on a Mojo sampler and thought it was brilliant. So, I decided to grab a copy, even though I didn't think much of Murder Most Foul. when I first heard it - it's grown on me since.

His voice is terrific on Rough And Rowdy Ways - deep and resonating, echoing down through the years, back to a nineteen-year-old folk singer who was wise and old before his time. He contains multitudes!

The backing is also brilliant - sympathetic, sparse, deep and resonating. 

Where do they all belong? That concludes the Dylan collection. Next up: Edward Bear. Yes, I have that kind of collection.

Cast your fate to the wind (Vince Guaraldi) (LP 2448 - 2451)

George Winston  Winter Into Spring (CD, Dancing Cat Records, 1982) ***

George Winston  December (CD, Dancing Cat Records, 1982) ***  

George Winston  Linus and Lucy: The Music Of Vince Guaraldi (CD, Dancing Cat Records, 1996) ****  

George Winston  Montana: A Love Story (CD, Dancing Cat Records, 2004) ****  

Genre: Jazz

Places I remember: Kings Recording (Abu Dhabi); Virgin Megastore (Dubai)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Linus & Lucy

Gear costume: Little House I Used To Live In (Montana)

Active compensatory factors: George's first huge solo piano album was his second - called Autumn (which I've already written about).

His third album was Winter Into Spring (makes sense right). It has a brittle sound at times - like walking across a frosty lawn!

December also doubles up as a Christmas album (makes sense right). It also includes some hymns and music inspired by Vince Guaraldi among the Christmas touches.

George is obviously a Vince Guaraldi fan as he devotes a whole album to covering his work with Linus & Lucy. Outside of Autumn this would be my favourite. I'm also a fan of Vince's playing.

Montana is an excellent collection of varied pieces, all tied to the theme of Montana, the place. George wasn't born there, but he was raised there. Clearly, he feels indebted to that state.

I like the variety of moods on the album. And the fact that he includes a version of a Frank Zappa song endears George to me.

As the AllMusic review says: Montana goes deeper into his heart, back to childhood memories of his family's house, lullabies, and first encounters with songs that would later hold great personal meaning. It's this kind of genuine wonder of it all that makes Montana so great.

Where do they all belong? That's enough really. Solo piano is great for certain moods.

Equinox (John Coltrane) (LP 2447)

Harry Whitaker Trio  The Sound Of Harry Whitaker (CD, Fresh Sound Records, 2002) ***  

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Fishin' Hole (Theme from 'The Andy Griffith Show')

Gear costume: Equinox

Active compensatory factors: I am very partial to piano trios when they are as good as Harry Whitaker Trio. Although it does run the risk of being bland background music at times.

Standout is the familiar theme song to one of my all time favourite TV shows - The Andy Griffith Show.

Where do they all belong? A one off discovery.

New morning (Bob Dylan) (LP 2437 - 2446)

Bob Dylan   New Morning (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1970) ***  

Bob Dylan   Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (Vinyl and CD, CBS Records, 1973) ****  

Bob Dylan   Planet Waves (Vinyl and CD, Asylum Records, 1974) ****  

Bob Dylan/ The Band   Before The Flood (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1974) ***** 

Bob Dylan   Blood On the Tracks (Vinyl and CD, CBS Records, 1975) *****  

Bob Dylan   More Blood, More Tracks - The Bootleg Series Vol 14 (CD, Columbia Records, 2018) *****  

Bob Dylan   Bob Dylan Live 1975 - The Bootleg Series Vol 5 (2CD, Columbia Records, 2002) *****  

Bob Dylan   Bob Dylan - The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings (14CD, Columbia Records, 2002) *****  

Bob Dylan   Desire (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1976) ****

Bob Dylan   Live In Colorado 1976 (CD, EMC Music, 2011) ****

Genre: Pop rock

Places I remember: Marbeck's Records, JB Hi-Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Shelter From The Storm (Blood On The Tracks)

Gear costume: Tangled Up In Blue (Blood On The Tracks); The Water Is Wide, Oh Sister (Live 1975)

Active compensatory factors: I was back on board for 1970's New Morning after the dire Self-Portrait and the country croon of Nashville Skyline. New Morning isn't great but it's back to familiar style for me and a lot easier on the ear.

It starts off with If Not For You which is also on George's All Things Must Pass album. I also have Olivia Newton-John's excellent version on a single. After that great start comes some nice songs but nothing brilliant.

His soundtrack for the Sam Peckinpah movie, Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, is mainly instrumental music but it also contains the brilliant Knockin' On Heaven's Door. 

This is one of my favourite albums. The music perfectly evokes the right atmosphere and has lasted a lot longer than the film (which I've only watched once).

When Bob reunited with the Band, they collaborated on Planet Waves. It's a fun, playful collection. First track is a standout (again). This time it's On A Night Like This that gets the juices flowing.

Unlike the previous couple of albums that had only one really strong song, Planet Waves has a few - apart from On A Night Like This there is You Angel You, and the two different versions of Forever Young.

Dylan was obviously well and truly back as the live album Before The Flood, also from 1974, showed. The album has Dylan in cahoots with The Band again for a live tour and the strong relationship and sympatico arrangements are a feature 0f this landmark double album.

The bonus is that along with Dylan songs, The Band's signature songs are also peppered strategically throughout the set. 

Dylan's acoustic bit in the middle of the set is a standout as well, with a righteous version of It's All Right Ma, I'm Only Bleeding worthy of particular note.

Blood On The Tracks is my favourite Dylan album. I fell for it big time in the late seventies when I borrowed it from the Auckland Library and got Dylan for the first time. That led to borrowing all those early albums.

It's a stunning, perfect album - I could have put any of its tracks in my highlight sections above. Full of passion and full of real Dylan, or as real as we're ever going to get. He's denied they are autobiographical songs but I don't believe him.

Sure, there are elements of invention in Idiot Wind, but its twists and turns, and reference to his sweet lady, ring true for the estranged Sara. As do other songs like If You See Her Say Hello.

The Bootleg Series Vol 14 album provides acoustic versions/takes from the sessions that produced Blood On The Tracks. I've got the double album version - less is more.

It's as stunning as the 'real' album, which goes to show - the songs are the real stars, and that this was a true purple patch.

The Rolling Thunder Revue years (1975 to 1976) are a favourite period for me. Actually, I'm pretty obsessed with the revue and have already mentioned the single album Hard Rain in my blog already.

The double Live in 1975 album is a classic as well, with Joan Baez's duets a stunning highlight.

I also have the 14 disc set which includes all of the performances on that tour during 1975. It's remarkable how consistently brilliant each night is. Dylan is on form every time!

There's also the Netflix documentary (Rolling Thunder Revue - A Bob Dylan Story) that Martin Scorsese put together. It's great too!

That whole revue tour is Dylan in prime condition - enigmatic, masterful, playful, poetic, searching.

Desire contains many of the songs he was singing during the Rolling Thunder Revue. So, Desire includes Hurricane, Oh Sister, Romance In Durango, and Sara (who was still his wife at this point, they would divorce in 1977).

His last great studio album until...(insert your own choice here - mine is Infidels).

Bob Dylan Live In Colorado documents the 1976 part of the Rolling Thunder Revue. Joan appears again, on three tracks, adding her distinctive colouring to Bob's delivery. 

The ragged, jagged delivery of songs like A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall is again the feature, and again - I love it!

I didn't collect any of his other seventies albums at the time. I'm not sure why, and I haven't back tracked to buy Street Legal, Slow Train Coming, Saved, or Shot Of Love.

Where do they all belong? Next up is the post 70's material.

Shelly Manne (Charlie Watts Jim Keltner Project) (LP 2436)

Charlie Watts Jim Keltner Project  The Charlie Watts/ Jim Keltner Project (CDR, 2000) ****  

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Roger Marbeck made me a copy of this.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Art Blakey

Gear costume: Shelly Manne

Active compensatory factors: An interesting experiment - to provide a musical portrait for many of Charlie's favourite jazz drummers - each track is named after one.

Each tune aims to recreate the vibe/mood presence of the source of inspiration. It's a terrific idea and the two drummers carry it off superbly.

It feels very modern curiously enough. 

Where do they all belong? A definite one off. Much like the two drummers themselves!

Count 'em (Alvin "Red" Tyler) (LP 2435)

Alvin "Red" Tyler   Graciously (CD, Rounder Records, 1987) ***  

Genre: Jazz 

Places I remember: Shona Walding's collection

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Dreamsville

Gear costume: Cutie Pie

Active compensatory factors: Alvin "Red" Tyler was a new name to me when I received a stack of Shona's CDs from her sister, Terese - a colleague of mine.

He has a colourful career that is mostly in the RnB genre but he did have some sessions in the hard bop style, including this one.

Tyler plays tenor sax with a lovely tone and easy command. He's backed on Graciously by a band that includes guitar, trumpet, piano, bass and drums.

Tyler is the dominant 'voice' though on a nice set of tunes.

Where do they all belong? A nice addition to the jazz section. A keeper.

Baby, let me follow you down (Bob Dylan) (LP 2424 -2434)

Bob Dylan  Bob Dylan (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1962) *****  

Bob Dylan  The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1963) *****  

Bob Dylan  The Times They Are A-Changin' (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1964) *****  

Bob Dylan  Another Side Of Bob Dylan (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1964) ***** 

Bob Dylan   The Bootleg Series Vol 6 - Bob Dylan Live 1964 (2CD, Columbia Records, 2010) *****  

Bob Dylan  Bringing It All Back Home (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1965) ***** 

Bob Dylan  Highway 61 Revisited (CD, CBS Records, 1965) *****  

Bob Dylan  Blonde On Blonde (Vinyl and CD, CBS Records, 1966) **** 

Bob Dylan  Bootleg Series Vol 4 - Bob Dylan Live 1966 (2CD, Columbia Records, 1998) *****  

Bob Dylan  Bootleg Series Vol 11 - Bob Dylan and The Band - The Basement Tapes Raw (2CD, Columbia Records, 2014) ***  

Bob Dylan  John Wesley Harding (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1967) *****  

Genre: folk, pop/rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, Real Groovy Records, JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Song To Woody (Bob Dylan)

Gear costume: Motorpsycho Nightmare (Another Side Of Bob Dylan); I Don't Believe You (Live 1964); Ballad Of A Thin Man (Highway 61 Revisited)

Active compensatory factors: I've divided my Dylan collection up into decades for this run through. Kind of. The eighties onwards will form one post.

By far the biggest cache comes from his sixties period I see - which tells you a story about my Dylan collection and the fact that I don't count Dylan among my obsessions. Buying Self-Portrait cured me of any such thoughts (I no longer own it!)

I don't even own everything he put out in the sixties, but it's close.

It was borrowing a number of his album from the Auckland Central Library while I was an undergraduate at Auckland University that started the ball rolling and woke me up to his genius.

Another Side of Bob Dylan, Freewheelin', The Times They Are A-Changin', and Blood On The Tracks (which we'll get to in the seventies post) formed my initial education.

From there I backtracked to buy these and his other sixties albums, starting with the debut.

I love that cover image to Bob Dylan. He's got that twice shy, vaguely knowing but faraway look in his eyes right from the off. That helps when you're singing songs like Man Of Constant Sorrow, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, My Time Of Dyin' and Gospel Plow. Songs that it takes some experience to carry off with conviction. Dylan recorded it in 1961, when he was only 19 years old! Remarkable.

Most of the album is made up of covers of folk songs but two originals shine for me - Song To Woody and Talkin' New York.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, his second, is remarkable for being mostly original songs (only Corrina Corrina is by someone else), and for those original songs being brilliant. Blowin' In The Wind, Masters Of War, A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Girl From The North Country, Don't Think Twice It's Alright... ridiculous right!

Two quotes from its liner notes bear repeating: 'He's so God-damned real it's unbelievable' (Harry Jackson) and 'Dylan can't stop searching and looking and reflecting upon what he sees and hears' (Nat Hentoff). Absolutely right.

Third album, The Times They Are A-Changin' continued the parade of riches - apart from the title song: With God On Our Side; One Too Many Mornings; North Country Blues; Only A Pawn In Their Game; When The Ship Comes In and The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll are on this album.

Not a lot of humour though (unlike Freewheelin'), this one is a solid wall to wall protest song album. A lot of it is chilling to the bone. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll for instance is a remarkable work of economy and judgement without being too preachy.

The humour and smile was back from the first track onwards on his fourth album in two years - Another Side Of Bob Dylan. Yes - four classic 5 star albums in two years. Has anyone else ever done that, other than The Beatles and Dylan?

The other side is clearly the light-hearted, casually brilliant side. Again, it's guitar, harmonica, vocals. Simple and devastating!

The Bootleg series will make an appearance throughout these posts when we get to the relevant year. Volume 6 was the 1964 concert and its good humour is a carry over from Another Side Of Bob Dylan.

Again, it's just Bob with his guitar and his harmonica rack doing devastatingly clear versions of songs he's just released, or ones that were yet to be recorded. Another 5 star must have!

Among many great moments is his muffing the intro to I Don't Believe You. He has to ask the audience for help and they do! And then he's off as if nothing happened. Love it!

Another highlight is Joan Baez appearing to duet on some songs at the end of the concert.

Those new songs from the live set would appear on his next studio album - Bringing It All Back Home. Unusually, Side 1 was Bob with a band (not The Band), and Side 2 was acoustic.

It's yet another 5 star classic album - his run would extend to 6 in a row by the end of 1965. Great songs continued to flow, seemingly without too much effort: Love Minus Zero/No Limit; Maggie's Farm, Mr Tambourine Man; It's Alright Ma; It's All Over Now, Baby Blue. 

Not done with all that, for his next trick he produced a song that many believe is the best of all time - Like A Rolling Stone. The lead off song to another magnum opus - Highway 61 Revisited.

The rest of the album lives up to the lead off song. There's Ballad Of A Thin Man, Queen Jane Approximately, It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry, Desolation Row, plus the title track. Another extraordinary set of songs.

In hindsight, each of the sixties albums make progressive leaps forward. Blonde On Blonde is a double album, so has a few songs that I'm not all that keen on, but it still has three sides of brilliance.

The 1966 live set is of historical value. It seems quaint now that anyone should get upset at the band/electric side of Dylan in 1966. I do prefer the acoustic first disc but there is no denying the power and force that hits hard on the second disc.

The basement tapes saga seems overblown to me. I've never understood the fascination with these rehearsal tapes and I defy anyone to listen to the complete tapes on Spotify without skipping. Again, there is the historical value but I don't listen to this CD these days (my copy is the Raw condensed version not the one pictured btw).

Much, much better is the proper album of 1967 - John Wesley Harding. This is brilliant in feel and execution. Darker elements are proposed without compromise. It's almost like he needed to get those basement tape songs and hijinks out of the way before getting down to business.

Where do they all belong? The seventies will follow after a brief return to the jazz CDs.