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Today I found out that Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit fame killed himself in 2018.
It reminded me how much I love the album Midnight Organ Fight and how beautiful and painful his lyrics were.
Every song on this record is exceptional.




 

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I’ve listened to at least 2+ albums every day for the last 30+ years and before that I bought an album (record and then CD) every week for 25 years. There have been some outstanding albums over that time. The album I am going to recommend, is by far my favourite album, however, I hardly ever listen to it anymore. The big reason is that it works its way into my brain and all I will hear and think about are the songs from the album repeated over and over and over in my head for weeks. Just writing this has triggered some things playing in my head.

Fullfillingness’ First Finale by Stevie Wonder (1974) won 3 Grammys and was named the album of the year.

Stevie had left Motown a couple of years earlier and was finally in full control of his creative freedom and and at the height of his powers. This is what he produced.

With a standout cast of some of the most talented musicians of the time like, Paul Anka, James Jamerson (the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits), Minnie Ripperton, The Jackson 5, Sergio Mendes, The Persuasions and Deniece Williams (4 Grammys and 9 other nominations) and plenty of others. It is a truly wonderful album. I Once had a girlfriend who described it as sex set to music. I had to agree!
See if you do!

 
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If you haven’t thought of Russell Morris since “The Real Thing” then you are in for a surprise. His album “Sharkmouth” signalled a change in his music style to the Blues. He wrote all the tracks and his blues are Australian, with the lyrics of every track describing uniquely Australian things.

Here are a couple of tracks to give you an idea of what the album sounds like.
This is “The Drifter” with Renee Geyer on vocals, Shannon Bourne on guitar and dobro and Chris Wilson on Harmonica.


“Sharkmouth” is inspired by Thomas “Shark Jaws” Archer, a 1920’s petty criminal from Sydney. His picture was also used as the album cover.


“The Bridge,” a song about the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.


Tracklist
Black Dog Blues
The Big House
The Ballard of Les Darcy
Bout to Break
Sharkmouth
Walk My Blues
The Drifter
Squizzy
The Bridge
Money Don’t Grow on Trees
Big Red
Mr Eternity

A great Australian album with 12 really great tracks. Morris followed it up with an equally good album called “Van Diemans Land” which I will post about soon.
 
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If you want a record that represents what was happening between the 60’s and 70’s, “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” is the one to get. This is a wonderful album, every song is terrific and two songs from the album, "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "The Boxer" are listed in the Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest songs of all time.

I first heard this album at a HiFi exhibition at The Park Hotel in Carlton.

I put on a set of headphones connected to a reel to reel tape recorder. The sound quality was superb and the music even better. I asked around and found out the name of the album and artists.

On the way home I bought the album and when I got home, put it on my HMV Stereo. It was still good but the fidelity, depth and warmth was missing.

It was at that moment I made the fateful decision that would cost me money for the next 50 years. I was going to upgrade my stereo. Now 50 years later, I’ve given up on upgrades to the sound system. All it got me was headaches and stress, (my wife kept clipping me over the head) every time I upgraded.

The album, however, is still one of the greatest ever made. Check it out.



 
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Russell Morris' follow up album to Sharkmouth, "Van Dieman's Land" is his most successful album to date. Featuring some of Australia's best musicians, Joe Camilleri, Rick Springfield, Rob Hirst, Scott Owen, Ross Hannaford, Vika and Linda Bull and Phil Manning.
The Title Track of the Album

Sandakan, this song is about his father, Norman Morris, one of 5 people who escaped the infamous death marches in Borneo during WW2. The lyrics tell the story. If you haven't heard this song before wait for the names they signed to get a boat. If he hadn't escaped, Russell wouldn't be here today.

One of the most famous of Australian shipwrecks at the Loch Ard Gorge.

A really great Australian album with songs about Australia.

Track List
Dexter's Big Tin Can
Van Diemen's Land
Sweetest Thing
Birdsville
Breaker Morant
Loch Ard Gorge
Burning Rodney
Witch of Kings X
Eureka
Sandakan
Slide on the River
Lucy McBride
Bendigo Rock
 
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"Paradise and Lunch" is Ry Cooder’s tribute to the American music of blues, country, jazz, folk and gospel. It was released in 1974. Every track is a cover of songs written over the previous 100 odd years. It’s a compact history of American music and for me it’s Cooder’s greatest album from the 42 he has released so far. A masterpiece! The first time I heard this was in Readings Record store in Lygon St Carlton. I bought it took it home and listened to it over and over. Cooder’s guitar playing is brilliant, the accompanying musicians are all at the top of their form. Jazz legend Earl Hines features on piano on “Ditty Wah Ditty”. The backing singer’s harmonies are simply wonderful with the bass voice a standout. If you have never heard this album before, give it a listen you will be well rewarded.



Trivia: Cooder’s wife Susan Titelman, (the sister of the bass player on this album) took the cover photo and designed the album cover.

The following live video was recorded just after the release of “Paradise and Lunch” and features quite a few of the songs from the album. It gives a good idea of just how skilled Cooder is, because as you listen to this live recording you could swear there are multiple guitar players. It was lost for many years, but was found again, although the first 30 or so seconds of video is missing, the audio is intact. Video isn’t great but the quality of the audio is really good.



The bass singer is Clifford Givens. Givens had been a bass player and sometimes singer up to 1951 when he worked on an album by Sonny Boy Williamson II. Lillian Shedd McMurry (not too many women involved in recording back then) owned Trumpet Records, a label that specialised in the blues. McMurry was so impressed with Givens voice that she convinced him to perform his bass part vocally on “Mighty Long Time”. All the bass lines on this song are vocals by Givens. He then became a singer because he didn’t have to carry around an instrument.



Paradise and Lunch, a wonderful album that everyone should have in their collection.
Tracklist
1. Tamp 'Em Up Solid – Traditional
2. Tattler – Russ Titelman, Ry Cooder, Washington Phillips
3. Married Man's A Fool – Willie McTell
4. Jesus On The Mainline – Traditional
5. It's All Over Now – Bobby Womack, Shirley Womack
6. Medley: Fool For A Cigarette / Feelin' Good [Fool For A Cigarette] – Sidney Bailey, [Feelin' Good] – J.B. Lenoir, Jim Dickinson
7. If Walls Could Talk – Bobby Miller
8. Mexican Divorce – Bob Hilliard, Burt Bacharach
9. Ditty Wah Ditty – Arthur Blake
 
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Music From Free Creek

This “super session” album was recorded in 1969 but wasn’t released until 1973 due to arguments about the publishing rights. There were a huge number of artists on the double LP and they were signed to at least a dozen different recording labels. None of the recording companies could come to an agreement and so the album was released without the correct names of the artists involved. When it was originally released many of the names given in the credits were made up due to contractual arrangements with so many record labels involved. For example Eric Clapton was named as “King Cool” and Jeff Beck was identified as “A.N. Other”. It wasn’t until all the contracts that artists had with their recording companies expired, that the players could be identified.

If you look through the following names you will see some really high profile artists and other artists who were a band member or played with well know musicians of the time. In addition to the artists named there are a huge number of session musicians (23). No musical slouches on this album.

Linda Ronstadt, Valerie Simpson- (Ashford & Simpson), Chris Darrow - (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Joe Farrell - (Chick Corea & Return to Forever), Tom "Bones" Malone – (Blues Brothers), Alan Rubin – (Blues Brothers (Mr Fabulous)), Chris Wood – (Traffic), Adolfo de la Parra – (Canned Heat), Roy Markowitz – (Janis Joplin, Don McClean, Manhattan Transfer, Judy Collins, Al Kooper), Mitch Mitchell – (Jimi Hendrix Experience), John Ware – (Stone Poneys, Mike Nesmith, Emmy Lou Harris), Dr. John, Keith Emerson – (Emerson Lake and Palmer), Jimmy Greenspoon – (Three Dog Night), Mark "Moogy" Klingman – (Todd Rundgren Band), Jeff Beck, Delaney Bramlett - (Delaney & Bonnie and Friends), Eric Clapton, Carol Hunter - (Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Janis Ian), Bernie Leadon – (Eagles), Harvey Mandel – (Canned Heat), Chuck Rainey - (Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones), Elliott Randall – (Steely Dan, Irene Cara), Red Rhodes - (The Monkees, Michael Nesmith, James Taylor, The Beach Boys, Seals and Crofts, The Byrds, The Carpenters), Todd Rundgren, Larry Taylor – (Canned Heat, The Monkees, Jerry Lee Lewis) and 23 session musicians.

 

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Music From Free Creek

This “super session” album was recorded in 1969 but wasn’t released until 1973 due to arguments about the publishing rights. There were a huge number of artists on the double LP and they were signed to at least a dozen different recording labels. None of the recording companies could come to an agreement and so the album was released without the correct names of the artists involved. When it was originally released many of the names given in the credits were made up due to contractual arrangements with so many record labels involved. For example Eric Clapton was named as “King Cool” and Jeff Beck was identified as “A.N. Other”. It wasn’t until all the contracts that artists had with their recording companies expired, that the players could be identified.

If you look through the following names you will see some really high profile artists and other artists who were a band member or played with well know musicians of the time. In addition to the artists named there are a huge number of session musicians (23). No musical slouches on this album.

Linda Ronstadt, Valerie Simpson- (Ashford & Simpson), Chris Darrow - (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Joe Farrell - (Chick Corea & Return to Forever), Tom "Bones" Malone – (Blues Brothers), Alan Rubin – (Blues Brothers (Mr Fabulous)), Chris Wood – (Traffic), Adolfo de la Parra – (Canned Heat), Roy Markowitz – (Janis Joplin, Don McClean, Manhattan Transfer, Judy Collins, Al Kooper), Mitch Mitchell – (Jimi Hendrix Experience), John Ware – (Stone Poneys, Mike Nesmith, Emmy Lou Harris), Dr. John, Keith Emerson – (Emerson Lake and Palmer), Jimmy Greenspoon – (Three Dog Night), Mark "Moogy" Klingman – (Todd Rundgren Band), Jeff Beck, Delaney Bramlett - (Delaney & Bonnie and Friends), Eric Clapton, Carol Hunter - (Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Janis Ian), Bernie Leadon – (Eagles), Harvey Mandel – (Canned Heat), Chuck Rainey - (Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones), Elliott Randall – (Steely Dan, Irene Cara), Red Rhodes - (The Monkees, Michael Nesmith, James Taylor, The Beach Boys, Seals and Crofts, The Byrds, The Carpenters), Todd Rundgren, Larry Taylor – (Canned Heat, The Monkees, Jerry Lee Lewis) and 23 session musicians.




I’ve never heard of this.
Good stuff!
 
The Harvest by Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. Kinda like My Bloody Valentine style singing mixed with some nice Sabbath doomy riffs and John Carpenter keys and effects. Great sound.
 
The Wall by Pink Floyd.
Metropolis Part 2, Scenes From a Memory by Dream Theater

Special mention to a set of KZ10 Inner Ear Monitors I purchased recently. Fantastic listening experience to some classic concept albums.

 
The Wall by Pink Floyd.
Metropolis Part 2, Scenes From a Memory by Dream Theater

Special mention to a set of KZ10 Inner Ear Monitors I purchased recently. Fantastic listening experience to some classic concept albums.

When I read up on those earbuds, I was expecting a price in the hundreds.
Are they really that good for US$30
 
When I read up on those earbuds, I was expecting a price in the hundreds.
Are they really that good for US$30

Look I don't have any audiophile headphones to compare against but these destroy any wired earbuds I have from Apple of Samsung. I use these with an old iPod touch and they are bloody amazing.

Excellent frequency response across the board with a fairly flat profile. With a bit of EQ, you can make them pretty punchy without sacrificing the mids and highs. I like drumming, so I love the frequency response to the ride, splash & high hat cymbals.

Dankpods Youtube channel put me onto these and for about $50 AUD, they are great bang for buck.
 

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