white cane lying in a gutter in the lane…

I was indescribably happy to see the announcement that Weld by Neil Young was being released on vinyl along with Ragged Glory and Freedom. I had no hesitation pre-ordering the box from the Greedy Hand store and now I’m waiting.

So to deal with my impatience I’ve been pulling records out to play and putting them back. Until I got to this one.

It’s a good album and to be frank there’s not a single bad song on here. In fact with the exception of the couple of songs that never got a full release like Bad Fog of Loneliness or Dance Dance Dance it could be greatest hits album.

It’s quite overwhelming how many truly great songs he churned out in a couple of years and he wasn’t done. I’ve been a bit disappointed with the focus on this period from his archive releases. But it’s really hard to fault the quality of the songs.

So as I wait for some time in July when the box should arrive I guess I’ll take the time to lope through Neil’s back catalogue and think.

one way or another…

As election season grips the country it’s easy to get sidetracked by fear and loathing in the USA. What we really need is some thoughts and prayers.

So the answer is to go sit in the creek with a small child and a dog.

It’s really good for the soul to get your feet deep in the muddy bank of the creek. This is muddy creek. Later in we went out to the clean creek to lounge.

I’ve been listening to both volumes of Bobby Weir and the Wolf Bros. I have to say it’s better than listening to Dead and Company who are pretty much ignoring Oregon on their last tour. This seems to I be contra to the whole hippy ideal but let’s face it it’s much more corporate dead these days than the anarchy of the past.

Bobby and the band however manage to stumble through a good selection of Dylan and the areas via many a grizzled old classic. It’s a big band with horns and stuff and Bobby’s voice has nicely matured.

Volume 1

Volume 2.

waves….

I think I’ve rambled on about being let down before, by society, politicians, religious folk and those who are not. Maybe however it was just a thought in my head that never got out.

I was listening to a podcast about Christian nationalism. It was by an evangelical Christian, they were describing how Christian nationalism has its routes firmly in the racism of the south. I found myself getting agitated, frustrated, upset, disappointed, just let down that all these biases that supposedly we are able to identify and overcome still hold us back as a society.

Then today we drove by the trumpista flag wavers in all their bloated bellicose glory. Stereotypes, all white all afraid of other people taking over their America. Liberty and justice for people who agree with them. Unwilling to face the difficult truths of their countries formation and growth preferring to believe the safe sanitized “truth” that their echo chamber wants to vomit up for them like a half digested cheeseburger. I wondered if they ate pie at Sharis before heading out to the corner to wave their flags in their maga hats and red white and blue vests.

For a moment I couldn’t decide who I was disgusted at more them or those honking their horns in support. They waved and my instinct was to wave back, instead I stared at them not knowing what to do as we sat at the red light in some sort of limbo, assaulted by their vitriol. Then I looked over at the African American couple in the lane next to us and I knew who needed a wave.

I suppose I’m once again feeling let down. I’m going to chose to hope.

Tough

It’s the end of May.

It’s been the driest May on record according to the weather man. Doesn’t look like things are going to brighten up either.

Hopefully things stay quiet fire wise this year again. I guess we will find out.

he hung his head as tears were falling…

I was amazed at some point to discover that First Light by Richard and Linda Thompson is not considered an essential album. Maybe it’s because it was the first of their albums I ever bought that I have such affection for it.

Go figure.

It even has the disco hit with Don’t Let A Thief Steal Into Your Heart along with Pavanne a song about a female assassin and other mysterious songs I always thought were love songs and then they turn out to be devotional songs to Allah, maybe it’s the same thing. Also Robert Plant made a decent stab at House of Cards so it can’t be bad. It’s also got some great guitar playing buried in the mix so classic.

I remember this being my only reference point for Thompson solo and then seeing him live on the Across A Crowded Room tour and being shocked at how aggressive the playing was. Not a bad shock apart from I had sold the show as a quiet folk affair to my date for the night. She wanted to leave about halfway through Tear Stained Letter but I was going nowhere, suffice to say there wasn’t a second date.

In other news Syd really wanted his dinner tonight, he was giving me the look.

got the mark down blues…

It’s that feeling like a hangover, eyes burning, brain shrinking, parched, foggy mind, definitely dehydrated. Or it’s just spending too much time in the sun. These days it’s my ears that get burned.

It’s my own fault. Deciding to fix as much of the yard as possible. Spring cleaning and a family member visiting so the guest house has to be put together, coffee table, shelf and bed. I hope they can manage the walk to the outhouse.

The car has spent the entire weekend watching and lazy.

Syd went for a ride in another trailer. He’s definitely living the wild life.

In in all mission accomplished as we shocked the pool, we’ll be lounging in the pool by next weekend according to Cody.

So to get things together in the evening I decided on the slightly wonky world of Green on Red with Here Come the Snakes.

I failed at the post a day thing. But it’s been a blast.

you know where you came from…

With Andy Rourkes passing I thought I’d have another go at listening to The Smiths. It’s something I do every few years it seems. I think people of my age from the UK are supposed to like The Smiths. Especially if you were not in the cool crowd. After all Morrissey gave voice supposedly to all the mopers in the north.

However every few years or so I find myself disappointed again. This has become even more of a fact as Mozzer descended further and further into marginal ideologies that don’t really make sense to me.

And then there’s Hatful of Hollow, the only acceptable Smiths album as far as I am concerned. Things just seen more immediate and urgent on this compilation than on the usual albums. Maybe that’s what a Peel or Jensen session will do for you. I desperately wanted to put Kid in front of Jensens name.

I am very pleased that my one and only Smiths album is forever adorned with and annoying Oxfam sticker.

Syd went for a ride in the trailer today.

why do you like this?

It’s been a while since I bought a Tangerine Dream album, however I got sucked into buying the three LP box of a live recording from Paris in 1978. Actually it was last RSD that I last got sucked in.

It’s a typical meandering late 70s Tangerine Dream live set. Sounds fantastic actually.

Syd’s confused though.

I’ve seen your feet walk by themselves…

It’s Bobs birthday.

He’s getting on. 82 I believe. I’ve not got much to say other than you should take same time to listen to one of his records. It could change your life or convince you of something.

This was my choice some people don’t like it, others do, me I think it’s one of best but I love Live at Budokan and Dylan and the Dead as well.

This place don’t make sense to me no more
Can you tell me what we’re waiting for, señor?

a boy and his dog…

Sometimes there’s nothing more heartwarming than a boy and his dog.