Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Lush - Outside World (2016)

Lush was formed in 1987 in London, and initially named the Baby Machines (after a line in the Siouxsie and the Banshees song 'Arabian Knights'), with a line-up of Meriel Barham (vocals), Emma Anderson (guitar, vocals), Miki Berenyi (guitar, vocals), Steve Rippon (bass guitar) and Chris Acland (drums). Their influences were diverse, being inspired by Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Beach Boys, the Byrds and the garage rock scene of the Nuggets series. Anderson and Berenyi had been school friends, having known each other since the early 1980's, and together published the Alphabet Soup fanzine, and in 1986, Anderson joined the Rover Girls as bass guitarist and Berenyi joined the Bugs, also as a bass guitar player. Neither band lasted long, and in 1987, they joined Barham and Acland in the Baby Machines. Rippon joined shortly thereafter and the band members decided on a change of name to Lush, making their live debut at the Camden Falcon on 6 March 1988. When Barham left the band to join Pale Saints, Berenyi took over on lead vocals, and in 1989 the band signed to 4AD Records and released their first recording, 'Scar', a six-track mini-album. Critical praise for 'Scar' and a popular live show established Lush as one of the most written-about groups of the late 80's/early 90's UK indie scene, and not long after, the British music press tagged them with the "shoegazing" label. 
The following year, the EPs 'Mad Love' (produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins) and 'Sweetness And Light' (produced by Tim Friese-Greene) were released, with all three EPs later being combined into the 'Gala' compilation album, which was produced mainly for the US and Japanese markets. The band recorded a live session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1990, and contributed a cover version of 'Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep' later that year to the anti-poll tax album 'Alvin Lives (In Leeds)'. The band's profile was raised by extensive touring, including an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival in June 1990 and tours of Japan in late 1990 and the US (with Ride) in the spring of 1991, with the 'Black Spring' EP appearing later that year. Their first full-length album of completely new material, 'Spooky', was released in January 1992, again produced by Guthrie, and it featured a sound very similar to Guthrie's band Cocteau Twins, with walls of sound and a great deal of guitar effects. Reviews were mixed and critics of the album held that Guthrie's production brought the sound away from the band's original creative vision, although it sold well, reaching No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart. Rippon left the band after recording the 'For Love' EP to concentrate on writing, though his book Cold Turkey Sandwich — a fictionalised chronicle of his time touring — was rejected by publishers, and he was replaced by Phil King. 
The band approached Bob Mould to produce their second album, but he was reportedly too busy to produce them, so 'Split' was recorded by Mike Hedges at Rockfield Studios in Wales. Hedges and the band then mixed the recordings, first at Abbey Road Studios, and then at Hedges' studio in Domfront, France, but neither the band nor 4AD's Ivo Watts-Russell 4AD were satisfied with the sound, and  eventually Alan Moulder was hired to remix it. Unusually, the band released two EPs from the album, with 'Hypocrite' and 'Desire Lines' both appearing on 30 May 1994, but neither single broke into the UK Top 40, and when 'Split' was released on 13 June 1994, it was less successful than 'Spooky'. On the advice of their management the band concentrated on the American market, but failed to make a breakthrough, and a third EP from 'Split', to have featured 'Lovelife' as the lead track along with a version of 'The Childcatcher' recorded during the 'Split' sessions, was shelved. 'Lovelife', the band's fourth album, was released in March 1996, and was produced by Pete Bartlett, the band's live engineer. This album represented a change in production, with less reliance on heavy guitar effects, and it became the biggest seller of their career, possibly as it was more in step with the contemporary Britpop style. Instead of capitalising on their success in the UK, the band's management sent them on an ill-conceived American tour with the Gin Blossoms, and with the band members feeling pressured and tired, Anderson discussed leaving, although Berenyi, in particular, was keen to keep the band together. 
In September 1996, the band played their last performance, prior to reuniting, in Japan, but a month later, tragedy struck the band when drummer Acland died by hanging himself in his parents' garden on 17 October. Following this the band effectively went on an extended hiatus, officially announcing their break-up on 23 February 1998. Berenyi went on to work as a production editor at two major magazine publishers, and Anderson formed a new group, Sing-Sing, with singer Lisa O'Neill, but then in September 2015, the music press suggested a reunion might be planned after Anderson posted a cryptic message on social media, and an official band website appeared. On 28 September, Lush announced their reunion on their Facebook page, with the reunited band consisting of Anderson, Berenyi and King with the addition of Justin Welch (ex-Elastica) on drums, who was an old friend of Chris Acland's. They announced a show at the Roundhouse in London on 6 May 2016, and later added a second date, 7 May 2016, after the first show sold out in six hours. On 15 April 2016, the band announced the release of the 'Blind Spot' EP, the band's first new material since 1996, but bassist King left soon afterwards, with Michael Conroy of Modern English playing bass for the final show at Manchester Academy, and they also confirmed that the band would split after the show. As a reminder of one of my favourite bands of the 90's, here's a collection of their non-album EP tracks and b-sides. 



Track listing

Disc I - 1990-1994
01 De-Luxe (from the 'Mad Love' EP 1990)
02 Leaves Me Cold (from the 'Mad Love' EP 1990)
03 Downer (from the 'Mad Love' EP 1990)
04 Sweetness And Light (single 1990)
05 Sunbathing (b-side of 'Sweetness And Light')
06 Breeze (b-side of 'Sweetness And Light')
07 Fallin' In Love (from the 'Black Spring' EP 1991)
08 God's Gift (from the 'Black Spring' EP 1991)
09 Outdoor Miner (b-side of 'For Love' 1991)
10 Astronaut (b-side of 'For Love' 1991)
11 Rupert The Bear (b-side of the 'Lit Up' flexi-disc 1993)
12 Love At First Sight (b-side of 'Hypocrite' 1994)
13 Cat's Chorus (b-side of 'Hypocrite' 1994)

Disc II - 1994-1996
01 White Wood (b-side of 'Desire Lines' 1994)
02 Girl's World (b-side of 'Desire Lines' 1994)
03 Tinkerbell (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
04 Outside World (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
05 Cul De Sac (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
06 Pudding (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
07 Demystification (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
08 Shut Up (b-side of 'Single Girl' 1995)
09 Sweetie (b-side of 'Single Girl' 7" 1995)
10 I Have The Moon (b-side of '500 (Shake Baby Shake)' 1996)
11 Piledriver (b-side of '500 (Shake Baby Shake)' 1996)

Disc III - 1996-2016
01 Matador (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
02 Ex (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
03 Dear Me (Demo) (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
04 Heavenly (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
05 Carmen (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
06 Plums And Oranges (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 1996)
07 I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend (b-side of 'Ladykillers' 7" 1996)
08 Out Of Control (from the 'Blind Spot' EP 2016)
09 Lost Boy (from the 'Blind Spot' EP 2016)
10 Burnham Beeches (from the 'Blind Spot' EP 2016)
11 Rosebud (from the 'Blind Spot' EP 2016)

Mila J - Split Personality (2006)

Jamila Akiko Aba Chilombo was born on 18 November 1982 in Los Angeles, California, and her sister is singer Jhené Aiko. At the start of her career, she joined an up-and-coming dance group, bringing her to the attention of Chris Stokes, and through him she auditioned for and starred as a dancer in Prince's 'Diamonds and Pearls' video, released in 1991, when she was just 9 years old. Stokes had begun managing Jamila and her sister Miyoko and eventually led them to form the American R&B group Gyrl, along with third member Paulette Maxwell. The three girls were also back-up dancers under the name Innocence, and they appeared in numerous music videos, such as 'Da Munchies', 'Constantly', and 'I Don't Mind'. In 1995, Silas Records released Gyrl's official debut single, 'Play Another Slow Jam', which peaked at number 74 on the US Hot R&B Singles, staying on the chart for over six weeks, but didn't chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, and after the release of the single, Maxwell left the group. It was not until 1997 that she was replaced by Glorika "Jeanae" Briley and Tai-Amber Hoo, and this new line-up released the single 'Get Your Groove On', featured in the movie 'B*A*P*S'. This single peaked at number 91 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 30 on the US Hot R&B Singles chart, staying on the chart for over 14 weeks, and becoming their highest chart appearance at that time. However, despite this success, the group disbanded shortly afterwards, and after a brief appearance in the girl group Dame Four in 2005, Mila took a hiatus from the music industry, saying that due to having been in a variety of girl groups, she did not know who she was as an artist. Upon returning to the music business, she signed with Universal Motown in 2006, and after appearing on tracks by RaRa, IMx, and Omarion, her Chris Stokes-produced debut album, 'Split Personality', was set for a summer 2006 release. That date came and went, and eventually the album was forgotten, and it was not until 2012 that Jamila redefined herself, changing her name and appearance from the soft feminine Mila J to the rough-around-the-edges Japallonia, before reverting back to Mila J for the 'Smoke, Drink, Break-Up' single in 2014. On the shelved album Mila's voice as sweet and young sounding, but it's never flashy or overly demonstrative, and Stokes' production is as solid and complementary as on his previous projects. It's light, endearing R&B that might take a few listens to sink in, but it's strong enough to keep your attention, and so is worth a listen. 



Track listing

01 Wait A Minute
02 No More Complaining
03 Go Public
04 Better
05 Tell Me Where I'd Be
06 Good Lookin' Out (feat. Marques Houston)
07 I've Been Hustled
08 Back In The Day (feat. Young Rome)
09 Things You Do (Long Enough)
10 Are You Happy Now
11 Complete
12 I'm Mi (feat. Omarion)

Friday, October 3, 2025

Earth - Warning (1969)

Before they became Black Sabbath, the band were known as Earth - a blues-driven powerhouse already making a name for themselves in the mid-'60s. A new album has just been released containing rare early recordings from that era, remastered from long-lost tapes and acetates, and featuring previously unheard tracks, demos and alternative takes. The collection captures Earth's evolution as they pushed toward the heavy metal sound that would soon change rock music forever, and the tapes were recorded during the foursome's early days in 1969 by promoter Jim Simpson, who went on to become Black Sabbath’s first manager. Simpson recorded the group at Zella Studio in Birmingham in 1969, but held back from releasing them as their style was evolving so quickly, but these recordings clearly demonstrate what fine music they produced right from the very beginning. Now, some 57 years later, the recordings assume a greater importance, illustrating how these four young men from Birmingham, barely out of their teens, were excellent musicians and a fine band, fully deserving of all the success that was to come their way. Under Simpson's management, Black Sabbath released their seminal self-titled debut album in February 1970, following up with 'Paranoid' in September of the same year, and although Simpson lost control of the band when the 'Paranoid' single was No. 2 and the album was No. 1, he still considers that he managed some of Black Sabbath's finest moments. One notable thing about this release is the fact that the blurb on the CD jacket studiously avoids using the phrase "Black Sabbath" or any of the band members' names, and so rumours abound that this is an unofficial release, either from Simpson, or by someone using his name, but who cares as long as we can finally hear these early recordings. However, on hearing them, geofmcm found them a little flat, so he ripped them to their stems and remixed them himself, taking the bass to the left, guitar to the right, spreading the drum sound a little, and adding reverb to the vocals, which hopefully improves the sound. He also added three other remixed demos to the end so that this includes all the music recorded by Earth, and for my part I combined the guitar and flute versions of 'Song For Jim' into one track featuring both instruments, and then just added the cover.   



Track listing

01 Blue Suede Shoes
02 Evenin'
03 Wee Wee Baby
04 Untitled
05 Free Man
06 Song For Jim 
07 Wicked (Demo)
08 Warning
9 When I Came Down
10 The Rebel
11 Thomas James

Thanks to geofmcm for his work on this post. 

Tha' Rayne - Reign Supreme (2002)

Tha' Rayne was a three-piece American R&B singing girl group that was formed in 2000 and consisted of two singing members and a DJ, with original members of the group being Yummy Bingham and Shaquana Elam (now known as Quana BelleVoix), who shared lead vocals on all of the group's recordings. The group was founded in 2000 by producer KayGee from Naughty by Nature, who recruited Elizabeth "Yummy" Bingham, Shaquana "Quana" Elam and Tina "Tina-J" Jenkins, with each of them assuming that they had a solo deal, before discovering that they were to be a girl group. The first and only recording where the three original members appear together is Jaheim and Lil' Mo's 2001 single 'Finders Keepers', where they performed vocal backup. After Tina-J left the group, Tha' Rayne remained a duet and signed with Arista Records's CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid in April 2001. They released 'Rock Wit Me' in April 2002, followed in July by 'No L.O.V.E.', which was later re-recorded by Jhené Aiko in 2003. While preparing their debut album, originally expected for an October 2002 release, Tha' Rayne collaborated with artists such as Boyz II Men, Jaheim, Queen Latifah, and Next. In August 2002, Kay Gee had the vision to create an R&B version of Salt-N-Pepa and added Michelle "DJ Myche Luv" Colon, a young female DJ to the group, and later that year they appeared on Jaheim's hit single 'Fabulous'. In January 2003, the group went through a change of lineup with the departure of DJ Myche Luv, who was replaced by Qiana "DJ Qi" Drew. Soon after, Tha' Rayne released 'Didn't You Know' (featuring Joe Budden and Lupe Fiasco), which was their first single to chart, reaching number 76 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. However, it didn't get the buzz expected by the label, and so their debut album 'Reign Supreme' was delayed. When Arista merged into Sony BMG in early 2004, and Antonio "L.A." Reid was fired, many of his artists were dropped, including Tha' Rayne, and so the group decided to split without their album ever seeing the light of day.



Track listing

01 Harmonize (Intro)
02 Can't Stop Tha' Rayne 
03 Didn't You Know (feat. Joe Budden & Lupe Fiasco) 
04 Rock Wit' Me
05 Luv Bug 
06 Kiss Me (feat. Lupe Fiasco)
07 Party Music
08 Mr. Postman
09 No L.O.V.E. (feat. Rob Jackson) 
10 Ghetto Love Song (feat. Jarron)
11 She's A Queen (feat. Queen Latifah)
12 Holla Back (Outro)

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

St. Vincent - At The Proms (2025)

As the lights went down at the Royal Albert Hall on 3 September 2025 you could have heard a pin drop. The formidable St. Vincent, née Annie Clark, was about to conclude the world tour for her album 'All Born Screaming' with her debut at the 2025 Proms. It was a fabulous piece of programming and would prove to be one of the live music highlights of the year. Jules Buckley and his Orchestra played 'We Put A Pearl In The Ground, providing an extra-terrestrial wash of sound as St. Vincent herself sashayed on stage, and then we were into 'Hell Is Near' and her idiosyncratically soulful vocals sat effortlessly within the electric density of the orchestration, and the star was so pleased she looked like she had to stop herself applauding the orchestra. 'Violent Times' was like the theme for a magnificently magisterial lost Bond film, and then she delivered 'I Prefer Your Love' with a heartfelt simplicity which didn’t so much cut through the lush orchestration as cut with it. The song was poetic and transcendent, creating simplicity through complexity, gracefully accentuated with a glockenspiel. Then the moment that had to come, and which we were all waiting for… St. Vincent strapped on her guitar, and the orchestra started playing 'The Strangers', which was deliriously like a Kurt Weill-Maxwell Anderson Broadway song for the 21st Century. 
The politely metronomic introduction in Rachel Eckroth and Peter Riley’s arrangement featured the bass drum sweeping the street clean for the approaching steam roller which was St. Vincent’s guitar solo. On 'Black Rainbow' the incisive intelligence of her lyrics were superbly served by the string section which adroitly underscored the emotional nuances, while the music climbed a mountain up to a cliff edge and then stepped off into silence. For 'Marrow', the staccato, ecstatic urgency of St. Vincent’s guitar was followed by an unbearably suspenseful setting by Peter Riley which had the orchestra tightening the ratchet of tension, until it was finally released in the gushing spurt of her ferocious guitar solo. The arrangement perfectly matched the technicolour surrealism of St. Vincent’s song-writing - terse and dense and rich, violent and beautiful. Jules Buckley’s arrangement for 'The Bed' transformed it into a piece of otherworldly exotica, a lullaby from a different dimension. The marimba gave a gamelan colouring and the string section provided a trampoline for the lyrics, lifting the song and perfectly enhancing it instead of overwhelming it. It was revelatory what a perfectly shared endeavour this was, St Vincent and her guitar in total collaboration with orchestra. Sam Gale’s arrangement gave 'Now, Now' an irresistibly building logic with its insistent Raymond Scott-style electronica, and the strings provided a swirling emphasis. 
'Live In the Dream' was an emergency room anecdote, related like a dreamy beach ballad in Tom Trapp’s arrangement, but it was a J.G. Ballard beach ballad, with the waves breaking on an apocalyptic Waikiki. St. Vincent played a solo which sounded like Hawaiian slack key guitar, lyrical and luxuriant, and it was wonderful the way the orchestra stayed out of her way while always supporting the sense of the song. Her guitar gently screamed, howled at the moon, crooned with ecstasy, while the orchestra was a gentle chaperone. On 'The Nowhere Inn' Rachel Eckroth and Peter Riley’s arrangement provided sounds like a Martian mariachi band. St. Vincent’s guitar pried open the doors of perception and the orchestra followed her through, trumpets calling valiantly as she intoned her hypnotic, shamanistic, incantatory vocals “We’re all at Nowhere and where are you now?”. The same arranging duo transformed 'Los Ageless' into a forlorn but defiant ballad for a film noir heroine with the string section charting the ECG ups and downs of an unravelling endeavour. 'New York' is one of St. Vincent’s best known songs and for this Jules Buckley arrangement she climbed down off the stage and walked among us...or at least among the lucky Prommers in the standing section. She had the whole hall clapping, and when she started jumping up and down she damn near had it pogoing. 'Paris Is Burning' closed the show, before rapturous applause encouraged her to come back for a couple of encores, ending a triumphant performance at the BBC Proms.   



Track listing

01 We Put A Pearl In The Ground (arr. Sam Gale)
02 Hell Is Near (arr. Sam Gale)
03 Reckless (arr. Rachel Eckroth)
04 Violent Times (arr. Jochen Neuffer)
05 I Prefer Your Love (arr. Jochen Neuffer)
06 The Strangers (arr. Rachel Eckroth/ Peter Riley)
07 Black Rainbow (arr. Rachel Eckroth/ Jules Buckley)
08 Marrow (arr. Peter Riley)
09 The Bed (arr. Jules Buckley)
10 Smoking Section (arr. Rachel Eckroth)
11 Now, Now (arr. Sam Gale)
12 Live In The Dream (arr. Tom Trapp)
13 The Nowhere Inn (arr. Rachel Eckroth/ Peter Riley)
14 Digital Witness (arr. Tom Trapp)
15 Los Ageless (arr. Rachel Eckroth/ Peter Riley)
16 The Party (arr. Jochen Neuffer)
17 New York (arr. Jules Buckley)
18 Paris Is Burning (arr. Jochen Neuffer)
19 Candy Darling (arr. Rachel Eckroth)
20 Slow Disco (arr. Jules Buckley)

Concert review by Andrew Cartmel.

Hope Of The States - The Workmiser Harmonies (2006)

Longtime friends Sam Herlihy (vocals/guitar), Anthony Theaker (guitar), and James Lawrence (guitar) grew up in the market town of Chichester in West Sussex, in the late '80s and early '90s, and to keep themselves entertained, the trio obsessed over the latest Brit pop phenomena. Paul Wilson joined the group on bass around their mid-teens, and this expanded their love for music. He and Herlihy landed a development deal with Parlophone during this time, but they lacked direction and knowledge when it came to crafting an original sound. This changed in 2000, when they formed Hope Of The States, taking their name from Albert Deutsch's 'The Shame Of The States', the controversial 1948 book that ridiculed the U.S.'s unimpressive mental health system. Their image was striking from the start, with the band dressing in military uniforms, symbolizing their strict bond as a band and as friends, while also a criticism of a man's lack of compassion for his fellow man. With the addition of Mike Siddell on violin and Simon Jones on drums, the six-piece continued to flesh out their post-Radiohead rock sound, and their limited edition 'Black Dollar Bills' single appeared in summer 2003, packaged in a hessian sleeve, each of which was hand-sewn by a band member, and it sold out immediately. The band landed spots on the coveted Glastonbury, Reading, and Leeds festivals, and a deal with Sony followed in June, while the band's second single, 'Enemies/Friends', hit number 25 on the U.K. singles charts later that year. 
Everything seemed to moving along nicely for Hope Of The States, and they'd started to record material for their full-length debut with producer Ken Thomas, but in January 2004 Lawrence committed suicide, and the band had to decide whether to persevere. They did, and the magnetic storm that was 'The Lost Riots' was issued in October, to mostly enthusiastic critical acclaim. Reviewers praised the band's balance of intense post-rock bombast and anthemic post-Britpop dynamics, while criticism was directed at lead singer Samuel Herlihy's lack of vocal range and the band's dour sound. In April 2006 they released the limited-edition 'Blood Meridian' EP in a run of 2,000 vinyl copies, which quickly sold out, and this was followed by the band's ambitious second effort at a long player, with 'Left' appearing later that year. After standout festival performance at Carling Reading, and Leeds in summer 2006, Hope Of The States ended months of speculation by announcing their split in late August. Herlihy and Jones formed The Northwestern, who split in 2012, while the rest of the band formed Troubles, with Michael Hibbert leaving in 2007 to form Chapel Club, who split in 2013. On 8 July 2024, the band announced that they had reunited to play three gigs in December 2024 and were recording new material with producer Jolyon Thomas. It wasn't until I'd finished putting this album together that I discovered that the band had released a b-sides compilation to digital and streaming services in 2024, titled 'The Magic Kingdom (B-sides 2002-2006)', but perhaps the reason for this is that it was extremely hard to track down, and it's possible that even fans of the band didn't know it existed, so I decided to post this version anyway, even though it duplicates many of the tracks.  



Track listing

Disc I - 2003-2004
01 Black Dollar Bills (original single 2003)
02 Everything For Everyone (b-side of 'Black Dollar Bills')
03 Sts'ikfl (b-side of 'Black Dollar Bills')
04 Why'd I Let My Heart Come Last? (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
05 101st Lament (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
06 Static In The Cities (b-side of 'Enemies/Friends' 2003)
07 The Workmiser Harmonies (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)
08 The Last Picture Show (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)
0
9 Angels Over Kilburn (b-side of 'The Red The White The Black The Blue' 2004)
10 Under The Wires (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)
11 A Horse (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)
12 Drinkers On The Dry (from the 'Blood Meridian' EP 2004)

Disc II - 2004-2006
01 This House Was Once A Home (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
02 Thee Seventies Song (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
03 A Heart Can Stop A Bullet (b-side of 'Nehemiah' 2004)
04 Hum (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
05 Morning Ghosts (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
06 My Son The Crow (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
07 A Rek (b-side of 'Sing It Out' 2006)
08 Silent In The Towerblocks (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
09 Boxes For Particle (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
10 Minifigures (b-side of 'Left' 2006)
11 End (b-side of 'Left' 2006)

Friday, September 26, 2025

Kelly Clarkson - A Little Bit Country (2022)

Kelly Brianne Clarkson was born on 24 April 1982 in Fort Worth, Texas, grew up in Burleson, Texas and was educated at Pauline Hughes Middle School. In the seventh grade, the school's choir teacher, Cynthia Glenn, overheard her singing in a hallway and asked her to audition for the school choir, and she also performed in several musicals, such as 'Annie Get Your Gun', 'Seven Brides For Seven Brothers', and 'Brigadoon'. After graduating from high school, she declined full scholarships to three universities, saying that she wanted to try and make it in the music business on her own. She worked several jobs to finance a demo, recording material and trying to market it to record labels, but received little response. She turned down two recording contracts from Jive Records and Interscope Records, afraid that they would have pigeonholed her as a bubblegum act, and in 2001 she travelled to Los Angeles, pursuing a career in music. Upon returning to Burleson, Clarkson was encouraged by her friends to audition for the first season of the reality television series 'American Idol: The Search For A Superstar' in May 2002, going on to win the competition on 4 September. Immediately after winning American Idol, Clarkson was signed to a record deal with RCA Records, 19 Recordings, and S Records by talent manager Simon Fuller, who created American Idol, and music mogul Clive Davis, who was slated to executive-produce her debut album. She released her chart-topping debut single, 'A Moment Like This', which became the best-selling single of the year in the US, and her R&B and gospel-influenced debut album, 'Thankful' was released in 2003, and entered the US Billboard 200 at number one. 
She shifted genres to pop rock for 'Breakaway' in 2004, which was one of the 21st century's best-selling albums, but after the lukewarm reception to 2007's 'My December', with its darker rock music, Clarkson returned to radio-friendly pop rock sounds with 'All I Ever Wanted' in 2009, and 'Stronger' in 2011, which each produced number-one singles, in 'My Life Would Suck Without You' and 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)' respectively. She ventured into Christmas music with 'Wrapped In Red' in 2013, following that with the release of the number-one album 'Piece By Piece' in 2015, and she then signed with Atlantic Records, where she recorded three further albums. In 2018 she returned to television as a coach on 'The Voice' for nine seasons, and since 2019 she has hosted her own talk show, 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'. During the 'Kellyoke' section of her television show Clarkson often covered country songs, and she has even released a couple of duets with country singers as singles, but despite the various genres in which she has recorded, she has yet to make a country album. Fans are convinced that it's a genre that she would excel at, and so by using various singles, out-takes, demos, alternate takes, live recordings, and a few 'Kellyoke' offerings, I've put together Kelly Clarkson's very own country album. 



Track listing

01 Soap And Water
02 Because Of You (feat. Reba McEntire)
03 Feel It Coming On
04 Don't Rush (feat. Vince Gill)
05 Never Again, Again (Interlude) 
06 Mrs Right
07 Mr. Know It All
08 Why Haven't I Heard From You
09 Any Man Of Mine (Interlude)
10 Blue Bayou
11 Fancy
12 Don't You Wanna Stay
13 How Blue (Interlude)
14 I'm Movin' On (feat. Rascal Flatts)
15 You're Drunk Go Home (feat. Kelsea Ballerini & Carly Pearce)

Wang Chung - Forest Bell (2024)

After signing to Geffen Records and changing their name to the more pronounceable Wang Chung, the band finally hit the charts with e re-recorded version of their earlier single 'Dance Hall Days', and in 1984 they opened for The Cars on their "Heartbeat City" tour. Following this tour, drummer Darren Costin left the group to form his own band, Heroes, which released the studio album 'Here We Are' on RCA Records in 1987. In late 1983, Jack Hues and Nick Feldman collaborated in a one-off project with vocalist David Van Day of duo Dollar, and a demo of the track 'Ringing The Bell' was submitted to Van Day as one of many songs for consideration by him as a possible follow up to his single 'Young Americans Talking', and although it was recorded in November 1983, it remained unreleased for some time before eventually surfacing under the band name Music Academy in 1985. Wang Chung followed up the release of 'Points On The Curve' with a spate of soundtrack work, and director William Friedkin specifically sought out the group to score his 1985 film 'To Live and Die in L.A.'. The resulting soundtrack became the group's third studio album, and is recognizable as one of their more mainstream works, reaching the top ten on the US Billboard chart for soundtracks. The band also recorded 'Fire In The Twilight' for the 1985 John Hughes film 'The Breakfast Club' and contributed 'There Is A Nation' for the soundtrack to 'First Born'.
With Costin gone, Hues and Feldman continued to record new material, employing producer Peter Wolf as their new drummer, although he never became an official member of the band. In 1986 they released their fourth studio album, 'Mosaic', and the single from it, 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' became one of their biggest hits, reaching No. 2 in the US, while the follow-up 'Let's Go!' got to No. 9. Their final US top 40 single was 'Hypnotize Me', which also featured on the soundtrack of the 1987 film 'Innerspace'. Wang Chung released their fifth studio album, 'The Warmer Side Of Cool', in 1989, and the single extracted from it was 'Praying To A New God', which charted but was not a hit, only reaching No. 63 in the charts. The album was considered a commercial disappointment, and so Hues and Feldman then went on to other projects and the band effectively disbanded in 1990. Feldman joined up with drummer Jon Moss of Culture Club to form the band Promised Land, and subsequently released their self-titled debut studio album, 'Promised Land', in 1992, while Hues worked on various film soundtracks, including 'The Guardian'. He was signed to a solo deal by Sony Records in the early 1990s', but his intended debut solo studio album, 'The Anatomy Lesson', was shelved by the label and remains unreleased. 
In 1997 the release of the greatest hits collection 'Everybody Wang Chung Tonight: Wang Chung's Greatest Hits' prompted the band to reform and tour North America to promote both the album and the 'Space Junk' single taken from it. In March 2005, Wang Chung (once again consisting of Hues and Feldman) contributed 'Akasha', a previously unreleased song, to the 'Of Hands And Hearts' compilation, in response to the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami crisis, and in June they appeared on the reality TV series 'Hit Me Baby One More Time', performing a cover version of 'Hot in Herre' by Nelly. They released songs intermittently over the next ten years, including a double CD set in mid-2011, which consisted of four re-recordings of previous hits, and four new songs, and in December 2012 they released 'Tazer Up!', their first studio album in 23 years. This second post from band collects together b-sides and curiosities from their Wang Chung years, right up to the recording of a Covid version of their 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' hit in 2020, plus some live tracks from 2024. 



Track listing

Disc I - 1984-1997
01 Ringing The Bell (single by Music Academy 1984)
02 Dance Hall Days (Part 2) (b-side of 'Wait' 1984)
03 Hard Times (b-side of 'Wait' 1984)
04 Fire In The Twilight (single 1985)
05 Dreaming In The Hills Of Heaven (b-side of 'Fire In The Twilight' 1985)
06 The Reggae (Instrumental) (b-side of 'Fire In The Twilight' 1985)
07 Take Me To The River (from BBC 'Sight And Sound In Concert' 1984)
08 Fun Tonight: The Early Years (b-side of 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' 1986)
09 ABC Sports 1988 (TV Jingle based on 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' 1988)
10 Space Junk (single 1997)
11 Zero Gravity (b-side of 'Space Junk')

Disc II - 2005-2024 
01 Akasha (from the 'Of Hands And Hearts' tsunami disaster fund album 2005)
02 To Live And Die In L.A. (acoustic) (from the 'Abducted By The 80's' EP 2011)
03 Dance Hall Days (unplugged 2012) 
04 Girls And Boys (Blur cover from '80's Recovered' TV Show 2015)
05 River (Joni Mitchell cover 2016)
06 Everybody Stay Safe Tonight (Covid version 2020)
07 Hot In Herre (Nelly cover from the 'Re-Discovered 80's' TV show 2021)
08 3rd Planet (Modest Mouse cover from Alvin UnterCover Youtube Channel 2021)
09 Everybody Have Fun Tonight (live acoustic) (from 'The Courtney Show' 2024)
10 Moonage Daydream (David Bowie cover live at West Springfield 2024)
11 Wangjabi MC (Mash up of Punjabi M.C. and 'Dance Hall Days' 2013)

Thanks again to geofmcm for providing the inspiration and music for this post. 

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Various Artists - Rarities Row Vol. 1 (2025)

Here is something a bit special from Mike Solof - a trawl through his huge collection of rare music, with something to satisfy all tastes, from heavy rock to jazz, progressive rock to powerpop, and bubblegum pop to classic singer/songwriter. They are mostly tracks that you will have heard before, but not in these versions, and so over to Mike to introduce it.
I’m starting up a new series called Rarity Row and this is volume 1! Recently I was on the hunt for a rare song in my massive collection of fourteen 14 TB hard drives and as I was searching I thought what a shame it is that I have all this cool stuff and only share bits and pieces here and there when needed. So I thought I would start a new series here that doesn’t just focus on one artist at a time, but various artists from my entire collection. Thus was the birth of 'Rarity Row'. Each Volume will contain about an hours worth of cool tunes culled from bootlegs, rare B-sides, box sets, rare singles, live cuts and just plain old out of print very hard to find albums. I already have two more volumes lined up but I thought I would see the reaction to this first before posting more. I also am doing a slightly different type of track list, as I’m going to post the name of the song, the source of the song with a picture of the source I used and maybe a tiny bit more about it if I think it’s necessary. But mostly I’m going to let the music speak for itself. I hope you dig Volume One. It was a blast putting it together!

Michael 



Track listing and brief info: 

01 Crying In The Night (Single Mix) 
Buckingham Nicks (1973) Beginnings 


'Buckingham Nicks' is the only studio album by the duo of American rock guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks, both of whom later joined Fleetwood Mac. Produced by Keith Olsen, the album was released in September 1973 by Polydor Records. The album was a commercial failure on its original release, and despite the duo's subsequent success, it has yet to be commercially remastered or re-released digitally. Recording sessions for 'Buckingham Nicks' took place at Sound City Studios, and Olsen took the opportunity to purchase a large Neve console for the facility, as he owned part of the studio at the time, and 'Crying in the Night', the opening song on 'Buckingham Nicks', was the first song recorded on the device. Various session musicians, including drummer Jim Keltner and guitarist Waddy Wachtel, assisted in recording the album, and Buckingham performed two guitar instrumentals on the album: 'Django' and 'Stephanie'. 'Django' was written by pianist guitarist John Lewis in the 1950s to honour jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, while 'Stephanie' was written by Buckingham as a love song for Nicks, as she was born as Stephanie Lynn Nicks. Buckingham wrote the song in late 1971 or early 1972 while recovering from a bout of mononucleosis that forced him to play while lying flat on his back. It was revealed on 22 July 2025 that the album had been remastered and would be released on CD, vinyl, and streaming on 19 September 2025

02 REO Speedwagon - Don't Let Him Go (Demo) 
REO Speedwagon The Classic Years 1978-1990


'Don't Let Him Go' is a song written by Kevin Cronin, and it was originally released as the opening song for REO Speedwagon's #1 album 'Hi Fidelity', and it was also released as a single, reaching #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. 'Don't Let Him Go' has appeared on several REO Speedwagon greatest hits albums, and Cronin recalls that it was the first song he wrote for 'Hi Infidelity'. Like the #1 single from the album, 'Keep On Loving You', the lyrics of 'Don't Let Him Go' are about breaking up with a longtime girlfriend. 

03 Name Of The Game - 1971 unreleased Al Kooper single mix 
1971 unreleased Al Kooper single 


Badfinger's 1971 'Name Of The Game' is the sixth track from the power pop band's  album, 'Straight Up', and was written by Pete Ham. After the release of their album 'No Dice', Badfinger began work on an untitled follow-up, with Geoff Emerick producing sessions for the songs that were to be on the album, among them being 'Name Of The Game'. It was also intended to be released as the lead single from this album, backed with 'Suitcase', a track written by Joey Molland, but despite efforts from George Harrison (who was impressed greatly by the track) to remix the song, the single, as well as the rest of the album, were cancelled due to input from Phil Spector. This single edit appeared on some reissues of 'Straight Up'. When George Harrison returned to produce a new album for Badfinger, one of the songs that he worked on was 'Name Of The Game', but upon his departure to oversee The Concert for Bangladesh, Todd Rundgren came in to finish the album, and on its completion, the album, now titled 'Straight Up', featured 'Name Of The Game' at the end of side one.

04 Stairway To Heaven #6 (with vocals) 
Led Zeppelin Studio Magik - Sessions 1968-1980 


'Stairway To Heaven' is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 8 November 1971 on the band's untitled fourth studio album (commonly known as 'Led Zeppelin IV'), by Atlantic Records. Composed by the band's guitarist Page with lyrics written by lead singer Jimmy Robert Plant, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time. The initial idea was to have this quite fragile guitar that would open up this piece of music and for something that would accelerate as it went through from beginning to end, but to actually pull this idea off properly was a different story. According to Page "It's all accelerating, it's all moving, but it's not necessarily orchestrating, although it's overdubbing, increasing the texture as it goes through". 

05 Sister Golden Hair (Demo)
America 50th Anniversary The Collection


'Sister Golden Hair' is a song by the band America, written by Gerry Beckley, from their fifth album 'Hearts' in 1975. It was their second single to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, remaining in the top position for one week. Beckley says "There was no actual Sister Gold Hair." The lyrics were largely inspired by the works of Jackson Browne. Beckley commented, "Jackson Browne has a knack, an ability to put words to music, that is much more like the L.A. approach to just genuine observation as opposed to simplifying it down to its bare essentials... I find Jackson can depress me a little bit, but only through his honesty; and it was that style of his which led to a song of mine, 'Sister Golden Hair', which is probably the more L.A. of my lyrics." Beckley adds that 'Sister Golden Hair' "was one of the first times I used 'ain't' in a song, but I wasn't making an effort to. I was just putting myself in that frame of mind and I got those kind of lyrics out of it." 

06 French Song #04 (Alternate Mix, Stereo) 
The Monkees Present US Rhino Box set [2013 Present US Rhino RHM2 535908] 


Musicians
Davy Jones: Lead Vocal
Louie Shelton: Acoustic Guitar
Frank Bugbee: Acoustic Guitar
Michel Rubini: Organ
Max Bennett: Bass
Hal Blaine: Drums
Tim Weisberg: Flute
Emil Richards: Percussion
Producers Davy Jones, Bill Chadwick
Writers: Bill Chadwick 

07 Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow (UK Single)
20 Years of Jethro Tull box Set 


'The Jethro Tull Christmas Album' was much praised on first release, with Rolling Stone noting admiringly: “The originals simmer with eccentric, eclectic, folky energy, rocking ditties threaded through with Celtic stylings, jazzy undercurrents, Ian Anderson’s distinctive flute and wry humour.” Allmusic called it “perhaps the most satisfying Tull releases in 25 years.”  
 
08 Magic Man (Demo) 
Heart - 1975 Strange Euphoria Box Set 


'Magic Man' is a song by the American rock band Heart, released as a single from their debut album 'Dreamboat Annie'. Written and composed by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the song is sung from the viewpoint of a young girl who is being seduced by an older man (referred to as a Magic Man), much to the chagrin of her mother, who calls and begs the girl to come home. In an interview, Ann Wilson revealed that 'Magic Man' was about her then boyfriend, band manager Michael Fisher, and that part of the song was an autobiographical tale of the beginnings of their relationship. In the United States, 'Magic Man' received its first release in summer 1976, after the first US single 'Crazy On You' introduced Americans to the group's sound. It became Heart's first top 10 hit, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 6, 1976. 

09 Runnin' With the Devil 
Van Halen - Complete Zero 
Gene Simmons produced Demos (May 1976) 


In 1976, Gene Simmons of KISS was encouraged to see Van Halen as a possible act for his new label. He produced a demo that included many songs the band would eventually record for their early studio albums, including a version of 'Runnin’ With The Devil'. The demo went nowhere, but Van Halen’s momentum finally became impossible to deny. Producer Ted Templeman got them a deal at Warner Bros. after seeing one of their live performances. The first sound that you hear on the band’s debut album is a rising, ominous blare. It was Gene Simmons’ idea to open 'Runnin’ With The Devil', which is credited to all four members of the band, with a car horn. Eddie Van Halen took the idea and ran with it, improvising a device with the horns of the band members’ cars that he could manipulate for the recording. The horn rises, Michael Anthony cranks out a single repeated bass note, a mysterious piano plinks, and then the crunching main groove kicks into gear. It’s interesting upon listening to 'Runnin With The Devil', which is considered a hard rock classic, just how quiet it is in sections, especially in the verses when the music murmurs behind Roth’s pronouncements. Of course, that makes the refrains, when the undeniable rhythm locks back into place, that much more impactful. The track also limits Eddie’s soloing, just a few quick but impressive bursts. But his ability as a rhythm guitarist is on full display, as he gives the song an unforced funkiness in conjunction with the bottom end of Anthony and Alex Van Halen. There is also plenty of room for Roth’s vocal scatting and general wackiness, another key aspect of the band’s engaging nature that was on display right off the bat. These guys were going to rock out and have a blast doing it, which was in contrast to some of their more stone-faced contemporaries of the era. As for the lyrics? No, there’s nothing satanic about them. The devil is just a metaphor for the high-intensity, high-risk life chosen by the narrator. Roth doesn’t pretend there are no consequences for that choice: Yes, I’m livin‘ at a pace that kills, he boasts. That’s the price you pay when you act like there’s no tomorrow. 

10 Any World That I’m Welcome To 
Steely Dan - Steely Dan Four Outtakes 1972 
early version from demo reel, different from circulating demo 


'Katy Lied' was the first album the group made after they stopped touring, as well as their first to feature backing vocals by Michael McDonald. The album was the first one recorded by Steely Dan after guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and drummer Jim Hodder left the group as a result of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's decision to stop touring and focus solely on recording with various studio musicians. Guitarist Denny Dias, a founding member of Steely Dan, contributed to the album as a session musician, as did vocalist McDonald and drummer Michael Jeff Porcaro, who were both members of Steely Dan's final touring band. Then only 20 years old, Porcaro played drums on every track on the album except 'Any World (That I'm Welcome To)', which features session drummer Hal Blaine. 

11 Copacabana (Demo) 
Barry Manilow - The Complete Collection and Then some… 1992. 


'Copacabana', also known as 'Copacabana (At the Copa)', is a song recorded by Barry Manilow. Written by Manilow, Jack Feldman, and Bruce Sussman, it was released in 1978 as the third single from Manilow's fifth studio album, 'Even Now ' in1978. The same year, "Copacabana" appeared in the soundtrack album of the film 'Foul Play'. The song was inspired by a conversation between Manilow and Sussman at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, when they discussed whether there had ever been a song called "Copacabana". After returning to the U.S., Manilow - who, in the 1960s, had been a regular visitor to the Copacabana nightclub in New York City - suggested that Sussman and Feldman write the lyrics to a story song for him. They did so, and Manilow supplied the music. The song earned Manilow his first and only Grammy Award for Performance in February 1979. 

12 On A Clear Day - Private Concert Best Male Pop Vocal 
Exclusively for My Friends Box Set 1964 


'Exclusively For My Friends' is a series of originally six albums for the label MPS by Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. The album tracks were recorded live by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer for MPS on the occasion of private concerts with a small audience in his home studio. 

13 All kinds Of People (Unreleased)
Sheryl Crow - Lost First Album 1992 



After signing a contract with A&M Records and not wanting to release her own first attempt at a debut record thinking it was unmemorable, Sheryl Crow finally released 'Tuesday Night Music Club' in 1993. It remains her most successful effort to date and one of the best-selling albums of the 1990s, having sold more than ten million copies internationally by the end of the decade.

14 Avalon (Demo) 
The Semantics Demos 1990? 


The Semantics was an American pop rock band from Nashville, Tennessee  formed by Jody Spence (drums), Millard Powers (bass), and Will Owsley (guitars and vocals), Zak Starkey later replaced Spence on drums. The band recorded one album, 'Powerbill', which was released in Japan. After being dropped by their record label shortly after recording the album, the band members at the time (Powers, Owsley, and Starkey) all went on to successful careers in the music industry. Powers has performed as a bassist with Ben Folds and and has worked as a Counting Crows record engineer and producer. Owsley had a successful solo career before his death in 2010. Starkey has served as the drummer for the bands Oasis and The Who. Jody Spence and Owsley began writing songs after a couple of years of touring with Judson Spence, Jody's brother. Jody and Owsley soon got publishing contracts with Sony Music Publishing which were facilitated by Scott Siman 1990. In 1991, Siman attended a show in North Carolina, where a band called Majosha performed, which featured Ben Folds and Millard Powers. Not long after that, Siman brought Folds to Nashville and Powers later followed. Siman furnished a small demo studio that the Spence brothers, Owsley and Folds would often share. Folds would eventually introduce Millard Powers to Jody Spence and Owsley. Within a month of meeting each other, Spence, Powers and Owsley had written and recorded entire albums worth of songs at the Sony Tree studio, seven of which would later end up on the Geffen Records album 'Powerbill'. 

15 Blow Away (Demo)
George Harrison - 1979 iTunes Exclusive Bonus Track to 'George Harrison'  album 


'Blow Away' is a song by English musician George Harrison that was released in February 1979 on his album 'George Harrison'. It was also the lead single from the album. The end of 'Blow Away', written on a rainy day (that's why first verses are about clouds), was included in 'Nuns On The Run' – a comedy film with Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane. In his autobiography, 'I, Me, Mine', Harrison says that the song arose from feelings of frustration and inadequacy resulting from a leaking roof at his Friar Park home. While viewing the downpour from an outbuilding on the property, he realised that, in surrendering to the problem, he was merely exacerbating it. With this realisation, the episode served as a reminder that he, in fact, "loved everybody" and should seek to be more optimistic. Additionally, he notes that, while he initially felt self-conscious about the song, thinking it "so obvious", the track grew on him when he recorded it. His demo of the song was released as an Harrison iTunes-exclusive bonus track on 'George Harrison'.

16 Moving - Studio Outtake 
Kate Bush - Demos 


'Moving' is a song written and recorded in 1978 by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush for her debut album, 'The Kick Inside'. Written by Bush and produced by Andrew Powell, the song is a tribute to Lindsay Kemp, her mime teacher. The finished version of 'Moving' opens with whale song (missing from the demo) sampled from 'Songs Of The Humpback Whale', an LP including recordings of whale vocalisations made by Dr. Roger S. Payne. In an interview with a magazine, Bush commented, "Whales say everything about 'moving'. It's huge and beautiful, intelligent, soft inside a tough body. It weighs a ton and yet it's so light it floats. It's the whole thing about human communication —'moving liquid, yet you are just as water'— what the Chinese say about being the cup the water moves in to. The whales are pure movement and pure sound, calling for something, so lonely and sad …”. Bush signed a contract with EMI Records in her late teens, but between recording demos with Dave Gilmour as producer and releasing her first album, she pursued her studies and gained maturity in her writing. After seeing an advertisement for Lindsay Kemp's Flowers spectacle, she decided to take mime classes with him, and six months later she took modern dance classes with Anthony Van Laast. Bush began recording her debut album, 'The Kick Inside', in 1977, and she wrote 'Moving' the same year as a tribute to Kemp. "He needed a song written to him," she said in an interview. "He opened up my eyes to the meanings of movement. He makes you feel so good. If you've got two left feet it's 'you dance like an angel, darling.' He fills people up, you're an empty glass and glug, glug, glug, he's filled you with champagne." 'Moving' was released on 6 February 1978 as a single solely in Japan, with 'Wuthering Heights' as b-side, in order to promote 'The Kick Inside'. 

17 Supper's Ready - Peter Gabriel on vocals 
recorded by the sound engineer from the soundboard. 
Genesis Live - Live at Leicester/Manchester Feb 1973 - Dutch Test Pressing 


'Genesis Live' is the first live album from the English rock band Genesis, released on 20 July 1973 on Charisma Records. Initially recorded for radio broadcast on the American rock program King Biscuit Flower Hour, but never broadcast, the album was recorded at Montfort Hall, De Leicester, on 25 February 1973, except for 'The Return Of The Giant Hogweed', which was recorded at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, on the previous day. 'Genesis Live' was the band's first album to enter the top 10 in the UK, reaching No. 9, although following its US release in 1974, it only peaked at No. 105. 'Genesis Live' was issued in the US several months after the release of 'Selling England By The Pound', which upset Gabriel as the album included songs from their old live sets, and was quickly recorded with little care given to the quality of the recordings. When Gabriel reluctantly agreed to have the album released, part of the deal was that it would not be issued in the US. The album was recorded by the Pye Mobile Recording Unit, with engineer Alan Perkins, on the tour promoting their recent album 'Foxtrot'. A handful of early radio promotional double-LP test pressings were created which included a 23-minute version of 'Supper's Ready' from the Leicester show. This album's running order was 'Watcher Of The Skies', 'The Musical Box', 'Get 'Em Out By Friday', 'Supper's Ready', 'The Return Of The Giant Hogweed', and 'The Knife', and included between-song patter by Gabriel. 'Supper's Ready' was not included in the officially released version, even though the front cover photograph was taken during a live performance of the song, with Gabriel donning the "Magog" mask.

Do let Mike know what you think of this selection. Is the mix of genres too wide? Are demos and alternate takes OK, or would you prefer new, unreleased songs? I'm sure all suggestions will be welcomed for future volumes. 

Soulseek hint - solof aiwe

  

Yoo Doo Right - Fear Of Elevators (2020)

Taking their name from the song that takes up the entire second side of Can's 1969 debut, Yoo Doo Right formed in Montréal in 2016, consisting of Justin Cober (guitar, synthesizers, vocals), bassist Charles Masson, drummer John Talbot, and synth player Charles Bourassa. At the end of 2016 they released their first limited-edition cassette EP titled 'Nobody Panicked And Everybody Got On' on Second Best Records, which was recorded at Breakglass Studios and mixed by Taylor Smith and Austin Tufts of Braids. The following year they recorded the rather obviously-titled 'EP2' at the infamous Hotel2Tango, which was mixed by Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Efrim Menuck and mastered by Harris Newman, and released as a digital file. Following the departure of Bourassa, the band remained a trio, and released the track 'The Moral Compass Of A Self​-​Driving Car' in 2019, which was recorded by Sébastien Fournier of Avec le Soleil Sortant de Sa Bouche. In 2020, Yoo Doo Right shared a split 7" single with Japanese psych legends Acid Mothers Temple, which was issued by Mothland Records, and they also appeared on the label's 'Sounds From Mothland, Vol. 1' compilation, contributing the disco-influenced 'Marché, Pt. 3', featuring Jasmine Trails. In 2021 their debut album, 'Don't Think You Can Escape Your Purpose', finally appeared on Mothland, and once they had that under their belt there was no stopping them, with second album 'A Murmur, Boundless To The East' quickly following in 2022, and the most recent release, 'From The Heights Of Our Pastureland', appearing last year. As you would expect from their choice of name, Yoo Doo Right draw heavily on the repetitive rhythms and layered textures characteristic of krautrock and shoegaze, creating immersive and hypnotic pieces, and this post showcases some of their early work which didn't subsequently appear on any of their albums.  



Track listing

01 Nobody Panicked & Everybody Got On (from the 2016 cassette EP)
02 Distaval 
(from the 2016 cassette EP)
03 Fear Of Elevators 
(from the 2016 cassette EP)
04 The Ocelot That Lost A Lot 
(from the 2016 cassette EP)
05 Whilst You Save Your Skins (from 'EP2' 2017)
06 Marché des Squelettes (from 'EP2' 2017)
07 Apatride (Part 1) (from 'EP2' 2017)
08 Apatride (Part 2) (from 'EP2' 2017)
09 Apatride (Part 3) (from 'EP2' 2017)
10 Marché, Pt. 3 (from 'Sounds Of Mothland, Vol. 1' compilation 2020)
11 Speed Guru (split single with Acid Mothers Temple 2020)

Friday, September 19, 2025

The Delines - Waiting On The Blue - The Best Of The Delines (2025)

The Delines are a critically acclaimed Americana/soul/country band from Portland, Oregon, formed by novelist and songwriter Willy Vlautin, and fronted by the soulful vocals of Amy Boone. Taking time out in 2012 from his other band, Richmond Fontaine, to focus on his successful career as a novelist, Vlautin also found time to write new material that was inspired by the evocative world-weary vocals of Austin-based Boone of the Damnations. Bringing in Richmond Fontaine member Sean Oldham on drums, the Decemberists' Jenny Conlee on keys, Freddy Trujillo on bass, and Tucker Jackson on pedal steel, Vlautin formed the Delines around Boone's tough but haunting and vulnerable vocal style. The group assembled in Portland with producer John Askew to record what would become their debut album, 'Colfax'. Released at the beginning of 2014, it combined Vlautin's much-lauded tales of struggling characters from the American backwaters with Boone's emotive vocals, and following the record's release, the group embarked on a European tour that same year. They began work on a single during a set of summer shows, but these 2015 studio sessions blossomed, and the band soon had a ten-track collection on their hands, which they titled 'Scenic Sessions', and it was released that September. In 2016, Boone was involved in a car accident which left her with multiple injuries. At the time of the accident, the Delines had completed three-quarters of their next album with Askew, but Boone's lengthy convalescence led to a four-year gap between records, and they eventually returned with 'The Imperial' in January 2019, promoted a month earlier by its lead single 'Eddie And Polly'. 
Later that year, two non-album singles were released, 'A Room On The Tenth Floor' and 'Eight Floors Up', that were recorded at the sessions for 'The Imperial', but which had to left off the album for reasons of space. November 2019 also brought a spoken word recording by Vlautin of his short story, 'The Kill Switch', for which the Delines provided musical backing, and by this point Jackson had departed, and the band continued without pedal steel guitar. In April 2021 Vlautin's sixth novel, 'The Night Always Comes', was published, and initial copies came with a soundtrack CD by the Delines, which included a cover of Spiritualized's 'Broken Heart'. October that year saw the release of 'Little Earl', the lead single from their fourth studio album 'The Sea Drift', which appeared in February 2022. In late 2022, the band released a two-track single titled 'The Lost Duets', which featured 'The Golden State' and 'My Blood Bleeds The Darkest Blue', both of which were Vlautin-Boone duets, with the former recording dating back to the time of the 'Scenic Sessions'. Although 2023 was a quiet year for the Delines, it saw a limited release of their 'Night Always Comes' soundtrack on vinyl, and in December the one-off single 'Christmas in Atlantis'. In November 2024 the single 'Left Hook Like Frazier' represented the first fruits of a fifth album, and 'Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom' was released on Valentine's Day 2025. The Delines' music combines Vlautin's admired lyrics about characters from America's hinterland and their everyday struggles, with Boone's vocals, the emotion of which wrings out the pain of the characters, and once you've listened to this selection of their best work I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do.  



Track listing

01 The Imperial (from 'The Imperial' 2019) 
02 Colfax Avenue (from 'Colfax' 2014) 
03 Drowning In Plain Sight (from 'The Sea Drift' 2022) 
04 Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom (from 'Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom' 2025)
05 The Oil Rigs At Night (from 'Colfax' 2014) 
06 He Don't Burn For Me (from 'The Imperial' 2019) 
07 Little Earl (from 'The Sea Drift' 2022) 
08 Waiting On The Blue (from 'The Imperial' 2019) 
09 State Line (from 'Colfax' 2014)
10 Let's Be Us Again (from 'The Imperial' 2019) 
11 Hold Me Slow (from 'Colfax' 2014) 
12 Nancy & The Pensacola Pimp (from 'Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom' 2025)
13 Sandman's Coming (from 'Colfax' 2014)
14 Past The Shadows (from 'The Sea Drift' 2022)