Five CDs in No Particular Order, T=2

I explained the concept behind the 'Five CDs' series of posts the first (and only previous) time I wrote one of these, well, six months ago.  Yes, it has been that long.

So here we go, five CDs in no particular order:

1.- Voyageur, Kathleen Edwards

As far as I can tell, Voyageur, launched last summer, is Kathleen Edwards's fourth full-length CD.  For me, it might be as good as Back To Me, the 2004 CD for which she gained international attention.

I still think a set list would help though...


2.- Bring The Family, John Hiatt

I think, 25 years ago now, during a 'summer job experience' with the federal government whilst I was in university, one of my many bosses, during one of our many chats about music, introduced me to John Hiatt.  Now, I discovered Hiatt through his 1988 album, Slow Turning, which was the follow-up to Bring The Family, his break-out album.

Bring The Family is a landmark, 'roots' rock album. It includes ten songs where the understated, rootsy arrangements bring the lyrics to the forefront. These all sound like personal songs, sung by Hiatt to his partner, or about his partner, yet, there is no sense of intrusion into the author/singer's emotional space (such as Richard and Linda Thompson, or Springsteen's Tunnel of Love).  I guess while these are personal songs, they are not songs of heartbreak, yet they are somewhat languid, in a 'rootsy' way.

That may not be a big help in telling you how great this CD is, but it might help if I tell you that it includes 'Thing Called Love', which was subsequently a huge hit by Bonnie Raitt, as well as 'Have a Little Faith in Me', which has been covered by a lot of people.

What I had not realized until reading the liner notes tonight is who was backing Hiatt for this album: Jim Keltner (I have no idea who he is), Ry Cooder (!!!) and Nick Lowe (!!!). 


3.- Galore, Kristy MacColl

Pretty much everybody who is reading this has most probably, without realizing it was her, has heard Kristy MacColl sing, as she is the female voice in the now classic Pogues Christmas song 'Fairytale of New York', on which she sings the timeless line 'You scumbag, you a maggot, you cheap lousy faggot.'  Kristy should be a household name on the strength of that performance alone, just by vocally sticking up to Shane MacGowan, who personified, through both his music and his antics, the role of the drunk, scumbag maggot.  Unfortunately, at least on this side of the pond, she is not.

Galore is a Kristy MacColl collection/greatest hits' album that was put out in 1995.  It features roughly 15 songs penned by Kristy and several covers.  The one cover song that sticks out for me is a cover of Billy Bragg's early ode to unrequited love, 'A New England'.  Given that this was Billy's first 'hit', or at the very least, the first song that defined him as the poet of unrequited love and socialism, she makes it her own.  The musical arrangements makes it sound different from the original (which a good cover should) and the lyrics, including additions by Billy, while keeping the rollicking spirit of the song, provides the alternate, female take to Billy's original take on getting dumped/ignored by his love.

That just scratches the surface.  There are a number of Kristy-penned songs that just provide great, four-minute, stories, such as 'There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis' (the point: 'he's a liar, so are you') and 'My Affair' (about, well, an affair).  These are just brilliantly written songs, that convey a simple message, while subtly creating a universe around the characters and the message in the song.

Sadly, Kristy MacColl passed away way too soon, in the saddest circumstances imaginable.


4.- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco

One of the best CDs I own.  One of the best albums from the past 20 years.  Heck, this is a musical work that will be remembered by future generations.

I do not know what to add to that, other than it took me a ridiculously long time to figure out that the cover of the CD depicted one of my favourite buildings, the Marine City Complex in Chicago.


5.- It's No Secret, Hammy Hamilton, Séamus Creagh, Con O Drisceoil

In early summer 2001, I travelled in Ireland and ended up in Killarney, a relatively non-descript town, which seemed to cater mostly to tourists. There, I remember visiting a music shop, where, rather than buying the requisite tin flute, I asked the owner to recommend some contemporary Irish folk music.  One of the CDs he recommended, which I pull out at this time of year, was It's No Secret.  It includes a number of reels, instrumentals for fiddle, accordion and flute and historic Irish songs.  There are also a couple of brilliant songs written by O Drisceoil (note: there should be an accent aigu on the O, but I do not know how to type that...): the first having to do with the disposition of a spoon-playing patron of a a tavern and the second about King Lear and his three daughters.

Slainte.