Tuesday night… on a Thursday…

How’s it goin’?

Pretty good myself, thank you.

Not much to say, unfortunately.

Except it was my birthday.

So it was the jolly time to turn nice checks into wise CDuniverse and Amazon orders ;)

Got tons of really good shit.

 

Special award to Smile – the DVD with the documentary. It’s everything I was hoping it was going to be and a little more. It has been out for a while but I was scared it’d be boring so I didn’t get it right away. But I watched it two nights ago and it was just perfect. You see all the ambiance around the making of Smile 2004. Just plain perfect.

 

The reissue of Colossal Youth by Young Marble Giants is also really good. Probably a post soon.

 

I finally indulged myself a little “Cake or Death” by Sir Hazlewood. What a brilliant album. I have a feeling Leonard Cohen must have felt a lot of jealousy while listening to this incredibly cool album.

 

And so and so and so.

Everything being good and all, there is a good chance that I’ll post some of them soon.

Especially if I keep this rhythm of a good post every two weeks. Not bad so far, hum?

 

So what’s on the menu tonight?

Compilations.

I had a something I wanted to post and it just made more sense to post a lot of them. Put together, they’d look less weird, here, where it is mostly original albums.

 

And a nice little post around The Gun Club. Specially for my friends Marie-Anne (the bitch), Stephanie (best friend, guitarist of Annaoetc – go check the song Je T’aime if you haven’t yet. I still think it’s going to be a major fuckin’ hit single soon enough) and David (?...), I think of you my buddies and I am sorry I don’t have more time to write e-mails. I have told you about this band quite a few times. So now you can go further in your exploration. So this is a little hi to you all! Hi!

 

Alright, motherfuckers, enjoy it all… while I haven’t been put to jail by the FBI!

(I guess it should be the time to stop smoking weed???)

 

Catch you later,

 

The Mike

 

PS: Did I tell you that the blog “In the Crowd” is active again and just as amazing as it was before. Don’t loose a minute and go check it out. And if you get something, don’t forget to leave a feedback, he seems to be sensible about it.

The Heart of Southern Soul - From Nashville to Memphis & Muscle Shoals – Various

A pretty amazing soul compilation. Not far from Dave Godin’s deep soul treasures, to give you an idea. Michelcharles told me there were two other volumes of the same series. Maybe he’ll be cool enough to share. Without wanting to pressure him. You know me, it’s not my style.

Anyway, incredible quality: 24 quite obscure songs and so good it gets just plain ridiculous at some point. You’re listening to it, having a real good time and you can’t help thinking: “How come no one knows about this shit?”

 

Enjoy!

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4I6WTBCY

Studio One Kings

This is the comp that started the whole idea. I got that album and was literally blown to pieces. I’ve been listening to more and more reggae lately. And I saw that comp was released so I thought it’d be a good idea to get it. And it’s right there with the best comp of the series. So I thought it’d be cool to post it, being all fresh and all.

But one comp, like that, in the middle of nowhere, it would have bee weird. So I thought of doing several compil.

And since the classic selection of the evening is a reggae album, I should privilege reggae music. So this one is dope. But the others aren’t bad. Trust me.

 

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=INOFQG6D

 

Enjoy!

Studio One Rockers

The absolute classic. This comp is so good, it is as important as great albums. Classic great albums. Before that album, I can’t say I didn’t like reggae, I can only say now: “before that album, I didn’t know reggae.”

If you have no idea what this comp is, just get it.

 

Enjoy!

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6ICGT5RP

Studio One Roots

So while I was with the “Studio One” comps, I thought I could always post this one as well because I hadn’t post it before and it’s a box set so let’s be a little obsessed.

 

My friend Marie-Anne says we all need obsessions. They are vital, something you really need to keep you alive. And she likes reggae. She is cool. She did a comp for me and it’s a really nice one. I’ll ask for her permission to post it next time. You should like it, it’s all over the place.

 

Oh, and by the way, if this album – the Studio One Roots – is less good than the two others, it’s only by a notch.

 

And just so you know, if you want more reggae, I have “This is Reggae Music”, a very good all Trojan major hits 4 CDs comp. I don’t think I should post it because it’s the type of thing everybody should have. But if you really want me to, who am I to argue?

 

Enjoy

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=93YH7UK6

 

Bob Marley – Babylon by Bus

The classic album of the night. Still as good as ever. I’ve been showering almost every morning to the sound of it. Good soundtrack if you want to start the day sharply but slowly!

 

 

The only thing is I don’t know much about the album. I am not sure during which tour it was recorded, if there are any special versions of certain songs, etc. I know it’s an amazing album and everybody should own it. I really have a feeling Marley was at the top of his game but it’s hard to say, not knowing about it. I guess it is one of these albums where I really don’t care about where it’s from and all. It just stands by itself. That is a exploit in Marley’s career! Because every fucking is so good. And in the middle of all that, this amazing live –on-the-side- album.

 

Enjoy!

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UW2IETZ6

 

PS: Also the kind of album you envy the person who’s going to discover it for the first time. It was such a pleasure for me, discovering this music.

The Gun Club – Fire of Love

Everything has been written on this album. Plus I feel weird talking about it: it’s the only album I post so far I don’t own. Shame on me? Well not really. I have about 3 record versions. I just don’t have it on CD. So I had to download it to post it tonight. Not a big thing. Except I could only find a 192kbps encoded version. It’s not the best but It’s not so bad. It’s mostly for Stephanie – who just joined a band called “Les Supremes Dindes”. That woman will never stop to amaze me.

And also for David. I don’t think he bought it yet.

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=10G289G6

 

Enjoy!

The Gun Club – Da Blood Done Signed My Name

So before you get all excited, I don’t know if you read what I wrote a few days ago: this is nothing new, it’s been released before under the title “Early warning”.

 

No matter how this program sounds, it is very fascinating material. It starts with five demos. Highly dispensable but still enjoyable.

It goes on with a 13 title live from 1982 – very good year for the band - the band was definitely in good shape. And every song is played with a LOT of intensity. Just listen to the version of Preaching the Blues, listen to Jeffrey Lee Pierce screaming like a madman and you’ll know what I mean.

 

That was for the first CD. The second one is not as easy to listen to but nonetheless impressive: Jeffrey Lee Pierce, alone with his guitar, working on songs. That guy knew what he wanted. And to hear him trying to achieve it alone with his guitar instead of with the whole band he obviously needs gives you nice goose pops now and then.

 

Oh, and before I forget, don’t forget to check Billie Holiday’s“Strange Fruits” covered on the live album. Terminal.

 

CD1

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IDEITEJ8

CD2

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=D9CK4UN0

Enjoy!

 

This one is specially for Marie-Anne. Because I would strongly recommend this CD but maybe not as a gift to someone who never heard the band before. The ones after are also for you, my dear, but they are definitely more “tamed”.

The Gun Club – Miami

Not a bad album, even if it isn’t the dreamed follow up to Fire of Love.

But a solid, consistent album.

Once the disappointment is gone, you can slowly go back to it and start appreciating a motherfuckin' good rock’n’roll album. Wild enough.

 

Enjoy!

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QCUPJJ3P

The Gun Club – The Las Vegas Story

There again, there is a little disappointment. But there are also very good songs. It helps.

 

Enjoy!

 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EUUB6TJ7

 

The Mike