Saturday, February 19, 2011

Wild Weekend Vol. 52




















It's just another Wild Weekend, and - some wishful thinking here - spring is on the way. As usual, edition #52 showcases six soulful songs I happen to dig a lot. Johnny 'Guitar' Watson is in the house, Nolan Strong's present, too, and there's even room for Black Moth Super Rainbow. Wild as wild can be.

Gonna start this one way free: with Albert Ayler and a sharp composition from his 1964 masterpiece Spiritual Unity. About the recording sessions for that album, released on the cocky ESP label, Ayler said "we weren't playing, we were listening to each other". Now that's cool, that's jazz. Also free, with this month´s edition of Uncut magazine: a sweaty collection of New Orleans rhythm & blues. Featuring obvious choices as Dr. John and Professor Longhair of course, but also presenting lesser known names like one L'il Millet, a man on the prowl for rich women exclusively. Let the good times roll, folks. Go, Creoles, go.

Albert Ayler Trio - Spirits MP3
L'il Millet & His Creoles - Rich Woman MP3

You've heard about Daddy Rockin' Strong, a recent tribute album to doo wop legends Nolan Strong & The Diablos? Way to go. With contributions from the Dirtbombs and Wreckless Eric amongst others, it's a strong set indeed, but nothing beats the Detroit tenor himself. If you're not familiar with his spooky pièce de résistance from '54 that is The Wind you really haven't lived. "I know she has gone... but my love lingers on..." On one of my frequent music blog prowls I happened upon a nouveau psychedelica formation from Pittsburg called Black Moth Super Rainbow. Their moniker caught my eye I guess. Since then, I just can't get the slightly Butthole Surfers-like Iron Lemonade out of my head. All together now: "Iron lemonade, wash my friends away, neon lemonade, eat my face away..." Pour yourselves a cup.

Nolan Strong & The Diablos - The Wind MP3
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Iron Lemonade MP3

Everybody knows Johnny 'Guitar' Watson from his worldwide seventies funk smash A Real Mother For Ya, but the gangster of love was already delivering the goods way back in the fifties. The infectuous She Moves Me is only one out of many highlights on a much recommended early years collection appropriately named Hot Like TNT. "Feels like I've been kicked by a mule every time she calls my name..." And we'll call it a day with the short lived Sundays, whose 1990 debut Reading, Writing And Arithmetic remains a dreampop classic. You'll soon find that its sad stand-out track, the shuffling Here's Where The Story Ends, is another one of those unsuspected earworms. Harriet Wheeler, where are you now? Hope your having a wild one.

Johnny 'Guitar' Watson - She Moves Me MP3
The Sundays - Here's Where The Story Ends MP3

2 comments:

Holly said...

Thanks for the heads up on that Johnny Watson comp - great stuff!

Anonymous said...

It's not often that you hear Nolan Strong and the Diablos. Thanks for posting this track.