Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain

Courtney Marie Andrews has become a strong favourite of mine and I have been lucky enough to see her a few times. 

This is a 4th lp and is getting outstanding reviews. I am really looking forward to hearing it properly. I know she is touring again this year so if you get the chance I would go and see her.

 

 

The Guardian had this to say:

 

"It’s one of the elements – along with the organ and Mark Howard’s spacious but focused production – that gives the album an unusual intensity. May Your Kindness Remain sounds forever on the brink of eruption – no shucks-we-were-drinking-beer-in-your-truck here. Andrews has said the theme of the album is coming to terms with depression, which you can sense without even listening to the lyrics.
Amid the misery, though, there is a search for moments of levity. This House is a long way from Madness’s house or Graham Nash’s house – “Empty cans on the counter / And the laundry’s never done,” Andrews sings, detailing the shortcomings of the surroundings, even as she insists “this house ain’t much of a house, but it’s a home”. May Your Kindness Remain confirms Andrews’ rise. It’s a brilliant record, proof that old forms can still be timeless."

 

 



John Prine - Hello In There

Have been talking about Alzheimer's and Dementia and this song sprung to mind. John Prine is an incredible songwriter and the 10,000 Maniacs also covered the track brilliantly.

 

And here is a wee bit of the great chocolate Genius:

 

 

 

Chris Stapleton - I Want Love (Audio)

This is a classic track - one of my favourites and great to hear Chris Stapleton version.



As a reminder here is the original with a superb video:

And a wee bonus!

Bob Dylan - Trouble No More

Ok love him or loathe him there is no denying that Dylan's trio of "gospel" albums are a pivotal moment in his career - and in my view completely underrated.
 
Each album has at least several great tracks and Shot of Love is superb from start to finish (its not totally a Gospel album though).

At 108 tracks I would suggest stick to the 2Cd edition - however I have to say this is an astonishing Live Document. I ordered the 6lp vinyl set which also has 2 CD's and this allows you to "autorip" the full 108 tracks - you don't get the concert DVD but it is much cheaper than the £140 box set! It does have the added bonus of the worst artwork in the planet! Anyway...

Dylan's voice is powerful, the band and backing singers just incredible. The live versions add so much to the studio ones I am amazed that a Live album was not released before now. The set also has a smattering of outtakes and rehearsal versions of unreleased songs.

Really worth checking out.

 

Solid Rock

 

 

Pressing On

 

 

Every Grain of Sand (much later version)

Phil Vassar ABC Glasgow 8th April

 

Another Day In Paradise (first Number 1)

I have to admit I know next to nothing about Phil Vassar - however a few of my friends going to see him at the ABC so as always happy to go along for some live music.

Lifting from his bio : Phil Vassar is one of a handful of musicians to have multiple hits as a songwriter AND as an artist. He has 10 Number 1s, 15 Top 10s, and 26 TOP 40s.  Top songs include Just Another Day in Paradise. Carlene, Six Pack Summer, American Child, For a Little While & My Next Thirty Years (Tim McGraw), Right on the Money (Alan Jackson), I’m All Right & Bye Bye (Jodee Messina) and many more. American Soul is Phil’s ninth album.

So he certainly has a good pedigree and I am looking forward to the gig and I particularly like this version of Another Day In Paradise and no wonder this was a huge hit.

Last Day Of My Life

 

Six Pack Summer

Revolution In The Round, Classic Grand, Glasgow 29th March

I am really looking forward to this gig. It is a format I really like where several singers strip back their songs, tell some stories and join in with each other.

I must admit I don't know any of these artists but they come highly recommended. Kevin Morris regularly puts on these types of shows during his Glasgow Americana Festival, notably in 2016 where Roddy Hart, Boo Hewerdine Ben Glover put on a great show.

More recently at C2C in London I was lucky enough to be at the Songwriters show featuring Luke Combs, Nicolle Galyon, Natalie Hemby and Kip Moore. This was an utterly superb show with every performer outstanding on the night.

Here is Luke Combes with One Man, One Guitar.


https://youtu.be/GD614G00uGI

Ryan

He can’t help being so good

Happy Valentines Day

That's it.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

I am really struggling to work up any enthusiasm for this whatsoever. Oddly I am fairly sure I saw Faith solo back in the day and she was pretty good. But this just screams out "product" to me, totally fake and incredibly underwhelming as a principal act at C2C.

Morgan Evans and Kelsea Ballerini

Its quite odd that the mist you can find out about Morgan is that he is Mr Ballerini! So I guess good to lump them together so to speak.  I like what I hear of his work though got to admit I know very little

 

Kelsea on the other hand is absolutely a rising star and was absolutely superb supporting Lady A at the Hydro and I was really taken by her (not my normal thing), worth listening to for Peter Pan alone, outstanding track. First Time to me is also a superb song. Could do without their wedding video!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elvis - The Searcher

Ok so how much more can they milk out of Elvis. And do you really need Take 6 of Suspicious Minds, probably not but hey ho.

This might be worth the cover alone which looks superb and the track listing is excellent. Thom Zimny has directed the documentary and so it is bound to be a first class film, Im looking forward to it. Ernst Michael Jorgensen is of course the Elvis expert and Jon Landau does not lend his name to anything other than perfect:

Vinyl list below:

Side A

1. Trouble / Guitar Man
2. My Baby Left Me
3. That’s All Right
4. Baby Let’s Play House
5. Heartbreak Hotel

Side B

1. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
2. Hound Dog
3. Crawfish
4. Mona Lisa
5. Milky White Way

Side C

1. Like A Baby
2. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
3. It’s Now Or Never
4. Tomorrow Is A Long Time

Side D

1. Suspicious Minds (take 6)
2. Separate Ways (rehearsal version)
3. Hurt (take 5)
4. If I Can Dream

Soundtrack Producers: Ernst Mikael Jørgensen, Thom Zimny and Jon Landau

John Prine - Kelvin Bandstand

I was lucky enough to see the legend that is John  Prine at GRCH last year and he was outstanding.

The great news is that he is coming to the Kelvingrove Bandstand this August and even better its not just one of Glasgow's greatest venues (on a rare dry night) but he has the amazing John Moreland supporting.

This will be superb - worth the price for John  Moreland alone. He was the shining star when we went to Nashville. Saw him in Birmingham last year and he is outstanding!

 

 

 

 

Luke Combes

I have been listening to the artists in advance of C2C and I am hoping to do a series of posts to get me in the zone so to speak.

First up is Luke Combes who has just hit me "like a hurricane"! I am delighted that he is doing the song writers night as his lyrics and songwriting craft to me is perfect for that format.

Luke has a brilliant mix of the easy sing along but with much more sensitive work. I think stripped back he is going to be sensational.

Josh Kelley - King Tuts

It is not very often you go to a gig where you literally know nothing about the artist and haven't heard a single song....and yet love the gig.

Josh Kelley at King Tuts was such a night. Armed only with his guitar, a great voice and amazing songs Josh Kelley was an absolute treat. I loved the fact that he gave it his all to what was a small but hugely appreciative audience (maybe 150 people) who all seemed very familiar with his work. He is a pretty amusing guy as well with a friendly sense of humour and he was very appreciative of the fact that a lot of the audience knew his deeper cuts.

I don't have a setlist but standout tracks for me were Georgia Clay, Its Your Move, One Foot In The Grave and Almost Honest.

He does a pretty good version of I'm On Fire.

He has, to my ears, a good mix of styles about him. Mostly Country / Americana but I was getting quite a lot of Jackson Browne in some of the songs.

Well worth checking him out.

If I can track down some live videos I will post them.

 

 

 

Little Steven - Glasgow Academy

Well after 25+ years what were we to expect from the man known mainly as an actor these days, and sometime Springsteen sideman.

The answer was an absolutely blistering set full of Miami Steve classics and a concert which made you listen to the Soulfire lp in a whole new light.

From the opening Tom Petty tribute to the closer of one of my favourite tracks of all time this was Little Steven at his best.

https://youtu.be/pwXbhZjubR0

Set list:

  

Even the Losers

(Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)

Soulfire

(The Breakers cover)

I'm Coming Back

The Blues Is My Business

(Etta James cover)

Love on the Wrong Side of Town

(Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes cover)

Until the Good Is Gone

Angel Eyes

Some Things Just Don't Change

(Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes cover)

Saint Valentine's Day

(Cocktail Slippers cover)

Standing in the Line of Fire

Play Video

I Saw the Light

(Little Steven cover)

Salvation

(Little Steven cover)

The City Weeps Tonight

(Little Steven cover)

Down and Out in New York City

(James Brown cover)

Princess of Little Italy

Solidarity / Leonard Peltier / I Am a Patriot

(Little Steven cover)

Groovin' Is Easy

(The Electric Flag cover)

Ride the Night Away

(Jimmy Barnes cover)

Bitter Fruit

(Little Steven cover)

Forever

Encore:

I Don't Want to Go Home

(Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes cover)

Out of the Darkness

(Little Steven cover)

As a total aside I have listened to Soulfire again since this concert and it has really grown on me. I think his own version of St Valentines Day is exceptional and would sit alongside anything on The Promise.