Category Archives: Country
THE RISE OF JUDY COLLINS THE FIRST LADY OF FOLK 1961-1970.
The Rise Of Judy Collins The First Lady of Folk 1961-1970. Judy Collins was never meant to become a folk singer. Originally, she had studied classical music and made her public debut when she was just thirteen. That night in Denver, Judy Collins played Mozart’s Concerto For Two Pianos. All Antonia Brico’s tuition and encouragement had been …
OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS’ MAJOR LABEL YEARS.
Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ Major Label Years. Ozark Mountain Daredevils roots can be traced back to 1971, when a group of friends in Springfield, Missouri began playing as Family Tree. By 1972, the band had changed its name to Ozark Mountain Daredevils and were being managed by folk rock duo Brewer and Shipley. This came about …
BERT JANSCH-L.A. TURNAROUND.
Bert Jansch-L.A. Turnaround. Label: Earth UK. On New Year’s Day, 1973, Glasgow-born Bert Jansch announced his intention to leave folk-jazz band Pentangle, and concentrate on his burgeoning solo career. This resulted in the headline: “Pentangle Split” featuring on the first edition of Melody Maker released in 1973. For some of Pentangle’s fans, this came as …
SKADEDYR-MUSIKK!
Skadedyr-Musikk! Label: Hubro Music. Release Date: ’27th’ of July 2018. Over the last few years, some of the most ambitious and innovative new music being released in Europe, has been in Norway, which has a vibrant and thriving musical community. However, this didn’t happen overnight, and instead, it took years for Norway to become home …
THE BEGINNING OF THE END: THE EXISTENTIAL PSYCHODRAMA IN COUNTRY MUSIC (1956-1972).
The Beginning Of The End: The Existential Psychodrama In Country Music (1956-1972) Label: The Iron Mountain Analogue Research. Across the world, staff at record label had been working hard for many months on nearly 500 reissues and lovingly curated compilations, which were due to be released on the ‘21st’ of April 2018 which was For Records Store …
VAN MORRISON-THE ALTERNATIVE MOONDANCE-RECORD STORE DAY 2018 RELEASE.
Van Morrison-The Alternative Moondance-Record Store Day 2018 Release. Label: Warner Bros Records. Many critics and record buyers believe that it’s sacrilege to change a classic album in any way, and held their hands up in horror when it was announced that Giles Martin was remixing Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Steven Wilson must have …
RANDY MEISNER-ONE MORE SONG AND RANDY MEISNER.
Randy Meisner-One More Song and Randy Meisner. Label: BGO Records. Musical history was made in September 1971, when Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and twenty-five year old Randy Meisner formed The Eagles and signed with David Geffen’s new label Asylum Records. Little did David Geffen realise that he had signed one of the biggest …
GEORGE JONES AND THE JONES BOYS-LIVE IN TEXAS 1965.
George Jones and The Jones Boys-Live In Texas 1965. Label: Ace Records. By 1985, singer-songwriter George Jones was approaching his fifty-fourth birthday and was once again, one of the giants of country music, and had thirteen number one country hits to his name. This included the four he had released since he made his comeback …
THE BEGINNING OF THE END: THE EXISTENTIAL PSYCHODRAMA IN COUNTRY MUSIC (1956-1974)-RECORD STORE DAY 2018.
The Beginning Of The End: The Existential Psychodrama In Country Music (1956-1974)-Record Store Day 2018. Label: The Iron Mountain Analogue Research. For Records Store Day 2018, staff at record labels all over the world had been working hard for many months on nearly 500 reissues and lovingly curated compilations, which were due to be released …
STEVE YOUNG-TO SATISFY YOU.
Steve Young-To Satisfy You. Label: Ace Records. During his life and a musical career that lasted five decades, singer, songwriter and guitarist Steve Young always lived life on his own terms. Sadly, Steve Young like Gram Parsons, who played on his 1969 debut album Rock Salt and Nails, didn’t enjoy the recognition and critical acclaim …
GORDON LIGHTFOOT-EAST OF MIDNIGHT, WAITING FOR YOU AND A PAINTER PASSING THROUGH.
Gordon Lightfoot-East Of Midnight, Waiting For You and A Painter Passing Through. Label: BGO Records. By July 1986, Gordon Lightfoot was one of the most successful Canadian musicians of his generation, and was preparing to release his seventeenth album East Of Midnight, which was his first album in three years. Gordon Lightfoot was hoping that …
THE FUGITIVES-THE PROMISE OF STRANGERS.
The Fugitives-The Promise Of Strangers. Label: Borealis Records. A lot has happened to the Canadian indie folk collective The Fugitives since they were founded eleven years ago in 2007, and began what has been a roller coaster musical adventure. They’ve been nominated for several Canadian Folk Music Awards and a Western Canadian Music Award, headlined …
ERIC ANDERSEN-BE TRUE TO YOU AND SWEET SURPRISE.
Eric Andersen-Be True To You and Sweet Surprise. Label: BGO Records. In 1975, thirty-two year old folk singer and songwriter Eric Andersen moved to Greenwich Village, New York, where it had all started for him in the early sixties. Back then, Eric Andersen was part of the folk scene, and as a twenty-one years in …
NICOLETTE LARSON-ALL DRESSED UP AND NO PLACE TO GO.
Nicolette Larson-All Dressed Up and No Place To Go. Label: BGO Records. Nowadays, far too many people are scared to follow their dream and instead, settle for second best and the drudgery of working 9-5. Sadly, it’s only much later, when it’s too late, that they realise what they gave up and what might have …
CHARLIE RICH-TOO MANY TEARDROPS: THE COMPLETE GROOVE AND RCA RECORDINGS.
Charlie Rich-Too Many Teardrops: The Complete Groove and RCA Recordings. Label: Ace Records. By 1963, thirty-one year old singer, songwriter and pianist Charlie Rich found himself looking back at his career as he was about to sign for Groove, a subsidiary of RCA. Charlie Rich’s career began five years earlier when the former college football …
BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2017-PART 7.
Best New Albums Of 2017 Part 7. Linda Perhacs-I’m A Harmony. Label: Omnivore Recordings. Three years after releasing her long-awaited and much-anticipated sophomore album The Soul of All Natural Things in 2014, the Queen of psychedelic folk Linda Perhacs returns with I’m A Harmony. It’s a flawless genre-melting album that veers between ambient and atmospheric …
THE BEST REISSUES OF 2017-PART 7.
The Best Reissues Of 2017-Part 7. Stoneground-Stoneground and Stoneground 3. Label: BGO Records. When Stoneground released their eponymous debut in early 1970, critics were won over by a fusion of blues, folk, pop, psychedelia, rock and soul. Seamlessly, Stoneground switch between and fuse musical genres and influences. To do this they deployed seven separate vocalists …