Posts Tagged Ry Cooder
Archive
February 14, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Gat This: My Top 10 ‘Guitar’ Albums
A while ago I described something/someone as “guitar music” and was chortled at from all directions; there’s no such thing as guitar music. This is not a genre. This is no way to explain or define music. Andres Segovia and Derek Bailey and Jimi Hendrix and Django Reinhardt and Eddie Van Halen have all made amazing music by approaching the same instrument (or versions of […]Archive
December 5, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Mavis Staples: If All I Was Was Black
Mavis Staples If All I Was Was Black Anti/Epitaph What a decade it’s been for Mavis Staples – riding on a high note ever since 2007’s We’ll Never Turn Back with a constant victory-lap of touring and this now deep collaboration with Jeff Tweedy’s Wilco. It hasn’t all been amazing, I couldn’t get too excited […]Archive
July 26, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
The Songs of Randy Newman: (Part 1)
I first saw – and heard – Randy Newman talking on a documentary that was made to celebrate 20 years of Rolling Stone magazine. He was one of a few – assembled – talking heads. He said funny things like, “I don’t know how Elton John was rated but I always rated him highly. He […]Archive
May 3, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Bring The Family Is A Classic Album: John Hiatt Should Get The Band Back Together And Re-Record It!
I like John Hiatt – he’s a guy you can pretty much always rely on. There’ll always be a good song – probably half a dozen. And somewhere in there, on each album (and he’s done more than 20) there’ll be a truly great song. Again, maybe more. He’s never really been a blues artist but always […]Archive
April 7, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Kitsch or Classic: What is Your Favourite 1980s Soundtrack Album?
Here’s a very simple question for you – what is the best 1980s film soundtrack? What is your favourite? I ask this because I’ve only recently realised that I am something of a collector of film soundtracks – particularly ones from the 1980s. Obscure, obvious and all points between. You want it (or most likely […]Archive
August 9, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 657
The Haden Triplets, The Haden Triplets (2014) When this was released – I would have been interested anyway, due to Ry Cooder’s participation. But I already knew about The Haden Triplets and the Haden family and was eager to hear this…having followed YouTube clips, and solo albums and other bands that featured members from this […]Archive
July 9, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Faris: Mississippi To Sahara
Faris Mississippi To Sahara Reaktion Faris Amine, born to an Ethiopian father and Touareg mother, tries something different, something that elevates him beyond being just another Desert Bluesman. Here, he takes songs from the Delta and drags them through the mud and back through the sands of his time, making Son House’s Death Letter over […]Archive
July 4, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Mark Knopfler & Evelyn Glennie: Altamira [OST]
Mark Knopfler & Evelyn Glennie Altamira [OST] Verve Mark Knopfler and Evelyn Glennie’s soundtrack to the film about the life and story of the man who discovered the Altamira Caves is, for the most part, a gorgeous set of soft, stately instrumentals. You’ll not only spot Knopfler’s trademark sound you can link this – directly […]Archive
April 27, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Mavis Staples: Livin’ On A High Note
Mavis Staples Livin’ On A High Note Anti/Epitaph Here’s the latest from Mavis Staples, and a producer-switch, following two charming-enough but sombre Jeff Tweedy-helmed full lengthers. Now we have M. Ward making sure things are sunny and hopeful – and the songwriting credits include Nick Cave, Neko Case and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon among others. […]Archive
March 7, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 740
V/A, Texas-Mexican Border Music Vol. 9 – Canciones de Ayer Part 4 (1977) I guess it was Ry Cooder that hipped me to this sort of stuff, him and one or two others (Los Lobos too I guess)…I love this Border music. Huge sing-songs, such wonderful singing. And these Latino folk standards (I guess we […]Archive
August 30, 2015 by Simon Sweetman