Category: Episodes

456. Jorma Kaukonen and Hot Tuna

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(December 2022) Episode 456 is JORMA KAUKONEN and HOT TUNA. Jorma has been my favorite member of Jefferson Airplane for his finger-picking guitar style (on JA songs “Embryonic Journey” and “Third Week on the Chelsea” and his solo album “Quah”) and his amiable singing voice. Most of his albums are in the folk/blues/Americana vein and enjoyable, while the pop ones, not so much. Hot Tuna started out as a blues-rock JA side gig with bassist Jack Casady and has endured through five decades of touring, also generally enjoyable.

Favorite solo album: Quah

Favorite solo song: Genesis

Favorite Hot Tuna album: America’s Choice

Favorite Hot Tuna song: Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: if you like finger-style guitar as I do, you’ll like Jorma

455. Ethel Smyth

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(December 2022) Episode 455 is ETHEL SMYTH. In addition to the structural reasons that women are almost absent from classical repertoires, the ones who did compose got their works dismissed as not serious. UK-born Ethel Smyth suffered this, but persevered, composing a solid body of varied works – opera, orchestral, chamber, vocal pieces. She never settled on one style but that also makes it interesting. She was also politically active as a feminist, and her “March of the Women” became an anthem for the movement.

Favourite piece: String quartet in E minor

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: not ground-breaking but worth a listen

454. Sleep

~ ernopepper ~ 2 Comments

(December 2022) Episode 454 is SLEEP.  This project can often be tedious labor of love, but my reward is finding music that speaks to my soul, like coming upon the Holy Grail after a long quest. And here is Sleep. Pure Iommic doom metal goodness, perhaps the ultimate stoner metal experience. A constant low, loud drone of dark matter. Beautiful noise. My joy is only tempered by discovering them decades too late, and for not reviewing them before spinoff OM (episode 437).

Favorite album: The Sciences

Favorite song: Dopesmoker

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: I’m all in. Not for everyone, but if you get it, you’ll be all in too.

453. David Lang

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(November 2022) Episode 453 is DAVID LANG. A contemporary, New York-based composer and co-founder of the Bang on a Can collective (with Julia Wolfe of episode 347).  His early works seem generally minimalist/post-minimalist, but he prolifically composes in a diversity of styles and forms. From standard string arrangements and choirs to a roomful of broken instruments and distorted guitar duos. From ballet and opera to film soundtracks and small experimental pieces.

Favorite album/large ensemble piece: The Passing Measures

Favorite orchestral piece: Concerto (World to Come)

Favorite vocal piece: The Writings

Favorite violin piece: Killer

Favorite guitar piece: Warmth

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: many works have been published as album recordings so they are easy to get access to

452. Loretta Lynn

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(November 2022) Episode 452 is LORETTA LYNN, which I started after her passing. Legendary and iconic, Lynn had a voice perfect for her music. Her long recording career covered all kinds of country music, but she is perhaps best known for songs giving voice to the lived experiences of women: “Fist City,“ “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind),” “The Pill”.

Favorite album: Van Lear Rose (the one with Jack White)

Favorite song: Too Far

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: solid in any country playlist

451. The Saints

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(November 2022) Episode 451 is THE SAINTS. What the Sex Pistols were to the UK and the Ramones to the US, the Saints were to Australia. In fact, they beat all the UK punk bands to vinyl.  Their debut album ((I’m) Stranded) absolutely slays, prime punk with propulsive tempo and snarling vocals. But they tempered their sound on the second album with a horn section, and the remainder of their long recording career was variations of pop/rock. They attained legend status in Australia, but only that first disc grabbed me.

Favourite album: (I’m) Stranded

Favourite song: (I’m) Stranded

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: just the first album

450. Spacemen 3

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(November 2022) Episode 450 is SPACEMEN 3. They’re labeled neo-psychedelic (perhaps for their ample drug use) but I hear them as noise rock — a transformative band, molding elements of MC5, the Stooges and Lou Reed and creating sounds you hear later in shoegazers (My Bloody Valentine) and sonic adventurers (Yo La Tengo). Few if anyone else was doing this in the 1980s, and I regret not knowing them then. But beyond the noise, Spacemen 3 offered surprisingly infectious low-structure songs, the kind of stuff you’ll hear with Spiritualized (not surprising, since Jason Pierce led both), Brian Jonestown Massacre and Beta Band.

Favourite album: Playing with Fire

Favourite song: Suicide

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: strongly recommend. Beautiful noise: Suicide, Revolution, Rollercoaster.  Low-structure songs: Come Down Easy, How Does it Feel?, Hypnotized, I Love You

449. Saint Vitus

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(11/11/22) Episode 449 is SAINT VITUS. Like other pioneers of doom metal, they set out to recreate the sound and ethos of Black Sabbath, cutting against trends of the mid-80s. With the instruments, Saint Vitus succeeds valiantly, led by the guitar in an Iommi-style low and slow grind.  But the vocal style puts me off a bit, too up front in the mix, too operatic at times.

Favorite album: Born Too Late

Favorite song: Dying Inside

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: kinda meh on results, although I give them an A for effort

448. Quicksilver Messenger Service

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Episode 448 is QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE, one of the bands from the San Francisco scene alongside the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape. They had a couple minor radio hits but offer less than those bands. In fact, as I listen to more of the Greatest Era of Music (1965-69), I’ve soured on the San Francisco Sound. Too much noodling and despite the label it’s not actually psychedelic. 

Favorite album: Quicksilver Messenger Service

Favorite song: Pride of Man

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: avoid, unless you’re interested in who was smoking grass with Airplane

447. John Lee Hooker

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(October 2022) Episode 447 is JOHN LEE HOOKER. A true blues superstar.  A next-generation Delta Blues artist, his early recordings were primitive and powerful, which is why his Detroit years (late 40s-early 50s) are my favorite. Hooker may be best known for developing the single-note boogie; when he gets in a distorted and crunchy groove it’s just awesome.  He touched almost all varieties of blues in his long recording career – electric, jazzy, pop, including many collaborations.

Favorite album: Plays and Sings the Blues

Favorite collaboration album: Hooker ‘n Heat (with Canned Heat)

Favorite soundtrack album: The Hot Spot (with Miles Davis)

Favorite song: Boogie Chillen’ No. 2

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: go for the early recordings and the boogie stuff, but if you’re like me you can only take so much blues in one sitting.