I know I haven't posted much of substance here lately:
so I hope that the occasional music news post is enough for now. I've got some others in the works, but just haven't had a ton of time the last few weeks.
I can't believe it's already too late:
to buy the Grizzly Bear/Michael MacDonald collaboration on vinyl. This was announced right at a week ago and now the sites that sold it are saying it is sold out.
Finally:
had the chance to see Visioneers. The quirkiness and darkness are what I was expecting. It is really funny that they are advertising it as "Zach Galifianakis from The Hangover," because the typical Hangover crowd is not going to like this movie at all. The movie is good, but like I said, it is very different. The only way I can describe the contrast between the Hangover/Visioneers, while not exactly the same, would be like Jim Carrey in Dumb & Dumber/The Cable Guy.
Getting increasingly excited:
about the new Langhorne Slim album later this month. After being so impressed with him at the UMS this summer, I definitely have a new appreciation for his music. He's actually playing Boulder tomorrow, but it is for E-town, which for my money isn't quite worth the trouble.
Some old friends from Dallas:
who are in a band called Macon Greyson, just released an EP for free download from their Web site. They tour mostly regionally, but in the past year, their most notable happening was having a song featured in the movie The Wrestler.
Is it just me:
or is Twitter getting boring and too spammed out? Maybe I just followed too many people early on, because now I look through my feed and nothing of interest really comes up.
The neverending tour:
that is Bob Dylan's life keep's going. He just announced more fall tour dates - I guess hitting some of the places the minor league ball park tour missed. Oh yeah, and he's putting out a Christmas album.
Tough day yesterday to live in Boulder:
CSU came to town and beat us 23-17, and then their fans rushed Folsom Field to celebrate right in the middle of it all. However, I don't hold that against them, given the crap all the drunken idiot 18 year-old Buff fans were yelling at them.
Showing posts with label Bob Dylan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bob Dylan. Show all posts
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
none of this just in
One final West Coast note:
I'm convinced that if you are looking for old country music vinyl, then the Bay Area is a great place to look. Not only are there a number of good stores like Rasputin and Amoeba in SF and Berkeley, but I am of the opinion that people just don't buy country vinyl there much, and so you've got a pretty good chance of finding some cool stuff.
Okay, one more final west coast note:
For all you vinyl collectors who have noticed, at least to a small extent, that record store owners are less pretentious these days now that they are on such a shoestring budget, never fear, I'm pretty sure the record store clerks in the bay area are just as pretentious as they ever were.
Just finished reading:
the new Dave Eggers book, Zeitoun. It is amazing! It's written in the style of What is the What? and I found myself flying through it because I just couldn't put it down.
Didn't have a chance to write about it:
but I was able to catch one of the Lusitania's Denver shows a couple of weeks ago. All of my praises were backed up by their show. This band is really tight and their live shows are awesome. I hope they catch on up here, because all the show was lacking was a high energy packed house. By the way, Vinyl Collective is now carrying their 7" split with Buckeye.
Stumbled upon news:
that Alternative Tentacles is reissuing Secret South, a hard to find album by Denver's 16 Horsepower. If you don't have this album, you should strongly consider checking it out if for no other reason than to hear the cover of Dylan's "Nobody 'Cept You." The album will be reissued on LP and CD, each with a bonus DVD included. Vinyl originals of this album have gone on ebay for around $75 or more in recent years, so this reissue makes it a bit more accessible. However, it also leaves vinyl collectors to question whether they are bidding on an original or a reissue version on ebay, so for all it helps, there are some downsides as well. Also, I still can't decide whether it's worth it to buy reissue vinyl anyway.
I totally missed this:
but the recent Zach Galifianakis interview on the Tonight's Show was hilarious. He seemed much more in his element than when he was on Dave. I love Dave, but I felt like he was just going through the motions asking Zach questions and it wasn't very natural. Make sure and watch part 1 & part 2.
The Boulder Avett Brothers' show:
is now sold out. Let's hope we make it out alive.
I really enjoy:
telling people that if we ever have a son we're going to name him "Billiam," but call him "Will."
I'm convinced that if you are looking for old country music vinyl, then the Bay Area is a great place to look. Not only are there a number of good stores like Rasputin and Amoeba in SF and Berkeley, but I am of the opinion that people just don't buy country vinyl there much, and so you've got a pretty good chance of finding some cool stuff.
Okay, one more final west coast note:
For all you vinyl collectors who have noticed, at least to a small extent, that record store owners are less pretentious these days now that they are on such a shoestring budget, never fear, I'm pretty sure the record store clerks in the bay area are just as pretentious as they ever were.
Just finished reading:
the new Dave Eggers book, Zeitoun. It is amazing! It's written in the style of What is the What? and I found myself flying through it because I just couldn't put it down.
Didn't have a chance to write about it:
but I was able to catch one of the Lusitania's Denver shows a couple of weeks ago. All of my praises were backed up by their show. This band is really tight and their live shows are awesome. I hope they catch on up here, because all the show was lacking was a high energy packed house. By the way, Vinyl Collective is now carrying their 7" split with Buckeye.
Stumbled upon news:
that Alternative Tentacles is reissuing Secret South, a hard to find album by Denver's 16 Horsepower. If you don't have this album, you should strongly consider checking it out if for no other reason than to hear the cover of Dylan's "Nobody 'Cept You." The album will be reissued on LP and CD, each with a bonus DVD included. Vinyl originals of this album have gone on ebay for around $75 or more in recent years, so this reissue makes it a bit more accessible. However, it also leaves vinyl collectors to question whether they are bidding on an original or a reissue version on ebay, so for all it helps, there are some downsides as well. Also, I still can't decide whether it's worth it to buy reissue vinyl anyway.
I totally missed this:
but the recent Zach Galifianakis interview on the Tonight's Show was hilarious. He seemed much more in his element than when he was on Dave. I love Dave, but I felt like he was just going through the motions asking Zach questions and it wasn't very natural. Make sure and watch part 1 & part 2.
The Boulder Avett Brothers' show:
is now sold out. Let's hope we make it out alive.
I really enjoy:
telling people that if we ever have a son we're going to name him "Billiam," but call him "Will."
Monday, August 17, 2009
Dylan, the Coug, and Willie - Stockton, CA - 08/15/09
Given that Bob Dylan's minor league ballpark tour didn't make it through Colorado, I was pretty excited to find that the tour would be stopping in Stockton, CA while I was in the area. I won't be too long winded reviewing this show, given that there are tons of reviews of this tour all over the internets. Nonetheless, a few thoughts below.
The Wiyos opened the show, and on this tour they have probably played for more people in a month than all their past shows combined (and maybe all their future shows too). I generally try not to be terribly critical of independent bands, but knowing that Dylan's people chose them to open the tour, the band was a pretty substantial disappointment. They were a great example of what happens when people in Brooklyn think they can pick a kitschy style of music and make it authentic. Really nothing of interest came out of their set.
Willie was next, and Willie was...well, Willie. Willie doesn't throw curveballs these days. He makes the crowd happy by playing almost all of the hits. He plays some great guitar solos, and when it comes down to it, he is just good at being Willie. This guy was wearing headbands back when today's hipsters were still listening to Blues Traveler and/or Fine Young Cannibals, so you really can't fault him for being a crowd pleaser now.
John Mellencamp (Johnny Cougar as my uncle used to call him) came on next and put on the stadium rock show most of the crowd was wanting. Besides not playing "Jack and Diane" this show (or any other show on the tour, apparently), he made his way through high energy hits and really got the crowd going. While I don't typically enjoy stadium rock shows, his set made the crowd happy and I can't blame him for doing so. No, this wasn't a Grizzly Bear show, but no one came for that, so it was fun. Sure I get a little annoyed the way big acts make guitar/instrument solos seem like they are more impressive than they really are, but once again, they knew their audience and they put on a good show.
Going into this show, I had heard many many accounts of Dylan's performances, most notably that people began leaving in droves soon after they realized that he wasn't going to do a set of greatest hits. Dylan's show is the antithesis of Willie's, for the most part. He started off with "Ballad of a Thin Man," similar to the recorded version, followed by "Forever Young," but the show soon digressed into a long line of songs that musically sounded the same as all the rest. For reasons out of my control, I wasn't able to stay for the full show, but set lists for this and most other shows can be found here. While Dylan apparently never talks to the crowd anymore other than to introduce the band, I was pretty impressed to hear that he played "Not Fade Away" at his Lubbock show, which was a pretty cool tribute even if he is a bit of a curmudgeonly old man.
(Note to all, tangent begins here, it would be a good idea to stop reading)
This Dylan show left me fairly troubled as far as wondering what I really thought about the man and his music, especially his efforts to keep his music original and to continue to play new songs that crowds are far less interested in hearing than "The Times They Are A'Changin." I don't think any single songwriter has written as many good songs (by my subjective definition) as Bob Dylan has. That said, I think he's just been famous for way too long. For someone who got famous in his early twenties and then continues to make new music over 40 years later, Dylan is in an almost unprecendented position. Think about every time you've heard "Hurricane" and/or anyone's cover of "All Along the Watchtower" and how Bob gets a check every time they are played. How do you continue to make new music when your royalty checks are larger than the GDP of a number of countries?
The man at times performs almost as though he doesn't want to be Bob Dylan. And while I'm okay with that, I think he would be better off playing to an appreciative theater audience rather than stadiums of 10,000 people who just want to hear "Like a Rolling Stone" just like it is found on their ipod. In a way, I think Dylan's continued efforts at making new music at the age of 68 are the only thing that keeps him sane. If he relied on being a caricature of 60s Bob Dylan, his life would just be a miserable reminder of how popular he was then, and how he is no longer important. So few people who ever reached the iconic level that Dylan did have lived 45+ years afterwards, and I think what sets him even further apart is the fact that he was big all by himself. He wasn't a Beatle or a Beach Boy, just Bob Dylan. For those of us who thought we wanted to be the next big rock star when we were 21, looking at Bob Dylan today can maybe help us realize how lucky we are that that didn't come true.
Where am I going with all of this? Exactly. However, what I can conclude is that I'm Not There really couldn't have been a more accurate and appropriate depiction of Dylan's many faces, and I guess maybe gives some insight into why he's not Willie or the Coug, but rather, he's Dylan, just not the Dylan that most of the 50- and 60-somethings at his shows want him to be.
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
The Wiyos opened the show, and on this tour they have probably played for more people in a month than all their past shows combined (and maybe all their future shows too). I generally try not to be terribly critical of independent bands, but knowing that Dylan's people chose them to open the tour, the band was a pretty substantial disappointment. They were a great example of what happens when people in Brooklyn think they can pick a kitschy style of music and make it authentic. Really nothing of interest came out of their set.
Willie was next, and Willie was...well, Willie. Willie doesn't throw curveballs these days. He makes the crowd happy by playing almost all of the hits. He plays some great guitar solos, and when it comes down to it, he is just good at being Willie. This guy was wearing headbands back when today's hipsters were still listening to Blues Traveler and/or Fine Young Cannibals, so you really can't fault him for being a crowd pleaser now.
John Mellencamp (Johnny Cougar as my uncle used to call him) came on next and put on the stadium rock show most of the crowd was wanting. Besides not playing "Jack and Diane" this show (or any other show on the tour, apparently), he made his way through high energy hits and really got the crowd going. While I don't typically enjoy stadium rock shows, his set made the crowd happy and I can't blame him for doing so. No, this wasn't a Grizzly Bear show, but no one came for that, so it was fun. Sure I get a little annoyed the way big acts make guitar/instrument solos seem like they are more impressive than they really are, but once again, they knew their audience and they put on a good show.
Going into this show, I had heard many many accounts of Dylan's performances, most notably that people began leaving in droves soon after they realized that he wasn't going to do a set of greatest hits. Dylan's show is the antithesis of Willie's, for the most part. He started off with "Ballad of a Thin Man," similar to the recorded version, followed by "Forever Young," but the show soon digressed into a long line of songs that musically sounded the same as all the rest. For reasons out of my control, I wasn't able to stay for the full show, but set lists for this and most other shows can be found here. While Dylan apparently never talks to the crowd anymore other than to introduce the band, I was pretty impressed to hear that he played "Not Fade Away" at his Lubbock show, which was a pretty cool tribute even if he is a bit of a curmudgeonly old man.
(Note to all, tangent begins here, it would be a good idea to stop reading)
This Dylan show left me fairly troubled as far as wondering what I really thought about the man and his music, especially his efforts to keep his music original and to continue to play new songs that crowds are far less interested in hearing than "The Times They Are A'Changin." I don't think any single songwriter has written as many good songs (by my subjective definition) as Bob Dylan has. That said, I think he's just been famous for way too long. For someone who got famous in his early twenties and then continues to make new music over 40 years later, Dylan is in an almost unprecendented position. Think about every time you've heard "Hurricane" and/or anyone's cover of "All Along the Watchtower" and how Bob gets a check every time they are played. How do you continue to make new music when your royalty checks are larger than the GDP of a number of countries?
The man at times performs almost as though he doesn't want to be Bob Dylan. And while I'm okay with that, I think he would be better off playing to an appreciative theater audience rather than stadiums of 10,000 people who just want to hear "Like a Rolling Stone" just like it is found on their ipod. In a way, I think Dylan's continued efforts at making new music at the age of 68 are the only thing that keeps him sane. If he relied on being a caricature of 60s Bob Dylan, his life would just be a miserable reminder of how popular he was then, and how he is no longer important. So few people who ever reached the iconic level that Dylan did have lived 45+ years afterwards, and I think what sets him even further apart is the fact that he was big all by himself. He wasn't a Beatle or a Beach Boy, just Bob Dylan. For those of us who thought we wanted to be the next big rock star when we were 21, looking at Bob Dylan today can maybe help us realize how lucky we are that that didn't come true.
Where am I going with all of this? Exactly. However, what I can conclude is that I'm Not There really couldn't have been a more accurate and appropriate depiction of Dylan's many faces, and I guess maybe gives some insight into why he's not Willie or the Coug, but rather, he's Dylan, just not the Dylan that most of the 50- and 60-somethings at his shows want him to be.
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Grumbling and stuff
I wanted a vinyl copy of the Jim James tribute to George Harrison:
released under the name Yim Yames, until I found out it costs $35. The CD plus the download is just $10. I mean, I know that some of it goes to charity, but $35 for 6 tracks and a t-shirt?
$35 -- Seriously?
If it was maybe $20, I'd totally be on board, but now I think I'd rather just have the $6 download.
Have I ever told you:
how much I hate when people use the phrase "rock and roll" or "that rocks!" or "s/he is a total rock star" in the everyday workplace or in casual conversation? No? Well, I hate all those phrases and how they have tricked us into thinking our office jobs "rock" in the same way Zeppelin "rocked" in the 70s. Don't even get me started on the energy drink...
And then:
there's the phrase "we partied like rock stars." Just because you got too drunk and (insert stupid behavior), that doesn't make you a rock star, and alternately just makes you a sad 16-48 year old.
Big announcement from Lucero:
New album out on Oct. 6th, entitled 1372 Overton Park. One track is up on their Web site.
released under the name Yim Yames, until I found out it costs $35. The CD plus the download is just $10. I mean, I know that some of it goes to charity, but $35 for 6 tracks and a t-shirt?
$35 -- Seriously?
If it was maybe $20, I'd totally be on board, but now I think I'd rather just have the $6 download.
Have I ever told you:
how much I hate when people use the phrase "rock and roll" or "that rocks!" or "s/he is a total rock star" in the everyday workplace or in casual conversation? No? Well, I hate all those phrases and how they have tricked us into thinking our office jobs "rock" in the same way Zeppelin "rocked" in the 70s. Don't even get me started on the energy drink...
And then:
there's the phrase "we partied like rock stars." Just because you got too drunk and (insert stupid behavior), that doesn't make you a rock star, and alternately just makes you a sad 16-48 year old.
Big announcement from Lucero:
New album out on Oct. 6th, entitled 1372 Overton Park. One track is up on their Web site.
For fans of Fleet Foxes:
You Ain't No Picasso posted a pretty sweet live recording of a Robin Pecknold set, in which he performs a number of covers, including songs by Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, and B.B. King.
This Tuesday, 7/21:
You can catch the Flatlanders on Late Night with David Letterman.
This isn't breaking news:
but I have to commend the Monolith Festival for their recently announced headliners: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Mars Volta. Nice to see a mid-level festival that focuses on bringing in fairly relevant indie bands, and, I think, taking a gamble by bringing in so many other bands that are largely unknown.
This Tuesday, 7/21:
You can catch the Flatlanders on Late Night with David Letterman.
This isn't breaking news:
but I have to commend the Monolith Festival for their recently announced headliners: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Mars Volta. Nice to see a mid-level festival that focuses on bringing in fairly relevant indie bands, and, I think, taking a gamble by bringing in so many other bands that are largely unknown.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Stuff, part 12
I'm not sure that it merits an entire review:
but Lucero's show at the Fox Theatre on 5/30 was hands down the best I've ever heard the band sound. Ben and the guys drank in moderation, and it really showed as they played every song spot on. Sure it lacked the high elevation drunkenness that tends to ensue at their shows, but musically, I was more than exchange debauchery for the perfectly performed set.
What I should have titled my previous blog about The Hangover:
"The Hangover (the movie, not the one from the Lucero show)"
What I should have titled my previous blog about The Hangover:
"The Hangover (the movie, not the one from the Lucero show)"
Have you noticed that strike anywhere matches:
don't really light on anything except the striking surface on the box?
I just can't pay for them:
but I'll have to admit I put in to win tickets to 3eb this Friday in Denver.
For those of you who have been chomping at the bit for any and all Avett material (even if it's not new songs):
fuel.tv just posted videos of recent performances of "Color Show" and "Salina."
Very soon:
I'll be posting info about the upcoming Thrift Store Cowboys/One Wolf 7" split vinyl.
Sorry if you hate sports and/or UT:
but this is a good story.
Am I the only one:
who feels a little sad for the Lemonheads for going from being a pretty big grunge band in the 90s who probably played to pretty large audiences to playing 200 person capacity clubs 15 years later? I guess everyone's got to pay the bills somehow.
Forgot to mention:
how cool it is that Bob Dylan mentions Billy Joe Shaver on his new album. Read Shaver's thoughts on the shout out here.
I've been trying to find more info:
but the last update I've heard on Shaver's shooting case was that he was indicted back in September of 2008. Otherwise, news on the subject has completely fallen off the radar. I guess this is probably a case of the wheels of the legal system turning very slowly. Hopefully it will get settled out of court and go away. Whatever actually happened, Shaver's an icon and Texas needs him.
Don't miss:
the Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass split 12". It will probably sell out at some point in the not too distant future. And also, what's this about Cory's next record coming out on a "much bigger label?" That's fantastic news, but I'd heard nothing about it until the passing comment by VC.
Seen:
Old Chicago restaurant neon sign where the "ago" was no longer lit. The joke possibilities are endless.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Great moments in songwriting history
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin',
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin',
I saw a white ladder all covered with water,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,
Bob Dylan - "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"
Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, theyre red, white and blue.
And when the band plays hail to the chief,
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord,
John Fogerty - "Fortunate Son"
Love ain't what this song's about
It's about beer and whiskey and drinkin'
It's about playin the fool and actin without thinkin'
Roger Creager - "Love"
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin',
I saw a white ladder all covered with water,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,
Bob Dylan - "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"
Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, theyre red, white and blue.
And when the band plays hail to the chief,
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord,
John Fogerty - "Fortunate Son"
Love ain't what this song's about
It's about beer and whiskey and drinkin'
It's about playin the fool and actin without thinkin'
Roger Creager - "Love"
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
John Braden
(Note: This is the original story, but I've posted an update at this link)
I've got somewhat of a mystery on my hands. Unfortunately, solving it isn't really going to benefit much of anyone, but it's piqued my attention lately.
Here's how the story begins:
I was at the record store a month or so ago, looking through the country records, and came across a record in the bargain bin that wasn't in too good of shape. It was a self-titled release by a guy named John Braden, recorded in 1968 and released in 1969 I think. I had never heard of him, but it was from A&M records, the label co-founded by Herb Alpert, of Tijuana Brass fame, so I took a second look at it. Looking through the musicians that played on the album, I first saw Ry Cooder's name as playing guitar on a few songs, and thought, "hmm, might as well buy this (for $2.99) and see what it sounds like." I haven't mentioned yet, but the cover art was well done, and from the back cover, you can see that the guy just plain looks cool.
(I had a heck of a time getting a decent picture (where's Julie when you need her?), but you should be able to click these to see a bigger version of the image)
(And yes that is the LP itself poking out from the bottom of the sleeve - the whole thing is about to disintegrate)
When I got to the counter, a 40-something year old guy, who I think is a collector who just hangs out at the record store trying to get the inside scoop, asked me who John Braden was. I replied that I didn't know, but that I was buying it because Ry Cooder played on it and I wanted to check it out. He asked to look at it, and started talking about all the other "names" on it. I didn't recognize them at the time, but it turns out that Chris Ethridge (bass) and Sneaky Pete (pedal steel) from the Flying Burrito Brothers played on the album. I guess they played on the album just before they started to gain notoriety, as Gilded Palace of Sin came out just after Braden's album in 1969. Also, as I've come to find out, Henry Lewy, who also produced the aforementioned Gilded Palace of Sin for the FBB, was one of the producers on this album. The list goes on and on - also on the album are Paul Horn, a renowned jazz flutist, Bruce Langhorne, apparently a fairly well known folk musician, Richard Bell, a keyboardist/pianist for Janis Joplin and The Band, and a couple of other guys who I think were session musicians that have been on various and sundry albums of some import.
Long story, I know, but stick with me. So finally, I get home and listen to the record. Doesn't blow me away. It's not terrible, but it's got the 60s folky sound, mainly characterized by the high pitched voice. It's not quite falsetto, but just very high. However, the more I listen to it, it has grown on me, and as you might expect, the musicianship is really strong on the album. Whether John Braden knew it or not, he ended up with some of the best rock musicians of the era on his record. The songs are mostly originals, with Dylan's "I Want You" and the traditional "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" as the only 2 covers.
As it has turned out, I've developed a growing appreciation for these songs as I've listened to them, but even more so, I've become intrigued to find out more about where John Braden ended up. And this gets close to where my story ends. As best I can tell, there was a John Braden who was a lyricist and actor on Broadway, and a John Braden (a different one) who did some work in the TV industry and apparently put out some records related to the Atari gaming system and some generally kid related music on Kid Stuff Records. Kind of crazy, I know. Both are deceased, although both were born around the same time (around 1946 and 1949). From what I can find on either of them, there is no mention of a previous record release. The guy in the picture is clearly young, early 20s probably. The only connection I can make is that Arkansas is mentioned in one of the songs, and the John Braden that worked in TV and for Atari was born in Arkansas, but that's not really solid information to close this cold case.
Regarding the record, about the only mention I can find is on the discographies of some of the musicians (Cooder and Langhorne), and also one band called Autumn that covered the song "Song to Raymondo" and apparently named an album after the song, which was penned by Braden and appears on his album.
Otherwise, this record seems to have fallen into obscurity long before the digital age, and thus, there's almost nothing else around about it. I have seen one copy of the LP up on ebay for $40, but with no additional information, and I recently found that Braden recorded some demos (pictured below) in the early 1970s with A&M, and apparently they were never released. In demo form, they aren't as good as the album, and clearly don't have the level of musicianship as the LP.
Beyond that, I'm at a loss. I think the online search is almost exhausted. I don't know why I am so intrigued by this subject, but it's probably a combination of the obscurity of it and also how cool he is dressed on the back cover of the album. A&M Records was absorbed by Interscope, and I can't even find a place on Interscope's site to write them, much less ask if they still have any info on an A&M artist from 40 years ago. I wrote to the A&M/Ocotone (Maroon 5's label) subsidiary of Interscope, and they basically told me they are not really A&M, but some sort of branch of Interscope that I guess kept the A&M name for appearance sake. I'm coming up with dead ends everywhere. My hope is that someone who is smarter or more knowledgeable (or both) than me can help me fill in the blanks a bit at some point. I'm hoping to get the LP converted to mp3s some time to pass along just for history's sake, and while I know it's not that hard, I haven't had the time to mess with it lately and haven't wanted to pay to have it done either.
New update: Progress made, and updates will be posted soon. I'll leave this post as is. There was a blog with a link to his music, but it has since been shut down, so his work remains in relative obscurity at this point.
I've got somewhat of a mystery on my hands. Unfortunately, solving it isn't really going to benefit much of anyone, but it's piqued my attention lately.
Here's how the story begins:
I was at the record store a month or so ago, looking through the country records, and came across a record in the bargain bin that wasn't in too good of shape. It was a self-titled release by a guy named John Braden, recorded in 1968 and released in 1969 I think. I had never heard of him, but it was from A&M records, the label co-founded by Herb Alpert, of Tijuana Brass fame, so I took a second look at it. Looking through the musicians that played on the album, I first saw Ry Cooder's name as playing guitar on a few songs, and thought, "hmm, might as well buy this (for $2.99) and see what it sounds like." I haven't mentioned yet, but the cover art was well done, and from the back cover, you can see that the guy just plain looks cool.
(I had a heck of a time getting a decent picture (where's Julie when you need her?), but you should be able to click these to see a bigger version of the image)(And yes that is the LP itself poking out from the bottom of the sleeve - the whole thing is about to disintegrate)
When I got to the counter, a 40-something year old guy, who I think is a collector who just hangs out at the record store trying to get the inside scoop, asked me who John Braden was. I replied that I didn't know, but that I was buying it because Ry Cooder played on it and I wanted to check it out. He asked to look at it, and started talking about all the other "names" on it. I didn't recognize them at the time, but it turns out that Chris Ethridge (bass) and Sneaky Pete (pedal steel) from the Flying Burrito Brothers played on the album. I guess they played on the album just before they started to gain notoriety, as Gilded Palace of Sin came out just after Braden's album in 1969. Also, as I've come to find out, Henry Lewy, who also produced the aforementioned Gilded Palace of Sin for the FBB, was one of the producers on this album. The list goes on and on - also on the album are Paul Horn, a renowned jazz flutist, Bruce Langhorne, apparently a fairly well known folk musician, Richard Bell, a keyboardist/pianist for Janis Joplin and The Band, and a couple of other guys who I think were session musicians that have been on various and sundry albums of some import.
Long story, I know, but stick with me. So finally, I get home and listen to the record. Doesn't blow me away. It's not terrible, but it's got the 60s folky sound, mainly characterized by the high pitched voice. It's not quite falsetto, but just very high. However, the more I listen to it, it has grown on me, and as you might expect, the musicianship is really strong on the album. Whether John Braden knew it or not, he ended up with some of the best rock musicians of the era on his record. The songs are mostly originals, with Dylan's "I Want You" and the traditional "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" as the only 2 covers.
As it has turned out, I've developed a growing appreciation for these songs as I've listened to them, but even more so, I've become intrigued to find out more about where John Braden ended up. And this gets close to where my story ends. As best I can tell, there was a John Braden who was a lyricist and actor on Broadway, and a John Braden (a different one) who did some work in the TV industry and apparently put out some records related to the Atari gaming system and some generally kid related music on Kid Stuff Records. Kind of crazy, I know. Both are deceased, although both were born around the same time (around 1946 and 1949). From what I can find on either of them, there is no mention of a previous record release. The guy in the picture is clearly young, early 20s probably. The only connection I can make is that Arkansas is mentioned in one of the songs, and the John Braden that worked in TV and for Atari was born in Arkansas, but that's not really solid information to close this cold case.
Regarding the record, about the only mention I can find is on the discographies of some of the musicians (Cooder and Langhorne), and also one band called Autumn that covered the song "Song to Raymondo" and apparently named an album after the song, which was penned by Braden and appears on his album.Otherwise, this record seems to have fallen into obscurity long before the digital age, and thus, there's almost nothing else around about it. I have seen one copy of the LP up on ebay for $40, but with no additional information, and I recently found that Braden recorded some demos (pictured below) in the early 1970s with A&M, and apparently they were never released. In demo form, they aren't as good as the album, and clearly don't have the level of musicianship as the LP.
Beyond that, I'm at a loss. I think the online search is almost exhausted. I don't know why I am so intrigued by this subject, but it's probably a combination of the obscurity of it and also how cool he is dressed on the back cover of the album. A&M Records was absorbed by Interscope, and I can't even find a place on Interscope's site to write them, much less ask if they still have any info on an A&M artist from 40 years ago. I wrote to the A&M/Ocotone (Maroon 5's label) subsidiary of Interscope, and they basically told me they are not really A&M, but some sort of branch of Interscope that I guess kept the A&M name for appearance sake. I'm coming up with dead ends everywhere. My hope is that someone who is smarter or more knowledgeable (or both) than me can help me fill in the blanks a bit at some point. I'm hoping to get the LP converted to mp3s some time to pass along just for history's sake, and while I know it's not that hard, I haven't had the time to mess with it lately and haven't wanted to pay to have it done either.
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