Two Words, One Answer.
Big Brother UK
 Sounds of Goodbye $19.99 Those who are familiar with the Gosdin's probably know them either from Vern "The Voice" Gosdin's country music success in the late '70s and early '80s, or their backing slot on Gene Clark's first post-Byrds project, "Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers." The brothers' career as a duo has largely been overlooked, in part because they only recorded one album and a handful of singles, and in larger part because that 1968 album sat unreissued until now. Ace archivist Alec Palao has augmented the original album's eleven tracks (cuts 1, 10, 9, 24, 16, 7, 20, 4, 18, 14, 21, to replicate the album's ordering) with thirteen singles and previously unissued masters. The Gosdin's gigged and recorded demos and one-off singles with various (and future) members of The Byrds, including Chris Hillman, Clarence White, Michael Clarke and Gene Parsons. They combined their country and gospel backgrounds with bluegrass and pop, and found themselves recording their debut LP in the thick of California's country-rock revolution. Produced by Gary Paxton at his Bakersfield compound, the Louvin/Everly/Owens-styled country sounds of their earlier singles remain, but mellowed by California experiences in playing folk and bluegrass. The drumming of Gene Parsons fits the album's casual vibe perfectly. In fleshing out the album's story, producer Alec Palao has pulled together a number of pre-LP singles, including the Byrdsian original "Love at First Sight," and a trio of Chris Hillman produced country-rockers that feature Michael Clarke's propulsive drumming. Of these latter three, the unreleased "Tell Me" is the winner, with stunning electric flatpicking from Clarence White. White can also be heard picking a flamenco-styled storm on the Gosdins' pre-LP country hit "Hangin' On." This sentimental ballad is an unusual mix of country pathos and modern production touches that include a mellotron. Palao's notes are quite detailed, stretching over 19 pages that include period photographs and reproductions of various Gosdin-related ephemera like record labels, session sheets and record charts. As others have mentioned, the decision to scatter the album tracks throughout the CD is somewhat baffling, particularly as it was not done in service of some other obvious ordering such as chronological. Still missing from this period in the Gosdins' career are a few tracks that include the A-side cover of Dylan's "To Ramona," a cover of Gene Clark's "The Reason Why," and several post-LP singles issued on Capitol. All sides here are crisply remastered stereo except for a pair of mono publisher's demos ("Uncommitted Man" and "I'll Live Today"), and they add up to one of the heretofore undiscovered gems of California country-rock. [2006 hyperbolium dot com]  Edgar Morin: From Big Brother to Fraternity (Pluto Modern European Thinkers.) $18.95 Edgar Morin is one of France's best known and most prolific philosophers, and highly considered in most of the non-English speaking world. Yet his work is not widely available in English, and his work is hardly know in the US. Recently some of his books are starting to be translated, and it's about time. Morin is a vitally important figure. His struggle to develop a "complex thought" represents an important alternative to the postmodernists, and to the general intellectual malaise that is confronting us. Kofman's book covers only a small part of Morin's prodigious output--his contributions have ranged from books on cinema to anthropology to social criticsms to the philosophy of science--but is an excellent brief introduction. Morin's own "Homeland Earth" is the best introduction to the breadth and depth of his thinking.  Live & Still Jumping $19.49 I used to go to loads of Chevalier Bros. concerts in those fine old days and they always knocked your socks off live. This album brings that raw passion and power that Ray Gelato, Roger Beaujolais and the rest of the boys brought to their live concerts. And the sound quality is good.I've played and played it over the years and never been disappointed. It cheers you up on bad days and gets you jumping about the kitchen on good ones.They introduced me to Louis Jordan but they also bring a distinctive and very British feel to much of the music. I'm bald and their 'I Hope I Die Before I Go Bald' still makes me laugh. Enjoy! |
|
