11. The Spring of Sixty-Five - Joseph Spence & The Pinder Family

Ghosts of Carter devotional and Nassau docks inspirational. No hokum ramshackle.

Geneva and Edith Pinder keening to creaky, percussive guitar.

Growling Joseph. Grinning Lord of Misrule and the devil-may-care picaresque strings. Serenading, serenaded, testifying 'n righteous. 

Y brawd bids you goodnight.

                    

Oddi wrth y brawd

Os Mewn Sŵn - Huw M [2010]

Huw M[eredydd Roberts], delivers beyond everything we ever hoped for from solo Euros Childs. Personalised folk-ish paeans to the everyday: kitchen food smells, missing the train, a dripping tap, and er...the sock drawer.


First rate debut.

Buy Os Mewn Sŵn and spiffing new release Gathering Dusk. 

Oddi wrth y brawd

Gwymon - Meic Stevens [1972] re-dug

Clasur gan y cawr o Solfach

Having tried to please Warners with 1970's Outlander (the public wisely ignored the "Welsh Van Morrison" schtick), Meic goes on to please himself. Gwymon is more at ease with itself: rootsy and unforced; mix light-hearted stoned chooglers and weightier, heart-felt meditations on loss and passing. A true classic not to be missed.


New CD release on Sunbeam Records. Buy.




From Galactic Ramble:


"By the middle of 1972 Meic had amassed enough new songs to make another album - this time on his own terms. He still had access to Warner's demo studio in Denmark Street, so went there to tape the songs in the summer. Some were new, some had been written for Welsh TV shows (from topical to children's to religious), while others were older (like the flippant, infectious Carangarw, or 'Kangaroo', which Meic recalls '"was written in a London taxicab while stoned with Gary Farr and Reggie King"). Recorded in a single day after a night's rehearsal with a pair of musicians he'd met in a Soho pub (Paul Martinez and Graham Smith), and sung entirely in Welsh, the result was less mystical and more pop-orientated than Outlander, with a bouncy, uptempo feel (other than the obvious exception of the eerie ‘Galarnad’ - a setting of a passage from the Book of Jeremiah). Meic decided to call it Gwymon (‘seaweed’), and it appeared in September 1972 in an edition of 2500 vinyl copies."

Oddi wrth y brawd

Hemat - Harvester [1970]

Communal, here's-an-instrument-have-a-crack, hippie mastodon waltz-drone free jamming psychout. Achtung Amon Düül I heads, you know the drill. At the door exchange heavy Teutonic politiks for Swedish good vibes. Betimes, we stumble across group of Nordic psychedelic barn dancing fiends...most likely in the snow...at night....naked. 

Harvester went on to form Trad Gras Och Stenar (Trees, Grass and Stones). This looser  über-stoned earlier incarnation does not disappoint.

Oddi wrth y brawd

Tir - Cerys Matthews [2010]

Yn cynnwys eitemau gwerin / traddodiadol, caneuon "cenedlaethol" Victoraidd, dau emyn, a'n hanthem genedlaethol. Personol yw'r detholiad, ac felly hefyd y dehongliadau gan Cerys.

01 Sosban Fach

02 Myfanwy
03 Bugeilio’r Gwenith Gwyn
04 Cân Merthyr

05 Cwm Rhondda
06 Ar Hyd Y Nos
07 Migldi Magldi
08 Calon Lân

09 Llwyn Onn
10 A Ei Di’r Deryn Du
11 Dafydd Y Garreg Wen
12 Mil Harddach Wyt Na'r Rhosyn Gwyn
13 Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
14 Yr Insiwrans Agent
15 Bachgen Bach O Dincar
16 Ar Lan Y Môr
17 A Ei Di’r Deryn Du (reprise)

Oddi wrth y brawd

Metal Box - Public Image Ltd. [1979]

Kraut dub post-punk opus. Pinnacle of Lydon's PiL "project". Levene and Wobble cover themselves in glory: all angular, spiky guitar and deep roots bass throb. A revolving stool of various metronomic drummers adding to general Can meets King Tubby down the death disco vibe.

...still sounds like nothing else; absurdly, it was often mocked at the time by people for whom The UK Subs were enough.

Oddi wrth y brawd 

A Pagan Day - Psychic TV [1984/1994 re-issue]

Praise moreover the hand of Alex Fergusson. Homespun hyperdelic folk n choice covers: Translucent Carriages; As Tears Go By. Tasty.

Oddi wrth y brawd

The Seed-At-Zero - Robin Williamson [2001]

Mr Williamson in full bardic splendour. Forging Dylan Thomas, Henry Vaughan, Llywarch Hen and Taliesin in the long time sun.

Oddi wrth y brawd

Individuellos - La Dusseldorf [1980]

Wherein Dinger's faithful clang cleaves to punky Neu! agenda. Less Rother's silver Mercedes, more beat up VW camper rolling ramshackle Europa. 

01 Menschen 1
02 Individuellos
03 Menschen 2
04 Sentimental
05 Lieber Honig 1981
06 Dampfriemen
07 Tintarella Di ...
08 Flashbac
09 Das Yvönnchen

Herrlich. Dinger war ein ganz großer Musiker.

Oddi wrth y brawd

The Singing Nun - Soeur Sourire [2008]

No mere novel buffoonery. Jeanine Deckers aka Sister Luc-Gabrielle aka Soeur Sourire delivers fine homespun folk bent vaguely unsinister religious. Songs more sweet than our sister's 1985 suicide. Not much to smile about there.

Oddi wrth y brawd

Privilege - Ivor Cutler [1984]

Oh, the mordant wit and sinister resonance of prime Mr. Cutler. (Produced by pioneering ambient egg-head David Toop). Y brawd hadn't realised IC was a good synagogue going boy...though it all makes sense...these pieces sweat with dark sonorous Jewish melodies.  Humane, skew whiff, moving.

Oddi wrth y brawd

at last it moves silence

The Peel Sessions 1987-1993 - Datblygu [2008]

As the late Laird of Peel Acres would have it: "[Datblygu are] the best incentive anyone could have for learning Welsh”.


Uchafbwynt bob dydd o'r wythnos oedd tiwnio i mewn i raglen John Peel ar radio un wrth wneud fy ngwaith cartref. Rwy'n cofio gorwedd ar fy ngwely unig un noson pan chwaraeodd John Peel gang o ferched yn canu, "whisky makes me frisky, gin makes me sin, brandy makes me randy and rum makes me come". Rown i'n ysu am gyfarfod a'r math yna o ferched yn hytrach nag eistedd mewn dosbarthiadau boring yn yr ysgol. A dyna reswm arall pam y ffurfiais i Datblygu. Down i ddim eisiau gwneud lot o arian - yr uchelgais oedd art, rhyw, drygs ac alcohol.

 - David R. Edwards

We sang in Welsh with all the US/English influences because it had to be done. I didn't like the fact that Welsh music was seen to be male voice choirs, folk music and all the clichés. I suppose that I wanted to modernise Welsh language culture. Welsh is a language with unlimited potential but I didn't appreciate a lot that was being manifested in it. I tried to change things. Hundreds of people saw the point so I'm glad I bothered.

 – more David R Edwards

Hundreds..... 

Oddi wrth y brawd

trio

buyo

It's A Mean Old World To Try To Live In- Reverend Pearly Brown [1975]

Dig the soulful voice and lucid guitar of very right Reverend Pearly Brown. Blind street singer n preacher with religious repertoire spiritual, holy blues, gospel n slave song. Stunning.

Oddi wrth y brawd
nothin' but joy

Eight-Hand Sets and Holy Steps - Various [1978]

Top drawer proto-country blues, string band and sacred music, sampling North Carolina Afro-American tradition mid 1800s - early 1900s. Dance tunes n ballads played on guitar, banjo, fiddle, harmonica (and bones...). Spirituals by congregation, singing group, n individual to guitar / harmonica accompaniment. Recorded in 70s by NC musicians steeped in tradition. Sparkling lodestar mainline to authentic US heritage. Don't you dare miss it.

01 Wildwood Blues Speak - James "Guitar Slim" Stephens (vocal)
02 Corinna - Elizabeth "Babe" Reid (banjo), and James Borders (bones)
03 Georgia Buck - Joe and Odell Thompson (fiddle and banjo)
04 Breakaway - Roosevelt May (vocal and harmonica)
05 John Henry - Cora Phillips and Elizabeth "Babe" Reid (guitar and banjo)
06 Going Downtown - Joe and Odell Thompson (fiddle and banjo)
07 Buckdance - Algia Mae Hinton (guitar)
08 Chicken - Percy Lassiter (vocal and guitar)
09 Out on the Farm - Elester Anderson (vocal and guitar) 
10 Honeybabe - Algia Mae Hinton (vocal and guitar) 
11 Boll Weevil - Percy Lassiter (vocal and guitar) 
12 Chicken, Lord, Lord - Algia Mae Hinton (vocal and guitar) 
13 When You See Me Praying - Second St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church
14 Lord, What Shall I Do - Thomas Burt, vocal and guitar
15 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - Roosevelt May, vocal and harmonica
16 Your Close Friend - James "Guitar Slim" Stephens (vocal and guitar) 
17 Death is Coming Back After You - Rev. Rassie Moore (vocal and guitar) 
18 Satan, We're Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down - Second St. Paul Junior Choir
19 Sweet Home - Algia Mae Hinton (vocal and guitar)
20 Traveling Shoes - The Badgett Sisters

21 Joshua - The Gospel Jubilators

Oddi wrth y brawd

going downtown

Cameroon Baka Pygmy Music - Various [1977]

Pejorative sobriquet notwithstanding, an entrancing polyphonic delight: work song, dance, lullaby and tunes whereby to potter around hut, hearth and rainforest. Dense, cyclical contrapuntal communal vocalising. Almost casually adept. Gamelan-like, sense a never quite revealed super-pattern shrouded in amaranthine repetition.

(Smile on Holy Warbles' tireless ethnomusicology)


Oddi wrth y brawd
jengi

The American Dreamer OST - Various [1971]

01 Gene Clark: American Dreamer
02 Hello People: Pass Me By
03 John Manning: Whole Song
04 Gene Clark: Outlaw Song
05 Chris Sikelianos: Easy Rider, 1970
06 John Buck Wilkin: The Screaming Metaphysical Blues
07 John Manning: Hard Road To New Mexico
08 John Buck Wilkin: Look At Me, Mama
09 John Buck Wilkin: Sun, Moon, And Stars
10 Abbey Road Singers: Other Side Of This Life

During post-production for The Last Movie, Hopper wanders the desert around his Taos, New Mexico home, wasted n waxing philosophical. Acoustic soundtrack a shining nugget in the rough. Yippiee!

Oddi wrth y brawd

Or don't cowboys have fantasies?

Children of the Drones - Various

Spooky, warped, & wigged-out. Apparently took Fearlono (Cottage of electric Hell!) ages  and whole lot of Mr Miyagi to mix. Mega-lithic.

Oddi wrth y brawd
king of the castle

Chant And Be Happy! - George Harrison & The London Radha-Krishna Temple [1971]

Go on, have a chant.

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda y'all.

Oddi wrth y brawd
bhaktivedanta manner

Jams For Da Stars - Spectre Folk [Pete Nolan]

Strung out scuzzy lo-fi VU improvisations. Magik Markers' Pete Nolan takes a deeply psychedelicised minor key promenade at 3 o'clock in the morning, probably.

Oddi wrth y brawd

jammers

The Hanged Man - Ralph White [2011]

Not a million miles from Jerry Garcia's twilight fountainhead Americana excursions, Ralph White home-spins  old weird folk, proto-blues and country into psycho-meditative textures. High-lonesome drawl wavering around the melody (Jerry again), Dock Boggs banjo drone, fiddle, button accordion and - wahey - African kalimba. Edition of 100 copies. Ralph's version of Harder They Come an especial treat.

Check http://ralphewhite.com/

Oddi wrth y brawd

gallows medley