David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971)

Jerry, Phil, Mickey and Bill from The Dead.

Michael Shrieve and Gregg Rolie from Santana.

Jorma, Jack and Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane.

Graham Nash.

Neil Young.

Joni Mitchell.

And David Crosby.

All-star line-up gets together for this criminally underrated 1971 classic.

David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971; Atlantic Records)

Bert Jansch - Bert Jansch (1965)

I was sad to hear of Bert's passing earlier this week, wish I could have seen him play. Another legend gone but not forgotten. Here's his 1974 album LA Turnaround I shared back in April of 2010, for those so inclined: http://out-sounds.blogspot.com/2010/04/bert-jansch-la-turnaround-1974.html

But here's the 1965 debut; his guitar playing is deft and nimble- I remember reading somewhere that Jimmy Page lifted Bron-Yr-Aur from one of Jansch's arrangements. He was also highly regarded by (as well as being an influence on) Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, Johnny Marr and Neil Young.

Bert was 67 years old.

Bert Jansch - Bert Jansch (1965, Transatlantic Records)

The Beta Band - The Three E.P.'s (1998)

Combining their first three EPs into a single compilation was a brilliant idea for these Scottish indie rockers dabbling in neo-psychedelia and electronica. 

One of the finer releases on either side of the pond of the late 90s.

The Beta Band - The Three E.P.'s (1998; Astralwerks Records)

Palace Music - Viva Last Blues (1995)

Will Oldham, along with his brother Ned on bass, Sebadoh's drummer Jason Lowenstein, pianist Liam Hayes (who also records under the moniker Plush) and lead guitarist Bryan Rich set out to record a ragged and raw folk-tinged country rock-and-blues album (with none other than Steve Albini twiddling the knobs behind the glass) and it's probably my favorite thing Will's done under any of his Palace-named projects (the others being Palace Songs, Palace Brothers, Palace Soundtrack, Palace Contribution and just plain Palace...) and my favorite thing he's done outside of his more well known Bonnie 'Prince' Billy character. The man of 1,000 names...

There's nothing I can ever say that would do justice or be enough praise to Mr. Oldham; to pay homage to one of the greatest American songwriters of the last 30 years by writing this little blurb here and giving you one of his loveliest of records is all I have right now. I strongly recommend you download this album, then get your ass to a record store and start systematically buying the bulk of his discography. Whenever I walk into a record store and see one of his albums I don't yet have (and there aren't that many left) I scoop it up.

Palace Music - Viva Last Blues (1995; Drag City Records)

Bobb Trimble - Harvest Of Dreams (1982)

Bobb Trimble's story has to be one of the strangest in music; he made two albums (1980's Iron Curtain Innocence and this one, Harvest of Dreams from 1982) and basically disappeared from the music scene around 1986. He had two backing bands around this time also, one called The Kidds (whose average age was 12) and another called The Crippled Dog Band (average age: 15).

Apparently that raised some eyebrows in Marlborough, Massachusetts (as it should, as Trimble was in his mid-twenties. But hey, I don't judge...) and was in effect completely out of music until recently reappearing- I found out about Trimble's music from a 2007 e-newsletter I get from Secretly Canadian Records (they re-issued both albums with a bunch of bonus tracks; this is actually the re-issued version).

As for the album: Trimble's voice is a cross between Kate Bush and a theremin, and his music sounds like early Flaming Lips and Robyn Hitchcock.

Enjoy this hidden gem of weird psych folk from the '80s!

Bobb Trimble - Harvest Of Dreams (1982; Bobb Records)

Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co (2003)

An album that lies at the intersection of "working class rock, white soul, swamp rock and outlaw country" (according to the one-sheet accompanying this record), Songs: Ohia has been native Buckeye-stater Jason Molina’s singular vision since 1996. His songs of love and hate on here are heralded as a major change for him both lyrically and musically, but ask him and he’ll tell you previous release Didn’t It Rain was the last Songs' record- he leaves behind the spare arrangements in favor of a bigger, fuller sound.

Either way, Molina is channeling the kindred spirits of Springsteen, Neil Young and John Cougar- blue collar country rock with an attitude; a shot and a beer with Jason and his road crew while Hank Williams plays on the jukebox at some hole in the wall in Skokie or Wabash. Guest vocalists Lawrence Peters (doing his best Merle Haggard impression) and Scout Niblett appear on two tracks right in the middle of the record; meshing with the material perfectly.

Oh, and it’s produced by Steve Albini himself, so…

Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co. (2003; Secretly Canadian Records)

Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights (1982)

Whoever said the '80s were a bad decade for music was totally full of shit. Yeah, there was some tragic fashions associated with rock n' roll and probably a little too much cocaine; plus the role of the synthesizer may have been a little overstated, but there was also a ton of fantastic music.

Often overlooked when talking about great guitar players is one Richard Thompson, the brains behind Fairport Convention as well as he and his wife Linda's wonderful (if too short) collaborative recording careers. I'll take I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight as their best record together, but this one has the honor of being their last together. After spending most of the '70s living in Sufi Islam communes around the world living a deeply spiritual life and trying to keep a music career going while trying to keep a marriage together, the strain proved to be too great a burden on the couple, as their relationship deteriorated sometime between the writing of and subsequent recording of this record (it's incorrectly considered a "break up" album; in fact 6 out of 8 of these songs were written in 1979- the title track is actually about the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan).

Richard's guitar work on sections of this record are quite magnificent (the title track is amazing); give it a listen and decide for yourself where the man fits with the Claptons and the Richards of the world...

Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights (1982; Hannibal Records)

Cass McCombs - A (2003)

Down-trodden, melodramatic and mildly stony hyperliterate piano-and-guitar driven indie folk-rock from Bay Area native Cass McCombs. 

What else do you need to know?

Cass McCombs - A (2003; Monitor Records)