A playlist of songs that intrigued me from Sunday to Saturday. Week of 19 Jun 2022 to 25 Jun 2022.

WILT_2022-25

1. Haldern – Black Country, New Road
2. Snow Globes – Black Country, New Road
3. Cut End – Goth-Trad
4. Save Our Place – Solomon Fesshaye
5. Folsom Prison Blues (Live at Folsom State Prison, 1968) – Johnny Cash
6. The Long Black Veil (Live at Folsom State Prison, 1968) – Johnny Cash
7. Shadows & Light – Saudade, Chelsea Wolfe, Chino Moreno
8. Night in the City (Live) – Joni Mitchell
9. Crisis – Saudade
10. Chill of Death – Saudade, A.A. Williams, Lee “Scratch” Perry
11. Full Moon, Plat a Tree – Sly & Robbie, Roots Radics, Addis Pablo, Don Camel, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Marcus Urani
12. Alive – Together Pangea

Hyperlink to Spotify playlist: WILT_2022-25

Notes

I have about three hours left to publish this, so let’s see if I can get it right.

The week started with interesting albums recommended to me by Spotify. I selected Black Country, New Road’s Ants From Up There, thinking it might be something related to sludge metal or some form of electronic music. Read the bio of the band, and also became curious.

“The were declared ‘the best band in the world’ by The Quietus…”

I wasn’t expecting something that sounded like Silver Mt Zion, but here we are. The music is good. I’m not sure about the best. But it’s up there with good. Might check them more out in the future.

Also came across a Daily Mix that featured more electronic music. I think I was searching for such music at this stage in the week. Goth-Trad came early on, and that’s always a good time. I added Save Our Place by Solomon Fesshaye because the off-pitch synthesiser caught my attention, but the thumping bass drum sealed the deal.

I put on Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison album because I was looking in the mirror one day, and realised that it had been awhile since I actively tried to get better at any of the skills I had picked up along the way. One of them was guitar playing and songwriting, and that’s when I was also reminded of the goal I had once to be able to play and sing Folsom Prison Blues and Long Black Veil, two of my favourite songs performed by Cash.

From there, I stumbled upon this video of Johnny Cash performing Long Black Veil with Joni Mitchell, and I dare say it’s one of the most beautiful versions of the song. There’s a whole new perspective when a woman sings the third verse.

From there, I was reminded of Mitchell’s seminal work with bassist Jaco Pastorious and guitarist Pat Methany on the album Shadows & Light. I could not find it on Spotify, but there is an amazing concert caught on film.

However, it’s also from there that I discovered that there was a musical group known as Saudade, who also had a song called Shadows & Light. Because the word “Saudade” was referenced in last week’s playlist, this discovery at least elicited a listen. What greeted me was a surprise, because I was not expecting dark melodic grunge, courtesy of the bassist who collaborated with Chino Moreno (Deftones) on the project †††. I also learned that said bassist goes by the alias “Chuck Doom” who also claimed to be an early student of Jaco Pastorious. Who was the reason why I sought out Joni Mitchell’s Shadows & Light in the first place.

It was at this stage that the universe somehow decided to coalesce around me.

I figured I would listen to what meager offerings Spotify had on Joni Mitchell, but ultimately, I explored more on Saudade. I added Crisis because the introduction featured an arrangement on the fretless bass. For a moment, it was as if Jaco Pastorious found his way into the realm of rock. It is intriguing to say the least.

From there, another collaboration featuring Lee “Scratch” Perry surfaced. And that’s when I started being confused because, the Lee “Scratch” Perry I knew was a reggae guitarist. But they collaborated on the track Chill of Death, and here we are.

Still ever curious, I went to explore more of Perry’s discography, and that’s also when I came across Root Radics, and the brilliant Full Moon, Plant a Tree. The introduction is the stuff of legend, because that is the cough of of someone who just took an amazing drag and couldn’t keep it in. The guitar riffs are so subtle, but so evocative, and the bass playing is so purposeful, playing on the back beat, pushing you forwards as you chase whatever it is that you’re chasing. This might be one of my favourite reggae performances.

At this point, I was ready to wrap it up. But on a Saturday afternoon, my wife put on a playlist of her own, and that’s when I heard Alive by Together Pangea. The driving rock arrangement kisses rebellion on the cheek, and soon you’ll be fist-pumping the air with the abandon of whoo-oooh-oooh-ooooohs.