20 August 2013 (Day 232) – Two Prolific Acts

It was just an ordinary day at work with sufficient time at my desk to play through two double desk sets. 

A two desk set usually means the release is either a compilation or some form of retrospective, a live album or an album resulting from a prolific fertile recording session.  The latter is usually a sign that quality control is gone to the wind and the acts concerned experienced difficulty is telling between the good stuff and the not so good.  Today’s albums, thankfully, do not fall into this latter category.  Instead we have examples of the other types brought out in 2011 to showcase  acts that otherwise have absolutely nothing else in common.

The first album is a relatively recent release by any artist whose record company has flooded the market with new material since his death.  Fortunately, he is one of my all time favourite acts.

(# 546) Johnny Cash – From Memphis To Hollywood Bootleg Vol. II (2011)

The Johnny Cash Bootleg series now runs to four volumes.  It does not appear to have been originally conceived along the lines of the labels acclaimed Bob Dylan series.  Indeed, the first volume a brilliant two disc set of home recordings titled Personal File, wasn’t even given designated as Bootleg Vol. I until a year or two after its original release.  So, in some ways, Vol. II is really the first volume in this series. 

And it probably would have made the ideal introduction.   This release is divided into two discs designated, “The 1950’s” (or as I suspect, "From Memphis") and “The 1960’s” (or, "Hollywood").  Disc 1 is absolutely sensational.  The opening 11 tracks is a complete recording of Cash’s first radio performance on Memphis’ KWEM studio in the afternoon of 21 May 1955.  It is also arguably his earliest live recording. This 15 minute show comes complete with theme music, Cash’s between track patter and advertisements.  Judging from the number of times he asks his audience to write in with suggestions of songs for him to perform, it is tempting to think that at the time, this was the height of his musical ambition.  But the compilers have cannily followed this with 14 demos, including classics such as I Walk The Line and Get Rhythm, that proves why the radio gig was to be simply a short stop in his career.  Some rarities from Sun records, including Goodnight Irene, complete the disc.

The second disc brings together 25 tracks from the Columbia vaults.  Now there is nothing wrong with most of the songs or Cash’s performances here especially when you’re dealing with material as strong as I’ll Remember You, The Johnny Yuma Theme and Dylan’s One Too Many Mornings.  The problem is that so many of the tracks are swamped by hideous Jordanaires or Ray Coniff Singers harmonies that simply make me want to hurl the disc out the window.  Why hide one of the great voices of the 20^th Century?

(# 547) Omar Rodriguez Lopez – Telesterion (2011)

A sticker on my jewel box case says it all.  “A crash course in the recordings of Omar Rodriguez Lopez – 37 standout tracks from 17 different albums on two CD’s”.  All of these albums were originally released between 2004 – 2010 and, incredibly, do not include any tracks from the albums he’s released as a member of At The Drive In and The Mars Volta.  There isn’t much that reminds you here of the former band but plenty of the latter.  It is, more or less, divided into different discs.  Disc 1 consists solely of ripping guitar based instrumentals which continue into the first few tracks of the second disc.  The remaining tracks all contain vocals, usually female and often in Spanish.  If you are a fan of The Mars Volta, don’t hesitate to dive in.   If not, this could be hard going.  Commercial it is not.