Steven Sebring first met Patti Smith on a photo shoot for SPIN magazine in 1996 and after seeing her perform, approached her about making a documentary on all the aspects of her performing life. For 11 years he was granted unprecedented access to capture her life from her punk-icon roots in the '70s through the trials of daily life and untimely deaths that have formed her life and art. Smith tells the story of her early days in New York City, the people that were dearest to her, and her political causes. The film examines her poetry, spoken word, live performances, lyrics, interviews, paintings and photographs.
It screened as part of the recent Melbourne Film Festival with one screening in Sydney in the week of her amazing show at the Opera House. Includes cameos by Tom Verlaine, Philip Glass, Sam Shephard and Bob Dylan.
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Born in Oakland, CA, Steve Wold left home at 14 to a lengthy freight-train-hopping and migrant-working hobo lifestyle, before eventually ‘settling’ in Tennessee (via San Francisco, UK, Hawaii, Tennessee, Washington State and god knows where else – he married his Norwegian wife 25 years ago and they’ve lived in 56 different houses).
He spent much of the 90's recording and producing in Olympia, WA during the grunge boom working with bands like Modest Mouse and Murder City Devils . He became Seasick Steve fairly recently, so nicknamed after an ill-advised ferry journey. In his 60's, he received the Mojo Magazine Breakthrough Artist award .
With his " piece-of-shit three-string guitar" , Steve sings country blues songs of his downtrodden hobo days and is " king of the yarn and duke of the hot blues lick." . This is his third and best lp. Think Fat Possum, think Mojo Man.
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This has obviously been out for awhile but slipped under the radar. So often docos don't really deliver the goods and rarely warrant repeated views but this is an exception. In depth and fascinating interviews with Pete, Roger, Keith and John. The documentary is by Murray Lerner (director of The Other Side Of The Mirror: Bob Dylan At The Newport Folk Festival and Message To Love: The Isle Of Wight Festival ) and a wonderful mini-documentary co-directed by D.A. Pennebaker ( Don't Look Back ) captures a recording session from 2003, and footage of the High Numbers in a 1964 performance .
Lots of great concert footage make this essential. If you didn't grab it first time around jump on it now.
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Formed in 1975 by guitarist Jack Lee, bassist Peter Case, and drummer Paul Collins, the Nerves are one of the most influential garage/punk pop outfits to come out of the mid-70's LA scene, and certainly one of the least documented. This collection, authorized for the first time ever by the three band members, features the band's 1976 EP (now regarded as a power pop classic), as well as demos and previously unreleased live recordings, remastered and complete with notes and photos. They shared the stage with the Ramones and Mink Deville during their infamous US "Magical Blistering Tour," played the Punk Palace and the legendary Masque in Hollywood, and headlined shows with the Avengers, the Zeros, The Dils, The Screamers and Shock, to name just a few.
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Released in 1973, Stillpoint remains one of the most innovative and enduring progressive albums of the period. The two hit singles released from the album: "Goodbye Lollipop" (the first ever release on the Mushroom label) and "12-lb Toothbrush" (the monster crowd favourite), were balanced by the longer, psychedelic blues of album tracks like "Salmon Song" and "Listen To The Morning Sunshine"
Recorded in just six days, the lp highlights Madder Lake’s distinctive sound which was mostly due to the combination of Fettes unique (often effects laden) vocals, Mason’s understated blues-tinged guitar playing, the sparse yet effective use of McKinnon’s keyboards and the agile drive of the rhythm section. The Aztec deluxe reissue has been digitally remastered from the original tapes, is packaged in a 6 panel digi-pak, with a 24 page booklet and boasts 7 bonus tracks, including rare b-sides and live performances from Sunbury and Garrison.
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" A confused and shy individual, Charlie Parr plays original and traditional folk and Piedmont-style blues, accompanying himself on National resonator guitars, 12-string guitar and sometimes a banjo. He was raised in Minnesota, in a household that prized traditional American folk music and his style bears the influence of hours spent listening to country blues records and Smithsonian/Folkways field recordings; often in the garage.
Charlie Parr has failed at most things in his life. Music seems to have rendered him unemployable and is the only thing he’s ever done with any confidence. A lot of folks have been saying nice things about Charlie, despite the lingering odors and indecipherable comments he makes. It says a lot about folks; they’re hanging in there with him, in spite of himself." With this reissue of his 2002 lp , 40 year old Charlie is all set to become a household name. Join the ride.
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DVD / Vinyl News
DVDs
Just in and back in stock:
Dave Edmunds - Rockpalast 1983
Curtis Mayfield - Movin On Up
Sam and Dave Revue - Live In Germany 1967
War - Greatest Hits Live
Mink Deville - Live In Montreux
That Was Rock : The TAMI / TNT Show
Gladys Knight - In Performance 1968 - 75
Vinyl LPs
Radio Birdman - Radios Appear w/ insert
13th Floor Elevators - Psychedelic Sounds (Mono)
Beck, Bogart & Appice - Live In Japan ( orig. Japanese only vinyl )
Albert King - Albert Live 2lps - Killer !!!
John Mayall - Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton
Van Morrison - It's Too Late To Stop Now 2lp
James Brown - In The Jungle Groove 2lp
Townes Van Zandt - s/t
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Now Lookie Here!
Spotlight on Blues & R'n B
Willie Dixon - Part 1
In this first part on the life and times of Willie Dixon, Lee takes a look at Willie Dixon - The Performer.
The Early Days
As well as writing songs and selling 'em to local bands, the teenaged Dixon studied music under local carpenter Theo Phelps who taught him about harmony singing. He brought his bass voice to the Union Jubilee Singers, a group organised by Phelps, appearing on local radio. Eventually making it up to Chicago, he won the Illinois State Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship (!)
Guitarist 'Baby Doo' Caston, who'd been working out at the same gym, got together with Willie playing on street corners. Willie soon took up (stand-up acoustic) bass. Picking up some extra recruits, they recorded for Bluebird as The Five Breezes and by 1945 with guitarist Bernado Dennis (later replaced by Ollie Crawford) as The Big Three Trio. This following a stint in The Four Jumps of Jive and being banged-up for a year as a conscientious objector.
Around this time, Dixon also took part in late-night jam sessions featuring members of the growing blues-community, including Muddy Waters. Then when the Chess brothers (Phil and Leonard, owners of a club where Willie sometimes played) started a new label Aristocrat (later Chess) they hired him, initially as bassist on a 1948 session for Robert Nighthawk. For the next two years he worked regularly for them, even getting to record some of his own material, though seldom as the featured artist.
The 1960's
Chess gradually phased out Dixon's bass-work in favor of electric bass during the mid-sixties, thus reducing his presence at many of the sessions.
Fortunately this coincided with promoter Horst Lippmann's 'American Folk-Blues Festivals' where he'd bring over top US talent to tour the continent. Willie organised the musical side of these shows for ten years or more, recording on his own as well and seeing substantially more money than he had at Chess!
Late in the decade, he recorded for major-label Columbia an album of his best-known songs "I Am The Blues" and toured all over Europe on the strength of it. For the first time in his career, and by now into his fifties, Willie Dixon was a big name.
Later Years
Willie became the fist producer/songwriter to be honoured with a boxed set collection: "Willie Dixon - The Chess Box" (MCA) released 1988. He then published his autobiography written in association with Don Snowden - "I Am The Blues" (Da Capo).
He continued performing through this time, eventually losing a leg to diabetes, dying peacefully in his sleep early in 1992.
Lee (with some material sourced from Bruce Eder)
Selected Willie Dixon discs:
Poet of The Blues
Live In Paris (with Memphis Slim)
Willie's Blues (with Memphis Slim)
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If you are after anything on CD, DVD, or vinyl, email us at info@mojomusic.com.au
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Frank's Fave Rave
Don't Knock The Rock - DVD
Billed as Little Richard's farewell performance, this Granada TV show from 1964 also featured Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent and The Animals.
It was later used as a TV special on rock n roll and called " Don't Knock The Rock ". With apologies to Ike Turner, Little Richard is the baddest man in rock and he's on fire here as he whips the crowd into a frenzy. So great !! Only $20 !!!!
Amped Up Trailblazers
Hard Rock Gems from the late 60's and early 70's
Taste
Believe it or not, there were Irish guitar heroes long before U2's Edge. Exhibit one - Rory Gallagher - who rose to stardom in the late 60's in the blues-rock outfit Taste. Ok "train spotters" could rightfully name the fabulous Henry McCullough from this period as another "paddy" who gained a reputation as a guitar dude in 60's Irish band Eire Apparent, before he joined the under-rated and under-appreciated Grease Band -who were Joe Cocker's backing band for a year or so. The Greasers eventually went out on their own, recording a critically acclaimed debut album for the Harvest label. In 1972 McCullough joined Paul McCartney's Wings - to find some fame if not fortune. Although McCullough was a mighty player, he was a background guy - a "guitarists' guitarist" - content to be ever so tasteful and musical but not hog the limelight.. After his stint in Wings, he became an in-demand session musician. Rory Gallagher on the other hand, wasn't backwards in coming forward - he enjoyed being the "front man" in that he was the song-writer and vocalist of all the outfits he fronted. And of course, he enjoyed being the "guitar-hero".
Gallagher originally started Taste as a trio in Ireland in 1966 whilst he was still a teenager. He came to London in 1968 and picked up a new rhythm section - drummer John WIlson (ex-Them), and bassist Charlie McCracken (ex-Spencer Davis) - but still retained the name of Taste for this group. They started gigging, carving out a power trio blues rock format that had been so successful for Cream. The band was soon signed to Polydor and recorded two studio albums - Taste (1969) and On The Boards (1970).
The first album - Taste - has a rawness and energy about it that is endearing . It featured tunes that would become concert staples ie. "Same Old Story" "Catfish" and "Sugar Mama". Interestingly, there was a cover of Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On" - a country tune - thrown in for good measure. The album showed that Gallagher was no slouch with the guitar pyrotechnics and could grind out riffs to match the competition.
On The Boards was a much more polished effort - although it started with one of Gallagher's best rockers - "What's Going On" - there was a lot more variety on this album compared to the first - . throwing in ballads, bottle-neck blues, and jazzier influences - Gallagher even plays saxophone on the title track!!
By 1971 the band had split up as Gallagher sought to establish himself as a solo artist. To showcase the band 's live prowess - two albums were subsequently released - Live Taste! and Taste Live At The Isle Of Wight. Although the recordings are a bit rough - Gallagher's musicianship still shines through.
Rory Gallagher released a lot of albums as a solo artist - but he was always best in a live situation. Anyone wanting to checkout Gallagher's solo stuff should start with Live In Europe! and Irish Tour '74. As an artist, he was always true to his influences - the blues of luminaries such as Leadbelly, Muddy Waters and Albert King ( he recorded with the latter two in the 70's ). His trademark battered 1961 sunburst coloured Fender Stratocaster, in a way, symbolised the guy as being "real" - after all, he could have had guitar makers give him nice new shiny guitars for free by the dozen. In recent years, Fender guitars issued a Rory Gallagher Stratocaster model in honour of the man.
Gallagher had a profound influence on his fellow Irish natives. As an Irish friend of mine who grew up in Belfast recounted, when Rory Gallagher played a concert there, both Catholics and Protestants would go and see him united instead of fighting. My friend was inspired - like a lot of Irish kids - to take up guitar because of Rory Gallagher. U2's The Edge sighted Gallagher as a "huge influence".
When Mick Taylor left the Rolling Stones - rumor had it that Gallagher was head-hunted to join the band - such was his reputation as a guitar player. He was respected not only by his peers - including Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page - but also by newer generation players like Slash (Guns 'n Roses) and Johnny Marr (The Smiths).
Rory Gallagher continued to perform and record through the decades before he passed away in 1995 due to liver complications. He was 47 years old. The Dot Man.
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