Otis Redding & Carla Thomas - Tramp (1967)

04/11/2022

Bonjour mes amis,

It’s all been a bit serious of late, let’s party!

What a roux for the gumbo we have here people.

Otis and Carla Thomas backed by one of thee best bands ever to walk this planet.
Headed by “The Colonel” Steve Cropper, the band of Brothers called The Mar-Keys included heavyweights Duck Dunn, Booker T, Al Jackson, The Memphis Horns et al.
Damn, only Motown could really hold a candle to those bad boys.

Y’all know my love of soul, Otis is my fucking man.
Closely followed by Levi Stubbs, but Otis floats my boat in this ‘ere moat by a two or three whiskers.
Slide in some Carla Thomas and this funky stew cooks on all gases.

Such a great song for someone who spends the entirety of it being dissed big time.
This is prime STAX, it oozes class even tho apparently according to Carla, Otis ain’t got none.
How wrong she was… but we know it was tongue in cheek.

So get the party started right you good people.
Light up, pour out some Rum or sour mash and get it on down

Power to the people!
Right on!
Right the fuck on!

Uptightandouttasight

You knows it
RH X

Buzzcocks - Love You More (1978)

30/10/2022

Hola Soundheadsamundo,

What can I say?
It’s a buzz,cock!
Possibly the greatest singles band ever, not diminishes some great albums but fuck me, Pete Shelley (RIP) could write sideways pop tunage like no other and this slab of lovearama is def in my top three.
It could be What Do I Get?, it could be I Don’t Mind, it could be Promises or the perennial party fave, Ever Fallen In Love…?
I know that makes five, but what’s two classic singles extra between friends?

So I’m going for this, this week because I think is the most autumnal or fall-like for our American friends… as in seasonal rather than Mark E Smith.

“Don’t wanna end up like no nine day wonder” pleads Shelley in another love poem supreme, and they are fucking poetic.
He was a poet, pure and simple.

And those guitars, boy oh boy!
Dammit, he and Steve Diggle… two chainsaws of buzzing love, felling hearts all over the place.

So boys and girls and anyone else who’ll listen, go get Singles Going Steady on the decks and spend the evening with hearts beating up love.

Make it so

RH X

Pere Ubu - Final Solution (1976)

22/10/2022

Welcome back Soundheads

A brief break and now back with a bang.

The Avant-Garage stylings of the ever great Pere Ubu, straight out of Cleveland.
I’ve been to Cleveland, you can understand why.

One of those bands you can’t pin down, the stamp of their authority made essential with the early proto punk, almost pre industrial singles before exploding into magnificent madness of The Modern Dance.

A slab of nascent anger and frustration, the revolt that ticks along like a time bomb, an outsider’s anthem of resentment, getting meaner by the second.
It always makes me think of Eraserhead, you can hear the machinery of the industrial midwest, the soot filled skies and bleak futures.

We’re in very very dangerous times my friends.
Let’s get fucking angry.

Love You More,
RH X

The Jesus Lizard - 7 Vs. 8 (1990)

30/09/2022

Hello Soundhead peoples

It’s snatch the B-side time again.
This blast of perfection being the flip of the first JL 7”, Chrome.

I loved Scratch Acid anyone that knows, knows a certain Mr David Yow is a fucking showman.
Granted, perhaps insane, but a live experience with him on board is a journey into lunacy matched by few.
So when his new crew came about, I was very excited.
Fun Fact : JL shared the bill with Loop at CBGB’s and they were incredible.
And right there and then, my fanboy man crush began with Duane Denison.
Whilst every other guitar player at that time were sprawling noiseacists, he was a one man Sherman tank of riffage perfection.
Just blasts of angular power nailed down tight and taut.
He stood out a mile and I still don’t think there is anyone that can touch him for that.
Watching him play, his movement is minimal, his hands don’t flail and you wonder how such little movement creates such a bone cruncher of power.
I don’t really have guitar heroes, but if I did, this man would be in my top five easily.

And this track, pretty much says all that and more.
And it also features one of the greatest breakdowns ever recorded, which hits at the 2m10s spot.
When that feedback wades into the sea of noise, I still get goosebumps to this very day.
Sublime.

They were a great band and still are when they tread the boards occasionally.
One of the best of that period.

It’s a beer n whisky powerblast, but if Yow was around, he’d have either drunk it or poured it all over himself.
Probably both.

Have good weekends peoples

RH X

Pharoah Sanders - Astral Traveling (1971)

24/09/2022

NOT SINGLE OF THE WEEK

But we’ve lost a genius,
RIP PHAROAH SANDERS

I don’t need to say anymore and if I do, I think I might not come out the other side.
This album means so much to me, for a gobby twat like me… I can’t actually put it into words.

Spread the love,

RH X