Doom & Gloom Dispatch #2
David John Morris, Robyn Hitchcock, Tortoise, Universal House of Prayer Trombone Shout Bands, The Velvet Underground
David John Morris - Wyld Love Songs
You may know London-based singer-songwriter David John Morris’ name from his Red River Dialect band, which released a few great/under-heralded records on Paradise of Bachelors. Wyld Love Songs is his second solo LP and it’s a wonderful collection of songs “where all kinds of particular affections and confusions appear.” Morris is an interesting writer, balancing sacred and profane concerns, finding moments of welcome humor amidst more spiritual matters. And while you might slot Red River Dialect in the folk-rock category, the prominent drum machine on the new one takes it in a somewhat different direction — kind of like a collab between the Incredible String Band and Young Marble Giants. A good thing! Get Wyld, friends!
Robyn Hitchcock :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Over on Aquarium Drunkard this week, you can read my Q&A with the great Robyn Hitchcock. I get slightly nervous before any interview, but I’ve been listening to Robyn for so long that his voice is almost instantly soothing. Amazingly, the last time I chatted with him for any lengthy period of time was 20 damn years ago. Have I been doing this for too long? Yeah, probably.
Anyway, I think the interview turned out well! We talked about the Queen, the Feathery Serpent God, Martin Carthy, Morris Windsor and much more. Robyn’s new one, SHUFFLEMANIA!, is a strong collection that seems to keep on growing on me the more I listen. I love this guy! Thank you for everything, Robyn.
Beyond SHUFFLEMANIA!, you can also check out my recent Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard Robyn Rarities/Deep Cuts Extravaganza via the Dublab archives. Some of it comes from the Hitchcock Patreon, which is chock full of goodies — he pretty much sends some interesting/otherwise unavailable music over to subscribers on a weekly basis. A necessary resource for Hitchcock heads!
Tortoise - Elsewhere, New York City, October 2, 2022
Over on Aquarium Drunkard this week, I raved about the new Jeff Parker album, Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy — I can’t recommend it highly enough! Hypnotic, groovy, sublime. As I note in the review, Parker is in the midst of a pretty extraordinary run, whether as an ace-in-the-hole sideman or all on his own. Amazingly, this streak doesn’t even include what is still the guitarist’s most high-profile gig in Tortoise.
But Tortoise is still a going concern — indeed, the band just went on a quick tour this fall. Several band members may be scattered from Chicago these days, but they sound extremely close-knit on this excellent NYC tape. High-energy, in fact, a descriptor that you might not always use when talking about Tortoise. The career-spanning setlist has something for everyone, whether it’s the thrilling opener “Gigantes” or the classic throwback to “Tin Cans & Twine.” Long live Tortoise!
And hey, you can still check out my TRTS-themed Invisible Hits column over on P-fork.
I Can’t Say A Word: Universal House of Prayer Trombone Shout Bands, As Seen On YouTube, Vol. 1
Stop the presses — the best archival release of the 2022 was just released. Except it’s not quite a “release” … it’s an extraordinary mix via your friend and mine Michael Klausman, who is an endless source of extraordinary mixes. Seriously, this one is mind-blowing. Bring on Vol. 2!
Klaus says: Very, very powerful music, spanning recordings made on camcorder in the 1980s to recent iPhone footage. Granted it’s all rather lo-fi or in-the-red, but I think nevertheless captures something of this music that is sort of lacking in the few studio recordings I’ve been able to find (as wonderful as they are). The more I sit with it, the more I think it’s one of the greatest American musical traditions ever created. Massive & rollicking group improv to deeply soulful hymns. The last track on this volume honestly nearly makes me want to weep. Enjoy.
The Velvet Underground - Music Hall, Cleveland, December 1, 1968
I don't know about the rest of you, but I never go much longer than a day without a little "Sister Ray." (Is that a Replacements lyric?) Now, I've shared more than my fair share of VU bootlegs over the years — but never this one!
The primary reason that it hasn't appeared on Doom & Gloom yet is that it makes the Professor Tapes sound like a Betty Board. You know what I mean. But I was revisiting it recently and this tape is not quite as lo-fi as I remember. I mean, it's still horrible quality, but the performance is amazing. And historic! The Velvet Underground opening for Canned Heat in December 1968?! In the middle of the afternoon?!! In Cleveland?!!!!?
Cleveland was, of course, a VU stronghold at the time. Just two months earlier, Doug Yule debuted with the band at La Cave, and even further back ... "Sweet Sister Ray." So yeah, even though they were the openers here, I'm sure there were plenty of fans in attendance. And though it's an abbreviated set, it's still awesome, with some previews of the then-unreleased third album, plus totally tasty dips into the back catalog. Is that a dog barking at Lou before "Pale Blue Eyes"? Not sure.
And then "Sister Ray" itself. Massive! I especially like the wild falsetto shrieks that Lou gets into towards the end. Was he about to do the Ostrich? Maybe he was, maybe he was.
And what about Canned Heat? Alas, I do not have a tape of their set. But you could get a good idea of what they sound like from this Fillmore East show just a few months later. For consistency's sake, it's a trashy audience recording, too. You're welcome!
Photo: Jeff Albertson
From The Doom & Gloom Archives
Bob Dylan - Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Colorado, April 6, 2000
Bob Dylan and his Roving Gamblers rove into Denver in the spring of 2000! This is a fun and friendly show, further solidifying my belief that the Campbell / Sexton / Kemper / Garnier lineup is the best of all the Neverending Tour bands. Maybe more than any other group Dylan has employed over the years, these guys sound very much like a band, as opposed to mere backing musicians, whether they’re rambling through country folk numbers like “Roving Gambler” and “This World Can’t Stand Long” (great harmony vocals from Sexton and Campbell on both) or choogling merrily on “Watching The River Flow” and a particularly nice version of “Tell Me That It Isn’t True,” which was getting a belated live debut on this tour.
An acoustic set highlight is a diamond-sharp “Desolation Row” (shout-out to the dude who yells “WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?” at the appropriate moment), and the almost sinister rendition of “Gates of Eden” is a pleasure too. The mix of the electric set is dominated by Sexton’s guitar, but hey, that’s OK – his sterling solos on “Blind Willie McTell” and “Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again” simmer and shimmer.
Choice Cut: The bouncy “Country Pie” that opens the electric portion of the show is a total treat – Bob never played with the Clarence White-era Byrds, but I think this is pretty close. What a fun slice of nonsense; can this song really have been written by the same guy who wrote “Like A Rolling Stone”?
Live Music Options in NYC, November 1972
Currently Reading: The Great God Pan and Other Horror Stories, by Arthur Machen