Line Out - Comments on Plainsong - In Search Of Amelia Earhart

Comment by Pecknold

Pecknold — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:38:24 -0800

I LOVE this record, I found it a few months ago. So good. It's amazing how many of the "lost gems" from the 60s/70s are actually worth listening to - the cream didn't always rise to the top, or the market was just too crowded or something. That Alan Stivell record you mentioned the other week is really great too - pretty "virtuoso" but that's not always a bad thing.

Have you heard Dorothy Ashby? I found a record by her called the Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby that blew my brains out - it's like, pastoral-ish jazz harp w/ amazing Japanese koto playing (both by Ms. Ashby), weird cosmic-religious lyrics, AND these crazyyyy soul beats and basslines. And sonically it's all incredible - those perfect loose 70's drum sounds and a really clean and present vocal w/ some reverb. Every song sounds like something the RZA would sample and have a huge hit with, but in this cool semi-"psychedelic" (boo to that word) context. I was pretty shocked!

Comment by GrMkLSk

GrMkLSk — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:35:45 -0800

That's a neatlooking album cover, almost like Corianton's artwork inside Every Scene Needs a Center.

My hands down fave person from Fairport Convention is Sandy Denny.
Cool post Terry, very grunge.

Comment by segal

segal — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:58:44 -0800

Have you heard Dorothy Ashby?

Yes. Also check out Afro-Harping.

"psychedelic" (boo to that word)

Nah, it's a perfectly fine word. Frequent misuse has cheapened it, but that's not the word's fault.

I was pretty shocked!

Ashby was on Cadet Records--the epitome of psychedelic soul (see Rotary Connection, Ramsey Lewis, Charles Stepney, Phil Upchurch). Get on down to Jive Time or Dusty Groove and catch up, son.

Comment by trent moorman

trent moorman — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:12:38 -0800

Yeah! Cool cover. Terry always has the best album art.

Comment by jz

jz — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:56:26 -0800

definitely digging this music. way to mine the gold, terry.

im prepping a story on citay, a band from SF playing the sunset on jan 18. "battle of evermore" by led zep + "fearless" by pink floyd=citay. 70s folk meets 70s metal in a modern studio w a lot of psychedelics. its very california and very, very good.

somehow all this stuff seems related to me.

Comment by Pecknold

Pecknold — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:00:29 -0800

Well, I just got put in my place.

Comment by Dougsf

Dougsf — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:31:54 -0800

Nice Terry! I actually never knew the narrative suggestion of that record until you mentioned it, and have gotten it back out since and enjoyed it that much more.

Comment by Eric Shea

Eric Shea — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:43:46 -0800

I love pretty much everything this guy has recorded, even the soft rock stuff like "Shake It" which kinda seems creepy when you hear it in the soundtrack for Little Darlings. Any idea why he changed his name to Iain Matthews later on?
Also, dig this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELVsWYC9_EA

Comment by segal

segal — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:21:55 -0800

@6
I apologize for the somewhat grouchy tone of my post, Robin. Most of it was written in the spirit of what I hope was helpful guidance.

Comment by jiff

jiff — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:41:05 -0800

Excellent album. Also try Pure & Crooked (1990) and Go For Broke (1976).

I once sat by Mathews at a Sonics game, '79. Nice guy. He lived in Seattle from '78 to '84 and played local bars in the power-pop band Hi Fi with David Surkamp (Pavlov's Dog) and Bruce Hazen, most recently with Billy Moon.