Remembering The Music of James Carr (13th June 1942 - 7th January 2001)

Yesterday was the 17th anniversary since the passing of one of the best soul voices ever. James Carr was a troubled man who struggled most of his days with drugs, drink, manic depression and bipolar, which of course made him very unstable alongside the pressures of recording and touring. He eventually left this world after a long fight with Lung Cancer in 2001 aged 58.

Stax Records had passed on him (obviously thinking that he was too similar to the voice they already had with Mr Otis Redding) and he ended up on Goldwax Records (a label set up by Doc Russell and Quinton Claunch in 1964) - a label that specialised in Southern Soul and Gospel Music.

There's loads of links down below so click on them to listen to more music from James Carr and for information regarding his life.

Prior to his first hit single, You've Got My Mind Messed Up/That's What I Want To Know (February 1966: R&B #7, Pop #63), James had released three singles also on Goldwax that set out his stall despite not gaining any major attention: Only Fools Run Away/You Don't Want Me (October 1964), I Can't Make It/Lover's Competition (February 1965) and She's Better Than You/ Talk Talk (September 1965).

Other minor hits followed on both the R&B Chart and the Pop Chart: Love Attack/Coming Back To My Baby (June 1966: R&B #21, Pop #99), Pouring Water On A Drowning Man/Forgetting You (September 1966: R&B #23, Pop #85), The Dark End of the Street/Lovable Girl (December 1966: R&B #10, Pop #77), Let It Happen/A Losing Game (May 1967: R&B #30, Pop #106), I'm A Fool For You/Gonna Send You Back To Georgia (August 1967: R&B #42, Pop #97), A Man Needs A Woman/Stronger Than Love (December 1967: R&B #16, Pop #63), Life Turned Her That Way/A Message To Young Lovers (July 1968: Pop #112), Freedom Train/That's The Way Love Turned Out For Me (October 1968: R&B #39), To Love Somebody/ These Ain't Raindrops (March 1969: R&B #44).

Ace Records and Kent Records have done a great job in keeping his music alive and last year Kent released a brand new Best of compilation which I have included below along with his 1967 Debut Album.

The song for which James Carr is most readily acquainted is of course The Dark End of the Street written by Dan Penn and Chips Moman. Whilst not his biggest hit of all his singles it has certainly been the most enduring of his rather short career. 

The song was written by Penn and Moman during a break from playing cards whilst at a DJ Convention in Memphis. Goldwax founder Quinton Claunch allowed the pair use of his hotel room with the stipulation that the song that they wrote would be given to James Carr to record. The song was written in about 30 minutes and the writers kept their word and James Carr was the first one to record the song. It has been covered by many folks down through the years but the James Carr version is by far the best version of it (in my thinking at least).

In 1991 Carr made a return to recording with the album Take Me To The Limit(ACE). He toured and played various festivals even around Europe during this time and then released his final album in 1993 with Soul Survivor (ACE). By the mid-1990's he was diagnosed with Lung Cancer and passed away in 2001 at a Memphis nursing home.

I still regard him as right up there with Otis Redding (and maybe just a notch above) as one of the greatest Soul Singers that we have ever had the pleasure of listening  to. I hope this post today gives you just a sense of the absolute wonder of his voice and the quality of some of those songs he bestowed upon us.

The Best of James Carr - James Carr
Kent Records
Released November 2017

The Vinyl version of the album has only 12 tracks whilst the CD version has 20, Your Love Made A U-Turn is missing off the Playlist as I couldn't find it on You Tube.

The Debut Album

You Got My Mind Messed Up - James Carr
Goldwax Records
Released 1967

Further Reading:

James Carr Way Out On A Voyage by Robert Gordon (1992).

Obituary written by Richard Williams for The Guardian.

Obituary from Rolling Stone Magazine.

Obituary from New York Times by John Pareles.

Soundtrack4Life: The Best Albums of 2017 - Honourable Mentions Part 1

I mentioned I was going to do a post highlighting a few of the Albums released in 2017 that are deserving of an Honourable Mention even though they didn't make my list of Top 20 Albums for the Year (You can find all of the links to that list at this link).

As I mentioned when I was putting that list together these are my personal choices and so they may not be the choices you would make. 

Like most of my listening throughout last year this group of albums are very diverse musically from each other. They are in no particular order of merit.

There are links below to a few tracks from each album where available.

Crooked Calypso - Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott

Virgin EMI Records

Released July 2017

Tracks To Listen To:

I Gotta Praise.

He Wants To.

If I May.

She Got The Garden.

The Fat Man.

Third Album from Paul + Jacqui and continues on from their first two with great pop tunes (this time with a bit of a funky/soul sound in places) alongside the sometimes humourous lyrics from Mr Heaton.

Velvet Magic - Devil's Witches

Cursed Tounge Records (Vinyl)

Forbidden Place Records (CD)

Golden Dawn Recordings (Cassette)

Released June 2017

Listen To The Album In Full Here.

I wanted to take a moment to point out this one because it's by a friend of mine in Glasgow. James Abilene plays pretty much everything on it as well as writing the songs. Much to his surprise the album really hit a nerve among the community who thrive on this Doom Metal, Stoner Rock and Psychedelia. The Album was a real success selling out Vinyl stocks and the Cassette release in a very fast time. The Vinyl has been reprinted a couple of times and I believe is getting repressed again. The CD stock also sold out. The album would also end up on Best of Lists in various Countries as it spread its wings to South America, USA and around Europe.

I wanted to apologise to James as well because I did promise him at some point last year I would try and get an interview with him for Soundtrack4Life but I failed miserably to get my act together to do it. I hope James this makes up for that just a little. I am so proud of you fella. 😀

Check out Devil's Witches at:

Bandcamp.

Facebook.

Kicking Up The Dust - Cast

Cast Recordings

Released April 2017

Tracks To Listen To:

Do That.

Paper Chains.

We have had to wait six years for a brand new Studio Album from Cast but the wait was worth it I think. The band still sound so brilliant. Kicking Up The Dust was their Sixth album (the first four were released between 1995-2001). Troubled Times (released in 2011) was a magnificent return for the band and this latest one further cements the case for Cast being considered as one of the finest bands to come out of Liverpool.

Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie - Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie

Atlantic/Warner Music

Released June 2017

Listen To Select Tracks Here.

The album was pretty much a Fleetwood Mac record only without any input from Stevie Nicks! Songs on the album were written by Buckingham (5 songs) and McVie (2 songs), with them co-writing Feel About You, Red Sun and Too Far Gone. The project was quiet a success with the album Debuting on the Chart in the USA at #17 and in the UK at #5. It was the best chart placing they both have had outside of Fleetwood Mac. It's a great pop record I think and it was great seeing Lindsey and Christine writing together again (it's been a long time since Tango of the Night!)

I have a few more albums that I believe are worthy of an Honourable Mention and I'll try and tackle them next time around.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany 17th June 2016

 

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
17th June 2016
Attendance 54,119

I seem to have missed this when it was first posted on You Tube back just before Christmas last year, so I thought I'd stick it up now, after all, somewhere in the world it's always BOSS TIME!

Watch The Complete Show Here:


Setlist
Prove It All Night ('78 Intro)
Badlands
Out in the Street
Sherry Darling
Two Hearts
No Surrender
Hungry Heart
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
Death to My Hometown
My Hometown (tour debut)
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Murder Incorporated
The River
American Skin (41 Shots)
The Promised Land
Working on the Highway
Darlington County
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
I'm on Fire
Because the Night
The Rising
Thunder Road
Land of Hope and Dreams

Encore:
Born in the U.S.A.
Born to Run
Seven Nights to Rock
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Shout

Encore 2:
For You (solo acoustic)

New Music 2018: Magic - Simple Minds

Due for release on 2nd February 2018 the brand new Studio Album from Simple Minds.

On 4th January 2018 they released the Promo Video for a track taken from Walk Between Worlds entitled Magic.

Magic - Simple Minds
Released 4th January 2018

S4L Radio Show 2018 Playlist #1

First Playlist of 2018 and as usual you'll find the sublime, the good, the bad, the down right ridiculous and maybe the "I wonder why on earth he included that, it's terrible!".

There's a little spotlight on some great singles that were released in early 1978 that were part and parcel of my Soundtrack4Life when I was 14 going on 15 years old. You might enjoy a few of them.

The Playlist

On The Playlist

Cry About The Radio - Mary Weiss.
It was Mary's birthday a few days ago (28th December) and so I thought I'd kick off this first Playlist of 2018 with a song about the Radio and a track from her album Dangerous Game.

Give Him A Great Big Kiss - Johnny Thunders.
The New York Dolls used to perform this cover of a song made famous by The Shangri-Las and Johnny when he was with The Heartbreakers and then solo continued performing it. This was on his Debut Solo Album So Alone released in 1978.

Train From Kansas City - Shop Assistants.
Another cover of a song recorded by The Shangri-Las as a B-Side to their 1965 single Right Now and Not Later. Edinburgh's Shop Assistants included it on their Debut Album.

Past, Present and Future - The Shangri-Las.
One of my favourite songs from The Shangri-Las was their 1966 single Past, Present and Future. It only reached #59 on the US Charts.

Goodbye December - Nervous Passenger.
Even though it's an old song now it still resonates for me come the start of every new year. Nervous Passanger were an Edinburgh based band and Neil Alton was the vocalist. Still sounds great and hopefully you'll find something of yourself in the song.

Two Rivers (Live in Glasgow 2017) - Mike Peters and The Alarm.
Opening track from the second album release of 2017 by Mike Peters and The Alarm, Viral Black. I was not totally bowled over by either album (Blood Red was the other one) but there were a few songs on each that impressed me.

Love In Hard Times - Jars of Clay.
Taken from the Double Disc album 20 which was released to celebrate the band's 20th Anniversary.

How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live - The Del Lords.
Don't know much about this lot but was quite taken with their cover of Blind Alfred Reed's 1938 classic How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live. The song has been covered by many down through the years including UB40, Ry Cooder and Springsteen with his famous dedication to "President Bystander" (George W. Bush).

Songs which got a release in 1978

Rich Kids - Rich Kids.
Glen Matlock former bassist for the Sex Pistols had a new band and they released their debut single 13th January 1978. Also in the band was Midge Ure who had departed PVC2 not long after their Debut single Put You In The Picture was released. PVC2 would go on to become The Zones.

What Do I Get? - Buzzcocks.
 Second single on United Artists for Manchester's finest. Almost didn't get a release due to problems at the pressing plant who objected to the B-Side! Released 20th January 1978.

Shot By Both Sides (Live on So It Goes) - Magazine.
Howard of course had been a member of Buzzcocks but departed not long after the Debut Spiral Scratch EP. He returned with a cracking band.

No Time To Be 21 - The Adverts.
Fourth single and third label (Stiff, Anchor and now Bright, they would be on another label later in the year!) for The Adverts saw the release of this little beauty 20th January 1978.

I Am The Fly (Peel Session) - Wire.
The single, the band's second, was released in February 1978 but the Peel Session version was recorded in January 1978.

Safety Pin Stuck In My Heart - Patrik Fitzgerald.
Not quite in the same league as John Cooper Clarke when it came to poetry but Patrik managed to put out some fairly decent records in his time including this one which is the title track of his Debut EP released on Small Wonder 27th January 1978.

 
 
5 Minutes - The Stranglers.
Fifth single from The Stranglers and a non-album track released 27th January 1978.

Emergency - 999.
Second single from 999 on United Artists and was released 13th January 1978

The Home Stretch

Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra).
This one was released last year and in 2018 there is going to be a tour with The Big O appearing as a Hologram! Not totally sure what to think of that but the album was quite outstanding and incredibly fresh sounding considering the age of most of the songs that were featured.

 
 
Shadow of a Doubt (Live on Fridays) - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
This one is for all who are still coming to terms with the loss of Tom Petty in 2017. Taken from the album that really did raise the bar for him and The Heartbreakers and sent him into the big leagues.

Be More Kind (Live at Cambridge Folk Festival 2017) - Frank Turner.

It's only the second day of the year but you probably have broken every resolution you made on Day 1! But here's one that is really worth keeping hold of throughout this year and infact for the rest of our lives. Frank Turner every now and again writes a song that spotlights what's going on in the world and what our response to it should be. This latest one I think is one of his finest.

Here's the lyrics in full.
 
 Be More Kind
Written by Frank Turner

History's been leaning on me lately
I can feel the future breathing down my neck
And all the things I thought were true when I was young, and you were too
Turned out to be broken, I don't know what comes next

In a world that has decided that it's going to lose its mind
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind

It seems like everybody's raising walls now
Like hackles raised upon a cornered cat
On the borders in our heads between things that can and can't be said
We stopped talking to each other and there's something wrong with that

So before you go out searching, don't decide what you'll find
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind

You should know you're not alone
Trouble comes and trouble goes
How this ends no one knows
So, hold on tight when the wind blows

The wind blew both of us to sand and sea
And where the dry lands stands is hard to say
As the current drags us by the shore we can no longer say for sure
Who's drowning, or if they can be saved

But when you're out there floundering, like a lighthouse I will shine
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind
Like a beacon reaching out to you and yours, for me and mine
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind
In a world that has decided that it's going to lose its mind
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind

The Parting Shot

We're Coming Back - Cock Sparrer.
The Kings of Oi and Street Punk Cock Sparrer have done a lot of great songs in a career that has spanned more than 40 years and this one is a real favourite of mine from their Shock Troops album in the early 80's.
The Bouncing Souls also covered the song on a Split Album with Anti-Flag and was also included on The Worldwide Tribute to The Real Oi! Volume 2.

"We're Coming Back"
We're coming back, we're coming back
We're coming back to you
We're never gonna go away again
Hold on a little longer, try a little harder
'Til we're arm in arm together to the end

[Chorus]
So remember, out there somewhere
You've got a friend, and you'll never walk alone again

Don't get worried, don't get scared
We're fighting to get there
Never doubt we're gonna get through
We're gonna run, we're gonna crawl, kick down every wall
It won't be long we're coming back to you

[Chorus]
So remember, out there somewhere
You've got a friend, and you'll never walk alone again 

We're coming back, we're coming back
We're coming back to you
We're never gonna go away again
Hold on a little longer, try a little harder
'Til we're arm in arm together to the end

 
[Chorus]
 So remember, out there somewhere
You've got a friend, and you'll never walk alone again
 

See you again soon, have a great 2018!

Full House (The Very Best of Madness) - Madness (November 2017)

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Full House (The Very Best of Madness) - Madness
Union Square Music
Format: 4LP set or a 2CD set
Released 17th November 2017

(CD Back Cover)

Tracklist for 4LP Edition
A1 The Prince    
A2 One Step Beyond    
A3 My Girl    
A4 Bed And Breakfast Man    
A5 Night Boat To Cairo    
A6 Madness

    
B1 Baggy Trousers    
B2 Embarrassment    
B3 The Return Of The Last Palmas 7    
B4 Grey Day    
B5 Shut Up

    
C1 It Must Be Love    
C2 Cardiac Arrest    
C3 House Of Fun    
C4 Driving My Car    
C5 Our House 

   
D1 Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)    
D2 Wings Of A Dove    
D3 The Sun And The Rain    
D4 Michael Caine    
D5 One Better Day

    
E1 Uncle Sam    
E2 Yesterday's Men    
E3 (Waiting For) The Ghost Train    
E4 Sarah's Song (From the Musical Our House)   
E5 Lovestruck

    
F1 Johnny The Horse    
F2 Drip Fed Fred    
F3 Simple Equation (From the Musical Our House)    
F4 Girl Why Don't You (From The Dangerman Sessions Vol. 1)

    
G1 NW5    
G2 Dust Devil    
G3 Forever Young    
G4 Sugar And Spice    
G5 My Girl 2    
G6 Never Knew Your Name

    
H1 How Can I Tell You?    
H2 Misery    
H3 La Luna    
H4 Mr. Apples    
H5 Can't Touch Us Now    
H6 Another Version Of Me

On the first day of the New Year I wanted to kick off the blog with some bouncy, happy and snappy pop tunes and have turned toward an album that was released in November 2017 and is basically a compilation of the Singles, a couple of B-sides, and some additional tunes from the songbook of that Great British Institution known as Madness.

It seems customary that every couple of years or so that yet another Compilation from Madness appears on the scene. Full House (The Very Best of Madness) released in November was actually the sixth Compilation released by Union Square since 2009!

I usually frown upon bands/artists who seem to continually rehash their back catalogue for an endless stream of Greatest Hits albums but Madness are such loveable rogues that I can't bring myself to do that as everytime I hear a song of theirs it turns that frown upside down! 😀 

Tracks are taken from all parts of their history including the latest Studio Album that was released in 2016, Can't Touch Us Now.

May I take this opportunity to wish one and all a Happy New Year ahead. I trust that for those who had a bad one last year that better days will come your way. For those dealing with health issues that some healing might come your way. For those dealing with loss may comfort come.

So, I hope you enjoy this post, it is indeed the "Nuttiest Sound Around".

Previous Compilations are:

 Complete Madness (Stiff 1982)
Madness (Geffen 1983 US and Canada)
Utter Madness (Zarjazz/Virgin 1986)
Its...Madness (Virgin 1990)
It's Madness Too (Virgin 1991)
Divine Madness (Virgin 1992)
Total Madness (The Very Best of Madness) (Geffen 1997 US and Canada)
The Heavy Heavy Hits (Virgin 1998)
Complete Madness (Union Square 2009 Reissue)
Total Madness (Union Square 2009 not the same as the US album from 1997)
Ultimate Madness (Union Square 2010)
Forever Young: The Ska Collection Union Square 2012)
The Very Best of Madness (Union Square 2014)

A Personal Word on the Last Day of The Year

(There will be links to various things throughout this post so click on them to enjoy music and further information. Cheers for reading this blog in 2017. - Doug at S4L)

I trust that all of you who visit Soundtrack4Life have had a good Christmas and I apologise that I have not been on the ball enough to even offer up any seasonal music or even a Christmas Greeting to you. On this last day of 2017 I wanted to look back a little bit over the year on the blog and then try and look forward a little to what 2018 might bring us.

For the first time since 2011 I managed to post less than 200 blogposts which I am a little disappointed by as I had begun 2017 with some high hopes for this blog but it didn't quite pan out as I had thought due to various issues that I will mention as we go on through this piece.

One of the things you would have noticed on the blog is that some of the earlier posts from this year and also from the archives is that a lot of pictures are missing. This was due to a problem with Photobucket where I ended up losing my previous account and therefore thousands of pictures that were personal and also used for the blog. I have tried in a few places to rectify this but it is such a labour intensive task that I fear I must just let it be! The same goes for dead links etc I have been able to update some but going back over a decade of posts is a tough job and takes so much time and I was able to redo a few under the banner of Rewind or Revisiting...

Throughout the year there have been a number of series running:

 Looking back to 1977 with the series 40 Years of Punk and New Wave.  

The continuing series 45RPM .

A Short Lived Music is The Answer Series.

The S4L Radio Show Playlist Series.

and The Best of 2017 Series.

As is the circle of life we said goodbye to a few musicians who have had an impact upon us down through the years: Mike Kellie (The Only Ones), Overend Watts (Mott the Hoople and Producer), Chuck Berry,  Fats Domino and Tom Petty, to name but a few.😢

Continuing with that subject: Personal loss was also something that came this year as on the 28th December as my Mum passed away after a long battle with cancer. 😢 I had said over on Facebook that I attribute to my Mum my love of all kinds of music and whilst she did not always approve of my musical choices and purchases but I think she would have been proud to know just how her own love for music had made an impact in my own life.

As for health matters, that has actually played a huge part in not always being so active on the blog. I got diagnosed with Epilepsy earlier in the year and went through a period where I was having a number of issues relating to that and it meant that I was finding it difficult to think and give the time to writing that I really wanted to (sometimes a piece can take between 2-5 hours to prepare and my brain was struggling to focus for such long periods and so I didn't get around to posting half the stuff that I wanted to). This diagnosis of course had the knock on effect of meaning that going to gigs is something that I have had to cut back on even more (I haven't really been out to many shows in the past few years due to other health issues that I won't trouble you with at this time!). In February this year I attended The Gathering down in Wales for a weekend of music by Mike Peters and The Alarm and also went to see Stiff Little Fingers at the Barrowlands in March with friends who had come up from down South. I found both to be a bit of a struggle for me, what with all the flashing lights etc and therefore came to the decision that my gigging days would have to come to an end until I can get some control of my epilepsy issues. 

Whilst this is discouraging it hasn't dampend my love for music one bit and over 2017 I have tried to spotlight some new music as well as the old. The lights have been shone upon new albums/videos from Dropkick Murphys, Alison Krauss, Rhiannon Giddens, Ruts DC, John Mayall, The Darling Buds, Paramore, The Primitives, The Alarm, Blondie, Die Toten Hosen, Little Steven, Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie, Quatro, Scott and Powell, Henry Priestman and Les Glover, and of course many more that can be found in The Best of 2017 Series.

As for the Old, I have posted such a diversity of musical sounds that I scarely know where to begin. There was Janis Joplin,  The Waitresses, Dr. Feelgood, David Bowie, MC5, Keith Hudson, Slade, Stiff Little Fingers, Patti Smith Group, Evanescence, Johnny Moped, Bruce Springsteen, The Photos, The Cult, Ramones, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, The Damned, The Waterboys, and many more.

One of my favourite posts of the year would be from January as part of the 45RPM Series spotlighting a single that I had never heard of before but it brought out a level of musical anorakness in me that had me smiling for ages. The particular post was on The Snakes and their cover of The Flamin' Groovies' song Teenage Head.

What about the way ahead? Well in 2018 I will try my best to post as often as I can and offer up the best old and new music that I enjoy as well as trying to continue with the S4L Radio Show Playlist and a few other things. It might not be everyday that I post but I do hope that you will come back from time to time to check in and enjoy some music.

Thank you to the many who continue to revisit this blog. I am always amazed when I discover visitors from all across the world accessing this little place of musical respite and I trust that you will continue to maybe find something old and something new that thrills you and enriches your own love for music.

I wish you well for 2018 and in the words of Mr Springsteen I offer up this little verse that seems like a good parting shot for the year that has passed:

Land of Hope and Dreams

Live in Perth, Australia 2017

Words Ripped From A Soul Still Bleeding - Billy Lamont (2017)

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Words Ripped From A Soul Still Bleeding - Billy Lamont

Infinity Publishing

Published 13th November 2017

I am not a literary mastermind by any stretch of the imagination (you only have to check for the bad grammar, poor punctuation and no doubt dubious spelling on this blog to confirm that! 😀) and I'm probably not that great at writing reviews (Amazon recently refused to publish one of mine because I didn't stick to their script), but if there is one thing I know and that's Poetry! Not like Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, Byron, Dante etc (I'm not that well educated you know but I have read more books than a certain sitting President! 😉)

Okay, so the Poetry I happen to know about often has a musical backing but hey it's still poetry! (You can understand why Amazon refused to post a review of mine because I've already departed a little from the subject!) Billy Lamont sometimes has musical backing so therefore I can say with all honesty that I am really trying hard  to stick to the script!

New York Still Has Its Poets!

New York is known for its Poetry. Take Dion and the Belmonts - that was the poetry of the street corners in The Bronx infused with Doo Wop Harmonies. Take Lou Reed (Brooklyn) and you have the poetry of the dark alley with street hustlers trying to make a dime, all to the tune of some crazy psychedelic beat. Take Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (both from Queens - though Simon was born in New Jersey, another place that's loaded with Poets!)  and you have a more graceful type of poetry that was a bridge over troubled water or a sign written by the prophets on the subway wall. Take the Ramones (Forest Hills, Queens), especially Joey and Dee Dee, and there you have the poetry of dysfunction, the poetry of love, and all done at break-neck speed! I could add to that Patti Smith (though born in Chicago she developed as a Poet and a songwriter in Manhattan and Billy will be pleased I listed her as she's one of his favourites!) and Allen Ginsberg (another New Jersey born guy who ended up in East Village, Manhattan), though strictly a Poet he has dabbled with musical forms from time to time. I don't have time to say anything about Willie Nile (Buffalo, New York) and Jesse Malin (Flushing, Queens) except to say they are worth checking out also (C'mon Doug, get to the actual subject of this post!)

Then there's the Poetry of Billy Lamont (see, we are back on track now! 😉). Sometimes set to music (as I mentioned above) - but not always. He has recently published a brand new book of Poetry called Words Ripped From A Soul Still Bleeding (even the title sounds so Poetic). A fascinating piece of work it is as well.

On almost every page you read the words and they flow with great passion and find themselves beating in time to the drum of the human heart. It wouldn't seem out of place to shout like Dee Dee Ramone before the start of each Poem "1-2-3-4"!

This new collection touches all spheres of life as we know it from the social world to the political world, the enviroment, to things we can see with our physical eyes to the things that we can only see with the eyes of faith. There is poetry to be found in every place. It's like he says in the opener Hero or Villain Of My Villanelle, "Poems bleed from my veins like ink from ink wells".

Spirituality to Billy Lamont is like breathing and poetry, very hard to separate them. I commend Billy Lamont for being part of that great unbroken chain of New York Poets and if these poems are anything to go by then there will be more to follow. All I can say is, "Billy, don't get that soul wound sown up yet!" 

The book is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and can probably be ordered from your local bookstore.

Soundtrack4Life: The Best Albums of 2017 - #01 ?

Just before we launch into what my choice for the #1 spot is on the The Best Albums of 2017 is I thought just incase you have missed the previous 19 (where have you been? 😁) I would post links for all of them just so you can look back in either astonishment at some of the choices or bewilderment that I hadn't included something you liked (well stick a comment in and tell what your favourites are, how else am I meant to know these things! 😉).

The Best Albums of 2017

(according to Soundtrack4Life just to say so if it is disagreed with 😉)

20 After Laughter - Paramore.

19 Not Dark Yet - Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer.

18 Freedom Highway - Rhiannon Giddens.

17 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory - Dropkick Murphys.

16 The Punishment of Luxury - OMD.

15 Unpeeled - Cage The Elephant.

14 Witness - Benjamin Booker.

13 QSP - Quatro, Scott & Powell.

12 How The West Was Won - Peter Perrett.

11 Southern Blood - Gregg Allman.

10 A Big Bad Beautiful Noise - Godfathers.

09 Pollinator - Blondie.

08 If All I Was Was Black - Mavis Staples.

07 Under Cöver - Motörhead.

06 Savage (Songs From A Broken World) - Gary Numan.

05 All American Made - Margo Price.

04  Olympiastadion, Helsinki July 31, 2012 - Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band.

03 Under Stars - Amy Macdonald.

02 The Nashville Sound - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

 

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Way back on 4th June I wrote a piece for the blog on this album (which you can read here). I concluded it by saying, "The album gets a big👍from me and is one of my favourite releases so far this year!"

 

That sense of excitement about it never left and here we are on 21st December announcing it as the #1 pick of the year! I won't really say anything more about it because in the original post from June I think I said what I needed to say and I stand by it.

 

All I will say is that 2017 has seen some really great albums released (quite a few that never even reached my Top 20 but I will be doing a post to spotlight some honourable mentions next time) and I am delighted to announce this as what I think is the best of the crop (and remember it's my personal choice, you will probably think there is one better).

#1

 Soulfire - Little Steven
Wicked Cool Records/Universal Music Enterprises
Produced by Steven Van Zandt
Released 19th May 2017

  Tracklisting and Songwriting Credits
1 Soulfire 4:34 - Written By – Anders Bruus, Steve Van Zandt
2 I'm Coming Back 4:17 - Written By – Steve Van Zandt
3 Blues Is My Business 6:23 - Written By – Kevin Bowe, Todd Cerney
4 I Saw The Light 4:25 - Written By – Steve Van Zandt
5 Some Things Just Don't Change 4:03 - Written By – Steve Van Zandt
6 Love On The Wrong Side Of Town 3:52 - Written By –Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt
7 The City Weeps Tonight 3:30 - Written By – Steve Van Zandt
8 Down And Out In New York City 6:27 - Written By – Barry De Vorzon, Bodie Chandler
9 Standing In The Line Of Fire 4:33 - Written By – Gary Anderson (Gary U.S. Bonds), L. Anderson, Steve Van Zandt
10 Saint Valentine's Day     5:20 - Written By – Steve Van Zandt
11 I Don't Want To Go Home 4:20 - Written By – Steve Van Zandt
12 Ride The Night Away 5:20 - Written By – Steve Jordan, Steve Van Zandt

 

  Personnel
Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Stevie Van Zandt
  Backing Vocals – Audrey Martells, Cindy Mizelle, Elaine Caswell, Lajuan Carter, Martha Redbone, Tawatha Agee, The Persuasions (tracks: 7, 11)
    Baritone Saxophone – Ed Manion
    Bass – Jack Daley
 Drums – Rich Mercurio
    Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar,  
       Organ, Piano, Strings – Andy Burton
    Percussion – Daniel Sadownick
    Piano – Clifford Carter
    Tenor Saxophone – Steven Salcedo
    Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Stan Harrison
    Trombone – Ian Gray (track 8), Michael Davis
    Trumpet – Don Nissenbaum, John Martin, Kent Smith, Steve Jankowski 

 Violin, Viola – Jonathan Dinklage

 

 Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul

23 September 2017 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY