Log #161 - Tom's Industrial Years

Tom Waits is quite a difficult artist. In retrospect my tastes may have changed as I didn't enjoy this album as much as I remembered (house members overhearing the record likened Waits' strangled vocals to the sound of someone dying!). 

Franks Wild Years (officially no apostrophe although it only makes grammatical sense to have one) followed Swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs in what seemed a trilogy (indeed some characters reappear through the run although I'm not certain a theme or concept was intentional). Certainly in my mind the 3 albums each developed Wait's new "clanky industrial" style, each containing multiple short 2 minute sketches. 

Contained within this album, the 3rd, are certainly some classics like Hang On St. Christopher, Cold Cold Ground and Telephone Call From Istanbul, although the latter in particular is much more exciting on the live follow up album Big Time which drew heavily on Franks Wild Years.

Mojave was the third of ten albums from Boston "Alt-Country" band Willard Grant Conspiracy. The band were a revolving collective (like the "lesser spotted", at this blog, Lambchop) centred around singer Robert Fisher who sadly passed away in 2017.

The music is typical alt-country fayre; many tracks using the formulaic 3 or 4 chord slow acoustic guitar strum opening joined by portentous drums on the 9th bar. Fisher adds further gravitas with his hefty baritone. 

I'd probably be happy to leave it there, Mojave (1999) being my only WGC excursion, but I understand their best album is Regard The End (2003) and I've stumbled upon parts of Let It Roll (2006) which sound excellent. So, more to investigate.

I like what I've heard of Paolo Nutini. I'd written the name off prematurely as some teeny bopper but I then caught him on Jools Holland. He has a soulful voice (like James Morrison and Scott Matthews) with just that hint of gravel that makes it interesting.

That's all for this week folks. Full listing below:

Laura Marling Alas I Cannot Swim

Curtis Mayfield Love's Sweet Sensation

Paolo Nutini These Streets

Tom Waits Franks Wild Years
Willard Grant Conspiracy Mojave

Terry Riley Shri Camel

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Log #30 - Impressive Beards / Mixed Results

1. Willard Grant Conspiracy - Mojave
2. Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
3. David Sylvian - Dead Bees on a Cake
4. John Surman - Coruscating
5. Luke Vibert - YosepH
6. Arbouretum - The Gathering


The Willard Grant Conspiracy album is so so. I used to love this sort of laid back Americana stuff but now it sounds pretty middle of the road and very low key. Actually a bit depressing. The lead singer has one of those baritones popularised by The Handsome Family, Tindersticks and Nick Cave. Sadly on googling a meaning for Willard Grant (there wasn't one particularly) I learn that the lead singer died only this February and that wasn't his name.

Willard Grant singer Robert Fisher 1957 - 2017

I was surprised the band were still going actually. I saw them at our local Komedia venue many years ago, probably around the time (1999) of the Mojave album (which also has a pretty bleak cover) and they seemed jaded at the end of a long European Tour. I could see the drummer lying on the floor back stage before the band made their appearance.

Depressing imagery on the WGC album

Iron and Wine on the other hand really resonate with me. I came to them late when I saw beautifully bearded leader Sam Beam with full electric band at The Green Man Festival in Wales about 7 or 8 years ago. I thought they were excellent - superb musicians, great vocals, and powerful songs especially Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me. Later I read that diehard fans of Sam Beam were not so impressed with his switch to electric band from his acoustic roots. I've now caught up on the more solo emphasized earlier albums and they are excellent, but that doesn't detract from Kiss Each Other Clean this week's cover album.

Sam Beam, impressively bearded well before it became fashionable

Finally this week a return for Baltimore rock band Arbouretum who I was surprised to see are playing at a tiny venue in Brighton in June. Tickets secured and I hope for some tracks from this guitar laden Gathering album.

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