domingo, 5 de fevereiro de 2012

Taj Mahal - The Natch'l Blues 1968

Taj Mahal's second album, recorded in the spring and fall of 1968, opens with more stripped-down Delta-style blues in the manner of his debut, but adds a little more amplification (partly courtesy of Al Kooper on organ) before moving into wholly bigger sound on numbers like "She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride" and "The Cuckoo" -- the latter, in particular, features crunchy electric and acoustic guitars and Gary Gilmore playing his bass almost like a lead instrument, like a bluesman's answer to John Entwistle. Most notable, however, may be the two original closing numbers, "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til Your Well Runs Dry)" and "Ain't That a Lot of Love," which offer Taj Mahal working in the realm of soul and treading onto Otis Redding territory. This is particularly notable on "You Don't Miss Your Water," which achieves the intensity of a gospel performance and comes complete with a Stax/Volt-style horn arrangement by Jesse Ed Davis that sounds more like the real thing than the real thing. "Ain't That a Lot of Love," by contrast, is driven by a hard electric guitar sound and a relentless bass part that sounds like a more urgent version of the bassline from the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'." The fall 2000 CD reissue includes a trio of bonus tracks: a faster-paced rendition of "The Cuckoo" with a more prominent lead guitar, the slow electric lament "New Stranger Blues" featuring some good mandolin-style playing on the guitar, and the rocking instrumental "Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine," which is a killer showcase for Davis' lead electric guitar and Taj Mahal's virtuosity on the harmonica. AMG.

listen here

3 comentários:

  1. You might remember that a while ago I gathered together all the tracks I could find from Arrival's first album and pieced it all back together. I have just played it for the first time since I did it and realised that it did not sound that great (not helped by the fact that my Bart Simpson email alert popped up during 'Take Me'). Using my limited editing skills I have remastered it and hope it sounds much better. Also, as the megaupload link is probably dead I have uploaded it to Mediafire. You can re-post if you like, so that people who got it the first time can get this better copy.
    http://www.mediafire.com/?cpa7j1klbhosb74

    Also, great to see the Sandie Shaw album. Got it a while ago and you have to admire her unusual choice of material, a few of which are surprisingly good.

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  2. hi PJ, of course, thanks a lot for updating it! tak care!

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