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I was sent a free issue of a new music magazine called Paste. Included was a mix cd with 23 cuts from various artists and groups most of whom I was not familiar. It has become one of my favorite cd's. Some highlights for me are: John Hiatt (Master of Disaster), Frank Black (I Burn Today), Stoll Vaughn (Sounds of the City) and the Brunettes (Mars Loves Venus).

Did any of you receive this? I'm still not sure how I got on the list. I'll bet a lot of you have more familiarity with these groups than I do. I'd heard of John Hiatt, but quite honestly outside of seeing the names of groups like Death Cab For Cutie and The String Cheese Incident, I didn't know them at all. I seldom listen to radio other than for sports so my exposure to new music is often limited. This was a really significant find for me.

Joe

Hi Joe....John Hiatt is one my favorite artists that I'd strongly recommend, especially since you liked a sampling of his music. I'd specifically recommend the album 'Walk On'. 'Master of Disaster' is his latest album that I have not heard very much so cannot give an opinion on it.

Thanks, Kush.

I went out last night and bought "Master of Disaster" as the music store didn't have "Walk On." From one listening, I know that I will like it very much. I also bought the latest Neil Young and Joan Baez albums.

"Master of Disaster" makes me think of Albert Collins. His was one of the best concerts, I've ever seen. I just happened to be in a club where he was performing. He billed himself as the "Master of the Telecaster." During the show, he had a really long cord on his guitar and the crowd followed him outside where he played on the sidewalk in front of the club. He had an amazing guitar style. The line in "Master of Disaster" is:

"And the Master of Disaster
Gets tangled in his Telecaster
He can't play it any faster
When he plays the blues."

Collins is dead now. I saw him one other time and it was one of the worst performances I've seen. Collins was drunk, incoherent and couldn't play very well that night. What a shame. A old friend and co-worker who was also a musician and had played in Kansas City where Collins was from, told me that was quite typical of Albert. My friend's group would open for him from time to time and agreed that when he was sober he was one of the best guitar players of all time.

Joe

Your post last night prompted me to listen to Master of Disaster CD again and I will listen to it more in the coming days. I'd bought it when it had come out but for some reason it got lost in the shuffle of new CDs and never got around to playing it much. Albert Collins is an unfamiliar name to me.....I checked out on Amazon and his guitar style has been compared to Son Seals who I am familiar with.
"drunk, incoherent and couldnt play very well" sounds like a very typical latter day Townes Van Zandt concert.

Master of Disaster has steadily grown on me the last few days. For some reason it didnt grab me when I first got it but I am really enjoying it now. The sound is perhaps more bluesy than others. Lyrically speaking, song for song I'd say Walk On is better. He may be running out of things to say.

There is also an amazing tribute of his finest songs 'Rollin into Memphis: Songs of John Hiatt' by various blues musicians. His songs are very amenable to blues interpretation. It is one of 3 tribute albums to him.

Kush,

I'm enjoying Master of Disaster very much. I'm sure I will try other albums by Hiatt. I thought that it was rather bluesy also and as a result would appeal to my wife, who listened to "Rolliing Down the Cumberland" and dismissed it out of hand (Her tastes tend more toward Janis Joplin and female blues singers). I'll have to find the album of Hiatt covers done by blues singers and try that with her.

John Hiatt's voice reminds me of Randy Newman for some reason.

Thanks for the tip. Have you heard any Frank Black or Stoll Vaughan?

Joe

Hi Joe,
Now you've given me more new names to pursue for the future. I did hear snippets of Frank Black....Stoll Vaughan seems to be quite elusive though.
I ought to thank you for renewing my interest in Masters of Disaster which was on threepeat on my car CD this weekend along with Zucchero and another one that I'd bought earlier but recently brought back to life - Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington - The Summit.
Yeah...Howlin' Down the Cumberland was initially a turnoff for me but I really like it now. Still havent gotten used to My Thunderbird but I love all the other songs on the CD.
I have two of the 3 tribute albums to JH and while the most recent one It'll Come to You - Songs of John Hiatt has all the big names (Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy etc ) it is the Rollin' into Memphis album that I find to be artistically superior. The biggest name on the latter album is probably Odetta who does a stirring version of Listening to Old Voices whose lyrics I had earlier posted on the Other Poetry Section. And there are a number of other female blues singers on it. You can hear snippets of it here...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... c&n=507846

This is so cool.....

Chinatown
Chasin' that old dragon down
Madam Wong's
We play the blues with the curtains drawn.

p.s. So it seems the title track in Master of D. is a little autobiographical....apparently JH used to play at a Madam Wong's in LA chinatown in his younger days.

Hi Kush,

I'm really enjoying John Hiatt and thanks for pointing out that line about Madame Wong's in LA. I'll look at the words a little closer now-as I've been playing it mainly in my car so it's hard to make much of the words.

I just received another issue of Paste with another cd that I haven't had the opportunity to listen to yet. Out of 17 or 18 songs, I don't think there is anyone that I recognize. I'll let you know of any interesting ones-though, I really hate to invest in a cd based on one song.

Joe

P. S. I forgot to mention that I looked at the Hiatt tribute albums and I will probably get "Rolling into Memphis." I really like both Cliff Eberhardt and Patty Larkin and I've not heard these covers of his work.

Hi Joe,
Just to let you know there is a new Hiatt Live CD & DVD - Live from Austin from the Austin City Limits series. I have the CD and its out of this world....the sound is very different from Master of Disaster....he creates a searing, scorching sound with a rock band and plays some his best known songs up until the early 90s. Very loud (after the 1st song which is a touching ballad Icy Blue Love).

Thanks, Kush-I'll be sure to pick it up. I'm still enjoying Master of Disaster. My daughter was home this weekend and looked at the Paste cd-her first comment was-"Oh, I love John Hiatt!"

Joe