Tag Archives: ramblinjackelliot

Random Record Recap

Random Record Night: October 7 Recap

I spent pretty much all afternoon locked in the kitchen brewing beer, cooking chili, and baking bread. Cooking when it’s hot is THE WORST. Cooking in the cool autumn weather with the backdoor open is THE BEST. While I did all that, I was listening to these:

Sharon, Lois & Bram, Live in Concert with the Mammoth BandSharon, Lois & Bram, Live in Concert with the Mammoth Band

When I pulled this out, I thought to myself, “Shit, another children’s record. I’ve had TOO MANY of those lately.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I love them, but, enough is enough, okay? They all start to sound the same after a while. The farmer is in the dell, I GET IT. But, this one was different. This record was fantastic. So many great songs on here. I don’t remember listening to this type of thing as a kid, but I feel like maybe, at some point, I did and it sunk in and I stored it way back in my brain for some other point in my life. Also, the album cover is just ridiculously nice to look at.

Buddy Holly Lives, The Crickets 20 Golden GreatsBuddy Holly Lives, The Crickets 20 Golden Greats

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like Buddy Holly. Or, I don’t understand him. Or, I’m not sure. It’s something. There’s something about him that I just don’t get. But this album kind of laid it all out there for me and he started to make a little more sense. So, maybe I’ll come back to Buddy Holly and really attempt to hear him and figure him out. Maybe he does live? Maybe he’s living in a coach house in Seattle with Elvis RIGHT NOW. (By the way, Elvis is someone else that I don’t really understand. Yeah, I know. I’m THAT GUY.)

Monitor Presents Jack Elliott: Ramblin’ CowboyMonitor Presents Jack Elliott: Ramblin' Cowboy

This is one of those albums that I own and I have a feeling it should probably be LOCKED AWAY in a vault somewhere because it’s WORTH SOMETHING and I should not let a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old climb on top of the crate that it’s stored in. But, I don’t worry about that type of thing. It goes around and it plays songs that Jack said and I feel like he’s there with me. And that’s all I need it for. “What are you saying, Jack? Oh, I see. Yeah, I know. Yeah, that’s true.” I understand Jack Elliott and I also don’t understand him at all, but want to keep trying to figure him out. Look at him leaning on that guitar case. It’s some photo shoot that he was probably a part of. What do you think he’s got spinning around under his hat while the photographer is trying to snap his picture? I wonder. I wonder. Do you think the photographer had an easy time at that session? I wonder that too.

Hansel and GretelHansel and Gretel

This four-record album is three records too long. I am probably just not HIGH TONED enough to listen to opera music, even when the lyrics are inexplicably in English. It’s boring to me. Although, I will say, it made for soothing background music. I found my mind eased. My shoulders relaxed. My forehead unfurrowed. So that’s something, perhaps. (Note: I had a college roommate who said PERHAPS in almost every sentence that he spoke. PERHAPS he had some sort of issue? Or, PERHAPS he didn’t know what the word PERHAPS meant? PERHAPS he should have slept less and gone to more classes? PERHAPS he shouldn’t have worn that New York Yankees hat every single day? PERHAPS.)

Random Record Recap

Random Record Night: September 28 Recap

Oh, hey, look at this here. I guess I do other stuff than just sit around feeling sorry for myself and popping pills. Sometimes I brew beer and listen to vinyl records that I pull out of my stacks randomly. And then I write about how they made me feel. And I call it a Random Record Night Recap.

I’m working through my whole collection of vinyl in this way. Conversations in my house about Random Record Night sometimes go like this:

Wife: “Random Record Night is cool and all, but, tonight, can we just listen to some records that we DON’T pick out randomly?

Me: No.

So here we go:

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Young Brigham
Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Young Brigham

Ramblin’ Jack is kind of the reason that I play guitar and sing the way that I do. When I first started performing, I sang out of the side of my mouth like him. I tuned my guitar a half step down like him. (DON’T DO THIS. People HATE it when they pick up your guitar to play a song and can’t figure out what’s wrong.) I even wore a cowboy hat for a brief amount of time. (I don’t like to admit this because I am not a cowboy AT ALL.) Ramblin’ Jack is just fantastic. This record isn’t the best one of his that I own, but it’s still pretty good. Maybe it’s his most “commercial,” but I don’t know what that really means. It’s not a recording done on a boat in the English Channel. But not everything can be that.

Uncle Dave’s 78rpm Nostalgia Party #3
Uncle Dave's 78rpm Nostalgia Party #3

Look at the cover of this. That’s the type of music it is, okay? I don’t know any other way to explain it. Get all dudded up. Invite over some of your dudded-up friends and sit around in arm chairs in front of an old Victrola player. This is the music that will come out. You and your friends will enjoy it. You will remember that night FOREVER.

Early Early Childhood Songs with Ella JenkinsEarly Early Childhood Songs with Ella Jenkins

Here’s a kids music vinyl. This is Ella Jenkins playing a bunch of old tunes on banjo, guitar and harmonica on one side. And then doing the same thing on the other side, except with a bunch of kids in the room. Lots of idle chatter on this record. Only reason I’m not a fan of that is because when I’ve got a big kettle of beer brewing I can’t always hear what they’re talking about. So I’ll hear things like, “Oh yes, oh yeah, yes. Mama gonna do that right now. Get the barbecue hot!” And then a song starts. Hmm.

Nat “King” Cole sings Ballads of the DayNat "King" Cole sings Ballads of the Day

I don’t know why I have so many Nat “King” Cole records. I don’t like ANY of them. I know there are like 10 more in my collection that I’ll have to listen to. I DREAD that. I will say, though, if I had lived in a time where the “Ballads of the Day” were these ballads, well, I would probably love them. Think about all the HAND HOLDING and ROSY-CHEEK KISSING. What are our “Ballads of the Day”? Does anyone sing ballads anymore? Do these modern-day ballads also get you some sweet sweet PALM?

101 Golden Nursery Songs101 Golden Nursery Songs

The title says it all. Its just one long medley of every children’s song there is. EVER. Not a great record to listen to at the end of a long night. It’ll make you feel more insane then you already do. You will have NIGHT SWEATS.