Day 0968 - Savane

Ali Farka Touré  "Savane" (2006)

I enjoyed this one.   Touré had last shown up on this list with his "Talking Timbuktu" collaboration with Ry Cooder (see day 774).   I didn't have a lot to say with that one but noted that Touré was accused of ripping off the American blues though he was largely playing folk sounds from his own country (which had in turn likely inspired the blues).

A similar thing could be said here, you can definitely hear the origins of the blues in this music.  Touré adds nods to the American evolution of it, with the odd harmonica featured and with American musicians playing on the album.

There's a good range of sounds here.  Opening track "Erdi" has a rootsy celtic feel that somehow seems to evoke pioneer, wild west America.   The title track almost has a reggae rhythm with blues guitar over it.   "Soya" has a repetitive loop with an earthy African vibe.  

The whole album is bursting with life and vitality, all the more amazing considering Touré would not live to see it's release.  He had died a few months before from cancer.  As closing statements go, it is a worthy album.

Day 0915 - Our Aim is to Satisfy

Red Snapper “Our Aim is to Satisfy” (2000)

An interesting band that blends live instruments/players with electronic elements, like samples, loops and scratches to make interesting, (mostly) instrumental music based in deep deep groove.

I liked the sound of this album on paper, and the music was ‘interesting enough’, but not amazing.   That is to say it didn’t impact on me enough that I'll rush out and check out multiple Red Snapper albums, but each new track would have enough of a “ooh that sounds interesting” moment to keep me ticking along.

There’s a reasonable range of sounds on the album, from the dry, hard funk groove of “Some Kind of Kink”, to the lurching groove and cinematic triphop feel of “Shellback”.   There’s the funky “The Rough and the Quick” which is filthy.  It makes its point adequately with its sultry groove and lyrics:

“I want the kind of life I read about

You know, the one you find on the top shelf”

and you’re like ‘yes I do know. I understand that reference’ but before that thought has even lodged itself in your head the lyrics have moved on to spreading thighs, rubbing clits and the singer moaning and panting… y’know, just to really ram the point home.

Album wraps up with “They’re hanging me tonight” which sounds pleasingly like it either emulates or is sampled from an old giallo film soundtrack.
 

 

Day 0732 - Devotional Songs

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party "Devotional Songs" (1992)

The list yet again throws up a little surprise.  In amongst the grunge, hip hop and electronic albums populating much of this part of the 1001; suddenly an album of devotional ragas sung in a passionate, strong voice with a fantastic range.

I would say that the only annoyance was that this was that it was another of those albums that was hard to track down.  I had to piece it together using a collection of youtube clips.  At one point I accidentally clicked the wrong link and ended up listening to a full uninterrupted half hour performance of one of these songs.   It's a credit to the music (a) that I didn't notice it had been going on that long, (b) that it held my interest throughout, and (c) that Fateh and his group seem to be able to maintain their intensity across a half hour of non-stop music!

Day 0697 - Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest "The Low End Theory" (1991)

This album would be interesting solely for the facts that it launched the solo career of Busta Rhymes, and that it featured bass from the legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter (the list of who he DIDN'T play with is probably shorter than the list of those he did), but beyond all of that, the album is also good.

Carter's presence reflects the album's heavy jazz influence.  In the first track they drop the couplet:
"You could find the Abstract listening to hip hop
My pops used to say, it reminded him of be-bop".

The  band were plagued by health issues, legal issues, one member leaving and some minor infighting between the remaining members, but still managed to produce a strong hip hop album.

The album's title was phrased to refer to both bass frequencies, and the way that many African Americans were treated in the US. 

Day 0682 - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest "People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm" (1990)

While I found the album sonically interesting, and the MCs created a sense of fun and humour, this one didn't really hold my interest much as the other rap albums in this section of the list did.

Having said that, It seems to be slowly slipping under my skin after a few listens.  I can certainly hear the influence on interesting hip hop artists such as Jurassic 5, Outkast and others... Maybe it's just a grow-er, not a show-er.

Day 0473 - UB40 "Signing off" (1980)

UB40 "Signing off" (1980)

 
I was most familiar with UB40 as purveyors of slightly twee reggae covers of Elvis and Neil Diamond songs; but this is actually a strong, moody reggae offering.

The band came from a working class background in Birmingham and funnelled discontent around their grim reality (the high unemployment figures, the rise of Margaret Thatcher's government, and the increasing popularity of the racist party the National Front) into lyrics that ranged from downbeat to scathing.

The music also ranged from lengthy atmospheric reggae jams, to deep rocksteady grooves and all with Ali Campbell's strong, heartfelt vocals.

At 66 minutes long, it was probably a little too much UB40 for my tastes, but then reggae has never been a genre that could hold my attention for too long a time.