zumpoems

Muddy Waters: After The Rain

in comparison to a multitude of rock-blues albums and blues-rock albums, and even Mr. Morganfield’s own quasi-psychedelic blues album, Electric Mud, Muddy’s next album After the Rain, released May 12, 1969, stands out for its immediacy,  authenticity and natural, honest modern blues sensibilities. This is a treat to listen to and the music has been captured with clarity, presence, and depth.

Track listing [from Wikipedia]

Musicians

• Muddy Waters – Vocals, lead guitar tracks 3, 5, 6 & 8
• Phil Upchurch – Guitar
• Morris Jennings – Drums
• Otis Spann – Piano
• Louis Satterfield – Bass
• Pete Cosey – Guitar
• Charles Stepney – Organ
• Paul Oscher – Harmonica

Neil Young with Crazy Horse: Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Neil Young releases his second album of the year on May 14, 1969. A sensitive mixture of rock, folk, country and a bit of blues.  Gems include “Cinnamon Girl”, “Round & Round”, “Down by the River”, and the brilliant “Cowgirl in the Sand” If this is not Neil Young’s best albums, it’s clearly in the top three as it effectively and efficiently mixes substance and simplicity.  Neil Young’s lyrics are neither polished nor refined, and his music is forged from the basics with minimal diversions, but all of it comes together well and there are many magic moments like the punctuated single syllable chord changes on “Cin-na-mon Girl.”

Track listing [from Wikipedia]

All tracks written by Neil Young.

Personnel

• Neil Young – guitar, lead vocals

Crazy Horse

• Danny Whitten – guitar, harmony vocals, co-lead vocal on “Cinnamon Girl”
• Billy Talbot – bass guitar
• Ralph Molina – drums, harmony vocals

Additional musicians

• Bobby Notkoff – violin on “Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets)”
• Robin Lane – harmony vocal on “Round and Round”

Tyrannosaurus Rex: Unicorn

This third Tyrannosaurus Rex album, Unicorn, released May 16, 2019,  is also the last for Steve Took.  Apparently Marc Bolan found various aspects of Steve’s personality and lifestyle (especially Took’s recreational drug use and reputation for spiking beverages with hallucinogens) less than endearing (particularly when Bolan once imbibed some STP-spiked punch) and their relationship came to its end shortly after Took expressed that his own songs should be included in the group’s recorded material.  This record then becomes a document of the duo at their peak, providing hints of Marc Bolan’s future direction.

Though there is much to like on this album, starting with the first track, “Chariots of Silk”, don’t miss the bonus tracks that one finds on the 2 CD deluxe reissue including “Once upon the Seas of Abyssinia” and “Blessed Wild Apple Girl.”

Track listing [from Wikipedia]

All tracks written by Marc Bolan.

Personnel

Tyrannosaurus Rex

• Marc Bolan – acoustic and electric guitars, lead vocals, harmonium, organ, phonofiddle
• Steve Peregrin Took – drums, bongos, backing vocals, African talking drum, bass, piano

Additional Personnel

• Tony Visconti – production, piano (A5)
• John Peel – narration (B8)