DOVES
THE LAST BROADCAST
2002 – HEAVENLY
Produced By DOVES, STEVE OSBORNE & MAX HEYES
1. Intro
2. Words
3. There Goes The Fear
4. M62 Song
5. Where We’re Calling From
6. N.Y.
7. Satellites
8. Friday’s Dust
9. Pounding
10. Last Broadcast
11. The Sulphur Man
12. Caught By The River
The trio that is Doves (Jimi Goodwin and twin brothers Jez and Andy Williams) hit their peak with their second album in 2002. The Last Broadcast is a successful follow up to their debut, Lost Souls. It’s a surprisingly consistent set of recordings, especially given that almost every song was recorded at a different location. A top selling album in their native UK (as all of their releases have been), it was their highest charting album in America (where they have been considerably less successful), reaching only #83. “There Goes The Fear” is their highest charting single, despite the fact that the band pulled it from shelves after just one day. Simply because they wanted to. They pulled the other two singles for the same reason as well. Not the coolest move, but their choice.
“There Goes The Fear” is the clear highlight here. “Caught By The River” is a fine closer, and “Pounding” is good as well. “M62 Song” was recorded under a motorway that circles Manchester, and is credited to members of King Crimson as it is based on their 1969 song “Moonchild”. Much of the album was done in a country setting, with the band having said the songs came quickly and easily. This was followed up by another #1 seller, 2005’s Some Cities. Their lack of American success has not been a problem for them, as their 2025 album, Constellations For The Lonely, made it five straight UK top five entries. Further proof that the two audiences don’t always agree…and proof that in many cases, Americans simply miss out on really good bands and albums.
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Of dying history
RANDY NEWMAN
SAIL AWAY
1972 – REPRISE
Produced By LENNY WARONKER & RUSS TITELMAN
1. Sail Away
2. Lonely At The Top
3. He Gives Us All His Love
4. Last Night I Had A Dream
5. Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear
6. Old Man
7. Political Science
8. Burn On
9. Memo To My Son
10. Dayton, Ohio – 1903
11. You Can Leave Your Hat On
12. God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)
Before there was Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, there was Randy Newman…the original snarky, angry young man. Throughout the first half of the seventies, he made terrific albums that no one seemed to care about. Except for just about every musician on the planet, who all wanted to record his songs. Newman was recorded by everyone from Harry Nilsson, Linda Ronstadt, Three Dog Night, and just about everyone else who was anyone during that time. But his first five albums (including a live one) sank like stones on the charts. This includes his finest work, 1972’s Sail Away. This perfect and underrated record is one of the best releases of the early seventies. Song after song shows what an amazingly gifted songwriter Randy Newman is.
The title track is pure gold, once described as “a vision of heaven superimposed on hell”. “Simon Smith” had been a hit for Alan Price in 1967. “Political Science” is satire at it’s greatest (“Let’s drop the big one and see what happens”). “You Can Leave Your Hat On” would later be a big hit for Joe Cocker. And the closer, “God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)”, is a masterful explanation from God that he basically loves us because we’re weak and easy. Every track here is a joy, and this album should have been a career maker. It wasn’t. Newman got a big hit finally with “Short People” five years later, but he ended the decade with a bomb (Born Again), and soon turned to soundtracks, where he’s had much more success. Sail Away is his masterpiece, and deserves much more love than it gets.
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DAVID PAVIA
SONGS FOR SOFT MACHINES
2006 – SELF RELEASED
No Production Credit
1. Here We Go Again
2. Love Is All Over Me
3. Everyone You Know
4. Butterflies & Spoons
5. Oh Yeah
6. Killing Them With Kindness
7. Come To Life
8. Perfect Time
9. Look At Me
10. Confidence
Here's what I know. David Pavia was an unsigned artist in the mid 2000’s who released one EP, and one full length album, Songs For Soft Machines. He played in New York, then moved to Los Angeles. As far as I know, he has not recorded since. This album showed up many years ago as part of what I remember (?) being an argument between Pavia and my now ex-wife on a Black Crowes message board. My ex was good at pissing people off, and while I don’t remember what the argument was about, it resulted in him sending the album to her. I recall that she never listened to it, and as far as she was concerned, the disagreement was meaningless. The end result was that I ended up with a copy of his album. And that’s about all there was to it.
This album carries a definite Crowes influence, as well as a bunch of other roots rockers. The music is promising, with some nice guitar work and a solid rhythm section. But Pavia is not a strong vocalist, and his songs tend to wander away from being melodic. Quite a bit. Not sure what happened after this album, but it didn’t involve a follow up record. From what I can tell, he has shown up on the recordings of what may be a son as a guest on some tracks. Pavia now works as a clinical director at a treatment facility in Los Angeles. I have no idea who won the argument with my ex-wife, and I’m pretty sure neither one of them cares at this point. And interesting effort from an unknown and forgotten name from the past. Not much more than that.
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ERYKAH BADU
NEW AMERYKAH PART TWO: RETURN OF THE ANKH
2010 – UNIVERSAL MOTOWN
Produced By EYKAH BADU, 9TH WONDER, JAMES POYSER, SA-RA, TA’RAACH, MADLIB, J. DILLA, MIKE “CHAV” CHAVARRIA, KARRIEM RIGGINS, GEORGIE ANNE MULDROW, QUESTLOVE, RC WILLIAMS & JAHBORN
1. 20 Feet Tall
2. Window Seat
3. Agitation
4. Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)
5. Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long
6. Umm Hmm
7. Love
8. You Loving Me (Session)
9. Fall In Love (Your Funeral)
10. Incense (Feat. Kirsten Agresta)
11. Out My Mind, Just In Time
Known as the Queen Of Neo-Soul, Erykah Badu made a huge splash with her debut album, Baduizm, in 1997. After two more successful releases, she dropped New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War in 2008. This was meant to be the beginning of a very ambitious series of albums that would include at least 75 songs. And in 2010, Part Two: Return Of The Ankh showed that she was serious. While the first in the series had been a very political work, this one was much more personal, focusing on love and relationships. Relying more on samples and live instruments, this album showed the promise of Badu returning to her roots of Baduizm and its warmer sound and feel. It’s also the home to “Window Seat”, for which a controversial video was made of Badu stripping along the route that JFK took on his final day.
Along with “Window Seat”, highlights here include “Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)” and “Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long” which uses a sample from Paul McCartney & Wings (“Arrow Through Me”). The sound is solid, but at times uneven (fourteen different producers will have that effect), and not as adventurous as she had been in the past. And while she may have had a vault with 75 songs in it, one had to wonder about the quality of that work. Turned out to be a moot question. Return Of The Ankh has never been followed up. In the fifteen years since, there have been single tracks here and there, amid plenty of promise of a new album coming soon, including a stated release date in 2025 that is quickly slipping away. Too bad…it would have been interesting to see what she would have done next.
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Of dying history
JOE ELY
LETTER TO LAREDO
1995 – MCA
Produced By JOE ELY
1. All Just To Get To You
2. Gallo Del Cielo
3. Run Preciosa
4. Saint Valentine
5. Ranches And Rivers
6. Letter To Laredo
7. I Saw It In You
8. She Finally Spoke Spanish To Me
9. I Ain’t Been Here Long
10. That Ain’t Enough
11. I’m A Thousand Miles From Home
Joe Ely is a much more important figure than his record sales would indicate. One of the early lights of alternative country, his first band, The Flatlanders, broke up in 1973, after which Ely began his long solo career. And although he’s never really had what qualifies as a hit album or single, he’s made a life of his music, with well over twenty albums. He’s worked with everyone from The Clash and Uncle Tupelo to The Chieftains, Robert Earl Keen and Bruce Springsteen. Ely is a legend in the alt-country world, and that includes his mostly ignored discography. Letter To Laredo is his ninth album, and was, of course, not a hit. But this is a pretty fine work, like most of Ely’s discography. He has played in so many worlds…rock, punk, country, folk…that his take on Tex-Mex music is fresh and always interesting.
Springsteen is a guest here, as are Raul Malo, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Lloyd Maines. “Saint Valentine” is a should have been hit. “All Just To Get To You” is a highlight, and he also updates an early memorable track (“She Never Spoke Spanish To Me”) as “She Finally Spoke…”. But like the rest of Ely’s career, Letter To Laredo flew underneath the radar of everyone, and sits back in silence waiting to be discovered. The album, like everything else Joe Ely does, is very good but never quite great. The good thing is that he’s fine enough to be your own little secret that you can turn your friends on to. Ely has gotten back with The Flatlanders, been a member of Los Super Seven, and continues to make good solo records. Letter To Laredo is well worth checking out.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
JOE ELY
LETTER TO LAREDO
1995 – MCA
Produced By JOE ELY
1. All Just To Get To You
2. Gallo Del Cielo
3. Run Preciosa
4. Saint Valentine
5. Ranches And Rivers
6. Letter To Laredo
7. I Saw It In You
8. She Finally Spoke Spanish To Me
9. I Ain’t Been Here Long
10. That Ain’t Enough
11. I’m A Thousand Miles From Home
Joe Ely is a much more important figure than his record sales would indicate. One of the early lights of alternative country, his first band, The Flatlanders, broke up in 1973, after which Ely began his long solo career. And although he’s never really had what qualifies as a hit album or single, he’s made a life of his music, with well over twenty albums. He’s worked with everyone from The Clash and Uncle Tupelo to The Chieftains, Robert Earl Keen and Bruce Springsteen. Ely is a legend in the alt-country world, and that includes his mostly ignored discography. Letter To Laredo is his ninth album, and was, of course, not a hit. But this is a pretty fine work, like most of Ely’s discography. He has played in so many worlds…rock, punk, country, folk…that his take on Tex-Mex music is fresh and always interesting.
Springsteen is a guest here, as are Raul Malo, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Lloyd Maines. “Saint Valentine” is a should have been hit. “All Just To Get To You” is a highlight, and he also updates an early memorable track (“She Never Spoke Spanish To Me”) as “She Finally Spoke…”. But like the rest of Ely’s career, Letter To Laredo flew underneath the radar of everyone, and sits back in silence waiting to be discovered. The album, like everything else Joe Ely does, is very good but never quite great. The good thing is that he’s fine enough to be your own little secret that you can turn your friends on to. Ely has gotten back with The Flatlanders, been a member of Los Super Seven, and continues to make good solo records. Letter To Laredo is well worth checking out.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
THE SULLIVAN YEARS – RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE
1993 – TVT RECORDS
Produced By OSCAR A YONG & STEVE GOTTLIEB
1. Lonely Teardrops – Jackie Wilson
2. That’s Why – Jackie Wilson
3. The Greatest Hurt – Jackie Wilson
4. I’m Coming Back To You – Jackie Wilson
5. Caldonia – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
6. Peace Of Mind – Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
7. It’s Just A Matter Of Time – Brook Benton
8. Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
9. Tweedlee Dee – LaVern Baker
10. Only You (And You Alone) – The Platters
11. Dance With Me Henry – The Platters
12. Remember When – The Platters
13. How Blue Can You Get / The Thrill Is Gone – B.B. King
TVT Records began life in the 1980’s, being formed to release the compilation series Television’s Greatest Hits. They later signed Nine Inch Nails, an act they famously lost by treating them quite poorly. They had a few big names over the years before folding in controversy in 2008. The label also released a lot of various artists compilation albums, including this oddity in 1993. The Sullivan Years refers to Ed Sullivan…these live recordings are all from The Ed Sullivan Show. The point of the album was to show that Sullivan was an early champion of black R&B artists, which he certainly was. He fought to have not only early rock & roll artists like Elvis Presley and The Beatles on his shows, but also R&B stars like Jackie Wilson and LaVern Baker. This contains several of those performances.
There are some stellar moments here. The biggest is Bo Diddley from 1955, playing rock & roll on national television a year before Elvis (the performance was a huge controversy at the time: Diddley had promised to play “16 Tons”, but played his own song instead, which pissed Sullivan off). There’s a lot of Jackie Wilson and The Platters, which is okay. But the performances are not well recorded, and the packaging is very sloppy. And without the visuals to go with them, these moments just don’t pack the punch they would if it was a video release. These recordings range from 1955 to the B.B. King finale in 1970, but everything else except for the Wilson songs (1961-62) are from the mid to late 50’s. The idea here is a good one, but it could have been done better, and with much more care.
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Of dying history
MEGAN BURTT
THE BARGAIN
2015 – SELF RELEASED
Produced By LOUIS CATO
1. Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
2. In A Minute
3. Real Thing
4. Was It Love
5. The Bargain
6. Hurricane
7. Restless
8. Everybody
9. It’s My Time
10. Anchor
11. Fast As I Go
12. Spin
13. In Your Skin
She probably doesn’t remember it, but Megan Burtt and I met about a decade ago, and for a short period of time, hung out together and caught a set by Lyle Lovett at a folk music festival in Colorado. I know she was a musician, but I had never heard her music at that time. She’s a native of our state, and she’s spent the last 15 years or so doing what she loves: making music. She’s still out there, working at touring and recording and being the best singer-songwriter she can be. The Bargain is her second album, released not long after I encountered her. It showcases her fine voice and songwriting, and oozes with her passion for making music. She’s become a very well respected and loved local artist, and she’s always worth checking out live and on record.
Burtt’s most recent album is 2024’s Witness. She is also a member of Gingerbomb, a supergroup of redheads that released their debut album in 2018. Megan Burtt and Gingerbomb can be found on your favorite streaming services, and her albums are available on her website.
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Of dying history
LESTER FLATT & EARL SCRUGGS
THE ESSENTIAL FLATT & SCRUGGS: ‘TIS SWEET TO BE REMEMBERED…
1997 – COLUMBIA / LEGACY
Produced By BOB IRWIN
1. Come Back Darling
2. I’m Head Over Heels In Love
3. I’m Workin’ On The Road (To Glory Land)
4. ‘Tis Sweet To Be Remembered
5. Earl’s Breakdown
6. Flint Hill Special
7. Foggy Mountain Chimes
8. That Old Book Of Mine
9. Til The End Of The World Rolls Around
10. Foggy Mountain Special
11. Randy Lynn Rag
12. Shuckin’ The Corn
13. Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down
14. I’ll Never Shed Another Tear
15. Big Black Train
16. Crying My Heart Out Over You
17. Cabin In The Hills
1. Polka On A Banjo
2. Just Ain’t
3. Go Home
4. The Legend Of The Johnson Boys
5. The Ballad Of Jed Clampett (Theme From The Beverly Hillbillies)
6. New York Town
7. Pearl Pearl Pearl
8. My Saro Jane
9. I’m Troubled
10. You Are My Flower
11. Petticoat Junction
12. Workin’ It Out
13. I Still Miss Someone
14. Nashville Cats
15. California Up Tight Band
16. Down In The Flood
17. Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Theme From Bonnie And Clyde)
Absolute legend. That’s what Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs are. The pair split from Bill Monroe’s band in 1948, and for the next 21 years, they defined bluegrass music. Lester played guitar and mandolin, while Earl was one of the greatest banjo players of all time. Their band, The Foggy Mountain Boys (sounds like a Cohen Brothers film, huh?) were the best of the best, and they wrote the script for bluegrass from front to back. That music didn’t have a chart, but they did place ten singles in the top ten. They played the non-pop music themes to The Beverly Hillbillies TV show, and the blockbuster film Bonnie And Clyde. Between 1958 and 1968, they released 22 albums. They made phenomenal music, and had one of the most important careers in all of country music.
The Essential is quite a collection. 34 songs from absolute legends. If you don’t like bluegrass, well, I’m sorry. You’re missing out. So many great recordings are here: “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”, “Crying My Heart Out Over You”. “The Ballad Of Jed Clampett”. “I Still Miss Someone”. And so many more. This is a very well assembled and pretty complete collection of great American music, and should be heard at least one time. If you don’t like the genre, this is pretty much the place to go if you’re open to become a convert to the church of bluegrass. These are the best players, and some of the best tracks ever recorded. Give this a chance. They split in 1969 because Scruggs wanted to branch out into rock, while Flatt remained a traditionalist. Earl died in 1979, and Lester in 2012.
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Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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