The Evening Of My Best Day - Rickie Lee Jones
Posted by: fred simon on 23 October 2003
Rickie Lee Jones is in the house!
Her new album, The Evening Of My Best Day, is absolutely brilliant. Several songs are frankly political, and suffice to say, her politics align with mine. It's very tuneful, with really interesting melodic and harmonic content. It's got lots of varying textures and changing grooves from song to song, with flavors of Celtic, funk, jazz, rural blues; referencing Gil Scott Heron, Sly and the Family Stone, Miles Davis, and War (especially the Spill That Wine vibe). Fantastic horn parts and solos, lots of dense and sweetly dissonant vocal clusters, and on top of it all it's got guitarist Bill Frisell ... just can't go wrong with him.
I love this album. I love this album.
Posted on: 23 October 2003 by matthewr
Fred,
Interview from last Saturday's Guardian
hereMatthew
Posted on: 23 October 2003 by fred simon
Posted on: 24 October 2003 by Minky
Bugger the politics. RLJ's music aligns with my taste in music, which is all that really matters to me (her being a musician and all). Loved her last one. Can't wait to hear this one.
Posted on: 24 October 2003 by Mike Hanson
quote:
Originally posted by Minky:
Loved her last one. Can't wait to hear this one.
Ditto!
-=> Mike Hanson <=-
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by long-time-dead
Just bought the album after visiting the thread - a tenner well spent !!!
I currently own only 3 RLJ albums, the first, Flying Cowboys and now this one. None disappoint. Bought Joni Mitchell "Night Ride Home" at the same time as Flying Cowboys - another great listen !
Any other recommendations
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by long-time-dead:
Just bought the album after visiting the thread - a tenner well spent !!!
I currently own only 3 RLJ albums, the first, Flying Cowboys and now this one. None disappoint. Bought Joni Mitchell "Night Ride Home" at the same time as Flying Cowboys - another great listen !
Any other recommendations
Sure, I've got lots of recommendations, but instead of overwhelming you with all of them I'll just suggest Shawn Colvin's masterpiece
A Few Small Repairs.
Glad you dug Rickie's album.
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by Gunnar Jansson
long-time-dead
You can buy any of RLJ other albums they´re all great. You can´t go wrong with her what ever you buy. I have always had a soft spot for "traffic from paradise" and "pirates".
Joni Mitchell same there, so many excellent albums to choose from;
"night ride home" a very good choice.
Also there is:
"Blue" , "court and spark", "ladies of the canyon", "Hejira" and "turbulent indigo" to start with.
Gunnar
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by long-time-dead:
Just bought the album after visiting the thread - a tenner well spent !!!
I currently own only 3 RLJ albums, the first, Flying Cowboys and now this one. None disappoint.
l-t-d, can't resist recommending another RLJ album, one of her greatest:
Pirates. If you dig the new one, you'll love this, too.
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by Minky
Mr Dead,
I agree with everything that everyone has said so far and would like to add :
POP POP which is a lovely gentle acoustic (mostly) covers set with Robben Ford on guitar.
Ghostyhead Strange and fascinating and with more musical ideas thrown away than most song writers have in a lifetime.
It's like this Includes one of the only covers of a Beatles song (the exquisite "For no one") that (IMO) can stand tall against the original.
I loves Rickie but sadly my wife does not, so when she is out I play my RLJ, Tom Waits, John Scofield and other stuff she doesn't "appreciate".
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by fred simon
Well, OK, then ... let the flood gates open!
Joni Mitchell, the first nine studio albums, all brilliant:
Song To A Seagull
Clouds
Ladies Of The Canyon
Blue
For The Roses
Court and Spark
The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Hejira
Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
Also, Joni's live album Shadows And Light
Shawn Colvin, in addition to the aforementioned A Few Small Repairs:
Steady On
Live '88
Whole New You
Jonatha Brooke, with and without The Story:
The Angel In The House
Plumb
10 Cent Wings
I give my highest recommendation to all these albums, masterpieces all.
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by long-time-dead
Well, thanks to all
Looks like a plethora of tenners to be found !!!
I have HEJIRA on both LP and CD and think it's almost a "perfect" album - I hate when it finishes !
BTW - so many recommendations, I've just hit the "print" button and will tuck the sheets in my case - for times when I "conveniently" pass a record store
Another great recent purchase is Rachelle Ferrell - INDIVIDUALITY (Can it be me?) - an album from 2000 but funky as hell !
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by Sean2:
I love Joni too. But not 'Shadows and Light'. I much prefer the live album 'Miles of Aisles'. Includes a great version of one of her best songs, 'Woman of Heart and Mind'.
Sean
Yeah, I forgot
Miles Of Aisles, great album, too. I enjoy
Shadows and Light because it departs from the studio versions in an exciting improvisational way, played by masters such as Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorious, Lyle Mays, Michael Brecker, and Don Alias.
Miles Of Aisles is more faithful to the originals (not that there's anything wrong with that), but equally satisfying.
And, yes,
Woman of Heart and Mind is one of her best songs.
Posted on: 27 October 2003 by Simon Matthews
I think I would get pretty pissed off if I was Rickie Lee Jones and was constantly :
1) Compared to Joni Mitchell
2) Asked about Tom Waits.
After two listens to the new one I am getting drawn in very nicely. A really loose jazzy feel with great playing. Her voice is in top form throughout. Too early to say if it stands up against her best work but it is already pressing plenty of the right buttons.
Just snatched four of the last six tickets for her London Gig in December (Bloomsbury Theatre). Last time I saw her was at the jazz cafe which is very intimate, spoilt only by the sound of the fucking bar tills located too close to the stage!
Posted on: 27 October 2003 by long-time-dead
Well, thanks for the recommendations - now 40 odd quid poorer !
Went to Play.com
Pirates : £6.99
Pop Pop : £7.99
A Few Small Repairs : £8.99
Plumb : £8.99
10 Cent Wings : £8.99
Looking forward to adding more music
Posted on: 27 October 2003 by fred simon
long-time-dead, please report back and let us know what you thought of these albums.
Posted on: 27 October 2003 by long-time-dead
Fred et al
Once Mr. Postman brings them and I can digest them I will post my thoughts.
The new RLJ album is growing more each time I listen. Maybe it's a 7am on a Monday thing but an instrumental version of the album would be awesome !!
And tomorrow it should be better - new system arriving
Posted on: 28 October 2003 by Simon Matthews
Track 9 "It takes you there" is totally addictive.
The whole album is really growing....
Posted on: 28 October 2003 by Rasher
quote:
Originally posted by Minky:
Bugger the politics.
No no no , Minky. Political motivation in music can be an essential element IMHO. Look at Neil Young, Bob Dylan etc. I haven't any RLJ's music (apart from the talkover on Little Fluffy Clouds of course), but will get this because she's got something to say. The Guardian interview shows her to probably be a little paranoid, but hey, let's raise the bar! For me, the music isn't always about the music. This is a statement. This is important.
Posted on: 28 October 2003 by Minky
Rasher,
You are right. Some musicians have something "important" to say and their music is a fantastic way of saying it. Woodie Guthrie is an obvious example. Neil Young's "Ohio" is another. Most musicians though are entertainers, as are most actors, and as such should leave the business of governing California to the experts.
Except for Sting, who, besides being a consummate entertainer, ought to be running this whole shooting match, IMHO.
Posted on: 28 October 2003 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by Dave Anderson:
Fred Simon
Just wanted to say 'Thank you' for recommending the new Rickie Lee Jones album.
My pleasure.
Posted on: 28 October 2003 by long-time-dead
Thanks Fred !!!
I would also like to thank Fred for his recommendations (not forgetting everyone else !!!) but since I believe that Fred has indeed released his own music on CD, could he please post full details and places to purchase.
I am not doing this to upset anyone - I just feel that his musical taste is shared by many forum members and I, for one, have not heard Fred's own music - something I would like to do !
Over to Fred...............
Posted on: 28 October 2003 by ken c
i dont know whether anyone has mentioned RLJ's "traffic from paradise" and "naked songs".
i do like shawn covin's "a few small repairs" someone recommened it here and i am glad i bought it.
yep, i will definitely be buying this latest RLJ
enjoy
ken
Posted on: 28 October 2003 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by long-time-dead:
_Thanks Fred !!!_
I would also like to thank Fred for his recommendations (not forgetting everyone else !!!) but since I believe that Fred has indeed released his own music on CD, could he please post full details and places to purchase.
I am not doing this to upset anyone - I just feel that his musical taste is shared by many forum members and I, for one, have not heard Fred's own music - something I would like to do !
Over to Fred...............
Thanks very much, l-t-d, for the kind words and your interest in my music.
To find my most recent album,
Dreamhouse, you need only go right around the corner here to the Naim Audio e-store.
For earlier albums, which are harder to find, feel free to contact me at:
fred@opendoormanagement.comMost of my albums feature my own tunes, but no two are alike. Collect 'em all!
Posted on: 29 October 2003 by Rasher
quote:
Originally posted by Minky:
Except for Sting, who, besides being a consummate entertainer, ought to be running this whole shooting match, IMHO.
Quite right, and now the Tory leadership is up for grabs, this is his big chance. He gets my vote.
Posted on: 29 October 2003 by Rasher
Don't for Chissakes anyone take that last remark seriously
