Something Old...Something New (#20)
Audience - "The House On The Hill" (released 1971)
A tremendous record surfacing during the peak underground FM radio years "The House On The Hill" deserves a spot among the most uniquely satisfying albums of the era. Led by vocalist/guitarist Howard Werth who eschews electric guitar in favor of his nylon string model and submerges these songs in saxes, clarinets, flute (Keith Gemmell) and constantly changing tempos (Trevor Williams - bass and Tony Connor - percussion). Combining bits of English Folk, Jazz, R & B, Progressive and Psychedelic Rock amid echoes of King Crimson, Jethro Tull and Van Morrison yet sounding like none of the above. This is an exceptionally well-paced record and you never quite know where the songs are headed which is half the fun because every tune turns out to be well worth the trip. "Jackdaw" highlights Werth's distinctive wail as the instruments steadily ascend to an extended, almost free jazz solo. "Raviole" is a beautiful instrumental that wouldn't sound out of place on a Barcelona street with its Spanish style guitar and strings. "Nancy" centers around percolating rhythms, punchy horns and Werth's flailing guitar. "Eye To Eye" is propelled by a spacey flute while "Indian Summer" is the most straightforwardly melodic track and a personal favorite. The band even manages to put its unique stamp on the Screaming Jay Hawkins classic "I Put A Spell On You". The centerpiece however is the "The House On The Hill". Opening with an ominous cascade of saxophones leading to the quavering vocals which eventually toss you into the spooky chaos of an instrumental breakdown with percussion effects and electronically treated saxes and flutes before escalating back into the chorus for the big finish, Wow! Audience followed this iconic release with their final album "Lunch" which is also excellent.
Rodriguez - "Searching For Sugar Man" (released 2012)
Back story - This music is over 40 years old yet unheard by most anyone (myself included) until the release of the documentary "Searching For Sugar Man" in 2012. The film follows the strange musical arc of Sixto Rodriguez's career. After recording two terrific albums in the early 70s to virtually no sales or recognition he seemingly vanished from the scene until South Africans rediscovered his songs of protest and oppression during apartheid. Turns out Rodriguez had been living in his hometown Detroit all this time working demolition before his miraculous rediscovery. This soundtrack contains the best of his two albums along with a few extra tracks featured in the film, 14 tunes and not a clunker in the bunch including; "Sugar Man", "Crucify Your Mind", "Street Boy", "I Wonder", "Cause" and "A Most Disgusting Song" (probably the most unique song here - a narrative of scenes in a bar). Sounding like a hybrid of Bob Dylan and Jose Feliciano, Rodriguez sings his street poetry with a rich distinct voice. The topics of sex, homelessness, job loss, poverty and drugs are as relevant today as when they were written giving these songs a timeless quality. Surprisingly Rodriguez performs these songs of inner city turmoil without a trace of desperation. Armed with his upbeat acoustic guitar and resonant voice he brings hope and truth to help us cope in a troubled world. For better or worse the production values reflect the thinking of the era adding horns, strings and other instruments to dramatically sweeten the sound. This is not necessarily a bad thing (think early Elton John, Glen Campbell or virtually any late 60s - early 70s hit singles) but these songs could easily stand alone with simply a voice and guitar. This soundtrack is a fitting tribute to Rodriguez who has returned to performing and collecting some long overdue accolades!
