What’s your heart’s desire?
I’m sitting writing this on a wind torn Wednesday night listening to my guest for this Friday, Israel Nash Gripka. I like Israel’s music a lot and I realise I really didn’t know much about him. But over the last few years I’ve read lots of artists stories that have followed similar themes. In Israel’s case it’s the Catskill mountains but in others there’s a back ground of snow, or mountains or woods. Many favourites we’ve played have ‘holed up in a cabin’ or a basement or a barn……and come out with an album. I can think of Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear and ….well, add some more.
Heart’s desire? When I read about Israel retreating to the big old barn in the Catskills I did have the first sproutings of the horns of jealousy. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s remembering the excitement of early recording sessions but there is an attractive romance about being lost in the woods and making music.
We’ll hear more from Israel about that magical month on Friday. He’s going to be live in studio one only an hour or so before he plays his gig at Glasgow Americana Festival. Exciting huh?
We’ll also be listening to John Wesley Harding and working out where Bob Dylan’s head was in 1967…….Looking for some comments on the facebook page too. 
We will also be playing the music of this man.
And yes, you’re right…it’s about time we welcomed Jim Lauderdale. He’ll be in Scotland soon too and his new album sounds very good from what I’ve heard so far.
Willy Vlautin mentioned Tom Russell and we thought it was about time we gave Tom’s music a spin. Not least because he and Ry Cooder are asking some big American questions. We’ll also have some comment from the pen of Woody Guthrie and his grand daughter Sarah Lee. It all connects you know. And it all starts on Friday at five past eight on BBC Radio Scotland. Join me if you can.
Sundays continue but without me for a while. The wonderful Cathy MacDonald is your host for the next couple of months and I’ll be joining in come Christmas. I have no idea if anyone is reading this blog any more so perhaps you’d be good enough to let me know here or on Facebook if it’s important to you or not.
Hi Ricky, yes indeed it is very important! I look forward to the blog updates and I’ve certainly managed to discover a few exciting musical offerings that otherwise I may not have been aware of. Please keep the blog coming! Thank you 🙂
Always read the blog Ricky, please keep it going.
The music you play is important and the recent interviews with Nick Lowe and Ron Sexsmith have been essential listening. Your passion for this kind of music is something I share and appreciate.
This week I listened to the best new record I’ve heard in ten years. Take Up Your Mat and Walk
by Deadman. I urge you to purchase it from i-tunes and listen to it on one of your car journeys this week. The record deserves critical and commercial success so please have a listen Ricky.
Still follow the blog every time it’s out. Thought I’d give you and the other Richard some freedom to choose the Bob backwards for a few weeks without my suggestions!
Keep it coning man. The stories and tales just make the music that much more special.
When you’ve finally run out of Bob backwards, and as you’ve mentioned him, what about starting a run of RY COODER (backwards). There’s an interesting journey.
In fact I’m off to give ‘Paradise & Lunch’ a spin.
Also a regular reader and listener R.
Likewise, here’s another heartfelt plea to keep the blog going! I have been a neglectful bloggee in terms of comments of late, for which I apologise, but rest assured I nevertheless always make a point of reading each post too, Ricky. It whets the appetite and complements the show, and has also brought me to listen to some of the Sunday shows too on occasion. In fact, I can also go further and note that I *discovered* the show through the blog, not the other way around. And given how “Another Country” has and continues to shape a not insignificant proportion of my music listening and purchasing habits, it would be a real shame if other folks might not get to discover the show and that unique mix of music in the same way. Case in point looks to be Israel Nash Gripka, so I look forward to this week’s show, as always.
I will certainly vouch to make more effort to re-enter into dialogue here via the blog again, and encourage others who maintain an interest to do the same. Alongside Facebook, it is of course a great forum in which to discuss the show and share our own recommendations. So please keep it going, Ricky, and let’s make the most of it, folks!
Also to say… well said, George! Ron Sexsmith and Nick Lowe are definitely highlights from the current run thus far – and both expensive ones for me!
Whilst I’m here, I am going to drop another mention for an upcoming album that I think may just fit with the tone of the show, and from a most unlikely source: Tanita Tikaram! She played London’s Union Chapel this week in an understated acoustic gig that prompted silent reverence during her songs punctuated by rapturous applause – the very best kind of audience and quite simply the finest gig I have seen in a good few years. The press release for the tour and upcoming album has this to say about its influences:
“It’s been seven years since ‘Sentimental’, Tanita Tikaram’s sixth and most recent album. Now, at last, comes ‘Can’t Go Back’, her most rewarding album yet. She was inspired by her new found love of Americana, by the union of country and soul by Motown and Chess, and by singers such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dusty Springfield, Don Williams, Paul Simon and the long-lost Marie Knight, Tanita went straight to the heart of what moved her heart. ‘I can’t put anything out until it’s good enough, it has to feel right. It took a year to find the right producer! I wanted to merge sincerity of performance with movement and groove and then to merge English originality and quirkiness with American warmth and openness. I’m not a poet and I didn’t want something that sounded like I was reciting poetry. Paul Bryan who produced the album has worked with Allen Toussaint, he’s a consummate musician and he understood straight away. I made him laugh and he made me feel involved.'”
Keep it goin’ – all interesting stuff. Love stories behind the times, the tunes and the discoveries.
Although you might wanna crop those pics more!
THEY ARE NOT YELLING TO BUILD THAT FREAKING WALL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BOARDERS OF TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO…….IT IS THIS FLIPPING STATE OF ARIZONA…….BEHIND THE CACTUS CURTAIN. OUR IDIOT LEGISLATURE PASSED THE SB 1070. ONE OF THE DANGED FOOLS HAS EVEN STARTED ASKINGFOR DONATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO BUILD THE WALL. IT IS COMPLETELY INSANE. WE ARE RECALLING ON OF THE NUT CAKES RIGHT NOW.
EVERY STATE HAS SIT-INS TAKING PLACE. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT I AM GOING TO ATTEND ONE TOMORROW,.
The blog must stay!
Great session.
I “discovered” and fell deeply for Richmond Fontaine because of this blog – is that not reason alone to keep going?