Paul Simon – Graceland: This is another record that I never made the time to listen to until now, which feels particularly egregious because Bob has told me what I’m missing for nearly 25 years. The joy and pain and loss and discovery and wonder in these songs is undeniable, and I haven’t even listened closely yet.
Alice Coltrane – The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda: The opening track, “Om Rama,” is energetic and soulful and exciting in a way that brings the word “ecstatic” to life. The rest of the first disc can’t reach that high bar, but it maintains the energy. The 2nd record changes to a slower and more inward mood, and offers a totally different kind of ecstatic sound. If this is what faith sounds like, I might need to reconsider my views on spirituality.
Various Artists – Classic African American Gospel: The opening track on that Alice Coltrane record made me revisit this old Smithsonian Folkways comp to see if it brings the word “ecstasy” to life, too. Yes. Yes it does.
Sofia Kourtesis – Volver: This is an easy and enjoyable record. “Unidos” is filled with such power and joy that I immediately thought of one of my newest go-to sources of hope, Maribou State’s Hallucinating Love. It’s a duet with Daphni (Dan Snaith’s other major project besides Caribou) that celebrates the courage and light of the trans women in Kourtesis’ community. It’s the highlight on a record that doesn’t have any low points.
Paula Abdul – “Straight Up”: I mentioned last week that I picked this up for $2 from Wonderland in Newark, DE. The magic happens on side 2, where techno legend Kevin Saunderson offers a “house” mix that almost (but not quite) pushes Abdul’s vocals into the Mickey Mouse territory with its 116 BPM tempo and Marley Marl rubs some grit into the slick pop track.
Grateful Dead – 10/29/73 (St. Louis MO): I’ve come to realize that every Dead show has moments of magic, moments where the musicians weave their notes in conversation or the energy becomes far greater than anything the people in the building should be able to conjure. This show has those moments, but the more I listen, I’m not terribly excited by this concert.
Old friends who made it into rotation this week: Khruangbin: Mordechai
Record store finds this week: I picked up a copy of Mordechai for friends with a dog who hates thunderstorms, and I was happy to find a new copy at one of my local shops