![]() There’s a flavour of droney minimalism too, and the way they never let any song stay around very long is smart. Originally released in 1989, it sees the pair, with a bunch of folky accomplices playing accordion, mandolin, penny whistle, banjo, fiddle, etc, swiftly render 26 carols as folky instrumentals. Scroll down this page and you’ll come across a pile of reviews focused on Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist Andy Mackay, but this one’s their Christmas record. Comes with a densely written 12” x 12” insert containing photos of the performers and a densely written explanation of the background. Probably best consumed with the show, these studio versions still give a cinammon flavour of an entertaining night out. Sung by Sian Allen, Fae Simon and Robb himself, accompanied by double bass, violin, trumpet, guitar and drums, it's a crisp, playful mingling of jazz and folk. ![]() These are seasonal and jolly, with themes ranging from “Christmas Bells” to the Christmas Day present-opening ritual. It’s a light-hearted Yuletide “locked room” mystery spiced with 12 songs written by Johnson. However, last Christmas Johnson presented his seasonal play Murder at the Grange at Shoreham Ropetackle, just down the coast from theartsdesk on Vinyl Mansions. Robb Johnson is best-known round my way as the south coast’s answer to Billy Bragg, in that he’s a socialist who writes and performs songs that tear down the Tories and their ilk. Robb Johnson & the Xmas Irregulars Murder at the Grange (Irregular) ![]() The whole thing, also featuring Booker T & the MGs, Isaac Hayes, The Temprees and others, is well worth a Baileys-induced boogaloo. Other highlights include the funkin’ raunch of Albert King’s “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’” and Rufus Thomas’s outrageous “I’ll Be Your Santa Baby” (“I’ll slide down your chimney and bring lots of joy/What I got for you, mama, it ain’t just a toy”), while The Staple Singers’ “Who Took the Merry out of Christmas” brings righteous protest to the festivities. Who’s going to argue with a new collection featuring Stax artists tackling festive fare, mostly dating from the late 1960s and early Seventies? That it features a previously unreleased and impassioned version of “Blue Christmas” by Carla Thomas, as well as an alternate take of Otis Redding’s “Merry Christmas Baby” only adds to the appeal.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |