Bradley's Buzz

New Bubbatunes 9/05

I had an itching for some new/old music and came up with two more little additions to the never ending Bubbatunes catalog, so let's take a look:

CRYSTAL GAYLE - Crystalized (bub64)
When I was a wee tyke my parents had an 8-track player in their car, yes I know I'm getting old; but one of the 8-tracks me and the 'rents could agree on listening to was Crystal Gayle's album When I Dream; it contained some little piano ballads, a few countrified numbers a whole lot of heartache. I liked it, and I liked her next album Miss The Mississippi as well. Crystal always kind of reminded me of my Aunt Carol, perhaps it was the long black hair or the soft demeanor but no matter what, I found myself crystalized back then. Over the years, the girl scored over 20 (yes 20!) #1 country hits and a few pop hits, in fact her album We Have To Believe In Magic was the very first country album to hit platinum status. Unfortunetly, like other artists who have lasted the years, all those top songs were recorded on a number of different labels making it almost impossible to get a compilation of all the songs you like; but lucky for everyone Bubbatunes exists and I don't give a rats hoo ha about what label won't get paid for this. So I decided to take a few of my fav Crystals that I remembered and sprinkle them in with a bunch of her chart toppers, I then realized how much I really like Crystal Gayle. It's strange to think of her as Loretta Lynn's much younger sister as when I think of Loretta, I think coal mining, rednecks and homemade apple pie with flaky crusts made with Crisco, when I think of Crystal, I think jazz piano, champagne and caviar. Perhaps the same could be said of me and my sister??

Anyway, known mostly as a crooner or chanteuse Crystal took the art of love affair and ran with it; always on the ending side of a relationship, Crystal uses her angst in ways no one else seems to get to; not always the victim and even when she is the victim, it seems she's just venting about how she's going to get through the mess. Songs like "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" and "If You Ever Change Your Mind" have that feel, while other songs contemplate the horrors that could be love, the poppy "Too Many Lovers", "Deeper In The Fire". Some of the lyrics may have come across cheesy by a lesser talent, but Crystal's breathy alto really make you feel these songs; her contemplation in keeping a distance in "Baby What About You", the sincere "Nobody Wants To Be Alone", and the grungy country of "Ready For The Times To Get Better." I'll always love the fun found in "Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For" and the ending notes of her version of "Cry" leave little to doubt her talent. Through the years, she took jazzy piano to a country level, took country to pop levels and has left me completely breathless. In fact, I have been playing and replaying this mix since I made it. So without further fanfare, I give you the track list of Crystalized:

bub 64 Crystal Gayle - Crystalized
cover art / design by Bradley Jacobson
Track list:
01. Deeper In The Fire
02. Baby What About You
03. Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
04. Too Many Lovers
05. Cry
06. It's Like We Never Said Goodbye
07. River Road
08. Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For
09. A Long And Lasting Love
10. Straight To The Heart
11. If You Ever Change Your Mind
12. Half The Way
13. Nobody Wants To Be Alone
14. Ready For The Times To Get Better
15. Livin' In These Troubled Times
16. The Blue Side
17. Our Love Is On The Faultline
18. Talking In Your Sleep
19. The Sound Of Goodbye
20. The Woman In Me
21. When I Dream
22. Turning Away
23. You & I (with Eddie Rabbit)

JOSIE COTTON - 23 From 4 (bub65)
I've wanted to make a really good Josie compilation for awhile now, and with the release of her new album, this was the perfect time. Plus the fact she's still on my mind since that incredible night of her concert, I give you 23 from 4; 23 songs of sheer Josie brilliance from her four released albums Convertible Music, From The Hip, Frightened By Nightingales and Movie Disaster Music. (Incidentally there are two other albums that she recorded but they have never been released)... The best and most memorable songs from Josie's canon are from the debut album, an 11 song opus of pure new wave pop surf brilliance; because of the impartial person I am there are only 8 songs from Convertible Music included - the debut single "Johnny Are You Queer?" is of course included as is the even better follow up "He Could Be The One" and the third, though little played single "Bye Bye Baby"; the Hollywood feel of "I Need The Night, Tonight", the excellant and moody "Another Girl", "Waitin' For Your Love", the ballady "No Pictures Of Dad"; a tale of the girl who doesn't want make the mistakes as Mom and the perfect counterpart to the new wave feel, "So Close"; plus the elusive B-side to Johnny; "(Let's Do) The Blackout", a song strangely ommitted from the re-release of the two albums a few years ago. From her equally new wavey though more synthesized follow up From The Hip, we have the single "Jimmy Loves Maryann" (check out You Tube for the video! it's great and there is also a performance of "He Could Be The One"), the rockabilly "Life After Love", my favorite "Gina", the spunky "No Use Crying" and "Stop Me", the almost Missing Persons-ish "License To Dance", and her cover of "School Is In", which was originally recorded for the mini album soundtrack for Valley Girl, but also ended up on From The Hip. From 1993's more Kate Bush than Go-Go's album Frightened By Nightingales, we took the violins and punching rhythm of "Deep Dark Hole", the very brilliant and beautiful "After The Rose", and the ethereal "In My Dream" and finally from my new favorite album right now, Movie Distaster Music comes the awesome "Creeps" a mix of new wave, old school and new school rock and excellant lyrics, the James Bond-ish "Beautiful But Deadly", the clanky hook of "Rabbit Hole" and the venomous and moody "Fabulous," and to keep it all interesting they aren't anywhere near chronologically ordered.

bub65 Josie Cotton - 23 From 4
Cover art/design by Bradley Jacobson
Track list:
01. Creeps
02. He Could Be The One
03. After The Rose
04. Gina
05. Another Girl
06. (Let's Do) The Blackout
07. No Use Crying
08. In My Dream
09. Jimmy Loves Maryann
10. I Need The Night, Tonight
11. Rabbit Hole
12. License To Dance
13. No Pictures Of Dad
14. Bye Bye Baby
15. Beautiful But Deadly
16. Johnny Are You Queer?
17. Deep Dark Hole
18. Stop Me
19. Waitin' For Your Love
20. School Is In
21. Fabulous
22. Life After Love
23. So Close

posted by swivek @ 9:06 AM