Choice Cuts Vol.3















It is once again time for me to reach back in the refrigerator for some "choice cuts". Each time, I will be featuring sizzling and succulent morsels that are grabbing my ear right now that range from funk to country, from afro-beat to garage rock, etc. Sometimes there will be a theme to these songs that ties them all together in a nice bow, but other times the songs featured will just be a musical hodgepodge of eclectic delights. Without further ado, lets see what "choice cuts" the vinyl butcher has prepared for us today.





















Eddie Fisher- Beautiful Things
From:  Eddie Fisher and The Next Hundred Years [Cadet Records, 1971]

When I first heard this record there were other tracks that grabbed my attention, but this one slowly but surely imprinted itself on my memory. With an extended intro featuring a captivating blend of bass, strings and harp, you would never guess that this track would turn into the funk monster that it does around the midway point. After nearly four minutes of orchestral beauty, the tempo starts to slowly increase with Fisher's majestic guitar playing taking the forefront for a couple minutes. Then, the track busts wide open with the walking bass setting the stage for a blistering wah-wah soaked solo that goes on for over four minutes. Finally, the song quietly fades out with the same orchestral instrumentation from the beginning. This is one of those tracks that is truly a thing of beauty with a little something for every type of listener.



















Caetano Veloso- The Empty Boat
From: S/T [Phillips, 1969]

I discovered Caetano Veloso just a few years ago when perusing a blog that had a lot of Brazilian psych music on it, and at first wasn't completely floored by what I heard. It goes without saying that the best music takes time to really sink in, and this record and song are no exception. While I was taking a walk during a break from work recently, this song came on my I-phone. At first, my impulse was to hit the skip button, but some inexplicable force took over and encouraged me to keep listening. I am so glad I gave it a chance, because what was about to unfold was nothing short of stunning.

The lightly strummed guitar at the beginning starts the song off in an unassuming fashion, leading you to believe that this is bossanova-by-numbers. Then, the rug is pulled out from underneath the listener, as shards of incendiary fuzz guitar erupt out of nowhere and practically drown out Veloso's vocals until the song closes. While the tone and intensity of the guitar sound is enough to pull you in for the rest of this trip on Veloso's empty boat, it's his yearning vocals attempting to fight it out with the guitar that make this well worth the price of admission.

Link removed by Mediafire as I received a notice from them that this file is infringing on the copyright of the artist. Blogger set my post to draft and requested that I remove the link so I have complied. 

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of Choice Cuts, and would love to hear what you guys think about these tracks. One thing that I have on the back burner right now is a new series featuring live concerts that I have recorded and downloaded from various sources over the years. You can look for this series to come to fruition in the near future.

Until next time...

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