RISING SONS HAVE FINALLY ARISEN FROM THE ASHES OF OBSCURITY
tastes.
Not knocking all english music of the 60`s, but I have to say one of the biggest inspirations I had for creating this blog in the beginning was to put the Beatles and
the Stones out of business (jokes, jokes).
the Stones out of business (jokes, jokes).
Seriously I believe that both bands are seriously overrated, especially the lads from Liverpool.
Most of my favourite music from the 60`s comes from the other side of the Atlantic, I like some Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett stuff just as much as I like the album I`m going to preview for you, a lost classic which has finally made it onto a compact disc.
No it isn`t soul like Redding or Pickett, it is a blues/rock/ country fusion jam featuring 23 songs, by a band named the Rising Sons.
You most probably would have heard the
names Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, they made up two spots of the five piece band, which included Jesse Kincaid, Gary Marker and Kevin Kelly.
names Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, they made up two spots of the five piece band, which included Jesse Kincaid, Gary Marker and Kevin Kelly.
Cooder played in his customary left of centre fashion on this album, with the help of what
would become his trademark guitar throughout his whole career, the bottleneck guitar, and dobro.
would become his trademark guitar throughout his whole career, the bottleneck guitar, and dobro.
Taj Mahal played everything from guitar to piano and with some harmonica thrown in as well. The other guys amazingly were contented to play just one instrument, adding some vocals as well.
You got to remember that this album, or the material that has made up the album, was recorded in 1964.
Ry Cooder would have been considered very experimental and unorthodox for that time. Only three songs of the 23 recorded at the session were released back then, the rest have sat in a vault for all these years apparently.
Why Cooder and Mahal didn`t make sure that this adolescent jam session wasn`t released over 40 years ago is a bit puzzling.
There might have been a record company contractual reason as to why it lay dormant for so long, we all know the politics in the record company business.
Cooder would become a very enigmatic reclusive guitar hero within a few years after the Rising Sons had made this cult classic in 1964.
Taj Mahal would go on to have a moderately successful career in a variety of blues bands, including his own.
Cooder was the guitarist on Taj Majal`s brilliant debut album in 1968, but he soon parted company with him to carve out a less
travelled and commercially less rewarding niche as a left of centre maestro bottleneck and 12-string guitar player in the 70`s and beyond.
The Rising Sons, despite sounding a bit unseasoned on a few songs, were really so good for their time, and good considering the band member`s ages.
If you go looking for the album, it is titled as Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder.
The album begins with a bit of skiffle infused blues `Statesboro Blues`, I love track number 3, 8 and 20 the most, `By and By (Poor Me)`, `11th Street Overcrossing` and `Baby, What You Want Me To Do` in that order.
There is a bit of country on here, the most predominantly pure country song is `Tulsa County`, although it definitely ain`t as country as Don Williams, just so you country fans dont throw eggs at me and call me the electric Bob Dylan equivalent of a music critic.
The Rising Sons also done a fabulous job of Robert Johnson`s old delta blues classic `Dust My Broom`, it is a bit rock`n`rolled up, not quite as authentic as the version of the song made famous by the first Fleetwood Mac band, but they still can always say they done it first.
And I dont mind the one off mono song which has been tacked onto the end of the album as no. 23, the song is called ` I Got A Little`.
The sound is a bit dodgy but who cares. If
you wanted studio perfection in the 60`s then you could have turned into a surfie and listened to the Beach Boys or you could have turned into a dope smoking woop and
got a copy of Sgt. Peppers, isn`t that right?
you wanted studio perfection in the 60`s then you could have turned into a surfie and listened to the Beach Boys or you could have turned into a dope smoking woop and
got a copy of Sgt. Peppers, isn`t that right?
The Rising Sons is ample proof that American rock and blues music got the raw end of the commercial stick when it came to
the record companies deciding what music was released and what music got mothballed so comparisons weren`t made between 60`s music on both sides of the Atlantic.
the record companies deciding what music was released and what music got mothballed so comparisons weren`t made between 60`s music on both sides of the Atlantic.
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