Zhanteimi

Yes, that’s Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), and yes, those are her real tits. Okay. Now that that’s out of the way, how about that sour whiskey music? This album gets better with every listen. On this listen, I just lay back on the sofa, closed my eyes, and listened, which isn’t something I often do with music. But I just felt like this one needed that treatment on this cool, rainy afternoon. Small Change seems to me to be a track by track play of a piano player working at a blues bar who likes to partake of the firewater along with the customers, so by the end of Side A, he’s had one too many, and he has to blame it on the piano. Apparently this is a common occurrence, though, because he alludes to his bad liver later on. But everything will be all right, because his shift is just about to come to an end, and he’s looking forward to getting off work and going home to see his girl.

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rostasi

Well, actually, I kinda believe Cassandra herself because the face doesn't really even look like her.

5. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever heard about yourself that isn’t true?

CP: One of the things that’s kind of persistent is that I am the model on the cover of Tom Waits’ album, Small Change. There’s a girl in a G-string and pasties, and I can’t say it’s completely not me—I can’t say it’s not true—but I have absolutely no recollection of doing it, if it is true. And I would just think that I would remember modeling for the cover of an album with Tom Waits, who I’ve always loved. Wouldn’t you remember that?

Zhanteimi

I’ve read a lot of high praise for this film but still haven’t been able to find it. I like the music, but I think I will like it even more once I’ve seen the film. It feels like part of a greater story. A sample from the film is below. I found this album in my quest to discover eastern European traditional folk, simply because I like to branch out from my cultural roots and find new and interesting sounds coming from a different world and time.

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Zhanteimi

Yeah. So who to believe?

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rostasi

Well, you can either believe your eyes and Peterson or the
amorphous urban legend - kinda like the Gabor/Carson one.
Yeah, it could be her, but I remember her saying in her bio that
she had burn scars over a substantial portion of her body.
Of course, it was the 70s and she might be forgetting a lot,
but my eyes (and historical inaccuracies) don't favor that conclusion.
Anyway, nobody is sure

Zhanteimi

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, though. Always glad to learn!

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Zhanteimi

This is an old favorite. Such a fun, bright album. Mbaqanga, Mbube, Zydeco, and Soukous are the four African-based musical traditions featured here, two of them finding their origins in South Africa, whereas the other two developed more in the Americas as African immigrants and slaves brought their music with them. I’m not going to get political here, but I can’t help but wonder how much this album helped Western (white) ears tune into sounds beyond their borders. Clearly music aficionados are always listening outside their cultural experience, but this album seemed to bring African music to the forefront in the popular American consciousness. It was a big thing to do in the 80s.

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Zhanteimi

I harbored quite a prejudice for Bowie’s earlier stuff for a long time. 1969 through 1972: Bowie at his best. And so I just listened to albums #2 through #5 for the longest time, but eventually I had to look myself in the mirror and admit how much I loved Bowie. And if I loved Bowie that much, could I be content with just his earlier folk stuff? After much late-night pacing and soul-searching, I was forced to come to the conclusion that I would have to explore more of his discography. It was a painful realization, but like a child taking his medicine, sometimes what’s painful is what’s best for you. This branching out led me to Low and this album, and I just adore everything about them, especially “Wild Is the Wind”.

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Zhanteimi

The first two tracks are basically saxophone porn (I mean, the dude has four different people playing saxophone on this album), and if the album didn’t lay off, I probably wouldn’t have had as good a rating for it. But with the third track, Pohjola pulls back into more delicate territory with strings and flutes, which then gives way to playful music that’s more guitar driven. A lot going on here, basically.

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Zhanteimi

This album kicks off with some fun piano work, setting a not-too-serious prog mood. It’s like they’re telling the listener, “We’re here to play, not show off.” Not to say that showing off is bad. I know some people hate it, but I don’t mind it. Anyway, the reason I mention this is because so much prog shows off, so it’s nice to hear something a bit more straightforward for a change. “Freedom Rider” is the centerpiece here, but being a folkhead, I prefer “John Barleycorn”.

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