Tuesday, November 18, 2008
PASSING DESIRE
There were some people who got real uneasy about C.W. Stoneking’s last album, King Hokum. On the one hand, it was cool to hear some lo-er than lo-fi 1923 jams with the Primitive Horn Orchestra up back being undoubtedly awesome. On the other hand, wasn’t it just a little bit too Al Jolson minus the actual blackface? Not that that’s my opinion. I’m not super keen to get punched in the face. Anyway, that angle kind of fell apart when he turned out to actually be a weird and crusty dude. Check out this video of him covering Seven Nation Army on triple j:
He's probably still not gonna get away without people calling foul on Jungle Blues, though, because HOLY CRAP does it sound like C.W. Stoneking might have listened to Tom Waits' Rain Dogs once or twice before making this album. That's OK: people rip the Beatles off way worse all the time and no one says anything, plus now that pirates exist again the world needs some more shanties. I just feel the need to point out that Jockey Full Of Bourbon.
Anyway, it's not like C.W. Stoneking cares what any of us bloggers think anymore - ever since ancient Radio National guy Tim Ritchie made King Hokum album of the year, C.W. Stoneking's totally stitched up the sit-down cabaret dinner-and-show boomer audience, which means that us young people with our internets and our limited disposable income are officially old news.
[C.W. Stoneking MySpace]
[Buy Jungle Blues from Shock Records]
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4 comments:
..nice try. This album. and the styles it represents were the musical inspiration for the The Love Me Or Die, not Rain dogs." I don't discriminate against old or young people enjoying my music. It's not your limited disposable income or internet that makes you old news, it's just that if you have nothing to say, don't say anything.
he did grow up in a remote Indigenous community, and that is definitely an Indigenous accent....
his forebearers are from the hills and hollars of pennsylvania and west virginia... his great-grandad was an engine driver on the B & O Railroad - and hails from Hundred in Wetzel County (WVa) -- he was also born in the deep north of Australia - in Katherine - in the Big Wet of 73/74.
Legend, prelude to the big wind eh?
Best recording artist in the country eeeeaasssy...
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