On Paul Burch's five preceding records he has showcased his strapping Nashville backing band, The WPA Ballclub, to complement his own ambidexterity on guitar, Wurlitzer, pedal steel and vibes. The trend continues on East to West, though the ante has been upped by the likes of multi-instrumentalist Tim O'Brien, guitarist Mark Knopfler, and voice-out-of-heaven Ralph Stanley. Burch's fondness for classic country shines in honky-tonkers like "When I'm In Love" and "I'm Taking It Home," but his true songwriting genius is best exposed on tracks that straddle the boundaries of folk ("Last Dream of Will Keene), pop ("December Sparklers") and blues ("I Will Wait For You"). Both "Daddy Rhythm Guitar" and "John Peel" use the purest forms of instrumentation, the latter featuring Burch's primitive bass-slapping, and "Little Glass of Wine," which includes the immortal Stanley on high-harmony co-lead vocals, smells of sweet Kentucky bluegrass. By the time he croons "Montreal," using the French Canadian city as a love-affair metaphor, you're left to wonder why Paul Burch is still tucked so deeply into Nashville's underground.
Here are some of Paul's favorite albums. (Find more artists' picks on our main Music You Should Hear page: http://www.amazon.com/mysh)
Paul Burch's List of Music You Should Hear
Otis Rush, I Can't Quit You Baby: The Complete Cobra Sessions Magic Sam, West Side Soul Two of the greatest and most unique blues guitar players who called Chicago home. Stylistically they were a combination of Muddy Waters' bite and B.B. King's bark. But Sam and Otis were city players, not Delta players, and the attack and volume of their style was unique to the time and still lays waste to most modern players. Sam died young and only made one proper LP but West Side Soul is still riveting stuff. As for Otis, he doesn't have a bad record but the Cobra Sessions, A&R'd by Willie Dixon, have all of the best qualities of mid-'50s blues records: overdrive, presence, and atmosphere.
Frank Sinatra, In the Wee Small Hours Beautifully recorded, sung, and performed, this was his breakthrough in using the new long-playing album format in a way that was never intended. The album's songs carried the listener along the arc of heartbreak, breakdown, and redemption. A lot of babies were made to this album. Perfect.
Elvis Presley, Sunrise This pressing is the best sounding yet but the music couldn't sound any fresher. Still a revelation to most who love Elvis, his trio is effortlessly swinging, relaxed, and rocking at the same time. None of the hard work and sweat that producer Sam Phillips (the great emancipator of pop music) put these boys through shows and Elvis sings like a yardbird with new wings, not caring to stop to correct various bass and guitar fluffs.
David Byrne/Brian Eno, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Effortlessly hip combination of dance music, samples, loops, and song that glides along like rainbow ice. More modern than most so called modern music and all done as entertainment both high and low minus the guile and thin-veiled deceit cast upon the listener found in most modern indie hip shoegazing muzak.
James Brown, Live at the Apollo Best live album ever. Financed by Soul Brother #1, the unstoppable and earth-shattering document-�nearly unbelievable today-of what happens when a great band leader who has everything at his fingertips is caught at the top of his game. It's the show of shows. Please Please Please Please.
Sam Cooke, One Night Stand: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 Left on the shelf until the early '80s, it reveals the Sam Cooke that was left forgotten and only imagined in the wake of the Beatles and the Stones. This is the Sam Cooke who imprinted every R&B singer for the next 10 years and now the ones who don't realize it. Set to task by a tour with Little Richard, Sam decided to go back to his gospel style and bring the pop music world to him. Had he lived another year with this formula, Otis Redding might have had a different producer. Have a party!
Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life The love and heart of this record sadly has influenced a lot of singers to lift the cream of this album and miss the meat. A beautifully realized concept album of faith, wonder, redemption, and sexy funk. You can't tell when Stevie is playing all the instruments or not. Could have been six albums and I would have been happy. Unfortunately followed by Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants, the first scratch-and-sniff album.
Charlie Parker, Charlie Parker with Strings: The Master Takes The album Charlie was most proud of, listeners sure of Charlie's greatness but unsure of how to approach him can rest easy with this record. His alto soars easily above the arrangements--some of them have not aged well--but the frantic rhythm and constant push found on the bebop records is missing which is a relief. Charlie handles the melodies as he's always had--beautifully--but now the tempos are relaxed and the feeling is tremendous. Can change the weather in your mind.
Hank Williams, Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits The best sounding mono release of Hank's MGM recordings. The solo demos and radio shows are a better platform for the beauty of his high baritone and his bluesy on the money rhythm guitar playing. The only quibble is production: once they found their hit style, it's fiddle for the fast songs and steel for the slow ones. It's easy to lose one's way but the voice, melody, and words are steel-cutting honey. The king of country, still.
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