Goth music not usually considered to be goth music

This song has a particular mood - a particular sort of creepy - that I am very familiar with but quite unable to describe. It was inspired by a meeting between the singer and the blues man Furry Lewis in New Orleans in 1975.
By all accounts Lewis was not best pleased.

Joni Mitchell - Furry Sings The Blues

Orlando.

Hello all!

I've just been reading the latest posts in this thread: What are Goths?. I've just read something I strongly disagree with that to my mind completely misunderstands what Goth is all about, so rather than reply just at the moment, I'm going to pour a drink (Pimms, Lemonade, Ice - the only booze in the house right now) and listen to some music.

Back at Brass Goggles, someone (my apologies, I can't remember who) suggested Mira. Go to either the "mp3" or the "discography" pages and download Cayman (about 5MB). They specifically request that people do not create direct links so I haven't.

That Pimms is pretty strong stuff... Perhaps I should have made a longer drink out of it.

Suzanne Vega - Small Blue Thing

Neon Suntan mentioned Neneh Cherry in passing back at BG. I've had this, her most well known song, bookmarked for a while: Neneh Cherry - Manchild ...and that is the hifi stereo version. Preach sister, preach.

Orlando.

I mentioned Neneh Cherry? One of the greatest tracks she ever did was Under My Skin.

It was recorded for the Red Hot + Blue AIDS benefit album. The instrumental version had such delicious bass freqs in it that I used it to test my old hi-fi [something went pop and I think I shattered a cone ] Have a listen here

My fave Goth tune ever was/is Afterhours.

Any fans of the The Sisterhood abum out there?
The Sisterhood - Rain from Heaven

Orlando wrote:This song has a particular mood - a particular sort of creepy - that I am very familiar with but quite unable to describe. It was inspired by a meeting between the singer and the blues man Furry Lewis in New Orleans in 1975.
By all accounts Lewis was not best pleased.

The last time I heard anything of Joni Mitchel's I got the same "particular sort of creepy" feeling as this gives me only... as a blues-lover I really wish she hadn't tried to incorporate any actual blues themes into the song. The lyrics strike me as a rather overblown repetition of themes I'm more used to seeing portrayed in very ordinary, down to earth fiction, so I'm a bit puzzled here. Still, between the theme of mortality and Joni's haunting voice it does have a certain effect, slightly spoiled by the blues horn but still there.

neon_suntan wrote:I mentioned Neneh Cherry?

I'm almost sure, perhaps in the "Difficult Music" thread in connection with the Manchester scene?
I don't really like rap but I think because I find Neneh Cherry an attractive personality, I can always listen to her.

neon_suntan wrote:Any fans of the The Sisterhood abum out there?

I have a cassette with The Gift on one side and The Nephilim on the other. I know the primary purpose of the release is supposed to have been to claim the name and as such the music might be considered a side-effect (!) but everyone I know who likes the Sisters (including me) really like the album. I don't now have a cassette player and it must be a year or so since I last played the tape on my girlfriend's ghetto-blaster but I do like it, especially Colours which eventually appeared on the CD of Floodland with Eldritch doing the singing.

My favourite Sisters track of all time is only available officially (I think) on the CD single of Dominion and is entitled, Untitled. It has the deepest bass I've heard anywhere and is a slow tempo instrumental version of Dominion with the most fantastic saxophone. I believe the track also appears on an unofficial collection, Some Boys Wander by Mistake as does Afterhours.

Mr. Ethan Grammatikidis wrote:...slightly spoiled by the blues horn...

The only wind instrument used on the recording is a harmonica (played by Neil Young).
The bit where she says...
"Pawnshops glitter like gold tooth-caps. In the gray decay, they chew the last few dollars of old Beale Street's carcass"
...makes me think of an English teacher: "Notice the use of simile and metaphor".
It has long been my ambition to record a version of Furry Sings the Blues to the tune and in the style of,

John Cooper Clarke - Beasley Street

Orlando.

I really love Chicken Town by John Cooper Clarke, it was used as an episode closer in the last season of the Sopranos...

Other curious little tracks and collections

Neil Young - Trans an electro(!) album from the 80's featuring vocodered vocals

Robert Palmer - The Silver Gun a strange electro track from a man better known for sharp suits and snappy videos. He seems to be singing in some Indian language.

Poison - Strange Days of Uncle Jack glam metal ambience from the intro to big hair classic album "Flesh+Blood"

Fatboy Slim - Beats Up the NME a free cassette given away with the NME back in 1997 and now a free download, contains some terrific 'neighbour-bothering' bouncy big-beat tracks!

Some Portishead and Billie Holiday songs are very...frightening.

I also remember the first time I heard the Eagles song "Hotel California" I was alone in my room and the hair literally stood up on my head.

Brass Goggles is working again!

(The last time I said this, I only had time to post a link over here before it went off-line but I think everything is now properly sorted.)

Here is a link back to the thread at Brass Goggles.

Many thanks to Pheobsky and the Administrators for their work here - I will continue to visit Spare Goggles and monitor it with the news feed.

Orlando.