23 – Nothing New – Featuring Phoebe Bridgers like everything else in 2021 right? To Taylor’s credit, unlike nearly every other feature, Phoebe actually got to say words on this one. Also, it was inspired by Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You, and a song can only be so bad if it’s citing Joni Mitchell
Play an album you picked up used
I totally intended on pulling Joni or Phoebe out of the cubes for this but I have way, way too much to play that's new to me, so it's a good day for it. A lot of them do need cleaning though, so this is one that is pretty darn crisp as it and it really does get at what is so satisfying to me about crate digging and used finds It's from the antique store haul I posted about in Fresh Grabs - a comp of a blues artist that, to be honest, I wasn't super familiar with. I've had an increasing appreciation for Chicago Blues as I've blind bought titles in the genre and generally enjoyed the heck out of them.
This one caught my eye due to the cover - I'm a sucker for true "full-space" usage covers that just feel like they could go on forever. It's hard to describe but most albums use borders or have a clear end point for the image, and this one is so in your face and present that it stuck out. I did a quick look up and thought genre wise, condition wise, and price wise it was the right mixture and put it into my stack to buy.
The Little Walter story is, not too shockingly, not the happiest one. He was a man of a temper and alcoholic vices with an education that stopped at the age of 12. If you hop on his discogs you see one full album released near the very end of his all-too-short life (passed at 38) with Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters. He was buried in an unmarked grave that remained unmarked for decades following his passing. I think there's one video clip out there, and a career marked with some really missed opportunities.
With all of that said, the music? Man, this stuff is so good. I've been having a ton of fun with this antique haul but this, the Ben Webster, and Memphis Slim really stood out. The harmonica work on this out of its mind - he went into the Rock and Roll HoF as a harmonica player so it's not too shocking - but the man did some truly special work with that humble instrument. It just feels right musically.
Since he passed only a year after that was out, what we have are a slew of singles (he was prominent in the 50s primarily), and a couple posthumous shared albums or supporting roles. Luckily we have the compilations, the most famous one that hit one of Rolling Stones' Top 500 list (The Best of Little Walter). As far as I can tell, this is his first posthumous comp from Chess, likely a later repress. He was a special musician and blues artist - I'm sure like many one who would've had an exceedingly long and fruitful career if life didn't get the best of him. Although with the blues it's kind of a symbiotic relationship with the music and life getting the best of you, so who knows.
We at least still have that harmonica and the unique amplification pioneering that he pushed forward on it.
Little Walter - Hate To See You Go
