SOOTHING SOUNDS FOR BABY MEN

Despite still experiencing stinging pain in my nethers, I stay positive about the fate of my bladder. What aids me in steering clear of moping around the house is an evening ritual that happens once dinner has been gobbled and the cleanup completed. It includes a therapeutic puff of the whathaveyou prescribed by my doctor and a ridiculously long string of ‘liked’ songs compiled on that website full of baby punchers over at Spotify. This act has been a huge factor in my healing and squashing any thoughts over my mortality, losing independence, or any of that deep shit that’s just unneeded at such crucial points in life. 

Due to the positive feedback received a few weekends ago at the Maplewood Record Fair about my last post covering feel-good hits, I present another. Don’t compliment me, fools! I’m just gonna beat the concept into the ground ‘til you hate it. Haven’t you learned that yet? 

Jesse Winchester - “That’s The Touch I Like”
As any major beardo will tell you, Jesse is a seriously underrated singer/songwriter and draft dodger who put out plenty of records of varying qualities. Like most debut albums, his initial one from 1970 is the finest and includes this tune, “That’s The Touch I Like”. If this song doesn’t force a smile on your mug, your heart it must be a small, black flint impenetrable to warmth. Gosh, how I envy you!

Bobbie Gentry - “Papa, Won’t You Let Me Go To Town With You”
It’s easy to get lost in the world of Gentry on this track due to the brass and string arrangements which are uncredited both on the album jacket and on the internet. If you know the answer, please keep it to yourself. I just want to enjoy this song in peace without any nerdery inserted into it.

Little Feat - “Truck Stop Girl”
This gentile ditty about the tragic love affair between a long-haul trucker and a lot-lizard is kinda ridiculous in its blinkered story-telling, but I find it to be terribly soothing due to Lowell Goerge’s reedy vocals. A real Shakspearian tale from the world of beef jerky by the foot and crushed-up No-Doz.

Bridget St. John - “I Like To Be With You In The Sun”
Like all music created by Bridget St. John, this track is mesmerizing and highly visual with shafts of light peaking through the nooks and crannies of its intimate cocoon-like aura. But the most gripping part of the song is the ending where Bridget repeats the line, “Down to the river, over the bridge and away we run”. For some reason, I’ve been stuck on that line the past few nights. Guess I’ll bring it up to the overnight clerk at the Speedway up the street and ask what she thinks the secret meaning behind it is.

Dan Penn - “Raining In Memphis”
I was lucky enough to hear this smooth number just as the sun was setting the other night. The fusion of its opaque image disappearing into the still, green surroundings while this lush-ass tune of lost lurve shot into my dirty ears hit me with a hot injection of calming bliss. But then all of a sudden, what I guess to be a tape loop of a trumpet came outta nowhere and knocked my fragile, stoned mind into the neighbors’ kayak collection. Beautiful tune.

Cochise - “59th Street Bridge Song”
Nothing says “summer”, “the weather’s getting warmer” or “meet me on the deck with a roll of tinfoil” like this track. A blistering intro kicks off this downhome-via-Britain rendition of this Simon and Oates classic and it’s like a night at Good Time Charley’s for the duration of the tune. BJ Cole’s slide-guitar solo is acknowledged and very much approved!

That’s it for now. Going somewhere tomorrow so they can experiment on my body. It might improve my health. It might be a huge waste of time. All I know is I’m getting a free lunch!