On February 5, 2025, Michael Roland Ratledge died aged 81. He was musician (keyboards, flute), member of the Daevid Allen Trio, but was best known as founding member of Soft Machine. Regarded as one of the most influential members of the Canterbury scene, he recorded with Daevid Allen Trio, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen, Syd Barrett, David Bedford, Wilde Flowers, Planet Earth, Rubber, Rollercoaster, Karl Jenkins.
Monthly Archives: February 2025
16 Horsepower: Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes
On February 6, 1996, “A&M” label released “Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes”, the debut 16 Horsepower studio album. It was recorded in 1995, at “Ardent Studios” in Memphis, Tennessee, and was produced by Warren Bruleigh.
Personnel:
- David Eugene Edwards – vocals, banjo, guitar, bandoneon, lap steel guitar
- Keven Soll – upright bass, flattop acoustic bass, cello, backing vocals
- Jean-Yves Tola – drums, backing vocals
- Gordon Gano – fiddle
Track listing:
- I Seen What I Saw
- Black Soul Choir
- Scrawled in Sap
- Horse Head
- Ruthie Lingle
- Harm’s Way
- Black Bush
- Heel on the Shovel
- American Wheeze
- Red Neck Reel
- Prison Shoe Romp
- Neck on the New Blade
- Strong Man
Bob Dylan And The Grateful Dead: Dylan & The Dead
On February 6, 1989, “Columbia” label released “Dylan & the Dead”, album by Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead (The). It was recorded in July 1987, and was produced by Jerry Garcia and John Cutler.
Personnel:
- Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar
- Jerry Garcia – vocals, guitar
- Bob Weir – vocals, guitar
- Brent Mydland – vocals, keyboards
- Phil Lesh – bass guitar
- Mickey Hart – drums
- Bill Kreutzmann – drums
- Guy Charbonneau – engineer
- John Cutler – engineer
- Gary Hedden – engineer
- Peter Miller – engineer
- David Roberts – engineer
- Billy Rothschild – engineer
- Chris Wiskes – engineer
- Joe Gastwirt – mastering
- Rick Griffin – art direction
- Herb Greene – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Bob Dylan except where noted.
- Slow Train
- I Want You
- Gotta Serve Somebody
- Queen Jane Approximately
- Joey – Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy
- All Along the Watchtower
- Knockin’ on Heavens Door
Lennie Tristano: Same
In February 1956, “Atlantic” label released the self-titled, eight Lennie Tristano album. It was recorded 1954 – 1955, at Tristano’s home studio in New York, “The Sing-Song Room”, Confucius Restaurant in New York. The “Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings” included the album in its suggested “core collection” of essential recordings.
Personnel:
- Lennie Tristano – piano
- Peter Ind – bass
- Gene Ramey – bass
- Art Taylor – drums
- Jeff Morton – drums
- Lee Konitz – alto saxophone
- Jay Maisel – artwork
- Barry Ulanov – liner notes
Track listing:
All tracks by Lennie Tristano, except where noted.
- Line Up
- Requiem
- Turkish Mambo
- East Thirty-Second
- These Foolish Things – Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey
- You Go to My Head – J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
- If I Had You – Jimmy Campbell, Reginald Connelly, Ted Shapiro
- I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You – Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, Victor Young
- All the Things You Are – Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern
Black Country, New Road: For The First Time
On February 5, 2012, “Ninja Tune” label released “For the First Time”, the debut Black Country, New Road studio album. It was recorded in 2020, and was produced by Andy Savours.
Personnel:
- Isaac Wood – vocals, lead guitar
- Luke Mark – guitar
- May Kershaw – keyboards
- Tyler Hyde – bass
- Charlie Wayne – drums
- Lewis Evans – saxophone
- Georgia Ellery – violin
- Andy Savours – engineer, mixing
- Guy Davie – mastering
- Bart Price – artwork
- Joshua Rumble – assistance
Track listing:
All tracks by Charlie Wayne, Georgia Ellery, Isaac Wood, Lewis Evans, Luke Mark, May Kershaw and Tyler Hyde.
- Instrumental
- Athens, France
- Science Fair
- Sunglasses
- Track X
- Opus
The Weather Station: Ignorance
On February 5, 2021, “Fat Possum” label released “Ignorance”, the fifth Weather Station (The) studio album. It was recorded in 2019, at “Canterbery” in Toronto, Canada, and was produced by Tamara Linderman and Marcus Paguin.
Personnel:
- Tamara Lindeman – vocals, piano, guitar, Moog, Pianet, Wurlitzer, string arrangements, overdubbing
- Christine Bougie – guitar
- Johnny Spence – piano, organ, Wurlitzer, Moog, Juno
- Ben Whiteley – bass, guitar
- Kieran Adams – drums, percussion
- Philippe Melanson – percussion
- Ian Kehoe – percussion
- Marcus Paquin – percussion
- Brodie West – saxophone
- Ryan Driver – flute
- Drew Jurecka – violin, clarinet, bass clarinet
- Rebekah Wolkstein – violin
- Shannon Knights – viola
- Lydia Munchinsky – cello
- Owen Pallett – string arrangements
- Mike Smith – music notation
- Felicity Williams – harmony vocals
- Jeremy Darby – engineer
- Julian Decorte – engineer
- Marcus Paquin – overdubbing, mixing
- Joao Carvalho – mastering
- Hugo Bernier – design
- Jeff Bierk – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Tamara Lindeman.
- Robber
- Atlantic
- Tried To Tell You
- Parking Lot
- Loss
- Separated
- Wear
- Trust
- Heart
- Subdivisions
Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20
On February 5, 2016, “Highway 20” label released “The Ghosts of Highway 20”, the 12th Lucinda Williams studio album. It was recorded in 2015, and was produced by Greg Liesz, Tom Overby and Lucinda Williams.
Personnel:
- Lucinda Williams – lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
- Bill Frisell – electric guitar
- Greg Leisz – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Val McCallum – electric guitar
- David Sutton – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Carlton “Santa” Davis – drums
- Butch Norton – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Ras Michael – hand drums, backing vocals
Track listing:
All tracks by Lucinda Williams, except where noted.
- Dust – Miller Williams, Lucinda Williams
- House of Earth – Woody Guthrie
- I Know All About It
- Place in My Heart
- Death Came
- Doors of Heaven
- Louisiana Story
- Ghosts of Highway 20
- Bitter Memory
- Factory – Bruce Springsteen
- Can’t Close the Door on Love
- If My Love Could Kill
- If There’s a Heaven
- Faith & Grace – traditional
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds: Murder Ballads
On February 5, 1996, “Mute” label released “Murder Ballads”, the ninth Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds studio album. It was recorded 1993 – 1885, and Victor Van Vugt, Tony Cohen, Nick Cave, Blixa Bargeld,Martin P. Casey, Conway Savage, Jim Sclavunos and Thomas Wydler.
Personnel:
- Nick Cave – vocals, piano, organ, Hammond organ, gun shots, string arrangements
- Blixa Bargeld – vocals, screams, guitar
- Conway Savage – piano, piano, backing vocals
- Martyn P. Casey – bass
- Mick Harvey – drums, guitar, acoustic guitar, organ, wind organ, bass, Hammond organ, space belt, percussion, backing vocals, string arrangements
- Jim Sclavunos – drums, percussion, bells, tambourine
- Thomas Wydler – vocals, maracas, drums, tambourine
- Hugo Race – guitar
- Brian Hooper – bass
- Terry Edwards – horns
- Warren Ellis – accordion, violin
- Jen Anderson – violin
- Sue Simpson – violin
- Kerran Coulter – viola
- Helen Mountfort – cello
- PJ Harvey – vocals
- Kylie Minogue – vocals
- Anita Lane – crying, vocals
- Shane MacGowan – vocals
- Geraldine Johnston – additional vocals
- LizKatharine Blake – additional vocals
- Corcoran – additional vocals
- Marielle Del Conte – additional vocals
The Moron Tabernacle Choir
- Nick Cave
- Martyn P. Casey
- Conway Savage
- Thomas Wydler
- Warren Ellis
- Brian Hooper
- Spencer P. Jones
- Dave Graney
- Katharine Blake
- Clare Moore
- Rowland S. Howard
- James Johnston
- Ian Johnston
- Geraldine Johnston
- Astrid Munday
Track listing:
All tracks by Nick Cave, except where noted.
- Song of Joy
- Stager Lee – traditional, Nick Cave
- Henry Lee – traditional, Nick Cave
- Lovely Creature – Blixa Bargeld, Martin P. Casey
- Where the Wild Roses Grow
- The Curse of Millhaven
- The Kindness of Strangers
- Crow Jane – Martin P. Casey, Nick Cave
- O’Malley’s Bar
- Death Is Not the End – Bob Dylan
Widespread Panic: Space Wrangler
On February 4, 1988, “Landslide” label released “Space Wrangler”, the debut Widespread Panic studio album. It was recorded in 1987, at “John Keane Studio” in Athens, GA, and was produced by John Keane, Johnny Sandlin, John Bell, Michael Houser, Todd Nance and Dave Schools.
Personnel:
- John Bell – vocals, guitar
- Michael Houser – vocals, guitar
- Dave Schools – vocals, bass, percussion
- Todd Nance – vocals, drums, percussion
- Tim White – keyboards
- Page McConnell (and Phish crew) – organ
- T Lavitz – organ
- Domingo Sunny Ortiz – percussion
- John Keane – vocals
- Alberto Salazarte – rap
- David Blackmon – fiddle
- Bill Jordan – laughter
- David Schools, John Keane, John Bell – backing vocals
- John Keane – engineer
- Steve Tillisch – engineer
- Jeff Coppage – engineer, remix
- Benny Quinn – mastering
- Johnny Sandlin – remix
- Jim Bickerstaff – remix
- James Flournoy – cover artwork, package design
- Jeff Corbett – logo design
- Patricia McEachern – photography
Track listing:
All tracks by John Bell, Michael Houser, Todd Nance, Domingo Sunny Ortiz and Dave Schools, except where noted.
- Chilly Water
- Travelin’ Light – J.J. Cale
- Space Wrangler
- Coconut
- The Take Out
- Porch Song
- Stop–Go
- Driving Song
- Holden Oversoul
- Contentment Blues
- Gomero Blanco
- Me and the Devil Blues / Heaven
Joan Armatrading: Secret Secrets
On February 4, 1985, “A&M” label released “Secret Secrets”, the ninth Joan Armatrading studio album. It was recorded in 1984, at “Battery Studios” in Willesden, London, and was produced by Mike Howlett.
Personnel:
- Joan Armatrading – vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica, arrangements
- David Rhodes – acoustic and electric guitar
- Alan Murphy – rhythm guitar
- Joe Jackson – piano
- Nick Plytas – keyboards, synthesizers
- Adrian Lee – synthesizers
- Pino Palladino – bass guitar
- Mel Gaynor – drums, timpani
- David Bitelli – saxophone
- Wesley Magoogan – saxophone
- Steve Sidwell – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Paul Spong – trumpet
- Rick Taylor – trombone
- Raul D’Oliveira – lead flugelhorn
- Flachra Trench – strings orchestration
- Dave Bitelli – horns scored
- Bryan “Chuck” New – engineer
- Jon Hallett, Stephen McLaughlin – engineer assistant
- Michael Ross – art direction
- Moira Bogue – design
- Robert Mapplethorpe – photography
- Tessa Pacey – co-ordination and assistance
All tracks by Joan Armatrading.
- Persona Grata
- Temptation
- Moves
- Talking to the WallLove By You
- Thinking Man
- Friends Not Lovers
- One Night
- Secret Secrets
- Strange
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