Tag Archives: The Sporting Life

Joe Jackson: What A Racket!

On November 24, 2023, “earMusic” label released “What a Racket!”, the 21st Joe Jackson studio album. It was recorded in 2023, and was produced by Patrick Dillett and Joe Jackson.

Personnel:

  • Joe Jackson – recording supervision
  • Max Champion – baritone voice, arrangements
  • Albert Bonehill – first violin
  • Bessie Macdermott – second violin
  • Harry Penrose – viola
  • Hetty Leno – violoncello
  • Eugene Robey – contrabass
  • Jack Chevalier – drums, cymbals, pots, pans, Maltese gong
  • Vesta Merson – flute, piccolo
  • Dan Fyffe – clarinet, bass clarinet
  • Gus Leybourne – trumpet
  • George Tilley – trombone
  • B. Waldorf – pianoforte
  • Patrick Dillett – recording supervision
  • David Lawrence – character depiction
  • Type Twenty Five – typography, graphic embellishments

Track listing:

All tracks by (Max Champion fictional music hall performer) – Joe Jackson

  1. (Overture): Why, Why, Why?
  2. The Sporting Life
  3. Dear Old Mum – A London-Irish Lament
  4. Monty Mundy (Is Maltese)!
  5. The Shades of Night
  6. What a Racket!
  7. The Bishop and the Actress
  8. Think of the Show – A Thespian’s Lament
  9. Never So Nice in the Morning
  10. Health & Safety
  11. Worse Things Happen at Sea

The Decemberists: Picaresque

On March 22, 2005, “Kill Rock Star” label released “Picaresque”, the third Decemberists (The) studio album. It was recorded August – September 2004, at “Prescott Church” in Portland, and was produced by Chris Walla, Colin  Meloy, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query and John Moen.

Personnel:

  • Colin Meloy- lead vocals, guitar
  • Chris Funk- guitar, multi-instrumentalist
  • Jenny Conlee– voices, accordion, piano, keyboards
  • Nate Query- bass
  • Rachel Blumberg – drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Aaron Stewart – tom tom
  • Petra Haden – violin, backing vocals
  • Sean Nelson – vocals, voices
  • Eric Stern – vocals
  • Paul Brainard – trumpet, horn arrangements
  • Joe Cunningham – tenor and baritone saxophone
  • Tom Hill – trombone
  • Jeff London – shofar
  • John Roderick – sound effects
  • Troy Tietjen – mixing
  • Carson Ellis – illustrations, design
  • Alicia J. Rose – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Colin Meloy.

  1. The Infanta
  2. We Both Go Down Together
  3. Eli, the Barrow Boy
  4. The Sporting Life
  5. The Bagman’s Gambit
  6. From My own True Love (Lost at Sea)
  7. Sixteen Military Wives
  8. The Engine Driver
  9. On the Bus Mail
  10. The Mariner’s Revenge Song
  11. Of Angels and Angels