'The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of' is a two-CD set released in 2006 by the Yazoo Records label. This is a remarkable compilation of blues, country, and old-time music recordings from the 1920s and 1930s. Subtitled "The Dead Sea Scrolls of Record Collecting", this collection features rare and hard-to-find songs, many of which were recorded as test pressings and never officially released.
I bought this set, as did many blues fans, for the two tracks: "Mississippi County Farm Blues" and "Clarksdale Moan" by Son House, which had been lost since 1930 and rediscovered in September 2005. This rediscovery has been one of the most exciting events on the blues scene for decades!
As you may have already observed, the cover art is by the legendary figure in underground comics, Robert Crumb, who is an avid collector of vintage 78 rpm records.
The album also includes a 20-page illustrated booklet (included in the freeload). While it's an interesting and fun read on collecting 78s, a subject near and dear to my heart, it gives no discographical information, recording dates, personnel lists, matrix numbers, or even the labels on which the originals were issued — information that I feed on.
I like that producer Richard Nevins' mastering uses only a moderate level of noise reduction, that preservers the character and dynamic range of the original recordings. While there is some noise due to surface wear and damaged grooves on the shellac records, if you're a fan of early 20th century old-time folk and blues music, you're used to that.
This collection of old-time and blues music, is definitely worth checking out.For the freeload, who are some of your favorite underground comic book characters?
Fat Freddy's Cat
ReplyDelete"Fat Freddy is too lazy to name me"
Delete— Fat Freddy's Cat
Mr. Natural — he has all the answers
ReplyDeleteCan't speak to your question (not being much of a consumer of comix, underground or....aboveground*), but without question I will enjoy your offering, as I'm on the record here in Babsville (June 19 2025 offering of They Ain't Like They Used To Be) as being an avid consumer of this kind of stuff. I might even already own this, but I'ma download it anyway til I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Babs!
C in California
*Tho I did love the 70s National Lampoon comix like Trots & Bonnie, Dirty Duck ('A-henh, Mr. Duck!'), and Nuts. Didn't care for Cheech Wizard, tho)
I have plenty more old-timey stuff up my sleeve.
DeleteI gotta go wit Honeybunch Kaminski or Whiteman, or maybe even Flakey Foont. College daze were such a haze... What does it all mean Mr. Natural?
ReplyDeleteCrumb himself is among my favorite comic characters. The nebbishy, ultrahorny, deeply neurotic version of himself he presents in his comix is often hilarious in a manner reminiscent of Woody Allen's earlier self portrayals. Ditto for Harvey Pekar and his twisted persona.
ReplyDeleteCrumb has always reminded me of Woody dosed on 600 micrograms.
DeleteCrumb is a really great character in his own work. I used to see him at our food co-op, when he lived in California. He's a lot more like how he portrays himself than you would imagine, as far as someone you see on the street (never spoke with him, IIRC).
DeleteI also like the Freak Brothers, and especially, Fat Freddy's Cat. I have a mounted poster of him "just lovin' that shit-kickin' music."
D in California
I dunno, Babs. Back when I was 13 or 14 I'd buy Zaps & Snatches & Yellow Dogs and sneak 'em home. I ended up a year or 2 ago I downloaded a shit-ton of the old underground comix, but for some reason didn't find them (for the most part) as funny as I did when I was a little sprout. But to answer your question, Freak Bros. and Angelfood McSpade.
ReplyDeleteANON RF: Gotta be Fritz The Cat, for me.
ReplyDeleteYazoo Records is a gift and this is a superb set; thank you. As for the comix....meh? Oat Willie's "Onward through the fog" guy?
ReplyDeleteI think that was Gilbert Shelton. We used to have an Oat Willie sticker on the back of our van. "Onward through the fog." IIRC, there was an Oat Willie's shop in Austin in the mid-70s.
DeleteNot old enough for comic books, but Ren & Stimpy just killed me when it was a thing...
ReplyDeleteCheech Wizard.
ReplyDeleteA big fan of S. Clay Wilson
ReplyDeleteLink
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/hN9ZWAk94nu
Thank you ma'am!
DeleteThanks Babs. During my bartendering days, there were a couple of pianists, that played during the evenings. I occasionally referred to one as "Shuman The Human", that cat could swing. He mentioned that the other one, while technically proficient, could not swing (no matter what!) Thanks for the memories. Thanks Babs
ReplyDeleteI love all of the 60's underground cartoonists but Crumb is King. That means that Mr. Natural, Flakey Foont and (as apauling mentioned) Crumb himself are my favorites by default. Whiteman's debut is certainly memorable as well. Thank you, Babs.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, I took cartooning really seriously. Crumb was an obvious inspiration, as were Gilbert Shelton and Rick Griffin. S. Clay Wilson & Spain Rodriguez weren't so great IMO. Crumb was the best "real" cartoonist of the lot, Griffin might've been the best actual "artist," but he punched out too soon. Shelton had the best story lines, perhaps, since Crumb fell into his neuroses all the time.
ReplyDeleteOh... CHARACTERS? Well, obviously, Fat Freddy's Cat and Wonder Warthog. And Mr Natural (Twas Ever Thus).
DeleteAs an unrelated footnote, I went down the rabbit hole of 78 collecting for a few years in the late 1970s. I had just obtained my 1926 Victrola and needed to feed it. Unlike R. Crumb, though, I didn't obsess quite that badly, but it is such a rush to drop a steel needle onto a mint Carter Family 78 from the 30s...
ReplyDelete