RChecka – Modern Dylan

I’ve recently had the pleasure of getting to know one R Checka – a long-time DJ and all round niceguy. He also came up with the ingenious “Periodic Table of Hip-Hop Elements” and runs a fantastic hip hop blog connected to it. Just recently he came out with his Modern Dylan mixtape; a high-concept Beck mix. Seeing as he’s got quite a way with words, I’ll let the man himself explain:

Beck has been one of my favorite indefinable artists since 94, my hazy college years. I’ve religiously bought every album and single I could get my hands on since that time. Anything that had his name on it really, his bluesy funky style always struck a chord with me. This is probably the third best of beck mixtape I have created (the first one I made was on cassette tape) and it may not be the last. I call it Modern Dylan, because like Bob, Beck is a story-teller, so in a lot of ways he’s my generation’s Dylan. Coincidentally Beck even toured with Dylan interestingly enough.

I used to be a club DJ for years, and I got very sick of Loser after playing it for countless years. It was at a point, the only Beck song I didn’t like. That was too bad, because it’s a good song, but I was sick of playing it every Saturday night. When I made this mix, I felt obligated to play it, but I knew I could spice it up a little bit without detracting from the original so I decided to remix it. Not to mention that made it easier to mix in the process. I didn’t have any a Capella to work with, so I called the remix what it is, “Rchecks Extended Overlap”. I overlapped on top of the original recording looping the first 2 guitar bars at times. I extended the intro and outro using that guitar loop. Hopefully I did the original justice, nothing worse than a bad remix of a track that people consider a one-hit-wonder song.

All songs on this mixed compilation are from my personal collection of Beck’s original CDs, LPs, EPs, 12”, and 7” recordings. This uploaded mix is the modside (modern). The second side dylside is his slower, more serious country and folk music, not nearly as palatable for a lot of people unfortunately. That side will remain on CD format only for friends and family. However, for serious Beck fans that contact me via email and live within the continental US, I’ll gladly send a hard copy of both discs at no cost. My email can be obtained here. Hope you can dig it. Most importantly, I hope this mix can help you appreciate Beck’s music more.

Direct instant download
http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/dit7nv
Mixcrate page
http://www.mixcrate….ka-Modern-Dylan

Enjoy!

Have you ever noticed? Part 3.

Have you ever noticed…

That in Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, Steve Stills’s vocals are on the left channel only.

So…yeah. No link? No. Because I can’t find a version that has this on, except on Mildboy’s recent West Coast Mix for AOR Disco.

So, err, have a great Saturday night!

See also: me noticing something mundane another time. And again.

Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity but not Grace Slick

I discovered this dusty LP in my collection and had no idea where it came from so I stuck it on.

Its sound can pretty much be summed up as swinging 60s London psychedelia. Brian Auger was a very good keyboard player (“organist” as my Dad said) and Julie Driscoll was a Felicity Kensington-esque shagadelic model who did guest vocals on this. It’s half covers (This Wheel’s on Fire, Season of the Witch, Tramp) and half original stuff. It’s makes for a pretty good listen as a “sound of an era” type thing. Her voice really reminds me of Grace Slick.

Ade Edmunson asked her to re-record her version of This Wheel’s on Fire for the Absolutely Fabulous theme tune (which is the first time I ever heard it!).