Oldham, Will - 2000 - Guarapero: Lost Blues 2

Guarapero/Lost Blues 2 gathers seven years' worth of rarities from Will Oldham, including an unusual reading of D.H. Lawrence's poem The Risen Lord, with a clunky, cheesy drum machine in the background, as well as a radical reworking of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Every Mother's Son." Several of these songs come from BBC sessions, but the sound quality on tracks like "Gezundheit" and "Let the Wires Ring" suggests they were recorded on wax cylinder and transmitted by a crystal set, which, of course, only amplifies the songs' sparse, timeless feel. "The Spider's Dude Is Often There" and "For the Mekons Et Al" are among the most exuberant Palace songs on Guarapero, while Oldham tracks like "No More Rides" and "Sugarcane Juice Drinker" trace his development as a performer and songwriter. Due to the time span it covers, it's natural that Guarapero/Lost Blues 2 is a bit disjointed; nevertheless, it fills in the gaps for Oldham completists and is an entertaining, if scattered, look at some of his musical sketches over the years.

		1		Drinking Woman		2:29
		2		The Spider's Dude Is Often There		4:17
		3		Gezundheit		2:48
		4		Let the Wires Ring		5:20
		5		Big Balls		3:15
		6		For the Mekons et Al		5:36
		7		Stable Will		4:26
		8		Every Mother's Son		6:06
		9		No More Rides		5:06
		10		The Risen Lord	Lawrence	5:20
		11		Boy, Have You Cum		2:51
		12		Patience		3:10
		13		Take However Long You Want		3:55
		14		Sugarcane Juice Drinker		3:33
		15		Call Me a Liar		4:20
		16		O Lord Are You in Need?		3:03

¡Aquí!

Oldham, Will

For most of the '90s, Will Oldham was the mastermind of Palace Music, a shambling, country-tinged indie rock group that recorded under a variety of names. The only constant in Palace was Oldham, and he would often record as a solo artist under the Palace name. That fact made his decision to retire the Palace name in 1997 somewhat baffling, since for all intents and purposes, he was the band. Nevertheless, Joya, Oldham's first album as a solo artist, was slightly different than Palace, boasting a slightly darker and somber tone. Like all the Palace records, Joya was released on Drag City to positive critical notices and a moderately successful cult following. Although the subsequent I See a Darkness was attributed to Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Oldham continued using his given name for releases, including Ode Music and Guarapero: Lost Blues 2. The second Bonnie "Prince" Billy album, Ease Down the Road, arrived in early 2001, featuring collaborators David Pajo, Catherine Irwin, Mike Fellows, and Harmony Korine. Master and Everyone appeared two years later.

1997 - Live in Dunedin, New Zealand

2000 - Guarapero: Lost Blues 2

Oldham, Will - 1997 - Live in Dunedin, New Zealand

¡Aquí!