Comments on: Friday groove blogging: Stax/Volt

By: Tom Hurka

Tom Hurka — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:33:58 +0000

Anyone for reading about Stax? There are several chapters in Peter Guralnick’s Sweet Soul Music, but the fullest account is in Rob Bowman’s Soulsville, USA. It combines the business history of the label with great analysis of the Stax sound: why they used the guitar strings and horn mouthpieces they did, Otis’s influence, the shape of the recording studio, and more. It may be the best book of arts criticism I’ve ever read.

By: john i

john i — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:50:59 +0000

Stax rules. I don’t know about other cities, but the current trend in clubs here in Baltimore is for “Soul Night” DJ’s to spin Stax, obscure ska, Motown and mod/freakbeat records for young hipsters who often arrive by scooter. You may want to mock the mini dresses and go go boots, but the music is undeniably great, and very dance-able. Just wish there were some live bands doing the same sorta stuff.

By: Regina

Regina — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:01:01 +0000

For Americans, I found it here, seems like it’s being shown by PBS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W4zlYem67w

By: Martin Wisse

Martin Wisse — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:17:59 +0000

For those in the Netherlands UPC gak spit does have BBC3 and 4 in its extended digital package, so you could’ve seen this programme a week ago.

I know I did.

By: Tim Worstall

Tim Worstall — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:23:56 +0000

Jeff R: thanks for that link. A blinder, made my morning.

By: scantron

scantron — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:44:01 +0000

Good to see that one of my favorite blogs also has superb taste. Being a Memphis native, I worked one summer at the Stax Museum (on the grounds of the old studio, long torn down). Imagine getting paid to listen to this stuff all day and inform people about Isaac Hayes’ peacock blue-and-gold Cadillac. I was thrilled to see the Norway show come out on DVD. By Booker T and the MGs’ greatness, I assume you mean their endurance as the permanent house band as well? They had to play the whole show!

Really, though, Stax belonged to Otis. It was incomplete before him and never the same after. Just recently there was a panel discussion at Stax on the plane crash that killed Otis and most of the Bar-Kays. Ben Cauley, one of the survivors, and consequently a survivor of a massive strove, struggled to tell the story. He broke down and cried in the middle, as did many others in the room. Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns and Otis’ daughter were there for conversation and comfort. It was difficult to listen to.

The European readers will probably like this bit: We got so many visitors from across the Atlantic in the museum! There are really some fanboys and collectors out there. (Elvis Costello is one of ‘em, let’s not forget.)

Cheers

By: Dick Durata

Dick Durata — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:18:01 +0000

Thanks for the youtube hint, Chris. Great!

By: Warren Terra

Warren Terra — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:55:16 +0000

Also in the US, radio only and no video.

I use iPlayer Radio heavily, have for years. I can’t figure out whether it’s a good thing that I can’t get iPlayer TV, because I’d be tempted to watch it, spending time I perhaps don’t really have … but I do wish there was some legitimate way to get programs that aren’t available in the US and that are never released on DVD in this region, and especially not on Netflix.

I’d happily consider paying a reasonable license fee, depending on how heavy it was of course – if only for my heavy use of the audio streams, but especially if I got access to the video feeds.

By: Chris Bertram

Chris Bertram — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:56:28 +0000

Sorry folks! I think quite a bit of the Norway gig is on YouTube, so happy hunting.

By: des von bladet

des von bladet — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:33:47 +0000

It says that foreigners can have radio, but not TV. I assume this was TV, since I couldn’t play it in the Netherlands.

Although in fact even radio doesn’t work when it is coverage of sports events (notably foopball’s League of Champions) for which they only have UK rights, thus depriving Abroadia of any way of knowing what Alan Green is currently finding diabolical. (For which we, for one, are truly greatful.)

By: Jacob Christensen

Jacob Christensen — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:33:44 +0000

No luck in Sweden:

Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only, but all BBC iPlayer Radio programmes are available to you.

So now we want a detailed minute-by-minute description of the programmes. Enjoy your week-end. ;-)

By: Jeff Rubard

Jeff Rubard — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:33:18 +0000

The answer is no, they want to sell cable: but people might be able to piece some of it together from this. Furthermore, what about the Bar-Kays? Certainly a hell of a story.