Mellow Bold Types

Date
February 12, 2014

Miracler
Chris von Sneidern

Location
San Francisco

In a Prodge of unpredictable mix makers, This guy has become one we can always count on. To be unpredictable. Why, just last May, this music pro (artist/ producer/ sound expert) brought us: a mix composed solely of unearthed ABBA gems?, BBAF!, which followed Apr. '11's set of SF-based artists he'd produced, What a Mess: Ordophon-Upon-Avon Archives, which in turn followed an exquisite mix of obscure folk-pop in Dec. '10, Folk Songs from the Old Kit Bag, and before that, in Nov. '08, I'd Rather Feel Normal Than Happy, a concept mix of pop-opera proportions. Which is to say, past CvS results are no indication of future performance. In fact, all that you can count on is that today's mix will sound nothing like all of those.

Things you said about BBAF!
 You had some guts here, CVS, but I thank you, as I am pretty sure you have the unique ear to gather all these lesser known Abba songs, which warranted our attention.   /   As an unrepentant, sincere ABBA lover (and owner of ABBA Gold and nothing else by the band) I thank you from the bottom of my 4-part harmony-loving heart.   /   Ditto what Doug said. This is going on as soon as I get home.   /   1. holy crap  2. wow. and i thought Pepe was bringin the cojones.  3. what is it about folks singin their songs in a different language that is so insanely *charming*?  4. this really makes me want to dance in line formation. with jazz hands.  5. which is a most excellent 'want'. I'm at work and there are no customers right now... maybe i'll do my own dance routine!  6. tycvs, this is brilliant. (like sequins)   /   I must start quoting Christina --wow indeed, ¡¡con dos cojones!!Didn't see this one coming, boldness abounds on these shores! Good; we like that.   /   I just pressed play on this mix and I am immediately struck by the first little pop gem, Santa Rosa, which could easily fit on any Monkee's record without raising an eyebrow.   /   Score! I must admit I have always loved ABBA but for some inexplicable reason did not own ANYTHING, so I am beside myself with joy. No, really. Joy.   /   I am seriously falling for Suzy-Hang-Around.   /   This mix is just plain awesome. I am an unapologetic fan of ABBA and I don't care who knows it. Thanks for the sugary pop indulgence.   /   Seriously, why isn't Mamma Mia in Italian?   /   Definitely caused some middle school flashbacks for me and mrs. fritz this morning. Suzy-Hang-Around is the clear winner for me, and the Pick a Bale medley is completely demented (in a way that pleases me).   /   Oh HECK YEAH. Dancing Queen was the very first 45 single I owned, so this had me grinning (in four languages). It's the first mix that i felt horribly underdressed for, while listening....and for that I thank you. Now I'm off to find a sequin beret and silk gaucho pants.   /   I've decided to re-record all my own songs in Swedish.   /   Great mix! Love ABBA en español the best-est. "Fernando" has Andean panpipe action. Flute-y, y'all.   /   With my limited knowledge of ABBA, guess I never really knew that the two guys in the group sang lead. I'm with Van, Pepe and Fritz - Santa Rosa and Suzy-Hang-Around are great cuts with no traces at all of whatever it is about ABBA that instinctively brings about excuses, apologies and eye-rolling. Thanks for the deep dive, CVS!   /   I've heard some weird shit in my days, but ABBA performing "Pick A Bale Of Cotton" is up there with the weirdest. Also, ditto on "Suzy" - that's the goods right there!   /   Brilliant! Never knew my soft spot for ABBA was so big. Brings back memories of learning disco moves in my bachelor dad's living room and his friend's Fernando (in Spanish) singing macaw.

Liner Notes by CvS

Mellow bold is the title but then types is the clever bit, not so wise really.
I have been staying away from the rock LP racks this month, instead spending a few hours in the "jazz" lane, but I think this might have been the aisle for light jazz rather than the other raucous horny jazz played by guys like Gene Hackman.

Gabor Szabo- I had this record in 1996 but got rid of it.  Got it back. Different copy. Jim Keltner is the drummer, he has played with Elvis Costello. He has recorded with all the Beatles except McCartney, which probably means something.

George Benson- known for his delightfully forgettable but obviously capable live performance cover of "On Broadway," which even I could not ignore in upstate New York in the '80s. Here he sings a deep and typically weird Leon Russell (he's weird, not the song) composition.

I didn't put a Donny Hathaway vocal tune on, cos George Benson doesn't sing all that often and that wouldn't be fair. Does anyone have the new DH boxed set?

Terry Riley. This record was a gift. This encourages me to release my hundreds of hours of jamming, but my jams might not be as entrancing.

Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom- that album has what sounds like an Atari computer music chip playing organ throughout the entire thing, except on this song. Notice how each instrument ends up being played backwards by the end of the track.

Rod McKuen is a dirty old man

Vince Guaraldi told me so

Cal Tjader probably too

Ron Carter liked to make records with Hubert Laws on flute. There's so much flute on this one that I didn't even have to include any Herbie Mann songs.

The Keith Jarrett album Hymns - Spheres takes a while to get into. It's a double LP of what sounds like someone experimenting with a very old European pipe organ. This album was also a gift from a friend that had two of them. Can you imagine having an extra copy of this?


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