LOTW 08: Sudan Archives, Rufus & Chaka Khan, Joe Walsh
September is coming and going and the music continues to spin. Here are some favorites from the last week, some new, some old.
“Did You Know,” “Black Vivaldi Sonata,” “Iceland Moss,” Athena, Sudan Archives (2019)
After listening to and obsessing over her 2022 LP Natural Brown Prom Queen this past January, I realized I hadn’t given Sudan Archives’ debut a listen. Athena puts Brittney Park’s self-taught violin prowess front and center, in conjunction with thick R&B beats and crystal clear production that bends genres and jumps around the sonic spectrum. The debut is nothing less than impressive, and a display of massive growth from her self-titled EP from 2017. Listening to her releases backward, I can get an idea of how tracks and moments on Athena ended up influencing NBPQ. Something I like better about Athena to NBPQ, specifically, is its sheer emphasis on the violin. At times, Park sounds like she has a full orchestra behind her, adding a larger-than-life backing that creates an encapsulating world for Athena to take place. Park’s sound is wholly unique to her, making this record a should-listen for anyone looking to hear something new.
Listen if you like: indescribable sounds, finding something new in every listen, beats you can feel in your bones, sonic journeys
“You Got The Love,” “Ain’t Nothin’ But A Maybe,” Rags to Rufus, Rufus & Chaka Khan (1974)
Rags to Rufus is the second LP from funk band Rufus that has legendary singer Chaka Khan leading the vocals. After releasing their Self-Titled debut solely as Rufus, the tracks featuring Khan (“Feel Good,” “Whoever’s Thrilling You Is Killing Me”) saw the most success. This caused Rufus’ label to push for Khan to have a more central role in the group, which angered Ron Stockert, Rufus’ creative lead. He eventually ended up leaving the group while recording Rags. More record lore includes Stevie Wonder presenting then 20-year-old Khan with the suggestive and funky “Tell Me Something Good” after she refused to record his first suggestion, “Come and Get This Stuff.” Thanks to Wonder, Rags to Rufus saw much steeper commercial success. “Tell Me Something Good” even ended up earning the group its first Grammy.
A through-and-through funk record, Rags to Rufus drips in groove, and Khan’s cascading vocals are the perfect medium for this sound to travel. Where Rufus builds the tracks’ foundations of funk-meets-disco-meets-soul-meets-psych rock, Khan comes in and adds her vocals to put a bow on everything. This time, the record execs knew what they were doing. A perfect example of a woman coming in and making a group of men better. Love you Chaka!
Listen if you like: frontwomen, horns, wah pedals, occasional strings, songs about love, whiffs of disco
“Indian Summer,” “At the Station,” “Inner Tube,” But Seriously Folks…, Joe Walsh (1978)
This choice in listen was entirely influenced by the fact that I saw the Eagles this week. I was completely reminded of the fact that Joe Walsh is one of our first reckless rockers, an originator of only being concerned about having a good time. Seeing him, silly as ever, still shredding like he did in the ’70s both warmed my heart and also brought me close to tears (don’t ask).
His fourth solo release, But Seriously Folks… is a clear display of musicianship, but at times gets overshadowed by the commercial success of the satirical single “Life’s Been Good.” Obviously, that’s a high point, but the record has so many other good moments that might not see the light of day at first glance. Some of my favorite moments on this album are the smallest: the spaced-out mini interlude at the end of the otherwise classic “At the Station,” the backing “Ooohs” from Eagles bandmates Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Timothy B. Schmit at the end of “Tomorrow,” the futuristic synth patterns on “Inner Tube” that sound like they could soundtrack a Sofia Coppola film.
Walsh does an impressive job of giving his guitar that underwater tone (kind of a nod to the album artwork) with swirling wahs and reverb (“At the Station”). This record shows that by 1978, Walsh had perfected the sound he’d been crafting. It’s a combination of styles he’d honed during his time in the Eagles up to that point (pedal steel guitar on “Second Hand Store”, a heavy hand on nostalgia, layered choral backing vocals), with his own quirks and intricacies he’s developed along the way. He also gives us some above-par vocal performances (“Tomorrow”) combined with other moments of straight instrumental (“Theme From Boat Weirdos”) that thread together the B side. Closing with the iconic “Life’s Been Good,” especially when taken in the context of the album, emphasizes even more that this is his sound, and no one else's.
Listen if you like: highway rock, anything by the Eagles, sneaky flute, making fun of yourself, the occasional singalong
Check out what else has been good (and find potential September roundup previews) in the notorious playlist. Until next week :)
