All One Song - "Albuquerque" with Brigid Mae Power
We are rolling through season two of All One Song, a Neil Young podcast presented by Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions. This is an experience aimed at fellow fanatics, made for Neil heads by Neil heads.
And speaking of Neil heads, I’d like to give a shout-out to Coca Leaves and Pearls, the Neil Young tribute band who provide our rusted-out theme music. Led by ace guitarist Chris Forsyth and featuring bassist Jordan Burgis, drummer Joey Sullivan and guitarist John Murray, the Philadelphia-based group is devoted to Neil’s so-called Ditch era, along with some dips into other fruitful areas of the catalog. Last year, Coca Leaves and Pearls released a digital EP of their Ditch-inspired All One Song instrumentals, which you can grab over on Bandcamp.
And hey, this week’s All One Song episode is also devoted to the Ditch. We’re talking about “Albuquerque,” a tune Neil recorded with the Santa Monica Flyers in 1973 and released in 1975 on Tonight’s the Night.
Like the Southwestern city it’s named after, “Albuquerque” is stark, beautiful and epically lonesome. Neil wrote it during his bad trip Time Fades Away tour in early ‘73, and you can hear the deep melancholy he was feeling at the time in that skeletal guitar riff, his doom-laden vocals, and the perfect arrangement, which manages to be both sludgy and dreamy at once. It’s also a song that will give you a craving for fried eggs and country ham, guaranteed.
Here to explore the various landscapes of “Albuquerque” is the great Brigid Mae Power. Since her debut a little over a decade ago, the Galway-based singer-songwriter has built up a terrific discography that’s visionary and cosmic while remaining startlingly personal and intimate. At the center of it all is Brigid’s amazing voice, guiding the listener through uncharted territory.
Check out our chat about "Albuquerque" wherever you get your podcasts ...
Bonus Track: As discussed in our chat, Brigid has recorded a different Tonight's the Night tune — "Mellow My Mind." It's beautiful, and you can hear it as part of her Songs for You covers album, which also features excellent renditions of tunes by Television, Cass McCombs and Roy Orbison.
