Nice Package

Sometimes packages have a way of arriving with perfect timing. Just when I needed a break from the tedious telenova that has been my office life, and to some extent my home life, a bubblewrapped box of goodies was waiting on my desk yesterday.

I’ve been searching for Lhasa de Sela’s La Llorona for some time now – it was released when I was out of the country so I missed the buzz, if thee was any, in the United States. Her beautiful and haunting “De Cara a la Pared” was used to great effect in John Sayles’ film Casa De Los Babys and I have it on a couple of compilations. Lhasa de Sela also dueted with the Tindersticks on 'Sometimes it hurts' from the recent Waiting For the Moon album. Her new realease, The Living Road, is only available in Europe and Canada, so in anticipation of US release, I ordered 1998’s La Llorona. Truly a splendid debut! Think a half Mexican American, half Jewish American PJ Harvey, raised in Mexico, Montreal and now living in France, navigating the links between Mexican ranchera, Eastern European klezmer, Portuguese fado, Spanish Flamenco, and European art song, strong, aching voice full of passion, saudade and tristealegria. Most of the compositions are original yet they seem timeless and the production by guitarist- arranger Yves Desrosiers is stunning. Lhasa de Sela’s delivery is forthright, orginal, and heartfelt without veering into preciousness. And she’s really young too! What a journey!

Also received Le Bataclan ’72, a re-mastered CD of a one off reunion concert in Paris by Lou Reed, Nico, and John Cale. I would have to, in all honesty, this one is for Velvet Underground completists. It’s a pretty somber affair, aside from John Cale’s lighter numbers (“The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group Of All” and “Empty Bottles”) and a little deadpan levity from Lou Reed (in introducing “Berlin,” said it was his “Barbra Streisand song” and Nico’s “I dooo nooot smoooke cigaaarettes”). I guess that’s what you can expect from a couple of junkies in career transition. Surely, a historical concert, however, and the liner notes are good, if not a bit florid.

I guess the main pleasure for me with Bataclan ’72 is the sense of nostalgia it brings. In college, one Spring evening I decided to devote one of my radio shows to the Velvet Underground. I was also trying to impress a girl, or two girls actually. A charming, aging rock ‘n roll, stoner-type I worked with (and there were many) kindly lent me all these VU bootlegs on vinyl, and this recording was one of them. So Skunkeye and the girls were partying in the studios I was trying my best to be cool. I have the show still on tape somewhere (and used the versions of “Waiting for My Man” and “Femme Fatale from this disc). It was probably the only time I was drunk or buzzed on air and you can sure hear it. And I didn't get anywhere. Embarrassing.

Also delivered was the handsomely packaged, hard-bound Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories by Gilbert Hernandez. I’ve got most of the run, at least through 1990 or so, when I abadoned comic books for more heady pursuits, in storage some place but its nice to have it all put together like this. It’s been a while since I’ve entered that world and will be nice getting re-acquainted when I can find a quiet moment. ah, innocent youth...

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[lLeMime]

Trying to reach directly tristalegria in Brooklyn, NY... can you help?
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