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The loved and familiar: R.L. Burnside’s “Georgia Woman” (1997, a 7″ single on SFTRI, also appears on Mr. Wizard, Fat Possum Records), another Fat Possum artist, Frank Roach with “Alabama,” Soledad Brothers “Shakey Puddin’” (2001, appears on Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit which was compiled by Jack White, who also sings backup on this track along with Dirtbombs drummer Ben Blackwell), and the two Jon Spencer collaborations: Spencer with Jeffrey Evans on Gibson Bros’ “Memphis Chicken” (1993) and Workdogs’ “Our Good Man” (1994).

New to me that I’m digging: “Sun Sinking Low” by Mr. Airplane Man, a female two-piece from Boston described as “a mishmash of deep love for Mississppi hill country blues, Memphis weirdo rocknroll, drony VU and Stooges, and Boston garage beat.” While I do know who Billy Childish is (he’s on this comp multiple times), this is my first time hearing, I think, The Blackhands’ “Black Girl” which is an accordion-soaked rendition of the Lead Belly classic, better known to our generation as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” famously done by Nirvana on MTV Unplugged. Lo-fi high-speed blues punk w/harmonica “Harpoon Man” by Big Foot Chester is a burner.

Not a fan: Kirby Grips’ “Needless” (corny country), “Blackish Man” by Speedball Baby (corny blues) and Interstate Leisure Kings’ “Best Liquor Store” (formulaic country rock – the liner notes state it comes from the 1998 Shine On Sweet Starlet movie soundtrack – I can’t find any info about the film – and it’s the band’s only song but it seems to be a Jeff Smith (Hickoids) project).

And while it’s neither among my top picks nor particularly disliked, Beck’s “Leave Me on the Moon” is worth a mention. Part of the Kill The Moonlight soundtrack released in ’97 by SFTRI “captured before [Beck] sold millions of records and won the adoration of the world…at the time of this recording he was still living in a rat-infested tool shed in an alley in downtown Los Angeles and, as bands were setting up in clubs, he’d boldly jump on stage with his thrashed guitar to play his brand of infectious punk, blues and country songs.” (Root Damage liner notes)

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Satisfied ‘n Tickled Too is OK. The strongest track is the title track “Satisfied ‘n Tickled Too,” a cover of Mississippi John Hurt. It’s got a bit of groove Mahal delivers it with a hefty dose of sly wit.  “New E-Z Rider” has moments of good funk, as does “Easy to Love,” and the world beats/reggae rhythms of “Black Man Brown Man” are catchy. I’m less fond of the smooth jazz/R&B numbers like “Baby Love” (which goes on forevvvverrr) and the cover of Irving Taylor’s “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” is kinda corny, as is “Old Time Song – Old Time Love” by Hoshal Wright.

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One Night Only! is raw and grainy, rough and lo-fi. My top track is the sole cover on the LP “Insane Asylum” originally by Willie Dixon. It is crazy, of course with the beats all over the place, weird starts, stops and yelps, and feels the most Jon Spencer exploding the blues. I also like “Unbroken” and “Roberta” which are both fairly epic in length and have a Stooges protopunk scuzzy strung-out dirge vibe, though “Roberta” eventually evolves into an all-out blues freak fest.

*I was curious to find out who Yves Bisquet was/is and found this interesting tidbit posted by Rob Kennedy on King Dog Biscuit Records’ Facebook page this past January:

>Keep the Workdogs addicted to drugs during the making of Workdogs In Hell.

>Steal the master tapes to Workdogs In Hell from the Workdogs

>Sell the incomplete master tape to Sympathy For The Record Industry who released Workdogs In Hell without the Workdogs approval.

>Steal the advance from Rob and Scott.

>Declare the Workdogs dead in a bid to boost sales.

>Never pay the Workdogs one cent for their work.

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We first saw him perform at Appleton, WI’s Mile of Music in 2019 (Mutts, another group I adore, were his backup band) and then saw him play at Mile this past August on a gorgeously hot afternoon in the parking lot of Emmett’s (he didn’t have his vinyl record yet but I got a sweet t-shirt).

While I have no clue what he played back in 2019, I do know that in 2021 he played most of the tracks that appear on his latest release Sinner-Songwriter. A few of my top tracks from the shows and from the record are the album opener: the rocking “Feels Like Home,” the gorgeously soulful “O, Hallelujah,” a crowd stomping singalong (hilariously messed up at both 2021 shows by the audience…clearly we are all out of practice singing in public) “Send Me There” and the devastating “Tell Me How I Sound Again.” Before most of the songs, Scales shared either funny or heartfelt and authentic stories that gave deeper insight and meaning to the songs. While not on this record (all of his material is original), he concluded the Anodyne set with an acoustic stroll through the audience, singing “Stand By Me” – it was magical.

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The cover of …What That Is! shows Hawkins in a coffin, the prop he would start most of his live performances in since the 50′s. In I Put a Spell on You, Hawkins credits famed DJ Alan Freed with the original idea of emerging from the coffin on stage, but admitted Freed had to bribe him to do it; over time the bribe has been said to be anywhere between $300 and $5,000. (As mentioned above, Hawkins was highly entertaining and charming but an unreliable storyteller.) The liner notes on the back cover of …What That Is! also gives a glimpse into Hawkins’ sly sense of humor, though it does say it’s from the producer it feels like Hawkins’ voice. It says “This album was recorded live at the Club Amigo in North Hollywood on June 23rd and 24th, Nineteen Hundred and Yesterday, and is dedicated to President Nixon, whose efforts to recapture the era of the early 50′s do not pass unnoticed.” Like many, many, many Black artists, Hawkins was almost universally shafted out of most of his recording earnings and was frequently close to homelessness and extreme poverty during most of his professional life.

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Here’s a shot from the last time we saw them perform, in Indianapolis at Romanus Fest, August 2019.

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