on repeat

Al Green - "Gotta Find a New World"
via passion of the weiss
"Gotta Find a New World" is from one of Al Green's earliest albums, Green Is Blues (1969). The track's about 2 minutes long with a 30-second spoken word intro, making its real length just a short minute and a half. Yes, the guy mixing the album was clearly a fool. Fading out a great song like this after only 1.5 minutes is practically criminal . . . and you just know that Green wanted to keep going. The man doesn't stop just like that. Seriously, though, that chorus is damn catchy, and it could stand to be a lot longer. Thank god for the repeat button.

****


Amadou & Mariam - "Sabali"
via gorilla vs bear
While watching Amadou & Mariam perform this summer, I admit I spent quite a bit of time coveting Amadou's gold guitar. The thing is flippin' distracting! (I didn't quite plan how I was going to steal it, but surely such a beautiful instrument should be in the hands of someone who can see and appreciate it?)

This track from their upcoming album has the duo trading in the guitars for a drum machine, piano and lots of synths. It's awesome from start to finish, if not exactly what I'd expect from them. The beginning sounds like something heard via a shortwave radio transmission. Mariam Doumbia's vocals are captivating in any form, and she does a lot of speaking and sighing over the track, which is a plus.