Waiting over...

As last month wore on, a combination of nothing to do at work and more disappointing weather left me feeling distinctly listless. If you are (or should that be were!) a regular around here you will have experienced a consequence of my ennui – the longest period of inactivity for Feel It since I started this little indulgence over six years ago.

But then September began and brought with it, as is so often the case, better, calmer weather. Quiet days, mellow light - my favourite month was acting true to form. The boredom is still present at work but it seems that September serenity has driven away the listlessness and left me with at least a blissful ennui.               

Waiting over…

So it was a week or so ago I was ready to contemplate another post here. Then I realised that something else that had been bugging me – and that I had initially put down to my general restlessness – was a real problem. My records didn’t sound quite right – some tinniness/distortion in the higher frequencies… that appeared to get worse on the inner tracks of an album. Was that possible? A quick bit of Googling confirmed that the clues were there, and entirely consistent with the stylus on my record playing machine being worn out. Let’s hope no lasting damage has been done to those records played in recent weeks. A new one is now installed and the difference is clear.

So now I have been able to play again an album I acquired a few months ago and share it with you.

I have realised recently that Denise La Salle is one of my favourite soulstresses, and when I’m feeling a bit low her voice acts as a sort of comfort blanket. Denise has had a long recording career. It is difficult to keep the quality high all the time when one is so prolific and Denise’s catalog has some highs and lows I think, but one of her early albums “On The Loose” is definitely in the top quality bracket. Strong tracks abound, including “Your Man And Your Best Friend” a track I featured here as a 45 B side a couple or so years ago. The only really false step is a cover of “Harper Valley PTA”, which should have been left in the can. Two tracks for you to enjoy:  “What Am I Doing Wrong” has Denise sounding wistful and mellow, and “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home” is one I always knew from Ann Peebles’ version, and didn’t know until I bought this album that Denise had written it.    

Denise La Salle – What Am I Doing Wrong 1973

Denise La Salle – Breaking Up Somebody’s Home 1973

Buy “On The Loose” on a twofer with her debut “Trapped By A Thing Called Love”.

PS: On the inner sleeve of this album is written:

Maximus ‘77

Angela

1^st Prize.

I would love to know the story behind that, but guess I never will.

PPS: Waiting over…

The car boot season has been generally disastrous this year… until a couple of weeks ago. More of that anon.