Top Ten Tracks: Smog/Bill Callahan

Callahan has a brand new album coming out next week so seems like a good time to name my faves here on my blog. Some songs from the new one are already streaming but I’m not counting any of them today below but everything else I am, it’s just too new so does that make sense? Bill’s back catalog if counting the new one will have five studio albums released under his own name but in 2005 was the last Smog album and everything before was released under the moniker Smog or sometimes (Smog) written like that in brackets. His back catalog is huge I’ve missed huge parts of it below, he does date back to the late 80’s with lo-fi cassettes tape recordings. His first real album, if wanted call it that was in 1990 and then record 11 Smog albums plus some EPs. With someone like him you do realise ten is a pretty small number of songs. The new one is his first since the year 2013 and it’s a double with 20 tracks entitled Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest which is out this coming Friday the fourteenth. That’s my little bio about him, here’s Wikipedia link from more, if need to know more? Anyway here’s my ten fave songs I’d picked…

Smog – Bathysphere – Wild Love (1995)

Smog – Red Apples – Red Apple Falls (1997)

Smog – Let’s Move To The Country – Knock Knock (1999)

Smog – Song – Rain On Lens (2001)

Smog – The Well – A River Ain’t Too Much To Love (2005)

Bill Callahan – Sycamore – Woke On A Whaleheart (2007)

Bill Callahan – Eid Ma Clack Shaw – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (2009)

Bill Callahan – One Fine Morning – Apocalypse (2011)

Bill Callahan – Summer Painter – Dream River (2013)

Bill Callahan –The Sing – Dream River (2013)

Score line: 90’s with three songs, 2000’s with four and 2010’s with three as well so it’s a 2000’s win, if this was some kind-of sport game or something? Dream River album as two cuts and is a bit of a special one for me because I did finally get to see him live on that tour which, I guess explains that? Anything else? Any questions?

Bill or his record label don’t seem to like youtube much but I’ll use soundcloud before any of the other streaming platforms, hope all tracks work in full in you neck of the woods? Maybe, should ask that every-time?

Smog aka Bill Callahan in 2005, this photo was taken by muso Joanna Newsom too!

OK, who’s going to share your fave of his with me? Or am I picking all these acts ATM no one else listens too?

Cheers 🙂

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