The 25-year career of singer/songwriter John Wesley Harding has skyrocketed of late with the publication of no fewer than three critically acclaimed novels under his birth name, Wesley Stace. Equally amazing, the artist named for Bob Dylan’s misspelling of Texas gunfighter John Wesley Harden has just released the finest album of a career that’s seen him record at least 18 longplayers for labels ranging from high-profile majors to imprints so small the back catalog was stored in somebody’s garage between the cat box and the washing machine. Produced by old pal Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows) and fleshed out by no less than R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and the Decemberists, The Sound Of His Own Voice (Yep Roc) is a full-bore stunner with Wes (nobody calls him John) weaving his usual lyrical magic through knockout arrangements of extraordinary songs that revive the ghosts of the Kinks, David Lynch soundtrack guru Angelo Badalamenti and wall-of-sound maestro Phil Spector. For yet another career-topping milestone (gasp), JWH will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week for (yes it’s true) the second time. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Harding: On the subject of birthdays (which we were), the missus bought me a beautiful 1956 Seeburg jukebox to celebrate my 45th (RPM). I can wax very rhapsodical about it. I even wrote a song about it. It clearly represents my version of a midlife crisis.
It was the first jukebox to take 100 singles, but, in the jukebox game, even 100 singles can seem too few, and so you need a good bench, just for rotation. The best sounding single on there, weirdly, is “Ashes To Ashes” by David Bowie. The loudest is either “She Loves You” (on Swan Records) or “7 & 7 Is” by Love. But my two favourites are “Afterglow” by the Small Faces and “Rambling On” by Procol Harum, both for the same reason; whereas on the albums both tracks have fake endings, or heavy fades, they just keep rocking out on their seven-inch single incarnations. It’s the greatest. Also, the categories are very good. My five-year old calls this woman “the fancy lady.”
The most recent additions include “Just A Smile” by Pilot, “Let’s Pretend” by the Raspberries and “Whisky In The Jar” by Thin Lizzy. Also, I love this Roy Harper single, but I can assure you there’s a misprint on there – and if you can’t see it, you don’t know anything about cricket.
Photos after the jump.
