She was corrupt and feudal, even if she believed in democratic elections (unlike Musharraf). Several commentators pointed this out in response to the deluge of fawning western commentary after her assassination. Sindhi nationalists said she was a martyr. One of the more comprehensive and nuanced stories was Aijaz Ahmad's take in Frontline. Tariq Ali writes about the Pakistan's People's Party, though the blog reactions are as interesting for their commentary on Pakistan as Chaos Central/Hub of Hell. Faiz Ahmed Faiz's poetry kicks off this last playlist from my India trip through the voice of the great Sindhi singer Abida Parveen. Just remembered that Abida opens up the chapter on South Asian music and diaspora in this academic book. My Urdu is shi'ite but the track's bluesy vibe is the thing that I pursue throughout the playlist. Call me an ignunt phono-tourist but Abida's version has the feel of Ethiopian tezetas. Ah, sufi music. It's got a good beat too, like a lot of the stuff blogged and borrowed on the playlist. For the post-colonising (just learnt that term the other day), Rawalpindi Reserve is not an illegal Pakistani wine (if only) but a small park just down the road in Mt Albert, Auckland. Though some maps say it's in Point Chev. Tut, tut. Should have had a photograph of the Reserve, but haven't had time to nip down there yet en route during my afternoon stroll.
RAWALPINDI RESERVE
Abida Parveen - Wo Jis Deed Mein
Mariem Hassan - ID Chab
Five Blind Boys Of Alabama - Way down in the hole
Filastine vs. Badawi - Knife The Etherics
Mobb Deep - Survival of the Fittest
Black Milk - Popular Demand
Isaac Hayes - Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile
MLZ - Dark Days
Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler (Shackleton Remix)
Trimbal - Taliban..(Dva)
Dalek - Corrupt (knuckle up)
Dave Hamilton Orchestra - Who Are You Trying To Fool
The Audible Doctor - King Heroin (James Brown)
BJ Nilsen - Black Light
Imagination - Just An Illusion (Lindstrom Vocal Remix)
Another of my travelogue playlists, listening assembled in India during January. Happened to be in Rajasthan for a few days of transit but haven't seen The Darjeeling Limited yet, some of which was shot there. Did buy the soundtrack at Crossword in Ahmedabad. It's an odd mix of fragments from Satyajit Ray and Merchant-Ivory films with some folksy rock from Europe and the US. The Kinks' opener suggests all the promise and possibilities of taking a trip. A bit of anxiety about contact zones and travel fatigue suffuses some of the other tunes. As usual most of the songs here are from the blogosphere. And as ever, I'm trying to seek sonic as well as thematic affinities.
Image: Victoria Reynolds, Flight of the Reindeer
The Kinks - This Time Tomorrow
Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
Johnny Jones - Purple Haze
Go Home Productions - Passenger Fever (Peggy Lee Vs Iggy Pop)
Britney Spears - Toxic (Extended Version)
The Bug ft. Warrior Queen - Poison Dart (Original Mix)
Bloc Party - Where is Home? (Burial Remix)
Ahmed Fakroun - Pyramide (12 inch) (2007 Les Edits Du Golem)
Aeroplane - Pacific Air Race
Gudrun Gut - Move Me (Burger/Voigt Mix)
M.I.A. - Paper Planes (Rene Goulet's Golden Girl Conspiracy)
Gravious - Temple Ball
Mecano - Hawaii-Bombay
Saint Etienne - Some Place Else
Sven Libaek - Nature Walkabout: Birds in Flight
The Kinks - No Return
Jon Lucien - Kuenda / Would You Believe In Me
Poison in the fertilizer kills the wild asses in the Little Rann. My father's oldest brother died a few days after a fall. Another terrible accident on the Rajasthan highway took lives and paralyzed another. Succumbed to more country and western metaphors. More melancholy babies.Pictures From Life's Other Side 2:53 Luke The Drifter (Hank Williams)
Cold Dark Waters 2:31 Porter Wagoner
Sin City (Live) 4:10 Gram Parsons & The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Battle 2:46 George Jones
The Girl I Find 2:38 The Impressions
Love Is A Losing Game (Truth & Soul Remix) 4:05 Amy Winehouse
Either Way I Lose 2:43 Nina Simone
Only The Lonely 4:35 Frank Sinatra
Suzanne 3:08 Françoise Hardy
Verde 2:03 Tuca
Little Miss Sad One 2:56 The Fleetwoods
Young Folks 3:26 Dawn Landes
If I Lose My Mind 2:29 Dolly Parton
Rank Strangers To Me 2:35 Porter Wagoner with The Blackwood Brothers
Biker Walk 1:55 Various Production
Morning Wonder 5:37 The Earlies
Teenage Kicks 2:49 Seabear
Little Brother (Electric) 6:30 Grizzly Bear
Gracias A La Vida 4:21 Violeta Parra
No Use To Grieve 2:57 Richard Gibbs
The Deserted Ballroom 0:46 Satyajit Ray
Wally, Egon & Models In The Studio 4:42 Rachel's
Apreludes (in C sharp major) 3:45 Stars Of The Lid
The first playlist I palmed into place in India back in November. Inspired by static, stylus, shellac, dusty grooves and dustbowls in the desert sand and salty rock. Helped cruise me into siesta, but with a few discomforting itches for REM. Photo by Walker Evans.Unchained Melody (A Cappella Version) 2:48 The Fleetwoods
Toxic 4:27 Yael Naim
Castles in the Air 3:04 The Robbs
No Strings Attached 2:43 Coleman
Brown's Lament 3:14 The Audible Doctor
Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over) 2:52 Ruby Andrews
Concentrate 3:48 The Gaturs
Blacks And Blues 4:37 Bobbi Humphrey
Nascimento (Birth) - Scene II 4:31 Aloe Blacc
I'm Just Being Myself (DK Edit) 9:38 Dionne Warwick
Sure Know How To Love Me 3:23 Darondo
Etched Headplate 6:00 Burial
La Rue des Coeurs Perdus 2:07 Françoise Hardy
Soul of a Convict 3:28 Porter Wagoner
It Makes Me Want To Cry 3:03 Charlie Rich
Sham-e-Gham Ki Qasam 3:13 Talat Mahmood
Ted (Bibio Remix) 4:25 Clark
I'd Like To Walk Around In Your Mind 2:16 Vashti Bunyan
Dust 2:30 Gene Autry
