Halloween Skeletons and Spirits from Allison Crowe & Dr H Guy

The Mysterious Dr H Guy beckons from the shadows... on All Hallow's Eve. It's The Great Pun'kin mix of Allison Crowe's "Skeletons and Spirits".


Boo-galoo!!

Immersed

"Immersed", live. The song is a visceral exemplar of the musical alchemy by which Allison transforms leaden experiences into golden rock and roll. In other words, she makes lemonade out of lemons. Here's banter for this track. From Chennai, home to some of India's top choirs, comes gambitsurya's very individual take.

By Your Side

"By Your Side" ~ this ballad from Allison Crowe is a soundtrack to lives and videos. "Live at Wood Hall" features songs as separate tracks to applause and stage banter. The idea, (mine), is to enable people to enjoy the concert/album's 23 songs on iPods+, with the banter/applause tracks optional. Turns out this is confusing in practice. Here's banter for this song.

There Is (live)

"There Is" opens up Allison Crowe's double-album set, "Live at Wood Hall" - two concerts on consecutive nights at the Conservatory of Music in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to aid Artemis Place (alternative schooling and life skills for at-risk girls). Music captured by Larry Anschell of Turtle Recording. Album photos by Allison, Billie Woods, and graphic arts and design by Alix Whitmire. Show's starting...

Angel

"The sounds fumbling from 'Surfacing' played out as soundtrack to a large chunk of my teenage-hood," Allison Crowe tells UK music writer Stephen Thomas ('We Write Lists' blog). Naturally, then, Allison chose a song from that Sarah McLachlan album to close her "Tidings" collection. Here it is, "Angel", ethereal and real.

Shine a Light

Mick Jagger was still looking for some tea and sympathy, & long before Keith Richards was a tropical pirate, "The Glimmer Twins" and co. in The Rolling Stones were in the south of France, recording an epic song collection, "Exile on Main Street". Here's Allison Crowe and her live-off-the-floor take on one of those tunes, "Shine a Light" (accompanied by Dave Baird, bass, and Kevin Clevette, drums).

In My Life

We've heard a "Paul song" from "Tidings", here, now, is a "John song". Allison Crowe performs "In My Life". On the stage of the Village Hall, Durness, Scottish Highlands, Allison played this Beatles' favourite for John Lennon's sister, Julia, and other relatives, local villagers and musicians and music-lovers from across Europe come together to celebrate the "John Lennon Northern Lights Festival." We all shine on...

Let It Be

"Let It Be" is our next "Tidings" song - captured live-off-the-floor at Turtle studios in White Rock, Canada. There's another "Let It Be" performance, recorded in the same studio, and on YouTube. The Beatles songbook is rich for interpreters and this gospel-inflected tune by John Lennon and Paul McCartney is one which Allison Crowe loves to perform and have people sing along.

Hallelujah

Next album to enjoy is "Tidings". To spur Spring, with the robins and the crocuses, we'll save "seasonal" songs for when we want the snow... And, so, we begin with "Hallelujah" - Allison Crowe's much-loved version of what's become Leonard Cohen's most-covered song. Allison's single/first-take performance is recorded live-off-the-floor at Larry Anschell's Turtle Recording studios, White Rock, British Columbia, Canada

Whether I'm Wrong

Mid-2003, Allison Crowe is based in New York City's Chelsea 'hood. It's Code Orange. People fear. The origin of "Whether I'm Wrong". On "secrets" it's followed by a 'hidden' track - the Irish aire "Believe Me If All (Those Endearing Young Charms)". Little-known fact - the time/space between WIW and BMIA is precisely the same as that which falls between "The End" and "Her Majesty" to close The Beatles' "Abbey Road".

Joan of Arc

Allison Crowe is joined by Salt Spring Island's Jo Lundstrom on accordion. In 2008, MOJO mag put "Joan of Arc" on its "Cohen Covered" tribute CD, noting: "Once famously described by the Vancouver Courier as possessing a style akin to 'Elton John meets Edith Piaf', the Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Crowe is renowned for her ability to blend control and melodrama. Certainly she does so on this spirited cover..."

What About You

Allison Crowe's "What About You" led her to Eric Reiswig of Banquo Folk Ensemble in Victoria, BC. Piper Reiswig not only plays mandolin, cittern, dulcimer, hurdy gurdy +, he makes them! Learn to make your own pennywhistle, Scottish small pipes and windchimes @ http://www3.telus.net/ereiswig + @ http://www.dronestreet.com/ see pics of these instruments - including the Irish Uillean Pipes heard on this evocative song.

Sea of a Million Faces

"Sea of a Million Faces" for years was called Allison Crowe's "happy song". That's what friend and bassist Dave Baird thinks! Really, as with the blues, Allison infuses music with a joy that transcends darkness. Here's the "secrets" album version. Allison, again, provides all vocals, piano, guitar and percussion. Suitable for polar bear swims in Italy, crowd scenes in London town, and any where, any mood, any time.

Montreal

"Spent a little time in Montreal, with a fire in the sun, smokescreen covering over the entire city". Summer fires rage in the James Bay region of Quebec and Ontario provinces sending up smoke that makes everything appear sepia-tinted as if in a vintage stereoscope. Especially in Vieux-Montréal, (Old Montreal), where Allison Crowe and trio perform at Upstairs Jazz Bar. "S' come on, follow me down the alleyway..."

Secrets (That Aren't My Own)

Allison Crowe is well-known and loved for such songs as "Crayon and Ink", "Midnight", "Skeletons and Spirits", Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", The Beatles' "In My Life", and plenty more. Her repertoire - embracing rock, folk, jazz, blues, pop, soul, gospel, grunge, traditional + - is singularly diverse. In the living sea that is her musical medium, here's one tune that swims indelibly - "Secrets (That Aren't My Own)".

Immersed

"Immersed". This rocking piano song shows Allison Crowe's artistry in transforming the personal into the universal. Experiences with corruption and dishonesty in the corporate record industry in Allison's hands and throat become not a political rant, but, instead, a crucible for love and insight. It could also become a song about cake - but she has a blog for that sort of inspiration :)

Midnight (secrets)

"Midnight", the solo version. Allison Crowe - vocals, percussion, and electric guitar; Del Crowe, (her father), plays acoustic guitar. A third, rollicking, "Midnight" was recorded and a music video made by Alex Postowoi and team. Enjoy it! Canada's counterpart to MTV (MuchMusic) deemed it "country" music! The country was Canada, and now, the world :)

Philosophy (secrets)

"Philosophy" was born a psychological thriller. It grew into a Pearl Jam-like rave-up. On "secrets", aided by producer/engineer Rainer Willeke, Allison Crowe re-lit the song's slow-burning fuse. A L'Archipel in Paris, film-makers Karim Khenoune et Sébastien Gonthier made a doc. Merci! Jessica Kuijer, Olivier Rohart, Agnès Jourdain, Emily Green, Helen, Cécile, Linda, Ming + http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiupgEGqyGM

Raining in Baltimore

"I played my first piano/vocal song in front of anybody in the form of ‘Raining in Baltimore’," notes Allison Crowe. At 15 Allison took the stage in coffee-houses and clubs of Vancouver Island, Canada. She credits Adam Duritz and Counting Crows - especially "August and Everything After" - as primary inspirations. "I do what I do in large part due to this music and the honesty in its words and sounds," she says.

How Long

"How Long" opens Allison Crowe's full-length debut, "secrets". Once Allison began touring nationally and internationally she was courted by reps for the old-school record industry. This song is a kiss-off to their hollow promises and an embrace of independence and strength and love. "secrets" marks the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Florida-based web and graphic designer Alix Whitmire!