DAZED AND CONFUSED (FSS#001)

DAZED AND CONFUSED
(SOUNDTRACK)

I don't know if it's ever happened to you, it sure did happen to me. You're chilling out, watching a good movie with a mighty fine soundtrack. The next day, you go to the store only to find out how incomplete the track list of said soundtrack is. Actually, Dazed and Confused pushes the borders of incompletion and exploitation even further than most soundtracks do. Get that: upon releasing the film in the theaters, a 14 songs compilation was made available for people to buy it. Only problem is the movie featured 29 songs! One year later (1994 that is) the production released another twelve tracks so that they could pick pockets even more efficiently. The thing is there are two songs that are still missing. And you bought two CDs! Pissed. Here's how this FSS (Full Soundtrack Series) came to life.
And so, we’re now happy to unleash the real full Dazed and Confused soundtrack in its 29 songs grandeur. I even added the Led Zeppelin song which gave its name to the movie. Actually, it was supposed to be part of the soundtrack but, while Jimmy Page agreed to its presence, Robert Plant refused. It only feels right that's it's added here as a bonus track. To keep things simple, I’ve included only unedited studio versions I’ve placed in the order they can be heard in the film.
For those yet unfamiliar with the movie, Dazed and Confused tells the story of a life-changing night for high-school students at the end of 1976’s school's year. As the plot is set in the seventies, you know you’re going to get you eyeful of alcohol abuse, weed smoking and…Well, sex, of course! The soundtrack consists of tunes from that particular era with songs featured having been released between 1968 and 1976 and makes for a great collection of 70’s classics and more obscure but equally juicy tracks.
Speaking of the cast, let me tell you that the movie features future major films stars such as Milla Jovovich, Parker Posey, Matthew McConnaughey, Adam Goldberg or Ben Affleck, all in their teens, delivering like experienced pros.
Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the selection. Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions for future references in Baistophe's brand new series.

NATURAL DISASTERS (VAC#049)

N.A.T.U.R.A.L
DISASTERS

Let me explain how the idea for this VAC (Various Artist Compilation) came. I was listening to Pendulum's album "In Silico" and just loved their Tempest song. I thought that it would fit nicely with some (mostly) recent songs from indie, sludge, prog and metal bands which happened to also have songs with a word in the title evoking... a Natural Disaster!
And so, with the exception of the first track (a classy, almost fusion, instrumental from Gary Moore's 1979 album, Back on the Streets) which is an obvious homage to the sadly departed northern-Irish axeman, all the songs featured here are pretty recent.
I hope you'll enjoy this selection and especially its final track witch I "remixed" myself.

THE END (VAC #048)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
T H E…E N D

And now it’s time to say goodbye.
For two and a half years, we have been working on a project to compile as many bands as we could and do it the best that we could. It's been fun if a little time consuming. Washed up and tired, we have decided to call it quits while we were still enjoying it.
Maybe someday will we return and take things where we left it. Maybe this final chapter of the Baistophe adventure will indeed be the end. Anyway, we'd like to thank all those who visited, commented, helped with their own compilations, etc. Without them, we would have created a lesser blog.
The End?

A TRIBUTE TO BLOOD ON THE TRACKS (VAC #047)

A TRIBUTE TO BOB DYLAN’S
BLOOD ON THE TRACKS

Second installment of our Bob Dylan covers series, Blood on the Tracks was a tricky one. Almost every track has several versions to choose from, which was good, but too many of them were “by-the-book” replicas and, while they may have sounded good, they were of little interest. We decided it was more interesting to find versions which brought a little something different Dylan’s compositions. We hope you’ll agree on that and will enjoy the result, I know I do.
See you soon for Volume 3.

XII (VAC#046)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

XII

It's been an evidence for us who like to make thematic Baistophes (numbered VAC as Various Artists Compilations) to make a special VAC dealing with the 12 zodiac signs. It could have been also easy to compile if I didn't struggled for strict titles who only ARE those signs, banning whatever include those in a complete centense.

You know what? It also would have been very easy if each and every sign would have been well represented. For instance, Cancer has got very few song represented. For many others it has been a reel drama to chose one version and not the other. Finally, the song I kept are those you see here and you will be able to listen to. I tried not to make too agressive transition AND keeping the good order of your horoscope...

LADIES : E (VAC#045)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

LADIES : E

For our third letter E, nothing seemed as much easier as the other ones. E is not particularly a well represented letter in the first name list. However, I found a great number of tracks for this Baistophe so that I could choose a greater selection. I could even have kept enough tracks for a double CD. But, my aim was to stay within 80 minutes, so I had to shorten it. That's why you may be surprised not to find what could have come to your mind first : Eloise by Barry Ryan.

As usual, many musical styles are represented here, from folk with Dispatch, to the rocker Pat Travers and Dr Feelgood. I also added a german song I found very funny. I hope you will too.

SUNSHINE (VAC #044)

SUNSHINE
VARIOUS ARTISTS

It might seem very strange to do a sun-themed compilation that is anything but sunny… I see it as an opportunity to explore new artists, new sounds. Most of the songs featured here are from fairly new albums (2001 to today) with the notable exception of Raw Material (1971) and Monster Magnet (1993). The genres featured here range from indie rock to modern classical, from electronic to progressive rock, from metal to world music…and more! Assembling all this together is a great part of the fun of doing it, I hope it’ll also be a great part of the fun of listening to it. Anyway, here it is, a little sun to disturb the neighbors. Enjoy.

HIGHWAY 61 RE-REVISITED (VAC #043)

HIGHWAY 61
RE-REVISITED

First of what will hopefully become a long series, Highway 61 Re-revisited is, as its title indicates, the recreation of Bob Dylan’s 1965 classic album in cover versions. The reason why I did not choose to cover Dylan’s discography chronologically is because I wanted to cover first the albums I think are essentials in the Zim’s discography and, starting with this one - a controversial album at its time as many folksters blamed Dylan because he abandoned his trademark acoustic sound - was a statement as to how free an artist Bob was and how bold a move this very album represented.
I hope you’ll enjoy the result.

LADIES : D (VAC#042)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

LADIES : D

Here we go again. fourth part of our ladies serie. This month is for D. If found plenty of songs but finally kept lots of songs I already had. I then was happy to find back bands I like like Mats/Morgan, Comus, Ora, Leningrad Cowboys and that are not necessarily well known. That's only justice to find them on this compilation.

As usual, the hardest has been to make those very different songs follow on. This, was much easier than the other letter but it's always a challenge. I think I did it!

DON'T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD (VAC #041)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
DON’T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD

Created in 1964 by Nina Simone and covered the next year by Eric Burdon’s Animals to become a hit, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood has since become one of those songs many try their hands and throats on with various successes. As it should be, this selection gives you the three more popular versions (the aforementioned two plus Santa Esmeralda’s latino-disco 10 minutes extravaganza) and 15 others that are not always perfect but all give a personal take on the song. For example, Eric Burdon’s early 80’s live version suffers from Burdon having throat problems which makes it even more emotional if not always in tune (and sometimes painfully out of…). The 14 others range from blues to hard rock, from metal to folk and jazz (etc.) every one of them having something to offer. Enjoy.

APRIL FOOLS (AF #002)

APRIL FOOLS
PRANKIN’ IS EASY

Today's a day we had to celebrate at Baistophe. Actually, we’ve already done it by posting a fake compilation from an imaginary artist (Mirjlovsky Ibeksclivaks) for the first April Fool's Day since we opened the blog but, this year, we decided it was time to give you something a tad more substantial than just prank. And so, here it is, our April Fools’ compilation featuring 21 tracks with genres ranging from indie rock to pop, from jazz to dub... and more!
Enjoy.