Rachael Davis-Minor League Deities (2001)

 



Artist: Rachael Davis

Title: Minor League Deities

Label: Aunt Farm Productions

Format: CD

Catalog Number: n/a

Year of Release: 2001

Country and Year of Edition: US 2001

Sell Price: $2.53

Sell Date: 9/29/26

Condition: VG+/VG+ 

Discogs Last Sold: 1/22/26 VG+/VG+ $1.50

Low: $1.22

Median: $1.50

Average: $1.75

High: $2.23

Current low price: $7.14 (Canada)

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 1

Have/Want: 15/2

Where Sold: Dover, NH

Time It Took To Sell: 11 years

Where and When Bought: mail order from label around 2001

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: C+

Sad To See It Go: No

I mail ordered this CD from Rachael Davis on recommendation from Mary Lou Lord as someone to check out.  Since she wasn't around to see live, I mail ordered the record back when if you really wanted to hear something you still had to buy it.  I didn't hear anything that stood out when I heard it back then, and I guess she has long been in my mind as someone "for further review."

Well, 25 years later that day has come.  Rachael has bounced around over the years starting in Michigan, spending some time in Boston around this release and apparently settling in Nashville issuing a release here and there over the years.  Talent never dies it just keeps movin' on.  I can't say anything beyond this snapshot in time with this debut album except I felt disconnected from it in some way.  That is to say, she clearly has the voice and the chops to slay all in a coffee house or well maintained acoustic room, but after a month of listening to this, I feel the material doesn't rise above well played background music.  

That thinking might be genre bias of wanting a little Rock in my Folk (not to be confused with wanting Folk-Rock).  I'm having the same problem with a double Sandy Denny retrospective that was bought around the same time, but that has more angles to think about about and plenty of Rock not to mention history.  I bring this up because it is and isn't apple and oranges.  But if you can't make Sandy Denny a bar for this artist, what is?  Ani DiFranco?  Yes, skill level will differentiate Rachael from a 100 3-chord strummers on a Monday night, but this still sounds like someone you have to see play live before you know what she's got.  There might be banjer involved which comes out on "Better Than Me."  Do I sense a theme?

So what stood out over the past month of hearing this on random after listening start to finish again?  The track "Dancin' Shoes" encapsulates what is good about Rachael vocally.  She can hit those highs and belt it out in a restrained manner.  "Cocktail Weiners" kicks off with a Jazzy depth that catches a vibe somewhere between Tom Waits and the song "Fever."  

Where DID you get that rainbow?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bob Dylan-Street-Legal (1978)

Image
  Artist: Bob Dylan Title: Street-Legal Label: Columbia Format: Cassette Catalog Number: PCT 35453 Year of Release: 1978 Country and Year of Edition: US 1978 Sell Price: $7.99 Sell Date: 10/9/26 Condition: VG+/VG+ Discogs Last Sold: 5/31/26 VG+/VG+ $5.00 Low: $3.25 Median: $5.00 Average: $5.88 High: $20.00 Current low price: $4.48 (Ireland) $6.00 US Curren Number on Sale at Discogs: 8 Have/Want: 49/57 Where Sold: Toronto, ON, Canada Time It Took To Sell: 3 years Where and When Bought: Facebook marketplace lot Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A Sad To See It Go: No "16 years!" Bob opens Street-Legal.  Coincidentally, this was the amount of time he was a professional recording artist.  I wouldn't pin Bob on railing about his place in the marketplace, but I wouldn't put it past him to sneak it in either.  However, in my fantasy world,  Bob isn't bound by these earthly pursuits lyrically.  He can get paid and hash out issues with management and the help on his own ...
Read more

Lyres-Happy Now... (1993)

Image
  Artist: Lyres Title:  Happy Now... Label: Taang!   Format: CD Cat: TAANG! 66 Year of Release:1993 Country and Year of Edition: US 1993 Sell Price: $3.99 12/19/22  VG+/VG+ Discogs Last Sold: 11/23/22 NM+ $3.95 Low:$2.50 Median: $4.13 Average: $4.29 High: $5.73 Current low price: $2.96 Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 26 Have/Want: 225/23 Where Sold: Middletown, MD Time it took to sell:  10 years Where and When Purchased:  late 90's internet collection buy Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+ Sad To See It Go: No It's a nugget if you ever dug it.  If you dig the likes of mid-60's regional independent bands like TTHHEMM , The Scavengers , Dale & The Devonaires , The Road Runners , Phil and the Frantics  or Mr. Lucky & The Gamblers  then you will be sated with these renditions. 2 Nanker Phlege Stones songs: Now I've Got A Witness and Stoned  are here. You get an actual hit, “Nobody”originally by the Isley Brothers ...
Read more

Bob Dylan-Masterpieces (1978)

Image
  Artist:  Bob Dylan Title: Masterpieces Label: Columbia Format: 3xCD Catalog Number: 462448 9 Year of Release: 1978 Country and Year  of Edition: Australia 1991 (sticker has 30 year anniversary) Sell Price: $26.69 Sell Date: 4/19/26 Condition: VG+/VG+  Discogs Last Sold: 2/27/26 NM/NM $16.22 Low: $7.19 Median: $20.00 Average: $26.50 High: $64.59 Current  low price:  $7.17 Current Number on  Sale at Discogs: 29 Have/Want: 539/41 Where Sold: Middlebury, VT Time It Took  To Sell:  2 years  Where and When  Bought: Facebook marketplace lot Gwiz-gau Grade:  A Sad To See  It Go: No Of the many Bob Dylan compilations, I never had Masterpieces until fairly recently in a lot purchase.  It was always in the store bin at a triple CD import price when my fingers would flip over it in the early 90's Dylan section.  In that time period it meant over $50 easy whether it was from Australia, New Zealand or Japan where is was...
Read more