Ned Sublette & The Southwesterners "WESTERN CLASSICS" LP Mint Still Sealed 1982

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Ned Sublette Biography by Richie Unterberger

Ned Sublette was one of the most unclassifiable talents in the late 20th century New York music scene, quite a statement considering that New York new music specializes in unclassifiable talents. His forte is the unlikely combination of Cuban and country styles. Born in Texas and a resident of New York since 1976, he went through a lot of phases before discovering salsa, with a background including conservatory study of classical guitar and composition, musicology field work in New Mexico, and work with John Cage, LaMonte Young, Glenn Branca, and Peter Gordon. In the early '80s, his Ned Sublette Band was a cowpunk group of sorts, though more sophisticated than the usual such outfit.

Cowboy Rumba

Sublette got into salsa music in the '80s, and Cuban music in particular after his first trip to Cuba in 1990. His QBadisc label is devoted to releasing Cuban music in the United States, and he has executive-produced releases by Latin musicians such as Ritmo Oriental and Isaac Delgado. He's also worked as senior co-producer of Public Radio International's Afropop Worldwide show, and as of 1999, was working on a book about Cuban music. His 1999 release, Cowboy Rumba, combined the Texan country of his roots with Latin music, as he collaborated with musicians from Cuba, Puerto Rica, the Dominican Republic, and the New York salsa community.

Western Classics with the Southwesterners Review by "Blue" Gene Tyranny

Sublette's music is a good example of someone working with known styles whose attitude -- not toward the music but toward life in general -- is just a bit "off" from the normative, and somehow this makes the music just slightly different enough to be "avant." This CD, recorded in Albuquerque, NM, is the traditional straight roots music from which Sublette created a unique and eccentric cowboy/downtown music with impossibly great words (the infamous cattle mutilation song, and many others) that appeals equally to both country & western and new music fans. Recently, the music has been evolving through Tex-Mex border music and Cuban influences; Sublette traveled to Cuba to study the remaining authentic bands and musicians outside the cities. In the late '70s and early '80s, he produced many unusual new music programs of other composers' music (single compositions lasting most of the day, etc.), especially commissioned for National Public Radio in the Southwest. He produced a score for Chinese instruments written both in European and Chinese notations for an opera with text by Lawrence Weiner. Sublette runs a distributing company primarily for discs of real Cuban music.

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Ned Sublette And The Southwesterners – Western Classics

Label:

Lovely Music, Ltd. – VR 1401

Format:

Vinyl, LP

Country:

US

Released:

1982

Genre:

Folk, World, & Country

Style:

Country

A1 The Forty Years Ago Waltz 2:24

A2 Golden Slippers 2:13

A3 Soldiers Joy 1:33

A4 Strawberry Roan 3:42

A5 Little Old Sod Shanty 3:34

B1 Rye Whiskey 2:58

B2 Greer County 3:26

B3 Little Joe The Wrangler 4:13

B4 The Buffalo Skinners 5:56

Copyright © – Vital Records

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Vital Records

Design – Patrick Vitacco

Fiddle [Harmony Fiddle] – Jack Carr (4)

Fiddle [Melody Fiddle] – O.C. "Dink" Essary

Mandolin [Lead Mandolin] – Bill Vance (4)

Mandolin [Rhythm Mandolin] – Nelwyn Essary

Photography By [Back Cover] – Greg Peretti

Photography By [Front Cover] – Robert Mapplethorpe

Producer – Ned Sublette

Rhythm Guitar – Lois Vance

Ukulele [Tenor Ukulele] – L.W. McGuffin

Voice, Guitar, Piano – Ned Sublette

GOLDMINE GRADING

MINT ---- It should appear to be perfect. No scuffs or scratches, blotches or stains, labels or writing, tears or splits. Mint means perfect.

NEAR MINT ---- Otherwise mint but has one or two tiny inconsequential flaws that do not affect play. Covers should be close to perfect with minor signs of wear or age just becoming evident: slight ring-wear, minor denting to a corner, or writing on the cover should all be noted properly.

VERY GOOD PLUS ---- The record has been handled and played infrequently or very carefully. Not too far from perfect. On a disc, there may be light paper scuffs from sliding in and out of a sleeve or the vinyl or some of the original luster may be lost. A slight scratch that did not affect play would be acceptably VG+ for most collectors.

VERY GOOD ---- Record displays visible signs of handling and playing, such as loss of vinyl luster, light surface scratches, groove wear and spindle trails. Some audible surface noise, but should not overwhelm the musical experience. Usually a cover is VG when one or two of these problems are evident: ring wear, seam splits, bent corners, loss of gloss, stains, etc.GOOD ---- Well played with little luster and significant surface noise. Despite defects, record should still play all the way through without skipping. Several cover flaws will be apparent, but should not obliterate the artwork.

POOR ---- Any record or cover that does not qualify for the above "Good" grading should be seen as Poor. Several cover flaws.