Bob's Chat

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Starting soon will be the final batch of my Jazz, Soul, Hillbilly/Country, Rockabilly/R&R, and Pre-War/Acoustic Blues series. This next batch is already compiled, a total of 60 compilations (12 volumes in each genre) and for a change this one is entirely in flac. I've decided to bring these series to an end because the blog is now entering its 6th year and it's time for a fresh approach. I don't see the point in making any more Soul compilations about broken hearts and tears, or Hillbilly compilations about drunks and jukeboxes, by the end of this next batch these various topics will be more than well covered. So sometime in 2027 the various genre compilations will come to an end. However I'll continue making some special compilations but they will be more detailed, with session information, personnel, dates, photos, plus a bit of a write up. As more time goes into compiling such compilations they'll only be appearing periodically.

As the blog will be featuring fewer homemade compilations, there will be more officially released albums. However, as previously stated, no new releases, just old, odd, rare and interesting things, much the same as I've been doing with the "Albums That Deserve Another Listen" series. I have a very large collection of digital music, so loads of great albums to share, and the blog will continue rolling along with the "Blues, R&B, Soul & Gospel Records" series. There are plenty of these prepared in advance, currently up to Volume 550. At the present rate of posting that's enough to last until 2030. Therefore I won't be making any more for the time being as I don't see any point in getting too far ahead of myself.

I'm also considering featuring other things of interest. For example I have an unpublished manuscript of interview transcriptions that were conducted with many visiting bluesmen in Australia throughout the 1970s. I'll be fetching this manuscript in October on my next trip to Perth, and after scanning the interviews I'll start putting them up on the blog. Most of these bluesmen I interviewed have now passed away, plus there are photos I took of them. So lots of interesting and historical things to look forward to.

Also as I'm a keen photographer and have traveled a lot, I'd like to show more of my travel and artistic photography. So in the months ahead this blog will begin to shape up more as a personal blogsite, and not so much as just being a music-sharing site. None of this will effect "Bob's Cellar" however, that will continue in its present format for as long as required.

Anyway, all this is in the future. For the time being everything remains the same, the changes will appear gradually.