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Baker's Dozen

No Reconciliation Necessary: Doug McCombs' Favourite LPs
Nick Hutchings , July 16th, 2015 13:36

With the prolific bassist and guitarist and Tortoise and Brokeback founder about to release a new album, Works For Tomorrow, with Eleventh Dream Day, he gives Nick Hutchings a tour of his most seminal records

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Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
When I joined Eleventh Dream Day I was 23 years old and my exposure to rock music was still pretty narrow. I was aware of some punk and avant-garde music and Television was probably my favourite band, still is. But I was not familiar with Neil Young at all. When I joined I was broke and Baird [Figi], the other guitar player, got me a job at a record store. So here I was playing with people who were hipping me to the music that interested them and I had a whole record store at my disposal. I discovered that Crazy Horse WAS a punk band and that Neil Young jammed with Devo.

Apparently 'Cinnamon Girl', 'Down By The River' and 'Cowgirl In The Sand' were recorded while Young had a 103-degree fever - what are the most testing conditions in which you've recorded songs?

Eleventh Dream Day has made a couple albums during heat waves. Actually both of those were made in Kentucky. As times goes on it takes Tortoise longer and longer to make albums. That can be trying.