Paul Kelly & Charlie Owen - Death's Dateless Night

Death's Dateless Night is a collaborative studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and Australian multi-instrumentalist Charlie Owen, released in October 2016 via Gawd Aggie.

Charlie Owen has been a member of a number of bands including of The New Christs (1987–90), Louis Tillett and His Cast of Aspersions (1990), Tex, Don and Charlie (1993–95, 2005–06), and Beasts of Bourbon (1996–97, 2003), and in May 2012 was listed in the Top 40 of Australia's best guitarists by Australian Guitar magazine.

Paul Kelly is one Australia's best known singer-songwriters who has led a number of bands including The Dots, The Coloured Girls and The Messengers, and has collaborated with an array of musicians including Archie Roach.

This is a copy of a letter from Paul Kelly, dated 24 August 2016 (from his official website):

“Now can I drown an eye unused to flow
For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night”
Sonnet 30 – William Shakespeare

Charlie and I had talked over the years about making a record together but had never got around to it. Driving to a friend’s funeral last year and discussing the songs we’d played at other such occasions, separately and together, finally gave us our frame. Songs mostly written by others  – Cole Porter, Townes Van Zandt, Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Lennon/McCartney  – and some traditional.

We enlisted J Walker with whom I’d worked with previously on ‘Spring and Fall’ to engineer and co-produce the recording, taking over Charlie’s house at Arthurs Seat for a week at the end of February. We kept the sound live and sparse, just the two of us, except for the occasional vocal by family members – my sister Mary Jo and my daughters Maddy and Memphis.

I stuck to singing and playing acoustic guitar. Charlie was the swing man, playing dobro, lap steel, electric guitar, synthesizer and piano.  I managed to talk him into singing some harmonies too.

It’s interesting to look at the kinds of songs people request at funerals. They’re not always sad, of course.  They tend towards the philosophical, wide and deep in scope.

Paul Kelly, Aug 24, 2016

 

"The Captain" likes the sound of the album and the songs are presented in a very organic and stripped back fashion, allowing Paul's voice to shine. The album contains an interesting collection of songs, and is a nice addition to Paul Kelly's catalogue of works.

Check out a couple of tracks from this album: Hard Times, Pretty Bird Tree, Nukkanya, Meet Me In The Middle of the Air, Bird On The Wire, Let It Be, and  Angel of Death.

This LP Record is on 180 Gram Black Vinyl with an Inner Sleeve, pressed in Australia.