Chris Knox is a Kiwi who made a lot of music then last year he had a stroke. His friends took his songs, played them and sang them and made a 2 CD set to raise money.

And he has a bunch of friends. I think like Vic Chesnut; the people you listen to listen to him. I am not sure if I had heard his music before I came to NZ but some songs seem to have been in my head for a long time. Then again, I have been here for a while. "Not Given Lightly" is the song I think that I thought I knew for before I knew Chris Knox. It goes, "It's you that I love, and it's true that I love and it's love not given lightly" Anyone?

The version of "Not Given Lightly" on Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox is by Boh Runga and it is too soft for me. People that just picked up their guitar, strummed and sang don't do much for me either but I know what buttons I can push to make them end. Most of them I like and together make this sound more like and album then a compilation.

The bands that I know and like, Yo La Tengo, A.C. Newman (New Pornographers), Bill Callahan, Lambchop, The Mint Chicks, The Mountain Goats and Lou Barlow, do songs that would fit in on their own albums. Maybe a testament to good songwriting is that others can make them seem like their own. Is that how it works? I don't know cause I don't know songwriting. It also could be that they weren't trying hard enough. Will Oldham is a bit weak.

I saw Chris the other week, he can't make words but still fronted a band. I like yelling better than singing anyway. You can hear some his vocalization on the CD.

You can buy it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Stroke-Songs-Chris-Various-Artists/dp/B0031Y4A58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267770002&sr=8-1

and see his website here:

http://www.chrisknox.co.nz/

and see an old clip here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaRWS9K4-OE


Notes: I haven't purchased a compilation album since "Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records" for the Leatherface cover of Dillinger Four. It's awesome.

I think if you have a band then you shouldn't be able to do a thing solo that sounds just the same. cough*acnewman*cough