Maureen Tucker - Playin' Possum (1981) & Life In Exile After Abdication (1989)

Knowledge of solo albums by Maureen Tucker has been something I've been vaguely aware of for a years (I am hoping it isn't necessary to say she's most famous for being the drummer of the Velvet Underground). Stupidly I put off listening to them, not being sure what they'd hold and I'd never heard of anyone mentioning them. While I am shocked nobody has recommended them to me, I can says wholeheartedly that any hesitation was unwarranted. So get this shit, the first album, Playin' Possum, is covers of notable songs originally by artists like Bob Dylan and Little Richard as well as Velvet Underground tracks wherein Tucker plays all the instruments. She handles drums, guitar, sax and singing for some lo-fi versions of some wildly good songs. Then to up the ante in the second solo album from eight years, Life In Exile After Abdication, later she drops the multi-instrumental scheme in favor of bringing in some really noteworthy musicians to record with her. These include Lou Reed, Daniel Johnston, Jad Fair, and members of the Sonic Youth. In fact both albums sound very Jad Fair-like. This album also features different versions of Velvet Underground songs and some covers but contains songs written by Tucker too. Imagine how jazzed I was when I noticed that one of the tracks is "Pale Blue Eyes" which remains one of my all-time favorite songs. To cut to the chase both of these are worth hearing, and while an appreciation of the Velvet Underground helps it isn't required to find the appeal of the lo-fi, noisy and creative sound that Tucker brings.

To be had here:




Playin' Possum [128 kbps] Sorry for the shitty bitrate, if you have a better version please link it in the comments for everyone.











Life In Exile After Abdication [192 kbps]