oi kathon: krathon song khrueang

artist: อ้อย กะท้อน (oi kathon)
album: กระท้อนทรงเครื่อง (krathon song khrueang)
tracklist:
01. ข้าวเหนียว-บูดู (khao niao-budu)
02. 3 ช่า 3 ฤดู (3 cha 3 ruedu)
03. พูดกันใหม่ (phut kan mai)
04. เจ็บตื้น (chep tuen)
05. ลูกทะเล (luk thale)
06. กระท้อนทรงเครื่อง (krathon song khrueang)
07. กางเขนดง (kang khen dong)
08. 3 นาที (3 nathi)
09. ช้างกลางแดด (chang klang daet)
10. ไม้ใหญ่ (mai yai)

this week, pop phuea chiwit from oi kathon! hailing from ranong province, oi got into music from a young age, first joining the youth-focused song wai band and later songs for life crossover stars kathon, where she found her fame (and her stage-surname). this 1991 cassette is her solo debut, and as the title implies ("spiced-up krathon"), she's got some slicker production behind her now! handling most of the musical side is her old mentor from the song wai days, "uncle tom" kittiphong khanthakan.  while the general vibe might lean towards synthed-up dance pop, there's still plenty of her old folk-rock style material on hand.. enjoy!

carabao: ameri-koi

artist: คาราบาว (carabao)
album: อเมริโกย (ameri-koi)
tracklist:
01. อเมริโกย (ameri-koi)
02. มะโหนก (ถึกควายทุย ภาค 6) (manok (thuek khwai thui, pt. 6))
03. คนจนผู้ยิ่งใหญ่ (khon chon phu ying yai)
04. มาลัย (malai)
05. ข่าวดี (khao di)
06. ตางขโมย (tang khamoi)
07. ซาอุดรฯ (sa-udon)
08. หำเฮี้ยน (ham hian)
09. เฒ่าทะเล (tao thale)
10. แผ่นดิน (phaendin)

sorry for the long absence: i was off for a few weeks touring the west coast of the u.s. (and texas) with my friends in the khun narin sin phin prayuk band. now that we're back, let's start out with a favorite from our time on the road: the biggest thai rock band of all time, carabao! known for the political nature of their songwriting, they have shifted from being socialist upstarts to nationalist reactionaries over the years, but have typically left great music in their wake. today's cassette dates from 1985, following-up on their breakthrough commercial smash from the prior year, "made in thailand", as well as their involvement in the ill-fated "retired officer rebellion". it was also the first to be recorded in their own center stage studio, and marked an expansion of synthesized sounds and production for the group. enjoy!

bai mai hin: alternative

artist: ใบไม้หิน (bai mai hin)
album: alternative
tracklist:
01. ณ ราชดำเนิน (na ratchadamnoen)
02. เหงา (ngao)
03. หงิกส์! (ngik!)
04. มนุษย์ (manut)
05. เพื่อนใหม่ (phuean mai)
06. ใบไม้หิน (bai mai hin)
07. ลูกตำรวจ (luk tamruat)
08. สายน้ำ (sai nam)
09. ตำนานร็อคสองฝั่งโข่ง (tamnan rock song fang khong)
10. มือกลอง (mue klong)

this week, protest rock from the bai mai hin band! recorded for mjax entertainment in 1995, the album centers around a retrospective on the events of 1992's "black may", lamenting the brutal crackdown on anti-military protesters and bemoaning the lack of progress since. not a great deal has been written about this group, but the liner notes give us a good start: the lead songwriter and producer was somphot singsuwan, by that point already an old hand, though known best for his contributions to the luk krung genre, rather than phuea chiwit. the performers, overseen by musical director patiphon hemworanan, included chirawat, withaya and wibun of the panphum family (relatives of alt-rock star maeo chirasak panphum), as well as naruephon phanthong (son of luk thung legend chai mueangsing) and anat phutthamat (who has been featured here before as a luk krung singer). none of these individuals, to my knowledge, had a career in the songs for life genre after this, making it something of an interesting footnote to the movement.. enjoy!

masae 'sun saengsaeo: chut sun-sur-native 1

artist: มาแซ 'ซุน แซงแซว (masae 'sun saengsaeo)
album: ชุดซุนเซอร์เนทีฟ ๑ (chut sun-sur-native 1)
tracklist:
01. บางนรา (bang nara)
02. มะละกอที่รัก (malako thi rak)
03. วันพรากจาก (wan phrak chak)
04. ชนชั้นคน (chon chan khon)
05. เหมือนบ้าง (muean bang)
06. ดูดดื่ม (dut duem)
07. จะทำอะไรดีก็ไม่รู้เหมือนกัน (cha tham arai di ko mai ru muean kan)
08. ประชาชนผู้มีหนวด (prachachon phu mi nuat)
09. ชายหาดสีขาว (chai hat si khao)
10. มารดาแห่งความมหัศจรรย์ (manda haeng khwam mahasachan)

today, a left-field discovery that my friend chris chanced upon recently in bangkok! masae 'sun saengsaeo a.k.a. surachai songthawonthawi is a wandering poet associated with the phuea chiwit and socially-engaged buddhism circles (see: introductory blurb by none other than sulak sivaraksa!). according to the liner notes, the album's title is a contraction of "surrealist-alternative", a genre designation given by fellow writer wat wanlayangkun. the tracks display a range of influences from psychedelic-/blues-rock to reggae to guitar-&-violin-driven folk tunes (which masae credits to the apache people). the decidedly lo-fi production was handled by aphinan chit-sopha, who got together a band of his students from srinakharinwirot university's songkhla campus (now thaksin university) to back masae. quite an unusual entry, hope you enjoy! 

phongsit khamphi: rao cha klap ma

artist: พงษ์สิทธิ์ คำภีร์ (phongsit khamphi)
album: เราจะกลับมา (rao cha klap ma)
tracklist:
01. แค่นั้น (khae nan)
02. กตัญญู (katanyu)
03. หนุ่มน้อย (num noi)
04. เบื่อ (buea)
05. คนเอย (khon oei)
06. แค่นั้น (khae nan) [backing track]
07. ฝากจดหมาย (fak chotmai)
08. ความเข้มแข็งสุดท้าย (khwam khem khaeng sut thai)
09. เจ้านาย (chao nai)
10. เสือ สิงห์ กระทิง แรด (suea sing krathing raet)
11. เราจะกลับมา (rao cha klap ma)
12. ความเข้มแข็งสุดท้าย (khwam khem khaeng sut thai) [bonus track]

this week, romantic "songs for life" from pu phongsit khamphi! a native of nongkhai, khamphi is a leader of what we might call the 'third wave' of phleng phuea chiwit (if we think of the first wave as comprising the folksy protest groups like caravan, and the second being the more rock-inflected groups like carabao). khamphi combined the harder sounds of the latter with a lighter touch that recalls the former, and moved away from explicitly political lyrics, focusing more on human-interest style storytelling and even somewhat conventional love songs. this album is his sixth, recorded at caravan studios and released on m² in 1994. enjoy!

[as a side note: i was surprised to see that the liners contain a special dedication to former political prisoner surachai saedan, whom khamphi apparently met while performing in khlong prem central prison. a leader of the communist insurgency and a long-time anti-monarchy activist, surachai disappeared in 2018 and is widely presumed to have been murdered while in exile in neighboring laos, fleeing a lèse-majesté charge]

tonchabap 1

artist: various
album: ต้นฉบับ 1 (tonchabap 1)
tracklist:
01. ยากยิ่งนัก (yak ying nak)
performed by ชาตรี (chatri)
02. ดั่งเม็ดทราย (dang met sai)
performed by สุชาติ ชวางกูร (suchat chawangkun)
03. รักครั้งแรก (rak khrang raek)
performed by ชาตรี (chatri)
04. ใจรัก (chai rak)
performed by สุชาติ ชวางกูร (suchat chawangkun)
05. ลองรัก (long rak)
performed by จันทนีย์ อูนากูล (chanthani unakun)
06. น้ำเซาะทราย (nam so sai)
performed by จำรัส เศวตาภรณ์ (chamrat sewataphon)
07. เหมันต์ที่ผ่านพ้นไป (heman thi phan phon pai)
performed by สุชาติ ชวางกูร (suchat chawangkun)
08. ลมลวง (lom luang)
performed by ธีระศักดิ์ อัจจิมานนท์ (thirasak atchimanon)
09. รักฉันนั้นเพื่อเธอ (rak chan nan phuea thoe)
performed by พิงค์แพนเตอร์ (pink panther)
10. เดือนเพ็ญ (duean phen)
performed by คาราวาน (caravan)

this week, a great label sampler of early 80's bangkok sounds courtesy e.m.i. music (thailand) co., ltd., a local branch of the british transnational conglomerate. this compilation brings together a mix of their offerings from the first half of the decade, with an emphasis on soft-rock and a.o.r. sounds, whether from pop groups like chatri and pink panther, phuea chiwit veterans caravan, or solo artists like singer-actor suchat chawangkun, singer-songwriter chanthani unakun, grand ex' alum chamrat sewataphon and relative-unknown folkie thirasak atchimanon. enjoy!

 

naowarat phongphaibun & suchit wongthet: karaket, vol. 1: phong khao ta

artist: เนาวรัตน์ พงษ์ไพบูลย์ + สุจิตต์ วงษ์เทศ (naowarat phongphaibun & suchit wongthet)
album: การะเกด ชุดที่ ๑ ผงเข้าตา (karaket, vol. 1: phong khao ta)
tracklist:
01. การะเกด (karaket)
02. ชาวนาฮาเฮ (chao na ha he)
03. คนทำนา (khon tham na)
04. ตากับยาย (ta kap yai)
05. วัวควายที่ไม่ได้ไถนา (wua khwai thi mai dai thai na)
06. จันทร์เจ้าขา (chan chao kha)
07. หนทางแห่งหอยทาก (hon thang haeng haeng hoi thak)
08. เจ้านกกางเขน (chao nok kangkhen)
09. ใครคือครู (khrai khue khru)
10. กัณหาชาลี (kanha chali)
11. ผงเข้าตา (phong khao ta)
12. เจ้าขุนทอง (chao khun thong)
13. คนทำทาง (khon tham ngan)

this week, thanks to a fantastic gift from artist jesse paul miller, we've got a musical-literary crossover! this album sees writers naowarat phongphaibun (s.e.a. write award winner and national artist in the field of literature) and suchit wongthet (matichon columnist, founder of sinlapa-watthanatham (arts & culture) magazine, and national artist in the field of poetry) continuing a musical collaboration which dates back to their university days in the '70s. while often grouped within the typically folk/rock-oriented phleng phuea chiwit (songs for life) scene, the mahori-esque karaket ensemble is instead composed of local instruments, in keeping with the rejection of western influence that naowarat and suchit championed from the height of thailand's "american era". the melodies in turn are inspired by rural folk-song, in a manner somewhat similar to luk thung. i believe this album dates from the early '80s, but information about it (including the other players) is somewhat scarce. if anyone knows more, please comment. otherwise, enjoy!

wong manao wan: rock kantruem chut pho nong phon

artist: วง มะนาวหวาน (wong manao wan)
album: ร๊อกกันตรึม ชุด พ่อน้องพร (rock kantruem chut pho nong phon)
tracklist:
01. ไปตายที่ม่ายหญ้า (pai tai thi mai ya)
02. หัวใจบู้บี้ (hua chai bu bi)
03. จะไปก็เชิญ (cha pai ko choen)
04. สัญญาเดือนหก (sanya duean hok)
05. ตบให้หูหัน (top hai hu han)
06. รำวงกลองยาว (ramwong klong yao)
07. พ่อน้องพร (pho nong phon)
08. รักน้องเพ็ญ (rak nong phen)
09. อัดโต้ยสวยจ้าน (atoi suai chan)
10. รักสาวเสิร์ฟ (rak sao serve)
11. แหล่นิทานชาวบ้าน (lae nithan chao ban)
12. ไม่ลืมโนห์รา (mai luem nora)

this week: southern thai kantruem!? given the music's inextricable connection to the khmer people in the thai-cambodian border region of south isan, perhaps you can understand my surprise at finding a kantruem tape bearing a number of cultural hallmarks tied to a completely different border zone hundreds of miles away: that of southern thailand/northern malaysia. however, i ran it by my friend banja, and he was not surprised in the slightest; apparently, following the success of darkie, khong khoi, and other kantruem-rock acts, a trend for the style hit hard across the nation, including the deep south (banja even sent me some examples of melayu-language krantruem). with that knowledge in hand and a little more digging, i found that this same group was later known as "rock sators '41" and is actually lead by tong thammarat suwanmongkhon from the famed phuea chiwit band khon dan kwian, alongside southern thai luk thung singers khom mueangnakhon, phonthip phunphon, and surat suksamran. after leading off with a few phasa tai rewrites of rock khong khoi's kantruem hits, side b of this 1995 cassette veers into southern luk thung in the style of ekachai siwichai, and even some lae, all with a rock-oriented phuea chiwit bent to the production. quite a blend.. enjoy!

niranam: yip sip 5

artist: นิรนาม (niranam)
album: หยิบสิบ 5 (yip sip 5)
tracklist:
01. วิวาห์น้ำตา (wiwa nam ta)
02. น้องนางบ้านนา (nong nang ban na)
03. สาวอยู่บ้านได๋ (sao yu ban dai)
04. พี่ทุยหน้าทื่อ (phi thui na thue)
05. ขวัญใจคนจน (khwanchai khon chon)
06. เมียนายร้อยอย่าน้อยใจ (mia nai roi ya noi chai)
07. น้ำตาลาไทร (nam ta la sai)
08. แสงทองแสงธรรม (saeng thong saeng tham)
09. คนที่มองไม่เห็นโลก (khon thi mong mai hen lok)
10. รักกลางจันทร์ (rak klang chan)
 
this week, phuea chiwit goes luk thung at the hands of nick niranam! as the first artists of their style signed to major label nithithat (n.t. promotion co., ltd.) niranam had a leg up from their 1986 debut on, almost equaling genre stalwarts carabao in popularity. however, despite a string of successful albums, the group shed members until only nick was left, helming the band as essentially a solo act. what niranam did not shed, however, was an audience; nick's first in his yip sip ("snatching ten") series was a million-seller. combining ten "snatched" luk thung classics with his phuea chiwit-style rock vocals and the '80s studio wizardry that characterized nithithat productions, niranam had a winning formula. this 1990 cassette is the fifth in the series, showing no signs of diminishing returns.. enjoy!

 

zu zu: su khwam wang mai

artist: ซูซู (zu zu)
album: สู่ความหวังใหม่ (su khwam wang mai)
tracklist:
01. อับดุลเลาะห์ (abdullah)
02. ใครสักคน (khrai sak khon)
03. ม้งลงแดง (hmong long daeng)
04. อ้อล้อ (o lo)
05. แม่นบ่ (maen bo)
06. บ่อสร้างกางจ้อง (bo sang kang chong)
07. นกเขา (nok khao)
08. ยับเยิน (yap yoen)
09. ไส้เดือน (sai duean)
10. สุวรรณภูมิ (suwannaphum)
11. โฆษณา โค้ก (coke advertisement)

this week, a look back at the late '80s/early '90s songs for life scene, with zu zu! the band consists of zu raphin phutthichat (guitar/vocals), sek saksit (guitar/keyboard/vocals), and ut yannawa (drums/vocals), all formerly of the group kathon, along with suthep pan-amphan (bass) and phantiwa phumiprathet a.k.a. tom dundee (vocals). this cassette is their debut album, produced by aed carabao for his d-day entertainment label. while initially united in their socially conscious messaging, the group's members drifted apart politically over time, with the core group appearing on anti-thaksin yellow shirt protest stages, while tom dundee appeared with the anti-coup red shirts, and eventually served time in prison on a lèse-majesté charge (he was finally released in july of last year). regardless of politics, though, i think anyone could get behind their hard rock sam-cha sound.. enjoy!

phongthep kradonchamnan: i am isan

artist: พงษ์เทพ กระโดนชำนาญ (phongthep kradonchamnan)
album: ไอแอมอีสาน (i am isan)
tracklist:
01. สาวเสื้อลาย (sao suea lai)
02. เอาเต๊อะ (ao toe)
03. ไอแอมอีสาน (i am isan)
04. โคราช 4 (khorat 4)
05. นกเขาไฟ (ภาคผีเมือง) (nok khao phai (phak phi mueang))
06. คนเลว (khon leo)
07. สาวเมืองเลย (sao mueang loei)
08. แหล่ 29 (lae 29)
09. ลำตะคอง (lam takhong)
10. อีแต๋น (i-taen)

this week, 'songs for life' from the 'farmer's poet'! phongthep was born in nakhon ratchasima (khorat), in thailand's isan region. he started out with the legendary phuea chiwit pioneers caravan, before fleeing to the jungle like many thai student activists after the terror of october 6th, 1976. he resurfaced following the amnesty of 1980, and joined pop-protest group carabao as a touring musician, before embarking on a solo career. on this, his third album (released 1986), he's joined by thongkram thana (guitar, violin), ut yannawa (drums), wichai chomrit (bass) and mongkhon uthok (so and phin), as well as guest spots from guitarist suthep thawanwiwatkun of hope, back-up vocals from yupphawan imkrung and so-u from rangsit chongchansittho. a noted multi-instrumentalist, phongthep himself contributes lead vocals, khaen, angkalung, flute, guitar and percussion. the music is an eclectic mix of folk-rock, reggae, country, bluegrass, etc., all mixed with various samplings of local thai styles.. enjoy!

preview:

khon dan kwian: ai khong

artist: คนด่านเกวียน (khon dan kwian)
album: ไอ้โข่ง (ai khong)
tracklist:
01. ล้างลิ้นคอยเลีย (lang lin khoi lia)
02. ไอ้โข่ง (ai khong)
03. มะหน่อ (mano)
04. นางแบบ (nang baep)
05. ถังแตก (thang taek)
06. ลอยลมบน (loi lom bon)
07. หำน้อย (ham noi)
08. ข่าวเก่า (khao kao)
09. คนขายไข่ (khon khai khai)
10. คนด่านเกวียน (khon dan kwian)

this week, some classic thai rock music, courtesy of the khon dan kwian band! fronted by "siphueak" isara anantathat, a native of bueng kan, khon dan kwian were among the first wave of prominent phuea chiwit groups. phuea chiwit or "songs for life" is a genre of (usually) politically engaged popular music, with roots in thailand's 70s protest movement and a musical grounding in anglo/american folk-rock from bob dylan to traffic. siphueak, a veteran of the 14 october 1973 popular uprising and the communist party of thailand, founded the band in 1983 and together with the legendary carabao helped bring phuea chiwit music to the mainstream, blending their international folk-rock origins with luk thung's latin dance rhythms and indigenous melodies. this cassette features their fourth album from 1987. enjoy!

preview:

santanoy

artist: ซานตานอย (santanoy)
album: ซานตานอย (santanoy)
tracklist:
01. ซานตานอย (santanoy)
02. ควายตัวดำ (khwai tua dam)
03. คนรักป่า (khon rak pa)
04. ลำพึง ลำพัง (lam phueng, lam phang)
05. สุรา (sura)
06. อวยชัย (uaichai)
07. ริมฝั่งคลอง (rim fang khlong)
08. ขุนเขา สายธาร (khun khao, sai than)
09. ฝันไป (fan pai)
10. รถติด (rot tit)

last week, oi b.m. gave us a hint as to carlos santana's musical legacy in thailand; this week, we'll meet an even more fervent devotee.. santanoy! little-remembered today, noy thirawisan chunlamakon had contributed saxophone and harmonica to the december 1991 album wicha phae by famed phuea chiwit rockers carabao, and released his solo album on their d-day entertainment label the same month. the liner notes also list the entirety of carabao members as producers here, as well as for various instrumental credits. from my own anecdotal observations, santana seems to have had the greatest influence on thai music of any western rock-star. probably the long-time popularity of latin rhythms in the kingdom particularly helped to set the chicano legend up for success, over his more stolid rock contemporaries. as santanoy sings, he's "the thai cha-cha-cha to santana's latin soul".. enjoy!

preview:

kammachon, vol. 1

artist: กรรมาชน (kammachon)

album: กรรมาชน ชุดที่ 1 (kammachon, vol. 1)

tracklist:

01. กรรมาชน (kammachon)

02. คนกับควาย (khon kap khwai)

03. ชาวนารำพึง (chao na ramphueng)

04. แสง (saeng)

05. กูจะปฏิวัติ (ku cha patiwat)

06. จิตร ภูมิศักดิ์ (chit phumisak)

07. นกสีเหลือง (nok si lueang)

08. เพื่อมวลชน (phuea muan chon)

09. โลกที่ 3 (lok thi 3)

10. เลือดทาแผ่นดิน (lueat tha phaen din)

11. ฆาตกร (khatthakon)

12. เปิบข้าว (poep khao)

13. มาร์ชประชาชนเดิน (march prachachon doen)

14. สู้ไม่ถอย (su mai thoi)

15. เจ้าพระยา (chao phraya)

16. ข้าวคอยฝน (khao khoi fon)

this week, an incredible tape of thai protest song! founded by kunsak rueangkhongkiat (jin) & a group of student activists from mahidol university around the time of the 14 october 1973 uprising, the kammachon band put out only 3 albums in as many years. frontman jin, however, has been performing solo ever since (he plays a pharmacist by day)¹. what's most remarkable about jin, though, is that he's one of the only phuea chiwit performers to actively support the red shirt movement.. the genre for the most part is very "yellow". but on to the music; although many of the songs on here are composed by phuea chiwit progenitors caravan, kammachon have a unique approach all their own, adding layers of psychedelia and even luk thung influences to the standards. on top of this, the band possess a rare intensity; they really sound like the young upstarts they were.. jin's endearingly untrained vocals with an equally shambolic, energetic band behind him. absolute classic.. enjoy!

preview:

carabao: prachathipatai

artist: คาราบาว (carabao)
album: ประชาธิปไตย (prachathipatai)
tracklist:
01. ตาตี๋ (tati)
02. ประชาธิปไตย (prachathipatai)
03. ผู้ทน (phu ton)
04. เจ้าตาก (chao tak)
05. พ่อ (pho)
06. ถึกควายทุย ภาค 7 (thuek khwai thui, pt. 7)
07. วันเด็ก (wan dek)
08. มหาจำลอง รุ่น 7 (maha cham long, run 7)
09. มรดกเฮงซวย (moradok heng suai)
10. ค. ควาย ค. คน (kh. khwai kh. khon)

this week we'll hear once more from the biggest thai rock band of all time... the legendary carabao! often compared to u2, today carabao divide their time between music, social activism and corporate endorsements, but they came from a humbler beginning. founded in 1976 by two thai students studying in the philippines, carabao introduced a harder edge to the folksy pleng puea chiwit genre, bringing the genre to the national spotlight. this album, from 1986, features the band at their most electronic, replete with drum pads and synthesizer riffs, and even a few cues possibly taken from the fledgling industrial music scene of the time. enjoy!!

caravan: blacksmith

artist: คาราวาน (caravan)
album: คนตีเหล็ก (blacksmith)
tracklist:
01. หนุ่มพเนจร (num phanechon)
02. คนตีเหล็ก (khon ti lek)
03. กองเกวียนบ้านไพร (kong kwian ban phrai)
04. ข้าวลาลาน (khao la lan)
05. ชายคนนั้น (chai khon nan)
06. เหงา (ngao)
07. แด่... เจ้าดอกไม้ (dae... chao dok mai)
08. ใกล้ตาไกลตีน (klai ta klai tin)
09. ภูเขา (phu khao)
10. ฝันร้าย (fan rai)

as per request, here's another fantastic album from caravan... and this one comes courtesy of alexandra, so you know it's good!! caravan, of course, are the progenitors of the เพลงเพื่อชีวิต (pleng puea chiwit) or "songs for life" genre. the band was founded in the early '70s by student protest leaders surachai chanthimathon & wirasak sunthonsi. their tunes & lyrics were a vital force for bringing the messages of urban student activism out to the provinces. their music is fantastic, adapting folk-rock rhythms & melodies from american & british protest songs of the time and interlacing them with thai folk idioms & instrumentation. in the wake of the massacre at thammasat university, the band fled bangkok, some heading into the mountains of the northeast to join the communist insurgency in armed struggle. needless to say, their music was banned from radioplay for quite a while, broadcast only from pirate stations in the hills. this album is from 1983, shortly after their return from exile. very nice stuff, enjoy!

caravan: s/t

band: คาราวาน (caravan)
album: s/t
tracklist:
01. คนกับควาย (khon kap khwai)
02. เปิบข้าว (poep khao)
03. หมายเหตุจากหมู่บ้าน (maihet chak muban)
04. ชาวนา (chao na)
05. ข้าวคอยฝน (khao khoi fon)
06. คนภูเขา (khon phu khao)
07. จิตร ภูมิศักดิ์ (chit phumisak)
08. นกสีเหลือง (nok si lueang)
09. หยุดก่อน (yut kon)
10. กระต่ายกับเต่า (kratai kap tao)

earlier we heard from carabao, the band who popularized the เพลงเพื่อชีวิต (pleng puea chiwit) or "songs for life" genre; here we have the debut from its progenitors, caravan. this tape, issued in 1975 (พ.ศ. 2518) collects the songs with which band members สุรชัย จันทิมาธร (surachai chanthimathon) & วีระศักดิ์ สุนทรศรี (wirasak sunthonsi) had been leading protests for democracy throughout the country. their tunes & lyrics caught on quickly and were a vital force for bringing the messages of urban student activism out to the provinces. the music is fantastic, loosely adapting folk-rock rhythms & melodies from american & british protest songs of the time (listen for bob dylan, traffic), and interlacing them with thai folk idioms & instrumentation. shortly after the release of this album, in the wake of the massacre at thammasat university, the members fled bangkok, some heading into the mountains of the northeast to join the communist insurgency in armed struggle. needless to say, their music was banned from radioplay, broadcast only from pirate stations in the hills. these songs have since been reissued on smithsonian folkways, with fantastic liner notes.

carabao: tho. thahan otthon

band: คาราบาว (carabao)
album: ท. ทหารอดทน (tho. thahan otthon)
tracklist:
01. ท.ทหารอดทน (tho. thahan otthon)
02. ทินเนอร์ (thinner)
03. ผู้เฒ่า (phu thao)
04. ขี้เมาใจดี (khimao chaidi)
05. สวรรค์บ้านนา (sawan ban na)
06. ตุ๊กตา (tukta)
07. คนเก็บฟืน (khon kep fuen)
08. เวลา (wela)
09. คนนิรนาม (khon niranam)
10. กลิ่นรวงทอง (klin ruang thong)

this week we hear from the biggest thai rock band ever, carabao! though they had their apex in the 1980's, carabao is still among the most visible elements of thai popular culture; even today you can see banners of frontman ed all over, hawking their energy drink in just about every bus terminal throughout the kingdom. however, the guys came from humbler beginnings, and this tape takes us back to 1983; it's their fourth album and (i think) major label debut! their sound began as standard เพลงเพื่อชีวิต (pleng puea chiwit or "songs for life"), albeit with a bit of harder rock sound in lieu of the genre's typical folky atmospherics. the big single here, "'t' is for 'tough troops'", is one of my favorites of theirs; the verses are carried by a military-style marching cadence, ed's speak-singing & a banjo, as well as some whistling and sing-along for good measure! the rest of the album is somewhat more standard american-style rock & ballads, all good fun! big guitars and impassioned vocals. hope you enjoy!