Every Wednesday, the ugly hug shares a playlist personally curated by an artist/band that we have been enjoying. This week, we have a collection of songs put together by UK songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Dan Parr of The Last Whole Earth Catalog.

With an eclectic and daringly dense history, The Last Whole Earth Catalog is one of those cherished acts here at the ugly hug. In rare moments where two albums are experienced in the same way, Parr’s blend of genres, techniques, inspirations and what-nots are emblematic of his rich creative process and stamina. Along with a new full length album set to be released in the coming months, Parr has embarked on a new journey of recording performances of all of his songs in chronological order. You can follow this project on his YouTube channel (All Songs Ever).

When asked to curate a playlist for the ugly hug, Parr shared this statement regarding his time putting it together;

Every so often a song of times gone by finds its way into my life. This is a collection of some of them, found by recommendation (both human and algorithm), chasing samples from 2000s chill-out songs or overheard in a Mexican restaurant.

I like that I don’t have all the context for these songs. I might know the history, but I wasn’t there, living amongst the culture and understanding it properly. With some, I don’t know whether these would be ‘pop’ songs or songs more off the beaten track. I don’t know what ripples these made in the world, if any. I have to take the songs at face value, and enjoy the melodies, harmony, simplicity, humor or emotion as they stand alone.

I am a little jealous of the earnestness that Glen Campbell has when singing “and I want you for all time”, the incredible lyrical motif in Joyce Heath’s “I Wouldn’t Dream Of It” and the hope I feel when I hear a whole chorus join in with “We Shall Overcome”. It’s this kind of thing that I hope may occasionally crop up in my music from time to time.

Feature Photo Courtesy of Dan Parr