Norma Tanega :: I’m The Sky: Studio and Demo Recordings, 1964–1971

I’m The Sky: Studio and Demo Recordings, 1964–1971 collects parts of Norma Tenega’s first two albums as well as two songs from her unreleased 1969 album, and a healthy chunk of demos. Listening to this 2-lp collection and reading Erin Osmon’s excellent liner notes (which include interviews with Tanega shortly before she passed in late 2019), Tanega’s life and music feel inseparable. Her voice, guitar, and autoharp laugh off the hardships of living and lean into the comic details, embracing self-amusements, aphorisms, and minuscule mysteries.

Norma Tanega: Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog

Tanega’s debut was recorded and released in 1966. Twelve tracks in 29 minutes, the album stylistically scans a hybrid of folk and blues traditions, along with erstwhile doses of orchestral-pop balladry. No matter the approach, the entirety of Walkin’ is driven by and framed by Tanega’s unorthodox vocals, unusual lyrics, and atypical time signatures. Hardly conventional compared to her peers, the album still managed to reach #22 on the charts. Imagine that today…