Folk and Blues Greats whose praise is long overdue

The first entry for this weekend is the underrepresented Karen Dalton - It Hurts Me Too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-BIKjypNsE

I had never heard of this lady until a friend said that I should grab the most recent Light in the Attic Records sampler. LiTA records gets a nod of gratitude from me this week. They have apparently made it their mission to bring to modern ears great music from decades ago. The first time I heard Karen Dalton's voice, I didn't know what to make of it. It is still hard to describe even after purchasing two of her scant few records. The tone of her voice seems to say "I've seen a lot, not all of it good". That is a sign of one who has lived life friends. The second thing Karen's voice says is "There is lots of beauty in this world too." That is also a sign of a life lived in actions rather than in years. I don't know much about the woman behind the music, only that she was making folk as a contemporary of one Robert Allen Zimmerman, better known as Bob Dylan. There is a picture in one of my album inserts of Karen Dalton and Bob Dylan singing alongside a third person I didn't recognize. I also can't say why she isn't better known, on par with Dylan if she was his contemporary and in my opinion as talented a songwriter/musician with a more pleasent though equally untrained voice. Listen to her and you'll like it.

Elmore James - The Sky is Crying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKEdlSTHjtU

Known as the King of the slide guitar, the passion for his subject matter is evident in his voice. Rumor has it that this song was written by James in a few minutes on a rainy day. The man's voice could be listed in the dictionary here http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/the+blues Jimi Hendrix paid homage to James and his skill on more than on occasion. The lyrics for James's version of The Sky is Crying" are striking similar to those for Red House by Hendrix. Jimi Hendrix's first real musical love was in fact Blues. Hendrix also played an intensely psychadelic cover of the song with another person (rumored to be Buddy Miles) on vocals. Elmore James paved the way for Hendrix to become the otherworldly musician that he was. I am also confidant that Jimi Hendrix would agree with the previous sentence, see A Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix for proof.

Litmus test of the week

Huddie Leadbelly Ledbetter - Goodnight Irene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCf60f_sAA0

Leadbelly was the first person I know of to record this song circa 1927, though I am not a musicologist. He was born around the year 1885 and died in 1949 according to dictionary.com You can hear the pain in his voice, it's depth is matched only by one other voice I've ever heard. The song has been covered by half a dozen famous bands and singers, for proof just enter Goodnight Irene into youtube. Leadbelly was an earnest singer if ever one has existed. The world and it's music is better off having had him around. Only recently has his work been given it's full credit. A year after his death the all-white Weavers scored a number 1 hit on the charts with a kid-gloves (omitting the lyrics about the singer's suicide because he can't marry the woman of his dreams) cover of Goodnight Irene. Leadbelly was not credited by the Weavers as far as I know http://www.popculturemadness.com/Music/Number-One-Songs-50s.html. When you listen to this or any other Leadbelly track, give a nod to him in whatever comes after, I'm willing to bet he'd appreciate it. They don't have to enjoy it; if your significant other can appreciate Leadbelly's arduous musical journey, it's a good indicator that you chose well.

3 tracks for slowing your roll

The weekends are supposed to be a time when you take a breather from the often break-neck pace of weekday life. There's a reason you're not supposed to bomb down a ski hill, you might get hurt. Another reason not to bomb a hill is that you might miss the sights that you would see if you were taking it just a bit slower. Picture the early morning sun filtered through a crappy ground level apartment, then play these tracks. See the beauty.

Landlocked Blues - by Bright Eyes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpcZrhPw46M

This song has a sad tone to it with some seriously moving lyrics

"and the moon's laying low in the sky
forcing everything metal to shine
and the sidewalk holds diamonds like a jewelry store case
they argue "walk this way," "no walk this way"

and laura's asleep in my bed
as I'm leaving she wakes up and says
"I dreamed you were carried away on the crest of a wave
baby don't go away, come here"..."


Bunkhouse Theme - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid Soundtrack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU9ZQdmxC-k

I've never seen the movie but I really like everything on the soundtrack. I first heard this song while hanging out at the record store here in L-Town. Two people next to me were discussing good soundtracks and this record came up in the conversation. The record was put on and I was struck by both the music's simplicity and it's tranquil overall sound. Bob Dylan wrote almost all of the music. A friend described the record as "lazy Sunday music", whenever I feel the need to relax it inevitably finds it's way into the cd player.

This week's litmus test

Song of the Wandering Aongus - by Christy Moore http://www.amazon.com/Song-Of-Wandering-Aongus/dp/B0012EHPB0

I see Christy Moore as the Irish equivalent to Johnny Cash (R.I.P.). His original music champions the working man. His versions of Irish folk songs like "The City of Chicago" and "Back Home in Derry" are played frequently in parts of the country as well. The lyrics for Song of the Wandering Aongus (Aongus is the Irish form of Angus) are taken from a poem of the same name by William Butler Yeats. Yeats's poetry made him one of Ireland's most famous sons. The lyrics involve a search for a lost love of the narrator's. Christy Moore's voice is beautiful in both it's sound and soft timbre. It's as if the man sings in a soft blue tone. I call this track a litmus test because any girl who is familiar enough with Yeats's poetry to recognize this track as an audio version of his poem is worth asking on a date.

THE SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS

by: W.B. Yeats

WENT out to the hazel wood,

Because a fire was in my head,

And cut and peeled a hazel wand,

And hooked a berry to a thread;




And when white moths were on the wing,

And moth-like stars were flickering out,

I dropped the berry in a stream

And caught a little silver trout.




When I had laid it on the floor

I went to blow the fire a-flame,

But something rustled on the floor,

And some one called me by my name:

It had become a glimmering girl

With apple blossom in her hair

Who called me by my name and ran

And faded through the brightening air.




Though I am old with wandering

Through hollow lands and hilly lands,

I will find out where she has gone,

And kiss her lips and take her hands;

And walk among long dappled grass,

And pluck till time and times are done

The silver apples of the moon,

The golden apples of the sun.

3 tracks your ear and brain won't regret

Had to put the play creation on hold because of school. Until time and other resources open up I'm focusing on music that I enjoy, music creates the mood for the play as much as it's sparse dialog. Maybe you'll catch a groove you can ride from these tracks.


The Streets - Blinded by the Lights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A8T4lVu074

The Streets (AKA Mike Skinner) breathed new and innovative life into what for me, was largely a monotonous genre (Hip-Hop) with his first major album release in 2002. You hear his music and you can see what he's talking about in your own head. He makes his own beats, and is refreshingly humble about his prowess as an artist "That's why I've sold 3 million and you've never heard of me.". 3/4 of his albums are accessible for anyone who live or lived near an urban center where it isn't all sunshine and lollipops. This particular track comes from his second album
The song consists of storytelling that is common for The Streets but the video takes the initial concept of to a frighteningly real level. Rumor has it this video was banned from MTV, take that rumor or leave it. I like what the guy does.

The Donkeys - Boot on the Seat http://www.rhapsody.com/the-donkeys/living-on-the-other-side

One of far off San Diego's diamonds in the fluff. The Donkeys combine a mix of instruments, easy tempos and an ability to harmonize that anyone can admire to create their own blend of music that makes you want to slow down and relax. Neither jam bands nor surf rock, though it for me has some of the best elements of both. Their album Living on the Other Side has had some mainstream media play (including on Sons of Anarchy, which is how I discovered them) but it is still largely off of Viacom's radar. Boot on the Seat represents the whole album well; it's happy music to which a listener can apply him or herself as much as they like. It works well in the foreground or background. I saw them a month ago at one of Lawrence's many dive-bars (love this town) for 3 dollars. What I got for that pittance was a group of musicians who love and excel at what they do, 30 or so people in the crowd who all knew the words and a weight lifted from my shoulders which made it just a bit easier to get up the next morning. Even if all I got was that last one, it was well worth the money. Listen to this track and this record, I doubt you'll be sorry.

A track which can be used as a litmus test - Jimi Hendrix - Johnny B. Goode cover. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5BOf-8vHoY

I use "litmus test" because if I were unsure about whether I wanted to take the extra step and ask a girl out; her reaction to a track like this would be a good indicator. Tracks like this are my Magic 8-Ball. This track was performed by Jimi early in his career with The Experience. It's tempo is faster than the original and some of the lyrics are garbled, but he still provides your ears with a musical salvo you won't soon forget. He also plays a lengthy portion of the song with his teeth AND the keeps the tempo of the song largely the same, stellar stuff man. Jimi played this type of song before The Experience had found their own unique sound, they were still working out some of their musical kinks as a trio. (The opinion I just expressed was first suggested in A Room Full of Mirrors, Chistopher Cross's extensive and awesome biography of Jimi Hendrix's life). If the girl in question heard this track and said more than "it's good" or "I like it" I'd ask her what she was doing Friday night. In order for someone to have a conversation about this track they would have to have a knowledge of both the original by the legendary Chuck Berry, and Jimi Hendrix's music other than Foxy Lady, Fire, Purple Haze or Crosstown Traffic. These four tracks are all very good but they are frequently played and in my opinion over-played on the radio. They are interestingly some of the songs Jimi hated playing because he felt obligated to play them. Those tracks helped him first rise to stardom (Cross's biography told me this as well).

I hope you'll give some of this music a listen.