Category Archives: Country

Country, folk, Singer Songwriter

July 12: Butch Hancock is 70 Happy Birthday

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July 12: Butch Hancock is 70 Happy Birthday

Life in Lubbock, Texas, taught me two things: One is that God loves you and you’re going to burn in hell. The other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth and you should save it for someone you love.
— Butch Hancock

From Wikipedia:

Butch Hancock is a country/folk music recording artist and song writer. He was born July 12, 1945 in Lubbock, Texas. Hancock is a member of The Flatlanders along with Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, but he has principally performed a solo career.

w/ Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Joe Ely (The Flatlanders)

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Country, folk, Nanci Griffith, Singer Songwriter

July 6: Nanci Griffith was born in 1953

Nanci Griffith 1

July 6: Nanci Griffith was born in 1953

I got to know Nanci Griffith through the seminal music paper Beat (norwegian music magazine), this music magazine has been extremely important in my musical upbringing. They made it ok to say that you loved country music. This was a big step for us rock/punk youth. Anyway, they praised Nanci Griffith very early and we listened and we agreed, this was very special indeed.

Her voice, her way of singing, especially other people’s’ songs, it was and is beautiful. My first entry into her world was John Prine’s The Speed of The Sound of Loneliness, it is still the best song in her catalogue. Hell, it would be the best song in almost anybody’s catalogue!

Speed of the sound of Loneliness (with John Prine who wrote this masterpiece):

Nanci Griffith, (born Nanci Caroline Griffith, July 6, 1953, Seguin, Texas) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter based in Austin, Texas.

Allmusic:  Straddling the fine line between folk and country music, Nanci Griffith has become as well-known for her brilliant, confessional songwriting as her beautiful voice. A self-styled “folkabilly” singer, Griffith began as a kindergarten teacher and occasional folksinger. The country scene took her to heart in the mid-’80s, giving her a reputation as a quality songwriter through hit covers of Griffith’s songs by Kathy Mattea and Suzy Bogguss. Finding no luck with commercial country radio however, Griffith recorded several pop-oriented albums and then returned to her folk roots by the mid-’90s.

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Country, Festival, folk, Justin Townes Earle

Rolling Rootsy Revue 2015 Oslo – Photo Special

Justin 2015-2

Rolling Rootsy Revue 2015 Oslo –  Photo Special

Rolling Rootsy Revue is a touring Americana festival visiting three towns in Norway (and four in Sweden) this June,  Bergen, Oslo and Trondheim.

I was lucky to attend The Rolling Rootsy Revue 2015 in Oslo last night, and what a great collection of artists we were served. Fantastic music for a reasonable price. I send a big thanks to Rootsy Live for bringing this show on the road in Norway. Crossing fingers and hoping it will be an annual event.

Rolling Rootsy Revue 2015

It started with Doug Seegers, a fine start. He is a good storyteller and is very true to his country music roots. I’ve seen him before and he is a good entertainer. It was surprisingly full at the start of “The Revue” and he brought out the smiles in the audience.

Then we got Handsome Family, always fun, and almost always great. I had very high hopes, every time I’ve seen them they’ve been fantastic. I was a bit let-down yesterday, maybe my expectations were too high. It was good but not as good as I know they can be.

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Country, folk, Great albums, Lucinda Williams, Singer Songwriter

June 5: Lucinda Williams released Essence in 2001

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Essence,

I envy the wind
That whispers in your ear
That howls through the winter
That freezes your fingers
That moves through your hair
And cracks your lips
And chills you to the bone
I envy the wind

June 5: Lucinda Williams released Essence in 2001

Essence is Lucinda Williams’ sixth album. It was released in 2001. It is a wonderful album, one of the best albums that year, hell, one of the best albums that decade!

Essence was highly anticipated coming after a three-year gap from her lauded Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and the critical reviews reflect that. Although positive, none rate the album as highly as her breakthrough. Robert Christgau, who raved about Car Wheels, called the album “imperfect” but still praised her artistry saying “[she] is too damn good to deny.” Reviewers noted the difference in tone between the two albums with Rolling Stone citing the “willful intimacy” of the music while Spin contrasted its “halting, spare” presentation with Car Wheels “giddy, verbose” one. In a review posted by Salon the album was called “an emotional mess of a masterpiece”.

Q listed Essence as one of the best 50 albums of 2001. 

Personnel on the album include Tony Garnier and Charlie Sexton, best known as part of Bob Dylan’s live backing band then and now. The album also features session drummer Jim Keltner, another Dylan collaborator.

Fantastic album!

Lucinda Williams – Essence (Live):

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Classic Concert, Country, Great albums, Johnny Cash, Music Calendar

June 4: Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin was released in 1969

 

June 4:  Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin was released in 1969

When I was little boy I was very interested in music, the radio and records. My father had a small  but very good record collection. Among the treasures in his collection was this album, Johnny Cash – Live at San Quentin. My father told me the story of the album, and I remember that the Norwegian broadcast company (yes there were only one channel at the time, early 70s) showed the actual concert. It was very late at night but my father woke me and I got to see this legendary show.   It marked me for life.

At San Quentin is the 31st overall album and a recording of a live concert given by Johnny Cash to the inmates of San Quentin State Prison. As well as being released on record the concert was filmed by Granada Television.

Johnny Cash – San Quentin Songs Compilation (with great sound!):

The album was a follow-up to Cash’s previous live album, the critically acclaimed and commercially successful At Folsom Prison.
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