Category Archives: Country

Country, folk, Great albums, Music Calendar

Today: Gillian Welch released The Harrow & The Harvest in 2011 – 2 years ago

June 28, 2013 Egil

The Harrow & the Harvest is stunning for its intimacy, its lack of studio artifice, its warmth and its timeless, if hard won, songcraft.
~Thom Jurek (allmusic.com)

The Harrow & The Harvest is simply one of the richest, most expansive roots albums to be released in some time.
~Douglas Heselgrave (pastemagazine.com)

My fav song from the album:

Tennessee (live):

Wikipedia:

Released	June 28, 2011
Recorded	February 2011
Genre	Folk
Label	Acony
Producer	David Rawlings

The Harrow & The Harvest is a 2011 album released by American musician Gillian Welch. It was Welch’s first album in eight years and was released on June 28, 2011.

The eight years since the release of 2003’s Soul Journey marked the longest period of time between album releases for Welch. In explaining the relatively long recording absence, Welch said, “The sad truth is we never liked anything enough to put it out, which is not a pleasant place to be.” She added, “over the course of that time that we were quiet we probably had enough songs to put out two or three records. Actually we made a few tentative steps at trying to record, but inevitably the heart would go out of it when we realised that we simply didn’t like the material enough to go on with it.” Welch frequently performed the song “The Way It Will Be” in years prior to the release of the album. Welch explains that this tense time period inspired the album title: “Our songcraft slipped and I really don’t know why. It’s not uncommon. It’s something that happens to writers. It’s the deepest frustration we have come through, hence the album title.” The writing process involved “this endless back and forth between the two of us,” Welch said, stating that “It’s our most intertwined, co-authored, jointly-composed album.”

The Way It Goes (Live Nov. 2011):

Tracks:

All songs written and composed by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

“Scarlet Town” 3:38
“Dark Turn of Mind” 4:07
“The Way It Will Be” 4:47
“The Way It Goes” 4:01
“Tennessee” 6:35
“Down Along the Dixie Line” 4:49
“Six White Horses” 3:38
“Hard Times” 4:52
“Silver Dagger” 3:23
“The Way the Whole Thing Ends” 6:11

The Way It Will Be:

Album of The Day:

Other June 28:

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Country, Great albums, Music Calendar, Singer Songwriter, Sound, Steve Earle

Today – Steve Earle released Transcendental Blues in 2000 – 13 years ago

June 6, 2013 Hallgeir 1 Comment

“Everybody wants to be somebody’s something
Ain’t nobody wants to be blue”

Transcendental realism: “…is a concept stemming from the philosophy of Immanuel Kant that implies individuals have a perfect understanding of the limitations of their own minds.” (-wikipedia)

Blues: “…refers to the “blue devils”, meaning melancholy and sadness…a depressed mood.” (-wikipedia)

Transcendental Blues: A philosophy that implies individuals have a perfect understanding of their own sadness and the limitations of their own minds (- me)

“transcendence is about being still enough long enough to know when it’s time to move on.” (- Steve Earle, liner notes)

Transcendental Blues (the song, live ACL):

“…what truly makes this one of Earle’s best records is that he refuses to be pulled down by musical decisions. It’s as if he never faced a problem of whether or not to add this or that instrument, or to veer off in this or that direction. He simply had the idea and went with it.” – Ryan Kearny, Pitchfork

Galway Girl – Steve Earle (live 2000):

This is one of Earle’s albums that I play the most (together with El Corazon), it is varied and all the songs are good (some are great). It sometimes reminds me of Johnny Cash, sometimes of the Beatles at their melancholy best. He references Harrison’s “Indian-style” music on the first (and second) track, and old-time droning blues on this and other tracks. He dips into celtic/irish folk music and he even touches heartland rock and bluegrass. As I said it’s an eclectic mix.

Steve Earle has a keen ear for melody, and the lyrics are as always good.

Everyone’s in love with you – Steve Earle & The Dukes (live, Leno 2000):

And last, but not least, the fantastic song, Over Yonder (Jonathan’s song):

Transcendental Blues (Spotify):

– Hallgeir

Sources: Allmusic, Pitchfork, Liner notes, Wikipedia

Country, Singer Songwriter, The Best Songs

Great song – Son of a Rotten Gambler by Chip Taylor

May 21, 2013 Hallgeir

smio-12

This classic song is written by Chip Taylor (aka James Wesley Voight) and there are several very good recordings. The version above is from Chip Taylor’s fantastic album, Hit Man released in 1996. An album were Taylor revisits many of his best songs. When you have written as many great songs as Taylor has, there are bound to be oversights and omissions, but you owe it to yourself to seek out this great record. Hit Man indeed!

“Son Of A Rotten Gambler” was written for his son, Kristian and it went to the top of the country charts. The song is particularly poignant as it speaks of his other great talent, gambling, that he was doing professionally during a break from his recording career in the early 80’s.

As a gambler, he was one of the foremost thoroughbred horse race handicappers on the East Coast. When Chip Taylor turned his sights on the gaming tables, he quickly gained notoriety with his black jack prowess; finishing third in the World Black Jack Championship in Las Vegas. He became one of the most feared card counters in theU.S and was banned from every casino in Atlantic City. These stories are known throughout the gambling world and well documented by the I.R.S..

Anne Murray had a hit with the song in 1974, and it is probably the best known version.

Son Of A Rotten Gambler – Anne Murray:

One of my favorite recordings, “Son of a Rotten Gambler” was a huge, huge country record for Anne Murray. But it was the fifth single from her album release, and they quickly buried it because they wanted to release another album for Christmas. Even though they tried to bury it, it became a huge hit. I wrote it for my son. Emmylou Harris has recorded it as well, but Anne’s version gave me chills when I first heard it. It starts out with an organ that you hear in the distance, and it gets louder and louder and louder, and then she comes in and starts to sing. I think it’s one of the best recordings of any of my songs.

– Chip Taylor (to Engine 145)

The Hollies released their version in 1975. A nice interpretation but too much of a “sing-a-long” anthem for my taste. I think the song loses some of its poignancy.

Son of a Rotten Gambler – The Hollies:

My favourite take of the song, together with Chip Taylors own, is by Emmylou Harris. Released in 1981 on the wonderful album, Cimarron. This was her 9th album and is often rated lower than her previous records, don’t be fooled, it is better than most country albums.

Son of a Rotten Gambler – Emmylou Harris:

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Country, Music Calendar

Today: The late Hank Snow was born in 1914 – 99 years ago

May 9, 2013 Egil

I’ve had about 140 albums released, and I’ve done everything I wanted to do.
~Hank Snow

I’d always listened to Hank Snow.
~Bob Dylan (to Sam Shepard – Aug 1986)

Canada’s greatest contribution to country music, Hank Snow was famous for his “traveling” songs. It’s no wonder. At age 12 he ran away from his Nova Scotia home and joined the Merchant Marines, working as a cabin boy and laborer for four years.
~David Vinopal (allmusic.com)

I’m Movin’ On:

Wikipedia:

Birth name	Clarence Eugene Snow
Also known as	Hank, The Yodeling Ranger Hank Snow, The Singing Ranger
Born	May 9, 1914 Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, Canada
Origin	Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died	December 20, 1999 (aged 85) Madison, Tennessee, United States
Genres	Country
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1936–1999
Labels	RCA Victor

Clarence Eugene “Hank” Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a celebrated Canadian-American country music artist. In a career that spanned nearly 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980. This total includes the number one hits “I’m Moving On”, “The Golden Rocket”, “I Don’t Hurt Anymore”, “Let Me Go, Lover!”, “I’ve Been Everywhere”, and “Hello Love” as well as other top 10 hits.

A Fool Such As I:

Snow was an accomplished songwriter whose clear, baritone voice expressed a wide range of emotions including the joys of freedom and travel as well as the anguish of tortured love. His music was rooted in his beginnings in small town Nova Scotia where, as a frail, 80-pound youngster, he endured extreme poverty, beatings and psychological abuse as well as physically punishing labour during the economically depressed 1920s and 30s. Through it all, his musically talented mother provided the emotional support he needed to pursue his dream of becoming a famous entertainer like his idol, the country star, Jimmie Rodgers.

As a performer of traditional country music, Snow won numerous awards and is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Music Hall of Fame. The Hank Snow Museum in Liverpool, Nova Scotia celebrates his life and work in a province where his fans still see him as an inspirational figure who triumphed over personal adversity to become one of the most influential artists in all of country music.

A regular at the Grand Ole Opry, in 1954 Snow persuaded the directors to allow a young Elvis Presley to appear on stage. Snow used Presley as his opening act and introduced him to Colonel Tom Parker. In August 1955, Snow and Parker formed the management team, Hank Snow Attractions. This partnership signed a management contract with Presley but before long, Snow was out and Parker had full control over the rock singer’s career.

Hank Snow & Elvis Presley